freebeacon--2020-08-07--Pelosi Dismisses Biden Running Mate Decision: ‘It Has Never Mattered’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) said Friday the running mate in presidential elections `` has never mattered '' as Joe Biden closes in on potentially naming a woman of color to a major ticket for the first time .
`` I do n't think it matters who the vice presidential candidate is historically .
It has never mattered , '' Pelosi said on MSNBC .
`` Lyndon Johnson for victory , Sarah Palin for defeat , but by and large , it 's really all about the two candidates for president , and I 'm so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's remarks come as several top Biden allies have encouraged him to choose a black woman , in part to reward the demographic 's loyalty to the Democratic Party .
Biden is reportedly debating over choosing Sen. Kamala Harris ( D. , Calif. ) , former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice , and Rep. Karen Bass ( D. , Calif. ) , all of whom are black women .
All three have come under intense scrutiny for their records , leading to complaints of unfair treatment and even racism .
Bass 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Cuba and dictator Fidel Castro , as well as her praise of the radical Church of Scientology .
Harris is distrusted by some in the liberal base for her ambition and controversial criminal justice record , such as her aggressive prosecutions of marijuana users in California .
Rice is haunted by false statements in 2012 about the Benghazi terrorist attack and her lack of elected office experience .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D. , Mass . )
and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer ( D. ) , who are white , are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always defer to the judgment of the candidate in selecting the vice president , in terms of who he has confidence in , that he can work with , who could serve in case of emergency , and also that would do no harm in the presidential , but it 's not , I think , making a difference , '' Pelosi said .
`` I 'm very proud , though , that so many women of color are among those being—well , he has a vast array of talented people to choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three women on major presidential tickets in U.S. history , all of which were unsuccessful .
Two were vice-presidential candidates : Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008 .
Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the first woman to be nominated for president by a major party .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said Friday the running mate in presidential elections "has never mattered" as Joe Biden closes in on potentially naming a woman of color to a major ticket for the first time.
"I don't think it matters who the vice presidential candidate is historically. It has never mattered," Pelosi said on MSNBC. "Lyndon Johnson for victory, Sarah Palin for defeat, but by and large, it's really all about the two candidates for president, and I'm so proud of Joe Biden."
Pelosi's remarks come as several top Biden allies have encouraged him to choose a black woman, in part to reward the demographic's loyalty to the Democratic Party. Biden is reportedly debating over choosing Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.), former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, and Rep. Karen Bass (D., Calif.), all of whom are black women. All three have come under intense scrutiny for their records, leading to complaints of unfair treatment and even racism.
Bass's star dropped after her past warm words about Cuba and dictator Fidel Castro, as well as her praise of the radical Church of Scientology. Harris is distrusted by some in the liberal base for her ambition and controversial criminal justice record, such as her aggressive prosecutions of marijuana users in California. Rice is haunted by false statements in 2012 about the Benghazi terrorist attack and her lack of elected office experience. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer (D.), who are white, are also under consideration by Biden.
"I always defer to the judgment of the candidate in selecting the vice president, in terms of who he has confidence in, that he can work with, who could serve in case of emergency, and also that would do no harm in the presidential, but it's not, I think, making a difference," Pelosi said. "I'm very proud, though, that so many women of color are among those being—well, he has a vast array of talented people to choose from."
There have only been three women on major presidential tickets in U.S. history, all of which were unsuccessful. Two were vice-presidential candidates: Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008. Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the first woman to be nominated for president by a major party.


freebeacon--2020-08-07--Ethics Committee Orders Tlaib to Return Campaign Funds She Paid Herself

The House Ethics Committee ordered Rep. Rashida Tlaib ( D. , Mich. ) to return $ 10,800 she paid herself from her campaign , a violation first discovered by the Washington Free Beacon in March 2019 .
The committee ruled on Friday that Tlaib violated federal election laws in 2018 when she received $ 17,500 from her campaign after the election .
While Federal Election Committee rules allow candidates to receive a salary from their campaign up to Election Day , candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions after being elected .
Though the payments violated the law , the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` ill intent , '' but rather `` in bad timing . ''
`` The Committee , after further reviewing the allegations , has determined that the evidence is sufficient to support a determination that a portion of the salary payments that Representative Tlaib received after the 2018 general election was inconsistent with the requirements outlined by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 , '' the report said .
`` The Committee also recognizes , however , that Representative Tlaib ’ s violation of the applicable restrictions was one of bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tlaib engaged in good faith efforts to comply with the relevant FECA requirements . ''
The report insists Tlaib only received a small salary from her campaign after leaving her full-time job as an attorney to focus on the election .
An election law and government ethics lawyer told the Free Beacon when the payments were originally reported that Tlaib may have drawn a conservative salary during the campaign to avoid negative press coverage , with the intention of collecting a large sum after the election .
`` What she may have done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for political purposes , knowing full well that she would make up any difference at the end by giving herself a lump sum payment , '' the lawyer said .
`` That would let her skirt negative publicity , of the sort that Alan Keyes generated when he paid himself a sizable salary . ''

The House Ethics Committee ordered Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) to return $10,800 she paid herself from her campaign, a violation first discovered by the Washington Free Beacon in March 2019.
The committee ruled on Friday that Tlaib violated federal election laws in 2018 when she received $17,500 from her campaign after the election. While Federal Election Committee rules allow candidates to receive a salary from their campaign up to Election Day, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions after being elected.
Though the payments violated the law, the report said the payments were not made out of "ill intent," but rather "in bad timing."
"The Committee, after further reviewing the allegations, has determined that the evidence is sufficient to support a determination that a portion of the salary payments that Representative Tlaib received after the 2018 general election was inconsistent with the requirements outlined by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971," the report said. "The Committee also recognizes, however, that Representative Tlaib’s violation of the applicable restrictions was one of bad timing and not ill intent. Representative Tlaib engaged in good faith efforts to comply with the relevant FECA requirements."
The report insists Tlaib only received a small salary from her campaign after leaving her full-time job as an attorney to focus on the election. An election law and government ethics lawyer told the Free Beacon when the payments were originally reported that Tlaib may have drawn a conservative salary during the campaign to avoid negative press coverage, with the intention of collecting a large sum after the election.
"What she may have done is to low ball her earlier payments for political purposes, knowing full well that she would make up any difference at the end by giving herself a lump sum payment," the lawyer said. "That would let her skirt negative publicity, of the sort that Alan Keyes generated when he paid himself a sizable salary."


freebeacon--2020-08-07--Blackburn, Rubio Blast NBA for Covering Up Chinese Training Center Abuse

Sens .
Marsha Blackburn ( R. , Tenn. ) and Marco Rubio ( R. , Fla. ) accused the NBA of being complicit in `` Chinese state-sanctioned abuse of children '' after the league misled lawmakers on its training academy in Xinjiang , China .
`` Recent investigations suggest that your organization has been aware of Chinese state-sanctioned abuse of children in its Xinjiang basketball training camps , but did not take action , '' a Thursday letter from Blackburn and Rubio to NBA commissioner Adam Silver states .
`` The Chinese Government and Communist Party are committing some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
… History will not judge kindly those who remained silent or were complicit in the Chinese Communist Party 's human rights abuses . ''
The letter comes after the NBA claimed in July that it `` has had no involvement with the Xinjiang basketball academy for more than a year . ''
A recent ESPN report , however , called the statement `` completely inaccurate , '' with former academy coaches revealing that the training center was fully operational in spring 2019 .
According to the coaches , the NBA was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to Xinjiang `` well into the summer '' of 2019 .
Academy coaches also said young players in the training center suffered routine physical abuse by the league 's Chinese partners .
A former employee compared the Xinjiang academy to `` World War II Germany , '' and one American coach said he was surveilled by the Chinese government and detained three times without cause .
The abuse reportedly continued after coaches filed reports to the NBA 's Shanghai office .
`` It is appalling to learn that child athletes were allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China and that the league was looking to reopen their training camp in the Xinjiang region , despite telling me otherwise , '' Blackburn told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` The more we learn , the more questions come up , and Commissioner Adam Silver must clear the air . ''
Silver , who is a max donor to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , has yet to answer for the bombshell ESPN report .
CNN 's Wolf Blitzer failed to mention the scandal in a 16-minute interview held hours after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's letter calls on Silver to clarify the league 's `` degree of engagement with the Chinese Communist government . ''
The NBA has placed social justice at the center of its July 30 restart , allowing players to wear custom messages on their jerseys , such as `` Black Lives Matter , '' `` I Ca n't Breathe , '' and `` Say Their Names . ''
Not included in the list of approved messages , however , are statements criticizing China 's human rights abuses .
Silver praised the league 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around social justice '' in his interview with Blitzer but did not address the Communist nation .
Blackburn has previously called Xinjiang `` one of the world 's worst humanitarian zones . ''
China reportedly holds more than one million Uighur Muslims in concentration camps in the region , with detainees subject to torture , physical abuse , and forced sterilization treatments in an attempt to reduce Uighur birth rates .
Current and former league officials have kowtowed to China on the issue .
Former Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere to try to distract from our own poor record on human rights '' in a Thursday tweet .
Van Gundy currently works as an NBA analyst for Turner Sports , which is led by CNN president Jeff Zucker .

