hotair--2020-05-28--Chris Hayes: Why did police use tear gas against BLM protesters but not against re-opening protester

Chris Hayes: Why did police use tear gas against BLM protesters but not against re-opening protesters? (Update)

Ed has already written about the riots in Minneapolis last night .
However , there ’ s another angle on this which seems to be making the rounds at MSNBC .
Here ’ s Chris Hayes arguing on this show last night that the police treatment of right-wing protesters has been vastly different from the response to protests over the death of George Floyd .
Hayes ’ point is that the protesters in Minneapolis were treated differently because they are progressive , or maybe because they are minorities .
But there ’ s more to the story than that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for using tear gas and foam bullets against protesters but the mayor said the police chief took that action because some of the protesters were becoming violent and breaking into police vehicles .
Mayor Jacob Frey on midday Wednesday commended the “ 99 percent ” of peaceful protesters and empathized with their desire to protest .
But he said Chief Medaria Arradondo deployed the officers to stop protesters after some broke windows at the precinct building and in squad cars , both of which had live ammunition and guns inside .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of one tragedy leading to another , ” Frey said .
“ Our chief made the decision and I support our chief .
I trust his judgment.
” … As the protest marched to the Third Precinct , several demonstrators smashed windows and hurled objects at the precinct building .
They then vandalized squad cars parked outside .
Officers in riot gear responded with force , flooding Lake Street with tear gas and flash-bangs and shooting fluorescent marking rounds and other less-lethal projectiles indiscriminately into the crowd .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s video of it happening : You can argue that the police response to the vandalism and violence was too harsh but you should at least admit they were responding to the illegal behavior of the crowd .
The reporter who wrote that story above was at the scene when it happened and said this : Protesters had also smashed the front door of the precinct : You can see objects have been thrown at the glass where police are waiting inside : Protesters were also threatening workers at the Target nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday only worse : A similar scene played out there late Wednesday .
Protesters tossed bottles and rocks at officers , who again responded with projectiles , tear gas and flash bombs .
Also Wednesday night , looting broke out at the Lake Street Target store , where intruders carted off large TVs , clothing and food , and at nearby Minnehaha Lake Wine & Spirits .
Late Wednesday , protesters set fire to the AutoZone across the street from Third Precinct headquarters .
While some protesters tried to put the fire out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front of the flames .
This is a grocery store called Cub as it appeared Thursday morning : Several businesses burned .
Here ’ s how it looked last night : Here ’ s what it looked like Thursday morning : There ’ s a difference between protesters who are loud and even belligerent and people throwing rocks at police , breaking windows , looting and setting things on fire .
That may have been a small percentage of the overall protest , but it did happen .
If Chris Hayes were really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he might have at least mentioned that the protesters ( or a subset of them ) also behaved differently .
Simply put , a protest is one thing , but violent rioting is something else .
Update : Vox published a story yesterday making the same argument , though at least they somewhat reported that Minneapolis protesters were engaged in vandalism which prompted the use of tear gas .
Despite this , Vox quotes a protester blaming the ugly situation on the police : Although the march was predominantly peaceful , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to throw rocks and vandalize police cars , according to CBS Minnesota .
When protesters approached the location of the precinct where the officers who hurt Floyd supposedly worked , some broke a window of the police station , while others tagged the outside of a car with graffiti .
Around that time , police began firing tear gas at the crowd and using flash grenades , CNN reports… “ It ’ s real ugly .
The police have to understand that this is the climate they have created , this is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told CBS Minnesota .
Here ’ s the clip Vox linked .
It gives a good overview of how the situation escalated from a peaceful protest to a battle with police .
Update : From the Associated Press .
This was a violent riot last night .
Will Chris Hayes mention this or just excuse it ?

Ed has already written about the riots in Minneapolis last night. However, there’s another angle on this which seems to be making the rounds at MSNBC. Here’s Chris Hayes arguing on this show last night that the police treatment of right-wing protesters has been vastly different from the response to protests over the death of George Floyd.
.@chrislhayes on wildly uneven reactions to protests against death of George Floyd vs. armed militia lockdown protests: “Another example of how this pandemic has been a kind of blacklight, exposing all the inequalities in American life.” pic.twitter.com/tNBSehZ3Da — All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) May 28, 2020
Hayes’ point is that the protesters in Minneapolis were treated differently because they are progressive, or maybe because they are minorities. But there’s more to the story than that. On Tuesday night, police were criticized for using tear gas and foam bullets against protesters but the mayor said the police chief took that action because some of the protesters were becoming violent and breaking into police vehicles.
Mayor Jacob Frey on midday Wednesday commended the “99 percent” of peaceful protesters and empathized with their desire to protest. But he said Chief Medaria Arradondo deployed the officers to stop protesters after some broke windows at the precinct building and in squad cars, both of which had live ammunition and guns inside. “He told me that he could not run the risk of one tragedy leading to another,” Frey said. “Our chief made the decision and I support our chief. I trust his judgment.”… As the protest marched to the Third Precinct, several demonstrators smashed windows and hurled objects at the precinct building. They then vandalized squad cars parked outside. Officers in riot gear responded with force, flooding Lake Street with tear gas and flash-bangs and shooting fluorescent marking rounds and other less-lethal projectiles indiscriminately into the crowd.
There’s no doubt this actually happened because there’s video of it happening:
RAW VIDEO: Protesters inside Minneapolis Police's 3rd Precinct parking lot smashing squad cars, before officers show up and fire flash grenades inside to get them to disperse. WARNING: This video contains violence and strong language. READ MORE: https://t.co/HZTamsXTCN pic.twitter.com/Cktz07ftSg — WCCO – CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) May 27, 2020
You can argue that the police response to the vandalism and violence was too harsh but you should at least admit they were responding to the illegal behavior of the crowd. The reporter who wrote that story above was at the scene when it happened and said this:
One more video from the evening. This is when police started throwing flash bangs and tear gas and advancing on protestors, some of whom has been throwing objects at the officers. pic.twitter.com/jYtUlC3GZw — Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) May 27, 2020
Protesters had also smashed the front door of the precinct:
Arrived at the precinct. The door has been smashed and protest signs left outside #georgefloyd pic.twitter.com/CmrDdT97vh — Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) May 27, 2020
You can see objects have been thrown at the glass where police are waiting inside:
Police geared up in riot hear I'm the station door/lobby. pic.twitter.com/IWzkLLEKhB — Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) May 27, 2020
Protesters were also threatening workers at the Target nearby.
It's raining very hard now. Protestors hiding under target overhang, some threatening to break into the locked store and pantomiming shooting motions at Target employees pic.twitter.com/YtnxN9dP5R — Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) May 27, 2020
They threw bricks at police cars:
https://twitter.com/SollyBandz_/status/1265430916769501184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1265430916769501184%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fgeorge-floyds-death-massive-protests-minneapolis%2F
In Minneapolis, USA, #Georgefloyd is protested by police in the middle of the street with her throat pressed to her death.
There are street actions in the city.
# Minnesapolispolicemurderdhim pic.twitter.com/cbQGVwme1Z — 𝑅𝑒𝓈𝓊𝓁 𝒴ö𝓃𝑒𝓉 (@Resul_Yonet) May 27, 2020
Wednesday night was a repeat of Tuesday only worse:
A similar scene played out there late Wednesday. Protesters tossed bottles and rocks at officers, who again responded with projectiles, tear gas and flash bombs. Also Wednesday night, looting broke out at the Lake Street Target store, where intruders carted off large TVs, clothing and food, and at nearby Minnehaha Lake Wine & Spirits. Late Wednesday, protesters set fire to the AutoZone across the street from Third Precinct headquarters. While some protesters tried to put the fire out, others gleefully posed for selfies in front of the flames.
Here’s the looting at Target:
Things have deteriorated in Minneapolis. The target has been completely trashed and looted. Portions of the Cub store is also trashed . This is following the protest against Minneapolis Police pic.twitter.com/xSQ62cRajz — Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) May 28, 2020
This is a grocery store called Cub as it appeared Thursday morning:
The owners of this Cub gave me permission to show the damage inside pic.twitter.com/Y1j0Zs1byz — Lou Raguse (@LouRaguse) May 28, 2020
Several businesses burned. Here’s how it looked last night:
The fire at AutoZone seems to have started back up; there are least five separate fires going, of varying sizes. pic.twitter.com/rTuzaG6g6k — Libor Jany (@StribJany) May 28, 2020
Here’s what it looked like Thursday morning:
The affordable housing development is gone. Wendy's, too. AutoZone, a husk. pic.twitter.com/95UjML7lN6 — Libor Jany (@StribJany) May 28, 2020
Morning after the protests and riots in Minneapolis of the police killing George Floyd. It’s eerie pic.twitter.com/UVF2ltmL7E — Max Nesterak (@maxnesterak) May 28, 2020
There’s a difference between protesters who are loud and even belligerent and people throwing rocks at police, breaking windows, looting and setting things on fire. That may have been a small percentage of the overall protest, but it did happen. If Chris Hayes were really interested in why the police responded differently, he might have at least mentioned that the protesters (or a subset of them) also behaved differently. Simply put, a protest is one thing, but violent rioting is something else.
Update: Vox published a story yesterday making the same argument, though at least they somewhat reported that Minneapolis protesters were engaged in vandalism which prompted the use of tear gas. Despite this, Vox quotes a protester blaming the ugly situation on the police:
Although the march was predominantly peaceful, at one point a group of protesters began to throw rocks and vandalize police cars, according to CBS Minnesota. When protesters approached the location of the precinct where the officers who hurt Floyd supposedly worked, some broke a window of the police station, while others tagged the outside of a car with graffiti. Around that time, police began firing tear gas at the crowd and using flash grenades, CNN reports… “It’s real ugly. The police have to understand that this is the climate they have created, this is the climate they created,” a protester told CBS Minnesota.
Here’s the clip Vox linked. It gives a good overview of how the situation escalated from a peaceful protest to a battle with police.
Update: From the Associated Press.
Fire crews responded to about 30 intentionally set blazes during the protests, including at least 16 structure fires, and multiple fire trucks were damaged by rocks and other projectiles, the fire department said. No one was hurt by the blazes.
This was a violent riot last night. Will Chris Hayes mention this or just excuse it?


