Author: Data and Research Manager

William Barr Says Police Being Racist Toward Black People Isn’t Racism

The attorney general dismissed the idea of systemic racism in the justice system and claimed Jacob Blake was armed when police shot him.

Attorney General William Barr stunned viewers Wednesday when he said that it’s not necessarily racism when police repeatedly treat Black people differently than white people.

Barr made the remarks in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, who pressed him to back up his stated belief that Black people aren’t disproportionately targeted by law enforcement.

“I think there are some situations where statistics would suggest that they are treated differently, but I don’t think that that’s necessarily racism,” Barr said. Continue reading.

Trump-Nominated Postal Service Board Member Pushed Black Lives Matter Conspiracy Theories

John Barger called the movement “violent” and said it had nothing to do with race, in exchanges on LinkedIn.

A U.S. Postal Service board member, who reportedly played a key role in the selection of Louis DeJoy to lead the agency, called the Black Lives Matter movement violent and floated a conspiracy theory that it may be financially backed by foreign entities.

In June, John M. Barger, who serves on the Postal Service’s six-member Board of Governors, engaged in a back-and-forth on LinkedIn with a contact in Hong Kong. The exchange is publicly accessible on Barger’s profile on the platform. It began with that contact posting a photo of the strict public health measures in effect in Hong Kong due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When Barger’s contact offhandedly mentioned Black Lives Matter in the course of explaining the Chinese government’s aggressive posture toward Hong Kong, Barger teed off.

“Ummmm… BLM is a movement that is neither state sanctioned, nor about race these days,” responded Barger. “Further, its divisive violent core may be receiving ‘foreign funding.’” Continue reading.

The Trump Administration Wants To Pull Federal Funds From Major Cities Where There Are Anti-Racism Protests

The memo comes as Trump has politicized the national movement against systemic racism and police brutality.

The Trump administration plans to review federal funds provided to Seattle, Washington, DC, New York City, and Portland, cities where “outrageous acts of violence and destruction have continued unabated,” according to a memo signed by the president Wednesday.

Within two weeks, the White House will issue guidance to the heads of federal agencies to submit a report on the federal funds provided to the four cities.

In addition, Attorney General Bill Barr will publish a list “identifying State and local jurisdictions that have permitted violence and the destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures to counteract these criminal activities (anarchist jurisdictions).” Continue reading.

Presidential race tightens in Minnesota as Trump plows resources into state

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is favored to carry Minnesota’s 10 electoral votes but President Trump’s campaign is mounting a serious challenge, plowing resources into a state that hasn’t gone for the GOP presidential nominee since 1972, the longest such streak in the nation.

The Trump campaign went up with new ads on Wednesday accusing Biden of standing with “rioters and looters” in Minneapolis, where the police killing of George Floyd in May sparked nationwide protests and demands for police reform.

The ad is part of $14 million in television reservations the Trump campaign has in Minnesota. Republicans are knocking on doors in the state and flooding mailboxes with literature. Vice President Pence visited last week to tout the support of rural mayors in the Iron Range, where mining and forestry are top occupations. Continue reading.

House subpoenas embattled Postal Service leader over delays

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for records about the widespread mail delivery delays that have pulled the Postal Service into the political spotlight as it prepares to handle an onslaught of ballots in the November election.

The subpoena, which seeks documents related to operational changes that have slowed mail and the agency’s plans for the presidential election, comes after committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney said DeJoy has not sufficiently answered the panel’s requests for more information. 

“It is clear that a subpoena has become necessary to further the Committee’s investigation and help inform potential legislative actions,” Maloney, D-N.Y., said this week. Continue reading.

Trump eviction ban tests limits of CDC authority

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The Trump administration’s new eviction ban faces a slew of legal and political challenges that could undercut an ambitious and unorthodox attempt to save tens of millions Americans from homelessness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday issued an order banning landlords from evicting tenants that can no longer afford to pay rent due to a pandemic-related expense or hardship through the end of 2020. That order, along with previously issued federal protections, could ensure all of the nation’s 40 million rental households keep their residences during the pandemic.

But the eviction ban is a groundbreaking test of the CDC’s power that experts say will undoubtedly prompt several legal challenges. And advocates for both tenants and the real estate industry fear that the expiration of the protections at the end of the year could create a dangerous housing crisis at the start of 2021. Continue reading.

Sturgis rider from Minnesota dies of COVID-19

A Minnesota man is believed to be the first death after being infected at the South Dakota motorcycle rally

A participant in last month’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota is among the 1,830 people in Minnesota who have died of COVID-19.

The rider was a man in his 60s with underlying health conditions who was hospitalized and placed in intensive care following his infection with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Fifty Minnesotans who took part in the Sturgis event, which draws hundreds of thousands of people each summer, have tested positive. The death is thought to be the first due to infection at Sturgis. Continue reading.

U.S. government debt will nearly equal the size of the entire economy for first time since World War II, CBO finds

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Report comes after huge increase in the deficit this year as government attempted to limit coronavirus fallout

For the first time since World War II, the U.S. government’s debt will roughly equal the size of the entire American economy by the end of this year, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday.

The rapid change is largely due to the surge in new spending that the government authorized as it tried to control the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

By the end of 2020, the amount of debt owed by the United States will amount to 98 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, the CBO said. That is up from 79 percent last year. Total government debt will surpass the U.S. economy’s size next year, the CBO said. Continue reading.

2 Kenosha Business Owners Shun Trump Photo Op, So Former Owner Replaces Them

During a Tuesday visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, President Donald Trump starred in a misleading photo op designed to heighten worries over anti-racist protests across the country and increase support for military-style crackdowns by the federal government. 

The White House announced Trump’s Kenosha visit over the weekend, saying he would speak with local law enforcement and tour sites of property damage following major protests in the city. The protests had been sparked by anger and sorrow after police shot Jacob Blake, a now-paralyzed 29-year-old Black man, seven times in the back. But Trump didn’t speak to Blake’s family during the visit, according to media reports. 

Instead, Trump’s visit was mostly focused on highlighting property damage, demonizing protesters and scoring political points with his base, an effort that included falsely claiming that a man invited to speak glowingly of him to the press was the owner of a destroyed business.  Continue reading.

In the Know: September 4, 2020

Days Until the Election: 60

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Biden-Harris Yard Signs 
We’re excited to announce that Biden-Harris yard signs are now available! Click this link to order yours today! As you may have heard, Donald Trump is spending over $14 million on ads right here in Minnesota, and every sign you order helps us fight back by funding the DFL Party’s grassroots organizing program! 

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Click here to see our new shirts, signs, and stickers!

Agriculture
THE UGLY PERIOD OF AGRICULTURE IS BEHIND US, ANALYST SAYS, Successful Farming
The Pandemic Is Exposing the Rotten Core of Our Industrial Food System, In These Times

Continue reading “In the Know: September 4, 2020”