hotair--2020-07-27--Not all police onboard with enforcing mask mandates

As the novel coronavirus comes bouncing back in some states , various executives are either issuing or considering new directives making the wearing of face masks in public mandatory .
While this has clearly ruffled some feathers , the courts thus far seem to be willing to continue giving governors and mayors wide latitude in issuing such demands .
But as an old adage reminds us , saying and doing are frequently two very different things .
You can say that wearing a mask is mandatory , but that doesn ’ t do much for your situation if people decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to find police willing to enforce the rule and , assuming you do , they have to have the resources to process all of the people violating the order .
That ’ s a situation that ’ s currently cropping up in Arkansas and other states that are now in the midst of trying to figure out how this is all going to work .
( Associated Press ) Lang Holland , the chief of police in tiny Marshall , Arkansas , said he thinks the threat of the coronavirus has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he ’ s inside a business that requires them .
He doesn ’ t make his officers wear them either .
So the day after Republican Gov .
Asa Hutchinson signed an order requiring masks to be worn in public throughout Arkansas , Holland made it clear his department wasn ’ t going to enforce the mandate in the Ozarks town of about 1,300 , calling it an unconstitutional overreach .
“ All I ’ m saying is if you want to wear a mask , you have the freedom to choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he supports President Donald Trump .
“ It should not be dictated by the nanny state.
” As of this week , 32 states now have face mask mandates in place for people who go outdoors or into public buildings .
That ’ s well over half of the country , and not one of these states has failed to run into some people who don ’ t want to go along with the orders .
The Sheriff of Lonoke County wasn ’ t taking as hard of a line as Lang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks are a good idea and his deputies wear them while mixing with the public .
But he also said that he simply doesn ’ t have the resources to deal with all of the people violating the order and has to focus on more serious crimes .
Other Sheriffs in Texas , Montana and Alabama have told similar stories to those above .
Some say they simply disagree with the order while others say they don ’ t have the manpower to be writing all of those tickets .
A few of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes like jaywalking .
If they suddenly began receiving a flurry of calls about people crossing the street outside of the crosswalk , they wouldn ’ t be sending officers to respond to them .
Of course , somebody who is flaunting the jaywalking laws is probably , at most , going to only get themselves killed or possibly cause an accident involved a few other people .
Someone carrying the COVID-19 virus could potentially wind up drawing a lot more people into danger through their “ crime.
” While I know many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even been on the fence about this one .
I ’ ve been wearing a mask on the exceptionally rare occasions when I venture off my property .
And I don ’ t allow anyone in the door ( or even close to it ) without wearing one as well .
I ’ m not at the point of turning into a male version of a “ Karen ” and texting pictures to the cops when I see someone passing my house maskless .
What they do is their business and I doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyway , even in blue New York .
Perhaps I ’ d feel differently if I wasn ’ t in one of the more vulnerable categories in terms of dropping dead from this plague .
I honestly don ’ t know .
But I ’ ll go ahead and own up to some selfishness here .
Unlike many of the common posters and memes about masks that are making the rounds , I ’ m wearing a mask to protect me and my family , not you .

As the novel coronavirus comes bouncing back in some states, various executives are either issuing or considering new directives making the wearing of face masks in public mandatory. While this has clearly ruffled some feathers, the courts thus far seem to be willing to continue giving governors and mayors wide latitude in issuing such demands. But as an old adage reminds us, saying and doing are frequently two very different things. You can say that wearing a mask is mandatory, but that doesn’t do much for your situation if people decide to ignore you. First, you have to find police willing to enforce the rule and, assuming you do, they have to have the resources to process all of the people violating the order. That’s a situation that’s currently cropping up in Arkansas and other states that are now in the midst of trying to figure out how this is all going to work. (Associated Press)
Lang Holland, the chief of police in tiny Marshall, Arkansas, said he thinks the threat of the coronavirus has been overstated and only wears a face mask if he’s inside a business that requires them. He doesn’t make his officers wear them either. So the day after Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed an order requiring masks to be worn in public throughout Arkansas, Holland made it clear his department wasn’t going to enforce the mandate in the Ozarks town of about 1,300, calling it an unconstitutional overreach. “All I’m saying is if you want to wear a mask, you have the freedom to choose that,” said Holland, who said he supports President Donald Trump. “It should not be dictated by the nanny state.”
As of this week, 32 states now have face mask mandates in place for people who go outdoors or into public buildings. That’s well over half of the country, and not one of these states has failed to run into some people who don’t want to go along with the orders.
The Sheriff of Lonoke County wasn’t taking as hard of a line as Lang Holland, saying that he agreed that masks are a good idea and his deputies wear them while mixing with the public. But he also said that he simply doesn’t have the resources to deal with all of the people violating the order and has to focus on more serious crimes. Other Sheriffs in Texas, Montana and Alabama have told similar stories to those above. Some say they simply disagree with the order while others say they don’t have the manpower to be writing all of those tickets.
A few of the law enforcement leaders drew comparisons to crimes like jaywalking. If they suddenly began receiving a flurry of calls about people crossing the street outside of the crosswalk, they wouldn’t be sending officers to respond to them. Of course, somebody who is flaunting the jaywalking laws is probably, at most, going to only get themselves killed or possibly cause an accident involved a few other people. Someone carrying the COVID-19 virus could potentially wind up drawing a lot more people into danger through their “crime.”
While I know many people disagree, I’ve never even been on the fence about this one. I’ve been wearing a mask on the exceptionally rare occasions when I venture off my property. And I don’t allow anyone in the door (or even close to it) without wearing one as well. I’m not at the point of turning into a male version of a “Karen” and texting pictures to the cops when I see someone passing my house maskless. What they do is their business and I doubt the cops would do anything about it anyway, even in blue New York. Perhaps I’d feel differently if I wasn’t in one of the more vulnerable categories in terms of dropping dead from this plague. I honestly don’t know. But I’ll go ahead and own up to some selfishness here. Unlike many of the common posters and memes about masks that are making the rounds, I’m wearing a mask to protect me and my family, not you.


hotair--2020-07-27--Biden veepstakes shortlister: On second thought, I'd pass on eulogizing "Comandante en Jefe" Fidel C

Biden veepstakes shortlister: On second thought, I'd pass on eulogizing "Comandante en Jefe" Fidel Castro

Most people would have that as a first thought — especially in the crucial state of Florida and its extensive Castro-era expat voting bloc .
Four years ago , Rep. Karen Bass ( D-CA ) marked the death of Fidel Castro by calling him “ Comandante en Jefe ” and calling his passing “ a great loss to the people of Cuba.
” That might have come as a surprise to the Cubans living in the garrison state , tens of thousands of whom risked their lives to flee Castro ’ s oppression , with no small number dying in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Joe Biden ’ s veepstakes short list , has second thoughts about her eulogy .
On MSNBC this weekend , the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus says she wouldn ’ t do that again : In an interview on MSNBC , the five-term House lawmaker and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus addressed her decision to describe Castro as “ Comandante en Jefe ” in a statement she issued marking his death in 2016 .
The Spanish phrase translates in English to commander in chief .
“ I have talked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it ’ s certainly something that I would not say again .
I have always supported the Cuban people , and the relationship that Barack Obama and Biden had in their administration in terms of opening up relations , ” Bass ( D-Calif. ) said .
“ I happen to believe that sometimes the best way to change a regime is through having relations versus not , ” she continued , calling the Castro regime ’ s legacy “ very troubling ” and citing her work with the National Endowment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic reforms in Cuba and elsewhere abroad .
What prompted this retreat ?
Rest assured it has little to do with lingering regrets .
Bass has risen in standing for Biden ’ s running mate , and Florida Democrats have grown increasingly worried about what that would mean for their prospects .
Politico ’ s Marc Caputo reported on the pushback a month ago , and this weekend ’ s walkback suggests that it hasn ’ t receded : “ The comments are troubling .
It shows a lack of understanding about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have to learn more about her position and perspective on Fidel Castro , ” said Miami state Rep. Javier Fernandez , whose bid for an open state Senate seat could bring Democrats closer than ever to flipping control of the chamber .
“ Praise like the one that was given by Bass at the time of Castro ’ s death is inconsistent with my family ’ s experience with what the regime did — and continues to do — to people on the island , which is to suppress human rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stifle economic growth , ” Fernandez told POLITICO .
Bass ’ congressional office pointed out that her remarks were similar to those made by President Barack Obama at a time when the U.S. sought better relations with Cuba .
That ’ s not exactly accurate .
Barack Obama ’ s official statement avoided any praise or suggestion that Cubans would consider Castro ’ s death “ a great loss.
” Obama called Castro a “ singular figure ” whose final judgment would be left to history .
John Kerry ’ s statement as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recognizing the mourning of “ the Cuban people , ” but the statement only acknowledged an anodyne “ outsized role ” Castro played in his people ’ s lives .
That danced around just how outsized that role was , and the fact that his regime was a police state that oppressed speech and dissent for more than five decades in power .
It seems pretty clear that Bass isn ’ t going to cut it in Florida .
Who will ?
Politico says it ’ s looking like Kamala Harris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoothly either : When former Sen. Chris Dodd , a member of Joe Biden ’ s vice presidential search committee , recently asked Kamala Harris about her ambush on Biden in the first Democratic debate , Dodd was stunned by her response .
“ She laughed and said , ‘ that ’ s politics.
’ She had no remorse , ” Dodd told a longtime Biden supporter and donor , who relayed the exchange to POLITICO on condition of anonymity .
“ Dodd felt it was a gimmick , that it was cheap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person added that Dodd ’ s concerns about Harris were so deep that he ’ s helped elevate California Rep. Karen Bass during the vetting process , urging Biden to pick her because “ she ’ s a loyal No .
2 .
And that ’ s what Biden really wants.
” Through an aide , Dodd declined to comment .
Advisers to Harris also declined to comment .
You might say Bass is a … Raul Castro .
Harris has “ trust issues , ” to be sure , but she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For one thing , Harris turned out to be a terrible candidate when taken out of the protective Democrat-controlled chrysalis of California .
She failed to generate support among the African-American voting bloc that Biden hopes to solidify by picking a woman of color .
Harris got depantsed by Tulsi Gabbard in not one but two debates , with a look on her face under attack not all that dissimilar to Dan Quayle after Lloyd Bentsen tore into him in 1988 .
Harris — and for that matter , Bass — would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already in the bag .
Bass would deliver more traction from black voters and stoke their enthusiasm .
The question is whether she ’ d turn off Florida voters in lesser numbers , and perhaps others who don ’ t tend to think of the death of a brutal dictator as a “ great loss ” for his victims .

