hotair--2020-06-02--Non-sequitur? Floyd autopsy shows evidence of drug use, but ...

To paraphrase Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride , the toxicology results from the autopsy of George Floyd may not matter as much as some think they do .
News has percolated out today that the man whose neck and chest got compressed by a trio of Minneapolis police officers until he died also had indications of illegal drug use in his system .
The official final report from the Hennepin County coroner issued last night mentions evidence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd ’ s system .
That ’ s interesting … but not nearly as much as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chest : During a news conference Monday afternoon , two doctors hired by the Floyd family to do a private autopsy said they believe he died of asphyxia , which happens when oxygen flow is cut off , causing the brain and other organs to stop working .
… Hours later , the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ’ s Office issued its final public report , stating that Floyd died as a result of “ cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual , restraint , and neck compression.
” A spokesperson for the office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not discuss that cause of death further .
The report noted that Floyd “ experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officer ( s ) .
” It also listed “ arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease , ” as well as fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use as “ other significant conditions.
” And … so ?
Despite some interest in this as a way of mitigating the officers ’ conduct — or just to skewer what is seen as a “ narrative ” — this won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way this would be mitigating would be if Floyd was in the middle of an acute overdose , and even then their actions in compressing his neck and chest while handcuffed for several minutes would likely be the primary cause of his death .
This gets back to a legal point Allahpundit raised a few days ago called the “ eggshell skull rule.
” Just because a victim had contributing factors that might have made him more prone to a fatal response , it doesn ’ t alleviate the legal responsibility for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an argument with his very frail grandmother and ends up holding a pillow over her face until she stops moving .
Is he off the hook on murder if he can show that she actually died of a heart attack amid the stress of the altercation rather than from suffocation — and that a healthy younger person wouldn ’ t have had a heart attack under those circumstances ?
We ’ d laugh at the idea .
The law laughs at it too in what ’ s known as the “ eggshell skull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turns out to have been specially prone to injury due to some inherent defect in their physiology ( e.g.
, a light blow to the head causes catastrophic injury because the victim had an unusually thin skull ) , that ’ s tough luck for you .
You ’ re still guilty .
You take your victim as you find him , as the saying goes .
It ’ s probably worse for that in this case , as police already had Floyd in custody and his hands cuffed behind his back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sustained compression to the point of unconsciousness is going to be the legal point on which guilt will hinge .
Furthermore , it ’ s not as if Floyd died instantly from the compression ; it took long , agonizing minutes caught on videotape while he pleaded for assistance .
Does anyone think fentanyl and/or meth would be the actual cause of death after watching that unfold ?
The county coroner didn ’ t argue that point , relating the cardiac arrest to the complication of “ law enforcement subdual , restraint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense argue that it was the drugs that contributed to the death ?
Sure .
Will that work ?
Mayyyyyybeee , if they can convince a jury to ignore both autopsies and the video that will play over and over again in the courtroom .
Don ’ t forget , prior to whatever happened at the squad car , we have video of Floyd being cooperative with the police , even if not enthusiastically so .
Even so , the mitigation will likely matter only to the degree of homicide on which a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jury will acquit these officers entirely .
The level of charges Chauvin and the others eventually face remains under review by prosecutors , with activists demanding first-degree murder charges against all four .
Keith Ellison told ABC ’ s Good Morning America that he sees charges coming “ very soon ” for others involved in Floyd ’ s death , and Derek Chauvin might see his charges upgraded as well : Third-degree murder is probably as far as Ellison can go with any of them , using reckless disregard as the standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of manslaughter for a reason , and Ellison explains it indirectly — it ’ s tough to get juries to assume malice on the part of police in these cases .
( Ironically , the riots might make a jury pool a bit more sympathetic to law enforcement , although not in Hennepin County . )
Better to get manslaughter convictions than to fail to sustain harsher charges that prosecutors can not ultimately prove .
Whether Floyd had any residual illegal drugs in his system won ’ t make much of a difference @

To paraphrase Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, the toxicology results from the autopsy of George Floyd may not matter as much as some think they do. News has percolated out today that the man whose neck and chest got compressed by a trio of Minneapolis police officers until he died also had indications of illegal drug use in his system. The official final report from the Hennepin County coroner issued last night mentions evidence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd’s system.
That’s interesting … but not nearly as much as the knees on Floyd’s neck and chest:
During a news conference Monday afternoon, two doctors hired by the Floyd family to do a private autopsy said they believe he died of asphyxia, which happens when oxygen flow is cut off, causing the brain and other organs to stop working. … Hours later, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office issued its final public report, stating that Floyd died as a result of “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.” A spokesperson for the office, citing Minnesota laws, said they could not discuss that cause of death further. The report noted that Floyd “experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officer(s).” It also listed “arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease,” as well as fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use as “other significant conditions.”
And … so? Despite some interest in this as a way of mitigating the officers’ conduct — or just to skewer what is seen as a “narrative” — this won’t matter much at all. The only way this would be mitigating would be if Floyd was in the middle of an acute overdose, and even then their actions in compressing his neck and chest while handcuffed for several minutes would likely be the primary cause of his death.
This gets back to a legal point Allahpundit raised a few days ago called the “eggshell skull rule.” Just because a victim had contributing factors that might have made him more prone to a fatal response, it doesn’t alleviate the legal responsibility for a homicide:
Imagine some miscreant gets into an argument with his very frail grandmother and ends up holding a pillow over her face until she stops moving. Is he off the hook on murder if he can show that she actually died of a heart attack amid the stress of the altercation rather than from suffocation — and that a healthy younger person wouldn’t have had a heart attack under those circumstances? We’d laugh at the idea. The law laughs at it too in what’s known as the “eggshell skull rule.” If you injure someone who turns out to have been specially prone to injury due to some inherent defect in their physiology (e.g., a light blow to the head causes catastrophic injury because the victim had an unusually thin skull), that’s tough luck for you. You’re still guilty. You take your victim as you find him, as the saying goes.
It’s probably worse for that in this case, as police already had Floyd in custody and his hands cuffed behind his back. The lack of necessity for this kind of sustained compression to the point of unconsciousness is going to be the legal point on which guilt will hinge. Furthermore, it’s not as if Floyd died instantly from the compression; it took long, agonizing minutes caught on videotape while he pleaded for assistance. Does anyone think fentanyl and/or meth would be the actual cause of death after watching that unfold? The county coroner didn’t argue that point, relating the cardiac arrest to the complication of “law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”
Will the defense argue that it was the drugs that contributed to the death? Sure. Will that work? Mayyyyyybeee, if they can convince a jury to ignore both autopsies and the video that will play over and over again in the courtroom. Don’t forget, prior to whatever happened at the squad car, we have video of Floyd being cooperative with the police, even if not enthusiastically so. Even so, the mitigation will likely matter only to the degree of homicide on which a jury might convict, not on whether a jury will acquit these officers entirely.
The level of charges Chauvin and the others eventually face remains under review by prosecutors, with activists demanding first-degree murder charges against all four. Keith Ellison told ABC’s Good Morning America that he sees charges coming “very soon” for others involved in Floyd’s death, and Derek Chauvin might see his charges upgraded as well:
“There is nobody with culpability that will not be held accountable.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says charges could come “very soon” for other officers in George Floyd case. https://t.co/nYkiImeO9R pic.twitter.com/m3teGYimMY — Good Morning America (@GMA) June 2, 2020
Third-degree murder is probably as far as Ellison can go with any of them, using reckless disregard as the standard. The indictment included the lesser charge of manslaughter for a reason, and Ellison explains it indirectly — it’s tough to get juries to assume malice on the part of police in these cases. (Ironically, the riots might make a jury pool a bit more sympathetic to law enforcement, although not in Hennepin County.) Better to get manslaughter convictions than to fail to sustain harsher charges that prosecutors cannot ultimately prove. Whether Floyd had any residual illegal drugs in his system won’t make much of a difference.


hotair--2020-06-02--Judge Sullivan asks for time to consider dismissal, DOJ says it should happen now

