freebeacon--2020-07-09--FEC Complaint Alleges Hickenlooper Violated Campaign Finance Laws

Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper ( D. ) may have violated campaign finance laws by coordinating an advertisement with an outside super PAC backing his Senate campaign , according to a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission .
According to the FEC complaint , filed by the conservative watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust ( FACT ) , Hickenlooper posted a statement on one of his campaign websites that was picked up days later in a similarly worded advertisement by the Senate Majority PAC , a committee tied to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was coordination between Hickenlooper ’ s campaign and Senate Majority PAC .
Hickenlooper posted a ‘ request or suggestion ’ ask using language we have seen several times in the past , '' said Kendra Arnold , executive director of FACT .
`` The fact that 12 days after the ask was published Senate Majority PAC ran the advertisement leads me to believe there was coordination between the campaign and super PAC . ''
This latest allegation comes on the heels of Hickenlooper 's conviction by a state review panel last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor , and could invite additional scrutiny into the candidate 's ethics record .
According to the complaint , Hickenlooper posted a statement defending his ethics record on a new website he created called GetTheFacts.com on June 13 .
`` Coloradans need to know the facts about the Republican attacks against John Hickenlooper , '' said the headline of the post .
Democratic candidates have previously used the phrases `` need to know '' and `` deserve to know '' as a veiled advertising request to supporting super PACs , according to Politico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post , the Senate Majority PAC ran an advertisement that used similar content to his statement .
Both the ad and the statement blamed Hickenlooper ’ s ethics charges on Republicans , argued that 95 out of the 97 allegations in the ethics complaint were dismissed , and quoted a Denver Post editorial that said Hickenlooper made `` an honest mistake . ''
The FEC complaint further alleged that the Senate Majority PAC violated campaign finance rules by running B-roll footage in the commercial that had originally been filmed for Hickenlooper ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this footage in one of his Senate ads .
Super PACs are prohibited from using campaign materials , even if that content can be found publicly online .
`` The FEC needs to thoroughly investigate this case and hold the respondents accountable , '' said Arnold .

Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper (D.) may have violated campaign finance laws by coordinating an advertisement with an outside super PAC backing his Senate campaign, according to a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission.
According to the FEC complaint, filed by the conservative watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), Hickenlooper posted a statement on one of his campaign websites that was picked up days later in a similarly worded advertisement by the Senate Majority PAC, a committee tied to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.).
"The facts demonstrate there was coordination between Hickenlooper’s campaign and Senate Majority PAC. Hickenlooper posted a ‘request or suggestion’ ask using language we have seen several times in the past," said Kendra Arnold, executive director of FACT. "The fact that 12 days after the ask was published Senate Majority PAC ran the advertisement leads me to believe there was coordination between the campaign and super PAC."
This latest allegation comes on the heels of Hickenlooper's conviction by a state review panel last month for violating gift rules while he was governor, and could invite additional scrutiny into the candidate's ethics record.
According to the complaint, Hickenlooper posted a statement defending his ethics record on a new website he created called GetTheFacts.com on June 13. "Coloradans need to know the facts about the Republican attacks against John Hickenlooper," said the headline of the post.
Democratic candidates have previously used the phrases "need to know" and "deserve to know" as a veiled advertising request to supporting super PACs, according to Politico.
Twelve days after Hickenlooper’s post, the Senate Majority PAC ran an advertisement that used similar content to his statement. Both the ad and the statement blamed Hickenlooper’s ethics charges on Republicans, argued that 95 out of the 97 allegations in the ethics complaint were dismissed, and quoted a Denver Post editorial that said Hickenlooper made "an honest mistake."
The FEC complaint further alleged that the Senate Majority PAC violated campaign finance rules by running B-roll footage in the commercial that had originally been filmed for Hickenlooper’s gubernatorial campaign. Hickenlooper had also used this footage in one of his Senate ads. Super PACs are prohibited from using campaign materials, even if that content can be found publicly online.
"The FEC needs to thoroughly investigate this case and hold the respondents accountable," said Arnold.


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Beto Blames GOP ‘Death-Cult Mentality’ for Coronavirus, Gun Deaths

Former Democratic congressman Beto O'Rourke blamed both gun violence and coronavirus deaths on the Republican Party during an interview on Wednesday night .
The failed presidential candidate , who Democratic nominee Joe Biden said would `` lead the effort '' to `` take care of the gun problem '' in March , said Republicans are pushing for schools to reopen in the fall because they have a `` death-cult mentality . ''
He compared the argument that the benefits of reopening schools outweighed the risks to arguments against gun confiscation .
`` These are the same people who want us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more children , will die of gun violence this year in America than in any other developed country bar none , '' he told MSNBC 's Joy Reid .
`` It 's just the price of quote , unquote freedom in this country . ''
`` It 's that same kind of death-cult mentality that asks us to accept one quarter , 25 percent of the world 's COVID cases , one quarter , 25 percent of the world 's COVID deaths , though we represent only 4 percent of the globe 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is absolutely unacceptable . ''
O'Rourke 's claim about gun violence is contradicted by FBI data showing violent crime in America has actually been receding for decades after peaking in the 1990s .
That comes in spite of record gun sales over the past decade .
O'Rourke centered his presidential campaign on anti-gun policies , notably declaring on the debate stage last September that , `` Hell yes , we 're going to take your AR-15 , your AK-47 . ''
The strong statement did n't help his standing in the race—polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the modest support he 'd had before the move .
He ended his campaign in November .

Former Democratic congressman Beto O'Rourke blamed both gun violence and coronavirus deaths on the Republican Party during an interview on Wednesday night.
The failed presidential candidate, who Democratic nominee Joe Biden said would "lead the effort" to "take care of the gun problem" in March, said Republicans are pushing for schools to reopen in the fall because they have a "death-cult mentality." He compared the argument that the benefits of reopening schools outweighed the risks to arguments against gun confiscation.
"These are the same people who want us to accept that more people, including more children, will die of gun violence this year in America than in any other developed country bar none," he told MSNBC's Joy Reid. "It's just the price of quote, unquote freedom in this country."
"It's that same kind of death-cult mentality that asks us to accept one quarter, 25 percent of the world's COVID cases, one quarter, 25 percent of the world's COVID deaths, though we represent only 4 percent of the globe's population," he said. "That is absolutely unacceptable."
O'Rourke's claim about gun violence is contradicted by FBI data showing violent crime in America has actually been receding for decades after peaking in the 1990s. That comes in spite of record gun sales over the past decade.
O'Rourke centered his presidential campaign on anti-gun policies, notably declaring on the debate stage last September that, "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47." The strong statement didn't help his standing in the race—polling averages showed him losing about one-third of the modest support he'd had before the move. He ended his campaign in November.


freebeacon--2020-07-09--U.S. Hits Huawei, Other Chinese Tech Firms With New Sanctions

The White House is finalizing new sanctions on Chinese technology firms , an administration official told Reuters on Thursday .
The law , which expands upon 2019 legislation , would require companies interested in offering services to the U.S. government to prove they have no business relationship with five leading Chinese telecommunications and surveillance companies .
`` The danger our nation faces from foreign adversaries like China looking to infiltrate our systems is great , '' Ross Vought , the acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget , told Reuters .
`` The Trump Administration is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Huawei by fully implementing the ban on Federal procurement . ''
Huawei , a state-backed Chinese telecommunications firm , has lost out on bids to provide services to several English-speaking countries .
Australia halted business with it and ZTE , another Chinese firm , on national security grounds , while a recent cybersecurity report from U.K. defense experts stands to reverse the country 's relatively open policy toward the companies .
Meanwhile , former Canadian officials indicate Ottawa is considering closing the door to Chinese technology firms .
A previous round of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' per a company statement in May .
As previously reported by the Washington Free Beacon , Huawei and similar Chinese firms have been accused of organizing multimillion-dollar influence campaigns with former Obama administration staffers .
The Trump administration previously issued a list of 20 companies owned or controlled by the Chinese military .
Huawei and Hikvision—two companies that will be subject to the forthcoming sanctions—were on the list .
`` There should no longer be any dispute concerning the need to defend against the multinational technology company Huawei and its role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' former national security adviser H.R .
McMaster wrote in a May Atlantic article .
`` A priority area for multinational cooperation among free societies should be the development of infrastructure , particularly 5G communications , to form trusted networks that protect sensitive and proprietary data . ''

The White House is finalizing new sanctions on Chinese technology firms, an administration official told Reuters on Thursday.
The law, which expands upon 2019 legislation, would require companies interested in offering services to the U.S. government to prove they have no business relationship with five leading Chinese telecommunications and surveillance companies.
"The danger our nation faces from foreign adversaries like China looking to infiltrate our systems is great," Ross Vought, the acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, told Reuters. "The Trump Administration is keeping our government strong against nefarious networks like Huawei by fully implementing the ban on Federal procurement."
Huawei, a state-backed Chinese telecommunications firm, has lost out on bids to provide services to several English-speaking countries. Australia halted business with it and ZTE, another Chinese firm, on national security grounds, while a recent cybersecurity report from U.K. defense experts stands to reverse the country's relatively open policy toward the companies. Meanwhile, former Canadian officials indicate Ottawa is considering closing the door to Chinese technology firms.
A previous round of U.S. sanctions jeopardized Huawei's "survival," per a company statement in May. As previously reported by the Washington Free Beacon, Huawei and similar Chinese firms have been accused of organizing multimillion-dollar influence campaigns with former Obama administration staffers.
The Trump administration previously issued a list of 20 companies owned or controlled by the Chinese military. Huawei and Hikvision—two companies that will be subject to the forthcoming sanctions—were on the list.
"There should no longer be any dispute concerning the need to defend against the multinational technology company Huawei and its role in China’s security apparatus," former national security adviser H.R. McMaster wrote in a May Atlantic article. "A priority area for multinational cooperation among free societies should be the development of infrastructure, particularly 5G communications, to form trusted networks that protect sensitive and proprietary data."


