freebeacon--2020-03-11--Ousted Sen. McCaskill Falsely Claims GOP Senator Hasn’t Held Hearings on Coronavirus

Sen. Ron Johnson ( R. , Wis. ) pushed back forcefully Wednesday after former Democratic senator Claire McCaskill claimed he had n't held Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearings to address the Wuhan coronavirus .
`` Claire does n't know what she 's talking about , '' Johnson told MSNBC after McCaskill ripped the committee chairman on Morning Joe .
`` It 's a ridiculous charge , '' Johnson said .
`` I actually can walk and chew gum at the same time .
I think you can tell from my earlier answer , I 'm fully briefed because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of coronavirus , so most of my time and effort has been about border issues , coronavirus , cybersecurity . ''
Johnson 's committee held a hearing last week with Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services officials entitled , `` Federal Interagency Response to the Coronavirus and Preparing for Future Global Pandemics . ''
He also held a roundtable on protecting the United States from coronavirus last month and wrote letters to Department of Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar and acting Department of Homeland Security secretary Chad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat the outbreak .
Johnson 's actions did n't stop McCaskill from railing against her former colleague , calling him a `` joke '' and an `` embarrassing tool '' for wanting to go forward with an investigation of Hunter Biden and Ukrainian gas company Burisma at the apparent expense of a coronavirus response .
`` He is chairman of the Homeland Security Committee , '' she said .
`` Right ?
He has jurisdiction over coronavirus and the federal response .
Is he calling a hearing ?
Is he trying to figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a shelf in the state of Washington until they were no longer good ?
Is he going to tell people why they ca n't get the test ?
No… .
People should be really angry about this . ''
Pressed about the timing of this week 's committee subpoena vote related to the Burisma probe , Johnson said the inquiry was the continuation of a congressional oversight investigation dating back to 2017 .
He later announced he would delay the vote .

Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) pushed back forcefully Wednesday after former Democratic senator Claire McCaskill claimed he hadn't held Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearings to address the Wuhan coronavirus.
"Claire doesn't know what she's talking about," Johnson told MSNBC after McCaskill ripped the committee chairman on Morning Joe.
"It's a ridiculous charge," Johnson said. "I actually can walk and chew gum at the same time. I think you can tell from my earlier answer, I'm fully briefed because this administration has been incredibly accessible in terms of coronavirus, so most of my time and effort has been about border issues, coronavirus, cybersecurity."
Johnson's committee held a hearing last week with Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services officials entitled, "Federal Interagency Response to the Coronavirus and Preparing for Future Global Pandemics." He also held a roundtable on protecting the United States from coronavirus last month and wrote letters to Department of Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar and acting Department of Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf about their departments' plans to combat the outbreak.
Johnson's actions didn't stop McCaskill from railing against her former colleague, calling him a "joke" and an "embarrassing tool" for wanting to go forward with an investigation of Hunter Biden and Ukrainian gas company Burisma at the apparent expense of a coronavirus response.
"He is chairman of the Homeland Security Committee," she said. "Right? He has jurisdiction over coronavirus and the federal response. Is he calling a hearing? Is he trying to figure out why first responders' tests aged on a shelf in the state of Washington until they were no longer good? Is he going to tell people why they can't get the test? No.... People should be really angry about this."
Pressed about the timing of this week's committee subpoena vote related to the Burisma probe, Johnson said the inquiry was the continuation of a congressional oversight investigation dating back to 2017. He later announced he would delay the vote.
MSNBC didn't respond to a request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-03-11--Supreme Court Saves Trump’s ‘Wait in Mexico’ Policy as Government Warns of Border Surge

The Supreme Court revived the Trump administration 's `` Remain in Mexico '' policy for asylum seekers Wednesday after the Ninth U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals put the program on hold .
Some 60,000 migrants have been returned to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols ( MPP ) , and approximately 25,000 are currently seeking entry .
The Trump administration said the Ninth Circuit 's injunction could prompt chaos at the border , warning that thousands of migrants would immediately seek entry if the protocols are suspended .
The vote count for Wednesday 's order was not disclosed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted her dissent .
The stay will remain in effect while the administration readies its formal appeal to the Supreme Court .
The justices will likely agree to hear the case .
Wednesday 's order relieves the government of the politically fraught challenge of processing and detaining thousands of asylum-seekers now on the Mexican side of the border in the midst of a pandemic .
The decision is the latest in a series of administration victories on immigration issues before the Supreme Court .
The justices have also stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump 's travel sanctions and the use of Pentagon funds for the border wall .
The Trump administration leaned heavily on the injunction 's consequences in its emergency appeal to the High Court .
A senior official at U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) wrote in a sworn statement that the Ninth Circuit 's decision had disrupted border security operations .
For example , authorities closed the Paso Del Norte port of entry in El Paso in late February after several hundred foreign nationals subject to MPP congregated near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issuance of the Ninth Circuit 's decision , mass gatherings on the Mexican side of the border were determined to be a safety risk to the traveling public and CBP personnel , and operational decisions were made to temporarily suspend port operations in certain locations , '' the official wrote .
U.S. ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau similarly warned of adverse consequences in his own sworn statement , writing that the panel 's decision would have a `` severely prejudicial impact '' on U.S.-Mexico relations if left in place .
A spokeswoman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` have been critical to restoring the government 's ability to manage the Southwest border and to work cooperatively with the Mexican government to address illegal immigration , '' following Wednesday 's decision .
The American Civil Liberties Union represented migrant rights groups and asylum seekers before the Supreme Court .
ACLU lawyers wrote in court documents that the government 's concerns are overstated since any disorder following the suspension of MPP would be short-lived .
The ACLU also said the government itself has acknowledged the danger asylum seekers face in Mexico .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the victimization of migrants in Mexico , including kidnappings , extortion , and sexual violence , '' one ACLU filing reads .
`` The Court of Appeals unequivocally declared this policy to be illegal .
The Supreme Court should as well , '' ACLU lawyer Judy Rabinovitz said following Wednesday 's order .
`` Asylum seekers face grave danger and irreversible harm every day this depraved policy remains in effect . ''
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit put the protocols on hold Feb. 28 by a two-to-one vote .
The court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous settings violates U.S. treaty obligations .
The decision cites a number of sworn statements from migrants describing targeted kidnapping and gang violence from criminal elements like MS-13 and Mara 18 .
`` Several declarants described violence and threats of violence in Mexico , '' the decision reads .
`` Much of the violence was directed at the declarants because they were non-Mexican—that is , because of their nationality , a protected ground under asylum law . ''
The administration argued that asylum applicants are subject to an immigration law provision that allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` contiguous territory '' before appearing in immigration court .
The panel , however , said that section applies to criminals or those infected with communicable diseases , not asylum seekers generally .
The United States and Mexico finalized MPP in 2018 , as successive waves of Central American migrants journeyed through Mexico to submit asylum claims at the U.S. border .
Authorities encountered approximately 2,000 illegal aliens per day at the southern border in the waning months of 2018 , according to the Department of Homeland Security .
While those figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant increases in the number of families arriving at the border .
DHS says the detention and removal of migrant families is a leading cause of a growing case backlog in the immigration courts .
The case is No .
19A960 Chad Wolf v. Innovation Law Lab .

