freebeacon--2020-07-05--Soros Set to Double 2016 Spending, Pouring $40 Million Into Super PAC

Liberal billionaire George Soros is on pace to double his 2016 election spending as he works to oust President Donald Trump , public records show .
Soros 's big investments in the 2020 race have gone into the coffers of the Democracy PAC , a super PAC that passes money to other liberal PACs working to defeat Trump and congressional Republicans .
The super PAC has received $ 40 million—double the $ 20 million Soros spent on Democratic efforts during the 2016 election cycle—from both Soros and a nonprofit in his sprawling network .
The megadonor 's torrent of spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are committed to getting Trump out of office .
Many groups financially backed by Soros have launched multimillion-dollar attack ad campaigns in swing states to reach moderate voters who backed Trump in 2016 .
A network of liberal donors , including Soros , has pledged hundreds of millions on 2020 election efforts .
Republicans have noted that many Democratic candidates who lambast big money in politics benefit from the billionaire 's cash .
`` While Democrats across the country sanctimoniously rail against the influence of dark money in politics , their party ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ web of liberal organizations to get them elected , '' one operative said .
`` George Soros 's unprecedented spending further highlights just how dependent Democrats are on contributions from billionaires , despite their hypocritical rhetoric . ''
Soros has directly provided $ 5.5 million to his super PAC .
Another $ 35 million came from his Fund for Policy Reform , a nonprofit in his Open Society Foundations network that reported having $ 750 million in the bank on its most recent tax forms .
This arrangement allows Soros to keep his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest donors to political committees while he gives tens of millions indirectly .
Factoring in the money from the nonprofit , Soros 's election spending eclipses that of any right-leaning donor this cycle .
It also puts him on par with fellow liberal billionaire Tom Steyer , who has pumped $ 40 million into 2020 elections and is ranked as the largest donor this cycle .
Democracy PAC has so far pushed $ 25 million to other liberal PACs .
Its biggest expenditures include a $ 7 million donation to the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , N.Y. ) ; $ 5 million to Priorities USA Action , the largest outside pro-Biden PAC ; and $ 2.5 million to the left-wing Win Justice coalition .
Democracy PAC has also spent big on state campaigns and passed money to another Soros PAC focused on electing far-left prosecutors .
Many of the groups that receive money from Soros are top spenders backing massive anti-Trump campaigns .
Priorities USA is the biggest outside spender this cycle , according to the Center for Responsive Politics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Its efforts include anti-Trump advertisements focused on criticizing the president 's response to the coronavirus pandemic in the swing states of Pennsylvania , Michigan , and Wisconsin .
Soros also sent $ 2 million to committees directly , without passing the contributions through his PAC .
These donations include $ 500,000 to the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund—a joint fundraising committee between the DNC , all 50 state Democratic parties , and the District of Columbia Democratic committee .
He sent hundreds of thousands more to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's ( D. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee , and other Democratic committees .
Soros 's donations to PACs and committees contribute to a $ 275 million election-spending plan outlined by a liberal donor network the financier cofounded .
Confidential documents from the Democracy Alliance show these plans include funding numerous state-based initiatives , including year-round organizing in Arizona , Florida , Colorado , Georgia , Michigan , New Mexico , Nevada , and Virginia .
The donor club has pushed more than $ 1.83 billion into progressive infrastructure since its founding in 2005 , its documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide a comment by press time .

Liberal billionaire George Soros is on pace to double his 2016 election spending as he works to oust President Donald Trump, public records show.
Soros's big investments in the 2020 race have gone into the coffers of the Democracy PAC, a super PAC that passes money to other liberal PACs working to defeat Trump and congressional Republicans. The super PAC has received $40 million—double the $20 million Soros spent on Democratic efforts during the 2016 election cycle—from both Soros and a nonprofit in his sprawling network.
The megadonor's torrent of spending highlights the extent to which liberal donors are committed to getting Trump out of office. Many groups financially backed by Soros have launched multimillion-dollar attack ad campaigns in swing states to reach moderate voters who backed Trump in 2016. A network of liberal donors, including Soros, has pledged hundreds of millions on 2020 election efforts.
Republicans have noted that many Democratic candidates who lambast big money in politics benefit from the billionaire's cash. "While Democrats across the country sanctimoniously rail against the influence of dark money in politics, their party’s largest donors are bankrolling a massive web of liberal organizations to get them elected," one operative said. "George Soros's unprecedented spending further highlights just how dependent Democrats are on contributions from billionaires, despite their hypocritical rhetoric."
Soros has directly provided $5.5 million to his super PAC. Another $35 million came from his Fund for Policy Reform, a nonprofit in his Open Society Foundations network that reported having $750 million in the bank on its most recent tax forms. This arrangement allows Soros to keep his name from the top of lists highlighting the biggest donors to political committees while he gives tens of millions indirectly. Factoring in the money from the nonprofit, Soros's election spending eclipses that of any right-leaning donor this cycle. It also puts him on par with fellow liberal billionaire Tom Steyer, who has pumped $40 million into 2020 elections and is ranked as the largest donor this cycle.
Democracy PAC has so far pushed $25 million to other liberal PACs. Its biggest expenditures include a $7 million donation to the Senate Majority PAC, a committee tied to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.); $5 million to Priorities USA Action, the largest outside pro-Biden PAC; and $2.5 million to the left-wing Win Justice coalition. Democracy PAC has also spent big on state campaigns and passed money to another Soros PAC focused on electing far-left prosecutors.
Many of the groups that receive money from Soros are top spenders backing massive anti-Trump campaigns. Priorities USA is the biggest outside spender this cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, having spent more than $28 million. Its efforts include anti-Trump advertisements focused on criticizing the president's response to the coronavirus pandemic in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Soros also sent $2 million to committees directly, without passing the contributions through his PAC. These donations include $500,000 to the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund—a joint fundraising committee between the DNC, all 50 state Democratic parties, and the District of Columbia Democratic committee. He sent hundreds of thousands more to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D., Calif.) victory fund, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and other Democratic committees.
Soros's donations to PACs and committees contribute to a $275 million election-spending plan outlined by a liberal donor network the financier cofounded. Confidential documents from the Democracy Alliance show these plans include funding numerous state-based initiatives, including year-round organizing in Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, and Virginia. The donor club has pushed more than $1.83 billion into progressive infrastructure since its founding in 2005, its documents state.
Soros's spokesperson did not provide a comment by press time.


freebeacon--2020-07-05--Students Demand Pitt Eliminate Free Speech Protections

Activists are demanding that the University of Pittsburgh fire any employee deemed racist or discriminatory by students , a move that First Amendment advocates say amounts to the elimination of academic freedom .
Black Pitt , a coalition of black student groups , is demanding that the university fire any employee dubbed `` racist '' by a black-only student council and end employee speech immunity , a core principle of academic freedom and First Amendment protections for academics at public universities .
`` Faculty and staff with one incident or complaint of racial bias , excessive force , or unlawful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University campus immediately if found at fault , '' the letter reads .
`` During the time of the investigation , the faculty/staff should be disclosed by name and banned from the University campus until its completion . ''
Discrimination and racial bias policies already exist on Pitt 's campus , but as a public university , there are few restrictions the school can place on a professor 's right to free speech .
Katlyn Patton , spokeswoman for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education , told the Washington Free Beacon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amendment when disciplining professors for their commentary .
`` As a public institution , the University of Pittsburgh is bound by the First Amendment in its decisions concerning when to discipline a professor , '' Patton said .
`` While these students are free to express their concerns and propose ideas , Pitt , like any public college or university , must consider the protections afforded to professors by the First Amendment and the principles of academic freedom in evaluating allegations of racial bias based on speech . ''
Black Pitt , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , went further than merely targeting speech on campus .
The list of demands includes a black-only graduation , an overhaul of university curriculum to be more `` inclusive and comprehensive regarding the plight and triumphs of black people '' and to `` include the black narrative , '' an established master 's and Ph.D. program in `` black studies , '' and for the university to sever ties with the city of Pittsburgh 's police department .
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police told the Washington Free Beacon that it has no position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invest in or divest from , including its own police force .
The University of Pittsburgh police department did not respond to requests for comment .
Pitt has long sided with liberal demands on campus .
In 2018 , the university levied a $ 5,546.52 security fee on the College Republicans two days before conservative commentator Ben Shapiro was scheduled to speak on campus .
The fee came after liberal students opposed Shapiro 's appearance , calling him a `` white supremacist , '' `` misogynist , '' and `` fascist . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ take legal action against Pitt if they did not drop the fee .
The University of Pittsburgh did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
Pat McMahon , a university spokesman , told Pitt News the university is giving the document `` serious consideration . ''
Black Pitt called on university administrators to implement all of its demands by the start of the 2020-2021 school year .

