vox--2020-05-29--Oh great, now we’re running out of bikes

Last week , I realized my decade-old Mongoose bike was falling apart .
Its brakes honked like an aggrieved bird , and the back frame had bent enough that a repair shop called it a significant safety issue .
So , anticipating several months of traveling by bike , I started to call my local shops to see what was available .
It didn ’ t take long for me to realize I was not alone in seeking out a new mode of transportation for the pandemic .
When I finally found a store that had a bike in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one left , and it was still being assembled .
The bike shop owners told me they ’ d never seen sales like this and were struggling to get more supply .
This struck me as peculiar , since I ’ ve now also come across viral videos of bikes being put out of service and dropped in a dumpster : It turns out the bike situation is complicated .
Bike shops are running out of bikes , and at least one bike-share company is shredding some of its inventory .
Jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are featured above , sent thousands of its e-bikes and scooters to be recycled in early May — Uber has said they were old and had safety issues — while others have been transferred to the e-scooter company Lime , in which Uber recently made a sizable $ 170 million investment .
Still , bikes have quickly become one of the best ways for many people to get around .
Across the country , many bike shops have been classified as essential businesses , and some delivery workers who have continued to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to travel from place to place .
Meanwhile , others have turned to bike-share programs like CitiBike , a service operated by Lyft , which is offering free memberships to front-line workers .
Warmer weather and the reopening of various businesses throughout the United States has more people looking to buy bicycles , so much so that bike shops are now worried about running out of stock .
The NPD Group , a market research firm , estimates that the cycling business has seen sales rise by more than 30 percent since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for adult lifestyle bikes more than doubled in March , while sales for transit and mountain bikes also grew that month .
Meanwhile , some cities are making room for an anticipated surge in cyclists , adding extra bike lines while closing off entire streets to cars .
It ’ s unclear how long the bike shortage will last or whether peoples ’ transportation habits are really changing forever .
In the meantime , we ’ ve broken down what got us to this point .
As the US began to shut down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing its shops and customers for a dip in business .
Even when bike stores were declared essential businesses , they prepared to adjust their shops for social distancing , expecting only a limited amount of traffic .
Then , in the first week of April , web visits to the Trek website started spiking , and the company ’ s brand director , Eric Bjorling , noticed that the number of people searching for local bikes shops was growing .
“ We thought that might be an anomaly ” Bjorling told Recode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening.
” Now , he says , sales are booming .
“ Lo and behold , we ’ re in the midst of one of the biggest bike booms in the United States ’ history , ” Bjorling said .
But just because people are looking for bikes doesn ’ t mean they ’ re available .
Jenn Dice , the chief operating officer of PeopleforBikes , a bike advocacy organization , says that bike shops will typically order more bikes based on their sales from the year before and their pre-existing inventory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , many of the factories in Asia — which Bjorling calls the “ center of the supply chain ” — shut down due to the pandemic .
These factories produce not only fully assembled bikes but also bike components , like tires , wheels , and handlebars .
So when they closed down , the supply of all kinds of bike-related goods coming into the US plummeted .
On top of all that , China ’ s tariff battle with the Trump administration had already disrupted bike manufacturing as some companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
“ Probably about 90 to 95 percent of our US bikes come from China , and with Chinese New Year and with coronavirus , everything was shut down for weeks , ” says Dice .
“ That , of course , delayed production , and it took a long time to get back up and running.
” Bjorling also bemoaned the factory shutdowns in China but remains optimistic about future production .
“ The nice little silver lining to that is those factories have been up and running , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the way.
” Others were more cautious .
Mehdi Farsi , the co-founder of the Arizona-based Bicycle Co. , says his company already sold out all of its preorders for June .
The bikes people were purchasing in May , he says , would have been produced back in February or January .
“ The lead time for most bike manufacturers — at least in our case — is 90 to 120 days when things are up and running , ” Farsi said .
Imbert Jimenez , the head of Master Bike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with shortages , especially for more affordable models .
“ The only bike you can get is over $ 2,000 , ” Jimenez said .
He added that getting new stock will be “ almost impossible ” and likely won ’ t happen until September or October .
Meanwhile , increased interest in biking also has bike shops struggling to keep up demand for maintenance services .
Master Bike Shop currently has a 10-day backlog of repairs .
How people are using bike shares is changing Bike-share companies don ’ t appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new customers as bike shops .
Many are still recovering from the negative impact of stay-at-home and social distancing measures , and are still looking out for how the pandemic could shift how people travel around cities .
It ’ s possible that people prefer to buy their own bikes because they ’ re fearful of touching a bike that ’ s used by strangers , though companies had also promised to improve sanitation amid the pandemic .
For now , the numbers don ’ t look good .
A Lyft spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 1.7 million rides on Citi Bikes in April 2019 , there were fewer than 700,000 in April this year .
The year-over-year comparison in ridership is similar for May , though demand seems to be rebounding somewhat .
There are signs of distress elsewhere in the micromobility industry .
A company called Zagster is pulling its bikes out of several communities across the country , including from smaller cities in Colorado , Georgia , Virginia , and Wisconsin .
Meanwhile , the scooter companies Lime and Bird have , together , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then there ’ s Jump by Uber .
Earlier this week , video on social media spread of the company ’ s signature red bikes being loaded into a dumpster in North Carolina , frustrating bike advocates .
The situation was a bit more complicated than Jump just trashing a bunch of bikes .
In early May , Uber invested $ 140 million in Lime and , as part of the deal , transferred the Jump division to Lime .
“ As part of our recent deal , Lime took possession of tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and scooters , ” an Uber spokesperson told Recode .
“ We explored donating the remaining , older-model bikes , but given many significant issues — including maintenance , liability , safety concerns , and a lack of consumer-grade charging equipment — we decided the best approach was to responsibly recycle them.
” Meanwhile , Jump service has been suspended in many cities , and in some places it ’ s unclear if their bikes will ever return to use .
According to a report from the Washington Post earlier this month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so markets , which is a fraction of the 120 markets where its bikes are normally available .
Lime told Recode on Friday that it ’ s now operating in 50 markets , and it has since relaunched Jump bikes in Denver and plans to launch Jump bikes in other cities as well .
When asked whether a more permanent shift to work from home could threaten the company ’ s long-term business model , David Spielfogel , chief policy officer at Lime , told Recode that he wasn ’ t worried .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from our first few weeks suggests that people are probably relying on micromobility even more now to run their daily activities , ” Spielfogel said .
So , if you want to take a ride this weekend , your best bet might be a bike-share program .
That is , of course , assuming you don ’ t live in a city that recently got abandoned by these sometimes struggling companies .
But if you ’ re still looking to buy your own bike , Bjorling recommends getting in touch with your local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as there might be a wait .
There ’ s also nothing wrong with buying a used bike off Craigslist or just repairing your rusty old bike if it ’ s still workable .
“ That ’ s just a great way to kind of get up and riding while you ’ re waiting for a new bike , “ Bjorling says .
“ The worst thing that can happen to a bike is if it just sits unused in a garage.
“ Open Sourced is made possible by Omidyar Network .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced by our journalists .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