With everything else going on right now , the ongoing battle over Michael Flynn ’ s case has been relegated to the background .
However , there were some developments yesterday .
Judge Emmett Sullivan ’ s attorney asked the Appeals Court to give him time to reach his own decision about dismissing the case : Beth Wilkinson , a former Justice Department lawyer appointed to represent Judge Sullivan , said the appeals court should give the judge a chance to rule first .
“ If Judge Sullivan ’ s decision is anything short of what the parties sought , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review it , without writing on a blank slate , ” she said .
“ There is no reason for this court to enter the fray now.
” After pleading guilty twice , Flynn reversed course and said he didn ’ t lie to the FBI about his conversations with Russia ’ s ambassador to the US .
But Wilkinson asked , what about Flynn ’ s separate false statements in which he denied that he did lobbying work for Turkey ?
They were part of his plea agreement .
And she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the career prosecutors who worked on the Flynn case did not sign off on the motion to drop the charges , a fact that she called unusual .
The full document filed on behalf of Judge Sullivan is here .
Meanwhile , the DOJ filed new documents with the same court asking that they order Judge Sullivan to dismiss the case now .
“ Instead of inviting further proceedings , the court should have granted the government ’ s motion to dismiss , ” top DOJ officials , including at least three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filing to a three-judge appeals court panel .
The DOJ lawyers unveiled a muscular argument in favor of virtually unbridled executive branch discretion in criminal charging decisions .
They argued that Sullivan had no business standing in the way of a dismissal favored by both the government and a defendant .
The Justice Department ’ s new filing represented a major coup for Flynn ’ s defense .
Indeed , in one respect the government went even further than the retired general ’ s attorneys did : It essentially asked the appeals court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from launching contempt proceedings against Flynn over seemingly contradictory statements he made under oath when affirming his plea and later withdrawing it .
“ Nor , under the circumstances of this case , may the district court assume the role of prosecutor and initiate criminal charges of its own , ” the Justice Department added , declaring unambiguously that Sullivan has “ no authority ” to move forward with a contempt proceeding , as he suggested he might .
It ’ s not clear when the appeals court panel will decide how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a choice between letting judge Sullivan reach a decision in his own time knowing that decision can be appealed to them later .
Or they can simply agree with the DOJ that Sullivan is out of his depth already and order him to dismiss the case now .
I have no clue of how the Court of Appeals will rule but when they initially gave Judge Sullivan 10-days to explain himself , the sense of the order was that they thought he was doing something out of the ordinary and needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a friendly request it was an order .
We ’ ll have to wait and see if Sullivan ’ s attorney has changed their mind .
However this turns out , this is only a 3-judge panel from the DC Court of Appeals .
So if either side is unhappy with the decision , they can appeal it to the full court .
Whichever way this goes , it could drag on for several more weeks unless one side or the other blinks .

With everything else going on right now, the ongoing battle over Michael Flynn’s case has been relegated to the background. However, there were some developments yesterday. Judge Emmett Sullivan’s attorney asked the Appeals Court to give him time to reach his own decision about dismissing the case:
Beth Wilkinson, a former Justice Department lawyer appointed to represent Judge Sullivan, said the appeals court should give the judge a chance to rule first. “If Judge Sullivan’s decision is anything short of what the parties sought, this court will have a chance to review it, without writing on a blank slate,” she said. “There is no reason for this court to enter the fray now.” After pleading guilty twice, Flynn reversed course and said he didn’t lie to the FBI about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the US. But Wilkinson asked, what about Flynn’s separate false statements in which he denied that he did lobbying work for Turkey? They were part of his plea agreement. And she said the judge wanted to examine the fact that the career prosecutors who worked on the Flynn case did not sign off on the motion to drop the charges, a fact that she called unusual.
The full document filed on behalf of Judge Sullivan is here. Meanwhile, the DOJ filed new documents with the same court asking that they order Judge Sullivan to dismiss the case now.
“Instead of inviting further proceedings, the court should have granted the government’s motion to dismiss,” top DOJ officials, including at least three career prosecutors, wrote in a 45-page filing to a three-judge appeals court panel. The DOJ lawyers unveiled a muscular argument in favor of virtually unbridled executive branch discretion in criminal charging decisions. They argued that Sullivan had no business standing in the way of a dismissal favored by both the government and a defendant. The Justice Department’s new filing represented a major coup for Flynn’s defense. Indeed, in one respect the government went even further than the retired general’s attorneys did: It essentially asked the appeals court to foreclose Sullivan or any other judge from launching contempt proceedings against Flynn over seemingly contradictory statements he made under oath when affirming his plea and later withdrawing it. “Nor, under the circumstances of this case, may the district court assume the role of prosecutor and initiate criminal charges of its own,” the Justice Department added, declaring unambiguously that Sullivan has “no authority” to move forward with a contempt proceeding, as he suggested he might.
It’s not clear when the appeals court panel will decide how to respond to the conflicting claims. They have a choice between letting judge Sullivan reach a decision in his own time knowing that decision can be appealed to them later. Or they can simply agree with the DOJ that Sullivan is out of his depth already and order him to dismiss the case now.
I have no clue of how the Court of Appeals will rule but when they initially gave Judge Sullivan 10-days to explain himself, the sense of the order was that they thought he was doing something out of the ordinary and needed to explain himself. It wasn’t a friendly request it was an order. We’ll have to wait and see if Sullivan’s attorney has changed their mind.
However this turns out, this is only a 3-judge panel from the DC Court of Appeals. So if either side is unhappy with the decision, they can appeal it to the full court. Whichever way this goes, it could drag on for several more weeks unless one side or the other blinks.


hotair--2020-06-02--Today on #TEMS: Amy Jacobson, Salem's lawsuit, and Tuesday with Andrew!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Andrew Malcolm joins us for Tuesdays with Andrew !
The Prince of Twitter and I will discuss all of the hot political stories of the day .
When did reporting transform into “ narrative ” ?
Has the media contributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American cities ?
Plus , we ’ ll look at a burgeoning battle between Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio .
• What makes a reporter a reporter ?
My Salem colleague and friend Amy Jacobson has reported on government in Chicago and Illinois for more than two decades , but Gov .
JB Pritzker ’ s office banned her from access to any more pressers or briefings .
The morning-show co-host for AM 560 The Answer is fighting back and tells us why !
• Staying on that same story , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salem and Amy in the lawsuit .
Daniel Suhr of the Liberty Justice Center previews the case , explains what ’ s at stake — and perhaps predicts where all this will end .
• Full disclosure : Hot Air is owned by Townhall Media Group , a subsidiary of Salem Media Group .
I occasionally appear on Amy ’ s show , including this morning , which was lots of fun and you missed out if you don ’ t catch it on the podcast .
The Ed Morrissey Show and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

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


hotair--2020-06-02--Australian embassy to investigate claim of cameraman's WH assault

Australia ’ s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked the country ’ s embassy in the United States to register concerns over an incident that happened yesterday as police cleared Lafayette Park before the president walked from the White House to St. John ’ s Church .
It appears a cameraman and reporter Network Seven came under assault as police moved through the crowd .
Channel 7 correspondent Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were broadcasting live when the police began to move the crowd so the president and his entourage had a clear path to the church .
Myers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the video , it appears another officer hit both him and the reporter with a baton .
If the news station wants to file a formal complaint , the government will support that .
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Australian government would support Channel Seven , where the cameraman worked , should it wish to lodge its concerns over the incident in Washington with U.S. authorities through the embassy there .
“ I want to get further advice on how we would go about registering Australia ’ s strong concerns with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Payne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation .
“ So our embassy in the United States will approach the relevant authorities , and Channel Seven will also provide us with their views on how they wish to deal with it.
” Take a look for yourself : You can hear the female reporter in this clip speaking with newscasters in Australia : Amelia Brace says that she identified herself as “ media ” and calls the police response as “ indiscriminate ” .
“ They were quite violent and they do not care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment , ” she said on-air , adding that they were firing rubber bullets throughout the crowd .
Brace said that she and her videographer were trying to move but police kept pushing forward , rushing the crowd to edge protesters out of the park .
“ There was no choice but for us to hide in that corner and hope they would pass by … as you saw in those pictures , they did not , ” she said .
Prime Minister Morrison called the attack “ troubling ” and spoke with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crew .
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese condemned the attack .
Mr Albanese said Australia ’ s ambassador to the United States should make representations on their behalf .
“ In a democratic society the role of the media is critical , and it ’ s important the media are able to report on events , including crises such as we ’ re seeing in the United States , free from harassment , ” he told reporters .
“ The violence that has occurred towards members of the media is completely unacceptable.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crew was detained and searched by Minneapolis Police .
It is reported that a reporter , cameraman , and a security guard were handcuffed but soon released without incident .
The Media , Entertainment and Arts Alliance has written to the U.S. ambassador in Canberra to protest the attacks on journalists .
Naturally , they blame the bad Orange Man for all of the violence and chaos it produces .
The union said Donald Trump ’ s anti-media rhetoric had contributed to law enforcement agencies and protesters openly targeting journalists .
The US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr , said “ freedom of the press is a right Australians and Americans hold dear ” .
“ We take mistreatment of journalists seriously , as do all who take democracy seriously , ” he said in a statement .
“ We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting journalists and guaranteeing equal justice under law for all.
” It can be noted that Australia has its own race relations problems , yet the virtue-signaling is strong .
An investigation has been opened in Sydney into the arrest of a 17-year-old of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media showing him being handcuffed and kicked to the ground after an argument with police .
The constable involved has been put on restricted duties while the investigation takes place .
“ This is not the United States of America , ” Assistant Commissioner Michael Wiling told reporters .
“ We have very , very good relations with our local community .
I ’ m concerned that people will pre-empt the outcomes of the investigation and draw conclusions prior to that.
” Not the United States of America ?
Buzz off , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s problems .

