hotair--2020-06-23--Strange scenes from today's White House BLM protest

Protesters tried and failed to set up an autonomous zone in Washington , DC last night , similar to the one in Seattle .
They also tried and failed to pull down a statue of Andrew Jackson near the White House .
Police intervened and prevented the statue from being pulled down .
They used pepper spray and the situation got pretty tense at times : The protesters failed but they didn ’ t go away .
Today police cleared out protesters who had set up a camp near the White House .
No one seems to be getting arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but everyone had to move .
Barriers and fences are now going back up around Lafayette Square to keep protesters from returning .
Police are standing in the street to keep people out and that has resulted in some interesting scenes on a Tuesday afternoon in DC .
The Daily Caller ’ s Henry Rodgers was out in the midst of it filming what he saw : This guy wants the black police officers to tell their white , female colleague she ’ s racist for wearing a thin blue line face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to agree with him .
I have no idea what is happening in this one : And then this guy in women ’ s underwear rolls up on a Segway and starts a fight with other protesters .
This person then ran through the street toward Eleanor Holmes Norton who was giving an interview to Andrea Mitchell : There was some more chaos .
Somehow this officer wound up in a bush .
And no BLM protest would be complete without protesters calling for harm to come to police officers .
In this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the officers who are standing there silently .
Rogers asked the woman why she was yelling at black officers .
She goes on a rant about how “ just because they ’ re black doesn ’ t mean they are not a part of the problem.
” I ’ ve watched so many far-left protest videos over the past ten years .
The police are almost always the focus of abuse and black officers in particular get the worst of it because they are treated as traitors to the cause .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
Occupy ICE protesters in Portland were caught on video shouting racial abuse at black officers .
I saw the same thing at Occupy protests back in 2011 .
The left hates the police but it especially hates black police officers .
I honestly don ’ t know how the officers on the receiving end of this abuse can take it without losing their cool .
Guy Benson sort of sums it up :

Protesters tried and failed to set up an autonomous zone in Washington, DC last night, similar to the one in Seattle. They also tried and failed to pull down a statue of Andrew Jackson near the White House.
Protesters trying to take down the Andrew Jackson statue in DC! 🔥🔥#DCProtests pic.twitter.com/ASWMIl1WFa — 🚩🏴 Biden's🦵H🅰iry🦵Leg (@BernieToVest) June 22, 2020
Protestors in Washington, D.C. tearing down a statue of Andrew Jackson, the president responsible for the Trail of Tears and a hero to President Trump. Video courtesy of @jonathanchase_ pic.twitter.com/MH2t4m7MT9 — Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) June 23, 2020
Police intervened and prevented the statue from being pulled down. They used pepper spray and the situation got pretty tense at times:
Clashes with Police in front of Andrew Jackson statue pic.twitter.com/VwZqdORdex — Richie🎥McG🍿 (@RichieMcGinniss) June 23, 2020
The protesters failed but they didn’t go away. Today police cleared out protesters who had set up a camp near the White House. No one seems to be getting arrested and there wasn’t any violence, but everyone had to move.
DC police clear the streets just north of the #WhiteHouse where protesters tried to set up an autonomous zone last night. pic.twitter.com/OgId4yFs9u — Charlotte Cuthbertson (@charlottecuthbo) June 23, 2020
Barriers and fences are now going back up around Lafayette Square to keep protesters from returning.
Fencing and barricades are going back up at Lafayette Park. As close as I could get looking east down H Street where police are keeping people out. #dcprotest pic.twitter.com/3bcUzv7RUt — Ken Duffy (@KenDuffyNews) June 23, 2020
Police are standing in the street to keep people out and that has resulted in some interesting scenes on a Tuesday afternoon in DC. The Daily Caller’s Henry Rodgers was out in the midst of it filming what he saw:
Scene near the White House right now: pic.twitter.com/z2bQE6B9fU — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
This guy wants the black police officers to tell their white, female colleague she’s racist for wearing a thin blue line face mask. They don’t seem to agree with him.
I have no idea what is happening in this one:
Dude spit at her after this: pic.twitter.com/7QNHsLDM8Z — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
And then this guy in women’s underwear rolls up on a Segway and starts a fight with other protesters.
Good. God… This is what is going on near the White House. You can’t make this shit up: pic.twitter.com/B3QiEIM8pr — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
This person then ran through the street toward Eleanor Holmes Norton who was giving an interview to Andrea Mitchell:
Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton almost attacked: pic.twitter.com/Y1ph336GHI — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
Did you catch Norton’s response?
Rep. Holmes Norton: “Where are the police when you neee them?!” https://t.co/Hr1rzKgRR2 — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
There was some more chaos.
Shit is getting real down here: pic.twitter.com/isOjWlL4GE — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
Somehow this officer wound up in a bush.
It is getting out of control already… pic.twitter.com/eGgMOplBz0 — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
And no BLM protest would be complete without protesters calling for harm to come to police officers. In this case, poisoning them.
More berating of the officers who are standing there silently.
Doesn’t seem to be working… pic.twitter.com/dvrB9GlIjt — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
Rogers asked the woman why she was yelling at black officers. She goes on a rant about how “just because they’re black doesn’t mean they are not a part of the problem.”
White woman yelling at black officers. pic.twitter.com/dEdfTf0Dgw — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 23, 2020
I’ve watched so many far-left protest videos over the past ten years. The police are almost always the focus of abuse and black officers in particular get the worst of it because they are treated as traitors to the cause. Here’s an example of this from last year. Occupy ICE protesters in Portland were caught on video shouting racial abuse at black officers. I saw the same thing at Occupy protests back in 2011. The left hates the police but it especially hates black police officers. I honestly don’t know how the officers on the receiving end of this abuse can take it without losing their cool. Guy Benson sort of sums it up:


hotair--2020-06-23--No hate crime: "Noose" in Bubba Wallace's garage was a pull rope that had been there since 2019, say

No hate crime: "Noose" in Bubba Wallace's garage was a pull rope that had been there since 2019, says FBI

First Oakland , now this .
It ’ s been a bad , bad week in “ actually , that ’ s just a rope with a loop for your hand ” news .
Silver lining , I guess : At least it wasn ’ t a hoax perpetrated by Wallace or someone sympathetic to him .
It was a mistake .
An awful , mystifying mistake , embarrassing NASCAR not once but twice .
First the sport got a few days of terrible press about racist intimidation supposedly happening to its lone black driver , the man who spearheaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at events .
And now it gets a few more days of terrible press about the moral panic that drove Wallace and others to immediately assume the worst when there was an innocent explanation for the “ noose.
” How the hell did he and others make this mistake , anyway ?
Had they never seen a rope fashioned this way in a garage before ?
“ On Monday , fifteen FBI special agents conducted numerous interviews regarding the situation at Talladega Superspeedway .
After a thorough review of the facts and evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no federal crime was committed .
The FBI learned that garage number 4 , where the noose was found , was assigned to Bubba Wallace last week .
The investigation also revealed evidence , including authentic video confirmed by NASCAR , that the noose found in garage number 4 was in that garage as early as October 2019 .
Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019 , nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week .
NASCAR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter-of-fact : Yashar Ali asks a good question .
Why did NASCAR promote the idea that a “ noose ” had been found in Wallace ’ s garage before the investigation was over ?
“ We are angry and outraged and can not state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act , ” they wrote in a statement after the “ noose ” was discovered .
They must have been utterly terrified of being accused of not taking the incident seriously enough if they didn ’ t immediately presume the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is it for a pull rope in a garage to be fastened with a loop ?
It can ’ t be that Wallace was the only person who saw it and mistook it for a threat .
Other drivers and NASCAR execs must have come by when they heard about it to see the evidence .
No one had seen that ever ?
Or were they just afraid to tell Wallace , “ C ’ mon , man , that ’ s a pull rope ” ?
Better to go along with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news to him than dare risk being seen as unsupportive .
On the other hand , what would Wallace gain by playing this off as a racist threat if he knew there was an innocent explanation ?
In that scenario he would have been destined to be humiliated by the feds telling the world , “ Just a pull rope , folks.
” At least NASCAR got a kumbaya moment out of this embarrassing sh*tshow before the whole thing crashed .
Logically this shouldn ’ t affect the sport ’ s attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably will — not because NASCAR fans want to intimidate Wallace but because they ’ ll connect the flag ban to this incident as one big haywire overreaction and say “ to hell with it.
” Oh well .

