Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the star of the show as Arsenal produced a fine performance to beat Manchester City and reach the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Gunners boss Arteta outwitted City manager Pep Guardiola with an astute counter-attacking scheme and Aubameyang struck in each half as Arsenal executed their plans to perfection. Arsenal will face Chelsea or Manchester United, who meet in the other semi-final on Sunday, in the final at Wembley on August 1.

Arteta captained Arsenal to FA Cup triumph six years ago and, in his first season in charge of the north London club, the Spaniard has led them back to the final of a competition they last won in 2017.

Just days after beating Premier League champions Liverpool, Arsenal offered further evidence that Arteta could be the man to restore them to the glory days of the Arsene Wenger era. Arsenal had lost their previous seven meetings with City, including a 3-0 drubbing in their first game after the coronavirus hiatus.

But, thanks to Artetas masterstroke, Arsenal handed Guardiolas side a first Wembley defeat in their last 10 visits.

Heres how Twitter reacted to the result:

(With inputs from AFP)

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The Arsenal of old: Twitter reacts to Mikel Arteta and Cos stunning FA Cup win over Manchester City - Scroll.in

Victoria Beckham feels "really proud" of her sons.

The 46-year-old designer has Brooklyn, 21, Romeo, 17, and Cruz, 15, with her husband David Beckham - with whom she also has nine-year-old daughter Harper - and has said she couldn't be happier with the way her sons are growing up, as they're "turning out to be really good men".

She said: "I feel really proud of our boys because they are turning out to be really good men. They work hard and they're kind, and being kind is key now. I think everybody should be kind - there are so many horrible things going on in the world. With regards to the boys they always have to have respect for themselves, for others, for girls. Our boys have always had the utmost respect for everyone. They have always been like that."

And for the former Spice Girls star, motherhood is her greatest achievement.

She added during an interview with photographer Alexi Lubimorski for his YouTube series: "Being a mum is the most important job in the world. I love what I do professionally and I take it very seriously but there is nothing more serious than having children. It's your responsibility to bring up really good, good people so I take that responsibility seriously. I try to be the best mum, I try to be the best wife, and I try and be the best professional."

Victoria has been staying at home with her family amid the coronavirus pandemic, and recently said her time in lockdown has been "precious".

She explained: "While working from home, we've been on walks every day as a family. How often would we all go on a walk together normally? Usually there's a conference call or a work meeting or someone is travelling abroad. These times are precious.

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'They're really good men': Victoria Beckham is proud of her sons - Opelika Auburn News

By Rudolph Bush

The Dallas Morning News

In a move that interested few and mattered less, Texas state Rep. Jonathan Stickland announced to Twitter on July 2 that enough was enough. He was leaving the platform for a place where he felt he could express himself full bore without the liberal idiots with mob mentality that have taken over here.

The Bedford, Texas, Republican promised to check his account infrequently, a pledge that turned out to be too good to be true since his Twitter thumb has remained pretty active in the days that followed.

But like other conservatives with a libertarian streak, most prominently Sen. Ted Cruz, Stickland said he was decamping for something called parler.com, a place apparently less hostile to his political persuasions but hardly a stranger to mob-think.

I dont know much about Parler. A brief stroll suggested it wont be a regular stop. I do know a thing or two about Twitter, and Stickland is partly right. Whatever you dont like, Twitter serves it in stinking heaps.

Mob mentality? Check. Hate speech? Check. Racism? Check. Anonymous libel? Check. Preening moralism and virtue signaling? Check and check. Trolls, bots and fake accounts pitting people in constant battle? You have come to the right place.

The problem of thinking like Stickland and Cruz and even President Donald Trumps reelection campaign is that it casts the social media problem as a political one. Twitter is becoming too liberal or too intolerant of conservatives, or so goes the argument.

But this isnt a conservative or liberal problem. This is a human social problem now, and one we better figure out how to fix fast, because it is giving us a political culture that promotes the worst, scares away the best and tears just about everything it gets in its maw to pieces.

Stickland isnt an interesting politician. A stock character from tea party central casting, he has consistently and successfully worked at making a joke of his office and its duty to legislate. Except for his habit of crippling good bills, his fellow conservatives stopped taking him seriously years ago.

But his social media situation is instructive as to what Big Techs platforms are doing to our national conversation and to why we cant fix social media the way it appears we are going to try.

The way things are going, free speech is going to be diminished if we let the platforms get their way. And, in the short term at least, conservatives will probably get the brunt of it.

In the long run, though, we are in danger of turning over the decision of what speech is and is not acceptable to profit-driven companies that do all they can to keep us glued to our screens.

Lets look at how this is playing out and why we need to stop it.

Last week, Facebook undisputed king of all social media had to face the music of a civil rights audit it paid for that found the platform is not sufficiently attuned to the depth of concern on the issue of polarization and the way that the algorithms used by Facebook inadvertently fuel extreme and polarizing content.

Instead of enabling free speech, Facebook privileges certain voices over less powerful voices, the auditors wrote.

The answer, according to the audit, is to somehow neutralize or disempower extreme and polarizing content issuing from privileged voices.

If that sounds like a good solution, recognize that you can put a lot of ideas and voices into those categories, and what constitutes extreme and polarizing shifts with the winds.

The solution that Facebook appears to be driving at is to remove content that might concern some people even as its removal concerns others. In response to the audit, Facebook has already removed posts and pages associated with Trump political operative turned felon Roger Stone and the far-right Proud Boys group.

Thats low-hanging fruit. And even that has been controversial. It will only get harder to parse what does and does not constitute hate speech or polarizing speech. Revolutionary Thomas Paine and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison were polarizing, after all.

If we leave it to social media platforms to decide what is and isnt acceptable, we will only continue to be damaged as a democracy.

Even if it were possible for these companies to perfectly judge what should and shouldnt be posted (and it isnt), they have proved over time that this is not something they are going to do. As Shoshana Zuboff details exquisitely in her crucial book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, these companies have acted at every turn to create products that deceive and divide in the name of profit.

Conservatives are hurting their own cause in this case. Cruz has been outspoken on the matter. But his instinct is toward libertarianism and preventing platforms from policing speech in any way. When he joined Parler, he said, the platform gets what free speech is all about.

That is a self-defeating strategy. Preaching to the choir gets awfully dull, and Cruz has hardly given up Twitter where his audience is larger and he gets in the sparring he seems to cherish.

If things continue on the path they are going, conservatives will have much to worry about when it comes to social medias selection of what is and isnt acceptable speech.

But they would be wise to join those on the left who post-Russian electoral interference still have a strong appetite for reining in the way America regulates platforms. And they had better act fast, before the entire left recognizes the advantage that is about to come its way from social medias big self-correction.

For too long, these companies have enjoyed freedom from liability for what people post on their sites even as their products have damaged our democracy. The wise legislator is coming to understand how that carte blanche has narrowed and cheapened the internet, when it was supposed to broaden and democratize it.

There has to be a reconnection to responsibility for what goes up that is governed the way we have always governed speech through threat of libel.

Would it substantially change the way platforms function? Of course.

Would that be what the country needs?

Take a run through Twitter today and answer that question for yourself.

Rudolph Bush is deputy editorials editor for The Dallas Morning News.

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Commentary: Conservatives will defeat themselves if they don't wake up to social media reform - The Daily World

He played under legendary coach Lorne Grosso in the late 1980s.

Huyber went on to play Division I college hockey at Providence College before spending a couple of seasons playing pro hockey. He never strayed far from the game, taking an assistant coach job at Division I Army-West Point for three seasons (1996-99) before becoming the head coach of the USHLs Rochester Mustangs for two seasons (1999-2001).

Four years later, he returned to his roots, joining Grossos staff at Mayo as an assistant coach. Hes been with the Spartans program until Thursday, when he announced his resignation after four seasons as Mayos head coach.

Huyber was just the second head coach in Mayos 55-year history. Grosso retired after the 2015-16 season with 707 career wins, a Minnesota high school boys hockey state record.

Effective immediately, I am tendering my resignation as Mayos Boys Head Hockey Coach, Huyber said. Im very proud of my 15 years coaching Mayo boys hockey and the state of the program as I step down. Id like to thank the current players and parents for their support and wish them luck this upcoming season.

Mayo finished 10-16-1 last season and was 42-56-4 under Huyber. The Spartans were just 4-22-0 in his first season as head coach, 2016-17, but rebounded to go 11-12-1 in 2017-18, followed by seasons of 17-6-2 and 10-16-1.

Huybers decision was not related to hockey; he made a job change in May that requires more of his time -- especially during the times of day when he would be at hockey practice or boarding a bus for a road game in the winter.

Mayo finished below .500 last season, but improved as the season went on, had a strong second half, and beat rival John Marshall in a Section 1AA first-round playoff game.

After a couple of months it is evident that my schedule will not allow me to continue coaching high school hockey, Huyber said. I look forward to spending more time with my wife and teenage son who have supported me for the past 15 years.