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked the country’s embassy in the United States to register concerns over an incident that happened yesterday as police cleared Lafayette Park before the president walked from the White House to St. John’s Church. It appears a cameraman and reporter Network Seven came under assault as police moved through the crowd.
Channel 7 correspondent Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were broadcasting live when the police began to move the crowd so the president and his entourage had a clear path to the church. Myers was hit with a police shield. From the video, it appears another officer hit both him and the reporter with a baton.
If the news station wants to file a formal complaint, the government will support that.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Australian government would support Channel Seven, where the cameraman worked, should it wish to lodge its concerns over the incident in Washington with U.S. authorities through the embassy there. “I want to get further advice on how we would go about registering Australia’s strong concerns with the responsible local authorities in Washington,” Payne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “So our embassy in the United States will approach the relevant authorities, and Channel Seven will also provide us with their views on how they wish to deal with it.”
Take a look for yourself:
A @7NewsAustralia camera operator gets hit with a riot shield and flees with reporter @AmeliaBrace. pic.twitter.com/LdxArSHX2n — Matt Bevan 🎙 (@MatthewBevan) June 2, 2020
You can hear the female reporter in this clip speaking with newscasters in Australia:
I made a splitscreen of the incident with @AmeliaBrace from earlier pic.twitter.com/CLDCfJAmRp — Dylan Reeve (@DylanReeve) June 2, 2020
Amelia Brace says that she identified herself as “media” and calls the police response as “indiscriminate”.
“They were quite violent and they do not care who they’re targeting at the moment,” she said on-air, adding that they were firing rubber bullets throughout the crowd. Brace said that she and her videographer were trying to move but police kept pushing forward, rushing the crowd to edge protesters out of the park. “There was no choice but for us to hide in that corner and hope they would pass by … as you saw in those pictures, they did not,” she said.
Watch the shocking moment #7NEWS reporter @AmeliaBrace and our cameraman were knocked over by a police officer LIVE on air after chaos erupted in Washington DC. pic.twitter.com/R8KJLnfxPN — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) June 1, 2020
Prime Minister Morrison called the attack “troubling” and spoke with the news station to check on the crew. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese condemned the attack.
Mr Albanese said Australia’s ambassador to the United States should make representations on their behalf. “In a democratic society the role of the media is critical, and it’s important the media are able to report on events, including crises such as we’re seeing in the United States, free from harassment,” he told reporters. “The violence that has occurred towards members of the media is completely unacceptable.”
In Minneapolis on Monday, a Nine Network crew was detained and searched by Minneapolis Police. It is reported that a reporter, cameraman, and a security guard were handcuffed but soon released without incident. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has written to the U.S. ambassador in Canberra to protest the attacks on journalists. Naturally, they blame the bad Orange Man for all of the violence and chaos it produces.
The union said Donald Trump’s anti-media rhetoric had contributed to law enforcement agencies and protesters openly targeting journalists. The US Ambassador to Australia, Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr, said “freedom of the press is a right Australians and Americans hold dear”. “We take mistreatment of journalists seriously, as do all who take democracy seriously,” he said in a statement. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting journalists and guaranteeing equal justice under law for all.”
It can be noted that Australia has its own race relations problems, yet the virtue-signaling is strong.
An investigation has been opened in Sydney into the arrest of a 17-year-old of aboriginal descent after video footage appeared on social media showing him being handcuffed and kicked to the ground after an argument with police. The constable involved has been put on restricted duties while the investigation takes place. “This is not the United States of America,” Assistant Commissioner Michael Wiling told reporters. “We have very, very good relations with our local community. I’m concerned that people will pre-empt the outcomes of the investigation and draw conclusions prior to that.”
Not the United States of America? Buzz off, Mr. Wiling. Tend to your own country’s problems.


hotair--2020-06-02--Biden: Police reform is "long overdue" and shouldn't wait for my presidency

Joe Biden ’ s probably right about police reform , but this raises a couple of questions .
First off , who ’ s responsible for reforming the police ?
And just how much overdue is this reform that Biden demanded earlier today ?
Neither answer really redounds to Biden ’ s benefit , whether he realizes it or not : First off , who ’ s responsible for police reform ?
Wouldn ’ t that be the political entities that have specific authority and responsibility over them ?
The cities and counties that run police departments set the rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities .
Almost without exception , those entities are run by Democrats and have been for decades , and they negotiate with police unions that belong to national labor coalitions that fund Democratic campaigns .
Republicans have almost no access to that process any longer .
Minneapolis is a particularly apt case .
It has had one of the most “ progressive ” administrations in the country for decades ; presently , it doesn ’ t have even one single Republican on its city council .
Even though complaints about police use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , little has been done to conduct any sort of reform of law enforcement here , which led to the anger and unrest over George Floyd ’ s senseless death .
For that matter , Republicans haven ’ t held a statewide office in Minnesota since 2010 , when Tim Pawlenty ended his second gubernatorial term as the lone GOP officeholder for several years .
If there is a failure in police reform in the Twin Cities , that falls entirely on the Democrats that dominate leadership in the cities , counties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform is a federal concern , its “ long overdue ” status stretches back more than just three years .
Jazz pointed this out on Twitter earlier : Five years ago , BuzzFeed made a point of listing out the unarmed black people killed by police in a one-year time frame alone : That ’ s some list .
Where was Joe Biden in 2014-15 ?
In the White House with Barack Obama .
Where was his police reform agenda at the time ?
Some of these deaths flew under the radar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest — Brown and Gray certainly , but also Garner and Rice .
The Obama administration and Joe Biden had plenty of opportunity to address “ long overdue ” police reforms and did nothing .
The Garner case specifically hinged on the chokehold that Biden today demanded that Congress outlaw , which actually didn ’ t come into play with Floyd , who died from another kind of neck and chest compression .
In truth , there ’ s not a lot Congress can do to reform local and state law-enforcement agencies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can impact .
First , Congress can act to eliminate or greatly limit “ qualified immunity ” that protects police from lawsuits over abuses .
Congress never passed such protection in the first place — it came from the courts , and the legislature should act to counter it .
Federal support for training and standards would help , maybe , but only if the local authorities and police unions allow for it .
Biden could probably do more good on those points by lecturing his fellow Democrats and Big Labor supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be a day late , as well as six years late .
Mitch McConnell suggested yesterday that the Senate will take up issues of federal police reform , although to what end remains to be seen .

Joe Biden’s probably right about police reform, but this raises a couple of questions. First off, who’s responsible for reforming the police? And just how much overdue is this reform that Biden demanded earlier today?
Neither answer really redounds to Biden’s benefit, whether he realizes it or not:
NEW: Joe Biden outlines police reform proposals in wake of death of George Floyd, and calls on Congress to begin work on them immediately. "A down payment on what is long overdue should come now." https://t.co/RvqLwQloz4 pic.twitter.com/LEIzG7zGS3 — ABC News (@ABC) June 2, 2020
First off, who’s responsible for police reform? Wouldn’t that be the political entities that have specific authority and responsibility over them? The cities and counties that run police departments set the rules and policies for law enforcement within their communities. Almost without exception, those entities are run by Democrats and have been for decades, and they negotiate with police unions that belong to national labor coalitions that fund Democratic campaigns. Republicans have almost no access to that process any longer.
Minneapolis is a particularly apt case. It has had one of the most “progressive” administrations in the country for decades; presently, it doesn’t have even one single Republican on its city council. Even though complaints about police use of lethal and non-lethal force go back decades, little has been done to conduct any sort of reform of law enforcement here, which led to the anger and unrest over George Floyd’s senseless death. For that matter, Republicans haven’t held a statewide office in Minnesota since 2010, when Tim Pawlenty ended his second gubernatorial term as the lone GOP officeholder for several years. If there is a failure in police reform in the Twin Cities, that falls entirely on the Democrats that dominate leadership in the cities, counties, and state.
But even if police reform is a federal concern, its “long overdue” status stretches back more than just three years. Jazz pointed this out on Twitter earlier:
Who wants to remind Joe Biden that he was second-in-command when the Michael Brown and Freddie Gray riots were going down? — Jazz Shaw (@JazzShaw) June 2, 2020
Five years ago, BuzzFeed made a point of listing out the unarmed black people killed by police in a one-year time frame alone:
Michael Brown
Dontre Hamilton
Eric Garner
John Crawford III
Ezell Ford
Dante Parker
Tanisha Anderson
Akai Gurley
Tamir Rice (12 years old)
Rumain Brisbon
Jerame Reid
Tony Robinson
Philip White
Eric Harris
Walter Scott
Freddie Gray
That’s some list. Where was Joe Biden in 2014-15? In the White House with Barack Obama. Where was his police reform agenda at the time? Some of these deaths flew under the radar, but a few became flashpoints for national protest — Brown and Gray certainly, but also Garner and Rice. The Obama administration and Joe Biden had plenty of opportunity to address “long overdue” police reforms and did nothing. The Garner case specifically hinged on the chokehold that Biden today demanded that Congress outlaw, which actually didn’t come into play with Floyd, who died from another kind of neck and chest compression.
In truth, there’s not a lot Congress can do to reform local and state law-enforcement agencies, but there are a couple of areas they can impact. First, Congress can act to eliminate or greatly limit “qualified immunity” that protects police from lawsuits over abuses. Congress never passed such protection in the first place — it came from the courts, and the legislature should act to counter it. Federal support for training and standards would help, maybe, but only if the local authorities and police unions allow for it. Biden could probably do more good on those points by lecturing his fellow Democrats and Big Labor supporters to achieve that.
Besides, Biden might be a day late, as well as six years late. Mitch McConnell suggested yesterday that the Senate will take up issues of federal police reform, although to what end remains to be seen.


