freebeacon--2020-09-07--Report: Politicized Post Office Distracts From Needed Reforms

Democratic efforts to bail out the United States Postal Service threaten to distract from the major issues facing the agency , as an increasingly vote-by-mail election thrusts the service into the public eye , according to a new report .
A new paper from former Congressional Research Service official Kevin Kosar criticized Democrats for politicizing the Postal Service and pushed back against calls for a taxpayer bailout while presenting alternative ways the service can redeem its image before the election .
House Democrats pushed a $ 75 billion bailout for the service in April as they also pushed to aggressively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the major push—which culminated in an Oregon congressman chaining himself to a mailbox—was motivated by politics rather than addressing the agency 's flaws .
`` So much of the political hysteria that erupted in the last month was just flat-out misinformed , '' Kosar told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` People thought that the removal of blue collection boxes was somehow a new thing that just started happening , which is absurd .
It happens all the time .
We had people jumping to all sorts of conspiratorial conclusions about normal postal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is facing a long-term financial crisis .
It has more than $ 100 billion in unfunded obligations to employees and a depleted retirement fund .
Kosar , a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute , said that reformers should seek to avoid an overly politicized examination of the Postal Service and instead address fundamental questions about its purpose and long-term financial instability .
The House Democrats ' proposed bailout did not seek to address the underlying issues and instead made the issue a political one , Kosar 's paper argued .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold hearings and have used innumerable media appearances to frame—linguistically—the president and the Republican Party as malefactors , '' it stated .
It argued that the proposed $ 25 billion allocated to the agency `` for no stated purpose '' was a departure from normal appropriations practices .
Kosar said that the Postal Service needs to make a decision about what its future services will look like .
`` The question is do you make the Postal Service a smaller entity that 's less costly to run , which is what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor , '' he said .
`` Or do you do what the left does , do you find new lines of business for the Postal Service to get into ? ''
To address its long-term financial issues , Kosar 's paper recommends Congress permit mail carriers to shift from the six-day-a-week delivery schedule to a five-day delivery schedule , with an exception for the month before the election .
It also recommended a reevaluation of the service 's retiree benefits programs to avoid financial insolvency .
The 2020 presidential election is poised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots in history , but the Postal Service has indicated that it has the ability to handle the logistical weight of the election .
A Postal Service spokesperson told the Atlantic that the service has `` ample capacity to adjust our nationwide processing and delivery network to meet projected election and political mail volume , including any additional volume that may result as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic . ''

'So much of the political hysteria that erupted in the last month was just flat-out misinformed'
Democratic efforts to bail out the United States Postal Service threaten to distract from the major issues facing the agency, as an increasingly vote-by-mail election thrusts the service into the public eye, according to a new report.
A new paper from former Congressional Research Service official Kevin Kosar criticized Democrats for politicizing the Postal Service and pushed back against calls for a taxpayer bailout while presenting alternative ways the service can redeem its image before the election. House Democrats pushed a $75 billion bailout for the service in April as they also pushed to aggressively increase mail-in voting. Kosar wrote that the major push—which culminated in an Oregon congressman chaining himself to a mailbox—was motivated by politics rather than addressing the agency's flaws.
"So much of the political hysteria that erupted in the last month was just flat-out misinformed," Kosar told the Washington Free Beacon. "People thought that the removal of blue collection boxes was somehow a new thing that just started happening, which is absurd. It happens all the time. We had people jumping to all sorts of conspiratorial conclusions about normal postal operational stuff."
The Postal Service is facing a long-term financial crisis. It has more than $100 billion in unfunded obligations to employees and a depleted retirement fund. Kosar, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said that reformers should seek to avoid an overly politicized examination of the Postal Service and instead address fundamental questions about its purpose and long-term financial instability.
The House Democrats' proposed bailout did not seek to address the underlying issues and instead made the issue a political one, Kosar's paper argued.
"[Democrats] interrupted a scheduled vacation to hold hearings and have used innumerable media appearances to frame—linguistically—the president and the Republican Party as malefactors," it stated. It argued that the proposed $25 billion allocated to the agency "for no stated purpose" was a departure from normal appropriations practices.
Kosar said that the Postal Service needs to make a decision about what its future services will look like.
"The question is do you make the Postal Service a smaller entity that's less costly to run, which is what I think people on the right tend to favor," he said. "Or do you do what the left does, do you find new lines of business for the Postal Service to get into?"
To address its long-term financial issues, Kosar's paper recommends Congress permit mail carriers to shift from the six-day-a-week delivery schedule to a five-day delivery schedule, with an exception for the month before the election. It also recommended a reevaluation of the service's retiree benefits programs to avoid financial insolvency.
The 2020 presidential election is poised to feature the highest number of mail-in ballots in history, but the Postal Service has indicated that it has the ability to handle the logistical weight of the election. A Postal Service spokesperson told the Atlantic that the service has "ample capacity to adjust our nationwide processing and delivery network to meet projected election and political mail volume, including any additional volume that may result as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic."


freebeacon--2020-09-06--Harris Refuses to Back Stronger Police Presence

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Sunday refused to back her former position as San Francisco 's district attorney that strong police presence reduces crime , instead saying the country must `` reimagine '' law enforcement in high-crime communities .
`` I am very clear that we have got to , in America , reimagine how we are accomplishing public safety , '' Harris said when asked by CNN 's Dana Bash whether she supported a strong police presence in cities .
`` If you go into any upper-class suburb in America , you will not see police presence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-funded public schools , high rates of homeownership , [ and ] small businesses that have access to capital . ''
When asked again whether she supported her former position , Harris refused to answer directly .
`` What I would say now is what I would say then , which is I want to make sure that if a woman is raped , a child is molested , or one human being murders another human being that there will be a police officer that responds to that case and that there will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Harris said .
Harris 's current position contradicts her 2009 book Smart on Crime , in which she supported stronger policing in the streets and said it was a `` myth '' that poorer neighborhoods do not want more police in their area .
As American cities were engulfed in anti-police protests this summer—some of which exploded into destructive and ongoing riots—the Trump campaign and Republicans accused the Biden-Harris ticket of refusing to back law enforcement officers .
Following the death of George Floyd in police custody , Harris encouraged her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota Freedom Fund , which bailed out people charged with looting and other violent acts in Minneapolis .
While Harris has previously dodged questions about support for police , she agreed with Salon editor-at-large D. Watkins that police tend to `` harass and take up space in poor communities '' last year .

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Sunday refused to back her former position as San Francisco's district attorney that strong police presence reduces crime, instead saying the country must "reimagine" law enforcement in high-crime communities.
"I am very clear that we have got to, in America, reimagine how we are accomplishing public safety," Harris said when asked by CNN's Dana Bash whether she supported a strong police presence in cities. "If you go into any upper-class suburb in America, you will not see police presence, but what you will see are well-funded public schools, high rates of homeownership, [and] small businesses that have access to capital."
When asked again whether she supported her former position, Harris refused to answer directly.
"What I would say now is what I would say then, which is I want to make sure that if a woman is raped, a child is molested, or one human being murders another human being that there will be a police officer that responds to that case and that there will be accountability and consequences for the offender," Harris said.
Harris's current position contradicts her 2009 book Smart on Crime, in which she supported stronger policing in the streets and said it was a "myth" that poorer neighborhoods do not want more police in their area.
As American cities were engulfed in anti-police protests this summer—some of which exploded into destructive and ongoing riots—the Trump campaign and Republicans accused the Biden-Harris ticket of refusing to back law enforcement officers. Following the death of George Floyd in police custody, Harris encouraged her supporters in June to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which bailed out people charged with looting and other violent acts in Minneapolis.
While Harris has previously dodged questions about support for police, she agreed with Salon editor-at-large D. Watkins that police tend to "harass and take up space in poor communities" last year.


freebeacon--2020-09-06--Harris Reverses Herself on Fracking Ban

Harris Reverses Herself on Fracking Ban

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Sunday reversed her support for a ban on fracking , a policy position she held through her failed 2020 presidential campaign .
Harris said on CNN 's State of the Union that she would support her running mate Joe Biden 's recent commitment to not ban fracking , saying that it provides `` good-paying jobs in places like Pennsylvania . ''
The candidate also said a Biden-Harris administration would `` put a significant investment in the good-paying union jobs that we can create around clean energy , '' calling any decision between job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice . ''
Harris endorsed a fracking ban during her 2020 run , stressing its dangers to the environment , and was an early cosponsor of the Green New Deal .
As California 's attorney general , she sued the Obama administration for permitting fracking off the Pacific Coast .
The Biden-Harris climate plan also reflects many aspects of the Green New Deal and aims to make the United States carbon neutral by 2050 .
While Biden said on Monday that he would not ban fracking if he were elected , the candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eliminated '' if he became president .
Hydraulic fracturing , or `` fracking , '' revitalized Pennsylvania 's economy in the past decade following a decades-long decline in the state 's coal and steel industries .
As Democrats have increasingly embraced legislation restricting fossil fuel production , the change has been a boon to Republican candidates , who have sought to align themselves with the booming industry .
In 2016 , Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state since 1988 .

