thedailycaller--2020-06-10--Zoom Targets Activist Group That Held An Event Commemorating The Tiananmen Square Massacre: Report

Video conferencing company Zoom removed a group of Chinese activists shortly after they held a meeting on the platform marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre , Axios reported Wednesday .
Activist Zhou Fengsuo , a former student leader of the Tiananmen protests in 1989 , organized the May 31 event through a paid Zoom account associated with a nonprofit group he founded called Humanitarian China , according to the Axios report .
Roughly 25 people based in the United States attended the event before Zoom shut down Zhou ’ s account on June 7 .
Mothers of students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1989 crackdown on pro-Democracy activists were invited to speak during the event , as were organizers of Hong Kong ’ s Tiananmen candlelight vigil .
Fengsuo has been unable to gain access to his account since Zoom removed it , the report noted .
Zoom faces growing scrutiny regarding its ties to China , which prohibits discussion of the protest and the government ’ s violent response to the demonstrations .
The company acknowledged in April routing calls through Chinese servers .
( RELATED : FBI Asks Public To Report Child Sexual Abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) “ We are outraged by this act from Zoom , a U.S company , ” Zhou and other organizers told Axios in a joint statement .
“ As the most commercially popular meeting software worldwide , Zoom is essential as an unbanned outreach to Chinese audiences remembering and commemorating Tiananmen Massacre during the coronavirus pandemic.
” Zoom usage surged among college students and Americans who were forced to work remotely amid lockdowns , which were implemented to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic .
Reports of security vulnerabilities discovered within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leading several companies to ban its usage .
Researchers also found traffic from the app was being routed through China leading to the Taiwanese government banning the remote conferencing service .
Zoom is also facing a lawsuit in California for allegedly giving away the data of users improperly to Facebook and other tech giants .
Zoom has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment .
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 .

Video conferencing company Zoom removed a group of Chinese activists shortly after they held a meeting on the platform marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Axios reported Wednesday.
Activist Zhou Fengsuo, a former student leader of the Tiananmen protests in 1989, organized the May 31 event through a paid Zoom account associated with a nonprofit group he founded called Humanitarian China, according to the Axios report. Roughly 25 people based in the United States attended the event before Zoom shut down Zhou’s account on June 7.
Mothers of students who were killed during China’s 1989 crackdown on pro-Democracy activists were invited to speak during the event, as were organizers of Hong Kong’s Tiananmen candlelight vigil. Fengsuo has been unable to gain access to his account since Zoom removed it, the report noted.
Zoom faces growing scrutiny regarding its ties to China, which prohibits discussion of the protest and the government’s violent response to the demonstrations. The company acknowledged in April routing calls through Chinese servers. (RELATED: FBI Asks Public To Report Child Sexual Abuse During Zoom Meetings Through New Online Questionnaire)
“We are outraged by this act from Zoom, a U.S company,” Zhou and other organizers told Axios in a joint statement. “As the most commercially popular meeting software worldwide, Zoom is essential as an unbanned outreach to Chinese audiences remembering and commemorating Tiananmen Massacre during the coronavirus pandemic.”
Zoom usage surged among college students and Americans who were forced to work remotely amid lockdowns, which were implemented to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Reports of security vulnerabilities discovered within the application stymied that growth to an extent, leading several companies to ban its usage.
Researchers also found traffic from the app was being routed through China leading to the Taiwanese government banning the remote conferencing service. Zoom is also facing a lawsuit in California for allegedly giving away the data of users improperly to Facebook and other tech giants.
Zoom has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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--2020-06-10--Here Are The Politicians Refusing To Condemn Calls To Defund The Police

While the majority of elected Democrats have stopped short of actively calling to defund the police , many in the @ @ @ @ @ the idea and some have endorsed it .
Others have dodged questioning or reframed the @ @ @ @

While the majority of elected Democrats have stopped short of actively calling to defund the police, many in the party have expressed sympathy for the idea and some have endorsed it. Others have dodged questioning or reframed the demand as rhetoric.


thedailycaller--2020-06-10--NASCAR Removes Rule Mandating Team Members Must Stand During National Anthem

NASCAR has decided to remove a rule that mandated team members must stand during the playing of the national anthem following George Floyd ’ s death .
NASCAR eliminated the previous rule before last weekend ’ s race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway therefore allowing for peaceful protests during pre-race ceremonies when the “ Star Spangled Banner ” is played , per YahooSports.com in a piece published Wednesday .
( RELATED : President Trump To Attend Season-Opening Daytona 500 ) As noted by a NASCAR reporter who tweeted the rule and said “ this wording on conduct during the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handout for Bristol.
” ( RELATED : ‘ A Man Of The People ’ : NASCAR Drivers Praise Trump After Daytona Appearance ) “ It was not in the handout ( which contains pit road speed , minimum speed , etc . )
for Atlanta and # NASCAR does not plan to include it in the handout for future events , ” his tweet added .
The wording that appeared on a handout given at the driver/crew chief meeting , per NBC , read as follows : DRIVERS & CREW CHIEFS , please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the playing of the National Anthem , taken from the US Flag Code .
When the flag is displayed – all persons should face and stand at attention with their right hand over their heart – persons should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder , the hand being over the heart – when the flag is not displayed – all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed .
It comes after NASCAR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday ’ s race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway during the national anthem , while he saluted the flag .
He served on active duty in the Army for three years .
A short time later , NASCAR announced that the “ display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties.
” “ The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans , our competitors and our industry , ”

NASCAR has decided to remove a rule that mandated team members must stand during the playing of the national anthem following George Floyd’s death.
NASCAR eliminated the previous rule before last weekend’s race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway therefore allowing for peaceful protests during pre-race ceremonies when the “Star Spangled Banner” is played, per YahooSports.com in a piece published Wednesday. (RELATED: President Trump To Attend Season-Opening Daytona 500)
#NASCAR removes guidelines that team members must stand for the national anthem, allowing for competitors to peacefully protest during pre-race ceremonies. https://t.co/0ujCQ1EH0h — NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 10, 2020
As noted by a NASCAR reporter who tweeted the rule and said “this wording on conduct during the national anthem was on the driver-crew chief prerace handout for Bristol.” (RELATED: ‘A Man Of The People’: NASCAR Drivers Praise Trump After Daytona Appearance)
This wording on conduct during the national anthem was on the driver-crew chief prerace handout for Bristol. It was not in the handout (which contains pit road speed, minimum speed, etc.) for Atlanta and #NASCAR does not plan to include it in the handout for future events. pic.twitter.com/O2mYA98NFl — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 10, 2020
“It was not in the handout (which contains pit road speed, minimum speed, etc.) for Atlanta and #NASCAR does not plan to include it in the handout for future events,” his tweet added.
The wording that appeared on a handout given at the driver/crew chief meeting, per NBC, read as follows:
DRIVERS & CREW CHIEFS, please advise all your Team members: Conduct during the playing of the National Anthem, taken from the US Flag Code. When the flag is displayed – all persons should face and stand at attention with their right hand over their heart – persons should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart – when the flag is not displayed – all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.
It comes after NASCAR official Kirk Price took a knee at Sunday’s race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway during the national anthem, while he saluted the flag. He served on active duty in the Army for three years.
A short time later, NASCAR announced that the “display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties.”
“The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,”


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Guarantees There Will Be Games This Season

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is 100 % confident games will happen in 2020 .
The players and owners have been involved in intense negotiations for games to return during the coronavirus pandemic , and it doesn ’ t really seem like we ’ re close to a resolution .
Despite that fact , Manfred has no doubt there ’ ll be baseball this year .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) According to Jon Heyman , Manfred guaranteed Wednesday during an appearance on the MLB Network that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he has the authority to mandate players return .
Yeah , I ’ ll believe it when I see it .
How many times are we going to have to hear about the MLB and ongoing negotiations before something gets done ?
Until I see baseball on TV and the parks are open , I ’ m not buying into a single thing .
At this point , it ’ d be foolish to do so .
Also , what is Manfred going to do if he mandates players return and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is he going to stack the league with replacement players ?
That seems like a disaster waiting to happen , and I highly doubt that ’ s how it will go down .
It ’ s truly unreal how badly the owners and players have botched this situation .
Every other major sports league is ready to roll .
The MLB isn ’ t close to a return at all .
At this point , I ’ m not even sure who is to blame .
The players don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners don ’ t want to lose the season .
At this rate , we just won ’ t get baseball in 2020 .
We ’ ll see what happens , but I ’ m certainly not getting my hopes up .