Activists are demanding that the University of Pittsburgh fire any employee deemed racist or discriminatory by students, a move that First Amendment advocates say amounts to the elimination of academic freedom.
Black Pitt, a coalition of black student groups, is demanding that the university fire any employee dubbed "racist" by a black-only student council and end employee speech immunity, a core principle of academic freedom and First Amendment protections for academics at public universities.
"Faculty and staff with one incident or complaint of racial bias, excessive force, or unlawful arrest/detainment should be terminated and banned from the University campus immediately if found at fault," the letter reads. "During the time of the investigation, the faculty/staff should be disclosed by name and banned from the University campus until its completion."
Discrimination and racial bias policies already exist on Pitt's campus, but as a public university, there are few restrictions the school can place on a professor's right to free speech. Katlyn Patton, spokeswoman for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, told the Washington Free Beacon that Pitt is bound by the First Amendment when disciplining professors for their commentary.
"As a public institution, the University of Pittsburgh is bound by the First Amendment in its decisions concerning when to discipline a professor," Patton said. "While these students are free to express their concerns and propose ideas, Pitt, like any public college or university, must consider the protections afforded to professors by the First Amendment and the principles of academic freedom in evaluating allegations of racial bias based on speech."
Black Pitt, which did not return a request for comment, went further than merely targeting speech on campus. The list of demands includes a black-only graduation, an overhaul of university curriculum to be more "inclusive and comprehensive regarding the plight and triumphs of black people" and to "include the black narrative," an established master's and Ph.D. program in "black studies," and for the university to sever ties with the city of Pittsburgh's police department.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police told the Washington Free Beacon that it has no position on which entities the university chooses to invest in or divest from, including its own police force. The University of Pittsburgh police department did not respond to requests for comment.
Pitt has long sided with liberal demands on campus. In 2018, the university levied a $5,546.52 security fee on the College Republicans two days before conservative commentator Ben Shapiro was scheduled to speak on campus. The fee came after liberal students opposed Shapiro's appearance, calling him a "white supremacist," "misogynist," and "fascist." The Young America's Foundation threatened to take legal action against Pitt if they did not drop the fee.
The University of Pittsburgh did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Pat McMahon, a university spokesman, told Pitt News the university is giving the document "serious consideration." Black Pitt called on university administrators to implement all of its demands by the start of the 2020-2021 school year.


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Companies That Boycott Facebook Continue to Advertise on Russian Social Media Platform

Advertisers that are now boycotting Facebook to protest `` hate speech '' have spent years running ads and marketing campaigns on a Russian social media platform that bans gay-rights groups and is known as a haven for white supremacists .
Over 100 companies announced a boycott of Facebook last week in protest of divisive political speech on the website .
The boycott coincides with a public pressure campaign led by Joe Biden and other top Democrats to press Facebook to enforce stricter control over President Trump ’ s postings .
But many of these companies—including Coca-Cola , Pepsi , Adidas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VK , a popular Russian media website used by many white supremacists and neo-Nazis who have been banned from Facebook .
Several of these companies continue to have a marketing presence on the Russian website , raising questions about their recent concern about `` hate speech '' on social media sites .
VK ’ s popularity among white supremacists and neo-Nazis has been documented for years by media outlets and watchdog groups .
Even as they remain mum on VK 's laissez-faire attitude toward online hate speech , major companies have pulled ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own site .
`` Racist , discriminatory , and hateful online content have no place in our brand or in society , '' Reebok and Adidas said in a statement last week .
`` As we focus on better practices within our company and communities to ensure lasting change in the fight against racism , Adidas and Reebok will also pause advertising on Facebook and Instagram globally throughout July . ''
Many of the companies that joined the Facebook boycott continue to market their products and brands in posts on their VK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unilever , Colgate , Vans , The North Face , and Patagonia .
On July 2 , two days after joining the Facebook ad boycott , Colgate ran a promotion on VK offering prizes to members who purchased its products and used the VK app to scan the product code .
Coca-Cola has run advertising campaigns on VK , including a controversial 2016 ad in which the company included the disputed territories of Crimea and the Kuril Islands on a map of Russia .
Pepsi has also been an advertiser on the site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payment app in 2018 .
Both still have an active presence on the platform .
None of the companies responded to inquiries about whether they would stop marketing on VK .
Starbucks told the Washington Free Beacon that its temporary pause in advertising `` applies to all social media platforms . ''
Microsoft , Honda , Reebok , Vans , Patagonia , Colgate , The North Face , Unilever , Pepsi , and Coca-Cola did not respond to request for comment .
The Anti-Defamation League said VK has become `` an international hub @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicked off mainstream U.S. social media websites such as Facebook .
`` Whereas posting most of their extremist comments , memes and videos on Facebook would likely result in suspensions or deplatforming , VK provides an open forum for such extremism , '' the ADL said last year .
Although VK has taken some recent steps to crack down on hate groups—including removing the page for a popular `` Miss Hitler Contest '' last year—organizations like the National Socialist Movement and the Ku Klux Klan still maintain an active presence on the website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the far-right Russian Imperial Movement , a U.S.-designated terrorist organization , has been holding paramilitary training sessions for foreign white supremacist groups this summer , which are bookable over VK .
VK also complies with Russian laws against `` gay propaganda , '' which prohibit content that is considered supportive of same-sex relationships .
Several gay-rights groups were barred from the website last October after a judge ruled that their posts violated the law .

Advertisers that are now boycotting Facebook to protest "hate speech" have spent years running ads and marketing campaigns on a Russian social media platform that bans gay-rights groups and is known as a haven for white supremacists.
Over 100 companies announced a boycott of Facebook last week in protest of divisive political speech on the website. The boycott coincides with a public pressure campaign led by Joe Biden and other top Democrats to press Facebook to enforce stricter control over President Trump’s postings.
But many of these companies—including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Adidas, and Reebok—have been regular advertisers on VK, a popular Russian media website used by many white supremacists and neo-Nazis who have been banned from Facebook. Several of these companies continue to have a marketing presence on the Russian website, raising questions about their recent concern about "hate speech" on social media sites.
VK’s popularity among white supremacists and neo-Nazis has been documented for years by media outlets and watchdog groups.
Even as they remain mum on VK's laissez-faire attitude toward online hate speech, major companies have pulled ads from Facebook for not policing speech on its own site.
"Racist, discriminatory, and hateful online content have no place in our brand or in society," Reebok and Adidas said in a statement last week. "As we focus on better practices within our company and communities to ensure lasting change in the fight against racism, Adidas and Reebok will also pause advertising on Facebook and Instagram globally throughout July."
Many of the companies that joined the Facebook boycott continue to market their products and brands in posts on their VK pages, including Starbucks, Ford, Unilever, Colgate, Vans, The North Face, and Patagonia. On July 2, two days after joining the Facebook ad boycott, Colgate ran a promotion on VK offering prizes to members who purchased its products and used the VK app to scan the product code.
Coca-Cola has run advertising campaigns on VK, including a controversial 2016 ad in which the company included the disputed territories of Crimea and the Kuril Islands on a map of Russia. Pepsi has also been an advertiser on the site and reportedly collaborated with VK on a payment app in 2018. Both still have an active presence on the platform.
None of the companies responded to inquiries about whether they would stop marketing on VK. Starbucks told the Washington Free Beacon that its temporary pause in advertising "applies to all social media platforms." Microsoft, Honda, Reebok, Vans, Patagonia, Colgate, The North Face, Unilever, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola did not respond to request for comment.
The Anti-Defamation League said VK has become "an international hub for white supremacists" who have been kicked off mainstream U.S. social media websites such as Facebook.
"Whereas posting most of their extremist comments, memes and videos on Facebook would likely result in suspensions or deplatforming, VK provides an open forum for such extremism," the ADL said last year.
Although VK has taken some recent steps to crack down on hate groups—including removing the page for a popular "Miss Hitler Contest" last year—organizations like the National Socialist Movement and the Ku Klux Klan still maintain an active presence on the website.
Last month, Focus magazine reported the far-right Russian Imperial Movement, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, has been holding paramilitary training sessions for foreign white supremacist groups this summer, which are bookable over VK.
VK also complies with Russian laws against "gay propaganda," which prohibit content that is considered supportive of same-sex relationships. Several gay-rights groups were barred from the website last October after a judge ruled that their posts violated the law.
Update July 9, 11:05 a.m.: Following publication of this article, VK told the Free Beacon it does not tolerate extremist propaganda on its site.
"VK has never tolerated calls to violence, nor nationalist or extremist propaganda, regardless of their place of origin," VK said in a statement. "If such content is found, the VK Team reacts quickly to remove it and block offenders."


