<p>President Trump started off the post-Fourth of July week with a bang, shotgun blasting out attacks on his various political enemies, among them the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, big city Democrats, the Trump-loathing media, and &#8220;violent, criminal mobs&#8221; toppling statues and &#8220;occupying&#8221; cities. The tweet-happy president even took aim at NASCAR for its Confederate flag decision and Bubba Wallace for promoting what Trump labeled a &#8220;hoax.&#8221;</p>
<p>Trump started off his series of rapid-fire tweets with some good financial news flanked by a warning about the damage &#8220;Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats and Corrupt Joe Biden&#8221; could do if they are allowed to gain control of the government in November.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you want your 401k’s and Stocks, which are getting close to an all time high (NASDAQ is already there), to disintegrate and disappear, vote for the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats and Corrupt Joe Biden. Massive Tax Hikes &#8211; They will make you very poor, FAST!&#8221; Trump wrote Monday morning (posts below).</p>
<p>Trump followed that up with a swipe at the source of the COVID-19 pandemic. &#8220;China has caused great damage to the United States and the rest of the World!&#8221; he tweeted.</p>
<p>Next up for rebuke was Wallace, who made headlines after he was informed by NASCAR that a &#8220;noose&#8221; was hanging in his garage. After a massive show of support for the African-American driver by NASCAR, an i<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nascar-president-on-bubba-wallace-investigation-noose-concern-was-real-but-i-should-have-said-alleged">nvestigation</a> that included some 15 FBI agents determined that it was just a garage pull rope &#8220;fashioned like a noose&#8221; that had been there since last fall, long before Wallace&#8217;s team was using the garage. In his tweet, Trump suggested the whole thing was a &#8220;hoax.&#8221;</p>
<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">&#8220;Has [Bubba Wallace] </span>apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers [and] officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, [and] were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX?&#8221; Trump asked. &#8220;That [and] Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!&#8221; he added in apparent reference to NASCAR&#8217;s decision to ban Confederate flags, a part of a larger movement to remove statues and monuments to the Confederacy which has morphed into a campaign against the Founding Fathers and other non-Confederate figures from American history.</p>
<p>Trump then retweeted a swipe at the &#8220;Fake News Media&#8221; for its coronavirus coverage, tweeting: &#8220;New China Virus Cases up (because of massive testing), deaths are down, &#8216;low and steady&#8217;. The Fake News Media should report this and also, that new job numbers are setting records!&#8221;</p>
<p>He then tore into Democrats&#8217; sanctuary policies. &#8220;New York City and Chicago play the Sanctuary City card, where criminals are protected. Perhaps they will have to start changing their ways (and thinking!).&#8221;</p>
<p>And Trump wasn&#8217;t quite done. He wrapped up the series of bludgeoning posts by quoting acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf blasting the protests-turned-riots, a mess he laid at the feet of Democratic political leaders: &#8220;<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">This is no longer about peaceful protesting, this is about angry, violent, criminal mobs taking over certain (Democrat run) cities. It is a lack of political leadership in that city.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>Following his fiery posts, Trump did offer some unadulterated good news Monday. &#8220;NASDAQ HITS ALL TIME HIGH!&#8221; he cheered.</p>
<p>For those keeping track, so far Twitter hasn&#8217;t censored any of the president&#8217;s combative early morning posts. Trump&#8217;s tweets below:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you want your 401k’s  and Stocks, which are getting close to an all time high (NASDAQ is already there), to disintegrate and disappear, vote for the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats and Corrupt Joe Biden. Massive Tax Hikes &#8211; They will make you very poor, FAST!</p>
<p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1280115980090380288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">China has caused great damage to the United States and the rest of the World!</p>
<p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1280116392990253056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Has <a href="https://twitter.com/BubbaWallace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BubbaWallace</a> apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers &amp; officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, &amp; were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX? That &amp; Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!</p>
<p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1280117571874951170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">New China Virus Cases up (because of massive testing), deaths are down, “low and steady”. The Fake News Media should report this and also, that new job numbers are setting records!</p>
<p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1279906540791779334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">New York City and Chicago play the Sanctuary City card, where criminals are protected. Perhaps they will have to start changing their ways (and thinking!).</p>
<p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1280128809258364928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">“This is no longer about peaceful protesting, this is about angry, violent, criminal mobs taking over certain (Democrat run) cities. It is a lack of political leadership in that city.” Chad Wolf <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@foxandfriends</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYGovCuomo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCMayor</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1280132362152693761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">NASDAQ HITS ALL TIME HIGH!</p>
<p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1280134205696094208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


Donald Trump

Trump Shotgun Blasts Attacks: ‘Violent, Criminal Mobs’; Bubba Wallace ‘Hoax’; Democrat, Media Fails

<p>Tragedy has struck again in Seattle after a man plowed his car into two protesters who were part of group calling itself the Black Femme March that was blocking a freeway as part of the ongoing social justice protests in the area. One of the protesters, Summer Taylor, a white 24-year-old veterinary clinic worker, has died. The man driving the car, identified as Dawit Kelete, a black 27-year-old former Washington State University student, has been arrested. Washington State Patrol has since announced that they will no longer allow protests on the interstate and will arrest anyone who attempts to stage one.</p>
<p>The tragic incident was caught on video, which shows the vehicle driving at a high speed into the crowd of protesters and sending Taylor and the other protester, Diaz Love, a 32-year-old from Portland, flying into the air. Police say their initial investigation indicates that drugs and alcohol were not a factor.</p>
<p>According to authorities, the tragic incident occurred on Interstate 5 at around 1:40 a.m. on Saturday morning. As reported by <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/protester-dies-struck-speeding-car-black-lives-matter/story?id=71617592&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">ABC News</a>, surveillance footage shows a white 2013 Jaguar driving at a high speed down the protester-blocked freeway, which the driver had reportedly entered by going the wrong way on an exit ramp. The vehicle swerves around cars blocking the lanes and plows directly into two protesters, sending them flying into the air, both landing violently on the pavement.</p>
<p>Kelete reportedly continued to drive for about a mile before another vehicle, driven by a protester, forced him to pull over. According to court documents, officers described Kelete as &#8220;reserved and sullen when he was arrested,&#8221; <a href="https://abc7.com/dawit-kelete-seattle-protesters-hit-by-car-summer-taylor-diaz-love/6299313/">ABC 7 </a>reports. He also reportedly asked if the two protesters were okay.</p>
<p>&#8220;Very candidly, we don&#8217;t know, at this point in the investigation, what the motive was, what the reasoning was,&#8221; said Washington State Patrol Capt. Ron Mead at a news conference hours later, as reported by ABC. According to the preliminary investigation, the driver does not appear to have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said.</p>
<p>ABC7 reports that Kelete is listed in public records as having attended Washington State University between 2011 and 2017, majoring in business and commerce. <a href="https://heavy.com/news/2020/07/dawit-kelete/">Heavy</a> notes that the jail booking described Kelete as &#8220;black,&#8221; having worked for DoorDash in 2015-2016, and &#8220;lists his language skills as including Tigrinya,&#8221; a language spoken in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia.</p>
<p>Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) announced details of the ultimately fatal incident Saturday morning on Twitter.</p>
<p>&#8220;Early this morning two women were hit by a car and very seriously injured while peacefully protesting. Many others were almost hit and witnessed this horrific event. Our city stands beside their friends, families and loved ones in praying for these women and all who were there,&#8221; Durkan <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorJenny/status/1279452751382974464">announced</a> early Saturday. &#8220;No one should risk their life for demanding better from our city, state and country,&#8221; added Durkan, who has repeatedly defended the protests, even when things turned violent in the area of the city she allowed to be occupied for weeks. &#8220;Washington State Patrol is leading the investigation and they have assured us they are quickly and thoroughly investigating the incident. I have offered any city resources needed.&#8221;</p>
<p>On Sunday, Durkan responded to the tragic news that Taylor had died of her injuries. &#8220;My thoughts are with Summer Taylor, and their family and loved ones,&#8221; the mayor tweeted. &#8220;It is a life tragically lost far too soon, but their legacy will be the real change they marched for.&#8221;</p>
<p>Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (CA) also took to Twitter to lament Taylor&#8217;s death. &#8220;Absolutely heartbreaking. Summer Taylor was only 24-years-old, peacefully protesting for Black Lives Matter when they were struck by a car,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;Thinking of their family during this difficult time and everyone in the movement today.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Absolutely heartbreaking. Summer Taylor was only 24-years-old, peacefully protesting for Black Lives Matter when they were struck by a car. Thinking of their family during this difficult time and everyone in the movement today. <a href="https://t.co/i7hqkjSSMH">pic.twitter.com/i7hqkjSSMH</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1279759914261504000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>After the tragic incident, Washington State Patrol announced that they will no longer be allowing protesters to enter I-5 and will be arresting anyone who tries to walk on the interstate. &#8220;For the safety of all citizens including protesters and motorists, pedestrians walking on the freeway will be arrested,&#8221; the department tweeted late Saturday.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/wastatepatrol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wastatepatrol</a> will not be allowing protesters to enter I-5. For the safety of all citizens including protesters and motorists, pedestrians walking on the freeway will be arrested. <a href="https://twitter.com/wspd2pio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wspd2pio</a></p>
<p>&mdash; WA State Patrol (@wastatepatrol) <a href="https://twitter.com/wastatepatrol/status/1279605784821694466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


Seattle I-5 Protest

Protester Fatally Struck By Car After ‘Black Femme March’ Blocks Freeway; Driver Arrested, Identified

Black Lives Matter

Defund The Police

Race

Social Justice

<p>It&#8217;s been a rough few months for President Trump&#8217;s re-election efforts, with the COVID-19 pandemic/panic toppling the &#8220;Trump Boom&#8221; economy, sending once record-low unemployment numbers skyrocketing at an unprecedented rate, widespread social justice protests spiraling into riots and wreaking havoc in cities, and a steady stream of bruising headlines laying the whole mess at the media-loathed president&#8217;s feet.</p>
<p>The brutal few months have taken a toll on Trump&#8217;s polling numbers and have oddsmakers giving him less and less of a shot at shocking the world once again. For those wanting to get in on the 2020 election action, oddsmakers say presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is the surest bet — and by an increasingly large margin.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s how <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/politics/2020-election-odds-presidential-race-donald-trump-joe-biden">Action Network</a> lays out the current 2020 presidential election odds: Joe Biden now has a 59.3% probability of winning (-189 odds), a 3.2% increase from about a week ago. Donald Trump&#8217;s chances of winning have diminished to 33% (+175 odds), a 3.2% drop from June 22 and a 12.2% decline from the 45.2% odds he enjoyed about a month ago.</p>
<p>For what it&#8217;s worth, the rest of the highly improbable field looks like this: Mike Pence (2.7%/+3,300), Hillary Clinton (1.8%/+5,000), Nikki Haley (1.2%/+7,500), Michelle Obama (0.9%/+10,000), Andrew Cuomo (0.6%/+15,000), Bernie Sanders (0.4%/+20,000), Dwayne &#8220;The Rock&#8221; Johnson (0.1%/+50,000).</p>
<p>&#8220;Trump’s implied probability has steadily declined since outrage over George Floyd’s death swept the nation, falling from 45.2% on June 2 to 33% on June 30,&#8221; Action Network reports. &#8220;Trump hits this new low just days after The New York Times released new polling that showed him falling six to 11 points behind in six battleground states that helped deliver his 2016 victory.&#8221;</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/upshot/poll-2020-biden-battlegrounds.html">Times study</a>, released on June 25, found Trump far behind in the six key battleground states of Arizona (Biden +7), Florida (Biden +6), Michigan (Biden +11), North Carolina (Biden +9), Pennsylvania (Biden +10), and Wisconsin (Biden +11). <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/wi/wisconsin_trump_vs_biden-6849.html">Real Clear Politics</a>&#8216; current averages of the state polls are slightly better for Trump in some of the states, but still rather grim: Arizona (Biden +3.5), Florida (Biden +6.4), Michigan (Biden +7.5), North Carolina (Biden +3), Pennsylvania (Biden +7), and Wisconsin (Biden +6.5).</p>
<p>As for the national polls, Biden has also managed to pull away more from Trump in recent weeks. Nate Silver&#8217;s <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/national/">FiveThirtyEight</a> currently gives Biden a 9.6% advantage over the president, (51.1 &#8211; 41.5). <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html">Real Clear Politics</a>&#8216; average of the national polls puts the gap at 8.8% (49.3 &#8211; 40.5). On May 17, RCP showed a far more manageable gap for Trump of 4.9 points (48.6 &#8211; 43.7); it&#8217;s generally widened since then.</p>
<p>In the fundraising race, Biden has now twice beaten Trump over the last two months, but both candidates managed record financial hauls, and Trump has far more cash on hand. For the month of June, Biden brought in more than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-beats-trump-again-in-june-fundraising-but-both-have-record-hauls">$141 million</a>, helped in part by former President Barack Obama. Trump didn&#8217;t do so badly himself, closing out the month strongly and ultimately amassing $131 million, his biggest fundraising day of the month his birthday. Biden now has around $80 million in cash on hand, while Trump has a whopping $295 million.</p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


What Are The Odds Trump Wins Now? Oddsmakers: Slipping.