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Sunday reversed her support for a ban on fracking, a policy position she held through her failed 2020 presidential campaign.
Harris said on CNN's State of the Union that she would support her running mate Joe Biden's recent commitment to not ban fracking, saying that it provides "good-paying jobs in places like Pennsylvania."
The candidate also said a Biden-Harris administration would "put a significant investment in the good-paying union jobs that we can create around clean energy," calling any decision between job creation and environmental protection a "false choice."
Harris endorsed a fracking ban during her 2020 run, stressing its dangers to the environment, and was an early cosponsor of the Green New Deal. As California's attorney general, she sued the Obama administration for permitting fracking off the Pacific Coast.
The Biden-Harris climate plan also reflects many aspects of the Green New Deal and aims to make the United States carbon neutral by 2050.
While Biden said on Monday that he would not ban fracking if he were elected, the candidate previously said that fracking would be "eliminated" if he became president.
Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," revitalized Pennsylvania's economy in the past decade following a decades-long decline in the state's coal and steel industries. As Democrats have increasingly embraced legislation restricting fossil fuel production, the change has been a boon to Republican candidates, who have sought to align themselves with the booming industry. In 2016, Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state since 1988.


freebeacon--2020-09-06--Harris Claims Russian Interference Could Cost Her the White House

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Sunday that Russia could block her and Joe Biden from winning the November presidential election .
`` I do believe that there will be foreign interference in the 2020 election and that Russia will be at the front of the line , '' the California senator said .
`` Could it cost you the White House ? ''
asked CNN 's Dana Bash .
`` Theoretically of course , yes , '' Harris replied .
While Harris argued that Russia could compromise the election , she also criticized President Donald Trump for `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believe in the integrity of our election system and compromise their belief that their vote might actually count . ''
Harris 's comments echoed twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton , who said at the Democratic National Convention last month that Trump is engaged in an effort to `` steal '' the election .
Harris and Clinton also spread the conspiracy theory that Trump tampered with the U.S .
Postal Service to rig the election in his favor , a claim that numerous Democrats and members of the media have pushed in recent @ @

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Sunday that Russia could block her and Joe Biden from winning the November presidential election.
"I do believe that there will be foreign interference in the 2020 election and that Russia will be at the front of the line," the California senator said.
"Could it cost you the White House?" asked CNN's Dana Bash.
"Theoretically of course, yes," Harris replied.
While Harris argued that Russia could compromise the election, she also criticized President Donald Trump for "trying to convince the American people not to believe in the integrity of our election system and compromise their belief that their vote might actually count."
Harris's comments echoed twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who said at the Democratic National Convention last month that Trump is engaged in an effort to "steal" the election. Harris and Clinton also spread the conspiracy theory that Trump tampered with the U.S. Postal Service to rig the election in his favor, a claim that numerous Democrats and members of the media have pushed in recent weeks.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--‘Not The Same Joe Biden’: White House Stenographer Says Former VP’s ‘Mental Acuity’ Has Deteriorated

Joe Biden ’ s former White House stenographer said the vice president ’ s public speaking ability has deteriorated significantly since leaving office to the point where he ’ s `` not the same Joe Biden . ''
`` It is a complete difference from what he was in 2017 , '' Mike McCormick , who worked as a White House stenographer for 15 years and with Biden from 2011 to 2017 , told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview .
`` He ’ s lost a step and he doesn ’ t seem to have the same mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` He doesn ’ t have the energy , he doesn ’ t have the pace of his speaking , '' McCormick said .
`` He ’ s a different guy . ''
McCormick ’ s recent book Joe Biden Unauthorized recounts his time working with Biden and takes a critical look at the former vice president , including the time he says Biden was `` humiliated '' by Russia 's Vladimir Putin in 2011 .
McCormick—who often traveled with Biden and transcribed his speeches , public conversations with foreign leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official White House record—said the vice president had a talent for connecting with audiences when he was in office and almost always veered off script from his pre-written speeches .
Biden ’ s physical stamina and cognitive health have come under scrutiny during the 2020 election , due to a series of speaking appearances in which the 77-year-old has appeared to lose his train of thought , struggled to finish a sentence , or forgotten where he is .
`` He ’ d just make a big joke out of it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notice , he ’ s not doing that anymore , '' he said .
`` He read that [ Democratic National Committee speech ] verbatim … it ’ s not Joe Biden anymore . ''
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
McCormick said Biden also seems to get `` lost '' during interviews now , a problem he said seems more pronounced since leaving the White House .
In recent interviews , Biden seems to have been reading directly from a teleprompter when answering questions , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` END QUOTE '' and `` TOPLINE MESSAGE . ''
He has also made odd statements , telling one online audience that when he was a patient at Walter Reed Hospital , the nurses would `` breathe in my nostrils to make me move . ''
President Trump has nicknamed him `` Sleepy Joe , '' and the Trump campaign released a video ad last month suggesting that he is suffering from cognitive decline .
While McCormick says Biden was a more articulate speaker in the White House , his tendency to ramble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During Biden ’ s first visit with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in March 2011 , McCormick said the former KGB leader `` publicly humiliated '' the vice president by cutting off his microphone during their press conference—an incident that McCormick said never made it into media coverage of the trip .
Biden ’ s staffers at the time `` made a big deal about how Putin really dominated the conversation [ with ] Obama '' in a prior meeting , said McCormick .
They indicated that Biden , with his decades of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t going to let Putin get the upper hand .
But during the public portion of the meeting in Moscow—as Biden launched into a soliloquy about his visits to Russia during the Cold War—his microphone was abruptly cut off mid-sentence , the press lighting was switched off , and Putin ’ s aides ushered the media out of the room , said McCormick .
`` [ Putin ’ s ] message was unmistakable : I ’ m in charge of the room , I ’ m in charge of my country , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reset , '' wrote McCormick in his book .
`` As you might imagine , the vice president ’ s staffers were furious with the Russians .
I was instructed to have the transcript reflect how the vice president had been cut off in mid sentence . ''
The official White House transcript of the meeting includes the sudden ending : `` VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN : There ’ s a reason , Mr. Prime Minister .
Mr. Prime Minister , I ’ ve been around a long time .
The first time I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I was meeting with President Brezhnev .
We were trying to pass SALT II—END '' '' He basically got body slammed by Putin , really .
I mean , I don ’ t know how else to describe it , '' McCormick told the Free Beacon .
`` To me it was like , here ’ s our great foreign policy expert and he just got punk ’ d .
And Vladimir Putin just had no fear or respect for him . ''

Joe Biden’s former White House stenographer said the vice president’s public speaking ability has deteriorated significantly since leaving office to the point where he’s "not the same Joe Biden."
"It is a complete difference from what he was in 2017," Mike McCormick, who worked as a White House stenographer for 15 years and with Biden from 2011 to 2017, told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview. "He’s lost a step and he doesn’t seem to have the same mental acuity as he did four years ago."
"He doesn’t have the energy, he doesn’t have the pace of his speaking," McCormick said. "He’s a different guy."
McCormick’s recent book Joe Biden Unauthorized recounts his time working with Biden and takes a critical look at the former vice president, including the time he says Biden was "humiliated" by Russia's Vladimir Putin in 2011.
McCormick—who often traveled with Biden and transcribed his speeches, public conversations with foreign leaders, and off-the-record media briefings for the official White House record—said the vice president had a talent for connecting with audiences when he was in office and almost always veered off script from his pre-written speeches. Biden’s physical stamina and cognitive health have come under scrutiny during the 2020 election, due to a series of speaking appearances in which the 77-year-old has appeared to lose his train of thought, struggled to finish a sentence, or forgotten where he is.
"He’d just make a big joke out of it, and go straight from the hip. And notice, he’s not doing that anymore," he said. "He read that [Democratic National Committee speech] verbatim … it’s not Joe Biden anymore."
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
McCormick said Biden also seems to get "lost" during interviews now, a problem he said seems more pronounced since leaving the White House.
In recent interviews, Biden seems to have been reading directly from a teleprompter when answering questions, including instructions from his staff, such as "END QUOTE" and "TOPLINE MESSAGE."
He has also made odd statements, telling one online audience that when he was a patient at Walter Reed Hospital, the nurses would "breathe in my nostrils to make me move."
President Trump has nicknamed him "Sleepy Joe," and the Trump campaign released a video ad last month suggesting that he is suffering from cognitive decline.
While McCormick says Biden was a more articulate speaker in the White House, his tendency to ramble sometimes caused him problems with foreign adversaries.
During Biden’s first visit with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in March 2011, McCormick said the former KGB leader "publicly humiliated" the vice president by cutting off his microphone during their press conference—an incident that McCormick said never made it into media coverage of the trip.
Biden’s staffers at the time "made a big deal about how Putin really dominated the conversation [with] Obama" in a prior meeting, said McCormick. They indicated that Biden, with his decades of Senate foreign policy experience, wasn’t going to let Putin get the upper hand.
But during the public portion of the meeting in Moscow—as Biden launched into a soliloquy about his visits to Russia during the Cold War—his microphone was abruptly cut off mid-sentence, the press lighting was switched off, and Putin’s aides ushered the media out of the room, said McCormick.
"[Putin’s] message was unmistakable: I’m in charge of the room, I’m in charge of my country, and I’m in charge of the reset," wrote McCormick in his book. "As you might imagine, the vice president’s staffers were furious with the Russians. I was instructed to have the transcript reflect how the vice president had been cut off in mid sentence."
The official White House transcript of the meeting includes the sudden ending: "VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: There’s a reason, Mr. Prime Minister. Mr. Prime Minister, I’ve been around a long time. The first time I was here—the second time I was here, I was meeting with President Brezhnev. We were trying to pass SALT II—END"
"He basically got body slammed by Putin, really. I mean, I don’t know how else to describe it," McCormick told the Free Beacon. "To me it was like, here’s our great foreign policy expert and he just got punk’d. And Vladimir Putin just had no fear or respect for him."


