bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Adam Carolla Defends Jimmy Kimmel

Adam Carolla Defends Jimmy Kimmel

Adam Carolla defends Jimmy Kimmel — says him wearing blackface is n't really blackface 'The Man Show ' co-host is @ @

Comedian Adam Carolla — who worked alongside Jimmy Kimmel on Comedy Central's "The Man Show" — is speaking up in defense of his longtime friend, and also insisting that what Kimmel did wasn't blackface.
Kimmel issued an apology on Tuesday following resurfaced sketches in which Kimmel dressed up in blackface.
What are the details?
During Tuesday's "The Adam Carolla Show" podcast, the host said that Kimmel is easily in his "top three of all time of decent people I've ever met in my life."
"He is the most decent person you've ever met," Carolla said of Kimmel. "He is the most generous person you've ever met. If everyone was like Jimmy Kimmel, we'd be living in a ... utopia."
Carolla said that Kimmel's impersonations of black people such as former NBA player Karl Malone or even Oprah does not constitute as dressing up in hateful blackface.
"I was saying this years ago, and I meant it," Carolla said. "Blackface is something. Doing Karl Malone is something else, or doing Oprah is something else. ... This is not blackface."
What about cancel culture?
Carolla also insisted that cancel culture needs to stop when it comes to people resurfacing skits, sketches, jokes, or even formerly accepted practices from years back.
"It's not acceptable now," he said of certain types of comedy. "If somebody does this now, then we must look at it as something very different from then."
Carolla added, "If you meet anyone over 45, they'll tell you they got paddled, they got swatted, the teacher would smack them with a ruler. ... Paddling a kid sounds pretty outrageous in 2020 and nobody would stand for it. ... But the people who engaged in it at the time when it was common practice or had a context — we don't need to build a time machine so we can cancel culture them."


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--How a 60-Game 2020 MLB Season Impacts Players’ Salaries

After weeks of negotiating , MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is now planning to unilaterally schedule a 60-game regular season .
That could happen sometime soon , possibly even later Tuesday .
The MLBPA rejected the league 's latest proposal Monday and there simply is n't enough time to continue haggling .
The March agreement reached by the two sides allows Manfred to schedule the season unilaterally as long as the players receive full prorated pay .
MLB had offered longer seasons at less than full prorated play , but the players rejected those .
The MLBPA was unwilling to concede @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prorated salaries in March .
Sixty games is 37 percent of a 162-game season , so players will receive 37 percent of their full season salary in 2020 .
Here 's what that means for the 10 highest earners in baseball this year : Greinke , Kershaw , Scherzer , and Verlander all have contracts that expire following the 2021 season .
They 're the four greatest pitchers of their generation and have banked a fortune to date .
The same goes for Price , who is under contract through 2022 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a long-term contract and has a lot of money coming to them in 2021 and beyond .
On the other side of the salary spectrum , the league minimum was $ 563,500 this season , and the vast majority of players are making close to that figure .
Prorated over 60 games , the league minimum works out to $ 208,700 .
Still excellent compensation compared to the average person .
For a baseball player though ?
Yikes .
That 's quite a haircut .
MLB advanced the union $ 170 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The MLBPA distributed that to its members unevenly -- the more service time you have , the more you received -- and the advance must be paid back .
Players on the low end of the salary and service time spectrum will earn less than $ 100,000 in additional salary once the season begins .
Of course , it is entirely possible the 60-game season will not be completed .
The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing threat and could force a cancellation at some point .
Should that happen , players would take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their full season salary .
They get paid for however many games they play .
Nothing more , nothing less .

After weeks of negotiating, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is now planning to unilaterally schedule a 60-game regular season. That could happen sometime soon, possibly even later Tuesday. The MLBPA rejected the league's latest proposal Monday and there simply isn't enough time to continue haggling. The March agreement reached by the two sides allows Manfred to schedule the season unilaterally as long as the players receive full prorated pay.
MLB had offered longer seasons at less than full prorated play, but the players rejected those. The MLBPA was unwilling to concede another round of pay reductions after agreeing to prorated salaries in March.
Sixty games is 37 percent of a 162-game season, so players will receive 37 percent of their full season salary in 2020. Here's what that means for the 10 highest earners in baseball this year:
Greinke, Kershaw, Scherzer, and Verlander all have contracts that expire following the 2021 season. They're the four greatest pitchers of their generation and have banked a fortune to date. The same goes for Price, who is under contract through 2022. Everyone else in the table is early in a long-term contract and has a lot of money coming to them in 2021 and beyond.
On the other side of the salary spectrum, the league minimum was $563,500 this season, and the vast majority of players are making close to that figure. Prorated over 60 games, the league minimum works out to $208,700. Still excellent compensation compared to the average person. For a baseball player though? Yikes. That's quite a haircut.
MLB advanced the union $170 million as part of the March agreement. The MLBPA distributed that to its members unevenly -- the more service time you have, the more you received -- and the advance must be paid back. Players on the low end of the salary and service time spectrum will earn less than $100,000 in additional salary once the season begins.
Of course, it is entirely possible the 60-game season will not be completed. The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing threat and could force a cancellation at some point. Should that happen, players would take home even less than 37 percent of their full season salary. They get paid for however many games they play. Nothing more, nothing less.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Kosovo Designates Hezbollah as Terror Group

After @ MFAKOSOVO ’ s proposal , # Kosovo Government decided to declare both the political & military wings of @ @ @ @ @ organization in the territory of the Republic of .
This decision , contributes to protect @ @ @ @ @ & global security interests .

The Republic of Kosovo has officially designated both Hezbollah's military and political wings as a terrorist group, Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Minister Meliza Haradinaj announced on Twitter on Tuesday.A year ago, Kosovo designated Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist group, but following a proposal by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the parliament decided to designate the political wing as a terrorist entity as well."After [Foreign Affairs Ministry’s] proposal, #Kosovo Government decided to declare both the political & military wings of #Hezbollah, a terrorist organization in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo," Haradinaj said in her Tuesday tweet. "This decision contributes to protect & advance national, regional & global security interests."
After @MFAKOSOVO’s proposal, #Kosovo Government decided to declare both the political & military wings of #Hezbollah, a terrorist organization in the territory of the Republic of . This decision, contributes to protect & advance national, regional & global security interests. — Meliza Haradinaj (@MelizaHaradinaj) June 23, 2020
The American Jewish Congress lauded the move."Hezbollah’s activities are a direct threat to peace and security, and Kosovo’s decision is an important step in the global fight against terrorism," the AJC said in a statement. "The artificial differentiation between Hezbollah’s political and military wings has created openings for Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran, to continue to engage in its malignant activities in many countries around the world."We urge other countries to follow Kosovo’s example in treating the entirety of Hezbollah as a terrorist entity and banning all its activities," they concluded.
#Hezbollah’s activities are a direct threat to peace and security and #Kosovo’s decision is an important step in the global fight against terrorism. https://t.co/14L9ehoYgS — American Jewish Congress (@AJCongress) June 24, 2020
Kosovo joins the list of more than a dozen countries and groups of nations – including Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany , France, the Arab League and the European Union – that have designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.Zachary Keyser contributed to this report.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Until Biden Emerges From His Basement, the Polls Mean Nothing

Nobody likes polls more than the press , and there is nothing the press likes more than a poll that fits their narrative .
Given this , it ’ s not surprising that the media worked itself into an absolute frenzy after a series of polls that show President Trump ’ s re-elect is in serious jeopardy .
The polling getting the most buzz is The New York Times poll from this week that shows Trump trailing former Vice President Joe Biden 50-36 % nationally .
State polling from The Times showed Trump trailing Biden in the swing states of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan , Arizona and Wisconsin .
The polling has prompted fever-dream wish-casting pieces by media folks hailing the imminent Biden landslide .
Indeed , Josh Kraushaar of National Journal wrote this week about the current state of the Trump-Biden race : Never mind that this is the same Josh Kraushaar who assured all his readers on Twitter that Trump ’ s impeachment was the single biggest event of the Trump Presidency .
And , that Trump ’ s re-elect numbers would suffer dramatically because of it ( no one remembers impeachment and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Should We Be Worried About Polls I have had several fellow Trump supporters reach out to me in the last week to ask if they should be worried about the poll numbers , so I write today to give you the same advice I have given them : these polls mean absolutely nothing .
First , might I remind everyone that polling taken less than a month before the 2016 election showed Hillary Clinton demolishing Donald Trump .
Indeed , an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll taken October 8-9th of 2016 showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a head-to-head matchup ( 52-38 % ) .
That poll was taken right after the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape and marked the 500th time the main stream media had declared Trump ’ s campaign .
So , polling in June of a pandemic , four months before the election , is generally useless as a tool for predicting what will happen in November .
Second , and even more importantly , this race hasn ’ t even started yet .
Joe Biden hasn ’ t held a press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventures outside of his basement .
Preferring instead to give interviews to soft ball friendly news outlets .
Even in those interviews , Biden – WHO IS USING NOTES – is an absolute disaster .
The guy can ’ t finish a sentence .
The bad news for Biden and for Democrats and their handmaidens in the corporate media is that at some point Biden is going to have to emerge from his basement and actually campaign for the job of President of the United States of America .
Until Biden actually starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ useless than usual polling .
Elections are about choices , they aren ’ t simply referendums on an individual candidate .
Eventually , voters will get to see Joe Biden .
Eventually , Joe Biden will have to climb into the ring , I mean onto the stage , with Donald Trump for a debate .
At some point , Biden will have to stand before cameras – without notes – taking questions from folks other than friendly reporters trying to make him look good .
At some point , the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Joe Biden .
Joe Biden can not hide forever , but as long as he is in hiding , every single thinking human being on the planet should feel free to ignore the polling .