The Supreme Court revived the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy for asylum seekers Wednesday after the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the program on hold.
Some 60,000 migrants have been returned to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), and approximately 25,000 are currently seeking entry. The Trump administration said the Ninth Circuit's injunction could prompt chaos at the border, warning that thousands of migrants would immediately seek entry if the protocols are suspended.
The vote count for Wednesday's order was not disclosed, as is typical of such orders, though Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted her dissent. The stay will remain in effect while the administration readies its formal appeal to the Supreme Court. The justices will likely agree to hear the case.
Wednesday's order relieves the government of the politically fraught challenge of processing and detaining thousands of asylum-seekers now on the Mexican side of the border in the midst of a pandemic. The decision is the latest in a series of administration victories on immigration issues before the Supreme Court. The justices have also stepped in to block court orders barring President Donald Trump's travel sanctions and the use of Pentagon funds for the border wall.
The Trump administration leaned heavily on the injunction's consequences in its emergency appeal to the High Court. A senior official at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wrote in a sworn statement that the Ninth Circuit's decision had disrupted border security operations. For example, authorities closed the Paso Del Norte port of entry in El Paso in late February after several hundred foreign nationals subject to MPP congregated near the border.
"Within hours of the issuance of the Ninth Circuit's decision, mass gatherings on the Mexican side of the border were determined to be a safety risk to the traveling public and CBP personnel, and operational decisions were made to temporarily suspend port operations in certain locations," the official wrote.
U.S. ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau similarly warned of adverse consequences in his own sworn statement, writing that the panel's decision would have a "severely prejudicial impact" on U.S.-Mexico relations if left in place.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said the protocols "have been critical to restoring the government's ability to manage the Southwest border and to work cooperatively with the Mexican government to address illegal immigration," following Wednesday's decision.
The American Civil Liberties Union represented migrant rights groups and asylum seekers before the Supreme Court. ACLU lawyers wrote in court documents that the government's concerns are overstated since any disorder following the suspension of MPP would be short-lived.
The ACLU also said the government itself has acknowledged the danger asylum seekers face in Mexico. The Department of State "has recognized the victimization of migrants in Mexico, including kidnappings, extortion, and sexual violence," one ACLU filing reads. "The Court of Appeals unequivocally declared this policy to be illegal. The Supreme Court should as well," ACLU lawyer Judy Rabinovitz said following Wednesday's order. "Asylum seekers face grave danger and irreversible harm every day this depraved policy remains in effect."
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit put the protocols on hold Feb. 28 by a two-to-one vote. The court acknowledged concerns that returning asylum applicants to dangerous settings violates U.S. treaty obligations. The decision cites a number of sworn statements from migrants describing targeted kidnapping and gang violence from criminal elements like MS-13 and Mara 18.
"Several declarants described violence and threats of violence in Mexico," the decision reads. "Much of the violence was directed at the declarants because they were non-Mexican—that is, because of their nationality, a protected ground under asylum law."
The administration argued that asylum applicants are subject to an immigration law provision that allows the attorney general to return migrants to a "contiguous territory" before appearing in immigration court. The panel, however, said that section applies to criminals or those infected with communicable diseases, not asylum seekers generally.
The United States and Mexico finalized MPP in 2018, as successive waves of Central American migrants journeyed through Mexico to submit asylum claims at the U.S. border.
Authorities encountered approximately 2,000 illegal aliens per day at the southern border in the waning months of 2018, according to the Department of Homeland Security. While those figures are not all-time highs, authorities saw significant increases in the number of families arriving at the border. DHS says the detention and removal of migrant families is a leading cause of a growing case backlog in the immigration courts.
The case is No. 19A960 Chad Wolf v. Innovation Law Lab.


freebeacon--2020-03-11--U.S. Outraged Over Europe’s Refusal to Extend Iran Sanctions

The European Union is resisting Trump administration efforts to foster greater international coordination on holding Tehran accountable for its rising sponsorship of terrorism and expanding ballistic missile program , according to State Department documents viewed exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon .
`` The EU had no new [ sanctions ] designations in the second half of 2019 , '' the State Department informed Congress last month in a nonpublic notification that highlights the deepening divide between the Trump administration and its European allies when it comes to sanctioning Iran .
The EU 's opposition to new sanctions has outraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been pressuring Europe to take a unified stand with the United States against Iran 's expanding missile program and financing of regional terror groups .
European leaders maintain that any new sanctions would prompt Tehran to leave the landmark nuclear accord , which Iran has been violating for several months .
A senior State Department official , speaking only on background about the developing situation , confirmed to the Free Beacon the administration is consistently pressing its European allies to stop turning a blind eye to Tehran 's aggression .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which the United Kingdom withdrew from the EU , as a prime opportunity to partner with the country on the anti-Iran effort , the Free Beacon has learned .
`` We have repeatedly asked the EU and the [ United Kingdom ] to match our sanctions on the Iranian regime , particularly on Iran 's nuclear and missile program , but also on Iran 's terrorist proxies , '' a State Department spokesman told the Free Beacon .
`` But there is still great fear within the E3 [ France , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran will jeopardize the nuclear deal .
With the U.K. out of the EU , we do see a renewed opportunity for the U.K. to sanction the regime .
We will keep pressing the point . ''
The historically close alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom could bolster efforts to strangle Iran 's financial lifeline to Europe .
But even as Iran stockpiles large amounts of enriched uranium—the key component in a nuclear weapon—it is the country 's missile program that has emerged in recent weeks as one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its global partners .
A United Nations ban on Iran 's procurement of advanced missiles is set to lift in October—despite Trump administration efforts to prevent the lifting .
Already , countries such as Russia have said they will block American efforts at the U.N. to stop the arms ban from expiring .
While the EU did not issue any new sanctions in the second half of 2019 , it did renew 171 human rights and proliferation measures on Iran , according to the documents .
However , this stands in stark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued throughout 2019 by the Trump administration on sectors ranging from Iran 's missile program to its terrorism network , human rights violations , and repeated nuclear breaches .
The administration also took the unprecedented step of sanctioning senior Iranian leaders and members of its elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps .
The four-page report viewed by the Free Beacon covers the second half of 2019 and lists over 70 individuals and entities that the United States sanctioned during that period that the EU did not impose sanctions against .
One former senior Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat Iran told the Free Beacon that Europe must be forced to follow America 's lead .
The source said that U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson could be instrumental in this effort .
`` The Europeans have never let go of the Iran deal , which is why they continue to oppose any new sanctions on Iran , '' the former official said , speaking only on background .
`` The mullahs blew up 5 percent of global oil supply , stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad , took British and other European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , murdered 1,500 people in the streets , and blew a passenger jet out of the sky—zero sanctions in response .
At some point , someone in Europe needs to stand up and say Iran is not our friend , America is our strongest ally , and we are going to do what we can to stop the mullahs from building nuclear weapons with long-range missiles to hit London . ''
The only solution to Europe 's intransigence is for the United States to petition the United Nations Security Council for a full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the landmark nuclear accord , the source said .
Republican hawks in Congress and inside the administration have been lobbying Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to invoke the snapback mechanism for some time .
The administration , however , has not yet decided on whether it will trigger this option .
`` Boris Johnson could be that leader but it all starts with snapback at the Security Council to open the floodgates , '' the former official said .
Hardliners in Congress said they are under no illusions about Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage .
`` The Europeans are on Iran 's team .
They come up to Congress and tell lawmakers that they 're working with the Trump administration against Iran , and now we learn from the State Department that actually they 're ignoring our diplomats , they 're not taking any actions , and on top of everything else they 're trying to move billions of dollars to the Iranian regime , '' said one congressional GOP aide who works on Iran issues .
`` Everybody knows they 're just trying to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they think they 're being clever . ''

The European Union is resisting Trump administration efforts to foster greater international coordination on holding Tehran accountable for its rising sponsorship of terrorism and expanding ballistic missile program, according to State Department documents viewed exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon.
"The EU had no new [sanctions] designations in the second half of 2019," the State Department informed Congress last month in a nonpublic notification that highlights the deepening divide between the Trump administration and its European allies when it comes to sanctioning Iran.
The EU's opposition to new sanctions has outraged hardliners in the administration and Congress who have been pressuring Europe to take a unified stand with the United States against Iran's expanding missile program and financing of regional terror groups. European leaders maintain that any new sanctions would prompt Tehran to leave the landmark nuclear accord, which Iran has been violating for several months.
A senior State Department official, speaking only on background about the developing situation, confirmed to the Free Beacon the administration is consistently pressing its European allies to stop turning a blind eye to Tehran's aggression.
In fact, the United States now views Brexit, in which the United Kingdom withdrew from the EU, as a prime opportunity to partner with the country on the anti-Iran effort, the Free Beacon has learned.
"We have repeatedly asked the EU and the [United Kingdom] to match our sanctions on the Iranian regime, particularly on Iran's nuclear and missile program, but also on Iran's terrorist proxies," a State Department spokesman told the Free Beacon. "But there is still great fear within the E3 [France, Germany, and Italy] that sanctioning Iran will jeopardize the nuclear deal. With the U.K. out of the EU, we do see a renewed opportunity for the U.K. to sanction the regime. We will keep pressing the point."
The historically close alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom could bolster efforts to strangle Iran's financial lifeline to Europe.
But even as Iran stockpiles large amounts of enriched uranium—the key component in a nuclear weapon—it is the country's missile program that has emerged in recent weeks as one of the more contentious disagreements between the United States and its global partners.
A United Nations ban on Iran's procurement of advanced missiles is set to lift in October—despite Trump administration efforts to prevent the lifting. Already, countries such as Russia have said they will block American efforts at the U.N. to stop the arms ban from expiring.
While the EU did not issue any new sanctions in the second half of 2019, it did renew 171 human rights and proliferation measures on Iran, according to the documents.
However, this stands in stark contrast to the scores of new sanctions issued throughout 2019 by the Trump administration on sectors ranging from Iran's missile program to its terrorism network, human rights violations, and repeated nuclear breaches. The administration also took the unprecedented step of sanctioning senior Iranian leaders and members of its elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The four-page report viewed by the Free Beacon covers the second half of 2019 and lists over 70 individuals and entities that the United States sanctioned during that period that the EU did not impose sanctions against.
One former senior Trump administration official familiar with the efforts to combat Iran told the Free Beacon that Europe must be forced to follow America's lead. The source said that U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson could be instrumental in this effort.
"The Europeans have never let go of the Iran deal, which is why they continue to oppose any new sanctions on Iran," the former official said, speaking only on background. "The mullahs blew up 5 percent of global oil supply, stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, took British and other European citizens hostage, arrested the British ambassador, murdered 1,500 people in the streets, and blew a passenger jet out of the sky—zero sanctions in response. At some point, someone in Europe needs to stand up and say Iran is not our friend, America is our strongest ally, and we are going to do what we can to stop the mullahs from building nuclear weapons with long-range missiles to hit London."
The only solution to Europe's intransigence is for the United States to petition the United Nations Security Council for a full "snapback" of all sanctions lifted under the landmark nuclear accord, the source said. Republican hawks in Congress and inside the administration have been lobbying Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to invoke the snapback mechanism for some time. The administration, however, has not yet decided on whether it will trigger this option.
"Boris Johnson could be that leader but it all starts with snapback at the Security Council to open the floodgates," the former official said.
Hardliners in Congress said they are under no illusions about Europe's efforts to coddle Iran despite U.S. outrage.
"The Europeans are on Iran's team. They come up to Congress and tell lawmakers that they're working with the Trump administration against Iran, and now we learn from the State Department that actually they're ignoring our diplomats, they're not taking any actions, and on top of everything else they're trying to move billions of dollars to the Iranian regime," said one congressional GOP aide who works on Iran issues. "Everybody knows they're just trying to run out the clock on Trump, but they think they're being clever."