First Oakland, now this. It’s been a bad, bad week in “actually, that’s just a rope with a loop for your hand” news.
Silver lining, I guess: At least it wasn’t a hoax perpetrated by Wallace or someone sympathetic to him. It was a mistake.
An awful, mystifying mistake, embarrassing NASCAR not once but twice. First the sport got a few days of terrible press about racist intimidation supposedly happening to its lone black driver, the man who spearheaded the effort to ban the Confederate flag at events. And now it gets a few more days of terrible press about the moral panic that drove Wallace and others to immediately assume the worst when there was an innocent explanation for the “noose.”
How the hell did he and others make this mistake, anyway? Had they never seen a rope fashioned this way in a garage before?
“On Monday, fifteen FBI special agents conducted numerous interviews regarding the situation at Talladega Superspeedway. After a thorough review of the facts and evidence surrounding this event, we have concluded that no federal crime was committed. The FBI learned that garage number 4, where the noose was found, was assigned to Bubba Wallace last week. The investigation also revealed evidence, including authentic video confirmed by NASCAR, that the noose found in garage number 4 was in that garage as early as October 2019. Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week.
Here’s the alleged “noose”:
Apologies for not knowing who originally created this image, but it has been making the rounds on Twitter and turned out to be correct. You can see in the left photo the rope was in noose form — apparently as a handle — last year and then cut for evidence Sunday. pic.twitter.com/MIrtF3uqtN — Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 23, 2020
NASCAR’s statement about the results was matter-of-fact:
NASCAR releases a statement on the situation: pic.twitter.com/RC6asyMxMn — Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 23, 2020
Yashar Ali asks a good question. Why did NASCAR promote the idea that a “noose” had been found in Wallace’s garage before the investigation was over? “We are angry and outraged and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act,” they wrote in a statement after the “noose” was discovered. They must have been utterly terrified of being accused of not taking the incident seriously enough if they didn’t immediately presume the worst.
I ask again: How unusual is it for a pull rope in a garage to be fastened with a loop? It can’t be that Wallace was the only person who saw it and mistook it for a threat. Other drivers and NASCAR execs must have come by when they heard about it to see the evidence. No one had seen that ever?
Or were they just afraid to tell Wallace, “C’mon, man, that’s a pull rope”? Better to go along with the panic and let the FBI break the news to him than dare risk being seen as unsupportive.
On the other hand, what would Wallace gain by playing this off as a racist threat if he knew there was an innocent explanation? In that scenario he would have been destined to be humiliated by the feds telling the world, “Just a pull rope, folks.”
At least NASCAR got a kumbaya moment out of this embarrassing sh*tshow before the whole thing crashed. Logically this shouldn’t affect the sport’s attempt to ban Confederate flags at events but it probably will — not because NASCAR fans want to intimidate Wallace but because they’ll connect the flag ban to this incident as one big haywire overreaction and say “to hell with it.” Oh well.


hotair--2020-06-23--A "fair and decent society" in America?

A "fair and decent society" in America?

I ’ m getting ready to head out on vacation for a while and get in some fishing ( please don ’ t all cry out in anguish at once ) and I thought maybe I could finish things up on a high note .
There ’ s a lot of doom and gloom in the air these days as you all know , what with racial unrest , pandemics , Murder Hornets and everything else , so it seemed like a worthwhile effort to dip a toe into the more sunny side of the pool .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scott Rassmussen had written a new article for Desert News about some recent polling he ’ s done on the subject of America as a “ fair and decent society.
” Isn ’ t that the sort of attitude we could all use right about now ?
Well… remember what I said about finding a way to finish on a high note ?
You can forget that .
According to Scott ’ s polling , most of the country no longer thinks of America as “ fair and decent.
” In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposite .
Back in the 1990s , I began asking a simple polling question that highlights a massive change in the way Americans view their country : Generally speaking , is American society fair and decent or is it unfair and discriminatory ?
In those long-ago days , voters overwhelmingly responded fair and decent , typically by a 2-to-1 margin .
Things are much different today .
Polling I conducted this past weekend found that just 38 % of voters nationwide believe our society is generally fair and decent .
Nearly half ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfair and discriminatory .
That ’ s consistent with data I cited a few weeks back showing that just 31 % believe most Americans treat white and Black voters equally .
On this question , there is naturally a partisan divide .
Sixty-two percent ( 62 % ) of Republicans say our society is fair and decent while 69 % of Democrats take the opposite view .
By a 45 % to 31 % margin , independent voters agree with the Democrats .
I suppose there ’ s some consolation to be taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are significantly more likely to see our country as fair and decent .
But even there , 62 % still isn ’ t a very impressive number .
That split along party lines does , however , feed into the impression I ’ ve gotten from social media about the current state of unrest .
I frequently hear variations of the same phrase invoked , suggesting that Democrats are spurring on all of this rioting and destruction because they ’ re trying to destroy the country .
I ’ m not sure how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 70 percent of them describe America as unfair and discriminatory it ’ s not hard to believe .
The numbers in this survey , when broken down along the racial divide are equally depressing .
While roughly half of all white voters find America to be mostly fair and decent , 77 % of Black voters feel the opposite way and 49 % of Hispanic voters agree with them .
And this result comes in despite the fact that at least until the novel coronavirus lockdowns hit , both Black and Hispanic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were growing .
While I fully understand that there is more to life ( and equality ) than just having a job and earning a living , those things are still the most powerful tool in ensuring equality and personal freedom .
The news from the survey wasn ’ t entirely bad , by the way .
A hopeful 76 % of voters said they believe that most Americans “ want to live in a society where white and Black Americans are treated equally.
” Sadly , even that optimistic sliver of results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Almost one-quarter of Black voters ( 24 % ) disagreed with that statement and believe that most Americans don ’ t want racial equality .
I ’ m apparently out of the mainstream by a wide margin .
Perhaps it ’ s a result of my environment growing up and where I live now .
On my block , I live next door to a gay couple , across the street from a retired Black couple and next door ( on the other side ) to a guy who is on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still manages to care for himself .
It ’ s a pretty diverse neighborhood but in nearly 25 years at this address , I ’ ve never seen an instance of racial animus , homophobia , or anything else among the people living here .
Perhaps I ’ m just lucky ?
Or maybe the people answering these surveys have been so inundated with the gloom and doomporn coming out of CNN and MSNBC on a 24/7 basis that they simply believe that everything is awful .
Anyway , as I said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a fool of myself while hundreds of fish totally elude me .
I ’ m going to find something to help me look on the bright side and I hope you all do as well .
See you in a week or so .

I’m getting ready to head out on vacation for a while and get in some fishing (please don’t all cry out in anguish at once) and I thought maybe I could finish things up on a high note. There’s a lot of doom and gloom in the air these days as you all know, what with racial unrest, pandemics, Murder Hornets and everything else, so it seemed like a worthwhile effort to dip a toe into the more sunny side of the pool. That’s why I was pleased to see that Scott Rassmussen had written a new article for Desert News about some recent polling he’s done on the subject of America as a “fair and decent society.” Isn’t that the sort of attitude we could all use right about now?
Well… remember what I said about finding a way to finish on a high note? You can forget that. According to Scott’s polling, most of the country no longer thinks of America as “fair and decent.” In fact, increasing numbers see it as just the opposite.
Back in the 1990s, I began asking a simple polling question that highlights a massive change in the way Americans view their country: Generally speaking, is American society fair and decent or is it unfair and discriminatory? In those long-ago days, voters overwhelmingly responded fair and decent, typically by a 2-to-1 margin. Things are much different today. Polling I conducted this past weekend found that just 38% of voters nationwide believe our society is generally fair and decent. Nearly half (47%) believe our society is unfair and discriminatory. That’s consistent with data I cited a few weeks back showing that just 31% believe most Americans treat white and Black voters equally. On this question, there is naturally a partisan divide. Sixty-two percent (62%) of Republicans say our society is fair and decent while 69% of Democrats take the opposite view. By a 45% to 31% margin, independent voters agree with the Democrats.
I suppose there’s some consolation to be taken in the fact that Republicans and GOP-leaners are significantly more likely to see our country as fair and decent. But even there, 62% still isn’t a very impressive number. That split along party lines does, however, feed into the impression I’ve gotten from social media about the current state of unrest. I frequently hear variations of the same phrase invoked, suggesting that Democrats are spurring on all of this rioting and destruction because they’re trying to destroy the country. I’m not sure how literally true that is, but when nearly 70 percent of them describe America as unfair and discriminatory it’s not hard to believe.
The numbers in this survey, when broken down along the racial divide are equally depressing. While roughly half of all white voters find America to be mostly fair and decent, 77% of Black voters feel the opposite way and 49% of Hispanic voters agree with them. And this result comes in despite the fact that at least until the novel coronavirus lockdowns hit, both Black and Hispanic unemployment were at historic lows while wages were growing. While I fully understand that there is more to life (and equality) than just having a job and earning a living, those things are still the most powerful tool in ensuring equality and personal freedom.
The news from the survey wasn’t entirely bad, by the way. A hopeful 76% of voters said they believe that most Americans “want to live in a society where white and Black Americans are treated equally.” Sadly, even that optimistic sliver of results wasn’t entirely without a downside. Almost one-quarter of Black voters (24%) disagreed with that statement and believe that most Americans don’t want racial equality.
I’m apparently out of the mainstream by a wide margin. Perhaps it’s a result of my environment growing up and where I live now. On my block, I live next door to a gay couple, across the street from a retired Black couple and next door (on the other side) to a guy who is on the autistic spectrum a fair ways, but still manages to care for himself. It’s a pretty diverse neighborhood but in nearly 25 years at this address, I’ve never seen an instance of racial animus, homophobia, or anything else among the people living here. Perhaps I’m just lucky? Or maybe the people answering these surveys have been so inundated with the gloom and doomporn coming out of CNN and MSNBC on a 24/7 basis that they simply believe that everything is awful.
Anyway, as I said, I’m getting ready to go make a fool of myself while hundreds of fish totally elude me. I’m going to find something to help me look on the bright side and I hope you all do as well. See you in a week or so.