Last week, I realized my decade-old Mongoose bike was falling apart. Its brakes honked like an aggrieved bird, and the back frame had bent enough that a repair shop called it a significant safety issue. So, anticipating several months of traveling by bike, I started to call my local shops to see what was available.
It didn’t take long for me to realize I was not alone in seeking out a new mode of transportation for the pandemic. When I finally found a store that had a bike in my price range and size, there was just one left, and it was still being assembled. The bike shop owners told me they’d never seen sales like this and were struggling to get more supply.
This struck me as peculiar, since I’ve now also come across viral videos of bikes being put out of service and dropped in a dumpster:
Heard the decision may lie with @limebike instead of @JUMPbyUber. Maybe someone has a contact that can see value in a better outcome? Keep the message going! #CreateChange #SenselessWaste #BikesForKids pic.twitter.com/TeMIpQ1hi3 — Cris Moffitt (@CrisMoffitt) May 27, 2020
It turns out the bike situation is complicated. Bike shops are running out of bikes, and at least one bike-share company is shredding some of its inventory. Jump by Uber, the company whose bikes are featured above, sent thousands of its e-bikes and scooters to be recycled in early May — Uber has said they were old and had safety issues — while others have been transferred to the e-scooter company Lime, in which Uber recently made a sizable $170 million investment.
Still, bikes have quickly become one of the best ways for many people to get around. Across the country, many bike shops have been classified as essential businesses, and some delivery workers who have continued to work during pandemic have used bikes and e-bikes to travel from place to place. Meanwhile, others have turned to bike-share programs like CitiBike, a service operated by Lyft, which is offering free memberships to front-line workers.
Warmer weather and the reopening of various businesses throughout the United States has more people looking to buy bicycles, so much so that bike shops are now worried about running out of stock. The NPD Group, a market research firm, estimates that the cycling business has seen sales rise by more than 30 percent since the first quarter of this year. Sales for adult lifestyle bikes more than doubled in March, while sales for transit and mountain bikes also grew that month. Meanwhile, some cities are making room for an anticipated surge in cyclists, adding extra bike lines while closing off entire streets to cars.
It’s unclear how long the bike shortage will last or whether peoples’ transportation habits are really changing forever. In the meantime, we’ve broken down what got us to this point.
The bike supply chain wasn’t prepared
As the US began to shut down earlier this year, Trek Bikes began preparing its shops and customers for a dip in business. Even when bike stores were declared essential businesses, they prepared to adjust their shops for social distancing, expecting only a limited amount of traffic. Then, in the first week of April, web visits to the Trek website started spiking, and the company’s brand director, Eric Bjorling, noticed that the number of people searching for local bikes shops was growing.
“We thought that might be an anomaly” Bjorling told Recode. “But then it just kept happening.”
Now, he says, sales are booming.
“Lo and behold, we’re in the midst of one of the biggest bike booms in the United States’ history,” Bjorling said.
But just because people are looking for bikes doesn’t mean they’re available. Jenn Dice, the chief operating officer of PeopleforBikes, a bike advocacy organization, says that bike shops will typically order more bikes based on their sales from the year before and their pre-existing inventory. No one had anticipated a pandemic.
Meanwhile, many of the factories in Asia — which Bjorling calls the “center of the supply chain” — shut down due to the pandemic. These factories produce not only fully assembled bikes but also bike components, like tires, wheels, and handlebars. So when they closed down, the supply of all kinds of bike-related goods coming into the US plummeted. On top of all that, China’s tariff battle with the Trump administration had already disrupted bike manufacturing as some companies looked to move production out of the country.
“Probably about 90 to 95 percent of our US bikes come from China, and with Chinese New Year and with coronavirus, everything was shut down for weeks,” says Dice. “That, of course, delayed production, and it took a long time to get back up and running.”
Bjorling also bemoaned the factory shutdowns in China but remains optimistic about future production. “The nice little silver lining to that is those factories have been up and running,” he said, “and those bikes are on the way.”
Others were more cautious. Mehdi Farsi, the co-founder of the Arizona-based Bicycle Co., says his company already sold out all of its preorders for June. The bikes people were purchasing in May, he says, would have been produced back in February or January.
“The lead time for most bike manufacturers — at least in our case — is 90 to 120 days when things are up and running,” Farsi said.
Imbert Jimenez, the head of Master Bike Shop in Manhattan, is also dealing with shortages, especially for more affordable models.
“The only bike you can get is over $2,000,” Jimenez said. He added that getting new stock will be “almost impossible” and likely won’t happen until September or October.
Meanwhile, increased interest in biking also has bike shops struggling to keep up demand for maintenance services. Master Bike Shop currently has a 10-day backlog of repairs.
How people are using bike shares is changing
Bike-share companies don’t appear to be seeing quite the same enthusiastic rush of new customers as bike shops. Many are still recovering from the negative impact of stay-at-home and social distancing measures, and are still looking out for how the pandemic could shift how people travel around cities. It’s possible that people prefer to buy their own bikes because they’re fearful of touching a bike that’s used by strangers, though companies had also promised to improve sanitation amid the pandemic.
For now, the numbers don’t look good. A Lyft spokesperson told Recode that, while there were more than 1.7 million rides on Citi Bikes in April 2019, there were fewer than 700,000 in April this year. The year-over-year comparison in ridership is similar for May, though demand seems to be rebounding somewhat.
There are signs of distress elsewhere in the micromobility industry. A company called Zagster is pulling its bikes out of several communities across the country, including from smaller cities in Colorado, Georgia, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the scooter companies Lime and Bird have, together, laid off hundreds of workers.
And then there’s Jump by Uber. Earlier this week, video on social media spread of the company’s signature red bikes being loaded into a dumpster in North Carolina, frustrating bike advocates. The situation was a bit more complicated than Jump just trashing a bunch of bikes. In early May, Uber invested $140 million in Lime and, as part of the deal, transferred the Jump division to Lime.
“As part of our recent deal, Lime took possession of tens of thousands of new model Jump bikes and scooters,” an Uber spokesperson told Recode. “We explored donating the remaining, older-model bikes, but given many significant issues — including maintenance, liability, safety concerns, and a lack of consumer-grade charging equipment — we decided the best approach was to responsibly recycle them.”
Meanwhile, Jump service has been suspended in many cities, and in some places it’s unclear if their bikes will ever return to use. According to a report from the Washington Post earlier this month, Lime was operating in only 20 or so markets, which is a fraction of the 120 markets where its bikes are normally available. Lime told Recode on Friday that it’s now operating in 50 markets, and it has since relaunched Jump bikes in Denver and plans to launch Jump bikes in other cities as well.
When asked whether a more permanent shift to work from home could threaten the company’s long-term business model, David Spielfogel, chief policy officer at Lime, told Recode that he wasn’t worried.
“The data we’re seeing from our first few weeks suggests that people are probably relying on micromobility even more now to run their daily activities,” Spielfogel said.
So, if you want to take a ride this weekend, your best bet might be a bike-share program. That is, of course, assuming you don’t live in a city that recently got abandoned by these sometimes struggling companies.
But if you’re still looking to buy your own bike, Bjorling recommends getting in touch with your local bike shop as soon as you can as there might be a wait. There’s also nothing wrong with buying a used bike off Craigslist or just repairing your rusty old bike if it’s still workable.
“That’s just a great way to kind of get up and riding while you’re waiting for a new bike,“ Bjorling says. “The worst thing that can happen to a bike is if it just sits unused in a garage.“
Open Sourced is made possible by Omidyar Network. All Open Sourced content is editorially independent and produced by our journalists.


