Latest news with #post-Pandemic
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
FACT FOCUS: Trump exaggerates, misstates facts on Washington crime
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration will take over policing the nation's capital city in what the Republican said is an effort to bring down rising crime rates in Washington, D.C. But Trump exaggerated or misstated many of the facts surrounding public safety in Washington, where the crime rate has fallen in recent years, while leaving out much of the context. Here's a closer look at the facts: Statistics rebut Trump's claims about violence crime in Washington TRUMP: 'It's getting worse, not getting better. It's getting worse.' THE FACTS: Statistics published by Washington's Metropolitan Police contradict the president and show violent crime has dropped in Washington since a post-Pandemic peak in 2023. According to the data, homicides, robberies and burglaries are down this year when compared with this time in 2024. Overall, violent crime is down 26% compared with this time a year ago. A recent Department of Justice report shows that violent crime is down 35% since 2023, returning to the previous trend of decreasing crime that puts the district's violent crime rate at its lowest in 30 years. That report shows that when compared to 2023 numbers, homicides are down 32%, armed carjackings are down 53% and assaults with a dangerous weapon are down 27%. The city's statistics have come into question, however, after authorities opened an investigation into allegations that officials altered some of the data to make it look better. But Mayor Muriel Bowser stands by the data and said Trump's portrait of lawlessness is inaccurate. 'We are not experiencing a spike in crime," Bowser said on MSNBC Sunday. "In fact, we're watching our crime numbers go down.' Murders in 2023 in Washington were high, but not the highest ever TRUMP: "Murders in 2023 reached the highest rate, probably ever. They say 25 years, but they don't know what that means because it just goes back 25 years." THE FACTS: In 2023, the District of Columbia recorded 274 murders in a city of about 700,000, its highest number in 20 years. But the city's own crime statistics from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, when the population was smaller, show much higher numbers of homicides. In 1990, for instance, the city reported 498 homicides. The next year saw 509, and 460 in 1992. Decades of statistics on crime in the city is available online. Washington murder rate compared to international capitals TRUMP: 'The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogota, Colombia, Mexico City. Some of the places that you hear about as being the worst places on Earth, much higher. This is much higher." THE FACTS: It's true, but Trump isn't telling the whole story. Washington does have a higher homicide rate than many other global cities, including some that have historically been considered unsafe by many Americans. But Trump is leaving out important context: the U.S. in general sees higher violent crime rates than many other countries. Trump blames cashless bail for crime without evidence TRUMP : "This dire public safety crisis stems from a public safety crisis that is directly from the abject failures of the city's local leadership. The radical left City Council adopted no cash bail. By the way, every place in the country where you have no cash bail is a disaster." THE FACTS: Data has not determined the impact of cashless bail on crime rates. Studies, many of which focus on recidivism of defendants rather than crime rates, have shown mixed results. A 2024 report published by the Brennan Center for Justice saw 'no statistically significant relationship' between bail reform and crime rates. The nonprofit looked at crime rate data from 2015 through 2021 for 33 cities across the U.S., 22 of which had instituted some type of bail reform. Researchers used a statistical method to determine if crime rates had diverged in those with reforms and those without. Ames Grawert, the report's co-author and senior counsel in the Brennan Center's Justice Program, said this conclusion 'holds true for trends in crime overall or specifically violent crime.' Similarly, a 2023 paper published in the American Economic Journal found no evidence that cash bail helps ensure defendants will show up in court or prevents crime among those who are released while awaiting trial. 'I don't know of any valid studies corroborating the President's claim and would love to know what the Administration offers in support,' Kellen Funk, a professor at Columbia Law School who studies pretrial procedure and bail bonding, told The Associated Press in a July 25 fact check. 'In my professional judgment I'd call the claim demonstrably false and inflammatory.' The Trump administration has cited a 2022 report from the district attorney's office in Yolo County, California, that looked at how a temporary cashless bail system implemented across the state to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in courts and jails impacted recidivism. It found that out of 595 individuals released between April 2020 and May 2021 under this system, 70.6% were arrested again after they were released. Funk, contacted Monday, noted that Washington D.C. reformed its cash bail system in the 1990s. 'What the President is declaring to be an 'emergency' is a system that has functioned much better than cash-based bail systems for nearly thirty years now, including during the recent historic lows in reported crime in the District,' he said, adding that 'the D.C. bail system has served as a model for bipartisan bail reform efforts in New Jersey and New Mexico over the past decade.'
