bonginoreport--2020-11-27--Google Uses YouTube to Scold Americans on Thanksgiving

YouTube used Thanksgiving as an opportunity to scold Americans for how indigenous peoples were treated historically .
“ For Indigenous and Native Americans , the fourth Thursday of November is dedicated to Indigenous history , activism , and resistance , ” the official Twitter account of YouTube wrote .
“ It ’ s called Unthanksgiving.
” “ Unthanksgiving is about acknowledging , educating , and honoring centuries of Indigenous resistance , ” the Google-owned company explained .
“ Coinciding with New England ’ s National Day of Mourning , Unthanksgiving activates Alcatraz Island , the site of a 19-month occupation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For generations , Native Americans and Indigenous persons have shared their experiences , using Unthanksgiving as an opportunity for intergenerational and intercultural dialogue , ” YouTube continued .
“ Generations before have lived on these lands .
Days like Unthanksgiving are opportunities for learning and understanding whose land you live on , ” the company added .
Unthanksgiving Day , which has been held annually since 1975 , coincides with the National Day of Mourning , a similar protest that has been held since 1970 in Massachusetts .
According to the book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” which was published in 1995 : The nineteen-month occupation of Alcatraz Island that began on November 20 , 1969 is a watershed in the American Indian protest and activist movement .
Prior to this event , Indian activism was generally tribal in nature , centered in small geographic areas , and focused on specific issues such as illegal trespass on Indian lands or violation of Indian treaty rights for access to traditional hunting and fishing sites .
The Alcatraz occupation brought together hundreds of Indian people who came to live on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the call for self-determination , autonomy , and respect for Indian culture .
Today , the Alcatraz occupation is recognized as the springboard for the rise of Indian activism that began in 1969 and continued into the late 1970s , as evidence by the large number of occupations that occurred shortly after the November 20 , 1969 landing .
These occupations continued through the BIA headquarters takeover in 1972 , Wounded Knee II in 1973 , and the June 26 , 1975 shootout between American Indian Movement members and Federal Bureau of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Dakota .
Alcatraz was the catalyst for this new activism as it became more organized and more “ pan-Indian.
” Many of the approximately seventy-four occupations of federal facilities and private lands that followed Alcatraz were either planned by or included people who had been involved in the occupation of the island .
The Indian people who organized the occupation and those who participated either by living on the island or working to solicit donations of money , water , food , or electrical generators , came from all walks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and LaNada Boyer , were college students trying to better themselves and Indian people through education .
Others , such as Adam ( Nordwall ) Fortunate Eagle , Dorothy Lonewolf Miller , and Stella Leach , had relocated to the Bay Area and were successful in their own businesses or careers .
As the occupation gained international attention , Indian people came from Canada , from South America , and from Indian reservations across the United States to show support for those who had taken a stand against the federal government .
Thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried the message home to their reservations that Alcatraz was a clarion call for the rise of Red Power .
As of publication , YouTube ’ s initial tweet is ratioed , and the comments are almost universally negative .
Author James Lindsay tweeted a warning sign with the caption : “ This claim about entire populations being activists by default is disputed .
Learn more about how people , even members of ‘ oppressed ’ groups , can think for themselves.
” User @ Miss_Maggie6 blasted YouTube , suggesting they speak about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come Chinese New Year .
And podcast host and writer Spencer Klavan simply said : “ Lol nah.
” Related : WATCH : Alex Trebek Recorded An Inspiring Thanksgiving Message Before His Death The Daily Wire is one of America ’ s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news , opinion , and entertainment .
Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member .

YouTube used Thanksgiving as an opportunity to scold Americans for how indigenous peoples were treated historically.
“For Indigenous and Native Americans, the fourth Thursday of November is dedicated to Indigenous history, activism, and resistance,” the official Twitter account of YouTube wrote. “It’s called Unthanksgiving.”
“Unthanksgiving is about acknowledging, educating, and honoring centuries of Indigenous resistance,” the Google-owned company explained. “Coinciding with New England’s National Day of Mourning, Unthanksgiving activates Alcatraz Island, the site of a 19-month occupation by Bay Area Natives in 1969.”
Unthanksgiving is about acknowledging, educating, and honoring centuries of Indigenous resistance. Coinciding with New England’s National Day of Mourning, Unthanksgiving activates Alcatraz Island, the site of a 19-month occupation by Bay Area Natives in 1969. pic.twitter.com/G3FUlz0WdU — YouTube (@YouTube) November 26, 2020
“For generations, Native Americans and Indigenous persons have shared their experiences, using Unthanksgiving as an opportunity for intergenerational and intercultural dialogue,” YouTube continued.
“Generations before have lived on these lands. Days like Unthanksgiving are opportunities for learning and understanding whose land you live on,” the company added.
Unthanksgiving is about honoring Native American and Indigenous heritage, to better understand this history. How are you connected to – and connecting with – Indigenous heritage and history where you live? pic.twitter.com/rDuk06BDtN — YouTube (@YouTube) November 26, 2020
Unthanksgiving Day, which has been held annually since 1975, coincides with the National Day of Mourning, a similar protest that has been held since 1970 in Massachusetts.
According to the book “Indians of North America: Alcatraz,” which was published in 1995:
The nineteen-month occupation of Alcatraz Island that began on November 20, 1969 is a watershed in the American Indian protest and activist movement. Prior to this event, Indian activism was generally tribal in nature, centered in small geographic areas, and focused on specific issues such as illegal trespass on Indian lands or violation of Indian treaty rights for access to traditional hunting and fishing sites. The Alcatraz occupation brought together hundreds of Indian people who came to live on the island and thousands more who identified with the call for self-determination, autonomy, and respect for Indian culture. Today, the Alcatraz occupation is recognized as the springboard for the rise of Indian activism that began in 1969 and continued into the late 1970s, as evidence by the large number of occupations that occurred shortly after the November 20, 1969 landing. These occupations continued through the BIA headquarters takeover in 1972, Wounded Knee II in 1973, and the June 26, 1975 shootout between American Indian Movement members and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Alcatraz was the catalyst for this new activism as it became more organized and more “pan-Indian.” Many of the approximately seventy-four occupations of federal facilities and private lands that followed Alcatraz were either planned by or included people who had been involved in the occupation of the island. The Indian people who organized the occupation and those who participated either by living on the island or working to solicit donations of money, water, food, or electrical generators, came from all walks of life. Some, like Richard Oakes and LaNada Boyer, were college students trying to better themselves and Indian people through education. Others, such as Adam (Nordwall) Fortunate Eagle, Dorothy Lonewolf Miller, and Stella Leach, had relocated to the Bay Area and were successful in their own businesses or careers. As the occupation gained international attention, Indian people came from Canada, from South America, and from Indian reservations across the United States to show support for those who had taken a stand against the federal government. Thousands came; some stayed, and others carried the message home to their reservations that Alcatraz was a clarion call for the rise of Red Power.
As of publication, YouTube’s initial tweet is ratioed, and the comments are almost universally negative.
Author James Lindsay tweeted a warning sign with the caption: “This claim about entire populations being activists by default is disputed. Learn more about how people, even members of ‘oppressed’ groups, can think for themselves.”
Australian commentator and writer Rita Panahi applauded Lindsay’s tweet.
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) November 27, 2020
YouTuber Benjamin Boyce decided to update his “woke calendar.”
Guess I gotta update the Woke Calendar. I was pretty close on the first draft tho. pic.twitter.com/XrNe5AWjK4 — 𝖡𝖾𝗇𝗃𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖡𝗈𝗒𝖼𝖾 (@BenjaminABoyce) November 27, 2020
User @Miss_Maggie6 blasted YouTube, suggesting they speak about the oppression of Uyghurs in communist China come Chinese New Year.
Hey YouTube talk about the Uyghur genocide during Chinese New Year next. — Maggie (@Miss_Maggie6) November 26, 2020
And podcast host and writer Spencer Klavan simply said: “Lol nah.”
Lol nah — Klavan Squarebeard, first of his name (@SpencerKlavan) November 26, 2020
Related: WATCH: Alex Trebek Recorded An Inspiring Thanksgiving Message Before His Death


bonginoreport--2020-11-28--Lions Fire Head Coach Matt Patricia

Lions Fire Head Coach Matt Patricia

The team announced Saturday afternoon that Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn have both been fired from their jobs .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) Patricia ends his time with the Lions with an abysmal 13-29-1 record .
Friday , I demanded that Patricia be fired .
He should have been fired a year ago , and the damage done to the team might take seasons to fix .
He ’ s one of the worst head coaches in all of football , and he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the field under his tenure .
Now , Patricia is gone , Quinn is out the door with him and it ’ s time for the Lions to start rebuilding .
We have talent on the team and fans deserve a hell of a lot more than what we ’ re getting .
It ’ s that simple .
This move should have been made a long time ago , but I ’ m glad we finally got it done .
Now , let ’ s start building for the future .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s time to get working on 2021 .
Good riddance , Patricia !

