bonginoreport--2020-04-21--White House Tells Federal Workers to Prepare to Return to Work

Federal agencies should begin considering ways to bring employees back to their offices , according to new Trump administration guidance , though the White House left much of the decision making to individual leaders based on local conditions .
The new guidance , released jointly by the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget , seeks to align federal agencies with guidance the White House unveiled last week for states to use when assessing how and when to reopen businesses and other entities in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic .
Agencies will therefore follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when to take a variety of steps .
Much of the memorandum spelled out policies that agencies could or may take , without prescribing specific timelines or actions .
“ Given the diversity of federal workforce missions , geographic locations and the needs of individuals within the workforce itself , this transition will require continued diligence and flexibility from federal agencies and the federal workforce , ” OMB and OPM said .
For now , agencies should continue deploying maximum telework .
They should then move toward lifting mandatory telework in low-risk geographic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as needed , especially for those employees with child care needs .
Finally , agencies should lift “ maximum ” telework at all locations before settling into normal , “ optimized ” operations .
The administration encouraged “ creative solutions , ” such as creating rotational cohorts in which employees come into the office for five days per month .
“ As conditions change , agency heads should revisit telework policies and agreements in order to continue progressing to normal operations or address changing conditions while retaining the needed flexibility during the response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a higher risk for serious complications from COVID-19 should remain on telework until “ risk is minimal . ''
OMB and OPM reminded agencies of their ongoing authority to grant weather and safety leave or excused absences for employees who are not eligible for telework .
Healthy employees under the age of 65 “ may return ” to the workplace and “ may ” wear a face covering for their entire workdays , OMB and OPM said .
Agencies can issue their own masks or “ may approve ” employees ’ own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies to prioritize the opening of some facilities before others .
“ Agencies must prioritize capacity building for those services that are the most public-facing as well as those critical to implementing COVID-19 response efforts to help the nation 's recovery , ” the memo stated .
They must also prioritize the opening of facilities with classified settings .
OPM and OMB acknowledged , however , the decision may not be up to agency heads .
Each General Services Administration-run building has its own designated official to make decisions on the status of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screenings , they said , such as “ a set of questions to be asked upon entry , temperature checks , visual inspection , or other methods.
” They should also ensure social distancing within offices and adequate supply of hand sanitizer , sanitizing wipes , toilet paper and other items .
“ Agencies must remain vigilant to minimize and control the impact of COVID-19 in their workplace , ” OPM and OMB said .
Agencies should make state and regional assessments the “ starting point for discussion ” of resuming normal operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daycare closures , mass transit availability , facility requirements and missions .
Agencies may consider continuing travel restrictions for employees .
Agency heads should delegate decision making to bureau and competent leaders , and designate a point of contact for each office location to assist with gathering relevant local information .
That individual should communicate with employees in their areas to keep them apprised .
“ The role of a public servant requires a unique responsibility to lead in times of crisis and during a period of recovery , ” OMB and OPM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this historic pandemic , the federal workforce has continued to ensure mission critical and essential services continue to meet the nation 's needs .
Across the nation , public servants will continue to perform a key leadership role in supporting the American people.
” In a recent survey , most federal employees said the pandemic has had a “ major ” or “ extreme ” impact on their agencies ’ operations .

Federal agencies should begin considering ways to bring employees back to their offices, according to new Trump administration guidance, though the White House left much of the decision making to individual leaders based on local conditions.
The new guidance, released jointly by the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget, seeks to align federal agencies with guidance the White House unveiled last week for states to use when assessing how and when to reopen businesses and other entities in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Agencies will therefore follow state mandates and maintain significant discretion on when to take a variety of steps. Much of the memorandum spelled out policies that agencies could or may take, without prescribing specific timelines or actions.
“Given the diversity of federal workforce missions, geographic locations and the needs of individuals within the workforce itself, this transition will require continued diligence and flexibility from federal agencies and the federal workforce,” OMB and OPM said.
For now, agencies should continue deploying maximum telework. They should then move toward lifting mandatory telework in low-risk geographic areas while still allowing additional telework flexibilities as needed, especially for those employees with child care needs. Finally, agencies should lift “maximum” telework at all locations before settling into normal, “optimized” operations. The administration encouraged “creative solutions,” such as creating rotational cohorts in which employees come into the office for five days per month.
“As conditions change, agency heads should revisit telework policies and agreements in order to continue progressing to normal operations or address changing conditions while retaining the needed flexibility during the response,” the guidance stated.
Employees at a higher risk for serious complications from COVID-19 should remain on telework until “risk is minimal." OMB and OPM reminded agencies of their ongoing authority to grant weather and safety leave or excused absences for employees who are not eligible for telework.
Healthy employees under the age of 65 “may return” to the workplace and “may” wear a face covering for their entire workdays, OMB and OPM said. Agencies can issue their own masks or “may approve” employees’ own face coverings.
OMB and OPM told agencies to prioritize the opening of some facilities before others.
“Agencies must prioritize capacity building for those services that are the most public-facing as well as those critical to implementing COVID-19 response efforts to help the nation's recovery,” the memo stated. They must also prioritize the opening of facilities with classified settings.
OPM and OMB acknowledged, however, the decision may not be up to agency heads. Each General Services Administration-run building has its own designated official to make decisions on the status of the facility. Agencies should consider implementing screenings, they said, such as “a set of questions to be asked upon entry, temperature checks, visual inspection, or other methods.” They should also ensure social distancing within offices and adequate supply of hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, toilet paper and other items.
“Agencies must remain vigilant to minimize and control the impact of COVID-19 in their workplace,” OPM and OMB said.
Agencies should make state and regional assessments the “starting point for discussion” of resuming normal operations, but should also consider school and daycare closures, mass transit availability, facility requirements and missions. Agencies may consider continuing travel restrictions for employees.
Agency heads should delegate decision making to bureau and competent leaders, and designate a point of contact for each office location to assist with gathering relevant local information. That individual should communicate with employees in their areas to keep them apprised.
“The role of a public servant requires a unique responsibility to lead in times of crisis and during a period of recovery,” OMB and OPM said. “In the face of this historic pandemic, the federal workforce has continued to ensure mission critical and essential services continue to meet the nation's needs. Across the nation, public servants will continue to perform a key leadership role in supporting the American people.”
In a recent survey, most federal employees said the pandemic has had a “major” or “extreme” impact on their agencies’ operations.


bonginoreport--2020-04-21--40% Say They Have an Immediate Family Member Out of Work Due to Pandemic

40 % Say Immediate Family Member Out of Work Thanks to Coronavirus Financial anxiety over the coronavirus has eased slightly , even as more Americans report a close family member out of work .
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 40 % of American Adults now say they or someone in their immediate family has lost their job because of the coronavirus outbreak .
That ’ s up from 32 % a month ago .
( To see survey question wording , click here . )
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Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook .
The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted April 16 and 19 , 2020 by Rasmussen Reports .
The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 % level of confidence .
Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research , LLC .
See methodology .
Rasmussen Reports is a media company specializing in the collection , publication and distribution of public opinion information .
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To learn more about our methodology , click here .

Financial anxiety over the coronavirus has eased slightly, even as more Americans report a close family member out of work.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 40% of American Adults now say they or someone in their immediate family has lost their job because of the coronavirus outbreak. That’s up from 32% a month ago. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted April 16 and 19, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.


bonginoreport--2020-04-22--Treasury Seeks to Remove Loopholes in Round Two of Small Business Lending