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Jewish NFL Star Invites DeSean Jackson to Holocaust Museum After ‘Ugly’ Anti-Semitic Post

Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman invited DeSean Jackson to visit the U.S .
Holocaust Memorial Museum after the Philadelphia Eagles wideout shared a string of `` ugly '' anti-Semitic posts to his 1.4 million Instagram followers .
`` I 'm proud of my Jewish heritage , and for me , it 's not just about religion—it 's about community and culture as well , '' Edelman said Thursday .
`` Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest forms of hatred .
It 's rooted in ignorance and fear.… There 's no room for anti-Semitism in this world . ''
Jackson on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dictator Adolf Hitler saying that Jews will `` extort America '' in their `` plan for world domination . ''
`` Hitler said , ‘ because the white Jews knows that the Negroes are the real Children of Israel and to keep Americas secret the Jews will blackmail America , '' the quote reads .
It comes from a fringe book titled The Hidden Treasure That Lies in Plain Sight 4 : The Day of the Lord and the End of America , written by Jeremy Shorter , a self-described member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Law Center in December 2019 listed 144 Black Hebrew Israelite groups as `` black separatist hate groups because of their ant-Semitic and anti-white beliefs . ''
Jackson initially defended his post , saying `` anyone who feels I have hate towards the Jewish community took my post the wrong way . ''
He then reposted the quote , highlighting the portion in which Jews are accused of seeking `` world domination . ''
Jackson has also praised radical anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan , who has compared Jews to `` termites '' and called Hitler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Eagles called Jackson 's post `` offensive , harmful , and absolutely appalling '' in a statement released Tuesday , a number of prominent athletes leapt to Jackson 's defense .
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson said the Eagles wideout was `` speaking the truth '' in an attempt to `` educate people . ''
Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe , now an analyst on Fox Sports , said it was `` clear '' from speaking to Farrakhan that the minister is not anti-Semitic .
And fellow Eagles wideout Marquise Goodwin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this much on a Black Lives Matter topic . ''
Other NFL players have responded to Jackson by voicing support for the Jewish community .
`` I was here on the team a couple years ago during the synagogue shooting in this beautiful city of Pittsburgh , and we need to understand that Jewish people deal with the same amount of hate and similar hardships and hard times , '' Steelers offensive lineman Zach Banner said in a Wednesday video .
`` I want to preach to the black and brown community that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community ] and put our arms around them just as much when we talk about Black Lives Matter and elevating ourselves . ''
In his Thursday video , Edelman said he `` did n't identify as Jewish '' until later in life and revealed that he was called a `` kike '' during an NFL game in 2011 .
The New England Patriots star visited Israel in 2014 , calling the trip a `` once-in-a-lifetime experience . ''
Jackson has since apologized for his post , saying that his `` intention was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture with positivity and light '' and that he `` unintentionally hurt the Jewish community in the process . ''

Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman invited DeSean Jackson to visit the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum after the Philadelphia Eagles wideout shared a string of "ugly" anti-Semitic posts to his 1.4 million Instagram followers.
"I'm proud of my Jewish heritage, and for me, it's not just about religion—it's about community and culture as well," Edelman said Thursday. "Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest forms of hatred. It's rooted in ignorance and fear.… There's no room for anti-Semitism in this world."
Jackson on Monday shared a quote attributed to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler saying that Jews will "extort America" in their "plan for world domination."
"Hitler said, 'because the white Jews knows that the Negroes are the real Children of Israel and to keep Americas secret the Jews will blackmail America," the quote reads. It comes from a fringe book titled The Hidden Treasure That Lies in Plain Sight 4: The Day of the Lord and the End of America, written by Jeremy Shorter, a self-described member of the Black Hebrew Israelites. The Southern Poverty Law Center in December 2019 listed 144 Black Hebrew Israelite groups as "black separatist hate groups because of their ant-Semitic and anti-white beliefs."
Jackson initially defended his post, saying "anyone who feels I have hate towards the Jewish community took my post the wrong way." He then reposted the quote, highlighting the portion in which Jews are accused of seeking "world domination." Jackson has also praised radical anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, who has compared Jews to "termites" and called Hitler a "great man."
While the Eagles called Jackson's post "offensive, harmful, and absolutely appalling" in a statement released Tuesday, a number of prominent athletes leapt to Jackson's defense. Former NBA player Stephen Jackson said the Eagles wideout was "speaking the truth" in an attempt to "educate people." Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe, now an analyst on Fox Sports, said it was "clear" from speaking to Farrakhan that the minister is not anti-Semitic. And fellow Eagles wideout Marquise Goodwin said he wished those criticizing Jackson "commented this much on a Black Lives Matter topic."
Other NFL players have responded to Jackson by voicing support for the Jewish community.
"I was here on the team a couple years ago during the synagogue shooting in this beautiful city of Pittsburgh, and we need to understand that Jewish people deal with the same amount of hate and similar hardships and hard times," Steelers offensive lineman Zach Banner said in a Wednesday video. "I want to preach to the black and brown community that we need to uplift [the Jewish community] and put our arms around them just as much when we talk about Black Lives Matter and elevating ourselves."
In his Thursday video, Edelman said he "didn't identify as Jewish" until later in life and revealed that he was called a "kike" during an NFL game in 2011. The New England Patriots star visited Israel in 2014, calling the trip a "once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Jackson has since apologized for his post, saying that his "intention was to uplift, unite, and encourage our culture with positivity and light" and that he "unintentionally hurt the Jewish community in the process."


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Despite Rhetoric on Diversity, Cal Cunningham’s Campaign Gives Most of Its Money to White-Owned Firm

Despite Rhetoric on Diversity, Cal Cunningham’s Campaign Gives Most of Its Money to White-Owned Firms

Cal Cunningham , the Democratic nominee for Senate in North Carolina , has expressed concern that minority-owned businesses are being left behind .
His campaign expenditures , however , suggest that his concern is more performative than sincere .
Cunningham , who routed his black female primary opponent with the help of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , N.Y. ) , has directed the vast majority of his campaign spending to white-owned vendors , according to federal election records .
In fact , nearly all the vendors who have received more than $ 50,000 from the campaign to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Excluding payroll entities , such as the publicly owned ADP , the Cunningham campaign 's top 10 vendors are all owned and run by white people , usually white men .
Here are the campaign 's 10 largest non-payroll vendors , according to election records : This is what the leadership of those firms looks like : In June , Cunningham complained that the stimulus funding approved by Congress in response to the coronavirus pandemic was harming minority communities to an `` unacceptable '' degree by `` leaving behind small businesses—and disproportionately those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cunningham also demanded more oversight of the Paycheck Protection Program and repeatedly stressed his commitment to diversity .
It 's not as if the Democrat ca n't afford to do more business with minority-owned firms .
Cunningham raised a whopping $ 7.4 million in the second quarter of 2020 , a record amount for a Senate candidate in North Carolina .
Cunningham secured the Democratic nomination after defeating state lawmaker Erica Smith , a former Boeing engineer who was trying to become just the third black woman in history to serve in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsed Cunningham after pledging to remain neutral during the primary .
During the primary campaign , Smith suggested that Schumer `` did not want an African American running for Senate in North Carolina . ''
The Cunningham campaign did not return a request for comment on the candidate 's preference for white-owned businesses .

Cal Cunningham, the Democratic nominee for Senate in North Carolina, has expressed concern that minority-owned businesses are being left behind. His campaign expenditures, however, suggest that his concern is more performative than sincere.
Cunningham, who routed his black female primary opponent with the help of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), has directed the vast majority of his campaign spending to white-owned vendors, according to federal election records. In fact, nearly all the vendors who have received more than $50,000 from the campaign to date are owned by white people.
Excluding payroll entities, such as the publicly owned ADP, the Cunningham campaign's top 10 vendors are all owned and run by white people, usually white men. Here are the campaign's 10 largest non-payroll vendors, according to election records:
Screen Strategies Media — $1,237,169.00
Authentic Campaign — $697,222.58
Wilke Communications — $345,696.00
Wavelength Strategy — $263,544.21
The Kauffman Group — $194,336.88
ActBlue Technical Services — $189,515.09
Dixon Davis Media Group — $151,239.00
Nexus Strategies — $91,640.03
MBA Consulting Group — $72,004.31
Perkins Coie LLP — $50,792.97
This is what the leadership of those firms looks like:
In June, Cunningham complained that the stimulus funding approved by Congress in response to the coronavirus pandemic was harming minority communities to an "unacceptable" degree by "leaving behind small businesses—and disproportionately those that are Black- and Latino-owned." Cunningham also demanded more oversight of the Paycheck Protection Program and repeatedly stressed his commitment to diversity.
It's not as if the Democrat can't afford to do more business with minority-owned firms. Cunningham raised a whopping $7.4 million in the second quarter of 2020, a record amount for a Senate candidate in North Carolina.
Cunningham secured the Democratic nomination after defeating state lawmaker Erica Smith, a former Boeing engineer who was trying to become just the third black woman in history to serve in the U.S. Senate. According to Smith, Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsed Cunningham after pledging to remain neutral during the primary. During the primary campaign, Smith suggested that Schumer "did not want an African American running for Senate in North Carolina."
The Cunningham campaign did not return a request for comment on the candidate's preference for white-owned businesses.


