freebeacon--2020-06-05--Whitmer Defies Own Social Distancing Rule at Detroit Protest

Michigan 's Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer defied her own controversial social distancing rules while attending a Detroit civil rights protest Thursday .
The one came just days after the governor expressed a `` high level of concern '' that such mass gatherings could spread coronavirus .
Whitmer , who implemented some of the strictest shutdown policies in the country in response to the pandemic , did not adhere to social distancing rules as she joined hundreds in a march from Highland Park to Detroit 's Wayne State University .
The Democrat 's latest order , `` phase four '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for outdoor events `` so long as people maintain six feet of distance from one another and the assemblage consists of no more than 100 people . ''
Whitmer , a potential Democratic vice presidential candidate , previously condemned those protesting her controversial stay-at-home orders , saying `` they are not staying six feet apart and then they go back home into communities and the risk of perpetuating the spread of COVID-19 is real . ''
Michigan Freedom Fund executive director Tony Daunt , who cosponsored April 's `` Operation Gridlock '' protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' that Whitmer was `` not engaging in social distancing given the statements she made about earlier protests . ''
At a Monday press conference , Whitmer expressed a `` high level of concern '' that large protests could expedite the spread of the virus , which has killed nearly 5,600 in the state .
Ingham County health officer Linda Vail echoed her uneasiness , saying she was `` concerned '' that `` the whole social distancing thing was n't happening '' at protests .
`` Aside from the first couple of weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving the governor leeway to make decisions and rapidly address the information coming in , she 's shown herself to be basing arbitrary and authoritative decisions on nothing but her own personal feelings , '' Daunt told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` There 's no data , no science behind her decisions , it 's just what she feels at the moment .
That 's a testament to her mindset—it 's her way or the highway . ''
Whitmer spokesman Bobby Leddy told the Free Beacon that the governor did not violate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took precautions for engaging in an outdoor activity , including wearing a mask even though it is not required outdoors under the order . ''
He added that the order `` includes the right to peaceful protest , '' though he did not address the protest 's lack of social distancing or the fact that it exceeded the order 's 100-person threshold for outdoor events .
Whitmer removed her mask to speak to the press .
`` Social distancing is critical to stop the spread of COVID-19—unless you have a great photo op @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted following the protest .

Michigan's Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer defied her own controversial social distancing rules while attending a Detroit civil rights protest Thursday. The one came just days after the governor expressed a "high level of concern" that such mass gatherings could spread coronavirus.
Whitmer, who implemented some of the strictest shutdown policies in the country in response to the pandemic, did not adhere to social distancing rules as she joined hundreds in a march from Highland Park to Detroit's Wayne State University. The Democrat's latest order, "phase four" of the state's coronavirus response, allows for outdoor events "so long as people maintain six feet of distance from one another and the assemblage consists of no more than 100 people."
Whitmer, a potential Democratic vice presidential candidate, previously condemned those protesting her controversial stay-at-home orders, saying "they are not staying six feet apart and then they go back home into communities and the risk of perpetuating the spread of COVID-19 is real." Michigan Freedom Fund executive director Tony Daunt, who cosponsored April's "Operation Gridlock" protest, said it was "particularly rich" that Whitmer was "not engaging in social distancing given the statements she made about earlier protests."
At a Monday press conference, Whitmer expressed a "high level of concern" that large protests could expedite the spread of the virus, which has killed nearly 5,600 in the state. Ingham County health officer Linda Vail echoed her uneasiness, saying she was "concerned" that "the whole social distancing thing wasn't happening" at protests.
"Aside from the first couple of weeks of this crisis, when everybody was giving the governor leeway to make decisions and rapidly address the information coming in, she's shown herself to be basing arbitrary and authoritative decisions on nothing but her own personal feelings," Daunt told the Washington Free Beacon. "There's no data, no science behind her decisions, it's just what she feels at the moment. That's a testament to her mindset—it's her way or the highway."
Whitmer spokesman Bobby Leddy told the Free Beacon that the governor did not violate her own order, saying she "took precautions for engaging in an outdoor activity, including wearing a mask even though it is not required outdoors under the order." He added that the order "includes the right to peaceful protest," though he did not address the protest's lack of social distancing or the fact that it exceeded the order's 100-person threshold for outdoor events. Whitmer removed her mask to speak to the press.
"Social distancing is critical to stop the spread of COVID-19—unless you have a great photo op," Republican state lawmaker Lynn Afendoulis tweeted following the protest.


freebeacon--2020-06-05--WaPo Mistakes Job Gains for ‘Grim’ Losses

When the May jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics was released Friday , the positive numbers caught many by surprise—including the Washington Post , which mistook the job gains for losses .
`` Grim milestone to be reached as May unemployment rate nears 20 percent , '' the Post falsely stated in a tweet at 9:46 a.m. that was soon deleted .
A correct tweet soon followed , saying , `` U.S. jobless rate unexpectedly declined to 13.3 percent in May amid pandemic , '' although the story pictured still carried the `` grim milestone '' headline with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ text of the Post ‘ s story , written by economics reporter Eli Rosenberg , remained incorrect even after the headline was changed , according to a screenshot tweeted by author and podcast host Neil Cybart .
`` Another 2.5 million workers lost their jobs in May , '' the story said , although it was actually 2.5 million workers who obtained jobs .
The Post later corrected its story to reflect the real picture of the jobs report .
The new version of the article says the economy is recovering `` more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many states and localities have begun partially reopening after lockdowns in response to the coronavirus : The federal unemployment rate declined to 13.3 percent in May from 14.7 percent in April , the Department of Labor said Friday , a sign that [ the ] economy is recovering more quickly than economists had projected .
The economy gained 2.5 million jobs in May , as many states and counties began to reopen with the slowing of coronavirus cases nationwide .
The Post did not respond to a request for comment .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good news on Friday , with the jobless rate falling to 13.3 percent in May from 14.7 percent in April , which was the highest since World War II .
Surveys also show consumer confidence , manufacturing , and services industries are stabilizing .
Stock index futures `` sharply extended gains , '' according to Reuters .
`` These improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it , '' the Labor @ @ @ @ @ @

When the May jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics was released Friday, the positive numbers caught many by surprise—including the Washington Post, which mistook the job gains for losses.
"Grim milestone to be reached as May unemployment rate nears 20 percent," the Post falsely stated in a tweet at 9:46 a.m. that was soon deleted.
A correct tweet soon followed, saying, "U.S. jobless rate unexpectedly declined to 13.3 percent in May amid pandemic," although the story pictured still carried the "grim milestone" headline with the false 20 percent figure.
The text of the Post's story, written by economics reporter Eli Rosenberg, remained incorrect even after the headline was changed, according to a screenshot tweeted by author and podcast host Neil Cybart.
"Another 2.5 million workers lost their jobs in May," the story said, although it was actually 2.5 million workers who obtained jobs.
Looks like the Washington Post pre-wrote their May jobs report article and assumed the 2.5M payroll figure that was released had to have been a drop. Instead, payrolls increased by 2.5M. Oops. pic.twitter.com/q9OJaVWum9 — Neil Cybart (@neilcybart) June 5, 2020
The Post later corrected its story to reflect the real picture of the jobs report. The new version of the article says the economy is recovering "more quickly than economists had projected," as many states and localities have begun partially reopening after lockdowns in response to the coronavirus:
The federal unemployment rate declined to 13.3 percent in May from 14.7 percent in April, the Department of Labor said Friday, a sign that [the] economy is recovering more quickly than economists had projected. The economy gained 2.5 million jobs in May, as many states and counties began to reopen with the slowing of coronavirus cases nationwide.
The Post did not respond to a request for comment.
The improvement in the labor market was unexpected good news on Friday, with the jobless rate falling to 13.3 percent in May from 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since World War II. Surveys also show consumer confidence, manufacturing, and services industries are stabilizing.
Stock index futures "sharply extended gains," according to Reuters.
"These improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it," the Labor Department said in a statement.


freebeacon--2020-06-05--NYT Columnist Suggests Without Evidence Trump Cooked Unemployment Report

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman said on Friday that President Trump may have falsified the results of a favorable Labor Department jobs report .
`` This being the Trump era , you ca n't completely discount the possibility that they 've gotten to the [ Bureau of Labor Statistics ] , '' Krugman said in a tweet Friday morning .
`` But it 's much more likely that the models used to produce these numbers — they are n't really raw data — have gone haywire in a time of pandemic . ''
The May jobs report , released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19.8 percent unemployment rate but instead revealed a rate of 13.3 percent .
The April jobs report showed a 14.4 percent unemployment rate , the worst since the Great Depression .
Jason Furman , an Obama-era chair of the Council of Economic Advisers , denounced Krugman within half an hour , saying Trump could not have doctored the report .
He added that Krugman 's implication undermined the integrity of career Labor Department officials .
New York Times contributor and Brookings Institution fellow Justin Wolfers also denounced Krugman 's claim , calling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the employment data `` were n't tampered with and Paul knows it . ''
Krugman later apologized for suggesting a `` highly professional agency might have been corrupted . ''
`` I was just covering myself , because so many weird things have happened lately , '' he wrote .
President Donld Trump held a news conference Friday morning on the decline in unemployment as the economy begins to recover from coronavirus shutdowns .
`` They thought the number would be a loss of nine million jobs , and it was a gain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said .
`` This leads us on to a long period of growth .
We 'll go back to having the greatest economy anywhere in the world … and I think we 're going to have a very good upcoming few months . ''