hotair--2020-06-02--Complete anarchy: Looting, shooting and chaos on the streets

Ed already wrote about what happened last night in New York City but I wanted to create a companion to his story to include some of the dozens of videos showing the looting , arson , vandalism , and attacks on police officers which took place around the country last night .
It ’ s one thing to read about it but it ’ s something else to actually see what one reporter called “ complete anarchy ” break out in the major American cities .
To be clear , these were not a few random individuals acting badly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These were organized gangs who were on the street for only one reason : To break in and steal as much as they could get their hands on using the protests as a kind of cover for their activity .
The best on-scene reporting I saw last night came from this Daily Beast reporter who saw it all unfold before her eyes .
It started when the march of actual protesters turned one way and the looters took a different route .
Again , this appeared pre-planned and organized .
The NYPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the looters started arriving in cars .
Other people were witnessing the same thing .
The looters arrived with crowbars to remove plywood so they could get to the glass behind it .
One of the dozens of people looting the store got arrested .
As police would control one scene and make a few arrests , the looters were on to their next target : Best Buy also got hit .
The Daily Beast reporter described the scene as “ complete anarchy.
” Some of the looters were still trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , looting was happening in other cities too , though it never got as out of control as it did in New York : And in St. Louis , where four police officers were shot last night , the looting turned to arson : It happened in Chicago too , where two looters were found hiding in a liquor store hours later when the owners were trying to clean up .
The violence went far beyond property damage last night .
In Buffalo , someone drove through a group of police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the car .
He has a broken leg and a shattered pelvis but is expected to live .
The car was stopped and the driver has been arrested : And in New York City , another officer was hit by a speeding car and thrown into the air .
Incredibly , he is expected to survive .
The people responsible for this have not been caught .
In Las Vegas , an officer was shot in the head , apparently while trying to arrest a suspect from a crowd that was throwing rocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now on life support .
The suspect was arrested .
And as Ed mentioned earlier , at least four officers were shot in St. Louis .
And that ’ s still not the end of it .
Police officer and business owners also shot several looting suspects last night : • Another officer in St. Louis shot a looting suspect after being shot at .
• In Hayward , CA police shot a man last night after responding to a looting call .
• There was a similar police shooting of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of San Francisco .
• In Philadelphia an alleged looter was shot and killed after he tried to break into a firing range .
I ’ ve seen plenty of people on Twitter in the last few days making the case that property destruction doesn ’ t matter that much in comparison to the value of human life .
If you believe that then you should support putting an immediate end to the looting and chaos we saw last night which has already resulted in deaths and serious injuries around the country of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to end now before more people are hurt or killed .

Ed already wrote about what happened last night in New York City but I wanted to create a companion to his story to include some of the dozens of videos showing the looting, arson, vandalism, and attacks on police officers which took place around the country last night. It’s one thing to read about it but it’s something else to actually see what one reporter called “complete anarchy” break out in the major American cities.
To be clear, these were not a few random individuals acting badly, at least not in New York City. These were organized gangs who were on the street for only one reason: To break in and steal as much as they could get their hands on using the protests as a kind of cover for their activity.
The best on-scene reporting I saw last night came from this Daily Beast reporter who saw it all unfold before her eyes. It started when the march of actual protesters turned one way and the looters took a different route.
Weird moment – the protest just split into two groups at 6th at 31st. Organizers called for "peaceful protesters" to turn east. A very large contingent decided to keep heading south. https://t.co/BEDQrKbiSH — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
And just like that, Manhattan protest has turned ugly. Three stores smashed, Duane Reade being looted in front of me pic.twitter.com/wq44W27GyB — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
Another store being looted in front of me on 5th Ave New York. This was a peaceful protest literally 2 mins ago then a few groups of kids separated and started destroying stuff pic.twitter.com/40kIqHLbSg — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
Uncontrollable amounts of looting going on now at 14th St and fifth Ave. Stores being empties by hundreds of people. pic.twitter.com/0bvAu95Mj9 — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
Again, this appeared pre-planned and organized.
Feels like a very organized effort tonight – kids have turned up with hammers and big bags, they have spotters on the corners and cars ready to go. Group of about 500 kids now running up Fifth Ave looting whatever they want pic.twitter.com/vP97YCLis7 — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
The NYPD were no where in sight.
Now I'm watching a fucking Lego store being smashed open with hammers. Haven't seen a cop car for about half an hour pic.twitter.com/8A3Qjhv2BH — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
Many of the looters started arriving in cars.
Kids are splitting off into smaller groups in every direction around Midtown and looting en masse – some are getting in and out of cars to keep loading them up. I've seen two people who were filming the looting have their phones grabbed and smashed. — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
Just watched six kids jump out of a BMW SUV and run into a GameStop on Broadway and W 33rd that was looted last night too. Chris, who has lived above the shop for 40 years, was watching. "I've never seen anything like it." — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
Other people were witnessing the same thing. The looters arrived with crowbars to remove plywood so they could get to the glass behind it.
Right now in midtown looters breached the Microsoft store in under a minute with hands and crowbars – dozens emptied the store in multiple waves. NYPD gained entry from the rear eventually placing one under. pic.twitter.com/TtMjuF8tF1 — Joe Marino (@joemarino_) June 2, 2020
One of the dozens of people looting the store got arrested.
NYPD made entry and arrested one suspect while looters waited outside, one throwing an asp and a plastic barrier. pic.twitter.com/PFJn6c4BO0 — Joe Marino (@joemarino_) June 2, 2020
As police would control one scene and make a few arrests, the looters were on to their next target:
West 34th street is out of control after FootLocker was looted with ten under dozens of looters swarmed 34th street and took to a Sprint store 50 feet from the Foot Locker where detectives were still processing the scene. pic.twitter.com/XHQSG2sNqq — Joe Marino (@joemarino_) June 2, 2020
Here’s the FootLocker:
Reporting from 716 Broadway at a #footlocker where swarms of looters grabbed handfuls of clothes and shoes just moments before the NYC curfew began.#protest #looting #nyc pic.twitter.com/6CqQvYz26n — Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) June 2, 2020
Best Buy also got hit.
Amid reports of looting in multiple locations across the city Monday evening, our crews spotted people looting a Best Buy in Midtown a few hours ago. You can see police respond in the clip. pic.twitter.com/NdLBqgarB2 — Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 2, 2020
Looters arriving in SUVs:
The Daily Beast reporter described the scene as “complete anarchy.”
It was like Mario Kart on the streets too. Dozens of $200k Mercs racing each other, nearly hitting people, only stopping to load up with bags of stolen stuff and speed on to the next spot. — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
Some of the looters were still trying to make some loose connection to George Floyd.
Asked two young guys, who said they were from the Bronx, why they were out here looting and destroying shit. One guy: "why the fuck not". The other one: "they killed an innocent black man so the whole world has to go crazy." — Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020
Meanwhile, looting was happening in other cities too, though it never got as out of control as it did in New York:
Looting in Hollywood. Rite Aid was just hit. pic.twitter.com/sFNnoNBBaQ — Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) June 2, 2020
VIDEO: Looter tackled to the ground by police. We are seeing law enforcement more aggressive today in stopping looters. Many looters have been getting into cars in groups and driving around breaking into businesses throughout LA. https://t.co/KEbNy7SnKw pic.twitter.com/gBOLvkiiMt — FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) June 2, 2020
VIDEO: As we watched a man jump out of a Walgreens that was being looted, he’s running away from a @LASDHQ deputy when it appears two off-duty or plainclothes law enforcement personal jump out of their Jeep and tackle/hold the suspect down. #looting #LosAngelesProtests pic.twitter.com/FiUlZnrYQP — Jeff Paul (@Jeff_Paul) June 2, 2020
And in St. Louis, where four police officers were shot last night, the looting turned to arson:
#BREAKING 7-Eleven at 17th and Pine west of downtown St. Louis is on fire. About two dozen people were seen looting the store before the fire broke out. pic.twitter.com/1RRsY2iwXb — Jacob Kuerth (@jacobkuerth) June 2, 2020
It happened in Chicago too, where two looters were found hiding in a liquor store hours later when the owners were trying to clean up.
The violence went far beyond property damage last night. In Buffalo, someone drove through a group of police officers, one of whom went under the car. He has a broken leg and a shattered pelvis but is expected to live. The car was stopped and the driver has been arrested:
Just happened: a protest in a car run over a group of cops in Buffalo NY…Some of them might be dead #BlackLivesMatter #protests2020 pic.twitter.com/UraxbRhMuV — Yousef NH (@YousefNH2) June 2, 2020
And in New York City, another officer was hit by a speeding car and thrown into the air. Incredibly, he is expected to survive. The people responsible for this have not been caught.
VIDEO: An NYPD sergeant was struck and critically injured by a hit-and-run driver following the looting of a Bronx pawn shop Monday night. The driver fled the scene, the cop was transported conscious and alert. pic.twitter.com/AAK6PzLYZx — Joe Marino (@joemarino_) June 2, 2020
In Las Vegas, an officer was shot in the head, apparently while trying to arrest a suspect from a crowd that was throwing rocks and bottles at police. That officer is now on life support. The suspect was arrested.
#BREAKING: @LVMPD sources confirm with @8NewsNow that the officer who was shot in the head is on life support at @UMCSN right now. Source also says the officer was in a fight with another suspect when someone walked up from behind and shot the officer in the head. #8NN pic.twitter.com/t8CX6p4Wpm — Orko Manna (@orko_manna) June 2, 2020
And as Ed mentioned earlier, at least four officers were shot in St. Louis. And that’s still not the end of it. Police officer and business owners also shot several looting suspects last night:
Another officer in St. Louis shot a looting suspect after being shot at.
In Hayward, CA police shot a man last night after responding to a looting call.
There was a similar police shooting of a looter in Vallejo, CA, north of San Francisco.
In Philadelphia an alleged looter was shot and killed after he tried to break into a firing range.
I’ve seen plenty of people on Twitter in the last few days making the case that property destruction doesn’t matter that much in comparison to the value of human life. If you believe that then you should support putting an immediate end to the looting and chaos we saw last night which has already resulted in deaths and serious injuries around the country of both police officers and looters. This has to end now before more people are hurt or killed.


