bonginoreport--2020-03-02--After Failed Gun Ban, Virginia to Pass “Red Flag” Laws

The Virginia Senate on Friday voted to advance red-flag gun legislation that already has passed the House as the Legislature continues working on other gun-control bills .
The legislation , a House substituted version of Senate Bill 240 , gives a judge or magistrate the authority to order police to seize firearms from a person deemed to be a threat to himself or others .
A person would not need to be convicted of a crime , charged with a crime or even accused of a crime to have his or her guns seized .
Under the legislation , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be guaranteed a hearing no later than 14 days after the seizure takes place .
The law requires the police request the person give up his guns and they can receive a search warrant only if that person refuses to give them up or they have reason to believe the person is hiding weapons .
Violating the order would be punishable by a Class 1 misdemeanor .
As with most of the gun-control legislation in the Virginia General Assembly , it received substantial support from Democrats and opposition from Republicans .
The House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on legislation that would grant localities the ability to pass stricter gun-control rules than the state and federal government already have in place .
This legislation passed both chambers .
Also on Friday , the House agreed to a watered-down Senate substitute version of House Bill 1083 .
Under the substitute version , the penalty for recklessly allowing a child less than 14 years old to access a loaded firearm would be increased from a Class 3 misdemeanor to a Class 1 misdemeanor .
Gov .
Ralph Northam is expected to sign all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also are working on expanding background checks in the commonwealth and restricting the sale of handgun purchases .
These efforts also are supported by the governor .
The two chambers advanced similar background-checks bills that included some differences .
The House-passed version prohibits privately selling , trading or transferring a firearm without conducting a background check unless the two individuals are immediate family members .
The Senate-passed version includes only a prohibition on private sales , but it does not include a prohibition on privately transferring or trading without a background check .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibiting a person from buying more than one handgun within a 30-day period .
Both versions include exemptions for licensed firearm dealers , police departments , licensed security companies and others .
However , the Senate version included an exemption for private sales , which is not agreed upon by the House .
Both would punish a violation of the law with a Class 1 misdemeanor .
Legislation that would have banned the sale of assault weapons was unable to gather enough votes in the Senate after some moderate Democrats refused to support @ @ @

The Virginia Senate on Friday voted to advance red-flag gun legislation that already has passed the House as the Legislature continues working on other gun-control bills.
The legislation, a House substituted version of Senate Bill 240, gives a judge or magistrate the authority to order police to seize firearms from a person deemed to be a threat to himself or others. A person would not need to be convicted of a crime, charged with a crime or even accused of a crime to have his or her guns seized.
Under the legislation, a person whose guns have been seized will be guaranteed a hearing no later than 14 days after the seizure takes place. The law requires the police request the person give up his guns and they can receive a search warrant only if that person refuses to give them up or they have reason to believe the person is hiding weapons.
Violating the order would be punishable by a Class 1 misdemeanor.
As with most of the gun-control legislation in the Virginia General Assembly, it received substantial support from Democrats and opposition from Republicans.
The House and Senate also came to an agreement on legislation that would grant localities the ability to pass stricter gun-control rules than the state and federal government already have in place. This legislation passed both chambers.
Also on Friday, the House agreed to a watered-down Senate substitute version of House Bill 1083. Under the substitute version, the penalty for recklessly allowing a child less than 14 years old to access a loaded firearm would be increased from a Class 3 misdemeanor to a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to sign all of these bills into law.
Democrats also are working on expanding background checks in the commonwealth and restricting the sale of handgun purchases. These efforts also are supported by the governor.
The two chambers advanced similar background-checks bills that included some differences. The House-passed version prohibits privately selling, trading or transferring a firearm without conducting a background check unless the two individuals are immediate family members. The Senate-passed version includes only a prohibition on private sales, but it does not include a prohibition on privately transferring or trading without a background check.
Both chambers also have advanced similar legislation prohibiting a person from buying more than one handgun within a 30-day period. Both versions include exemptions for licensed firearm dealers, police departments, licensed security companies and others. However, the Senate version included an exemption for private sales, which is not agreed upon by the House. Both would punish a violation of the law with a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Legislation that would have banned the sale of assault weapons was unable to gather enough votes in the Senate after some moderate Democrats refused to support the measure.


bonginoreport--2020-03-02--Senate Homeland Security Committee to Issue Subpoena in Burisma-Biden Probe

Sen. Ron Johnson , the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee , is preparing to issue the panel ’ s first subpoena as part of an investigation into Burisma Holdings , the Ukrainian energy company linked to Hunter Biden , he said in a letter on Sunday .
Johnson , a Wisconsin Republican , told Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters of his plans to subpoena Andrii Telizhenko , a former Ukrainian embassy official and former consultant for Blue Star Strategies , a firm that Burisma hired to fight against corruption allegations .
Telizhenko , who was a consultant for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , has provided some documents to the committee , according to Johnson .
But he says that he can not turn over others without a subpoena because they are protected by a non-disclosure agreement .
“ He can not provide this responsible information unless he is compelled to do so by subpoena , ” Johnson wrote to Peters in his letter , which was first reported by CBS News .
Republicans have been investigating whether Hunter Biden leveraged his father ’ s position as vice president to help Burisma , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hunter Biden , who joined Burisma ’ s board in April 2014 , is reportedly who linked the energy company up with Blue Star Strategies .
Biden served on the board of the Truman National Security Project , a liberal national security think tank , with Sally Painter , one of Blue Star ’ s co-founders .
“ As part of the Committee ’ s ongoing investigation , it has received U.S. government records indicating that Blue Star sought to leverage Hunter Biden ’ s role as a board member of Burisma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence matters at , the State Department , ” Johnson said in the letter .
State Department records show that Painter and her Blue Star co-founder , Karen Tramontano , reached out to top State Department officials through 2016 to set up meetings to discuss Ukraine and Burisma .
( RELATED : Emails : Burisma Consultant Linked To Hunter Biden Approached Top State Department Official At Think Tank Event ) In an email on June 27 , 2016 , Painter indicated that she spoke with Tony Blinken , who served as deputy secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security Project event about “ troubling events ” in Ukraine .
Painter requested a follow-up meeting with Blinken , who is now a foreign policy adviser to Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign .
Tramontano , who was deputy chief of staff in the Clinton White House , also contacted State Department officials seeking a meeting regarding Burisma on Feb. 24 , 2016 .
One of the officials that Tramontano contacted said that she wanted to meet in order to get “ a better understanding of how the U.S. came to the determination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tramontano also mentioned that Hunter Biden was affiliated with Burisma , according to the email .
Johnson said that Blue Star has turned over some documents to his committee , but that the firm has said it will not be handing over any more records .
“ The Committee notified Blue Star that we consider their response to be incomplete , but they responded that they will not be producing any more documents , ” wrote Johnson .
It is unclear what work Telizhenko did for Blue Star or Burisma .
In recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rudy Giuliani as he has pushed for deeper investigations into the Bidens and Burisma .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Sen. Ron Johnson, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, is preparing to issue the panel’s first subpoena as part of an investigation into Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian energy company linked to Hunter Biden, he said in a letter on Sunday.
Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, told Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters of his plans to subpoena Andrii Telizhenko, a former Ukrainian embassy official and former consultant for Blue Star Strategies, a firm that Burisma hired to fight against corruption allegations.
Telizhenko, who was a consultant for Blue Star from July 2016 to June 2017, has provided some documents to the committee, according to Johnson. But he says that he cannot turn over others without a subpoena because they are protected by a non-disclosure agreement.
“He cannot provide this responsible information unless he is compelled to do so by subpoena,” Johnson wrote to Peters in his letter, which was first reported by CBS News.
Republicans have been investigating whether Hunter Biden leveraged his father’s position as vice president to help Burisma, which has long been dogged by allegations of corruption.
Hunter Biden, who joined Burisma’s board in April 2014, is reportedly who linked the energy company up with Blue Star Strategies. Biden served on the board of the Truman National Security Project, a liberal national security think tank, with Sally Painter, one of Blue Star’s co-founders.
“As part of the Committee’s ongoing investigation, it has received U.S. government records indicating that Blue Star sought to leverage Hunter Biden’s role as a board member of Burisma to gain access to, and potentially influence matters at, the State Department,” Johnson said in the letter.
State Department records show that Painter and her Blue Star co-founder, Karen Tramontano, reached out to top State Department officials through 2016 to set up meetings to discuss Ukraine and Burisma. (RELATED: Emails: Burisma Consultant Linked To Hunter Biden Approached Top State Department Official At Think Tank Event)
In an email on June 27, 2016, Painter indicated that she spoke with Tony Blinken, who served as deputy secretary of state, at a Truman National Security Project event about “troubling events” in Ukraine. Painter requested a follow-up meeting with Blinken, who is now a foreign policy adviser to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
Tramontano, who was deputy chief of staff in the Clinton White House, also contacted State Department officials seeking a meeting regarding Burisma on Feb. 24, 2016.
One of the officials that Tramontano contacted said that she wanted to meet in order to get “a better understanding of how the U.S. came to the determination that [Burisma] is corrupt.”
Tramontano also mentioned that Hunter Biden was affiliated with Burisma, according to the email.
Johnson said that Blue Star has turned over some documents to his committee, but that the firm has said it will not be handing over any more records.
“The Committee notified Blue Star that we consider their response to be incomplete, but they responded that they will not be producing any more documents,” wrote Johnson.
It is unclear what work Telizhenko did for Blue Star or Burisma. In recent months, Telizhenko has worked closely with Rudy Giuliani as he has pushed for deeper investigations into the Bidens and Burisma.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-03-03--The Oldest President in U.S. History is Now the Youngest Man in the Race

