bonginoreport--2020-05-06--Poll: Justin Amash Candidacy Takes More Votes Away From Biden Than Trump

Just as we were warned .
A few weeks ago anti-Trump righties Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller made the case for Amash taking a pass on the Libertarian Party nomination , precisely because they feared he ’ d draw more votes from Biden than from Trump .
Take a look at the increase in vote total among center-right , third party candidates ( Gary Johnson / Evan McMullin / Constitution Party ) plus write-ins in the three key upper Midwest states in 2016 over 2012 : Pennsylvania : 135,170 more votes ; Trump won by 44,292 votes Wisconsin : 123,447 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan : 165,214 more votes ; Trump won by 10,704 That ’ s the whole ballgame right there .
That ’ s why President Total Authority was the one standing in the Oval Office waving his hands and sniffing about how the coronavirus would disappear “ like a miracle ” instead of a grown-up who would have made the necessary , basic preparations for the epidemic .
Today ’ s new numbers from Monmouth confirm that Biden does worse with Amash in the race than without him .
But there ’ s one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wins comfortably in a three-way race , if not quite as comfortably as in a two-way one .
Here ’ s Biden vs. Trump… Four points come out of Biden ’ s support among independents with Amash in the race , which isn ’ t surprising .
More surprising is the fact that five points also come out of his support among Democrats .
By comparison , Trump loses just a single point among Republicans to the libertarian , a testament to how tight his grip on the party is .
But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s strength here .
Monmouth notes that when libertarian Gary Johnson first jumped into the 2016 race he pulled 11 percent against the widely disliked Hillary and Trump .
By Election Day , with voters convinced that their choice was a binary one , he fell to three percent .
I ’ d be surprised if Amash matches that given the ferocious partisan pressure on both sides of a November referendum on Trump ’ s first term .
The Monmouth poll isn ’ t good news for Trump but other surveys are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers from Morning Consult : A separate poll taken by Reuters/Ipsos also finds voters trending away from Biden lately : The opinion poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday found that 43 % of registered voters said they would support Biden in the Nov. 3 presidential election , while 41 % said they would back Trump .
That makes the contest essentially a toss-up , as the results are within the poll ’ s credibility interval .
Biden led by 6 percentage points in a similar poll last week and by 8 points in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21… According to the poll , 45 % of Americans said Trump was better suited to create jobs , while 32 % said Biden was the better candidate for that .
That pushed Trump ’ s advantage over Biden in terms of job creation to 13 points , compared with the Republican president ’ s 6-point edge in a similar poll that ran in mid-April .
Trump ’ s advantage on the economy is striking given the catastrophic corona-driven collapse in the labor force lately .
Drudge had a headline yesterday mocking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if he built a great economy once he can do it twice : “ Make America Great Again , Again ?
” But maybe Team Trump ’ s more clever than its critics think .
It ’ ll be months before voters feel they have enough data from the pandemic to make an informed judgment on whether Trump handled it well or not — how many deaths , did we get a second wave , and so on .
But Trump ’ s advantage over Biden on who ’ d be better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be durable because of how rosy the monthly jobs report and the Dow average were until March of this year .
Twenty percent unemployment would destroy most presidents , but given Trump ’ s economic track record for most of his first term , it may end up being neutral at worst in November .
Jobs were wiped out by the economic equivalent of a meteor strike , not presidential policy .
All voters might consider is which candidate they trust more to repair the damage .
I ’ ll leave you with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PRRI gauging the trends in Trump ’ s favorability in battleground states .
Not good , although it should be noted that this poll was taken nearly two weeks ago .
Maybe the outlook has brightened now that he ’ s abandoned the horrible optics of the evening coronavirus briefing/rant session .

My God, he’s the right-wing Ralph Nader.
Just as we were warned.
A few weeks ago anti-Trump righties Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller made the case for Amash taking a pass on the Libertarian Party nomination, precisely because they feared he’d draw more votes from Biden than from Trump.
Take a look at the increase in vote total among center-right, third party candidates (Gary Johnson / Evan McMullin / Constitution Party) plus write-ins in the three key upper Midwest states in 2016 over 2012: Pennsylvania: 135,170 more votes; Trump won by 44,292 votes
Wisconsin: 123,447 more votes; Trump won by 22,748
Michigan: 165,214 more votes; Trump won by 10,704 That’s the whole ballgame right there. That’s why President Total Authority was the one standing in the Oval Office waving his hands and sniffing about how the coronavirus would disappear “like a miracle” instead of a grown-up who would have made the necessary, basic preparations for the epidemic.
Today’s new numbers from Monmouth confirm that Biden does worse with Amash in the race than without him. But there’s one big difference from 2016: He still wins comfortably in a three-way race, if not quite as comfortably as in a two-way one. Here’s Biden vs. Trump…
…and here’s Biden vs. Trump vs. Amash:
Four points come out of Biden’s support among independents with Amash in the race, which isn’t surprising. More surprising is the fact that five points also come out of his support among Democrats. By comparison, Trump loses just a single point among Republicans to the libertarian, a testament to how tight his grip on the party is. But I don’t mean to oversell Amash’s strength here. Monmouth notes that when libertarian Gary Johnson first jumped into the 2016 race he pulled 11 percent against the widely disliked Hillary and Trump. By Election Day, with voters convinced that their choice was a binary one, he fell to three percent. I’d be surprised if Amash matches that given the ferocious partisan pressure on both sides of a November referendum on Trump’s first term.
The Monmouth poll isn’t good news for Trump but other surveys are looking up for him today. Interesting numbers from Morning Consult:
Trust more to handle… The economy:
Trump 46% (+9)
Biden 37% Jobs:
Trump 43% (+4)
Biden 39% National security:
Trump 43% (+4)
Biden 39% Immigration:
Trump 43% (+3)
Biden 40% Gun policy:
Trump 40% (+1)
Biden 39%@MorningConsult/@politico 5/2-3https://t.co/NULUmebGT7 — Political Polls (@Politics_Polls) May 6, 2020
A separate poll taken by Reuters/Ipsos also finds voters trending away from Biden lately:
The opinion poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday found that 43% of registered voters said they would support Biden in the Nov. 3 presidential election, while 41% said they would back Trump. That makes the contest essentially a toss-up, as the results are within the poll’s credibility interval. Biden led by 6 percentage points in a similar poll last week and by 8 points in a poll that ran April 15 to 21… According to the poll, 45% of Americans said Trump was better suited to create jobs, while 32% said Biden was the better candidate for that. That pushed Trump’s advantage over Biden in terms of job creation to 13 points, compared with the Republican president’s 6-point edge in a similar poll that ran in mid-April.
Trump’s advantage on the economy is striking given the catastrophic corona-driven collapse in the labor force lately. Drudge had a headline yesterday mocking the president’s new campaign message, that if he built a great economy once he can do it twice: “Make America Great Again, Again?” But maybe Team Trump’s more clever than its critics think. It’ll be months before voters feel they have enough data from the pandemic to make an informed judgment on whether Trump handled it well or not — how many deaths, did we get a second wave, and so on. But Trump’s advantage over Biden on who’d be better at overseeing the eventual economic recovery may be durable because of how rosy the monthly jobs report and the Dow average were until March of this year. Twenty percent unemployment would destroy most presidents, but given Trump’s economic track record for most of his first term, it may end up being neutral at worst in November. Jobs were wiped out by the economic equivalent of a meteor strike, not presidential policy. All voters might consider is which candidate they trust more to repair the damage.
I’ll leave you with one more piece of data, from PRRI gauging the trends in Trump’s favorability in battleground states. Not good, although it should be noted that this poll was taken nearly two weeks ago. Maybe the outlook has brightened now that he’s abandoned the horrible optics of the evening coronavirus briefing/rant session.


bonginoreport--2020-05-06--“Deplorables Saturday Night” Comedy Show to Launch

The Deplorables Assemble to Make America Laugh Again Greg Gutfeld proved Saturday night ’ s all right for conservative comedy .
The Fox News star ’ s Saturday showcase is proving a bigger draw than any hard-left late night show .
Yes , a weekend cable program is outdrawing Jimmy Kimmel , Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah .
A gaggle of conservative-leaning comics , from Steve McGrew to Terrence Williams , will gather this weekend for a new , original comedy show .
“ The Deplorables Saturday Night ” will air on Facebook Live and Americas Voice News , DISH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show comes on the heels of a successful live tour blending comedy , observational humor , and music … from the Right .
The tour took its name from Hillary Clinton ’ s infamous dig during the 2016 presidential campaign .
She called much of Donald Trump ’ s fan base a “ basket of deplorables.
” Even far-left TV host Seth Meyers admonished her for the insult .
Clinton lost , but these “ Deplorables ” keep on winning .
“ The show is a direct response to mainstream late night entertainment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scornful of half of Americans who happen to have an alternate point of view , ” McGrew said in a statement .
“ We offer a show that rebalances the political scales of entertainment.
” “ People think that flyover-state Americans dislike the late night talk shows and ‘ SNL.
’ That ’ s not true – They simply tuned out long ago , ” Williams added .
Show producer Max Gottlieb , whose Broadway credits include “ Rock Of Ages , ” says the group planned to create a TV show around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ altered those plans .
“ The Deplorables Saturday Night ” also features comedians Benny Johnson , John Di Domenico , Jack Vale , The Deplorables Choir , Nick Peterson , and The Hodge Twins .
The lineup combines for more than 10 million social media followers .
The one-hour Deplorables Saturday Night broadcast streams at 8 p.m. EST May 9 .