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Once Upon A Time… in China

Once Upon A Time… in China

Over the past decade , more and more American moviegoers have witnessed something startling : Much of what they watch is now altered to serve the interests of the Chinese Communist Party .
From the omission of Taiwan 's flag from a jacket in Top Gun : Maverick to China 's digital replacement with North Korea in Red Dawn , the country 's political sway in movies has grown increasingly apparent .
Hollywood studios now bend over backwards to appease the government gatekeeping the world 's fastest-growing media market .
The effects of that influence operation are obvious , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a vast web of corporate connections .
Within that web , however , lies one story : that of a major independent digital distributor , Cinedigm , known originally for overhauling cinemas and now in the business of distributing television and movies to storefronts and digital platforms like Netflix and iTunes .
In 2017 , Cinedigm was bought by a Chinese investment firm , Bison Capital , and has since remade itself as a pioneering distributor of Chinese content to American audiences .
The tangled tale of Bison and Cinedigm ties together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , the get-rich schemes of the Chinese movie industry , and the pervasive and often shadowy influence of the Chinese Communist Party .
The result is a story fit for a Hollywood retelling .
Neither Cinedigm nor a public-facing Bison subsidiary , Bison Finance Group , responded to requests for comment for this article .
Several former Cinedigm affiliates approached also did not comment , with one citing a nondisclosure agreement .
Cinedigm , first incorporated in March of 2000 , began as a business focused on helping movie theaters transition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it overhauled nearly 13,000 screens and still claims a pioneering role in digital conversion .
That business , however , could n't last—most theaters completed the switch by the early 2010s .
Concurrently , Cinedigm prepared its own revamp , pivoting from digital conversion to movie distribution .
In July 2011 , Cinedigm sold its physical and electronic distribution business .
Newly minted CEO Chris McGurk said he would be `` focusing all of our energies on '' software and independent content .
The new Cinedigm enjoyed early success , picking up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped launch actress Brie Larson 's career .
By late 2013 , it was the largest distributor of independent movies and television in the United States—a position it sought to bolster with a $ 51 million deal with Gaiam , Inc. , to buy a library of content from the WWE , NFL , Hallmark , and others .
But Cinedigm 's luck could n't last .
The Gaiam deal turned sour—one former Cinedigm insider described it to the Washington Free Beacon as `` the acquisition that really caused them huge harm '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In August 2014 , Cinedigm reported lower-than-expected revenue growth ; by the following year , it had brought a $ 30 million lawsuit against Gaiam , alleging fraud .
( They eventually settled . )
Challenge compounded on challenge .
The revelation of a $ 60 million loan sent Cinedigm 's stock plunging , with an $ 11 million loss that quarter .
Amid the tumult , two investors pressed for decisive action to save the company 's rapidly sinking stock , then at risk of being delisted by the Nasdaq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company was laser focused on debt .
In the first nine months of the fiscal year , it had paid back over $ 43 million , but still reported nearly $ 250 million in outstanding liabilities , compared with $ 177 million in assets .
Cinedigm needed help—fast .
Its savior , however , would dramatically alter the company 's business .
On June 29 , 2017 , Cinedigm struck a deal with China/Hong Kong-based investment firm Bison Capital .
They traded 20 million shares—a majority of outstanding equity—for $ 30 million and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasized that the deal would both cut Cinedigm 's indebtedness and `` allow us to aggressively pursue the opportunities that the Bison transaction enables . ''
Two Bison directors , Tom Bu and Peixin Xu , took seats on the board .
Cinedigm was not Bison 's first foray into Hollywood .
In 2014 , it became the first Chinese company to invest in an American talent agency , buying a stake in Resolution Talent and Literary Agency .
The deal fell through , however , after Bison failed to pay up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a larger feeding frenzy , as Chinese firms scooped up Hollywood properties left and right .
Legendary Entertainment , perhaps the biggest example , was bought out by Beijing-based Wanda group in January 2016 .
The reason for China 's buying spree , former China-based film executive Chris Fenton explained to the Free Beacon , was a coincidence of government interest and pure profit motive .
In the wake of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics , the Chinese government was eager to expand its influence by bolstering the film industry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that were produced in or relied on content created in China—like Iron Man 3 , which Fenton produced and which opened first in China to the tune of $ 121 million in gross profits .
That piqued the interest of Chinese businesses , Fenton said .
Film players saw buying American media properties as a way to earn support from the government , to whom Hollywood represented `` the ultimate sort of western propaganda machine . ''
Chinese businessmen began pitching their regulators on Hollywood buyouts and found wild support for what , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear propaganda coup .
Government support brought enormous wealth—Chinese companies that controlled Hollywood properties , Fenton said , enjoyed enormous market valuations .
That in turn encouraged unrelated companies to buy more American media .
It was a win-win—Chinese businessmen got rich , and the Communist Party got more media influence .
It 's unclear if this is precisely what transpired with Cinedigm , although Bison 's purchase predates Congress 's 2018 crackdown on foreign investment .
What is clear is that Cinedigm 's acquisition prompted the film company to pivot to China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cinedigm announced a `` strategic alliance '' with China-based Starrise Media , allowing Cinedigm to distribute American films in China—one of the few American distributors that could—and letting Starrise distribute Chinese films in America .
It then inked deals with six Chinese companies at a signing ceremony , attended by McGurk , at the Beijing International Film Festival .
Cinedigm also moved to distribute Chinese content through its internet television platform .
Bambu , a video-on-demand channel debuted by Cinedigm in 2019 , offers American viewers a wide variety of Chinese programming , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooking shows .
Cinedigm proudly acknowledges its forays into media sharing , describing its work with Chinese firms as an `` important ‘ Belt & Road ' cooperation agreement '' beneficial to both countries .
It has since put its money where its mouth is : Just months ago , Cinedigm purchased 30 percent of Starrise in a stock swap—a major financial boon , according to McGurk .
`` These are the two biggest entertainment markets in the world , '' the CEO said at the time .
`` This positioning as [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underscores the Company 's strong growth prospects and unique competitive leverage . ''
Cinedigm 's stock , meanwhile , has rebounded , rising from lows of 29 cents to a recent high of nearly $ 4 a share .
The buyout brought Cinedigm a much-needed windfall and gave Bison an entrée into the U.S. media market .
But it 's unclear whether the China-based investment firm was wholly motivated by profit .
Bison 's legal status is obscured by a web of holding companies that span the United States , Hong Kong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , was purchased by Bison Entertainment Investment Ltd. , a special purpose vehicle set up by Bison Capital Holding Company Ltd.—itself linked to a number of other companies , SEC records show .
Bison Capital Holding is wholly owned by Mr. Peixin Xu—one of Bison 's appointees to Cinedigm 's board—and his wife , both of Beijing .
Xu founded Bison Capital in 2013 , an extension of investment work begun as early as 2001 .
He leaves little footprint in the media or online , but there is enough to suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Communist Party of China .
Before he took the helm at Bison Capital , Xu was an independent director of Bona Film Group , Ltd. , one of the largest film distributors in China .
Bona succeeded in part thanks to its merger with China Poly Group , a state-owned asset management entity described as `` a business wing of the Chinese military . ''
State connections appear to have carried forward to Xu 's current venture , as hinted at in public records on a subsidiary , Bison Finance Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong-based financial services offshoot , bringing the added benefit of listing on the Hong Kong Stock exchange .
Xu sits on BFG 's board of directors , and his role as executive director is prominently mentioned in a 2018 biography .
For many years before it was Bison Finance Group , the company was Roadshow Holdings , a business that placed digital ads on buses .
In 2017 , following a year of major losses , RoadShow was acquired by a subsidiary of Bison Capital Financial Holdings , with Xu installed as executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues with him , including BFG 's well-connected chairman , Dr. Ma Weihua .
Ma has an extensive political career .
In the 1990s , he served as president of the Hainan branch of the People 's Bank of China , the PRC 's central bank .
Until 2013 , he served as `` Communist Party of China chief '' at the China Merchants Bank , a major investment bank .
He also served as a member of the Chinese People ’ s Political Consultative Conference , a major advisory political body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The purchase of Bison Finance also suggests CCP connections .
It was carried out through an intermediary company , Bliss Chance Global Ltd. , which funded it by issuing HK $ 650 million in stock to a company called Fruitful Worldwide Ltd. Xu also lent 70 percent of the voting shares in Bison Finance Group to Fruitful .
As recently as 2019 , Fruitful continued to have a controlling influence in Bison Finance 's ownership .
Fruitful is wholly owned by China Huarong Asset Management Co. , a state-owned asset management company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other records confirm .
In other words , Bison Finance Group 's purchase was indirectly funded by a state-owned firm , which retains control over the majority of shares .
These connections—ties to a CCP apparatchik and a military-run corporation , funding from a government-controlled bank—are not in themselves criminal .
Hollywood studios enjoy myriad tax breaks , and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is known for his deep Hollywood ties .
But the Chinese government clearly sees its influence over American media as a means of exercising what Fenton called `` soft power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a private intermediary is straight out of the Communist Party 's playbook , according to China expert Zack Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute .
`` So much of what the Chinese have done to cultivate elite support for the Communist Party has been avoiding using folks that are directly tied to the party , and instead using the sort of broad leverage that they have , the incentive of the Chinese market in a very coercive way , '' Cooper said .
Cinedigm 's acquisition is just one of many recent Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trend that caught the attention of the U.S. China Commission as far back as 2015 .
Analysts then wrote that Chinese censorship was affecting and will continue to affect U.S. audiences , while constraining studios ' `` creative freedom . ''
To make movies in and for China , in other words , is to make concessions to the communist regime—to build one 's business around that means all the more concessions .

