wnd--2020-07-04--Protect religious rights, congressmen urge Defense Department

Two congressmen are asking Defense Secretary Mark Esper to explain why the Defense Department is `` failing to protect the religious liberty of our service members . ''
`` Given the years-long record of the DoD 's actions in contradiction with federal law protecting religious liberty , it is clear to us that the DoD has either willfully ignored or is unaware of its obligations to protect the religious freedom of its service members , '' Reps. Doug Collins , R-Ga. , and Doug Lamborn , R-Colo. , wrote to Esper .
The military repeatedly has given in to outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , allowing Bibles and services on bases , and much more .
In the letter , the Congress members cited a recent ban on Navy sailors attending off-base church services indoors while allowing other types of social gatherings of any size .
`` While we can all agree that the health and safety of our troops is critical during the ongoing public health crisis , singling out religious gatherings while allowing other activities and unrestricted social gatherings to take place is unlawful .
To enforce that prohibition under threat of court-martial is unconscionable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change is sorely needed at the Pentagon , '' the members said .
In early May , the two representatives and other Congress members wrote to Esper asking him to protect religious liberty in response to the military succumbing to the `` baseless demands '' of outside organizations that oppose faith .
The Army 's response was to stand by its decisions .
Now the two members say they 're `` discouraged '' to learn of that response .
`` The mixed messages we have received from DoD officials over the past month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that seeks to keep service members and chaplains from worshiping indoors while continuing to allow other gatherings signals a pervasive and dangerous misapplication and misunderstanding of federal law , '' they wrote .
`` We continue to witness failures to correctly apply federal law protecting the religious freedom of our brave men and women in the military .
In fact , in the Army 's letter postmarked June 11 , 2020 , we were told that the Army has 'developed and implemented comprehensive policies and training concerning religious freedom . '
If that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear from members of the military legal and chaplain communities that no such training exists ?
`` they asked .
The military 's top brass , they said , `` must prioritize protecting the rights and freedoms of service members , just as those service members fight to protect those freedoms for all Americans . ''
The members asked for detailed explanations of the `` comprehensive policies and training concerning religious freedom '' mentioned by the Army , how and when such guidance is circulated , how the decisions were made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter , and the Navy ’ s recent unlawful order .

Two congressmen are asking Defense Secretary Mark Esper to explain why the Defense Department is "failing to protect the religious liberty of our service members."
"Given the years-long record of the DoD's actions in contradiction with federal law protecting religious liberty, it is clear to us that the DoD has either willfully ignored or is unaware of its obligations to protect the religious freedom of its service members," Reps. Doug Collins, R-Ga., and Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., wrote to Esper.
The military repeatedly has given in to outside groups that complain about its chaplaincy program, allowing Bibles and services on bases, and much more.
In the letter, the Congress members cited a recent ban on Navy sailors attending off-base church services indoors while allowing other types of social gatherings of any size.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"While we can all agree that the health and safety of our troops is critical during the ongoing public health crisis, singling out religious gatherings while allowing other activities and unrestricted social gatherings to take place is unlawful. To enforce that prohibition under threat of court-martial is unconscionable and provides yet another example of why change is sorely needed at the Pentagon," the members said.
In early May, the two representatives and other Congress members wrote to Esper asking him to protect religious liberty in response to the military succumbing to the "baseless demands" of outside organizations that oppose faith.
The Army's response was to stand by its decisions.
Now the two members say they're "discouraged" to learn of that response.
"The mixed messages we have received from DoD officials over the past month and the Navy’s recent order that seeks to keep service members and chaplains from worshiping indoors while continuing to allow other gatherings signals a pervasive and dangerous misapplication and misunderstanding of federal law," they wrote.
"We continue to witness failures to correctly apply federal law protecting the religious freedom of our brave men and women in the military. In fact, in the Army's letter postmarked June 11, 2020, we were told that the Army has 'developed and implemented comprehensive policies and training concerning religious freedom.' If that is true, why do we continue to hear from members of the military legal and chaplain communities that no such training exists? " they asked.
The military's top brass, they said, "must prioritize protecting the rights and freedoms of service members, just as those service members fight to protect those freedoms for all Americans."
The members asked for detailed explanations of the "comprehensive policies and training concerning religious freedom" mentioned by the Army, how and when such guidance is circulated, how the decisions were made in the cases outlined in their May 14 letter, and the Navy’s recent unlawful order.


wnd--2020-07-04--5-year-old raises over $3K in lemonade-stand money for firefighter injured in shooting

Sometimes all it takes to positively impact someone 's life when tragedy strikes is a little bit of lemonade and a whole lot of heart .
A couple of Missouri siblings , Cooper Wallweber , 5 , and his older sister Olivia Boyer , built a lemonade stand and raised more than $ 3,000 for a firefighter who was critically injured during a shooting last week .
Arlydia Bufford , a firefighter with the Kinloch Fire Protection District in St. Louis County , was eating dinner on June 22 with her best friend , Kimberly Ratliff-Penton .
The two were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice get-together at the local Applebee 's restaurant in St. John , Missouri , when a gunman entered and opened fire , KTVI-TV reported .
The gunman took Ratliff-Penton 's life that evening and injured Bufford as well as another customer , Lakisha French , according to Fox News .
On June 25 , Arlydia 's mother , Rebecca Bufford , posted an update on Facebook regarding her daughter 's condition : '' Mostly everyone knows that our world was turned upside down Monday 6/22/20 when a senseless shooting that left our baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we go through this tough time please keep praying for her and our family !
! ''
Just after the shooting , Wallweber and Boyer saw Bufford 's story of survival on the news and were immediately inspired .
“ We were watching the news and we were just so touched by her story and felt that this is what we need to do , we need to do it for Arlydia , ” Boyer told “ Fox & Friends ” weekend co-host Jedediah Bila on Sunday .
Boyer explained that the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came after Wallweber had put slime inside his shoes and his mom made him come up with ways to earn money for a new pair .
After they heard the news about Bufford , the two decided to keep the lemonade stand running so they could donate money to the family .
`` From 11:30 am - 6:00 pm on Thursday 6/25 , we have raised $ 1,307 for a 20 year young volunteer firefighter who was shot in the head on Monday while enjoying dinner at an Applebee ’ s restaurant after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote on Facebook .
According to Boyer 's last update on the funds raised , she and her brother ended up with a grand total of $ 3,342 to donate .
Wallweber is n't the only boy who went out of his way to give back to first responders .
In early June , 7-year-old Trey Elliot , from Tulsa , Oklahoma , took it upon himself to pray with more than 100 officers after protests and riots broke out across the city .
“ Tulsa had a really big peaceful protest on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned into rioting and businesses being destroyed — busted out windows , things like that in our area , ” Elliot ’ s mother , Brittany , told The Western Journal .
“ So , Monday I was telling Trey about it because we drive right through that area.
” “ I was just kind of explaining it to him and explaining to him what was going on and the difference between protesting and rioting , and what was happening with our police officers .
“ And so he said , ‘ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the officers . '
'' Acts of kindness like Trey 's prayers over his local police officers and Wallweber 's idea to raise money for Bufford and her family after such a tragic incident wo n't soon be forgotten .
And Wallweber 's not quite finished with his mission in supporting the 20-year-old firefighter .
He and his sister had so much success with the lemonade stand , they decided to hold another fundraiser for Bufford hosted by local Mexican restaurant Los 3 Compadres .
Los 3 Compadres will be donating 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Bufford family .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

Sometimes all it takes to positively impact someone's life when tragedy strikes is a little bit of lemonade and a whole lot of heart.
A couple of Missouri siblings, Cooper Wallweber, 5, and his older sister Olivia Boyer, built a lemonade stand and raised more than $3,000 for a firefighter who was critically injured during a shooting last week.
Arlydia Bufford, a firefighter with the Kinloch Fire Protection District in St. Louis County, was eating dinner on June 22 with her best friend, Kimberly Ratliff-Penton.
The two were enjoying what they thought would be a nice get-together at the local Applebee's restaurant in St. John, Missouri, when a gunman entered and opened fire, KTVI-TV reported.
The gunman took Ratliff-Penton's life that evening and injured Bufford as well as another customer, Lakisha French, according to Fox News.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
On June 25, Arlydia's mother, Rebecca Bufford, posted an update on Facebook regarding her daughter's condition:
"Mostly everyone knows that our world was turned upside down Monday 6/22/20 when a senseless shooting that left our baby girl Arlydia Bufford in critical condition as we go through this tough time please keep praying for her and our family!!"
Just after the shooting, Wallweber and Boyer saw Bufford's story of survival on the news and were immediately inspired.
“We were watching the news and we were just so touched by her story and felt that this is what we need to do, we need to do it for Arlydia,” Boyer told “Fox & Friends” weekend co-host Jedediah Bila on Sunday.
Boyer explained that the idea to raise money from a lemonade stand came after Wallweber had put slime inside his shoes and his mom made him come up with ways to earn money for a new pair.
After they heard the news about Bufford, the two decided to keep the lemonade stand running so they could donate money to the family.
"From 11:30 am - 6:00 pm on Thursday 6/25, we have raised $1,307 for a 20 year young volunteer firefighter who was shot in the head on Monday while enjoying dinner at an Applebee’s restaurant after an EMT Training class," Boyer wrote on Facebook.
According to Boyer's last update on the funds raised, she and her brother ended up with a grand total of $3,342 to donate.
Wallweber isn't the only boy who went out of his way to give back to first responders.
In early June, 7-year-old Trey Elliot, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, took it upon himself to pray with more than 100 officers after protests and riots broke out across the city.
“Tulsa had a really big peaceful protest on Sunday, and then Sunday night it turned into rioting and businesses being destroyed — busted out windows, things like that in our area,” Elliot’s mother, Brittany, told The Western Journal. “So, Monday I was telling Trey about it because we drive right through that area.”
“I was just kind of explaining it to him and explaining to him what was going on and the difference between protesting and rioting, and what was happening with our police officers.
“And so he said, ‘I think I’d like to pray for the officers.'"
Acts of kindness like Trey's prayers over his local police officers and Wallweber's idea to raise money for Bufford and her family after such a tragic incident won't soon be forgotten.
And Wallweber's not quite finished with his mission in supporting the 20-year-old firefighter.
He and his sister had so much success with the lemonade stand, they decided to hold another fundraiser for Bufford hosted by local Mexican restaurant Los 3 Compadres.
Los 3 Compadres will be donating 30 percent of all proceeds from the fundraiser to the Bufford family.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-07-06--Conservative group blasts college for allegedly helping leftists 'harass' students