vox--2020-05-30--The vulnerability of the quarantine Zoom book club

Welcome to Vox ’ s weekly book link roundup , a curated selection of the internet ’ s best writing on books and related subjects .
This has been a very difficult week .
I am very sorry that we are living in a country where we have to deal with the police killing black people while we are also all trying to deal with a pandemic .
It is all quite A Lot .
Books can help when times are extremely A Lot .
They can help us rest , so that when we return to dealing with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re better prepared .
They can also educate us and nourish our minds , which will also help us walk through the world more thoughtfully .
And so , to help us get in a reading frame of mind , here is the best online writing on books and related subjects for the week of May 24 , 2020 .
• At the New York Times , Gal Beckerman explains why she has become so fascinated with Zoom book clubs under quarantine .
( Did I mention we have a book club ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was so much vulnerability on display in these video conferences .
But that ’ s what reading together is , a deeply vulnerable act .
To capture what you love ( or don ’ t love ) about a book , you have to be attuned to your own interiority — the way a collection of words hits you — and then you give it to others , never sure if these feelings will be shared or slapped away .
• Also at the paper of record , the Gray Lady , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-depth on the fanfiction trope of the omegaverse .
It turns out there ’ s a lot going on there in the erotica community that could have interesting reverberations for copyright law : The specific fanfic universe that spawned the Cain-Ellis dispute emerged about a decade ago , when devotees of the CW drama “ Supernatural ” began writing stories in which its two lead actors are lovers .
One would be the dominant alpha male .
The other man would be a feminized omega , often with the ability to become impregnated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canine , and then lupine , sex stuff got mixed in .
The premise was wildly popular , and tropes were rapidly adopted by writers in other fandoms , including NBC ’ s “ Hannibal ” and MTV ’ s “ Teen Wolf.
” The sprawling body of work that followed came to be known as the Omegaverse , with its own rules , plot elements and terminology .
• In Interview Magazine , Judy Blume interviews Curtis Sittenfeld about her new book Rodham .
It ’ s a surprisingly perfect fit because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that it contains explicit sex scenes between Hillary and Bill , which , of course , is a choice Judy Blume has opinions on : SITTENFELD : I have to say , really and truly , everything I know about writing about sex I learned from Judy Blume .
Really .
It ’ s actually fascinating to me to hear you say , “ We both write about sex and it ’ s no big deal.
” Why is it such a big deal to other people ?
Do you feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time answering the question of why you include sex ?
BLUME : Maybe long ago .
With Forever [ 1975 ] or even Margaret [ Are You There God , It ’ s Me Margaret ?
, 1970 ] .
Margaret used to be banned .
SITTENFELD : In the future , whenever anyone asks me , I want to be like , “ As Judy said , it ’ s no big deal.
” • At the HuffPost , Claire Fallon looks into how publishing is trying to survive the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s life .
Recommended especially for this timeless description of Instagram : • Sarah Jackson of New York ’ s McNally-Jackson bookstores writes at the Times that the biggest threat to her business isn ’ t stay-at-home orders .
It ’ s runaway rents : When you think about it , this violates everything we think we know about free markets .
From 2007 to 2017 , vacant retail space roughly doubled , according to a report by the New York City Comptroller ’ s Office .
Logic would dictate that rents would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space , wouldn ’ t you lower the rent ?
But in fact , in Manhattan , retail rents rose by 22 percent in that period , according to the report .
• At Electric Lit , Halimah Marcus , Brandon Taylor , and Erin Bartnett break down the appeal of the first person plural narrator : Part of what builds tension in the first person plural story is that the reader can ’ t really trust the narrators—it ’ s an inherently uneasy perspective .
A common pitfall in these stories occurs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” as an unknowable , omniscient teller .
By making them anonymous , they absolve them of responsibility .
Stories that pull off the narrative “ we ” shape the narrators as they would any other character .
They engage with the limits of what the group can do and can know .
• There ’ s a new New York publishing house entering the fray : Astra Books , a subsidiary of a Beijing-based publishing giant .
At the LA Times , Ed Nawotka investigates the possibility that China ’ s entrée @ @ @ @ @ @ @ censorship : Does Chinese investment portend more self-censorship ?
People working in the film business will tell you it certainly has .
Chinese money has flooded Hollywood and brought some visible changes to certain movies — more Chinese heroes and settings , fewer dialogue-heavy scenes and , perhaps most importantly , less criticism of China .
Writers and producers are sometimes made to sign agreements not to disparage the Chinese government , even privately .
The NBA too has had to walk a fine line to secure business with China .
• At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this year ’ s The Best American Travel Writing , muses on what travel writing looks like when you can ’ t go anywhere : I ’ ve been thinking a lot about the strange travel books British writers produced in the decades between the two World Wars .
A time of serious upheaval and disruption to travel—a complete breakdown of what had been the narrative of journeying .
The great travel writing of that era , books such as D.H. Lawrence ’ s Sea and Sardinia , Graham Greene ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Black Lamb and Grey Falcon , began to explore new forms .
The itineraries , trips to Italy or Africa or the Balkans , were similar to previous generations ’ , but the writers began employing Modernist techniques borrowed from fiction and poetry : fragmentation , collage , juxtaposition , dialogue-driven scenes .
• At Bookforum , Lauren Oyler considers the problem of morality in contemporary fiction : These novels resemble performances more than tutorials .
If the author was once God , creating worlds over which he had total control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under the terms of popular , social-media-inflected criticism , she is now judge and jury , examining works for their political content and assessing the moral goodness of the author in the process .
The novels that have resulted feature writers who are wildly self-conscious about both the thing they spend all their time doing and what that says about the essence of their souls .
• J.K. Rowling is serializing a middle-grade fairy tale called The Ickabog online , Publisher ’ s Weekly reports .
It is a cute story !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who talk about her transphobia , so I guess she is truly keeping busy .
And here ’ s the week in books at Vox : • Inconceivable !
The Vox Book Club is reading The Princess Bride in June .
• Ask a Book Critic : Books to read when you ’ re losing your purpose • Why a manual by a control freak is the best thing to read when the world is out of control

Welcome to Vox’s weekly book link roundup, a curated selection of the internet’s best writing on books and related subjects.
This has been a very difficult week. I am very sorry that we are living in a country where we have to deal with the police killing black people while we are also all trying to deal with a pandemic. It is all quite A Lot.
Books can help when times are extremely A Lot. They can help us rest, so that when we return to dealing with the rest of the world, we’re better prepared. They can also educate us and nourish our minds, which will also help us walk through the world more thoughtfully. And so, to help us get in a reading frame of mind, here is the best online writing on books and related subjects for the week of May 24, 2020.
At the New York Times, Gal Beckerman explains why she has become so fascinated with Zoom book clubs under quarantine. (Did I mention we have a book club? Join our book club!)
There was so much vulnerability on display in these video conferences. But that’s what reading together is, a deeply vulnerable act. To capture what you love (or don’t love) about a book, you have to be attuned to your own interiority — the way a collection of words hits you — and then you give it to others, never sure if these feelings will be shared or slapped away.
Also at the paper of record, the Gray Lady, the NYT herself, is Alexandra Alter going in-depth on the fanfiction trope of the omegaverse. It turns out there’s a lot going on there in the erotica community that could have interesting reverberations for copyright law:
The specific fanfic universe that spawned the Cain-Ellis dispute emerged about a decade ago, when devotees of the CW drama “Supernatural” began writing stories in which its two lead actors are lovers. One would be the dominant alpha male. The other man would be a feminized omega, often with the ability to become impregnated — a trope known as MPreg. Canine, and then lupine, sex stuff got mixed in. The premise was wildly popular, and tropes were rapidly adopted by writers in other fandoms, including NBC’s “Hannibal” and MTV’s “Teen Wolf.” The sprawling body of work that followed came to be known as the Omegaverse, with its own rules, plot elements and terminology.
In Interview Magazine, Judy Blume interviews Curtis Sittenfeld about her new book Rodham. It’s a surprisingly perfect fit because part of the big scandal about Rodham is that it contains explicit sex scenes between Hillary and Bill, which, of course, is a choice Judy Blume has opinions on:
SITTENFELD: I have to say, really and truly, everything I know about writing about sex I learned from Judy Blume. Really. It’s actually fascinating to me to hear you say, “We both write about sex and it’s no big deal.” Why is it such a big deal to other people? Do you feel like you’ve spent a lot of time answering the question of why you include sex? BLUME: Maybe long ago. With Forever [1975] or even Margaret [Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?, 1970]. Margaret used to be banned. SITTENFELD: In the future, whenever anyone asks me, I want to be like, “As Judy said, it’s no big deal.”
At the HuffPost, Claire Fallon looks into how publishing is trying to survive the pandemic, across every stage of a book’s life. Recommended especially for this timeless description of Instagram:
Authors have banded together to leverage already-powerful platforms for bookselling, like Instagram, which is home to numerous book influencers with high follower counts. “Instagram is basically a flea market with porn and fitness tips and needless brags,” Arceneaux said, “but it sells a lot of books.”
Sarah Jackson of New York’s McNally-Jackson bookstores writes at the Times that the biggest threat to her business isn’t stay-at-home orders. It’s runaway rents:
When you think about it, this violates everything we think we know about free markets. From 2007 to 2017, vacant retail space roughly doubled, according to a report by the New York City Comptroller’s Office. Logic would dictate that rents would drop — if no one wants your space, wouldn’t you lower the rent? But in fact, in Manhattan, retail rents rose by 22 percent in that period, according to the report.
At Electric Lit, Halimah Marcus, Brandon Taylor, and Erin Bartnett break down the appeal of the first person plural narrator:
Part of what builds tension in the first person plural story is that the reader can’t really trust the narrators—it’s an inherently uneasy perspective. A common pitfall in these stories occurs when the author constructs the “we” as an unknowable, omniscient teller. By making them anonymous, they absolve them of responsibility. Stories that pull off the narrative “we” shape the narrators as they would any other character. They engage with the limits of what the group can do and can know.
There’s a new New York publishing house entering the fray: Astra Books, a subsidiary of a Beijing-based publishing giant. At the LA Times, Ed Nawotka investigates the possibility that China’s entrée into American publishing might lead to increased censorship:
Does Chinese investment portend more self-censorship? People working in the film business will tell you it certainly has. Chinese money has flooded Hollywood and brought some visible changes to certain movies — more Chinese heroes and settings, fewer dialogue-heavy scenes and, perhaps most importantly, less criticism of China. Writers and producers are sometimes made to sign agreements not to disparage the Chinese government, even privately. The NBA too has had to walk a fine line to secure business with China.
At Guernica, Jason Wilson, the editor of this year’s The Best American Travel Writing, muses on what travel writing looks like when you can’t go anywhere:
I’ve been thinking a lot about the strange travel books British writers produced in the decades between the two World Wars. A time of serious upheaval and disruption to travel—a complete breakdown of what had been the narrative of journeying. The great travel writing of that era, books such as D.H. Lawrence’s Sea and Sardinia, Graham Greene’s Journey Without Maps, or Rebecca West’s Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, began to explore new forms. The itineraries, trips to Italy or Africa or the Balkans, were similar to previous generations’, but the writers began employing Modernist techniques borrowed from fiction and poetry: fragmentation, collage, juxtaposition, dialogue-driven scenes.
At Bookforum, Lauren Oyler considers the problem of morality in contemporary fiction:
These novels resemble performances more than tutorials. If the author was once God, creating worlds over which he had total control, the reader has usurped this position. Under the terms of popular, social-media-inflected criticism, she is now judge and jury, examining works for their political content and assessing the moral goodness of the author in the process. The novels that have resulted feature writers who are wildly self-conscious about both the thing they spend all their time doing and what that says about the essence of their souls.
J.K. Rowling is serializing a middle-grade fairy tale called The Ickabog online, Publisher’s Weekly reports. It is a cute story! Rowling has also started threatening to sue people who talk about her transphobia, so I guess she is truly keeping busy.
And here’s the week in books at Vox:
Happy reading!


