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Rep. Justin Amash (LMich.) wants to end qualified immunity.

The insidious legal doctrine allows police officers to violate your civil rights with absolute impunity if those rights have not been spelled out with near-identical precision in preexisting case law. Theoretically, it protects public officials from bogus civil suits, but practically it often allows egregious misconduct.

George Floyd's death at the hands of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin forced new life into the debate, shining light on a doctrine that many people say has contributed toan environment of police abuse. Amash announced late Sunday that he would introduce the End Qualified Immunity Act, with Rep. Ayanna Pressley (DMass.) signing on as a cosponsor Thursday.

"It is the sense of the Congress that we must correct the erroneous interpretation of section 1983 which provides for qualified immunity," the bill reads, "and reiterate the standard found on the face of the statute, which does not limit liability on the basis of the defendant's good faith beliefs or on the basis that the right was not 'clearly established' at the time of the violation."

That "clearly established" bit is what's most important, as the standard has become increasingly impossible to meet. Two cops in Fresno, California, were afforded qualified immunity after allegedly stealing $225,000 while executing a search warrant because it had not been "clearly established" in case law that stealing is wrong. An officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was given qualified immunity after shooting, without warning, an unarmed 15-year-old boy who was on his way to school, because the boy's friend was holding a plastic airsoft gun replica. A sheriff's deputy in Coffee County, Georgia, received qualified immunity after shooting a 10-year-old boy while aiming at a nonthreatening dog. The list, unfortunately, goes on.

The courts' decisions in those cases mean that each appellant had no legal recourse to seek compensation for lost assets or medical bills.

As of Friday, 16 additional legislators had signed on to Amash's proposal. Not a single one of them is a Republican.

The dissonance is mind-boggling: The GOP claims to be the party of small government and freedom, and they now have the opportunity to squash a dangerous doctrine that has put deadly power in the hands of the state at the expense of the little guy.

Republicans rightly criticize public sector monopoliesthat inevitably hurt the people the government is supposed to serve. Take teachers unions, for instance, which the GOP has historically railed against for propping up teachers at the expense of students. They're not wrong: Unions wield enormous political power that can be weaponized to skirt responsibility and accountability.

But why, then, are they so slow to apply that very same logic to the institutions emboldening the police?

"In case after case, police unions have defended deadly misdeeds committed by law enforcement," writesReason's Peter Suderman. Consider the case of Eric Garner, who died in 2014 after New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer Daniel Pantaleo placed him in a chokehold for selling loose cigarettes. "I can't breathe" were his last words, captured on video.

Pantaleo was fired after a police administrative judge ruled that he had violated official NYPD protocol. Although the officer broke those rules with fatal consequences, the union chose not to cast Pantaleo as an outliera cop who never should have been onebut instead chose to continue defending him.

As Suderman notes, "Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, Pantaleo's union, criticized the city for giving in to 'anti-police extremists' and warned that such decisions threatened the ability of city police to do their jobs," as if all officers need to reserve the right to use excessive, forbidden amounts of force.

That police unions have taken that road shouldn't be surprising. But it also reminds us why it's time for them to go, since they enable behavior that threatens the very people they are supposedly protecting and serving.

So, too, is the story with qualified immunitya doctrine that has allowed a collection of rogue cops to throw civil rights to the wind without any fear of comeuppance. Shielding the police from accountability at all costs does not advance freedom. When it comes to qualified immunity, where are the Republicans?

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Rep. Justin Amash Wants To End Qualified Immunity. Where Are the Republicans? - Reason

Image caption A 38-acre area in Derry is being searched by the PSNI

A bomb, a handgun and ammunition linked to dissident republicans have been found in a search in Londonderry, police have said.

They were recovered in an operation that lasted two days and covered 38 acres at Ballymagroarty.

PSNI Superintendent Gordon McCalmont said "rigorous forensic examination" would be carried out on the weapons.

"The despicable criminals using this area for terrorist purposes are reckless," he said.

They "continually put our community at risk," he added.

Supt McCalmont said the dissidents were a "dangerous minority" and he appealed to the community to support police by giving information.

Supt McCalmont said the objects being stored in the area "could pose a real and substantial danger to our community".

"This operation has been designed to find these items and take them away from those who would wish to use them to kill, injure and bring destruction to our streets," he said.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said those who were responsible for the weapons were "intent on bringing Northern Ireland back to the dark days of violence".

"Leaving such items anywhere, but in particular near a housing estate, poses a real danger to everyone who lives in the area," she said.