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
FACT FOCUS: Trump exaggerates, misstates facts on Washington crime
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration will take over policing the nation's capital city in what the Republican said is an effort to bring down rising crime rates in Washington, D.C. But Trump exaggerated or misstated many of the facts surrounding public safety in Washington, where the crime rate has fallen in recent years, while leaving out much of the context. Here's a closer look at the facts: Statistics rebut Trump's claims about violence crime in Washington TRUMP: 'It's getting worse, not getting better. It's getting worse.' THE FACTS: Statistics published by Washington's Metropolitan Police contradict the president and show violent crime has dropped in Washington since a post-Pandemic peak in 2023. According to the data, homicides, robberies and burglaries are down this year when compared with this time in 2024. Overall, violent crime is down 26% compared with this time a year ago. A recent Department of Justice report shows that violent crime is down 35% since 2023, returning to the previous trend of decreasing crime that puts the district's violent crime rate at its lowest in 30 years. That report shows that when compared to 2023 numbers, homicides are down 32%, armed carjackings are down 53% and assaults with a dangerous weapon are down 27%. The city's statistics have come into question, however, after authorities opened an investigation into allegations that officials altered some of the data to make it look better. But Mayor Muriel Bowser stands by the data and said Trump's portrait of lawlessness is inaccurate. 'We are not experiencing a spike in crime,' Bowser said on MSNBC Sunday. 'In fact, we're watching our crime numbers go down.' Murders in 2023 in Washington were high, but not the highest ever TRUMP: 'Murders in 2023 reached the highest rate, probably ever. They say 25 years, but they don't know what that means because it just goes back 25 years.' THE FACTS: In 2023, the District of Columbia recorded 274 murders in a city of about 700,000, its highest number in 20 years. But the city's own crime statistics from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, when the population was smaller, show much higher numbers of homicides. In 1990, for instance, the city reported 498 homicides. The next year saw 509, and 460 in 1992. Decades of statistics on crime in the city is available online. Washington murder rate compared to international capitals TRUMP: 'The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogota, Colombia, Mexico City. Some of the places that you hear about as being the worst places on Earth, much higher. This is much higher.' THE FACTS: It's true, but Trump isn't telling the whole story. Washington does have a higher homicide rate than many other global cities, including some that have historically been considered unsafe by many Americans. But Trump is leaving out important context: the U.S. in general sees higher violent crime rates than many other countries. While Washington is one of America's most dangerous big cities, others have higher crime rates. Trump blames cashless bail for crime without evidence TRUMP : 'This dire public safety crisis stems from a public safety crisis that is directly from the abject failures of the city's local leadership. The radical left City Council adopted no cash bail. By the way, every place in the country where you have no cash bail is a disaster.' THE FACTS: Data has not determined the impact of cashless bail on crime rates. Studies, many of which focus on recidivism of defendants rather than crime rates, have shown mixed results. A 2024 report published by the Brennan Center for Justice saw 'no statistically significant relationship' between bail reform and crime rates. The nonprofit looked at crime rate data from 2015 through 2021 for 33 cities across the U.S., 22 of which had instituted some type of bail reform. Researchers used a statistical method to determine if crime rates had diverged in those with reforms and those without. Ames Grawert, the report's co-author and senior counsel in the Brennan Center's Justice Program, said this conclusion 'holds true for trends in crime overall or specifically violent crime.' Similarly, a 2023 paper published in the American Economic Journal found no evidence that cash bail helps ensure defendants will show up in court or prevents crime among those who are released while awaiting trial. 'I don't know of any valid studies corroborating the President's claim and would love to know what the Administration offers in support,' Kellen Funk, a professor at Columbia Law School who studies pretrial procedure and bail bonding, told The Associated Press in a July 25 fact check. 'In my professional judgment I'd call the claim demonstrably false and inflammatory.' The Trump administration has cited a 2022 report from the district attorney's office in Yolo County, California, that looked at how a temporary cashless bail system implemented across the state to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in courts and jails impacted recidivism. It found that out of 595 individuals released between April 2020 and May 2021 under this system, 70.6% were arrested again after they were released. Funk, contacted Monday, noted that Washington D.C. reformed its cash bail system in the 1990s. 'What the President is declaring to be an 'emergency' is a system that has functioned much better than cash-based bail systems for nearly thirty years now, including during the recent historic lows in reported crime in the District,' he said, adding that 'the D.C. bail system has served as a model for bipartisan bail reform efforts in New Jersey and New Mexico over the past decade.' ___ Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed reporting. ___ Find AP Fact Checks here:
