Monday, June 15, 2020
‘Irrefutable testimony’ Berland touched married women under clothes -rabbi
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/irrefutable-testimony-berland-touched-married-women-under-clothes-rabbi-631498
President of renowned Bnei Brak rabbinical court says there is ‘no doubt’ about testimony Berland repeatedly touched married women under their clothes.
Confederate Statues Were Built To Further A 'White Supremacist Future'
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/20/544266880/confederate-statues-were-built-to-further-a-white-supremacist-future
Groups like the Sons of Confederate Veterans defend the monuments,
arguing they are an important part of history. One of the leaders of
that group, Carl V. Jones, wrote a letter on Aug. 14
condemning the violence and "bigotry" displayed in Charlottesville, but
he also denounced "the hatred being leveled against our glorious
ancestors by radical leftists who seek to erase our history."
Yet many historians say the argument about preserving Southern
history doesn't hold up when you consider the timing of when the
"beautiful" statues, as Trump called them, went up.
"Most of
the people who were involved in erecting the monuments were not
necessarily erecting a monument to the past," said Jane Dailey, an
associate professor of history at the University of Chicago."But were
rather, erecting them toward a white supremacist future."
"These statues were meant to create legitimate garb for white
supremacy," Grossman said. "Why would you put a statue of Robert E. Lee
or Stonewall Jackson in 1948 in Baltimore?"
2020 Becomes the Dementia Campaign
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/07/2020-dementia-campaign-123106
In fact, a kind of ghoulish gallows
humor about the issue is widespread in political circles in both
parties, in part because people simply don’t see much alternative. My
colleague Marc Caputo said on Twitter
that a Democratic operative with presidential campaign experience
described the likely 2020 race like this: “the nice old guy with
Alzheimer’s against the mean old man with dementia.”
Trump's latest target on Twitter: Comcast
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/13/media/comcast-president-trump-abuse-of-power/index.html
President Trump on Saturday told his Twitter and Facebook followers to drop Comcast -- an egregious use of his presidential platform to hurt an American business.
For
the most part, people just shrugged. Comcast executives barely batted
any eyelashes. The company didn't bother to comment. And Google searches
for "Comcast customer service" trended lower than in recent days.
Still,
the president's missive was yet another example of his yearslong effort
to punish media companies for news coverage he doesn't like.
Fox News publishes digitally altered and misleading images of Seattle demonstrations
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/13/media/seattle-fox-news-autonomous-zone-protest/index.html
Among the photos that Fox News published
on its homepage was one that showed a protester running past a burning
vehicle and building with the headline "CRAZY TOWN" blaring across the
website. The image, which accompanied a story about the situation in
Seattle, was in fact taken from the unrest last month in Minnesota.
In other photos that showed the scene in Seattle, Fox News digitally added an image of a man armed with an assault rifle.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
As President Trump Condemns 'Antifa,' Protest Records Show Scant Evidence
https://time.com/5849592/antifa-far-right-violent-trump-protesters/
The Associated Press analyzed court records, employment histories,
social media posts and other sources of information for 217 people
arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and the District of Columbia, two
cities at the epicenter of the protests across the United States.
Rather than outside agitators, more than 85% of
those arrested by police were local residents. Of those charged with
such offenses as curfew violations, rioting and failure to obey law
enforcement, only a handful appeared to have any affiliation with
organized groups.
Vandalism and theft aren’t helping
https://www.vox.com/2020/6/4/21278048/civil-disobedience-looting-vandalism
Nobody leading real movements for change is suggesting
that people engage in indiscriminate acts of destruction. In fact, there
are many examples of protesters intervening to stop looters and vandals (many of whom are white)
whom they realize only serve to discredit their work. Nationwide,
protesters are challenging the multiple, interlocking injustices faced
by African Americans. Right now you’re either helping or exacerbating
the problems — and it’s clear where the vandals stand.
