Beltway Insider: Trump/Riots, Jobs, Madoff, George Floyd, Manual Ellis, Police Accountability

A world of all races came together this week to demand police accountability in the murder of George Floyd, who died on a Minneapolis street after police administered a knee to neck subduing technique resulting in asphyxiation.

 

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, which tracked polls of likely or registered voters for the period ending May 17, 2020, decreased by 1.4 percentage points to 41.7% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by 0.6 percentage points to 53.9%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly. a convicted felon,

Trump Hard Line Stance Spawns Calmer Demonstrations

President Trump was criticized throughout the week for issuing a hard line stance that called for the use of federal military to bring order to the streets of more than 146 major cities who were experiencing riots, looting, arson, vandalism and lawlessness.

"All Americans were rightly sickened and revolted by the brutal death of George Floyd.  My administration is fully committed that, for George and his family, justice will be served . . . But in recent days, our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists, violent mobs, arsonists, looters, criminals, rioters, Antifa, and others.  A number of state and local governments have failed to take necessary action to safeguard their residents . . .These are not acts of peaceful protest.  These are acts of domestic terror," President Trump said in a televised address. 


 

Beltway Insider: Trump/Twitter War, Antifa, Jobs, Heroes Act, Pandemic Rage, George Floyd, Minneapolis


Images of global demonstrations, triggered by justifiable outrage, infiltrated by opportunities who were determined to derail the organized peaceful marches and through mob mentality and a belief of invincibility, upended the protests and like a virus, the flame of lawlessness fanned across America.

Global media aired broadcasts from every major city as they teetered on the edge of destruction. Beginning May 26, 2020, the protests began in Minneapolis and soon gripped the nation, with major cities such as New York and Los Angeles, both having a history of race violence, quickly becoming the focal point as crowds poured into the streets.

The following five days saw an unprecedented attack on police officers across the country, with precincts torched, police officers killed, gasoline bombs thrown at responding officers, empty police vehicles disabled and torched, and then the demonstrators fueled by injustice and a belief that the First Amendment rights that allow for peaceful assembly somehow covers the instigators of violence and escalation of criminality.

The looting began small, along the fringes of cities under siege, and soon moved to upscale business and retail districts. Arson followed. Many professional criminals took advantage of the opportunity and emptied stores of their merchandise as police confrontation was futile. As the week continued nightly demonstration continued even as curfews were violated. Criminals became more inventive and brought drills to remove boarded windows. In New York, they moved from upscale Soho to Herald Square, ripping the boards off many of the retailers lining 34th Street, including Macy's Department Store.

By June 1, 2020, President Trump held a governor's call in which he "strongly recommended to every governor to deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets.  Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled. If a city or a state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them."

By week's end, the protests continued with limited pockets of rioting, including a march of Washington, which drew tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators. The use of the National Guard criticized by some, became the deterrent and instrument of restoring order while allowing protesters to assemble and peaceably petition their government for change.

Bernie Madoff Denied Compassionate Release

Bernie Madoff, 82, who is currently serving a 150-year sentence for bilking investors out of billions of dollars was denied a compassionate release this week. Madoff, the one-time president of the NASDAQ stock exchange, who ran a multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, defrauded his clients of almost $65 billion dollars.

Unemployment Falls as Economy Reopens, Consumer Spending Slow

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the traditional indicator of the economic health of the nation, released the May jobs numbers this week, announcing a surprise 1.4% drop in the overall number of unemployed Americans from 14.7% to 13.3%, while at the same time announcing 1.87 million additional Americans filed for first time unemployment benefits.

While the BLS indicates a much lower number of 21 million total unemployed, the figure does not include gig economy workers or other nontraditional employees, who are receiving pandemic related unemployment. The number is a staggering at 41 million unemployment claims over the nine week period since the beginning of the pandemic shutdown.

"The University of Chicago's Becker Friedman Institute offers a sober prediction that 11.6 million of all jobs lost through April 25 will become permanent. Wells Fargo wrote in a research report, "It is likely [it] will take a number of years for the labor market to recover from its pandemic-induced meltdown," Forbes Magazine reported.

Consumer Spending Outside of Essentials Still Slow

Consumers drive the economy and shutting down the economy can have disastrous effects. Now that the summer season has arrived, are consumers ready to return to pre-pandemic spending? Unlikely as cautious shoppers will be ever watchful of their wallets, and the economy, before they even consider high ticket spending.

For those who may be considering major purchases, auto loans APR has fallen below 3.0% from many lenders and may fall even further before the summer is over. Smart auto shoppers will also be watching for the rental car company sales and unsurpassed deals on 2019 and even 2020 models which companies like Hertz and Avis are already phasing out.

Coronavirus Totals

The infection rates of the coronavirus have continued to rise around the world. With a weekly global increase of 861,400 confirmed cases, brings the total of confirmed cases worldwide to 6,909,600, with 400,245 deaths, an increase of 35,332.

Infections rates in the United States are also on the rise. A weekly increase of 155,495 confirmed cases over the totals for the week ending May 31, 2020 brought the total confirmed cases to 1,944,741 with 110,277 total deaths, a weekly increase for the week ending May 31, 2020 of 6,172. (Data from The New York Times).