freebeacon--2020-03-11--Continetti: Backlash to Impeachment Led to Republicans’ Rising Approval Ratings

Washington Free Beacon founding editor Matthew Continetti said congressional Republicans ' rising approval rating is a result of impeachment backfiring on Democrats .
`` I think it 's good news in the sense that it 's another example of impeachment backlash , '' Continetti said Tuesday on Newsmax 's Spicer and Co. `` Not only did impeachment benefit the president 's approval rating , it clearly seems to have improved the approval rating of Republicans in Congress .
That can only be a good thing in the months ahead . ''
Anchor Sean Spicer asked if the rising approval rating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the minority party in the House .
Continetti pointed out that the last time the Republicans had a higher approval rating than the Democrats , they were in the majority in 2005 .
Gallup ‘ s poll found that Utah senator Mitt Romney is the only Republican with a higher approval rating among Democrats than among Republicans , which Continetti argued wo n't help him in his conservative home state .
Romney was the only Republican senator to break ranks and vote for conviction on one of the articles of impeachment .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romney ] in terms of the internal politics in Utah .
Of course , he has another four years left in his term , so there 's plenty of time for him to recover , '' Continetti said .
`` It proves one thing about Washington : If you want to be loved , go after Donald Trump .
That 's all it takes in this town now . ''
Forty percent of Gallup 's respondents approved of the performance of congressional Republicans , while 35 percent approved of congressional Democrats .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had increased by 6 points since last October , before the impeachment process began .

Washington Free Beacon founding editor Matthew Continetti said congressional Republicans' rising approval rating is a result of impeachment backfiring on Democrats.
"I think it's good news in the sense that it's another example of impeachment backlash," Continetti said Tuesday on Newsmax's Spicer and Co. "Not only did impeachment benefit the president's approval rating, it clearly seems to have improved the approval rating of Republicans in Congress. That can only be a good thing in the months ahead."
Anchor Sean Spicer asked if the rising approval rating was a result of the Republicans being the minority party in the House. Continetti pointed out that the last time the Republicans had a higher approval rating than the Democrats, they were in the majority in 2005.
Gallup's poll found that Utah senator Mitt Romney is the only Republican with a higher approval rating among Democrats than among Republicans, which Continetti argued won't help him in his conservative home state. Romney was the only Republican senator to break ranks and vote for conviction on one of the articles of impeachment.
"It's probably not good for [Romney] in terms of the internal politics in Utah. Of course, he has another four years left in his term, so there's plenty of time for him to recover," Continetti said. "It proves one thing about Washington: If you want to be loved, go after Donald Trump. That's all it takes in this town now."
Forty percent of Gallup's respondents approved of the performance of congressional Republicans, while 35 percent approved of congressional Democrats. The poll noted that the Republican approval rating had increased by 6 points since last October, before the impeachment process began.


freebeacon--2020-03-11--He Persists: Socialist Sanders Refuses to Abandon Doomed Campaign

Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) said Wednesday he will continue in the Democratic presidential primary even as Joe Biden expands his delegate lead .
`` We are strongly winning in two enormously important areas which will determine the future of our country , '' Sanders said during a press conference in Burlington , Vt. `` Poll after poll , including exit polls , show that a strong majority of the American people support our progressive agenda . ''
Sanders argued that `` millions '' of Biden voters agree with Sanders 's agenda but consider Biden a better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` While our campaign has won the ideological debate , we are losing the debate over electability , '' Sanders said .
He also celebrated how his campaign has also been winning `` the generational '' debate .
`` It is not just the ideological debate that our progressive movement is winning , '' Sanders said .
`` We are winning the generational debate .
While Joe Biden continues to do very well with older Americans , especially those people over 65 , our campaign continues to win the vast majority of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said young voters `` represent the future of our country '' and the Democratic establishment must address the issues they care about .
`` You can not simply be satisfied by winning the votes of people who are older , '' he said .
He reiterated key points from his platform while challenging Biden to speak to the same issues moving forward .
Sanders also said he looks forward to debating Biden on Sunday , March 15 .
Some Biden supporters and members of the media have floated the idea of the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whip James Clyburn ( D. , S.C. ) , whose endorsement powered Biden 's comeback performance in South Carolina .

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) said Wednesday he will continue in the Democratic presidential primary even as Joe Biden expands his delegate lead.
"We are strongly winning in two enormously important areas which will determine the future of our country," Sanders said during a press conference in Burlington, Vt. "Poll after poll, including exit polls, show that a strong majority of the American people support our progressive agenda."
Sanders argued that "millions" of Biden voters agree with Sanders's agenda but consider Biden a better bet to beat President Donald Trump.
"While our campaign has won the ideological debate, we are losing the debate over electability," Sanders said.
He also celebrated how his campaign has also been winning "the generational" debate.
"It is not just the ideological debate that our progressive movement is winning," Sanders said. "We are winning the generational debate. While Joe Biden continues to do very well with older Americans, especially those people over 65, our campaign continues to win the vast majority of the votes of younger people."
Sanders said young voters "represent the future of our country" and the Democratic establishment must address the issues they care about.
"You cannot simply be satisfied by winning the votes of people who are older," he said.
He reiterated key points from his platform while challenging Biden to speak to the same issues moving forward.
Sanders also said he looks forward to debating Biden on Sunday, March 15. Some Biden supporters and members of the media have floated the idea of the debate not taking place, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D., S.C.), whose endorsement powered Biden's comeback performance in South Carolina.


freebeacon--2020-03-11--Hunter Biden Reaches Settlement in Child Support Case After Court Denies Latest Delay Attempt

Lawyers for Hunter Biden reached a final child support settlement with the Arkansas mother of his child late Tuesday night after a judge blasted the former vice president 's son for his repeated attempts to delay the case , likely avoiding the release of financial documents that could expose his business dealings abroad .
Biden ’ s lawyers on Tuesday argued he would be unable to attend scheduled hearings this week , citing the approaching due date of his pregnant wife , `` intense media scrutiny '' caused by his father Joe Biden 's presidential bid , and travel restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were rejected by Arkansas circuit judge Holly Meyer , who admonished Biden , the defendant in the case , for his repeated attempts to delay the case .
`` For context in ruling on this Motion the Court has reviewed the history of this litigation and finds that the Defendant has been given considerable leniency regarding continuances and delay , '' the order states .
`` The defendant ’ s attempts to delay this case are mounting such that one begins to see a pattern of delay . ''
On Wednesday morning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the judge that they had reached a final settlement with Biden that , pending court approval , will end the nearly 10-month-long legal battle .
`` Late last night , after the court entered the order , we reached a global , final settlement of all issues , '' Roberts 's lawyer wrote in an email to Judge Meyer .
The agreement comes after months of delays from Biden , who is now on his second legal team for the child support case .
Lawyers for Roberts last Friday called for Biden to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure to submit financial documents , which would likely shed light on just how much he earned through connections to foreign companies , including his lucrative position on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma .
The judge on Tuesday afternoon rejected his calls to further delay the case , saying none of the reasons stated by his lawyers were satisfactory excuses to grant the requested continuance .
Judge Meyer said Biden was aware his wife 's due date would be approaching when he initially scheduled this week 's deposition .
Meyer also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence at the Arkansas proceeding `` is not required nor even suggested . ''
Meyer also rejected Biden ’ s claim that `` intense media scrutiny '' caused by political connections was an excuse to avoid appearances , noting that Biden will continue to be a public figure .
`` The defense second cites ongoing publicity surrounding the 2020 primary and presidential elections , as well as media attention as good cause to continue this case , '' Meyer 's order stated .
`` The Court can not foresee this subsiding as Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his person will continue . ''
Finally , Meyer repulsed Biden 's claim that he can not travel to Arkansas due to the coronavirus .
`` The defendant can come by plane , train , or automobile but life and work will and should continue in our communities and courts .
No health threat specific to the defendant has been identified , reasonable precautions are appropriate . ''
Roberts 's lawyers told the judge that they reached the settlement late Tuesday night after her order was received by the parties .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court and is expected to be sent by Roberts ’ s attorneys `` later today or tomorrow . ''
The terms of the agreement have not been stated , and Biden 's appearance in court will still be required if the court fails to approve the settlement .

