The Commentariat -- June 6, 2020
And the men who were boys when I was a boy
Fought on the beach with me. ~~~
Afternoon Update:
The Washington Post's live updates of protest developments Saturday are here. The Post also has live updates for events in D.C., Maryland & Virginia; a crowd of tens of thousands is expected in the District. New York Times Saturday updates are here.
** Thomas Gibbons-Neff & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "Top Pentagon officials ordered National Guard helicopters to use what they called 'persistent presence' to disperse protests in the capital this week, according to military officials. The loosely worded order prompted a series of low-altitude maneuvers that human rights organizations quickly criticized as a show of force usually reserved for combat zones. Ryan D. McCarthy, the Army secretary and one of the officials who authorized part of the planning for the helicopters' mission Monday night, said on Friday that the Army had opened an investigation into the episode.... Military officials said that the National Guard's aggressive approach to crowd control was prompted by a pointed threat from the Pentagon: If the Guard was unable to handle the situation, then active-duty military units, such as a rapid-reaction unit of the 82nd Airborne Division, would be sent into the city.... The episode has stirred outrage among lawmakers."
Nicole Acevedo of NBC News: "Two Buffalo officers who were suspended without pay after a video showed police shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground at a George Floyd protest on Thursday night, were charged with second-degree assault, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office. A large crowd of police officers and firefighters stood in front of Buffalo City Court to show support for the officers as they both attended a virtual arraignment on Saturday. Officers Robert McCabe, 32, and Aaron Torgalski, 39, pleaded not guilty to the charges of second-degree assault and will be released on his own recognizance, according to NBC affiliate WGRZ in Buffalo." Mrs. McC: Apparently Buffalo cops & firefighters really don't get it. Both forces need attitude tests. & Test administrators should come equipped with thick books of pink slips.
Dan Noyes of KGO: San Jose, California, police last week severely injured activist Derrick Sanderlin, who was trying to diffuse conflicts during a protest. "He stood a good distance away [from police], made no aggressive motions to police, yet they fired on him [with rubber bullets] several times, one round hitting him in the groin.... Video shows the officers' training their riot guns on Sanderlin."
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The Washington Post's live updates of protest developments Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday.) New York Times Friday updates are here.
Will the Real Donald Trump Please Stand Up? Yes, And It Didn't Take Long. Josh Feldman Donald Trump retweeted a video of [Mrs. McC: wild wingers] Glenn Beck and Candace Owens discussing George Floyd, in which Owens said the fact that Floyd is being made a martyr 'sickens' her.'" As Abby Phillip of CNN points out in one of the tweets Feldman cites, Owens is not exactly a White House pariah: "Pence invited Owens for a conversation on Floyd's death yesterday -- the day of his memorial service in Minneapolis." In another tweet cited, S.V. Dáte of the HuffPost concludes, "It appears the president has moved on to the next phase of the George Floyd messaging."
Yesterday, I asked the president to check his rhetoric at the door and to lead us with courage and compassion through this difficult time. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, he continues to prove himself incapable of doing so. What Maine people heard today was more of the same incendiary rhetoric and insults he uses to try to divide us and to stoke tension and fear. What Maine people heard today was largely devoid of fact and absent of reality. What Maine people saw today was a rambling, confusing, thinly veiled political rally. -- Gov. Janet Mills (D), in a statement following Trump's visit to the state ~~~
~~~ Another Trump Campaign Stop You Financed. Jill Colvin & Patrick Whittle of the AP: "... Donald Trump on Friday laced into Maine's Democratic governor for not moving quickly enough to reopen the state's economy and urged his supporters to help him win the rest of the state in November if they want to see the country rebound from the coronavirus shutdown. Referring to Maine's electoral votes, Trump said: 'Get that other half to go with Trump.' He spoke in the small town of Guilford, home to Puritan Medical Products, one of only two major companies producing a special type of swab needed to ramp up coronavirus testing.... His visit to Puritan had the feel of a campaign rally.... At stops in Guilford and Bangor, Trump used his first visit to the state as president to lob jabs at Gov. Janet Mills for not reopening businesses more quickly. Trump won just one of Maine's four electoral votes in 2016.... In Bangor, Trump compared Mills to a 'dictator' and said she was preventing her state from reaping money from Maine's busy summer tourist season. 'She's going to destroy your state,' he said.... Trump did not reference [George] Floyd or the protests during his stops in the state.... In Maine, the nation's whitest state, there have been multiple days of demonstrations." ~~~
~~~ John Switze & Michael Collins of USA Today: "... Donald Trump traveled to Maine Friday to tour a facility that makes medical swabs used for coronavirus testing, but the swabs manufactured in the background during his visit will ultimately be thrown in the trash, the company said. Puritan Medical Products said it will have to discard the swabs.... It is not clear why the swabs will be scrapped, or how many. The company described its manufacturing plans for Friday as 'limited' -- but the disruption comes as public health officials in Maine and other states have complained that a shortage of swabs has hampered their ability to massively scale up coronavirus testing. Workers in white lab coats, hair nets and plastic booties worked at machines making swabs while the president walked through the room. Trump, who did not wear a mask for the visit, stopped at one point to talk with some of the workers." ~~~