hotair--2020-06-23--Killing comedy: Chicago improv theater closes after owner is accused of racism

Comedy has long been a target of woke politics .
In Chicago , activists started a petition accusing the owner of the iO Improv Theater of an “ individual history of racism.
” The petition , which started with five student permormers at the theater , demanded that owner Charna Halpern , “ acknowledge the harm this has caused to individuals , communities , and the comedy world as a whole.
” In addition to the blanket apology , the petition demanded Halpern hire an “ outside BIPOC Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator.
” Actually , the petition didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Indigenous people of color ( BIPOC ) diversity coordinator , it wanted her to let a committee of BIPOC and LGBTQ performers and students make the hiring decision , she just had to pay for it .
As a result of these demands , made in the midst of a pandemic when the theater has been closed , the iO Improv Theater is now closing for good .
So what exactly was the racism that prompted all of this ?
The activists won ’ t say : In the case of iO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an “ individual history of racism , ” a charge I asked some of the petition organizers to explain .
They declined to answer any questions — but , for such a key aspect of the petition , it seems this would ’ ve been an easy question to answer .
In Halpern ’ s eyes , the accusation is a mean , untrue , personal attack .
“ These people don ’ t know my history , ” she told me .
“ They don ’ t know what I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , Halpern created the diOversity scholarship , which provides free classes to nonwhite , LGBT and disabled students in an effort to increase diversity at the theater .
As one iO improviser observed , “ The diversity on stage and in teams is incredible.
” The era of only “ lanky-white-dudes-in-comedy , ” they said , is waning .
In fact , Charna told me the petition organizers themselves were members of the diversity program , receiving free classes from the theater… The iO was in a precarious situation with ridiculous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loan that needed tending , the mandatory lockdown , etc .
Fortunately , Halpern had corporate clients lined up for online classes , and had hoped to be able to sustain the theater that way .
But after the petition accused her of being a racist , the clients canceled .
“ I was devastated , ” she said , “ and then forced to this decision.
” So they ’ ve not only ruined this for the owner and for themselves , but for all of the other students at the theater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The organizers of the petition said this was “ difficult to hear.
” As many of you probably know by now , iO Chicago will not be reopening .
This news obviously comes with a lot of complicated feelings for many people .
Ultimately , it is difficult news to hear .
This petition was created out of love for our community , specifically the community at iO .
That building was a creative home for so many incredible performers , many of whom were not treated with the respect they deserved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iO post-pandemic and more importantly , iO post-petition .
We really believed that our demands were going to be met and that iO was going to become the warm , inclusive , welcoming place that we thought it could be .
We cared about iO and wanted it to be better for us , for our friends , and for folx to come .
Thank you for signing this petition .
Thank you for sharing your stories .
Whatever happens next , please remember the demands of this petition and why you chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the experiences that your friends and peers have shared .
Chicago improv will always be here .
It will always funny .
From now on , let ’ s make sure it will always be safe and equitable .
Safe and equitable ?
Right because that ’ s what everyone wants when go out to see comedy , a safe space where no one ’ s feelings ever get hurt .
The theater ’ s About Us page noted that iO started as Improv Olympics and over the years has worked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This image shows some of the familiar faces .
Cancel culture , which emanates from far-left identity politics , has really been at odds with comedy for years now .
Mel Brooks has said it .
John Cleese has said it .
Pete Davidson has said it .
Most late night comedy has become political “ clapter ” humor which doesn ’ t even try to be funny .
No one is safe from being professionally trashed if they offend the woke scolds .
In case you ’ ve forgotten , here ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on cancel culture .

Comedy has long been a target of woke politics. In Chicago, activists started a petition accusing the owner of the iO Improv Theater of an “individual history of racism.” The petition, which started with five student permormers at the theater, demanded that owner Charna Halpern, “acknowledge the harm this has caused to individuals, communities, and the comedy world as a whole.”
In addition to the blanket apology, the petition demanded Halpern hire an “outside BIPOC Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator.” Actually, the petition didn’t want Halpern to hire her own black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) diversity coordinator, it wanted her to let a committee of BIPOC and LGBTQ performers and students make the hiring decision, she just had to pay for it. As a result of these demands, made in the midst of a pandemic when the theater has been closed, the iO Improv Theater is now closing for good. So what exactly was the racism that prompted all of this? The activists won’t say:
In the case of iO, the petition accuses Halpern of having an “individual history of racism,” a charge I asked some of the petition organizers to explain. They declined to answer any questions — but, for such a key aspect of the petition, it seems this would’ve been an easy question to answer. In Halpern’s eyes, the accusation is a mean, untrue, personal attack. “These people don’t know my history,” she told me. “They don’t know what I’ve done for this community.” About two years ago, Halpern created the diOversity scholarship, which provides free classes to nonwhite, LGBT and disabled students in an effort to increase diversity at the theater. As one iO improviser observed, “The diversity on stage and in teams is incredible.” The era of only “lanky-white-dudes-in-comedy,” they said, is waning. In fact, Charna told me the petition organizers themselves were members of the diversity program, receiving free classes from the theater… The iO was in a precarious situation with ridiculous property taxes, a $6 million loan that needed tending, the mandatory lockdown, etc. Fortunately, Halpern had corporate clients lined up for online classes, and had hoped to be able to sustain the theater that way. But after the petition accused her of being a racist, the clients canceled. “I was devastated,” she said, “and then forced to this decision.”
So they’ve not only ruined this for the owner and for themselves, but for all of the other students at the theater and the many employees who worked there. The organizers of the petition said this was “difficult to hear.”
As many of you probably know by now, iO Chicago will not be reopening. This news obviously comes with a lot of complicated feelings for many people. Ultimately, it is difficult news to hear. This petition was created out of love for our community, specifically the community at iO. That building was a creative home for so many incredible performers, many of whom were not treated with the respect they deserved. We were so looking forward to iO post-pandemic and more importantly, iO post-petition. We really believed that our demands were going to be met and that iO was going to become the warm, inclusive, welcoming place that we thought it could be. We cared about iO and wanted it to be better for us, for our friends, and for folx to come. Thank you for signing this petition. Thank you for sharing your stories. Whatever happens next, please remember the demands of this petition and why you chose to sign it. Remember your experiences and the experiences that your friends and peers have shared. Chicago improv will always be here. It will always funny. From now on, let’s make sure it will always be safe and equitable.
Safe and equitable? Right because that’s what everyone wants when go out to see comedy, a safe space where no one’s feelings ever get hurt. The theater’s About Us page noted that iO started as Improv Olympics and over the years has worked with a long list of top comics. This image shows some of the familiar faces.
Cancel culture, which emanates from far-left identity politics, has really been at odds with comedy for years now. Mel Brooks has said it. John Cleese has said it. Pete Davidson has said it. Most late night comedy has become political “clapter” humor which doesn’t even try to be funny. No one is safe from being professionally trashed if they offend the woke scolds. In case you’ve forgotten, here’s Dave Chappelle’s very-NSFW take on cancel culture.


hotair--2020-06-23--NYPD: Surge in shootings might be the "new normal"

People in New York City are hearing a lot of loud bangs in their neighborhoods these days , and it ’ s not people getting an early start on Independence Day fireworks .
( Okay… some of it is , but that ’ s a different problem for another article . )
The majority of it is gunfire .
Over the past few weeks , there has been a surge in shootings , and all of these events can ’ t be written off to the recent riots taking place around the George Floyd protests .
So just how bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the number of shootings thus far in the month of June is the worst they ’ ve seen since 1996 .
( NY Post ) Bullets are whizzing around New York this month at a rate not seen in nearly a quarter century , according to the NYPD — and police sources warned that the recent run of gunplay may be the new normal .
Through the first three weeks of June , which came to a close Sunday , city streets echoed with 125 shooting incidents , Chief of Crime Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
“ We have to go back to June of 1996 to get a worse start for June , ” said LiPetri .
“ That is a telling stat.
” Twenty-four years ago , Rudy Giuliani was mayor and , while the city had made strides in tamping down crime , Gotham still saw 2,938 people shot and 984 murdered .
To put this in perspective , if the city continues to see gun crimes at this level they will be facing rates that were last seen under Rudy Giuliani ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind that the 1996 rates were after Rudy had actually cut the crime rates by more than half .
Gotham had a couple of years with literally more than 2,000 murders before he started cracking down .
Mayor Bill de Blasio has been asked about these statistics and he ’ s been coughing up the same platitudes every time .
He ’ s gone on the record saying he was “ not going to allow gun violence to continue to grow.
” He later vowed that New York was “ not going back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was so much violence… ” That all sounds great , but thus far it ’ s only words .
His own NYPD cops out on the beat tell a very different story .
One cop in Brooklyn said this was “ the bloodiest week in de Blasio ’ s reign , and it will only get worse.
” His own Police Commissioner recently described the situation using a reference to the Titanic , saying there was “ an iceberg straight ahead.
” And few of the men and women on the front line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How did we get to this point ?
Well , the city recently disbanded its plainclothes anti-crime unit .
They also announced plans to cut the police budget for overtime so they could “ redirect ” the money into social justice programs .
Prior to that , as we covered here repeatedly , new “ bail reform ” laws turned the courts into a revolving door for criminals .
That happened at the same time that the “ empty the jails ” movement was flushing ever-larger numbers of offenders back onto the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fewer cops on patrol plus more criminals on the prowl is a mathematical formula for… exactly what you ’ re seeing now .
And this will be Bill de Blasio ’ s legacy when he leaves office if he doesn ’ t toughen up and figure out a way to get things back under control .
The gangs of New York didn ’ t just disappear after Guiliani and Bloomberg cleaned up the city .
They were just driven into the shadows , waiting for their moment to come back .
And now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 1999 .
Er… I mean , 1996 .