The Detroit Lions have fired head coach Matt Patricia.
The team announced Saturday afternoon that Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn have both been fired from their jobs. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Patricia ends his time with the Lions with an abysmal 13-29-1 record.
The Detroit Lions announced today that Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia have been relieved of their duties. pic.twitter.com/Tz5Rc7y53Y — Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 28, 2020
Friday, I demanded that Patricia be fired. He should have been fired a year ago, and the damage done to the team might take seasons to fix.
He’s one of the worst head coaches in all of football, and he was insulting to watch the product put on the field under his tenure.
Now, Patricia is gone, Quinn is out the door with him and it’s time for the Lions to start rebuilding.
We have talent on the team and fans deserve a hell of a lot more than what we’re getting. It’s that simple.
This move should have been made a long time ago, but I’m glad we finally got it done.
.@stephenasmith calls for the Lions to fire Matt Patricia. “He’s got to go!” pic.twitter.com/t95c9gutka — First Take (@FirstTake) November 27, 2020
Now, let’s start building for the future. This season is lost, and it’s time to get working on 2021. Good riddance, Patricia!


bonginoreport--2020-11-28--Multiple Studies Show Left Wing Bias in Wikipedia

Multiple academic studies and critical analyses of Wikipedia have pointed towards the site ’ s left-wing bias .
The findings include its content being more left-leaning than Encyclopedia Britannica and left-leaning editors being more active and partisan than right-leaning editors .
Left-wing outlets have been found to be the top-cited sources and represent most citations on articles about American politicians , and right-leaning editors have at the same time been found to be six times more likely to face sanctions .
Such studies and analyses validate criticism from the site ’ s co-founder , Larry Sanger , who earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ dead ” due to left-wing bias on the site .
Following are five studies and analyses demonstrating Wikipedia bias : One study from Harvard Business School academics Shane Greenstein and Feng Zhu analyzed the content of Wikipedia to determine whether it showed a political bias .
In the study , Greenstein and Zhu examined articles covering U.S. politics on Wikipedia and compared them to similar articles in Encyclopedia Britannica , the oldest English-language encyclopedia whose articles are written by vetted experts unlike the volunteer amateurs often editing Wikipedia pages .
Using an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers looked at word choices more consistent with left-wing and right-wing views respectively .
The study found that articles on Wikipedia tended to show greater left-wing bias based on this method than comparable articles in Encyclopedia Britannica .
In the case of both , the study found the encyclopedias exhibited a left-wing bias .
Greenstein and Zhu concluded one reason for this bias was the length of Wikipedia articles relative to Britannica .
On a per-word basis , they found Wikipedia was slightly-less biased , though still found it showed a left-wing bias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more edits an article received , with the most-biased tending to be the least edited .
Greenstein and Zhu published a subsequent paper with Grace Gu using these same methods to examine individual editors and their biases .
Corroborating the previous study , the researchers found editors showing a left-wing bias tended to be more active and more partisan than their right-wing counterparts .
However , the researchers also concluded many editors moderate their bias in editing the more they edit and thus over many years left-wing editors moved towards a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flaw in the study is it excludes editors who made over 950 edits in a year , which excludes many of the site ’ s most active partisans .
Wikipedia sourcing has been the subject of critical analysis as well with one instance being looking at the top-cited outlets on the site .
The 2018 analysis by editor “ SashiRolls ” published at Wikipedia criticism site Wikipediocracy used Wikipedia ’ s internal search engine to identify how many articles cited specific sources .
What the resulting data showed is that establishment left-leaning outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC News , each cited in around 200,000 articles , were often the most-cited news sources .
The left-wing Guardian was the third most-cited outlet with almost 100,000 articles citing the outlet .
Among the top ten outlets cited in Wikipedia articles , only one was right-leaning .
Narrowing the review of Wikipedia sourcing , one user on Wikipediocracy specifically examined the extent to which sources were used on articles about American politicians as of July of this year .
The analysis looked at all articles included in the category for 21st Century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pull the sources cited in those articles .
Each source was then categorized based on bias determinations by both AllSides and Media Bias/Fact Check ( MBFC ) , sites that publish bias ratings for news media .
What the analysis found is that articles on American politicians tended to rely on left-wing media .
Based on AllSides ratings , 33,000 sources used were left-wing with 44,000 being left-wing based on MBFC ratings .
Right-wing sources were shown to be more rarely used with such sources being cited less than 10,000 times according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were used more often and closer to the number of times left-wing sources were used .
Neither ratings site has rated all of the outlets cited on Wikipedia , while some ratings differ between the two sites .
Right-leaning editors six times more likely to be sanctioned Connecting sourcing bias and editorial bias , two American academics analyzed bias in Wikipedia ’ s policy enforcement on political articles in a piece for British magazine the Critic .
The academics looked at “ arbitration enforcement ” cases where administrators with special privileges on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanction regimes applied by the Arbitration Committee , often likened to a Supreme Court .
Often applied by topic area , the analysis looked specifically at how sanctions were handed out in areas such as U.S. presidential politics , abortion , gun control , and race and intelligence .
The analysis showed that , in every area , those editors whose contributions favored the right-leaning perspective were more likely to be sanctioned .
In some cases , the samples were not large enough , but in the area of U.S. politics cases concerning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editors favoring a pro-Trump perspective were about six times more likely to be sanctioned based on 114 cases .
Examining all areas together similarly found editors favoring a right-leaning perspective were six times more likely to be sanctioned than those favoring the left-leaning perspective .
The academics suggested administrative bias could explain right-leaning sources being disfavored on Wikipedia .
Site co-founder Larry Sanger this year examined bias in several articles when declaring Wikipedia had abandoned neutrality .
He noted President Barack Obama ’ s article mentioned none of his Administration ’ s scandals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s page were extensively documented .
The sourcing bias identified in several analyses contributes to such content bias as with articles on Antifa and Black Lives Matter .
One reason for Wikipedia ’ s sourcing bias is right-wing media being subject to a years-long purge invoking policies on “ verifiability ” and “ reliable ” sourcing .
Many editors cite combating “ fake news ” to justify the purge , a narrative pushed by the site ’ s owners following advice from a Clinton-tied public relations firm .
In a communications audit by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wikipedia was usually covered favorably , except when the site ’ s reliability was the subject of the story .
Pushing the site as a challenge to “ opinionated news ” citing the 2016 election was how the firm recommended improving Wikipedia ’ s reputation .
The effort has been an apparent success with many corporate media outlets praising the site , even on its handling of political articles where edits favored left-wing views .
Companies in Big Tech and organizations such as the World Health Organization have also seized on claims of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site into their efforts against “ misinformation ” online .
Demonstrated left-wing bias indicates how harmful Wikipedia ’ s influence can become .
Previous studies have already shown Wikipedia can shape scientific literature and economic behaviors with some studies raising whether it can influence elections .
In the case of the 2020 Presidential election , articles about Hunter Biden and both former Vice President Joe Biden and current President Trump saw tens of thousands of views on Election Day , hundreds of thousands in the preceding weeks .
However , articles about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partly to widespread censorship of alleged Biden family corruption aided by restrictions against citing the right-wing outlets covering the allegations , while Trump-related articles have seen multiple smear campaigns .
T. D. Adler edited Wikipedia as The Devil ’ s Advocate .
He was banned after privately reporting conflict of interest editing by one of the site ’ s administrators .
Due to previous witch-hunts led by mainstream Wikipedians against their critics , Adler writes under an alias .

