Beacon Extra

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IMPEACHMENT UPDATE … Donald J. Trump is still President of the United States .
BANNER NIGHT FOR DEMS … `` Trump Wins Iowa , Democrats in Disarray , '' by WFB ’ s Andrew Stiles : President Donald J. Trump secured an overwhelming victory in the Republican caucus in Iowa on Monday , the first step on the path to his inevitable reelection in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa .
Thank You ! ''
the president tweeted to his 72 million followers .
The Democratic caucus results , on the other hand , remained inconclusive early Tuesday as a result of what state party officials described as `` inconsistencies '' in the precinct reporting … Former Obama adviser David Plouffe captured the mood of many Democrats , saying : `` We may be witnessing the last Iowa caucus . ''
CRACK REPORTING … `` Biden to Reporter : ‘ You Do Not Know What You ’ re Talking About ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Graham Piro : NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie asked former vice president [ Joe Biden ] whether Burisma , a Ukrainian energy giant , paid Hunter Biden hundreds of thousands of dollars `` because that company wanted access to you . ''
… '' You 're saying things—you do not know what you 're talking about , '' Biden said .
`` No one 's said that … No one 's found anything wrong with his dealings in Ukraine except they say it sets a bad image . ''
FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Struggling To Eat , Sleep During Impeachment Trial , '' via YELLOW HAMMER : In a blog post entitled , `` Doug Jones was elected for this moment in history , '' the senator ’ s son [ Carson Jones ] wrote … `` The weight of history and this case is not an easy burden to bear .
To be honest , my father isn ’ t eating well .
He isn ’ t sleeping well .
And for the 24 hours he has been able to return home in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can tell his mind can ’ t turn ‘ off . '
'' ART OF THE DEAL … `` Schiff : If Trump Isn ’ t Removed He ‘ Could Offer Alaska to the Russians in Exchange for Support in the Next Election ’ , '' via GRABIEN : `` If abuse of power is not impeachable … then a whole range of utterly unacceptable conduct and the president would now be beyond reach , '' [ Rep. Adam Schiff ( D. , Calif. ) said ] .
`` Trump could offer Alaska @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next election or decide to move to Mar-a-Lago permanently and let Jared Kushner run the country , delegating to him the decision whether to go to war . ''
VERY HAPPY YOUNG GIRL JOINS TRUMP AS A NOMINEE … `` Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg nominated for Nobel Peace Prize , '' via AP : Jens Holm and Hakan Svenneling , who are both members of Sweden ’ s Left Party , said Monday that Thunberg `` has worked hard to make politicians open their eyes to the climate crisis '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and complying with the Paris Agreement is therefore also an act of making peace . ''
GIVE ‘ EM HELL , RUSH … `` Rush Limbaugh announces he has ‘ advanced lung cancer ' , '' via FOX NEWS : `` This day has been one of the most difficult days in recent memory , for me , because I ’ ve known this moment was coming , '' Limbaugh said .
`` I ’ m sure that you all know by now that I really don ’ t like talking about myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things about me . ''
NO THRILL UP HIS LEG … `` Chris Matthews expresses worries : Democrats ‘ need to find ' candidate who can beat Trump , '' via THE HILL : `` What are my thoughts ?
I ’ m not happy .
I ’ m not happy with this field .
I think they have to find a candidate for president that can beat Trump , '' Matthews said during a panel discussion Monday on `` Morning Joe . ''
… Mathews then compared the excitement around the [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1972 Democratic nominee George McGovern , who lost in a landslide to President Nixon .
THE BLOB GOES TO IOWA … `` Heartland , Chronicled : A Political Journalist ’ s Reflections on Iowa , U.S.A. , '' by WFB ’ s Andrew Stiles : Later in the evening , Bon Iver plays at a Bernie Sanders rally in the suburbs … Michael Moore takes the stage and starts dropping F-bombs .
I miss Beto .
Bernie never showed .
He had to call in from Washington , D.C. , which has plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , and world-class cuisine , but is n't even a state .
Like most journalists , I agree with everything he says , but I also trust the New York Times and consequently have pre-written a synopsis on the `` moral victory '' of Elizabeth Warren 's fourth-place finish .
My second Uber driver , a white male , is `` pretty pro-Trump '' and wonders why Rep. Tulsi Gabbard ( D. , Hawaii ) has n't gotten more traction .
Guess they have Facebook here in Iowa .
Thanks , Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal white women pay a lot of money to learn over dinner how they 're racist , '' via GUARDIAN : This is Race to Dinner .
A white woman volunteers to host a dinner in her home for seven other white women—often strangers , perhaps acquaintances .
( Each dinner costs $ 2,500 , which can be covered by a generous host or divided among guests . )
A frank discussion is led by co-founders Regina Jackson , who is black , and Saira Rao , who identifies as Indian American .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal white women to accept their racism , however subconscious … So far , 15 dinners have been held in big cities across the United States … GUTOWSKI TAKES SIN CITY … `` Range Time : Here ’ s What Happens at the World ’ s Largest Gun Show , '' by WFB Staff : Machine guns , flamethrowers , a Humvee rolling down the Strip , and a wedding .
It was all there in Las Vegas at the world 's largest gun show : SHOT Show 2020 .
At this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer Stephen Gutowski explores the showroom floor , interviews industry leaders and gun-rights activists , shoots a freaking minigun , eats the best steak in Vegas , and watches Elvis marry a couple of gun-rights activists .
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW : 1,150 .
Come back , Joe !
`` You know who really doesn ’ t have it ?
Joe Biden . ''
—Former President Barack Obama Thanks for reading !
Send tips to rutz @ freebeacon.com .

Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon’s morning newsletter, your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom. To get this newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning, sign up here.
MENSHEVIKS PREPARE FOR LAST STAND … "Democratic Leaders Willing to Risk Party Damage to Stop Bernie Sanders," via NYT: Since Mr. Sanders’s victory in Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday, the Times has interviewed 93 party officials—all of them superdelegates … and found overwhelming opposition to handing the Vermont senator the nomination if he arrived with the most delegates but fell short of a majority …
Since Mr. Sanders won Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday, four donors have approached former representative Steve Israel of New York to ask if he can suggest someone to run a super PAC aimed at blocking Mr. Sanders. He declined their offer.
THE NEW NEW DEMOCRATS … "2020 Dem Plans Reflect Party of the ‘Professional Class’," by WFB’s Charles Fain Lehman: The [Manhattan Institute] report examines the distributive impacts of major proposals, including Medicare for All, student debt forgiveness, and the repeal of key components of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). It argues that while Democratic candidates talk big about supporting workers and the poor, these programs primarily serve the interests of the wealthy …
Long branded as representatives of the working class, the Democratic Party has come to appeal primarily to the college-educated, often affluent residents of urban America, data indicate.
MIKE GOT IT DONE … "Bloomberg Locked Up Nearly Half a Million People on Marijuana Charges," by WFB’s Yuichiro Kakutani: The administrations of [Michael] Bloomberg's three predecessors … collectively arrested 226,000 people, or 25 people daily, for the same charge over a 24-year period between 1978 and 2001. During Bloomberg's tenure, approximately 471,000 people were arrested on possession charges …
The possession arrests for Bloomberg's tenure peaked in 2011 when the police hauled in more than 50,000 New Yorkers.
DOWNLOAD UNAVAILABLE IN WISCONSIN … "Coming to a podcast near you: Hillary Clinton," via POLITICO: The former first lady, secretary of State, and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee is planning to launch a new audio program in late spring, just in time for her to have a powerful new megaphone during the 2020 election …
Clinton’s show will feature her in conversation with a brand-name guest, who might be drawn from world leaders and politicians, of course, but also celebrities, authors and perhaps famous chefs.
BOOK THROWN … "Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh sentenced to 3 years for ‘Healthy Holly’ children’s book fraud scheme," via BALTIMORE SUN: [Pugh] told reporters: "This is not the last you’ll see of Catherine Pugh" …
Pugh’s political fall began in March when the Baltimore Sun revealed she had entered into a no-bid deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, where Pugh sat on the board of directors, to buy 100,000 copies of her sloppily self-published "Healthy Holly" books for $500,000.
YANG HOLDS OUT FOR BETTER OFFER … "Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Sought Andrew Yang’s Backing, Floated Vice- Presidential Slot," via WSJ: Aides to the former New York City mayor reached out to discuss ways the two entrepreneurs-turned-politicians could work together as Mr. Bloomberg seeks the Democratic nomination, these people said.
Mr. Yang, who dropped out of the race earlier this month, didn’t commit to join forces, as he considers his own political future, a third person familiar with the discussions said.
NO SURRENDER … "Congressional Republicans Warn Trump Against Inking Peace Deal With Taliban," by WFB’s Adam Kredo: The lawmakers … are demanding they receive assurances the administration "will not place the security of the American people into the hands of the Taliban" …
The lawmakers are also demanding the release of so-called secret annexes in the draft agreement that they claim establish a set of unknown side deals with the Taliban, a move reminiscent of the Obama administration's secret agreements with Iran when the Iran nuclear deal was being negotiated.
TEHRAN MARY … "Iran Vice President Is One of 7 Officials to Contract Coronavirus," via NYT: The disclosure came a day after a cabinet meeting in which she was in close contact with other government leaders, including [Hassan] Rouhani. A photo posted by a BBC Persia reporter on Twitter showed she had been sitting a few yards from the president.
[Masoumeh] Ebtekar, one of four vice presidents, was known to Americans as "Mary" during the Tehran hostage crisis four decades ago, when, as a young revolutionary, she was a spokeswoman for the captors of the 52 Americans held at the United States Embassy.
PICTURE OF COWARDICE … "Sony World Photography Awards Removes Hong Kong Protest Images," via HYPERALLERGIC: Since pro-democracy protests prompted by the Hong Kong government’s now-scrapped extradition bill erupted across the city in spring 2019, China has tightened its grip on the media …
Now, some speculate WPO yielded to pressure from China to take down the photographs, especially because other entries featuring arguably graphic or politically sensitive content have not faced a similar fate in past competitions.
THE REAL VICTIMS … "Mark Halperin Says Murderers Are Treated More Fairly Than Canceled People," via MOTHER JONES: "I haven’t had a job interview in two years," Halperin said, adding that he has applied to work at restaurants and Target, trying to get health insurance for his three-year-old son …
When [asked to] differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate ways that he had been held accountable for his behavior … he said victims deserve "top priority" but complained again that there isn’t a mechanism for reintegrating canceled people.
THIS IS CNN … "Sasse Criticizes CNN for Referring to a Baby as a ‘Fetus That Was Born’," via CNN: "The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is about babies who have already been born," [Sen. Ben] Sasse said to the Washington Free Beacon. "I’m glad CNN finally made the correction, but there’s no reason this needed to take two days. Planned Parenthood desperately wants to misrepresent this bipartisan, pro-babies bill, and unfortunately too many reporters have bought their spin hook, line, and sinker."
PUNK IS DEAD … "Billy Idol is helping de Blasio take on idling cars in new campaign," via NY POST: Billy Idol has a new Rebel Yell: helping Mayor Bill de Blasio fight fume-spewing vehicles that idle on Big Apple streets …
The campaign will also publicize the city’s 2018 "Citizens Air Complaint Program," where individuals who see a bus or delivery truck idling for longer than four minutes can file a complaint and collect a 25 percent bounty off the fine, worth $87.50.
"The First Postmodern Pandemic," via WFB’s Matthew Continetti: We were better off when the media focused on impeachment. Now that it is interested in coronavirus, a familiar pattern will set in. Data will be publicized without the slightest sense of proportion. The most outrageous scenarios will receive the most attention. Speculation will be paraded as fact …
The Washington Post transcribes Democratic Party talking points when it suggests Vice President Mike Pence is incapable of overseeing the government's efforts because he opposes needle-sharing programs. Among the reasons [President Donald] Trump is said to have weakened public health? He defunded Planned Parenthood.
Thanks for reading! Send tips to rutz@freebeacon.com.


