freebeacon--2020-05-20--Biden Forgets Obama Fired Inspector General

Former vice president Joe Biden drew a blank on Tuesday when asked about former president Barack Obama 's dismissal of an inspector general from his administration .
`` Early in his term , President Obama fired the AmeriCorps inspector general , Gerald Walpin , who was reportedly investigating one of his political supporters , '' Yahoo News ‘ s Dan Klaidman said to Biden during a virtual town hall .
`` In retrospect was that a mistake ? ''
`` I do n't recall that , '' Biden said .
`` But I tell you what , I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being investigated was inappropriate . ''
The presumptive Democratic nominee has had difficulty during the course of his campaign recalling details of his former administration .
Biden promised during the virtual town hall that he would refrain from firing any inspectors general .
He also said he would approve congressional oversight that would check the authority of the executive branch over inspectors general .
`` Inspector generals [ sic ] were designed to make government honest .
To keep it honest , '' he said .
Biden 's comments come after President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Linick on Friday .
His decision sparked fierce criticism from Democrats in Congress and prompted Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations committee to open an investigation .
Obama drew similar criticism when he fired Gerald Walpin , the inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service , less than six months into his first term in 2009 .
Walpin suggested his firing was politically motivated because he was investigating Obama supporter Kevin Johnson and the use of $ 800,000 in federal AmeriCorps money at a California school Johnson ran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic primary opponents had all withdrawn .
Biden continues to campaign from his home and appear in virtual town halls despite troubles with digital technology .

Former vice president Joe Biden drew a blank on Tuesday when asked about former president Barack Obama's dismissal of an inspector general from his administration.
"Early in his term, President Obama fired the AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin, who was reportedly investigating one of his political supporters," Yahoo News's Dan Klaidman said to Biden during a virtual town hall. "In retrospect was that a mistake?"
"I don't recall that," Biden said. "But I tell you what, I don't ever remember the president deciding that somebody being investigated was inappropriate."
The presumptive Democratic nominee has had difficulty during the course of his campaign recalling details of his former administration.
Biden promised during the virtual town hall that he would refrain from firing any inspectors general. He also said he would approve congressional oversight that would check the authority of the executive branch over inspectors general.
"Inspector generals [sic] were designed to make government honest. To keep it honest," he said.
Biden's comments come after President Donald Trump fired State Department inspector general Steven Linick on Friday. His decision sparked fierce criticism from Democrats in Congress and prompted Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations committee to open an investigation.
Obama drew similar criticism when he fired Gerald Walpin, the inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service, less than six months into his first term in 2009. Walpin suggested his firing was politically motivated because he was investigating Obama supporter Kevin Johnson and the use of $800,000 in federal AmeriCorps money at a California school Johnson ran.
Obama endorsed Biden in April after his Democratic primary opponents had all withdrawn.
Biden continues to campaign from his home and appear in virtual town halls despite troubles with digital technology.


freebeacon--2020-05-20--A Free Press Can’t Expect a Free Lunch

A Free Press Can’t Expect a Free Lunch

Among the endless provisions in House Democrats ' hastily passed stimulus bill , one has drawn surprisingly little scrutiny .
Some 800 pages in , the bill 's authors have buried a dramatic expansion of the pandemic loan program , making hundreds of local news stations eligible for loans .
Senate Democrats are trying to push the idea farther .
A group of prominent liberals in the chamber sent a letter to their leadership insisting that any future coronavirus stimulus contain substantial money for `` local journalism and media . ''
The local news bailout that made it into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole bill 's $ 3-trillion price tag .
But , as multiple Democrats have acknowledged , HEROES is less a legislative agenda , more a statement of principles .
And the idea of federal funding for local media has grown increasingly popular among Democrats , making its way into Sen. Bernie Sanders 's ( I. , Vt. ) influential presidential platform , among others .
The argument made by the left , and some on the right , is that corporate control and consolidation of media poses a unique threat to democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate , consolidated , and conservative media—witness the collective panic over Sinclair Broadcasting , the broadcasting conglomerate whose widespread ownership of news stations and conservative editorial line would , detractors said , lead to mass misinformation and chaos .
Only the government , they say , can keep independent local media organizations afloat .
Fears about the withering of local media are not unjustified , but there are real and profound risks that come with paying journalists from the public fisc .
The press is one of the few institutions in American life—alongside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bill of Rights .
Restraint on the press , James Madison argued , is restraint on free discourse , a fundamental threat to self-government .
State involvement in the press , no matter how benign in intent , threatens to short-circuit this arrangement .
That 's partly why public media has never enjoyed the market dominance in America that it has in Europe .
The left 's desire to create an American BBC runs contrary to the principles upon which our society is built .
It 's also dangerous for the outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slant coverage , giving reporters an incentive to report positively on their benefactors or risk losing a chunk of their paychecks .
A publicly funded media is necessarily one that says what the government wants for fear of biting the hand that feeds .
This dynamic goes the other way too , with public media attacking those who threaten their sinecure .
Just look at how Republicans are treated by National Public Radio .
Journalism is a business and journalists have always struggled to maintain independence from advertisers and owners—except for when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg on China , or even better Bloomberg on Bloomberg .
If local papers sometimes find it hard to say no to their patrons , imagine how hard it will be to say no to the federal government .
Some local news sources are struggling financially right now , and a government bailout doubtless sounds appealing .
But they should remember that all money comes with strings attached .
The Constitution protects the freedom of the press , but no entity that survives by the generosity of the American taxpayer is entitled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those taxpayers and their elected representatives .
The press will be no exception , and if they take the money , sooner or later it will be Congress 's turn to pull the strings .

Among the endless provisions in House Democrats' hastily passed stimulus bill, one has drawn surprisingly little scrutiny. Some 800 pages in, the bill's authors have buried a dramatic expansion of the pandemic loan program, making hundreds of local news stations eligible for loans.
Senate Democrats are trying to push the idea farther. A group of prominent liberals in the chamber sent a letter to their leadership insisting that any future coronavirus stimulus contain substantial money for "local journalism and media."
The local news bailout that made it into the HEROES Act is small by comparison to the whole bill's $3-trillion price tag. But, as multiple Democrats have acknowledged, HEROES is less a legislative agenda, more a statement of principles. And the idea of federal funding for local media has grown increasingly popular among Democrats, making its way into Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I., Vt.) influential presidential platform, among others.
The argument made by the left, and some on the right, is that corporate control and consolidation of media poses a unique threat to democracy. Scarier still is the boogeyman of corporate, consolidated, and conservative media—witness the collective panic over Sinclair Broadcasting, the broadcasting conglomerate whose widespread ownership of news stations and conservative editorial line would, detractors said, lead to mass misinformation and chaos. Only the government, they say, can keep independent local media organizations afloat.
Fears about the withering of local media are not unjustified, but there are real and profound risks that come with paying journalists from the public fisc.
The press is one of the few institutions in American life—alongside churches and the states themselves—specifically protected in the Bill of Rights. Restraint on the press, James Madison argued, is restraint on free discourse, a fundamental threat to self-government.
State involvement in the press, no matter how benign in intent, threatens to short-circuit this arrangement. That's partly why public media has never enjoyed the market dominance in America that it has in Europe. The left's desire to create an American BBC runs contrary to the principles upon which our society is built.
It's also dangerous for the outlets themselves. Public money can and will slant coverage, giving reporters an incentive to report positively on their benefactors or risk losing a chunk of their paychecks. A publicly funded media is necessarily one that says what the government wants for fear of biting the hand that feeds.
This dynamic goes the other way too, with public media attacking those who threaten their sinecure. Just look at how Republicans are treated by National Public Radio.
Journalism is a business and journalists have always struggled to maintain independence from advertisers and owners—except for when they've acquiesced to those interests, see Bloomberg on China, or even better Bloomberg on Bloomberg. If local papers sometimes find it hard to say no to their patrons, imagine how hard it will be to say no to the federal government.
Some local news sources are struggling financially right now, and a government bailout doubtless sounds appealing. But they should remember that all money comes with strings attached. The Constitution protects the freedom of the press, but no entity that survives by the generosity of the American taxpayer is entitled to freedom from the meddling and interference of those taxpayers and their elected representatives. The press will be no exception, and if they take the money, sooner or later it will be Congress's turn to pull the strings.


