bonginoreport--2020-06-04--Andrew Cuomo Says State Will Open Coronavirus Testing to All “Protesters”

New York is expanding its testing facilities to the thousands of people who participated in recent George Floyd protests , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Thursday .
Floyd 's death at the hands of Minneapolis police May 25 has sparked international demonstrations that have drawn tens of thousands of protesters in cities across the world .
Cuomo said the protests drew about 20,000 people in New York City alone and more across the state .
`` You have 30,000 people who have been protesting statewide .
...
Many of them wear masks , thank God , but there 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encounters with the police .
The police are right in their face .
They 're right in the face of the police , '' Cuomo said at a news briefing .
`` If you were at a protest , go get a test , please .
The protesters have a civic duty here also .
Be responsible , get a test . ''
He added that people should wear masks and inform other people that they have been exposed to the coronavirus .
`` If you were at one of those protests , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of caution , assume that you 're infected and tell people , '' he said .
Cuomo has previously warned New York residents that the mass protests could threaten the state 's reopening plan and progress in curbing the spread of the coronavirus .
The governor noted the possibility of an infection lag where it can take four to five days on average for symptoms to show .
In serious cases , infected patients could be hospitalized in 8 to 12 days , Cuomo said .
The total number of hospitalizations across New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths on Wednesday , up slightly from Tuesday , Cuomo said .
While the course of the Covid-19 pandemic appears to have slowed , Cuomo emphasized the importance of staying vigilant as the state continues reopening in phases .
`` We 're making great progress , but as fast as these numbers come down is as fast as those numbers go up , '' he said .
`` New York City had the highest number of protesters .
We have to be smart .
The protesters themselves could wind up causing the spike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
As heated protests continue to shake Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs , New York City extended its curfew through the end of the week .
The curfews take effect at 8 p.m. and will be lifted at 5 a.m .
The city is still on track to begin `` phase one '' reopening on June 8 .
The governor also added outdoor dining to `` phase two '' reopening guidelines .
It must be an open-air dining space with tables spaced six feet apart .
All staff are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must also wear face coverings when not seated .
As of Thursday , there are seven regions in `` phase two '' — the Capital Region , Central New York , Finger Lakes , Mohawk Valley , North Country , Southern Tier and Western New York .
Cuomo said Westchester , Rockland and the Hudson Valley will enter phase two on Tuesday and Long Island on Wednesday .
`` Phase two '' of reopening allows office-based workers , real estate services , in-store retail shopping and some barbershop services to resume .

New York is expanding its testing facilities to the thousands of people who participated in recent George Floyd protests, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.
Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police May 25 has sparked international demonstrations that have drawn tens of thousands of protesters in cities across the world. Cuomo said the protests drew about 20,000 people in New York City alone and more across the state.
"You have 30,000 people who have been protesting statewide. ... Many of them wear masks, thank God, but there's no social distancing. You look at the encounters with the police. The police are right in their face. They're right in the face of the police," Cuomo said at a news briefing. "If you were at a protest, go get a test, please. The protesters have a civic duty here also. Be responsible, get a test."
He added that people should wear masks and inform other people that they have been exposed to the coronavirus. "If you were at one of those protests, I would, out of an abundance of caution, assume that you're infected and tell people," he said.
Cuomo has previously warned New York residents that the mass protests could threaten the state's reopening plan and progress in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
The governor noted the possibility of an infection lag where it can take four to five days on average for symptoms to show. In serious cases, infected patients could be hospitalized in 8 to 12 days, Cuomo said.
The total number of hospitalizations across New York continues to fall, with 52 deaths on Wednesday, up slightly from Tuesday, Cuomo said.
While the course of the Covid-19 pandemic appears to have slowed, Cuomo emphasized the importance of staying vigilant as the state continues reopening in phases.
"We're making great progress, but as fast as these numbers come down is as fast as those numbers go up," he said.
"New York City had the highest number of protesters. We have to be smart. The protesters themselves could wind up causing the spike, so we have to be smart," he said.
As heated protests continue to shake Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs, New York City extended its curfew through the end of the week. The curfews take effect at 8 p.m. and will be lifted at 5 a.m. The city is still on track to begin "phase one" reopening on June 8.
The governor also added outdoor dining to "phase two" reopening guidelines. It must be an open-air dining space with tables spaced six feet apart. All staff are required to wear face coverings and customers must also wear face coverings when not seated.
As of Thursday, there are seven regions in "phase two" — the Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier and Western New York. Cuomo said Westchester, Rockland and the Hudson Valley will enter phase two on Tuesday and Long Island on Wednesday.
"Phase two" of reopening allows office-based workers, real estate services, in-store retail shopping and some barbershop services to resume.


bonginoreport--2020-06-04--NYC on Track for “Phase II Reopening” Monday If It Isn’t Burned to Ground by Then

With New York City poised to end its months-long COVID-19 shutdown in the coming days , Mayor Bill de Blasio is already looking ahead .
He announced a plan Thursday to temporarily use open space to provide city restaurants with more outdoor dining areas , eliminating red tape they 'd otherwise face in the process .
Outdoor dining is now allowed in Phase II of New York 's reopening , a change Gov .
Andrew Cuomo quietly announced in a midday news release Wednesday rather than at his daily briefing earlier in the day .
Seven regions already in Phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
New York City will enter Phase I on Monday , which allows for 400,000 more people to return to work next week .
Many of those employees will return to a transit system that 's seen a 90 percent drop in ridership over the course of the pandemic , and faces questions on how to maintain social distancing .
The MTA installed new , no-touch payment scanners in half the subway stations to help prevent some contact , and is asking city hall for 60 miles of priority bus lanes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But if the city follows the course of other regions , that first phase will last just a few weeks .
De Blasio said Thursday New York City could enter Phase II as early as the beginning of July .
He pledged to help small businesses get back on their feet , including the eateries that are so much a part of the vibrant fabric that makes New York New York .
“ New York ’ s restaurants are part of what makes us the greatest city in the world .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against COVID-19 – and there ’ s no recovery without them , ” de Blasio said in a statement Thursday .
“ Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.
” The Open Restaurants seating program includes the following elements : Once NYC enters Phase II , restaurants will be able to convert parking spaces in order to use the roadbed alongside the curb for dine-in service .
There will be a simple process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the mayor 's office said .
Restaurants must ensure accessible seating away from intersections and protect nearby bus stops and fire hydrants .
They need to provide their own vertical barricades , planters , tables , and chairs .
The Department of Transportation will provide guidance in the coming weeks on the type of barricades and planters should be used .
The city is about halfway to its goal of 100 miles of open streets .
Restaurants on those marked streets will be able to use those to create seating areas directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city will also identify new open streets on commercial strips with a large presence of restaurants and bars as it continues to roll out new corridors in the coming weeks and months .
Additionally , each restaurant can claim the spaces immediately in front of their storefront for parking , depending on the current curb lane use .
This includes parking spaces with meters , according to the mayor 's office .
The city will work to create a simpler , streamlined process for sidewalk seating that would require establishments to maintain appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disabilities .
Several city agencies will monitor the three-pronged program and step in should concerns arise about accessibility or social distancing on sidewalks , curb lanes or streets .
The development comes amid ongoing tragedy in the tri-state area , even as daily deaths decline .
On Thursday , confirmed virus deaths in New York , New Jersey and Connecticut topped 40,000 , though officials admit the actual toll is likely much higher .