Charles Fain Lehman and Yuichiro Kakutani

Over the past decade, more and more American moviegoers have witnessed something startling: Much of what they watch is now altered to serve the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.
From the omission of Taiwan's flag from a jacket in Top Gun: Maverick to China's digital replacement with North Korea in Red Dawn, the country's political sway in movies has grown increasingly apparent. Hollywood studios now bend over backwards to appease the government gatekeeping the world's fastest-growing media market. The effects of that influence operation are obvious, but the mechanics that drive it are obscured in a vast web of corporate connections.
Within that web, however, lies one story: that of a major independent digital distributor, Cinedigm, known originally for overhauling cinemas and now in the business of distributing television and movies to storefronts and digital platforms like Netflix and iTunes. In 2017, Cinedigm was bought by a Chinese investment firm, Bison Capital, and has since remade itself as a pioneering distributor of Chinese content to American audiences.
The tangled tale of Bison and Cinedigm ties together the rise and fall of a Hollywood business, the get-rich schemes of the Chinese movie industry, and the pervasive and often shadowy influence of the Chinese Communist Party. The result is a story fit for a Hollywood retelling.
Neither Cinedigm nor a public-facing Bison subsidiary, Bison Finance Group, responded to requests for comment for this article. Several former Cinedigm affiliates approached also did not comment, with one citing a nondisclosure agreement.
The Producers
Cinedigm, first incorporated in March of 2000, began as a business focused on helping movie theaters transition to then-new digital projection. Over the years, it overhauled nearly 13,000 screens and still claims a pioneering role in digital conversion.
That business, however, couldn't last—most theaters completed the switch by the early 2010s. Concurrently, Cinedigm prepared its own revamp, pivoting from digital conversion to movie distribution. In July 2011, Cinedigm sold its physical and electronic distribution business. Newly minted CEO Chris McGurk said he would be "focusing all of our energies on" software and independent content.
The new Cinedigm enjoyed early success, picking up indie darling Short Term 12, which helped launch actress Brie Larson's career. By late 2013, it was the largest distributor of independent movies and television in the United States—a position it sought to bolster with a $51 million deal with Gaiam, Inc., to buy a library of content from the WWE, NFL, Hallmark, and others.
But Cinedigm's luck couldn't last. The Gaiam deal turned sour—one former Cinedigm insider described it to the Washington Free Beacon as "the acquisition that really caused them huge harm" and "a bumble of a deal." In August 2014, Cinedigm reported lower-than-expected revenue growth; by the following year, it had brought a $30 million lawsuit against Gaiam, alleging fraud. (They eventually settled.)
Challenge compounded on challenge. The revelation of a $60 million loan sent Cinedigm's stock plunging, with an $11 million loss that quarter. Amid the tumult, two investors pressed for decisive action to save the company's rapidly sinking stock, then at risk of being delisted by the Nasdaq exchange.
By early 2017, the company was laser focused on debt. In the first nine months of the fiscal year, it had paid back over $43 million, but still reported nearly $250 million in outstanding liabilities, compared with $177 million in assets.
Cinedigm needed help—fast. Its savior, however, would dramatically alter the company's business.
Enter the Dragon
On June 29, 2017, Cinedigm struck a deal with China/Hong Kong-based investment firm Bison Capital. They traded 20 million shares—a majority of outstanding equity—for $30 million and a $10 million loan.
McGurk emphasized that the deal would both cut Cinedigm's indebtedness and "allow us to aggressively pursue the opportunities that the Bison transaction enables." Two Bison directors, Tom Bu and Peixin Xu, took seats on the board.
Cinedigm was not Bison's first foray into Hollywood. In 2014, it became the first Chinese company to invest in an American talent agency, buying a stake in Resolution Talent and Literary Agency. The deal fell through, however, after Bison failed to pay up.
This latest, successful acquisition was just part of a larger feeding frenzy, as Chinese firms scooped up Hollywood properties left and right. Legendary Entertainment, perhaps the biggest example, was bought out by Beijing-based Wanda group in January 2016.
The reason for China's buying spree, former China-based film executive Chris Fenton explained to the Free Beacon, was a coincidence of government interest and pure profit motive.
In the wake of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the Chinese government was eager to expand its influence by bolstering the film industry. It began to heap favor on movies that were produced in or relied on content created in China—like Iron Man 3, which Fenton produced and which opened first in China to the tune of $121 million in gross profits.
That piqued the interest of Chinese businesses, Fenton said. Film players saw buying American media properties as a way to earn support from the government, to whom Hollywood represented "the ultimate sort of western propaganda machine." Chinese businessmen began pitching their regulators on Hollywood buyouts and found wild support for what, to the Communist Party, was a clear propaganda coup.
Government support brought enormous wealth—Chinese companies that controlled Hollywood properties, Fenton said, enjoyed enormous market valuations. That in turn encouraged unrelated companies to buy more American media. It was a win-win—Chinese businessmen got rich, and the Communist Party got more media influence.
It's unclear if this is precisely what transpired with Cinedigm, although Bison's purchase predates Congress's 2018 crackdown on foreign investment. What is clear is that Cinedigm's acquisition prompted the film company to pivot to China.
Just months after the buyout, Cinedigm announced a "strategic alliance" with China-based Starrise Media, allowing Cinedigm to distribute American films in China—one of the few American distributors that could—and letting Starrise distribute Chinese films in America. It then inked deals with six Chinese companies at a signing ceremony, attended by McGurk, at the Beijing International Film Festival.
Cinedigm also moved to distribute Chinese content through its internet television platform. Bambu, a video-on-demand channel debuted by Cinedigm in 2019, offers American viewers a wide variety of Chinese programming, including drama, sci-fi, and even cooking shows.
Cinedigm proudly acknowledges its forays into media sharing, describing its work with Chinese firms as an "important 'Belt & Road' cooperation agreement" beneficial to both countries. It has since put its money where its mouth is: Just months ago, Cinedigm purchased 30 percent of Starrise in a stock swap—a major financial boon, according to McGurk.
"These are the two biggest entertainment markets in the world," the CEO said at the time. "This positioning as [an over-the-top]-oriented North America/China studio underscores the Company's strong growth prospects and unique competitive leverage."
Cinedigm's stock, meanwhile, has rebounded, rising from lows of 29 cents to a recent high of nearly $4 a share.
The Manchurian Candidate
The buyout brought Cinedigm a much-needed windfall and gave Bison an entrée into the U.S. media market. But it's unclear whether the China-based investment firm was wholly motivated by profit.
Bison's legal status is obscured by a web of holding companies that span the United States, Hong Kong, and the PRC. Cinedigm, for example, was purchased by Bison Entertainment Investment Ltd., a special purpose vehicle set up by Bison Capital Holding Company Ltd.—itself linked to a number of other companies, SEC records show.
Bison Capital Holding is wholly owned by Mr. Peixin Xu—one of Bison's appointees to Cinedigm's board—and his wife, both of Beijing. Xu founded Bison Capital in 2013, an extension of investment work begun as early as 2001. He leaves little footprint in the media or online, but there is enough to suggest professional connections between Xu, Bison, and the Communist Party of China.
Before he took the helm at Bison Capital, Xu was an independent director of Bona Film Group, Ltd., one of the largest film distributors in China. Bona succeeded in part thanks to its merger with China Poly Group, a state-owned asset management entity described as "a business wing of the Chinese military."
State connections appear to have carried forward to Xu's current venture, as hinted at in public records on a subsidiary, Bison Finance Group. BFG appears to be a Hong Kong-based financial services offshoot, bringing the added benefit of listing on the Hong Kong Stock exchange. Xu sits on BFG's board of directors, and his role as executive director is prominently mentioned in a 2018 biography.
For many years before it was Bison Finance Group, the company was Roadshow Holdings, a business that placed digital ads on buses. In 2017, following a year of major losses, RoadShow was acquired by a subsidiary of Bison Capital Financial Holdings, with Xu installed as executive director. Xu brought a number of colleagues with him, including BFG's well-connected chairman, Dr. Ma Weihua.
Ma has an extensive political career. In the 1990s, he served as president of the Hainan branch of the People's Bank of China, the PRC's central bank. Until 2013, he served as "Communist Party of China chief" at the China Merchants Bank, a major investment bank. He also served as a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a major advisory political body, in both its 11th and 12th sessions.
The purchase of Bison Finance also suggests CCP connections. It was carried out through an intermediary company, Bliss Chance Global Ltd., which funded it by issuing HK$650 million in stock to a company called Fruitful Worldwide Ltd. Xu also lent 70 percent of the voting shares in Bison Finance Group to Fruitful. As recently as 2019, Fruitful continued to have a controlling influence in Bison Finance's ownership.
Fruitful is wholly owned by China Huarong Asset Management Co., a state-owned asset management company, Bison's annual reports indicate and other records confirm. In other words, Bison Finance Group's purchase was indirectly funded by a state-owned firm, which retains control over the majority of shares.
Inside Man
These connections—ties to a CCP apparatchik and a military-run corporation, funding from a government-controlled bank—are not in themselves criminal. Hollywood studios enjoy myriad tax breaks, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is known for his deep Hollywood ties.
But the Chinese government clearly sees its influence over American media as a means of exercising what Fenton called "soft power." Shaping an American company through a private intermediary is straight out of the Communist Party's playbook, according to China expert Zack Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute.
"So much of what the Chinese have done to cultivate elite support for the Communist Party has been avoiding using folks that are directly tied to the party, and instead using the sort of broad leverage that they have, the incentive of the Chinese market in a very coercive way," Cooper said.
Cinedigm's acquisition is just one of many recent Chinese moves to consolidate influence in Hollywood, a trend that caught the attention of the U.S. China Commission as far back as 2015. Analysts then wrote that Chinese censorship was affecting and will continue to affect U.S. audiences, while constraining studios' "creative freedom."
To make movies in and for China, in other words, is to make concessions to the communist regime—to build one's business around that means all the more concessions.