Pete Buttigieg and Tom Steyer dropped out of the race for the White House , making President Donald J. Trump the youngest man in the Presidential race .
Upon his inauguration , President Trump was the oldest to take office , coming in at 70 years and 220 days old .
But the Democratic Party of America , consistent in having the charges they level at Trump come back to haunt them ( think Ukraine corruption , having a billionaire take over their party , etc ) , look like they ’ re headed for another hypocrisy .
In 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Trump too old ( and too white ) .
It ’ d be pretty hard for the Democrat slate of candidates to get much older ( or much whiter ) .
Now , if elected , favorite Bernie Sanders would be 79 , while former Vice President Biden and billionaire ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg would both be 78 .
Even the only competitive woman left in the race ( sorry , Tulsi ) , Elizabeth Warren , would be 71 .
Speaking to the media in 2019 , President Trump said he felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , added about presumed candidate Joe Biden : “ I look at Joe , I don ’ t know about him.
” Responding on The View , Biden said : “ If he looks young and vibrant compared to me , I should probably go home ” .
Biden is of course right .
He should go home .
The former veep ’ s string of gaffes : including forgetting where he was , to whom he was speaking , inventing crazy numbers about U.S. gun deaths , rambling on about someone called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest – forgetting the words to the Declaration of Independence – proves the near-octogenarian is beyond his best years .
This weekend Biden told Fox News host Chris Wallace about working in the mornings : “ I don ’ t know how you do it early in the morning.
” The Fox News Sunday show airs at 9am .
Hardly the crack of dawn .
Meanwhile , President Trump appears younger than ever .

Donald Trump is Now the Youngest Man in the Presidential Race… Really.
Pete Buttigieg and Tom Steyer dropped out of the race for the White House, making President Donald J. Trump the youngest man in the Presidential race.
Upon his inauguration, President Trump was the oldest to take office, coming in at 70 years and 220 days old.
But the Democratic Party of America, consistent in having the charges they level at Trump come back to haunt them (think Ukraine corruption, having a billionaire take over their party, etc), look like they’re headed for another hypocrisy.
In 2016, left-leaning news anchors and Democrat operatives called Trump too old (and too white).
It’d be pretty hard for the Democrat slate of candidates to get much older (or much whiter).
Now, if elected, favorite Bernie Sanders would be 79, while former Vice President Biden and billionaire ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg would both be 78.
Even the only competitive woman left in the race (sorry, Tulsi), Elizabeth Warren, would be 71.
Speaking to the media in 2019, President Trump said he felt like a “vibrant young man”, added about presumed candidate Joe Biden: “I look at Joe, I don’t know about him.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l3MNmgHWOQ
Responding on The View, Biden said: “If he looks young and vibrant compared to me, I should probably go home”.
Biden is of course right. He should go home.
The former veep’s string of gaffes: including forgetting where he was, to whom he was speaking, inventing crazy numbers about U.S. gun deaths, rambling on about someone called ‘Corn Pop’, and the latest – forgetting the words to the Declaration of Independence – proves the near-octogenarian is beyond his best years.
https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/1234576975144136704
This weekend Biden told Fox News host Chris Wallace about working in the mornings: “I don’t know how you do it early in the morning.”
The Fox News Sunday show airs at 9am. Hardly the crack of dawn.
Meanwhile, President Trump appears younger than ever.


bonginoreport--2020-03-03--James Comey Endorses Joe Biden – Campaign Official Says No Thanks

Former FBI Director James Comey endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination Tuesday as voters in 14 states and one territory cast their ballots in the Democratic contest .
“ Voted in first Dem primary to support party dedicated to restoring values in WH , ” Comey tweeted .
“ I agree with @ amyklobuchar : We need candidate who cares about all Americans and will restore decency , dignity to the office .
There is a reason Trump fears @ joebiden and roots for Bernie .
# Biden2020.
” The Biden campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The director of rapid response for the Biden campaign , Andrew Bates , made it clear on Twitter that Comey ’ s support was not welcome .
“ Yes , customer service ?
I just received a package that I very much did not order , ” Bates tweeted in response to Comey ’ s endorsement tweet .
“ How can I return it , free of charge ?
” The endorsement comes on the heels of several major endorsements secured by the Biden campaign on the eve of the biggest day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a third of the total Democratic delegates will be decided .
On Monday , Biden received the endorsement from former 2020 presidential rivals Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , who dropped out of the race Monday afternoon , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg , who ended his campaign Sunday , and former Texas Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke , who made his exit last fall .
Biden also captured endorsements from former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former U.N .
Ambassador Susan Rice .

Former FBI Director James Comey endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden’s bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination Tuesday as voters in 14 states and one territory cast their ballots in the Democratic contest.
“Voted in first Dem primary to support party dedicated to restoring values in WH,” Comey tweeted. “I agree with @amyklobuchar: We need candidate who cares about all Americans and will restore decency, dignity to the office. There is a reason Trump fears @joebiden and roots for Bernie. #Biden2020.”
Voted in first Dem primary to support party dedicated to restoring values in WH. I agree with @amyklobuchar: We need candidate who cares about all Americans and will restore decency, dignity to the office. There is a reason Trump fears @joebiden and roots for Bernie. #Biden2020 — James Comey (@Comey) March 3, 2020
The Biden campaign quickly rejected the endorsement, however.
The director of rapid response for the Biden campaign, Andrew Bates, made it clear on Twitter that Comey’s support was not welcome.
“Yes, customer service? I just received a package that I very much did not order,” Bates tweeted in response to Comey’s endorsement tweet. “How can I return it, free of charge?”
Yes, customer service? I just received a package that I very much did not order. How can I return it, free of charge? https://t.co/NK4VrYGzT1 — Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) March 3, 2020
The endorsement comes on the heels of several major endorsements secured by the Biden campaign on the eve of the biggest day of the Democratic primary, in which more than a third of the total Democratic delegates will be decided. On Monday, Biden received the endorsement from former 2020 presidential rivals Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who dropped out of the race Monday afternoon, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who ended his campaign Sunday, and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who made his exit last fall. Biden also captured endorsements from former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.


bonginoreport--2020-03-03--Pope Francis Tests Negative for Coronavirus

The Pope , who has been suffering from a cold , was tested for the coronavirus and the results came back negative , a report said Tuesday .
Pope Francis submitted to the swab test as a precaution after coming down with an illness days after he expressed support for patients suffering from the deadly virus , according to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero .
The 83-year-old pontiff could be seen coughing on Sunday as he addressed thousands for his weekly blessing from St. Peter ’ s Square .
During the event , he announced that he won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Roman countryside .
He asked for prayers for the retreat , adding that “ unfortunately a cold prevents me from participating this year .
I will be following the meditation from here.
” The Vatican had not previously specified what was ailing Francis , though the announcement comes as the coronavirus sweeps Italy .
“ There is no evidence that would lead to diagnosing anything but a mild indisposition , ” spokesman Matteo Bruni said on Friday .
Italy has seen 52 deaths due to the virus and the number of confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @

The Pope, who has been suffering from a cold, was tested for the coronavirus and the results came back negative, a report said Tuesday.
Pope Francis submitted to the swab test as a precaution after coming down with an illness days after he expressed support for patients suffering from the deadly virus, according to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.
The 83-year-old pontiff could be seen coughing on Sunday as he addressed thousands for his weekly blessing from St. Peter’s Square.
During the event, he announced that he won’t be attending a Lenten spiritual retreat in the Roman countryside.
He asked for prayers for the retreat, adding that “unfortunately a cold prevents me from participating this year. I will be following the meditation from here.”
The Vatican had not previously specified what was ailing Francis, though the announcement comes as the coronavirus sweeps Italy.
“There is no evidence that would lead to diagnosing anything but a mild indisposition,” spokesman Matteo Bruni said on Friday.
Italy has seen 52 deaths due to the virus and the number of confirmed cases reached 1,835 on Tuesday.


bonginoreport--2020-03-03--10-Year Treasury Yield Falls Below 1% for First Time Ever

