freebeacon--2020-07-08--D.C. Council Votes to End Police Involvement in Public School Security

Local lawmakers in Washington , D.C. , voted Tuesday to end the city police department 's involvement in providing security for public schools .
D.C. police have managed the public school security contract—which provides more than 300 guards for public schools—since 2004 and have provided training to private security guards .
School officials will now be responsible for contracting security , coordinating safety plans with police and the local Homeland Security agency , as well as training security guards with a `` positive youth development philosophy . ''
In June , five D.C. city council members pushed to cancel the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for reforming and defunding the police following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor .
Instead of removing the security presence from schools , Tuesday 's vote shifts responsibility for the school security contract from the police to public school officials .
At-large councilman David Grosso ( I . )
, who led the charge to disapprove the public school security contract with Security Assurance Management , said Tuesday that `` funding is better utilized when educating students and supporting their behavioral health . ''
`` The District of Columbia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is re-examining the role of police in all aspects of our lives , including in our children ’ s schools , '' Grosso said in the resolution he filed last month challenging the contract .
D.C. 's Metropolitan Police Department was put in charge of public school security in 2004 after a student was shot and killed inside Ballou High School .
The Tuesday vote was long advocated by the Black Swan Academy , a nonprofit that claims on its website that D.C. police `` criminalize '' black youth in schools .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in the streets and harassing Black youth in the community , are the same police that are in our schools , '' the website says .
`` Police do not keep students safe .
Their presence increases the likelihood that Black youth will be criminalized , arrested or imprisoned for adolescent behavior or responses to trauma . ''
But D.C. public schools chancellor Lewis Ferebee said many students have a good relationship with the guards and resource officers contracted through the police department .
`` What 's interesting is when we talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive relationships they have are with the school resource officers , '' Ferebee told DCist .
`` And we have a great working relationship with [ local police ] to ensure those people are appropriately trained and are fostering positive relationships in our students . ''

Local lawmakers in Washington, D.C., voted Tuesday to end the city police department's involvement in providing security for public schools.
D.C. police have managed the public school security contract—which provides more than 300 guards for public schools—since 2004 and have provided training to private security guards. School officials will now be responsible for contracting security, coordinating safety plans with police and the local Homeland Security agency, as well as training security guards with a "positive youth development philosophy."
In June, five D.C. city council members pushed to cancel the security contract entirely in response to protests calling for reforming and defunding the police following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Instead of removing the security presence from schools, Tuesday's vote shifts responsibility for the school security contract from the police to public school officials.
At-large councilman David Grosso (I.), who led the charge to disapprove the public school security contract with Security Assurance Management, said Tuesday that "funding is better utilized when educating students and supporting their behavioral health."
"The District of Columbia, along with the rest of the nation, is re-examining the role of police in all aspects of our lives, including in our children’s schools," Grosso said in the resolution he filed last month challenging the contract.
D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department was put in charge of public school security in 2004 after a student was shot and killed inside Ballou High School.
The Tuesday vote was long advocated by the Black Swan Academy, a nonprofit that claims on its website that D.C. police "criminalize" black youth in schools.
"The police that are killing Black people in the streets and harassing Black youth in the community, are the same police that are in our schools," the website says. "Police do not keep students safe. Their presence increases the likelihood that Black youth will be criminalized, arrested or imprisoned for adolescent behavior or responses to trauma."
But D.C. public schools chancellor Lewis Ferebee said many students have a good relationship with the guards and resource officers contracted through the police department.
"What's interesting is when we talk to our students some of the most positive relationships they have are with the school resource officers," Ferebee told DCist. "And we have a great working relationship with [local police] to ensure those people are appropriately trained and are fostering positive relationships in our students."


freebeacon--2020-07-08--Levi’s CEO Touts Advertising Inefficiency As Stock Price Tumbles

Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh on Wednesday told CNBC that his company is embracing less efficient advertising strategies as it pulls ads from Facebook to protest the social media giant 's handling of hate speech .
Bergh 's admission that Levi 's is spending more on ads due to his decision to boycott Facebook came as Levi 's stock price plummeted more than 9 percent on Wednesday and the company announced its plans to lay off approximately 700 employees .
`` I can tell you right up front this is not about saving money on ads , '' Bergh said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an activist pressure campaign targeting Facebook .
`` We ’ ve actually had to shift our advertising and it ’ s slightly more expensive because Facebook is so efficient . ''
Levi 's announced late last month that it would join the # StopHateForProfit campaign , which aims to strongarm Facebook into cracking down on so-called hate speech .
The company said in a tweet that `` Facebook must take actions to stop misinformation and hate speech on its platforms .
It is an unacceptable affront to our values .
We and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pausing all ads on @ Facebook and @ Instagram . ''
Bergh told CNBC 's Carl Quintanilla that he hopes to put pressure on Facebook ahead of the November election .
`` The reason we joined is because we ’ ve got a very important thing coming up in November called the election , '' he said , adding that a change in Facebook 's policies `` could have a real impact on the election . ''
Levi 's stock price dropped to $ 12.45 a share on Wednesday from a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company recently reported a $ 363.5 million loss in the second quarter .

Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh on Wednesday told CNBC that his company is embracing less efficient advertising strategies as it pulls ads from Facebook to protest the social media giant's handling of hate speech.
Bergh's admission that Levi's is spending more on ads due to his decision to boycott Facebook came as Levi's stock price plummeted more than 9 percent on Wednesday and the company announced its plans to lay off approximately 700 employees.
"I can tell you right up front this is not about saving money on ads," Bergh said of the company's decision to join an activist pressure campaign targeting Facebook. "We’ve actually had to shift our advertising and it’s slightly more expensive because Facebook is so efficient."
Levi's announced late last month that it would join the #StopHateForProfit campaign, which aims to strongarm Facebook into cracking down on so-called hate speech. The company said in a tweet that "Facebook must take actions to stop misinformation and hate speech on its platforms. It is an unacceptable affront to our values. We and @Dockers are joining the #StopHateForProfit campaign and pausing all ads on @Facebook and @Instagram."
Bergh told CNBC's Carl Quintanilla that he hopes to put pressure on Facebook ahead of the November election.
"The reason we joined is because we’ve got a very important thing coming up in November called the election," he said, adding that a change in Facebook's policies "could have a real impact on the election."
Levi's stock price dropped to $12.45 a share on Wednesday from a high of $14.40 on Monday, and the company recently reported a $363.5 million loss in the second quarter.


freebeacon--2020-07-08--Dem Campaign Consulting Firms Took Millions In PPP Loans As They Cashed In On 2020 Election

Democratic campaign consultants have received millions in federal coronavirus relief funds even as they ’ ve taken in a windfall of fees from Democratic candidates and committees , according to government records released on Monday .
Multiple firms working with Joe Biden 's campaign—including Anzalone Research Inc. and Blue Wave Political Partners—received substantial loans from the Trump administration ’ s Paycheck Protection Program .
Greenberg , Quinlan , Rosner ( GQR ) , a political research firm founded by Bill Clinton ’ s longtime pollster Stanley Greenberg , also benefited from the PPP loan program while taking in millions from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission records .
These companies applied for loans despite the fact that 2020 is a presidential election year , a time that tends to be lucrative for the political consulting industry .
All but one of these firms brought in significantly more campaign-related income in the 2020 election cycle than in the 2018 cycle , FEC reports show .
Ethics watchdogs criticized the money-grab by campaign consultants , noting that the program was intended to benefit small companies that are struggling from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` We knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tend to benefit well-connected individuals and firms , leaving the neediest scrambling for the scraps connected firms left behind , '' said Tom Anderson , director of the National Legal and Policy Center ’ s Government Integrity Project .
Anzalone Research received between $ 350,000 and $ 1 million in PPP loans in April , while Belardi Wong ALC and Chapman , Cubine , and Hussey Inc. each took in between $ 1 million and $ 2 million .
Anzalone Research and Belardi Wong have both been paid over $ 400,000 by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chapman , Cubine , and Hussey has been paid over $ 1.7 million by Biden .
FEC records show all three firms earned more from campaign work in the current election cycle than in the 2018 cycle .
Anzalone Research was paid $ 2.8 million between January 2019 and May 2020 , a slight increase from $ 2.3 million during the same time period in 2017 and 2018 .
Belardi Wong earned $ 866,000 from 2020 campaign spending , nearly 10 times as much as the prior cycle .
Chapman , Cubine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than quadrupled , from $ 1.4 million to $ 6.3 million .
Seattle-based Blue Wave Political Partners and the D.C.-based Resonance Campaigns LLC each received between $ 150,000 and $ 350,000 in PPP loans .
The Biden campaign has paid Blue Wave more than $ 150,000 and has paid Resonance over $ 1.1 million .
FEC records show that Blue Wave ’ s campaign income spiked from $ 1.4 million the last cycle to $ 2.6 million in 2020 .
Resonance was the only firm analyzed by the Washington Free Beacon whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million to $ 2.1 million .
GQR , the political research firm founded by Clinton ’ s longtime pollster , received between $ 350,000 and $ 1 million this spring from the government loan program .
The firm has taken in nearly $ 4 million from Democratic candidates and committees between Jan. 10 and June 2 , according to FEC records .
Disclosures show that the firm ’ s top clients included the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , Arizona Senate candidate Mark Kelly , Colorado Senate candidate John Hickenlooper , EMILY ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PAC .
GQR raked in over $ 250,000 in polling , research , and consulting fees in the month of April , the same period that they are reported to have received the PPP loan .
These clients included the Women Vote !
PAC , the DNC , the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , and Rep. Andy Kim ( D. , N.J. ) .
GQR also saw an uptick in its campaign income , earning $ 3.9 million in 2020 compared with $ 2.7 million in 2018 .
Belardi Wong spokesperson Alex Wolf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and receive PPP funds , but that ’ s related to the downturn in demand for consumer goods and its impact on their business . ''
Wolf said political work represents just a fraction of the company ’ s business .
FEC records show Belardi Wong has worked with several Democratic candidates and committees this cycle , primarily on direct mail and list rental .
`` Belardi Wong 's work for the Biden campaign will represent less than 1 percent of its total revenue this year , '' said Wolf .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work is in customer acquisition and direct mail for consumer brands—most of them in high end fashion and home goods . ''
None of the other firms did not respond to requests for comment .

