Tracker

Trump to accept GOP nomination in Jacksonville on anniversary of KKK's "Ax Handle Saturday" attack “We look forward to bringing this great celebration and economic boon to the Sunshine State," the RNC chair says President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he will accept the Republican Party's nomination this August in Florida. His address to the nation will happen in Jacksonville on the 60th anniversary of a Ku Klux Klan attack in the city known as "Ax Handle Saturday." On Aug. 27, 1960, a KKK-led mob of hundreds of white people attacked black civil rights protesters holding sit-ins at whites-only lunch counters in the city, chasing them through the streets and beating them with bats and ax handles stashed in Hemming Park. At the time, the city's mayor — Haydon Burns, a white man — suppressed the story, and the attack was not commemorated until 2001, when a marker was laid in the park. The New York Times characterized it as "one of the darkest days in the city's history. https://www.salon.com/2020/06/12/trump-to-accept-gop-nomination-in-jacksonville-on-anniversary-of-kkks-ax-handle-saturday-attack/ (I'm sure its just another innocent coincidence)

I would bet that Putin has incriminating stuff on Trump- like the fabled "pee-tape" and probably a lot worse. Trump has been bending over backwards to please Putin, and that has to be more than worshipping a dictator that he would love to emulate.

Dallas Fire Battalion Chief Suggests Black Lives Matter Protesters Should Be Lynched A Dallas Fire-Rescue battalion chief is under investigation—but still employed—after suggesting on social media that Black Lives Matter protesters should be lynched. “No ****...we need to find out who’s behind this and find a good tree to use!” Allan Springer wrote on Facebook, in response to photos of brick palettes seen at a demonstration. Dallas Fire Fighters Association President Capt. Jim McDade decried Springer’s racist comment, writing in response, “Sorry chief but that is unbelievably offensive and inappropriate. I respect you as a BC and a firefighter but I’m appalled. Feel free to delete me, call me out, or do whatever you want.” A spokesperson for Dallas Fire-Rescue told WFAA that Springer, who oversees at least 60 people, is now under investigation, “by the department’s Internal Affairs Division to determine the necessary course of action going forward.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/dallas-fire-battalion-chief-suggests-black-lives-matter-protesters-should-be-lynched?ref=home

Arizona, North Carolina, California Break Daily COVID Case Records REUTERS/Tom Brenner Several states this week broke previous COVID-19 daily case count records, including Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, Florida, and California. Though some state leaders have tried to brush off their rising numbers as a result of increased testing capacity, public-health experts note that many of those states, including Arizona, have seen increases in hospitalizations and in the percent of positive test results—evidence that seems to refute that theory. At least 19 states had increasing case rates on Friday, according to an analysis from CNN, and several of them have seen record or near-record highs this week. Arizona had the biggest upward trend in daily case counts in the country on Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. As of Friday, more than 113,800 people have died from the virus in the United States. https://www.thedailybeast.com/arizona-north-carolina-california-break-daily-covid-19-case-records?ref=home

Deputies Claim They Killed a Black Man in His Home When He Tried to Grab a Gun. His Family Says Otherwise. “He was murdered without justification,” the family’s lawyer said. “It was 100 percent avoidable.” A Los Angeles man was fatally shot in his home by deputies Thursday morning in a tragic domestic-dispute call gone wrong. His family, however, insists the tragic incident could have been avoided if authorities didn’t prematurely pull the trigger. Michael “Blue” Thomas, 62, was killed in his living room in the early hours on Thursday after Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a domestic dispute call, a spokesperson told The Daily Beast. But while authorities claim Thomas was shot after reaching for one of the deputy’s guns, his fiancé and attorney insist the opposite—that he was turning away. “They broke the front down and they grabbed Mr. Thomas immediately,” Bradley Gage, the family’s attorney, told The Daily Beast on Friday. “As they were holding him, they hurt him by twisting his arm. At that point, because he was uncomfortable, Mr. Thomas tried to move and one deputy just stepped back and shot him.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/family-of-michael-thomas-dispute-deputies-explanation-of-fatal-shooting-in-his-los-angeles-living-room?ref=home