Lawyers for Hunter Biden reached a final child support settlement with the Arkansas mother of his child late Tuesday night after a judge blasted the former vice president's son for his repeated attempts to delay the case, likely avoiding the release of financial documents that could expose his business dealings abroad.
Biden’s lawyers on Tuesday argued he would be unable to attend scheduled hearings this week, citing the approaching due date of his pregnant wife, "intense media scrutiny" caused by his father Joe Biden's presidential bid, and travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus. The claims were rejected by Arkansas circuit judge Holly Meyer, who admonished Biden, the defendant in the case, for his repeated attempts to delay the case.
"For context in ruling on this Motion the Court has reviewed the history of this litigation and finds that the Defendant has been given considerable leniency regarding continuances and delay," the order states. "The defendant’s attempts to delay this case are mounting such that one begins to see a pattern of delay."
On Wednesday morning, lawyers for plaintiff Lunden Alexis Roberts alerted the judge that they had reached a final settlement with Biden that, pending court approval, will end the nearly 10-month-long legal battle.
"Late last night, after the court entered the order, we reached a global, final settlement of all issues," Roberts's lawyer wrote in an email to Judge Meyer.
The agreement comes after months of delays from Biden, who is now on his second legal team for the child support case. Lawyers for Roberts last Friday called for Biden to be held in contempt for his continued failure to submit financial documents, which would likely shed light on just how much he earned through connections to foreign companies, including his lucrative position on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma.
The judge on Tuesday afternoon rejected his calls to further delay the case, saying none of the reasons stated by his lawyers were satisfactory excuses to grant the requested continuance. Judge Meyer said Biden was aware his wife's due date would be approaching when he initially scheduled this week's deposition. Meyer also made clear that Biden's wife's presence at the Arkansas proceeding "is not required nor even suggested."
Meyer also rejected Biden’s claim that "intense media scrutiny" caused by political connections was an excuse to avoid appearances, noting that Biden will continue to be a public figure.
"The defense second cites ongoing publicity surrounding the 2020 primary and presidential elections, as well as media attention as good cause to continue this case," Meyer's order stated. "The Court cannot foresee this subsiding as Mr. Biden is a public figure and interest in his person will continue."
Finally, Meyer repulsed Biden's claim that he cannot travel to Arkansas due to the coronavirus. "The defendant can come by plane, train, or automobile but life and work will and should continue in our communities and courts. No health threat specific to the defendant has been identified, reasonable precautions are appropriate."
Roberts's lawyers told the judge that they reached the settlement late Tuesday night after her order was received by the parties.
The settlement has not yet been submitted to the court and is expected to be sent by Roberts’s attorneys "later today or tomorrow." The terms of the agreement have not been stated, and Biden's appearance in court will still be required if the court fails to approve the settlement.


freebeacon--2020-03-13--The Fight Against Socialism Isn’t Over

The Fight Against Socialism Isn’t Over

Democrats are breathing a sigh of relief .
Joe Biden 's victories on `` Mini Tuesday '' make his delegate lead all but insurmountable .
Bernie Sanders 's electoral weakness , compared with his performance four years ago , has dulled the fear of an incipient socialist takeover of the world 's oldest political party .
The left is said to have talked itself into believing its own propaganda and helped President Trump equate Democrats with socialism .
Victory in the primary did not come from pledges to eliminate private health insurance or impose wealth taxes .
It followed from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best able to defeat Trump .
Do n't write off the socialist revival just yet .
Sanders might not win the Democratic nomination .
But this outcome does not mean the forces that propelled him to second-place finishes in the two most recent Democratic primaries will vanish overnight .
Abandoning the intellectual fight against socialism , both inside and outside the Democratic Party , would cede the field to an increasingly sophisticated and networked band of ideological activists whose influence in media and politics is greater than their numbers .
Such ambivalence could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The resurgent left has pushed Biden far beyond where he stood as vice president .
And a socialist infrastructure guarantees the philosophy 's longevity .
Aspiring Democratic politicians must at least deal with , if not pay obeisance to , groups such as the Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists of America .
Especially if they inhabit a deep-blue district ripe for picking by the `` Squad . ''
Fashionable , lively , radical , and controversial outlets , including Jacobin , Current Affairs , the Young Turks , Chapo Trap House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instagram and Twitter accounts .
And the New York Times magazine 's `` 1619 Project '' shows that the mainstream media is responsive to , and willing to participate in , the latest trends in anti-Americanism .
The most obvious reason not to dismiss the Sanders phenomenon is demographic .
On Super Tuesday , Sanders won 30- to 44-year-olds by 18 points , and 18- to 29-year-olds by a staggering 43 points .
He defeated Biden by 9 points among Hispanic voters and by 25 points among Asian voters .
Asian Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hispanics are second .
Sanders 's protegée , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a 30-year-old woman of Puerto Rican descent , represents this ethno-generational cohort .
Their place in American life will not be denied .
Right now , socialism is unpopular .
Last month only 45 percent of adults told Gallup they would vote for a socialist for president .
Last year a 51-percent majority said socialism would be a `` bad thing '' for the United States .
But Gallup also found that the number who said socialism would be a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent in 2019 from 25 percent in 1942 .
A majority of Democrats have held positive views of socialism since 2010 .
A willingness to adopt the socialist ideal is most pronounced among the young .
A YouGov poll conducted last year for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation found that 70 percent of Millennials are either `` somewhat '' or `` extremely '' likely to vote for a socialist .
It is the decline in institutional religion that drives the resurgence of socialism .
Gallup found that church membership among U.S. adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades , to 50 percent in 2018 from 70 percent in 1998 .
Why ?
Because the percentage of adults who profess no religious affiliation has more than doubled .
It has gone to 19 percent from 8 percent .
The Millennials exhibit the lowest percentage of church membership among generations .
Pew says the number of Americans who identify as Christians fell more than 10 points over the last decade as the number of religiously unaffiliated spiked .
Here too the largest falloff was among Millennials .
Religion not only offers answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ultimate questions of human existence and purpose .
It anchors individuals in a particular authoritative tradition defined by doctrinal orthodoxy and refined through multigenerational practice .
People released from these bonds are capable of believing anything .
Thus , socialism has returned at the same time as climate apocalypticism , transhuman and transgender ideology , anti-vaccination movements , anti-Semitism , conspiracies , and ethnonationalism .
In this climate of relativism and revisionism , where the most outlandish theories are a Google search away , both Marxism and utopian socialism seem credible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that it is easy to point out how silly and counterproductive and even deadly socialism has been , in so many respects , but difficult to recognize its pull as an emotional attachment .
The love of equality and progress makes for a special and durable political passion .
`` Socialism , '' wrote Irving Howe in 1954 , `` is the name of our desire . ''
In the absence of an intellectually coherent and morally compelling account of the inequalities inherent to liberal democracy , so will the desire remain @