freebeacon--2020-05-20--Minnesota Governor Stonewalls Conservative Journalist

Minnesota governor Tim Walz has refused to grant a conservative journalist access to the state 's daily coronavirus press briefings .
Scott Johnson , cofounder of the award-winning website PowerLine , has covered the state government 's response to the pandemic in a daily series titled , `` Coronavirus in One State . ''
The posts regularly receive hundreds of comments from readers around the country .
The Minnesota Department of Health holds press briefings on the coronavirus every weekday .
The events typically attract about 50 reporters , but when the governor joins them—as he often does—access to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Johnson that on those days the governor ’ s office controls attendance and instructed him to contact Walz ’ s office for access , according to correspondence reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon .
He did , sending five inquiries between April 15 and April 23 .
The governor ’ s office has not replied to any of those inquiries , raising questions about whether Walz , a Democrat , is intentionally excluding a journalist who has offered tough coverage of his response to the pandemic .
Walz ’ s office said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a dozen media outlets credentialed by the Minnesota legislature .
Credentialing by the legislature requires organizations to show that `` they provide regular news coverage of the legislature , '' the Minnesota senate says in rules posted online .
Walz 's approach to informing the public is a departure from the practices other governors have adopted amid the pandemic .
Maryland governor Larry Hogan , a Republican , has not restricted access to his briefings , an aide told the Free Beacon .
`` Social distancing is implemented , but there have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which outlets can access the press conferences , '' the aide said .
Louisiana 's Democratic governor John Bel Edwards has opened briefings not just to all news outlets , but to the general public , a state official told the Free Beacon .
Johnson was included in the broader health department briefings and corresponded with department officials last month , but after he wrote reports and asked questions critical of the Walz administration , officials stopped responding .
Minnesota 's health department told the Free Beacon that access to the briefings is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' It did not respond to questions about the criteria that determine whether a reporter is a `` professional journalist '' and did not explain why Johnson was excluded after having previously attended the briefings .
President Donald Trump , who has made the White House press corps his bête noire , has faced fierce backlash for attempting to bar reporters from the White House .
After revoking CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta 's press pass in 2018 , the White House restored it in the face of a legal challenge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning that only a select number of reporters are granted access .
But the governor ’ s office has declined to tell Johnson what the parameters are for participation in the coronavirus briefings or to respond to inquiries related to the pandemic , something that Johnson called `` unusual '' in his nearly two decades of writing for PowerLine .
`` I ’ ve dealt with a lot of Democratic officeholders , officials , and press contacts over the 18 years I ’ ve been writing for PowerLine , '' Johnson told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the silence from the governor ’ s office is `` unusual in my experience . ''
In a series of reports on PowerLine , a blog founded in 2002 by Johnson and two fellow attorneys , Johnson has criticized the governor ’ s decision to shut down the state , pointing to the fact that the vast majority of coronavirus fatalities in Minnesota have occurred in long-term care facilities—mostly nursing homes—with a median age of 83 for all fatalities to date .
The blog rose to prominence in 2004 after playing a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rather .
Later that year , it was named Time magazine 's inaugural `` Blog of the Year '' and continues to garner a significant following in Minnesota and among conservatives around the country .
Johnson participated in weekday briefings run by the health department starting in mid-April .
While Walz participates in the briefings several times a week , those briefings are `` coordinated by the Governor 's communications office , '' agency spokesman Michael Schommer told Johnson on April 15 , pointing him to Walz ’ s press secretary Teddy Tschann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beacon show that Schommer passed along Johnson ’ s April 27 inquiry regarding the statewide shutdown to Walz communications aide Jeremy Drucker and state agency communications liaison Emmalyn Bauer with the message `` for future discussion . ''
Drucker went on to forward the message to Tschann .
As of mid-May , more than 80 percent of Minnesota 's coronavirus deaths occurred in nursing homes and residential care facilities—the highest percentage in the country , according to the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity .
The statistic has received attention in both local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Johnson began calling attention to it as early as April 7 .
He used the large proportion of nursing home deaths to criticize Walz 's stay-at-home order , arguing that such an order could focus on safeguarding the state 's elderly and medically compromised while allowing much of the economy to continue to operate .
Walz implemented a stay-at-home order based on a University of Minnesota model predicting a death toll of 74,000 if the state failed to act .
Even with the shutdown , the model projected 50,000-55,000 deaths .
Walz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the death toll in Minnesota stood at 343 , according to state data .
The department revealed the day before the extension that 99.24 percent of coronavirus-related deaths in the state occurred in long-term care facilities or among people with significant underlying health conditions .
Walz loosened stay-at-home orders on May 14 , the same day that the state released an updated model projecting 1,441 deaths through the end of May .
Health officials reported 731 deaths as of Monday .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE : Johnson is the father of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson .

Democrat Tim Walz has refused to tell a conservative journalist why his office isn’t allowing him to participate in the state’s coronavirus briefings
Minnesota governor Tim Walz has refused to grant a conservative journalist access to the state's daily coronavirus press briefings.
Scott Johnson, cofounder of the award-winning website PowerLine, has covered the state government's response to the pandemic in a daily series titled, "Coronavirus in One State." The posts regularly receive hundreds of comments from readers around the country.
The Minnesota Department of Health holds press briefings on the coronavirus every weekday. The events typically attract about 50 reporters, but when the governor joins them—as he often does—access to the briefings becomes more restricted. Health officials told Johnson that on those days the governor’s office controls attendance and instructed him to contact Walz’s office for access, according to correspondence reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.
He did, sending five inquiries between April 15 and April 23. The governor’s office has not replied to any of those inquiries, raising questions about whether Walz, a Democrat, is intentionally excluding a journalist who has offered tough coverage of his response to the pandemic.
Walz’s office said the governor’s events are limited to a dozen media outlets credentialed by the Minnesota legislature. Credentialing by the legislature requires organizations to show that "they provide regular news coverage of the legislature," the Minnesota senate says in rules posted online.
Walz's approach to informing the public is a departure from the practices other governors have adopted amid the pandemic. Maryland governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, has not restricted access to his briefings, an aide told the Free Beacon. "Social distancing is implemented, but there haven't been any limits in terms of which outlets can access the press conferences," the aide said. Louisiana's Democratic governor John Bel Edwards has opened briefings not just to all news outlets, but to the general public, a state official told the Free Beacon.
Johnson was included in the broader health department briefings and corresponded with department officials last month, but after he wrote reports and asked questions critical of the Walz administration, officials stopped responding.
Minnesota's health department told the Free Beacon that access to the briefings is limited "only to professional journalists." It did not respond to questions about the criteria that determine whether a reporter is a "professional journalist" and did not explain why Johnson was excluded after having previously attended the briefings.
President Donald Trump, who has made the White House press corps his bête noire, has faced fierce backlash for attempting to bar reporters from the White House. After revoking CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass in 2018, the White House restored it in the face of a legal challenge.
Walz’s press briefings are pooled, meaning that only a select number of reporters are granted access.
But the governor’s office has declined to tell Johnson what the parameters are for participation in the coronavirus briefings or to respond to inquiries related to the pandemic, something that Johnson called "unusual" in his nearly two decades of writing for PowerLine.
"I’ve dealt with a lot of Democratic officeholders, officials, and press contacts over the 18 years I’ve been writing for PowerLine," Johnson told the Washington Free Beacon, adding that the silence from the governor’s office is "unusual in my experience."
In a series of reports on PowerLine, a blog founded in 2002 by Johnson and two fellow attorneys, Johnson has criticized the governor’s decision to shut down the state, pointing to the fact that the vast majority of coronavirus fatalities in Minnesota have occurred in long-term care facilities—mostly nursing homes—with a median age of 83 for all fatalities to date.
The blog rose to prominence in 2004 after playing a key role in ousting CBS News correspondent Dan Rather. Later that year, it was named Time magazine's inaugural "Blog of the Year" and continues to garner a significant following in Minnesota and among conservatives around the country.
Johnson participated in weekday briefings run by the health department starting in mid-April. While Walz participates in the briefings several times a week, those briefings are "coordinated by the Governor's communications office," agency spokesman Michael Schommer told Johnson on April 15, pointing him to Walz’s press secretary Teddy Tschann.
Government emails obtained by the Free Beacon show that Schommer passed along Johnson’s April 27 inquiry regarding the statewide shutdown to Walz communications aide Jeremy Drucker and state agency communications liaison Emmalyn Bauer with the message "for future discussion." Drucker went on to forward the message to Tschann.
As of mid-May, more than 80 percent of Minnesota's coronavirus deaths occurred in nursing homes and residential care facilities—the highest percentage in the country, according to the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. The statistic has received attention in both local and national media as of late, though Johnson began calling attention to it as early as April 7. He used the large proportion of nursing home deaths to criticize Walz's stay-at-home order, arguing that such an order could focus on safeguarding the state's elderly and medically compromised while allowing much of the economy to continue to operate.
Walz implemented a stay-at-home order based on a University of Minnesota model predicting a death toll of 74,000 if the state failed to act. Even with the shutdown, the model projected 50,000-55,000 deaths. Walz extended the stay-at-home order on April 30, as the death toll in Minnesota stood at 343, according to state data. The department revealed the day before the extension that 99.24 percent of coronavirus-related deaths in the state occurred in long-term care facilities or among people with significant underlying health conditions.
Walz loosened stay-at-home orders on May 14, the same day that the state released an updated model projecting 1,441 deaths through the end of May. Health officials reported 731 deaths as of Monday.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Johnson is the father of Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Eliana Johnson.


