bonginoreport--2020-05-09--Ilhan Omar Under Fire From the Left for Not Being Anti-Israel Enough

Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D. , Minn. ) is under fire from an unlikely group—the anti-Israel , pro-Palestinian activists who once hailed her as their movement 's biggest star .
Omar , who has championed anti-Israel causes from her perch in Congress , recently signed on to a congressional letter urging the Trump administration to ensure that an international embargo on Iran 's purchase of advanced military equipment is not lifted later this year .
In a rare display of agreement with her Republican colleagues , Omar lent her name to the letter , which was spearheaded by the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's most prominent pro-Israel group .
The letter , which was signed by nearly every member of Congress from both parties , expressed support for Trump administration efforts at the United Nations to ensure the Iran arms embargo remains in place .
If the embargo were lifted , Iran would be capable of purchasing advanced missiles that could strike into the heart of Israel .
Omar 's willingness to partner with AIPAC in its efforts to crack down on Iranian terrorism sent shockwaves through the anti-Israel community , eliciting a range of criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she expressed anti-Semitic views and advocated for economic boycotts of the Jewish state .
`` It 's official , [ Omar ] got her own taste of the Benjamin 's baby !
She 's now under the spell of [ AIPAC ] , '' tweeted Palestinian activist Abbas Hamideh , referring to Omar 's past claim that AIPAC wields power by lining the pockets of members of Congress .
`` It was too hard for her to resist signing a letter stating Iran was a threat to ‘ Israel ' and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran . ''
`` [ Omar ] has updated her bio : Mom , Refugee , Intersectional Feminist , and SELLOUT , '' Hamideh later tweeted , one of several enraged missives he sent on the subject .
`` When you sell yourself cheap you get outed by the entire Pro-Palestinian Movement .
[ Omar ] has become the latest example of why identity politics can be deceiving , '' he stated in another .
`` She sold out during the Holy Month of Ramadan .
Keep that in mind next time when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to praise Omar when she promoted anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about Israel 's control over U.S. foreign policy and called for Jewish goods to be blocked from the international marketplace .
Other Omar allies , such as Palestinian journalist Ramzy Baroud , accused the lawmaker of selling out her values to the pro-Israel community .
`` No explanation by Omar 's office could possibly suffice , or morally justify this shameful decision , '' Baroud wrote in a Palestinian Chronicle article headlined , `` Extremely Disappointing . ''
At the Electronic Intifada—which often posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of siding with Israel over Iran .
`` Omar has signed on to a letter whose goal is to preserve and protect American empire and shore up its reactionary and undemocratic client states in the region , '' Abunimah wrote in an article that went on to defend recently killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani as an agent of `` peaceful rapprochement . ''
The American Conservative , a publication aligned with the anti-Israel isolationist movement that seeks to reduce the economic pressure on Iran , also expressed disappointment in Omar .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatures is a testament to its influence and the hurt that it can bring down on politicians when [ it ] comes to re-election , '' the publication wrote , echoing tropes about AIPAC 's supposed stranglehold on Congress .
`` Omar 's recent signature on a letter that would have garnered hundreds of her colleagues ' support and made a splash with or without her , is a signal to AIPAC that she knows her seat is at risk , and that she would rather neutralize the feud with the pro-Israel powerhouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her opponents , '' according to the American Conservative .
Omar 's decision to back AIPAC 's letter elicited a vastly different response in the mainstream pro-Israel orbit .
One veteran Republican pro-Israel activist who works with AIPAC told the Free Beacon that Omar may be waking up to the threat posed by Tehran .
`` People can have profound differences about foreign policy while still recognizing the existential threat that the Islamic Republic of Iran poses to American interests throughout the Middle East , '' said the source , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the letter .
`` These sanctions help prevent the regime from spreading terrorism and further destabilizing the region .
At the end of the day , I 'm pleased Rep. Omar realizes that it 's all about the ballistic missiles . ''

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) is under fire from an unlikely group—the anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activists who once hailed her as their movement's biggest star.
Omar, who has championed anti-Israel causes from her perch in Congress, recently signed on to a congressional letter urging the Trump administration to ensure that an international embargo on Iran's purchase of advanced military equipment is not lifted later this year. In a rare display of agreement with her Republican colleagues, Omar lent her name to the letter, which was spearheaded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the nation's most prominent pro-Israel group.
The letter, which was signed by nearly every member of Congress from both parties, expressed support for Trump administration efforts at the United Nations to ensure the Iran arms embargo remains in place. If the embargo were lifted, Iran would be capable of purchasing advanced missiles that could strike into the heart of Israel.
Omar's willingness to partner with AIPAC in its efforts to crack down on Iranian terrorism sent shockwaves through the anti-Israel community, eliciting a range of criticism from activists who heaped praise on Omar when she expressed anti-Semitic views and advocated for economic boycotts of the Jewish state.
"It's official, [Omar] got her own taste of the Benjamin's baby! She's now under the spell of [AIPAC]," tweeted Palestinian activist Abbas Hamideh, referring to Omar's past claim that AIPAC wields power by lining the pockets of members of Congress. "It was too hard for her to resist signing a letter stating Iran was a threat to 'Israel' and the Gulf States effectively voting for sanctions on Iran."
"[Omar] has updated her bio: Mom, Refugee, Intersectional Feminist, and SELLOUT," Hamideh later tweeted, one of several enraged missives he sent on the subject.
"When you sell yourself cheap you get outed by the entire Pro-Palestinian Movement. [Omar] has become the latest example of why identity politics can be deceiving," he stated in another. "She sold out during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Keep that in mind next time when voting."
These same activists rushed to praise Omar when she promoted anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about Israel's control over U.S. foreign policy and called for Jewish goods to be blocked from the international marketplace.
Other Omar allies, such as Palestinian journalist Ramzy Baroud, accused the lawmaker of selling out her values to the pro-Israel community.
"No explanation by Omar's office could possibly suffice, or morally justify this shameful decision," Baroud wrote in a Palestinian Chronicle article headlined, "Extremely Disappointing."
At the Electronic Intifada—which often posts anti-Semitic rhetoric—veteran activist Ali Abunimah accused Omar of siding with Israel over Iran.
"Omar has signed on to a letter whose goal is to preserve and protect American empire and shore up its reactionary and undemocratic client states in the region," Abunimah wrote in an article that went on to defend recently killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani as an agent of "peaceful rapprochement."
The American Conservative, a publication aligned with the anti-Israel isolationist movement that seeks to reduce the economic pressure on Iran, also expressed disappointment in Omar.
"The fact AIPAC was able to get these signatures is a testament to its influence and the hurt that it can bring down on politicians when [it] comes to re-election," the publication wrote, echoing tropes about AIPAC's supposed stranglehold on Congress.
"Omar's recent signature on a letter that would have garnered hundreds of her colleagues' support and made a splash with or without her, is a signal to AIPAC that she knows her seat is at risk, and that she would rather neutralize the feud with the pro-Israel powerhouse than send it flocking to the aid of her opponents," according to the American Conservative.
Omar's decision to back AIPAC's letter elicited a vastly different response in the mainstream pro-Israel orbit.
One veteran Republican pro-Israel activist who works with AIPAC told the Free Beacon that Omar may be waking up to the threat posed by Tehran.
"People can have profound differences about foreign policy while still recognizing the existential threat that the Islamic Republic of Iran poses to American interests throughout the Middle East," said the source, who was not authorized to speak on the record about the letter. "These sanctions help prevent the regime from spreading terrorism and further destabilizing the region. At the end of the day, I'm pleased Rep. Omar realizes that it's all about the ballistic missiles."