Nobody likes polls more than the press, and there is nothing the press likes more than a poll that fits their narrative. Given this, it’s not surprising that the media worked itself into an absolute frenzy after a series of polls that show President Trump’s re-elect is in serious jeopardy.
Poll Shows Trump Trailing Biden
The polling getting the most buzz is The New York Times poll from this week that shows Trump trailing former Vice President Joe Biden 50-36% nationally. State polling from The Times showed Trump trailing Biden in the swing states of Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin.
The polling has prompted fever-dream wish-casting pieces by media folks hailing the imminent Biden landslide. Indeed, Josh Kraushaar of National Journal wrote this week about the current state of the Trump-Biden race:
Right now, it looks more likely that Biden will win a landslide victory, picking up states uncontested by Democrats in recent elections, than it is that Trump can mount a miraculous turnaround in just over four months.
Never mind that this is the same Josh Kraushaar who assured all his readers on Twitter that Trump’s impeachment was the single biggest event of the Trump Presidency. And, that Trump’s re-elect numbers would suffer dramatically because of it (no one remembers impeachment and Trump’s numbers actually went up).
Should We Be Worried About Polls
I have had several fellow Trump supporters reach out to me in the last week to ask if they should be worried about the poll numbers, so I write today to give you the same advice I have given them: these polls mean absolutely nothing.
First, might I remind everyone that polling taken less than a month before the 2016 election showed Hillary Clinton demolishing Donald Trump. Indeed, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll taken October 8-9th of 2016 showed Clinton with a 14-point lead over Trump in a head-to-head matchup (52-38%).
That poll was taken right after the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape and marked the 500th time the main stream media had declared Trump’s campaign. So, polling in June of a pandemic, four months before the election, is generally useless as a tool for predicting what will happen in November.
Second, and even more importantly, this race hasn’t even started yet. Joe Biden hasn’t held a press conference in more than 80 days and rarely ventures outside of his basement. Preferring instead to give interviews to soft ball friendly news outlets.
Even in those interviews, Biden – WHO IS USING NOTES – is an absolute disaster. The guy can’t finish a sentence.
Bad News For Biden
The bad news for Biden and for Democrats and their handmaidens in the corporate media is that at some point Biden is going to have to emerge from his basement and actually campaign for the job of President of the United States of America.
Until Biden actually starts campaigning, these polls are even more useless than usual polling.
Elections are about choices, they aren’t simply referendums on an individual candidate. Eventually, voters will get to see Joe Biden.
Eventually, Joe Biden will have to climb into the ring, I mean onto the stage, with Donald Trump for a debate.
At some point, Biden will have to stand before cameras – without notes – taking questions from folks other than friendly reporters trying to make him look good.
At some point, the American people will get to choose between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Joe Biden cannot hide forever, but as long as he is in hiding, every single thinking human being on the planet should feel free to ignore the polling.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Federal Reserve Puts Restrictions on Bank Dividends After Annual Stress Test

The Federal Reserve put new restrictions on the U.S. banking industry Thursday after its annual stress test found that several banks could get uncomfortably close to minimum capital levels in scenarios tied to the coronavirus pandemic .
The Fed said in a release that big banks will be required to suspend share buybacks and cap dividend payments at their current level for the third quarter of this year .
The regulator also said that it would only allow dividends to be paid based on a formula tied to a bank 's recent earnings .
Furthermore , the industry will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time in the decade-long history of the stress test , banks will have to resubmit their payout plans again later this year , and restrictions on payouts could remain in effect .
They may have to repeat this cycle every quarter , the regulator said .
Bank stocks slumped after the close of regular trading in New York .
Shares of Wells Fargo , which had climbed during the day , gave back some of those gains , falling 3.3 % .
Goldman Sachs slumped 3.9 % .
JPMorgan Chase dropped 1.9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue to manage their capital actions and liquidity risk prudently , and in support of the real economy , there is material uncertainty about the trajectory for the economic recovery , '' Fed Vice Chair Randall Quarles said in a statement .
`` As a result , the Board is taking action to assess banks ' conditions more intensively and to require the largest banks to adopt prudent measures to preserve capital in the coming months . ''
The move signals that the unprecedented nature of the coronavirus pandemic , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for banks , is making the Fed cautious .
Regulators and the industry are keen to avoid the mistakes of the previous crisis , where firms made billions of dollars in payouts only to have to raise capital later .
The biggest U.S. banks already said in March that they would voluntarily suspend share repurchases , which make up roughly 70 % of capital payouts for the industry .
What remained were the dividends , which bank analysts have mostly assumed would remain at their current levels – with the exception of Wells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profits after its fake accounts scandal .
Still , options market traders have bet that banks would be forced to cut dividends , even at JPMorgan , the biggest and most profitable of the megabanks .
`` These companies are effectively nationalized , '' David Ellison , a portfolio manager at Hennessy Funds , said in a CNBC interview .
`` It sounds like buybacks are n't going to come back from a long time , and the dividends are going to be subject to what the Fed believes the economy looks like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disclose their capital plans , and whether they actually maintain their current dividend payouts , on Monday , June 29 .
Still , it appears that the industry dodged a bullet : Fed Governor Lael Brainard said in a separate statement that she supported a blanket suspension of all payouts for the industry .
Doing so would `` create a level playing field and allow all banks to preserve capital without suffering a competitive disadvantage relative to their peers , '' she said .
On top of the Fed 's typical test , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe economic downturn , the regulator looked at three scenarios tied to the current pandemic : A V-shaped recession and recovery , a slower U-shaped outlook , and a W-shaped scenario that would include a double-dip recession .
Since the real economic fallout from the pandemic already exceeds the typical severe economic downturn from previous exams , it is these three scenarios that garner the most interest from bank analysts and investors .
While the Fed was careful to say that the scenarios are not predictions of what will actually happen , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said could be the course of the economy : Unemployment would peak at up to 19.5 % .
That could cause up to $ 700 billion in loan losses for the 34 banks in the exam , and the industry 's aggregate capital ratios could fall from 12 % at the end of 2019 to as low as 7.7 % .
Capital , which is the difference between a bank 's assets and liabilities , acts as a cushion to absorb losses .
While most of the industry would remain well capitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenarios , several banks `` would approach minimum capital levels , '' the Fed said .
The regulator did n't disclose which banks would skate close to their minimums , however .
The formula for dividend payouts involves averaging net income from the previous four quarters , Brainard said .
That probably puts Wells Fargo at greatest risk for a dividend cut , because its profits fell by almost 90 % in the first quarter as it set aside money for loan losses .
In her statement , which amounted to a rare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said that allowing banks to continue making payouts , even if they are capped , is `` inconsistent with the purpose of the stress tests , which is to be forward-looking by preserving resilience , not backward looking by authorizing payouts based on net income from past quarters . ''
Up to one-quarter of banks could be pushed close to their minimum capital levels under the Covid-19 scenarios , said Brainard , who is the Fed board 's only holdover from the Obama administration .
`` Past experience shows that banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much less likely to meet the needs of creditworthy borrowers , and the resulting tightening of credit conditions could impair the recovery , '' she said .
`` Despite the substantial likelihood that banks will need larger capital buffers to absorb losses under plausible scenarios , the authorization permits distributions that will deplete capital buffers . ''