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman said on Friday that President Trump may have falsified the results of a favorable Labor Department jobs report.
"This being the Trump era, you can't completely discount the possibility that they've gotten to the [Bureau of Labor Statistics]," Krugman said in a tweet Friday morning. "But it's much more likely that the models used to produce these numbers — they aren't really raw data — have gone haywire in a time of pandemic."
This being the Trump era, you can't completely discount the possibility that they've gotten to the BLS, but it's much more likely that the models used to produce these numbers — they aren't really raw data — have gone haywire in a time of pandemic 3/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) June 5, 2020
The May jobs report, released Friday, was expected to show a 19.8 percent unemployment rate but instead revealed a rate of 13.3 percent. The April jobs report showed a 14.4 percent unemployment rate, the worst since the Great Depression.
Jason Furman, an Obama-era chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, denounced Krugman within half an hour, saying Trump could not have doctored the report. He added that Krugman's implication undermined the integrity of career Labor Department officials.
You can 100% discount the possibility that Trump got to the BLS. Not 98% discount, not 99.9% discount, but 100% discount. BLS has 2,400 career staff of enormous integrity and one political appointee with no scope to change this number. https://t.co/Cden6rQyN6 — Jason Furman (@jasonfurman) June 5, 2020
New York Times contributor and Brookings Institution fellow Justin Wolfers also denounced Krugman's claim, calling it "a bad tweet" and saying the employment data "weren't tampered with and Paul knows it."
This is a bad tweet. Paul, you're right to point out that the underlying models/processes used to produce jobs numbers are less reliable during a pandemic. But these data weren't tampered with and Paul knows it. The economic debate doesn't need this garbage innuendo. Do better https://t.co/R6tLHldF00 — Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) June 5, 2020
Krugman later apologized for suggesting a "highly professional agency might have been corrupted."
"I was just covering myself, because so many weird things have happened lately," he wrote.
Getting a lot of outraged pushback over even allowing the possibility of something amiss at BLS. I was just covering myself, because so many weird things have happened lately. But I apologize for any suggestion that a highly professional agency might have been corrupted. 1/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) June 5, 2020
President Donld Trump held a news conference Friday morning on the decline in unemployment as the economy begins to recover from coronavirus shutdowns.
"They thought the number would be a loss of nine million jobs, and it was a gain of almost three million jobs," Trump said. "This leads us on to a long period of growth. We'll go back to having the greatest economy anywhere in the world ... and I think we're going to have a very good upcoming few months."


freebeacon--2020-06-05--Jobs Report Shows Improvement in May Despite Pandemic

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) – The U.S. economy unexpectedly added jobs in May after suffering record losses in the prior month , offering the clearest signal yet that the downturn triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic was probably over , though the road to recovery could be long .
The Labor Department ’ s closely watched employment report on Friday also showed the jobless rate falling to 13.3 % last month from 14.7 % in April , a post World War Two high .
It came on the heels of surveys showing consumer confidence , manufacturing and services industries stabilizing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopened after shuttering in mid-March to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
Nonfarm payrolls rose by 2.509 million jobs last month after a record plunge of 20.687 million in April .
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the unemployment rate jumping to 19.8 % in May and payrolls falling by 8 million jobs .
U.S. stock index futures sharply extended gains .
The dollar rose against a basket of currencies .
U.S. Treasury prices fell .
`` These improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it , '' The Labor Department said in a statement .

By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy unexpectedly added jobs in May after suffering record losses in the prior month, offering the clearest signal yet that the downturn triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic was probably over, though the road to recovery could be long.
The Labor Department’s closely watched employment report on Friday also showed the jobless rate falling to 13.3% last month from 14.7% in April, a post World War Two high. It came on the heels of surveys showing consumer confidence, manufacturing and services industries stabilizing.
Economic conditions have significantly improved as businesses reopened after shuttering in mid-March to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Nonfarm payrolls rose by 2.509 million jobs last month after a record plunge of 20.687 million in April. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the unemployment rate jumping to 19.8% in May and payrolls falling by 8 million jobs.
U.S. stock index futures sharply extended gains. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury prices fell.
"These improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it," The Labor Department said in a statement.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci)


freebeacon--2020-06-06--University to Investigate Lecturer for Reading MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail

The University of California Los Angeles has launched an inquiry into a teacher for reading aloud Martin Luther King 's `` Letter from Birmingham Jail '' because the civil rights document includes the n-word .
In a department-wide email obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon , UCLA political science chair Michael Chwe and two other department leaders condemned lecturer W. Ajax Peris 's use of the racially incendiary word in a lecture he was delivering about the history of racism against African Americans .
UCLA officials said the department referred Peris , an Air Force veteran , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and urged students to come forward with complaints .
The email also faulted the postdoctoral lecturer for showing a documentary to the class in which a lynching is described and not stopping the presentation when students complained .
`` The lecturer also showed a portion of a documentary which included graphic images and descriptions of lynching , with a narrator who quoted the n-word in explaining the history of lynching .
Many students expressed distress and anger regarding the lecture and the lecturer 's response to their concerns during the lecture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed by Chwe , vice chair for graduate studies Lorrie Frasure , and vice chair for undergraduate studies Chris Tausanovitch .
`` We share students ' concerns that the lecturer did not simply pause and reassess their teaching pedagogy to meet the students ' needs . ''
In a video taken by a UCLA student , Peris , who is white , can be heard reading King 's celebrated letter written in the aftermath of the civil rights leader 's arrest for demonstrating against Jim Crow laws .
The letter was read in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of racism against African Americans in the United States .
Peris , who did not respond to a request for comment , issued written and video apologies to students following complaints .
The apology has not stopped calls for his firing .
On Thursday , protesters called on UCLA to terminate Peris , as well as an accounting professor who refused to delay or cancel final exams for minority students .
Neither UCLA nor the university DPO returned requests for comment .
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education ( FIRE ) said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threaten academic freedom at the taxpayer-funded public university .
FIRE spokeswoman Katlyn Patton said that the First Amendment should protect the lecturer from official sanction , though it would not safeguard him from `` criticism by students , colleagues , or the community . ''
`` Peris 's academic freedom , as a faculty member at a public institution bound by the First Amendment , includes the right to decide whether and how to confront or discuss difficult or offensive material , including historical readings that document our nation 's centuries-long history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doing so does not amount to unlawful discrimination or harassment , and the law is abundantly clear that UCLA could not investigate or punish a professor for exercising his expressive or academic freedom . ''
In addition to investigating the professor , UCLA will host a town hall on Tuesday , June 9 , for students in Peris 's classes to debrief on the controversy and `` outline future next steps . ''
The town hall will be led by Frasure , one of the authors of the department-wide email .
Neither Chwe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests for comment .

The University of California Los Angeles has launched an inquiry into a teacher for reading aloud Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" because the civil rights document includes the n-word.
In a department-wide email obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon, UCLA political science chair Michael Chwe and two other department leaders condemned lecturer W. Ajax Peris's use of the racially incendiary word in a lecture he was delivering about the history of racism against African Americans. UCLA officials said the department referred Peris, an Air Force veteran, to the university's Discrimination Prevention Office (DPO) and urged students to come forward with complaints. The email also faulted the postdoctoral lecturer for showing a documentary to the class in which a lynching is described and not stopping the presentation when students complained.
"The lecturer also showed a portion of a documentary which included graphic images and descriptions of lynching, with a narrator who quoted the n-word in explaining the history of lynching. Many students expressed distress and anger regarding the lecture and the lecturer's response to their concerns during the lecture," said the letter, which was signed by Chwe, vice chair for graduate studies Lorrie Frasure, and vice chair for undergraduate studies Chris Tausanovitch. "We share students' concerns that the lecturer did not simply pause and reassess their teaching pedagogy to meet the students' needs."
In a video taken by a UCLA student, Peris, who is white, can be heard reading King's celebrated letter written in the aftermath of the civil rights leader's arrest for demonstrating against Jim Crow laws. The letter was read in tandem with his lecture on the history of racism against African Americans in the United States.
@UCLA After numerous students plead with Professor Ajax Peris to not use the n word he refused to omit the word because as he stated 'just that my skin is white does not prevent me from being able to say those words" and apologized for our 'discomfort" but not for his words pic.twitter.com/3WVyKuA8Dg — heav. (@heavynne_) June 3, 2020
Peris, who did not respond to a request for comment, issued written and video apologies to students following complaints. The apology has not stopped calls for his firing. On Thursday, protesters called on UCLA to terminate Peris, as well as an accounting professor who refused to delay or cancel final exams for minority students.
Neither UCLA nor the university DPO returned requests for comment.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) said the department's treatment of Peris could threaten academic freedom at the taxpayer-funded public university. FIRE spokeswoman Katlyn Patton said that the First Amendment should protect the lecturer from official sanction, though it would not safeguard him from "criticism by students, colleagues, or the community."
"Peris's academic freedom, as a faculty member at a public institution bound by the First Amendment, includes the right to decide whether and how to confront or discuss difficult or offensive material, including historical readings that document our nation's centuries-long history of racism," Patton said. "Doing so does not amount to unlawful discrimination or harassment, and the law is abundantly clear that UCLA could not investigate or punish a professor for exercising his expressive or academic freedom."
In addition to investigating the professor, UCLA will host a town hall on Tuesday, June 9, for students in Peris's classes to debrief on the controversy and "outline future next steps." The town hall will be led by Frasure, one of the authors of the department-wide email. Neither Chwe, Frasure, nor Tausanovitch responded to requests for comment.