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Madeleine Albright’s Consulting Firm Took Millions in Coronavirus Relief Funding, Records Show

An influential Democratic consulting firm that employs former Chinese government officials received as much as $ 5 million in federal coronavirus relief funding , according to records released on Monday .
The Albright Stonebridge Group , a Washington-based `` commercial diplomacy firm '' with strong staff links to Joe Biden , connects multinational businesses and nonprofits with political powerbrokers in the United States and abroad .
The company is chaired by former secretary of state Madeleine Albright .
Records show that the firm raked in between $ 2 million and $ 5 million from the Paycheck Protection Program that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the coronavirus pandemic .
The Trump administration has faced off with the Chinese government over the pandemic and blamed Chinese leadership for trying to cover up the initial spread of the virus after it originated in Wuhan late last year .
Albright Stonebridge has significant consulting operations in China , which is its `` largest single country practice , '' according to its website .
`` We work to create allies within the Chinese system through an approach that emphasizes systematic engagement with agencies and non-government stakeholders at the central , provincial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Albright Stonebridge Group website .
Although Albright Stonebridge is not registered as a foreign lobbying group , it engages in much of the same influence-peddling work as companies that do register .
Albright Stonebridge is not required to disclose its clients , however .
The firm employs `` former high-level U.S. and Chinese government officials and diplomats , '' according to its website .
The chairman of Albright Stonebridge ’ s China branch is Jin Ligang , who previously served as director of China ’ s ministry of foreign trade .
Mu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stonebridge , was a former Chinese embassy official , and Jia Mingru , another senior adviser at the firm , was a former assistant minister of culture in China .
The company also has numerous former Biden aides on its staff .
Julie Mason , a senior vice president at Albright Stonebridge , previously served as the director of special projects under Biden while he was vice president .
She was also communications director for his wife , Jill Biden .
Lawrence Silverman , a senior advisor at the firm , was Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia .
Scott Jacobs , a vice president at Albright Stonebridge , was a former aide in Biden ’ s vice presidential office .
The firm previously worked on behalf of First Solar , helping the solar power company secure a contract in China , the Washington Free Beacon reported in 2015 .
Albright Stonebridge did not respond to a request for comment .

An influential Democratic consulting firm that employs former Chinese government officials received as much as $5 million in federal coronavirus relief funding, according to records released on Monday.
The Albright Stonebridge Group, a Washington-based "commercial diplomacy firm" with strong staff links to Joe Biden, connects multinational businesses and nonprofits with political powerbrokers in the United States and abroad. The company is chaired by former secretary of state Madeleine Albright.
Records show that the firm raked in between $2 million and $5 million from the Paycheck Protection Program that was meant to provide relief to small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Trump administration has faced off with the Chinese government over the pandemic and blamed Chinese leadership for trying to cover up the initial spread of the virus after it originated in Wuhan late last year.
Albright Stonebridge has significant consulting operations in China, which is its "largest single country practice," according to its website.
"We work to create allies within the Chinese system through an approach that emphasizes systematic engagement with agencies and non-government stakeholders at the central, provincial, and local levels," said the Albright Stonebridge Group website.
Although Albright Stonebridge is not registered as a foreign lobbying group, it engages in much of the same influence-peddling work as companies that do register. Albright Stonebridge is not required to disclose its clients, however.
The firm employs "former high-level U.S. and Chinese government officials and diplomats," according to its website.
The chairman of Albright Stonebridge’s China branch is Jin Ligang, who previously served as director of China’s ministry of foreign trade. Mu Lan, a senior adviser at Albright Stonebridge, was a former Chinese embassy official, and Jia Mingru, another senior adviser at the firm, was a former assistant minister of culture in China.
The company also has numerous former Biden aides on its staff. Julie Mason, a senior vice president at Albright Stonebridge, previously served as the director of special projects under Biden while he was vice president. She was also communications director for his wife, Jill Biden. Lawrence Silverman, a senior advisor at the firm, was Biden’s special adviser to Europe and Russia. Scott Jacobs, a vice president at Albright Stonebridge, was a former aide in Biden’s vice presidential office.
The firm previously worked on behalf of First Solar, helping the solar power company secure a contract in China, the Washington Free Beacon reported in 2015. Albright Stonebridge did not respond to a request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Mount Rushmore: Once Iconic, Now Canceled

Mount Rushmore has come under fire from liberals in recent weeks for its depiction of presidents who were slaveholders , but before President Donald Trump gave a speech there , it was revered by figures on the left .
While covering Trump 's Mount Rushmore visit over the weekend , CNN reporter Leyla Santiago described the famed South Dakota site as a `` monument of two slaveowners and on land wrestled away from Native Americans , '' and MSNBC 's Tiffany Cross criticized Trump for picking the `` most grandiose symbol of U.S. imperialism on earth . ''
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described when Democratic politicians were mentioned alongside it .
MSNBC 's Al Sharpton wondered in 2013 if President Barack Obama deserved a spot alongside Presidents George Washington , Thomas Jefferson , Abraham Lincoln , and Theodore Roosevelt , as did MSNBC 's Chris Matthews .
Matthews also cut a `` Lean Forward '' ad for MSNBC in front of Mount Rushmore in 2012 , praising the four presidents as makers of American history .
In 2008 , CNN 's Jim Acosta covered Obama 's visit during the Democratic primary as `` a fitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make history . ''
Another CNN anchor called it `` quite a sight if you have n't seen it . ''
In office , Obama referred to Mount Rushmore as one of the nation 's `` most iconic landmarks , '' on par with the Statue of Liberty .
In 2016 , CNN 's Jeff Zeleny covered Sen. Bernie Sanders 's ( I. , Vt. ) visit there and noted he took in the `` majesty of the moment . ''
Sanders called the monument `` our country at its very best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very proud to be an American . ''

Mount Rushmore has come under fire from liberals in recent weeks for its depiction of presidents who were slaveholders, but before President Donald Trump gave a speech there, it was revered by figures on the left.
While covering Trump's Mount Rushmore visit over the weekend, CNN reporter Leyla Santiago described the famed South Dakota site as a "monument of two slaveowners and on land wrestled away from Native Americans," and MSNBC's Tiffany Cross criticized Trump for picking the "most grandiose symbol of U.S. imperialism on earth."
It's a far cry from how it was described when Democratic politicians were mentioned alongside it.
MSNBC's Al Sharpton wondered in 2013 if President Barack Obama deserved a spot alongside Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, as did MSNBC's Chris Matthews.
Matthews also cut a "Lean Forward" ad for MSNBC in front of Mount Rushmore in 2012, praising the four presidents as makers of American history.
In 2008, CNN's Jim Acosta covered Obama's visit during the Democratic primary as "a fitting campaign stop for a presidential contender looking to make history." Another CNN anchor called it "quite a sight if you haven't seen it."
In office, Obama referred to Mount Rushmore as one of the nation's "most iconic landmarks," on par with the Statue of Liberty.
In 2016, CNN's Jeff Zeleny covered Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I., Vt.) visit there and noted he took in the "majesty of the moment."
Sanders called the monument "our country at its very best" and said it made "one very proud to be an American."


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Atlanta Mayor to Clear Protests After Death of Eight-Year-Old

Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms ( D. ) announced Sunday that the city will clear the area that 's been occupied by anti-police protesters after a child was shot and killed on Saturday night .
Bottoms , who marched with Black Lives Matter protesters just a month ago , said on Sunday that the protests are now doing more harm than good and condemned the wave of violence that culminated in the death of eight-year-old Secoriea Turner .
`` You ca n't blame this on police officers , '' Bottoms said .
`` It 's about people who shot a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing each other more harm than any officer on this force . ''
At least two members of the protest opened fire on a car containing Turner , her mother , and another adult male as it approached a parking lot they were blocking the entrance to .
Turner was brought to the hospital , but did not survive her injuries .
Turner 's father , Secoriya Williamson , also spoke out against the Black Lives Matter protest .
`` They killed my baby because she crossed a barrier and made a U-turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter ?
You killing your own .
You killed an 8-year-old child .
She ai n't did nothing to no one of y'all .
She just wanted to get home to see her cousin .
That 's all she wanted to do . ''
In the past month , the area surrounding the Wendy 's parking lot where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed while in police custody has become a hotbed for protesters , who have set fire to the restaurant and illegally barricaded nearby streets .
Bottoms condemned those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned violent , saying the `` blood of Secoriea Turner '' is on the hands of all who were part of the Saturday crowd .
`` If you are part of a protest or demonstration that looks like it ’ s going the wrong way , that ’ s your time to pull back because you are no longer part of the solution , you are part of the problem , '' Bottoms said .
`` If you are part of these gatherings that are becoming disruptive and becoming deadly , then on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood of Secoriea Turner . ''
Atlanta ’ s interim police chief Rodney Bryant said 23 people were shot in the city on Saturday night , and 3 were killed .
On Sunday night , a 53-year-old man was shot and killed in the area where both Turner and Brooks died .

'We are doing each other more harm than any police officer on this force,' mayor says
Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D.) announced Sunday that the city will clear the area that's been occupied by anti-police protesters after a child was shot and killed on Saturday night.
Bottoms, who marched with Black Lives Matter protesters just a month ago, said on Sunday that the protests are now doing more harm than good and condemned the wave of violence that culminated in the death of eight-year-old Secoriea Turner.
"You can't blame this on police officers," Bottoms said. "It's about people who shot a baby in a car. We're doing each other more harm than any officer on this force."
At least two members of the protest opened fire on a car containing Turner, her mother, and another adult male as it approached a parking lot they were blocking the entrance to. Turner was brought to the hospital, but did not survive her injuries.
Turner's father, Secoriya Williamson, also spoke out against the Black Lives Matter protest.
"They killed my baby because she crossed a barrier and made a U-turn?" Williamson said. "Black Lives Matter? You killing your own. You killed an 8-year-old child. She ain't did nothing to no one of y'all. She just wanted to get home to see her cousin. That's all she wanted to do."
In the past month, the area surrounding the Wendy's parking lot where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed while in police custody has become a hotbed for protesters, who have set fire to the restaurant and illegally barricaded nearby streets.
Bottoms condemned those who have continued to protest as the demonstrations turned violent, saying the "blood of Secoriea Turner" is on the hands of all who were part of the Saturday crowd.
"If you are part of a protest or demonstration that looks like it’s going the wrong way, that’s your time to pull back because you are no longer part of the solution, you are part of the problem," Bottoms said. "If you are part of these gatherings that are becoming disruptive and becoming deadly, then on your hands, too, is the blood of Secoriea Turner."
Atlanta’s interim police chief Rodney Bryant said 23 people were shot in the city on Saturday night, and 3 were killed. On Sunday night, a 53-year-old man was shot and killed in the area where both Turner and Brooks died.