bonginoreport--2020-05-09--(Video) Full Tara Reade Interview With Megyn Kelly Released

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bonginoreport--2020-05-09--Woman Who Lost 2016 Presidential Election to Appear at Virtual Biden Fundraiser

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear at a virtual fundraiser for the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive nominee , Joe Biden , on May 19 .
Biden plans to engage in a “ virtual conversation ” with Clinton and Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) Chairman Tom Perez via Zoom according to an invitation released by Politico earlier this week .
Tickets for the video fundraiser are going for $ 100,000 , $ 50,000 , $ 41,100 , $ 15,600 , $ 5,600 and , for a limited time , $ 2,800 .
( RELATED : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Standard Bearer , The Magnet , The Enabler Of Sexual Predators ’ ) All funds raised from the evening are earmarked for the Biden Victory Fund .
Biden reached an agreement with the DNC last month that provided the former vice president with greater control over fundraising activities by the party organization , Fox Business reported “ I ’ ve been in the lobby of the Senate .
I ’ ve been in the Cloak Room and I ’ ve watched Joe bring people together , ” she said during her April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of the same values in common , the same work ethic , the same belief in America , the same focus on family.
” Despite being in the thick of sexual assault allegations , Biden continue to pick up some big name endorsements , including former President Barack Obama , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren as the Democratic Party prepares to do battle with President Donald Trump in November .

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear at a virtual fundraiser for the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, Joe Biden, on May 19.
Biden plans to engage in a “virtual conversation” with Clinton and Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez via Zoom according to an invitation released by Politico earlier this week.
Tickets for the video fundraiser are going for $100,000, $50,000, $41,100, $15,600, $5,600 and, for a limited time, $2,800. (RELATED: Judge Jeanine: Hillary Clinton Is ‘A Standard Bearer, The Magnet, The Enabler Of Sexual Predators’)
All funds raised from the evening are earmarked for the Biden Victory Fund. Biden reached an agreement with the DNC last month that provided the former vice president with greater control over fundraising activities by the party organization, Fox Business reported
The two did not broach the subject of Tara Reade, the woman who is accusing Biden of sexual assault.


bonginoreport--2020-05-09--Dems and Republicans Set to Collide Over Postal Service Bailout

House Democrats want the next round of coronavirus aid to include a massive bailout of the U.S .
Postal Service , which has experienced declining revenues for years , exacerbated further by the coronavirus epidemic .
But Republicans and President Trump want significant reforms implemented before providing new funding .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi , a California Democrat , told reporters she ’ ll include a $ 25 billion bailout of the Postal Service in a massive economic aid package that is likely to top $ 1 trillion .
`` We have to fight for the Postal Service , '' Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country are all tweeting and writing to me and stuff like that , saying we really — protect our post office . ''
The post office bailout proposal is similar to a plan House Democrats proposed earlier this year .
It was ultimately excluded from the $ 2.2 trillion spending bill passed by Congress on March 27 .
House Democratic leaders are eager to get federal aid for the Postal Service in the next round of economic aid .
“ It is an essential service that we need to maintain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the House of Representative 's Democratic Party leadership and the members that that is necessary and appropriate , ” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , a Maryland Democrat , said .
“ So , we want to see that included.
” Republicans and Trump say the post office is in need of significant reforms needed to boost revenue and cut costs .
A Government Accountability Office report released this week reported the USPS suffered a net loss of $ 78 billion from 2007 to 2019 .
“ USPS ’ s current business model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail volumes , increased compensation and benefits costs , and increased unfunded liabilities and debt , ” the GAO reported .
“ Absent congressional action on critical foundational elements of the USPS business model , USPS ’ s mission and financial solvency are increasingly in peril.
” The GAO called on Congress to consider new reforms to the Postal Service to improve operations and financial health .
Congress last implemented post office reforms in 2006 , but Republicans say new measures are needed .
Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a 10-year business plan to restore financial stability to the USPS .
Brennan has yet to produce that plan .
The top Republican on Oversight who requested the plan , former Rep. Mark Meadows , is now Trump ’ s chief of staff .
House Oversight Republicans issued a statement Friday , urging Brennan to “ finally provide the Committee with the USPS proposal for a sustainable , long-term business plan that was promised over a year ago.
” Hoyer told reporters this week he talked to White House officials in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brennan warned Friday it can not keep operating without a bailout due to accelerated revenue loss caused by the pandemic .
The USPS calculates it will lose $ 13 billion this year due to the coronavirus and $ 54.3 billion in additional losses over the next decade .
`` Although the pandemic did not have significant impact on our financial condition in our second quarter , we anticipate that our business will suffer potentially dire consequences for the remainder of the year , and we are already feeling those impacts during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Friday .
“ At a time when America needs the Postal Service more than ever , the pandemic is starting to have a significant effect on our business with mail volumes plummeting as a result of the pandemic.
” In April , the Postal Service Board of Governors asked Congress to appropriate $ 25 billion to offset coronavirus-related losses , $ 25 billion to modernize the post office , and another $ 25 billion in unrestricted borrowing authority from the Treasury .
The White House has so far frowned on providing significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump signaled last month he wants the Postal Service to find a way to increase revenue , suggesting they charge companies such as Amazon more money to deliver its packages .
Brennan is retiring next month .
Trump has appointed Louis DeJoy , a North Carolina businessman and top Trump donor , to serve as the next postmaster general , beginning June 15 .
“ The post office should raise the price of the packages to the companies , not to the people , ” Trump said on April 24 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be a whole different story.
” Trump added , “ If they don ’ t raise the price , I ’ m not signing anything .
”