hotair--2020-06-02--Brits crack down on sex during lockdown

Brits crack down on sex during lockdown

It looks like some of the citizens of America ’ s partner in the “ special relationship ” won ’ t be having as many special relationships of their own in the near future .
Or if they do , they could wind up paying a stiff fine to the government .
Just as many states in America are beginning to tentatively reopen their economies and carefully reemerge into the public square , Great Britain is extending their lockdown and even increasing the social austerity measures that have been in place .
Specifically , new legislation coming out of Parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ( ! )
not living together in the same household , when such “ gatherings ” take place inside of a building .
And as observers in the British press quickly noted , this means that bringing someone else home for some , er… intimate time , will now be punishable by law .
Having sex in your own home with someone from a different household is illegal from today , according to new legislation .
At 11.30am on Monday , a new law will be introduced to parliament which bans two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a private place during the coronavirus lockdown .
The amendment to The Health Protection ( Coronavirus , Restrictions ) Bill states : “ No person may participate in a gathering which takes place in a public or private place indoors , and consists of two or more persons.
” It comes as health officials warn that the lockdown is being lifted too quickly .
Oddly enough , you can still meet in groups of up to six people if you ’ re outdoors .
So you won ’ t be dragged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to someone while walking your dog .
But how is that any safer than , say , sitting in the kitchen with a friend ?
And how is this even enforceable ?
They ’ re literally banning visiting your neighbor for a cup of coffee .
Yes , that rules out one-night stands , but it also eliminates private conferences in the workplace unless you are classified as an essential worker .
If you ’ re seen bringing the gentleman or lady you ’ ve taken a fancy to back to your place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a fine of 100 pounds .
( You can get a discount and reduce the bill to fifty pounds if you pay within 14 days . )
And the law clearly does seem to be aimed at sexual encounters without specifically saying it because it applies to people who “ stay overnight at any place other than the place where they are living.
” There are some exceptions allowed , but they ’ re on the vague side .
You are allowed to hold a private meeting if you have a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no definition of what could constitute “ reasonable ” provided , nor are any examples offered .
One might argue that finally landing a date with that attractive person you ’ ve been flirting with for months would qualify as a reasonable excuse .
( Of course , you should both probably go get a COVID-19 test first . )
Are the Brits seriously just going to sit there and meekly accept an order like this ?
I can understand the benefits of reasonable social distancing , wearing masks , etc .
but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire country into a prison composed of isolation cells .
And not for nothing , but government attempts at stopping people from having sex haven ’ t worked out all that well in the past .
Parliament should tread carefully here , or the peasants may wind up revolting .

It looks like some of the citizens of America’s partner in the “special relationship” won’t be having as many special relationships of their own in the near future. Or if they do, they could wind up paying a stiff fine to the government. Just as many states in America are beginning to tentatively reopen their economies and carefully reemerge into the public square, Great Britain is extending their lockdown and even increasing the social austerity measures that have been in place. Specifically, new legislation coming out of Parliament yesterday forbids gatherings of two or more people (!) not living together in the same household, when such “gatherings” take place inside of a building. And as observers in the British press quickly noted, this means that bringing someone else home for some, er… intimate time, will now be punishable by law.
Having sex in your own home with someone from a different household is illegal from today, according to new legislation. At 11.30am on Monday, a new law will be introduced to parliament which bans two people from different households in England gathering in a private place during the coronavirus lockdown. The amendment to The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Bill states: “No person may participate in a gathering which takes place in a public or private place indoors, and consists of two or more persons.” It comes as health officials warn that the lockdown is being lifted too quickly.
Oddly enough, you can still meet in groups of up to six people if you’re outdoors. So you won’t be dragged in by the police if you say hello to someone while walking your dog. But how is that any safer than, say, sitting in the kitchen with a friend?
And how is this even enforceable? They’re literally banning visiting your neighbor for a cup of coffee. Yes, that rules out one-night stands, but it also eliminates private conferences in the workplace unless you are classified as an essential worker. If you’re seen bringing the gentleman or lady you’ve taken a fancy to back to your place for the night you can be hit with a fine of 100 pounds. (You can get a discount and reduce the bill to fifty pounds if you pay within 14 days.) And the law clearly does seem to be aimed at sexual encounters without specifically saying it because it applies to people who “stay overnight at any place other than the place where they are living.”
There are some exceptions allowed, but they’re on the vague side. You are allowed to hold a private meeting if you have a “reasonable excuse.” Unfortunately, there is no definition of what could constitute “reasonable” provided, nor are any examples offered. One might argue that finally landing a date with that attractive person you’ve been flirting with for months would qualify as a reasonable excuse. (Of course, you should both probably go get a COVID-19 test first.)
Are the Brits seriously just going to sit there and meekly accept an order like this? I can understand the benefits of reasonable social distancing, wearing masks, etc. but you can’t just turn the entire country into a prison composed of isolation cells. And not for nothing, but government attempts at stopping people from having sex haven’t worked out all that well in the past. Parliament should tread carefully here, or the peasants may wind up revolting.


hotair--2020-06-02--Big Apple disintegration: 700 arrested, assaults on police, looting as riots shake the five boroughs

Big Apple disintegration: 700 arrested, assaults on police, looting as riots shake the five boroughs; Meghan McCain: "DeBlasio and Cuomo are an utter disgrace"; Update: Cuomo lays blame on de Blasio, NYPD; More Cuomo: I may need to "displace" de Blasio

An 11 pm curfew in New York did little to contain riots and looting in the Big Apple , part of a wave of national unrest following the George Floyd homicide in Minneapolis .
Police made over 700 arrests in New York City last night — when they weren ’ t being struck by cars and being beaten by rioters : Around 700 people were arrested as a result of looting and destroying property during Monday night ’ s protest in New York City , a New York Police Department spokesperson told NBC News .
The Midtown and Union Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Bronx were particularly hard hit .
An NYPD sergeant who was run over by a car in the Bronx has serious injuries and is expected to survive .
It wasn ’ t just the cars , either .
The NYPD ’ s Sergeants Benevolent Association tweeted out this video of a cop getting beaten as onlookers cheered ( language NSFW ) : Looters sacked iconic retailers as the city spun out of control , leading Mayor Bill de Blasio to set an 8 pm curfew for tonight : Hundreds of looters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a row Monday , brazenly bashing through the windows of high-end stores and making off with stolen goods as police attempted to control the chaos .
The roving gangs began their spree of rampage after a demonstration over George Floyd ’ s death earlier in the evening , at times clashing with peaceful protesters who desperately attempted to stop the looting and destruction .
… In advance of an 11 p.m. curfew , looters breached a Best Buy , Nike Flatiron , Aldo , Microsoft , Michael Kors and the Nintendo store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not random either , the NY Post ’ s source indicates , but organized and “ systemic.
” Another source at the NYPD says it ’ s mostly gang-related , and it ’ s not created by outside agitators .
In this case , it ’ s local : That wasn ’ t the worst of it , either in NYC or around the country .
Violence spilled out all over with six police officers shot overnight , four in St. Louis alone : A nation that was already reeling from a pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sent the economy into a tailspin not seen since the Great Depression and forced millions to shelter at home for months is now confronting the most widespread civil unrest in half a century .
At least six police officers were reported shot in incidents around the country overnight , including four in St. Louis , and other officers were injured when drivers plowed into their ranks .
There have also been widespread reports of protesters injured in recent days , as the police deploy tear gas , rubber bullets and other tactics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when the situation has largely calmed down in the epicenter of the unrest , Minneapolis .
That shift in momentum came from belatedly filling the security vacuum with thousands of National Guard troops to keep the rioters from gaining more momentum .
Curfews alone won ’ t work without a robust law-enforcement presence to impose it .
While “ dominate ” might not be the most politic term for it , an overwhelming presence matters — as does the speed in which is imposed .
Governors may not have enjoyed getting lectured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is absolutely correct .
If local police can ’ t assert themselves — either because of a lack of numbers or a lack of credibility in the communities they serve — then governors need to order National Guard troops into the streets to secure the communities and allow peaceful , lawful assembly .
That has been the result in the Twin Cities for the last two days , and hopefully will continue to be the case from now on .
We can not sustain public order if the violence of the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solve the problems that ostensibly fuel these protests unless the violence comes to an end .
People may not like the police in some areas , but they like getting burned out of their homes and businesses a whole lot less , and the other issues will get pushed to the back burner all over again while this continues .
New York ’ s 8 pm curfew might help tonight , but not without the manpower to back it up .
Update : I know how Meghan feels .
The Twin Cities went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took days before we saw any firm action from leadership here as well .
Update : Andrew Cuomo agrees on the “ disgrace , ” but says don ’ t look at him : Yeah , that ’ s real leadership right there .
NYC has 38,000 police , but it also has 9,000,000 residents , too .
Maybe they needed a little more help , Governor .
Update : Is it time to bring in the National Guard ?
Donald Trump says yes , but Cuomo says maybe not quite yet : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media starts hailing Cuomo as a hero for doing what Trump urged on Monday … and getting vilified for it .
Ben Shapiro has already predicted it :

