thedailycaller--2020-08-14--‘Politics Of Fear, Big Government Edition’: Dr. Marc Siegel Blasts Biden For Demanding Mandatory Mas

‘Politics Of Fear, Big Government Edition’: Dr. Marc Siegel Blasts Biden For Demanding Mandatory Masking Outside

Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel called presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s demand for a national masking mandate — even outdoors — the “ politics of fear , big government edition ” during a Thursday night appearance on Fox News ’ “ Tucker Carlson Tonight.
” Biden said Thursday every American “ should be wearing a mask when they are outside for the next three months at a minimum , ” adding that such a mandate would “ save lives.
” “ It ’ s not about your rights , it ’ s about your responsibilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You don ’ t have any rights anymore , ” Fox News host Tucker Carlson opined before introducing Siegel .
“ You have to wear a mask when you ’ re alone in the woods , walking with no one near you in the park while running , riding your bike .
Is there any science behind this whatsoever ?
And if so , what is it ?
” “ It ’ s the politics of fear and the power of science , the politics of fear , big government edition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , what is the science behind this ?
Well , there ’ s some recent studies that show that masking , if you use them properly in proper conditions when you ’ re close together or when you ’ re indoors when the ventilation is poor , that they likely decrease the amount of viral spread.
” “ That was shown in several hot-spot states and Washington , D.C. , and a couple of other studies , ” Siegel continued .
“ There ’ s also been simulations that show that masking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
Now that ’ s not proof , but it ’ s enough for me to like the idea of masks.
” Turning to the idea of Biden wanting to require masking outdoors , Siegel noted that “ Outside is where it ’ s much more difficult to spread the virus.
” “ I rode my bicycle recently around New York .
Everybody was wearing a mask .
You know what they weren ’ t wearing ?
Helmets !
” he added .
“ So we ’ re going to see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people forgetting to wear their helmets because they are so worried about these government ideas about excess masking.
” Siegel discussed some of the latest masking news , including a Wisconsin state agency requiring them for employees on Zoom calls before joking that , should Biden win , “ You may have to turn your camera off because Big Brother may be watching you !
” ( RELATED : Trump ’ s Newest Coronavirus Adviser Wants College Football To Happen : ‘ There ’ s No Reason To Shut Down Out Of Fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scary , ” Carlson said .
“ When you make a decree that you claim is rooted in data , show us what the data are .
What ’ s the science ?
But they don ’ t , because there isn ’ t any.
” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has formally called for use of masks to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission , citing what it described as “ increasing evidence ” that masks are effective , but the focus so far has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in close proximity to the public .

Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel called presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s demand for a national masking mandate — even outdoors — the “politics of fear, big government edition” during a Thursday night appearance on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Biden said Thursday every American “should be wearing a mask when they are outside for the next three months at a minimum,” adding that such a mandate would “save lives.”
“It’s not about your rights, it’s about your responsibilities as an American,” Biden said.
“You don’t have any rights anymore,” Fox News host Tucker Carlson opined before introducing Siegel. “You have to wear a mask when you’re alone in the woods, walking with no one near you in the park while running, riding your bike. Is there any science behind this whatsoever? And if so, what is it?”
WATCH:
“It’s the politics of fear and the power of science, the politics of fear, big government edition,” Siegel told Carlson. “Now, what is the science behind this? Well, there’s some recent studies that show that masking, if you use them properly in proper conditions when you’re close together or when you’re indoors when the ventilation is poor, that they likely decrease the amount of viral spread.”
“That was shown in several hot-spot states and Washington, D.C., and a couple of other studies,” Siegel continued. “There’s also been simulations that show that masking may help decrease the spread of the virus. Now that’s not proof, but it’s enough for me to like the idea of masks.”
Turning to the idea of Biden wanting to require masking outdoors, Siegel noted that “Outside is where it’s much more difficult to spread the virus.”
“I rode my bicycle recently around New York. Everybody was wearing a mask. You know what they weren’t wearing? Helmets!” he added. “So we’re going to see a lot more damage to the brain from people forgetting to wear their helmets because they are so worried about these government ideas about excess masking.”
Siegel discussed some of the latest masking news, including a Wisconsin state agency requiring them for employees on Zoom calls before joking that, should Biden win, “You may have to turn your camera off because Big Brother may be watching you!” (RELATED: Trump’s Newest Coronavirus Adviser Wants College Football To Happen: ‘There’s No Reason To Shut Down Out Of Fear’)
“This is getting really scary,” Carlson said. “When you make a decree that you claim is rooted in data, show us what the data are. What’s the science? But they don’t, because there isn’t any.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has formally called for use of masks to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission, citing what it described as “increasing evidence” that masks are effective, but the focus so far has been on use of masks while indoors or in close proximity to the public.


thedailycaller--2020-08-14--Media Rushes To Police Criticism Of Kamala Harris

Media publications rushed to police criticism of Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris after former Vice President Joe Biden announced he had chosen her for his vice president .
Biden chose Harris Tuesday out of a slew of female candidates .
The duo appeared for their first speech together as a team Wednesday in Delaware .
Amid the announcement , some media publications defended Harris on various issues while pointing out those criticizing her .
“ Right-Wing Media Is Already Hurling Racist , Misogynist Fire At Kamala Harris , ” Huffpost wrote .
“ From abhorrent claims that she isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kavanaugh hearings , conservative outlets pounced on Joe Biden ’ s running-mate pick.
” The article rounded up various media pundits and others who went after Harris , suggesting they are able to use “ these tactics now that there ’ s a woman of color in the race.
” Huffpost pointed out that Harris was “ aggressive ” while questioning Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh amid confirmation hearings .
President Donald Trump , former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and others condemned Harris for the move after Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world ’ s approach to Harris was somewhat scattershot , with the Biden campaign counting at least 20 lines of attack the president ’ s campaign used against her , ” Huffpost reported .
“ Apparently it ’ s still trying to figure out how to best smear her .
But racism and misogyny were central to the attacks.
” The New York Times also appeared to back the newly-minted running mate , pointing out that “ attacks on Harris quickly got personal.
” Trump , as well as “ his Republican allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made “ sexist attacks ” on Harris , according to the NYT .
“ Ms .
Harris ran her own presidential campaign and was widely seen as the most obvious choice for Mr. Biden : at once a conventional and groundbreaking choice , ” the NYT claimed .
“ But when he finally announced her selection on Tuesday , Mr. Trump and his allies appeared to be caught without a coordinated game plan , lurching from one attack to another.
” The Atlantic was another publication aiming to back Harris .
One article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running mate , tried to defend her crime record history .
“ Kamala Harris Did What She Had To Do , ” the article read .
“ A close reading of Harris ’ s record suggests that she likely has shifted her views on police misconduct for political reasons , ” The Atlantic reported .
The publication continued on to note that while the changes were likely “ opportunistic , ” they were also “ necessary for Harris ’ s political survival.
” Although it did not go so far as to claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice to be Biden ’ s running mate , ” it does suggest those “ judging her record should acknowledge the political constraints under which she labored.
” “ The fact that Harris didn ’ t boldly confront police misconduct earlier in her career says less about her than about the country in which she lived , ” The Atlantic reported .
BuzzFeed News went after Trump for his attacks on Harris after the vice president , reporting that he “ tested out disorganized lines of attack against ” Biden ’ s pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ instead raising broad denunciations and frequently reverting back to calling Harris ‘ nasty . '
” “ That attack alone — that Harris was ‘ nasty ’ because she was disrespectful of Biden — is odd coming from someone who regularly attacks Biden and many other people he disagrees with first by calling them insulting nicknames , ” the publication added .
A Biden campaign spokesperson Mike Gwin noticed attacks against Harris , too .
( RELATED : Fact-Checkers Fall Flat For Kamala ’ s Big Speech ) “ By our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies have already cycled through over 20 separate lines of attack against Senator Harris today — some of them conflict with others , and even more have disgusting undertones of sexism and racism , but at the end of the day , none of them will be effective , ” Gwin told BuzzFeed News .

Media publications rushed to police criticism of Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris after former Vice President Joe Biden announced he had chosen her for his vice president.
Biden chose Harris Tuesday out of a slew of female candidates. The duo appeared for their first speech together as a team Wednesday in Delaware. Amid the announcement, some media publications defended Harris on various issues while pointing out those criticizing her.
“Right-Wing Media Is Already Hurling Racist, Misogynist Fire At Kamala Harris,” Huffpost wrote.
“From abhorrent claims that she isn’t really Black to reliving the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, conservative outlets pounced on Joe Biden’s running-mate pick.”
The article rounded up various media pundits and others who went after Harris, suggesting they are able to use “these tactics now that there’s a woman of color in the race.”
Huffpost pointed out that Harris was “aggressive” while questioning Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh amid confirmation hearings. President Donald Trump, former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and others condemned Harris for the move after Wednesday’s announcement.
“The Trump world’s approach to Harris was somewhat scattershot, with the Biden campaign counting at least 20 lines of attack the president’s campaign used against her,” Huffpost reported. “Apparently it’s still trying to figure out how to best smear her. But racism and misogyny were central to the attacks.”
The New York Times also appeared to back the newly-minted running mate, pointing out that “attacks on Harris quickly got personal.” Trump, as well as “his Republican allies and conservative hosts on Fox News” made “sexist attacks” on Harris, according to the NYT.
“Ms. Harris ran her own presidential campaign and was widely seen as the most obvious choice for Mr. Biden: at once a conventional and groundbreaking choice,” the NYT claimed. “But when he finally announced her selection on Tuesday, Mr. Trump and his allies appeared to be caught without a coordinated game plan, lurching from one attack to another.”
The Atlantic was another publication aiming to back Harris. One article, published just before Biden announced his running mate, tried to defend her crime record history. “Kamala Harris Did What She Had To Do,” the article read.
“A close reading of Harris’s record suggests that she likely has shifted her views on police misconduct for political reasons,” The Atlantic reported.
The publication continued on to note that while the changes were likely “opportunistic,” they were also “necessary for Harris’s political survival.” Although it did not go so far as to claim Harris would definitely be “the best choice to be Biden’s running mate,” it does suggest those “judging her record should acknowledge the political constraints under which she labored.”
“The fact that Harris didn’t boldly confront police misconduct earlier in her career says less about her than about the country in which she lived,” The Atlantic reported.
BuzzFeed News went after Trump for his attacks on Harris after the vice president, reporting that he “tested out disorganized lines of attack against” Biden’s pick. Ultimately Trump was unable to decide, “instead raising broad denunciations and frequently reverting back to calling Harris ‘nasty.'”
“That attack alone — that Harris was ‘nasty’ because she was disrespectful of Biden — is odd coming from someone who regularly attacks Biden and many other people he disagrees with first by calling them insulting nicknames,” the publication added.
A Biden campaign spokesperson Mike Gwin noticed attacks against Harris, too. (RELATED: Fact-Checkers Fall Flat For Kamala’s Big Speech)
“By our count, the Trump campaign and their allies have already cycled through over 20 separate lines of attack against Senator Harris today — some of them conflict with others, and even more have disgusting undertones of sexism and racism, but at the end of the day, none of them will be effective,” Gwin told BuzzFeed News.