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Sign up here .
As the federal government gets ready to approve a new round of low-interest stimulus loans for small businesses , White House officials are looking to avoid the mistakes that occurred during the first phase of the plan .
FOX Business has learned the Treasury Department is looking to close various loopholes that plagued the Payroll Protection Program ( PPP ) and deprived many small businesses from getting their hands on the money while some larger profitable businesses feasted on the low-interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help small businesses—those with 500 or fewer employees hardest hit by the coronavirus-related shutdowns and quarantines—to obtain cheap , forgivable loans that would serve as a lifeline until the pandemic receded and businesses could reopen .
But as FOX Business chronicled over the past two weeks , the initial program was riddled with loopholes that allow profitable financial firms , law firms and even large publicly traded restaurant and hospitality chains with far more than 500 employees to tap into the program .
These companies were able to move to the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep banking relationships with financial institutions doling out the money .
The big banks have told FOX Business they were forced to hand out money to their best customers because the Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration did n't provide guidelines on what types of businesses should benefit the most from the PPP , and they would have faced tremendous legal liability .
The upshot has been a disastrous rollout of the program with many businesses obtaining these loans even though they do n't need the money because they are profitable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business lobby groups say these loopholes deprived thousands of legitimate small businesses from getting their fair share of the loans , meaning they had to lay off employees or close down permanently .
Banking sources tell FOX Business that the Treasury Department , under pressure from banks and small business groups , is looking to close some of these loopholes to make the program more equitable ; Treasury has been issuing guidance on a rolling basis as it observes changes that need to be made .
One potential fix under consideration is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tranche of loans .
Companies like Shake Shack and Potbelly Sandwich Shop came under tremendous heat when it was revealed they got millions in PPP loans , even though these companies can also tap public markets cheaply because of Fed actions .
Shake Shack returned the funds and raised money from the public markets .
FOX Business could not determine what other possible loopholes might be closed or if Treasury has made a firm commitment to making the program more equitable to small businesses .
A Treasury spokesman said , `` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at ways to make the program even more effective at reaching its intended recipients . ''
Other officials at Treasury contend they are doing the best they can under a difficult situation where they had to get lots of money out quickly to prevent the small business economy from going into freefall .
They point out that despite some issues with PPP — issues they ’ re now looking to address — for the most part the money has been going where it is needed to go .
They note the initial $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week and point to the fact that 74 percent of the loans given were for less than $ 150,000 meaning very small businesses received these loans .
The Senate approved the additional stimulus money as well as expanded PPP lending Tuesday afternoon .
The House will likely vote Thursday , but this bill should be law as soon as Thursday night or Friday morning .
PPP loans may begin getting distributed as early as this weekend .
The new stimulus money includes a total of $ 321 billion for PPP loans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CLICKING HERE But even this might not be enough to satisfy loan demand for small businesses looking to survive the pandemic shutdown .
The first tranche of the money , around $ 350 billion , lasted just two weeks ago and would have been depleted faster if banks had their systems completed on time .
People with knowledge of the legislation believe the new funds will only last for three to four days given the intensity of demand .
When asked whether the new round of funds would run out in the days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treasury official responded , “ We hope that is not the case.
” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
As the federal government gets ready to approve a new round of low-interest stimulus loans for small businesses, White House officials are looking to avoid the mistakes that occurred during the first phase of the plan. FOX Business has learned the Treasury Department is looking to close various loopholes that plagued the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and deprived many small businesses from getting their hands on the money while some larger profitable businesses feasted on the low-interest loans.
The PPP legislation was intended to help small businesses—those with 500 or fewer employees hardest hit by the coronavirus-related shutdowns and quarantines—to obtain cheap, forgivable loans that would serve as a lifeline until the pandemic receded and businesses could reopen.
But as FOX Business chronicled over the past two weeks, the initial program was riddled with loopholes that allow profitable financial firms, law firms and even large publicly traded restaurant and hospitality chains with far more than 500 employees to tap into the program. These companies were able to move to the front of the lending line because they have deep banking relationships with financial institutions doling out the money.
SBA CORONAVIRUS LOAN PORTAL PUTS THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES’ INFORMATION AT RISK
The big banks have told FOX Business they were forced to hand out money to their best customers because the Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration didn't provide guidelines on what types of businesses should benefit the most from the PPP, and they would have faced tremendous legal liability.
The upshot has been a disastrous rollout of the program with many businesses obtaining these loans even though they don't need the money because they are profitable and can tap public lending markets. Small business lobby groups say these loopholes deprived thousands of legitimate small businesses from getting their fair share of the loans, meaning they had to lay off employees or close down permanently.
Banking sources tell FOX Business that the Treasury Department, under pressure from banks and small business groups, is looking to close some of these loopholes to make the program more equitable; Treasury has been issuing guidance on a rolling basis as it observes changes that need to be made. One potential fix under consideration is to make public companies ineligible for the next tranche of loans. Companies like Shake Shack and Potbelly Sandwich Shop came under tremendous heat when it was revealed they got millions in PPP loans, even though these companies can also tap public markets cheaply because of Fed actions. Shake Shack returned the funds and raised money from the public markets.
BANKS LOBBY TREASURY TO FIX CORONAVIRUS PPP RULE TO PRIORITIZE REAL SMALL BUSINESSES
FOX Business could not determine what other possible loopholes might be closed or if Treasury has made a firm commitment to making the program more equitable to small businesses. A Treasury spokesman said, "It's fair to say that we are looking at ways to make the program even more effective at reaching its intended recipients."
Other officials at Treasury contend they are doing the best they can under a difficult situation where they had to get lots of money out quickly to prevent the small business economy from going into freefall. They point out that despite some issues with PPP — issues they’re now looking to address — for the most part the money has been going where it is needed to go. They note the initial $350 billion round was launched in just a week and point to the fact that 74 percent of the loans given were for less than $150,000 meaning very small businesses received these loans.
The Senate approved the additional stimulus money as well as expanded PPP lending Tuesday afternoon. The House will likely vote Thursday, but this bill should be law as soon as Thursday night or Friday morning. PPP loans may begin getting distributed as early as this weekend.
The new stimulus money includes a total of $321 billion for PPP loans.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
But even this might not be enough to satisfy loan demand for small businesses looking to survive the pandemic shutdown. The first tranche of the money, around $350 billion, lasted just two weeks ago and would have been depleted faster if banks had their systems completed on time. People with knowledge of the legislation believe the new funds will only last for three to four days given the intensity of demand.
When asked whether the new round of funds would run out in the days after the stimulus was passed, a Treasury official responded, “We hope that is not the case.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS


bonginoreport--2020-04-22--Michigan Governor Rescinds Contract Awarded to Dem Consulting Firm After Blowback

Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan announced late Tuesday that the state was rescinding a contract to track the spread of the coronavirus that she had awarded to a Democratic consulting firm , according to Crain 's Detroit .
The organization , Great Lakes Community Engagement , is run by Democratic political consultant Mike Kolehouse , who planned to use a software vendor affiliated with a Democratic data firm that is working for the governor 's reelection campaign .
Whitmer 's decision to hire Democratic political operatives to run a public health project sparked immediate backlash , the Washington Free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office said she had terminated the contract .
Kolehouse is the owner of K2K Consulting , an umbrella organization tied to both Great Lakes Community Engagement and Kolehouse Strategies .
Both have done extensive field work for Democratic causes .
Kolehouse in turn retained as a partner in the contract-tracing operation an arm of the Democratic consulting firm NGP VAN , which is currently working with Whitmer 's reelection campaign .
NGP VAN said it had not been contracted by the state but declined further comment .
For Whitmer , who has rocketed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part through clashes with President Donald Trump , it was an unforced and potentially costly error .
Since instituting a firm stay-at-home order in late March , Whitmer 's name has been bandied about as a potential vice presidential nominee , though she told the Washington Post on Tuesday that she had n't `` yet '' been contacted by the campaign of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Republicans and the news media began raising questions about the contracts after they were announced in a press release Monday evening , pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were hired to run a massive public health project .
Some expressed concern that the Democratic firms would appropriate the personal data of Michigan residents for political gain , a charge they denied .
The press release came from the State Emergency Operations Center , though a spokeswoman for the governor told the Free Beacon after publication that the organization had not approved the contract and that the organization would select the subsequent vendor for the contact tracing project .
`` This contract should have been approved by the State Emergency Operations Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a different vendor and software platform will be selected by the SEOC , '' the spokeswoman said .
`` The state is committed to ensuring this important tracing work can begin quickly to help save lives , while also ensuring that public health data is safe and secure . ''
A spokeswoman for the State Emergency Operations Center did not respond to a request for comment .
According to a copy of the contract obtained by Crain 's , Great Lakes Community Engagement began working on the project on April 1 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced publicly .
NGP VAN , which was paid nearly $ 5,000 by Whitmer 's campaign in 2019 and is working on her reelection campaign , said the Democratic firm would not appropriate the data it gleaned from Michigan residents .
`` NGP VAN 's CRM outreach software is used by a large number of nonprofits , governments , and corporations to manage their contacts with people , '' a spokesman for the company , Max Kamin-Cross , told the Free Beacon on Tuesday .
`` Each client owns their own data ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are proud to be helping reduce the number of coronavirus deaths . ''
Though NGP VAN 's software was being used by Great Lakes Community Engagement , Kamin-Cross said it never had a contract with the state of Michigan , though the press release explicitly stated that both groups were contracted .
`` We were not contracted with the state of Michigan at any point , '' Kamin-Cross said .
`` Beyond that , we 're unfortunately unable to provide details on specific clients . ''
Whitmer 's spokeswoman told the Free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one contract — with Kolehouse 's firm — and that he in turn had tapped NGP Van .
Kolehouse did not respond to a request for comment .
After a local county commissioner , Wes Nakagiri , was trained to participate in the program as a volunteer , he accused Whitmer of using the coronavirus tracking effort for political gain .
The Republican highlighted training materials listing Kolehouse Strategies and NGP VAN as partners in the effort , saying he was troubled to see that health information was `` being stored in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisan Democrat campaign companies , the Whitmer administration has chosen to politicize the COVID-19 crisis , '' Nakagiri said .

Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan announced late Tuesday that the state was rescinding a contract to track the spread of the coronavirus that she had awarded to a Democratic consulting firm, according to Crain's Detroit.
The organization, Great Lakes Community Engagement, is run by Democratic political consultant Mike Kolehouse, who planned to use a software vendor affiliated with a Democratic data firm that is working for the governor's reelection campaign. Whitmer's decision to hire Democratic political operatives to run a public health project sparked immediate backlash, the Washington Free Beacon reported just hours before Whitmer's office said she had terminated the contract.
Kolehouse is the owner of K2K Consulting, an umbrella organization tied to both Great Lakes Community Engagement and Kolehouse Strategies. Both have done extensive field work for Democratic causes. Kolehouse in turn retained as a partner in the contract-tracing operation an arm of the Democratic consulting firm NGP VAN, which is currently working with Whitmer's reelection campaign. NGP VAN said it had not been contracted by the state but declined further comment.
For Whitmer, who has rocketed to national prominence during the coronavirus scandal in part through clashes with President Donald Trump, it was an unforced and potentially costly error. Since instituting a firm stay-at-home order in late March, Whitmer's name has been bandied about as a potential vice presidential nominee, though she told the Washington Post on Tuesday that she hadn't "yet" been contacted by the campaign of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Republicans and the news media began raising questions about the contracts after they were announced in a press release Monday evening, pressing the governor about why Democratic political operatives were hired to run a massive public health project. Some expressed concern that the Democratic firms would appropriate the personal data of Michigan residents for political gain, a charge they denied.
The press release came from the State Emergency Operations Center, though a spokeswoman for the governor told the Free Beacon after publication that the organization had not approved the contract and that the organization would select the subsequent vendor for the contact tracing project.
"This contract should have been approved by the State Emergency Operations Center. This issue is being corrected, and a different vendor and software platform will be selected by the SEOC," the spokeswoman said. "The state is committed to ensuring this important tracing work can begin quickly to help save lives, while also ensuring that public health data is safe and secure."
A spokeswoman for the State Emergency Operations Center did not respond to a request for comment.
According to a copy of the contract obtained by Crain's, Great Lakes Community Engagement began working on the project on April 1, nearly three weeks before the project was announced publicly.
The contract with Great Lakes Community Engagement (an LLC of a Grand Rapids Dem political consultant Mike Kolehouse) says it can be terminated without cause. Kolehouse declined to comment earlier today and again after gov's office pulled the contract.https://t.co/N82FxSVGQg pic.twitter.com/AKwV2GECnB — Chad Livengood (@ChadLivengood) April 21, 2020
NGP VAN, which was paid nearly $5,000 by Whitmer's campaign in 2019 and is working on her reelection campaign, said the Democratic firm would not appropriate the data it gleaned from Michigan residents.
"NGP VAN's CRM outreach software is used by a large number of nonprofits, governments, and corporations to manage their contacts with people," a spokesman for the company, Max Kamin-Cross, told the Free Beacon on Tuesday. "Each client owns their own data; we are not a data company. We are proud to be helping reduce the number of coronavirus deaths."
Though NGP VAN's software was being used by Great Lakes Community Engagement, Kamin-Cross said it never had a contract with the state of Michigan, though the press release explicitly stated that both groups were contracted.
"We were not contracted with the state of Michigan at any point," Kamin-Cross said. "Beyond that, we're unfortunately unable to provide details on specific clients."
Whitmer's spokeswoman told the Free Beacon that the state had signed just one contract -- with Kolehouse's firm -- and that he in turn had tapped NGP Van. Kolehouse did not respond to a request for comment.
After a local county commissioner, Wes Nakagiri, was trained to participate in the program as a volunteer, he accused Whitmer of using the coronavirus tracking effort for political gain. The Republican highlighted training materials listing Kolehouse Strategies and NGP VAN as partners in the effort, saying he was troubled to see that health information was "being stored in a Democrat-aligned database."
"By selecting partisan Democrat campaign companies, the Whitmer administration has chosen to politicize the COVID-19 crisis," Nakagiri said.


bonginoreport--2020-04-22--Pew Survey: Mostly Only White Democrats Upset by Fact That Joe Biden is White Man

When a significant portion of a party ’ s voters are openly unhappy with the race of their nominee , that ’ s when you know that ideological rot has set in and corroded their worldview .
Such is the sad state of the Democratic Party in 2020 , amid its current infatuation with identity politics and the toxic dogma of intersectionality .
A from Pew Research finds that 41 % of registered Democrats are “ bothered ” by the fact that their nominee , Joe Biden , is an older white male .
In an interesting , if foreseeable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is actually substantially more prevalent among white Democrats and voters with advanced degrees .
A whopping 49 % of white Democrats say they are bothered by the nominee ’ s race and sex , while just roughly 30 % of black and Hispanic Democrats share this race-based concern .
So , too , Pew that Democrats with advanced degrees are the subgroup most overwhelmingly unified in their racially hostile qualms , with almost 60 % admitting to being bothered by their nominee ’ s demographics .
Unsurprisingly , almost 75 % of Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Harvard professor who embodies your average woke academic perfectly , are upset about Biden ’ s race and sex .
What a sad worldview .
Liberals and Democrats rightfully care about the history of racial injustice in this country , but they increasingly seem to have abandoned the goal of racial equality and a colorblind society in favor of a winner-take-all , regressive , and tokenistic approach to racial diversity .
So , too , there ’ s something deeply paternalistic and likely offensive about white Democrats tut-tutting about the need for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat voters don ’ t seem to care about the nominee 's race .
After all , Biden is only the nominee because of black voters and the way they lifted his campaign , starting with the South Carolina primary .
They have overwhelmingly backed him , a white male , since nearly day one of the campaign .
But apparently white , well-educated Democrats think they know what ’ s best for minorities better than those silly , actual black Americans , or something .
Thankfully , most black and Hispanic Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ re likely more in touch with both the reality of race in America and with the problems facing real people , too much so to care about what woke boxes politicians check off .
It seems that engaging in this sort of performative , anti-white virtue signaling , where the white liberal drones on about how appalling the lack of diversity in Democratic presidential politics is , is both a luxury reserved to the wealthy and an intellectually bankrupt virtue-signal .
Look at me , I ’ m one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I # checkmyprivilege , and I voted for Obama .
Perhaps the identity-obsession among white , well-educated Democrats is a product of our university system , which has largely been consumed by this kind of madness .
But regardless of its origin , this regressive approach to race can not sustain itself much longer .
The Democratic Party relies on minority voters for its base , and unless something changes , many will eventually drift elsewhere in hopes of being treated like an actual individual — not just a box on the @ @

When a significant portion of a party’s voters are openly unhappy with the race of their nominee, that’s when you know that ideological rot has set in and corroded their worldview. Such is the sad state of the Democratic Party in 2020, amid its current infatuation with identity politics and the toxic dogma of intersectionality.
A new survey from Pew Research finds that 41% of registered Democrats are “bothered” by the fact that their nominee, Joe Biden, is an older white male. In an interesting, if foreseeable twist, this regressive, discriminatory worldview is actually substantially more prevalent among white Democrats and voters with advanced degrees.
A whopping 49% of white Democrats say they are bothered by the nominee’s race and sex, while just roughly 30% of black and Hispanic Democrats share this race-based concern. So, too, Pew reports that Democrats with advanced degrees are the subgroup most overwhelmingly unified in their racially hostile qualms, with almost 60% admitting to being bothered by their nominee’s demographics.
Democratic voters who are bothered that the likely nominee for the #2020Election is an older white man are more liberal, more educated, younger and more likely to be white than those who are not bothered. https://t.co/8cIYUVkyQa pic.twitter.com/Y9u0IP8NI7 — Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) April 20, 2020
Unsurprisingly, almost 75% of Democrats who back Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a former Harvard professor who embodies your average woke academic perfectly, are upset about Biden’s race and sex.
What a sad worldview. Liberals and Democrats rightfully care about the history of racial injustice in this country, but they increasingly seem to have abandoned the goal of racial equality and a colorblind society in favor of a winner-take-all, regressive, and tokenistic approach to racial diversity.
So, too, there’s something deeply paternalistic and likely offensive about white Democrats tut-tutting about the need for racial diversity, while most actual minority Democrat voters don’t seem to care about the nominee's race.
After all, Biden is only the nominee because of black voters and the way they lifted his campaign, starting with the South Carolina primary. They have overwhelmingly backed him, a white male, since nearly day one of the campaign. But apparently white, well-educated Democrats think they know what’s best for minorities better than those silly, actual black Americans, or something.
Thankfully, most black and Hispanic Democrats still have their head screwed on straight. They’re likely more in touch with both the reality of race in America and with the problems facing real people, too much so to care about what woke boxes politicians check off. It seems that engaging in this sort of performative, anti-white virtue signaling, where the white liberal drones on about how appalling the lack of diversity in Democratic presidential politics is, is both a luxury reserved to the wealthy and an intellectually bankrupt virtue-signal.
Look at me, I’m one of the good white people, it screams. I #checkmyprivilege, and I voted for Obama.
Perhaps the identity-obsession among white, well-educated Democrats is a product of our university system, which has largely been consumed by this kind of madness. But regardless of its origin, this regressive approach to race cannot sustain itself much longer. The Democratic Party relies on minority voters for its base, and unless something changes, many will eventually drift elsewhere in hopes of being treated like an actual individual — not just a box on the census.


bonginoreport--2020-04-22--What Happened to Drudge?

What Happened to Drudge?