freebeacon--2020-06-07--Foreign Propagandists Exploit U.S. Unrest

Foreign propagandists are exploiting the death of George Floyd to question the legitimacy of the U.S. political system and deflect concerns about their own human rights abuses .
China , Russia , Iran , and other authoritarian regimes have offered wall-to-wall coverage of the Floyd protests and ensuing riots on their propaganda outlets , using the unrest to paint democratic systems as prone to turmoil .
The propagandists—as well as top-level government officials—have also exploited the Floyd protests to smear specific pro-democracy or anti-regime movements within their own countries , associating the movements with scenes of chaos and disorder in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage and public statements are indicative of how foreign adversaries are manipulating an American tragedy to delegitimize anti-regime voices in their home countries .
This is especially the case for China , as the Floyd protests served as a welcome diversion from the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and public outcry in Hong Kong , where demonstrators are out in the streets opposing a new national security law that would allow the Chinese government to crack down on anyone conducting what it considers seditious or terrorist activities .
Hu Xijin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Global Times , has repeatedly tweeted about the Tiananmen Square massacre , accusing the United States of hypocrisy .
For example , the propagandist uploaded a post comparing footage of Tiananmen 's famous `` tank man '' standing in front of a tank column with videos of NYPD police cars crashing into protesters .
`` The US repression of domestic unrest has further eroded the moral basis to claim itself ‘ beacon of democracy , ' '' Hu tweeted on Wednesday .
`` The era that the US political elites could exploit [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over . ''
Mike Gonzalez , a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation , said that China and the other foreign countries are at the `` height of hypocrisy '' for exploiting U.S. domestic unrest to delegitimize opposition back home .
`` It is the height of hypocrisy for a communist party that has created concentration camps for Muslim Uyghurs , that has completely suppressed the freedom of its citizens , that has not allowed criticism because people who criticize it [ end up ] in prison … to lecture us on whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
Authoritarian governments are also using the Floyd protests to portray the United States in the worst light possible—a nation chronically ill with racism , as a spokesman for China 's foreign ministry put it .
RT , a multinational media outlet controlled by the Kremlin , has aggressively covered the Floyd protests since late May as part of an effort to delegitimize pro-democracy movements abroad .
On May 29 , the propaganda organ aired a three-minute segment calling out the `` hypocrisy '' of U.S. leaders who support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in U.S. cities .
The segment juxtaposed riotous scenes in U.S. cities with videos of Hong Kong protesters , who are now marching to oppose a new national security law that will undermine the city-state 's rule of law .
`` We criticize China for threatening to use its military against those [ Hong Kong ] protesters , '' the newscaster said .
`` As Americans take to a street and attack police and destroy property , the same voices who supported the Hong Kong protesters are calling American protesters ‘ thugs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ latched onto the Floyd protests as a way to deflect growing international concerns about its new national security law , as well as the June 4 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident .
Hua Chunying , the spokeswoman for China 's foreign ministry , used the protests to deflect U.S. concerns about the new national security law .
When Morgan Ortagus , spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department , criticized the law on Twitter , Hua responded by writing , `` I ca n't breathe , '' a popular Black Lives Matter slogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and George Floyd at the hands of police officers .
She also retweeted the May 29 RT segment that compared U.S. rioters to Hong Kong protesters , writing , `` THUGS AND HEROES HYPOCRISY . ''
Chinese state media outlets have also used the current unrest to spin the regime 's disputes with the United States over the coronavirus pandemic .
China Daily published a cartoon criticizing the Trump administration 's decision to terminate World Health Organization funding by evoking the Black Lives Matter movement .
It depicted a coronavirus patient saying `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply of oxygen is cut off due to Trump ending funding toward the organization .
Another cartoon , titled `` Beneath Human Rights , '' depicted the Statue of Liberty as a police officer kneeling on the neck of a dying George Floyd .
Iranian leaders , meanwhile , have used the Floyd protests to criticize America 's maximum pressure policy against the theocratic regime and undermine U.S. support for Iranian protesters .
Iran 's foreign minister Javad Zarif has been at the forefront of this effort .
In one instance , Zarif @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement condemning Iran 's crackdown on protesters by replacing all references to Iran with the United States .
Zarif also directly tied the U.S. sanction regime imposed on Iran to Floyd 's death , saying that both involve a `` knee-on-neck '' technique that intends to strangle its victims .
`` The ‘ knee-on-neck ' technique is nothing new : Same cabal—who 've admitted to habitually ‘ lie , cheat , steal'—have been employing it on 80M Iranians for 2 yrs , calling it ‘ maximum pressure , ' '' Zarif wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ our knees .
Nor will it abase African-Americans . ''
The Iranian efforts sometimes involve strange expressions of solidarity that betray a gap in Iran 's understanding of American culture .
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried to express his solidarity for African Americans by quoting Tupac , tweeting , `` Pull the trigger kill a Nigga he 's a hero . ''
Critics mocked the president for using the n-word in an awkward attempt at solidarity .
Gonzalez , the Heritage Foundation expert , said that it is unclear how these comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic audience of the authoritarian regimes .
He did , however , say that some of the more transparent attempts at distraction have `` backfired , '' provoking anger among citizens who see through the government 's attempt to divert attention abroad .
`` When the Iranians tried to make use of [ Floyd 's death ] , and had a demonstration of people talking about the so-called racial intolerance of the U.S. , the family of the people who died in the plane crash took to social media to say they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to the relatives of the passengers aboard the Ukrainian flight that was shot down by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in January .
`` They are doing this to deflect criticism from [ themselves ] . ''

Foreign propagandists are exploiting the death of George Floyd to question the legitimacy of the U.S. political system and deflect concerns about their own human rights abuses.
China, Russia, Iran, and other authoritarian regimes have offered wall-to-wall coverage of the Floyd protests and ensuing riots on their propaganda outlets, using the unrest to paint democratic systems as prone to turmoil. The propagandists—as well as top-level government officials—have also exploited the Floyd protests to smear specific pro-democracy or anti-regime movements within their own countries, associating the movements with scenes of chaos and disorder in U.S. cities.
The spate of propaganda coverage and public statements are indicative of how foreign adversaries are manipulating an American tragedy to delegitimize anti-regime voices in their home countries. This is especially the case for China, as the Floyd protests served as a welcome diversion from the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and public outcry in Hong Kong, where demonstrators are out in the streets opposing a new national security law that would allow the Chinese government to crack down on anyone conducting what it considers seditious or terrorist activities.
Hu Xijin, the editor in chief of the state-controlled Global Times, has repeatedly tweeted about the Tiananmen Square massacre, accusing the United States of hypocrisy. For example, the propagandist uploaded a post comparing footage of Tiananmen's famous "tank man" standing in front of a tank column with videos of NYPD police cars crashing into protesters.
"The US repression of domestic unrest has further eroded the moral basis to claim itself 'beacon of democracy,'" Hu tweeted on Wednesday. "The era that the US political elites could exploit [the] Tiananmen incident at will is over."
Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said that China and the other foreign countries are at the "height of hypocrisy" for exploiting U.S. domestic unrest to delegitimize opposition back home.
"It is the height of hypocrisy for a communist party that has created concentration camps for Muslim Uyghurs, that has completely suppressed the freedom of its citizens, that has not allowed criticism because people who criticize it [end up] in prison … to lecture us on whether the riots are getting out of hand," he said.
Authoritarian governments are also using the Floyd protests to portray the United States in the worst light possible—a nation chronically ill with racism, as a spokesman for China's foreign ministry put it.
RT, a multinational media outlet controlled by the Kremlin, has aggressively covered the Floyd protests since late May as part of an effort to delegitimize pro-democracy movements abroad. On May 29, the propaganda organ aired a three-minute segment calling out the "hypocrisy" of U.S. leaders who support Hong Kong protesters but oppose violent riots in U.S. cities. The segment juxtaposed riotous scenes in U.S. cities with videos of Hong Kong protesters, who are now marching to oppose a new national security law that will undermine the city-state's rule of law.
"We criticize China for threatening to use its military against those [Hong Kong] protesters," the newscaster said. "As Americans take to a street and attack police and destroy property, the same voices who supported the Hong Kong protesters are calling American protesters 'thugs.'"
The Chinese government has also latched onto the Floyd protests as a way to deflect growing international concerns about its new national security law, as well as the June 4 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident.
Hua Chunying, the spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, used the protests to deflect U.S. concerns about the new national security law. When Morgan Ortagus, spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, criticized the law on Twitter, Hua responded by writing, "I can't breathe," a popular Black Lives Matter slogan inspired by the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd at the hands of police officers. She also retweeted the May 29 RT segment that compared U.S. rioters to Hong Kong protesters, writing, "THUGS AND HEROES HYPOCRISY."
Chinese state media outlets have also used the current unrest to spin the regime's disputes with the United States over the coronavirus pandemic. China Daily published a cartoon criticizing the Trump administration's decision to terminate World Health Organization funding by evoking the Black Lives Matter movement. It depicted a coronavirus patient saying "I can't breathe" as his supply of oxygen is cut off due to Trump ending funding toward the organization. Another cartoon, titled "Beneath Human Rights," depicted the Statue of Liberty as a police officer kneeling on the neck of a dying George Floyd.
Iranian leaders, meanwhile, have used the Floyd protests to criticize America's maximum pressure policy against the theocratic regime and undermine U.S. support for Iranian protesters. Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif has been at the forefront of this effort. In one instance, Zarif "corrected" a U.S. State Department statement condemning Iran's crackdown on protesters by replacing all references to Iran with the United States.
Some don't think #BlackLivesMatter. To those of us who do: it is long overdue for the entire world to wage war against racism. Time for a #WorldAgainstRacism. pic.twitter.com/06p1LmmwgF — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 30, 2020
Zarif also directly tied the U.S. sanction regime imposed on Iran to Floyd's death, saying that both involve a "knee-on-neck" technique that intends to strangle its victims.
"The 'knee-on-neck' technique is nothing new: Same cabal—who've admitted to habitually 'lie, cheat, steal'—have been employing it on 80M Iranians for 2 yrs, calling it 'maximum pressure,'" Zarif wrote. "It hasn't brought us to our knees. Nor will it abase African-Americans."
The Iranian efforts sometimes involve strange expressions of solidarity that betray a gap in Iran's understanding of American culture. Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried to express his solidarity for African Americans by quoting Tupac, tweeting, "Pull the trigger kill a Nigga he's a hero." Critics mocked the president for using the n-word in an awkward attempt at solidarity.
Gonzalez, the Heritage Foundation expert, said that it is unclear how these comments are playing out in front of the domestic audience of the authoritarian regimes. He did, however, say that some of the more transparent attempts at distraction have "backfired," provoking anger among citizens who see through the government's attempt to divert attention abroad.
"When the Iranians tried to make use of [Floyd's death], and had a demonstration of people talking about the so-called racial intolerance of the U.S., the family of the people who died in the plane crash took to social media to say they aren't buying this," Gonzalez said, referring to the relatives of the passengers aboard the Ukrainian flight that was shot down by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in January. "They are doing this to deflect criticism from [themselves]."