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is 100% confident games will happen in 2020.
The players and owners have been involved in intense negotiations for games to return during the coronavirus pandemic, and it doesn’t really seem like we’re close to a resolution. Despite that fact, Manfred has no doubt there’ll be baseball this year. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
According to Jon Heyman, Manfred guaranteed Wednesday during an appearance on the MLB Network that games would happen, and pointed out that he has the authority to mandate players return.
Commissioner Rob Manfred on @MLBNetwork just guaranteed that there will be baseball this year. 100 percent he said. As has been noted, if there’s no agreement with players Manfred has the right to mandate players return to field as long as they receive prorated pay. — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 10, 2020
Yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it. How many times are we going to have to hear about the MLB and ongoing negotiations before something gets done?
Until I see baseball on TV and the parks are open, I’m not buying into a single thing. At this point, it’d be foolish to do so.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by brewers (@brewers) on Jun 5, 2020 at 8:02am PDT
Also, what is Manfred going to do if he mandates players return and they just don’t show up? Is he going to stack the league with replacement players?
That seems like a disaster waiting to happen, and I highly doubt that’s how it will go down.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by brewers (@brewers) on May 29, 2020 at 8:02am PDT
It’s truly unreal how badly the owners and players have botched this situation. Every other major sports league is ready to roll. The MLB isn’t close to a return at all.
At this point, I’m not even sure who is to blame. The players don’t want to lose a bunch of money and the owners don’t want to lose the season.
At this rate, we just won’t get baseball in 2020.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by brewers (@brewers) on Apr 29, 2020 at 1:36pm PDT
We’ll see what happens, but I’m certainly not getting my hopes up.


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--Reggie Bush Says He Wants His Heisman Trophy Back After USC Ends Disassociation

Bush and USC ended their NCAA mandated disassociation Wednesday , and the legendary running back is finally allowed to be part of the Trojans family again .
After he allegedly took illegal benefits while in college , he had to stay away from USC and give up his Heisman .
Now he says he wants the legendary trophy back .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) The former electric running back told Colin Cowherd the following Wednesday : To say that I don ’ t want it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a lie .
So , I do want to be completely honest about that .
100 % I want my Heisman Trophy back .
Also at the same time , I ’ m more focused on the kids now because what happened to me is in the past .
You can watch his full comments below .
What the NCAA did to Reggie Bush was 100 % unacceptable and should never be allowed to happen ever again .
It ’ s that simple .
Heisman aside , the fact the NCAA wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best player in school history is a laughable decision .
It was an absolute joke .
On top of that , Bush should have never given up his Heisman to begin with .
That was another horrific decision made at every level in the process .
Did Bush not run those yards ?
Did he not win those games ?
Did he not earn that trophy by terrorizing defenses week in and week out ?
Bush is a good dude , and he was one of the greatest college players to ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NCAA never destroys another guy like they tried to destroy him .

Reggie Bush wants his Heisman Trophy back.
Bush and USC ended their NCAA mandated disassociation Wednesday, and the legendary running back is finally allowed to be part of the Trojans family again. After he allegedly took illegal benefits while in college, he had to stay away from USC and give up his Heisman.
Now he says he wants the legendary trophy back. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
The former electric running back told Colin Cowherd the following Wednesday:
To say that I don’t want it [the Heisman Trophy] back would be a lie. So, I do want to be completely honest about that. 100% I want my Heisman Trophy back. Also at the same time, I’m more focused on the kids now because what happened to me is in the past.
You can watch his full comments below.
“To say that I don’t want the Heisman back would be a lie… Also at the same time, I’m more focused on the kids now because what happened to me is in the past.”@ReggieBush joins us after being welcomed back into the @USC_Athletics family: pic.twitter.com/83Jw31Ones — Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 10, 2020
What the NCAA did to Reggie Bush was 100% unacceptable and should never be allowed to happen ever again. It’s that simple.
Heisman aside, the fact the NCAA wouldn’t allow USC to associate with the best player in school history is a laughable decision.
It was an absolute joke.
On top of that, Bush should have never given up his Heisman to begin with. That was another horrific decision made at every level in the process.
Did Bush not run those yards? Did he not win those games? Did he not earn that trophy by terrorizing defenses week in and week out?
Bush is a good dude, and he was one of the greatest college players to ever put on a helmet. Hopefully, the NCAA never destroys another guy like they tried to destroy him.


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--Tony Hawk Shares X-Rays From Horrific Hand Injury

Tony Hawk recently shared some grizzly photos of his hand injury .
The legendary skateboarder tweeted Wednesday night the x-rays from when he messed up his hand , and it might be enough to make you sick .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) His fingers are messed up so badly that they look like they ’ re not even attached anymore .
“ They had to cut my ring off before returning my bones to their full upright and locked position , ” Hawk tweeted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below .
Yeah , I ’ m done for the day after seeing that .
I don ’ t think I ’ ll be able to eat anything today after seeing that .
In case you didn ’ t see the injury shortly after it happened , you can take a look below .
Be warned that it might be even worse than the x-rays .
I also love how chill Tony Hawk is about this whole thing .
His hand is mangled , and he ’ s still super relaxed about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead .
I ’ d be asking for the doctors to just put me down if my hand was ever mangled that badly .
Just put me down , doc !
Props to Hawk for making me not want to eat lunch today !
That ’ s without a doubt one of the worst x-rays I ’ ve ever seen .

Tony Hawk recently shared some grizzly photos of his hand injury.
The legendary skateboarder tweeted Wednesday night the x-rays from when he messed up his hand, and it might be enough to make you sick. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
His fingers are messed up so badly that they look like they’re not even attached anymore. “They had to cut my ring off before returning my bones to their full upright and locked position,” Hawk tweeted in part.
You can see the x-rays below.
Just received my x-rays from Saturday’s debacle. They had to cut my ring off before returning my bones to their full upright and locked position. My fingers are still sore / stiff / swollen but mostly functional. And I still love my job. ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/fbvWUdszJD — Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) June 10, 2020
Yeah, I’m done for the day after seeing that. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat anything today after seeing that.
In case you didn’t see the injury shortly after it happened, you can take a look below. Be warned that it might be even worse than the x-rays.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) on Jun 6, 2020 at 5:18pm PDT
I also love how chill Tony Hawk is about this whole thing. His hand is mangled, and he’s still super relaxed about the whole thing.
I’d be dead. I’d be asking for the doctors to just put me down if my hand was ever mangled that badly. Just put me down, doc!
Props to Hawk for making me not want to eat lunch today! That’s without a doubt one of the worst x-rays I’ve ever seen.


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--Ron Rivera Doesn’t Completely Rule Out The Redskins Signing Antonio Brown

Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera sounds like he ’ s not 100 % against signing Antonio Brown .
Brown hasn ’ t played a snap of NFL football since the New England Patriots showed him the exit , and his life has hit a low point when he was hit with multiple criminal charges after allegedly attacking a moving truck driver .
Despite that , he ’ s still training , and Rivera doesn ’ t sound like he ’ s completely ruled him out as an option .
He just wants to see other guys put in some work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) Rivera told the media the following in part when asked Wednesday about potentially signing Antonio Brown , according to ProFootballTalk : I know who Antonio Brown is .
I know he is a great player and an impact guy .
He is also a veteran guy and we have some guys that we have to find out about .
That is the approach .
We want to see what we have .
If we were able to go through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been able to judge that and say , ‘ Hey , we need to get a guy at this position or we need a guy at that position.
’ These guys aren ’ t really coming along how we want them to , let ’ s pull the trigger and bring a guy into our organization .
I ’ m honestly not sure Rivera could have been more vague if he tried .
It sounds like he ’ s saying they ’ re going to give the young guys a look first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
Young guys are hungry and most importantly , they ’ re cheap .
However , Rivera should have just shut the door on this speculation .
Antonio Brown has absolutely no business playing in the NFL .
The dude has thrown away every chance he ’ s received over the past year .
He ’ s an absolute cancer on the league and the last thing Roger Goodell and the NFL needs is for Brown to be back in the spotlight behaving like an idiot .
Playing in the NFL isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a privilege , and he lost that a long time ago with his behavior .
The Redskins are already a circus and they ’ re trying to rebuild .
The last thing they need is Antonio Brown getting involved .

Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera sounds like he’s not 100% against signing Antonio Brown.
Brown hasn’t played a snap of NFL football since the New England Patriots showed him the exit, and his life has hit a low point when he was hit with multiple criminal charges after allegedly attacking a moving truck driver. Despite that, he’s still training, and Rivera doesn’t sound like he’s completely ruled him out as an option. He just wants to see other guys put in some work first. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Dwayne Haskins throwing bombs to Antonio Brown today. So many eyeball emojis pic.twitter.com/fA3ow1U0us — Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) May 27, 2020
Rivera told the media the following in part when asked Wednesday about potentially signing Antonio Brown, according to ProFootballTalk:
I know who Antonio Brown is. I know he is a great player and an impact guy. He is also a veteran guy and we have some guys that we have to find out about. That is the approach. We want to see what we have. If we were able to go through OTAs and minicamp, we would’ve been able to judge that and say, ‘Hey, we need to get a guy at this position or we need a guy at that position.’ These guys aren’t really coming along how we want them to, let’s pull the trigger and bring a guy into our organization.
I’m honestly not sure Rivera could have been more vague if he tried. It sounds like he’s saying they’re going to give the young guys a look first.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Young guys are hungry and most importantly, they’re cheap. However, Rivera should have just shut the door on this speculation.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by AB (@ab) on Mar 3, 2020 at 9:07am PST
Antonio Brown has absolutely no business playing in the NFL. The dude has thrown away every chance he’s received over the past year.
He’s an absolute cancer on the league and the last thing Roger Goodell and the NFL needs is for Brown to be back in the spotlight behaving like an idiot.
Playing in the NFL isn’t a right. It’s a privilege, and he lost that a long time ago with his behavior. The Redskins are already a circus and they’re trying to rebuild.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by AB (@ab) on Apr 19, 2020 at 3:04pm PDT
The last thing they need is Antonio Brown getting involved.


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--Clemson Quarterback Trevor Lawrence Will Lead Campus Protest

Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence will lead a protest on campus this weekend .
According to ESPN , the phenom passer and his teammates Cornell Powell , Darien Rencher and Mike Jones Jr. organized the protest for Saturday following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) Jones has led the way , getting masks and water for people to make sure it ’ s a safe event .
Protests and riots consumed America following the death of Floyd .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal it is that Lawrence is leading this protest .
Not only is he the most recognizable face in the sport of football , but he ’ s also white .
Believe it or not , that does make a difference .
That will move the needle in a different way .
We ’ ve had many speak up in the world of sports over the past couple weeks , but the Heisman favorite leading a protest is taking things to the next level .
The biggest question now is whether or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in attendance .
I feel so bad for that guy .
The Clemson coach has been out here getting hammered and dragged by the mob , but finally fought back with a recent video .
If he walks shoulder-to-shoulder with Lawrence , then the two most important people in the state will have made a profound statement .
We ’ ll see what happens , but Lawrence leading a protest might be the biggest development during this situation in all of college sports .
If Swinney stands with him , then you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get blown off this situation .

Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence will lead a protest on campus this weekend.
According to ESPN, the phenom passer and his teammates Cornell Powell, Darien Rencher and Mike Jones Jr. organized the protest for Saturday following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Jones has led the way, getting masks and water for people to make sure it’s a safe event. Protests and riots consumed America following the death of Floyd.
There has to be a shift in the way of thinking. Rational must outweigh irrational. Justice must outweigh injustice. Love must outweigh hate. If you put yourself in someone else’s shoes and you don’t like how it feels-that’s when you know things need to change. — Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) May 29, 2020
I’m siding with my brothers that deal, and continuously deal, with things I will never experience. The injustice is clear.. and so is the hate. It can no longer be explained away. If you’re still “explaining” it – check your heart and ask why. — Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) May 29, 2020
I can’t overstate how big of a deal it is that Lawrence is leading this protest. Not only is he the most recognizable face in the sport of football, but he’s also white.
Believe it or not, that does make a difference. That will move the needle in a different way. We’ve had many speak up in the world of sports over the past couple weeks, but the Heisman favorite leading a protest is taking things to the next level.
The biggest question now is whether or not head coach Dabo Swinney will be in attendance. I feel so bad for that guy.
The Clemson coach has been out here getting hammered and dragged by the mob, but finally fought back with a recent video. If he walks shoulder-to-shoulder with Lawrence, then the two most important people in the state will have made a profound statement.
We’ll see what happens, but Lawrence leading a protest might be the biggest development during this situation in all of college sports.
If Swinney stands with him, then you’re really going to see the lid get blown off this situation.


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--A&E Cancels ‘Live PD’ After Protests Against Police Brutality

According to The Hollywood Reporter late Wednesday night , the network pulled the plug on the police show after protests and riots spread around America following the death of George Floyd .
Statesman.com also reported that a camera crew filmed the death of Javier Ambler while in custody in Texas and then got rid of the footage .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) A & E said the following in a statement , according to the THR report : This is a critical time in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the decision to cease production on Live PD .
Going forward , we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them .
And with that , we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments .
So , “ Cops ” is done forever after 32 incredibly successful seasons , and now “ Live PD ” joins the graveyard of police shows .
It ’ s worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t stopped production on “ Live Rescue , ” which is about EMTs .
They only canned “ Live PD.
” I guess we ’ re just not allowed to have police shows anymore .
I guess this is the world we now live in .
Shows about police officers won ’ t be tolerated !
In all seriousness , I don ’ t understand how shows like “ Cops ” and “ Live PD ” could possibly be part of the problem .
They give viewers an inside look at what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street .
If anything , you ’ d think these shows could help heal the situation .
Hopefully , this is the last show to go down because of this situation .
We just can ’ t have shows getting canceled left and right .
That ’ s not going to fix the situation .

A&E has canceled the hit police show “Live PD.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter late Wednesday night, the network pulled the plug on the police show after protests and riots spread around America following the death of George Floyd. Statesman.com also reported that a camera crew filmed the death of Javier Ambler while in custody in Texas and then got rid of the footage. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
A&E said the following in a statement, according to the THR report:
This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD. Going forward, we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them. And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments.
So, “Cops” is done forever after 32 incredibly successful seasons, and now “Live PD” joins the graveyard of police shows.
It’s worth noting that A&E hasn’t stopped production on “Live Rescue,” which is about EMTs. They only canned “Live PD.”
I guess we’re just not allowed to have police shows anymore. I guess this is the world we now live in. Shows about police officers won’t be tolerated!
In all seriousness, I don’t understand how shows like “Cops” and “Live PD” could possibly be part of the problem.
They give viewers an inside look at what it means to be a cop on the street. If anything, you’d think these shows could help heal the situation.
Hopefully, this is the last show to go down because of this situation. We just can’t have shows getting canceled left and right. That’s not going to fix the situation.


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--‘You Can’t Have A Culture War If One Side Refuses To Turn Up’: Mark Steyn Blasts Conservatives Givin

‘You Can’t Have A Culture War If One Side Refuses To Turn Up’: Mark Steyn Blasts Conservatives Giving In To Cancel Culture

Conservative commentator Mark Steyn placed some blame on the current cancel culture trend on conservatives who “ refuse to turn up ” and fight the “ culture war.
” Emerging from quarantine Wednesday in the U.K. to make his first televised appearance in several months on “ Tucker Carlson Tonight , ” Steyn reacted to Fox News host Tucker Carlson ’ s summary of the current state of affairs , with leftists “ censoring movies , ripping down statues , [ and ] encouraging book burning.
” Steyn ’ s response aimed directly at the lack of opposition .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ?
” Steyn asked .
“ You can ’ t have a culture war if one side refuses to turn up.
” “ On the politics , on the looting , on the rioting , the Republican Party and conservatives have been largely silent , and similarly on the culture war the other side has been largely silent , ” Steyn contended .
“ If that ’ s not your take on the antebellum South , make your own movie , write your own novel , do your own play about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand that things be abolished simply because they weren ’ t made with the peculiar narcissistic sensibilities of 2020 in mind , ” he said of HBO ’ s decision to remove “ Gone With The Wind ” from its platform .
( RELATED : Tucker Carlson Responds To The ‘ Mob ’ : Racism Accusations Are ‘ A Way To Control Disobedience ’ ) “ We may be at the beginning of one of those dystopian tales where in a few years ’ time , somebody stumbles across the last rusting videocassette @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a tape of “ Gone With The Wind ” and they stick it in and they marvel at it because they ’ ve never seen this before , ” he said .
“ This generation is a hypertense generation and unfortunately it ’ s determined to destroy everything it doesn ’ t understand which is quite a lot .
”

Conservative commentator Mark Steyn placed some blame on the current cancel culture trend on conservatives who “refuse to turn up” and fight the “culture war.”
Emerging from quarantine Wednesday in the U.K. to make his first televised appearance in several months on “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Steyn reacted to Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s summary of the current state of affairs, with leftists “censoring movies, ripping down statues, [and] encouraging book burning.”
Steyn’s response aimed directly at the lack of opposition.
“Where are the people who will defend this?” Steyn asked. “You can’t have a culture war if one side refuses to turn up.”
WATCH:
“On the politics, on the looting, on the rioting, the Republican Party and conservatives have been largely silent, and similarly on the culture war the other side has been largely silent,” Steyn contended.
“If that’s not your take on the antebellum South, make your own movie, write your own novel, do your own play about the antebellum south, but don’t demand that things be abolished simply because they weren’t made with the peculiar narcissistic sensibilities of 2020 in mind,” he said of HBO’s decision to remove “Gone With The Wind” from its platform. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Responds To The ‘Mob’: Racism Accusations Are ‘A Way To Control Disobedience’)
“We may be at the beginning of one of those dystopian tales where in a few years’ time, somebody stumbles across the last rusting videocassette recorder in the woods and there happens to be a tape of “Gone With The Wind” and they stick it in and they marvel at it because they’ve never seen this before,” he said. “This generation is a hypertense generation and unfortunately it’s determined to destroy everything it doesn’t understand which is quite a lot.”