People in New York City are hearing a lot of loud bangs in their neighborhoods these days, and it’s not people getting an early start on Independence Day fireworks. (Okay… some of it is, but that’s a different problem for another article.) The majority of it is gunfire. Over the past few weeks, there has been a surge in shootings, and all of these events can’t be written off to the recent riots taking place around the George Floyd protests. So just how bad is it? According to the NYPD, the number of shootings thus far in the month of June is the worst they’ve seen since 1996. (NY Post)
Bullets are whizzing around New York this month at a rate not seen in nearly a quarter century, according to the NYPD — and police sources warned that the recent run of gunplay may be the new normal. Through the first three weeks of June, which came to a close Sunday, city streets echoed with 125 shooting incidents, Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri told The Post on Monday. “We have to go back to June of 1996 to get a worse start for June,” said LiPetri. “That is a telling stat.” Twenty-four years ago, Rudy Giuliani was mayor and, while the city had made strides in tamping down crime, Gotham still saw 2,938 people shot and 984 murdered.
To put this in perspective, if the city continues to see gun crimes at this level they will be facing rates that were last seen under Rudy Giuliani’s tenure as mayor. And keep in mind that the 1996 rates were after Rudy had actually cut the crime rates by more than half. Gotham had a couple of years with literally more than 2,000 murders before he started cracking down.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has been asked about these statistics and he’s been coughing up the same platitudes every time. He’s gone on the record saying he was “not going to allow gun violence to continue to grow.” He later vowed that New York was “not going back to the bad old days when there was so much violence…”
That all sounds great, but thus far it’s only words. His own NYPD cops out on the beat tell a very different story. One cop in Brooklyn said this was “the bloodiest week in de Blasio’s reign, and it will only get worse.” His own Police Commissioner recently described the situation using a reference to the Titanic, saying there was “an iceberg straight ahead.” And few of the men and women on the front line foresee the situation improving any time soon.
How did we get to this point? Well, the city recently disbanded its plainclothes anti-crime unit. They also announced plans to cut the police budget for overtime so they could “redirect” the money into social justice programs. Prior to that, as we covered here repeatedly, new “bail reform” laws turned the courts into a revolving door for criminals. That happened at the same time that the “empty the jails” movement was flushing ever-larger numbers of offenders back onto the streets before their terms were up.
Fewer cops on patrol plus more criminals on the prowl is a mathematical formula for… exactly what you’re seeing now. And this will be Bill de Blasio’s legacy when he leaves office if he doesn’t toughen up and figure out a way to get things back under control. The gangs of New York didn’t just disappear after Guiliani and Bloomberg cleaned up the city. They were just driven into the shadows, waiting for their moment to come back. And now they’re apparently partying like it’s 1999. Er… I mean, 1996.


hotair--2020-06-23--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Kimmel's retreat, Bolton's hot seat, WaPo's conceit,  Frozen Dreams tre

Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Kimmel's retreat, Bolton's hot seat, WaPo's conceit,  Frozen Dreams treat, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Andrew Malcolm joins us for Tuesdays with Andrew !
The Prince of Twitter and I will discuss all of the hot political stories of the day .
What does John Bolton ’ s publisher have in common with Twitter ?
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence , for one .
We ’ ll talk about Bolton ’ s media tour , plus discuss the Washington Post exposé of a nobody regarding blackface while studiously ignoring Jimmy Kimmel , and more !
• Moe Lane ’ s new novel Frozen Dreams is “ a very straightforward detective story , ” albeit set “ where there are orcs rampaging in the eastern desert , evil sorcerers lurking in their towers to the north , and Adventurers looting and exploring the post-American ruins.
” What in the world — or out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My friend Moe joins us for a look at the newly released Kindle version • Speaking of Kimmel , what about his apology ?
Christian Toto joins us to discuss the reactions , plus we ’ ll talk about another celebrity begging for forgiveness over her public statements while cursing her critics .
And what are we to make about the recent surge of apologies from woke stars over their previous film work ?
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-06-23--Minneapolis police union: We're being scapegoated by "incompetent ...failed" civic leaders

True enough , although that ’ s not the entirety of what has happened in Minneapolis , either .
After a couple of weeks of getting dragged by Minneapolis civic leaders , the police union has begun to fight back in the media .
The problem with policing in Minneapolis isn ’ t the collective bargaining agreement , Lt. Bob Kroll and his union colleagues insisted today on CBS This Morning .
The problem is the “ incompetent ” and “ failed ” leadership by city and state officials that leaves police to be “ scapegoats ” : Lt. Bob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police union , said what officers did leading up to the death of George Floyd “ does look and sound horrible , ” but he ’ s waiting to see officers ’ body-worn camera footage before judging the restraint police used .
… Addressing growing criticism of the conduct of the four former officers at the scene , Kroll said police union members are being unfairly “ scapegoated by political leaders in our city and our state , and they have shifted their incompetent leadership , failed leadership onto us and our membership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kroll said the officer ’ s body camera footage could present a fuller picture .
“ It may shed some light that we are unaware of , ” Kroll said in response to questions from anchor Gayle King .
“ Right now , we can not make an informed decision regarding the other officers that do not appear on camera.
” There ’ s little doubt about the failed and incompetent leadership in Minneapolis and Minnesota .
The entire country got a ringside seat to its full expression when the demonstrations began after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retreat .
Mayor Jacob Frey wept on camera about Minneapolis ’ “ strength , ” but never showed any strength at all until the riots came to an end .
Governor Tim Walz dithered for days before calling up and then deploying the National Guard .
Frey , Walz , public safety commissioner John Harrington , and St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter all blamed “ outsiders ” and “ white supremacists ” for the violence , only to retreat when the actual arrests featured leftist Minnesotans .
However , that ’ s hardly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The police in Minneapolis have a rather poor reputation in the area , and Derek Chauvin is an example of it .
Prior to kneeling on Floyd ’ s neck for at least eight and a half minutes , more than a dozen complaints had been filed against him .
Were they all unfounded ?
It ’ s tough to see how after the demonstration of Chauvin ’ s sense of impunity on that video , so how did Chauvin manage to keep his job for so long ?
The union and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s also possibly keeping other marginal-at-best officers in uniform too .
That , however , is another example of the incompetent and failed leadership in Minneapolis .
After all , the union negotiated those protections with the city , led by the same progressive Democrats that unions kept in power here for decades .
It ’ s also the same civic leadership that approved contracts that have led to a cost per police employee of $ 180,000 or more , which is an absurd cost level that limits the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with Kroll and union leadership is underwhelming for the most part .
They acknowledge that the video of Chauvin is “ horrible , ” but are still in a protective mode for the other three officers .
They are relying on the CBA in complaining that the police didn ’ t provide them with the full video of the entire incident up front , but that may only apply when a job action is taking place .
In the case of a prosecution , the union doesn ’ t have a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers .
Perhaps the best argument to be made about failed and incompetent leadership is what has happened in the vacuum left by a police department on its heels .
Minneapolis has turned into Baltimore over the last couple of weeks , and now they ’ re having to call in other agencies to push back against an outbreak of violence : The shock of a mass shooting in Uptown that left one man dead and 11 other people wounded had barely subsided Monday when multiple shootings elsewhere in the city swelled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day three separate afternoon shootings on the North Side left nine people injured , Mayor Jacob Frey announced details behind a multiagency effort to quell the bloodshed that has persisted over the past several weeks .
Joining the Minneapolis Police Department will be virtually every law enforcement agency within reach : the Hennepin County Sheriff ’ s Office , Metro Transit police , and federal authorities from the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , the FBI and the Secret Service , according to the mayor .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen the last few days is not acceptable in any form , ” Frey said .
“ Residents , businesses and all that choose to be in Minneapolis for any reason deserve to feel safe.
” Don ’ t expect too many to make that choice in the future , not unless new and competent leadership emerges in city governance .