thedailycaller--2020-08-14--Former US Official Threatens To Blow Up ‘Spygate’

• A former U.S. government official is threatening to expose the activities of Stefan Halper , an FBI source who cozied up to several Trump campaign advisers as part of Crossfire Hurricane .
• President Trump coined the term “ Spygate ” in 2018 following revelations that the FBI used Halper to gather intelligence on Carter Page and George Papadopoulos .
• Steven Schrage , who served in the Bush administration , says that Halper delayed his Ph.D. work at Cambridge in order to use him to help research Trump associates .
• Schrage invited Page to the Cambridge event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first met Halper .
A former U.S. government official who studied at the University of Cambridge under FBI informant Stefan Halper says he has the goods to expose “ Spygate , ” the term that President Donald Trump coined for the intelligence-gathering activities against his campaign .
Steven Schrage , who served as a deputy assistant secretary of state in former President George W. Bush ’ s administration , alleges that Halper used his position at Cambridge to force him to research Trump associates in 2016 under the guise of working on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used his position of power to keep me silent and stretch out my research as well as having me research things to support his activities , ” Schrage told the Daily Caller News Foundation of Halper .
“ I believe that beyond a shadow of a doubt and have hard evidence supporting it.
” Schrage , who worked on his Cambridge Ph.D. from 2013 through 2019 , first came forward to discuss Halper on Sunday in an essay and an appearance on Fox ’ s “ Sunday Morning Futures.
” Schrage said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Cambridge luminaries , including former MI6 chief Richard Dearlove .
He said he believes that the “ real smoking gun ” in the Trump intelligence operation is what went on at Cambridge .
In his essay , Schrage teased information from August 2016 that “ should have immediately ended their investigation alleging Page was a master spy linking top Trump officials to Putin.
” At that point in time , the FBI was ramping up its Crossfire Hurricane investigation into several Trump campaign aides , including Carter Page , George Papadopoulos and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general ’ s report said that FBI agents first met with Halper on Aug. 10 , 2016 to discuss using him in the Trump probe .
The report said that Halper covertly recorded Page during a meeting in Virginia on Aug. 20 , 2016 .
He taped Papadopoulos during multiple meetings in London in mid-September 2016 .
Schrage has so far been hesitant to provide specific dates or documents that will shed light on his interactions with Halper , though he says to stay tuned .
“ There is a lot more information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told the DCNF in a phone interview .
Schrage is who organized the July 2016 political conference where Carter Page first met Halper , he says .
His involvement in setting up the forum , which Madeleine Albright , former President Bill Clinton ’ s secretary of state also attended , has led to speculation that Schrage worked with Halper to lure Page over to England as part of an FBI spy operation .
( RELATED : EXCLUSIVE : Cambridge Prof With MI6 , CIA Ties Met With Trump Aides During Campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparition in the press has also stoked skepticism among some Trump supporters who have questioned why he laid low for more than two years after Halper was outed as an FBI informant .
Schrage says that he remained out of the spotlight so that he would not tip Halper and others off to the information that he had .
“ Talking would have helped me and my family avoid smears , but hurt the mission of catching those behind it , ” he says .
Schrage denies knowing that Halper was serving as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Halper was identified as a confidential human source ( CHS ) for the bureau .
Schrage ’ s invitation to Page was reported soon after Halper was outed .
“ I had no idea he was spying on Trump officials , ” Schrage told the DCNF of Halper .
“ By every indication he was doing all this to revive his own career by ingratiating himself to the Trump team , which it now seems clear that he was , just for a hidden purpose.
” Schrage says that he invited Page to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign represented at the Cambridge forum .
Page , who is releasing a memoir later this month , has told the DCNF that he maintained contact with Schrage after the Cambridge seminar .
He has also said he does not believe that Schrage was involved in Halper ’ s work for the FBI .
Schrage has released some evidence showing that Halper displayed interest in Flynn .
He aired audio on “ Sunday Morning Futures ” of a conversation he said he had with Halper on Jan. 10 , 2017 discussing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration .
According to Schrage , Halper told him that Flynn was “ fucked ” and that he didn ’ t think Flynn was “ going to be around long.
” In his essay , Schrage also cited an earlier conversation he had with Halper at an unspecified date in which he told the professor that Flynn was “ indispensable ” to the Trump campaign and that removing him would be like “ decapitating ” the campaign .
“ I had no idea I had been unintentionally aiding a spy preparing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a beheading , ” wrote Schrage .
The University of Cambridge , its staff and students have stayed silent amid revelations about Halper .
Prior to Schrage coming forward , only Svetlana Lokhova , a former Cambridge researcher , has blown the whistle on the activities of Halper and other Cambridge figures .
Lokhova , who was born in Russia but is a British citizen , says she was collateral damage in a smear campaign against Flynn that centered around his visit to Cambridge in February 2014 , when he served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stories about an allegedly lurid encounter between Lokhova and Flynn first appeared in an essay that Christopher Andrew , Lokhova ’ s Cambridge mentor , published in the Sunday Times in February 2014 .
The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian reported the following month that Flynn ’ s interactions with Lokhova drew the attention of U.S. and British intelligence agencies .
No evidence has emerged to support the allegation of improper contacts between Lokhova and Flynn .
And a Pentagon aide to Flynn told The Journal for its story that he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event .
Schrage said that he was not aware of any rumors regarding Lokhova .
He also said he did not hear of anything derogatory regarding Flynn until after the conference he hosted in 2016 , more than two years after Flynn visited Cambridge .
“ No rumors of any impropriety involving Flynn that I was aware of until after my conference , ” he told the DCNF .
Christopher Steele , the former British spy who wrote the anti-Trump dossier , also peddled salacious rumors about Flynn that appear similar to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event .
Steele , who studied at Cambridge in the 1980s , told David Kramer , a former State Department official who gave the dossier to BuzzFeed , that he heard a rumor that Flynn had an extramarital affair with a Russian woman in the United Kingdom .
( RELATED : Dossier Author Told John McCain Aide Of Unfounded Rumor About Michael Flynn ) An unidentified FBI informant also shared the rumor with the bureau at some point in 2016 , according to a Jan. 4 , 2017 memo regarding the Flynn investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sir Richard Dearlove , the former MI6 chief , is key to unraveling Cambridge ’ s role in Spygate .
Dearlove , Halper and Christopher Andrew , the mentor to Lokhova , operated the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar through late 2016 .
Schrage says that Halper and Dearlove also approached Page at his political symposium , which was held from July 10-12 , 2016 .
“ Halper seemed to put Dearlove on a pedestal , and he seemed to be the most important person to him at Cambridge , ” Schrage told the DCNF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Halper and Steele .
Steele , who was a top Russia officer at MI6 through 2009 , reportedly briefed Dearlove in late 2016 about his investigation of Trump associates .
The Washington Post has reported that Dearlove advised Steele to provide his information about Trump to British and U.S. authorities .
Whether Halper and Steele were aware of the others ’ activities is unknown .
Halper and Steele may have another connection through Vyacheslav Trubnikov , the former head of SVR , Russia ’ s foreign intelligence agency .
Trubnikov appeared at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-convener , in 2012 and 2015 .
And FBI transcripts show Halper boasted about his links to Trubnikov over drinks with Papadopoulos in London on Sept. 15 , 2016 .
As part of his FBI cover , Halper paid Papadopoulos $ 3,000 to write a paper on the energy industry in the Middle East .
Trubnikov may have been an indirect source for information in Steele ’ s dossier .
Steele ’ s first dossier memo , dated June 20 , 2016 , cites a former Russian intelligence officer who said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Notes from Steele ’ s Oct. 11 , 2016 meeting at the State Department identify Trubnikov as a source of some sort , though it is not clear what information he might have provided .
Halper also hosted his own FBI handler , Steven Somma , at the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar in 2011 .
The Justice Department inspector general ’ s report criticizes Somma ( referred to as “ Case Agent 1 ” ) as being “ primarily responsible ” for many of the errors in the Crossfire Hurricane probe .
The IG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Halper ’ s handler in 2011 after the FBI briefly cut ties with Halper over his “ aggressiveness ” towards his previous handler .
The report also said that Halper showed “ questionable allegiance ” to the target of an ongoing intelligence probe .
Somma was central to several aspects of Crossfire Hurricane .
In addition to working as Halper ’ s handler , Somma was the first agent at the bureau to propose surveilling Carter Page .
He also took part in interviews in January 2017 with Igor Danchenko , the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized the interview participants for failing to disclose that Danchenko undercut the reliability of Steele ’ s information .
The IG report also pins blame on Somma for withholding exculpatory evidence from Halper ’ s covertly recorded conversations with Page and Papadopoulos .
Both Trump aides indicated that they had no knowledge of Russia ’ s election interference , but the FBI failed to disclose those denials in applications to surveil Page .
Cambridge has repeatedly declined comment regarding Halper ’ s activities at the school .
The few Cambridge faculty and students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment on anything related to Halper or Dearlove .
The Washington Post reported in June 2018 that Cambridge personnel were instructed to not discuss Halper or any of his activities .
Halper ’ s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment about Schrage ’ s comments .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