Democrats are breathing a sigh of relief. Joe Biden's victories on "Mini Tuesday" make his delegate lead all but insurmountable. Bernie Sanders's electoral weakness, compared with his performance four years ago, has dulled the fear of an incipient socialist takeover of the world's oldest political party. The left is said to have talked itself into believing its own propaganda and helped President Trump equate Democrats with socialism. Victory in the primary did not come from pledges to eliminate private health insurance or impose wealth taxes. It followed from the perception that Biden is the candidate best able to defeat Trump.
Don't write off the socialist revival just yet. Sanders might not win the Democratic nomination. But this outcome does not mean the forces that propelled him to second-place finishes in the two most recent Democratic primaries will vanish overnight. Abandoning the intellectual fight against socialism, both inside and outside the Democratic Party, would cede the field to an increasingly sophisticated and networked band of ideological activists whose influence in media and politics is greater than their numbers. Such ambivalence could have devastating consequences for American society.
The resurgent left has pushed Biden far beyond where he stood as vice president. And a socialist infrastructure guarantees the philosophy's longevity. Aspiring Democratic politicians must at least deal with, if not pay obeisance to, groups such as the Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists of America. Especially if they inhabit a deep-blue district ripe for picking by the "Squad."
Fashionable, lively, radical, and controversial outlets, including Jacobin, Current Affairs, the Young Turks, Chapo Trap House, and Secular Talk, complement popular Instagram and Twitter accounts. And the New York Times magazine's "1619 Project" shows that the mainstream media is responsive to, and willing to participate in, the latest trends in anti-Americanism.
The most obvious reason not to dismiss the Sanders phenomenon is demographic. On Super Tuesday, Sanders won 30- to 44-year-olds by 18 points, and 18- to 29-year-olds by a staggering 43 points. He defeated Biden by 9 points among Hispanic voters and by 25 points among Asian voters. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the country. Hispanics are second. Sanders's protegée, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 30-year-old woman of Puerto Rican descent, represents this ethno-generational cohort. Their place in American life will not be denied.
Right now, socialism is unpopular. Last month only 45 percent of adults told Gallup they would vote for a socialist for president. Last year a 51-percent majority said socialism would be a "bad thing" for the United States. But Gallup also found that the number who said socialism would be a "good thing" had risen to 43 percent in 2019 from 25 percent in 1942. A majority of Democrats have held positive views of socialism since 2010. A willingness to adopt the socialist ideal is most pronounced among the young. A YouGov poll conducted last year for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation found that 70 percent of Millennials are either "somewhat" or "extremely" likely to vote for a socialist.
It is the decline in institutional religion that drives the resurgence of socialism. Gallup found that church membership among U.S. adults has dropped precipitously over the last two decades, to 50 percent in 2018 from 70 percent in 1998. Why? Because the percentage of adults who profess no religious affiliation has more than doubled. It has gone to 19 percent from 8 percent. The Millennials exhibit the lowest percentage of church membership among generations. Pew says the number of Americans who identify as Christians fell more than 10 points over the last decade as the number of religiously unaffiliated spiked. Here too the largest falloff was among Millennials.
Religion not only offers answers to the most powerful, definitive, and ultimate questions of human existence and purpose. It anchors individuals in a particular authoritative tradition defined by doctrinal orthodoxy and refined through multigenerational practice. People released from these bonds are capable of believing anything. Thus, socialism has returned at the same time as climate apocalypticism, transhuman and transgender ideology, anti-vaccination movements, anti-Semitism, conspiracies, and ethnonationalism. In this climate of relativism and revisionism, where the most outlandish theories are a Google search away, both Marxism and utopian socialism seem credible. Nothing is too absurd.
Irving Kristol said that it is easy to point out how silly and counterproductive and even deadly socialism has been, in so many respects, but difficult to recognize its pull as an emotional attachment. The love of equality and progress makes for a special and durable political passion. "Socialism," wrote Irving Howe in 1954, "is the name of our desire." In the absence of an intellectually coherent and morally compelling account of the inequalities inherent to liberal democracy, so will the desire remain.


freebeacon--2020-03-13--Mark Levin Cites Free Beacon Reporting on Congress Response to Coronavirus

Conservative radio host Mark Levin cited Washington Free Beacon writer Charles Fain Lehman 's reporting on the congressional response to the coronavirus on his radio show Thursday night .
`` Thanks to the Washington Free Beacon , let me tell you , Charles Fain Lehman writes , ‘ As the nation braces for the effects of the Wuhan coronavirus , ' and by the way , you 'll know whether a person is a propagandist for the regime in China or not by the way they label this virus , '' Levin said .
Levin quoted extensively from the Free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use the Wuhan coronavirus crisis to push their policy agenda .
`` I was talking about what 's going on on Capitol Hill and the way the media are reporting this , the Red Chinese media based in America called CNN , MSNBC , and the rest of them .
You would think that the Democrats and the Republicans and the White House are just trying to work out the details , '' Levin said .
`` That 's not what 's going on on Capitol Hill . ''
Levin ripped Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , and criticized mainstream media outlets for not reporting on the opportunism .
`` This is how Democrats open the door .
And here they are now , '' he said .
`` Using this pandemic , as the World Health Organization calls it , using this emergency bill to push their agenda . ''

Conservative radio host Mark Levin cited Washington Free Beacon writer Charles Fain Lehman's reporting on the congressional response to the coronavirus on his radio show Thursday night.
"Thanks to the Washington Free Beacon, let me tell you, Charles Fain Lehman writes, 'As the nation braces for the effects of the Wuhan coronavirus,' and by the way, you'll know whether a person is a propagandist for the regime in China or not by the way they label this virus," Levin said.
Levin quoted extensively from the Free Beacon's story about Democratic efforts to use the Wuhan coronavirus crisis to push their policy agenda.
"I was talking about what's going on on Capitol Hill and the way the media are reporting this, the Red Chinese media based in America called CNN, MSNBC, and the rest of them. You would think that the Democrats and the Republicans and the White House are just trying to work out the details," Levin said. "That's not what's going on on Capitol Hill."
Levin ripped Democrats for trying to capitalize politically on the crisis, and criticized mainstream media outlets for not reporting on the opportunism.
"This is how Democrats open the door. And here they are now," he said. "Using this pandemic, as the World Health Organization calls it, using this emergency bill to push their agenda."


freebeacon--2020-03-13--NRA Cancels Annual Meeting Over Coronavirus

The National Rifle Association announced the cancellation of its annual conference on Thursday to prevent the potential spread of coronavirus .
`` We have been closely monitoring updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Tennessee Department of Health .
In fact , earlier today , a state of emergency was declared in Tennessee , '' Amy Hunter , an NRA spokeswoman , told the Washington Free Beacon in a statement .
`` Therefore , we have reluctantly decided to cancel this year ’ s NRA Annual Meeting , planned for April 16 – 19 in Nashville .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs , including the NRA-ILA Forum . ''
The annual conference has been held at different locations around the United States for the last 148 years .
It is among the largest political gatherings in the country .
Last year 's NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis drew around 80,000 members .
The gun-rights group 's announcement is just the latest high-profile cancellation of a major gathering as the United States attempts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus .
CNN 's upcoming Democratic Primary Debate was moved from Arizona to Washington , D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience .
The NBA , NHL , NCAA , and numerous other sporting leagues have officially postponed or canceled all of their upcoming games .
Numerous houses of worship have also canceled religious services in the most heavily affected areas .
State and local governments in Washington , California , and New York have begun banning large gatherings as well .
Hunter said the NRA is making plans to reschedule key parts of the conference , like board elections , when possible .
`` We sincerely regret the need for this action , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join us for this annual celebration of the NRA and our constitutional freedoms , '' she said .
`` Details regarding a rescheduled NRA Members ’ Meeting will be forthcoming .
Under the direction of NRA President Carolyn Meadows , the NRA Board of Directors is working with the Office of the Secretary in relation to board elections , meetings , and the like . ''
She said the group made the decision to cancel the event out of a concern for their members ' safety and said further updates would be made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Please know that we did not reach this decision lightly .
We were ultimately guided by our responsibility to help ensure the safety and well-being of our NRA members , guests , and surrounding community , '' Hunter said .

The National Rifle Association announced the cancellation of its annual conference on Thursday to prevent the potential spread of coronavirus.
"We have been closely monitoring updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Tennessee Department of Health. In fact, earlier today, a state of emergency was declared in Tennessee," Amy Hunter, an NRA spokeswoman, told the Washington Free Beacon in a statement. "Therefore, we have reluctantly decided to cancel this year’s NRA Annual Meeting, planned for April 16 – 19 in Nashville. This applies to all events and scheduled programs, including the NRA-ILA Forum."
The annual conference has been held at different locations around the United States for the last 148 years. It is among the largest political gatherings in the country. Last year's NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis drew around 80,000 members.
The gun-rights group's announcement is just the latest high-profile cancellation of a major gathering as the United States attempts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. CNN's upcoming Democratic Primary Debate was moved from Arizona to Washington, D.C., and will be held without an audience. The NBA, NHL, NCAA, and numerous other sporting leagues have officially postponed or canceled all of their upcoming games. Numerous houses of worship have also canceled religious services in the most heavily affected areas.
State and local governments in Washington, California, and New York have begun banning large gatherings as well.
Hunter said the NRA is making plans to reschedule key parts of the conference, like board elections, when possible.
"We sincerely regret the need for this action, particularly for our many loyal members who join us for this annual celebration of the NRA and our constitutional freedoms," she said. "Details regarding a rescheduled NRA Members’ Meeting will be forthcoming. Under the direction of NRA President Carolyn Meadows, the NRA Board of Directors is working with the Office of the Secretary in relation to board elections, meetings, and the like."
She said the group made the decision to cancel the event out of a concern for their members' safety and said further updates would be made available on the annual meeting's website.
"Please know that we did not reach this decision lightly. We were ultimately guided by our responsibility to help ensure the safety and well-being of our NRA members, guests, and surrounding community," Hunter said.


freebeacon--2020-03-13--Stocks Stage Furious Rally After Trump Declares National Emergency