True enough, although that’s not the entirety of what has happened in Minneapolis, either. After a couple of weeks of getting dragged by Minneapolis civic leaders, the police union has begun to fight back in the media. The problem with policing in Minneapolis isn’t the collective bargaining agreement, Lt. Bob Kroll and his union colleagues insisted today on CBS This Morning. The problem is the “incompetent” and “failed” leadership by city and state officials that leaves police to be “scapegoats”:
Lt. Bob Kroll, the head of the Minneapolis police union, said what officers did leading up to the death of George Floyd “does look and sound horrible,” but he’s waiting to see officers’ body-worn camera footage before judging the restraint police used. … Addressing growing criticism of the conduct of the four former officers at the scene, Kroll said police union members are being unfairly “scapegoated by political leaders in our city and our state, and they have shifted their incompetent leadership, failed leadership onto us and our membership, and it is simply unjust.” Kroll said the officer’s body camera footage could present a fuller picture. “It may shed some light that we are unaware of,” Kroll said in response to questions from anchor Gayle King. “Right now, we cannot make an informed decision regarding the other officers that do not appear on camera.”
There’s little doubt about the failed and incompetent leadership in Minneapolis and Minnesota. The entire country got a ringside seat to its full expression when the demonstrations began after the George Floyd homicide and the police retreat. Mayor Jacob Frey wept on camera about Minneapolis’ “strength,” but never showed any strength at all until the riots came to an end. Governor Tim Walz dithered for days before calling up and then deploying the National Guard. Frey, Walz, public safety commissioner John Harrington, and St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter all blamed “outsiders” and “white supremacists” for the violence, only to retreat when the actual arrests featured leftist Minnesotans.
However, that’s hardly the only issue in play here. The police in Minneapolis have a rather poor reputation in the area, and Derek Chauvin is an example of it. Prior to kneeling on Floyd’s neck for at least eight and a half minutes, more than a dozen complaints had been filed against him. Were they all unfounded? It’s tough to see how after the demonstration of Chauvin’s sense of impunity on that video, so how did Chauvin manage to keep his job for so long? The union and the CBA are probably the biggest reasons, and it’s also possibly keeping other marginal-at-best officers in uniform too.
That, however, is another example of the incompetent and failed leadership in Minneapolis. After all, the union negotiated those protections with the city, led by the same progressive Democrats that unions kept in power here for decades. It’s also the same civic leadership that approved contracts that have led to a cost per police employee of $180,000 or more, which is an absurd cost level that limits the ability to employ a community-policing approach.
The interview with Kroll and union leadership is underwhelming for the most part. They acknowledge that the video of Chauvin is “horrible,” but are still in a protective mode for the other three officers. They are relying on the CBA in complaining that the police didn’t provide them with the full video of the entire incident up front, but that may only apply when a job action is taking place. In the case of a prosecution, the union doesn’t have a lot of say over what happens to the officers.
Perhaps the best argument to be made about failed and incompetent leadership is what has happened in the vacuum left by a police department on its heels. Minneapolis has turned into Baltimore over the last couple of weeks, and now they’re having to call in other agencies to push back against an outbreak of violence:
The shock of a mass shooting in Uptown that left one man dead and 11 other people wounded had barely subsided Monday when multiple shootings elsewhere in the city swelled the number of casualties. On Monday, the day three separate afternoon shootings on the North Side left nine people injured, Mayor Jacob Frey announced details behind a multiagency effort to quell the bloodshed that has persisted over the past several weeks. Joining the Minneapolis Police Department will be virtually every law enforcement agency within reach: the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Metro Transit police, and federal authorities from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Secret Service, according to the mayor. “The violence and lawlessness that we’ve seen the last few days is not acceptable in any form,” Frey said. “Residents, businesses and all that choose to be in Minneapolis for any reason deserve to feel safe.”
Don’t expect too many to make that choice in the future, not unless new and competent leadership emerges in city governance.


hotair--2020-06-23--A third shooting victim picked up near the CHOP just a day after Mayor announced plans to shut it do

A third shooting victim picked up near the CHOP just a day after Mayor announced plans to shut it down

Here we go again .
Early this morning Seattle PD announced there had been a shooting on the north end of Cal Anderson Park .
That location is adjacent to but not inside the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest ( CHOP ) .
However , King 5 reports the exact location of the shooting isn ’ t clear : The Seattle Fire Department said crews were dispatched to a designated area near the perimeter of the CHOP around 4:40 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting victim requiring emergency medical attention .
Seattle fire said crews went in to treat the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe .
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center .
As you can see in the video below , police wouldn ’ t confirm where the shooting happened .
The place where they picked up the victim was a block outside CHOP but appears to be an agreed upon meeting point that prevents first responders from having to go into the CHOP .
The victim is said to have non-life-threatening injuries .
No other details about the shooting have been revealed yet .
This follows two previous shootings that happened inside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot Sunday .
Early Saturday morning two people were shot .
A 19-year-old was killed in that incident and a 33-year-old remains in the hospital .
Because of the violence over the weekend , Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Monday afternoon that it was “ time for people to go home.
” Mayor Jenny Durkan said it wouldn ’ t be effective to have authorities clear out the roughly six-block area in the city ’ s Capitol Hill section .
Officials are working with Black-led organizations and “ partners in de-escalation ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupied the area to leave , she said .
“ It ’ s time for people to go home , ” she said , adding that it was time “ to restore order and eliminate the violence on Capitol Hill.
” … [ Police Chief ] Best said the shootings were among crimes that have been reported within the protest zone .
She said there had also been a rape , an assault , a burglary , arson and property destruction .
Mayor Durkan ’ s about face on this is an embarrassment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as it was initially called , to a block party .
But she wasn ’ t alone in presenting a rosy picture .
Several media outlets also seemed eager to present the CHOP as a peaceful protest zone .
Fox News points out today that CNN and MSNBC didn ’ t mention Mayor Durkan ’ s decision to put an end to CHOP last night because of the weekend of violence .
News broke during the 7 p.m .
ET hour on Monday that Seattle ’ s mayor said the violence was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters seeking to address racial inequity and police brutality – but CNN ’ s 7 p.m. program , “ Erin Burnett Outfront ” did not mention the news as it unfolded .
CNN continued to ignore the news during its primetime programming , as there was no coverage on back-to-back editions of “ Anderson Cooper 360 ” from 8-10 p.m .
ET or during Don Lemon ’ s “ CNN Tonight , ” which aired from 10-midnight ET .
“ Most mainstream media outlets have bent over backwards to portray the civil unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of justice .
That narrative gets largely disrupted if those news organizations now focus on the chaos in places like Seattle , ” DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall told Fox News .
“ Thus , they ignore or downplay recent acts of lawlessness so as to not have to backtrack or explain away the simplistic manner in which they have covered events of recent weeks , ” McCall said .
Here ’ s the King 5 report on the latest shooting :

Here we go again. Early this morning Seattle PD announced there had been a shooting on the north end of Cal Anderson Park.
Officers investigating a shooting at 11 Avenue/East Denny Way. Reports of one person injured. More information when available. — Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) June 23, 2020
That location is adjacent to but not inside the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP). However, King 5 reports the exact location of the shooting isn’t clear:
The Seattle Fire Department said crews were dispatched to a designated area near the perimeter of the CHOP around 4:40 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting victim requiring emergency medical attention. Seattle fire said crews went in to treat the victim after SPD confirmed the scene was safe. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center.
As you can see in the video below, police wouldn’t confirm where the shooting happened. The place where they picked up the victim was a block outside CHOP but appears to be an agreed upon meeting point that prevents first responders from having to go into the CHOP. The victim is said to have non-life-threatening injuries. No other details about the shooting have been revealed yet.
This follows two previous shootings that happened inside the CHOP over the weekend. A 17-year-old was shot Sunday. Early Saturday morning two people were shot. A 19-year-old was killed in that incident and a 33-year-old remains in the hospital. Because of the violence over the weekend, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Monday afternoon that it was “time for people to go home.”
Mayor Jenny Durkan said it wouldn’t be effective to have authorities clear out the roughly six-block area in the city’s Capitol Hill section. Officials are working with Black-led organizations and “partners in de-escalation” to get the hundreds of people who have occupied the area to leave, she said. “It’s time for people to go home,” she said, adding that it was time “to restore order and eliminate the violence on Capitol Hill.”… [Police Chief] Best said the shootings were among crimes that have been reported within the protest zone. She said there had also been a rape, an assault, a burglary, arson and property destruction.
Mayor Durkan’s about face on this is an embarrassment. She had previously compared the CHAZ, as it was initially called, to a block party. But she wasn’t alone in presenting a rosy picture. Several media outlets also seemed eager to present the CHOP as a peaceful protest zone. Fox News points out today that CNN and MSNBC didn’t mention Mayor Durkan’s decision to put an end to CHOP last night because of the weekend of violence.
News broke during the 7 p.m. ET hour on Monday that Seattle’s mayor said the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of protesters seeking to address racial inequity and police brutality – but CNN’s 7 p.m. program, “Erin Burnett Outfront” did not mention the news as it unfolded. CNN continued to ignore the news during its primetime programming, as there was no coverage on back-to-back editions of “Anderson Cooper 360” from 8-10 p.m. ET or during Don Lemon’s “CNN Tonight,” which aired from 10-midnight ET. “Most mainstream media outlets have bent over backwards to portray the civil unrest as peaceful actions supporting the general aims of justice. That narrative gets largely disrupted if those news organizations now focus on the chaos in places like Seattle,” DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall told Fox News. “Thus, they ignore or downplay recent acts of lawlessness so as to not have to backtrack or explain away the simplistic manner in which they have covered events of recent weeks,” McCall said.
Here’s the King 5 report on the latest shooting:


hotair--2020-06-23--Will Rhode Island really change its racist name?

