bonginoreport--2020-01-28--West Virginia Governor Urges Pro-Second Amendment Virginians to Join His State

The governor of West Virginia , in a stunning move that echoes the Civil War-era creation of his state , on Tuesday invited Virginia counties upset with Richmond ’ s liberal , anti-gun turn to shift borders and join his state .
“ If you out there , no matter where you be , Virginia or wherever you may be , as an individual or a business or whatever , West Virginia is waiting for you with open arms , '' said Gov .
Jim Justice .
“ Our state supports personal freedom , and we value the Second Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Come join us .
You will never regret it , ” he added at a press conference in Martinsburg , West Virginia , 13 miles from the border with a Virginia county where some officials are open to joining West Virginia .
He also said that West Virginia embraces President Trump , who is despised by many federal workers in Northern Virginia that have a big impact on statewide elections .
“ We should be thankful for all he 's done , ” he said .
Justice ’ s statement endorsing secession was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the West Virginia legislature that would let Virginia border counties join the state .
It has become such a hot topic along the border that the White House and President Trump are paying attention to it , according to sources .
It was offered as a long-shot package by Republican Del .
Gary Howell after the Virginia voters put their legislature in Democratic hands for the first time in years .
In just a few weeks , they have voted for several liberal initiatives including gun control , prompting a massive 22,000-strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richmond .
Howell now has 40 of 100 delegates as co-signers , and the legislation has jumped in importance .
What ’ s more , he has a team looking at how West Virginia would admit Virginia counties .
Also in the West Virginia Senate , Sen. Charles Trump has offered a resolution urging Frederick County to join West Virginia .
Over 90 % of Virginia 's counties have already moved to split from Richmond ’ s campaign for gun control , creating gun “ sanctuaries ” and potentially paving the way for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Jerry Falwell Jr. , president of Liberty University in rural Lynchburg , Virginia , and a close Trump ally .
While Justice promoted the freedoms West Virginia offers to conservative , pro-Trump Virginians who now feel ignored , Falwell ripped the new majority in Richmond and backed efforts by border counties to vote to leave in the upcoming election .
“ Democrat leaders in Richmond , through their elitism and radicalism , have left a nearly unrecognizable state in their wake , ” said Falwell .
“ The Democrats are anti-life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-business with their oppressive environmental regulations , ” he added .
Falwell is urging quick action by disgruntled counties and sees the issue as a good one for Republicans in the 2020 election , even among younger voters in part because Democratic Gov .
Ralph Northam is targeting support for online students .
“ The threat from the radical left is real , and it ’ s spreading across the country and tearing our national family apart from the seams , but we have a rare opportunity to make history in our time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in Richmond , '' he said , adding , `` We need a state government that is not elected by federal workers in the suburbs of Washington , D.C. , that will protect our God-given rights to life , liberty , and the pursuit of happiness , and I believe West Virginia will do just that . ''

The governor of West Virginia, in a stunning move that echoes the Civil War-era creation of his state, on Tuesday invited Virginia counties upset with Richmond’s liberal, anti-gun turn to shift borders and join his state.
“If you out there, no matter where you be, Virginia or wherever you may be, as an individual or a business or whatever, West Virginia is waiting for you with open arms," said Gov. Jim Justice.
“Our state supports personal freedom, and we value the Second Amendment and the rights of the unborn. Come join us. You will never regret it,” he added at a press conference in Martinsburg, West Virginia, 13 miles from the border with a Virginia county where some officials are open to joining West Virginia.
He also said that West Virginia embraces President Trump, who is despised by many federal workers in Northern Virginia that have a big impact on statewide elections. “We should be thankful for all he's done,” he said.
Justice’s statement endorsing secession was an unexpected but ringing endorsement of legislation before the West Virginia legislature that would let Virginia border counties join the state.
It has become such a hot topic along the border that the White House and President Trump are paying attention to it, according to sources.
It was offered as a long-shot package by Republican Del. Gary Howell after the Virginia voters put their legislature in Democratic hands for the first time in years. In just a few weeks, they have voted for several liberal initiatives including gun control, prompting a massive 22,000-strong, pro-gun rally at the capital in Richmond.
Howell now has 40 of 100 delegates as co-signers, and the legislation has jumped in importance. What’s more, he has a team looking at how West Virginia would admit Virginia counties. Also in the West Virginia Senate, Sen. Charles Trump has offered a resolution urging Frederick County to join West Virginia.
Over 90% of Virginia's counties have already moved to split from Richmond’s campaign for gun control, creating gun “sanctuaries” and potentially paving the way for other anti-Richmond votes.
Justice was joined by Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University in rural Lynchburg, Virginia, and a close Trump ally.
While Justice promoted the freedoms West Virginia offers to conservative, pro-Trump Virginians who now feel ignored, Falwell ripped the new majority in Richmond and backed efforts by border counties to vote to leave in the upcoming election.
“Democrat leaders in Richmond, through their elitism and radicalism, have left a nearly unrecognizable state in their wake,” said Falwell.
“The Democrats are anti-life, anti-Second Amendment, anti-liberty, and even anti-business with their oppressive environmental regulations,” he added.
Falwell is urging quick action by disgruntled counties and sees the issue as a good one for Republicans in the 2020 election, even among younger voters in part because Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is targeting support for online students.
“The threat from the radical left is real, and it’s spreading across the country and tearing our national family apart from the seams, but we have a rare opportunity to make history in our time by pushing back against tyranny in Washington and in Richmond," he said, adding, "We need a state government that is not elected by federal workers in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., that will protect our God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and I believe West Virginia will do just that."


bonginoreport--2020-01-28--Pete Buttigieg Surveys Staff to Make Sure He Isn’t Committing Any Microaggressions

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg boasts of his commitment to a racially diverse staff , but a recent staff survey demonstrated that people of color on the campaign were still struggling .
The survey was first reported by the New York Times , detailing a question about microaggressions that was strictly limited to people of color .
“ Please only fill out this survey if you identify as a Person of Color , ” the survey read .
“ The answers are anonymous and will be used to inform our white colleagues about privilege and microaggressions.
” “ Think of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you experienced microaggressions .
Without naming names of the people , can you name the microaggression ?
” One said there was a daily “ emotional weight ” on people of color who felt they were employed in order to help the campaign meet its ambitious diversity targets .
Some Hispanic employees felt disrespected when managers asked them to translate text , even if they didn ’ t speak Spanish .
Current and former Buttigieg staffers of color told the Times that senior officials did not listen to them , asked them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak it , and felt an “ emotional weight ” for working for Buttigieg who was struggling to earn support from black voters .
“ We ’ re proud of the staffers who stood up and made their voices heard to help our campaign improve and be more inclusive , ” Buttigieg said in a statement to the Times .
“ We realize that we can always do better and these honest discussions are how we make progress , and we will continue to provide our staff the safe space to have them @ @

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg boasts of his commitment to a racially diverse staff, but a recent staff survey demonstrated that people of color on the campaign were still struggling.
The survey was first reported by the New York Times, detailing a question about microaggressions that was strictly limited to people of color.
“Please only fill out this survey if you identify as a Person of Color,” the survey read. “The answers are anonymous and will be used to inform our white colleagues about privilege and microaggressions.”
“Think of a moment, or moments, during which you experienced microaggressions. Without naming names of the people, can you name the microaggression?”
Buttigieg staffers circulated a survey of microaggressions on the campaign. "Please only fill out this survey if you identify as a Person of color," it read. Answers "will be used to inform our white colleagues about privilege and microaggression." https://t.co/UulPh9UkaA pic.twitter.com/oCRELaOopT — Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) January 28, 2020
One said there was a daily “emotional weight” on people of color who felt they were employed in order to help the campaign meet its ambitious diversity targets. Some Hispanic employees felt disrespected when managers asked them to translate text, even if they didn’t speak Spanish.
Current and former Buttigieg staffers of color told the Times that senior officials did not listen to them, asked them to translate Spanish even though they did not speak it, and felt an “emotional weight” for working for Buttigieg who was struggling to earn support from black voters.
“We’re proud of the staffers who stood up and made their voices heard to help our campaign improve and be more inclusive,” Buttigieg said in a statement to the Times. “We realize that we can always do better and these honest discussions are how we make progress, and we will continue to provide our staff the safe space to have them.”


bonginoreport--2020-01-29--Biden Campaign: Please Defend Us On Social Media

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bonginoreport--2020-01-29--Bernie Sanders Vows to Reverse All of President Trump’s Immigration Initiatives