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--Facebook Helps the FBI Catch A Child Predator, Making It The First Time They’ve Ever Helped Law Enfo

Facebook Helps the FBI Catch A Child Predator, Making It The First Time They’ve Ever Helped Law Enforcement Hack A Criminal

For years a California man “ sextorted ” young girls for nude images of themselves across at least 10 federal districts using Facebook , which ultimately led the company to take the unprecedented step of helping the FBI hack him to gather evidence that led to his arrest and conviction .
Buster Hernandez , 28 , aka “ Brian Kil , ” aka “ Purge of Maine ” was charged and arrested for making threats to use an explosive device , threats to injure , as well as sexual exploitation of a child , in the summer of 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Justice ( DOJ ) .
For the first time ever Facebook worked with a third-party hacking firm to uncover Hernandez ’ s real IP address from the privacy-focused operating system Tails , which resulted in his arrest and ultimate conviction , according to Vice ’ s Motherboard .
“ Innovative techniques were utilized , solutions to roadblocks created and partnerships with key private sector partners were developed , ” said W. Jay Abbott , Special Agent in Charge of the FBI ’ s Indianapolis Division where some of Hernandez ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ With the tireless work of our agents and partners , we never gave up.
” The collaboration between a Silicon Valley tech giant and the FBI previously went unreported , according to Motherboard .
It raises difficult ethical questions about when—if ever—it is appropriate for private companies to assist in the hacking of their users .
( RELATED : House Democrats Spark Privacy Concerns With TRACE Act ) The FBI and Facebook reportedly used a so-called zero-day exploit to hack Hernandez ’ s privacy-focused operating system that routed all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network , according to Motherboard .
“ This was a unique case , because he was using such sophisticated methods to hide his identity , that we took the extraordinary steps of working with security experts to help the FBI bring him to justice , ” a Facebook spokesperson said , according to Motherboard .
“ Since there were no other privacy risks , and the human impact was so large , I don ’ t feel like we had another choice , ” said a former Facebook employee familiar with the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision generated much more controversy among Facebook employees , according to Motherboard .
When Hernandez did not get what he wanted from his minor victims , he would make physical threats to the victims , their schools and law enforcement , according to the DOJ ’ s statement .
Motherboard said that in some cases he would threaten to kill and rape them , or threaten to carry out mass shootings and bombings at the victim ’ s schools .
( RELATED : Advocates Of Child Abuse Victims Fear Continued Rise In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The only acceptable outcome to us was Buster Hernandez facing accountability for his abuse of young girls , ” a Facebook spokesperson said , according to Motherboard .
“ In this case , there was absolutely no risk to users other than this one person for which there was much more than probable cause , ” said the Facebook employee familiar with the situation .
“ We never would have made a change that affected anybody else , like an encryption backdoor.
” Hernandez agreed to plead guilty to 41 charges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including charges of coercion and enticement of a minor , production of child pornography and threats to kill , kidnap and injure .
He is still awaiting sentencing according to Motherboard , but stands to spend the rest of his life in prison .

For years a California man “sextorted” young girls for nude images of themselves across at least 10 federal districts using Facebook, which ultimately led the company to take the unprecedented step of helping the FBI hack him to gather evidence that led to his arrest and conviction.
Buster Hernandez, 28, aka “Brian Kil,” aka “Purge of Maine” was charged and arrested for making threats to use an explosive device, threats to injure, as well as sexual exploitation of a child, in the summer of 2017, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice (DOJ). For the first time ever Facebook worked with a third-party hacking firm to uncover Hernandez’s real IP address from the privacy-focused operating system Tails, which resulted in his arrest and ultimate conviction, according to Vice’s Motherboard.
“Innovative techniques were utilized, solutions to roadblocks created and partnerships with key private sector partners were developed,” said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division where some of Hernandez’s victims resided, according to the DOJ statement. “With the tireless work of our agents and partners, we never gave up.”
The collaboration between a Silicon Valley tech giant and the FBI previously went unreported, according to Motherboard. It raises difficult ethical questions about when—if ever—it is appropriate for private companies to assist in the hacking of their users. (RELATED: House Democrats Spark Privacy Concerns With TRACE Act)
The FBI and Facebook reportedly used a so-called zero-day exploit to hack Hernandez’s privacy-focused operating system that routed all of his internet traffic through the Tor anonymity network, according to Motherboard.
“This was a unique case, because he was using such sophisticated methods to hide his identity, that we took the extraordinary steps of working with security experts to help the FBI bring him to justice,” a Facebook spokesperson said, according to Motherboard.
“Since there were no other privacy risks, and the human impact was so large, I don’t feel like we had another choice,” said a former Facebook employee familiar with the case, according to Motherboard. However, the decision generated much more controversy among Facebook employees, according to Motherboard.
When Hernandez did not get what he wanted from his minor victims, he would make physical threats to the victims, their schools and law enforcement, according to the DOJ’s statement. Motherboard said that in some cases he would threaten to kill and rape them, or threaten to carry out mass shootings and bombings at the victim’s schools. (RELATED: Advocates Of Child Abuse Victims Fear Continued Rise In Abuse Reports Due To Lockdown Orders)
“The only acceptable outcome to us was Buster Hernandez facing accountability for his abuse of young girls,” a Facebook spokesperson said, according to Motherboard.
“In this case, there was absolutely no risk to users other than this one person for which there was much more than probable cause,” said the Facebook employee familiar with the situation. “We never would have made a change that affected anybody else, like an encryption backdoor.”
Hernandez agreed to plead guilty to 41 charges, according to an NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, including charges of coercion and enticement of a minor, production of child pornography and threats to kill, kidnap and injure. He is still awaiting sentencing according to Motherboard, but stands to spend the rest of his life in prison.


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--Derek Chauvin Trained New Officers Despite Receiving Complaints At Over Double The Rate Of Average O

Derek Chauvin Trained New Officers Despite Receiving Complaints At Over Double The Rate Of Average Officers

• Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin received complaints at over double the rate of the average officer on the force , according to records compiled by Communities United Against Police Brutality .
• Lawyers for the two rookie police officers charged in connection to George Floyd ’ s death have pointed to Chauvin ’ s role as a training officer .
• “ Using such an officer for training is an indefensible practice , ” CUAPB board member Dave Bicking told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin received complaints at over double the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force , according to data compiled by a Minnesota nonprofit that advocates against police brutality .
But despite Chauvin ’ s history of receiving complaints , lawyers for two of the police officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd , a black man who died on May 25 after video showed Chauvin kneeling on his neck for longer than eight minutes , have said that Chauvin served as a training officer .
“ Using such an officer for training is an indefensible practice , ” Communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board member Dave Bicking told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ It just reinforces the culture that they claim to be trying to improve , ” Bicking said .
“ While everyone claims to be opposed to police brutality , it actually serves the purposes of repression and control , particularly of people of color and other marginalized groups.
” The median number of complaints received by Minneapolis police officers between October 2012 and December 2019 is three , according to a CUAPB database of 2,875 complaints filed with the Minneapolis Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Floyd ’ s death , received seven complaints in that same timeframe , according to the database .
“ Yes , he was an outlier , ” Bicking told the DCNF .
( RELATED : Co-Worker : George Floyd And Derek Chauvin ‘ Bumped Heads ’ As Minneapolis Nightclub Bouncers ) Chauvin was the subject of a total of 18 complaints during his 19-year career with the MPD , only two of which were “ closed with discipline ” resulting in letters of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel records released last week by the department .
The contents of the complaints against Chauvin have not been made public by the MPD , according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune , save for one complaint in August 2007 in which a woman accused Chauvin and another police officer of pulling her from her car and frisking her after she was clocked going 10 mph over the speed limit .
Chauvin ’ s tape recorder was turned off during the course of the stop , according to his personnel records .
Lawyers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two rookie police officers who have been charged with aiding and abetting in the killing of Floyd and could face 40 years in prison if convicted , have said in court that Chauvin bears the blame for Floyd ’ s killing , citing his status as the senior officer at the scene and as a training officer , according to The New York Times .
“ He was relying on his training as a police officer and following the directions of a training officer .
Chauvin was also a training officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gray , told NBC News .
Gray said Lane , who was holding Floyd ’ s legs as he was being pinned by Chauvin , suggested twice during the arrest that they should roll him over because he said he couldn ’ t breathe .
“ Chauvin , the 20-year experience police officer , said , ‘ No , he ’ ll be alright this way , ' ” Gray said .
“ He ’ s extremely sorry , ” Gray said .
“ He ’ s sorry the man died , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had , that he was the cause of the death .
He was not the cause .
I think he feels good about that , that he was the one that asked to roll him over.
” The MPD did not return a request for comment .
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 Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin received complaints at over double the rate of the average officer on the force, according to records compiled by Communities United Against Police Brutality.
Lawyers for the two rookie police officers charged in connection to George Floyd’s death have pointed to Chauvin’s role as a training officer.
“Using such an officer for training is an indefensible practice,” CUAPB board member Dave Bicking told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin received complaints at over double the rate of the average officer on the force, according to data compiled by a Minnesota nonprofit that advocates against police brutality.
But despite Chauvin’s history of receiving complaints, lawyers for two of the police officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd, a black man who died on May 25 after video showed Chauvin kneeling on his neck for longer than eight minutes, have said that Chauvin served as a training officer.
“Using such an officer for training is an indefensible practice,” Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) board member Dave Bicking told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“It just reinforces the culture that they claim to be trying to improve,” Bicking said. “While everyone claims to be opposed to police brutality, it actually serves the purposes of repression and control, particularly of people of color and other marginalized groups.”
The median number of complaints received by Minneapolis police officers between October 2012 and December 2019 is three, according to a CUAPB database of 2,875 complaints filed with the Minneapolis Office of Police Conduct Review.
Chauvin, who has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Floyd’s death, received seven complaints in that same timeframe, according to the database.
“Yes, he was an outlier,” Bicking told the DCNF. (RELATED: Co-Worker: George Floyd And Derek Chauvin ‘Bumped Heads’ As Minneapolis Nightclub Bouncers)
Chauvin was the subject of a total of 17 complaints during his 19-year career with the MPD, only one of which was “closed with discipline” resulting in letters of reprimand filed against Chauvin, according to personnel records released last week by the department.
The contents of the complaints against Chauvin have not been made public by the MPD, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, save for one complaint in August 2007 in which a woman accused Chauvin and another police officer of pulling her from her car and frisking her after she was clocked going 10 mph over the speed limit. Chauvin’s tape recorder was turned off during the course of the stop, according to his personnel records.
Lawyers for Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, the two rookie police officers who have been charged with aiding and abetting in the killing of Floyd and could face 40 years in prison if convicted, have said in court that Chauvin bears the blame for Floyd’s killing, citing his status as the senior officer at the scene and as a training officer, according to The New York Times.
“He was relying on his training as a police officer and following the directions of a training officer. Chauvin was also a training officer,” Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, told NBC News.
Lawyer of Thomas Lane, former Minneapolis officer, says he’s not responsible for George Floyd’s death. See what he told @gabegutierrez in an exclusive interview. Watch NOW: https://t.co/U4UZMHn7bF pic.twitter.com/AQfxDzbFqz — NBC News NOW (@NBCNewsNow) June 8, 2020
Gray said Lane, who was holding Floyd’s legs as he was being pinned by Chauvin, suggested twice during the arrest that they should roll him over because he said he couldn’t breathe.
“Chauvin, the 20-year experience police officer, said, ‘No, he’ll be alright this way,'” Gray said.
“He’s extremely sorry,” Gray said. “He’s sorry the man died, but he doesn’t believe that he had, that he was the cause of the death. He was not the cause. I think he feels good about that, that he was the one that asked to roll him over.”
The MPD did not return a request for comment.
Correction: This post originally misstated the number of complaints filed against Chauvin. We regret the error.
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--2020-06-11--551 Rapes Reported In Minneapolis In 2019. Activists, City Leaders Still Want To ‘Dismantle’ Police

551 Rapes Reported In Minneapolis In 2019. Activists, City Leaders Still Want To ‘Dismantle’ Police Department

More than 500 rapes were reported to police in Minneapolis , Minnesota , in 2019 , according to crime data maintained by the city .
The high number of rapes in Minneapolis hasn ’ t prevented activists and local leaders from pushing to abolish the city ’ s police department .
A veto-proof majority of city council members has pledged to “ dismantle ” the Minneapolis Police Department following the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a police officer was seen on video kneeling on Floyd ’ s neck for longer than eight minutes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been charged with second-degree murder .
Minneapolis crime data reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation showed 551 rapes were reported in the city in 2019 , an increase from 475 rapes reported in 2018 .
A plurality of reported rapes in 2019 , 23 % , were in Minneapolis ’ s third precinct , the data showed .
The third precinct ’ s police station was burned to the ground by rioters following Floyd ’ s death .
( RELATED : Attorneys Accused Of Firebombing NYPD Car Donated To Bernie Sanders ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lisa Bender , an outspoken advocate of abolishing the police department , didn ’ t return a voicemail seeking comment on how she plans to combat sexual violence if the city gets rid of its police officers .
MPD150 , a Minneapolis-based activist group seeking to abolish the police , said on its website that putting more money into social services will prevent violent crimes , though it doesn ’ t specifically address sexual violence .
“ Crime isn ’ t random .
Most of the time , it happens when someone has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through other means .
By shifting money away from the police and toward services that actually meet those needs , we ’ ll be able to get to a place where people won ’ t need to rob banks , ” MPD150 ’ s website stated .
The group conceded that “ in this long transition process , we may need a small specialized class of public servants whose job it is to respond to violent crimes.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

More than 500 rapes were reported to police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2019, according to crime data maintained by the city.
The high number of rapes in Minneapolis hasn’t prevented activists and local leaders from pushing to abolish the city’s police department.
A veto-proof majority of city council members has pledged to “dismantle” the Minneapolis Police Department following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a police officer was seen on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for longer than eight minutes. That officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Minneapolis crime data reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation showed 551 rapes were reported in the city in 2019, an increase from 475 rapes reported in 2018. A plurality of reported rapes in 2019, 23%, were in Minneapolis’s third precinct, the data showed.
The third precinct’s police station was burned to the ground by rioters following Floyd’s death. (RELATED: Attorneys Accused Of Firebombing NYPD Car Donated To Bernie Sanders)
The office of Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender, an outspoken advocate of abolishing the police department, didn’t return a voicemail seeking comment on how she plans to combat sexual violence if the city gets rid of its police officers.
MPD150, a Minneapolis-based activist group seeking to abolish the police, said on its website that putting more money into social services will prevent violent crimes, though it doesn’t specifically address sexual violence.
“Crime isn’t random. Most of the time, it happens when someone has been unable to meet their basic needs through other means. By shifting money away from the police and toward services that actually meet those needs, we’ll be able to get to a place where people won’t need to rob banks,” MPD150’s website stated.
The group conceded that “in this long transition process, we may need a small specialized class of public servants whose job it is to respond to violent crimes.”
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--2020-06-11--Alex Berenson Discusses Best-Selling Book, Tells Tucker Why He Thinks Lockdowns Did ‘Not Seem To Mak

Alex Berenson Discusses Best-Selling Book, Tells Tucker Why He Thinks Lockdowns Did ‘Not Seem To Make Much Difference At All’

Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson appeared on “ Tucker Carlson Tonight ” Thursday to discuss Amazon ’ s initial censorship of his latest book as well as the effectiveness of lockdown strategies in the fight against coronavirus .
Berenson ’ s book , “ Unreported Truths about COVID-19 and Lockdowns : Part 1 : Introduction and Death Counts and Estimates , ” was originally turned down for publication by Amazon Kindle last Thursday until the company reversed its decision , claiming it was in “ error.
” Based on data that is even “ clearer in Europe ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ big picture conclusion ” is that ending lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of the virus did “ not seem to make much difference at all.
” Berenson contended that countries like Norway , Switzerland , and Denmark , none of which have the divided politics present in the U.S. , “ have all quickly moved to end their lockdowns and they really haven ’ t seen any spike.
” Looking at the United States , the former NYT reporter contended that , despite an increase in cases here or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths and hospitalizations shows a decline .
“ So it ’ s hard to paint a picture that ending lockdowns are meaningful in any way , ” he said .
Responding to Fox News host Tucker Carlson ’ s question about his brush with Amazon censorship , Berenson contended that it was “ even worse ” because Amazon “ has profited the most from the lockdowns ” and also “ has a lock on publishing right now.
” ( RELATED : Brit Hume And Martha MacCallum Discuss The ‘ Terrible Price ’ Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For them to do it period is censorship , even if they are not a public company they are a basically a utility for bookselling and it is wrong , ” he said .
“ It ’ s totally wrong , and by the way it ’ s just the beginning , ” added Carlson .
“ You think Jeff Bezos wouldn ’ t shut this channel down tomorrow if he could ?
Of course he would .
”

Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson appeared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Thursday to discuss Amazon’s initial censorship of his latest book as well as the effectiveness of lockdown strategies in the fight against coronavirus.
Berenson’s book, “Unreported Truths about COVID-19 and Lockdowns: Part 1: Introduction and Death Counts and Estimates,” was originally turned down for publication by Amazon Kindle last Thursday until the company reversed its decision, claiming it was in “error.”
Based on data that is even “clearer in Europe” than the United States, the author’s “big picture conclusion” is that ending lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of the virus did “not seem to make much difference at all.”
WATCH:
Berenson contended that countries like Norway, Switzerland, and Denmark, none of which have the divided politics present in the U.S., “have all quickly moved to end their lockdowns and they really haven’t seen any spike.”
Looking at the United States, the former NYT reporter contended that, despite an increase in cases here or there, the overall pattern of coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations shows a decline.
“So it’s hard to paint a picture that ending lockdowns are meaningful in any way,” he said.
Responding to Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s question about his brush with Amazon censorship, Berenson contended that it was “even worse” because Amazon “has profited the most from the lockdowns” and also “has a lock on publishing right now.” (RELATED: Brit Hume And Martha MacCallum Discuss The ‘Terrible Price’ Of Coronavirus Policies Based On Asymptomatic Transmission)
“For them to do it period is censorship, even if they are not a public company they are a basically a utility for bookselling and it is wrong,” he said.
“It’s totally wrong, and by the way it’s just the beginning,” added Carlson. “You think Jeff Bezos wouldn’t shut this channel down tomorrow if he could? Of course he would.”


thedailycaller--2020-06-11--Cutting Police Funding Will Lead To Understaffing, Reduced Training, Union Official Says

• Restricting funding to police departments takes away from valuable resources and training for officers , a police union official said .
• Proponents of the movement to defund police , who generally do not advocate for the abolition of a police force , want to redirect some police funding to other public initiatives and encourage other reforms .
• Minneapolis city officials are considering mandating private insurance for police officers in the hopes that violent behavior will be penalized by carriers .
A top official at a major police union said calls to defund the police will cause serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how officers are trained .
Vice President Emeritus of the International Union of Police Associations ( IUPA ) Dennis Slocumb said he ’ s concerned about additional burdens levied on departments that are already grossly understaffed in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation on Tuesday .
The 32-year law enforcement veteran said more training is the answer to some police blunders , but adequate instruction is wishful thinking if departments don ’ t have the money to do it .
“ If they ’ re going to reduce money , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from equipment and training and personnel .
If that ’ s the case , our detractors and certainly our supporters think we should have more training — not less , ” he told the DCNF .
“ Almost every ” police department he knows of is understaffed and needs more funding to patrol the streets , and cutting those budgets won ’ t help , Slocumb added , especially amid protests over the death of George Floyd , who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics who support the movement to defund police departments , who are distinctively different from those who want to abolish police forces altogether , argue that budgets need to shift funding to other aspects of the community , according to Fox News .
“ Defunding the police force is usually intended to take part of the budget and apply it to other social services that could possibly be handled better than by a police department , ” John DeCarlo , a retired chief of police and associate professor and director of the master @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of New Haven , told Fox News .
He added : “ [ For instance ] , responses to mental illness and other specialized needs of the community that are handled by police departments simply because the police departments are the last agencies in a line when there is no one else to respond.
” Slocumb agrees that officers are not as well trained as mental health professionals to deal with psychiatric problems .
“ No matter how much training we have , it really barely scratches the surface when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go through before they ’ re allowed to deal with patients , ” he said .
“ We ’ re sending men and women out to deal with these mental health cases where people are in crises , and they ’ re usually not responding with some kind of mental health team.
” The union official , however , does not condone taking funds from police to fix this problem .
Instead , law enforcement should continue to respond to these calls — as lives are in danger — and certain professionals should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RELATED : Police Unions Abandon Biden After He Promotes Cop Reform ) “ We should respond to any situation where someone ’ s life may be in jeopardy , ” he said .
“ Like a house fire , we respond to protect or save lives , but the fire department has the resources and training to deal with the fire .
Professional people should be able to quickly respond to deal definitely with mental health patients.
” Calls for defunding the police came from those fed up with attempting to reform departments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t go far enough .
“ It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe , ” Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said , according to USA Today .
“ Our efforts at incremental reform have failed , period.
” Co-founder of Black Lives Matter Patrisse Cullors argues that slashing police funding can stymie law enforcement efforts to “ harm our communities.
” “ The demand of defunding law enforcement becomes a central demand in how we actually get real accountability and justice , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means we are reducing the ability of law enforcement to have resources that harm our communities.
” Cullors further argued that , on the issue of training , no additional instruction is necessary because police officers are “ incapable ” of operating in black neighborhoods .
“ It ’ s not possible for the entity of law enforcement to be a compassionate , caring governmental agency in black communities , ” she told WBUR .
“ That ’ s not the training , that ’ s not the institution .
We have spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , asking for body cameras.
” “ The body cameras have done nothing more than show us what ’ s happened over and over again , ” she added .
“ The training has done nothing but show us that law enforcement and the culture of law enforcement is incapable of changing.
” Those in the defund the police camp have also pushed proposals that may mandate officers carry their own private liability insurance .
Minnesota ’ s Council on American-Islamic Relations ( CAIR ) and a few Black Lives Matter groups suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reform the Minneapolis Police Department , according to an Associated Press report .
City officials believed the insurance would act as a strike system , where bad officers would eventually be uninsurable and unable to keep their badge , the AP reported .
“ The employer provides the training , equipment and the selection … they want to do all of that and absolve themselves of any responsibility ?
” he asked .
He also expressed concern about officers who are already underpaid having to incur an additional financial burden from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s plausible for carriers to want to insure officers in the first place .
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 .

Restricting funding to police departments takes away from valuable resources and training for officers, a police union official said.
Proponents of the movement to defund police, who generally do not advocate for the abolition of a police force, want to redirect some police funding to other public initiatives and encourage other reforms.
Minneapolis city officials are considering mandating private insurance for police officers in the hopes that violent behavior will be penalized by carriers.
A top official at a major police union said calls to defund the police will cause serious constraints on everything from department personnel to how officers are trained.
Vice President Emeritus of the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) Dennis Slocumb said he’s concerned about additional burdens levied on departments that are already grossly understaffed in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation on Tuesday. The 32-year law enforcement veteran said more training is the answer to some police blunders, but adequate instruction is wishful thinking if departments don’t have the money to do it.
“If they’re going to reduce money, that money is going to have to come from equipment and training and personnel. If that’s the case, our detractors and certainly our supporters think we should have more training — not less,” he told the DCNF.
“Almost every” police department he knows of is understaffed and needs more funding to patrol the streets, and cutting those budgets won’t help, Slocumb added, especially amid protests over the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, according to video.
But law enforcement critics who support the movement to defund police departments, who are distinctively different from those who want to abolish police forces altogether, argue that budgets need to shift funding to other aspects of the community, according to Fox News.
“Defunding the police force is usually intended to take part of the budget and apply it to other social services that could possibly be handled better than by a police department,” John DeCarlo, a retired chief of police and associate professor and director of the master’s program in criminal justice at the University of New Haven, told Fox News.
He added: “[For instance], responses to mental illness and other specialized needs of the community that are handled by police departments simply because the police departments are the last agencies in a line when there is no one else to respond.”
Slocumb agrees that officers are not as well trained as mental health professionals to deal with psychiatric problems.
“No matter how much training we have, it really barely scratches the surface when you consider what mental health professionals have to go through before they’re allowed to deal with patients,” he said. “We’re sending men and women out to deal with these mental health cases where people are in crises, and they’re usually not responding with some kind of mental health team.”
The union official, however, does not condone taking funds from police to fix this problem. Instead, law enforcement should continue to respond to these calls — as lives are in danger — and certain professionals should respond accordingly, Slocumb said. (RELATED: Police Unions Abandon Biden After He Promotes Cop Reform)
“We should respond to any situation where someone’s life may be in jeopardy,” he said. “Like a house fire, we respond to protect or save lives, but the fire department has the resources and training to deal with the fire. Professional people should be able to quickly respond to deal definitely with mental health patients.”
Calls for defunding the police came from those fed up with attempting to reform departments. Some say additions like body cameras don’t go far enough.
“It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe,” Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said, according to USA Today. “Our efforts at incremental reform have failed, period.”
Co-founder of Black Lives Matter Patrisse Cullors argues that slashing police funding can stymie law enforcement efforts to “harm our communities.”
“The demand of defunding law enforcement becomes a central demand in how we actually get real accountability and justice,” she told WBUR, “because it means we are reducing the ability of law enforcement to have resources that harm our communities.”
Cullors further argued that, on the issue of training, no additional instruction is necessary because police officers are “incapable” of operating in black neighborhoods.
“It’s not possible for the entity of law enforcement to be a compassionate, caring governmental agency in black communities,” she told WBUR. “That’s not the training, that’s not the institution. We have spent the last seven years asking for training, asking for body cameras.”
“The body cameras have done nothing more than show us what’s happened over and over again,” she added. “The training has done nothing but show us that law enforcement and the culture of law enforcement is incapable of changing.”
Those in the defund the police camp have also pushed proposals that may mandate officers carry their own private liability insurance. Minnesota’s Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and a few Black Lives Matter groups suggested this idea on Monday as a way to reform the Minneapolis Police Department, according to an Associated Press report.
City officials believed the insurance would act as a strike system, where bad officers would eventually be uninsurable and unable to keep their badge, the AP reported.
Slocumb roundly condemns this initiative.
“The employer provides the training, equipment and the selection … they want to do all of that and absolve themselves of any responsibility?” he asked.
He also expressed concern about officers who are already underpaid having to incur an additional financial burden from this. Slocumb said he doesn’t think it’s plausible for carriers to want to insure officers in the first place.
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--2020-06-12--Seattle Police Chief Says Abandoning Precinct ‘Was Not My Decision’