The Federal Reserve put new restrictions on the U.S. banking industry Thursday after its annual stress test found that several banks could get uncomfortably close to minimum capital levels in scenarios tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Fed said in a release that big banks will be required to suspend share buybacks and cap dividend payments at their current level for the third quarter of this year. The regulator also said that it would only allow dividends to be paid based on a formula tied to a bank's recent earnings.
Furthermore, the industry will be subject to ongoing scrutiny: For the first time in the decade-long history of the stress test, banks will have to resubmit their payout plans again later this year, and restrictions on payouts could remain in effect. They may have to repeat this cycle every quarter, the regulator said.
Bank stocks slumped after the close of regular trading in New York. Shares of Wells Fargo , which had climbed during the day, gave back some of those gains, falling 3.3%. Goldman Sachs slumped 3.9%. JPMorgan Chase dropped 1.9%.
"While I expect banks will continue to manage their capital actions and liquidity risk prudently, and in support of the real economy, there is material uncertainty about the trajectory for the economic recovery," Fed Vice Chair Randall Quarles said in a statement. "As a result, the Board is taking action to assess banks' conditions more intensively and to require the largest banks to adopt prudent measures to preserve capital in the coming months."
The move signals that the unprecedented nature of the coronavirus pandemic, and the difficulty in forecasting what the future holds for banks, is making the Fed cautious. Regulators and the industry are keen to avoid the mistakes of the previous crisis, where firms made billions of dollars in payouts only to have to raise capital later. The biggest U.S. banks already said in March that they would voluntarily suspend share repurchases, which make up roughly 70% of capital payouts for the industry.
What remained were the dividends, which bank analysts have mostly assumed would remain at their current levels – with the exception of Wells Fargo , which is struggling to restore profits after its fake accounts scandal. Still, options market traders have bet that banks would be forced to cut dividends, even at JPMorgan, the biggest and most profitable of the megabanks.
"These companies are effectively nationalized," David Ellison, a portfolio manager at Hennessy Funds, said in a CNBC interview. "It sounds like buybacks aren't going to come back for a long time, and the dividends are going to be subject to what the Fed believes the economy looks like."
The banks are expected to disclose their capital plans, and whether they actually maintain their current dividend payouts, on Monday, June 29.
Still, it appears that the industry dodged a bullet: Fed Governor Lael Brainard said in a separate statement that she supported a blanket suspension of all payouts for the industry. Doing so would "create a level playing field and allow all banks to preserve capital without suffering a competitive disadvantage relative to their peers," she said.
On top of the Fed's typical test, which examines how lenders fare during a severe economic downturn, the regulator looked at three scenarios tied to the current pandemic: A V-shaped recession and recovery, a slower U-shaped outlook, and a W-shaped scenario that would include a double-dip recession.
Since the real economic fallout from the pandemic already exceeds the typical severe economic downturn from previous exams, it is these three scenarios that garner the most interest from bank analysts and investors.
While the Fed was careful to say that the scenarios are not predictions of what will actually happen, they do hew closely to what bank executives have said could be the course of the economy: Unemployment would peak at up to 19.5%.
That could cause up to $700 billion in loan losses for the 34 banks in the exam, and the industry's aggregate capital ratios could fall from 12% at the end of 2019 to as low as 7.7%. Capital, which is the difference between a bank's assets and liabilities, acts as a cushion to absorb losses.
While most of the industry would remain well capitalized, in the harsher U- and W-shaped scenarios, several banks "would approach minimum capital levels," the Fed said. The regulator didn't disclose which banks would skate close to their minimums, however.
The formula for dividend payouts involves averaging net income from the previous four quarters, Brainard said. That probably puts Wells Fargo at greatest risk for a dividend cut, because its profits fell by almost 90% in the first quarter as it set aside money for loan losses.
In her statement, which amounted to a rare dissenting opinion of the Fed's actions, she said that allowing banks to continue making payouts, even if they are capped, is "inconsistent with the purpose of the stress tests, which is to be forward-looking by preserving resilience, not backward looking by authorizing payouts based on net income from past quarters."
Up to one-quarter of banks could be pushed close to their minimum capital levels under the Covid-19 scenarios, said Brainard, who is the Fed board's only holdover from the Obama administration.
"Past experience shows that banks operating close to their regulatory minimums are much less likely to meet the needs of creditworthy borrowers, and the resulting tightening of credit conditions could impair the recovery," she said. "Despite the substantial likelihood that banks will need larger capital buffers to absorb losses under plausible scenarios, the authorization permits distributions that will deplete capital buffers."
With contributions from CNBC's Jesse Pound.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--NYPD Precinct Commander Quits in Protest – Cites Lack of Guidance on Recent Reforms

A Bronx NYPD precinct commander is quitting in protest of how the department is handling police reform , The Post has learned .
Deputy Inspector Richard Brea is throwing in the towel after nearly three decades because he says his bosses are not giving him enough guidance on how to get guns and drugs off the street now that the department has disbanded and reassigned its anti-crime unit , according to people familiar with the matter .
Guardian Angels leader Curtis Sliwa confirmed Brea ’ s retirement to The Post Thursday after speaking with the inspector , who leads the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , the Captains Endowment Association , which represents Brea , sent a letter saying CompStat should be abolished because it pressured commanders to drum up arrests — or answer to angry bosses at monthly CompStat meetings .
Sliwa says Brea , who was due to present his numbers Thursday , told him : “ I ’ ll be more than happy to come to CompStat and get a beatdown but I ’ m not getting guidance.
” In a call with Sliwa , Brea griped that the department wasn ’ t giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should do with firework enforcement .
“ How am I supposed to lead ?
” Brea said , according to Sliwa .
“ I ’ m doing this and others may be following in my footsteps.
” Brea ’ s last day will be Friday , Sliwa said .
The NYPD did not immediately respond for comment .

A Bronx NYPD precinct commander is quitting to protest the department’s handling of police reform and anti-brutality protests, The Post has learned.
Deputy Inspector Richard Brea is hanging it up after nearly three decades, Guardian Angels leader Curtis Sliwa told The Post on Thursday following a phone conversation with Brea, who led the Bronx’s 46th Precinct.
Brea put in his papers because his bosses are not giving him enough guidance on how to get guns and drugs off the street now that the department has disbanded and reassigned its anti-crime unit, Sliwa said.
On Wednesday, the Captains Endowment Association, which represents Brea, sent a letter saying CompStat should be abolished because it pressured commanders to drum up arrests — or explain to angry bosses at monthly meetings why arrests are down. Sliwa says Brea, who was due to present his numbers Thursday, told him: “I’ll be more than happy to come to CompStat and get a beatdown, but I’m not getting guidance.”
Brea also griped that the department wasn’t giving him any guidance about what his officers should do with fireworks enforcement, Sliwa said.
The high-ranking cop was also incensed that the department had been caught flat-footed by looters who capitalized on police-brutality protest to wreak havoc in sections of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
“He was indicating the problems after looting — like not seeing them coming,” Sliwa said.
But the dissolution of the plainclothes anti-crime unit without guidance from on high was the last straw for Brea, who didn’t want to retire, according to Sliwa.
“How am I supposed to lead?” Brea said, according to Sliwa.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea last week announced he was dissolving the unit because it was responsible for an outsize number of complaints over aggressive or unprofessional policing.
The unit’s roughly 600 members were to be reassigned throughout the department, including as detectives and neighborhood coordination officers, Shea said.
“I’m doing this, and others may be following in my footsteps,” Brea also said, according to Sliwa.
Indeed, after news broke of his move, the departing deputy inspector was being hailed as a champion by cops who say they’ve felt triggered by the current political climate.
“Everyone is calling him a hero,” one source said. “Many of us wish we could [leave].”
Brea’s last day is Friday, Sliwa said.
Department members are planning a walkout ceremony for the retiring commander for 3 p.m. at the 46th Precinct station house, sources said.
Neither the NYPD nor the Captains Endowment Association union that represents Brea responded to a request for comment.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Pelosi Calls for “Review” of Statues of Washington and Jefferson

Nancy Pelosi claimed Thursday that there should be a 'review ' of all historical statues but asserted that while those who fought for the Confederacy should be torn down she feels those who only owned slaves should be left up . '
I would say , rather than tearing down and defacing , why do n't we just have a review , ' the House Speaker told The Washington Post 's Robert Costa during a more than half-hour live-streamed interview Thursday afternoon .
The question of what to do with historical statues and memorials comes as protesters deface , destroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own using ropes and chains .
Pelosi said the 'review ' would be a way for the government to decide which statues should be removed – including potentially rejecting the removal of historical figures that owned slaves but did not fight for the Confederacy .
'That does n't mean just because Thomas Jefferson or George Washington or others were slaves owners that we should undermine what they did for our country , ' Pelosi claimed .
'These Confederates – Jefferson Davis , Alexander Stephens – they committed treason against the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that 's a different story . '
She added in a slight contradiction : 'But , you know what , subject everything to scrutiny and make a decision . '
Pelosi also added that the review would be a way to determine how to take down statues in a cost-effective and safe manner .
'Let 's take it down safely , so that we 're not hurting anybody when the statue comes down or costing more money to get rid of it or get rid of the defacing of something that might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' Pelosi said . '
I 'm all for it .
Let 's review this .
Why are we glorifying the sins of the past ? '
the California Democrat continued .
'But I do think we should do it in a safer way , rather than in a more dangerous way . '
Pelosi ; s comments come as there is a growing call from protesters and civil rights groups and activists to take down the statues and memorials to historical figures that either fought for the Confederacy or owned slaves - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the two .
The call for the removal of controversial Confederate monuments flared up after Unite the Right protesters , who were deemed white nationalists , marched in 2017 to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville , Virginia .
Lee was the commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War .
The protesters in Charlottesville were met with counterprotesters calling for the statue 's removal - and one person was killed amid violent clashes between demonstrators .
And on Monday , protesters outside the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson with chains and ropes .
While they 're attempts failed , they did deface much of the monument , graffiting 'Killer ' on the base of the statue .
The protesters faced-off with law enforcement and were forcibly removed from the area outside the White House that they deemed the 'Black House Autonomous Zone ' – claiming they were establishing the zone there free from police and the rule of law just like in Seattle , Washington .
Dozens of statues and monuments across the country have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a review process be created comes as her party prepares to vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act .
The legislation comes after more than a month of protests continue to rock the nation in the wake of Floyd 's death at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis , Minnesota last month .
The event , which was recorded , sparked nationwide unrest , led to a renewed call for statue removal and police reform to fix relations between the black community and law enforcement .

