bonginoreport--2020-08-05--Study Confirms Journalists Live in a Bubble

CHAMPAIGN , Ill. — Journalists in Washington , D.C. , have long been accused of living in a “ Beltway bubble , ” isolated from the broader public , talking too much to each other .
Their interactions on Twitter , however , show them congregating in even smaller “ microbubbles , ” says a recent study .
The journalists within each communicate more among themselves than with journalists outside the group .
That means Beltway journalism “ may be even more insular than previously thought , ” say study authors Nikki Usher and Yee Man Margaret Ng , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and blind spots.
” Usher and Ng , journalism professors at the University of Illinois , Urbana-Champaign , identified nine clusters of journalists or “ communities of practice ” in their study , published online by the journal Social Media and Society .
Their “ elite/legacy ” cluster was the largest , including about 30 % of the journalists covered in the study , with The Washington Post , NBC News , NPR and The New York Times among the major newsrooms represented .
A congressional journalism cluster included another 20 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ television producers , local political news , regulatory journalists , foreign affairs , long-form/enterprise reporting and social issues .
In leading the study , Usher said she wanted to “ describe the contours of what political journalism in Washington looks like and of the process of making news unfold.
” Another goal was to better understand how journalists connect to and learn from each other and establish conventional knowledge .
Twitter seemed an ideal way to do that , given its unique role among journalists as a virtual water cooler , Usher said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happens on Twitter does not reflect the real world .
But in the case of political journalism and political elites , generally speaking , what happens on Twitter is reality.
” It ’ s an online reflection of their offline lives and work , she said , and plays a significant role in agenda-setting .
“ So this was a particularly potent way of looking , at scale , at how ideas are exchanged , how people are making sense of things , ” Usher said .
The “ at scale ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Usher ’ s research has focused more on qualitative research , primarily about elite U.S. newsrooms and how new technology impacts how journalists work .
Ng , however , specializes in big data and computational social science .
She saw particular power in applying those tools to journalists ’ interactions on Twitter .
“ With more than 2,000 journalists in this study , we could not observe each of them individually in real life .
So we used their digital life as a way to understand how they interact with their peers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a list of all credentialed congressional correspondents as found in the Congressional Directory , then identified those with active Twitter accounts .
Ng collected all the tweets , retweets and replies posted on most of those accounts over two months in early 2018 , using Twitter ’ s application-programming interface .
She winnowed those further to only those sent between or referencing other Beltway journalists .
The final data set consisted of 133,529 Twitter posts from 2,015 journalists , about one-third of all credentialed congressional correspondents .
Ng applied a “ community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be clusters of journalists , based on their Twitter interactions .
Usher labeled those clusters based on biographical and employment data , as well as an analysis of the words used in the tweets .
Several things stood out for Usher in examining these specific clusters .
The large elite/legacy cluster , with some of the most influential news media prominently represented , was also among the most insular , she noted .
More than 68 % of the cluster members ’ Twitter interactions with other journalists were within the group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not engaging , in the same kind of way , with the people who are actually on the ground getting these sorts of congressional microscoops , they ’ re not engaging with the journalists who are the policy wonks , ” Usher said .
“ I was also really intrigued to see that there was a television producer cluster , where Fox was in the mix with ABC and CBS , which might explain why we tend to see a lot of the same faces on TV news programs.
” One cluster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half its members were CNN journalists and much of the conversation related to network stories and personalities , which Usher found problematic .
“ CNN is telling a story about what is happening with CNN , and that is worrisome .
Maybe that ’ s an organizational branding strategy , but I think it potentially has deleterious effects for public discourse , ” she said .
In the opposite direction , she was encouraged to see a space in the long-form/enterprise cluster where journalists doing the “ deep , thoughtful dives ” could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Usher thinks their findings add to concerns about journalists ’ Twitter use .
“ Political journalists in D.C. are people who use Twitter all day .
And so the question is what does that do to how they think about the world .
And generally , from this paper and a previous one I did on gender and Beltway journalism , it seems to me that it can make things worse .
”

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Journalists in Washington, D.C., have long been accused of living in a “Beltway bubble,” isolated from the broader public, talking too much to each other.
Their interactions on Twitter, however, show them congregating in even smaller “microbubbles,” says a recent study. The journalists within each communicate more among themselves than with journalists outside the group.
That means Beltway journalism “may be even more insular than previously thought,” say study authors Nikki Usher and Yee Man Margaret Ng, “raising additional concerns about vulnerability to groupthink and blind spots.”
Illinois journalism professor Yee Man Margaret Ng specializes in big data and computational social science. Photo courtesy Yee Man Margaret Ng Delete Edit embedded media in the Files Tab and re-insert as needed. align image left align image center align image right
Usher and Ng, journalism professors at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, identified nine clusters of journalists or “communities of practice” in their study, published online by the journal Social Media and Society.
Their “elite/legacy” cluster was the largest, including about 30% of the journalists covered in the study, with The Washington Post, NBC News, NPR and The New York Times among the major newsrooms represented.
A congressional journalism cluster included another 20%. The other clusters centered around CNN, television producers, local political news, regulatory journalists, foreign affairs, long-form/enterprise reporting and social issues.
In leading the study, Usher said she wanted to “describe the contours of what political journalism in Washington looks like and of the process of making news unfold.” Another goal was to better understand how journalists connect to and learn from each other and establish conventional knowledge.
Twitter seemed an ideal way to do that, given its unique role among journalists as a virtual water cooler, Usher said. “Most of the time, what happens on Twitter does not reflect the real world. But in the case of political journalism and political elites, generally speaking, what happens on Twitter is reality.” It’s an online reflection of their offline lives and work, she said, and plays a significant role in agenda-setting.
“So this was a particularly potent way of looking, at scale, at how ideas are exchanged, how people are making sense of things,” Usher said.
The “at scale” part is where Ng comes in. Usher’s research has focused more on qualitative research, primarily about elite U.S. newsrooms and how new technology impacts how journalists work. Ng, however, specializes in big data and computational social science. She saw particular power in applying those tools to journalists’ interactions on Twitter.
“With more than 2,000 journalists in this study, we could not observe each of them individually in real life. So we used their digital life as a way to understand how they interact with their peers,” Ng said.
The researchers started with a list of all credentialed congressional correspondents as found in the Congressional Directory, then identified those with active Twitter accounts.
Ng collected all the tweets, retweets and replies posted on most of those accounts over two months in early 2018, using Twitter’s application-programming interface. She winnowed those further to only those sent between or referencing other Beltway journalists.
The final data set consisted of 133,529 Twitter posts from 2,015 journalists, about one-third of all credentialed congressional correspondents.
Ng applied a “community detection” algorithm to determine where there might be clusters of journalists, based on their Twitter interactions. Usher labeled those clusters based on biographical and employment data, as well as an analysis of the words used in the tweets.
Several things stood out for Usher in examining these specific clusters. The large elite/legacy cluster, with some of the most influential news media prominently represented, was also among the most insular, she noted. More than 68% of the cluster members’ Twitter interactions with other journalists were within the group.
“That also may mean they’re not engaging, in the same kind of way, with the people who are actually on the ground getting these sorts of congressional microscoops, they’re not engaging with the journalists who are the policy wonks,” Usher said.
“I was also really intrigued to see that there was a television producer cluster, where Fox was in the mix with ABC and CBS, which might explain why we tend to see a lot of the same faces on TV news programs.”
One cluster was labeled as CNN because more than half its members were CNN journalists and much of the conversation related to network stories and personalities, which Usher found problematic.
“CNN is telling a story about what is happening with CNN, and that is worrisome. Maybe that’s an organizational branding strategy, but I think it potentially has deleterious effects for public discourse,” she said.
In the opposite direction, she was encouraged to see a space in the long-form/enterprise cluster where journalists doing the “deep, thoughtful dives” could exchange ideas.
Overall, however, Usher thinks their findings add to concerns about journalists’ Twitter use. “Political journalists in D.C. are people who use Twitter all day. And so the question is what does that do to how they think about the world. And generally, from this paper and a previous one I did on gender and Beltway journalism, it seems to me that it can make things worse.”


bonginoreport--2020-08-05--Bodies of Seven Missing Marines and Sailor Found Off California Coast Four Days After Accident