Huyber has also been heavily involved with the Rochester Youth Hockey Association over the past decade, serving as its President in 2015-16. In all, Huyber has been a coach at various levels for more than 30 years.

I would like to thank Mayo Activities Director Jeff Whitney, (Mayo High School athletic secretary) Robin Erickson and the Mayo Hockey alumni for their support over the last 15 years. A huge debt of gratitude to my assistant coaches Ron Moffitt, Matt Alexander and Matt Notermann, who have been great to work with and made being at the rink a lot of fun.

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'I'm very proud of the state of the program': Huyber steps down after 15 years coaching at Mayo - PostBulletin.com

Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Photo: Billy Hurst, Front Row Photo | For The Telegraph

Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

PREP YEAR IN REVIEW: Small-School Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year Tyler Guthrie of Father McGivney

GLEN CARBON The final race of Tyler Guthries freshman season with the Father McGivney Griffins saw him hit the chute in 109th place at the Carlinville Class 1A Sectional.

That finish, in a time more than 2 minutes behind the winner, pretty much mirrored Guthries enthusiasm for the sport early in his running career.

I didnt think it was fun at first, because of the distance, Guthrie said. Having to run three miles in a race and having to run at least two to three times the amount for practice, that was overwhelming for me. I was, oh dang, I dont want to do that every day.

Guthrie managed to outgrow his disdain for distance and he is currently logging 45-52 miles a week in preparation for his senior season with the Griffins.

Ive had a great start this summer, he said. After track season with the whole pandemic, Ive been kind of doing my own thing with personal training. Ive been staying fit and healthy.

After becoming Father McGivneys first all-state performer while garnering 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Cross Country Runner of the Year as a junior, Guthrie is taking aim at continuing the ascension as a senior.

Guthrie opened the season by beating a mega-field of 366 boys to win the First to the Finish Kickoff 5K at SIUE. He then reeled off a string of top-10 performances, including a regional victory at New Athens, before closing with a 15th-place run at the Class 1A state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

That earned Guthrie all-state status the top 25 placers in each class are all-state while covering the three-mile state layout at Detweiller in 15 minutes, 20.82 seconds.

It was really an achievement for me, Guthrie said of the all-state medal. I had never been all-state before and I was proud to get there. Im just trying to hold that in the past, but it will be in my collection that say I made it to that point. And since Ill be running for McGivney this year, too, Ill be proud to have that title.

Now, Guthrie is setting his sights on joining the states most elite runners by breaking the 15-minute mark at Detweiller. McGivney coach Jim Helton believes his No. 1 runner is on that plane.

Right now, hes looking really lean and really tough, Helton said. I think he has a sub-15 in him.

With the springs track season cancelled for COVID-19 concerns, Guthrie tried to simulate a season and ran a personal-best 4:29 mile in a time trial.

That shows me that he has the mental toughness to dip under 15, Helton said. Im sure that will be his ultimate goal, as well.

Sub-15 at state he ran 15:43 to finish 10th in the Class 1A division at a September invitational at Detweiller is indeed the target at which Guthrie aims to close his prep career in November.

I believe thats within my reach, Guthrie said. I was at 15:20 last year and I did go all-out in that race. I didnt really feel like I was at full strength, but I did do my best. This year, since I understand more about how my body works and have a better understanding of how to run faster with the map of that course, I feel like I can get under 15. Ive trained for the last three, four years and Im not going to back down at this point.

Backing down has not been in Guthries makeup since he won his first race as a sophomore at the Benton Fun Run. Guthrie ran in the top 10 in seven of the Griffins 10 major meets as a sophomore and fell five slots shy of all-state with 30th-place at state in 15:38.

Guthrie was far removed from the occasional struggles of his freshman season as a junior. But he was, at times, victimized by his own aggression.

Sometimes, we had to rein him back, Helton said. He wanted to run everything a little bit too hard. Thats a tough problem to have. You can only go to the well so many times. With him, he trains out in front of everybody else and because of that fact, I felt last year he maybe ran some things a little bit harder than he needed to. This year, hes listening a little bit better. I think he learned from last year.

With the start of his senior season still scheduled more than a month away, Guthrie is convinced a big season is ahead if the pandemic allows.

I believe so, he said. I feel a lot faster than I did last year. Physically, athletically, Ive been trying to improve myself every day. So far, Im staying disciplined with my training and Im starting to see it pay off.

Guthrie lives in Edwardsville, but bypassed a Class 3A powerhouse program with the Tigers to attend McGivney. He did not have a vote in that election.

My parents wanted for me to be prepared for college and they felt Father McGivney was a good college-prep school, Guthrie said.

Has it been a good fit? So far, definitely, he said.

Guthrie plans to continue his running career at a Division I or II university in the south, preferably Florida. I like the heat down there, he said.

College cross country and track seemed like a longshot for Guthrie as a prep freshman. He is thankful to have stayed the course.

I knew the potential was there, but it was just the feeling of whether or not I even really wanted to take the path, Guthrie said. During the beginning of my junior year is when I started to really see that there was something going for me and I could see a successful way to go in cross country and track. As I started to see my times and the rate that I was improving, I saw that I could definitely get where I wanted. I didnt see it at first, but now I see it.

His parents saw it long before. When Guthrie played youth football, he flashed speed and stamina, though it was clear football wasnt his path. His parents encouraged the running path.

That gave me a push, Guthrie said. It was really for myself a little bit and I did it for my parents approval a little bit. But you have to find it in yourself. Thats where Im at now and thats why Im more comfortable running the distances I do now. I see where I want to be and nobodys going to change that because they think they want me to be a certain way. Thats why Im confident with the way I run. Its a good place.

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PREP YEAR IN REVIEW: Small-School Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year Tyler Guthrie of Father McGivney - Alton Telegraph

By Nick Domenici

WOODLAND Horseplay in a moving vehicle caused a fatal crashtragically, a driver was killed, and a baby was ejected from the car on the night of May 8, 2019, according to information provided in Yolo County Superior Court here Wednesday.

The court was told how, on May 8 of last year, a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta veered off South River Road and into an embankment, going 80 mph. The car was overturned and submerged into the Sacramento River.

Inside the vehicle, was the driver, a 25-year-old Fairfield man named Emilio Rivera. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. In the passenger seat was 24-year-old Amanda Caldera from Elk Grove, who only suffered moderate injuries, and was taken to UC Davis Medical Center.

And in the back seat was her one-year-old baby boy, who was discharged from the vehicle. He was rushed by a helicopter to a local hospital, suffering from head trauma in critical condition. An investigation is still ongoing, with many of the facts unknown.

California Highway Patrol is speculating if a third party was involved, a mechanical issue had occurred, or if the child wasnt properly restrained in the car seat during the accident. Witnesses believe, the court was told, that there was some kind of horseplay/distractionthe mother, Caldera, was alleged to have been playing a car game with the occupants during this incident.

Caldera pleaded no contest to felony endangerment charges during Wednesdays preliminary hearing. Further court proceedings will take place on August 31, 2020, with her sentencing to follow on a later date.

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'Horseplay' Could be Cause of Car Accident That Threw Baby from Vehicle; Mother Facing Child Endangerment - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

Members of the so-called Boogaloo movement, attend a demonstration against the lockdown over concerns about Covid-19 on April 18, 2020 at the State House in Concord, N.H.

Photo: Michael Dwyer/AP

Mutated through new information technologies and drawing strength from feelings of economic and demographic dislocation, fascist and sectarian ideologies have found a home in the hearts of members of a new generation of Americans.

Whether most people have connected the dots or not, a violent struggle is already playing out. Over the past few years, a steady drumbeat of massacres have been carried out by extremists associated with the new far-right. These attacks have targeted synagogues, mosques, and communities where immigrants are concentrated. In their wake, the shooters left behind manifestos damning a world that they claimed was shrinking in space for people like them.

What these ideologues drifting within the currents of this movement have really been waiting for, however, is a real crisis, one that would give them an opportunity to put their ideas of racial warfare and ethnic purification into full effect. That crisis is here.

The combination of the coronavirus and the sudden collapse of the American economyhas given society an exogenous shock unseen in generations. The pandemic and the social tensions it has unleashed are likely to supercharge the forces that gave rise to the new far-right extremism, even as they produce countervailing energies that could revive the best promises of liberalism.

Engaging in political predictions is a foolish, high-risk, low-reward activity. But having followed the iterations of this new extremist ideology at home and abroad and grappled with the fact that there is a pool of young men who have proven themselves willing to die for it it strikes me as irresponsible to not advise people to brace for what is on the horizon.

Although some have yet to accept it, the U.S. is in the midst of an unstoppable cultural and demographic transition into multiculturalism. The natural challenges entailed in such a shift should not be ignored. It is incumbent upon everyone to do their part to make it a success, whileensuring that everyonefeels they have a place in this country.