'History will not judge kindly those who remained silent or were complicit in the Chinese Communist Party's human rights abuses'
Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) and Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) accused the NBA of being complicit in "Chinese state-sanctioned abuse of children" after the league misled lawmakers on its training academy in Xinjiang, China.
"Recent investigations suggest that your organization has been aware of Chinese state-sanctioned abuse of children in its Xinjiang basketball training camps, but did not take action," a Thursday letter from Blackburn and Rubio to NBA commissioner Adam Silver states.
"The Chinese Government and Communist Party are committing some of the worst human rights violations of our time. ... History will not judge kindly those who remained silent or were complicit in the Chinese Communist Party's human rights abuses."
The letter comes after the NBA claimed in July that it "has had no involvement with the Xinjiang basketball academy for more than a year." A recent ESPN report, however, called the statement "completely inaccurate," with former academy coaches revealing that the training center was fully operational in spring 2019. According to the coaches, the NBA was "still seeking other coaches to move" to Xinjiang "well into the summer" of 2019.
Academy coaches also said young players in the training center suffered routine physical abuse by the league's Chinese partners. A former employee compared the Xinjiang academy to "World War II Germany," and one American coach said he was surveilled by the Chinese government and detained three times without cause. The abuse reportedly continued after coaches filed reports to the NBA's Shanghai office.
"It is appalling to learn that child athletes were allegedly physically abused at NBA training academies in China and that the league was looking to reopen their training camp in the Xinjiang region, despite telling me otherwise," Blackburn told the Washington Free Beacon. "The more we learn, the more questions come up, and Commissioner Adam Silver must clear the air."
Silver, who is a max donor to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, has yet to answer for the bombshell ESPN report. CNN's Wolf Blitzer failed to mention the scandal in a 16-minute interview held hours after the report was published. Blackburn and Rubio's letter calls on Silver to clarify the league's "degree of engagement with the Chinese Communist government."
The NBA has placed social justice at the center of its July 30 restart, allowing players to wear custom messages on their jerseys, such as "Black Lives Matter," "I Can't Breathe," and "Say Their Names." Not included in the list of approved messages, however, are statements criticizing China's human rights abuses. Silver praised the league's "long history of supporting important issues around social justice" in his interview with Blitzer but did not address the Communist nation.
Blackburn has previously called Xinjiang "one of the world's worst humanitarian zones." China reportedly holds more than one million Uighur Muslims in concentration camps in the region, with detainees subject to torture, physical abuse, and forced sterilization treatments in an attempt to reduce Uighur birth rates.
Current and former league officials have kowtowed to China on the issue. Former Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said critics of China are "using abuses elsewhere to try to distract from our own poor record on human rights" in a Thursday tweet. Van Gundy currently works as an NBA analyst for Turner Sports, which is led by CNN president Jeff Zucker.


freebeacon--2020-08-07--Protests Preceded Biggest Chicago Murder Wave in Decades

Over 100 homicides made July Chicago 's most violent month in decades , extending the rising tide of crime that , police data show , began at the same time as anti-police protests spawned by the death of George Floyd .
With 105 deaths , July was the city 's deadliest month since 1992 , but still only slightly more deadly than June 's 92 .
The weeks since Floyd 's death , in fact , are some of the most violent in 20 years of official data .
Challenging popular media presentation of the post-Floyd protests as largely peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the highest counts of arson , burglary , homicide , gun violence , and public disorder incidents on record .
While rates of the lesser crimes have abated , murder and gun violence remained elevated through the most recently available data .
These alarming figures make Chicago the hardest hit of the many major cities currently experiencing a surge in gun violence and homicide .
The timing of the spike also suggests that the still ongoing protests against Chicago police may be a driving force behind the crime wave—mirroring trends previously identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other cities .
The police data paint a picture of a city in disarray .
Gun crime in Chicago spiked in the days following the death of George Floyd on May 25 , official police data show .
At its peak on May 31 , the Chicago Police Department reported 134 gun violence incidents .
Rates have declined from there but remain high .
In 20 years of data , 9 of the 10 days with the most incidents occurred in 2020 .
The beginning of protests further coincided with unprecedented spikes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and public peace violations .
It also saw an explosion of homicides , with 41 deaths in the week following Floyd 's .
Unlike the other spikes , however , the homicide wave has not abated , with a cumulative 197 homicides since June 1 .
Those gunned down include seven-year-old Natalia Wallace , who was shot at her family 's Fourth of July celebration , and nine-year-old Janari Andre Ricks , who was shot and killed as he played with friends behind his home .
This wave of homicides is part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big cities across the nation—nearly three-quarters of the largest cities have seen homicide rates rise by double digits compared with 2019 .
But Chicago 's murder wave stands out , accounting for roughly one in eight added homicides across the 50 biggest cities .
This particularly bloody period has prompted the deployment of federal agents to Chicago , but only after a standoff between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and President Donald Trump , with the former resisting the latter 's offers of federal assistance .
Lightfoot eventually relented , and federal agents have already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city as part of Operation Legend .
The scale and timing of Chicago 's murder spike raise an obvious question : Could protests , which have for months demanded the defunding or abolition of the Chicago Police Department , be driving the crisis ?
Lightfoot has blamed the surge on guns purchased in other states , especially Indiana , and brought in to the city .
This is a common refrain from Chicago Democrats , who support the city and state 's ultra-strict gun-control laws , but it does n't line up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plurality of illegal firearms recovered by Chicago police come from in-state .
And while there has been a nationwide surge in gun-buying , research indicates its effect on homicides is real but small , increasing national murder totals by only about 5 percent—much smaller than the 105 percent increase in Chicago homicides between June and July 2019 and the same months in 2020 .
It 's also not clear that the surge has affected Illinois or surrounding states disproportionately ; most have seen year-on-year increases in gun buying on par with the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has seen a surge in the background checks used to measure gun purchases , attributable to a change in its licensing laws .
Rafael Mangual , a legal policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute , told the Washington Free Beacon that while the peculiarities of the coronavirus pandemic and Cook County 's bail reform may also have played a role , it was likely that the protests and their effects on the police may be driving the crime wave .
`` I think it 's quite clear that the protests and riots contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as police were redirected from their normal duties to crowd control , '' Mangual said .
`` Over the longer-term , I would n't be surprised to see demoralization and fear sweep through the CPD , which , as we saw in 2016 , could lead to a decrease in proactivity , which may very well be followed by a more sustained increase in violent crime . ''
Mangual pointed to research that linked a 2015 consent decree , placed on the Chicago Police Department in a deal with the ACLU , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That decree , the research argued , constrained Chicago police officers ' ability to engage in proactive `` stops , '' which in turn are meant to reduce gun possession and violent crime .
In this , as in its crime trends , Chicago follows northern neighbor Minneapolis .
As the Free Beacon previously reported , Minneapolis saw a similar spike in gun violence following the death of Floyd and ensuing protests .
That increase coincided with a precipitous drop in the Minneapolis Police Department 's stops , which the department attributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven the violence wave .
Recent data on Chicago 's police stops are not yet publicly available , but there is at least some evidence of discontent in the department 's ranks .
Most prominently , Deputy Chief Dion Boyd committed suicide in late July , the ninth department officer to do so in two years .
Such an incident may indicate a police department demoralized by protesters ' demonization—a recipe for their withdrawal from the streets and , consequently , a further increase in violence and death .