( CAMPUS REFORM ) -- A Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Union College was targeted after an Instagram post discussing the recent events surrounding George Floyd 's death .
The group 's Instagram post said , “ YAF Union College mourns the unjust killing of George Floyd , a clear example of the use of excessive force and abuse of power by a law enforcement officer ...
Supports the right of all Americans to peacefully protest and to petition the government , rights guaranteed by our constitution , which we hold dearly ... Condemns the use of violence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means of promoting a political message , as it hurts the communities , people , livelihoods , and cohesion of our country , and is a fundamental affront to law and order ... Rejects the false and damaging narrative that our justice system and law enforcement systematically act in a manner that is based , brutal , or unfair , while acknowledging the unfortunate reality of appalling and unjust outlier cases.
” Responses to the post included , “ I advise you to take this post down .
It ’ s disrespectful and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plethora of online resources that can educate you on this matter , you have a number of students and faculty members of color who would very much disagree with that last statement .
Good attempt but try again .
”

(CAMPUS REFORM) -- A Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Union College was targeted after an Instagram post discussing the recent events surrounding George Floyd's death.
The group's Instagram post said, “YAF Union College mourns the unjust killing of George Floyd, a clear example of the use of excessive force and abuse of power by a law enforcement officer...Supports the right of all Americans to peacefully protest and to petition the government, rights guaranteed by our constitution, which we hold dearly...Condemns the use of violence, looting, and vandalism, as a means of promoting a political message, as it hurts the communities, people, livelihoods, and cohesion of our country, and is a fundamental affront to law and order...Rejects the false and damaging narrative that our justice system and law enforcement systematically act in a manner that is based, brutal, or unfair, while acknowledging the unfortunate reality of appalling and unjust outlier cases.”
Responses to the post included, “I advise you to take this post down. It’s disrespectful and inaccurate. Not only do you have a plethora of online resources that can educate you on this matter, you have a number of students and faculty members of color who would very much disagree with that last statement. Good attempt but try again.”
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-06--Siberian tiger kills zookeeper in enclosure as visitors watch

( FOX NEWS ) -- A Siberian tiger killed a Swiss zookeeper inside an enclosure on Saturday as horrified visitors @ @ @ @ @ Onlookers called for help after the big cat began attacking the keeper around 1 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ zoo said in a statement .
Staff rushed to their colleague ’ s aid and @ @ @ @ @ named Irina , out of the enclosure .
First responders tried to revive the keeper @ @ @ @ @ help came too late .
The woman died at the scene , ” Zurich police @ @ @ @ @

(FOX NEWS) -- A Siberian tiger killed a Swiss zookeeper inside an enclosure on Saturday as horrified visitors watched, officials said.
Onlookers called for help after the big cat began attacking the keeper around 1 p.m. local time, the Zurich zoo said in a statement. Staff rushed to their colleague’s aid and lured the Siberian tiger, named Irina, out of the enclosure. First responders tried to revive the keeper.
“Sadly, all help came too late. The woman died at the scene,” Zurich police spokeswoman Judith Hoedl said.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-06--How 'elementary truth' is verboten for BLM

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
As we approach this Fourth of July , the United States is consumed by reckless violence , nihilistic silencing , and a systematic assault on the nation ’ s cultural and political patrimony .
The voices of sanity are few , and civic courage is in short supply .
The exemplars of such courage in the Anglo-American tradition — Washington , Lincoln , U.S. Grant , Teddy Roosevelt , and Winston Churchill — are under assault from angry extremists who topple statues with impunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every level appears impotent as indignant fanatics rule the streets .
We have arrived at the unthinkable : “ America ’ s Jacobin moment , ” as an editorial in the Wall Street Journal aptly put it .
What has happened to our republic ?
Our talking heads , the so-called “ chattering classes , ” pretend that this eruption of insanity has something to do with the quest for racial justice .
That could not be further from the truth .
Black Lives Matter — the movement , not the slogan — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization that denies common humanity and a morality applicable to all human beings .
Professed enemies of decency and restraint , these Maoists and para-Marxists demonize all white people and anyone of any race or religion who challenges their bizarre and fanatical worldview , as well as the police ( whose immediate abolition they demand ) .
Of course , they do not believe that all black lives matter : Those black people , including children , cut down by urban violence in Chicago or Baltimore every weekend , or aborted at higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City , don ’ t pass ideological muster .
Black lives matter , of course , because all lives matter , but that elementary truth is now verboten .
All races are equal , but in BLM ’ s universe , some are more equal than others .
This is a recipe for hatred and perpetual social conflict .
TRENDING : Prof 's model gives Trump 91 % chance of winning in November To affirm the moral law , the natural law , the spirit of the Ten Commandments , the true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now said to be an indelible mark of racism .
The mob dictates , and subservient elites shamelessly comply .
We are witnessing nothing less than a Cultural Revolution marked by voluntary servitude or self-enslavement .
American democracy risks committing suicide .
Things are just that stark .
And our pusillanimous cultural elites risk plunging us off the cliff like the “ Gadarene swine ” described in Scripture , but with the demons in charge rather than exorcised .
True democracy presupposes mutual accountability and mutual respect .
Our greatest and most noble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slavery , ” as Frederick Douglass , the greatest black American of the 19th century , rightly said .
“ As I would not be a slave , so I would not be a master , ” Lincoln wrote in a note to himself in August 1858 .
This , he said , “ expresses my idea of democracy.
” And in his Gettysburg Address of November 1863 , he called for a “ new birth of freedom ” that would bring black Americans fully into the American civic community .
Lincoln knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood for the Union and liberty and that Americans owed them honor and due respect for their sacrifices on behalf of the republic .
As Douglass said in his dedication to the Freedmen ’ s Monument in Washington , D.C. , in April 1876 — a statue dedicated by former slaves in memory of Lincoln — one must show gratitude and appreciation to those “ loyal , brave , and patriotic ” black soldiers who “ fell in defense of the Union and liberty.
” Both they and Lincoln died at the service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women , one where citizens shared in rule and were neither masters nor slaves .
We should be proud of that shared civic legacy , that mutual struggle for liberty and human dignity .
But now even the Freedmen ’ s Monument is threatened by a mob of angry thugs .
These “ Bourgeois Bolsheviks , ” as The American Conservative recently described them , despise the mutual accountability and respect for law that undergirds true liberty and equality .
They mock the greatness of Lincoln and Douglass .
They are defined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Their ignoble “ passion for equality , ” as Tocqueville called it , is a grotesque perversion of the noble moral and civic equality that underlies the American proposition .
This desire to tear down , to destroy and repudiate the patrimony of our fathers , is incompatible with civilized existence .
It is time to reopen Dostoevsky ’ s “ Demons , ” the most penetrating exposé of modern nihilism ever written .
Even in the early 1870s , Dostoevsky exposed the spirit of pure destruction that could only pull down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beings .
The revolutionaries portrayed in his pages promise to cut off Cicero ’ s tongue and poke out Shakespeare ’ s eyes , to the applause of an educated society that fawned before fashionable barbarism .
Dostoevsky , in his most prescient and prophetic mode , predicted that 100 million people would perish if such nihilists and fanatics ever came to power .
It was given to that great soul to see many things , as another great Russian writer once observed .
Now is a time for Lincolnian and Churchillian fortitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nihilism and hate and renew our own civilized patrimony and our noble civic tradition .
Nothing less than the survival of republican self-government is at stake .
If we are to renew our commitment to racial justice and civic reconciliation , we must take our bearings from the best of the Western and American traditions .
Freedom has died many times in history ; let us not witness new death pangs on the anniversary of its birth .
Daniel J. Mahoney holds the Augustine Chair in Distinguished Scholarship at Assumption University .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reviews on statesmanship , religion and politics , totalitarianism , European and American politics , and the history of political thought .
[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Daniel J. Mahoney
Real Clear Politics
As we approach this Fourth of July, the United States is consumed by reckless violence, nihilistic silencing, and a systematic assault on the nation’s cultural and political patrimony. The voices of sanity are few, and civic courage is in short supply. The exemplars of such courage in the Anglo-American tradition — Washington, Lincoln, U.S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill — are under assault from angry extremists who topple statues with impunity and demand absolute conformity. Government at every level appears impotent as indignant fanatics rule the streets. We have arrived at the unthinkable: “America’s Jacobin moment,” as an editorial in the Wall Street Journal aptly put it. What has happened to our republic?
Our talking heads, the so-called “chattering classes,” pretend that this eruption of insanity has something to do with the quest for racial justice. That could not be further from the truth. Black Lives Matter — the movement, not the slogan — is in fact a racialist and ideological organization that denies common humanity and a morality applicable to all human beings. Professed enemies of decency and restraint, these Maoists and para-Marxists demonize all white people and anyone of any race or religion who challenges their bizarre and fanatical worldview, as well as the police (whose immediate abolition they demand). Of course, they do not believe that all black lives matter: Those black people, including children, cut down by urban violence in Chicago or Baltimore every weekend, or aborted at higher numbers than they are born in New York City, don’t pass ideological muster. Black lives matter, of course, because all lives matter, but that elementary truth is now verboten. All races are equal, but in BLM’s universe, some are more equal than others. This is a recipe for hatred and perpetual social conflict.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
To affirm the moral law, the natural law, the spirit of the Ten Commandments, the true ground of all human dignity, is now said to be an indelible mark of racism. The mob dictates, and subservient elites shamelessly comply. We are witnessing nothing less than a Cultural Revolution marked by voluntary servitude or self-enslavement. American democracy risks committing suicide. Things are just that stark. And our pusillanimous cultural elites risk plunging us off the cliff like the “Gadarene swine” described in Scripture, but with the demons in charge rather than exorcised.
True democracy presupposes mutual accountability and mutual respect. Our greatest and most noble president, Abraham Lincoln, “loathed slavery,” as Frederick Douglass, the greatest black American of the 19th century, rightly said. “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master,” Lincoln wrote in a note to himself in August 1858. This, he said, “expresses my idea of democracy.” And in his Gettysburg Address of November 1863, he called for a “new birth of freedom” that would bring black Americans fully into the American civic community. Lincoln knew that proud black men had spilled their blood for the Union and liberty and that Americans owed them honor and due respect for their sacrifices on behalf of the republic. As Douglass said in his dedication to the Freedmen’s Monument in Washington, D.C., in April 1876 — a statue dedicated by former slaves in memory of Lincoln — one must show gratitude and appreciation to those “loyal, brave, and patriotic” black soldiers who “fell in defense of the Union and liberty.” Both they and Lincoln died at the service of a republic worthy of free men and women, one where citizens shared in rule and were neither masters nor slaves. We should be proud of that shared civic legacy, that mutual struggle for liberty and human dignity.
But now even the Freedmen’s Monument is threatened by a mob of angry thugs. These “Bourgeois Bolsheviks,” as The American Conservative recently described them, despise the mutual accountability and respect for law that undergirds true liberty and equality. They mock the greatness of Lincoln and Douglass. They are defined by ignorance, ingratitude, and envy. Their ignoble “passion for equality,” as Tocqueville called it, is a grotesque perversion of the noble moral and civic equality that underlies the American proposition. This desire to tear down, to destroy and repudiate the patrimony of our fathers, is incompatible with civilized existence.