Democratic campaign consultants have received millions in federal coronavirus relief funds even as they’ve taken in a windfall of fees from Democratic candidates and committees, according to government records released on Monday.
Multiple firms working with Joe Biden's campaign—including Anzalone Research Inc. and Blue Wave Political Partners—received substantial loans from the Trump administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.
Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner (GQR), a political research firm founded by Bill Clinton’s longtime pollster Stanley Greenberg, also benefited from the PPP loan program while taking in millions from Democratic clients, according to Federal Election Commission records.
These companies applied for loans despite the fact that 2020 is a presidential election year, a time that tends to be lucrative for the political consulting industry. All but one of these firms brought in significantly more campaign-related income in the 2020 election cycle than in the 2018 cycle, FEC reports show.
Ethics watchdogs criticized the money-grab by campaign consultants, noting that the program was intended to benefit small companies that are struggling from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
"We knew this would happen as programs like PPP tend to benefit well-connected individuals and firms, leaving the neediest scrambling for the scraps connected firms left behind," said Tom Anderson, director of the National Legal and Policy Center’s Government Integrity Project.
Anzalone Research received between $350,000 and $1 million in PPP loans in April, while Belardi Wong ALC and Chapman, Cubine, and Hussey Inc. each took in between $1 million and $2 million. Anzalone Research and Belardi Wong have both been paid over $400,000 by the Biden campaign, according to FEC records. Chapman, Cubine, and Hussey has been paid over $1.7 million by Biden.
FEC records show all three firms earned more from campaign work in the current election cycle than in the 2018 cycle. Anzalone Research was paid $2.8 million between January 2019 and May 2020, a slight increase from $2.3 million during the same time period in 2017 and 2018. Belardi Wong earned $866,000 from 2020 campaign spending, nearly 10 times as much as the prior cycle. Chapman, Cubine, and Hussey’s campaign income more than quadrupled, from $1.4 million to $6.3 million.
Seattle-based Blue Wave Political Partners and the D.C.-based Resonance Campaigns LLC each received between $150,000 and $350,000 in PPP loans. The Biden campaign has paid Blue Wave more than $150,000 and has paid Resonance over $1.1 million.
FEC records show that Blue Wave’s campaign income spiked from $1.4 million the last cycle to $2.6 million in 2020. Resonance was the only firm analyzed by the Washington Free Beacon whose earnings dipped slightly, from $2.2 million to $2.1 million.
GQR, the political research firm founded by Clinton’s longtime pollster, received between $350,000 and $1 million this spring from the government loan program. The firm has taken in nearly $4 million from Democratic candidates and committees between Jan. 10 and June 2, according to FEC records.
Disclosures show that the firm’s top clients included the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Arizona Senate candidate Mark Kelly, Colorado Senate candidate John Hickenlooper, EMILY’s List, and the End Citizens United PAC.
GQR raked in over $250,000 in polling, research, and consulting fees in the month of April, the same period that they are reported to have received the PPP loan. These clients included the Women Vote! PAC, the DNC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Rep. Andy Kim (D., N.J.).
GQR also saw an uptick in its campaign income, earning $3.9 million in 2020 compared with $2.7 million in 2018.
Belardi Wong spokesperson Alex Wolf said the firm "did apply for and receive PPP funds, but that’s related to the downturn in demand for consumer goods and its impact on their business."
Wolf said political work represents just a fraction of the company’s business. FEC records show Belardi Wong has worked with several Democratic candidates and committees this cycle, primarily on direct mail and list rental.
"Belardi Wong's work for the Biden campaign will represent less than 1 percent of its total revenue this year," said Wolf. "The other 99 percent of Belardi Wong's work is in customer acquisition and direct mail for consumer brands—most of them in high end fashion and home goods."
None of the other firms did not respond to requests for comment.


freebeacon--2020-07-08--Hawaiian Shirts, The Masters, Free Speech, and Other Things You Didn’t Know Were Racist

Note : The Washington Free Beacon is taking the rare step of publishing an anonymous Op-Ed essay .
We have done so at the request of the author , a high-ranking professional racist whose identity has not been verified .
We believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers .
The New York Times has finally canceled the Hawaiian shirt after learning about its secret connection to racism .
It 's something experienced racists like myself have known for quite some time , but the media are starting to catch on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published an investigation into `` Everyday words and phrases that have racist connotations , '' which is reasonably accurate .
The Masters tournament at Augusta National has nothing to do with being a `` master '' at golf , if you know what I 'm saying .
The same goes for the `` master bedroom '' in your house .
CNN was unable to determine `` whether the term is rooted in American slavery on plantations , '' but I 'm here to tell you that all bedrooms are , in fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of walls—one of the main things we racists like about President Trump—bedrooms are where some of America 's most prominent racists have died , leaving behind racist legacies .
Andrew Jackson , Ulysses S. Grant , and Franklin D. Roosevelt , for example .
Terms such as `` blacklist '' and `` blackball '' are obviously racist as well .
CNN explains that even though there 's no evidence to support this claim , `` some argue '' that these terms are `` subconsciously racialized . ''
Contrary to popular belief , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is why we decided to adopt the `` OK '' symbol as the modern-day version of the antiquated , ostentatious Nazi salute .
In the interest of public edification , I will utilize my expert perspective to highlight some other seemingly innocuous things that are of great significance to the pro-racism community .
For proponents of racism and the patriarchy , forcing people of all colors to wait for the `` little white man '' to cross the street is one of our proudest achievements .
Invented in Germany in the 19th century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horse , '' was the preferred means of transportation among former Confederate soldiers , including John Wilkes Booth , who rode a high-wheeled penny-farthing to Ford 's Theater on April 14 , 1865 .
Free speech means the right to be racist without fear of government reprisal .
Racists like myself enthusiastically endorse the Harper 's letter `` on open justice and debate , '' and would have signed if asked .
Originally coined as `` cuck face '' by white nationalist Richard Spencer while attending Duke University in 2007 , the phrase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to infiltrate mainstream culture .
Mission accomplished !
This popular urban ritual , which originated in the British Empire at the height of its power in the late 19th century , did n't catch on in America until the 1920s .
President Woodrow Wilson , a renowned racist , was the first U.S. leader to serve brunch at the White House in honor of D.W. Griffith , director of The Birth of a Nation .
Those who support `` free speech '' are typically inclined to support an individual 's right to criticize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticize President Trump should consider the fact that one of the most prominent presidential critics of all time—John Wilkes Booth—was a racist .
Real , hardcore racists know that the Confederacy was decadent and corrupt .
We wholeheartedly support efforts to tear down monuments to this failed rebel nation and its half-hearted attempt to promote white supremacy .
Robert E. Lee , the so-called `` hero '' of the Confederacy , was a coward who did n't have what it takes to win .
Good riddance !
Often overlooked and increasingly acceptable in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Semitism is actually a form of racism .
One of the oldest forms , in fact .
It 's really popular among racists , and we are more than happy to see it embraced by Louis Farrakhan and our former allies in the Democratic Party .