~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: You don't have to be an expert lab manager to know why the Trump Swabs were tossed. The MOOM contaminated them. In fairness, he contaminates everything. ~~~
~~~ Earlier. Manu Raju & Ted Barrett of CNN: "... Donald Trump has a full Friday in Maine, but the senior Republican senator who has yet to publicly say if she'll back his reelection bid won't be there. 'Sen. [Susan] Collins will be in Washington Friday and has several federal, and non-federal, events on her schedule," according to campaign spokesman Kevin Kelley. 'She actually just visited Puritan Medical Products in just last month and she is proud of the work they are doing to combat COVID-19.'" ~~~
~~~ Also Earlier. Portland (Maine) Press Herald Editors: "President Trump: We're sorry that you decided to come to Maine, but since you are here, could you do us a favor? Resign. You have never been a good president, but today your shortcomings are unleashing historic levels of suffering on the American people.... Bringing the nation together in times of distress is a big part of the job when you are head of state. You can't do it, so you should resign. As head of government, you have unmatched power to direct resources to relieve suffering. You can't or won't do that, either, so you should resign. And in your mistreatment of lawful protesters and abuse of religious symbols, you have violated your oath to protect and defend the Constitution, so you should resign." The Press Herald is the biggest newspaper in Maine.
David Jackson & John Fritze of USA Today: "... Donald Trump, besieged by protesters and the coronavirus pandemic, used an event Friday to tout the nation's latest jobs numbers and to predict the U.S. economy is beginning to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic. 'It's affirmation of all the work we've been doing,' Trump said. Trump also touched on the protesters that have gathered outside the White House for days following the death of George Floyd.... Trump castigated governors that he said had not called in the National Guard to address riots and looting in some cities. 'Don't be proud. Get the job done,' Trump said, speaking directly to the nation's governors and echoing remarks he made to them in a phone call last week. 'You have to dominate the streets.' Trump referred to Floyd, saying that 'hopefully' he was 'looking down right now' and thinking 'this is a great thing that's happening for our country.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Reality Chek. Trump, You Idiot. Ben Popken of NBC News: "As the nationwide shutdowns gradually lift and economic activity returns, the latest employment figures show that while the virus is colorblind, its effects are anything but indiscriminate. Black unemployment rose to 16.8 percent in the monthly employment snapshot released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While that number is slightly up from 16.7 last month, white unemployment came in at 12.4 percent, down from 14.9 percent.... Coronavirus job losses have exacerbated the racial unemployment gap." Emphasis added. Read on for the reasons for the gap. ~~~
~~~ Adam Edelman of NBC News: "Joe Biden blasted ... Donald Trump for remarking Friday that 'this is a great day for' George Floyd ... while touting positive economic data. Speaking in Dover, Del., the apparent Democratic presidential nominee ripped into Trump for 'speaking of a man who was brutally killed by an act of needless violence' and accused the president of failing to curb a 'larger tide of injustice that has metastasized on' his watch.... In his remarks Friday, Biden responded, 'George Floyd's last words, "I can't breathe. I can't breathe," they've echoed all across this nation, quite frankly around the world. For the president to try to put any other words in the mouth of George Floyd I frankly think is despicable.'" ~~~
~~~ From the Guardian's live protest updates for Friday: 11:26 am: "Trump's comment moments ago about this being a 'great day' for George Floyd is already sparking outrage among the president's critics.... The liberal organization CAP Action said the president's comment was 'despicable'[.]" 11:35 am: "Trump has just concluded his nearly hour-long 'press conference' at the White House without taking any questions from the reporters there. This is the second consecutive time that the president has called a 'press conference' only to make a statement, which reporters argued defied the definition of a press conference." ~~~
11:42: "DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has just announced that the section of 16th Street NW in front of the White House has been renamed 'Black Lives Matter Plaza.'... A crowd cheered as a city employee installed a sign reading 'Black Lives Matter Plz' on a street light." Mrs. McC: Not only that, Bowser covered the street from side to side in front of the White House with huge yellow-painted letters spelling out "Black Lives Matter." According to Brian Williams of MSNBC, the street painting is "visible from space." Take that, Donald Trump. Update: Here's a Washington Post story. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Trump Repeats Racial Slur While Touting His Supposed Economic Boost to Minorities. Kimmy Yam of NBC News: "Speaking at the White House, Trump addressed the May jobs report that was released this week, claiming that a strong economy is the 'greatest thing that can happen for race relations.... When we had our tremendous numbers ... just prior to the China plague that floated in, we had numbers, the best in history, for African American, for Hispanic American, for Asian American, and for everybody,' he said. The re-emergence of the phrase elicited criticism across social media, from many who pointed out that terms like the 'China plague' or the 'China virus' -- which experts have warned could put Asian Americans in harm's way -- run counter to ideas of racial equality...."