freebeacon--2020-05-21--Obama’s Man in China Now Beijing’s Man in Washington

As the novel coronavirus wreaks havoc across the world , the Obama administration 's ambassador to China has found a second lease on life as a pro-China talking head on regime propaganda outlets .
Former ambassador Max Baucus has given at least four different interviews to Chinese propaganda outlets in the last two weeks , repeatedly comparing the U.S. rhetoric about China to both the McCarthy era and Nazi Germany .
`` Joe McCarthy [ and ] Adolf Hitler … rallied people up , making people believe things that were really not true , '' Baucus said during a May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( CGTN ) , a regime mouthpiece .
`` The White House and some in Congress are making statements against China that are so over the top and so hypercritical , they are based not on the fact , or if they are based on fact , sheer demagoguery , and that 's what McCarthy did in the 1950s . ''
Since his retirement in 2017 , Baucus has been a reliable critic of the Trump administration 's increasingly confrontational China policy—chiefly the decision to wage a trade war with Beijing .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to impose additional tariffs was a `` slap on the face '' to China .
But Baucus 's recent comments in the pandemic era have been more sympathetic to China—and critical of the United States—than ever before .
His post-retirement public statements praising China have coincided with his burgeoning overseas investments .
In 2017 , he founded the Baucus Group , a consulting firm that advises both American and Chinese businesses , according to his U.S. Chamber of Commerce biography .
He also sits on the board of directors for Ingram Micro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state-owned conglomerate , as well as the board of advisers for Alibaba Group , one of China 's largest tech companies .
Walter Lohman , director of the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation , said that it was `` inappropriate '' for a former ambassador to speak ill about his own government on a foreign propaganda outlet .
`` It 's like going to China and … talking about your own government that way in meetings .
I think that would be pretty inappropriate , '' Lohman said .
`` So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media . ''
Baucus 's public statements have received considerable attention from Beijing 's propaganda outlets .
When the former ambassador compared President Donald Trump 's criticism of China to rhetoric used by Adolf Hitler and Joe McCarthy during a May 6 interview with CNN , Chinese propaganda outlets quickly amplified Baucus 's comments about how Trump was `` a little bit like Hitler in the '30s '' and that Americans were worried about `` getting their heads chopped off '' if they voice their disagreement with the U.S. government 's China policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlet , extensively cited Baucus 's attacks in a May 8 article , using it as evidence that the Trump administration is attempting to `` deflect criticisms about their blunders by blaming China . ''
The article was syndicated in party-controlled mouthpieces such as Global Times and People 's Daily , according to the Investigative Research Center .
Baucus then appeared on CGTN on May 12 to double down on his Hitler and McCarthy comparison , blaming the Trump administration for flaming `` sheer demagoguery . ''
`` [ The current U.S. rhetoric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that yet , somewhat reminiscent of the McCarthy era and somewhat reminiscent of Germany in the 1930s , '' he told CGTN .
The former ambassador also gave an exclusive interview to Global Times on May 14 , where he said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 's claim that the virus may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory `` makes no sense '' and accused both Democrats and Republicans of being tough on China to score political points in an election year .
Baucus again appeared on CGTN on May 15 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sliding toward a form of McCarthyism '' because the Trump administration is pressuring policymakers to be tough on China .
The former ambassador did another CGTN media hit on May 16 , this time appearing alongside his wife Melodee Hanes , who blamed the presidential election for making dialogue `` difficult . ''
`` There are a lot of pretty smart people in the United States who are not speaking up .
People in office , moderates , especially moderates on the Republican side , '' Baucus said on May 15 .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are intimidated , intimidated by President Trump .
And it 's kind of sliding toward a form of McCarthyism—how it is politically incorrect to speak the truth , speak the truth to power . ''
When the Washington Free Beacon called the phone number listed for Baucus 's home address , no one answered .
A lawyer representing Baucus Group , the ambassador 's consulting firm , also did not respond to a request for comment .
While Baucus rarely enjoyed this much attention from Chinese state media outlets after his retirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has spoken to Chinese media outlets in recent years .
Baucus also gave an exclusive interview to People 's Daily in March 2018 , criticizing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods as the `` wrong policy '' and `` too confrontational . ''
He has also spoken at events backed by the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation , a registered foreign agent of the Chinese government according to a 2018 congressional report .
Lohman , the Heritage Foundation expert , said that while Baucus has the right to appear on any domestic and foreign outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda outlet with the same degree of candidness that he did with CNN .
`` I think he must have gotten wrapped up in the media performances because when you shift from CNN to Global Times or CGTN , you 've gone to an entirely new level , '' he said .
`` And there I think you just have to express yourself differently .
It 's not an appropriate place to air political differences . ''

As the novel coronavirus wreaks havoc across the world, the Obama administration's ambassador to China has found a second lease on life as a pro-China talking head on regime propaganda outlets.
Former ambassador Max Baucus has given at least four different interviews to Chinese propaganda outlets in the last two weeks, repeatedly comparing the U.S. rhetoric about China to both the McCarthy era and Nazi Germany.
"Joe McCarthy [and] Adolf Hitler … rallied people up, making people believe things that were really not true," Baucus said during a May 12 interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), a regime mouthpiece. "The White House and some in Congress are making statements against China that are so over the top and so hypercritical, they are based not on the fact, or if they are based on fact, sheer demagoguery, and that's what McCarthy did in the 1950s."
Since his retirement in 2017, Baucus has been a reliable critic of the Trump administration's increasingly confrontational China policy—chiefly the decision to wage a trade war with Beijing. He once warned that the White House's decision to impose additional tariffs was a "slap on the face" to China. But Baucus's recent comments in the pandemic era have been more sympathetic to China—and critical of the United States—than ever before.
His post-retirement public statements praising China have coincided with his burgeoning overseas investments. In 2017, he founded the Baucus Group, a consulting firm that advises both American and Chinese businesses, according to his U.S. Chamber of Commerce biography. He also sits on the board of directors for Ingram Micro, a U.S. subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned conglomerate, as well as the board of advisers for Alibaba Group, one of China's largest tech companies.
Walter Lohman, director of the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation, said that it was "inappropriate" for a former ambassador to speak ill about his own government on a foreign propaganda outlet.
"It's like going to China and … talking about your own government that way in meetings. I think that would be pretty inappropriate," Lohman said. "So it would be inappropriate speaking on state media."
Baucus's public statements have received considerable attention from Beijing's propaganda outlets. When the former ambassador compared President Donald Trump's criticism of China to rhetoric used by Adolf Hitler and Joe McCarthy during a May 6 interview with CNN, Chinese propaganda outlets quickly amplified Baucus's comments about how Trump was "a little bit like Hitler in the '30s" and that Americans were worried about "getting their heads chopped off" if they voice their disagreement with the U.S. government's China policy. Xinhua News Agency, a state-owned outlet, extensively cited Baucus's attacks in a May 8 article, using it as evidence that the Trump administration is attempting to "deflect criticisms about their blunders by blaming China." The article was syndicated in party-controlled mouthpieces such as Global Times and People's Daily, according to the Investigative Research Center.
Baucus then appeared on CGTN on May 12 to double down on his Hitler and McCarthy comparison, blaming the Trump administration for flaming "sheer demagoguery."
"[The current U.S. rhetoric] is somewhat reminiscent, nowhere close to that yet, somewhat reminiscent of the McCarthy era and somewhat reminiscent of Germany in the 1930s," he told CGTN.
The former ambassador also gave an exclusive interview to Global Times on May 14, where he said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's claim that the virus may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory "makes no sense" and accused both Democrats and Republicans of being tough on China to score political points in an election year.
Baucus again appeared on CGTN on May 15, where he claimed that America is "sliding toward a form of McCarthyism" because the Trump administration is pressuring policymakers to be tough on China. The former ambassador did another CGTN media hit on May 16, this time appearing alongside his wife Melodee Hanes, who blamed the presidential election for making dialogue "difficult."
"There are a lot of pretty smart people in the United States who are not speaking up. People in office, moderates, especially moderates on the Republican side," Baucus said on May 15. "They are afraid to speak up, they are intimidated, intimidated by President Trump. And it's kind of sliding toward a form of McCarthyism—how it is politically incorrect to speak the truth, speak the truth to power."
When the Washington Free Beacon called the phone number listed for Baucus's home address, no one answered. A lawyer representing Baucus Group, the ambassador's consulting firm, also did not respond to a request for comment.
While Baucus rarely enjoyed this much attention from Chinese state media outlets after his retirement, this is not the first time he has spoken to Chinese media outlets in recent years. Baucus also gave an exclusive interview to People's Daily in March 2018, criticizing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods as the "wrong policy" and "too confrontational." He has also spoken at events backed by the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation, a registered foreign agent of the Chinese government according to a 2018 congressional report.
Lohman, the Heritage Foundation expert, said that while Baucus has the right to appear on any domestic and foreign outlets, he should not have addressed a propaganda outlet with the same degree of candidness that he did with CNN.
"I think he must have gotten wrapped up in the media performances because when you shift from CNN to Global Times or CGTN, you've gone to an entirely new level," he said. "And there I think you just have to express yourself differently. It's not an appropriate place to air political differences."


freebeacon--2020-05-21--ACRONYM Denied Deep Connections With Controversial Iowa App Firm, But Tax Forms Say Otherwise