Note: The Washington Free Beacon is taking the rare step of publishing an anonymous Op-Ed essay. We have done so at the request of the author, a high-ranking professional racist whose identity has not been verified. We believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers.
The New York Times has finally canceled the Hawaiian shirt after learning about its secret connection to racism. It's something experienced racists like myself have known for quite some time, but the media are starting to catch on. CNN, for example, recently published an investigation into "Everyday words and phrases that have racist connotations," which is reasonably accurate. The Masters tournament at Augusta National has nothing to do with being a "master" at golf, if you know what I'm saying.
The same goes for the "master bedroom" in your house. CNN was unable to determine "whether the term is rooted in American slavery on plantations," but I'm here to tell you that all bedrooms are, in fact, racist. In addition to being constructed out of walls—one of the main things we racists like about President Trump—bedrooms are where some of America's most prominent racists have died, leaving behind racist legacies. Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example.
Terms such as "blacklist" and "blackball" are obviously racist as well. CNN explains that even though there's no evidence to support this claim, "some argue" that these terms are "subconsciously racialized." Contrary to popular belief, racists are suckers for subtlety, which is why we decided to adopt the "OK" symbol as the modern-day version of the antiquated, ostentatious Nazi salute.
In the interest of public edification, I will utilize my expert perspective to highlight some other seemingly innocuous things that are of great significance to the pro-racism community.
Traffic Signals
For proponents of racism and the patriarchy, forcing people of all colors to wait for the "little white man" to cross the street is one of our proudest achievements.
Bicycles
Invented in Germany in the 19th century, the bicycle, aka "dandy horse," was the preferred means of transportation among former Confederate soldiers, including John Wilkes Booth, who rode a high-wheeled penny-farthing to Ford's Theater on April 14, 1865.
Supporting Free Speech
Free speech means the right to be racist without fear of government reprisal. Racists like myself enthusiastically endorse the Harper's letter "on open justice and debate," and would have signed if asked.
"Duck Face"
Originally coined as "cuck face" by white nationalist Richard Spencer while attending Duke University in 2007, the phrase was modified years later in an effort to infiltrate mainstream culture. Mission accomplished!
Brunch
This popular urban ritual, which originated in the British Empire at the height of its power in the late 19th century, didn't catch on in America until the 1920s. President Woodrow Wilson, a renowned racist, was the first U.S. leader to serve brunch at the White House in honor of D.W. Griffith, director of The Birth of a Nation.
Criticizing the President
Those who support "free speech" are typically inclined to support an individual's right to criticize our elected leaders. Anyone tempted to criticize President Trump should consider the fact that one of the most prominent presidential critics of all time—John Wilkes Booth—was a racist.
Canceling the Confederacy
Real, hardcore racists know that the Confederacy was decadent and corrupt. We wholeheartedly support efforts to tear down monuments to this failed rebel nation and its half-hearted attempt to promote white supremacy. Robert E. Lee, the so-called "hero" of the Confederacy, was a coward who didn't have what it takes to win. Good riddance!
Anti-Semitism
Often overlooked and increasingly acceptable in our "woke" modern age, anti-Semitism is actually a form of racism. One of the oldest forms, in fact. It's really popular among racists, and we are more than happy to see it embraced by Louis Farrakhan and our former allies in the Democratic Party.


freebeacon--2020-07-08--Arizona’s Mark Kelly Slammed PPP While His Company Reaped Its Benefits

A company cofounded by Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly received Paycheck Protection Program funds after the candidate criticized the program .
A July 7 report by the Arizona Republic found that according to federal records , World View Enterprises took between $ 1 million and $ 2 million in PPP cash to preserve 38 jobs and return 17 employees from furlough .
Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly , who cofounded the firm and remains an investor in it , previously criticized the program as being beholden to `` big banks . ''
The Tucson-based company specializes in manufacturing balloons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Kelly—a former astronaut—cofounded it and acted as a strategic adviser , but resigned in February 2019 to challenge Senator Martha McSally ( R. , Ariz. ) for her seat .
`` Mark has not applied for any PPP loans .
Mark left World View well over a year ago so he did n't know about this loan or have any role in seeking it , '' said Kelly 's spokesman Jacob Peters .
The Democratic senatorial candidate roundly criticized the PPP program that gave his former company assistance .
`` Congress created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ application process in the hands of big banks , and they have to provide accountability and make sure this money is getting to those small business owners and their employees who need it , '' Kelly 's campaign stated in April .
McSally campaign manager Dylan Lefler pushed back on Kelly ’ s statement .
`` Mark Kelly tried to score cheap political points by criticizing the bipartisan success of PPP while quietly taking the money for his own large corporation , '' he said .
`` Mark Kelly ’ s company has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failing to provide the promised jobs .
PPP was meant to help Arizonans keep their jobs , not line Mark Kelly ’ s pockets . ''
Kelly 's track record at World View has received prior scrutiny .
One of the initial investors in the company was Tencent , a Chinese state-backed technology company .
Tencent has faced accusations of espionage and pro-regime censorship .
Kelly also sat on the board of Colorado-based aerospace Boom Technologies , which partnered with Shanghai-based firm Trip.com Group Limited .
Formerly known as Ctrip , the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring supersonic flight to China '' while also supporting China ’ s `` Belt and Road '' initiative—an infrastructure project which the U.S. government describes as a security threat .

The Democratic Senate candidate's company, World View Enterprises, received as much as $2 million from the program
A company cofounded by Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly received Paycheck Protection Program funds after the candidate criticized the program.
A July 7 report by the Arizona Republic found that according to federal records, World View Enterprises took between $1 million and $2 million in PPP cash to preserve 38 jobs and return 17 employees from furlough. Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly, who cofounded the firm and remains an investor in it, previously criticized the program as being beholden to "big banks."
The Tucson-based company specializes in manufacturing balloons and other equipment for low-altitude satellites. Mark Kelly—a former astronaut—cofounded it and acted as a strategic adviser, but resigned in February 2019 to challenge Senator Martha McSally (R., Ariz.) for her seat.
"Mark has not applied for any PPP loans. Mark left World View well over a year ago so he didn't know about this loan or have any role in seeking it," said Kelly's spokesman Jacob Peters.
The Democratic senatorial candidate roundly criticized the PPP program that gave his former company assistance.
"Congress created this program and put much of the application process in the hands of big banks, and they have to provide accountability and make sure this money is getting to those small business owners and their employees who need it," Kelly's campaign stated in April.
McSally campaign manager Dylan Lefler pushed back on Kelly’s statement. "Mark Kelly tried to score cheap political points by criticizing the bipartisan success of PPP while quietly taking the money for his own large corporation," he said. "Mark Kelly’s company has a history of taking taxpayer money and failing to provide the promised jobs. PPP was meant to help Arizonans keep their jobs, not line Mark Kelly’s pockets."
Kelly's track record at World View has received prior scrutiny. One of the initial investors in the company was Tencent, a Chinese state-backed technology company. Tencent has faced accusations of espionage and pro-regime censorship.
Kelly also sat on the board of Colorado-based aerospace Boom Technologies, which partnered with Shanghai-based firm Trip.com Group Limited. Formerly known as Ctrip, the Chinese firm's business plan strives to "bring supersonic flight to China" while also supporting China’s "Belt and Road" initiative—an infrastructure project which the U.S. government describes as a security threat.


freebeacon--2020-07-08--Turkey Escalates Threats to Leave NATO

Turkey Escalates Threats to Leave NATO

A Turkish official raised the possibility of the country leaving NATO , according to a Tuesday Reuters report .
Citing an already tenuous relationship with fellow member states , Turkish ambassador to France Ismail Hakki Musa questioned NATO 's capabilities absent Turkey ’ s involvement .
`` Imagine NATO without Turkey , '' he said .
`` You would have no NATO . ''
Turkey has pivoted away from the alliance in recent months .
The country recently bought fighter jets from Russia , strengthening its ties with the longtime NATO competitor .
Meanwhile , it has cracked down on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists last year and recently loosening protections for Uighur refugees from China .
Turkey 's behavior has grave implications for the transatlantic alliance , experts say .
`` The main problem for Europe is Russia .
The ambivalence of Turkey , with one foot in each camp , is the troubling factor , '' former EU ambassador to Turkey Marc Pierini said in January .
He added that many believe `` Turkey is pivoting away from the values it once said it was sharing with the European Union and the transatlantic alliance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility of `` cracks '' opening in NATO .
`` Turkish national-security interests must be regarded as one of the primary issues for the U.S. and NATO , '' warned Ahmet Berat Conkar—the deputy head of Turkey ’ s delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and party associate of Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan—late last year .
`` If this can not be openly guaranteed and maintained by concrete action for Turkey , new cracks may open inside the NATO alliance . ''
Musa 's comments came as relations between France and Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In June , a French ship under NATO command in the Eastern Mediterranean attempted to investigate a Tanzanian cargo ship suspected of arms trafficking .
Turkey responded by dispatching three escort ships that flashed their radars and armed their crews to harass the French ship .
French president Emmanuel Macron has questioned Turkey 's commitment to NATO .
Late last year he said `` it is not possible '' for Turkey to continue as a NATO member if it follows through on its recent Russians arms acquisitions .