Nancy Pelosi claimed Thursday that there should be a 'review' of all historical statues but asserted that while those who fought for the Confederacy should be torn down she feels those who only owned slaves should be left up.
'I would say, rather than tearing down and defacing, why don't we just have a review,' the House Speaker told The Washington Post's Robert Costa during a more than half-hour live-streamed interview Thursday afternoon.
The question of what to do with historical statues and memorials comes as protesters deface, destroy and attempt to tear them down on their own using ropes and chains.
Pelosi said the 'review' would be a way for the government to decide which statues should be removed – including potentially rejecting the removal of historical figures that owned slaves but did not fight for the Confederacy.
'That doesn't mean just because Thomas Jefferson or George Washington or others were slaves owners that we should undermine what they did for our country,' Pelosi claimed. 'These Confederates – Jefferson Davis, Alexander Stephens – they committed treason against the United States in the name of slavery. I think that's a different story.'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the government should set up a 'review' of historical statues to determine if and how they should be removed. 'I would say, rather than tearing down and defacing, why don't we just have a review,' she said
Pelosi also asserted that the review would make the process more cost-effective and safe – as protesters attempt to tear down the monuments they deem racist
Pelosi claims there is a difference between historical figures who owned slaves, like Thomas Jefferson, and those who fought for the Confederacy – claiming 'we should undermine what they [Jefferson and George Washington] did for our country'
She added in a slight contradiction: 'But, you know what, subject everything to scrutiny and make a decision.'
Pelosi also added that the review would be a way to determine how to take down statues in a cost-effective and safe manner.
'Let's take it down safely, so that we're not hurting anybody when the statue comes down or costing more money to get rid of it or get rid of the defacing of something that might not – shouldn't have been,' Pelosi said.
'I'm all for it. Let's review this. Why are we glorifying the sins of the past?' the California Democrat continued. 'But I do think we should do it in a safer way, rather than in a more dangerous way.'
Pelosi;s comments come as there is a growing call from protesters and civil rights groups and activists to take down the statues and memorials to historical figures that either fought for the Confederacy or owned slaves - as Pelsoi claims there is a difference between the two.
The call for the removal of controversial Confederate monuments flared up after Unite the Right protesters, who were deemed white nationalists, marched in 2017 to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Lee was the commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
The protesters in Charlottesville were met with counterprotesters calling for the statue's removal - and one person was killed amid violent clashes between demonstrators.
And on Monday, protesters outside the White House attempted to topple the statue of the seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson with chains and ropes.
While they're attempts failed, they did deface much of the monument, graffiting 'Killer' on the base of the statue.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both owned slaves. @SpeakerPelosi says there should be a review about what to do about statues depicting the men. She says that even though Jefferson and Washington were slave owners, that shouldn't undermine what they did for this country. pic.twitter.com/H0T4w4GCuO — Washington Post Live (@PostLive) June 25, 2020
The protesters faced-off with law enforcement and were forcibly removed from the area outside the White House that they deemed the 'Black House Autonomous Zone' – claiming they were establishing the zone there free from police and the rule of law just like in Seattle, Washington.
Dozens of statues and monuments across the country have been removed since 2017.
Pelosi's insistence that a review process be created comes as her party prepares to vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
The legislation comes after more than a month of protests continue to rock the nation in the wake of Floyd's death at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota last month.
The event, which was recorded, sparked nationwide unrest, led to a renewed call for statue removal and police reform to fix relations between the black community and law enforcement.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Trump Says BLM Leader’s Threat to “Burn Down This System” Is “Treason, Sedition, Insurrection”

President Donald Trump on Thursday responded to a Black Lives Matter leader threatening to “ burn down this system ” unless the United States “ give [ s ] us what we want , ” accusing him of “ treason , sedition , ” and “ insurrection.
” In a Wednesday interview with Fox News Channel , Greater New York Black Lives Matter president Hawk Newsome warned that if the country “ doesn ’ t give us what we want , then we will burn down this system and replace it.
” “ If this country doesn ’ t give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will burn down the system and replace it .
All right ?
And I could be speaking figuratively , I could be speaking literally , ” Newsome told The Story host Martha MacCallum.
” It ’ s a matter of interpretation .
Let ’ s be very real and let ’ s observe the history of the 1960s .
When black people were rioting , we have their highest growth in wealth , in property ownership .
Think about the last few weeks .
Since you started protesting there have been eight cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weighed in on Newsome ’ s threat , tweeting : “ Black Lives Matter leader states , ‘ If U.S. doesn ’ t give us what we want , then we will burn down this system and replace it ’ .
This is Treason , Sedition , Insurrection !
” Newsome ’ s warning comes as Black Lives Matter activists have taken to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd , a black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day .
The protests have been marked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law enforcement , arson , rioting , and looting .
In recent weeks , Black Lives Matter protesters have also targeted federal monuments such as Confederate leaders and even presidents like George Washington and Andrew Jackson .
On Monday , D.C. police prevented protesters from toppling a statue of Jackson near the White House .
President Trump has warned that individuals who vandalize monuments could face up to ten years in prison .

President Donald Trump on Thursday responded to a Black Lives Matter leader threatening to “burn down this system” unless the United States “give[s] us what we want,” accusing him of “treason, sedition,” and “insurrection.”
In a Wednesday interview with Fox News Channel, Greater New York Black Lives Matter president Hawk Newsome warned that if the country “doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it.”
“If this country doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down the system and replace it. All right? And I could be speaking figuratively, I could be speaking literally,” Newsome told The Story host Martha MacCallum.” It’s a matter of interpretation. Let’s be very real and let’s observe the history of the 1960s. When black people were rioting, we have their highest growth in wealth, in property ownership. Think about the last few weeks. Since you started protesting there have been eight cops fired across the country.”
President Trump weighed in on Newsome’s threat, tweeting: “Black Lives Matter leader states, ‘If U.S. doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it’. This is Treason, Sedition, Insurrection!”
Black Lives Matter leader states, “If U.S. doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it”. This is Treason, Sedition, Insurrection! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2020
Newsome’s warning comes as Black Lives Matter activists have taken to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. The protests have been marked with violent unrest, including the targeting of law enforcement, arson, rioting, and looting. In recent weeks, Black Lives Matter protesters have also targeted federal monuments such as Confederate leaders and even presidents like George Washington and Andrew Jackson.
On Monday, D.C. police prevented protesters from toppling a statue of Jackson near the White House.
President Trump has warned that individuals who vandalize monuments could face up to ten years in prison.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Kurt Schlichter: Conservative Principles Never Require You to Submit to Tyranny

There ’ s a basic rule that far too many conservatives ignore : if some alleged conservative principle makes you less free , then it ’ s not a good conservative principle and you should toss it in the trash .
After all , principles are merely shorthand for the best practices of a just society .
When some alleged principle helps leftists enserf-ify you , then it ’ s a pretty Schiffy principle , isn ’ t it ?
Weaponizing principles is one of the left ’ s favorite tactics , and it ’ s right out of Alinsky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 is `` Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules . ''
And it works really well , right up until the moment that you stop playing by the rules that the left is trying to jam down your throat .
Now , the objection to my view – offered in good faith by good faith conservatives ( you old softies ) and in bad faith by the cruise-shilling Fredocon hacks who make common cause with our enemies – is that this kind of wokeness makes one unprincipled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ us who see what ’ s happening and refuse to go full lemming – never go full lemming – are not abandoning conservative principles .
We ’ re just not trying to hold onto the alleged principles that have abandoned us .
This comes up a lot recently as the left has redoubled its efforts to weaponize our principles to create a monopoly on power .
We ’ ve seen Big Tech do it for a while now , but today it ’ s happening even more .
The idea is to leverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diverted from protecting and asserting our own interests by blind adherence to a version of conservative dogma that our opponents force-feed us and that we , for some reason , all too often fail to puke back up all over them like a supermodel exiting a Golden Corral .
Time to get woke to the scam and stop playing their no-win game .
One of the best examples of this is the argument that we conservatives can not make a moral argument against , or use their political power to provide legal remedies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This game is the informal process by which individuals and companies deter dissent and enforce conformity of thought and expression by threatening and sometimes destroying the livelihood of dissenters .
One of the conservative principles we aspire to is individual choice , manifesting in not interfering with the choices of individuals and companies over who they do business with .
This often means a conservative is stifled or fired .
But another conservative principle is freedom of expression .
This is distinct from the First Amendment , which bars the government from preventing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes a great deal of this distinction – “ Cancelling you racist sexist cisgender monsters does not violate the First Amendment , and individual and companies have a right not to do business with anyone they want ” – when we seek to use our power to correct these outrages .
The lib objection sounds plausible , until you understand that individuals and companies punishing you by preventing you from earning a livelihood is as much of a punishment as the government coming and punishing you under criminal law – except in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no due process , and no appeal .
And , in fact , this is not even an accurate representation of the allegedly operative principle .
We already bar individuals and companies from discriminating on the basis of many attributes – race , sex , religion .
What ’ s the – wait for it !
– principle that bars all that kind of garbage invidious discrimination , yet somehow requires us to accept invidious discrimination on the basis of our political views , specifically views that are pro-American ?
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valid principle preventing us from demanding formal legal protection .
States like mine , California , actually already have political discrimination protection laws ( check a competent lawyer in your jurisdiction if this issue comes up for you ) .
But some argue that because we cons generally support allowing individuals and companies to run their businesses as they choose , we ’ re supposed to allow them to drive us conservatives out of full participation in society merely because we like America and dare say so ?
After all , liberals control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The premise that a coder can just go across the street to a more tolerant version of Google , or that an oppressed professor can go grab tenure at one of the myriad conservative colleges , is nonsense .
They have the power that comes from infiltrating institutions , but we have the power that comes from winning elections , yet we ’ re not supposed to use our power to enact laws that protect ourselves when the left uses its power against us without restraint ?
Nope , not buying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressively pushing regulation and legislation to protect our rights .
“ BUT CONSERVATIVES ARE SUPPOSED TO HATE REGULATION !
” Yeah , maybe , but we definitely hate being oppressed .
After all , any principle that is construed in a manner that makes us second-class citizens , unable to speak without the threat of retaliation , is not a principle worth having .
When they tell us that our own beliefs – to which they do not subscribe – force us to accept serfdom , we need to tell them to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancellation selection criteria issue .
Some people are more cancellable than others .
The insufferable liberal Jimmy Kimmel utters racial epithets and prances about in blackface , but he ’ s cool .
But if a patriot like you accurately observes that “ all lives matter ” instead of just some of them , you ’ re Bull Connor II : Electric Boogaloo .
Please point out what principle makes that cool so I can light it on fire and watch it burn .
Of course , we have not stood for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cons took a break from following Jesse Kelly ’ s admonition to # CancelYale – Elihu Yale built Yale on the skulls and bones of slaves – to demand Kimmel ’ s ritual defenestration .
We were then informed that demanding cancellation is not what conservatives do .
Well , it ’ s what conservatives who refuse to accept dual-track justice do .
See , they don ’ t get to win .
As I have pointed out before , there are three scenarios in descending order of preferability .
Option 1 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we wish and no one gets canceled .
Option 2 : Conservatives get canceled , but liberals get canceled too .
Option 3 : Conservatives get canceled , but liberals never get canceled .
My preference is Option 1 , everyone says whatever they want and no one gets canceled .
This seems like the best arrangement , and until recently it seemed to be the one that we had adopted as a society .
If we can ’ t have Option 1 , then we will take Option 2 , mutually assured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do whatever they want and we get gagged , is a non-starter .
They do not get to win .
Hence , Jimmy Kimmel must be canceled .
Maybe this will inspire them to return to Option 1 , but maybe not .
What is not happening is that we get locked in the social gimp box and they get to do whatever .
Nope .
Any principle that applies to us but not to them is not a principle but a mini suicide pact , and we ’ re not doing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are a marker of a healthy society .
But today our society is not healthy , and we are not morally obligated to pretend that it is by observing to our own detriment norms and rules that are not universally applicable .
And we won ’ t cure what is wrong with society by further empowering those who have sickened it at the expense of our own liberty .
My principle is freedom , and any principle that doesn ’ t make me freer is not a principle worth having .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-fiction book from Regnery , The 21 Biggest Lies about Donald Trump ( and You ! )
drops July 7 , and you should pre-order it right now !
And don ’ t forget my novels eerily prescient novels of America torn apart by leftists , People 's Republic , Indian Country , Wildfire and Collapse !