freebeacon--2020-06-08--NYT Editorial Page Editor Resigns Over Cotton Op-Ed

The New York Times announced on Sunday the resignation of editorial page editor James Bennet in the wake of staff uproar over the paper ’ s publication of an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
calling for the use of military force against rioters .
The Times also announced the reassignment of Bennet ’ s deputy , James Dao , to its newsroom from the editorial side .
Dao on Saturday claimed responsibility for the publication of the op-ed .
Dozens of Times reporters , editors , and columnists revolted over the publication of Cotton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a version of the phrase , `` Running this puts Black @ NYTimes staff in danger . ''
Bennet initially defended publishing Cotton 's op-ed , saying it `` would undermine the integrity and independence of The New York Times if we only published views that editors like me agreed with . ''
As the uproar grew , he later said he had not read Cotton 's piece prior to publication and apologized at a staff meeting for the `` pain '' it caused .
The Times has since added an editor 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have been published and contains dubious statements about the role of the far-left group antifa in the unrest .
Bennet acknowledged the Times invited Cotton to submit the op-ed , which argued President Donald Trump should invoke the Insurrection Act and supplement local law enforcement with the military to quell riots .
A recent poll found 58 percent of registered voters support Cotton 's view .
Katie Kingsbury , currently deputy editorial page editor , will serve as acting opinion editor through November , the Times said .
`` Last week we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processes , not the first we ’ ve experienced in recent years , '' publisher A. G. Sulzberger wrote in a note to staffers .
`` James and I agreed that it would take a new team to lead the department through a period of considerable change … Because we have faced questions in recent days about our core values , I want to say this plainly : As an institution we are opposed to racism in every corner of our society . ''
Bennet , who previously edited the Atlantic , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D. , Colo. ) , one of dozens of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates .
While the Times described Cotton 's op-ed as a call for military force against `` protesters '' in a news story on Bennet 's resignation , his piece distinguished between `` peaceful , law-abiding protesters '' and individuals perpetrating looting and violence .
`` Some elites have excused this orgy of violence in the spirit of radical chic , calling it an understandable response to the wrongful death of George Floyd , '' Cotton wrote .
`` Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equivalence of rioters and looters to peaceful , law-abiding protesters .
A majority who seek to protest peacefully shouldn ’ t be confused with bands of miscreants . ''
Cotton initially praised the Times leadership for standing by the decision to publish his argument , but he has since mocked it for kowtowing to angry staffers .
`` I can tell you my op-ed does n't meet the New York Times standards , '' Cotton told Fox News on Thursday .
`` It far exceeds their standards , which are normally full of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it amazing that in the last 24 hours , the editor of the New York Times and the publisher of the New York Times have both defended their decision to publish this op-ed , but in the face of the ‘ woke ' mob , of ‘ woke ' kids that are in their newsroom , they tucked tail and they ran . ''

The New York Times announced on Sunday the resignation of editorial page editor James Bennet in the wake of staff uproar over the paper’s publication of an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) calling for the use of military force against rioters.
The Times also announced the reassignment of Bennet’s deputy, James Dao, to its newsroom from the editorial side. Dao on Saturday claimed responsibility for the publication of the op-ed.
Dozens of Times reporters, editors, and columnists revolted over the publication of Cotton’s op-ed on Wednesday, tweeting a version of the phrase, "Running this puts Black @NYTimes staff in danger."
Bennet initially defended publishing Cotton's op-ed, saying it "would undermine the integrity and independence of The New York Times if we only published views that editors like me agreed with." As the uproar grew, he later said he had not read Cotton's piece prior to publication and apologized at a staff meeting for the "pain" it caused. The Times has since added an editor's note to his essay that it should not have been published and contains dubious statements about the role of the far-left group antifa in the unrest.
Bennet acknowledged the Times invited Cotton to submit the op-ed, which argued President Donald Trump should invoke the Insurrection Act and supplement local law enforcement with the military to quell riots. A recent poll found 58 percent of registered voters support Cotton's view.
Katie Kingsbury, currently deputy editorial page editor, will serve as acting opinion editor through November, the Times said.
"Last week we saw a significant breakdown in our editing processes, not the first we’ve experienced in recent years," publisher A.G. Sulzberger wrote in a note to staffers. "James and I agreed that it would take a new team to lead the department through a period of considerable change.... Because we have faced questions in recent days about our core values, I want to say this plainly: As an institution we are opposed to racism in every corner of our society."
Inbox: James Bennet is out as opinion editor of The New York Times after the publication of the "Send in the Troops" op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton that led to outrage among staff and readers. Here's the email employees just got from the NYT publisher. pic.twitter.com/NnHIohC1Mm — Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs (@NickAtNews) June 7, 2020
Bennet, who previously edited the Atlantic, is the younger brother of Sen. Michael Bennet (D., Colo.), one of dozens of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.
While the Times described Cotton's op-ed as a call for military force against "protesters" in a news story on Bennet's resignation, his piece distinguished between "peaceful, law-abiding protesters" and individuals perpetrating looting and violence. Cotton tweeted the description of his essay was "false and offensive."
James Bennet, the editorial page editor of The New York Times, has resigned after a controversy over an Op-Ed by Senator Tom Cotton that called for military force against protesters in American cities https://t.co/Tt6PwmowZv — The New York Times (@nytimes) June 7, 2020
"Some elites have excused this orgy of violence in the spirit of radical chic, calling it an understandable response to the wrongful death of George Floyd," Cotton wrote. "Those excuses are built on a revolting moral equivalence of rioters and looters to peaceful, law-abiding protesters. A majority who seek to protest peacefully shouldn’t be confused with bands of miscreants."
Cotton initially praised the Times leadership for standing by the decision to publish his argument, but he has since mocked it for kowtowing to angry staffers.
"I can tell you my op-ed doesn't meet the New York Times standards," Cotton told Fox News on Thursday. "It far exceeds their standards, which are normally full of left-wing sophomoric drivel. And I find it amazing that in the last 24 hours, the editor of the New York Times and the publisher of the New York Times have both defended their decision to publish this op-ed, but in the face of the 'woke' mob, of 'woke' kids that are in their newsroom, they tucked tail and they ran."


freebeacon--2020-06-08--Exclusive: Congressional Republicans to Unveil Largest Iran Sanctions Plan in History