A Turkish official raised the possibility of the country leaving NATO, according to a Tuesday Reuters report.
Citing an already tenuous relationship with fellow member states, Turkish ambassador to France Ismail Hakki Musa questioned NATO's capabilities absent Turkey’s involvement. "Imagine NATO without Turkey," he said. "You would have no NATO."
Turkey has pivoted away from the alliance in recent months. The country recently bought fighter jets from Russia, strengthening its ties with the longtime NATO competitor. Meanwhile, it has cracked down on domestic dissent, imprisoning a group of journalists last year and recently loosening protections for Uighur refugees from China.
Turkey's behavior has grave implications for the transatlantic alliance, experts say. "The main problem for Europe is Russia. The ambivalence of Turkey, with one foot in each camp, is the troubling factor," former EU ambassador to Turkey Marc Pierini said in January. He added that many believe "Turkey is pivoting away from the values it once said it was sharing with the European Union and the transatlantic alliance."
Other Turkish officials have floated the possibility of "cracks" opening in NATO. "Turkish national-security interests must be regarded as one of the primary issues for the U.S. and NATO," warned Ahmet Berat Conkar—the deputy head of Turkey’s delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and party associate of Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan—late last year. "If this cannot be openly guaranteed and maintained by concrete action for Turkey, new cracks may open inside the NATO alliance."
Musa's comments came as relations between France and Turkey have soured over a naval controversy. In June, a French ship under NATO command in the Eastern Mediterranean attempted to investigate a Tanzanian cargo ship suspected of arms trafficking. Turkey responded by dispatching three escort ships that flashed their radars and armed their crews to harass the French ship.
French president Emmanuel Macron has questioned Turkey's commitment to NATO. Late last year he said "it is not possible" for Turkey to continue as a NATO member if it follows through on its recent Russians arms acquisitions.


freebeacon--2020-07-08--China Rebukes US Withdrawal From WHO

China Rebukes US Withdrawal From WHO

China criticized America 's withdrawal from the World Health Organization Wednesday morning and defended its own contributions to the international agency .
Zhao Lijian , a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry , accused the United States of `` pursuing unilateralism , withdrawing from groups and breaking contracts '' after the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would withdraw from the WHO .
Zhao added that Beijing sees the WHO as `` the most authoritative and professional international institution in the field of global public health security . ''
The United States ' withdrawal came amid widespread criticism of outsized Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , the organization was forced to walk back its claim that China reported the coronavirus in late 2019. WHO officials had publicly praised the regime 's coronavirus response even as they acknowledged behind closed doors that Beijing refused to share information about the disease .
The coronavirus has now killed 130,000 Americans .
`` The WHO and the Chinese Communist Party … are finally admitting to the world the truth—the CCP never reported the virus outbreak to the WHO in violation of WHO regulation , '' Rep. Michael McCaul ( R. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House Foreign Affairs Committee , told the Washington Free Beacon last week .
The WHO has also drawn criticism for not allowing Taiwan to join the organization as a member .
One official claimed to not hear a journalist 's question about Taiwan properly and then referred to the query as a `` question about China . ''
China has expanded its international influence during the pandemic .
The country sent protective equipment for economic and political leverage in Latin America and Africa .
It also expanded aid efforts into Europe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Spain and the Czech Republic , the Free Beacon reported in March .
The United States ’ withdrawal from the WHO will become official next year—after the 2020 election .
Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden has promised a return to the WHO if elected .

China criticized America's withdrawal from the World Health Organization Wednesday morning and defended its own contributions to the international agency.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, accused the United States of "pursuing unilateralism, withdrawing from groups and breaking contracts" after the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would withdraw from the WHO. Zhao added that Beijing sees the WHO as "the most authoritative and professional international institution in the field of global public health security."
The United States' withdrawal came amid widespread criticism of outsized Chinese influence in the WHO. Earlier this month, the organization was forced to walk back its claim that China reported the coronavirus in late 2019. WHO officials had publicly praised the regime's coronavirus response even as they acknowledged behind closed doors that Beijing refused to share information about the disease. The coronavirus has now killed 130,000 Americans.
"The WHO and the Chinese Communist Party ... are finally admitting to the world the truth—the CCP never reported the virus outbreak to the WHO in violation of WHO regulation," Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Tex.), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Washington Free Beacon last week.
The WHO has also drawn criticism for not allowing Taiwan to join the organization as a member. One official claimed to not hear a journalist's question about Taiwan properly and then referred to the query as a "question about China."
China has expanded its international influence during the pandemic. The country sent protective equipment for economic and political leverage in Latin America and Africa. It also expanded aid efforts into Europe, selling thousands of faulty coronavirus test kits to Spain and the Czech Republic, the Free Beacon reported in March.
The United States’ withdrawal from the WHO will become official next year—after the 2020 election. Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden has promised a return to the WHO if elected.


freebeacon--2020-07-08--Religious Conservatives Notch Victories At Supreme Court On Birth Control Mandate, Bias Suits

Social conservatives notched a pair of victories at the Supreme Court on Wednesday , as the justices sided with parochial schools and an order of Catholic nuns seeking exemptions from job bias lawsuits and the Affordable Care Act 's birth control mandate .
The first case involved a challenge to the Trump administration 's expansive conscience exemptions to a rule requiring that employers provide contraceptive coverage at no cost .
The second case asked whether religion teachers at parochial schools are covered by the First Amendment 's `` ministerial exception . ''
The bottomline judgment in both disputes was 7-2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sonia Sotomayor in dissent .
The Trump administration 's victory in the ACA case in particular represents the fulfillment of a campaign pledge to religious conservatives .
The president promised to enact an array of protections for houses of worship and faith-based employers , and the wide-ranging exemption to the contraception mandate was the watershed of those efforts .
The administration 's policy has been dogged by legal challenges , however .
`` My hope is that now we can move on toward an American public square in which we can have moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people into choosing between their deepest held convictions and the callings of service to which those convictions lead , '' said Russell Moore , president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention .
Wednesday 's decisions follow a landmark victory for LGBT rights in June , which commanded votes from two Republican-appointed justices .
The ruling , which has far-reaching consequences for divisive social questions , left many religious conservatives embittered and came as surveys show President Trump 's support among evangelical voters dipping .
Wednesday 's cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a would-be culture war settlement , in which the justices recognize protections for religious liberty in tandem with progressive victories in related areas like abortion or trans access to women 's sports .
ACA allows broad exemptions for religious freedom under birth control mandate , Court says The Trump administration created a comprehensive exemption from the birth control mandate in 2017 , allowing employers and universities to opt out if they have religious or moral qualms .
Pennsylvania and New Jersey immediately challenged the new rules in federal court , claiming states would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lose contraceptive coverage .
A trial judge issued a nationwide injunction against Trump 's policy , which the Third U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals upheld .
The administration said it crafted its rule to comply with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act , a federal law that defends against government-imposed burdens on religious practice .
Writing for the Court Thursday , Justice Clarence Thomas said the ACA gives the executive branch broad discretion to decide what kinds of preventive services , like birth control , employers must cover .
If the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage requirements , it follows that it has similarly wide authority to dictate exemptions , the Court said .
`` The same capacious grant of authority that empowers [ the administration ] to make these determinations leaves its discretion equally unchecked in other areas , including the ability to identify and create exemptions from its own guidelines , '' Thomas wrote .
The Supreme Court has heard mandate-related cases twice before .
In 2014 the justices ruled that family-owned businesses can opt out of mandatory contraceptive coverage by notifying the government of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made available .
Some religious entities found that process inadequate .
Filing an opt-out form , they said , still made them complicit in the distribution of birth control , since coverage would be arranged through other channels .
That sort of objection was before the Court in a 2016 case , but the justices punted after Antonin Scalia 's death left the bench shorthanded .
The Little Sisters of the Poor , an order of Catholic nuns that operates about 30 homes in the United States for the elderly poor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly a decade and was involved in Thursday 's case .
The sisters expressed relief at the successful culmination of the years-long fight .
`` Our life 's work and great joy is serving the elderly poor and we are so grateful that the contraceptive mandate will no longer steal our attention from our calling , '' said Mother Loraine Marie Maguire .
Justice Elena Kagan wrote a separate opinion joined by Justice Stephen Breyer .
Kagan said she agreed the government has lots of room to craft exemptions , which was enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s case .
But going forward , she said lower courts should consider whether the exemptions are a product of `` reasoned decision-making '' as required by law .
In dissent , Ginsburg accused the majority of ignoring `` countervailing rights and interests in its zeal to secure religious rights to the nth degree , '' emphasizing that balance and compromise usually guide the Court ’ s approach to similar cases .
Wednesday 's other case involved the scope of the ministerial exemption , a First Amendment rule that shields religious institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing .
The name is something of a misnomer , since the exception can cover both clerics and lay people .
The rule rests on the principle that religious institutions should be free to govern themselves .
The dispute involved two Catholic school teachers from California , Agnes Morrissey-Berru and Kristen Biel , who sued their former employers after they were allegedly dismissed for discriminatory reasons .
Morrissey-Berru said she was fired due to age discrimination , while Biel—who has since died—said she was removed after disclosing a breast cancer diagnosis .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. James , say their terminations were performance-related .
The Court last dealt with the ministerial exception in a 2012 case , Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC , which involved a Lutheran school teacher called Cheryl Perich .
A unanimous Court said Perich counted as a minister and could not sue the school for employment discrimination .
However , the Court offered little guidance as to who counts as a `` minister '' for purposes of the exception , saying it wished to avoid adopting a `` rigid formula . ''
Justice Samuel Alito revived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While cautioning that the Court would not establish an exact test , an employee ’ s function—rather than title and training—should be a key guidepost .
Biel and Morrissey-Berru both performed `` vital religious duties , '' Alito wrote , like instructing students in the faith and preparing them to participate in liturgies .
`` What matters , at bottom , is what an employee does , '' the decision reads .
`` And implicit in our decision in Hosanna-Tabor was a recognition that educating young people in their faith , inculcating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live their faith are responsibilities that lie at the very core of the mission of a private religious school . ''
Civil rights groups were quick to denounce the ruling .
Vanita Gupta of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights warned that religious freedom must not be exploited to harm workers .
`` Courts must remain vigilant to ensure that employers do not abuse the ministerial exception to unfairly shield themselves from civil rights liability , '' Gupta said .
The cases are No .
19-431 Little Sisters of the Poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and No .
19-267 Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru .
Update 4:10 p.m. : This post has been updated with further information .