It ’ s one of the questions you ’ re not supposed to ask in public but everyone talks about in private : What ’ s going on with Matt Drudge ?
For conservatives , the Drudge Report was a one-stop shop for news on the Internet starting in the late 1990s .
When Matt first broke the scandal involving the President of the United States and an intern , his place at the top of alternative media , as it was called then , was secured .
As always , imitators followed .
But none came close to combing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the essence of stories like Drudge .
That was his magic – he ’ d plow through stories and find the nugget buried 20 paragraphs down , then he ’ d rewrite the headline to reflect what the liberal outlets wanted to hide .
It wasn ’ t just Matt .
When things blew up , he had help .
Andrew Breitbart learned how to do the same by working for Drudge – a skeleton crew surfing the web , arming conservatives with the pieces of information the mainstream outlets wanted buried .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ works is a mystery .
I ’ ve known several people who have worked for him as editors , taking various shifts updating the site as news changes .
None have any insights into who Matt Drudge is as a person or what is happening with the clear negative slant the site has taken toward President Donald Trump , a man who was helped into the White House , in no small part , by the coverage of the Drudge Report .
I asked a friend who worked with Matt on his TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from him again , or if he could email him to meet up for lunch if he were in the same city , just to catch up .
He said he wouldn ’ t hear back .
Once you ’ re out , it seems like you ’ re out .
There are no insights to be gleaned from anything Matt has said publicly because he doesn ’ t say anything publicly .
There ’ s a generic email address reporters submit their pieces to with the headline and the link in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift will post it to the site , but that ’ s it .
It doesn ’ t get a response , your piece either shows up on the Drudge Report or it doesn ’ t .
When Andrew Breitbart was alive , he showed me the emails that would roll into that address – it was an endless stream .
Every website , liberal or conservative , and blog would send in their pieces .
It was impossible to keep up with , but they somehow did it .
One time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indignation ” was about to come out , he ’ d sent me an advance copy , which I ’ d read the night I got it .
At about 5:00 am , I ’ d emailed Andrew telling him I really liked it .
A minute later my phone rang , it was Andrew .
He had a bunch of questions about what I thought about this or that part , etc.
, the way any author is before their book comes out .
I told him the only thing I wished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more about his relationship with Matt , which was only casually mentioned , almost in passing .
Andrew told me he wished he could , but if he ’ d written one more word about him that Matt “ would never speak to me again.
” To say he ’ s private is an understatement .
So as the Drudge Report turns more anti-Trump , we ’ re left to wonder why .
Because Matt won ’ t say .
I did get a hint .
I have a friend who is actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked them what the deal is .
After all , no website was more pro-Trump in 2016 than the Drudge Report .
Matt even ventured to a debate to see it all firsthand .
The answer was telling , if only because there ’ s so little to go on .
“ Maybe he ’ s sick of nothing being done on the border , ” was the gist of the answer .
If that ’ s the case , it would be good to know .
Because the entire tone of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s failures , impeachment , and Democratic talking points dominate the coverage of the president .
Headlines you ’ d expect to see on the Huffington Post are now in that familiar black text on white background .
If it ’ s just one issue , that seems incredibly petty .
If it ’ s more , the audience that has made Matt Drudge a multimillionaire would like to know what it is .
Since Drudge answers to no one , it ’ s unlikely we ’ ll ever know .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily podcast ( subscribe ! )
, host of a daily radio show on WCBM in Maryland , and author of the book , Outrage , INC. , which exposes how liberals use fear and hatred to manipulate the masses .

It’s one of the questions you’re not supposed to ask in public but everyone talks about in private: What’s going on with Matt Drudge?
For conservatives, the Drudge Report was a one-stop shop for news on the Internet starting in the late 1990s. When Matt first broke the scandal involving the President of the United States and an intern, his place at the top of alternative media, as it was called then, was secured.
As always, imitators followed. But none came close to combing as many news outlets and boiling down the essence of stories like Drudge.
That was his magic – he’d plow through stories and find the nugget buried 20 paragraphs down, then he’d rewrite the headline to reflect what the liberal outlets wanted to hide.
It wasn’t just Matt. When things blew up, he had help. Andrew Breitbart learned how to do the same by working for Drudge – a skeleton crew surfing the web, arming conservatives with the pieces of information the mainstream outlets wanted buried.
But something has changed.
How Drudge works is a mystery. I’ve known several people who have worked for him as editors, taking various shifts updating the site as news changes. None have any insights into who Matt Drudge is as a person or what is happening with the clear negative slant the site has taken toward President Donald Trump, a man who was helped into the White House, in no small part, by the coverage of the Drudge Report.
I asked a friend who worked with Matt on his TV show if he’d ever heard from him again, or if he could email him to meet up for lunch if he were in the same city, just to catch up. He said he wouldn’t hear back. Once you’re out, it seems like you’re out.
There are no insights to be gleaned from anything Matt has said publicly because he doesn’t say anything publicly. There’s a generic email address reporters submit their pieces to with the headline and the link in the hope that whoever is working that particular shift will post it to the site, but that’s it.
It doesn’t get a response, your piece either shows up on the Drudge Report or it doesn’t.
When Andrew Breitbart was alive, he showed me the emails that would roll into that address – it was an endless stream. Every website, liberal or conservative, and blog would send in their pieces. It was impossible to keep up with, but they somehow did it.
One time, when Andrew’s book “Righteous Indignation” was about to come out, he’d sent me an advance copy, which I’d read the night I got it. At about 5:00 am, I’d emailed Andrew telling him I really liked it. A minute later my phone rang, it was Andrew.
He had a bunch of questions about what I thought about this or that part, etc., the way any author is before their book comes out. I told him the only thing I wished was different was I wanted to know more about his relationship with Matt, which was only casually mentioned, almost in passing. Andrew told me he wished he could, but if he’d written one more word about him that Matt “would never speak to me again.”
To say he’s private is an understatement.
So as the Drudge Report turns more anti-Trump, we’re left to wonder why. Because Matt won’t say.
I did get a hint. I have a friend who is actual, real-life friends with Matt. I asked them what the deal is. After all, no website was more pro-Trump in 2016 than the Drudge Report. Matt even ventured to a debate to see it all firsthand. The answer was telling, if only because there’s so little to go on.
“Maybe he’s sick of nothing being done on the border,” was the gist of the answer.
If that’s the case, it would be good to know. Because the entire tone of the Drudge Report has changed. Stories about Trump’s failures, impeachment, and Democratic talking points dominate the coverage of the president. Headlines you’d expect to see on the Huffington Post are now in that familiar black text on white background.
If it’s just one issue, that seems incredibly petty. If it’s more, the audience that has made Matt Drudge a multimillionaire would like to know what it is. Since Drudge answers to no one, it’s unlikely we’ll ever know.
Derek is the host of a free daily podcast (subscribe!), host of a daily radio show on WCBM in Maryland, and author of the book, Outrage, INC., which exposes how liberals use fear and hatred to manipulate the masses.


bonginoreport--2020-04-22--Missing Chinese Journalist Reappears to Praise Police Who Detained Him

A missing Chinese journalist resurfaced on Wednesday and praised the authorities who he said detained him for weeks on end , according to a translation of a video he posted online .
Li Zehua was one of several Chinese journalists who disappeared after reporting on the Chinese government ’ s cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak .
He was last seen Feb. 26 when he livestreamed authorities entering his apartment , the Committee to Protect Journalists noted .
Zehua said he wasn ’ t charged with any crimes but was forcibly detained without any electronics until March 28 , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video he posted on YouTube Wednesday .
Zehua reportedly said that he had been spending time with his family since his release .
“ Throughout the whole time , the police acted civilly and legally , making sure I had rest and food .
They really cared about me , ” Zehua said , according to The Guardian .
( RELATED : Anthony Fauci Says He Doesn ’ t ‘ Feel Confident At All ’ In China ’ s Coronavirus Numbers ) The British paper noted that Zehua took a much more “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his arrest .
“ May God bless China and the people of the world unite , ” Zehua is reported as saying .
Zehua worked as an anchor for a Chinese state television channel before he resigned in February and began independently reporting on the coronavirus outbreak .
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 .

A missing Chinese journalist resurfaced on Wednesday and praised the authorities who he said detained him for weeks on end, according to a translation of a video he posted online.
Li Zehua was one of several Chinese journalists who disappeared after reporting on the Chinese government’s cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak. He was last seen Feb. 26 when he livestreamed authorities entering his apartment, the Committee to Protect Journalists noted.
Zehua said he wasn’t charged with any crimes but was forcibly detained without any electronics until March 28, according to The Guardian’s translation of a video he posted on YouTube Wednesday. Zehua reportedly said that he had been spending time with his family since his release.
我是李泽华Kcriss，这是2月26日至今关于我的一些情况。I’m Kcriss, here is something about me si… https://t.co/ETjY7QaacY via @YouTube — Kcriss Li (@KcrissLi) April 22, 2020
“Throughout the whole time, the police acted civilly and legally, making sure I had rest and food. They really cared about me,” Zehua said, according to The Guardian. (RELATED: Anthony Fauci Says He Doesn’t ‘Feel Confident At All’ In China’s Coronavirus Numbers)
The British paper noted that Zehua took a much more “patriotic” tone than he did before his arrest.
“May God bless China and the people of the world unite,” Zehua is reported as saying.
Zehua worked as an anchor for a Chinese state television channel before he resigned in February and began independently reporting on the coronavirus outbreak.
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--2020-04-22--Democrat Georgia Rep. Who Endorsed Trump Steps Down – “I Have Left the Plantation”

A Democratic state representative in Georgia announced he will not complete his current term a week after he got blowback for endorsing President Trump , saying he is “ leaving the plantation , ” an expression popularized by African American conservatives and independents .
“ I ’ m sick and tired of me and my family being attacked and harassed by the Democrat Party for putting my country before my party .
I take pride in being an independent thinker .
My first amendment right to freedom of speech is under siege , ” state Rep. Vernon Jones , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement released to CBS 46 in Atlanta .
“ I intend to help the Democrat Party get rid of its bigotry against Black people that are independent and conservative.
” “ Turn the lights off , I have left the plantation .
Someone else can occupy that suite .
Therefore , I intend not to complete my term effective April 22 , 2020 .
However , I will remain woke and vigilant in educating and fighting for my people , ” he said in the statement .
The member of the Georgia House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his support behind Trump .
“ I endorsed the White guy ( Donald J. Trump ) that let Blacks out of jail , and they endorsed the White guy ( Joe Biden ) that put Blacks in jail , ” he said .
Jones , who represents counties outside of Atlanta , said Trump is the “ leader our country needed.
” “ The results speak for themselves .
With his hand on the wheel , the stock market broke record after record , wages and job growth exploded and unemployment dropped down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record , President Trump is best prepared to lead our economy back to record highs after we beat the COVID-19 pandemic , ” he said .
Democratic Party of Georgia chairwoman Nikema Williams said Jones , who faces a Democratic primary opponent , “ does not stand for our values ” after he endorsed Trump .

