WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday he opposes use of the Insurrection Act, which would allow President Donald Trump to use active-duty military forces for law enforcement duties in containing street protests. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Esper said active-duty troops in a law enforcement role should...
US Cities Gird for More Violence as Trump Decries 'Lowlifes'
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday turned up the pressure on governors to quell the violence set off by the death of George Floyd, demanding New York call up the National Guard to stop the “lowlifes and losers.” As more demonstrations began taking shape around the country during the...
Looting Devastates Businesses Already Shaken by Virus
NEW YORK — Looting and vandalism in cities across the country have dealt another blow to small businesses that were already reeling from the coronavirus outbreak. Along with big chain stores like Target, Walgreen and Macy’s, independent retailers in neighborhoods and downtown sections were targets of vandals and looters who...
Death Toll Grows in National Protests
One man was the beloved owner of a Louisville barbecue restaurant who made sure to provide free meals to officers. Another was a man known as “Mr. Indianapolis," a former star football player. Yet another was a federal officer working security during a protest. They are among the people who...
US Cities Erupt in More Violence Amid Threats From Trump
WASHINGTON — American cities erupted in violence and destruction in a seventh straight night of unrest, with several police officers shot or run over, amid boasts and threats from President Donald Trump to send in troops to “dominate the streets.” In New York, nonviolent protests Monday night were punctuated by...
I am 'the President of Law and Order,' Trump Declares
WASHINGTON — Amid racial unrest across the nation, President Donald Trump on Monday declared himself “the president of law and order” and threatened to deploy the United States military to American cities to quell a rise of violent protests. As Trump spoke, an incredible TV split-screen developed around the White House....
Officials See Extremist Groups, Disinformation in Protests
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials are seeking to determine whether extremist groups had infiltrated police brutality protests across the country and deliberately tipped largely peaceful demonstrations toward violence — and if foreign adversaries were behind a burgeoning disinformation campaign on social media. As demonstrations spread from Minneapolis to the White House,...
Trump Slams Governors as 'Weak,' Urges Crackdown on Protests
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday derided many governors as “weak” and demanded tougher crackdowns on burning and stealing among some demonstrations in the aftermath of another night of violent protests in dozens of American cities. Trump spoke to governors on a video teleconference that also included law enforcement and...
Federal Officer Killed Guarding Courthouse Near Protest
OAKLAND — A federal law enforcement officer in California was shot and killed and another wounded while providing security at the U.S. courthouse in Oakland amid one of the increasingly violent protests unfolding around the country. “When someone targets a police officer or a police station with an intention to...
More Journalists Injured Covering George Floyd Protests
LOS ANGELES — The first time officers shot rubber bullets at MSNBC host Ali Velshi and his crew Saturday night in Minneapolis, he was willing to believe that the officials didn’t know they were press. The second time, Velshi said, they knew and shot anyway. “We put our hands up...