Congressional Republicans will unveil this week the largest package of Iran sanctions in history , an unprecedented plan that aims to cripple Tehran ’ s global terrorism enterprise and bankrupt the cash-strapped regime , according to a copy of the legislative package exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon .
The Republican Study Committee ( RSC ) , the largest caucus of GOP lawmakers in Congress , will on Wednesday release a massive legislative proposal targeting malign regimes across the globe , including Russia , China , and Iran .
The policy proposal includes more than 140 new initiatives intending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy stage .
The Iran portion includes `` the toughest sanctions that have ever been proposed by Congress on Iran , '' according to Rep. Mike Johnson ( R. , La . )
, the RSC ’ s chairman .
It would greatly expand the Trump administration ’ s `` maximum pressure '' campaign and force the removal of several contested policies that Republicans argue have kept the Iran nuclear accord on life support since President Donald Trump abandoned it in 2018 .
The legislative proposal specifically tackles some of the thorniest issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayer aid to Lebanon and other Middle Eastern nations controlled by Iran , sanctions waivers that have kept Tehran ’ s nuclear program alive , and the 2002 authorization for use of military force in Iraq , which Republicans view as severely outdated given the rise of numerous new terror factions .
Johnson and Rep. Joe Wilson ( R. , S.C. ) , head of the RSC ’ s foreign affairs and national security task force , told the Free Beacon that their proposal is more than a conservative wish list .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including foreign policy leaders such as Sen. Robert Menendez ( D. , N.J. ) , Rep. Ted Deutch ( D. , Fla. ) , and Rep. Eliot Engel ( D. , N.Y. ) —all of whom have expressed concerns about the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran ’ s regional ambitions .
`` We ’ re not doing this for messaging purposes , '' Johnson said .
`` Many of these things we would expect and should be bipartisan because this is one of these issues that every person who looks at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The most significant proposal , however , is likely to pit Republican lawmakers against elements in the Trump administration .
In a move likely to spark a turf war with the State Department , the RSC is calling on Congress to unilaterally cancel a set of sanctions waivers that have legitimized Iran ’ s nuclear program and increased its footprint in Iraq .
The waivers are one of the biggest points of contention between the Trump administration and Iran hawks in Congress .
While a months-long pressure campaign in May forced the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nuclear facilities—including a military bunker that formerly housed the country ’ s atomic weapons program—others still remain in place .
The most significant current waiver allows Iran to sell electricity to Iraq .
Under this waiver , the countries inked a two-year $ 800 million electricity deal late last week , providing Tehran an even greater foothold into Iraq ’ s economy and government .
Under the GOP ’ s new plan , the administration would be barred from lifting sanctions without first obtaining consent from the House and Senate .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctioning every Iraqi militia group responsible for attacking the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad earlier this year .
Most of these groups are not currently subject to U.S. sanctions .
Republicans are `` concerned that there needs to be consistency about '' America ’ s Iran sanctions policy , Johnson said , acknowledging that these waivers undermine the president ’ s maximum pressure campaign .
Other proposals complement policies already undertaken by the Trump administration , such as efforts to invoke the snapback of all international sanctions on Iran that were originally lifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With a United Nations-endorsed arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October , Republican hawks and their allies in the administration now see snapback as key to stopping countries like Russia and China from selling arms to the Islamic Republic .
To further the possibility of snapback , the RSC proposes new legislation mandating the United States to use its influence at the U.N. Security Council to ensure international sanctions are reimposed .
If the arms embargo on Iran is not extended , Congress could play a central role in crafting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Iran .
This would include `` new sanctions on the arms industries of countries like Russia and China that return to selling weapons to Iran , the banks facilitating any sale of weapons to Iran , and the companies shipping weapons , '' according to the proposal .
U.S. aid to Lebanon has also emerged as a top priority for Republican lawmakers—and a potential flashpoint between them and the Trump administration .
While the State Department has aggressively defended the millions in U.S. taxpayer aid provided each year to the Lebanese government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to criticize a policy they say emboldens Hezbollah , the Iranian terror proxy controlling the country .
For the first time , the RSC and its allies are calling for a complete halt of U.S. aid in Lebanon , potentially paving the way for a showdown with typically hawkish Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Earlier this year , Pompeo told the Free Beacon his administration still views U.S. aid to Lebanon ’ s armed forces as beneficial .
Both Johnson and Wilson said there is no valid reason to continue awarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes control of the country .
`` They ’ re using U.S. taxpayer dollars supposedly to counter Hezbollah , and that may have been true in the past , but it does not appear to be true anymore , '' Johnson said .
`` That money is being spent in ways that are counterproductive to our goals in the region . ''
Other sanctions would target Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ’ s multibillion-dollar financial empire , as well as the country 's petrochemical , financial , and automotive sectors .
The GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 9/11 terror attacks , the regional threat landscape has shifted dramatically .
They are now calling for a reassessment of the war authorizations granted in 2001 and 2002—a call certain to rankle antiwar Democrats who view these authorities as carte blanche for the administration to wage endless wars .
The RSC argues that both war authorizations are out of date and do not give the president adequate authority to combat a bevy of new terror factions , primarily those armed and funded by Iran .
While Democrats have pushed to have these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical to the U.S. military campaign against these growing factions .
`` We ’ re not going to take the Ilhan Omar approach , '' Rep. Wilson said .
`` It ’ s important we don ’ t open the door for Ilhan and AOC [ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D. , N.Y. ) ] and the thirty leftists who call for disbanding the American military . ''

Congressional Republicans will unveil this week the largest package of Iran sanctions in history, an unprecedented plan that aims to cripple Tehran’s global terrorism enterprise and bankrupt the cash-strapped regime, according to a copy of the legislative package exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
The Republican Study Committee (RSC), the largest caucus of GOP lawmakers in Congress, will on Wednesday release a massive legislative proposal targeting malign regimes across the globe, including Russia, China, and Iran. The policy proposal includes more than 140 new initiatives intending to reassert Republican leadership on the foreign policy stage.
The Iran portion includes "the toughest sanctions that have ever been proposed by Congress on Iran," according to Rep. Mike Johnson (R., La.), the RSC’s chairman. It would greatly expand the Trump administration’s "maximum pressure" campaign and force the removal of several contested policies that Republicans argue have kept the Iran nuclear accord on life support since President Donald Trump abandoned it in 2018.
The legislative proposal specifically tackles some of the thorniest issues in U.S. foreign policy: contested American taxpayer aid to Lebanon and other Middle Eastern nations controlled by Iran, sanctions waivers that have kept Tehran’s nuclear program alive, and the 2002 authorization for use of military force in Iraq, which Republicans view as severely outdated given the rise of numerous new terror factions.
Johnson and Rep. Joe Wilson (R., S.C.), head of the RSC’s foreign affairs and national security task force, told the Free Beacon that their proposal is more than a conservative wish list. Some Democrats could support many of the priorities, including foreign policy leaders such as Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), Rep. Ted Deutch (D., Fla.), and Rep. Eliot Engel (D., N.Y.)—all of whom have expressed concerns about the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran’s regional ambitions.
"We’re not doing this for messaging purposes," Johnson said. "Many of these things we would expect and should be bipartisan because this is one of these issues that every person who looks at the situation objectively should agree to."
The most significant proposal, however, is likely to pit Republican lawmakers against elements in the Trump administration. In a move likely to spark a turf war with the State Department, the RSC is calling on Congress to unilaterally cancel a set of sanctions waivers that have legitimized Iran’s nuclear program and increased its footprint in Iraq.
The waivers are one of the biggest points of contention between the Trump administration and Iran hawks in Congress. While a months-long pressure campaign in May forced the State Department to cancel waivers for Iran’s nuclear facilities—including a military bunker that formerly housed the country’s atomic weapons program—others still remain in place.
The most significant current waiver allows Iran to sell electricity to Iraq. Under this waiver, the countries inked a two-year $800 million electricity deal late last week, providing Tehran an even greater foothold into Iraq’s economy and government.
Under the GOP’s new plan, the administration would be barred from lifting sanctions without first obtaining consent from the House and Senate. It also would take the unprecedented step of sanctioning every Iraqi militia group responsible for attacking the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad earlier this year. Most of these groups are not currently subject to U.S. sanctions.
Republicans are "concerned that there needs to be consistency about" America’s Iran sanctions policy, Johnson said, acknowledging that these waivers undermine the president’s maximum pressure campaign.
Other proposals complement policies already undertaken by the Trump administration, such as efforts to invoke the snapback of all international sanctions on Iran that were originally lifted as part of the landmark nuclear deal.
With a United Nations-endorsed arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October, Republican hawks and their allies in the administration now see snapback as key to stopping countries like Russia and China from selling arms to the Islamic Republic.
To further the possibility of snapback, the RSC proposes new legislation mandating the United States to use its influence at the U.N. Security Council to ensure international sanctions are reimposed.
If the arms embargo on Iran is not extended, Congress could play a central role in crafting new embargoes on the sale of weapons to Iran. This would include "new sanctions on the arms industries of countries like Russia and China that return to selling weapons to Iran, the banks facilitating any sale of weapons to Iran, and the companies shipping weapons," according to the proposal.
U.S. aid to Lebanon has also emerged as a top priority for Republican lawmakers—and a potential flashpoint between them and the Trump administration.
While the State Department has aggressively defended the millions in U.S. taxpayer aid provided each year to the Lebanese government and its military, Republicans are increasingly willing to criticize a policy they say emboldens Hezbollah, the Iranian terror proxy controlling the country.
For the first time, the RSC and its allies are calling for a complete halt of U.S. aid in Lebanon, potentially paving the way for a showdown with typically hawkish Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Earlier this year, Pompeo told the Free Beacon his administration still views U.S. aid to Lebanon’s armed forces as beneficial.
Both Johnson and Wilson said there is no valid reason to continue awarding Lebanon with taxpayer aid as Hezbollah systematically takes control of the country.
"They’re using U.S. taxpayer dollars supposedly to counter Hezbollah, and that may have been true in the past, but it does not appear to be true anymore," Johnson said. "That money is being spent in ways that are counterproductive to our goals in the region."
Other sanctions would target Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s multibillion-dollar financial empire, as well as the country's petrochemical, financial, and automotive sectors.
The GOP also recognizes that in the years since the 9/11 terror attacks, the regional threat landscape has shifted dramatically. They are now calling for a reassessment of the war authorizations granted in 2001 and 2002—a call certain to rankle antiwar Democrats who view these authorities as carte blanche for the administration to wage endless wars.
The RSC argues that both war authorizations are out of date and do not give the president adequate authority to combat a bevy of new terror factions, primarily those armed and funded by Iran.
While Democrats have pushed to have these authorizations revoked, Republicans view them as critical to the U.S. military campaign against these growing factions.
"We’re not going to take the Ilhan Omar approach," Rep. Wilson said. "It’s important we don’t open the door for Ilhan and AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.)] and the thirty leftists who call for disbanding the American military."


