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Attorney General Bill Barr compared coronavirus lockdowns around the country to house arrest and said that, other than slavery, the restrictions are the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history," during an appearance Wednesday at Hillsdale College.

"You know, putting a national lockdown, stay-at-home orders, is like house arrest, Barr told a friendly audience at the conservative Michigan school during a question-and-answer session. Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history.

Barr also took shots at governors who have implemented stringent coronavirus restrictions that he believes defy common sense, saying that they treat free citizens as babies that can't take responsibility for themselves and others."

All this nonsense about how something is dictated by science is nonsense, Barr said.

During the same appearance where he insisted that coronavirus lockdowns rank right behind slavery in terms of injustice, Barr attacked the Black Lives Matter movement.

Theyre not interested in Black lives, Barr said. Theyre interested in props, a small number of Blacks who are killed by police during conflicts with police usually less than a dozen a year who they can use as props to achieve a much broader political agenda.

In 2019, 250 Black people were shot and killed by police, according to the Washington Posts police shootings database, and thats not counting non-shootings such as George Floyds death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May or Daniel Prudes killing in Rochester in March.

Barr has been extremely critical of the protests that exploded after George Floyds killing: He recently told prosecutors to consider charging violent protesters with sedition, or plotting to overthrow the government, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. He also asked the Justice Departments civil rights division to consider bringing charges against Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan for allowing demonstrators to set up the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone over the summer, the Journal reported.

Earlier this month, Barr said it was a false narrative that theres a widespread problem of the police killing Black people. Instead, Barr insisted on Wednesday, the bigger problem is so-called Black on Black crime.

I view the question of Black lives as not only keeping people alive but also having prosperity and flourishing in their communities, Barr said. Most deaths in the inner city of young Black males below the age of 44, the leading cause of death is being shot by another Black person. And thats crime.

Homicide was the leading cause of death among Black males under the age of 44 in 2017, according to the CDC. But in the years of growth for the Black Lives Matter following the death of Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of his killer, George Zimmerman, the largely decentralized protest movement has also advocated for economic and social justice and reducing gun violence, as have other organizations, groups, and activists allied with the movement.

Additionally, most violent crime is intraracial. Most murders against white victims, for example, are committed by other white people, FBI statistics have shown.

Barr also took the opportunity to slam his own Justice Department prosecutors, equating them to pre-schoolers. Barr has been heavily criticized by current and former prosecutors who say hes undermined them and done President Donald Trumps political bidding.

Earlier this year, for example, four federal prosecutors in the Roger Stone case abruptly quit after Barr stepped in to recommend a shorter sentence than they had. Stone was eventually sentenced to three years in prison, but Trump later commuted that.

They do not have the political legitimacy to be the public face of tough decisions and they lack the political buy-in necessary to publicly defend those decisions, Barr said of career DOJ prosecutors during his prepared remarks at Hillsdale.

Name one successful organization where the lowest-level employees decisions are deemed sacrosanct. There arent any, Barr said. Letting the most junior members set the agenda might be a good philosophy for a Montessori preschool, but its no way to run a federal agency.

Cover: Attorney General William Barr speaks during a press conference about Operation Legend at the Dirksen Federal Building Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in Chicago. (Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

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Bill Barr Just Compared COVID Lockdowns to Slavery and Said Black Victims of Police Violence Are 'Props' - VICE

Activists have spent the past three weeks trying to urgently sway Gainesville city budget decisions.

They have a group of city commissioners receptive to their demands. They have a nationwide moment of civil reflection on spending priorities. They seek immediate change at a time when thats seemingly more possible than ever.

What they dont have is time.

Some of their demands may have been met had they organized months ago. But with only two weeks to go before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, city commissioners have their hands tied.

The citys budget process starts every January, when initial plans are drawn up. In the weeks that follow, budget items undergo revisions by city budget staff and commissioners, who provide feedback for modifications. By July, the city manager releases a finalized budget draft to the City Commission for additional revisions and tweaks before its finalized in September.

With September halfway over, the citys 2020-21 budget is nearly final, with room for only minor changes following the last budget hearing of the month.

Frankly, its irresponsible to make major changes to the budget so late in the process, but I think this is a blueprint going forward, City Commissioner David Arreola said in a phone interview.

Roughly a dozen callers during Thursday nights commission meeting criticized an increase to Gainesville Police Departments budget, demanding a reallocation of funds. The citys increase in funding for police body cameras, disagreement over who pays for school resource officers and Gainesvilles Basketball Cop drew ire in some callers public comments.

To those complaints, Mayor Lauren Poe emphasized the citys additional spending toward art programs, teachers and mental health specialists and no additional spending on sworn police officers.

