#American citizen -> attacked by operatives in a state-sanctioned event (the race) -> finds out the literal president is trying to kill him

[right-there-ride-on]

something something johnny calling all of his enemies terrorists until he finds out the truth of the race. then suddenly it’s Valentine’s actions that can be considered in ‘the right’ or at least ‘legal’ and johnny who’s painted as a terrorist. hm. something about state-backed murder being considered righteous solely because it’s state-backed…

[biofunmy]

U.S. Shootings, Volodymyr Zelensky, Heat Wave: Your Monday Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

We’re covering two weekend shootings in the U.S., another tanker captured by Iran and the effects of Europe’s heat wave.

Two days, two shootings, at least 29 dead

More than two dozen people were killed over the weekend in shootings in two U.S. cities, underscoring the scale of gun violence in the country.

Federal investigators are treating a shooting on Saturday at a Walmart in El Paso, Tex., as an act of domestic terrorism. At least 20 people were killed and 26 wounded. Less than 24 hours later, a gunman opened fire in Dayton, Ohio, killing at least nine people and wounding 27 others.

The back-to-back attacks bring the number of mass shootings in the U.S. this year to 32.

White male suspects: In El Paso, a 21-year-old Texan named Patrick Crusius surrendered to the police, and the authorities were investigating a hate-filled, anti-immigrant manifesto that he may have posted online minutes before the attack detailing “the Hispanic invasion of Texas.”

In Dayton, a heavily armed gunman wearing body armor, identified as a 24-year-old resident named Connor Betts, was shot dead by the police.

Go deeper: The number of attacks by white extremists in the global West is growing, and at least a third of the killers since 2011 drew inspiration from other perpetrators, according to a Times analysis. An international comparison shows that the high rate of mass shootings in the U.S. stems from the country’s astronomical number of guns.

8chan: The online messaging board where the manifesto was posted before the El Paso attack has become a megaphone for mass shooters and a recruiting platform for white nationalists. Its founder wants to “shut the site down.”

Putin’s rival in Ukraine courts Russian speakers

Ukraine’s relationship with Russia is the pivot around which many of Europe’s most pressing security problems revolve.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the former comedian who became Ukraine’s president in May, has approached the relationship with a combination of assertiveness and strategic generosity, reaching out to Russian speakers whom his nationalist predecessor could not hope to win over.

Context: Mr. Putin responded to Mr. Zelensky’s election by offering Russian passports to Russian-speaking residents of separatist areas of eastern Ukraine, a potentially ominous move because further military intervention could then be justified as protecting Russian citizens.

Mr. Zelensky countered with an appeal to the Russian opposition. “We know perfectly well what a Russian passport provides,” he said. “The right to be arrested for a peaceful protest” and “the right not to have free and competitive elections.”

He offered Ukrainian passports to “the Russian people who suffer most of all” from repressive government.

Iran seizes another tanker

The country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps seized a foreign tanker in the Persian Gulf, state television reported, including the ship’s seven crew members. Iran didn’t identify the ship’s operator.

This is the third tanker Iran has captured in the past month — and the second it has accused of “smuggling” fuel — while the U.S. ramps up its “maximum pressure” campaign in an attempt to force the country to renegotiate the 2015 nuclear deal.

Tehran has also reneged on the commitments in that deal, which President Trump abandoned last year.

Go deeper: China and other countries have been importing more oil from Iran than was previously known, according to a Times investigation, in clear defiance of U.S. sanctions.

Consumer debt spirals in Russia

Millions of Russians are increasingly swiping their credit cards or relying on payday lenders and going into debt.

Growth in consumer lending — as Russians cope with hard times brought on by slumping oil prices and Western sanctions — has alarmed some economic policy officials. While spending has lifted the economy, with ballooning consumer debt, it could help start a recession.

Details: Since the onset of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions, total outstanding personal debt among Russians has roughly doubled, according to the country’s central bank. The country’s population was virtually debt-free a generation ago.