hotair--2020-05-28--Floyd girlfriend, family plea for peace: Riot "would devastate Floyd ... he loved the city"

Thank goodness Minneapolis found some leadership at a moment of crisis .
Amazingly , it comes from the family and friends of the man who died at the hands of police .
After watching the city burn last night , George Floyd ’ s girlfriend Courtney Ross urged residents to stop looting and burning in his name , telling the media that Floyd “ loved the city ” and would be “ devastated ” by its destruction : “ Waking up this morning to see Minneapolis on fire would be something that would devastate Floyd , ” said Ross , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a resident of the city .
“ He loved the city .
He came here [ from Houston ] and stayed here for the people and the opportunities .
… Floyd was a gentle giant .
He was about love and about peace.
” Ross said she wants everyone who took to the streets “ to know that I understand their frustration .
… I want people to protest in a peaceful way.
” Some of Floyd ’ s relatives echoed Ross ’ sentiments Thursday through their attorney , Benjamin Crump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death of loved ones during police encounters .
“ Looting and violence distract from strength of our collective voice , ” Crump said in a tweet , followed by another that said , “ George Floyd ’ s family wants peace in # Minneapolis — but knows that Black people want peace in their souls — and until we get # JusticeForFloyd there will be no peace.
” There ’ s no small amount of grace in those efforts .
Of all the people who might have justifiable reason to seek revenge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And yet , they are putting civic responsibility ahead of their grief and trying to save their community from further harm .
If everyone had that impulse , we would see a very different city in Minneapolis than the one that got looted and burned overnight by people exploiting Floyd as an excuse for their own selfishness .
Floyd ’ s death has reverberated far past the confines of the Twin Cities , too .
In Floyd ’ s native Houston , a visibly angry Police Chief Art Acevedo announced that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the neck is off limits ” unless officers are in a fight for their lives — and for no longer than that : Thus far , all is quiet today in Minneapolis , but that might be changing .
Coming to the city today are those agents of calm and reason , Jesse Jackson and … Al Sharpton : Jackson ’ s likely to simply work with the local churches to strategize more effective protest and political pressure .
Sharpton ’ s track record is quite a bit more complicated — such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brawley hoax .
Perhaps Sharpton will have learned a few things in the intervening years , but he has much more history as a firebrand than a fireman .
We need a lot more of the latter at the moment in Minneapolis , both figuratively and literally .
My friend Scott Johnson writes at Power Line about how appalling the video of Floyd ’ s death was , but says that we need leadership to speak up for the rule of law now more than ever : I don ’ t think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a suspect in custody is an authorized police maneuver .
I haven ’ t heard any hypothesis that offers an innocent explanation of Chavin ’ s behavior .
The video is sickening .
Chauvin and his three colleagues were all promptly fired by Minneapolis Chief of Police Chief Medaria Arradondo .
No one defends what happened to Floyd .
No one justifies it .
Floyd ’ s death is under investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI .
When the BCA investigation is complete , the file will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney for charging .
The case has been assigned to Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy .
Sweasy is the prosecutor who secured the third-degree murder conviction of Mohammed Noor last year in the death of Justine Damond .
I would guess that Sweasy will be closely involved with the BCA investigation .
She was not impressed with its work in the Noor case .
… Fast-talking Governor Walz , “ light-skinned Native American ” Flanagan , former Nation of Islam leader Ellison — this is a parade of clowns and , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They go this far : they urge protesters to use masks and employ social distancing .
Will any of them call out the violence for what it is and do something about it ?
Don ’ t expect that message to come from Sharpton , at least not as a priority in his activism .
Ross and the Floyd family , however , are putting out a superhuman effort to show leadership in a city in dire need of it .

Thank goodness Minneapolis found some leadership at a moment of crisis. Amazingly, it comes from the family and friends of the man who died at the hands of police. After watching the city burn last night, George Floyd’s girlfriend Courtney Ross urged residents to stop looting and burning in his name, telling the media that Floyd “loved the city” and would be “devastated” by its destruction:
“Waking up this morning to see Minneapolis on fire would be something that would devastate Floyd,” said Ross, his girlfriend for the past three years and a resident of the city. “He loved the city. He came here [from Houston] and stayed here for the people and the opportunities. … Floyd was a gentle giant. He was about love and about peace.” Ross said she wants everyone who took to the streets “to know that I understand their frustration. … I want people to protest in a peaceful way.” Some of Floyd’s relatives echoed Ross’ sentiments Thursday through their attorney, Benjamin Crump, who has represented families left mourning the death of loved ones during police encounters. “Looting and violence distract from strength of our collective voice,” Crump said in a tweet, followed by another that said, “George Floyd’s family wants peace in #Minneapolis — but knows that Black people want peace in their souls — and until we get #JusticeForFloyd there will be no peace.”
There’s no small amount of grace in those efforts. Of all the people who might have justifiable reason to seek revenge, Ross and Floyd’s family qualify. And yet, they are putting civic responsibility ahead of their grief and trying to save their community from further harm. If everyone had that impulse, we would see a very different city in Minneapolis than the one that got looted and burned overnight by people exploiting Floyd as an excuse for their own selfishness.
Floyd’s death has reverberated far past the confines of the Twin Cities, too. In Floyd’s native Houston, a visibly angry Police Chief Art Acevedo announced that he had instructed his entire force that “the neck is off limits” unless officers are in a fight for their lives — and for no longer than that:
Thus far, all is quiet today in Minneapolis, but that might be changing. Coming to the city today are those agents of calm and reason, Jesse Jackson and … Al Sharpton:
Thursday, Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will visit Minnesota. The civil rights leaders announced their visits in the midst of response to the death of George Floyd. … Meanwhile, Rev. Jackson’s assistant told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he will hold a press conference to dicuss Floyd’s death.
Jackson’s likely to simply work with the local churches to strategize more effective protest and political pressure. Sharpton’s track record is quite a bit more complicated — such as in Crown Heights and in the Tawana Brawley hoax. Perhaps Sharpton will have learned a few things in the intervening years, but he has much more history as a firebrand than a fireman. We need a lot more of the latter at the moment in Minneapolis, both figuratively and literally.
My friend Scott Johnson writes at Power Line about how appalling the video of Floyd’s death was, but says that we need leadership to speak up for the rule of law now more than ever:
I don’t think that Chauvin’s knee to the neck of a suspect in custody is an authorized police maneuver. I haven’t heard any hypothesis that offers an innocent explanation of Chavin’s behavior. The video is sickening. Chauvin and his three colleagues were all promptly fired by Minneapolis Chief of Police Chief Medaria Arradondo. No one defends what happened to Floyd. No one justifies it. Floyd’s death is under investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI. When the BCA investigation is complete, the file will be turned over to the Hennepin County Attorney for charging. The case has been assigned to Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy. Sweasy is the prosecutor who secured the third-degree murder conviction of Mohammed Noor last year in the death of Justine Damond. I would guess that Sweasy will be closely involved with the BCA investigation. She was not impressed with its work in the Noor case. … Fast-talking Governor Walz, “light-skinned Native American” Flanagan, former Nation of Islam leader Ellison — this is a parade of clowns and, in Ellison’s case, a malefactor. They go this far: they urge protesters to use masks and employ social distancing. Will any of them call out the violence for what it is and do something about it?
Don’t expect that message to come from Sharpton, at least not as a priority in his activism. Ross and the Floyd family, however, are putting out a superhuman effort to show leadership in a city in dire need of it.


hotair--2020-05-28--Black Lives Matter protesters blocked the 101 Freeway in LA

As Ed wrote earlier , there were riots and looting in Minnesota last night in response to the death of George Floyd .
A spontaneous protest also broke out in Los Angeles with Black Lives Matter protesters walking onto the 101 freeway and blocking traffic .
Protesters became angry when they caught site of two LAPD cruisers .
Windows were smashed and one protesters was injured after he jumped on the hood of one of the cars .
Here ’ s how the protest in LA began .
After chanting for a while near the Hall of Justice on Temple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freeway .
While all of this was happening on the street , Police Chief Michel Moore issued a statement on Twitter about the death of George Floyd saying what he saw in the viral video was excessive force and lack of compassion that tarnished the badge of police officers .
Around this time , protesters walked onto the freeway and began blocking traffic : At some point police cars arrived at the blockade to try to remove the protesters from the freeway but the first two cruisers were attacked by the protesters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first car , including one person who is sitting on the hood .
When someone throws a skateboard through the car ’ s back window , the driver accelerates and the guy on the hood rolls off and hits his head on the roadway .
A second cruiser pulls up , possibly looking to render aid to the man , but that car is also attacked by the protesters .
Here ’ s the same incident as seen from a chopper overhead ( 2nd clip below ) : The injured protester was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some point around the time all of this was happening on the freeway a city-wide tactical alert was issued : The protesters eventually moved off the freeway and back into the streets .
Police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered people to clear out or face arrest .
Protesters were still out marching for several more hours .
Later , Police Chief Moore said some rocks and bottles were thrown but no officers were injured .
No arrests were made according to this CBS LA report on the situation .