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Journos vs. Tech Bros: The East Coast-West Coast Feud Our Dumb Digital Culture Deserves

The East Coast-West Coast feud most people are familiar with , involving hip-hop legends Tupac Shakur and the fat guy who inspired Ruth Bader Ginsburg 's gangsta nickname , ended tragically but produced some good music along the way .
The same will not be said of the East Coast-West Coast feud brewing on the internet between elite journalists and Silicon Valley tech bros. You probably have n't heard about it , but that just means you 're a normal , well-adjusted human being who does n't spend every waking hour on social media .
This obscure donnybrook is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Apparently it 's sort of like Gamergate , whatever that was .
If you insist on knowing the details , here they are : On the East Coast , we have New York Times journo Taylor Lorenz , who covers `` internet culture '' for the Style section .
In addition to keeping tabs on Kellyanne Conway 's 15-year-old daughter , Lorenz is best known for complaining on Twitter that the avocado slid off the $ 22 avocado toast she ordered on Seamless .
It 's a problem to which most Acela-corridor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters , Lorenz was ornately ( and expensively ) educated at private institutions , including an actual Swiss boarding school like the ones mean stepmoms are always threatening to send their fiancé 's children to in romantic comedies .
Speaking of romantic comedies , Lorenz has some wall art in her Brooklyn apartment suggesting that a `` better rom-com '' would involve the male-identifying character finding out if his potential love interest is `` attracted to men and gives cues that she 's interested in talking to me . ''
Her most recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rom Com , '' features two Gen Zers who rose to prominence by helping collect data for Chinese intelligence .
What did Lorenz do to upset the tech bros ?
Apparently they did n't like the way she tweeted about Steph Korey , the founder of Away , a fancy luggage company .
Lorenz referred to Korey as `` the disgraced former CEO '' of Away , and described her as `` ranting … about the media '' in a series of Instagram posts , which she found `` incoherent '' and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and quickly corrected her .
At the time , Korey was still co-CEO , although she recently announced she was stepping down after employees anonymously complained about her Instagram posts , which were deemed offensive for criticizing `` cancel culture '' and suggesting that media companies are perversely incentivized to publish provocative takedowns because people like to click on them .
Lorenz 's commentary on Korey 's posts really upset some guy named Balaji Srinivasan , an `` angel investor and entrepreneur '' with multiple degrees from Stanford .
He cofounded Earn.com , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earn cryptocurrency for replying to emails and completing tasks . ''
First , Srinivasan mocked Lorenz 's tweet using wordplay .
Then he and his fellow tech bros—along with former CNN contributor Roland Martin—were recorded ranting about journos on Clubhouse , an invite-only `` audio social network popular with venture capitalists and celebrities . ''
It was recently valued at $ 100 million , because of course it was .
Silicon Valley ingenuity truly is making the world a better place .
Srinivasan wondered if Lorenz was simply `` afraid of a brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` East Coast model '' of journalism should be replaced by venture capitalists and cryptocurrency—West Coast style .
He also referenced Cartman from South Park .
Other tech bros on the stupid app thing accused Lorenz of playing `` the woman card '' for complaining about harassment and alleging that people were `` trying to reset my passwords and hack into my accounts , [ making ] vicious , disgusting threats , '' and creating stupid parody accounts like `` CancelTaylorLorenz . ''
Which does n't sound at all like the behavior that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Srinivasan was pretty annoyed that `` corporate journalists '' had recorded his `` private conversation '' with the other tech bros , so he did what any normal person would do in response : Offered a Bitcoin bounty for `` the best meme '' or `` legal analysis '' related to the incident .
He 's also been brainstorming innovative ways to inject the news media with cohesive synergy : Lorenz , meanwhile , has mostly been retweeting supportive comments from other media professionals .
As everyone knows , journalists are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are supremely humble and open to criticism and would never claim that attacks on the media are attacks on `` democracy itself . ''

The East Coast-West Coast feud most people are familiar with, involving hip-hop legends Tupac Shakur and the fat guy who inspired Ruth Bader Ginsburg's gangsta nickname, ended tragically but produced some good music along the way.
The same will not be said of the East Coast-West Coast feud brewing on the internet between elite journalists and Silicon Valley tech bros. You probably haven't heard about it, but that just means you're a normal, well-adjusted human being who doesn't spend every waking hour on social media. This obscure donnybrook is the hero-less melee our dumb digital culture deserves. Apparently it's sort of like Gamergate, whatever that was.
If you insist on knowing the details, here they are: On the East Coast, we have New York Times journo Taylor Lorenz, who covers "internet culture" for the Style section. In addition to keeping tabs on Kellyanne Conway's 15-year-old daughter, Lorenz is best known for complaining on Twitter that the avocado slid off the $22 avocado toast she ordered on Seamless. It's a problem to which most Acela-corridor journalists can relate.
Like most Times reporters, Lorenz was ornately (and expensively) educated at private institutions, including an actual Swiss boarding school like the ones mean stepmoms are always threatening to send their fiancé's children to in romantic comedies.
Speaking of romantic comedies, Lorenz has some wall art in her Brooklyn apartment suggesting that a "better rom-com" would involve the male-identifying character finding out if his potential love interest is "attracted to men and gives cues that she's interested in talking to me." Her most recent article, about "The Ultimate Tik-Tok Rom Com," features two Gen Zers who rose to prominence by helping collect data for Chinese intelligence.
What did Lorenz do to upset the tech bros? Apparently they didn't like the way she tweeted about Steph Korey, the founder of Away, a fancy luggage company. Lorenz referred to Korey as "the disgraced former CEO" of Away, and described her as "ranting ... about the media" in a series of Instagram posts, which she found "incoherent" and "disappointing."
The tech bros pounced and quickly corrected her. At the time, Korey was still co-CEO, although she recently announced she was stepping down after employees anonymously complained about her Instagram posts, which were deemed offensive for criticizing "cancel culture" and suggesting that media companies are perversely incentivized to publish provocative takedowns because people like to click on them.
Lorenz's commentary on Korey's posts really upset some guy named Balaji Srinivasan, an "angel investor and entrepreneur" with multiple degrees from Stanford. He cofounded Earn.com, a digital thing that "lets people earn cryptocurrency for replying to emails and completing tasks."
First, Srinivasan mocked Lorenz's tweet using wordplay. Then he and his fellow tech bros—along with former CNN contributor Roland Martin—were recorded ranting about journos on Clubhouse, an invite-only "audio social network popular with venture capitalists and celebrities." It was recently valued at $100 million, because of course it was. Silicon Valley ingenuity truly is making the world a better place.
Srinivasan wondered if Lorenz was simply "afraid of a brown man" and argued that the existing "East Coast model" of journalism should be replaced by venture capitalists and cryptocurrency—West Coast style. He also referenced Cartman from South Park.
Other tech bros on the stupid app thing accused Lorenz of playing "the woman card" for complaining about harassment and alleging that people were "trying to reset my passwords and hack into my accounts, [making] vicious, disgusting threats," and creating stupid parody accounts like "CancelTaylorLorenz." Which doesn't sound at all like the behavior that aggrieved tech bros would ever engage in.
Srinivasan was pretty annoyed that "corporate journalists" had recorded his "private conversation" with the other tech bros, so he did what any normal person would do in response: Offered a Bitcoin bounty for "the best meme" or "legal analysis" related to the incident. He's also been brainstorming innovative ways to inject the news media with cohesive synergy:
The truefeed Looks like a newsfeed, except the most visually prominent features are: 1) the number of independent confirmations by economically disaligned parties, with links 2) a button that allows the public to pay crypto to crowdfund more confirmations from specific parties — balajis.com (@balajis) July 6, 2020
Lorenz, meanwhile, has mostly been retweeting supportive comments from other media professionals. As everyone knows, journalists are not at all like whiny tech bros because they are supremely humble and open to criticism and would never claim that attacks on the media are attacks on "democracy itself."
Pick a side, if you dare.