The Deplorables Assemble to Make America Laugh Again
Greg Gutfeld proved Saturday night’s all right for conservative comedy.
The Fox News star’s Saturday showcase is proving a bigger draw than any hard-left late night show. Yes, a weekend cable program is outdrawing Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah.
Now, it’s the Deplorables’ turn.
A gaggle of conservative-leaning comics, from Steve McGrew to Terrence Williams, will gather this weekend for a new, original comedy show.
“The Deplorables Saturday Night” will air on Facebook Live and Americas Voice News, DISH, Pluto and Roku channels. The show comes on the heels of a successful live tour blending comedy, observational humor, and music … from the Right.
The tour took its name from Hillary Clinton’s infamous dig during the 2016 presidential campaign. She called much of Donald Trump’s fan base a “basket of deplorables.” Even far-left TV host Seth Meyers admonished her for the insult.
Clinton lost, but these “Deplorables” keep on winning.
RELATED: Deplorables Comics Get Punished for Trump Support
“The show is a direct response to mainstream late night entertainment which has consistently been mean spirited and scornful of half of Americans who happen to have an alternate point of view,” McGrew said in a statement. “We offer a show that rebalances the political scales of entertainment.”
“People think that flyover-state Americans dislike the late night talk shows and ‘SNL.’ That’s not true – They simply tuned out long ago,” Williams added.
Show producer Max Gottlieb, whose Broadway credits include “Rock Of Ages,” says the group planned to create a TV show around their recent tour. The current pandemic altered those plans.
“The Deplorables Saturday Night” also features comedians Benny Johnson, John Di Domenico, Jack Vale, The Deplorables Choir, Nick Peterson, and The Hodge Twins. The lineup combines for more than 10 million social media followers.
The one-hour Deplorables Saturday Night broadcast streams at 8 p.m. EST May 9.


bonginoreport--2020-05-06--Russia Probe Declassification is Bad News for Adam Schiff

In a packed hearing room two months into Donald Trump ’ s embattled presidency , Rep. Adam Schiff played the willing protagonist by dramatically reading into the congressional record some of the most explosive claims from Christopher Steele ’ s dossier .
At the time , Steele ’ s dossier had recently burst on the scene , and the Trump White House was under siege as a far-reaching FBI investigation examined allegations — later disproven — that former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and others tried to collude with Russia to hijack the 2016 election .
“ According to Christopher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is reportedly held in high regard by U.S. intelligence , Russian sources tell him that Page has also had a secret meeting with Igor Sechin , CEO of Russian gas giant Rosneft , ” Schiff declared at a March 20 , 2017 House Intelligence Committee hearing .
“ Sechin is reported to be a former KGB agent and close friend of Putin ’ s .
According to Steele ’ s Russian sources , Page is offered brokerage fees by Sechin on a deal involving a 19 percent share of the company , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision to embrace the dossier and read it into a government proceeding gave the document enhanced public credibility with the media , just weeks after it had been leaked to the news site Buzzfeed and before its funding origins and accuracy were determined .
Three years later , Schiff is the House Intelligence Committee chairman .
But his claims that day , and many others like it over the three years of the Russia scandal , have fallen into grave discredit , directly contradicted by intelligence evidence in recently declassified or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports , a Just the News review has found .
For instance , Schiff claimed this about the Steele dossier in a Nov. 15 , 2017 interview with The Wall Street Journal : “ The bigger factor is how much of it can you corroborate and how much of it is true .
A lot of it has turned out to be true.
” By the time Schiff made that remark , the former FBI Director James Comey had publicly warned the dossier contained `` salacious and unverified material '' and the bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dossier possessed several errors and mostly uncorroborated evidence , Justice Department memos show .
Significant errors or contradictions with Steele 's sources had been flagged already by January 2017 .
“ Despite the FBI ’ s efforts to corroborate and evaluate the Steele election reporting , we were told by [ an FBI employee ] that , as of September 2017 , the FBI had corroborated limited information in the Steele election reporting , and much of that information was publicly available .
Most relevant to the Carter Page FISA applications , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 94 , 95 , and 102 , which were relied upon in all four FISA applications , remained uncorroborated and , in several instances , were inconsistent with information gathered by the team , ” Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz wrote in his December report .
More recently declassified memos show Steele was far from being held in “ high regard ” as Schiff claimed at the hearing : By March 2017 , the FBI had already terminated Steele for leaking ( November 2016 ) , been warned he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and been told he had an extreme bias against Trump ( August 2016 ) .
And Steele ’ s primary sub-source had disputed to the FBI facts attributed to him in the dossier , warning that Steele ’ s claim about the Page meeting with Sechin was inaccurate and fed to him by someone connected to Russia intelligence , raising the distinct concern it was disinformation .
“ The Primary Sub-source told the FBI that one of his/her sub-sources furnished information for that part of Report 134 through a text message , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Sechin had offered a brokerage interest to Page , ” Inspector General Horowitz reported .
In a recently declassified footnote , Horowitz added : “ The Primary Sub-Source also told the FBI at these interviews that the sub-source who provided the information about the Carter Page-Sechin meeting had connections to Russian Intelligence Services ( RIS ) .
” At that same March hearing , Schiff pushed another Steele dossier claim .
“ According to Steele ’ s Russian sources , the Trump campaign is offered documents damaging to Hillary Clinton , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that gives them deniability , like Wikileaks.
” But like much of the information in the dossier , the FBI found the claim did not stand up when they interviewed Steele ’ s alleged sources .
“ The Primary Sub-source said , among other things , that he/she had only one , 10- to 15-minute telephone call with someone he/she believed was Person 1 and did not recall any discussion or mention of WikiLeaks , ” Horowitz reported .
“ … His/her statement that he/she did not recall any discussion or mention of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with those allegations.
” Many of Schiff ’ s claims that directly conflict with public evidence today were introduced in formal congressional proceedings .
For instance , here are three claims in Schiff ’ s Jan. 29 , 2018 minority Democratic memo on the House Intelligence Committee ’ s Russia probe and the conflicting evidence : Schiff Report Claim : “ FBI and DOJ officials did not abuse the FISA process , omit material information , or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign .
… DOJ met the rigor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet FISA ’ s probable cause requirement.
” Declassified Facts : Horowitz told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Dec. 11 , 2019 , “ I do not think the Department of Justice fairly treated these FISAs.
” His report went even further in describing how the FBI violated its own rules in submitting four FISA applications with a total of 51 pieces of unverified , inaccurate or false information .
“ FBI personnel fell far short of the requirement in FBI policy that they ensure that all factual statements in a FISA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he wrote .
“ We identified multiple instances in which factual assertions relied upon in the first FISA application were inaccurate , incomplete , or unsupported by appropriate documentation.
” The FISAs were so flawed in fact that DOJ has formally withdrawn two of the applications from the court in their entirety because they were incontrovertibly inaccurate .
Schiff Report Claim : DOJ and FBI officials “ made only narrow use of information from Steele ’ s sources about Page ’ s specific activities in 2016.
” Declassified Facts : Horowitz directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ played a central and essential role ” in the FISA application .
“ The FISA request form drew almost entirely from Steele ’ s reporting in describing the factual basis to establish probable cause to believe that Page was an agent of a foreign power , ” the IG wrote .
Declassified Facts : “ We found that the FBI did not have information corroborating the specific allegations against Carter Page in Steele ’ s reporting when it relied upon his reports in the first FISA application or subsequent renewal applications , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the revelations that most undercuts Schiff ’ s early embrace of the Steele dossier came only recently , when footnotes declassified from the Horowitz report showed the U.S. intelligence community first warned that Steele was susceptible to Russian disinformation starting in 2015 and by early 2017 had specific information in his dossier traced to Russian Intelligence Services ( RIS ) .
“ We identified reporting the Crossfire Hurricane team received from [ REDACTED ] indicating the potential for Russian disinformation influencing Steele 's election reporting , ” Horowitz wrote in one explosive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , report relayed information from [ REDACTED ] outlining an inaccuracy in a limited subset of Steele 's reporting about the activities of Michael Cohen .
The [ REDACTED ] stated that it did not have high confidence in this subset of Steele 's reporting and assessed that the referenced subset was part of a Russian disinformation campaign to denigrate U.S. foreign relations .
“ A second report from the same [ REDACTED ] five days later stated that a person named in the limited subset of Steele 's reporting had denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ REDACTED ] assessed that the person 's denials were truthful , '' the footnote added .
`` A USIC report dated February 27 , 2017 , contained information about an individual with reported connections to Trump and Russia who claimed that the public reporting about the details of Trump 's sexual activities in Moscow during a trip in 2013 were false , and that they were the product of RIS 'infiltrating a source into the network ' ” of Steele .
Those four red flags about Russian intelligence dirty tricks in the Steele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community before Schiff read parts of the document into the congressional record .
Schiff ’ s claims on his many television and media appearance during the early days of the Russia collusion narrative have also aged poorly .
In early February 2017 , Schiff fanned the narrative that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn may have sought to undercut President Obama ’ s sanctions on Russia during a phone call with the Russian ambassador and should be prosecuted under the Logan Act .
“ Trump ’ s team , through Flynn , reaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , 'Don ’ t worry about those sanctions .
We ’ re going to take care of business .
We ’ re not going to bite the hand that fed us . '
That ’ s something that needs to be investigated .
That ’ s hugely consequential , ” Schiff told The Atlantic magazine in a Feb. 14 , 2017 .
By the time Schiff uttered those words , the FBI agent who had investigated Flynn ’ s contacts with Russia had already concluded on Jan. 4 , 2017 that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn ’ s contacts and recommended closing down the case , according to recently declassified FBI memos .
And recently declassified documents from Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s probe show that the FBI had informed DOJ by late January 2017 that Flynn was not acting as an agent of Russia .
Likewise , the main prosecutor for national security cases inside the Justice Department , Mary McCord , and others thought prosecuting Flynn under the Logan Act was unlikely or a “ long shot ” after reading Flynn ’ s actual words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian ambassador , the memos show .
“ McCord said that upon learning of Flynn ’ s phone calls with Ambassador Kislyak , a Logan Act prosecution seemed like a stretch to her , ” the Mueller summary of her interview stated .
And a top FBI official 's handwritten notes expressed concern the bureau 's treatment of Flynn amounted to `` playing games '' and appeared to involve an effort to get him into an interview where he might so he could prosecuted or fired .
Once again , Schiff was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the intelligence community had already dismissed .
Schiff , whose office has repeatedly declined to respond to request for comment from Just the News , has publicly defended his comments on Steele and Russia collusion by saying : `` There is already , in my view , ample evidence in the public domain on the issue of collusion if you 're willing to see it . ''
History will judge Schiff ’ s claims by the final weight of facts , and there are many more declassifications to come in the Russia case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intelligence informed Schiff this week it may release transcripts of 53 interviews the House Intelligence Committee did with Russia case figures .
But there is already ample evidence to show that the Steele dossier that the House Intelligence Committee chairman so readily embraced and read into the congressional record was , in fact , erroneous , uncorroborated and tainted by Russian intelligence efforts to inject misinformation .
Many of Schiff ’ s other claims have , likewise , crumbled under the weight of facts now in the public record .
And there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics intend to make him pay a political price for his past words , as Rep. Jim Jordan and other House GOP colleagues made clear in a letter this week urging the House Intelligence Committee chairman to release the interview transcripts .
“ For almost four years , prominent Democrat politicians and commentators alleged that President Trump colluded with Russia , with Chairman Schiff going so far as to say that he had ‘ direct evidence ’ of collusion , ” the lawmakers wrote .
“ Now that these allegations have been disproven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserve to have transparency about why public figures such as Chairman Schiff continued to promote such wild accusations .
”