There’s a basic rule that far too many conservatives ignore: if some alleged conservative principle makes you less free, then it’s not a good conservative principle and you should toss it in the trash. After all, principles are merely shorthand for the best practices of a just society. When some alleged principle helps leftists enserf-ify you, then it’s a pretty Schiffy principle, isn’t it?
Weaponizing principles is one of the left’s favorite tactics, and it’s right out of Alinsky 101. Rule for Radical No. 4 is "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules." And it works really well, right up until the moment that you stop playing by the rules that the left is trying to jam down your throat.
Now, the objection to my view – offered in good faith by good faith conservatives (you old softies) and in bad faith by the cruise-shilling Fredocon hacks who make common cause with our enemies – is that this kind of wokeness makes one unprincipled. It doesn’t. Those of us who see what’s happening and refuse to go full lemming – never go full lemming – are not abandoning conservative principles. We’re just not trying to hold onto the alleged principles that have abandoned us.
This comes up a lot recently as the left has redoubled its efforts to weaponize our principles to create a monopoly on power. We’ve seen Big Tech do it for a while now, but today it’s happening even more. The idea is to leverage our purported beliefs so that we are diverted from protecting and asserting our own interests by blind adherence to a version of conservative dogma that our opponents force-feed us and that we, for some reason, all too often fail to puke back up all over them like a supermodel exiting a Golden Corral.
Time to get woke to the scam and stop playing their no-win game.
One of the best examples of this is the argument that we conservatives cannot make a moral argument against, or use their political power to provide legal remedies to, the liberal cancellation game. This game is the informal process by which individuals and companies deter dissent and enforce conformity of thought and expression by threatening and sometimes destroying the livelihood of dissenters. One of the conservative principles we aspire to is individual choice, manifesting in not interfering with the choices of individuals and companies over who they do business with. This often means a conservative is stifled or fired.
But another conservative principle is freedom of expression. This is distinct from the First Amendment, which bars the government from preventing or punishing free speech. The left makes a great deal of this distinction – “Cancelling you racist sexist cisgender monsters does not violate the First Amendment, and individual and companies have a right not to do business with anyone they want” – when we seek to use our power to correct these outrages. The lib objection sounds plausible, until you understand that individuals and companies punishing you by preventing you from earning a livelihood is as much of a punishment as the government coming and punishing you under criminal law – except in the cancellation kangaroo court you have no rights, no due process, and no appeal. And, in fact, this is not even an accurate representation of the allegedly operative principle. We already bar individuals and companies from discriminating on the basis of many attributes – race, sex, religion. What’s the – wait for it! – principle that bars all that kind of garbage invidious discrimination, yet somehow requires us to accept invidious discrimination on the basis of our political views, specifically views that are pro-American?
There is not one, and there is no valid principle preventing us from demanding formal legal protection. States like mine, California, actually already have political discrimination protection laws (check a competent lawyer in your jurisdiction if this issue comes up for you). But some argue that because we cons generally support allowing individuals and companies to run their businesses as they choose, we’re supposed to allow them to drive us conservatives out of full participation in society merely because we like America and dare say so?
After all, liberals control almost all the major institutions of society. The premise that a coder can just go across the street to a more tolerant version of Google, or that an oppressed professor can go grab tenure at one of the myriad conservative colleges, is nonsense. They have the power that comes from infiltrating institutions, but we have the power that comes from winning elections, yet we’re not supposed to use our power to enact laws that protect ourselves when the left uses its power against us without restraint?
Nope, not buying it. The politicians we support should be aggressively pushing regulation and legislation to protect our rights. “BUT CONSERVATIVES ARE SUPPOSED TO HATE REGULATION!” Yeah, maybe, but we definitely hate being oppressed. After all, any principle that is construed in a manner that makes us second-class citizens, unable to speak without the threat of retaliation, is not a principle worth having.
When they tell us that our own beliefs – to which they do not subscribe – force us to accept serfdom, we need to tell them to go pound sand.
Then there is the cancellation selection criteria issue. Some people are more cancellable than others. The insufferable liberal Jimmy Kimmel utters racial epithets and prances about in blackface, but he’s cool. But if a patriot like you accurately observes that “all lives matter” instead of just some of them, you’re Bull Connor II: Electric Boogaloo. Please point out what principle makes that cool so I can light it on fire and watch it burn.
Of course, we have not stood for this double standard, and many social media cons took a break from following Jesse Kelly’s admonition to #CancelYale – Elihu Yale built Yale on the skulls and bones of slaves – to demand Kimmel’s ritual defenestration. We were then informed that demanding cancellation is not what conservatives do.
Well, it’s what conservatives who refuse to accept dual-track justice do. See, they don’t get to win.
As I have pointed out before, there are three scenarios in descending order of preferability.
Option 1: We all live freely and say what we wish and no one gets canceled.
Option 2: Conservatives get canceled, but liberals get canceled too.
Option 3: Conservatives get canceled, but liberals never get canceled.
My preference is Option 1, everyone says whatever they want and no one gets canceled. This seems like the best arrangement, and until recently it seemed to be the one that we had adopted as a society. If we can’t have Option 1, then we will take Option 2, mutually assured destruction. But Option 3, liberals do whatever they want and we get gagged, is a non-starter. They do not get to win.
Hence, Jimmy Kimmel must be canceled. Maybe this will inspire them to return to Option 1, but maybe not. What is not happening is that we get locked in the social gimp box and they get to do whatever. Nope.
Any principle that applies to us but not to them is not a principle but a mini suicide pact, and we’re not doing it.
Principles are nice things to have. They are a marker of a healthy society. But today our society is not healthy, and we are not morally obligated to pretend that it is by observing to our own detriment norms and rules that are not universally applicable. And we won’t cure what is wrong with society by further empowering those who have sickened it at the expense of our own liberty.
My principle is freedom, and any principle that doesn’t make me freer is not a principle worth having.
Join Townhall VIP. Also my new non-fiction book from Regnery, The 21 Biggest Lies about Donald Trump (and You!) drops July 7, and you should pre-order it right now! And don’t forget my novels eerily prescient novels of America torn apart by leftists, People's Republic, Indian Country, Wildfire and Collapse!