Social conservatives notched a pair of victories at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, as the justices sided with parochial schools and an order of Catholic nuns seeking exemptions from job bias lawsuits and the Affordable Care Act's birth control mandate.
The first case involved a challenge to the Trump administration's expansive conscience exemptions to a rule requiring that employers provide contraceptive coverage at no cost. The second case asked whether religion teachers at parochial schools are covered by the First Amendment's "ministerial exception." The bottomline judgment in both disputes was 7-2, with Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor in dissent.
The Trump administration's victory in the ACA case in particular represents the fulfillment of a campaign pledge to religious conservatives. The president promised to enact an array of protections for houses of worship and faith-based employers, and the wide-ranging exemption to the contraception mandate was the watershed of those efforts. The administration's policy has been dogged by legal challenges, however.
"My hope is that now we can move on toward an American public square in which we can have moral and doctrinal debates without seeking to force people into choosing between their deepest held convictions and the callings of service to which those convictions lead," said Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Wednesday's decisions follow a landmark victory for LGBT rights in June, which commanded votes from two Republican-appointed justices. The ruling, which has far-reaching consequences for divisive social questions, left many religious conservatives embittered and came as surveys show President Trump's support among evangelical voters dipping. Wednesday's cases seem to show the rough outlines of a would-be culture war settlement, in which the justices recognize protections for religious liberty in tandem with progressive victories in related areas like abortion or trans access to women's sports.
ACA allows broad exemptions for religious freedom under birth control mandate, Court says
The Trump administration created a comprehensive exemption from the birth control mandate in 2017, allowing employers and universities to opt out if they have religious or moral qualms. Pennsylvania and New Jersey immediately challenged the new rules in federal court, claiming states would have to cover the cost for workers who lose contraceptive coverage. A trial judge issued a nationwide injunction against Trump's policy, which the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld.
The administration said it crafted its rule to comply with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a federal law that defends against government-imposed burdens on religious practice.
Writing for the Court Thursday, Justice Clarence Thomas said the ACA gives the executive branch broad discretion to decide what kinds of preventive services, like birth control, employers must cover. If the government has a lot of latitude to set coverage requirements, it follows that it has similarly wide authority to dictate exemptions, the Court said.
"The same capacious grant of authority that empowers [the administration] to make these determinations leaves its discretion equally unchecked in other areas, including the ability to identify and create exemptions from its own guidelines," Thomas wrote.
The Supreme Court has heard mandate-related cases twice before. In 2014 the justices ruled that family-owned businesses can opt out of mandatory contraceptive coverage by notifying the government of their religious objections. Alternative coverage would then be made available. Some religious entities found that process inadequate. Filing an opt-out form, they said, still made them complicit in the distribution of birth control, since coverage would be arranged through other channels. That sort of objection was before the Court in a 2016 case, but the justices punted after Antonin Scalia's death left the bench shorthanded.
The Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns that operates about 30 homes in the United States for the elderly poor, has opposed the mandate in court for nearly a decade and was involved in Thursday's case. The sisters expressed relief at the successful culmination of the years-long fight.
"Our life's work and great joy is serving the elderly poor and we are so grateful that the contraceptive mandate will no longer steal our attention from our calling," said Mother Loraine Marie Maguire.
Justice Elena Kagan wrote a separate opinion joined by Justice Stephen Breyer. Kagan said she agreed the government has lots of room to craft exemptions, which was enough for the administration to prevail in Thursday’s case. But going forward, she said lower courts should consider whether the exemptions are a product of "reasoned decision-making" as required by law.
In dissent, Ginsburg accused the majority of ignoring "countervailing rights and interests in its zeal to secure religious rights to the nth degree," emphasizing that balance and compromise usually guide the Court’s approach to similar cases.
Court tosses bias lawsuit against Catholic schools, citing ministerial exemption
Wednesday's other case involved the scope of the ministerial exemption, a First Amendment rule that shields religious institutions from civil rights lawsuits in hiring and firing. The name is something of a misnomer, since the exception can cover both clerics and lay people. The rule rests on the principle that religious institutions should be free to govern themselves.
The dispute involved two Catholic school teachers from California, Agnes Morrissey-Berru and Kristen Biel, who sued their former employers after they were allegedly dismissed for discriminatory reasons. Morrissey-Berru said she was fired due to age discrimination, while Biel—who has since died—said she was removed after disclosing a breast cancer diagnosis. The schools, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. James, say their terminations were performance-related.
The Court last dealt with the ministerial exception in a 2012 case, Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, which involved a Lutheran school teacher called Cheryl Perich. A unanimous Court said Perich counted as a minister and could not sue the school for employment discrimination. However, the Court offered little guidance as to who counts as a "minister" for purposes of the exception, saying it wished to avoid adopting a "rigid formula."
Justice Samuel Alito revived that theme in Thursday’s decision. While cautioning that the Court would not establish an exact test, an employee’s function—rather than title and training—should be a key guidepost. Biel and Morrissey-Berru both performed "vital religious duties," Alito wrote, like instructing students in the faith and preparing them to participate in liturgies.
"What matters, at bottom, is what an employee does," the decision reads. "And implicit in our decision in Hosanna-Tabor was a recognition that educating young people in their faith, inculcating its teachings, and training them to live their faith are responsibilities that lie at the very core of the mission of a private religious school."
Civil rights groups were quick to denounce the ruling. Vanita Gupta of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights warned that religious freedom must not be exploited to harm workers.
"Courts must remain vigilant to ensure that employers do not abuse the ministerial exception to unfairly shield themselves from civil rights liability," Gupta said.
The cases are No. 19-431 Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania and No. 19-267 Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru.
Update 4:10 p.m.: This post has been updated with further information.


freebeacon--2020-07-08--Amazon Fined for Violating U.S. Sanctions on Iran, Syria, Crimea

Online retailer Amazon has agreed to pay the U.S. government $ 134,523 for violating sanctions on Iran , Syria , and Crimea , according to the Treasury Department .
The fines were issued as part of Amazon 's admission that it may be civilly liable `` for apparent violations of multiple [ U.S. ] sanctions programs '' administered by the Treasury Department 's Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ) , the Trump administration announced on Wednesday .
`` As a result of deficiencies related to Amazon 's sanctions screening processes , Amazon provided goods and services to persons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sanctioned region or countries of Crimea , Iran , and Syria ; and to individuals located in or employed by the foreign missions of countries sanctioned by OFAC , '' the Treasury Department said in a statement .
Amazon also failed to report `` several hundred transactions '' that ran afoul of U.S. sanctions , as the company was obligated to do .
However , the Treasury Department determined that `` Amazon 's apparent violations were non-egregious and voluntarily self-disclosed '' by the company , which indicated in disclosure notices during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have inadvertently run afoul of U.S. sanctions on Iran and other countries .
It appears the goods sold by Amazon were sent to individuals located in these sanctioned countries , including employees of foreign missions .
Transactions of this nature are still prohibited under current U.S. sanctions .

Online retailer Amazon has agreed to pay the U.S. government $134,523 for violating sanctions on Iran, Syria, and Crimea, according to the Treasury Department.
The fines were issued as part of Amazon's admission that it may be civilly liable "for apparent violations of multiple [U.S.] sanctions programs" administered by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Trump administration announced on Wednesday.
"As a result of deficiencies related to Amazon's sanctions screening processes, Amazon provided goods and services to persons sanctioned by OFAC; to persons located in the sanctioned region or countries of Crimea, Iran, and Syria; and to individuals located in or employed by the foreign missions of countries sanctioned by OFAC," the Treasury Department said in a statement.
Amazon also failed to report "several hundred transactions" that ran afoul of U.S. sanctions, as the company was obligated to do.
However, the Treasury Department determined that "Amazon's apparent violations were non-egregious and voluntarily self-disclosed" by the company, which indicated in disclosure notices during the last several years that it may have inadvertently run afoul of U.S. sanctions on Iran and other countries.
It appears the goods sold by Amazon were sent to individuals located in these sanctioned countries, including employees of foreign missions. Transactions of this nature are still prohibited under current U.S. sanctions.


freebeacon--2020-07-08--Perdue Attacks Ossoff as Threat to American Dream

Sen. David Perdue ( R. , Ga. ) called Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff a threat to the American dream in his first televised campaign ad of the 2020 election cycle .
`` Contrary to what the radical left is saying , America has been and still is the greatest country in the world , '' Perdue said in the ad , released Wednesday .
`` Many Americans have died defending it .
Now it 's up to us to protect what the rest of the world envies .
Economic opportunity for everybody .
Limited government .
Individual liberty .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American dream for our children and our grandchildren . ''
Perdue 's campaign told the Washington Free Beacon the ad sought to show a distinction between Perdue and the `` socialist agenda '' favored by Ossoff .
Among Ossoff 's policy positions are support for a state-run `` public option '' for health insurance , sanctuary cities , and reentering the Paris Climate Accords .
`` Senator Perdue 's opponent is a privileged liberal beholden to radical donors in California and New York who want to perpetrate a socialist agenda on the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Burke said .
`` Our campaign will continue to hold the left accountable for their lawless schemes that would destroy our health care system , strip funding from law enforcement , and cripple our economy for generations . ''
Perdue also released an ad on Wednesday called `` Justice '' that spotlighted his opposition to defunding police departments and praised the `` vast majority '' of police officers as honorable .
He said he supported reforms like increased body cameras and deescalation training .
Perdue backed the Republican police reform bill that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We need to put politics aside and get this done , '' Perdue said in the ad .
Ossoff goes unmentioned in the ad , but Perdue attacked him in June after Ossoff called for federal statutes governing local police departments .
The Democrat also said funding for departments that violated those hypothetical laws should be `` on the line . ''
However , Ossoff has also said he does not endorse defunding police , but would `` reform '' and `` demilitarize '' departments .
Perdue spokeswoman Casey Black said at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the issue .
Ossoff , who has never held elected office , is best known for his failed 2017 bid in Georgia 's Sixth Congressional District special election .
He raised $ 30 million in the race but lost to Republican Karen Handel .