In a packed hearing room two months into Donald Trump’s embattled presidency, Rep. Adam Schiff played the willing protagonist by dramatically reading into the congressional record some of the most explosive claims from Christopher Steele’s dossier.
At the time, Steele’s dossier had recently burst on the scene, and the Trump White House was under siege as a far-reaching FBI investigation examined allegations — later disproven — that former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and others tried to collude with Russia to hijack the 2016 election.
“According to Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer who is reportedly held in high regard by U.S. intelligence, Russian sources tell him that Page has also had a secret meeting with Igor Sechin, CEO of Russian gas giant Rosneft,” Schiff declared at a March 20, 2017 House Intelligence Committee hearing.
“Sechin is reported to be a former KGB agent and close friend of Putin’s. According to Steele’s Russian sources, Page is offered brokerage fees by Sechin on a deal involving a 19 percent share of the company,” the California Democrat added.
Schiff’s decision to embrace the dossier and read it into a government proceeding gave the document enhanced public credibility with the media, just weeks after it had been leaked to the news site Buzzfeed and before its funding origins and accuracy were determined.
Three years later, Schiff is the House Intelligence Committee chairman. But his claims that day, and many others like it over the three years of the Russia scandal, have fallen into grave discredit, directly contradicted by intelligence evidence in recently declassified or released FBI and Justice Department memos and reports, a Just the News review has found.
For instance, Schiff claimed this about the Steele dossier in a Nov. 15, 2017 interview with The Wall Street Journal: “The bigger factor is how much of it can you corroborate and how much of it is true. A lot of it has turned out to be true.”
By the time Schiff made that remark, the former FBI Director James Comey had publicly warned the dossier contained "salacious and unverified material" and the bureau’s own spreadsheet had shown the dossier possessed several errors and mostly uncorroborated evidence, Justice Department memos show. Significant errors or contradictions with Steele's sources had been flagged already by January 2017.
“Despite the FBI’s efforts to corroborate and evaluate the Steele election reporting, we were told by [an FBI employee] that, as of September 2017, the FBI had corroborated limited information in the Steele election reporting, and much of that information was publicly available. Most relevant to the Carter Page FISA applications, the specific substantive allegations contained in Reports 80, 94, 95, and 102, which were relied upon in all four FISA applications, remained uncorroborated and, in several instances, were inconsistent with information gathered by the team,” Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz wrote in his December report.
File DOJ IG report on Russia FISAs
More recently declassified memos show Steele was far from being held in “high regard” as Schiff claimed at the hearing: By March 2017, the FBI had already terminated Steele for leaking (November 2016), been warned he was susceptible to Russian disinformation (2015), and been told he had an extreme bias against Trump (August 2016).
And Steele’s primary sub-source had disputed to the FBI facts attributed to him in the dossier, warning that Steele’s claim about the Page meeting with Sechin was inaccurate and fed to him by someone connected to Russia intelligence, raising the distinct concern it was disinformation.
“The Primary Sub-source told the FBI that one of his/her sub-sources furnished information for that part of Report 134 through a text message, but said that the sub-source never stated that Sechin had offered a brokerage interest to Page,” Inspector General Horowitz reported.
In a recently declassified footnote, Horowitz added: “The Primary Sub-Source also told the FBI at these interviews that the sub-source who provided the information about the Carter Page-Sechin meeting had connections to Russian Intelligence Services (RIS).”
At that same March hearing, Schiff pushed another Steele dossier claim. “According to Steele’s Russian sources, the Trump campaign is offered documents damaging to Hillary Clinton, which the Russians would publish through an outlet that gives them deniability, like Wikileaks.”
But like much of the information in the dossier, the FBI found the claim did not stand up when they interviewed Steele’s alleged sources.
“The Primary Sub-source said, among other things, that he/she had only one, 10- to 15-minute telephone call with someone he/she believed was Person 1 and did not recall any discussion or mention of WikiLeaks,” Horowitz reported. “… His/her statement that he/she did not recall any discussion or mention of WikiLeaks during the telephone call was inconsistent with those allegations.”
Many of Schiff’s claims that directly conflict with public evidence today were introduced in formal congressional proceedings.
For instance, here are three claims in Schiff’s Jan. 29, 2018 minority Democratic memo on the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia probe and the conflicting evidence:
Schiff Report Claim: “FBI and DOJ officials did not abuse the FISA process, omit material information, or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign. … DOJ met the rigor, transparency, and evidentiary basis needed to meet FISA’s probable cause requirement.”
Declassified Facts: Horowitz told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Dec. 11, 2019, “I do not think the Department of Justice fairly treated these FISAs.” His report went even further in describing how the FBI violated its own rules in submitting four FISA applications with a total of 51 pieces of unverified, inaccurate or false information. “FBI personnel fell far short of the requirement in FBI policy that they ensure that all factual statements in a FISA application are ‘scrupulously accurate,’” he wrote. “We identified multiple instances in which factual assertions relied upon in the first FISA application were inaccurate, incomplete, or unsupported by appropriate documentation.” The FISAs were so flawed in fact that DOJ has formally withdrawn two of the applications from the court in their entirety because they were incontrovertibly inaccurate.
Schiff Report Claim: DOJ and FBI officials “made only narrow use of information from Steele’s sources about Page’s specific activities in 2016.”
Declassified Facts: Horowitz directly contradicted this claim, concluding the dossier “played a central and essential role” in the FISA application. “The FISA request form drew almost entirely from Steele’s reporting in describing the factual basis to establish probable cause to believe that Page was an agent of a foreign power,” the IG wrote.
Schiff Report Claim: “DOJ provided additional information obtained through multiple independent sources that corroborated Steele’s reporting.”
Declassified Facts: “We found that the FBI did not have information corroborating the specific allegations against Carter Page in Steele’s reporting when it relied upon his reports in the first FISA application or subsequent renewal applications,” Horowitz reported in December.
One of the revelations that most undercuts Schiff’s early embrace of the Steele dossier came only recently, when footnotes declassified from the Horowitz report showed the U.S. intelligence community first warned that Steele was susceptible to Russian disinformation starting in 2015 and by early 2017 had specific information in his dossier traced to Russian Intelligence Services (RIS).
“We identified reporting the Crossfire Hurricane team received from [REDACTED] indicating the potential for Russian disinformation influencing Steele's election reporting,” Horowitz wrote in one explosive footnote. “A January 12, 2017, report relayed information from [REDACTED] outlining an inaccuracy in a limited subset of Steele's reporting about the activities of Michael Cohen. The [REDACTED] stated that it did not have high confidence in this subset of Steele's reporting and assessed that the referenced subset was part of a Russian disinformation campaign to denigrate U.S. foreign relations.
“A second report from the same [REDACTED] five days later stated that a person named in the limited subset of Steele's reporting had denied representations in the reporting and the [REDACTED] assessed that the person's denials were truthful," the footnote added. "A USIC report dated February 27, 2017, contained information about an individual with reported connections to Trump and Russia who claimed that the public reporting about the details of Trump's sexual activities in Moscow during a trip in 2013 were false, and that they were the product of RIS 'infiltrating a source into the network'” of Steele.
Those four red flags about Russian intelligence dirty tricks in the Steele dossier all were reported inside the intelligence community before Schiff read parts of the document into the congressional record.
Schiff’s claims on his many television and media appearance during the early days of the Russia collusion narrative have also aged poorly.
In early February 2017, Schiff fanned the narrative that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn may have sought to undercut President Obama’s sanctions on Russia during a phone call with the Russian ambassador and should be prosecuted under the Logan Act.
“Trump’s team, through Flynn, reaches out to the Russian ambassador and potentially says, 'Don’t worry about those sanctions. We’re going to take care of business. We’re not going to bite the hand that fed us.' That’s something that needs to be investigated. That’s hugely consequential,” Schiff told The Atlantic magazine in a Feb. 14, 2017.
By the time Schiff uttered those words, the FBI agent who had investigated Flynn’s contacts with Russia had already concluded on Jan. 4, 2017 that there was “no derogatory information” about Flynn’s contacts and recommended closing down the case, according to recently declassified FBI memos.
And recently declassified documents from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe show that the FBI had informed DOJ by late January 2017 that Flynn was not acting as an agent of Russia. Likewise, the main prosecutor for national security cases inside the Justice Department, Mary McCord, and others thought prosecuting Flynn under the Logan Act was unlikely or a “long shot” after reading Flynn’s actual words from a transcript of his conversation with the Russian ambassador, the memos show.
“McCord said that upon learning of Flynn’s phone calls with Ambassador Kislyak, a Logan Act prosecution seemed like a stretch to her,” the Mueller summary of her interview stated.
And a top FBI official's handwritten notes expressed concern the bureau's treatment of Flynn amounted to "playing games" and appeared to involve an effort to get him into an interview where he might so he could prosecuted or fired.
Once again, Schiff was peddling claims that DOJ, FBI and the intelligence community had already dismissed.
Schiff, whose office has repeatedly declined to respond to request for comment from Just the News, has publicly defended his comments on Steele and Russia collusion by saying: "There is already, in my view, ample evidence in the public domain on the issue of collusion if you're willing to see it."
History will judge Schiff’s claims by the final weight of facts, and there are many more declassifications to come in the Russia case. The Office of Director of National Intelligence informed Schiff this week it may release transcripts of 53 interviews the House Intelligence Committee did with Russia case figures.
But there is already ample evidence to show that the Steele dossier that the House Intelligence Committee chairman so readily embraced and read into the congressional record was, in fact, erroneous, uncorroborated and tainted by Russian intelligence efforts to inject misinformation.
Many of Schiff’s other claims have, likewise, crumbled under the weight of facts now in the public record.
And there is growing evidence that Schiff’s conservative critics intend to make him pay a political price for his past words, as Rep. Jim Jordan and other House GOP colleagues made clear in a letter this week urging the House Intelligence Committee chairman to release the interview transcripts.
“For almost four years, prominent Democrat politicians and commentators alleged that President Trump colluded with Russia, with Chairman Schiff going so far as to say that he had ‘direct evidence’ of collusion,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Now that these allegations have been disproven by several investigations, the American people deserve to have transparency about why public figures such as Chairman Schiff continued to promote such wild accusations.”