freebeacon--2020-02-04--Trump Wins Iowa, Democrats in Disarray

Trump Wins Iowa, Democrats in Disarray

President Donald J. Trump secured an overwhelming victory in the Republican caucus in Iowa on Monday , the first step on the path to his inevitable reelection in 2020 .
`` Big WIN for us in Iowa .
Thank You ! ''
the president tweeted to his 72 million followers .
The Democratic caucus results , on the other hand , remained inconclusive early Tuesday as a result of what state party officials described as `` inconsistencies '' in the precinct reporting .
`` A cloud of doubt hangs over this whole process , '' said former Obama adviser David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pete Buttigieg took the opportunity to give a televised speech to supporters before midnight as network news anchors scrambled to make sense of the delay .
In some cases , those anchors single-handedly prevented the accurate reporting of caucus results .
Buttigieg addressed supporters shortly after midnight , declaring that his campaign would be `` going on to New Hampshire victorious , '' despite the fact that precisely 0 percent of the Iowa precincts had reported results and were unlikely to do so until at least Tuesday morning and potentially never in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurate .
The other Democratic campaigns similarly worked to control the messaging out of the debacle .
Elizabeth Warren 's campaign manager , Roger Lau , said he was `` confident '' that the results would show a close three-way race between Warren , Sanders , and Buttigieg , with former vice president Joe Biden a `` distant fourth . ''
Biden 's campaign , meanwhile , raised concerns about the `` considerable flaws '' in the state 's reporting system in an official letter to the Iowa Democratic Party .
The campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demanded a `` full explanation '' and `` an opportunity to respond before any official results are released , '' a move seen by many as a transparent effort to delay the release of those results .
All of the Democratic campaigns are said to be `` livid '' about the debacle , according to CNN .
Sources described a testy conference call arranged by the Iowa Democratic Party that ended abruptly after campaign representatives demanded to know when the results would be released .
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale , meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side .
`` Democrats are stewing in a caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history , '' said Parscale in a statement .
`` It would be natural for people to doubt the fairness of the process . ''
Former Obama adviser David Plouffe captured the mood of many Democrats , saying : `` We may be witnessing the last Iowa caucus . ''

President Donald J. Trump secured an overwhelming victory in the Republican caucus in Iowa on Monday, the first step on the path to his inevitable reelection in 2020. "Big WIN for us in Iowa. Thank You!" the president tweeted to his 72 million followers.
The Democratic caucus results, on the other hand, remained inconclusive early Tuesday as a result of what state party officials described as "inconsistencies" in the precinct reporting. "A cloud of doubt hangs over this whole process," said former Obama adviser David Axelrod.
Every leading candidate except Mayor Pete Buttigieg took the opportunity to give a televised speech to supporters before midnight as network news anchors scrambled to make sense of the delay. In some cases, those anchors single-handedly prevented the accurate reporting of caucus results.
Buttigieg addressed supporters shortly after midnight, declaring that his campaign would be "going on to New Hampshire victorious," despite the fact that precisely 0 percent of the Iowa precincts had reported results and were unlikely to do so until at least Tuesday morning and potentially never in a manner that could be considered complete and accurate.
The other Democratic campaigns similarly worked to control the messaging out of the debacle. Elizabeth Warren's campaign manager, Roger Lau, said he was "confident" that the results would show a close three-way race between Warren, Sanders, and Buttigieg, with former vice president Joe Biden a "distant fourth."
Biden's campaign, meanwhile, raised concerns about the "considerable flaws" in the state's reporting system in an official letter to the Iowa Democratic Party. The campaign's general counsel, Dana Remus, demanded a "full explanation" and "an opportunity to respond before any official results are released," a move seen by many as a transparent effort to delay the release of those results.
All of the Democratic campaigns are said to be "livid" about the debacle, according to CNN. Sources described a testy conference call arranged by the Iowa Democratic Party that ended abruptly after campaign representatives demanded to know when the results would be released.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, meanwhile, reveled in the chaos on the Democratic side. "Democrats are stewing in a caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history," said Parscale in a statement. "It would be natural for people to doubt the fairness of the process."
Former Obama adviser David Plouffe captured the mood of many Democrats, saying: "We may be witnessing the last Iowa caucus."


freebeacon--2020-02-04--Wolf Blitzer Single-Handedly F—ks Up Iowa Caucus Results

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer single-handedly prevented the timely reporting of the Iowa caucus results by nagging a precinct secretary to @ @ @ @ @ a phone interview on the air .
Shawn Sebastian , a precinct secretary in Story @ @ @ @ @ Blitzer he had been on hold with the Iowa Democratic Party for more than an @ @ @ @ @ results .
A party official finally answered the phone in the middle of Sebastian 's @ @ @ @ @ , who urged him to let the network listen in as he reported the results @ @ @ @ @ time Sebastian could agree to Blitzer 's request , the Democratic Party official had already @ @ @ @ @ 's meddling in our democracy has got to stop .

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer single-handedly prevented the timely reporting of the Iowa caucus results by nagging a precinct secretary to stay on the line during a phone interview on the air.
Shawn Sebastian, a precinct secretary in Story County, Iowa, told Blitzer he had been on hold with the Iowa Democratic Party for more than an hour waiting to report his results. A party official finally answered the phone in the middle of Sebastian's conversation with the CNN host, who urged him to let the network listen in as he reported the results.
Alas, by the time Sebastian could agree to Blitzer's request, the Democratic Party official had already hung up. The media's meddling in our democracy has got to stop.