Over 100 homicides made July Chicago's most violent month in decades, extending the rising tide of crime that, police data show, began at the same time as anti-police protests spawned by the death of George Floyd.
With 105 deaths, July was the city's deadliest month since 1992, but still only slightly more deadly than June's 92. The weeks since Floyd's death, in fact, are some of the most violent in 20 years of official data.
Challenging popular media presentation of the post-Floyd protests as largely peaceful, the first week of protests coincided with the highest counts of arson, burglary, homicide, gun violence, and public disorder incidents on record. While rates of the lesser crimes have abated, murder and gun violence remained elevated through the most recently available data.
These alarming figures make Chicago the hardest hit of the many major cities currently experiencing a surge in gun violence and homicide. The timing of the spike also suggests that the still ongoing protests against Chicago police may be a driving force behind the crime wave—mirroring trends previously identified in Minneapolis and possibly at play in other cities.
The police data paint a picture of a city in disarray. Gun crime in Chicago spiked in the days following the death of George Floyd on May 25, official police data show. At its peak on May 31, the Chicago Police Department reported 134 gun violence incidents.
Rates have declined from there but remain high. In 20 years of data, 9 of the 10 days with the most incidents occurred in 2020.
The beginning of protests further coincided with unprecedented spikes in other crimes, including arson, burglary, and public peace violations. It also saw an explosion of homicides, with 41 deaths in the week following Floyd's. Unlike the other spikes, however, the homicide wave has not abated, with a cumulative 197 homicides since June 1.
Those gunned down include seven-year-old Natalia Wallace, who was shot at her family's Fourth of July celebration, and nine-year-old Janari Andre Ricks, who was shot and killed as he played with friends behind his home.
This wave of homicides is part of a larger trend playing out in big cities across the nation—nearly three-quarters of the largest cities have seen homicide rates rise by double digits compared with 2019. But Chicago's murder wave stands out, accounting for roughly one in eight added homicides across the 50 biggest cities.
This particularly bloody period has prompted the deployment of federal agents to Chicago, but only after a standoff between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and President Donald Trump, with the former resisting the latter's offers of federal assistance. Lightfoot eventually relented, and federal agents have already arrested a number of gun offenders in the city as part of Operation Legend.
The scale and timing of Chicago's murder spike raise an obvious question: Could protests, which have for months demanded the defunding or abolition of the Chicago Police Department, be driving the crisis?
Lightfoot has blamed the surge on guns purchased in other states, especially Indiana, and brought in to the city. This is a common refrain from Chicago Democrats, who support the city and state's ultra-strict gun-control laws, but it doesn't line up with the data.
Historically, the plurality of illegal firearms recovered by Chicago police come from in-state. And while there has been a nationwide surge in gun-buying, research indicates its effect on homicides is real but small, increasing national murder totals by only about 5 percent—much smaller than the 105 percent increase in Chicago homicides between June and July 2019 and the same months in 2020.
It's also not clear that the surge has affected Illinois or surrounding states disproportionately; most have seen year-on-year increases in gun buying on par with the national average. Only one, Michigan, has seen a surge in the background checks used to measure gun purchases, attributable to a change in its licensing laws.
Rafael Mangual, a legal policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute, told the Washington Free Beacon that while the peculiarities of the coronavirus pandemic and Cook County's bail reform may also have played a role, it was likely that the protests and their effects on the police may be driving the crime wave.
"I think it's quite clear that the protests and riots contributed to the spike by creating a void as police were redirected from their normal duties to crowd control," Mangual said. "Over the longer-term, I wouldn't be surprised to see demoralization and fear sweep through the CPD, which, as we saw in 2016, could lead to a decrease in proactivity, which may very well be followed by a more sustained increase in violent crime."
Mangual pointed to research that linked a 2015 consent decree, placed on the Chicago Police Department in a deal with the ACLU, to a surge in homicides the following year. That decree, the research argued, constrained Chicago police officers' ability to engage in proactive "stops," which in turn are meant to reduce gun possession and violent crime.
In this, as in its crime trends, Chicago follows northern neighbor Minneapolis. As the Free Beacon previously reported, Minneapolis saw a similar spike in gun violence following the death of Floyd and ensuing protests. That increase coincided with a precipitous drop in the Minneapolis Police Department's stops, which the department attributed to increased crime but may also have driven the violence wave.
Recent data on Chicago's police stops are not yet publicly available, but there is at least some evidence of discontent in the department's ranks. Most prominently, Deputy Chief Dion Boyd committed suicide in late July, the ninth department officer to do so in two years.
Such an incident may indicate a police department demoralized by protesters' demonization—a recipe for their withdrawal from the streets and, consequently, a further increase in violence and death.


freebeacon--2020-08-07--Pelosi, Schumer Dumped ‘Police’ From Coronavirus Remarks After George Floyd Protests

Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 , top Democrats in Congress have stopped mentioning the police in remarks about government workers in need during the coronavirus pandemic .
Before the nationwide protests against police , Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , N.Y. ) repeatedly included police officers when listing government employees who would be aided by Democratic coronavirus relief legislation .
Pelosi touted police as some of the `` heroes '' that the Democrat-sponsored HEROES Act would benefit .
`` That 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HEROES Act , '' Pelosi said on May 14 .
`` The health care workers , the first responders , police , fire , emergency services , sanitation , food workers , our teachers , transportation workers , and the rest . ''
Pelosi mentioned police at least nine other times in remarks about Democratic coronavirus bills before Floyd died .
In an MSNBC interview on May 26 , a day after Floyd 's death , she included them in her comments about the bill , but since then has substituted `` first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the three pillars to the HEROES Act , '' she said on July 10 .
`` It 's called the HEROES Act because it 's about our heroes : our health care workers , our teachers , our first responders , our transit workers , our food suppliers , and the rest ; sanitation workers . ''
Schumer has also deleted `` police '' from his remarks about coronavirus relief .
He publicly mentioned them at least 12 times before Floyd died when discussing government workers affected by the pandemic .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 11 occasions in which Schumer omitted the police from such lists .
`` No proposals to help state and local governments retain teachers and firefighters , bus drivers and police officers , '' Schumer said on May 11 , two weeks before Floyd died .
The senator used nearly identical phrasing on July 29 , but substituted `` other public employees '' for `` police officers . ''
`` There ’ s $ 2 billion for a new FBI building whose location will increase the value of the Trump hotel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local governments retain teachers , firefighters , bus drivers and other public employees , '' Schumer said .
Schumer also frequently warned of potential layoffs of police officers because of coronavirus before Floyd 's death .
`` They 're going to have to lay off firefighters who protect us , police officers , bus drivers , food safety workers , hospital workers , '' Schumer told CBS on May 1 .
On June 30 , the Senate majority leader mourned potential layoffs for government workers but left out policemen .
`` Last night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency funding for state , local , and tribal governments who are finalizing their budgets—today—and may be forced to cut vital services and lay off teachers , firefighters and other public employees , '' he said .

Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, top Democrats in Congress have stopped mentioning the police in remarks about government workers in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
Before the nationwide protests against police, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) repeatedly included police officers when listing government employees who would be aided by Democratic coronavirus relief legislation.
Pelosi touted police as some of the "heroes" that the Democrat-sponsored HEROES Act would benefit.
"That's the title of our bill: The HEROES Act," Pelosi said on May 14. "The health care workers, the first responders, police, fire, emergency services, sanitation, food workers, our teachers, transportation workers, and the rest."
Pelosi mentioned police at least nine other times in remarks about Democratic coronavirus bills before Floyd died. In an MSNBC interview on May 26, a day after Floyd's death, she included them in her comments about the bill, but since then has substituted "first responders" for police.
"First, the three pillars to the HEROES Act," she said on July 10. "It's called the HEROES Act because it's about our heroes: our health care workers, our teachers, our first responders, our transit workers, our food suppliers, and the rest; sanitation workers."
Schumer has also deleted "police" from his remarks about coronavirus relief. He publicly mentioned them at least 12 times before Floyd died when discussing government workers affected by the pandemic. Since Floyd's death, there have been at least 11 occasions in which Schumer omitted the police from such lists.
"No proposals to help state and local governments retain teachers and firefighters, bus drivers and police officers," Schumer said on May 11, two weeks before Floyd died.
The senator used nearly identical phrasing on July 29, but substituted "other public employees" for "police officers."
"There’s $2 billion for a new FBI building whose location will increase the value of the Trump hotel, but no funding to help state and local governments retain teachers, firefighters, bus drivers and other public employees," Schumer said.
Schumer also frequently warned of potential layoffs of police officers because of coronavirus before Floyd's death.
"They're going to have to lay off firefighters who protect us, police officers, bus drivers, food safety workers, hospital workers," Schumer told CBS on May 1.
On June 30, the Senate majority leader mourned potential layoffs for government workers but left out policemen.
"Last night, Democrats asked our colleagues to pass emergency funding for state, local, and tribal governments who are finalizing their budgets—today—and may be forced to cut vital services and lay off teachers, firefighters and other public employees," he said.