wnd--2020-07-06--Trump offered condolences to father of young man Killed in CHOP, while Seattle mayor stays silent

Seattle 's Capitol Hill Occupied Protest -- or CHOP , or CHAZ , depending on when you were referring to it -- is no more .
CHOP , originally occupied by leftists nominally protesting the death of George Floyd on June 8 , was taken down on Wednesday after yet another shooting .
I guess it was never `` like a block party , '' as Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan , a Democrat , called it .
The barricades are down .
The police are back the city 's East Precinct building .
The `` summer of love '' CHOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , apparently spectacularly bad at predictions ) is over .
Disheartened by the fact that it had turned into a lawless Coachella , the more strident protesters at the camp were asking the tourist types : `` Why are you here ? ''
All of a sudden , they were n't .
In its later days , CHOP was almost deserted .
Two shootings had scared away most of the visitors who were treating it like that aforementioned block party .
When the scales fell from their eyes and they realized a police-free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realized it was more dystopian than utopian .
The Seattle Times ' Brendan Kiley , having reported on this state of affairs and picked out the writing on the wall of where it was all going from all of the other writing on all of the other walls , considered what the protest 's legacy would be .
TRENDING : Prof 's model gives Trump 91 % chance of winning in November How about this : President Trump called the father of a black 19-year-old killed in CHOP , but the mayor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to KCPQ-TV , the father of Horace Lorenzo Anderson Jr. received a call from the president late last week .
Mayor Durkan apparently has a lot more on her plate .
`` Incredibly , Donald Trump called me , '' Horace Lorenzo Anderson Sr. told the station Thursday .
`` The president of the United States called me today .
He gave his condolences , and me , I 'm not a political guy .
I told him , 'Nobody like you . '
I 'm real .
Donald Trump called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call me . ''
As for Durkan ?
Nothing , as previously stated .
“ It ’ s like they didn ’ t care , it didn ’ t matter .
I haven ’ t heard from the mayor , I have n't heard from the police department .
No city .
Nobody , ” Anderson Sr. said during an appearance Wednesday on host Sean Hannity 's show on Fox News .
He had some other choice words for Durkan , given the fact that Seattle 's police and paramedics could n't get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was on the fringes of CHOP .
`` My son , he needed help , '' Anderson Sr. said .
Seattle police say they could n't make it there because of the danger that the protest posed .
Thus , volunteer medics had to transport Anderson Jr. to the hospital instead .
Anderson Sr. said `` they should n't be picking kids up and throwing them in their trunk and taking them to the hospital .
The paramedics should have been there .
The police should have been there . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Anderson Sr. managed to touch on a certain incongruity with the protests and what happened to his son .
`` I understand Black Lives Matter and everything that 's going on , '' Anderson Sr. said .
`` But that 's not my movement right now .
My movement is [ to ] let them know that was my son . ''
But that 's the thing -- his black life did n't matter .
All life was expendable to politicians in Seattle because CHOP was considered off-limits .
CHOP only got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the left to give protesters everything they wanted -- including the right to take over a six-block zone in a major American city -- had subsided substantially .
It had subsided , in no small part , because of the violent crime within CHOP .
We did n't need to experience that crime , however , to come to the conclusion that this kind of crime was going to happen .
The a posteriori was unnecessary ; we could have made the a priori argument that we ca n't have a `` autonomous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a block party '' without police without the near certainty it would draw crime in like iron filings to a magnet .
To top it all off , the president of the United States gave Anderson Sr. a call to express his sympathies -- unnecessary , but a nice gesture nonetheless .
Meanwhile , the mayor of the city where Anderson Jr. was killed ca n't bother to give him a ring .
CHOP ought to be the requiem for Mayor Durkan 's career .
She did n't care enough for anyone 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before it was too late .
It may have ended with a whimper , but sadly , there were too many bangs along the way .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

Seattle's Capitol Hill Occupied Protest -- or CHOP, or CHAZ, depending on when you were referring to it -- is no more.
CHOP, originally occupied by leftists nominally protesting the death of George Floyd on June 8, was taken down on Wednesday after yet another shooting. I guess it was never "like a block party," as Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat, called it. The barricades are down. The police are back the city's East Precinct building.
The "summer of love" CHOP was supposed to engender (also Durkan, apparently spectacularly bad at predictions) is over.
Disheartened by the fact that it had turned into a lawless Coachella, the more strident protesters at the camp were asking the tourist types: "Why are you here?" All of a sudden, they weren't. In its later days, CHOP was almost deserted. Two shootings had scared away most of the visitors who were treating it like that aforementioned block party. When the scales fell from their eyes and they realized a police-free world would be like, they quickly realized it was more dystopian than utopian.
The Seattle Times' Brendan Kiley, having reported on this state of affairs and picked out the writing on the wall of where it was all going from all of the other writing on all of the other walls, considered what the protest's legacy would be.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
How about this: President Trump called the father of a black 19-year-old killed in CHOP, but the mayor of Seattle hadn't bothered as of Friday.
According to KCPQ-TV, the father of Horace Lorenzo Anderson Jr. received a call from the president late last week. Mayor Durkan apparently has a lot more on her plate.
"Incredibly, Donald Trump called me," Horace Lorenzo Anderson Sr. told the station Thursday. "The president of the United States called me today. He gave his condolences, and me, I'm not a political guy. I told him, 'Nobody like you.' I'm real. Donald Trump called me and he didn't have to call me."
As for Durkan? Nothing, as previously stated.
“It’s like they didn’t care, it didn’t matter. I haven’t heard from the mayor, I haven't heard from the police department. No city. Nobody,” Anderson Sr. said during an appearance Wednesday on host Sean Hannity's show on Fox News.
"It's like they didn't care, it didn't matter. I haven't heard from the mayor, I haven't heard from the police department, not from no city – nobody." Mr. Anderson says no gov't official reached out to him to offer their condolences for the death of his son in Seattle's CHOP. pic.twitter.com/UHapAS3v4T — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 2, 2020
He had some other choice words for Durkan, given the fact that Seattle's police and paramedics couldn't get to Anderson Jr. where he was shot, which was on the fringes of CHOP.
"My son, he needed help," Anderson Sr. said.
Seattle police say they couldn't make it there because of the danger that the protest posed. Thus, volunteer medics had to transport Anderson Jr. to the hospital instead.
Anderson Sr. said "they shouldn't be picking kids up and throwing them in their trunk and taking them to the hospital. The paramedics should have been there. The police should have been there."
In his appearance on "Hannity," Anderson Sr. managed to touch on a certain incongruity with the protests and what happened to his son.
"I understand Black Lives Matter and everything that's going on," Anderson Sr. said. "But that's not my movement right now. My movement is [to] let them know that was my son."
But that's the thing -- his black life didn't matter. All life was expendable to politicians in Seattle because CHOP was considered off-limits.
CHOP only got taken down when the political pressure from the left to give protesters everything they wanted -- including the right to take over a six-block zone in a major American city -- had subsided substantially. It had subsided, in no small part, because of the violent crime within CHOP.
We didn't need to experience that crime, however, to come to the conclusion that this kind of crime was going to happen. The a posteriori was unnecessary; we could have made the a priori argument that we can't have a "autonomous zone" where it's "like a block party" without police without the near certainty it would draw crime in like iron filings to a magnet.
To top it all off, the president of the United States gave Anderson Sr. a call to express his sympathies -- unnecessary, but a nice gesture nonetheless. Meanwhile, the mayor of the city where Anderson Jr. was killed can't bother to give him a ring.
CHOP ought to be the requiem for Mayor Durkan's career. She didn't care enough for anyone's life to shut down the protest zone before it was too late. It may have ended with a whimper, but sadly, there were too many bangs along the way.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-07-06--Trump to hold outdoor rally July 11, campaign announces