As Ed wrote earlier, there were riots and looting in Minnesota last night in response to the death of George Floyd. A spontaneous protest also broke out in Los Angeles with Black Lives Matter protesters walking onto the 101 freeway and blocking traffic. Protesters became angry when they caught site of two LAPD cruisers. Windows were smashed and one protesters was injured after he jumped on the hood of one of the cars. Here’s how the protest in LA began.
Happening now in Los Angeles. #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/T2QgpdW6HN — Human Rights Watch Watcher (@queeralamode) May 28, 2020
After chanting for a while near the Hall of Justice on Temple St., protesters moved onto the 101 freeway.
While all of this was happening on the street, Police Chief Michel Moore issued a statement on Twitter about the death of George Floyd saying what he saw in the viral video was excessive force and lack of compassion that tarnished the badge of police officers.
Around this time, protesters walked onto the freeway and began blocking traffic:
Protestors are now shutting down the 101 near DTLA, reports @bfeinzimer pic.twitter.com/UHD4vcHCuK — L.A. TACO 🌴🌮 (@LATACO) May 28, 2020
The protesters formed a line blocking the freeway.
At some point police cars arrived at the blockade to try to remove the protesters from the freeway but the first two cruisers were attacked by the protesters. As you can see, protesters swarm the first car, including one person who is sitting on the hood. When someone throws a skateboard through the car’s back window, the driver accelerates and the guy on the hood rolls off and hits his head on the roadway. A second cruiser pulls up, possibly looking to render aid to the man, but that car is also attacked by the protesters.
Black Lives Matter protesters smash the windows of two California Highway Patrol cruisers on the northbound Hollywood (101) Freeway in downtown Los Angeles https://t.co/SUQFIhetFn pic.twitter.com/ILvgUGUHOa — National Police Association (@NatPoliceAssoc) May 28, 2020
Here’s the same incident as seen from a chopper overhead (2nd clip below):
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1265820612162969601
The injured protester was eventually transported to a hospital. At some point around the time all of this was happening on the freeway a city-wide tactical alert was issued:
BREAKING: LAPD has called a citywide tactical alert as protests continue in Downtown Los Angeles area. Officers held over past their shifts and will only respond high-priority calls per officials. — Andrew Blankstein (@anblanx) May 28, 2020
The protesters eventually moved off the freeway and back into the streets. Police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered people to clear out or face arrest.
BREAKING: LAPD has just declared an unlawful assembly at Los Angeles/Temple. Telling crowd they need to disperse within 5 minutes or face arrest. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/hdxQVT6OaP — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 28, 2020
Protesters were still out marching for several more hours. Later, Police Chief Moore said some rocks and bottles were thrown but no officers were injured.
Just did an impromptu cell phone interview with LAPD Chief Michael Moore in front of his tagged LAPD HQ building. Called the freeway violence “disturbing”, says he hears the protester’s anger and understands. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/YSbHsIxebT — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 28, 2020
No arrests were made according to this CBS LA report on the situation.


hotair--2020-05-28--Hertz "caught" paying millions in executive bonuses before layoffs

It ’ s no secret that the nation ’ s car rental companies have been taking a beating since the coronavirus shutdowns began .
Their fortunes are largely tied at the hip to those of the airline industry , which is also being battered by massive reductions in ticket sales .
Hertz is one of the bigger car rental agencies in the nation and they recently announced that they are seeking bankruptcy protection as their losses soar into the billions and debts on their fleet of half a million cars come due .
But before they pulled the trigger on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay out tens of millions of dollars in bonuses to their executives before laying off half of their workforce .
And people aren ’ t happy about it .
( CNN ) Hertz paid out millions of dollars in bonuses to its executives just before its bankruptcy — and a month after it started laying off thousands of employees .
Retention bonuses are typical for bankrupt companies that want to prevent their management from abandoning ship .
But they ’ re always awkward : the company can ’ t pay its employees or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prioritizes payments to its already handsomely paid bosses .
Hertz ( HTZ ) paid a total of $ 16.2 million to 340 executives on May 19 as part of a plan to keep them in place while the company attempts to reorganize , the company announced in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission .
The executives will be required to return the money should they leave Hertz on their own before March 31 , 2021 .
There ’ s no way around this situation when it comes to optics .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , really bad .
Laying off literally half of your rank and file workforce while simultaneously dishing out more than sixteen million to your executives isn ’ t going to win you any brand loyalty awards .
But what anyone can do about it ( aside from voting with their wallets ) is another matter entirely .
Hertz is a private company .
It ’ s their money and they get to decide how to handle it and then live with the consequences .
I assume they are confident that they will emerge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they ’ re apparently placing more value on retaining their executives than keeping the loyalty of their line workers .
Hertz would be facing more public scrutiny ( and potentially legal problems ) if they had taken government bailout money before doing this because then the taxpayers would have a seat at the table .
But none of the car rental companies received bailouts in the original aid package .
To be sure , it wasn ’ t for a lack of trying .
Hertz was openly asking for a bailout more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside the company indicated that former CEO Carl Icahn had been trying to leverage his long relationship with Donald Trump in an effort to get in on the bailout cash , but his efforts were fruitless .
The possibility of the company being sold off instead of making it through bankruptcy is still on the table .
The most likely buyer would be Avis , a company that ’ s done somewhat better during the pandemic .
I ’ m going to play Devil ’ s Advocate for a moment here when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news looks terrible for them and their workers ( and former workers ) are going to be very angry about this .
But since they didn ’ t get any bailout money , it ’ s up to them how they get out of this hole .
It would be much more difficult to locate an hire new top-end executives with the required applicable experience in their industry than to hire a gang of people to work at the counters .
If this is the only path forward they see when I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them too harshly .
They ’ ll potentially lose some customers who are more sympathetic to the plight of the workers , but that ’ s probably a gamble they ’ re willing to take at this point .

It’s no secret that the nation’s car rental companies have been taking a beating since the coronavirus shutdowns began. Their fortunes are largely tied at the hip to those of the airline industry, which is also being battered by massive reductions in ticket sales. Hertz is one of the bigger car rental agencies in the nation and they recently announced that they are seeking bankruptcy protection as their losses soar into the billions and debts on their fleet of half a million cars come due. But before they pulled the trigger on that drastic measure, they decided to pay out tens of millions of dollars in bonuses to their executives before laying off half of their workforce. And people aren’t happy about it. (CNN)
Hertz paid out millions of dollars in bonuses to its executives just before its bankruptcy — and a month after it started laying off thousands of employees. Retention bonuses are typical for bankrupt companies that want to prevent their management from abandoning ship. But they’re always awkward: the company can’t pay its employees or its debts to lenders, but it prioritizes payments to its already handsomely paid bosses. Hertz (HTZ) paid a total of $16.2 million to 340 executives on May 19 as part of a plan to keep them in place while the company attempts to reorganize, the company announced in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The executives will be required to return the money should they leave Hertz on their own before March 31, 2021.
There’s no way around this situation when it comes to optics. This looks bad. And I mean really, really bad. Laying off literally half of your rank and file workforce while simultaneously dishing out more than sixteen million to your executives isn’t going to win you any brand loyalty awards. But what anyone can do about it (aside from voting with their wallets) is another matter entirely.
Hertz is a private company. It’s their money and they get to decide how to handle it and then live with the consequences. I assume they are confident that they will emerge from bankruptcy successfully after the pandemic passes and they’re apparently placing more value on retaining their executives than keeping the loyalty of their line workers.
Hertz would be facing more public scrutiny (and potentially legal problems) if they had taken government bailout money before doing this because then the taxpayers would have a seat at the table. But none of the car rental companies received bailouts in the original aid package. To be sure, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Hertz was openly asking for a bailout more than a month ago. Some sources inside the company indicated that former CEO Carl Icahn had been trying to leverage his long relationship with Donald Trump in an effort to get in on the bailout cash, but his efforts were fruitless.
The possibility of the company being sold off instead of making it through bankruptcy is still on the table. The most likely buyer would be Avis, a company that’s done somewhat better during the pandemic.
I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate for a moment here when it comes to Hertz. Yes, this news looks terrible for them and their workers (and former workers) are going to be very angry about this. But since they didn’t get any bailout money, it’s up to them how they get out of this hole. It would be much more difficult to locate an hire new top-end executives with the required applicable experience in their industry than to hire a gang of people to work at the counters. If this is the only path forward they see when I’m not going to come down on them too harshly. They’ll potentially lose some customers who are more sympathetic to the plight of the workers, but that’s probably a gamble they’re willing to take at this point.


hotair--2020-05-28--Come on, social-media platforms can't be the "arbiter of truth," says ... Mark Zuckerberg; <span cla

Come on, social-media platforms can't be the "arbiter of truth," says ... Mark Zuckerberg; Update: Goodbye comboxes?