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--U.K. Labour Leader Ousts MP For Sharing Anti-Semitic Conspiracy

UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on Thursday dismissed a senior lawmaker from the shadow cabinet for praising an interview with an actress who accused Israel of complicity in George Floyd ’ s killing .
Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey , the shadow education secretary , shared a link on Twitter to an interview in the Independent with actress Maxine Peake , calling her “ an absolute diamond.
” In the interview , Peake addressed the recent protests in the US against racism following Floyd ’ s death in custody at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times of Israel 's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up “ Systemic racism is a global issue , ” Peake said in the interview .
“ The tactics used by the police in America , kneeling on George Floyd ’ s neck , that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.
” A spokesman for the Israel Police said earlier this month “ there is no tactic or protocol that calls to put pressure on the neck or airway.
” Following a series of condemnations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Starmer said he had asked Long-Bailey to step down from the shadow cabinet .
“ The article Rebecca shared earlier today contained an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory .
As leader of the Labour Party , Keir has been clear that restoring trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority .
Antisemitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it , ” a spokesperson for Starmer told British media .
The decision was welcomed by the Board of Deputies of British Jews , which earlier called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet .
“ I would like to thank Keir Starmer for backing his words with actions on anti-Semitism .
After Rebecca Long-Bailey shared a conspiracy theory , we and others gave her the opportunity to retract and apologize .
To our surprise and dismay , her response was pathetic , ” Marie van der Zyl , the group ’ s president , said in a statement .
She added : “ There can be no space for this sort of action in any party and it is right that after so many challenging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under its new leader.
” The group was alluding to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn , who was dogged during his tenure by accusations that he failed to crack down on anti-Semitism in the party ’ s ranks .
He stepped down as Labour leader after the party ’ s drubbing by the Conservatives in last year ’ s elections and was replaced by MP Keir Starmer .
Long-Bailey , a Corbyn ally , finished second to Starmer in the Labour leadership primaries .
The headline of the article she shared was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who refused to vote for Labour in the last elections because of Corbyn effectively voted for the Conservatives .
Peake also said “ there ’ s a lot of people who should hang their heads in shame ” for not backing Labour under Corbyn ’ s leadership .
“ I retweeted Maxine Peake ’ s article because of her significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour Party .
It wasn ’ t intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Deputies .
Starmer ’ s decision to boot her from the shadow cabinet was also praised by the Jewish Labour Movement .
“ We have consistently maintained that the pervasive culture of anti-Semitism , bullying and intimidation can only be tackled by strong and decisive leadership .
The culture and behavior of any organization is determined by the values and behaviors of those who lead them , ” the group said in a statement .
Since taking over Labour , Starmer has vowed to root out anti-Semitism from the party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ failing ” to crack down on it .

UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on Thursday dismissed a senior lawmaker from the shadow cabinet for praising an interview with an actress who accused Israel of complicity in George Floyd’s killing.
Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow education secretary, shared a link on Twitter to an interview in the Independent with actress Maxine Peake, calling her “an absolute diamond.”
In the interview, Peake addressed the recent protests in the US against racism following Floyd’s death in custody at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck.
“Systemic racism is a global issue,” Peake said in the interview. “The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.”
A spokesman for the Israel Police said earlier this month “there is no tactic or protocol that calls to put pressure on the neck or airway.”
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms
https://twitter.com/RLong_Bailey/status/1276078311215677440
Following a series of condemnations from Jewish groups, a spokesperson for Starmer said he had asked Long-Bailey to step down from the shadow cabinet.
“The article Rebecca shared earlier today contained an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. As leader of the Labour Party, Keir has been clear that restoring trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority. Antisemitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it,” a spokesperson for Starmer told British media.
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The decision was welcomed by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which earlier called on Long-Bailey to apologize and delete the tweet.
“I would like to thank Keir Starmer for backing his words with actions on anti-Semitism. After Rebecca Long-Bailey shared a conspiracy theory, we and others gave her the opportunity to retract and apologize. To our surprise and dismay, her response was pathetic,” Marie van der Zyl, the group’s president, said in a statement.
She added: “There can be no space for this sort of action in any party and it is right that after so many challenging years Labour is now making this clear under its new leader.”
The group was alluding to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was dogged during his tenure by accusations that he failed to crack down on anti-Semitism in the party’s ranks. He stepped down as Labour leader after the party’s drubbing by the Conservatives in last year’s elections and was replaced by MP Keir Starmer.
Long-Bailey, a Corbyn ally, finished second to Starmer in the Labour leadership primaries.
The headline of the article she shared was a quote by Peake from the interview saying people who refused to vote for Labour in the last elections because of Corbyn effectively voted for the Conservatives. Peake also said “there’s a lot of people who should hang their heads in shame” for not backing Labour under Corbyn’s leadership.
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“I retweeted Maxine Peake’s article because of her significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour Party. It wasn’t intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article,” Long-Bailey said in response to the Board of Deputies.
Starmer’s decision to boot her from the shadow cabinet was also praised by the Jewish Labour Movement.
“We have consistently maintained that the pervasive culture of anti-Semitism, bullying and intimidation can only be tackled by strong and decisive leadership. The culture and behavior of any organization is determined by the values and behaviors of those who lead them,” the group said in a statement.
Since taking over Labour, Starmer has vowed to root out anti-Semitism from the party, though some Jewish groups have said he was “failing” to crack down on it.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--After Raids, Mexican Judges Release 26 Cartel Boss Allies

Mexican judges ordered the release of 26 allies to a cartel boss three days after authorities captured a total of 31 within the organization .
The cartel boss ’ mother and sister remain behind bars but are also expected to be released soon .
Over the past weekend , state police officers and Mexican Army units carried out raids in Guanajuato to arrest Jose Antonio “ El Marro ” Yepez Ortiz , the head of the fuel theft organization Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima .
During raids in four separate municipalities , authorities captured 31 individuals associated with CSRDL , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As part of the cartel ’ s response to the busts , gunmen torched dozens of vehicles and buildings .
Authorities revealed that El Marro ’ s mother and sister were collared in the roundups .
Soon after , the cartel boss issued video threats vowing to keep fighting for their release .
Since then , only five of the 31 were sent to jail before a trial .
The rest were freed .
On Tuesday , one judge ruled that seven of the 26 were underage and allowed for their release ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of the 19 others released , a judge ruled that 12 adults would also be continuing their case on bond , while the rest face no further charges .
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas .
He co-founded Breitbart Texas ’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management .
You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook .
He can be contacted at Iortiz @ breitbart.com .
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas .
He co-founded Breitbart Texas ’ Cartel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breitbart management .
Follow him on Twitter and Facebook .
He can be contacted at bdarby @ breitbart.com .

Mexican judges ordered the release of 26 allies to a cartel boss three days after authorities captured a total of 31 within the organization. The cartel boss’ mother and sister remain behind bars but are also expected to be released soon.
Over the past weekend, state police officers and Mexican Army units carried out raids in Guanajuato to arrest Jose Antonio “El Marro” Yepez Ortiz, the head of the fuel theft organization Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima. During raids in four separate municipalities, authorities captured 31 individuals associated with CSRDL, but El Marro managed to escape. As part of the cartel’s response to the busts, gunmen torched dozens of vehicles and buildings.
Authorities revealed that El Marro’s mother and sister were collared in the roundups. Soon after, the cartel boss issued video threats vowing to keep fighting for their release.
Since then, only five of the 31 were sent to jail before a trial. The rest were freed. On Tuesday, one judge ruled that seven of the 26 were underage and allowed for their release ahead of criminal proceedings, Radio Formula reported. Of the 19 others released, a judge ruled that 12 adults would also be continuing their case on bond, while the rest face no further charges.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Israel Partners With Greece to Build New Navy Vessel

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Greek ONEX Neorion Shipyards and Israel Shipyards have signed a cooperation agreement for the construction of next-generation corvette ships which will meet Athen’s needs for future naval warfare in the Eastern Mediterranean.The agreement, which was signed during the recent visit by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Israel on June 16, will see a Themistocles-class corvette be built on plans by Haifa-based Israel Shipyards.According to local Greek media, there is a verbal agreement to build an additional six Themistocles-class corvettes in the near future. Naval News reported that the ship will be partially built in Israel by Israel Shipyards – which will be sharing the relevant know-how – and partially in Greece by ONEX shipyards.Quoting a source at Israel Shipyards, the design of Themistocles is “basically the same design” of Israel’s Sa’ar 72 mini-corvettes but with modifications according to the needs of the Hellenic Navy.The corvette can be used for open sea patrolling and surveillance operations, Maritime Sovereignty protection, Off-Shore facilities protection, EEZ protection, anti-terror/ smuggling/illegal activity interdiction, Search and Rescue operations in coordination with SAR Helicopters, participation in Naval combat operations, Fishing protection and control, and more.With a total length of 72 meters and a full displacement of about 800 tons, it will be able to reach a speed of over 30 knots with extended endurance of 21 days and a range of 5,000 nautical miles. It will be staffed by a crew of 45 and be able to carry up to 20 special forces personnel.A medium-sized marine helicopter will be able to operate from the ship, which will also support the deployment of special forces units.The vessel will have state-of-the-art weapons and electronic systems that can be tailored to customer-specific requirements. It can accommodate advanced weapon configurations such as launchers for anti-missile defense missiles, surface-to-surface missile launchers, a 76 mm naval gun, remotely a controlled stabilized naval gun system up to 30 mm, a Command and Control system, ESM & ECM, advanced multi-function search radar, heavy machine guns – 0.5” / 7.62 mm, and an advanced day and night vision system.“The new design of the Themistocles Corvette brings next-generation operational capabilities to future naval warfare,” read the website dedicated to the multipurpose vessel.As tensions continue to escalate between Greece and Turkey, Athens has been working to strengthen its maritime capabilities. In May Israel’s Defense Ministry signed an agreement with the Hellenic Ministry of National Defense to lease several IAI Heron UAVs to Greece for border defense.According to Greek media, the two drones will be used to bolster the country’s intelligence-gathering capabilities and will act as a deterrent to Turkey, which has deployed drones to the Evros region and the Aegean Sea, which borders the two countries."The great security relations between Israel and Greece are expanding. We see great importance in the choice made by Greece to equip its forces with an Israeli system, particularly during the global corona crisis,” said the Head of the International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT), Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Yair Kulas said at the time.“This is a clear expression of confidence in the capabilities and strength of the Israeli defense industry. We hope to sign additional agreements with Greece as well as other European partners, assisting them in addressing security challenges – in times of the corona pandemic and beyond.”