Beacon Extra 2/3/20

Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon ’ s morning newsletter , your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom .
To get this newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning , sign up here .
IMPEACHMENT UPDATE … Donald J. Trump is still President of the United States .
GRACEFUL IN DEFEAT … `` Democrats : Trump ’ s Acquittal Doesn ’ t Count , '' by WFB ’ s David Rutz : Leading Democrats have already said President Donald Trump 's pending acquittal in his impeachment trial is not legitimate due to Friday 's vote against admitting new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Calif. ) said Thursday Trump will `` not be acquitted '' if his trial does n't have witnesses , and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , N.Y. ) has repeatedly said Trump 's acquittal will have `` zero '' value .
KULAK HAS CHAMPAGNE TASTES … `` Bernie Leads 2020 Field in Private Jet Spending , '' by WFB ’ s Brent Scher : The most recent filing from [ Sen. Bernie ] Sanders reveals $ 1,199,579 in spending during the final three months of 2019 to Apollo Jets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charter service . ''
… Entering the final quarter of 2019 , the Sanders campaign had purchased $ 9,030 worth of carbon offsets … Michael Bloomberg , who pumped a whopping $ 200 million of his personal fortune into his campaign 's opening weeks , spent about $ 646,000 on private jet travel , about half of what Sanders spent .
PANIC !
AT THE SH*TSHOW … `` Rahm to Bernie Backers : Democrats Can Win Without You , '' by WFB ’ s Paul Crookston : Rahm Emanuel said Sunday that Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a reasonable candidate than committing to a strategy of turning out progressive voters by nominating Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) .
SHOWDOWN IN THE OLD DOMINION … `` How Virginia Became the Front Line in the Fight Over Guns , '' by WFB ’ s Stephen Gutowski : Democratic groups poured a record $ 13 million into the state 's elections last year .
[ Michael ] Bloomberg-backed groups outspent the National Rifle Association by an 8-1 margin , helping Democrats capture narrow majorities in both the House of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversies that have erupted across the state since then come as the members of the newly ascendant Democratic majority find themselves caught between the campaign donors who helped them secure control in Richmond and local residents angered by the gun-control proposals offered by those groups and the Democrats they backed .
BLOOMBERG BUYS DNC … `` Michael Moore : DNC Changing Rules To Allow ‘ Billionaire Republican Mayor Of NYC ’ Mike Bloomberg On Debate Stage , '' via RCP : `` The fact that the Democratic , the DNC will not allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not allow Julian Castro on that stage , but they are going to allow Mike Bloomberg on the stage ?
Because he has a billion fucking dollars ! ''
Moore raged .
Sanders campaign co-chair Nina Turner said this week that the addition of former Clinton staffer John Podesta to the DNC Convention Committee was a `` slap in the face . ''
WON ’ T APOLOGIZE FOR BLOOD LIBEL , BUT … `` Rep. Rashida Tlaib Apologizes After Booing Hillary Clinton at Bernie Sanders Campaign Event , '' via TIME : Tlaib @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vermont senator as he remains in Washington for President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , and the event came after recent comments by Clinton made dismissing Sanders and his campaign … On Saturday , Tlaib apologized for the affair on Twitter , saying that she was `` frustrated by attempts to dismiss the strength and diversity '' of the movement supporting Sanders and that she allowed her `` disappointment '' with Clinton ’ s comments about Sanders to `` get the best of me . ''
CHICOM VIRUS GOES GLOBAL … `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Toll Grows , '' via WSJ : The newly identified coronavirus claimed its first life outside China , as the number of U.S. cases ticked up to eight and the Pentagon said it was setting up quarantine centers for travelers who screened positive for the illness … The number of cases has expanded dramatically around the world to more than 20 countries .
There are now nearly 15,000 cases of the virus in China , resulting in more than 300 deaths overall .
Some 150 people outside China have been sickened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Streatham terror attacker freed from jail and on police watchlist , '' via GUARDIAN : The man shot dead by police after he stabbed two people in London on Sunday left prison only days ago and had previously been noted by police as having a `` fascination with dying in the name of terrorism , '' it emerged last night .
Sudesh Amman , whose attack on Streatham High Road left one person in a life-threatening condition , was under active police surveillance at the time of the attack .
He had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than three years for the possession and distribution of extremist material .
THE STUPID BOWL … `` Jemele Hill Resorts to Criticizing Trump Supporter Nick Bosa for Who He Follows on Social Media , '' via BREITBART : The day before 49ers defensive end and Trump supporter Nick Bosa geared up to take on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl , former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill launched a broadside at the Niner defender for apparently following a private Instagram account that joked about the death of Laker legend Kobe Bryant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was trashing Bosa to her 1.2 million followers and calling on him to stop being `` secretive '' about who he follows on social media , Hill said she ’ s not here to `` police '' Bosa ’ s social media behavior .
THE VIEW FROM TEHRAN … `` I Am Not A Bernie Bro , '' by WFB Guest Writer Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani : Before the Great Satan 's wicked missiles assassinated him , [ Qassem ] Soleimani was keeping a close eye on the upcoming caucuses in Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers from publicly endorsing U.S. political candidates , but Soleimani was what you might call a `` Bernie Bro . ''
… Just look at Sanders 's team .
They 've got Matt Duss , whose work to liberate al-Quds from the evil Zionists has not gone unnoticed in Qom .
More important , Bernie has great instincts … There 's just one problem : He is a Jew .
Do I really need to spell this out ?
Just read the Koran .
If the Jews were not good enough for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then they are not good enough for me .
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW : 1,149 .
Come back , Joe !
`` You know who really doesn ’ t have it ?
Joe Biden . ''
—Former President Barack Obama Thanks for reading !
Send tips to rutz @ freebeacon.com .

Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon’s morning newsletter, your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom. To get this newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning, sign up here.
IMPEACHMENT UPDATE … Donald J. Trump is still President of the United States.
GRACEFUL IN DEFEAT … "Democrats: Trump’s Acquittal Doesn’t Count," by WFB’s David Rutz: Leading Democrats have already said President Donald Trump's pending acquittal in his impeachment trial is not legitimate due to Friday's vote against admitting new witnesses.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said Thursday Trump will "not be acquitted" if his trial doesn't have witnesses, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has repeatedly said Trump's acquittal will have "zero" value.
KULAK HAS CHAMPAGNE TASTES … "Bernie Leads 2020 Field in Private Jet Spending," by WFB’s Brent Scher: The most recent filing from [Sen. Bernie] Sanders reveals $1,199,579 in spending during the final three months of 2019 to Apollo Jets, LLC, a "luxury private jet charter service." … Entering the final quarter of 2019, the Sanders campaign had purchased $9,030 worth of carbon offsets …
Michael Bloomberg, who pumped a whopping $200 million of his personal fortune into his campaign's opening weeks, spent about $646,000 on private jet travel, about half of what Sanders spent.
PANIC! AT THE SH*TSHOW … "Rahm to Bernie Backers: Democrats Can Win Without You," by WFB’s Paul Crookston: Rahm Emanuel said Sunday that Democrats are better off appealing to swing voters with a reasonable candidate than committing to a strategy of turning out progressive voters by nominating Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.).
SHOWDOWN IN THE OLD DOMINION … "How Virginia Became the Front Line in the Fight Over Guns," by WFB’s Stephen Gutowski: Democratic groups poured a record $13 million into the state's elections last year. [Michael] Bloomberg-backed groups outspent the National Rifle Association by an 8-1 margin, helping Democrats capture narrow majorities in both the House of Delegates and the state Senate.
The controversies that have erupted across the state since then come as the members of the newly ascendant Democratic majority find themselves caught between the campaign donors who helped them secure control in Richmond and local residents angered by the gun-control proposals offered by those groups and the Democrats they backed.
BLOOMBERG BUYS DNC … "Michael Moore: DNC Changing Rules To Allow ‘Billionaire Republican Mayor Of NYC’ Mike Bloomberg On Debate Stage," via RCP: "The fact that the Democratic, the DNC will not allow Cory Booker on that stage, will not allow Julian Castro on that stage, but they are going to allow Mike Bloomberg on the stage? Because he has a billion fucking dollars!" Moore raged.
Sanders campaign co-chair Nina Turner said this week that the addition of former Clinton staffer John Podesta to the DNC Convention Committee was a "slap in the face."
WON’T APOLOGIZE FOR BLOOD LIBEL, BUT … "Rep. Rashida Tlaib Apologizes After Booing Hillary Clinton at Bernie Sanders Campaign Event," via TIME: Tlaib has been a key surrogate for the Vermont senator as he remains in Washington for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, and the event came after recent comments by Clinton made dismissing Sanders and his campaign …
On Saturday, Tlaib apologized for the affair on Twitter, saying that she was "frustrated by attempts to dismiss the strength and diversity" of the movement supporting Sanders and that she allowed her "disappointment" with Clinton’s comments about Sanders to "get the best of me."
CHICOM VIRUS GOES GLOBAL … "Coronavirus Kills Its First Victim Outside China as Toll Grows," via WSJ: The newly identified coronavirus claimed its first life outside China, as the number of U.S. cases ticked up to eight and the Pentagon said it was setting up quarantine centers for travelers who screened positive for the illness …
The number of cases has expanded dramatically around the world to more than 20 countries. There are now nearly 15,000 cases of the virus in China, resulting in more than 300 deaths overall. Some 150 people outside China have been sickened.
RELEASED EARLY FOR BAD BEHAVIOR … "Streatham terror attacker freed from jail and on police watchlist," via GUARDIAN: The man shot dead by police after he stabbed two people in London on Sunday left prison only days ago and had previously been noted by police as having a "fascination with dying in the name of terrorism," it emerged last night.
Sudesh Amman, whose attack on Streatham High Road left one person in a life-threatening condition, was under active police surveillance at the time of the attack. He had been freed after serving half of his sentence of more than three years for the possession and distribution of extremist material.
THE STUPID BOWL … "Jemele Hill Resorts to Criticizing Trump Supporter Nick Bosa for Who He Follows on Social Media," via BREITBART: The day before 49ers defensive end and Trump supporter Nick Bosa geared up to take on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill launched a broadside at the Niner defender for apparently following a private Instagram account that joked about the death of Laker legend Kobe Bryant.
Hilariously, after retweeting an activist account that was trashing Bosa to her 1.2 million followers and calling on him to stop being "secretive" about who he follows on social media, Hill said she’s not here to "police" Bosa’s social media behavior.
THE VIEW FROM TEHRAN … "I Am Not A Bernie Bro," by WFB Guest Writer Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani: Before the Great Satan's wicked missiles assassinated him, [Qassem] Soleimani was keeping a close eye on the upcoming caucuses in Iowa. Iranian electoral law prohibits Quds Force officers from publicly endorsing U.S. political candidates, but Soleimani was what you might call a "Bernie Bro." …
Just look at Sanders's team. They've got Matt Duss, whose work to liberate al-Quds from the evil Zionists has not gone unnoticed in Qom. More important, Bernie has great instincts … There's just one problem: He is a Jew. Do I really need to spell this out? Just read the Koran. If the Jews were not good enough for the prophet (peace be upon him), then they are not good enough for me.
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW: 1,149. Come back, Joe!
"You know who really doesn’t have it? Joe Biden." —Former President Barack Obama
Thanks for reading! Send tips to rutz@freebeacon.com.


freebeacon--2020-02-04--CNN Panel Dumps On Biden: He Doesn’t Have a Great History Running for President

A CNN panel criticized former vice president Joe Biden Monday night as early results from the Iowa caucus showed bad @ @ @ @ @ `` Joe Biden does n't have a great history with Iowa .
It 's been @ @ @ @ @ twice , '' CNN 's chief political analyst Gloria Borger said .
`` He does @ @ @ @ @ running for president , '' anchor Anderson Cooper added .
David Axelrod , CNN analyst @ @ @ @ @ President Barack Obama , said Biden 's past presidential runs failed largely because he faltered @ @ @ @ @ of Monday night 's events showed the Biden campaign not meeting the threshold for viability @ @ @ @ @ potential trouble for the campaign .
2020 marks Biden 's third attempt at the presidency @ @ @ @ @ 1988 but dropped out before Iowa after he was accused of plagiarizing one of his @ @ @ @ @ run , in 2008 , he placed fifth in the Iowa caucus .