Ken Belson of the New York Times: "The protracted debate in the N.F.L. over players protesting racial injustice during the national anthem reignited with force on Friday as President Trump rekindled his war with the league over the issue and the league's commissioner, Roger Goodell, issued his strongest support yet for the players seeking to fight racism and police brutality." ~~~
~~~ Gwen Aviles of NBC News: "... Donald Trump reiterated his stance that NFL players should not kneel in protest during the national anthem in a tweet supporting New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' recent comments about protests. Brees drew criticism Wednesday after he told Yahoo! Finance that he did not agree with 'disrespecting the flag' by kneeling during the national anthem. After fierce criticism, Brees apologized for his comments in an Instagram post Thursday, saying he would do better.... 'I am a big fan of Drew Brees. I think he's truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag,' Trump wrote.... On Friday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized to players for not listening to their concerns regarding racism sooner." Mrs. McC: Trump is so stupid he still can't comprehend that kneeling in protest against injustice honors the flag & what it symbolizes. ~~~
Wowza! Chloe Melas of CNN: "NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday the league should have listened to players earlier about racism concerns in a response to NFL players calling on the league to condemn racism and support its black players. Goodell posted a video to the NFL's social media on Friday in response to the video 'Stronger Together,' which features several of the league's most famous players asking the league to take a strong stance in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. 'We the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people,' Goodell said. '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,' Goodell said.Goodell noted that it has been a difficult time for the country, in particular black Americans, and offered his condolences to the families of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and 'all the families who have endured police brutality.'" A Washington Post story is here.
Not My Fault: Barr. Michael Balsamo of the AP: "Attorney General William Barr says law enforcement officers were already moving to push back protesters from a park in front of the White House when he arrived there Monday evening, and he says he did not give a command to disperse the crowd, though he supported the decision.... Barr said it was a Park Police tactical commander -- an official he never spoke to -- who gave the order for the law enforcement agencies to move in and clear the protesters. 'I'm not involved in giving tactical commands like that,' he said. 'I was frustrated and I was also worried that as the crowd grew, it was going to be harder and harder to do. So my attitude was get it done, but I didn't say, "Go do it."' Barr insisted there was no connection between the heavy-handed crackdown on the protesters and Trump's walk soon after to St. John's Church.... Administration officials have spent much of the week trying to explain how the situation escalated and why smoke bombs, pepper balls and police on horseback were needed to clear the largely peaceful crowd. Earlier in the week, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters it was Barr who made the decision to push back the security perimeter outside the White House on Monday morning."
When Pentagon "Leaders" Are Chickens. Rebecca Kheel of the Hill: "Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley have refused to testify before the House Armed Services Committee on the military's role in responding to nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice, a House aide said Friday. 'Staff was advised that [Department of Defense] leadership has refused to testify next week as requested,' the aide said. 'In addition, an informal briefing with the secretary of the Army was cancelled for today.' In a statement Friday evening, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and the 30 other Democratic committee members called Esper and Milley's decision not to testify 'unacceptable.' 'We insist that they appear before our committee,' the statement said. 'Our military leaders are sworn to be accountable to the people of this country, and Congress is constitutionally responsible for oversight. They must appear and testify on these crucial matters in order to meet that responsibility.'"