A Georgia Democratic state lawmaker announced Wednesday that he will not complete his current term, a week after he got blowback for endorsing President Trump, and said he is “leaving the plantation,” an expression popularized by black conservatives and independents.
“I’m sick and tired of me and my family being attacked and harassed by the Democrat Party for putting my country before my party,” state Rep. Vernon Jones, who is black, said.
“Turn the lights off, I have left the plantation . . . I intend not to complete my term effective April 22, 2020. However, I will remain woke and vigilant in educating and fighting for my people,” he said.
Jones, 59, also explained why he threw his support behind Trump.
“I endorsed the White guy (Donald J. Trump) that let Blacks out of jail, and they endorsed the White guy (Joe Biden) that put Blacks in jail,” he wrote.
Jones, who represents parts of two counties outside of Atlanta, said Trump is the “leader our country needed.”
On Twitter, Jones said “the Left hates me because they can’t control me.”
After Jones endorsed Trump, Georgia Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikema Williams said he “does not stand for our values.”
In a statement released Wednesday, Williams called him an “embarrassment.”
With Post wires


bonginoreport--2020-04-22--First U.S. Coronavirus Death Happened Weeks Earlier Than Previously Thought

Back on February 29 , health officials in Washington state reported the first known death from coronavirus in the United States .
The person who died was a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions , and there was no evidence he contracted the virus through travel , health officials said .
They suspect domestic “ community spread ” of the disease , a new phase for the United States that began this week on the West Coast .
But it turns out that was not accurate .
Santa Clara County announced today that it had identified three deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which happened before February 29 .
In fact , the first newly identified death happened on February 6th , more than three weeks before the death in Washington state which America was told was the first of its kind : The Medical Examiner-Coroner performed autopsies on two individuals who died at home on February 6 , 2020 and February 17 , 2020 .
Samples from the two individuals were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Today , the Medical Examiner-Coroner received confirmation from the CDC that tissue samples from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus that causes COVID-19 ) … These three individuals died at home during a time when very limited testing was available only through the CDC .
Testing criteria set by the CDC at the time restricted testing to only individuals with a known travel history and who sought medical care for specific symptoms .
As the Medical Examiner-Coroner continues to carefully investigate deaths throughout the county , we anticipate additional deaths from COVID-19 will be identified .
February 6th was around the time when state labs were realizing that test kits manufactured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t work properly .
Investigation would later clarify that one third of the CDC test had been contaminated with the virus during production , meaning it produced a false positive .
It took weeks before the problem with the test were straightened out by the FDA and , as a result , America had very little testing in the month of February .
In the long run , it seems the story of the coronavirus is going to wind up being the story of story of Santa Clara County .
Santa Clara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the virus .
In early March a small study of a few hundred people convinced officials that more needed to be done to prevent the spread of the virus .
That study led five other Bay Area counties to join Santa Clara in the first shelter-at-home order in the country .
That became a model for the entire state a few days later and many other states followed California ’ s lead .
More recently , Santa Clara became the site of a new antibody study which suggested many more people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll have more to say about that in my next post .

Back on February 29, health officials in Washington state reported the first known death from coronavirus in the United States.
The person who died was a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions, and there was no evidence he contracted the virus through travel, health officials said. They suspect domestic “community spread” of the disease, a new phase for the United States that began this week on the West Coast.
But it turns out that was not accurate. Santa Clara County announced today that it had identified three deaths linked to the virus, two of which happened before February 29. In fact, the first newly identified death happened on February 6th, more than three weeks before the death in Washington state which America was told was the first of its kind:
The Medical Examiner-Coroner performed autopsies on two individuals who died at home on February 6, 2020 and February 17, 2020. Samples from the two individuals were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, the Medical Examiner-Coroner received confirmation from the CDC that tissue samples from both cases are positive for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19)… These three individuals died at home during a time when very limited testing was available only through the CDC. Testing criteria set by the CDC at the time restricted testing to only individuals with a known travel history and who sought medical care for specific symptoms. As the Medical Examiner-Coroner continues to carefully investigate deaths throughout the county, we anticipate additional deaths from COVID-19 will be identified.
February 6th was around the time when state labs were realizing that test kits manufactured and sent out by the CDC didn’t work properly. Investigation would later clarify that one third of the CDC test had been contaminated with the virus during production, meaning it produced a false positive. It took weeks before the problem with the test were straightened out by the FDA and, as a result, America had very little testing in the month of February.
In the long run, it seems the story of the coronavirus is going to wind up being the story of story of Santa Clara County. Santa Clara probably had one of the earliest deaths from the virus. In early March a small study of a few hundred people convinced officials that more needed to be done to prevent the spread of the virus. That study led five other Bay Area counties to join Santa Clara in the first shelter-at-home order in the country. That became a model for the entire state a few days later and many other states followed California’s lead.
More recently, Santa Clara became the site of a new antibody study which suggested many more people have had the virus than we know. I’ll have more to say about that in my next post.


bonginoreport--2020-04-22--Sen. Cotton: Evidence “All Points to Wuhan Labs” as Source of Pandemic

Senate Intelligence Committee member Tom Cotton says evidence points to laboratories in China as the source of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ While the Chinese government denies the possibility of a lab leak , its actions tell a different story , ” the Arkansas Republican wrote in the Wall Street Journal .
“ The Chinese military posted its top epidemiologist to the Institute of Virology in January .
In February Chairman Xi Jinping urged swift implementation of new biosafety rules to govern pathogens in laboratory settings .
Academic papers about the virus ’ s origins are now subject to prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials are investigating whether the coronavirus pandemic first leaked out of a Chinese government lab , Cotton wrote .
“ The U.S. government is investigating whether the Covid-19 virus came from a government laboratory in Wuhan , China , ” Cotton wrote .
Cotton , one of the first U.S. lawmakers to warn that the novel coronavirus could develop into a dangerous pandemic , has suggested such an origin since January .
His latest offering marshals a litany of Chinese government actions , along with misgivings about the coronavirus research underway at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest that Chinese officials are still lying about the origins of the contagion .
His argument underscores the possibility that the pandemic occurred because of poor safety procedures and incompetence at the lab rather than any organic process .
“ This evidence is circumstantial , to be sure , but it all points toward the Wuhan labs , ” he wrote in the Tuesday op-ed .
`` Thanks to the Chinese coverup , we may never have direct , conclusive evidence — intelligence rarely works that way — but Americans justifiably can use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of events to their likely conclusion .
”

Senate Intelligence Committee member Tom Cotton says evidence points to laboratories in China as the source of the coronavirus pandemic.
“While the Chinese government denies the possibility of a lab leak, its actions tell a different story,” the Arkansas Republican wrote in the Wall Street Journal. “The Chinese military posted its top epidemiologist to the Institute of Virology in January. In February Chairman Xi Jinping urged swift implementation of new biosafety rules to govern pathogens in laboratory settings. Academic papers about the virus’s origins are now subject to prior restraint by the government.”
American intelligence officials are investigating whether the coronavirus pandemic first leaked out of a Chinese government lab, Cotton wrote.
“The U.S. government is investigating whether the Covid-19 virus came from a government laboratory in Wuhan, China,” Cotton wrote.
[Click here for complete coronavirus coverage]
Cotton, one of the first U.S. lawmakers to warn that the novel coronavirus could develop into a dangerous pandemic, has suggested such an origin since January. His latest offering marshals a litany of Chinese government actions, along with misgivings about the coronavirus research underway at the lab that predated the crisis, to suggest that Chinese officials are still lying about the origins of the contagion.
His argument underscores the possibility that the pandemic occurred because of poor safety procedures and incompetence at the lab rather than any organic process.
“This evidence is circumstantial, to be sure, but it all points toward the Wuhan labs,” he wrote in the Tuesday op-ed. "Thanks to the Chinese coverup, we may never have direct, conclusive evidence — intelligence rarely works that way — but Americans justifiably can use common sense to follow the inherent logic of events to their likely conclusion.”