Meghan McCain: "DeBlasio and Cuomo are an utter disgrace"; Update: Cuomo lays blame on de Blasio, NYPD; More Cuomo: I may need to "displace" de Blasio
An 11 pm curfew in New York did little to contain riots and looting in the Big Apple, part of a wave of national unrest following the George Floyd homicide in Minneapolis. Police made over 700 arrests in New York City last night — when they weren’t being struck by cars and being beaten by rioters:
Around 700 people were arrested as a result of looting and destroying property during Monday night’s protest in New York City, a New York Police Department spokesperson told NBC News. The Midtown and Union Square areas in Manhattan and Fordham Road section of the Bronx were particularly hard hit. An NYPD sergeant who was run over by a car in the Bronx has serious injuries and is expected to survive.
It wasn’t just the cars, either. The NYPD’s Sergeants Benevolent Association tweeted out this video of a cop getting beaten as onlookers cheered (language NSFW):
NYPD Cop attacked in the Bronx. I guess the critics will now say he overreacted. NYPD Cops defend yourselves, you are alone! pic.twitter.com/424w5bZbC6 — SBA (@SBANYPD) June 2, 2020
Looters sacked iconic retailers as the city spun out of control, leading Mayor Bill de Blasio to set an 8 pm curfew for tonight:
Hundreds of looters stormed Midtown Manhattan for a second night in a row Monday, brazenly bashing through the windows of high-end stores and making off with stolen goods as police attempted to control the chaos. The roving gangs began their spree of rampage after a demonstration over George Floyd’s death earlier in the evening, at times clashing with peaceful protesters who desperately attempted to stop the looting and destruction. … In advance of an 11 p.m. curfew, looters breached a Best Buy, Nike Flatiron, Aldo, Microsoft, Michael Kors and the Nintendo store in Rockefeller Center.
It’s not random either, the NY Post’s source indicates, but organized and “systemic.” Another source at the NYPD says it’s mostly gang-related, and it’s not created by outside agitators. In this case, it’s local:
A high-ranking police source told The Post that the looting and destruction appeared to be perpetrated by gangs from across the five boroughs. “It’s coordinated,” the source said. “They are not out-of-towners. We know who they are.”
That wasn’t the worst of it, either in NYC or around the country. Violence spilled out all over with six police officers shot overnight, four in St. Louis alone:
A nation that was already reeling from a pandemic that has claimed more than 100,000 lives, sent the economy into a tailspin not seen since the Great Depression and forced millions to shelter at home for months is now confronting the most widespread civil unrest in half a century. At least six police officers were reported shot in incidents around the country overnight, including four in St. Louis, and other officers were injured when drivers plowed into their ranks. There have also been widespread reports of protesters injured in recent days, as the police deploy tear gas, rubber bullets and other tactics.
Ironically, this comes at a time when the situation has largely calmed down in the epicenter of the unrest, Minneapolis. That shift in momentum came from belatedly filling the security vacuum with thousands of National Guard troops to keep the rioters from gaining more momentum. Curfews alone won’t work without a robust law-enforcement presence to impose it. While “dominate” might not be the most politic term for it, an overwhelming presence matters — as does the speed in which is imposed.
Governors may not have enjoyed getting lectured by Trump yesterday, but on this he is absolutely correct. If local police can’t assert themselves — either because of a lack of numbers or a lack of credibility in the communities they serve — then governors need to order National Guard troops into the streets to secure the communities and allow peaceful, lawful assembly. That has been the result in the Twin Cities for the last two days, and hopefully will continue to be the case from now on.
We cannot sustain public order if the violence of the past week continues. We cannot even solve the problems that ostensibly fuel these protests unless the violence comes to an end. People may not like the police in some areas, but they like getting burned out of their homes and businesses a whole lot less, and the other issues will get pushed to the back burner all over again while this continues.
New York’s 8 pm curfew might help tonight, but not without the manpower to back it up.
Update: I know how Meghan feels. The Twin Cities went through the same process, and it took days before we saw any firm action from leadership here as well.
My neighborhood in Manhattan is eviscerated and looks like a war zone. DeBlasio and Cuomo are an utter disgrace. This is not America. Our leaders have abandoned us and continue to let great American cities burn to the ground and be destroyed. I never could have fathomed this — Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) June 2, 2020
Update: Andrew Cuomo agrees on the “disgrace,” but says don’t look at him:
BREAKING: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called out Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Police Department. “The NYPD and the Mayor did not do their job last night” “It was a disgrace”@PIX11News pic.twitter.com/TWaFQcu0A4 — Cristian Benavides (@cbenavidesTV) June 2, 2020
Yeah, that’s real leadership right there. NYC has 38,000 police, but it also has 9,000,000 residents, too. Maybe they needed a little more help, Governor.
Update: Is it time to bring in the National Guard? Donald Trump says yes, but Cuomo says maybe not quite yet:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1267851534454476800
Video: Governor Cuomo Said he may need to call in the National Guard and displace the NYC Mayor, claiming he didn’t do his job. pic.twitter.com/7WMqXXIcjJ — 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 (@HeimisheMedia) June 2, 2020
Check in tomorrow, when the national media starts hailing Cuomo as a hero for doing what Trump urged on Monday … and getting vilified for it. Ben Shapiro has already predicted it:


hotair--2020-06-02--HPD Chief to Trump: "Keep your mouth shut"

Today in Houston there is a Peace March planned in honor of George Floyd , a native Houstonian .
Organizers hope it will be the largest such event for Floyd yet .
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo is no stranger to media attention .
In fact , he seeks it out .
He is prone to emotional , profanity-filled rants that the press laps up .
We ’ ve written about Acevedo here on this site .
When a bad drug bust went terribly wrong and a police officer was murdered , the police chief pointed a finger of blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cornyn as well as Mitch McConnell .
He ’ s a gun-grabbing authoritarian in the vein of Beto O ’ Rourke .
He attends fundraisers for Joe Biden .
You get the picture .
Sunday he spoke at a drive-in church service .
According to a press report the police chief “ ripped his protective mask off in apparent frustration over the death of George Floyd ” and addressed the Saturday march in downtown Houston , followed by rioting and looting .
Speaking to churchgoers outside Living Word Fellowship Church , his eyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against those determined to ignite violence during downtown Houston demonstrations , where since Friday more than 400 people have been arrested .
He blamed a handful of demonstrators for causing the bulk of property damage and unrest late at night .
“ We will not let people come to our city and tear it up , ” Acevedo shouted .
“ To the fools who think that our kindness is weakness : When you try to tear up our city , you ’ re not going to face the police , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of Houston who will not let the memory of George Floyd be hijacked by anarchists that are doing Satan ’ s work.
” So , during a weekend protest , he stood among protesters and called for peace in the city but it evolved more into riling up the crowd if you ask me .
Listen to his words : “ How do you keep a knee on a man ’ s neck when he is calling out for his mama ?
” I am telling everyone in this g** d*** country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ f****** problem with that you are the g** d*** problem , ” Acevedo said in the video .
“ We will march as a department with everyone in this community…But I will not allow anyone to tear down this city.
” ( Warning : Language NSFW ) As I listened to his rant , I kept thinking that if that was President Trump melting down with emotion and tears , the press would have a field day with pointing and laughing at him .
But , Houston is a Democrat-controlled city and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of made-for-the-camera moment is par for the course .
He , like many of us over the weekend noticed that skateboards are being weaponized by Antifa thugs as the riots occur .
He wants “ those white guys with the skateboards ” to know he ’ s noticed .
As he took a swipe at Trump by referencing some who call immigrants rapists , Acevedo is Cuban-American , he went after them without actually calling them out as Antifa , because that ’ s what Democrats do .
Then their hair is on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spine to say the word .
To hear Acevedo speak , it is as though he wants to imply that white people are the only bad actors during the violence .
“ It ’ s those white guys… ” “ We built this country and I ’ ve got news for them – we ain ’ t going nowhere.
” “ It ’ s those white guys with the skateboards that are starting all the shit.
” Chief Acevedo did an interview with CNN ’ s Christiane Amanpour on Monday .
Amanpour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling out Trump for his responses to the violence and mayhem in cities , including the phone call the president had with governors Monday .
Acevedo , true to form , says Trump should just keep his mouth shut .
Amanpour got what she was after .
NeverTrumpers and leftists opposed to the president responded with approval of Amanpour ’ s tone as you expect them to do , including Jen Rubin , the token “ conservative ” columnist at the Washington Post .
Chief Acevedo specifically said he was speaking for police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him their spokesperson ?
This is the arrogance the chief brings to the job , an attribute Houstonians are very familiar with from him by now .
Acevedo says he will march during the organized event today .
He has a history of being a participant in marches , too .
He marched with the mayor and those from the Bloomberg-funded anti-gun group , Moms Demand Action in the past .
Several buildings will close early downtown as the march is planned for 3:00 p.m. and goes from Discovery Green to City Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skateboards starting the violence but in this report , he left out the race of the skateboarders .
Maybe he saved that to throw gas on the fire with Christiane Amanpour .