2020 Election

Joe Biden

<p>LeBron James has taken multiple steps in 2020 to expand his influence far beyond the sports arena, garnering <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-launches-new-media-empire-with-100m-investment-intends-to-move-the-culture">$100 million</a> in seed money for his new media empire &#8220;designed to move the culture&#8221; and increasingly weighing in on the national socio-political scene, with the NBA following his lead in its newly announced social justice initiatives. Now his voting rights group is pushing for the political world to literally merge with the sports world, at least for a day, in an effort to combat &#8220;racist voter suppression.&#8221;</p>
<p>James&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.morethanavote.org">More Than A Vote</a>&#8221; organization — a group of African-American athletes and artists working together in &#8220;combating systemic, racist voter suppression&#8221; — is pushing for sports arenas to be used as in-person balloting venues this year as part of its larger effort to maximize black voter turnout.</p>
<p>The group, formed this spring as the COVID-19 pandemic brought sports to a standstill, discussed the initiative with <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/lebron-james-group-touts-sports-venues-as-mega-voting-sites">The Associated Press</a> on Wednesday &#8220;after the Detroit Pistons became the second NBA franchise to announce plans to use its arena for voting later this year.&#8221;</p>
<p class="speakable">&#8220;James and his voting rights group, formed this spring with other black athletes and entertainers, are joining with other professional basketball leaders and Michigan’s top elections official to push for mega voting sites to accommodate in-person balloting amid the COVID-19 pandemic,&#8221; AP reported.</p>
<p>&#8220;The idea, which comes after Kentucky used large facilities in its June 23 primary, is to use large spaces that allow for in-person voting while still enforcing social distancing guidelines,&#8221; AP explained. &#8220;It also underscores the attention on the mechanics of voting amid the pandemic, with the intensity already reflected in both President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden warning that state and local officials have the power to &#8216;corrupt&#8217; the election.&#8221;</p>
<p>Kentucky modeled the initiative in a June 23 primary, turning to larger venues better able to accommodate social distancing mandates. As AP noted, while it was deemed a success, some Democrats in the state initially criticized the idea, warning that plans to limit voting to the bigger arenas might &#8220;harm minority voters.&#8221; However, then the primary day came, &#8220;voting proceeded without the melee that some advocates had forecast.&#8221;</p>
<p>The narrative has now shifted. Rather than arenas being a voting &#8220;suppression&#8221; method, they are being endorsed by Democrats as a way to fight against suppression. “One of our greatest challenges in protecting voters’ access to democracy this November is identifying accessible locations where citizens can safely vote in person,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, AP reports.</p>
<p>James has become arguably the most influential sports figure in America, and he has not been idle while his league went on a months-long lockdown, taking major steps in &#8220;moving the culture&#8221; in March by launching his ambitious new &#8220;media empire,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-launches-new-media-empire-with-100m-investment-intends-to-move-the-culture">SpringHill Co.</a> after obtaining a $100 million investment.</p>
<p>The league that James has long dominated, meanwhile, is preparing to get back into action — and will do so by officially declaring its endorsement of Black Lives Matter, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nba-to-paint-black-lives-matter-on-sides-of-disney-courts-allow-players-to-put-social-justice-messages-on-jerseys">painting</a> the name of the organization on both sides of the courts at the Walt Disney World arenas in which its season will resume in late July, and allowing players to put social justice-themed messages on their jerseys.</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nba-to-paint-black-lives-matter-on-sides-of-disney-courts-allow-players-to-put-social-justice-messages-on-jerseys">NBA To Paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ On Sides Of Disney Courts, Allow Players To Put Social Justice Messages On Jerseys</a></strong></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


LeBron James

LeBron James’ Group Pushes To Turn Sports Arenas Into ‘Mega Polling Sites’ To Combat ‘Racist Voter Suppression’

<p>In response to protests and riots that left sections of the city in flames, the progressive leadership of Minneapolis has taken steps to defund the police department and replace it with a &#8220;transformative new model for cultivating safety&#8221; in the city. But some influential voices from the black community in the city are pushing back hard on how the city council is driving forward with their &#8220;absurd&#8221; and &#8220;egregious&#8221;  dismantlement plan.</p>
<p>On June 12, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-city-council-unanimously-passes-resolution-to-replace-police-department-with-community-led-public-safety-system">community-led public safety system</a>&#8221; that will involve &#8220;healers, elders, youth, artists, and organizers,&#8221; who will &#8220;lead deep community engagement on race and public safety&#8221; and will offer &#8220;transformative justice in partnerships informed by the needs of every block in our city.&#8221;</p>
<p>Last Friday, the city council voted unanimously in approval of an amendment that would eliminate the city&#8217;s charter requirement to fund a police department, replacing it with their new &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-city-council-oks-charter-amendment-to-cut-police-some-of-them-now-get-private-security-after-threats">Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention</a>,&#8221; which would be managed by the council and headed up by a &#8220;non-law enforcement experience in community safety services, including but not limited to public health and/or restorative justice approaches.&#8221; The council also voted to remove the minimum number of officers required for their &#8220;transformative new model for cultivating safety.&#8221; The moves will allow the issue to be put to voters in November.</p>
<p>But, as reported by the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/some-minneapolis-black-leaders-speak-out-against-city-council-s-moves-to-defund-police/571594012/?refresh=true">Star Tribune</a>, several leaders in the black community are incensed by how the Democrat-controlled city council has proceeded with its &#8220;defund the police&#8221; plan (h/t <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2020/07/02/black-leaders-minneapolis-city-council-dismantling-police-egregious-grotesque-absurd-crazy-ridiculous-maybe-racist/">Ed Morrissey</a>).</p>
<p class="Text_Body">&#8220;Egregious, grotesque, absurd, crazy, ridiculous. These are a handful of the words that some local African American leaders are using to rebuke the Minneapolis City Council’s moves toward dismantling the Police Department, even as they demand an overhaul of law enforcement,&#8221; the Tribune reported Thursday. &#8220;While the movement to defund the police has been driven by Black activists, others say that city politicians rushed the process and failed to include a police chief who has the backing of many Black residents.&#8221;</p>
<p>One of the black leaders, the former president of the NAACP Minneapolis, accused the city council of showing &#8220;a complete disregard for the voices and perspectives of many members of the African American community.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We have not been consulted as the city makes its decisions, even though our community is the one most heavily impacted by both police violence and community violence,&#8221; said former NAACP leader Nekima Levy Armstrong, as reported by the Tribune. Armstrong went on to accuse the council of &#8220;seizing upon the national spotlight to look as if they’re making a difference.&#8221;</p>
<p>Pastor Brian Herron leveled a similar accusation, saying the council was simply &#8220;pandering,&#8221; according to the Tribune.</p>
<p class="Text_Body">Of particular concern is the city council&#8217;s mandate that a person with &#8220;non-law enforcement experience&#8221; must head up its new public safety department, as the current chief of police is African American.</p>
<p class="Text_Body">“Why now, when you have an African American chief who is highly regarded and trusted in the Black community?” Urban League Twin Cities CEO Steven Belton asked. “This strikes me as being passive-aggressive Minnesota Nice on steroids. This is a hit on Chief Arradondo.”</p>
<p class="Text_Body">Council Member Jeremiah Ellison defended the council&#8217;s actions and appeared to try to downplay the significance of the black leaders voicing complaints, saying, “The Black community is not a monolith, and just because there’s someone that might have a high profile doesn’t meant that they necessarily speak on behalf of the Black community of Minneapolis.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/de-blasio-calls-nyc-city-hall-protests-vile-but-wont-break-up-autonomous-zone">De Blasio Calls NYC City Hall Protests ‘Vile’ But Won’t Break Up ‘Autonomous Zone’</a></strong></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


Nekima Levy Armstrong

‘Absurd, Crazy, Ridiculous’: Black Leaders Slam Minneapolis City Council’s Plan To Defund The Police

Minneapolis

<p>On the same day that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) posted a series of warnings to residents about maintaining mandated social distancing measures, including wearing face masks and avoiding gatherings with &#8220;anybody except for those you live with,&#8221; the Los Angeles Police Department posted a photograph of thousands gathered in the city for a social justice protest.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Garcetti, whose profile photo on Twitter is now a picture of him wearing a black face mask, posted a series of reminders and warnings ahead of the July Fourth weekend.</p>
<p>&#8220;COVID-19 has taken control, and we need to take control back. That’s what we did in March, April and May, when we sacrificed, stayed safer at home and saved lives — we need that same commitment to flatten the curve now,&#8221; the Democratic mayor wrote in one of several COVID-19 themed posts (below). &#8220;We were the first major city to require face coverings, and we must continue to wear them,&#8221; he added in another tweet. &#8220;Gathering with anybody except for those you live with may spread this virus. And that’s why more businesses and places where people gather indoors are closing or must operate differently.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This 4th of July weekend, please wear face coverings and avoid gatherings,&#8221; he wrote in a post pinned to the top of his page. &#8220;This is a critical time in our fight against COVID-19. Beaches, piers, and beach bike paths in the City and County of L.A. will be closed from Friday, July 3 to Monday, July 6.&#8221;</p>
<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">&#8220;We will begin posting the COVID threat level at </span><a class="r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-1ny4l3l r-1ddef8g r-qvutc0 css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406" dir="ltr" title="http://Coronavirus.LACity.org/ThreatLevel" role="link" href="https://t.co/8biEGuYjcA?amp=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-focusable="true" data-nguardprocessed="true"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-hiw28u r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" aria-hidden="true">http://</span>Coronavirus.LACity.org/ThreatLevel</a><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> using the colors red, orange, yellow, and green. Today we’re at orange — the risk of infection remains high and you should stay at home as often as you can and only leave for essential activities,&#8221; Garcetti warned residents in another post. Prior to that post, Garcetti noted that the risk level had become high enough that California Gov. Gavin Newsom had &#8220;announced that indoor dining at restaurants is no longer allowed in our county.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>On the same day Garcetti was ordering residents to stay home, LAPD posted a photo and subsequent traffic advisory that one local reporter noted has resulted in blowback for officials.</p>
<p>&#8220;LAPD is monitoring a peaceful protest between City Hall and the Hall of Justice,&#8221; Commanding Officer Rick Stabile tweeted Wednesday along with an image of thousands gathered for the protest. &#8220;Please adhere to social distancing protocols,&#8221; Stabile added.</p>
<p>&#8220;TRAFFIC ADVISORY: There is a protest in the area of Temple and Spring Street in Downtown LA,&#8221; LAPD HQ posted regarding the massive protest Wednesday evening. &#8220;Please avoid the area, if possible, as there are street closures and heavier traffic than usual.&#8221;</p>
<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">&#8220;LAPD just posted this photo of people protesting tonight,&#8221; wrote KTLA&#8217;s Christina Pascucci, as noted by <a href="https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2020/07/02/thousands-gather-to-protest-in-los-angeles-as-the-state-bans-large-gatherings-for-july-4th-celebrations/">Twitchy</a>. &#8220;People are messaging me, asking how this is allowed, with no social distancing, when hours ago Governor [Newsom] </span>said we shouldn’t even see our family for a July 4th gathering this weekend, unless we live with them.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">TRAFFIC ADVISORY: There is a protest in the area of Temple and Spring Street in Downtown LA. Please avoid the area, if possible, as there are street closures and heavier traffic than usual. <a href="https://t.co/8WPyfCPmHJ">https://t.co/8WPyfCPmHJ</a></p>
<p>&mdash; LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDHQ/status/1278487969343565824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LAPD just posted this photo of people protesting tonight. People are messaging me, asking how this is allowed, with no social distancing, when hours ago Governor <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> said we shouldn’t even see our family for a July 4th gathering this weekend, unless we live with them. <a href="https://t.co/ONq78nCok7">pic.twitter.com/ONq78nCok7</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Christina Pascucci (@ChristinaKTLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristinaKTLA/status/1278499560239755264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Ahead of his series of warnings about maintaining mandated social distancing measures on Wednesday, Garcetti also pledged the city&#8217;s support for the focus of the protests: social justice and radical police reform.</p>
<p>&#8220;We cannot let this moment come and go without positive change in our cities and our country,&#8221; he tweeted Wednesday. &#8220;We must reform policing and further invest in wealth building and health building in the Black community.&#8221;</p>
<p>Some of Garcetti&#8217;s Wednesday posts below:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We cannot let this moment come and go without positive change in our cities and our country. We must reform policing and further invest in wealth building and health building in the Black community. <a href="https://t.co/7UerFRTAgt">https://t.co/7UerFRTAgt</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorOfLA/status/1278436850731028487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Join me live for the latest steps we’re taking to protect Angelenos from the COVID-19 crisis and how you should stay safe this holiday weekend. <a href="https://t.co/b6k9Qvg25R">https://t.co/b6k9Qvg25R</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorOfLA/status/1278482296136335360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We were the first major city to require face coverings, and we must continue to wear them. Gathering with anybody except for those you live with may spread this virus. And that’s why more businesses and places where people gather indoors are closing or must operate differently.</p>
<p>&mdash; MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorOfLA/status/1278486568546648064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We will begin posting the COVID threat level at <a href="https://t.co/8biEGuYjcA">https://t.co/8biEGuYjcA</a> using the colors red, orange, yellow, and green. Today we’re at orange — the risk of infection remains high and you should stay at home as often as you can and only leave for essential activities. <a href="https://t.co/ACACMFGKaj">pic.twitter.com/ACACMFGKaj</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorOfLA/status/1278515878540140546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