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best , in a Thursday address , told officers that it was not her decision to abandon the East Police Precinct located in what protesters are now calling the “ Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.
” The “ Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ” formed after the Seattle Police Department evacuated the East Precinct Monday giving way for protesters to set up barricades , and signs near the Zone ’ s entrance that read , “ You are now leaving the USA.
” After days of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East Precinct building Monday night – and then a crowd of protesters set up barricades in the surrounding area , declaring it an “ autonomous ” and “ cop-free zone.
” Images of the barricades show hand-written messages including “ Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ” and “ You are now leaving the USA.
” “ You should know , leaving the precinct was not my decision , ” Best said in the address .
“ You fought for days to protect it .
I asked you to stand on that line .
Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pelted with projectiles , to be screamed at , threatened and in some cases hurt .
Then to have a change of course nearly two weeks in , it seems like an insult to you and our community.
” “ Ultimately the city had other plans for the building and relented to public pressure .
I ’ m angry about how this all came about.
” ( RELATED : No Police , Extortion Of Private Businesses : Inside The Latest On Seattle ’ s Downtown ‘ Autonomous Zone ’ ) “ We had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroy the precinct when we left , ” Best added .
“ The station is still standing .
No officers were hurt , no force was used.
” She continued concluding , “ We have heard there are armed people ‘ patrolling ’ the streets near 12th and Pine .
Of course , this is very concerning , especially because we don ’ t know who these people are .
“ We ’ ve also received reports these armed people may be demanding payment from business owners in exchange for protection .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demanding to see identification from people who live in the area .
”

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best, in a Thursday address, told officers that it was not her decision to abandon the East Police Precinct located in what protesters are now calling the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.”
The “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” formed after the Seattle Police Department evacuated the East Precinct Monday giving way for protesters to set up barricades, and signs near the Zone’s entrance that read, “You are now leaving the USA.”
After days of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, Seattle police boarded up and left the East Precinct building Monday night – and then a crowd of protesters set up barricades in the surrounding area, declaring it an “autonomous” and “cop-free zone.”
Images of the barricades show hand-written messages including “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” and “You are now leaving the USA.”
“You should know, leaving the precinct was not my decision,” Best said in the address. “You fought for days to protect it. I asked you to stand on that line. Day in and day out, to be pelted with projectiles, to be screamed at, threatened and in some cases hurt. Then to have a change of course nearly two weeks in, it seems like an insult to you and our community.”
“Ultimately the city had other plans for the building and relented to public pressure. I’m angry about how this all came about.” (RELATED: No Police, Extortion Of Private Businesses: Inside The Latest On Seattle’s Downtown ‘Autonomous Zone’)
WATCH:
“We had solid information to believe anti-government groups would destroy the precinct when we left,” Best added. “The station is still standing. No officers were hurt, no force was used.”
She continued concluding, “We have heard there are armed people ‘patrolling’ the streets near 12th and Pine. Of course, this is very concerning, especially because we don’t know who these people are. “We’ve also received reports these armed people may be demanding payment from business owners in exchange for protection. We’ve also heard they may be demanding to see identification from people who live in the area.”


thedailycaller--2020-06-12--Mueller Witness Said Manafort Might Have Given Russian Oligarch’s Money To Pro-McCain Group