The 10-year Treasury yield broke below 1 % for the first time ever in the wake of an emergency rate cut by the Federal Reserve to combat the economic effects of the spreading coronavirus .
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell more than 11 basis points to an all-time low of 0.906 % .
The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also at a record low of 1.601 % .
To offset the potential economic fallout from the coronavirus , the Fed slashed interest rates by half a percentage point on Tuesday in between its policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the financial crisis .
While the move by the central bank was widely expected at some point , Tuesday 's reduction at 10 a.m. still caught traders by surprise , sending them into bonds .
The Fed was scheduled to next decide on rates on March 18 .
`` The coronavirus poses evolving risks to economic activity , '' the Fed said in a statement .
`` In light of these risks and in support of achieving its maximum employment and price stability goals , the Federal Open Market Committee decided today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal funds rate . ''
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference later that the committee saw `` a risk to the economy and chose to act . ''
Stocks sold off again following the rate cut , after rebounding sharply on Monday with the Dow closing 5.1 % higher to post its biggest daily percentage gain since 2009 .
`` Financial conditions only ease if market participants are confident enough to take risk but because of the huge economic unknowns right now still , investors will remain risk averse thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Peter Boockvar , chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group .
`` As for encouraging higher consumer and business confidence , this type of panicky move , when the Fed has only 4 more rates to cut , I believe does the exact opposite , '' Boockvar added .
Investors have fled stocks and rushed into bonds for safety as the spreading virus stoked fears of a prolonged economic slowdown or even a recession .
Global confirmed cases of the disease have surged to at least 91,300 as of Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 91 .
The benchmark 10-year rate has plunged 90 basis points this year alone , while the 30-year Treasury yield has also tumbled 75 basis points to historic levels .
`` It would be premature to do anything in a significant way to ramp up risk , '' Guggenheim Partners Global CIO Scott Minerd said Tuesday on CNBC 's `` Halftime Report . ''
`` We need to find out where the bottom is here .
... Our target for the 10-year note is 25 basis points and long bond at 1 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new threat to the global economy , the bond market has been flashing various warning signs about the economy for a while now .
Last summer , the benchmark 10-year yield dipped below the 2-year rate , inverting a key part of the yield curve .
The inversion has been a reliable recession indicator as the phenomenon has preceded every recession over the past 50 years .
Many investors have blamed global central banks ' persistent monetary easing measures for the falling yields .
Global policymakers have been slashing interest rates at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Deutsche Bank .
About $ 15 trillion of government bonds worldwide now trade at negative yields , the bank said .

watch now
The 10-year Treasury yield broke below 1% for the first time ever in the wake of an emergency rate cut by the Federal Reserve to combat the economic effects of the spreading coronavirus. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell more than 11 basis points to an all-time low of 0.906%. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also at a record low of 1.601%.
To offset the potential economic fallout from the coronavirus, the Fed slashed interest rates by half a percentage point on Tuesday in between its policy meetings, the first such emergency cut since the financial crisis. While the move by the central bank was widely expected at some point, Tuesday's reduction at 10 a.m. still caught traders by surprise, sending them into bonds. The Fed was scheduled to next decide on rates on March 18. "The coronavirus poses evolving risks to economic activity," the Fed said in a statement. "In light of these risks and in support of achieving its maximum employment and price stability goals, the Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower the target range for the federal funds rate." Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference later that the committee saw "a risk to the economy and chose to act."
Stocks sold off again following the rate cut, after rebounding sharply on Monday with the Dow closing 5.1% higher to post its biggest daily percentage gain since 2009. "Financial conditions only ease if market participants are confident enough to take risk but because of the huge economic unknowns right now still, investors will remain risk averse thus diluting the impact of this move," said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. "As for encouraging higher consumer and business confidence, this type of panicky move, when the Fed has only 4 more rates to cut, I believe does the exact opposite," Boockvar added.
Tumbling yields
Investors have fled stocks and rushed into bonds for safety as the spreading virus stoked fears of a prolonged economic slowdown or even a recession. Global confirmed cases of the disease have surged to at least 91,300 as of Tuesday, while cases in the U.S. climbed to 91. The benchmark 10-year rate has plunged 90 basis points this year alone, while the 30-year Treasury yield has also tumbled 75 basis points to historic levels.
watch now
"It would be premature to do anything in a significant way to ramp up risk," Guggenheim Partners Global CIO Scott Minerd said Tuesday on CNBC's "Halftime Report." "We need to find out where the bottom is here. ... Our target for the 10-year note is 25 basis points and long bond at 1%."


bonginoreport--2020-03-03--State Department Orders Cap on Chinese State Media Hiring in U.S.

The State Department is placing a cap on the number of Chinese citizen employees that five Chinese-state backed news outlets operating in the U.S. are allowed to hire .
The Trump administration announced Monday that it is imposing the cap to retaliate against Beijing over its “ long-standing intimidation and harassment of journalists , ” Reuters reported .
The cap will apply to U.S. based employees of news organizations including Xinhua News Agency , China Global Television Network , China Radio International , and China Daily Distribution Corp. “ For years , the government of the People ’ s Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , harassment , and intimidation against American and other foreign journalists operating in China , ” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement .
The move comes nearly two weeks after China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters , China ’ s response after the State Department designated five Chinese media companies — which are now faced with the personnel cap — as agents of the Chinese Communist Party .
( RELATED : China Expels Three Wall Street Journal Reporters Following ‘ Racially Discriminatory ’ Opinion Article ) Monday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street Journal case , senior State Department officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Reuters said .
“ President Trump has made clear that Beijing ’ s restrictions on foreign journalists working in China are misguided , a State Department spokesperson told the Daily Caller .
“ The U.S. government has long welcomed foreign journalists , including from China , to report the news freely and without threat of reprisal.
” After the cap is implemented , the Chinese state media groups “ which are explicit organs of the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more Chinese personnel in the U.S. than there are foreign reporters at all U.S. media outlets in China , the spokesperson said .
“ It is our hope that this action will spur Beijing to adopt a more fair and reciprocal approach to U.S. and other foreign independent press in China.
” The decision to implement the cap will not place any restrictions on what the agencies publish in the U.S. , but rather , the spokesperson says the goal is “ reciprocity.
” “ This Administration seeks reciprocity across the bilateral relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have long suffered from a lack of a level playing field .
It is our hope that this action will spur Beijing to adopt a more fair and reciprocal approach to U.S. and other foreign independent press in China .
”

The State Department is placing a cap on the number of Chinese citizen employees that five Chinese-state backed news outlets operating in the U.S. are allowed to hire.
The Trump administration announced Monday that it is imposing the cap to retaliate against Beijing over its “long-standing intimidation and harassment of journalists,” Reuters reported. The cap will apply to U.S. based employees of news organizations including Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, and China Daily Distribution Corp.
“For years, the government of the People’s Republic of China has imposed increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment, and intimidation against American and other foreign journalists operating in China,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
Today, we announced a personnel cap on Chinese government-controlled media organizations in the United States. We urge Beijing to respect freedom of expression and will continue to seek reciprocity across the bilateral relationship. — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 2, 2020
The move comes nearly two weeks after China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters, China’s response after the State Department designated five Chinese media companies — which are now faced with the personnel cap — as agents of the Chinese Communist Party. (RELATED: China Expels Three Wall Street Journal Reporters Following ‘Racially Discriminatory’ Opinion Article)
Monday’s decision was not particularly linked to the Wall Street Journal case, senior State Department officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Reuters said.
“President Trump has made clear that Beijing’s restrictions on foreign journalists working in China are misguided, a State Department spokesperson told the Daily Caller. “The U.S. government has long welcomed foreign journalists, including from China, to report the news freely and without threat of reprisal.”
After the cap is implemented, the Chinese state media groups “which are explicit organs of the Chinese Communist Party” will continue to employ more Chinese personnel in the U.S. than there are foreign reporters at all U.S. media outlets in China, the spokesperson said. “It is our hope that this action will spur Beijing to adopt a more fair and reciprocal approach to U.S. and other foreign independent press in China.”
The decision to implement the cap will not place any restrictions on what the agencies publish in the U.S., but rather, the spokesperson says the goal is “reciprocity.”
“This Administration seeks reciprocity across the bilateral relationship, and particularly in areas where we have long suffered from a lack of a level playing field. It is our hope that this action will spur Beijing to adopt a more fair and reciprocal approach to U.S. and other foreign independent press in China.”


bonginoreport--2020-03-03--Background Checks Up 30% Amidst Democrat Candidates’ Calls for Gun Control