A former U.S. government official is threatening to expose the activities of Stefan Halper, an FBI source who cozied up to several Trump campaign advisers as part of Crossfire Hurricane.
President Trump coined the term “Spygate” in 2018 following revelations that the FBI used Halper to gather intelligence on Carter Page and George Papadopoulos.
Steven Schrage, who served in the Bush administration, says that Halper delayed his Ph.D. work at Cambridge in order to use him to help research Trump associates.
Schrage invited Page to the Cambridge event in July 2016 where the Trump aide first met Halper.
A former U.S. government official who studied at the University of Cambridge under FBI informant Stefan Halper says he has the goods to expose “Spygate,” the term that President Donald Trump coined for the intelligence-gathering activities against his campaign.
Steven Schrage, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of state in former President George W. Bush’s administration, alleges that Halper used his position at Cambridge to force him to research Trump associates in 2016 under the guise of working on his dissertation.
“I definitely believe he used his position of power to keep me silent and stretch out my research as well as having me research things to support his activities,” Schrage told the Daily Caller News Foundation of Halper.
“I believe that beyond a shadow of a doubt and have hard evidence supporting it.”
Schrage, who worked on his Cambridge Ph.D. from 2013 through 2019, first came forward to discuss Halper on Sunday in an essay and an appearance on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Schrage said he plans to release information about Halper and other Cambridge luminaries, including former MI6 chief Richard Dearlove. He said he believes that the “real smoking gun” in the Trump intelligence operation is what went on at Cambridge.
In his essay, Schrage teased information from August 2016 that “should have immediately ended their investigation alleging Page was a master spy linking top Trump officials to Putin.” At that point in time, the FBI was ramping up its Crossfire Hurricane investigation into several Trump campaign aides, including Carter Page, George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn.
A Justice Department inspector general’s report said that FBI agents first met with Halper on Aug. 10, 2016 to discuss using him in the Trump probe. The report said that Halper covertly recorded Page during a meeting in Virginia on Aug. 20, 2016. He taped Papadopoulos during multiple meetings in London in mid-September 2016.
Schrage has so far been hesitant to provide specific dates or documents that will shed light on his interactions with Halper, though he says to stay tuned.
“There is a lot more information that will be coming out,” he told the DCNF in a phone interview.
Schrage is who organized the July 2016 political conference where Carter Page first met Halper, he says.
His involvement in setting up the forum, which Madeleine Albright, former President Bill Clinton’s secretary of state also attended, has led to speculation that Schrage worked with Halper to lure Page over to England as part of an FBI spy operation. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Cambridge Prof With MI6, CIA Ties Met With Trump Aides During Campaign, Beyond)
Schrage’s sudden apparition in the press has also stoked skepticism among some Trump supporters who have questioned why he laid low for more than two years after Halper was outed as an FBI informant.
Schrage says that he remained out of the spotlight so that he would not tip Halper and others off to the information that he had.
“Talking would have helped me and my family avoid smears, but hurt the mission of catching those behind it,” he says.
Schrage denies knowing that Halper was serving as an FBI informant until 2018, when Halper was identified as a confidential human source (CHS) for the bureau. Schrage’s invitation to Page was reported soon after Halper was outed.
“I had no idea he was spying on Trump officials,” Schrage told the DCNF of Halper. “By every indication he was doing all this to revive his own career by ingratiating himself to the Trump team, which it now seems clear that he was, just for a hidden purpose.”
Schrage says that he invited Page to Cambridge in order to have someone from the Trump campaign represented at the Cambridge forum.
Page, who is releasing a memoir later this month, has told the DCNF that he maintained contact with Schrage after the Cambridge seminar. He has also said he does not believe that Schrage was involved in Halper’s work for the FBI.
Schrage has released some evidence showing that Halper displayed interest in Flynn. He aired audio on “Sunday Morning Futures” of a conversation he said he had with Halper on Jan. 10, 2017 discussing Flynn’s future role in the Trump administration.
According to Schrage, Halper told him that Flynn was “fucked” and that he didn’t think Flynn was “going to be around long.”
In his essay, Schrage also cited an earlier conversation he had with Halper at an unspecified date in which he told the professor that Flynn was “indispensable” to the Trump campaign and that removing him would be like “decapitating” the campaign.
“I had no idea I had been unintentionally aiding a spy preparing the guillotine and helping lead Flynn to exactly such a beheading,” wrote Schrage.
The University of Cambridge, its staff and students have stayed silent amid revelations about Halper.
Prior to Schrage coming forward, only Svetlana Lokhova, a former Cambridge researcher, has blown the whistle on the activities of Halper and other Cambridge figures.
Lokhova, who was born in Russia but is a British citizen, says she was collateral damage in a smear campaign against Flynn that centered around his visit to Cambridge in February 2014, when he served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Stories about an allegedly lurid encounter between Lokhova and Flynn first appeared in an essay that Christopher Andrew, Lokhova’s Cambridge mentor, published in the Sunday Times in February 2014. The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian reported the following month that Flynn’s interactions with Lokhova drew the attention of U.S. and British intelligence agencies.
No evidence has emerged to support the allegation of improper contacts between Lokhova and Flynn. And a Pentagon aide to Flynn told The Journal for its story that he did not see anything suspicious during the Cambridge event.
Schrage said that he was not aware of any rumors regarding Lokhova. He also said he did not hear of anything derogatory regarding Flynn until after the conference he hosted in 2016, more than two years after Flynn visited Cambridge.
“No rumors of any impropriety involving Flynn that I was aware of until after my conference,” he told the DCNF.
Christopher Steele, the former British spy who wrote the anti-Trump dossier, also peddled salacious rumors about Flynn that appear similar to those floated about Lokhova and the 2014 Cambridge event.
Steele, who studied at Cambridge in the 1980s, told David Kramer, a former State Department official who gave the dossier to BuzzFeed, that he heard a rumor that Flynn had an extramarital affair with a Russian woman in the United Kingdom. (RELATED: Dossier Author Told John McCain Aide Of Unfounded Rumor About Michael Flynn)
An unidentified FBI informant also shared the rumor with the bureau at some point in 2016, according to a Jan. 4, 2017 memo regarding the Flynn investigation.
In Schrage’s telling, Sir Richard Dearlove, the former MI6 chief, is key to unraveling Cambridge’s role in Spygate.
Dearlove, Halper and Christopher Andrew, the mentor to Lokhova, operated the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar through late 2016. Schrage says that Halper and Dearlove also approached Page at his political symposium, which was held from July 10-12, 2016.
“Halper seemed to put Dearlove on a pedestal, and he seemed to be the most important person to him at Cambridge,” Schrage told the DCNF.
Dearlove is also a link between Halper and Steele.
Steele, who was a top Russia officer at MI6 through 2009, reportedly briefed Dearlove in late 2016 about his investigation of Trump associates. The Washington Post has reported that Dearlove advised Steele to provide his information about Trump to British and U.S. authorities.
Whether Halper and Steele were aware of the others’ activities is unknown.
Halper and Steele may have another connection through Vyacheslav Trubnikov, the former head of SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence agency.
Trubnikov appeared at the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar, where Halper was co-convener, in 2012 and 2015. And FBI transcripts show Halper boasted about his links to Trubnikov over drinks with Papadopoulos in London on Sept. 15, 2016. As part of his FBI cover, Halper paid Papadopoulos $3,000 to write a paper on the energy industry in the Middle East.
Trubnikov may have been an indirect source for information in Steele’s dossier. Steele’s first dossier memo, dated June 20, 2016, cites a former Russian intelligence officer who said that the Kremlin had blackmail material on Trump. Notes from Steele’s Oct. 11, 2016 meeting at the State Department identify Trubnikov as a source of some sort, though it is not clear what information he might have provided.
Halper also hosted his own FBI handler, Steven Somma, at the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar in 2011.
The Justice Department inspector general’s report criticizes Somma (referred to as “Case Agent 1”) as being “primarily responsible” for many of the errors in the Crossfire Hurricane probe. The IG report said that Somma took over as Halper’s handler in 2011 after the FBI briefly cut ties with Halper over his “aggressiveness” towards his previous handler. The report also said that Halper showed “questionable allegiance” to the target of an ongoing intelligence probe.
Somma was central to several aspects of Crossfire Hurricane. In addition to working as Halper’s handler, Somma was the first agent at the bureau to propose surveilling Carter Page. He also took part in interviews in January 2017 with Igor Danchenko, the primary source for Steele.
The IG report criticized the interview participants for failing to disclose that Danchenko undercut the reliability of Steele’s information.
The IG report also pins blame on Somma for withholding exculpatory evidence from Halper’s covertly recorded conversations with Page and Papadopoulos. Both Trump aides indicated that they had no knowledge of Russia’s election interference, but the FBI failed to disclose those denials in applications to surveil Page.
Cambridge has repeatedly declined comment regarding Halper’s activities at the school. The few Cambridge faculty and students who the DCNF has reached have declined comment on anything related to Halper or Dearlove. The Washington Post reported in June 2018 that Cambridge personnel were instructed to not discuss Halper or any of his activities.
Halper’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment about Schrage’s comments.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


thedailycaller--2020-08-14--4 Big Positive Things The Media Won’t Tell You About Coronavirus

Media reports on the coronavirus pandemic have been largely negative , but despite the gloomy updates —and forecasts of even @ @ @ @ @ are a number of positive developments that haven ’ t gotten prominent coverage .