This demographic shift, though, has also given rise to serious anxieties among some within the majority community anxieties that helped enable the rise of a white nationalist named Donald Trump to the presidency. These majoritarian sentiments are likely to escalate as minority groups grow to embrace their own forms of racial consciousness, often based on redressing past injustices suffered at the hands of the majority.

The current wave of national protests was triggered by a killing with strong sectarian overtones another Black man killed by a white police officer. From a historical perspective, countries that have experienced wholesale economic collapse at the same time as exploding ethnic tensions have often had a difficult time dealing with that, to put it mildly. The United States still has a lot of resources at its disposal to handle these challenges, but the gravity of the present situation should not be understated.

Americans are experiencing levels of unemployment unprecedented in their modern history. According to some estimates, nearly half of these jobs may never return. At the same time, stunning acts of symbolic cultural transformation are playing out in real time. As statues of polarizing figures tied to Americas European founding come crashing down one after another, often with the support of liberal white Americans, the political project of those on the extremes particularly white nationalists is simultaneously jeopardized and emboldened.

On the surface, it seems that events are driving the U.S. in the opposite direction of white nationalist goals and that they will likely taste defeat. But, on the other hand, a structural collapse of American society that fractures it along ethnic lines is the prerequisite for their own dark vision of a society purified by the fires of racial violence.

For white nationalists, this is a crisis as well as an opportunity.

One of the things that white nationalists have always been interested in is imposing their own understanding of time: a narrative of what the past looked like and what the future should look like, said Alexandra Minna Stern, the author of Proud Boys and the White Ethnostate: How the Alt-Right is Warping the American Imagination. In that sense, the coronavirus and the protests have destabilized time. History is being rewritten and the marginalized are being recognized.

For white nationalists, this is a crisis as well as an opportunity, Stern said. In their opinion, movements like Black Lives Matter are a form of identity politics par excellence. If it is succeeding and gaining currency, then in their view white racial consciousness might rise as well.

This is not to equate the Black Lives Matter movement with white nationalists of course. But amid the roiling social changes we are now witnessing, many of them progressive, far-right identitarians also see an opportunity at hand.

It should go without saying that it is a choice to view things from an ethno-nationalist perspective. In the U.S., that choice is today not an obviously popular one. A large proportion perhaps even the majority of the tens of millions who came out into the streets in the unprecedented protest movement triggered by the killing of George Floyd were white Americans. It remains to be seen how long this support will last, but the spontaneous outrage over the murder of an unarmed Black man by a white police officer is noble and encouraging.

However, those white people who are ethno-nationalists and there are many of them will likely view these developments much more darkly: as a sign that they are on the verge of being displaced from their privileged historical role in American society, or, even worse, reduced to a marginalized minority. In a country with loose social bonds and easy access to weaponry, it doesnt take many people thinking that way to do serious harm.

If you peer into the shadows, you can already see the contours of a threat that will be with us for years to come. In early May, a group of men, described by prosecutors as having U.S. military experience, were arrested and charged with trying to spark violence as part of a broader plot to cause the collapse of the federal government and trigger a civil war. A number of shootings and car-ramming attacks carried out during the recent protests should signal that there are people ready for their most extreme beliefs to reach praxis.

Even more ominously, for a state hollowed out by years of elite corruption, there are signs that law enforcement agencies and the U.S. military have been infiltrated by individuals adhering to far-right ideologies. If a serious crisis comes, history suggests that it will be people like this with access to training and guns whose defection to the side of the extremists would have the most dire implications.

At the same time, just as it is wrong dangerous even to promote essentialized racial categories that lump together huge numbers of diverse people, it would be a mistake to impute onto the far-right movement a unity that it does not possess. Not all of the various subgroups are willing to engage in violence nor do they all hold the same views on every issue. To the extent that the far right can be described as having a unified perspective, it is on the issues of race and immigration. On this count, the spread of the coronavirus and the minority-led protest movement in the U.S. are two sides of the same coin: both products of globalization, which is the one force that they are united in their desire to destroy.

We should expect the far right to continue waging this battle to undo globalization with whatever tools are at its disposal, legal and illegal, violent and nonviolent. Those of us who have to live with the reality of a complex, cosmopolitan world including the tens of millions of Americans and Europeans of minority backgrounds whose very existence and identity is a product of that reality must negotiate an appropriate response. The one thing we cant do is fall into a trap of believing that this conflict doesnt exist, or that it can be ignored.

For those whose ultimate goal is a multipolar world where everyone is siloed and in their own place, recent events are seen as a rebuke against globalization, said Benjamin Teitelbaum, an expert on the far right at the University of Colorado, Boulder and the author of a new book about former Trump guru Steve Bannon called War for Eternity: Inside Bannons Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers.

If one takes the view that the primary expression of decadence in our age is cosmopolitanism, said Teitelbaum, the only way to survive that age is through a militant anti-cosmopolitanism.

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The Far-Right Revolution Was Waiting for an Opportunity. Now, It's Here. - The Intercept - First Look Media

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Antifa activists do exist, like this woman in Bulgaria, but evidence of antifa at recent Spokane protests is questionable at best.

Antifa was planning to riot in Spokane and North Idaho.

That, at least, was the claim put forth in the widely shared images that set local right-wing circles in a tizzy in November of 2017. Antifa never showed. The same claim was shared in November of 2018. Antifa didn't show.

But this year, there actually were riots, including in Spokane.

While Spokane's protest on May 31 was largely peaceful, there were exceptions. Windows at downtown businesses like Nike were shattered and merchandise was stolen by looters. Protesters threw water bottles and other objects at police officers. A man threw a crude attempt at a Molotov cocktail. And that night, Spokane Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich blamed "a group of antifa socialists" for the destruction.

He doubled down in a press conference the next morning.

"There's a lot of reporters that have contacted me this morning: 'Are you sure it was antifa?'" Knezovich said. "I'm going to give you one definitive answer. And the answer is yes."

He says he had information from confidential informants. He says that officers had seen antifa T-shirts. He says that antifa came here in the three vehicles and were communicating with Motorola headsets.

"We had all the earmarks from the Portland area," Knezovich says. "Let's just stop the nonsense. Let's own what's happened here."

Today, more than a month has passed since the initial protests in Spokane.

No evidence has been released by law enforcement to support the notion that anybody connected to the antifa movement was directly responsible for any of the looting, destruction or violence at the May 31 rally in Spokane. Nearly all of the arrests that have been made have been locals, including several who already had a criminal background.

Antifa is a very loose assortment of secretive groups and anonymous individuals dedicated to aggressively and occasionally violently opposing white supremacists and other far-right groups. In the last few years, footage of squads of black-clad and masked antifa activists brawling with right-wing Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer hooligans in the streets of Portland repeatedly made national news.

But ever since the protests against racism and police brutality cropped up in May, antifa has taken on a new role in the public imagination: riot scapegoat. Antifa agitators have repeatedly been blamed for the fires, violence, vandalism and looting that have been perpetuated by a fraction of protesters. And local protest organizers like longtime left-wing activist Dustin Jolly worried that all the antifa blame could obscure their police reform message.

"You have a lot of scared people," Jolly says. "[A Black Lives Matters protest] isn't something to be scared of. This isn't antifa trying to come in and burn all your businesses down."

ANTIFA EVERYWHERE AND NOWHEREThe claim that antifa was to blame for the protest violence was a national phenomenon, put forward by figures like President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr.

On June 22, the Washington Post's Fact Checker column, in a "Four Pinocchio" fact-check, noted that there hadn't yet been a "single confirmed case in which someone who self-identifies as antifa led violent acts at any of the protests across the country."

While a self-proclaimed antifa supporter was subsequently arrested for trying to tear down the Andrew Jackson statue in Washington, D.C., Jessica Reaves, editorial director with the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism, tells the Inlander that "we have not seen any evidence of substantial or organized, quote, 'antifa' presence at these rallies," she says.

In Spokane, however, Jolly confirmed he did see a few people at the week's first protests wearing gear with antifa logos and not local activists he recognized. Kurtis Robinson, the president of the local NAACP, says that he referred concerns about potential antifa violence to the Police Department before the first protest.

And Knezovich, who accuses journalists locally and nationally of scrambling to try to shield antifa from responsibility, hasn't altered his original conclusions. He claims that agitators were accomplices to crimes by directing the young people who committed the violence and destruction using communication gear. So far, however, nobody arrested in Spokane has been tied to antifa.

"We're still putting cases together on some of those folks," Knezovich says. "I'm not gonna be able to give you a lot of information."

To bolster his claims of antifa violence, Knezovich connects Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl into a conference call with the Inlander.

But Meidl doesn't go nearly as far with his claims. There was an incident, Meidl says, where a number of protesters surrounded a police car, including a woman with a megaphone who identified herself as antifa. However, in that incident, nobody was harmed and no property was damaged.

"We know there were people claiming to be antifa, and seemed to be trying to rally and stir things up," Meidl says. But at this point, he says, he hasn't been able to say they were specifically involved in any damage.