( Reuters ) – Wall Street staged a furious rally in the waning moments of the session on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus , although major averages still suffered sharp losses for the week .
In a volatile session , all three main indexes jumped more than 6 % in early trading before paring to a gain of as little as 0.55 % on the S & P 500 .SPX before rallying towards the close as Trump made the announcement with industry leaders of about $ 50 billion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The initial take , he started talking about $ 50 billion , the market asked ‘ where is that going ?
’ '' said Peter Jankovskis , co-chief investment officer at OakBrook Investments LLC in Lisle , Illinois .
`` But as he ’ s been bringing these various leaders to the front and they have been talking about what they are doing , that is really what the market is responding to . ''
The indexes were still about 20 % below record highs hit in mid-February , and each saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the week .
Since hitting the highs , markets have been besieged with big swings in the market , nearly matching as many days with declines of at least 1 % as all of 2019 .
Friday ’ s surge was the biggest one-day percentage gain for the S & P 500 since Oct 28 , 2008 .
The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives will pass a coronavirus economic aid package on Friday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said , but it was unclear whether Trump and his fellow Republicans would support it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rose 1,985 points , or 9.36 % , to 23,185.62 , the S & P 500 .SPX gained 230.38 points , or 9.29 % , to 2,711.02 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 673.07 points , or 9.35 % , to 7,874.88 .
All the main S & P 500 sub-indexes were trading higher , with financial stocks .SPSY rising 13.23 % as expectations of further liquidity measures by the Federal Reserve pushed up Treasury yields , in what has become a very thin market .
Oil also looked set to end the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both Brent LCOcv1 and WTI crude CLcv1 settled higher after a near-collapse in prices on Monday due to a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia .
The S & P 500 energy index .SPNY added 8.84 % .
Travel stocks , hammered in the rout , were trading higher , with the S & P 1500 airlines index .SPCOMAIR up 11.58 % Hotel operators Marriott International Inc ( MAR.O ) , Hilton Worldwide Holdings ( HLT.N ) and Hyatt Hotels Corp ( H.N ) all gained at least 1 % .
Boeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but suffered its biggest weekly drop in its history on rising concerns about the company ’ s growing cash burn .
Apple Inc ( AAPL.O ) rose 11.98 % and was among the top boosts to the benchmark S & P 500 and the blue-chip Dow , as the iPhone maker said it would reopen all 42 of its branded stores in China .
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 4.73-to-1 ratio ; on Nasdaq , a 2.95-to-1 ratio favored advancers .
The S & P 500 posted 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 2 new highs and 703 new lows .
Volume on U.S. exchanges was 17.10 billion shares , compared to the 13.02 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days .
Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak ; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Diane Craft

By Chuck Mikolajczak
(Reuters) - Wall Street staged a furious rally in the waning moments of the session on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus, although major averages still suffered sharp losses for the week.
In a volatile session, all three main indexes jumped more than 6% in early trading before paring to a gain of as little as 0.55% on the S&P 500 .SPX before rallying towards the close as Trump made the announcement with industry leaders of about $50 billion in federal aid to fight the disease.
"The initial take, he started talking about $50 billion, the market asked ‘where is that going?’" said Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer at OakBrook Investments LLC in Lisle, Illinois.
"But as he’s been bringing these various leaders to the front and they have been talking about what they are doing, that is really what the market is responding to."
The indexes were still about 20% below record highs hit in mid-February, and each saw declines of at least 8% for the week. Since hitting the highs, markets have been besieged with big swings in the market, nearly matching as many days with declines of at least 1% as all of 2019. Friday’s surge was the biggest one-day percentage gain for the S&P 500 since Oct 28, 2008.
The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives will pass a coronavirus economic aid package on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, but it was unclear whether Trump and his fellow Republicans would support it.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 1,985 points, or 9.36%, to 23,185.62, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 230.38 points, or 9.29%, to 2,711.02 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 673.07 points, or 9.35%, to 7,874.88.
All the main S&P 500 sub-indexes were trading higher, with financial stocks .SPSY rising 13.23% as expectations of further liquidity measures by the Federal Reserve pushed up Treasury yields, in what has become a very thin market.
Oil also looked set to end the week with a silver lining, as both Brent LCOcv1 and WTI crude CLcv1 settled higher after a near-collapse in prices on Monday due to a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. The S&P 500 energy index .SPNY added 8.84%.
Travel stocks, hammered in the rout, were trading higher, with the S&P 1500 airlines index .SPCOMAIR up 11.58%
Hotel operators Marriott International Inc (MAR.O), Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT.N) and Hyatt Hotels Corp (H.N) all gained at least 1%.
Boeing Co (BA.N) jumped 9.92% but suffered its biggest weekly drop in its history on rising concerns about the company’s growing cash burn.
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) rose 11.98% and was among the top boosts to the benchmark S&P 500 and the blue-chip Dow, as the iPhone maker said it would reopen all 42 of its branded stores in China.
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 4.73-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.95-to-1 ratio favored advancers.
The S&P 500 posted 1 new 52-week highs and 120 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 2 new highs and 703 new lows.
Volume on U.S. exchanges was 17.10 billion shares, compared to the 13.02 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days.
Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Diane Craft


freebeacon--2020-03-13--Stephen King, Others Concerned About White Male CEOs at Wuhan Virus Presser

Author Stephen King and other concerned onlookers called attention Friday to the number of white men gathered with President Donald Trump addressing the Wuhan coronavirus .
Trump , government officials , and CEOs of major companies such as Target , Walgreens , and Walmart spoke in the Rose Garden as Trump declared a national emergency and laid out public-private partnerships to address the growing pandemic .
But some were more worried about the racial and gender diversity of the participants .
In King 's case , he erroneously said Trump 's `` coronavirus team '' was `` all male , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' He did n't notice Dr. Deborah Birx , who took the microphone after Trump and is serving as the White House 's coronavirus response coordinator .
Perhaps later realizing his error , King referred to Birx as the `` lady with the shawl '' and said she looked `` so great compared to the rest of those bozos . ''
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma also spoke at the conference .
Other journalists and pundits could n't hide their dismay at the `` parade of old white guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
The stock market responded positively to the press conference , spiking dramatically at the end of another volatile week on Wall Street .

Author Stephen King and other concerned onlookers called attention Friday to the number of white men gathered with President Donald Trump addressing the Wuhan coronavirus.
Trump, government officials, and CEOs of major companies such as Target, Walgreens, and Walmart spoke in the Rose Garden as Trump declared a national emergency and laid out public-private partnerships to address the growing pandemic. But some were more worried about the racial and gender diversity of the participants.
In King's case, he erroneously said Trump's "coronavirus team" was "all male, all old, and all white." He didn't notice Dr. Deborah Birx, who took the microphone after Trump and is serving as the White House's coronavirus response coordinator.
Note that Trump’s coronavirus team is all male, all old, and all white. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 13, 2020
Perhaps later realizing his error, King referred to Birx as the "lady with the shawl" and said she looked "so great compared to the rest of those bozos." Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma also spoke at the conference.
Quite the parade of white men in ties, eh? the lady with the shawl looks so great compared to the rest of those bozos. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 13, 2020
Other journalists and pundits couldn't hide their dismay at the "parade of old white guy CEOs," as Julia Ioffe put it.
It's just a parade of old white guy CEOs... — Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) March 13, 2020
'This day should be an inspiration for every American," Mike Pence says. And, after a parade of white male chief executives from pharmaceutical and retail companies spoke: 'We are bringing an all of America approach." — Matt Viser (@mviser) March 13, 2020
I mean, WTF is this? Some kind of game show? Parade of white guys in suits? #TrumpPressConference — Ron Marz (@ronmarz) March 13, 2020
I guess we maybe should have guessed this Trump coronavirus press conference would be a hundred straight white men stroking each other's egos and passing coronavirus to each other through handshakes on live TV. — Alex Whitcomb (@AlexWhitcomb) March 13, 2020
KEEP USING THE SAME MIC, REPUBLICAN WHITE MEN PRAISING EACH OTHER! — Jensen Karp (@JensenKarp) March 13, 2020
Quite the diverse range of middle-aged white men speaking this afternoon at the WH (w/few exceptions). — David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) March 13, 2020
Not a press conference. It's a parade of white men kissing Trump's ass. Groveling sycophants. Obama never needed people to feed his ego when the country was panicking & in national crisis.#NationalEmergency#sycophants#TrumpPressConference — lizfinnarnold (@QueenZenobia6) March 13, 2020
The stock market responded positively to the press conference, spiking dramatically at the end of another volatile week on Wall Street.