freebeacon--2020-07-09--After Ossoff Ripped PPP for Favoring Wealthy, His Father’s Company Took Loan

The wealthy father of Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff , who has given thousands to his son 's campaigns , took a Paycheck Protection Program loan of as much as $ 1 million as Ossoff argued that the program favors the rich .
Richard Ossoff 's Atlanta-based company Strafford Publications , Inc. , received between $ 350,000 and $ 1 million from the PPP on June 9 .
The loan saved 30 jobs , according to federal records .
PPP was part of the CARES ACT , a federal coronavirus relief bill .
The elder Ossoff , a Harvard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McKinsey & Co. , founded Strafford in 1984 .
The company has an estimated $ 28 million in annual revenue and amassed Ossoff a fortune that allowed him to purchase a private jet in 2014 .
He has donated $ 32,100 to Democrats in the 2020 cycle , including $ 8,400 to his son 's Senate campaign , and spent thousands on his son ’ s failed House campaign in 2017 .
Jon Ossoff said in April that the CARES Act did not help people truly in need and ripped PPP for only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so much of the support , the overwhelming majority of the support that the federal government is extending right now on emergency basis is for the largest firms , and even the tax benefits in the CARES Act are going to flow overwhelmingly to the highest earners , '' Ossoff said .
`` There 's no urgency in the government right now about getting emergency relief to ordinary people . ''
Ossoff 's campaign did not respond to a request for comment .

The wealthy father of Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, who has given thousands to his son's campaigns, took a Paycheck Protection Program loan of as much as $1 million as Ossoff argued that the program favors the rich.
Richard Ossoff's Atlanta-based company Strafford Publications, Inc., received between $350,000 and $1 million from the PPP on June 9. The loan saved 30 jobs, according to federal records. PPP was part of the CARES ACT, a federal coronavirus relief bill.
The elder Ossoff, a Harvard Business School graduate and former consultant at McKinsey & Co., founded Strafford in 1984. The company has an estimated $28 million in annual revenue and amassed Ossoff a fortune that allowed him to purchase a private jet in 2014. He has donated $32,100 to Democrats in the 2020 cycle, including $8,400 to his son's Senate campaign, and spent thousands on his son’s failed House campaign in 2017.
Jon Ossoff said in April that the CARES Act did not help people truly in need and ripped PPP for only benefiting wealthy Americans.
"I mean, so much of the support, the overwhelming majority of the support that the federal government is extending right now on emergency basis is for the largest firms, and even the tax benefits in the CARES Act are going to flow overwhelmingly to the highest earners," Ossoff said. "There's no urgency in the government right now about getting emergency relief to ordinary people."
Ossoff's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Band Changes Name from Lady Antebellum to Lady A, Then Sues Black Singer Who’s Used the Name for Dec

Band Changes Name from Lady Antebellum to Lady A, Then Sues Black Singer Who’s Used the Name for Decades

Nashville-based country band Lady A—formerly known as Lady Antebellum—is suing a black singer for the rights to their new name .
The band changed their name last month after critics claimed the word `` antebellum '' glamorized the pre-Civil War South and slavery .
But Anita White , a blues singer from Seattle , says she ’ s used the stage name `` Lady A '' for two decades .
`` They ’ re just changing their name because of the Black Lives Matter incident that , for them , is just a moment in time for them , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it mattered , it would have mattered to them before .
It shouldn ’ t have taken George Floyd to die for them to realize that their name had a slave reference to it . ''
On Wednesday , Lady A said in a statement that representatives for White demanded the band pay her $ 10 million .
The band then filed a lawsuit , asking the court to protect their rights to a name they claim they ’ ve held a trademark for since 2011 .
White told Rolling Stone she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name `` Lady A , '' and released her first album under that name in 2010—the same year the band first filed to trademark `` Lady A . ''
`` I ’ m not going to lay down and let this happen to me , '' White said .
`` But now , the burden of proof is on me to prove that my name is in fact mine , and I don ’ t even know how much I ’ ll have to spend to keep it . ''
In recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historical references to the Confederacy , slavery , and slave owners—including removing statues and renaming buildings .
After Lady Antebellum announced they were changing their name , the band formerly known as the Dixie Chicks followed , dropping `` Dixie '' from their name to avoid referencing the Confederacy .

Nashville-based country band Lady A—formerly known as Lady Antebellum—is suing a black singer for the rights to their new name.
The band changed their name last month after critics claimed the word "antebellum" glamorized the pre-Civil War South and slavery. But Anita White, a blues singer from Seattle, says she’s used the stage name "Lady A" for two decades.
"They’re just changing their name because of the Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time for them," White told Rolling Stone. "If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before. It shouldn’t have taken George Floyd to die for them to realize that their name had a slave reference to it."
On Wednesday, Lady A said in a statement that representatives for White demanded the band pay her $10 million. The band then filed a lawsuit, asking the court to protect their rights to a name they claim they’ve held a trademark for since 2011.
White told Rolling Stone she’s held a business trademark for the name "Lady A," and released her first album under that name in 2010—the same year the band first filed to trademark "Lady A."
"I’m not going to lay down and let this happen to me," White said. "But now, the burden of proof is on me to prove that my name is in fact mine, and I don’t even know how much I’ll have to spend to keep it."
In recent weeks, many protesters have called for erasing historical references to the Confederacy, slavery, and slave owners—including removing statues and renaming buildings. After Lady Antebellum announced they were changing their name, the band formerly known as the Dixie Chicks followed, dropping "Dixie" from their name to avoid referencing the Confederacy.


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Biden Pledges to Reverse Supreme Court Ruling on Religious Liberty

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday pledged to undo the Supreme Court 's decision in favor of religious liberty for the Little Sisters of the Poor .
`` If I am elected , I will restore the Obama-Biden policy that existed before the Hobby Lobby ruling : providing an exemption for houses of worship and an accommodation for nonprofit organizations with religious missions , '' Biden said .
This week the Supreme Court ruled that the Little Sisters of the Poor , a charitable religious group of nuns , could not be compelled to cover the cost of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration instituted a wide-ranging rule that allowed religious employers not to offer contraception coverage , after the Obama administration had run into legal trouble for its contraceptive mandate .
Two states sued and a judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration 's rule from going into effect , but the Court found that the administration has broad discretion to decide what exemptions to offer and what to mandate .
The Court 's ruling in favor of religious organizations comes after the 2014 decision Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruled in that case that family-owned businesses could opt out of mandatory contraceptive coverage because of religious objections .
In addition to returning to Obama 's original policy , Biden has also promised to codify Roe v. Wade , the Supreme Court decision finding a constitutional right to abortion .
`` Joe Biden has removed any remaining doubt about how his administration would mistreat and marginalize Catholics if elected , '' Catholic Vote president Brian Burch told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` From his support for taxpayer-funded pro-abortion extremism , to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sisters of the Poor , Biden will be a wrecking ball against all things that Catholics hold dear . ''
Maureen Ferguson , a senior fellow with the Catholic Association , said that a vote for Biden is a vote `` to force Catholic nuns to facilitate distribution of contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs under threat of massive government fines . ''

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday pledged to undo the Supreme Court's decision in favor of religious liberty for the Little Sisters of the Poor.
"If I am elected, I will restore the Obama-Biden policy that existed before the Hobby Lobby ruling: providing an exemption for houses of worship and an accommodation for nonprofit organizations with religious missions," Biden said.
This week the Supreme Court ruled that the Little Sisters of the Poor, a charitable religious group of nuns, could not be compelled to cover the cost of contraception for employees.
In 2017, the Trump administration instituted a wide-ranging rule that allowed religious employers not to offer contraception coverage, after the Obama administration had run into legal trouble for its contraceptive mandate. Two states sued and a judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration's rule from going into effect, but the Court found that the administration has broad discretion to decide what exemptions to offer and what to mandate.
The Court's ruling in favor of religious organizations comes after the 2014 decision Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. that Biden mentioned. The Court ruled in that case that family-owned businesses could opt out of mandatory contraceptive coverage because of religious objections.
In addition to returning to Obama's original policy, Biden has also promised to codify Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision finding a constitutional right to abortion.
Catholic groups criticized Biden for targeting religious employers.
"Joe Biden has removed any remaining doubt about how his administration would mistreat and marginalize Catholics if elected," Catholic Vote president Brian Burch told the Washington Free Beacon. "From his support for taxpayer-funded pro-abortion extremism, to his pledge to continue to harass the Little Sisters of the Poor, Biden will be a wrecking ball against all things that Catholics hold dear."
Maureen Ferguson, a senior fellow with the Catholic Association, said that a vote for Biden is a vote "to force Catholic nuns to facilitate distribution of contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs under threat of massive government fines."


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Serial Plagiarist Joe Biden Cribs Economic Slogan From United Nations

Former vice president Joe Biden , whose first failed presidential run was marred by allegations of plagiarism , is adopting an economic slogan the United Nations used in April .
Biden will unveil his $ 700 billion economic recovery plan , titled `` Build Back Better , '' in a speech outside Scranton , Pa. , on Thursday .
The alliterative slogan previously appeared in an April United Nations campaign urging countries to exploit the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity for `` enhancing climate action , '' among other agenda items .
`` As the world begins planning for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling on Governments to seize the opportunity to ‘ build back better ' by creating more sustainable , resilient and inclusive societies , '' the U.N. global communications team said in a statement .
Biden 's speech , according to a preview offered by the campaign , promises to be bold and exhilarating .
The Democrat will pledge , for example , to work with allies to `` modernize international trade rules and associated domestic regulations regarding government procurement . ''
His campaign has not explained how the $ 700 billion plan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial equality , would be paid for .
Biden has blatantly plagiarized from overseas sources in the past .
During a presidential primary debate in 1987 , he was caught stealing lines ( and hand gestures ) from a speech given months earlier by U.K. Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock .
Biden , who turns 78 in November , would be the oldest individual ever elected to the presidency .