"The police have undoubtedly saved lives today and their actions keep people safe. They do this without fear or favour, despite being under threat themselves.

"Their actions are in stark contrast to the callous and malicious behaviour of those who would seek to use potentially lethal weapons to control their own communities through fear and violence."

The PSNI thanked those living in the local area for their patience.

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood hit out at those responsible.

"How many times do the people of Derry have to reject those intent on causing murder and mayhem on our streets before they get the message?" he said.

"The use of violence in the pursuit of political goals is not only immoral, it is a failed strategy.

"Those who continue to engage in violence have nothing to offer the people of this city or this island."

Sinn Fin MLA Martina Anderson welcomed news of the weapons find.

"There is no place for this type of activity in our community," she said.

"Armed gangs offer nothing to our society and need to end their futile actions against the community immediately."

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Londonderry: Bomb and gun linked to dissident republicans - BBC News

LOS ANGELES, June 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Quantum computinghas the potential to change the world, transforming fields such as artificial intelligence, medicine, and cybersecurity. Despite its growing importance, quantum is rarely taught to university students, let alone high school students.MIT researchers and The Coding School are changing that by offering a first-of-its-kind virtual quantum computing camp this summer to high school and first-year university students.

The goal of the camp is for students to develop foundational knowledge of quantum physics and practical skills in quantum computation. By the end of the camp, students learn how to program a quantum computer and run quantum circuits such as teleporting quantum information. Students globally can apply here.

The camp is led by Amir Karamlou, a graduate research fellow and instructor for MIT's Introduction to Quantum Computing. His research focuses on experimental quantum computation using superconducting qubits. Other instructors include Bharath Kannan, a PhD student researching microwave quantum optics, and Grecia Castelazo, studying Physics and Math at MIT.

"Today, we're at the dawn of a new era in computing technology. You don't need an advanced degree in physics to explore quantum computing. Over the next decade, quantum is likely to revolutionize the world in the same way the modern computer did in the mid-20th century. Students who develop knowledge in quantum now will be prepared for this world-altering technological movement," explained Karamlou.

The camp is part of a larger quantum initiative by The Coding School'scodeConnects program, a leading tech education nonprofit. Fall 2020, The Coding School will offer an unprecedented year-long quantum course for high school students. The virtual course is being led by Francisca Vasconcelos, a Rhodes Scholar and MIT graduate.

The Coding School is dedicated to ensuring computer science education is accessible, supportive, and empowering. Pioneering high-quality online, live coding education since 2017, they've taught over 70,000 hours of coding instruction to students nationwide and across 40 countries.

"To ensure long-term employability and social mobility, it's critical to look forward to the tech skills of the future and prepare students with those now. Quantum computation is one of those skills. We're proud at The Coding School to be paving the way in equipping the next generation by making quantum education accessible for all," remarked Kiera Peltz, founder of The Coding School.

To ensure accessibility, scholarships are available to students with financial need and who have been significantly affected by COVID-19, including if a parent has lost a job or is an essential worker.

Besides quantum computing, The Coding School offers other virtual camps for students grades 3-12 including a TechTaster, Music+Tech, and CreativeTech. For more personalized instruction, they offer one-on-one coding lessonsin 18 specialized curriculums, including AI and Cybersecurity.

Learn more: http://www.codeconnects.org/summercamps+ [emailprotected].

Media Contact: Abeer Dhanani(323) 790-9992[emailprotected]

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amir-karamlou.jpg Amir Karamlou Amir Karamlou, who is leading The Coding School's Quantum Computing Summer Camp, is a graduate fellow and instructor at MIT.

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codeConnects Quantum Computing Camp Registration

codeConnects Quantum Computing Camp Learn More

SOURCE The Coding School's codeConnects Initiative

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Preparing for the Jobs of the Future: The Coding School and MIT Physicists Are Making Quantum Computing Accessible to High School Students This Summer...

Antifa shortfor"anti-fascist" is the name for loosely affiliated, left-leaninganti-racist groups that monitor and track the activities of local neo-Nazis. The movement has no unified structureor national leadershipbut has emerged in the form of local bodiesnationwide, particularly on theWest Coast.

Some of the groups, such as the 10-year-old Rose City Antifa in Portland, the oldest antifa group in the U.S.,are particularly well-organized andactive online and onFacebook,while its members are individually anonymous.