Just yesterday , Karen was asking whether or not changing the names of cities with racist connotations will start becoming commonplace as liberal activists continue trying to erase problematic portions of our history .
I suppose nothing would surprise me very much at this point , but what if it goes beyond just cities and counties .
How about if we change the names of entire states ?
That ’ s an experiment that ’ s already being put to the test .
In Rhode Island , Governor Gina Raimondo has issued an executive order changing the name of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hoo boy .
Break out the popcorn , folks .
( NY Post ) What ’ s in a name ?
For the state of Rhode Island , years of acrimony over an official designation with connotations of slavery .
But change is brewing in the union ’ s smallest state , as Rhode Island Gov .
Gina Raimondo signed an executive order Monday taking the “ first steps ” to change the state ’ s full name : “ The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
” The “ plantations ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread protests after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor .
The order , Executive Order 20-48 , will change the name to just “ Rhode Island ” in official communications from the governor ’ s office — including future executive orders , citations and letterhead .
It also calls on all state executive agencies to remove “ plantations ” from their websites .
Before digging into this hot mess , help me out here for a moment so I don ’ t feel quite so stupid and out of touch .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know that Rhode Island ’ s full name was Rhode Island and Providence Plantations ?
I used to think I was at least fairly good at political trivia , but I swear I have no recollection of ever hearing that .
Or maybe I did and my senior moments are adding up to more problems than I thought .
( Would that qualify me to be Joe Biden ’ s running mate ?
No ?
Oh , well… ) Just to save you a search , Providence Plantation was the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was later incorporated into the full name of the colony ( and later the state ) when four different colonies merged .
And they apparently had slaves on at least some of those plantations at some point .
A previous attempt to drop the plantation part from the state ’ s name in 2010 failed when the measure was opposed by nearly 80 % of the voters .
But we now find ourselves once again asking just exactly how much executive authority Governor Raimondo thinks she has and what she really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing the order she admitted that she couldn ’ t “ permanently ” change the name because that would require an amendment to the state constitution approved by the voters .
But she can “ temporarily ” change the name of the state and order every department to remove “ Providence Plantations ” from their web sites , letterhead and other devices ?
Raimondo isn ’ t just overriding the legislative branch ’ s powers at this point .
She ’ s overriding the state constitution .
And on what basis ?
Sweeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of emergency such as the current pandemic .
And while she ’ s far from the only governor to use them , she ’ s really been cranking out the EOs using the pandemic as her rationale for doing so .
But what emergency is the Governor responding to by summarily changing the name of the entire state ?
They ’ ve had that name for centuries and obviously some people found it problematic because they ’ ve tried to change it through the proper channels in the past .
The tragic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other states ) and some protests and riots are not the same as a Category 5 hurricane making landfall or a virus that ’ s wiping out a measurable chunk of the population .
If Gina Raimondo is allowed to do this without challenge , then the state ’ s constitution is basically worth bupkis .
She can call this a “ temporary ” move if she likes , but what is the limit of temporary ?
If the legislature fails to pass the motion to hold a referendum again or if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when does the name change back to what it was ?
Or does “ temporary ” mean for as long as she ’ s in office ?
Whether you agree that the name needs to be changed or not , this is yet another egregious overreach of executive authority .

Just yesterday, Karen was asking whether or not changing the names of cities with racist connotations will start becoming commonplace as liberal activists continue trying to erase problematic portions of our history. I suppose nothing would surprise me very much at this point, but what if it goes beyond just cities and counties. How about if we change the names of entire states? That’s an experiment that’s already being put to the test. In Rhode Island, Governor Gina Raimondo has issued an executive order changing the name of her state because of its racist roots. Hoo boy. Break out the popcorn, folks. (NY Post)
What’s in a name? For the state of Rhode Island, years of acrimony over an official designation with connotations of slavery. But change is brewing in the union’s smallest state, as Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed an executive order Monday taking the “first steps” to change the state’s full name: “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” The “plantations” portion has come under increased scrutiny following widespread protests after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The order, Executive Order 20-48, will change the name to just “Rhode Island” in official communications from the governor’s office — including future executive orders, citations and letterhead. It also calls on all state executive agencies to remove “plantations” from their websites.
Before digging into this hot mess, help me out here for a moment so I don’t feel quite so stupid and out of touch. Was I the only person who didn’t know that Rhode Island’s full name was Rhode Island and Providence Plantations? I used to think I was at least fairly good at political trivia, but I swear I have no recollection of ever hearing that. Or maybe I did and my senior moments are adding up to more problems than I thought. (Would that qualify me to be Joe Biden’s running mate? No? Oh, well…)
Just to save you a search, Providence Plantation was the name of the colony founded by Roger Williams. It was later incorporated into the full name of the colony (and later the state) when four different colonies merged. And they apparently had slaves on at least some of those plantations at some point. A previous attempt to drop the plantation part from the state’s name in 2010 failed when the measure was opposed by nearly 80% of the voters.
But we now find ourselves once again asking just exactly how much executive authority Governor Raimondo thinks she has and what she really just did. Even as she was signing the order she admitted that she couldn’t “permanently” change the name because that would require an amendment to the state constitution approved by the voters. But she can “temporarily” change the name of the state and order every department to remove “Providence Plantations” from their web sites, letterhead and other devices?
Raimondo isn’t just overriding the legislative branch’s powers at this point. She’s overriding the state constitution. And on what basis? Sweeping executive powers are generally invoked during a state of emergency such as the current pandemic. And while she’s far from the only governor to use them, she’s really been cranking out the EOs using the pandemic as her rationale for doing so. But what emergency is the Governor responding to by summarily changing the name of the entire state? They’ve had that name for centuries and obviously some people found it problematic because they’ve tried to change it through the proper channels in the past. The tragic deaths of some Black citizens (in other states) and some protests and riots are not the same as a Category 5 hurricane making landfall or a virus that’s wiping out a measurable chunk of the population.
If Gina Raimondo is allowed to do this without challenge, then the state’s constitution is basically worth bupkis. She can call this a “temporary” move if she likes, but what is the limit of temporary? If the legislature fails to pass the motion to hold a referendum again or if the voters once again fail to support it, when does the name change back to what it was? Or does “temporary” mean for as long as she’s in office? Whether you agree that the name needs to be changed or not, this is yet another egregious overreach of executive authority.


hotair--2020-06-24--University of Michigan: On second thought, we don't want to host a Trump-Biden debate

Three dates have been set for President Trump and Joe Biden to debate before the November presidential election .
The dates are September .
29 , October 15 , and October 22 .
The debate on October 15 was scheduled to take place at the University of Michigan but that has changed now .
It ’ s good-bye University of Michigan , hello Miami .
The University of Michigan decided to back out of the agreement with the Commission on Presidential Debates because of the coronavirus pandemic .
On Tuesday it was announced that the location of the debate has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts , the same venue of a Democrat primary debate last summer .
In a letter shared with the Commission on Presidential Debates , U-M President Mark Schlissel said , “ It is with great disappointment that I must ask for the University of Michigan to be released from its agreement with the Commission on Presidential Debates to host the Presidential Debate on Oct. 15 , 2020.
” Schlissel called hosting a presidential debate “ a tremendous opportunity for our university community to contribute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our democracy — the open exchange of ideas — while setting an example of civic engagement and shining a light on the outstanding academic strengths of our institution.
” But he said , “ Given the scale and complexity of the work we are undertaking to help assure a safe and healthy fall for our students , faculty and staff and limited visitors — and in consideration of the public health guidelines in our state as well as advice from our own experts — we feel it is not feasible for us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned.
” Maybe this isn ’ t such a surprise .
Let ’ s face it , besides the usual health concerns that arise from the pandemic , and the fact that by October we may be facing a second go-around with the coronavirus plus the regular flu season , it may be that the university put practicality ahead of a desire for the prestige that a university receives for hosting a presidential debate .
Universities are facing financial strain brought on by the pandemic .
These events cost a lot of money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Performing Arts is a county-owned facility .
Florida is reaping the benefits of officials who are getting cold feet about hosting large gatherings while the coronavirus pandemic is with us .
Who knows what the situation will be in October for this debate ?
The Governor of North Carolina also blinked and denied the RNC and the Trump campaign a full convention without social distancing restrictions .
Now President Trump will accept the nomination in Jacksonville , Florida .
The Biden campaign has asked for information about what protocols the debate hosts will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates , moderators , and attendees .
On Monday the campaign sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates asking for details .
Biden ’ s campaign manager , Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , confirmed to the commission that Biden was committed to doing all three scheduled debates and whomever Biden chooses for his running mate will debate Vice President Pence on October 7 .
This confirmation most likely was stated because the Trump campaign is pushing for a fourth debate .
Team Biden wants to keep the schedule and amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign thinks the debates should take place earlier so that voters who cast ballots early have a chance to hear from both candidates as they square off on a debate stage .
Also , Team Trump wants a say in who the moderators will be .
Ms. O ’ Malley Dillon objects to input from the Trump campaign on moderators and said , “ The Trump position seems to be saying that he will debate if he can pick the moderators.
” The Commission on Presidential Debates makes the choice of moderators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the request from the Biden campaign that the October debate in Miami is a town hall type of debate .
“ We know that voters have many , many questions for the president , ” she wrote .
You can ’ t blame the Trump campaign for asking for input into the decisions made on moderators for the debates .
Conservative voters know the bias shown in favor of the Democrat candidate in presidential debates .
Unless the commission chooses someone like maybe Martha MacCallum or Bret Baier from FNC or an OANN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cable reporter could be trusted to ask unbiased questions to President Trump ?
The media is pulling for Joe Biden .
I ’ ve never understood why the RNC doesn ’ t demand that FNC host a debate , especially since CNN usually always does .
As long as Republicans just go along with debates that continue to favor the Democrat nominee , nothing will ever change .
Meanwhile , the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to be able to host the second presidential debate .