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his first executive orders as president would undo President Donald Trump ’ s immigration initiatives , calling them “ racist ” and “ disgusting.
” “ My first executive orders will be to reverse every single thing President Trump has done to demonize and harm immigrants , including his racist and disgusting Muslim ban , ” Sanders , a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination , tweeted Monday , taking particular aim at the president ’ s travel ban on several countries .
The statement followed the Trump administration ’ s victory at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move forward with a rule barring green cards to immigrants who have used taxpayer-funded benefits in the past .
The rule can prohibit permanent status to immigrants who have used any slate of government services in the past , such as food stamps , Section 8 housing , Medicaid or other benefits .
The statement was the latest window into how a possible Sanders administration would manage immigration policy .
During an interview with VICE earlier in January , Sanders said he was “ willing to consider ” the possibility of spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s southern border wall .
In that same interview , he also doubled down on his vow to ban nearly all deportations , adding that he “ might ” make an exception for illegal aliens who are convicted of a “ terrible , terrible crime.
” Sanders unveiled his comprehensive immigration platform in November 2019 , staking out positions that place him on the far-left spectrum of his fellow Democratic presidential contenders .
The democratic socialist lawmaker , among many things , proposed dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , reorganizing the Department of Homeland Security , creating a pathway to citizenship for the country ’ s estimated 11 million illegal aliens , and decriminalizing illegal immigration altogether .
Combining the senator ’ s immigration and climate agendas , Sanders also pledged to accept a minimum of 50,000 “ climate migrants ” in the first year of his presidency .
He also expressed interest in establishing a $ 14 billion legal defense fund to pay for poor foreign nationals ’ immigration cases .
( RELATED : DHS Veterans Blast Democrats For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We must stand together with our immigrant friends and neighbors and stand up to President Trump ’ s xenophobic words and actions , ” his proposal read .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his first executive orders as president would undo President Donald Trump’s immigration initiatives, calling them “racist” and “disgusting.”
“My first executive orders will be to reverse every single thing President Trump has done to demonize and harm immigrants, including his racist and disgusting Muslim ban,” Sanders, a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, tweeted Monday, taking particular aim at the president’s travel ban on several countries.
The statement followed the Trump administration’s victory at the Supreme Court on Monday, allowing it to move forward with a rule barring green cards to immigrants who have used taxpayer-funded benefits in the past. The rule can prohibit permanent status to immigrants who have used any slate of government services in the past, such as food stamps, Section 8 housing, Medicaid or other benefits.
The statement was the latest window into how a possible Sanders administration would manage immigration policy.
During an interview with VICE earlier in January, Sanders said he was “willing to consider” the possibility of spending taxpayer dollars on tearing down sections of Trump’s southern border wall. In that same interview, he also doubled down on his vow to ban nearly all deportations, adding that he “might” make an exception for illegal aliens who are convicted of a “terrible, terrible crime.”
Sanders unveiled his comprehensive immigration platform in November 2019, staking out positions that place him on the far-left spectrum of his fellow Democratic presidential contenders. The democratic socialist lawmaker, among many things, proposed dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), reorganizing the Department of Homeland Security, creating a pathway to citizenship for the country’s estimated 11 million illegal aliens, and decriminalizing illegal immigration altogether.
Combining the senator’s immigration and climate agendas, Sanders also pledged to accept a minimum of 50,000 “climate migrants” in the first year of his presidency. He also expressed interest in establishing a $14 billion legal defense fund to pay for poor foreign nationals’ immigration cases. (RELATED: DHS Veterans Blast Democrats For Wanting To Decriminalize Illegal Immigration)
“We must stand together with our immigrant friends and neighbors and stand up to President Trump’s xenophobic words and actions,” his proposal read.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-01-30--President Trump to Make Fourth Appearance at CPAC Next Month

President Trump is set to make his historic and record-breaking fourth appearance at the annual CPAC conference next month in a bid to shore up his base for his 2020 reelection bid .
While there has been no official announcement of his plan to attend the fast-selling Conservative Political Action Conference 2020 , which is from Feb. 26 to 29 , its boss , Matt Schlapp , indicated Wednesday that Trump wouldn ’ t miss it and his chance to talk directly to the audience of conservative youths the convention attracts .
Interviewed by the Washington Examiner ’ s Larry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on WMAL and KABC , Schlapp , president of the American Conservative Union , said that Trump has told him that he is coming .
“ Every time I see the president , he says , ‘ I ’ m coming , I ’ m coming , ' ” Schlapp told O ’ Connor .
“ I 'm taking all the intrigue out of it , ” he added .
“ But I feel pretty good that he ’ s going to make it.
” Clearly , CPAC fans are expecting Trump to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisers and conservative stars , such as Dan Bongino , since it is selling out faster than ever .
“ The ticket sales are going at an outrageous rate , three times the rate last year , which was a previous record , ” said Schlapp .
“ This thing is going to be a sellout , ” he added .
CPAC is one of the few groups that Trump won ’ t miss a chance to address .
His 2019 speech was considered epic and lasted two hours .
One other is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he has addressed all of their conventions as president .

President Trump is set to make his historic and record-breaking fourth appearance at the annual CPAC conference next month in a bid to shore up his base for his 2020 reelection bid.
While there has been no official announcement of his plan to attend the fast-selling Conservative Political Action Conference 2020, which is from Feb. 26 to 29, its boss, Matt Schlapp, indicated Wednesday that Trump wouldn’t miss it and his chance to talk directly to the audience of conservative youths the convention attracts.
Interviewed by the Washington Examiner’s Larry O’Connor during his daily show on WMAL and KABC, Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union, said that Trump has told him that he is coming.
“Every time I see the president, he says, ‘I’m coming, I’m coming,'” Schlapp told O’Connor.
“I'm taking all the intrigue out of it,” he added. “But I feel pretty good that he’s going to make it.”
Clearly, CPAC fans are expecting Trump to speak, as well as his top advisers and conservative stars, such as Dan Bongino, since it is selling out faster than ever.
“The ticket sales are going at an outrageous rate, three times the rate last year, which was a previous record,” said Schlapp.
“This thing is going to be a sellout,” he added.
CPAC is one of the few groups that Trump won’t miss a chance to address. His 2019 speech was considered epic and lasted two hours.
One other is the National Rifle Association. Like CPAC, he has addressed all of their conventions as president.


bonginoreport--2020-01-29--FLASHBACK: John Bolton Said He Would “Absolutely” Lie About National Security Matters in 2010

Fired former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton admitted in a 2010 interview on Fox Business Channel that he would `` absolutely '' lie to the public and knowingly spread false information if he believed it necessary .
In a 2010 interview with Andrew Napolitano on Fox Business Channel , former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton stated that he would have no problem lying to the public if he thought it was necessary to protect national security .
Bolton , who has written a book for Simon & Shuster based on his time working on national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled to be released in March of 2020 , also said during the 2010 interview that government secrecy and protection of classified material was necessary to protect the public .
Bolton become a central character in Senate impeachment proceedings against Trump after information about his forthcoming book was leaked to the New York Times just days after Bolton ’ s lawyer was informed by the National Security Council that his book contained top secret classified information .
That book coincidentally was made available for pre-sale on Amazon the same day the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A diplomat is a statesman sent out to lie for his country , ” the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said before touting his own ability to “ spin ” information without technically lying .
Bolton was specifically invited on to discuss sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables and documents that had been obtained and released at the time by Wikileaks , an act which Bolton characterized as “ an attack on the United States.
” “ Is it an attack on the United States for us to know that our ally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al Qaeda ?
” Napolitano asked .
“ Isn ’ t that something we would want to know ?
” “ I want to make the case for secrecy in government when it comes to the conduct of national security affairs and possibly for deception where it ’ s appropriate , ” Bolton responded .
He then approvingly quoted Winston Churchill ’ s assertion that “ truth is so important it should be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies.
” “ Do you really believe that ?
” Napolitano responded .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth ?
” “ Absolutely , ” Bolton said .
“ If I had to say something I knew was false to protect American national security , I would do it.
” “ Why do people in the government think that the rules of civil society or the laws don ’ t apply to them ?
” Napolitano countered .
“ Because they are not dealing in the civil society we live in under the Constitution , ” Bolton said .
“ They are dealing in an anarchic environment internationally where different rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oath to uphold the Constitution , and the Constitution mandates certain openness and certain fairness , ” Napolitano countered .
“ You ’ re willing to do away with that in order to achieve a temporary military goal ?
” “ The Constitution is not a suicide pact , ” Bolton responded , quoting former Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson .
In his forthcoming book , Bolton allegedly makes several claims about private conversations with Trump and the president ’ s top national security officials regarding Rudy Giuliani , according to the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney , both of whom were reportedly singled out by Bolton as parties to these conversations , deny Bolton ’ s alleged claims .
“ John Bolton never informed Mick Mulvaney of any concerns surrounding Bolton ’ s purported August conversation with the President , ” an attorney for Mulvaney said .
“ Nor did Mr. Mulvaney ever have a conversation with the President or anyone else indicating that Ukrainian military aid was withheld in exchange for a Ukrainian investigation of Burisma , the Bidens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no discussion of ‘ personal favors ’ or ‘ undue influence ’ on investigations , nor did Attorney General Barr state that the President ’ s conversations with foreign leaders was improper , ” Department of Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said .
“ If this is truly what Mr. Bolton has written , then it seems he is attributing to Attorney General Barr his own current views–views with which Attorney General Barr does not agree.
” Trump and Bolton , who was fired by the president last September , famously clashed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Bolton has a reputation for recommending military intervention across the globe .
“ [ F ] rankly , if I listened to him , we would be in World War Six by now , ” Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning .

In a 2010 interview with Andrew Napolitano on Fox Business Channel, former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton stated that he would have no problem lying to the public if he thought it was necessary to protect national security.
Bolton, who has written a book for Simon & Shuster based on his time working on national security policy for President Donald Trump that is scheduled to be released in March of 2020, also said during the 2010 interview that government secrecy and protection of classified material was necessary to protect the public.
Bolton become a central character in Senate impeachment proceedings against Trump after information about his forthcoming book was leaked to the New York Times just days after Bolton’s lawyer was informed by the National Security Council that his book contained top secret classified information. That book coincidentally was made available for pre-sale on Amazon the same day the New York Times wrote about its leaked contents.
“A diplomat is a statesman sent out to lie for his country,” the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said before touting his own ability to “spin” information without technically lying.
Bolton was specifically invited on to discuss sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables and documents that had been obtained and released at the time by Wikileaks, an act which Bolton characterized as “an attack on the United States.”
“Is it an attack on the United States for us to know that our ally, Saudi Arabia, is actually financing Al Qaeda?” Napolitano asked. “Isn’t that something we would want to know?”
“I want to make the case for secrecy in government when it comes to the conduct of national security affairs and possibly for deception where it’s appropriate,” Bolton responded. He then approvingly quoted Winston Churchill’s assertion that “truth is so important it should be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies.”
“Do you really believe that?” Napolitano responded. “You would lie in order to preserve the truth?”
“Absolutely,” Bolton said. “If I had to say something I knew was false to protect American national security, I would do it.”
“Why do people in the government think that the rules of civil society or the laws don’t apply to them?” Napolitano countered.
“Because they are not dealing in the civil society we live in under the Constitution,” Bolton said. “They are dealing in an anarchic environment internationally where different rules apply.”
“But you took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and the Constitution mandates certain openness and certain fairness,” Napolitano countered. “You’re willing to do away with that in order to achieve a temporary military goal?”
“The Constitution is not a suicide pact,” Bolton responded, quoting former Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson.
In his forthcoming book, Bolton allegedly makes several claims about private conversations with Trump and the president’s top national security officials regarding Rudy Giuliani, according to the New York Times. Attorney General William Barr and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, both of whom were reportedly singled out by Bolton as parties to these conversations, deny Bolton’s alleged claims.
“John Bolton never informed Mick Mulvaney of any concerns surrounding Bolton’s purported August conversation with the President,” an attorney for Mulvaney said. “Nor did Mr. Mulvaney ever have a conversation with the President or anyone else indicating that Ukrainian military aid was withheld in exchange for a Ukrainian investigation of Burisma, the Bidens, or the 2016 election.”
“There was no discussion of ‘personal favors’ or ‘undue influence’ on investigations, nor did Attorney General Barr state that the President’s conversations with foreign leaders was improper,” Department of Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. “If this is truly what Mr. Bolton has written, then it seems he is attributing to Attorney General Barr his own current views–views with which Attorney General Barr does not agree.”
Trump and Bolton, who was fired by the president last September, famously clashed on foreign policy and national security matters, as Bolton has a reputation for recommending military intervention across the globe.
“[F]rankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now,” Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning.


bonginoreport--2020-01-29--Matt Drudge “Clearly Distances” Self From Trump  When Questioned by Journalist

Matt Drudge , the founder of the Drudge Report , appeared to distance himself from President Trump and from his previous support for the current commander in chief .
Drudge , whose site rose to prominence during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal , was asked about the apparent shift his site took by Columbia Journalism Review 's Bob Norman .
The reporter visited Drudge 's home in Florida so he could ask him about the current administration , but Drudge did n't answer when Norman knocked .
He did answer his phone when Norman called him after leaving his property , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was published on Wednesday .
They talked briefly , and Norman said he told Drudge , 53 , that he `` was curious about his current thoughts on Trump . ''
“ You and everybody else , ” Drudge answered , according to Norman , who then pointed out that he went `` all in on Trump during the [ 2016 ] election . ''
“ That was three years ago , ” the founder of the aggregate website responded .
Norman noted that Drudge 's `` response seemed rather telling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump has noticed Drudge 's apparent shift , according to a report in the Daily Beast published last November .
Trump asked , `` What 's going on with Drudge ? ''
according to a person familiar with his private remarks .
Trump also asked Jared Kushner , his son-in-law and a top administration official , to contact him to repair the relationship , but it 's unclear if Kushner did .
A number of conservative aggregate sites designed with the Drudge model launched around the time of Drudge 's alleged ideological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Bongino Report , Rantingly , NewsAmmo , and Gab Trends are trying to replace Drudge as the go-to aggregate website for conservatives .

Matt Drudge, the founder of the Drudge Report, appeared to distance himself from President Trump and from his previous support for the current commander in chief.
Drudge, whose site rose to prominence during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, was asked about the apparent shift his site took by Columbia Journalism Review's Bob Norman. The reporter visited Drudge's home in Florida so he could ask him about the current administration, but Drudge didn't answer when Norman knocked. He did answer his phone when Norman called him after leaving his property, according to a CJR article by Norman, which was published on Wednesday.
They talked briefly, and Norman said he told Drudge, 53, that he "was curious about his current thoughts on Trump."
“You and everybody else,” Drudge answered, according to Norman, who then pointed out that he went "all in on Trump during the [2016] election."
“That was three years ago,” the founder of the aggregate website responded. Norman noted that Drudge's "response seemed rather telling, a clear distancing from the president."
Trump has noticed Drudge's apparent shift, according to a report in the Daily Beast published last November. Trump asked, "What's going on with Drudge?" according to a person familiar with his private remarks. Trump also asked Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and a top administration official, to contact him to repair the relationship, but it's unclear if Kushner did.
A number of conservative aggregate sites designed with the Drudge model launched around the time of Drudge's alleged ideological switch. Whatfinger News, Liberty Daily, the Bongino Report, Rantingly, NewsAmmo, and Gab Trends are trying to replace Drudge as the go-to aggregate website for conservatives.


bonginoreport--2020-01-29--Anti-Gun Politician “Explains” That the Difference Between Regular Guns and Assault Weapons Is “How

Anti-Gun Politician “Explains” That the Difference Between Regular Guns and Assault Weapons Is “How You Hold the Gun”

Pro-Second Amendment groups fighting gun control efforts in Virginia have seized on a video showing the author of a sweeping ban fumbling over defining the “ assault weapons '' he wants to outlaw .
In the video , Democratic Virginia Del .
Mark Levine said the biggest difference between hunting rifles and “ assault weapons ” is “ how you hold the gun.
” Speaking at a public meeting , the author of legislation to ban AR-style guns and large , bullet-holding magazines used in semi-automatic weapons also said shooters could use several fingers to pull the trigger and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot through a “ silencer ” better than humans .
As audience members were heard chuckling in the background , Levine said : “ In terms of the differences of the guns , the heart of the difference is how you hold the gun .
It makes it a semi-automatic.
” He showed his trigger finger moving , and added , “ Meaning you can shoot with each finger , not like a bolt-action ” rifle typically used in hunting .
“ Basically , the difference between guns that go like this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long , presumably to show holding a long barrel .
“ These are rifles , you use them to shoot an animal , and you can shoot very precisely.
” Asked to define guns he would ban at a meeting last week , he said , “ Mass shooters don ’ t like things that go like this , ” posing as if holding a bolt-action rifle .
Explaining why , he said : “ What that means is , that somebody could hit the rifle butt against their head .
Deer don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t do this , but humans , trying to save their lives , do this.
” Then , waving his arm Rambo-style in a sweeping fashion , he said : “ Mass shooters use guns that go like this .
...
Guns that go like this are wildly inaccurate.
” His comments have been mocked by gun users , especially after the National Rifle Association posted the video .
Now it is being used by pro-gun forces in Virginia and the nation to stall anti-gun legislation .
“ He knows nothing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Erich Pratt , senior vice president of Gun Owners of America .
“ Obviously , he ’ s watched too many movies , ” he said , noting that semi-automatic rifles and bolt-action rifles are held the same way .
Phil Van Cleave , who heads the Virginia Citizens Defense League , said , “ It ’ s clear that he ’ s way out of league , and he ’ s the one trying to make law.
” Levine did not respond to a request for comment .
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s massive pro-gun rally at the Virginia Capitol in Richmond .
While the new Democratic majority has pushed through several gun control measures , efforts to OK a ban on semi-automatic rifles have not moved forward .
Pratt and Van Cleave said they planned to distribute the video of Levine widely to help make their point that the ban is wrongheaded and authored by a lawmaker who is unfamiliar with the weapons .
“ It definitely showed ignorance , and he out-and-out lied about the facts , ” Pratt said .
AR-style rifles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hunting .
Virginia has become ground zero in the gun-ban fight .
Several new lawmakers were funded by groups sponsored by Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg .
The controversy has also divided rural and urban areas , prompting the governor of West Virginia to invite disgruntled Virginia counties to join his state .
Levine said that in addition to semi-automatic weapons , he wanted to ban suppressors and large magazines .
In his address , according to Van Cleave and Pratt , he misstated how those work .
Levine , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said that guns with magazines could be precise killers .
“ So if you have 30 bullets in your magazine , you can shoot 30 people just as fast as I can move my finger and kill them all , ” he said .
And he said that suppressors , encouraged for use by hunters in Europe , are dangerous .
“ A deer is going to run away no matter what , but it ’ s a human who may not understand it ’ s a gunshot when they hear a @ @ @ @ @ @