Context: Many first-time credit card users in Russia have little experience managing debt. And with Russia facing other economic woes, these spenders are also seeing their inflation-adjusted salaries decline.

If you have 5 minutes, this is worth it

Europe’s heat wave, fueled by climate change

The heat wave that has enveloped Europe moved over Greenland, causing the surface of the island’s vast ice sheet to melt at near-record levels.

Researchers at World Weather Attribution, a group that conducts rapid analyses of weather events to see if they are influenced by climate change, said the heat wave was hotter by about 2.5 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit due to climate change.

Here’s what else is happening

London: A teenager was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of attempted murder after a 6-year-old boy was thrown off the 10th-floor viewing platform at the Tate Modern museum, the police said. The victim was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition.

Hong Kong: Protesters disrupted service on six subway and rail lines and airlines canceled more than 200 flights Monday after antigovernment activists called for a general strike and rallies across the city.

HSBC: The bank announced the surprise departure of its chief executive officer, John Flint, on Sunday night, saying it needed a change at the top to address “a challenging global environment.” It came just a year and a half into his term.

Islamic State: Less than five months after the military defeat of the terrorist group in Syria, a United Nations report is warning that the group’s leaders could launch international terrorist attacks before the end of the year, including those intended to “exacerbate existing dissent and unrest” in European nations.

I.M.F.: The European Union nominated Kristalina Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist, to replace Christine Lagarde as managing director of the International Monetary Fund after a tense selection process.

Sudan: The ruling military council and pro-democracy protesters initialed a constitutional declaration aimed at paving the way for a transition to civilian rule after the ouster of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and months of unrest.

Snapshot: Above, Franky Zapata, the French inventor of a jet-powered hoverboard, on Sunday. He used his device, which he calls the Flyboard Air, to cross the English Channel in about 22 minutes.

From Opinion: James Comey, the former F.B.I. director, wrote that President Trump “must stop trying to unleash and exploit the radioactive energy of racism.”

Women’s British Open: Hinako Shibuno of Japan wrapped up a stunning major championship debut by rolling in a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win by one shot over the American Lizette Salas.

What we’re reading: This essay in Air Mail, a news site for world travelers. Lynda Richardson, a Travel editor, writes: “I was engrossed by Elena Ferrante’s four-book series, the Neapolitan novels — and surprised to learn in this piece that her powerful voice falls flat for many Italian women.”

Now, a break from the news

Cook: Runny-yolked, crisp-edged Parmesan eggs will perk up just about any dinner.

Read: Our critic recalls a summer spent as an apprentice to the Broadway pioneer Hal Prince, who died last week at 91. Prince’s outsize contributions to American theater included “West Side Story” and “Cabaret.”

Watch: The director David Leitch narrates a sequence from “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.”

Smarter Living: A new social environment can be a significant obstacle to navigate when starting a new job. Research shows that building relationships with co-workers and chatting with supervisors can promote workplace harmony and even good personal health. So accept those early offers of coffee or lunch and steer clear of gossip, and skirt or deflect tricky personal questions.

We also have 10 tips to help you have a cleaner, safer, more relaxing hotel stay.

And now for the Back Story on …

High heels

Women’s footwear with high elevation at the heel accounts for almost 14 percent of the value of the global $250 billion shoe industry. The shoes are a fixture at footwear trade shows around the world, including at this week’s New York Shoe Show.

But high heels actually began life as a men’s shoe. One theory says they were designed to help mounted soldiers keep their feet in the stirrups. Persians, the stories go, brought the innovation to Europe in the 15th century.

Since then, the shoes have been associated with male aristocracy (17th century), witchcraft (18th), female sex appeal (19th on) — and back, foot and calf injuries and strain.

High heels are a cultural conundrum for many women who recognize both their debilitating effects and their supposed allure. And they’re a statement piece among some gender-fluid folks.

