Civil Unrest

The Hill reports: Walmart announced Thursday that it has removed ammunition and firearms from sales floors at its U.S. locations in anticipation of “civil unrest” in parts of the country. The retail giant said it was removing guns and ammunition to avoid thefts if its stores are broken into, though the company will still sell the products, The Wall Street …

CNN reports: Two of the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement agencies are preparing for the possibility of more civil unrest amid a contentious election, according to officials, part of a concerted effort by federal and local authorities to prepare for large-scale protests. The Trump administration’s deployment of federal officers to US cities came under scrutiny this summer and drew …

Reuters reports: The number of first-time buyers has skyrocketed this year, according to industry analysts, trade groups and the CEO of major gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson Brands Inc, Mark Peter Smith. In a Sept. 3 conference call with investors, Smith estimated that firearms neophytes accounted for about 40% of sales this year, an estimate he called conservative and “double …

Gothamist reports: Harold “Heshy” Tischler strolled onto 13th Avenue in Borough Park at 9 p.m. Wednesday night, bare-faced and hoarse from days of screaming, and into the arms of an adoring crowd. Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators chanted his name, waving Trump and Thin Blue Lines flags as they jockeyed for a chance to meet the brash right-wing radio host leading …

The Stars & Stripes reports: Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., introduced a bill Wednesday that would ban the use of camouflage uniforms by federal law enforcement following criticism during the summer that federal agents assigned to control racial protests looked like National Guard troops. “The Trump administration’s decision to deploy federal law enforcement officers outfitted in camouflage uniforms in response to …

The Louisville Courier Journal reports: Two Louisville Metro Police officers were shot in downtown Louisville Wednesday night, just eight hours after an indictment was returned in the Breonna Taylor case. Interim LMPD chief Robert Schroeder confirmed two officers were shot and sustained non life-threatening injuries. One officer is in surgery, and the other is alert and in stable condition. Schroeder …

Mediaite reports: Joe Biden specifically condemned violence committed by Antifa during the unrest that has gripped the nation for months. He told WGAL’s Barbara Barr that he has condemned violent unrest from the beginning, and attacked President Donald Trump for not doing the same. “I condemned it across the board. The president still hasn’t condemned the far right folks coming …

The Hill reports: Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaign on Tuesday released a new ad that condemns rioting and violence as President Trump’s campaign continues to frame a Biden presidency as one that would lead to more turbulence and unrest. The Biden campaign ad, entitled “Be Not Afraid,” focuses on a portion of Biden’s Monday speech from a steel mill in …

The New York Times reports: Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said on Tuesday that Joseph R. Biden Jr. planned to visit Kenosha “as soon as possible” to help calm the city — and slammed President Trump’s trip there as an attempt to fuel “hate.” Mr. Perez, speaking on a conference call with reporters, said Mr. Biden’s …

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is urging President Donald Trump not to visit Kenosha this week. In a Sunday letter to Trump, Evers wrote, “I write today to respectfully ask you to reconsider” plans to visit the Wisconsin city, which has been shaken by unrest since a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake one week ago. …

Axios reports: Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told ABC’s “This Week” that “all options continue to be on the table” in terms of sending federal law enforcement into Portland to quell violent protests. On Friday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler sent President Trump a letter rejecting his offer of federal assistance. “I do understand that there were a number of …

The Daily Beast reports: Hundreds of Trump supporters, some of them armed, converged on Portland late Saturday and faced off against anti-racist protesters as part of a “cruise rally” that resulted in a spate of violent clashes and at least one fatal shooting. Portland Police confirmed on Twitter that the shooting is being investigated as a homicide.  They responded and …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump is to visit Kenosha, Wis., where unrest has surged over the past week in the wake of the police shooting of an unarmed African American man, Jacob Blake. during a roundtable discussion in Orange, Texas, in which state officials assessed the storm damage from Hurricane Laura, a reporter asked the president whether he would also …

CBC News reports: A crowd of protesters surrounded U.S. Sen. Rand Paul as he was leaving the White House following the Republican National Convention early Friday, shouting for the lawmaker from Kentucky to acknowledge the shooting of Breonna Taylor. Video posted on social media showed dozens of people confronting Paul and his wife, who were flanked by Metro Police, in …

ESPN reports: NBA players have decided to resume the playoffs, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Thursday’s three playoff games are postponed, the league announced. Demanding societal change and ending racial injustice has been a major part of the NBA’s restart at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The phrase “Black Lives Matter” is painted on the arena courts, …

“Well, the mob ruled in Wisconsin and chaos reigned in Wisconsin. And so, it is a perfectly predictable, it is a perfectly predictable response that you’re going to get people who, in vigilante fashion, decide that they’re going to go out and protect the private property of other people. “Now, should they be doing that without the training? No. Should …

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: Wisconsin Lutheran College said Vice President Mike Pence won’t serve as the school’s commencement speaker Thursday after “careful consideration of the escalating events in Kenosha.” The college, which is in Milwaukee, said it has chosen Rev. Mark Jeske of St. Marcus Lutheran Church as a substitute speaker for Saturday’s event. The commencement is not on …

The Daily Dot reports: Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, Illinois has been charged with first-degree murder according to documents reviewed by the Daily Dot. According to the Lake County, Illinois Clerk of Courts public records, obtained by the Daily Dot, Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree murder in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and labeled a “fugitive from justice.” The complaint states that …

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports: Kenosha Police said early Wednesday morning that two people had been shot and killed and a third injured during protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake; authorities were looking for a man armed with a long gun. Earlier Wednesday, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that one victim had been shot in …

CBS Chicago reports: Streets and bridges are being closed as downtown Chicago is shut down amid looting and unrest Monday. All bridges are being raised along the river throughout The Loop. Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management announced street closures throughout areas in the Magnificent Mile, Gold Coast and South Loop. CTA bus and train service to The Loop has been …