vox--2020-05-30--What we know about the nationwide protests

Protests over the police killing of George Floyd , and the larger problem of racial prejudice in American criminal justice , spread across the country on Friday night and continued Saturday .
Demonstrators turned out in Minneapolis and in Atlanta .
They rallied in Los Angeles and New York City , and in Louisville , Kentucky , where 26-year-old Breonna Taylor , an emergency medical technician , was recently shot and killed in her own apartment .
A man was shot in Detroit during protests there Friday , according to the Detroit Free Press .
The National Guard is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violence , property damage , and arrests .
Cities around the country have imposed curfews .
The nation , already tense after months of coronavirus-induced lockdowns , faces another pivotal moment in its long-running story of racial discrimination and state-sanctioned violence .
The protests are united by their theme and the grievances being aired , but each is also a distinct local incident .
It ’ s a lot to keep track of .
Here ’ s what we know about Saturday ’ s protests : • As protests over Floyd ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have called on the National Guard , according to CNN : Colorado , Georgia , Kentucky , Minnesota , Ohio , Utah , and Wisconsin , plus Washington DC .
• Other cities , including Atlanta , Cleveland ; Columbus , Ohio ; Denver , Los Angeles , Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , Portland , Seattle , and the entire state of Minnesota are under curfews , according to NBC .
• Three people in a pickup truck drove into a group of protesters in Tallahassee , Florida , on Saturday .
Mayor John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were injured , but none seriously , and that the driver was apprehended by police .
• An unidentified man thought to be a protester was killed by a FedEx truck in St. Louis , Missouri , early Saturday morning .
Officials believe the man was caught by one of the truck ’ s tires , NBC News reports .
• Columbus , Ohio , was placed under a 10 pm curfew Saturday following a day of largely peaceful protests that occasionally led to clashes with police .
State and local lawmakers said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confrontation .
• Other cities in Ohio , including Cincinnati , saw similar Saturday afternoon protests , with thousands demonstrating across the state .
• In Washington , DC , temporary barricades near the White House were breached Saturday evening as protesters scaled Secret Service vehicles and a security booth , NBC News reports .
At least once during Saturday ’ s White House protest , police dispersed a crowd with batons and pepper spray .
• In Chicago , where more than 3,000 demonstrators gathered , police and protesters clashed Saturday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poles and threw glass bottles at police officers , according to the Chicago Tribune .
Here ’ s what we know about Friday ’ s protests : • Despite an 8 pm curfew set on Friday night , protesters turned out in Minneapolis again to protest Floyd ’ s killing by a local police officer .
• While many protesters remained nonviolent , some businesses were set on fire .
Shots were reportedly fired at police officers , while police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowds , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walz has deploying the state ’ s National Guard in an attempt to contain the unrest .
• St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said on Saturday morning that he had been told every single person who was arrested in his city on Friday night was from outside the state , according to CBS .
However , on Saturday , the local Fox News affiliate reported that jail records show the “ overwhelming majority ” of those arrested in connection with the unrest had Minnesota addresses .
• A 19-year-old man was shot and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of demonstrations happening there .
It was not immediately clear what the motive for the killing was , according to CNN .
• About 40 people were arrested in Detroit in connection with the ongoing protests .
The police chief said most of them did not actually live in the area , according to the Detroit News .
• In Atlanta , an originally peaceful protest culminated at CNN headquarters , where protesters broke windows and threw things at police , according to CNN .
An Atlanta Police Department precinct is also located @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN headquarters .
• In Washington , DC , hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House ; some protesters removed temporary barriers that had been set up to keep demonstrators far back from the presidential residence , and clashed with the Secret Service late into the night , according to the Washington Post .
Agents made six arrests , but no demonstrators came close to the 13-foot security fence surrounding the White House , let alone to storming the presidential mansion .
• On Saturday , President Trump warned on Twitter that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House fence , they would have been met by “ the most vicious dogs , and most ominous weapons ” and seemed to urge his own supporters to come out .
• More than 500 people were arrested in Los Angeles Friday night during the demonstrations ; at least four police officers were injured , according to the Los Angeles Times .
Police said a number of businesses had been vandalized or looted but could not give an exact count .
• In San Jose , California , protesters temporarily shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
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vox--2020-05-30--Minnesota governor and mayors blame out-of-state agitators for violence and destruction

Governors and mayors in states across the country where protests flared Friday night say a small number of demonstrators , and in some cases out-of-state agitators , are responsible for escalating the events with violence and property damage .
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the protesters “ are coming in largely from outside of the city , from outside of the region , to prey on everything we have built over the last several decades.
” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said every person who was arrested in the city Friday night was from out of state .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ Last night is a mockery of pretending this is about George Floyd ’ s death or inequities or historical traumas to communities of color , ” said Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz on Saturday .
He estimated as much as 80 percent of those destroying property in the cities aren ’ t locals .
The Star Tribune reported that officials made 40 arrests Friday night in the Twin Cities primarily for burglary , breaking curfew and destruction of property , and that the local jail log showed people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Missouri , and Alaska .
Other local reports put the number between 36 and 69 — and note their investigations into the matter do not support the assertions of local officials .
According to reporting by Theo Keith at Minneapolis ’ s Fox 9 , 84 percent of those arrested had local addresses ; Brandon Stahl of the city ’ s KARE 11 reports 86 percent of those arrested Friday night ( and Saturday morning ) were local .
John Elder , a spokesperson for the Minneapolis police department , told both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people often give false addresses , and that preliminary investigations have revealed arrest records in other states for a number of those currently in custody .
Walz has promised the data analyzed by state officials to arrive at the conclusions shared during the conference will be made public — that set may be larger or categorized differently than that reviewed by Fox 9 and KARE , explaining the apparent discrepancy .
It ’ s not yet clear whether this is the case .
Concerns over violence come as Minnesota prepares to increase National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state prepares to deploy the full Minnesota National Guard , which law enforcement has said would be the first time such action has been taken since World War II .
Seven hundred soldiers had already been deployed in the cities and another 1,000 are expected .
Thousands of demonstrators have protested peacefully in the Twin Cities since Monday , when Floyd was killed by former police officer Derek Chauvin during an arrest in Minneapolis .
Chauvin handcuffed and pinned Floyd down over reported suspicions Floyd passed a counterfeit $ 20 bill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media .
Chauvin knelt on Floyd ’ s neck , holding him to the ground , as he struggled and yelled , “ I can ’ t breathe.
” Onlookers begged Chauvin and three other former officers on the scene to relent as Floyd became unresponsive and was later pronounced dead .
Protesters in Minneapolis and around the country have marched peacefully following Floyd ’ s death , chanting some of Floyd ’ s final words , “ I can ’ t breathe , ” and holding signs demanding an end to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , protests have devolved into violent clashes with police who have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters , burning and breaking into buildings , and destroying police cars .
A top public safety official in Minneapolis estimated Saturday that tens of thousands of people have been involved in the protests that have overwhelmed local police forces .
During large protests like those unfolding in Minneapolis , it ’ s not uncommon for actors with different agendas to take advantage of chaotic moments .
As Jason Johnson , a politics and journalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , anarchists and “ opportunistic criminals ” often take advantage of these moments to break into stores or sow chaos .
They are usually dwarfed by peaceful protesters who march to demand action against longstanding issues with racial bias from police and can be differentiated from people he described as “ revolutionaries ” who target places like police precincts and big-box stores that can be symbols of oppression .
Fires can also be started by police , whose tear gas canisters can remain hot for hours after they ’ ve been launched , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The protests over Floyd ’ s death have once again sparked conversation over what is the right way to protest and what will actually cause change .
However they proceed , protesters in Minneapolis and elsewhere will likely continue to take to the streets to express pent-up anger over long-term racial disparities in treatment from law enforcement as systemic problems persist .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