President Trump has singled out antifa as part of what he calls the alt-left in his initial claim that "many sides" were to blame for violence in Charlottesville the weekend of Aug. 12, not just the neo-Nazis, KKK and white nationalists.

How is it pronounced?

"AN-tifa" with the emphasis on the first syllable, which sounds more like "on" in English than "an."

When did it start?

Anti-fascist groups, particularly in Europe, have been around for many decades, notably in Italy, against Mussolini, and in Germany, against Hitler. In the postwar period, antifa groups resurgedto fightneo-Nazi groups, particularly in Germany. In the U.S., the anti-fascist movements grew out ofleftist politics of the late '80s,primarily under theumbrellaof Anti-Racist Action.

What does the movementwant?

Theprimary goal is to stopneo-Nazis and white supremacists fromgaining a platform rather than to promotea specific antifa agenda. The antifa groups aredecidedly anti-racist, anti-sexistand anti-homophobia, but also by and large socially leftistand anti-capitalist.

How do the groupsoperate?

Mark Bray, a lecturer and Dartmouth andauthor of the new book Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook,says the groups "organize educational campaigns, build community coalitions, monitor fascists, pressure venues to cancel their events, organize self-defense trainingsand physically confront the far right when necessary."

A main goal is to try to deny fascists a public forum, which is why they turn out in numbers to physically confrontneo-Nazis, the KKKand white supremacists atpublic demonstrations. They also step in to protect counter-protesters at such events.

In addition, antifa is particularly active in"doxxing," or identifying neo-Nazis and like-minded individuals and disseminatingthat private information to the public and employers to discourage people from joining their ranks.

Is antifaviolent?

Memberspointedly do not eschew violencebut rather see themselves as engaging in "self-defense," protecting other protesters and primarily confronting neo-Nazis and white supremacists to deny them a platform to publicly spread their views.

"We are unapologetic about the reality that fighting fascism at points requires physical militancy, Rose City Antifas Facebook page reads. Anti-fascism is, by nature, a form of self-defense: the goal of fascism is to exterminate the vast majority of human beings.

Political activist and author Cornel West, speaking to Amy Goodman on the program Democracy Now about the clashes in Charlottesville, saidantifa intervened when the "neofascists" move against his group of protesters."We would havebeen crushed like cockroaches if it were not for the anarchistsand the anti-fascists," he said.

Bray says the riseof fascism in the 1930s demonstrates that it wasa mistake to allow such groups to air their views in hopes that public opinion would blunt their growth."We should be wary of those who are more distressed about alleged violations of the speech of fascists than the actual violence they perpetrate," he says.

Where has the movementdemonstrated?

In addition to Charlottesville, antifa forces, whooften dress inblack and wearmasks, have confronted or clashed with far-right groups in such places as the University of California at Berkeley,where protests by West Coast antifa forces, some of whomsmashedwindows and setfires,forced the cancellation of aspeech by alt-right activistMilo Yiannopoulos in Februaryand another by conservative commentator Ann Coulter in April.

In June, antifa forces turned out to protest a pro-Trump free-speech in Portland. Some antifa counterprotestersbegan throwing objects at police, who responded with flash grenades and pepper balls, according to the The Oregonian.

Antifa was also out in force in Juneto confrontPatriot Prayer, a free speech groupprotesting political correctness and hatred at Evergreen State Collegein Olympia, Wash.

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What is antifa and what does the movement want? - Savannah Morning News

BAGHDAD The Islamic State is stepping up its attacks in Iraq, fulfilling the expectations of many analysts that the extremist group would mount a comeback after the Iraqi government declared victory over it in 2017.

While the Islamic State has yet to show the same capabilities it had at its peak in 2013 and 2014, when it gained control of several provinces and population centers including Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities the tempo of attacks has been increasing for over six months. This coincides with a period of domestic unrest due to widespread anti-government protests.

The US-led coalition against the Islamic State has also reduced its aerial activities due to heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following the US assassination of Iran's top military commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in January.

The Islamic State has been ramping up a campaign of violence in rural parts of Iraq since the second half of 2019, focusing on Diyala, Kirkuk and Salahaldin provinces, to the east and north of Baghdad. Both the frequency and character of the attacks have been steadily increasing, and there is data that suggests the Islamic State is moving skilled fighters to the area from Syria to stoke a new insurgency.

If true, this would be reminiscent of the group's buildup in 2012 and 2013. In April, the Islamic State staged 108 attacks in Iraq, including against an intelligence building in Kirkuk. A large assault targeted the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces on May 1 near the city of Samarra, showing that the Islamic State is willing to move beyond guerilla tactics and engage in coordinated and sustained fighting.