freebeacon--2020-06-08--Iran Blocks Access to Nuclear Sites, IAEA Says in New Report

Iran is blocking international access to critical nuclear sites and has quickened the pace of its uranium enrichment program , shortening the time it would take the country to build a nuclear weapon , according to the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) and U.S. experts .
In violation of international accords , Iran continues to stockpile enriched uranium , the key component in an atomic weapon , and is blocking access for international inspectors seeking to provide oversight of several sites believed to be part of Iran ’ s clandestine program , according to a nonpublic IAEA report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The IAEA report indicates that Iran is in breach of safeguards enacted by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty , which is overseen by the international agency .
By blocking access to several nuclear sites , Iran is preventing the agency from accounting for undeclared nuclear materials currently in use by the regime .
Iran also has made a sizable increase in the amount of low-enriched uranium it keeps in the country , another violation of U.N. mandates barring Tehran from stockpiling nuclear material .
Because of this , Iran has shortened the time it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that Iran is expanding its nuclear endeavors describing it as a `` transparent attempt to generate negotiating leverage and extort the international community . ''
The United States will `` continue imposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime until it ceases its destabilizing activities and negotiates a comprehensive deal , '' the official said .
If Iran fails to abide by international laws , it will `` face the consequences of even deeper and broader sanctions , '' according to the State Department .
U.S. officials remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusal to cooperate with the IAEA regarding possible undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran , '' the official said , adding that Iran must be forced to comply with IAEA demands .
`` Iran is attempting to stall the IAEA 's investigation , stating that it requires further clarification and does not want its refusal of access to be called ‘ denial , ’ '' Andrea Stricker , a nuclear proliferation expert with the Foundation For Defense of Democracies , told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` The IAEA is pushing back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal ambiguities regarding the Agency 's rights and obligations ’ and its requests are ‘ strictly in accordance with the Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol.
’ '' Since January , Iran has refused to permit IAEA inspectors access to two sites believed to be part of Iran ’ s nuclear program and currently storing undeclared materials .
There is also evidence that Iran is continuing enrichment work at its Fordow site , an underground bunker that once housed the country ’ s atomic weapons program .
Under U.N. regulations , work at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This evidence could also provide ammunition for the United States to petition the U.N. Security Council to enact what is known as snapback , a full reimposition of sanctions that were lifted as part of the nuclear deal signed during the Obama administration .
Iranian leaders have made clear in recent months that the country will continue enriching uranium , in violation of the nuclear accord , until European nations provide it with greater access to cash .

Iran is blocking international access to critical nuclear sites and has quickened the pace of its uranium enrichment program, shortening the time it would take the country to build a nuclear weapon, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and U.S. experts.
In violation of international accords, Iran continues to stockpile enriched uranium, the key component in an atomic weapon, and is blocking access for international inspectors seeking to provide oversight of several sites believed to be part of Iran’s clandestine program, according to a nonpublic IAEA report distributed to partner nations on Friday.
The IAEA report indicates that Iran is in breach of safeguards enacted by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is overseen by the international agency. By blocking access to several nuclear sites, Iran is preventing the agency from accounting for undeclared nuclear materials currently in use by the regime.
Iran also has made a sizable increase in the amount of low-enriched uranium it keeps in the country, another violation of U.N. mandates barring Tehran from stockpiling nuclear material. Because of this, Iran has shortened the time it needs to successfully build a nuclear weapon.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that Iran is expanding its nuclear endeavors describing it as a "transparent attempt to generate negotiating leverage and extort the international community."
The United States will "continue imposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime until it ceases its destabilizing activities and negotiates a comprehensive deal," the official said.
If Iran fails to abide by international laws, it will "face the consequences of even deeper and broader sanctions," according to the State Department.
U.S. officials remain "deeply concerned about Iran's ongoing refusal to cooperate with the IAEA regarding possible undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran," the official said, adding that Iran must be forced to comply with IAEA demands.
"Iran is attempting to stall the IAEA's investigation, stating that it requires further clarification and does not want its refusal of access to be called ‘denial,’" Andrea Stricker, a nuclear proliferation expert with the Foundation For Defense of Democracies, told the Washington Free Beacon. "The IAEA is pushing back forcefully, stating there are ‘no legal ambiguities regarding the Agency's rights and obligations’ and its requests are ‘strictly in accordance with the Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol.’"
Since January, Iran has refused to permit IAEA inspectors access to two sites believed to be part of Iran’s nuclear program and currently storing undeclared materials.
There is also evidence that Iran is continuing enrichment work at its Fordow site, an underground bunker that once housed the country’s atomic weapons program. Under U.N. regulations, work at Fordow is subject to international sanctions. This evidence could also provide ammunition for the United States to petition the U.N. Security Council to enact what is known as snapback, a full reimposition of sanctions that were lifted as part of the nuclear deal signed during the Obama administration.
Iranian leaders have made clear in recent months that the country will continue enriching uranium, in violation of the nuclear accord, until European nations provide it with greater access to cash.


freebeacon--2020-06-08--Establishment-Backed Dem Bails on Primary Debate

The establishment-backed Democrat seeking to oust Sen. Susan Collins ( R. , Maine ) is once again skipping a Monday evening debate with her Democratic primary opponents , prompting condemnations from her rivals .
Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon ( D. ) has repeatedly refused to appear on the same stage as her primary rivals , human rights activist Betsy Sweet and criminal defense attorney Bre Kidman .
She most recently declined to attend the candidate debate scheduled for Monday night , the first televised debate of the race .
Gideon 's long string of absences from candidate forums and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gideon is ignoring Maine voters after winning the approval of Washington , D.C. , party officials .
`` [ Gideon is ] refusing to appear in forums where she would have to answer unscripted questions without being able to simply end the event when she got one she didn ’ t like , '' Kidman told the Washington Free Beacon .
Gideon has skipped at least two candidate forums attended by her rivals .
She has also refused to attend at least three other debate forums as well , forcing the organizers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Kidman .
Gideon received the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsement within days of her campaign launch and has used her ties to the establishment to emerge as the clear frontrunner of the Democratic primary , raising nearly $ 15 million .
Her refusal to appear in public forums alongside her rivals is consistent with the larger Democratic establishment strategy of keeping favored candidates away from the media limelight .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , N.Y. ) , for example , once advised a North Carolina candidate to lock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' rather than host town halls .
`` We want you to spend the next 16 months in a windowless basement raising money and then we ’ re going to spend 80 percent of it on negative ads about [ GOP Sen. Thom ] Tillis , '' Schumer said .
Gideon , who did not respond to a request for comment , has yet to publicly explain her planned absence from the Monday debate stage .
The candidate at first was scheduled to appear on a video conference hosted by NARAL , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That event , however , has since been canceled .
Kidman told the Free Beacon that two Maine-based political groups tried to organize candidate forums but abandoned their plans after Gideon and Ross LaJeunesse , a former candidate who dropped out in March , refused to attend the event .
She said another organization also tried to host a forum but canceled due to `` difficulty scheduling candidates , '' even though both Kidman and Sweet agreed to participate .
Kidman called her fellow Democrat `` anti-democratic '' for dodging voters .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as transparently anti-democratic for undermining voters ’ ability to make informed choices by spending outrageous sums on misleading advertisements to foster name recognition without participating in forums to answer for any of their claims , '' Kidman said .
Gideon has translated her support from national Democrats and left-leaning interest groups into a massive war chest , spending more money than both Collins and her Democratic primary rivals combined .
The massive expenditure has helped Gideon secure a nine-point lead over Collins , according to a May poll .
The Sweet campaign did @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The establishment-backed Democrat seeking to oust Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) is once again skipping a Monday evening debate with her Democratic primary opponents, prompting condemnations from her rivals.
Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon (D.) has repeatedly refused to appear on the same stage as her primary rivals, human rights activist Betsy Sweet and criminal defense attorney Bre Kidman. She most recently declined to attend the candidate debate scheduled for Monday night, the first televised debate of the race.
Gideon's long string of absences from candidate forums and debates has prompted accusations from rivals that Gideon is ignoring Maine voters after winning the approval of Washington, D.C., party officials.
"[Gideon is] refusing to appear in forums where she would have to answer unscripted questions without being able to simply end the event when she got one she didn’t like," Kidman told the Washington Free Beacon.
Gideon has skipped at least two candidate forums attended by her rivals. She has also refused to attend at least three other debate forums as well, forcing the organizers to cancel the event in its entirety, according to Kidman.
Gideon received the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsement within days of her campaign launch and has used her ties to the establishment to emerge as the clear frontrunner of the Democratic primary, raising nearly $15 million. Her refusal to appear in public forums alongside her rivals is consistent with the larger Democratic establishment strategy of keeping favored candidates away from the media limelight. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), for example, once advised a North Carolina candidate to lock himself up in a "windowless basement" rather than host town halls.
"We want you to spend the next 16 months in a windowless basement raising money and then we’re going to spend 80 percent of it on negative ads about [GOP Sen. Thom] Tillis," Schumer said.
Gideon, who did not respond to a request for comment, has yet to publicly explain her planned absence from the Monday debate stage. The candidate at first was scheduled to appear on a video conference hosted by NARAL, a national pro-abortion group backing her campaign. That event, however, has since been canceled.
Kidman told the Free Beacon that two Maine-based political groups tried to organize candidate forums but abandoned their plans after Gideon and Ross LaJeunesse, a former candidate who dropped out in March, refused to attend the event. She said another organization also tried to host a forum but canceled due to "difficulty scheduling candidates," even though both Kidman and Sweet agreed to participate. Kidman called her fellow Democrat "anti-democratic" for dodging voters.
"I would describe Collins and Gideon both as transparently anti-democratic for undermining voters’ ability to make informed choices by spending outrageous sums on misleading advertisements to foster name recognition without participating in forums to answer for any of their claims," Kidman said.
Gideon has translated her support from national Democrats and left-leaning interest groups into a massive war chest, spending more money than both Collins and her Democratic primary rivals combined. The massive expenditure has helped Gideon secure a nine-point lead over Collins, according to a May poll.
The Sweet campaign did not return a request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-06-08--Trump Admin Sanctions Iranian Shipping Company Tied to WMD Program