Progressive-media powerhouse ACRONYM aggressively distanced itself from the tech operation responsible for Democrats ’ disastrous Iowa caucuses , but had a controlling share in the company as recently as April 2019 , new documents reveal .
ACRONYM ’ s 2018 Form 990 , obtained by the Washington Free Beacon , identifies it as holding 84 percent of shares in Shadow , Inc. , the progressive tech firm whose app caused chaos at February ’ s Democratic caucuses in Iowa .
The documents contradict ACRONYM CEO Tara McGowan , who sought to distance her conglomerate from Shadow , as she and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shadow ’ s status as an `` independent company '' with `` other private investors '' about which they had no special insight .
That move appeared calculated to place the blame for the meltdown of the app—and ensuing intraparty feuding over the unclear caucus results—on Shadow , rather than McGowan .
The form also reveals that McGowan ’ s six-figure salary was paid not by ACRONYM , but by Lockwood Strategy , the private advertising agency ACRONYM owns .
That arrangement , one dark money expert told the Free Beacon , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cozy relationship '' with Lockwood .
The new evidence of McGowan ’ s post-Iowa dissembling , as well as her apparent compensation by Lockwood , raises further questions about ACRONYM ’ s shadowy media empire—an agglomeration of private and semi-public entities which critics have argued are dangerously opaque .
The Form 990 specifically indicates that ACRONYM was the `` direct controlling entity '' of Shadow as of its filing in mid-2019 .
Reached for comment , Kyle Tharp , vice president of communications for ACRONYM , told the Free Beacon that `` ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term that means that ACRONYM owned more than 50 percent stake in a company by the end of the filing period in 2018 . ''
`` You 'll note that the form 990 clearly states that ACRONYM owned 84 percent stake in Shadow Inc. Other investors owned the rest , '' Tharp added .
McGowan 's group , however , downplayed its controlling share in the controversial developer immediately following the Iowa caucus meltdown .
McGowan called Shadow `` an independent company ACRONYM invested in , '' and claimed to be in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement describing ACRONYM as `` an investor in several for-profit companies across the progressive media and technology sectors '' and emphasizing that one of those , Shadow , `` also has other private investors . ''
David Plouffe , Obama 's 2008 campaign manager and an ACRONYM director , also denied having any knowledge of Shadow .
The 2018 Form 990 also offers new insight into McGowan ’ s compensation .
McGowan was paid zero dollars by ACRONYM , her more public 501 ( c ) 4 , in 2018 , instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strategy , ACRONYM ’ s wholly owned for-profit subsidiary .
That contrasts with 2017 , when ACRONYM reported paying McGowan $ 16,667 directly .
Asked about the change in the source of McGowan ’ s salary , Tharp said `` the 2018 990 includes all of Tara McGowan 's compensation from Lockwood Strategy and ACRONYM-related entities as it clearly states .
As you can see , ACRONYM owns 100 % of Lockwood Strategy , and Tara McGowan herself owns no equity in that company . ''
Anna Massoglia , a researcher at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Free Beacon that `` Acronym ’ s president getting six figures from Lockwood Strategy but not drawing a salary directly from the nonprofit shows the extent of ACRONYM ’ s cozy relationship with Lockwood Strategy . ''
The form , Massoglia said , shows that over $ 1 million flowed from ACRONYM to Lockwood in 2018 alone , `` meaning that work Lockwood Strategy paid McGowan for may have ultimately benefited ACRONYM . ''
Massoglia also noted that the shift occurred despite the 2017 and 2018 returns showing the same number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations , meaning the shift in payments `` is not readily explained by any reported change in hours [ McGowan ] worked . ''
Additionally , the 2018 form reveals that ACRONYM ’ s conflict of interest policy is not public—further clouding its relationships with Lockwood and Shadow .
These relationships became publicly apparent following the disastrous failure of an app developed by Shadow during February ’ s Democratic caucuses in Iowa .
The app , meant to help the state party collate results , instead produced inconsistent outcomes .
That left the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with some supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) alleging that the app facilitated misconduct by Democratic Party officials on behalf of eventual official winner Pete Buttigieg .
Since then , Shadow has sought to shed its baggage , rebranding as `` BlueLink . ''
ACRONYM , Tharp told the Free Beacon , is `` in the process of divesting all of its equity in Shadow Inc. '' That divestment still leaves ACRONYM , and McGowan , with an expansive network , including the nonprofit , a PAC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , startup-like nature of McGowan ’ s operations has raised questions even among fellow Democrats about where her millions in receipts go—as one Democratic operative put it to the Free Beacon , `` what some people rightly or wrongly believe about her is that she ’ s in some ways the Elizabeth Holmes of politics . ''
The new tax forms also show that just three anonymous individuals provided more than half ( $ 4.9 million ) of the $ 9.5 million in contributions ACRONYM hauled in between May 1 , 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billionaire George Soros is the biggest donor ( $ 1.75 million ) to its affiliated super PAC .
The PAC , in turn , has funneled millions over to its Lockwood Strategy arm for anti-Trump attack ads in swing states .
Once money is parked in the private firm , it is virtually untraceable .

Progressive-media powerhouse ACRONYM aggressively distanced itself from the tech operation responsible for Democrats’ disastrous Iowa caucuses, but had a controlling share in the company as recently as April 2019, new documents reveal.
ACRONYM’s 2018 Form 990, obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, identifies it as holding 84 percent of shares in Shadow, Inc., the progressive tech firm whose app caused chaos at February’s Democratic caucuses in Iowa.
The documents contradict ACRONYM CEO Tara McGowan, who sought to distance her conglomerate from Shadow, as she and employees took to social media to emphasize Shadow’s status as an "independent company" with "other private investors" about which they had no special insight. That move appeared calculated to place the blame for the meltdown of the app—and ensuing intraparty feuding over the unclear caucus results—on Shadow, rather than McGowan.
The form also reveals that McGowan’s six-figure salary was paid not by ACRONYM, but by Lockwood Strategy, the private advertising agency ACRONYM owns. That arrangement, one dark money expert told the Free Beacon, "shows the extent of ACRONYM’s cozy relationship" with Lockwood.
The new evidence of McGowan’s post-Iowa dissembling, as well as her apparent compensation by Lockwood, raises further questions about ACRONYM’s shadowy media empire—an agglomeration of private and semi-public entities which critics have argued are dangerously opaque.
The Form 990 specifically indicates that ACRONYM was the "direct controlling entity" of Shadow as of its filing in mid-2019. Reached for comment, Kyle Tharp, vice president of communications for ACRONYM, told the Free Beacon that "'Direct controlling entity' is a technical term that means that ACRONYM owned more than 50 percent stake in a company by the end of the filing period in 2018."
"You'll note that the form 990 clearly states that ACRONYM owned 84 percent stake in Shadow Inc. Other investors owned the rest," Tharp added.
McGowan's group, however, downplayed its controlling share in the controversial developer immediately following the Iowa caucus meltdown. McGowan called Shadow "an independent company ACRONYM invested in," and claimed to be in the dark about the situation. Tharp released a statement describing ACRONYM as "an investor in several for-profit companies across the progressive media and technology sectors" and emphasizing that one of those, Shadow, "also has other private investors." David Plouffe, Obama's 2008 campaign manager and an ACRONYM director, also denied having any knowledge of Shadow.
The 2018 Form 990 also offers new insight into McGowan’s compensation. McGowan was paid zero dollars by ACRONYM, her more public 501(c)4, in 2018, instead collecting a $159,000 salary from Lockwood Strategy, ACRONYM’s wholly owned for-profit subsidiary. That contrasts with 2017, when ACRONYM reported paying McGowan $16,667 directly.
Asked about the change in the source of McGowan’s salary, Tharp said "the 2018 990 includes all of Tara McGowan's compensation from Lockwood Strategy and ACRONYM-related entities as it clearly states. As you can see, ACRONYM owns 100% of Lockwood Strategy, and Tara McGowan herself owns no equity in that company."
Anna Massoglia, a researcher at the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, told the Free Beacon that "Acronym’s president getting six figures from Lockwood Strategy but not drawing a salary directly from the nonprofit shows the extent of ACRONYM’s cozy relationship with Lockwood Strategy." The form, Massoglia said, shows that over $1 million flowed from ACRONYM to Lockwood in 2018 alone, "meaning that work Lockwood Strategy paid McGowan for may have ultimately benefited ACRONYM."
Massoglia also noted that the shift occurred despite the 2017 and 2018 returns showing the same number of hours worked at ACRONYM and its related organizations, meaning the shift in payments "is not readily explained by any reported change in hours [McGowan] worked." Additionally, the 2018 form reveals that ACRONYM’s conflict of interest policy is not public—further clouding its relationships with Lockwood and Shadow.
These relationships became publicly apparent following the disastrous failure of an app developed by Shadow during February’s Democratic caucuses in Iowa. The app, meant to help the state party collate results, instead produced inconsistent outcomes. That left the race’s results ambiguous for weeks, with some supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) alleging that the app facilitated misconduct by Democratic Party officials on behalf of eventual official winner Pete Buttigieg.
Since then, Shadow has sought to shed its baggage, rebranding as "BlueLink." ACRONYM, Tharp told the Free Beacon, is "in the process of divesting all of its equity in Shadow Inc."
That divestment still leaves ACRONYM, and McGowan, with an expansive network, including the nonprofit, a PAC, and multiple private entities. The opaque, startup-like nature of McGowan’s operations has raised questions even among fellow Democrats about where her millions in receipts go—as one Democratic operative put it to the Free Beacon, "what some people rightly or wrongly believe about her is that she’s in some ways the Elizabeth Holmes of politics."
The new tax forms also show that just three anonymous individuals provided more than half ($4.9 million) of the $9.5 million in contributions ACRONYM hauled in between May 1, 2018, and April 30, 2019. Liberal billionaire George Soros is the biggest donor ($1.75 million) to its affiliated super PAC. The PAC, in turn, has funneled millions over to its Lockwood Strategy arm for anti-Trump attack ads in swing states. Once money is parked in the private firm, it is virtually untraceable.


freebeacon--2020-05-21--Cotton Leads Republican Senators Calling For DOJ Investigation of Planned Parenthood