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Civil Rights Group to Pelosi: Don’t Break the Law to Appease Israel Haters

A civil rights group is warning congressional Democrats that their opposition to an Israeli plan to take over land in the contested West Bank area may violate U.S. law and constitutes `` a clear and present danger to American national security interests in the Middle East . ''
The Lawfare Project , a nonprofit legal group that combats anti-Semitism , wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) late last week to express opposition to a recent Democrat-led letter warning Israel over its impending decision to extend sovereignty into Jewish areas of the West Bank .
Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a group of fellow Democrats warned Israel that the move could jeopardize critical U.S. aid money .
That letter was backed by multiple organizations that promote boycotts of the Jewish state and traffic in anti-Semitic rhetoric , the Washington Free Beacon first reported last week .
The Lawfare Project letter , sent to Pelosi on July 1 and provided exclusively to the Free Beacon , argues that Israel 's plan is not tantamount to an annexation of territory , as Ocasio-Cortez and her Democratic colleagues argued .
Israel , the group maintains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to extend its sovereignty into areas it already controls .
So far , Pelosi has remained silent on both Israel 's plan and Ocasio-Cortez 's letter .
Israel 's plan has sparked public outrage from leading Democratic lawmakers and their anti-Israel supporters , primarily groups that back the anti-Semitic Boycott , Divestment , and Sanctions movement , which seeks to wage economic warfare on Israel .
As Democrats amplify their criticism of Israel—threatening longstanding bipartisan support for U.S. aid to the country—groups like the Lawfare Project are at the forefront of a push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts about the situation remain clear .
The group hopes to pressure Pelosi into reestablishing her party 's support for Israel .
`` With this letter , The Lawfare Project reminds Congress that it has a legal obligation to recognize Israel 's sovereign right to reunify its own territory , '' said Gerard Filitti , senior counsel for the Lawfare Project .
`` This obligation can not be discarded in favor of political activism . ''
Congressional opposition to Israel 's territorial takeover may violate U.S. law , which clearly recognizes Israel 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , according to the Lawfare Project .
By not recognizing Israeli sovereignty over territory in the West Bank , Democrats could be in violation of legally binding U.S. agreements granting Israel control of this land .
`` The threats by members of your caucus not to afford recognition to Israel 's sovereignty over Judea and Samaria [ the West Bank ] , along with concomitant threats to cut or condition assistance to Israel , may be contrary to American law , which has long recognized the rights of the Jewish people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lawfare Project wrote to Pelosi .
The Lawfare Project calls Ocasio-Cortez 's letter threatening U.S. aid `` uninformed and inaccurate . ''
It also said , `` Its contents and tone ( including overt threats directed at America 's oldest , closest , and most reliable ally in the Middle East ) are inimical to American interests and democratic values , and pose a clear and present danger to American national security interests in the Middle East . ''
International mandates that created Israel laid the legal groundwork for the current Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Bank .
This includes the landmark 1924 treaty between the United States and United Kingdom that permitted Jewish immigration into the area that later became known as Israel .
These decades-old agreements `` bar the United States from taking any action '' that runs counter to its recognition of Israel 's legal control over the West Bank territory and other similar areas , according to the Lawfare Project .
The civil rights group also said Israel 's plan is not legally annexation , but is rather a reunification plan that will rejoin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The letter also takes issue with claims by Democratic leaders that Israel is guilty of perpetuating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories , including the West Bank and Gaza Strip , where the terror group Hamas controls the government .
Palestinian terror groups continue to conduct cross-border terror attacks , warranting Israel 's security apparatus , the letter maintains .
Brooke Goldstein , the Lawfare Project 's executive director , said recent moves by Democrats in Congress—primarily Ocasio-Cortez 's letter—have empowered Israel 's detractors .
`` It threatens our democracy and undermines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress to abdicate their legal obligation to recognize the sovereign rights of the Jewish State , '' Goldstein said .
`` When Members make biased and ignorant political statements that disregard or mis-state the law , it pollutes the dialogue , pours fire on a simmering conflict , and inflames hatred and anti-Semitism . ''

A civil rights group is warning congressional Democrats that their opposition to an Israeli plan to take over land in the contested West Bank area may violate U.S. law and constitutes "a clear and present danger to American national security interests in the Middle East."
The Lawfare Project, a nonprofit legal group that combats anti-Semitism, wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) late last week to express opposition to a recent Democrat-led letter warning Israel over its impending decision to extend sovereignty into Jewish areas of the West Bank. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and a group of fellow Democrats warned Israel that the move could jeopardize critical U.S. aid money. That letter was backed by multiple organizations that promote boycotts of the Jewish state and traffic in anti-Semitic rhetoric, the Washington Free Beacon first reported last week.
The Lawfare Project letter, sent to Pelosi on July 1 and provided exclusively to the Free Beacon, argues that Israel's plan is not tantamount to an annexation of territory, as Ocasio-Cortez and her Democratic colleagues argued. Israel, the group maintains, has the proper international legal standing to extend its sovereignty into areas it already controls. So far, Pelosi has remained silent on both Israel's plan and Ocasio-Cortez's letter.
Israel's plan has sparked public outrage from leading Democratic lawmakers and their anti-Israel supporters, primarily groups that back the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which seeks to wage economic warfare on Israel. As Democrats amplify their criticism of Israel—threatening longstanding bipartisan support for U.S. aid to the country—groups like the Lawfare Project are at the forefront of a push by the pro-Israel community to ensure the facts about the situation remain clear. The group hopes to pressure Pelosi into reestablishing her party's support for Israel.
"With this letter, The Lawfare Project reminds Congress that it has a legal obligation to recognize Israel's sovereign right to reunify its own territory," said Gerard Filitti, senior counsel for the Lawfare Project. "This obligation cannot be discarded in favor of political activism."
Congressional opposition to Israel's territorial takeover may violate U.S. law, which clearly recognizes Israel's possession of land in the West Bank area, according to the Lawfare Project. By not recognizing Israeli sovereignty over territory in the West Bank, Democrats could be in violation of legally binding U.S. agreements granting Israel control of this land.
"The threats by members of your caucus not to afford recognition to Israel's sovereignty over Judea and Samaria [the West Bank], along with concomitant threats to cut or condition assistance to Israel, may be contrary to American law, which has long recognized the rights of the Jewish people to a national home in Palestine," the Lawfare Project wrote to Pelosi.
The Lawfare Project calls Ocasio-Cortez's letter threatening U.S. aid "uninformed and inaccurate." It also said, "Its contents and tone (including overt threats directed at America's oldest, closest, and most reliable ally in the Middle East) are inimical to American interests and democratic values, and pose a clear and present danger to American national security interests in the Middle East."
International mandates that created Israel laid the legal groundwork for the current Israeli plan to extend its sovereignty into the West Bank. This includes the landmark 1924 treaty between the United States and United Kingdom that permitted Jewish immigration into the area that later became known as Israel.
These decades-old agreements "bar the United States from taking any action" that runs counter to its recognition of Israel's legal control over the West Bank territory and other similar areas, according to the Lawfare Project. The civil rights group also said Israel's plan is not legally annexation, but is rather a reunification plan that will rejoin areas long separated from Israel proper.
The letter also takes issue with claims by Democratic leaders that Israel is guilty of perpetuating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where the terror group Hamas controls the government. Palestinian terror groups continue to conduct cross-border terror attacks, warranting Israel's security apparatus, the letter maintains.
Brooke Goldstein, the Lawfare Project's executive director, said recent moves by Democrats in Congress—primarily Ocasio-Cortez's letter—have empowered Israel's detractors.
"It threatens our democracy and undermines the rule of law for Members of Congress to abdicate their legal obligation to recognize the sovereign rights of the Jewish State," Goldstein said. "When Members make biased and ignorant political statements that disregard or mis-state the law, it pollutes the dialogue, pours fire on a simmering conflict, and inflames hatred and anti-Semitism."


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Media Matters Takes Millions In PPP Aid While Criticizing Trump Coronavirus Response

Media Matters raked in as much as $ 2 million in coronavirus relief loans as the left-wing blog slammed the Trump administration 's coronavirus response , according to federal records released on Monday .
Records show that Media Matters , the progressive activist group founded by Clinton loyalist David Brock in 2004 , received between $ 1 million and $ 2 million from the government ’ s Paycheck Protection Program .
The loan represents a significant portion of the group ’ s annual income , which was listed as $ 11 million in 2017 , according to tax records .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alliance , one of the largest progressive donor groups in the country .
The deep-pocketed philanthropy network has steered hundreds of millions of dollars to liberal groups since it was founded in 2005—and pledged to distribute $ 100 million in 2020 alone .
Their million-dollar loan was much larger than the average PPP loan .
The average loan size for businesses during the first round of funding that ended in April was $ 200,000 , according to reports .
The average for the second round of funding , which ended in late May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s successful loan application has not stopped it from continuing to criticize Trump ’ s coronavirus policies .
`` [ T ] hough Trump is set to ask Congress for emergency funds to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak—after weeks of failing to do so—some public health officials say he won ’ t ask for enough to do the job , '' Media Matters argued in late February , before receiving a PPP loan .
American Bridge 21st Century , a political action committee also founded by Brock that shares the same address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration for allegedly neglecting to provide loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program .
The group posted a Twitter message suggesting that Trump was directly responsible for the failure to provide `` PPP Funds for Small Businesses '' in late May .
`` As indicated by the SBA , Media Matters received a PPP loan in the $ 1-2M range , '' Media Matters communications director Laura Keiter said .
`` Media Matters and American Bridge are two distinct organizations . ''
Another Media Matters article claimed that Trump `` is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the aspects of his job that don ’ t involve promoting his narrow personal interests .
His response to coronavirus has not diverged from this baseline . ''
`` He spent the last few years systematically dismantling U.S. pandemic response capabilities , dissolving the National Security Council ’ s global health security unit and slashing funding to the CDC ’ s global health section , '' claimed the group .
`` And since the coronavirus outbreak began , Trump has been largely detached from managing the government ’ s response . ''