The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy located the bodies of eight missing service members and the wreckage of their sunken amphibious assault vehicle ( AAV ) on Monday , four days after the accident occurred .
A press release on Tuesday confirmed the positive identification of the wreckage and bodies from the previous day .
The vehicle was found at a depth of 385 feet , and human remains were spotted with the Navy ’ s remote video systems deployed from its search and rescue ship , HOS Dominator .
“ The Navy has expedited the movement of assets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sailor , as well as raise the AAV .
The equipment to properly and safely perform the recovery from the sea floor will be in place at the end of this week , and a dignified transfer of our Marines and Sailor will occur as soon as possible after the conclusion of recovery operations , ” the press release said .
The accident took place approximately 1,500 meters from the shoreline of San Clemente Island , Calif .
The AAV had begun taking on water around 5:45 p.m. Thursday night and quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and able to assist in rescuing the survivors and marking the location of the sunk vehicle .
The identities of the seven presumed dead U.S. Marines and one Sailor were identified early Monday , along with an eighth U.S. Marine who died on the scene following an amphibious assault vehicle accident on Thursday .
The eight missing service members were declared deceased on Sunday and their identities released as follows : • U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem , 22 , of Stockton , California , a hospital corpsman with Bravo Company , BLT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service member — who died on the scene and was the first reported casualty — was identified as Lance Cpl .
Guillermo S. Perez , 20 , of New Braunfels , Texas .
He was a rifleman with Bravo Company , Battalion Landing Team ( BLT ) 1/4 , 15th MEU .
Two of the rescued Marines were transported to the hospital in critical condition .
One of them has improved to stable condition .
The eight missing service members were announced as presumed dead on Sunday at the conclusion of a 40-hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members are presumed deceased .
The 15th MEU [ Marine Expeditionary Unit ] and the ARG [ Amphibious Ready Group ] leadership determined that there was little probability of a successful rescue given the circumstances of the incident , ” I Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement early Sunday .
During the 40-hour search operation , personnel from the Marine Corps , Navy , and Coast Guard searched a 1,000 square nautical mile radius .
Search efforts involved U.S. warships USS John Finn , USS Makin Island , USS Somerset , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 U.S. Navy SH-60 helicopters , and helicopters and vessels from the Navy , Marine Corps , and Coast Guard .
Col. Christopher Bronzi , 15th MEU Commanding Officer , said “ It is with a heavy heart , that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort .
The steadfast dedication of the Marines , Sailors , and Coast Guardsmen to the persistent rescue effort was tremendous.
” 16 service members were aboard the 20-ton Amphibious Assault Vehicle ( AAV ) when it sank during a training exercise off the coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were rescued alive , and one died on scene .
“ I know all of us in the USMC family are extremely saddened following the announcement of the end of SAR operations .
This difficult decision was made after all resources were exhausted .
Our prayers continue to be with the family and friends of the 8 Marines and one Sailor we lost , ” Marine Corps Commandant David Berger tweeted Sunday morning .
“ Our thoughts and prayers have been , and will continue to be with our Marines ’ and Sailor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Bronzi said .
“ As we turn to recovery operations , we will continue our exhaustive search for our missing Marines and Sailor .
”

The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy located the bodies of eight missing service members and the wreckage of their sunken amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) on Monday, four days after the accident occurred.
A press release on Tuesday confirmed the positive identification of the wreckage and bodies from the previous day. The vehicle was found at a depth of 385 feet, and human remains were spotted with the Navy’s remote video systems deployed from its search and rescue ship, HOS Dominator.
“The Navy has expedited the movement of assets to recover the remains of the Marines and Sailor, as well as raise the AAV. The equipment to properly and safely perform the recovery from the sea floor will be in place at the end of this week, and a dignified transfer of our Marines and Sailor will occur as soon as possible after the conclusion of recovery operations,” the press release said.
The accident took place approximately 1,500 meters from the shoreline of San Clemente Island, Calif. The AAV had begun taking on water around 5:45 p.m. Thursday night and quickly sank. Two other AAVs were nearby and able to assist in rescuing the survivors and marking the location of the sunk vehicle.
The identities of the seven presumed dead U.S. Marines and one Sailor were identified early Monday, along with an eighth U.S. Marine who died on the scene following an amphibious assault vehicle accident on Thursday.
The eight missing service members were declared deceased on Sunday and their identities released as follows:
Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 18, of Corona, California, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.
Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, California, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.
Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.
U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California, a hospital corpsman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.
Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Oregon, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.
Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Texas, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.
Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Portland, Oregon, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.
Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, California, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.
The ninth service member — who died on the scene and was the first reported casualty — was identified as Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels, Texas. He was a rifleman with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/4, 15th MEU.
Two of the rescued Marines were transported to the hospital in critical condition. One of them has improved to stable condition.
The eight missing service members were announced as presumed dead on Sunday at the conclusion of a 40-hour search operation.
“All eight service members are presumed deceased. The 15th MEU [Marine Expeditionary Unit] and the ARG [Amphibious Ready Group] leadership determined that there was little probability of a successful rescue given the circumstances of the incident,” I Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement early Sunday.
During the 40-hour search operation, personnel from the Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard searched a 1,000 square nautical mile radius. Search efforts involved U.S. warships USS John Finn, USS Makin Island, USS Somerset, and USS San Diego, in addition to 11 U.S. Navy SH-60 helicopters, and helicopters and vessels from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
Col. Christopher Bronzi, 15th MEU Commanding Officer, said “It is with a heavy heart, that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort. The steadfast dedication of the Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen to the persistent rescue effort was tremendous.”
16 service members were aboard the 20-ton Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) when it sank during a training exercise off the coast of California on Thursday. Seven Marines were rescued alive, and one died on scene.
“I know all of us in the USMC family are extremely saddened following the announcement of the end of SAR operations. This difficult decision was made after all resources were exhausted. Our prayers continue to be with the family and friends of the 8 Marines and one Sailor we lost,” Marine Corps Commandant David Berger tweeted Sunday morning.
I know all of us in the USMC family are extremely saddened following the announcement of the end of SAR operations. This difficult decision was made after all resources were exhausted. Our prayers continue to be with the family and friends of the 8 Marines and one Sailor we lost. https://t.co/BFt07aZB5T — David H. Berger (@CMC_MarineCorps) August 2, 2020
“Our thoughts and prayers have been, and will continue to be with our Marines’ and Sailor’s families during this difficult time,” Bronzi said. “As we turn to recovery operations, we will continue our exhaustive search for our missing Marines and Sailor.”


bonginoreport--2020-08-05--NYC’s de Blasio Blames Crime Surge on Lack of Free Money From Feds

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pinned the hefty task of solving the Big Apple ’ s crime problem on the federal government , arguing during a recent interview that “ federal support ” will help thwart the uptick in violence .
De Blasio , a Democrat , was being interviewed by CNN ’ s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday night when he suggested the surge in New York City ’ s violent crime – which has seen a staggering increase in recent months – was caused by the economic impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic .
He then lamented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs should come in the form of federal support to keep city workers employed .
NYC RESIDENTS TALK TO LAWRENCE JONES ABOUT INCREASE IN CRIME , SQUALOR : 'IT 'S BEFORE THE GIULIANI ERA' “ We are seeing this all over , cities all over the nation .
It ’ s been a massive dislocation .
People don ’ t have jobs .
There isn ’ t school .
… You talk about every element of our society , Wolf , this is what ’ s contributing to this massive surge that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Let ’ s be clear , the help we need is to make sure we can keep all of our public services – we ’ re talking about safety , health , education – they ’ re all on the line now if we do not get federal support soon.
” NYC SHOOTINGS THIS YEAR , TOPPING 777 , HAVE SURPASSED 2019 NUMBERS , POLICE SAY Speaking of the ongoing stimulus talks in Washington , D.C. , de Blasio said he was “ very worried.
” “ My challenge is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people to do this work ?
” he continued .
“ I may have to do as many layoffs as 22,000 city employees from every department by October 1 if I don ’ t get federal help.
” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Shootings citywide in the month of July skyrocketed by 177 % year-over-year , from 244 this July to 88 in 2019 , police data shows .
Murders also surged by 59 % , with 54 compared to last July ’ s 34 .
As for 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the first seven months of the year , compared to the 181 people who were killed during the same time period in 2019 , police said .

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pinned the hefty task of solving the Big Apple’s crime problem on the federal government, arguing during a recent interview that “federal support” will help thwart the uptick in violence.
De Blasio, a Democrat, was being interviewed by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday night when he suggested the surge in New York City’s violent crime – which has seen a staggering increase in recent months – was caused by the economic impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic. He then lamented that the “help” the city needs should come in the form of federal support to keep city workers employed.
NYC RESIDENTS TALK TO LAWRENCE JONES ABOUT INCREASE IN CRIME, SQUALOR: 'IT'S BEFORE THE GIULIANI ERA'
“We are seeing this all over, cities all over the nation. It’s been a massive dislocation. People don’t have jobs. There isn’t school. … You talk about every element of our society, Wolf, this is what’s contributing to this massive surge that we’re all experiencing,” he said. “Let’s be clear, the help we need is to make sure we can keep all of our public services – we’re talking about safety, health, education – they’re all on the line now if we do not get federal support soon.”
NYC SHOOTINGS THIS YEAR, TOPPING 777, HAVE SURPASSED 2019 NUMBERS, POLICE SAY
Speaking of the ongoing stimulus talks in Washington, D.C., de Blasio said he was “very worried.”
“My challenge is, where am I going to have the people to do this work?” he continued. “I may have to do as many layoffs as 22,000 city employees from every department by October 1 if I don’t get federal help.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Shootings citywide in the month of July skyrocketed by 177% year-over-year, from 244 this July to 88 in 2019, police data shows. Murders also surged by 59%, with 54 compared to last July’s 34.
As for 2020 so far, 235 people were murdered in the first seven months of the year, compared to the 181 people who were killed during the same time period in 2019, police said.


bonginoreport--2020-08-05--President Trump Mulls Executive Order to Impose Stimulus

President Trump is considering an executive order that would unilaterally impose a stimulus plan and include a suspension of the @ @ @ @ @ of federal unemployment benefits , an eviction moratorium and another round of individual stimulus checks @ @ @ @ @ a move in unclear .
And some people tell FOX Business Trump may be using @ @ @ @ @ to bring Democrats to the table and hammer out a compromise .
Either way , @ @ @ @ @ with key advisers .
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bonginoreport--2020-08-05--Few Voters Think Illegals Should be Counted in Assigning Congressional Seats