• A key witness in the special counsel ’ s probe said Russian money might have flowed to a dark money group supporting Arizona Sen. John McCain ’ s 2008 presidential campaign .
• Rick Gates told investigators in August 2018 that his former boss , Paul Manafort , contributed funds from a shell company to a dark money group that supported McCain .
• Gates said he believed that a Russian oligarch funded the shell company that Manafort tapped for the donation .
• McCain was known as a staunch Russia hawk during his Senate career .
Republican Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political career as a staunch Russia hawk , opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s aggression in Eastern Europe and serving as one of the conduits to the FBI for the infamous dossier that alleged a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Kremlin in 2016 .
But testimony from a key witness in the special counsel ’ s probe suggests that McCain might have received Russian help of his own during his 2008 presidential campaign .
Rick Gates , who served as deputy chairman of the Trump campaign , told the special counsel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his former boss , Paul Manafort , might have contributed to a pro-McCain dark money group from a shell company he controlled that was funded by a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin .
Gates told prosecutors he believed Manafort contributed to the group Americans for Patriotism through his Cyprus-based shell company , LOAV , Ltd .
He also said that Oleg Deripaska , a Russian aluminum magnate , funded LOAV .
“ Gates stated he heard that a Paul Manafort controlled Cypriot account , LOAV , contributed money to the 501c @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the LOAV account were from Oleg Deripaska , a Russian oligarch , ” read the FBI notes of Gates ’ s Feb. 28 , 2018 , interview .
The FBI released the summary and other interview documents from the special counsel ’ s probe as part of a lawsuit filed by BuzzFeed and CNN .
The notes do not show if Gates said whether McCain was aware of the source of the funds , or whether Deripaska knew that Manafort provided it to the group supporting McCain ’ s failed presidential campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much money Manafort sent to Americans for Patriotism .
( RELATED : John McCain Is Not Happy With His Republican Colleague ’ s FBI Letter ) There is little public information about Americans for Patriotism .
It is mentioned in a 2019 study from the liberal Center for American Progress regarding dark money groups ’ political influence .
Deripaska , a close ally of Putin , sued Manafort in 2014 for misappropriating funds from a joint partnership they formed to conduct business in Ukraine .
Manafort used LOAV , Ltd. to fund projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press reported on March 22 , 2017 .
The consulting work was intended to push those nations closer to the Russian government , according to the AP .
The New York Times reported on July 19 , 2017 , that Deripaska previously loaned $ 7.8 million to LOAV Advisers .
McCain ’ s links to Deripaska have come under scrutiny in the past .
Rick Davis , a Manafort business partner and McCain campaign manager , reportedly introduced Deripaska to McCain in 2007 .
Months later , according to The Atlantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deripaska ’ s yacht for his 70th birthday celebration .
In September 2017 , McCain bristled at a letter from his fellow Republican , Sen. Chuck Grassley , who asked the FBI whether the McCain campaign was ever provided a defensive briefing regarding Deripaska and other Russians .
“ Facts are stubborn things , and the fact is no member of Congress has done more to push back on Russian aggression , human rights abuses , and corruption than Senator John McCain , ” a McCain spokeswoman said in response to Grassley ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Any suggestion to the contrary is clearly intended to distract from the serious ongoing investigations into Russia ’ s interference in our election system.
” After revelations regarding Manafort ’ s case in 2017 , McCain called the disclosures “ serious stuff , ” and said that “ other shoes will drop.
” McCain died after a battle with cancer on Aug. 25 , 2018 .
Gates , who began working for Manafort in 2006 , cooperated extensively with the special counsel ’ s investigation as part of a plea deal to avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He provided intricate financial and strategic details of Manafort ’ s consulting work .
His statements regarding the funding for the McCain campaign have not been previously publicized , and did not come up at Manafort ’ s trial .
Manafort was convicted on Aug. 21 , 2018 , on money laundering and tax evasion charges related to consulting work he did with Gates in Ukraine .
He is serving out his 90-month prison sentence in home confinement .
He could not be reached for comment for this story .
Gates was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years probation in December 2019 .
Deripaska hired Davis Manafort Partners , the firm co-founded by Davis and Manafort , in 2005 to help secure business in Eastern Europe .
Deripaska introduced Manafort in 2005 to Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov , according to the special counsel ’ s report .
Akhmetov hired DMP as a consultant for the Party of Regions , a Ukrainian political party viewed as supportive of Russia .
DMP would go on to help Party of Regions candidate Viktor Yanukovych win the presidency in 2010 .
The special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gates ’ s statements about the McCain campaign , but it does include a section regarding Manafort and Davis ’ s relationship with Deripaska .
It says that Deripaska became the sole investor in 2007 in an investment fund that Manafort and Davis founded called Pericles Emerging Market Partners , L.P .
The report cites a memo from DMP to Deripaska on June 23 , 2005 , in which Manafort described his work for Deripaska in former Soviet republics .
The memo also suggested providing briefings for the Kremlin touting the benefits of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Gates also discussed a company that Manafort formed with Davis that provided web services to the McCain campaign .
Gates said that LOAV “ fronted ” the money for that firm , 3EDC .
He said that he did not know if the money that LOAV provided to 3EDC originated from Deripaska .
3EDC , which managed the McCain campaign ’ s website , billed the campaign more than $ 1 million through 2007 , The New York Times previously reported .
A London-based lawyer for Deripaska did not respond to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not respond to a request for comment .
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 key witness in the special counsel’s probe said Russian money might have flowed to a dark money group supporting Arizona Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Rick Gates told investigators in August 2018 that his former boss, Paul Manafort, contributed funds from a shell company to a dark money group that supported McCain.
Gates said he believed that a Russian oligarch funded the shell company that Manafort tapped for the donation.
McCain was known as a staunch Russia hawk during his Senate career.
Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain was known throughout his political career as a staunch Russia hawk, opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Eastern Europe and serving as one of the conduits to the FBI for the infamous dossier that alleged a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Kremlin in 2016.
But testimony from a key witness in the special counsel’s probe suggests that McCain might have received Russian help of his own during his 2008 presidential campaign.
Rick Gates, who served as deputy chairman of the Trump campaign, told the special counsel’s team in August 2018 that his former boss, Paul Manafort, might have contributed to a pro-McCain dark money group from a shell company he controlled that was funded by a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin.
Gates told prosecutors he believed Manafort contributed to the group Americans for Patriotism through his Cyprus-based shell company, LOAV, Ltd. He also said that Oleg Deripaska, a Russian aluminum magnate, funded LOAV.
“Gates stated he heard that a Paul Manafort controlled Cypriot account, LOAV, contributed money to the 501c(4), and the funds in the LOAV account were from Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch,” read the FBI notes of Gates’s Feb. 28, 2018, interview.
The FBI released the summary and other interview documents from the special counsel’s probe as part of a lawsuit filed by BuzzFeed and CNN.
The notes do not show if Gates said whether McCain was aware of the source of the funds, or whether Deripaska knew that Manafort provided it to the group supporting McCain’s failed presidential campaign. Gates also did not say how much money Manafort sent to Americans for Patriotism. (RELATED: John McCain Is Not Happy With His Republican Colleague’s FBI Letter)
There is little public information about Americans for Patriotism. It is mentioned in a 2019 study from the liberal Center for American Progress regarding dark money groups’ political influence.
Deripaska, a close ally of Putin, sued Manafort in 2014 for misappropriating funds from a joint partnership they formed to conduct business in Ukraine.
Manafort used LOAV, Ltd. to fund projects in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Georgia, The Associated Press reported on March 22, 2017.
The consulting work was intended to push those nations closer to the Russian government, according to the AP.
The New York Times reported on July 19, 2017, that Deripaska previously loaned $7.8 million to LOAV Advisers.
McCain’s links to Deripaska have come under scrutiny in the past. Rick Davis, a Manafort business partner and McCain campaign manager, reportedly introduced Deripaska to McCain in 2007. Months later, according to The Atlantic, Manafort and Davis took McCain to Deripaska’s yacht for his 70th birthday celebration.
In September 2017, McCain bristled at a letter from his fellow Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley, who asked the FBI whether the McCain campaign was ever provided a defensive briefing regarding Deripaska and other Russians.
“Facts are stubborn things, and the fact is no member of Congress has done more to push back on Russian aggression, human rights abuses, and corruption than Senator John McCain,” a McCain spokeswoman said in response to Grassley’s letter.
She added: “Any suggestion to the contrary is clearly intended to distract from the serious ongoing investigations into Russia’s interference in our election system.”
After revelations regarding Manafort’s case in 2017, McCain called the disclosures “serious stuff,” and said that “other shoes will drop.”
McCain died after a battle with cancer on Aug. 25, 2018.
Gates, who began working for Manafort in 2006, cooperated extensively with the special counsel’s investigation as part of a plea deal to avoid charges related to his work with Manafort. He provided intricate financial and strategic details of Manafort’s consulting work. His statements regarding the funding for the McCain campaign have not been previously publicized, and did not come up at Manafort’s trial.
Manafort was convicted on Aug. 21, 2018, on money laundering and tax evasion charges related to consulting work he did with Gates in Ukraine. He is serving out his 90-month prison sentence in home confinement.
He could not be reached for comment for this story.
Gates was sentenced to 45 days in jail and three years probation in December 2019.
Deripaska hired Davis Manafort Partners, the firm co-founded by Davis and Manafort, in 2005 to help secure business in Eastern Europe. Deripaska introduced Manafort in 2005 to Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, according to the special counsel’s report.
Akhmetov hired DMP as a consultant for the Party of Regions, a Ukrainian political party viewed as supportive of Russia. DMP would go on to help Party of Regions candidate Viktor Yanukovych win the presidency in 2010.
The special counsel’s report does not cite Gates’s statements about the McCain campaign, but it does include a section regarding Manafort and Davis’s relationship with Deripaska.
It says that Deripaska became the sole investor in 2007 in an investment fund that Manafort and Davis founded called Pericles Emerging Market Partners, L.P.
The report cites a memo from DMP to Deripaska on June 23, 2005, in which Manafort described his work for Deripaska in former Soviet republics. The memo also suggested providing briefings for the Kremlin touting the benefits of his work for the “Putin government.”
Gates also discussed a company that Manafort formed with Davis that provided web services to the McCain campaign.
Gates said that LOAV “fronted” the money for that firm, 3EDC. He said that he did not know if the money that LOAV provided to 3EDC originated from Deripaska.
3EDC, which managed the McCain campaign’s website, billed the campaign more than $1 million through 2007, The New York Times previously reported.
A London-based lawyer for Deripaska did not respond to a request for comment. Davis also did not respond to a request for comment.
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--2020-06-12--Microsoft Says It Won’t Sell Its Facial Recognition Tech To Police Without Federal Oversight

Microsoft will not sell its facial recognition technology to police departments until government regulations guarantee its “ ethical use , ” the company ’ s president said Thursday .
The decision came amid national protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd , who died while in police custody .
The company doesn ’ t sell facial recognition technology to police and said this policy will continue until legislation “ grounded in human rights ” is passed , Microsoft President Brad Smith said at a Washington Post live event .
“ We will not sell facial-recognition technology to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have a national law in place , grounded in human rights , that will govern this technology , ” he said .
The move came after Amazon announced Wednesday that police won ’ t be able to use its facial recognition technology for a year , and IBM said it cut its facial recognition technology endeavors Monday , CNBC reported .
IBM ’ s CEO Arvind Krishna and Amazon ’ s policies are calling for legislation to ensure the technology ’ s ethical use , according to CNBC .
( RELATED : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rift ’ With George Floyd Tweet ) Microsoft Corporation ’ s Office of Corporate Governance did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment .
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 .

Microsoft will not sell its facial recognition technology to police departments until government regulations guarantee its “ethical use,” the company’s president said Thursday.
The decision came amid national protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd, who died while in police custody. The company doesn’t sell facial recognition technology to police and said this policy will continue until legislation “grounded in human rights” is passed, Microsoft President Brad Smith said at a Washington Post live event.
“We will not sell facial-recognition technology to police departments in the United States until we have a national law in place, grounded in human rights, that will govern this technology,” he said.
WATCH:
Microsoft president @BradSmi says the company does not sell facial recognition software to police depts. in the U.S. today and will not sell the tools to police until there is a national law in place “grounded in human rights.” #postlive pic.twitter.com/lwxBLjrtZL — Washington Post Live (@postlive) June 11, 2020
The move came after Amazon announced Wednesday that police won’t be able to use its facial recognition technology for a year, and IBM said it cut its facial recognition technology endeavors Monday, CNBC reported.
IBM’s CEO Arvind Krishna and Amazon’s policies are calling for legislation to ensure the technology’s ethical use, according to CNBC. (RELATED: CrossFit CEO Resigns After ‘Creating A Rift’ With George Floyd Tweet)
“For the past two years we have been focused on developing and implementing strong principles that govern our use of facial recognition, and we’ve been calling for strong government regulation. We do not sell our facial recognition technology to US police departments today, and until there is a strong national law grounded in human rights, we will not sell this technology to police departments. We’re committed to working with others to advocate for the legislation that is needed. We’re also taking this opportunity to further strengthen our review processes for any customer seeking to use this technology at scale,” Microsoft Spokeswoman Heather Weitnauer told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement.
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.