bonginoreport--2020-07-09--Three States Account for 42% of Nationwide Coronavirus Deaths

In a recent article in The Atlantic , Thomas Chatterton Williams decried America ’ s handling of the coronavirus .
The words “ utter disaster ” are used , and Williams , an expatriate , contrasts America ’ s response to that of France , where he currently lives .
“ As Donald Trump ’ s America continues to shatter records for daily infections , France , like most other developed nations and even some undeveloped ones , seems to have beat back the virus , ” Williams writes .
To be sure , the US response to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that later ) .
But the article shows one of the challenges with this pandemic : even as more data is acquired , the picture doesn ’ t always get clearer .
In some ways , COVID-19 data are like a Rorschach blot from which writers , politicians , and experts can glean whatever conclusions they wish to find .
Take Sweden , where daily COVID-19 deaths recently reached zero .
According to Newsweek editorial director Hank Gilman , Sweden ’ s “ lighter touch ” approach was a failure because seven times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighboring Scandnavian countries such as Finland and Norway .
He is not alone in the assessment .
On the other hand , Sweden suffered far fewer deaths per capita than several European neighbors that instituted strict lockdowns—including Belgium , Italy , Spain , and the United Kingdom—and has avoided some of the economic fallout other nations have endured .
Unlike other countries , its currency is growing stronger .
Indeed , Sweden ’ s death rate is remarkably close to that of France , which Williams praised as a model in contrast to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US .
However , the US actually has a lower per capita death rate than both Sweden and France—at least for now .
( While it ’ s true COVID cases are on the rise again in the US , deaths recently reached three-month lows . )
This raises questions about how we measure success in the age of COVID-19 .
While most attention is being paid to rising case numbers , death tolls would seem to be the most important metric .
While US deaths per capita ( 401/1M ) put the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world—ahead of France and Sweden , but just below the Netherlands—those numbers also don ’ t tell the entire story .
Few may have noticed that 42 percent of all COVID deaths in the US come from just three states—New Jersey , New York , and Massachusetts .
These three states account for nearly 56,000 of the nearly 133,000 deaths in the US , even though they represent just 10 percent of the population .
If these three states are excluded , the US suddenly finds itself somewhere in between nations such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 166/1M ) , where some of the better fatality numbers in Europe are found .
Why have New York , New Jersey , and Massachusetts suffered so much more than other US states ?
We don ’ t yet know the answer to that question , but evidence suggests it could be policy related .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo earlier this year received a great deal of criticism when the state ’ s policy of prohibiting nursing homes from screening residents for COVID-19 came to light .
Cuomo eventually reversed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts and trade group leaders .
This week , the New York State Department of Health issued a report that concluded 6,326 COVID-positive residents were admitted to nursing homes between March 25 and May 8 as a result of the order .
” The data shows that the nursing home residents got COVID from the staff , and presumably , also from those who visited them .
Unfortunately , we did not understand the disease early on , we did not realize how widespread it was within our community , and therefore , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vulnerable population , ” said New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker .
The report , however , also claimed that “ most patients admitted to nursing homes from hospitals were no longer contagious when admitted and therefore were not a source of infection … [ and ] … nursing home quality was not a factor in nursing home fatalities.
” The report cites the high nursing home fatality rates of Massachusetts and New Jersey as additional evidence that New York was not an outlier in nursing home deaths .
“ ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states—despite having populations much smaller than New York ’ s—illustrates fatalities at these facilities were not a New York-specific phenomenon : Connecticut reports 3,124 deaths in these facilities , New Jersey reports 6,617 , and Massachusetts reports 5,115 , to New York ’ s 6,432 fatalities.
” However , it ’ s worth noting that both New Jersey and Massachusetts had similar policies in place , according to the AARP and other news stories .
Moreover , the actual number of nursing home deaths in New York is difficult to know , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing home residents who die of COVID-19 are not counted as a nursing home death if they die at a hospital .
The context of the US numbers matters for several reasons .
For one , understanding why New York , New Jersey , and Massachusetts have suffered so much more from the coronavirus may hold keys to combating the virus .
Secondly , there is currently a great deal of scrutiny on states such as Florida , Texas , and Arizona , which have seen case numbers increase in recent weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states reopened their economies .
The implication is that these states dropped the ball by reopening too soon .
None of these states , however , has a per capita fatality rate that even approaches New Jersey , Massachusetts , or New York .
Below are the figures as of July 7 .
Considering these numbers , one would not expect to see a governor from New Jersey , New York , or Massachusetts lecture these other states on their handling of the coronavirus .
But that ’ s exactly what Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ saved lives ” and chastening governors who opened their economies .
“ I say to them all look at the numbers , ” Cuomo said , referring to leaders in the states seeing rises in COVID-19 cases .
“ You played politics with this virus , and you lost .
You told the people of this state , you told the people of this country , the White House , ‘ Don ’ t worry about it .
Go about your business.
’ ” Cuomo makes no mention of the social costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bankruptcy , and surging mental health deterioration , drug abuse , and global poverty .
Nor does he mention his state ’ s catastrophically high COVID death toll .
The extent to which policy decisions are linked to the high fatality rates in these states is still unknown .
We ’ re in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and still learning about the virus .
But that is precisely why lawmakers should exercise caution in their policy prescriptions .
In his 1974 Nobel Prize speech , the economist F.A .
Hayek warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with incomplete knowledge , saying such action would likely cause more harm than good .
“ To act on the belief that we possess the knowledge and the power which enable us to shape the processes of society entirely to our liking , knowledge which in fact we do not possess , is likely to make us do much harm , ” Hayek stated .
“ The recognition of the insuperable limits to his knowledge ought indeed to teach the student of society a lesson of humility which should guard him against becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ striving to control society – a striving which makes him not only a tyrant over his fellows , but which may well make him the destroyer of a civilization which no brain has designed but which has grown from the free efforts of millions of individuals.
” Hayek saw a world that increasingly seemed to believe central planners could solve any and all social problems .
Such a worldview carried the seed of great harm , he believed .
We don ’ t yet know how this pandemic or economic collapse will end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to be a blunder of historic proportions .
“ The first half of 2020 will go down in history as the largest nationwide public policy failure since the Great Depression , ” the economic historian Phil Magness recently observed .
“ A part of that failure derives from the largest wide-scale suppression of economic and social liberties in most of our lifetimes , all executed to negligible effect at solving the problem it intended to target.
” If Magness is correct , the crisis , though tragic , may also offer a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say humans desperately need : humility .
“ The recognition of the insuperable limits to his knowledge ought indeed to teach the student of society a lesson of humility which should guard him against becoming an accomplice in men ’ s fatal striving to control society , ” Hayek concluded in his address .
The lockdowns and the nursing home tragedies show just how destructive and fatal such striving to control society can be .