Most people would have that as a first thought — especially in the crucial state of Florida and its extensive Castro-era expat voting bloc. Four years ago, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) marked the death of Fidel Castro by calling him “Comandante en Jefe” and calling his passing “a great loss to the people of Cuba.” That might have come as a surprise to the Cubans living in the garrison state, tens of thousands of whom risked their lives to flee Castro’s oppression, with no small number dying in the escape attempt.
Bass, now on Joe Biden’s veepstakes short list, has second thoughts about her eulogy. On MSNBC this weekend, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus says she wouldn’t do that again:
In an interview on MSNBC, the five-term House lawmaker and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus addressed her decision to describe Castro as “Comandante en Jefe” in a statement she issued marking his death in 2016. The Spanish phrase translates in English to commander in chief. “I have talked to my colleagues in the House about that, and it’s certainly something that I would not say again. I have always supported the Cuban people, and the relationship that Barack Obama and Biden had in their administration in terms of opening up relations,” Bass (D-Calif.) said. “I happen to believe that sometimes the best way to change a regime is through having relations versus not,” she continued, calling the Castro regime’s legacy “very troubling” and citing her work with the National Endowment for Democracy — the non-governmental organization which promotes democratic reforms in Cuba and elsewhere abroad.
What prompted this retreat? Rest assured it has little to do with lingering regrets. Bass has risen in standing for Biden’s running mate, and Florida Democrats have grown increasingly worried about what that would mean for their prospects. Politico’s Marc Caputo reported on the pushback a month ago, and this weekend’s walkback suggests that it hasn’t receded:
“The comments are troubling. It shows a lack of understanding about what the Castro regime was about. So I have to learn more about her position and perspective on Fidel Castro,” said Miami state Rep. Javier Fernandez, whose bid for an open state Senate seat could bring Democrats closer than ever to flipping control of the chamber. “Praise like the one that was given by Bass at the time of Castro’s death is inconsistent with my family’s experience with what the regime did — and continues to do — to people on the island, which is to suppress human rights, keep people under a totalitarian thumb and stifle economic growth,” Fernandez told POLITICO. Bass’ congressional office pointed out that her remarks were similar to those made by President Barack Obama at a time when the U.S. sought better relations with Cuba.
That’s not exactly accurate. Barack Obama’s official statement avoided any praise or suggestion that Cubans would consider Castro’s death “a great loss.” Obama called Castro a “singular figure” whose final judgment would be left to history. John Kerry’s statement as Secretary of State went a bit further in recognizing the mourning of “the Cuban people,” but the statement only acknowledged an anodyne “outsized role” Castro played in his people’s lives. That danced around just how outsized that role was, and the fact that his regime was a police state that oppressed speech and dissent for more than five decades in power.
It seems pretty clear that Bass isn’t going to cut it in Florida. Who will? Politico says it’s looking like Kamala Harris, but that’s not exactly going smoothly either:
When former Sen. Chris Dodd, a member of Joe Biden’s vice presidential search committee, recently asked Kamala Harris about her ambush on Biden in the first Democratic debate, Dodd was stunned by her response. “She laughed and said, ‘that’s politics.’ She had no remorse,” Dodd told a longtime Biden supporter and donor, who relayed the exchange to POLITICO on condition of anonymity. “Dodd felt it was a gimmick, that it was cheap,” the donor said. The person added that Dodd’s concerns about Harris were so deep that he’s helped elevate California Rep. Karen Bass during the vetting process, urging Biden to pick her because “she’s a loyal No. 2. And that’s what Biden really wants.” Through an aide, Dodd declined to comment. Advisers to Harris also declined to comment.
You might say Bass is a … Raul Castro.
Harris has “trust issues,” to be sure, but she has a couple of other problems as well. For one thing, Harris turned out to be a terrible candidate when taken out of the protective Democrat-controlled chrysalis of California. She failed to generate support among the African-American voting bloc that Biden hopes to solidify by picking a woman of color. Harris got depantsed by Tulsi Gabbard in not one but two debates, with a look on her face under attack not all that dissimilar to Dan Quayle after Lloyd Bentsen tore into him in 1988. Harris — and for that matter, Bass — would likely only deliver California, which is already in the bag.
Bass would deliver more traction from black voters and stoke their enthusiasm. The question is whether she’d turn off Florida voters in lesser numbers, and perhaps others who don’t tend to think of the death of a brutal dictator as a “great loss” for his victims.


hotair--2020-07-27--Chicago weekend: 62 shot including a 13-year-old girl

Another bad weekend in Chicago with 62 people shot including a 13-year-old girl .
Incredibly , both of Chicago ’ s major papers are noting that this weekend ’ s violence is an improvement over the past month : There were 62 people shot , three of them fatally , in Chicago from Friday afternoon to Monday morning , according to Chicago police .
The weekend wasn ’ t as deadly as last weekend , when 71 were shot , 12 fatally , according to data kept by the Tribune , and it didn ’ t have as many shootings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month… The youngest person shot over this weekend was a 13-year-old girl who was shot in the leg while she was in an alley around 2 p.m. Saturday in the 3000 block of West Harrison Street in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side , police said .
The Tribune notes that no one has been arrested in any of the homicide cases .
Here ’ s the Chicago Sun Times with the good news : “ The numbers are the lowest the city has seen in over a month , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 5 p.m. June 12 and 5 a.m. June 15.
” It doesn ’ t sound that good but police believe the deployment of two new teams of officers is starting to help dampen the violence .
President Trump spoke about the violence in Chicago last week , citing the surge in shootings through last weekend : As Ed pointed out last week , President Trump eventually called the mayor of Chicago and there seemed to be some agreement about his plan to send police to the city to help local officers deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people in Chicago about how they felt about the deployment and noticed in interesting divide .
Mostly well-off people living in parts of the city untouched by the violence are firmly against it while those living in the neighborhoods where children are being shot were much more open to it : Eight of 10 people Reuters interviewed in wealthier and safer areas on Chicago ’ s North Side opposed any form of intervention from Trump , saying federal officers could fan tensions in the city and would not address underlying issues such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuanced on the South and West Sides , where a much higher proportion of residents have experienced violent crime… Junior Jaber , 28 , recalled the day four years ago when his friend Paul Hamilton , then 47 , was killed by a stray bullet while walking his dog in Ogden Park… “ They should clean it all up .
Just do their job , ” said the 28-year-old father of two as he sold sodas , lottery tickets and pints of liquor… Some residents of East Garfield Park , a poor neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support federal intervention after gang shootings hit unintended targets , said Damien Morris , director of violence prevention initiatives for local nonprofit Breakthrough .
“ When you have women and kids getting shot – innocent bystanders – you have residents that feel like something needs to happen , ” Morris said .
We ’ ll just have to wait until next weekend to see if the new police units and the federal assistance are making a difference .
Finally , here ’ s a clip from the Washington Post suggesting Chicago is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Another bad weekend in Chicago with 62 people shot including a 13-year-old girl. Incredibly, both of Chicago’s major papers are noting that this weekend’s violence is an improvement over the past month:
There were 62 people shot, three of them fatally, in Chicago from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, according to Chicago police. The weekend wasn’t as deadly as last weekend, when 71 were shot, 12 fatally, according to data kept by the Tribune, and it didn’t have as many shootings as any of the weekends in the last month… The youngest person shot over this weekend was a 13-year-old girl who was shot in the leg while she was in an alley around 2 p.m. Saturday in the 3000 block of West Harrison Street in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, police said.
The Tribune notes that no one has been arrested in any of the homicide cases. Here’s the Chicago Sun Times with the good news: “The numbers are the lowest the city has seen in over a month, when 33 people were shot and two killed between 5 p.m. June 12 and 5 a.m. June 15.” It doesn’t sound that good but police believe the deployment of two new teams of officers is starting to help dampen the violence.
President Trump spoke about the violence in Chicago last week, citing the surge in shootings through last weekend:
"Yesterday alone, 23 people were shot in Chicago, including at least 15 who were shot in a merciless onslaught of gunfire outside of a funeral home." Behind every spree of violence are countless more family members, friends, and loved ones left behind. pic.twitter.com/I8mu6BWZpm — The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) July 23, 2020
As Ed pointed out last week, President Trump eventually called the mayor of Chicago and there seemed to be some agreement about his plan to send police to the city to help local officers deal with the gang violence. Reuters spoke to people in Chicago about how they felt about the deployment and noticed in interesting divide. Mostly well-off people living in parts of the city untouched by the violence are firmly against it while those living in the neighborhoods where children are being shot were much more open to it:
Eight of 10 people Reuters interviewed in wealthier and safer areas on Chicago’s North Side opposed any form of intervention from Trump, saying federal officers could fan tensions in the city and would not address underlying issues such as unemployment… The view was often more nuanced on the South and West Sides, where a much higher proportion of residents have experienced violent crime… Junior Jaber, 28, recalled the day four years ago when his friend Paul Hamilton, then 47, was killed by a stray bullet while walking his dog in Ogden Park… “They should clean it all up. Just do their job,” said the 28-year-old father of two as he sold sodas, lottery tickets and pints of liquor… Some residents of East Garfield Park, a poor neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, support federal intervention after gang shootings hit unintended targets, said Damien Morris, director of violence prevention initiatives for local nonprofit Breakthrough. “When you have women and kids getting shot – innocent bystanders – you have residents that feel like something needs to happen,” Morris said.
We’ll just have to wait until next weekend to see if the new police units and the federal assistance are making a difference. Finally, here’s a clip from the Washington Post suggesting Chicago is “a city on the edge.”