Former vice president Joe Biden, whose first failed presidential run was marred by allegations of plagiarism, is adopting an economic slogan the United Nations used in April.
Biden will unveil his $700 billion economic recovery plan, titled "Build Back Better," in a speech outside Scranton, Pa., on Thursday. The alliterative slogan previously appeared in an April United Nations campaign urging countries to exploit the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity for "enhancing climate action," among other agenda items.
"As the world begins planning for a post-pandemic recovery, the United Nations is calling on Governments to seize the opportunity to 'build back better' by creating more sustainable, resilient and inclusive societies," the U.N. global communications team said in a statement.
Biden's speech, according to a preview offered by the campaign, promises to be bold and exhilarating. The Democrat will pledge, for example, to work with allies to "modernize international trade rules and associated domestic regulations regarding government procurement." His campaign has not explained how the $700 billion plan, which will also include policies to promote racial equality, would be paid for.
Biden has blatantly plagiarized from overseas sources in the past. During a presidential primary debate in 1987, he was caught stealing lines (and hand gestures) from a speech given months earlier by U.K. Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock.
Biden, who turns 78 in November, would be the oldest individual ever elected to the presidency.


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Pelosi Shrugs Off Mob Destruction in Baltimore: ‘People Will Do What They Do’

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) on Thursday expressed indifference about mobs tearing down statues @ @ @ @ @ country .
`` People will do what they do , '' Pelosi said when asked @ @ @ @ @ Christopher Columbus being destroyed by a mob .
`` I do n't even have my @ @ @ @ @ She added that heroic figures such as George Washington , Thomas Jefferson , and Abraham @ @ @ @ @ to be talking about the future , '' saying that when young people visit the @ @ @ @ @ `` Everything we do here is about you . ''
Pelosi 's comments come as @ @ @ @ @ down monuments and statues to important historical figures .
Baltimore police did nothing to stop @ @ @ @ @ down from its perch in Little Italy and throwing it piecemeal into the harbor on @ @ @ @ @ .
Divers recovered bits of it Monday morning , organized by members of the Italian-American @ @ @ @ @ is Pelosi ’ s birthplace .

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) on Thursday expressed indifference about mobs tearing down statues of historical figures across the country.
"People will do what they do," Pelosi said when asked about Baltimore's statue of Christopher Columbus being destroyed by a mob. "I don't even have my grandmother's earrings."
She added that heroic figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln would "want us to be talking about the future," saying that when young people visit the Capitol she tells them, "Everything we do here is about you."
Pelosi's comments come as rioters are pushing to tear down monuments and statues to important historical figures.
Baltimore police did nothing to stop vandals from dragging the statue down from its perch in Little Italy and throwing it piecemeal into the harbor on the night of July 4. Divers recovered bits of it Monday morning, organized by members of the Italian-American community in Baltimore, which is Pelosi’s birthplace.


freebeacon--2020-07-09--DeVos: Families Could Use Federal Funds Elsewhere If Pandemic Closes Schools

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) – The Trump administration will not cut federal education spending but could allow families to use funds elsewhere if their school does not open amid the coronavirus pandemic , the U.S. education secretary said on Thursday , a day after Trump threatened to cut funding .
`` If schools aren ’ t going to reopen , we ’ re not suggesting pulling funding from education but instead allowing families … ( to ) take that money and figure out where their kids can get educated if their schools are going to refuse to open , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview .
It was unclear how the administration planned to redirect funding , which is directed by U.S. lawmakers .
Any change in appropriations would face resistance in Congress , now split between Democrats , who control the House of Representatives , and President Donald Trump ’ s fellow Republicans , who control the Senate .
U.S. schools are scrambling to prepare for the upcoming academic year as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to surge across the country , topping 3 million confirmed cases .
Trump has called on schools to reopen but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effort .
Most public schools are run and funded by local governments , with supplemental funding from the federal government .

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration will not cut federal education spending but could allow families to use funds elsewhere if their school does not open amid the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. education secretary said on Thursday, a day after Trump threatened to cut funding.
"If schools aren’t going to reopen, we’re not suggesting pulling funding from education but instead allowing families ... (to) take that money and figure out where their kids can get educated if their schools are going to refuse to open," Betsy DeVos told Fox News in an interview.
It was unclear how the administration planned to redirect funding, which is directed by U.S. lawmakers. Any change in appropriations would face resistance in Congress, now split between Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, and President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans, who control the Senate.
U.S. schools are scrambling to prepare for the upcoming academic year as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to surge across the country, topping 3 million confirmed cases. Trump has called on schools to reopen but there is no federal plan to coordinate the effort.
Most public schools are run and funded by local governments, with supplemental funding from the federal government.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci)


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Supreme Court Gives Manhattan Prosecutor Access To Trump Financial Records But Rebuffs House Democra

Supreme Court Gives Manhattan Prosecutor Access To Trump Financial Records But Rebuffs House Democrats

In a split decision , the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a New York City grand jury may access President Donald Trump 's financial records , but sent cases involving congressional demands for the president 's papers back to lower courts for additional proceedings .
The decisions mean the president 's long-sought financial records will probably not be made public before the November election .
The documents now available to Manhattan prosecutors are , for the moment , protected by grand jury secrecy laws , and the lower court litigation involving House Democrats will take months to resolve .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , asserting that the Court has given presidents `` broad deference '' in the past .
While his fight with congressional investigators will go on for the foreseeable future , potentially unseemly details of past financial dealings will not feature in the 2020 campaign .
Both cases present historic questions about presidential authority , pitting two branches of government against one another in a power contest over the limits of privacy and oversight .
Trump 's outside lawyers warned that the Court 's decisions could open future chief executives to regular harassment from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal lives to prying congressional eyes .
The momentous stakes loomed over the Court during oral arguments in May .
`` What I hold today will also apply to a future Senator McCarthy asking a future Franklin Roosevelt or Harry Truman exactly the same questions , '' Justice Stephen Breyer said .
Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the Court ’ s opinion in both cases .
Both decisions were 7-2 , with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in dissent .
Thursday 's cases involve subpoenas from two separate entities .
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Democrats , who issued subpoenas to the president 's longtime creditors and accountants for personal and professional financial records going back a decade .
Democrats say those materials are relevant to ethics and finance legislation under consideration , as well as inquiries into foreign meddling in U.S. elections .
The second is a grand jury subpoena from Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance , who is leading a state criminal investigation into supposed hush money payments from the president to women with whom he allegedly had extramarital affairs .
At the center of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a `` legitimate legislative purpose . ''
Lawyers for the president say the House gave phony reasons for issuing their subpoenas .
They contend that the subpoenas are driven by politics and partisanship , while the pending legislation Democrats cite is merely a pretext .
That legislation is unconstitutional anyway , Trump 's lawyers add , since it would effectively add conditions and qualifications for the presidency , which the Constitution alone sets .
House lawyers counter that Congress can investigate any area on which legislation can be had .
The Vance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during oral arguments .
In past cases , the Court unanimously required President Richard Nixon to turn over the infamous Watergate tapes to investigators and rejected President Bill Clinton 's bid to put off a lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct until he left office .
Trump 's lawyers say this case is different because it involves a local prosecutor , not a federal one .
An incumbent president has absolute immunity from state and local prosecution while in office , they argue .
All nine justices rejected the view that presidents have such far-reaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argument runs up against the 200 years of precedent establishing that presidents , and their official communications , are subject to judicial process , '' Roberts wrote in the Vance case .
Roberts recited the lengthy history of presidential compliance with criminal process , saying presidents have been subject to subpoenas since the 1807 treason trial of Aaron Burr .
No fewer than six presidents have given depositions or released documents in connection with judicial proceedings , he wrote .
The Court also rejected the Justice Department ’ s contention that state prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a president ’ s personal information .
Government lawyers supporting Trump said state prosecutors should have to demonstrate that their subpoena is a `` last resort , '' and that the information sought is relevant to critical decision , like whether to bring criminal charges .
That ’ s because subpoenas can distract the president from his official duties , or subject him to harassment from partisan DAs .
While the Court said no higher showing is necessary for the Vance subpoena , it cautioned that the president still has special protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can , for example , challenge requests that impede or mean to influence his official day-to-day tasks .
Vance said the investigation , which has been on hold for almost a year , would resume immediately following Thursday ’ s ruling .
`` This is a tremendous victory for our nation ’ s system of justice and its founding principle that no one—not even a president—is above the law , '' Vance said .
The Court made similarly quick work of arguments from congressional Democrats in the second case .
The chief justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adequate account of the significant separation of powers issues '' the case raises , and sent the matters back to the lower courts for a new round of litigating .
Going forward , Roberts explained that a `` balanced approach '' is necessary .
Among other things , the lower courts should make sure Congress can ’ t get the information it ’ s seeking from Trump from other sources , and it should give detailed and substantial evidence that their subpoenas actually relate to legitimate legislation .
Congress may not , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump as a `` case study '' for general legislation , Roberts warned .
`` Congressional subpoenas for the president ’ s personal information implicate weighty concerns , '' the decision reads .
`` Neither side , however , identifies an approach that accounts for these concerns . ''
Though the decision leaves open the possibility that at least some of the subpoenas might ultimately survive , House Republicans were mostly satisfied .
`` Today 's Supreme Court ruling sticks a fork in their efforts to pry into the president 's personal life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years — that the Democrats abused their power on their failed quest to destroy the president , '' said Rep. James Comer ( R. , Ky. ) , the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee .
The Department of Justice supported the president in both disputes .
The cases are No .
19-715 Trump v. Mazars and No .
19-635 Trump v. Vance .
Updates 11:12 a.m. , 12:45 p.m. , 2:29 p.m. : This post has been updated with further information .