bonginoreport--2020-04-22--Oil’s Historic Plunge in Perspective

Oil’s Historic Plunge in Perspective

The formerly unthinkable drop in oil prices below $ 0 a barrel on Monday is still reverberating through financial markets , as supply overwhelms demand destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic , forcing some energy companies into possible bankruptcy as storage reaches maximum capacity .
Indeed , the now-defunct May West Texas Intermediate crude US : CLK20 , which expired on Tuesday , plunged into negative territory to start the week in a history-making event that saw , the front-month contract , at the time , settle at negative $ 37.63 a barrel before recovering some of that in the following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had never happened before that period and although the oil market was seeing some traction higher on Wednesday , with the current front month and most-active West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery CLM20 , up $ 2.76 , or 23.9 % , at $ 14.33 a barrel , still about the lowest level since the late 1990s , researchers at Deutsche Bank thought it would be interesting to look at oil prices over the past 150 years .
Strategists Jim Reid and Nick Burns did so with straightforward charts published April 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil since 1870 and the cost of crude in real , or inflation-adjusted , terms in U.S. dollars ( see chart below ) : See : The oil market is running out of storage options and production cuts loom Related : Using railroad tank cars to store excess oil : It ’ s ‘ possible but improbable ’ for now “ In nominal terms , it ’ s not a surprise to see that , over the 150 years for which we have data , there ’ s never been a negative price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burns .
“ This is stunning as it basically says that a barrel of oil earlier this week was effectively cheaper than it was in 1870 .
A period over which US inflation has risen +2870 % and the S & P 500 +31746505 % in total return terms , ” the analysts wrote .
Broader markets have been buckling somewhat as energy markets appeared to be unraveling but are demonstrating some resilience Wednesday , with the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA , , the S & P 500 index SPX , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the day , as the price of crude oil stems its losses and as hope grows for restart to an economy that has been frozen by the COVID-19 pandemic .

The formerly unthinkable drop in oil prices below $0 a barrel on Monday is still reverberating through financial markets, as supply overwhelms demand destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic, forcing some energy companies into possible bankruptcy as storage reaches maximum capacity.
Indeed, the now-defunct May West Texas Intermediate crude US:CLK20, which expired on Tuesday, plunged into negative territory to start the week in a history-making event that saw, the front-month contract, at the time, settle at negative $37.63 a barrel before recovering some of that in the following session.
That jaunt into negative territory had never happened before that period and although the oil market was seeing some traction higher on Wednesday, with the current front month and most-active West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery US:CLM20 gaining $2.21, or 19.1%, to settle at $13.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, still about the lowest level since the late 1990s, researchers at Deutsche Bank thought it would be interesting to look at oil prices over the past 150 years.
Strategists Jim Reid and Nick Burns did so with straightforward charts published April 22 that shows both the nominal price of oil since 1870 and the cost of crude in real, or inflation-adjusted, terms in U.S. dollars (see chart below):
See:The oil market is running out of storage options and production cuts loom
Related:Using railroad tank cars to store excess oil: It’s ‘possible but improbable’ for now
“In nominal terms, it’s not a surprise to see that, over the 150 years for which we have data, there’s never been a negative price print before,” wrote Reid and Burns.
“This is stunning as it basically says that a barrel of oil earlier this week was effectively cheaper than it was in 1870. A period over which US inflation has risen +2870% and the S&P 500 +31746505% in total return terms,” the analysts wrote.


bonginoreport--2020-04-23--New York Allowed Coronavirus Patients to Be Sent Back to Nursing Homes

New York ’ s health commissioner on Monday defended a directive that ...

The letter was heartbreaking as it recounted the death of an 88-year-old woman in a New York nursing home. But it was also angry and accurate about a strange New York policy that is fatally wrongheaded.
“I am wondering who will hold Gov. Cuomo accountable for the deaths of so many older people due to his reckless decision to place covid19 patients in nursing and rehabilitation homes,” the letter began. “I am writing as a daughter who lost her beautiful 88 year old mother who was receiving physical therapy at one such facility.”
The writer, Arlene Mullin, went on to recount examples of the governor promising to protect the elderly because of their known vulnerability. She noted that he named his stay-at-home order after his own mother, Matilda Cuomo, and talked several times about protecting her.
“My mother is not expendable and your mother is not expendable and our brothers and sisters are not expendable,” Cuomo said a month ago.
Mullin had another complaint, too — that the media never asked the governor about an order mandating that nursing homes admit and readmit patients who tested positive for the coronavirus, despite the extraordinary number of deaths among the elderly.
That drought ended Monday when The Post’s Bernadette Hogan asked about the policy at Cuomo’s daily briefing. His answer was stunning.
“That’s a good question. I don’t know,” the governor said.
He turned to Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, who confirmed the policy, saying “if you are positive, you should be admitted back to a nursing home. The necessary precautions will be taken to protect the other residents there.”
The second part of Zucker’s answer is debatable, the first part is not. The disastrous results speak for themselves.
The state concedes that 3,448 residents of nursing homes or adult-care facilities are known to have died from the coronavirus, or nearly 25 percent of all deaths in New York. More than 2,000 of the total are in the five boroughs, and officials acknowledge that the real numbers are almost certainly higher.
The New York policy is especially odd given that the first large outbreak of the virus in the United States took place in a nursing home. The Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., attributed 13 deaths to the virus before March 11, and at the time, the number represented 60 percent of all the fatalities in the nation. Since then, at least 24 others have died there.
That same week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, urged that special attention be given to seniors. “It’s so clear that the overwhelming weight of serious disease and mortality is on those who are elderly and those with a serious comorbidity: heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, respiratory difficulties,” Fauci told the American Medical Association. He said there would always be exceptions but that “if you look at the weight of the data, the risk group is very, very clear.”
Indeed, early reports from around the world showed that death rates from the virus soared with age. Among those who also had other major health issues, the rates were off the charts.
For example, a study released in Italy on March 17 found that more than 99 percent of 355 coronavirus fatalities there suffered from other health issues. The average age of those who died was 79.5 years.
Thus, it was well known that the elderly were easy targets for the coronavirus before New York adopted its Health Department directive on March 25 requiring nursing homes to accept those with the disease.
Related Video Pennsylvania nursing home makes touching video about social distancing
Zucker’s Monday defense included his claim that the state is working with such facilities to protect other residents and health care workers by providing equipment and monitoring.
Assemblyman Ron Kim, a Queens Democrat, harshly dismissed the claim as false.
“It’s either he’s lying or they have absolutely no idea what’s going on on the ground,” Kim told The Post.
For her part, Arlene Mullin is not satisfied. In an interview Tuesday, the Long Island educator said she has sent four emails to Cuomo’s office on the issue but has never received a response.
“I get it, it’s a crisis,” she said of the pandemic. “But I really want to know why the governor would put that population at such risk.”
Her mom, Diana Mongiello, a great-grandmother, was in a rehab center that had accepted coronavirus patients when she developed a fever on April 5. At 8 a.m. the next day, a nursed called to say Mongiello tested positive. Five hours later, she was pronounced dead.
When I told Mullin of Cuomo’s answer — that he didn’t know about the policy — she was silent, then wondered:
“What the heck were they thinking?”
She still deserves an answer.
Hizzoner putzering around
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s streak of being worse than useless continues. Having nothing to do and little to say, he’s resorting to stunts to try to get attention.
First he put out a nutty request for New Yorkers to snitch on those who don’t follow social-distance rules. The result was a deluge of middle fingers, penis pictures and profanity, The Post reports.
Then he tried to invoke a headline from the 1970s, when the city needed a federal bailout. “Mr. President, are you going to save New York City, or are you telling New York City to drop dead?” It’s safe to assume nobody under 50 understood the reference.
Tuesday, he vowed that New York is going to throw a ticker-tape parade for health care workers. He said it will be “the first thing we do” when the pandemic ends.
Prediction: His next demand will be that the feds pay for the parade.
Biden’s bizarre veepstakes
Like pretty much everything else with Joe Biden, the campaign to become his running mate is getting weird. Stacy Abrams, who lost the Georgia governor’s race, is openly pushing for the spot, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren didn’t hesitate with her “yes” when asked if she was interested.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s name keeps coming up, but there is one person in a class of her own: Michelle Obama.
Party regulars, in a fit of nostalgia, are pushing to get her on the ticket and Biden himself said he’d take her “in a heartbeat.” Al Sharpton says he prays the former first lady will say yes.
So far, though, Obama is sticking to the vow she made in her 2018 memoir. “I have no intention of running for office, ever,” she wrote then.
For Biden, the rejection is par for the course. Many people want the spot, just not the one he wants.
From Reuters
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that all available evidence suggests that the novel coronavirus originated in bats in China late last year and it was not manipulated or constructed in a laboratory.
Translation: This is what China told us to say.


bonginoreport--2020-04-23--Insane Rep. Ayanna Presley Wants Trump Charged With War Crimes Over Coronavirus