A CNN panel criticized former vice president Joe Biden Monday night as early results from the Iowa caucus showed bad news for his campaign.
"Joe Biden doesn't have a great history with Iowa. It's been a state he's lost twice," CNN's chief political analyst Gloria Borger said.
"He doesn't have a great history running for president," anchor Anderson Cooper added.
David Axelrod, CNN analyst and former chief strategist for President Barack Obama, said Biden's past presidential runs failed largely because he faltered in Iowa.
Early coverage of Monday night's events showed the Biden campaign not meeting the threshold for viability at several caucuses, foreshadowing potential trouble for the campaign.
2020 marks Biden's third attempt at the presidency. He first ran in 1988 but dropped out before Iowa after he was accused of plagiarizing one of his speeches. During his second run, in 2008, he placed fifth in the Iowa caucus.


freebeacon--2020-03-30--Woman Who Ingested Fish Tank Cleaner Is Prolific Donor to Democratic Causes

The Arizona woman who said that she and her 68-year-old husband ingested a substance used to clean fish tanks after hearing President Donald Trump tout chloroquine as a cure for the coronavirus has given thousands of dollars to Democratic groups and candidates over the last two years .
The woman 's most recent donations , in late February , were to a Democratic PAC , the 314 Action Fund , that bills itself as the `` pro-science resistance '' and has vocally criticized the Trump administration 's response to the coronavirus pandemic and held up her case to slam the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media outlets withheld the couple 's names , the Washington Free Beacon established their identities through descriptions in local news reports , where the pair were identified by their first names and ages : Gary , 68 , and Wanda , 61 .
The Free Beacon is withholding their identities at Wanda 's request .
Federal Election Commission records show that Wanda has donated thousands of dollars to Democratic electoral groups and candidates over the past two years , including Hillary Clinton , the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , and EMILY 's List @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-choice female candidates .
Wanda told the Free Beacon that she and her husband were both Democrats , not Trump supporters .
They heard about the potential benefits of chloroquine , an antimalarial drug , in news reports .
She decided at the `` spur of the moment '' to try taking it , but reached for a fish tank cleaner in her pantry that contains chloroquine phosphate , a different and deadly form of the chemical .
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for the use of chloroquine to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were n't big supporters of [ Trump ] , but we did see that they were using it in China and stuff , '' Wanda told the Free Beacon .
`` And we just made a horrible , tragic mistake , '' she said .
`` It was stupid , and it was horrible , and we should have never done it .
But it 's done and now I 've lost my husband .
And my whole life was my husband . ''
`` We did n't think it would kill us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought if anything it would help us ‘ cus that 's what we 've been hearing on the news . ''
In her first national news interview , Wanda told NBC News that she took the fish tank cleaner in a tragically botched attempt to follow medical advice that Trump had relayed in a press conference earlier that week .
`` We saw Trump on TV—every channel—and all of his buddies and that this was safe , '' she said last Monday .
`` Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on March 19 , the president pointed to medical studies indicating that chloroquine , a medication used to treat malaria , may be a `` game changer '' in treating the coronavirus .
Wanda warned others in the same NBC News interview not to `` believe anything that the president says . ''
Wanda 's most recent contributions to Democratic causes came on Feb. 26 and 28 .
They went to the 314 Action Fund , a Democratic political action committee that describes itself as `` the largest pro-science advocacy organization committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote the responsible use of data driven fact based approaches in public policy . ''
The group has been highly critical of Trump 's coronavirus policies in recent weeks .
In fact , on its Facebook page , the group slammed the Trump administration for the couple 's actions , writing , `` There are real consequences to the White House throwing its approval behind an experimental drug trial before it 's time . ''
In the wake of the incident , media outlets tacitly blamed Trump for the tragedy .
The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been bandied about by President Trump during White House briefings on the coronavirus pandemic as a potential ‘ game changer ' in the treatment of Covid-19 . ''
Others , like Axios , ran corrections noting that the couple had not ingested the chloroquine in its medical form but rather the form `` used in aquariums '' after initially reporting that the couple had followed the president 's faulty medical advice .
Wanda does not appear to have a long history of political donations , according to FEC reports .
Her contributions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
Her first recorded political donation was $ 150 to Hillary Clinton in 2016 , according to FEC records .
The next year she gave $ 550 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee .
Since 2018 , she has contributed approximately $ 6,000 to Democratic electoral groups .
She said she and her husband had decided to stay in their home to avoid catching the virus .
They were spending much of their time watching media coverage .
`` We were watching the news because we were self-isolating and getting pretty nervous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still scared , '' Wanda told the Free Beacon .
She said she and her husband are not active on social media and do n't read much online news , but they get a lot of their information from television .
`` I did n't know , and I did n't understand how serious it was , '' she added .
`` It was the worst situation I could ever , ever , ever imagine anybody being in . ''
Wanda told NBC News that her experience was a cautionary tale about taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Oh my God , do n't take anything .
Do n't believe anything that the president says and his people , '' she said .
She told a local news outlet that she was still `` pretty much in shock '' over her husband 's death .
`` We were just having the best day before this happened .
I made him his favorite lunch , grilled steak and asparagus and red potatoes , and we were just having the best Sunday , '' she said .

The Arizona woman who said that she and her 68-year-old husband ingested a substance used to clean fish tanks after hearing President Donald Trump tout chloroquine as a cure for the coronavirus has given thousands of dollars to Democratic groups and candidates over the last two years.
The woman's most recent donations, in late February, were to a Democratic PAC, the 314 Action Fund, that bills itself as the "pro-science resistance" and has vocally criticized the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic and held up her case to slam the White House.
Although local and national media outlets withheld the couple's names, the Washington Free Beacon established their identities through descriptions in local news reports, where the pair were identified by their first names and ages: Gary, 68, and Wanda, 61. The Free Beacon is withholding their identities at Wanda's request.
Federal Election Commission records show that Wanda has donated thousands of dollars to Democratic electoral groups and candidates over the past two years, including Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and EMILY's List, a group that aims to elect pro-choice female candidates.
Wanda told the Free Beacon that she and her husband were both Democrats, not Trump supporters. They heard about the potential benefits of chloroquine, an antimalarial drug, in news reports. She decided at the "spur of the moment" to try taking it, but reached for a fish tank cleaner in her pantry that contains chloroquine phosphate, a different and deadly form of the chemical. The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for the use of chloroquine to treat coronavirus on Sunday.
"We weren't big supporters of [Trump], but we did see that they were using it in China and stuff," Wanda told the Free Beacon. "And we just made a horrible, tragic mistake," she said. "It was stupid, and it was horrible, and we should have never done it. But it's done and now I've lost my husband. And my whole life was my husband."
"We didn't think it would kill us," she added. "We thought if anything it would help us 'cus that's what we've been hearing on the news."
In her first national news interview, Wanda told NBC News that she took the fish tank cleaner in a tragically botched attempt to follow medical advice that Trump had relayed in a press conference earlier that week.
"We saw Trump on TV—every channel—and all of his buddies and that this was safe," she said last Monday. "Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a cure."
During a press briefing on March 19, the president pointed to medical studies indicating that chloroquine, a medication used to treat malaria, may be a "game changer" in treating the coronavirus. Wanda warned others in the same NBC News interview not to "believe anything that the president says."
Wanda's most recent contributions to Democratic causes came on Feb. 26 and 28. They went to the 314 Action Fund, a Democratic political action committee that describes itself as "the largest pro-science advocacy organization committed to electing scientists" and aims to "promote the responsible use of data driven fact based approaches in public policy."
The group has been highly critical of Trump's coronavirus policies in recent weeks. In fact, on its Facebook page, the group slammed the Trump administration for the couple's actions, writing, "There are real consequences to the White House throwing its approval behind an experimental drug trial before it's time."
In the wake of the incident, media outlets tacitly blamed Trump for the tragedy. The New York Times noted that chloroquine "has been bandied about by President Trump during White House briefings on the coronavirus pandemic as a potential 'game changer' in the treatment of Covid-19." Others, like Axios, ran corrections noting that the couple had not ingested the chloroquine in its medical form but rather the form "used in aquariums" after initially reporting that the couple had followed the president's faulty medical advice.
Wanda does not appear to have a long history of political donations, according to FEC reports. Her contributions to Democrats rose sharply over the past few years. Her first recorded political donation was $150 to Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to FEC records. The next year she gave $550 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Since 2018, she has contributed approximately $6,000 to Democratic electoral groups.
She said she and her husband had decided to stay in their home to avoid catching the virus. They were spending much of their time watching media coverage.
"We were watching the news because we were self-isolating and getting pretty nervous. We were scared. I'm still scared," Wanda told the Free Beacon.
She said she and her husband are not active on social media and don't read much online news, but they get a lot of their information from television.
"I didn't know, and I didn't understand how serious it was," she added. "It was the worst situation I could ever, ever, ever imagine anybody being in."
Wanda told NBC News that her experience was a cautionary tale about taking the president's words at face value. "Oh my God, don't take anything. Don't believe anything that the president says and his people," she said. She told a local news outlet that she was still "pretty much in shock" over her husband's death.
"We were just having the best day before this happened. I made him his favorite lunch, grilled steak and asparagus and red potatoes, and we were just having the best Sunday," she said.