The drastic influx of public comments at recent commission meetings hints at a trend toward more civic engagement than previously seen. One frequent caller was taken aback at being denied the chance to comment before a vote on fire assessment rates because the phone lines are being jammed up by a bunch of people protesting to defund the police department.

Callers echoed the concerns raised at a first-of-its-kind forum held earlier this month that drew input from residents who otherwise wouldnt attend commission meetings.

The Goddsville Dream Defenders, a Gainesville chapter of the statewide abolitionist organization, hosted the event, which highlighted testimonials from community members who say they are affected by racist policing and immigration laws. Dozens tuned in on Zoom and Facebook Live to discuss what they deemed worthy of more funding.

Among the chief concerns were safety, food security and inequitable housing.

Arreola, the only city commissioner to attend the inaugural forum, suggested that starting these discussions earlier in the process say, February may have had a bigger impact on the upcoming budget. He added this is the first time he has seen an activist organization gather people together to strategically envision the budget on a broad level.

If they continue this energy, if they continue this cultivation of the people to think about their citys government at a much higher level than individual line items, this could be a great segue into the next budget discussion, Arreola said.

The nonprofit Dream Defenders organization, which has other chapters known as SquaDDs in Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Broward County and Hillsbourough County, was created in 2012 following the death of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black boy shot by self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. Since the police murder of George Floyd in May and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Dream Defenders have rallied citizens to voice their opinions at protests and city government meetings.

Although commission meetings and budget hearings are open to the public, the Goddsville Dream Defenders note that the residents most affected by the budget including parts of the Black, Latino and homeless communities are often the least likely to attend, said Dmitry Podobreev, a Dream Defender and 22-year-old University of Florida student.

Usually what we have is the ability to just go to the (commission) meeting, said Jason von Meding, 38, in a phone interview. The(forum) is about giving community and citizens power and decision-making responsibility and agency in how the budget is allocated, rather than just allowing them to come into the room and hear their grievances.

Sara Tito, a Peru native and active member of Madres Sin Fronteras (Mothers without Borders), a grassroots human rights organization in Gainesville dedicated to protecting immigrant children, said she hopes children in schools have access to food and that utility bills will not be so high for those who can least afford the expenses.

Theres not enough (money) to help everyone, and even for the people who have received help, it hasnt been enough, Tito said during the forum, as translated by Liz Ibarrola.

She added that her Gainesville Regional Utilities bill has previously exceeded $800.

Parts of the advocates agenda are moving forward. City commissioners earlier this month approved a new ordinance for rental regulations, meant to force landlords to better regulate rentals for safety hazards and to increase energy efficiency.

Advocates say the rental ordinance should help reduce utility costs for low-income residents whose power bills are sometimes higher than their rent, said Sheila Payne, an Alachua County Labor Coalition board delegate for Veterans for Peace and Dream Defenders fiscal advisor.

People, especially low-income people, are not going to call, Payne, 63, said in a phone interview. They dont want to be evicted. The landlord would know they have called. So they (rentals) all will be inspected and will have to be brought up to code.

Her words echoed those of Poe at a City Commission meeting earlier this month.

The groundskeeper who works at the university, or the custodian that makes sure the professors office and classroom are clean (they) deserve to live in high-opportunity neighborhoods, and they deserve to be a part of this conversation, he said.

Payne emphasized the need for affordable housing when luxury student apartments can have a certain amount of vacancy due to their high rates, leaving Gainesvilles poor feeling helpless.

Its a classic sign of too much poverty in Gainesville and no one caring, she said.

Forum attendees and callers Thursday night expressed a desire for the city to fund more youth programs rather than policing efforts like school resource officers, who the Dream Defenders say play a decisive role in the school-to-prison pipeline. Discussions about transferring the costs of officers to the Alachua County School Board have been underway since June among commissioners.

Payne added that she disagrees with the methods used by the Reichert House a youth program near and dear to Chief Tony Jones for at-risk children from poor neighborhoods or single-parent households. The program, Payne said, too often guides young Black men and boys by militarizing their experience.

The Reichert House, which is partially funded through the Gainesville Police Department, has spent more than $828,000 in the 2020 fiscal year, which city records show is nearly $200,000 over budget.

Goddsville Dream Defender and co-host of the forum Kiara Laurent said in a phone interview that their efforts to put pressure on commissioners was inspired by change, like defunding police departments, occurring in other parts of the country.

Even if the budget is not finalized in our favor, she said, we know that when the next budget comes, were really going to push for participatory budgeting.

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Gainesville Activists Want Shift In City Budget Priorities, But Will Likely Have To Wait A Year - WUFT

Osaka hits balls into the stands after her win against Anett Kontaveit of Estonia on day seven of the 2020 US Open tennis tournament. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

Osaka, who won her seventh match of the US Open tennis tournament on September 6, next sported a mask with the name of Trayvon Martin.