Eric Garcetti

SEE IT: Same Day L.A. Mayor Says ‘Avoid Gatherings’ For July 4th, LAPD Posts Photo Of Thousands Gathered For Protest

Coronavirus

COVID-19

Los Angeles

<p>The New York Times published an article and a promotional tweet on Wednesday laying out the case against one of America&#8217;s most iconic monuments, Mount Rushmore, a move that came within a couple of days of a quickly deleted tweet by the Democratic Party expressing a similar sentiment.</p>
<p>In a since-deleted tweet Monday night, the Democratic Party  <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-democrat-party-begins-demonizing-mount-rushmore-refers-to-july-4-celebration-as-glorifying-white-supremacy">described</a> President Trump&#8217;s upcoming Independence Day celebrations at the famous monument as &#8220;glorifying white supremacy at Mount Rushmore — a region once sacred to tribal communities.&#8221;</p>
<p>“Trump has disrespected Native communities time and again,” the party tweeted. “He’s attempted to limit their voting rights and blocked critical pandemic relief. Now he’s holding a rally glorifying white supremacy at Mount Rushmore — a region once sacred to tribal communities.”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Democrats think Mt Rushmore is a display of white supremacy. </p>
<p>There’s no saving this country if Biden gets elected. </p>
<p>(They deleted their tweet.) <a href="https://t.co/hm6r11IjRR">pic.twitter.com/hm6r11IjRR</a></p>
<p>&mdash; (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonrantz/status/1277798547069386752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>On Wednesday, The New York Times published a piece effectively expanding on the Democrats&#8217; swipe at Mount Rushmore.</p>
<p>In a tweet summarizing some of the article&#8217;s key points, the Times wrote: &#8220;Mount Rushmore was built on land that belonged to the Lakota tribe and sculpted by a man who had strong bonds with the Ku Klux Klan. It features the faces of 2 U.S. presidents who were slaveholders.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mount Rushmore was built on land that belonged to the Lakota tribe and sculpted by a man who had strong bonds with the Ku Klux Klan. It features the faces of 2 U.S. presidents who were slaveholders.<a href="https://t.co/pHmJScnYbb">https://t.co/pHmJScnYbb</a></p>
<p>&mdash; The New York Times (@nytimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1278387954440904704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The article, titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/us/mount-rushmore.html">How Mount Rushmore Became Mount Rushmore</a>,&#8221; details how &#8220;the South Dakota landmark has drawn criticism over the land it occupies, the main sculptor behind it and the legacies of the men it memorializes.&#8221;</p>
<p>A few excerpts on the Times&#8217; report on the &#8220;big, big piece of Americana&#8221; [formatting adjusted]:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="css-158dogj evys1bk0">Before he was recruited to create Mount Rushmore, Mr. [Gutzom] Borglum had been involved with another project: an enormous bas-relief at <a class="css-1g7m0tk" title="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/18/us/stone-mountain-confederate-removal.html">Stone Mountain</a> in Georgia that memorialized Confederate leaders. It was eventually completed without him, but Mr. Borglum formed strong bonds with leaders of the Ku Klux Klan and participated in their meetings, in part to secure funding for the Stone Mountain project. He also espoused white supremacist and anti-Semitic ideas, according to excerpts from his letters included in “<a class="css-1g7m0tk" title="" href="https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/john-taliaferro/great-white-fathers/9781586482053/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Great White Fathers</a>,” a book by the writer John Taliaferro about the history of Mount Rushmore. &#8230;</p>
</blockquote>
<div class="css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn">
<div class="css-53u6y8">
<blockquote>
<p class="css-158dogj evys1bk0">Mount Rushmore is built on land that had belonged to the Lakota tribe. “Wherever you go to connect to God, that’s what the Black Hills are to the Lakota,” said <a class="css-1g7m0tk" title="" href="https://ndncollective.org/people/nick-tilsen-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nick Tilsen</a>, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and the president of NDN Collective, an Indigenous activist group. Prospectors seized the land during a gold rush in the 1870s, violating the <a class="css-1g7m0tk" title="" href="https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/sioux-treaty#:~:text=In%20the%20spring%20of%201868,reservation%20in%20the%20Dakota%20Territory." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fort Laramie treaty of 1868</a>, which recognized the Black Hills as belonging to Native Americans, Mr. Tilsen said in an interview.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Like the Democratic Party&#8217;s rapidly pulled tweet, the Times&#8217; post promoting its Mount Rushmore piece was met with intense criticism online.</p>
<p>Below are just a few examples of the flood of overwhelmingly negative responses to the Times&#8217; apparent push to &#8220;cancel&#8221; the beloved monument, including many pointing out that the Times has its own &#8220;problematic&#8221; past:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In 1851, <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> founding editor Henry Jarvis Raymond published an editorial in which he supported a slaveowner’s legal right to recover his escaped slaves. </p>
<p>Will you guys also be canceling yourselves? <a href="https://t.co/kaK6NtVZPz">https://t.co/kaK6NtVZPz</a></p>
<p>&mdash; PragerU (@prageru) <a href="https://twitter.com/prageru/status/1278425645173874689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a>, a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/formernewspaper?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#formernewspaper</a>, was built on land that belonged to the Canarsee tribe and covered up both the Holocaust and the Communist starvation of millions. <a href="https://t.co/pF94XtK8xj">https://t.co/pF94XtK8xj</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Andrew Klavan (@andrewklavan) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewklavan/status/1278467461721948161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">And the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> headquarters is built on Lenape land which was stolen. </p>
<p>Until the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> gives up their building to their descendants, anyone working for them is clearly involved in white supremacy. <a href="https://t.co/faOnHGx6y0">https://t.co/faOnHGx6y0</a> <a href="https://t.co/DA8lOdSoQl">https://t.co/DA8lOdSoQl</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) <a href="https://twitter.com/Neoavatara/status/1278392342077214721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This building is built on land basically stolen for $24 from the Delaware Indians.  You implode this temple of America-hating assholes I’ll give you the mountain. <a href="https://t.co/5tib3GLrJx">pic.twitter.com/5tib3GLrJx</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewsPolitics/status/1278399795787374592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The NY Times coverage of another person who had strong bonds with the KKK <a href="https://t.co/NFVznSPDx9">https://t.co/NFVznSPDx9</a> <a href="https://t.co/oQJFEKdSfY">pic.twitter.com/oQJFEKdSfY</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Cox (@HOLYSMKES) <a href="https://twitter.com/HOLYSMKES/status/1278399811746533376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">From the “newspaper” that brought us the thoroughly discredited 1619 project… </p>
<p>This just in. </p>
<p>I can only imagine with the public trust numbers are going to look like by the end of 2020. <a href="https://t.co/CDfXKICZHI">pic.twitter.com/CDfXKICZHI</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Howard Beale&#39;s hate child (@BealesHateChild) <a href="https://twitter.com/BealesHateChild/status/1278396671282601986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
</div>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>
</div>


Mount Rushmore

NYT Lays Out Case Against Mount Rushmore; Critics Remind Paper Of Its Own Problematic Past

American History

Democratic Party

New York Times

<p>Amid a wave of protests and riots over &#8220;systemic racism&#8221; and the growing movement on the left to tear down monuments dedicated to famous figures from America&#8217;s past, the Princeton University Board of Trustees voted on June 26 to remove the name of the nation&#8217;s 28th President of the United States, Democrat Woodrow Wilson, from one of its schools. On Monday, former First Lady Michelle Obama praised the actions of her alma mater and called on the university to find more ways to be &#8220;more inclusive to all students.&#8221;</p>
<p>In a statement issued Saturday, Princeton&#8217;s board of trustees explained that it voted to scrub Wilson&#8217;s name because of his &#8220;racist thinking and policies.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The Princeton University Board of Trustees voted today to remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from the University’s School of Public and International Affairs, which will now be known as the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/06/27/board-trustees-decision-removing-woodrow-wilsons-name-public-policy-school-and">announcement</a> reads (full text below). &#8220;We have taken this extraordinary step because we believe that Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school whose scholars, students, and alumni must be firmly committed to combatting the scourge of racism in all its forms.&#8221;</p>
<p>In an <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/06/27/president-eisgrubers-message-community-removal-woodrow-wilson-name-public-policy">open letter</a> posted Saturday, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber responded positively to the board&#8217;s decision, for which he made a point of taking credit. &#8220;On my recommendation, the board voted to change the names of both the School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College,&#8221; wrote Eisgruber.</p>
<p>&#8220;Wilson’s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time,&#8221; Eisgruber wrote of the Democrat president (full text below). &#8220;He segregated the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades, thereby taking America backward in its pursuit of justice. He not only acquiesced in but added to the persistent practice of racism in this country, a practice that continues to do harm today. Wilson’s segregationist policies make him an especially inappropriate namesake for a public policy school. When a university names a school of public policy for a political leader, it inevitably suggests that the honoree is a model for students who study at the school. This searing moment in American history has made clear that Wilson’s racism disqualifies him from that role.&#8221;</p>
<p>In response to her alma mater&#8217;s decision, Michelle Obama posted her own statement on Monday.</p>
<p>&#8220;Heartened to see my alma mater make this change, and even prouder of the students who’ve been advocating for this kind of change on campus for years,&#8221; wrote the former first lady. &#8220;Let’s keep finding ways to be more inclusive to all students — at Princeton and at every school across the country.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Heartened to see my alma mater make this change, and even prouder of the students who’ve been advocating for this kind of change on campus for years. Let’s keep finding ways to be more inclusive to all students—at Princeton and at every school across the country. <a href="https://t.co/jQd0TmJe1r">https://t.co/jQd0TmJe1r</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/1277671223649075201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>In the announcement of its decision to remove Wilson&#8217;s name, the board provided some background on the decision, which is a reversal of how it ruled just a few years ago.</p>
<p>&#8220;Student protests at Princeton in November 2015 called attention to Wilson’s racism, and we responded by forming an ad hoc committee, chaired by Brent Henry ’69, to study Wilson’s legacy at Princeton,&#8221; the announcement reads. &#8220;The committee recommended valuable reforms to increase Princeton’s inclusivity and recount the University’s history more completely, but it left the names of the School and College intact. Student and alumni interest in those names has persisted, and we revisited them this month as the American nation struggled profoundly with the terrible injustice of racism.&#8221;</p>
<p>The board goes on to acknowledge that many members of the Princeton community will likely disagree with them. The board also states that while they are removing references to the Democrat president, they continue &#8220;to recognize and respect Woodrow Wilson’s exceptional achievements.&#8221;</p>
<p>Full text of the <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/06/27/board-trustees-decision-removing-woodrow-wilsons-name-public-policy-school-and">board of trustees&#8217; announcement</a>, posted on June 27, below:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>The Princeton University Board of Trustees voted today to remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from the University’s School of Public and International Affairs, which will now be known as the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. We have taken this extraordinary step because we believe that Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school whose scholars, students, and alumni must be firmly committed to combatting the scourge of racism in all its forms.</em></p>
<p><em>Student protests at Princeton in November 2015 called attention to Wilson’s racism, and we responded by forming an ad hoc committee, chaired by Brent Henry ’69, to study Wilson’s legacy at Princeton. The committee recommended valuable reforms to increase Princeton’s inclusivity and recount the University’s history more completely, but it left the names of the School and College intact. Student and alumni interest in those names has persisted, and we revisited them this month as the American nation struggled profoundly with the terrible injustice of racism.</em></p>
<p><em>If the question before us were how to weigh Wilson’s achievements against his failures, members of the Princeton community might reach varying judgments. We believe, however, that these times present the University with a different question. Identifying a political leader as the namesake for a public policy school inevitably suggests that the honoree is a role model for those who study in the school. We must therefore ask whether it is acceptable for this University’s school of public affairs to bear the name of a racist who segregated the nation’s civil service after it had been integrated for decades. This question has been made more urgent by the recent killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks, which have served as tragic reminders of the ongoing need for all of us to stand against racism and for equality and justice. Our commitment to those values must be clear and unequivocal.  We believe that the continued use of Wilson’s name on a school of public affairs does not reflect those values and thereby impedes the School’s and the University’s capacity to pursue their missions.</em></p>
<p><em>We take this action while continuing to recognize and respect Woodrow Wilson’s exceptional achievements. The board today reaffirms its belief that the <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/documents/2017/08/Wilson-Committee-Report-Final.pdf">April 2016 Report of the Trustee Committee on Woodrow Wilson’s Legacy at Princeton</a> accurately and persuasively summarizes the strengths and deficiencies of Wilson’s record at Princeton and in the broader world. As that report documents, during his time on the faculty and as a transformative president, Wilson improved Princeton as much as or more than any other individual in the University’s long history. Though scholars disagree about how to assess Wilson’s tenure as president of the United States, many rank him among the nation’s greatest leaders and credit him with visionary ideas that shaped the world for the better.</em></p>
<p><em>As our nation wrestles with its history in this moment, it is important, especially at institutions committed to seeking the truth, that we recognize the complexity of historical figures and that we examine the entirety of their impact on the world. Though we conclude today that Wilson’s racism makes him an inappropriate namesake for the University’s School of Public and International Affairs, we recognize that Princeton has a continuing responsibility to remember his achievements even as we honestly and publicly contend with his failures.</em></p>
<p><em>One of Princeton’s residential colleges also currently bears Wilson’s name. That naming, like the naming of the School of Public and International Affairs, is honorific, not the result of any donor’s gift. The University has previously indicated that it plans to close Wilson College and retire its name after opening the two new residential colleges now under construction south of Poe Field. Rather than ask students in the College to identify with the name of a racist president for the next two years, the University will accelerate retirement of the honorific naming. The College will instead be known as “First College” in recognition of its status as the first of the residential colleges that now play an essential role in the residential life of all Princeton undergraduates.</em></p>
<p><em>The University’s highest honor for an undergraduate alumnus or alumna is conferred annually on Alumni Day and also bears Wilson’s name. The Woodrow Wilson Award, unlike either the College or the School, is the result of a gift. When the University accepted the gift, it took on a legal obligation to name the prize for Wilson and honor his “conviction that education is for ‘use’ and … the high aims expressed in his memorable phrase, ‘Princeton in the Nation’s Service.’”  The University will continue to recognize extraordinary public service by conferring the award as currently named. The award explicitly honors specific and positive aspects of Wilson’s career, and it, unlike the School or the College, does not require students to identify with the Wilson name in connection with their academic or residential programs.</em></p>
<p><em>Princeton University Board of Trustees</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Full text of <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/06/27/president-eisgrubers-message-community-removal-woodrow-wilson-name-public-policy">Eisgruber&#8217;s letter</a> to the Princeton community below:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Dear Members of the Princeton Community,</em></p>
<p><em>When I <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/06/22/president-eisgruber-calls-university-leadership-confront-realities-and-legacy">wrote to you on Monday morning, June 22</a>, I noted that the Princeton University Board of Trustees was discussing how the University could oppose racism and would soon convene a special meeting on that topic. The meeting took place yesterday, June 26. On my recommendation, the board voted to change the names of both the School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College. As you will see from the <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/node/225891">board’s statement</a>, the trustees concluded that Woodrow Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms.</em></p>
<p><em>As most of you know, the board previously considered whether to remove Wilson’s name after a group of student activists occupied my office in November 2015. The Wilson Legacy Review Committee conducted a thorough, deliberative process. In April 2016, it recommended a number of reforms to make this University more inclusive and more honest about its history. The committee and the board, however, left Wilson’s name on the School and the College.</em></p>
<p><em>The board reconsidered these conclusions this month as the tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Rayshard Brooks drew renewed attention to the long and damaging history of racism in America. Board Chair Weezie Sams ’79 and I spoke individually to members of the board, and it then met on June 26.</em></p>
<p><em>The board continues to respect, as do I, the <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2016/04/04/trustees-call-expanded-commitment-diversity-and-inclusion">Wilson Legacy Review Committee’s process and report</a>, including its description of Wilson’s historical record and its “presumption that names adopted by the trustees after full and thoughtful deliberation … will remain in place, especially when the original reasons for adopting the names remain valid.” The board nevertheless concluded that the presumption should yield in this case because of considerations specific to Wilson’s racist policies and to how his name shapes the identities of the School and the College.</em></p>
<p><em>Wilson’s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time. He segregated the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades, thereby taking America backward in its pursuit of justice. He not only acquiesced in but added to the persistent practice of racism in this country, a practice that continues to do harm today.</em></p>
<p><em>Wilson’s segregationist policies make him an especially inappropriate namesake for a public policy school. When a university names a school of public policy for a political leader, it inevitably suggests that the honoree is a model for students who study at the school. This searing moment in American history has made clear that Wilson’s racism disqualifies him from that role. In a nation that continues to struggle with racism, this University and its school of public and international affairs must stand clearly and firmly for equality and justice. The School will now be known as “The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.”</em></p>
<p><em>The University had already planned to close Wilson College and retire its name after opening two new residential colleges currently under construction. Rather than ask students in the College to identify with the name of a racist president for the next two years, the University will accelerate retirement of the name. The College will instead be known as “First College” in recognition of its status as the first of the residential colleges that now play an essential role in the residential life of all Princeton undergraduates.</em></p>
<p><em>These conclusions may seem harsh to some. Wilson remade Princeton, converting it from a sleepy college into a great research university. Many of the virtues that distinguish Princeton today—including its research excellence and its preceptorial system—were in significant part the result of Wilson’s leadership. He went on to the American presidency and received a Nobel Prize. People will differ about how to weigh Wilson’s achievements and failures. Part of our responsibility as a University is to preserve Wilson’s record in all of its considerable complexity.</em></p>
<p><em>Wilson is a different figure from, say, John C. Calhoun or Robert E. Lee, whose fame derives from their defenses of the Confederacy and slavery (Lee was often honored for the very purpose of expressing sympathy for segregation and opposition to racial equality). Princeton honored Wilson not because of, but without regard to or perhaps even in ignorance of, his racism.</em></p>
<p><em>That, however, is ultimately the problem. Princeton is part of an America that has too often disregarded, ignored, or excused racism, allowing the persistence of systems that discriminate against Black people. When Derek Chauvin knelt for nearly nine minutes on George Floyd’s neck while bystanders recorded his cruelty, he might have assumed that the system would disregard, ignore, or excuse his conduct, as it had done in response to past complaints against him.</em></p>
<p><em>The steps taken yesterday by the Board of Trustees are extraordinary measures. These are not the only steps our University is taking to combat the realities and legacy of racism, but they are important ones. I join the trustees in hoping that they will provide the University, the School of Public and International Affairs, and our entire community with a firm foundation to pursue the mission of teaching, research, and service that has defined our highest aspirations and generated our greatest achievements throughout our history and today.</em></p>
<p><em>With best wishes,</em></p>
<p><em>Christopher L. Eisgruber</em></p></blockquote>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