Sen. Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
led a group of 27 Republican lawmakers calling on the Department of Justice to investigate Planned Parenthood over allegations the abortion provider fraudulently obtained federal loans .
`` Planned Parenthood fraudulently taking tens of millions of dollars that were intended to help keep those small businesses and nonprofit organizations afloat can not stand and must be addressed , '' a letter sent by the lawmakers to Attorney General William Barr stated .
The letter points to a statement from Planned Parenthood Action Fund , the group 's political action committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parenthood as evidence that the group fraudulently obtained the loans .
`` The bill gives the Small Business Administration broad discretion to exclude Planned Parenthood affiliates and other non-profits serving people with low incomes and deny them benefits under the new small business loan program , '' Planned Parenthood said in a press release .
Planned Parenthood also acknowledged the inclusion of a provision of the Hyde Amendment , which prohibits federal funding of abortion .
Republican lawmakers pointed to that as further evidence that Planned Parenthood knowingly applied for loans under false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it seems clear that Planned Parenthood knew that it was ineligible for the small business loans under the CARES Act long before its affiliates fraudulently self-certified that they were eligible , '' the letter stated .
Cotton was joined in signing the letter by Sens .
Ted Cruz ( Texas ) , Joni Ernst ( Iowa ) , Tim Scott ( S.C. ) , Cindy Hyde-Smith ( Miss . )
, and others .
The lawmakers warned of `` both civil and criminal penalties '' under the Small Business Administration 's guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Business Administration also sent letters to Planned Parenthood affiliates informing them they were ineligible for the funding and asking them to return the more than $ 80 million the group received .
The abortion provider reported more than $ 2.2 billion in assets in its most recent annual report .
A California Planned Parenthood affiliate received $ 7.5 million , the largest loan any affiliate took .
Funding for the Paycheck Protection Program was a source of contention between Republican and Democratic lawmakers .
Democrats initially blocked further funding after the program was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal to extend funding last month .

Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) led a group of 27 Republican lawmakers calling on the Department of Justice to investigate Planned Parenthood over allegations the abortion provider fraudulently obtained federal loans.
"Planned Parenthood fraudulently taking tens of millions of dollars that were intended to help keep those small businesses and nonprofit organizations afloat cannot stand and must be addressed," a letter sent by the lawmakers to Attorney General William Barr stated.
The letter points to a statement from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the group's political action committee, criticizing the CARES Act for excluding Planned Parenthood as evidence that the group fraudulently obtained the loans.
"The bill gives the Small Business Administration broad discretion to exclude Planned Parenthood affiliates and other non-profits serving people with low incomes and deny them benefits under the new small business loan program," Planned Parenthood said in a press release.
Planned Parenthood also acknowledged the inclusion of a provision of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of abortion. Republican lawmakers pointed to that as further evidence that Planned Parenthood knowingly applied for loans under false pretenses.
"Based on these statements, it seems clear that Planned Parenthood knew that it was ineligible for the small business loans under the CARES Act long before its affiliates fraudulently self-certified that they were eligible," the letter stated. Cotton was joined in signing the letter by Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Tim Scott (S.C.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.), and others.
The lawmakers warned of "both civil and criminal penalties" under the Small Business Administration's guidelines for fraudulent loan applications.
The Small Business Administration also sent letters to Planned Parenthood affiliates informing them they were ineligible for the funding and asking them to return the more than $80 million the group received.
The abortion provider reported more than $2.2 billion in assets in its most recent annual report. A California Planned Parenthood affiliate received $7.5 million, the largest loan any affiliate took.
Funding for the Paycheck Protection Program was a source of contention between Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Democrats initially blocked further funding after the program was completely depleted, before lawmakers agreed on a deal to extend funding last month.


freebeacon--2020-05-21--Democratic Philly Elections Judge Pleads Guilty to Stuffing Ballot Boxes for Bribes

A Democratic elections judge in Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to taking bribes to stuff ballot boxes , newly unsealed court documents show .
Domenick J. DeMuro , a former judge of elections and Democratic committeeman in Philadelphia , took thousands of dollars from a political consultant to cast fraudulent ballots and certify phony returns , according to the indictment .
DeMuro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to deprive persons of civil rights and one count of using interstate facilities in aid of bribery in a federal court on March 16 .
The guilty plea comes as President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like vote-by-mail .
Some states , including battlegrounds like Michigan , are discouraging in-person voting due to the coronavirus pandemic and sending voters unsolicited ballot applications .
The president claims vote-by-mail is rife with fraud—though those charges are contested by elections experts—and has threatened to withhold funds from states that use such a system .
`` DeMuro fraudulently stuffed the ballot box by literally standing in a voting booth and voting over and over , as fast as he could , while he thought the coast was clear .
This is utterly reprehensible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
`` The charges announced today do not erase what he did , but they do ensure that he is held to account for those actions . ''
The case , which was prosecuted by the Department of Justice , has proceeded under seal since early March and was made public for the first time on Thursday .
As judge of elections , DeMuro supervised the entire balloting process in his southeast Philadelphia division .
According to the indictment , an unnamed consultant paid DeMuro thousands of dollars to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running for local judicial posts .
The consultant also directed DeMuro to add votes for various candidates at the federal , state , and local level for different reasons .
Though no candidate is named in legal filings , the indictment alleges that the consultant solicited funds from candidates and paid that money directly forward to DeMuro and other election board officials to tamper with election results .
McSwain said the investigation is ongoing , raising the prospect of additional charges against new defendants .
All told , DeMuro accepted $ 2,500 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 2014 and 2016 .
The defendant is currently free on $ 10,000 bail .
Sentencing is scheduled for June 30 .
The case is U.S. v DeMuro in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania .
U.S. v. DeMuro indictment by Washington Free Beacon on Scribd

A Democratic elections judge in Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to taking bribes to stuff ballot boxes, newly unsealed court documents show.
Domenick J. DeMuro, a former judge of elections and Democratic committeeman in Philadelphia, took thousands of dollars from a political consultant to cast fraudulent ballots and certify phony returns, according to the indictment.
DeMuro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to deprive persons of civil rights and one count of using interstate facilities in aid of bribery in a federal court on March 16.
The guilty plea comes as President Donald Trump is escalating attacks on balloting alternatives like vote-by-mail. Some states, including battlegrounds like Michigan, are discouraging in-person voting due to the coronavirus pandemic and sending voters unsolicited ballot applications. The president claims vote-by-mail is rife with fraud—though those charges are contested by elections experts—and has threatened to withhold funds from states that use such a system.
"DeMuro fraudulently stuffed the ballot box by literally standing in a voting booth and voting over and over, as fast as he could, while he thought the coast was clear. This is utterly reprehensible conduct," U.S. Attorney William McSwain said in a statement. "The charges announced today do not erase what he did, but they do ensure that he is held to account for those actions."
The case, which was prosecuted by the Department of Justice, has proceeded under seal since early March and was made public for the first time on Thursday.
As judge of elections, DeMuro supervised the entire balloting process in his southeast Philadelphia division. According to the indictment, an unnamed consultant paid DeMuro thousands of dollars to cast false votes for three Democratic candidates running for local judicial posts. The consultant also directed DeMuro to add votes for various candidates at the federal, state, and local level for different reasons.
Though no candidate is named in legal filings, the indictment alleges that the consultant solicited funds from candidates and paid that money directly forward to DeMuro and other election board officials to tamper with election results. McSwain said the investigation is ongoing, raising the prospect of additional charges against new defendants.
All told, DeMuro accepted $2,500 to add dozens of votes to official returns between 2014 and 2016.
The defendant is currently free on $10,000 bail. Sentencing is scheduled for June 30.
The case is U.S. v DeMuro in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
U.S. v. DeMuro indictment by Washington Free Beacon on Scribd


freebeacon--2020-05-21--New Legislation Would Block U.S. Purchase of Chinese-Made Drones

New legislation introduced in Congress on Thursday would block federal funds from being used to purchase Chinese-made drones amid growing concerns the technology could allow Beijing to engage in espionage operations , according to a copy of the measure obtained by the Washington Free Beacon .
Sen. Martha McSally ( R. , Ariz. ) , a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee , forwarded the legislation , called the Securing Our Skies Against Chinese Technology Act of 2020 , which would `` prohibit the use of funds to purchase drones manufactured in the People 's Republic of China or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been mounting in Congress about U.S. reliance on Chinese technology that the Communist Party government can exploit for espionage purposes .
Drones have become a vital part of the U.S. infrastructure and are used to monitor everything from wildfires to critical American facilities .
The Department of the Interior grounded its entire fleet of 800 drones in January , citing concerns with their Chinese-manufactured parts .
McSally ’ s bill seeks to stop the proliferation of Chinese drones in the United States by specifically barring government funds from being used to purchase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Communist Party .
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have outlined national security concerns with the drone technology , making McSally 's bill an easy sell to China hawks in Congress .
The bill also would prohibit private , state , and local agencies that receive federal grants from spending the money on Chinese drone technology .
Agencies would further have to certify that funds are not being spent on the drones .
Despite federal agencies banning or grounding Chinese drones , the technology continues to pose a national security threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company , has donated scores of drones to U.S. law enforcement agencies to aid the enforcement of social distancing orders set in place during the coronavirus outbreak .
As with other goodwill gestures by Chinese government-tied companies , there is a threat that the information gathered by these drones will be sent back to Beijing and used for espionage purposes .
`` We should not risk giving China the chance to spy on Americans amid our efforts to combat the coronavirus , '' McSally said in a statement .
`` This is just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exploit the global pandemic and it is unacceptable . ''