( FOX NEWS ) -- President Trump ’ s re-election campaign announced Sunday that the president will headline an outdoor @ @ @ @ @ of New Hampshire next weekend , just his second rally since the coronavirus pandemic swept @ @ @ @ @ .
Campaign staffers said the rally will be held next Saturday , July 11 , @ @ @ @ @ in Portsmouth , New Hampshire .
The president drew smaller-than-expected crowds at his first rally @ @ @ @ @ Tulsa , Okla. , on June 20 .

(FOX NEWS) -- President Trump’s re-election campaign announced Sunday that the president will headline an outdoor rally in the battleground state of New Hampshire next weekend, just his second rally since the coronavirus pandemic swept across the nation in March.
Campaign staffers said the rally will be held next Saturday, July 11, at the Portsmouth International Airport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
The president drew smaller-than-expected crowds at his first rally, which took place in Tulsa, Okla., on June 20.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-06--Black market surges when state bans flavored e-cigs

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Policy . ]
In early June , Massachusetts ’ s ban on flavored e-cigarette products went into effect .
Massachusetts is the first state to prohibit the retail sale of flavored vaping products and flavored tobacco products like menthol cigarettes .
While flavored e-cig use is still allowed in a handful of state licensed “ smoking bars , ” products in those establishments are hit with a whopping 75 percent excise tax .
An officially licensed “ smoking bar ” is of no value to those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combustible tobacco .
One of the most important features of an electronic cigarette is that it is an effective substitute for the habit of smoking in everyday life : after a meal , when driving to work , or while watching a movie at home .
What use is a “ smoking bar ” for these folks ?
Most e-cigarette users vape throughout the day .
Testimony in June at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue ’ s Illegal Tobacco Task Force reveals how flavored e-cig users are responding to the ban .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ an increase in smuggling activity and black-market sales.
” TRENDING : Prof 's model gives Trump 91 % chance of winning in November “ I ’ m concerned that placing an added burden and tasking law enforcement with the enforcement of flavor bans will only stand to create a significant new black market , this includes both cross-state border smuggling and counterfeit tobacco , ” said Charles Giblin , a retired special agent in charge of the New Jersey treasury ’ s office of criminal investigation .
“ At the onset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an increase between Massachusetts and New Hampshire in smuggling and illegal importation via the internet of counterfeit flavored cigarettes from countries including China and Paraguay .
They will skyrocket almost incredibly instantaneously , ” he said .
“ Another underestimated source will be Canadian First Nations reservation cigarette manufacturers , who are rather robust.
” The black market is already growing .
Rich Marianos who served 27 years at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives told the task force that “ the illegal tobacco trade along Interstate 95 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 billion industry that is already working to fill the void created by Massachusetts ’ new law.
” Alas , the task force was not interested in repealing the law but only looking for a “ path forward ” to enforce it .
Black market e-cigarette supplies pose severe health dangers that are ignored by the same crowd who pushed a flavor ban under the guise of public health .
We only need to look at last year ’ s e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury ( EVALI ) epidemic , caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consumers searching for cheaper and available THC vape products were poisoned by unregulated , contaminated goods .
Fifty-seven people died and more than 2,500 were injured after using black market products .
“ The latest national and state findings suggest products containing THC , particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources ( e.g .
friends , family members , illicit dealers ) , are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak , ” the CDC said in a statement .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic that led many states like Massachusetts to ban flavored vape products even though there was no evidence the lung disease was connected to nicotine-based vape products .
In fact , it was precisely a ban and prohibitive pricing on THC products that led to users seeking out alternative outlets to obtain their products .
Clearly , banning flavored e-cigarette products will drive many consumers to find their flavors in the black market , again exposing e-cig users to unregulated and contaminated products .
Others may simply return to smoking .
How can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups claim their flavor bans are in the interest of public health ?
Elizabeth Sheld is the senior news editor at American Greatness and author of the “ Morning Greatness ” news update .
She is a veteran political strategist and pollster who has worked on campaigns and public interest affairs .
Liz has written at Breitbart and The Federalist , as well as at PJ Media , where she wrote `` The Morning Briefing . ''
In her spare time , she shoots sporting clays and watches documentaries .
Elizabeth quit smoking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Policy . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Policy.]
By Elizabeth Sheld
Real Clear Policy
In early June, Massachusetts’s ban on flavored e-cigarette products went into effect. Massachusetts is the first state to prohibit the retail sale of flavored vaping products and flavored tobacco products like menthol cigarettes. While flavored e-cig use is still allowed in a handful of state licensed “smoking bars,” products in those establishments are hit with a whopping 75 percent excise tax.
An officially licensed “smoking bar” is of no value to those who use flavored e-cigarettes to avoid toxic, combustible tobacco. One of the most important features of an electronic cigarette is that it is an effective substitute for the habit of smoking in everyday life: after a meal, when driving to work, or while watching a movie at home. What use is a “smoking bar” for these folks? Most e-cigarette users vape throughout the day.
Testimony in June at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Illegal Tobacco Task Force reveals how flavored e-cig users are responding to the ban. The task force concluded the ban will lead to “an increase in smuggling activity and black-market sales.”
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
“I’m concerned that placing an added burden and tasking law enforcement with the enforcement of flavor bans will only stand to create a significant new black market, this includes both cross-state border smuggling and counterfeit tobacco,” said Charles Giblin, a retired special agent in charge of the New Jersey treasury’s office of criminal investigation.
“At the onset, you’ll start to see an increase between Massachusetts and New Hampshire in smuggling and illegal importation via the internet of counterfeit flavored cigarettes from countries including China and Paraguay. They will skyrocket almost incredibly instantaneously,” he said. “Another underestimated source will be Canadian First Nations reservation cigarette manufacturers, who are rather robust.”
The black market is already growing. Rich Marianos who served 27 years at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told the task force that “the illegal tobacco trade along Interstate 95 on the East Coast is a $10 billion industry that is already working to fill the void created by Massachusetts’ new law.”
Alas, the task force was not interested in repealing the law but only looking for a “path forward” to enforce it.
Black market e-cigarette supplies pose severe health dangers that are ignored by the same crowd who pushed a flavor ban under the guise of public health. We only need to look at last year’s e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) epidemic, caused by black market, inhaled THC products. Consumers searching for cheaper and available THC vape products were poisoned by unregulated, contaminated goods. Fifty-seven people died and more than 2,500 were injured after using black market products.
“The latest national and state findings suggest products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (e.g. friends, family members, illicit dealers), are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak,” the CDC said in a statement.
It was precisely the sensational coverage of the EVALI epidemic that led many states like Massachusetts to ban flavored vape products even though there was no evidence the lung disease was connected to nicotine-based vape products. In fact, it was precisely a ban and prohibitive pricing on THC products that led to users seeking out alternative outlets to obtain their products. Clearly, banning flavored e-cigarette products will drive many consumers to find their flavors in the black market, again exposing e-cig users to unregulated and contaminated products. Others may simply return to smoking. How can elected officials and “grassroots” advocacy groups claim their flavor bans are in the interest of public health?
Elizabeth Sheld is the senior news editor at American Greatness and author of the “Morning Greatness” news update. She is a veteran political strategist and pollster who has worked on campaigns and public interest affairs. Liz has written at Breitbart and The Federalist, as well as at PJ Media, where she wrote "The Morning Briefing." In her spare time, she shoots sporting clays and watches documentaries. Elizabeth quit smoking with Cuttwood Vapor’s Unicorn Milk.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Policy.]


wnd--2020-07-06--Possible Biden VP pick dodges question on taking down George Washington statues

( FOX NEWS ) -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth , D-Ill. , is among the shortlist of political figures that presumptive @ @ @ @ @ is rumored to be considering as a running mate , but she balked when asked @ @ @ @ @ has been on the forefront of political discourse .
Appearing on CNN ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday morning , Duckworth was asked about recent calls to remove monuments commemorating American founding @ @ @ @ @ and Thomas Jefferson because they were slave owners .
Rather than answer directly , Duckworth @ @ @ @ @ then made inaccurate references to President Trump ’ s speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday @ @

(FOX NEWS) -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is among the shortlist of political figures that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is rumored to be considering as a running mate, but she balked when asked about a sensitive subject that has been on the forefront of political discourse.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning, Duckworth was asked about recent calls to remove monuments commemorating American founding fathers like Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson because they were slave owners.
Rather than answer directly, Duckworth first changed the subject, then made inaccurate references to President Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday evening.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-06--Actress: Arrest Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew following Ghislaine Maxwell's FBI capture