Just 23 % of U.S. voters say illegal immigrants should be included in population counts for determining representation in Congress .
Seventy-percent ( 70 % ) disagree , according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen .
The poll results come as California , Florida and Texas would each lose a House seat if President Trump succeeds in getting illegal immigrants removed from the 2020 U.S. census , according to a new Pew Research Center analysis .
Rasmussen noted that the poll found opposition to including illegal immigrants comes from 72 % of White voters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 57 % of Hispanic voters .
Opposition also comes from 88 % of conservatives , 68 % of moderates , and 51 % of liberals .
A solid plurality ( 41 % ) of all voters believe all legal residents should be included ( both citizens and others ) .
Just the News Daily Poll respondents were asked `` Representation in Congress is based upon population -- the larger the state is the more representatives it has .
When it comes to determining representation in Congress , who should be included in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below : • 41 % US citizens and others who are legal residents • 23 % Everybody who lives in a state , including illegal immigrants The national survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted July 23-25 , 2020 by Rasmussen , a polling veteran .
Margin of sampling error : +/- 2.8 % for full sample .
To see the full demographic cross-tabulations for this polling question , click below : To see the methodology and sample demographics for this polling question , click below :

Just 23% of U.S. voters say illegal immigrants should be included in population counts for determining representation in Congress. Seventy-percent (70%) disagree, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.
The poll results come as California, Florida and Texas would each lose a House seat if President Trump succeeds in getting illegal immigrants removed from the 2020 U.S. census, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.
Image Just the News Daily Poll With Scott Rasmussen
Rasmussen noted that the poll found opposition to including illegal immigrants comes from 72% of White voters, 67% of Black voters, and 57% of Hispanic voters. Opposition also comes from 88% of conservatives, 68% of moderates, and 51% of liberals.
A solid plurality (41%) of all voters believe all legal residents should be included (both citizens and others).
Just the News Daily Poll respondents were asked "Representation in Congress is based upon population--the larger the state is the more representatives it has. When it comes to determining representation in Congress, who should be included in the population counts?" They replied as below:
29% Only US citizens
41% US citizens and others who are legal residents
23% Everybody who lives in a state, including illegal immigrants
7% Not Sure
The national survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted July 23-25, 2020 by Rasmussen, a polling veteran. Margin of sampling error: +/- 2.8% for full sample.
To see the full demographic cross-tabulations for this polling question, click below:
To see the methodology and sample demographics for this polling question, click below:


bonginoreport--2020-08-05--Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler Blasts Players On Her WNBA Team for Supporting Challenger

WNBA players on the Atlanta Dream squad , which is co-owned by Sen. Kelly Loeffler , showed up to their Tuesday game wearing T-shirts promoting the Georgia lawmaker ’ s Democratic challenger .
The statement against Loeffler , who is unpopular among many WNBA players for her opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement and the league ’ s affiliation with it , was captured on camera and posted to social media .
Members of the Dream ’ s Tuesday opponent , the Phoenix Mercury , even joined in — with players on both sides entering the arena wearing shirts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Black Lives Matter.
” Elizabeth Williams , a center for the Dream , earlier Tuesday posted a photo of herself to Twitter wearing the “ Vote Warnock ” shirt , a nod to Loeffler ’ s opponent , Raphael Warnock .
Loeffler , who has been part of Dream ownership since 2011 , slammed the move and said she was being targeted by the cancel culture .
“ This is just more proof that the out of control cancel culture wants to shut out anyone who disagrees with them , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that the league is more concerned with playing politics than basketball.
” Last month , the WNBA Players ’ Association union called on league commissioner Cathy Engelbert to remove Loeffler as co-owner of the Atlanta Dream over the lawmaker ’ s stance on Black Lives Matter .
The association cited its opposition to Loeffler ’ s request to use American flags on warmup jerseys instead of the league ’ s plan to have “ Black Lives Matter ” on them .
In Tuesday ’ s statement , Loeffler said she stood by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagreed with the cause over what she called “ its radical ideas and Marxist foundations , which include defunding the police and eroding the nuclear family .
”

WNBA players on the Atlanta Dream squad, which is co-owned by Sen. Kelly Loeffler, showed up to their Tuesday game wearing T-shirts promoting the Georgia lawmaker’s Democratic challenger.
The statement against Loeffler, who is unpopular among many WNBA players for her opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement and the league’s affiliation with it, was captured on camera and posted to social media.
Members of the Dream’s Tuesday opponent, the Phoenix Mercury, even joined in — with players on both sides entering the arena wearing shirts emblazoned with “Vote Warnock” and “Black Lives Matter.”
Elizabeth Williams, a center for the Dream, earlier Tuesday posted a photo of herself to Twitter wearing the “Vote Warnock” shirt, a nod to Loeffler’s opponent, Raphael Warnock.
Loeffler, who has been part of Dream ownership since 2011, slammed the move and said she was being targeted by the cancel culture.
“This is just more proof that the out of control cancel culture wants to shut out anyone who disagrees with them,” the lawmaker wrote. “It’s clear that the league is more concerned with playing politics than basketball.”
Last month, the WNBA Players’ Association union called on league commissioner Cathy Engelbert to remove Loeffler as co-owner of the Atlanta Dream over the lawmaker’s stance on Black Lives Matter.
The association cited its opposition to Loeffler’s request to use American flags on warmup jerseys instead of the league’s plan to have “Black Lives Matter” on them.
In Tuesday’s statement, Loeffler said she stood by her views.
The lawmaker said she disagreed with the cause over what she called “its radical ideas and Marxist foundations, which include defunding the police and eroding the nuclear family.”


bonginoreport--2020-08-05--Ben Shapiro: When the Counterculture Becomes the Culture

In November 2015 , three years after taking the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl , quarterback Colin Kaepernick was benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert , a career journeyman most recently unsuccessful with the Jacksonville Jaguars .
The following preseason , Kaepernick began donning garb designed to mock police officers , including socks with cops dressed as pigs .
He also remained seated for the national anthem during a preseason game , claiming , `` I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple NFL players spoke out in opposition to Kaepernick 's symbolic move : New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said , `` You 've got to respect the flag , and you 've got to stand up with your teammates .
It 's bigger than just you , in my opinion .
You go up there ; you 're with a team ; and you go and pledge your allegiance to the flag , and sing the national anthem with your team , and then you go about your business . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority proposition : Seventy-two percent of Americans thought the gesture unpatriotic , according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll .
Kaepernick never regained a starting role in the NFL ... but his career took off again .
He signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike to cash in on his supposed bravery ; he cut a content deal with Disney .
When he was offered a private tryout with NFL teams , he promptly violated all protocols and blew up the process .
In June 2020 , NFL commissioner Roger Goodell urged NFL teams to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kaepernick tweeted : `` Black ppl have been dehumanized , brutalized , criminalized + terrorized by America for centuries , & are expected to join your commemoration of 'independence , ' while you enslaved our ancestors .
We reject your celebration of white supremacy & look forward to liberation for all . ''
Today , Kaepernick 's symbolism has become the new normal , morphed into a rote ritual of wokeness thanks to the ugly sight of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd , who would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the halls of Congress .
Major League Baseball players knelt before the national anthem to protest supposed systemic American racism .
NBA players knelt as well , wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts .
And players who refused to comply were publicly cudgeled .
When San Francisco Giants pitcher Sam Coonrod refused to kneel , stating that he would not kneel for anything but God , he was castigated as benighted at best , racist at worst .
When black Orlando Magic basketball player Jonathan Isaacs stood for the national anthem , again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was ripped as `` dangerous . ''
Only Gregg Popovich , coach of the San Antonio Spurs , who has spent years utilizing purple progressive language about President Donald Trump , was exonerated for standing for the anthem — and that was because he wore a Black Lives Matter T-shirt .
So , what changed ?
Certainly not the data .
Despite the presence of individual racism in American life in all walks of life , America 's police are not systemically racist .
Until the pandemic wrecked the economy across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lows in unemployment and historic highs in median income .
What changed is that Americans surrendered to the narrative promulgated for so long by those who seek to undermine American comity : that American history is not the story of moving toward the fulfillment of the promises of the Declaration of Independence but of the continuous , chameleonic perversion of bigotry ; that America 's founding ideas were lies , then and always ; that only racial identity provides credence for talking about racial inequalities .
The burden of proof has shifted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can never prove their case : first , because no country is perfect , and second , because systemic racism is a non-disprovable theory .
Four short years ago , we mostly assumed the best of our fellow Americans — that they were n't endemically racist , at the very least — and the best of our country 's ideals .
No longer .
The counterculture has become the culture .
And that is both a tragedy and a travesty .
There can be no future for a country in which standing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while kneeling is considered heroic .
Ben Shapiro , 36 , is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School , host of `` The Ben Shapiro Show '' and editor-in-chief of DailyWire.com .
He is the author of the No .
1 New York Times bestseller `` The Right Side of History . ''
He lives with his wife and three children in Los Angeles .
To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists , visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com .