Michelle Obam Mural

Michelle Obama Responds To Princeton Scrubbing Democrat Woodrow Wilson For ‘Racist Thinking And Policies’: ‘Heartened’

Michelle Obama

Princeton University

Racism

<p>On Tuesday, Airbnb unveiled the &#8220;new way&#8221; it&#8217;s &#8220;fighting discrimination&#8221; on the home-sharing platform: Project Lighthouse, which is designed &#8220;to uncover, measure, and overcome discrimination&#8221; among Airbnb users and hosts.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our mission has always been to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere,&#8221; Airbnb&#8217;s Project Lighthouse announcement reads (full text below). &#8220;Racism, hate, and discrimination go against everything we believe in as a company and a global community. Since 2016, we’ve removed 1.3 million people from Airbnb for declining to treat others without judgment or bias — but there’s still a lot more work to be done.&#8221;</p>
<p>To further combat &#8220;racism, hate and discrimination&#8221; among its users and hosts, the company is rolling out Project Lighthouse, &#8220;a groundbreaking initiative we’re launching in the United States to uncover, measure, and overcome discrimination when booking or hosting on Airbnb.&#8221;</p>
<p>How will Airbnb &#8220;uncover, measure, and overcome&#8221; discrimination among its millions of users and hosts? In part, by collecting data that tracks how &#8220;perception&#8221; is impacting cancellations and reviews. &#8220;Discrimination is based on perception — and on Airbnb, people perceive race from things like first names and profile photos,&#8221; Airbnb explains. &#8220;Together, with civil rights organizations like Color Of Change and Upturn, we&#8217;re beginning with research to understand when and where racial discrimination happens on our platform and the effectiveness of policies that fight it.&#8221;</p>
<p>More details on this &#8220;perception&#8221; and &#8220;profiling&#8221; effort:</p>
<blockquote><p>This project measures discrimination that’s based on perception. People often base their perception of someone’s race on their name and what they look like. So, to get these perceptions, we’ll share Airbnb profile photos and the first names associated with them with an independent partner that’s not part of Airbnb. This partner operates under a strict confidentiality agreement, so they are prohibited from sharing this information with anyone else.</p>
<p>The partner will look at these photos and first names and indicate their perceptions—or, what race they think the information we shared suggests. They’ll share these perceptions with a specialized team at Airbnb exclusively for anti-discrimination work. Before it’s shared, though, all the information tying perceived race back to an account is removed, including the photo, first name, and other details that could be used to find out which Airbnb account they belong to. Airbnb won’t associate perceived race with specific accounts, or target you based on this information.</p>
<p>We’ll use our partner’s perceptions, for example, to figure out whether the reservations of those seen as a certain race are declined more often than others, which will help us create new features and policies to address any difference. We’ve partnered with civil rights and privacy organizations to make sure we do this work in a way that’s both thoughtful and respectful of everyone’s privacy.</p></blockquote>
<p>In its Project Lighthouse announcement, Airbnb addresses the question of why it is focusing on race when other forms of discrimination exist. &#8220;We stand against all types of discrimination — not just racial discrimination, and not just discrimination against one specific community,&#8221; the platform explains. &#8220;We’re committed to working against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and familial status — which are all issues that impact hosts and guests around the world. This is one part of a larger fight.&#8221;</p>
<p>Below is the full text of Airbnb&#8217;s announcement of the &#8220;<a href="https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/a-new-way-were-fighting-discrimination-on-airbnb-201">new way we&#8217;re fighting discrimination on Airbnb</a>&#8220;:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Introducing Project Lighthouse to uncover, measure, and overcome discrimination.</em></p>
<p>Our mission has always been to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. Racism, hate, and discrimination go against everything we believe in as a company and a global community. Since 2016, we’ve removed 1.3 million people from Airbnb for declining to treat others without judgment or bias—but there’s still a lot more work to be done.</p>
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<p>An important step in our continued fight against discrimination is understanding when and how it happens. So we’d like to tell you about Project Lighthouse, a groundbreaking initiative we’re launching in the United States to uncover, measure, and overcome discrimination when booking or hosting on Airbnb.</p>
<p>We know you might have questions about Project Lighthouse and what it means for you, and we’ve done our best to answer them here.</p>
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<p><strong>How will Project Lighthouse work?<br />
</strong>Discrimination is based on perception—and on Airbnb, people perceive race from things like first names and profile photos. Together, with civil rights organizations like <a href="https://colorofchange.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Color Of Change</a> and <a href="https://www.upturn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Upturn</a>, we&#8217;re beginning with research to understand when and where racial discrimination happens on our platform and the effectiveness of policies that fight it.</p>
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<p><strong>How did Airbnb develop Project Lighthouse?<br />
</strong>We’ve developed Project Lighthouse with input from leading civil rights groups and privacy organizations, including <a href="https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Asian Americans Advancing Justice &#8211; AAJC</a>, <a href="https://cdt.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Center for Democracy &amp; Technology</a>, <a href="https://colorofchange.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Color Of Change</a>, <a href="https://civilrights.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Leadership Conference on Civil &amp; Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://lulac.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LULAC</a>, the <a href="https://www.naacp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NAACP</a>, <a href="https://nationalactionnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Action Network</a>, and <a href="https://www.upturn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Upturn</a>, to make sure we do this important work in a way that’s both thoughtful and respectful of everyone’s privacy.</p>
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<p><strong>Who is eligible to participate?<br />
</strong>At this time, the project will be limited to U.S.-based hosts and guests.</p>
<p><strong>When will Project Lighthouse</strong> <strong>launch?<br />
</strong>The project launched June 30, along with more details about how the process works and how you can opt out.</p>
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<p><strong>How does Airbnb want to use my information?<br />
</strong>This project measures discrimination that’s based on perception. People often base their perception of someone’s race on their name and what they look like. So, to get these perceptions, we’ll share Airbnb profile photos and the first names associated with them with an independent partner that’s not part of Airbnb. This partner operates under a strict confidentiality agreement, so they are prohibited from sharing this information with anyone else.</p>
<p>The partner will look at these photos and first names and indicate their perceptions—or, what race they think the information we shared suggests. They’ll share these perceptions with a specialized team at Airbnb exclusively for anti-discrimination work. Before it’s shared, though, all the information tying perceived race back to an account is removed, including the photo, first name, and other details that could be used to find out which Airbnb account they belong to. Airbnb won’t associate perceived race with specific accounts, or target you based on this information.</p>
<p>We’ll use our partner’s perceptions, for example, to figure out whether the reservations of those seen as a certain race are declined more often than others, which will help us create new features and policies to address any difference. We’ve partnered with civil rights and privacy organizations to make sure we do this work in a way that’s both thoughtful and respectful of everyone’s privacy.</p>
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<p><strong>Will Airbnb be using an algorithm, facial recognition technology, or machine learning?<br />
</strong>No. We believe the best way to determine perceived race information is using human perception and not machine learning. The use of algorithms, facial recognition technology, or machine learning for something as sensitive as race would require careful consideration and input from, among others, civil rights and privacy organizations. Were we to consider doing so, we would seek their guidance and support in addition to making sure you are informed.</p>
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<p><strong>Profile photos aren’t shown until a booking is confirmed. Why are you planning to use profile photos in research?<br />
</strong>While profile photos have been removed during the initial booking process, we’re interested in understanding how profile photos might impact other aspects of users’ interactions on the platform with regards to things like cancellations or reviews.</p>
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<p><strong>How will Airbnb respect my privacy?<br />
</strong>Before we analyze perceived race information, all of the information is separated from your profile—that means it’s not tied back to any specific Airbnb account. We won’t use this information to change anyone’s individual experience as a host or guest on Airbnb, and we won’t use this information other than for anti-discrimination work or use it in any marketing or advertising. We’ll analyze patterns on a larger scale.</p>
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<p><strong>Why is Airbnb announcing</strong> <strong>Project Lighthouse </strong><strong>now?<br />
</strong>We’ve worked on this project for nearly two years and planned to launch this initiative later in 2020. But recent events in the U.S. have compelled us to move more quickly. W hile Airbnb already investigates self-reported, individual instances of discrimination, we don’t currently have a way to measure larger trends and patterns related to discrimination that might be happening across Airbnb. Those individual instances of discrimination may be the symptom of a bigger systemic problem, and we want to fight both.</p>
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<p><strong>What happens if Airbnb uncovers inequities?<br />
</strong>Project Lighthouse is one part of our ongoing work to prevent and respond to discrimination on Airbnb. Any insights will be used to help develop new features and policies that create a more equitable experience on our platform and deliver on our enduring mission of creating greater belonging.</p>
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<p><strong>Other types of discrimination exist. Why is Airbnb focusing on race?<br />
</strong>We stand against all types of discrimination—not just racial discrimination, and not just discrimination against one specific community. We’re committed to working against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and familial status—which are all issues that impact hosts and guests around the world. This is one part of a larger fight.</p>
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<p><strong>How can I opt out of Project Lighthouse?<br />
</strong>You can change your opt-out preferences at any time <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/account-settings/privacy-and-sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in your privacy and sharing settings</a>—and if you opt out, we’ll remove your information from future studies. But please keep in mind that by including your information in this effort, you’re helping us create a new benchmark to uncover, measure, and fight discrimination on Airbnb. Before we analyze perceived race information, all of the information is separated from your profile—that means it is not tied back to your specific Airbnb account.</p>
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<p><strong>What is Airbnb doing to help other companies fight discrimination?<br />
</strong>Technology companies have a tremendous responsibility to provide an experience that’s equitable for everyone. We want Project Lighthouse to have an impact beyond Airbnb, so we’re sharing the methodology behind it in a <a href="https://news.airbnb.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/Project-Lighthouse-Airbnb-2020-06-12.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">publicly available technical paper</a>. We hope the paper will serve as a blueprint for other companies, and that it can be a starting point for further innovations that rigorously measure discrimination while upholding user privacy.<strong><br />
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<p><strong>What has Airbnb done so far to address discrimination?<br />
</strong>In the last few years, we’ve made several changes to Airbnb to help fight discrimination, including:</p>
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<li><strong>Our nondiscrimination policy:</strong> Everyone who uses Airbnb must agree to our <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1523/general-questions-about-the-airbnb-community-commitment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Community Commitment</a> and <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1405/airbnbs-nondiscrimination-policy-our-commitment-to-inclusion-and-respect" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nondiscrimination policy</a>. If you’ve experienced discrimination, we’ll investigate the issue, take action, and if needed, <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1433/how-do-i-report-discrimination-to-airbnb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">help you</a> find another place to stay.</li>
<li><strong>Profile photo protections: </strong>We all have bias. But companies like Airbnb can do more to create tools that help prevent people from making biased decisions. That’s why guests’ profile photos aren’t displayed to hosts until after a booking is confirmed, which encourages more objective decision making by hosts.</li>
<li><strong>Objective bookings: </strong><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/523/what-is-instant-book" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instant Book</a> allows a listing to be booked immediately, making the process easier for hosts and ensuring the process is objective for guests. Millions of listings can be booked this way, with more being added all the time.</li>
<li><strong>A dedicated anti-discrimination team: </strong>Airbnb has a specialized team dedicated to making changes to our platform that help prevent and address discrimination, including development of initiatives like Project Lighthouse and profile photo protections.</li>
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<p>Project Lighthouse alone won’t end discrimination on our platform, but it’s an important step that can help us identify discrimination that would otherwise go undetected. And it’s just one of many initiatives we’re working on to make Airbnb more fair for everyone.</p>
<p>Thank you for being a member of our community and for working with us to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.</p>
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<p><i>The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i>member</i></a><i>.</i></p>
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Airbnb

