bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Mike Rowe Wants To “Make Work Cool Again”

Known as the “ dirtiest man on television , ” Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch fame joined Breitbart News Sunday this weekend on SiriusXM Patriot Channel 125 to discuss his new show Returning the Favor and combating stigmas around blue collar work .
Rowe ’ s new show Returning the Favor aims to highlight positive stories of people helping the communities across the country , and is now in its fourth season on Facebook .
Rowe rose to fame on the Discovery Channel with the show Dirty Jobs , where he highlighted different blue collar jobs around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Deadliest Catch and other shows .
Rowe , who also runs the Mike Rowe Works Foundation , explained that stigmas and stereotypes against blue collar work in America are “ tipping ” in the right direction but that there is a lot more work to be done with American workers .
Rowe said he thinks it is important parents and kids consider trades , apprenticeships , fellowships , and technical degrees instead of the standard path of debt-crushing four-year university degree that does not always promise employment upon graduation .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tipping .
It takes time , but it ’ s starting to , ” Rowe said when asked if the perceptions of blue collar jobs have improved in recent years , “ Remember , for the last 40 years , what we ’ ve been telling parents and kids is that if they don ’ t get a four-year degree they ’ re essentially screwed and they ’ re going to wind up stuck turning a wrench .
So , we promote one form of education at the expense of all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or two-year schools or community college , the four-year degree is the gold standard .
So what are the results of doing that ?
A couple things : First off , shop class is gone from high school .
It ’ s by and large gone .
We ’ ve removed optically just about every visualization of those kinds of jobs from the eyes of an entire generation .
How about debt ?
$ 1.6 trillion in student loans is currently on the books because we ’ ve lent money we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t afford to pay it back to train them for jobs that don ’ t exist anymore .
This is crazy , right ?
But while that is all unfolding , we have 7.1 million open positions at a time of near full employment .
This is the real thing : If you had 7 million open jobs most of which don ’ t require a four-year degree , and were still telling kids they ’ re screwed if they don ’ t sign on the dotted line to borrow vast sums of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Right now , we have 3.5 percent unemployment and 7 million open jobs .
It ’ s not just a skills gap—it ’ s a will gap .
Because we have a generation of people who don ’ t look at entire categories of jobs as the opportunities they are .
You mentioned before the stigmas , the stereotypes , the myths , the misconceptions .
Those things are real , they ’ re huge , and they ’ re discouraging vast numbers of people from pursuing opportunities that exist.
” Rowe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians on down through companies seeking workers—have to do is to “ make work cool again.
” “ What we need to do , by hook or crook , is change the prevailing definition of a good job , ” Rowe said .
“ How we do that is a multi-front battle .
It involves guidance counselors thinking differently , and by the way it requires us compensating guidance counselors differently—many are bonused out on their ability to get kids into a four-year school .
That ’ s crazy , right ?
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We have to talk to parents more candidly about what ’ s possible when they ’ re sitting around the kitchen table with their kids and of course , we have to make work cool again .
How do you do that ?
It ’ s in part PR , messaging—companies need to do a better job of recruiting .
So many companies get in their own way when they start to talk about the opportunities that exist within their own corporations .
So , it ’ s bad PR , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonsense and when you combine all of that together it ’ s just a hot mess of discouragement and misinformation that ’ s hurting the country in my humble view.
” Rowe , who is decidedly against being openly political , noted that he looks at stories from a micro-level , on a case-by-case basis through his foundation and over the years through his various shows .
“ The reason I avoid politics—well I avoid it for two reasons .
I don ’ t need half the country to hate me—it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a foundation , ” Rowe said .
“ But secondly , politics by nature requires you to ask the question you just asked in a very broad , macro way .
Right ?
We have to consider policies that are essentially cookie-cutter because in the political world your ideas need to impact the largest number of people possible .
That ’ s macro-works .
My foundation is called Mike Rowe Works .
Yes , my name is in it but it ’ s supposed to be MICRO .
I ’ m looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can ’ t gauge the worth ethic of a cohort or a group or a race or a star sign .
I need to meet the individual and if we want to reward the qualities that are sorely lacking you can ’ t take a cookie-cutter approach .
That ’ s sort of a way of saying I ’ m not in politics because I ’ m not interested in policies that have these giant effects on large numbers of people .
It ’ s not that I ’ m opposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the only way to get elected is to go out there and talk in platitudes and tropes and generalities and bromides .
That ’ s what people are sick of hearing.
” A recent column from Rich Kaarlgard at Forbes magazine suggested Rowe should run for governor of California , the state in which he lives .
While Rowe didn ’ t rule out running for governor one day , he made it clear that while he believes he is much more effective discussing these issues he is focused on surrounding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the broader American public while not running for office but being an advocate from the various platforms he has .
“ It does need to be talked about , but the question is am I more effective talking about it as a governor or an alderman or—look , I get it , ” Rowe said .
“ People want me to run not because I ’ m qualified but because they ’ re just tired of the binary choices and they ’ re tired of people saying things just to get elected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ m saying because I ’ m not running for anything , except maybe another season of Returning the Favor .
But I ’ m not out there asking for your vote.
” He further elaborated on Kaarlgard ’ s column by criticizing former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg—a 2020 Democrat presidential candidate—for praising California , which Rowe said is destined for a moment of truth economically down the road when the “ capital gains scam poops the bed.
” “ Rich Kaarlgard over at Forbes has written a great article and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m the right choice , ” Rowe said .
“ But he makes some interesting points about California and your listeners should be hip to this .
Michael Bloomberg just said California was a model .
A model for what ?
I live out there .
I know there ’ s been a surplus on the books since 2011 .
But people don ’ t understand the California state budget is disproportionately weighted by capitals gains taxes , 13.3 percent , the highest in the country .
That money comes out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising stock market , both of which have risen faster than at any time before .
That stuff is going to course correct , it ’ s going to come back down to earth sometime in the next few years and when it does California is going to have some massive problems .
But , it ’ s even worse than that .
The industries left in California , what are they ?
Tech and biotech , fine .
Entertainment and tourism .
That ’ s it .
Manufacturing is gone .
Aerospace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the industries that the state could fall back on when this whole capital gains scam poops the bed , but we ’ re just not positioned for it .
Plus another thing nobody is talking about : California is aging 50 percent faster than the rest of the country .
People are leaving in record numbers and those who are staying on the older side of young .
I don ’ t know what to tell the next governor of California other than the dirty jobs that I ’ m associated with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article .
He believes , and I don ’ t disagree , that manufacturing needs to come back to the Golden State .
He believes that energy jobs need to come back , because those dirty jobs aren ’ t nearly as dirty as they used to be .
In fact , they ’ re on-ramps straight into six-figure careers .
People just don ’ t know it.
” Rowe did say that in recent years he has noticed some improvement in key Rust Belt states like Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin—key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 , the first time in decades each has gone for a Republican—but not nearly enough .
“ Sure .
I see what I look at , ” Rowe said when asked if those areas are seeing improvement in manufacturing in his view .
“ I ’ m the blind guy who grabs the tusk of the elephant and concludes the thing is made of ivory .
That ’ s another reason why I try to avoid politics .
I can ’ t talk broadly about what ’ s happening in Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a fact , I ’ ve been in the places where manufacturing is resurgent but right next door there are counties that are devastated , where the opportunities aren ’ t as obvious .
This is why mobility , another thing people don ’ t talk about as much as they ought to , but the willingness and ability to go to where the work is , that was always kind of a foregone conclusion until it wasn ’ t .
I talk to kids all the time who say ‘ this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is the pay I think would be fair , and this is the zip code where I ’ d like to have the job please.
’ It just doesn ’ t work like that .
So , yeah , sure , manufacturing is resurgent in a lot of different places , but the question is are you able to get to where the work is .
That ’ s why my foundation focuses on skills that travel with you .
Welding—hundreds of people have learned to weld through our program , taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment repair and wound up in North Dakota or offshore making six figures a year and working when they want .
Those are the stories that I ’ m most interested in telling .
I ’ m honestly a little ahead of my skis when I talk about big macroeconomic or geopolitical trends .
I don ’ t know what I ’ m talking about—I know what I read and I ’ m really just repeating stuff to you .
The only thing I can talk about credibly is the fact that learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand and working your butt off still works .
I ’ ve seen it work hundreds and hundreds of times , and I ’ m enthused by that .
I do think if you ’ re looking for work , there ’ s never been a better time to be alive than right now in this country—7.3 million open jobs .
Corporations are desperate—desperate—to find people with the right skills.
” Through his Mike Rowe Works Foundation , Rowe aims to reward work ethic among the broader public through grants and other programs—and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what is called the SWEAT Pledge .
“ If we want to reward work ethic , which we do , then we need some kind of metric for it .
Some kind of mechanism .
It ’ s a very hard thing to gauge , ” Rowe said when asked to explain the SWEAT pledge .
“ We ask our applicants to submit references , videotapes , essays .
And one of the things we ask our applicants to do is sign the SWEAT pledge .
It is as you say a 12-point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belief .
I wrote it because it reflects my worldview and very selfishly because it is my foundation and I want to encourage a certain type of behavior and attitude .
I want people who contribute to the foundation to know that the people we are rewarding have a worldview that is consistent with that .
If the country had an HR department , and we were looking to hire dream employees , these are some of the qualities I think would make employees more hirable and ultimately more successful.
” Rowe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Returning the Favor , airs online on Facebook starting this week on Monday evening—and is beginning its fourth season .
it aims to highlight what Rowe calls “ bloody do-gooders.
” “ At a glance , you would call it a feel good show , ” Rowe said of the new show .
“ In reality , it ’ s the making of a feel good show for Facebook .
What that means is , in the same way we approached Dirty Jobs , no second takes and a kind of warts-and-all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that with this show .
Except now , I ’ m not looking for people in sewers who get dirty , I ’ m looking for bloody do-gooders .
You know them .
They ’ re the people in your neighborhood , slightly better than you , doing things that benefit everyone .
They ’ re terrific people .
We show up .
We meet them .
We have a few laughs and then we surprise them with something extravagant that allows them to do more of whatever it is they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we leave and go to another town and do it again.
” The show , he added , is fueled entirely by the audience—meaning people across the country pitch ideas to the producers via social media about people in their communities who do good things , and then they vet them and then go profile as many as they can .
“ It ’ s aggressively grassroots .
The show is programmed 100 percent by the people who watch it , ” Rowe said .
“ I ’ ve got a Facebook page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Returning the Favor page has a bunch of people on it .
Then there ’ s something called the Returning the Favor effect .
This is where the show takes on a complexion that the network wouldn ’ t be able to do .
That page suggests hundreds , thousands of ideas a week .
They nominate people constantly .
Our production company does what they can to try and get a better sense of who ’ s where and what should we do from a production standpoint and once that gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hop on a plane , we meet the gang and we just start shooting .
At the end of that day , we have a show .
Really , just to super-simplify it , this is me just tapping the country on the shoulder and saying ‘ hey what about her ?
What about him ?
Meet these people.
’ Check this show out .
It ’ s probably the only thing in your newsfeed that won ’ t make you depressed or throw up in your mouth.
” Rowe , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stories of first responders , law enforcement , and veterans , added that there are so many people across the country doing good things for their communities that it is impossible to miss stories like these .
In its first three seasons , Rowe ’ s Returning the Favor has done episodes in nearly 40 states and aims to hit the rest of the 50 United States in this fourth season starting this week .
“ You have to go out of your way to ignore them because like you say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s not just the difference between good news and bad news .
It ’ s really a sign of the times we ’ re in .
And when I say that , I don ’ t mean just the fact that everything is politicized , I mean that everything is binary .
It ’ s got to be good or bad .
Left or right .
Right or wrong .
Left or right .
Blue collar or white collar , and so forth .
We ’ re just in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a particular box .
So the only way I could think of to avoid doing that was to focus on a couple of things that are truly nonpartisan .
If Dirty Jobs was a rumination on work , which it was , then this is a rumination on decency and just a reminder that not everyone sucks quite as bad as we ’ ve been told they do.
” People can submit ideas to Rowe ’ s show through the special Facebook group his team up .