House Democrats want the next round of coronavirus aid to include a massive bailout of the U.S. Postal Service, which has experienced declining revenues for years, exacerbated further by the coronavirus epidemic.
But Republicans and President Trump want significant reforms implemented before providing new funding.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters she’ll include a $25 billion bailout of the Postal Service in a massive economic aid package that is likely to top $1 trillion.
"We have to fight for the Postal Service," Pelosi said this week. "And people across the country are all tweeting and writing to me and stuff like that, saying we really — protect our post office."
The post office bailout proposal is similar to a plan House Democrats proposed earlier this year. It was ultimately excluded from the $2.2 trillion spending bill passed by Congress on March 27.
House Democratic leaders are eager to get federal aid for the Postal Service in the next round of economic aid.
“It is an essential service that we need to maintain, and I think there is a consensus in the House of Representative's Democratic Party leadership and the members that that is necessary and appropriate,” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said. “So, we want to see that included.”
Republicans and Trump say the post office is in need of significant reforms needed to boost revenue and cut costs.
A Government Accountability Office report released this week reported the USPS suffered a net loss of $78 billion from 2007 to 2019.
“USPS’s current business model is not financially sustainable due to declining mail volumes, increased compensation and benefits costs, and increased unfunded liabilities and debt,” the GAO reported. “Absent congressional action on critical foundational elements of the USPS business model, USPS’s mission and financial solvency are increasingly in peril.”
The GAO called on Congress to consider new reforms to the Postal Service to improve operations and financial health. Congress last implemented post office reforms in 2006, but Republicans say new measures are needed.
Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in January asked Postmaster General Megan Brennan for a 10-year business plan to restore financial stability to the USPS. Brennan has yet to produce that plan.
The top Republican on Oversight who requested the plan, former Rep. Mark Meadows, is now Trump’s chief of staff.
House Oversight Republicans issued a statement Friday, urging Brennan to “finally provide the Committee with the USPS proposal for a sustainable, long-term business plan that was promised over a year ago.”
Hoyer told reporters this week he talked to White House officials in March about providing money to the post office.
Brennan warned Friday it cannot keep operating without a bailout due to accelerated revenue loss caused by the pandemic. The USPS calculates it will lose $13 billion this year due to the coronavirus and $54.3 billion in additional losses over the next decade.
"Although the pandemic did not have significant impact on our financial condition in our second quarter, we anticipate that our business will suffer potentially dire consequences for the remainder of the year, and we are already feeling those impacts during the last half of March,” Brennan said Friday. “At a time when America needs the Postal Service more than ever, the pandemic is starting to have a significant effect on our business with mail volumes plummeting as a result of the pandemic.”
In April, the Postal Service Board of Governors asked Congress to appropriate $25 billion to offset coronavirus-related losses, $25 billion to modernize the post office, and another $25 billion in unrestricted borrowing authority from the Treasury.
The White House has so far frowned on providing significant new revenue to the USPS without reforms.
Trump signaled last month he wants the Postal Service to find a way to increase revenue, suggesting they charge companies such as Amazon more money to deliver its packages.
Brennan is retiring next month. Trump has appointed Louis DeJoy, a North Carolina businessman and top Trump donor, to serve as the next postmaster general, beginning June 15.
“The post office should raise the price of the packages to the companies, not to the people,” Trump said on April 24. “And if they did that, it would be a whole different story.”
Trump added, “If they don’t raise the price, I’m not signing anything.”


bonginoreport--2020-05-09--Watch: New Trump Ad Exposes Biden’s Pro-China Legacy

The Trump campaign has released a scathing new ad reminding potential voters of former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s propensity to buddy up to communist China and his strategy of being little more than an obstructionist against America ’ s response to the coronavirus .
The ad , released Thursday and shared by Trump surrogates on social media , including Donald Trump Jr. on Instagram , is highly effective at portraying the presumptive Democratic nominee ’ s fondness for the country that unleashed the coronavirus on the globe with its campaign of disinformation .
Trump ’ s campaign manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter .
TRENDING : Joe Biden Shredded for Blunder-Filled Virtual Rally : 'How Can a National Campaign Allow This To Happen ?
“ During America ’ s crisis Biden protected China ’ s feelings , ” the ad declares while showing Biden in one of his apparent states of confusion .
The campaign spot then quotes Biden directly for talking about President Donald Trump ’ s “ record of … hysterical xenophobia.
” The quote is one Biden made after the China travel ban , in which he accused Trump of not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have , right now , a crisis with the coronavirus , ” Biden said in Iowa on Jan. 31 , Reuters reported .
“ This is no time for Donald Trump ’ s record of hysteria and xenophobia – hysterical xenophobia – and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science.
” The ad also questions Biden ’ s son , Hunter Biden , and his financial ties to Chinese banks , and says the former VP “ stands up for China while China tries to cripple America.
” The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparent cognitive decline , noting Biden “ rejected ” the travel ban “ until he forgot he did.
” The ad splices together clips of Biden saying , “ China is going to eat our lunch ?
” “ come on , man ” and “ they ’ re good folks , folks.
” “ What a beautiful history we wrote together , ” he says at another point .
The ad is part of a coming TV blitz against Biden , Fox News reported .
RELATED : With Debate Months Away , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a 1-on-1 with Trump The spot will reportedly start airing on national TV immediately as part of a $ 10 million campaign to highlight Biden ’ s soft spot for America ’ s greatest geopolitical foe .
Donald Trump Jr. shared the ad on his Instagram page and labeled the candidate “ Beijing Biden.
” “ # BeijingBiden doesn ’ t have what it takes to lead this country through a crisis or stand up to China , ” Trump Jr. wrote .
Biden has been dismissive of China ’ s potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and his recent behavior has called into question his mental acuity — and rightfully so .
Examples of Biden ’ s fondness for Beijing go back many years .
“ Let me be clear — let me be clear : I believed in 1979 and said so and I believe now that a rising China is a positive development , not only for the people of China but for the United States and the world as a whole , ” Biden said in an August 2011 speech in Chengdu , China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January of this year , Biden said , “ We talk about China as our competitor ?
We should be helping and benefiting ourselves by doing that.
” “ But the idea that China is going to eat our lunch ?
It was like I remember debates in the late ’ 90s — remember Japan was gon na own us ?
Give me a break.
” Biden has also transformed from a gaffe machine to a political campaign manager ’ s worst nightmare in recent months .
The candidate has confused places , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regularity .
The Trump ad used its 60 seconds effectively to highlight that Biden is completely unfit for office on the China issue alone , and touches on the candidate ’ s apparent cognitive decline .
You would imagine at some point the campaign will highlight the hypocrisy of Biden and his fellow Democrats on the # MeToo movement , seeing as Biden is facing an allegation of sexual assault , which he has denied .
But if the Trump campaign is seeking to portray Biden as unfit , hypocritical or generally incapable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , it doesn ’ t need to dig too deep .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The Trump campaign has released a scathing new ad reminding potential voters of former Vice President Joe Biden’s propensity to buddy up to communist China and his strategy of being little more than an obstructionist against America’s response to the coronavirus.
The ad, released Thursday and shared by Trump surrogates on social media, including Donald Trump Jr. on Instagram, is highly effective at portraying the presumptive Democratic nominee’s fondness for the country that unleashed the coronavirus on the globe with its campaign of disinformation.
Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, shared the ad on Twitter.
Fire in the hole! pic.twitter.com/Mxs3lsfap6 — Brad Parscale – Download our Trump 2020 App today! (@parscale) May 7, 2020
“During America’s crisis Biden protected China’s feelings,” the ad declares while showing Biden in one of his apparent states of confusion.
The campaign spot then quotes Biden directly for talking about President Donald Trump’s “record of … hysterical xenophobia.”
The quote is one Biden made after the China travel ban, in which he accused Trump of not listening to science on the coronavirus.
“We have, right now, a crisis with the coronavirus,” Biden said in Iowa on Jan. 31, Reuters reported. “This is no time for Donald Trump’s record of hysteria and xenophobia – hysterical xenophobia – and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science.”
Do you think Biden will still be the Democratic Party's nominee for president? Yes No
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The ad also questions Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and his financial ties to Chinese banks, and says the former VP “stands up for China while China tries to cripple America.”
The Trump campaign also hints at Biden’s apparent cognitive decline, noting Biden “rejected” the travel ban “until he forgot he did.”
The ad splices together clips of Biden saying, “China is going to eat our lunch?” “come on, man” and “they’re good folks, folks.”
“What a beautiful history we wrote together,” he says at another point.
The ad is part of a coming TV blitz against Biden, Fox News reported.
The spot will reportedly start airing on national TV immediately as part of a $10 million campaign to highlight Biden’s soft spot for America’s greatest geopolitical foe.
Donald Trump Jr. shared the ad on his Instagram page and labeled the candidate “Beijing Biden.”
“#BeijingBiden doesn’t have what it takes to lead this country through a crisis or stand up to China,” Trump Jr. wrote.
Biden has been dismissive of China’s potential to harm American interests for many years, and his recent behavior has called into question his mental acuity — and rightfully so.
Examples of Biden’s fondness for Beijing go back many years.
“Let me be clear — let me be clear: I believed in 1979 and said so and I believe now that a rising China is a positive development, not only for the people of China but for the United States and the world as a whole,” Biden said in an August 2011 speech in Chengdu, China, while serving as vice president.
In January of this year, Biden said, “We talk about China as our competitor? We should be helping and benefiting ourselves by doing that.”
“But the idea that China is going to eat our lunch? It was like I remember debates in the late ’90s — remember Japan was gonna own us? Give me a break.”
Biden has also transformed from a gaffe machine to a political campaign manager’s worst nightmare in recent months.
The candidate has confused places, dates and other important issues with alarming regularity.
The Trump ad used its 60 seconds effectively to highlight that Biden is completely unfit for office on the China issue alone, and touches on the candidate’s apparent cognitive decline.
You would imagine at some point the campaign will highlight the hypocrisy of Biden and his fellow Democrats on the #MeToo movement, seeing as Biden is facing an allegation of sexual assault, which he has denied.
But if the Trump campaign is seeking to portray Biden as unfit, hypocritical or generally incapable of handling the rigorous job of being president, it doesn’t need to dig too deep.
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bonginoreport--2020-05-09--Muslim Students Threaten Arizona Professor With Death for Suggesting Islam Is Violent