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Riots Likely Drove 2020’s Biggest Gun Sales Spike

In a record-breaking year for gun buying , the biggest spike in firearms purchases came as protests and riots broke out across the nation in June , a Washington Free Beacon analysis of FBI data indicates .
While March saw the most guns sold thus far in 2020 , seasonally adjusted data show that it was June—the month after the death of George Floyd and subsequent onset of protests and civil unrest—that most exceeded expectations , massively outpacing usually languid summertime sales .
That suggests images of stores being looted and buildings being burned across many of America 's largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even higher rates , relative to usual seasonal patterns , than the onset of the coronavirus pandemic .
David Kopel , a Cato Institute scholar with decades of experience in gun research , told the Washington Free Beacon the sales spike is clearly a response to the violence .
`` Crime in general is a driver of gun sales , '' he said .
`` And that includes not just individual criminals , but it also includes criminals who operate in large groups like rioters and looters .
We had nationwide riots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to interfere or even overwhelmed .
People understood more than ever that they have to be their own first responders . ''
The spike in gun-buying was apparent in most states , suggesting that residents are attuned to the disorder in many major cities .
That , in turn , may have implications for the 2020 election , as law and order increasingly draw the attention of agitated voters .
`` These are people where the gun ownership argument was all theoretical up until 2020 .
Well , now it 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oliva , a spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation , told the Free Beacon about new gun buyers .
`` It 's , ‘ Am I going to be able to protect myself and my family in a time of crisis ? '
Those people have already voted .
They 've made their decision on where they stand on this .
They went and bought a handgun . ''
Gun sales exploded in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic prompted Americans to stock up .
March , in particular , broke records , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subsequent months similarly shattered records compared with the same month in the past year—July , for example , saw 1.8 million as gun industry earnings tripled—but March remains the overall record holder .
The onset of the coronavirus crisis is not the only reason so many Americans bought guns in March , however .
Gun sales demonstrate what statisticians call seasonality—rising and falling in a cyclical pattern over the course of the year .
In particular , gun sales increase through the spring , peaking in March as retailers bring in new products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then fall through the summer before rising steadily through the fall hunting season and the pre-Christmas months .
Standard statistical techniques allow for `` seasonally adjusting '' data to show what the trend would look like absent this pattern .
In the case of the FBI background check numbers on which gun-sales estimates are based , seasonal adjustment gives a sense of gun sales independent of the monthly rise-and-fall pattern described above , showing a `` truer '' trend line .
Such analysis reveals that while actual unique background checks peaked in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point of the gun-buying season—that saw the biggest seasonally adjusted increase , ranking as the number one month for sales in 2020 .
Accounting for the fact that June usually sees the lowest rates of gun sales , in other words , June 2020 's spike was the largest of the year—in fact , the biggest seasonally adjusted figure in over 20 years of data .
Other comparisons confirm this finding .
There were nearly 3.5 times as many unique background checks conducted in June 2020 compared with the same-month average for 1999 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were 2.5 times as many unique checks in March 2020 compared with the pre-2020 average .
In other words : While more guns were sold in March than in June , June 2020 was a bigger outlier once seasonal effects were accounted for—implying that the civil unrest that began in June drove a bigger relative increase in gun purchasing than the onset of the coronavirus crisis in March did .
A similar trend is apparent at the state level .
Many states saw record highs in March , with lower but persistently strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for seasonal effects , many of those same states saw historic highs for sales in June—coincident with the onset of protests and riots .
The makeup of new gun owners appears to be changing as well .
Gun dealers reported the greatest increase in new customers were from the African-American community in a July survey by the National Shooting Sports Foundation .
Black customers increased 58.2 percent , according to dealers , while white customers increased 51.9 percent , Hispanic customers by 49.4 percent , and Asian customers by 42.9 percent .
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence in their community .
Murders and shootings have spiked in major cities across the country , as large , sometimes violent protests tax police resources past their breaking point .
June 's hot month for gun sales is another indicator of the rising salience of crime to the American electorate .
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have traded jabs in recent days , with both traveling to Kenosha , Wis.—the site of further unrest after the police shooting of Jacob Blake—to charge the other with fomenting disorder .

Charles Fain Lehman and Stephen Gutowski

In a record-breaking year for gun buying, the biggest spike in firearms purchases came as protests and riots broke out across the nation in June, a Washington Free Beacon analysis of FBI data indicates.
While March saw the most guns sold thus far in 2020, seasonally adjusted data show that it was June—the month after the death of George Floyd and subsequent onset of protests and civil unrest—that most exceeded expectations, massively outpacing usually languid summertime sales.
That suggests images of stores being looted and buildings being burned across many of America's largest cities drove citizens to purchase guns at even higher rates, relative to usual seasonal patterns, than the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. David Kopel, a Cato Institute scholar with decades of experience in gun research, told the Washington Free Beacon the sales spike is clearly a response to the violence.
"Crime in general is a driver of gun sales," he said. "And that includes not just individual criminals, but it also includes criminals who operate in large groups like rioters and looters. We had nationwide riots, mass violence, and police often ordered not to interfere or even overwhelmed. People understood more than ever that they have to be their own first responders."
The spike in gun-buying was apparent in most states, suggesting that residents are attuned to the disorder in many major cities. That, in turn, may have implications for the 2020 election, as law and order increasingly draw the attention of agitated voters.
"These are people where the gun ownership argument was all theoretical up until 2020. Well, now it's a matter of existential questions," Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, told the Free Beacon about new gun buyers. "It's, 'Am I going to be able to protect myself and my family in a time of crisis?' Those people have already voted. They've made their decision on where they stand on this. They went and bought a handgun."
Gun sales exploded in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic prompted Americans to stock up. March, in particular, broke records, with over 2.5 million guns sold. Subsequent months similarly shattered records compared with the same month in the past year—July, for example, saw 1.8 million as gun industry earnings tripled—but March remains the overall record holder.
The onset of the coronavirus crisis is not the only reason so many Americans bought guns in March, however. Gun sales demonstrate what statisticians call seasonality—rising and falling in a cyclical pattern over the course of the year. In particular, gun sales increase through the spring, peaking in March as retailers bring in new products and try to clear out previous-year models, then fall through the summer before rising steadily through the fall hunting season and the pre-Christmas months.
Standard statistical techniques allow for "seasonally adjusting" data to show what the trend would look like absent this pattern. In the case of the FBI background check numbers on which gun-sales estimates are based, seasonal adjustment gives a sense of gun sales independent of the monthly rise-and-fall pattern described above, showing a "truer" trend line.
Such analysis reveals that while actual unique background checks peaked in March, it was June—usually the low point of the gun-buying season—that saw the biggest seasonally adjusted increase, ranking as the number one month for sales in 2020. Accounting for the fact that June usually sees the lowest rates of gun sales, in other words, June 2020's spike was the largest of the year—in fact, the biggest seasonally adjusted figure in over 20 years of data.
Other comparisons confirm this finding. There were nearly 3.5 times as many unique background checks conducted in June 2020 compared with the same-month average for 1999 through 2019. By comparison, there were 2.5 times as many unique checks in March 2020 compared with the pre-2020 average.
In other words: While more guns were sold in March than in June, June 2020 was a bigger outlier once seasonal effects were accounted for—implying that the civil unrest that began in June drove a bigger relative increase in gun purchasing than the onset of the coronavirus crisis in March did.
A similar trend is apparent at the state level. Many states saw record highs in March, with lower but persistently strong purchasing through the summer. But adjusting for seasonal effects, many of those same states saw historic highs for sales in June—coincident with the onset of protests and riots.
The makeup of new gun owners appears to be changing as well. Gun dealers reported the greatest increase in new customers were from the African-American community in a July survey by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Black customers increased 58.2 percent, according to dealers, while white customers increased 51.9 percent, Hispanic customers by 49.4 percent, and Asian customers by 42.9 percent.
Both trends may reflect Americans wary of growing violence in their community. Murders and shootings have spiked in major cities across the country, as large, sometimes violent protests tax police resources past their breaking point.
June's hot month for gun sales is another indicator of the rising salience of crime to the American electorate. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have traded jabs in recent days, with both traveling to Kenosha, Wis.—the site of further unrest after the police shooting of Jacob Blake—to charge the other with fomenting disorder.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Maine Dem Sara Gideon Killed Child Abuse Bill