In a recent article in The Atlantic, Thomas Chatterton Williams decried America’s handling of the coronavirus.
The words “utter disaster” are used, and Williams, an expatriate, contrasts America’s response to that of France, where he currently lives.
“As Donald Trump’s America continues to shatter records for daily infections, France, like most other developed nations and even some undeveloped ones, seems to have beat back the virus,” Williams writes.
To be sure, the US response to the coronavirus was far from perfect (more on that later). But the article shows one of the challenges with this pandemic: even as more data is acquired, the picture doesn’t always get clearer.
In some ways, COVID-19 data are like a Rorschach blot from which writers, politicians, and experts can glean whatever conclusions they wish to find. Take Sweden, where daily COVID-19 deaths recently reached zero.
According to Newsweek editorial director Hank Gilman, Sweden’s “lighter touch” approach was a failure because seven times as many people died there than in neighboring Scandnavian countries such as Finland and Norway. He is not alone in the assessment.
On the other hand, Sweden suffered far fewer deaths per capita than several European neighbors that instituted strict lockdowns—including Belgium, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom—and has avoided some of the economic fallout other nations have endured. Unlike other countries, its currency is growing stronger.
Indeed, Sweden’s death rate is remarkably close to that of France, which Williams praised as a model in contrast to the “utter disaster” in the US. However, the US actually has a lower per capita death rate than both Sweden and France—at least for now. (While it’s true COVID cases are on the rise again in the US, deaths recently reached three-month lows.)
This raises questions about how we measure success in the age of COVID-19. While most attention is being paid to rising case numbers, death tolls would seem to be the most important metric. While US deaths per capita (401/1M) put the country among the ten highest in the world—ahead of France and Sweden, but just below the Netherlands—those numbers also don’t tell the entire story.
Few may have noticed that 42 percent of all COVID deaths in the US come from just three states—New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. These three states account for nearly 56,000 of the nearly 133,000 deaths in the US, even though they represent just 10 percent of the population. If these three states are excluded, the US suddenly finds itself somewhere in between nations such as Luxembourg (176/1M) and Macedonia (166/1M), where some of the better fatality numbers in Europe are found.
3 US states—New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts—account for roughly 42% of all #COVID19 deaths in America.
These same states represent 10% of the US population. pic.twitter.com/AS6DyG3822 — Jon Miltimore (Parler: @Miltimore79) (@miltimore79) July 7, 2020
Why have New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts suffered so much more than other US states? We don’t yet know the answer to that question, but evidence suggests it could be policy related.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year received a great deal of criticism when the state’s policy of prohibiting nursing homes from screening residents for COVID-19 came to light. Cuomo eventually reversed that decision under intense criticism from public health experts and trade group leaders.
This week, the New York State Department of Health issued a report that concluded 6,326 COVID-positive residents were admitted to nursing homes between March 25 and May 8 as a result of the order.
”The data shows that the nursing home residents got COVID from the staff, and presumably, also from those who visited them. Unfortunately, we did not understand the disease early on, we did not realize how widespread it was within our community, and therefore, it was able to be introduced into a vulnerable population,” said New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker.
The report, however, also claimed that “most patients admitted to nursing homes from hospitals were no longer contagious when admitted and therefore were not a source of infection … [and] … nursing home quality was not a factor in nursing home fatalities.”
The report cites the high nursing home fatality rates of Massachusetts and New Jersey as additional evidence that New York was not an outlier in nursing home deaths.
“...an examination of fatalities in our neighboring states—despite having populations much smaller than New York’s—illustrates fatalities at these facilities were not a New York-specific phenomenon: Connecticut reports 3,124 deaths in these facilities, New Jersey reports 6,617, and Massachusetts reports 5,115, to New York’s 6,432 fatalities.”
However, it’s worth noting that both New Jersey and Massachusetts had similar policies in place, according to the AARP and other news stories. Moreover, the actual number of nursing home deaths in New York is difficult to know, since New York changed its reporting so that nursing home residents who die of COVID-19 are not counted as a nursing home death if they die at a hospital.
The context of the US numbers matters for several reasons. For one, understanding why New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts have suffered so much more from the coronavirus may hold keys to combating the virus.
Secondly, there is currently a great deal of scrutiny on states such as Florida, Texas, and Arizona, which have seen case numbers increase in recent weeks, a spike that began in mid-June after states reopened their economies. The implication is that these states dropped the ball by reopening too soon.
None of these states, however, has a per capita fatality rate that even approaches New Jersey, Massachusetts, or New York. Below are the figures as of July 7.
Deaths per million:
New Jersey: 1,728.7
New York: 1,660
Massachusetts: 1,189
Arizona: 265
Florida: 179
Texas: 94
Considering these numbers, one would not expect to see a governor from New Jersey, New York, or Massachusetts lecture these other states on their handling of the coronavirus. But that’s exactly what Gov. Cuomo did, claiming his state-ordered lockdown “saved lives” and chastening governors who opened their economies.
“I say to them all look at the numbers,” Cuomo said, referring to leaders in the states seeing rises in COVID-19 cases. “You played politics with this virus, and you lost. You told the people of this state, you told the people of this country, the White House, ‘Don’t worry about it. Go about your business.’”
Cuomo makes no mention of the social costs of the economic lockdowns—mass unemployment, widespread bankruptcy, and surging mental health deterioration, drug abuse, and global poverty. Nor does he mention his state’s catastrophically high COVID death toll.
The extent to which policy decisions are linked to the high fatality rates in these states is still unknown. We’re in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and still learning about the virus. But that is precisely why lawmakers should exercise caution in their policy prescriptions.
In his 1974 Nobel Prize speech, the economist F.A. Hayek warned against the temptation to use collective action with incomplete knowledge, saying such action would likely cause more harm than good.
“To act on the belief that we possess the knowledge and the power which enable us to shape the processes of society entirely to our liking, knowledge which in fact we do not possess, is likely to make us do much harm,” Hayek stated. “The recognition of the insuperable limits to his knowledge ought indeed to teach the student of society a lesson of humility which should guard him against becoming an accomplice in men’s fatal striving to control society – a striving which makes him not only a tyrant over his fellows, but which may well make him the destroyer of a civilization which no brain has designed but which has grown from the free efforts of millions of individuals.”
Hayek saw a world that increasingly seemed to believe central planners could solve any and all social problems. Such a worldview carried the seed of great harm, he believed.
We don’t yet know how this pandemic or economic collapse will end, but some have predicted it shaping up to be a blunder of historic proportions.
“The first half of 2020 will go down in history as the largest nationwide public policy failure since the Great Depression,” the economic historian Phil Magness recently observed. “A part of that failure derives from the largest wide-scale suppression of economic and social liberties in most of our lifetimes, all executed to negligible effect at solving the problem it intended to target.”
If Magness is correct, the crisis, though tragic, may also offer a healthy dose of an elixir Hayek would say humans desperately need: humility.
“The recognition of the insuperable limits to his knowledge ought indeed to teach the student of society a lesson of humility which should guard him against becoming an accomplice in men’s fatal striving to control society,” Hayek concluded in his address.
The lockdowns and the nursing home tragedies show just how destructive and fatal such striving to control society can be.


bonginoreport--2020-07-09--Michael Cohen Back in Federal Custody

Michael Cohen Back in Federal Custody

Michael Cohen , President Trump 's former personal attorney later jailed for fraud , has been taken back into federal @ @ @ @ @ terms of his COVID-related release , his attorney said Thursday .
Cohen apparently declined to @ @ @ @ @ document related to his release that would have restricted his ability to write a book @ @ @ @ @ It was at that point that the BOP decided to remand him to custody .
@ @ @ @ @ was captured in photos by the New York Post dining out at a Manhattan restaurant @ @ @ @ @ he could be returned to prison for violating the conditions of his release .
The @ @ @ @ @ has been taken to a federal detention center in the city , his attorney said @ @ @ @ @ clear what will happen next .
Cohen was furloughed from federal prison in May to @ @ @ @ @ sentence at home , part of a broad program to release inmates from federal custody @ @ @ @ @ in prisons .

Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal attorney later jailed for fraud, has been taken back into federal custody after allegedly violating the terms of his COVID-related release, his attorney said Thursday.
Cohen apparently declined to sign a Bureau of Prisons document related to his release that would have restricted his ability to write a book or conduct media appearances. It was at that point that the BOP decided to remand him to custody.
Earlier this month, Cohen was captured in photos by the New York Post dining out at a Manhattan restaurant, which led to speculation he could be returned to prison for violating the conditions of his release.
The one-time fixer for the president was taken to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, his attorney Jeffrey Levine said. While Levine was hoping to get Cohen released soon, by Friday Cohen had been returned to FCI Otisville, the New York prison he left in May.
Cohen was furloughed from federal prison in May to serve the rest of his sentence at home, part of a broad program to release inmates from federal custody amid the spread of COVID-19 in prisons.


bonginoreport--2020-07-09--SCOTUS Rules Eastern Half of Oklahoma Is Native American Land