When my home state of Massachusetts sends its representatives to Congress , we are n't sending our best .
It was enough to see Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’ s presidential run crumble under the weight of its own wokeness .
But now , Rep. Ayanna Pressley 's make it clear for all to see .
The Massachusetts Democrat and freshman congresswoman has accused President Trump not just of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic but of botching it so badly that his negligence is akin to “ war crimes.
” Think of it as an extension of Democrats ' increasingly over-the-top rhetoric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As far as I ’ m concerned , what ’ s happening with this administration , it ’ s akin to war crimes , ” Pressley said during an interview this week .
`` And so we find ourselves in the position of playing catch-up in the midst of a pandemic .
...
The last place that you want to be in the midst of any public health crisis , certainly of a pandemic , is working from behind . ''
There is no word to describe this outlandish claim other than unhinged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both reality and rationality .
Her family should intervene out of concern for her well-being , as the “ Squad ” member clearly is not well .
Yes , there are certainly valid criticisms to be made of Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus .
None of them decisively made the crisis significantly worse .
He didn ’ t take it seriously enough at the beginning .
He made glaring errors in his first national address about it .
And of course , Trump has a penchant for pettiness that doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a crisis .
But `` war crimes '' ?
Give me a break .
This is not only an exaggeration , but it 's also based on hindsight .
The coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented in modern history .
Neither Pressley nor anyone else saw it coming .
And Trump is far from the only government official to make mistakes while handling this completely unforeseen disaster .
Democrats such as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov .
Andrew Cuomo have made error after error , and like Trump , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And of course , let 's not forget the liberal media : Many of the same networks and publications bashing Trump on the daily downplayed the threat time and time again .
None of this amounts to “ war crimes.
” Journalists make mistakes , and government officials as a rule aren ’ t exactly known for their competence .
To put errors in governance and judgment in the same category as calculated genocide or chemical warfare is hyperbolic beyond belief .
Pressley and her fellow left-wing Democrats should certainly criticize the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but do n't be silly .
Over-the-top , baseless accusations of “ war crimes ” discredit whatever validity there might otherwise be to their complaints .

When my home state of Massachusetts sends its representatives to Congress, we aren't sending our best.
It was enough to see Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s presidential run crumble under the weight of its own wokeness. But now, Rep. Ayanna Pressley's shocking new remarks make it clear for all to see. The Massachusetts Democrat and freshman congresswoman has accused President Trump not just of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic but of botching it so badly that his negligence is akin to “war crimes.” Think of it as an extension of Democrats' increasingly over-the-top rhetoric in the era of Trump.
“As far as I’m concerned, what’s happening with this administration, it’s akin to war crimes,” Pressley said during an interview this week . "And so we find ourselves in the position of playing catch-up in the midst of a pandemic. ... The last place that you want to be in the midst of any public health crisis, certainly of a pandemic, is working from behind."
"Criminal negligence, science denials, a sluggish response."
Freshman Democrat @AyannaPressley claims @realDonaldtrump is guilty of war crimes.
https://t.co/hnknhJQ7Sa — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 21, 2020
There is no word to describe this outlandish claim other than unhinged. Pressley has clearly lost touch with both reality and rationality. Her family should intervene out of concern for her well-being, as the “Squad” member clearly is not well.
Yes, there are certainly valid criticisms to be made of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus. None of them decisively made the crisis significantly worse. He didn’t take it seriously enough at the beginning. He made glaring errors in his first national address about it. And of course, Trump has a penchant for pettiness that doesn’t exactly help bring the country together in a crisis.
But "war crimes"? Give me a break. This is not only an exaggeration, but it's also based on hindsight.
The coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented in modern history. Neither Pressley nor anyone else saw it coming. And Trump is far from the only government official to make mistakes while handling this completely unforeseen disaster. Democrats such as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have made error after error, and like Trump, they both downplayed the virus at first. And of course, let's not forget the liberal media: Many of the same networks and publications bashing Trump on the daily downplayed the threat time and time again.
None of this amounts to “war crimes.” Journalists make mistakes, and government officials as a rule aren’t exactly known for their competence. To put errors in governance and judgment in the same category as calculated genocide or chemical warfare is hyperbolic beyond belief.
Pressley and her fellow left-wing Democrats should certainly criticize the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus, but don't be silly. Over-the-top, baseless accusations of “war crimes” discredit whatever validity there might otherwise be to their complaints.


bonginoreport--2020-04-23--Congress Mulls Oil Industry Bailout

Congress Mulls Oil Industry Bailout

Congress may step in to help designate the oil industry as vital for national security , paving the way for a possible oil industry bailout , says Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin “ We ’ re in the process of putting out guidance , ” he said Tuesday .
`` Obviously the energy business is very important to us .
This has national security issues , but different .
We look forward to both looking at what existing capabilities we have , and that will be something we may need to go back to Congress and get additional funding for.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to work with the Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette on the matter .
World leaders consider their countries having a robust oil supply a matter of national security for several reasons including having enough for residents and the military during wartime and to safeguard against disruptions in domestic production and international supply chains , which the coronavirus pandemic have threatened .
Trump said Tuesday the biggest problem for the oil industry is the sharp constriction in demand as a result of the worldwide shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highly contagious virus on public transportation when economies reopen could eventually increase the demand for private vehicles , which would spark the demand for petroleum .
Trump suggests that dynamic , as part of the overall reopening , would be a bigger boon for the oil industry than more production cuts or stimulus funding .
“ The biggest thing in the toolbox is to get our country open , ” Trump said Tuesday .
U.S. crude May futures Monday went below zero for the first time , into negative territory .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped drive the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 600 points .
Trump said the drop in oil prices allowed for the United States to cheaply fill up its Strategic Petroleum Reserve .
“ And based on the record-low price of oil that you 've been seeing – it ’ s at a level that 's very interesting to a lot of people .
We 're filling up our National Petroleum Reserves , ” Trump said .
The president wants to put as much as 75 million barrels into the reserves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` That would be first time in a long time it 's been topped out .
We ’ d get it for the right price.
” Trump said the negative territory for the U.S. crude futures had more to do with the financial industry taking a hit than the oil industry .
“ Like interest rates , they go negative , ” Trump said .
“ Much of it has to do with short sellers .
...
If you look a month into the future , I think it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a barrel .
So a lot of people got caught .
...
So if you take a look at it , you 'll see it 's more of a financial thing than an oil situation.
” Trump said he didn ’ t see any additional cuts to oil production on the immediate horizon from OPEC+ nations after a deal was passed earlier this month .
“ Well , we ’ ve already done that , where Saudi Arabia is cutting back , Russia is cutting back , Mexico is cutting back , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trump said .
“ And you know , the problem is nobody is driving the car anywhere in the world – essentially , 184 nations .
Factories are closed , and businesses are closed .
And so , all of a sudden – we had really a lot of energy to start off with , oil in particular .
We had a lot .
And then , all of a sudden , they lost 40 , 50 % of their markets .
So it just stopped .
So it 's going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy business will be strong .
But they cut back . ''

Congress may step in to help designate the oil industry as vital for national security, paving the way for a possible oil industry bailout, says Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin
“We’re in the process of putting out guidance,” he said Tuesday. "Obviously the energy business is very important to us. This has national security issues, but different. We look forward to both looking at what existing capabilities we have, and that will be something we may need to go back to Congress and get additional funding for.”
Mnuchin also said President Trump has instructed him to work with the Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette on the matter.
World leaders consider their countries having a robust oil supply a matter of national security for several reasons including having enough for residents and the military during wartime and to safeguard against disruptions in domestic production and international supply chains, which the coronavirus pandemic have threatened.
Trump said Tuesday the biggest problem for the oil industry is the sharp constriction in demand as a result of the worldwide shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the virus.
However, people's fears about contracting the highly contagious virus on public transportation when economies reopen could eventually increase the demand for private vehicles, which would spark the demand for petroleum.
Trump suggests that dynamic, as part of the overall reopening, would be a bigger boon for the oil industry than more production cuts or stimulus funding.
“The biggest thing in the toolbox is to get our country open,” Trump said Tuesday.
U.S. crude May futures Monday went below zero for the first time, into negative territory.
On Tuesday, the drop in oil prices helped drive the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 600 points. Trump said the drop in oil prices allowed for the United States to cheaply fill up its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“And based on the record-low price of oil that you've been seeing – it’s at a level that's very interesting to a lot of people. We're filling up our National Petroleum Reserves,” Trump said.
The president wants to put as much as 75 million barrels into the reserves.
"That would top it out," he said. "That would be first time in a long time it's been topped out. We’d get it for the right price.”
Trump said the negative territory for the U.S. crude futures had more to do with the financial industry taking a hit than the oil industry.
“Like interest rates, they go negative,” Trump said. “Much of it has to do with short sellers. ... If you look a month into the future, I think it's at $25 or $28 a barrel. So a lot of people got caught. ... So if you take a look at it, you'll see it's more of a financial thing than an oil situation.”
Trump said he didn’t see any additional cuts to oil production on the immediate horizon from OPEC+ nations after a deal was passed earlier this month.
“Well, we’ve already done that, where Saudi Arabia is cutting back, Russia is cutting back, Mexico is cutting back, and the OPEC Plus ... are cutting back,” Trump said.
“And you know, the problem is nobody is driving the car anywhere in the world – essentially, 184 nations. Factories are closed, and businesses are closed. And so, all of a sudden – we had really a lot of energy to start off with, oil in particular. We had a lot. And then, all of a sudden, they lost 40, 50% of their markets. So it just stopped. So it's going to be picking up, and the energy business will be strong. But they cut back."