Pro-Second Amendment groups fighting gun control efforts in Virginia have seized on a video showing the author of a sweeping ban fumbling over defining the “assault weapons" he wants to outlaw.
In the video, Democratic Virginia Del. Mark Levine said the biggest difference between hunting rifles and “assault weapons” is “how you hold the gun.”
Speaking at a public meeting, the author of legislation to ban AR-style guns and large, bullet-holding magazines used in semi-automatic weapons also said shooters could use several fingers to pull the trigger and that deer know the sound of a bullet shot through a “silencer” better than humans.
As audience members were heard chuckling in the background, Levine said: “In terms of the differences of the guns, the heart of the difference is how you hold the gun. It makes it a semi-automatic.” He showed his trigger finger moving, and added, “Meaning you can shoot with each finger, not like a bolt-action” rifle typically used in hunting.
“Basically, the difference between guns that go like this,” he said, extending one arm long, presumably to show holding a long barrel. “These are rifles, you use them to shoot an animal, and you can shoot very precisely.”
Asked to define guns he would ban at a meeting last week, he said, “Mass shooters don’t like things that go like this,” posing as if holding a bolt-action rifle.
Explaining why, he said: “What that means is, that somebody could hit the rifle butt against their head. Deer don’t do this, elk don’t do this, but humans, trying to save their lives, do this.”
Then, waving his arm Rambo-style in a sweeping fashion, he said: “Mass shooters use guns that go like this. ... Guns that go like this are wildly inaccurate.”
His comments have been mocked by gun users, especially after the National Rifle Association posted the video.
This is pathetic. But, funny.
Virginia @DelegateMark (a Bloomberg-owned "Gun Sense Champion") introduced HB961 to ban "assault weapons."
A town hall attendee asked him to define "assault weapon." Bloomberg’s “champion” spewed garbage for 7 min & couldn't answer the question. pic.twitter.com/7DbwZ4csNd — NRA (@NRA) January 26, 2020
Now it is being used by pro-gun forces in Virginia and the nation to stall anti-gun legislation.
“He knows nothing about what he’s trying to ban,” said Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America. “Obviously, he’s watched too many movies,” he said, noting that semi-automatic rifles and bolt-action rifles are held the same way.
Phil Van Cleave, who heads the Virginia Citizens Defense League, said, “It’s clear that he’s way out of league, and he’s the one trying to make law.”
Levine did not respond to a request for comment.
Both VCDL and GOA organized this month’s massive pro-gun rally at the Virginia Capitol in Richmond.
While the new Democratic majority has pushed through several gun control measures, efforts to OK a ban on semi-automatic rifles have not moved forward.
Pratt and Van Cleave said they planned to distribute the video of Levine widely to help make their point that the ban is wrongheaded and authored by a lawmaker who is unfamiliar with the weapons.
“It definitely showed ignorance, and he out-and-out lied about the facts,” Pratt said.
AR-style rifles are popular and used for sport shooting and hunting.
Virginia has become ground zero in the gun-ban fight. Several new lawmakers were funded by groups sponsored by Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg. The controversy has also divided rural and urban areas, prompting the governor of West Virginia to invite disgruntled Virginia counties to join his state.
Levine said that in addition to semi-automatic weapons, he wanted to ban suppressors and large magazines.
In his address, according to Van Cleave and Pratt, he misstated how those work.
Levine, who had previously said that assault weapons are inaccurate, said that guns with magazines could be precise killers. “So if you have 30 bullets in your magazine, you can shoot 30 people just as fast as I can move my finger and kill them all,” he said.
And he said that suppressors, encouraged for use by hunters in Europe, are dangerous.
“A deer is going to run away no matter what, but it’s a human who may not understand it’s a gunshot when they hear a silencer,” he said.


bonginoreport--2020-01-29--Casino Company Penn National Purchases 36% Stake in Barstool Sports

Fans receive towels from Barstool Sports depicting NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wearing a clown nose prior to the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on September 7 , 2017 in Foxboro , Massachusetts .
Penn National Gaming is betting big on its newest partner , Barstool Sports .
The casino company announced it 's taking a 36 % stake in the digital sports media company for about $ 163 million in cash and convertible preferred stock .
Shares of Penn National climbed more than 12 % Wednesday following the news .
Penn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in retail facilities and on its interactive mobile and online products , according to a news release announcing the deal .
Barstool will promote Penn 's physical casinos and interactive offerings for up to 40 years .
The stake is a big play for the regional gaming company to expand its exposure in sports betting , which will reduce its marketing costs and the price of customer acquisition .
Penn is hoping it lures younger gamblers into its retail and online offerings as well .
On a call with investors , Penn National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company 's current gamblers as being in their mid-50s , while Barstool Sports ' audience is largely in their 20s , 30s and 40s .
`` With its leading digital content , well-known brand and deep roots in sports betting , Barstool Sports is the ideal partner for Penn National and will enable us to attract a new , younger demographic , which will nicely complement our existing customer database , '' Snowden said in the release .
Fans of Barstool , which says it has 66 million unique monthly visitors , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to CEO Erika Nardini .
In a call with investors , Nardini said roughly half is already engaging in sports betting .
Nardini said the company fielded inquiries and interest from every major casino and sports media company but chose Penn as its partner for what it brings to the table .
Penn has 41 facilities in 19 states and is well-positioned in states that are currently considering sports betting legislation but have n't adopted it .
Penn said it , too , had considered partnerships with other major players in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of whom it already shares a partnership .
But it said Barstool comes out on top for its customer loyalty and engagement , its diverse revenue streams and its innovative approach .
Snowden described Barstool as `` scrappy '' and said it 's the way he also sees Penn .
In 2018 , Barstool Sports was valued at $ 100 million based on an investment by former majority owner Chernin Group , according to Jefferies Gaming analyst David Katz .
`` The $ 450 million valuation implied by this agreement builds in future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will clearly raise Penn 's profile in sports betting with the returns on investment demonstrated over time .
Penn said it intends to increase its ownership to roughly 50 % in three years , but Snowden said on an investor call the time delay is necessary to make sure that Barstool maintains editorial leadership for the media company as it moves forward with the partnership .
`` Penn National will be Barstool Sports ' exclusive gaming partner for up to 40 years and have the sole right to utilize the Barstool Sports brand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retail sports betting and iCasino products , '' according to the agreement .

Fans receive towels from Barstool Sports depicting NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wearing a clown nose prior to the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on September 7, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Penn National Gaming is betting big on its newest partner, Barstool Sports.
The casino company announced it's taking a 36% stake in the digital sports media company for about $163 million in cash and convertible preferred stock.
Shares of Penn National climbed more than 12% Wednesday following the news.
Penn will soon launch a Barstool Sportsbook brand in retail facilities and on its interactive mobile and online products, according to a news release announcing the deal. Barstool will promote Penn's physical casinos and interactive offerings for up to 40 years.
The stake is a big play for the regional gaming company to expand its exposure in sports betting, which will reduce its marketing costs and the price of customer acquisition. Penn is hoping it lures younger gamblers into its retail and online offerings as well.
On a call with investors, Penn National President and CEO Jay Snowden described the company's current gamblers as being in their mid-50s, while Barstool Sports' audience is largely in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
"With its leading digital content, well-known brand and deep roots in sports betting, Barstool Sports is the ideal partner for Penn National and will enable us to attract a new, younger demographic, which will nicely complement our existing customer database," Snowden said in the release.


bonginoreport--2020-01-29--Fed Boosts Interest Rate on Bank Reserves to 1.6%

WASHINGTON — While the Federal Reserve kept its benchmark rate steady , it did make an adjustment Wednesday to the @ @ @ @ @ stored at the central bank .
The Fed boosted the interest on excess reserves rate @ @ @ @ @ % even as it kept the benchmark funds rate in a target range of 1.5 @ @ @ @ @ Fed officials characterize the moves on the IOER as technical adjustments , though markets are @ @ @ @ @ also is a reflection of where the funds rate trades while the central bank figures @ @ @ @ @ needs to keep its balance sheet .
The IOER is used as a guardrail for @ @ @ @ @ Fed had cut the IOER last year as the funds rate moved to the top @ @ @ @ @ recent months , though , the funds rate had been near the bottom of its @ @ @ @ @ , whereas the Fed prefers to keep it near the midpoint .
Officials hope that @ @ @ @ @ it also will boost the funds rate .