Crowds line up outside the Supreme Court as it resumes oral arguments at the start of its new term in Washington , U.S. , October 7 , 2019 .
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a huge swath of Oklahoma is Native American land for certain purposes , siding with a Native American man who had challenged his rape conviction by state authorities in the territory .
The 5-4 decision , with an opinion authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch , endorsed the claim of the Muscogee ( Creek ) Nation to the land , which encompasses 3 million acres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city of Tulsa .
The decision means that only federal authorities , no longer state prosecutors , can lodge charges against Native Americans who commit serious alleged crimes on that land , which is home to 1.8 million people .
Of those people , 15 % or fewer are Native Americans .
`` Today we are asked whether the land these treaties promised remains an Indian reservation for purposes of federal criminal law , '' Gorsuch wrote .
`` Because Congress has not said otherwise , we hold the government to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling in the case of convicted child rapist Jimcy McGirt , and in a related one Thursday by the Supreme Court involving another Muscogee Nation member , convicted murderer Patrick Murphy , overturns their convictions on state charges .
Murphy was sentenced to death .
However , both men can now be prosecuted for the crimes by federal authorities , according to a lawyer for the tribe .
The cases hinged on application of the Major Crimes Act , which gives federal authorities , rather than state prosecutors , jurisdiction over serious crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native American territory .
`` For MCA purposes , land reserved for the Creek Nation since the 19th century remains 'Indian country , ' '' Gorsuch wrote in the opinion in McGirt 's case .
Gorsuch , a conservative justice , was joined in the majority by the court 's four liberal justices , Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Stephen Breyer , Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan .
Chief Justice John Roberts dissented from the ruling , as did his fellow conservatives , Clarence Thomas Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh .
In his dissent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast area '' now deemed to be Native American land , `` the State 's ability to prosecute serious crimes will be hobbled and decades of past convictions could well be thrown out . ''
`` On top of that , the Court has profoundly destabilized the governance of eastern Oklahoma , '' Roberts wrote .
`` The decision today creates significant uncertainty for the State 's continuing authority over any area that touches Indian affairs , ranging from zoning and taxation to family and environmental law . ''
`` None of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` What has gone unquestioned for a century remains true today : A huge portion of Oklahoma is not a Creek Indian reservation .
Congress disestablished any reservation in a series of statutes leading up to Oklahoma statehood at the turn of the 19th century .
The Court reaches the opposite conclusion only by disregarding the 'well settled ' approach required by our precedents . ''
Republican Oklahoma Gov .
Kevin Stitt said , `` I am aware the ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma was handed down this morning by the U.S. Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been following the case closely and is reviewing the decision carefully .
They will advise our team on the case 's impact and what action , if any , is needed from our office , '' Stitt said .
McGirt is serving a life sentence after being convicted in Oklahoma state court of raping a 4-year-old child in 1997 .
McGirt had argued in state courts that Oklahoma lacked the jurisdiction to review his case because the crime took place within the boundaries of the Creek Nation 's historic territory .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state courts rejected his appeals .
The state of Oklahoma in turn argued to the Supreme Court that the Creek Nation 's claimed territory was not a reservation at all .
The state said that if the Supreme Court accepted McGirt 's reasoning it would `` cause the largest judicial abrogation of state sovereignty in American history , cleaving Oklahoma in half . ''
In court filings to support McGirt 's claim , the Muscogee ( Creek ) Nation noted that although the tribe had `` no role in the genesis of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reservation under direct attack . ''
Riyaz Kanji , an attorney for the tribe , wrote in a filing that Oklahoma was `` exaggerating '' the jurisdictional problems that would ensue if the state lost its case .
`` To the extent they hold any water , the State 's posited consequences stem from the fact that both executive branch and state officials actively sought to undermine Congress 's determination that the Nation 's government and territory would endure , '' Kanji wrote .
Gorsuch endorsed that argument in Thursday 's decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` No one disputes that Mr. McGirt 's crimes were committed on lands described as the Creek Reservation in an 1866 treaty and federal statute . ''
`` But , in seeking to defend the state court judgment below , Oklahoma has put aside whatever procedural defenses it might have and asked us to confirm that the land once given to the Creeks is no longer a reservation today . ''
Gorsuch flatly rejected that request by the state .
`` Under our Constitution , States have no authority to reduce federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine if they did , '' he wrote .
`` A State could encroach on the tribal boundaries or legal rights Congress provided , and , with enough time and patience , nullify the promises made in the name of the United States .
That would be at odds with the Constitution , which entrusts Congress with the authority to regulate commerce with Native Americans , and directs that federal treaties and statutes are the 'supreme Law of the Land , ' '' he wrote .
Gorsuch added that if that happened , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hands of the very neighbors who might be least inclined to respect them . ''
Kanji , in an interview after the decision , said that despite the arguments by the state and in Roberts ' dissent , `` I do n't think this case is going to have earth-shattering consequences '' on the residents of the land , be they Native American or not .
`` It just does n't change anything with respect to non-Indians '' in terms of criminal cases , Kanji said .
He said the tribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulatory authority over the affected land , but noted that in areas that were already acknowledged by the state to be tribal land there already is `` a tremendous amount of cooperation '' between the state and the tribe on laws and regulation .
`` We would fully expect that cooperation to continue , '' Kanji said .
He also noted that `` the court itself has placed a lot of limitations on Indian tribes with respect to non-Indians '' who live on tribal land .
McGirt 's lawyer , Ian Heath Gershengorn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Supreme Court reaffirmed today that when the United States makes promises , the courts will keep those promises . ''
`` Congress persuaded the Creek Nation to walk the Trail of Tears with promises of a reservation — and the Court today correctly recognized that this reservation endures , '' said Gershengorn , a partner at the firm Jenner & Block .
`` We — along with our co-counsel Patti Palmer Ghezzi and the Federal Public Defender of the Western District of Oklahoma — are immensely pleased for Jimcy McGirt and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for alleged crimes within the Creek reservation . ''
In the related case decided Thursday , the Supreme Court upheld a ruling by the 10th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals that tossed out the murder conviction of the other Muscogee Nation member , Murphy , who was charged with killing a man on the tribal land in question .
In Murphy 's case , Gorsuch did not participate in the vote , because he had heard the case while serving on the lower appeals court .
The Supreme Court had heard arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term , but declined to issue a ruling at the time .
In the interim , it heard McGirt 's case , which made the same claims .
The cases decided Thursday are formally known as McGirt v. Oklahoma , No .
18-9526 , and Sharp v. Murphy , No .
17–1107 .

Crowds line up outside the Supreme Court as it resumes oral arguments at the start of its new term in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2019.
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a huge swath of Oklahoma is Native American land for certain purposes, siding with a Native American man who had challenged his rape conviction by state authorities in the territory.
The 5-4 decision, with an opinion authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, endorsed the claim of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to the land, which encompasses 3 million acres in eastern Oklahoma, including most of the city of Tulsa.
The decision means that only federal authorities, no longer state prosecutors, can lodge charges against Native Americans who commit serious alleged crimes on that land, which is home to 1.8 million people. Of those people, 15% or fewer are Native Americans.
"Today we are asked whether the land these treaties promised remains an Indian reservation for purposes of federal criminal law," Gorsuch wrote.
"Because Congress has not said otherwise, we hold the government to its word," he wrote.
The ruling in the case of convicted child rapist Jimcy McGirt, and in a related one Thursday by the Supreme Court involving another Muscogee Nation member, convicted murderer Patrick Murphy, overturns their convictions on state charges. Murphy was sentenced to death.
However, both men can now be prosecuted for the crimes by federal authorities, according to a lawyer for the tribe.
The cases hinged on application of the Major Crimes Act, which gives federal authorities, rather than state prosecutors, jurisdiction over serious crimes committed by or against Native Americans in Native American territory.
"For MCA purposes, land reserved for the Creek Nation since the 19th century remains 'Indian country,'" Gorsuch wrote in the opinion in McGirt's case.
Gorsuch, a conservative justice, was joined in the majority by the court's four liberal justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
Chief Justice John Roberts dissented from the ruling, as did his fellow conservatives, Clarence Thomas Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh.
In his dissent, Roberts warned that "across this vast area" now deemed to be Native American land, "the State's ability to prosecute serious crimes will be hobbled and decades of past convictions could well be thrown out."
"On top of that, the Court has profoundly destabilized the governance of eastern Oklahoma," Roberts wrote. "The decision today creates significant uncertainty for the State's continuing authority over any area that touches Indian affairs, ranging from zoning and taxation to family and environmental law."
"None of this is warranted," Roberts added. "What has gone unquestioned for a century remains true today: A huge portion of Oklahoma is not a Creek Indian reservation. Congress disestablished any reservation in a series of statutes leading up to Oklahoma statehood at the turn of the 19th century. The Court reaches the opposite conclusion only by disregarding the 'well settled' approach required by our precedents."
Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said, "I am aware the ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma was handed down this morning by the U.S. Supreme Court."
"My legal team has been following the case closely and is reviewing the decision carefully. They will advise our team on the case's impact and what action, if any, is needed from our office," Stitt said.
McGirt is serving a life sentence after being convicted in Oklahoma state court of raping a 4-year-old child in 1997.
McGirt had argued in state courts that Oklahoma lacked the jurisdiction to review his case because the crime took place within the boundaries of the Creek Nation's historic territory. He had appealed to the Supreme Court after state courts rejected his appeals.
The state of Oklahoma in turn argued to the Supreme Court that the Creek Nation's claimed territory was not a reservation at all.
The state said that if the Supreme Court accepted McGirt's reasoning it would "cause the largest judicial abrogation of state sovereignty in American history, cleaving Oklahoma in half."
In court filings to support McGirt's claim, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation noted that although the tribe had "no role in the genesis of this litigation" it "now finds its Reservation under direct attack."
Riyaz Kanji, an attorney for the tribe, wrote in a filing that Oklahoma was "exaggerating" the jurisdictional problems that would ensue if the state lost its case.
"To the extent they hold any water, the State's posited consequences stem from the fact that both executive branch and state officials actively sought to undermine Congress's determination that the Nation's government and territory would endure," Kanji wrote.
Gorsuch endorsed that argument in Thursday's decision.
He noted in the majority opinion that, "No one disputes that Mr. McGirt's crimes were committed on lands described as the Creek Reservation in an 1866 treaty and federal statute."
"But, in seeking to defend the state court judgment below, Oklahoma has put aside whatever procedural defenses it might have and asked us to confirm that the land once given to the Creeks is no longer a reservation today."
Gorsuch flatly rejected that request by the state.
"Under our Constitution, States have no authority to reduce federal reservations lying within their borders. Just imagine if they did," he wrote.
"A State could encroach on the tribal boundaries or legal rights Congress provided, and, with enough time and patience, nullify the promises made in the name of the United States. That would be at odds with the Constitution, which entrusts Congress with the authority to regulate commerce with Native Americans, and directs that federal treaties and statutes are the 'supreme Law of the Land,'" he wrote.
Gorsuch added that if that happened, "It would also leave tribal rights in the hands of the very neighbors who might be least inclined to respect them."
Kanji, in an interview after the decision, said that despite the arguments by the state and in Roberts' dissent, "I don't think this case is going to have earth-shattering consequences" on the residents of the land, be they Native American or not.
"It just doesn't change anything with respect to non-Indians" in terms of criminal cases, Kanji said.
He said the tribe will be able to exercise civil and regulatory authority over the affected land, but noted that in areas that were already acknowledged by the state to be tribal land there already is "a tremendous amount of cooperation" between the state and the tribe on laws and regulation.
"We would fully expect that cooperation to continue," Kanji said.
He also noted that "the court itself has placed a lot of limitations on Indian tribes with respect to non-Indians" who live on tribal land.
McGirt's lawyer, Ian Heath Gershengorn, in an emailed statement said, "The Supreme Court reaffirmed today that when the United States makes promises, the courts will keep those promises."
"Congress persuaded the Creek Nation to walk the Trail of Tears with promises of a reservation — and the Court today correctly recognized that this reservation endures," said Gershengorn, a partner at the firm Jenner & Block.
"We — along with our co-counsel Patti Palmer Ghezzi and the Federal Public Defender of the Western District of Oklahoma — are immensely pleased for Jimcy McGirt and Patrick Murphy, whom Oklahoma unlawfully prosecuted for alleged crimes within the Creek reservation."
In the related case decided Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that tossed out the murder conviction of the other Muscogee Nation member, Murphy, who was charged with killing a man on the tribal land in question.
In Murphy's case, Gorsuch did not participate in the vote, because he had heard the case while serving on the lower appeals court.
The Supreme Court had heard arguments in Murphy's case during its prior term, but declined to issue a ruling at the time. In the interim, it heard McGirt's case, which made the same claims.
The cases decided Thursday are formally known as McGirt v. Oklahoma, No. 18-9526, and Sharp v. Murphy, No. 17–1107.