Sen. David Perdue (R., Ga.) called Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff a threat to the American dream in his first televised campaign ad of the 2020 election cycle.
"Contrary to what the radical left is saying, America has been and still is the greatest country in the world," Perdue said in the ad, released Wednesday. "Many Americans have died defending it. Now it's up to us to protect what the rest of the world envies. Economic opportunity for everybody. Limited government. Individual liberty. I will not let Jon Ossoff destroy the American dream for our children and our grandchildren."
Perdue's campaign told the Washington Free Beacon the ad sought to show a distinction between Perdue and the "socialist agenda" favored by Ossoff. Among Ossoff's policy positions are support for a state-run "public option" for health insurance, sanctuary cities, and reentering the Paris Climate Accords.
"Senator Perdue's opponent is a privileged liberal beholden to radical donors in California and New York who want to perpetrate a socialist agenda on the people of Georgia," Perdue communications director John Burke said. "Our campaign will continue to hold the left accountable for their lawless schemes that would destroy our health care system, strip funding from law enforcement, and cripple our economy for generations."
Ossoff is challenging Perdue in one of two U.S. Senate races in Georgia this year. The 33-year-old clinched the Democratic nomination last month. Perdue was first elected in 2014 and has since voiced strong support for President Donald Trump.
Perdue also released an ad on Wednesday called "Justice" that spotlighted his opposition to defunding police departments and praised the "vast majority" of police officers as honorable. He said he supported reforms like increased body cameras and deescalation training.
Perdue backed the Republican police reform bill that Senate Democrats blocked in June.
"We need to put politics aside and get this done," Perdue said in the ad.
Ossoff goes unmentioned in the ad, but Perdue attacked him in June after Ossoff called for federal statutes governing local police departments. The Democrat also said funding for departments that violated those hypothetical laws should be "on the line." However, Ossoff has also said he does not endorse defunding police, but would "reform" and "demilitarize" departments.
Perdue spokeswoman Casey Black said at the time that Ossoff was "two-faced" on the issue.
Ossoff, who has never held elected office, is best known for his failed 2017 bid in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District special election. He raised $30 million in the race but lost to Republican Karen Handel.


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Are Minneapolis’s Police Protests Causing a Crime Wave?

An average of over 50 gunshots per day have plagued Minneapolis since the police killing of George Floyd led to city and nationwide protests , prompting fears that hostility to the police is driving a violent crime wave .
The bloodshed has included gunfire at a park full of children in broad daylight and more than 70 rounds loosed on a crowded street in the city 's Uptown .
The Star Tribune reports that the violence has also spread to St. Paul , with firearms discharges double 2019 levels .
This violence , coming amid rising anti-police sentiment , raises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect , '' originally coined to refer to a rise in violence coincident with—and , some argue , caused by—the 2014 protests sparked by the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson , Mo .
Minneapolis , the city council of which is moving to disband its police department amid public hostility , seems like a perfect test of whether the effect holds today .
Official data released by the Minneapolis Police Department , however , paint a complicated picture of crime in the city .
Floyd 's death on May 25 was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assaults , but overall levels of crime in the ensuing weeks have remained in line with historical trends .
This equivocal finding , crime data expert Jeff Asher told the Washington Free Beacon , is part of what makes it hard to `` [ come ] up with a real , coherent , evidence-based explanation '' definitively linking the spike to police-skeptical sentiment .
More data are needed to judge whether renewed protests will spark another surge in crime .
The shootings plaguing Minneapolis are unprecedented in the past 10 years .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in violence—a trend well known to criminologists—data from the city 's ShotSpotter gunshot detection systems paint a stark picture .
Prior to May 25 , shots-fired incidents tracked the past decade .
Then , they exploded : Friday , May 29—the height of what Minnesota governor Tim Walz ( D. ) called the `` absolute chaos '' of protests and rioting—recorded 156 shots in one day .
Since then , gun violence has remained elevated .
Many of those injured are the city 's black men , police chief Medaria Arradondo told CBS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having people settle their disputes by picking up a gun and shooting . ''
Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald , a well-known proponent of the Ferguson effect theory , has argued that Minneapolis 's experience is indicative of a new wave of violence .
`` The timing , the severity of the crime increase , the fact that it follows the previous pattern , and the degree of stigma against officers today , especially in Minneapolis , is so much greater than we saw in the first iteration of the Ferguson effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beacon .
`` We already saw what happened back then , I would n't expect anything to be different with the relation of officer de-policing and the emboldening of criminals . ''
That tracks the theory that Mac Donald and others have argued for .
After the highly publicized shooting of Michael Brown , confidence in the police plummeted and officers reported that they were more worried about their safety and less willing to make stops .
The result , some argue , was a police withdrawal , which resulted in the increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The shots data , however , are only part of the story , and crime incidents reported by the police paint a more complicated picture .
The actual number of felonious crimes has followed the historical trend—a finding that challenges the notion that lawlessness is on the rise .
A closer look at the data broken down by offense provides a more nuanced picture .
Only rates of assault—particularly , second-degree assault , meaning assault with a dangerous weapon—have consistently risen since Floyd 's death .
Auto theft is up over previous years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; burglary spiked briefly , but a concurrent drop in larceny suggests that discrepancy may be partially due to a coding error .
Rates of rape , robbery , and arson are not out of line with historical norms .
The spike in gun violence definitely supports a renewed Ferguson effect , but the ambiguity suggested by many crimes going unaffected means the case is not conclusive .
As it turns out , such ambiguities have long characterized debate around the Ferguson effect .
Some scholarly evidence backs up the idea that public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Baltimore found that Brown 's death in Ferguson caused police to pull back , while crime rose and arrests fell after the police killing of city resident Freddie Gray .
A paper released earlier this year found that cities with police departments under investigation after `` viral '' police shootings saw substantial spikes in violence .
Other research , however , disagrees .
A 2019 study argues that declines in arrests in cities predate both Ferguson and the homicide spike , while a 2016 analysis grants that there is `` a Ferguson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ select cities '' but discounts a systematic effect on crime nationwide .
So is Minneapolis experiencing a Ferguson effect or not ?
Mac Donald thinks so , arguing that `` it is precisely the gangbanging shootings , the drive-bys , these insane shootings that take children 's lives , that are the most susceptible to de-policing . ''
That , she said , is because such crimes are most likely to be discouraged by the proactive stops that police are currently unwilling to do—a sentiment echoed by leaders of the Minneapolis police union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emphasizing that just because a trend changes after a particular event does not mean the event caused the change .
He pointed out that a more general rise in homicide in the country—which some commentators have pinned on anti-police protests—actually predates May 25 .
Inferring cause is complicated , he argued , and other factors , including the coronavirus lockdown , may be at play .
`` It 's really hard to say ‘ x ' is the cause of it , '' Asher said .
`` In a place like Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but what it means is a lot more difficult to determine . ''