( FOX NEWS ) -- Rose McGowan is calling for Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton to be arrested next for @ @ @ @ @ late Jeffrey Epstein following the arrest of his alleged sex abuse accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell .
@ @ @ @ @ and Prince Andrew , '' McGowan tweeted on Friday , just one day after Maxwell @ @ @ @ @ and NYPD in a rural New Hampshire town where she was hiding out .
The @ @ @ @ @ by a photo of Harvey Weinstein , Epstein and Maxwell standing side-by-side with red x @ @ @ @ @

(FOX NEWS) -- Rose McGowan is calling for Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton to be arrested next for their alleged ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein following the arrest of his alleged sex abuse accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
"Now get Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew," McGowan tweeted on Friday, just one day after Maxwell was captured by the FBI and NYPD in a rural New Hampshire town where she was hiding out.
The actress's tweet was accompanied by a photo of Harvey Weinstein, Epstein and Maxwell standing side-by-side with red x's over their faces.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-05--Students march on July 4, demand athletic revenue go to Black Lives Matter

( THE COLLEGE FIX ) -- Approximately 100 Kansas State University students marched to President Richard Myers ’ house on @ @ @ @ @ substantive actions be taken against campus racism .
One demand is that a percentage of @ @ @ @ @ the local chapter of Black Lives Matter .
Unfortunately ( for the demonstrators ) , @ @ @ @ @ .
But according to The Mercury , the activists promised , as one recent KSU @ @ @ @ @ “ stay on [ him ] until [ he ] gets something done .
Period @ @

(THE COLLEGE FIX) -- Approximately 100 Kansas State University students marched to President Richard Myers’ house on July 4 to demand more substantive actions be taken against campus racism.
One demand is that a percentage of athletic revenue be funneled to the local chapter of Black Lives Matter.
Unfortunately (for the demonstrators), Myers was away in Virginia. But according to The Mercury, the activists promised, as one recent KSU grad put it, to “stay on [him] until [he] gets something done. Period.”
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-05--Allen West responds to statue destruction: 'History is not there for you to like or dislike'

Retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West sees a problem in the removal of Confederate statues because it is a lost opportunity for Americans to learn from our nation 's history .
The former congressman is also concerned about the push by politicians to change the name of military posts named for Confederate generals , arguing those names have entirely different meanings for those Americans who served on the installations .
When asked for his views on the pulling down of statues and the renaming of military posts during an interview on `` Fox & Friends '' last month , West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for everyone to understand -- and George Santayana once said -- those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it . ''
Santayana was a philosopher and essayist , who taught at Harvard University at the turn of the 20th century .
`` History is not there for you to like or dislike , '' West continued .
`` It is there for you to learn from . ''
TRENDING : Prof 's model gives Trump 91 % chance of winning in November '' I don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ISIS .
Those are the people who destroy history , '' he added .
Regarding military installations , West noted that he had served at some of the ones in question , including Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Hood in Texas .
`` I did not think about them as Confederate generals .
I thought about the honor of being able to serve on those military installations . ''
Having spent time at Hood and Fort Benning in Georgia , also named for a Confederate general , myself as an Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not give the slightest thought to the origin of the posts ’ names .
Nor did I give much thought to Fort McClellan in Alabama ( which has since closed ) being named for a Union general .
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas offered a similar assessment to West regarding the renaming of military posts on Fox News on Thursday , adding if the names are to be changed , it should come after consulting with those who have served there .
`` We ought to take the time in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question , '' said Cotton , who is a member of the Armed Services Committee and an Army combat veteran .
`` I think we ought to get the input of the soldiers who have served at those bases , the veterans .
These bases go back 80 to 100 years , '' he explained .
`` Generations of soldiers have served there , many of them not even knowing the origin of the names , but if Fort Bragg and Fort Benning are going to be changed , then we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , as well , named after a notorious slave-trader . ''
Task & Purpose reported in 2017 that these posts came into being during the military buildups of World War I and II .
“ And the Army -- with input from local communities , depending upon location -- named each post , ” according to the news outlet .
“ Installations in the South tended to be named after local rebel heroes.
” President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue , threatening to veto the annual National Defense Authorization Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amendment is to mandate the changing of military posts ' names .
The president noted that the soldiers trained at those posts helped win two world wars .
In other words , whatever meaning the names like Benning , Bragg and Hood may have had to the people who picked them has now been eclipsed by more recent history .
Robert E. Lee was such a towering figure from the Civil War ( as head of the Confederate forces in the field ) , he would be an exception , at least in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren 's amendment included `` other bad things , '' likely referencing to the legislation calling for the removal of `` all names , symbols , displays , monuments , and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederacy and anyone who voluntarily served it from bases and other property of the U.S. military within three years , '' according to a new release from the Massachusetts senator .
Cotton characterized the amendment as `` radical '' and `` sweeping . ''
`` It would require the ripping down of war memorials to dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cemetery or Fort Bragg , potentially other cemeteries as well , desecrating our cemeteries , '' he said .
`` It would require removing artifacts and exhibits from military museums .
It would require the removal of paintings of battle scenes of the Civil War from West Point and other military installations , '' he said .
`` That is a sweeping , sweeping proposal that is little more than historical vandalism . ''
A couple things seem clear in this current rush by some to destroy or cleanse parts of United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if it is time for Confederate statues and other monuments to come down or be moved to museums , it should be done by the people through their elected officials and not by the mob .
Second , we have to be aware , as West argued , that we will face danger by forgetting our history .
Being a native Pennsylvanian , I have frequently walked the battlefield at Gettysburg .
It is filled with monuments to soldiers from both North and South .
Many were placed and dedicated there by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In other words , they are a direct contact to those soldiers , which makes the history come alive .
The National Park Service reported that a group , apparently backed by the left-wing coalition of so-called `` anti-fascist '' protesters commonly known as antifa , plans to have a flag-burning protest at the Gettysburg National Cemetery on July 4 .
It is not a stretch to think that grave stones and other monuments could be desecrated , given other recent lawless conduct .
That would certainly be a sad scenario .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history and not giving inappropriate honor to Confederates , or we may doom ourselves to lose the hard-won lessons of the past .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

Retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West sees a problem in the removal of Confederate statues because it is a lost opportunity for Americans to learn from our nation's history.
The former congressman is also concerned about the push by politicians to change the name of military posts named for Confederate generals, arguing those names have entirely different meanings for those Americans who served on the installations.
When asked for his views on the pulling down of statues and the renaming of military posts during an interview on "Fox & Friends" last month, West responded, "The right thing is for everyone to understand -- and George Santayana once said -- those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
Santayana was a philosopher and essayist, who taught at Harvard University at the turn of the 20th century.
"History is not there for you to like or dislike," West continued. "It is there for you to learn from."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"I don’t want to see us become like the Taliban or ISIS. Those are the people who destroy history," he added.
Regarding military installations, West noted that he had served at some of the ones in question, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Hood in Texas.
"I did not think about them as Confederate generals. I thought about the honor of being able to serve on those military installations."
Having spent time at Hood and Fort Benning in Georgia, also named for a Confederate general, myself as an Army officer and West Point cadet, I did not give the slightest thought to the origin of the posts’ names.
Nor did I give much thought to Fort McClellan in Alabama (which has since closed) being named for a Union general.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas offered a similar assessment to West regarding the renaming of military posts on Fox News on Thursday, adding if the names are to be changed, it should come after consulting with those who have served there.
"We ought to take the time in a deliberate and thorough fashion to study the question," said Cotton, who is a member of the Armed Services Committee and an Army combat veteran.
"I think we ought to get the input of the soldiers who have served at those bases, the veterans. These bases go back 80 to 100 years," he explained.
"Generations of soldiers have served there, many of them not even knowing the origin of the names, but if Fort Bragg and Fort Benning are going to be changed, then we need to look at changing the names of Yale University, as well, named after a notorious slave-trader."
Task & Purpose reported in 2017 that these posts came into being during the military buildups of World War I and II.
“And the Army -- with input from local communities, depending upon location -- named each post,” according to the news outlet. “Installations in the South tended to be named after local rebel heroes.”
President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue, threatening to veto the annual National Defense Authorization Act, if Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren's amendment is to mandate the changing of military posts' names.
I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2020
The president noted that the soldiers trained at those posts helped win two world wars.
In other words, whatever meaning the names like Benning, Bragg and Hood may have had to the people who picked them has now been eclipsed by more recent history.
Robert E. Lee was such a towering figure from the Civil War (as head of the Confederate forces in the field), he would be an exception, at least in my book.
Trump also mentioned that Warren's amendment included "other bad things," likely referencing to the legislation calling for the removal of "all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederacy and anyone who voluntarily served it from bases and other property of the U.S. military within three years," according to a new release from the Massachusetts senator.
Cotton characterized the amendment as "radical" and "sweeping."
"It would require the ripping down of war memorials to dead soldiers from the Confederacy in Arlington National Cemetery or Fort Bragg, potentially other cemeteries as well, desecrating our cemeteries," he said.
"It would require removing artifacts and exhibits from military museums. It would require the removal of paintings of battle scenes of the Civil War from West Point and other military installations," he said.
"That is a sweeping, sweeping proposal that is little more than historical vandalism."
A couple things seem clear in this current rush by some to destroy or cleanse parts of United States history from the public square.
First, if it is time for Confederate statues and other monuments to come down or be moved to museums, it should be done by the people through their elected officials and not by the mob.
Second, we have to be aware, as West argued, that we will face danger by forgetting our history.
Being a native Pennsylvanian, I have frequently walked the battlefield at Gettysburg.
It is filled with monuments to soldiers from both North and South. Many were placed and dedicated there by the veterans of that pivotal battle.
In other words, they are a direct contact to those soldiers, which makes the history come alive.
The National Park Service reported that a group, apparently backed by the left-wing coalition of so-called "anti-fascist" protesters commonly known as antifa, plans to have a flag-burning protest at the Gettysburg National Cemetery on July 4.
It is not a stretch to think that grave stones and other monuments could be desecrated, given other recent lawless conduct.
That would certainly be a sad scenario.
We must strike the balance between retaining our history and not giving inappropriate honor to Confederates, or we may doom ourselves to lose the hard-won lessons of the past.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-07-06--July 4th weekend bloody for Chicago

