freebeacon--2020-04-22--Biden Would Shut Down Gun Stores Amid Pandemic, Surrogate Says

Gun-control activist and Joe Biden surrogate Fred Guttenberg said the presumptive Democratic nominee would shut down gun stores in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic .
Guttenberg told the audience at a virtual town hall Monday that Trump was killing Americans by allowing gun stores to remain open , pointing to federal guidelines that labeled gun businesses `` essential . ''
`` This decision by this administration is going to lead to additional people dying in this country , '' Guttenberg said .
`` Joe Biden would not have called these essential businesses in the middle of a pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shame on the politicians who allowed this to happen .
Shame on the businesses who are using this pandemic as a business sales opportunity . ''
Guns and their availability during the pandemic have been a point of contention in the 2020 presidential race .
Biden accused his former rival , socialist Vermont senator Bernie Sanders , of being responsible for `` 150 million '' gun deaths because of a decade-old vote on manufacturer liability .
Guttenberg similarly said the blame would be on Trump for additional deaths stemming from gun sales , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the height of irresponsibility . ''
The Trump administration deemed gun stores , ranges , and manufacturers `` essential '' businesses at the end of March , leading a number of state and local officials to reopen shuttered gun businesses .
Americans flocked to gun stores even before the decision was announced .
March shattered previous gun-sales records , as more than 2.5 million guns were sold—many to first-time buyers .
Guttenberg , whose daughter Jaime was murdered during the Parkland school shooting in 2018 , has appeared at several Biden campaign events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Monday he joined three student gun-control activists to host a virtual town hall organized by Biden for President , Students for Biden , and Everytown for Gun Safety .
Biden promoted the event on social media , but did not attend .
The campaign did not respond to a request for comment about whether the candidate agrees with Guttenberg 's assertions .
Guttenberg went on to say that gun stores are contributing to the pandemic and selling to people who are not legally allowed to buy or own firearms , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim .
`` You have crowds showing up around these gun stores not only spreading coronavirus , but they 're buying weapons , or they 're buying ammunition , '' he said .
`` And many of them are prohibited purchasers of weapons , or they already have the weapon , and now they 're running out and buying the ammunition to use it . ''
Gun stores and all federally licensed dealers are required to run federal background checks on all gun sales they conduct .
Those checks are designed to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people prohibited from having them under federal and state law .
Despite Guttenberg 's claim , there has been no evidence that gun stores—which have remained open in most states—are a significant source of new infections .
Many that have remained open adopted social distancing and sanitation practices similar to other `` essential '' businesses .
Everytown , where Guttenberg is a member of its Survivors Network , did not respond to request for comment .
Biden has supported a wide range of new gun-control measures during his 2020 campaign for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ban on sales of all guns except hypothetical `` smart guns . ''
In October , he said he would support a national registry of firearms `` down the line . ''
In March , he threatened to fight an autoworker who challenged his support for bans on guns like the AR-15 .
A short time later he brought on a new campaign manager who publicly supported confiscating AR-15s .

Gun-control activist and Joe Biden surrogate Fred Guttenberg said the presumptive Democratic nominee would shut down gun stores in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Guttenberg told the audience at a virtual town hall Monday that Trump was killing Americans by allowing gun stores to remain open, pointing to federal guidelines that labeled gun businesses "essential."
"This decision by this administration is going to lead to additional people dying in this country," Guttenberg said. "Joe Biden would not have called these essential businesses in the middle of a pandemic. It's that simple. And so shame on the politicians who allowed this to happen. Shame on the businesses who are using this pandemic as a business sales opportunity."
Guns and their availability during the pandemic have been a point of contention in the 2020 presidential race. Biden accused his former rival, socialist Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, of being responsible for "150 million" gun deaths because of a decade-old vote on manufacturer liability. Guttenberg similarly said the blame would be on Trump for additional deaths stemming from gun sales, calling gun stores' continued operations "the height of irresponsibility."
The Trump administration deemed gun stores, ranges, and manufacturers "essential" businesses at the end of March, leading a number of state and local officials to reopen shuttered gun businesses. Americans flocked to gun stores even before the decision was announced. March shattered previous gun-sales records, as more than 2.5 million guns were sold—many to first-time buyers.
Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was murdered during the Parkland school shooting in 2018, has appeared at several Biden campaign events, as well as on television ads. On Monday he joined three student gun-control activists to host a virtual town hall organized by Biden for President, Students for Biden, and Everytown for Gun Safety. Biden promoted the event on social media, but did not attend. The campaign did not respond to a request for comment about whether the candidate agrees with Guttenberg's assertions.
Tune in now as @fred_guttenberg hosts a town hall on gun violence with #StudentsForBiden, 21 years after the Columbine High School massacre: https://t.co/NG2kU7dpYp — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 20, 2020
Guttenberg went on to say that gun stores are contributing to the pandemic and selling to people who are not legally allowed to buy or own firearms, though he did not offer evidence of either claim.
"You have crowds showing up around these gun stores not only spreading coronavirus, but they're buying weapons, or they're buying ammunition," he said. "And many of them are prohibited purchasers of weapons, or they already have the weapon, and now they're running out and buying the ammunition to use it."
Gun stores and all federally licensed dealers are required to run federal background checks on all gun sales they conduct. Those checks are designed to ensure that licensed dealers do not sell firearms to people prohibited from having them under federal and state law. Despite Guttenberg's claim, there has been no evidence that gun stores—which have remained open in most states—are a significant source of new infections. Many that have remained open adopted social distancing and sanitation practices similar to other "essential" businesses. Everytown, where Guttenberg is a member of its Survivors Network, did not respond to request for comment.
Biden has supported a wide range of new gun-control measures during his 2020 campaign for president. In June, he pushed for a ban on sales of all guns except hypothetical "smart guns." In October, he said he would support a national registry of firearms "down the line." In March, he threatened to fight an autoworker who challenged his support for bans on guns like the AR-15. A short time later he brought on a new campaign manager who publicly supported confiscating AR-15s.


