Bitcoin Cash Price Analysis: BCH/USD switches to the recovery mode, jumps above $286.00 – FXStreet

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Bitcoin Cash (BCH) has recovered from the intraday low $280.90 and recovered above $285 by the time of writing. The fifth digital coin with the current market capitalization of $5.2 billion is still down nearly 2% on a day-to-day basis despite the upside momentum.

On the intraday charts, BCH/USD bumped into a local resistance created by the middle line of the 1-hour Bollinger Band at $286.00. A sustainable move above this area will open up the way to the next barrier created by a 50-hour SMA at $288.00. Once it is out of the way, the upside is likely to gain traction with the next focus on psychological $290.00 and the upper line of the 4-hour Bollinger Band at $293.30. The ultimate resistance os created by psychological $300.00.

On the downside, if $280.00 gives way, the sell-off may be extended towards 200-day SMA at $273.00. This barrier served as a strong resistance for the best part of the year, so no it may provide strong support and trigger the next bullish wave. a sustainable move below this area will negate the bullish forecast and bring more bears to the market.

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Bitcoin Cash Price Analysis: BCH/USD switches to the recovery mode, jumps above $286.00 - FXStreet

The Crypto Daily Movers and Shakers July 27th, 2020 – FX Empire

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Bitcoin, BTC to USD, rose by 2.40% on Sunday. Following on from a 1.63% gain on Saturday, Bitcoin ended the week up by 7.77% to $9,948.4.

It was another mixed start to the day. Bitcoin slipped to an early morning intraday low $9,674.8 before rallying to a late morning intraday high $10,190.0.

Bitcoin broke through the days major resistance levels before falling back to sub-$9,900 levels.

The pullback saw Bitcoin fall back through the third major resistance level at $10,073 and the second major resistance level at $9,874.

Finding late support, however, Bitcoin broke back through the second major resistance level to end the day at $9,900 levels.

Resistance at $10,000 pinned Bitcoin back through the 2nd half of the day.

The near-term bullish trend remained intact in spite of the early July pullback to sub-$9,000 levels. For the bears, Bitcoin would need to slide through the 62% FIB of $6,400 to form a near-term bearish trend.

Across the rest of the majors, it was a mixed day on Sunday.

Moneros XMR rallied by 6.16% to lead the way.

Cardanos ADA (+3.43%), Ethereum (+1.90%), and Ripples XRP (+0.28%) also joined Bitcoin in the green.

It was a bearish day for the rest of the majors, however.

Bitcoin Cash SV (-2.93%), Litecoin (-2.21%), and Tezos (-2.22%) led the way down.

Binance Coin (-1.31%), Bitcoin Cash ABC (-1.29%), EOS (-0.60%), Stellars Lumen (-1.42%), and Trons TRX (-0.99%) also struggled.

It was also a mixed week for the majors.

Stellars Lumen fell by 0.99% to buck the trend for the week.

It was a bullish week for the rest of the majors, however, with Ethereum surging by 30.13% to lead the way.

Bitcoin Cash ABC (+11.20%), Cardanos ADA (+19.80%), Litecoin (+12.77%), and Moneros XMR (+13.35%) also found strong support.

Binance Coin (+8.66%), Bitcoin Cash SV (+9.46%), EOS (+4.88%), Ripples XPR (+7.80%), Tezos (+0.18%), and Trons TRX (+5.73%) trailed the front runners.

In the week, the crypto total market cap fell to a Monday low $262.70bn before hitting a Sunday high $305.28bn. At the time of writing, the total market cap stood at $295.57bn.

Bitcoins dominance rose to a Tuesday high 64.08% before sliding to a Sunday low 61.62%. At the time of writing, Bitcoins dominance stood at 62.40%.

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The Crypto Daily Movers and Shakers July 27th, 2020 - FX Empire

The Crypto Daily – The Movers and Shakers – July 30th, 2020 – FX Empire

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Bitcoin, BTC to USD, rose by 1.70% on Wednesday. Reversing a 1.02% fall from Tuesday, Bitcoin ended the day at $11,117.

It was another mixed start to the day. Bitcoin fell to an early morning intraday low $10,851 before making a move.

Steering clear of the first major support level at $10,594, Bitcoin rallied to a late intraday high $11,355.

Bitcoin broke through the first major resistance level at $11,267 before easing back to sub-$11,200 levels.

The late pullback saw Bitcoin fall back through the first major resistance level at $11,267.

The near-term bullish trend remained intact, supported by the latest move through to $11,000 levels. For the bears, Bitcoin would need to slide through the 62% FIB of $6,400 to form a near-term bearish trend.

Across the rest of the majors, it was a mixed day on Wednesday.

Cardanos ADA slid by 6.46% to lead the way down.

Bitcoin Cash SV (-2.54%), Moneros XMR (-2.76%), and Stellars Lumen (-2.36%) also saw relatively heavy losses.

Binance Coin (-1.53%), Bitcoin Cash ABC (-1.06%), Litecoin (-1.20%), Tezos (-1.88%) and Trons TRX (-0.12%) saw more modest losses on the day.

It was a bullish day for the rest of the majors, however.

Ripples XRP rallied by 5.57% to lead the way.

EOS (+0.79%) and Ethereum (+0.20%) also found support.

In the current week, the crypto total market cap rose from a Monday low $285.49bn to a Monday high $335.81bn. At the time of writing, the total market cap stood at $318.81bn.

Bitcoins dominance rose from a Monday low 62.43% to a Tuesday high 64.57% before easing back. At the time of writing, Bitcoins dominance stood at 64.14.

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The Crypto Daily - The Movers and Shakers - July 30th, 2020 - FX Empire

The Crypto Daily Movers and Shakers July 29th, 2020 – Yahoo Finance

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Bitcoin, BTC to USD, fell by 1.02% on Tuesday. Following Mondays 11.01% breakout, Bitcoin ended the day at $10,932.

It was a mixed start to the day. Bitcoin rose to an early morning intraday high $11,263 before hitting reverse.

Falling short of the first major resistance level at $11,634, Bitcoin fell to a late morning intraday low $10,590.

Steering clear of the first major support level at $10,200, Bitcoin moved back through to $11,200 levels.

A bearish end to the day, however, saw Bitcoin give up the $11,000 handle to end the day in the red.

The near-term bullish trend remained intact, supported by the latest run at $11,000 levels. For the bears, Bitcoin would need to slide through the 62% FIB of $6,400 to form a near-term bearish trend.

Across the rest of the majors, it was a mixed day on Tuesday.

Ethereum joined Bitcoin in the red, with a 1.49% loss.

It was a bullish day for the rest of the majors, however.

Bitcoin Cash ABC and Cardanos ADA led the way, with gains of 7.54% and 7.83% respectively.

Bitcoin Cash SV (+3.73%), EOS (+5.06%), Litecoin (+4.61%), Moneros XMR (+3.77%), and Stellars Lumen (+3.66%) also found strong support.

Binance Coin (+2.27%), Ripples XRP (+2.67%), Tezos (+0.47%), and Trons TRX (+2.26%) trailed the front runners.

At the start of the week, the crypto total market cap rose from a Monday low $285.49bn to a high $335.80bn. At the time of writing, the total market cap stood at $315.11bn.

Bitcoins dominance rose from a Monday low 62.43% to a Tuesday high 64.57% before easing back. At the time of writing, Bitcoins dominance stood at 63.88%.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was down by 0.06% to $10,925. A mixed start to the day saw Bitcoin rise to an early morning high $10,994 before falling to a low $10,915.6.

Bitcoin left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Elsewhere, it was a mixed start to the day. Tezos was up by 0.10%, at the time of writing, to buck the trend.

It was a bearish start for the rest of the majors, however.

Cardanos ADA was down by 1.85% to lead the way down.

Bitcoin would need to move back through the $10,928 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $11,267.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Bitcoin to break back through to $11,200 levels.

Barring an extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level and Tuesdays high $11,263 would likely cap any upside.

In the event of a crypto breakout, Bitcoin could eye the second major resistance level at $11,601.

Failure to move back through the $10,928 pivot level would bring the first major support level at $10,594 into play.

Barring an extended crypto sell-off, however, Bitcoin should steer well clear of the second major support level at $10,255.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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The Crypto Daily Movers and Shakers July 29th, 2020 - Yahoo Finance

In-Depth Research on Cryptocurrencies Market Insights, and Forecast till 2027 | Key Companies- Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Litecoin,…

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Global Cryptocurrencies Market Size, Share, Growth, Status and Forecast 2020-2027

The global Cryptocurrencies market report is a comprehensive research that focuses on the overall consumption structure, progress trends, sales models and sales of top countries in the global Cryptocurrencies market. The report focuses on well-known providers in the global Cryptocurrencies industry, market segments, competition, and the macro environment.