New legislation introduced in Congress on Thursday would block federal funds from being used to purchase Chinese-made drones amid growing concerns the technology could allow Beijing to engage in espionage operations, according to a copy of the measure obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
Sen. Martha McSally (R., Ariz.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, forwarded the legislation, called the Securing Our Skies Against Chinese Technology Act of 2020, which would "prohibit the use of funds to purchase drones manufactured in the People's Republic of China or by Chinese state-controlled entities."
Concerns have been mounting in Congress about U.S. reliance on Chinese technology that the Communist Party government can exploit for espionage purposes. Drones have become a vital part of the U.S. infrastructure and are used to monitor everything from wildfires to critical American facilities. The Department of the Interior grounded its entire fleet of 800 drones in January, citing concerns with their Chinese-manufactured parts.
McSally’s bill seeks to stop the proliferation of Chinese drones in the United States by specifically barring government funds from being used to purchase the equipment from any company tied to the Communist Party. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have outlined national security concerns with the drone technology, making McSally's bill an easy sell to China hawks in Congress.
The bill also would prohibit private, state, and local agencies that receive federal grants from spending the money on Chinese drone technology. Agencies would further have to certify that funds are not being spent on the drones.
Despite federal agencies banning or grounding Chinese drones, the technology continues to pose a national security threat. Da Jiang Innovations, a China-based company, has donated scores of drones to U.S. law enforcement agencies to aid the enforcement of social distancing orders set in place during the coronavirus outbreak. As with other goodwill gestures by Chinese government-tied companies, there is a threat that the information gathered by these drones will be sent back to Beijing and used for espionage purposes.
"We should not risk giving China the chance to spy on Americans amid our efforts to combat the coronavirus," McSally said in a statement. "This is just another part of China's ongoing effort to exploit the global pandemic and it is unacceptable."


freebeacon--2020-05-21--Lib Journo: I’d Vote for Biden Even If ‘He Boiled Babies And Ate Them’

At least one liberal journalist would cast a vote for Joe Biden even if the former vice president consumed the boiled flesh of infants , which sounds a lot worse than shooting someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue .
`` I would vote for Joe Biden if he boiled babies and ate them , '' writes Katha Pollitt , a columnist for the Nation , a left-wing publication with considerable pro-Russian sympathies .
`` He was n't my candidate , but taking back the White House is that important . ''
Pollitt 's pledge to support a child-murdering cannibal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article challenging the credibility of Tara Reade , the ex-staffer who accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 .
Even if Reade is telling the truth , Pollitt argues , liberals should vote for Biden because `` We do not have the luxury of sitting out the election to feel morally pure or send a message about sexual assault and # BelieveWomen . ''
This appears to be a relatively common sentiment among liberals with social media accounts , at least one of whom responded to an Intercept article on new evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I would vote for Biden if he raped 100 women at gun point .
The stakes are high in this election . ''
Biden has a habit of urging people to vote for someone else , recently suggesting that Americans who believe Reade 's accusation `` probably should n't vote for me . ''
Surveys suggest a significant percentage of the population—a majority , according to some polls—think Reade is telling the truth .
In any event , it would seem that for some voters there 's no crime Biden could possibly @ @ @ @ @ @

At least one liberal journalist would cast a vote for Joe Biden even if the former vice president consumed the boiled flesh of infants, which sounds a lot worse than shooting someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
"I would vote for Joe Biden if he boiled babies and ate them," writes Katha Pollitt, a columnist for the Nation, a left-wing publication with considerable pro-Russian sympathies. "He wasn't my candidate, but taking back the White House is that important."
Pollitt's pledge to support a child-murdering cannibal in the 2020 election came in an article challenging the credibility of Tara Reade, the ex-staffer who accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993. Even if Reade is telling the truth, Pollitt argues, liberals should vote for Biden because "We do not have the luxury of sitting out the election to feel morally pure or send a message about sexual assault and #BelieveWomen."
This appears to be a relatively common sentiment among liberals with social media accounts, at least one of whom responded to an Intercept article on new evidence supporting Reade's allegation by writing: "I would vote for Biden if he raped 100 women at gun point. The stakes are high in this election."
Biden has a habit of urging people to vote for someone else, recently suggesting that Americans who believe Reade's accusation "probably shouldn't vote for me." Surveys suggest a significant percentage of the population—a majority, according to some polls—think Reade is telling the truth. In any event, it would seem that for some voters there's no crime Biden could possibly commit to lose their support.


freebeacon--2020-05-21--Across Biden Charitable Organizations, A Refusal to Disclose Funding

When Joe Biden announced he was opening a foreign policy center at the University of Pennsylvania , the goals for the project were ambitious .
At its founding in 2018 , Biden described the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement as `` a place where policymakers here and abroad will know they can be in touch with some of the best minds . ''
The center is one of several organizations Biden founded since leaving the White House in 2017 , including the domestic policy-focused Biden Institute at the University of Delaware and the Biden Cancer Initiative , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entities have refused to reveal the sources of their funding , a potential landmine for the Democrats ' presumptive presidential nominee that raises questions about the influence of individual , corporate , and foreign donations on the presidential candidate .
The lack of transparency has drawn the attention of a watchdog group that is now demanding that the federal government investigate whether foreign money has flowed to the Biden Center in Philadelphia .
Many of Biden 's nonprofit entities have served as landing spots for his former—and potentially future—White House aides .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` soft opening '' in March 2017 and officially opened its doors in February 2018 , has served as a national security council-in-waiting for Biden , employing his top White House foreign policy advisers Colin Kahl , Michael Carpenter , and Jeffrey Prescott .
Asked about its funding , a spokesman for the Biden Center told the Washington Free Beacon that it is `` a question for my colleagues at main university . ''
Penn spokesman Stephen MacCarthy did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
The Biden campaign declined to comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had $ 2.1 million in total assets in 2018 before suspending its operations last year , according to its tax records , declined to provide a list of donors .
The Biden Institute at the University of Delaware has also declined to reveal its funders .
While the Penn Biden Center has not released information on its donors , foreign funding to the University of Pennsylvania has risen more than threefold since its soft opening , spiking to over $ 100 million last year from $ 31 million in 2016 , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the largest contributor during that time , even as the U.S. federal government and prosecutors have ramped up scrutiny into the Chinese government 's influence-buying and espionage operations on American campuses .
Between March 2017 and the end of 2019 , the University of Pennsylvania received a total of $ 61 million in gifts and contracts from China , according to Department of Education records .
In the preceding four years , the university received just $ 19 million from China .
The donations included a $ 502,750 `` monetary gift '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Foreign Experts Affairs , a Chinese government agency that helps administer the regime 's `` Thousand Talents Plan . ''
Federal prosecutors claim the program is linked to Chinese espionage operations at American universities and have prosecuted academics for hiding their involvement in it .
Other contributors included China 's Zhejiang University , the China Merchants Bank , and the China Everbright Group , a state-owned investment group , according to federal records .
Many of the Chinese contributions were listed as coming from `` anonymous '' donors , a practice experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that allows the Chinese to penetrate the U.S. education system .
`` Anonymous giving to universities is an easy tactic the Chinese Communist Party can use to further its pernicious influence in American universities , '' Michael Sobolik , an Indo-Pacific studies fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council , told the Washington Free Beacon .
Penn received a total of 23 anonymous gifts from China between March 2017 and the end of 2019 , totaling over $ 21 million .
In the preceding four years , the university had disclosed just five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than $ 5 million .
`` Policymakers should investigate this vulnerability further and take necessary steps to close the loophole , '' Sobolik said .
`` If universities and professors are lax in their reporting , the Department of Education , and when appropriate the Department of Justice , should hold them accountable . ''
The National Legal and Policy Center , a government watchdog group , filed a complaint with the Department of Education on Wednesday requesting an investigation into Penn 's anonymous funding , according to a copy obtained by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affiliation with the Penn Biden Center further raises concerns of foreign influence not unlike those raised when the Clinton Foundation received millions of dollars in donations while Hillary Clinton was running for president , '' the complaint said .
The complaint also asked the Department of Education to `` refer the matter to the Department of Justice for civil enforcement in federal court , and seek recoupment of all costs to the U.S. government for investigating and enforcing the reporting and disclosure laws of China monetary gifts and contracts . ''
The anonymous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law that requires universities to disclose the source of any foreign donation or contract over $ 250,000 , according to the NLPC .
`` The reporting and disclosure violations of gifts from China to U of Penn and its Penn Biden Center are both numerous and flagrant , '' said Paul Kamenar , counsel for NLPC .
`` The Department of Justice should take swift enforcement action in federal court and recoup all costs getting them to comply with the law . ''
The NLPC said in its letter the University of Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly vulnerable to China government influences due to the large amounts of China donations and contracts '' at the school .
Penn 's investment in the Penn Biden Center has been significant : a luxe D.C. office directly across from the U.S. Capitol Building in addition to employment for Biden 's longtime foreign policy aides ; highly promoted conferences featuring Biden conversing with foreign leaders ; and a total of $ 900,000 in payments to the former vice president , according to his tax records .
The center 's website features photos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other world leaders .
The Biden Center is part of the University of Pennsylvania 's `` Penn Global '' department , headed by Biden 's campaign health care adviser Ezekiel Emanuel , which handles the university 's foreign research and outreach programs .
Those programs have become increasingly focused on China in recent years .
According to the Penn Global website , the university has `` over 20 international partnerships with Chinese institutions '' and has conducted `` over 350 research projects and instructional activities in China . ''
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` over 20 international partnerships with Chinese institutions '' and has conducted `` over 350 research projects and instructional activities in China . ''
In 2015 , the university launched the China Research and Engagement Fund , a $ 10 million research-matching funding program .
The program has funded Penn medical research in China , studies to improve the country 's pork production , and engineering projects to help China reach its national aviation goals , according to its website .
That same year , the University of Pennsylvania opened the Penn Wharton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the `` growing numbers of programs and collaborations between Penn 's 12 schools and many academic , government , and business partners throughout China . ''
The university also hosts the annual Penn China Research Symposium .
This year 's event in late January featured Chinese consul general Huang Ping , who said in his speech that he had `` lost count how many times I have visited UPenn , probably more than any university in New York City . ''
He also warned the United States against distancing itself from China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost , market and supply chain , and its growing edge in innovation , to decouple from China is to decouple from opportunities , '' he said in his speech .
Editor 's Note : This piece was originally published at 1 p.m .