What to Know Outdoor dining resumed Thursday for regions in Phase II, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday; NYC is on track to enter Phase I on Monday
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed a plan to help restaurants promote outdoor dining safely when the city enters Phase II; it involves curbside seating, open streets and sidewalk seating
The development comes amid ongoing tragedy. On Thursday, confirmed virus deaths in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut topped 40,000, but officials acknowledge the actual toll is likely far higher
With New York City poised to end its months-long COVID-19 shutdown in the coming days, Mayor Bill de Blasio is already looking ahead. He announced a plan Thursday to temporarily use open space to provide city restaurants with more outdoor dining areas, eliminating red tape they'd otherwise face in the process.
Outdoor dining is now allowed in Phase II of New York's reopening, a change Gov. Andrew Cuomo quietly announced in a midday news release Wednesday rather than at his daily briefing earlier in the day. Seven regions already in Phase II can start offering al fresco Thursday. New York City will enter Phase I on Monday, which allows for 400,000 more people to return to work next week.
Many of those employees will return to a transit system that's seen a 90 percent drop in ridership over the course of the pandemic, and faces questions on how to maintain social distancing. The MTA installed new, no-touch payment scanners in half the subway stations to help prevent some contact, and is asking city hall for 60 miles of priority bus lanes in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Another New York region has entered Phase II Tuesday, as the state slowly remains on track to reopening while continuing its fight against coronavirus.
But if the city follows the course of other regions, that first phase will last just a few weeks.
De Blasio said Thursday New York City could enter Phase II as early as the beginning of July. He pledged to help small businesses get back on their feet, including the eateries that are so much a part of the vibrant fabric that makes New York New York.
“New York’s restaurants are part of what makes us the greatest city in the world. They’ve taken a hit in our fight against COVID-19 – and there’s no recovery without them,” de Blasio said in a statement Thursday. “Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.”
The Open Restaurants seating program includes the following elements:
1. CURBSIDE SEATING:
Once NYC enters Phase II, restaurants will be able to convert parking spaces in order to use the roadbed alongside the curb for dine-in service. There will be a simple process to register and self-certify for free online, the mayor's office said.
Restaurants must ensure accessible seating away from intersections and protect nearby bus stops and fire hydrants. They need to provide their own vertical barricades, planters, tables, and chairs. The Department of Transportation will provide guidance in the coming weeks on the type of barricades and planters should be used.
2. OPEN STREETS
The city is about halfway to its goal of 100 miles of open streets. Restaurants on those marked streets will be able to use those to create seating areas directly in front of their establishments. The city will also identify new open streets on commercial strips with a large presence of restaurants and bars as it continues to roll out new corridors in the coming weeks and months.
Additionally, each restaurant can claim the spaces immediately in front of their storefront for parking, depending on the current curb lane use. This includes parking spaces with meters, according to the mayor's office.
3. SIDEWALK SEATING
The city will work to create a simpler, streamlined process for sidewalk seating that would require establishments to maintain appropriate clear paths for pedestrians and people with disabilities.
Several city agencies will monitor the three-pronged program and step in should concerns arise about accessibility or social distancing on sidewalks, curb lanes or streets.
The development comes amid ongoing tragedy in the tri-state area, even as daily deaths decline. On Thursday, confirmed virus deaths in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut topped 40,000, though officials admit the actual toll is likely much higher.
Region by Region Status


bonginoreport--2020-06-04--Four Policing Reforms That Cities and States Are Currently Considering

Policing critics , Black Lives Matters activists , and a smattering of elected officials around the country want to pass significant policing reforms following George Floyd 's death at the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin .
Right now , the biggest proposals are getting the most attention .
Rep. Justin Amash ( L-Mich. ) is in the middle of crafting a bill that would eliminate qualified immunity , assuming the Supreme Court does n't do it first .
Qualified immunity is the legal doctrine that protects police officers and prosecutors from being sued for violating people 's rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power and influence of police unions , who use collective bargaining not just to negotiate wages and benefits but also to control the disciplinary and appeal processes that make it next to impossible to fire bad cops .
Reform advocates also want to build a national registry of police officers fired for misconduct and to repeal state laws that shield police discipline records from public view in order to keep bad cops from moving to new jurisdictions .
While many of these policies seem obvious , they will require an incredible amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meantime , here are four more incremental reforms being considered in communities around the U.S. 1 .
In San Diego : No more `` carotid restraints . ''
Police in San Diego are permitted to use a type of neck hold that cuts off blood to the brain and quickly renders people unconscious .
Officers used these holds 70 times in 2019 , according to the San Diego Union-Tribune .
Yesterday , San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit ordered a stop to their use , given the potential for harm .
Nisleit told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this change since 2018 .
The Union-Tribune reports that many cities prohibit chokeholds because they are dangerous and are disproportionately used against minorities .
After Floyd 's death , a review of Minneapolis police tactics found that when officers used neck restraints to render somebody unconscious , half of the people they used them against were injured .
San Diego City Council members spoke positively about the change , but the San Diego County Sheriff 's Department is refusing to follow suit .
Deputies will still be permitted to use the carotid restraints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Standardize police discipline and ban police chokeholds .
In New York City , where police unions are powerful and Mayor Bill de Blasio is so weak that it took five years just to fire the NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner , it will likely take the city council to actually force changes .
After Garner 's death from a chokehold in 2014 , a New York City council member introduced a measure that would criminalize the use of choke holds by police .
De Blasio responded by threatening a veto .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the measure so long as it provides an exception if the officer is in a `` life or death situation . ''
In addition , another council member is proposing a `` disciplinary matrix '' to create a standard of discipline when officers engage in misconduct .
Council Member Donavan Richards told NY1 , `` There is no written instruction on what a disciplinary action should be if an officer commits an infraction .
This will set an example . ''
New York 's lack of public transparency about police discipline contributes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shields police discipline records from public view .
This can also lead to manipulation within the discipline system itself .
When BuzzFeed journalists got their hands on secret New York Police Department disciplinary files , they found both cases where officers received slaps on the wrists for serious misconduct and cases where officers were harshly punished for minor infractions .
One internal affairs investigator told BuzzFeed , `` If 10 cops did the same exact thing that was bad , the outcome is different every time . ''
3 .
In Colorado : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act out .
Police unions are often quick to run to the defense of officers when they 're accused of misconduct .
But when Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was caught on video kneeling on Floyd 's neck for more than eight minutes , many unions made it clear they found Chauvin 's conduct indefensible .
In Colorado , three law enforcement groups—the County Sheriffs of Colorado , the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police , and the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police—put out a joint statement Tuesday calling for state lawmakers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see something like what happened to Floyd .
The groups note that it 's already a duty for officers to intervene when he or she witnesses a fellow officer engaged in unreasonable force .
They 're asking for state lawmakers to make it a statutory requirement , leaving officers who do n't intervene ( like the three cops who stood by while Chauvin slowly suffocated Floyd ) possibly facing criminal charges .
Democratic lawmakers in Colorado are working on a sweeping police reform bill intended to hit some of those big picture ideas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of qualified immunity , requiring body cameras for all officers , changes in use of force rules against suspects attempting to escape police , and a rule forbidding cops fired for excessive force from getting work in other cities ' police departments in Colorado .
Maybe adding a component the unions actually support might help deal with the inevitable resistance .
4 .
In New Jersey : Launch a statewide use-of-force database .
One of the challenges when fighting for reform is the general lack of data about how frequently police use force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the justifications were .
Heck , simply tracking who police officers kill in the line of duty is not easy , and efforts by the FBI to track that information nationally have been woefully inadequate .
In New Jersey , data journalists at NJ Advance Media put together their own database of use-of-force incidents within the state covering five years and collating more than 70,000 documents .
There was no other statewide collection of use-of-force data and little analysis .
After the NJ Advance Media `` Force Report '' database was released in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project to launch an official government database to track the use of force in selected police departments .
On Tuesday , New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said that starting on July 1 , all police departments in the state will be able to participate .
None of these smaller actions should be seen as substitutes for more sweeping reforms .
But those are going to be big , long political battles against entrenched police unions with deep pockets .
If reformers can convince legislators to implement incremental improvements right now , they @ @