bonginoreport--2020-07-09--Russian Experts Say Taliban Bounty Report Doesn’t Make Sense

“ The biggest nightmare is that Afghanistan becomes a ‘ failed state ’ again , with dangerous repercussions all over the region , ” says Vladimir Sotnikov of the Institute of Oriental Studies in Moscow .
“ We have no interest in aggravating the situation , or hastening U.S. departure .
Afghanistan is going to be our problem long after the U.S. has left.
” The bounty story makes “ no sense at all ” in terms of Russian concerns , says Andrei Kortunov , director of the Russian International Affairs Council .
Hastening a U.S. retreat from the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past eras , when Russia and the USSR became mired in Afghan conflicts and drug trafficking .
But the accusation that a Russian GRU military intelligence unit has been paying Taliban-linked militants $ 100,000 “ bounties ” for killing American soldiers has blindsided official Moscow .
And even the Kremlin ’ s critics complain that U.S. intelligence about Russia has become completely detached from reality .
In the past few years , as it became clear that the U.S. intends to get out of Afghanistan , Russia has tried to ensure that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban prevail over the group ’ s radical Islamist wing .
From the very start of the American-led invasion of Afghanistan almost 19 years ago , Russian experts were shaking their heads and warning that it would not turn out well .
However , the Kremlin warmly welcomed the occupation .
It provided intelligence and logistical support , and repeatedly urged NATO to stay and “ finish the job ” of defeating the Taliban .
Moscow ’ s main concern , then and now , was that the victory of extreme Islamist forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the vulnerable former Soviet states of central Asia , as it had prior to the U.S. intervention in 2001 .
In the past few years , as it became clear that the United States intends to get out of Afghanistan , Russian attention has shifted to efforts to ensure that the more moderate , nationalist factions of the Taliban prevail over the group ’ s radical Islamist wing and the insurgents linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group .
Moscow has indirectly reached out to the Taliban in open efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderate direction .
And Russian experts agree that Russian intelligence may also have forged more confidential links with Taliban leaders .
But the accusation that a Russian GRU military intelligence unit has been paying Taliban-linked militants $ 100,000 “ bounties ” for killing American soldiers has blindsided official Moscow .
And even the Kremlin ’ s critics in the expert community now complain that U.S. intelligence about Russia has become completely detached from reality .
Instead , they say it serves only to fuel what they describe as a political civil war between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington .
“ It is not in Russia ’ s interest to see a rapid U.S. withdrawal , ” says Andrei Kortunov , director of the Russian International Affairs Council , which is affiliated with the Foreign Ministry , “ since that would increase the threat of extremists coming to power in Kabul.
” Russia has been involved in Afghanistan since the czars jostled for influence – sometimes violently – with the British Empire amid the forbidding Hindu Kush in a long 19th-century competition that has been memorialized as “ the Great Game.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite literally broke apart after a costly and futile military effort to tame Afghanistan in the 1980s .
In its nine-year intervention , the USSR lost 15,000 troops in battle against the mujahideen , forerunners of today ’ s Taliban , who had received $ 20 billion in U.S. assistance .
That disastrous experience left Russian public opinion deeply averse to any future involvement in the country .
“ Unlike the U.S. , we have to live in this neighborhood , and we are deeply concerned about what comes next in Afghanistan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s why he says the bounty story makes “ no sense at all ” in terms of Russian concerns – hastening a U.S. retreat from the region increases the chance of a return to the bad old days in Afghanistan .
“ Of course you can never underestimate the intelligence of Russian secret services , and some of the things they do .
But it ’ s awfully hard to see them coming up with something that counterproductive , ” he says .
Alexander Golts , an independent security expert and Kremlin critic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweden , is even more scathing .
“ For most of my life I have assumed that if something appears in the U.S. media , it is certainly a strongly reported story and probably true .
Lately , I have my doubts , ” Mr. Golts says .
“ I understand that in U.S. eyes , Russia is an evil-doer .
But I know that people who work in Russian military intelligence are rational actors .
I fail to find any reasonable motivation Russia could possibly have to kill American soldiers – and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I add cynically ?
” The Kremlin has labeled the story “ fake news ” and President Vladimir Putin ’ s special envoy on Afghanistan , Zamir Kabulov , fired back this week with an unsubstantiated accusation of his own .
“ Those wonderful U.S. intelligence officers , who accuse us of different things , are involved in drug trafficking .
Their planes from Kandahar , from Bagram [ Airfield near Kabul ] are flying wherever they want to – to Germany , to Romania – without any inspections , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you that .
Everyone is ready to talk about that.
” The explosion of poppy production and heroin export since NATO occupied Afghanistan remains a major sore point for Russia .
“ Opiates from Afghanistan are a huge problem for Russia , ” says Mr. Kortunov .
“ They have killed more Russians than the Soviet war in Afghanistan ever did.
” Some Western outlets have suggested that Russian intelligence may be hunting American troops as payback for the CIA ’ s support for the Afghan mujahideen who defeated the USSR in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience in Afghanistan is more than 30 years old , ” says Fyodor Lukyanov , editor of Russia in Global Affairs , a Moscow foreign-policy journal .
“ Nobody associated with that is in power today , and Russia isn ’ t even the same country .
Moscow backed the U.S. when they went into Afghanistan , and they ’ ve been there for almost 20 years .
Why on earth would anyone go looking for revenge now ?
” Vladimir Sotnikov , an expert with the Institute of Oriental Studies of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says that Russia is consulting with other countries in the region , including China , Uzbekistan , Tajikistan , Pakistan , and India , to try to find ways to manage what is now seen as an inevitable U.S. withdrawal .
“ The biggest nightmare is that Afghanistan becomes a ‘ failed state ’ again , with dangerous repercussions all over the region , ” he says .
“ We have no interest in aggravating the situation , or hastening U.S. departure .
Afghanistan is going to be our problem long after the @ @ @ @ @