Media reports on the coronavirus pandemic have been largely negative, but despite the gloomy updates —and forecasts of even more impending doom — there are a number of positive developments that haven’t gotten prominent coverage.
Is a vaccine really on the horizon?
What about the kids?
Advances in therapeutics.
Have our safety efforts paid off?


thedailycaller--2020-08-14--Bald Eagle Rips Off Drone’s Propellers And Sends Flying Vehicle Into Lake, State Agency Announces

A bald eagle ripped off a drone ’ s propellers and sent the flying vehicle crashing into Lake Michigan , a state agency announced Thursday .
According to a release Thursday from the Michigan Department of Environment , Great Lakes , and Energy ( EGLE ) , the Upper Peninsula bald eagle attacked the drone July 21 while a pilot with the agency was mapping shoreline erosion near Escanaba .
The project was part of the agency ’ s documentation for communities about dealing with high water levels , per the Associated Press .
( RELATED : The COVID-19 Threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality analyst and drone pilot Hunter King said he had managed to take seven minutes of footage of the area when suddenly the satellite reception became spotty .
He pushed for the drone to return home to him when the drone began to twirl furiously .
( RELATED : Injured National Bird Snarls Traffic In National Capital ) “ It was like a really bad roller coaster ride , ” King said .
The pilot of the $ 950 drone said he did see the eagle fly away , apparently unhurt by its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby bird watchers confirmed they also saw the eagle attack something , but said they were unaware that it was a drone .
According to the report : The drone sent 27 warning notifications in the 3.5 seconds that it took to spiral to the water , including one noting that a propeller was missing .
A search of the shoreline failed to find the drone .
Data later revealed that it landed in 4 feet of water about 150 feet offshore .
Now the Michigan environmental department is looking into the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other designs that will make the drones look less like seagulls , the outlet shared .

A bald eagle ripped off a drone’s propellers and sent the flying vehicle crashing into Lake Michigan, a state agency announced Thursday.
According to a release Thursday from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the Upper Peninsula bald eagle attacked the drone July 21 while a pilot with the agency was mapping shoreline erosion near Escanaba. The project was part of the agency’s documentation for communities about dealing with high water levels, per the Associated Press. (RELATED: The COVID-19 Threat To America’s Wildlife)
Bald eagle wins duel with state’s $950 drone, sending it to the bottom of Lake Michigan
https://t.co/8cmFI9H2xF — CBS News (@CBSNews) August 13, 2020
Environmental quality analyst and drone pilot Hunter King said he had managed to take seven minutes of footage of the area when suddenly the satellite reception became spotty. He pushed for the drone to return home to him when the drone began to twirl furiously. (RELATED: Injured National Bird Snarls Traffic In National Capital)
“It was like a really bad roller coaster ride,” King said. The pilot of the $950 drone said he did see the eagle fly away, apparently unhurt by its confrontation with the flying machine.
Two nearby bird watchers confirmed they also saw the eagle attack something, but said they were unaware that it was a drone.
According to the report:
The drone sent 27 warning notifications in the 3.5 seconds that it took to spiral to the water, including one noting that a propeller was missing. A search of the shoreline failed to find the drone. Data later revealed that it landed in 4 feet of water about 150 feet offshore.
Now the Michigan environmental department is looking into the idea of using some “skins” or other designs that will make the drones look less like seagulls, the outlet shared.


thedailycaller--2020-08-14--Can Ending ‘Endless Wars’ Save Trump’s Presidency?