Media Matters raked in as much as $2 million in coronavirus relief loans as the left-wing blog slammed the Trump administration's coronavirus response, according to federal records released on Monday.
Records show that Media Matters, the progressive activist group founded by Clinton loyalist David Brock in 2004, received between $1 million and $2 million from the government’s Paycheck Protection Program. The loan represents a significant portion of the group’s annual income, which was listed as $11 million in 2017, according to tax records. Media Matters is bankrolled by the Democracy Alliance, one of the largest progressive donor groups in the country. The deep-pocketed philanthropy network has steered hundreds of millions of dollars to liberal groups since it was founded in 2005—and pledged to distribute $100 million in 2020 alone.
Their million-dollar loan was much larger than the average PPP loan. The average loan size for businesses during the first round of funding that ended in April was $200,000, according to reports. The average for the second round of funding, which ended in late May, was $114,000.
Media Matters’s successful loan application has not stopped it from continuing to criticize Trump’s coronavirus policies.
"[T]hough Trump is set to ask Congress for emergency funds to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak—after weeks of failing to do so—some public health officials say he won’t ask for enough to do the job," Media Matters argued in late February, before receiving a PPP loan.
American Bridge 21st Century, a political action committee also founded by Brock that shares the same address as Media Matters, has attacked the administration for allegedly neglecting to provide loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program.
The group posted a Twitter message suggesting that Trump was directly responsible for the failure to provide "PPP Funds for Small Businesses" in late May.
"As indicated by the SBA, Media Matters received a PPP loan in the $1-2M range," Media Matters communications director Laura Keiter said. "Media Matters and American Bridge are two distinct organizations."
Another Media Matters article claimed that Trump "is ignorant, incompetent, and generally uninterested in the aspects of his job that don’t involve promoting his narrow personal interests. His response to coronavirus has not diverged from this baseline."
"He spent the last few years systematically dismantling U.S. pandemic response capabilities, dissolving the National Security Council’s global health security unit and slashing funding to the CDC’s global health section," claimed the group. "And since the coronavirus outbreak began, Trump has been largely detached from managing the government’s response."


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Dem Law Firm Behind Weinstein Defense Takes Millions in PPP Aid

An elite law firm known for representing disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein and Al Gore 's presidential campaign accepted up to $ 10 million in federal coronavirus aid , data released by the Small Business Administration show .
Boies Schiller Flexner , a white-shoe firm founded by former Al Gore lawyer David Boies , applied for and obtained between $ 5 and $ 10 million through the Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) , the federal program aimed to support small businesses hurt by the pandemic .
Boies Schiller Flexner earned more than $ 400 million in gross revenue in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest-grossing law firms in the world , according to The American Lawyer .
The multinational firm 's partners took home more than $ 3.3 million on average in 2019 , but it still capitalized on the taxpayer bailout that was designed to help mom-and-pop shops .
Boies Schiller Flexner , which claimed that the loan was necessary to save 490 jobs , declined an interview request , saying it does not `` comment on our financials . ''
The law firm has been a major player in Democratic political circles since Boies represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush v. Gore case in 2000 .
Its employees have already donated about $ 300,000 to Democratic candidates—more than 99 percent of its total contributions—in the 2020 election cycle , according to the Center for Responsive Politics .
More than $ 40,000 has gone to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D. , Mass . )
, Sen. Kamala Harris ( D. , Calif. ) , Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand ( D. , N.Y. ) , and Sen. Doug Jones ( D. , Ala. ) , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Firm employees also helped Democrats take control of the House of Representatives during the midterm elections , contributing more than $ 430,000 to liberal candidates .
The firm received the forgivable loan on April 28 , weeks after the PPP program exhausted its initial $ 350 billion funding .
It is now the latest high-profile entity to receive scrutiny after accepting small-business relief .
While restaurant chain Shake Shack and news site Axios returned their loans following widespread criticism , some recipients have refused .
Sidwell Friends School—a top D.C. prep school with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its $ 5.2 million PPP loan amid pushback in May .
Boies is best known for representing Weinstein against allegations of sexual assault , as well as Gore in his 2000 Florida recount dispute against former president George W. Bush .
He has also represented fraudulent blood-testing startup Theranos and served on the company 's board .

An elite law firm known for representing disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein and Al Gore's presidential campaign accepted up to $10 million in federal coronavirus aid, data released by the Small Business Administration show.
Boies Schiller Flexner, a white-shoe firm founded by former Al Gore lawyer David Boies, applied for and obtained between $5 and $10 million through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the federal program aimed to support small businesses hurt by the pandemic. Boies Schiller Flexner earned more than $400 million in gross revenue in 2019, making it one of the highest-grossing law firms in the world, according to The American Lawyer. The multinational firm's partners took home more than $3.3 million on average in 2019, but it still capitalized on the taxpayer bailout that was designed to help mom-and-pop shops.
Boies Schiller Flexner, which claimed that the loan was necessary to save 490 jobs, declined an interview request, saying it does not "comment on our financials."
The law firm has been a major player in Democratic political circles since Boies represented Gore in the Supreme Court's landmark Bush v. Gore case in 2000. Its employees have already donated about $300,000 to Democratic candidates—more than 99 percent of its total contributions—in the 2020 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. More than $40,000 has gone to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.), and Sen. Doug Jones (D., Ala.), among other Senate and congressional Democratic hopefuls. Firm employees also helped Democrats take control of the House of Representatives during the midterm elections, contributing more than $430,000 to liberal candidates.
The firm received the forgivable loan on April 28, weeks after the PPP program exhausted its initial $350 billion funding. It is now the latest high-profile entity to receive scrutiny after accepting small-business relief. While restaurant chain Shake Shack and news site Axios returned their loans following widespread criticism, some recipients have refused. Sidwell Friends School—a top D.C. prep school with a $50 million endowment—refused to return its $5.2 million PPP loan amid pushback in May.
Boies is best known for representing Weinstein against allegations of sexual assault, as well as Gore in his 2000 Florida recount dispute against former president George W. Bush. He has also represented fraudulent blood-testing startup Theranos and served on the company's board.


freebeacon--2020-07-06--Shootings Spike in NYC Over Violent Fourth of July Weekend

Shootings spiked in New York City over the holiday weekend , with 37 people shot and 9 killed over a 9-hour period on Sunday night .
The outbreak of violence occurred in the midst of a dramatic rise in shootings in the city this year , even as protesters called for defunding the police and Mayor Bill de Blasio ( D. ) announced a $ 1 billion cut to the NYPD 's budget .
In total , at least 63 people were shot and 11 were killed this weekend .
Compared with this time last year , there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city , with 616 people shot , according to the most recent NYPD statistics .
Year-to-date shooting incidents have also increased by 44 percent from last year .
Mayor de Blasio announced his plan to slash the police budget last week , in response to the deaths of George Floyd and others in police custody and the protests calling for defunding and reforming the police .
New York City police commissioner Dermot Shea said releasing prisoners from Rikers Island—the city ’ s main jail—during the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the increase in shootings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been predictable .
You heard me say a storm is coming , and we ’ re in the middle of it right now , we are in a perfect storm of sorts , '' Shea said in an interview with NY1 on Monday morning .
`` With COVID , the Rikers population .
Look at the Rikers population of the last year .
Ask a sane person .
It 's about half .
And where is that other half right now ?
We 've transplanted the general population to the streets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustrating . ''
Shea said the police department lacks support and called the New York City council ’ s recently passed police-reform bill , which bans the police from using choke-holds , `` insane . ''
`` We don ’ t need a lot of new things , what we need is support , and that ’ s in short supply , '' Shea said .
`` The [ bill ] is insane .
It ’ s crippling the police .
Police officers shouldn ’ t have to worry more about getting arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re rolling around on the street with . ''

Shootings spiked in New York City over the holiday weekend, with 37 people shot and 9 killed over a 9-hour period on Sunday night. The outbreak of violence occurred in the midst of a dramatic rise in shootings in the city this year, even as protesters called for defunding the police and Mayor Bill de Blasio (D.) announced a $1 billion cut to the NYPD's budget.
In total, at least 63 people were shot and 11 were killed this weekend. Compared with this time last year, there have been 52 percent more shooting victims in the city, with 616 people shot, according to the most recent NYPD statistics. Year-to-date shooting incidents have also increased by 44 percent from last year.
Mayor de Blasio announced his plan to slash the police budget last week, in response to the deaths of George Floyd and others in police custody and the protests calling for defunding and reforming the police.
New York City police commissioner Dermot Shea said releasing prisoners from Rikers Island—the city’s main jail—during the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the increase in shootings.
"The saddest part is this has been predictable. You heard me say a storm is coming, and we’re in the middle of it right now, we are in a perfect storm of sorts," Shea said in an interview with NY1 on Monday morning. "With COVID, the Rikers population. Look at the Rikers population of the last year. Ask a sane person. It's about half. And where is that other half right now? We've transplanted the general population to the streets of New York City and it's extremely frustrating."
Shea said the police department lacks support and called the New York City council’s recently passed police-reform bill, which bans the police from using choke-holds, "insane."
"We don’t need a lot of new things, what we need is support, and that’s in short supply," Shea said. "The [bill] is insane. It’s crippling the police. Police officers shouldn’t have to worry more about getting arrested than the person with the gun that they’re rolling around on the street with."