freebeacon--2020-08-08--For Biden Family, a History of Tax Problems

Hunter Biden was hit with a $ 450,000 lien in July over delinquent state income taxes , which he paid off in six days despite having no discernible income .
Last year , he told the court judge in his paternity case that he was broke and unemployed .
The younger Biden owed $ 238,562.76 in state income taxes from 2017 and $ 215,328.16 in state income taxes from 2018 , according to records from the District of Columbia ’ s Office of Tax and Revenue .
The District of Columbia filed a $ 453,890 lien against him on July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a series of substantial tax problems members of the Biden family have faced over the years , from Joe 's brother James ’ s six-figure tax debt in 2015 to multiple liens filed against Joe 's sister Valerie and her husband .
It also raises new questions about Hunter Biden ’ s finances , which have been scrutinized during the election cycle .
The lien follows controversy over Hunter 's high-paying consulting work for companies in Ukraine and China , and a high-profile child support case in which the younger Biden claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refused to turn over court-ordered financial records .
A spokesman for D.C. 's Office of the Chief Financial Officer confirmed that Hunter Biden ’ s lien was released on July 15 after the `` tax issue was resolved . ''
The office declined to say whether Biden had paid off the debt .
Harvey Bezozi , a tax expert who specializes in large-scale tax debt negotiations , said the only way to get a lien released is to pay the settlement in full—often through a payment plan , penalty abatement , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lien was filed in error .
He said liens can take months or years to resolve .
`` It drags on , '' he said .
`` Six days had to be some kind of expeditious kind of process for this . ''
Bezozi said the government rarely files liens in error .
`` Generally the lien filing process is a very stringent and reviewed approach because it ’ s a serious thing when you file a lien .
It ’ s public record , '' he said .
The Biden campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden settled the debt in less than a week and whether he has found gainful employment .
The Biden family has been hit with several tax liens over the past few decades .
James Biden has had at least five tax liens filed against him between 1995 and 2015 , including one for $ 589,095 filed in 2015 and released one year later .
Frank Biden , another brother of the presidential candidate , has had at least three liens for unpaid income taxes .
He said in 2011 that a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle with alcohol addiction and was being paid off through a monthly plan , according to the Broward Palm Beach New Times .
Joe Biden ’ s sister Valerie and her husband John Owens have faced at least five tax liens , including one for $ 229,749 in 1990 .
This is also not the first time Hunter Biden has been accused of owing back taxes .
In 2018 , the federal government filed a $ 112,805 tax lien against him .
He resolved that matter in March , according to records .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ under scrutiny due to work the younger Biden did for foreign entities while his father was vice president .
He has fought to keep his financial information out of the public record , defying a court order to turn over his full 2017 and 2018 tax returns and arguing that his financial records should be subject to a nondisclosure agreement and encrypted during a paternity lawsuit last year .
Lunden Alexis Roberts , the mother of Hunter Biden 's two-year-old child , sued Biden for child support payments in Arkansas in 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a court filing related to that case that he was deeply in debt and had no source of income for more than six months .
`` I attest that I am unemployed and have had no monthly income since May 2019 , '' said Biden in a Nov. 27 , 2019 , affidavit .
`` I currently have significant debts ( in part as a result of obligations arising from my divorce which was final in April 2017 ) . ''
Although Biden claimed that he was broke , he was living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and spotted driving a $ 129,000 Porsche Panamera in Beverly Hills .
After a judge ordered Biden to turn over his financial records and travel to Arkansas for a deposition , the former lobbyist agreed to settle the case with Roberts .
Biden has held lucrative positions at foreign companies .
He was reportedly paid up to $ 50,000 a month to sit on the board of directors for Ukrainian energy giant Burisma between 2014 and last year and served on the board of BHR Partners , the $ 1.5 billion international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bohai Capital .
Biden stepped down from both boards last year , according to his lawyer .
He told the New Yorker last summer that as part of his 2017 divorce agreement he had offered to pay his ex-wife Kathleen $ 37,000 per month for a decade .
He said he was living on about $ 4,000 per month and was forced to max out his credit cards , which the magazine described as an `` adjustment . ''
Biden ’ s ex-wife said in a 2017 divorce filing that Hunter Biden had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blowing their money on `` drugs , alcohol , prostitutes , strip clubs and gifts for women with whom he had sexual relations . ''
`` Mr. Biden has created financial concerns for the family by spending extravagantly on his own interests … while leaving the family with no funds to pay legitimate bills , '' said Kathleen Biden in the court filing .
She said the family ’ s debts were `` shocking and overwhelming , '' including a $ 313,000 tax delinquency , maxed out credit cards , unpaid medical bills @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Hunter Biden was hit with a $450,000 lien in July over delinquent state income taxes, which he paid off in six days despite having no discernible income. Last year, he told the court judge in his paternity case that he was broke and unemployed.
The younger Biden owed $238,562.76 in state income taxes from 2017 and $215,328.16 in state income taxes from 2018, according to records from the District of Columbia’s Office of Tax and Revenue. The District of Columbia filed a $453,890 lien against him on July 9.
The lien is the latest in a series of substantial tax problems members of the Biden family have faced over the years, from Joe's brother James’s six-figure tax debt in 2015 to multiple liens filed against Joe's sister Valerie and her husband. It also raises new questions about Hunter Biden’s finances, which have been scrutinized during the election cycle. The lien follows controversy over Hunter's high-paying consulting work for companies in Ukraine and China, and a high-profile child support case in which the younger Biden claimed he was in "significant debt" and refused to turn over court-ordered financial records.
A spokesman for D.C.'s Office of the Chief Financial Officer confirmed that Hunter Biden’s lien was released on July 15 after the "tax issue was resolved." The office declined to say whether Biden had paid off the debt.
Harvey Bezozi, a tax expert who specializes in large-scale tax debt negotiations, said the only way to get a lien released is to pay the settlement in full—often through a payment plan, penalty abatement, or other compromise with the government—or to prove the lien was filed in error. He said liens can take months or years to resolve.
"It drags on," he said. "Six days had to be some kind of expeditious kind of process for this."
Bezozi said the government rarely files liens in error. "Generally the lien filing process is a very stringent and reviewed approach because it’s a serious thing when you file a lien. It’s public record," he said.
The Biden campaign did not respond to questions about how Hunter Biden settled the debt in less than a week and whether he has found gainful employment.
The Biden family has been hit with several tax liens over the past few decades.
James Biden has had at least five tax liens filed against him between 1995 and 2015, including one for $589,095 filed in 2015 and released one year later. Frank Biden, another brother of the presidential candidate, has had at least three liens for unpaid income taxes. He said in 2011 that a $32,500 lien in Kentucky stemmed from his struggle with alcohol addiction and was being paid off through a monthly plan, according to the Broward Palm Beach New Times. Joe Biden’s sister Valerie and her husband John Owens have faced at least five tax liens, including one for $229,749 in 1990.
This is also not the first time Hunter Biden has been accused of owing back taxes. In 2018, the federal government filed a $112,805 tax lien against him. He resolved that matter in March, according to records.
Hunter Biden’s finances have come under scrutiny due to work the younger Biden did for foreign entities while his father was vice president. He has fought to keep his financial information out of the public record, defying a court order to turn over his full 2017 and 2018 tax returns and arguing that his financial records should be subject to a nondisclosure agreement and encrypted during a paternity lawsuit last year.
Lunden Alexis Roberts, the mother of Hunter Biden's two-year-old child, sued Biden for child support payments in Arkansas in 2019. Biden, a former lobbyist, claimed in a court filing related to that case that he was deeply in debt and had no source of income for more than six months.
"I attest that I am unemployed and have had no monthly income since May 2019," said Biden in a Nov. 27, 2019, affidavit. "I currently have significant debts (in part as a result of obligations arising from my divorce which was final in April 2017)."
Although Biden claimed that he was broke, he was living in a $12,000-per-month Hollywood Hills rental home and spotted driving a $129,000 Porsche Panamera in Beverly Hills. After a judge ordered Biden to turn over his financial records and travel to Arkansas for a deposition, the former lobbyist agreed to settle the case with Roberts.
Biden has held lucrative positions at foreign companies. He was reportedly paid up to $50,000 a month to sit on the board of directors for Ukrainian energy giant Burisma between 2014 and last year and served on the board of BHR Partners, the $1.5 billion international private equity arm of Chinese investment fund Bohai Capital.
Biden stepped down from both boards last year, according to his lawyer. He told the New Yorker last summer that as part of his 2017 divorce agreement he had offered to pay his ex-wife Kathleen $37,000 per month for a decade. He said he was living on about $4,000 per month and was forced to max out his credit cards, which the magazine described as an "adjustment."
Biden’s ex-wife said in a 2017 divorce filing that Hunter Biden had left the family in massive debt after blowing their money on "drugs, alcohol, prostitutes, strip clubs and gifts for women with whom he had sexual relations."
"Mr. Biden has created financial concerns for the family by spending extravagantly on his own interests … while leaving the family with no funds to pay legitimate bills," said Kathleen Biden in the court filing.
She said the family’s debts were "shocking and overwhelming," including a $313,000 tax delinquency, maxed out credit cards, unpaid medical bills, and bounced checks to housekeepers.


freebeacon--2020-08-09--This Week In Campus Insanity Vol. 5

This Week In Campus Insanity Vol. 5

Welcome back to Campus Insanity , a weekly roundup of the craziest developments at our nation 's 4,000-plus institutions of higher education .
6 .
University of North Texas Mob Comes Calling for a Music Theorist | National Review A University of North Texas music theory professor was attacked by woke students for defending a 19th-century music theorist against accusations of racism .
Students for Life plans to sue the mayor of Washington , D.C. , after police arrested a Towson University student and a D.C. resident for chalking a pro-life message outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic .
4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Critical of Karl Marx | The College Fix A Wright State University professor faced criticism from bosses , peers , and students after requesting to teach a class critical of Marxism .
3 .
Tulane University Canceled Talk by Author of Anti-Racism Book After Students Said Text Was ‘ Violent ' | Reason Tulane University was forced to cancel a talk with the author of an anti-racism book after students said the talk was `` violent towards the experience of black people in the Tulane community and our country . ''
Arizona State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address `` black male privilege , '' which allegedly prevents black women from holding power in the Civil Rights movement and Black Power movement .
1 .
Arizona Ph.D. Student Targets ‘ Problematic ' Insect Names : Slavemaker Ant , Gypsy Moth , Rape Bug , and Dozens More | The College Fix Scholars created a list of 60-plus `` problematic '' animal and insect names including , `` slavemaker ant , '' `` gypsy moth , '' and `` rape bug '' to address `` racism in science . ''
Want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 here .
If you have any suggestions for our Top 6 stories please email chrissy @ freebeacon.com & nester @ freebeacon.com .