bonginoreport--2020-05-06--Texas AG Calls for Immediate Release of Jailed Dallas Salon Owner

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has called for the “ immediate release ” of a Dallas salon owner who was arrested and sent to jail for opening her business in defiance of Gov .
Greg Abbott ’ s stay-at-home orders .
Shelley Luther , owner of Salon A La Mode , was sentenced to seven days in jail Tuesday after Dallas judge Eric Moye said she violated those orders as the coronavirus pandemic continues .
Paxton said he believes the judge is abusing his authority and that her arrest seems like a “ political stunt.
” In a full statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent a letter to Moye , saying her sentencing was “ significantly overbroad.
” He mentioned that Abbott ’ s new executive order will allow her to operate business starting on Friday .
The new order that Abbott announced earlier this week allows for more businesses like salons and barber shops to reopen their doors on Friday , May 8 .
This comes a week after nonessential businesses like retail stores and restaurants were allowed to reopen in Texas at a 25 % capacity .
Paxton said jailing Luther for seven days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operate her business , is “ unjustifiable.
” Paxton also said Dallas County has been reducing its jail population due to concerns of COVID-19 and that releasing one more person shouldn ’ t be an issue .
“ A community that released all those people , some of whom committed serious crimes , can certainly stand to release one more—a mother whose only crime was operating a small business in an effort to feed her children , ” Paxton said in his letter .
Paxton told CBS 11 News there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion as the state ’ s top attorney .
“ We just thought that was way over the top .
It was an abuse of discretion and that the judge should not put people in jail like her who are just trying to make a living , ” Paxton said .
Abbott soon released a statement , saying he agrees with Paxton in asking for her release .
Paxton was asked about what he thought about salons reopening their doors before the new executive order went into effect .
“ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the governor is saying to open on Friday .
What I ’ m saying is if this woman is sitting in prison .
I think that ’ s too much of a penalty for what she did .
What she did was say I am desperate .
I need to work .
I need to take care of my people… ” Paxton said .
Luther received a cease-and-desist letter last week from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins to close her salon , but she publicly ripped it up .
She had reopened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salon owner has garnered crowds of residents who supported her decision to reopen her business even if it was in defiance of statewide orders .
Protesters could be seen Wednesday afternoon at an intersection near the Dallas County Jail , calling for her release .
So far , Luther has been fined $ 3,500 as of Tuesday .
However , Moye said she would continue to be fined $ 500 every day it was open until Friday .
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson , the Dallas County District Attorney ’ s Office and Jenkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During her appearance in court Tuesday , Moye and Luther made statements to one another .
“ If you would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that your own actions were selfish , putting your own interest ahead of those in the community in which you live , ” Moye said , offering her a chance to avoid jail time .
He said he would consider only giving her a fine , if she apologized , acknowledged she was wrong , and agreed to keep her business closed until Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may open .
“ I have much respect for this court and laws .
I have never been in this position before and it ’ s not someplace that I want to be , ” Luther responded .
“ But I have to disagree with you sir , when you say that I ’ m selfish because feeding my kids — is not selfish .
I have hair stylists that are going hungry because they ’ d rather feed their kids .
So sir , if you think the law is more important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go ahead with you decision but I am not going to shut the salon.
” Luther ’ s attorney , Warren Norred , said they would appeal the judge ’ s decision .
A GoFundMe page that was set up for Luther has , so far , raised over $ 400,000 .
The goal was originally $ 250,000 but it has since increased to $ 500,000 .

Little ones in the NICU at Texas Health hospitals are ready for the Fourth of July!
Babies in the neonatal intensive care units at Texas Health won't be able to go home for this year's Fourth of July, but that doesn't mean they can't join in the festivities.


bonginoreport--2020-05-06--Senate GOP Raises Concerns Over Coronavirus Spending

A number of Republicans in the Senate are starting to raise concerns about the massive amount of money the U.S. has spent combatting coronavirus , the Daily Caller has learned .
The federal government has appropriated nearly $ 3 trillion in roughly six weeks for coronavirus relief and number of Republican Senators shared their concerns over the amount of money being spent , when asked by the Daily Caller .
Many are saying they are encouraged to see states reopen their economies so that the borrowing from the federal government slows down .
“ Congress took unprecedented action to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tune of nearly $ 3 trillion .
As we ’ ve seen , that relief can only go so far .
In just the last five weeks , more than 30 million Americans have lost their jobs .
Entire livelihoods have been shattered .
Our deficit this year is projected to swell to nearly $ 4 trillion – an unprecedented level that we ’ re borrowing from the generations to come , ” Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz told the Daily Caller .
“ We can not simply spend our way out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged to see states begin re-opening the economy region by region , based on the science and public health guidance .
Moving forward , as we help the American people safely return to work , my priority will be focused on helping the economy recover .
We should start by continuing to waive every regulation that was waived during this crisis , and begin to repeal the most costly of the major regulations that have accumulated over the past decade .
Regulatory relief , coupled with tax relief , will be critical to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There ’ s no question we can do a better job of tailoring these programs to help those most impacted by this pandemic and putting responsible guardrails around this funding , ” Ohio Republican Sen .
Rob Portman told the Daily Caller when asked if he was concerned with the amount of money being spent .
Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines told the Daily Caller that not only should we be worried about spending , but that there needs to be an investigation into China ’ s role in the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Republicans Criticize Pelosi For Saying Trump ’ s WHO Cuts Are ‘ Illegal ’ ) “ I ’ m definitely concerned with the spending .
We absolutely must cut regulations across the board to help the economy boom – less regulation , more innovation .
In addition to investigating China ’ s role in the COVID-19 outbreak , I also think it ’ s critical we focus on bringing drug manufacturing and medical equipment jobs back to the U.S. from China and other countries , ” Daines told the Daily Caller .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government is spending too much money to try and combat coronavirus , also adding that states should be focused on reopening their economies .
( RELATED : EXCLUSIVE : Ted Cruz Urged Members To Pause Additional Spending In Senate GOP Phone Call ) “ In the past two months , Congress spent nearly $ 3 trillion and authorized the Fed to lend well over $ 2 trillion more to stave off an economic collapse .
This is more than one-quarter of our entire annual GDP , ” Toomey told the Daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our national debt is about to hit $ 25 trillion , our deficit this year will be double the worst year of the financial crisis , and we are risking higher interest rates and inflation .
Rather than yet another spending blowout , Congress should focus on re-opening our economy safely .
Government spending can never be a substitute for a functioning economy , ” Toomey continued .
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott ’ s office pointed out that the U.S. is on track to end the year with an excess of $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , who has been doing much of the negotiating .
( RELATED : Senate Approves $ 484 Billion Coronavirus Phase 3.5 Bill ) “ Nancy Pelosi wants to bail out state budgets and pensions of poorly-run states like New York , California and Illinois .
The state of Florida has followed sound fiscal policies for decades and is well-positioned to handle this crisis without a bailout , ” Scott ’ s office told the Daily Caller .
“ Senator Scott laid out his priorities in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting a handle on the federal deficit .
This year ’ s federal budget deficit will be the largest in the history of the nation , and Senator Scott has been clear that any additional agreement needs to take concrete steps to bring spending under control , ” Scott ’ s office continued .
The White House told the Daily Caller that they do not believe the federal government is bailing anyone out and did not mention a concern about the amount of money being spent .
( RELATED : McConnell Says Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guidance — House Will Remain Out Of Session ) “ The federal government is not bailing out anyone .
As President Trump has said , we are going to continue to take bold , aggressive action to help those most impacted by this unforeseen enemy so that we emerge from this challenge stronger and with a prosperous and growing economy , ” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere told the Daily Caller .
The Senate is now back in session and will work together with the White House on passing more legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American workers struggling across the country .