In November 2015, three years after taking the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl, quarterback Colin Kaepernick was benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert, a career journeyman most recently unsuccessful with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The following preseason, Kaepernick began donning garb designed to mock police officers, including socks with cops dressed as pigs. He also remained seated for the national anthem during a preseason game, claiming, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color."
At the time, multiple NFL players spoke out in opposition to Kaepernick's symbolic move: New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said, "You've got to respect the flag, and you've got to stand up with your teammates. It's bigger than just you, in my opinion. You go up there; you're with a team; and you go and pledge your allegiance to the flag, and sing the national anthem with your team, and then you go about your business." At the time, this was a majority proposition: Seventy-two percent of Americans thought the gesture unpatriotic, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Kaepernick never regained a starting role in the NFL ... but his career took off again. He signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike to cash in on his supposed bravery; he cut a content deal with Disney. When he was offered a private tryout with NFL teams, he promptly violated all protocols and blew up the process. In June 2020, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell urged NFL teams to sign Kaepernick anyway. On July 4, Kaepernick tweeted: "Black ppl have been dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized by America for centuries, & are expected to join your commemoration of 'independence,' while you enslaved our ancestors. We reject your celebration of white supremacy & look forward to liberation for all."
Today, Kaepernick's symbolism has become the new normal, morphed into a rote ritual of wokeness thanks to the ugly sight of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, who would later die. Democratic elected officials knelt in the halls of Congress. Major League Baseball players knelt before the national anthem to protest supposed systemic American racism. NBA players knelt as well, wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts.
And players who refused to comply were publicly cudgeled. When San Francisco Giants pitcher Sam Coonrod refused to kneel, stating that he would not kneel for anything but God, he was castigated as benighted at best, racist at worst. When black Orlando Magic basketball player Jonathan Isaacs stood for the national anthem, again citing the unifying anti-racism of Christianity, he was ripped as "dangerous." Only Gregg Popovich, coach of the San Antonio Spurs, who has spent years utilizing purple progressive language about President Donald Trump, was exonerated for standing for the anthem — and that was because he wore a Black Lives Matter T-shirt.
So, what changed? Certainly not the data. Despite the presence of individual racism in American life in all walks of life, America's police are not systemically racist. Until the pandemic wrecked the economy across the board, black Americans were experiencing historic lows in unemployment and historic highs in median income. What changed is that Americans surrendered to the narrative promulgated for so long by those who seek to undermine American comity: that American history is not the story of moving toward the fulfillment of the promises of the Declaration of Independence but of the continuous, chameleonic perversion of bigotry; that America's founding ideas were lies, then and always; that only racial identity provides credence for talking about racial inequalities. The burden of proof has shifted to America's defenders.
And those defenders can never prove their case: first, because no country is perfect, and second, because systemic racism is a non-disprovable theory. Four short years ago, we mostly assumed the best of our fellow Americans — that they weren't endemically racist, at the very least — and the best of our country's ideals. No longer. The counterculture has become the culture. And that is both a tragedy and a travesty. There can be no future for a country in which standing for the national anthem is considered gauche, while kneeling is considered heroic.
Ben Shapiro, 36, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show" and editor-in-chief of DailyWire.com. He is the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller "The Right Side of History." He lives with his wife and three children in Los Angeles. To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Photo credit: JJonahJackalope


bonginoreport--2020-08-05--Report: Russia Building Military Bases In Africa

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bonginoreport--2020-08-06--NBA Return Has Yet to Give Sports Shows Ratings Boost

During the pandemic , ratings for sports television shows have plummeted .
Around the industry , the expectation was that when sports returned , the viewership would too .
Sports are back , and the ratings remain alarmingly low .
Last Thursday and Friday were the first telling days .
While MLB returned a week prior , the sport is marginally discussed on daily studio shows .
On a pie chart of topics , NBA and NFL would combine for around 90 % .
Thursday and Friday , coverage was nearly exclusively dedicated to the NBA , which mirrored topics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t match .
Among sports shows , PTI had the highest average ( Thursday and Friday ) at just 337,000 viewers , via ShowBuzzDaily .
ESPN ’ s second and third most popular programs , First Take and Around the Horn , drew 265,500 and 202,500 , respectively .
Other averages included Get Up — 223,500 ; The Jump — 180,500 ; Highly Questionable —188,500 ; Jalen & Jacoby — 168,000 ; Undisputed —134,000 ; Speak for Yourself — 64,000 .
At the same time last year , with no NBA games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For comparison , the top-rated show , PTI , is down from a 568,500 average .
Its decline is comparable to other measured sports programming .
It ’ s early , but this start is concerning .
Remember , the NBA is the most discussed league on many of these shows .
Particularly First Take , which , Thursday , spent its entire two hours on the league ’ s return .
The NBA put its stars out front for next-day conversation .
LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard , Lakers vs. Clippers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As I ’ ve been saying , viewership decline is not merely due to lack of sports .
Since March , sports TV has simultaneously plummeted in quality .
An industry already disconnected from its audience drifted further away .
In the months without months , sports programming fully embraced social topics .
And drove the audience away .
At least thus far , those viewers haven ’ t returned .
How many of them aren ’ t coming back ?
Months of hard-hitting social topics exposed several sports media shows and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above all else .
Except when it came to China and anti-Semitism .
In July , I explained how sports media personalities are opportunists .
Brand-builders .
“ The media declared Brees supporting the flag an unforgivable sin .
More offensive than what DeSean Jackson said .
Far worse than LeBron bending the knee to China .
Brees ’ comments were more disgraceful than what the NFL supposedly didn ’ t do for Kaepernick .
And more condemnable than what NASCAR fans could ’ ve done , but didn ’ t do to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s handling of China , its business partner , must have not been bad at all .
It didn ’ t even make the topic sheet for most shows after Senator ( Josh ) Hawley ’ s letter to Adam Silver .
The media must have thought its lackadaisical coverage of the topic in October would suffice.
” The sports media industry has fallen out of the good graces of sports fans .
The audience doesn ’ t trust the opinionists , nor the reporters .
Thus , they stayed away when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pivots away from woke sports coverage , viewers won ’ t return the next day .
It took three years for the NFL to regain its lost viewers amid national anthem protests .
Inevitably , at least for ESPN , the ratings will increase when live games air the night before as consumers are apt to leave the channel on .
Football season , assuming there is one , gives each channel a boost .
However , these averages need more than the regular fall spike .
PTI failing to reach 400,000 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has remained loyal since its 2001 launch .
What ’ s more , studio shows are reliant on the interest in live games .
If that is down , the subsequent coverage will be , too .
Kneeling is bad business ; kneeling is the new norm .
It is worth noting , moving forward , daytime sports will air head-to-head with various studio shows .
It ’ s not time to panic … yet .
Disclosure : Outkick ’ s founder Clay Travis is an on-air personality at FS1 .

Videos by OutKick
During the pandemic, ratings for sports television shows have plummeted. Around the industry, the expectation was that when sports returned, the viewership would too. Sports are back, and the ratings remain alarmingly low.
Last Thursday and Friday were the first telling days. While MLB returned a week prior, the sport is marginally discussed on daily studio shows. On a pie chart of topics, NBA and NFL would combine for around 90%. Thursday and Friday, coverage was nearly exclusively dedicated to the NBA, which mirrored topics pre-pandemic. Yet, the ratings didn’t match.
Among sports shows, PTI had the highest average (Thursday and Friday) at just 337,000 viewers, via ShowBuzzDaily. ESPN’s second and third most popular programs, First Take and Around the Horn, drew 265,500 and 202,500, respectively. Other averages included Get Up — 223,500; The Jump — 180,500; Highly Questionable —188,500; Jalen & Jacoby — 168,000; Undisputed —134,000; Speak for Yourself — 64,000.
At the same time last year, with no NBA games, the programs fared far better. For comparison, the top-rated show, PTI, is down from a 568,500 average. Its decline is comparable to other measured sports programming.
It’s early, but this start is concerning. Remember, the NBA is the most discussed league on many of these shows. Particularly First Take, which, Thursday, spent its entire two hours on the league’s return. The NBA put its stars out front for next-day conversation. LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard, Lakers vs. Clippers, Zion Williamson. None of it mattered.
As I’ve been saying, viewership decline is not merely due to lack of sports. Since March, sports TV has simultaneously plummeted in quality. An industry already disconnected from its audience drifted further away.
In the months without months, sports programming fully embraced social topics. And drove the audience away. At least thus far, those viewers haven’t returned. How many of them aren’t coming back?
Months of hard-hitting social topics exposed several sports media shows and personalities. Media members put social justice above all else. Except when it came to China and anti-Semitism. In July, I explained how sports media personalities are opportunists. Brand-builders.
“The media declared Brees supporting the flag an unforgivable sin. More offensive than what DeSean Jackson said. Far worse than LeBron bending the knee to China. Brees’ comments were more disgraceful than what the NFL supposedly didn’t do for Kaepernick. And more condemnable than what NASCAR fans could’ve done, but didn’t do to Bubba Wallace. Furthermore, the NBA’s handling of China, its business partner, must have not been bad at all. It didn’t even make the topic sheet for most shows after Senator (Josh) Hawley’s letter to Adam Silver. The media must have thought its lackadaisical coverage of the topic in October would suffice.”
The sports media industry has fallen out of the good graces of sports fans. The audience doesn’t trust the opinionists, nor the reporters. Thus, they stayed away when sports returned.
Even if the programming pivots away from woke sports coverage, viewers won’t return the next day. It took three years for the NFL to regain its lost viewers amid national anthem protests.
Inevitably, at least for ESPN, the ratings will increase when live games air the night before as consumers are apt to leave the channel on. Football season, assuming there is one, gives each channel a boost. However, these averages need more than the regular fall spike. PTI failing to reach 400,000 is stunning. That’s an audience that has remained loyal since its 2001 launch.
What’s more, studio shows are reliant on the interest in live games. If that is down, the subsequent coverage will be, too. Kneeling is bad business; kneeling is the new norm. It is worth noting, moving forward, daytime sports will air head-to-head with various studio shows.
It’s not time to panic … yet.
Disclosure: Outkick’s founder Clay Travis is an on-air personality at FS1.


