Antifa, explained

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained

President Donald Trump seems convinced that there is a scary conspiracy lurking in the protests for racial justice sweeping the nation: that antifa, a militant left-wing anarchist movement, is taking advantage of the demonstrations to burn the country down.

Over the past week, he has blamed looting on antifa in tweets, fundraising emails, and public appearances. He has used them to cast the protest movement as a fundamentally violent affair, claiming in a Monday address that “our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists, looters, criminals, antifa and others.” He has repeatedly vowed to officially label antifa a terrorist group, putting it on a federal list alongside al-Qaeda and ISIS.

 While there is undoubtedly an antifa presence at some of the recent protests, there is no reason to believe that antifa is responsible for their (occasional) turns toward violence. Internal FBI assessments and protest-related court documents tell a consistent story: Antifa members are not responsible for the unrest.

Dozens of Republicans urge Trump not to cut number of US troops in Germany

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/09/politics/republicans-trump-troops-germany/index.html?iid=ob_article_organicsidebar_expansion

"We strongly believe that NATO allies, such as Germany, should do more to contribute to our joint defense efforts. At the same time, we also know that the forward stationing of American troops since the end of World War II has helped to prevent another world war and, most importantly, has helped make America safer," the lawmakers wrote.

"In Europe, the threats posed by Russia have not lessened, and we believe that signs of a weakened US commitment to NATO will encourage further Russian aggression and opportunism. In addition, the overall limit on troops would prevent us from conducting the exercises that are necessary for the training and readiness of our forces and those of our allies," they added.

"The troop limit would also significantly reduce the number of US forces that can flow through Germany for deployment to bases around the world, causing serious logistical challenges," the letter reads.

 

Appeals judges reluctant to force immediate end to Flynn case

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/12/appeals-court-judge-drop-flynn-case-315536

Earlier this week, John Gleeson, a former judge Sullivan appointed to advise him on how to proceed in Flynn’s case, filed a court brief savaging Barr’s decision to abandon the prosecution. In a blistering memo, Gleeson called the Justice Department’s legal arguments “preposterous.”

Juneteenth: Trump changes Tulsa Oklahoma rally date 'out of respect'

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53032664

US President Donald Trump is postponing his first post-coronavirus lockdown election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma so it does not fall on a holiday commemorating the end of US slavery.

He tweeted that the 19 June rally would be held a day later out of respect for the occasion, known as Juneteenth.

The choice of date had drawn criticism amid nationwide anti-racism protests.

The location was also controversial, as Tulsa saw one of the worst massacres of black people in US history in 1921.

Up to 300 people died when a white mob attacked the prosperous black neighbourhood of Greenwood, known as the "Black Wall Street", with guns and explosives. About 1,000 businesses and homes were also destroyed.

 

Leslie Marshall: Trump sinking in polls – voters tired of his failures and angry tweets

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/donald-trump-joe-biden-election-leslie-marshall

Millions of Americans are fed up with divider-in-chief Donald Trump and the awful job he’s done dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 113,000 Americans and protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police – among his many failures.

As a result, President Trump’s poll ratings are sinking and the prospects are increasing that former Vice President Joe Biden will send Trump into political retirement in the November election.

Trump has appealed only to his base and sought to fan the flames of division and conflict between Americans. This is one more sign of the incompetent leadership of our reality TV president and it is also an unwise political move.

 

Mark Zuckerberg blasts Trump for ‘incendiary rhetoric’ in response to scientists' ‘misinformation’ complaint

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/mark-zuckerberg-blasts-trump-for-incendiary-rhetoric-in-response-to-scientists-misinformation-complaint

In their response to the scientists, Zuckerberg and Chan write that they, too, were bothered by Trump’s message.

“(W)e are deeply shaken and disgusted by President Trump’s divisive and incendiary rhetoric at a time when our nation so desperately needs unity,” they write. “This is an extraordinarily painful inflection point in our nation’s story, particularly for the Black community and our Black colleagues, who have lived with the impacts of systemic racism for generations.”

But they also note, referring to a Zuckerberg post from last Friday, that Facebook is disinclined to censor messages unless the content “is actually inciting violence.”

The couple go on to say that they and other leaders at the initiative and at Facebook were committed to helping “advance racial justice” through steps that include considering “a diversity of perspectives, viewpoints and lived experiences.”

 

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White House didn't receive heads up about Milley apology

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/11/politics/white-house-milley-apology/index.html

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley did not give the White House a heads up before he released a recorded a video on Thursday admitting it was a "mistake" to appear in a photo-op last week with President Donald Trump, two administration officials told CNN.

Milley's apology -- in which he declared unequivocally "I should not have been there" -- was a remarkable admission for the four-star general, let alone from a top official in an administration led by a President known for his refusal to apologize.

 

Far-right extremists spreading antisemitic conspiracies about COVID-19

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/far-right-extremists-spreading-antisemitic-conspiracies-about-covid-19-631209

The most common conspiracy of the five which studied in the report claims that “The ‘Jewish-controlled government’ is exploiting the virus to serve Jewish interests."

 

Time for Pence to jump ship?

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/11/opinions/time-pence-jump-ship-opinion-dantonio/index.html

At this point, as President Trump's support weakens, Pence should weigh the merits of declaring he won't be vice president for a possible second term. There's an argument that Pence's status in Trumpworld might be endangered anyway. If the President continues to trail Joe Biden by double digits in the polls this summer and if the Democratic contender picks a woman of color for his running mate, he could be tempted to shake up his ticket by selecting Nikki Haley or another candidate for VP. Such a move could bring back some of the white suburban women Trump needs to win re-election and remind everyone that he's not a typical politician.

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