This report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, market value, production value, manufacturers, and 2015-2020 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report illustrate capacity, production, production value, cost/gain, supply/demand and import/export of worldwide total market of Cryptocurrencies Industry. The entire market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis which identifies direct or indirect competitors. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out.

Our new sample is updated which correspond in new report showing impact of COVID-19 on Industry

Cryptocurrencies Market report focuses on the global top key players (get sample for more detail):Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Litecoin, Stellar Lumens, Cardano, Tether, Iota, Tron, Monero, Neo, Dash, Binance, Ethereum Classic, Vechain, NEM, Ontology, Qtum, OmiseGo, and Zcash

The report then estimates 2020-2027 market development trends of Cryptocurrencies Industry. At the end, the report makes some important approach for a new project of this Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2020-2027 global Cryptocurrencies industry covering all important parameters.

The report can answer the following questions:

Objective of Studies:

TABLE OF CONTENT:

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Reports and Markets is not just another company in this domain but is a part of a veteran group called Algoro Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. It offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for a wide range of sectors both for the government and private agencies all across the world. The database of the company is updated on a daily basis. Our database contains a variety of industry verticals that include: Food Beverage, Automotive, Chemicals and Energy, IT & Telecom, Consumer, Healthcare, and many more. Each and every report goes through the appropriate research methodology, Checked from the professionals and analysts.

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Bitcoin Tops $11000 Reigniting Interest in India – Bitcoin News

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A resurgent bitcoin is rekindling Indian interest in cryptocurrencies with reports suggesting many dormant holders are back to trading.

A report in Livemint is also attributing the piqued interest to a recent Indian supreme court decision to overturn a prohibition that barred banks from dealing with cryptocurrency exchanges. The ban was imposed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in April 2018.

Nischal Shetty, founder and CEO of Wazirx, a cryptocurrency exchange in India, says they are witnessing a renewed excitement.

Shetty said bitcoins price, which breached the $11,000 mark on Tuesday, resulted in Wazirx seeing a big jump in our trading volume.

Another expert, Sumit Gupta, a co-founder and CEO at Coindcx, another cryptocurrency exchange, offers a different take for the current interest in bitcoin.

According to Gupta, the surge in bitcoin prices comes amid a rush for safe-haven assets that are considered alternatives to cash and stocks. The decreased supply of available bitcoin following the halving event in May is another factor behind the price rally.

Prior to the halving, the bitcoin block reward was 12.5 bitcoins but this was reduced further to 6.25 bitcoins. This means fewer bitcoins have been released onto the market to date when compared with the same period last year.

Another expert, Ajeet Khurana, a member, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Committee of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), focuses on market participants in his explanation for the price surge.

He explains:

The common investor in any asset class is primarily driven by asset price inflation. The trader in an asset class is driven by volatility, and expects to make money on price movements in both directions. For both of these, bitcoin has been a delight in the recent past.

Khurana also believes that crypto investors do not invest in other asset classes. Therefore, the rise in bitcoin prices could fuel a surge in crypto market participants, both investors and traders.

In other words, the cult-like following of cryptocurrency gets strengthened when there is a rally in its prices.

Meanwhile, India still does not have a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency some four months after the supreme court ruling. In addition, a draft government bill on cryptocurrencies seeks to criminalize the mere possession of cryptocurrency.

Subhash Chandra Garg, the former Finance and Economic Affairs Secretary of India, told an Indian crypto community earlier this month, that crypto assets should be regulated as commodities. Despite making these comments, Garg says he still stands by the current crypto bill.

Will clarity on crypto regulation further boost interest in bitcoin? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

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Bitcoin Tops $11000 Reigniting Interest in India - Bitcoin News

The Rise Of Crypto: Countries With Their Own CBDCs | Coin Insider – Coin Insider

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The cash is king mantra seems to be losing any truth as digital money becomes the norm in transactions across the world. The use of cash has been threatened by the hygiene-related issues as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. More people are opting for contact-free systems, and cash is taking a knock. Beyond the convenience of a cash-free system, more countries are looking beyond credit cards and are exploring a fully digital approach to currency. The news of countries exploring Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) has become commonplace recently. The national banks of increasing numbers of countries are looking to blockchain technology to integrate into their financial systems and its possibly going to change the way people view Bitcoin.

Looking at data reported by Quartz, the top countries which have a cashless approach to vendor transactions include few countries which are exploring CBDCs. Notable in this list is Sweden, which has been piloting a national digital currency. The United Kingdom has been reported to be investigating a CBDC too, but only to a limited extent.

In March this year, China was the first country to announce that it would be piloting a CBDC. While other central banks from different countries had been considering issuing a national government-backed cryptocurrency, China was the first to make initial steps to start testing the concept. Part of the driving factor for the decision is linked to the Coronavirus and the danger of spreading the virus as a result of physically handling cash.

Since China announced the pilot programme for testing a CBDC, other countries have begun to make the call to act. Now, the countries which are testing a CBDC to issue into public circulation include Sweden, The Bahamas, France, The Philipines, Japan, Turkey, and Switzerland.

According to a survey conducted by the Bank For International Settlements early this year, countries across the globe both from developed and emerging markets show interest. However, the split is not equal. The research shows that the banks from emerging markets might have stronger motivations towards issuing a CBDC and thus might be better positioned for earlier adoption for a national cryptocurrency.

In June Cuy Sheffield, Visas head of cryptocurrency projects, stated that he firmly believes that the testing of CBDCs might be one of the most important shifts towards economic, social, and geopolitical inclusion. In a thread of tweets, the Visa figure stated:

Id argue that central bank digital currency (CBDC) is one of the most important trends for the future of money and payments over the next decade. Regardless of anyones personal views of whether its good or bad, the reality is that global interest in it is not going away. [CBDCs will have] major implications for privacy, monetary sovereignty, geopolitics, and financial inclusion, as well as global adoption of crypto dollars and Bitcoin.

This has been echoed by Ripples CEO Brad Garlinghouse, who thinks that the US Dollar will be in danger if the national bank does not start considering digital currencies. Garlinghouse commented, urging regulators to step up or risk the US currency losing its global power, while China (currently testing digital currencies) strengthens in fiat and cryptocurrency payments. In a tweet, he stated:

[Now is the time to step up and lean into digital currencies. Remaining complacent is actually setting us back, while Chinas grip on both crypto and fiat payments becomes stronger.

Major investment firm JPMorgan Chase also believes that the US Dollar will be under threat if the national bank does not look to explore cryptocurrency options in conjunction with the fiat dollar. In a report, the firm suggested:

There is no country with more to lose from the disruptive potential of digital currency than the United States. This revolves primarily around U.S. dollar hegemony. Issuing the global reserve currency and the medium of exchange for international trade in commodities, goods, and services conveys immense advantages.

Over the past few months, as news from countries testing national digital currencies comes in, there is nothing to indicate an impact on Bitcoins value or the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin, which is currently enjoying what looks like a healthy rally in price, did not seem to gain any massive upticks in price as central banks announced testing. Moreover, the trends for individuals searching Bitcoin and cryptocurrency from each country as their banks announced cryptocurrency pilots did not show any correlation, as researched through Google Trends. It is still early in the testing periods for the banks, however, and its likely that the more digital currencies are explored at national levels, the more individuals, investors and traders will consider buying Bitcoin either for use or to add to their investment portfolios.

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The Rise Of Crypto: Countries With Their Own CBDCs | Coin Insider - Coin Insider

Pensioner hit by 500 bill after signing up to free trial for cannabis oil & food supplements on Face – The Sun

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A SHOPPER who fell into a free trial trap was hit with a bill for 500.

Jay Beeston responded to a Facebook advert for free samples of CBD oil and food supplements.

1

She thought she would only have to pay postage.

But the seller charged her for the goods through her two credit cards.

And Jay, 75, had to call in trading standards officials to help her recover the cash from one of the credit card providers.

Jay, from Sudbury, Derbys, said: The credit card bills were such a shock.

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I want to stop this happening to others.

Trading standards officials warned buyers to be on their guard.

Derbyshire councillor Carol Hart said: These adverts are just a scam and the traders know they are tricking people.

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAILexclusive@the-sun.co.uk

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Pensioner hit by 500 bill after signing up to free trial for cannabis oil & food supplements on Face - The Sun

Commissioners narrowly pass anti-hate resolution | News – Fort Bend Herald

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Fort Bend County commissioners voted to approve an anti-hate resolution, but like almost everything else dealing with COVID-19, the vote was split across party lines.