Four years ago , Donald Trump electrified campaign audiences by denouncing “ Trigger Happy Hillary ” Clinton .
Trump bragged in 2016 that his advisers knew “ how to avoid the endless wars we are caught in now ” but he has yet to deliver on what many voters believed was his most important campaign promise .
Can he revive his faltering reelection bid by boldly withdrawing American troops from much of the world ?
Perhaps Trump did not recognize how steeply the deck is stacked in Washington .
For more than a hundred years , starting with Woodrow Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wars .
In the landmark 1971 decision permitting The New York Times to publish the Pentagon Papers , Justice Hugo Black declared that a free press has “ the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers & foreign shot and shell.
” Unfortunately , especially since the 9/11 attacks , the establishment American media has been among the biggest warmongers in the nation , dishonestly promoting wars in Iraq , Libya , Syria , and championing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same media that perpetually slams Trump canonized the late Sen. John McCain , the patron saint of Know-Nothing Bombing .
“ Consistent ” is the least likely description for Trump ’ s foreign policies .
Prior to taking office , Trump vigorously opposed the Afghan war .
In 2013 , Trump declared that the U.S. “ should leave Afghanistan immediately .
No more wasted lives.
” By the time Trump took office , Afghanistan was America ’ s longest war and had dragged on longer than World War I , World War II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. troops had been killed there with nothing to show for their sacrifice except flags to drape their caskets .
( RELATED : Afghan Government To Release 5,000 Taliban Prisoners , Restart Peace Talks With Insurgents ) However , in August 2017 , National Security Advisor H.R .
McMaster persuaded Trump to announce a “ surge ” of new troops in part by showing him a 1972 photo of women in miniskirts in Kabul .
Trump appeared to have gotten rolled by the Pentagon on this issue the same way that President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much larger Afghan surge in 2009 .
Trump ’ s surge did nothing to stop the advance of the Taliban .
The Pentagon continued violating U.S. law by ignoring the pervasive child rape by Afghan forces subsidized by U.S. taxpayers .
The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction concluded that U.S. policymakers had been brazenly lying about progress in the war almost from its start .
The United Nations reported last year that “ more civilians are being killed by Afghan government and American forces than by the Taliban and other insurgents.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address , Trump reversed course on Afghanistan , declaring , “ As a candidate for president , I loudly pledged a new approach .
Great nations do not fight endless wars.
” Shortly before the speech , the vast majority of Senate Republicans voted for resolution rebuffing Trump ’ s attempt to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Syria .
The resolution non-ironically praised U.S. troops for “ protecting human rights ” and warned that “ withdrawal … could allow terrorists to regroup , destabilize critical regions , and create vacuums that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Trump proceeded with negotiations with the Taliban , resulting in an announcement in February 2020 that U.S. troops could be withdrawn within 14 months .
Congress was outraged .
Last month , Wyoming Republican Representative Liz Cheney partnered with Democrats to craft a resolution denouncing “ a rapid [ sic ] military drawdown ” and blocking spending any tax dollars for troop withdrawals from Afghanistan unless a list of damned unlikely benchmarks are first achieved .
Almost all the Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee voted for Cheney ’ s amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Partnership and Transparency Act , which was a hoot , considering that the U.S. government has perpetually covered up its Afghan debacles .
There was a smattering of congressional opposition but , as journalist Glenn Greenwald noted , it was “ no match for the war machine composed of the establishment wings of both parties and the military and intelligence community that continue to use selective , illegal leaks to sabotage any plans to reduce the U.S. military presence around the world.
” ( RELATED : Despite The Media ’ s Efforts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Policy ) Syria is the biggest and least recognized U.S. foreign policy debacle of the past decade .
In 2013 , as the Obama administration was ramping up support for mythical “ moderate rebels , ” Trump tweeted : “ We should stay the hell out of Syria.
” Obama ’ s policies were such a tangled mess that Pentagon-backed Syrian rebels were openly battling CIA-backed Syrian rebels .
However , after taking office , Trump was swayed to support continued U.S. meddling .
In April 2017 , Trump launched a missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less evidence than required for a jaywalking ticket in New York City .
The following year , Trump launched another round of missile attacks based on even flimsier allegations that the Assad regime had used chemical weapons .
Top officials with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons leaked information showing that the charges against the Syria government were false but the U.S. media and American politicians mostly ignored their evidence .
Trump eventually again recognized the folly of U.S. intervention and announced last October that he was shifting some U.S. troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s political opponents quickly portrayed the move as the moral equivalent of giving Alaska back to Russia .
Congress showed more indignation about the troop pullback in Syria than it has over the loss of American soldiers ’ lives over the past 18 years in Afghanistan , Iraq , and elsewhere .
The House of Representatives quickly voted 354-to-60 to condemn President Donald Trump ’ s pullback as “ beneficial to adversaries of the United States government.
” But the U.S. intervention has been a disastrous failure that perpetuated a civil war and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Capitol Hill ’ s biggest anti-Trump absurdity was yet to come .
Seventy-five years after Gen. Patton ’ s Third Army crossed the Rhine , Congress is panicking about Trump ’ s proposal to shift 12,000 U.S. troops ( out of 34,500 ) out of Germany .
The House Armed Service Committee voted 49-to-7 last month to prohibit “ lowering troop levels below current levels [ in Germany ] until 180 days after Pentagon leaders present a plan to Congress and certify it will not harm U.S. or allied interests.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s proposal as “ a gift to Russia ” and a “ slap in the face at a friend and ally.
” The Soviet Union has not existed for almost 30 years , yet congressional policymakers apparently can not give up the fantasy of hostile tanks facing off across Checkpoint Charlie .
In considering Trump ’ s foreign policy record , recall that the finest hour — or perhaps finest minute — of his presidency occurred in June 2019 when he canceled just before launch a barrage of Tomahawk missiles against Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a U.S. drone either over international water ( according to the U.S. ) or over Iranian territory ( according to Iranians ) , National Security Advisor John Bolton and a neoconservative chorus howled for massive retaliation .
Bolton later denounced Trump ’ s refusal to start a war with Iran as “ the most irrational thing I ever witnessed any President do.
” Trump groused that if he had listened to Bolton , “ we would be in World War Six by now.
” Trump hugely blundered by appointing Bolton , but firing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Iranians were two of the most positive signs from his presidency .
( RELATED : President Trump Announces Peace Deal Between Israel And United Arab Emirates ) Trump ’ s attempts to withdraw troops have been vehemently opposed by the type of Washingtonians whose only “ combat experience ” consisted of having their lunch money stolen in elementary school .
But America can no longer afford to indulge its laptop bombardiers .
We are spending money we don ’ t have to fight conflicts we don ’ t need to impress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save his presidency by running against the warmongering Washington establishment , which includes most of Congress , as well as Joe Biden and his brigade of bellicose advisors ?
Would voters trust and reward Trump if he carried through with his initial preference for pulling out all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Election Day ?
James Bovard is the author of “ Attention Deficit Democracy , ” “ The Bush Betrayal , ” “ Terrorism and Tyranny , ” and other books .
Bovard is on the USA Today Board of Contributors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jimbovard .
His website is at www.jimbovard.com The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Four years ago, Donald Trump electrified campaign audiences by denouncing “Trigger Happy Hillary” Clinton. Trump bragged in 2016 that his advisers knew “how to avoid the endless wars we are caught in now” but he has yet to deliver on what many voters believed was his most important campaign promise. Can he revive his faltering reelection bid by boldly withdrawing American troops from much of the world?
Perhaps Trump did not recognize how steeply the deck is stacked in Washington. For more than a hundred years, starting with Woodrow Wilson, presidents have lied America into foreign wars. In the landmark 1971 decision permitting The New York Times to publish the Pentagon Papers, Justice Hugo Black declared that a free press has “the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers & foreign shot and shell.” Unfortunately, especially since the 9/11 attacks, the establishment American media has been among the biggest warmongers in the nation, dishonestly promoting wars in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and championing perpetual U.S. intervention practically everywhere. The same media that perpetually slams Trump canonized the late Sen. John McCain, the patron saint of Know-Nothing Bombing.
“Consistent” is the least likely description for Trump’s foreign policies. Prior to taking office, Trump vigorously opposed the Afghan war. In 2013, Trump declared that the U.S. “should leave Afghanistan immediately. No more wasted lives.” By the time Trump took office, Afghanistan was America’s longest war and had dragged on longer than World War I, World War II and the Korean War combined. Thousands of U.S. troops had been killed there with nothing to show for their sacrifice except flags to drape their caskets. (RELATED: Afghan Government To Release 5,000 Taliban Prisoners, Restart Peace Talks With Insurgents)
However, in August 2017, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster persuaded Trump to announce a “surge” of new troops in part by showing him a 1972 photo of women in miniskirts in Kabul. Trump appeared to have gotten rolled by the Pentagon on this issue the same way that President Barack Obama was rolled to support a much larger Afghan surge in 2009. Trump’s surge did nothing to stop the advance of the Taliban. The Pentagon continued violating U.S. law by ignoring the pervasive child rape by Afghan forces subsidized by U.S. taxpayers. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction concluded that U.S. policymakers had been brazenly lying about progress in the war almost from its start. The United Nations reported last year that “more civilians are being killed by Afghan government and American forces than by the Taliban and other insurgents.”
In his 2019 State of the Union address, Trump reversed course on Afghanistan, declaring, “As a candidate for president, I loudly pledged a new approach. Great nations do not fight endless wars.” Shortly before the speech, the vast majority of Senate Republicans voted for resolution rebuffing Trump’s attempt to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Syria. The resolution non-ironically praised U.S. troops for “protecting human rights” and warned that “withdrawal … could allow terrorists to regroup, destabilize critical regions, and create vacuums that could be filled by Iran or Russia.” But Trump proceeded with negotiations with the Taliban, resulting in an announcement in February 2020 that U.S. troops could be withdrawn within 14 months.
Congress was outraged. Last month, Wyoming Republican Representative Liz Cheney partnered with Democrats to craft a resolution denouncing “a rapid [sic] military drawdown” and blocking spending any tax dollars for troop withdrawals from Afghanistan unless a list of damned unlikely benchmarks are first achieved. Almost all the Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee voted for Cheney’s amendment. Cheney named her legislation the Afghanistan Partnership and Transparency Act, which was a hoot, considering that the U.S. government has perpetually covered up its Afghan debacles. There was a smattering of congressional opposition but, as journalist Glenn Greenwald noted, it was “no match for the war machine composed of the establishment wings of both parties and the military and intelligence community that continue to use selective, illegal leaks to sabotage any plans to reduce the U.S. military presence around the world.” (RELATED: Despite The Media’s Efforts, Trump Is Taking A Measured Approach To Foreign Policy)
Syria is the biggest and least recognized U.S. foreign policy debacle of the past decade. In 2013, as the Obama administration was ramping up support for mythical “moderate rebels,” Trump tweeted: “We should stay the hell out of Syria.” Obama’s policies were such a tangled mess that Pentagon-backed Syrian rebels were openly battling CIA-backed Syrian rebels. However, after taking office, Trump was swayed to support continued U.S. meddling. In April 2017, Trump launched a missile attack on the Syrian government based on less evidence than required for a jaywalking ticket in New York City. The following year, Trump launched another round of missile attacks based on even flimsier allegations that the Assad regime had used chemical weapons. Top officials with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons leaked information showing that the charges against the Syria government were false but the U.S. media and American politicians mostly ignored their evidence.
Trump eventually again recognized the folly of U.S. intervention and announced last October that he was shifting some U.S. troops out of eastern Syria. Trump’s political opponents quickly portrayed the move as the moral equivalent of giving Alaska back to Russia. Congress showed more indignation about the troop pullback in Syria than it has over the loss of American soldiers’ lives over the past 18 years in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. The House of Representatives quickly voted 354-to-60 to condemn President Donald Trump’s pullback as “beneficial to adversaries of the United States government.” But the U.S. intervention has been a disastrous failure that perpetuated a civil war and provided zero benefit for the Syrian people.
But Capitol Hill’s biggest anti-Trump absurdity was yet to come. Seventy-five years after Gen. Patton’s Third Army crossed the Rhine, Congress is panicking about Trump’s proposal to shift 12,000 U.S. troops (out of 34,500) out of Germany. The House Armed Service Committee voted 49-to-7 last month to prohibit “lowering troop levels below current levels [in Germany] until 180 days after Pentagon leaders present a plan to Congress and certify it will not harm U.S. or allied interests.” Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney denounced Trump’s proposal as “a gift to Russia” and a “slap in the face at a friend and ally.” The Soviet Union has not existed for almost 30 years, yet congressional policymakers apparently cannot give up the fantasy of hostile tanks facing off across Checkpoint Charlie.
In considering Trump’s foreign policy record, recall that the finest hour — or perhaps finest minute — of his presidency occurred in June 2019 when he canceled just before launch a barrage of Tomahawk missiles against Iran. After the Iranians had shot down a U.S. drone either over international water (according to the U.S.) or over Iranian territory (according to Iranians), National Security Advisor John Bolton and a neoconservative chorus howled for massive retaliation. Bolton later denounced Trump’s refusal to start a war with Iran as “the most irrational thing I ever witnessed any President do.” Trump groused that if he had listened to Bolton, “we would be in World War Six by now.” Trump hugely blundered by appointing Bolton, but firing him and refraining from a massive escalation with the Iranians were two of the most positive signs from his presidency. (RELATED: President Trump Announces Peace Deal Between Israel And United Arab Emirates)
Trump’s attempts to withdraw troops have been vehemently opposed by the type of Washingtonians whose only “combat experience” consisted of having their lunch money stolen in elementary school. But America can no longer afford to indulge its laptop bombardiers. We are spending money we don’t have to fight conflicts we don’t need to impress people who despise us.
Can Trump save his presidency by running against the warmongering Washington establishment, which includes most of Congress, as well as Joe Biden and his brigade of bellicose advisors? Would voters trust and reward Trump if he carried through with his initial preference for pulling out all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Election Day?
James Bovard is the author of “Attention Deficit Democracy,” “The Bush Betrayal,” “Terrorism and Tyranny,” and other books. Bovard is on the USA Today Board of Contributors. He is on Twitter at @jimbovard. His website is at www.jimbovard.com
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


thedailycaller--2020-08-14--‘Deeply Disturbing’: Sen. Hawley Reacts To Documents Detailing ‘White Men’s Caucus’ Race Training In

‘Deeply Disturbing’: Sen. Hawley Reacts To Documents Detailing ‘White Men’s Caucus’ Race Training In US Nuclear Facility

Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley wrote a letter on Thursday to U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette demanding an explanation for racially segregated diversity and inclusion training at a federally-funded U.S. nuclear facility .
Leaked documents reported by City Journal contributing editor Christopher Rufo this week revealed a three-day mandatory training in 2019 for white male executives at Sandia National Laboratories , a government contractor that assesses U.S. nuclear weapons .
The “ White Men ’ s Caucus on Eliminating Racism , Sexism , and Homophobia in Organizations ” training took place in 2019 at La Posada luxury resort , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization White Men as Full Diversity Partners ( WMFDP ) .
With the stated goal of prompting white men to accept blame for creating “ oppressions , ” participants were reportedly required to recite “ white privilege statements ” and “ male privilege statements , ” apologize for their own privilege , acknowledge the connection between mass killings and “ white male culture ” and other tasks .
Hawley claimed the training “ likely [ violates ] federal civil rights law , ” calling the training “ deeply disturbing ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He noted in the letter that the workbook “ recommends that they be for the use of participants only , ” as the contents of the workshop could be “ misleading ” out of context , but argues that the content of the program “ speaks for itself.
” ( RELATED : Trump Agency Pushes Gender-Neutral Pronouns On Employees , Instructs Them On ‘ Gender Spectrum , ’ Leaked Docs Show ) As previously reported by the Caller and detailed in Hawley ’ s letter , participants were asked to do a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ white supremacists , ” “ KKK , ” “ Aryan Nation , ” “ MAGA hat , ” “ privileged ” and “ mass killings.
” “ I fail to see how this fixation on the crudest imaginable gender and race stereotypes is productive or worthy of the expenditure of taxpayer dollars , ” Hawley continued .
“ The focus on providing trainings specifically for ‘ white men ’ is similarly concerning : while the race of the various participants in these workshops is not altogether clear , the use of overtly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil rights law.
” A spokesperson from Sandia National Laboratories offered comment after being contacted in the course of previous reporting on the training sessions .
“ Inclusion and diversity are defining elements of Sandia National Laboratories ’ culture , which welcomes multiple perspectives , promotes different working styles and leads to the innovation in science , engineering and technology for which we are known , ” the spokesperson told the Caller .

Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley wrote a letter on Thursday to U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette demanding an explanation for racially segregated diversity and inclusion training at a federally-funded U.S. nuclear facility.
Leaked documents reported by City Journal contributing editor Christopher Rufo this week revealed a three-day mandatory training in 2019 for white male executives at Sandia National Laboratories, a government contractor that assesses U.S. nuclear weapons.
The federal government’s premier nuclear research lab hosted a 3-day reeducation camp for “white males,” with the goal of exposing their “white privilege” and deconstructing “white male culture.” Here are the leaked documents from the race-segregated, taxpayer-funded session.???? — Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) August 12, 2020
The “White Men’s Caucus on Eliminating Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia in Organizations” training took place in 2019 at La Posada luxury resort, Rufo reported, and was taught by the organization White Men as Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP).
With the stated goal of prompting white men to accept blame for creating “oppressions,” participants were reportedly required to recite “white privilege statements” and “male privilege statements,” apologize for their own privilege, acknowledge the connection between mass killings and “white male culture” and other tasks.
Hawley claimed the training “likely [violates] federal civil rights law,” calling the training “deeply disturbing” in the letter obtained by the Daily Caller.
He noted in the letter that the workbook “recommends that they be for the use of participants only,” as the contents of the workshop could be “misleading” out of context, but argues that the content of the program “speaks for itself.” (RELATED: Trump Agency Pushes Gender-Neutral Pronouns On Employees, Instructs Them On ‘Gender Spectrum,’ Leaked Docs Show)
As previously reported by the Caller and detailed in Hawley’s letter, participants were asked to do a “free association” exercise using terms like “white supremacists,” “KKK,” “Aryan Nation,” “MAGA hat,” “privileged” and “mass killings.”
“I fail to see how this fixation on the crudest imaginable gender and race stereotypes is productive or worthy of the expenditure of taxpayer dollars,” Hawley continued. “The focus on providing trainings specifically for ‘white men’ is similarly concerning: while the race of the various participants in these workshops is not altogether clear, the use of overtly race-segregated diversity trainings would likely violate federal civil rights law.”
A spokesperson from Sandia National Laboratories offered comment after being contacted in the course of previous reporting on the training sessions.
“Inclusion and diversity are defining elements of Sandia National Laboratories’ culture, which welcomes multiple perspectives, promotes different working styles and leads to the innovation in science, engineering and technology for which we are known,” the spokesperson told the Caller.


thedailycaller--2020-08-14--Hillary Clinton Won’t Rule Out Serving In Biden Administration: Report

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won ’ t rule out serving in presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s administration if he wins the November election , Clinton revealed in an article published Thursday .
Clinton , the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee , said that she will fundraise for the Biden-Harris campaign while advocating for organizations she thinks could enhance voter turnout and infrastructure , The 19th , a nonprofit news outlet , reported Thursday .
“ I ’ m ready to help in any way I can because I think this will be a moment where every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what party you are , I don ’ t care what age , race , gender , I don ’ t care — every American should want to fix our country , ” Clinton said , according to the outlet .
“ So if you ’ re asked to serve , you should certainly consider that , ” Clinton reportedly added .
Clinton said she is optimistic about Biden ’ s chances and asserted that a higher voter turnout will decrease the chances of President Donald Trump sabotaging the outcome , The 19th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In April 2019 : ‘ I Believe ’ Joe Biden ’ s Accusers ) “ I have every reason to believe that Trump is not going to go silently into the night if he loses , ” Clinton said , according to the outlet .
“ He ’ s going to try to confuse us .
He ’ s going to try to bring all kinds of lawsuits.
” Clinton reminded people to check their registrations and to document their ballots to record the vote , though states have different regulations allowing cameras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won’t rule out serving in presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s administration if he wins the November election, Clinton revealed in an article published Thursday.
Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, said that she will fundraise for the Biden-Harris campaign while advocating for organizations she thinks could enhance voter turnout and infrastructure, The 19th, a nonprofit news outlet, reported Thursday.
“I’m ready to help in any way I can because I think this will be a moment where every American — I don’t care what party you are, I don’t care what age, race, gender, I don’t care — every American should want to fix our country,” Clinton said, according to the outlet.
“So if you’re asked to serve, you should certainly consider that,” Clinton reportedly added.
Hillary Clinton didn’t rule out serving in Biden’s administration if he wins. “I’m ready to help in any way I can because I think this will be a moment where every American … should want to fix our country,” she told @AmandaBecker. https://t.co/p8g6eos6C9 — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) August 13, 2020
Clinton said she is optimistic about Biden’s chances and asserted that a higher voter turnout will decrease the chances of President Donald Trump sabotaging the outcome, The 19th reported. (RELATED: Kamala Harris In April 2019: ‘I Believe’ Joe Biden’s Accusers)
“I have every reason to believe that Trump is not going to go silently into the night if he loses,” Clinton said, according to the outlet. “He’s going to try to confuse us. He’s going to try to bring all kinds of lawsuits.”
Clinton reminded people to check their registrations and to document their ballots to record the vote, though states have different regulations allowing cameras into the polling place, the outlet reported.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


thedailycaller--2020-08-14--CHURCHES ARE BURNING: What The Media Won’t Tell You

Veterans Chad M. Robichaux and Dr. Damon Friedman sat down with the Daily Caller to discuss what appears to be a wave of churches being burned to the ground .
Robichaux is also founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation , a faith-based nonprofit serving veterans .
A man drove his minivan into a Florida church in July before setting it on fire with gasoline , among other incidents .
“ We have seen over a dozen churches attacked , Catholic churches , Christian churches , ” Robichaux said .
“ Some of them were very extreme .
I wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property , or vandalism .
I would call it straight terrorism activity.
” ( RELATED : Whoopi On Black Churches Being Burned : ‘ You Are Not Going To Stop The Conversation With God ’ ) Friedman also warned against defunding the police .
“ When you don ’ t have enough police officers in your local area , and a criminal breaks into your house .
Please don ’ t call the police , ” Friedman told the Caller .
Watch the full interview to find out why the media isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and why we need law enforcement to keep our communities safe .
Check out TheDC ’ s fantastic videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel to avoid missing out .
Oops !
These Were Actually Biden Quotes !

Veterans Chad M. Robichaux and Dr. Damon Friedman sat down with the Daily Caller to discuss what appears to be a wave of churches being burned to the ground. Robichaux is also founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit serving veterans.
A man drove his minivan into a Florida church in July before setting it on fire with gasoline, among other incidents.
“We have seen over a dozen churches attacked, Catholic churches, Christian churches,” Robichaux said. “Some of them were very extreme. I wouldn’t even say it was damage of property, or vandalism. I would call it straight terrorism activity.” (RELATED: Whoopi On Black Churches Being Burned: ‘You Are Not Going To Stop The Conversation With God’)
Friedman also warned against defunding the police.
“When you don’t have enough police officers in your local area, and a criminal breaks into your house. Please don’t call the police,” Friedman told the Caller.
WATCH:
Watch the full interview to find out why the media isn’t talking about recent attacks on churches and why we need law enforcement to keep our communities safe.
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thedailycaller--2020-08-14--FACT CHECK: Do These Images Show A Police Riot Control Vehicle Heading To Portland?

The photos are product images that appear to have been taken at the developer ’ s Slovakian headquarters .
Multiple Facebook users shared two images of the blue police riot control vehicle as protests and riots have occurred in Portland for weeks .
To quell the unrest , the Trump administration authorized the deployment of federal agents to the city , though the Department of Homeland Security and the state have since reached an agreement for them to leave , according to The New York Times .
“ Holyshutthefrontdoor ( sic ) .
Seen loaded going up thru Salem Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the riots have been , ” reads the text accompanying the post .
( RELATED : Does This Image Show A ‘ Federal Stormtrooper ’ In Portland ? )
Through a reverse image search , Check Your Fact found the two photos on the website for the Slovakian company Way Industries .
The photos depict a Bozenna Police Protection Union that is “ designed to control riots in streets and urbanized areas and to protect the law-enforcement units in action whenever peace maintenance is required , ” according to the website .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be found on YouTube .
Reuters reported that the photos are product images that appear to have been taken at Way Industries ’ headquarters in Krupina , Slovakia .
In the top photo , the company logo on the building and the chimney match those in the Google Maps street view of the Slovakian facility .
Way Industries and the Salem Police Department did not respond to requests for comment .