hotair--2020-07-27--There will be no marches to commemorate the death of Phillip Thiessen

Imagine if you will , seeing the following story breaking on the news out of Wisconsin during all of the racial tension and rioting going on .
A White guy in a truck is driving along the road when he sees a bicyclist approaching in the other direction .
The bicycle rider appears to be dark-skinned , either Black or Hispanic .
The White driver makes a spur-of-moment decision and intentionally swerves into the other lane , striking and instantly killing the bicyclist .
When the police question him later , he freely admits that he ran the guy down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d gotten up that morning thinking about killing a person of color .
That would be national news for weeks to come .
Many other issues would be pushed off the front pages to make room for the coverage .
But this is one story that ’ s actually true , and yet the odds are you haven ’ t heard a peep about it unless you follow one of a handful of conservative sites or live in the same town .
That ’ s because the driver of the truck was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mexican descent .
And the victim ( who was actually on a motorcycle ) was Phillip Thiessen , a Marine , former Police Officer and worker for the Wisconsin Department of Justice .
He was also White .
National Review has more of the details that make the media silence on this story so glaring .
Citing “ recent events ” and the “ racial climate in the United States , ” Navarro referenced a “ silent majority that voted for Donald Trump as president and the political and racial tensions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to President Trump.
” According to the complaint , he emphasized that “ if Trump and white people are going to create a world like we are living in , then he has no choice and people are going to have to die.
” Deciding to act on this rage , Navarro is alleged to have “ intentionally swerved his truck ” into Thiessen head-on because all Harley riders are “ white racists.
” Lest there be any doubt as to the intentional nature of the act , according to the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting a white person and killing them with a vehicle earlier that day , ” and he “ picked a motorcycle because he wanted the person to die , ” because “ white people drive motorcycles , ” and “ the Harley culture is made up of white racists.
” There is no indication that Navarro and Theissen knew each other or had ever even met before .
Theissen wasn ’ t “ counter-protesting ” any BLM marches or displaying anything overtly political or provocative .
The father and grandfather was just some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harley .
Some White guy .
Navarro made no bones about what he had done .
He didn ’ t try to pretend it was an accident .
He had decided to kill a White guy that day and Theissen was just in the wrong place at the wrong time .
Also , for that it ’ s worth , Navarro appears to either be crazy or he ’ s doing a good job of faking it to help with his defense .
He claims people have been slipping him acid and trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexican .
Incredibly , Navarro is actually being charged with a hate crime , so it ’ s not as if there isn ’ t some attempt at equal justice taking place .
You hardly ever see that when the victim in a crime like this is White .
And this was unquestionably a case of murder and the motive for the murder was racism .
But despite all of these facts , you don ’ t hear a peep about this case outside of the local news .
Regardless of the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Justice , the Attorney General couldn ’ t even be bothered to put out a statement to mark his passing .
You see , Phillip Thiessen doesn ’ t fit the narrative .
He upsets the social justice apple cart .
And that makes his death a local news story .
Just file this story away for future reference because it ’ s far from the only incident like this , sadly .

Imagine if you will, seeing the following story breaking on the news out of Wisconsin during all of the racial tension and rioting going on. A White guy in a truck is driving along the road when he sees a bicyclist approaching in the other direction. The bicycle rider appears to be dark-skinned, either Black or Hispanic. The White driver makes a spur-of-moment decision and intentionally swerves into the other lane, striking and instantly killing the bicyclist. When the police question him later, he freely admits that he ran the guy down intentionally because of his race and he’d gotten up that morning thinking about killing a person of color.
That would be national news for weeks to come. Many other issues would be pushed off the front pages to make room for the coverage. But this is one story that’s actually true, and yet the odds are you haven’t heard a peep about it unless you follow one of a handful of conservative sites or live in the same town. That’s because the driver of the truck was Daniel Navarro, a 27-year-old Hispanic man of Mexican descent. And the victim (who was actually on a motorcycle) was Phillip Thiessen, a Marine, former Police Officer and worker for the Wisconsin Department of Justice. He was also White. National Review has more of the details that make the media silence on this story so glaring.
Citing “recent events” and the “racial climate in the United States,” Navarro referenced a “silent majority that voted for Donald Trump as president and the political and racial tensions in the news lately, including racial tensions related to President Trump.” According to the complaint, he emphasized that “if Trump and white people are going to create a world like we are living in, then he has no choice and people are going to have to die.” Deciding to act on this rage, Navarro is alleged to have “intentionally swerved his truck” into Thiessen head-on because all Harley riders are “white racists.” Lest there be any doubt as to the intentional nature of the act, according to the complaint, Navarro had been “thinking about targeting a white person and killing them with a vehicle earlier that day,” and he “picked a motorcycle because he wanted the person to die,” because “white people drive motorcycles,” and “the Harley culture is made up of white racists.”
There is no indication that Navarro and Theissen knew each other or had ever even met before. Theissen wasn’t “counter-protesting” any BLM marches or displaying anything overtly political or provocative. The father and grandfather was just some guy out for a ride on his Harley. Some White guy.
Navarro made no bones about what he had done. He didn’t try to pretend it was an accident. He had decided to kill a White guy that day and Theissen was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Also, for that it’s worth, Navarro appears to either be crazy or he’s doing a good job of faking it to help with his defense. He claims people have been slipping him acid and trying to poison him because he’s Mexican.
Incredibly, Navarro is actually being charged with a hate crime, so it’s not as if there isn’t some attempt at equal justice taking place. You hardly ever see that when the victim in a crime like this is White. And this was unquestionably a case of murder and the motive for the murder was racism. But despite all of these facts, you don’t hear a peep about this case outside of the local news. Regardless of the fact that Theissen had worked for the Minnesota Department of Justice, the Attorney General couldn’t even be bothered to put out a statement to mark his passing.
You see, Phillip Thiessen doesn’t fit the narrative. He upsets the social justice apple cart. And that makes his death a local news story. Just file this story away for future reference because it’s far from the only incident like this, sadly.


hotair--2020-07-27--Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Riots continuing, cancel culture, Calvary Chapel case, and mo

Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Riots continuing, cancel culture, Calvary Chapel case, and more!

Once again , I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today !
The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air , as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows .
• Riots continue in major cities , and what will be the response ?
Townhall ’ s Julio Rosas joins me to give an update on his first-person reporting and analysis .
• Activists tried to get Cornell University professor William Jacobson canceled .
Instead , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought back , and he will talk about his personal experiences with the cancel culture and anti-intellectualism .
• How did the Supreme Court decide to allow Nevada to impose greater restrictions on churches than on casinos ?
Eric Kniffin of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie breaks down the strange decision and Justice Neil Gorsuch ’ s stinging dissent .
• Who will the next pope be — and what formation will play the biggest role in the next pontificate ?
George Weigel discusses his new book The Next Pope : The Office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • What role did Catholics play in the abolitionist movement ?
Paul Kengor argues that the original abolitionists came from the Catholic Church and were formed by church teachings — a legacy now obscured by attacks on churches across America .
• And more to come … stay tuned !
We may add more before the show starts today , plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour .
We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149 .
You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so download it now .
I ’ ll look forward to talking with you !

Once again, I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today! The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air, as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows.
Today’s Relevant Radio® show includes:
We may add more before the show starts today, plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour. We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149. You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world, so download it now. I’ll look forward to talking with you!


hotair--2020-07-27--Josh Hawley: From now on I won't vote for SCOTUS nominees unless they say Roe v. Wade was wrongly de

Josh Hawley: From now on I won't vote for SCOTUS nominees unless they say Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided

This is a sticky wicket for ambitious young conservative lawyers , as they ’ re usually careful not to show their cards on Roe lest it be used against them in a future confirmation hearing .
You don ’ t need to show all of your cards , Hawley warned them in a new interview with WaPo , but I want to see at least one of them .
Was Roe wrongly decided or not ?
What he ’ s looking to do here is push the envelope on the so-called “ Ginsburg Rule.
” That refers to when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how they might rule on overturning Roe because to do so would violate their ethical obligation not to comment on matters that might eventually come before them on the bench .
That ’ s fine , says Hawley .
I ’ m not asking if you ’ d uphold Roe .
What I want to know is whether you think Roe was wrongly decided .
I tend to view everything he does through the prism of his impending 2024 presidential campaign , which is unfair to him .
Maybe he ’ s on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old boss , John Roberts , disappointed him so gravely by joining the Court ’ s liberals in striking down Louisiana ’ s pro-life law last month that Hawley ’ s grasping for ways to avert similar betrayals by future justices .
Pressing them on the merits or lack thereof of Roe is one way to gain a bit more insight into how they ’ re likely to rule on abortion issues , if not quite a guarantee .
But it ’ s hard not to notice that upping the ante this way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t hurt him in the battle with Cruz and Cotton for populist votes in the primary four years from now .
“ I will vote only for those Supreme Court nominees who have explicitly acknowledged that Roe v. Wade is wrongly decided , ” Hawley said in an interview with The Washington Post .
“ By explicitly acknowledged , I mean on the record and before they were nominated.
” Hawley added : “ I don ’ t want private assurances from candidates .
I don ’ t want to hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or another .
I ’ m not looking for forecasts about how they may vote in the future or predications .
I don ’ t want any of that .
I want to see on the record , as part of their record , that they have acknowledged in some forum that Roe v. Wade , as a legal matter , is wrongly decided.
” … Hawley , 40 , a former law professor and clerk for Roberts , said in the interview that he is focusing on abortion ahead of the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roe is central to judicial philosophy .
Roe is and was an unbridled act of judicial imperialism .
It marks the point the modern Supreme Court said , ‘ You know , we don ’ t have to follow the Constitution .
We won ’ t even pretend to try.
’ ” One obvious point here is that if Hawley ’ s serious about this , a hypothetical Trump SCOTUS nominee would be likely to lose at least one Republican vote in the Senate .
That ’ s because purple-state senators like Susan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a judge who comes strolling into the hearing room boasting that they hated Roe before hating Roe was cool .
At least three polls taken last year showed strong public opposition ( 67 percent or better ) to overturning Roe .
If a nominee said flatly that they thought Roe was wrongly decided , many would read that as a hint that they ’ d overturn the ruling if it came before the Court .
Which means the nominee could either lose Hawley by refusing to comment on Roe or they could lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe others — by giving Hawley what he wants and saying Roe was wrongly decided .
Which means GOP nominees would start at a disadvantage relative to Democratic ones , especially if other populist senators like Cruz decided to apply Hawley ’ s litmus test on Roe as well .
Then there ’ d be entire blocs on either end of the caucus likely to vote no on the nominee because he/she either *will* say Roe was wrongly decided or *won ’ t* .
And that ’ s a big deal potentially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this fall right now looks to be a narrow Trump victory and a modest loss of a few seats in the Senate .
Imagine Trump ’ s second term starting with a 50/50 Senate and the Collins/Hawley factions at loggerheads over Roe .
How do you get anyone confirmed ?
If the plan is to let all the Collins-esque RINOs be purged from the Senate and start confirming justices with a 50-vote rock-ribbed conservative majority , it may be a loooong time before that ’ s feasible .
Ramesh Ponnuru identifies another problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator himself recognizes , thinking Roe was wrongly decided is no assurance that a justice will vote to overturn it : Amy Coney Barrett , the social-conservative favorite for the next seat on the Court , has hinted that Roe was wrongly decided but never explicitly said so — again , as young conservative legal stars tend to do .
She ’ s also said that it ’ s “ very unlikely ” Roe will ever be overturned and that the “ fundamental element , that the woman has a right to choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a seat on the Court opens tomorrow and Barrett won ’ t give Hawley the reassurance he ’ s seeking , is he … really going to vote no ?
Imagine that Collins , Murkowski , and Romney all decide to vote no as well simply because they believe the Merrick Garland precedent requires them to hold the seat open until after the election .
Hawley would be the fourth vote to kill Barrett ’ s confirmation .
There ’ s no way he would cast that no vote .
Not if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he is .
Here ’ s what ’ s clever about his “ litmus test , ” though : It ’ s highly unlikely that he ’ ll need to act to actually implement it .
It ’ s mainly posturing for the base .
Given the state of the polls , odds are that Joe Biden will be president next year and Hawley will be voting no anyway on Democratic SCOTUS nominees until he runs for president himself in four years .
It ’ s possible that a Court vacancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , but Trump himself is destined to choose the most conservative candidate available given the base ’ s anger at Roberts ’ s recent abortion switcheroo .
In fact , his aides are reportedly culling his shortlist to eliminate all but the most reliable righties on it .
“ The whole purpose of the list is to give hardline conservatives a guarantee that we will not be betrayed again , ” said one Republican who ’ s close to the White House to Politico .
Maybe there ’ ll be something in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will deem “ close enough ” to saying Roe was wrongly decided that he ’ ll vote for them anyway .
Or maybe Trump will have the votes needed to confirm the nominee even without Hawley , in which case Hawley might vote no harmlessly , to signal his seriousness of purpose .
The only scenario in which his litmus test is apt to make trouble for him this year is if the Senate is deadlocked 50/50 and his vote is needed to make a majority .
That ’ s unlikely , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump term , he can revisit his litmus test in January when he knows the composition of the next Senate .
If Republicans are in the minority then it won ’ t matter how Hawley votes ; Schumer ’ s going to block Trump ’ s nominees .
If Republicans have a pared-down majority , it may be that the remaining caucus will be more conservative than the current one ( e.g.
, Collins might lose in November ) in which case the Hawley rule might gain traction as a litmus test among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and if his vote looks to be decisive on confirmation , he ’ ll obviously find a loophole that justifies him voting to confirm .
It ’ s simply unimaginable that he would sink a Trump Court nominee for any reason when he ’ s planning a presidential run and positioning himself to compete for Trump ’ s base .
If Hawley has to choose between loyalty to POTUS and his litmus test , he ’ ll choose Trump .
Under any other circumstance , given the great likelihood that his vote won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose his test and be sure to remind social conservatives of it in 2024 , early and often .

This is a sticky wicket for ambitious young conservative lawyers, as they’re usually careful not to show their cards on Roe lest it be used against them in a future confirmation hearing. You don’t need to show all of your cards, Hawley warned them in a new interview with WaPo, but I want to see at least one of them. Was Roe wrongly decided or not?
What he’s looking to do here is push the envelope on the so-called “Ginsburg Rule.” That refers to when a SCOTUS nominee refuses to answer questions about how they might rule on overturning Roe because to do so would violate their ethical obligation not to comment on matters that might eventually come before them on the bench. That’s fine, says Hawley. I’m not asking if you’d uphold Roe. What I want to know is whether you think Roe was wrongly decided.
I tend to view everything he does through the prism of his impending 2024 presidential campaign, which is unfair to him. Maybe he’s on the level with this. Maybe his old boss, John Roberts, disappointed him so gravely by joining the Court’s liberals in striking down Louisiana’s pro-life law last month that Hawley’s grasping for ways to avert similar betrayals by future justices. Pressing them on the merits or lack thereof of Roe is one way to gain a bit more insight into how they’re likely to rule on abortion issues, if not quite a guarantee.
But it’s hard not to notice that upping the ante this way on social conservatives’ cardinal policy issue won’t hurt him in the battle with Cruz and Cotton for populist votes in the primary four years from now.
“I will vote only for those Supreme Court nominees who have explicitly acknowledged that Roe v. Wade is wrongly decided,” Hawley said in an interview with The Washington Post. “By explicitly acknowledged, I mean on the record and before they were nominated.” Hawley added: “I don’t want private assurances from candidates. I don’t want to hear about their personal views, one way or another. I’m not looking for forecasts about how they may vote in the future or predications. I don’t want any of that. I want to see on the record, as part of their record, that they have acknowledged in some forum that Roe v. Wade, as a legal matter, is wrongly decided.”… Hawley, 40, a former law professor and clerk for Roberts, said in the interview that he is focusing on abortion ahead of the next Supreme Court nomination because he believes “Roe is central to judicial philosophy. Roe is and was an unbridled act of judicial imperialism. It marks the point the modern Supreme Court said, ‘You know, we don’t have to follow the Constitution. We won’t even pretend to try.’”
One obvious point here is that if Hawley’s serious about this, a hypothetical Trump SCOTUS nominee would be likely to lose at least one Republican vote in the Senate. That’s because purple-state senators like Susan Collins are destined to be squeamish about a judge who comes strolling into the hearing room boasting that they hated Roe before hating Roe was cool. At least three polls taken last year showed strong public opposition (67 percent or better) to overturning Roe. If a nominee said flatly that they thought Roe was wrongly decided, many would read that as a hint that they’d overturn the ruling if it came before the Court. Which means the nominee could either lose Hawley by refusing to comment on Roe or they could lose Collins — and maybe Murkowski, and maybe others — by giving Hawley what he wants and saying Roe was wrongly decided.
Which means GOP nominees would start at a disadvantage relative to Democratic ones, especially if other populist senators like Cruz decided to apply Hawley’s litmus test on Roe as well. Then there’d be entire blocs on either end of the caucus likely to vote no on the nominee because he/she either *will* say Roe was wrongly decided or *won’t*. And that’s a big deal potentially, since the best-case scenario for the GOP this fall right now looks to be a narrow Trump victory and a modest loss of a few seats in the Senate. Imagine Trump’s second term starting with a 50/50 Senate and the Collins/Hawley factions at loggerheads over Roe. How do you get anyone confirmed? If the plan is to let all the Collins-esque RINOs be purged from the Senate and start confirming justices with a 50-vote rock-ribbed conservative majority, it may be a loooong time before that’s feasible.
Ramesh Ponnuru identifies another problem with the Hawley rule. As the senator himself recognizes, thinking Roe was wrongly decided is no assurance that a justice will vote to overturn it:
A justice who had been on record against Roe would not be a lock to vote to overturn it, because of the force of precedent. Chief Justice John Roberts might well believe that Roe was wrongly decided as an original matter, just as he believes that Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt was wrongly decided. But he voted to strike down abortion restrictions this year anyway, on the stated ground that precedent had to stand.
Amy Coney Barrett, the social-conservative favorite for the next seat on the Court, has hinted that Roe was wrongly decided but never explicitly said so — again, as young conservative legal stars tend to do. She’s also said that it’s “very unlikely” Roe will ever be overturned and that the “fundamental element, that the woman has a right to choose abortion, will probably stand.” If a seat on the Court opens tomorrow and Barrett won’t give Hawley the reassurance he’s seeking, is he … really going to vote no? Imagine that Collins, Murkowski, and Romney all decide to vote no as well simply because they believe the Merrick Garland precedent requires them to hold the seat open until after the election. Hawley would be the fourth vote to kill Barrett’s confirmation.
There’s no way he would cast that no vote. Not if he’s serious about running in 2024, and he is.
Here’s what’s clever about his “litmus test,” though: It’s highly unlikely that he’ll need to act to actually implement it. It’s mainly posturing for the base. Given the state of the polls, odds are that Joe Biden will be president next year and Hawley will be voting no anyway on Democratic SCOTUS nominees until he runs for president himself in four years. It’s possible that a Court vacancy could open up in the next five months, but Trump himself is destined to choose the most conservative candidate available given the base’s anger at Roberts’s recent abortion switcheroo. In fact, his aides are reportedly culling his shortlist to eliminate all but the most reliable righties on it. “The whole purpose of the list is to give hardline conservatives a guarantee that we will not be betrayed again,” said one Republican who’s close to the White House to Politico. Maybe there’ll be something in the nominee’s record that Hawley will deem “close enough” to saying Roe was wrongly decided that he’ll vote for them anyway. Or maybe Trump will have the votes needed to confirm the nominee even without Hawley, in which case Hawley might vote no harmlessly, to signal his seriousness of purpose.
The only scenario in which his litmus test is apt to make trouble for him this year is if the Senate is deadlocked 50/50 and his vote is needed to make a majority. That’s unlikely, if not impossible. As for a second Trump term, he can revisit his litmus test in January when he knows the composition of the next Senate. If Republicans are in the minority then it won’t matter how Hawley votes; Schumer’s going to block Trump’s nominees. If Republicans have a pared-down majority, it may be that the remaining caucus will be more conservative than the current one (e.g., Collins might lose in November) in which case the Hawley rule might gain traction as a litmus test among GOPers. If not, though, and if his vote looks to be decisive on confirmation, he’ll obviously find a loophole that justifies him voting to confirm. It’s simply unimaginable that he would sink a Trump Court nominee for any reason when he’s planning a presidential run and positioning himself to compete for Trump’s base. If Hawley has to choose between loyalty to POTUS and his litmus test, he’ll choose Trump. Under any other circumstance, given the great likelihood that his vote won’t matter, he’ll choose his test and be sure to remind social conservatives of it in 2024, early and often.