Known as the “dirtiest man on television,” Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch fame joined Breitbart News Sunday this weekend on SiriusXM Patriot Channel 125 to discuss his new show Returning the Favor and combating stigmas around blue collar work.
Rowe’s new show Returning the Favor aims to highlight positive stories of people helping the communities across the country, and is now in its fourth season on Facebook. Rowe rose to fame on the Discovery Channel with the show Dirty Jobs, where he highlighted different blue collar jobs around the country, and narrating the network’s Deadliest Catch and other shows.
Rowe, who also runs the Mike Rowe Works Foundation, explained that stigmas and stereotypes against blue collar work in America are “tipping” in the right direction but that there is a lot more work to be done with American workers. Rowe said he thinks it is important parents and kids consider trades, apprenticeships, fellowships, and technical degrees instead of the standard path of debt-crushing four-year university degree that does not always promise employment upon graduation.
“It’s tipping. It’s tipping. It takes time, but it’s starting to,” Rowe said when asked if the perceptions of blue collar jobs have improved in recent years, “Remember, for the last 40 years, what we’ve been telling parents and kids is that if they don’t get a four-year degree they’re essentially screwed and they’re going to wind up stuck turning a wrench. So, we promote one form of education at the expense of all the others. Never mind apprenticeships or fellowships or two-year schools or community college, the four-year degree is the gold standard. So what are the results of doing that? A couple things: First off, shop class is gone from high school. It’s by and large gone. We’ve removed optically just about every visualization of those kinds of jobs from the eyes of an entire generation. How about debt? $1.6 trillion in student loans is currently on the books because we’ve lent money we don’t have to kids who can’t afford to pay it back to train them for jobs that don’t exist anymore. This is crazy, right? But while that is all unfolding, we have 7.1 million open positions at a time of near full employment. This is the real thing: If you had 7 million open jobs most of which don’t require a four-year degree, and were still telling kids they’re screwed if they don’t sign on the dotted line to borrow vast sums of money, you can see the disconnect. Right now, we have 3.5 percent unemployment and 7 million open jobs. It’s not just a skills gap—it’s a will gap. Because we have a generation of people who don’t look at entire categories of jobs as the opportunities they are. You mentioned before the stigmas, the stereotypes, the myths, the misconceptions. Those things are real, they’re huge, and they’re discouraging vast numbers of people from pursuing opportunities that exist.”
Rowe said that what America’s leaders—from politicians on down through companies seeking workers—have to do is to “make work cool again.”
“What we need to do, by hook or crook, is change the prevailing definition of a good job,” Rowe said. “How we do that is a multi-front battle. It involves guidance counselors thinking differently, and by the way it requires us compensating guidance counselors differently—many are bonused out on their ability to get kids into a four-year school. That’s crazy, right? We’re just encouraging the wrong behavior. We have to talk to parents more candidly about what’s possible when they’re sitting around the kitchen table with their kids and of course, we have to make work cool again. How do you do that? It’s in part PR, messaging—companies need to do a better job of recruiting. So many companies get in their own way when they start to talk about the opportunities that exist within their own corporations. So, it’s bad PR, it’s forty years of stereotypes and nonsense and when you combine all of that together it’s just a hot mess of discouragement and misinformation that’s hurting the country in my humble view.”
Rowe, who is decidedly against being openly political, noted that he looks at stories from a micro-level, on a case-by-case basis through his foundation and over the years through his various shows.
“The reason I avoid politics—well I avoid it for two reasons. I don’t need half the country to hate me—it doesn’t make me effective as the CEO of a foundation,” Rowe said. “But secondly, politics by nature requires you to ask the question you just asked in a very broad, macro way. Right? We have to consider policies that are essentially cookie-cutter because in the political world your ideas need to impact the largest number of people possible. That’s macro-works. My foundation is called Mike Rowe Works. Yes, my name is in it but it’s supposed to be MICRO. I’m looking for one person at a time. I can’t gauge the worth ethic of a cohort or a group or a race or a star sign. I need to meet the individual and if we want to reward the qualities that are sorely lacking you can’t take a cookie-cutter approach. That’s sort of a way of saying I’m not in politics because I’m not interested in policies that have these giant effects on large numbers of people. It’s not that I’m opposed to them, but it’s just that the only way to get elected is to go out there and talk in platitudes and tropes and generalities and bromides. That’s what people are sick of hearing.”
A recent column from Rich Kaarlgard at Forbes magazine suggested Rowe should run for governor of California, the state in which he lives. While Rowe didn’t rule out running for governor one day, he made it clear that while he believes he is much more effective discussing these issues he is focused on surrounding the dignity of hard work and decency of the broader American public while not running for office but being an advocate from the various platforms he has.
“It does need to be talked about, but the question is am I more effective talking about it as a governor or an alderman or—look, I get it,” Rowe said. “People want me to run not because I’m qualified but because they’re just tired of the binary choices and they’re tired of people saying things just to get elected. I think people like what I’m saying because I’m not running for anything, except maybe another season of Returning the Favor. But I’m not out there asking for your vote.”
He further elaborated on Kaarlgard’s column by criticizing former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg—a 2020 Democrat presidential candidate—for praising California, which Rowe said is destined for a moment of truth economically down the road when the “capital gains scam poops the bed.”
“Rich Kaarlgard over at Forbes has written a great article and it’s not necessarily because I think I’m the right choice,” Rowe said. “But he makes some interesting points about California and your listeners should be hip to this. Michael Bloomberg just said California was a model. A model for what? I live out there. I know there’s been a surplus on the books since 2011. But people don’t understand the California state budget is disproportionately weighted by capitals gains taxes, 13.3 percent, the highest in the country. That money comes out of rising real estate prices and a rising stock market, both of which have risen faster than at any time before. That stuff is going to course correct, it’s going to come back down to earth sometime in the next few years and when it does California is going to have some massive problems. But, it’s even worse than that. The industries left in California, what are they? Tech and biotech, fine. Entertainment and tourism. That’s it. Manufacturing is gone. Aerospace is gone. Energy! Those are the industries that the state could fall back on when this whole capital gains scam poops the bed, but we’re just not positioned for it. Plus another thing nobody is talking about: California is aging 50 percent faster than the rest of the country. People are leaving in record numbers and those who are staying on the older side of young. I don’t know what to tell the next governor of California other than the dirty jobs that I’m associated with, that’s why Rich wrote the article. He believes, and I don’t disagree, that manufacturing needs to come back to the Golden State. He believes that energy jobs need to come back, because those dirty jobs aren’t nearly as dirty as they used to be. In fact, they’re on-ramps straight into six-figure careers. People just don’t know it.”
Rowe did say that in recent years he has noticed some improvement in key Rust Belt states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—key states that voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, the first time in decades each has gone for a Republican—but not nearly enough.
“Sure. I see what I look at,” Rowe said when asked if those areas are seeing improvement in manufacturing in his view. “I’m the blind guy who grabs the tusk of the elephant and concludes the thing is made of ivory. That’s another reason why I try to avoid politics. I can’t talk broadly about what’s happening in Michigan or Wisconsin or Pennsylvania because I know for a fact, I’ve been in the places where manufacturing is resurgent but right next door there are counties that are devastated, where the opportunities aren’t as obvious. This is why mobility, another thing people don’t talk about as much as they ought to, but the willingness and ability to go to where the work is, that was always kind of a foregone conclusion until it wasn’t. I talk to kids all the time who say ‘this is the job I want, and this is the pay I think would be fair, and this is the zip code where I’d like to have the job please.’ It just doesn’t work like that. So, yeah, sure, manufacturing is resurgent in a lot of different places, but the question is are you able to get to where the work is. That’s why my foundation focuses on skills that travel with you. Welding—hundreds of people have learned to weld through our program, taken that knowledge and morphed it into heavy equipment repair and wound up in North Dakota or offshore making six figures a year and working when they want. Those are the stories that I’m most interested in telling. I’m honestly a little ahead of my skis when I talk about big macroeconomic or geopolitical trends. I don’t know what I’m talking about—I know what I read and I’m really just repeating stuff to you. The only thing I can talk about credibly is the fact that learning a skill that’s truly in demand and working your butt off still works. I’ve seen it work hundreds and hundreds of times, and I’m enthused by that. I do think if you’re looking for work, there’s never been a better time to be alive than right now in this country—7.3 million open jobs. Corporations are desperate—desperate—to find people with the right skills.”
Through his Mike Rowe Works Foundation, Rowe aims to reward work ethic among the broader public through grants and other programs—and everyone who comes through his foundation signs what is called the SWEAT Pledge.
“If we want to reward work ethic, which we do, then we need some kind of metric for it. Some kind of mechanism. It’s a very hard thing to gauge,” Rowe said when asked to explain the SWEAT pledge. “We ask our applicants to submit references, videotapes, essays. And one of the things we ask our applicants to do is sign the SWEAT pledge. It is as you say a 12-point pledge that is essentially a statement of belief. I wrote it because it reflects my worldview and very selfishly because it is my foundation and I want to encourage a certain type of behavior and attitude. I want people who contribute to the foundation to know that the people we are rewarding have a worldview that is consistent with that. If the country had an HR department, and we were looking to hire dream employees, these are some of the qualities I think would make employees more hirable and ultimately more successful.”
Rowe’s next season of his new show, Returning the Favor, airs online on Facebook starting this week on Monday evening—and is beginning its fourth season. it aims to highlight what Rowe calls “bloody do-gooders.”
“At a glance, you would call it a feel good show,” Rowe said of the new show. “In reality, it’s the making of a feel good show for Facebook. What that means is, in the same way we approached Dirty Jobs, no second takes and a kind of warts-and-all approach of making TV, we do that with this show. Except now, I’m not looking for people in sewers who get dirty, I’m looking for bloody do-gooders. You know them. They’re the people in your neighborhood, slightly better than you, doing things that benefit everyone. They’re terrific people. We show up. We meet them. We have a few laughs and then we surprise them with something extravagant that allows them to do more of whatever it is they’re doing. Then they cry and then we leave and go to another town and do it again.”
The show, he added, is fueled entirely by the audience—meaning people across the country pitch ideas to the producers via social media about people in their communities who do good things, and then they vet them and then go profile as many as they can.
“It’s aggressively grassroots. The show is programmed 100 percent by the people who watch it,” Rowe said. “I’ve got a Facebook page with 5.5 million people on it. The Returning the Favor page has a bunch of people on it. Then there’s something called the Returning the Favor effect. This is where the show takes on a complexion that the network wouldn’t be able to do. That page suggests hundreds, thousands of ideas a week. They nominate people constantly. Our production company does what they can to try and get a better sense of who’s where and what should we do from a production standpoint and once that gets nailed down I get a memo, I hop on a plane, we meet the gang and we just start shooting. At the end of that day, we have a show. Really, just to super-simplify it, this is me just tapping the country on the shoulder and saying ‘hey what about her? What about him? Meet these people.’ Check this show out. It’s probably the only thing in your newsfeed that won’t make you depressed or throw up in your mouth.”
Rowe, who said he has a preference for telling the stories of first responders, law enforcement, and veterans, added that there are so many people across the country doing good things for their communities that it is impossible to miss stories like these. In its first three seasons, Rowe’s Returning the Favor has done episodes in nearly 40 states and aims to hit the rest of the 50 United States in this fourth season starting this week.
“You have to go out of your way to ignore them because like you say they really are everywhere,” Rowe said. “It’s not just the difference between good news and bad news. It’s really a sign of the times we’re in. And when I say that, I don’t mean just the fact that everything is politicized, I mean that everything is binary. It’s got to be good or bad. Left or right. Right or wrong. Left or right. Blue collar or white collar, and so forth. We’re just in this crazy graft of putting everybody in a particular box. So the only way I could think of to avoid doing that was to focus on a couple of things that are truly nonpartisan. If Dirty Jobs was a rumination on work, which it was, then this is a rumination on decency and just a reminder that not everyone sucks quite as bad as we’ve been told they do.”
People can submit ideas to Rowe’s show through the special Facebook group his team up.
LISTEN TO MIKE ROWE ON BREITBART NEWS SUNDAY:


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--“Area 1 Security” Claims Russians Hacked Burisma Holdings

BOSTON ( AP ) — A U.S. cybersecurity company says Russian military agents have successfully hacked the Ukrainian gas company at the center of the scandal that led to President Trump 's impeachment .
Russian agents launched a phishing campaign in early November to steal the login credentials of employees of Burisma Holdings , the gas company , according to Area 1 Security , a Silicon Valley company that specializes in e-mail security .
Hunter Biden , son of former U.S. vice president and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden , previously served on Burisma 's board .
It was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or may have obtained , said Area 1 's CEO , Oren Falkowitz , who called the findings “ incontrovertible ” and posted an eight-page report .
But the timing of the operation suggests that the Russian agents could be searching for material that damaging to the Bidens .
The House of Representatives impeached Trump in December for abusing the power of his office by enlisting the Ukrainian government to investigate Biden , a political rival , ahead of the 2020 election .
A second charge accused Trump of obstructing a congressional investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BECAUSE OF HIS NAME : BURISMA BOARD MEMBER '' Our report does n't make any claims as to what the intent of the hackers were , what they might have been looking for , what they are going to do with their success .
We just point out that this is a campaign that 's going on , '' said Falkowitz , a former National Security Agency offensive hacker whose company 's clients include candidates for U.S. federal elected offices .
In an earlier interview , he told The Associated Press that top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Senate races in 2020 have in the past few months each been targeted by about a thousand phishing emails .
Falkowitz did not name the candidates .
Nor would he name any clients .
Russian hackers from the same military intelligence unit that Area 1 said was behind the operation targeting Burisma have been indicted for hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Hillary Clinton 's campaign during the 2016 presidential race .
Stolen emails were released online at the time by Russian agents and WikiLeaks in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Mueller determined in his investigation .
Area 1 discovered the phishing campaign by the Russian military intelligence unit , known as the GRU , on New Year 's Eve , said Falkowitz , who would not discuss whom he notified prior to going public .
He said he followed the industry-standard process of responsible disclosure , which would include notifying Burisma .
In the report , he said the GRU agents used fake , lookalike domains in the phishing campaign that were designed to mimic the sites of real Burisma subsidiaries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tactics , techniques and procedures that GRU agents had used repeatedly in other phishing operations , matching “ several patterns that lots of independent researchers agree mimic this particular Russian actor.
” Area 1 says it has been tracking the Russian agents for several years .
The discovery 's timing — just weeks before presidential primaries begin in the United States — highlights the need to protect political campaigns from targeted phishing attacks , which are behind 95 percent of all information breaches , said Falkowitz .
`` This is a real specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` To discover it and potentially get out in front of it is a significant departure from what 's typical in the cybersecurity community , where someone just tells you , yeah , you 're dead . ''
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE In phishing , an attacker uses a targeted email to lure a target to a fake site that resembles a familiar one .
There , unwitting victims enter their usernames and passwords , which the hackers then harvest .
Phished credentials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim 's stored email and masquerade as that person .
Area 1 said its researchers connected the phishing campaign targeting Burisma to an effort earlier last year that targeted Kvartal 95 , a media organization founded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy .
In this case , the Russian military agents , from a group security researchers call `` Fancy Bear , '' peppered Burisma employees with emails designed to look like internal messages .
In order to detect phishing attacks , Area 1 maintains a global network of sensors designed to sniff out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targets .
In July , the U.S. Federal Elections Commission gave Area 1 permission to offer its services to candidates for federal elected office and political committees at the same low rates it charges non-profits .
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