Multiple academic studies and critical analyses of Wikipedia have pointed towards the site’s left-wing bias. The findings include its content being more left-leaning than Encyclopedia Britannica and left-leaning editors being more active and partisan than right-leaning editors. Left-wing outlets have been found to be the top-cited sources and represent most citations on articles about American politicians, and right-leaning editors have at the same time been found to be six times more likely to face sanctions.
Such studies and analyses validate criticism from the site’s co-founder, Larry Sanger, who earlier this year declared Wikipedia’s neutrality policy “dead” due to left-wing bias on the site. Following are five studies and analyses demonstrating Wikipedia bias:
More biased than Encyclopedia Britannica
One study from Harvard Business School academics Shane Greenstein and Feng Zhu analyzed the content of Wikipedia to determine whether it showed a political bias. In the study, Greenstein and Zhu examined articles covering U.S. politics on Wikipedia and compared them to similar articles in Encyclopedia Britannica, the oldest English-language encyclopedia whose articles are written by vetted experts unlike the volunteer amateurs often editing Wikipedia pages. Using an academic method to examine bias, the researchers looked at word choices more consistent with left-wing and right-wing views respectively.
The study found that articles on Wikipedia tended to show greater left-wing bias based on this method than comparable articles in Encyclopedia Britannica. In the case of both, the study found the encyclopedias exhibited a left-wing bias. Greenstein and Zhu concluded one reason for this bias was the length of Wikipedia articles relative to Britannica. On a per-word basis, they found Wikipedia was slightly-less biased, though still found it showed a left-wing bias. They further found that bias declined the more edits an article received, with the most-biased tending to be the least edited.
Left-wing editors more active and partisan
Greenstein and Zhu published a subsequent paper with Grace Gu using these same methods to examine individual editors and their biases. Corroborating the previous study, the researchers found editors showing a left-wing bias tended to be more active and more partisan than their right-wing counterparts. However, the researchers also concluded many editors moderate their bias in editing the more they edit and thus over many years left-wing editors moved towards a more neutral stance somewhat more quickly. One flaw in the study is it excludes editors who made over 950 edits in a year, which excludes many of the site’s most active partisans.
Top-cited news outlets mainly left-wing
Wikipedia sourcing has been the subject of critical analysis as well with one instance being looking at the top-cited outlets on the site. The 2018 analysis by editor “SashiRolls” published at Wikipedia criticism site Wikipediocracy used Wikipedia’s internal search engine to identify how many articles cited specific sources. What the resulting data showed is that establishment left-leaning outlets such as the New York Times and BBC News, each cited in around 200,000 articles, were often the most-cited news sources. The left-wing Guardian was the third most-cited outlet with almost 100,000 articles citing the outlet. Among the top ten outlets cited in Wikipedia articles, only one was right-leaning.
Pages on American politicians mostly cite left-wing outlets
Narrowing the review of Wikipedia sourcing, one user on Wikipediocracy specifically examined the extent to which sources were used on articles about American politicians as of July of this year. The analysis looked at all articles included in the category for 21st Century American Politicians and used a public tool to pull the sources cited in those articles. Each source was then categorized based on bias determinations by both AllSides and Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC), sites that publish bias ratings for news media.
What the analysis found is that articles on American politicians tended to rely on left-wing media. Based on AllSides ratings, 33,000 sources used were left-wing with 44,000 being left-wing based on MBFC ratings. Right-wing sources were shown to be more rarely used with such sources being cited less than 10,000 times according to either rating site. Centrist sources were used more often and closer to the number of times left-wing sources were used. Neither ratings site has rated all of the outlets cited on Wikipedia, while some ratings differ between the two sites.
Right-leaning editors six times more likely to be sanctioned
Connecting sourcing bias and editorial bias, two American academics analyzed bias in Wikipedia’s policy enforcement on political articles in a piece for British magazine the Critic. The academics looked at “arbitration enforcement” cases where administrators with special privileges on the site can impose restrictions on editors under sanction regimes applied by the Arbitration Committee, often likened to a Supreme Court. Often applied by topic area, the analysis looked specifically at how sanctions were handed out in areas such as U.S. presidential politics, abortion, gun control, and race and intelligence.
The analysis showed that, in every area, those editors whose contributions favored the right-leaning perspective were more likely to be sanctioned. In some cases, the samples were not large enough, but in the area of U.S. politics cases concerning President Donald Trump, the analysis found editors favoring a pro-Trump perspective were about six times more likely to be sanctioned based on 114 cases. Examining all areas together similarly found editors favoring a right-leaning perspective were six times more likely to be sanctioned than those favoring the left-leaning perspective. The academics suggested administrative bias could explain right-leaning sources being disfavored on Wikipedia.
Wikipedia becomes widely-praised and influential
Site co-founder Larry Sanger this year examined bias in several articles when declaring Wikipedia had abandoned neutrality. He noted President Barack Obama’s article mentioned none of his Administration’s scandals, but scandals on President Trump’s page were extensively documented. The sourcing bias identified in several analyses contributes to such content bias as with articles on Antifa and Black Lives Matter. One reason for Wikipedia’s sourcing bias is right-wing media being subject to a years-long purge invoking policies on “verifiability” and “reliable” sourcing. Many editors cite combating “fake news” to justify the purge, a narrative pushed by the site’s owners following advice from a Clinton-tied public relations firm.
In a communications audit by the firm Minassian Media, they noted Wikipedia was usually covered favorably, except when the site’s reliability was the subject of the story. Pushing the site as a challenge to “opinionated news” citing the 2016 election was how the firm recommended improving Wikipedia’s reputation. The effort has been an apparent success with many corporate media outlets praising the site, even on its handling of political articles where edits favored left-wing views. Companies in Big Tech and organizations such as the World Health Organization have also seized on claims of Wikipedia’s reliability to incorporate the site into their efforts against “misinformation” online.
Demonstrated left-wing bias indicates how harmful Wikipedia’s influence can become. Previous studies have already shown Wikipedia can shape scientific literature and economic behaviors with some studies raising whether it can influence elections. In the case of the 2020 Presidential election, articles about Hunter Biden and both former Vice President Joe Biden and current President Trump saw tens of thousands of views on Election Day, hundreds of thousands in the preceding weeks. However, articles about the Bidens were slanted in their favor due partly to widespread censorship of alleged Biden family corruption aided by restrictions against citing the right-wing outlets covering the allegations, while Trump-related articles have seen multiple smear campaigns.
T. D. Adler edited Wikipedia as The Devil’s Advocate. He was banned after privately reporting conflict of interest editing by one of the site’s administrators. Due to previous witch-hunts led by mainstream Wikipedians against their critics, Adler writes under an alias.


bonginoreport--2020-11-28--Contender for Biden Defense Secretary Helped Raise Millions to Buy Defense Contractors After Electio

Contender for Biden Defense Secretary Helped Raise Millions to Buy Defense Contractors After Election

One of Biden 's top contenders for defense secretary is an advisor to an investment firm that recently raised $ 218 million for investments into military and aerospace companies .
She is one of many individuals positioned as Biden aides to hold eyebrow-raising positions with companies holding lucrative federal contracts .
A Saturday report from The New York Times addressing various potential ethical dilemmas faced by Biden surrounding his connections to both consulting firm WestExec Advisors and investment firm Pine Island Capital Partners , revealed that the two companies consider themselves to be strategic partners and share a swath of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of these characters , and also happens to be in line as one of Biden 's top picks for defense secretary .
She helped found WestExec with Biden secretary of state pick Antony J. Blinken.It does n't stop there .
Biden 's national intelligence director pick Avril Haines , and several other advisors including Christina Killingsworth , Ely Ratner , and Jennifer Psaki have all had stints at WestExec , according to the Times report .
Pine Island is headed up by John Thain , who was the chief executive of Merrill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also been busy purchasing various weapons systems industry companies over the past year , including a company that sells training systems to law enforcement and the Pentagon .
Similar complications are mirrored throughout these ties , but especially with Flournoy who served as Obama 's secretary of defense for policy .
Her complications go beyond WestExec and Pine Island , having various other business relationships that could prove to cause ethical conflict.T The Times points out that Flournoy is also on the board of a company called Booz Allen Hamilton , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years and holds billions in federal contracts -- including a 2018 deal to supply cybersecurity to six separate federal agencies .
A Biden spokesman has promised that any appointees who hold positions with WestExec or Pine Island would step down and sell their ownership stakes .
“ Joe Biden has pledged the most ethically rigorous administration in American history , and every cabinet member will abide by strict ethics rules and abide by all disclosure requirements , '' spokesman Andrew Bates said , adding that Blinken had already taken leave from both @ @

One of Biden's top contenders for defense secretary is an advisor to an investment firm that recently raised $218 million for investments into military and aerospace companies. She is one of many individuals positioned as Biden aides to hold eyebrow-raising positions with companies holding lucrative federal contracts.
A Saturday report from The New York Times addressing various potential ethical dilemmas faced by Biden surrounding his connections to both consulting firm WestExec Advisors and investment firm Pine Island Capital Partners, revealed that the two companies consider themselves to be strategic partners and share a swath of politically connected characters.
Michèle Flournoy is one of these characters, and also happens to be in line as one of Biden's top picks for defense secretary. She helped found WestExec with Biden secretary of state pick Antony J. Blinken.It doesn't stop there. Biden's national intelligence director pick Avril Haines, and several other advisors including Christina Killingsworth, Ely Ratner, and Jennifer Psaki have all had stints at WestExec, according to the Times report.
NEW: Just after the election, a little-known investment firm named Pine Island Capital raised via an affiliate $218 million in cash to buy defense contractors. Who helped create Pine Island? Michèle Flournoy, who Biden may nominate for Defense Secretary. https://t.co/dtRa3pIjtq — Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) November 28, 2020
This is a bad look for everyone involved. There are plenty of competent people out there who haven't cashed out on their name and connections. https://t.co/waIB0jkU60 — Zach Carter (@zachdcarter) November 28, 2020
A classic tale of how people in Washington stay busy when they lose power. They start firms with vague names like WestExec.
Who are their corporate clients? The company won't say. So @EricLiptonNYT @kenvogel went digging. https://t.co/kTLKnJJsd3 — Jia Lynn Yang (@jialynnyang) November 28, 2020
Pine Island is headed up by John Thain, who was the chief executive of Merrill Lynch during the 2008 collapse. It has also been busy purchasing various weapons systems industry companies over the past year, including a company that sells training systems to law enforcement and the Pentagon.
Similar complications are mirrored throughout these ties, but especially with Flournoy who served as Obama's secretary of defense for policy.
Her complications go beyond WestExec and Pine Island, having various other business relationships that could prove to cause ethical conflict.T
The Times points out that Flournoy is also on the board of a company called Booz Allen Hamilton, which paid her $440,000 over the past two years and holds billions in federal contracts -- including a 2018 deal to supply cybersecurity to six separate federal agencies.
A Biden spokesman has promised that any appointees who hold positions with WestExec or Pine Island would step down and sell their ownership stakes.
“Joe Biden has pledged the most ethically rigorous administration in American history, and every cabinet member will abide by strict ethics rules and abide by all disclosure requirements," spokesman Andrew Bates said, adding that Blinken had already taken leave from both companies.


bonginoreport--2020-11-28--‘Small Business Saturday’ More Important Than Ever After State Shutdowns Gutted Main Street

Black Friday was a real bust across the five boroughs ...

Struggling mom and pop owners are desperately hoping for a shot in the arm during Small Businesses Saturday’s annual shopping event, but early reports of lackluster Black Friday sales are dampening expectations, as the coronavirus continues to surge in the boroughs.
Steve Bulger, Regional Administrator of the Small Business Administration urged holiday shoppers who are under quarantine or scared off by social distancing measures to find other ways to support the businesses that make up the lifeblood of their neighborhoods.
“Tri-state residents can offer it up in easy ways. First, purchasing online or over the phone. Buying gift certificates now to be used at a later date or even helping magnify your favorite small business’ online presence all will pay dividends. This support is crucial to helping New York small businesses weather the revenue and cash flow storms they are now going through due to state and local COVID-19 restrictions,” says Bulger.
On Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced “Shop Your City,” an initiative to provide interest free loans of up to $100,000 to the city’s small businesses.
Business owners can apply for a piece of the 35 million dollar program beginning on Nov. 30.
“Shop your city, shop your neighborhood. It makes a huge difference,” de Blasio said Wednesday.
“We’re talking about small businesses people built with their own hands, with all their sweat and all their tears to make it finally work. And now, we’re seeing these businesses threatened. We’ve lost so many, more are threatened.”
Bulger says any help is “welcome and appreciated,” but adds, “$35 million is a tiny drop in the bucket of what’s really required.”
“The SBA and our lending partners have already pumped close to $25 billion through the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans into NYC small businesses since March, and we stand ready to immediately deliver billions more once Congress approves it.”
Many non-essential small businesses like restaurants, bars, salons and gyms are facing the possibility of imminent closures amid a second wave of the virus.
Positive testing rates are expected to rise in the weeks following Thanksgiving, and small businesses in any area designated a red zone will be forced to close.
A summer report from The Partnership for New York City found that a third of the 230,000 small businesses could be driven out of businesses as foot traffic and tourism grinded to a standstill during the pandemic.


bonginoreport--2020-11-28--Does Drudge Even Work for the Drudge Report Anymore??