freebeacon--2020-03-13--Trump Declares National Emergency to Battle Coronavirus

WASHINGTON/GENEVA ( Reuters ) – U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the quickly spreading coronavirus on Friday , opening the door to more federal aid to combat a disease that has infected over 138,000 people worldwide and left more than 5,000 dead .
The impact of the coronavirus on everyday life deepened around the world , and it was detected for the first time in several more countries .
More schools and businesses closed to try to slow its spread , governments took other drastic steps , the global sporting calendar was left in tatters and people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go .
`` To unleash the full power of the federal government to this effort today , I am officially declaring a national emergency – two very big words , '' Trump said in remarks at the White House , adding that the U.S. situation could worsen and `` the next eight weeks are critical . ''
Trump had faced criticism from some experts for being slow and ineffective in his response to the crisis and playing down the threat .
The latest steps came two days after Trump announced travel restrictions blocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe .
While he exempted Britain at the time , on Friday he said that might change because U.K. infections have `` gone up fairly precipitously . ''
Trump , who previously was pictured standing near a visiting Brazilian official who has tested positive for the virus , said he himself would be tested `` fairly soon . ''
But did not plan to isolate , noting he was suffering no symptoms .
Trump said the federal government was partnering with the private sector to accelerate production of test kits to make them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to track the virus ’ spread .
But he said , `` I don ’ t take any responsibility at all '' for the lack of needed testing capacity early on in the outbreak , instead blaming previous government policies .
The U.S. coronavirus death toll reached 46 on Friday after six more deaths were reported in Washington state .
The final global economic cost remains unknown , but travel bans have hammered airlines and travel companies , while financial markets have been hit by panic selling .
The three major U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday , rebounding from Wall Street ’ s biggest daily drop since 1987 after Trump declared the national emergency .
Despite a limited recovery on Friday , the main U.S. stock indexes faced their biggest weekly declines since the 2008 financial crisis , and remain around 25 % below the record highs achieved in mid-February .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) called Europe the epicenter of a coronavirus pandemic after the number of cases in China , where it originated , slowed to a trickle .
The WHO called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragic milestone . ''
The WHO ’ s top emergency expert Mike Ryan said social distancing was a `` tried and tested method '' to slow the spread of a virus but `` not a panacea '' that would stop transmission .
`` Blanket travel measures in their own right will do nothing to protect an individual state , '' Ryan said .
More cultural landmarks were shuttered to try to stop the spread of the virus .
In Paris , the Eiffel Tower , the Louvre museum and the Moulin Rouge cabaret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington were preparing to do so on Saturday and Broadway theaters in New York went dark .
The kissing of the Blarney Stone , one of Ireland ’ s oldest tourist traditions , was suspended .
Central banks worldwide acted to shore up money markets after cratering share prices drove a rush for cash , hitting many regional currencies and threatening a surge in short-term borrowing costs .
In China , which bore the brunt of the economic fallout from the coronavirus in the first few months of 2020 , authorities late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the second time this year .
Japan ’ s central bank pledged to buy 200 billion yen ( $ 1.90 billion ) of five- to 10-year Japanese government bonds and also inject an additional 1.5 trillion yen in two-week loans .
The European Union said it would establish a 37 billion euro investment initiative as part of a package of measures to cushion the bloc ’ s economies from the impact of the coronavirus .
In Italy , which after China has been hardest hit by the respiratory illness , the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last 24 hours , authorities said .
The total number of cases also rose to 17,660 from a previous 15,113 , despite draconian measures to restrict the movement of people .
In the northern region of Lombardy , at the heart of Italy ’ s coronavirus epidemic , authorities asked for even stricter steps .
In hard-hit Iran , security forces will empty the streets in cities across the country in a drive to fight the virus ’ spread , state television reported .
The virus continued its persistent march across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Guinea all confirmed their first cases , giving the disease a foothold in 18 countries on the African continent .
Venezuela and Kazakhstan also confirmed their first cases .
In Washington , the State Department summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest comments by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman saying the American military might have brought the coronavirus to the city of Wuhan , ground zero of the outbreak .
World leaders , sports stars and actors were among the tens of thousands of people hit by the virus .
Golf ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England ’ s top-flight soccer league joined the long list of elite sporting events to be canceled or postponed .
Spain ’ s La Liga , Italy ’ s Serie A and the French Ligue 1 are all on hold and Germany ’ s Bundesliga followed suit on Friday .
But sport ’ s biggest showpiece , the Olympics , will proceed as planned , according to Tokyo organizers .
In Greece , home of the ancient Olympics , the nation ’ s Olympic Committee canceled the remainder of the Olympic Torch relay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Westbrook and Steve Holland ; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington , Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva , Mily Chow and Wang Jing in Beijing , Daniel Leussink and Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo , Tom Westbrook in Singapore , Wayne Cole , Colin Packham and Jonathan Barrett in Sydney , Rama Venkat in Bengaluru , Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi , Hyonhee Shin in Seoul ; Writing by Will Dunham , Lincoln Feast and Mike Collett-White ; Editing by Stephen Coates , Pravin Char and Bill Berkrot

By Jeff Mason and Stephanie Nebehay
WASHINGTON/GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the quickly spreading coronavirus on Friday, opening the door to more federal aid to combat a disease that has infected over 138,000 people worldwide and left more than 5,000 dead.
The impact of the coronavirus on everyday life deepened around the world, and it was detected for the first time in several more countries. More schools and businesses closed to try to slow its spread, governments took other drastic steps, the global sporting calendar was left in tatters and people faced greater restrictions on where they could go.
"To unleash the full power of the federal government to this effort today, I am officially declaring a national emergency - two very big words," Trump said in remarks at the White House, adding that the U.S. situation could worsen and "the next eight weeks are critical."
Trump had faced criticism from some experts for being slow and ineffective in his response to the crisis and playing down the threat. The latest steps came two days after Trump announced travel restrictions blocking U.S. entry for most people from continental Europe. While he exempted Britain at the time, on Friday he said that might change because U.K. infections have "gone up fairly precipitously."
Trump, who previously was pictured standing near a visiting Brazilian official who has tested positive for the virus, said he himself would be tested "fairly soon." But did not plan to isolate, noting he was suffering no symptoms.
Trump said the federal government was partnering with the private sector to accelerate production of test kits to make them more widely available to Americans in an effort to track the virus’ spread.
But he said, "I don’t take any responsibility at all" for the lack of needed testing capacity early on in the outbreak, instead blaming previous government policies. The U.S. coronavirus death toll reached 46 on Friday after six more deaths were reported in Washington state.
The final global economic cost remains unknown, but travel bans have hammered airlines and travel companies, while financial markets have been hit by panic selling.
The three major U.S. stock indexes rallied more than 9% on Friday, rebounding from Wall Street’s biggest daily drop since 1987 after Trump declared the national emergency.
Despite a limited recovery on Friday, the main U.S. stock indexes faced their biggest weekly declines since the 2008 financial crisis, and remain around 25% below the record highs achieved in mid-February.
The World Health Organization (WHO) called Europe the epicenter of a coronavirus pandemic after the number of cases in China, where it originated, slowed to a trickle. The WHO called the death toll reaching 5,000 globally "a tragic milestone."
The WHO’s top emergency expert Mike Ryan said social distancing was a "tried and tested method" to slow the spread of a virus but "not a panacea" that would stop transmission.
"Blanket travel measures in their own right will do nothing to protect an individual state," Ryan said.
CULTURAL LANDMARKS
More cultural landmarks were shuttered to try to stop the spread of the virus. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum and the Moulin Rouge cabaret closed their doors. The Smithsonian museums in Washington were preparing to do so on Saturday and Broadway theaters in New York went dark.
The kissing of the Blarney Stone, one of Ireland’s oldest tourist traditions, was suspended.
Central banks worldwide acted to shore up money markets after cratering share prices drove a rush for cash, hitting many regional currencies and threatening a surge in short-term borrowing costs.
In China, which bore the brunt of the economic fallout from the coronavirus in the first few months of 2020, authorities late on Friday cut banks’ reserve requirements for the second time this year.
Japan’s central bank pledged to buy 200 billion yen ($1.90 billion) of five- to 10-year Japanese government bonds and also inject an additional 1.5 trillion yen in two-week loans.
The European Union said it would establish a 37 billion euro investment initiative as part of a package of measures to cushion the bloc’s economies from the impact of the coronavirus.
In Italy, which after China has been hardest hit by the respiratory illness, the death toll jumped by 250 to 1,266 in the last 24 hours, authorities said. The total number of cases also rose to 17,660 from a previous 15,113, despite draconian measures to restrict the movement of people.
In the northern region of Lombardy, at the heart of Italy’s coronavirus epidemic, authorities asked for even stricter steps.
EMPTY STREETS IN IRAN
In hard-hit Iran, security forces will empty the streets in cities across the country in a drive to fight the virus’ spread, state television reported.
The virus continued its persistent march across the globe. Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Guinea all confirmed their first cases, giving the disease a foothold in 18 countries on the African continent. Venezuela and Kazakhstan also confirmed their first cases.
In Washington, the State Department summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest comments by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman saying the American military might have brought the coronavirus to the city of Wuhan, ground zero of the outbreak.
World leaders, sports stars and actors were among the tens of thousands of people hit by the virus. Golf’s crown jewel, The Masters, and England’s top-flight soccer league joined the long list of elite sporting events to be canceled or postponed.
Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and the French Ligue 1 are all on hold and Germany’s Bundesliga followed suit on Friday.
But sport’s biggest showpiece, the Olympics, will proceed as planned, according to Tokyo organizers. In Greece, home of the ancient Olympics, the nation’s Olympic Committee canceled the remainder of the Olympic Torch relay through the country.
Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Mily Chow and Wang Jing in Beijing, Daniel Leussink and Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo, Tom Westbrook in Singapore, Wayne Cole, Colin Packham and Jonathan Barrett in Sydney, Rama Venkat in Bengaluru, Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi, Hyonhee Shin in Seoul; Writing by Will Dunham, Lincoln Feast and Mike Collett-White; Editing by Stephen Coates, Pravin Char and Bill Berkrot


freebeacon--2020-03-13--Florida Democrat Andrew Gillum Involved in Miami Beach Meth Overdose