Today in Houston there is a Peace March planned in honor of George Floyd, a native Houstonian. Organizers hope it will be the largest such event for Floyd yet.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo is no stranger to media attention. In fact, he seeks it out. He is prone to emotional, profanity-filled rants that the press laps up. We’ve written about Acevedo here on this site. When a bad drug bust went terribly wrong and a police officer was murdered, the police chief pointed a finger of blame at Republican lawmakers like Senators Cruz and Cornyn as well as Mitch McConnell. He’s a gun-grabbing authoritarian in the vein of Beto O’Rourke. He attends fundraisers for Joe Biden. You get the picture.
Sunday he spoke at a drive-in church service. According to a press report the police chief “ripped his protective mask off in apparent frustration over the death of George Floyd” and addressed the Saturday march in downtown Houston, followed by rioting and looting.
Speaking to churchgoers outside Living Word Fellowship Church, his eyes red and voice hoarse, Acevedo warned against those determined to ignite violence during downtown Houston demonstrations, where since Friday more than 400 people have been arrested. He blamed a handful of demonstrators for causing the bulk of property damage and unrest late at night. “We will not let people come to our city and tear it up,” Acevedo shouted. “To the fools who think that our kindness is weakness: When you try to tear up our city, you’re not going to face the police, you’re going to have to face the people of Houston who will not let the memory of George Floyd be hijacked by anarchists that are doing Satan’s work.”
So, during a weekend protest, he stood among protesters and called for peace in the city but it evolved more into riling up the crowd if you ask me. Listen to his words: “How do you keep a knee on a man’s neck when he is calling out for his mama?” I am telling everyone in this g** d*** country if you don’t have a f****** problem with that you are the g** d*** problem,” Acevedo said in the video. “We will march as a department with everyone in this community…But I will not allow anyone to tear down this city.” (Warning: Language NSFW)
As I listened to his rant, I kept thinking that if that was President Trump melting down with emotion and tears, the press would have a field day with pointing and laughing at him. But, Houston is a Democrat-controlled city and it is a minority-majority city so this sort of made-for-the-camera moment is par for the course.
He, like many of us over the weekend noticed that skateboards are being weaponized by Antifa thugs as the riots occur. He wants “those white guys with the skateboards” to know he’s noticed. As he took a swipe at Trump by referencing some who call immigrants rapists, Acevedo is Cuban-American, he went after them without actually calling them out as Antifa, because that’s what Democrats do. Then their hair is on fire when Trump or other Republicans have the spine to say the word. To hear Acevedo speak, it is as though he wants to imply that white people are the only bad actors during the violence. “It’s those white guys…”
“We built this country and I’ve got news for them – we ain’t going nowhere.” “It’s those white guys with the skateboards that are starting all the shit.”
Chief Acevedo did an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Monday. Amanpour tweeted out a clip that shows Acevedo calling out Trump for his responses to the violence and mayhem in cities, including the phone call the president had with governors Monday. Acevedo, true to form, says Trump should just keep his mouth shut. Amanpour got what she was after. NeverTrumpers and leftists opposed to the president responded with approval of Amanpour’s tone as you expect them to do, including Jen Rubin, the token “conservative” columnist at the Washington Post.
Houston Police Chief @ArtAcevedo: “Let me just say this to the President of the United States, on behalf of the police chiefs of this country: please, if you don’t have something constructive to say, keep your mouth shut.” pic.twitter.com/z5AJpOO0RO — Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) June 1, 2020
Extraordinary — Jennifer 'pro-reality' Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) June 1, 2020
Chief Acevedo specifically said he was speaking for police chiefs across the country. Who made him their spokesperson? This is the arrogance the chief brings to the job, an attribute Houstonians are very familiar with from him by now.
Acevedo says he will march during the organized event today. He has a history of being a participant in marches, too. He marched with the mayor and those from the Bloomberg-funded anti-gun group, Moms Demand Action in the past. Several buildings will close early downtown as the march is planned for 3:00 p.m. and goes from Discovery Green to City Hall. Acevedo again spoke about people with skateboards starting the violence but in this report, he left out the race of the skateboarders. Maybe he saved that to throw gas on the fire with Christiane Amanpour.


hotair--2020-06-02--Maryland Gov: You shouldn't compare George Floyd with Freddie Gray

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is getting annoyed with the number of people ( like yours truly ) who have been drawing comparisons between the current wave of riots and arson following the death of George Floyd and the implosion of Baltimore in 2015 after Freddie Gray died in police custody .
During an interview on Friday , Hogan appeared to bristle at the suggestion that the situations were comparable , offering some contrasts between the two cases .
But aside from the dates and the locations involved , it ’ s tough to make much of an argument in favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBS Baltimore ) The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis drew comparisons to the 2015 death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore , but Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan said he doesn ’ t believe it ’ s a fair comparison .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s a fair comparison , ” Hogan said on TODAY .
“ The evidence here seems overwhelming and clear to me and you have a video of exactly what happened .
However , the situation on the ground is reminiscent somewhat of the actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ d only been governor for 90 days when the worst violence in 47 years broke out in Baltimore .
Hogan went on to say that he had called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Friday morning to offer him some advice based on Baltimore ’ s experiences during the 2015 Freddie Gray riots .
In short , he told Walz that he needed to act quickly and be decisive to get the rioting under control .
He then went on to provide a rather questionable timeline of events from Maryland after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sent in the National Guard and spent a week there in person trying to “ lower the temperature.
” I described his timeline of events as questionable because Hogan then went on to tell the reporter , “ after the first day we had no violence whatsoever.
” I ’ m not sure if Larry Hogan ’ s memory is just beginning to fail or if the details have become blurry for him after half of a decade , but that ’ s simply not accurate .
I was covering that story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Freddie Gray unrest was not a single day event .
The violence started to kick off on April 23rd , with CNN reporting fights breaking out between police and protesters , with significant numbers of arrests .
The chaos really started to boil over on April 25th , when the New York Times described “ scenes of chaos ” in the streets of Baltimore as windows were broken and stores were looted .
By the 28th , the serious fires and widespread looting had taken hold .
Even at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to play a game in front of an empty stadium because it still wasn ’ t safe to be out in the streets .
So I ’ m sorry to quibble , Governor Hogan , but that was not a one-day event .
I will agree with the Governor that there are at least some dissimilarities between the deaths of the two men in question .
He ’ s correct in saying that there ’ s much better video evidence in the case of George Floyd .
When Freddie Gray died , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the testimony of the officers involved for the most part .
Also , assuming the video presents an accurate representation of what happened , there was a seriously blatant amount of damage being inflicted on Floyd at the hands ( or knee , actually ) of the police officer .
In the case of Freddie Gray , there was definitely negligence in how he was transported in the police van , but multiple court cases and lawsuits concluded that Gray ’ s injuries came about through negligence , not direct action .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public is in scope .
There were demonstrations in support of Freddie Gray in many cities , but for the most part , the extreme violence , arson and looting were restricted to Baltimore .
This year it ’ s sweeping through more large cities across America and even in some other countries than I can keep track of .
Between the President , the governors and the mayors of these cities , somebody has to find a way to shut this down and they need to do it quickly .

