London Playbook: 10 things coming down the track for Boris Johnson

It’s going to be an extremely busy term with huge ramifications for the health of the nation, potentially massive upheaval in the economy, as well as clear and present dangers for the fortunes of the PM.

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Maryland state official fired after sharing posts supporting alleged Kenosha shooter

One meme read, “Don’t be a thug if you can’t take a slug!” Another appeared to show an image of the alleged shooting by Kyle Rittenhouse.

A Maryland man who had been the deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives has been fired from his job for sharing posts supporting alleged Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse. 

Arthur (Mac) Love IV posted several memes that supported the shooting. One read, “Don’t be a thug if you can’t take a slug!” Another appeared to show an image of the shooting with a caption that read, “When you get to 2nd place in Wisconsin’s annual quick draw competition.” 

Love was let go Saturday afternoon. 

Read More: Trump to visit Kenosha Tuesday, potentially stoking tensions

“These divisive images and statements are inconsistent with the mission and core values of the Office of Community Initiatives,” said Steven J. McAdams. “Earlier today, I relieved this employee of his duties. Kevin Craft, administrative director of the Governor’s Commission on African Affairs, will assume these duties effective immediately.”

McAdams is the executive director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. 

Read More: Kenosha police chief says officers did nothing wrong by ignoring Kyle Rittenhouse

A spokesperson for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan released a statement supporting the firing. “These posts are obviously totally inappropriate,” she said. “We fully support the immediate actions taken by Director McAdams to address this matter.”

Maryland Matters reported that Love is a “seasoned Republican” who had been posting images supporting the shooting for days. Another image featured a photo of actor Leonardo DiCaprio raising a glass of champagne in the 2013 film, The Great Gatsby, captioned: “When you see a skateboard wielding Antifa chickens*** get smoked by an AR toting 17-yr-old.”

Read More: Christian site raises over $97K for Kenosha shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse

Darryl Barnes, the chairman of Maryland’s Legislative Black Caucus, said that Love’s posts were disturbing. “There’s no sense for it,” Barnes said. “There’s no reason someone like this should be part of our state government.”

Rittenhouse, the accused Kenosha assailant, shot three people Tuesday, killing two, during protests about the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake by Officer Rusten Sheskey. Rittenhouse, who is being portrayed as a right-wing hero, is currently facing felony murder charges. 

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With Safety A Top Concern, 60% Of U.S. Companies Requiring Face Masks As Employees Return To Work

Face masks could become standard as people go back to work. Masks will be part of the employee dress code at 60% of U.S companies as offices reopen, a new Clutch survey shows.

Along with the masks, the post-COVID-19 office also will likely feature socially distant seating arrangements (71%) and sanitation stations installed throughout the space (60%). The key is that requiring face masks will be a necessary first step for companies beginning to reopen offices, Clutch concluded.

A ratings and review firm, Clutch’s 2020 Return to Work Survey included 400 U.S. workers.

What shocked Clutch Editorial Manager Shelby Jordan most about the survey findings was that a lot of news coverage framed mask requirements as somewhat of a polarizing topic, but “our data showed strong support. With 60% of companies planning to require masks in the office, and nearly a third of employees ranking them as a top priority, face masks seem more widely supported than I’d expected.”

Some  82% of the U.S. workforce expects its company to apply careful measures before asking employees to return. From socially distant seating to childcare and transportation accommodations, companies are demonstrating a commitment to safety, given employee health is linked to performance.

The survey also asked if people even want to return to work. About 20% want to return as soon as possible, but 28% are hesitant to go back right away and hoping to wait until September or next year. Some 15% of workers don’t want to return to an office at all, while 39% have already returned.

Avoiding the spread of COVID-19 appears to be top of mind for workers and employers, an expanded Clutch survey shows. For many people, safety is the top concern. And remote work works for some but not others. For working parents, it may be difficult to focus with kids in the house. Some employees may feel more productive out of the office, yet others find it more distracting. Working from home also lends itself to additional flexibility but can prove more challenging for a stable work-life balance.

The encouraging news is 9 out of 10 companies are already taking steps to create a safe environment for employees. Clutch found that 91% of employers have implemented at least one of the precautionary measures. The top three most common measures are: social distance mandates (71%), face covering requirements (60%), and improved hygiene practices (60%).

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