“The biggest nightmare is that Afghanistan becomes a ‘failed state’ again, with dangerous repercussions all over the region,” says Vladimir Sotnikov of the Institute of Oriental Studies in Moscow. “We have no interest in aggravating the situation, or hastening U.S. departure. Afghanistan is going to be our problem long after the U.S. has left.”
The bounty story makes “no sense at all” in terms of Russian concerns, says Andrei Kortunov, director of the Russian International Affairs Council. Hastening a U.S. retreat from the region increases the chance of a revival of past eras, when Russia and the USSR became mired in Afghan conflicts and drug trafficking.
The report of Russia paying bounties to the Taliban for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan has heated up the political rhetoric in Washington. But it hasn’t swayed many in Moscow, not even those critical of the Kremlin.
But the accusation that a Russian GRU military intelligence unit has been paying Taliban-linked militants $100,000 “bounties” for killing American soldiers has blindsided official Moscow. And even the Kremlin’s critics complain that U.S. intelligence about Russia has become completely detached from reality.
In the past few years, as it became clear that the U.S. intends to get out of Afghanistan, Russia has tried to ensure that the more moderate, nationalist factions of the Taliban prevail over the group’s radical Islamist wing.
From the very start of the American-led invasion of Afghanistan almost 19 years ago, Russian experts were shaking their heads and warning that it would not turn out well.
However, the Kremlin warmly welcomed the occupation. It provided intelligence and logistical support, and repeatedly urged NATO to stay and “finish the job” of defeating the Taliban. Moscow’s main concern, then and now, was that the victory of extreme Islamist forces in Afghanistan would promote instability and insurrection in the vulnerable former Soviet states of central Asia, as it had prior to the U.S. intervention in 2001.
In the past few years, as it became clear that the United States intends to get out of Afghanistan, Russian attention has shifted to efforts to ensure that the more moderate, nationalist factions of the Taliban prevail over the group’s radical Islamist wing and the insurgents linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Moscow has indirectly reached out to the Taliban in open efforts to nudge the peace process in a moderate direction. And Russian experts agree that Russian intelligence may also have forged more confidential links with Taliban leaders.
Why We Wrote This The report of Russia paying bounties to the Taliban for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan has heated up the political rhetoric in Washington. But it hasn’t swayed many in Moscow, not even those critical of the Kremlin.
But the accusation that a Russian GRU military intelligence unit has been paying Taliban-linked militants $100,000 “bounties” for killing American soldiers has blindsided official Moscow. And even the Kremlin’s critics in the expert community now complain that U.S. intelligence about Russia has become completely detached from reality. Instead, they say it serves only to fuel what they describe as a political civil war between President Donald Trump and his opponents in Washington.
“It is not in Russia’s interest to see a rapid U.S. withdrawal,” says Andrei Kortunov, director of the Russian International Affairs Council, which is affiliated with the Foreign Ministry, “since that would increase the threat of extremists coming to power in Kabul.”
Alexander Sekretarev/AP/File View caption Hide caption Russia has firsthand experience with the dangers of Afghanistan, thanks to the Soviet Union's long, grinding war there in the 1980s against the mujahideen, at whom the Soviet soldiers shown are firing in April 1988. That makes Russians wary about the U.S. leaving the region too quickly.
“Something that counterproductive”
Russia has been involved in Afghanistan since the czars jostled for influence – sometimes violently – with the British Empire amid the forbidding Hindu Kush in a long 19th-century competition that has been memorialized as “the Great Game.”
More recently, the Soviet Union quite literally broke apart after a costly and futile military effort to tame Afghanistan in the 1980s. In its nine-year intervention, the USSR lost 15,000 troops in battle against the mujahideen, forerunners of today’s Taliban, who had received $20 billion in U.S. assistance. That disastrous experience left Russian public opinion deeply averse to any future involvement in the country.
“Unlike the U.S., we have to live in this neighborhood, and we are deeply concerned about what comes next in Afghanistan,” says Mr. Kortunov. That’s why he says the bounty story makes “no sense at all” in terms of Russian concerns – hastening a U.S. retreat from the region increases the chance of a return to the bad old days in Afghanistan.
“Of course you can never underestimate the intelligence of Russian secret services, and some of the things they do. But it’s awfully hard to see them coming up with something that counterproductive,” he says.
Alexander Golts, an independent security expert and Kremlin critic who is presently at Uppsala University in Sweden, is even more scathing.
“For most of my life I have assumed that if something appears in the U.S. media, it is certainly a strongly reported story and probably true. Lately, I have my doubts,” Mr. Golts says. “I understand that in U.S. eyes, Russia is an evil-doer. But I know that people who work in Russian military intelligence are rational actors. I fail to find any reasonable motivation Russia could possibly have to kill American soldiers – and at such a high price, may I add cynically?”
“Our problem”
The Kremlin has labeled the story “fake news” and President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, fired back this week with an unsubstantiated accusation of his own.
“Those wonderful U.S. intelligence officers, who accuse us of different things, are involved in drug trafficking. Their planes from Kandahar, from Bagram [Airfield near Kabul] are flying wherever they want to – to Germany, to Romania – without any inspections,” he said. “Every citizen of Kabul will tell you that. Everyone is ready to talk about that.”
The explosion of poppy production and heroin export since NATO occupied Afghanistan remains a major sore point for Russia.
“Opiates from Afghanistan are a huge problem for Russia,” says Mr. Kortunov. “They have killed more Russians than the Soviet war in Afghanistan ever did.”
Some Western outlets have suggested that Russian intelligence may be hunting American troops as payback for the CIA’s support for the Afghan mujahideen who defeated the USSR in the 1980s.
But “the Soviet experience in Afghanistan is more than 30 years old,” says Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs, a Moscow foreign-policy journal. “Nobody associated with that is in power today, and Russia isn’t even the same country. Moscow backed the U.S. when they went into Afghanistan, and they’ve been there for almost 20 years. Why on earth would anyone go looking for revenge now?”
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Vladimir Sotnikov, an expert with the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, says that Russia is consulting with other countries in the region, including China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and India, to try to find ways to manage what is now seen as an inevitable U.S. withdrawal.
“The biggest nightmare is that Afghanistan becomes a ‘failed state’ again, with dangerous repercussions all over the region,” he says. “We have no interest in aggravating the situation, or hastening U.S. departure. Afghanistan is going to be our problem long after the U.S. has left.”


bonginoreport--2020-07-09--Treasury Sanctions Chinese Entities Over Uygur Human Rights Abuses

The U.S. Treasury has announced the sanctioning of Chinese entities and officials , including Communist Party chiefs , in relation to “ serious human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
” The U.S. Department of the Treasury ’ s Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ) sanctioned one Chinese government entity and four current or former government officials in connection with serious rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region ( XUAR ) .
These designations include Chen Quanguo , the Communist Party Secretary of XUAR , and Zhu Hailun , a former Deputy Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today is the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau ( XPSB ) , as well as the current Director and Communist Party Secretary of the XPSB , Wang Mingshan , and the former Party Secretary of the XPSB , Huo Liujun .
The entity and officials are being designated for their connection to serious human rights abuse against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang , which reportedly include mass arbitrary detention and severe physical abuse , among other serious abuses targeting Uyghurs , a Turkic Muslim population indigenous to Xinjiang , and other ethnic minorities in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to using the full breadth of its financial powers to hold human rights abusers accountable in Xinjiang and across the world , ” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also tweeted Thursday morning : “ Today , I designated three senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang for gross violations of human rights , making them and their immediate family members ineligible for entry into the United States.
” This action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order ( E.O . )
13818 , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption , ” which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act .
These designations are the latest U.S. government actions in an ongoing effort to deter human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region .
On July 1 , 2020 , the U.S. Department of State , along with the U.S. Department of the Treasury , the U.S. Department of Commerce , and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security , issued the Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory , advising businesses with potential supply chain exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic , and legal risks of involvement with entities that engage in human rights abuses in Xinjiang , such as forced labor .
On May 22 , 2020 , the U.S. Department of Commerce added nine PRC entities related to human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region to the Commerce Entity List ; this action complemented the October 2019 addition to the Commerce Entity List of 28 entities engaged in the PRC repression campaign in the Xinjiang region .
Also , in October 2019 , the U.S. Department of State announced a visa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) ( 3 ) ( C ) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for PRC and Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) officials responsible for , or complicit in , human rights abuses in Xinjiang .
The Xinjiang region in western China is home to Uyghurs , ethnic Kazakhs , ethnic Kyrgyz , and other traditionally Muslim minority groups .
XUAR is the regional government of Xinjiang and falls under the governance of the PRC .
Chen Quanguo ( Chen ) is the Party Secretary of the XUAR , a position he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s notorious history of intensifying security operations in the Tibetan Autonomous Region to tighten control over the Tibetan ethnic minorities .
While Chen was already known for his ability to control “ ethnic unrest , ” when he got to Xinjiang , he had a deputy who understood the Xinjiang region , Zhu Hailun ( Zhu ) , who for the past few decades had held several positions in the Chinese Communist Party , prior to holding the position of Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Political and Legal Committee ( XPLC ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role , Zhu was responsible for maintaining internal security and law enforcement in the XUAR ; while Zhu left this role in 2019 , he still currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of Xinjiang ’ s People ’ s Congress , a regional legislative body .
Following his arrival to the region , Chen began implementing a comprehensive surveillance , detention , and indoctrination program in Xinjiang , targeting Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities through the XPSB .
As a part of Chen ’ s plans , the large-scale construction of mass detention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” greatly escalated in 2017 , and as the Party Secretary of the XPLC , Zhu established the policies and procedures for managing these detention camps with the purported goal of using the camps to fight terrorism and maintain stability .
Zhu ’ s policies outlined how the detention camps would operate , to include not allowing “ escapes ” and “ abnormal deaths.
” At the same time , former detainees of these detention camps report that deaths occurred among fellow detainees after torture and abuse at the hands of the security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention camps was constant surveillance , even while detainees remain totally cut off from the outside world .
Chen is being designated for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader or official of an entity , including any government entity , that has engaged in , or whose members have engaged in serious human rights abuse relating to the leader ’ s or official ’ s tenure , and Zhu is being designated for being a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit in , or has directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights abuse .
REPRESSION IN THE XUAR : XINJIANG PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU , HUO LIUJUN , AND WANG MINGSHAN Since at least late 2016 , repressive tactics have been used by the XPSB against the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic minority groups in the region , including mass detentions and surveillance .
The PRC ’ s surveillance has targeted members of religious and ethnic minority groups , as the Chinese government treats almost all expressions of faith as a sign of religious “ extremism ” or ethnic separatism .
Targets of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to various methods of torture and “ political reeducation.
” According to press reporting , since at least 2017 , more than one million Muslims have been held in these camps .
Under the command of Huo Liujun ( Huo ) , leader of the XPSB from at least March 2017 to 2018 , and Wang Mingshan ( Wang ) , leader of the XPSB since at least May 2018 , the XPSB has deployed the “ Integrated Joint Operations Platform ” ( IJOP ) , an Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) -assisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region .
The XPSB , through the IJOP , uses digital surveillance systems to track Uyghurs ’ movements and activities , to include surveilling who they interact with and what they read .
In turn , IJOP uses this data to determine which persons could be potential threats ; according to reports , some of these individuals are subsequently detained and sent to detention camps , being held indefinitely without charges or trial .
The IJOP AI platform is one of the first examples of governments using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press reporting , the IJOP technology looks exclusively for Uyghurs , based on their appearance , and keeps records of their movements .
The mass detention of Uyghurs is part of an effort by PRC authorities to use detentions and data-driven surveillance to create a police state in the Xinjiang region .
The XPSB is being designated for being a foreign person responsible for , or complicit in , or that has directly or indirectly engaged in , serious human rights abuse .
Huo and Wang are each being designated for being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leader or official of an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O .
13818 as a result of activities related to the leaders ’ or officials ’ tenure .
As a result of today ’ s action , all property and interests in property of the entity and individuals named above , and of any entities that are owned , directly or indirectly , 50 percent or more by them , individually , or with other blocked persons , that are in the United States or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are blocked and must be reported to OFAC .
Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt , OFAC ’ s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within ( or transiting ) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons .
The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds , goods , or services by , to , or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods or services from any such person .
Building upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act , the President signed E.O .
13818 on December 20 , 2017 , in which the President found that the prevalence of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source , in whole or in substantial part , outside the United States , had reached such scope and gravity that it threatens the stability of international political and economic systems .
Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; have devastating impacts on individuals ; weaken democratic institutions ; degrade the rule of law ; perpetuate violent conflicts ; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons ; and undermine economic markets .
The United States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption , as well as to protect the financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons .
Information on the individuals and entities designated today .