GO AD FREE! MAKE A ONE-TIME DONATION Trump stuns viewers by saying the concept of ‘chokeholds’ is ‘so innocent, so perfect’New President Donald Trump is weighing in on critical issues in the national conversation, by defending police chokeholds as “innocent,” “perfect,” and at times necessary, while suggesting that perhaps they should be banned, yet offering hypothetical examples of when they are necessary. He also says the nationwide protests against the killing of George Floyd, by a white police officer who pressed his knee into the unarmed, handcuffed, Black man’s neck for nearly nine minutes, are not only “unnecessary,” but “riots.” “I think the concept of chokeholds sounds so innocent, so perfect,” Trump told Fox News host Harris Faulkner in a pre-recorded interview that aired Friday afternoon, “and then you realize if it’s a one-on-one now if it’s a two-on-one that’s a little bit of a different story – depending – depending on the toughness and strength, you know we’re talking about toughness and strength, we are talking there’s a physical thing here also.” https://www.alternet.org/2020/06/trump-stuns-viewers-by-saying-the-concept-of-chokeholds-is-so-innocent-so-perfect/

Erin O’Toole’s ‘Take Back Canada’ Slogan Prompts Plenty Of Questions. The Tory leadership hopeful’s campaign slogan drew questions this week. Erin O’Toole is planning on taking back Canada. As to whom he’s “taking it back” from, well, that’s a lot less clear. The Tory leadership hopeful released his official platform Wednesday, alongside a video featuring the slogan “Take Back Canada.” Following similar videos in recent months, the phrase is shaping up to be O’Toole’s official campaign slogan. “Join our fight, let’s take back Canada,” O’Toole says at the end of the most recent video. But the latest video has many people wondering — whom exactly does he want to Canada back from? (Sounds an awful lot like a Trump wannabe)

When Donald Trump tried to stage a coup: Was June 1 the turning point? Last week our president tried to send the Army into America's streets. Aides pushed back, but it was a close call During his three and a half years in office, President Trump has succeeded in damaging every institution of politics and government, from the Department of Justice to the federal courts to the Foreign Service and the State Department to the intelligence community, public health agencies and beyond. But until fairly recently he had more or less left the U.S. military alone. There were been some skirmishes with his first defense secretary, James Mattis — but in the end, Mattis resigned over a policy dispute, an event well within regular executive branch norms. But then, after being lobbied by a Fox News commentator, Trump intervened in the military justice system and pardoned three accused war criminals late last year, causing the secretary of the Navy to resign in protest. It turned out Trump had no more respect for the military than anything else. https://www.salon.com/2020/06/12/when-donald-trump-tried-to-stage-a-coup-was-june-1-the-turning-point/

CNN reports this morning that the Trump campaign has decided to ramp up their current platform of racial division and his version of law and order while attacking China, immigrants the WHO and CDC. They feel that this is their only chance of re-election by whipping up their core support by way of fear and anger.

Second Coronavirus Wave Will Engulf U.S. in September, IHME Model Forecasts -Reuters / Bryan Smith A second wave of the novel coronavirus could rip through the United States around September, according to a new scientific model from the University of Washington’s Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). The researchers foresee the national death toll from COVID-19 reaching 170,000 by Oct. 1, the Seattle Times reports. That would mean around 57,000 more deaths in the coming months, on top of the 113,000 Americans already confirmed to have been killed by the virus so far.