FBI gun background checks required in most weapon sales have jumped 30 % as consumers have rushed in to gun stores and shows to load up amid threats from Democratic presidential candidates to end sales and safety concerns as the coronavirus spreads .
Background checks in January and February recorded the highest number ever for the period , said the FBI .
In just two months , there have been 5,505,169 checks .
Last year , there were 4,218,980 background checks in January and February .
If the trend continues the way arms industry officials expect , 2020 will record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Criminal Background Check System , at over 30 million .
`` Sales are in record territory for both January and February for us .
Along with political pressure , coronavirus fears are also driving sales .
In particular , entry-level AR-15s are selling extremely well , and thankfully , unlike the Obama years , there ’ s enough inventory in the pipeline to satisfy demand .
It should be an interesting year , '' said Justin Anderson , the director of marketing for Hyatt Guns of Charlotte , North Carolina , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number is a key barometer on gun sales .
The system is used for sales from federal firearm license holders , such as gun shows , but misses private sales and sales in a handful of states where it is not used .
Checks are also made for concealed carry permits and other security needs .
Sales saw a similar surge in 2016 when Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton was polling ahead of Donald Trump for president .
She had promised to enact an assault weapons ban like her husband did .
At a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines to get in stretched blocks .
Secrets witnessed long lines inside as people bought multiple guns , including so-called `` ghost guns '' that do not carry a serial number .
And sales of pro-Trump goods like MAGA hats and flags were brisk .
This year , Michael Bloomberg , who funds several anti-gun groups and politicians , is spending heavily to win the nomination .
And surging Joe Biden has teamed up with gun-banner Beto O ’ Rourke .
Bloomberg yesterday said during a Fox town hall , “ The whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns.
” He added during a discussion of his controversial “ stop and frisk ” policy he ’ s since apologized for , “ You just have to make sure there 's no guns.
” Biden , at a Texas rally , said that O ’ Rourke will be his gun czar .
During his short presidential campaign , O ’ Rourke promised to take every sporting rifle in America .
“ Hell , yes , we 're going to take your AR-15 , your AK-47 , ” he said of the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden has promised a new ban and wants to buy back every AR and AK in the country .
He told a CNN debate , `` The fact of the matter is they should be illegal , period .
Look , the Second Amendment does n't say you ca n't restrict the kinds of weapon people can own .
You ca n't buy a bazooka , you ca n't have a flame thrower . ''
Trump , meanwhile , is expected to win a second endorsement from the National Rifle Association this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grab .
At last week ’ s Conservative Political Action Conference , he mocked O ’ Rourke ’ s gun plan and Biden ’ s erroneous claim that 150 million people have been killed by guns .

FBI gun background checks required in most weapon sales have jumped 30% as consumers have rushed in to gun stores and shows to load up amid threats from Democratic presidential candidates to end sales and safety concerns as the coronavirus spreads.
Background checks in January and February recorded the highest number ever for the period, said the FBI. In just two months, there have been 5,505,169 checks. Last year, there were 4,218,980 background checks in January and February.
If the trend continues the way arms industry officials expect, 2020 will record the most-ever checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, at over 30 million.
"Sales are in record territory for both January and February for us. Along with political pressure, coronavirus fears are also driving sales. In particular, entry-level AR-15s are selling extremely well, and thankfully, unlike the Obama years, there’s enough inventory in the pipeline to satisfy demand. It should be an interesting year," said Justin Anderson, the director of marketing for Hyatt Guns of Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the nation's biggest.
The NICS number is a key barometer on gun sales. The system is used for sales from federal firearm license holders, such as gun shows, but misses private sales and sales in a handful of states where it is not used. Checks are also made for concealed carry permits and other security needs.
Sales saw a similar surge in 2016 when Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton was polling ahead of Donald Trump for president. She had promised to enact an assault weapons ban like her husband did.
Joe Biden tells Beto, of "hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47," fame that "you're going to take care of the gun problem with me. You're gonna to be the one who leads this effort." pic.twitter.com/rKNlkyHWYA — Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) March 3, 2020
At a recent gun show in northern Virginia, lines to get in stretched blocks. Secrets witnessed long lines inside as people bought multiple guns, including so-called "ghost guns" that do not carry a serial number. And sales of pro-Trump goods like MAGA hats and flags were brisk.
This year, Michael Bloomberg, who funds several anti-gun groups and politicians, is spending heavily to win the nomination. And surging Joe Biden has teamed up with gun-banner Beto O’Rourke.
When he ran for president, Beto O'Rourke sold these t-shirts.
Bloomberg yesterday said during a Fox town hall, “The whole idea is to keep people from carrying guns.” He added during a discussion of his controversial “stop and frisk” policy he’s since apologized for, “You just have to make sure there's no guns.”
Biden, at a Texas rally, said that O’Rourke will be his gun czar. During his short presidential campaign, O’Rourke promised to take every sporting rifle in America. “Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” he said of the two most popular rifles in the world.
Biden has promised a new ban and wants to buy back every AR and AK in the country. He told a CNN debate, "The fact of the matter is they should be illegal, period. Look, the Second Amendment doesn't say you can't restrict the kinds of weapon people can own. You can't buy a bazooka, you can't have a flame thrower."
Trump, meanwhile, is expected to win a second endorsement from the National Rifle Association this year and has pledged to fight any gun grab.
At last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference, he mocked O’Rourke’s gun plan and Biden’s erroneous claim that 150 million people have been killed by guns.


bonginoreport--2020-03-04--President Trump Donates Q4 Salary to HHS

President Donald Trump donated his quarter four salary to the Department of Health and Human Services Tuesday to help fight the Coronavirus .
The donation amounts to $ 100,000 , and comes as part of Trumps vow to donate his entire salary throughout his presidency , according to White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham .
He has in the past donated parts of his salary to border enforcement , the Surgeon General ’ s office and Veterans ’ Affairs , among others .
Trump has made a point of using his personal funds throughout his campaign and into his presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2016 Republican Primary .
He also famously bought fast food for the Clemson University football team with his own money during a government shutdown .
( RELATED : Trump Donates Quarter 3 Salary To Fight Opioid Crisis ) “ If it ’ s American , I like it .
It ’ s all American stuff .
… But it ’ s good stuff and we have the national champion team , as you know , Clemson Tigers .
And they had a fantastic game against Alabama and they ’ re all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the room and I think we ’ re going to let you see them , ” Trump said to reporters at the time .

President Donald Trump donated his quarter four salary to the Department of Health and Human Services Tuesday to help fight the Coronavirus.
The donation amounts to $100,000, and comes as part of Trumps vow to donate his entire salary throughout his presidency, according to White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham. He has in the past donated parts of his salary to border enforcement, the Surgeon General’s office and Veterans’ Affairs, among others.
Trump has made a point of using his personal funds throughout his campaign and into his presidency. Trump relied heavily on personal funds in the 2016 Republican Primary. He also famously bought fast food for the Clemson University football team with his own money during a government shutdown. (RELATED: Trump Donates Quarter 3 Salary To Fight Opioid Crisis)
“If it’s American, I like it. It’s all American stuff. … But it’s good stuff and we have the national champion team, as you know, Clemson Tigers. And they had a fantastic game against Alabama and they’re all here. They’re right outside the room and I think we’re going to let you see them,” Trump said to reporters at the time.
The annual presidential salary is $400,000.


bonginoreport--2020-03-04--Bloomberg to “Reassess” Campaign After Spending $100 Million Per Delegate Won

Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg waves to supporters as he arrives to his campaign rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach , Fla. , Tuesday , March 3 , 2020 .
( Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP ) Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg waves to supporters as he arrives to his campaign rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach , Fla. , Tuesday , March 3 , 2020 .
( Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP ) LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the race after getting disappointing results in Super Tuesday primaries despite spending more than a half billion dollars on his three-month campaign .
A person close to the Bloomberg campaign confirmed the deliberations .
The person wasn ’ t authorized to discuss the matter by name and requested anonymity .
Bloomberg flew back to New York after campaigning Tuesday in Florida , a state that votes March 17 and where he ’ s already spent millions .
Bloomberg , a billionaire businessman and former New York mayor , spent sums never before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race in November .
Millions of dollars went toward states like Virginia , North Carolina and Tennessee — all three of which former Vice President Joe Biden won on Tuesday , riding a wave after his decisive victory in South Carolina .
Sen. Bernie Sanders , meanwhile , racked up victories in California , Colorado and other states .
Bloomberg ’ s poor showing was a rejection by voters of the central rationale of his campaign : He was the candidate best poised to take on Republican President Donald Trump .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , money can ’ t solve every problem .
Bloomberg , one of the world ’ s wealthiest men , has a $ 61 billion net worth that flows from the financial data and media company he founded in the 1980s , Bloomberg LP .
“ When you come in late to the game and you are someone who has a record , you can ’ t assume you can just wash that away with spending .
You ’ re still gon na have to answer questions and you ’ re still gon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Karen Finney , a Democratic strategist and former Hillary Clinton aide .
Bloomberg had aimed to take advantage of a weak and divided field of moderate candidates and collect enough delegates out of the day to emerge as the moderate alternative to Sanders .
But Biden was boosted by Amy Klobuchar ’ s and Pete Buttigieg ’ s decisions to exit the race and endorse him .
The AP has allocated some delegates to Bloomberg from the territory of American Samoa , Texas , North Carolina , Tennessee , Colorado , Alabama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign manager , said the campaign ’ s “ number one priority remains defeating Donald Trump in November.
” There were signs Bloomberg wants to to stay in the race .
He has already announced campaign stops in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Florida on Thursday , Friday and Saturday .
He ’ s spent tens of millions of dollars in states that don ’ t vote until later in March or April , and bought new advertising time on Tuesday night , according to the ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ open and spend through the general election , even if he ’ s not the Democratic nominee .
In California , the largest delegate prize in the primary contest and a state where Bloomberg spent at least $ 57 million on TV ads , running them in every market over the 10 days leading up to the election .
The mood was buoyant at Bloomberg ’ s Tuesday night rally in Palm Beach , before many of the results had rolled in .
A crowd of about 500 people snacked on mini hamburgers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open bar as music blared from the speakers .
And they gave a huge cheer when the networks called American Samoa for Bloomberg — his only win of the night .
Bloomberg himself spoke before most of the races had been decided , and preemptively dismissed the outcome .
“ No matter how many delegates we win tonight , we have done something no one thought was possible : In just three months , we ’ ve gone from 1 percent in the polls to being a contender for the Democratic nomination for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bloomberg ’ s money allowed him to campaign in the Super Tuesday states in ways his opponents could only dream of .
He was the only candidate on air in all 14 states , and had staff on the ground in every state , including some teams that campaign leadership said were bigger than any campaign had built for a prior election .
According to TV ad spending data obtained by The Associated Press , Bloomberg dropped nearly $ 180 million on television advertising in those states as of this past weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Texas and California , the race ’ s two largest delegate troves , coming out to roughly $ 3 per voter .
In San Diego , some Democrats have even turned Bloomberg ’ s name into a verb to describe one Democratic candidate ’ s massive spending in the local congressional race , saying she ’ s “ Bloomberged ” the race .
A TV viewer there could have seen a Bloomberg ad as many as 40 times in the 10 days leading up to the election .
Bloomberg hired more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a national staff of 2,400 people .
“ It has to be somewhat humbling , not making any showing at all , especially given all he ’ s spent both on TV buys and on field organizing , ” said Jess Durfee , a Democratic National Committee member from San Diego who voted for Elizabeth Warren .
In states like Virginia and Alabama , Bloomberg ’ s massive ad spending did little to stop Biden from seizing victory .
Bloomberg had spent more than $ 12 million in Virginia , with 99 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race .
In Alabama , Bloomberg spent more than $ 6 million on television advertising , with more than $ 1 million in the 10 days leading up to the election .
He ’ s also been spending tens of millions on digital advertising , all guided by a secretive digital firm called Hawkfish that Bloomberg himself founded last spring that provides the campaign with digital ad services , including “ content creation , ad placement and analytics , ” according to a campaign spokesperson .
But the onslaught of ads seemed unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his opponents — and his own poor performance — during his first primary debate , in Las Vegas last month .
There , nearly all his opponents hammered him over allegations he made sexist and crude comments to former employees and nondisclosure agreements that women who worked for his company had signed preventing them from speaking out .
Sanders and Warren repeatedly accused Bloomberg of trying to buy the nomination .
___