"We've never come out and said it was 'this group' or 'that group,'" Meidl says. "Unless we were able to physically make that arrest, it was challenging to identify people involved."

Even then, it's not like antifa activists generally carry membership cards in their wallets.

Reaves says the days of being able to identify antifa activists or anarchists by their black clothing, helmets, or masks are over they've been widely adopted by protesters of all stripes. And with the spread of coronavirus, masks are often a sign of following the law, not breaking it.

Spokane Street Aid founder Rebecca Daignault-Walker passes out fliers to protesters that tell people to mask up for multiple reasons: "Not only are masks and goggles vital for slowing the spread of COVID-19, but they're also good for helping to remain anonymous while protesting."

To Knezovich and Meidl, carrying gas masks, wearing body armor, and lugging around jugs of tear-gas neutralizing milk is evidence protesters are ready to riot. But some protesters say it's more about being prepared for violence from the police.

"Police have shown they are not afraid to fire on peaceful protesters," Daignault-Walker says.

WHAT DOES ANTIFA MEAN TO YOU?Even for those who proclaim their allegiance to antifa's principles, the meaning is amorphous.

To Knezovich, antifa is a leaderless terrorist group, the latest incarnation of anarchists "dedicated to the overthrow of the capitalist system of America."

"Antifa is a domestic terrorist threat," Knezovich told an Idaho GOP group this March during one of his signature "Threats We Face" presentations. "There's no ifs ands or buts about it."

The radical who was killed last year while trying to bomb the ICE detention center in Tacoma with a propane tank claimed in a manifesto to be antifa.

But to others, "antifa" is more of a philosophy or a tactic than an organization. Anyone opposed to neo-Nazis and white supremacists is antifa, a definition so broad as to include Martin Luther King Jr., Indiana Jones and Knezovich himself.

"Everyone at a Black Lives Matter protest is antifa because they're all there to protect black people from fascism," says Jeremy Logan, vice-chair of the Spokane's Democratic Socialists of America.

Still, the Inlander reached out to the established antifa groups in the region and asked for comment.

A message sent to the Emerald City Antifa Facebook page resulted in a response that the Inlander's questions sounded like they came from "either a grifter or a fed" and that we should accept "the copious amounts of evidence and reports showing that cops are lying sacks of shit."

"What do you want, a schedule of where all the antifas were and what we were all doing instead of plotting made-up shit in Spokane?" the Emerald City Antifa wrote.

("You're expecting these groups to say, 'Yeah, we are involved in starting riots?'" Knezovich scoffs.)

A voicemail message left with the website associated with Portland's Rose City Antifa resulted in a phone call a week later from an antifa activist who uses the pseudonym "Morgan." Citing the risk of right-wing backlash or law enforcement repression, her group is strictly anonymous, making it difficult to verify any of their claims.

Still, when asked if Rose City Antifa sent anyone to the protests in the Inland Northwest, Morgan laughs.

"No," she says. "We respect the autonomy of organizers and activists in Spokane and Northern Idaho to determine how they want to respond to things."

But Jolly and other progressive activists the Inlander spoke with weren't aware of any local antifa groups.

Morgan says there had been a group with a similar philosophy to antifa Spokane Anti-Racist Action but wasn't aware if it was still active. Their last Facebook post was nearly a year ago.

Morgan suggests Rose City Antifa has been involved in the protests in Portland, but stresses that they haven't led them or organized them. But she won't talk details. As a matter of principle, antifa won't reveal tactics, even to condemn them. They won't say who's a part of antifa and who's not.

Asked how I should know, then, if any action is associated with antifa, Morgan is blunt.

"You don't," Morgan says.

And yes, she knows that can be a problem.

"As long as we remain anonymous, which we will forever, people can choose to think whatever they would like about the group of mystery people," Morgan says. "It does open us up to a lot of unfounded conspiracy theories and attempts to make us out to be boogeymen."

Groups like antifa are used as an excuse, she adds, to "avoid addressing the actual concerns of black people and black organizers."

"People were saying 'antifa is everywhere,' but we're saying 'No, they're not.' They're not driving everywhere."

THE MASQUERADEAnyone can wear the antifa mask. Even far-right trolls.

On May 31, @Antifa_US Twitter account announced that "tonight's the night, comrades" that they would attack residential areas and "take what's ours." It was a hoax perpetrated by Identity Evropa, a genuine white supremacist group.

Fake Twitter and Facebook accounts with names like "Beverly Hills Antifa" have abounded in the last three years, including in Spokane.

"What we are seeing is a fair amount of disinformation from right-wing extremists targeting antifa," says Reaves, with the ADL.

In early June, the rumor that antifa was traveling from town to town in vans or buses, starting riots, was pervasive in right-wing circles across Idaho, Washington and Montana. In Forks, Washington, locals cut down trees to prevent a multiracial Spokane family of campers from leaving, believing them to actually be a busload of antifa members.

On June 2, the Washington Fusion Center, a public safety intelligence hub for Washington state agencies, warned police chiefs and sheriffs to be wary about putting out information about antifa without verifying it, warning of an ongoing "disinformation campaign."

"Information like antifa was driving around in vans everywhere and coming to every little community," Washington State Patrol Lt. Curt Boyle, director of the Fusion Center, tells the Inlander. "People were saying 'antifa is everywhere,' but we're saying 'No, they're not.' They're not driving everywhere."

The incorrect info was so pervasive and coming from so many different directions, Boyle says, that they weren't able to determine whether it was intentional disinformation or simply mistakes that went viral.

To this day, Knezovich says, his department hasn't been able to "nail down" any of the three antifa vehicles he claimed had arrived in Spokane. While he says that vehicles with Seattle-based license places parked in "strategic locations" in Spokane during the third week's protest, there wasn't any violence during the third week protest.

But once currently confidential information comes to light, Knezovich is certain that he will be vindicated.

"Eventually, I hope we can release some of this," Knezovich says. "I want to have that conversation. It's time. I've never seen people work so hard to discredit anything."

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Antifa is anonymous, militant and ill-defined but there's still little evidence they're to blame for riots in Spokane | Local News | Spokane | The...

The giant new Black Lives Matter sign in front of Trump Tower has become a flashpoint for protesters clashing over the statement.

On Saturday just two days after Mayor Bill de Blasio was jeered as he helped paint the large yellow mural there were further ugly confrontations as dozens of All Lives Matter counter-protesters descended on Fifth Avenue, photos and video show.

As the group unveiled several flags, including thin blue line ones showing support for law enforcement, an opposing protester raced over and swiped a flagpole almost starting a brawl, video showed.

You feel big and proud over that? someone asked the flagpole stealer, who replied, Yes.

One woman screamed fk you at Black Lives Matter protesters, giving double middle-finger salutes also making exaggerated coughing and sneezing gestures seemingly to scare rivals during the coronavirus pandemic, the footage shows.

Wearing an All Lives Matter T-shirt and Make America Great Again red cap, the woman posed for pictures kneeling and raising a fist gestures normally used to represent the Black Lives Matter cause.

A group also photobombed a man who appeared to be filming on his phone about the death of George Floyd, finally given up and screaming fk you! as they filled the frame and gave rude gestures.

The All Lives Matter protesters then started chanting USA and commie scum to drown out the BLM chants with both sides giving each other the middle finger.

The anti-BLM protesters included members of the Proud Boys, DailyMail.com said, referring to the all-male right-wing organization deemed a hate group by the US Southern Poverty Law Center.

It came on the same day as rival groups also clashed in Brooklyn and Queens.

View original post here:

Black Lives Matter mural by Trump Tower becomes scene of heated clashes - New York Post

Just briefly

Kanye West Wing: Yeezy might actually be serious about running for president, according to Forbes, apparently as the candidate of the Birthday Partya name thats not that silly, given the existence of the Know-Nothings, the Bull Moose Party and the Whigs. Whether the fact that he might pull votes away from Joe Biden and throw the election to Trump is an outcome he doesnt mind, or the entire point of his run, is unclear. But with music money, Kardashians money and Musk money behind him, anything in politics is possible. Dear 2020, please stop.

Capitol offense: After decades of being told their name and mascot is racist, the leadership of the Washington National Football Leagueteam is finally considering changing its moniker,according to CNBC. This, despite the fact that National Basketball Association team The Washington Wizards made bank on all the new gear and apparel fans bought when the Bullets rebranded, and Wizards is a genuinely bad name. Another push in the right direction: Amazon will no longer sell the Washington teams merchandise. Dont get too excited, though. Theres still plenty of Chief Wahoo merch available.

Tampon tales: Its tough to get many celebrities to discuss periods and menstruationbut not all of them. A new campaign for Tampax features real talk from comedian Amy Schumer, who was contacted by a Tampax exec who saw her bring up the topic on a comedy special. In the spots, Schumer has frank and funny talks in a restroom, store, doctors office and mall about tampon sizes, how to insert them and taboos around shopping for them, writes Ad Ages Jack Neff. The series, directed by Kathy Fusco of Hungryman, also includes mall-intercept interviews Schumer does with young females and males about tampons, periods, female anatomy and sex.