The resolution was approved with a 3-2 vote, with the two Republican commissioners voting against it because they feel the non-binding document puts a chilling effect on free speech.

This resolution goes well beyond state and federal law, Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers said. It is an attack on the freedom of speech.

County Judge KP George created the resolution after he published several Facebook comments that used racial tropes of his Indian heritage to criticize his response to the coronavirus.

The resolution also dealt with hate against Asian communities, which have been on the rise across the country since March.

Unfortunately not only are our communities fighting back against the highly contagious and invisible COVID-19 virus, but we are pushing back against an increase of hate, xenophobia, and scare tactics against certain members of our community, George said in a prepared statement that was sent out while the commissioners court meeting was still in progress.

These acts have to stop, they are destructive to our community and are not welcomed in Fort Bend County.

But the controversial part of the resolution states that, Fort Bend County will continue its efforts to protect residents and targets and victims of hate, and to investigate, prosecute and curb hate acts related to COVID-19 in partnership with nonprofit organizations, the Fort Bend County District Attorneys Office, the Fort Bend County Sherriffs Department and all other law enforcement partners.

Meyers and Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales felt that phrase was against the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution because it considers hate speech to be free speech, while the resolution looks to prosecute hate speech.

Both Morales and Meyers stated several times that they are against racism and would support a resolution against racism that didnt attack free speech.

I can support a resolution against hate, but not something that creates division, Morales said. I can see us coming together on a resolution, but not this one.

George, joined by fellow Democrats in Precinct 4 Commissioner Ken DeMerchant and Precinct 2 Grady Prestage, passed the resolution.

The Anti-Defamation League praised George and the commissioners for standing up to hate while dealing with the coronavirus.

We are pleased Judge George and Fort Bend County Commissioners, while in the midst of protecting the county from the pandemic, took the time to condemn coronavirus-related hate and promote respect for all their citizens, ADL Southwest Regional Director Mark Toubin said. Fort Bend Countys leadership understands that the effort to contain COVID-19 requires that its residents be safe from hate as well as the disease.

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Commissioners narrowly pass anti-hate resolution | News - Fort Bend Herald

Letters to the Editor, July 29, 2020 – Mad River Union

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Dont burn out firefighters

Thank you, Jack Durham, for your opinion piece two weeks ago (July 15, 2020) regarding the Arcata Fire Department. I agree with you that the advice of the Humboldt Taxpayers League to not fund our communities first responders seems penny wise and pound foolish.

With the devastating California fires these past few years, it is already difficult enough to find homeowners insurance if you live anywhere near a forested area. Once the word is out that we are limping by on very minimal local fire coverage, our insurance rates will certainly rise way beyond the increase being asked to run the AFD effectively.

AFD has not had a rate increase in 14 years! We need to support our local professional firefighters, not burn them out.

I, for one, want to know that experienced professionals are there, rested and ready to respond effectively, and safely, whenever someone within their large district needs them.

Lisa BethuneArcata

Subscribe to the Mad River Union and enjoy online access to the full print edition for just $20/year!

What about Cliffs joke?

It was reported that the county faced accusations over their diversity plan, and Deputy P.D. Rory Kalin brought up Supervisor Rex Bohns ill advised tamale joke that was offensive to latin people (notice - didnt say the unpopular in the latin community at large Latinx moniker).

Its just coincidence that the conservative Bohns joke was mentioned, but nary a word of an arguably more offensive joke using a word that starts with N to describe Black Americans by the Progressive Cliff Berkowitz.

Im not slagging Cliff, seems like a nice guy and probably more in line politically with my own beliefs. I am calling out selective outrage. I get the Progressive discomfiture, calling for his resignation in every local publication and being so sure in the last election that folks would sweep him out of office.

Imagine the disappointment, a contemporary term would be butthurt, when Mr. Bohn was not only re-elected, but wiped out the Progressive 65 percent to 35 percent. Anthrax did poll slightly lower than 35 percent, but only just.

Mom always said how unfair it was when other folks opinions dont align with you of the golden halo. Yeah, tamale joke bad man N word hey hes a Progressive give the bro a break. No selective outrage here, tamale joke WAY worse than I cant even say it.

Regards,John DillonEureka

Too soon for mass influx

The COVID-19 epidemic is at record-breaking levels elsewhere in California, particularly southern California, and most infections are in younger age groups, particularly the 20s. Humboldt County has so far controlled outbreaks, at least until a recent wave of infections that has mostly come from outside.

Now Humboldt State University is about to import an expected 1,000 students into this community, many from southern California and all in the most infectious age groups, even though there will be few classes for them to attend.

Bringing these students together here now is a danger to them and to university staff, and could stress community as well as campus medical resources. Besides the dangers built into this situation, there is more evidence that masks and physical distancing, and avoiding large indoor gatherings in this age group will be ignored than there is that they might be universally observed. Community spread of COVID-19 poses risks as well for essential institutions and businesses that the total population, and seniors in particular, depend upon. The city of Arcata is particularly vulnerable due to its small population and workforce.

This is not the time to resume student residence in Arcata.

Bill KowinskiArcata

We marched, talked

At least in the 60s and 70s we knew who sent the feds

This is an old, old story, but what was old is new again. There are many of us in this country who have been fighting the good fight for freedom of speech, equal treatment under the law, due process, the right to vote, womens rights and all the things we were taught when we were young. All the things the USA is supposed to stand for and often doesnt.

We stood in the streets and on our college campuses. We talked about the rights of young men not to be drafted and killed by the thousands in undeclared wars, or any wars for that matter. We talked about the rights of people of color to lived lives unmolested by police, politicians and the KKK. We talked about lives lived in poverty and the conditions of Farm Laborers.

We marched, oh how we marched. And as we marched and talked, we were told we had no right to free speech or freedom of assembly.

But at least when the federal troops came, we knew who they were (by the uniforms) and who had sent them J. Edgar Hoover and later Richard M. Nixon. Their names, ranks and faces were visible. They did not beat on children nor shove their mothers. They did not take people away in unmarked vans to some new sort of rendition program. And they never entered a state or a city without the express permission of the governors, mayors or police chiefs.

We currently have a psychotic in the White House that issues Executive Orders to violate the rights of states and the rights of citizens to Protect Federal Property. Really?? If the Feds are so afraid of the people of Portland, Oregon or anywhere else in this nation, then they should close their offices and slink back to Washington DC, sit at the side of the White House and await further orders.

Why should a person, the ACLU, any city or state have to sue the Federal Government to establish their sovereignty? I know Trump has never read the constitution or had it explained to him in short, non-boring sentences, but there has got to be at least one lawyer in the West Wing who has. It is about the rights of the individual person, the individual city and more importantly it is about States Rights.

The sooner Trump is removed from his office the safer we will all be!

Thank you for listening,Jan PhelpsArcata

Dead puppet walking

Vladimir Putins puppet Donald Trump is a political dead man walking. Nov. 3 is the scheduled date of Trump the traitors political execution which will be watched live on TV by hundreds of millions of happy people both here at home and around the world. The end of Trumps tyranny will be the beginning of hope and change for us all.

Dont miss your chance to vote for the American presidential candidate Joe Biden. The political demise of demonic Don the con will no doubt be the highest rated reality TV show of all time, so stay tuned, because the voters are about to tell Trump hes fired!

Its all over for Benedict Donald. Russias useless idiot Trump the chump is done. The American choice for president Joe Biden will be elected the 46th President of the United States in an overwhelming electoral college landslide, not to mention by what is sure to become one of the largest popular vote margins of victory in American presidential election history.

Jim Jones Trumps deranged death cult (formerly known as the Republican Party) is a national embarrassment. Fortunately, most Americans are good patriotic people who will no longer tolerate traitor Trumps psychotic circus of incompetence, corruption and cruelty. This upcoming election is all over but the shouting. Specifically, the shouting will be coming from the worlds whiniest lying loser Donald Trump with his usual dimwitted and dishonest refrain of Hoax! Fake news!

The story of the November 3rd election will be America wins, Vladimir Putin loses, and delusional Donald Trump can go inject his lungs with Lysol all he wants, it wont save his illegitimate, pathological presidency from the wrath of the American people on Election Day. Trump is a loser and an idiot!

Sincerely,

Jake PickeringArcata

Burning down the house

After months of denial, President Trump has finally confessed that COVID-19 is for real. He has admitted publicly that the pandemic will get worse before it gets better.

This new-found concern contradicts very recent claims of his such as 99 percent of the cases are totally harmless and the virus will just disappear.