BOSTON (AP) — A U.S. cybersecurity company says Russian military agents have successfully hacked the Ukrainian gas company at the center of the scandal that led to President Trump's impeachment.
Russian agents launched a phishing campaign in early November to steal the login credentials of employees of Burisma Holdings, the gas company, according to Area 1 Security, a Silicon Valley company that specializes in e-mail security.
Hunter Biden, son of former U.S. vice president and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, previously served on Burisma's board.
It was not clear what the hackers were looking for or may have obtained, said Area 1's CEO, Oren Falkowitz, who called the findings “incontrovertible” and posted an eight-page report. But the timing of the operation suggests that the Russian agents could be searching for material that damaging to the Bidens.
The House of Representatives impeached Trump in December for abusing the power of his office by enlisting the Ukrainian government to investigate Biden, a political rival, ahead of the 2020 election. A second charge accused Trump of obstructing a congressional investigation into the matter.
HUNTER BIDEN HIRED BECAUSE OF HIS NAME: BURISMA BOARD MEMBER
"Our report doesn't make any claims as to what the intent of the hackers were, what they might have been looking for, what they are going to do with their success. We just point out that this is a campaign that's going on," said Falkowitz, a former National Security Agency offensive hacker whose company's clients include candidates for U.S. federal elected offices. In an earlier interview, he told The Associated Press that top candidates for the U.S. presidency and House and Senate races in 2020 have in the past few months each been targeted by about a thousand phishing emails.
Falkowitz did not name the candidates. Nor would he name any clients.
Russian hackers from the same military intelligence unit that Area 1 said was behind the operation targeting Burisma have been indicted for hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign during the 2016 presidential race.
Stolen emails were released online at the time by Russian agents and WikiLeaks in an effort to favor Trump, special counsel Robert Mueller determined in his investigation.
Area 1 discovered the phishing campaign by the Russian military intelligence unit, known as the GRU, on New Year's Eve, said Falkowitz, who would not discuss whom he notified prior to going public. He said he followed the industry-standard process of responsible disclosure, which would include notifying Burisma.
HUNTER BIDEN DEFENDS BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH UKRAINE, CHINA
In the report, he said the GRU agents used fake, lookalike domains in the phishing campaign that were designed to mimic the sites of real Burisma subsidiaries.
Falkowitz said the operation targeting Burisma involved tactics, techniques and procedures that GRU agents had used repeatedly in other phishing operations, matching “several patterns that lots of independent researchers agree mimic this particular Russian actor.” Area 1 says it has been tracking the Russian agents for several years.
The discovery's timing — just weeks before presidential primaries begin in the United States — highlights the need to protect political campaigns from targeted phishing attacks, which are behind 95 percent of all information breaches, said Falkowitz.
"This is a real specific, timely case that has real implications," he said. "To discover it and potentially get out in front of it is a significant departure from what's typical in the cybersecurity community, where someone just tells you, yeah, you're dead."
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
In phishing, an attacker uses a targeted email to lure a target to a fake site that resembles a familiar one. There, unwitting victims enter their usernames and passwords, which the hackers then harvest. Phished credentials allow attackers both to rifle through a victim's stored email and masquerade as that person.
Area 1 said its researchers connected the phishing campaign targeting Burisma to an effort earlier last year that targeted Kvartal 95, a media organization founded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In this case, the Russian military agents, from a group security researchers call "Fancy Bear," peppered Burisma employees with emails designed to look like internal messages.
In order to detect phishing attacks, Area 1 maintains a global network of sensors designed to sniff out and block them before they reach their targets.
In July, the U.S. Federal Elections Commission gave Area 1 permission to offer its services to candidates for federal elected office and political committees at the same low rates it charges non-profits.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Trump Administration Begins Returning Migrants Deep Into Mexico

The Trump administration has started returning Mexican migrants deep into the country ’ s interior as part of an expanding effort to deter illegal immigration and combat the ongoing crisis at the border .
The Department of Homeland Security started running flights from Tucson , Ariz. , to Guadalajara in December .
Officials say the migrants being returned are all Mexican nationals from non-border Mexican states who typically have either recently illegally entered the U.S. , or who had gone through the court system but were ruled to be deportable by an immigration judge .
AT HELM OF DHS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BEHIND ILLEGAL DRUGS , GUNS AND MIGRANTS The plan marks a departure from past practice of releasing migrants at the border .
The idea would be to make it harder for repeat offenders to try and cross the border again if they are returned hundreds of miles away .
Officials say returning people closer to their hometowns is better for them as well , and allows them to receive services from the Mexican government .
DHS says it plans to run two flights a week starting at the end of January and expects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials say the move has been requested by the Mexican government , with which the U.S. has been working for months to stem the border crisis -- which peaked in May but still concerns officials .
The policy represents the latest change to come out of an intense effort by the Trump administration to bring in regional partners on the issue .
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MARKS 100 MILES OF BORDER WALL , VOWS 'MANY MORE ' TO COME “ This is another example of the Trump Administration working with the Government of Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” DHS spokeswoman Heather Swift told Fox News .
“ Mexico has been a great partner in stopping illegal migration before they reach our border and in standing up the Migrant Protection Protocol which has allowed us to provide court dates to more than 55,000 individuals.
” The Migrant Protection Protocols ( MPP ) , also known as the “ Remain-in-Mexico ” policy , sees migrants ( from all countries south of the border ) returned to Mexico to await their immigration hearings -- ending the practice of “ catch-and-release ” where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to await their hearings .
The policy was expanded over the summer and was strengthened at Tucson and Del Rio sectors in recent months .
Those being flown into the Mexican interior are not part of the MPP program .
“ Remain-in-Mexico ” has proven controversial with human rights and pro-migrant activists , who claim it can place migrants in significant danger of kidnapping or violence by returning them to the Mexican side of the border .
The program is facing a legal challenge at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP That regional cooperation has also produced agreements with Guatemala , El Salvador and Honduras .
The agreement with Guatemala sees migrants flown into that country to claim asylum there .
Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf on Friday said that so far 96 migrants have been flown into Guatemala , but that only one individual eventually chose to claim asylum .
Those agreements have fueled a dramatic drop in apprehensions at the border by more than 70 percent since May .
In December , law enforcement apprehended or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seventh month of decline since the more than 144,000 encountered in May .

The Trump administration has started returning Mexican migrants deep into the country’s interior as part of an expanding effort to deter illegal immigration and combat the ongoing crisis at the border.
The Department of Homeland Security started running flights from Tucson, Ariz., to Guadalajara in December. Officials say the migrants being returned are all Mexican nationals from non-border Mexican states who typically have either recently illegally entered the U.S., or who had gone through the court system but were ruled to be deportable by an immigration judge.
AT HELM OF DHS, CHAD WOLF VOWS TO CONFRONT THE GANGS BEHIND ILLEGAL DRUGS, GUNS AND MIGRANTS
The plan marks a departure from past practice of releasing migrants at the border. The idea would be to make it harder for repeat offenders to try and cross the border again if they are returned hundreds of miles away. Officials say returning people closer to their hometowns is better for them as well, and allows them to receive services from the Mexican government.
DHS says it plans to run two flights a week starting at the end of January and expects to return about 250 migrants a week. Officials say the move has been requested by the Mexican government, with which the U.S. has been working for months to stem the border crisis -- which peaked in May but still concerns officials.
The policy represents the latest change to come out of an intense effort by the Trump administration to bring in regional partners on the issue.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MARKS 100 MILES OF BORDER WALL, VOWS 'MANY MORE' TO COME
“This is another example of the Trump Administration working with the Government of Mexico to address the ongoing border security crisis,” DHS spokeswoman Heather Swift told Fox News. “Mexico has been a great partner in stopping illegal migration before they reach our border and in standing up the Migrant Protection Protocol which has allowed us to provide court dates to more than 55,000 individuals.”
The Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain-in-Mexico” policy, sees migrants (from all countries south of the border) returned to Mexico to await their immigration hearings -- ending the practice of “catch-and-release” where immigrants were released into the U.S. interior to await their hearings.
The policy was expanded over the summer and was strengthened at Tucson and Del Rio sectors in recent months. Those being flown into the Mexican interior are not part of the MPP program.
“Remain-in-Mexico” has proven controversial with human rights and pro-migrant activists, who claim it can place migrants in significant danger of kidnapping or violence by returning them to the Mexican side of the border. The program is facing a legal challenge at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A ruling is expected soon.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
That regional cooperation has also produced agreements with Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The agreement with Guatemala sees migrants flown into that country to claim asylum there. Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf on Friday said that so far 96 migrants have been flown into Guatemala, but that only one individual eventually chose to claim asylum.
Those agreements have fueled a dramatic drop in apprehensions at the border by more than 70 percent since May. In December, law enforcement apprehended or turned away 40,620 at the border, the seventh month of decline since the more than 144,000 encountered in May.


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Hey, Whatever Happened to the Whistleblower?