Policing critics, Black Lives Matters activists, and a smattering of elected officials around the country want to pass significant policing reforms following George Floyd's death at the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Right now, the biggest proposals are getting the most attention.
Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich.) is in the middle of crafting a bill that would eliminate qualified immunity, assuming the Supreme Court doesn't do it first. Qualified immunity is the legal doctrine that protects police officers and prosecutors from being sued for violating people's rights.
Other big ideas include limiting the power and influence of police unions, who use collective bargaining not just to negotiate wages and benefits but also to control the disciplinary and appeal processes that make it next to impossible to fire bad cops. Reform advocates also want to build a national registry of police officers fired for misconduct and to repeal state laws that shield police discipline records from public view in order to keep bad cops from moving to new jurisdictions.
While many of these policies seem obvious, they will require an incredible amount of political will to implement. In the meantime, here are four more incremental reforms being considered in communities around the U.S.
1. In San Diego: No more "carotid restraints." Police in San Diego are permitted to use a type of neck hold that cuts off blood to the brain and quickly renders people unconscious. Officers used these holds 70 times in 2019, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Yesterday, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit ordered a stop to their use, given the potential for harm. Nisleit told the Union-Tribune that he had been considering this change since 2018. The Union-Tribune reports that many cities prohibit chokeholds because they are dangerous and are disproportionately used against minorities. After Floyd's death, a review of Minneapolis police tactics found that when officers used neck restraints to render somebody unconscious, half of the people they used them against were injured.
San Diego City Council members spoke positively about the change, but the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is refusing to follow suit. Deputies will still be permitted to use the carotid restraints.
2. In New York City: Standardize police discipline and ban police chokeholds. In New York City, where police unions are powerful and Mayor Bill de Blasio is so weak that it took five years just to fire the NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner, it will likely take the city council to actually force changes.
After Garner's death from a chokehold in 2014, a New York City council member introduced a measure that would criminalize the use of choke holds by police. De Blasio responded by threatening a veto. Now de Blasio says he'd approve the measure so long as it provides an exception if the officer is in a "life or death situation."
In addition, another council member is proposing a "disciplinary matrix" to create a standard of discipline when officers engage in misconduct. Council Member Donavan Richards told NY1, "There is no written instruction on what a disciplinary action should be if an officer commits an infraction. This will set an example."
New York's lack of public transparency about police discipline contributes to the problem. New York state law shields police discipline records from public view. This can also lead to manipulation within the discipline system itself. When BuzzFeed journalists got their hands on secret New York Police Department disciplinary files, they found both cases where officers received slaps on the wrists for serious misconduct and cases where officers were harshly punished for minor infractions. One internal affairs investigator told BuzzFeed, "If 10 cops did the same exact thing that was bad, the outcome is different every time."
3. In Colorado: Require police to intervene when fellow officers act out. Police unions are often quick to run to the defense of officers when they're accused of misconduct. But when Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was caught on video kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes, many unions made it clear they found Chauvin's conduct indefensible.
In Colorado, three law enforcement groups—the County Sheriffs of Colorado, the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police, and the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police—put out a joint statement Tuesday calling for state lawmakers to require that other officers intervene when they see something like what happened to Floyd.
The groups note that it's already a duty for officers to intervene when he or she witnesses a fellow officer engaged in unreasonable force. They're asking for state lawmakers to make it a statutory requirement, leaving officers who don't intervene (like the three cops who stood by while Chauvin slowly suffocated Floyd) possibly facing criminal charges.
Democratic lawmakers in Colorado are working on a sweeping police reform bill intended to hit some of those big picture ideas to fight police misconduct: getting rid of qualified immunity, requiring body cameras for all officers, changes in use of force rules against suspects attempting to escape police, and a rule forbidding cops fired for excessive force from getting work in other cities' police departments in Colorado. Maybe adding a component the unions actually support might help deal with the inevitable resistance.
4. In New Jersey: Launch a statewide use-of-force database. One of the challenges when fighting for reform is the general lack of data about how frequently police use force, under what circumstances, and what the justifications were. Heck, simply tracking who police officers kill in the line of duty is not easy, and efforts by the FBI to track that information nationally have been woefully inadequate.
In New Jersey, data journalists at NJ Advance Media put together their own database of use-of-force incidents within the state covering five years and collating more than 70,000 documents. There was no other statewide collection of use-of-force data and little analysis. After the NJ Advance Media "Force Report" database was released in 2018, state officials started a pilot project to launch an official government database to track the use of force in selected police departments. On Tuesday, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said that starting on July 1, all police departments in the state will be able to participate.
None of these smaller actions should be seen as substitutes for more sweeping reforms. But those are going to be big, long political battles against entrenched police unions with deep pockets. If reformers can convince legislators to implement incremental improvements right now, they should.


bonginoreport--2020-06-04--Federal Appeals Court Sets Hearing for Flynn Case in 10 Days

Former national security adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn arrives for his sentencing hearing at US District Court in Washington on Dec. 18 , 2018 .
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images Flynn Case : In a Sign of Urgency , Appeals Court Sets Hearing in 10 Days A federal appeals court has set a tight schedule for a hearing in the case of former Trump adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn , who ’ s accusing a lower level judge of undue delay in dismissing his case .
The District of Columbia ordered on June 2 an oral argument in 10 days , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers , the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) , and from a lawyer for District Judge Emmet Sullivan on whether the judge does or doesn ’ t have the authority to delay ruling on the DOJ ’ s motion to dismiss the case .
The 10-day notice is tighter than it may seem , said appellate attorney John Reeves , former assistant attorney general of Missouri , in a June 2 series of tweets .
“ For non-lawyers , a ten day notice for oral argument may seem like a long time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s an increidibly [ sic ] short amount of time , ” he said , noting that the usual time would be 30 days or more .
“ The setting of oral argument shows that the DC Circuit is gravely concerned about this matter , and wants to hear further from all sides , ” he said .
“ This will give the DC Circuit the opportunity to pepper Sullivan ’ s lawyer with as many questions as they want about the arguments raised in her brief .
They can interrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn , a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Obama administration and former national security adviser to President Donald Trump , pleaded guilty in 2017 to one count of lying during an FBI interview .
In January , he disavowed the plea and asked the court to allow him to withdraw it .
The DOJ moved to drop Flynn ’ s case on May 7 , saying the FBI interview wasn ’ t based on a properly predicated investigation and “ seems to have been undertaken only to elicit those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn.
” Sullivan has so far refused to affirm the dismissal and has instead laid out a schedule that would prolong the case for possibly months .
He ’ s appointed former federal Judge John Gleeson as an amicus curiae ( friend of the court ) “ to present arguments in opposition to the government ’ s Motion to Dismiss , ” as well as to “ address ” whether the court should make the defense explain why “ Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury.
” He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join the case .
Flynn ’ s lawyers , led by former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell , filed a petition on May 19 for a writ of mandamus—a request to the higher court to order Sullivan to accept the case dismissal , cancel the Gleeson appointment , and assign the case to another judge .
The appeals court gave Sullivan 10 days to respond , upon which he hired highly-connected Washington attorney Beth Wilkinson to do so for him .
Wilkinson has argued that the DOJ motion to dismiss is so unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evaluate it .
Her argument , however , doesn ’ t address the substance of the documents the DOJ cited as a reason for dismissing the case .
The documents show that top FBI officials intervened to keep the Flynn investigation open , despite the fact that the Washington field office already proceeded to close it .
The probe was supposed to determine whether Flynn was cooperating with Russia on something illegal or threatening national security .
It not only found no evidence of that , but uncovered no actual “ derogatory ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence veteran .
FBI top brass kept the case open on a legal theory that Flynn could have trespassed on a virtually never-enforced and never successfully prosecuted 18th-century law called the Logan Act , despite the fact that the DOJ made clear to them that such charges wouldn ’ t fly .
The documents were revealed by Jeffrey Jensen , U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri , who was directed in January by Attorney General William Barr to perform a review of the case .
Upon the discovery , Jensen recommended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could no longer prove beyond reasonable doubt that what Flynn said during the interview was material to a properly predicated investigation .
Flynn and the DOJ have told the appeals court that Sullivan doesn ’ t have the authority to delay accepting the dismissal in this case .
“ Because this case involves ‘ the prosecution ’ s constitutionally rooted exercise of charging discretion , ’ it is a ‘ usurpation of judicial power ’ to second-guess it , ’ ” the DOJ told the court .
Update : The article ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