'Trump’s Re-Election Chances Are Going Down in Flames.' How Trump's Divisive Rhetoric Could Hurt Republicans in November
https://time.com/5846311/trump-protests-republican-fallout/
While some Republicans caution it is still too early to predict the
party’s demise, others say the writing is on the wall. “Trump’s
re-election chances are going down in flames with that Autozone
building, police precinct building and burning police cars,” says Dan
Eberhart, a Republican donor and Trump supporter. “It’s hard to see how
these riots don’t boost Joe Biden’s claim to be the Alka-Seltzer America
needs to sooth its stomach right now.”
Trump's Attacks on Antifa Are Attacks on Jews
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-attacks-on-antifa-are-attacks-on-jews-1.8902330
To start with, Trump’s statement about
Antifa is absurd on multiple levels. It isn’t clear he has the legal
authority to do so. And Antifa isn’t an organization, but a philosophy
that guides anti-fascist street organizing. Who is its leader? What is
its structure? Where is it based? How do you become a member? These
questions have no answers because there are none. But no matter: it's
certainly filler for Trump’s campaigning.
Soros Conspiracy Theories and The Protests: A Gateway to Antisemitism
https://www.adl.org/blog/soros-conspiracy-theories-and-the-protests-a-gateway-to-antisemitism
Although the vast majority of Soros-related conspiracy theories do
not mention his Jewish heritage, the concern remains that they can serve
as a gateway to the antisemitic subculture that blames Jews for the
riots. This type of content can be found on mainstream platforms; a
Twitter user wrote, “George Soros is paying for this he is a Jew America
bows to the Jew [sic],” while another tweeted, “Antifa are on the
payroll of the Jewish financier George Soros who often uses these paid
thugs to intimidate any opposition towards the status quo that he and
his Zionist allies have set up to control us.” Yet another claimed,
“Soros is every bit the subversive, parasitic conspirator these people
make him out to be. The problem they always neglect to mention is the
fact that he’s a Jew.”
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.
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.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
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.
Friday, June 12, 2020
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.”
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.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Criminal stereotype of African Americans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_stereotype_of_African_Americans
The criminal stereotype of African Americans in the United States is an ethnic stereotype according to which African Americans, and African American males in particular, are dangerous criminals.[1][2]
The origin of this stereotype is that as a demographic they are
proportionally over-represented in the numbers of those that are
arrested for committing crimes: For example, according to official FBI
statistics,[3]
in 2015 51.1% of people arrested for homicide were African American;
even though African American people account only for 13.4% of the total
United States population.[4] The figure of the African-American man as a criminal has appeared frequently in American popular culture,[5][6][7] further reinforcing this image in the collective unconscious (in the form of this negative stereotype).
The US national security adviser says there's no systemic racism in policing. Studies suggest otherwise
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/systemic-racism-in-policing/index.html
When a Trump administration official said he doesn't think systemic racism exists in policing, many were stunned -- especially after studies have shown different races are often treated differently.
"No, I don't think there's systemic racism," national security adviser Robert O'Brien told CNN. "I think 99.9% of our law enforcement officers are great Americans. Many of them are African American, Hispanic, Asian."
There’s overwhelming evidence that the criminal-justice system is racist. Here’s the proof.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/opinions/systemic-racism-police-evidence-criminal-justice-system/
Of particular concern to some on
the right is the term “systemic racism,” often wrongly interpreted as an
accusation that everyone in the system is racist. In fact, systemic
racism means almost the opposite. It means that we have systems and
institutions that produce racially disparate outcomes,
regardless of the intentions of the people who work within them. When
you consider that much of the criminal justice system was built, honed
and firmly established during the Jim Crow era — an era almost everyone,
conservatives included, will concede rife with racism — this is pretty
intuitive. The modern criminal justice system helped preserve racial
order — it kept black people in their place. For much of the early 20th
century, in some parts of the country, that was its primary function.
That it might retain some of those proclivities today shouldn’t be all
that surprising.