Governors and mayors in states across the country where protests flared Friday night say a small number of demonstrators, and in some cases out-of-state agitators, are responsible for escalating the events with violence and property damage.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the protesters “are coming in largely from outside of the city, from outside of the region, to prey on everything we have built over the last several decades.”
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said every person who was arrested in the city Friday night was from out of state. “We don’t know these folks,” he said.
Carter later had to walk back his comments, saying he later learned the arrest data was “inaccurate.” But he wasn’t the only official in the state who blamed the violence on outsiders.
“Last night is a mockery of pretending this is about George Floyd’s death or inequities or historical traumas to communities of color,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday. He estimated as much as 80 percent of those destroying property in the cities were not locals.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter: "Every single person we arrested last night, I'm told, was from out of state." pic.twitter.com/VxvZ8ayZRF — NBC News (@NBCNews) May 30, 2020
The Star Tribune reported that officials made 40 arrests Friday night in the Twin Cities primarily for burglary, breaking curfew and destruction of property, and that the local jail log showed people booked from Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, and Alaska.
Other local reports put the number between 36 and 69 — and note their investigations into the matter do not support the assertions of local officials.
According to reporting by Theo Keith at Minneapolis’s Fox 9, 84 percent of those arrested had local addresses; Brandon Stahl of the city’s KARE 11 reports 86 percent of those arrested Friday night (and Saturday morning) were local. John Elder, a spokesperson for the Minneapolis police department, told both outlets his department has found that arrested people often give false addresses, and that preliminary investigations have revealed arrest records in other states for a number of those currently in custody.
Walz has promised the data analyzed by state officials to arrive at the conclusions shared during the conference will be made public. It’s not yet clear whether such data could explain the discrepancy.
Concerns over violence come as Minnesota prepares to increase National Guard presence
Officials’ comments came as the state prepares to deploy the full Minnesota National Guard, which law enforcement has said would be the first time such action has been taken since World War II. Seven hundred soldiers had already been deployed in the cities and another 1,000 are expected.
Thousands of demonstrators have protested peacefully in the Twin Cities since Monday, when Floyd was killed by former police officer Derek Chauvin during an arrest in Minneapolis. Chauvin handcuffed and pinned Floyd down over reported suspicions Floyd passed a counterfeit $20 bill, with the incident recorded and shared widely on social media. Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck, holding him to the ground, as he struggled and yelled, “I can’t breathe.” Onlookers begged Chauvin and three other former officers on the scene to relent as Floyd became unresponsive and was later pronounced dead.
Protesters in Minneapolis and around the country have marched peacefully following Floyd’s death, chanting some of Floyd’s final words, “I can’t breathe,” and holding signs demanding an end to police brutality.
But in many cities, protests have devolved into violent clashes with police who have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters, burning and breaking into buildings, and destroying police cars. A top public safety official in Minneapolis estimated Saturday that tens of thousands of people have been involved in the protests that have overwhelmed local police forces.
During large protests like those unfolding in Minneapolis, it’s not uncommon for actors with different agendas to take advantage of chaotic moments.
As Jason Johnson, a politics and journalism professor at Morgan State University, argued, anarchists and “opportunistic criminals” often take advantage of these moments to break into stores or sow chaos.
They are usually dwarfed by peaceful protesters who march to demand action against longstanding issues with racial bias from police and can be differentiated from people he described as “revolutionaries” who target places like police precincts and big-box stores that can be symbols of oppression. Fires can also be started by police, whose tear gas canisters can remain hot for hours after they’ve been launched, and who have thrown emergency flares.
The protests over Floyd’s death have once again sparked conversation over what is the right way to protest and what will actually cause change. However they proceed, protesters in Minneapolis and elsewhere will likely continue to take to the streets to express pent-up anger over long-term racial disparities in treatment from law enforcement as systemic problems persist.
Update, May 31, 1 am ET: This article has been updated with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter’s comments revising his earlier assertion on out-of-state arrests.


vox--2020-05-30--George Floyd’s killing and the ensuing protests, explained

The death of George Floyd , an unarmed 46-year-old black man killed by police during an arrest in Minneapolis , Minnesota , has sparked protests across the country .
It has reignited a centuries-long conversation around racism in America and the horrendous ways black people are often treated by police .
And it came amid a pandemic that is disproportionately impacting people of color .
On Monday , May 25 , Floyd , who had recently lost his job as a restaurant bouncer due to coronavirus-related closures , died after being pinned down under a police officer ’ s knee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Derek Chauvin , ignored Floyd ’ s pleas of distress as three other officers looked on as bystanders begged Chauvin to remove his knee from Floyd ’ s neck .
A video taken by a bystander and posted online spread quickly on social media .
It shows that by the time Chauvin stopped holding Floyd down , he was silent and motionless .
According to a criminal complaint filed against Chauvin , an officer on the scene checked for Floyd ’ s pulse before Chauvin removed his knee , and could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead at a local hospital .
Chauvin and the three other officers involved in the incident were fired on Tuesday , and on Friday , Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter .
The incident has rightly prompted outrage across the country , and thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Minneapolis — and in cities across America .
While many of these protests have been peaceful , some have turned violent , with police clashes , burning buildings , and looting .
The protests have been focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has been acutely painful for people of color .
The coronavirus crisis has disproportionately affected black and Latino Americans , who have become sick and died of Covid-19 at higher rates than whites .
The economic turmoil brought on by stay at home measures has also hit people of color especially hard — they ’ ve lost more jobs , and they were less likely to be financially stable in the first place .
Add to that a cascade of headlines of black Americans whose lives have been cut short by white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Breonna Taylor , Ahmaud Arbery , and , most recently , Floyd .
As Americans were grappling with these tragic headlines , a video of a white woman feigning an attack by a black man bird-watching in New York ’ s Central Park after he asked her to leash her dog went viral .
It was a reminder that beyond concerns over state violence , systematic racism creates potentially dangerous situations for black Americans doing even the most mundane things .
The protests spawned by the deaths of Floyd and others is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States — the deaths of Trayvon Martin , Michael Brown , Sandra Bland , and countless others have led to significant public outcry in recent years .
Four years before Floyd ’ s fatal arrest in Minneapolis , Philando Castile was shot to death during a traffic stop in a nearby Minnesota suburb .
Floyd told the officer who kept his knee on his neck , “ I can ’ t breathe , ” echoing the words of Eric Garner who died after being held in a chokehold in a police encounter in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels like we ’ ve seen this crisis before , it ’ s because we have .
And still so many things haven ’ t changed .
Floyd died on Monday ; Chauvin was charged on Friday Floyd grew up in Houston and moved to Minneapolis in 2014 to look for work , according to CBS Minnesota .
He got a position as a security guard at a Salvation Army store downtown , and then later began to work two jobs as a truck driver and a bouncer .
He had a six-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mother .
In the weeks before his death , he ’ d been laid off due to Minnesota ’ s stay-at-home order .
Vox ’ s Catherine Kim explained the circumstances of his May 25 encounter with police following a purchase at a convenience store , and , ultimately , his death , as shown by video footage captured of the incident : The four officers involved were fired on Tuesday , May 26 , and the next day , Mayor Frey called for Chauvin to face criminal charges .
Local officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s death “ as expeditiously , as thoroughly , and as completely as justice demands ” and asked for patience from the public .
On Friday , Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter and the Justice Department said it would investigate Floyd ’ s death as well .
Chauvin ’ s wife has filed for divorce , and his bail has been set at $ 500,000 .
The day the officers involved were fired , the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis said in a statement that all video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for waiting on the medical examiner ’ s report .
“ Officers ’ actions and training protocol will be carefully examined after the officers have provided their statements , ” the federation said .
According to the criminal complaint against Chauvin released on Friday , Chauvin had his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds , including for two minutes and 53 seconds for which Floyd was “ non-responsive.
” Office J.A .
Keung — another of the four officers fired — tried to find Floyd ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and could not .
The county medical examiner ’ s preliminary autopsy findings say that there were “ no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation ” and said that the “ combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police , his underlying health conditions , and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.
” Floyd ’ s family is seeking an independent autopsy .
The reaction to Floyd ’ s death has been massive The public reaction to Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politicians , celebrities , athletes , and multiple other public figures have spoken out .
Former President Barack Obama released a lengthy statement calling for the country to work for a “ new normal ” for black Americans .
“ This shouldn ’ t be normal in 2020 America , ” he wrote .
Former Vice President Joe Biden called the moment a “ national crisis ” and one that necessitates “ leadership that will bring everyone to the table so we can take measures to root out systemic racism.
” President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s family and said that he spoke with them .
Even members of law enforcement spoke out condemning the circumstances in which Floyd was killed .
“ To be honest with you , it was very difficult to watch , ” Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith told local news outlet WBCR .
He continued , “ It degrades the trust in all law enforcement not just one area .
When things like this happen , it spreads throughout the country .
It makes all of us go back and check our relationships and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right way.
” Protests have been ignited in Minneapolis — and across the country — as people express their outrage not only about Floyd ’ s death , but about the underlying racism and inequality that renders being black in America dangerous , particularly at the hands of police .
Minneapolis has seen days of unrest .
There have been a number of peaceful protests , but some businesses there have also been looted , including Target and TJMaxx ; other businesses have been vandalized , and police stations and other buildings burnt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as local officials have asked the public for peace .
The governor has called for the full mobilization of the Minnesota National Guard .
Uprisings have also spread across the country .
On Friday , protests in Atlanta grew tense and violent — cars were set ablaze , and windows at the CNN building were smashed in .
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms pleaded with protesters for calm : “ If you care about this city , then go home , ” she said at a press conference .
Rapper Killer Mike , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference , struck a similar tone .
“ I am duty-bound to be here to simply say that it is your duty not to burn down your own house for anger with an enemy , ” he said .
Protesters and police also clashed in Brooklyn on Friday evening .
Cars were set fire and windshields were smashed and both protesters and police were harmed .
According to ABC 7 , there were more than 200 arrests reported .
Some disturbing videos emerged online of the evening , including one of an officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another of a police car hitting a protester with a car door .
In San Jose , Miami , Chicago , Dallas , and dozens of cities across the country , protests and arrests are taking place .
Crowds of protesters have gathered outside of the White House as well .
In Louisville , police officers shot pepper balls at a reporter .
Some of the details of the protests have been a little bit murky .
Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz on Saturday said that about 80 percent of the Minneapolis protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mayor Frey said many people protesting are not from the city as well .
There has been some suggestion white supremacists or cartels may be involved , but that hasn ’ t been confirmed .
“ Let ’ s be very clear , the situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd , ” Walz said on Saturday .
New York Public Advocate Jumaane Williams , who took part in the Brooklyn , New York , protests on Friday , noted that he saw “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation .
“ That decision should not be yours to make , ” he warned .
He also spoke out about the “ heavy police presence ” at the outset of the protests on Friday , before anyone was outside .
“ We are dealing with people who are grieving and who are angry .
The response to that can not be a show of force , ” he said .
Some states have mobilized the National Guard to respond , and mayors have enacted curfews to try to tamp down demonstrations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be at stemming the protests — a Friday night curfew in Minneapolis was ignored by many , for example .
President Trump isn ’ t exactly helping the situation .
Overnight on Thursday , Trump tweeted out an apparent threat to protesters declaring , “ When the looting starts , the shooting starts ” that mirrored language used by segregationist law enforcement officials during the civil rights era .
In the same tweet , the president called demonstrators “ THUGS.
” Twitter put a warning on the tweet saying it glorifies violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s battle with the social media platform .
Trump later walked back the tweet , saying he was trying to warn that looting could lead to shootings because it intensifies the situation .
Into the weekend , the president weighed in online on the protests , suggesting they ’ re driven by antifascists and the “ Radical Left , ” and lashing out at CNN for its coverage of the demonstrations .
He also commended the Secret Service for protecting him from White House protests — and suggested Saturday night should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” This isn ’ t about the protests , it ’ s about what the protests are about Beyond the debates about the tactics demonstrators are using and who is and isn ’ t involved , there is a much deeper issue here that must remain in focus : the way black people are treated in the United States .
As Vox ’ s Dylan Scott put it , violent protests aren ’ t the story right now , police violence is : As Scott lays out , there are countless data points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistreated by law enforcement .
Black men have 1 in 1,000 odds of being killed by the police .
Black people are twice as likely as whites to be pulled over by police , and they ’ re likelier to be searched .
When they ’ re murdered , their murders are less likely to be solved .
They ’ re sent to prison more often , and they are given longer prison sentences .
And for black Americans , these aren ’ t data points — they are real and lived situations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparities are not just limited to criminal justice .
Inequities are present in so many aspects of American life .
Just look at the coronavirus crisis : the disease is disproportionately sickening and killing people of color , and it ’ s hitting in areas where minorities live harder .
That ’ s true in Minnesota , where Floyd lived .
Women of color are disproportionately essential workers who are putting themselves at risk , often for low-paid jobs with no health insurance .
Black and Hispanic people are likelier to be laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s what happened to Floyd .
In the flurry of news around the protests of Floyd ’ s death , on top of everything else , it can be easy to lose sight of the real problem : The centuries of racism in the bedrock of American society continue to do enormous damage .
And that damage is borne in large part by black Americans .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution @ @ @ @

The death of George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old black man killed by police during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has sparked protests across the country. It has reignited a centuries-long conversation around racism in America and the horrendous ways black people are often treated by police. And it came amid a pandemic that is disproportionately impacting people of color.
On May 25, Floyd, who had recently lost his job as a restaurant bouncer due to coronavirus-related closures, died after being pinned down under a police officer’s knee for several minutes. That officer, Derek Chauvin, ignored Floyd’s pleas of distress as three other officers looked on and bystanders begged Chauvin to remove his knee from Floyd’s neck.
A video taken by a bystander and posted online spread quickly on social media. It shows that by the time Chauvin stopped holding Floyd down, he was silent and motionless. According to a criminal complaint filed against Chauvin, an officer on the scene checked for Floyd’s pulse before Chauvin removed his knee and could not find it. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Chauvin and the three other officers involved in the incident were fired on Tuesday, May 26, and on Friday, May 29, Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. On June 3, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison elevated the charges to second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and the three other officers involved were charged with aiding and abetting murder. Chauvin’s bail has been set at at least $1 million.
The incident has rightly prompted outrage across the country, and thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Minneapolis — and in cities across the country and the world. While many of these protests have been peaceful, some have turned violent, with police clashes, burning buildings, and looting.
The protests have been focused on policing, but come during a 2020 that has been acutely painful for people of color. The coronavirus crisis has disproportionately affected black and Latino Americans, who have become sick and died of Covid-19 at higher rates than whites. The economic turmoil brought on by stay-at-home measures has also hit people of color especially hard — they’ve lost more jobs, and they were less likely to be financially stable in the first place.
Add to that a cascade of headlines of black Americans whose lives have been cut short by white violence and by police in recent weeks — Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and, most recently, Floyd. As Americans were grappling with these tragic headlines, a video went viral of a white woman feigning her life was being threatened by a black man bird-watching in New York’s Central Park after he asked her to leash her dog. It was a reminder that beyond concerns over state violence, systematic racism creates potentially dangerous situations for black Americans doing even the most mundane things.
The protests spawned by the deaths of Floyd and others are hardly a new development in the United States — the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, and countless others have led to significant public outcry in recent years. Four years before Floyd’s fatal arrest in Minneapolis, Philando Castile was shot to death during a traffic stop in a nearby Minnesota suburb. Floyd told the officer who kept his knee on his neck, “I can’t breathe,” echoing the words of Eric Garner who died after being held in a chokehold in a police encounter in New York in 2014.
If it feels like we’ve seen this crisis before, it’s because we have. And still so many things haven’t changed.
Floyd died on a Monday; Chauvin was charged the following Friday
Floyd grew up in Houston and moved to Minneapolis in 2014 to look for work, according to CBS Minnesota. He got a position as a security guard at a Salvation Army store downtown, and then later began to work two jobs as a truck driver and a bouncer. He had a 6-year-old daughter who still lives in Houston with her mother. In the weeks before his death, he’d been laid off due to Minnesota’s stay-at-home order.
Vox’s Catherine Kim explained the circumstances of his May 25 encounter with police following a purchase at a convenience store and, ultimately, his death, as shown by video footage captured of the incident:
Although the video doesn’t capture the moments leading to the arrest, the Minneapolis Police Department said they were responding to a call that a man was trying to use a $20 counterfeit bill, according to the Star Tribune. In a statement, the police department said officers arrived at the scene to find Floyd — who matched the description of the suspect — sitting on a car and appearing to be intoxicated. They added that Floyd physically resisted the police and seemed to be “suffering medical distress,” which is why they had called for an ambulance. The police’s excessive use of force seemingly has no excuse: The department does not permit the technique that was used to pin Floyd’s head to the ground, according to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
The four officers involved were fired on Tuesday, May 26, and the next day, Mayor Frey called for Chauvin to face criminal charges. Local officials on Thursday said they were investigating Floyd’s death “as expeditiously, as thoroughly, and as completely as justice demands” and asked for patience from the public. At the end of the week, Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, and the Justice Department said it would investigate Floyd’s death as well. Chauvin’s wife filed for divorce. The next week, the charges were elevated to second-degree murder.
The day the officers involved were fired, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis said in a statement that all video of the incident should be reviewed, and called for waiting on the medical examiner’s report. “Officers’ actions and training protocol will be carefully examined after the officers have provided their statements,” the federation said.
According to the criminal complaint against Chauvin, the officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, including two minutes and 53 seconds during which Floyd was “non-responsive.” Officer J.A. Keung — another of the four officers fired — tried to find Floyd’s pulse shortly after he became unresponsive, and could not.
Autopsies performed by the county medical examiner and an independent medical examiner commissioned by Floyd’s family ruled homicide as the cause of death, but some details of their determinations differ. The Hennepin County medical examiner said Floyd died of “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.” The independent autopsy determined that he died of asphyxia.
Chauvin and Floyd appear to have worked together as nightclub security guards. Floyd’s family has suggested that they believe Chauvin knew who Floyd was and think the killing was partly personal.
The delay in charges against the other officers involved in Floyd’s death was cause for consternation. On May 31, George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, in an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon said the other officers should also be in jail. “They’re at home right now sleeping in their bed, relaxing,” he said. “[Chauvin’s] in jail, he’s only one. The other three need to be in there. My brother — he’s in the morgue. That’s not right. I want justice now. He deserves that.”
The network then connected him with Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, who was speaking to CNN reporter Sara Sidner at a protest. She asked him whether the other officers would be arrested.
“Being silent or not intervening — to me, you’re complicit. So I don’t see a level of distinction any different,” Arradondo said. “So obviously the charging and those decisions will have to come through our county attorney’s office. Certainly, the FBI is investigating that. But to the Floyd family, I want you to know that my decision to fire all four officers was not based on some sort of hierarchy. Mr. Floyd died in our hands.”
The three other officers were later charged with aiding in the killing. The Minneapolis City Council has also begun debating the future of the city’s police department and is weighing ways to disband and rebuild its law enforcement and public safety apparatus.
The reaction to Floyd’s death has been massive
The public reaction to Floyd’s death has been swift and enormous.
Politicians, celebrities, athletes, and multiple other public figures have spoken out. A few days after Floyd’s death, former President Barack Obama released a lengthy statement calling for the country to work for a “new normal” for black Americans. “This shouldn’t be normal in 2020 America,” he wrote. He also made a lengthy post on Medium about the way forward and delivered public remarks about police brutality, violence, and protests at a town hall.
My statement on the death of George Floyd: pic.twitter.com/Hg1k9JHT6R — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 29, 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden called the moment a “national crisis” and one that necessitates “leadership that will bring everyone to the table so we can take measures to root out systemic racism.” President Donald Trump expressed his condolences to Floyd’s family and said he spoke with them, though he has fanned the flames of division during the protests.
Even members of law enforcement spoke out condemning the circumstances in which Floyd was killed. “To be honest with you, it was very difficult to watch,” Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith told local news outlet WBRC. He continued, “It degrades the trust in all law enforcement, not just one area. When things like this happen, it spreads throughout the country. It makes all of us go back and check our relationships and make sure we are doing things the right way.”
Protests have been ignited in Minneapolis — and across the country — as people express their outrage not only about Floyd’s death, but about the underlying racism and inequality that renders being black in America dangerous, particularly at the hands of police.
Minneapolis has seen days of unrest. There have been a number of peaceful protests, but some businesses there have been looted and vandalized, and police stations and other buildings burned down. Demonstrations have become increasingly volatile as local officials have asked the public for peace. The governor called for the full mobilization of the Minnesota National Guard.
Uprisings have also spread across the country. Protests in Atlanta became tense and destructive — cars were set ablaze, and windows at the CNN building were smashed in. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms pleaded with protesters for calm: “If you care about this city, then go home,” she said at a press conference on May 29.
Rapper Killer Mike, in a speech at the same press conference, struck a similar tone. “I am duty-bound to be here to simply say that it is your duty not to burn down your own house for anger with an enemy,” he said.
Protesters and police have also clashed in New York City. Cars were set on fire and windshields were smashed, and both protesters and police were harmed. According to ABC 7, there were more than 200 arrests reported in a single night. In San Jose, California, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, DC and multiple cities and small towns across the country, protests and arrests are taking place. Crowds of protesters have gathered outside of the White House as well, and at one point, law enforcement released tear gas on peaceful demonstrators so the president could have a photo op. Police and even some protesters have targeted journalists covering the demonstrations.
Disturbing videos of police violence emerged online, including one of an officer pushing a woman to the ground in Brooklyn and another of officers pushing a 75-year-old man to the ground and then walking past him as he bleeds from his head in Buffalo, New York.
Some of the details of the protests have been a little bit murky, including whether some protesters who destroyed property traveled from other areas. There has been some suggestion that white supremacists, cartels, or other bad actors may be involved, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who has taken part in protests in the city, in late May noted he saw “non-black allies in particular” escalating the situation. “That decision should not be yours to make,” he warned. He also spoke out about the “heavy police presence” at the outset of some protests, before anyone has even been outside. “We are dealing with people who are grieving and who are angry. The response to that cannot be a show of force,” he said.
Some states have mobilized the National Guard to respond, and mayors have enacted curfews to try to tamp down demonstrations. It is not clear how effective these will be at stemming the protests. New York City ended its curfew early.
President Trump isn’t helping the situation. At one point, Trump tweeted out an apparent threat to protesters declaring, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” mirroring language used by segregationist law enforcement officials during the civil rights era. In the same tweet, the president called demonstrators “THUGS.” Twitter put a warning on the tweet saying it glorifies violence, fueling the fire of the president’s battle with the social media platform.
Trump later walked back the tweet, saying he was trying to warn that looting could lead to shootings because it intensifies the situation.
The president has continued to weigh in on the protests, suggesting they’re driven by antifascists and the “Radical Left,” and lashing out at the media for its coverage of the demonstrations. He also commended the Secret Service for protecting him from White House protests — and suggested one Saturday night should be “MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE.” He has blamed demonstrations on antifa and sought to cast protesters as terrorists, in a call with governors urging “retribution” and saying the country is perceived as “weak.” He floated a conspiracy theory that the 75-year-old Buffalo man knocked over by police was an antifa “provocateur.”
The professionally managed so-called “protesters” at the White House had little to do with the memory of George Floyd. They were just there to cause trouble. The @SecretService handled them easily. Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE??? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
This isn’t about the protests, it’s about what the protests are about
Beyond the debates about the tactics demonstrators are using and who is and isn’t involved, there is a much deeper issue here that must remain in focus: the way black people are treated in the United States.
As Vox’s Dylan Scott put it, violent protests aren’t the story right now, police violence is:
Of course the protests are about George Floyd’s death. Political leaders fear violence at the protests — and any destruction of property or bodily harm is, of course, worrisome — but their concerns actually demonstrate the fundamental asymmetry that the protesters are pushing back against. The state has a monopoly on legitimate violence, and it is often directed at young black people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice — the list goes on. When they die, the police officers responsible too frequently face no repercussions because they are protected by the law. If the men who killed George Floyd go to prison for their actions, they will be exceptions that prove that longstanding rule.
As Scott lays out, there are countless data points on how black Americans are targeted and mistreated by law enforcement. Black men have 1 in 1,000 odds of being killed by the police. Black people are twice as likely as whites to be pulled over by police, and they’re likelier to be searched. When they’re murdered, their murders are less likely to be solved. They’re sent to prison more often, and they are given longer prison sentences.
And for black Americans, these aren’t data points — they are real and lived situations each and every day.
And racial disparities are not just limited to criminal justice. Inequities are present in so many aspects of American life. Just look at the coronavirus crisis: The disease is disproportionately sickening and killing people of color, and it’s hitting in areas where minorities live harder. That’s true in Minnesota, where Floyd lived. Women of color are disproportionately essential workers who are putting themselves at risk, often for low-paid jobs with no health insurance. Black and Hispanic people are likelier to be laid off or furloughed during the pandemic. That’s what happened to Floyd.
In the flurry of news around the protests of Floyd’s death, on top of everything else, it can be easy to lose sight of the real problem: The centuries of racism in the bedrock of American society continue to do enormous damage. And that damage is borne in large part by black Americans.