A federal appeals court has set a tight schedule for a hearing in the case of former Trump adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who’s accusing a lower level judge of undue delay in dismissing his case.
The District of Columbia ordered on June 2 an oral argument in 10 days, when it will hear from Flynn’s lawyers, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and from a lawyer for District Judge Emmet Sullivan on whether the judge does or doesn't have the authority to delay ruling on the DOJ’s motion to dismiss the case.
The 10-day notice is tighter than it may seem, said appellate attorney John Reeves, former assistant attorney general of Missouri, in a June 2 series of tweets.
“For non-lawyers, a ten day notice for oral argument may seem like a long time, but it isn't. It's an increidibly [sic] short amount of time,” he said, noting that the usual time would be 30 days or more.
“The setting of oral argument shows that the DC Circuit is gravely concerned about this matter, and wants to hear further from all sides,” he said. “This will give the DC Circuit the opportunity to pepper Sullivan's lawyer with as many questions as they want about the arguments raised in her brief. They can interrupt her as much as they want.”
Flynn, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Obama administration and former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty in 2017 to one count of lying during an FBI interview. In January, he disavowed the plea and asked the court to allow him to withdraw it.
The DOJ moved to drop Flynn’s case on May 7, saying the FBI interview wasn’t based on a properly predicated investigation and “seems to have been undertaken only to elicit those very false statements and thereby criminalize Mr. Flynn.”
Sullivan has so far refused to affirm the dismissal and has instead laid out a schedule that would prolong the case for possibly months. He’s appointed former federal Judge John Gleeson as an amicus curiae (friend of the court) “to present arguments in opposition to the government’s Motion to Dismiss,” as well as to “address” whether the court should make the defense explain why “Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury.”
He’s also signaled he may allow more amici to join the case.
Flynn’s lawyers, led by former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell, filed a petition on May 19 for a writ of mandamus—a request to the higher court to order Sullivan to accept the case dismissal, cancel the Gleeson appointment, and assign the case to another judge.
The appeals court gave Sullivan 10 days to respond, upon which he hired highly-connected Washington attorney Beth Wilkinson to do so for him.
Wilkinson has argued that the DOJ motion to dismiss is so unusual, the judge needs more information to evaluate it.
Her argument, however, doesn’t address the substance of the documents the DOJ cited as a reason for dismissing the case.
The documents show that top FBI officials intervened to keep the Flynn investigation open, despite the fact that the Washington field office already proceeded to close it. The probe was supposed to determine whether Flynn was cooperating with Russia on something illegal or threatening national security. It not only found no evidence of that, but uncovered no actual “derogatory” information on Flynn, a decorated military intelligence veteran. FBI top brass kept the case open on a legal theory that Flynn could have trespassed on a virtually never-enforced and never successfully prosecuted 18th-century law called the Logan Act, despite the fact that the DOJ made clear to them that such charges wouldn’t fly.
The documents were revealed by Jeffrey Jensen, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, who was directed in January by Attorney General William Barr to perform a review of the case.
Upon the discovery, Jensen recommended dismissing the case. The DOJ stated it could no longer prove beyond reasonable doubt that what Flynn said during the interview was material to a properly predicated investigation.
Flynn and the DOJ have told the appeals court that Sullivan doesn’t have the authority to delay accepting the dismissal in this case.
"Because this case involves 'the prosecution’s constitutionally rooted exercise of charging discretion,' it is a 'usurpation of judicial power' to second-guess it,’” the DOJ told the court.
Update: The article's headline has been updated for clarity.


bonginoreport--2020-06-04--Facebook to Block Ads From State-Owned Media Outlets

Facebook co-founder , Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill April 11 , 2018 in Washington , DC .
Facebook announced Thursday it will no longer allow state-controlled media outlets to run ads on its social networks , effective this summer .
The move is part of its efforts to prevent foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. election and follows massive criticism that it failed to do so in the 2016 election .
`` Later this summer we will begin blocking ads from these outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of caution to provide an extra layer of protection against various types of foreign influence in the public debate ahead of the November 2020 election in the U.S. , '' the company said in a blog post .
Among the outlets that will receive labels are Russia Today and Sputnik from Russia , and China 's CCTV and Xinhua News .
Facebook generated nearly $ 70 billion in ad revenue in 2019 , but the company said Thursday that state-controlled media rarely advertise in the United States .
`` A U.S. company long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling the entire rest of the world what it can and can not say , is the definition of a technological dictatorship and censorship , '' a spokeswoman for Russia Today told CNBC in a statement .
`` Labelling foreign editorially independent news outlets as anything but is , on top of fostering prejudice and xenophobia , a prime example of the very 'fake news ' that Facebook is supposedly trying to combat . ''
Additionally , Facebook on Thursday will start labeling pages and posts from state-controlled media outlets , giving users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those entities .
Facebook announced in October that it was planning to roll out these labels to provide users with more transparency .
Facebook 's decision to apply these labels and block ads from state-controlled media comes after the company has faced a flurry of criticism from partners and employees for its refusal to moderate a post last week from President Donald Trump .
That post addressed riots in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd , saying that `` when the looting starts , the shooting starts . ''
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down Trump 's post because Facebook supports freedom of speech and it does not believe it should be an arbiter of truth .
Twitter flagged Trump 's tweet about looting leading to shooting , saying it breached Twitter 's policies on `` glorifying violence . ''
Trump has denied that he was intending to incite violence .

Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill April 11, 2018 in Washington, DC.
Facebook announced Thursday it will no longer allow state-controlled media outlets to run ads on its social networks, effective this summer.
The move is part of its efforts to prevent foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. election and follows massive criticism that it failed to do so in the 2016 election.
"Later this summer we will begin blocking ads from these outlets in the US out of an abundance of caution to provide an extra layer of protection against various types of foreign influence in the public debate ahead of the November 2020 election in the U.S.," the company said in a blog post.
Among the outlets that will receive labels are Russia Today and Sputnik from Russia, and China's CCTV and Xinhua News.
Facebook generated nearly $70 billion in ad revenue in 2019, but the company said Thursday that state-controlled media rarely advertise in the United States.
"A U.S. company long in bed with the U.S. establishment, telling the entire rest of the world what it can and cannot say, is the definition of a technological dictatorship and censorship," a spokeswoman for Russia Today told CNBC in a statement. "Labelling foreign editorially independent news outlets as anything but is, on top of fostering prejudice and xenophobia, a prime example of the very 'fake news' that Facebook is supposedly trying to combat."
Additionally, Facebook on Thursday will start labeling pages and posts from state-controlled media outlets, giving users more information about who owns and runs those entities. Facebook announced in October that it was planning to roll out these labels to provide users with more transparency.
Facebook's decision to apply these labels and block ads from state-controlled media comes after the company has faced a flurry of criticism from partners and employees for its refusal to moderate a post last week from President Donald Trump. That post addressed riots in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, saying that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
The company said it would not moderate or take down Trump's post because Facebook supports freedom of speech and it does not believe it should be an arbiter of truth. Twitter flagged Trump's tweet about looting leading to shooting, saying it breached Twitter's policies on "glorifying violence." Trump has denied that he was intending to incite violence.


bonginoreport--2020-06-05--Report: White House Considering Up to $1 Trillion for Next Coronavirus Aid Package

The Trump administration is reportedly considering spending up to $ 1 trillion in the next round of coronavirus relief as the pandemic continues to bludgeon American workers and businesses .
President Trump met with his economic team on Wednesday to discuss possible aid measures , a White House source told FOX Business .
No policy measures have been ruled out at this point , the source said .
WHITE HOUSE MULLS MORE VIRUS RELIEF : HERE 'S WHAT IT COULD INCLUDE Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has told Trump officials behind closed doors that another round of fiscal stimulus from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trillion , a number the administration was receptive to , according to Bloomberg News , citing people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity .
A White House spokesperson did not respond to a FOX Business request for comment .
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IF YOU REFUSE TO GO BACK TO WORK ?
But McConnell has said there are no plans to pass a stimulus measure before the Senate 's two-week recess beginning July 3 .
The upper chamber is not scheduled to return to Washington until July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will pass another round of aid before that date .
So far , Congress has passed four massive stimulus packages totaling nearly $ 3 trillion to blunt the economic pain from the virus outbreak .
That includes the $ 2.2 trillion CARES Act signed into law at the end of March , which sent one-time payments of up to $ 1,200 to Americans who earn less than $ 99,000 .
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have agreed that another round of aid is likely necessary to help American businesses and workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CONGRESS HAS FUNNELED TRILLIONS TO CORONAVIRUS RELIEF .
WHERE IS THAT MONEY GOING ?
Some options the White House is exploring include a payroll tax cut , liability protections for businesses reopening during the outbreak ; and tax deductions or write-offs for individuals who take a vacation during a defined period of time .
The White House is also considering pushing for reforms to unemployment benefits .
The CARES Act expanded unemployment by an extra $ 600 per week through the end of July ; however , some Republicans have since voiced concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually discouraging workers from returning to their jobs .
`` We are absolutely meeting this week , '' White House adviser Kevin Hassett told FOX Business ' Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday .
`` We are going over what we think will be in the phase four deal , and we 're going to try to reform unemployment insurance so that the factor you suggested goes away . ''
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