With a Senate impeachment trial likely just days away , President Trump and Democrats are locked in a cycle of mutual trolling over whether the trial should include testimony from witnesses .
Democrats are pressing Republicans to accept witnesses .
They 've made public a list of four , led by former national security adviser John Bolton .
Some Republicans are countering that the Senate should summon Joe Biden 's son , Hunter Biden , whose suspicious paychecks from a corrupt Ukrainian company were part of the beginning of the Trump-Ukraine affair .
On Sunday morning , after Pelosi appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president is impeached for life '' — no trolling there , none at all — the president responded that she , too , should have to testify before the trial .
Beyond the substantial question of whether witnesses would add much to the public 's knowledge of the matter , Democrats see the issue as a tool to embarrass Republican lawmakers and perhaps damage their chances of reelection in November .
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has pledged to force GOP senators to vote on each witness .
Many Republicans are `` very , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're not for witnesses and documents , '' Schumer said last week .
`` We are telling our Republican colleagues : You can run , but you ca n't hide . ''
That led some in the GOP to suggest Schumer dial it back .
`` I 'm a bit baffled why Democrats are so enthusiastic about forcing witness votes to embarrass GOP senators , '' former top McConnell aide Josh Holmes tweeted Monday .
`` That seems like a terrific way to end up with Hunter Biden in the chair .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ made that Biden 's testimony would be valuable .
`` In a conventional trial , Biden would be a relevant defense witness , '' law professor Jonathan Turley wrote recently .
The president 's motive is part of the Ukraine matter .
If Biden 's story , and the public knows almost nothing about it , raises reasonable concerns about corruption in Ukraine , then the president 's defenders could argue that Trump 's view had a real basis .
It is not at all clear that 51 Republican senators , much less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , but there is no doubt he will be part of the argument .
One key figure in the Ukraine affair , however , appears to have faded from view , even as impeachment reaches a climax .
The whistleblower who started the whole investigation remains anonymous .
The details of the whistleblower 's actions by which the whistleblower brought the Ukraine matter to the attention of the intelligence community to House Democrats , and ultimately to the world , remain unclear .
Democrats , who once hoped to feature public testimony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account is no longer needed given the other evidence which they say proves Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden and the 2016 election .
The whistleblower would have nothing to add , Democrats say , and could suffer recriminations and possibly physical danger if the whistleblower 's identity were known .
On the other hand , is the Senate really going to try the president and take a vote on his removal on the basis of an investigation with such murky origins ?
It 's not an academic question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 complaint , created a template that Democrats used throughout the House Ukraine investigation .
`` I have received information from multiple U.S. Government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election , '' the whistleblower wrote .
`` Namely , he sought to pressure the Ukrainian leader to take actions to help the President 's 2020 reelection bid . ''
Repeat that a million times , and you have the Democratic impeachment investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential in crafting the case against the president ?
Are senators expected to pass judgment on that case without knowing how it began ?
And what about the whistleblower 's motives ?
Last August , the Intelligence Community inspector general , Michael Atkinson , said the whistleblower showed `` some indicia of an arguable political bias ... in favor of a rival political candidate . ''
In October , Atkinson told the House Intelligence Committee that the whistleblower had a `` professional relationship '' with one of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators supposed to vote without knowing anything about that ?
Yes , say Democrats .
During the House investigation , Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff strictly forbade any talk that might suggest the whistleblower 's identity .
When National Security Council official Alexander Vindman testified , Democrats jumped in to bar questions on who Vindman talked to about the Trump-Zelensky call .
They were worried it might reveal the whistleblower .
In the past , some influential Republicans rejected that view altogether .
`` I consider any impeachment in the House that does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whistleblower is to be invalid , '' Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said in October .
`` It 's impossible to bring this case forward in my view without us knowing who the whistleblower is and having a chance to cross-examine them about any biases they may have .
So , if they do n't call the whistleblower in the House , this thing is dead on arrival in the Senate . ''
They did n't call the whistleblower in the House .
And look for Democrats to do everything they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Senate .
Is that only because Democrats are concerned about the whistleblower 's well-being ?
Or is there some other reason Democrats do not want the world to know about the origins of the case they propose to use to remove the president from office ?
Senators , and the rest of the country , have a right to know the answer .

With a Senate impeachment trial likely just days away, President Trump and Democrats are locked in a cycle of mutual trolling over whether the trial should include testimony from witnesses.
Democrats are pressing Republicans to accept witnesses. They've made public a list of four, led by former national security adviser John Bolton. Some Republicans are countering that the Senate should summon Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, whose suspicious paychecks from a corrupt Ukrainian company were part of the beginning of the Trump-Ukraine affair.
On Sunday morning, after Pelosi appeared on ABC to announce that "this president is impeached for life" — no trolling there, none at all — the president responded that she, too, should have to testify before the trial.
Beyond the substantial question of whether witnesses would add much to the public's knowledge of the matter, Democrats see the issue as a tool to embarrass Republican lawmakers and perhaps damage their chances of reelection in November. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has pledged to force GOP senators to vote on each witness.
Many Republicans are "very, very worried about going home and saying they're not for witnesses and documents," Schumer said last week. "We are telling our Republican colleagues: You can run, but you can't hide."
That led some in the GOP to suggest Schumer dial it back. "I'm a bit baffled why Democrats are so enthusiastic about forcing witness votes to embarrass GOP senators," former top McConnell aide Josh Holmes tweeted Monday. "That seems like a terrific way to end up with Hunter Biden in the chair."
Indeed, a case can be made that Biden's testimony would be valuable. "In a conventional trial, Biden would be a relevant defense witness," law professor Jonathan Turley wrote recently. The president's motive is part of the Ukraine matter. If Biden's story, and the public knows almost nothing about it, raises reasonable concerns about corruption in Ukraine, then the president's defenders could argue that Trump's view had a real basis.
It is not at all clear that 51 Republican senators, much less any Democrats, would agree to call Biden, but there is no doubt he will be part of the argument.
One key figure in the Ukraine affair, however, appears to have faded from view, even as impeachment reaches a climax. The whistleblower who started the whole investigation remains anonymous. The details of the whistleblower's actions by which the whistleblower brought the Ukraine matter to the attention of the intelligence community to House Democrats, and ultimately to the world, remain unclear.
Democrats, who once hoped to feature public testimony by the whistleblower, argue that the account is no longer needed given the other evidence which they say proves Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden and the 2016 election. The whistleblower would have nothing to add, Democrats say, and could suffer recriminations and possibly physical danger if the whistleblower's identity were known.
On the other hand, is the Senate really going to try the president and take a vote on his removal on the basis of an investigation with such murky origins?
It's not an academic question. The whistleblower, in the Aug. 12 complaint, created a template that Democrats used throughout the House Ukraine investigation. "I have received information from multiple U.S. Government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election," the whistleblower wrote. "Namely, he sought to pressure the Ukrainian leader to take actions to help the President's 2020 reelection bid."
Repeat that a million times, and you have the Democratic impeachment investigation. Has any single person been more influential in crafting the case against the president? Are senators expected to pass judgment on that case without knowing how it began?
And what about the whistleblower's motives? Last August, the Intelligence Community inspector general, Michael Atkinson, said the whistleblower showed "some indicia of an arguable political bias ... in favor of a rival political candidate." In October, Atkinson told the House Intelligence Committee that the whistleblower had a "professional relationship" with one of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, according to three knowledgeable sources.
Are senators supposed to vote without knowing anything about that?
Yes, say Democrats. During the House investigation, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff strictly forbade any talk that might suggest the whistleblower's identity. When National Security Council official Alexander Vindman testified, Democrats jumped in to bar questions on who Vindman talked to about the Trump-Zelensky call. They were worried it might reveal the whistleblower.
In the past, some influential Republicans rejected that view altogether. "I consider any impeachment in the House that doesn't allow us to know who the whistleblower is to be invalid," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said in October. "It's impossible to bring this case forward in my view without us knowing who the whistleblower is and having a chance to cross-examine them about any biases they may have. So, if they don't call the whistleblower in the House, this thing is dead on arrival in the Senate."
They didn't call the whistleblower in the House. And look for Democrats to do everything they can to block calling the whistleblower to testify in the Senate.
Is that only because Democrats are concerned about the whistleblower's well-being? Or is there some other reason Democrats do not want the world to know about the origins of the case they propose to use to remove the president from office?
Senators, and the rest of the country, have a right to know the answer.


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Transgender Activist Assaults Journalist Covering Their Case Outside Court House

Jessica Yaniv is no stranger to violating other people ’ s rights , but the scene outside of the Surrey Law Courts was shocking as Yaniv was caught on camera violently assaulting Rebel Media reporter Keean Bexte .
Leaving the courthouse after appearing on prohibited weapons charges , Bexte is recording from a distance that appears to be well over fifteen feet .
He asks Yaniv whether the trans activist will be pleading guilty , but is stopped short as Yaniv rapidly approaches and begins swiping at him with an outstretched arm .
Yaniv is heard shouting “ Go !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and despite Bexte ’ s rapid retreat , Yaniv continues to pursue , appearing to grab the reporter ’ s microphone .
An off-screen scuffle ensues , with a brief frame catching Yaniv seeming to violently club Bexte over the head .
Bexte is heard groaning in pain and for Yaniv to stop the assault .
When the camera reorients , Yaniv continues to chase Bexte , demanding he “ go away from me !
” In the tweet attached to the video , Bexte states that Yaniv “ punched me in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he “ [ needed ] an Advil.
” The Rebel Media reporter noted that there are multiple security cameras that may have caught the altercation and that he had spoken to police .
“ Following Yaniv ’ s court appearance at the courthouse in Surrey I approached him outside – where filming was allowed .
I had one question .
I wanted to know if he would be pleading guilty or not .
Within several seconds , Yaniv charged me and punched the back of my head while holding me down .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so I ’ m speaking to legal council to figure out my options to make sure this menace sees justice , ” Bexte told The Post Millennial .
Bexte had been banned from reporting from inside the courtroom today where Yaniv had been appearing , with courthouse police capitulating to Yaniv ’ s demands to have him barred .
Previously , Yaniv had also successfully demanded citizen journalist Donald Smith be prevented from entering the courthouse .
Earlier this evening , Yaniv confronted The Post Millennial ’ s Amy Eileen Hamm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Yaniv in the women ’ s washroom .
The police searched Hamm ’ s phone at Yaniv ’ s request , finding none of the claimed photos .