vox--2020-05-30--Trump threatens protesters with “vicious dogs.” Some note they’ve seen that before.

President Donald Trump praised the Secret Service for their handling of a protest outside the White House Friday night and said if demonstrators had gotten closer to the residence they would have been met with “ vicious dogs ” and “ ominous weapons ” — violent imagery that Trump ’ s critics point out were tactics used against civil rights protesters in the 1960s .
The White House protest was one of many nationwide , in response to police brutality and racism , that broke out Friday night in the wake of the death of George Floyd , a black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officer during an arrest in Minneapolis on Monday .
Demonstrators didn ’ t come close to breaching the White House fence , Trump tweeted on Saturday morning , but if they had , “ they would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs , and the most ominous weapons.
” “ That ’ s when people would have been really badly hurt , at least , ” he wrote .
Trump also said the Secret Service agents stationed to protect him were “ just waiting for action ” and , seemingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ‘ We put the young ones on the front line , sir , they love it , and good practice.
’ ” Later that morning , he accused the White House protesters of being “ professionally managed ” and seemed to call for a counter-protest Saturday evening : “ Tonight , I understand , is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE ?
?
?
” Asked whether he was stoking racial tensions by pushing for a counter-demonstration , Trump refuted the suggestion .
“ MAGA is make America great again .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have no idea if they ’ re going to be here .
I was just asking , ” he said , Politico reported .
“ By the way , they love African American people .
They love black people.
” Many responded Saturday by pointing out the similarities between Trump ’ s “ vicious dogs ” threat and law enforcement response to people of color demonstrating for civil rights in the 1960s , when police used canine units to break up peaceful protests .
It ’ s not the first time Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaction to Floyd ’ s death .
Criticizing Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and property damage incurred in the wake of protests in a tweet on Thursday night , Trump wrote “ when the looting starts , the shooting starts.
” Twitter flagged the tweet for violating the site ’ s rules against glorifying violence .
The quote has a history of connection to racist policies .
In 1967 , then-Miami police chief Walter Headley infamously used it while describing a brutal policing tactic his force planned to employ to stop crime in black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told WBUR that Headley may have picked up the term from the segregationist public safety commissioner of Birmingham , Alabama , Eugene “ Bull ” Connor .
Connor set police dogs and fire hoses against black protesters in the 1960s .
Trump walked back the tweet on Friday , writing that his statement was “ spoken as a fact , not as a statement ” and was intended to explain why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis during the unrest on Wednesday night .
Many took Trump ’ s second tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear message that he was attempting to increase racial divisions as the protests continue across the country .
Washington , DC Mayor Muriel Bowser , whom Trump falsely accused of not allowing local police to intervene in the protest outside the White House , urged the nation to “ exercise great restraint even while this President continues to try to divide us.
” Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