The Trump administration is reportedly considering spending up to $1 trillion in the next round of coronavirus relief as the pandemic continues to bludgeon American workers and businesses.
President Trump met with his economic team on Wednesday to discuss possible aid measures, a White House source told FOX Business. No policy measures have been ruled out at this point, the source said.
WHITE HOUSE MULLS MORE VIRUS RELIEF: HERE'S WHAT IT COULD INCLUDE
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has told Trump officials behind closed doors that another round of fiscal stimulus from Congress could be just under $1 trillion, a number the administration was receptive to, according to Bloomberg News, citing people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A White House spokesperson did not respond to a FOX Business request for comment.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IF YOU REFUSE TO GO BACK TO WORK?
But McConnell has said there are no plans to pass a stimulus measure before the Senate's two-week recess beginning July 3. The upper chamber is not scheduled to return to Washington until July 20, making it unlikely that lawmakers will pass another round of aid before that date.
So far, Congress has passed four massive stimulus packages totaling nearly $3 trillion to blunt the economic pain from the virus outbreak. That includes the $2.2 trillion CARES Act signed into law at the end of March, which sent one-time payments of up to $1,200 to Americans who earn less than $99,000.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have agreed that another round of aid is likely necessary to help American businesses and workers recover from the unprecedented economic shutdown.
CONGRESS HAS FUNNELED TRILLIONS TO CORONAVIRUS RELIEF. WHERE IS THAT MONEY GOING?
Some options the White House is exploring include a payroll tax cut, liability protections for businesses reopening during the outbreak; and tax deductions or write-offs for individuals who take a vacation during a defined period of time.
The White House is also considering pushing for reforms to unemployment benefits. The CARES Act expanded unemployment by an extra $600 per week through the end of July; however, some Republicans have since voiced concern that the sweetened pot of money is actually discouraging workers from returning to their jobs.
"We are absolutely meeting this week," White House adviser Kevin Hassett told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday. "We are going over what we think will be in the phase four deal, and we're going to try to reform unemployment insurance so that the factor you suggested goes away."
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE


bonginoreport--2020-06-05--The S&P 500 Just Saw Its Greatest 50 Day Rally in History

The S & P 500 has returned 37.7 % over the last 50 trading days , making it the benchmark index 's largest 50-day rally in history , according to LPL Financial .
And if history is any indication , there could be more gains ahead .
Looking at the other largest 50-day rallies , the firm found that stocks were higher 100 % of the time six and 12 months later .
The average 6-month return was 10.2 % , while the average 1-year return was 17.3 % .
The firm crunched the data going back to 1957 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 500-stock model .
The S & P 500 has steadily climbed higher after dropping to an intraday low of 2,191.86 on March 23 — putting to an end the longest bull market in history — as Covid-19 battered global markets .
The benchmark index is now 41.7 % above that low , and less than 9 % from its February all-time high level .
A number of factors have contributed to the rapid run higher .
For one , the government and Federal Reserve have stepped in in a big way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into law a record $ 2 trillion federal stimulus package known as the CARES Act , while the Federal Reserve has said that it will engage in unlimited asset purchases .

The S&P 500 has returned 37.7% over the last 50 trading days, making it the benchmark index's largest 50-day rally in history, according to LPL Financial.
And if history is any indication, there could be more gains ahead.
Looking at the other largest 50-day rallies, the firm found that stocks were higher 100% of the time six and 12 months later. The average 6-month return was 10.2%, while the average 1-year return was 17.3%.
The firm crunched the data going back to 1957, which is when the index moved to a 500-stock model.
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The S&P 500 has steadily climbed higher after dropping to an intraday low of 2,191.86 on March 23 — putting to an end the longest bull market in history — as Covid-19 battered global markets. The benchmark index is now 41.7% above that low, and less than 9% from its February all-time high level.
A number of factors have contributed to the rapid run higher.
For one, the government and Federal Reserve have stepped in in a big way. In March, President Donald Trump signed into law a record $2 trillion federal stimulus package known as the CARES Act, while the Federal Reserve has said that it will engage in unlimited asset purchases.


bonginoreport--2020-06-05--Labor Secretary Expects Unemployment to Fall Below 10% by End of Year

The U.S. unemployment rate could fall below 10 percent by the end of 2020 despite surging to 14.7 percent in April , Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia said on Thursday .
NEXT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF BILL COULD INCLUDE CHANGES TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS '' I think that we can get under 10 percent by the end of the year , '' Scalia told FOX Business ' Stuart Varney .
`` I really do believe that as hard as this has been , for American workers and their families , it was always meant to be temporary .
We had an extraordinarily strong economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will release the May unemployment report on Friday .
`` Tomorrow ’ s report will be a hard report , but remember , it will reflect where we were in the middle of May , '' Scalia said .
`` Things have changed a lot since then . ''
Other economists have made unemployment rate predictions much less optimistic than Scalia 's .
Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren said in late May that he expects the U.S. unemployment rate to be a `` double digit '' number at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE GO BY CLICKING HERE Scalia 's comments come amid staggering unemployment numbers , although the number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance fell below 2 million last week .
It was the ninth straight weekly decline since the number peaked at 6.9 million in late March .
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

The U.S. unemployment rate could fall below 10 percent by the end of 2020 despite surging to 14.7 percent in April, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia said on Thursday.
NEXT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF BILL COULD INCLUDE CHANGES TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
"I think that we can get under 10 percent by the end of the year," Scalia told FOX Business' Stuart Varney. "I really do believe that as hard as this has been, for American workers and their families, it was always meant to be temporary. We had an extraordinarily strong economy."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the May unemployment report on Friday.
"Tomorrow’s report will be a hard report, but remember, it will reflect where we were in the middle of May," Scalia said. "Things have changed a lot since then."
Other economists have made unemployment rate predictions much less optimistic than Scalia's. Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren said in late May that he expects the U.S. unemployment rate to be a "double digit" number at the end of the year.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Scalia's comments come amid staggering unemployment numbers, although the number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance fell below 2 million last week. It was the ninth straight weekly decline since the number peaked at 6.9 million in late March.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS


bonginoreport--2020-06-05--China’s Huawei Reportedly Hid Business Operations in Iran