This will teach those Islamophobes that Islam is a religion of peace : a professor is facing death threats for suggesting otherwise .
Nicholas Damask , Ph.D. , has taught political science at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona for 24 years .
But now he is facing a barrage of threats , and his family , including his 9-year-old grandson and 85-year-old parents , is in hiding , while College officials are demanding that he apologize – all for the crime of speaking the truth about the motivating ideology behind the threat of Islamic jihad worldwide .
Damask , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American University in Washington , D.C. , and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati , says he is “ to my knowledge , the only tenured political science faculty currently teaching in Arizona to write a doctoral dissertation on terrorism.
” He has taught Scottsdale Community College ’ s World Politics for each of the 24 years he has worked at the school .
Professor Damask ’ s troubles began during the current Spring semester , when a student took exception to three quiz questions .
The questions were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emulate ?
A. Mohammed • Where is terrorism encouraged in Islamic doctrine and law ?
A .
The Medina verses [ i.e.
, the portion of the Qur ’ an traditionally understood as having been revealed later in Muhammad ’ s prophetic career ] • Terrorism is _______ in Islam .
A. justified within the context of jihad .
Damask explained : “ All quiz questions on each of my quizzes , including the ones in question here , are carefully sourced to the reading material .
On this quiz , questions were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hadiths , and the sira ( biography ) of Mohammed , and other reputable source material.
” And indeed , the three questions reflect basic facts that are readily established by reference to Islamic texts and teachings and numerous statements of terrorists themselves .
Despite this , the student emailed Damask to complain that he was “ offended ” by these questions , as they were “ in distaste of Islam.
” Damask recounted : “ Until this point , notably , the student had expressed no reservations about the course material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course.
” Damask sent two lengthy emails to the student responding to his complaints , but to no avail .
A social media campaign began against Damask on the College ’ s Instagram account .
Damask notes : “ An unrelated school post about a school contest was hijacked , with supporters of the student posting angry , threatening , inflammatory and derogatory messages about the quiz , the school , and myself.
” At this point , College officials should have defended Professor Damask and the principle of free inquiry , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Scottsdale Community College officials , Damask said , “ stepped in to assert on a new Instagram post that the student was correct and that I was wrong – with no due process and actually no complaint even being filed – and that he would receive full credit for all the quiz questions related to Islam and terrorism.
” On May 1 , Damask had a conference call with Kathleen Iudicello , Scottsdale Community College ’ s Dean of Instruction , and Eric Sells , the College ’ s Public Relations Marketing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not offered to write any part of the school ’ s response , and there was no discussion of academic freedom or whether the College was even supportive of me to teach about Islamic terrorism .
The very first point I made with them on the call ( and virtually the only input I had ) is that I insisted that the College ’ s release was to have no mention of any actions to be required to be taken by me personally , I was very clear about that.
” Predictably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They issued an apology to the student and to the “ Islamic community , ” and stated on the College ’ s Instagram page that Damask would be “ required ” to apologize to the student for the quiz questions , as the questions were “ inappropriate ” and “ inaccurate , ” and would be permanently removed from Damask ’ s exams .
Damask also had three phone calls with Iudicello , who gave him a bracing introduction into today ’ s academic funhouse world , where if someone is offended by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth that has to be deep-sixed .
“ During one call with Iudicello , ” Damask recounts , “ she stated that my quiz questions were ‘ Islamophobic , ’ that before continuing to have any further class content on Islamic terrorism I would likely need to meet with an Islamic religious leader to go over the content , and that I would likely need to take a class ( perhaps at Arizona State ) taught by a Muslim before teaching about Islamic terrorism.
” “ The irony here , ” says Damask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone call , I and my wife were tossing socks and jammies and our nine-year-old grandson ’ s toys into a suitcase to get the hell out of the house because of the death threats made by Islamic commenters on the College ’ s Instagram page.
” College officials took no public notice of the fact , but the posts on its Instagram page discussing the incident had begun to fill up with threats against Damask , including these statements : “ if he is still around I suggest the students take action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ; “ drop the professor ’ s address I just wan na talk ” ; “ what ’ s the instructor ’ s name and address , I just want to say ‘ hi ’ ” ; “ I wish everything bad on these kuffar ” [ unbelievers ] ; “ I hope he suffers.
” According to Damask , “ there are literally hundreds of posts like this .
There have been death threats , at least one call for a school shooting , and at least one call to burn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these threats are still on the College ’ s Instagram page.
” When he asked school police to shut down the social media posts in light of these threats , they told him the posts were being monitored .
Yet the threats were not taken down .
On Sunday night , the school sent Damask the apology that he was to make to the offended student .
It is full of the expected embarrassing groveling : “ I know , ” Damask is supposed to inform the student , “ a simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the harm that I caused but I want to try to make amends.
” He promises the student : “ I will be reviewing all of my material to ensure there ’ s no additional insensitivities.
” ( Apparently politically correct academics can not be bothered to internalize basic rules of grammar . )
“ It goes without saying , ” says Damask , “ that I will not apologize for anything , that it is perfectly appropriate to discuss Islam , Muhammad , the Quran , the hadiths and any other matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there has been no official complaint , no due process for me , just a mad scramble by the school to appease Islam.
” Damask ’ s introduction to the new Leftist academic world in which identity trumps truth has been bitter .
“ The College , ” he says , “ has displayed an appalling lack of respect toward my rights ; it has essentially engaged in defamation by terming my course material inaccurate , insensitive and that I have violated the College ’ s values ; has denied my civil rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedures ; violated my First Amendment rights by demanding I make an apology to the student ; and violated my First Amendment and civil rights by demanding I alter my course material .
Further and perhaps worse , I believe the school has effectively encouraged and permitted these threats to be made against me when the school could have immediately put a stop to them , which is tantamount to allowing mob threats against me.
” It ’ s a terrible story , but there is one silver lining : at least we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion of peace .
Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center .
He is author of 19 books , including the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam ( and the Crusades ) and The Truth About Muhammad .
His latest book is The Palestinian Delusion : The Catastrophic History of the Middle East Peace Process .
Follow him on Twitter here .
Like him on Facebook here .