Iraqi security forces ride in vehicles travelling to Mosul to fight against militants of Islamic State at an Iraqi army base in Camp Taji in Baghdad, February 21, 2016. Ahmed Saad/Reuters

There are many reasons why the Islamic State has been able to increase its activity. First, it is deliberately targeting rural areas where the terrain is difficult to access and where the Iraqi security forces have a thin presence, which allows it to launch hit-and-run attacks without many losses. Fewer coalition air strikes and less drone surveillance have also given militants more freedom to move without fear.

With the recent protests in Iraq, the government has focused its security efforts on containing the unrest, which has reduced its bandwidth for dealing with the Islamic State. The ongoing failure of governance at the local level, which is one of the main drivers of the protests, has further sapped public confidence in Iraq's leaders, while persistently high unemployment has allowed the Islamic State to recruit desperate young men with offers of quick cash payments.

The Iraqi government's response to COVID-19, which has drawn resources away from countering the Islamic State to maintaining curfews and locking down large urban areas, has also allowed militants to move more freely in rural areas.

To make matters worse, the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq involves more than the Iraqi security forces. It also includes the state-sanctioned, mainly Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces and the Kurdish peshmerga. But the response to recent attacks has been hampered by a lack of effective coordination and leadership between all these groups, as well as friction between some fighters and local populations. Iraq's elite, US-trained counterterrorism forces have also suffered from poor leadership and the slow recovery from losses they sustained during the war against the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017.

Despite all of these problems, there is some cause for optimism that Iraq will be able to meet the challenge of a resurgent Islamic State. After five months of political turmoil and two failed attempts, parliament approved a new government last month. The new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, is a former intelligence chief who has promised to prioritize the campaign against the Islamic State and win back some trust from the Iraqi people.

Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iraqi Parliament / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Al-Kadhimi will need to act quickly to quash the insurgency before it develops any further. Fortunately, the Islamic State is widely loathed by most of the Iraqi population. With new leadership in both the elite Counter Terrorism Service and the Interior Ministry, there is the potential for better intelligence gathering and more effective community policing.

Al-Kadhimi has sent signals, including through the arrest of militiamen in Basra accused of shooting at protesters, that he will tackle issues that have long plagued the Iraqi security sector, including corruption and weak accountability, and that paramilitary groups that threaten the rule of law will be brought to justice. Those steps will be vital for the state's ability to maintain control and avoid situations where local armed groups compete with state security forces and with one another.

Foreign governments and organizations are rightly concerned about the Islamic State's reemergence, and they have an important role in supporting Iraq. Most importantly, members of the US-led coalition should make a renewed push to dedicate resources solely to its core mission of degrading and defeating the Islamic State, avoiding tit-for-tat confrontations with pro-Iranian armed groups that tend to undermine relations with the Iraqi government.

Defusing tensions between the US and Iran will serve to improve Iraq's security in general, as it will give Iranian-backed paramilitary groups less incentive to attack US interests. American forces will also be less prone to using Iraq as an arena to push back against Iran. This is a message that coalition members should send to leaders in both Washington and Tehran.

Iraqi security forces patrol to enforce a curfew to help fight the spread of the coronavirus in central Baghdad, April 7, 2020. Associated Press

With the global downturn in oil prices amid the coronavirus pandemic putting Iraq under serious strain, foreign powers can provide economic assistance to prevent government collapse, contingent upon the new government undertaking vital reforms.

It is difficult to predict the trajectory of the Islamic State's activity. There are signs that the group will expand its capabilities in the coming weeks and months, while still falling short of being able to overrun large swaths of territory. A realistic assessment of the Islamic State's ability will be an important part of the response. Exaggerating its threat is unhelpful, but dismissing it and allowing a low-level rural insurgency to go on for months and years is dangerously short-sighted.

The government will also need to focus on the underlying causes and security gaps that allowed the Islamic State to regain strength in the first place.

It will undoubtedly be a challenge for Iraq's leadership to act quickly and decisively while spurring improvements in governance, but the country's leaders have been here before. With the benefit of hindsight and support from the international community, Iraq can avoid a repeat of the past.

Sajad Jiyad is a Baghdad-based political analyst and a visiting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He is the former managing director of the Al-Bayan Center, an Iraqi think tank.

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ISIS is making a comeback, and Iraq's government may not be able to handle it - Business Insider - Business Insider