It was the kind of story that would once have had Matt Drudge deploying font sizes that newspapers used to reserve for declarations of war .
On Oct. 14 , Twitter and Facebook blocked users from spreading a New York Post article alleging that Hunter Biden had brokered meetings between his father , then the vice president of the United States , and executives at a Ukrainian energy firm where the younger Biden held an $ 80,000-a-month sinecure .
The Post ’ s article included photos of what appeared to be an exhausted and intoxicated-looking Biden in various states of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies restricting the spread of a story unflattering to the Democratic presidential contender was nowhere to be seen in the upper half of The Drudge Report — once the most coveted and agenda-setting real estate in right-of-center media .
“ RECORD TURNOUT ALARMS REPUBLICANS … BIDEN +7 GA , ” screamed the top headlines on Oct. 15 .
“ People have noticed that Drudge has basically become a liberal site over the past two years , ” a senior figure in conservative media told me that week .
“ Liberal ” might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to argue with the claim that The Drudge Report has changed over the past few years .
At the very least , it became an anti-Trump site .
“ YOU ’ RE FIRED !
, ” the top story on Drudge read on Nov. 7 when Joe Biden ’ s Electoral College win was first projected , appearing above a full page of links celebrating the former vice president ’ s victory — Drudge screenshotted the headline in a rare tweet that same day .
During the campaign , the site had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drudge ’ s once-preferred candidate and sometimes-host at the White House — a fact that didn ’ t go unnoticed by the Media Critic-in-Chief .
“ Our people have all left Drudge , ” the president tweeted on Sept. 14 .
“ He is a confused mess.
” Drudge has always been an enigma , but aspects of Trump ’ s critique appear to be accurate .
The Drudge Report once cycled through 40-50 links in a single five-hour period .
The page is now updated only once or twice a day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if it ’ s being run by someone who simply doesn ’ t care anymore .
Traffic has reportedly lagged , with Comscore data suggesting a 45 % plunge in the year before this past September .
In the glory days even a midpage Drudge link could pull a million views ; the number is now down to the high tens of thousands .
Drudge pulled the report ’ s app from Apple ’ s and Google ’ s app stores , only to later link to it in the Drudge sidebar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-2019 .
And unlike in past years , when the page had multiple staffers working morning and afternoon shifts , Drudge watchers have no idea who , if anyone else , works for the site .
The last reported employee was Daniel Halper , a former Weekly Standard editor hired on in 2017 , though it is unclear whether he still works there .
When reached by Tablet , Halper would not comment on any past or current involvement with The Drudge Report .
In interviews with over a half-dozen various former Drudge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site may no longer be under his control .
For these people , politics alone couldn ’ t explain all the changes at the site .
The humor , the oddball stories about sex robots and exorcisms , and the obsession with weather events are all almost entirely gone , along with any pretense to original reporting .
One former confidante cited a story in apparently wide circulation among the small number of people who know or knew Drudge : In the early 2010s , this person said , Drudge fantasized that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the site would simply go black one day without explanation .
Others asserted that Drudge , reportedly a globetrotting lover of expensive cars , hotels , and real estate , actually would sell for the right amount .
Two floated the theory to Tablet that the site had been bought by a liberal billionaire .
Armin Rosen is a staff writer at Tablet , from which this column was adapted .
The full version is here .

It was the kind of story that would once have had Matt Drudge deploying font sizes that newspapers used to reserve for declarations of war. On Oct. 14, Twitter and Facebook blocked users from spreading a New York Post article alleging that Hunter Biden had brokered meetings between his father, then the vice president of the United States, and executives at a Ukrainian energy firm where the younger Biden held an $80,000-a-month sinecure. The Post’s article included photos of what appeared to be an exhausted and intoxicated-looking Biden in various states of undress.
Yet the controversy over tech companies restricting the spread of a story unflattering to the Democratic presidential contender was nowhere to be seen in the upper half of The Drudge Report — once the most coveted and agenda-setting real estate in right-of-center media. “RECORD TURNOUT ALARMS REPUBLICANS … BIDEN +7 GA,” screamed the top headlines on Oct. 15.
“People have noticed that Drudge has basically become a liberal site over the past two years,” a senior figure in conservative media told me that week.
“Liberal” might be a stretch, but it’s hard to argue with the claim that The Drudge Report has changed over the past few years. At the very least, it became an anti-Trump site. “YOU’RE FIRED!,” the top story on Drudge read on Nov. 7 when Joe Biden’s Electoral College win was first projected, appearing above a full page of links celebrating the former vice president’s victory — Drudge screenshotted the headline in a rare tweet that same day. During the campaign, the site had touted any and all bad news for Drudge’s once-preferred candidate and sometimes-host at the White House — a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by the Media Critic-in-Chief.
“Our people have all left Drudge,” the president tweeted on Sept. 14. “He is a confused mess.”
Drudge has always been an enigma, but aspects of Trump’s critique appear to be accurate. The Drudge Report once cycled through 40-50 links in a single five-hour period. The page is now updated only once or twice a day and almost never reacts to breaking news, as if it’s being run by someone who simply doesn’t care anymore. Traffic has reportedly lagged, with Comscore data suggesting a 45% plunge in the year before this past September. In the glory days even a midpage Drudge link could pull a million views; the number is now down to the high tens of thousands.
Drudge pulled the report’s app from Apple’s and Google’s app stores, only to later link to it in the Drudge sidebar after switching ad brokers without explanation in mid-2019. And unlike in past years, when the page had multiple staffers working morning and afternoon shifts, Drudge watchers have no idea who, if anyone else, works for the site. The last reported employee was Daniel Halper, a former Weekly Standard editor hired on in 2017, though it is unclear whether he still works there. When reached by Tablet, Halper would not comment on any past or current involvement with The Drudge Report.
In interviews with over a half-dozen various former Drudge associates, about half suggested that the site may no longer be under his control. For these people, politics alone couldn’t explain all the changes at the site. The humor, the oddball stories about sex robots and exorcisms, and the obsession with weather events are all almost entirely gone, along with any pretense to original reporting.
One former confidante cited a story in apparently wide circulation among the small number of people who know or knew Drudge: In the early 2010s, this person said, Drudge fantasized that he would keep the DrudgeReport.com domain forever, and that the site would simply go black one day without explanation. Others asserted that Drudge, reportedly a globetrotting lover of expensive cars, hotels, and real estate, actually would sell for the right amount. Two floated the theory to Tablet that the site had been bought by a liberal billionaire.
Armin Rosen is a staff writer at Tablet, from which this column was adapted. The full version is here.


bonginoreport--2020-11-28--State Lawmakers Seek to Decertify Pennsylvania Results Due to ‘Substantial Irregularities’

More than two dozen state legislators have submitted a resolution seeking to decertify Pennsylvania 's election results , saying there is proof of `` substantial irregularities and improprieties associated with mail-in balloting . ''
The resolution introduced late Friday by 26 House Republicans must be acted upon by end of business Monday , when the current legislative session ends .
It had not been scheduled for a vote as of early Saturday .
“ It is absolutely imperative that we take these steps if we are to ensure public trust in our electoral system , '' the lawmakers said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Faith in government begins with faith in the elections which select that government .
Just as Pennsylvania led the founding of our nation , Pennsylvania should also lead the way by making sure our commonwealth continues to stand as a keystone in our nation where free and fair elections are of paramount concern , no matter the final outcome of those elections . ''
The resolution stated that the `` selection of presidential electors and other statewide electoral contest results in this Commonwealth is in dispute '' and that the Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolfe should `` withdraw or vacate the certification of presidential electors . ''
It was introduced just three days after President Trump 's attorney , Rudy Giuliani , made a presentation before a legislative body alleging fraud and misconduct in Pennsylvania 's election , claims that Democratic leaders of the state dismissed .
You can read the full resolution here .
The lawmakers argued that Democratic state officials took substantial actions that changed the nature of the Nov. 3 election that were not authorized by the Legislature , and that it resulted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavily Democrat counties permitted mail-in voters to cure ballot defects while heavily Republican counties followed the law and invalidated defective ballots ; and • `` in certain counties in the Commonwealth , watchers were not allowed to meaningfully observe the pre-canvassing and canvassing activities relating to absentee and mail-in ballots ; and • `` in other parts of the Commonwealth , watchers observed irregularities concerning the pre-canvassing and canvassing of absentee and mail-in ballots ; and • `` witnesses testifying before the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee on November 25 , 2020 have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature of the administration of the 2020 General Election . ''
Among other things the resolution asks the state House of Representatives to acknowledge `` substantial irregularities and improprieties associated with mail-in balloting , pre-canvassing , and canvassing during the November 3 , 2020 election '' and to disapprove `` of the infringement on the General Assembly ’ s authority pursuant to the United States Constitution to regulate elections . ''
The resolution drew immediate criticism from the spokesman for House Democrats .
House Democratic spokesman Bill Patton reacted to the proposed resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a circus to Pennsylvania and this is like the crowded clown car going round and round at the end of the show , ” Bill Patton said .
“ Just a bit of ridiculous farce .
The simple fact is the election ’ s over and Joe Biden is president-elect .
”