President Donald Trump praised the Secret Service for their handling of a protest outside the White House Friday night and said if demonstrators had gotten closer to the residence they would have been met with “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons” — violent imagery that Trump’s critics point out were tactics used against civil rights protesters in the 1960s.
The White House protest was one of many nationwide, in response to police brutality and racism, that broke out Friday night in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed by a white police officer during an arrest in Minneapolis on Monday.
Demonstrators didn’t come close to breaching the White House fence, Trump tweeted on Saturday morning, but if they had, “they would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and the most ominous weapons.”
“That’s when people would have been really badly hurt, at least,” he wrote.
....have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen. That’s when people would have been really badly hurt, at least. Many Secret Service agents just waiting for action. “We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
Trump also said the Secret Service agents stationed to protect him were “just waiting for action” and, seemingly quoting a Secret Service official, wrote “‘We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and good practice.’”
Later that morning, he accused the White House protesters of being “professionally managed” and seemed to call for a counter-protest Saturday evening: “Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???”
Asked whether he was stoking racial tensions by pushing for a counter-demonstration, Trump refuted the suggestion.
“MAGA is make America great again. These are people that love our country. I have no idea if they’re going to be here. I was just asking,” he said, Politico reported. “By the way, they love African American people. They love black people.”
Many responded Saturday by pointing out the similarities between Trump’s “vicious dogs” threat and law enforcement response to people of color demonstrating for civil rights in the 1960s, when police used canine units to break up peaceful protests.
Yesterday, 46-1 quoted a racist Miami cop from the 60s, threatening to shoot Black people: “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.“
Today, he bragged that if protesters breached the WH fence they would’ve had “the most vicious dogs“ sicced on them, like the good ole days. pic.twitter.com/kn2a7xQBHw — Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) May 30, 2020
It’s not the first time Trump has invoked civil rights-era imagery in discussing reaction to Floyd’s death. Criticizing Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and property damage incurred in the wake of protests in a tweet on Thursday night, Trump wrote “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Twitter flagged the tweet for violating the site’s rules against glorifying violence.
The quote has a history of connection to racist policies.
In 1967, then-Miami police chief Walter Headley infamously used it while describing a brutal policing tactic his force planned to employ to stop crime in black neighborhoods.
Clarence Lusane of Howard University told WBUR that Headley may have picked up the term from the segregationist public safety commissioner of Birmingham, Alabama, Eugene “Bull” Connor. Connor set police dogs and fire hoses against black protesters in the 1960s.
Trump walked back the tweet on Friday, writing that his statement was “spoken as a fact, not as a statement” and was intended to explain why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis during the unrest on Wednesday night.
Many took Trump’s second tweet referencing civil rights-era police brutality to be a clear message that he was attempting to increase racial divisions as the protests continue across the country.
Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, whom Trump falsely accused of not allowing local police to intervene in the protest outside the White House, urged the nation to “exercise great restraint even while this President continues to try to divide us.”


vox--2020-05-30--Trump’s claim that DC police didn’t protect the White House from protesters is false

President Donald Trump claimed that police in Washington , DC , didn ’ t help the Secret Service defend the White House during the George Floyd protests on Friday night .
But based on statements from both the Secret Service and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser , it looks like Trump flatly lied .
Thousands have taken to the streets across the country this week in response to the death of Floyd , a 46-year-old black man who died Monday after a Minneapolis police officer pinned him by the neck with his knee for more than seven minutes .
On Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House , with some protesters trying to remove temporary barriers that had been set up to keep demonstrators far back from the presidential residence , and scuffling with the Secret Service .
Agents made six arrests , and no demonstrators even came close to the 13-foot security fence surrounding the White House , let alone to storming the presidential mansion .
The next morning , as part of a Twitter thread mocking demonstrators and praising his security team , Trump accused DC Mayor Muriel Bowser — whom he alleged is “ always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of having refused to allow DC police to assist the Secret Service agents in protecting the White House .
It ’ d be quite the scandal if that were true , as DC police have often helped secure the president and government officials .
And if Trump personally asked for assistance and Bowser told him to shove off , she could be accused of putting her animosity toward the president ahead of her duties .
But the only real scandal here seems to be that Trump is once again playing fast and loose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the president ’ s tweet , the Secret Service released a statement describing how it had defended the White House from some “ violent ” protesters .
The statement clearly notes that “ The Metropolitan Police Department ” — that is , DC police — “ and the US Park Police were on the scene.
” While the Secret Service regularly issues public statements , including through its Twitter account , it ’ s highly unusual for such statements to directly contradict the president .
About an hour after the Secret Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press conference alongside DC Police Chief Peter Newsham in which she addressed Trump ’ s tweet .
“ My police department in Washington , DC , will always protect DC and all who live and visit here .
In fact , that ’ s exactly what we did yesterday and last night , ” she said .
“ No one needed to ask the Metropolitan Police Department to get involved because we were already involved .
Our police were doing their jobs from the start.
” It ’ s worth noting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly deny having had a conversation with Trump .
So it ’ s Trump ’ s word against that of both the Secret Service and the mayor of Washington , DC .
Based on that alone , it looks like Trump needlessly made another false statement — at a time when clarity from the president is most needed .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

President Donald Trump claimed that police in Washington, DC, didn’t help the Secret Service defend the White House during the George Floyd protests on Friday night.
But based on statements from both the Secret Service and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, it looks like Trump flatly lied.
Thousands have taken to the streets across the country this week in response to the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died Monday after a Minneapolis police officer pinned him by the neck with his knee for more than seven minutes.
On Friday, a demonstration took place near the White House, with some protesters trying to remove temporary barriers that had been set up to keep demonstrators far back from the presidential residence, and scuffling with the Secret Service. Agents made six arrests, and no demonstrators even came close to the 13-foot security fence surrounding the White House, let alone to storming the presidential mansion.
The next morning, as part of a Twitter thread mocking demonstrators and praising his security team, Trump accused DC Mayor Muriel Bowser — whom he alleged is “always looking for money & help” — of having refused to allow DC police to assist the Secret Service agents in protecting the White House.
....good practice.” As you saw last night, they were very cool & very professional. Never let it get out of hand. Thank you! On the bad side, the D.C. Mayor, @MurielBowser, who is always looking for money & help, wouldn’t let the D.C. Police get involved. “Not their job.” Nice! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
It’d be quite the scandal if that were true, as DC police have often helped secure the president and government officials. And if Trump personally asked for assistance and Bowser told him to shove off, she could be accused of putting her animosity toward the president ahead of her duties.
But the only real scandal here seems to be that Trump is once again playing fast and loose with the truth.
About four hours after the president’s tweet, the Secret Service released a statement describing how it had defended the White House from some “violent” protesters. The statement clearly notes that “The Metropolitan Police Department” — that is, DC police — “and the US Park Police were on the scene.”
Secret Service statement on Pennsylvania Avenue demonstrations: pic.twitter.com/ZaTtG9iCkR — U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) May 30, 2020
While the Secret Service regularly issues public statements, including through its Twitter account, it’s highly unusual for such statements to directly contradict the president.
About an hour after the Secret Service statement came out, Mayor Bowser held a press conference alongside DC Police Chief Peter Newsham in which she addressed Trump’s tweet.
“My police department in Washington, DC, will always protect DC and all who live and visit here. In fact, that’s exactly what we did yesterday and last night,” she said. “No one needed to ask the Metropolitan Police Department to get involved because we were already involved. Our police were doing their jobs from the start.”
It’s worth noting, however, that Bowser didn’t directly deny having had a conversation with Trump.
Mayor Bowser Provides Situational Update for May 30th https://t.co/XoCSz13SGo — Mayor Muriel Bowser #StayHomeDC (@MayorBowser) May 30, 2020
So it’s Trump’s word against that of both the Secret Service and the mayor of Washington, DC. Based on that alone, it looks like Trump needlessly made another false statement — at a time when clarity from the president is most needed.