In a split decision, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a New York City grand jury may access President Donald Trump's financial records, but sent cases involving congressional demands for the president's papers back to lower courts for additional proceedings.
The decisions mean the president's long-sought financial records will probably not be made public before the November election. The documents now available to Manhattan prosecutors are, for the moment, protected by grand jury secrecy laws, and the lower court litigation involving House Democrats will take months to resolve.
Trump nonetheless decried the rulings on Twitter, asserting that the Court has given presidents "broad deference" in the past. While his fight with congressional investigators will go on for the foreseeable future, potentially unseemly details of past financial dealings will not feature in the 2020 campaign.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1281236214646034432
Both cases present historic questions about presidential authority, pitting two branches of government against one another in a power contest over the limits of privacy and oversight. Trump's outside lawyers warned that the Court's decisions could open future chief executives to regular harassment from partisan local prosecutors and open their pre-presidential personal lives to prying congressional eyes. The momentous stakes loomed over the Court during oral arguments in May.
"What I hold today will also apply to a future Senator McCarthy asking a future Franklin Roosevelt or Harry Truman exactly the same questions," Justice Stephen Breyer said.
Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the Court’s opinion in both cases. Both decisions were 7-2, with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in dissent.
Thursday's cases involve subpoenas from two separate entities. The first set are from three committees controlled by House Democrats, who issued subpoenas to the president's longtime creditors and accountants for personal and professional financial records going back a decade. Democrats say those materials are relevant to ethics and finance legislation under consideration, as well as inquiries into foreign meddling in U.S. elections. The second is a grand jury subpoena from Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance, who is leading a state criminal investigation into supposed hush money payments from the president to women with whom he allegedly had extramarital affairs.
At the center of the House dispute is whether the subpoenas have a "legitimate legislative purpose." Lawyers for the president say the House gave phony reasons for issuing their subpoenas. They contend that the subpoenas are driven by politics and partisanship, while the pending legislation Democrats cite is merely a pretext. That legislation is unconstitutional anyway, Trump's lawyers add, since it would effectively add conditions and qualifications for the presidency, which the Constitution alone sets.
House lawyers counter that Congress can investigate any area on which legislation can be had.
The Vance subpoena seemed less problematic to the justices during oral arguments. In past cases, the Court unanimously required President Richard Nixon to turn over the infamous Watergate tapes to investigators and rejected President Bill Clinton's bid to put off a lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct until he left office. Trump's lawyers say this case is different because it involves a local prosecutor, not a federal one. An incumbent president has absolute immunity from state and local prosecution while in office, they argue.
All nine justices rejected the view that presidents have such far-reaching immunity from state proceedings.
"That argument runs up against the 200 years of precedent establishing that presidents, and their official communications, are subject to judicial process," Roberts wrote in the Vance case.
Roberts recited the lengthy history of presidential compliance with criminal process, saying presidents have been subject to subpoenas since the 1807 treason trial of Aaron Burr. No fewer than six presidents have given depositions or released documents in connection with judicial proceedings, he wrote.
The Court also rejected the Justice Department’s contention that state prosecutors must show a "heightened need" for a president’s personal information. Government lawyers supporting Trump said state prosecutors should have to demonstrate that their subpoena is a "last resort," and that the information sought is relevant to critical decision, like whether to bring criminal charges. That’s because subpoenas can distract the president from his official duties, or subject him to harassment from partisan DAs.
While the Court said no higher showing is necessary for the Vance subpoena, it cautioned that the president still has special protections courts should respect going forward. He can, for example, challenge requests that impede or mean to influence his official day-to-day tasks.
Vance said the investigation, which has been on hold for almost a year, would resume immediately following Thursday’s ruling.
"This is a tremendous victory for our nation’s system of justice and its founding principle that no one—not even a president—is above the law," Vance said.
The Court made similarly quick work of arguments from congressional Democrats in the second case. The chief justice said the House failed "to take adequate account of the significant separation of powers issues" the case raises, and sent the matters back to the lower courts for a new round of litigating.
Going forward, Roberts explained that a "balanced approach" is necessary. Among other things, the lower courts should make sure Congress can’t get the information it’s seeking from Trump from other sources, and it should give detailed and substantial evidence that their subpoenas actually relate to legitimate legislation. Congress may not, as some of the committees wished, use Trump as a "case study" for general legislation, Roberts warned.
"Congressional subpoenas for the president’s personal information implicate weighty concerns," the decision reads. "Neither side, however, identifies an approach that accounts for these concerns."
Though the decision leaves open the possibility that at least some of the subpoenas might ultimately survive, House Republicans were mostly satisfied.
"Today's Supreme Court ruling sticks a fork in their efforts to pry into the president's personal life and makes plain what we have known for years — that the Democrats abused their power on their failed quest to destroy the president," said Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee.
The Department of Justice supported the president in both disputes. The cases are No. 19-715 Trump v. Mazars and No. 19-635 Trump v. Vance.
Updates 11:12 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:29 p.m.: This post has been updated with further information.


freebeacon--2020-07-10--The Winds of Woke

The Winds of Woke

Before Thursday morning I had not heard of Thomas Bosco , and I am willing to bet you have n't heard of him either .
He runs a café in Upper Manhattan .
From the picture in the New York Times , the Indian Road Café is one of those Bobo-friendly brick-lined coffee shops with chalkboard menus affixed to the wall behind the counter and a small stage for down-on-their-luck musicians to warble a few bars of `` Fast Car '' as you sip on a no-foam latte while editing a diversity training manual .
It looks pleasant enough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and political activists are regulars , '' writes metro columnist Azi Paybarah .
`` And for years , two drag queens have hosted a monthly charity bingo tournament there . ''
Drag queens !
You can ’ t get more progressive than that .
Bosco seems like a noble small businessman making his way in a turbulent world .
There ’ s a problem , though .
He once expressed an opinion .
Though Black Lives Matter signs are posted throughout the restaurant , and its owner identifies as `` a liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can think of , '' in early June Bosco told MSNBC that he voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and expects to do so again .
Omigod no .
`` The backlash was swift , as you might expect , '' writes Paybarah .
Neighbors denounced Bosco on Facebook .
Some vowed not to patronize the café .
Randi Weingarten , who as president of the American Federation of Teachers draws close to half a million dollars in salary and benefits , wrote online that it would be `` hard to ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the barista from her .
As for the drag queens , they are taking their glitter elsewhere .
Bosco is distraught .
`` My staff feels like I let them down to a certain extent , '' he told the Times .
He has supported Bernie Sanders , donated to immigrant groups , contributed to the food pantry , provided child care for an employee , and plans to change the name of the café to Inwood Farm to avoid any possible offense toward the Indigenous .
None of this is enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Online .
`` Similar backlashes have erupted in liberal New York City , usually after a business is revealed to have financial links to Mr. Trump or socially conservative causes , '' notes Paybarah , citing the example of Stephen Ross , an investor who had to cut ties to the Equinox and SoulCycle gym chains after it was revealed that he was going to throw a fundraiser for the president .
`` But Mr. Bosco is no Mr .
Ross . ''
No , Mr. Bosco is not .
He is instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives have been upended by the gale of righteousness blowing through this country since the killing of George Floyd in police custody on May 25 .
For all of the high-profile sackings , vandalism , and cancellations—the editor of the New York Times opinion pages , the CEO of Crossfit , the editor in chief of Bon Appétit , the head of Adidas human resources , the Atlanta police chief , statues of Confederates , Columbus , Grant , and Douglass , and the Washington Redskins—there have been an equal number of stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anonymous men and women whose unpopular opinions or boneheaded errors of judgment , widely publicized on social media , transform them into public enemies , splittists , and heretics whose livelihoods suffer as a result .
Andy Warhol ’ s 1968 prediction of the future was wrong .
It 's not that everyone is world-famous for 15 minutes .
It 's that they are infamous .
This towering inferno of outrage culture , social media virality , and social justice journalism reached new heights on June 17 , when the Washington Post devoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation of a Halloween party at cartoonist Tom Toles 's house two years ago where a random neighborhood woman , in a gross misjudgment and lack of self-awareness , showed up in blackface .
`` I 'm Megyn Kelly—it 's funny , '' the woman is said to have told partygoers agog and offended by her costume , demonstrating the truism that any `` joke '' requiring explanation is a bad one .
The embarrassed Megyn Kelly impersonator left the gathering , not knowing that two years later she would lose her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not take her mind off the incident .
`` Why Did the Washington Post Get This Woman Fired ? ''
asked Josh Barro and Olivia Nuzzi in New York a week after the superfluous exposé appeared in the paper .
No one they spoke to could explain why .
Here 's one theory .
Bouts of hysteria are often accompanied by loss of perspective and lapses in critical thinking .
In a moment of national self-examination , distinctions between private and public , between guilty and innocent , between criminal and clueless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inviolable minutes ago—the musical Hamilton , for example , or Harry Potter—becomes the object of suspicion and derision .
The frenzy builds on itself , and grows stronger , and does n't know where to stop .
At first the flagellation is sincere .
No one , no society , is without fault .
But the self-punishment soon becomes an end in itself .
And for some , it even starts to feel … pleasurable .
Confessing your badness turns into an uplifting sensation .
It ’ s good .
You help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antiracist , Between the World and Me , White Fragility , Stamped from the Beginning , So You Want to Talk About Race , The New Jim Crow , Begin Again , Why I 'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race , White Rage , The Boy , the Mole , the Fox , and the Horse , Me and White Supremacy , and I ’ m Still Here .
You get into Run the Jewels .
And before long , you can ’ t contain the self-criticism , it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directed at others .
Whoever that may be .
When Noam Chomsky , who had no trouble putting the crimes of the Khmer Rouge into `` context , '' signs a letter warning that `` The free exchange of information and ideas , the lifeblood of a liberal society , is daily becoming more constricted , '' it is a sign that things … things have gotten out of control .
Social media has become a system of surveillance , policing , and stigma , news media the vehicle for an attack on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principles , and progressive politicians the saps for a revolutionary ideology that hides behind egalitarian ideals .
Joe Biden better be paying close attention .
The other day a member of his vice presidential shortlist , Senator Tammy Duckworth , expressed her willingness to `` listen to the argument '' of radicals who would tear down statues of George Washington .
As I wrote this , Nancy Pelosi shrugged off the illegal desecration of the Columbus statue in Baltimore , saying , `` People will do what they do . ''
You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and destroy public property .
So fuggedaboutit .
Would she say the same if vandals tossed the sculpture of her dad into the Inner Harbor ?
There is only so much self-abasement a nation can take .
And when the winds of woke start to blow , millions of Americans find that there is one way left for them to oppose political correctness : pulling the lever for the man in the White House .