More than two dozen state legislators have submitted a resolution seeking to decertify Pennsylvania's election results, saying there is proof of "substantial irregularities and improprieties associated with mail-in balloting."
The resolution introduced late Friday by 26 House Republicans must be acted upon by end of business Monday, when the current legislative session ends. It had not been scheduled for a vote as of early Saturday.
“It is absolutely imperative that we take these steps if we are to ensure public trust in our electoral system," the lawmakers said in a press release announcing their actions. "Faith in government begins with faith in the elections which select that government. Just as Pennsylvania led the founding of our nation, Pennsylvania should also lead the way by making sure our commonwealth continues to stand as a keystone in our nation where free and fair elections are of paramount concern, no matter the final outcome of those elections."
The resolution stated that the "selection of presidential electors and other statewide electoral contest results in this Commonwealth is in dispute" and that the Secretary of State's office and Gov. Tom Wolfe should "withdraw or vacate the certification of presidential electors."
It was introduced just three days after President Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani, made a presentation before a legislative body alleging fraud and misconduct in Pennsylvania's election, claims that Democratic leaders of the state dismissed.
You can read the full resolution here.
The lawmakers argued that Democratic state officials took substantial actions that changed the nature of the Nov. 3 election that were not authorized by the Legislature, and that it resulted in widespread irregularities including that:
"heavily Democrat counties permitted mail-in voters to cure ballot defects while heavily Republican counties followed the law and invalidated defective ballots; and
"in certain counties in the Commonwealth, watchers were not allowed to meaningfully observe the pre-canvassing and canvassing activities relating to absentee and mail-in ballots; and
"in other parts of the Commonwealth, watchers observed irregularities concerning the pre-canvassing and canvassing of absentee and mail-in ballots; and
"witnesses testifying before the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee on November 25, 2020 have provided additional compelling information regarding the questionable nature of the administration of the 2020 General Election."
Among other things the resolution asks the state House of Representatives to acknowledge "substantial irregularities and improprieties associated with mail-in balloting, pre-canvassing, and canvassing during the November 3, 2020 election" and to disapprove "of the infringement on the General Assembly’s authority pursuant to the United States Constitution to regulate elections."
The resolution drew immediate criticism from the spokesman for House Democrats.
House Democratic spokesman Bill Patton reacted to the proposed resolution. “Rudy Giuliani and others brought a circus to Pennsylvania and this is like the crowded clown car going round and round at the end of the show,” Bill Patton said. “Just a bit of ridiculous farce. The simple fact is the election’s over and Joe Biden is president-elect.”


bonginoreport--2020-11-28--Taliban Warns War Will Resume if Biden Doesn’t Honor Trump Peace Deal

A spokesman for the Taliban told Afghanistan ’ s Khaama Press in an interview published Thursday that the terrorist group ’ s “ war against the United States will resume … until they leave Afghanistan ” if Joe Biden walks back President Donald Trump ’ s attempts to withdraw U.S. forces from the country .
Trump initiated talks including both the Taliban and the legitimate government of Afghanistan this year to come to an agreement that would result in the end of the American military presence in the country .
Afghanistan is America ’ s longest war , launched in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 , terrorist attacks .
The Trump administration has sought assurances from the Taliban that it would not harbor terrorists seeking to harm American interests – such as the architects of the 9/11 attacks , al-Qaeda – in exchange for America not continuing to attack the jihadist group .
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan dropped to their lowest level in eight years in 2020 , as peace talks in Doha , Qatar – where the Taliban ’ s political offices are headquartered – marched on .
Attacks on American troops have also declined , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in attacking the Afghan military .
Joe Biden has indicated that he does not support a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan .
The Afghan war is not listed as a “ priority ” on Biden ’ s administration website , or is any other foreign policy issue .
Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem Wardak told Khaama Press that he does not anticipate the peace talks with the United States will change under Biden but that the Taliban was prepared in the event that they did .
“ The peace agreement was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was not with Donald Trump , but with the United States government , ” he told the outlet .
“ We believe that Biden administration will respect this agreement ; but if the Biden administration does not accept this agreement , our war against the United States will resume and will continue until they leave Afghanistan.
” Wardak did not indicate that he expected the peace agreements to result in any productive relationship with the Afghan government anytime soon .
The Taliban considers itself the legitimate government of Afghanistan , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refers to itself as the “ Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
” Afghanistan is technically an Islamic republic .
“ We reached an agreement after two years of negotiations with the United States , so it will take some time to resolve the issue between the Afghans , because the war in the country has been going on for 20 years , ” Wardak said .
Wardak also made bizarre claims about the purported progressivism of the Taliban .
“ Twenty years ago , the Taliban gave the people their rights .
During the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served in the police force .
The Taliban are still ready to give women their rights under Islamic law , but only when the Islamic system is established , ” the spokesman claimed .
In reality , the Taliban implemented brutal jihadist rules that prevented women from functioning as human beings in society , largely denying them the right to show their faces , to an education , or to property .
“ The assault on the status of women began immediately after the Taliban took power in Kabul .
The Taliban closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly all women to quit their jobs , closing down an important source of talent and expertise for the country , ” a U.S. State Department reported detailed in 2001 .
“ It restricted access to medical care for women , brutally enforced a restrictive dress code , and limited the ability of women to move about the city.
” “ The Taliban perpetrated egregious acts of violence against women , including rape , abduction , and forced marriage .
Some families resorted to sending their daughters to Pakistan or Iran to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan ’ s Ministry of Defense protested on Friday that the Taliban had dramatically increased attacks on Afghan forces in the past week ; attacking in 23 of the nation ’ s provinces in just the past day .
“ The Taliban has kept violence very high , which is against the will of the people of Afghanistan , but members of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces are retaliating harshly to all these attacks to ensure their safety and the security of the people , ” Fawad Aman , the deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said on Friday , according to Tolo .
A military analyst , Assadullah Sikandar , told Tolo that the Taliban had “ escalated the level of violence to score points in the view of the peace process.
” While attacks on the Afghan military have increased , attacks on U.S. troops have dropped , as have civilian casualties .
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan ( UNAMA ) published a report in October finding a 30-percent drop in civilian casualties comparing the first nine months of 2020 to the first nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade , the numbers were the lowest since 2012 .
While civilian casualties caused by the Taliban dropped 32 percent , civilian casualties caused by the Afghan military increased 70 percent between 2019 and 2020 .
President Donald Trump recently announced he would reduce troops numbers to 2,500 by January 2021 , a move Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who has been heavily involved in the peace talks , defended this week .
“ President Trump has been very clear we ’ re going to protect and secure the homeland , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our young men and women in harm ’ s way when it doesn ’ t deliver real security benefits for the United States and for our allies , ” Pompeo said in a Fox News interview .
“ We have the force posture right today .
We ’ re going to keep it right .
We ’ ll get our troops home when we can , and we ’ ll do the things we need to do.
” Biden has hinted that he would not support a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working toward as an ultimate goal .
“ I think we need special ops capacity to coordinate with our allies , ” Biden said in September .

A spokesman for the Taliban told Afghanistan’s Khaama Press in an interview published Thursday that the terrorist group’s “war against the United States will resume … until they leave Afghanistan” if Joe Biden walks back President Donald Trump’s attempts to withdraw U.S. forces from the country.
Trump initiated talks including both the Taliban and the legitimate government of Afghanistan this year to come to an agreement that would result in the end of the American military presence in the country. Afghanistan is America’s longest war, launched in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Trump administration has sought assurances from the Taliban that it would not harbor terrorists seeking to harm American interests – such as the architects of the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaeda – in exchange for America not continuing to attack the jihadist group.
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan dropped to their lowest level in eight years in 2020, as peace talks in Doha, Qatar – where the Taliban’s political offices are headquartered – marched on. Attacks on American troops have also declined, though the Taliban has become more prolific in attacking the Afghan military.
Joe Biden has indicated that he does not support a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The Afghan war is not listed as a “priority” on Biden’s administration website, or is any other foreign policy issue.
Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem Wardak told Khaama Press that he does not anticipate the peace talks with the United States will change under Biden but that the Taliban was prepared in the event that they did.
“The peace agreement was a big change and it stopped the war, it was not with Donald Trump, but with the United States government,” he told the outlet. “We believe that Biden administration will respect this agreement; but if the Biden administration does not accept this agreement, our war against the United States will resume and will continue until they leave Afghanistan.”
Wardak did not indicate that he expected the peace agreements to result in any productive relationship with the Afghan government anytime soon. The Taliban considers itself the legitimate government of Afghanistan, not the presidency in Kabul, and formally refers to itself as the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.” Afghanistan is technically an Islamic republic.
“We reached an agreement after two years of negotiations with the United States, so it will take some time to resolve the issue between the Afghans, because the war in the country has been going on for 20 years,” Wardak said.
Wardak also made bizarre claims about the purported progressivism of the Taliban.
“Twenty years ago, the Taliban gave the people their rights. During the Taliban regime, women were educated and served in the police force. The Taliban are still ready to give women their rights under Islamic law, but only when the Islamic system is established,” the spokesman claimed.
In reality, the Taliban implemented brutal jihadist rules that prevented women from functioning as human beings in society, largely denying them the right to show their faces, to an education, or to property.
“The assault on the status of women began immediately after the Taliban took power in Kabul. The Taliban closed the women’s university and forced nearly all women to quit their jobs, closing down an important source of talent and expertise for the country,” a U.S. State Department reported detailed in 2001. “It restricted access to medical care for women, brutally enforced a restrictive dress code, and limited the ability of women to move about the city.”
“The Taliban perpetrated egregious acts of violence against women, including rape, abduction, and forced marriage. Some families resorted to sending their daughters to Pakistan or Iran to protect them,” the report noted.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense protested on Friday that the Taliban had dramatically increased attacks on Afghan forces in the past week; attacking in 23 of the nation’s provinces in just the past day.
“The Taliban has kept violence very high, which is against the will of the people of Afghanistan, but members of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces are retaliating harshly to all these attacks to ensure their safety and the security of the people,” Fawad Aman, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said on Friday, according to Tolo.
A military analyst, Assadullah Sikandar, told Tolo that the Taliban had “escalated the level of violence to score points in the view of the peace process.”
While attacks on the Afghan military have increased, attacks on U.S. troops have dropped, as have civilian casualties. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) published a report in October finding a 30-percent drop in civilian casualties comparing the first nine months of 2020 to the first nine months of 2019. Comparing the entire decade, the numbers were the lowest since 2012.
While civilian casualties caused by the Taliban dropped 32 percent, civilian casualties caused by the Afghan military increased 70 percent between 2019 and 2020.
President Donald Trump recently announced he would reduce troops numbers to 2,500 by January 2021, a move Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has been heavily involved in the peace talks, defended this week.
“President Trump has been very clear we’re going to protect and secure the homeland, but we’re not going to have our young men and women in harm’s way when it doesn’t deliver real security benefits for the United States and for our allies,” Pompeo said in a Fox News interview. “We have the force posture right today. We’re going to keep it right. We’ll get our troops home when we can, and we’ll do the things we need to do.”
Biden has hinted that he would not support a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, which Trump has openly stated he is working toward as an ultimate goal.
“I think we need special ops capacity to coordinate with our allies,” Biden said in September.
Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.