hotair--2020-07-27--A view of the Portland riots from inside the federal courthouse (Update: 'late night demonstrations'

A view of the Portland riots from inside the federal courthouse (Update: 'late night demonstrations')

As Jazz wrote yesterday , a riot was declared in Portland over the weekend .
Today the Associated Press published a story which looks at events from both inside the courthouse and outside .
The piece seems like a legitimate attempt to cover events fairly but it mostly winds up making the violent protesters look bad and making the non-violent protesters look like idiots .
The protest starts with drummers and dancing but as the sun set a crowd of approximately 4,000 people march to the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse to confront the federal police officers inside .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a metal fence has been set up around the building .
Inside the fence the federal police guarding the courthouse are convinced the rioters want to kill them .
A Deputy U.S .
Marshal told the AP , “ It ’ s scary .
You open those doors out , when the crowd is shaking the fence , and … on the other side of that fence are people that want to kill you because of the job we chose to do and what we represent.
” Outside the fence , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the rioters weren ’ t “ being violent.
” So you have two very different views of what is happening in Portland .
Which one is closer to reality ?
Thirty minutes later , someone fired a commercial-grade firework inside the fence .
Next came a flare and then protesters began using an angle grinder to eat away at the fence .
A barrage of items came whizzing into the courthouse : rocks , cans of beans , water bottles , potatoes and rubber bouncy balls that cause the agents to slip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was dark , pitch dark except for one narrow ceiling bulb that cast a cone of light over the stairs .
Without lights , the agents hoped they would be better protected from people in the crowd who were firing metal ball bearings through the windows with sling shots .
Thick ribbons of green light from blinding lasers crisscrossed the courthouse lobby , forcing the agents who were resting in between deployments to the fence to duck and weave to protect their eyes .
You can see the lasers in the image above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officers .
The AP reporter took a photo of a basket of items that had been thrown at police officers that night .
The basket doesn ’ t include the large fireworks tossed over the fence .
At least two officers were injured by fireworks the night the AP reporter was there : There ’ s a photo of the injured officer at this link .
But he wasn ’ t the only one injured that night .
By the end of the night , five other federal agents would be injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he was hit in the head with a commercial-grade firework .
One agent was hospitalized .
Several agents have lingering vision problems from the lasers… “ My friends have been hit in the head with hammers .
I know people who have been shot with fireworks .
It ’ s disgusting , ” said the Deputy U.S .
Marshal who ’ s been at the courthouse for weeks .
And yet , outside the courthouse a 21-year-old name Eli told an AP reporter , “ I think what people fail to realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re still playing defense so anything we do , it ’ s a defensive maneuver .
We are protecting ourselves at the very most and each other.
” So who seems to have a better grip on reality here ?
The rioters who claim , “ We are not here being violent or being destructive ” or the police who saw a total of six officers injured including one in the hospital that night ?
I think the AP story makes it pretty clear the rioters are delusional at best .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , here ’ s what Portland Police found in a bag yesterday .
This is what “ mostly peaceful ” looks like .
Update : U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams gave an interview outside the courthouse in Portland last Friday .
He said that what was happening every night was criminal and called it “ mindless violence.
” Toward the end of the interview , a reporter asked him about “ late night demonstrations ” and Williams interrupted to call out the media for failing to point out that there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and criminal violence .
The reporter claims it ’ s not her job to call things criminal as if it would be wrong to characterize nightly vandalism , arson and attacks on police officers as criminal behavior .

As Jazz wrote yesterday, a riot was declared in Portland over the weekend. Today the Associated Press published a story which looks at events from both inside the courthouse and outside. The piece seems like a legitimate attempt to cover events fairly but it mostly winds up making the violent protesters look bad and making the non-violent protesters look like idiots.
The protest starts with drummers and dancing but as the sun set a crowd of approximately 4,000 people march to the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse to confront the federal police officers inside. The courthouse windows have been covered with plywood and a metal fence has been set up around the building. Inside the fence the federal police guarding the courthouse are convinced the rioters want to kill them. A Deputy U.S. Marshal told the AP, “It’s scary. You open those doors out, when the crowd is shaking the fence, and … on the other side of that fence are people that want to kill you because of the job we chose to do and what we represent.”
Outside the fence, a protester named Monica told an AP reporter that the rioters weren’t “being violent.”
“We are not here being violent or being destructive. We have a positive message — there is nothing to quell here,” she said, referencing Trump’s statement that the agents were there to quell unrest. “The people of Portland are saying, ‘We don’t want this presence here and we don’t think we need them at all.’”
So you have two very different views of what is happening in Portland. Which one is closer to reality?
Thirty minutes later, someone fired a commercial-grade firework inside the fence. Next came a flare and then protesters began using an angle grinder to eat away at the fence. A barrage of items came whizzing into the courthouse: rocks, cans of beans, water bottles, potatoes and rubber bouncy balls that cause the agents to slip and fall… Inside the courthouse, it was dark, pitch dark except for one narrow ceiling bulb that cast a cone of light over the stairs. Without lights, the agents hoped they would be better protected from people in the crowd who were firing metal ball bearings through the windows with sling shots. Thick ribbons of green light from blinding lasers crisscrossed the courthouse lobby, forcing the agents who were resting in between deployments to the fence to duck and weave to protect their eyes.
You can see the lasers in the image above. They are constantly being aimed at the officers. The AP reporter took a photo of a basket of items that had been thrown at police officers that night.
The basket doesn’t include the large fireworks tossed over the fence. At least two officers were injured by fireworks the night the AP reporter was there:
The firework came whizzing over the fence so fast that the agent didn’t have time to move. It exploded with a boom, leaving his hearing deadened and bloody gashes on both forearms. Stunned, with help from his cohorts, he stripped to his boxer shorts and a black T-shirt so his wounds could be examined and photographed for evidence.
There’s a photo of the injured officer at this link. But he wasn’t the only one injured that night.
By the end of the night, five other federal agents would be injured, including another who got a concussion when he was hit in the head with a commercial-grade firework. One agent was hospitalized. Several agents have lingering vision problems from the lasers… “My friends have been hit in the head with hammers. I know people who have been shot with fireworks. It’s disgusting,” said the Deputy U.S. Marshal who’s been at the courthouse for weeks.
When we were out inside the fence line, someone fired off a mortar. It exploded inches away from us, but no one was hurt. A large bonfire had been started in the street & people were aiming fireworks through the fire at officers behind the fence. It was almost 2:30 a.m. then. pic.twitter.com/qVsH1T1DQM — Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) July 27, 2020
And yet, outside the courthouse a 21-year-old name Eli told an AP reporter, “I think what people fail to realize is, us in Portland, we’re still playing defense so anything we do, it’s a defensive maneuver. We are protecting ourselves at the very most and each other.”
So who seems to have a better grip on reality here? The rioters who claim, “We are not here being violent or being destructive” or the police who saw a total of six officers injured including one in the hospital that night? I think the AP story makes it pretty clear the rioters are delusional at best. In case you’re still not sure, here’s what Portland Police found in a bag yesterday. This is what “mostly peaceful” looks like.
Tonight Portland Police were near Lownsdale Square Park. A person pointed out a bag to them. Inside the bag Police found loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails pic.twitter.com/ytpu9pZjqG — Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) July 27, 2020
Update: U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams gave an interview outside the courthouse in Portland last Friday. He said that what was happening every night was criminal and called it “mindless violence.” Toward the end of the interview, a reporter asked him about “late night demonstrations” and Williams interrupted to call out the media for failing to point out that there’s a difference between “late night demostrations” and criminal violence. The reporter claims it’s not her job to call things criminal as if it would be wrong to characterize nightly vandalism, arson and attacks on police officers as criminal behavior.


hotair--2020-07-27--Who's suppressing the Hispanic vote in Florida? Biden campaigners say ... Team Biden