Before Thursday morning I had not heard of Thomas Bosco, and I am willing to bet you haven't heard of him either. He runs a café in Upper Manhattan. From the picture in the New York Times, the Indian Road Café is one of those Bobo-friendly brick-lined coffee shops with chalkboard menus affixed to the wall behind the counter and a small stage for down-on-their-luck musicians to warble a few bars of "Fast Car" as you sip on a no-foam latte while editing a diversity training manual. It looks pleasant enough. "Local writers, artists, musicians, and political activists are regulars," writes metro columnist Azi Paybarah. "And for years, two drag queens have hosted a monthly charity bingo tournament there." Drag queens! You can’t get more progressive than that. Bosco seems like a noble small businessman making his way in a turbulent world.
There’s a problem, though. He once expressed an opinion. Though Black Lives Matter signs are posted throughout the restaurant, and its owner identifies as "a liberal guy who supports almost every liberal cause I can think of," in early June Bosco told MSNBC that he voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and expects to do so again. Omigod no. "The backlash was swift, as you might expect," writes Paybarah. Neighbors denounced Bosco on Facebook. Some vowed not to patronize the café. Randi Weingarten, who as president of the American Federation of Teachers draws close to half a million dollars in salary and benefits, wrote online that it would be "hard to ever go back." No more tips for the barista from her. As for the drag queens, they are taking their glitter elsewhere.
Bosco is distraught. "My staff feels like I let them down to a certain extent," he told the Times. He has supported Bernie Sanders, donated to immigrant groups, contributed to the food pantry, provided child care for an employee, and plans to change the name of the café to Inwood Farm to avoid any possible offense toward the Indigenous. None of this is enough to quell the fury of the Very Online. "Similar backlashes have erupted in liberal New York City, usually after a business is revealed to have financial links to Mr. Trump or socially conservative causes," notes Paybarah, citing the example of Stephen Ross, an investor who had to cut ties to the Equinox and SoulCycle gym chains after it was revealed that he was going to throw a fundraiser for the president. "But Mr. Bosco is no Mr. Ross."
No, Mr. Bosco is not. He is instead one of the countless private individuals whose lives have been upended by the gale of righteousness blowing through this country since the killing of George Floyd in police custody on May 25. For all of the high-profile sackings, vandalism, and cancellations—the editor of the New York Times opinion pages, the CEO of Crossfit, the editor in chief of Bon Appétit, the head of Adidas human resources, the Atlanta police chief, statues of Confederates, Columbus, Grant, and Douglass, and the Washington Redskins—there have been an equal number of stories concerning absolute nobodies, pipsqueaks, formally anonymous men and women whose unpopular opinions or boneheaded errors of judgment, widely publicized on social media, transform them into public enemies, splittists, and heretics whose livelihoods suffer as a result. Andy Warhol’s 1968 prediction of the future was wrong. It's not that everyone is world-famous for 15 minutes. It's that they are infamous.
This towering inferno of outrage culture, social media virality, and social justice journalism reached new heights on June 17, when the Washington Post devoted thousands of confusing and bizarre words to an investigation of a Halloween party at cartoonist Tom Toles's house two years ago where a random neighborhood woman, in a gross misjudgment and lack of self-awareness, showed up in blackface. "I'm Megyn Kelly—it's funny," the woman is said to have told partygoers agog and offended by her costume, demonstrating the truism that any "joke" requiring explanation is a bad one. The embarrassed Megyn Kelly impersonator left the gathering, not knowing that two years later she would lose her job because another guest at the party could not take her mind off the incident. "Why Did the Washington Post Get This Woman Fired?" asked Josh Barro and Olivia Nuzzi in New York a week after the superfluous exposé appeared in the paper. No one they spoke to could explain why.
Here's one theory. Bouts of hysteria are often accompanied by loss of perspective and lapses in critical thinking. In a moment of national self-examination, distinctions between private and public, between guilty and innocent, between criminal and clueless are tossed aside. What was precious and inviolable minutes ago—the musical Hamilton, for example, or Harry Potter—becomes the object of suspicion and derision. The frenzy builds on itself, and grows stronger, and doesn't know where to stop.
At first the flagellation is sincere. No one, no society, is without fault. But the self-punishment soon becomes an end in itself. And for some, it even starts to feel … pleasurable. Confessing your badness turns into an uplifting sensation. It’s good. You help make bestsellers of How to Be an Antiracist, Between the World and Me, White Fragility, Stamped from the Beginning, So You Want to Talk About Race, The New Jim Crow, Begin Again, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, White Rage, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse, Me and White Supremacy, and I’m Still Here. You get into Run the Jewels. And before long, you can’t contain the self-criticism, it has to be poured outward, unleashed, directed at others. Whoever that may be.
When Noam Chomsky, who had no trouble putting the crimes of the Khmer Rouge into "context," signs a letter warning that "The free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted," it is a sign that things ... things have gotten out of control. Social media has become a system of surveillance, policing, and stigma, news media the vehicle for an attack on the American Founding and on classical liberal principles, and progressive politicians the saps for a revolutionary ideology that hides behind egalitarian ideals.
Joe Biden better be paying close attention. The other day a member of his vice presidential shortlist, Senator Tammy Duckworth, expressed her willingness to "listen to the argument" of radicals who would tear down statues of George Washington. As I wrote this, Nancy Pelosi shrugged off the illegal desecration of the Columbus statue in Baltimore, saying, "People will do what they do." You know how people are—they get angry and wild and destroy public property. So fuggedaboutit. Would she say the same if vandals tossed the sculpture of her dad into the Inner Harbor?
There is only so much self-abasement a nation can take. And when the winds of woke start to blow, millions of Americans find that there is one way left for them to oppose political correctness: pulling the lever for the man in the White House.


freebeacon--2020-07-10--White Supremacist Set to Become First Federal Prisoner Executed in Two Decades