White House Floats Idea Mexico Is Source of COVID-19 Spike White House officials have reportedly tried to make the case that travel from Mexico is to blame for a surge in coronavirus cases across the U.S. rather than the easing of pandemic-related restrictions. Two administration officials cited by the Associated Press said the idea had been discussed at a meeting of President Trump’s coronavirus task force on Thursday. Arizona has been hit particularly hard by a spike in coronavirus cases, along with Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works to trace the outbreaks, the White House coronavirus task force is said to be discussing the possibility that travel to and from Mexico is behind the upward trend. The country has been hit hard by the pandemic, with 133,000 confirmed cases, but that is only a fraction of the more than 2 million cases documented in the U.S. Cross-border travel has also declined substantially amid the pandemic. https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-floats-idea-mexico-is-source-of-covid-19-spike?ref=home (no racism here- right?)

Here’s How John Bolton’s Lawyer Just Threw Him Under the Bus If you can be prosecuted for keeping a classified document in your garage, you can be prosecuted for giving it to your lawyer. John Bolton, Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor, wanted to write a book. He knew that the White House would do everything they could to stop him. He hired a flashy white shoe law firm to handle the prepublication review process required by the nondisclosure agreement he signed when he got his security clearance. As expected, the White House weaponized the prepublication review process against him to keep him from publishing. If he published without approval, they said, he could face severe legal consequences. Then his lawyer, Chuck Cooper, wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed this week intended to put public pressure on the White House. In it, Cooper volunteered that Bolton had violated both his NDA and perhaps a few criminal laws, including the Espionage Act. Now, even if Bolton’s book is never released, he is facing stiff penalties. As unforced legal errors go, that’s a doozy. https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-boltons-trump-white-house-book-is-due-out-soon-but-his-lawyer-just-threw-him-under-the-bus-2?ref=home

Melania forced Trump to renegotiate prenup before moving into White House Melania Trump remained back in New York City after her husband’s inauguration, which at the time she explained was related to their son’s school year. But a new book reveals the first lady also used her delayed arrival at the White House as leverage to renegotiate her prenuptial agreement with President Donald Trump, reported the Washington Post. (good for her)

Florida Just Broke Its Record for New COVID-19 Cases Tracy Connor Executive Editor Published Jun. 11, 2020 8:55PM ET Florida just broke its record for most new coronavirus cases in a day. The state, which launched a new phase of reopening last week and which has allowed amusement parks to reopen, reported 1,698 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday—topping its previous high of 1,419 a week ago. Gov. Ron DeSantis says the relaxation of lockdown isn’t the cause of the spike; he insists it’s increased testing. Not everyone agrees. In Seminole County, Emergency Manager Alan Harris said their uptick can’t have anything to do with testing because testing numbers have actually dropped, the Orlando Sentinel reported

On top of forced unpaid days off.

Well, there are coffee beans that are collected after monkeys poop them out. That otta be pricey enough. Go for it.

In other cases and places, there were also many indications that a dictatorial regime was readying to seize absolute power but in most cases, the majority of people could not bring themselves to believe that it would actually happen. In the other cases, the public was led to believe that only a tyrant could lead them out of whatever crisis they thought was happening and went along, believing that it was a necessity and a temporary one at that.

National Guard units were ordered to be overly aggressive out of fear of what Trump might do next At one event after another, Donald Trump has encouraged police and security guards to be more violent toward protesters. Whether that’s encouraging guards to beat up those waving signs as they are dragged from one of his rallies, telling police to “not be so gentle” when conducting arrests, or insisting that forces need to “dominate the streets” to push back peaceful protests, Trump loves violence. As his 1989 full-page ad urging the murder of five innocent Black teenagers demonstrated vividly, this is nothing new for Trump. So it should be no surprise that in addressing peaceful protesters outside the White House following the police murder of George Floyd, National Guard units were ordered to use aggressive tactics that went well beyond how they would normally deal with the situation. The reason for this wasn’t just to please Donald Trump; it was done out of fear that if the Guard didn’t play rough enough, Trump would call in military troops from the 82nd Airborne Division and launch a genuine battle against civilians. Under pressure, the National Guard treated civilians in a way that has rattled the force and led to a suspension of recruitment. But apparently … Trump was pleased. https://www.alternet.org/2020/06/national-guard-units-were-ordered-to-be-overly-aggressive-out-of-fear-of-what-trump-might-do-next/

Chicago Cops Burglarized U.S. Rep’s Office as Protest Raged. They Made Popcorn, Drank Coffee, Napped. At least 13 officers were caught on CCTV lounging around in congressman Bobby Rush’s office while protests devolved into chaos outside.