Jessica Yaniv is no stranger to violating other people’s rights, but the scene outside of the Surrey Law Courts was shocking as Yaniv was caught on camera violently assaulting Rebel Media reporter Keean Bexte.
Leaving the courthouse after appearing on prohibited weapons charges, Bexte is recording from a distance that appears to be well over fifteen feet. He asks Yaniv whether the trans activist will be pleading guilty, but is stopped short as Yaniv rapidly approaches and begins swiping at him with an outstretched arm.
Yaniv is heard shouting “Go! Go!” to the reporter, and despite Bexte’s rapid retreat, Yaniv continues to pursue, appearing to grab the reporter’s microphone. An off-screen scuffle ensues, with a brief frame catching Yaniv seeming to violently club Bexte over the head. Bexte is heard groaning in pain and for Yaniv to stop the assault.
When the camera reorients, Yaniv continues to chase Bexte, demanding he “go away from me!”
In the tweet attached to the video, Bexte states that Yaniv “punched me in the back of the head” and that he “[needed] an Advil.”
J. Yaniv just punched me in the back of the head. Just spoke to police. Luckily there are two security cameras directly overhead at the courthouse. I need an advil. pic.twitter.com/3hfm2CfYhq — Keean Bexte ???? (@TheRealKeean) January 14, 2020
The Rebel Media reporter noted that there are multiple security cameras that may have caught the altercation and that he had spoken to police.
“Following Yaniv’s court appearance at the courthouse in Surrey I approached him outside – where filming was allowed. I had one question. I wanted to know if he would be pleading guilty or not. Within several seconds, Yaniv charged me and punched the back of my head while holding me down. Police have been reluctant to charge him before, and so I’m speaking to legal council to figure out my options to make sure this menace sees justice,” Bexte told The Post Millennial.
Bexte had been banned from reporting from inside the courtroom today where Yaniv had been appearing, with courthouse police capitulating to Yaniv’s demands to have him barred. Previously, Yaniv had also successfully demanded citizen journalist Donald Smith be prevented from entering the courthouse.
Earlier this evening, Yaniv confronted The Post Millennial’s Amy Eileen Hamm, falsely accusing her of taking photographs of Yaniv in the women’s washroom. The police searched Hamm’s phone at Yaniv’s request, finding none of the claimed photos.


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Tulsi Gabbard Sides With Bernie Sanders in Sanders/Warren Feud

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard weighed in on reports that fellow 2020 Democrat Sen. Bernie Sanders told Sen. Elizabeth Warren that a woman ca n't win the presidency by recalling her own meeting with the Vermont senator before she jumped in the race .
`` I also met with @ BernieSanders before announcing my candidacy .
We had a nice one-on-one conversation and I informed him that I would be running for President , '' the Hawaii Democrat tweeted Monday night .
`` In that meeting , he showed me the greatest respect and encouragement , just as he always has .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversy over reports that Sanders told Warren `` he does not believe that a woman can win '' the Oval Office during a private meeting between the two in 2018 .
Warren did not initially comment on the story , but Sanders , 78 , quickly disputed the claim , calling it `` ludicrous . ''
`` It 's sad that three weeks before the Iowa caucus and a year after that private conversation , staff who were n't in the room are lying about what happened , '' he said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her silence on the rumor Monday evening in a statement backing up the claim .
`` Bernie and I met for more than two hours in December 2018 to discuss the 2020 election , our past work together , and our shared goals : beating Donald Trump , taking back our government from the wealthy and well-connected , and building an economy that works for everyone , '' she said .
`` Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate .
I thought a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those close to the Sanders campaign suspected that Warren 's team or even the candidate herself planted the story during an escalation of a feud between the pair after a leaked internal memo from Sanders 's team revealed over the weekend that he instructed volunteers to attack Warren for having an `` affluent '' voter base .
Warren hit back , saying she was `` disappointed to hear that Bernie is sending his volunteers out to trash me , '' and Sanders later distanced himself from the volunteer campaign script , calling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aside from the latest back-and-forths , the liberal presidential candidates , who normally team up to defend their leftist policies from criticism by more center-left rivals , had been operating under an apparent nonaggression pact .

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard weighed in on reports that fellow 2020 Democrat Sen. Bernie Sanders told Sen. Elizabeth Warren that a woman can't win the presidency by recalling her own meeting with the Vermont senator before she jumped in the race.
"I also met with @BernieSanders before announcing my candidacy. We had a nice one-on-one conversation and I informed him that I would be running for President," the Hawaii Democrat tweeted Monday night. "In that meeting, he showed me the greatest respect and encouragement, just as he always has."
I also met with @BernieSanders before announcing my candidacy. We had a nice one-on-one conversation and I informed him that I would be running for President. In that meeting, he showed me the greatest respect and encouragement, just as he always has. — Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) January 14, 2020
Gabbard's tweet followed a daylong controversy over reports that Sanders told Warren "he does not believe that a woman can win" the Oval Office during a private meeting between the two in 2018. Warren did not initially comment on the story, but Sanders, 78, quickly disputed the claim, calling it "ludicrous."
"It's sad that three weeks before the Iowa caucus and a year after that private conversation, staff who weren't in the room are lying about what happened," he said in a statement.
Warren, 70, broke her silence on the rumor Monday evening in a statement backing up the claim.
"Bernie and I met for more than two hours in December 2018 to discuss the 2020 election, our past work together, and our shared goals: beating Donald Trump, taking back our government from the wealthy and well-connected, and building an economy that works for everyone," she said. "Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate. I thought a woman could win; he disagreed."
Those close to the Sanders campaign suspected that Warren's team or even the candidate herself planted the story during an escalation of a feud between the pair after a leaked internal memo from Sanders's team revealed over the weekend that he instructed volunteers to attack Warren for having an "affluent" voter base.
Warren hit back, saying she was "disappointed to hear that Bernie is sending his volunteers out to trash me," and Sanders later distanced himself from the volunteer campaign script, calling it a "media blow up."
Aside from the latest back-and-forths, the liberal presidential candidates, who normally team up to defend their leftist policies from criticism by more center-left rivals, had been operating under an apparent nonaggression pact.


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Trump Administration Considering New System for Releasing Economic Reports

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - The Trump administration plans to put in place new procedures governing the release of market-sensitive economic data that would hinder news organizations from preparing stories in advance under embargo , Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday , citing unnamed people familiar with the matter .
Bloomberg said the changes could extend to the removal of computers from a government `` lockup '' room used by media and that an announcement could come as soon as this week .
Media organizations , including Bloomberg and Reuters News , send reporters to data `` lockups '' to prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government controlling a communications switch to prevent an inadvertent early release .
The system is in place to allow media outlets to report the often complicated and extensive data accurately and with better context than if it were released `` live . ''
The Labor Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment , and a spokesman for the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the arm of the department that handles the monthly jobs report , could not be immediately reached .
Spokespeople for the two main Commerce Department agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately be reached .
Federal agencies in the past have altered , or proposed altering , their release of potentially market-moving data in order to prevent the possibility that some investors could get earlier access , and thereby profit by selling or buying stocks , bonds or other securities ahead using that advance knowledge .
Under the Obama administration in 2012 the Labor Department proposed changing the lockup procedures by requiring media outlets to use government-issued computers and not their own .
News outlets fought the plan , ultimately successfully .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide such data to the public in a reliable , accurate and timely way and lead to confusion in the public and in the financial markets that rely on the Department ’ s data , '' Reuters general manager Rob Doherty testified to Congress at the time .

Published Jan 14, 2020 04:32PM ET
© Reuters. Trump administration to change economic data release procedures: Bloomberg
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration plans to put in place new procedures governing the release of market-sensitive economic data that would hinder news organizations from preparing stories in advance under embargo, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
Bloomberg said the changes could extend to the removal of computers from a government "lockup" room used by media and that an announcement could come as soon as this week.
Media organizations, including Bloomberg and Reuters News, send reporters to data "lockups" to prepare stories in advance of release, with the government controlling a communications switch to prevent an inadvertent early release. The system is in place to allow media outlets to report the often complicated and extensive data accurately and with better context than if it were released "live."
The Labor Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a spokesman for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the arm of the department that handles the monthly jobs report, could not be immediately reached. Spokespeople for the two main Commerce Department agencies that produce economic data also could not immediately be reached.
Federal agencies in the past have altered, or proposed altering, their release of potentially market-moving data in order to prevent the possibility that some investors could get earlier access, and thereby profit by selling or buying stocks, bonds or other securities ahead using that advance knowledge.
Under the Obama administration in 2012 the Labor Department proposed changing the lockup procedures by requiring media outlets to use government-issued computers and not their own. News outlets fought the plan, ultimately successfully.
"It would imperil the ability of news organizations to provide such data to the public in a reliable, accurate and timely way and lead to confusion in the public and in the financial markets that rely on the Department’s data," Reuters general manager Rob Doherty testified to Congress at the time.