If all goes to plan , on Monday white nationalist Daniel Lewis Lee will be put to death for the brutal murder of a family of three , including an eight-year-old girl—the first federal execution in 17 years .
Two other federal inmates , also convicted child murderers , are slated to follow Lee on Wednesday and Friday .
There is a real possibility , however , that all three executions will be delayed yet again , as last-minute appeals again forestall the resolution of crimes committed , in Lee 's case , nearly 25 years ago .
Should it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the culmination of efforts , set in motion a year ago by Attorney General William Barr , to restart federal execution after a 17-year de facto moratorium .
The decades-long pause is in large part thanks to conscious efforts by death-penalty opponents to shut down the popularly supported practice through procedural wrangling of the sort now on display in Lee 's case .
That makes Monday 's execution a particularly contentious political moment , pitting a president who has long been an outspoken proponent of the death penalty against activist groups , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolished by any means necessary .
Should it go forward , the Lee execution will likely spark renewed debate between these parties , especially as part of the larger dispute now playing out over the future of criminal justice in America .
A bevy of last-minute challenges to the scheduled executions have sprung up in recent days , arguing that the coronavirus crisis renders it unsafe to proceed .
The family of Lee 's victims—who have publicly opposed his sentence—requested a stay Tuesday , arguing that the pandemic makes traveling to see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also filed a stay request on behalf of the religious counsel to one of the other men expected to be executed this month , arguing that the pandemic would place the Buddhist priest at risk as he carried out his religious duties .
The results of both appeals remain unclear , but stays may be granted before Monday .
These challenges are just the latest efforts to forestall Lee 's death , offensives which have been ongoing since Barr announced last July that the federal government would begin conducting executions again .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plaintiffs , who argued that the single-drug protocol for execution that the federal government intended to use was not equivalent to the protocol used in Indiana , where the executions were slated to take place , and therefore ran afoul of the 1994 Federal Death Penalty Act .
That litigation eventually ended when the Supreme Court refused to take it up , clearing the way for executions to go forward .
All of these appeals seek to further postpone punishment for a crime that was committed over two decades ago .
In 1996 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ William and Nancy Mueller , as well as their eight-year-old daughter Sarah .
Kehoe led , and Lee was a member of , a white supremacist group that envisioned the erection of a white ethnostate in the United States , supported by the proceeds of their killing spree .
Kehoe and Lee suffocated the Muellers , tortured and then murdered their daughter , and dumped their bodies into a bayou near Russellville , Ark.
, joking that their victims were now on a `` liquid diet . ''
In spite of the heinousness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on federal death row since his 1998 conviction , thanks to an interminable appeals process .
Lee should have exhausted his appeals years ago , according to Kent Scheidegger , legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation and one of the nation 's most dogged death-penalty litigators .
`` If you go through all the proceedings , you find several of them taking multiple years when they do n't need to , '' he told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` And you find too many times going back to the well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his federal collateral review was affirmed by the Court of Appeals in 2013 .
That plus the petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case should be the end of the case . ''
But , Scheidegger said , capital-defense lawyers have continued to file technical motions as a delaying tactic .
That 's common practice in death penalty cases , reflected in Bureau of Justice Statistics data , which show that executions conducted in 2017 were an average of more than 20 years overdue—a 478 percent increase from 1979 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attracted the attention of the Supreme Court 's conservative wing , which has characterized it as an effort to make an end run around the death penalty by rendering it procedurally moot .
In one recent case , Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote , `` Both the State and the victims of crime have an important interest in the timely enforcement of a sentence , '' adding that even death penalty opponent Justice Stephen Breyer 's leading dissent acknowledges that `` ‘ the long delays that now typically occur between the time an offender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' are ‘ excessive . '
'' `` Delay and obstruction has become their whole strategy , '' Scheidegger said of capital-defense litigators .
`` They continue to file motion after motion after motion . ''
The result is situations like Lee 's , wherein a quarter-century-old crime 's resolution remains in doubt with just days to go before the scheduled execution—or like the case of Vernon Madison , who killed police officer Julius Schulte and whose case went on so long that he developed vascular dementia before eventually dying in prison .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ advertisements calling for the execution of the wrongly accused Central Park Five—has been a staunch advocate of capital punishment during his term .
Death penalty opponents found an ally in President Barack Obama , whose administration did not conduct a single execution and who ended his term issuing two commutations for federal death row offenders .
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden looks set to go further—his platform officially calls for abolishing the death penalty , a view reiterated as recently as Wednesday .
That view puts him out of step with the majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death penalty since the 1970s .
But it also means Lee 's execution—and the resumption of the federal death penalty thereby—may become a point of conflict in the pre-election national debate , one driven by disputes over the criminal justice system and the evils of racism of the sort Lee so readily displayed .

If all goes to plan, on Monday white nationalist Daniel Lewis Lee will be put to death for the brutal murder of a family of three, including an eight-year-old girl—the first federal execution in 17 years.
Two other federal inmates, also convicted child murderers, are slated to follow Lee on Wednesday and Friday. There is a real possibility, however, that all three executions will be delayed yet again, as last-minute appeals again forestall the resolution of crimes committed, in Lee's case, nearly 25 years ago.
Should it proceed, Lee's execution will be the culmination of efforts, set in motion a year ago by Attorney General William Barr, to restart federal execution after a 17-year de facto moratorium. The decades-long pause is in large part thanks to conscious efforts by death-penalty opponents to shut down the popularly supported practice through procedural wrangling of the sort now on display in Lee's case.
That makes Monday's execution a particularly contentious political moment, pitting a president who has long been an outspoken proponent of the death penalty against activist groups, like the ACLU, who would see it abolished by any means necessary. Should it go forward, the Lee execution will likely spark renewed debate between these parties, especially as part of the larger dispute now playing out over the future of criminal justice in America.
A bevy of last-minute challenges to the scheduled executions have sprung up in recent days, arguing that the coronavirus crisis renders it unsafe to proceed. The family of Lee's victims—who have publicly opposed his sentence—requested a stay Tuesday, arguing that the pandemic makes traveling to see the execution unacceptably dangerous.
The ACLU has also filed a stay request on behalf of the religious counsel to one of the other men expected to be executed this month, arguing that the pandemic would place the Buddhist priest at risk as he carried out his religious duties. The results of both appeals remain unclear, but stays may be granted before Monday.
These challenges are just the latest efforts to forestall Lee's death, offensives which have been ongoing since Barr announced last July that the federal government would begin conducting executions again.
That plan was almost immediately challenged by the plaintiffs, who argued that the single-drug protocol for execution that the federal government intended to use was not equivalent to the protocol used in Indiana, where the executions were slated to take place, and therefore ran afoul of the 1994 Federal Death Penalty Act. That litigation eventually ended when the Supreme Court refused to take it up, clearing the way for executions to go forward.
All of these appeals seek to further postpone punishment for a crime that was committed over two decades ago. In 1996, Lee and accomplice Chevie Kehoe murdered William and Nancy Mueller, as well as their eight-year-old daughter Sarah. Kehoe led, and Lee was a member of, a white supremacist group that envisioned the erection of a white ethnostate in the United States, supported by the proceeds of their killing spree. Kehoe and Lee suffocated the Muellers, tortured and then murdered their daughter, and dumped their bodies into a bayou near Russellville, Ark., joking that their victims were now on a "liquid diet."
In spite of the heinousness of his crime, Lee has languished on federal death row since his 1998 conviction, thanks to an interminable appeals process. Lee should have exhausted his appeals years ago, according to Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation and one of the nation's most dogged death-penalty litigators.
"If you go through all the proceedings, you find several of them taking multiple years when they don't need to," he told the Washington Free Beacon. "And you find too many times going back to the well on the same case. The denial of his federal collateral review was affirmed by the Court of Appeals in 2013. That plus the petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case should be the end of the case."
But, Scheidegger said, capital-defense lawyers have continued to file technical motions as a delaying tactic. That's common practice in death penalty cases, reflected in Bureau of Justice Statistics data, which show that executions conducted in 2017 were an average of more than 20 years overdue—a 478 percent increase from 1979.
This interminable appeals process has repeatedly attracted the attention of the Supreme Court's conservative wing, which has characterized it as an effort to make an end run around the death penalty by rendering it procedurally moot. In one recent case, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote, "Both the State and the victims of crime have an important interest in the timely enforcement of a sentence," adding that even death penalty opponent Justice Stephen Breyer's leading dissent acknowledges that "'the long delays that now typically occur between the time an offender is sentenced to death and his execution' are 'excessive.'"
"Delay and obstruction has become their whole strategy," Scheidegger said of capital-defense litigators. "They continue to file motion after motion after motion."
The result is situations like Lee's, wherein a quarter-century-old crime's resolution remains in doubt with just days to go before the scheduled execution—or like the case of Vernon Madison, who killed police officer Julius Schulte and whose case went on so long that he developed vascular dementia before eventually dying in prison.
President Donald Trump—who once took out newspaper advertisements calling for the execution of the wrongly accused Central Park Five—has been a staunch advocate of capital punishment during his term.
Death penalty opponents found an ally in President Barack Obama, whose administration did not conduct a single execution and who ended his term issuing two commutations for federal death row offenders.
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden looks set to go further—his platform officially calls for abolishing the death penalty, a view reiterated as recently as Wednesday. That view puts him out of step with the majority of Americans, who have supported the death penalty since the 1970s. But it also means Lee's execution—and the resumption of the federal death penalty thereby—may become a point of conflict in the pre-election national debate, one driven by disputes over the criminal justice system and the evils of racism of the sort Lee so readily displayed.


freebeacon--2020-07-10--Student Invokes Satan To Drive Conservative Group From Campus

Student activists are demanding that a Texas public university remove a conservative group from campus and have even invoked satanic witch rituals to aid the campaign .
Students at the University of North Texas created a Change.org petition calling for the removal of the school 's Young Conservatives of Texas ( YCT ) chapter for `` hateful actions . ''
The petition , signed by the UNT College Democrats , the multicultural group MUEVE , and the queer alliance group GLAD , claims the conservatives `` harassed '' LGBT groups and multicultural organizations .
One activist took the campaign a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the group 's female leader .
In light of national Black Lives Matter protests , student activists appear emboldened to cancel fellow students and groups that critique progressive messages .
Conservative campus groups have been targeted by accusations of `` hate speech '' from left-leaning groups on college campuses .
A former UNT student posted a picture of items for a `` hex '' with `` intentions of misfortune '' against YCT leader Kelly Neidert .
Anna Katz , a recent graduate of UNT , tweeted a picture of a drawing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a cauldron .
Katz , who later removed the Tweet , could not be reached for comment .
Neidert said she is familiar with attempts to `` cancel '' her group and that the emergence of would-be witches looking to `` hex '' her is alarming .
While Katz said she wished only `` misfortune , not physical harm , '' Neidert said the message disturbed her .
`` I think that is a demonstration of pure evil , '' Neidert told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` It 's not cute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that 's actually evil .
Considering the card said ‘ the devil ' on it … we should n't be interacting with anything that has something to do with him . ''
YCT was a registered campus organization in the early 2000s and either disbanded or was removed from the university over what Neidert described as `` distasteful '' events .
She and fellow young conservatives restarted the YCT chapter in the fall of 2019 and disavowed the original chapter .
The petition lumps together the early 2000s YCT chapter and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 2005 event in which the original chapter of YCT awarded candy bars to students who `` captured '' illegal immigrants .
The petition also claims YCT is homophobic and transphobic and that it trivialized National Coming Out Day by tweeting , `` It 's # NationalComingOutDay so come to the fountain mall today at 12pm to come out as conservative and get snacks . ''
A spokesman for UNT 's College Democrats said the liberal student group condemned the harassment of Neidert but had no comment on the `` hex . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This is not a choice made by political decision , we do not care that they are conservatives , we would do this if any group on campus was spreading the rhetoric YCT spreads , '' the spokesman said .
`` We know YCT is a different charter from the one in 2005 .
An apology for one action does not equal an apology for ALL of their hateful actions . ''
GLAD echoed the sentiment , saying it is planning a letter-writing campaign if the university does not take direct action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not as an organization that prides itself on serving UNT 's queer students let YCT rile up our student body , '' a GLAD spokesperson told the Free Beacon .
`` If there is not direct action from administration , we plan on doing an emailing campaign to let them know we are serious . ''
MUEVE , the other student group behind the campaign , did not return a request for comment .
Neidert said YCT and its faculty adviser have not received any information from the university about the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not respond to request for comment .