Jana Winter in Yahoo! News: "A leaked Trump administration document details the federal law enforcement and military personnel squaring off against protesters in Washington, D.C., including a 1,300-strong force currently deployed to the south side of the White House.... The show of force outside the White House is a task force operation that includes U.S. Secret Service, National Guard, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Park Police, according to the internal Department of Homeland Security report, dated June 4. They aren't the only ones in town: Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, National Guard, Coast Guard, Federal Protective Service and more have been called in, says the document.... Thousands more -- from at least a dozen federal agencies or divisions -- have been deployed across the capital region and to cities big and small across the U.S. where peaceful protests have been held or are expected.... Elite SWAT teams from the Border Patrol and sniper-trained units from ICE have also descended upon Washington. TSA's air marshals arrived too, and three of the agency's 'VIPR teams'...helicopters, drones and other mobile surveillance or tactical resources ... have been called into Washington, New York and other cities.[.]" --s
Zoë Richards of TPM: "Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said a member of the state's National Guard was suspended and removed from a mission to quell disturbance at racial justice protests in Washington, D.C., after the FBI discovered comments the guardsman had posted online supporting white supremacist ideology prior to his assignment." --s
Eighty-nine Former Defense Officials in a Washington Post op-ed: "President Trump ... has gone so far as to make a shocking promise: to send active-duty members of the U.S. military to 'dominate' protesters in cities throughout the country -- with or without the consent of local mayors or state governors.... While several past presidents have called on our armed services to provide additional aid to law enforcement in times of national crisis -- among them Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson -- these presidents used the military to protect the rights of Americans, not to violate them.... We are alarmed at how the president is betraying this oath [to support & defend the Constitution] by threatening to order members of the U.S. military to violate the rights of their fellow Americans." The op-ed includes the names of the signers, headed by former Secretaries of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Chuck Hagel, Ashton B. Carter & William S. Cohen. Mrs. McC: All appointed by Democratic presidents, Hagel & Cohen are Republicans.
Kelly Lambastes Trump. Sarah Westwood of CNN: "Former White House chief of staff John Kelly said Friday he agrees with former Secretary of Defense Gen. Jim Mattis' stark warning this week that ... Donald Trump is 'the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people' as nationwide protests have intensified over the death of George Floyd.... 'There is a concern, I think an awful big concern, that the partisanship has gotten out of hand, the tribal thing has gotten out of hand,' Kelly said. 'He's quite a man, Jim Mattis, and for him to do that tells you where he is relative to the concern he has for our country.'... 'I think we need to look harder at who we elect,' Kelly said on Friday. 'I think we should look at people that are running for office and put them through the filter: What is their character like? What are their ethics?'" Mrs. McC: Weirdly, Kelly made these remarks in an interview/reunion with Anthony Scaramucci, whom Kelly fired. (Also linked yesterday.)
Paul Sonne, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Pentagon has told National Guardsmen deployed to the nation's capital not to use firearms or ammunition, and has issued orders to send home active-duty troops that the Trump administration amassed outside the city in recent days, a sign of de-escalation in the federal response to protests in the city. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper made the decision to disarm the guard without consulting the White House, after President Trump ordered a militarized show of force on the streets of Washington to quell demonstrations that were punctured by an episode of looting Sunday, two senior administration officials said. Trump had encouraged the National Guard to be armed. Initially, a small group of guardsmen deployed in the city had been carrying guns while standing outside monuments, but the bulk of the forces, such as those working with federal park police at Lafayette Square in front of the White House, didn't carry firearms out of caution."
Ryan Reilly of the Huffington Post: "Federal agents on Friday morning released boxes of cloth masks that Black Lives Matter organizers mailed to cities across the county to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 during nationwide demonstrations against police brutality. Four boxes of the masks were shipped to Washington, St. Louis, New York City and Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon, and were supposed to arrive in each city by Thursday. But until Friday morning, the boxes of 500 masks apiece that read 'stop killing Black people' and 'defund police' never left Oakland, California, because they were seized by the government. Federal agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were involved with the seizure." This is an update to a story linked yesterday.
Georgia. Dakin Andone, et al., of CNN: "A video posted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows a police officer body slamming a woman on the first night of protests in Atlanta, according to the woman's attorney. The woman, identified as Amber Jackson, suffered a broken clavicle and cannot work as a dental hygienist because of the injury, her lawyer Mawuli Davis said in a news release. The video, taken on May 29 by the AJC, shows a woman pull away from an officer who then grabs her from behind and slams her to the ground. The camera shifts so the impact occurs just out of frame. A woman is heard screaming in the background. The video then cuts to show the officer lifting the woman, now handcuffed, by her arm.... May 29 was the first night of protests in the Atlanta area sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. That night, several businesses were looted. There were no curfews in place at that time. At a news conference Friday, Davis said Jackson received a citation for disorderly conduct."