Probably not the headline Joe Biden expected out of his Florida campaign .
and it might — might — signal more than just a PR headache down the road for his presidential bid , too .
Ninety members of Biden ’ s campaign signed a letter accusing Team Biden of “ suppressing the Hispanic vote ” in its operations , reports the Miami Herald .
They complain in part that Spanish-speaking campaigners have been reassigned to north Florida , leaving south Florida with few if any resources who understand the mix of Hispanic groups in the south : Over 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed a scathing letter Friday to the party ’ s leadership , claiming among other things that the campaign is “ suppressing the Hispanic vote ” in Central Florida .
The seven-page internal letter , obtained by the Miami Herald , contains eight allegations from field organizers about what they say is a lack of a “ fully actionable field plan ” from the Biden campaign as it transitions into the Florida party to coordinate voter outreach efforts .
… Among the claims : mistreatment of field organizers , relocating trained staff members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and taking on volunteers who are then left in limbo .
Suppressing the minority vote ?
That ’ s usually an accusation reserved for Republican candidates , especially in Florida .
Lobbing it at your own side makes for a much more interesting story , although in this case — as is usual with accusations aimed at Republicans — it looks more like hyperbole intended to embarrass Biden and his team more than a concerted and intentional suppression effort .
That ’ s not to say that the specifics aren ’ t curious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if true : The first question this prompts is why Team Biden only had five Spanish-speaking organizers in the I-4 Corridor in the first place .
Elections are won and lost in the I-4 Corridor , a point I made in my book Going Red in 2016 .
It ’ s not just that the Hispanic vote is strong in this corridor , but it ’ s also diverse .
There are political differences between the Batista-Cuba diaspora and the Castro-Cuba diaspora , for instance , and the former is a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from that nuance , there are significant differences between Puerto Ricans , Venezuelans , and other South American descendant communities .
A smart campaign would dedicate Spanish-speaking organizers with more insight into those nuances in the I-4 Corridor than most other places in the state .
Moving those resources to north Florida is almost laughably inept .
The Hispanic vote comprises a much smaller percentage of the electorate in that area , which is culturally closer to the Southern states , than it does in the Tampa-Orlando belt and further south .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see malice where incompetence might be the better choice : Maybe , but it might also be argued that pontificating about “ white-dominated politics ” in the I-4 Corridor might be a problem , too .
It ’ s a diverse area but Biden will still need to win white moderates in the middle of the state .
That kind of messaging might make sense in a primary , but it ’ s a fair bet that it would backfire in a general election .
That still doesn ’ t explain why they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though .
Perhaps the campaign thought that rhetoric would play better with black voters in the Panhandle and its environs , but why send your Hispanic organizers to sell that rather than organize in I-4 ?
The answer could be that the campaign never did any such thing .
The Hill reports that this might be less of a “ suppression ” argument , and more of a negotiating tactic .
The campaign is unionized , and it ’ s contract time : The organizer ’ s discontent comes amid negotiations between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Florida campaign branch , and the field organizers ’ union , IBEW Local 824 , a Democratic official told The Hill .
The Biden campaign told The Hill that relocation updates have not been updated due to ongoing discussions .
Jackie Lee , the Biden campaign ’ s Florida state director , told The Hill in a statement that for the past six weeks no staff has been asked to relocate .
She added that that the campaign “ has an open-door policy ” and “ we look forward to working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are consulting with IBEW Local 824 leadership on the structure of our organizing program , including many of the issues that were raised in this letter and proposed solutions , ” Lee said .
“ We look forward to discussing them with organizers and getting their feedback as soon as able.
” Remember when Democrats cheered the unionization of political campaigns ?
Good times , good times .

Probably not the headline Joe Biden expected out of his Florida campaign. and it might — might — signal more than just a PR headache down the road for his presidential bid, too. Ninety members of Biden’s campaign signed a letter accusing Team Biden of “suppressing the Hispanic vote” in its operations, reports the Miami Herald. They complain in part that Spanish-speaking campaigners have been reassigned to north Florida, leaving south Florida with few if any resources who understand the mix of Hispanic groups in the south:
Over 90 field organizers for the Florida Democratic Party signed a scathing letter Friday to the party’s leadership, claiming among other things that the campaign is “suppressing the Hispanic vote” in Central Florida. The seven-page internal letter, obtained by the Miami Herald, contains eight allegations from field organizers about what they say is a lack of a “fully actionable field plan” from the Biden campaign as it transitions into the Florida party to coordinate voter outreach efforts. … Among the claims: mistreatment of field organizers, relocating trained staff members without explanation, lack of organizing resources and taking on volunteers who are then left in limbo.
Suppressing the minority vote? That’s usually an accusation reserved for Republican candidates, especially in Florida. Lobbing it at your own side makes for a much more interesting story, although in this case — as is usual with accusations aimed at Republicans — it looks more like hyperbole intended to embarrass Biden and his team more than a concerted and intentional suppression effort.
That’s not to say that the specifics aren’t curious. This one is a real headscratcher, if true:
One big issue is that at least a handful of organizers were recently transferred from a heavily-Puerto Rican part of the state to counties with a small percentage of Hispanics. “Four of five Spanish-speaking organizers along the I-4 corridor who were moved to North Florida were Puerto Rican,” the letter says.
The first question this prompts is why Team Biden only had five Spanish-speaking organizers in the I-4 Corridor in the first place. Elections are won and lost in the I-4 Corridor, a point I made in my book Going Red in 2016. It’s not just that the Hispanic vote is strong in this corridor, but it’s also diverse. There are political differences between the Batista-Cuba diaspora and the Castro-Cuba diaspora, for instance, and the former is a bit more prevalent in I-4. Even apart from that nuance, there are significant differences between Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, and other South American descendant communities.
A smart campaign would dedicate Spanish-speaking organizers with more insight into those nuances in the I-4 Corridor than most other places in the state. Moving those resources to north Florida is almost laughably inept. The Hispanic vote comprises a much smaller percentage of the electorate in that area, which is culturally closer to the Southern states, than it does in the Tampa-Orlando belt and further south.
The organizers ignored Hanlon’s Razor and see malice where incompetence might be the better choice:
Field organizers add that input from staffers connected to Puerto Ricans living in Central Florida is often dismissed. “The [Coordinated Campaign of Florida] is suppressing the Hispanic vote by removing Spanish-speaking organizers from Central Florida without explanation, which fails to confront a system of white-dominated politics we are supposed to be working against as organizers of a progressive party,” the letter adds.
Maybe, but it might also be argued that pontificating about “white-dominated politics” in the I-4 Corridor might be a problem, too. It’s a diverse area but Biden will still need to win white moderates in the middle of the state. That kind of messaging might make sense in a primary, but it’s a fair bet that it would backfire in a general election.
That still doesn’t explain why they’re going to north Florida, though. Perhaps the campaign thought that rhetoric would play better with black voters in the Panhandle and its environs, but why send your Hispanic organizers to sell that rather than organize in I-4?
The answer could be that the campaign never did any such thing. The Hill reports that this might be less of a “suppression” argument, and more of a negotiating tactic. The campaign is unionized, and it’s contract time:
The organizer’s discontent comes amid negotiations between the Coordinated Campaign in Florida, the Democrats’ Florida campaign branch, and the field organizers’ union, IBEW Local 824, a Democratic official told The Hill. The Biden campaign told The Hill that relocation updates have not been updated due to ongoing discussions. Jackie Lee, the Biden campaign’s Florida state director, told The Hill in a statement that for the past six weeks no staff has been asked to relocate. She added that that the campaign “has an open-door policy” and “we look forward to working with organizers to address their concerns.” “We are consulting with IBEW Local 824 leadership on the structure of our organizing program, including many of the issues that were raised in this letter and proposed solutions,” Lee said. “We look forward to discussing them with organizers and getting their feedback as soon as able.”
Remember when Democrats cheered the unionization of political campaigns? Good times, good times.


hotair--2020-07-27--Fake news? CBP disputes viral video claim that Trump's border wall fell during Hurricane Hanna