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--How to Watch Tonight’s Democrat Debate (If You’re Into That Kind of Thing)

The first Democratic debate of 2020 — and seventh overall — will take place on Tuesday , Jan. 14 .
The two-hour debate begins at 9 p.m. EST and is hosted by the Des Moines Register and CNN .
It will be broadcast live on CNN , CNN en Espanol and CNN International .
Cord-cutters can stream the debate on CNN.com and DesMoinesRegister.com .
The field will be the smallest to date , with only six candidates on stage at Drake University in Des Moines , Iowa : Former Vice President Joe Biden , former South Bend , Indiana , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klobuchar , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , billionaire Tom Steyer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
Also Read : Democratic Challengers on Trump 's Impeachment : 'No One Is Above the Law' Businessman Andrew Yang , who appeared in the December debate , reached the donor requirement for the January debate but not the polling threshold ( 5 percent in at least four national or early-state surveys approved , or 7 percent in two early-state polls ) .
The debate will be held one day after New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker suspended his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the December debate .
President Trump ’ s ongoing impeachment trial will surely be a topic of discussion , as Klobuchar , Sanders , and Warren will vote in the Senate trial .
Foreign policy is also expected to be covered , as tensions with Iran escalating after Trump ordered the assassination of military leader Qassem Soleimani .
More importantly , it will be the last debate before Iowa caucuses , the first nominating contest in the Democratic presidential primary process in 2020 .
The caucus takes place Monday , Feb. 3 .

The first Democratic debate of 2020 — and seventh overall — will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The two-hour debate begins at 9 p.m. EST and is hosted by the Des Moines Register and CNN.
It will be broadcast live on CNN, CNN en Espanol and CNN International. Cord-cutters can stream the debate on CNN.com and DesMoinesRegister.com.
The field will be the smallest to date, with only six candidates on stage at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa: Former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, billionaire Tom Steyer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Businessman Andrew Yang, who appeared in the December debate, reached the donor requirement for the January debate but not the polling threshold (5 percent in at least four national or early-state surveys approved, or 7 percent in two early-state polls).
The debate will be held one day after New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker suspended his bid. Booker failed to qualify for the December debate.
President Trump’s ongoing impeachment trial will surely be a topic of discussion, as Klobuchar, Sanders, and Warren will vote in the Senate trial. Foreign policy is also expected to be covered, as tensions with Iran escalating after Trump ordered the assassination of military leader Qassem Soleimani.
More importantly, it will be the last debate before Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest in the Democratic presidential primary process in 2020. The caucus takes place Monday, Feb. 3.


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Be Skeptical of That Burisma Hacking Report

At least , that ’ s the narrative .
As few will need to be reminded , Burisma is the Ukrainian energy company whose board Hunter Biden sat on , collecting $ 83k per month for the role .
A new report published today by Area 1 Security alleges that a phishing campaign by Russia ’ s military intelligence agency GRU targeted Burisma , tricking some employees into revealing their login credentials .
Presumably , we ’ re to believe that this was with the goal of finding dirt on Joe Biden .
While this report is making headlines as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the report acknowledges it “ doesn ’ t make any claims as to what the intent of the hackers were , what they might have been looking for , what they are going to do with their success.
” So , there ’ s that – and the obvious fact that this is not a finding of U.S. intelligence .
There are some other reasons to be skeptical too , as the Institute of World Politics ’ Jordan Schachtel laid out .
Does any of this prove their findings wrong outright ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of bias on their part , and it ’ s something that no journalists bothered mentioning in their reporting on this “ bombshell.
” It is of course no secret that Russia interferes in foreign elections – but at least liberals are dropping the argument that Trump colluded with them in regard to this specific alleged case .
For now…

The Russians are at this again, this time turning their attention to hacking Burisma Holdings in an attempt to interfere in this election.
At least, that’s the narrative.
As few will need to be reminded, Burisma is the Ukrainian energy company whose board Hunter Biden sat on, collecting $83k per month for the role. A new report published today by Area 1 Security alleges that a phishing campaign by Russia’s military intelligence agency GRU targeted Burisma, tricking some employees into revealing their login credentials. Presumably, we’re to believe that this was with the goal of finding dirt on Joe Biden.
While this report is making headlines as the “BOMBSHELL” of the day, the report acknowledges it “doesn’t make any claims as to what the intent of the hackers were, what they might have been looking for, what they are going to do with their success.” So, there’s that – and the obvious fact that this is not a finding of U.S. intelligence.
There are some other reasons to be skeptical too, as the Institute of World Politics’ Jordan Schachtel laid out.
First "expert" cited in story has his gender pronouns in his bio and worked in Obama admin… Prob not a Trump guy! pic.twitter.com/2xuyY04bvY — Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) January 14, 2020
Biden official with the quote! "Now we know that Vladimir Putin also sees Joe Biden as a threat," says Andrew Bates, a spokesman for the Biden campaign. Sounds legit! — Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) January 14, 2020
Homies with Mr. Crowdstrike himself? pic.twitter.com/Juuub9G9ch — Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) January 14, 2020
1 more note: This dude's company is delivering security services to half of 2020 dems, & they say they are charging minimal $. Why would a private org do pro bono security work? Biden camp & contractor bouncing back same message. Zero neutral sources. Terrible journalism. pic.twitter.com/2gYBtG6hPW — Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) January 14, 2020
When are you going to add to your story the crucial fact that security company making this claim is working basically pro bono for the Biden campaign? Did you ask why they'd do this? Who made the decision to publish this with zero unbiased sources? https://t.co/0bL4avkgYm — Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) January 14, 2020
Does any of this prove their findings wrong outright? No – but it does show a level of bias on their part, and it’s something that no journalists bothered mentioning in their reporting on this “bombshell.”
It is of course no secret that Russia interferes in foreign elections – but at least liberals are dropping the argument that Trump colluded with them in regard to this specific alleged case. For now…


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Ted Cruz “Open” to Senate Calling Whistleblower to Testify

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said in a new interview that he is “ open ” to the Senate calling more witnesses in an impeachment trial , including the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower .
“ As it concerns witnesses , I am open to the possibility of the Senate hearing witnesses , in particular because the way House conducted itself , ” Cruz said Tuesday on the Hugh Hewitt Show .
“ It was a one-sided show trial on the House side .
They denied the minority the ability to call witnesses in the House .
That was contrary to the precedents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment and the Nixon impeachment.
” ( RELATED : The Supreme Court Should Step In To Rule This Impeachment Unconstitutional ) “ House Democrats this time decided it was only going to be one-sided .
They ’ d only bring prosecution witnesses .
They wouldn ’ t allow the White House to cross-examine them .
And so it was entirely a one-sided deck of cards , ” he added .
The senator also said that if President Donald Trump wants to hear the whistleblower testify , or Hunter Biden testify , the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : House Will Vote Wednesday On Sending Impeachment Articles To Senate ) “ In the Senate , if the president wants to call witnesses in his defense , I believe the Senate should let the president do that .
If the [ White House ] wants to call Hunter Biden , if the [ White House ] wants to call the whistleblower , due process dictates that he have the opportunity to present his defense , ” Cruz said .
Other Republicans such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul have also signaled support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Though Cruz didn ’ t specifically offer his position on the Senate allowing former White House official John Bolton to testify , a possible agreement to include more witnesses could mean a last minute fight over the inclusion of people that Democrats want too .
( RELATED : WaPo Reporter : ‘ A Lot Of Democrats Have Privately Said ’ Pelosi ’ s Impeachment Strategy ‘ Failed ’ ) New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer , the minority leader , has said that he wishes to see acting White House chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify in the Senate trial .
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said that he would be open to hearing Bolton testify last week , and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski recently admitted she was “ curious ” about what the former UN ambassador would have to say .
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been firm in his position to hold the trial in the Senate with no witness testimony .
Bolton said that he was “ prepared to testify ” last week .
Cruz ’ s statement appears to contradict the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that there was no need for any additional witnesses at the Senate trial .
( RELATED : McConnell Says He Won ’ t Agree To Schumer ’ s Senate Trial ‘ Fishing Expedition ’ ) “ The Constitution gives the sole power of impeachment to the House .
If a House majority want to impeach a president , the ball is in their court , but they have to do the work , ” McConnell said .