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Sara Gideon killed an anti-child abuse bill backed by health officials just days after a Democratic legislator resigned for allegedly having sexual relationships with high school girls .
Gideon , who has served as speaker of the Maine House of Representatives since 2016 , mobilized her caucus to vote against legislation that would have attached criminal penalties to those who knowingly fail to report child abuse .
Just 10 days before the Aug. 30 , 2018 , vote , Democratic state legislator Dillon Bates resigned after allegations surfaced that he had sex with multiple high school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislator Deborah Sanderson said it was the height of hypocrisy for Gideon to kill child abuse legislation at a time when she also had to contend with an alleged child sex offender in her caucus .
`` You ca n't say you care about children and … at the same time , not be willing to put in stricter and stronger regulations for someone who knowingly or intentionally does not report child abuse , '' Sanderson said .
`` Not only are the people who do n't report culpable , but those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Gideon 's decision to rally votes against the mandated reporting law put Maine out of step with the rest of the country .
More than 40 states currently consider it either a felony or a misdemeanor for mandated reporters to not report suspected abuse , according to a federal government report .
Maine law currently imposes only a civil penalty for mandated reporters—a class of people which includes teachers , doctors , and other professionals who regularly interact with kids—that do not report child abuse .
The lack of criminal consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a testimony by the state 's Department of Health and Human Services .
`` It is the Department 's position that adding consequences for failing to report child abuse and neglect will remind mandated reporters of the gravity and importance of this duty and therefore increase the safety of the children in Maine , '' said Bethany Hamm , the then-acting Maine HHS commissioner .
Gideon did not respond to request for comment .
Some education and nursing associations , as well as other interest groups , opposed the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who unintentionally missed signs of child abuse due to a `` lapse in judgement . ''
Republicans amended the bill to impose criminal penalties only on people who `` intentionally or knowingly '' fail to report signs of abuse .
Despite GOP overtures , Gideon whipped enough votes to defeat the bill .
The vote took place as Democrats were reeling in response to concerns that Gideon and other Democratic top brass knew about the allegations against Dillon Bates for months .
Bates—who did not respond to request for comment—was accused of using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletics coach at multiple schools to groom several high school girls .
He allegedly maintained relationships with at least three victims over the course of five years .
Bates abruptly resigned from his position at the Maine Girls ' Academy ( MGA ) after the school learned about his transgressions , but the administrators sought to keep the affair a secret , according to the Bollard , a Maine magazine that first broke the story .
Bates continued to coach at a different school for months after his resignation from MGA .
Gideon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bates prior to his resignation , but claimed she lacked evidence to take action against her colleague .
She waited until the Bollard story published before calling for his resignation .
Sanderson , the former legislator , said Gideon 's refusal to consider the legislation—and her delayed response to the Bates scandal—calls into question her commitment to protecting children .
`` When they say they care about children in our state , and they care about child safety , I think for Sara that 's an empty promise , '' Sanderson said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Susan Collins in one of the most hotly contested Senate races in 2020 .
The Democrat enjoys a 4.5-point edge in the race , according to a RealClearPolitics polling average .

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Sara Gideon killed an anti-child abuse bill backed by health officials just days after a Democratic legislator resigned for allegedly having sexual relationships with high school girls.
Gideon, who has served as speaker of the Maine House of Representatives since 2016, mobilized her caucus to vote against legislation that would have attached criminal penalties to those who knowingly fail to report child abuse. Just 10 days before the Aug. 30, 2018, vote, Democratic state legislator Dillon Bates resigned after allegations surfaced that he had sex with multiple high school students that he taught. Former Maine legislator Deborah Sanderson said it was the height of hypocrisy for Gideon to kill child abuse legislation at a time when she also had to contend with an alleged child sex offender in her caucus.
"You can't say you care about children and … at the same time, not be willing to put in stricter and stronger regulations for someone who knowingly or intentionally does not report child abuse," Sanderson said. "Not only are the people who don't report culpable, but those who wouldn't pass that legislation are culpable."
Gideon's decision to rally votes against the mandated reporting law put Maine out of step with the rest of the country. More than 40 states currently consider it either a felony or a misdemeanor for mandated reporters to not report suspected abuse, according to a federal government report. Maine law currently imposes only a civil penalty for mandated reporters—a class of people which includes teachers, doctors, and other professionals who regularly interact with kids—that do not report child abuse. The lack of criminal consequences motivated some reporters to shirk their responsibilities, according to a testimony by the state's Department of Health and Human Services.
"It is the Department's position that adding consequences for failing to report child abuse and neglect will remind mandated reporters of the gravity and importance of this duty and therefore increase the safety of the children in Maine," said Bethany Hamm, the then-acting Maine HHS commissioner.
Gideon did not respond to request for comment.
Some education and nursing associations, as well as other interest groups, opposed the bill, arguing that it penalized mandated reporters who unintentionally missed signs of child abuse due to a "lapse in judgement." Republicans amended the bill to impose criminal penalties only on people who "intentionally or knowingly" fail to report signs of abuse. Despite GOP overtures, Gideon whipped enough votes to defeat the bill.
The vote took place as Democrats were reeling in response to concerns that Gideon and other Democratic top brass knew about the allegations against Dillon Bates for months.
Bates—who did not respond to request for comment—was accused of using his position as a drama teacher and athletics coach at multiple schools to groom several high school girls. He allegedly maintained relationships with at least three victims over the course of five years. Bates abruptly resigned from his position at the Maine Girls' Academy (MGA) after the school learned about his transgressions, but the administrators sought to keep the affair a secret, according to the Bollard, a Maine magazine that first broke the story. Bates continued to coach at a different school for months after his resignation from MGA.
Gideon has acknowledged that she heard rumors about Bates prior to his resignation, but claimed she lacked evidence to take action against her colleague. She waited until the Bollard story published before calling for his resignation. Sanderson, the former legislator, said Gideon's refusal to consider the legislation—and her delayed response to the Bates scandal—calls into question her commitment to protecting children.
"When they say they care about children in our state, and they care about child safety, I think for Sara that's an empty promise," Sanderson said.
Gideon is running to unseat Republican senator Susan Collins in one of the most hotly contested Senate races in 2020. The Democrat enjoys a 4.5-point edge in the race, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average.


freebeacon--2020-09-09--Continetti: Trump’s Economic Message is Stronger than Biden’s

Washington Free Beacon founding editor Matthew Continetti said Tuesday that Donald Trump 's apparent strength with Latino voters is due to his focus on the economy .
`` There 's this misconception that Latino voters vote solely on immigration , '' Continetti said on Fox News 's Special Report .
`` That 's not the case .
What 's more important to them is the economy , and Trump 's economic message , I think , is more powerful than Joe Biden 's . ''
He added that if Trump prevails in November , the Biden-Harris campaign may regret not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Democratic National Convention .
Recent polling out of Florida showed Trump with an edge over Biden among Latino voters .
The Trump campaign is also scheduling more in-person campaign events than the Biden campaign is .
Continetti said the two presidential candidates represented two opposite approaches to the coronavirus pandemic .
`` They are two very different candidates modeling two different types of campaigns : the president trying to demonstrate that America is back and that we are putting the pandemic behind us , Biden still very much believing that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then suppress the virus , '' Continetti said .