That does it for todays Wake-Up Call. Thanks for reading and we hope you are all staying safe and well. For more industry news and insight,follow us on Twitter: @adage.

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Facebook's own civil rights auditors aren't happy with it, and United Airlines layoffs loom: Thursday Wake-Up Call - AdAge.com

Kyle Melinn

Republicans swung and missed when it came to recruiting a top-tier candidate to run in Ingham Countys 8th Congressional District, leaving those leaning the GOPs way a choice among four lightly funded political neophytes.

The emerging political might of freshman U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is the main reason. The former CIA analyst has shined in nearly every aspect of the job policy knowledge, public engagement, competency and fundraising.

The latter cant be understated. Slotkin is raising U.S. Senate-like money, far more than any other congressional incumbent or challenger in Michigan.

Up to now, Paul Junge is doing the best in terms or raising money and generating any outward support. He raised close a quarter of a million dollars in the first quarter of 2020, which is double that of his three opponents combined.

But to put it all in perspective, you could take Junges haul, multiply it by four and still not get what Slotkin raised in that same period.

Junge, 53, has been endorsed by the Orion Township (Oakland County) supervisor, former state Rep. Bill Rogers (older brother of former Congressman Mike Rogers), U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, the Livingston County sheriff and the American Conservative Union, among others.

The National Republican Campaign Committee also put the former FOX47 news anchor in its contender category, which means theyre keeping an eye on him.

The Brighton Republican has lived in Michigan off and on throughout his life. Prior to moving back to Michigan he was investigative counsel for U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley and served in the Trump administration within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

He worked on Terri Lynn Lands 2014 U.S. Senate campaign and spent some time as a deputy district attorney in Ventura County, Calif.

It was the latter experience that his political adversaries are honing in on in their political criticism. Back in 1994, Junge barged into a defense attorneys office to subpoena a witness in a domestic violence case, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The judge declared a mistrial when he learned what happened and the District Attorneys Office ended up having to apologize to the Public Defenders Office about the incident.

Elissa Slotkin and the Democrats are licking their chops at the prospect of facing a carpetbagger like Paul Junge, especially as we learn more about the inappropriate behavior he engaged in as a Los Angeles deputy district attorney, said Junge opponent Kristina Lyke, also an attorney who has represented domestic violence victims in the past.

Lyke, 43, runs an East Lansing law firm that specializes in family and criminal law. Originally from Pinckney, the Eastern Michigan University graduate worked for the Livingston County prosecutor as she attended law school at Cooley.

She served on the Pinckney City Council from 1999-2001. At the time, she was the youngest person to be elected to the board. Shes worked as a legislative assistant to former Rep. Paul DeWeese and an assistant to then-Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus.

She is framing herself as the most conservative option in the Republican field. Lyke supports term limits for members of Congress. At a forum earlier this year, she questioned whether women who seek illegal abortions should be prosecuted along with the doctors. Lyke also questioned how anyone could be Christian and not be pro-life.

Her political consultant is Scott Hagerstrom, who was the Michigan head of the Trump 2016 campaign and one of the states pre-eminent conservative authority figures, having also worked several years for Americans for Prosperity.

But it may be hard to go farther right than Mike Detmer, a darling of grassroots conservatives. Endorsed by former gubernatorial candidate Patrick Colbeck, Detmer has a rock-solid core of supporters, which bring with it a reliable network of folks to help him spread his message. It also brings some concerns.

During the April 30 liberty protest, the 42-year-old Howell man posted a Facebook photo of himself with a group of a dozen protesters. A Proud Boys sign can be seen on the roof of a car behind the crowd. The Southern Poverty Law Center has dubbed Proud Boys as an extremist organization, although the group bills itself as anti-political correctness and anti-white guilt.

At a recent American Patriot Rally he spoke about this whole race nonsense as fake.

If you are someone of faith, you understand that all lives matter and it was decided by the blood of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, he said.

A licensed real estate agent by trade, Detmer is the general sales manager of a car dealership and former vice president of Nova Mortgage Corp. in Bloomfield Hills.

Originally from northern Michigan, where his parents ran a Christmas tree farm, Detmers family ended up moving to Rochester when he was in high school. He graduated from Rochester Adams High and Oakland University, where he studied political science. From 1996 to 1998, he served as president of the Young Republicans.

With State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder unable to get the signatures needed to make the ballot, the last candidate in the field is 20-year military veteran Alan Hoover.

The 39-year-old Ortonville resident started three companies at various points a construction company, a production label and a consulting company. Hoover has a compelling personal story, being raised by his mother who was constantly fleeing from abuse.

The Marine lived in 16 different cities in his youth. Hoover ran for the River Rouge City Council fresh out of high school and went into the military after he was unsuccessful in that bid.

Hes lived off and on in the 8th District for 12 years, nine years straight as an adult. He and his wife, Lara, have three children.

Hoover has earned the endorsement of the Michigan Republican Assembly. Interestingly, despite being the last of the field to hop into the race, he raised the second-most amount of money to Junge in the first quarter with $50,000.

To, again, put it in perspective, Slotkin raised 20 times more.

(Kyle Melinn of the Capitol news service MIRS is at melinnky@gmail.com.)

See original here:

Unheralded field looks to face Slotkin in November - City Pulse

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - A loose network of Facebook groups that took root across the country in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracy theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets. Their latest: Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests of racial injustice.

These groups, which now boast a collective audience of more than 1 million members, are still thriving after most states started lifting virus restrictions.

And many have expanded their focus.

One group transformed itself last month from "Reopen California" to "California Patriots Pro Law & Order," with recent posts mocking Black Lives Matter or changing the slogan to "White Lives Matter." Members have used profane slurs to refer to Black people and protesters, calling them "animals," "racist" and "thugs" a direct violation of Facebook's hate speech standards.

Others have become gathering grounds for promoting conspiracy theories about the protests, suggesting protesters were paid to go to demonstrations and that even the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in the custody of Minneapolis police, was staged.

An Associated Press review of the most recent posts in 40 of these Facebook groups most of which were launched by conservative groups or pro-gun activists found the conversations largely shifted last month to attacking the nationwide protests over the killing of Black men and women after Floyd's death.

Facebook users in some of these groups post hundreds of times a day in threads often seen by members only and shielded from public view.

"Unless Facebook is actively looking for disinformation in those spaces, they will go unnoticed for a long time and they will grow," said Joan Donovan, the research director at the Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. "Over time, people will drag other people into them and they will continue to organize."

Facebook said it is aware of the collection of reopen groups, and is using technology as well as relying on users to identify problematic posts. The company has vowed in the past to look for material that violates its rules in private groups as well as in public places on its site. But the platform has not always been able to deliver on that promise.

Shortly after the groups were formed, they were rife with coronavirus misinformation and conspiracy theories, including assertions that masks are "useless," the U.S. government intends to forcibly vaccinate people and that COVID-19 is a hoax intended to hurt President Donald Trump's re-election chances this fall.

Posts in these private groups are less likely to be scrutinized by Facebook or its independent fact-checkers, said Donovan. Facebook enlists media outlets around the world, including The Associated Press, to fact check claims on its site. Members in these private groups have created an echo chamber and tend to agree with the posts, so are therefore less likely to flag them for Facebook or fact-checkers to review, Donovan added.

At least one Facebook group, ReOpen PA, asked its 105,000 members to keep the conversation focused on reopening businesses and schools in Pennsylvania, and implemented rules to forbid posts about the racial justice protests as well as conspiracy theories about the efficacy of masks.

But most others have not moderated their pages as closely.

For example, some groups in New Jersey, Texas and Ohio have labeled systemic racism a hoax. A member of the California Facebook group posted a widely debunked flyer that says "White men, women and children, you are the enemy," which was falsely attributed to Black Lives Matter. Another falsely claimed that a Black man was brandishing a gun outside the St. Louis mansion where a white couple confronted protesters with firearms. Dozens of users in several of the groups have pushed an unsubstantiated theory that liberal billionaire George Soros is paying crowds to attend racial justice protests.

Facebook members in two groups Wisconsinites Against Excessive Quarantine and Ohioans Against Excessive Quarantine also regularly refer to protesters as "animals," "thugs," or "paid" looters.

In the Ohio group, one user wrote on May 31: "The focus is shifted from the voice of free people rising up against tyranny ... to lawless thugs from a well known racist group causing violence and upheaval of lives."

Those two pages are part of a network of groups in Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania created by conservative activist Ben Dorr, who has for years raised money to lobby on hot-button conservative issues like abortion or gun rights. Their latest cause pushing for governors to reopen their states has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers in the private Facebook groups they launched.