Welcome back to Campus Insanity, a weekly roundup of the craziest developments at our nation's 4,000-plus institutions of higher education.
6. University of North Texas Mob Comes Calling for a Music Theorist | National Review
A University of North Texas music theory professor was attacked by woke students for defending a 19th-century music theorist against accusations of racism.
5. Pro-Life Groups Threaten Lawsuit After Students Arrested | Washington Free Beacon
Students for Life plans to sue the mayor of Washington, D.C., after police arrested a Towson University student and a D.C. resident for chalking a pro-life message outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic.
4. Economics Professor Barred from Teaching Class Critical of Karl Marx | The College Fix
A Wright State University professor faced criticism from bosses, peers, and students after requesting to teach a class critical of Marxism.
3. Tulane University Canceled Talk by Author of Anti-Racism Book After Students Said Text Was 'Violent' | Reason
Tulane University was forced to cancel a talk with the author of an anti-racism book after students said the talk was "violent towards the experience of black people in the Tulane community and our country."
2. Arizona State University Publishes 'Black Male Privilege' Checklist | Campus Reform
Arizona State University published an online "checklist" to address "black male privilege," which allegedly prevents black women from holding power in the Civil Rights movement and Black Power movement.
1. Arizona Ph.D. Student Targets 'Problematic' Insect Names: Slavemaker Ant, Gypsy Moth, Rape Bug, and Dozens More | The College Fix
Scholars created a list of 60-plus "problematic" animal and insect names including, "slavemaker ant," "gypsy moth," and "rape bug" to address "racism in science."
Want more Campus Insanity? Read Vol. 4 here.
If you have any suggestions for our Top 6 stories please email chrissy@freebeacon.com & nester@freebeacon.com.


freebeacon--2020-08-09--Pelosi Takes Heat for Failed Negotiations on Coronavirus Relief Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) took heat during interviews by CNN and Fox News anchors after weeks of coronavirus relief negotiations resulted in a stalemate in Congress and executive action by President Donald Trump .
CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday questioned Pelosi on the Democrats ' proposed $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit , asking the speaker whether she would be willing to compromise at $ 400 .
`` I 'm not negotiating that right here , '' Pelosi said .
`` It depends on what else is in the bill . ''
Bash then questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans .
`` Are Republicans right when they say you will not come off of your $ 600 number—you will not come off of other figures , other policy initiatives that you want—and that 's why you 're at a stalemate ? ''
Bash asked .
Pelosi said there is room for her to compromise but said she would need to consider the entire package .
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on Sunday said that while Republicans were not offering the $ 900 billion that the speaker wanted to fund city and state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money at all for various entities .
`` You 're known as a master negotiator , but did n't you mess this one up ? ''
Wallace asked Pelosi .
`` I 'm not saying it 's all your fault any more than it 's all the Republicans ' fault , '' he said .
`` But the failure to make a deal is going to result in a lot of people and a lot of entities that were in need ending up with nothing . ''
During the earlier stages of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversee the passing of legislation while avoiding communication with the White House .
`` I 'm the speaker of the House , legislation is my responsibility , '' Pelosi said on CNN .
`` That has not required any conversations with the president on the nature of the policy or the passage of the legislation . ''
After stalled negotiations in Congress , Trump took executive action on Saturday to extend a series of coronavirus relief programs , including a $ 400 weekly benefit for unemployed Americans .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) took heat during interviews by CNN and Fox News anchors after weeks of coronavirus relief negotiations resulted in a stalemate in Congress and executive action by President Donald Trump.
CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday questioned Pelosi on the Democrats' proposed $600 weekly unemployment benefit, asking the speaker whether she would be willing to compromise at $400.
"I'm not negotiating that right here," Pelosi said. "It depends on what else is in the bill."
Bash then questioned the speaker's ability to compromise with Republicans.
"Are Republicans right when they say you will not come off of your $600 number—you will not come off of other figures, other policy initiatives that you want—and that's why you're at a stalemate?" Bash asked.
Pelosi said there is room for her to compromise but said she would need to consider the entire package.
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on Sunday said that while Republicans were not offering the $900 billion that the speaker wanted to fund city and state governments, the stalled negotiations meant no money at all for various entities.
"You're known as a master negotiator, but didn't you mess this one up?" Wallace asked Pelosi.
"I'm not saying it's all your fault any more than it's all the Republicans' fault," he said. "But the failure to make a deal is going to result in a lot of people and a lot of entities that were in need ending up with nothing."
During the earlier stages of the pandemic, Pelosi touted her ability to oversee the passing of legislation while avoiding communication with the White House.
"I'm the speaker of the House, legislation is my responsibility," Pelosi said on CNN. "That has not required any conversations with the president on the nature of the policy or the passage of the legislation."
After stalled negotiations in Congress, Trump took executive action on Saturday to extend a series of coronavirus relief programs, including a $400 weekly benefit for unemployed Americans.


freebeacon--2020-08-10--Meet the Mom Challenging Newsom’s School Shutdowns

Small businesses are devastated and depression rates are rising , but for California resident Christine Ruiz—and countless other parents—the worst part of coronavirus lockdowns is the lack of schooling for her children .
The transition to virtual learning has left the most vulnerable students without oversight and critical services .
Democratic governor Gavin Newsom opted to keep it that way , issuing an executive order to forbid school reopenings in the fall despite outcry from parents .
`` With the fall of school and possibly more [ being postponed ] , now you 're telling us this is just our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just ca n't stomach , '' Ruiz , the mother of two autistic children , told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` There 's a huge population of students that are not being spoken about , not getting the critical services they need . ''
Ruiz said her boys can not go on learning away from the classroom without serious cognitive consequences .
After hearing from countless disease experts , she decided she wants to send her children back to school .
That 's why she and eight other parents are suing Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents will not be allowed to send their children to school this fall despite guidelines from medical experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that favor a return to classroom learning .
Newsom prohibited in-person schooling in hundreds of school districts , affecting more than 5.5 million students .
The executive order flies in the face of scientific evidence from both disease and education experts .
Stanford University medical professor Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya told the Free Beacon the risk of schoolchildren transmitting the coronavirus is very low .
`` We should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bhattacharya said .
`` The science on this is basically—as best as I can tell—as settled as anything in the COVID epidemic .
There is solid evidence that children do not pass the virus on , at least not at very high rates , to adults . ''
Bhattacharya and infectious disease specialist Sean Kaufman agreed that California 's one-size-fits-all approach to school closures contradicts scientific data .
Kaufman called for a `` blended approach '' to reopening schools .
`` We have to use science .
We have to really think about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When we look at health as … are we going to get sick or are we not going to get sick , that 's a very important element of health , but it 's not the entirety , '' Kaufman told the Free Beacon .
`` You 've got social wellbeing , you 've got mental wellbeing , you 've got academic wellbeing , and the reality is when you make a widespread recommendation for something , the cost versus the benefit can be substantial . ''
Disease experts and parents see firsthand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children .
Experts argue that virtual learning isolates children from important social experiences , while parents see the poor education experience taking place in their living rooms .
One plaintiff , senior Mediaite columnist John Ziegler , told the Free Beacon he was appalled by the quality of spring remote learning and expects even worse results when his daughter starts the school year with a new teacher .
`` We were very horrified with what happened in the spring with the so-called remote learning , '' Ziegler said .
`` The fall online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for my child because now she does n't know who the teacher is and she does n't know any of her classmates , and there 's no connection . ''
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are not arguing for mandatory in-person schooling .
Ruiz told the Free Beacon she was elated at the idea of a hybrid learning model that would put her boys in school two days a week with supplemental virtual learning for the remaining three days .
The lawsuit contends that online learning has a disproportionately negative effect on low-income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students with disabilities .
Attorney Rob Dunn called Newsom 's order `` regressive '' and `` devastating '' to the underprivileged .
`` This lawsuit is really about protecting the rights of vulnerable students , '' Dunn told the Free Beacon .
`` There are hundreds of thousands of vulnerable kids who are getting totally left behind… .
The rich are going to do just fine [ but ] this order is devastating for those who ca n't afford to pay a private teacher . ''
Experts argue that the harm of online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more damaging than the coronavirus .
Bhattacharya said inequalities from online learning will last a generation .
`` The harm from not having in-person school is so high to the education that the kids will get .
We 're not even debating about the evidence , it 's so solid… .
It 's not just that the kids wo n't get educated , there 's a very unequal distribution of the cost , '' Bhattacharya said .
`` Essentially , the lower-income kids get really harmed by online schooling .
These are inequality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The costs are too high to not go back to school . ''
Ziegler and Ruiz said the lawsuit had nothing to do with their political affiliation and everything to do with the science , but they do perceive Newsom 's order to be politically motivated .
Ruiz has been a Parent-Teacher Association member for several years and claims every teacher and administrator she has spoken to wants to return to work , but unions are holding them back .
`` Every [ teacher and administrator ] I 've spoken to want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` They are being held hostage by the unions .
The unions have their own agendas and it has nothing to do with educating our children or the safety of our children . ''
The Los Angeles teachers ' union has created a list of far-left economic demands—such as defunding the police and Medicare for All—for the government to meet before teachers return to the classroom .
Ruiz insists that the safety and education of children should be the guiding principle in returning to school , not political demands .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with politics , '' Ruiz said .
`` This is about the dangerous and profound effects of regression in the special needs student population and also the lack of services provided will be so detrimental to them now and then probably their whole entire lifetime . ''