July 4th weekend bloody for Chicago

( WASHINGTON EXAMINER ) -- Chicago is seeing another bloody holiday weekend , with 67 people injured or killed in @ @ @ @ @ in Chicago has so far brought 13 deaths and 54 injuries from shootings .
Nine @ @ @ @ @ were minors , including a 7-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy who were shot to death @ @ @ @ @ 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams @ @ @ @ @ of a gun , ” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a Saturday statement on Twitter @

(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) -- Chicago is seeing another bloody holiday weekend, with 67 people injured or killed in shootings.
Independence Day weekend in Chicago has so far brought 13 deaths and 54 injuries from shootings. Nine of those killed or injured were minors, including a 7-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy who were shot to death.
“Tonight, a 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams were ended by the barrel of a gun,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a Saturday statement on Twitter.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-06--NY shootings up 205% since plainclothes unit dropped

( WASHINGTON EXAMINER ) -- After making the decision to disband its plainclothes `` anti-crime '' unit , New York @ @ @ @ @ % increase in shootings in comparison to the same time period last year .
According @ @ @ @ @ , 116 shootings took place in the city since the officers were reassigned on June @ @ @ @ @ a 205 % increase from the same period in 2019 when there were 38 shootings @ @ @ @ @ 205 shootings last month , making it the city 's `` bloodiest June in 24 @ @ @

(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) -- After making the decision to disband its plainclothes "anti-crime" unit, New York City has seen a 205% increase in shootings in comparison to the same time period last year.
According to the New York Post, 116 shootings took place in the city since the officers were reassigned on June 15 to July 2, a 205% increase from the same period in 2019 when there were 38 shootings.
New York City saw 205 shootings last month, making it the city's "bloodiest June in 24 years."
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-07--Media ignore facts to claim a Trump gotcha

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
The media keeps going out of its way to fact check President Trump ’ s claims as false .
The Washington Post ’ s Philip Bump is one of many journalists who can ’ t be bothered with considering the most obvious interpretations of what Trump says .
Instead , he ventures into the nonsensical .
Last week , Trump said the 20 most dangerous U.S. cities are run by Democrats ; Bump then wrote an article saying Trump erred — by Bump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 cities are run by Democrats .
Social media mocked Bump ’ s analysis for quibbling over whether Trump was exactly right or not , but what they failed to point out is that Bump ’ s underlying numbers are wrong .
Trump earned Bump ’ s ire by saying that if you are going to blame anyone for the condition of police departments in American cities , you need to blame the Democrats who have been running them .
“ You hear about certain places like Chicago and you hear about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other — other cities , all Democrat run , ” Trump said last Wednesday .
“ Every one of them is Democrat run .
Twenty out of twenty .
The 20 worst , the 20 most dangerous are Democrat run.
” He has made similar statements many times .
The Post ’ s headline summarizes Bump ’ s conclusion : “ Trump keeps claiming that the most dangerous cities in America are all run by Democrats .
They aren ’ t. ” According to Bump , 17 of the 20 most dangerous cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Republican run .
Bump first evaluates how dangerous cities are based on the total number of violent crimes in a city , not the per capita rate .
But it doesn ’ t make sense to compare the number of violent crimes in New York City with the total in Washington , D.C. New York , after all , has a much larger population .
By looking at total violent crimes , Bump is able to find only one city with a Republican mayor — Jacksonville , Fla .
But while Jacksonville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranks 13th in total population .
On a per capita basis , it isn ’ t in the top 30 most violent cities even among the 50 most populous cities in the U.S .
The other two cities – San Antonio , Texas , and Las Vegas – have non-partisan or independent mayors .
But that is misleading .
City elections in San Antonio are non-partisan , but the city is heavily Democrat .
Even if the politicians who run the city are non-partisan , everyone knows who the Republicans and Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an independent , but she was previously a Democrat .
As with San Antonio , Las Vegas is a Democratic stronghold , and the other members of the city government are Democrats .
Even if you illogically refuse to adjust for population , Trump is still correct in 19 out of 20 cases .
Bump then looks at violent crime rates , adjusted for population , and acknowledges that 19 of the top 20 cities are run by Democratic mayors .
But the one city that he claims is run by an independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has non-partisan races .
The city also leans toward Democrats in how it votes .
Bump combines his two top-20 lists ( number of violent crimes , and violent crime rate ) to reach the conclusion that : “ Four of the 32 cities listed above have non-Democratic mayors.
” But that ’ s not the full story , and Bump is inaccurately trying to conflate non-partisan office holders with independents .
Only by looking at total violent crime and not per capita crime rates , can the Washington Post point to even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican .
Another measure of danger is the murder rate .
Of the 30 cities with the highest murder rates , 28 are clearly controlled by Democrats and the other two cities hold non-partisan elections .
Both those cities again tend to vote for Democrats .
Bump then dismisses Trump ’ s entire point , saying that it “ doesn ’ t really matter ” because cities “ generally have more crime than suburban and rural areas , ” and that “ it ’ s problematic to draw a causal relationship between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t run all the large cities .
Of the 100 largest cities , Republicans run 29 , Democrats 64 , independents 3 , and four are non-partisan .
Of the 20 largest cities , Republicans run four and Democrats run 16 .
The Republican cities are much safer .
In 2018 , the violent crime rate was 72 % higher in cities run by Democrats , and the murder rate was 83 % higher .
Even once you move out of the very largest cities , the results are the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans control 13 and Democrats 37 .
Cities run by Democrats have a 74 % higher violent crime rate and a 109 % higher murder rate .
Once again , the media have to go well out of their way and make senseless comparisons .
They ignore important facts to claim that Trump made an error .
Even then , the size of the supposed mistake was pretty small .
Unfortunately , social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook use these fact-checkers to censor content .
It is long past time that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Lott is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center .
[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By John Lott
Real Clear Politics
The media keeps going out of its way to fact check President Trump’s claims as false. The Washington Post’s Philip Bump is one of many journalists who can’t be bothered with considering the most obvious interpretations of what Trump says. Instead, he ventures into the nonsensical.
Last week, Trump said the 20 most dangerous U.S. cities are run by Democrats; Bump then wrote an article saying Trump erred — by Bump’s count, only 17 of the 20 cities are run by Democrats. Social media mocked Bump’s analysis for quibbling over whether Trump was exactly right or not, but what they failed to point out is that Bump’s underlying numbers are wrong.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Trump earned Bump’s ire by saying that if you are going to blame anyone for the condition of police departments in American cities, you need to blame the Democrats who have been running them.
“You hear about certain places like Chicago and you hear about what’s going on in Detroit and other — other cities, all Democrat run,” Trump said last Wednesday. “Every one of them is Democrat run. Twenty out of twenty. The 20 worst, the 20 most dangerous are Democrat run.” He has made similar statements many times.
The Post’s headline summarizes Bump’s conclusion: “Trump keeps claiming that the most dangerous cities in America are all run by Democrats. They aren’t.”
According to Bump, 17 of the 20 most dangerous cities are run by Democrats, and one is Republican run. Bump first evaluates how dangerous cities are based on the total number of violent crimes in a city, not the per capita rate. But it doesn’t make sense to compare the number of violent crimes in New York City with the total in Washington, D.C. New York, after all, has a much larger population.
By looking at total violent crimes, Bump is able to find only one city with a Republican mayor — Jacksonville, Fla. But while Jacksonville ranks 17th in violent crime, it ranks 13th in total population. On a per capita basis, it isn’t in the top 30 most violent cities even among the 50 most populous cities in the U.S.
The other two cities – San Antonio, Texas, and Las Vegas – have non-partisan or independent mayors. But that is misleading. City elections in San Antonio are non-partisan, but the city is heavily Democrat. Even if the politicians who run the city are non-partisan, everyone knows who the Republicans and Democrats are. The mayor of Las Vegas is an independent, but she was previously a Democrat. As with San Antonio, Las Vegas is a Democratic stronghold, and the other members of the city government are Democrats.
Even if you illogically refuse to adjust for population, Trump is still correct in 19 out of 20 cases.
Bump then looks at violent crime rates, adjusted for population, and acknowledges that 19 of the top 20 cities are run by Democratic mayors. But the one city that he claims is run by an independent (Springfield, Mo.), has non-partisan races. The city also leans toward Democrats in how it votes.
Bump combines his two top-20 lists (number of violent crimes, and violent crime rate) to reach the conclusion that: “Four of the 32 cities listed above have non-Democratic mayors.” But that’s not the full story, and Bump is inaccurately trying to conflate non-partisan office holders with independents. Only by looking at total violent crime and not per capita crime rates, can the Washington Post point to even one of those cities being run by a Republican.
Another measure of danger is the murder rate. Of the 30 cities with the highest murder rates, 28 are clearly controlled by Democrats and the other two cities hold non-partisan elections. Both those cities again tend to vote for Democrats.
Bump then dismisses Trump’s entire point, saying that it “doesn’t really matter” because cities “generally have more crime than suburban and rural areas,” and that “it’s problematic to draw a causal relationship between crime and Democratic leadership.” But Democrats don’t run all the large cities. Of the 100 largest cities, Republicans run 29, Democrats 64, independents 3, and four are non-partisan.
Of the 20 largest cities, Republicans run four and Democrats run 16. The Republican cities are much safer. In 2018, the violent crime rate was 72% higher in cities run by Democrats, and the murder rate was 83% higher. Even once you move out of the very largest cities, the results are the same. Of the 50 largest cities, Republicans control 13 and Democrats 37. Cities run by Democrats have a 74% higher violent crime rate and a 109% higher murder rate.
Once again, the media have to go well out of their way and make senseless comparisons. They ignore important facts to claim that Trump made an error. Even then, the size of the supposed mistake was pretty small.
Unfortunately, social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook use these fact-checkers to censor content. It is long past time that we acknowledge how partisan they are.
John Lott is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]