Or can they ?
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Fox ’ s Dana Perino that Twitter made a mistake in imposing fact checks on its most famous customer and biggest draw .
Social media platforms can ’ t set themselves up as the “ arbiter of truth , ” Zuckerberg says , even when pressure to corral Donald Trump ’ s stream-of-consciousness expressions continues to build : “ We have a different policy than , I think , Twitter on this , ” Zuckerberg told “ The Daily Briefing ” in an interview scheduled to air in full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongly that Facebook shouldn ’ t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online , ” he added .
“ Private companies probably shouldn ’ t be , especially these platform companies , shouldn ’ t be in the position of doing that.
” Zuckerberg made the comment after President Trump warned social media giants that the federal government could “ strongly regulate ” or “ close them down ” if they continue to “ silence conservative voices.
” “ I have to understand what they actually would intend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the president ’ s warning .
“ But in general , I think a government choosing to to censor a platform because they ’ re worried about censorship doesn ’ t exactly strike me as the the right reflex there.
” Jazz and John both wrote about the rumored EO and what its impact might be .
Zuckerberg ’ s warning makes some sense here , but perhaps more to social media platforms themselves than to the White House .
As my friend and colleague Katie Pavlich points out in the introduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider legal immunity over content issues on the basis that they do not exercise editorial judgment over what gets published .
Go too far down this road , and suddenly libel and slander attorneys are going to see gold mines in the deep pockets of the social-media platforms , including Twitter and Facebook .
Facebook ’ s not immune to that either , despite its CEO ’ s protestations .
Zuckerberg also made the same argument to CNBC ’ s Andrew Ross Sorkin in a clip aired this morning on Squawk Box , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There are lines , ” Zuckerberg adds , “ and we will enforce them ” : “ I don ’ t think that Facebook or internet platforms in general should be arbiters of truth , ” Zuckerberg told Sorkin in an interview that aired Thursday morning .
“ Political speech is one of the most sensitive parts in a democracy , and people should be able to see what politicians say.
” Although Facebook does use independent fact-checkers who review content on its social networks , the point of the fact-checkers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the worst stuff , ” Zuckerberg said .
“ The point of that program isn ’ t to try to parse words on is something slightly true or false , ” he said .
“ In terms of political speech , again , I think you want to give broad deference to the political process and political speech.
” The company , however , does have lines that no one , including politicians , is allowed to cross , Zuckerberg said .
No one is allowed to use Facebook to cause violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misinformation that could lead to voter suppression , Zuckerberg said .
“ There are clear lines that map to specific harms and damage that can be done where we take down the content , ” he said .
“ But overall , including compared to some of the other companies , we try to be more on the side of giving people a voice and free expression.
” No one will dispute prohibitions against violence and self-harm , but those don ’ t cross First Amendment lines anyway .
What , though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppression ” ?
Can ’ t Twitter argue that they are enforcing these same ambiguous standards ?
They are also setting lines , and then enforcing them … in a weenie-ish fashion , perhaps , but still .
That ’ s why Trump ’ s EO will take aim at the legal-immunity clause of Section 230 as a result of the exercise of these editorial functions : President Trump is preparing to sign an executive order Thursday that could roll back the immunity that tech giants have for the content on their sites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matter .
Trump ’ s directive chiefly seeks to embolden federal regulators to rethink a portion of law known as Section 230 , according to the two people , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a document that could still evolve and has not been officially signed by the president .
That law spares tech companies from being held liable for the comments , videos and other content posted by users on their platforms .
The law is controversial .
It allows tech companies the freedom to police their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But critics say those exceptions have also allowed some of Silicon Valley ’ s most profitable companies to skirt responsibility for the harmful content that flourishes on their online platforms , including hate speech , terrorist propaganda and election-related falsehoods .
The order would prompt federal officials to open a proceeding to reconsider the scope of the law , the people familiar with the document said .
A change could mean potentially dramatic free-speech implications and wide-ranging consequences for a broad swath of companies reliant on doing business on the Internet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea and unconservative in the traditional sense , but also a strategy that was doomed to be tried in an environment where Big Tech chooses political sides .
A far smarter and more conservative approach would have been an application of anti-trust enforcement before Big Tech companies consolidated their economic and political power , but conservatives have been blind to the risks of laissez-faire anti-trust policies for decades now .
Now that the political and economic risks have become apparent and acute , it ’ s too late to use anti-trust regulation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Section 230 EO to force them into either retreat or bankruptcy .
That heavy-handed regulatory brushback pitch will only last as long as a Republican administration remains in place , however , and this will give Big Tech even more reason to stick its thumbs on the scale to prevent that outcome .
At least Zuckerberg seems to have gotten enough of the message to get out in front of the EO and claim it shouldn ’ t apply to Facebook .
That ’ s a reaction to incentive , and a signal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have some bite .
Perhaps the other platforms will dial back their intrusiveness , but I suspect that they have put resources aside for precisely this fight .
They knew that this was inevitable too , and probably for longer than the Trump administration has .
Update : I have to say that this point slipped my mind earlier , but Ben Shapiro is correct about the impact of playing with Section 230 : I think you can even extrapolate it to saying that it will destroy all social media eventually , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the content .
That ’ s why Congress included Section 230 in the first place .
Update : If you want a rational rundown of Section 230 , its intent , and how this EO is likely to either fair or make things worse , don ’ t miss this threat from our friend Gabriel Malor : Read the whole thing , while we still have comboxes .

Or can they? Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Fox’s Dana Perino that Twitter made a mistake in imposing fact checks on its most famous customer and biggest draw. Social media platforms can’t set themselves up as the “arbiter of truth,” Zuckerberg says, even when pressure to corral Donald Trump’s stream-of-consciousness expressions continues to build:
“We have a different policy than, I think, Twitter on this,” Zuckerberg told “The Daily Briefing” in an interview scheduled to air in full on Thursday. “I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online,” he added. “Private companies probably shouldn’t be, especially these platform companies, shouldn’t be in the position of doing that.” Zuckerberg made the comment after President Trump warned social media giants that the federal government could “strongly regulate” or “close them down” if they continue to “silence conservative voices.” “I have to understand what they actually would intend to do,” Zuckerberg said in response to the president’s warning. “But in general, I think a government choosing to to censor a platform because they’re worried about censorship doesn’t exactly strike me as the the right reflex there.”
Jazz and John both wrote about the rumored EO and what its impact might be. Zuckerberg’s warning makes some sense here, but perhaps more to social media platforms themselves than to the White House. As my friend and colleague Katie Pavlich points out in the introduction of this clip, social-media platforms have consider legal immunity over content issues on the basis that they do not exercise editorial judgment over what gets published. Go too far down this road, and suddenly libel and slander attorneys are going to see gold mines in the deep pockets of the social-media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.
Facebook’s not immune to that either, despite its CEO’s protestations. Zuckerberg also made the same argument to CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin in a clip aired this morning on Squawk Box, but added some nuance to that position. “There are lines,” Zuckerberg adds, “and we will enforce them”:
“I don’t think that Facebook or internet platforms in general should be arbiters of truth,” Zuckerberg told Sorkin in an interview that aired Thursday morning. “Political speech is one of the most sensitive parts in a democracy, and people should be able to see what politicians say.” Although Facebook does use independent fact-checkers who review content on its social networks, the point of the fact-checkers is to “really catch the worst of the worst stuff,” Zuckerberg said. “The point of that program isn’t to try to parse words on is something slightly true or false,” he said. “In terms of political speech, again, I think you want to give broad deference to the political process and political speech.”
However …
The company, however, does have lines that no one, including politicians, is allowed to cross, Zuckerberg said. No one is allowed to use Facebook to cause violence or harm themselves, or to post misinformation that could lead to voter suppression, Zuckerberg said. “There are clear lines that map to specific harms and damage that can be done where we take down the content,” he said. “But overall, including compared to some of the other companies, we try to be more on the side of giving people a voice and free expression.”
No one will dispute prohibitions against violence and self-harm, but those don’t cross First Amendment lines anyway. What, though, constitutes “misinformation” and “voter suppression”? Can’t Twitter argue that they are enforcing these same ambiguous standards? They are also setting lines, and then enforcing them … in a weenie-ish fashion, perhaps, but still.
That’s why Trump’s EO will take aim at the legal-immunity clause of Section 230 as a result of the exercise of these editorial functions:
President Trump is preparing to sign an executive order Thursday that could roll back the immunity that tech giants have for the content on their sites, according to two people familiar with the matter. Trump’s directive chiefly seeks to embolden federal regulators to rethink a portion of law known as Section 230, according to the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a document that could still evolve and has not been officially signed by the president. That law spares tech companies from being held liable for the comments, videos and other content posted by users on their platforms. The law is controversial. It allows tech companies the freedom to police their platforms for abuse without fear of lawsuits. But critics say those exceptions have also allowed some of Silicon Valley’s most profitable companies to skirt responsibility for the harmful content that flourishes on their online platforms, including hate speech, terrorist propaganda and election-related falsehoods. The order would prompt federal officials to open a proceeding to reconsider the scope of the law, the people familiar with the document said. A change could mean potentially dramatic free-speech implications and wide-ranging consequences for a broad swath of companies reliant on doing business on the Internet.
This strikes me as both a bad idea and unconservative in the traditional sense, but also a strategy that was doomed to be tried in an environment where Big Tech chooses political sides. A far smarter and more conservative approach would have been an application of anti-trust enforcement before Big Tech companies consolidated their economic and political power, but conservatives have been blind to the risks of laissez-faire anti-trust policies for decades now. Now that the political and economic risks have become apparent and acute, it’s too late to use anti-trust regulation, so we get back-door efforts like a Section 230 EO to force them into either retreat or bankruptcy. That heavy-handed regulatory brushback pitch will only last as long as a Republican administration remains in place, however, and this will give Big Tech even more reason to stick its thumbs on the scale to prevent that outcome.
At least Zuckerberg seems to have gotten enough of the message to get out in front of the EO and claim it shouldn’t apply to Facebook. That’s a reaction to incentive, and a signal that Trump’s EO might actually have some bite. Perhaps the other platforms will dial back their intrusiveness, but I suspect that they have put resources aside for precisely this fight. They knew that this was inevitable too, and probably for longer than the Trump administration has.
Update: I have to say that this point slipped my mind earlier, but Ben Shapiro is correct about the impact of playing with Section 230:
Here's the inevitable effect of destroying §230 of the CDA: all comments sections will be taken down. No website has the resources to actively edit all comments in order to shield themselves from liability, and no website is willing to leave comments entirely standards-free. — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 28, 2020
I think you can even extrapolate it to saying that it will destroy all social media eventually, including YouTube and Facebook, where users provide the content. That’s why Congress included Section 230 in the first place.
Update: If you want a rational rundown of Section 230, its intent, and how this EO is likely to either fair or make things worse, don’t miss this threat from our friend Gabriel Malor:
I expect we'll be talking a lot about this in the next few days, so here's a head start: there is no platform/publisher distinction. All CDA § 230 does is protect a website from liability for user content & user moderation. It doesn't matter if the website is also a publisher. — Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) May 28, 2020
That's all CDA § 230 stands for: a website or web service cannot be held liable for the content or moderation of its users. There is no "non-partisan platform" requirement in the law. And all you had to do to find that out is read the very short operative section of the law: pic.twitter.com/iAATKLSDGh — Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) May 28, 2020
Read the whole thing, while we still have comboxes.