NEW YORK (AP) — In just over 100 days, Mike Bloomberg spent over $500 million of his own fortune in a quixotic bid for the presidency that collapsed in stunning fashion on Super Tuesday, when he won just one U.S. territory, American Samoa.
By Wednesday morning, he quit the race and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden, saying his continued presence in the rapidly shrinking field would make it harder for the party to defeat President Donald Trump in November, his ultimate priority. The businessman, worth an estimated $61 billion, pledged to keep spending to defeat Trump.
“I entered the race for president to defeat Donald Trump, and today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump,” he said at a rally of staff and supporters at a Manhattan hotel.
In a rare show of emotion, the stoic mayor became tearful when closing his speech, saying he was “amazed at how many people have stood with me shoulder to shoulder.”
The farewell rally was an otherwise unusually buoyant event for a departing candidate, with staffers cheering and waving American flags. It was also in some ways reflective of the campaign he ran: one fueled by unlimited funds, high production value but little organic support.
Bloomberg’s money eventually wasn’t enough to sell voters on the idea that a former New York City mayor with bottomless resources was the Democratic Party’s best choice. Bloomberg went from a nonexistent campaign to a staff of 2,400 people across 43 states in less than three months and said Wednesday that he received nearly 2 million votes on Tuesday. But he won none of the 14 states that voted Tuesday night and picked up just a handful of delegates in states where he had cautiously hoped for victory as recently as last week.
That was before Biden’s resurgence in South Carolina and the rapid realignment of Democrats behind him. Two of Bloomberg’s former Democratic rivals, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg, dropped out of the race. They endorsed Biden as the moderate alternative to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders just the day before Super Tuesday.
But Bloomberg’s campaign may have been doomed from the start, said Mo Elleithee, formerly the top spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. He cited the businessman’s unorthodox decision to skip the first four primary states as an early problem.
“There’s a reason why others have tried this strategy of skipping the early states and it’s never worked, and that’s because you just can’t parachute into a presidential race — especially when it’s pretty deep in — and expect to just coast through,” he said. “What the early states do is they help you work out kinks and get ready for the primary.”
It was a strategy born partly of necessity — Bloomberg’s late entry into the race, in November, meant he didn’t have much time to set up an operation or build a following in the early primary states. At the time, Bloomberg’s internal campaign data showed Biden struggling in the primary, and the path for Bloomberg looked much clearer.
But it’s also one that reflects Bloomberg’s unique asset in the field as the world’s ninth wealthiest man. His fortune flows from the financial data and media company that bears his name, which he started in the 1980s. In addition to serving 12 years as New York mayor, he endeared himself to progressive groups by pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into fighting climate change and curbing gun violence.
In the early weeks of his campaign, he used his vast fortune to introduce himself to voters outside New York on his own terms, and his rivals accused him of trying to buy the party’s nomination and the White House. While he spent over $500 million nationally on television, radio and digital ads, he hung his success on Super Tuesday, spending at least $180 million on advertising in those 14 states alone.
As the primaries got underway in February, his bet seemed to have paid off: Bloomberg surged to double digits in the polls just as Biden was taking a hit from underwhelming performances in the first two primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
Bloomberg’s team went as far as to declare it a two-person primary between Bloomberg and Sanders. While Bloomberg made an electability case against Sanders and argued the senator’s progressive policies and embrace of democratic socialism didn’t reflect the party, the Vermont senator used the billionaire as a foil to his populist message.
But the focus on advertising and carefully choreographed rallies where the candidate never took questions from voters and rarely from press left him ill prepared for his first turn on the debate stage in over a decade, in Las Vegas in late February. There, he was pummeled by opponents over his support for the controversial stop-and-frisk policing practice and its disproportionate effect on minorities and his company’s nondisclosure agreements with dozens of women, as well as alleged crude and sexist comments about female employees.
Bloomberg’s heavily data-driven campaign watched the former mayor’s favorability ratings fall after that debate. The campaign’s polling shifted again after Biden’s victory in South Carolina, this time in such dramatic fashion toward the former vice president that data was outdated almost as soon as it was presented to Bloomberg and his staff, according to a senior campaign adviser.
The adviser said Bloomberg was clear-eyed about his prospects heading into Super Tuesday voting but felt he needed to stand by his commitment to appear on ballots in the states.
By the time Bloomberg huddled with his senior advisers at the campaign’s headquarters Wednesday morning, the decision was clear. He called Biden to tell him he was dropping out and endorsing his candidacy.
In his statement announcing his decision, Bloomberg said he has worked over the years with Biden and the former vice president is committed to fighting for gun safety, health care, climate change and good jobs.
Trump, for his part, had paid close attention to the Democratic nominating contest and had been especially fixated on Bloomberg. On Tuesday, he called the results a “complete destruction” of Bloomberg’s reputation — and on Wednesday, after Bloomberg dropped out, Trump gloated that “sometimes you just don’t have what it takes.”
What’s next for Bloomberg’s operation is unclear. He’d pledged to keep campaign offices open in key general election battleground states to help Democrats defeat Trump — and he’s continuing to pay his thousands of staffers through the general election.
Elleithee said that means Bloomberg “has the potential to have a lot more impact on this race as a non-candidate than he did as a candidate.”
“As much as Democrats started to demonize Mike Bloomberg the candidate, they loved Mike Bloomberg the progressive benefactor before he became a candidate,” he said.
___
Ronayne reported from Los Angeles. AP Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace contributed to this report from Washington.
___
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”


bonginoreport--2020-03-04--Tulsi Gabbard Wins Delegate, Likely Qualifying Her for Next Dem Debate

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard might not be polling well in the 2020 Democratic primary race , but she does add something valuable to the conversation .
Now , after Super Tuesday results show that she placed second and won a delegate in American Samoa , it appears Gabbard may have qualified for the next Democratic debate .
If the qualification rules going forward stay the same that they were for the Iowa , New Hampshire , Nevada , and South Carolina debates , then you would only need to win a single delegate to earn a spot on the debate stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now qualify .
Were she to meet the delegate standard , assuming current projections hold , it would set up a dramatic showdown between Gabbard and the Democratic National Committee , longtime enemies .
If they change the rules now , conveniently , it would seem suspect , like they are trying to keep Gabbard off the stage .
Otherwise , she will grace the debate stage again soon — and take the establishment to task .
UPDATE : A Democratic Party spokeswoman suggested on Twitter the party will raise the delegate threshold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard might not be polling well in the 2020 Democratic primary race, but she does add something valuable to the conversation.
Now, after Super Tuesday results show that she placed second and won a delegate in American Samoa, it appears Gabbard may have qualified for the next Democratic debate. If the qualification rules going forward stay the same that they were for the Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina debates, then you would only need to win a single delegate to earn a spot on the debate stage. Under this standard, Gabbard would now qualify.
If Tulsi Gabbard gets a delegate out of American Samoa, as it appears she has done, she will likely qualify for the next Democratic debate. We don't have new debate rules yet, but party has been inviting any candidate who gets a delegate. — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) March 4, 2020
Were she to meet the delegate standard, assuming current projections hold, it would set up a dramatic showdown between Gabbard and the Democratic National Committee, longtime enemies. If they change the rules now, conveniently, it would seem suspect, like they are trying to keep Gabbard off the stage. Otherwise, she will grace the debate stage again soon — and take the establishment to task.
UPDATE: A Democratic Party spokeswoman suggested on Twitter the party will raise the delegate threshold, calling into question Gabbard's qualification.