bonginoreport--2020-08-06--Judge Judy Says She’ll Eat Her Contract on Live TV if New Lawsuit Holds Legal Water

Judge Judy Sheindlin says she ’ ll eat a contract on national TV if it ’ s determined a new lawsuit against her and ViacomCBS holds any legal water .
The 77-year-old TV personality is the subject of another lawsuit by Rebel Entertainment Partners to the tune of roughly $ 5 million over claims that disgraced former CBS boss , Les Moonves , did some corporate sleight-of-hand to avoid answering to the network ’ s Board of Directors that resulted in it not getting the money it believes it 's owed .
The lawsuit was brought by talent agent Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lawrence firm , which is working with Rebel .
In a statement provided to Fox Business , Sheindlin explained that she is beyond confident that the contract in question doesn ’ t exist .
`` I have not seen the complaint and can therefore only comment on what I have read which suggests that I am being sued for ‘ breach of contract , ’ ” Sheindlin told Fox Business in a statement .
“ If that is the basis of Mr. Lawrence ’ s lawsuit , here is my challenge : If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed by me and Mr. Lawrence on the same page , at any time in history from the beginning of time , I will toast that contract , smear it with cream cheese and eat it on national television . ''
According to Deadline , the new lawsuit stems from an allegedly mismanaged deal cut by Moonves and CBS programming chief Armando Nunez to sell the library of past “ Judge Judy ” episodes to Sheindlin for way less than they were worth in an effort to avoid disgrace at the hands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Les Moonves may have been shown the door at CBS in 2018 , but not before he conspired with other CBS executives , including former CBS programming chief Armando Nuñez , to avoid embarrassment over his colossal mismanagement of the sale and repurchase of the back-episode catalog for the Judge Judy television program , ” the outlet reports , citing the breach of contract complaint filed Tuesday .
“ In 2015 , Moonves and his loyal lieutenant Nuñez seriously underestimated the value of the episode library and sold the rights to these episodes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ song , ” the filing adds .
The complaint alleges that Moonves tried to “ pull a fast one ” on the CBS Board by requiring Board approval for any purchase of $ 100 million or more .
They then paid Sheindlin an estimated $ 95 million in an alleged effort to avoid answering for the initial flub .
Rebel Entertainment Partners stands to make 5 % of any profits made from “ Judge Judy ” and therefore feels entitled to roughly $ 5 million from that deal .
“ But through all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both CBS and Sheindlin lost sight of one important group of people : the Judge Judy profit participants , ” the suit adds .
CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO The lawsuit comes months after Sheindlin announced that she ’ s ending the show after 25 years when her contract runs out in 2021 .
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Judge Judy Sheindlin says she’ll eat a contract on national TV if it’s determined a new lawsuit against her and ViacomCBS holds any legal water.
The 77-year-old TV personality is the subject of another lawsuit by Rebel Entertainment Partners to the tune of roughly $5 million over claims that disgraced former CBS boss, Les Moonves, did some corporate sleight-of-hand to avoid answering to the network’s Board of Directors that resulted in it not getting the money it believes it's owed. The lawsuit was brought by talent agent Richard Lawrence and his Abrams, Rubaloff & Lawrence firm, which is working with Rebel.
In a statement provided to Fox Business, Sheindlin explained that she is beyond confident that the contract in question doesn’t exist.
‘JUDGE JUDY’ $47 MILLION SALARY CASE CLOSED BUT SECOND LAWSUIT LOOMS
"I have not seen the complaint and can therefore only comment on what I have read which suggests that I am being sued for ‘breach of contract,’” Sheindlin told Fox Business in a statement. “If that is the basis of Mr. Lawrence’s lawsuit, here is my challenge: If Mr. Lawrence can produce a contract, signed by me and Mr. Lawrence on the same page, at any time in history from the beginning of time, I will toast that contract, smear it with cream cheese and eat it on national television."
According to Deadline, the new lawsuit stems from an allegedly mismanaged deal cut by Moonves and CBS programming chief Armando Nunez to sell the library of past “Judge Judy” episodes to Sheindlin for way less than they were worth in an effort to avoid disgrace at the hands of CBS higher-ups.
“Disgraced media mogul Les Moonves may have been shown the door at CBS in 2018, but not before he conspired with other CBS executives, including former CBS programming chief Armando Nuñez, to avoid embarrassment over his colossal mismanagement of the sale and repurchase of the back-episode catalog for the Judge Judy television program,” the outlet reports, citing the breach of contract complaint filed Tuesday.
JUDGE JUDY, CBS DON'T NEGOTIATE SALARY; HER DEMANDS ARE MET
“In 2015, Moonves and his loyal lieutenant Nuñez seriously underestimated the value of the episode library and sold the rights to these episodes to series star Judith Sheindlin for a song,” the filing adds.
The complaint alleges that Moonves tried to “pull a fast one” on the CBS Board by requiring Board approval for any purchase of $100 million or more. They then paid Sheindlin an estimated $95 million in an alleged effort to avoid answering for the initial flub. Rebel Entertainment Partners stands to make 5% of any profits made from “Judge Judy” and therefore feels entitled to roughly $5 million from that deal.
“But through all of this industry intrigue and deception, both CBS and Sheindlin lost sight of one important group of people: the Judge Judy profit participants,” the suit adds.
CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO
The lawsuit comes months after Sheindlin announced that she’s ending the show after 25 years when her contract runs out in 2021.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS


bonginoreport--2020-08-06--Philippine President Turns His Navy Into a Beach Patrol at China’s Behest

Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte likes to present himself as the world 's ultimate strongman , a leader who does n't simply defeat his opponents but publicly humiliates them .
The narrative is an inversion of reality .
When it comes to communist China , the greatest opponent facing the Philippines , Duterte is a happy lapdog .
Evincing as much , Duterte 's defense secretary announced on Tuesday that the navy of the Philippines will no longer participate in any South China Sea military exercises outside its 12-mile sovereign maritime borders .
Delfin Lorenzana justified the decision by saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is considered belligerent by another , tension will normally rise . ''
But this is n't about keeping tensions low .
Rather , it is just another attempt by Duterte to earn a pat on the head from Chinese President Xi Jinping .
And boy , a 12-mile limit on naval exercises surely deserves such a pat .
That limitation means that Duterte has basically turned the navy of the Philippines into a beach patrol .
China has put significant pressure on the Philippines , a traditional U.S. ally , to avoid participation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South China Sea .
Frustrated by the increasing willingness of other allies to participate in such exercises , Beijing fears the presentation of an international alliance that shreds Xi 's claim that China seeks only mutual respect .
It 's likely that Xi has offered Duterte some kind of significant investment deal or other favor in return for announcements such as this one .
Regardless , what Duterte is doing here is at once pathetic and , from the perspective of the Philippines , utterly idiotic .
China is actively stealing the near-entirety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants total control over the energy and fishing resources and transit routes in these waters .
This control would strengthen China 's economy while allowing Beijing to extract political deference from all nations seeking to transit those waters .
It 's feudalism 101 : the extraction of loyalty in return for a right to work the land ( or , in this case , water ) .
And it 's a foretaste of the global order that China ultimately aims to impose .
Preferring the no-questions-asked patronage of Chinese communists over a democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a natural ally to this feudalism .
The strongman is willing to sacrifice his national interests for Xi 's personal favor .
Until the next election in 2022 , we should n't expect much change .
Duterte will keep looking for Xi 's pat on the head , and his nation will be worse for it .

Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte likes to present himself as the world's ultimate strongman, a leader who doesn't simply defeat his opponents but publicly humiliates them. The narrative is an inversion of reality.
When it comes to communist China, the greatest opponent facing the Philippines, Duterte is a happy lapdog. Evincing as much, Duterte's defense secretary announced on Tuesday that the navy of the Philippines will no longer participate in any South China Sea military exercises outside its 12-mile sovereign maritime borders. Delfin Lorenzana justified the decision by saying that "if one country’s action is considered belligerent by another, tension will normally rise."
But this isn't about keeping tensions low. Rather, it is just another attempt by Duterte to earn a pat on the head from Chinese President Xi Jinping. And boy, a 12-mile limit on naval exercises surely deserves such a pat. That limitation means that Duterte has basically turned the navy of the Philippines into a beach patrol.
China has put significant pressure on the Philippines, a traditional U.S. ally, to avoid participation in escalating U.S. military exercises in the South China Sea. Frustrated by the increasing willingness of other allies to participate in such exercises, Beijing fears the presentation of an international alliance that shreds Xi's claim that China seeks only mutual respect. It's likely that Xi has offered Duterte some kind of significant investment deal or other favor in return for announcements such as this one.
Regardless, what Duterte is doing here is at once pathetic and, from the perspective of the Philippines, utterly idiotic. China is actively stealing the near-entirety of the South China Sea. Xi wants total control over the energy and fishing resources and transit routes in these waters. This control would strengthen China's economy while allowing Beijing to extract political deference from all nations seeking to transit those waters. It's feudalism 101: the extraction of loyalty in return for a right to work the land (or, in this case, water). And it's a foretaste of the global order that China ultimately aims to impose.
Preferring the no-questions-asked patronage of Chinese communists over a democratic alliance with the United States, Duterte is a natural ally to this feudalism. The strongman is willing to sacrifice his national interests for Xi's personal favor. Until the next election in 2022, we shouldn't expect much change. Duterte will keep looking for Xi's pat on the head, and his nation will be worse for it.


bonginoreport--2020-08-06--Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah Threatened to Blow up Israel With Same Chemicals as Beirut Blast

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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened in the past to destroy Israel by causing a massive explosion in the port of Haifa using ammonia tanks that he said would be like a “nuclear” explosion. In addition Hezbollah allegedly sought to acquire ammonium nitrate via Syria since 2009 and tried to infiltrate the agriculture ministry in Lebanon to do so, according to leaked diplomatic cables.The archival footage has been circulating in the wake of the massive explosion in Lebanon that killed more than 100 and injured 4,000 and has left hundreds missing. It illustrates Hezbollah’s terrorist strategy of targeting civilians for mass murder, despite the organization’s claim that it is “resisting” Israel by defending Lebanon.A source quoted in a cache of leaked diplomatic cables and other reports noted that Hezbollah’s supply of some explosive material had been cut off over the last decade. Hezbollah also allegedly sought to get the ammonium nitrate via Syria, bringing in thousands of tons of it from Homs. Hezbollah sought to dominate the agriculture ministry in Lebanon since 2009 to get a hold of the material.In February 16, 2016 Nasrallah also said that ammonia is stored in Haifa and that there are 15,000 tonnes of gas Haifa and that explosions there might cause the deaths of tens of thousands of people. “the expert added that this is exactly like a nuclear bomb. In other words Lebanon has a nuclear bomb. This is not an exaggeration.” Nasrallah laughs as he says this in the video, noting that Hezbollah refrained from striking the ammonia in the 2006 war.Nasrallah told his audience that with several missiles his terror group could set off the ammonia with the same impact of a nuclear weapon. He said he had consulted experts and that 800,000 people would be affects and tens of thousands killed. In February 2017 he made another speech mentioning ammonia stored in Haifa. On Al-Mayadeen TV he said that a decision was made ‘several days ago that the ammonia storage tanks must be emptied.” He claimed it was because the “resistance” had talked about the storage tanks.“Moreover there is a ship that brings the ammonia, and distributed it to the Haifa facility and I said that the Haifa facility is the equivalent of a nuclear bomb, but the ship that carries ammonia to occupied Palestine is like five nuclear bombs,” Nasrallah said in 2017.The footage of the speeches which has come to light after the explosion of ammonium nitrate that was stored improperly for years in the port of Beirut suggests that Hezbollah studied the use of ammonia as an accelerant that would multiply exponentially the power of its missiles. It may be that Hezbollah studied the warehouse in Beirut and the ships that deliver this chemical. Ammonium nitrate is commonly used in fertilizer but can be used in explosives as well.Hezbollah’s comments in 2016 and 2017 suggest it consulted experts about how to cause mass death using other means than just missiles and how to strike at strategic or other infrastructure. That it considered using missiles to target a boat or destroying a ship by other mean suggests the level of terror threats that it has come to. 2016 was the height of the Iran deal era and it also illustrates that despite the US seeking to work with Iran and cases against Hezbollah’s drug trafficking even being slowed down in the US, the organization did not moderate but was actively thinking of ways to kill tens of thousands of people.US officials in 2008 also tracked a shipment of 400 metric tons of ammonium nitrate from an Iranian firm called SAD Import and Export, which the US said was a “cover name used by Iran’s Defense Industries Organization. Iran’s Bank Saderat facilitated the transaction.” According to the report the nitrate went to Oman in October 2008.The reports show that Hezbollah was well aware of ammonium nitrate as an explosive and that it sought to import it and also to potentially use it as a terrorist weapon.


bonginoreport--2020-08-06--Police In Malaysia Raid Al Jazeera’s Office, Seize Computers

File - In this file photo taken on Friday , July 10 , 2020 , Australian Al Jazeera journalist , reporter/senior producer Drew Ambrose , right , leaves the Bukit Aman police headquarters after being questioned by the Malaysian police over a documentary about the country 's arrests of undocumented migrants , in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia .
Malaysian police have raided the office of news broadcaster Al Jazeera and two local TV stations , seizing computers as part of an investigation into a documentary on undocumented migrants that enraged the government .
Al Jazeera slammed the raid as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crackdown on media freedom .
( AP Photo , File ) File - In this file photo taken on Friday , July 10 , 2020 , Australian Al Jazeera journalist , reporter/senior producer Drew Ambrose , right , leaves the Bukit Aman police headquarters after being questioned by the Malaysian police over a documentary about the country 's arrests of undocumented migrants , in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia .
Malaysian police have raided the office of news broadcaster Al Jazeera and two local TV stations , seizing computers as part of an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enraged the government .
Al Jazeera slammed the raid as a “ troubling escalation ” in a government crackdown on media freedom .
( AP Photo , File ) KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia ( AP ) — Malaysian police raided the office of news broadcaster Al Jazeera and two local TV stations on Tuesday , seizing computers as part of an investigation into a documentary on undocumented migrants that enraged the government .
Al Jazeera , a Qatari-state owned broadcaster , said in a statement that police seized two computers during the raid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalation ” in a government crackdown on media freedom .
It urged Malaysian authorities to cease the criminal investigation .
Police opened an investigation last month into the Al Jazeera documentary on the treatment of undocumented migrants after officials complained it was inaccurate and biased .
Seven Al Jazeera staff members have been grilled by police as part of the probe for alleged sedition , defamation and violating the Communications and Multimedia Act .
Police obtained court warrants to search the offices of Al Jazeera as well as local broadcasters Astro and Unifitv @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
The two local TV stations had reportedly aired the video .
Huzir said the raids were conducted jointly with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission , which is also investigating the stations .
He said police seized computers which will be sent for further analysis and took statements from witnesses during the raids .
“ No individual or entity will be spared from action if they have violated the law , ” he said .
Al Jazeera said the raid was “ an attack on press freedom as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cease the criminal investigation .
“ Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities ’ crackdown on media freedom and shows the lengths they are prepared to take to try to intimidate journalists , ” said Giles Trendle , managing director of Al Jazeera English .
“ Al Jazeera stands by our journalists and we stand by our reporting .
Our staff did their jobs and they ’ ve got nothing to answer for or apologize for .
Journalism is not a crime , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Locked Up in Malaysia ’ s Lockdown , ” investigated undocumented immigrants it said were at risk during the coronavirus pandemic .
More than 2,000 migrant workers were arrested during raids in areas in Kuala Lumpur that were placed under tight virus lockdowns .
Malaysian authorities also detained a Bangladeshi man interviewed in the documentary after revoking his work permit , and said they will deport him for criticizing the government over its handling of undocumented migrants .
“ The authorities ’ relentless pursuit of Al Jazeera seems to be driven by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Malaysia ’ s dirty laundry rather than a good faith application of the law , ” said Matthew Bugher , head of the Asia program of British-based rights group ARTICLE 19 .
He said Malaysia should investigate the rights violations shown in the documentary instead of targeting the filmmakers .
Rights activists have voiced concern over a clampdown on freedom of speech and media independence under new Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin , who took power in March .
Astro was recently fined for airing an Al Jazeera documentary in 2015 about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly contained “ offensive content.
” Popular online news portal Malaysiakini and its editor face rare contempt proceedings from the attorney general over comments posted by readers against the judiciary .
Police also questioned an activist about a social media post alleging mistreatment of refugees at immigration detention centers .
A journalist from the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post was also questioned earlier about her reporting on migrant arrests .