This will teach those Islamophobes that Islam is a religion of peace: a professor is facing death threats for suggesting otherwise. Nicholas Damask, Ph.D., has taught political science at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona for 24 years. But now he is facing a barrage of threats, and his family, including his 9-year-old grandson and 85-year-old parents, is in hiding, while College officials are demanding that he apologize – all for the crime of speaking the truth about the motivating ideology behind the threat of Islamic jihad worldwide.
Damask, who has an MA in International Relations from American University in Washington, D.C., and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati, says he is “to my knowledge, the only tenured political science faculty currently teaching in Arizona to write a doctoral dissertation on terrorism.” He has taught Scottsdale Community College’s World Politics for each of the 24 years he has worked at the school.
Professor Damask’s troubles began during the current Spring semester, when a student took exception to three quiz questions. The questions were:
Who do terrorists strive to emulate? A. Mohammed
Where is terrorism encouraged in Islamic doctrine and law? A. The Medina verses [i.e., the portion of the Qur’an traditionally understood as having been revealed later in Muhammad’s prophetic career]
Terrorism is _______ in Islam. A. justified within the context of jihad.
Damask explained: “All quiz questions on each of my quizzes, including the ones in question here, are carefully sourced to the reading material. On this quiz, questions were sourced to the Qur’an, the hadiths, and the sira (biography) of Mohammed, and other reputable source material.” And indeed, the three questions reflect basic facts that are readily established by reference to Islamic texts and teachings and numerous statements of terrorists themselves.
Despite this, the student emailed Damask to complain that he was “offended” by these questions, as they were “in distaste of Islam.” Damask recounted: “Until this point, notably, the student had expressed no reservations about the course material and indeed he said he enjoyed the course.”
Damask sent two lengthy emails to the student responding to his complaints, but to no avail. A social media campaign began against Damask on the College’s Instagram account. Damask notes: “An unrelated school post about a school contest was hijacked, with supporters of the student posting angry, threatening, inflammatory and derogatory messages about the quiz, the school, and myself.”
At this point, College officials should have defended Professor Damask and the principle of free inquiry, but that would require a sane academic environment. Scottsdale Community College officials, Damask said, “stepped in to assert on a new Instagram post that the student was correct and that I was wrong – with no due process and actually no complaint even being filed – and that he would receive full credit for all the quiz questions related to Islam and terrorism.”
On May 1, Damask had a conference call with Kathleen Iudicello, Scottsdale Community College’s Dean of Instruction, and Eric Sells, the College’s Public Relations Marketing Manager. Damask recalls: “I was not offered to write any part of the school’s response, and there was no discussion of academic freedom or whether the College was even supportive of me to teach about Islamic terrorism. The very first point I made with them on the call (and virtually the only input I had) is that I insisted that the College’s release was to have no mention of any actions to be required to be taken by me personally, I was very clear about that.”
Predictably, Iudicello and Sells ignored that. They issued an apology to the student and to the “Islamic community,” and stated on the College’s Instagram page that Damask would be “required” to apologize to the student for the quiz questions, as the questions were “inappropriate” and “inaccurate,” and would be permanently removed from Damask’s exams.
Damask also had three phone calls with Iudicello, who gave him a bracing introduction into today’s academic funhouse world, where if someone is offended by the truth, it’s the truth that has to be deep-sixed. “During one call with Iudicello,” Damask recounts, “she stated that my quiz questions were ‘Islamophobic,’ that before continuing to have any further class content on Islamic terrorism I would likely need to meet with an Islamic religious leader to go over the content, and that I would likely need to take a class (perhaps at Arizona State) taught by a Muslim before teaching about Islamic terrorism.”
“The irony here,” says Damask, “is that literally during this phone call, I and my wife were tossing socks and jammies and our nine-year-old grandson’s toys into a suitcase to get the hell out of the house because of the death threats made by Islamic commenters on the College’s Instagram page.”
College officials took no public notice of the fact, but the posts on its Instagram page discussing the incident had begun to fill up with threats against Damask, including these statements: “if he is still around I suggest the students take action to make sure he isn’t”; “drop the professor’s address I just wanna talk”; “what’s the instructor’s name and address, I just want to say ‘hi’”; “I wish everything bad on these kuffar” [unbelievers]; “I hope he suffers.”
According to Damask, “there are literally hundreds of posts like this. There have been death threats, at least one call for a school shooting, and at least one call to burn down the school. Again, all of these threats are still on the College’s Instagram page.” When he asked school police to shut down the social media posts in light of these threats, they told him the posts were being monitored. Yet the threats were not taken down.
On Sunday night, the school sent Damask the apology that he was to make to the offended student. It is full of the expected embarrassing groveling: “I know,” Damask is supposed to inform the student, “a simple apology may not be enough to address the harm that I caused but I want to try to make amends.” He promises the student: “I will be reviewing all of my material to ensure there’s no additional insensitivities.” (Apparently politically correct academics cannot be bothered to internalize basic rules of grammar.)
“It goes without saying,” says Damask, “that I will not apologize for anything, that it is perfectly appropriate to discuss Islam, Muhammad, the Quran, the hadiths and any other matter related to Islamic terrorism. Incidentally: there has been no official complaint, no due process for me, just a mad scramble by the school to appease Islam.”
Damask’s introduction to the new Leftist academic world in which identity trumps truth has been bitter. “The College,” he says, “has displayed an appalling lack of respect toward my rights; it has essentially engaged in defamation by terming my course material inaccurate, insensitive and that I have violated the College’s values; has denied my civil rights through waiving any and all due process procedures; violated my First Amendment rights by demanding I make an apology to the student; and violated my First Amendment and civil rights by demanding I alter my course material. Further and perhaps worse, I believe the school has effectively encouraged and permitted these threats to be made against me when the school could have immediately put a stop to them, which is tantamount to allowing mob threats against me.”
It’s a terrible story, but there is one silver lining: at least we all know now that Islam is a religion of peace.
Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He is author of 19 books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His latest book is The Palestinian Delusion: The Catastrophic History of the Middle East Peace Process. Follow him on Twitter here. Like him on Facebook here.