CNN political commentator and former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was one of three men present in a Miami Beach hotel room when police arrived to treat a drug overdose , according to an early Friday morning police report .
The former Tallahassee mayor was reportedly vomiting in the bathroom and unable to communicate with authorities , according to the police report .
Police observed three plastic bags of what they believed to be crystal meth in the room with the men , one of whom had overdosed on the possessed substance .
`` Mr. Gillum was unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , '' the report states .
Gillum , who fell just about 30,000 votes shy of being elected governor of Florida in 2018 , has remained active in Democratic politics through appearances on CNN , where he was hired as a political commentator .
There has also been speculation that the eventual Democratic presidential nominee would consider Gillum to be his or her running mate .
Gillum in a Friday morning statement confirmed the incident but said he did not use any drugs .
`` I was in Miami last night for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called to assist one of my friends , '' Gillum said in a statement .
`` While I had too much to drink , I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines . ''
The police report indicates that authorities were called by one of the three men .
Police arrived at the room in Miami Beach 's Mondrian hotel to find Gillum vomiting in the bathroom and another man unresponsive .
The man told the police that he believed both Gillum and the other man to be `` under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' according to the report , which was first reported by conservative activist Candace Owens and later confirmed by numerous media outlets .
While the other man was admitted to the hospital , Gillum was able to leave the room and return to his residence after a welfare check .
The drugs were impounded at the police station .
Gillum apologized in his Friday morning statement for the `` distraction '' caused by the incident .
`` I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spend the next few weeks with my family and appreciate privacy during this time . ''
CNN did not respond to a request for comment on the incident .

CNN political commentator and former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was one of three men present in a Miami Beach hotel room when police arrived to treat a drug overdose, according to an early Friday morning police report.
The former Tallahassee mayor was reportedly vomiting in the bathroom and unable to communicate with authorities, according to the police report. Police observed three plastic bags of what they believed to be crystal meth in the room with the men, one of whom had overdosed on the possessed substance. "Mr. Gillum was unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state," the report states.
Gillum, who fell just about 30,000 votes shy of being elected governor of Florida in 2018, has remained active in Democratic politics through appearances on CNN, where he was hired as a political commentator. There has also been speculation that the eventual Democratic presidential nominee would consider Gillum to be his or her running mate.
Gillum in a Friday morning statement confirmed the incident but said he did not use any drugs.
"I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends," Gillum said in a statement. "While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines."
The police report indicates that authorities were called by one of the three men. Police arrived at the room in Miami Beach's Mondrian hotel to find Gillum vomiting in the bathroom and another man unresponsive. The man told the police that he believed both Gillum and the other man to be "under the influence of an unknown substance," according to the report, which was first reported by conservative activist Candace Owens and later confirmed by numerous media outlets.
While the other man was admitted to the hospital, Gillum was able to leave the room and return to his residence after a welfare check. The drugs were impounded at the police station.
Gillum apologized in his Friday morning statement for the "distraction" caused by the incident.
"I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement," Gillum said. "I will spend the next few weeks with my family and appreciate privacy during this time."
CNN did not respond to a request for comment on the incident.


freebeacon--2020-03-13--Biden Ad Attacking Trump on Coronavirus Gets ‘Four Pinocchios’ From WaPo

A Joe Biden ad received the worst possible rating from the Washington Post fact-checker for attacking President Donald Trump with manipulated video .
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee received `` Four Pinocchios '' for an ad that deceptively edited video of a Trump campaign rally to make it appear that the president called the coronavirus a hoax .
In the ad , Trump can be seen saying `` coronavirus , '' followed immediately by `` This is their new hoax . ''
But as the Post noted , the Biden campaign cut out more than 120 words in between those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was calling the Democratic politicization of coronavirus a `` hoax , '' not the virus itself : Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus .
You know that , right ?
Coronavirus .
They 're politicizing it .
We did one of the great jobs , you say , ‘ How 's President Trump doing ? '
they go ‘ Oh , not good , not good . '
They have no clue , they do n't have any clue .
They ca n't even count their votes in Iowa , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ca n't .
They ca n't count their votes .
One of my people came up to me and said , ‘ Mr .
President , they tried to beat you on Russia , Russia , Russia . '
That did n't work out too well .
They could n't do it .
They tried the impeachment hoax .
That was on a perfect conversation .
They tried anything , they tried it over and over , they 've been doing it since he got in .
It 's all turning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , think of it , think of it .
And this is their new hoax .
`` This is a clear example of deceptive editing , '' the fact checker said .
`` It edits out large portions of a video but still presents it as a complete narrative .
This effectively skews reality and leaves the viewer to wonder what or who related to coronavirus is , in fact , a hoax ? ''
The Post also noted that Biden 's ad depicts Trump saying `` the American Dream , '' followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead . ''
Trump 's actual message during the 2016 election was that the American Dream was dead under the Obama administration , but could be revived under a Trump presidency .
`` The message is unarguably bleak , but by failing to include the second half of Trump 's repeated line , [ the ad ] isolates the comment from the context of Trump 's political argument , '' the Post said .
The ruling that the Biden Twitter ad `` manipulates video '' and used `` video manipulation '' comes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` manipulated media . ''
Among the guidelines Twitter uses to determine whether it will label or remove manipulated media is that content `` has been substantially edited in a manner that fundamentally alters its composition , sequence , timing , or framing . ''
The first tweet Twitter marked as `` manipulated '' for violating these rules was a video posted by White House director of social media Dan Scavino that implied Biden had mistakenly endorsed Trump in a moment of confusion .
According to Twitter , Biden 's ad will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was sent before the policy took effect on March 5 .

A Joe Biden ad received the worst possible rating from the Washington Post fact-checker for attacking President Donald Trump with manipulated video.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee received "Four Pinocchios" for an ad that deceptively edited video of a Trump campaign rally to make it appear that the president called the coronavirus a hoax. In the ad, Trump can be seen saying "coronavirus," followed immediately by "This is their new hoax."
We can't sit by and lose this country to Donald Trump. Today, we take it back — together. Go vote: https://t.co/Hy8C4n0lUk pic.twitter.com/0YgyJFr9YR — Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) March 3, 2020
But as the Post noted, the Biden campaign cut out more than 120 words in between those two statements. In his comments, Trump was calling the Democratic politicization of coronavirus a "hoax," not the virus itself:
Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. You know that, right? Coronavirus. They're politicizing it. We did one of the great jobs, you say, 'How's President Trump doing?' they go 'Oh, not good, not good.' They have no clue, they don't have any clue. They can't even count their votes in Iowa, they can't even count. No, they can't. They can't count their votes. One of my people came up to me and said, 'Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia.' That didn't work out too well. They couldn't do it. They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything, they tried it over and over, they've been doing it since he got in. It's all turning, they lost. It's all turning, think of it, think of it. And this is their new hoax.
"This is a clear example of deceptive editing," the fact checker said. "It edits out large portions of a video but still presents it as a complete narrative. This effectively skews reality and leaves the viewer to wonder what or who related to coronavirus is, in fact, a hoax?"
The Post also noted that Biden's ad depicts Trump saying "the American Dream," followed after a dramatic pause by "is dead." Trump's actual message during the 2016 election was that the American Dream was dead under the Obama administration, but could be revived under a Trump presidency. "The message is unarguably bleak, but by failing to include the second half of Trump's repeated line, [the ad] isolates the comment from the context of Trump's political argument," the Post said.
The ruling that the Biden Twitter ad "manipulates video" and used "video manipulation" comes a week after Twitter unveiled new rules against "manipulated media." Among the guidelines Twitter uses to determine whether it will label or remove manipulated media is that content "has been substantially edited in a manner that fundamentally alters its composition, sequence, timing, or framing."
The first tweet Twitter marked as "manipulated" for violating these rules was a video posted by White House director of social media Dan Scavino that implied Biden had mistakenly endorsed Trump in a moment of confusion. According to Twitter, Biden's ad will not marked the same way because the tweet was sent before the policy took effect on March 5.