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Kentucky bourbon went from boom to bust
As American as apple pie, Kentucky bourbon was booming after the last Great Recession ended. But as the economy has waned post-Pandemic - and with multiple trade wars on the horizon - the market may be drying up. Although the whiskey, which is traditionally made with corn and aged in charred oak barrels, has roots going all the way back to the 18th Century, it wasn't until 1964 that it became an iconic piece of Americana, when Congress passed a law declaring it a "distinctive product of the United States". But drinking trends come and go, and by the end of the 20th Century, bourbon was considered a bit old fashioned - pun intended. "You often see these kind of generational shifts where people don't want to drink what their parents drink," said Marten Lodewijks, the US president of IWSR, which collects alcoholic beverage data and provides industry analysis. Then, as the world recovered from the 2008 recession, drinkers seemed to rediscover this classic spirit, for a few different reasons. For starters, the price point was good, which made it attractive for bar managers to purchase and incorporate into cocktails and for younger drinkers to sample. Then, in 2013, a law was passed in Kentucky that made it easier for companies to purchase and resell vintage bottles, opening up a high-end collectible market. Add to that the rise in mid-century nostalgia fuelled by shows like Mad Men, and bourbon was due for a full-blown Renaissance. Sales of bourbon grew by 7% worldwide between 2011-2020, which is more than three times the growth of the decade prior, according to industry data company IWSR. Soon, some bourbon distillers were becoming quasi-celebrities, and people were starting to buy up bourbon bottles not to drink, but as an investment. "Everyone was going crazy over the bourbon market, and treating like a commodity, like a stock," recalls Robin Wynne, a general manager and beverage director for Little Sister in Toronto, Canada, who has been a bar manager for about 25 years. "People would go in as a prospector, to flip bottles for two to three times the value." But like most market bubbles, this one was bound to burst. The pandemic's lockdowns tanked bar sales, and inflation has made many would-be bourbon drinkers choose less expensive options - or forgo drinking all together. Amongst Gen-Z, many 20-somethings are drinking less than their older siblings and parents did at their age. Those factors have contributed to declining alcohol sales, with bourbon sales specifically slowing down to just 2% between 2021-2024, according to IWSR data. President Donald Trump's global tariffs have been the final straw. The EU has announced retaliatory tariffs against US goods, including Kentucky bourbon and Californian wine, although implementation has been delayed for six months. Meanwhile, most provinces in Canada have stopped importing American alcoholic beverages in retaliation. The country accounts for about 10% of Kentucky's $9bn (£6.7bn) whiskey and bourbon business. "That's worse than a tariff, because it's literally taking your sales away, completely removing our products from the shelves ... that's a very disproportionate response," Lawson Whiting, the CEO of Brown-Forman, which produces Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve and Old Forester, said back in March when Canadian provinces announced their plan to stop buying US booze. Trump has said that tariffs will boost made-in-American businesses. But Republican Senator Rand Paul, who represents Kentucky, said the tariffs will hurt local businesses and consumers in his home state. "Well, tariffs are taxes, and when you put a tax on a business, it's always passed through as a cost. So, there will be higher prices," he told ABC's "This Week" in May. These economic pressures have created a growing list of casualties. Liquor giant Diageo, reported that sales of Bulleit, a Kentucky distillery that makes bourbon, rye and whiskey, where down 7.3% this fiscal year. Wild Turkey - a Kentucky bourbon owned by Campari - sales were down 8.1% over the past six months. While big, international brands will likely be able to weather the storm, the sales hit has led to a growing list of casualties. In July, LMD Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy - just one month after opening the Luca Mariano Distillery in Danville, Kentucky. This spring, Garrard County Distilling went into receivership. And in January, Jack Daniel's parent company closed a barrel-making plant in Kentucky. The bottom of the barrel has not yet been reached, warned Mr Lodewijks. "I'd be extraordinarily surprised if there weren't more bankruptcies and more consolidation," he said. In part, bourbon has become a victim of its own success - the rise in bourbon sales, and the growth of the premium market, helped fuel many small distilleries. Because bourbon must age in barrels for years, what's on the market today was predicted a few years ago, which means that there is currently an oversupply, which is driving down prices. But while these economic conditions are harsh, Mr Lodewijks said that history has shown how tough times can create innovation. Scotch whisky used to be fairly simple, a blend of middle-of-the road tipples. But when sales declined in the second part of the 20th century, distillers started aging their excess bottles, which helped create the market we have now for premium, aged Scotch whisky. In Canada, where bourbon imports have slowed to a trickle, local distilleries have started experimenting with bourbon-making methods to give Canadian whiskey a similar taste. "The tariff war has really done a positive for the Canadian spirits business," noted Mr Wynne. "We've got lots of grains to make these whiskeys without having to rely on the States." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Kentucky bourbon went from boom to bust