freebeacon--2020-03-30--Nevada Ban on Potential Coronavirus Drugs Raises Concerns

Nevada doctors are questioning Gov .
Steve Sisolak 's ( D. ) restriction on the prescription of antimalarial drugs the Food and Drug Administration approved as a potential coronavirus treatment on Sunday .
On Sunday , the FDA granted emergency approval for the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients suffering from the pandemic .
The move came five days after Sisolak announced Nevada will prohibit doctors from prescribing and dispensing the drugs to coronavirus patients unless they are in an emergency room .
Two hospital physicians told the Washington Free Beacon such a restriction could overwhelm health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to treat patients .
If residents discover they can only access potentially life-saving medicines in emergency rooms , already crowded hospitals could be pushed to the brink , according to Dr. Brian Callister , governor of the Nevada Chapter of the American College of Physicians .
`` We ’ re very concerned that while we ’ re trying to keep patients home , a ban like this is going to drive patients to seek care in ERs and overwhelm the system , '' Callister said .
`` We are being asked to ignore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flexibility is key to treating a novel virus , specifically because `` this is all new . ''
Rather than prescribing potential treatments that can be administered in home quarantines , coronavirus patients could instead end up filling hospital beds—and exposing more people to the disease as they get there .
States across the nation took action in the face of similar issues with the supply of antimalarials .
An Ohio state board worked to keep the drugs available to treat COVID-19 , making prescriptions only available to patients who had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Idaho said the drugs should only be prescribed for FDA-approved uses , and Texas adopted a similar rule late last week .
The FDA 's new recommendation could allow those states to adapt more easily than Nevada and its restrictive policy .
President Donald Trump touted the antimalarial drugs , specifically hydroxychloroquine , as a `` game-changer '' at a recent coronavirus press conference .
While hydroxychloroquine is typically used for treatment of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus , a limited scientific study out of France suggested the drug was effective in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the drugs are effective after input from the state pharmaceutical board .
The order says the drugs have not yet been demonstrated as a safe or effective treatment course for the deadly disease and could create a shortage for patients who use the drugs to treat other illnesses .
`` The Nevada State Board of Pharmacy has determined that an emergency exists due to the hoarding and stockpiling of chloroquine and hydroxychloriquine during the COVID-19 pandemic , and the resulting shortage of supplies of these drugs for legitimate medical purposes , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brett Kandt , which recommended the ban to the governor , told the Free Beacon the regulation can be `` repealed to the extent this is deemed necessary '' if the drugs show further promise .
Movses Kazanchyan , a hospital physician in Nevada , raised concerns about the regulation hindering the ability of doctors to deal with a large number of cases .
He told the Free Beacon that while the governor ’ s ban is `` coming from a good place , '' the regulation may be overly preemptive .
Kazanchyan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still unclear for physicians , let alone politicians .
`` Everybody all across the U.S. is still trying to figure out what the right protocol is , '' he said .
`` We don ’ t have the definitive data . ''
Sisolak , who did not return request for comment , has attempted to alleviate concerns about the new order hampering the response to the deadly virus .
On Wednesday he said the order does allow doctors in hospitals and emergency rooms to prescribe the drugs to infected patients .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these drugs for inpatient treatment , '' he said on Twitter .
`` In other words , if a doctor in a hospital or emergency room setting wants to prescribe these drugs to treat a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 , he or she is still free to do so . ''
While the viability of the drugs is still in question , two physicians argued in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that international studies have shown the use of hydroxychloroquine is `` appearing to make a difference . ''
`` It isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployed quickly and strategically the drug could potentially help bend the pandemic ’ s ‘ hockey stick ’ curve , '' the pair said .
Other medical experts , however , are advocating for caution before using the drugs and are urging individuals not to self-medicate .
A study from a Chinese scientific journal found no significant improvement in patients after the use of antimalarials .
Lupus patients also raised alarms about potential drug shortages brought on by coronavirus-shopping .
Callister said the Nevada ban could spark a different kind of panic for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear really have no place in preparing to deal with a crisis like this , '' Callister said .
`` We also have to be smart in how we plan and prepare and execute . ''
Nevada 's emergency ban is scheduled to remain in effect until July 22 .

Nevada doctors are questioning Gov. Steve Sisolak's (D.) restriction on the prescription of antimalarial drugs the Food and Drug Administration approved as a potential coronavirus treatment on Sunday.
On Sunday, the FDA granted emergency approval for the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients suffering from the pandemic. The move came five days after Sisolak announced Nevada will prohibit doctors from prescribing and dispensing the drugs to coronavirus patients unless they are in an emergency room.
Two hospital physicians told the Washington Free Beacon such a restriction could overwhelm health care facilities and limit the ability of doctors to treat patients. If residents discover they can only access potentially life-saving medicines in emergency rooms, already crowded hospitals could be pushed to the brink, according to Dr. Brian Callister, governor of the Nevada Chapter of the American College of Physicians.
"We’re very concerned that while we’re trying to keep patients home, a ban like this is going to drive patients to seek care in ERs and overwhelm the system," Callister said. "We are being asked to ignore our clinical judgment."
Callister said flexibility is key to treating a novel virus, specifically because "this is all new." Rather than prescribing potential treatments that can be administered in home quarantines, coronavirus patients could instead end up filling hospital beds—and exposing more people to the disease as they get there.
States across the nation took action in the face of similar issues with the supply of antimalarials. An Ohio state board worked to keep the drugs available to treat COVID-19, making prescriptions only available to patients who had tested positive for coronavirus. A state board in Idaho said the drugs should only be prescribed for FDA-approved uses, and Texas adopted a similar rule late last week. The FDA's new recommendation could allow those states to adapt more easily than Nevada and its restrictive policy.
President Donald Trump touted the antimalarial drugs, specifically hydroxychloroquine, as a "game-changer" at a recent coronavirus press conference. While hydroxychloroquine is typically used for treatment of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, a limited scientific study out of France suggested the drug was effective in treating coronavirus.
Sisolak expressed skepticism about whether the drugs are effective after input from the state pharmaceutical board. The order says the drugs have not yet been demonstrated as a safe or effective treatment course for the deadly disease and could create a shortage for patients who use the drugs to treat other illnesses.
"The Nevada State Board of Pharmacy has determined that an emergency exists due to the hoarding and stockpiling of chloroquine and hydroxychloriquine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting shortage of supplies of these drugs for legitimate medical purposes," the order says.
Board general counsel Brett Kandt, which recommended the ban to the governor, told the Free Beacon the regulation can be "repealed to the extent this is deemed necessary" if the drugs show further promise.
Movses Kazanchyan, a hospital physician in Nevada, raised concerns about the regulation hindering the ability of doctors to deal with a large number of cases. He told the Free Beacon that while the governor’s ban is "coming from a good place," the regulation may be overly preemptive. Kazanchyan said the treatment regimen for treating coronavirus is still unclear for physicians, let alone politicians.
"Everybody all across the U.S. is still trying to figure out what the right protocol is," he said. "We don’t have the definitive data."
Sisolak, who did not return request for comment, has attempted to alleviate concerns about the new order hampering the response to the deadly virus. On Wednesday he said the order does allow doctors in hospitals and emergency rooms to prescribe the drugs to infected patients.
"This regulation DOES NOT prohibit prescription of these drugs for inpatient treatment," he said on Twitter. "In other words, if a doctor in a hospital or emergency room setting wants to prescribe these drugs to treat a patient diagnosed with COVID-19, he or she is still free to do so."
While the viability of the drugs is still in question, two physicians argued in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that international studies have shown the use of hydroxychloroquine is "appearing to make a difference."
"It isn’t a silver bullet, but if deployed quickly and strategically the drug could potentially help bend the pandemic’s ‘hockey stick’ curve," the pair said.
Other medical experts, however, are advocating for caution before using the drugs and are urging individuals not to self-medicate. A study from a Chinese scientific journal found no significant improvement in patients after the use of antimalarials. Lupus patients also raised alarms about potential drug shortages brought on by coronavirus-shopping. Callister said the Nevada ban could spark a different kind of panic for residents and physicians.
"Panic and fear really have no place in preparing to deal with a crisis like this," Callister said. "We also have to be smart in how we plan and prepare and execute."
Nevada's emergency ban is scheduled to remain in effect until July 22.


freebeacon--2020-03-30--Union Probe Finds Close Biden Ally Misappropriated Millions