LONDON/DUBAI ( Reuters ) - China ’ s Huawei Technologies acted to cover up its relationship with a firm that had tried to sell prohibited U.S. computer gear to Iran , after Reuters in 2013 reported deep links between the firm and the telecom-equipment giant ’ s chief financial officer , newly obtained internal Huawei documents show .
Huawei has long described the firm - Skycom Tech Co Ltd - as a separate local business partner in Iran .
Now , documents obtained by Reuters show how the Chinese tech titan effectively controlled Skycom .
The documents , reported here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a trove of internal Huawei and Skycom Iran-related business records - including memos , letters and contractual agreements - that Reuters has reviewed .
One document described how Huawei scrambled in early 2013 to try to “ separate ” itself from Skycom out of concern over trade sanctions on Tehran .
To that end , this and other documents show , Huawei took a series of actions - including changing the managers of Skycom , shutting down Skycom ’ s Tehran office and forming another business in Iran to take over tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracts .
The revelations in the new documents could buttress a high-profile criminal case being pursued by U.S. authorities against Huawei and its chief financial officer , Meng Wanzhou , who is also the daughter of Huawei ’ s founder .
The United States has been trying to get Meng extradited from Canada , where she was arrested in December 2018 .
A Canadian judge last week allowed the case to continue , rejecting defense arguments that the U.S. charges against Meng do not constitute crimes in Canada .
A U.S. indictment alleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraudulent scheme to obtain prohibited U.S. goods and technology for Huawei ’ s Iran-based business via Skycom , and move money out of Iran by deceiving a major bank .
The indictment alleges that Skycom was an “ unofficial subsidiary ” of Huawei , not a local partner .
Huawei and Meng have denied the criminal charges , which include bank fraud , wire fraud and other allegations .
Skycom , which was registered in Hong Kong and was dissolved in 2017 , is also a defendant .
At one point , Huawei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to corporate filings , sold its stake more than a decade ago .
The newly obtained documents appear to undermine Huawei ’ s claims that Skycom was just a business partner .
They offer a behind-the-scenes look at some of what transpired at the two companies inside Iran seven years ago and how intertwined the companies were .
The documents are variously written in English , Chinese and Farsi .
Huawei declined to comment for this story .
China ’ s foreign ministry said the United States was politicizing economic and trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest of Chinese or American firms .
“ We urge the United States to immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese firms including Huawei , ” it said .
It referred specific questions about this story to Huawei .
Reuters reported in March that Huawei had produced internal company records in 2010 , including two packing lists , that showed it was directly involved in sending prohibited U.S. computer equipment to Iran .
Huawei declined to comment on that story , citing ongoing legal proceedings .
The newly obtained documents show that Huawei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Skycom began after Reuters reported in December 2012 that Skycom had offered to sell at least 1.3 million euros worth of embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran ’ s largest mobile-phone operator in late 2010 .
In January 2013 , a second Reuters report described how Huawei had close financial ties and other links to Skycom , including the fact that Meng had served on Skycom ’ s board of directors between February 2008 and April 2009 .
In its response at the time to the Reuters reporting , Huawei said Skycom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners ” and that the relationship between Huawei and Skycom was “ a normal business partnership.
” But a newly obtained Huawei internal document from the Chinese company ’ s Iran office , dated March 28 , 2013 , indicates Huawei controlled Skycom .
The document in Chinese stated : “ In consideration of trade compliances , A2 representative office is trying to separate Skycom and Huawei.
” A2 was Huawei ’ s code for Iran , according to the U.S. indictment .
The document also noted that Huawei had installed one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran “ to urgently avoid the risks of media hype.
” Huawei had made an “ urgent decision ” to appoint Hu Mei as Skycom ’ s general manager in Iran , effective March 10 , 2013 , the document noted .
Hu was a director of Skycom and was also listed as a Huawei employee in an internal Huawei directory .
The document detailed how Huawei quickly recognized a flaw in putting Hu in charge of Skycom .
Hu was based at Huawei ’ s headquarters in China , and the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground in Iran , the document stated .
So , Huawei decided to appoint instead “ a Chinese employee based in Iran ” to manage Skycom ’ s Tehran office , the document shows .
Huawei decided to name Song Kai , deputy representative of its Iran office , to run Skycom in Iran .
He was informed of the decision in an internal Huawei message that was reviewed by Reuters .
“ Please update your resume , ” Song was instructed .
The message said that the change had been approved by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was identified as the “ chief representative ” of Huawei ’ s Iran office .
Hu , Song and Lan couldn ’ t be reached for comment .
In response to the Reuters articles of 2012 and 2013 , several Western banks questioned Huawei about its relationship with Skycom .
They included HSBC Holdings PLC , where both Huawei and Skycom held bank accounts .
HSBC declined to comment for this story .
In August 2013 , Meng met with HSBC ’ s deputy head of global banking for the Asia-Pacific region .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of making “ numerous misrepresentations regarding Huawei ’ s ownership and control of Skycom.
” Meng gave a PowerPoint presentation during the meeting that said Skycom was merely “ a business partner of Huawei.
” The newly obtained documents show that Huawei soon became directly involved in shutting Skycom down .
In a letter dated Nov. 2 , 2013 , Song , the Huawei employee appointed to manage Skycom , told a major Iranian client that Skycom “ has decided to annul and terminate its business activities and dissolve the branch company in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressed to a vice president of Iran ’ s largest mobile-phone operator , Mobile Communication Co of Iran , or MCCI .
The next day , Skycom , MCCI and a new Huawei company - Huawei Technologies Service ( Iranian ) Co Ltd - signed an agreement .
It stated that Skycom planned to transfer its contracts to the new Huawei entity .
The agreement listed eight contracts worth a total of 44.6 million euros ( about $ 50 million ) , with about 34.6 million euros remaining on them .
Any money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Huawei entity upon completion of the contracts .
“ All the parties promise that this three-way contract remains confidential , ” it stated .

LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) - China’s Huawei Technologies acted to cover up its relationship with a firm that had tried to sell prohibited U.S. computer gear to Iran, after Reuters in 2013 reported deep links between the firm and the telecom-equipment giant’s chief financial officer, newly obtained internal Huawei documents show.
FILE PHOTO: Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou leaves her home to attend a court hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada May 27, 2020. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier/File Photo
Huawei has long described the firm - Skycom Tech Co Ltd - as a separate local business partner in Iran. Now, documents obtained by Reuters show how the Chinese tech titan effectively controlled Skycom. The documents, reported here for the first time, are part of a trove of internal Huawei and Skycom Iran-related business records - including memos, letters and contractual agreements - that Reuters has reviewed.
One document described how Huawei scrambled in early 2013 to try to “separate” itself from Skycom out of concern over trade sanctions on Tehran. To that end, this and other documents show, Huawei took a series of actions - including changing the managers of Skycom, shutting down Skycom’s Tehran office and forming another business in Iran to take over tens of millions of dollars worth of Skycom contracts.
The revelations in the new documents could buttress a high-profile criminal case being pursued by U.S. authorities against Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of Huawei’s founder. The United States has been trying to get Meng extradited from Canada, where she was arrested in December 2018. A Canadian judge last week allowed the case to continue, rejecting defense arguments that the U.S. charges against Meng do not constitute crimes in Canada.
A U.S. indictment alleges that Huawei and Meng participated in a fraudulent scheme to obtain prohibited U.S. goods and technology for Huawei’s Iran-based business via Skycom, and move money out of Iran by deceiving a major bank. The indictment alleges that Skycom was an “unofficial subsidiary” of Huawei, not a local partner.
Huawei and Meng have denied the criminal charges, which include bank fraud, wire fraud and other allegations. Skycom, which was registered in Hong Kong and was dissolved in 2017, is also a defendant. At one point, Huawei was a shareholder in Skycom but, according to corporate filings, sold its stake more than a decade ago.
The newly obtained documents appear to undermine Huawei’s claims that Skycom was just a business partner. They offer a behind-the-scenes look at some of what transpired at the two companies inside Iran seven years ago and how intertwined the companies were. The documents are variously written in English, Chinese and Farsi.
Huawei declined to comment for this story.
China’s foreign ministry said the United States was politicizing economic and trade issues, which is not in the interest of Chinese or American firms. “We urge the United States to immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese firms including Huawei,” it said. It referred specific questions about this story to Huawei.
‘NORMAL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP’
Reuters reported in March that Huawei had produced internal company records in 2010, including two packing lists, that showed it was directly involved in sending prohibited U.S. computer equipment to Iran. Huawei declined to comment on that story, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
Slideshow ( 3 images )
(To read the March report, click here)
The newly obtained documents show that Huawei’s efforts to obscure its relationship with Skycom began after Reuters reported in December 2012 that Skycom had offered to sell at least 1.3 million euros worth of embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran’s largest mobile-phone operator in late 2010. In January 2013, a second Reuters report described how Huawei had close financial ties and other links to Skycom, including the fact that Meng had served on Skycom’s board of directors between February 2008 and April 2009.
(To read the December 2012 report, click here)
(To read the January 2013 report, click here)
In its response at the time to the Reuters reporting, Huawei said Skycom was one of its “major local partners” and that the relationship between Huawei and Skycom was “a normal business partnership.”
But a newly obtained Huawei internal document from the Chinese company’s Iran office, dated March 28, 2013, indicates Huawei controlled Skycom. The document in Chinese stated: “In consideration of trade compliances, A2 representative office is trying to separate Skycom and Huawei.” A2 was Huawei’s code for Iran, according to the U.S. indictment.
The document also noted that Huawei had installed one of its own employees to manage Skycom in Iran “to urgently avoid the risks of media hype.” Huawei had made an “urgent decision” to appoint Hu Mei as Skycom’s general manager in Iran, effective March 10, 2013, the document noted. Hu was a director of Skycom and was also listed as a Huawei employee in an internal Huawei directory.
The document detailed how Huawei quickly recognized a flaw in putting Hu in charge of Skycom. Hu was based at Huawei’s headquarters in China, and the job required dealing with business matters on the ground in Iran, the document stated. So, Huawei decided to appoint instead “a Chinese employee based in Iran” to manage Skycom’s Tehran office, the document shows.
Huawei decided to name Song Kai, deputy representative of its Iran office, to run Skycom in Iran. He was informed of the decision in an internal Huawei message that was reviewed by Reuters. “Please update your resume,” Song was instructed.
The message said that the change had been approved by a man named Lan Yun, who was identified as the “chief representative” of Huawei’s Iran office.
Hu, Song and Lan couldn’t be reached for comment.
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
In response to the Reuters articles of 2012 and 2013, several Western banks questioned Huawei about its relationship with Skycom. They included HSBC Holdings PLC, where both Huawei and Skycom held bank accounts.
HSBC declined to comment for this story.
In August 2013, Meng met with HSBC’s deputy head of global banking for the Asia-Pacific region. She is accused in the U.S. indictment of making “numerous misrepresentations regarding Huawei’s ownership and control of Skycom.”
Meng gave a PowerPoint presentation during the meeting that said Skycom was merely “a business partner of Huawei.”
The newly obtained documents show that Huawei soon became directly involved in shutting Skycom down.
In a letter dated Nov. 2, 2013, Song, the Huawei employee appointed to manage Skycom, told a major Iranian client that Skycom “has decided to annul and terminate its business activities and dissolve the branch company in Iran.” Song’s letter was addressed to a vice president of Iran’s largest mobile-phone operator, Mobile Communication Co of Iran, or MCCI.
MCCI couldn’t be reached for comment.
The next day, Skycom, MCCI and a new Huawei company - Huawei Technologies Service (Iranian) Co Ltd - signed an agreement. It stated that Skycom planned to transfer its contracts to the new Huawei entity. The agreement listed eight contracts worth a total of 44.6 million euros (about $50 million), with about 34.6 million euros remaining on them. Any money owed to Skycom was to be paid to the Huawei entity upon completion of the contracts.
“All the parties promise that this three-way contract remains confidential,” it stated.