Airbnb Launches New Effort To ‘Uncover’ Discrimination Among Its Users, Hosts

<p>A year ago, famed clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson, a popular proponent of free speech, abruptly disappeared from the public eye. Over the last few months, Peterson&#8217;s daughter, Mikhaila Peterson, has provided some troubling updates on the family&#8217;s struggles, including the revelation that her father was suffering from addiction.</p>
<p>On Monday, she released a new podcast episode in which she and her father, seen for the first time in months, discuss in at-times excruciating candidness why he &#8220;vanished:&#8221; his <a href="https://www.acep.org/how-we-serve/sections/toxicology/news/july-2017/paradoxical-reactions-to-benzodiazepines-who-gets-them-and-why/">benzodiazepine dependency</a>, which, the Petersons explain, nearly cost him his life.</p>
<p>&#8220;The past year was the worst year of my life,&#8221; Mikhaila states in the introduction to the episode. &#8220;Both of my parents almost died repeatedly, first my mon then my dad.&#8221;</p>
<p>She goes on to explain that she and her husband have spent the last six months trying to find help for her father, &#8220;looking everywhere, traveling around the world.&#8221; The episode, she explains, is a discussion with her father about the traumatic events of the last year. &#8220;This was a very difficult interview,&#8221; she states. &#8220;It flattened both of us the evening we recorded it.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Dad&#8217;s been in the public eye for years now and his sudden disappearance was definitely noticed,&#8221; says Mikhaila. &#8220;He disappeared due to a benzodiazepine dependency. We both thought explaining what&#8217;s gone on in the last year could help other people avoid the same hell that we&#8217;re just, hopefully, barely getting out of.&#8221;</p>
<p>Asked by his daughter to explain what happened since he last appeared in front of a microphone about a year ago, Peterson responds, &#8220;Well, you know, an accident is when three or four or five unlikely things happen at the same time, and I would say, that&#8217;s what happened.&#8221; He goes on to explain the painful revelation that helped trigger that awful sequence of &#8220;accidents:&#8221; the revelation that his wife had a fast-growing almost certainly terminal cancer.</p>
<p>WATCH:</p>
<p><iframe title="The Mikhaila Peterson Podcast #9 - Jordan B. Peterson - Family Update June 2020" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HLWgVpmo1e0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>In a February <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jordan-peterson-almost-died-in-induced-coma-during-withdrawal-from-anxiety-drug-daughter-says">podcast</a>, Mikhaila opened up about her father&#8217;s struggles.</p>
<p>&#8220;The last year has been absolute hell for the Petersons,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Dad was put on a low dose of a benzodiazepine a few years ago for anxiety following an extremely severe autoimmune reaction to food. He took the medication as prescribed. We weren’t aware that he was developing a physical dependence on the drug until last April when my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer and the dose of the medication increased. It became apparent that he was experiencing a paradoxical reaction to the medication, meaning the benzos did the opposite of what they’re supposed to do. These reactions are rare but are not unheard of.&#8221;</p>
<p>She then described the most excruciating symptom of the addiction, <a href="https://w-bad.org/akathisia/">akathisia</a>. &#8220;Akathisia is an absolutely god-awful condition where the person feels an incredible, irresistible restlessness, and an inability to sit still,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;It was so severe he was suicidal. For the last six months, he’s been in horrible, unbearable discomfort from this drug, made worse when trying to remove it because of the physical dependence. We took him to several hospitals in North America where he experienced multiple cases of misdiagnosis, and the addition of more medications to cover the response he was experiencing from the benzodiazepines. He nearly died several times.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jordan-peterson-almost-died-in-induced-coma-during-withdrawal-from-anxiety-drug-daughter-says">Jordan Peterson Almost Died In Induced Coma During Withdrawal From Anxiety Drug, Daughter Says</a></strong></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


Jordan Peterson

WATCH: Jordan Peterson Returns After Year-Long Disappearance, Near-Death Battle With Addiction

Mental health

<p>Along with endorsing players putting social justice messages on the backs of their jerseys, the NBA is working with the players union to paint &#8220;Black Lives Matter&#8221; on both sides of the courts in Walt Disney World arenas, where the league will play when it resumes its coronavirus-paused season in late-July. Despite the league&#8217;s efforts to incorporate social justice themed protests into its games, some players are still planning on opting out of playing in order to focus on activism.</p>
<p>The NBA&#8217;s Disney courts decision follows players &#8220;insist[ing] that the fight for racial equality and social justice be a central part of the NBA&#8217;s return to play and the WNBA&#8217;s new season,&#8221; as well as several players stating they plan to stay off the court when play resumes &#8220;to focus on social justice issues,&#8221; <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29384944/nba-plans-paint-black-lives-matter-courts-orlando">ESPN</a> reports.</p>
<p>&#8220;The NBA and National Basketball Players Association are planning to paint &#8216;Black Lives Matter&#8217; on the court inside both sidelines in all three arenas the league will use at the Walt Disney World Resort when it resumes the 2019-20 season late next month in Orlando, Florida,&#8221; ESPN reported this week, citing league sources.</p>
<p>Sources told the network that the WNBA is also considering painting the slogan on the sides of courts at the IMG Academy in Florida, where the WNBA&#8217;s season will resume. Along with the reference to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-lives-matter-led-drive-to-defund-the-police-also-targets-capitalism">far-left organization</a> behind recent protests and riots, the WNBA is considering including the phrase &#8220;Say Her Name,&#8221; a reference to Breonna Taylor, who was shot dead by police in March, on the backs of their jerseys.</p>
<p>NBA players have also been given the greenlight to include social justice-themed statements on the backs of their jerseys, a move first reported following a conference call with the press on Friday that including union leaders from both leagues. The leagues, they said, were in discussions with the union to allow players to put their own messages on their jerseys in order to &#8220;call attention to racial equality, social justice and police brutality,&#8221; ESPN reported.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-to-paint-black-lives-matter-on-sides-of-courts-at-disney-per-report/">CBS Sports</a>&#8216; Sam Quinn praised that decision as &#8220;powerful,&#8221; but argued that it &#8220;puts the onus on players.&#8221; The decision by the league to paint the politically charged slogan on its sidelines makes clear that the league stands fully behind the players&#8217; activist message. &#8220;The league itself needed to send a message of solidarity, and is doing so with its latest decision,&#8221; Quinn writes.</p>
<p>Multiple players have announced that they plan to sit out the Disney games, some citing coronavirus fears, but others specifically stating that they are sitting out so they can focus their attention on social justice activism.</p>
<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-launches-new-media-empire-with-100m-investment-intends-to-move-the-culture"><strong>LeBron Launches New Media Empire With $100M Investment, Intends To ‘Move The Culture’</strong></a></p>
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<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>
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NBA Experience

NBA To Paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ On Sides Of Disney Courts, Allow Players To Put Social Justice Messages On Jerseys

Disney

<p>The newest Russia-themed firestorm has intensified, with The New York Times and the Trump administration doubling down on their clashing claims. In response to a Times report citing unnamed officials claiming the president was briefed on a suspected Russian bounty plot to kill Americans, President Trump blasted the &#8220;phony Times hit job&#8221; Sunday and said &#8220;nobody briefed or told&#8221; him about the alleged plot. Now the paper has published the date of the alleged briefing, citing two unnamed officials.</p>
<p>&#8220;American intelligence officials have concluded that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops — amid the peace talks to end the long-running war there, according to officials briefed on the matter,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.html">The New York Times</a> reported Friday. The intelligence finding &#8220;was briefed to President Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March,&#8221; the Times reported, citing the sources.</p>
<p>After multiple White House officials denied the claim, Trump responded in a pair of posts early Sunday. &#8220;<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Nobody briefed or told me, [Vice President Mike Pence],</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> or Chief of Staff [Mark Meadows] </span>about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an ‘anonymous source’ by the Fake News [New York Times],&#8221; Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277202162070753280">tweeted</a>.<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> &#8220;Everybody is denying it [and] there have not been many attacks on us. Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than the Trump Administration. With Corrupt Joe Biden [and] Obama, Russia had a field day, taking over important parts of Ukraine — Where’s Hunter? Probably just another phony Times hit job, just like their failed Russia Hoax. Who is their ‘source’?&#8221;</span></p>
<p>On Monday, the Times added more specifics to their initial report.</p>
<p class="css-158dogj evys1bk0">&#8220;American officials provided a written briefing in late February to President Trump laying out their conclusion that a Russian military intelligence unit offered and paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan,&#8221; the Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/us/politics/russian-bounty-trump.html">reported</a> Monday, citing &#8220;two officials familiar with the matter.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the White House &#8220;tried on Monday to play down the intelligence assessment that Russia sought to encourage and reward killings — including reiterating a claim that Mr. Trump was never briefed about the matter and portraying the conclusion as disputed and dubious,&#8221; the Times reports, according to two officials, &#8220;the intelligence was included months ago in Mr. Trump’s President’s Daily Brief document.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the officials said the item appeared in Mr. Trump’s brief in late February; the other cited Feb. 27, specifically,&#8221; the report states. &#8220;Moreover, a description of the intelligence assessment that the Russian unit had carried out the bounties plot was also seen as serious and solid enough to disseminate more broadly across the intelligence community in a May 4 article in the C.I.A.’s World Intelligence Review, a classified compendium commonly referred to as The Wire, two officials said.&#8221;</p>
<p>Along with Trump&#8217;s forceful denial that he was ever briefed on the matter, other White House officials and federal departments have pushed back on the claims in the Times&#8217; report.</p>
<p>Asked by reporters about Trump being informed through his written briefing, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/us/politics/russian-bounty-trump.html">said</a>, &#8220;He was not personally briefed on the matter.&#8221; She also told the press that there was &#8220;not a consensus among the intelligence community&#8221; about the alleged plot. Citing &#8220;dissenting opinions within the intelligence community,&#8221; McEnany said the report &#8220;would not be elevated to the president until it was verified.&#8221;</p>
<p>National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multiple-government-agencies-dispute-new-york-times-report-on-russian-putting-bounties-on-u-s-troops">statement</a>: supporting Trump&#8217;s claim he &#8220;had not been briefed&#8221; on the suspected plot: &#8220;Over the past several days, the New York Times and other news outlets have reported on allegations regarding our troops in Afghanistan. While we do not normally discuss such matters, we constantly evaluate intelligence reports and brief the President as necessary. Because the allegations in recent press articles have not been verified or substantiated by the Intelligence Community, President Trump had not been briefed on the items. Nevertheless, the Administration, including the National Security Council staff, have been preparing should the situation warrant action.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Department of Defense (DOD) also addressed the issue, stating it currently has &#8220;no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports&#8221;: &#8220;The Department of Defense continues to evaluate intelligence that Russian GRU operatives were engaged in malign activity against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan. To date, DOD has no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports. Regardless, we always take the safety and security of our forces in Afghanistan — and around the world — most seriously and therefore continuously adopt measures to prevent harm from potential threats.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyt-russians-paid-militants-to-attack-americans-and-trump-knew-about-it-biden-betrayal-trump-i-was-never-briefed">NYT: Russians Paid Militants To Attack Americans And Trump Knew About It; Biden: ‘Betrayal’; Trump: Nobody Briefed Me</a></strong></p>
<p><em>This article has been expanded to include quotes from McEnany.</em></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a</span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