One of Joe Biden 's closest labor allies inappropriately siphoned nearly $ 1 million from a union pension fund as the labor group suffered from a `` systemic misrepresentation in financial reporting , '' according to an internal probe obtained by the Washington Free Beacon .
Harold Schaitberger , the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters ( IAFF ) , which represents more than 300,000 firefighters , is facing accusations of corruption and gross financial malpractice from his closest deputies .
Edward Kelly , the general secretary-treasurer and the number two of the union , detailed the findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 20 internal memorandum .
According to the 105-page document , the audit has thus far found that Schaitberger and Thomas Miller—Kelly 's predecessor as the general secretary-treasurer—illegally earned millions of dollars from the union pension fund over the last two decades .
`` The record keeping performed prior to my assuming office in September 2016 was so poor , one could argue it was designed that way , '' Kelly wrote in the memorandum .
Kelly 's audit also found that the union misreported millions of dollars in union funds while diverting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their original designation .
As a result of this rampant financial malpractice , roughly $ 6 million in union funds remain unaccounted for , according to the memorandum .
Neither the union nor Schaitberger responded to requests for comment .
New Haven Fire Department battalion chief Frank Ricci , who serves as president of IAFF Local 825 , told the Free Beacon that the accusations warrant deeper investigation .
`` If these allegations are proven true through the appropriate due process , Harold A. Schaitberger , General President , should be removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turning over couches ' to find money , I think it 's time to turn over the couches and chase the rats out , '' he said .
Schaitberger , who is one of Joe Biden 's closest and oldest allies in the labor movement , directed the IAFF to endorse the former vice president during his first campaign rally back in April 2019 , making his group the first national union to endorse Biden .
The IAFF has donated $ 5,000 to Biden 's campaign in 2019 and spent nearly $ 75,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Labor Department records .
After the endorsement , Schaitberger has continued to appear at campaign rallies to support the Democratic frontrunner , but not all card-carrying members have agreed with the union 's decision .
More than 18,000 rank-and-file union members objected to the early endorsement and urged IAFF to retract its endorsement .
Biden 's campaign did not respond to requests for comment .
The probe threatens to sow further division in the union .
As part of his probe into the union 's finances , Kelly contracted BDO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to examine IAFF records and asked three separate legal firms to evaluate whether the union pension system is compliant with IRS requirements .
The March 20 memorandum detailed many of Kelly 's findings , along with corroborating documents .
The union already pays Schaitberger roughly $ 388,000 every year , according to Labor Department records , but Kelly 's team found that Schaitberger has collected an additional $ 5,105 every month from the union 's pension system ever since he became the general-president in September 2000 .
Miller , the previous secretary-treasurer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while he served in that position from 2010 to 2016 .
Three separate law firms , all contracted by Kelly 's team , found that those pension payouts violated IRS regulations that require employees to actually leave their employer 's service before collecting pensions , according to documents included in the memorandum .
The law firms noted that while IRS regulations allow pension systems to include bylaws explicitly authorizing `` in-service pensions '' to current employees , no such clauses existed in the union pension plan until January 2016 .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payouts seem to violate ERISA , a federal law governing pension funds .
`` This memorandum concludes that there were payments made from the Plan that should not have been made ( ‘ overpayments ' ) and , therefore , at this time , the fiduciaries must suspend benefit payments to both individuals pending investigation and correction , '' wrote Kathryn B. Solley , a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP , in a March 9 , 2020 report .
Given his monthly rates , Schaitberger is estimated to have illicitly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his tenure until 2016 .
None of the three law firms—Nelson Mullins , Duane Morris LLP , and Gordon Feinblatt LLP—responded to requests for comments .
The probe did not stop there , however .
In the memorandum , Kelly also accused Schaitberger of accruing additional millions of dollars of benefits through the retirement program without notifying the IRS and revealed that the IRS is separately auditing the union 's retirement program because of `` excess deferrals '' by Schaitberger and others .
The agency did not respond to a request for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team identified chronic mismanagement of the union 's finances , which led to $ 6 million unaccounted for in interfund balances .
While he did n't explain all of his findings , he noted that a 2006 amendment to the union 's pension plan was adopted without the approval of the executive board .
The amendment , he said , could have added millions in the funding obligation of the pension plan .
The memorandum also details Schaitberger 's many attempts to obstruct Kelly 's probe .
Schaitberger , for instance , accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hire an outside counsel to audit the books and demanded that Kelly turn over several documents pertaining to the probe .
Kelly hit back against the charge in the memorandum , arguing that Schaitberger 's `` sudden and subjective interpretations of the Constitutions and By-Laws … is not supported by the long-standing practice in this organization . ''
`` You are asserting that , as General Secretary-Treasurer , I do not have the ‘ authority to execute contracts and agreements on behalf of the IAFF , ' nor ‘ the authority to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote to Schaitberger in the memorandum .
`` I respectfully disagree . ''
Kelly has won Ricci 's support in his fact-finding efforts , though his local union has yet to take a position on its findings .
`` While my Executive Board is digesting the documents and waiting to meet before determining a course of action , I stand in full support of Edward A. Kelly , General Secretary-Treasurer of the IAFF , '' Ricci said .
`` He has provided official documents and a cogent argument that support his accusations .
@

One of Joe Biden's closest labor allies inappropriately siphoned nearly $1 million from a union pension fund as the labor group suffered from a "systemic misrepresentation in financial reporting," according to an internal probe obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
Harold Schaitberger, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), which represents more than 300,000 firefighters, is facing accusations of corruption and gross financial malpractice from his closest deputies. Edward Kelly, the general secretary-treasurer and the number two of the union, detailed the findings of his team's audit in a March 20 internal memorandum. According to the 105-page document, the audit has thus far found that Schaitberger and Thomas Miller—Kelly's predecessor as the general secretary-treasurer—illegally earned millions of dollars from the union pension fund over the last two decades.
"The record keeping performed prior to my assuming office in September 2016 was so poor, one could argue it was designed that way," Kelly wrote in the memorandum.
Kelly's audit also found that the union misreported millions of dollars in union funds while diverting millions of dollars for a purpose unrelated to their original designation. As a result of this rampant financial malpractice, roughly $6 million in union funds remain unaccounted for, according to the memorandum.
Neither the union nor Schaitberger responded to requests for comment.
New Haven Fire Department battalion chief Frank Ricci, who serves as president of IAFF Local 825, told the Free Beacon that the accusations warrant deeper investigation.
"If these allegations are proven true through the appropriate due process, Harold A. Schaitberger, General President, should be removed from office. Kelly talks about 'turning over couches' to find money, I think it's time to turn over the couches and chase the rats out," he said.
Schaitberger, who is one of Joe Biden's closest and oldest allies in the labor movement, directed the IAFF to endorse the former vice president during his first campaign rally back in April 2019, making his group the first national union to endorse Biden. The IAFF has donated $5,000 to Biden's campaign in 2019 and spent nearly $75,000 in outside spending to support his candidacy, according to Labor Department records.
After the endorsement, Schaitberger has continued to appear at campaign rallies to support the Democratic frontrunner, but not all card-carrying members have agreed with the union's decision. More than 18,000 rank-and-file union members objected to the early endorsement and urged IAFF to retract its endorsement. Biden's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
The probe threatens to sow further division in the union.
As part of his probe into the union's finances, Kelly contracted BDO USA, an international auditing agency, to examine IAFF records and asked three separate legal firms to evaluate whether the union pension system is compliant with IRS requirements. The March 20 memorandum detailed many of Kelly's findings, along with corroborating documents.
The union already pays Schaitberger roughly $388,000 every year, according to Labor Department records, but Kelly's team found that Schaitberger has collected an additional $5,105 every month from the union's pension system ever since he became the general-president in September 2000. Miller, the previous secretary-treasurer, also collected payments from the pension fund while he served in that position from 2010 to 2016.
Three separate law firms, all contracted by Kelly's team, found that those pension payouts violated IRS regulations that require employees to actually leave their employer's service before collecting pensions, according to documents included in the memorandum. The law firms noted that while IRS regulations allow pension systems to include bylaws explicitly authorizing "in-service pensions" to current employees, no such clauses existed in the union pension plan until January 2016. One of the law firms also added that the pension payouts seem to violate ERISA, a federal law governing pension funds.
"This memorandum concludes that there were payments made from the Plan that should not have been made ('overpayments') and, therefore, at this time, the fiduciaries must suspend benefit payments to both individuals pending investigation and correction," wrote Kathryn B. Solley, a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, in a March 9, 2020 report.
Given his monthly rates, Schaitberger is estimated to have illicitly collected roughly $878,060 from the beginning of his tenure until 2016. None of the three law firms—Nelson Mullins, Duane Morris LLP, and Gordon Feinblatt LLP—responded to requests for comments.
The probe did not stop there, however. In the memorandum, Kelly also accused Schaitberger of accruing additional millions of dollars of benefits through the retirement program without notifying the IRS and revealed that the IRS is separately auditing the union's retirement program because of "excess deferrals" by Schaitberger and others. The agency did not respond to a request for comment.
Kelly also wrote that his team identified chronic mismanagement of the union's finances, which led to $6 million unaccounted for in interfund balances. While he didn't explain all of his findings, he noted that a 2006 amendment to the union's pension plan was adopted without the approval of the executive board. The amendment, he said, could have added millions in the funding obligation of the pension plan.
The memorandum also details Schaitberger's many attempts to obstruct Kelly's probe. Schaitberger, for instance, accused the general secretary-treasurer of lacking the authority to hire an outside counsel to audit the books and demanded that Kelly turn over several documents pertaining to the probe. Kelly hit back against the charge in the memorandum, arguing that Schaitberger's "sudden and subjective interpretations of the Constitutions and By-Laws … is not supported by the long-standing practice in this organization."
"You are asserting that, as General Secretary-Treasurer, I do not have the 'authority to execute contracts and agreements on behalf of the IAFF,' nor 'the authority to retain outside counsel,'" Kelly wrote to Schaitberger in the memorandum. "I respectfully disagree."
Kelly has won Ricci's support in his fact-finding efforts, though his local union has yet to take a position on its findings.
"While my Executive Board is digesting the documents and waiting to meet before determining a course of action, I stand in full support of Edward A. Kelly, General Secretary-Treasurer of the IAFF," Ricci said. "He has provided official documents and a cogent argument that support his accusations."


freebeacon--2020-03-29--Pelosi: Trump’s Coronavirus Response Has Cost Lives

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) on Sunday accused President Donald Trump of costing American lives through his response to the spread of the coronavirus .
`` Are you saying [ Trump 's ] downplaying ultimately cost American lives ? ''
CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked .
`` Yes , I am .
I 'm saying that , '' Pelosi said .
`` Because when he made—the other day , when he was signing the bill , he said , ‘ Just think , 20 days ago everything was great . '
No , everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's knowledge of the virus should have prompted earlier action to combat delays in testing and equipment , noting the president 's previous statements did not highlight the gravity of the coming pandemic .
Polling shows most Americans do not agree with Pelosi 's criticism , however , as 60 percent of Gallup respondents said they approve of Trump 's handling of the crisis .
His approval rating has also improved to the best point of his presidency , with the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll finding his overall job approval rating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rating is 46 percent .
Former vice president Joe Biden , also a critic of Trump 's coronavirus response , said during an interview on Sunday 's Meet the Press that it would be a stretch to blame Trump for lives lost due to the virus .
During his campaign for president , Biden has said Trump should be held accountable for `` failures '' in the virus response , although he has also denied that he is trying to criticize the president .