As American as apple pie, Kentucky bourbon was booming after the last Great Recession ended. But as the economy has waned post-Pandemic - and with multiple trade wars on the horizon - the market may be drying up. Although the whiskey, which is traditionally made with corn and aged in charred oak barrels, has roots going all the way back to the 18th Century, it wasn't until 1964 that it became an iconic piece of Americana, when Congress passed a law declaring it a "distinctive product of the United States". But drinking trends come and go, and by the end of the 20th Century, bourbon was considered a bit old fashioned - pun intended. "You often see these kind of generational shifts where people don't want to drink what their parents drink," said Marten Lodewijks, the US president of IWSR, which collects alcoholic beverage data and provides industry analysis. Then, as the world recovered from the 2008 recession, drinkers seemed to rediscover this classic spirit, for a few different reasons. For starters, the price point was good, which made it attractive for bar managers to purchase and incorporate into cocktails and for younger drinkers to sample. Then, in 2013, a law was passed in Kentucky that made it easier for companies to purchase and resell vintage bottles, opening up a high-end collectible market. Add to that the rise in mid-century nostalgia fuelled by shows like Mad Men, and bourbon was due for a full-blown Renaissance. Sales of bourbon grew by 7% worldwide between 2011-2020, which is more than three times the growth of the decade prior, according to industry data company ISWR. Soon, some bourbon distillers were becoming quasi-celebrities, and people were starting to buy up bourbon bottles not to drink, but as an investment. "Everyone was going crazy over the bourbon market, and treating like a commodity, like a stock," recalls Robin Wynne, a general manager and beverage director for Little Sister in Toronto, Canada, who has been a bar manager for about 25 years. "People would go in as a prospector, to flip bottles for two to three times the value." But like most market bubbles, this one was bound to burst. The pandemic's lockdowns tanked bar sales, and inflation has made many would-be bourbon drinkers choose less expensive options - or forgo drinking all together. Amongst Gen-Z, many 20-somethings are drinking less than their older siblings and parents did at their age. Those factors have contributed to declining alcohol sales, with bourbon sales specifically slowing down to just 2% between 2021-2024, according to ISWR data. President Donald Trump's global tariffs have been the final straw. The EU has announced retaliatory tariffs against US goods, including Kentucky bourbon and Californian wine, although implementation has been delayed for six months. Meanwhile, most provinces in Canada have stopped importing American alcoholic beverages in retaliation. The country accounts for about 10% of Kentucky's $9bn (£6.7bn) whiskey and bourbon business. "That's worse than a tariff, because it's literally taking your sales away, completely removing our products from the shelves ... that's a very disproportionate response," Lawson Whiting, the CEO of Brown-Forman, which produces Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve and Old Forester, said back in March when Canadian provinces announced their plan to stop buying US booze. Trump has said that tariffs will boost made-in-American businesses. But Republican Senator Rand Paul, who represents Kentucky, said the tariffs will hurt local businesses and consumers in his home state. "Well, tariffs are taxes, and when you put a tax on a business, it's always passed through as a cost. So, there will be higher prices," he told ABC's "This Week" in May. These economic pressures have created a growing list of casualties. Liquor giant Diageo, reported that sales of Bulleit, a Kentucky distillery that makes bourbon, rye and whiskey, where down 7.3% this fiscal year. Wild Turkey - a Kentucky bourbon owned by Campari - sales were down 8.1% over the past six months. While big, international brands will likely be able to weather the storm, the sales hit has led to a growing list of casualties. In July, LMD Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy - just one month after opening the Luca Mariano Distillery in Danville, Kentucky. This spring, Garrard County Distilling went into receivership. And in January, Jack Daniel's parent company closed a barrel-making plant in Kentucky. The bottom of the barrel has not yet been reached, warned Mr Lodewijks. "I'd be extraordinarily surprised if there weren't more bankruptcies and more consolidation," he said. In part, bourbon has become a victim of its own success - the rise in bourbon sales, and the growth of the premium market, helped fuel many small distilleries. Because bourbon must age in barrels for years, what's on the market today was predicted a few years ago, which means that there is currently an oversupply, which is driving down prices. But while these economic conditions are harsh, Mr Lodewijks said that history has shown how tough times can create innovation. Scotch whisky used to be fairly simple, a blend of middle-of-the road tipples. But when sales declined in the second part of the 20th century, distillers started aging their excess bottles, which helped create the market we have now for premium, aged Scotch whisky. In Canada, where bourbon imports have slowed to a trickle, local distilleries have started experimenting with bourbon-making methods to give Canadian whiskey a similar taste. "The tariff war has really done a positive for the Canadian spirits business," noted Mr Wynne. "We've got lots of grains to make these whiskeys without having to rely on the States." Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