Does this mean they will come out on stage with the letter "A" on their foreheads like the good old days?

He is the one who decided to hold a rally on the anniversary of and in the city where the Tulsa massacre of blacks by whites took place. He has been giving coded messages to his brownshirts for nearly four years, so why would this be any different?

TRUMP'S FREUDIAN SLIP IS SHOWING! ‘That really just happened’: Trump slammed for describing the US Secret Service as the ‘SS’ The abbreviation commonly used for the U.S. Secret Service is USSS, but President Donald Trump used a different abbreviation in a June 11 tweet: SS. And he is being slammed for it on social media, as SS is typically used to describe Adolf Hitler’s notorious Schutzstaffel of Nazi Germany. In German, Schutzstaffel means “protection squadron.” And in Nazi Germany during the 1930s, Hitler’s paramilitary SS were known for being incredibly vicious. Trump tweeted, “Our great National Guard Troops who took care of the area around the White House could hardly believe how easy it was. ‘A walk in the park’, one said. The protesters, agitators, anarchists (ANTIFA), and others, were handled VERY easily by the Guard, D.C. Police, & S.S. GREAT JOB!” Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump Our great National Guard Troops who took care of the area around the White House could hardly believe how easy it was. “A walk in the park”, one said. The protesters, agitators, anarchists (ANTIFA), and others, were handled VERY easily by the Guard, D.C. Police, & S.S. GREAT JOB! https://www.alternet.org/2020/06/that-really-just-happened-trump-slammed-for-describing-the-us-secret-service-as-the-ss/

STORM BREWING: COVID Is So Bad in Arizona They’re Running Out of Beds “It’s like Katrina,” one health expert in the state said. “We’re at capacity.” That’s how a nurse in Arizona who treats COVID-19 patients summed up the situation at her state’s facilities on Wednesday, describing 12-hour shifts treating more and more severely ill patients, many of whom have died. “It’s exhausting and emotionally draining, and you feel helpless and just very sad for people,” the nurse, who requested anonymity for fear of professional retaliation, told The Daily Beast. As of Wednesday afternoon, Arizona had at least 28,296 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,706 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, which also showed a concerning upward trend. The state had 1,553 new cases on June 5, its highest daily peak for new cases since the pandemic began. According to a comparison of all 50 states, the Johns Hopkins data showed that Arizona had among the biggest upward case trends of any state in the U.S. https://www.thedailybeast.com/covid-is-so-bad-in-arizona-theyre-running-out-of-beds?ref=home (Don't they know that the Great Leader promised that warm weather would make the Coronavirus go "poof"? FAKE NEWS!!!)

Damn, where are we going to get a $5.00 cup of coffee now?

Multiple strains of coronavirus are now circulating in the US. Here’s what that means As the coronavirus moves around the country, it's mutating — but that isn't as bad as it sounds) Anew analysis published in the journal Science found seven new strains of the coronavirus that have been circulating in California — and that's according to a very small sample size. Specifically, a group of international scientists looked at samples from 36 COVID-19 patients in nine California counties and the Grand Princess cruise ship from late January to mid-March. Through a phylogenetic analysis — which is when researchers study the evolutionary relationships of genes — they found at least seven different SARS-CoV-2 lineages, including the WA1 strain which has been associated with Washington state. https://www.salon.com/2020/06/11/multiple-strains-of-coronavirus-are-now-circulating-in-the-us-heres-what-that-means/