Illinois. Heather Cherone of WTTW Chicago News: "Chicago officers struck Chicago Police Board President Ghian Foreman five times on his legs with their batons during a protest on Sunday in Hyde Park that turned violent, Foreman told WTTW News. Foreman filed a complaint with the Citizens Office of Police Accountability alleging that he was struck by at least one officer.... Foreman's complaint, which identifies the officer Foreman said struck him, is one of 344 complaints of police misconduct filed with COPA between midnight May 29 and 7 a.m. Friday, Eaddy said.... Foreman said he had two bruises on his legs where he was struck while protesting police brutality on 47th Street, not far from his Hyde Park home.... Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she urged Foreman to file a complaint after she learned of the incident Sunday afternoon."
Minnesota. Liz Navratil of Minneapolis Star Tribune: "The Minneapolis Police Department will ban officers from using chokeholds and neck restraints and strengthen the requirements for officers to intervene if a colleague is using excessive force under a new deal negotiated between the city and the state. The tentative agreement -- which still requires a judge's approval -- also seeks to give the public more access to officers' disciplinary decisions and to limit the number of supervisors who can authorize the use of tear gas, rubber projectiles and other similar tactics to disperse demonstrators." ~~~
~~~ Frederick Melo & Mara Gottfried of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "St. Paul will revise its use-of-force guidelines as part of a nationwide push to reform policing after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis police custody. Mayor Melvin Carter announced Friday he has signed on to the '8 Can't Wait' campaign, which has eight recommendations for reducing police violence. The campaign says St. Paul already follows six of those recommendations but has yet to explicitly ban chokeholds or state that deadly force can be used only as a last resort. By Carter's reading of city policies, St. Paul already achieves all eight goals in practice. Soon after he took office in 2018, the city made changes that emphasize de-escalation and the sanctity of human life."
New York. Neil Vigdor, et al., of the New York Times: "Prosecutors are investigating the actions of two Buffalo police officers who were suspended without pay on Thursday night after a video showed them shoving a 75-year-old protester, who was hospitalized with a head injury. The video taken by WBFO, a local radio station, shows the man, identified on Friday as Martin Gugino, approaching a group of officers during a protest stemming from the death of George Floyd. He was identified by the Western New York Peace Center, a nonprofit that named him in a Facebook post, saying he is a peace activist and a member.... On Friday, Mr. Gugino was in serious but stable condition and was alert and oriented, according to a hospital spokesman.... On Friday, John T. Evans, the president of the Buffalo police union, said all 57 officers on the Emergency Response Team, a special squad formed to respond to riots, had resigned from their posts on the team in support of the suspended officers, according to The Buffalo News. The officers remain members of the department." (This is an update of a story linked yesterday.) Mrs. McC: Fire them! ~~~
~~~ Maki Becker of the Buffalo News: "The mass resignation came after members of the team that responds to riots and other crowd control situations, were suspended without pay.... The resignations raise questions about how local law enforcement will be able to handle continuing protests at a time when some of the protests have turned violent and more protests are anticipated this weekend." ~~~
~~~ David K. Li & Jareen Imam of NBC News: "'Fifty-seven resigned in disgust because of the treatment of two of their members, who were simply executing orders,' union president John Evans told NBC affiliate WGRZ."
~~~ Ali Watkins of the New York Times: New York City police have been "kettling" protesters: encircling them "so that they have no way to exit from a park, city block or other public space, and then charge in and make arrests.... The kettling operations carried out by the police department after curfew have become among the most unsettling symbols of its use of force against peaceful protests, and have touched off a fierce backlash against Mayor Bill de Blasio and the police commissioner, Dermot F. Shea. In the past several days, New York Times journalists covering the protests have seen officers repeatedly charge at demonstrators after curfew with seemingly little provocation, shoving them onto sidewalks, striking them with batons and using other rough tactics. The escalation in the use of force in New York is part of a national trend. Across the country, local police have resorted to increasingly violent crowd control techniques to control the protests...." ~~~
~~~ Molly Crane-Newman of the New York Daily News: "Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance on Friday said his office will decline to prosecute marchers arrested for breaking the city's 8 p.m. curfew while out protesting the death of George Floyd -- and he commended New Yorkers for sticking up for their civil liberties. 'The prosecution of protesters charged with these low-level offenses undermines critical bonds between law enforcement and the communities we serve. Days after the killing of George Floyd, our nation and our city are at a crossroads in our continuing endeavor to confront racism and systemic injustice wherever it exists,' Vance said in a statement.... Vance's office is the first in the city to stop prosecuting protesters after a letter urging them to halt the practice was sent to all of the DAs on June 1 from state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Judiciary Committee." Mrs. McC: Each of the five boroughs has its own D.A.