bonginoreport--2020-05-09--Left-Wing Tech Firm Behind Iowa Caucus Chaos Rebrands

The left-wing tech firm reportedly behind much of the chaos surrounding the Iowa caucus in February is rebranding and recruiting new leadership as the company ’ s CEO acknowledges : It ’ s time for a major overhaul .
Shadow is calling itself BlueLink and adding new leadership after its technology caused delays in reporting the results of the caucus .
The app ’ s biggest investor — ACRONYM — has not yet changed the name of the firm on its “ about ” page , according to ACRONYM ’ s website .
“ If there ’ s ever a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” Shadow CEO Gerard Niemira told Recode .
He continued : “ Obviously when something like Iowa happens , it ’ s important to take stock.
” ( RELATED : Democratic Operatives Who Were Partially Responsible For Iowa Caucus Chaos Are Bailing On Shadow Company ) ACRONYM told the Daily Caller News Foundation that it decided in February to “ wind down our involvement with Shadow , ” though the company ’ s website still lists Shadow among its investments .
ACRONYM has not responded to the DCNF ’ s requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company came under criticism after creating a poorly-coded app that failed to tabulate votes properly , forcing the state to enact a recount .
Former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg eventually defeated Sen. Bernie Sanders after the counts were fully tallied .
ACRONYM edited portions of its website in February to distance itself from an app , the DCNF found in an archived version of the company ’ s website .
The Iowa Democratic Party paid Shadow $ 44,666 on Nov. 15 , 2019 , and $ 18,517 on Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state campaign finance reports .
The Nevada State Democratic Party also gave the company $ 58,000 on Aug. 27 , 2019 , Federal Election Commission records show .
Buttigieg ’ s presidential campaign also plowed $ 42,250 into Shadow ’ s coffers in July 2019 .
Niemira vowed to streamline the new company and kill one-off projects like the Iowa app , while bringing in Silicon Valley designer Irene Tollinger as the company ’ s chief operating officer .
She will oversee integrating data for the company ’ s campaigns .
Content created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 left-wing tech firm reportedly behind much of the chaos surrounding the Iowa caucus in February is rebranding and recruiting new leadership as the company’s CEO acknowledges: It’s time for a major overhaul.
Shadow is calling itself BlueLink and adding new leadership after its technology caused delays in reporting the results of the caucus. The app’s biggest investor — ACRONYM — has not yet changed the name of the firm on its “about” page, according to ACRONYM’s website.
“If there’s ever a time for a rebrand … this is it,” Shadow CEO Gerard Niemira told Recode.
He continued: “Obviously when something like Iowa happens, it’s important to take stock.” (RELATED: Democratic Operatives Who Were Partially Responsible For Iowa Caucus Chaos Are Bailing On Shadow Company)
ACRONYM told the Daily Caller News Foundation that it decided in February to “wind down our involvement with Shadow,” though the company’s website still lists Shadow among its investments. ACRONYM has not responded to the DCNF’s requests for comment about the discrepancy.
The company came under criticism after creating a poorly-coded app that failed to tabulate votes properly, forcing the state to enact a recount. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg eventually defeated Sen. Bernie Sanders after the counts were fully tallied.
ACRONYM edited portions of its website in February to distance itself from an app, the DCNF found in an archived version of the company’s website.
The Iowa Democratic Party paid Shadow $44,666 on Nov. 15, 2019, and $18,517 on Dec. 6, 2019, according to Iowa state campaign finance reports. The Nevada State Democratic Party also gave the company $58,000 on Aug. 27, 2019, Federal Election Commission records show. Buttigieg’s presidential campaign also plowed $42,250 into Shadow’s coffers in July 2019.
Niemira vowed to streamline the new company and kill one-off projects like the Iowa app, while bringing in Silicon Valley designer Irene Tollinger as the company’s chief operating officer. She will oversee integrating data for the company’s campaigns.
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--2020-05-10--Federal Court Overturns Kentucky Ban on Church Services

A federal judge in Kentuck has overturned Governor Andy Beshear ’ s ban on mass gatherings as it relates to in-person church services .
The ruling clears the way for churchgoers to attend services on Sunday .
U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove issued a temporary restraining order against the governor ’ s rule after two other federal judges upheld the ban as constitutional .
The order will allow services at “ any in-person religious service which adheres to applicable social distancing and hygiene guidelines.
” The federal judge ’ s order in the Tabernacle Baptist Church case said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in wanting to safeguard Kentuckians ’ health and lives , but didn ’ t provide “ a compelling reason for using his authority to limit a citizen ’ s right to freely exercise something we value greatly — the right of every American to follow their conscience on matters related to religion.
” Tabernacle had broadcast services on Facebook and held drive-in services , but the substitutes offered “ cold comfort , ” according to the opinion .
The opinion went on to say that Tabernacle alleged irreparable injury and was likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional claim , as the defendants didn ’ t “ dispute the challenged orders place a burden on the free exercise of religion in Kentucky.
” Van Tatenhove was eloquent in his defense of religious liberty .
“ The Constitution will endure .
It would be easy to put it on the shelf in times like this , to be pulled down and dusted off when more convenient , ” Van Tatenhove ’ s opinion read .
“ But that is not our tradition .
Its enduring quality requires that it be respected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion says Kentucky ’ s attorney general urged the court to apply the injunction statewide , and since the executive order challenged didn ’ t solely apply to Tabernacle , the injunction granted would also have a similar scope .
“ Both rulings affirm that the law prohibits the government from treating houses of worship differently than secular activities during this pandemic , ” Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a statement .
Those who don ’ t want to risk exposure will stay home ; those who want to worship will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now have the choice and not have it made for them by the state .
The government is being forced by the courts to treated Kentuckians like adults , and not helpless children .
Favorable court opinions have been few and far between during the pandemic as courts generally recognize the authority of the state to override constitutional rights .
Perhaps now that governors are reopening , the need to sue in order to exercise religious freedom will no longer be necessary .

A federal judge in Kentuck has overturned Governor Andy Beshear’s ban on mass gatherings as it relates to in-person church services. The ruling clears the way for churchgoers to attend services on Sunday.
U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove issued a temporary restraining order against the governor’s rule after two other federal judges upheld the ban as constitutional. The order will allow services at “any in-person religious service which adheres to applicable social distancing and hygiene guidelines.”
Associated Press:
The federal judge’s order in the Tabernacle Baptist Church case said Beshear had “an honest motive” in wanting to safeguard Kentuckians’ health and lives, but didn’t provide “a compelling reason for using his authority to limit a citizen’s right to freely exercise something we value greatly — the right of every American to follow their conscience on matters related to religion.” Tabernacle had broadcast services on Facebook and held drive-in services, but the substitutes offered “cold comfort,” according to the opinion. The opinion went on to say that Tabernacle alleged irreparable injury and was likely to succeed on the merits of its federal constitutional claim, as the defendants didn’t “dispute the challenged orders place a burden on the free exercise of religion in Kentucky.”
Van Tatenhove was eloquent in his defense of religious liberty.
“The Constitution will endure. It would be easy to put it on the shelf in times like this, to be pulled down and dusted off when more convenient,” Van Tatenhove’s opinion read. “But that is not our tradition. Its enduring quality requires that it be respected even when it is hard.” His opinion says Kentucky’s attorney general urged the court to apply the injunction statewide, and since the executive order challenged didn’t solely apply to Tabernacle, the injunction granted would also have a similar scope.
“Both rulings affirm that the law prohibits the government from treating houses of worship differently than secular activities during this pandemic,” Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a statement.
Those who don’t want to risk exposure will stay home; those who want to worship will go to church. Citizens in Kentucky will now have the choice and not have it made for them by the state. The government is being forced by the courts to treated Kentuckians like adults, and not helpless children.
Favorable court opinions have been few and far between during the pandemic as courts generally recognize the authority of the state to override constitutional rights. Perhaps now that governors are reopening, the need to sue in order to exercise religious freedom will no longer be necessary.


bonginoreport--2020-05-10--Study: Profound Increase in Mental Health Issues Due to Lockdown

When the novel coronavirus roared into the U.S. , mental health took a back seat to physical health .
The number one priority was making sure hospitals wouldn ’ t be overwhelmed and that as many lives as possible could be saved .
Schools closed , remote work became the norm , restaurants shuttered and getting together with friends was no longer possible .
The news cycle spun with story after story highlighting the ever-increasing number of cases and deaths , while unemployment soared to levels not seen since the Great Depression .
Any one of these shifts could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health issues .
Put together , they created a a perfect storm for a crisis .
Experts speculated as much , and polls showed that many people seemed to intuitively grasp the mental toll of the pandemic .
However , data on mental health metrics was scant ; we didn ’ t know the magnitude of any changes in mental health issues , nor did we understand which groups of people were suffering more than others .
So I decided to collect data on mental health during the pandemic and compare it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The differences were even worse than I anticipated .
On April 27 , I surveyed 2,032 U.S. adults using a standard measure of mental distress that asks , for example , how often a respondent felt sad or nervous in the last month .
I compared the responses with a sample of 19,330 demographically similar people in a 2018 government-sponsored survey of U.S. adults that asked the same questions .
The results were staggering : The 2020 participants were eight times as likely to screen positive for serious mental illness – 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2018 survey .
The vast majority of the 2020 participants , 70 % , met criteria for moderate to serious mental illness , compared with 22 % in 2018 .
Clearly , the pandemic has had a devastating effect on mental health .
Yet some people are suffering more than others .
Younger adults ages 18 to 44 – mostly iGen and millennials – have borne the brunt of the mental health effects .
They ’ ve experienced a tenfold increase in serious mental distress compared with 2018 .
Meanwhile , adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in serious mental health issues .
Why might this be the case ?
After all , the virus has far more dire health implications for older people .
It could be because older people are more protected from the economic disruptions of the pandemic .
Younger adults were more likely to lose their jobs as restaurants and stores closed and were more likely to be in a precarious financial position to begin with .
The youngest adults were also already struggling with mental health issues : Depression among 18- to 25-year-olds surged from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults spent less time interacting with others in person than they used to , a situation only exacerbated by the pandemic .
The other group in distress won ’ t be a surprise to parents : those with children under 18 at home .
With schools and daycares closed during the pandemic , many parents are trying to do the near-impossible by working and supervising their children at the same time .
Sports , scouting , music classes , camps and virtually every other activity parents rely on to keep their kids occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed for weeks .
This trend didn ’ t occur just because people with children at home are younger .
Even among 18- to 44-year-olds , those with children at home showed larger increases in mental distress than those without kids .
In 2018 , parents were actually less likely to be experiencing mental distress than those without children .
But by the end of April 2020 , parents were more likely to be in distress than their childless peers .
Where do we go from here ?
The findings of this study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ samples , though very similar in age , gender , race and region , came from different sources and thus might differ in other ways .
However , there are also other indications that mental health is suffering during the pandemic .
For example , calls to mental health hotlines appear to have surged .
This doesn ’ t necessarily mean we should open up the economy to preserve mental health .
The resulting spike in illness and death from COVID-19 could be even worse for mental health , and workers required to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about catching the virus .
It does mean policymakers need to be prepared for a potentially unprecedented number of Americans needing mental health services .
Just as hospitals risked running out of ventilators during a surge of COVID-19 patients , the mental health care system might be quickly overwhelmed .
The survey also shows just how widespread the impact of the pandemic has been , and just how many people are suffering .
If you have been feeling sad about everything that ’ s been lost – and nervous about the uncertainty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone .
[ You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic , and we can help .
Read The Conversation ’ s newsletter . ]

When the novel coronavirus roared into the U.S., mental health took a back seat to physical health. The number one priority was making sure hospitals wouldn’t be overwhelmed and that as many lives as possible could be saved.
Schools closed, remote work became the norm, restaurants shuttered and getting together with friends was no longer possible. The news cycle spun with story after story highlighting the ever-increasing number of cases and deaths, while unemployment soared to levels not seen since the Great Depression.
Any one of these shifts could be expected to cause an increase in mental health issues. Put together, they created a perfect storm for a crisis.
Experts speculated as much, and polls showed that many people seemed to intuitively grasp the mental toll of the pandemic. However, data on mental health metrics was scant; we didn’t know the magnitude of any changes in mental health issues, nor did we understand which groups of people were suffering more than others.
So I decided to collect data on mental health during the pandemic and compare it to data from before all of this happened. The differences were even worse than I anticipated.
A generational divide
On April 27, I surveyed 2,032 U.S. adults using a standard measure of mental distress that asks, for example, how often a respondent felt sad or nervous in the last month. I compared the responses with a sample of 19,330 demographically similar people in a 2018 government-sponsored survey of U.S. adults that asked the same questions.
The results were staggering: The 2020 participants were eight times as likely to screen positive for serious mental illness – 28%, compared to 3.4% in the 2018 survey. The vast majority of the 2020 participants, 70%, met criteria for moderate to serious mental illness, compared with 22% in 2018.
Clearly, the pandemic has had a devastating effect on mental health.
Yet some people are suffering more than others. Younger adults ages 18 to 44 – mostly iGen and millennials – have borne the brunt of the mental health effects. They’ve experienced a tenfold increase in serious mental distress compared with 2018. Meanwhile, adults 60 and older had the smallest increases in serious mental health issues.
Why might this be the case? After all, the virus has far more dire health implications for older people.
It could be because older people are more protected from the economic disruptions of the pandemic. Younger adults were more likely to lose their jobs as restaurants and stores closed and were more likely to be in a precarious financial position to begin with. The youngest adults were also already struggling with mental health issues: Depression among 18- to 25-year-olds surged from 2012 to 2017, possibly because young adults spent less time interacting with others in person than they used to, a situation only exacerbated by the pandemic.
Parents under pressure
The other group in distress won’t be a surprise to parents: those with children under 18 at home. With schools and daycares closed during the pandemic, many parents are trying to do the near-impossible by working and supervising their children at the same time. Sports, scouting, music classes, camps and virtually every other activity parents rely on to keep their kids occupied have been canceled. Even parks were closed for weeks.
This trend didn’t occur just because people with children at home are younger. Even among 18- to 44-year-olds, those with children at home showed larger increases in mental distress than those without kids.
In 2018, parents were actually less likely to be experiencing mental distress than those without children. But by the end of April 2020, parents were more likely to be in distress than their childless peers.
Where do we go from here?
The findings of this study are preliminary. The 2020 and 2018 samples, though very similar in age, gender, race and region, came from different sources and thus might differ in other ways.
However, there are also other indications that mental health is suffering during the pandemic. For example, calls to mental health hotlines appear to have surged.
This doesn’t necessarily mean we should open up the economy to preserve mental health. The resulting spike in illness and death from COVID-19 could be even worse for mental health, and workers required to return to their jobs may rightly worry about catching the virus.
It does mean policymakers need to be prepared for a potentially unprecedented number of Americans needing mental health services. Just as hospitals risked running out of ventilators during a surge of COVID-19 patients, the mental health care system might be quickly overwhelmed.
The survey also shows just how widespread the impact of the pandemic has been, and just how many people are suffering. If you have been feeling sad about everything that’s been lost – and nervous about the uncertainty of what comes next – you are not alone.
[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversation’s newsletter.]