Further, he suddenly declares that wearing a mask is patriotic. This from a man who previously refused to be seen wearing a mask in public even when required. In fact, he mocked others, such as reporters and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, for doing so.

Why the about face? Its not from a sense of guilt or an admission of prior mistakes.

Rather, Trump recognizes that the easing of restrictions he had previously championed have now led to a resurgence of the virus.

His poll numbers are falling due to public opinion that his pandemic response has been poor so far. And businesses are closing again which will weaken the economic recovery which he sees key to his re-election.

So before you congratulate Trump on seeing the light, think again. Hes still not concerned about you and me, hes only doing it to get re-elected.

Giving him praise now would be like thanking a child for giving up playing with matches after hes already set the house on fire.

Sherman SchapiroEureka

Dixieland band

I would very much like to know what my generations Nobel Poet Laureate, or any member of The Band has to say about their song The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.

Christopher MackinneyMcKinleyville

According to The Music Aficionado blog (musicaficionado.blog), members of The Band said this:

Levon Helm: Robbie and I worked on the song up in Woodstock. I remember taking him to the library so he could research the history and geography of the era for the lyrics and make General Robert E. Lee come out with all due respect. It was another of those workshop songs we worked on a long time before we got it down. Robertsons take on the events that ripped the nation apart are not siding with any of the parties but rather describe the sentiment and human suffering of a confederate soldier at the end of and shortly after the war.

Robbie Robertson: There was a chord progression and a melody rumbling through my head, but I did not know yet what the song was about. I played it on the piano one day for Levon. He liked the way it stopped and started, free of tempo. I flashed back to when he first took me to meet his parents in Marvell, Arkansas, and his daddy said, Dont worry, Robin the South is going to rise again. I told Levon I wanted to write lyrics about the Civil War from a southern familys point of view. Dont mention Abraham Lincoln in the lyrics was his only advice, That wont go down too well. I asked him to drive me to the Woodstock library so I could do a little research on the Confederacy. They didnt teach that stuff in Canadian Schools. When I conjured up the story about Virgil Caine and his kin against this historical backdrop, the song came to life for me. Though I did stop and wonder, can I get away with this? You call this rock n roll? Maybe!

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Letters to the Editor, July 29, 2020 - Mad River Union

Fort Bend Countys COVID-19 Anti-Hate Resolution wins approval – Chron.com

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Fort Bend County Commissioners Court approved a COVID-19 Anti-Hate Resolution in a narrow 3-2 vote over objections from two Republican commissioners. This resolution condemns hate but it creates division. It does not show unity, Commissioner Vincent Morales said during a zoom meeting Tuesday, July 28.

Fort Bend County Commissioners Court approved a COVID-19 Anti-Hate Resolution in a narrow 3-2 vote over objections from two Republican commissioners. This resolution condemns hate but it creates division. It

Photo: Courtesy Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County Commissioners Court approved a COVID-19 Anti-Hate Resolution in a narrow 3-2 vote over objections from two Republican commissioners. This resolution condemns hate but it creates division. It does not show unity, Commissioner Vincent Morales said during a zoom meeting Tuesday, July 28.

Fort Bend County Commissioners Court approved a COVID-19 Anti-Hate Resolution in a narrow 3-2 vote over objections from two Republican commissioners. This resolution condemns hate but it creates division. It

Fort Bend Countys COVID-19 Anti-Hate Resolution wins approval

A resolution denouncing bigotry, antisemitism and hate speech espoused by extremists who target Chinese Americans on claims China caused the COVID-19 pandemic and conspiracy theorists who say Jews are using COVID-19 to make money drew both praise and harsh criticism from the public during Tuesdays Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meeting.

During public comments, Sugar Land resident Ian Scharfman was among those who came to voice support for the measure.

Sadly, this pandemic has given rise to hate directed at our neighbors, such as hateful ethnic slurs and other egregious actions directed at Asians and the proliferation of conspiracy theories tied to this pandemic that are founded in antisemitic tropes, to name a few examples, Scharfman said and urged commissioners to approve the measure. We must stand together to condemn such hate, bigotry, racism and antisemitism in all its forms.

The resolution put forward by County Judge KP George, denounces antisemitism, anti-Asian bigotry, racism and all hateful speech, violent action and the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19 that casts blame, promotes racism or discrimination or harms Fort Bend County Asian Pacific, Black, Latinx, Jewish, immigrant or other ethnic and religious communities.

The measure also drew criticism from a number of residents such as Christine Longwood, who objected to the resolution because it wasnt inclusive of every ethnic group.

I noticed on the resolution that nowhere does it have Caucasians or white listed, Longwood said. Because a particular demographic is excluded from the resolution, it seems like a pretty racist document to me.

The resolution states the Jewish community has been the target of blame, hate, antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories that claim they profit from COVID-19 and goes on to condemn terms like Chinese Virus or Kung Flu virus as language that encourages hate crimes and against Asians and Pacific Islander individuals and spreads misinformation.

Related: Fort Bend County Commissioners voice concerns about COVID-19 mask order

Deborah Chen from OCA Greater Houston, a national civil rights organization that advocates for Asian Pacific Americans, said many Asian American residents contacted her organization for support because they were afraid to go to the grocery store or venture out in the community for fear they would become targets of hate speech or violence.

The Midland incident is where a family was shopping at Sams Club and was stabbed and thats generated a lot of fear among many members of the Asians community, she said, referring to reports that an Asian family became victims to an alleged hate crime incident while shopping earlier this year.

According to police officials, Jose Gomez, 19, allegedly stabbed three family members including two children under the age of 10 and later reportedly told officers he tried to kill the family because he believed they were infecting people with coronavirus because they were Chinese.

Unfortunately, whether its antisemitic tropes that rely on conspiracy theories that blame Jews for (COVID-19) or geography that has been the source of anti-Asian hate and violence, particularly what happened in Midland a few months ago, extremists and other people have stoked fear for their own agendas, Anti Defamation League Southwest Regional Director Mark Toubin said. We do know that public officials can make people feel more secure by publicly and officially stating that hate and this pandemic should not be related and thats what this resolutions does.

The resolution also encourages people to report any antisemitic, discriminatory or racist incidents to the proper authorities for investigation, which drew criticism from Simonton resident Andrew Perry who said although he didnt condone racism he opposed the resolution because it limited his constitutional rights.

Youre trying to limit our freedom of speech, Perry told the court. You make words prosecutable or investigable. This is a slippery slope. Where does it end?

During court discussions, the resolution drew criticism from Commissioner Andy Meyers who also voiced concerns related to free speech.

There are problems with potential first amendment questions. There are problems with potential HIPPA violations, he said. But I think most importantly, there are problems with potential violations of state and federal law in relation to how this resolution is worded to establish county policy.

On HoustonChronicle.com: China poisoned our people, says campaign ad from Houston candidate Kathaleen Wall

Commissioner Vincent Morales also voiced opposition to the resolution.

This resolution condemns hate but it creates division. It does not show unity. I could see us coming together supporting a resolution that is not so divisive, Morales said, without pointing to any specific part of the resolution as divisive.

When contacted later for clarification, Morales issued a statement via email:

Fort Bend is internationally known as a diverse county, and I believe were a fine example of how so many different cultures, people, and beliefs can successfully thrive and peacefully coexist. The reason that we continue to grow so quickly is because we live up to that reputation. This Commissioners Court has stood time and again for equality, justice, and civility, and despite our different backgrounds and cultures weve worked hard together to keep our community thriving, Morales wrote.

My major concerns were the policy changes, and especially after Judge Georges recent media appearances about unkind and racist social media comments against him the vague language about citizens being asked to report on their fellow citizens speech was not the direction I expected him to go. Normally, our court takes policy decisions through a more deliberative approach. We were initially brought the first Anti-Defamation League Resolution and I had been working for days on being ready to vote in favor of it, to condemn hate and promote the peaceful unity of our community.

Ive still not learned why the ADL resolution was changed and picked apart to its final extent. As has been the case before with Judge George, I (and Commissioner Meyers) find ourselves occasionally on the outside looking in when it comes to input or discussion. As an elected member of the court, its regretful when I have been deprived of any deliberative or creative process, Morales wrote. I liked the initial resolution and was ready to support much of the language in even the second version if there had been any discussion at all from the other members. But they stayed silent, so my only choice was an up or down vote. I honestly believe that if this was an inclusive court that relished a diversity of perspectives, we would have taken the time to proofread these documents against embarrassing errors, involve more deliberation from all our members, and solicit at least some input from the departments impacted by the new policies. These are basic steps towards unanimous support and resolutions that we all can agree upon, and use to show love to all our neighbors as ourselves.