An average of over 50 gunshots per day have plagued Minneapolis since the police killing of George Floyd led to city and nationwide protests, prompting fears that hostility to the police is driving a violent crime wave.
The bloodshed has included gunfire at a park full of children in broad daylight and more than 70 rounds loosed on a crowded street in the city's Uptown. The Star Tribune reports that the violence has also spread to St. Paul, with firearms discharges double 2019 levels.
This violence, coming amid rising anti-police sentiment, raises the specter of the much-debated "Ferguson effect," originally coined to refer to a rise in violence coincident with—and, some argue, caused by—the 2014 protests sparked by the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Minneapolis, the city council of which is moving to disband its police department amid public hostility, seems like a perfect test of whether the effect holds today.
Official data released by the Minneapolis Police Department, however, paint a complicated picture of crime in the city. Floyd's death on May 25 was followed by an unprecedented spike in gun assaults, but overall levels of crime in the ensuing weeks have remained in line with historical trends.
This equivocal finding, crime data expert Jeff Asher told the Washington Free Beacon, is part of what makes it hard to "[come] up with a real, coherent, evidence-based explanation" definitively linking the spike to police-skeptical sentiment. More data are needed to judge whether renewed protests will spark another surge in crime.
The shootings plaguing Minneapolis are unprecedented in the past 10 years. Although the summer months generally see a spike in violence—a trend well known to criminologists—data from the city's ShotSpotter gunshot detection systems paint a stark picture.
Prior to May 25, shots-fired incidents tracked the past decade. Then, they exploded: Friday, May 29—the height of what Minnesota governor Tim Walz (D.) called the "absolute chaos" of protests and rioting—recorded 156 shots in one day.
Since then, gun violence has remained elevated. Many of those injured are the city's black men, police chief Medaria Arradondo told CBS Minnesota, adding, "We are having people settle their disputes by picking up a gun and shooting."
Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald, a well-known proponent of the Ferguson effect theory, has argued that Minneapolis's experience is indicative of a new wave of violence.
"The timing, the severity of the crime increase, the fact that it follows the previous pattern, and the degree of stigma against officers today, especially in Minneapolis, is so much greater than we saw in the first iteration of the Ferguson effect," Mac Donald told the Free Beacon. "We already saw what happened back then, I wouldn't expect anything to be different with the relation of officer de-policing and the emboldening of criminals."
That tracks the theory that Mac Donald and others have argued for. After the highly publicized shooting of Michael Brown, confidence in the police plummeted and officers reported that they were more worried about their safety and less willing to make stops. The result, some argue, was a police withdrawal, which resulted in the increase in homicide in 2015 and 2016.
The shots data, however, are only part of the story, and crime incidents reported by the police paint a more complicated picture. The actual number of felonious crimes has followed the historical trend—a finding that challenges the notion that lawlessness is on the rise.
A closer look at the data broken down by offense provides a more nuanced picture. Only rates of assault—particularly, second-degree assault, meaning assault with a dangerous weapon—have consistently risen since Floyd's death.
Auto theft is up over previous years, but that increase predates May 25; burglary spiked briefly, but a concurrent drop in larceny suggests that discrepancy may be partially due to a coding error. Rates of rape, robbery, and arson are not out of line with historical norms.
The spike in gun violence definitely supports a renewed Ferguson effect, but the ambiguity suggested by many crimes going unaffected means the case is not conclusive. As it turns out, such ambiguities have long characterized debate around the Ferguson effect.
Some scholarly evidence backs up the idea that public pressure on police increases crime. Research from Baltimore found that Brown's death in Ferguson caused police to pull back, while crime rose and arrests fell after the police killing of city resident Freddie Gray. A paper released earlier this year found that cities with police departments under investigation after "viral" police shootings saw substantial spikes in violence.
Other research, however, disagrees. A 2019 study argues that declines in arrests in cities predate both Ferguson and the homicide spike, while a 2016 analysis grants that there is "a Ferguson Effect on homicide rates in a few select cities" but discounts a systematic effect on crime nationwide.
So is Minneapolis experiencing a Ferguson effect or not? Mac Donald thinks so, arguing that "it is precisely the gangbanging shootings, the drive-bys, these insane shootings that take children's lives, that are the most susceptible to de-policing." That, she said, is because such crimes are most likely to be discouraged by the proactive stops that police are currently unwilling to do—a sentiment echoed by leaders of the Minneapolis police union.
Asher, however, urged caution, emphasizing that just because a trend changes after a particular event does not mean the event caused the change. He pointed out that a more general rise in homicide in the country—which some commentators have pinned on anti-police protests—actually predates May 25. Inferring cause is complicated, he argued, and other factors, including the coronavirus lockdown, may be at play.
"It's really hard to say 'x' is the cause of it," Asher said. "In a place like Minneapolis, there's clearly a spike, but what it means is a lot more difficult to determine."


freebeacon--2020-07-09--Teachers’ Unions Rebuff Trump Push to Reopen Schools

Teachers ' unions across the United States are resisting a push from the Trump administration and House Republicans to reopen schools amid the coronavirus pandemic , instead opting for remote learning that experts say presents major risks to children .
President Trump on Wednesday threatened to cut federal funding for schools that fail to reopen in the fall , echoing a recent bill proposed by Reps. Jim Banks ( R. , Ind . )
and Tom Tiffany ( R. , Wisc. )
.
Multiple states have followed suit—Florida announced Wednesday that it will require schools to hold in-person classes beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northam ( D. , Va. ) in June unveiled a phased reopening plan for all public and private schools .
Many powerful teachers ' unions are pushing back against the drive to reopen .
In Florida , Orange County Classroom Teachers Association president Wendy Doromal called the state ’ s reopening order `` totally irresponsible '' during a Wednesday CNN appearance .
In Virginia , three teachers ' unions representing Fairfax County schools asked their members to choose an entirely remote learning option for the upcoming school year .
The union resistance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Academy of Pediatrics .
The organization in June released guidelines emphasizing the need for students to attend in-person classes this fall , citing the `` considerable risk of morbidity and , in some cases , mortality '' associated with `` lengthy time away from school . ''
Many students coming from low-income families rely on the meals and support services they receive in school .
In addition , according to the AAP , the lack of in-person classes leads to `` social isolation '' that drives `` child and adolescent physical or sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suicidal ideation . ''
Banks said that while teachers he ’ s spoken to acknowledge the necessity of in-person classes , their unions `` have a different motivation . ''
`` We have to separate the teachers ' union as a political organization versus teachers themselves , '' Banks told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` Any teacher , parent , and taxpayer that I talk to recognizes that what makes America great is a guaranteed public education for every child .
When we ’ re not holding up our end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this generation of kids the best opportunity to achieve the American dream . ''
While opponents to in-person classes have floated remote learning plans as an alternative , education activists faulted labor groups for hindering progress .
Keri Rodrigues , a former union organizer and cofounder of the National Parents Union , said that teachers ' unions have left educators `` ill-prepared '' to meet student needs through virtual lessons .
She said the longtime resistance to e-learning has hindered the response to the pandemic .
`` We ’ ve had a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are very comfortable with the status quo , very concerned about whether their members ' positions would be lost because of changes and innovations , '' Rodrigues told the Free Beacon .
`` Instead of investing in those innovations , we 've invested in the status quo .
So when you take a look at remote learning , of course we ’ re stumbling , of course we ’ re not prepared for this moment—that is all intentional . ''
A June Northwest Evaluation Association projection found that students will return to school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of learning gains in reading and math , respectively , compared to a normal school year .
Banks and Tiffany unveiled their reopening bill in June .
It conditions federal funding for schools on reopening for in-person classes in the fall , citing the inadequacy of remote learning .
`` Our kids are the ones who are getting the biggest raw deal in all of this , '' Banks told the Free Beacon .
`` Watching what my kids went through personally was truly the saddest experience of my life—when their schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left to endure virtual learning that failed on a consistent basis and that studies now show was a colossal failure . ''
One union educator also expressed concern about the effectiveness of remote learning .
The educator—who requested anonymity to avoid retribution from her union—told the Free Beacon that many teachers struggle with the technological learning curve associated with virtual classes .
Low-income families also often lack the technology required to participate .
`` Technology can not replace the benefit of being in person , in terms of the relationship you develop with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hard to replicate that , '' the educator said .
`` Equity is also a huge concern , in the sense of student and family access to technology as well as family aspect to time .
Every family is going to have a different level of focus as far as their child ’ s education , and teachers have a diminished influence on the student due to virtual learning . ''
Following Trump ’ s threat to cut funding , Vice President Mike Pence said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which Trump has called `` very tough '' and `` impractical . ''
Both the National Education Association ( NEA ) and American Federation of Teachers ( AFT ) —labor giants that have endorsed presumptive Democrat nominee Joe Biden—attacked Trump 's call to reopen .
NEA president Lily Eskelsen García also criticized Trump on CNN ’ s New Day Wednesday , saying that public officials lack `` preparation for how we ’ re going to bring our kids back safely . ''
AFT president Randi Weingarten told MSNBC on Wednesday that reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous . ''
`` What ’ s happened now—and this is very , very dangerous—is that they ’ ve taken the recklessness and incoherence that they ’ ve done with everything else in the pandemic and now they ’ re focusing it on schools , '' Weingarten said .
`` Nobody is going to go back full-time in a situation where you can ’ t protect their health . ''
Banks dismissed the criticism from unions , arguing that labor leaders will alienate parents by keeping schools closed .
`` If the teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ re on thin ice , I believe , with the American people , who are going to get fed up with hearing that type of rhetoric pretty quickly , '' Banks told the Free Beacon .
`` This isn ’ t Republican or Democrat—public opinion across the board is in favor of getting our kids back in the classroom . ''