Trump Says ‘Nobody Briefed’ Him On Russian Militant Plot; NYT Gives Specific Date Of Alleged Briefing

Kayleigh McEnany

Russia

<p>A new Russia-involved scandal has erupted over a New York Times report claiming that the U.S. concluded &#8220;months ago&#8221; that a Russian spy unit linked to past assassination attempts covertly offered rewards to Taliban-linked militants in Afghanistan last year to kill Americans — and President Trump knew about it. &#8220;The intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March,&#8221; the Times reported, citing unnamed officials.</p>
<p>The report prompted an &#8220;outraged&#8221; rebuke from Joe Biden, who called the administration&#8217;s response a &#8220;betrayal&#8221; to the country, but President Trump and other White House officials say that he was never briefed on the matter, suggesting either false claims by sources or members of the intelligence committee withholding information from the president.</p>
<p class="css-158dogj evys1bk0">&#8220;The United States concluded months ago that the Russian unit, which has been linked to assassination attempts and other covert operations in Europe intended to destabilize the West or take revenge on turncoats, had covertly offered rewards for successful attacks last year,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.html">The New York Times</a> reported Friday. &#8220;Islamist militants, or armed criminal elements closely associated with them, are believed to have collected some bounty money, the officials said.&#8221;</p>
<p class="css-158dogj evys1bk0">Citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity, the Times specifically states that Trump and his National Security Council were allegedly briefed on the matter, but the White House has yet to authorize any action:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="css-158dogj evys1bk0">The intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March, the officials said. Officials developed a menu of potential options — starting with making a diplomatic complaint to Moscow and a demand that it stop, along with an escalating series of sanctions and other possible responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any step, the officials said. &#8230;</p>
<p class="css-158dogj evys1bk0">The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the delicate intelligence and internal deliberations. They said the intelligence had been treated as a closely held secret, but the administration expanded briefings about it this week — including sharing information about it with the British government, whose forces are among those said to have been targeted.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The report sparked massive media buzz and quick backlash from Trump&#8217;s political opponent, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.</p>
<p>“The truly shocking revelation that if the Times report is true, and I emphasize that again, is that President Trump, the commander in chief of American troops serving in a dangerous theater of war, has known about this for months, according to the Times, and done worse than nothing,” Biden said during a virtual townhall event Saturday, as reported by The <a href="https://apnews.com/bab311cb84a8e7efea42736d9b81c13b">Associated Press</a>.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-60 Component-p-0-2-52">&#8220;Not only has he failed to sanction and impose any kind of consequences on Russia for this egregious violation of international law, Donald Trump has continued his embarrassing campaign of deference and debasing himself before Vladimir Putin,” said Biden. Trump&#8217;s actions after allegedly being briefed, said Biden, is a &#8220;betrayal of the most sacred duty we bear as a nation — to protect and equip our troops when we send them into harm’s way.&#8221;</p>
<p>But Trump and other White House officials say the Times&#8217; report is at least partly false.</p>
<p>&#8220;I never heard this,&#8221; tweeted former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell in response to a question about the report from Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu (CA) on Saturday. &#8220;And it’s disgusting how you continue to politicize intelligence. You clearly don’t understand how raw intel gets verified. Leaks of partial information to reporters from anonymous sources is dangerous because people like you manipulate it for political gain.&#8221;</p>
<p>White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also addressed the report. “This does not speak to the merit of the alleged intelligence but to the inaccuracy of the New York Times story erroneously suggesting that President Trump was briefed on this matter,&#8221; she said in a statement Saturday.</p>
<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Trump responded early Sunday. &#8220;Nobody briefed or told me, [Vice President Mike Pence],</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> or Chief of Staff [Mark Meadows] </span>about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an &#8216;anonymous source&#8217; by the Fake News [New York Times],&#8221; Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277202162070753280">tweeted</a>.<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> &#8220;Everybody is denying it [and] there have not been many attacks on us. Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than the Trump Administration. With Corrupt Joe Biden &amp; Obama, Russia had a field day, taking over important parts of Ukraine — Where’s Hunter? Probably just another phony Times hit job, just like their failed Russia Hoax. Who is their &#8216;source&#8217;?&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">In a follow-up post Sunday, Trump said that intelligence officials just informed him that they did not report the information to him because they did not find it credible. </span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">&#8220;Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or [Vice President Pence]</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">. Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News [NYT]</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">, wanting to make Republicans look bad!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277431695248183298">wrote</a>. </span></p>
<p>Since publishing its report Friday, the Times has updated it with more details but has not retracted the claim that Trump was briefed. On Monday, The <a href="https://apnews.com/02975c59e71e65327e2f582cd1a91f43">Associated Press</a> published a new report citing intelligence sources speaking on condition of anonymity claiming &#8220;that Trump was briefed on the bounty matter earlier this year.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>This article and its titles has been revised for clarity.</em></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a </span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


NYT: Russians Paid Militants To Attack Americans And Trump Knew About It; Biden: ‘Betrayal’; Trump: Nobody Briefed Me

Richard Grenell

<p>According to a recent report, Donald Trump has admitted to his advisers that he is &#8220;losing&#8221; and his team has been taking action behind the scenes to course-correct following a string of troubling polls and amid what aides and analysts have described as the roughest period of Trump&#8217;s presidency.</p>
<p>&#8220;Donald Trump knows he&#8217;s losing. The president has privately come to that grim realization in recent days,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/27/trump-losing-2020-election-342326">Politico</a> reported over the weekend, citing multiple people familiar with his thinking. According to more than a half-dozen people close to the president, Politico reports, his team is taking action to prevent what they fear could be a devastating defeat in November.</p>
<p>The alleged admission follows the president being bludgeoned repeatedly by the media for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the explosion of protests and riots after the police-involved death of George Floyd, which has prompted yet more critical headlines, polls showing Biden holding an increasingly formidable lead over the incumbent, and Trump&#8217;s first campaign rally since the lockdowns in which the crowd was much smaller than anticipated.</p>
<p>The most recent troubling sign, according to Politico&#8217;s unnamed sources, was Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0YKf-caVuY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interview</a> with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday in which the president struggled to lay out his second-term goals. In the interview, &#8220;the normally self-assured president offered a tacit acknowledgment that he might lose when he said that Joe Biden is &#8216;gonna be your president because some people don&#8217;t love me, maybe,'&#8221; Politico notes. The left-leaning outlet&#8217;s sources say that following the interview, &#8220;questions swirled within his inner circle about whether his heart was truly in it when it comes to seeking reelection.&#8221;</p>
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<p class=" story-text__paragraph" data-content-child-index="0-2">While most of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity, former Trump political adviser Sam Nunberg was willing to go on the record with his bleak assessment of the president&#8217;s re-election outlook. &#8220;Under the current trajectory, President Trump is on the precipice of one of the worst electoral defeats in modern presidential elections and the worst historically for an incumbent president,”  Nunberg told Politico.</p>
<p data-content-child-index="0-3"><a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html">Multiple polls</a> show Trump below 40% support in a head-to-head with Biden. Should his support consistently drop to 35%, said Nunberg, Trump could be facing &#8220;realistically a 400-plus electoral vote loss and the president would need to strongly reconsider whether he wants to continue to run as the Republican presidential nominee.&#8221;</p>
<p data-content-child-index="0-3">Sources say the realization that his re-election is growing increasingly less likely has resulted in multiple changes behind the scenes in an attempt &#8220;to correct course.&#8221;</p>
<p data-content-child-index="0-3">Following the Tulsa rally, Trump has reportedly begun &#8220;to take a more hands-on role in the campaign and has expressed openness to adding more people to the team.&#8221; Sources say Trump&#8217;s son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to be even more involved with his re-election efforts, while Trump&#8217;s campaign has begun to focus more on battleground states, polls from which consistently show Biden ahead, at times by wide margins.</p>
<p data-content-child-index="0-3">Real Clear Politics&#8217; average of the most recent national polls shows Biden leading Trump by an average of <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html">9.2 points</a> (49.5 &#8211; 40.3%). The averages show Trump trailing by more than 8 points in Michigan, more than 6 points in Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, by 4 points in Arizona, and by 2.4 points in North Carolina.</p>
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<p class=" story-text__paragraph" data-content-child-index="0-7"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a </span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>
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President Trump

Course-Correct: Trump Tells Advisers He’s Losing, Gets More Involved, Sources Say

<p>Gilead Sciences Inc. revealed Monday its pricing plans for its highly anticipated Covid-19 treatment, remdesivir, including higher prices for Americans with private insurance and lower costs for U.S. government health programs as well as those provided by other developed countries.</p>
<p>The drugmaker disclosed Monday that it will charge $390 per dose for those on a U.S. government health plan, like Medicare, and $520 per dose — a third more than the government cost — for patients with a private insurance plan.</p>
<p>For a typical, shorter length treatment (6 doses) those prices amount to $2,340 for those on government plans and $3,120 for those on commercial plans. For a longer course treatment (11 doses), a government plan would cost $4,290 and a privately insured patient would pay $5,720.</p>
<p>&#8220;The drugmaker on Monday disclosed its pricing plans as it prepares to begin charging for the drug in July,&#8221; <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-drug-remdesivir-to-cost-3-120-for-typical-patient-on-private-insurance-11593428402">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported on Monday. &#8220;The U.S. has been distributing remdesivir donated by Gilead since the drug was authorized for emergency use in May.&#8221;</p>
<p>In May, after researchers demonstrated that remdesivir shortened the recovery time for patients by an average of four days, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially green-lighted the drug&#8217;s emergency use for the duration of the crisis. As the Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-drug-remdesivir-to-cost-3-120-for-typical-patient-on-private-insurance-11593428402">noted</a> at the time, &#8220;health regulators could grant full approval if more benefits emerge from a large study by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and other clinical trials under way.&#8221;</p>
<p>In a statement Monday, Gilead Chief Executive Officer Daniel O&#8217;Day said that the company will charge the same $390 per dose for all developed countries. &#8220;There is no playbook for how to price a new medicine in a pandemic,&#8221; <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gilead-prices-remdesivir-at-2340-for-treatment-in-most-of-the-developed-world-2020-06-29?siteid=yhoof2&amp;yptr=yahoo">said</a> O&#8217;Day. The decision to go with one price for most developed countries is an attempt to remove &#8220;the need for country by country negotiations on price.&#8221;</p>
<div class="paywall">
<p>“The logic is that we wanted a single government price around the developed world,” O&#8217;Day <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-drug-remdesivir-to-cost-3-120-for-typical-patient-on-private-insurance-11593428402">explained</a> in an interview with the Journal Monday. The pricing is &#8220;far below the value it brings to health-care systems and that’s true for private payers and government payers,&#8221; the CEO stressed.</p>
<p>Gilead appears to be only charging different prices for the drug in the U.S. The choice to provide two different costs in the U.S., the company explained, is a result of the government-specified discounts for many treatments.</p>
<p>The estimated cost savings of the treatment, said O&#8217;Day, should be around $12,000 per patient due to its demonstrated ability to reduce recovery time by an average of four days. The average hospitalization cost per day is around $3,000. A vast majority, 90% to 95%, of those treated with the drug require only a five-day treatment, Gilead&#8217;s CEO explained.</p>
<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fatality-rate-plunges-as-cdc-director-says-covid-cases-likely-10x-higher"><strong>Fatality Rate Plunges As CDC Director Says COVID Cases Likely 10X Higher</strong></a></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a </span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>
</div>