Images shared on Facebook purportedly show a blue police riot control vehicle driving north through Salem, Oregon.
Verdict: False
The photos are product images that appear to have been taken at the developer’s Slovakian headquarters.
Fact Check:
Multiple Facebook users shared two images of the blue police riot control vehicle as protests and riots have occurred in Portland for weeks. To quell the unrest, the Trump administration authorized the deployment of federal agents to the city, though the Department of Homeland Security and the state have since reached an agreement for them to leave, according to The New York Times.
“Holyshutthefrontdoor (sic). Seen loaded going up thru Salem Oregon going north. Probably to Portland Oregon where the riots have been,” reads the text accompanying the post. (RELATED: Does This Image Show A ‘Federal Stormtrooper’ In Portland?)
Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found the two photos on the website for the Slovakian company Way Industries. The photos depict a Bozenna Police Protection Union that is “designed to control riots in streets and urbanized areas and to protect the law-enforcement units in action whenever peace maintenance is required,” according to the website. 2010 footage of the vehicle can also be found on YouTube.
Reuters reported that the photos are product images that appear to have been taken at Way Industries’ headquarters in Krupina, Slovakia. In the top photo, the company logo on the building and the chimney match those in the Google Maps street view of the Slovakian facility.
Way Industries and the Salem Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.


thedailycaller--2020-08-13--Epic Games Sues Apple For Allegedly Violating Antitrust Laws

A game developer has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Apple after the popular game Fortnite was removed from the App Store Thursday .
Epic Games filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California to seek injunctive relief to “ allow fair competition ” in mobile app distribution , according to The Verge .
“ Epic brings this suit to end Apple ’ s unfair and anti-competitive actions that Apple undertakes to unlawfully maintain its monopoly in two distinct , multibillion dollar markets : ( i ) the iOS App Distribution Market , and ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Market ( each as defined below ) , ” the lawsuit complaint said , per the outlet .
( RELATED : Martin Scorsese Signs Content Deal With Apple ) Fortnite was reportedly removed from Apple ’ s App Store after Epic Games implemented its own payment processing system inside the app .
The implementation reportedly violated Apple ’ s guidelines for the App Store .
“ Epic is not seeking monetary compensation from this Court for the injuries it has suffered , ” the lawsuit claimed , according to The Verge .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself , a single company .
Instead , Epic is seeking injunctive relief to allow fair competition in these two key markets that directly affect hundreds of millions of consumers and tens of thousands , if not more , of third-party app developers .
”

A game developer has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Apple after the popular game Fortnite was removed from the App Store Thursday.
Epic Games filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California to seek injunctive relief to “allow fair competition” in mobile app distribution, according to The Verge.
Alleging Apple’s grip over the iOS market is “unreasonable and unlawful,” Epic Games launched a spear at Apple’s gatekept iOS App Store market today with a new lawsuit. The company seeks to force more access to apps and payment processing options on iOS. https://t.co/Grvt248RGI — WIRED (@WIRED) August 13, 2020
“Epic brings this suit to end Apple’s unfair and anti-competitive actions that Apple undertakes to unlawfully maintain its monopoly in two distinct, multibillion dollar markets: (i) the iOS App Distribution Market, and (ii) the iOS In-App Payment Processing Market (each as defined below),” the lawsuit complaint said, per the outlet. (RELATED: Martin Scorsese Signs Content Deal With Apple)
Fortnite was reportedly removed from Apple’s App Store after Epic Games implemented its own payment processing system inside the app. The implementation reportedly violated Apple’s guidelines for the App Store.
“Epic is not seeking monetary compensation from this Court for the injuries it has suffered,” the lawsuit claimed, according to The Verge. “Nor is Epic seeking favorable treatment for itself, a single company. Instead, Epic is seeking injunctive relief to allow fair competition in these two key markets that directly affect hundreds of millions of consumers and tens of thousands, if not more, of third-party app developers.”


thedailycaller--2020-08-13--Trump Floats False Kamala Harris Birther Theory After Being Given Every Opportunity To Refute It

President Donald Trump floated a false theory about presumptive Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris from the White House briefing room podium on Thursday .
Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis propagated the suggestion on ABC that Harris ’ birth somehow disqualifies her from holding the presidency .
Trump said he had “ just heard ” about the idea when asked to respond to the theory .
( RELATED : Trump Campaign Opens Door For New Kind Of ‘ Birtherism ’ With Kamala Harris ) Harris was born in Oakland , California to immigrant parents and is qualified to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim discussed by Ellis suggests that being born on American soil itself does not qualify an individual to be president , despite 122 years of constitutional precedent saying so .
“ I heard it today that she doesn ’ t meet the requirements and by the way , the lawyer that wrote that piece is a very highly qualified , very talented lawyer , ” Trump said , instead of disputing Ellis ’ claim .
“ I have no idea if that ’ s right .
I would ’ ve assumed the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she gets chosen to run for vice president.
” “ That ’ s very serious .
They are saying she doesn ’ t qualify because she wasn ’ t born in this country , ” he continued .
“ I don ’ t know about that , I just heard about it .
I ’ ll take a look.
” Before running for office , Trump was a vocal supporter of the Birther theory , which suggested former President Barack Obama was actually born in Kenya and was therefore not qualified to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 after declaring his candidacy .

President Donald Trump floated a false theory about presumptive Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris from the White House briefing room podium on Thursday.
Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis propagated the suggestion on ABC that Harris’ birth somehow disqualifies her from holding the presidency. Trump said he had “just heard” about the idea when asked to respond to the theory. (RELATED: Trump Campaign Opens Door For New Kind Of ‘Birtherism’ With Kamala Harris)
Harris was born in Oakland, California to immigrant parents and is qualified to hold the presidency. The new birtherism claim discussed by Ellis suggests that being born on American soil itself does not qualify an individual to be president, despite 122 years of constitutional precedent saying so.
WATCH:
“I heard it today that she doesn’t meet the requirements and by the way, the lawyer that wrote that piece is a very highly qualified, very talented lawyer,” Trump said, instead of disputing Ellis’ claim. “I have no idea if that’s right. I would’ve assumed the Democrats would’ve checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president.”
“That’s very serious. They are saying she doesn’t qualify because she wasn’t born in this country,” he continued. “I don’t know about that, I just heard about it. I’ll take a look.”
Before running for office, Trump was a vocal supporter of the Birther theory, which suggested former President Barack Obama was actually born in Kenya and was therefore not qualified to be president.
He reversed that claim in 2016 after declaring his candidacy.


thedailycaller--2020-08-13--FACT CHECK: Was The 2014-2016 Ebola Outbreak A ‘Pandemic,’ As Kamala Harris Claims?

During her first appearance with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as his running mate , California Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday claimed the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak was a “ pandemic.
” Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) nor the World Health Organization ( WHO ) labeled the Ebola outbreak a pandemic .
The public health organizations described it as an epidemic .
In her first joint appearance with Biden since accepting his vice presidential nominee offer , Harris made the claim that the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak was a “ pandemic.
” The claim came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the Obama administration ’ s response to the Ebola outbreak and the Trump administration ’ s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ Six years ago , in fact , we had a different health crisis .
It was called Ebola , ” she said .
“ We all remember that pandemic , but you know what happened then ?
Barack Obama and Joe Biden did their job .
Only two people in the United States died .
Two .
That ’ s called leadership.
” But the outbreak was not technically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CDC or WHO .
They both called it an epidemic , press releases on their respective websites show .
The CDC explains the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic on its website : “ An outbreak is called an epidemic when there is a sudden increase in cases .
As COVID-19 began spreading in Wuhan , China , it became an epidemic .
Because the disease then spread across several countries and affected a large number of people , it was classified as a pandemic.
” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Infectious Diseases described to USA Today the “ general interpretation ” of a pandemic as “ a new pathogen that ’ s spreading widely throughout multiple regions of the world in which there is substantial , sustained transmission.
” The 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak largely occurred in West Africa , with 36 cases outside of Guinea , Liberia and Sierra Leone , according to the CDC .
Data on the CDC website shows that there were over 28,600 total suspected , probable and confirmed Ebola cases during the outbreak , with some 11,300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one person in the U.S. CNN reported in November 2014 that a doctor who treated Ebola patients in West Africa became the second person to die from the disease in the U.S. “ Overall , eleven people were treated for Ebola in the United States during the 2014-2016 epidemic , ” the CDC website states .
( RELATED : Is Kamala Harris Not Eligible To Be President ? )
The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak a “ Public Health Emergency of International Concern ” but never labeled it a pandemic , like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swine flu .
Declaring the global coronavirus outbreak a pandemic was the first time the WHO had done so for a disease outbreak since 2009 , according to NPR .
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment .

During her first appearance with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday claimed the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak was a “pandemic.”
Verdict: False
Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled the Ebola outbreak a pandemic. The public health organizations described it as an epidemic.
Fact Check:
In her first joint appearance with Biden since accepting his vice presidential nominee offer, Harris made the claim that the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak was a “pandemic.” The claim came while she was making a direct comparison between the Obama administration’s response to the Ebola outbreak and the Trump administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Six years ago, in fact, we had a different health crisis. It was called Ebola,” she said. “We all remember that pandemic, but you know what happened then? Barack Obama and Joe Biden did their job. Only two people in the United States died. Two. That’s called leadership.”
But the outbreak was not technically labeled a “pandemic” by either the CDC or WHO. They both called it an epidemic, press releases on their respective websites show.
The CDC explains the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic on its website: “An outbreak is called an epidemic when there is a sudden increase in cases. As COVID-19 began spreading in Wuhan, China, it became an epidemic. Because the disease then spread across several countries and affected a large number of people, it was classified as a pandemic.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases described to USA Today the “general interpretation” of a pandemic as “a new pathogen that’s spreading widely throughout multiple regions of the world in which there is substantial, sustained transmission.”
The 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak largely occurred in West Africa, with 36 cases outside of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the CDC. Data on the CDC website shows that there were over 28,600 total suspected, probable and confirmed Ebola cases during the outbreak, with some 11,300 people dying from the disease, including one person in the U.S. CNN reported in November 2014 that a doctor who treated Ebola patients in West Africa became the second person to die from the disease in the U.S.
“Overall, eleven people were treated for Ebola in the United States during the 2014-2016 epidemic,” the CDC website states. (RELATED: Is Kamala Harris Not Eligible To Be President?)
The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” but never labeled it a pandemic, like the organization did for the new coronavirus and swine flu. Declaring the global coronavirus outbreak a pandemic was the first time the WHO had done so for a disease outbreak since 2009, according to NPR.
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment.