hotair--2020-05-28--Data: Biden is underperforming with black voters, especially younger black voters

I can only assume this means they ain ’ t really black .
This WaPo piece works as sequel to my post last night about why Kamala Harris is the likely favorite for VP .
Despite all the hype in the primaries about Biden ’ s special bond with black voters , and despite the fact that black Democrats rescued his crumbling candidacy in South Carolina , one of his few glaring trouble spots in head-to-head polling with Trump is his relatively weak performance among African-Americans .
He ’ s improved on Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 numbers with other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but not here .
Fox News ’ s poll a few days ago had him up eight points nationally on Trump but with a note of caution : Trump leads by 7 points among men and by 30 among rural whites .
He won both groups by larger margins in 2016 ( 11 and 37 points respectively ) .
Biden leads by 20 points among women and 64 points among blacks .
Compared to Hillary Clinton in 2016 , he bests her performance among women ( Clinton was +13 ) but lags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not hurting him right now because he ’ s making up the difference with other demographics , as Fox notes .
Women , blue-collar whites , and seniors are all more pro-Biden than they were pro-Clinton , which may be enough .
But it ’ s a risk .
If Trump figures out a way this summer to claw back votes among the white working class and the 65+ group , Biden ’ s going to need black voters to rescue him again .
Right now the numbers just aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in WaPo today looked at data from the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape project from early April through mid-May and found the same thing Fox did .
( Note that the data was compiled before his “ you ain ’ t black ” comment , in case you ’ re wondering if that remark influenced these results . )
Biden ’ s winning big with black voters , of course , but not as big as Clinton and certainly not as big as Obama .
In a tight election , that could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the more amazing graphs I ’ ve seen this year : It ’ s not just that there ’ s an age gap among older and younger black voters in their support for Biden .
It ’ s that there ’ s an age gap in their support for *Trump .
* Nearly one in three African-Americans between the ages of 30 and 44 rates Trump at least somewhat favorably compared to just nine percent among those 65 and over .
Overall , Biden leads Trump 79/11 among black voters ; four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led 80/6 .
Not a huge difference , right , but remember that Michigan was decided by 11,000 votes out of 4.5 million cast .
When you drill down among younger black voters , Biden ’ s weakness becomes even more apparent : “ Only 68 percent of black registered voters ages 18 to 29 say they intend to vote for Biden ; 13 percent say they will vote for Trump , and 18 percent say they don ’ t know .
By contrast , in 2016 , 85 percent of young black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be absolutely wild if Trump wins a nailbiter in November because just enough younger African-Americans preferred a Republican who specializes in white identity politics over a Democrat who served as VP to the first black president .
The momentous question for Team Biden is figuring out why younger black voters are so lukewarm about him .
Is it ( mainly ) because of his record on matters of racial justice , like the 1994 crime bill , or is it ( mainly ) because they prefer more left-wing economic policies ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If he concludes that they find him insufficiently progressive on race , that may lead him to opt for Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams .
If he concludes that it ’ s mostly economics , that may point him towards Elizabeth Warren — although if you read my post last night , you saw the Morning Consult data that suggests Warren could help him with both lefties *and* African-Americans more than Harris could .
Black voters say they ’ d be more likely rather than less likely to vote for a Biden/Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; their margin for a Biden/Harris ticket was 19 points by comparison .
Dem pollster Stan Greenberg has compiled his own data on the optimal VP choice and says there ’ s no question it ’ s Warren : Biden ’ s biggest problem , Greenberg said , is that the Democratic Party has not unified behind him .
In fact , Biden is now behind where Clinton was with Bernie Sanders voters in 2016 , with more than 20 percent of the democratic socialist ’ s backers saying they would not vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them pledge to vote for a Democrat for Congress .
At a similar point in the 2016 cycle , roughly 15 percent of Sanders voters said they wouldn ’ t vote for Hillary Cllinton and Greenberg ’ s own polling through Democracy Corps around Election Day found the same… In measuring several different messages of various candidates without their names attached , Greenberg told Biden ’ s team that Warren ’ s message about a “ rigged ” system was “ dominant ” among the groups Biden needs , such as millennials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of recent decades… In his presentation , which was titled “ The obvious solution , ” Greenberg wrote , “ The biggest threat to Democrats in 2020 is the lack of support and disengagement of millennials and the fragmentation of non-Biden primary voters.
” Because black voters of all ages and demographics prefer Democrats overwhelmingly to Republicans , analysts are forever tempted to view their political choices through the prism of race .
But black millennials are , after all , millennials , and millennials of all races tend to be more left-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them than Harris on the merits .
Feast your eyes on this , posted by Morning Consult the day before the South Carolina primary in February : Asked at the time whom they preferred among the Democratic candidates , 46 percent of black voters under the age of 45 said Bernie Sanders compared to just 15 percent who said Biden .
Mike Bloomberg actually finished slightly ahead of Biden at 17 percent .
How this squares with the data up above showing younger black voters better disposed to Trump than their elders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise the possibility that Warren as VP would kill two birds with one stone for Sleepy Joe .
It could help solve his problem with progressives *and* with younger black voters who are lukewarm about him right now .
While , of course , potentially creating a huge new problem for him among suburbanites who don ’ t want socialist-lite a heartbeat away from the presidency .
Exit question : Are Dems willing to sacrifice a Senate seat to have Warren as VP ?
Massachusetts ’ s governor , Charlie Baker , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appoint her replacement .
That could be the difference between a 50/50 Senate with VP Warren as the tiebreaker and a 51/49 GOP advantage .
Although maybe Baker wouldn ’ t have the stones to do that .
His mostly Democratic constituents would hold a grudge if he singlehandedly yanked a Senate majority out of Biden ’ s and Schumer ’ s hands .