Three dates have been set for President Trump and Joe Biden to debate before the November presidential election. The dates are September. 29, October 15, and October 22. The debate on October 15 was scheduled to take place at the University of Michigan but that has changed now. It’s good-bye University of Michigan, hello Miami.
The University of Michigan decided to back out of the agreement with the Commission on Presidential Debates because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday it was announced that the location of the debate has moved to Miami. It will be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, the same venue of a Democrat primary debate last summer.
In a letter shared with the Commission on Presidential Debates, U-M President Mark Schlissel said, “It is with great disappointment that I must ask for the University of Michigan to be released from its agreement with the Commission on Presidential Debates to host the Presidential Debate on Oct. 15, 2020.” Schlissel called hosting a presidential debate “a tremendous opportunity for our university community to contribute to one of the most important features of our democracy — the open exchange of ideas — while setting an example of civic engagement and shining a light on the outstanding academic strengths of our institution.” But he said, “Given the scale and complexity of the work we are undertaking to help assure a safe and healthy fall for our students, faculty and staff and limited visitors — and in consideration of the public health guidelines in our state as well as advice from our own experts — we feel it is not feasible for us to safely host the presidential debate as planned.”
Maybe this isn’t such a surprise. Let’s face it, besides the usual health concerns that arise from the pandemic, and the fact that by October we may be facing a second go-around with the coronavirus plus the regular flu season, it may be that the university put practicality ahead of a desire for the prestige that a university receives for hosting a presidential debate. Universities are facing financial strain brought on by the pandemic. These events cost a lot of money. The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is a county-owned facility.
Presidential general election debates cost their hosts millions of dollars, sums universities typically raise from their own large donors in order to bask in the prestige of hosting an event that draws international attention. But with the coronavirus pandemic stretching budgets and making large gatherings of students and donors on campus not viable, some of the value in hosting a major debate may be lost.
Florida is reaping the benefits of officials who are getting cold feet about hosting large gatherings while the coronavirus pandemic is with us. Who knows what the situation will be in October for this debate? The Governor of North Carolina also blinked and denied the RNC and the Trump campaign a full convention without social distancing restrictions. Now President Trump will accept the nomination in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Biden campaign has asked for information about what protocols the debate hosts will put into place for the safety of candidates, moderators, and attendees. On Monday the campaign sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates asking for details. Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, confirmed to the commission that Biden was committed to doing all three scheduled debates and whomever Biden chooses for his running mate will debate Vice President Pence on October 7. This confirmation most likely was stated because the Trump campaign is pushing for a fourth debate. Team Biden wants to keep the schedule and amount of debates as it stands. The Trump campaign thinks the debates should take place earlier so that voters who cast ballots early have a chance to hear from both candidates as they square off on a debate stage. Also, Team Trump wants a say in who the moderators will be.
Ms. O’Malley Dillon objects to input from the Trump campaign on moderators and said, “The Trump position seems to be saying that he will debate if he can pick the moderators.” The Commission on Presidential Debates makes the choice of moderators. The commission seems to be taking the request from the Biden campaign that the October debate in Miami is a town hall type of debate. “We know that voters have many, many questions for the president,” she wrote.
You can’t blame the Trump campaign for asking for input into the decisions made on moderators for the debates. Conservative voters know the bias shown in favor of the Democrat candidate in presidential debates. Unless the commission chooses someone like maybe Martha MacCallum or Bret Baier from FNC or an OANN White House correspondent, what network or cable reporter could be trusted to ask unbiased questions to President Trump? The media is pulling for Joe Biden. I’ve never understood why the RNC doesn’t demand that FNC host a debate, especially since CNN usually always does. As long as Republicans just go along with debates that continue to favor the Democrat nominee, nothing will ever change.
Meanwhile, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to be able to host the second presidential debate.


hotair--2020-06-24--VIP Gold chat: Cam Edwards and Ed Morrissey

Get ready for another tremendous live , interactive VIP Gold chat with Bearing Arms ’ Cam Edwards and HotAir ’ @ @ @ @ @ us at 1:30 pm today for another great discussion of the hottest news stories online @ @ @ @ @ your questions and comments and gave an in-depth analysis of the top topics of the @ @ @ @ @ not a VIP Gold member , you can join below so you can participate today @ @ @ @ @ Use LOYALTY for 25 % off !
Cam brings his A-game on 2nd Amendment and @ @ @ @ @ to keep it real along the way .
Ed has kept pace with developments abroad @ @ @ @ @ the local level as well .
We ’ ll plenty to discuss and lots of @ @ @ @ @ .
The hot topics so far are : With all the fast-moving developments , our @ @ @ @ @ the latest as it happens from Cam , “ Crew , ” and Ed .
@ @ @ @ @ available for replay later for those who miss out !

Get ready for another tremendous live, interactive VIP Gold chat with Bearing Arms’ Cam Edwards and HotAir’s Ed Morrissey! Join us at 1:30 pm today for another great discussion of the hottest news stories online. The duo will take your questions and comments and gave an in-depth analysis of the top topics of the day.
If you are not a VIP Gold member, you can join below so you can participate today and in future chats! Use LOYALTY for 25% off!
Cam brings his A-game on 2nd Amendment and liberty issues and makes sure to keep it real along the way. Ed has kept pace with developments abroad, at home and at the local level as well.
We’ll plenty to discuss and lots of time to take your questions. The hot topics so far are:
What’s happening with #DefundthePolice?
NASCAR’s folly
Jimmy Kimmel’s meltdown
COVID-19 developments, and economic meltdown
The 2020 national election
With all the fast-moving developments, our VIP Gold members can get the latest as it happens from Cam, “Crew,” and Ed.
The live chat will be available for replay later for those who miss out!
A replay of today’s chat will be available soon.


hotair--2020-06-23--"[A] stinging blow to American prestige": Newly reopened EU may bar U.S. travelers due to virus conc

"[A] stinging blow to American prestige": Newly reopened EU may bar U.S. travelers due to virus concerns

We ’ re supposed to take offense at this , I guess , but Trump ’ s decision to bar travel from Europe back in March when their outbreak was spiking was obviously correct , if several weeks too late .
Under the present circumstances a decision by Europe to bar travel from the U.S. would be obviously correct too .
The Times clearly means to rub Trump ’ s face in it with language about “ a stinging blow to American prestige , ” but it ’ s a simple numbers game .
Do you have any idea how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be relative to Europe ’ s right now for the EU to leave billions of dollars of American tourist dollars on the table rather than allow us over there ?
And yet here we are : We ’ re a country that produces people by the millions who went to parties on Memorial Day weekend in the middle of a national pandemic and have refused to wear germ-suppressing masks on grounds that it ’ s a socialist conspiracy or something .
The Europeans should ban us for the rest of the year on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which would lump American visitors in with Russians and Brazilians as unwelcome , is a stinging blow to American prestige in the world and a repudiation of President Trump ’ s handling of the virus in the United States , which has more than 2.3 million cases and upward of 120,000 deaths , more than any other country… President Trump , as well as his Russian and Brazilian counterparts , Vladimir V. Putin and Jair Bolsonaro , have followed what critics call a comparable path in their pandemic response that leaves all three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were dismissive at the outset of the crisis , slow to respond to scientific advice and saw a boom of domestic cases as other parts of the world , notably in Europe and Asia , were slowly managing to get their outbreaks under control .
Countries on the E.U .
draft lists have been selected as safe based on a combination of epidemiological criteria .
The benchmark is the E.U .
average number of new infections — over the past 14 days — per 100,000 people , which is currently 16 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States is 107 , while Brazil ’ s is 190 and Russia ’ s is 80 , according to a Times database.… One list contains 47 countries and includes only those nations with an infection rate lower than the E.U .
average .
The other longer list has 54 countries and also includes those nations with slightly worse case rates than the E.U .
average , going up to 20 new cases per 100,000 people .
China , Russia , Brazil , and Uncle Sam would all be excluded under either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And considering how far we are from meeting the proposed prevalence threshold , it seems likely that Americans won ’ t be allowed back into Europe for many months to come .
If my math is correct , in order to meet the EU benchmark of 20 new cases per 100,000 people , we ’ d need to average around 4,700 new cases nationally over a two-week period .
Right now we ’ re averaging over 25,000 , more than five times that number .
According to the CDC website , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases in a day was during the first week of the pandemic that cases were tracked , on March 20 .
Since the end of March , the lowest single-day number of infections we ’ ve seen is 13,284 .
In light of how both the federal government and the general population seem to have given up on trying to hammer down the curve , whether because doing so would cause too much economic damage or just because that ’ s the level of spavined decadence our culture has reached , I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which we get to fewer than 5,000 infections a day consistently .
What could or would happen that might reduce new cases this year by 80 percent and hold them at the level as the weather turns colder this fall ?
If summer heat isn ’ t doing it and more widespread wearing of masks isn ’ t doing it and scary outbreaks in Arizona and Texas and Florida aren ’ t doing it , nothing ’ s going to do it .
Either the pharmaceutical industry bails us out with some sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ready , like an antibody therapy , or no one ’ s going to London or Paris until next year .
The people who can afford trips as luxe as that will just have to make do with Aspen or Key West or Martha ’ s Vineyard instead .
Good news , though : Trump and Martha McSally will make sure that Uncle Sam picks up the tab for them .
In lieu of an exit question , here ’ s five a half contentious minutes on testing between CNN and Trump @ @ @ @