WASHINGTON — While the Federal Reserve kept its benchmark rate steady, it did make an adjustment Wednesday to the interest it pays on funds stored at the central bank.
The Fed boosted the interest on excess reserves rate 5 basis points to 1.6% even as it kept the benchmark funds rate in a target range of 1.5% to 1.75%.
Fed officials characterize the moves on the IOER as technical adjustments, though markets are watching the situation because it also is a reflection of where the funds rate trades while the central bank figures out the level where it needs to keep its balance sheet. The IOER is used as a guardrail for the funds rate.
The Fed had cut the IOER last year as the funds rate moved to the top of its range. In recent months, though, the funds rate had been near the bottom of its range, around 1.55%, whereas the Fed prefers to keep it near the midpoint. Officials hope that by moving the IOER higher it also will boost the funds rate.


bonginoreport--2020-01-29--Phase 1 Trial for Coronavirus Vaccine Expected Within Three Months

A vaccine designed to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) and technological advances in vaccine platforms are likely to quicken the time it will take to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus that has killed at least 132 people and sickened nearly 6,000 others .
“ I ’ m reasonably confident that within three months or less we ’ ll be in a Phase 1 trial ” for a coronavirus vaccine , which would be record speed for this type of trial , Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday video interview with the medical journal JAMA .
It took 3.2 months to get a Zika vaccine into trials , he added .
Moderna Inc. MRNA , -8.09 % , a biotechnology company developing messenger RNA treatments and vaccines , said Jan. 23 that it is working with NIAID to design a vaccine .
The early-stage trial will be conducted by NIAID .
Experts say an emergency-use vaccine could be ready as soon as within one year .
( This is a much shorter period than the typical development timeline for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration estimates that it takes an average of 12 years to bring a new drug to market . )
Public concern about the coronavirus has shifted sharply in the 10 days since the U.S. identified its first diagnosed case .
China ’ s National Health Commission said Tuesday that there are now 9,239 suspected cases , 5,974 confirmed cases and 132 deaths .
About 100 people have been “ cured ” and discharged in the 31 Chinese provinces that have reported cases of the coronavirus .
There are five confirmed cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
“ The next four weeks to five weeks are going to be critical , ” Fauci said during the JAMA interview .
“ It ’ s either going to start peaking and going on a downturn , or it ’ s going to explode into a global outbreak.
” The World Health Organization ’ s Emergency Committee said it would meet again on Thursday to discuss whether the outbreak is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern .
Why isn ’ t there a vaccine already ?
Researchers developed a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Phase I trial in 10 healthy adults .
However , by the time it had gone through an early-stage trial , the severity of the outbreak had declined , and it was no longer of use .
“ There ’ s been some really good work on SARS and MERS that is educating this process , ” said Andrew Pekosz , professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins University ’ s Bloomberg School of Public Health .
“ You assume that everything that works for SARS and MERS will work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plug in the very specific pieces of the new coronavirus into these vaccine platforms [ and ] you should be able to get vaccine candidates very quickly.
” Today ’ s development pace is also much quicker .
It took seven months to publish the SARS sequence in May 2003 after the first case of pneumonia was reported in China in late 2002 .
The Chinese government published the full genomic sequence for this coronavirus on Jan. 10 .
“ Today you don ’ t need to get the virus in hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need is a sequence because the platforms that we use in vaccinology now are generally gene-based or molecular ribonucleic acid-based.
” What are researchers most concerned about ?
One of the unknowns is the virus ’ s reproductive number , pronounced R-naught , which helps determine how fast the virus is spreading .
Current estimates put the R0 range between 1.5 and 3.1 , though the available data is still limited , Pekosz said .
“ It ’ s going to tell us how difficult it will be to contain this virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R0 of 2 to 5 ; post-quarantine , it dropped below 1 , which indicates an outbreak is waning , Dr. Eric Ding , an epidemiologist at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health said during a Tuesday Evercore ISI webinar .
How is this coronavirus different than SARS or MERS ?
U.S. health officials have said the new coronavirus , which was first identified in December in Wuhan City , China , is more similar to SARS than Middle East respiratory syndrome ( MERS ) , although all three are coronaviruses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ key differences .
“ The underlying context is different , ” said Dr. John Brownstein , an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children ’ s Hospital .
“ Fifteen years ago , the difference of course is less mobility , less movement within and outside of China than what we see today.
” Early data out of China published Jan. 24 in The Lancet shows that the new coronavirus had primarily sickened patients who skewed younger and healthier than those commonly affected by seasonal flu or SARS .
About half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been hospitalized in Wuhan were between the ages of 25 and 49 years old , about 73 % were men , and less than half of them had co-morbidities such as diabetes or hypertension .
The fatality rate for this coronavirus is also thought to be lower , at about 3 % to 4 % .
The MERS morbidity rate is about 36 % and SARS is 10 % .
Public health experts cautioned that this is very early data and likely not reflective of the thousands more patients who have now been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care companies share coronavirus plans : Much of the development news for coronavirus diagnostics , therapeutics , and vaccines so far has come from smaller preclinical companies .
However , Johnson & Johnson JNJ , +0.70 % now plans to initiate development of a vaccine candidate for 2019-nCoV and is also providing its antiviral HIV treatment Prezcobix in China for investigational purposes .
HIV is a RNA-based virus , like the Wuhan coronavirus .
Becton Dickinson and Co. BDX , -0.02 % , the diagnostics company , is sending instruments used in diagnostic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FactSet transcript of its earnings call .
Earnings calls have turned into de facto corporate updates on the virus : According to a FactSet analysis of earnings transcripts , executives at Boeing Co. BA , +1.72 % , Dow Inc. DOW , +5.32 % , General Electric Co. GE , +10.32 % , Mastercard Inc. MA , +0.02 % , and Starbucks Inc. SBUX , -2.12 % have been asked or are discussing the impact of the coronavirus on their 2020 performance .
A Mastercard executive said : “ It ’ s early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our inbound and outbound cross-border from China is e-commerce related so it provides some level of a hedge.
” Travel operators , airport retailers face demand slump : Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL , +1.00 % said cancellations as a result of travel restrictions in China may mean the company will have to lower its 2020 per-share earnings by 10 cents .
Carnival Corp. CCL , +0.00 % said suspended cruises may lead to a EPS headwind of $ 0.03 to $ 0.04 per share , according to a Nomura note .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may force airport retailers to market to other travelers .
“ If outbound tourism from China suffers as a result of coronavirus , airport operators and retailers must adapt their strategies to target other passengers , ” GlobalData ’ s Honor Strachan wrote in a research note .
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he spoke to Chinese Premier Xi Jinping about the coronavirus and that the U.S. and China are working closely on the issue .