The U.S. Treasury has announced the sanctioning of Chinese entities and officials, including Communist Party chiefs, in relation to “serious human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.”
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned one Chinese government entity and four current or former government officials in connection with serious rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). These designations include Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party Secretary of XUAR, and Zhu Hailun, a former Deputy Party Secretary of the XUAR. Also designated today is the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB), as well as the current Director and Communist Party Secretary of the XPSB, Wang Mingshan, and the former Party Secretary of the XPSB, Huo Liujun. The entity and officials are being designated for their connection to serious human rights abuse against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, which reportedly include mass arbitrary detention and severe physical abuse, among other serious abuses targeting Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim population indigenous to Xinjiang, and other ethnic minorities in the region. “The United States is committed to using the full breadth of its financial powers to hold human rights abusers accountable in Xinjiang and across the world,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also tweeted Thursday morning: “Today, I designated three senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang for gross violations of human rights, making them and their immediate family members ineligible for entry into the United States.” The Treasury website reports: This action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, “Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption,” which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
These designations are the latest U.S. government actions in an ongoing effort to deter human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region. On July 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of State, along with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, issued the Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory, advising businesses with potential supply chain exposure to Xinjiang to consider the reputational, economic, and legal risks of involvement with entities that engage in human rights abuses in Xinjiang, such as forced labor.
On May 22, 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce added nine PRC entities related to human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region to the Commerce Entity List; this action complemented the October 2019 addition to the Commerce Entity List of 28 entities engaged in the PRC repression campaign in the Xinjiang region. Also, in October 2019, the U.S. Department of State announced a visa restriction policy under section 212 (a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for PRC and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials responsible for, or complicit in, human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
CHEN QUANGUO AND ZHU HAILUN
The Xinjiang region in western China is home to Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Kyrgyz, and other traditionally Muslim minority groups. XUAR is the regional government of Xinjiang and falls under the governance of the PRC. Chen Quanguo (Chen) is the Party Secretary of the XUAR, a position he was appointed to in 2016, following Chen’s notorious history of intensifying security operations in the Tibetan Autonomous Region to tighten control over the Tibetan ethnic minorities. While Chen was already known for his ability to control “ethnic unrest,” when he got to Xinjiang, he had a deputy who understood the Xinjiang region, Zhu Hailun (Zhu), who for the past few decades had held several positions in the Chinese Communist Party, prior to holding the position of Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Political and Legal Committee (XPLC) from 2016 to 2019. In this role, Zhu was responsible for maintaining internal security and law enforcement in the XUAR; while Zhu left this role in 2019, he still currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of Xinjiang’s People’s Congress, a regional legislative body. Following his arrival to the region, Chen began implementing a comprehensive surveillance, detention, and indoctrination program in Xinjiang, targeting Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities through the XPSB.
As a part of Chen’s plans, the large-scale construction of mass detention camps, labelled “training centers,” greatly escalated in 2017, and as the Party Secretary of the XPLC, Zhu established the policies and procedures for managing these detention camps with the purported goal of using the camps to fight terrorism and maintain stability. Zhu’s policies outlined how the detention camps would operate, to include not allowing “escapes” and “abnormal deaths.” At the same time, former detainees of these detention camps report that deaths occurred among fellow detainees after torture and abuse at the hands of the security officials. A large focus of these detention camps was constant surveillance, even while detainees remain totally cut off from the outside world.
Chen is being designated for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader or official of an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in serious human rights abuse relating to the leader’s or official’s tenure, and Zhu is being designated for being a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse.
REPRESSION IN THE XUAR: XINJIANG PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU, HUO LIUJUN, AND WANG MINGSHAN
Since at least late 2016, repressive tactics have been used by the XPSB against the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic minority groups in the region, including mass detentions and surveillance. The PRC’s surveillance has targeted members of religious and ethnic minority groups, as the Chinese government treats almost all expressions of faith as a sign of religious “extremism” or ethnic separatism. Targets of this surveillance are often detained and reportedly subjected to various methods of torture and “political reeducation.” According to press reporting, since at least 2017, more than one million Muslims have been held in these camps.
Under the command of Huo Liujun (Huo), leader of the XPSB from at least March 2017 to 2018, and Wang Mingshan (Wang), leader of the XPSB since at least May 2018, the XPSB has deployed the “Integrated Joint Operations Platform” (IJOP), an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted computer system that created biometric records for millions of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region. The XPSB, through the IJOP, uses digital surveillance systems to track Uyghurs’ movements and activities, to include surveilling who they interact with and what they read. In turn, IJOP uses this data to determine which persons could be potential threats; according to reports, some of these individuals are subsequently detained and sent to detention camps, being held indefinitely without charges or trial. The IJOP AI platform is one of the first examples of governments using AI for racial profiling. According to press reporting, the IJOP technology looks exclusively for Uyghurs, based on their appearance, and keeps records of their movements. The mass detention of Uyghurs is part of an effort by PRC authorities to use detentions and data-driven surveillance to create a police state in the Xinjiang region.
The XPSB is being designated for being a foreign person responsible for, or complicit in, or that has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse. Huo and Wang are each being designated for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader or official of an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13818 as a result of activities related to the leaders’ or officials’ tenure.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the entity and individuals named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods or services from any such person.
GLOBAL MAGNITSKY
Building upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the President signed E.O. 13818 on December 20, 2017, in which the President found that the prevalence of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, had reached such scope and gravity that it threatens the stability of international political and economic systems. Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons; and undermine economic markets. The United States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption, as well as to protect the financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons.
Information on the individuals and entities designated today.
Information about the Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory.
Information about the Commerce Entity List.


bonginoreport--2020-07-10--Report: U.S. Planning Major Announcement on South China Sea Next Week

The U.S. is planning an official announcement on its South China Sea position next week , two anonymous officials told Bloomberg on Friday .
Tensions between the U.S. and China have been intensifying in the South China Sea recently as China is increasing its aggressive behavior and the U.S. is increasing its freedom of navigation patrols in the region .
Last week , the Chinese People ’ s Liberation Army ( PLA ) Navy held a naval exercise near the contested Paracel Islands , which are claimed by China , Vietnam and Taiwan .
The U.S. Department of Defense condemned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The military exercises are the latest in a long string of PRC actions to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea , ” the DOD said in a statement , adding that the exercises violate the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea .
“ Conducting military exercises over disputed territory in the South China Sea is counterproductive to efforts at easing tensions and maintaining stability .
The PRC ’ s actions will further destabilize the situation in the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Also last week , the U.S. deployed two aircraft carrier groups to conduct its own exercise in the region .
USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan conducted tactical air defense exercises in its freedom of navigation mission .
The warships remained in international territory and conducted their operations in accordance with international law , but China still lashed out .
“ We hope the US will examine itself and stop its provocative military acts in the South China Sea , stop smearing and blaming the Chinese side for no reason , stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region , and stop creating this tense situation , ” a spokesperson said on the Chinese defense ministry ’ s website .
China has been continuing its militarization of artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea with the construction of military bases and other industrial facilities in the region .