wnd--2020-07-07--Facebook boycott reveals triad shaping public square

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
On Tuesday , as the number of advertisers boycotting Facebook surpassed more than 400 brands , founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally agreed to meet with civil rights leaders organizing the “ Stop Hate for Profit ” movement .
The company is no stranger to such boycotts , with one in 2013 over gender-based hate speech yielding meaningful changes to its policies , while a 2018 effort over data privacy fizzled out .
A closer look at all three boycotts shows the challenges ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s rights organizations drew attention to the widespread presence on Facebook of content glorifying violence against women and the fact that the ads of major brands , including women-centered brands , were appearing beside these posts .
Launching the “ # FBRape ” ad boycott campaign , they convinced a number of major advertisers to pull their campaigns from the platform and focus public attention on the prevalence of such content across Facebook .
The social media giant initially defended the posts , arguing to NBC News that “ we occasionally see people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make crude attempts at humor .
While it may be vulgar and offensive , distasteful content on its own does not violate our policies.
” However , after the public outcry grew , Facebook eventually relented and banned overt calls for violence against women .
Yet a more diffuse boycott five years later over data privacy in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal had little impact .
The 2013 boycott had a single concrete demand : remove posts encouraging or celebrating violence against women .
Moreover , the posts in question were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 2018 boycott , in contrast , did not have any single actionable demand -- and addressing data privacy in a meaningful way would impact Facebook ’ s bottom line , so in the end the company declined to take action and advertisers eventually returned .
The “ # StopHate ” boycott of the past few weeks is a mixture of the two .
Like the 2013 boycott it focuses on hate speech and threats of violence .
Yet rather than limit itself narrowly to “ hate , ” it demands the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including “ white supremacy , militia , antisemitism , violent conspiracies , Holocaust denialism , vaccine misinformation , and climate denialism ” as well as “ eliminating the politician exemption ; removing misinformation related to voting ; and prohibiting calls to violence by politicians in any format.
” In grouping racism in with vaccination , climate change , “ disinformation , ” “ political misinformation ” and speech by elected officials , # StopHate begins to hew closer to the 2018 boycott in demanding wide-ranging existential changes to Facebook ’ s policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech by elected officials during an election year also risk plunging the company into a repeat of 2016 , when its platform was accused of altering the outcome of the presidential election .
At the same time , the more than 400 advertisers participating in the current boycott represent a relatively small fraction of Facebook ’ s advertiser pool .
Many had already pulled back on their ad spending as the economy collapsed , and with reopenings sputtering , they may see the boycott as an opportunity both to further reduce that spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to generate business while also generating publicity and consumer goodwill by virtue signaling .
Zuckerberg alluded to as much in an internal company town hall last week in which he noted that the boycotting brands amounted to just “ a small percent of our revenue ” and that the company would not be taking further action beyond the changes it had already announced .
The most influential change # StopHate could extract from Facebook is also the one least likely to be conceded : providing an “ audit of and refund to advertisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was later removed for violations of terms of service.
” I have asked Facebook about this for the last four years myself , with the company declining to comment or remaining silent each time .
Why would this single change be so existential to the company ?
If advertisers knew just how often their content appeared next to truly horrific speech that leaves even hardened content moderators with lasting psychological trauma , it would force brands to make hard decisions about whether to continue supporting the spread of that content through their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current boycott is a referendum on where the power of modern society lies .
Silicon Valley is typically held as the ultimate arbiter of speech in today ’ s digital society .
Yet those all-powerful social platforms are completely dependent on advertising revenue , meaning that brands hold enormous sway over their policies by dictating what kinds of speech are monetizable .
In turn , the media helps direct public outrage and in doing so selects the causes that brands are pressured to join , while also being subject itself to the whims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Together , social platforms , advertisers and the press form an interdependent triad that exerts enormous control over the public square that undergirds democracy .
If Facebook prevails in the current boycott , it will cement its role as absolute and unfettered arbiter of speech .
If advertisers and the press manage to exact meaningful concessions from the company this time , it will cement them as a new de facto oversight board .
In the balance is democracy itself .

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Kalev Leetaru
Real Clear Politics
On Tuesday, as the number of advertisers boycotting Facebook surpassed more than 400 brands, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally agreed to meet with civil rights leaders organizing the “Stop Hate for Profit” movement. The company is no stranger to such boycotts, with one in 2013 over gender-based hate speech yielding meaningful changes to its policies, while a 2018 effort over data privacy fizzled out. A closer look at all three boycotts shows the challenges ahead.
In 2013, several women’s rights organizations drew attention to the widespread presence on Facebook of content glorifying violence against women and the fact that the ads of major brands, including women-centered brands, were appearing beside these posts. Launching the “#FBRape” ad boycott campaign, they convinced a number of major advertisers to pull their campaigns from the platform and focus public attention on the prevalence of such content across Facebook.
The social media giant initially defended the posts, arguing to NBC News that “we occasionally see people post distasteful or disturbing content, or make crude attempts at humor. While it may be vulgar and offensive, distasteful content on its own does not violate our policies.”
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
However, after the public outcry grew, Facebook eventually relented and banned overt calls for violence against women. Yet a more diffuse boycott five years later over data privacy in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal had little impact.
The 2013 boycott had a single concrete demand: remove posts encouraging or celebrating violence against women. Moreover, the posts in question were unlikely to be of interest to advertisers. The 2018 boycott, in contrast, did not have any single actionable demand -- and addressing data privacy in a meaningful way would impact Facebook’s bottom line, so in the end the company declined to take action and advertisers eventually returned.
The “#StopHate” boycott of the past few weeks is a mixture of the two. Like the 2013 boycott it focuses on hate speech and threats of violence. Yet rather than limit itself narrowly to “hate,” it demands the removal of a wide-ranging assortment of topics, including “white supremacy, militia, antisemitism, violent conspiracies, Holocaust denialism, vaccine misinformation, and climate denialism” as well as “eliminating the politician exemption; removing misinformation related to voting; and prohibiting calls to violence by politicians in any format.”
In grouping racism in with vaccination, climate change, “disinformation,” “political misinformation” and speech by elected officials, #StopHate begins to hew closer to the 2018 boycott in demanding wide-ranging existential changes to Facebook’s policies. Moreover, the demands to limit speech by elected officials during an election year also risk plunging the company into a repeat of 2016, when its platform was accused of altering the outcome of the presidential election.
At the same time, the more than 400 advertisers participating in the current boycott represent a relatively small fraction of Facebook’s advertiser pool. Many had already pulled back on their ad spending as the economy collapsed, and with reopenings sputtering, they may see the boycott as an opportunity both to further reduce that spending at a time it is less likely to generate business while also generating publicity and consumer goodwill by virtue signaling.
Zuckerberg alluded to as much in an internal company town hall last week in which he noted that the boycotting brands amounted to just “a small percent of our revenue” and that the company would not be taking further action beyond the changes it had already announced.
The most influential change #StopHate could extract from Facebook is also the one least likely to be conceded: providing an “audit of and refund to advertisers whose ads were shown next to content that was later removed for violations of terms of service.” I have asked Facebook about this for the last four years myself, with the company declining to comment or remaining silent each time.
Why would this single change be so existential to the company? If advertisers knew just how often their content appeared next to truly horrific speech that leaves even hardened content moderators with lasting psychological trauma, it would force brands to make hard decisions about whether to continue supporting the spread of that content through their ad dollars.
In many ways the current boycott is a referendum on where the power of modern society lies. Silicon Valley is typically held as the ultimate arbiter of speech in today’s digital society. Yet those all-powerful social platforms are completely dependent on advertising revenue, meaning that brands hold enormous sway over their policies by dictating what kinds of speech are monetizable. In turn, the media helps direct public outrage and in doing so selects the causes that brands are pressured to join, while also being subject itself to the whims of the platform’s algorithms. Together, social platforms, advertisers and the press form an interdependent triad that exerts enormous control over the public square that undergirds democracy.
If Facebook prevails in the current boycott, it will cement its role as absolute and unfettered arbiter of speech. If advertisers and the press manage to exact meaningful concessions from the company this time, it will cement them as a new de facto oversight board. In the balance is democracy itself.


wnd--2020-07-07--Chinese company updates records: Hunter Biden removed from board