A number of Republicans in the Senate are starting to raise concerns about the massive amount of money the U.S. has spent combatting coronavirus, the Daily Caller has learned.
The federal government has appropriated nearly $3 trillion in roughly six weeks for coronavirus relief and number of Republican Senators shared their concerns over the amount of money being spent, when asked by the Daily Caller. Many are saying they are encouraged to see states reopen their economies so that the borrowing from the federal government slows down.
“Congress took unprecedented action to provide emergency relief from this economic devastation to the tune of nearly $3 trillion. As we’ve seen, that relief can only go so far. In just the last five weeks, more than 30 million Americans have lost their jobs. Entire livelihoods have been shattered. Our deficit this year is projected to swell to nearly $4 trillion – an unprecedented level that we’re borrowing from the generations to come,” Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz told the Daily Caller.
“We cannot simply spend our way out of this crisis. I’m encouraged to see states begin re-opening the economy region by region, based on the science and public health guidance. Moving forward, as we help the American people safely return to work, my priority will be focused on helping the economy recover. We should start by continuing to waive every regulation that was waived during this crisis, and begin to repeal the most costly of the major regulations that have accumulated over the past decade. Regulatory relief, coupled with tax relief, will be critical to revitalizing our economy,” Cruz continued.
“There’s no question we can do a better job of tailoring these programs to help those most impacted by this pandemic and putting responsible guardrails around this funding,” Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman told the Daily Caller when asked if he was concerned with the amount of money being spent.
Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines told the Daily Caller that not only should we be worried about spending, but that there needs to be an investigation into China’s role in the coronavirus outbreak. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans Criticize Pelosi For Saying Trump’s WHO Cuts Are ‘Illegal’)
“I’m definitely concerned with the spending. We absolutely must cut regulations across the board to help the economy boom – less regulation, more innovation. In addition to investigating China’s role in the COVID-19 outbreak, I also think it’s critical we focus on bringing drug manufacturing and medical equipment jobs back to the U.S. from China and other countries,” Daines told the Daily Caller.
Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey also said the federal government is spending too much money to try and combat coronavirus, also adding that states should be focused on reopening their economies. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Ted Cruz Urged Members To Pause Additional Spending In Senate GOP Phone Call)
“In the past two months, Congress spent nearly $3 trillion and authorized the Fed to lend well over $2 trillion more to stave off an economic collapse. This is more than one-quarter of our entire annual GDP,” Toomey told the Daily Caller.
“As a result, our national debt is about to hit $25 trillion, our deficit this year will be double the worst year of the financial crisis, and we are risking higher interest rates and inflation. Rather than yet another spending blowout, Congress should focus on re-opening our economy safely. Government spending can never be a substitute for a functioning economy,” Toomey continued.
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott’s office pointed out that the U.S. is on track to end the year with an excess of $25 trillion in federal debt, and criticized Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who has been doing much of the negotiating. (RELATED: Senate Approves $484 Billion Coronavirus Phase 3.5 Bill)
“Nancy Pelosi wants to bail out state budgets and pensions of poorly-run states like New York, California and Illinois. The state of Florida has followed sound fiscal policies for decades and is well-positioned to handle this crisis without a bailout,” Scott’s office told the Daily Caller.
“Senator Scott laid out his priorities in any potential Phase 4 agreement, which include getting a handle on the federal deficit. This year’s federal budget deficit will be the largest in the history of the nation, and Senator Scott has been clear that any additional agreement needs to take concrete steps to bring spending under control,” Scott’s office continued.
The White House told the Daily Caller that they do not believe the federal government is bailing anyone out and did not mention a concern about the amount of money being spent. (RELATED: McConnell Says Senate Will Be In Session Monday After New Guidance — House Will Remain Out Of Session)
“The federal government is not bailing out anyone. As President Trump has said, we are going to continue to take bold, aggressive action to help those most impacted by this unforeseen enemy so that we emerge from this challenge stronger and with a prosperous and growing economy,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere told the Daily Caller.
The Senate is now back in session and will work together with the White House on passing more legislation to help combat the coronavirus and help American workers struggling across the country.


bonginoreport--2020-05-06--James O’Keefe Exposes Extremely Misleading CBS Story on Coronavirus Testing

Did CBS fake a line of cars in Michigan in order to make it seem like COVID-19 testing was even more difficult ?
That ’ s what Project Veritas creator James O ’ Keefe asserts in a new video .
Footage of the May 1 CBS This Morning shows a long line of vehicles waiting for drive-by testing in Michigan .
According to O ’ Keefe , “ A CBS News crew pulled medical professionals off the floor at the Cherry Medical Center in Grand Rapids , Michigan , to line up in their vehicles so a CBS film crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 coverage.
” O ’ Keefe talked to an anonymous witness in Grand Rapids who alleged that CBS “ told us that medical personnel were taken away from treating patients and making the line longer for actual patients wait for the COVID-19 test.
” Here ’ s the actual video from the segment that aired on last Friday ’ s CBS This Morning : In the segment , co-host Anthony Mason tinged it all with politics , chiding , “ Michigan ’ s Republican-led legislature has voted to sue the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus state of emergency there .
Hundreds of protesters , some of them with guns , gathered at the state capitol yesterday demanding an end to emergency restrictions.
” Co-host Gayle King added , “ Only six states have reported more cases than Michigan , but fewer than two percent of its people have been tested for the virus.
” Nick Ross , a corporate cleaning site supervisor at the Cherry Health facility , said he was there when the CBS News crew arrived and set up the video shoot at the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Apparently the news crew wanted more people in the line because they knew it was scheduled.
” “ It 's just annoying cause we could have done other stuff , ” said one registered nurse there recorded with a hidden camera by a Project Veritas insider .
Now , remember how journalists melted down over the White House presenting a “ propaganda ” video of scripted comments on corona .
On April 14 , John King lashed out : “ At times , It bordered on dangerous , ” adding “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He played it in the room , that cherry-picked moments .
This was a Trump-is-awesome video , at taxpayer expense.
” CBS News President Susan Zirinsky gave a statement to O'Keefe and is denying any attempt at fakery .
But the network is removing a portion of the video .
CBS News did not stage anything at the Cherry Health facility .
Any suggestion to the contrary is 100 % false .
These allegations are alarming .
We reached out to Cherry Health to address them immediately .
They informed us for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers told at least one staffer to get in the testing line along with real patients .
No one from CBS News had any knowledge of this before tonight .
They also said that their actions did not prevent any actual patients from being tested .
We take the accuracy of our reporting very seriously and we are removing the Cherry Health portion from the piece .
Most people know that B-roll video for news events is packaged and shaped for the TV audience .
But journalists show their hypocrisy when they freak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like an exaggerated line of cars ?
Here is the video O'Keefe produced for his Project Veritas site : Here ’ s the transcript from the May 1 segment .
Click `` expand '' to read more .
ANTHONY MASON : .
Michigan ’ s Republican-led legislature has voted to sue the state ’ s Democratic governor to stop her extending the coronavirus state of emergency there .
Hundreds of protesters , some of them with guns , gathered at the state capitol yesterday demanding an end to emergency restrictions .
GAYLE KING @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases than Michigan , but fewer than two percent of its people have been tested for the virus .
In our series on the state of coronavirus testing , Adriana Diaz shows how Michigan is trying to improve a system that has failed some of its people .
KAILA CORROTHERS : This is like having your heart ripped from your body .
DIAZ : Kaila Corrothers ’ mother , Deborah Gatewood , worked at Beaumont Hospital outside Detroit , drawing blood for thirty-one years .
But when she came down with a fever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same hospital denied her a COVID test more than once .
How many times did she try to get tested ?
ADRIANA DIAZ : And every time what happened ?
KAILA CORROTHERS : She got sent home each time .
She lost faith in the whole healthcare system .
DIAZ : So , your mom , a health care worker , lost faith in the health care system ?
DIAZ : Beaumont Health told CBS News , `` We ’ re doing everything we can to evaluate , triage and care for patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time .
We grieve the loss of any patient.. '' ADRIANA DIAZ : Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has since expanded testing criteria to include milder symptoms and all essential workers .
We spoke to one of your constituents who lost her mother to COVID-19 after being turned away from a testing center four times .
Did you expand the criteria too late ?
GRETCHEN WHITMER : I think that ` s the saddest reality of a country that was under-prepared for a global pandemic .
The fact that we ` ve never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government didn ’ t prepare contributes to the fact that we had to ration tests at the front end of this pandemic .
And I recognize that lives were lost .
DIAZ : Testing has doubled in recent weeks , but shortages of swabs and chemical solution are still an issue .
GRETCHEN WHITMER : The CDC guidelines are that we should be testing between one to two percent of our population over the course of a week in order to have some confidence that it ` s safe to reopen , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while before we get there .
ADRIANA DIAZ : The governor ’ s goal is to test at least fourteen thousand people a day .
Right now they ` re doing roughly half that .
The epicenter is the Detroit area , which accounts for more than seventy percent of the state ` s cases , and disproportionately people of color .
DIAZ : There , walk-up testing has been set up to reach residents without cars .
Has it been hard for you to get a test ?
DIAZ : In Grand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more state funding , we found a twenty-five percent increase in testing at Cherry Hill .
Tasha Blackmon is the CEO .
TASHA BLACKMON : So , we do have enough testing kits , but we ’ re really short on gowns .
We ` re also short on N95 masks .
We can not expand further without any additional personal protective equipment .
DIAZ : They also can ’ t expand testing because of recent staffing cuts .
TASHA BLACKMON : Cherry Health has laid off about twenty-five percent of our staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time like this ?
DIAZ : By executive order , the governor has shut down most of the economy , drawing ire from a small but vocal minority .
Some think she ` s gone too far , like Sheriff Ted Schendel of rural Benzie County .
TED SCHENDEL : Keep in mind , we ` re on Executive Order Number 60 .
DIAZ : I detect you feel a certain way about that .
SCHENDEL : Well , yeah .
Because it ’ s just one right after the other .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can use my county example .
We have zero deaths .
Let ` s give us a chance to get out , go back to work , put food on the table for our families .
DIAZ : But the governor says testing above all else will help determine when to fully reopen .
WHITMER : Some people will think we should move faster .
I ` m going to listen to the public health experts , and I 'm going to work with the business side of the equation to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep people safe when it is safe to start to reengage .
DIAZ : The governor says she may further open the economy region by region if the data shows it ` s safe .
Now putting Michigan back to work won ` t make up for the roughly three billion dollars the state estimates it will lose because of the pandemic .