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said in a new interview that he is “open” to the Senate calling more witnesses in an impeachment trial, including the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower.
“As it concerns witnesses, I am open to the possibility of the Senate hearing witnesses, in particular because the way House conducted itself,” Cruz said Tuesday on the Hugh Hewitt Show.
“It was a one-sided show trial on the House side. They denied the minority the ability to call witnesses in the House. That was contrary to the precedents that were set with both the Clinton impeachment and the Nixon impeachment.” (RELATED: The Supreme Court Should Step In To Rule This Impeachment Unconstitutional)
“House Democrats this time decided it was only going to be one-sided. They’d only bring prosecution witnesses. They wouldn’t allow the White House to cross-examine them. And so it was entirely a one-sided deck of cards,” he added.
The senator also said that if President Donald Trump wants to hear the whistleblower testify, or Hunter Biden testify, the Senate should call those witnesses. (RELATED: House Will Vote Wednesday On Sending Impeachment Articles To Senate)
“In the Senate, if the president wants to call witnesses in his defense, I believe the Senate should let the president do that. If the [White House] wants to call Hunter Biden, if the [White House] wants to call the whistleblower, due process dictates that he have the opportunity to present his defense,” Cruz said.
Other Republicans such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul have also signaled support for calling the whistleblower as a witness.
Though Cruz didn’t specifically offer his position on the Senate allowing former White House official John Bolton to testify, a possible agreement to include more witnesses could mean a last minute fight over the inclusion of people that Democrats want too. (RELATED: WaPo Reporter: ‘A Lot Of Democrats Have Privately Said’ Pelosi’s Impeachment Strategy ‘Failed’)
New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, has said that he wishes to see acting White House chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney and former White House aide John Bolton testify in the Senate trial.
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said that he would be open to hearing Bolton testify last week, and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski recently admitted she was “curious” about what the former UN ambassador would have to say.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been firm in his position to hold the trial in the Senate with no witness testimony.
Bolton said that he was “prepared to testify” last week.
Cruz’s statement appears to contradict the Senate majority leader, who just this morning said that there was no need for any additional witnesses at the Senate trial. (RELATED: McConnell Says He Won’t Agree To Schumer’s Senate Trial ‘Fishing Expedition’)
“The Constitution gives the sole power of impeachment to the House. If a House majority want to impeach a president, the ball is in their court, but they have to do the work,” McConnell said.


bonginoreport--2020-01-14--Sean Spicer Argues Venezuela Sanctions Help Russia and China

Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro ’ s oppressive rule has not only expedited the complete collapse of his nation ’ s economy and civil society ; the citizens of Venezuela are also experiencing unspeakable human rights abuses , violence , and hardship .
President Donald Trump is completely justified in sanctioning the Maduro regime in an effort to oust the ruthless dictator and begin a process to free the Venezuelan people .
But that punishment mentality can ’ t go too far .
The president should continue to ensure that U.S. companies operating in Venezuela are allowed to maintain America ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to protect jobs in the U.S .
This should include allowing U.S. energy companies to drill in Venezuelan oil fields and ship heavy crude oil back to the U.S. , where it is refined by thousands of American workers .
The dramatic fall in oil production placed in historical context shows that sanctions have been effective at blocking Maduro from fully utilizing one of his largest revenue streams .
There are those who hope to see America exit Venezuela entirely in order to bring about what they believe will be a quick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , such a belief ignores Maduro ’ s present ability to finance his government .
Maduro ’ s money is not all tied to oil drilling .
As oil revenue has decrease Maduro ’ s regime has turned to criminal activity , including illegal gold mining , illegal logging of the rainforests , and drug trafficking , in addition to widening paramilitary activity and accepting economic assistance from countries like Russia , Cuba , and China .
The Maduro administration has relied on illegal gold mining in the country as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enterprises in order to finance his government .
Illegal mining is run by criminal organizations , including Colombian Rebels who take advantage of the country ’ s resources and exploit the labor of the Venezuelan people .
These illegal mining operations allow Maduro to sell to foreign companies and , since ramping up gold production at the end of 2018 , generate about $ 5 billion a year .
Sadly , major parts of the environment have been wrecked by the gold mining including Heritage Protected Areas and mining is disrupting local communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logging of the country ’ s rainforests is another way Maduro is financing his corroding government .
The Venezuelan military working for the Maduro administration exploits the country ’ s vast rainforests and exports material to other countries .
Criminal groups associated with Maduro have been smuggling drugs across the hemisphere for years and , in fact , are often supported by the regime .
First lady Cilia Flores ’ s nephews have been convicted on drug trafficking charges in the U.S. and were aided by senior Venezuelan officials .
Other officials like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been sanctioned by the United States for their involvement in the drug trade .
These groups have developed strategies like bribing the local population with food or building secret runways to get around the law and grow their drug network .
The drug trade generated $ 40 billion in revenue in 2018 and estimates expect that to double in 2019 due to increased activity , which is likely due to Maduro ’ s need for cash .
All of this is made possible through the use of paramilitary teams , up to 100,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike fear into the hearts of the Venezuelan people , ensuring they remain powerless to challenge any illegal activity .
Maduro has positioned Venezuela as the epicenter of the Bolivarian Joint Criminal Enterprise , a multinational criminal enterprise , that has moved up to $ 43 billion in the last decade .
Sanctions on Venezuela would be much more effective if competing nations like Russia and China weren ’ t propping up the administration through billions of dollars in foreign funding .
These countries care little about the plight of the Venezuelan people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s oil fields , which are the largest in the world .
Over the last several decades China has invested billions in Venezuela and in the last few years Russia has loaned Maduro $ 17 billion .
If American energy companies exit Venezuela , Russia and China are sure to move in quickly and take full advantage of Venezuela ’ s oil .
From an energy and national security perspective , we simply can ’ t allow that to happen .
Driving American companies out of Venezuela will not benefit the desperate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our national security interests .
Rather , it will hurt American consumers and workers .
Sanctioning American companies operating in Venezuela would be a losing situation for everyone involved .
For the sake of protecting American jobs and much-needed energy resources , the U.S. must ensure continued waivers and exemptions for American companies operating in Venezuela .
The futures of America and Venezuela depend on it .
Sean Spicer has served as White House press secretary and chief strategist of the Republican National Committee , and is a senior adviser to America First @ @

Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro’s oppressive rule has not only expedited the complete collapse of his nation’s economy and civil society; the citizens of Venezuela are also experiencing unspeakable human rights abuses, violence, and hardship.
President Donald Trump is completely justified in sanctioning the Maduro regime in an effort to oust the ruthless dictator and begin a process to free the Venezuelan people.
But that punishment mentality can’t go too far. The president should continue to ensure that U.S. companies operating in Venezuela are allowed to maintain America’s access to energy resources, in order to protect jobs in the U.S. This should include allowing U.S. energy companies to drill in Venezuelan oil fields and ship heavy crude oil back to the U.S., where it is refined by thousands of American workers. The dramatic fall in oil production placed in historical context shows that sanctions have been effective at blocking Maduro from fully utilizing one of his largest revenue streams.
There are those who hope to see America exit Venezuela entirely in order to bring about what they believe will be a quick collapse of Maduro’s regime. However, such a belief ignores Maduro’s present ability to finance his government. Maduro’s money is not all tied to oil drilling.
As oil revenue has decrease Maduro’s regime has turned to criminal activity, including illegal gold mining, illegal logging of the rainforests, and drug trafficking, in addition to widening paramilitary activity and accepting economic assistance from countries like Russia, Cuba, and China.
The Maduro administration has relied on illegal gold mining in the country as part of a vast, growing network of criminal enterprises in order to finance his government. Illegal mining is run by criminal organizations, including Colombian Rebels who take advantage of the country’s resources and exploit the labor of the Venezuelan people. These illegal mining operations allow Maduro to sell to foreign companies and, since ramping up gold production at the end of 2018, generate about $5 billion a year. Sadly, major parts of the environment have been wrecked by the gold mining including Heritage Protected Areas and mining is disrupting local communities and damaging the Amazon river.
Illegal logging of the country’s rainforests is another way Maduro is financing his corroding government. The Venezuelan military working for the Maduro administration exploits the country’s vast rainforests and exports material to other countries.
Criminal groups associated with Maduro have been smuggling drugs across the hemisphere for years and, in fact, are often supported by the regime.
First lady Cilia Flores’s nephews have been convicted on drug trafficking charges in the U.S. and were aided by senior Venezuelan officials. Other officials like former Vice President Tareck El Aissami have been sanctioned by the United States for their involvement in the drug trade. These groups have developed strategies like bribing the local population with food or building secret runways to get around the law and grow their drug network.
The drug trade generated $40 billion in revenue in 2018 and estimates expect that to double in 2019 due to increased activity, which is likely due to Maduro’s need for cash.
All of this is made possible through the use of paramilitary teams, up to 100,000 operatives, all across the country that strike fear into the hearts of the Venezuelan people, ensuring they remain powerless to challenge any illegal activity. Maduro has positioned Venezuela as the epicenter of the Bolivarian Joint Criminal Enterprise, a multinational criminal enterprise, that has moved up to $43 billion in the last decade.
Sanctions on Venezuela would be much more effective if competing nations like Russia and China weren’t propping up the administration through billions of dollars in foreign funding. These countries care little about the plight of the Venezuelan people; they simply want to exploit Venezuela’s oil fields, which are the largest in the world. Over the last several decades China has invested billions in Venezuela and in the last few years Russia has loaned Maduro $17 billion. If American energy companies exit Venezuela, Russia and China are sure to move in quickly and take full advantage of Venezuela’s oil. From an energy and national security perspective, we simply can’t allow that to happen.
Driving American companies out of Venezuela will not benefit the desperate people of this troubled nation or improve our national security interests. Rather, it will hurt American consumers and workers. Sanctioning American companies operating in Venezuela would be a losing situation for everyone involved.
For the sake of protecting American jobs and much-needed energy resources, the U.S. must ensure continued waivers and exemptions for American companies operating in Venezuela. The futures of America and Venezuela depend on it.
Sean Spicer has served as White House press secretary and chief strategist of the Republican National Committee, and is a senior adviser to America First Action.