Hurricane Hanna became the first storm of the 2020 hurricane season to be classified as a hurricane .
Hanna made landfall on the south Texas Gulf Coast , 130 miles south of Corpus Christi , and about 70 miles north of Brownsville .
Most of the hurricane ’ s damage was from flooding .
The hurricane made landfall about 5:00 p.m. on Saturday .
Oddly , a tweet posted late Sunday night by a reporter for a Mexican news outlet shows video of a section of the border wall falling during a storm .
She claims it happened during Hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had over 4.6 million views before it was taken down .
That ’ s right .
She deleted the post , so I can ’ t show you her original tweet .
The tweet quickly went viral and Never Trumpers , in particular , along with their Democrat cohorts took great pleasure in the video .
Jokes flew .
Comparisons were made to Trump ’ s alleged collapsing re-election campaign .
The tweet was likely deleted when the reporter began to see that there are serious doubts being raised about the video ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t video from Hurricane Hanna .
CBP responded that something isn ’ t quite right with it .
Roderick Kise , a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Rio Grande Valley , said he had received “ seven or eight ” media inquiries about the tweet from a journalist in Mexico showing a 39-second clip of workers in vests and hard hats watching a section of the fence being knocked over by high winds .
Kise said he was checking with authorities in Washington , but at first glance did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas .
“ The hurricane hit us at nighttime , but looks like it was shot during the day , ” Kise said in an interview .
He also said the terrain did not look like the lower Rio Grande Valley .
The tweet from Yadith Valdez , whose Muck Rack page shows her affiliated with a news organization called Multosmedia.com , had been retweeted about 10,300 times and had amassed some 19,300 likes by 8 p.m. CDT Sunday .
“ And so , ‘ Hanna ’ knocked down part of the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States and Mexico , ” the tweet ’ s caption , translated from Spanish to English said .
“ For the fury of nature , there are no borders.
” Even a reporter for the Washington Post tweeted out his skepticism of the tweet from the Mexican reporter .
That section of the wall may have been in Arizona , not Texas .
The section of the wall around the Rio Grande Valley is on the river levee and not in the desert .
The post did not indicate which section of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a local news article from Debate wrote that it occurred between Texas and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas , near Ciudad Camargo .
The video shows a few workers in high-visibility vests and hard hats watching as a section of the wall collapses under heavy rain and wind .
However , Nick Miroff , a Washington Post reporter , wrote on Twitter that Customs and Border Patrol ( CBP ) officials indicated that the video is not showing border wall panels toppling in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas .
Miroff wrote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but based on desert terrain , daytime recording and style of bollards , I ’ m guessing these are images of a monsoon out west , prob Arizona.
” If it was Arizona , though , CBP officials in Arizona have no recent reports of a wall collapse .
The hurricane did plenty of damage , which is verifiably true .
It dumped over twelve inches of rain along the U.S. – Mexico border .
Winds tore down docks and other structures .
But , it looks like the story of a section @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake news .
The question is , why did the reporter post it ?
Perhaps she wanted to ding Trump or maybe she is an open border , anti-wall person .
The part where she says “ For the fury of nature , there are no borders.
” makes me think she ’ s an open borders advocate .
The CBP is looking into it .
Meanwhile , it is the Never Trumpers and Trump ’ s other critics that look like they were just desperate to fall for a phony story in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can bet that this won ’ t be the last time they have egg on their faces before Election Day rolls around .
There have been reports of the privately funded wall having problems in construction in the Brownsville area .
There are no reports of any collapse of this section of the wall during Hurricane Hanna .
Just in case Trump ’ s critics want to criticize him for playing golf in New Jersey and not paying attention to the hurricane in Texas or the one heading for Hawaii , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Hurricane Hanna became the first storm of the 2020 hurricane season to be classified as a hurricane. Hanna made landfall on the south Texas Gulf Coast, 130 miles south of Corpus Christi, and about 70 miles north of Brownsville. Most of the hurricane’s damage was from flooding.
The hurricane made landfall about 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Oddly, a tweet posted late Sunday night by a reporter for a Mexican news outlet shows video of a section of the border wall falling during a storm. She claims it happened during Hurricane Hanna. Yadith Valdez’s tweet had over 4.6 million views before it was taken down. That’s right. She deleted the post, so I can’t show you her original tweet.
The tweet quickly went viral and Never Trumpers, in particular, along with their Democrat cohorts took great pleasure in the video. Jokes flew. Comparisons were made to Trump’s alleged collapsing re-election campaign.
I have a Trump wall joke but it will fall apart before it's finished https://t.co/sCddVD9C85 — Philip Germain (@Philip_Germain) July 26, 2020
Someone deleted this footage that went with my Mother ("I'll huff & I'll puff & I'll blow your POS wall down!") Nature tweet, so here it is again. I've all but given up on Mexico🇲🇽 paying to replace it, though. #SAD 😭 https://t.co/HOXjEx93ya — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) July 27, 2020
The tweet was likely deleted when the reporter began to see that there are serious doubts being raised about the video’s validity – it probably isn’t video from Hurricane Hanna. CBP responded that something isn’t quite right with it.
Roderick Kise, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Rio Grande Valley, said he had received “seven or eight” media inquiries about the tweet from a journalist in Mexico showing a 39-second clip of workers in vests and hard hats watching a section of the fence being knocked over by high winds. Kise said he was checking with authorities in Washington, but at first glance did not believe the footage was from South Texas. “The hurricane hit us at nighttime, but looks like it was shot during the day,” Kise said in an interview. He also said the terrain did not look like the lower Rio Grande Valley. The tweet from Yadith Valdez, whose Muck Rack page shows her affiliated with a news organization called Multosmedia.com, had been retweeted about 10,300 times and had amassed some 19,300 likes by 8 p.m. CDT Sunday. “And so, ‘Hanna’ knocked down part of the border wall that is being built between the United States and Mexico,” the tweet’s caption, translated from Spanish to English said. “For the fury of nature, there are no borders.”
Even a reporter for the Washington Post tweeted out his skepticism of the tweet from the Mexican reporter. That section of the wall may have been in Arizona, not Texas. The section of the wall around the Rio Grande Valley is on the river levee and not in the desert.
The post did not indicate which section of the wall would have collapsed, but a local news article from Debate wrote that it occurred between Texas and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, near Ciudad Camargo. The video shows a few workers in high-visibility vests and hard hats watching as a section of the wall collapses under heavy rain and wind. However, Nick Miroff, a Washington Post reporter, wrote on Twitter that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials indicated that the video is not showing border wall panels toppling in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Miroff wrote, “Unclear where it was filmed, but based on desert terrain, daytime recording and style of bollards, I’m guessing these are images of a monsoon out west, prob Arizona.”
If it was Arizona, though, CBP officials in Arizona have no recent reports of a wall collapse.
The hurricane did plenty of damage, which is verifiably true. It dumped over twelve inches of rain along the U.S. – Mexico border. Winds tore down docks and other structures. But, it looks like the story of a section of the wall collapsing was phony – fake news. The question is, why did the reporter post it? Perhaps she wanted to ding Trump or maybe she is an open border, anti-wall person. The part where she says “For the fury of nature, there are no borders.” makes me think she’s an open borders advocate. The CBP is looking into it. Meanwhile, it is the Never Trumpers and Trump’s other critics that look like they were just desperate to fall for a phony story in order to get some clicks on Twitter. You can bet that this won’t be the last time they have egg on their faces before Election Day rolls around.
There have been reports of the privately funded wall having problems in construction in the Brownsville area. There are no reports of any collapse of this section of the wall during Hurricane Hanna.
Just in case Trump’s critics want to criticize him for playing golf in New Jersey and not paying attention to the hurricane in Texas or the one heading for Hawaii, he had a tweet for that.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1287164119867699202


hotair--2020-07-27--Seattle Police Chief: Sorry, business owners. You're on your own

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and her Chief of Police , Carmen Best , have tried to present a unified front in response to the riots gripping their city but it hasn ’ t been easy .
We ’ ve mostly seen them attempting to shift the blame ( and the anger in the streets ) against President Trump and the DHS officers protecting federal property in the city .
That ’ s worked to a certain extent , but the anarchists are still going after the Seattle PD and local businesses with equal abandon .
One item I missed from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best sent out to business owners in the city .
It had to do with the measure recently passed by the City Council that would ban the use of the most common crowd control tools available to the police .
Without those options available to them , the Police would either be unable to protect themselves from the mobs or would be forced to resort to lethal force in some cases .
Because of that , Best warned local businesses that the police response to calls for help wouldn ’ t be as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A copy of the letter showed up on Twitter this weekend .
Those restrictions on the police were put on hold by a judge this weekend , but that ’ s only a stop-gap measure .
My Northwest has more details on a second letter the Chief of Police sent to the City Council and some of the responses from the public .
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best has penned another letter to the city council , this one warning members that Ordinance 119805 concerning crowd control tools goes into effect this weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events planned across the city that potentially include some of the same individuals who may be responsible for the destruction seen in Seattle last weekend and Wednesday night .
“ As City Council ’ s legislation goes into effect , it will create even more dangerous circumstances for our officers to intervene using what they have left – riot shields and riot batons , ” Best wrote on the Seattle Police Blotter .
“ For these reasons , SPD will have an adjusted deployment in response to any demonstrations this weekend .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large , violent crowd.
” There ’ s one quote you won ’ t see showing up on CNN any time soon .
The city ’ s own Chief of Police sent a letter to the City Council referring to the “ peaceful protesters ” as a large , violent crowd .
Somebody clearly missed a memo about what the media narrative is supposed to be .
Chief Best won ’ t be getting invited to sit down for any of the Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Seattle has long since spun out of control and may be heading for the point of no return .
The Police force is essentially admitting to business owners and residents that they aren ’ t going to be able to help people calling for rescue during the nightly riots .
If your store is being broken into and looted or someone has set your warehouse on fire , that ’ s pretty much tough luck .
There ’ s no point in sending the first responders out to try to help if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their access blocked and likely be attacked themselves in the process .
And it ’ s happening every single night , as predictable as the rising of the moon .
Most of the mainstream media outlets refuse to cover this , of course .
It flies in the face of the accepted “ peaceful protesters ” narrative .
But Seattle and Portland are currently out of control .
The rule of law has broken down and the elected officials in both cities have failed in their duty to protect the public .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required troops to bring things under control and there ’ s only so much the federal government can do beyond protecting the federal buildings if they ’ re not invited to help by state and municipal leaders .
It appears that we truly are reaching the point of just sitting back and letting it burn .
We can only hope that the innocent and the law-abiding can find a way to safely get out .

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and her Chief of Police, Carmen Best, have tried to present a unified front in response to the riots gripping their city but it hasn’t been easy. We’ve mostly seen them attempting to shift the blame (and the anger in the streets) against President Trump and the DHS officers protecting federal property in the city. That’s worked to a certain extent, but the anarchists are still going after the Seattle PD and local businesses with equal abandon.
One item I missed from last week was a letter that Chief Best sent out to business owners in the city. It had to do with the measure recently passed by the City Council that would ban the use of the most common crowd control tools available to the police. Without those options available to them, the Police would either be unable to protect themselves from the mobs or would be forced to resort to lethal force in some cases. Because of that, Best warned local businesses that the police response to calls for help wouldn’t be as robust as they would normally expect. A copy of the letter showed up on Twitter this weekend.
https://twitter.com/Doranimated/status/1286860380741021696
Those restrictions on the police were put on hold by a judge this weekend, but that’s only a stop-gap measure. My Northwest has more details on a second letter the Chief of Police sent to the City Council and some of the responses from the public.
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best has penned another letter to the city council, this one warning members that Ordinance 119805 concerning crowd control tools goes into effect this weekend. Also this weekend are several known events planned across the city that potentially include some of the same individuals who may be responsible for the destruction seen in Seattle last weekend and Wednesday night. “As City Council’s legislation goes into effect, it will create even more dangerous circumstances for our officers to intervene using what they have left – riot shields and riot batons,” Best wrote on the Seattle Police Blotter. “For these reasons, SPD will have an adjusted deployment in response to any demonstrations this weekend. The Council legislation gives officers no ability to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large, violent crowd.”
There’s one quote you won’t see showing up on CNN any time soon. The city’s own Chief of Police sent a letter to the City Council referring to the “peaceful protesters” as a large, violent crowd. Somebody clearly missed a memo about what the media narrative is supposed to be. Chief Best won’t be getting invited to sit down for any of the Sunday shows at this rate.
The situation in Seattle has long since spun out of control and may be heading for the point of no return. The Police force is essentially admitting to business owners and residents that they aren’t going to be able to help people calling for rescue during the nightly riots. If your store is being broken into and looted or someone has set your warehouse on fire, that’s pretty much tough luck. There’s no point in sending the first responders out to try to help if they’re only going to have their access blocked and likely be attacked themselves in the process.
And it’s happening every single night, as predictable as the rising of the moon. Most of the mainstream media outlets refuse to cover this, of course. It flies in the face of the accepted “peaceful protesters” narrative. But Seattle and Portland are currently out of control. The rule of law has broken down and the elected officials in both cities have failed in their duty to protect the public. The Governor isn’t sending in the required troops to bring things under control and there’s only so much the federal government can do beyond protecting the federal buildings if they’re not invited to help by state and municipal leaders.
It appears that we truly are reaching the point of just sitting back and letting it burn. We can only hope that the innocent and the law-abiding can find a way to safely get out.