bonginoreport--2020-06-25--Beijing Tries to Change Global Opinion By Ramping Up Influence Operations on Twitter

Pro-democracy activists hold up their mobile phone torches as they sing during a rally in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on June 12 , 2020 .
( Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images ) Beijing Ramps Up Influence Operations on Twitter in Bid to Shift Global Opinion Beijing is amping up its influence campaigns on Western social media platforms as part of an ongoing endeavor to promote pro-Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) views on a global scale .
While Russian disinformation efforts on Facebook and Twitter have drawn the lion ’ s share of media attention since their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , analysts say that the Chinese regime has since that time been playing catch-up , expanding and developing influence operations on these platforms—which are banned inside China .
The Chinese regime ’ s initiatives went into turbocharge at the onset of the pandemic , with an aggressive global disinformation and propaganda campaign to deflect blame over its mishandling of the outbreak and amplify narratives praising its response efforts .
Recently , it has exploited the nationwide unrest following the police custody death of George Floyd to undermine the credibility of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Twitter announced that it had taken down more than 170,000 accounts linked to the Chinese regime that pushed its narratives surrounding the pandemic , the Hong Kong protests , and other topics .
The company said it has identified and removed 23,750 core accounts , and around 150,000 “ amplifier ” accounts which were designed to boost the core network by retweeting and liking their posts .
The removal builds upon the company ’ s action last August when it scrubbed hundreds of Beijing-linked accounts that sought to undermine the pro-democracy protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouTube took similar action .
Despite Chinese campaigns lacking the sophistication of Russian operations , analysts believe the gap will close as a result of the regime ’ s persistent and aggressive actions in this space .
Andrew Selepak , social media professor at the University of Florida , said that while Beijing may have more accounts peddling pro-CCP narratives , it is not as effective as the Russians at generating impact from individual accounts .
“ But that ’ s something that ’ s going to change pretty quickly , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Australian Strategic Policy Institute ( ASPI ) , in their analysis of the core Twitter accounts targeted in the recent takedown , found that most had underdeveloped personas—78.5 percent had no followers at all .
The accounts sent out 348,608 tweets between January 2018 and April 2020 .
Most were in Chinese , with the campaign primarily targeted at Hong Kong residents and the Chinese-speaking diaspora , researchers said .
Amal Sinha , an independent data analyst who reviewed the dataset , deducted that the operation was likely run out of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bots—due to the accounts ’ tweeting behavior : they were tweeting during work hours at Beijing time , there was significant variations in time between tweets , and almost all were exclusively tweeted from a desktop computer .
Beijing is likely using human operatives , Sinha said , because bots tend to be easier for software to catch .
The Chinese regime employs an extensive network of internet trolls to censor online discussion , praise Chinese Communist Party policies , and demonize viewpoints critical of the regime .
They have been dubbed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly paid 50 cents by Chinese authorities for each online post made .
ASPI also found that the Twitter operation used aged accounts—potentially purchased from the influence-for-hire marketplace , hacked or stolen—to try and gain traction in larger networks .
ProPublica , a New York-based nonprofit media , in March similarly found a network of 10,000 inauthentic Twitter accounts spreading Chinese propaganda and disinformation that contained hijacked accounts , which may have been obtained by hacking or purchasing .
The media outlet found that the accounts were linked to OneSight ( Beijing ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with connections to the Chinese regime .
The company ’ s CEO previously worked at the Beijing city foreign propaganda department .
Last year , ProPublica obtained a copy of a contract won by OneSight to boost the Twitter following of state-owned news agency China News Service .
The outlet is run under the United Front Work Department , a Party organ dedicated to running Beijing ’ s influence operations inside and outside of China .
Selepak , the social media professor , said Beijing is also likely seeking to pay influential users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of their outsized voices on these platforms .
ProPublica referred to the case of Badiucao , a Chinese dissident cartoonist living in Australia , who said he was approached by an account claiming to be an “ international exchange company.
” The firm offered the cartoonist 1,700 yuan ( about $ 240 ) to tweet out specific content per post .
During feigned negotiations with the company , Badiucao said he received a sample of what he would be asked to tweet out : a 15-second propaganda clip , showing that Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back on track.
” Badiucao said he was confident the company was working for the Chinese regime , based on their interactions .
The company did not move forward with the negotiations after a review of Badiucao ’ s posts .
Tech analyses of the recently shuttered Twitter accounts showed that up until early February , they focused on criticizing protesters in Hong Kong ; demonizing Chinese billionaire fugitive Guo Wengui , who is based in Manhattan and an outspoken critic of the CCP ; and promoting the idea that Taiwan is part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China worsened in late January , the narrative shifted .
Accounts started cheerleading Beijing ’ s response to the outbreak , criticizing U.S. containment efforts , and countering claims that Taiwan ’ s response was superior to China ’ s , according to an analysis by the Stanford Internet Observatory published in June .
The accounts also retweeted posts from Chinese state media and officials about the pandemic .
Chinese diplomats have in recent months aggressively taken to Twitter to promote the regime as an exemplar in global efforts to contain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus did not originate from China .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian notoriously suggested in March that the virus was brought into Wuhan by the U.S. army .
In late May , Twitter added a fact check label to his tweet , which links to a series of Western media sources about the origin of the virus .
Meanwhile , Chinese state-run outlets also took to social media , promoting the hashtags “ Trumpandemic ” and “ TrumpVirus ” on its posts .
In early May , separate from the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state department discovered a vast Chinese-linked campaign on Twitter aimed at spreading narratives favorable to the regime amid the pandemic .
The department ’ s Global Engagement Center ( GEC ) found that Chinese diplomats ’ Twitter accounts saw a surge in new followers around March .
Many of these followers were newly-made accounts , suggesting they belonged to an artificial network designed to amplify narratives from Chinese officials , GEC head Lea Gabrielle said at the time .
In one case , a spokesperson for China ’ s Foreign Ministry shared a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was played in the streets when Chinese doctors arrived in Italy—which was later debunked as fake , Gabrielle said .
The video appeared to show Italians saying , “ Thank you , China , ” when , in fact , they were thanking their own health care workers .
This video was shared widely by Chinese diplomats and state-run media , which were then amplified by Russian-linked accounts , she added .
The campaign has recently evolved to exploit the race-related unrest across the United States , ASPI found .
Posts on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a Minneapolis police officer and U.S. authorities ’ response to protests to promote anti-U.S. , anti-democracy , anti-protest , and pro-Hong Kong police messages , it stated .
One account , for instance , tweeted an image of Lady Liberty leaning on Floyd ’ s neck , and compared U.S. authorities ’ handling of the protests with Beijing ’ s suppression of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong , accusing the United States of hypocrisy .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has derided Beijing ’ s propaganda surrounding the protests as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communist regime ’ s systemic crackdown on freedom of speech , press , and religion .
ASPI said the Chinese regime ’ s persistent online experimentation will allow it to “ recalibrate efforts to influence audiences on Western platforms with growing precision.
” “ This large-scale pivot to Western platforms is relatively new , and we should expect continued evolution and improvement , ” it said .
The Epoch Times reached out to Twitter and Facebook over its efforts to counter Chinese disinformation but didn ’ t receive a response as of press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specializing in cyber law and digital ethics at Adelphi University , describes the regime ’ s disinformation campaign as a “ far more menacing threat ” than Russia ’ s .
He pointed to the hugely popular video app TikTok , which is owned by the Beijing-based company ByteDance .
The app , which had 37.2 million users in the United States in 2019 , has seen a surge in popularity during the pandemic .
“ By analyzing its treasure trove of data , China can gain all kinds of insights and leverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ With so many Americans practically living online now , especially during the lockdown , China understands American society very well and they know what buttons to push , ” he added .
U.S. officials and experts have raised concerns that data collected by the Chinese app could be transferred to Beijing due to Chinese laws that compel companies to work with authorities in intelligence collection efforts .
TikTok has denied these claims , saying U.S. users ’ data is stored in the country .
The Committee on Foreign Investment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 2018 acquisition of Musical.ly , a U.S. music video app that was the precursor to TikTok , for national security risks .
TikTok has sweeping powers to influence its users , Grabowski noted .
It can “ suppress videos that are critical of China , and amplify any narrative or talking point or meme by artificially inflating shares or tinkering with their algorithm , ” he said .
The Epoch Times recently reported that TikTok deleted the account of a Chinese international student in the United States after he posted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grabowski said the regime could also exploit the anti-government sentiment held by many American academics , journalists , and lawmakers to propel anti-U.S. narratives .
For instance , they could find an influential user with a blue checkmark who tweets that the coronavirus should be called the “ Trumpvirus , ” and amplify their views .
“ They provide the appearance of credibility and China simply provides the retweets and makes that narrative go viral , ” he said .