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is getting annoyed with the number of people (like yours truly) who have been drawing comparisons between the current wave of riots and arson following the death of George Floyd and the implosion of Baltimore in 2015 after Freddie Gray died in police custody. During an interview on Friday, Hogan appeared to bristle at the suggestion that the situations were comparable, offering some contrasts between the two cases. But aside from the dates and the locations involved, it’s tough to make much of an argument in favor of Hogan’s position. (CBS Baltimore)
The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis drew comparisons to the 2015 death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, but Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he doesn’t believe it’s a fair comparison. “I don’t think it’s a fair comparison,” Hogan said on TODAY. “The evidence here seems overwhelming and clear to me and you have a video of exactly what happened. However, the situation on the ground is reminiscent somewhat of the actions that took place afterwards.” Hogan said he’d only been governor for 90 days when the worst violence in 47 years broke out in Baltimore.
Hogan went on to say that he had called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Friday morning to offer him some advice based on Baltimore’s experiences during the 2015 Freddie Gray riots. In short, he told Walz that he needed to act quickly and be decisive to get the rioting under control. He then went on to provide a rather questionable timeline of events from Maryland after the 2015 riots started, talking about how he sent in the National Guard and spent a week there in person trying to “lower the temperature.”
I described his timeline of events as questionable because Hogan then went on to tell the reporter, “after the first day we had no violence whatsoever.” I’m not sure if Larry Hogan’s memory is just beginning to fail or if the details have become blurry for him after half of a decade, but that’s simply not accurate. I was covering that story on a daily basis as it unfolded and the Freddie Gray unrest was not a single day event.
The violence started to kick off on April 23rd, with CNN reporting fights breaking out between police and protesters, with significant numbers of arrests. The chaos really started to boil over on April 25th, when the New York Times described “scenes of chaos” in the streets of Baltimore as windows were broken and stores were looted. By the 28th, the serious fires and widespread looting had taken hold. Even at the end of the month, the Orioles were forced to play a game in front of an empty stadium because it still wasn’t safe to be out in the streets. So I’m sorry to quibble, Governor Hogan, but that was not a one-day event.
I will agree with the Governor that there are at least some dissimilarities between the deaths of the two men in question. He’s correct in saying that there’s much better video evidence in the case of George Floyd. When Freddie Gray died, all we had to go on was the testimony of the officers involved for the most part. Also, assuming the video presents an accurate representation of what happened, there was a seriously blatant amount of damage being inflicted on Floyd at the hands (or knee, actually) of the police officer. In the case of Freddie Gray, there was definitely negligence in how he was transported in the police van, but multiple court cases and lawsuits concluded that Gray’s injuries came about through negligence, not direct action.
The only difference between the response from the public is in scope. There were demonstrations in support of Freddie Gray in many cities, but for the most part, the extreme violence, arson and looting were restricted to Baltimore. This year it’s sweeping through more large cities across America and even in some other countries than I can keep track of. Between the President, the governors and the mayors of these cities, somebody has to find a way to shut this down and they need to do it quickly.


hotair--2020-06-02--"We came to riot": Feds file first charges for Twin Cities riots

If this seems quick , it ’ s because Matthew Lee Rupert made it easy .
The first man charged with a federal crime tied to rioting in Minneapolis practically gift-wrapped his indictment and handed it over to the Department of Justice , which unwrapped it in a federal court in Minnesota last night .
How many more gifts did the FBI get from rioters ?
Matthew Lee Rupert , 28 , is charged with civil disorder , possession of unregistered explosives and participating in and organizing riots , making him the first to face federal prosecution for allegedly taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other violence that engulfed the Twin Cities since the death of George Floyd in police custody .
Last Thursday night , Rupert , of Galesburg , Ill. , posted on his public Facebook page an invitation for “ goons ” to join him in traveling to Minneapolis , where he said he was renting hotel rooms and planned to wreak havoc and “ take hella good videos.
” The livestreamed videos , cited as evidence by FBI investigators in the complaint , show his role in the riots on Friday night and early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing , “ He ’ s throwing my bombs … they ’ re going to bomb the police with them.
” “ Good shot , my boy , ” he shouted after one of the explosions , according to the complaint .
“ We came here to riot , ” he declared later .
So let ’ s count up the admissions this moron allegedly made on his social-media platform .
He admitted to bombing , arson , attempted murder of police officers , conspiracy to commit all of the above , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these .
He ’ ll need Monty Hall as his defense attorney in order to play Let ’ s Make a Deal with this case .
But at least he took hella good videos .
In fact , they might be sooooo hella good that the local US Attorney might even indulge Rupert by playing his greatest hits in the courtroom .
Good shot , my boy .
One does have to wonder just how many of these cases will get made by simply trolling through Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too full of themselves to refrain from bragging about their exploits and posting video evidence of them .
Let ’ s hope that most of them fall into the Rupert trap .
The good news here in the Twin Cities is that we appear to have fewer of them hanging around .
The Star Tribune reports this morning that the enhanced security presence continues to provide results and that tensions are slowly “ ebbing.
” Some National Guard units might even get released , but only those who hadn ’ t yet arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued de-escalation of tensions in the aftermath of George Floyd ’ s deadly encounter with Minneapolis police , even as President Donald Trump threatened to mobilize the military to tamp down unrest elsewhere in the country .
Gov .
Tim Walz talked of pulling back a portion of more than 7,000 National Guard members that had been called in to help quell violence in the metro area .
Hours were reduced on a Twin Cities curfew first issued days earlier , and officials planned to leave freeways open , unlike previous nights .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more stable position , ” National Guard Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen said Monday , though he emphasized that the Guard ’ s presence in the Twin Cities would look the same as it had over the weekend .
Other units , which had been waiting at armories to step in if needed , could return home if leaders deemed it OK , he said .
The protests yesterday were entirely peaceful , which means that this security presence has succeeded in ensuring that civil rights get protection .
Protest and assembly are civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both without threat of them being exploited by the Ruperts of the world .
That takes a lot of sensitivity and balance from the community , police , and Guard , and so far it seems we are finding it .
The question remains whether the radicals and agitators have had enough of the Twin Cities , or whether they are just biding their time .
We ’ ve certainly had enough of them .
We need to move on to the next pressing issues — rebuilding what has been lost , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressive leadership in Minneapolis and its police department .

If this seems quick, it’s because Matthew Lee Rupert made it easy. The first man charged with a federal crime tied to rioting in Minneapolis practically gift-wrapped his indictment and handed it over to the Department of Justice, which unwrapped it in a federal court in Minnesota last night.
How many more gifts did the FBI get from rioters?
Matthew Lee Rupert, 28, is charged with civil disorder, possession of unregistered explosives and participating in and organizing riots, making him the first to face federal prosecution for allegedly taking part in the fires, looting and other violence that engulfed the Twin Cities since the death of George Floyd in police custody. Last Thursday night, Rupert, of Galesburg, Ill., posted on his public Facebook page an invitation for “goons” to join him in traveling to Minneapolis, where he said he was renting hotel rooms and planned to wreak havoc and “take hella good videos.” The livestreamed videos, cited as evidence by FBI investigators in the complaint, show his role in the riots on Friday night and early Monday, including distributing explosives and then announcing, “He’s throwing my bombs … they’re going to bomb the police with them.” “Good shot, my boy,” he shouted after one of the explosions, according to the complaint. “We came here to riot,” he declared later.
So let’s count up the admissions this moron allegedly made on his social-media platform. He admitted to bombing, arson, attempted murder of police officers, conspiracy to commit all of the above, and crossing state lines to do all of these. He’ll need Monty Hall as his defense attorney in order to play Let’s Make a Deal with this case.
But at least he took hella good videos. In fact, they might be sooooo hella good that the local US Attorney might even indulge Rupert by playing his greatest hits in the courtroom. Good shot, my boy. One does have to wonder just how many of these cases will get made by simply trolling through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to find all of the radicals who are too full of themselves to refrain from bragging about their exploits and posting video evidence of them. Let’s hope that most of them fall into the Rupert trap.
The good news here in the Twin Cities is that we appear to have fewer of them hanging around. The Star Tribune reports this morning that the enhanced security presence continues to provide results and that tensions are slowly “ebbing.” Some National Guard units might even get released, but only those who hadn’t yet arrived:
Minnesota leaders hoped cautiously Monday for continued de-escalation of tensions in the aftermath of George Floyd’s deadly encounter with Minneapolis police, even as President Donald Trump threatened to mobilize the military to tamp down unrest elsewhere in the country. Gov. Tim Walz talked of pulling back a portion of more than 7,000 National Guard members that had been called in to help quell violence in the metro area. Hours were reduced on a Twin Cities curfew first issued days earlier, and officials planned to leave freeways open, unlike previous nights. The state was in “a much more stable position,” National Guard Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen said Monday, though he emphasized that the Guard’s presence in the Twin Cities would look the same as it had over the weekend. Other units, which had been waiting at armories to step in if needed, could return home if leaders deemed it OK, he said.
The protests yesterday were entirely peaceful, which means that this security presence has succeeded in ensuring that civil rights get protection. Protest and assembly are civil rights, and Americans need to conduct both without threat of them being exploited by the Ruperts of the world. That takes a lot of sensitivity and balance from the community, police, and Guard, and so far it seems we are finding it.
The question remains whether the radicals and agitators have had enough of the Twin Cities, or whether they are just biding their time. We’ve certainly had enough of them. We need to move on to the next pressing issues — rebuilding what has been lost, and dealing with the decades of failure by progressive leadership in Minneapolis and its police department.