We’re supposed to take offense at this, I guess, but Trump’s decision to bar travel from Europe back in March when their outbreak was spiking was obviously correct, if several weeks too late. Under the present circumstances a decision by Europe to bar travel from the U.S. would be obviously correct too. The Times clearly means to rub Trump’s face in it with language about “a stinging blow to American prestige,” but it’s a simple numbers game.
And the numbers ain’t great.
Do you have any idea how terrible America’s epidemic needs to be relative to Europe’s right now for the EU to leave billions of dollars of American tourist dollars on the table rather than allow us over there? And yet here we are:
Testing in US and EU is roughly equivalent. Here is the difference in cases: pic.twitter.com/OqHym986p5 — ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) June 23, 2020
We’re a country that produces people by the millions who went to parties on Memorial Day weekend in the middle of a national pandemic and have refused to wear germ-suppressing masks on grounds that it’s a socialist conspiracy or something. The Europeans should ban us for the rest of the year on principle.
[A ban], which would lump American visitors in with Russians and Brazilians as unwelcome, is a stinging blow to American prestige in the world and a repudiation of President Trump’s handling of the virus in the United States, which has more than 2.3 million cases and upward of 120,000 deaths, more than any other country… President Trump, as well as his Russian and Brazilian counterparts, Vladimir V. Putin and Jair Bolsonaro, have followed what critics call a comparable path in their pandemic response that leaves all three countries in a similarly bad spot: they were dismissive at the outset of the crisis, slow to respond to scientific advice and saw a boom of domestic cases as other parts of the world, notably in Europe and Asia, were slowly managing to get their outbreaks under control. Countries on the E.U. draft lists have been selected as safe based on a combination of epidemiological criteria. The benchmark is the E.U. average number of new infections — over the past 14 days — per 100,000 people, which is currently 16 for the bloc. The comparable number for the United States is 107, while Brazil’s is 190 and Russia’s is 80, according to a Times database.… One list contains 47 countries and includes only those nations with an infection rate lower than the E.U. average. The other longer list has 54 countries and also includes those nations with slightly worse case rates than the E.U. average, going up to 20 new cases per 100,000 people.
China, Russia, Brazil, and Uncle Sam would all be excluded under either of the two draft proposals being considered. And considering how far we are from meeting the proposed prevalence threshold, it seems likely that Americans won’t be allowed back into Europe for many months to come. If my math is correct, in order to meet the EU benchmark of 20 new cases per 100,000 people, we’d need to average around 4,700 new cases nationally over a two-week period. Right now we’re averaging over 25,000, more than five times that number. According to the CDC website, the last time we had fewer than 4,700 cases in a day was during the first week of the pandemic that cases were tracked, on March 20. Since the end of March, the lowest single-day number of infections we’ve seen is 13,284.
In light of how both the federal government and the general population seem to have given up on trying to hammer down the curve, whether because doing so would cause too much economic damage or just because that’s the level of spavined decadence our culture has reached, I can’t even imagine a scenario in which we get to fewer than 5,000 infections a day consistently. What could or would happen that might reduce new cases this year by 80 percent and hold them at the level as the weather turns colder this fall? If summer heat isn’t doing it and more widespread wearing of masks isn’t doing it and scary outbreaks in Arizona and Texas and Florida aren’t doing it, nothing’s going to do it. Either the pharmaceutical industry bails us out with some sort of miracle COVID suppressant until the vaccine is ready, like an antibody therapy, or no one’s going to London or Paris until next year.
The people who can afford trips as luxe as that will just have to make do with Aspen or Key West or Martha’s Vineyard instead. Good news, though: Trump and Martha McSally will make sure that Uncle Sam picks up the tab for them.
In lieu of an exit question, here’s five a half contentious minutes on testing between CNN and Trump spokesman Tim Murtaugh.


hotair--2020-06-23--Heads up: FDA warns these hand sanitizers may be fatal

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) released a warning to consumers about hand sanitizers manufactured in Mexico .
The agency has put together a list of nine products that are to be avoided because they may be fatal to the consumer .
If the hand sanitizer in your handbag or pocket is one of these , the FDA asks that you “ stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers .
Do not flush or pour these products down the drain.
” These nine brands are manufactured by Eskbiochem SA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an ingredient used in these hand sanitizers – methanol .
Methanol is also known as wood alcohol .
Methanol is toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested .
The FDA recommends that if you have used these products , seek immediate treatment .
FDA tested samples of Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ .
Lavar Gel contains 81 percent ( v/v ) methanol and no ethyl alcohol , and CleanCare No Germ contains 28 percent ( v/v ) methanol .
Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects .
Consumers who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol should seek immediate treatment , which is critical for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning .
Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea , vomiting , headache , blurred vision , permanent blindness , seizures , coma , permanent damage to the nervous system , or death .
Although all persons using these products on their hands are at risk , young children who accidentally ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk for methanol poisoning .
That all sounds dire , right ?
Who wants any of that in their possession ?
Fortunately , the FDA is not aware of any reports of adverse effects from using the products .
The FDA is telling consumers to seek immediate treatment if any of these products have been used , though , to reverse any toxic effects of methanol poisoning .
So , have the products been removed from store shelves ?
Nope .
Eskbiochem has not honored the FDA ’ s request to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market .
On June 17 , 2020 , FDA contacted Eskbiochem to recommend the company remove its hand sanitizer products from the market due to the risks associated with methanol poisoning .
To date , the company has not taken action to remove these potentially dangerous products from the market .
Therefore , FDA recommends consumers stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers .
Do not flush or pour these products down the drain .
It ’ s still recommended that people wash their hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and to do so often .
If soap and water aren ’ t available , the CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent ethanol .
Ethanol , not methanol .
Oh , and tell the young people in your life to not drink hand sanitizer as a substitute for alcohol because apparently that ’ s a thing .
The important takeaway , to me anyway , is that this story is a reminder that it is best to buy an American made product .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America .

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning to consumers about hand sanitizers manufactured in Mexico. The agency has put together a list of nine products that are to be avoided because they may be fatal to the consumer.
If the hand sanitizer in your handbag or pocket is one of these, the FDA asks that you “stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers. Do not flush or pour these products down the drain.”
All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)
Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)
These nine brands are manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico. The problem is an ingredient used in these hand sanitizers – methanol. Methanol is also known as wood alcohol. Methanol is toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. The FDA recommends that if you have used these products, seek immediate treatment.
FDA tested samples of Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ. Lavar Gel contains 81 percent (v/v) methanol and no ethyl alcohol, and CleanCare No Germ contains 28 percent (v/v) methanol. Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and should not be used due to its toxic effects. Consumers who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol should seek immediate treatment, which is critical for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning. Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, or death. Although all persons using these products on their hands are at risk, young children who accidentally ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute, are most at risk for methanol poisoning.
That all sounds dire, right? Who wants any of that in their possession? Fortunately, the FDA is not aware of any reports of adverse effects from using the products. The FDA is telling consumers to seek immediate treatment if any of these products have been used, though, to reverse any toxic effects of methanol poisoning.
So, have the products been removed from store shelves? Nope. Eskbiochem has not honored the FDA’s request to do so. They are still on the market.
On June 17, 2020, FDA contacted Eskbiochem to recommend the company remove its hand sanitizer products from the market due to the risks associated with methanol poisoning. To date, the company has not taken action to remove these potentially dangerous products from the market. Therefore, FDA recommends consumers stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers. Do not flush or pour these products down the drain.
It’s still recommended that people wash their hands with soap and water for twenty seconds, and to do so often. If soap and water aren’t available, the CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent ethanol. Ethanol, not methanol. Oh, and tell the young people in your life to not drink hand sanitizer as a substitute for alcohol because apparently that’s a thing.
The important takeaway, to me anyway, is that this story is a reminder that it is best to buy an American made product. There are many brands of hand sanitizers made in America.