bonginoreport--2020-03-04--Liberal Pundits Really Dislike Being Fact Checked

Liberal journalists have belatedly realized that social media fact-checking can be used against them , and they 're not happy about it .
Not one bit .
But it 's hard to have sympathy for them when they finally taste their own medicine .
On Saturday , one of Facebook 's independent fact-checkers , The Daily Caller , determined a Politico story to be untrue , leading to a `` False Information '' tag on the social media platform .
Politico had claimed that President Donald Trump called the coronavirus itself a `` hoax , '' when , in context @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats ' politicization of the virus .
`` The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus , '' Trump said .
`` One of my people came up to me and said 'Mr .
President , they tried to beat you on Russia , Russia , Russia .
That didn ’ t work out too well.
’ They couldn ’ t do it .
They tried the impeachment hoax that was on a perfect conversation .
This is their new hoax . ''
Naturally , the liberal legacy media latched on to the idea that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` hoax , '' a theme echoed by 2020 Democrats .
Judd Legum , the founder of Think Progress and former campaign staffer for Hillary Clinton , complained about the Facebook fact-check on Twitter .
`` Facebook made THE DAILY CALLER an official fact-checking partner .
That gives The Daily Caller the ability to label anything posted on Facebook as 'false information ' and dramatically reduce its distribution .
It 's now using that power to boost Trump , '' Legum tweeted .
He argued that Politico 's angle was correct .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump referred only to the Democrats ' politicization of the coronavirus as a 'hoax ' But that 's not what Trump said , '' Legum claimed .
`` He said : 'This is their new hoax ' The Daily Caller resolves that ambiguity in favor of Trump . ''
The Daily Caller explained that Trump `` reiterates his administration is taking the threat of the coronavirus seriously , '' which he does in the speech .
Legum claimed that Trump `` minimizes the threat of the coronavirus . ''
That is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exaggerated fears about the virus , while at the same time insisting that his administration is taking it seriously .
The two positions are not inherently contradictory .
Legum went on to complain that `` The Daily Caller 's fact check operation is funded by the Searle Freedom Trust , a major funder of organizations that push climate disinformation and other right-wing causes . ''
In other words , it 's beyond the pale for Facebook to use The Daily Caller for fact-checks because this site is funded by a trust that promotes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Berry , head of audience at HuffPost , noted the harsh penalties and loss of traffic that come with a Facebook `` false '' fact-check marking .
`` What 's not mentioned here : When a FB-appointed fact-checker gives a 'false ' or 'partially false ' rating , it downranks ALL that publication 's content on FB and can destroy a publication 's FB referral for weeks .
Facebook lets The Daily Caller choose which sites get FB traffic , '' Berry tweeted .
This does indeed impact a website 's traffic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely accurate .
Only the post that has been flagged as false is downranked .
All of a publication 's content is only affected if the page repeatedly shares false information .
If the publication corrects the false information , satisfying the fact-checker , then the penalty is lifted .
Regardless , this struggle is nothing new for conservatives .
Social media companies , seeking to engage in fact-checking on their platforms , often turn to liberal-leaning outlets like PolitiFact and Lead Stories .
( Facebook used to work with Snopes as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a PJ Media article from Jim Treacher was `` false . ''
Treacher had claimed that the viral photos of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) weeping on the other side of a fence were not taken at a migrant facility but outside an empty parking lot .
The article was rated `` false '' not because AOC was actually crying in front of migrants , but because the photos were taken by an empty road that led to a facility , not an empty parking lot as Treacher claimed .
Treacher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were staged — remained correct , but the fact-check dinged him , anyway , leading PJ Media to be branded as a purveyor of `` false information '' on Facebook , just like Politico now faces .
A left-leaning fact-checker used a pedantic point to silence a right-leaning news outlet .
I happen to think Politico 's biased retelling of Trump 's speech does more damage to the facts than Treacher 's misstep , but both cases are instructive .
Politico seized on the ambiguity of Trump 's statement that `` this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it against him .
In context , Politico 's claim was false .
The Daily Caller , which reports on news from a conservative perspective , rightly defended Trump from a biased attack .
Treacher seized on the deception of AOC 's photos but was technically incorrect about what lay on the other side of the bars .
Left-leaning PolitiFact seized on this pedantic point and got PJ Media branded as `` false information . ''
Conservatives have long been angry with Facebook for this kind of misstep , and many welcomed Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases illustrate how difficult it is to fact-check in a partisan news environment .
Following the 2016 election , social media companies are terrified about peddling `` fake news . ''
Internet misinformation is a serious problem , yet most fact-checking sites are not immune from bias , no matter how hard they try — or appear to try .
Especially when it comes to issues like climate alarmism , there is a very serious divide in how the left and the right see the basic facts at issue .
Liberals cite experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point out how badly these experts failed to predict the impacts of climate change .
Who wins the fact-check ?
It depends on your perspective and the exact words involved .
This is not to say the underlying facts are not important — they are .
But bias is endemic in journalism , especially when the left and the right can not agree on the right place to start .
Facebook 's decision to partner with a conservative outlet for fact-checks is welcome , but I fear the entire enterprise of social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for readers to know what kinds of sites are trustworthy and which are not , but to what degree is that Facebook 's job in the first place ?
Tyler O'Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay : The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center .
Follow him on Twitter at @ Tyler2ONeil .

Liberal journalists have belatedly realized that social media fact-checking can be used against them, and they’re not happy about it. Not one bit. But it’s hard to have sympathy for them when they finally taste their own medicine.
On Saturday, one of Facebook’s independent fact-checkers, The Daily Caller, determined a Politico story to be untrue, leading to a “False Information” tag on the social media platform. Politico had claimed that President Donald Trump called the coronavirus itself a “hoax,” when, in context, the president was clearly condemning the Democrats’ politicization of the virus.
“The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus,” Trump said. “One of my people came up to me and said ‘Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia. That didn’t work out too well.’ They couldn’t do it. They tried the impeachment hoax that was on a perfect conversation. This is their new hoax.”
Naturally, the liberal legacy media latched on to the idea that Trump had called the coronavirus itself a “hoax,” a theme echoed by 2020 Democrats.
Judd Legum, the founder of Think Progress and former campaign staffer for Hillary Clinton, complained about the Facebook fact-check on Twitter.
“Facebook made THE DAILY CALLER an official fact-checking partner. That gives The Daily Caller the ability to label anything posted on Facebook as ‘false information’ and dramatically reduce its distribution. It’s now using that power to boost Trump,” Legum tweeted.
2. On Friday, Politico published an article headlined "Trump rallies his base to treat coronavirus as a ‘hoax.’" The Daily Caller declared this was "false information." If you try to post the article to Facebook, this is what you see. https://t.co/AoMU8uhDR8 pic.twitter.com/aDS4Ogpo1y — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 3, 2020
He argued that Politico‘s angle was correct.
“The Daily Caller’s fact check claims that Trump referred only to the Democrats’ politicization of the coronavirus as a ‘hoax’ But that’s not what Trump said,” Legum claimed. “He said: ‘This is their new hoax’ The Daily Caller resolves that ambiguity in favor of Trump.”
The Daily Caller explained that Trump “reiterates his administration is taking the threat of the coronavirus seriously,” which he does in the speech. Legum claimed that Trump “minimizes the threat of the coronavirus.” That is also true: the president sought to allay exaggerated fears about the virus, while at the same time insisting that his administration is taking it seriously. The two positions are not inherently contradictory.
Legum went on to complain that “The Daily Caller’s fact check operation is funded by the Searle Freedom Trust, a major funder of organizations that push climate disinformation and other right-wing causes.”
In other words, it’s beyond the pale for Facebook to use The Daily Caller for fact-checks because this site is funded by a trust that promotes a narrative Legum vehemently disagrees with.
Mike Berry, head of audience at HuffPost, noted the harsh penalties and loss of traffic that come with a Facebook “false” fact-check marking.
“What’s not mentioned here: When a FB-appointed fact-checker gives a ‘false’ or ‘partially false’ rating, it downranks ALL that publication’s content on FB and can destroy a publication’s FB referral for weeks. Facebook lets The Daily Caller choose which sites get FB traffic,” Berry tweeted.
https://twitter.com/MikeElliotBarry/status/1234861055433756679
This does indeed impact a website’s traffic, although what Barry claims isn’t entirely accurate. Only the post that has been flagged as false is downranked. All of a publication’s content is only affected if the page repeatedly shares false information. If the publication corrects the false information, satisfying the fact-checker, then the penalty is lifted.
Regardless, this struggle is nothing new for conservatives. Social media companies, seeking to engage in fact-checking on their platforms, often turn to liberal-leaning outlets like PolitiFact and Lead Stories. (Facebook used to work with Snopes as well). Last July, PolitiFact ruled that a PJ Media article from Jim Treacher was “false.” Treacher had claimed that the viral photos of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) weeping on the other side of a fence were not taken at a migrant facility but outside an empty parking lot. The article was rated “false” not because AOC was actually crying in front of migrants, but because the photos were taken by an empty road that led to a facility, not an empty parking lot as Treacher claimed.
Treacher’s basic point — that the photos were staged — remained correct, but the fact-check dinged him, anyway, leading PJ Media to be branded as a purveyor of “false information” on Facebook, just like Politico now faces. A left-leaning fact-checker used a pedantic point to silence a right-leaning news outlet.
I happen to think Politico‘s biased retelling of Trump’s speech does more damage to the facts than Treacher’s misstep, but both cases are instructive.
Politico seized on the ambiguity of Trump’s statement that “this is their new hoax,” and twisted it against him. In context, Politico‘s claim was false. The Daily Caller, which reports on news from a conservative perspective, rightly defended Trump from a biased attack.
Treacher seized on the deception of AOC’s photos but was technically incorrect about what lay on the other side of the bars. Left-leaning PolitiFact seized on this pedantic point and got PJ Media branded as “false information.”
Conservatives have long been angry with Facebook for this kind of misstep, and many welcomed Facebook’s fact-check against Politico. Yet both cases illustrate how difficult it is to fact-check in a partisan news environment.
Following the 2016 election, social media companies are terrified about peddling “fake news.” Internet misinformation is a serious problem, yet most fact-checking sites are not immune from bias, no matter how hard they try — or appear to try. Especially when it comes to issues like climate alarmism, there is a very serious divide in how the left and the right see the basic facts at issue. Liberals cite experts who warn about climate change while conservatives point out how badly these experts failed to predict the impacts of climate change. Who wins the fact-check? It depends on your perspective and the exact words involved.
This is not to say the underlying facts are not important — they are. But bias is endemic in journalism, especially when the left and the right cannot agree on the right place to start.
Facebook’s decision to partner with a conservative outlet for fact-checks is welcome, but I fear the entire enterprise of social media fact-checking is flawed. It is important for readers to know what kinds of sites are trustworthy and which are not, but to what degree is that Facebook’s job in the first place?
Tyler O’Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Follow him on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.