Small businesses are devastated and depression rates are rising, but for California resident Christine Ruiz—and countless other parents—the worst part of coronavirus lockdowns is the lack of schooling for her children. The transition to virtual learning has left the most vulnerable students without oversight and critical services. Democratic governor Gavin Newsom opted to keep it that way, issuing an executive order to forbid school reopenings in the fall despite outcry from parents.
"With the fall of school and possibly more [being postponed], now you're telling us this is just our life? This is something that I just can't stomach," Ruiz, the mother of two autistic children, told the Washington Free Beacon. "There's a huge population of students that are not being spoken about, not getting the critical services they need."
Ruiz said her boys cannot go on learning away from the classroom without serious cognitive consequences. After hearing from countless disease experts, she decided she wants to send her children back to school. That's why she and eight other parents are suing Newsom.
Under a new California mandate, parents will not be allowed to send their children to school this fall despite guidelines from medical experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that favor a return to classroom learning. Newsom prohibited in-person schooling in hundreds of school districts, affecting more than 5.5 million students.
The executive order flies in the face of scientific evidence from both disease and education experts. Stanford University medical professor Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya told the Free Beacon the risk of schoolchildren transmitting the coronavirus is very low.
"We should have good science on this," Bhattacharya said. "The science on this is basically—as best as I can tell—as settled as anything in the COVID epidemic. There is solid evidence that children do not pass the virus on, at least not at very high rates, to adults."
Bhattacharya and infectious disease specialist Sean Kaufman agreed that California's one-size-fits-all approach to school closures contradicts scientific data. Kaufman called for a "blended approach" to reopening schools.
"We have to use science. We have to really think about ... how we're defining health. When we look at health as … are we going to get sick or are we not going to get sick, that's a very important element of health, but it's not the entirety," Kaufman told the Free Beacon. "You've got social wellbeing, you've got mental wellbeing, you've got academic wellbeing, and the reality is when you make a widespread recommendation for something, the cost versus the benefit can be substantial."
Disease experts and parents see firsthand the negative effects of virtual learning on children. Experts argue that virtual learning isolates children from important social experiences, while parents see the poor education experience taking place in their living rooms. One plaintiff, senior Mediaite columnist John Ziegler, told the Free Beacon he was appalled by the quality of spring remote learning and expects even worse results when his daughter starts the school year with a new teacher.
"We were very horrified with what happened in the spring with the so-called remote learning," Ziegler said. "The fall online learning is going to be even worse for my child because now she doesn't know who the teacher is and she doesn't know any of her classmates, and there's no connection."
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are not arguing for mandatory in-person schooling. Ruiz told the Free Beacon she was elated at the idea of a hybrid learning model that would put her boys in school two days a week with supplemental virtual learning for the remaining three days. The lawsuit contends that online learning has a disproportionately negative effect on low-income and minority students, as well as students with disabilities. Attorney Rob Dunn called Newsom's order "regressive" and "devastating" to the underprivileged.
"This lawsuit is really about protecting the rights of vulnerable students," Dunn told the Free Beacon. "There are hundreds of thousands of vulnerable kids who are getting totally left behind.... The rich are going to do just fine [but] this order is devastating for those who can't afford to pay a private teacher."
Experts argue that the harm of online schooling to low-income and minority students is more damaging than the coronavirus. Bhattacharya said inequalities from online learning will last a generation.
"The harm from not having in-person school is so high to the education that the kids will get. We're not even debating about the evidence, it's so solid.... It's not just that the kids won't get educated, there's a very unequal distribution of the cost," Bhattacharya said. "Essentially, the lower-income kids get really harmed by online schooling. These are inequality effects that will last a generation. The costs are too high to not go back to school."
Ziegler and Ruiz said the lawsuit had nothing to do with their political affiliation and everything to do with the science, but they do perceive Newsom's order to be politically motivated. Ruiz has been a Parent-Teacher Association member for several years and claims every teacher and administrator she has spoken to wants to return to work, but unions are holding them back.
"Every [teacher and administrator] I've spoken to want to go back to work," Ruiz said. "They are being held hostage by the unions. The unions have their own agendas and it has nothing to do with educating our children or the safety of our children."
The Los Angeles teachers' union has created a list of far-left economic demands—such as defunding the police and Medicare for All—for the government to meet before teachers return to the classroom. Ruiz insists that the safety and education of children should be the guiding principle in returning to school, not political demands.
"This does not have anything to do with politics," Ruiz said. "This is about the dangerous and profound effects of regression in the special needs student population and also the lack of services provided will be so detrimental to them now and then probably their whole entire lifetime."


freebeacon--2020-08-11--Advocacy Groups to Facebook: Stop Allowing Anti-Semitism

Nearly 130 advocacy and Jewish groups are pressing Facebook to crack down on anti-Semitic content , which they say continues to plague the social media giant and goes largely unpoliced .
The advocacy groups—including some of the most prominent American Jewish organizations such as the Simon Wiesenthal Center , Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs , and the Endowment for Middle East Truth—are calling on Facebook to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance ’ s official definition of anti-Semitism , which includes the systematic singling out of Jewish people with hateful rhetoric and violence .
This definition has already been endorsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 other nations .
Facebook in May said it does not have a policy to combat online anti-Semitism , a disclosure that has lent new urgency to the groups ' effort .
Facebook and other social media sites have grappled with the proliferation of anti-Semitic hate speech as it has skyrocketed globally .
While many of these sites have begun to police speech , including that of President Donald Trump , little has been done to stem the spread of anti-Semitism , including by world leaders such as Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other minority communities , are being targeted and attacked in record numbers , '' the organizations wrote in an Aug. 7 letter to Facebook executives .
`` They experience physical violence , harassment , and discrimination offline and online . ''
The organizations say they hope their public letter to Facebook pressures the social media giant into taking greater action .

Nearly 130 advocacy and Jewish groups are pressing Facebook to crack down on anti-Semitic content, which they say continues to plague the social media giant and goes largely unpoliced.
The advocacy groups—including some of the most prominent American Jewish organizations such as the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and the Endowment for Middle East Truth—are calling on Facebook to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s official definition of anti-Semitism, which includes the systematic singling out of Jewish people with hateful rhetoric and violence. This definition has already been endorsed by the State Department and more than 40 other nations.
Facebook in May said it does not have a policy to combat online anti-Semitism, a disclosure that has lent new urgency to the groups' effort.
Facebook and other social media sites have grappled with the proliferation of anti-Semitic hate speech as it has skyrocketed globally. While many of these sites have begun to police speech, including that of President Donald Trump, little has been done to stem the spread of anti-Semitism, including by world leaders such as Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
"Jews today, like many other minority communities, are being targeted and attacked in record numbers," the organizations wrote in an Aug. 7 letter to Facebook executives. "They experience physical violence, harassment, and discrimination offline and online."
The organizations say they hope their public letter to Facebook pressures the social media giant into taking greater action.


freebeacon--2020-08-10--Washington Condemns ‘Concerning’ Presidential Election in Belarus

Alexander Lukashenko , president of Belarus since 1994 , won a landslide victory Sunday to secure another term in a contest that the United States described as `` not free or fair . ''
Lukashenko ’ s victory triggered sweeping protests across both Belarus and Russia for what was seemingly a corrupt and fraudulent round of voting .
Exit polls showed the incumbent defeating Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , the opposition candidate , by over 70 points , a result Tikhanovskaya has rejected .
The events of Sunday and the ensuing crackdown by the Belarusian regime on protests spurred a strong rebuke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the August 9 presidential elections in Belarus is deeply concerning .
They were not free or fair , '' said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
`` The U.S. strongly condemns violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters .
We support the democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus . ''
`` The U.S. urges the Belarusian government to respect the rights of all Belarusians to participate in peaceful demonstrations following the August 9th vote , '' added State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus .
Russian president Vladimir Putin signaled his hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of the election .
Putin sent Lukashenko a cable following his victory , in which he expressed his hope that the election result would spur closer integration of Belarus with Russia .
`` I hope your state activity will facilitate mutually beneficial Russian-Belarusian relations in all areas , deepen cooperation within the Union State , and build up integration processes , '' the message reads .
Ongoing protests in eastern Russia over Putin ’ s arrest of a popular regional governor in July , meanwhile , have now been fueled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are with you ! ''
protesters in Khabarovsk , Russia , chanted Monday .
With the pro-democracy candidate handily beaten , European leaders have expressed concern about the country ’ s future—especially amid violent suppression of protests .
`` Violence against protesters is not the answer # Belarus .
Freedom of speech , freedom of assembly , basic human rights must be upheld , '' European Council president Charles Michel said in a tweet on Monday .
`` As neighbors of Belarus , we call on Belarusian authorities to fully recognize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reads a joint statement from the presidents of Poland and Lithuania .

Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus since 1994, won a landslide victory Sunday to secure another term in a contest that the United States described as "not free or fair."
Lukashenko’s victory triggered sweeping protests across both Belarus and Russia for what was seemingly a corrupt and fraudulent round of voting. Exit polls showed the incumbent defeating Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the opposition candidate, by over 70 points, a result Tikhanovskaya has rejected.
The events of Sunday and the ensuing crackdown by the Belarusian regime on protests spurred a strong rebuke from Washington. "The conduct of the August 9 presidential elections in Belarus is deeply concerning. They were not free or fair," said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "The U.S. strongly condemns violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters. We support the democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus."
"The U.S. urges the Belarusian government to respect the rights of all Belarusians to participate in peaceful demonstrations following the August 9th vote," added State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus.
Russian president Vladimir Putin signaled his hopes to increase Russian influence over Belarusian affairs in the wake of the election. Putin sent Lukashenko a cable following his victory, in which he expressed his hope that the election result would spur closer integration of Belarus with Russia.
"I hope your state activity will facilitate mutually beneficial Russian-Belarusian relations in all areas, deepen cooperation within the Union State, and build up integration processes," the message reads.
Ongoing protests in eastern Russia over Putin’s arrest of a popular regional governor in July, meanwhile, have now been fueled by the election results.
"Belarus, we are with you!" protesters in Khabarovsk, Russia, chanted Monday.
With the pro-democracy candidate handily beaten, European leaders have expressed concern about the country’s future—especially amid violent suppression of protests.
"Violence against protesters is not the answer #Belarus. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, basic human rights must be upheld," European Council president Charles Michel said in a tweet on Monday.
"As neighbors of Belarus, we call on Belarusian authorities to fully recognize and uphold basic democratic standards," reads a joint statement from the presidents of Poland and Lithuania.


freebeacon--2020-08-10--CNN Reporter: ‘Controversial’ for Trump to Speak at Gettysburg Because He Defended Confederate Monum

CNN Reporter: ‘Controversial’ for Trump to Speak at Gettysburg Because He Defended Confederate Monuments

A CNN reporter said Monday that President Donald Trump 's potential decision to accept the Republican nomination at the Gettysburg , Pa. , Civil War battlefield would be `` controversial '' because he has defended Confederate monuments .
`` That could be controversial , too , particularly because this is a president who has consistently positioned himself as a defender of Confederate symbols and monuments to Confederate generals , '' reporter Jeremy Diamond said .
The Battle of Gettysburg , fought from July 1 to July 3 , 1863 , was a catastrophic defeat for the Confederacy and a turning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the most revered historic sites in the United States , both for the battle and President Abraham Lincoln 's Gettysburg Address honoring the sacrifice of Union soldiers to preserve the republic .
Diamond tweeted back at NewsBusters editor Curtis Houck , who flagged the clip , that he did not suggest Trump chose the spot because of any affinity for the Confederacy .
Trump has fought for people 's right to fly Confederate flags , calling it a `` free speech '' issue , and called for monuments and bases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and keep their names .
NASCAR banned the flag at events in June , calling it a symbol of racism .
Trump tweeted Monday that he had narrowed the location of his acceptance speech down to the Gettysburg battlefield and the White House .
Critics have said the latter option would be an unprecedented politicization of the president 's home .

A CNN reporter said Monday that President Donald Trump's potential decision to accept the Republican nomination at the Gettysburg, Pa., Civil War battlefield would be "controversial" because he has defended Confederate monuments.
"That could be controversial, too, particularly because this is a president who has consistently positioned himself as a defender of Confederate symbols and monuments to Confederate generals," reporter Jeremy Diamond said.
The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, was a catastrophic defeat for the Confederacy and a turning point in the Civil War. It is one of the most revered historic sites in the United States, both for the battle and President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address honoring the sacrifice of Union soldiers to preserve the republic.
Diamond tweeted back at NewsBusters editor Curtis Houck, who flagged the clip, that he did not suggest Trump chose the spot because of any affinity for the Confederacy. Trump has fought for people's right to fly Confederate flags, calling it a "free speech" issue, and called for monuments and bases in honor of Confederate generals to stay up and keep their names. NASCAR banned the flag at events in June, calling it a symbol of racism.
Trump tweeted Monday that he had narrowed the location of his acceptance speech down to the Gettysburg battlefield and the White House. Critics have said the latter option would be an unprecedented politicization of the president's home.


freebeacon--2020-08-10--Susan Rice: The ‘Own The Libs’ Candidate

Devotees of the `` Own The Libs '' movement know that owning the Libs is an all-encompassing philosophy .
The Libs must be owned whenever possible and at all costs .
When it comes to Joe Biden 's choice of a running mate—expected to be announced this week—one candidate looms as the best equipped to own the pathetic Libs who naively believed the Democratic Party was too `` woke '' to nominate a geriatric white dude in 2020 : Susan Rice .
From an `` owning the Libs '' perspective , Rice is the best possible VP candidate for several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D. , Calif. ) , she is n't blinded by ruthless female ambition and a willingness to exploit powerful men for political gain .
Unlike Rep. Karen Bass ( D. , Calif. ) , she does n't share the liberal elite 's sympathy for communism and Scientology .
As Rice made clear in her 2019 memoir Tough Love , she is not a fan of the `` woke '' culture Libs adore .
In Rice 's estimation , civil discourse `` has suffered '' due to the prevalence of `` trigger warnings '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it comes to Israel and the BDS movement .
She 's `` not a fan '' of the `` defund the police '' movement , either .
Also , Edward Snowden is not a civil-rights hero , but a `` self-righteous '' traitor who `` deserves a full reckoning with the U.S. justice system . ''
The Soviet Union was `` ruthless , '' rather than enlightened .
Sorry , Libs !
In her memoir , Rice denounced the `` efforts to constrain conservative or pro-Israel groups on college campuses . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to prevent Palestine from being admitted prematurely to the U.N. as a full member state , '' and described the horrors of Palestinian terrorism she experienced while visiting a town where `` Hamas rockets from Gaza regularly and cruelly rained down on Israeli homes . ''
She once expressed a youthful desire to `` turn Mogadishu [ Somalia ] into a parking lot . ''
That 's not all .
The Libs are reportedly `` alarmed '' by Rice 's multimillion-dollar portfolio of investments , which during her time in the Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth of stock in TransCanada , the company behind the Keystone XL oil pipeline .
Rice has refused to say whether she still holds the stock .
She also previously worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Co. , the controversial firm that allegedly fixed bread prices in Canada with the help of failed candidate Pete Buttigieg .
Rice has also exploited her wealth for political gain in a way that Libs claim to find repulsive .
She and her husband , Ian Cameron , donated $ 24,000 to Biden 's campaign in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a potential VP candidate .
Their son , John David Rice-Cameron , has not donated to Biden 's campaign , however .
That 's because he is a Trump supporter who served as president of the College Republicans at Stanford , where he hosted events titled , `` Make Stanford Great Again . ''
If Biden refuses to do the right thing by nominating his old friend and fellow groping enthusiast Chris Dodd , Rice is his next best ( female ) option .
But at the end of the day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a running mate .
The Libs are stuck with him , at least until his physical and mental health deteriorates , and will be forced to defend him when he ca n't stop rubbing Rice 's shoulders or smelling her hair on stage .
Libs had their chance to nominate an experienced woman of color in 2020 , but Elizabeth Warren was no match for Biden in the Democratic primary .
Rice is the VP nominee these feckless Libs deserve .

Devotees of the "Own The Libs" movement know that owning the Libs is an all-encompassing philosophy. The Libs must be owned whenever possible and at all costs. When it comes to Joe Biden's choice of a running mate—expected to be announced this week—one candidate looms as the best equipped to own the pathetic Libs who naively believed the Democratic Party was too "woke" to nominate a geriatric white dude in 2020: Susan Rice.
From an "owning the Libs" perspective, Rice is the best possible VP candidate for several reasons. Unlike Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.), she isn't blinded by ruthless female ambition and a willingness to exploit powerful men for political gain. Unlike Rep. Karen Bass (D., Calif.), she doesn't share the liberal elite's sympathy for communism and Scientology.
As Rice made clear in her 2019 memoir Tough Love, she is not a fan of the "woke" culture Libs adore. In Rice's estimation, civil discourse "has suffered" due to the prevalence of "trigger warnings" and woke thought-policing on campus, especially when it comes to Israel and the BDS movement. She's "not a fan" of the "defund the police" movement, either. Also, Edward Snowden is not a civil-rights hero, but a "self-righteous" traitor who "deserves a full reckoning with the U.S. justice system." The Soviet Union was "ruthless," rather than enlightened. Sorry, Libs!
In her memoir, Rice denounced the "efforts to constrain conservative or pro-Israel groups on college campuses." She bragged that she had "spearheaded efforts to prevent Palestine from being admitted prematurely to the U.N. as a full member state," and described the horrors of Palestinian terrorism she experienced while visiting a town where "Hamas rockets from Gaza regularly and cruelly rained down on Israeli homes." She once expressed a youthful desire to "turn Mogadishu [Somalia] into a parking lot."
That's not all. The Libs are reportedly "alarmed" by Rice's multimillion-dollar portfolio of investments, which during her time in the Obama administration included as much as $600,000 worth of stock in TransCanada, the company behind the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Rice has refused to say whether she still holds the stock. She also previously worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Co., the controversial firm that allegedly fixed bread prices in Canada with the help of failed candidate Pete Buttigieg.
Rice has also exploited her wealth for political gain in a way that Libs claim to find repulsive. She and her husband, Ian Cameron, donated $24,000 to Biden's campaign in June as her name was being floated as a potential VP candidate. Their son, John David Rice-Cameron, has not donated to Biden's campaign, however. That's because he is a Trump supporter who served as president of the College Republicans at Stanford, where he hosted events titled, "Make Stanford Great Again."
If Biden refuses to do the right thing by nominating his old friend and fellow groping enthusiast Chris Dodd, Rice is his next best (female) option. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whom he chooses as a running mate. The Libs are stuck with him, at least until his physical and mental health deteriorates, and will be forced to defend him when he can't stop rubbing Rice's shoulders or smelling her hair on stage. Libs had their chance to nominate an experienced woman of color in 2020, but Elizabeth Warren was no match for Biden in the Democratic primary. Rice is the VP nominee these feckless Libs deserve.