Washington Free Beacon founding editor Matthew Continetti said Tuesday that Donald Trump's apparent strength with Latino voters is due to his focus on the economy.
"There's this misconception that Latino voters vote solely on immigration," Continetti said on Fox News's Special Report. "That's not the case. What's more important to them is the economy, and Trump's economic message, I think, is more powerful than Joe Biden's."
He added that if Trump prevails in November, the Biden-Harris campaign may regret not focusing more on outreach to Latino voters at the Democratic National Convention. Recent polling out of Florida showed Trump with an edge over Biden among Latino voters.
The Trump campaign is also scheduling more in-person campaign events than the Biden campaign is. Continetti said the two presidential candidates represented two opposite approaches to the coronavirus pandemic.
"They are two very different candidates modeling two different types of campaigns: the president trying to demonstrate that America is back and that we are putting the pandemic behind us, Biden still very much believing that we need to take steps to contain and then suppress the virus," Continetti said.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Trump Threatens to Cut Federal Funding to Schools That Teach 1619 Project

President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to pull federal funding from California schools that teach the New York Times ‘ s 1619 Project .
Trump tweeted that the Department of Education is `` looking '' into whether California schools are teaching the project , saying , `` If so , they will not be funded ! ''
The controversial 1619 Project , which the Times published last year , argues that the founding of the United States can be traced to 1619—the year African slaves first arrived in the American colonies .
Since its release , prominent American historians have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Senate Republicans have already introduced legislation to cut federal funding to schools that teach its educational curriculum , which the Pulitzer Center has already distributed to `` thousands of classrooms . ''
`` The New York Times ‘ s 1619 Project is a racially divisive , revisionist account of history that denies the noble principles of freedom and equality on which our nation was founded , '' said Sen. Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
in July .
`` Not a single cent of federal funding should go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Trump 's tweet follows a Friday White House memo announcing the Office of Management and Budget will cut funding for employee training workshops in federal agencies that teach that `` the United States is an inherently racist or evil country . ''
`` It has come to the President 's attention that Executive Branch agencies have spent millions of taxpayer dollars to date ‘ training ' government workers to believe divisive , anti-American propaganda , '' wrote OMB director Russell Vought .
`` The President has directed me to ensure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive , un-American propaganda training sessions . ''
Just last month , internal diversity and inclusion documents leaked from a Department of Energy research lab said that white employees `` have a particular responsibility '' to change the country 's `` institutionally racist society . ''

President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to pull federal funding from California schools that teach the New York Times's 1619 Project.
Trump tweeted that the Department of Education is "looking" into whether California schools are teaching the project, saying, "If so, they will not be funded!"
The controversial 1619 Project, which the Times published last year, argues that the founding of the United States can be traced to 1619—the year African slaves first arrived in the American colonies. Since its release, prominent American historians have criticized the project for its historical inaccuracies, and Senate Republicans have already introduced legislation to cut federal funding to schools that teach its educational curriculum, which the Pulitzer Center has already distributed to "thousands of classrooms."
"The New York Times's 1619 Project is a racially divisive, revisionist account of history that denies the noble principles of freedom and equality on which our nation was founded," said Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) in July. "Not a single cent of federal funding should go to indoctrinate young Americans with this left-wing garbage."
Trump's tweet follows a Friday White House memo announcing the Office of Management and Budget will cut funding for employee training workshops in federal agencies that teach that "the United States is an inherently racist or evil country."
"It has come to the President's attention that Executive Branch agencies have spent millions of taxpayer dollars to date 'training' government workers to believe divisive, anti-American propaganda," wrote OMB director Russell Vought. "The President has directed me to ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions."
Just last month, internal diversity and inclusion documents leaked from a Department of Energy research lab said that white employees "have a particular responsibility" to change the country's "institutionally racist society."


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Iowa Dem Dodges on Support for Late-Term Abortion

Rep. Abby Finkenauer ( D. , Iowa ) dodged a question about her support for late-term abortion during a Monday debate .
Asked by Republican opponent Ashley Hinson to clarify her `` extreme '' position in support of `` abortions all the way up to the end of pregnancy , '' Finkenauer refused to offer a stance beyond stating that women 's health care is `` complicated . ''
`` I support Roe v. Wade as it currently stands , and I also know and believe that women ’ s health care is complicated , '' Finkenauer said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at the end of the day , legislators do not belong in the doctor ’ s offices of pregnant women . ''
As a state representative in 2017 , Finkenauer voted against a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks , the point in pregnancy in which fetuses can feel pain .
Nearly three years later as a member of Congress , Finkenauer voted to block legislation guaranteeing medical care for infants who survive abortion .
The Democrat has since received support from big-spending abortion groups in her bid to defeat Hinson—Planned Parenthood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and NARAL Pro-Choice America have combined to give Finkenauer nearly $ 18,000 in direct contributions .
She has also received more than $ 75,000 in contributions funneled through EMILY 's List .
Despite her previous votes , Finkenauer 's hesitance to embrace late-term abortion on the debate stage likely reflects its status as a losing issue for Democrats .
According to a January Marist poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus , 70 percent of Americans support restrictions on abortion after three months of pregnancy .
A 2019 poll commissioned by the Susan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 percent of voters—including 70 percent of Democrats—support legislation mandating care to children who survive failed abortions .
`` Democrats like Abby Finkenauer may duck and dodge , but she ca n't hide the truth : The Democratic Party supports abortion up until the moment of birth—and even afterward , paid for by taxpayer dollars .
Her own voting record is crystal-clear proof , '' American Principles Project executive director Terry Schilling told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` Finkenauer and her Democratic allies also know that this position is completely out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than defend their extremism , they constantly attempt to distract from the real issue or change the subject . ''
Virginia governor Ralph Northam ( D. ) mirrored Finkenauer 's argument as he defended a 40-week abortion bill in January 2019 , saying legislators `` should n't be telling a woman what she should or should n't be doing with her body . ''
Democrats for Life executive director Kristen Day pushed back , telling the Free Beacon that lawmakers `` also must protect the human life in the womb . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the doctor 's office , there is also an unborn child who is a distinct human being by any definition , '' Day said .
`` Legislators absolutely have an obligation to protect the health and safety of the pregnant woman but also must protect the human life in the womb . ''
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has also lurched left on abortion in recent months .
Biden said he could `` no longer support '' the Hyde Amendment—which bans federally funded abortions—in June 2019 .
He previously touted voting in favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 50 occasions '' in a 1994 letter to a constituent .
Finkenauer endorsed Biden in January 2020 , one month before the Iowa caucuses .
The Finkenauer campaign did not respond to a request for comment .

Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D., Iowa) dodged a question about her support for late-term abortion during a Monday debate.
Asked by Republican opponent Ashley Hinson to clarify her "extreme" position in support of "abortions all the way up to the end of pregnancy," Finkenauer refused to offer a stance beyond stating that women's health care is "complicated."
"I support Roe v. Wade as it currently stands, and I also know and believe that women’s health care is complicated," Finkenauer said. "It is not black and white, and at the end of the day, legislators do not belong in the doctor’s offices of pregnant women."
As a state representative in 2017, Finkenauer voted against a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks, the point in pregnancy in which fetuses can feel pain. Nearly three years later as a member of Congress, Finkenauer voted to block legislation guaranteeing medical care for infants who survive abortion. The Democrat has since received support from big-spending abortion groups in her bid to defeat Hinson—Planned Parenthood Action Fund, EMILY's List, and NARAL Pro-Choice America have combined to give Finkenauer nearly $18,000 in direct contributions. She has also received more than $75,000 in contributions funneled through EMILY's List.
Despite her previous votes, Finkenauer's hesitance to embrace late-term abortion on the debate stage likely reflects its status as a losing issue for Democrats. According to a January Marist poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, 70 percent of Americans support restrictions on abortion after three months of pregnancy. A 2019 poll commissioned by the Susan B. Anthony List also found that nearly 80 percent of voters—including 70 percent of Democrats—support legislation mandating care to children who survive failed abortions.
"Democrats like Abby Finkenauer may duck and dodge, but she can't hide the truth: The Democratic Party supports abortion up until the moment of birth—and even afterward, paid for by taxpayer dollars. Her own voting record is crystal-clear proof," American Principles Project executive director Terry Schilling told the Washington Free Beacon. "Finkenauer and her Democratic allies also know that this position is completely out of step with the American people. So rather than defend their extremism, they constantly attempt to distract from the real issue or change the subject."
Virginia governor Ralph Northam (D.) mirrored Finkenauer's argument as he defended a 40-week abortion bill in January 2019, saying legislators "shouldn't be telling a woman what she should or shouldn't be doing with her body." Democrats for Life executive director Kristen Day pushed back, telling the Free Beacon that lawmakers "also must protect the human life in the womb."
"When a pregnant woman is in the doctor's office, there is also an unborn child who is a distinct human being by any definition," Day said. "Legislators absolutely have an obligation to protect the health and safety of the pregnant woman but also must protect the human life in the womb."
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has also lurched left on abortion in recent months. Biden said he could "no longer support" the Hyde Amendment—which bans federally funded abortions—in June 2019. He previously touted voting in favor of the amendment "on no fewer than 50 occasions" in a 1994 letter to a constituent. Finkenauer endorsed Biden in January 2020, one month before the Iowa caucuses.
The Finkenauer campaign did not respond to a request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--U.S. Capitol Police Opened Investigation Into Mark Kelly Supporter Who Threatened Republican Congres