Pennsylvania. Alicia Lozano of NBC News: "A Philadelphia police officer has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault after a video surfaced showing the man allegedly beating a 21-year-old Temple University student during recent protests, District Attorney Larry Krasner's office announced Friday. Police Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna, a 30-year veteran of the department, was also charged with reckless endangerment and possession of an instrument of crime. He has been removed from street duty pending an investigation, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. Video footage appears to show Bologna hitting the student in the head and neck with a baton. The student was knocked to the ground and another officer put his knee on him to keep the student down, the Associated Press reported."
Washington, D.C. About That Tear Gas. Carol Leonnig of the Washington Post: "Three days after the U.S. Park Police claimed that tear gas was never used on protesters outside the White House, the organization's spokesman [Sgt. Eduardo Delgado] acknowledged that the chemical agents shot into the largely peaceful crowd have similar painful effects. A spokesman for the Park Police said in an interview with Vox that his agency regretted using the term "tear gas," noting that officers threw pepper balls containing an irritant powder and chemical agents that are designed to produce tears. Their use causes people to experience difficulty breathing and burning sensations on the skin.... 'I think the term "tear gas" doesn't even matter anymore. It was a mistake on our part for using "tear gas" because we just assumed people would think CS or CN, two common forms of tear gas.'... But two hours later, after The Washington Post contacted the Park Police and the White House for comment, acting Park Police chief Gregory T. Monahan walked back that acknowledgment.... 'United States Park Police officers and other assisting law enforcement partners did not use tear gas or OC Skat Shells to close the area at Lafayette Square in response to violent protestors.'"
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Lachlan Cartwright, et al., of the Daily Beast: "The New York Times apologized to its staff on Friday in a lengthy, tense meeting in which the paper's top editors strongly suggested they will overhaul the oft-controversial and scrutinized opinion page. Earlier this week, the Times published an op-ed, headlined 'Send in the Troops,' in which Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) enthusiastically called for the deployment of American military forces to suppress the ongoing protests against police brutality. The column sparked immediate criticism from readers and many of the paper's own staffers, who publicly denounced the decision to publish it. One by one during Friday's staff meeting, the paper's top leaders apologized for the opinion piece. At one point, the paper admitted that it did 'invite' Cotton to write the column. The paper's controversial top opinion editor James Bennet issued a mea culpa, claiming he let his section be 'stampeded by the news cycle,' and confessed that the backlash had inspired him to rethink the op-ed section entirely."
The New York Times' live updates for coronavirus developments Friday are here. "The United States reported 21,614 new infections on Thursday, and while that number is below its April peak, the daily average has been rising slightly in recent days as the continued improvement in Northeast is offset by new outbreaks in the South and parts of the West. The uptick appears to represent a combination of increased testing, the coronavirus taking hold in more regions and outbreaks in localized hot spots. It comes during a convergence of two developments that health officials are watching warily: states and cities pressing ahead with plans to allow more businesses to reopen, and masses of people gathering around the country in large-scale protests against police brutality and racism."
Emily Holden of the Guardian: "The Trump administration continued to weaken core environmental protections in the US by announcing a pair of policies to cut reviews for large infrastructure projects and downplay the health benefits of rules to curb pollution. Both changes could disproportionately hurt communities of color, which are far more likely to live with pollution because of decades of environmental racism. They come after a week of nationwide protests over police killings of black Americans. The proposals could also make it easier for the government to ignore the climate crisis in making decisions." (Also linked yesterday.)
Presidential Race
** Stephen Ohlemacher & Will Weissert of the AP: "Joe Biden formally clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Friday, setting him up for a bruising challenge to ... Donald Trump that will play out against the unprecedented backdrop of a pandemic, economic collapse and civil unrest. 'It was an honor to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded,' Biden said in a statement Friday night, 'and I am proud to say that we are going into this general election a united party.' The former vice president has effectively been his party's leader since his last challenger in the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders, ended his campaign in April. But Biden pulled together the 1,991 delegates needed to become the nominee after seven states and the District of Columbia held presidential primaries Tuesday."
While Donald Trump campaigned in Maine on your dime, the conservative Lincoln Project struck another blow at the Cowardly Liar:
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