freebeacon--2020-08-10--FLASHBACK: Bad Carter Page Takes by Democrats

Congressional Democrats repeatedly defended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications against Donald Trump adviser Carter Page , but former deputy @ @ @ @ @ last week she would not have signed the warrants with her knowledge now of the @ @ @ @ @ obtaining them .
Department of Justice inspector general Michael Horowitz outlined numerous abuses in the @ @ @ @ @ in a watchdog report last year , particularly its heavy reliance on the discredited Christopher @ @ @ @ @ of the Hillary Clinton campaign 's involvement .
But when Republicans led by Rep. Devin @ @ @ @ @ ) spoke out against the surveillance of Page in 2018 , Reps. Adam Schiff ( @ @ @ @ @ Eric Swalwell ( D. , Calif. ) , Jerrold Nadler ( D. , N.Y. ) @ @ @ @ @ was trustworthy and ample justification existed for the FISA warrants .
Steele accused Page of @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign , but the sprawling Robert Mueller investigation concluded no evidence existed of @ @ @ @ @ the Russians .

Congressional Democrats repeatedly defended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications against Donald Trump adviser Carter Page, but former deputy attorney general Sally Yates said last week she would not have signed the warrants with her knowledge now of the errors and omissions made in obtaining them.
Department of Justice inspector general Michael Horowitz outlined numerous abuses in the FISA process to surveil Page in a watchdog report last year, particularly its heavy reliance on the discredited Christopher Steele dossier and the concealment of the Hillary Clinton campaign's involvement.
But when Republicans led by Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.) spoke out against the surveillance of Page in 2018, Reps. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.), and others claimed Steele was trustworthy and ample justification existed for the FISA warrants.
Steele accused Page of being a Kremlin operative within the Trump campaign, but the sprawling Robert Mueller investigation concluded no evidence existed of any conspiracy between Page and the Russians.


freebeacon--2020-08-10--Iran Shuts Down Newspaper After It Questions Regime’s Coronavirus Numbers

Tehran shut down a newspaper on Monday after it published remarks that questioned state-published coronavirus data , the Associated Press reported .
A former Iranian public health official had told the paper , Jahane Sanat , that Iran 's death toll and case load could be 20 times the reported numbers .
Jahane Sanat ‘ s editor in chief , Mohammad Reza Sadi , told Iranian state media that authorities closed down his newspaper after the remarks were published .
Iran has struggled to keep the pandemic under control and its economy afloat in recent months amid a wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understaffed coronavirus response and a failure to pay government workers .
The country has reported 330,000 cases of the virus and 18,616 deaths .
But the actual numbers may be much higher , given Tehran 's well-documented efforts to suppress information about the disease .
Leaked government records put the true death toll at around 42,000 , and several Iranian officials—including the country 's vice president—contracted the coronavirus .
`` While governments throughout the world have struggled to address the health crisis , the clerical regime in Iran made a bad situation worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population , '' wrote Foundation for Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz and senior Iran scholar Saeed Ghasseminejad .
`` In the Middle East , the Islamic Republic of Iran quickly became the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis . ''

Tehran shut down a newspaper on Monday after it published remarks that questioned state-published coronavirus data, the Associated Press reported.
A former Iranian public health official had told the paper, Jahane Sanat, that Iran's death toll and case load could be 20 times the reported numbers. Jahane Sanat's editor in chief, Mohammad Reza Sadi, told Iranian state media that authorities closed down his newspaper after the remarks were published.
Iran has struggled to keep the pandemic under control and its economy afloat in recent months amid a wave of protests over government mismanagement, including an understaffed coronavirus response and a failure to pay government workers.
The country has reported 330,000 cases of the virus and 18,616 deaths. But the actual numbers may be much higher, given Tehran's well-documented efforts to suppress information about the disease. Leaked government records put the true death toll at around 42,000, and several Iranian officials—including the country's vice president—contracted the coronavirus.
"While governments throughout the world have struggled to address the health crisis, the clerical regime in Iran made a bad situation worse by initially concealing the virus from its population," wrote Foundation for Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz and senior Iran scholar Saeed Ghasseminejad. "In the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran quickly became the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis."


freebeacon--2020-08-10--VP Hopeful Karen Bass Headlined Socialist Conferences

Vice presidential hopeful and congresswoman Karen Bass ( D. , Calif. ) headlined two socialist conferences in the '80s and @ @ @ @ @ Post reported Monday .
Bass spoke at two Democratic Socialists of America conferences—one on policing @ @ @ @ @ `` socialism and empowerment '' in 1993 .
This comes just one week after the @ @ @ @ @ communist sympathies in an NBC interview .
Bass has come under fire in recent weeks—most @ @ @ @ @ made about communist dictator Fidel Castro—as presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden closes in on a @ @ @ @ @ 2016 statement , the representative said Castro 's death was `` a great loss '' @ @ @ @ @ responsible for tens of thousands of deaths during and following the Cuban Revolution .
Bass @ @ @ @ @ Scientology , a controversial organization mired in allegations of financially exploiting its members .
Though @ @ @ @ @ set by his campaign for selecting a running mate , Biden is expected to announce @ @ @ @ @ end of this week .

Vice presidential hopeful and congresswoman Karen Bass (D., Calif.) headlined two socialist conferences in the '80s and '90s, the New York Post reported Monday.
Bass spoke at two Democratic Socialists of America conferences—one on policing in 1988 and another on "socialism and empowerment" in 1993. This comes just one week after the congresswoman denied having socialist or communist sympathies in an NBC interview.
Bass has come under fire in recent weeks—most notably for favorable comments she made about communist dictator Fidel Castro—as presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden closes in on a running mate.
In a 2016 statement, the representative said Castro's death was "a great loss" to Cuba—though the dictator was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths during and following the Cuban Revolution.
Bass also praised the Church of Scientology, a controversial organization mired in allegations of financially exploiting its members.
Though he has missed prior deadlines set by his campaign for selecting a running mate, Biden is expected to announce his vice president by the end of this week.


freebeacon--2020-08-10--UPDATE: Greatest Living Ex-President Still Fantastic Painter

George W. Bush , whose time as president was defined by heroic leadership , unprecedented military dominance , and fastballs down the middle , continues to impress with his fantastic talent as a painter .
Bush , who first wowed America with his shower-themed self-portraits in 2013 , plans to publish a new collection of paintings next March , by which point he may or may not have ceded the title of greatest living ex-president to Donald J. Trump .
Out of Many , One : Portraits of America 's Immigrants will consist of 43 portraits of immigrants painted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` positive impacts '' of immigration in America , an issue Bush argues is not a `` partisan issue , '' but `` should be one that unites us . ''
The portraits will be accompanied by essays about the subject written by Bush , allowing him to showcase his fantastic penmanship .
The forthcoming book will be the second collection of paintings Bush has published in his prolific career as an artist .
His 2017 work , Portraits of Courage , featured `` a vibrant collection of oil paintings and stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military veterans . ''
It will be Bush 's fourth published work since leaving office in 2009 .
Former president Barack Obama , by comparison , is still struggling to finish his first post-White House memoir , and is reportedly considering breaking it up into multiple volumes , as predicted by the Washington Free Beacon in 2015 .
Bush has also distinguished himself from Obama by continuing to warm the hearts of American patriots throughout his historic ex-presidency .
For example , Bush celebrated the Fourth of July this year by posting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Instagram account , accompanied by the closing lines of the `` Star-Spangled Banner . ''
Wow !

George W. Bush, whose time as president was defined by heroic leadership, unprecedented military dominance, and fastballs down the middle, continues to impress with his fantastic talent as a painter.
Bush, who first wowed America with his shower-themed self-portraits in 2013, plans to publish a new collection of paintings next March, by which point he may or may not have ceded the title of greatest living ex-president to Donald J. Trump.
Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants will consist of 43 portraits of immigrants painted by Bush. It will attempt to highlight the "positive impacts" of immigration in America, an issue Bush argues is not a "partisan issue," but "should be one that unites us." The portraits will be accompanied by essays about the subject written by Bush, allowing him to showcase his fantastic penmanship.
The forthcoming book will be the second collection of paintings Bush has published in his prolific career as an artist. His 2017 work, Portraits of Courage, featured "a vibrant collection of oil paintings and stories ... honoring the sacrifice of America's military veterans."
It will be Bush's fourth published work since leaving office in 2009. Former president Barack Obama, by comparison, is still struggling to finish his first post-White House memoir, and is reportedly considering breaking it up into multiple volumes, as predicted by the Washington Free Beacon in 2015.
Bush has also distinguished himself from Obama by continuing to warm the hearts of American patriots throughout his historic ex-presidency. For example, Bush celebrated the Fourth of July this year by posting a fantastic painting of the American flag on his Instagram account, accompanied by the closing lines of the "Star-Spangled Banner." Wow!