They’re also tools for activists. Mostly men compete in Madrid Pride’s annual high-heel race (minimum height: 4 inches). And some U.S. cities host awareness-raising “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” high-heel events for men.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Melina

Thank you Alisha Haridasani Gupta helped compile today’s briefings. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford wrote the break from the news. Victoria Shannon, on the Briefings team, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about how the Democratic debates help narrow the U.S. presidential field. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Food type whose name often ends in “i” (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Gia Kourlas, a dance writer who has interviewed luminaries including Misty Copeland, Paul Taylor, Justin Peck, Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris for The Times, is joining our Culture desk as a dance critic.

Sahred From Source link World News

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[benrleeusa]

[John K. Ross] Short Circuit: A roundup of recent federal court decisions

Please enjoy the latest edition of Short Circuit, a weekly feature from the Institute for Justice.

This week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard argument on whether there is a rational basis for a law that prohibits joint operation of both a cemetery and a funeral home. Should the state have to point to specific facts showing the law protects the public from harm—or should it just have to show that the law could arguably have been intended to protect the public, irrespective of whether it actually does? The former, argues an IJ amicus brief.

Asked if he has a gun, man flees D.C. police on foot. Police shoot him in the back, killing him. A broken BB gun is recovered nearby. (The man's fingerprints aren't on it; DNA swabs are taken but apparently not processed.) Jury: It wasn't excessive force. Man's mother: Could be the police planted the BB gun. The trial judge should have delayed the trial and sanctioned the defense for failing to turn over evidence during discovery. D.C. Circuit: No errors here.

Two physicians, a labor union president, and many others help Long Island Rail Road workers obtain fraudulent disability benefits. It's an "epidemic" of fraud; nearly 80 percent of LIRR workers retire on disability—compared to 20 percent at a comparable railroad. Defendants: The scam was so blatant that regulators must have known what we were doing, and they didn't try to stop us. Second Circuit (2015): Convictions affirmed. Defendants: Okay, but it wasn't such an epidemic after all; most retirees' were indeed disabled and have since had their benefits reinstated. We shouldn't have to pay so much restitution. Second Circuit (2018): The restitution isn't a sufficient deprivation of your liberty to permit collateral review.

After "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli increases the price of a brand AIDS drug by 5,000 percent, Maryland legislators ban "price gouging" of "essential" generic drugs. Drug companies: Which is unconstitutional. The Commerce Clause limits the power of states to control conduct outside their own borders. Fourth Circuit: Just so. Maryland is directly controlling prices charged outside Maryland, so the law must go.

Executing a warrant to arrest a man suspected of credit card fraud, Biloxi, Miss. police approach man's RV in the dark, draw guns, enter without knocking, and order man to exit RV. Within 30 seconds, the man has been shot and tased while fishing for a cigarette lighter in his pocket. Fifth Circuit: He shouldn't have done that; qualified immunity.

May Ohio prohibit the state health department from offering federal health funds (unrelated to abortion) to any organization that provides or promotes abortion? No, says the Sixth Circuit, because the law places an unconstitutional condition (agreement with the state's message) on receiving otherwise available funds.

Were volunteers at a church-owned Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio restaurant "coerced" into working (and therefore entitled to minimum wage) because the church's pastor ominously warned them that failing to do so might be a mortal sin? Sixth Circuit: No! Judge Kethledge, concurring: The gov't's position, that it is entitled to regulate the spiritual dialogue between pastor and congregation, "assumes a power whose use would violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment."

Ohio state trooper pulls over African-American motorist because he was driving under the speed limit (less than a mile after exiting a reduced-speed construction zone) and because the wheel of his car touched a lane marking. After a sobriety test and drug-doggie sniff turn up nothing illegal, a search of the car reveals some counterfeit gift cards. Sixth Circuit: Suppress the evidence. "While the law allows pretextual stops based on minor traffic violations, no traffic law prohibits driving while black."