The resolution was approved 3-2 vote with Meyers and Morales voting against the measure at a Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meeting held Tuesday, July 28.

knix@hcnonline.com

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Fort Bend Countys COVID-19 Anti-Hate Resolution wins approval - Chron.com

Federal Agents, Insurrection, and the Long, Bloody History of US Counterinsurgency – History News Network

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Testifying before Congress, Attorney General Bill BarrcharacterizedMovement for Black Lives protests as a threatening insurrection. How have youth led movements, accompanied by organized columns of mothers, veterans, and teachers, become public enemy number one? Theterrifying spectacleof federal agents apprehending civilians who are exercising their constitutionally protected rights of free speech and assembly is thelogical outcomeof a long history of U.S. counterinsurgency policies, abroad and at home.

The appearance on U.S. streets of personnel from the Department of Homeland Security an agency created in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to safeguard the American people from terrorism is tantamount to a declaration of counterinsurgency warfare on the Black Lives Matter movement and its numerous supporters, including thosedeemed violent anarchists, socialists, and/or antifa.Charged with maintaining safe borders, the DHS has long extended its reach far from the geographic border, terrorizing the foreign born.With the recent deployment, the DHS continues its assault on all civilians, particularly people of color and those suspected of subversive beliefs.

Operating in the name of law and order, counterinsurgency policies function by creating and then targeting particular enemies of the state. Such enemies are deemed to be dangerous because of their beliefs, their identities, and/or theviolentpractices invariably ascribed to them. Political demonstrations that result in the destruction of property are assailed asunlawful riots, thereby justifying the use of force against primarily peaceful protesters. Subsequently, counterinsurgency practices inaugurate their own murderous regimes of pacification.

Declarations of counterinsurgency warfare on a targeted public enemy reverberate with a long history in North America. In the 18thand 19thcenturies, indigenous nations defended their lands against incursions by Euroamerican settlers backed by a federal government seeking control of resources in the trans-Mississippi west. Lakota historian Nick Estesdescribescounterinsurgency as:

asymmetric warfare that includes collective punishment; the taking of children; the forcing of communities to choose between their lives or surrendering their kin or ceding their lands; the use of native scouts and auxiliaries that are in the service of colonial governments; the use of reserves as spaces of containment; the imprisonment, assassination, defamation, or removal of leadership; the targeting of socio-economic institutions as the basis for autonomy; and the need to civilize in order to pacify or the winning of hearts and minds.

As federal engagement in active wars with Indian nations tapered off during the late 19thcentury, U.S. counterinsurgency policies migrated abroad with the flag of empire:to the Philippines, the Caribbean, Central and South America. Over the course of the twentieth century, the United Statesintervened forty-one timesto create regime change in Latin America alone. Such interventions involved counterinsurgency operations: coups, civil wars, declarations of emergency powers and the resulting repression, displacement, and murder. As sociologist Stuart Schraderexplains, counterinsurgency pioneered abroad return to the streets of U.S. cities in the form of technology and policing practices.

Counterinsurgency warfare destroys communities, forcing thousands of people from their homes.But refugees of the murderous wars waged under the flag of counterinsurgency policy rarely find safe harbor in the United States.

In 2018 and 2019, caravans of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers from the Americas, Africa, and Europe traversed thousands of miles on foot to approach the U.S.-Mexico border, only to be reviled as dangerous criminal aliens. Many of them fled the terror and corruption of regimes installed by U.S. counterinsurgency policy. Arriving at the border, caravan members confront a zero tolerance counterinsurgency policy resulting in the taking of children through unlawful andinhumane family separationpolicies and a Migrant Protection Protocol thatviolates international refugee policyby forcing asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico. During the global pandemic, people imprisoned in detention facilities or forced into precarious and temporary quarters are at an increased risk of infection and illness.

Portrayals of Black Lives Matter protesters as violent thugs assailing collective security and law and order resound with these characterizations of caravans of displaced persons, many from indigenous nations, at the border. In both cases, groups of people seeking justice are depicted as criminals bent on destroying the social order for individual gain, whether through looting or drug-smuggling.

Both the caravans and the Movement for Black Lives respond to the depredations of precisely the same law and order regimes that greet them with repression and derision.Since the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, the Movement for Black Lives has organized against the violence of militarized policing in Black communities, demanding the defunding and abolition of policing.Multinational caravans of people seeking safe harbor from the ravages of U.S.-backed dirty wars and austerity regimes in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa insist on their right to safe harbor against a regime of militarized borders.

Throughout its bloody history, counterinsurgency policy has undermined democratic regimes and created civil strife, endangering and displacing civilians in the name of law and order.Now, on the streets of U.S. cities, federal agents join militarized police in waging war on Americans who are exercising their lawful rights of freedom of speech and assembly. There is no doubt that the results endanger us all.

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Federal Agents, Insurrection, and the Long, Bloody History of US Counterinsurgency - History News Network

Gen Z GOP wants to build the Republican Party of the future – Boston Herald

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The organizers of a young Republican group who oppose President Trump say they want to build the GOP of the future by staying away from unproductive discourse and providing a better alternative to the left.

Called Gen Z GOP, the nationally focused group with Massachusetts roots officially launched over the weekend with a social media video that lays out a vision for a new Republican Party that attracts the newest generation of voters.

The group vehemently opposes a lot of what the left stands for today, said Samuel Garber, a freshman at Bates College.

But the GOP ratcheting up the rhetoric on the right will not attract the Gen Z generation, and drives people further away from the Republican Party, he said.

We are somewhere in the middle, where a majority of the country and state (Massachusetts) is, Garber said.

In the video launched over the weekend, the group says The Republican Party has been hijacked in recent years.

As Republicans, we believe that the party of Lincoln is worth saving from its current flirtation with authoritarian populism, the video narrator says. But we do not seek to return to the politics of the past. We seek to present a new vision a vision that does not cave to the polarized choices of left and right, but one that embraces nuance, freedom and opportunity.

The Gen Z GOP promotes: free trade and fiscal responsibility, bipartisan reform for border security, and private-public partnerships to provide accessible health care.

We strive to be a GOP that pursues climate change solutions that harness American innovation and create green energy jobs, the narrator says. A GOP that can embrace Americans of all backgrounds, proudly proclaim that Black Lives Matter and work to combat injustice and inequality.

One of the reasons for forming this group was sparked by the unproductive discourse from the Massachusetts Republican Party, said Mike Brodo, a junior at Georgetown University.

The current leadership is caving to the national GOP playbook, Brodo said of the MassGOP. Its that unproductive discourse that turns Gen Z away from the political party.

MassGOP Chairman Jim Lyons on Sunday said he looks forward to having an opportunity to speak with the Gen Z GOP organizers.

In response to their criticism, Lyons said, Our basic platform is freedom, individual liberty, personal responsibility and a free-market system rooted in capitalism. He also said that the radical left on Beacon Hill attacking our police is something we should all be concerned about.

In addition to the video over the weekend, Gen Z GOP is launching a podcast on Monday.

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Gen Z GOP wants to build the Republican Party of the future - Boston Herald

Rallying cry: ‘There is no reason this statue needs to be moved’ – messenger-inquirer

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Confederate flags fluttered in the breeze on the southwest corner of the Daviess County Courthouse lawn Saturday morning, and a large crowd wearing mostly red sang Dixies Land at one point.

An early morning rain stopped for the hour-long Save the Confederate Statue rally. Shortly after the event ended, a steady rain drenched Owensboro.

The rally was staged to provide a forum for local residents who want a monument to a Confederate soldier to remain on the courthouse lawn, where it has been for 120 years.

My Old Kentucky Home played on a loud speaker moments before the event started. Men dressed in Civil War-era costumes and carrying rifles with bayonets stood around the statue.

Members of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, a heritage group, gathered near the stage. Some passing motorists honked to show support as they drove by on Frederica Street.

At the rally, many people carried signs.

One man strapped the 10 Commandments to his chest.

Another hoisted this message: We are one. All lives matter.

Someone else held a large sign that read, Remembering ugly history ensures a beautiful future.

Jack Gish, who leads the group that wants the statue to remain at the courthouse, said he hopes Daviess County Fiscal Court does not bow to pressure to remove the monument.

This is part of history, and it needs to remain, Gish told the crowd.

Amen! a man in the crowd replied.

Amid growing pressure around the commonwealth to remove Confederate statues on courthouse lawns, Daviess Fiscal Court was slated to vote June 30 on returning the statue to the United Daughters of the Confederacy Kentucky Chapter.

Instead the court, through a motion presented by County Commissioner George Wathen and backed by commissioners Charlie Castlen and Mike Koger, delayed the vote until Thursday. Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly dissented.

Saturdays rally was meant to bring together those who favor keeping the statue where it is, but also to offer education about the monument and its historical relevance outside of the negative narrative that has arisen nationally surrounding similar Confederate iconography.

Locally, the Owensboro chapter of the NAACP is leading a community-based effort to move the statue to a museum or other setting where it can be used for educational purposes.

Everybody has a right to freedom of speech, the Rev. Rhondalyn Randolph, president of the local NAACP chapter, said of the rally. But I think everyone has a responsibility and should be held accountable for what they say.

Randolph did not attend the event or watch it online.

People on both sides of the Confederate statue issue feel strongly, and minds were set before the rally, she said. Randolph doubts any opinions were swayed by the event.

Lets move forward for the betterment of everybody, she said. I pray the county commission will do the right thing. ... Lets learn from what we have gone through, and let us move on.

Theresa Jones, who represented the UDC, was one of the events speakers. There is no reason this statue needs to be moved, Jones told the crowd.

During the Civil War, many soldiers were buried in joint graves in ditches and fields. The statue was created to honor them, she said.

For 120 years, this statue has stood right here, Jones said. Lets ask our community to use it as a teaching moment.

H. K. Edgerton, an Asheville, North Carolina, Black activist for Southern heritage, was the rallys keynote speaker. He was dressed in a gray flannel Confederate uniform.

I am not going to say anything until we sing Dixie, Edgerton told the crowd when he first took the stage.

He led the crowd in the unofficial Confederate anthem while he waved the Souths flag.

At the songs end, the audience let out a collective Whoo!

Edgerton said the statue was not built for white Confederate soldiers only, but it is an integrated war memorial for people of all colors who fought, including Black men.

They are with us no more, he said of Confederate soldiers, but the memory of their noble and upright life, of what they did and sought to do for the good of the South will be cherished to the end of time. The greatest weapon the South had was the irrepressible spirit of the Southern soldier.

During Edgertons speech, a man in a white Toyota truck drove down Third Street with a Black Lives Matter banner hanging out the drivers side window. The trucks driver stopped near the stage and honked the horn to disrupt the rally.

He later parked his truck and walked to the corner of Frederica and Third streets, carrying the banner.

Edgerton left the stage, grabbed a Confederate flag and walked toward the man, along with several people attending the rally. No exchange took place. Instead, the group returned to the rally peacefully.

Near the end of his speech, Edgerton asked those in attendance to stand up against those who want to remove the statue from the courthouse lawn and have the courage of your ancestors.

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Rallying cry: 'There is no reason this statue needs to be moved' - messenger-inquirer

No Europe Without the Rule of Law by Harold James – Project Syndicate

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In typical fashion, the European Union has once again taken a step toward deeper integration in response to a catastrophic crisis. And, once again, "ever-closer union" is being embraced in the absence of effective mechanisms to enforce fundamental principles, setting the stage for more internal disputes to come.

PRINCETON The European Councils five-day meeting to hash out a 2021-2027 budget and a COVID-19 emergency spending package had all the hallmarks of Euro-summitry: long nighttime discussions; threats by some leaders to leave without an agreement; and a Franco-German push for a deal. Naturally, it all concluded with an unsatisfactory compromise.

Specifically, European leaders agreed to allocate only 390 billion ($457 billion) of the 750 billion emergency package in the form of grants, and the remaining 360 billion as loans, because the frugal four (Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden) insisted that the number had to begin with a three. Is this arrangement any better than the last unsatisfactory compromise in Europes slow march toward deeper integration?

For 70 years, Europes mantra has been that it grows in response to crises. The initial impetus for integration in the 1950s was fueled by the Cold War. The monetary integration of the early 1990s came amid the geopolitical watershed caused by the end of that long conflict. More recently, many hoped that the combined disruptions of immigration, climate change, Russian revanchism, the election of US President Donald Trump, and Brexit would generate fresh momentum for a European project that seemed to be running out of steam.

Apparently, it took a pandemic-induced economic crisis to do that. But, generally speaking, economic crises have not been good for European integration. If anything, they tend to divide Europeans, owing to divisions over what caused the problem and what to do about it. Between 2010 and 2012, as tensions rose between north and south, and then between east and west, the euro almost collapsed, threatening to bring down the entire European Union.

Unlike that crisis, the pandemic is not obviously caused by any particular policy mistake (at least not on the part of Europeans). Because the viruss incidence, spread, and economic effects are more or less random, there is a credible case to be made for solidarity as a means of collective insurance. Hence, a new form of debt mutualization is at the center of the new deal. For the first time ever, the EU itself will issue debt, which will be backed by member-state governments and serviced through a joint fiscal mechanism under the auspices of the European Commission.

The deal thus creates a precedent, and likely will make euro assets more attractive to investors seeking a safe haven other than the US dollar. Europe seems to have reached something like a Hamiltonian moment. In 1790, the first US secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton, argued successfully that the US federal government should assume the states debts incurred during the War of Independence, and then service it with the revenue from import tariffs.

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However, the EUs compromise deal left much to be desired for those who had called for EU grants and loans to come with more strings attached. Such proposals immediately summoned painful memories from the euro crisis, when crisis-afflicted national governments sought an external third party upon whom they could offload responsibility. This led to a double discrediting: national governments looked incapable and craven, and the third party whether Germany or Europe became the embodiment of cruelty and vindictiveness.

Even before the recent summit, it was widely recognized that the old (euro crisis) form of conditionality would not be appropriate. Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias of the left-wing Podemos party has praised the deal for not including any men in black to mete out enforcement of austerity or other conditions. The European Stability Mechanism, after being created at great political cost in 2012, did not feature in the latest discussions.

But proposals for conditionality this time were less about economics than politics. The idea was that those receiving EU funds should be required to uphold the rule of law, judicial independence, freedom of the press, and academic freedom. As then-European Council President Donald Tusk pointed out last year, There is no Europe without the rule of law. But, in the end, Poland and Hungarys illiberal governments secured large sums without any guarantee that they will be prevented from further eroding their countries democratic institutions.

Historically, enforcing the rule of law within large federal structures has rarely been easy. Consider the United States, where Hamiltons bold financial move was just the beginning. During the era of Reconstruction after the Civil War, the Union Army under President Ulysses S. Grant enforced voting rights and former slaves other civil rights in the former Confederacy. In 1957, the National Guard enforced the desegregation of schools in Arkansas. And in 1963, President John F. Kennedy sent the National Guard to the University of Alabama.

More contentiously, the Trump administration is now deploying armed federal agents against protesters in defiance of the wishes of state and local governments. Soldiers in unmarked green uniforms have appeared on the streets of Portland and Seattle, and the US Secretary of Defense has referred to American streets as a battlespace. Americas current turmoil is precisely what Europeans want to avoid.

In any case, the National Guard scenario is unimaginable in modern Europe. There will be no European troops moving to uphold academic freedom or LGBT rights in any member state. No one is calling for Grantian enforcement of the Hamiltonian moment, and no one denies that men in green are a greater threat than men in black.

Contemporary European governance is based on persuasion and rational discourse. And yet, the only way to make a civilized Europe work is to apply political conditionality. The defense of European values requires that systemic violations be punished, both by suspending miscreants voting rights in EU decision-making and by withholding EU payments.

Europe will now be built through fiscal transfers and the obligations that they create. But, ultimately, Tusk is right: there can be no European Union unless all its members adhere to the same standards.

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No Europe Without the Rule of Law by Harold James - Project Syndicate

Today’s Headlines and Commentary – Lawfare

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The Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Intelligence and Analysis collected information and assembled intelligence reports concerning content related to the protests in Portland, Oregon, published by two American journalists, Benjamin Wittes of Lawfare and Mike Baker of the New York Times, according to the Washington Post. The reports state that Wittes and Baker published leaked, unclassified information about Department of Homeland Security operations in Portland. After the Post story was published on Thursday evening, acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf ordered the Office of Intelligence and Analysis to stop collecting information on journalists and said there would be an investigation into the matter.

In a new proposed settlement agreement, the Department of Justice yesterday dropped its support for a gag order that would have prevented Michael Cohen from publishing his tell-all book, reports the Post. The settlement agreement was sent to U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein on Thursday after Judge Hellerstein ordered Cohens release from prison to home confinement last week, stating that the federal Bureau of Prisons wrongly attempted to restrict the Presidents former lawyer from publishing his book as a condition of his release.

The Hong Kong government announced Friday that it will postpone its September legislative elections by one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the New York Times. Hong Kong has recently experienced its worst surge of cases thus faridentifying more than 100 new cases each day this weekbut pro-democracy activists claim that the government is using the pandemic as an excuse to prevent opposition candidates from taking power. On Thursday, the Hong Kong government barred 12 pro-democracy candidates from running in the September election.

The Trump administration announced Friday that it will sanction a Chinese paramilitary organization, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), that operates in Xinjiang province, according to Axios. Human rights advocates have asserted that the XPCC assists the Chinese government in its operation of the mass internment camps in Xinjiang.

President Trump plans to announce Friday that he will order the Chinese company ByteDance to sell its ownership of the video-sharing app TikTok, according to Bloomberg. The U.S. has recently expressed concerns about the possibility of the Chinese government using the app to obtain information about American citizens.

One Marine died and two were injured in an accident during a routine U.S. Marine training exercise off the coast of California on Thursday, writes the BBC. The Marine Corps said Friday it is actively searching for eight marines involved in the incident who remain missing.

The confirmation hearing for a retired general, Anthony J. Tata, whom President Trump nominated to be undersecretary of defense for policy, was canceled Thursday, according to the Post. One defense official said the Trump administration learned Wednesday that Tatas appointment had little support in the Senate. Civil rights leaders and lawmakers have opposed Tatas appointment, citing his past comments targeting Islam and calling President Barack Obama a terrorist leader.

The Australian government said that a new law will require Facebook and Google to share revenue from news content with Australian media companies, according to Reuters. This announcement comes after Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, CEOs of Facebook and Google, respectively, testified before Congress on Wednesday in a hearing focusing on tech giants potentially anticompetitive behavior.

Several companies including North Face and sportswear maker Puma will resume marketing on Facebook after they previously stopped advertising on the platform to protest the presence of hate speech on Facebook, reports the Wall Street Journal. Other companies will continue their boycotts, contending that Facebook has not put forth a plan for meaningful change.

St. Louis Countys prosecutor, Wesley Bell, announced yesterday that he will not charge Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, reports the Associated Press. This is the third time prosecutors have investigated Browns case and decided not to bring charges against Wilson. Bells decision comes amid national protests against racial injustice and police misconduct.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told members of Congress on Friday that he believes the U.S. will have an effective COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2020 or early 2021, reports the Times. This statement comes as pharmaceutical companies Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline today announced an agreement with the U.S. government to supply the United States with 100 million doses of the firmss experimental COVID-19 vaccine.

An anonymous U.S. security official said that Chinese government-backed hackers targeted the U.S. biotech firm Moderna, according to Reuters. China on Friday claimed that the accusation is false. Last week, the Department of Justice charged two Chinese individuals with spying on coronavirus research in the United States.

Ukraine said Friday that its initial discussions with Iran about the downing of a Ukrainian jet were productive, according to Reuters. In January, Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner claiming that it believed the plane was a missile during a period of elevated tension with the United States. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kubela said that if negotiations fail, Ukraine is prepared to bring the case to international courts.

The case of former Islamic State fighter Shamima Begum, who is attempting to regain her U.K. citizenship, will go to the U.K. Supreme Court, writes the BBC. Begum left London in 2015 to join the Islamic State in Syria.

Nasa launched a new rover into space on Thursday which will search for signs of life on Mars, reports Reuters.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Elliot Setzer shared a livestream of Secretary of State Mike Pompeos testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the State Departments fiscal year 2021 budget request.

Jen Patja Howell shared an episode of the Lawfare Podcast featuring a discussion with Jillian C. York, the director for International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, about Facebooks oversight board and why she thinks content moderation is broken.

Judd Devermont and Nilanthi Samaranyake argued the U.S. should employ the framework of its Quadrilateral Dialogue coalition to help Africa as the coronavirus surges across the continent.

Setzer also shared a livestream of a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Cyberspace Solarium Commissions recommendations set forth in its March 2020 report.

Lester Munson shared an episode of the Fault Lines podcast covering Nord Stream 2, the acquittal of former Ivory Coast Head of State Laurent Gbagbo in the International Criminal Court and foreign policy in the post-Trump era.

Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.

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Today's Headlines and Commentary - Lawfare

Faculty push back on how colleges are planning for the fall – Education Dive

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At the University of Pittsburgh, the student newspaper seems to get news about fall reopening plans before the faculty.

In early June, the public research university emailed plans for the fall semester to incoming first-year students but not to faculty members or staff. The university told the student-run Pitt News this was inadvertent,but four days later, the publication ran another story about fall plans based on an update to the academic calendar that hadn't been formally communicated to faculty. Later in June, it reported that students could choose to attend classes online or in-person, but faculty members reportedly said the university hadn't explained how to implement that approach.

Even the student journalists saw a problem.

"We're thrilled that we've been of service but really, the administration should be taking the lead on getting this information to students and faculty,"the Pitt News editorial board wrote on June 23.

Some faculty members are organizing in response. A petition is circulating that argues the university is having instructors ask too much of their students and colleagues by suggesting faculty members could ask someone else to be in the room to facilitate while they are teaching remotely. However, a Pitt spokesperson as well as University Senate President Chris Bonneau say this is not a requirement. Faculty members are also raising concerns about the logistical demands of hybrid courses.

In an email to Education Dive, a university spokesperson emphasized that the institution is committed to communicating with campus in a "transparent and timely manner."But, they added, "[w]e understand the concerns that have been raised, and are working to address them as we move forward with our planning for the Fall and beyond."

Across the U.S., faculty members concerned about virus safety, or unhappy they were excluded from the decision-making process, are pushing back against administrators. While safety concerns are at the forefront, higher education experts say the virus is forcing confrontations on longstanding issues, including faculty input into administrative decisions.

Faculty at many institutions perceive shared governance as having been watered down over time, said Lorenzo Baber, a professor and the higher ed program chair at Loyola University Chicago. He believes that tension is being exacerbated by the crisis conditions created by the pandemic and its fiscal effects.

"I think what faculty feel is that administrative leaders in general have kind of doubled down on that move away from shared governance,"Baber said.

Faculty members'concern isn't only for their health or that of their families, though they tend to be older than most students and may also have health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus.

They're also worried about their students and communities. Andrew Koricich, a higher ed professor at Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina, expects the local healthcare system will be quickly overwhelmed if there's an outbreak on campus.

"When this starts to get worse and students line up at bars, go to apartment parties, all these things that we know will happen, it's not going to take very long"to fill area hospital beds, he said.

There are also concerns about the mechanics of teaching. At Pitt, which plans to offer its fall classes online and in person, faculty members were concerned about the perceived directive to recruit another instructor to be in the classroom while they taught remotely. In the petition, they question whether faculty, staff or students would feel free to say no if they were asked to sub in. A university spokesperson said students or staff helping out wouldn't be compensated for the time.

But pushback from faculty members often has as much to do with how the decisions are made as what approach is picked. Purdue University engineering education professor Alice Pawley, who heads the university's chapter of the American Association of University Professors, is circulating a petition asking the university's administration for the freedom to decide what and how they teach this fall, as well as for stronger shared governance.

"There are a lot of faculty who feel they are being pressured into teaching in the classroom and they don't want to,"Pawley said."There are other faculty who are perfectly fine teaching face-to-face but haven't been given the choice the way they should be."

A Purdue spokesperson said the university continues to seek faculty members'input and has "taken extensive actions"to create safe classrooms.

"I think what faculty feel is that administrative leaders in general have kind of doubled down on that move away from shared governance."

Lorenzo Baber

Professor and the higher ed program chair, Loyola University Chicago

Sarah Townsend, a professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Pennsylvania State University, said amplifying faculty voices was one of her motivations for helping organize an open letter from faculty, staff and grad students across the 24-campus system.

"The faculty have not been involved in any of the decision-making that has gone on around the pandemic, either in terms of reopening for the fall or in terms of how to respond to the economic crisis,"said Townsend, who works at the flagship's main campus.

A Penn State spokesperson said the university has made it clear that it does not expect high-risk faculty to teach in person, and it continues to work with faculty and staff on its fall plans.

Top-down communication is not a problem at every university. Baber said his institution, Loyola University Chicago, "did a really good job of asking us at the beginning what we think. And at the end, they had some options for us."However, he added, "I think there's a gap in that middle, that we don't get to be involved in the process itself."

The open letter from Penn State instructors and staff also pointed out job security as a concern. Colleges anticipate losing substantial revenue as a result of the pandemic, and they employed 161,600 fewer people in May than in February, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Against that backdrop, Penn State introduced new contract language in May making it clear that non-tenure-track faculty are at-will employees meaning they could be fired at any time. That was always true, but pointing it out made Townsend concerned it was a sign of bad things to come.

A Penn State spokesperson released a statement attributed to Kathleen Bieschke, vice provost for faculty affairs, saying the change was intended to "give our deans and chancellors the certainty they needed to offer fixed-term contracts when they might not have otherwise done so."

"We worded the language carefully to indicate that Penn State and the hiring unit must be facing serious budgetary and enrollment challenges ... if considering ending a contract,"the statement reads.

Leslie Gonzales, an education professor at Michigan State University, noted that graduate instructors, postdocs and adjuncts may feel less free to push back against in-person teaching mandates.

"I think you see some variation in terms of how people are able to navigate a response based on their position and their status,"she said.

Even tenure-track faculty may worry.

"Folks are nervous to speak out,"said Brittany Williams, a higher ed professor at St. Cloud State University, in Minnesota."There's certainly a culture of fear related to job safety and job security, as permanent positions are becoming scarce in higher education."

But academics who study higher ed have some sympathy for the decisions facing administrators in light of current revenue woes. Loyolas Baber said faculty members arent hostile, they just want to be heard.

"We have invested ourselves in this space,"he said. "We don't want to see that go away or be harmed, but at the same time, I think we want to have a voice throughout the process."

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Faculty push back on how colleges are planning for the fall - Education Dive

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Converters Market 2020 Analysis by Geographical Regions, Type and Application Till 2026 with Top Key Players – Owned

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Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Converters Market 2020

The latest report added by Contrive Datum InsightsonWheelchair Accessible Vehicles Convertersindustry comprehends the analysis of COVID-19 impact on the global market. The report studies market overview with regards to historic and current scenario. Prominent players in the global market are expected to strategize their marketing activities in a superior acceptable manner to enhance their market base. Further, the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Converters-research study identifies constantly changing market dynamics that are expected to influence market growth to an extent. Additionally, market performance and key factors are evaluated in this report to help make informed business decisions.

COVID-19 has impacted global market economy with over 190 countries witnessing the impact. There has been a noticeable impact on the global market growth with an increase in global unemployment rate. It has estimated that the virus could affect the global economy growth by 2.0% if current conditions persist. Around 13-32% is expected to befall in global trade. The full impact will not be known until the effects of the pandemic peak. The pandemic crisis is challenging governments to implement monetary and fiscal policies that support credit markets and sustain economic activity.

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The prominent players covered in this report:, ATConversions, GM Coachwork, Advance Mobility, Freedom Motors USA, Vantage Mobility International, Sirus Automotive Ltd, AMS Vans Inc., Sidewinder Conversions & Mobility Ltd., Brotherwood Automobility Limited, Taxi & Bus Conversion Ltd., Parfit Ltd.

Key players are expected to enhance their marketing capabilities over the forecast period owing to certain market conditions. The report presents certain elements that will reflect whats and hows of such changes in the market. Further, the report studies various aspects of the global market such as upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and production value of leading players subject to market growth.

Impact of COVID-19:

On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into

Full Size VehicleMedium Size VehicleSmall Size Vehicle

On the basis on the end users/applications

The ElderlyDisabled PeopleOther

The period considered to estimate the market size of the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Convertersis as follows:

History Year: 2015-2019 | Base Year: 2019 | Estimated Year: 2020 | Forecast Year 2020 to 2026

Market Segmentation:

The global Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Convertersmarket is segmented based on the type of product, application, and region. The analysts authoring the report evaluates detailed geography for each segment mentioned. The segments are studied based on their market share, revenue, regional growth, cost and revenue analysis, and other vital factors. The segmentation study identifies high-growth portions of the global Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Convertersmarket and understand how the market can grow over the forecast period.

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Primary Objectives of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Convertersmarket Report:

Key questions answered in this report:-

To summarize the report presents dynamic market overview, the competitive landscape in line with demand and supply analysis, market growth rate along with a future prediction for the forecast years. The report studies BCG, SWOT and PESTLE to analyze market profitability and growth rate. The report also helps investors to analyze investment feasibility and return analysis.

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Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Converters Market 2020 Analysis by Geographical Regions, Type and Application Till 2026 with Top Key Players - Owned

New release shows the value of the Union to the nations of the UK – GOV.UK

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The Block Grant Transparency Report confirms that as of Main Estimates this year, the devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales had received 9.5 billion more new funding in 2020-21 through the Barnett formula since the previous report in December 2018. Of this, 6.0 billion was allocated at Main Estimates to tackle Coronavirus.

This means the devolved administrations have received an additional:

In addition to this extra funding through the Barnett formula, the devolved administrations are also receiving over 950 million in 2020-21 to maintain direct payments to farmers.

The report details changes in the devolved administrations block grant funding made since the last release in December 2018 up until the 2020-21 Main Estimates announced in May.

The funding for 2020-21 will also increase, following a guarantee from the UK Government last week that the nations will receive further funding to help tackle coronavirus.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Steve Barclay, said:

Last week I announced an unprecedented funding guarantee to give the devolved administrations certainty to plan ahead and deliver their own support schemes to tackle coronavirus.

Todays publication shows that this guarantee builds on the financial support that we have already provided, showcasing the strength and value of the Union.

As well as the block grant funding, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland benefit from UK Government spending on unprecedented UK wide measures, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, which have helped to protect over 1.7 million jobs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Businesses and individuals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also benefit from the UK wide measures included in the Chancellors Plan for Jobs announced earlier this month, including the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, VAT cut and the Job Retention Bonus.

Spending by the devolved administrations is not funded exclusively by the block grant. The devolved administrations are also funded by local and devolved tax revenues, other revenue-raising powers - including fees and charges, and sales of goods, services and assets - grants from European institutions, and borrowing.

See Block Grant Transparency: July 2020 data here.

Block grant factsheet:

The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have control over policy areas which are devolved, such as education and health, but not over others which are reserved and therefore controlled directly by the UK Government, for example defence.

The devolved administrations receive funding from the UK Government largely through block grants for devolved areas, while policy which is reserved is funded directly by the UK Government.

The Barnett formula determines changes to the block grant funding in relation to changes in UK Government departmental spending. The formula essentially provides the same pounds-per-person change in funding in each nation of the UK. It is applied when departmental budgets change at Spending Reviews, fiscal events and Main/Supplementary Estimates.

The Barnett formula comprises three elements: the change in departmental spending; the extent to which the departmental spending is on a policy area that is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and population.

The Barnett-based block grants are increased in relation to devolved welfare powers and reduced in relation to devolved tax powers (with the devolved administrations retaining devolved tax revenues).

The UK government funding provided to the devolved administrations is the Barnett-based block grant after these adjustments for welfare and tax devolution.

Once the block grant has been determined, the devolved administrations have freedom to make their own spending decisions in areas of devolved responsibilities within the overall totals.

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New release shows the value of the Union to the nations of the UK - GOV.UK

Man arrested in connection with death of Waterford Twp. pro poker player – The Detroit News

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Associated Press Published 9:18 a.m. ET Aug. 2, 2020 | Updated 12:30 p.m. ET Aug. 2, 2020

White Lake TownshipA 60-year-old Pontiac man has been arrested in connection with the death of a professional poker player from Waterford Township whose burned body was found last month at an Oakland County park, police said.

The man was taken into custody about 9 a.m. Friday after his vehicle was stopped near an area freeway, according to White Lake Township police.No charges have been filed and no other details were released.

Susie Zhao(Photo: White Lake Township Police Department)

Susie Zhao, 33, known to other players as Susie Q, had returned from Los Angeles to live with family in Oakland County.Although friends recall Zhao did not divulge some aspects of her life, they doubt she had enemies.

I dont think Im ever going to stop thinking about it. Its not something you can let go of, saidMichelle Lagrou, a friend since high school.

Zhaohad winnings of at least $187,441, according to the World Series of Poker website, including $73,805 at an event in 2012.

Her body was found July 13 at the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area in Oakland County., about 40 milesnorthwest of Detroit.

Relatives last saw her at their home around 5:30 p.m., said Detective Lt. Chris Hild of the White Lake Township Police Department.

Her body, clad in jogging pants and other clothing, was found about 8:05 a.m. the next day, lying in a parking area on Maceday Lake and Cross roads in White Lake Township, along the edge of the state Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, police reported.

A Michigan Department of Natural Resources stafferlast checked that area around 11:45 p.m. the night before, Hild said.

Hild has noted that her death could be related to her travels on the poker circuit.

We have to determine whether or not this is a cover-up or this may be some sort of retaliatory incident because of her profession, Hild said last week.

The Detroit News contributed.

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Man arrested in connection with death of Waterford Twp. pro poker player - The Detroit News