bonginoreport--2020-05-10--Covington Catholic’s Nick Sandmann Headed to College With a Scholarship

The Catholic high school student who was the subject of controversial media coverage in 2019 because of a misleading video clip announced he is headed to college on a scholarship .
In a message posted on Friday , Nicholas Sandmann said he was `` very excited '' to share that he had been awarded a scholarship to attend college in the fall .
`` Very excited to say I will be graduating ! ''
Sandmann wrote .
`` After being told I would never get into college and my life was done , I ’ ll be going to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t back down and keep winning ! ''
Sandmann was swept up in controversy in early 2019 when CNN and several media figures accused the MAGA hat-wearing teenager of ridiculing a minority after a video showed him smiling in the face of a Native American man at the Lincoln Memorial during his school 's trip to the annual March for Life .
More video was later released that showed the entirety of the event , showing Sandmann and his peers being verbally accosted by a group of Black Hebrew Israelites before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drum close to Sandmann 's face .
CNN settled a defamation suit brought by Sandmann rumored to be worth more than $ 275 million .
In April , Sandmann said he still has been under constant threat since the incident .

The Catholic high school student who was the subject of controversial media coverage in 2019 because of a misleading video clip announced he is headed to college on a scholarship.
In a message posted on Friday, Nicholas Sandmann said he was "very excited" to share that he had been awarded a scholarship to attend college in the fall.
"Very excited to say I will be graduating!" Sandmann wrote. "After being told I would never get into college and my life was done, I’ll be going to an amazing school on a scholarship! Don’t back down and keep winning!"
Very excited to say I will be graduating!
After being told I would never get into college and my life was done, I’ll be going to an amazing school on a scholarship! Don’t back down and keep winning! pic.twitter.com/nYHVmJ1uEP — Nicholas Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) May 8, 2020
Sandmann was swept up in controversy in early 2019 when CNN and several media figures accused the MAGA hat-wearing teenager of ridiculing a minority after a video showed him smiling in the face of a Native American man at the Lincoln Memorial during his school's trip to the annual March for Life.
More video was later released that showed the entirety of the event, showing Sandmann and his peers being verbally accosted by a group of Black Hebrew Israelites before the Native American man approached and beat a drum close to Sandmann's face.
CNN settled a defamation suit brought by Sandmann rumored to be worth more than $275 million. In April, Sandmann said he still has been under constant threat since the incident.


bonginoreport--2020-05-10--DHS Says It Turns Back 80 Percent of Border Crossers in Under Two Hours

Eight in 10 illegal entrants at the border are being turned back quickly because of policies implemented to combat the coronavirus pandemic , the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) said .
Ken Cuccinelli , the second-highest DHS official , reacted to the latest enforcement action data from the U.S.-Mexico border .
April apprehension numbers reached a low not seen in several years , and most of the aliens who did appear unlawfully at the border were immediately sent back to Mexico .
“ Just look at April — 80 % of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the border were returned back over the border in an average of under two hours .
That ’ s astonishing , ” Cuccinelli told KTAR News 92.3 FM ’ s “ Arizona ’ s Morning News ” on Friday .
He continued : “ In the last six weeks , the Border Patrol has been implementing a health order rather than immigration law.
” There were 16,789 enforcement actions on the U.S. southern border in April , according to the latest data provided by CBP .
That number marks a 50 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a huge drop from the more than 109,000 actions taken in April 2019 .
These “ enforcement actions ” include apprehensions made by the agency and individuals who were turned away at the border .
When broken down , CBP and Border Patrol agents in April conducted 15,862 apprehensions and turned away 927 foreign nationals who appeared at the southern border .
CBP is able to quickly process and turn back migrants because of a recent authority granted due to the Trump administration ’ s closure on the southern and northern borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order from the CDC , closed the borders off to all non-essential traffic .
The authority , Title 42 , allows agents to swiftly turn migrants back , reducing risks of viral infection .
The result has been a steep drop in border crossings and a huge decline in the number of detainees at Border Patrol facilities .
Cuccinelli compared what the coronavirus pandemic would look like if the country was still facing a humanitarian crisis at the border like it did in 2019 .
( RELATED : Mexican National Illegally Crossed Border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ago , there were days we had as many as 20,000 people in Border Patrol custody , ” he said .
He added : “ Imagine bringing one COVID-positive person into that environment .
That is not good for those migrants , it ’ s not good for the Border Patrol agents who work there nor that community because it ’ s that community ’ s health care system that absorbs those people when they get sick.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Eight in 10 illegal entrants at the border are being turned back quickly because of policies implemented to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.
Ken Cuccinelli, the second-highest DHS official, reacted to the latest enforcement action data from the U.S.-Mexico border. April apprehension numbers reached a low not seen in several years, and most of the aliens who did appear unlawfully at the border were immediately sent back to Mexico.
“Just look at April — 80% of the people [Customs and Border Protection] apprehended at the border were returned back over the border in an average of under two hours. That’s astonishing,” Cuccinelli told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s “Arizona’s Morning News” on Friday.
He continued: “In the last six weeks, the Border Patrol has been implementing a health order rather than immigration law.”
There were 16,789 enforcement actions on the U.S. southern border in April, according to the latest data provided by CBP. That number marks a 50% decline in apprehensions compared to March, and a huge drop from the more than 109,000 actions taken in April 2019.
These “enforcement actions” include apprehensions made by the agency and individuals who were turned away at the border. When broken down, CBP and Border Patrol agents in April conducted 15,862 apprehensions and turned away 927 foreign nationals who appeared at the southern border.
CBP is able to quickly process and turn back migrants because of a recent authority granted due to the Trump administration’s closure on the southern and northern borders. The White House, per an order from the CDC, closed the borders off to all non-essential traffic.
The authority, Title 42, allows agents to swiftly turn migrants back, reducing risks of viral infection.
The result has been a steep drop in border crossings and a huge decline in the number of detainees at Border Patrol facilities. Cuccinelli compared what the coronavirus pandemic would look like if the country was still facing a humanitarian crisis at the border like it did in 2019. (RELATED: Mexican National Illegally Crossed Border For Coronavirus Medical Care)
“A year ago, there were days we had as many as 20,000 people in Border Patrol custody,” he said.
He added: “Imagine bringing one COVID-positive person into that environment. That is not good for those migrants, it’s not good for the Border Patrol agents who work there nor that community because it’s that community’s health care system that absorbs those people when they get sick.”
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