Responding to a domestic violence call, 320-lb. Lenawee County, Mich. police officer tackles a man on his porch—fracturing his pelvis and breaking multiple ribs. Uh oh! Turns out the police had the wrong address. Sixth Circuit: A jury could find that the officer acted unreasonably and used excessive force. A second officer, who simply watched the events unfold, is entitled to qualified immunity.

Since 2016, Indiana has banned abortion providers from providing abortions when a woman seeks one because of the fetus's race, gender, or diagnosis of a disability. Seventh Circuit: Unconstitutional. Partial dissent: A separate provision requiring abortion providers to treat fetal remains like human remains should have been upheld.

Suspected murderer is so drunk/stoned that he literally falls out of his chair during interrogation. While he is in this state, Peoria, Ill. police tell him that, as a young black man, he is unlikely to receive a fair trial; falsely tell him that multiple witnesses saw him do it; and generally pressure him to confess. He's convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 65 years, though the conviction is later overturned. Can he sue the cops? Seventh Circuit: Yup.

After Congress fails to pass legislation to address so-called sanctuary cities, President Trump exercises the power of the pen and the phone to withhold federal funding from municipalities that don't cooperate with federal immigration officials. Seventh Circuit: Congress didn't give the President that power, and he can't take it for himself. Partial concurrence/dissent: That's true, but the district court didn't have the power to enter a nationwide injunction.

A man identifying himself as psychiatrist Julian Lopez Garcia purports to treat patients for various mental illnesses at a Chicago medical clinic for several months. Plot twist! The good doctor is neither a doctor nor, in fact, Julian Lopez Garcia. (He is instead high-school dropout Scott Redman.) A sophisticated fraud for which, says the Seventh Circuit, he received an appropriately long sentence.

President Trump ended the contempt prosecution of Maricopa County, Ariz. Sheriff Joe Arpaio by granting a pardon. Arpaio then asked that his conviction be vacated. After the district court refused, Arpaio appealed, and the United States announced that it would not defend the ruling. By a vote of 2–1, the Ninth Circuit holds that a special prosecutor should be appointed to defend the ruling. In dissent, Judge Tallman bemoans "undoubtedly political attacks on Presidential authority."

Walter Leroy Moody Jr. sent four package bombs, killing an Eleventh Circuit judge and a civil rights attorney. A federal court sentenced him to life in prison, and then a state court sentenced him to die. Moody: You can't execute me yet—or ever—as I haven't yet served my federal life sentence. Eleventh Circuit: Petition denied. The feds get to decide which sentence you serve first, and they are fine with Alabama retaining custody. (Note: He was indeed executed last night.)

And in en banc news, the Fifth Circuit will not reconsider its holding that Austin, Texas' campaign contribution limits are constitutional. In his first opinion on the bench, Judge Ho dissents: "If we're going to ask taxpayers to devote a substantial percentage of their hard-earned income to fund the innumerable activities of federal, state, and local government, we should at the very least allow citizens to spend a fraction of that amount to speak out about how the government should spend their money."

Though not spelled out in the Bill of Rights, "Americans have the right to wander, to stroll, and even, if they wish, to loaf about without purpose or object." So says a federal judge in the Southern District of Ohio. (H/t: Brad Heath.)

Texas' Twelfth Court of Appeals strikes down a "revenge porn" statute, under the First Amendment, because the law unjustifiably restricts the content of speech and prohibits more speech than necessary.

In Minnesota, if you want to sell wine directly to the public from your vineyard, state law requires a majority of your grapes be grown in state—a mandate that benefits only the state's grape industry. For vintners, the law raises costs and limits their ability to expand their businesses. So last year two Minnesota wineries joined with IJ to challenge the law. This month, a federal judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds without deciding whether the law is constitutional. And now the wineries are appealing to the Eighth Circuit to vindicate their rights to free trade in both interstate and foreign commerce. Click here to read more.