hotair--2020-07-27--Baseball on the brink: 14 Miami Marlins players and coaches test positive for COVID-19; <span class=

Baseball on the brink: 14 Miami Marlins players and coaches test positive for COVID-19; Update: Season "in jeopardy"; Update: Emergency meeting

Gon na quote myself , writing on June 22 amid a wave of reports of pro and college athletes contracting COVID during preseason training : “ I fear we ’ re headed for a future in which the various leagues press on towards resuming play despite the many warning signs , determined to do their best to give Americans something to cheer , and then there ’ s an outbreak on a team like four games in and the whole season is immediately called off.
” We made it three games into the MLB season .
The status of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Yankees/Phillies game is also at risk of being canceled .
Miami was just in Philly , using the visitors ’ locker room that the Yankees are set to use tonight .
It ’ s reportedly being fumigated “ 50 different ways , ” but how ’ d you like to be a New York player or coach walking into that petri dish with assurances that “ We , uh , think we killed all of it ” ?
At least two big-name players have already had nasty bouts with the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Braves , who overcame it and was back on the field in time for Opening Day but at one point was battling a fever of 104.5 degrees .
“ I said a little prayer that night .
I ’ ve never been that hot before , ” he told WaPo a week ago .
“ My body was really , really hot .
So I said , ‘ Please don ’ t take me.
’ I wasn ’ t ready.
” He ’ s well enough now to play , thankfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the virus , Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez , is not .
He has inflammation of his heart muscle stemming from his COVID-19 infection .
Recently he tired out after throwing just 20 pitches in a bullpen session .
He ’ ll undergo another MRI in a week to see if his heart condition has improved .
There was never a Plan B for baseball — or any other sport — once a team suffered an outbreak .
Plan A was to play the season with some basic precautions in place and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-time in hopes no one would get infected .
Once that plan failed , though , there ’ d inevitably be a cascade effect : One game has now been cancelled , another might be cancelled soon , and it ’ s anyone ’ s guess how many players who have been on the field with Miami recently ( i.e .
the Phillies ) might also have picked up the virus and not yet begun to show symptoms .
There are so many infections on the Marlins that they may have to replace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minor-league players .
If more team members test positive in the coming days , the organization runs a real risk of not being able to field a team .
What alternative is there at that point to shutting down the entire league ?
Are they going to press on and crown the last team that ’ s able to put nine healthy players on the diamond champions ?
“ MLB 2020 : War of Attrition ” would be … interesting , and watchable in a dystopian way , but also extremely dangerous .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at what ’ s happening to Miami and decide to simply opt out for the rest of the season .
A few , including David Price and Buster Posey , did so before Opening Day .
Mike Trout was on the fence about it before deciding to give it a go .
Some of those guys , understandably spooked by what Rodriguez is going through , are destined to cite the Marlins ’ nightmare as a last straw .
Between players landing on the DL due to COVID and players deciding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watchable product on the field will become an almost unmanageable challenge .
Things are moving fast right now .
It wouldn ’ t be a surprise if the season is canceled before the day is out .
Stand by for updates .
As we wait , chew on this : Update : Here we go .
I think the NBA will press on with their “ bubble ” plan in Orlando , since there ’ s at least a chance that the league can prevent players from being infected that way .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this soon , I don ’ t know how the NFL , NHL , or college football will even attempt a season .
No bubble , no games .
Update : I ’ m going to predict that we ’ ve seen our last baseball game in 2020 : Here ’ s another way of looking at Plan A : Update : The Yankees/Phillies game has indeed now been canceled .
Update : Did they hold this meeting … indoors ?
Update : If you think there ’ d be no wider political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , note that this point is already being made this morning .
Parents who were on the fence about giving it a go with schools reopening might not be on the fence if the virus ends up derailing a pro sports league in four days :

Gonna quote myself, writing on June 22 amid a wave of reports of pro and college athletes contracting COVID during preseason training: “I fear we’re headed for a future in which the various leagues press on towards resuming play despite the many warning signs, determined to do their best to give Americans something to cheer, and then there’s an outbreak on a team like four games in and the whole season is immediately called off.”
We made it three games into the MLB season.
The Marlins' home opener against the Baltimore Orioles tonight has been canceled, sources tell ESPN, as the team remains in Philadelphia and continues to undergo testing. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 27, 2020
The status of the players is unclear right now, but:
Also hearing not all cases are asymptomatic https://t.co/05RGNlw0Nq — Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 27, 2020
The Yankees/Phillies game is also at risk of being canceled. Miami was just in Philly, using the visitors’ locker room that the Yankees are set to use tonight. It’s reportedly being fumigated “50 different ways,” but how’d you like to be a New York player or coach walking into that petri dish with assurances that “We, uh, think we killed all of it”?
At least two big-name players have already had nasty bouts with the virus. The most famous is Freddie Freeman of the Braves, who overcame it and was back on the field in time for Opening Day but at one point was battling a fever of 104.5 degrees. “I said a little prayer that night. I’ve never been that hot before,” he told WaPo a week ago. “My body was really, really hot. So I said, ‘Please don’t take me.’ I wasn’t ready.” He’s well enough now to play, thankfully. Another player who “recovered” from the virus, Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez, is not. He has inflammation of his heart muscle stemming from his COVID-19 infection. Recently he tired out after throwing just 20 pitches in a bullpen session. He’ll undergo another MRI in a week to see if his heart condition has improved.
There was never a Plan B for baseball — or any other sport — once a team suffered an outbreak. Plan A was to play the season with some basic precautions in place and trust team personnel to self-isolate in their off-time in hopes no one would get infected. Once that plan failed, though, there’d inevitably be a cascade effect: One game has now been cancelled, another might be cancelled soon, and it’s anyone’s guess how many players who have been on the field with Miami recently (i.e. the Phillies) might also have picked up the virus and not yet begun to show symptoms. There are so many infections on the Marlins that they may have to replace a good chunk of their roster with minor-league players. If more team members test positive in the coming days, the organization runs a real risk of not being able to field a team.
What alternative is there at that point to shutting down the entire league? Are they going to press on and crown the last team that’s able to put nine healthy players on the diamond champions?
“MLB 2020: War of Attrition” would be … interesting, and watchable in a dystopian way, but also extremely dangerous. And of course, some players may look at what’s happening to Miami and decide to simply opt out for the rest of the season. A few, including David Price and Buster Posey, did so before Opening Day. Mike Trout was on the fence about it before deciding to give it a go. Some of those guys, understandably spooked by what Rodriguez is going through, are destined to cite the Marlins’ nightmare as a last straw. Between players landing on the DL due to COVID and players deciding to pack it in, just putting a watchable product on the field will become an almost unmanageable challenge.
Things are moving fast right now. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the season is canceled before the day is out. Stand by for updates. As we wait, chew on this:
Four Marlins learned they tested positive for COVID-19 in a span of three days. Two infectious disease experts say the positive results fit the definition of “a clear outbreak” with the club. So why did the Marlins play baseball on Sunday? With @Jaysonst https://t.co/7Mv4Ok1K8r — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 27, 2020
Update: Here we go.
Waiting to hear if the 2020 MLB season has been cancelled. Nothing definitive yet. “In jeopardy” seems to be the most texted term to me in the last 30 minutes. — Craig Mish (@CraigMish) July 27, 2020
I think the NBA will press on with their “bubble” plan in Orlando, since there’s at least a chance that the league can prevent players from being infected that way. But if MLB has to pack it in this soon, I don’t know how the NFL, NHL, or college football will even attempt a season. No bubble, no games.
Update: I’m going to predict that we’ve seen our last baseball game in 2020:
https://twitter.com/ericjackson/status/1287750533638430723
Here’s another way of looking at Plan A:
someday you’ll be telling your kids about the three game 2020 baseball season and they’ll say “wait wait wait you’re telling me their plan was just to put them on airplanes and fly them all over in the middle of a surging pandemic and just hope it worked” — kilgore trout, ted’s travel agent (@KT_So_It_Goes) July 27, 2020
Update: The Yankees/Phillies game has indeed now been canceled.
Update: Did they hold this meeting … indoors?
The Marlins learned before Sunday’s game that three players had tested positive for COVID-19. So they held a player’s meeting to decide if they should play against the Phillies. Can’t find that protocol in MLB’s 101-page manual. — Matt Breen (@matt_breen) July 27, 2020
Update: If you think there’d be no wider political repercussions from MLB having to shut down, note that this point is already being made this morning. Parents who were on the fence about giving it a go with schools reopening might not be on the fence if the virus ends up derailing a pro sports league in four days: