Fuel for the FireAmid chatter about outside agitators, a top-down federal attack on left-wing activists could unleash new violence.t’s not a real organization, “.” And even if it were, there is no such thing as a .But President Donald Trump’s tweet that the U.S. “will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization” is a very real threat.Trump’s Sunday offering came as in the wake of in Minneapolis. Trump, who over several years has launched numerous tirades against anti-fascists, blamed the movement—really, a set of organizing tactics—for vandalism at the protests. Although he has...…Fuel for the FireAmid chatter about outside agitators, a top-down federal attack on left-wing activists could unleash new violence.t’s not a real organization, “.” And even if it were, there is no such thing as a .But President Donald Trump’s tweet that the U.S. “will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization” is a very real threat.Trump’s Sunday offering came as in the wake of in Minneapolis. Trump, who over several years has launched numerous tirades against anti-fascists, blamed the movement—really, a set of organizing tactics—for vandalism at the protests. Although he has...WW…

MINNEAPOLIS—Thousands of protesters squared off against police here late Tuesday, just hours after disturbing showing a white police officer kneeling on an unarmed black man’s neck for several minutes before he died. Chanting “I can’t breathe,” protesters marched from the site where George Floyd, 46, died in police custody Monday to the department’s Third Precinct headquarters, where some demonstrators reportedly left graffiti on vehicles and smashed windows. Videos taken from the scene by a showed tear-gas canisters being fired into the crowd by police and demonstrators coughing and...…MINNEAPOLIS—Thousands of protesters squared off against police here late Tuesday, just hours after disturbing showing a white police officer kneeling on an unarmed black man’s neck for several minutes before he died. Chanting “I can’t breathe,” protesters marched from the site where George Floyd, 46, died in police custody Monday to the department’s Third Precinct headquarters, where some demonstrators reportedly left graffiti on vehicles and smashed windows. Videos taken from the scene by a showed tear-gas canisters being fired into the crowd by police and demonstrators coughing and...WW…

One week before the , the organization released a statement about two members who’d made racist statements in a Snapchat video.“You'll learn the military is racist as shit, so get used to it now you fucking piece of shit,” one of the guards-members said in the clip. The remark did not appear to be issued in condemnation of prejudice: The woman was responding to members of a military group chat who’d chided her friend, also in the Minnesota National Guard, for using a racist slur.The Minnesota National Guard deployed Thursday to act as crowd control in the , which began Tuesday after a...…One week before the , the organization released a statement about two members who’d made racist statements in a Snapchat video.“You'll learn the military is racist as shit, so get used to it now you fucking piece of shit,” one of the guards-members said in the clip. The remark did not appear to be issued in condemnation of prejudice: The woman was responding to members of a military group chat who’d chided her friend, also in the Minnesota National Guard, for using a racist slur.The Minnesota National Guard deployed Thursday to act as crowd control in the , which began Tuesday after a...WW…

often don’t trust the federal government, whether it’s top infectious disease expert or the . But that hasn’t stopped some of them from pretending to be part of the same system.A fake CDC notice, complete with a photoshopped CDC letterhead, is the latest anti-masking hoax making the rounds on social media. The forgery, which often takes the form of a picture of a printed-out CDC bulletin, falsely claims that the agency does not recommend people wear N95 respirator masks to protect themselves from COVID-19. The hoax comes after months of politicized debate over masks, with some opponents...…often don’t trust the federal government, whether it’s top infectious disease expert or the . But that hasn’t stopped some of them from pretending to be part of the same system.A fake CDC notice, complete with a photoshopped CDC letterhead, is the latest anti-masking hoax making the rounds on social media. The forgery, which often takes the form of a picture of a printed-out CDC bulletin, falsely claims that the agency does not recommend people wear N95 respirator masks to protect themselves from COVID-19. The hoax comes after months of politicized debate over masks, with some opponents...WW…

PORTLAND—Leaders of cities like Portland and Chicago publicly say they don’t want federal law enforcement policing protesters. But as , some of those same locales’ appear to be circumventing elected officials to work with the feds.On Monday, Trump indicated a desire to send federal law enforcement to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, and Oakland, apparently to crush protests there because police are “restricted from doing anything.” His remarks came after federal agents—revealed to be Customs and Border Protection in camouflage uniforms—were deployed to Portland, Oregon,...…PORTLAND—Leaders of cities like Portland and Chicago publicly say they don’t want federal law enforcement policing protesters. But as , some of those same locales’ appear to be circumventing elected officials to work with the feds.On Monday, Trump indicated a desire to send federal law enforcement to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, and Oakland, apparently to crush protests there because police are “restricted from doing anything.” His remarks came after federal agents—revealed to be Customs and Border Protection in camouflage uniforms—were deployed to Portland, Oregon,...WW…

The tweet had more than a thousand shares in the hours after President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. “I am a black trans woman and after this amazing speech tonight I proudly say I support Donald Trump my President,” user “BlackTransQween” wrote, using a profile picture of a black transgender woman. “We need to get behind this man.”“BlackTransQween” also tweeted against immigration and gender options on driver licenses. When the profile disappeared this week, conservatives cried censorship. But in reality, the account had been suspended for breaking Twitter’s rules...…The tweet had more than a thousand shares in the hours after President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. “I am a black trans woman and after this amazing speech tonight I proudly say I support Donald Trump my President,” user “BlackTransQween” wrote, using a profile picture of a black transgender woman. “We need to get behind this man.”“BlackTransQween” also tweeted against immigration and gender options on driver licenses. When the profile disappeared this week, conservatives cried censorship. But in reality, the account had been suspended for breaking Twitter’s rules...WW…

WHATEVER IT TAKES?A so-called audit of the 2020 election in Arizona was always going to be crazy. This is something else.n ongoing “audit” of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County, Arizona, is taking its cues straight from a man intimately tied to the QAnon conspiracy theory.President Joe Biden won Arizona—and Maricopa County—in the 2020 election, a victory that was upheld by multiple bipartisan reviews. But last week, a Republican-led coalition , a process helmed by a conspiracy-tweeting tech CEO and funded by an unknown slate of donors.The counting has just begun, but already...…WHATEVER IT TAKES?A so-called audit of the 2020 election in Arizona was always going to be crazy. This is something else.n ongoing “audit” of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County, Arizona, is taking its cues straight from a man intimately tied to the QAnon conspiracy theory.President Joe Biden won Arizona—and Maricopa County—in the 2020 election, a victory that was upheld by multiple bipartisan reviews. But last week, a Republican-led coalition , a process helmed by a conspiracy-tweeting tech CEO and funded by an unknown slate of donors.The counting has just begun, but already...WW…

GUILTY OF GOSSIPGeorge Floyd’s killer cop is guilty, but we’re still learning about just how weird police got when protests exploded in his name.he graffiti on a port-a-potty in a gravel pit was, in the opinion of one resident, a sign that might blow up a nearby dam. Another local was convinced that a young man reading signs was actually an “Antifa or scout.” A third person warned, via an anonymous email tip, that her ex-husband was part of an anti-fascist group that was coming to burn down the town.All these complaints were forwarded throughout police ranks in Washington, where officials...…GUILTY OF GOSSIPGeorge Floyd’s killer cop is guilty, but we’re still learning about just how weird police got when protests exploded in his name.he graffiti on a port-a-potty in a gravel pit was, in the opinion of one resident, a sign that might blow up a nearby dam. Another local was convinced that a young man reading signs was actually an “Antifa or scout.” A third person warned, via an anonymous email tip, that her ex-husband was part of an anti-fascist group that was coming to burn down the town.All these complaints were forwarded throughout police ranks in Washington, where officials...WW…

In June 2020, when the was gaining traction with a , the alt-tech site gained a surprisingly official new user: the .But one Capitol riot later, the LAPD has cut ties with the controversial social media platform. Meanwhile, other police departments with Parler accounts say they’re just squatting on the profiles so no one else uses them, and at least one department says the official-looking Parler account registered under its name is actually a hoax.Billed as an alternative to sites like Facebook and Twitter, Parler soared in popularity last summer after the Trump administration to big-name...…In June 2020, when the was gaining traction with a , the alt-tech site gained a surprisingly official new user: the .But one Capitol riot later, the LAPD has cut ties with the controversial social media platform. Meanwhile, other police departments with Parler accounts say they’re just squatting on the profiles so no one else uses them, and at least one department says the official-looking Parler account registered under its name is actually a hoax.Billed as an alternative to sites like Facebook and Twitter, Parler soared in popularity last summer after the Trump administration to big-name...WW…

After a week of lusting for conflict in a , far-right figures went and made their own trouble.Seattle’s although some newer stylings refer to it as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP—is a small protest area that emerged last week, after police vacated a nearby precinct and city leaders agreed to leave the streets open for demonstrations. Almost immediately, figures on the right looked for evidence that the loosely organized protest area was a den of violence and criminality, with President Donald Trump tweeting threats to send in law enforcement and Fox News editing a picture of a...…After a week of lusting for conflict in a , far-right figures went and made their own trouble.Seattle’s although some newer stylings refer to it as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP—is a small protest area that emerged last week, after police vacated a nearby precinct and city leaders agreed to leave the streets open for demonstrations. Almost immediately, figures on the right looked for evidence that the loosely organized protest area was a den of violence and criminality, with President Donald Trump tweeting threats to send in law enforcement and Fox News editing a picture of a...WW…