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) on Sunday accused President Donald Trump of costing American lives through his response to the spread of the coronavirus.
"Are you saying [Trump's] downplaying ultimately cost American lives?" CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked.
"Yes, I am. I'm saying that," Pelosi said. "Because when he made—the other day, when he was signing the bill, he said, 'Just think, 20 days ago everything was great.' No, everything wasn't great."
Pelosi argued Trump's knowledge of the virus should have prompted earlier action to combat delays in testing and equipment, noting the president's previous statements did not highlight the gravity of the coming pandemic.
Polling shows most Americans do not agree with Pelosi's criticism, however, as 60 percent of Gallup respondents said they approve of Trump's handling of the crisis. His approval rating has also improved to the best point of his presidency, with the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll finding his overall job approval rating is 48 percent, while his disapproval rating is 46 percent.
Former vice president Joe Biden, also a critic of Trump's coronavirus response, said during an interview on Sunday's Meet the Press that it would be a stretch to blame Trump for lives lost due to the virus. During his campaign for president, Biden has said Trump should be held accountable for "failures" in the virus response, although he has also denied that he is trying to criticize the president.


freebeacon--2020-03-29--Pelosi Cites State of the Union, When She Ripped Trump’s Speech, as Example of Her Bipartisanship

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) on Sunday referenced her attendance at President Donald Trump 's State of the Union address , where she stood up and tore Trump 's speech , as an example of her effort to work with the president .
CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Pelosi whether she had reached out to President Trump amid the coronavirus legislation process when communication between leaders is important .
Pelosi said her responsibility as the speaker is to pass legislation and does not require her to communicate with Trump .
`` Do n't forget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Union address and did greet the president at that time , '' Pelosi said during an interview on CNN 's State of the Union .
`` So again , that 's not what 's important .
What 's important is what 's important to America 's working families : their health , their lives , their livelihood . ''
Tapper said there were reports the speaker and the president had not spoken in five months and pointed out that none of the Democratic leaders were invited to Trump 's signing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday .

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) on Sunday referenced her attendance at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, where she stood up and tore Trump's speech, as an example of her effort to work with the president.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Pelosi whether she had reached out to President Trump amid the coronavirus legislation process when communication between leaders is important. Pelosi said her responsibility as the speaker is to pass legislation and does not require her to communicate with Trump.
"Don't forget, I was there for the State of the Union address and did greet the president at that time," Pelosi said during an interview on CNN's State of the Union. "So again, that's not what's important. What's important is what's important to America's working families: their health, their lives, their livelihood."
Tapper said there were reports the speaker and the president had not spoken in five months and pointed out that none of the Democratic leaders were invited to Trump's signing of the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill on Friday.


freebeacon--2020-03-29--Manhattan D.A. Prosecuted Just 21 Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes in Past Decade

Records from the Manhattan district attorney 's office indicate D.A .
Cyrus Vance prosecuted just 13 individuals for anti-Semitic hate crimes between 2017 and 2019 , less than half of those arrested in his jurisdiction during that time and a bare 6 percent of all complaints of anti-Semitic crime .
Records obtained from the New York County District Attorney—the official name of the Manhattan D.A .
's office—under New York state 's Freedom of Information Law indicate just 21 prosecutions for anti-Semitic hate crimes in total since Vance took office .
Although rates of prosecution have risen and fallen with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they remain just a small proportion of each .
These new data raise questions about the seriousness with which the Manhattan D.A .
office has taken anti-Semitism in its jurisdiction .
This seriousness is of particular import to a city now facing not only a rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes but a surge in crime in general .
Initially , the data indicate the Manhattan D.A .
's office has grown more aggressive toward anti-Semitic hate crimes .
Vance 's tenure as district attorney began in 2010 , but his office made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime a year until 2016 .
The majority of prosecutions took place in 2017 , 2018 , and 2019 .
But that increase in prosecutions likely mirrors an overall increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes .
Data from the New York City Police Department show that in precincts located in Manhattan , reports of and arrests for anti-Semitic hate crimes rose in 2018 , then fell , but remained elevated , in 2019 .
In all three years , the Manhattan D.A .
's office prosecuted just one individual for every four arrests reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 percent of complaints resulted in an eventual prosecution .
The disparity between complaints and prosecutions is , in large part , explained by rates of arrest—if no offender is arrested , there is no one to be prosecuted .
But there still remain significant disparities between numbers of arrests and numbers of prosecutions in each of the covered years .
The Manhattan D.A .
's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment to explain how it exercises its prosecutorial discretion—the right of prosecutors to opt not to prosecute a case—in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other insight on this disparity .
One plausible explanation is that prosecutors may often opt not to charge nonviolent or misdemeanor offenses for lack of resources .
Yet that explanation is belied by the cases the Manhattan D.A .
's office did choose to prosecute .
For example , in 2019 it charged a 17-year-old with one count of aggravated harassment in the first degree and five counts of criminal mischief in the first degree for spray-painting a swastika , in addition to other graffiti .
The office also seemed willing to prosecute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as the 30-year-old man who , after threatening to kill a Jewish person , said , `` I will spare your life as a good Roman , I am a good Roman . ''
Beyond their number , the reports indicate Vance 's surprising willingness to release hate-crime offenders without requesting bail .
In June 2010 , his office requested no bail for an individual charged with sending multiple threatening , anti-Semitic emails to Columbia University employees signed `` Nazi Youth of Columbia U . ''
It also did not request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who graffitied multiple swastikas along his Uber Eats driver route and who would later be arrested for a string of major arsons .
To obtain this information , the Washington Free Beacon submitted a request under New York state 's Freedom of Information Law requesting `` all available documents '' pertaining to offenses referred from 2010 onward to the Manhattan D.A .
's office that were judged to be anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish in nature .
In reply , a FOIA officer provided a summary spreadsheet and redacted documents relating to a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were open at the time of the request .
The Manhattan D.A .
's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment confirming whether these 21 cases account for the total number of prosecutions of anti-Semitic hate crime in that time period .
These data present an important picture of how the Manhattan D.A .
has chosen to address—or not address—New York City 's rising anti-Semitic crime problem .
Reporting from the Free Beacon in January previously revealed that Vance 's office had decided not to prosecute an MTA rider who cursed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime .
The D.A .
's office eventually reversed itself on this decision only following popular outcry from the Jewish community .
As the Free Beacon reported in January , Jews are the group most targeted for hate crimes in New York City .
The NYPD reported 242 complaints of anti-Semitic hate crimes in 2019 , a 30 percent increase over 2018 , with many offenses concentrated in densely Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn .
Manhattan , as discussed , saw a decline in anti-Semitic crime complaints between 2018 and 2019 , but still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by borough .
Offenses appear to have fallen in the early months of 2020 , but dispute remains as to whether the city is doing enough to combat street harassment , graffiti , and other signs of surging anti-Semitism .
At particular contention is New York state 's decision to mandate the bail-less release of most nonviolent offenders from state jail , which has led to a spike in crime in the city overall .
Governor Andrew Cuomo ( D. ) has indicated that he would be open to revising the law to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but negotiations remain ongoing in the state legislature .