Beijing is amping up its influence campaigns on Western social media platforms as part of an ongoing endeavor to promote pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views on a global scale.
While Russian disinformation efforts on Facebook and Twitter have drawn the lion’s share of media attention since their bid to influence the 2016 U.S. elections, analysts say that the Chinese regime has since that time been playing catch-up, expanding and developing influence operations on these platforms—which are banned inside China.
The Chinese regime’s initiatives went into turbocharge at the onset of the pandemic, with an aggressive global disinformation and propaganda campaign to deflect blame over its mishandling of the outbreak and amplify narratives praising its response efforts. Recently, it has exploited the nationwide unrest following the police custody death of George Floyd to undermine the credibility of the United States and democratic governance.
Earlier this month, Twitter announced that it had taken down more than 170,000 accounts linked to the Chinese regime that pushed its narratives surrounding the pandemic, the Hong Kong protests, and other topics.
The company said it has identified and removed 23,750 core accounts, and around 150,000 “amplifier” accounts which were designed to boost the core network by retweeting and liking their posts.
The removal builds upon the company’s action last August when it scrubbed hundreds of Beijing-linked accounts that sought to undermine the pro-democracy protest movement in Hong Kong. Facebook and YouTube took similar action.
Despite Chinese campaigns lacking the sophistication of Russian operations, analysts believe the gap will close as a result of the regime’s persistent and aggressive actions in this space.
Andrew Selepak, social media professor at the University of Florida, said that while Beijing may have more accounts peddling pro-CCP narratives, it is not as effective as the Russians at generating impact from individual accounts. “But that's something that's going to change pretty quickly,” he told The Epoch Times.
Operations
Researchers at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), in their analysis of the core Twitter accounts targeted in the recent takedown, found that most had underdeveloped personas—78.5 percent had no followers at all.
The accounts sent out 348,608 tweets between January 2018 and April 2020. Most were in Chinese, with the campaign primarily targeted at Hong Kong residents and the Chinese-speaking diaspora, researchers said.
Amal Sinha, an independent data analyst who reviewed the dataset, deducted that the operation was likely run out of a human troll factory in China—rather than by bots—due to the accounts’ tweeting behavior: they were tweeting during work hours at Beijing time, there was significant variations in time between tweets, and almost all were exclusively tweeted from a desktop computer.
Beijing is likely using human operatives, Sinha said, because bots tend to be easier for software to catch.
The Chinese regime employs an extensive network of internet trolls to censor online discussion, praise Chinese Communist Party policies, and demonize viewpoints critical of the regime. They have been dubbed the “50-cent army” because they are reportedly paid 50 cents by Chinese authorities for each online post made.
ASPI also found that the Twitter operation used aged accounts—potentially purchased from the influence-for-hire marketplace, hacked or stolen—to try and gain traction in larger networks.
ProPublica, a New York-based nonprofit media, in March similarly found a network of 10,000 inauthentic Twitter accounts spreading Chinese propaganda and disinformation that contained hijacked accounts, which may have been obtained by hacking or purchasing.
The media outlet found that the accounts were linked to OneSight (Beijing) Technology, a Beijing-based internet marketing company with connections to the Chinese regime. The company’s CEO previously worked at the Beijing city foreign propaganda department.
Last year, ProPublica obtained a copy of a contract won by OneSight to boost the Twitter following of state-owned news agency China News Service. The outlet is run under the United Front Work Department, a Party organ dedicated to running Beijing’s influence operations inside and outside of China.
Selepak, the social media professor, said Beijing is also likely seeking to pay influential users to promote particular messages on Twitter—to make use of their outsized voices on these platforms.
ProPublica referred to the case of Badiucao, a Chinese dissident cartoonist living in Australia, who said he was approached by an account claiming to be an “international exchange company.” The firm offered the cartoonist 1,700 yuan (about $240) to tweet out specific content per post.
During feigned negotiations with the company, Badiucao said he received a sample of what he would be asked to tweet out: a 15-second propaganda clip, showing that Beijing “defeated the coronavirus and everything is back on track.”
Badiucao said he was confident the company was working for the Chinese regime, based on their interactions. The company did not move forward with the negotiations after a review of Badiucao’s posts.
Narratives
Tech analyses of the recently shuttered Twitter accounts showed that up until early February, they focused on criticizing protesters in Hong Kong; demonizing Chinese billionaire fugitive Guo Wengui, who is based in Manhattan and an outspoken critic of the CCP; and promoting the idea that Taiwan is part of China.
But as the outbreak in China worsened in late January, the narrative shifted. Accounts started cheerleading Beijing’s response to the outbreak, criticizing U.S. containment efforts, and countering claims that Taiwan’s response was superior to China’s, according to an analysis by the Stanford Internet Observatory published in June.
The accounts also retweeted posts from Chinese state media and officials about the pandemic.
Chinese diplomats have in recent months aggressively taken to Twitter to promote the regime as an exemplar in global efforts to contain the disease, and push unfounded claims that the virus did not originate from China. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian notoriously suggested in March that the virus was brought into Wuhan by the U.S. army. In late May, Twitter added a fact check label to his tweet, which links to a series of Western media sources about the origin of the virus.
Meanwhile, Chinese state-run outlets also took to social media, promoting the hashtags “Trumpandemic” and “TrumpVirus” on its posts.
In early May, separate from the company’s own investigation, the U.S. state department discovered a vast Chinese-linked campaign on Twitter aimed at spreading narratives favorable to the regime amid the pandemic.
The department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) found that Chinese diplomats’ Twitter accounts saw a surge in new followers around March. Many of these followers were newly-made accounts, suggesting they belonged to an artificial network designed to amplify narratives from Chinese officials, GEC head Lea Gabrielle said at the time.
In one case, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry shared a video that claimed the Chinese national anthem was played in the streets when Chinese doctors arrived in Italy—which was later debunked as fake, Gabrielle said. The video appeared to show Italians saying, “Thank you, China,” when, in fact, they were thanking their own health care workers. This video was shared widely by Chinese diplomats and state-run media, which were then amplified by Russian-linked accounts, she added.
The campaign has recently evolved to exploit the race-related unrest across the United States, ASPI found. Posts on Twitter and Facebook used the killing of Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and U.S. authorities’ response to protests to promote anti-U.S., anti-democracy, anti-protest, and pro-Hong Kong police messages, it stated.
One account, for instance, tweeted an image of Lady Liberty leaning on Floyd’s neck, and compared U.S. authorities’ handling of the protests with Beijing’s suppression of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, accusing the United States of hypocrisy.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has derided Beijing’s propaganda surrounding the protests as “laughable,” pointing to the communist regime’s systemic crackdown on freedom of speech, press, and religion.
ASPI said the Chinese regime’s persistent online experimentation will allow it to “recalibrate efforts to influence audiences on Western platforms with growing precision.”
“This large-scale pivot to Western platforms is relatively new, and we should expect continued evolution and improvement,” it said.
The Epoch Times reached out to Twitter and Facebook over its efforts to counter Chinese disinformation but didn't receive a response as of press time.
Bigger Threat
Mark Grabowski, associate professor specializing in cyberlaw and digital ethics at Adelphi University, describes the regime’s disinformation campaign as a “far more menacing threat” than Russia’s.
He pointed to the hugely popular video app TikTok, which is owned by the Beijing-based company ByteDance. The app, which had 37.2 million users in the United States in 2019, has seen a surge in popularity during the pandemic.
“By analyzing its treasure trove of data, China can gain all kinds of insights and leverage it to manipulate Americans,” Grabowski said.
“With so many Americans practically living online now, especially during the lockdown, China understands American society very well and they know what buttons to push,” he added.
U.S. officials and experts have raised concerns that data collected by the Chinese app could be transferred to Beijing due to Chinese laws that compel companies to work with authorities in intelligence collection efforts. TikTok has denied these claims, saying U.S. users’ data is stored in the country. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is reportedly reviewing ByteDance's 2018 acquisition of Musical.ly, a U.S. music video app that was the precursor to TikTok, for national security risks.
TikTok has sweeping powers to influence its users, Grabowski noted. It can “suppress videos that are critical of China, and amplify any narrative or talking point or meme by artificially inflating shares or tinkering with their algorithm,” he said.
The Epoch Times recently reported that TikTok deleted the account of a Chinese international student in the United States after he posted a video mocking the Chinese national anthem.
Grabowski said the regime could also exploit the anti-government sentiment held by many American academics, journalists, and lawmakers to propel anti-U.S. narratives. For instance, they could find an influential user with a blue checkmark who tweets that the coronavirus should be called the “Trumpvirus,” and amplify their views.
“They provide the appearance of credibility and China simply provides the retweets and makes that narrative go viral,” he said.