U.S. Capitol Police Opened Investigation Into Mark Kelly Supporter Who Threatened Republican Congressman

U.S. Capitol Police are investigating a supporter of Democratic Senate candidate and gun-control advocate Mark Kelly for allegedly threatening to shoot Republican representative Paul Gosar ( Ariz. ) .
Kelly , who is currently leading in the race against incumbent senator Martha McSally ( R. ) , has been a vocal advocate for stricter gun laws since the 2011 assassination attempt on his wife , former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords .
He condemned the death threat against Gosar on Twitter on Tuesday , a week after Gosar 's office received the calls , but did not mention that the suspect was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I know what it means to have an act of violence committed against a member of Congress and family member , '' said Kelly on Twitter .
`` I strongly condemn this threat against Rep. Gosar .
Threats of violence like this are wrong .
I ’ m glad Capitol Police is investigating . ''
Kelly did not respond to a separate request for comment from the Washington Free Beacon .
Gosar told the Free Beacon that he `` appreciate [ d ] Mr. Kelly ’ s acknowledgment . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , should be united in the condemnation of political violence , '' said Gosar .
His office said it has not received an update yet from the U.S. Capitol Police .
Capitol Police opened an investigation into retired Arizona teacher Margaret Kathleen Spangenberg last week after she allegedly left threatening voicemail messages at Gosar ’ s district office , the Arizona Daily Independent reported .
`` Since you supported a child rapist who has 65 years of crimes and you are doing shit about Covid , and I ’ ve had people die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ okay for me to come with my gun and shoot you in the head , '' a woman can be heard saying in one of the messages .
`` That ’ s what we think of you , Mr. Gosar .
You are a murderer supporter and you are going down . ''
Spangenberg ’ s Facebook profile indicates that she is active in progressive politics .
Her main photo was a Mark Kelly for Senate logo , and other pictures showed her supporting a campaign for more public school funding , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona Daily Independent .
McSally has accused him of avoiding public appearances in the race .
She recently challenged him to seven debates , including a nationally televised debate on CNN .
The candidates are only scheduled for two debates at the moment .
`` He ’ s hiding in a bunker , '' said McSally on KTAR News last week .
`` Nobody knows what his positions are on things . ''

U.S. Capitol Police are investigating a supporter of Democratic Senate candidate and gun-control advocate Mark Kelly for allegedly threatening to shoot Republican representative Paul Gosar (Ariz.).
Kelly, who is currently leading in the race against incumbent senator Martha McSally (R.), has been a vocal advocate for stricter gun laws since the 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. He condemned the death threat against Gosar on Twitter on Tuesday, a week after Gosar's office received the calls, but did not mention that the suspect was an active Kelly supporter on social media.
"I know what it means to have an act of violence committed against a member of Congress and family member," said Kelly on Twitter. "I strongly condemn this threat against Rep. Gosar. Threats of violence like this are wrong. I’m glad Capitol Police is investigating."
Kelly did not respond to a separate request for comment from the Washington Free Beacon.
Gosar told the Free Beacon that he "appreciate[d] Mr. Kelly’s acknowledgment."
"All of us, conservatives and progressives, should be united in the condemnation of political violence," said Gosar. His office said it has not received an update yet from the U.S. Capitol Police.
Capitol Police opened an investigation into retired Arizona teacher Margaret Kathleen Spangenberg last week after she allegedly left threatening voicemail messages at Gosar’s district office, the Arizona Daily Independent reported.
"Since you supported a child rapist who has 65 years of crimes and you are doing shit about Covid, and I’ve had people die, I think it’s totally okay for me to come with my gun and shoot you in the head," a woman can be heard saying in one of the messages. "That’s what we think of you, Mr. Gosar. You are a murderer supporter and you are going down."
Spangenberg’s Facebook profile indicates that she is active in progressive politics. Her main photo was a Mark Kelly for Senate logo, and other pictures showed her supporting a campaign for more public school funding, according to screenshots published on Saturday by the Arizona Daily Independent.
McSally has accused him of avoiding public appearances in the race. She recently challenged him to seven debates, including a nationally televised debate on CNN. The candidates are only scheduled for two debates at the moment.
"He’s hiding in a bunker," said McSally on KTAR News last week. "Nobody knows what his positions are on things."


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Biden Surrogate Builds Wall, Makes Michigan Taxpayers Pay For It

Michigan Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer 's state-owned residence is getting $ 1.1 million in security upgrades , including an eight-foot-tall perimeter fence .
Whitmer has long questioned the effectiveness of physical barriers , but is asking Michigan taxpayers to foot the bill for a seven-figure project to keep out uninvited guests .
The governor 's office confirmed the renovation on Friday , telling the Detroit News that the wall would help `` ensure the safety , security , and protection of any sitting governor and the first family . ''
The renovation will include an electrified fence that Whitmer claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received .
Whitmer , a Biden surrogate , has attacked the idea of using barriers to prevent illegal immigration .
She called President Donald Trump 's border wall `` costly and ineffective '' in February 2017 , nearly a week after suggesting that money for the wall would be better spent elsewhere .
`` $ 40 BILLION for the wall , '' Whitmer tweeted .
`` Think how many kids that would educate , how many roads , bridges and pipes it would fix . ''
Whitmer also campaigned against Trump 's wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is time we get back to building bridges , not walls . ''
Whitmer 's skepticism of barriers extended to the coronavirus outbreak , as she was one of the last governors in the country to bar COVID-19 patients from nursing homes .
She emerged as a frontrunner to be Biden 's running mate in March after clashing with President Trump on social media over the pandemic .
Michigan attorney general and top Whitmer ally Dana Nessel ( D. ) called Trump 's February 2019 emergency declaration to fund the wall a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that additional border barriers would help quell illegal immigration .
A July University of Illinois at Chicago analysis found that a fully fenced southern border would deter roughly 86,000 people from illegally crossing the border every three months .
`` Fence construction significantly decreases the size of the likely undocumented , Mexican-born population on the U.S. side of the border and in the U.S. interior , '' the study states .

Michigan Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer's state-owned residence is getting $1.1 million in security upgrades, including an eight-foot-tall perimeter fence.
Whitmer has long questioned the effectiveness of physical barriers, but is asking Michigan taxpayers to foot the bill for a seven-figure project to keep out uninvited guests. The governor's office confirmed the renovation on Friday, telling the Detroit News that the wall would help "ensure the safety, security, and protection of any sitting governor and the first family." The renovation will include an electrified fence that Whitmer claims is necessary because of threats she has received.
Whitmer, a Biden surrogate, has attacked the idea of using barriers to prevent illegal immigration. She called President Donald Trump's border wall "costly and ineffective" in February 2017, nearly a week after suggesting that money for the wall would be better spent elsewhere.
"$40 BILLION for the wall," Whitmer tweeted. "Think how many kids that would educate, how many roads, bridges and pipes it would fix."
Whitmer also campaigned against Trump's wall in 2018, saying, "it is time we get back to building bridges, not walls."
Whitmer's skepticism of barriers extended to the coronavirus outbreak, as she was one of the last governors in the country to bar COVID-19 patients from nursing homes. She emerged as a frontrunner to be Biden's running mate in March after clashing with President Trump on social media over the pandemic.
Michigan attorney general and top Whitmer ally Dana Nessel (D.) called Trump's February 2019 emergency declaration to fund the wall a "publicity stunt." But studies suggest that additional border barriers would help quell illegal immigration. A July University of Illinois at Chicago analysis found that a fully fenced southern border would deter roughly 86,000 people from illegally crossing the border every three months.
"Fence construction significantly decreases the size of the likely undocumented, Mexican-born population on the U.S. side of the border and in the U.S. interior," the study states.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Georgia Investigating 1,000 Cases of Voter Fraud

Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger announced an investigation into the 1,000 cases of double-voting that took place in the state ’ s June primary and August runoff elections .
`` Every double voter will be investigated thoroughly , '' Raffensperger said .
`` A double voter knows exactly what they are doing , diluting the votes of each and every voter that follows the law . ''
Democrats and the media have repeatedly declared there is essentially no chance of voter fraud affecting the 2020 election , particularly when it comes to mail-in voting .
Last week , Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is `` not a shred of evidence that mail-in voting is fraudulent . ''
After Raffensperger 's announcement , the Democratic Party of Georgia attacked the investigations as stemming from `` the GOP 's voting conspiracy theories '' that are being deployed to suppress the vote .
`` Voter fraud continues to be extremely rare in Georgia , and any implication otherwise undermines our elections , '' said Democratic Party of Georgia executive director Scott Hogan .
Last week Attorney General William Barr told CNN elections with mail-in voting have contained `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN `` fact-checked '' his statement saying it was an `` overgeneralization , '' and the Washington Post , New York Times , and NPR demonstrate how other mainstream outlets are also downplaying the threat of voter fraud .
`` We can call it false : all evidence shows that fraud in mail voting is extremely rare , '' CNN argued .
Raffensperger said some individuals are trying to `` game the system '' and the state will prosecute , since voter fraud is a felony in Georgia .
He said his election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fraud for the past several weeks .

Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger announced an investigation into the 1,000 cases of double-voting that took place in the state’s June primary and August runoff elections.
"Every double voter will be investigated thoroughly," Raffensperger said. "A double voter knows exactly what they are doing, diluting the votes of each and every voter that follows the law."
Democrats and the media have repeatedly declared there is essentially no chance of voter fraud affecting the 2020 election, particularly when it comes to mail-in voting. Last week, Joe Biden told a local Georgia television station there is "not a shred of evidence that mail-in voting is fraudulent."
After Raffensperger's announcement, the Democratic Party of Georgia attacked the investigations as stemming from "the GOP's voting conspiracy theories" that are being deployed to suppress the vote.
"Voter fraud continues to be extremely rare in Georgia, and any implication otherwise undermines our elections," said Democratic Party of Georgia executive director Scott Hogan.
Last week Attorney General William Barr told CNN elections with mail-in voting have contained "substantial fraud and coercion." But CNN "fact-checked" his statement saying it was an "overgeneralization," and the Washington Post, New York Times, and NPR demonstrate how other mainstream outlets are also downplaying the threat of voter fraud.
"We can call it false: all evidence shows that fraud in mail voting is extremely rare," CNN argued.
Raffensperger said some individuals are trying to "game the system" and the state will prosecute, since voter fraud is a felony in Georgia. He said his election and investigative units had been investigating reports of fraud for the past several weeks.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--In Move Against China, Palau Invites Pentagon to Build New Bases in Pacific

The Republic of Palau is moving against China by inviting the United States to build new military bases in the Pacific island country , the Wall Street Journal first reported Tuesday .
A small island nation located between Guam , the Philippines , and Indonesia , Palau occupies a critical region where Beijing has looked to expand its influence .
`` Palau is a very important place in the Pacific , '' U.S. ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland told the Journal .
`` Palau has suffered from predatory economic behavior and malign influence from the PRC .
… Palau is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a great partner in the Pacific . ''
China , which has focused on asserting its influence over the neighboring South China Sea , now sports the largest navy fleet in the world and has constructed underwater warning systems and new aircraft carriers .
The United States ' growing relationship with Palau corresponds with Washington 's efforts to counter Chinese supremacy in the region by developing stronger ties with allies .
`` Our robust network of allies and partners remains the enduring asymmetric advantage we have over near-peer rivals , namely China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules-based order to advance their own interests , often at the expense of others , '' Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in an August speech .
In recent months , the United States has conducted multiple freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea .
In August , Department of Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Palaun ally Taiwan since 1979 .

The Republic of Palau is moving against China by inviting the United States to build new military bases in the Pacific island country, the Wall Street Journal first reported Tuesday.
A small island nation located between Guam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, Palau occupies a critical region where Beijing has looked to expand its influence.
"Palau is a very important place in the Pacific," U.S. ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland told the Journal. "Palau has suffered from predatory economic behavior and malign influence from the PRC. ... Palau is a good friend of the United States and a great partner in the Pacific."
China, which has focused on asserting its influence over the neighboring South China Sea, now sports the largest navy fleet in the world and has constructed underwater warning systems and new aircraft carriers. The United States' growing relationship with Palau corresponds with Washington's efforts to counter Chinese supremacy in the region by developing stronger ties with allies.
"Our robust network of allies and partners remains the enduring asymmetric advantage we have over near-peer rivals, namely China, that attempt to undermine and subvert the rules-based order to advance their own interests, often at the expense of others," Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in an August speech.
In recent months, the United States has conducted multiple freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea. In August, Department of Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Palaun ally Taiwan since 1979.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Amid Calls to Defund Police, Portland Forced to Increase Spending by 200 Percent

As protesters in Portland continue to call for defunding the police , the Portland Police Bureau spent nearly $ 7 million on overtime pay in June and July—200 percent more than the same time frame last year—as officers were dispatched to quell violent anti-police protests .
Portland ’ s KATU News reported Tuesday that PPB has spent at least $ 6.9 million in overtime pay in June and July , amid a wave of nightly anti-police riots that began in the city in late May .
From January until June , PPB had only spent $ 4.5 million on overtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coincides with a summer of unrest in the city .
Rioters , many of whom have pushed for reforming and defunding the police , have for months wreaked havoc on the city—at times launching fireworks and explosives at government buildings , including a federal courthouse , and setting fire to a local police precinct .
Portland City Council voted to cut $ 15 million from police funding in June—upsetting some protesters who had demanded a $ 50 million cut .
Leftist groups and former Portland police chief Derrick Foxworth Sr. have criticized both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D. ) for their lack of response to continued violence in the city .
Wheeler told Oregon Public Broadcasting in August that his response to the violence was just to `` let it burn itself out . ''

As protesters in Portland continue to call for defunding the police, the Portland Police Bureau spent nearly $7 million on overtime pay in June and July—200 percent more than the same time frame last year—as officers were dispatched to quell violent anti-police protests.
Portland’s KATU News reported Tuesday that PPB has spent at least $6.9 million in overtime pay in June and July, amid a wave of nightly anti-police riots that began in the city in late May. From January until June, PPB had only spent $4.5 million on overtime pay.
The spike in overtime pay coincides with a summer of unrest in the city. Rioters, many of whom have pushed for reforming and defunding the police, have for months wreaked havoc on the city—at times launching fireworks and explosives at government buildings, including a federal courthouse, and setting fire to a local police precinct.
Portland City Council voted to cut $15 million from police funding in June—upsetting some protesters who had demanded a $50 million cut.
Leftist groups and former Portland police chief Derrick Foxworth Sr. have criticized both Portland City Council and Mayor Ted Wheeler (D.) for their lack of response to continued violence in the city. Wheeler told Oregon Public Broadcasting in August that his response to the violence was just to "let it burn itself out."


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Trump Admin Sanctions Hezbollah Boosters in Lebanon

The Trump administration on Tuesday slapped sanctions on two former Lebanese government officials for conspiring with Hezbollah , the Iranian-funded terrorist group running the country .
Former Lebanese government ministers Yusuf Finyanus and Ali Hassan Khalil `` provided material support to Hizballah and engaged in corruption , '' according to the Treasury Department .
The sanctions are part of a larger bid by the Trump administration to crack down on Hezbollah following an explosion last month in Beirut that rocked the country and forced its government to resign .
While the United States and other nations have pledged humanitarian aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many have raised concerns that critical aid dollars will make their way to Hezbollah and its affiliates still inside the government .
`` Corruption has run rampant in Lebanon , and Hezbollah has exploited the political system to spread its malign influence , '' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement .
`` The United States stands with the people of Lebanon in their calls for reform and will continue to use its authorities to target those who oppress and exploit them . ''
`` Hezbollah depends on Lebanon ’ s corrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on the new sanctions .
`` Anyone helping to advance Hezbollah ’ s political or economic interests is further eroding what remains of effective governance and facilitating financing for terrorism . ''
Lebanon ’ s government has been serving Hezbollah ’ s interests for years , and the terror group continues to stockpile munitions on the country ’ s border with Israel .
Both Finyanus and Khalil used their positions in the Lebanese government to siphon funds to Hezbollah front companies , which are heavily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cash .
Both individuals also accepted cash from Hezbollah to help it secure government contracts and other lucrative business deals .
The Trump administration has sanctioned more than 90 Hezbollah-tied individuals since 2017 .