The U.S. is planning an official announcement on its South China Sea position next week, two anonymous officials told Bloomberg on Friday.
Tensions between the U.S. and China have been intensifying in the South China Sea recently as China is increasing its aggressive behavior and the U.S. is increasing its freedom of navigation patrols in the region.
Last week, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy held a naval exercise near the contested Paracel Islands, which are claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan. The U.S. Department of Defense condemned the exercise as “unlawful.”
“The military exercises are the latest in a long string of PRC actions to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea,” the DOD said in a statement, adding that the exercises violate the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
“Conducting military exercises over disputed territory in the South China Sea is counterproductive to efforts at easing tensions and maintaining stability. The PRC’s actions will further destabilize the situation in the South China Sea,” the DOD noted.
Also last week, the U.S. deployed two aircraft carrier groups to conduct its own exercise in the region. USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan conducted tactical air defense exercises in its freedom of navigation mission. The warships remained in international territory and conducted their operations in accordance with international law, but China still lashed out.
“We hope the US will examine itself and stop its provocative military acts in the South China Sea, stop smearing and blaming the Chinese side for no reason, stop trying to drive a wedge between countries in the region, and stop creating this tense situation,” a spokesperson said on the Chinese defense ministry’s website.
China has been continuing its militarization of artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea with the construction of military bases and other industrial facilities in the region.


bonginoreport--2020-07-10--Dead Cat Receives Voter Registration by Mail

Cody , a snuggly cat in Atlanta , wasn ’ t alive to see any of the Obama years , let alone the Trump era , but he received a voter registration form by mail on Wednesday .
“ How ’ d this happen ?
” former owner Carol Tims wondered about the cat deceased for 12 years — since the George W. Bush administration .
“ I mean , it ’ s not reality .
He ’ s a cat .
Here he is , ” she added , holding up his remains in a tiny green container .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ register cats , I ’ m not quite sure who else they ’ re trying to register .
I don ’ t know if they ’ re registering dogs , mice , snakes ?
” Tims said .
The Georgia Secretary of State blamed third-party groups for such activity .
“ Third-party groups all over the country are targeting Georgia to help register qualified individuals .
This group makes you wonder what these out-of-town activists are really doing .
Make no mistake about it , this office is dedicated to investigating all types @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office said .
Cody , of course , lives in the home state of Stacey Abrams , the failed gubernatorial candidate who has since made it her mission to fight voter ID laws .
The Secretary of State ’ s office told Fox 5 Cody wouldn ’ t have been allowed to vote “ since he did not have a license or state ID.
” It ’ s not clear if Cody would have been able to cast a ballot in a full vote-by-mail system .
Cody isn ’ t unique in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s spent his 9th life .
In 2016 , Benicia the border collie received an application in Raleigh , North Carolina , according to ABC 7 .
“ She would have been smart enough to but I don ’ t think a dog is probably entitled to vote , ” owner John Schneider said .
Benecia received a letter from the Voter Participation Center , a nonprofit that sends out mass mailings of voter registration forms .
“ The main thing is how can something like this happen ?
” Schneider said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ big thing .
How can some group just start sending a dog a voter registration application ?
If someone sent this in , that would constitute voter fraud .
But it could get sent in and then what happens if she got a voter registration card back ?
” In 2018 , Moco , the Boston Terrier dead 18 years , received a similar mailing from the Voter Participation Center .
VPC Communications Director Kevin McAlister admitted the “ mistake ” to KHOU , “ “ Nearly one million people of color , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered in Colorado , which is why VPC is working to help register eligible Coloradans ahead of the 2018 midterms .
“ As the sender of many millions of pieces of mail this election season alone , VPC takes its mailing list process seriously.
” Pets , some named “ Mozart ” and “ Scampers , ” have also received applications in Florida , Colorado , and Washington state .
In 2012 , CBS News reported Voter Participation Center mailed registration forms , “ targeting Democratic-leaning voting blocs such as unmarried women , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News .
He is also host of “ The Kyle Olson Show , ” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays .
Listen to segments on YouTube .
Follow him on Twitter , like him on Facebook , and follow him on Parler .

Cody, a snuggly cat in Atlanta, wasn’t alive to see any of the Obama years, let alone the Trump era, but he received a voter registration form by mail on Wednesday.
Fox 5 Atlanta had the story:
This is absolutely amazing!!pic.twitter.com/6gElKuzjpl — Wyatt Dobrovich (@WyattDobrovich) July 10, 2020
“How’d this happen?” former owner Carol Tims wondered about the cat deceased for 12 years — since the George W. Bush administration.
“I mean, it’s not reality. He’s a cat. Here he is,” she added, holding up his remains in a tiny green container.
“If they’re trying to register cats, I’m not quite sure who else they’re trying to register. I don’t know if they’re registering dogs, mice, snakes?” Tims said.
Fox 5 reported the feline was a “DemoCAT.”
The Georgia Secretary of State blamed third-party groups for such activity.
“Third-party groups all over the country are targeting Georgia to help register qualified individuals. This group makes you wonder what these out-of-town activists are really doing. Make no mistake about it, this office is dedicated to investigating all types of fraud,” Brad Raffensperger’s office said.
Cody, of course, lives in the home state of Stacey Abrams, the failed gubernatorial candidate who has since made it her mission to fight voter ID laws.
The Secretary of State’s office told Fox 5 Cody wouldn’t have been allowed to vote “since he did not have a license or state ID.”
It’s not clear if Cody would have been able to cast a ballot in a full vote-by-mail system.
Cody isn’t unique in receiving such mail long after he’s spent his 9th life.
In 2016, Benicia the border collie received an application in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to ABC 7.
“She would have been smart enough to but I don’t think a dog is probably entitled to vote,” owner John Schneider said.
Benecia received a letter from the Voter Participation Center, a nonprofit that sends out mass mailings of voter registration forms.
“The main thing is how can something like this happen?” Schneider said.
“I think that’s the big thing. How can some group just start sending a dog a voter registration application? If someone sent this in, that would constitute voter fraud. But it could get sent in and then what happens if she got a voter registration card back?”
In 2018, Moco, the Boston Terrier dead 18 years, received a similar mailing from the Voter Participation Center.
VPC Communications Director Kevin McAlister admitted the “mistake” to KHOU, ““Nearly one million people of color, unmarried women and millennials aren’t registered in Colorado, which is why VPC is working to help register eligible Coloradans ahead of the 2018 midterms.
“As the sender of many millions of pieces of mail this election season alone, VPC takes its mailing list process seriously.”
Pets, some named “Mozart” and “Scampers,” have also received applications in Florida, Colorado, and Washington state.
In 2012, CBS News reported Voter Participation Center mailed registration forms, “targeting Democratic-leaning voting blocs such as unmarried women, African-Americans, Latinos and young adults.”
Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Listen to segments on YouTube. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, and follow him on Parler.
Photo: file


bonginoreport--2020-07-10--Trump: Joe Biden “Plagiarized” My Economic Plan

Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ most progressive ambitions will largely be bypassed ...

President Trump on Friday said his Democratic rival Joe Biden “plagiarized” his new “Buy American” economic plan.
“He plagiarized from me. But he can never pull it off — he likes plagiarizing,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn.
Biden also ran for president in 1988 but dropped out due to a plagiarism scandal. He was exposed for using without credit lines from British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock in one of his speeches.
Trump did not specify what Biden plagiarized, but the barb came after observers noticed the similarities between Biden’s new economic messaging and Trump’s more established economic nationalism.
On Thursday, Biden unveiled his economic plan with slogans including “Make it in America,” “Buy American” and “Stand up for America.” The plan calls for a boost in buying of domestic products and more research funding.
Trump on Friday slammed other parts of Biden’s plan, which calls for investment in environmentally friendly products. Biden didn’t say if new spending in his plan requires higher taxes.
“It’s very radical left, but he said the right things because he’s copying what I’ve done,” Trump said.
“But the difference is he can’t do it. And he knows he’s not doing that. It can’t be the same because he’s raising taxes way too much. He’s raising everybody’s taxes. He’s also putting tremendous amounts of regulation back on. And those two things are two primary reasons that I created the greatest economy we’ve ever had. And now we’re creating it again.”
Trump this year ended the North American Free Trade Agreement that Biden as a senator supported. Trump argued it was bad for American workers, and added anti-outsourcing provisions to the new US-Mexico-Canada agreement.
As vice president, Biden hailed as “a game changer” Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations on a trade deal with Pacific countries. Trump killed the TPP talks, saying it could cost US jobs.


bonginoreport--2020-07-10--U.S. Credit Card Debt Falls to Lowest Level Since Great Recession

Credit card debt makes up the majority of the Fed ’ s “ outstanding consumer revolving credit ” figure , @ @ @ @ @ $ 1 trillion for the first time since 2016 .
Consumers ’ total outstanding credit @ @ @ @ @ the end of 2019 .