A vaccine designed to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and technological advances in vaccine platforms are likely to quicken the time it will take to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus that has killed at least 132 people and sickened nearly 6,000 others.
“I’m reasonably confident that within three months or less we’ll be in a Phase 1 trial” for a coronavirus vaccine, which would be record speed for this type of trial, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said during a Tuesday video interview with the medical journal JAMA. It took 3.2 months to get a Zika vaccine into trials, he added.
Moderna Inc. MRNA, -3.59% , a biotechnology company developing messenger RNA treatments and vaccines, said Jan. 23 that it is working with NIAID to design a vaccine. The early-stage trial will be conducted by NIAID.
Experts say an emergency-use vaccine could be ready as soon as within one year. (This is a much shorter period than the typical development timeline for a new drug. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that it takes an average of 12 years to bring a new drug to market.)
Public concern about the coronavirus has shifted sharply in the 10 days since the U.S. identified its first diagnosed case. China’s National Health Commission said Tuesday that there are now 9,239 suspected cases, 5,974 confirmed cases and 132 deaths. About 100 people have been “cured” and discharged in the 31 Chinese provinces that have reported cases of the coronavirus. There are five confirmed cases in the U.S., and 165 people are under investigation.
“The next four weeks to five weeks are going to be critical,” Fauci said during the JAMA interview. “It’s either going to start peaking and going on a downturn, or it’s going to explode into a global outbreak.”
The World Health Organization’s Emergency Committee said it would meet again on Thursday to discuss whether the outbreak is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Why isn’t there a vaccine already?
Researchers developed a vaccine for SARS that was eventually tested in a Phase I trial in 10 healthy adults. However, by the time it had gone through an early-stage trial, the severity of the outbreak had declined, and it was no longer of use.
“There’s been some really good work on SARS and MERS that is educating this process,” said Andrew Pekosz, professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. “You assume that everything that works for SARS and MERS will work for this virus, therefore you just plug in the very specific pieces of the new coronavirus into these vaccine platforms [and] you should be able to get vaccine candidates very quickly.”
Today’s development pace is also much quicker. It took seven months to publish the SARS sequence in May 2003 after the first case of pneumonia was reported in China in late 2002. The Chinese government published the full genomic sequence for this coronavirus on Jan. 10.
“Today you don’t need to get the virus in hand,” Fauci said. “All you need is a sequence because the platforms that we use in vaccinology now are generally gene-based or molecular ribonucleic acid-based.”
What are researchers most concerned about?
One of the unknowns is the virus’s reproductive number, pronounced R-naught, which helps determine how fast the virus is spreading. Current estimates put the R0 range between 1.5 and 3.1, though the available data is still limited, Pekosz said. “It’s going to tell us how difficult it will be to contain this virus,” he said.
SARS had a R0 of 2 to 5; post-quarantine, it dropped below 1, which indicates an outbreak is waning, Dr. Eric Ding, an epidemiologist at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health said during a Tuesday Evercore ISI webinar.
How is this coronavirus different than SARS or MERS?
U.S. health officials have said the new coronavirus, which was first identified in December in Wuhan City, China, is more similar to SARS than Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), although all three are coronaviruses. However, there are a number of key differences.
“The underlying context is different,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Fifteen years ago, the difference of course is less mobility, less movement within and outside of China than what we see today.”
Early data out of China published Jan. 24 in The Lancet shows that the new coronavirus had primarily sickened patients who skewed younger and healthier than those commonly affected by seasonal flu or SARS. About half of this cohort of 41 patients who had been hospitalized in Wuhan were between the ages of 25 and 49 years old, about 73% were men, and less than half of them had co-morbidities such as diabetes or hypertension. The fatality rate for this coronavirus is also thought to be lower, at about 3% to 4%. The MERS morbidity rate is about 36% and SARS is 10%.
Public health experts cautioned that this is very early data and likely not reflective of the thousands more patients who have now been diagnosed with the virus.
Big health care companies share coronavirus plans: Much of the development news for coronavirus diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines so far has come from smaller preclinical companies. However, Johnson & Johnson JNJ, -0.29% now plans to initiate development of a vaccine candidate for 2019-nCoV and is also providing its antiviral HIV treatment Prezcobix in China for investigational purposes. HIV is a RNA-based virus, like the Wuhan coronavirus. Becton Dickinson and Co. BDX, -1.06% , the diagnostics company, is sending instruments used in diagnostic testing to China, according to a FactSet transcript of its earnings call.
Earnings calls have turned into de facto corporate updates on the virus: According to a FactSet analysis of earnings transcripts, executives at Boeing Co. BA, -1.88% , Dow Inc. DOW, -3.34% , General Electric Co. GE, -1.47% , Mastercard Inc. MA, -1.04% , and Starbucks Inc. SBUX, -0.96% have been asked or are discussing the impact of the coronavirus on their 2020 performance. A Mastercard executive said: “It’s early days. Fortunately, a decent portion of our inbound and outbound cross-border from China is e-commerce related so it provides some level of a hedge.”
Travel operators, airport retailers face demand slump: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL, -0.23% said cancellations as a result of travel restrictions in China may mean the company will have to lower its 2020 per-share earnings by 10 cents. Carnival Corp. CCL, -1.31% said suspended cruises may lead to a EPS headwind of $0.03 to $0.04 per share, according to a Nomura note. Separately, a decline in Chinese travelers may force airport retailers to market to other travelers. “If outbound tourism from China suffers as a result of coronavirus, airport operators and retailers must adapt their strategies to target other passengers,” GlobalData’s Honor Strachan wrote in a research note.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he spoke to Chinese Premier Xi Jinping about the coronavirus and that the U.S. and China are working closely on the issue.


bonginoreport--2020-01-29--Elizabeth Warren Proposes Criminalizing People Who Lie on the Internet

Democratic presidential hopeful Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks during the fourth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by The New York Times and CNN at Otterbein University in Westerville , Ohio on October 15 , 2019 .
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday released a plan to fight disinformation and to hold tech companies accountable for their actions in light of the 2016 election .
`` Disinformation and online foreign interference erode our democracy , and Donald Trump has invited both , '' Warren said in a Tweet Wednesday .
`` Anyone who seeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 election must be fully prepared to take this on – and I 've got a plan to do it . ''
Warren proposed to combat disinformation by holding big tech companies like Facebook , Twitter and Google responsible for spreading misinformation designed to suppress voters from turning out .
`` I will push for new laws that impose tough civil and criminal penalties for knowingly disseminating this kind of information , which has the explicit purpose of undermining the basic right to vote , '' Warren said in a release .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for breaking up big tech companies like Amazon and Facebook , has said that she wants to make `` big structural changes to the tech sector to promote more competition . ''
It 's part of a broader policy to stop disinformation , requiring tech companies and the government to come together to solve the problem .
Other candidates such as Sens .
Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders have also been skeptical of large technology companies .
Sanders has repeatedly targeted Amazon , saying it should increase its wages and benefits for workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of the Iowa caucuses next week .
She 's in third place in national polls and fourth place in Iowa .
Warren also criticized how the companies ' emphasis on profit contributed to misinformation during the 2016 election , such as false ads that led to polarization and could have suppressed votes from groups like black voters .
As president , Warren said she would reinstate the position of cybersecurity coordinator at the National Security Council , a position crucial to protecting the U.S. She added she will also open up data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can provide the public with knowledge on disinformation .
`` The stakes of this election are too high -- we need to fight the spread of false information that disempowers voters and undermines democracy , '' Warren said .
`` I 'll do my part -- and I 'm calling on my fellow candidates and big tech companies to do their part too . ''

Democratic presidential hopeful Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks during the fourth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by The New York Times and CNN at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio on October 15, 2019.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday released a plan to fight disinformation and to hold tech companies accountable for their actions in light of the 2016 election.
"Disinformation and online foreign interference erode our democracy, and Donald Trump has invited both," Warren said in a Tweet Wednesday. "Anyone who seeks to challenge and defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election must be fully prepared to take this on – and I've got a plan to do it."
Warren proposed to combat disinformation by holding big tech companies like Facebook , Twitter and Google responsible for spreading misinformation designed to suppress voters from turning out.
"I will push for new laws that impose tough civil and criminal penalties for knowingly disseminating this kind of information, which has the explicit purpose of undermining the basic right to vote," Warren said in a release.
Warren, who has been an advocate for breaking up big tech companies like Amazon and Facebook, has said that she wants to make "big structural changes to the tech sector to promote more competition." It's part of a broader policy to stop disinformation, requiring tech companies and the government to come together to solve the problem.
Other candidates such as Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders have also been skeptical of large technology companies. Sanders has repeatedly targeted Amazon, saying it should increase its wages and benefits for workers.
Warren has slipped in recent polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses next week. She's in third place in national polls and fourth place in Iowa.
Warren also criticized how the companies' emphasis on profit contributed to misinformation during the 2016 election, such as false ads that led to polarization and could have suppressed votes from groups like black voters.
As president, Warren said she would reinstate the position of cybersecurity coordinator at the National Security Council, a position crucial to protecting the U.S. She added she will also open up data for research so that academics and organizations can provide the public with knowledge on disinformation.
"The stakes of this election are too high -- we need to fight the spread of false information that disempowers voters and undermines democracy," Warren said. "I'll do my part -- and I'm calling on my fellow candidates and big tech companies to do their part too."


bonginoreport--2020-02-04--Claire McCaskill Under Fire for “Racist” Tweet About Ben Carson

Former Sen. Claire McCaskill ( D-MO ) is getting plenty of heat for tweeting her awful interpretation about why Housing @ @ @ @ @ Carson was squatting in the aisle of President Trump 's plane on Tuesday .
According @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign was trying to use Carson as their token black surrogate .
If McCaskill @ @ @ @ @ take after the first round of backlash , she sure did after this response from @ @ @ @ @ Julio Rosas had a pretty epic response too .
If McCaskill really wanted to pinpoint @ @ @ @ @ , she should have directed her ire toward the Pete Buttigieg campaign .
One of @ @ @ @ @ African-American supporters tweeted about how his campaign kept asking her to move away from her @ @ @ @ @ at his victory rally in Iowa last night so they could feature his black supporters @ @ @ @ @ the minority community is no secret , so it appears that his campaign had an @ @

Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is getting plenty of heat for tweeting her awful interpretation about why Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson was squatting in the aisle of President Trump's plane on Tuesday. According to the Democrat, the Trump campaign was trying to use Carson as their token black surrogate.
One of these things is not like the others. Hint: they made him squat in the aisle so he was visible. pic.twitter.com/aFxrRRjbPi — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) February 4, 2020
If McCaskill didn't regret her hot take after the first round of backlash, she sure did after this response from Donald Trump Jr.
Hi Claire,
Two problems with your tweet:
1. Dr. Ben Carson did not have a seat in this pic because he was sitting in First Class with my family
2. Dr. Carson is not a "thing," he is a world renowned, life-saving neurosurgeon
Anyway, how's unemployment? https://t.co/icZKsu9YFn — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 4, 2020
A burn to end all burns.
Our own Julio Rosas had a pretty epic response too.
It's more diverse than the Democratic debate stage. — Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) February 4, 2020
If McCaskill really wanted to pinpoint an actual example of racism, she should have directed her ire toward the Pete Buttigieg campaign. One of the presidential candidate's young African-American supporters tweeted about how his campaign kept asking her to move away from her friends and toward the cameras at his victory rally in Iowa last night so they could feature his black supporters. Buttigieg's struggles with the minority community is no secret, so it appears that his campaign had an agenda.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley defeated McCaskill in the 2018 midterms.


bonginoreport--2020-02-04--Disney Expecting to Take $175 Million Hit From Coronavirus

Visitors wearing masks walk past Shanghai Disney Resort , that will be closed following the outbreak of a new coronavirus , in China .
Disney said it is expecting to take a $ 175 million hit from the recent coronavirus outbreak if its Hong Kong and Shanghai Disney parks remain closed for two months .
`` The current closure is taking place during the quarter in which we typically see strong attendance and occupancy levels due to the timing of the Chinese New Year holiday , '' Christine McCarthy , chief financial officer at Disney , said during an earnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the financial impact is highly dependent on the duration of the closures and how quickly we can resume normal operations . ''
McCarthy said the company expects an impact of $ 135 million on second-quarter operating income from the Shanghai park and about $ 40 million from the closure of the Hong Kong park .
The company had already disclosed that its Hong Kong park had been underperforming due to protests in the region .
Between coronavirus and the unrest in Hong Kong , operating income at the park is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second quarter .
Last quarter , operating income in the Hong Kong park declined by $ 55 million .
Domestically , the company does n't expect traffic at its U.S.-based parks to be impacted by lower visitation of guests from Asia .
McCarthy said that the Asian market is not as prevalent in terms of visitation to the domestic parks compared to countries like Canada , Mexico , Austrailia and the United Kingdom .
Lower results at its international parks and resorts hurt its fiscal first quarter performance , but was offset by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the U.S. , the opening of new parks and attractions , including the Star Wars : Galaxy 's Edge park and the Rise of the Resistance ride , provided a boost .
Revenue at Disney 's Parks , Experience and Products segment rose 8 % from the prior year to $ 7.4 billion , while operating income increased 9 % to $ 2.3 billion .
Iger said on the call that Rise of the Resistance has `` done extremely well '' in terms of attendance and higher guest spending .

Visitors wearing masks walk past Shanghai Disney Resort, that will be closed following the outbreak of a new coronavirus, in China.
Disney said it is expecting to take a $175 million hit from the recent coronavirus outbreak if its Hong Kong and Shanghai Disney parks remain closed for two months.
"The current closure is taking place during the quarter in which we typically see strong attendance and occupancy levels due to the timing of the Chinese New Year holiday," Christine McCarthy, chief financial officer at Disney, said during an earnings call Tuesday. "The precise magnitude of the financial impact is highly dependent on the duration of the closures and how quickly we can resume normal operations."
McCarthy said the company expects an impact of $135 million on second-quarter operating income from the Shanghai park and about $40 million from the closure of the Hong Kong park.
The company had already disclosed that its Hong Kong park had been underperforming due to protests in the region. Between coronavirus and the unrest in Hong Kong, operating income at the park is expected to decline by $145 million in the second quarter.
Last quarter, operating income in the Hong Kong park declined by $55 million.
Domestically, the company doesn't expect traffic at its U.S.-based parks to be impacted by lower visitation of guests from Asia.
McCarthy said that the Asian market is not as prevalent in terms of visitation to the domestic parks compared to countries like Canada, Mexico, Austrailia and the United Kingdom.
Lower results at its international parks and resorts hurt its fiscal first quarter performance, but was offset by strong growth at its domestic business. In the U.S., the opening of new parks and attractions, including the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge lands and the Rise of the Resistance ride, provided a boost.
Revenue at Disney's Parks, Experience and Products segment rose 8% from the prior year to $7.4 billion, while operating income increased 9% to $2.3 billion.
Iger said on the call that Rise of the Resistance has "done extremely well" in terms of attendance and higher guest spending.
—CNBC's Annie Palmer contributed to this report.


bonginoreport--2020-02-04--Pete Buttigieg Supporter Shocked to Learn He’s Gay for First Time Night of Iowa Caucus

• An Iowa caucusgoer tried to retract her support for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg after learning he 's married to a man .
• Buttigieg came out of the closet in 2015 and married his husband , Chasten , in June 2018 .
• `` He better read the Bible , '' the woman who asked for her preference card back says in a video that went viral .
A caucusgoer in Iowa retracted her support for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and asked if she could take her preference card back after learning that he 's in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two women in the middle of a caucus event Monday night and was captured in a video that went viral .
In the video , one woman is wearing a pin that labels her a `` precinct captain '' for the Buttigieg campaign .
The other woman is wearing a Buttigieg sticker and a bright-green pin for the campaign of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar .
`` So are you saying that he has a same-sex partner ? ''
the second woman asks in the video .
`` Yes , '' the Buttigieg organizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't want anybody like that in the White House , '' the woman says before asking if she can get her card back .
According to McClatchy , organizers distribute preference cards out to the caucusgoers so that the organizers can determine the viability of a candidate .
The woman presumably asked for her card back so she could change her preference for another candidate .
In the video , the Buttigieg organizer seems to want to find out if she can help the other caucusgoer revise her support .
But she also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg , saying his sexual orientation `` should n't really matter . ''
`` Well , he better read the Bible , '' the woman says .
The woman also asks in the video why Buttigieg , a former Indiana mayor who has been open about his position as the first major openly gay candidate for president , has n't discussed his sexuality more , adding that she had never heard he was gay .
`` It 's common knowledge , '' the Buttigieg organizer says in the video .
The supporter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it should n't matter if a candidate is a man , a woman , gay , or straight and urges the woman to caucus based on whether she agrees with what the former mayor stands for .
`` It all just went right down the toilet is where it all just went , '' the woman says .
Buttigieg married his husband , Chasten , a high-school drama teacher , in June 2018 , a few years after they began dating in 2015 .
Chasten Buttigieg would be the nation 's first `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected , and he said he would use his platform to reform public schools .
Buttigieg came out as gay in 2015 , when he was 33 years old , according to The New York Times .
It 's not clear if the caucusgoer was able to change her selection Monday night .
The Buttigieg campaign did not respond to Business Insider 's request for comment .
The nonprofit that initially took credit for 'launching ' the Iowa caucus app developer quietly changed its website to distance itself from the controversial tech Pete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa , noting that he does n't have any official numbers but that it 's 'extraordinary ' that his campaign made it this far From the wealthy to Wall Street , here 's how the 2020 Democrats would redraw the US tax code with their plans Pete Buttigieg is a trailblazing presidential candidate .
But for his supporters , his identity is in the background .