The Chinese private equity firm BHR Partners updated its business records on April 20 to remove Hunter Biden as a member of its board of directors , but he continues to hold a 10 % ownership stake in the company through his LLC , Chinese business records show .
Hunter Biden ’ s departure from BHR ’ s board was submitted to China ’ s National Credit Information Publicity System ( NCIPS ) more than six months after he pledged to relinquish his position with the firm “ on or by October 31 , ” according to Qixinbao and Baidu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information on Chinese corporations based on NCIPS filings .
The records also show that Hunter Biden continues to hold a 10 % equity stake in BHR through his company , Skaneateles LLC , as of Friday , a position he maintains despite a pledge in December from his father , former Vice President Joe Biden , that none of his family members would “ be engaged in any foreign business ” if he is elected president in November .
The Biden campaign did not respond when asked if the candidate will call on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Chinese private equity firm .
BHR manages the equivalent of $ 2.1 billion in assets , according to its website .
Hunter Biden began serving as an unpaid member of BHR ’ s board when it was founded in 2013 , and in October 2017 he obtained his equity stake in the firm with a $ 420,000 investment , according to a statement issued by his lawyer , George Mesires , in October .
BHR ’ s business records with the NCIPS were updated on April 20 to reflect Hunter Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than one week after the Daily Caller News Foundation reported on April 14 that his name was still listed as a member of the firm ’ s board at the time and that no evidence had yet surfaced to prove that Biden had actually relinquished his position with the company .
In response to that report , Hunter Biden ’ s lawyer , George Mesires , released a one-sentence letter he received from BHR CEO Jonathan Li dated April 17 stating that Hunter Biden “ no longer serves as an unpaid director on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shanghai ) Equity Investment Fund Management Co. , Ltd. effective from October 2019.
” Mesires provided the letter to Washington Post reporter Glenn Kessler , who tweeted that Hunter Biden ’ s continued presence on BHR ’ s business records with the Chinese government at the time was due to “ an apparently outdated database entry.
” Li ’ s letter did not specify the exact date in October that Hunter Biden ceased serving as an unpaid director of BHR .
Mesires has refused multiple requests by the DCNF for a copy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resignation from the firm ’ s board .
Mesires did not respond when asked if Hunter Biden intends to relinquish his 10 % equity stake in BHR .
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
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 [ email protected ]

By Andrew Kerr
Daily Caller News Foundation
The Chinese private equity firm BHR Partners updated its business records on April 20 to remove Hunter Biden as a member of its board of directors, but he continues to hold a 10% ownership stake in the company through his LLC, Chinese business records show.
Hunter Biden’s departure from BHR’s board was submitted to China’s National Credit Information Publicity System (NCIPS) more than six months after he pledged to relinquish his position with the firm “on or by October 31,” according to Qixinbao and Baidu, two independent services that provide registration information on Chinese corporations based on NCIPS filings.
The records also show that Hunter Biden continues to hold a 10% equity stake in BHR through his company, Skaneateles LLC, as of Friday, a position he maintains despite a pledge in December from his father, former Vice President Joe Biden, that none of his family members would “be engaged in any foreign business” if he is elected president in November.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The Biden campaign did not respond when asked if the candidate will call on his son to relinquish his equity stake in the Chinese private equity firm.
BHR manages the equivalent of $2.1 billion in assets, according to its website. Hunter Biden began serving as an unpaid member of BHR’s board when it was founded in 2013, and in October 2017 he obtained his equity stake in the firm with a $420,000 investment, according to a statement issued by his lawyer, George Mesires, in October.
BHR’s business records with the NCIPS were updated on April 20 to reflect Hunter Biden’s departure from its board less than one week after the Daily Caller News Foundation reported on April 14 that his name was still listed as a member of the firm’s board at the time and that no evidence had yet surfaced to prove that Biden had actually relinquished his position with the company.
In response to that report, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, George Mesires, released a one-sentence letter he received from BHR CEO Jonathan Li dated April 17 stating that Hunter Biden “no longer serves as an unpaid director on the board of Bohai Harvest RST (Shanghai) Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. effective from October 2019.”
Mesires provided the letter to Washington Post reporter Glenn Kessler, who tweeted that Hunter Biden’s continued presence on BHR’s business records with the Chinese government at the time was due to “an apparently outdated database entry.”
Trump folks pushing a line that Hunter Biden never resigned from board, citing an apparently outdated database entry. (https://t.co/Rc6YadEK61) Now Hunter Biden’s lawyer has obtained letter confirming he did resign in October, as originally reported. https://t.co/wWRlYLgLYg pic.twitter.com/jvSjBHoVrL — Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) April 17, 2020
Li’s letter did not specify the exact date in October that Hunter Biden ceased serving as an unpaid director of BHR. Mesires has refused multiple requests by the DCNF for a copy of Hunter Biden’s actual letter of resignation from the firm’s board.
Mesires did not respond when asked if Hunter Biden intends to relinquish his 10% equity stake in BHR.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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 [email protected].


wnd--2020-07-07--City officials admit protests could have reignited COVID-19

The double standard for public gatherings amid social-distancing orders has been irking many for weeks .
Many public officials have endorsed the demonstrations since the death of George Floyd .
But restrictions remain on churches and other places where people gather .
Now , Fox News reports some big-city officials are admitting that the protests `` may have contributed to surging coronavirus rates . ''
Officials in Los Angeles , Seattle and Miami-Dade County conceded a link between the protests and new COVID-19 cases was at least possible while others insisted there was no evidence of a rise .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press secretary , Avery Cohen , told Fox News , `` Based on our health indicators , which measure hospital admissions , number of people in ICU and percentage of New Yorkers testing positive , we have seen no indication of an uptick in cases . ''
However , WNBC-TV in New York reported that in the past week New York 's `` daily death toll has stayed constant , but its percentage of positive coronavirus cases rose four days straight . ''
Los Angeles , Seattle and Miami all have seen spikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the report said .
Cohen wrote on Twitter : `` Are you ready to flood the streets to fight for Blacks lives and against police brutality and reclaim our roots of pride ?
Join us today . ''
The invitation came after de Blasio threatened the Jewish community , saying `` the time for warnings has passed , '' after he noted a funeral that violated social distancing rules .
Meanwhile , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti , Fox News reported , acknowledged that public protests likely were causing a coronavirus spike just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` any conclusive evidence '' showing a connection between the two .
Garcetti said the protesters are not `` maintaining physical distancing . ''
A spokesman for Carlos A. Giménez , the mayor of Miami-Dade County , told Fox the protests were a `` contributing factor '' to the local coronavirus spike .
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan 's office referred Fox to James Apa , a city health official , who he said the protests may have played a role in new cases .
Apa told Fox : `` No single exposure site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in cases .
Top contributors include infections from other people in households , essential workers being exposed on the job and infections within long term care facilities .
From what we can tell , protests were not a major factor . ''
He said a small percentage of those infected had been at protests .
Fox News said officials in Atlanta , Minneapolis , San Diego , Washington , D.C. , Oakland , San Francisco , Houston and New Orleans did not respond to inquiries .
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` public health disaster . ''
His administration then handed out masks to demonstrators .
Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser , had promised penalties of 90 days in jail for those violating her lockdown orders .
At the same time , she praised the mass protests as `` grieving '' over hundreds of years of racism .

The double standard for public gatherings amid social-distancing orders has been irking many for weeks.
Many public officials have endorsed the demonstrations since the death of George Floyd. But restrictions remain on churches and other places where people gather.
Now, Fox News reports some big-city officials are admitting that the protests "may have contributed to surging coronavirus rates."
Officials in Los Angeles, Seattle and Miami-Dade County conceded a link between the protests and new COVID-19 cases was at least possible while others insisted there was no evidence of a rise.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's deputy press secretary, Avery Cohen, told Fox News, "Based on our health indicators, which measure hospital admissions, number of people in ICU and percentage of New Yorkers testing positive, we have seen no indication of an uptick in cases."
However, WNBC-TV in New York reported that in the past week New York's "daily death toll has stayed constant, but its percentage of positive coronavirus cases rose four days straight."
Los Angeles, Seattle and Miami all have seen spikes of COVID-19 cases in recent days, the report said.
Cohen wrote on Twitter: "Are you ready to flood the streets to fight for Blacks lives and against police brutality and reclaim our roots of pride? Join us today."
The invitation came after de Blasio threatened the Jewish community, saying "the time for warnings has passed," after he noted a funeral that violated social distancing rules.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Fox News reported, acknowledged that public protests likely were causing a coronavirus spike just two days after claiming there wasn't "any conclusive evidence" showing a connection between the two.
Garcetti said the protesters are not "maintaining physical distancing."
A spokesman for Carlos A. Giménez, the mayor of Miami-Dade County, told Fox the protests were a "contributing factor" to the local coronavirus spike.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan's office referred Fox to James Apa, a city health official, who he said the protests may have played a role in new cases.
Apa told Fox: "No single exposure site has been the primary driver for our increase in cases. Top contributors include infections from other people in households, essential workers being exposed on the job and infections within long term care facilities. From what we can tell, protests were not a major factor."
He said a small percentage of those infected had been at protests.
Fox News said officials in Atlanta, Minneapolis, San Diego, Washington, D.C., Oakland, San Francisco, Houston and New Orleans did not respond to inquiries.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had warned that church worship services could be a "public health disaster." His administration then handed out masks to demonstrators.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, had promised penalties of 90 days in jail for those violating her lockdown orders.
At the same time, she praised the mass protests as "grieving" over hundreds of years of racism.