The Trump administration on Monday reimposed sanctions on Iran 's shipping industry due to its efforts to import ballistic missile technology and other equipment used as part of Tehran 's weapons of mass destruction program .
The State Department announced that sanctions will be slapped on the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines ( IRISL ) and a subsidiary corporation based in China , which has helped Iran skirt sanctions in the past .
The sanctions on the entities were lifted for the past six months to help Iran import medical goods needed to aid its response to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay has come to an end , those in the commercial and maritime industries doing business with Iran must use carriers or shipping methods other than IRISL '' or risk facing `` exposure to U.S. WMD sanctions , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said .
Iran 's shipping sector is key to its import of illicit missile technology and other nuclear proliferation-sensitive technologies tied to the country 's atomic weapons program .
`` Despite Iran 's claims that it will never develop nuclear weapons and associated delivery systems , the Iranian regime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ items in violation '' of United Nations accords barring such activity , Pompeo said .

The Trump administration on Monday reimposed sanctions on Iran's shipping industry due to its efforts to import ballistic missile technology and other equipment used as part of Tehran's weapons of mass destruction program.
The State Department announced that sanctions will be slapped on the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and a subsidiary corporation based in China, which has helped Iran skirt sanctions in the past. The sanctions on the entities were lifted for the past six months to help Iran import medical goods needed to aid its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Now that this generous delay has come to an end, those in the commercial and maritime industries doing business with Iran must use carriers or shipping methods other than IRISL" or risk facing "exposure to U.S. WMD sanctions," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
Iran's shipping sector is key to its import of illicit missile technology and other nuclear proliferation-sensitive technologies tied to the country's atomic weapons program.
"Despite Iran's claims that it will never develop nuclear weapons and associated delivery systems, the Iranian regime has continued to pursue and procure proliferation-sensitive items in violation" of United Nations accords barring such activity, Pompeo said.


freebeacon--2020-06-08--Harris Dodges on Defunding the Police

Harris Dodges on Defunding the Police

Sen. Kamala Harris ( D. , Calif. ) , a top Democratic vice presidential contender , did not respond directly when asked whether she supports an initiative gaining traction among left-wing activists to defund the police .
`` We need to reimagine how we 're achieving public safety in America , '' Harris told The View .
`` To have cities where one-third of their entire budget is going to policing , but yet there is a dire need in those same cities for mental health resources , for resources going into public schools , for resources going into job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Harris said American communities focus too much on funding police forces instead of other services .
Harris has been touted as a potential running mate for Joe Biden , whose campaign said Monday the former vice president opposes initiatives to defund the police .
While the vast majority of Americans oppose defunding police , the proposal has gained traction among left-wing activists amid widespread protests against police violence .
The city council of Minneapolis , where a police officer killed unarmed black man George Floyd in May , vowed to disband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd of protesters booed Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey on Sunday when he said he opposed the move .
The Minneapolis City Council president defended the council 's decision , dismissing safety concerns as coming `` from a place of privilege . ''
Proponents of `` defunding the police '' have disagreed over the slogan 's exact meaning .
Some call for a total elimination of police departments , while others propose simply cutting police budgets .

Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.), a top Democratic vice presidential contender, did not respond directly when asked whether she supports an initiative gaining traction among left-wing activists to defund the police.
"We need to reimagine how we're achieving public safety in America," Harris told The View. "To have cities where one-third of their entire budget is going to policing, but yet there is a dire need in those same cities for mental health resources, for resources going into public schools, for resources going into job training and job creation. Come on."
Harris said American communities focus too much on funding police forces instead of other services.
Harris has been touted as a potential running mate for Joe Biden, whose campaign said Monday the former vice president opposes initiatives to defund the police.
While the vast majority of Americans oppose defunding police, the proposal has gained traction among left-wing activists amid widespread protests against police violence. The city council of Minneapolis, where a police officer killed unarmed black man George Floyd in May, vowed to disband the city's police force. A crowd of protesters booed Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey on Sunday when he said he opposed the move. The Minneapolis City Council president defended the council's decision, dismissing safety concerns as coming "from a place of privilege."
Proponents of "defunding the police" have disagreed over the slogan's exact meaning. Some call for a total elimination of police departments, while others propose simply cutting police budgets.


freebeacon--2020-06-08--Founder of Error-Ridden ‘1619 Project’ Slams Lack of Fact Checking in Cotton Op-Ed

`` 1619 Project '' founder Nikole Hannah-Jones , whose seminal essay was updated to address factual errors , said Sunday that a New York Times-commissioned op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
calling for the United States military to quell riots did not undergo appropriate fact checking .
`` Senator Cotton certainly has the right to write and say whatever he wants in this country , but we as a news organization should not be running something that is offering misinformation to the public unchecked , '' Hannah-Jones said on CNN 's media-affairs show Reliable Sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that his views should be aired … but that 's a different thing altogether than simply allowing someone to say things that are not true . ''
Hannah-Jones said Cotton 's op-ed did not go through `` the normal fact-checking process that anyone making such claims should go through . ''
The Times , after initially defending its publication , said Cotton 's article was not properly edited and should not have been printed .
It said Cotton 's claims about the role of the left-wing radical group antifa in recent unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police were unsubstantiated .
It also said Cotton 's tone was `` needlessly harsh . ''
Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her initiative examining the legacy of slavery in American history , but the `` 1619 Project '' has come under fire for multiple inaccuracies .
Despite the objections of historians , Hannah-Jones has stood by her assertion that American revolutionaries were motivated primarily by a desire to defend the institution of slavery , a claim that was ultimately subject to a lengthy clarification .
One historian who helped fact-check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times ignored her objections about it .
In the seven months between the article ’ s publication and the Times ’ s clarification , five prominent historians demanded that the paper retract `` all the errors and distortions '' it contained , a move the Times has resisted .
Hannah-Jones was one of dozens of Times staffers who expressed fury last week over the publication of Cotton 's essay , writing in a tweet that she was `` deeply ashamed '' of her employer .

"1619 Project" founder Nikole Hannah-Jones, whose seminal essay was updated to address factual errors, said Sunday that a New York Times-commissioned op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) calling for the United States military to quell riots did not undergo appropriate fact checking.
"Senator Cotton certainly has the right to write and say whatever he wants in this country, but we as a news organization should not be running something that is offering misinformation to the public unchecked," Hannah-Jones said on CNN's media-affairs show Reliable Sources. "Yes, we do absolutely believe that his views should be aired ... but that's a different thing altogether than simply allowing someone to say things that are not true."
Hannah-Jones said Cotton's op-ed did not go through "the normal fact-checking process that anyone making such claims should go through."
The Times, after initially defending its publication, said Cotton's article was not properly edited and should not have been printed. It said Cotton's claims about the role of the left-wing radical group antifa in recent unrest and the level of recent violence against police were unsubstantiated. It also said Cotton's tone was "needlessly harsh."
Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her initiative examining the legacy of slavery in American history, but the "1619 Project" has come under fire for multiple inaccuracies.
Despite the objections of historians, Hannah-Jones has stood by her assertion that American revolutionaries were motivated primarily by a desire to defend the institution of slavery, a claim that was ultimately subject to a lengthy clarification. One historian who helped fact-check the "1619 Project" said the Times ignored her objections about it.
In the seven months between the article’s publication and the Times’s clarification, five prominent historians demanded that the paper retract "all the errors and distortions" it contained, a move the Times has resisted.
Hannah-Jones was one of dozens of Times staffers who expressed fury last week over the publication of Cotton's essay, writing in a tweet that she was "deeply ashamed" of her employer.


freebeacon--2020-06-08--Democrats’ Calls to Defund the Police Are a Losing Bet at the Polls