Teachers' unions across the United States are resisting a push from the Trump administration and House Republicans to reopen schools amid the coronavirus pandemic, instead opting for remote learning that experts say presents major risks to children.
President Trump on Wednesday threatened to cut federal funding for schools that fail to reopen in the fall, echoing a recent bill proposed by Reps. Jim Banks (R., Ind.) and Tom Tiffany (R., Wisc.). Multiple states have followed suit—Florida announced Wednesday that it will require schools to hold in-person classes beginning in August, and Gov. Ralph Northam (D., Va.) in June unveiled a phased reopening plan for all public and private schools.
Many powerful teachers' unions are pushing back against the drive to reopen. In Florida, Orange County Classroom Teachers Association president Wendy Doromal called the state’s reopening order "totally irresponsible" during a Wednesday CNN appearance. In Virginia, three teachers' unions representing Fairfax County schools asked their members to choose an entirely remote learning option for the upcoming school year.
The union resistance to reopening is at odds with the American Academy of Pediatrics. The organization in June released guidelines emphasizing the need for students to attend in-person classes this fall, citing the "considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality" associated with "lengthy time away from school." Many students coming from low-income families rely on the meals and support services they receive in school. In addition, according to the AAP, the lack of in-person classes leads to "social isolation" that drives "child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance abuse, depression, and suicidal ideation."
Banks said that while teachers he’s spoken to acknowledge the necessity of in-person classes, their unions "have a different motivation."
"We have to separate the teachers' union as a political organization versus teachers themselves," Banks told the Washington Free Beacon. "Any teacher, parent, and taxpayer that I talk to recognizes that what makes America great is a guaranteed public education for every child. When we’re not holding up our end of that deal, we're not giving this generation of kids the best opportunity to achieve the American dream."
While opponents to in-person classes have floated remote learning plans as an alternative, education activists faulted labor groups for hindering progress. Keri Rodrigues, a former union organizer and cofounder of the National Parents Union, said that teachers' unions have left educators "ill-prepared" to meet student needs through virtual lessons. She said the longtime resistance to e-learning has hindered the response to the pandemic.
"We’ve had a lot of push-back from teachers' unions who are very comfortable with the status quo, very concerned about whether their members' positions would be lost because of changes and innovations," Rodrigues told the Free Beacon. "Instead of investing in those innovations, we've invested in the status quo. So when you take a look at remote learning, of course we’re stumbling, of course we’re not prepared for this moment—that is all intentional."
A June Northwest Evaluation Association projection found that students will return to school having made just 70 percent and 50 percent of learning gains in reading and math, respectively, compared to a normal school year. Banks and Tiffany unveiled their reopening bill in June. It conditions federal funding for schools on reopening for in-person classes in the fall, citing the inadequacy of remote learning.
"Our kids are the ones who are getting the biggest raw deal in all of this," Banks told the Free Beacon. "Watching what my kids went through personally was truly the saddest experience of my life—when their schools were shut down, when they were left to endure virtual learning that failed on a consistent basis and that studies now show was a colossal failure."
One union educator also expressed concern about the effectiveness of remote learning. The educator—who requested anonymity to avoid retribution from her union—told the Free Beacon that many teachers struggle with the technological learning curve associated with virtual classes. Low-income families also often lack the technology required to participate.
"Technology cannot replace the benefit of being in person, in terms of the relationship you develop with your students, the classroom environment—it’s hard to replicate that," the educator said. "Equity is also a huge concern, in the sense of student and family access to technology as well as family aspect to time. Every family is going to have a different level of focus as far as their child’s education, and teachers have a diminished influence on the student due to virtual learning."
Following Trump’s threat to cut funding, Vice President Mike Pence said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will revise its guidance on school reopenings, which Trump has called "very tough" and "impractical." Both the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—labor giants that have endorsed presumptive Democrat nominee Joe Biden—attacked Trump's call to reopen. NEA president Lily Eskelsen García also criticized Trump on CNN’s New Day Wednesday, saying that public officials lack "preparation for how we’re going to bring our kids back safely." AFT president Randi Weingarten told MSNBC on Wednesday that reopening schools in the fall was "very dangerous."
"What’s happened now—and this is very, very dangerous—is that they’ve taken the recklessness and incoherence that they’ve done with everything else in the pandemic and now they’re focusing it on schools," Weingarten said. "Nobody is going to go back full-time in a situation where you can’t protect their health."
Banks dismissed the criticism from unions, arguing that labor leaders will alienate parents by keeping schools closed.
"If the teachers' unions want to defend that position, they’re on thin ice, I believe, with the American people, who are going to get fed up with hearing that type of rhetoric pretty quickly," Banks told the Free Beacon. "This isn’t Republican or Democrat—public opinion across the board is in favor of getting our kids back in the classroom."


freebeacon--2020-07-09--TikTok Turns to Dem Lobbyists to Fight Potential Trump Ban

Former aides to powerful Democrats are flocking to TikTok 's lobbying team as the Trump administration weighs a possible ban of the China-linked app that some policymakers consider a threat to national security .
TikTok—as well as its Chinese parent company , ByteDance—has rapidly expanded its influence operations in the last year , spending $ 270,000 on lobbying , according to the Center for Responsive Politics .
The app bolstered its operations in July , hiring Michael Hacker , former senior adviser to House Majority Whip James Clyburn ( D. , S.C. ) , to lead its public policy team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) , and former Democratic Senate aide Kim Lipsky will also join TikTok , according to CNBC , which first reported the expansion .
The short-video sharing app has cemented its place as the go-to social media app for hip , young Zoomers .
Some national security experts , however , worry that China 's national security law might compel the app 's Chinese parent company to share user data with the regime .
TikTok denies that it will comply with such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already demonstrated its willingness to accommodate Beijing 's political interests .
The Washington Post reported in September that the social media giant 's American moderators censored discussions about the Hong Kong protests and other sensitive topics out of deference to its Chinese counterparts .
In response to mounting criticism , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that he is `` looking at '' banning TikTok from the United States .
India already banned TikTok , along with 58 other Chinese apps , largely in retaliation for a deadly clash between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border territories in the Himalayas .
The app 's first major tussle with U.S. authorities came in February 2019 , when the U.S. government fined TikTok $ 5.7 million for illegally collecting the data of users under the age of 13 .
Since then , members of Congress and government officials have expressed increasing alarm about the app .
In October , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , N.Y. ) and Sen. Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
penned a bipartisan letter asking U.S. intelligence officials to evaluate whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk . ''
In response to the scrutiny , TikTok hired lobbyists to mollify concerned legislators and preempt restrictions on its operations .
As the coronavirus pandemic forced a nationwide reckoning about America 's relationship with China , some lawmakers have demanded restrictions on the company 's operations .
Sen. Josh Hawley ( R. , Mo . )
, for example , introduced a law prohibiting federal employees from using the app on government devices in March .
`` TikTok is owned by a Chinese company that includes Chinese Communist Party members on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by law to share user data with Beijing , '' Hawley said in a statement .
`` As many of our federal agencies have already recognized , TikTok is a major security risk to the United States , and it has no place on government devices . ''
TikTok 's parent company ByteDance has attempted to placate concerned policymakers by distancing itself from China .
The company has considered moving its headquarters out of China , as well as creating a separate , new management for TikTok to distance itself from the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal .
The company has already announced that it plans to exit the Hong Kong market after the Chinese government passed a new set of `` national security '' laws that further undermine the city-state 's judicial independence .
Before joining TikTok , Bloom served as the senior vice president of the Internet Association , a lobbying group that represents tech companies , including Google , Amazon , and Facebook .
Lipsky , meanwhile , once lobbied for the Canadian American Business Council on issues related to the Trump administration 's renegotiation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a lobbyist for electricity utility companies prior to his stint with Clyburn .
TikTok did not respond to a request for comment .

Former aides to powerful Democrats are flocking to TikTok's lobbying team as the Trump administration weighs a possible ban of the China-linked app that some policymakers consider a threat to national security.
TikTok—as well as its Chinese parent company, ByteDance—has rapidly expanded its influence operations in the last year, spending $270,000 on lobbying, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The app bolstered its operations in July, hiring Michael Hacker, former senior adviser to House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D., S.C.), to lead its public policy team. Michael Bloom, a former senior adviser to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), and former Democratic Senate aide Kim Lipsky will also join TikTok, according to CNBC, which first reported the expansion.
The short-video sharing app has cemented its place as the go-to social media app for hip, young Zoomers. Some national security experts, however, worry that China's national security law might compel the app's Chinese parent company to share user data with the regime. TikTok denies that it will comply with such a request from Beijing, but the company has already demonstrated its willingness to accommodate Beijing's political interests. The Washington Post reported in September that the social media giant's American moderators censored discussions about the Hong Kong protests and other sensitive topics out of deference to its Chinese counterparts.
In response to mounting criticism, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that he is "looking at" banning TikTok from the United States. India already banned TikTok, along with 58 other Chinese apps, largely in retaliation for a deadly clash between Indian and Chinese security forces in contested border territories in the Himalayas.
The app's first major tussle with U.S. authorities came in February 2019, when the U.S. government fined TikTok $5.7 million for illegally collecting the data of users under the age of 13. Since then, members of Congress and government officials have expressed increasing alarm about the app. In October, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) penned a bipartisan letter asking U.S. intelligence officials to evaluate whether the app constitutes a "national security risk."
In response to the scrutiny, TikTok hired lobbyists to mollify concerned legislators and preempt restrictions on its operations. As the coronavirus pandemic forced a nationwide reckoning about America's relationship with China, some lawmakers have demanded restrictions on the company's operations. Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.), for example, introduced a law prohibiting federal employees from using the app on government devices in March.
"TikTok is owned by a Chinese company that includes Chinese Communist Party members on its board, and it is required by law to share user data with Beijing," Hawley said in a statement. "As many of our federal agencies have already recognized, TikTok is a major security risk to the United States, and it has no place on government devices."
TikTok's parent company ByteDance has attempted to placate concerned policymakers by distancing itself from China. The company has considered moving its headquarters out of China, as well as creating a separate, new management for TikTok to distance itself from the Chinese government, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company has already announced that it plans to exit the Hong Kong market after the Chinese government passed a new set of "national security" laws that further undermine the city-state's judicial independence.
Before joining TikTok, Bloom served as the senior vice president of the Internet Association, a lobbying group that represents tech companies, including Google, Amazon, and Facebook. Lipsky, meanwhile, once lobbied for the Canadian American Business Council on issues related to the Trump administration's renegotiation of the NAFTA trade deal. Hacker worked as a lobbyist for electricity utility companies prior to his stint with Clyburn.
TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.