Private groups that balloon to that size, with little oversight, are like "creepy basements" where extremist views and misinformation can lurk, said disinformation researcher Nina Jankowicz, a fellow at the nonpartisan Wilson Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

"It's sort of a way that the platforms are enabling some of the worst actors to stay on it," said Jankowicz. "Rather than being de-platformed they can organize."

Read the original post:

Far-Right US Facebook Groups Pivot to Attacks on Black Lives Matter - Voice of America

He also pushed for strong crackdowns on drug-related crimes repudiating a growing coalition of progressive prosecutors like Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who are pushing for decarceration and decriminalization for nonviolent offenses.

Pences remarks were in the same vein. He promised the crowd that the Trump administration would never defund police not now, not ever.

We live in a time when the radical left is presenting the American people with one false choice after another, Pence said. Like lately weve been hearing people say weve got to choose between funding our police and funding our communities.

Philadelphia and many other cities have, indeed, been negotiating rerouting funding for police to other community programs that are also intended to reduce crimes though support for those changes have come in large part from mainstream politicians.

Phillys recent budget, for instance, restored some proposed cuts to arts and affordable housing while axing a proposed boost to police funding.

City resident Jackie Kradzinski, who watched Pences speech with her family, said in her mind, Trump is the only candidate for a police-supporting voter.

This government supports our police, said Kradzinski, whose son and daughter both work in law enforcement in Philadelphia. Thats what we need. We need that backing for our cops.

As the vice president spoke, a crowd of FOP supporters outside the lodge grew unruly as a small group of Black Lives Matter protesters approached them. The crowd included groups of bikers and men representing the group the Proud Boys, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a hate group and FBI documents labeled as extremist (though FBI officials later walked that back). They were heard hurling insults at protesters by a WHYY photographer on the scene.

Meanwhile, up near Scranton, Biden was keeping his focus firmly on the economy. At his Dunmore stop, the former vice president took a tour of McGregor Industries, a specialty metal fabricator headquartered there.

In a speech afterward, he rolled out a $700 billion plan aimed at forcing more companies to stop outsourcing manufacturing jobs to other countries.

The proposal includes putting $400 billion into American concrete, steel and cement, and another $300 billion into the development of new technology, like electric cars and 5G internet.

Biden said he also wants to shift Trumps trade deals and stem dependence on China for goods.

[Trump] promised to bring back jobs, but manufacturing was in a recession even before COVID-19. He promised to buy American, but then he let federal contractors double the rate of offshoring jobs in his first eighteen months, Biden said. Im going to change that. Were going to double to tax on foreign profits so we dont encourage people to leave and build abroad.

The spate of action on both sides of the aisle in Pennsylvania comes as Bidens campaign tries to capitalize on Trumps dipping poll numbers.

Biden leads Trump by 6.5 points in an average of recent polls of Pennsylvania voters. Its a strong position for the former vice president, according to Chris Borick, a pollster at Muhlenberg College.

The Democratic and Republican campaigns are competing for similar ground. Pence met with business leaders and Philadelphias police union, and Biden targeted some of the working-class voters Hillary Clinton lost to Trump in 2016.

Borick said all of this is calculated to shift the razor-thin margins by which Pennsylvania swung Republican in 2016. For instance, he said, the Trump campaigns decision to send Pence to Chester County which is trending left and to overwhelmingly blue Philadelphia speaks to a desire to chip away at the edges of the Democratic bloc.

If you can get even a sliver of votes from a place like Philadelphia in a way greater than you did in 2016, its valuable, he added. All votes count the same.

Based on its recent messaging, the Trump campaign has identified two policy areas as winning issues among blue-leaning voters: economics and law and order. And Borick said thats why Biden has to take on the president on those same exact issues.

I think when you look at the presidents standing, economic issues, despite the downturn, remain one of the more positive sides, so that could be a potential weakness for Vice President Biden, Borick said. Speaking on economic issues in key areas of a swing state makes sense.

He added that on at least one issue, Trump seems to be going firmly against the preferences of most Americans: coronavirus safety.

Even though Republicans and Democrats have starkly different views on mask-wearing, he said, polling shows that public opinion tends to align more with Bidens public health-informed approach.

Those partisan differences were clear at Pences FOP rally. Of the roughly 100 people who filled the small, enclosed auditorium at FOP headquarters, only a handful wore masks.

It was enough to draw the attention of Mayor Jim Kenney, who said the Trump campaigns predilection for indoor events during a pandemic doesnt make any sense to anyone though he noted, the FOP lodge is private property.

The entire state of Pennsylvania is still under a mask-wearing order from Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, and Philadelphia never reopened fully as case numbers rose again after a period of decline. City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley recently said that since Philadelphia is averaging more than 100 new cases per day, he considers it to be in the throes of a second COVID-19 wave.

A spokesperson for Pence said officially, the vice president has encouraged all Americans to follow state and local guidance. His office said he wore a mask when he wasnt speaking.

That guidance wasnt enforced or posted anywhere at the event.

Read more from the original source:

Pence and Biden focus on police, economy in Pa. events - WHYY

Sony has been revealing more details about the PlayStation 5 and its games, looking towards the future. However, someone recently unearthed a patent that suggests the company is also interested in its past: namely, PS5 may have more games on it than just PS5 and Ps4 games.

The patent was revealed by a Twitter user called @renka_schedule. If you translate from Japanese, it says a number of PS1, PS2, and PS3 games can be stored in the cloud, and can be played via a virtual machine that emulates the original consoles operating systems.

They also followed it up with more patent documents, one of which suggests these games may come with short demos you can play before buying them.

Usual disclaimers: this is just a patent, it doesnt mean Sony is actually going todoanything with the technology, it may not even be real, etc etc. Still, lets imagine how it would change the console race if this turned out to be a real feature of the PS5. This would substantially raise the PS5s usability, and itd be great for us, the gamers.

Read:Here are the Xbox Series X games we think Microsoft will show off on July 23

Backwards compatibility has always been the area where the PlayStation has lagged behind the Xbox One. The XB1 is compatible with original Xbox and 360 discs, giving interested gamers a reason to keep them and still get value out of them. The PS4, on the other hand, only ever allowed PS3 games via the PS Now streaming service. While theres nothing wrong with PS Now, it is essentially making you pay to play PS3 classics you might already own.

So if,if Sony could make this tech work, and if it turns out to be more than just a fancy PS Now upgrade, itd be a huge advantage. Imagine being able to say you can play hundreds of games on the PS5 out of the box, rather than just the few thatll be available at launch. Also, itd just be great to see Sony pay tribute to the classic games we otherwise can only play if we take out an old console or (horrors) own a PS Vita.

Also, just by coincidence, Sony also tweeted an image of what game boxes for the PS5 will look like. I suppose even if we never get full backwards compatibility on the PS5, its games will look pretty.

But you tell me: would this raise the PS5 in your esteem at all? Ping me on Twitter and let me know.

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The PlayStation 5 may play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games via the cloud - The Next Web

By DENISE LAVOIE AP Legal Affairs Writer

RICHMOND, Va. - It was a terrifying bank robbery: Demanding cash in a handwritten note, a man waved a gun, threatened to kill a teller's family, ordered employees and customers onto the floor and escaped with $195,000.

Surveillance video gave authorities a lead, showing a man holding a cellphone outside the Call Federal Credit Union in Midlothian, Virginia, on May 20, 2019. So like a growing number of law enforcement agencies, they got a court-approved "geofence" search warrant, seeking the location history of any devices in the area at the time.

Google is served with the vast majority of these warrants because it stores information from millions of devices in a massive database known as Sensorvault. If your Android phone or iPhone has Location History enabled, this is where your data is tracked and stored.

A Google spokesman declined to say how many geofence warrants the company has received, but Google's legal brief in the bank robbery says requests jumped 1,500% from 2017 to 2018, and another 500% last year.

Police credit these warrants with helping identify suspects in a fatal shooting in North Carolina, home invasions in Minnesota and a murder in Georgia, among other crimes. Defense attorneys say they unconstitutionally ensnare innocent people and violate the privacy of anyone whose cellphone happens to be in the vicinity.

Now geofence warrants are getting their first significant court challenge. Lawyers for Okello Chatrie want a federal judge in Richmond to suppress the warrant that led to his arrest for the bank heist.

Similar court challenges are being waged against facial-recognition software, persistent aerial surveillance and Stingray cellphone trackers, among other technology, and civil rights advocates are even more concerned now that people are protesting against racial injustice.

"If you are someone who went out on the streets to express your rage, your sadness and your hope that there is a better way to do policing and are then subject to a warrant, I think that would go against everything we are telling people they have the right to do," said New York state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a lead sponsor of a bill to ban geofence warrants.

The legislation was prompted in part by a New York Times report that prosecutors sought Google's cellphone records around the spot where the Proud Boys, a far-right group, brawled with anti-fascist protesters in 2018. Several Proud Boys were later convicted of assault.