Student activists are demanding that a Texas public university remove a conservative group from campus and have even invoked satanic witch rituals to aid the campaign.
Students at the University of North Texas created a Change.org petition calling for the removal of the school's Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) chapter for "hateful actions." The petition, signed by the UNT College Democrats, the multicultural group MUEVE, and the queer alliance group GLAD, claims the conservatives "harassed" LGBT groups and multicultural organizations. One activist took the campaign a step further by performing satanic witch rituals against the group's female leader.
In light of national Black Lives Matter protests, student activists appear emboldened to cancel fellow students and groups that critique progressive messages. Conservative campus groups have been targeted by accusations of "hate speech" from left-leaning groups on college campuses.
A former UNT student posted a picture of items for a "hex" with "intentions of misfortune" against YCT leader Kelly Neidert. Anna Katz, a recent graduate of UNT, tweeted a picture of a drawing of a goat captioned "the devil" and a cauldron. Katz, who later removed the Tweet, could not be reached for comment.
Neidert said she is familiar with attempts to "cancel" her group and that the emergence of would-be witches looking to "hex" her is alarming. While Katz said she wished only "misfortune, not physical harm," Neidert said the message disturbed her.
"I think that is a demonstration of pure evil," Neidert told the Washington Free Beacon. "It's not cute, it shouldn't be a trend, that's actually evil. Considering the card said 'the devil' on it ... we shouldn't be interacting with anything that has something to do with him."
YCT was a registered campus organization in the early 2000s and either disbanded or was removed from the university over what Neidert described as "distasteful" events. She and fellow young conservatives restarted the YCT chapter in the fall of 2019 and disavowed the original chapter.
The petition lumps together the early 2000s YCT chapter and the newly founded YCT chapter. It cites a 2005 event in which the original chapter of YCT awarded candy bars to students who "captured" illegal immigrants. The petition also claims YCT is homophobic and transphobic and that it trivialized National Coming Out Day by tweeting, "It's #NationalComingOutDay so come to the fountain mall today at 12pm to come out as conservative and get snacks."
A spokesman for UNT's College Democrats said the liberal student group condemned the harassment of Neidert but had no comment on the "hex." The group stands by the petition.
"This is not a choice made by political decision, we do not care that they are conservatives, we would do this if any group on campus was spreading the rhetoric YCT spreads," the spokesman said. "We know YCT is a different charter from the one in 2005. An apology for one action does not equal an apology for ALL of their hateful actions."
GLAD echoed the sentiment, saying it is planning a letter-writing campaign if the university does not take direct action against the conservative group.
"We cannot as an organization that prides itself on serving UNT's queer students let YCT rile up our student body," a GLAD spokesperson told the Free Beacon. "If there is not direct action from administration, we plan on doing an emailing campaign to let them know we are serious."
MUEVE, the other student group behind the campaign, did not return a request for comment.
Neidert said YCT and its faculty adviser have not received any information from the university about the campaign. The University of North Texas did not respond to request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-07-10--Continetti: Schools Reopening Is a Must for Parents

Washington Free Beacon founding editor Matthew Continetti argued Thursday that schools opening is nonnegotiable for many parents , echoing President Donald Trump 's demand that classes resume .
`` I understand that there are over 10,000 different school districts in this country .
Each has its own concerns , and if that means more money should be spent by the federal government , by all means .
This limited government conservative is ready to spend big—just open up those schools so I can have some quiet in my house , '' Continetti said .
The Trump administration has started exerting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall after the coronavirus pandemic forced nationwide closures and a retreat to remote learning .
Teachers ' unions are among the key figures who have rebuffed Trump , citing safety concerns , but Continetti argued that lockdown has put parents like him in a position of desperately wanting to put their kids back in the classroom for part of the day .
`` After several months in lockdown , I 'm afraid that I have been radicalized on this issue , '' he said .
`` I want the schools to open .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ if possible . ''
Democrats have criticized Trump 's response to the pandemic , but a step as drastic as closing schools for the rest of the year could land them in political trouble .
A majority of parents told Gallup last month that they would prefer to see their children return to school in person in the fall .
Studies indicate serious health complications from the coronavirus are rare in children compared with older populations .
Children also appear to spread the virus less than adults , although data about transmission still @ @ @

Washington Free Beacon founding editor Matthew Continetti argued Thursday that schools opening is nonnegotiable for many parents, echoing President Donald Trump's demand that classes resume.
"I understand that there are over 10,000 different school districts in this country. Each has its own concerns, and if that means more money should be spent by the federal government, by all means. This limited government conservative is ready to spend big—just open up those schools so I can have some quiet in my house," Continetti said.
The Trump administration has started exerting federal pressure on schools to reopen this fall after the coronavirus pandemic forced nationwide closures and a retreat to remote learning. Teachers' unions are among the key figures who have rebuffed Trump, citing safety concerns, but Continetti argued that lockdown has put parents like him in a position of desperately wanting to put their kids back in the classroom for part of the day.
"After several months in lockdown, I'm afraid that I have been radicalized on this issue," he said. "I want the schools to open. I want them to open next week if possible."
Democrats have criticized Trump's response to the pandemic, but a step as drastic as closing schools for the rest of the year could land them in political trouble. A majority of parents told Gallup last month that they would prefer to see their children return to school in person in the fall.
Studies indicate serious health complications from the coronavirus are rare in children compared with older populations. Children also appear to spread the virus less than adults, although data about transmission still have shortcomings.


freebeacon--2020-07-10--Maryland Governor Blasts Pelosi’s Indifference to Baltimore Vandalism

Maryland governor Larry Hogan ( R. ) on Thursday said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) has `` lost touch '' with her childhood city of Baltimore after she expressed indifference about the toppling of a statue of Christopher Columbus .
`` It ’ s disappointing that Speaker Pelosi has lost touch with the Baltimore community that her family served , '' Hogan wrote on Twitter .
`` While efforts towards peaceful change are welcome , there is no place in Maryland for lawlessness , vandalism , and destruction of public property . ''
Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they do '' after a reporter asked about the statue being brought down from its perch in Little Italy and tossed into the harbor .
The statue had to be recovered piecemeal by divers organized in part by Baltimore 's Italian-American community—Pelosi 's own community from her childhood .
Both her parents held public office in the city , and she helped her father , Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. , with his campaign for mayor .
`` We will not let mobs ‘ do what they do . '
They do not represent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tried to pass the vandalism off as a community decision during her press conference .
`` If the community doesn ’ t want the statue there , the statue shouldn ’ t be there , '' Pelosi said .
`` I don ’ t care that much about the statues . ''
Her comments drew an interjection from another reporter who explained how a mob had carried out the statue 's chaotic removal , but she shrugged the issue off .
Left-wing protesters have moved beyond Confederate statues in recent weeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other key figures from American history , including the Founding Fathers .

Maryland governor Larry Hogan (R.) on Thursday said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) has "lost touch" with her childhood city of Baltimore after she expressed indifference about the toppling of a statue of Christopher Columbus.
"It’s disappointing that Speaker Pelosi has lost touch with the Baltimore community that her family served," Hogan wrote on Twitter. "While efforts towards peaceful change are welcome, there is no place in Maryland for lawlessness, vandalism, and destruction of public property."
While efforts towards peaceful change are welcome, there is no place in Maryland for lawlessness, vandalism, and destruction of public property. pic.twitter.com/eXNv5qsCUP — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) July 9, 2020
Pelosi said Thursday that "people will do what they do" after a reporter asked about the statue being brought down from its perch in Little Italy and tossed into the harbor. The statue had to be recovered piecemeal by divers organized in part by Baltimore's Italian-American community—Pelosi's own community from her childhood. Both her parents held public office in the city, and she helped her father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., with his campaign for mayor.
"We will not let mobs 'do what they do.' They do not represent Baltimore," Hogan said.
Pelosi had tried to pass the vandalism off as a community decision during her press conference.
"If the community doesn’t want the statue there, the statue shouldn’t be there," Pelosi said. "I don’t care that much about the statues."
Her comments drew an interjection from another reporter who explained how a mob had carried out the statue's chaotic removal, but she shrugged the issue off.
Left-wing protesters have moved beyond Confederate statues in recent weeks to take aim at statues of Columbus and other key figures from American history, including the Founding Fathers.