Gilead Sciences

Covid-19 Drug Producer Reveals Prices, Higher For Privately Insured Americans

Gilead

<p>Abel and Ola Osundairo briefly shook up the City of Chicago&#8217;s case against Jussie Smollett this week after announcing Wednesday that they were no longer willing to cooperate with investigators working on the high-profile &#8220;hoax hate crime&#8221; case. But in a statement released by their attorney the next day, the brothers, who say that Smollett paid them to stage the attack on the former &#8220;Empire&#8221; star, said they are now back on board with the investigation after the &#8220;intervention&#8221; of the special prosecutor.</p>
<p>Wednesday, the Osundairo brothers gave law enforcement an ultimatum: stop treating them as if they are still suspects in the case rather than witnesses by giving them back their confiscated private property, including a legally owned handgun. If police fail to do so, they will no longer testify against Smollett for &#8220;orchestrating&#8221; a staged attack last year, as officials concluded after a widely reported investigation.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s been over a year and they need to give us our stuff back,&#8221; Abel told <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/24/osundairo-brothers-who-say-they-were-paid-to-stage-attack-now-say-they-wont-willingly-testify-against-jussie-smollett/">CBS Chicago</a> Wednesday in reference to the police confiscating some of their private property in the course of the investigation. &#8220;I would understand if we were defendants in the case, which we are not.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Police raided the Osundairos’ home on Valentine’s Day last year while the brothers were in Nigeria,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brothers-say-they-wont-testify-against-smollett-unless-police-meet-certain-demands">The Daily Wire</a> reported. &#8220;At the time, the brothers were suspected of launching a racist and homophobic attack on Smollett. Police later dropped charges against the brothers and now say that the actor paid each brother $3,500 to stage the incident.&#8221;</p>
<p>The items obtained in the raid, including a legally obtained 9mm gun and ammunition, have continued to be held by police as evidence for the ongoing case, but police recently indicated that the gun was missing. &#8220;Legally, it belongs to me, and I want to know its whereabouts,&#8221; Abel told CBS.</p>
<p>A day after the brothers&#8217; threatened to stop cooperating with the investigation, their attorney released a <a href="https://pagesix.com/2020/06/25/abel-and-ola-osundairo-will-testify-against-jussie-smollett/?utm_medium=SocialFlow&amp;utm_source=P6Twitter&amp;utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;__twitter_impression=true">statement</a> announcing that they are back on board, citing the &#8220;intervention&#8221; of the special prosecutor.</p>
<p>“Due to the intervention of Special Prosecutor Dan Webb and his team, earlier today we were informed that a properly registered 9mm handgun that was missing from a locked safe seized by the Chicago Police Department on February 14, 2019, has been located,” their lawyer, Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, said in the statement.</p>
<p>“The missing gun was a reason for Abel and Ola’s decision to cease voluntary cooperation, in addition to the unnecessary complication brought to this situation by CPD’s Corporate Counsel in treating them like suspects,&#8221; said the lawyer. &#8220;Abel and Ola will recommence their cooperation in the Smollett case now that the handgun has been produced by the Special Prosecutor’s office.&#8221;</p>
<p>In January 2019, Smollett reported an alleged hate crime to police, claiming two white men attacked him in downtown Chicago at around 2 a.m., doused him in an unknown liquid, and hung a &#8220;noose &#8220;around his neck. Police quickly zeroed in on two suspects, who turned out to be the Osundairo brothers, and brought them in for questioning. A couple of days later, Chicago Police Department Communications Chief Anthony Guglielmi <a href="https://twitter.com/AJGuglielmi/status/1096610157973434373">announced</a> that the brothers were no longer suspects.</p>
<p>“Due to new evidence as a result of today’s interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete,” said Guglielmi. The brothers told the police that Smollett paid them to stage the attack and police say evidence overwhelmingly confirms their account.</p>
<p>The initial 16 charges for filing false police reports against Smollett were infamously dropped by the Cook County prosecutor’s office last year, with Smollett simply agreeing to forfeit his $10,000 bond and perform some community service, and without Smollett being required to admit any guilt. In response, the city sued Smollett in April 2019 for $130,000 in wasted resources for the investigation into what officials maintain was a hoax.</p>
<p><em>The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a </em><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"><em>member</em></a><em>.</em></p>


Jussie Smollett

Key Witnesses In Jussie Smollett Case Reverse, Will Now Cooperate After ‘Intervention’ Of Prosecutor

Chicago

<p>During a conference call with reporters on Thursday following the release of the findings of an FBI investigation, NASCAR President Steve Phelps stressed that the rope &#8220;fashioned like a noose&#8221; found in African-American driver Bubba Wallace&#8217;s garage and concern that Wallace was the target of a hate crime &#8220;was real.&#8221; While he stressed that very &#8220;real&#8221; concern, he also suggested that NASCAR should have been more cautious in its initial announcement about the &#8220;noose.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Upon learning of and seeing the noose, our initial reaction was to protect our driver,&#8221;  Phelps said on the call Thursday, as reported by <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/noose-concern-wallace-real-nascar-president-194246795--nascar.html">AFP</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;re living in a highly charged and emotional time. What we saw was a symbol of hate and was only present in one area of the garage and that was of the 43 car of Bubba Wallace.&#8221;</p>
<p>Phelps then admitted that he personally should have handled the situation in a more measured way initially.</p>
<p>&#8220;In hindsight, I should have used the word &#8216;alleged&#8217; in our statement,&#8221; said Phelps. &#8220;As you can see from the photo, the noose was real, as was our concern for Bubba,&#8221; he added in reference to the photo of the rope tied in a noose-like way NASCAR released Thursday (photo below).</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">NASCAR just released a photo of the garage pull rope that was fashioned into a noose at Talladega. <a href="https://t.co/gRAUAJoYv2">pic.twitter.com/gRAUAJoYv2</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeff_gluck/status/1276188964488003584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Though the FBI investigation, conducted by 15 FBI agents, determined that the noose-like rope pull had been in the garage since fall of 2019, long before Wallace&#8217;s team was in the stall, and that 11 other garages had similar pull ropes, though no others were tied in the same fashion, Phelps said NASCAR will be implementing &#8220;sensitivity and unconscious bias training for all members of the industry along with additional sweeps through garage areas and installation of additional cameras in all garages,&#8221; AFP reports.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our ultimate conclusion for this investigation is to ensure that this never happens again, that no one walks by a noose without recognizing the potential damage it can do,&#8221; Phelps said on the call Thursday.</p>
<p>In his initial statement on the suspected &#8220;hate crime&#8221; on Sunday, Phelps called the supposedly deliberate hanging of the &#8220;noose&#8221; in Wallace&#8217;s garage stall a &#8220;heinous act&#8221; and said the person responsible will be &#8220;banned for life.&#8221;</p>
<p id="K3PSCIHCGVCRBAK57JK56475UU" class="article__paragraph article__paragraph--left">&#8220;As we have stated unequivocally there is no place for racism in NASCAR,&#8221; <a href="https://www.mlive.com/sports/2020/06/nascar-president-steve-phelps-bubba-wallace-social-media-react-to-heinous-act.html">said</a> Phelps. &#8220;This act only strengthens our resolve to make this sport open and welcome to all. We are going to use every effort that we can to determine who has done this, whether it is a single person or multiple people. The director of the FBI has informed its Birmingham office to use all of its resources to find it as well.&#8221;</p>
<p id="UGXD7OVEXZDIDITHFE7GKOP32M" class="article__paragraph article__paragraph--left">&#8220;Unequivocally, this person will be banned for life,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There is no room for this at all, and we won’t tolerate it, and they won’t be here. I don’t care who they are. They won’t be here.&#8221;</p>
<p>The next day, in a display of solidarity with Wallace, NASCAR had many of its drivers walk behind his car and promoted video of the moving moment on social media:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Together.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IStandWithBubba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IStandWithBubba</a> <a href="https://t.co/achL5H70Ng">pic.twitter.com/achL5H70Ng</a></p>
<p>&mdash; NASCAR (@NASCAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/1275142152725487617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bubba-wallace-changes-course-in-new-statement-on-emotional-past-few-days">Bubba Wallace Changes Course In New Statement On ‘Emotional’ Past Few Days</a></strong></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a </span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


Bubba Wallace

NASCAR President On Bubba Wallace: Noose, Concern ‘Was Real,’ But I Should Have Said ‘Alleged’

NASCAR

<p>In response to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-video-shows-arrest-that-led-to-rioters-toppling-abolitionist-statue-assaulting-democrat-politician">the arrest</a> of a man who walked into a cafe holding a baseball bat and screaming through a megaphone, a riot broke out in Madison, Wisconsin, Tuesday night. The result was violence, including the brutal assault of a &#8220;gay progressive&#8221; Democratic politician, as well as property damage, including toppled monuments, among them a statue dedicated to an abolitionist.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Madison&#8217;s Democratic mayor — who champions the idea of &#8220;reimagining public safety&#8221; — issued an incensed rebuke of the &#8220;protesters&#8221; who wreaked havoc in her city the night before, and called for a clear distinction to be made between those exercising their constitutional right to protest and those seizing on the opportunity to engage in &#8220;criminal conduct.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;[W]hat happened last night in Madison was far from peaceful and exceeding dangerous,&#8221; Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said in the <a href="https://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/news/statement-of-mayor-rhodes-conway-0">statement</a> posted Wednesday on her government website. &#8220;People attacked a State Senator who championed workers’ rights in 2011, tore down a statue of an abolitionist who died trying to end slavery during the Civil War, and attempted to set fire to a building with dozens of people inside.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We need to separate First Amendment protests from those engaged in criminal conduct,&#8221; the progressive mayor declared. &#8220;People engaged in violence and criminal conduct against people or property on the streets of Madison will be held accountable.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Over the past weeks, we have heard chants of &#8216;who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!&#8217; It&#8217;s time for that &#8216;us&#8217; and that &#8216;we&#8217; to include everyone in Madison,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Because every single person who lives here deserves to be and feel safe in our City. And it is up to every single one of us to make that true. Everyone — police, protester, elected official, business owner, resident — everyone must find it within themselves to show compassion and kindness for each other, and to care about each other&#8217;s safety and well-being. ​&#8221;</p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-video-shows-arrest-that-led-to-rioters-toppling-abolitionist-statue-assaulting-democrat-politician">The Daily Wire</a> highlighted, the riot was sparked by an incident caught on video that prompted 911 calls:</p>
<blockquote><p>The videos, including two posted by the Madison Police Department, show the arrest of a baseball bat-wielding Black Lives Matter protester, identified as <a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime-and-courts/black-activist-arrested-taken-to-ground-by-police-after-disturbance-in-madison-restaurant/article_8356b4c1-4dbf-52ff-9d5b-cadb98bf5356.html">Devonere Johnson</a>, 28, whose threatening behavior and rhetoric prompted 911 calls, and who subsequently resisted arrest and managed to escape. In the videos, bystanders can be seen attempting to accuse police of detaining a black man without cause.</p>
<p>In one video, posted by the Madison PD on Tuesday, Johnson can be seen walking around a cafe with a baseball ball on his shoulder and yelling at the customers and employees through a bullhorn. In his wild, racially charged rant, Johnson refers to himself as “Yeshua Musa” and makes various radical accusations. He initially walks in with a bullhorn in a white man’s face accusing him of being a racist. Johnson, repeatedly using the N-word, then claims that Jesus was actually Horus and has been used to justify rape, murder, pedophilia, and other injustices.</p></blockquote>
<p><iframe title="Coopers inside" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vSgI0vCoLMY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Another video shows Johnson appearing to resist arrest while bystanders accuse the officers of supposedly arresting him for simply &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-video-shows-arrest-that-led-to-rioters-toppling-abolitionist-statue-assaulting-democrat-politician">using a megaphone</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>Among the victims of the Madison riot Tuesday night was Democratic State Sen. Tim Carpenter, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rioters-attack-democrat-state-senator-in-wisconsin-he-responds-im-a-gay-progressive-on-their-side">assaulted</a> after he took photos of protesters demanding the release of Johnson.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what happened … all I did was stop and take a picture … and the next thing I’m getting five-six punches, getting kicked in the head,” Carpenter told The Washington Post. “This has got to stop before someone gets killed. Sad thing I’m on their side for peaceful demonstrations — am a Gay Progressive Dem Senator served 36 years in the legislature.”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I took this pic- it got me assaulted &amp; beat up. Punched/kicked in the head, neck, ribs. Maybe concussion, socked in left eye is little blurry, sore neck &amp; ribs. 8-10 people attacked me. Innocent people are going to get killed. Capitol locked- stuck in office.Stop violence nowPlz! <a href="https://t.co/Zw2hdfYG66">pic.twitter.com/Zw2hdfYG66</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Tim Carpenter (@TimCarpenterMKE) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimCarpenterMKE/status/1275716467007328258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Below is the full text of Rhodes-Conway&#8217;s statement:</p>
<blockquote><p>Thousands of people have come out in Madison and around Wisconsin to protest the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the many taken before them. I have heard from thousands of Madisonians in the past week, the vast majority of whom are supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement and the peaceful protests that have occurred in Madison.</p>
<p>However, what happened last night in Madison was far from peaceful and exceeding dangerous. People attacked a State Senator who championed workers’ rights in 2011, tore down a statute of an abolitionist who died trying to end slavery during the Civil War, and attempted to set fire to a building with dozens of people inside. We need to separate First Amendment protests from those engaged in criminal conduct. People engaged in violence and criminal conduct against people or property on the streets of Madison will be held accountable.</p>
<p>Madison Police are involved in a wide-ranging investigation of activities that lead up to the arrest on the square yesterday and will have further information on this investigation when it is available. Officers are also investigating Sunday night hit and run involving a pick-up truck and a pedestrian.</p>
<p>People are asking for real, substantive changes, and the City is responding. The Council moved forward with the creation of an independent police auditor and an independent civilian police oversight committee, and we will continue to work to implement the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Task Force on Police Policy and Procedure. The Public Safety Review Committee and the City Attorney&#8217;s office are reviewing the Madison Police Department&#8217;s use of force policies, comparing them with the 8 can&#8217;t wait standards, the NAACP recommendations, and other best practices from around the country, and will make recommendations for any needed changes. Our Community and Economic Development divisions are working to develop programs and move funds to support wealth-building, housing assistance<strong>,</strong> small businesses and more in the Black community. Alders are exploring the mental health ambulance model and how to adapt it for Madison. My office is engaging with the question of how to reimagine public safety, and working to engage the community in all of these issues. At the State level, the Governor and Lt. Governor introduced a strong package of proposals around police reform and racial equity.</p>
<p>Over the past weeks, we have heard chants of &#8220;who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!&#8221; It&#8217;s time for that “us” and that “we” to include everyone in Madison. Because every single person who lives here deserves to be and feel safe in our City. And it is up to every single one of us to make that true. Everyone &#8211; police, protester, elected official, business owner, resident &#8211; everyone must find it within themselves to show compassion and kindness for each other, and to care about each other&#8217;s safety and well-being. ​</p></blockquote>
<p><i>The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a </i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"><i>member</i></a><i>.</i></p>


Broken window.