The Trump administration on Tuesday slapped sanctions on two former Lebanese government officials for conspiring with Hezbollah, the Iranian-funded terrorist group running the country.
Former Lebanese government ministers Yusuf Finyanus and Ali Hassan Khalil "provided material support to Hizballah and engaged in corruption," according to the Treasury Department.
The sanctions are part of a larger bid by the Trump administration to crack down on Hezbollah following an explosion last month in Beirut that rocked the country and forced its government to resign. While the United States and other nations have pledged humanitarian aid to help the Lebanese people rebuild, many have raised concerns that critical aid dollars will make their way to Hezbollah and its affiliates still inside the government.
"Corruption has run rampant in Lebanon, and Hezbollah has exploited the political system to spread its malign influence," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "The United States stands with the people of Lebanon in their calls for reform and will continue to use its authorities to target those who oppress and exploit them."
"Hezbollah depends on Lebanon’s corrupt political system for survival," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on the new sanctions. "Anyone helping to advance Hezbollah’s political or economic interests is further eroding what remains of effective governance and facilitating financing for terrorism."
Lebanon’s government has been serving Hezbollah’s interests for years, and the terror group continues to stockpile munitions on the country’s border with Israel.
Both Finyanus and Khalil used their positions in the Lebanese government to siphon funds to Hezbollah front companies, which are heavily sanctioned across the globe and in need of cash. Both individuals also accepted cash from Hezbollah to help it secure government contracts and other lucrative business deals.
The Trump administration has sanctioned more than 90 Hezbollah-tied individuals since 2017.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Facing Isolation, Palestinians Walk Back Criticism of UAE-Israel Peace Deal

The Palestinian government reportedly softened its stance toward a recent peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates , signaling that Palestinian leaders have become even more isolated regionally as a result of their hardline rhetoric and ongoing support for terrorism .
Palestinian leaders are scheduled to unveil a draft resolution on the Israel-UAE peace accord later this week during a meeting of the Arab League in Cairo .
While senior Palestinian officials initially reacted to the historic peace deal with anger and threats , their draft resolution walks back this hostility .
The measure `` does not include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against , the Emirates over the U.S.-brokered deal , '' according to Reuters .
The Palestinian government recalled its ambassador from the UAE after the peace deal was announced and vowed he would not return to the country until the peace agreement was nixed .
The Palestinians found themselves further isolated in the region , however , as the deal gained support from Gulf Arab nations and others , paving the way for Bahrain to possibly ink its own peace deal with Israel .
In recent days , Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal and attacking Arab supporters .
The draft Palestinian measure now states that the peace agreement does not `` diminish Arab consensus over the Palestinian cause , the Palestinian cause is the cause of the entire Arab nation , '' according to Reuters .
`` The trilateral announcement doesn ’ t change the principal Arab vision based on the fact that the two-state solution on the 1967 borders is the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East . ''
A more hardline resolution was unlikely to receive any support at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders who called the peace deal `` a stab in the back '' only served to further isolate Palestinian officials from their Arab neighbors .
The region ’ s chief opponents of the deal still remain Iran and its terrorist proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon .

The Palestinian government reportedly softened its stance toward a recent peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, signaling that Palestinian leaders have become even more isolated regionally as a result of their hardline rhetoric and ongoing support for terrorism.
Palestinian leaders are scheduled to unveil a draft resolution on the Israel-UAE peace accord later this week during a meeting of the Arab League in Cairo. While senior Palestinian officials initially reacted to the historic peace deal with anger and threats, their draft resolution walks back this hostility. The measure "does not include a call to condemn, or act against, the Emirates over the U.S.-brokered deal," according to Reuters.
The Palestinian government recalled its ambassador from the UAE after the peace deal was announced and vowed he would not return to the country until the peace agreement was nixed. The Palestinians found themselves further isolated in the region, however, as the deal gained support from Gulf Arab nations and others, paving the way for Bahrain to possibly ink its own peace deal with Israel. In recent days, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas issued orders banning his government from condemning the deal and attacking Arab supporters.
The draft Palestinian measure now states that the peace agreement does not "diminish Arab consensus over the Palestinian cause, the Palestinian cause is the cause of the entire Arab nation," according to Reuters. "The trilateral announcement doesn’t change the principal Arab vision based on the fact that the two-state solution on the 1967 borders is the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East."
A more hardline resolution was unlikely to receive any support at the Arab League. Early criticism from Palestinian leaders who called the peace deal "a stab in the back" only served to further isolate Palestinian officials from their Arab neighbors. The region’s chief opponents of the deal still remain Iran and its terrorist proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon.


freebeacon--2020-09-08--Disney’s Mulan Takes Heat for Bowing Down to Beijing

Hollywood powerhouse Disney is facing criticism after reports that portions of its new live-action remake of Mulan were filmed in Xinjiang , where China detains and abuses millions of Uighur Muslims .
Not only did Disney fail to recognize atrocities committed by the Chinese government in the Xinjiang province where Mulan was filmed , but it went out of its way to thank Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) entities responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang in the closing credits .
In western China—particularly in the province of Xinjiang—the CCP oversees a `` culture of death '' where late-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genocide are common .
Links between the film and the Chinese government do not end with its filming in Xinjiang .
Liu Yifei , a Chinese-born actress who played the titular character Mulan , in 2019 went on record to support the Hong Kong police crackdown on pro-democracy protests .
Police action in the city heightened this summer following the CCP ’ s hostile takeover of Hong Kong .
`` I support Hong Kong 's police , you can beat me up now , '' Liu wrote in a post on the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shame for Hong Kong . ''
As a result of Disney 's failure to condemn the atrocities as well as comments made by Liu Yifei , the film 's lead actress , in support of the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in Hong Kong , activists are calling for a boycott of the film on social media .
`` Because Disney kowtows to Beijing , and because Liu Yifei openly and proudly endorses police brutality in Hong Kong , I urge everyone who believes in human rights to # BoycottMulan , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Disney has made values-based choices in choosing filming locations in years past .
In 2019 , Disney 's then-CEO Bob Iger told Reuters it would be `` very difficult '' to continue shooting films like Black Panther and Avengers : Endgame in Georgia after Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s ( R. ) passage of a law banning abortion after a heartbeat in the fetus is detected .
`` I think many people who work for us will not want to work there , and we will have to heed their wishes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Right now we are watching it very carefully . ''
Disney is not the only Hollywood powerhouse with ties to the CCP .
A July Free Beacon report detailed close ties between film distributor Cinedigm and Chinese military-affiliated individuals and enterprises .
And China 's influence over America 's film industry was on display when the highly anticipated sequel to Top Gun omitted a Taiwanese flag from a jacket on set to ease market entry into China .
China 's ruthless treatment of the Uighur population is well-documented and has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration .
`` Beijing ’ s atrocities against the Uighurs include horrific acts against women including forced abortion , forced sterilization , and other coercive birth control methods , state-sponsored forced labor , sexual violence including through rape in detention , compulsory home-stays by Han officials , and forced marriages , '' National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot told the Washington Free Beacon .
Ullyot added that the CCP 's treatment of the Uighurs is the `` largest incarceration of an ethnic minority since World War II . ''

Hollywood powerhouse Disney is facing criticism after reports that portions of its new live-action remake of Mulan were filmed in Xinjiang, where China detains and abuses millions of Uighur Muslims.
Not only did Disney fail to recognize atrocities committed by the Chinese government in the Xinjiang province where Mulan was filmed, but it went out of its way to thank Chinese Communist Party (CCP) entities responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang in the closing credits. In western China—particularly in the province of Xinjiang—the CCP oversees a "culture of death" where late-term abortions, forced sterilization, and cultural genocide are common.
Links between the film and the Chinese government do not end with its filming in Xinjiang. Liu Yifei, a Chinese-born actress who played the titular character Mulan, in 2019 went on record to support the Hong Kong police crackdown on pro-democracy protests. Police action in the city heightened this summer following the CCP’s hostile takeover of Hong Kong.
"I support Hong Kong's police, you can beat me up now," Liu wrote in a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. "What a shame for Hong Kong."
As a result of Disney's failure to condemn the atrocities as well as comments made by Liu Yifei, the film's lead actress, in support of the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in Hong Kong, activists are calling for a boycott of the film on social media.
"Because Disney kowtows to Beijing, and because Liu Yifei openly and proudly endorses police brutality in Hong Kong, I urge everyone who believes in human rights to #BoycottMulan," Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong tweeted Friday.
Disney has made values-based choices in choosing filming locations in years past. In 2019, Disney's then-CEO Bob Iger told Reuters it would be "very difficult" to continue shooting films like Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame in Georgia after Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R.) passage of a law banning abortion after a heartbeat in the fetus is detected.
"I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard," Iger said. "Right now we are watching it very carefully."
Disney is not the only Hollywood powerhouse with ties to the CCP. A July Free Beacon report detailed close ties between film distributor Cinedigm and Chinese military-affiliated individuals and enterprises. And China's influence over America's film industry was on display when the highly anticipated sequel to Top Gun omitted a Taiwanese flag from a jacket on set to ease market entry into China.
China's ruthless treatment of the Uighur population is well-documented and has been condemned by top officials in the Trump administration.
"Beijing’s atrocities against the Uighurs include horrific acts against women including forced abortion, forced sterilization, and other coercive birth control methods, state-sponsored forced labor, sexual violence including through rape in detention, compulsory home-stays by Han officials, and forced marriages," National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot told the Washington Free Beacon.
Ullyot added that the CCP's treatment of the Uighurs is the "largest incarceration of an ethnic minority since World War II."