Did CBS fake a line of cars in Michigan in order to make it seem like COVID-19 testing was even more difficult? That’s what Project Veritas creator James O’Keefe asserts in a new video. Footage of the May 1 CBS This Morning shows a long line of vehicles waiting for drive-by testing in Michigan.
According to O’Keefe, “A CBS News crew pulled medical professionals off the floor at the Cherry Medical Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to line up in their vehicles so a CBS film crew would have a long line for their COVID-19 coverage.”
O’Keefe talked to an anonymous witness in Grand Rapids who alleged that CBS “told us that medical personnel were taken away from treating patients and making the line longer for actual patients wait for the COVID-19 test.”
Here’s the actual video from the segment that aired on last Friday’s CBS This Morning:
In the segment, co-host Anthony Mason tinged it all with politics, chiding, “Michigan’s Republican-led legislature has voted to sue the state’s Democratic governor to stop her extending the coronavirus state of emergency there. Hundreds of protesters, some of them with guns, gathered at the state capitol yesterday demanding an end to emergency restrictions.”
Co-host Gayle King added, “Only six states have reported more cases than Michigan, but fewer than two percent of its people have been tested for the virus.”
On his website, O’Keefe explained:
Nick Ross, a corporate cleaning site supervisor at the Cherry Health facility, said he was there when the CBS News crew arrived and set up the video shoot at the COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot, "Apparently the news crew wanted more people in the line because they knew it was scheduled.” … “It's just annoying cause we could have done other stuff,” said one registered nurse there recorded with a hidden camera by a Project Veritas insider.
Now, remember how journalists melted down over the White House presenting a “propaganda” video of scripted comments on corona. On April 14, John King lashed out: “At times, It bordered on dangerous,” adding “The President began with a propaganda video. He played it in the room, that cherry-picked moments. This was a Trump-is-awesome video, at taxpayer expense.”
CBS News President Susan Zirinsky gave a statement to O'Keefe and is denying any attempt at fakery. But the network is removing a portion of the video.
CBS News did not stage anything at the Cherry Health facility. Any suggestion to the contrary is 100% false. These allegations are alarming. We reached out to Cherry Health to address them immediately. They informed us for the first time that one of their chief officers told at least one staffer to get in the testing line along with real patients. No one from CBS News had any knowledge of this before tonight. They also said that their actions did not prevent any actual patients from being tested. We take the accuracy of our reporting very seriously and we are removing the Cherry Health portion from the piece.
Most people know that B-roll video for news events is packaged and shaped for the TV audience. But journalists show their hypocrisy when they freak out over carefully “cherry-picked moments.” Like an exaggerated line of cars?
Here is the video O'Keefe produced for his Project Veritas site:
Here’s the transcript from the May 1 segment. Click "expand" to read more.


bonginoreport--2020-05-06--British Political Analyst Exposed as China Propagandist

A National Pulse investigation has revealed a concerted campaign of misinformation and lies peddled by Western-based “ analysts ” keen to promote the Chinese Communist Party ’ s line , and attack those intent on holding the brutal Chinese dictatorship to account .
Tom Fowdy , a British political analyst with a vast portfolio of pro-Chinese Communist Party content in Chinese state media , insists he has no affiliation with the CCP , hastily blocking National Pulse reporters and editor-in-chief Raheem Kassam for questioning him about the connection .
A deep dive into his past and present commitments suggests otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Steve Bannon : A Modern Day Demagogue ” for China Global Television Network ( CGTN ) , part of Chinese state media ’ s broader smear campaign against the former White House Chief Strategist , War Room : Pandemic podcast host , and ardent CCP critic .
The outlet Fowdy frequently writes for is a registered foreign agent , operating under the auspices of the CCP .
The article swiftly followed CGTN publishing another Bannon hit piece , “ Here ’ s why Steve Bannon can ’ t be trusted , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a “ security analyst ” at the London School of Economics ’ South Asia Centre : When asked on Tuesday about the nature of his affiliation with the CCP , Tom Fowdy lashed out emotionally at critics , and instead of answering basic questions , blocked dozens of Twitter users calling for transparency .
Soon after , Fowdy locked his account for several hours .
But Fowdy ’ s status as a de facto Chinese Communist Party propaganda mouthpiece is well-documented and doesn ’ t even require access to his Twitter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lived in Beijing , Shanghai , and Hong Kong , claims his arrangement with Chinese state media outlets is “ not actually a contracted or formal job , ” his own LinkedIn suggests otherwise .
At CGTN , Fowdy claims the title of “ columnist , ” but his work for the organization is not limited to just writing over 200 CCP puff pieces : he helps amplify the outlet ’ s reach .
He lists himself as a consultant for the outlet on “ social media strategies.
” Fowdy ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ voluntary op-eds , ” and social media consultancy .
He ’ s produced multiple videos with CGTN with “ political analyst ” as his biography .
In the video “ Is America really losing on trade ?
” Fowdy echoes CCP talking points , alleging President Trump ’ s tariffs harm Americans .
He goes so far as to make the risible claim that Americans benefit from the massive trade deficit with China .
China ’ s exploitative trade practices disproportionately disadvantage working-class Americans unable to compete with cheap labor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million jobs in less than two decades and contributing to the massive opioid epidemic in the U.S .
In another video for CGTN , Fowdy disparages Hong Kong ’ s democracy protestors who seek freedom from the Chinese Communist Regime .
Fowdy justifies Chinese state-sanctioned law enforcers who cracked down on the protests , stating : “ Local authorities can not be expected to concede on legitimate matters of law enforcement and holding those who have pursued violence and criminal activities to account .
This is not political oppression.
” “ The general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong ’ s status as a part of China in a pragmatic way .
The principle of ‘ One Country ’ must be upheld as an unconditional line for dialogue.
” The “ One Country ” doctrine Fowdy promotes is part of the CCP ’ s justification for the violence and repression it inflicts on Taiwan and minority groups , for the policy supports the regime ’ s belief it wields complete and unchallengeable imperial authority .
In multiple CGTN pieces , Fowdy criticizes people “ waging a defamatory campaign against Huawei.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telecommunications equipment giant .
Founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei , a Chinese Communist Party member and former military officer in the People ’ s Liberation Army , Huawei ’ s rise stemmed from generous CCP backing .
Huawei poses “ massive security and privacy risks .
With 5G capabilities , the CCP could use Huawei to steal private or proprietary information or use kill switches to disrupt critical future applications like electrical grids ” according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Despite this , “ Consumers who enjoy and appreciate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War opportunism to get in the way of their experience , ” according to Fowdy .
Fowdy has also likened the CCP ’ s well-documented repression of Uyghurs as “ a great deal of misunderstanding , hysteria , and deliberate opportunism being placed on the issue by some Western elites.
” He ’ s cast efforts to remove Confucius Institutes from American campuses as a misguided “ war , ” insisting that the CCP-funded entity – a trojan horse for propaganda – which has admitted to wanting to introduce Chinese “ morality and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ political subversion , spread ideology or attempt to influence local politics.
” And Fowdy uses additional Chinese state media platforms to simp for the CCP .
Penning several pieces for Global Times , a daily tabloid which is part of the CCP ’ s People ’ s Daily newspaper , he purports that “ ideological narcissism causes heavy losses to West amid outbreak ” while glorifying the CCP ’ s response : “ Beijing would be effectively declaring victory , while the West descended slowly into a state of panic.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool anti-China rhetoric.
” Fowdy ’ s works entitled “ China ’ s key role will not go away ” and “ Pompeo weaponizes normal exchanges ” were published at the state-owned outlet China Daily , and China Plus has also shared his anti-Trump content : “ as midterms approach , Trump weaponizes migrant fearmongering ” and “ Far-right anti-Semitism is rising in US.
” He ’ s even taken his analysis on “ how China got to zero new domestic COVID-19 cases ” to a Nigerian newspaper and the Southern African Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 2016 declaration that “ Wherever the readers are , wherever the viewers are , that is where propaganda reports must extend their tentacles.
” But his CCP ties run much deeper than commentary .
Fowdy claims he was a marketing intern at Beijing-based Hongzhou Learning , a company which has “ achieved support from the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office ” since it carries out the CCP ’ s “ Belt and Road ” policy , specifically facilitating “ the cooperation and exchanges between Chinese universities and the Universities along belt and road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was part of a team assisting the CCP ’ s message by amplifying the reach of the program .
As the founder of “ Visit North Korea ” – a travel agency for those who want to visit the communist country – Fowdy apparently helped organize trips for tourists and study-abroad programs for students .
The company ’ s blog , which Fowdy contributes to , has posted articles including “ Five extremely annoying things in the UK you won ’ t miss whilst visiting North Korea , ” “ Seven places in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Korea , ” and “ Five reasons North Korea is a better holiday destination than Spain.
” “ The leadership of North Korea is poorly understood in Western political discourse .
Kim Jong Un and his predecessors are vilified , mocked and dismissed with the usual western buzzwords of “ dictator ” , “ brutal ” , “ despot ” , “ madman ” and so on .
When faced with the observation that many people in North Korea happen to revere the leadership , again westerners dismiss it as “ propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ brainwashing ” or so on , as the average western assumes it is impossible they can be in any way legitimate.
” In an interview with Mandatory Redistribution Party , which describes itself as publishing “ radical left interviews , ” Fowdy admitted that while the company is “ not owned by [ North Korea ] , but you have to work in correspondence with them.
” Fowdy also says he ’ s trying to “ myth bust ” many Western conceptions about the North Korean regime , suggesting the country should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and less antagonistic light.
” “ The world could be a better place through visiting North Korea , ” he adds .
The interview gets even more absurd : he justifies North Korea ’ s quest for nuclear weapons and declares that “ China is very misunderstood by the West.
” The company ’ s Twitter account peddles the same narrative : Fowdy also spearheaded a controversial initiative to bring his hometown ’ s soccer team to North Korea , which many rightfully condemned as enabling the brutal North Korean regime .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s official contact .
Despite these connections , the CCP touts him as a “ British political and international relations Analyst , ” certainly an interesting euphemism for propagandist , consultant , Belt and Road initiative enabler , and North Korea simp .
In a comment not sent to the National Pulse , but issued on his Twitter account , Tom Fowdy insisted : “ My work is motivated by a desire to promote an objective , nuanced view into China and a passionate urge to combat far-right conveyors of fake news such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Pulse ] .
” Those “ objective , nuanced views ” just happen to be commissioned and promoted by the Communist Party of China .
The National Pulse will continue to expose CCP propagandists and their bedfellows .
Kinglsey Cortes and Corby King contributed to this report .