bonginoreport--2020-11-28--Coronavirus Spending has Opened Up the Floodgates of Fraud

When you book a non-refundable boat rental to go fishing — and then the forecasted “ sunny day ” turns into torrential thunderstorms , these are the words your mind struggles to find .
We clench our jaws , mutter under our breath , and try to put one more of life ’ s inevitable but harmless hiccups in perspective .
But when it comes to welfare fraud , it ’ s not only money .
And as Congress has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by spending more and more , scammers have responded by taking more and more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miami man stole nearly four million dollars for himself and a new $ 300,000 sports car .
He is not alone .
In the unemployment program , a “ perfect storm ” has made landfall as fraudsters line their pockets with the benefits meant for needy Americans who are now shut out of the system .
The Inspector General has estimated that cybercriminals have stolen $ 8 billion in unemployment benefits .
The massive increase in public assistance during the pandemic hasn ’ t created a new problem .
It has simply pumped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by scammers , making fraud more lucrative .
Americans often open their morning newspapers to find stories of restaurant owners stealing food stamp dollars , schemes to raid public housing benefits , and sophisticated operations to swindlemillions of dollars out of Medicaid .
But it ’ s only money , right ?
Wrong .
Welfare fraud is not , as the Left would have us believe , just an unfortunate but predictable cost of public assistance .
Welfare fraud threatens our health .
It cheapens our work .
And it undermines the values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When taxpayers shell out more than $ 85 billion in a single year on improper payments in Medicaid alone , it cheats the individuals with disabilities on Medicaid ’ s waiting lists .
But is also cheats taxpayers .
Their own work has been wasted , all while real solutions for fraud prevention have been on the table for years .
“ Hard-earned tax dollars ” has become such a cliché that we barely hear the modifier anymore .
But it ’ s true .
The government takes those dollars from people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from people who work on road crews late into the night with a warm bed waiting for them .
It takes them from people who spend all day on their feet waitressing at Waffle House and pushing hospital beds through emergency room hallways .
The Left says nobody wants to be on welfare programs .
For individuals with disabilities , seniors , and poor children , it ’ s a fair point .
But it still doesn ’ t change the reality that welfare serves more than the truly needy .
It has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms in the cash welfare program in the 1990s .
Yet , a single , able-bodied man in his mid-30s can still apply for and receive Medicaid , public housing , and food stamps ( in many places ) without working , training , or volunteering at all .
And millions of Americans do just that .
The Left says nobody wants fraud either .
But in both cases — welfare for the able-bodied and welfare fraud — the Left takes the approach that a penny spent is better than a penny earned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to guarantee the status quo .
On the Right , some leaders pay lip service to the issue .
But lip service is limp service .
Those who understand the importance of ending welfare fraud do more than treat it as the corroding agent on public trust that it is .
They also see the political opportunity to unite Ronald Reagan ’ s coalition of business-minded conservatives , lunch-pail Democrats , and frustrated moms on a single issue .
The Americans of every background who don ’ t take available benefits consciously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep their families and their neighborhoods moving forward .
And every dollar the government diverts from workers to fraudsters could have been spent on school-supplies for more effective virtual learning , at the local restaurant struggling to stay open , or to help the needy Americans they know personally .
Just look at how strongly Americans favor tightening rules , closing loopholes , and updating data cross-checks .
The numbers look more like the approval ratings of a golden retriever puppy than anything in the world of politics .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
States have the tools to combat welfare fraud .
Policymakers can and should implement common-sense reforms to lock-out fraudsters from Medicaid , require more frequent reporting for changes in circumstances for food stamps , and utilize welfare crosschecks with records for death , residency , wages , employment , and lottery winners .
These policies — coupled with a commitment to program integrity on the part of policymakers — have the power to root out systematic fraud in welfare programs across the country .
If leaders seize these reforms , they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forms of welfare fraud once and for all .

“It’s only money.”
When you book a non-refundable boat rental to go fishing — and then the forecasted “sunny day” turns into torrential thunderstorms, these are the words your mind struggles to find. We clench our jaws, mutter under our breath, and try to put one more of life’s inevitable but harmless hiccups in perspective.
But when it comes to welfare fraud, it’s not only money. And as Congress has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by spending more and more, scammers have responded by taking more and more.
In the Paycheck Protection Program, one Miami man stole nearly four million dollars for himself and a new $300,000 sports car. He is not alone. In the unemployment program, a “perfect storm” has made landfall as fraudsters line their pockets with the benefits meant for needy Americans who are now shut out of the system. The Inspector General has estimated that cybercriminals have stolen $8 billion in unemployment benefits.
The massive increase in public assistance during the pandemic hasn’t created a new problem. It has simply pumped more money into a system already penetrated by scammers, making fraud more lucrative. Americans often open their morning newspapers to find stories of restaurant owners stealing food stamp dollars, schemes to raid public housing benefits, and sophisticated operations to swindle millions of dollars out of Medicaid.
But it’s only money, right?
Wrong. Welfare fraud is not, as the Left would have us believe, just an unfortunate but predictable cost of public assistance.
Welfare fraud threatens our health. It cheapens our work. And it undermines the values that keep our families and communities together.
When taxpayers shell out more than $85 billion in a single year on improper payments in Medicaid alone, it cheats the individuals with disabilities on Medicaid’s waiting lists.
But is also cheats taxpayers. Their own work has been wasted, all while real solutions for fraud prevention have been on the table for years.
“Hard-earned tax dollars” has become such a cliché that we barely hear the modifier anymore. But it’s true. The government takes those dollars from people who open storefronts in the morning and from people who work on road crews late into the night with a warm bed waiting for them. It takes them from people who spend all day on their feet waitressing at Waffle House and pushing hospital beds through emergency room hallways.
The Left says nobody wants to be on welfare programs. For individuals with disabilities, seniors, and poor children, it’s a fair point. But it still doesn’t change the reality that welfare serves more than the truly needy.
It has been 25 years since Congress passed limited reforms in the cash welfare program in the 1990s. Yet a single, able-bodied man in his mid-30s can still apply for and receive Medicaid, public housing, and food stamps (in many places) without working, training, or volunteering at all. And millions of Americans do just that.
The Left says nobody wants fraud either. But in both cases — welfare for the able-bodied and welfare fraud — the Left takes the approach that a penny spent is better than a penny earned. And that’s an easy way to guarantee the status quo.
On the right, some leaders pay lip service to the issue. But lip service is limp service.
Those who understand the importance of ending welfare fraud do more than treat it as the corroding agent on public trust that it is. They also see the political opportunity to unite Ronald Reagan’s coalition of business-minded conservatives, lunch-pail Democrats, and frustrated moms on a single issue.
The Americans of every background who don’t take available benefits consciously choose to work hard. They choose to keep their families and their neighborhoods moving forward.
And every dollar the government diverts from workers to fraudsters could have been spent on school supplies for more effective virtual learning, at the local restaurant struggling to stay open, or to help the needy Americans they know personally.
Just look at how strongly Americans favor tightening rules, closing loopholes, and updating data cross-checks. The numbers look more like the approval ratings of a golden retriever puppy than anything in the world of politics. That’s because it’s not only money.
States have the tools to combat welfare fraud. Policymakers can and should implement common-sense reforms to lock out fraudsters from Medicaid, require more frequent reporting for changes in circumstances for food stamps, and utilize welfare crosschecks with records for death, residency, wages, employment, and lottery winners.
These policies — coupled with a commitment to program integrity on the part of policymakers — have the power to root out systematic fraud in welfare programs across the country.
If leaders seize these reforms, they can take credit for ending the most common forms of welfare fraud once and for all.