George Floyd Murder Spawns Global Protests; Demands for Police Accountability

"With that in mind, we must remember to recognize the lives lost, the passing of George Floyd who was killed unjustly — in a horrific video that we all have seen.  And we must also remember the passing of police captain David Dorn yesterday, who was shot and killed by looters in St. Louis, in an absolute tragedy.  A retired officer, 77 years old, whose wife was also a police officer herself.  Dorn was a hero and an unfortunate casualty in the riots we have seen," said White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.


More than 400 Civil Rights Organizations Urge Congressional Action on Police Violence


George Floyd Coronavirus

George Floyd, the Minneapolis man murdered, tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the medical examiner.

Manual Ellis, An Unknown Name, a Familiar Crime

On March 3, 2020, in Tacoma, Washington, Manuel Ellis, a father of an 11-year old boy, and an 18-month old daughter, was still in the steps of sobriety, living in a sober and clean house, the talented musician had made all the steps necessary between backsliding and clean and sober.

Two hours before his death, Ellis, according to the New York Times, had spoken with a friend, Brian Giordano, who "said that the two usually spoke several times a day and that Mr. Ellis had video-chatted with him two hours before his death. He had been excited about a church service he had attended and proud of how he had played drums during the service, Mr. Giordano recalled. He said it would be uncharacteristic of Mr. Ellis to act in the violent way described by the police."

That same night he would be stopped by officers who described his behavior, witnessed from an intersection as violent and erratic, with the drummer beating on the window of a vehicle. He was subdued by officers who used the knee to neck method of restraint, to keep him "from hurting himself," police said.

Ellis, who had a history of methamphetamine use and heart disease, died of asphyxiation.

Floyd Officers Charged

Charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chavin, 44, the man seen around the world, with his knee on the neck of murder victim George Floyd, have been elevated to second degree murder for the 19-year veteran.

Two of the three fellow officers, J. Alexander Kueng, 26, and Thomas Lane, 37, both rookies with less than one week of full police duty, were following orders of the superior officers at the scene. Tou Thao, 34, the third officer, with a decade on the force, was also arrested. Each have been charged with aiding and abetting the crime and for failing to intervene.

Looters, Lawlessness, and the Black Lives Matter Movement Backlash

With the November 2020 election candidates set, as Vice-president Joe Biden clinched the nomination for democratic nominee and current polls have President Trump trialing by only seven points, there is a real possibility the Black Lives Matter movement could fuel a backlash with many voters supporting President Trump as they feel their own rights are being overrun by a movement that by name, not by cause, supports and parades criminal behavior.


America on Fire: Violence Rages In George Floyd Protests


Two wrongs, as most parents explain to their children, do not make a right, and the murder of George Floyd and the wilding of African American looters, who in some cities clearly are financially supported, and have caused business owners, of all races, who were already reeling from coronavirus losses, to face in some cases insurmountable and unrecoverable economic losses.

Taunting police with flagrant mass violence, looting, arson, rioting, using a known felon, who served time for robbery, theft with a firearm, and drugs, as the poster boy for police accountability. The wrongs in this scenario do not add up to a right.

Are African Americans more likely to suffer injustice at the hands of the police, anywhere? Yes. The system is clearly skewed. African Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police in America, according to Statistia. Aggressive control on behalf of the police is not new.

 

Thirty years ago, Los Angeles witnessed a grievous injustice and the city burned. The instances of unprovoked excessive violence by police against minorities is common.

As a student at New York University, a African American female, the valedictorian, with degrees from Oxford, now an author, explained when African Americans travel 1-95 to Florida from New York, they need to plan on extra time as they will without a doubt be stopped, their car searched, without cause. The harassment has only continued and escalated throughout the years.


Op/Ed: Police Accountability and Justice – Two Causes Worth the Fight


Many voters who refuse to participate in the recent protests support the movement, that all lives matter and even bigger supporters of police accountability. No person wants to be the victim of crime. No person, no business, no one and the biggest concern Americans have regarding crime is the possibility of being anywhere near a mass shooting.

Congress defines mass shooting as a single incident where three or more people are murdered. Statistically Caucasians commit more mass shootings than minorities.

"Of 114 mass shootings between 1982 and May 2019, 110 were carried out by men. The final four are made up of three women, and one case of one man and a woman working together in the San Bernardino attack in December 2015. According to Statista analysis, in the same time-frame 64 of the perpetrators were white, while 19 were black, 10 Latino and eight Asian. About 60% of America is white-only, while current stats show white people carry out about 58% of shootings. But as a proportion of all races and shootings, white people far outstrip others," Sky news reports.

While African Americans and minorities commit the majority of race on race crimes, and multiple homicides where three individuals are murdered. Gang violence, which statistically is in a class by itself, outside of random mass shootings, are always by affiliates of the race targeted, Asian, Russian, African Americans, Italians, etc.

After the George Floyd protests, which included many acts of violence, protesters who flagrantly participated in any form of violence will be investigated by the F.B.I., who investigate violence.

Ideologies, philosophies, beliefs, causes, movements, no matter how just or unjust, are not investigated, violence is investigated. "We, the FBI, don't investigate the ideology, no matter how repugnant. We investigate violence," Sky News reported F.B.I. Director Christopher A. Wray as stating.

The week-long rage may have allowed the people to demand change, police accountability across the nation and even the world, and may result in actual change, this time, so close to an election year, may actually become the catalyst of change.

 

For more information on President Donald Trump www.whitehouse.gov.

Sources: Various © Articles covered by Copyright protection

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