When Joe Biden announced he was opening a foreign policy center at the University of Pennsylvania, the goals for the project were ambitious.
At its founding in 2018, Biden described the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement as "a place where policymakers here and abroad will know they can be in touch with some of the best minds."
The center is one of several organizations Biden founded since leaving the White House in 2017, including the domestic policy-focused Biden Institute at the University of Delaware and the Biden Cancer Initiative, all launched in 2017. All three entities have refused to reveal the sources of their funding, a potential landmine for the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee that raises questions about the influence of individual, corporate, and foreign donations on the presidential candidate.
The lack of transparency has drawn the attention of a watchdog group that is now demanding that the federal government investigate whether foreign money has flowed to the Biden Center in Philadelphia.
Many of Biden's nonprofit entities have served as landing spots for his former—and potentially future—White House aides. The Penn Biden Center, which had a "soft opening" in March 2017 and officially opened its doors in February 2018, has served as a national security council-in-waiting for Biden, employing his top White House foreign policy advisers Colin Kahl, Michael Carpenter, and Jeffrey Prescott.
Asked about its funding, a spokesman for the Biden Center told the Washington Free Beacon that it is "a question for my colleagues at main university." Penn spokesman Stephen MacCarthy did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Biden campaign declined to comment. The Biden Cancer Initiative, which had $2.1 million in total assets in 2018 before suspending its operations last year, according to its tax records, declined to provide a list of donors. The Biden Institute at the University of Delaware has also declined to reveal its funders.
While the Penn Biden Center has not released information on its donors, foreign funding to the University of Pennsylvania has risen more than threefold since its soft opening, spiking to over $100 million last year from $31 million in 2016, according to Department of Education records. China has been the largest contributor during that time, even as the U.S. federal government and prosecutors have ramped up scrutiny into the Chinese government's influence-buying and espionage operations on American campuses.
Between March 2017 and the end of 2019, the University of Pennsylvania received a total of $61 million in gifts and contracts from China, according to Department of Education records. In the preceding four years, the university received just $19 million from China.
The donations included a $502,750 "monetary gift" in October 2017 from the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, a Chinese government agency that helps administer the regime's "Thousand Talents Plan." Federal prosecutors claim the program is linked to Chinese espionage operations at American universities and have prosecuted academics for hiding their involvement in it. Other contributors included China's Zhejiang University, the China Merchants Bank, and the China Everbright Group, a state-owned investment group, according to federal records.
Many of the Chinese contributions were listed as coming from "anonymous" donors, a practice experts say is an "easy tactic" that allows the Chinese to penetrate the U.S. education system.
"Anonymous giving to universities is an easy tactic the Chinese Communist Party can use to further its pernicious influence in American universities," Michael Sobolik, an Indo-Pacific studies fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, told the Washington Free Beacon.
Penn received a total of 23 anonymous gifts from China between March 2017 and the end of 2019, totaling over $21 million. In the preceding four years, the university had disclosed just five anonymous donations from China, totaling less than $5 million.
"Policymakers should investigate this vulnerability further and take necessary steps to close the loophole," Sobolik said. "If universities and professors are lax in their reporting, the Department of Education, and when appropriate the Department of Justice, should hold them accountable."
The National Legal and Policy Center, a government watchdog group, filed a complaint with the Department of Education on Wednesday requesting an investigation into Penn's anonymous funding, according to a copy obtained by the Free Beacon.
"Joe Biden's affiliation with the Penn Biden Center further raises concerns of foreign influence not unlike those raised when the Clinton Foundation received millions of dollars in donations while Hillary Clinton was running for president," the complaint said.
The complaint also asked the Department of Education to "refer the matter to the Department of Justice for civil enforcement in federal court, and seek recoupment of all costs to the U.S. government for investigating and enforcing the reporting and disclosure laws of China monetary gifts and contracts."
The anonymous contributions could also run afoul of federal law that requires universities to disclose the source of any foreign donation or contract over $250,000, according to the NLPC.
"The reporting and disclosure violations of gifts from China to U of Penn and its Penn Biden Center are both numerous and flagrant," said Paul Kamenar, counsel for NLPC. "The Department of Justice should take swift enforcement action in federal court and recoup all costs getting them to comply with the law."
The NLPC said in its letter the University of Pennsylvania and the Penn Biden Center were "particularly vulnerable to China government influences due to the large amounts of China donations and contracts" at the school.
Penn's investment in the Penn Biden Center has been significant: a luxe D.C. office directly across from the U.S. Capitol Building in addition to employment for Biden's longtime foreign policy aides; highly promoted conferences featuring Biden conversing with foreign leaders; and a total of $900,000 in payments to the former vice president, according to his tax records.
The center's website features photos of Biden meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping and other world leaders.
The Biden Center is part of the University of Pennsylvania's "Penn Global" department, headed by Biden's campaign health care adviser Ezekiel Emanuel, which handles the university's foreign research and outreach programs.
Those programs have become increasingly focused on China in recent years. According to the Penn Global website, the university has "over 20 international partnerships with Chinese institutions" and has conducted "over 350 research projects and instructional activities in China."
According to the Penn Global website, the university has "over 20 international partnerships with Chinese institutions" and has conducted "over 350 research projects and instructional activities in China."
In 2015, the university launched the China Research and Engagement Fund, a $10 million research-matching funding program. The program has funded Penn medical research in China, studies to improve the country's pork production, and engineering projects to help China reach its national aviation goals, according to its website.
That same year, the University of Pennsylvania opened the Penn Wharton China Center, an academic outpost to support the "growing numbers of programs and collaborations between Penn's 12 schools and many academic, government, and business partners throughout China."
The university also hosts the annual Penn China Research Symposium. This year's event in late January featured Chinese consul general Huang Ping, who said in his speech that he had "lost count how many times I have visited UPenn, probably more than any university in New York City."
He also warned the United States against distancing itself from China. "Considering China's advantages in cost, market and supply chain, and its growing edge in innovation, to decouple from China is to decouple from opportunities," he said in his speech.
Editor's Note: This piece was originally published at 1 p.m.


freebeacon--2020-05-21--Koch-Soros Think Tank Features Defender of Chinese Censorship

A defender of internet censorship with ties to one of China 's largest tech companies moderated a panel Thursday at a new think tank funded by Charles Koch and George Soros .
Kaiser Kuo , the former director of international communications for the Chinese search giant Baidu , led a panel discussion hosted by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft on `` Anti-Asian Racism and its Implications for Civil Liberties and National Security . ''
Kuo has argued that the Chinese Communist Party 's rigorous domestic censorship of unflattering facts and information about the regime has , at times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including present-day China , are not ready for what is widely recognized as a core human right : the freedom of association .
`` I would love to say that Chinese society has reached the point where we should have the right to free assembly , '' Kuo told iTnews , an Australian digital outlet , in 2010 .
`` But in reality , today assembly in China can have violent consequences .
… Perhaps , and I hate to say this , some cultures are n't ready for free assembly . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership on Thursday that the country is moving to strip Hong Kong citizens of their right to free assembly enshrined by the former British colony 's Basic Law .
Participants argued that racism against Asian Americans , spurred in part by President Donald Trump 's leadership during the pandemic , is harmful to U.S. national security .
Lee referred to the `` potential origin '' of the virus in China and argued that the U.S. government has been `` exaggerating the threat from China with inflammatory language . ''
The Quincy Institute has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice for accommodating China 's rise and has launched repeated broadsides at critics of Chinese president Xi Jinping who are pushing the United States to take a harder line on issues ranging from Chinese trade policy to the country 's military expansion in the South China Sea .
Writers for its blog , Responsible Statecraft , have also equated Chinese malfeasance with that of the United States , arguing that maintaining sanctions against adversaries during the coronavirus pandemic is a `` defiance '' of liberal-democratic norms .
Kuo , who left Baidu in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has at times minimized the gross human rights abuses perpetrated by the Chinese government .
`` It turns out you do n't need to know the truth of what happened in Tiananmen Square to develop a great smartphone app , '' he told Time magazine in 2018 .
It is unclear if Kuo maintains a financial interest in the company .
As its spokesman , he downplayed the well-documented meddling of Chinese authorities in all private enterprise , arguing that the tech company operated `` fully at arms length from the Chinese government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an expert on the Chinese economy at the American Enterprise Institute , called `` wildly untrue . ''
`` There is no rule of law in China .
If the CCP demands cooperation in , say , turning over personal data , no firm has recourse to the courts or an independent press , '' Scissors told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` ‘ As any typical Western company would ' is standard CCP propaganda attempting to dismiss the role of independent institutions . ''
The Quincy Institute did not respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tank was founded in late 2019 to promote a more restrained American foreign policy reliant on diplomacy rather than military might , and many of its scholars have cautioned against retaliating over China 's role in burying evidence and silencing whistleblowers with knowledge of the coronavirus 's origins .
Quincy Institute Asia expert Rachel Esplin Odell has argued , for example , that Republican proposals to sanction Chinese officials for their distortion of information about the coronavirus would cost `` untold lives '' and further dampen the economy .
Writers for the organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to `` accommodate China '' by `` stifling public hostility , ceding Beijing a sphere of influence , dramatically increasing diplomacy , and relegating pushback to bureaucratic channels and the international community . ''
Participants in Thursday 's panel discussion cautioned against blaming China for the spread of the coronavirus .
Lee argued that the use of the term `` China virus '' undermines U.S. national security and , though allowed that some criticism of the Chinese Communist Party is warranted , she cautioned against placing blame for the spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's government . ''
In his interview with iTnews , Kuo offered a defense of the broad censorship imposed by the Chinese Communist Party , arguing that , while he has `` severe objections '' to it , `` there are times where lives are actually saved by internet censorship . ''
He pointed to a 2009 internet blackout imposed by Chinese officials in Xinjiang province in the wake of violent clashes between the country 's oppressed Uyghur minority and the country 's native Han Chinese that , he argued , prevented the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As heavy handed as their reasons were , the impetus for the bureaucracy to censor the internet was not unreasonable , '' Kuo said .
He himself has also argued , in crass terms , that Facebook should self-censor in order to enter the Chinese market , writing in a 2016 tweet that the company 's founder and CEO , Mark Zuckerberg , had `` already sacrificed hundreds of millions of alveoli , his dignity , & the muscular integrity of his anal sphincter .
Why not self-censor ? ''