In Chatrie's case, bank cameras showed the robber came and went from an area where a church worker saw a suspicious person in a blue Buick. Chatrie's location history matched these movements. Prosecutors say Chatrie confessed after officers found a gun and nearly $100,000 in cash, including bills wrapped in bands signed by the bank teller.

Chatrie's lawyers say all the evidence should be suppressed because it flowed from the geofence warrant in violation of the 4th Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches.

"It is the digital equivalent of searching every home in the neighborhood of a reported burglary, or searching the bags of every person walking along Broadway because of a theft in Times Square," Chatrie's lawyers wrote.

Typically, Google initially turns over anonymized data; police then seek identifying information on a smaller group of suspect devices.

"We vigorously protect the privacy of our users while supporting the important work of law enforcement," said Richard Salgado, Google's director of law enforcement and information security.

Privacy advocates say such broad warrants inherently sweep up innocent people.

Zachary McCoy, a Florida restaurant worker, had the wherewithal to fight back when Google emailed saying Gainesville police were seeking information related to his Google account. Plugging the case number into a police website, he saw a 97-year-old woman's home had been burglarized.

"I was kind of terrified that for some reason I was going to prison even though I hadn't actually committed a crime," he said.

McCoy had to enable Google's location services to track his bike rides on RunKeeper. The exercise-tracking app showed him near the woman's house three times around the time of the burglary as he did laps around the neighborhood.

McCoy borrowed $7,000 from his parents to hire a lawyer, who persuaded police to withdraw the warrant.

Geofence data ensnared a man who seemed to be at the site of a 2018 killing in Avondale, Arizona. Jorge Molina spent six days in jail before his lawyer provided police with evidence exonerating him. His mother's ex-boyfriend was later arrested in the killing. It turns out Molina had given the man his old cellphone, which was still logged in to his Google account.

"Police are basically treating this like it's DNA or fingerprint evidence, but it's not," said Jack Litwak, Molina's attorney. "Jorge was nowhere near there and then he was accused of the worst crime you can be accused of committing."

Prosecutors say they tailor geofence warrants as narrowly as possible.

"There is a process by which the 4th Amendment is followed and where people's privacy concerns and considerations are at least weighed against the public safety interest and the strong governmental investigation interest," said Lorrin Freeman, the district attorney in Wake County, North Carolina.

Prosecutors consider Google "a witness to the robbery" in Chatrie's case and argue he had no reasonable expectation of privacy since he voluntarily opted in to Google's Location History.

Privacy advocates say many cellphone users don't understand how much their movements are being tracked, nor how to opt out. A 2018 Associated Press investigation found that many Google applications store data even when owners used a privacy setting it said would prevent that.

Google later added new privacy controls that allow users to put an expiration date on their data and recently said it will automatically delete location history for new users after 18 months.

"The question of how we would want to govern this novel and extremely comprehensive capability is really something that's up in the air," said Jennifer Stisa Granick, surveillance and cybersecurity counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "We just now as a society are just starting to deal with technology like this."

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Geofence warrants to be tested in Va. bank robbery case - Sumter Item

Dating can be hard and as more and more people turn to online dating, its easier than ever to find something that caters to your niche interests.

Apparently, one group of people isnt doing so well white supremacists.

The Proud Boys, a right wing racist group mostly based in the US, have set up their own dating website. They admit only men into their group, and say that they believe that Western culture is under attack.

Telegram, an encrypted messaging app which is popular among alt-right groups, has been used by Proud Boys to solicit nudes and ask women for more photos.

Now, the Proud Boys have added a questionnaire to their website where they ask women to submit photos, information about their age, height and weight, as well as questions about their bra size and how much alcohol and drugs they can consume. In the questionnaire, they say that theyve been asked by many women to start a Proud Boys dating website.

In the questionnaire, women submitting themselves to the dating site are also asked to rate themselves from one to ten.

This isnt the first time that a far right group has tried to create a dating app just for them Donald Daters came out in the US in 2017, as did Righter.

These apps suggested that right wing people were discriminated against in the sexual marketplace - and that they were better off meeting people who already wanted to date right wing people.

The group was founded in 2016 by white supremacist Gavin McInnes, and call themselves a fraternal organisation seeking to repopulate the West.

Members of the group have been arrested for inciting violence at protests and in public spaces, and initiation into the group involves really bizarre rituals like being beat up by other members of the group while repeating the names of cereal brands.

Proud Boys have gained even more notoriety over the last two years many of them go to Trump rallies and fight left wing activists, and many Proud Boys were arrested after fighting at a protest in New York in October.

The Proud Boys previously had a by law which banned masturbating from 2018 and it seems like it may not have worked out the way that they wanted...

Continue reading here:

A far-right group have started their own dating site and it's worse than you can imagine - indy100

Members of the far-right mens organization the Proud Boys, who bill themselves as a pro-West fraternal organization, appear to be on the hunt for long-lasting love.

With the help of the internet they are seeking companionship for their lonely members.

The group, which was founded by Gavin McInnes in 2016, launched a dating questionnaire to connect the groups violence-prone members with women seeking a relationship.

On the encrypted messaging app, Telegram, widely used by far-right personalities booted from Twitter, the Proud Boys have used it to solicit photos from women, while specifically encouraging admirers to send naked photos.

Weve been asked by many women to start a Proud Boys dating site. If you are one of these women and would like to meet Proud Boys in your area send nudes, boring pics, the newly published questionnaire on their website states.

Its quite the change from the organizational by-law implemented in late 2018, that places restrictions on wanking.

No heterosexual brother of the Fraternity shall masturbate more than one time in any calendar month, the by-law stated.

Now, theyre aiming to Repopulate the West.

The questionnaire on the site asks women to rate themselves from 1-10, enter their bra size, and let the Proud Boys know how much alcohol and drugs they can consume.

The webpage also features the phrase Repopulate the West, which is a phrase used by white nationalists to further their objective of maintaining the United States white ethnic majority.

Left-wing activists, whom they often inflict violence upon, are also welcome to submit their contact information for a date, if they feel like ignoring the organizations transphobia.

Antifa women, you are welcome to request a date as long as you have a vagina and have had it your entire life, the site touts, which has been circulating on far-right message boards. Please shave and shower before coming to see us.

Proud Boys members over the years have frequently encouraged violence against liberals and anti-fascist activists.

That was on display outside of Seattles Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP), where members could be seen beating a man.

Members of the group have struggled to remain on mainstream dating apps such as Tinder.

One speaker at a Proud Boys rally last year exclaimed to the crowd: I may have been the first person in history completely banned from Tinder.

READ MORE:

*First Published: Jun 19, 2020, 8:31 am

Zachary Petrizzo is an undergraduate student at George Mason University and a Washington, D.C. based journalist.

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Far-right Proud Boys launch dating site to help members repopulate the West - The Daily Dot

June 16, 2020, 10:08 PM

4 min read

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Facebook executed a takedown Tuesday of social media accounts connected to two organizations the company considers to be hate groups and had banned across their platforms: Proud Boys and American Guard.

Facebook officials told ABC News the company completed a network disruption that their security teams had originally initiated on May 30 against Proud Boys and the American Guard. On May 30, the social medias internal monitors started seeing traffic from both organizations indicating they intended to send armed agitators to ongoing protests sparked in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

We accelerated our investigation and enforcement to remove the accounts, pages and groups we had found by that point and then continued our work mapping out the rest of the network, Facebook officials said.

The company announced Tuesday its teams had identified more participants in those networks, and so took action to remove those accounts. In total they removed 358 Facebook accounts and 172 Instagram accounts tied to the organization known as Proud Boys. They removed 406 Facebook accounts and 164 Instagram accounts tied to the group known as American Guard.

In both cases, we saw accounts from both organizations discussing attending protests in various US states with plans to carry weapons but we did not find indications in their on-platform content they planned to actively commit violence, the company said.

A man wears a sticker that says "Antifa Hunting Permit" at a Proud Boys rally in Portland, Ore., Aug. 17, 2019.

The Proud Boys were formed in 2016 by Gavin McInnes, one of the founders of Vice Media, and while they deny any connection to the alt-right, they claim to be anti-political correctness and anti-white guilt, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC categorizes them as a hate group.

McInnes himself said he was "quitting" the Proud Boys in an interview in November 2018.

Many of the Proud Boys appeared as the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that ended in the death of a counterprotester.

Facebook said the accounts taken down include Proud Boys members who were captured on video in a skirmish in Seattle on Monday.

The American Guard, which the SPLC designates as being associated with the Proud Boys, is a fellow right-wing group. The Anti-Defamation League refers to them as "hardcore white supremacists."

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Facebook takes down Proud Boys, American Guard accounts connected to protests - ABC News

The day after his inspection of the White House bunker during protests outside his window, President Trump gathered a small army around him and strutted to St. Johns Episcopal Church, where he clownishly brandished somebodys Bible.

Shortly after this, he assigned blame for the looting and property damage. Never one to be encumbered by proof, he declared the guilty parties were left-wing radicals, particularly Antifa, which he labeled a domestic terrorist group.