bonginoreport--2020-03-04--Over 300 Chinese Nationals Have Been Caught Illegally Crossing Border This Year

At least 328 Chinese nationals trying to enter the United States illegally since January have been intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials as part of heightened awareness on the borders to block the coronavirus from slipping into the nation .
Officials told Secrets Wednesday that since January , 328 Chinese were “ apprehended ” and sent back across the border or repatriated consistent with existing policy and procedure .
Another three from South Korea , where the virus is also spreading , were also caught .
Some 227 foreign nationals from other nations who tried to enter through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 3 have been turned away due to the travel restriction ordered by the president and implemented by the Department of Homeland Security , officials said .
The White House previously announced travel restrictions for China , saying the U.S. would keep out any foreign national who 's been in China within 14 days .
Several agencies within the DHS have been enlisted into President Trump ’ s “ whole of government ” attack on the virus , and more than 700 officials have been deployed to the effort .
Senior administration officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on the border , the new wall , and the policy of keeping illegal immigrants in Mexico while awaiting permission to enter the U.S. , have gone a long way to keep the virus away , especially at the southern border .
But acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Tuesday raised concerns about a court challenge to the Migrant Protection Protocols policy of keeping migrants in Mexico , where the coronavirus has also landed .
“ MPP has an uncertain future .
We know from experience that the journey to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and they often arrive with no passports , medical histories , or travel manifests .
The administration will continue to closely monitor the virus globally , as well as in our hemisphere , and will adjust our proactive measures as necessary , ” he said .
Added a senior administration official : `` We have a unique public health threat posed by individuals arriving unlawfully at the border .
Any halting of MPP would exacerbate that threat . ''
DHS acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said , “ The department ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people , and President Trump has directed an aggressive , coordinated interagency response to fulfill that mission.
” He told Secrets : “ The American people can be assured that we 're doing everything we can to protect our homeland .
While the general risk to the American public remains low , DHS has mobilized a departmentwide response to keep Americans safe , secure , and informed .
Fortunately , we were able to engage DHS assistance early to prevent the spread of this virus in the U.S. We remain locked arm-in-arm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC health professionals , and state and local officials acting as one to safeguard the health and safety of the American people.
” Several agencies are part of the effort .
CBP and the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office are supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention entry screening at 11 major airports .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Coast Guard are also playing key roles .
Officials said that 150-200 CBP officers are involved in screening those coming into the United States at 11 locations .
CWMD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coast Guard medical teams have screened 707 people at three airports , Detroit , Dallas-Fort Worth , Seattle , and remains responsible for all seaports .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is working with the Department of Health and Human Services in “ incident management , resource planning , and federal interagency coordination , ” according to an official .
FEMA is readying 56 “ incident management assistance teams ” that can be deployed to trouble areas .
The numbers of those caught so far : Illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea : 3 Foreign nationals refused at land ports of entry by CBP from Feb. 2 to March 3 : Canada : 113 China : 90 India : 9 Mexico : 6 Germany : 4 Bangladesh : 2 Japan : 2 Norway : 1 Singapore : 1

At least 328 Chinese nationals trying to enter the United States illegally since January have been intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials as part of heightened awareness on the borders to block the coronavirus from slipping into the nation.
Officials told Secrets Wednesday that since January, 328 Chinese were “apprehended” and sent back across the border or repatriated consistent with existing policy and procedure. Another three from South Korea, where the virus is also spreading, were also caught.
Some 227 foreign nationals from other nations who tried to enter through legal border points from Feb. 2 through March 3 have been turned away due to the travel restriction ordered by the president and implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, officials said.
The White House previously announced travel restrictions for China, saying the U.S. would keep out any foreign national who's been in China within 14 days.
Several agencies within the DHS have been enlisted into President Trump’s “whole of government” attack on the virus, and more than 700 officials have been deployed to the effort.
Senior administration officials said that the president’s three-year focus on the border, the new wall, and the policy of keeping illegal immigrants in Mexico while awaiting permission to enter the U.S., have gone a long way to keep the virus away, especially at the southern border.
But acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Tuesday raised concerns about a court challenge to the Migrant Protection Protocols policy of keeping migrants in Mexico, where the coronavirus has also landed.
“MPP has an uncertain future. We know from experience that the journey to the U.S. border puts migrants in poor conditions — and they often arrive with no passports, medical histories, or travel manifests. The administration will continue to closely monitor the virus globally, as well as in our hemisphere, and will adjust our proactive measures as necessary,” he said.
Added a senior administration official: "We have a unique public health threat posed by individuals arriving unlawfully at the border. Any halting of MPP would exacerbate that threat."
DHS acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said, “The department’s top priority is the safety of the American people, and President Trump has directed an aggressive, coordinated interagency response to fulfill that mission.”
He told Secrets: “The American people can be assured that we're doing everything we can to protect our homeland. While the general risk to the American public remains low, DHS has mobilized a departmentwide response to keep Americans safe, secure, and informed. Fortunately, we were able to engage DHS assistance early to prevent the spread of this virus in the U.S. We remain locked arm-in-arm with our interagency partners, HHS and CDC health professionals, and state and local officials acting as one to safeguard the health and safety of the American people.”
Several agencies are part of the effort. CBP and the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office are supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention entry screening at 11 major airports. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Coast Guard are also playing key roles.
Officials said that 150-200 CBP officers are involved in screening those coming into the United States at 11 locations.
CWMD has more than 500 trained screeners.
Coast Guard medical teams have screened 707 people at three airports, Detroit, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle, and remains responsible for all seaports.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is working with the Department of Health and Human Services in “incident management, resource planning, and federal interagency coordination,” according to an official. FEMA is readying 56 “incident management assistance teams” that can be deployed to trouble areas.
The numbers of those caught so far:
Illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border since Jan. 1:
China: 328
South Korea: 3
Foreign nationals refused at land ports of entry by CBP from Feb. 2 to March 3:
Canada: 113
China: 90
India: 9
Mexico: 6
Germany: 4
Bangladesh: 2
Japan: 2
Norway: 1
Singapore: 1


bonginoreport--2020-03-04--Senate Judiciary Committee Holds First Deposition in FISA Abuse Investigation