I can only assume this means they ain’t really black.
This WaPo piece works as sequel to my post last night about why Kamala Harris is the likely favorite for VP. Despite all the hype in the primaries about Biden’s special bond with black voters, and despite the fact that black Democrats rescued his crumbling candidacy in South Carolina, one of his few glaring trouble spots in head-to-head polling with Trump is his relatively weak performance among African-Americans. He’s improved on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 numbers with other groups, most notably among senior citizens, but not here. Fox News’s poll a few days ago had him up eight points nationally on Trump but with a note of caution:
Trump leads by 7 points among men and by 30 among rural whites. He won both groups by larger margins in 2016 (11 and 37 points respectively). Biden leads by 20 points among women and 64 points among blacks. Compared to Hillary Clinton in 2016, he bests her performance among women (Clinton was +13) but lags among blacks (Clinton +81).
It’s not hurting him right now because he’s making up the difference with other demographics, as Fox notes. Women, blue-collar whites, and seniors are all more pro-Biden than they were pro-Clinton, which may be enough. But it’s a risk. If Trump figures out a way this summer to claw back votes among the white working class and the 65+ group, Biden’s going to need black voters to rescue him again. Right now the numbers just aren’t there.
Two researchers writing in WaPo today looked at data from the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape project from early April through mid-May and found the same thing Fox did. (Note that the data was compiled before his “you ain’t black” comment, in case you’re wondering if that remark influenced these results.) Biden’s winning big with black voters, of course, but not as big as Clinton and certainly not as big as Obama. In a tight election, that could be the difference. Here’s one of the more amazing graphs I’ve seen this year:
It’s not just that there’s an age gap among older and younger black voters in their support for Biden. It’s that there’s an age gap in their support for *Trump.* Nearly one in three African-Americans between the ages of 30 and 44 rates Trump at least somewhat favorably compared to just nine percent among those 65 and over. Overall, Biden leads Trump 79/11 among black voters; four years ago at this time, Hillary led 80/6. Not a huge difference, right, but remember that Michigan was decided by 11,000 votes out of 4.5 million cast. When you drill down among younger black voters, Biden’s weakness becomes even more apparent: “Only 68 percent of black registered voters ages 18 to 29 say they intend to vote for Biden; 13 percent say they will vote for Trump, and 18 percent say they don’t know. By contrast, in 2016, 85 percent of young black voters reported voting for Clinton.”
It would be absolutely wild if Trump wins a nailbiter in November because just enough younger African-Americans preferred a Republican who specializes in white identity politics over a Democrat who served as VP to the first black president.
The momentous question for Team Biden is figuring out why younger black voters are so lukewarm about him. Is it (mainly) because of his record on matters of racial justice, like the 1994 crime bill, or is it (mainly) because they prefer more left-wing economic policies? The answer may influence his choice of VP. If he concludes that they find him insufficiently progressive on race, that may lead him to opt for Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams. If he concludes that it’s mostly economics, that may point him towards Elizabeth Warren — although if you read my post last night, you saw the Morning Consult data that suggests Warren could help him with both lefties *and* African-Americans more than Harris could. Black voters say they’d be more likely rather than less likely to vote for a Biden/Warren ticket by a margin of 24 points; their margin for a Biden/Harris ticket was 19 points by comparison.
Dem pollster Stan Greenberg has compiled his own data on the optimal VP choice and says there’s no question it’s Warren:
Biden’s biggest problem, Greenberg said, is that the Democratic Party has not unified behind him. In fact, Biden is now behind where Clinton was with Bernie Sanders voters in 2016, with more than 20 percent of the democratic socialist’s backers saying they would not vote for him, even as 87 percent of them pledge to vote for a Democrat for Congress. At a similar point in the 2016 cycle, roughly 15 percent of Sanders voters said they wouldn’t vote for Hillary Cllinton and Greenberg’s own polling through Democracy Corps around Election Day found the same… In measuring several different messages of various candidates without their names attached, Greenberg told Biden’s team that Warren’s message about a “rigged” system was “dominant” among the groups Biden needs, such as millennials who may feel disillusioned by the tumult of recent decades… In his presentation, which was titled “The obvious solution,” Greenberg wrote, “The biggest threat to Democrats in 2020 is the lack of support and disengagement of millennials and the fragmentation of non-Biden primary voters.”
Because black voters of all ages and demographics prefer Democrats overwhelmingly to Republicans, analysts are forever tempted to view their political choices through the prism of race. But black millennials are, after all, millennials, and millennials of all races tend to be more left-wing. Socialist-lite Warren may be more appealing to them than Harris on the merits. Feast your eyes on this, posted by Morning Consult the day before the South Carolina primary in February:
Asked at the time whom they preferred among the Democratic candidates, 46 percent of black voters under the age of 45 said Bernie Sanders compared to just 15 percent who said Biden. Mike Bloomberg actually finished slightly ahead of Biden at 17 percent. How this squares with the data up above showing younger black voters better disposed to Trump than their elders are is unclear, but it does raise the possibility that Warren as VP would kill two birds with one stone for Sleepy Joe. It could help solve his problem with progressives *and* with younger black voters who are lukewarm about him right now. While, of course, potentially creating a huge new problem for him among suburbanites who don’t want socialist-lite a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Exit question: Are Dems willing to sacrifice a Senate seat to have Warren as VP? Massachusetts’s governor, Charlie Baker, is a Republican and he’d get to appoint her replacement. That could be the difference between a 50/50 Senate with VP Warren as the tiebreaker and a 51/49 GOP advantage. Although maybe Baker wouldn’t have the stones to do that. His mostly Democratic constituents would hold a grudge if he singlehandedly yanked a Senate majority out of Biden’s and Schumer’s hands.


hotair--2020-05-28--Texas Supreme Court: Lack of immunity to COVID-19 not a disability

In a victory for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton , the Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a lack of immunity to the coronavirus is not a reason to request a mail-in ballot by claiming a disability .
The question was this – Does fear of the coronavirus spreading among voters without immunity at polling places on election day amount to a disability ?
Should mail-in voting be expanded due to the pandemic ?
That question is still playing out in federal courts but the ruling by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery that all Texas voters can now be considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the safety of voting in person during the coronavirus pandemic was rejected by the Texas Supreme Court .
Texas Democrats rejoiced that Judge Biery ’ s ruling would massively increase mail-in voting in Texas .
Attorney General Paxton is pleased with the state supreme court ’ s ruling .
“ I applaud the Texas Supreme Court for ruling that certain election officials ’ definition of ‘ disability ’ does not trump that of the Legislature , which has determined that widespread mail-in balloting carries unacceptable risks of corruption and fraud , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election officials have a duty to reject mail-in ballot applications from voters who are not entitled to vote by mail .
In-person voting is the surest way to maintain the integrity of our elections , prevent voter fraud and guarantee that every voter is who they claim to be.
” The court ’ s opinion included an acknowledgment that the political debate over expanding mail-in voting is intense along party lines .
Seven justices , including Chief Justice Nathan Hecht , delivered a majority vote in favor of state election code , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question before us is not whether voting by mail is better policy or worse , but what the Legislature has enacted .
It is purely a question of law , ” he wrote .
“ Our authority and responsibility are to interpret the statutory text and give effect to the Legislature ’ s intent .
We agree with the State that a voter ’ s lack of immunity to COVID-19 , without more , is not a “ disability ” as defined by the Election Code.
” Under the state election code , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition preventing in-person voting without a likelihood of harm to the voter ’ s health .
But the court , which heard arguments in the case through a video conference instead of in-person as a precaution against spreading the disease , said a lack of immunity to COVID-19 did not meet that threshold against a number of tests .
If a “ physical condition ” means a “ physical state of being , ” Hecht wrote , “ it would swallow the other categories of voters eligible for mail-in voting.
” “ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period is certainly a physical state of being .
So are age , incarceration , sickness , and childbirth , even participation in a program , ” he wrote .
“ To give ‘ physical condition ’ so broad a meaning would render the other mail-in voting categories surplusage.
” Justice Hecht went on to explain that with such a broad definition of disability , a person that is feeling too tired to drive to a polling place could be considered as a disabled voter .
The overly generous definition of what constitutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others working to increase mail-in voting are counting on .
The coronavirus pandemic presents an opportunity for Democrats – never let a crisis go to waste .
All 50 states have provisions for mail-in voting , including Texas .
In Texas , the reasons to request a mail-in ballot include age ( 65 years or older ) , disability or illness , the voter will be out of the county during the election period or is confined in jail .
Disability is defined as “ sickness or physical condition ” that prevents a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in this ruling , there is a catch – it is up to voters to assess their own health and determine if they meet the state ’ s definition .
In other words , there is no stopping someone from requesting a mail-in ballot due to disability , whether that claim is legitimate under the state election code or not .
That is one of the ways in which mail-in voting can dilute the integrity of elections .
By not voting in person , abuses creep into the process .
Democrats would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone ahead of an election and Texas , like most states , is not set up to handle that change even if it was what voters want .
Expanding mail-in voting in Texas will likely go up to the U.S. Supreme Court .
Also playing out at the same time , an appeals court is considering whether to stay an order by a district judge that allowed those who lack immunity to COVID-19 to vote by mail .
The question of how to safely conduct elections during a pandemic continues with time running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 14 .
Early voting begins June 29 .