Extremist groups typically degrade our political discourse and sow chaos, violence and fear in our communities. Some are more violent than others. American newspapers and history books catalog untold instances of lynchings, bombings of homes, churches, abortion clinics, synagogues and mosques, murders of civil rights leaders, abortion providers and civil rights protesters. And unarmed black men.

Many people (like me) knew nothing about Antifa until they challenged the torch-carrying neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville chanting Jews will not replace us shortly before one of their number murdered a female protester.

Since then, Antifa has become the latest hobgoblin of the right wing media and the politicians they mentor. Trump acolyte Laura Ingraham stated that they are criminals who are trying to murder America.

So what is Antifa? The Anti-Defamation League describes Antifa as a leaderless, non-hierarchical organization of groups, networks, and individuals who believe in active, aggressive opposition to far right-wing movements. It took shape in direct opposition to current, active Fascist groups, believing that the Nazi party and the Fascist party in Italy would never have come to power if people 90 years ago had fought the Brownshirts in Germany and the Blackshirts in Italy. Their intention is to intimidate and dissuade racists.

Mark Brays Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook states that Antifas tactics include shouting and chanting and forming human shields to block off right-wing demonstrators. They organize protest marches and rallies, often shouting down speakers whose views they oppose. Some Antifa factions denounce violence; others admit a willingness to use violence in self defense and carry weapons like pepper spray, knives, bricks, and chains.

Lets be clear: While Antifas goal is to dissuade racists, its means are often intolerant and illiberal. Suppressing the rights of others to speak freely and assemble peacefully violates their constitutional rights. Still, it is instructive to compare their tactics to the groups they oppose:

The KKK, of course, is the white-hooded granddaddy of all Fascist groups, notorious for its blood-soaked history of racial discrimination, and its penchant for lynchings, bombings, and shootings primarily against African-Americans but also against Jews.

The Proud Boys is a well-armed, male-only organization. It embraces the usual white nationalist, anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and misogynistic themes. The Boys carried the torches in Charlottesville.

The Boogaloo Bois is a well-armed militia preparing for a second American Civil War. One of them is charged with killing an Oakland-area police officer and a security guard while hidden among peaceful BLM protesters in order to create chaos and conflict.

QAnon militates against an anti-Trump deep state threat and a worldwide cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles in politics, the media and Hollywood. (One inspired NC zealot fired his AR-15 into a pizza shop in Washington, D.C., convinced it was the headquarters for a child trafficking ring led by Hillary Clinton.)

Atomwaffen Division (AWD) promotes an autonomous Fascist lifestyle and believes that democracy and capitalism have given way to Jewish oligarchies and globalist bankers resulting in the cultural and racial displacement of the white race.

The Groypers are America Firsters, intent on suppressing demographic and cultural changes they see as destroying white, Christian America. They believe that the U.S. should close its borders, promote traditional Christian values and oppose globalism and liberal values such as feminism and LGBTQ rights.

All these groups believe America is being destroyed not only by non-white and non-Christian Americans but also by immigrants all threatening their white Christian hegemony. Most of them arm themselves with assault weapons, shotguns and pistols, assuring all who will listen that they are willing and eager to use them.

These Fascist groups differ from Antifa in that most have a hierarchical structure and powerful supporters in the right-wing media, in the Republican Party, and in the White House. And though white supremacists in America have left thousands of bodies in their wake, not one of these Fascist groups has ever been cited as a domestic terrorist organization. Not even the KKK.

Antifa, on the other hand, has not been associated with a single murder.

None of this is good. To paraphrase Yeats, things are falling apart; the center is not holding. And Trumps branding Antifa as domestic terrorists, while deliberately ignoring the violent history of multiple Fascist groups, signals his willingness to use the current chaos to divide and conquer, and cynically clear a path to his re-election and a Trumpian dictatorship.

William Shaw, of Pinehurst, is the author of Fellowship of Dust: Retracing the WWII Journey of Sergeant Frank Shaw.

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Column: Is an Antifa Threat Worse Than The Fascists Being Opposed? - Southern Pines Pilot

The coronavirus effects wont be known for weeks or longer, but to this point, it appears Tulsa made it through what could have been a difficult few days with only a few minor scratches.

And maybe better in some ways than before.

Many feared the combination of recent civil unrest in other cities, President Donald Trump restarting his reelection campaign here after months on hiatus and opposition to Trump would coalesce into violence, destruction and a fresh COVID-19 outbreak.

Its too soon to know about a potential COVID-19 surge tied to Trumps rally. Perhaps the smaller-than-expected attendance lessened the risk.

On the other hand, there were several outdoor events over the weekend. Some participants wore masks and were careful to keep a distance. Some did not.

But a rampage from antifa on the far left, or the Proud Boys and the boogaloo boys on the far right, not to mention freelance rioters, looters and general nogoodniks, did not occur.

There was no rioting or looting. By all accounts, the damage consisted of some shouting and maybe a little chest bumping, a couple of macings and fewer than 10 arrests, mostly for obstructing traffic.

Trump allies and opponents alike demonstrated restraint. There were some tense moments Saturday on Boulder Avenue when protesters blocked the street and came into contact with law enforcement and Trump supporters, but the most serious charge seemed to involve a protester allegedly kicking a police officer.

State Sen. Kevin Matthews said Sunday afternoon he was pleased that the citys Black community stayed focused on our message and what Juneteenth is about, which is voting.

Many Tulsans, and especially Black Tulsans, were angered when it was announced Trump intended to restart his campaign in Tulsa on Juneteenth June 19 while the city is dealing with a rise in COVID-19 cases and some racial issues.

The scheduling was seen as an intentional slight, although Trump has said he had never heard of Juneteenth, and his event was pushed back a day.

Many people who might have otherwise been circling Trumps rally at the BOK Center instead attended a hastily organized Juneteenth festival in the Greenwood District. A Saturday night block party at the same time as the Trump rally seems to have been particularly popular.

I am just glad we didnt see the violence that some anticipated, Matthews said.

He was also glad the weekend was just about over.

The president had his chance to talk, Matthews said. Other people had the chance to express themselves, and it all happened without throwing gasoline on the flames of division.

Matthews was asked if the weekend constituted a victory of sorts.

Theres no victory until we have equity, he said. Im excited no one was harmed. But there is no victory ... until Black lives matter like everyone elses.

Nehemiah Frank, one of the Juneteenth organizers, said he was very pleased with the way things worked out.

Without a doubt, he said. For sure. The president tried to say protesters keep people away, but there werent enough protesters to keep anyone away.

Frank said people did not want to risk their health, and the country is changing.

Late Saturday night and Sunday, some Facebook accounts claimed thousands of Trump supporters were locked out of the half-full BOK Center an hour before the rallys scheduled start.

That seems at odds with independent observations and the known facts, however. Arena management could not be reached Sunday afternoon.

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter makes a sleeping gesture, in response to Joe Biden's nickname "Sleepy Joe", while listening to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter records video on his phone while President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters wave at President Donald Trump's motorcade as it leaves Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter cheers while listening to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters wave at President Donald Trump's motorcade as it leaves Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters listen to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters listen to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Members of law enforcement watch President Donald Trump's motorcade arrive at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter talks to his son during President Donald Trump's rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters listen to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter talks to his son during President Donald Trump's rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A child sits on the ground while President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters wave at President Donald Trump's motorcade as it leaves Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter holds a campaign sign while waiting for President Donald Trump to speak during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Sarah Stitt talks to her husband, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, during President Donald Trump's rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence waves to supporters before speaking at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter holds up a campaign sign President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters listen to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters listen to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter records video on his phone while holding a baby while President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe talks to media while waiting for President Donald Trump at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence claps while approaching the podium before speaking at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter holds up a campaign sign President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter listens while President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Members of law enforcement watch President Donald Trump's motorcade arrive at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A child lays is held by his father during President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump approaches the podium during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters listen to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump reacts to supporters during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence claps while approaching the podium before speaking at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while listening to President Donald Trump speak during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump claps while supporters cheer during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Signs sit on the ground while President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while listening President Donald Trump speak during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence gives a thumbs up to the crowd after speaking at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter records on her phone while Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A man and his dog listen to President Donald Trump speak during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while listening President Donald Trump speak during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Vice President Mike Pence gives a thumbs up to the crowd after speaking at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while listening President Donald Trump speak during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

A supporter cheers while listening to Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while listening President Donald Trump speak during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Oklahoma Senator James Lankford records a live video while Air Force One prepares to takeoff from Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Supporters cheer while Vice President Mike Pence speak at President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump pumps his fist while supporters cheer during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump pumps his fist while supporters cheer during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at The BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday, June 20, 2020.IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa on Saturday. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

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Barring COVID-19 outbreak, Tulsa gets through potentially explosive weekend - Tulsa World