A National Pulse investigation has revealed a concerted campaign of misinformation and lies peddled by Western-based “analysts” keen to promote the Chinese Communist Party’s line, and attack those intent on holding the brutal Chinese dictatorship to account.
Tom Fowdy, a British political analyst with a vast portfolio of pro-Chinese Communist Party content in Chinese state media, insists he has no affiliation with the CCP, hastily blocking National Pulse reporters and editor-in-chief Raheem Kassam for questioning him about the connection. A deep dive into his past and present commitments suggests otherwise.
Fowdy recently penned an op-ed entitled “Steve Bannon: A Modern Day Demagogue” for China Global Television Network (CGTN), part of Chinese state media’s broader smear campaign against the former White House Chief Strategist, War Room: Pandemic podcast host, and ardent CCP critic.
The outlet Fowdy frequently writes for is a registered foreign agent, operating under the auspices of the CCP.
The article swiftly followed CGTN publishing another Bannon hit piece, “Here’s why Steve Bannon can’t be trusted,” by author Hannan Hussain who faked credentials as a “security analyst” at the London School of Economics’ South Asia Centre:
When asked on Tuesday about the nature of his affiliation with the CCP, Tom Fowdy lashed out emotionally at critics, and instead of answering basic questions, blocked dozens of Twitter users calling for transparency.
Soon after, Fowdy locked his account for several hours.
But Fowdy’s status as a de facto Chinese Communist Party propaganda mouthpiece is well-documented and doesn’t even require access to his Twitter to piece together.
While Fowdy, who’s lived in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, claims his arrangement with Chinese state media outlets is “not actually a contracted or formal job,” his own LinkedIn suggests otherwise.
At CGTN, Fowdy claims the title of “columnist,” but his work for the organization is not limited to just writing over 200 CCP puff pieces: he helps amplify the outlet’s reach.
He lists himself as a consultant for the outlet on “social media strategies.”
Fowdy’s participation also isn’t limited to “voluntary op-eds,” and social media consultancy. He’s produced multiple videos with CGTN with “political analyst” as his biography.
In the video “Is America really losing on trade?” Fowdy echoes CCP talking points, alleging President Trump’s tariffs harm Americans. He goes so far as to make the risible claim that Americans benefit from the massive trade deficit with China.
China’s exploitative trade practices disproportionately disadvantage working-class Americans unable to compete with cheap labor and low production costs, hemorrhaging nearly four million jobs in less than two decades and contributing to the massive opioid epidemic in the U.S.
In another video for CGTN, Fowdy disparages Hong Kong’s democracy protestors who seek freedom from the Chinese Communist Regime.
Fowdy justifies Chinese state-sanctioned law enforcers who cracked down on the protests, stating:
“Local authorities cannot be expected to concede on legitimate matters of law enforcement and holding those who have pursued violence and criminal activities to account. This is not political oppression.”
“The general public must become more accepting of Hong Kong’s status as a part of China in a pragmatic way. The principle of ‘One Country’ must be upheld as an unconditional line for dialogue.”
The “One Country” doctrine Fowdy promotes is part of the CCP’s justification for the violence and repression it inflicts on Taiwan and minority groups, for the policy supports the regime’s belief it wields complete and unchallengeable imperial authority.
And Fowdy’s written commentary is equally egregious.
In multiple CGTN pieces, Fowdy criticizes people “waging a defamatory campaign against Huawei.”
In reality, Huawei is a CCP-affiliated telecommunications equipment giant. Founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, a Chinese Communist Party member and former military officer in the People’s Liberation Army, Huawei’s rise stemmed from generous CCP backing.
Huawei poses “massive security and privacy risks. With 5G capabilities, the CCP could use Huawei to steal private or proprietary information or use kill switches to disrupt critical future applications like electrical grids” according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Despite this, “Consumers who enjoy and appreciate the products of Huawei should not allow Cold War opportunism to get in the way of their experience,” according to Fowdy.
Fowdy has also likened the CCP’s well-documented repression of Uyghurs as “a great deal of misunderstanding, hysteria, and deliberate opportunism being placed on the issue by some Western elites.”
He’s cast efforts to remove Confucius Institutes from American campuses as a misguided “war,” insisting that the CCP-funded entity – a trojan horse for propaganda – which has admitted to wanting to introduce Chinese “morality and values” into American schools refrains from “political subversion, spread ideology or attempt to influence local politics.”
And Fowdy uses additional Chinese state media platforms to simp for the CCP.
Penning several pieces for Global Times, a daily tabloid which is part of the CCP’s People’s Daily newspaper, he purports that “ideological narcissism causes heavy losses to West amid outbreak” while glorifying the CCP’s response:
“Beijing would be effectively declaring victory, while the West descended slowly into a state of panic.”
He also insists the “UK needs to cool anti-China rhetoric.”
Fowdy’s works entitled “China’s key role will not go away” and “Pompeo weaponizes normal exchanges” were published at the state-owned outlet China Daily, and China Plus has also shared his anti-Trump content: “as midterms approach, Trump weaponizes migrant fearmongering” and “Far-right anti-Semitism is rising in US.”
He’s even taken his analysis on “how China got to zero new domestic COVID-19 cases” to a Nigerian newspaper and the Southern African Times, in line with Xi Jinping’s 2016 declaration that “Wherever the readers are, wherever the viewers are, that is where propaganda reports must extend their tentacles.”
But his CCP ties run much deeper than commentary.
Fowdy claims he was a marketing intern at Beijing-based Hongzhou Learning, a company which has “achieved support from the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office” since it carries out the CCP’s “Belt and Road” policy, specifically facilitating “the cooperation and exchanges between Chinese universities and the Universities along belt and road countries”
In other words, Fowdy was part of a team assisting the CCP’s message by amplifying the reach of the program.
Tom Fowdy’s other business dealings are equally questionable.
As the founder of “Visit North Korea” – a travel agency for those who want to visit the communist country – Fowdy apparently helped organize trips for tourists and study-abroad programs for students.
The company’s blog, which Fowdy contributes to, has posted articles including “Five extremely annoying things in the UK you won’t miss whilst visiting North Korea,” “Seven places in Britain that are scarier to Visit than North Korea,” and “Five reasons North Korea is a better holiday destination than Spain.”
The blog even asserts:
“The leadership of North Korea is poorly understood in Western political discourse. Kim Jong Un and his predecessors are vilified, mocked and dismissed with the usual western buzzwords of “dictator”, “brutal”, “despot”, “madman” and so on. When faced with the observation that many people in North Korea happen to revere the leadership, again westerners dismiss it as “propaganda”, “an act”, “brainwashing” or so on, as the average western assumes it is impossible they can be in any way legitimate.”
In an interview with Mandatory Redistribution Party, which describes itself as publishing “radical left interviews,” Fowdy admitted that while the company is “not owned by [North Korea], but you have to work in correspondence with them.”
Fowdy also says he’s trying to “myth bust” many Western conceptions about the North Korean regime, suggesting the country should be addressed in “a more objective and less antagonistic light.”
“The world could be a better place through visiting North Korea,” he adds.
The interview gets even more absurd: he justifies North Korea’s quest for nuclear weapons and declares that “China is very misunderstood by the West.”
The company’s Twitter account peddles the same narrative:
https://twitter.com/VisitDPRK/status/1256482079673659393
Fowdy also spearheaded a controversial initiative to bring his hometown’s soccer team to North Korea, which many rightfully condemned as enabling the brutal North Korean regime.
He was even listed as the team’s official contact.
Despite these connections, the CCP touts him as a “British political and international relations Analyst,” certainly an interesting euphemism for propagandist, consultant, Belt and Road initiative enabler, and North Korea simp.
In a comment not sent to the National Pulse, but issued on his Twitter account, Tom Fowdy insisted: “My work is motivated by a desire to promote an objective, nuanced view into China and a passionate urge to combat far-right conveyors of fake news such as Raheem [Kassam, Editor of the National Pulse].”
Those “objective, nuanced views” just happen to be commissioned and promoted by the Communist Party of China.
The National Pulse will continue to expose CCP propagandists and their bedfellows.
Kinglsey Cortes and Corby King contributed to this report.