In a victory for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a lack of immunity to the coronavirus is not a reason to request a mail-in ballot by claiming a disability. The question was this – Does fear of the coronavirus spreading among voters without immunity at polling places on election day amount to a disability? Should mail-in voting be expanded due to the pandemic?
That question is still playing out in federal courts but the ruling by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery that all Texas voters can now be considered as “disabled” due to concerns over the safety of voting in person during the coronavirus pandemic was rejected by the Texas Supreme Court. Texas Democrats rejoiced that Judge Biery’s ruling would massively increase mail-in voting in Texas. Attorney General Paxton is pleased with the state supreme court’s ruling.
“I applaud the Texas Supreme Court for ruling that certain election officials’ definition of ‘disability’ does not trump that of the Legislature, which has determined that widespread mail-in balloting carries unacceptable risks of corruption and fraud,” Paxton said in a statement. “Election officials have a duty to reject mail-in ballot applications from voters who are not entitled to vote by mail. In-person voting is the surest way to maintain the integrity of our elections, prevent voter fraud and guarantee that every voter is who they claim to be.”
The court’s opinion included an acknowledgment that the political debate over expanding mail-in voting is intense along party lines. Seven justices, including Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, delivered a majority vote in favor of state election code, not which is better policy.
“The question before us is not whether voting by mail is better policy or worse, but what the Legislature has enacted. It is purely a question of law,” he wrote. “Our authority and responsibility are to interpret the statutory text and give effect to the Legislature’s intent. We agree with the State that a voter’s lack of immunity to COVID-19, without more, is not a “disability” as defined by the Election Code.” Under the state election code, a disability is a sickness or physical condition preventing in-person voting without a likelihood of harm to the voter’s health. But the court, which heard arguments in the case through a video conference instead of in-person as a precaution against spreading the disease, said a lack of immunity to COVID-19 did not meet that threshold against a number of tests. If a “physical condition” means a “physical state of being,” Hecht wrote, “it would swallow the other categories of voters eligible for mail-in voting.” “A voter’s location during an election period is certainly a physical state of being. So are age, incarceration, sickness, and childbirth, even participation in a program,” he wrote. “To give ‘physical condition’ so broad a meaning would render the other mail-in voting categories surplusage.”
Justice Hecht went on to explain that with such a broad definition of disability, a person that is feeling too tired to drive to a polling place could be considered as a disabled voter. The overly generous definition of what constitutes a disability is what the Democrats and others working to increase mail-in voting are counting on. The coronavirus pandemic presents an opportunity for Democrats – never let a crisis go to waste.
All 50 states have provisions for mail-in voting, including Texas. In Texas, the reasons to request a mail-in ballot include age (65 years or older), disability or illness, the voter will be out of the county during the election period or is confined in jail. Disability is defined as “sickness or physical condition” that prevents a voter from voting in person.” However, in this ruling, there is a catch – it is up to voters to assess their own health and determine if they meet the state’s definition.
When voters cite disability to request an absentee ballot, they’re not required to say what the disability is. The voters simply check a box on the application form, and if their application is properly filled out, locals officials are supposed to send them a ballot. The state ultimately conceded that officials can’t reject those voters
In other words, there is no stopping someone from requesting a mail-in ballot due to disability, whether that claim is legitimate under the state election code or not. That is one of the ways in which mail-in voting can dilute the integrity of elections. By not voting in person, abuses creep into the process. Democrats would like for ballots to be mailed to everyone ahead of an election and Texas, like most states, is not set up to handle that change even if it was what voters want.
Expanding mail-in voting in Texas will likely go up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Also playing out at the same time, an appeals court is considering whether to stay an order by a district judge that allowed those who lack immunity to COVID-19 to vote by mail.
A separate case is pending in federal court, where a three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked an expansion of voting by mail ordered by a lower court. The appellate panel granted what’s known as an administrative stay, which only stops the lower court ruling from taking effect while the court considers whether it will issue an injunction nullifying it during the entire appeals process.
The question of how to safely conduct elections during a pandemic continues with time running out. Primary runoffs are scheduled for July 14. Early voting begins June 29.
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hotair--2020-05-28--Massive unemployment fraud uncovered in Washington state, others

When the first massive coronavirus aid package was passed in Congress it included substantial benefits for workers who lost their jobs because of the government-mandated shutdown .
One of the biggest was the federal enhancement of state unemployment benefits , increasing weekly payments by up to six hundred dollars .
As we quickly learned , Senate Republicans ’ concerns over not having a cap on those benefits to prevent the payments from exceeding the employee ’ s previous salary were fully justified .
That didn ’ t wind up being the only problem with the plan , however .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rushed through bill and the flood of people applying for benefits left the door open for scammers and identity thieves to tap into the system and falsely claim benefits to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars .
The first epicenter of this massive scheme was detected in Washington State , but it quickly spread to others .
( Associated Press ) It turned out that , like thousands of Washington state residents , [ Dayna ] Lurie ’ s identity was used by criminals seeking to capitalize on a flood of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones .
Washington ’ s race to help newly laid-off residents as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the economy left it vulnerable to such scams , and last week officials hinted at the scope of the damage done : hundreds of millions of dollars paid out in fake claims .
Much of it apparently went to a West African fraud ring using identities stolen in prior data breaches , such as the massive 2017 Equifax breach .
State and federal authorities have tried to claw back as much money as possible and say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being paid out , but Washington ’ s experience is nevertheless a cautionary tale .
At first glance , it may seem like a difficult scheme to pull off .
How could someone file for unemployment under another person ’ s name if they are alive and working ?
As it turns out , all of those massive data breaches we ’ ve heard about over the years are probably coming back to haunt us .
If scammers have enough of your personal data , they can file a claim in your name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They can elect to have their payments made to prepaid debit cards associated with your account which they ’ ve already gained access to .
After that , it ’ s simply a matter of using the debit card to immediately transfer any payments that arrive to overseas accounts or convert the funds to bitcoin , gift cards or other financial devices .
By the time the identity theft victim and their employer realize that the fraud is taking place , the scammers could have secured thousands of dollars in illicit payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Africa , Europe or Asia , any hopes of recovering the money and bringing them to justice are slim .
This isn ’ t just happening in Washington .
Hackers have been found running the same scam in at least nine other states including Ohio and Hawaii .
This opportunity for the criminals only arose because both the states and the federal government were in such a rush to make sure it looked like they were doing something ( anything ) to help that the system was quickly overwhelmed .
In Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an average of 6,000 unemployment claims per week prior to the shutdown .
Suddenly they were hit with more than 100,000 claims at a time .
The choices were to tell all of the workers that they would have to wait weeks or even months for their checks while they vetted the claims , or simply approve them and start sending out the money .
In order to avoid looking heartless , they went with the latter .
Some of these problems – like ensuring payments didn ’ t exceed wages – were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Others , such as these fraudulent claims , were probably unavoidable because the state unemployment systems are outdated and incapable of handling a massive surge in demand on short notice .
But if nothing else , this should be a cautionary tale and all of the states will need to invest in making their systems more responsive and secure .

When the first massive coronavirus aid package was passed in Congress it included substantial benefits for workers who lost their jobs because of the government-mandated shutdown. One of the biggest was the federal enhancement of state unemployment benefits, increasing weekly payments by up to six hundred dollars. As we quickly learned, Senate Republicans’ concerns over not having a cap on those benefits to prevent the payments from exceeding the employee’s previous salary were fully justified.
That didn’t wind up being the only problem with the plan, however. We’re now learning that the hastily rushed through bill and the flood of people applying for benefits left the door open for scammers and identity thieves to tap into the system and falsely claim benefits to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. The first epicenter of this massive scheme was detected in Washington State, but it quickly spread to others. (Associated Press)
It turned out that, like thousands of Washington state residents, [Dayna] Lurie’s identity was used by criminals seeking to capitalize on a flood of legitimate unemployment claims by sneaking in fraudulent ones. Washington’s race to help newly laid-off residents as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the economy left it vulnerable to such scams, and last week officials hinted at the scope of the damage done: hundreds of millions of dollars paid out in fake claims. Much of it apparently went to a West African fraud ring using identities stolen in prior data breaches, such as the massive 2017 Equifax breach. State and federal authorities have tried to claw back as much money as possible and say they have blocked hundreds of millions more from being paid out, but Washington’s experience is nevertheless a cautionary tale.
At first glance, it may seem like a difficult scheme to pull off. How could someone file for unemployment under another person’s name if they are alive and working? As it turns out, all of those massive data breaches we’ve heard about over the years are probably coming back to haunt us. If scammers have enough of your personal data, they can file a claim in your name in the overloaded state online benefits systems. They can elect to have their payments made to prepaid debit cards associated with your account which they’ve already gained access to.
After that, it’s simply a matter of using the debit card to immediately transfer any payments that arrive to overseas accounts or convert the funds to bitcoin, gift cards or other financial devices. By the time the identity theft victim and their employer realize that the fraud is taking place, the scammers could have secured thousands of dollars in illicit payments. And if the hackers are from Africa, Europe or Asia, any hopes of recovering the money and bringing them to justice are slim.
This isn’t just happening in Washington. Hackers have been found running the same scam in at least nine other states including Ohio and Hawaii. This opportunity for the criminals only arose because both the states and the federal government were in such a rush to make sure it looked like they were doing something (anything) to help that the system was quickly overwhelmed.
In Washington, for example, they had been processing an average of 6,000 unemployment claims per week prior to the shutdown. Suddenly they were hit with more than 100,000 claims at a time. The choices were to tell all of the workers that they would have to wait weeks or even months for their checks while they vetted the claims, or simply approve them and start sending out the money. In order to avoid looking heartless, they went with the latter.
Some of these problems – like ensuring payments didn’t exceed wages – were foreseeable and could have been mitigated. Others, such as these fraudulent claims, were probably unavoidable because the state unemployment systems are outdated and incapable of handling a massive surge in demand on short notice. But if nothing else, this should be a cautionary tale and all of the states will need to invest in making their systems more responsive and secure.


hotair--2020-05-28--Minnesota riot: Alleged looter shot dead as arson, looting sweep city after Floyd death