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bonginoreport--2020-07-10--Biden Calls for End to “Era of Shareholder Capitalism”

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , laying out his plans for an economic recovery Thursday , said President Donald Trump is too focused on the stock market during the coronavirus pandemic .
The former vice president , speaking at an event in Pennsylvania , said he wanted to end the `` era of shareholder capitalism . ''
`` Throughout this crisis , Donald Trump has been almost singularly focused on the stock market , the Dow and Nasdaq .
Not you .
Not your families , '' Biden said .
`` If I am fortunate enough to be elected president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families , the middle-class families I came from here in Scranton .
Not the wealthy investor class .
They do n't need me . ''
Among the policies Biden described Thursday is a tax hike for corporations .
His plans call for a 28 % corporate tax rate , well above the 21 % set by Trump 's 2017 tax cuts but still below where the top rate was previously .
Jack Lew , who served as Treasury secretary when Biden was vice president , said Thursday on `` Closing Bell '' that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 21 % rate was lower than even what business leaders were asking for and that the economy could withstand higher taxes .

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, laying out his plans for an economic recovery Thursday, said President Donald Trump is too focused on the stock market during the coronavirus pandemic.
The former vice president, speaking at an event in Pennsylvania, said he wanted to end the "era of shareholder capitalism."
"Throughout this crisis, Donald Trump has been almost singularly focused on the stock market, the Dow and Nasdaq. Not you. Not your families," Biden said. "If I am fortunate enough to be elected president, I'll be laser-focused on working families, the middle-class families I came from here in Scranton. Not the wealthy investor class. They don't need me."
Among the policies Biden described Thursday is a tax hike for corporations. His plans call for a 28% corporate tax rate, well above the 21% set by Trump's 2017 tax cuts but still below where the top rate was previously.
Jack Lew, who served as Treasury secretary when Biden was vice president, said Thursday on "Closing Bell" that when the Obama administration discussed tax reform, a 21% rate was lower than even what business leaders were asking for and that the economy could withstand higher taxes.


bonginoreport--2020-07-10--DOJ: Researcher Charged with Illegally Using U.S. Grant Funds to Develop Scientific Expertise for Ch

DOJ: Researcher Charged with Illegally Using U.S. Grant Funds to Develop Scientific Expertise for China

A rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China has been ordered held without bond to face a charge of grant fraud for not disclosing that he was engaged in a sophisticated scheme to use approximately $ 4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) to develop China ’ s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology .
He is also charged with making false statements about maintaining employment in China at the same time he was employed at universities in the United States , including The Ohio State University .
Song Guo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , May 22 , 2020 , after he arrived in Anchorage , Alaska , aboard a charter flight and as he prepared to board another charter flight to China .
When he was arrested , he was carrying three large bags , one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops , three cellular telephones , several USB drives , several silver bars , expired Chinese passports for his family , deeds for property in China and other items .
“ Yet again , we are faced with a professor at a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Chinese Talent Plan , allegedly and deliberately failing to disclose his relationship with a Chinese university and receipt of funds from the Chinese Government in order to obtain millions of dollars in U.S. grant money designed to benefit the health and well-being of the people of the United States — not to be hijacked to supplement the research goals of the Chinese Communist Party , ” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers .
“ This case , like too many others , should serve as a reminder that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obligation of truthfulness and transparency on grant applications , and those who violate the law to benefit China or any other foreign nation will be held accountable.
” '' This case highlights another example of a Chinese Talent Plan member allegedly using U.S. taxpayer funds for the benefit of the Chinese government , '' said Alan E. Kohler , Jr , Assistant Director of the FBI 's Counterintelligence Division .
`` According to the criminal complaint , Zheng violated laws concerning the use of federal research funds and did not disclose his employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work with our partners to stop such illegal activity and protect U.S .
research . ''
“ We allege that Zheng was preparing to flee the country after he learned that his employer had begun an administrative process into whether or not he was complying with rules governing taxpayer-funded grants , ” said David M. DeVillers , U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio .
“ This is our office ’ s third recent case involving the illegal transfer of intellectual property and research to China .
This underscores our commitment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Health and Human Services , and our research institutions to protect our country ’ s position as a global leader in research and innovation , and to punish those who try to exploit and undermine that position.
” '' The taxpayers of the United States are the real victims when researchers defraud our government and exploit our system to benefit China , ” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman .
“ The cutting-edge technologies that are being developed in our country must be carefully protected from our foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with our partners to safeguard these important innovations.
” A criminal complaint filed May 23 and unsealed following today ’ s detention hearing charges Zheng with one count of fraud or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds , a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison , and one count of making false statements , which is punishable by up to five years in prison .
Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Preston Deavers ordered Zheng held without bond because he is a flight risk .
The case will be presented to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The investigation is continuing .
An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that , since 2013 , Zheng has been participating in a Chinese Talent Plan , a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with knowledge or access to foreign technology intellectual property .
Since then , Zheng has used research conducted in the U.S. to benefit the People ’ s Republic of China .
Zheng allegedly failed to disclose conflicts of interest or his foreign commitments to his U.S. employers or to the NIH .
Assistant Attorney General for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney DeVillers , and Christopher Hoffman , Special Agent in Charge , FBI , Cincinnati Field Division announced the criminal complaint .
Assistant U.S .
Attorneys Douglas W. Squires and Courter Shimeall , Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher St. Pierre , and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie with the Department of Justice National Security Division are representing the United States in this case .
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations .
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law .

A rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China has been ordered held without bond to face a charge of grant fraud for not disclosing that he was engaged in a sophisticated scheme to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology. He is also charged with making false statements about maintaining employment in China at the same time he was employed at universities in the United States, including The Ohio State University.
Song Guo Zheng, 57, was arrested Friday, May 22, 2020, after he arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a charter flight and as he prepared to board another charter flight to China. When he was arrested, he was carrying three large bags, one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops, three cellular telephones, several USB drives, several silver bars, expired Chinese passports for his family, deeds for property in China and other items.
“Yet again, we are faced with a professor at a U.S. University, who is a member of a Chinese Talent Plan, allegedly and deliberately failing to disclose his relationship with a Chinese university and receipt of funds from the Chinese Government in order to obtain millions of dollars in U.S. grant money designed to benefit the health and well-being of the people of the United States — not to be hijacked to supplement the research goals of the Chinese Communist Party,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “This case, like too many others, should serve as a reminder that the United States Government takes seriously the obligation of truthfulness and transparency on grant applications, and those who violate the law to benefit China or any other foreign nation will be held accountable.”
"This case highlights another example of a Chinese Talent Plan member allegedly using U.S. taxpayer funds for the benefit of the Chinese government," said Alan E. Kohler, Jr, Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. "According to the criminal complaint, Zheng violated laws concerning the use of federal research funds and did not disclose his employment in China. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to stop such illegal activity and protect U.S. research."
“We allege that Zheng was preparing to flee the country after he learned that his employer had begun an administrative process into whether or not he was complying with rules governing taxpayer-funded grants,” said David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “This is our office’s third recent case involving the illegal transfer of intellectual property and research to China. This underscores our commitment to work with the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services, and our research institutions to protect our country’s position as a global leader in research and innovation, and to punish those who try to exploit and undermine that position.”
"The taxpayers of the United States are the real victims when researchers defraud our government and exploit our system to benefit China,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “The cutting-edge technologies that are being developed in our country must be carefully protected from our foreign adversaries and the FBI will continue to work with our partners to safeguard these important innovations.”
A criminal complaint filed May 23 and unsealed following today’s detention hearing charges Zheng with one count of fraud or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison, and one count of making false statements, which is punishable by up to five years in prison. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Preston Deavers ordered Zheng held without bond because he is a flight risk. The case will be presented to a federal grand jury for possible indictment. The investigation is continuing.
An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that, since 2013, Zheng has been participating in a Chinese Talent Plan, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with knowledge or access to foreign technology intellectual property. Since then, Zheng has used research conducted in the U.S. to benefit the People’s Republic of China. Zheng allegedly failed to disclose conflicts of interest or his foreign commitments to his U.S. employers or to the NIH.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney DeVillers, and Christopher Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Cincinnati Field Division announced the criminal complaint. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas W. Squires and Courter Shimeall, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher St. Pierre, and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie with the Department of Justice National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.