bonginoreport--2020-06-05--NJ Governor Believes Certain Protests are More Important than Others

Just amazing .
This guy 's state has been absolutely ravaged by the coronavirus , and he 's imposed some of the strictest lockdowns and stay-at-home orders as a result .
And now he 's literally saying -- in public -- that because there 's a moral difference between protesting to reopen businesses and protesting against police brutality , the public health crisis trumps the former concern , but not the latter one .
That 's probably easy for a former Goldman Sachs executive reportedly worth tens of millions to say , but it 's less easy for a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her livelihood being strangled in slow motion by government edicts to swallow .
But swallow it they must , and swallow it they have , for weeks on end .
It was , and is , about saving lives .
But now that there 's a cause deemed morally important enough , he 's willing to overlook the very rules that he 's spent enormous political and leadership capital insisting are literally deadly serious : It 's not just nail salon owners .
It 's every single person whose life has been turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater good .
Our former Townhall colleague Christine Rousselle recently lost her father and has written movingly and passionately about the trauma of being unable to be consistently by his side as he slipped away -- and unable to hold a proper funeral for him , all due to COVID restrictions .
Our former RedState colleague Leon Wolf experienced something heartbreakingly similar with a friend , who was forced by the government to die alone for similar reasons .
Countless people across the country are harboring these sorts of simmering feelings , wondering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were n't important enough for them to be given the freedom of choice , but mass street protests over an injustice are .
As I 've said repeatedly , I support the peaceful demonstrators ' cause in this case .
But I 'm also extremely sympathetic toward a daughter or a friend who would like to comfort a dying loved one , or properly memorialize their life after they 've passed .
What does Gov .
Murphy say to them ?
Here 's New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio unsurprisingly adopting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't need to remind anyone that New York City has been the singular national epicenter of death and suffering during this pandemic crisis .
This is truth : The counterpoint we 're hearing is this , as expressed by anti-Trump CNN commentator Amanda Carpenter : She adds , `` for the record , I hate the position our country is in .
It ’ s dangerous to accept the brutality , it ’ s dangerous to protest , the looters are dangerous . ''
But here 's the problem with her argument : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choices , and determining risk for oneself , is unacceptable , selfish and deadly .
When some anti-lockdown activists tried to co-opt the abortion lobby 's `` my body , my choice '' slogan in regards to stay at home orders and other mitigation steps , they were told that those choices impact other people 's lives ( which of course can be applied to abortion as well , but that 's another matter for another day ) .
It 's not just your health and life you 're gambling with , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people you may unwittingly infect .
Myopic choices could directly and indirectly endanger the most vulnerable within our society , like the elderly and people with co-morbidities .
This was repeated ad nauseam .
I largely agreed , which is why I tried to scrupulously follow the guidance , listened to the experts , urged others to do the same -- and supported multi-trillion-dollar legislative efforts , which cut against my ideological impulses .
I also would have liked nothing more than to attend a sporting event with thousands of cheering fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stresses and anxieties of this turbulent era , but sports were shut down because we were told that large gatherings were especially dangerous , and that events involving big groups of people in close quarters would likely be one of the very last elements of American life to return to normal .
I still believe that all of this was , broadly speaking , the right decision , based on the medical experts ' opinions .
And I say that despite the fact that I 've defended cautious re-openings , carefully tracked positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics whose hysterical predictions have not panned out .
There are no easy answers to any of this , but the answer can not be that certain packed gatherings are acceptable ( including many that heavily involve people of color , demographics that are more susceptible to the virus , according to the available science ) , while other considerations , concerns , or events ( which are very arguably less risky , based on everything we 've learned ) are not .
Murphy- and De Blasio-style picking and choosing by government officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of righteousness , is wholly untenable .
It undermines all sense of fairness and is downright anti-scientific .
It stirs boiling resentments and crushes public confidence .
If the risks were real -- so real as to necessitate the imposition of massively disruptive and consequential government restrictions -- there can not be subjective asterisks to those risks .
If the virus is known to spread in large groups , 'worthy ' large groups are not exempted from the medical science .
Allahpundit writes , `` we can have a foolish debate over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black Americans and of ending depression-causing economic restrictions on the country writ large , but urgency is irrelevant to the epidemiological reality . ''
That 's obviously correct , as even the most non-violent demonstrations we 've seen have featured almost no social distancing and uneven mask usage , at best .
Anyone who tries to argue otherwise should never be taken seriously again .
For instance : And here 's the bleeping chairman of the New York City Council 's health committee : It 's as if city officials are daring residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , there are a few potentially worrying signs that coronavirus stats are inching back up in the wrong direction .
It 's entirely plausible that the disease is weakening and the largely positive trends will continue .
The Swedish experiment , which was getting scary , seems to have leveled off again , which will undoubtedly spark and drive further debate -- especially if the would-be spike from these protests never arrives .
But if the data does get seriously worse in the coming days , brace yourselves for the mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people claiming 'anti-science ' governors are to blame ( on one hand , current upticks are too early to be the result of street demonstrations , though we 're now roughly a month into lifted restrictions in many states and the results have been largely fine ) , and many others blaming the protests .
For all sorts of reasons , I 'd much rather see healthy trajectories , prompting an epic debate about whether the economic shutdowns were worth it or the right decision .
But if the trajectories get much uglier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nasty as anything we 've ever seen in recent public discourse .
Each `` side '' would be equipped with plausible explanations that fit their existing narratives , inexorably leading to an even more rampant explosion of tribalist mistrust in public officials and `` experts . ''
Let 's all hope and pray that scenario does n't materialize , but I would n't count it out as a real possibility .
This is 2020 , after all .