Mayor: ‘What Happened Last Night In Madison Was Far From Peaceful And Exceeding Dangerous’

Riots

Wisconsin

<p>Videos have emerged revealing what sparked a riot in Madison, Wisconsin on Tuesday that resulted in an abolitionist statue being toppled, the destruction of private property, and the physical assault of an openly &#8220;gay progressive&#8221; Democratic politician.</p>
<p>The videos, including two posted by the Madison Police Department, show the arrest of a baseball bat-wielding Black Lives Matter protester, identified as <a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime-and-courts/black-activist-arrested-taken-to-ground-by-police-after-disturbance-in-madison-restaurant/article_8356b4c1-4dbf-52ff-9d5b-cadb98bf5356.html">Devonere Johnson</a>, 28, whose threatening behavior and rhetoric prompted 911 calls, and who subsequently resisted arrest and managed to escape. In the videos, bystanders can be seen attempting to accuse police of detaining a black man without cause.</p>
<p>In one video, posted by the Madison PD on Tuesday, Johnson can be seen walking around a cafe with a baseball ball on his shoulder and yelling at the customers and employees through a bullhorn. In his wild, racially charged rant, Johnson refers to himself as &#8220;Yeshua Musa&#8221; and makes various radical accusations. He initially walks in with a bullhorn in a white man&#8217;s face accusing him of being a racist. Johnson, repeatedly using the N-word, then claims that Jesus was actually Horus and has been used to justify rape, murder, pedophilia, and other injustices.</p>
<p>WATCH (warning: language):</p>
<p><iframe title="Coopers inside" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vSgI0vCoLMY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>As noted by <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2020/06/24/arrest-led-riot-madison-wisconsin-last-night/">Hot Air</a>, video posted on Facebook then shows the initial attempt to arrest Johnson, with Johnson clearly resisting officers.</p>
<p>While officers are attempting to detain him, bystanders begin suggesting that officers are arresting him for no reason, saying, &#8220;He didn&#8217;t do nothing!&#8221; and demanding that officers release him immediately.</p>
<p>&#8220;He was using a megaphone, and that was it!&#8221; one bystander repeatedly claims, despite Johnson walking around beforehand with a bat in one hand. The false claim is then picked up by other protesters, while the police are berated, amid shouts of &#8220;F*** you!&#8221;</p>
<p>WATCH: (warning: language)</p>
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<p><script async="1" defer="1" crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v7.0" nonce="r9D5VpF3"></script></p>
<div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/ThisAlanRobinson/videos/2877427369046233/?t=0" data-width="500">
<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/ThisAlanRobinson/videos/2877427369046233/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThisAlanRobinson/videos/2877427369046233/"></a></p>
<p>Posted by <a href="#" role="button">Alan Robinson</a> on Tuesday, June 23, 2020</p></blockquote>
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<p>The Madison Police Department also posted a longer video that shows the initial arrest of Johnson, his brief escape, and final detainment:</p>
<p><iframe title="Coopers outside" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LhtbCnLXlhc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p class="_90ji">Johnson&#8217;s arrest would spark a massive riot Tuesday that quickly spun out of control.</p>
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<p>&#8220;Roughly 300 protesters blocked traffic, yelling at drivers and telling them to join the demonstration. A few drivers drove through small crowds of protesters, leaving at least one man injured,&#8221; the <a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime-and-courts/black-activist-arrested-taken-to-ground-by-police-after-disturbance-in-madison-restaurant/article_8356b4c1-4dbf-52ff-9d5b-cadb98bf5356.html">Wisconsin State Journal</a> reported Wednesday. &#8220;Organizers stood on top of a tow truck, vowing that the night would not be peaceful.&#8221;</p>
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<p>&#8220;This is not a peaceful protest, so if you came out here for a peaceful protest, you missed it,&#8221; an organizer said, the paper reports. &#8220;We’re done being peaceful. Now we demanding justice.&#8221;</p>
<p>One of the victims of the riot was Democratic State Sen. Tim Carpenter, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rioters-attack-democrat-state-senator-in-wisconsin-he-responds-im-a-gay-progressive-on-their-side">assaulted</a> late that night after he took photos of protesters demanding the release of Johnson.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what happened … all I did was stop and take a picture … and the next thing I’m getting five-six punches, getting kicked in the head,” Carpenter told The Washington Post. “This has got to stop before someone gets killed. Sad thing I’m on their side for peaceful demonstrations — am a Gay Progressive Dem Senator served 36 years in the legislature.”</p>
<p>Early Wednesday morning, Carpenter <a href="https://twitter.com/TimCarpenterMKE/status/1275716467007328258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1275716467007328258&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D123501%26action%3Dedit">posted</a> the picture that he said got him attacked and noted that he &#8220;[m]ight have concussion, left eye a little blurry, cheek shollen, sore neck and ribs.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I took this pic- it got me assaulted &amp; beat up. Punched/kicked in the head, neck, ribs. Maybe concussion, socked in left eye is little blurry, sore neck &amp; ribs. 8-10 people attacked me. Innocent people are going to get killed. Capitol locked- stuck in office.Stop violence nowPlz! <a href="https://t.co/Zw2hdfYG66">pic.twitter.com/Zw2hdfYG66</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Tim Carpenter (@TimCarpenterMKE) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimCarpenterMKE/status/1275716467007328258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a </span></i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">member</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>
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Madison Arrest

WATCH: Video Shows Wild Incident, Arrest That Led To Rioters Toppling Abolitionist Statue, Assaulting Democrat Politician

<p>Amid protests and riots sweeping the nation following the tragic death of George Floyd, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued an apology heard &#8217;round the sports world, and while he didn&#8217;t specifically name quarterback-turned-social justice activist Colin Kaepernick, Goodell would soon make quite clear that his message was partly directed to him, openly welcoming Kaepernick to work in some capacity with the league. New reports say that &#8220;multiple teams&#8221; now have a &#8220;legitimate interest&#8221; in giving Kaepernick yet another opportunity to make it back on the field.</p>
<p>&#8220;We, the National Football League admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier, and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest,&#8221; Goodell said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nfls-goodell-we-were-wrong-for-not-listening-black-lives-matter">video statement</a> posted June 5. &#8220;We, the National Football League believe black lives matter.&#8221;</p>
<p>A few days later, Goodell addressed the question of Kaepernick returning to the league. &#8220;Well, listen, if he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it’s going to take a team to make that decision,” Goodell <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29315784/encourage-team-sign-colin-kaepernick">said</a> during a June 15 interview with ESPN. &#8220;But I welcome that, support a club making that decision and encourage them to do that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Even if Kaepernick doesn&#8217;t want to play again, added Goodell, the league &#8220;welcome[s] him to that table and to help us, guide us, help us make better decisions about the kinds of things that need to be done in the communities.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to the NFL Network&#8217;s Michael Silver, &#8220;at least a couple of teams&#8221; are now interested in Kaepernick. &#8220;I have talked to one head coach who is absolutely interested,&#8221; <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/michael-silver-assesses-potential-timeline-171842830.html">said</a> Silver.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/multiple-teams-interested-in-colin-kaepernick-could-set-up-workouts-closer-to-training-camp-per/">CBS Sports</a>, Silver says that any holdups from teams are not about the former QB&#8217;s polarizing protest of the national anthem, but the need to see if he can really perform, which requires getting him in for some work outs, which has been made difficult due to the COVID-19 fears.</p>
<p>In November, Kaepernick famously skipped a special workout arranged by the NFL, his camp accusing the NFL of trying to force him to sign an overly restrictive waiver and not allowing him to bring his own camera crew. An insider report published by ESPN on what many believed to be the final nail on Kaepernick&#8217;s NFL coffin later indicated that the NFL appeared to be &#8220;legitimately&#8221; giving Kaepernick a shot to get back on the field with the skipped workout, but deep-seated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nfl-insiders-kaepernick-tryout-needlessly-derailed-by-his-camps-distrust-of-league">“distrust” and “resentment”</a> among Kaepernick&#8217;s camp ultimately derailed his potential return.</p>
<p>Kaepernick spent the entirety of his final season in the NFL protesting the national anthem. He began the protest during preseason while he was the second-string quarterback with San Francisco behind middling starter Blaine Gabbert. &#8220;I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colin-kaepernick">told</a> a reporter at the time. After a Gabbert injury got Kaepernick back in the action, he continued his pattern of struggling on the field. The 49ers would end the season with a 2-14 record, and after Kaepernick opted for free agency, he quickly found himself out of the league.</p>
<p>During that final season, Kaepernick was perpetually embroiled in controversy for a number of widely reported actions and statements, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kaepernick-called-out-reporter-shirt-praising-james-barrett">praising</a> brutal communist dictator Fidel Castro, sporting socks <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colin-kaepernicks-practice-socks-pig-cops-hat-james-barrett">portraying police as pigs</a>, and getting into public feuds with various political figures. Among his controversial statements, Kaepernick has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colin-kaepernick-blasts-racist-american-terrorist-attacks-in-apparent-reference-to-iran">claimed</a> that the United States has conducted &#8220;American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism,&#8221; a comment that came after U.S. forces killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, a designated terrorist organization.</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nfl-veteran-blasts-nfl-courting-kaepernick-were-looking-at-affirmative-action-for-a-marxist">Former NFL Veteran Blasts NFL Courting Kaepernick: ‘We’re Looking At Affirmative Action For A Marxist’</a></strong></p>
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James Barrett

Trump Shotgun Blasts Attacks: ‘Violent, Criminal Mobs’; Bubba Wallace ‘Hoax’; Democrat, Media Fails

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WATCH: Video Shows Wild Incident, Arrest That Led To Rioters Toppling Abolitionist Statue, Assaulting Democrat Politician

After Goodell Apology, Appeal, Multiple Teams ‘Absolutely Interested’ In Kaepernick

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Trump Shotgun Blasts Attacks: ‘Violent, Criminal Mobs’; Bubba Wallace ‘Hoax’; Democrat, Media Fails

Protester Fatally Struck By Car After ‘Black Femme March’ Blocks Freeway; Driver Arrested, Identified

What Are The Odds Trump Wins Now? Oddsmakers: Slipping.

LeBron James’ Group Pushes To Turn Sports Arenas Into ‘Mega Polling Sites’ To Combat ‘Racist Voter Suppression’

‘Absurd, Crazy, Ridiculous’: Black Leaders Slam Minneapolis City Council’s Plan To Defund The Police

SEE IT: Same Day L.A. Mayor Says ‘Avoid Gatherings’ For July 4th, LAPD Posts Photo Of Thousands Gathered For Protest

NYT Lays Out Case Against Mount Rushmore; Critics Remind Paper Of Its Own Problematic Past

Michelle Obama Responds To Princeton Scrubbing Democrat Woodrow Wilson For ‘Racist Thinking And Policies’: ‘Heartened’

Airbnb Launches New Effort To ‘Uncover’ Discrimination Among Its Users, Hosts

WATCH: Jordan Peterson Returns After Year-Long Disappearance, Near-Death Battle With Addiction

NBA To Paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ On Sides Of Disney Courts, Allow Players To Put Social Justice Messages On Jerseys

Trump Says ‘Nobody Briefed’ Him On Russian Militant Plot; NYT Gives Specific Date Of Alleged Briefing

NYT: Russians Paid Militants To Attack Americans And Trump Knew About It; Biden: ‘Betrayal’; Trump: Nobody Briefed Me

Course-Correct: Trump Tells Advisers He’s Losing, Gets More Involved, Sources Say

Covid-19 Drug Producer Reveals Prices, Higher For Privately Insured Americans

Key Witnesses In Jussie Smollett Case Reverse, Will Now Cooperate After ‘Intervention’ Of Prosecutor

NASCAR President On Bubba Wallace: Noose, Concern ‘Was Real,’ But I Should Have Said ‘Alleged’

Mayor: ‘What Happened Last Night In Madison Was Far From Peaceful And Exceeding Dangerous’

WATCH: Video Shows Wild Incident, Arrest That Led To Rioters Toppling Abolitionist Statue, Assaulting Democrat Politician

After Goodell Apology, Appeal, Multiple Teams ‘Absolutely Interested’ In Kaepernick

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