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian police raided the office of news broadcaster Al Jazeera and two local TV stations on Tuesday, seizing computers as part of an investigation into a documentary on undocumented migrants that enraged the government.
Al Jazeera, a Qatari-state owned broadcaster, said in a statement that police seized two computers during the raid, which it called a “troubling escalation” in a government crackdown on media freedom. It urged Malaysian authorities to cease the criminal investigation.
Police opened an investigation last month into the Al Jazeera documentary on the treatment of undocumented migrants after officials complained it was inaccurate and biased. Seven Al Jazeera staff members have been grilled by police as part of the probe for alleged sedition, defamation and violating the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Police obtained court warrants to search the offices of Al Jazeera as well as local broadcasters Astro and Unifitv, criminal investigation chief Huzir Mohamed said in a statement. The two local TV stations had reportedly aired the video.
Huzir said the raids were conducted jointly with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, which is also investigating the stations.
He said police seized computers which will be sent for further analysis and took statements from witnesses during the raids. “No individual or entity will be spared from action if they have violated the law,” he said.
Al Jazeera said the raid was “an attack on press freedom as a whole” and urged Malaysian authorities to cease the criminal investigation.
“Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities’ crackdown on media freedom and shows the lengths they are prepared to take to try to intimidate journalists,” said Giles Trendle, managing director of Al Jazeera English.
“Al Jazeera stands by our journalists and we stand by our reporting. Our staff did their jobs and they’ve got nothing to answer for or apologize for. Journalism is not a crime,” he said.
The documentary, titled “Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown,” investigated undocumented immigrants it said were at risk during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 2,000 migrant workers were arrested during raids in areas in Kuala Lumpur that were placed under tight virus lockdowns.
Malaysian authorities also detained a Bangladeshi man interviewed in the documentary after revoking his work permit, and said they will deport him for criticizing the government over its handling of undocumented migrants.
“The authorities’ relentless pursuit of Al Jazeera seems to be driven by a desire to punish journalists who aired Malaysia’s dirty laundry rather than a good faith application of the law,” said Matthew Bugher, head of the Asia program of British-based rights group ARTICLE 19.
He said Malaysia should investigate the rights violations shown in the documentary instead of targeting the filmmakers.
Rights activists have voiced concern over a clampdown on freedom of speech and media independence under new Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who took power in March.
Astro was recently fined for airing an Al Jazeera documentary in 2015 about the 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman that allegedly contained “offensive content.”
Popular online news portal Malaysiakini and its editor face rare contempt proceedings from the attorney general over comments posted by readers against the judiciary. Police also questioned an activist about a social media post alleging mistreatment of refugees at immigration detention centers.
A journalist from the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post was also questioned earlier about her reporting on migrant arrests.


bonginoreport--2020-08-06--Rich Lowry: The Shame of the Teachers Unions

The Shame of the Teachers Unions No other group has shown as much contempt for its own work during the coronavirus crisis as teachers .
Their unions are actively fighting to keep kids out of the classroom , and also to limit remote instruction , lest it require too much time and attention from people who are supposed to be wholly devoted to educating our children .
This has been a wrenching time in the U.S. labor market , with tens of millions thrown out of work , and also an inspiring one .
Workers we never before would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees , delivery guys , meat-packing workers — have kept absolutely necessary parts of the economy operating even while most of their fellow Americans were staying at home .
Not only have doctors and health care workers put themselves on the line , cops and firefighters have done the same .
It ’ s not correct to say all of these people have done their jobs uncomplainingly — many have worried , understandably , about their safety and wanted more protections .
But all have shown up .
All have been there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brief respite and during the current summer resurgence .
Anyone who doesn ’ t acknowledge our debt to them is a thoughtless ingrate .
Then , there are the teachers unions .
Theirs has been a diametrically opposed approach to the everyday heroes of America .
Their first and last thought has been of their own interests .
They have sought to limit their labor while still getting paid — at the ultimate cost of the education of kids who may never fully make up the gaps in their learning during their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , any gathering of people has its risks , and school districts should make every reasonable accommodation to the realities of the pandemic .
There are many teachers who are better than their unions — or not members of a union at all — and some are truly at high risk from the virus .
All of this is true enough and yet the unions have represented institutional laziness and selfishness at a time of incredible strain for parents across the country .
The unions have a handy foil in President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of school reopening with his usual deftness , which is to say none at all .
But it shouldn ’ t require wearing a MAGA hat to acknowledge the benefits of in-person instruction , and the experience of other advanced countries suggests it carries low risks .
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement in June saying that it “ strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.
” ( As a rebuke to Trump , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers unions saying politics should be kept out of reopening decisions . )
The New York Times has cited research suggesting that the cancellation of classes in the spring cost students a significant portion of their learning for the year , and they might be seven months behind the curve .
Online learning , especially for younger kids , is a poor substitute for being in the classroom , and many districts didn ’ t even offer that .
As states and localities try to avoid a repeat of that debacle , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
In California , the unions pushed to delay students coming back to the classroom , and in Los Angeles , the union has been negotiating to limit the time teachers spend on online instruction , too .
Unions around the country have offered endless excuses why they can ’ t even do a simulacrum of their job .
Teachers might be abashed about their appearance teaching by video from home .
The privacy of teachers might be violated if video instruction is recorded for use by parents and their kids at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t handle simultaneous classroom and video instruction .
If the teachers unions get their way , teachers ’ letter grade during this crisis will be a shameful “ incomplete .
”

They are actively fighting to keep kids out of the classroom.
No other group has shown as much contempt for its own work during the coronavirus crisis as teachers.
Their unions are actively fighting to keep kids out of the classroom, and also to limit remote instruction, lest it require too much time and attention from people who are supposed to be wholly devoted to educating our children.
This has been a wrenching time in the U.S. labor market, with tens of millions thrown out of work, and also an inspiring one. Workers we never before would have thought of as essential — grocery store employees, delivery guys, meat-packing workers — have kept absolutely necessary parts of the economy operating even while most of their fellow Americans were staying at home.
Not only have doctors and health care workers put themselves on the line, cops and firefighters have done the same.
It’s not correct to say all of these people have done their jobs uncomplainingly — many have worried, understandably, about their safety and wanted more protections. But all have shown up. All have been there, during the horrific spring outbreak, during a brief respite and during the current summer resurgence.
Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge our debt to them is a thoughtless ingrate.
Then, there are the teachers unions.
Theirs has been a diametrically opposed approach to the everyday heroes of America. Their first and last thought has been of their own interests. They have sought to limit their labor while still getting paid — at the ultimate cost of the education of kids who may never fully make up the gaps in their learning during their time out of the classroom.
Obviously, any gathering of people has its risks, and school districts should make every reasonable accommodation to the realities of the pandemic. There are many teachers who are better than their unions — or not members of a union at all — and some are truly at high risk from the virus. All of this is true enough and yet the unions have represented institutional laziness and selfishness at a time of incredible strain for parents across the country.
The unions have a handy foil in President Donald Trump, who has taken up the cause of school reopening with his usual deftness, which is to say none at all.
But it shouldn’t require wearing a MAGA hat to acknowledge the benefits of in-person instruction, and the experience of other advanced countries suggests it carries low risks.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement in June saying that it “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.” (As a rebuke to Trump, it issued a subsequent statement with the biggest teachers unions saying politics should be kept out of reopening decisions.)
The New York Times has cited research suggesting that the cancellation of classes in the spring cost students a significant portion of their learning for the year, and they might be seven months behind the curve. Online learning, especially for younger kids, is a poor substitute for being in the classroom, and many districts didn’t even offer that.
As states and localities try to avoid a repeat of that debacle, many unions are throwing every obstacle in the way. In California, the unions pushed to delay students coming back to the classroom, and in Los Angeles, the union has been negotiating to limit the time teachers spend on online instruction, too.
Unions around the country have offered endless excuses why they can’t even do a simulacrum of their job. Teachers might be abashed about their appearance teaching by video from home. The privacy of teachers might be violated if video instruction is recorded for use by parents and their kids at a convenient time. Teachers can’t handle simultaneous classroom and video instruction.
If the teachers unions get their way, teachers’ letter grade during this crisis will be a shameful “incomplete.”
© 2020 by King Features Syndicate


bonginoreport--2020-08-06--John Stossel: More Juice!

John Stossel: More Juice!

Was the power on in your house this morning ?
If so , thank fossil fuels !
A few parts of America do get energy from other sources .
Washington state has fast-flowing rivers that allow Washingtonians to get most of their electricity from hydroelectric power .
Iowa now gets about 40 % of its electricity from wind .
But most of us get power from the much-hated fossil fuels , primarily natural gas and coal .
Burning them does pollute , although government-mandated ( Yes , government has done some useful things . )
controls like scrubbers in smokestacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as sulfur dioxide .
But fossil fuels do still emit greenhouse gasses , and that probably increases global warming .
Yes , I know some scientists doubt that man ’ s activities contribute much , but I ’ ll go with the large group that says we do .
Now , Black Lives Matter protesters say fossil fuels create “ environmental racism ” because black neighborhoods are often located in low-lying floodplains or are close to refineries and other energy infrastructure .
Activist Jane Fonda recently joined them to say , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay !
” But I suspect Fonda and other anti-fossil fuel protesters have no clue about where the electricity that powers their electric cars comes from .
Today , Americans still get 81 % of our energy and 62.7 % of our electricity from fossil fuels .
Oil fuels about 91 % of all transportation .
Without fossil fuels , much of the world would freeze in the dark .
We just don ’ t yet have enough alternatives .
One country almost does : Iceland .
Iceland has hot springs , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ juice , and hydropower provides most of the rest .
But even in Iceland , that ’ s not enough .
Iceland still burns oil .
The protesters ought to watch the new documentary , “ Juice : How Electricity Explains the World.
” My new video this week is a short ( 4 minute ) version of it .
“ Electricity doesn ’ t guarantee wealth , ” says energy journalist Robert Bryce , “ but not having it almost always means poverty .
The defining inequality in the world today is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electricity-poor .
Three billion people in the world today use less electricity than what ’ s used by my kitchen refrigerator .
To empower the low-watt world , we ’ re going to need a lot more juice.
” Hate coal all you want , but it still accounts for about 38 % of global electricity production .
Even Japan , home to the Kyoto Protocol , plans to build 22 new coal-fired power plants .
Americans take electric light for granted , but Bryce ’ s film reminds us : “ Electricity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : darkness .
For millennia , the cost of having well-lit spaces at night was so high , only the very rich could afford it.
” That ’ s still true in much of the world .
About 300 million people in India have no access to electricity .
Many cook and heat their homes by burning cow dung .
It ’ s why about 1.3 million Indians die from indoor air pollution each year .
Cooking with cow dung , Bryce says , “ is akin to burning 400 cigarettes an hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a much bigger threat to disadvantaged people than greenhouse gasses American activists complain about .
But what about climate change ?
I ’ m told that ’ s why we must move to renewable energy .
Renewables , Bryce replies , simply can not supply “ the enormous amount of electricity the world needs at prices consumers can afford.
” Environmental activist Michael Shellenberger points out that he hears environmentalists say : “ People must reduce energy consumption !
( But ) the only people in the world who say that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change .
There is no easy , one-size-fits-all solution , ” concludes Bryce .
“ But there are about three billion people in the world without adequate access to electricity… and they will do whatever they have to do to get the electricity they need .
”