bonginoreport--2020-11-29--Biden Fractures Foot While Playing With Dog

Joe Biden ’ s injuries stemming from a fall over the weekend appear to be more serious than initially thought as new imaging tests have revealed that he fractured his foot .
“ President-elect Joe Biden sustained a sprain of his right foot , ” Biden ’ s doctor , Dr. Kevin O ’ Connor , initially said in a statement on Sunday evening .
“ Initial X-rays are reassuring that there is no obvious fracture and he will be getting an additional CT for more detailed imaging.
” However followup tests revealed that Biden , 78 , sustained fractures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustained while playing with one of his dogs .
“ Follow-up CT scan confirmed hairline ( small ) fractures of President-elect Biden ‘ s lateral and intermediate cuneiform bones , which are in the mid-foot , ” O ’ Connor later said .
“ It is anticipated that he will likely require a walking boot for several weeks.
” O ’ Connor added , “ Initial x-rays did not show any obvious fracture , but his clinical exam warranted more detailed imaging.
” This is a developing news story , refresh the page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of America ’ s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news , opinion , and entertainment .
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Joe Biden’s injuries stemming from a fall over the weekend appear to be more serious than initially thought as new imaging tests have revealed that he fractured his foot.
“President-elect Joe Biden sustained a sprain of his right foot,” Biden’s doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, initially said in a statement on Sunday evening. “Initial X-rays are reassuring that there is no obvious fracture and he will be getting an additional CT for more detailed imaging.”
However, follow-up tests revealed that Biden, 78, sustained fractures in his foot from the fall he sustained while playing with one of his dogs.
“Follow-up CT scan confirmed hairline (small) fractures of President-elect Biden‘s lateral and intermediate cuneiform bones, which are in the mid-foot,” O’Connor later said. “It is anticipated that he will likely require a walking boot for several weeks.”
O’Connor added, “Initial x-rays did not show any obvious fracture, but his clinical exam warranted more detailed imaging.”
Biden’s office said in a statement on Sunday afternoon that he fell while playing with one of his two German Shepherds on Saturday.
Biden “visited an orthopedist at Delaware Orthopaedic Specialists in Newark, Delaware, for an examination Sunday afternoon,” the Hartford Courant reported. “Reporters covering the president-elect were not afforded the opportunity to see Biden enter the doctor’s office, despite multiple requests.”
President Donald Trump wished Biden well, writing on Twitter: “Get well soon!”
CNN highlighted a report last year on Biden’s health from O’Connor:
Biden is being treated for non-valvular atrial fibrillation, or AFib — an irregular heartbeat that O’Connor said Biden experiences no symptoms of. He takes Crestor to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as Eliquis to prevent blood clots, Nexium for acid reflux, and Allegra and a nasal spray for seasonal allergies. … The most significant medical event in Biden’s history, his doctor wrote, came in 1988, when he suffered a brain aneurysm. During surgery, doctors found a second aneurysm that had not bled, which they also treated. … During his hospitalization after that surgery, Biden, who was in the Senate at the time, suffered deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. Doctors at the time inserted an “inferior vena cava filter,” which would prevent future blood clots from reaching the heart and lungs, and treated him with an oral anti-coagulant for several months. Biden’s gallbladder was removed in 2003, and he’s had multiple surgeries and physical treatments for orthopedic injuries and sports medicine, O’Connor wrote. He has had several non-melanoma skin cancer lesions surgically removed, which O’Connor described as a result of Biden — who often talks about working as a lifeguard growing up — spending “a good deal of time in the sun in his youth.” Biden has also had sinus and nasal surgeries.
“He takes three common prescription medications and two common over-the-counter medications,” O’Connor added in the report from last year. “He has no known medical allergies. He does not use any tobacco products, does not drink alcohol at all, and he works out at least five days a week.”
This article has been expanded after publication to include additional information.


bonginoreport--2020-11-29--Hispanic Support for GOP Grows as Dems Continue Far-Left Shift

Democratic strategists were euphoric after President Barack Obama ’ s historic victory in 2008 .
They had helped elect an African American president and believed they were witnessing a fundamental change in their coalition .
The Democrats had replaced the culturally conservative working-class White voters who helped elect President Bill Clinton with minorities , millennials and socially liberal White voters .
These rapidly growing demographic groups supposedly gave Democrats a permanent majority .
After Obama ’ s reelection in 2012 , the Republican National Committee commissioned an “ autopsy ” to supposedly explain how the party could appeal to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by advocating joining Democrats in espousing identity politics .
HISPANIC DEMOCRAT SAYS FAR-LEFT SOCIALIST MESSAGE IS 'KILLING US ' : REPORT Elites in both parties saw the election of President Trump as a temporary setback fueled by the last gasps of a shrinking opposition .
The election this month proved them wrong .
Republicans proved they can build an aspirational , multi-ethnic , culturally conservative , working-class coalition .
Republicans must compete by communicating how conservative values benefit all Americans and protect the freedoms that attract immigrants here in the first place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , assimilating into American culture and voting based on their beliefs , not ethnicity .
Democrats want Hispanics to vote on the circumstances of their arrival , but they are increasingly voting based on the reasons for their coming .
The Democratic coalition requires strong majorities among Hispanics , the nation ’ s fastest-growing group , to replace the working-class White voters they are leaving behind .
Republicans ’ increase in Hispanic support proves Democrats were premature in declaring demographics as destiny .
In the presidential election campaign this year , Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community , citing different attitudes about immigration in Florida versus Arizona , while denigrating African Americans as monolithic .
Most in the media focused on Biden ’ s bizarre comments about African Americans , for which he apologized , but Biden revealed an important political truth concerning Hispanics .
Conservatism appeals to voters on their cultural and economic interests , not their ethnicity , and many Hispanic voters found Trump ’ s working-class message appealing .
The election saw a notable shift in heavily Hispanic counties .
Compared to the 2016 presidential election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 % in Yuma County , Ariz. ; 8 % in Imperial County , Calif. ; 7 % in Luna County , N.M. ; and 28 % in Starr County , Texas .
Trump especially improved his performance in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas .
In addition , Trump won Florida by nearly 4 percentage points .
OnMessage Inc. ( OMI ) , a Republican political polling and consulting firm co-founded by the co-author of this op-ed ( Wes Anderson ) , conducted a survey the previous week showing Trump leading 49-48 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not unique to this election or Trump .
In the 2018 U.S. Senate race in Florida , which Wes Anderson worked on , Republican Rick Scott nearly won Hispanics .
OMI ’ s post-election survey found Hispanics split 52-48 % for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson .
Scott , who won the race , avoided pandering and committed time and resources to attract Hispanics .
Democrats dismiss Republican strength in Florida as the result of Cuban Americans unrepresentative of Hispanics elsewhere .
They are wrong .
The Florida Hispanic community continues to diversify .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ While Scott talked to Cuban Americans , he spent as much time talking to other Hispanics .
OMI showed Scott won 34 % of Puerto Ricans , a group normally extremely loyal to Democrats .
OMI ’ s Florida survey showed Trump won 35 % of Puerto Ricans , 60 % of Cuban Americans , and 55 % of Central and South Americans .
Scott and Trump won a majority of Cuban Americans , Central Americans and South Americans .
The state becomes solidly red if Republicans hold this support .
Why are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more conservative than Democratic base voters .
In OMI ’ s August national survey , 41 % of Democrats said they consider themselves liberal versus 23 % of Hispanics .
In addition , 11 % of Democrats call themselves conservative versus 38 % of Hispanics .
On top of this , 26 % of Democrats call themselves pro-life versus 53 % of Hispanics .
And 13 % of Democrats favor the National Rifle Association versus 47 % of Hispanics .
These results show that nearly half of Hispanics are out of step with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 2019 Florida poll , 34 % of Democrats favored America retaining capitalism over becoming socialist .
However , only 18 % of Hispanics favored socialism versus 64 % for capitalism .
In OMI ’ s August 2020 national survey , 50 % of Hispanics agreed that Democrats “ have strongly embraced socialism ” and want “ to make America as socialist as most European countries.
” Many recent Hispanic immigrants have seen the devastating reality of socialism , unlike young Democrats attracted by the theory .
Hispanics come here to pursue the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that caused them to leave home .
The leftward lurch of the Democratic Party is driving a significant disconnect between Democrats and many Hispanics .
This philosophical divide isn ’ t new , but has deepened .
The summer threw these differences into the blast furnace of civil unrest .
In OMI ’ s national survey , 73 % of Democrats described the unrest as “ legitimate protest over racial injustice ; ” but only 40 % of Hispanics agreed .
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR OPINION NEWSLETTER In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devolved into “ violent riots more focused on looting and destroying property ; ” only 21 % of Democrats agreed .
And 69 % of Hispanics opposed “ significantly cutting funding for police.
” Many Hispanics were disturbed by the unrest , and they blamed the left .
Hispanics living in older , more affordable , closer-in suburbs adopt some of the same conservative concerns as their neighbors .
Wealthier white liberals cheer looting and defunding the police from the safety of distant communities .
In contrast to previous immigrants , some Hispanics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settled directly into rural and suburban areas .
Since 1990 , the Hispanic population in rural areas has more than doubled .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Republican success with minority voters was not limited to Hispanics .
Trump improved his performance in Orange County , Calif. , communities with large Asian populations — for example , Westminster , Garden Grove , and Santa Ana .
Trump ’ s coalition of working-class and rural voters proved more durable , numerous , and multi-ethnic than the media and pollsters expected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to add to this populist conservative movement and provide a winning formula for Republicans going forward .
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM BOBBY JINDAL Wes Anderson , a founder of OnMessage Inc. ( OMI ) , was named pollster of the year in 2018 by the American Association of Political Consultants for his accuracy and strategic guidance in the victories of Republican Sens .
Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri .

Democratic strategists were euphoric after President Barack Obama’s historic victory in 2008. They had helped elect an African American president and believed they were witnessing a fundamental change in their coalition.
The Democrats had replaced the culturally conservative working-class White voters who helped elect President Bill Clinton with minorities, millennials and socially liberal White voters. These rapidly growing demographic groups supposedly gave Democrats a permanent majority.
After Obama’s reelection in 2012, the Republican National Committee commissioned an “autopsy” to supposedly explain how the party could appeal to an increasingly diverse nation. The Establishment responded by advocating joining Democrats in espousing identity politics.
HISPANIC DEMOCRAT SAYS FAR-LEFT SOCIALIST MESSAGE IS 'KILLING US': REPORT
Elites in both parties saw the election of President Trump as a temporary setback fueled by the last gasps of a shrinking opposition. The election this month proved them wrong. Republicans proved they can build an aspirational, multi-ethnic, culturally conservative, working-class coalition.
Republicans must compete by communicating how conservative values benefit all Americans and protect the freedoms that attract immigrants here in the first place.
Hispanics are following generations of immigrants before them, assimilating into American culture and voting based on their beliefs, not ethnicity. Democrats want Hispanics to vote on the circumstances of their arrival, but they are increasingly voting based on the reasons for their coming.
The Democratic coalition requires strong majorities among Hispanics, the nation’s fastest-growing group, to replace the working-class White voters they are leaving behind.
Republicans’ increase in Hispanic support proves Democrats were premature in declaring demographics as destiny.
In the presidential election campaign this year, Joe Biden noted the diversity of the Latino community, citing different attitudes about immigration in Florida versus Arizona, while denigrating African Americans as monolithic.
Most in the media focused on Biden’s bizarre comments about African Americans, for which he apologized, but Biden revealed an important political truth concerning Hispanics.
Conservatism appeals to voters on their cultural and economic interests, not their ethnicity, and many Hispanic voters found Trump’s working-class message appealing.
The election saw a notable shift in heavily Hispanic counties. Compared to the 2016 presidential election, Trump’s support rose by 5% in Yuma County, Ariz.; 8% in Imperial County, Calif.; 7% in Luna County, N.M.; and 28% in Starr County, Texas.
Trump especially improved his performance in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. In addition, Trump won Florida by nearly 4 percentage points.
OnMessage Inc. (OMI), a Republican political polling and consulting firm co-founded by the co-author of this op-ed (Wes Anderson), conducted a survey the previous week showing Trump leading 49-48% among Hispanics. This trend is not unique to this election or Trump.
In the 2018 U.S. Senate race in Florida, which Wes Anderson worked on, Republican Rick Scott nearly won Hispanics. OMI’s post-election survey found Hispanics split 52-48% for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Scott, who won the race, avoided pandering and committed time and resources to attract Hispanics.
Democrats dismiss Republican strength in Florida as the result of Cuban Americans unrepresentative of Hispanics elsewhere. They are wrong. The Florida Hispanic community continues to diversify. Cuban Americans make up 22%.
While Scott talked to Cuban Americans, he spent as much time talking to other Hispanics. OMI showed Scott won 34% of Puerto Ricans, a group normally extremely loyal to Democrats.
Many recent Hispanic immigrants have seen the devastating reality of socialism, unlike young Democrats attracted by the theory.
OMI’s Florida survey showed Trump won 35% of Puerto Ricans, 60% of Cuban Americans, and 55% of Central and South Americans. Scott and Trump won a majority of Cuban Americans, Central Americans and South Americans. The state becomes solidly red if Republicans hold this support.
Why are Hispanics moving to Republicans? Hispanics are more conservative than Democratic base voters.
In OMI’s August national survey, 41% of Democrats said they consider themselves liberal versus 23% of Hispanics. In addition, 11% of Democrats call themselves conservative versus 38% of Hispanics.
On top of this, 26% of Democrats call themselves pro-life versus 53% of Hispanics. And 13% of Democrats favor the National Rifle Association versus 47% of Hispanics.
These results show that nearly half of Hispanics are out of step with Democratic orthodoxy.
In OMI’s August 2019 Florida poll, 34% of Democrats favored America retaining capitalism over becoming socialist. However, only 18% of Hispanics favored socialism versus 64% for capitalism. In OMI’s August 2020 national survey, 50% of Hispanics agreed that Democrats “have strongly embraced socialism” and want “to make America as socialist as most European countries.”
Many recent Hispanic immigrants have seen the devastating reality of socialism, unlike young Democrats attracted by the theory. Hispanics come here to pursue the American Dream, not recreate the circumstances that caused them to leave home.
The leftward lurch of the Democratic Party is driving a significant disconnect between Democrats and many Hispanics. This philosophical divide isn’t new, but has deepened.
The summer threw these differences into the blast furnace of civil unrest. In OMI’s national survey, 73% of Democrats described the unrest as “legitimate protest over racial injustice;” but only 40% of Hispanics agreed.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR OPINION NEWSLETTER
In addition, 55% of Hispanics said the unrest devolved into “violent riots more focused on looting and destroying property;” only 21% of Democrats agreed.
And 69% of Hispanics opposed “significantly cutting funding for police.” Many Hispanics were disturbed by the unrest, and they blamed the left.
Hispanics living in older, more affordable, closer-in suburbs adopt some of the same conservative concerns as their neighbors. Wealthier white liberals cheer looting and defunding the police from the safety of distant communities.
In contrast to previous immigrants, some Hispanics have bypassed traditional urban gateway cities and settled directly into rural and suburban areas. Since 1990, the Hispanic population in rural areas has more than doubled.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Republican success with minority voters was not limited to Hispanics. Trump improved his performance in Orange County, Calif., communities with large Asian populations — for example, Westminster, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana.
Trump’s coalition of working-class and rural voters proved more durable, numerous, and multi-ethnic than the media and pollsters expected. Economic arguments can win additional suburban voters to add to this populist conservative movement and provide a winning formula for Republicans going forward.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM BOBBY JINDAL
Wes Anderson, a founder of OnMessage Inc. (OMI), was named pollster of the year in 2018 by the American Association of Political Consultants for his accuracy and strategic guidance in the victories of Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri.


bonginoreport--2020-11-29--NYC to Fully Reopen Public Schools on December 10

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said elementary schools will reopen despite the fact that the city crossed the mayor 's 3 % test positivity threshold earlier this month .
`` Reopening our @ NYCSchools buildings is paramount to recovering from # COVID19 , '' de Blasio said in a Sunday tweet , announcing that he would open 3-K , pre-K , and K-5 schools beginning Dec. 7 .
District 75 schools , designed for children with disabilities who require intensive support such as those `` on the autism spectrum and children with serious cognitive delays , '' will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New York Times .
The mayor 's plan involves a major revamp of how schools are managed during the coronavirus pandemic .
The pandemic continues to spread across the country at a record-breaking rate , infecting more than 4 million people in the United States in November alone .
To date , more than 13 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
One of the most notable changes is that de Blasio is abandoning the hybrid educational model of having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the week and virtually on other days .
Students attending schools that have reopened will go to class five days a week .
Schools will also undergo weekly testing upon their return to school , according to a tweet from the mayor .
`` Upon reopening , weekly # COVID19 testing will be in effect and testing consent forms will be required for our students to return , '' de Blasio tweeted .
`` Finally , as we reopen , wherever possible we will move to 5 day a week in-person learning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for as much time as possible .
Our families do , too .
We 'll work to make it happen . ''
De Blasio faced widespread criticism earlier this month after New York City 's daily positivity rate reached 3 % , triggering the closure of public schools after less than two months .
At the time , he said the closures would be temporary , and he has yet to determine when middle schools and high schools will reopen .
De Blasio said that the reopenings will not be based on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times .
New York has 1,800 schools serving over 1 million students .
The majority of the students in the city 's public schools are from low-income families and are black or Latino .
Schools across the country have reported that virtual learning has resulted in dramatic spikes in failing grades and truancy .
In Fairfax County , Virginia , the percentage of failing grades had nearly doubled — hitting underserved communities and students with disabilities most severely .
The Economic Policy Institute emphasized that following the pandemic , a comprehensive plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to getting children back on track , calling for increased funding and resources for public schools so that they can rebuild the educational system to focus on `` nurturing the whole child ... ensuring that all children have access to the conditions and resources that enhance learning and development . ''

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said elementary schools will reopen despite the fact that the city crossed the mayor's 3% test positivity threshold earlier this month.
"Reopening our @NYCSchools buildings is paramount to recovering from #COVID19," de Blasio said in a Sunday tweet, announcing that he would open 3-K, pre-K, and K-5 schools beginning Dec. 7.
Reopening our @NYCSchools buildings is paramount to recovering from #COVID19. Today we can announce that we plan to reopen buildings for:
• 3-K, Pre-K and grades K-5 on Monday, December 7
• District 75 schools at all grade levels on Thursday, December 10 — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 29, 2020
District 75 schools, designed for children with disabilities who require intensive support such as those "on the autism spectrum and children with serious cognitive delays," will open on Dec. 10, according to the New York Times.
The mayor's plan involves a major revamp of how schools are managed during the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic continues to spread across the country at a record-breaking rate, infecting more than 4 million people in the United States in November alone. To date, more than 13 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
One of the most notable changes is that de Blasio is abandoning the hybrid educational model of having students attend classes in-person for part of the week and virtually on other days. Students attending schools that have reopened will go to class five days a week. Schools will also undergo weekly testing upon their return to school, according to a tweet from the mayor.
Finally, as we reopen, wherever possible we will move to 5 day a week in-person learning. We want our kids in the classroom for as much time as possible. Our families do, too. We’ll work to make it happen. — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 29, 2020
"Upon reopening, weekly #COVID19 testing will be in effect and testing consent forms will be required for our students to return," de Blasio tweeted. "Finally, as we reopen, wherever possible we will move to 5 day a week in-person learning. We want our kids in the classroom for as much time as possible. Our families do, too. We'll work to make it happen."
De Blasio faced widespread criticism earlier this month after New York City's daily positivity rate reached 3%, triggering the closure of public schools after less than two months. At the time, he said the closures would be temporary, and he has yet to determine when middle schools and high schools will reopen. De Blasio said that the reopenings will not be based on a positivity threshold, according to the New York Times.
New York has 1,800 schools serving over 1 million students. The majority of the students in the city's public schools are from low-income families and are black or Latino.
Schools across the country have reported that virtual learning has resulted in dramatic spikes in failing grades and truancy. In Fairfax County, Virginia, the percentage of failing grades had nearly doubled — hitting underserved communities and students with disabilities most severely.
The Economic Policy Institute emphasized that following the pandemic, a comprehensive plan to address educational disparities will be vital to getting children back on track, calling for increased funding and resources for public schools so that they can rebuild the educational system to focus on "nurturing the whole child ... ensuring that all children have access to the conditions and resources that enhance learning and development."