“ It ’ s just too dangerous for us to be there right now , ” WCCO ’ s Jeff Wagner reported last night .
While protesters surrounded the Minneapolis police department ’ s 3rd Precinct for the second straight night to demand action after the death of George Floyd , others looted nearby stores and set fire to the Autozone across from the precinct .
The National Guard got called out to replace police for crowd control : One person got shot to death in the chaos , although the circumstances of that homicide are not yet fully clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a local business owner who thought his victim was a looter : Minneapolis shuddered with violence overnight Wednesday , as rioters ignited fires and looted stores all over the city , standing in stark contrast to the mostly peaceful protests outside of a South Side police station over the police killing of George Floyd .
Early Thursday , city and law enforcement officials were still tallying the full toll of the night , which saw at least five people struck by gunfire , one fatally when the owner of a pawn shop opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burglarizing his business .
Dozens of businesses were either looted or torched , or both , mostly in the area of Minnehaha Avenue and E. Lake Street , but also along business corridors on the city ’ s North and South sides .
… It ’ s not clear how many arrests police made throughout the night .
In the fatal shooting , a 59-year-old man was booked into the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of murder , according to online jail records .
Department sources say the suspect shot a man whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pawn & Jewelry , at 1538 E. Lake St. — about a mile west of the main protest site .
The victim , whose identity hasn ’ t yet been released , died later at a nearby hospital .
Was the victim looting ?
There was certainly plenty of looting going on last night , not just in the 3rd Precinct area but across the city .
If so , then the shooter might have had good reason to fear for his life , and thus would have a potential defense against any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a riot won ’ t be a tough sell , but the shop owner had better hope that his surveillance video backs up such a claim .
This , on the other hand , is not going to stand up as a self-defense case .
A woman in a wheelchair got attacked by rioters , but that might have to do with the knife she allegedly used to attack rioters herself ( via Twitchy ) : Just to review : Self defense can not apply in cases where the conflict was initiated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s as true for the McMichaels in the Arbery case as it is here , in which this woman apparently appointed herself as the police of Target .
Mayor Jacob Frey appealled for calm , but his earlier demand might have stoked these passions : “ Please , please , Minneapolis , ” an emotional Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told a Star Tribune reporter just before midnight .
“ We can not let tragedy beget more tragedy .
The activity around Lake and Hiawatha is now unsafe .
Please , help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes , we ’ re reeling , ” he continued .
“ I understand the anger and pain , and we need the public ’ s help in keeping the peace tonight .
We need that in order to get through this together .
“ I love our city .
I know our residents do too , and we need to be doing everything possible to not have one tragedy beget more.
” Frey , however , unnecessarily raised expectations in demanding that police arrest Office Derek Chauvin for Floyd ’ s death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the center of at least three investigations into Floyd ’ s death , the specific cause of which has yet to be determined .
Frey ’ s call for an arrest is at best premature , and at worst pandering to demonstrators in a manner sure to raise unrealistic expectations .
What did Frey think would happen when the arrest didn ’ t take place ?
Based on what has been seen so far , people in Minneapolis are right to be angry about Floyd ’ s death .
They are right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police department that finds itself in too many of these kinds of cases , especially lately .
However , calm comes from leadership that doesn ’ t set irrational expectations or panders to the hysteria , and that ’ s not just elected leadership , either .
The one bright spot in the video above is the gentleman who stops a looter by chiding him and shaming him back into productive behavior .
If we had more leadership like that in Minneapolis , we ’ d not see the city burning at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be alive , for that matter .
Leadership is also on the mind of my friend John Hinderaker , who writes at Power Line that we should wait to see all the evidence before reaching conclusions .
He also reminds readers about the nature of leadership in Minneapolis for the last few generations : But there is one point no one seems to be making .
The City of Minneapolis has been governed exclusively by liberals for decades .
The current mayor , Jacob Frey , who was quick to denounce his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Minneapolis City Council consists of Democrats and Green Party members who think the Democrats are not radical enough .
Under left-wing leadership , Minneapolis has been governed abysmally for a long time .
Its police department is but one part of an incompetently governed city .
The issue isn ’ t actually one of race .
The last Minneapolis Police Department killing that made international news was the shooting of Justine Damond ( white ) by Mohamed Noor ( African-American ) for no apparent reason .
The MPD has long been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African-American .
The issue isn ’ t racism , it is incompetence .
A rational person might ask : given that Minneapolis has been governed by liberal Democrats for decades , and is now a mess in a multitude of ways , including the fact that its police department has been involved in one fiasco after another , why don ’ t we try something different ?
Why don ’ t we go back to electing Republicans , as we did decades ago ?
When Republicans governed Minneapolis , it was generally regarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarkably crime-free .
Isn ’ t it time to draw the curtain on decades of failed leadership , exemplified by underqualified leftists like the current Boy Mayor , Jacob Frey ?
One final point : The Minneapolis PD has a pretty bad track record overall in such cases , but the last two did result in prosecutions of police officers for wrongful use of lethal force resulting in homicide .
The jury acquitted in the Philando Castile case , in what appeared to be a very bad decision from the outside looking in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury , not the prosecution .
Noor got convicted of murder in the Damond shooting .
At least recently , the system has worked , so why not give it a chance to work this time , too ?
That ’ s what real leaders would be saying right now .

“It’s just too dangerous for us to be there right now,” WCCO’s Jeff Wagner reported last night. While protesters surrounded the Minneapolis police department’s 3rd Precinct for the second straight night to demand action after the death of George Floyd, others looted nearby stores and set fire to the Autozone across from the precinct. The National Guard got called out to replace police for crowd control:
One person got shot to death in the chaos, although the circumstances of that homicide are not yet fully clear. The shooter turned out to be a local business owner who thought his victim was a looter:
Minneapolis shuddered with violence overnight Wednesday, as rioters ignited fires and looted stores all over the city, standing in stark contrast to the mostly peaceful protests outside of a South Side police station over the police killing of George Floyd. Early Thursday, city and law enforcement officials were still tallying the full toll of the night, which saw at least five people struck by gunfire, one fatally when the owner of a pawn shop opened fire on a man he believed was burglarizing his business. Dozens of businesses were either looted or torched, or both, mostly in the area of Minnehaha Avenue and E. Lake Street, but also along business corridors on the city’s North and South sides. … It’s not clear how many arrests police made throughout the night. In the fatal shooting, a 59-year-old man was booked into the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of murder, according to online jail records. Department sources say the suspect shot a man whom he assumed was trying to loot Cadillac Pawn & Jewelry, at 1538 E. Lake St. — about a mile west of the main protest site. The victim, whose identity hasn’t yet been released, died later at a nearby hospital.
Was the victim looting? There was certainly plenty of looting going on last night, not just in the 3rd Precinct area but across the city. If so, then the shooter might have had good reason to fear for his life, and thus would have a potential defense against any charges brought. Self-defense in the middle of a riot won’t be a tough sell, but the shop owner had better hope that his surveillance video backs up such a claim.
This, on the other hand, is not going to stand up as a self-defense case. A woman in a wheelchair got attacked by rioters, but that might have to do with the knife she allegedly used to attack rioters herself (via Twitchy):
At the Target in Minneapolis that was being looted tonight during the BLM riot, a woman in a wheelchair was attacked. pic.twitter.com/JxsXTB30xI — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) May 28, 2020
Just to review: Self defense cannot apply in cases where the conflict was initiated by the person making the claim. That’s as true for the McMichaels in the Arbery case as it is here, in which this woman apparently appointed herself as the police of Target.
Mayor Jacob Frey appealled for calm, but his earlier demand might have stoked these passions:
“Please, please, Minneapolis,” an emotional Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told a Star Tribune reporter just before midnight. “We cannot let tragedy beget more tragedy. The activity around Lake and Hiawatha is now unsafe. Please, help us keep the peace. … “Yes, we’re reeling,” he continued. “I understand the anger and pain, and we need the public’s help in keeping the peace tonight. We need that in order to get through this together. “I love our city. I know our residents do too, and we need to be doing everything possible to not have one tragedy beget more.”
Frey, however, unnecessarily raised expectations in demanding that police arrest Office Derek Chauvin for Floyd’s death. Chauvin and three other officers are at the center of at least three investigations into Floyd’s death, the specific cause of which has yet to be determined. Frey’s call for an arrest is at best premature, and at worst pandering to demonstrators in a manner sure to raise unrealistic expectations. What did Frey think would happen when the arrest didn’t take place?
Based on what has been seen so far, people in Minneapolis are right to be angry about Floyd’s death. They are right to demonstrate for accountability and change in a police department that finds itself in too many of these kinds of cases, especially lately. However, calm comes from leadership that doesn’t set irrational expectations or panders to the hysteria, and that’s not just elected leadership, either. The one bright spot in the video above is the gentleman who stops a looter by chiding him and shaming him back into productive behavior. If we had more leadership like that in Minneapolis, we’d not see the city burning at all — and George Floyd might still be alive, for that matter.
Leadership is also on the mind of my friend John Hinderaker, who writes at Power Line that we should wait to see all the evidence before reaching conclusions. He also reminds readers about the nature of leadership in Minneapolis for the last few generations:
But there is one point no one seems to be making. The City of Minneapolis has been governed exclusively by liberals for decades. The current mayor, Jacob Frey, who was quick to denounce his own police department, is a left-wing Democrat. The Minneapolis City Council consists of Democrats and Green Party members who think the Democrats are not radical enough. Under left-wing leadership, Minneapolis has been governed abysmally for a long time. Its police department is but one part of an incompetently governed city. The issue isn’t actually one of race. The last Minneapolis Police Department killing that made international news was the shooting of Justine Damond (white) by Mohamed Noor (African-American) for no apparent reason. The MPD has long been troubled, and its current Chief is African-American. The issue isn’t racism, it is incompetence. A rational person might ask: given that Minneapolis has been governed by liberal Democrats for decades, and is now a mess in a multitude of ways, including the fact that its police department has been involved in one fiasco after another, why don’t we try something different? Why don’t we go back to electing Republicans, as we did decades ago? When Republicans governed Minneapolis, it was generally regarded as a model city–prosperous, progressive and remarkably crime-free. Isn’t it time to draw the curtain on decades of failed leadership, exemplified by underqualified leftists like the current Boy Mayor, Jacob Frey?
One final point: The Minneapolis PD has a pretty bad track record overall in such cases, but the last two did result in prosecutions of police officers for wrongful use of lethal force resulting in homicide. The jury acquitted in the Philando Castile case, in what appeared to be a very bad decision from the outside looking in, but that’s on the jury, not the prosecution. Noor got convicted of murder in the Damond shooting. At least recently, the system has worked, so why not give it a chance to work this time, too? That’s what real leaders would be saying right now.