An Iowa caucusgoer tried to retract her support for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg after learning he's married to a man.
Buttigieg came out of the closet in 2015 and married his husband, Chasten, in June 2018.
"He better read the Bible," the woman who asked for her preference card back says in a video that went viral.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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A caucusgoer in Iowa retracted her support for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and asked if she could take her preference card back after learning that he's in a same-sex relationship.
The interaction occurred between two women in the middle of a caucus event Monday night and was captured in a video that went viral.
In the video, one woman is wearing a pin that labels her a "precinct captain" for the Buttigieg campaign. The other woman is wearing a Buttigieg sticker and a bright-green pin for the campaign of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
"So are you saying that he has a same-sex partner?" the second woman asks in the video.
"Yes," the Buttigieg organizer says.
"Well then I don't want anybody like that in the White House," the woman says before asking if she can get her card back.
According to McClatchy, organizers distribute preference cards out to the caucusgoers so that the organizers can determine the viability of a candidate. The woman presumably asked for her card back so she could change her preference for another candidate.
In the video, the Buttigieg organizer seems to want to find out if she can help the other caucusgoer revise her support. But she also suggests that the other woman stick with Buttigieg, saying his sexual orientation "shouldn't really matter."
"Well, he better read the Bible," the woman says.
The woman also asks in the video why Buttigieg, a former Indiana mayor who has been open about his position as the first major openly gay candidate for president, hasn't discussed his sexuality more, adding that she had never heard he was gay.
"It's common knowledge," the Buttigieg organizer says in the video.
The supporter of the 38-year-old former mayor tells the woman it shouldn't matter if a candidate is a man, a woman, gay, or straight and urges the woman to caucus based on whether she agrees with what the former mayor stands for.
"It all just went right down the toilet is where it all just went," the woman says.
Buttigieg married his husband, Chasten, a high-school drama teacher, in June 2018, a few years after they began dating in 2015. Chasten Buttigieg would be the nation's first "first gentleman" if his husband were elected, and he said he would use his platform to reform public schools.
Buttigieg came out as gay in 2015, when he was 33 years old, according to The New York Times.
It's not clear if the caucusgoer was able to change her selection Monday night.
The Buttigieg campaign did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Read more:
The nonprofit that initially took credit for 'launching' the Iowa caucus app developer quietly changed its website to distance itself from the controversial tech
Pete Buttigieg is backtracking his victory speech from Iowa, noting that he doesn't have any official numbers but that it's 'extraordinary' that his campaign made it this far
From the wealthy to Wall Street, here's how the 2020 Democrats would redraw the US tax code with their plans
Pete Buttigieg is a trailblazing presidential candidate. But for his supporters, his identity is in the background.


bonginoreport--2020-02-04--Alabama Veteran and Entrepreneur Will Be One of President Trump’s SOTU Guests

An Alabama man will be among President Trump ’ s guests at tonight ’ s State of the Union address .
Entrepreneur Paul Morrow , a native of Plantersville , Alabama and an Army veteran , is founder and president of SDAC , a federal contractor with offices in Homestead , Florida and Selma .
According to the White House , Morrow is currently building a new concrete plant in an Opportunity Zone in Montgomery .
The new plant will help support several new F-35 jets stationed in the region .
In 2017 , Morrow was named the Small Business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Year .
He was also a recipient of the Smithsonian Institution ’ s Outstanding Contribution Award in 2017 for his role in supporting the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture .
Stephanie and Janiyah Davis from Philadelphia , Pennsylvania : Janiyah is a 4th grade student from Philadelphia , Pennsylvania .
She will be joined by her mother , Stephanie .
Kelli and Gage Hake from Stillwater , Oklahoma : Family of Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Hake who was killed while serving his second tour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Farmersville , California : On December 17 , 2018 , Jones ’ brother , Rocky Jones , was shot and killed by an undocumented immigrant .
Deputy Chief Raul Ortiz from Del Rio , Texas : A U.S. Army veteran and Deputy Chief of U.S. Border Patrol .
Tony Rankins from Cincinnati , Ohio : A U.S. Army veteran , Rankins dealt with PTSD and drug addiction and served time in prison before being helped through job training programs .
Robin and Ellie Schneider from Kansas City , Missouri : Ellie was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days and is one of the youngest babies to survive in the United States .
Ivan Simonovis from Caracas , Venezuela : Simonovis was the Chief of Police in Venezuela ’ s capitol city .
He was imprisoned in 2004 for protecting protesters and was held in captivity for nearly 15 years by the Chavez and Maduro regimes .
He escaped from Venezuela in 2019 and came to Fort Lauderdale .
State of the Union 2020 : Time , channel , how to watch President Trump address ; livestream

An Alabama man will be among President Trump’s guests at tonight’s State of the Union address.
Entrepreneur Paul Morrow, a native of Plantersville, Alabama and an Army veteran, is founder and president of SDAC, a federal contractor with offices in Homestead, Florida and Selma. According to the White House, Morrow is currently building a new concrete plant in an Opportunity Zone in Montgomery. The new plant will help support several new F-35 jets stationed in the region.
In 2017, Morrow was named the Small Business Administration State of Florida Small Business Person of the Year. He was also a recipient of the Smithsonian Institution’s Outstanding Contribution Award in 2017 for his role in supporting the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Other White House guests for tonight’s address include:
Stephanie and Janiyah Davis from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Janiyah is a 4th grade student from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She will be joined by her mother, Stephanie.
Kelli and Gage Hake from Stillwater, Oklahoma: Family of Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Hake who was killed while serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
Jody Jones from Farmersville, California: On December 17, 2018, Jones’ brother, Rocky Jones, was shot and killed by an undocumented immigrant.
Deputy Chief Raul Ortiz from Del Rio, Texas: A U.S. Army veteran and Deputy Chief of U.S. Border Patrol.
Tony Rankins from Cincinnati, Ohio: A U.S. Army veteran, Rankins dealt with PTSD and drug addiction and served time in prison before being helped through job training programs.
Robin and Ellie Schneider from Kansas City, Missouri: Ellie was born at just 21 weeks and six days and is one of the youngest babies to survive in the United States.
Ivan Simonovis from Caracas, Venezuela: Simonovis was the Chief of Police in Venezuela’s capitol city. He was imprisoned in 2004 for protecting protesters and was held in captivity for nearly 15 years by the Chavez and Maduro regimes. He escaped from Venezuela in 2019 and came to Fort Lauderdale.
State of the Union 2020: Time, channel, how to watch President Trump address; livestream


bonginoreport--2020-02-04--National Archives Processing Request for Docs Pertaining to Obama and Ukraine

The National Archives and Records Administration ( NARA ) confirmed to SaraACarter.com Tuesday that it is in the process of reviewing documents requested by two leading GOP Senators that pertain to numerous meetings held in 2016 by senior Obama White House officials , the Democratic National Committee and Ukrainian officials .
On Monday , this website first published that the documents requested by Senator ’ s Ron Johnson , R-Wisconsin , and Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , were being reviewed .
According to Senate officials and confirmed by the National Archives the documents will first be reviewed by representatives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classification purposes and executive privilege before being turned over to the Senate .
There are thousands of documents currently being reviewed , said Senate sources familiar with the ongoing process .
A press official with the National Archives confirmed the request Tuesday in an email to this reporter .
“ The National Archives is in the process of responding to this special access request for Presidential records in accordance with the requirements of the Presidential Records Act , which provides the representatives of the current and former Presidents an opportunity to review any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Senate committee requesters , ” the press official stated .
“ The review process is currently ongoing for this request , and no records have yet been produced .
NARA has been in regular contact with committee staff.
” The request for the documents was sent to National Archives Director David Ferriero November , 2019 , and directly pertains to meetings that occurred in the White House with top level Democratic National Committee contractors , senior Obama staff and Ukrainian officials .
However , Grassley and Johnson are investigating the content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surfaced over the past year suggesting that DNC consultant Alexandra Chalupa , who attended the meetings was also working with Ukrainian officials to gather information against President Trump ’ s campaign at the time .
The Senator ’ s letter asked for the “ records of multiple White House meetings that took place in 2016 between and among Obama Administration officials , Ukrainian government representatives , and Democratic National Committee officials.
” “ The White House meeting records also show Alexandra Chalupa , a Ukrainian American operative ‘ who was consulting for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , attended numerous meetings at the White House , including one event with President Obama , ” the letter stated , referring to a story published by John Solomon , who was then a columnist The Hill .
Johnson and Grassley ’ s investigation also coincides with information recently obtained by Fox News host Laura Ingraham .
Ingraham reported in January , that her team had obtained a slew of internal emails exchanged in May , 2019 , between State Department officials and New York Times journalist Ken Vogel .
Vogel requested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that took place at in 2016 .
Vogel reported then that Ukrainian government officials tried to help Hillary Clinton by undermining Trump .
They publicly questioning his fitness for office .
According to Vogel the Ukrainian officials “ disseminated documents implicating a top Trump aide in corruption and suggested they were investigating the matter , only to back away after the election .
And they helped Clinton ’ s allies research damaging information on Trump and his advisers , a Politico investigation found.
” Further , according to the emails obtained by Ingraham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ingraham Angle , the alleged whistleblower , who initiated the first report that led to Trump ’ s partisan impeachment , had coordinated those same White House meetings in 2016 .
Again , these are the same meetings currently being investigated by the Senators .
For more on this story go to GOP Investigation : Thousands of Obama Admin Docs Under Review Regarding Ukraine White House Meetings

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