bonginoreport--2020-04-23--Biden Attempts to Speak Coherent Sentence With Mixed Results

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made another gaffe Wednesday when he asked his fellow former Vice President Al Gore if there was still time for the U.S. to “ agress the climate change.
” “ We don ’ t organize the world .
Who organizes it ?
” Biden said during a virtual climate change town Tuesday .
( RELATED : Biden Appears To Forget What He ’ s Talking About During CNN Interview ) “ Anyway , look , one more question here , ” Biden continued .
“ Is it too late to aggress the climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to raise his eyebrows as Biden butchered the question .
The 2000 Democratic presidential nominee and climate activist also took the opportunity during the town hall to emphasize his endorsement of Biden .
( RELATED : Poll : More Americans Trust Trump Than Biden To Manage Coronavirus Crisis .
Obama Trusted The Most ) “ I ’ m so excited and optimistic about this campaign , Joe , ” Gore said .
“ If there is anyone out there who has any doubt whatsoever about the choice to be made in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not complicated .
It is clear cut .
Vote for Joe Biden .
Vote against Donald Trump .
Put us on the road to solving climate crisis and creating a brighter future .
”

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made another gaffe Wednesday when he asked his fellow former Vice President Al Gore if there was still time for the U.S. to “agress the climate change.”
“We don’t organize the world. Who organizes it?” Biden said during a virtual climate change town Tuesday. (RELATED: Biden Appears To Forget What He’s Talking About During CNN Interview)
“Anyway, look, one more question here,” Biden continued. “Is it too late to aggress the climate change in a meaningful way?”
Gore appeared to raise his eyebrows as Biden butchered the question.
Joe Biden starts attacking Trump, forgets what he’s saying, then asks Al Gore if it’s “too late to aggress the climate change” Watch Gore’s eyebrows: pic.twitter.com/7bA8CBieM1 — Jewish Deplorable ???????? (@TrumpJew) April 22, 2020
The 2000 Democratic presidential nominee and climate activist also took the opportunity during the town hall to emphasize his endorsement of Biden. (RELATED: Poll: More Americans Trust Trump Than Biden To Manage Coronavirus Crisis. Obama Trusted The Most)
“I’m so excited and optimistic about this campaign, Joe,” Gore said. “If there is anyone out there who has any doubt whatsoever about the choice to be made in this election. It is simple. It is not complicated. It is clear cut. Vote for Joe Biden. Vote against Donald Trump. Put us on the road to solving climate crisis and creating a brighter future.”


bonginoreport--2020-04-23--AOC Calls for “National Work Boycott” After Pandemic

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for a national work boycott , saying when businesses re-open people should refuse to go back to work .
In the first episode of Seat at the Table with Anand Giridharadas on Vice , Ocasio-Cortez says the American people should not return to work in order to provide for the family after the coronavirus pandemic has been controlled .
“ When we talk about this idea of ‘ reopening society ’ you know , only in America- does the President , when the President tweets about liberation , does he mean go back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion about going back or reopening , I think a lot people should just say “ no ” - we ’ re not going back to that .
We ’ re not going back to working 70 hour weeks just so that we can put food on the table and not even feel any sort of semblance of security in our lives , ” Ocasio-Cortez said .
Ocasio-Cortez has made several statements throughout the pandemic which have caused controversy .
Last Wednesday she said she noticed a shift in the coronavirus narrative when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear .
Ocasio-Cortez , who went on ABC ’ s “ The View , ” made claims that warnings about smoking and drinking came only after the highest risk group changed from to elderly people to minority communities .
( RELATED : Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Says There Was A Shift In Coronavirus Narrative When More Black People Started Dying ) The full segment of Ocasio-Cortez ’ s interview debuts Wednesday at 10 pm on VICE TV .

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for a national work boycott, saying when businesses re-open people should refuse to go back to work.
In the first episode of Seat at the Table with Anand Giridharadas on Vice, Ocasio-Cortez says the American people should not return to work in order to provide for the family after the coronavirus pandemic has been controlled.
“When we talk about this idea of ‘reopening society’ you know, only in America- does the President, when the President tweets about liberation, does he mean go back to work. When we have this discussion about going back or reopening, I think a lot people should just say “no”- we’re not going back to that. We’re not going back to working 70 hour weeks just so that we can put food on the table and not even feel any sort of semblance of security in our lives,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Ocasio-Cortez has made several statements throughout the pandemic which have caused controversy. Last Wednesday she said she noticed a shift in the coronavirus narrative when the impact on the black community became clear. Ocasio-Cortez, who went on ABC’s “The View,” made claims that warnings about smoking and drinking came only after the highest risk group changed from to elderly people to minority communities. (RELATED: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Says There Was A Shift In Coronavirus Narrative When More Black People Started Dying)
The full segment of Ocasio-Cortez’s interview debuts Wednesday at 10 pm on VICE TV.


bonginoreport--2020-04-23--Former NSC Chief of Staff Says John Brennan Hid Evidence Putin Favored Hillary in 2016

Former CIA officer and National Security Council Chief of Staff Fred Fleitz said Wednesday that former CIA Director John Brennan ignored intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin actually wanted Hillary Clinton to win the the 2016 presidential election .
Fleitz called Brennan “ the most politicized intelligence chief in American history ” in a Fox News op ed that addressed a report released Tuesday from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence .
That document supports the U.S. intelligence community ’ s conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election to promote the victory of then-candidate Donald Trump .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edited form that does not include any reference to recently declassified files that point to a possible Russian disinformation campaign that attempted to malign Trump .
( RELATED : Former NSC Chief Of Staff : Schiff ‘ Broke ’ Rules , ‘ Should Recuse Himself ’ From Impeachment Inquiry ’ ) While recognizing that “ the political establishment and anti-Trump journalists gloated about the new Senate Intelligence Committee report as bolstering their biases , ” Fleitz contends the committee did not follow proper procedures in their investigation and based their conclusions on too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the potentially tainted observations of the CIA .
“ The Senate Intelligence Committee report falsely claims that ‘ all analytical lines are supported with all-source intelligence ’ and that analysts who wrote the intelligence community assessment consistently said they ‘ were under no politically motivated pressure to reach specific conclusions.
’ ” Fleitz says House Intelligence Committee staff members discovered exactly the opposite and told him that there is ample evidence that Russia may have interfered in the 2016 election , but not necessarily on behalf of Trump .
( RELATED : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Had Help From Democrats In Crafting Complaint ) “ More gravely , they said that [ then- ] CIA Director John Brennan suppressed facts or analysis that showed why it was not in Russia ’ s interests to support Trump and why Putin stood to benefit from Hillary Clinton ’ s election .
They also told me that Brennan suppressed that intelligence over the objections of CIA analysts.
” The former NSC chief of staff further stated that “ Brennan suppressed high-quality intelligence suggesting that Putin actually wanted the more predictable and malleable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fleitz suggested that Brennan relied upon “ low-quality intelligence that failed to meet intelligence community standards to support the political claim that Russian officials wanted Trump to win … ”

Former CIA officer and National Security Council Chief of Staff Fred Fleitz said Wednesday that former CIA Director John Brennan ignored intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin actually wanted Hillary Clinton to win the the 2016 presidential election.
Fleitz called Brennan “the most politicized intelligence chief in American history” in a Fox News op ed that addressed a report released Tuesday from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. That document supports the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election to promote the victory of then-candidate Donald Trump.
The committee released the document in a highly edited form that does not include any reference to recently declassified files that point to a possible Russian disinformation campaign that attempted to malign Trump. (RELATED: Former NSC Chief Of Staff: Schiff ‘Broke’ Rules, ‘Should Recuse Himself’ From Impeachment Inquiry’)
Fleitz notes that the Senate report directly contradicts the March 2018 findings of the House Intelligence Committee , which accused the intelligence community assessment of being tainted by anti-Trump forces.
While recognizing that “the political establishment and anti-Trump journalists gloated about the new Senate Intelligence Committee report as bolstering their biases,” Fleitz contends the committee did not follow proper procedures in their investigation and based their conclusions on too few intelligence sources — and too much on the potentially tainted observations of the CIA.
“The Senate Intelligence Committee report falsely claims that ‘all analytical lines are supported with all-source intelligence’ and that analysts who wrote the intelligence community assessment consistently said they ‘were under no politically motivated pressure to reach specific conclusions.’”
Fleitz says House Intelligence Committee staff members discovered exactly the opposite and told him that there is ample evidence that Russia may have interfered in the 2016 election, but not necessarily on behalf of Trump. (RELATED: Former NSC Chief Of Staff Suggests Whistleblower Had Help From Democrats In Crafting Complaint)
“More gravely, they said that [then-] CIA Director John Brennan suppressed facts or analysis that showed why it was not in Russia’s interests to support Trump and why Putin stood to benefit from Hillary Clinton’s election. They also told me that Brennan suppressed that intelligence over the objections of CIA analysts.”
The former NSC chief of staff further stated that “Brennan suppressed high-quality intelligence suggesting that Putin actually wanted the more predictable and malleable Clinton to win the 2016 election.”
Fleitz suggested that Brennan relied upon “low-quality intelligence that failed to meet intelligence community standards to support the political claim that Russian officials wanted Trump to win … ”