How racist policing took over American cities, explained by a historian
https://www.vox.com/2020/6/6/21280643/police-brutality-violence-protests-racism-khalil-muhammad
Social science played a huge role. What we’d call today
“academic experts,” of one kind or another, were part of the effort to
define black people as a particular criminal class in the American
population. And what they essentially did was they used the evidence
coming out of the South, beginning in the first decades after slavery.
They used the census data to point to the disproportionate incarceration
of African Americans. They were almost three times overrepresented in
the 1890 census in Southern prisons.
So that evidence became part of a national discussion
that essentially said, “Well, now that black people have their freedom,
what are they doing with it? They’re committing crimes. In the South and
in the North, and the census data is the proof.”
Data | How badly are African-Americans affected by police brutality in the U.S.?
https://www.thehindu.com/data/data-how-badly-are-african-americans-affected-by-police-brutality-in-the-us/article31734968.ece
African-Americans are three times more likely to be killed in police
shootings than white people. Close to 42 per million population of
African-Americans were killed in such shootings in the period, the
highest among all races.
George Floyd: The personal cost of filming police brutality
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52942519
By the time 17-year-old Darnella Frazier started recording, George
Floyd was already gasping for air, begging, repeatedly, "please, please,
please".
The camera had been rolling for 20 seconds when Mr
Floyd, 46, uttered three more words that have now become a rallying cry
for protesters.
"I can't breathe," Mr Floyd said.
The
words were slightly muffled. He strained to speak as he laid face down
in handcuffs, pinned to the floor by three police officers. One of those
officers, 44-year-old Derek Chauvin, pressed a knee against Mr Floyd's
neck.
'It Was a Tinderbox.' How George Floyd’s Killing Highlighted America's Police Reform Failures
https://time.com/5848368/george-floyd-police-reform-failures/
Floyd’s death under the knee of the white MPD officer on May 25 has
reignited furor over the persistence of police brutality against people
of color in the United States. As Americans gathered to protest in more
than 70 cities, they raged against the same tepid solutions proposed by
local and national leaders that have fallen far short in the past:
opening investigations, firing police officers, and simply promising
more reforms.
Nowhere is that pattern clearer than in Minneapolis. More than half a
dozen government investigations and reports reviewed by TIME show that
the same reforms were recommended time and again over the past two
decades in the MPD to increase accountability, curb use-of-force
violations and build up community trust — with seemingly little
implementation. “People in this community have been very concerned about
the Minneapolis Police Department for a long, long time,” says Hans
Lee, a pastor at Minneapolis’ Calvary Lutheran Church. “It was a
tinderbox.”
Brian Arbour: Trump reelection threatened by low approval ratings, coronavirus pandemic and racial strife
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trump-election-biden-brian-arbour
Voters seem to have made up their minds about President Trump early,
and are fixed in their opinions about him. The fact that his numbers
have moved so little across his presidency shows that voters know what
they think about the president.
If you want President Trump to win
reelection this November, these numbers are bad news. When presidents
run for reelection, the campaign is often seen as a referendum on their
leadership.
For each of these measures above, a majority of
Americans have a negative opinion of President Trump. In all, 54 percent
disapprove of the job he is doing as president, 55 percent have an
unfavorable impression of him, and 52 percent say they will vote for
another candidate.
Of course, there is still plenty of time for Trump and his supporters
to make their case to the nation about why he should be reelected.
Trump won in 2016 by driving down public approval of his opponent
through caustic attacks on her character and integrity; he’s likely to
do the same in the next few months.
Draing the swamp! Donald Trump Jr's rare sheep hunt 'cost US taxpayers $75,000'
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52999375
Researchers say the Trump family take 12 times as many trips as the Obamas.
The Crew report
accuses the Trump family of draining the Secret Services' finances with
their average of 1,000 more trips per year, many for leisure, than the
previous first family.
"This trip is just one example of the
expenses the Trump family is incurring with American taxpayers, and if
just one of Don Jr's trophy hunting trips cost more than $75,000, it's
staggering to think how high the total bill must be," the report's
authors conclude.
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