The Senate Judiciary Committee had its first deposition Tuesday as part of a probe into the FBI ’ s improper surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page , committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters .
Graham said he did not not remember who was deposed Tuesday .
But the South Carolina Republican had asked Attorney General William Barr for permission to interview 17 Justice Department and FBI employees who were discussed in a Justice Department inspector general ( IG ) report about the bureau ’ s surveillance of Page .
Graham has also said he plans to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department officials like James Comey and Rod Rosenstein who approved the Page surveillance warrants , which were granted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) .
( RELATED : Graham Releases FISA Interview Wish List ) The IG report said the FBI made 17 “ significant ” errors and omissions in FISA applications regarding Page .
The FBI relied heavily on the Steele dossier to assert that there was probable cause to suspect that Page was a Russian agent .
But the IG report found that the FBI failed to disclose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests .
Investigators also left out information that called the dossier ’ s reliability into question .
Graham said last month that his top priority is to interview FBI and DOJ employees who know about a January 2017 interview with dossier author Christopher Steele ’ s primary source .
The IG report said the source , identified as “ Primary Sub-Source , ” told the FBI and the DOJ that Steele misrepresented allegations attributed to him in the dossier .
Graham ’ s interview wish list includes a veteran FBI counterintelligence investigator who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s source .
The IG report was highly critical of the investigator , who is referred to as “ Case Agent 1 , ” saying that he was “ primarily responsible ” for several “ significant ” errors during the FBI ’ s investigation of the Trump campaign .
The New York Times recently identified the agent as Stephen M. Somma .
As a result of the FBI ’ s errors , the Justice Department has deemed two of the four Carter Page FISA warrants to be invalid .
The special counsel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Page or anyone else on the Trump campaign conspired with Russia or worked as agents of Russia .
Graham ’ s office did not respond to emails seeking comment on the committee ’ s deposition schedule .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

The Senate Judiciary Committee had its first deposition Tuesday as part of a probe into the FBI’s improper surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters.
Graham said he did not not remember who was deposed Tuesday. But the South Carolina Republican had asked Attorney General William Barr for permission to interview 17 Justice Department and FBI employees who were discussed in a Justice Department inspector general (IG) report about the bureau’s surveillance of Page.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham says that his panel’s FISA investigation started today with one witness deposed behind closed doors.
“We had one – I don’t really remember who it was,” he told me
Graham had previously said they would start with lower level officials — Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 3, 2020
Graham has also said he plans to hold open hearings with former FBI and Justice Department officials like James Comey and Rod Rosenstein who approved the Page surveillance warrants, which were granted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). (RELATED: Graham Releases FISA Interview Wish List)
The IG report said the FBI made 17 “significant” errors and omissions in FISA applications regarding Page. The FBI relied heavily on the Steele dossier to assert that there was probable cause to suspect that Page was a Russian agent.
But the IG report found that the FBI failed to disclose exculpatory information regarding Page in its FISA requests. Investigators also left out information that called the dossier’s reliability into question.
Graham said last month that his top priority is to interview FBI and DOJ employees who know about a January 2017 interview with dossier author Christopher Steele’s primary source. The IG report said the source, identified as “Primary Sub-Source,” told the FBI and the DOJ that Steele misrepresented allegations attributed to him in the dossier.
Graham’s interview wish list includes a veteran FBI counterintelligence investigator who took part in the interview with Steele’s source. The IG report was highly critical of the investigator, who is referred to as “Case Agent 1,” saying that he was “primarily responsible” for several “significant” errors during the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign. The New York Times recently identified the agent as Stephen M. Somma.
As a result of the FBI’s errors, the Justice Department has deemed two of the four Carter Page FISA warrants to be invalid.
The special counsel’s investigation ultimately found no evidence that Page or anyone else on the Trump campaign conspired with Russia or worked as agents of Russia.
Graham’s office did not respond to emails seeking comment on the committee’s deposition schedule.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-03-04--Chuck Schumer Threatens Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh

Today the Supreme Court is hearing arguments about a law in Louisiana that requires abortion doctors to have admitting privileges to local hospitals .
Pro-life proponents of the law , which is sponsored by Democratic Louisiana State Senator Katrina Jackson , argue this requirement protects women with emergency medical care in case of abortion complications .
Pro-abortion advocates argue the law is simply a way to make it more difficult for women seeking abortions to obtain them from providers .
More on Jackson from Fox News : As a pro-life Democrat , Louisiana State Sen. Katrina Jackson isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but she is in Washington , D.C. And she wants to change that .
Jackson will be in the nation ’ s capital Wednesday , when the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on why her abortion clinic regulations – requiring that doctors who perform the procedure have admitting privileges at local hospitals – should pass constitutional muster .
Her bill , she argued , should unify Democrats and Republicans behind a common interest in protecting women .
“ It ’ s really a pro-women ’ s health bill because I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she told Fox News during an exclusive interview in January .
“ I ’ m not going to ignore their health care needs.
” This is the first abortion case since new Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch , both nominated by President Trump , were confirmed by the Senate .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer attended a Planned Parenthood rally outside of the Court this afternoon and openly threatened Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
Over what ?
It 's unclear .
Keep in mind Planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in taxpayer funding each year .
The decision on this case will be released in June .

Today the Supreme Court is hearing arguments about a law in Louisiana that requires abortion doctors to have admitting privileges to local hospitals.
Pro-life proponents of the law, which is sponsored by Democratic Louisiana State Senator Katrina Jackson, argue this requirement protects women with emergency medical care in case of abortion complications. Pro-abortion advocates argue the law is simply a way to make it more difficult for women seeking abortions to obtain them from providers.
More on Jackson from Fox News:
As a pro-life Democrat, Louisiana State Sen. Katrina Jackson isn’t an anomaly in her home state, but she is in Washington, D.C. And she wants to change that. Jackson will be in the nation’s capital Wednesday, when the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on why her abortion clinic regulations – requiring that doctors who perform the procedure have admitting privileges at local hospitals – should pass constitutional muster. Her bill, she argued, should unify Democrats and Republicans behind a common interest in protecting women. “It’s really a pro-women’s health bill because I’m not going to ignore those women,” she told Fox News during an exclusive interview in January. “I’m not going to ignore their health care needs.”
This is the first abortion case since new Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, both nominated by President Trump, were confirmed by the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer attended a Planned Parenthood rally outside of the Court this afternoon and openly threatened Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Over what? It's unclear.
Schumer: “I want to tell you Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch: You have unleashed a whirlwind, and you will pay the price.” — Alexandra DeSanctis (@xan_desanctis) March 4, 2020
Dear @SenSchumer:
Are you really threatening 2 Supreme Court justices before they rule on a case?
How will they “pay the price”?
What does this even mean?
If the Republican Senate leader did this = Scandal.
But, of course, most of the media will give Schumer a pass on this. https://t.co/68sE03WPyf — Mike Davis (@mrddmia) March 4, 2020
Keep in mind Planned Parenthood receives more than $500 million in taxpayer funding each year.
The decision on this case will be released in June.


bonginoreport--2020-03-04--DNC Changes Debate Rules to Keep Tulsi Gabbard Out

An official with the DNC has announced on Twitter that the threshold for participating in a Democratic debate will be increased .
This announcement was made around the same time that American Samoa caucus rewarded Tulsi Gabbard with a delegate after she earned 29.3 percent of the votes with 99 percent reporting .
The DNC ’ s debate threshold had allowed anyone to qualify to be in a debate if they gained one delegate in a primary or caucus , but the tweet from an official with the DNC indicates that might change .
Xochitl Hinojosa , the communications director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter account , tweeted about the threshold changes on Twitter .
She wrote : “ We have two more debates– of course the threshold will go up .
By the time we have the March debate , almost 2,000 delegates will be allocated .
The threshold will reflect where we are in the race , as it always has.
” Her tweet , which specifically references delegate counts , seems to indicate that the delegate threshold will increase .
However , she didn ’ t go into more details about how that might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time that people began speculating online that Gabbard could have a place on the debate stage now that she has earned a delegate .
The next two debates will be in March and April .
The March debate will be in Phoenix on March 15 , two days before the primary in Arizona .
That debate will be hosted by CNN and Univision , with CHC Bold of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus .
According to NBC News , Gabbard earned one delegate after receiving 29.3 percent of the vote ( 103 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four delegates after getting 49.9 percent of the vote .
The February 25 debate allowed candidates to be on the stage if they got at least one delegate , or if they had 12 percent in two DNC-qualified South Carolina polls , or at least 10 percent in four DNC-qualified national polls .
Don Ford , Democratic strategist , told Heavy that the DNC shouldn ’ t change the rules for a debate after someone qualifies .
“ You can ’ t change a threshold after someone qualifies , ” Ford said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can change the threshold for the last debate , but changing the one now would be seriously not following their own rules when criteria can already be changed way more easily than any other type of rule .
This would be breaking the party and too far.
” People on Twitter aren ’ t too happy about this possible rule change .
Others are pointing out that the DNC dropped donation requirements , which gave Mike Bloomberg a chance to join the debate stage .
Now they ’ re changing the thresholds again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to help Tulsi Gabbard .
Hinojosa later retweeted a message about how the donation change “ leveled the playing field ” for candidates .
The quote was from a New York Times reporter , Maggie Haberman , who wrote : “ One of the most consequential moments of the primary campaign was the DNC changing the donor requirement for the debates , which was misinterpreted as somehow helping Bloomberg , as opposed to leveling the playing field for his rivals in terms of the $ $ .
” Just what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the March debate are not yet known .
The requirements weren ’ t publicized before Super Tuesday .

Judge Tanya S. Chutkan: Husband, Bio & Family
Federal Judge Tanya S. Chutkan is an appointee of former President Barack Obama and a former public defender who has been assigned to the Trump indictment case that was filed on August 1, 2023.