Just amazing. This guy's state has been absolutely ravaged by the coronavirus, and he's imposed some of the strictest lockdowns and stay-at-home orders as a result. And now he's literally saying -- in public -- that because there's a moral difference between protesting to reopen businesses and protesting against police brutality, the public health crisis trumps the former concern, but not the latter one. That's probably easy for a former Goldman Sachs executive reportedly worth tens of millions to say, but it's less easy for a small business owner who is seeing his or her livelihood being strangled in slow motion by government edicts to swallow. But swallow it they must, and swallow it they have, for weeks on end. It was, and is, about saving lives. But now that there's a cause deemed morally important enough, he's willing to overlook the very rules that he's spent enormous political and leadership capital insisting are literally deadly serious:
On Monday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) thanked state residents for protesting the unjust police killing of George Floyd in large numbers, and commended them for participating in “the transformational moment of our time,” even though New Jersey’s coronavirus mitigation plan calls for people to gather outside in groups of no more than 25—and in fact, state authorities have fined citizens for organizing anti-lockdown protests. But for Murphy, the two forms of protest are “in different orbits.” “I don’t want to make light of this, and I’ll probably get lit up by everyone who owns a nail salon in the state,” said Murphy. “But it’s one thing to protest what day nail salons are opening, and it’s another to come out in peaceful protest, overwhelmingly, about somebody who was murdered right before our eyes.”
It's not just nail salon owners. It's every single person whose life has been turned upside down in painful ways for the greater good. Our former Townhall colleague Christine Rousselle recently lost her father and has written movingly and passionately about the trauma of being unable to be consistently by his side as he slipped away -- and unable to hold a proper funeral for him, all due to COVID restrictions. Our former RedState colleague Leon Wolf experienced something heartbreakingly similar with a friend, who was forced by the government to die alone for similar reasons. Countless people across the country are harboring these sorts of simmering feelings, wondering why their dramatically life-altering priorities and concerns weren't important enough for them to be given the freedom of choice, but mass street protests over an injustice are. As I've said repeatedly, I support the peaceful demonstrators' cause in this case. But I'm also extremely sympathetic toward a daughter or a friend who would like to comfort a dying loved one, or properly memorialize their life after they've passed. What does Gov. Murphy say to them? Here's New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio unsurprisingly adopting the same, woke line:
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), who has repeatedly inveighed against the city's Jewish community for holding public funerals and opening their businesses despite stay-at-home orders, struck a similar note. "When you see…an entire nation, simultaneously grappling with an extraordinary crisis seated in 400 years of American racism, I'm sorry, that is not the same question as the understandably aggrieved store owner or the devout religious person who wants to go back to services," said de Blasio...This is not just hypocritical—it's odious. Protesting against police violence is extremely important, and the unprecedented public outcry over Floyd's death is a critical opportunity to send a message that reforms are needed. But to say that this cause, and only this cause, should be exempt from the lockdown is, at the very least, remarkably callous.
I don't need to remind anyone that New York City has been the singular national epicenter of death and suffering during this pandemic crisis. This is truth:
This is tyranny. The massive govt. power to close businesses, churches, funerals & free assembly *must* be applied neutrally and based on public health. Politicians granting openness to favored causes while forcing others to remain on lockdown is banana republic authoritariansim. https://t.co/D94CvCkioe — Brian Riedl ?? (@Brian_Riedl) June 2, 2020
The counterpoint we're hearing is this, as expressed by anti-Trump CNN commentator Amanda Carpenter:
I realize there is lot of scolding of protesters in regards to the pandemic but consider the possibility the protesters think the cause is important enough that they are willing to risk COVID. The situation is dire. Good options are waning. — Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) June 3, 2020
She adds, "for the record, I hate the position our country is in. It’s dangerous to accept the brutality, it’s dangerous to protest, the looters are dangerous." But here's the problem with her argument: We have been told that making such choices, and determining risk for oneself, is unacceptable, selfish and deadly. When some anti-lockdown activists tried to co-opt the abortion lobby's "my body, my choice" slogan in regards to stay at home orders and other mitigation steps, they were told that those choices impact other people's lives (which of course can be applied to abortion as well, but that's another matter for another day). It's not just your health and life you're gambling with, they were told, it's the lives of people you may unwittingly infect. Myopic choices could directly and indirectly endanger the most vulnerable within our society, like the elderly and people with co-morbidities.
This was repeated ad nauseam. I largely agreed, which is why I tried to scrupulously follow the guidance, listened to the experts, urged others to do the same -- and supported multi-trillion-dollar legislative efforts, which cut against my ideological impulses. I also would have liked nothing more than to attend a sporting event with thousands of cheering fans to take my mind off of the stresses and anxieties of this turbulent era, but sports were shut down because we were told that large gatherings were especially dangerous, and that events involving big groups of people in close quarters would likely be one of the very last elements of American life to return to normal. I still believe that all of this was, broadly speaking, the right decision, based on the medical experts' opinions. And I say that despite the fact that I've defended cautious re-openings, carefully tracked positive developments, and pushed back hard against critics whose hysterical predictions have not panned out.
There are no easy answers to any of this, but the answer cannot be that certain packed gatherings are acceptable (including many that heavily involve people of color, demographics that are more susceptible to the virus, according to the available science), while other considerations, concerns, or events (which are very arguably less risky, based on everything we've learned) are not. Murphy- and De Blasio-style picking and choosing by government officials, based on their own personal senses of righteousness, is wholly untenable. It undermines all sense of fairness and is downright anti-scientific. It stirs boiling resentments and crushes public confidence. If the risks were real -- so real as to necessitate the imposition of massively disruptive and consequential government restrictions -- there cannot be subjective asterisks to those risks.
If the virus is known to spread in large groups, 'worthy' large groups are not exempted from the medical science. Allahpundit writes, "we can have a foolish debate over the relative urgency of murderous police violence towards black Americans and of ending depression-causing economic restrictions on the country writ large, but urgency is irrelevant to the epidemiological reality." That's obviously correct, as even the most non-violent demonstrations we've seen have featured almost no social distancing and uneven mask usage, at best. Anyone who tries to argue otherwise should never be taken seriously again. For instance:
Dozens of public health and disease experts have signed an open letter in support of the nationwide anti-racism protests.
"White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19," they wrote.https://t.co/EewPNgDSu3 — NPR (@NPR) June 2, 2020
And here's the bleeping chairman of the New York City Council's health committee:
Let's be clear about something: if there is a spike in coronavirus cases in the next two weeks, don't blame the protesters.
Blame racism. — Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) June 3, 2020
It's as if city officials are daring residents to move away and never come back. Meanwhile, there are a few potentially worrying signs that coronavirus stats are inching back up in the wrong direction. It's entirely plausible that the disease is weakening and the largely positive trends will continue. The Swedish experiment, which was getting scary, seems to have leveled off again, which will undoubtedly spark and drive further debate -- especially if the would-be spike from these protests never arrives. But if the data does get seriously worse in the coming days, brace yourselves for the mother of all blame games -- with many people claiming 'anti-science' governors are to blame (on one hand, current upticks are too early to be the result of street demonstrations, though we're now roughly a month into lifted restrictions in many states and the results have been largely fine), and many others blaming the protests.
For all sorts of reasons, I'd much rather see healthy trajectories, prompting an epic debate about whether the economic shutdowns were worth it or the right decision. But if the trajectories get much uglier, the finger-pointing recriminations could get as nasty as anything we've ever seen in recent public discourse. Each "side" would be equipped with plausible explanations that fit their existing narratives, inexorably leading to an even more rampant explosion of tribalist mistrust in public officials and "experts." Let's all hope and pray that scenario doesn't materialize, but I wouldn't count it out as a real possibility. This is 2020, after all.