Martin, who was 17 at the time, was shot and killed on February 26, 2012, by George Zimmerman, who was a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman claimed that he shot Martin, who unarmed and leaving a convenience store, out of self-defense.

Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder and was later acquitted of the charges.

After Osaka was shown wearing her mask with Travyon Martin's name, Sabrina Fulton, Martin's mother, thanked the tennis player in an ESPN interview.

Osaka responded to the ESPN videos of Martin's mother and Arbery's father on Twitter, where she wrote: "I often wonder if what I'm doing is resonating and reaching as many people as I hope. That being said, I tried to hold it in on set but after watching these back I cried so much. The strength and the character both of these parents have is beyond me. Love you both, thank you."

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Photos: Every face mask Naomi Osaka wore at the US Open championship - Insider - INSIDER

Miami Herald

George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer acquitted of homicide charges in the 2012 fatal shooting of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, is suing Martins family, prosecutors and others involved in the case he claims rested on false evidence, according to a copy of the suit sent to the media Wednesday.

Zimmerman is represented by Larry Klayman, a high-profile legal crusader tied to conservative causes and the founder of Judicial Watch before splitting with the activist group.

The suit in Polk County Circuit Court cites information in a documentary about the case that accuses the Martin family of engineering false testimony, and the director has scheduled a press conference this week in Coral Gables to coincide with a film screening there. The suit seeks $100 million in civil damages, alleging defamation, abuse of civil process and conspiracy. A copy of the suit was distributed to media Wednesday by the movies director, Joe Gilbert. The case does not yet appear on the online docket of the Polk court system.

The lead defendant in the suit is Sybrina Fulton, Martins mother who became a national figure in the wake of her sons death as a campaign surrogate for Hillary Clinton and a national advocate for social justice and reducing gun deaths. Shes running for the District 1 seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission being vacated by a term-limited Barbara Jordan in the Miami Gardens area.

Martin lived with Fulton, then a county employee, in Miami Gardens, and was visiting his father, Tracy Martin, in Sanford on Feb. 26, 2012, when he died in a gated community where his fathers fiancee lived. Martin was returning from a store with candy. Zimmerman, 28 at the time, reported Martin as suspicious to police in a recorded call after 7 p.m.

The details that followed remain in dispute, with Zimmerman claiming he was attacked by Martin and defended himself. Police and prosecutors described an unjustified shooting of a teenager in a hoodie with Skittles and a drink. A jury acquitted Zimmerman of all charges in 2013.

The lawsuit presses the Zimmerman version of events, with allegations of efforts by the Martin family to produce a false narrative through dishonest accounts from witnesses. The suit also names prosecutors in the Zimmerman case, alleging false prosecution, as well as book publisher Harper Collins over the October release of Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People. The book is by Ben Crump, who represented the Martin family. Crump is also named in the suit, which states all defendants have worked in concert to deprive Zimmerman of his constitutional and other legal rights.

Crump, Klayman and a campaign representative for Fulton did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Originally posted here:
George Zimmerman sues family of Trayvon Martin, publisher ...

It's a story that's been told time and time again: Tech companies are just not diverse enough.

Tech companies supply some of the most financially beneficial jobs on the market. According to Tarika Barrett of Girls Who Code, technical jobs pay twice the average salary. By 2020, there could be 1 million unfilled tech jobs.

"And these are the jobs that can lift entire families up into the middle class," Barrett said.

Diversity in the tech industry is crucial for technical progress. CNBC's Jon Fortt described it like this: "Women, people of color, often have different experiences. And with that can come diversity of thought, and it's shown that diversity of thought can really aid organizations." According to a report from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with more diverse leadership teams report higher innovation revenues.

But tech companies are still lagging when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

In 2014,a year after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death ofTrayvon Martin and the subsequent founding of the Black Lives Matter movement,some Big Tech companies started reporting their workplace demographics and promised to increase diversity.

According to the available data from 10 major U.S. tech companies gathered between 2014 and 2019, the percentage of women in these workforces increased less than 2%. The reports that specified gender and race said most of these women were White. The gender data doesn't consider transgender or gender nonconforming employees, and only one of the 10 companies reported nonbinary employee demographics.

The percentage of Black employees increased less than 3% during the same period. The number of Hispanic employees increased about 1% and the number of Indigenous employees decreased about .01%. The diversity data shows that Asian employees made up about 30% of tech workforces in 2019.

CNBC explored why it's challenging for Big Tech to diversify and what experts say should be done to solve the problem. Watch CNBC's deep-dive into the lack of diversity in U.S. tech companies.

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Tech companies have made big promises, and small gains, for diversity and inclusion - CNBC