thedailycaller--2020-08-13--Fact-Checkers Fall Flat For Kamala’s Big Speech

Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris a misleading claim about Ebola during her first speech Wednesday as former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s running mate , but fact-checkers did not report on it .
Harris and Biden appeared together for the first time publicly as a team Wednesday in Delaware – and both pushed misleading statements throughout the day .
Despite consistently calling out President Donald Trump for similar lies , reporters remained silent on the content of Kamala ’ s speech .
Harris claimed Ebola was a “ pandemic ” before noting that it only killed two people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not label Ebola as a “ pandemic.
” Ebola is also “ not easily transmittable ” and “ was largely isolated to the region where it emerged , ” according to Five Thirty Eight .
A few critics , some of whom are doctors , did call Harris out – but legacy news publications remained mute .
( RELATED : ‘ People Will Say Anything To Get Power ’ : Greg Gutfeld Launches Attack On Biden And Harris ) Politifact , CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale , Snopes and The Washington Post did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s statements that day also went unchecked .
On Twitter Wednesday evening , the former vice president claimed that Trump called white supremacists after the 2017 Charlottesville attack “ very fine people.
” ( RELATED : ‘ People Will Say Anything To Get Power ’ : Greg Gutfeld Launches Attack On Biden And Harris ) CNN ’ s Jake Tapper previously noted this was not what Trump said .
Reporters remained silent about Biden ’ s tweet Wednesday .
( RELATED : CNN ’ s Tapper : Trump Didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People ’ ) “ He ’ s not saying that the neo-Nazis and white supremacists are very fine people , ” Tapper noted in 2019 after telling a panel that Trump did condemn the extremist groups during that same speech .
“ But he is saying people protesting alongside those neo-Nazis and white supremacists are very fine people.
” The fact-checkers also remained silent on Biden ’ s tweet .

Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris made a misleading claim about Ebola during her first speech Wednesday as former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate, but fact-checkers did not report on it.
Harris and Biden appeared together for the first time publicly as a team Wednesday in Delaware – and both pushed misleading statements throughout the day. Despite consistently calling out President Donald Trump for similar lies, reporters remained silent on the content of Kamala’s speech.
Harris claimed Ebola was a “pandemic” before noting that it only killed two people in America. The World Health Organization did not label Ebola as a “pandemic.”
Kamala Harris: “It didn’t have to be this way. 6 years ago, in fact, we had a different health crisis. It was called Ebola … Barack Obama and Joe Biden did their job. Only two people in the United States died. Two. That is what’s called leadership.” — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 12, 2020
Ebola is also “not easily transmittable” and “was largely isolated to the region where it emerged,” according to Five Thirty Eight. A few critics, some of whom are doctors, did call Harris out – but legacy news publications remained mute. (RELATED: ‘People Will Say Anything To Get Power’: Greg Gutfeld Launches Attack On Biden And Harris)
Politifact, CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale, Snopes and The Washington Post did not appear to fact-check Harris.
It’s like comparing swine flu to the novel coronavirus. Swine flu was highly transmissible but was 30 to 50 times less deadly than COVID-19. https://t.co/wJrVgmC1GW https://t.co/GL341JAIfO — Elias Atienza (@AtienzaElias) August 12, 2020
One of Biden’s statements that day also went unchecked. On Twitter Wednesday evening, the former vice president claimed that Trump called white supremacists after the 2017 Charlottesville attack “very fine people.” (RELATED: ‘People Will Say Anything To Get Power’: Greg Gutfeld Launches Attack On Biden And Harris)
CNN’s Jake Tapper previously noted this was not what Trump said. Reporters remained silent about Biden’s tweet Wednesday. (RELATED: CNN’s Tapper: Trump Didn’t Say ‘White Supremacists Are Very Fine People’)
“He’s not saying that the neo-Nazis and white supremacists are very fine people,” Tapper noted in 2019 after telling a panel that Trump did condemn the extremist groups during that same speech. “But he is saying people protesting alongside those neo-Nazis and white supremacists are very fine people.”
Even CNN’s Jake Tapper admits that President Donald Trump condemned neo-Nazis and white supremacists: “He’s not saying that the neo-Nazis and white supremacists are very fine people” pic.twitter.com/2hy1rQp8nP — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 26, 2019
The fact-checkers also remained silent on Biden’s tweet.


thedailycaller--2020-08-13--Former Hospital Worker Travis Brooks Accused Of Raping An Unconscious Patient

A former Maryland hospital worker has reportedly been accused of sexually assaulting an unconscious patient .
Travis K. Brooks of Trappe , Maryland was arrested Tuesday , according to CBS Baltimore .
Brooks was charged with second-degree rape , third- and fourth-degree sex offense , abuse of a vulnerable adult and second-degree assault , the outlet reported .
Authorities first began the investigation in April after being notified of a theft that took place at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center , according to CBS Baltimore .
A patient reportedly claimed money had been stolen out of her wallet while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been taking photos of patients ’ credit cards , police said .
( RELATED : British Doctor Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting 24 Patients ) During the investigation , authorities found a video allegedly filmed by Brooks of himself sexually assaulting a patient while they were executing search warrants .
Police claim the video was recorded by Brooks in December of 2019 .
Brooks has also been charged with misdemeanor drug possession and several counts of theft in addition with the other charges , the outlet reported .
Brooks has a previous arrest record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2019 stemming from a separate incident , per the outlet .
He is currently being held without bail on the sex assault charges while he awaits his hearing .

A former Maryland hospital worker has reportedly been accused of sexually assaulting an unconscious patient.
Travis K. Brooks of Trappe, Maryland was arrested Tuesday, according to CBS Baltimore. Brooks was charged with second-degree rape, third- and fourth-degree sex offense, abuse of a vulnerable adult and second-degree assault, the outlet reported.
A former Maryland hospital worker is being charged with sexually assaulting a hospital patient while they were unconscious. Travis Brooks was arrested Tuesday on charges of rape, sex offense, abuse of a vulnerable adult, and assault. FULL STORY: https://t.co/HuJdwQ8Wjc pic.twitter.com/OX3LPaPzK3 — ABC 7 News – WJLA (@ABC7News) August 12, 2020
Authorities first began the investigation in April after being notified of a theft that took place at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center, according to CBS Baltimore.
A patient reportedly claimed money had been stolen out of her wallet while she underwent a procedure. Brooks had been taking photos of patients’ credit cards, police said. (RELATED: British Doctor Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting 24 Patients)
During the investigation, authorities found a video allegedly filmed by Brooks of himself sexually assaulting a patient while they were executing search warrants. Police claim the video was recorded by Brooks in December of 2019.
Brooks has also been charged with misdemeanor drug possession and several counts of theft in addition with the other charges, the outlet reported.
Brooks has a previous arrest record and was charged with assault in July of 2019 stemming from a separate incident, per the outlet.
He is currently being held without bail on the sex assault charges while he awaits his hearing.


thedailycaller--2020-08-13--Report: Chrissy Teigen And John Legend Expecting 3rd Child

Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend are expecting their third child together , according to multiple sources .
Sources with knowledge shared with People magazine in a piece published Thursday that the 34-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model is indeed pregnant and the pair ’ s family is growing .
( RELATED : Chrissy Teigen Admits She Had A Boob Job , Wants Her Implants Out ) It all comes after reports began surfacing following what many fans believed was the couples ’ big reveal in Legend ’ s “ Wild ” music video which came out on Thursday .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many times and near the end , Chrissy is embraced by her husband and appears to be sporting a small baby bump .
( RELATED : Chrissy Teigen Heats Things Up With Jaw-Dropping Bikini Throwback Shot ) Shortly after speculation began surfacing on social media , the SI Swimsuit model appeared to comment by tweeting out simply a heart-faced emoji and nothing else .
The 41-year-old singer has been pretty quiet , too .
There has yet to be any confirmation from Legend ’ s representative , per the outlet .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from one fan that read , “ I am CRYING I love Chrissy and John so much this is AWESOME NEWS !
Watch his new video…SO cute !
!
!
!
!
!
” Legend and Teigen made headlines when they tied the knot back in 2013 .
The Hollywood pair have two children together , daughter Luna who is 4 years old and son Miles , 2 years old .

Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend are expecting their third child together, according to multiple sources.
Sources with knowledge shared with People magazine in a piece published Thursday that the 34-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model is indeed pregnant and the pair’s family is growing. (RELATED: Chrissy Teigen Admits She Had A Boob Job, Wants Her Implants Out)
View this post on Instagram A post shared by E! News (@enews) on Aug 13, 2020 at 3:00pm PDT
It all comes after reports began surfacing following what many fans believed was the couples’ big reveal in Legend’s “Wild” music video which came out on Thursday.
In the piece, the two appear together many times and near the end, Chrissy is embraced by her husband and appears to be sporting a small baby bump. (RELATED: Chrissy Teigen Heats Things Up With Jaw-Dropping Bikini Throwback Shot)
Shortly after speculation began surfacing on social media, the SI Swimsuit model appeared to comment by tweeting out simply a heart-faced emoji and nothing else.
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) August 13, 2020
The 41-year-old singer has been pretty quiet, too. There has yet to be any confirmation from Legend’s representative, per the outlet.
However, he did end up liking a tweet from one fan that read, “I am CRYING I love Chrissy and John so much this is AWESOME NEWS! Watch his new video…SO cute!!!!!!”
Legend and Teigen made headlines when they tied the knot back in 2013. The Hollywood pair have two children together, daughter Luna who is 4 years old and son Miles, 2 years old.
Congratulations!