Democratic lawmakers , operatives , and commentators are calling for the defunding or abolition of America 's police departments in the wake of officer Derek Chauvin 's killing of unarmed black man George Floyd .
While the proposal is popular among the party 's progressive activist wing and on Twitter , it faces a hard wall of resistance among the wider public .
A recent YouGov poll showed that fewer than 20 percent of Americans of all parties supported any cutting of police funding—a finding consistent with decades of polling .
Police defunding or abolition has long been a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates arguing that the use of state force should be replaced with more equitable redistribution and investment , to target `` root causes '' of crime rather than responding to it after the fact .
That view appears to have risen to the upper echelons of the Democratic power structure—without , however , growing notably more popular among voters .
National leadership , meanwhile , has sought to either distance itself from defunding—as in the case of presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden—or define the idea away as simply shuffling funding , as House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) did Monday .
Those moves reflect a lack of consensus between leadership and the base , and within the progressive activist coalition itself , as to what defunding actually entails .
Such caution from party leadership suggests that while it is popular in the streets , defunding the police is unlikely to have staying power at the federal level .
Rather , it is more likely to go the way of other radical proposals like the abolition of ICE , which was quietly memory-holed when polling revealed its electoral unviability .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouGov poll found that just 16 percent of Americans favor cutting police funds , including 16 percent of Democrats , 14 percent of Clinton voters , and only 33 percent of black people .
Data from the General Social Survey stretching back to 1984 find that fewer than 20 percent of white , black , and Hispanic respondents believe that police should be given less money , never mind defunded altogether .
That 's consonant with broad support for police generally .
As of 2017 , 9 in 10 black , white , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of police officers in their community .
More recent data indicate that police continue to maintain majority support among Americans and are widely considered among the most trustworthy institutions in the country .
These figures are surprisingly out of sync with both the words and actions of prominent Democrats—part of a broader shift among those in the party looking to signal their distance from or hostility to cops and prove their progressive credentials .
A number of prominent figures have explicitly called for defunding or abolition of police .
Rep. Rashida Tlaib ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the need to `` # DefundPolice , '' while Brian Fallon—former national press secretary for Hillary Clinton and former public affairs director for Attorney General Eric Holder—took to Twitter to write `` defund the police . ''
Alongside Fallon and Tlaib , those joining the `` defund '' drumbeat include Women 's March cofounder and prominent anti-Semite Linda Sarsour , leftist organizations like the Sunrise Movement and Working Families Party , and even leading progressive prosecutors like San Francisco 's Chesa Boudin .
At the state and local level , Democrats are taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the City Council of Minneapolis—where Floyd lived—announced over the weekend their plans to `` begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department . ''
Council members have made the media rounds to defend their plans—with council president Lisa Bender calling fears about public safety a product of `` privilege '' —while Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey was booed at a Minneapolis protest when he refused to back the same proposal .
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti , meanwhile , has promised to slash $ 150 million from the LAPD 's budget ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has vowed to do the same .
And some Democratic state legislators in New York , California , and Minnesota have returned donations from police and corrections officers , rejecting what they call a `` vested interest in continuing the incarceration of Black and brown people . ''
Republicans are eager for Democrats to voice their views on the issue .
`` Every single Democrat in the country must answer to whether he or she agrees with this radical idea to rid communities of the women and men in blue who put their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe , '' Dave Abrams , deputy executive director for the Republican State Leadership Committee , told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` Silence is part of the problem , isn ’ t it ?
Time for Democrats to speak up . ''
Some less-radical Democrats have sought to distance themselves from calls for defunding .
Biden , through a spokesman on Tuesday , emphasized that he `` does not believe that police should be defunded , '' instead focusing on the `` urgent need for reform . ''
Pelosi , asked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said that defunding the police really means `` spend [ ing ] the resources we have in a way that gives the most protection to the American people '' —effectively avoiding any commitment to budget cuts .
Their reticence may be because both represent the more moderate wing of the Democratic party , the one which primary voters handed an overwhelming mandate in their selection of Biden over Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) .
Biden—who has a history of endorsing tough-on-crime legislation from his time in the Senate—has walked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's hostility to the police and the electorate 's support for them .
His policing platform , although aggressive , was the least radical of any of the major 2020 Democrats .
Pelosi and Biden may also be wary of committing themselves to a confusing policy plan—or lack thereof .
While some advocates have offered concrete proposals to reallocate funding and responsibility to unarmed public servants , others , like Tlaib , have avoided concrete details , preferring instead to focus on the need to `` dismantle '' ill-defined systems .
Confusion about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Minneapolis , where the city council has been vague on the details of its restructuring of the police department .
Many advocates draw analogies to the restructuring of the police department in Camden , New Jersey—where reforms under the county authority actually led to more , not fewer , cops on the street .
This vagueness , and the politics of the dispute more generally , recall the progressive left 's abortive push , in 2018 , to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
At the time , polling found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of Democrats , opposed the idea .
Party leadership , which had initially signaled interest , left legislation to move forward on abolition dead in the water .
A similar trend looks set to play out , at least at the national level , on police abolition .
Democrats introduced a proposal Monday that includes substantial restrictions on police conduct but leaves out the possibility of cuts to federal funding .

Democratic lawmakers, operatives, and commentators are calling for the defunding or abolition of America's police departments in the wake of officer Derek Chauvin's killing of unarmed black man George Floyd.
While the proposal is popular among the party's progressive activist wing and on Twitter, it faces a hard wall of resistance among the wider public. A recent YouGov poll showed that fewer than 20 percent of Americans of all parties supported any cutting of police funding—a finding consistent with decades of polling.
Police defunding or abolition has long been a key idea of the radical left, with advocates arguing that the use of state force should be replaced with more equitable redistribution and investment, to target "root causes" of crime rather than responding to it after the fact. That view appears to have risen to the upper echelons of the Democratic power structure—without, however, growing notably more popular among voters.
National leadership, meanwhile, has sought to either distance itself from defunding—as in the case of presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden—or define the idea away as simply shuffling funding, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) did Monday. Those moves reflect a lack of consensus between leadership and the base, and within the progressive activist coalition itself, as to what defunding actually entails.
Such caution from party leadership suggests that while it is popular in the streets, defunding the police is unlikely to have staying power at the federal level. Rather, it is more likely to go the way of other radical proposals like the abolition of ICE, which was quietly memory-holed when polling revealed its electoral unviability.
Police abolition's unpopularity is bipartisan: The YouGov poll found that just 16 percent of Americans favor cutting police funds, including 16 percent of Democrats, 14 percent of Clinton voters, and only 33 percent of black people. Data from the General Social Survey stretching back to 1984 find that fewer than 20 percent of white, black, and Hispanic respondents believe that police should be given less money, never mind defunded altogether.
That's consonant with broad support for police generally. As of 2017, 9 in 10 black, white, and Hispanic Americans opposed reducing the number of police officers in their community. More recent data indicate that police continue to maintain majority support among Americans and are widely considered among the most trustworthy institutions in the country.
These figures are surprisingly out of sync with both the words and actions of prominent Democrats—part of a broader shift among those in the party looking to signal their distance from or hostility to cops and prove their progressive credentials.
A number of prominent figures have explicitly called for defunding or abolition of police. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) emphasized on Twitter the need to "#DefundPolice," while Brian Fallon—former national press secretary for Hillary Clinton and former public affairs director for Attorney General Eric Holder—took to Twitter to write "defund the police."
Alongside Fallon and Tlaib, those joining the "defund" drumbeat include Women's March cofounder and prominent anti-Semite Linda Sarsour, leftist organizations like the Sunrise Movement and Working Families Party, and even leading progressive prosecutors like San Francisco's Chesa Boudin.
At the state and local level, Democrats are taking concrete steps. A majority of members of the City Council of Minneapolis—where Floyd lived—announced over the weekend their plans to "begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department." Council members have made the media rounds to defend their plans—with council president Lisa Bender calling fears about public safety a product of "privilege"—while Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey was booed at a Minneapolis protest when he refused to back the same proposal.
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, meanwhile, has promised to slash $150 million from the LAPD's budget; New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has vowed to do the same. And some Democratic state legislators in New York, California, and Minnesota have returned donations from police and corrections officers, rejecting what they call a "vested interest in continuing the incarceration of Black and brown people."
Republicans are eager for Democrats to voice their views on the issue.
"Every single Democrat in the country must answer to whether he or she agrees with this radical idea to rid communities of the women and men in blue who put their lives on the line to keep Americans safe," Dave Abrams, deputy executive director for the Republican State Leadership Committee, told the Washington Free Beacon. "Silence is part of the problem, isn’t it? Time for Democrats to speak up."
Some less-radical Democrats have sought to distance themselves from calls for defunding. Biden, through a spokesman on Tuesday, emphasized that he "does not believe that police should be defunded," instead focusing on the "urgent need for reform." Pelosi, asked about the idea during an appearance on MSNBC, said that defunding the police really means "spend[ing] the resources we have in a way that gives the most protection to the American people"—effectively avoiding any commitment to budget cuts.
Their reticence may be because both represent the more moderate wing of the Democratic party, the one which primary voters handed an overwhelming mandate in their selection of Biden over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.). Biden—who has a history of endorsing tough-on-crime legislation from his time in the Senate—has walked a careful line between the progressive left's hostility to the police and the electorate's support for them. His policing platform, although aggressive, was the least radical of any of the major 2020 Democrats.
Pelosi and Biden may also be wary of committing themselves to a confusing policy plan—or lack thereof. While some advocates have offered concrete proposals to reallocate funding and responsibility to unarmed public servants, others, like Tlaib, have avoided concrete details, preferring instead to focus on the need to "dismantle" ill-defined systems.
Confusion about what, exactly, defunding means extends to Minneapolis, where the city council has been vague on the details of its restructuring of the police department. Many advocates draw analogies to the restructuring of the police department in Camden, New Jersey—where reforms under the county authority actually led to more, not fewer, cops on the street.
This vagueness, and the politics of the dispute more generally, recall the progressive left's abortive push, in 2018, to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At the time, polling found that 69 percent of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, opposed the idea. Party leadership, which had initially signaled interest, left legislation to move forward on abolition dead in the water.
A similar trend looks set to play out, at least at the national level, on police abolition. Democrats introduced a proposal Monday that includes substantial restrictions on police conduct but leaves out the possibility of cuts to federal funding.