Kaiser Kuo has argued that censorship can save lives and that some societies aren’t ready for the right to freedom of association
A defender of internet censorship with ties to one of China's largest tech companies moderated a panel Thursday at a new think tank funded by Charles Koch and George Soros.
Kaiser Kuo, the former director of international communications for the Chinese search giant Baidu, led a panel discussion hosted by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft on "Anti-Asian Racism and its Implications for Civil Liberties and National Security."
Kuo has argued that the Chinese Communist Party's rigorous domestic censorship of unflattering facts and information about the regime has, at times, saved lives and that some cultures, including present-day China, are not ready for what is widely recognized as a core human right: the freedom of association.
"I would love to say that Chinese society has reached the point where we should have the right to free assembly," Kuo told iTnews, an Australian digital outlet, in 2010. "But in reality, today assembly in China can have violent consequences. ... Perhaps, and I hate to say this, some cultures aren't ready for free assembly."
The event coincides with signals from Chinese leadership on Thursday that the country is moving to strip Hong Kong citizens of their right to free assembly enshrined by the former British colony's Basic Law.
Kuo facilitated discussion between Stanford University professor Gordon H. Chang, Jewish Currents editor-at-large Peter Beinart, and Quincy Institute research fellow Jessica Lee.
Participants argued that racism against Asian Americans, spurred in part by President Donald Trump's leadership during the pandemic, is harmful to U.S. national security. Lee referred to the "potential origin" of the virus in China and argued that the U.S. government has been "exaggerating the threat from China with inflammatory language."
The Quincy Institute has sought to position itself as a leading voice for accommodating China's rise and has launched repeated broadsides at critics of Chinese president Xi Jinping who are pushing the United States to take a harder line on issues ranging from Chinese trade policy to the country's military expansion in the South China Sea. Writers for its blog, Responsible Statecraft, have also equated Chinese malfeasance with that of the United States, arguing that maintaining sanctions against adversaries during the coronavirus pandemic is a "defiance" of liberal-democratic norms.
Kuo, who left Baidu in 2016 and now hosts a podcast, has at times minimized the gross human rights abuses perpetrated by the Chinese government. "It turns out you don't need to know the truth of what happened in Tiananmen Square to develop a great smartphone app," he told Time magazine in 2018. It is unclear if Kuo maintains a financial interest in the company.
As its spokesman, he downplayed the well-documented meddling of Chinese authorities in all private enterprise, arguing that the tech company operated "fully at arms length from the Chinese government," a claim that Derek Scissors, an expert on the Chinese economy at the American Enterprise Institute, called "wildly untrue."
"There is no rule of law in China. If the CCP demands cooperation in, say, turning over personal data, no firm has recourse to the courts or an independent press," Scissors told the Washington Free Beacon. "'As any typical Western company would' is standard CCP propaganda attempting to dismiss the role of independent institutions."
The Quincy Institute did not respond to a request for comment.
The think tank was founded in late 2019 to promote a more restrained American foreign policy reliant on diplomacy rather than military might, and many of its scholars have cautioned against retaliating over China's role in burying evidence and silencing whistleblowers with knowledge of the coronavirus's origins.
Quincy Institute Asia expert Rachel Esplin Odell has argued, for example, that Republican proposals to sanction Chinese officials for their distortion of information about the coronavirus would cost "untold lives" and further dampen the economy.
Writers for the organization's blog have pushed the United States to "accommodate China" by "stifling public hostility, ceding Beijing a sphere of influence, dramatically increasing diplomacy, and relegating pushback to bureaucratic channels and the international community."
Participants in Thursday's panel discussion cautioned against blaming China for the spread of the coronavirus. Lee argued that the use of the term "China virus" undermines U.S. national security and, though allowed that some criticism of the Chinese Communist Party is warranted, she cautioned against placing blame for the spread of the virus "solely at the feet of China's government."
In his interview with iTnews, Kuo offered a defense of the broad censorship imposed by the Chinese Communist Party, arguing that, while he has "severe objections" to it, "there are times where lives are actually saved by internet censorship."
He pointed to a 2009 internet blackout imposed by Chinese officials in Xinjiang province in the wake of violent clashes between the country's oppressed Uyghur minority and the country's native Han Chinese that, he argued, prevented the Han from further stoking violence.
"As heavy handed as their reasons were, the impetus for the bureaucracy to censor the internet was not unreasonable," Kuo said.
He himself has also argued, in crass terms, that Facebook should self-censor in order to enter the Chinese market, writing in a 2016 tweet that the company's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, had "already sacrificed hundreds of millions of alveoli, his dignity, & the muscular integrity of his anal sphincter. Why not self-censor?"


freebeacon--2020-05-21--Palestinian Authority Rejects Arab Aid That Landed in Israel

The Palestinian Authority is refusing 16 tons of coronavirus aid sent by the United Arab Emirates because it first landed in Israel .
The UAE made history Wednesday when it landed its first ever flight in Israel , a sign of normalization with the Jewish state that had seemed impossible given the Arab nation 's rejection of formal ties with Jerusalem .
The flight was carrying emergency aid products for Palestinians as they battle the coronavirus pandemic .
Palestinian leaders immediately refused to take the aid , citing the UAE 's decision to work with Israel .
Palestinian rejection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders announced a complete cutoff of long-running security cooperation with Israel , a move that threatens to throw the Palestinian-controlled territories into further chaos and thwart Israel 's counterterrorism operations .
Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei also criticized the UAE , accusing it of `` treachery '' against fellow Arab nations .
`` Today , some Persian Gulf states have committed the biggest treachery against their own history and the history of the Arab world , '' Khamenei wrote on Twitter .
`` They have betrayed Palestine by supporting Israel .
Will the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' betrayal ? ''
The United States expressed surprise at the Palestinians ' move , which comes as the Trump administration pursues a peace deal that many view as dead on arrival .
`` I 'm not exactly sure what to make of his statement , but I regret that he has decided to abrogate these agreements , '' Pompeo told reporters on Wednesday , referring to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas 's announcement about an end to security cooperation .
Pompeo would not say if he had spoken to Palestinian leaders about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would continue to pursue its vision for peace .

The Palestinian Authority is refusing 16 tons of coronavirus aid sent by the United Arab Emirates because it first landed in Israel.
The UAE made history Wednesday when it landed its first ever flight in Israel, a sign of normalization with the Jewish state that had seemed impossible given the Arab nation's rejection of formal ties with Jerusalem. The flight was carrying emergency aid products for Palestinians as they battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Palestinian leaders immediately refused to take the aid, citing the UAE's decision to work with Israel.
Palestinian rejection of the aid came on the same day leaders announced a complete cutoff of long-running security cooperation with Israel, a move that threatens to throw the Palestinian-controlled territories into further chaos and thwart Israel's counterterrorism operations.
Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei also criticized the UAE, accusing it of "treachery" against fellow Arab nations.
"Today, some Persian Gulf states have committed the biggest treachery against their own history and the history of the Arab world," Khamenei wrote on Twitter. "They have betrayed Palestine by supporting Israel. Will the nations of these states tolerate their leaders' betrayal?"
The United States expressed surprise at the Palestinians' move, which comes as the Trump administration pursues a peace deal that many view as dead on arrival.
"I'm not exactly sure what to make of his statement, but I regret that he has decided to abrogate these agreements," Pompeo told reporters on Wednesday, referring to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's announcement about an end to security cooperation.
Pompeo would not say if he had spoken to Palestinian leaders about the decision, but maintained the United States would continue to pursue its vision for peace.