Without fossil fuels, much of the world would freeze in the dark.
Was the power on in your house this morning?
If so, thank fossil fuels!
A few parts of America do get energy from other sources. Washington state has fast-flowing rivers that allow Washingtonians to get most of their electricity from hydroelectric power. Iowa now gets about 40% of its electricity from wind.
But most of us get power from the much-hated fossil fuels, primarily natural gas and coal.
Burning them does pollute, although government-mandated (Yes, government has done some useful things.) controls like scrubbers in smokestacks have nearly eliminated the dangerous pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide.
But fossil fuels do still emit greenhouse gasses, and that probably increases global warming. Yes, I know some scientists doubt that man’s activities contribute much, but I’ll go with the large group that says we do.
Now, Black Lives Matter protesters say fossil fuels create “environmental racism” because black neighborhoods are often located in low-lying floodplains or are close to refineries and other energy infrastructure. Activist Jane Fonda recently joined them to say, “The fossil fuel industry will have to pay!”
But I suspect Fonda and other anti-fossil fuel protesters have no clue about where the electricity that powers their electric cars comes from.
Today, Americans still get 81% of our energy and 62.7% of our electricity from fossil fuels. Oil fuels about 91% of all transportation.
Without fossil fuels, much of the world would freeze in the dark. We just don’t yet have enough alternatives.
One country almost does: Iceland.
Iceland has hot springs, so geothermal power provides 25% of its juice, and hydropower provides most of the rest.
But even in Iceland, that’s not enough. Iceland still burns oil.
The protesters ought to watch the new documentary, “Juice: How Electricity Explains the World.” My new video this week is a short (4 minute) version of it.
“Electricity doesn’t guarantee wealth,” says energy journalist Robert Bryce, “but not having it almost always means poverty. The defining inequality in the world today is the disparity between the electricity-rich and the electricity-poor. Three billion people in the world today use less electricity than what’s used by my kitchen refrigerator. To empower the low-watt world, we’re going to need a lot more juice.”
Hate coal all you want, but it still accounts for about 38% of global electricity production. Even Japan, home to the Kyoto Protocol, plans to build 22 new coal-fired power plants.
Pitiful and expensive American “green” mandates won’t dent the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Americans take electric light for granted, but Bryce’s film reminds us: “Electricity allowed us to conquer our oldest foe: darkness. For millennia, the cost of having well-lit spaces at night was so high, only the very rich could afford it.”
That’s still true in much of the world. About 300 million people in India have no access to electricity.
Many cook and heat their homes by burning cow dung. It’s why about 1.3 million Indians die from indoor air pollution each year. Cooking with cow dung, Bryce says, “is akin to burning 400 cigarettes an hour in your kitchen.”
Pollution like that is a much bigger threat to disadvantaged people than greenhouse gasses American activists complain about.
“Darkness kills human potential. Electricity nourishes it,” says Bryce.
But what about climate change? I’m told that’s why we must move to renewable energy.
Renewables, Bryce replies, simply cannot supply “the enormous amount of electricity the world needs at prices consumers can afford.”
Environmental activist Michael Shellenberger points out that he hears environmentalists say: “People must reduce energy consumption! (But) the only people in the world who say that are rich people.”
“Energy poverty vs climate change. There is no easy, one-size-fits-all solution,” concludes Bryce. “But there are about three billion people in the world without adequate access to electricity… and they will do whatever they have to do to get the electricity they need.”
COPYRIGHT 2020 BY JFS PRODUCTIONS INC.


bonginoreport--2020-08-06--Debate Commission Rejects Trump Campaign’s Push for Fourth Debate

President Donald Trump walks towards members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington , Thursday , Aug. 6 , 2020 , for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base , Md .
and then on to Cleveland , Ohio .
( AP Photo/Andrew Harnik ) President Donald Trump walks towards members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington , Thursday , Aug. 6 , 2020 , for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base , Md .
and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( AP Photo/Andrew Harnik ) WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has rejected a request from the Trump campaign to either add an additional general election debate or move up the calendar for the contests .
In a letter to Trump private attorney Rudy Giuliani , his liaison to the commission , the commission wrote that it is committed to its existing schedule of three debates between Trump and his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , saying it would consider adding a fourth debate only if both sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominees have agreed to participate in the three scheduled debates , the commission said .
“ If the candidates were to agree that they wished to add to that schedule , the Commission would consider that request but remains committed to the schedule of debates it has planned as reflected in the attached release , ” the commission wrote in a letter obtained by The Associated Press .
Giuliani wrote to the debate commission Wednesday requesting that the schedule be moved up on account of expanded early and mail voting because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has highlighted that 16 states will have started voted by the time of the first scheduled debate on Sept. 29 .
“ There is a difference between ballots having been issued by a state and those ballots having been cast by voters , who are under no compulsion to return their ballots before the debates , ” the commission responded .
“ While more people will likely vote by mail in 2020 , the debate schedule has been and will be highly publicized , ” the commission said .
“ Any voter who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before voting will be well aware of that opportunity.
” In a Thursday evening letter , Giuliani called on Biden to join the Trump campaign in calling for an earlier debate , and insisted that Biden appear in person at the three scheduled contests .
“ We must insist on a commitment that the two candidates will definitely appear on stage , in person — whether in a television studio without an audience or elsewhere — and not through separate , online transmissions where Mr. Biden could rely on notes , teleprompter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo said in a statement that Biden would appear at the scheduled debates .
“ As we have said for months , the commission will determine the dates and times of the debates , and Joe Biden will be there , ” he said .
“ Now that Donald Trump ’ s transparent attempt to distract from his disastrous response to the virus is over , maybe now he can focus on saving American lives and getting our economy back on track.
” Giuliani , in his initial letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the debates .
The commission wrote that it will “ adhere to our longstanding procedure of selecting the debate moderators .
It will do so with great care , as always , to ensure that the selected moderators are qualified and fair .
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has rejected a request from the Trump campaign to either add an additional general election debate or move up the calendar for the contests.
In a letter to Trump private attorney Rudy Giuliani, his liaison to the commission, the commission wrote that it is committed to its existing schedule of three debates between Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, saying it would consider adding a fourth debate only if both sides agree to it. Both major party nominees have agreed to participate in the three scheduled debates, the commission said.
“If the candidates were to agree that they wished to add to that schedule, the Commission would consider that request but remains committed to the schedule of debates it has planned as reflected in the attached release,” the commission wrote in a letter obtained by The Associated Press.
Giuliani wrote to the debate commission Wednesday requesting that the schedule be moved up on account of expanded early and mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump’s campaign has highlighted that 16 states will have started voted by the time of the first scheduled debate on Sept. 29.
“There is a difference between ballots having been issued by a state and those ballots having been cast by voters, who are under no compulsion to return their ballots before the debates,” the commission responded.
“While more people will likely vote by mail in 2020, the debate schedule has been and will be highly publicized,” the commission said. “Any voter who wishes to watch one or more debates before voting will be well aware of that opportunity.”
In a Thursday evening letter, Giuliani called on Biden to join the Trump campaign in calling for an earlier debate, and insisted that Biden appear in person at the three scheduled contests.
“We must insist on a commitment that the two candidates will definitely appear on stage, in person — whether in a television studio without an audience or elsewhere — and not through separate, online transmissions where Mr. Biden could rely on notes, teleprompter, or handlers,” he said.
Biden campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo said in a statement that Biden would appear at the scheduled debates. “As we have said for months, the commission will determine the dates and times of the debates, and Joe Biden will be there,” he said. “Now that Donald Trump’s transparent attempt to distract from his disastrous response to the virus is over, maybe now he can focus on saving American lives and getting our economy back on track.”
Giuliani, in his initial letter, supplied a list of suggested moderators for the debates. The commission wrote that it will “adhere to our longstanding procedure of selecting the debate moderators. It will do so with great care, as always, to ensure that the selected moderators are qualified and fair.”