Records from the Manhattan district attorney's office indicate D.A. Cyrus Vance prosecuted just 13 individuals for anti-Semitic hate crimes between 2017 and 2019, less than half of those arrested in his jurisdiction during that time and a bare 6 percent of all complaints of anti-Semitic crime.
Records obtained from the New York County District Attorney—the official name of the Manhattan D.A.'s office—under New York state's Freedom of Information Law indicate just 21 prosecutions for anti-Semitic hate crimes in total since Vance took office. Although rates of prosecution have risen and fallen with recorded complaints and arrests for such crimes, they remain just a small proportion of each.
These new data raise questions about the seriousness with which the Manhattan D.A. office has taken anti-Semitism in its jurisdiction. This seriousness is of particular import to a city now facing not only a rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes but a surge in crime in general.
Initially, the data indicate the Manhattan D.A.'s office has grown more aggressive toward anti-Semitic hate crimes. Vance's tenure as district attorney began in 2010, but his office made only one prosecution for an anti-Semitic hate crime a year until 2016. The majority of prosecutions took place in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
But that increase in prosecutions likely mirrors an overall increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes. Data from the New York City Police Department show that in precincts located in Manhattan, reports of and arrests for anti-Semitic hate crimes rose in 2018, then fell, but remained elevated, in 2019.
In all three years, the Manhattan D.A.'s office prosecuted just one individual for every four arrests reported in Manhattan. In total, just 6 percent of complaints resulted in an eventual prosecution.
The disparity between complaints and prosecutions is, in large part, explained by rates of arrest—if no offender is arrested, there is no one to be prosecuted. But there still remain significant disparities between numbers of arrests and numbers of prosecutions in each of the covered years. The Manhattan D.A.'s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment to explain how it exercises its prosecutorial discretion—the right of prosecutors to opt not to prosecute a case—in anti-Semitic hate-crime cases, or to offer other insight on this disparity.
One plausible explanation is that prosecutors may often opt not to charge nonviolent or misdemeanor offenses for lack of resources. Yet that explanation is belied by the cases the Manhattan D.A.'s office did choose to prosecute. For example, in 2019 it charged a 17-year-old with one count of aggravated harassment in the first degree and five counts of criminal mischief in the first degree for spray-painting a swastika, in addition to other graffiti. The office also seemed willing to prosecute individuals who demonstrated evidence of mental illness, such as the 30-year-old man who, after threatening to kill a Jewish person, said, "I will spare your life as a good Roman, I am a good Roman."
Beyond their number, the reports indicate Vance's surprising willingness to release hate-crime offenders without requesting bail. In June 2010, his office requested no bail for an individual charged with sending multiple threatening, anti-Semitic emails to Columbia University employees signed "Nazi Youth of Columbia U." It also did not request bail in the case of Jamal Deese, who graffitied multiple swastikas along his Uber Eats driver route and who would later be arrested for a string of major arsons.
To obtain this information, the Washington Free Beacon submitted a request under New York state's Freedom of Information Law requesting "all available documents" pertaining to offenses referred from 2010 onward to the Manhattan D.A.'s office that were judged to be anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish in nature. In reply, a FOIA officer provided a summary spreadsheet and redacted documents relating to a total of 21 cases, including two which were open at the time of the request. The Manhattan D.A.'s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment confirming whether these 21 cases account for the total number of prosecutions of anti-Semitic hate crime in that time period.
These data present an important picture of how the Manhattan D.A. has chosen to address—or not address—New York City's rising anti-Semitic crime problem. Reporting from the Free Beacon in January previously revealed that Vance's office had decided not to prosecute an MTA rider who cursed at an Israeli student with a hate crime. The D.A.'s office eventually reversed itself on this decision only following popular outcry from the Jewish community.
As the Free Beacon reported in January, Jews are the group most targeted for hate crimes in New York City. The NYPD reported 242 complaints of anti-Semitic hate crimes in 2019, a 30 percent increase over 2018, with many offenses concentrated in densely Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Manhattan, as discussed, saw a decline in anti-Semitic crime complaints between 2018 and 2019, but still accounted for the second-largest number of complaints by borough.
Offenses appear to have fallen in the early months of 2020, but dispute remains as to whether the city is doing enough to combat street harassment, graffiti, and other signs of surging anti-Semitism. At particular contention is New York state's decision to mandate the bail-less release of most nonviolent offenders from state jail, which has led to a spike in crime in the city overall. Governor Andrew Cuomo (D.) has indicated that he would be open to revising the law to exclude hate-crime offenders from automatic release, but negotiations remain ongoing in the state legislature.


freebeacon--2020-03-28--Feds Add Gun Companies to ‘Essential’ Business List Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

The Department of Homeland Security added gun dealers , ranges , and manufacturers to its essential business coronavirus-response guide on Saturday .
The updated guidance from DHS 's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) now considers `` workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers , retailers , importers , distributors , and shooting ranges '' to be essential .
Those industry workers are listed under the designation for `` law enforcement , public safety , and other first responders . ''
The change comes after some state and local officials have shut down gun stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The federal guidelines could influence how state and local officials implement lockdown orders moving forward .
Demand for firearms has skyrocketed in response to the uncertainty surrounding the global pandemic , even as shutdowns in some states have closed the only legal avenue for purchases .
Some officials cited the lack of DHS guidance to defend those closures .
The National Shooting Sports Foundation , the firearms industry 's trade group , requested the essential designation in a March 20th letter to DHS .
The group praised the updated DHS guidance as `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past week hundreds of thousands , even millions of Americans choosing to exercise their right to keep and bear arms to ensure their safety and the safety of loved ones during these uncertain times , '' Lawrence Keane , general counsel for the group , said in a statement .
`` Americans must not be denied the ability to exercise that right to lawfully purchase and acquire firearms during times of emergency . ''
While DHS cautioned that the guide is not binding on states , it is the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak .
`` This list is intended to help State , local , tribal and territorial officials as they work to protect their communities , while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety , as well as economic and national security , '' Christopher C. Krebs , director of CISA , wrote in a March 28 memo .
The firearms industry said state and local government officials , which have been split on what to do with gun businesses , should heed the updated guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Homeland Security ’ s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) is crucial to governors and local officials as they craft the orders to preserve public health , '' Keane said .
Democratic New Jersey attorney general Gurbir Grewal pointed to DHS to defend Democratic governor Phil Murphy 's decision to shutter not only stores but also the state background check system in his emergency order .
`` The governor 's executive order tracks every other executive order that has a stay-at-home provision and none of those—none of those—contain an exemption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal guidance from Homeland Security contain that type of exemption when it comes to essential facilities and nonessential facilities , '' he said at a town hall this week .
A number of gun-rights groups are already locked in a legal fight with New Jersey .
Activists are also exploring cases in Washington , California , Texas , and Florida where shutdowns have either been threatened or are already in effect .
Pennsylvania reversed its shut down order for gun stores even after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined an emergency legal challenge from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course on closing gun stores after threats of legal action .
The Los Angeles County Sheriff has flip-flopped on the issue repeatedly in March .
Alan Gottlieb , founder of the Second Amendment Foundation which is behind several of the cases , praised the Trump administration for making the change .
`` Every freedom-loving American owes President Trump and his administration a very big thank you for protecting our Second Amendment rights , '' he said .
`` This is another Trump promise made and promise kept . ''
Krebs said the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting role '' in localities ' decisions on which businesses should remain open .
He cautioned government officials and business owners alike to consider all factors before making a decision about whether or not to stay open during the pandemic .
`` State , local , tribal , and territorial governments are responsible for implementing and executing response activities , including decisions about access and reentry , in their communities , while the Federal Government is in a supporting role , '' he said in the memo .
`` Officials should use their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidance .
Similarly , while adhering to relevant public health guidance , critical infrastructure owners and operators are expected to use their own judgement on issues of the prioritization of business processes and workforce allocation to best ensure continuity of the essential goods and services they support . ''

The Department of Homeland Security added gun dealers, ranges, and manufacturers to its essential business coronavirus-response guide on Saturday.
The updated guidance from DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) now considers "workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges" to be essential. Those industry workers are listed under the designation for "law enforcement, public safety, and other first responders."
The change comes after some state and local officials have shut down gun stores and manufacturing plants around the country. The federal guidelines could influence how state and local officials implement lockdown orders moving forward. Demand for firearms has skyrocketed in response to the uncertainty surrounding the global pandemic, even as shutdowns in some states have closed the only legal avenue for purchases. Some officials cited the lack of DHS guidance to defend those closures.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry's trade group, requested the essential designation in a March 20th letter to DHS. The group praised the updated DHS guidance as "crucial."
"We have seen over the past week hundreds of thousands, even millions of Americans choosing to exercise their right to keep and bear arms to ensure their safety and the safety of loved ones during these uncertain times," Lawrence Keane, general counsel for the group, said in a statement. "Americans must not be denied the ability to exercise that right to lawfully purchase and acquire firearms during times of emergency."
While DHS cautioned that the guide is not binding on states, it is the federal government's official recommendation for how they should respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
"This list is intended to help State, local, tribal and territorial officials as they work to protect their communities, while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety, as well as economic and national security," Christopher C. Krebs, director of CISA, wrote in a March 28 memo.
The firearms industry said state and local government officials, which have been split on what to do with gun businesses, should heed the updated guidance.
"This guidance from the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is crucial to governors and local officials as they craft the orders to preserve public health," Keane said.
Democratic New Jersey attorney general Gurbir Grewal pointed to DHS to defend Democratic governor Phil Murphy's decision to shutter not only stores but also the state background check system in his emergency order.
"The governor's executive order tracks every other executive order that has a stay-at-home provision and none of those—none of those—contain an exemption for firearm stores and nor does the federal guidance from Homeland Security contain that type of exemption when it comes to essential facilities and nonessential facilities," he said at a town hall this week.
A number of gun-rights groups are already locked in a legal fight with New Jersey. Activists are also exploring cases in Washington, California, Texas, and Florida where shutdowns have either been threatened or are already in effect.
Pennsylvania reversed its shut down order for gun stores even after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined an emergency legal challenge from Second Amendment activists. Delaware also reversed course on closing gun stores after threats of legal action. The Los Angeles County Sheriff has flip-flopped on the issue repeatedly in March.
Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation which is behind several of the cases, praised the Trump administration for making the change.
"Every freedom-loving American owes President Trump and his administration a very big thank you for protecting our Second Amendment rights," he said. "This is another Trump promise made and promise kept."
Krebs said the federal government will continue to play a "supporting role" in localities' decisions on which businesses should remain open. He cautioned government officials and business owners alike to consider all factors before making a decision about whether or not to stay open during the pandemic.
"State, local, tribal, and territorial governments are responsible for implementing and executing response activities, including decisions about access and reentry, in their communities, while the Federal Government is in a supporting role," he said in the memo. "Officials should use their own judgment in issuing implementation directives and guidance. Similarly, while adhering to relevant public health guidance, critical infrastructure owners and operators are expected to use their own judgement on issues of the prioritization of business processes and workforce allocation to best ensure continuity of the essential goods and services they support."