bonginoreport--2020-05-07--California Strikes Deal to Buy 200 Million Masks – From China

California will pay Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD Auto $ 3.30 for individual coronavirus masks in a deal made under a $ 1 billion coronavirus response contract .
Officials under the administration of Gov .
Gavin Newsom have previously said the agreement with BYD will produce 200 million masks per month through the end of June , according to the Los Angeles Times .
Of that amount , 150 million will be N95 masks , and 50 million will be surgical masks .
The LA Times found that documents from the California State Treasurer 's Office , which oversees the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the N95 masks but not the cost of the traditional surgical masks the company has also sold to the state .
Nearly 10 million surgical masks have already been shipped by BYD , many of which have have been distributed across counties in the state .
While high demand for personal protective equipment in the midst of the pandemic fluctuated costs for gear such as masks , California struck a deal to pay under half of what other states were paying at one time .
Some states were paying up to $ 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A spokesperson from Newsom 's office called the cost the state was paying a `` fair one for taxpayers . ''
But Sergio Fernandez de Cordova , chairman of a New York media nonprofit group helping secure affordable mask deals with government agencies , said the $ 3.30 masks could be 30 cents higher than it costs BYD to manufacture and ship .
Cordova told the LA Times it could 've been possible for California to create a large amount of masks on its own for less than a dollar .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the city made a deal to pay 79 cents for Honeywell N95 masks , although they may not arrive until summer or fall .
FOX News reported state lawmakers were growing skeptical of Newsom 's lack of detail on the state 's purchase in recent weeks .
The governor told MSNBC 's Rachel Maddow that California was competing against other states , countries , and the federal government for equipment and decided to take matters into its own hands .
While the state received 1 million masks from the federal government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the national stockpile for more .
`` We decided enough 's enough , '' Newsom told Maddow .
`` Let 's use the purchasing power of the state of California as a nation-state .
We did just that . ''

California will pay Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD Auto $3.30 for individual coronavirus masks in a deal made under a $1 billion coronavirus response contract.
Officials under the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom have previously said the agreement with BYD will produce 200 million masks per month through the end of June, according to the Los Angeles Times. Of that amount, 150 million will be N95 masks, and 50 million will be surgical masks.
The LA Times found that documents from the California State Treasurer's Office, which oversees the funds, only includes the cost of the N95 masks but not the cost of the traditional surgical masks the company has also sold to the state. Nearly 10 million surgical masks have already been shipped by BYD, many of which have have been distributed across counties in the state.
While high demand for personal protective equipment in the midst of the pandemic fluctuated costs for gear such as masks, California struck a deal to pay under half of what other states were paying at one time. Some states were paying up to $7 per mask during the height of fluctuation.
A spokesperson from Newsom's office called the cost the state was paying a "fair one for taxpayers."
But Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, chairman of a New York media nonprofit group helping secure affordable mask deals with government agencies, said the $3.30 masks could be 30 cents higher than it costs BYD to manufacture and ship.
Cordova told the LA Times it could've been possible for California to create a large amount of masks on its own for less than a dollar.
Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city made a deal to pay 79 cents for Honeywell N95 masks, although they may not arrive until summer or fall.
FOX News reported state lawmakers were growing skeptical of Newsom's lack of detail on the state's purchase in recent weeks.
The governor told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that California was competing against other states, countries, and the federal government for equipment and decided to take matters into its own hands.
While the state received 1 million masks from the federal government, Newsom said there's just not enough in the national stockpile for more.
"We decided enough's enough," Newsom told Maddow. "Let's use the purchasing power of the state of California as a nation-state. We did just that."


bonginoreport--2020-05-07--FDA Approves Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine for Phase 2 Trial

Shares of Moderna surged by more than 10 % in premarket trading Thursday after it announced that the Food and @ @ @ @ @ vaccine for phase 2 trial , what the company called a `` crucial step .
@ @ @ @ @ will begin phase 2 trials with 600 participants shortly and is finalizing plans for a @ @ @ @ @ as this summer .
`` We are accelerating manufacturing scale-up and our partnership with Lonza @ @ @ @ @ to make and distribute as many vaccine doses of mRNA-1273 as possible , should it @ @ @ @ @ effective , '' CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement .
The company hopes to @ @ @ @ @ early this summer here , which would potentially approve the first batch as soon as @ @ @ @ @ This is breaking news .
Please check back for updates .

Shares of Moderna surged Thursday after it announced that the Food and Drug Administration cleared its coronavirus vaccine for a phase 2 trial, what the company called a "crucial step."
Moderna said it will begin phase 2 trials with 600 participants shortly and is finalizing plans for a phase 3 trial as early as this summer.
"We are accelerating manufacturing scale-up and our partnership with Lonza puts us in a position to make and distribute as many vaccine doses of mRNA-1273 as possible, should it prove to be safe and effective," CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. The company hopes to start a phase 3 trial early this summer here, which would line it up for approval for public sale as soon as 2021, he said.
The company's shares jumped more than 16% in premarket trading before losing gains after the open. In early trading the stock was up nearly 6%.
The company said it expects to "incur significant expenses this year" related to the development of and manufacturing of its potential vaccine. However, it added that it expects "a close matching of expenses and reimbursements for those expenses" from its award by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
BARDA, which is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, last month warded Moderna up to $483 million in funding to accelerate development of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate.
The race to develop anything to fight the coronavirus is intensely competitive and investors are watching closely for signs of progress on treatments and vaccines. Moderna, as well as other companies in the race, is ramping up manufacturing ahead of approval so that it can rapidly distribute doses if their candidate proves effective against the virus and safe for humans.
Last week, Moderna announced a 10-year partnership with Swiss drugmaker Lonza to accelerate production of the experimental vaccine. Bancel told CNBC at the time that the company hopes to begin manufacturing its potential vaccine "as early as July."
"Our team is ready to start dosing as soon as we get the green light," Bancel said on "Squawk Box." He added that with the partnership, the company hopes to be able to manufacture about 1 billion doses per year.
The potential vaccine, which was developed by researchers at Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, became the first candidate to enter a phase 1 human trial in March.
The vaccine candidate uses synthetic messenger RNA to inoculate against the virus. Such treatments help the body immunize against a virus and can potentially be developed and manufactured more quickly than traditional vaccines.
Covid-19 has infected more than 3.7 million people around the world and killed at least 264,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
As the company's focus shifts toward developing its coronavirus vaccine candidate and as the virus itself disrupts society across the world, Moderna warned that development of treatments for other diseases are being disrupted and delayed. Affected treatments include a potential personalized cancer vaccine and others.
The company also announced several changes in management roles related to vaccine development, regulatory affairs and infectious diseases.
"We are excited to welcome these three new senior leaders, who bring extensive clinical development, regulatory and commercial experience, as we begin to pivot towards late-stage development and commercialization," Bancel said Thursday of the new hires.
The company said it has $1.7 billion in cash and investments and up to $700 million available in potential grants and awards.


bonginoreport--2020-05-07--Gov. DeSantis: China is “Going to Pay” for Hoarding Medical Supplies

Republican Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that China is “ going to need to pay ” for hoarding personal protective equipment ( PPE ) during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ As many people know , this PPE was a major crunch , particularly in March .
China had known what was going on — they specifically bought up a lot of the stuff , really to try to screw over the rest of the world , which they ’ re going to need to pay for doing that , ” DeSantis said at a press conference while touting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added : “ But we were fighting for PPE .
Jared [ Kushner ] did a great job.
” ( RELATED : Majority Of Intelligence Community Agencies Believe Coronavirus Leaked Out Of Wuhan Lab , Senior Intel Official Tells Us ) China “ intentionally concealed the severity ” of the coronavirus outbreak in its early stages in order to hoard medical equipment , a Department of Homeland Security report obtained by The Associated Press stated .
Chinese government officials silenced doctors , whistleblowers and journalists who sought to warn the public about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 95 % of the virus ’ s global spread could have been prevented if China had acted to combat the virus three weeks earlier , one study found .
While withholding information about the transmissibility of the virus , the Chinese government stockpiled medical supplies from abroad , including face masks , gloves and surgical gowns , according to the May 1 DHS report .
Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn has called on China to waive the roughly $ 1 trillion of U.S. debt it holds as reparations for its handling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing opinion among our colleagues that China needs to be first of all held to account for what they ’ ve done , and secondly they need to pay for what this has cost in lives and livelihoods and suffering and what it cost our economy , ” Blackburn said on April 13 .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that China is “going to need to pay” for hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic.
“As many people know, this PPE was a major crunch, particularly in March. China had known what was going on — they specifically bought up a lot of the stuff, really to try to screw over the rest of the world, which they’re going to need to pay for doing that,” DeSantis said at a press conference while touting a decontamination system for PPE.
He added: “But we were fighting for PPE. Jared [Kushner] did a great job.” (RELATED: Majority Of Intelligence Community Agencies Believe Coronavirus Leaked Out Of Wuhan Lab, Senior Intel Official Tells Us)
China “intentionally concealed the severity” of the coronavirus outbreak in its early stages in order to hoard medical equipment, a Department of Homeland Security report obtained by The Associated Press stated.
Chinese government officials silenced doctors, whistleblowers and journalists who sought to warn the public about the virus in its early stages. Up to 95% of the virus’s global spread could have been prevented if China had acted to combat the virus three weeks earlier, one study found.
While withholding information about the transmissibility of the virus, the Chinese government stockpiled medical supplies from abroad, including face masks, gloves and surgical gowns, according to the May 1 DHS report.
Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn has called on China to waive the roughly $1 trillion of U.S. debt it holds as reparations for its handling of the virus.
“There is a growing opinion among our colleagues that China needs to be first of all held to account for what they’ve done, and secondly they need to pay for what this has cost in lives and livelihoods and suffering and what it cost our economy,” Blackburn said on April 13.
WATCH:
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.