freebeacon--2020-04-22--Mark Kelly Sidesteps Self-Imposed Ban on Corporate PAC Money

Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly , who has decried the influence of corporate money in politics , is using a loophole to benefit from it .
Kelly , the husband of former representative Gabby Giffords ( D. , Ariz. ) , pulled in a massive $ 11 million in contributions between January 1 and March 31 .
The first-quarter fundraising haul included nearly $ 75,000 in transfers from other PACs— $ 21,500 of which came from committees fueled by money from corporate PACs , including one associated with a company in which Kelly holds financial stakes .
Kelly has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest problems in our politics today '' and made rejecting it a cornerstone of his run to oust Republican incumbent senator Martha McSally .
Despite the self-imposed ban , he has already received cash from corporate-tied PACs by using a workaround—taking the money through other Democratic leadership PACs .
Kelly also earned $ 1.8 million from speaking gigs , including payments from large corporations .
Kelly 's latest filings show that his campaign received a $ 10,000 donation from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema 's ( D. , Ariz. ) Getting Stuff Done PAC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership PAC is primarily funded by dozens of corporate PACs , including PACs associated with Goldman Sachs , Google , JP Morgan Chase , and Visa , its filings show .
Sinema 's PAC also received thousands from the Apollo Education Group , the owner of the University of Phoenix .
In 2016 , Apollo was sold to the Vistria Group , a Chicago-based private equity firm .
Kelly received $ 50,000 in board compensation from Vistria last year and holds investments in the group valued between $ 65,000 and $ 165,000 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced as many as 170 layoffs and closed schools , affecting thousands of students .
The University of Phoenix also amassed over 1,000 fraud complaints since Vistria took over its ownership .
Kelly 's campaign received donations from other Democratic leadership PACs , including $ 2,500 from Sen. Patrick Leahy 's ( D. , Vt. ) Green Mountain PAC .
Leahy 's PAC has hauled in tens of thousands from the corporate PACs of Comcast , Google , Boeing , Microsoft , and others .
Kelly also took in $ 5,000 from Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Forward Together PAC , which has received tens of thousands from corporate PACs this cycle .
A $ 2,500 donation was passed from Sen. Mazie Hirono 's ( D. , Hawaii ) Pineapple PAC , also awash in corporate PAC contributions .
Rep. Karen Bass 's ( D. , Calif. ) Sea Change Leadership PAC , which received money from Google 's and AT & T 's corporate PACs in 2020 , gave $ 500 to Kelly 's committee .
Other donations include $ 1,000 from former senator Bill Nelson 's ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PAC .
While Nelson 's PAC has reported no new donations this cycle , it received a combined six figures in the 2018 cycle from PACs associated with Northrop Grumman , AT & T , Comcast , and Blue Cross/Blue Shield , among others .
Kelly hauled in at least $ 55,000 earlier this cycle from Democratic leadership PACs that receive corporate PAC money .
His campaign did not respond to a request for comment by press time .
Kelly has also personally profited from corporate cash .
The former NASA astronaut has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including $ 290,400 since his campaign launched .
Some of the engagements were sponsored by Goldman Sachs , Optum , and the Mortgage Bankers Association .
Democratic representative Ruben Gallego ( Ariz. ) criticized Kelly in March 2019 for pledging not to take donations from corporate PACs after profiting from the speaking engagements .
`` It 's kind of weird , though , to say you 're not taking corporate PAC money , but then also directly taking corporate PAC money into your personal account , '' Gallego said at the time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ even take that pledge if you ’ re not personally living that . ''

Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly, who has decried the influence of corporate money in politics, is using a loophole to benefit from it.
Kelly, the husband of former representative Gabby Giffords (D., Ariz.), pulled in a massive $11 million in contributions between January 1 and March 31. The first-quarter fundraising haul included nearly $75,000 in transfers from other PACs—$21,500 of which came from committees fueled by money from corporate PACs, including one associated with a company in which Kelly holds financial stakes.
Kelly has called corporate PAC money "one of the biggest problems in our politics today" and made rejecting it a cornerstone of his run to oust Republican incumbent senator Martha McSally. Despite the self-imposed ban, he has already received cash from corporate-tied PACs by using a workaround—taking the money through other Democratic leadership PACs. Kelly also earned $1.8 million from speaking gigs, including payments from large corporations.
Kelly's latest filings show that his campaign received a $10,000 donation from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's (D., Ariz.) Getting Stuff Done PAC during the first quarter. Sinema's leadership PAC is primarily funded by dozens of corporate PACs, including PACs associated with Goldman Sachs, Google, JP Morgan Chase, and Visa, its filings show.
Sinema's PAC also received thousands from the Apollo Education Group, the owner of the University of Phoenix. In 2016, Apollo was sold to the Vistria Group, a Chicago-based private equity firm. Kelly received $50,000 in board compensation from Vistria last year and holds investments in the group valued between $65,000 and $165,000. Following Apollo's fire sale, Vistria announced as many as 170 layoffs and closed schools, affecting thousands of students. The University of Phoenix also amassed over 1,000 fraud complaints since Vistria took over its ownership.
Kelly's campaign received donations from other Democratic leadership PACs, including $2,500 from Sen. Patrick Leahy's (D., Vt.) Green Mountain PAC. Leahy's PAC has hauled in tens of thousands from the corporate PACs of Comcast, Google, Boeing, Microsoft, and others.
Kelly also took in $5,000 from Sen. Mark Warner's (D., Va.) Forward Together PAC, which has received tens of thousands from corporate PACs this cycle. A $2,500 donation was passed from Sen. Mazie Hirono's (D., Hawaii) Pineapple PAC, also awash in corporate PAC contributions. Rep. Karen Bass's (D., Calif.) Sea Change Leadership PAC, which received money from Google's and AT&T's corporate PACs in 2020, gave $500 to Kelly's committee.
Other donations include $1,000 from former senator Bill Nelson's (D., Fla.) Moving America Forward PAC. While Nelson's PAC has reported no new donations this cycle, it received a combined six figures in the 2018 cycle from PACs associated with Northrop Grumman, AT&T, Comcast, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, among others.
Kelly hauled in at least $55,000 earlier this cycle from Democratic leadership PACs that receive corporate PAC money. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Kelly has also personally profited from corporate cash. The former NASA astronaut has made $1.8 million from speeches, including $290,400 since his campaign launched. Some of the engagements were sponsored by Goldman Sachs, Optum, and the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Democratic representative Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) criticized Kelly in March 2019 for pledging not to take donations from corporate PACs after profiting from the speaking engagements.
"It's kind of weird, though, to say you're not taking corporate PAC money, but then also directly taking corporate PAC money into your personal account," Gallego said at the time. "I don’t understand why even take that pledge if you’re not personally living that."


freebeacon--2020-04-22--Whitmer Blames State Agency for Handing Coronavirus Contract to Campaign Consultant

Michigan Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer denied responsibility after her administration awarded a coronavirus-related contract to a prominent Democratic consulting firm , blaming the decision on the state 's health department .
`` The department thought that that vendor was the best one for some reason .
I do n't know what that reason was , but I do know that the Department of Health and Human Services does not have a political bone in their theoretical body , '' Whitmer said during a Wednesday press conference .
`` When it was brought to my attention , I told them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday announced that it had awarded a contract to Great Lakes Community Engagement to conduct contact tracing in the state .
The organization is run by Democratic political consultant Mike Kolehouse , who planned to use NGP VAN , a liberal data firm working for the governor 's reelection campaign , in the effort .
Whitmer 's office announced the decision to terminate the contract hours after a Washington Free Beacon report revealed that the firm had previously served as a Whitmer campaign vendor .
The state did not hold a competitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have paid the political operatives to help collect information from thousands of individuals across the state to better understand the spread of the coronavirus .
Whitmer denied any involvement in the decision .
She said Wednesday that the state health department `` moved forward with the vendor '' on its own without seeking approval from the State Emergency Operations Center ( SEOC ) .
The SEOC announced the partnership with Great Lakes Community Engagement and NGP VAN in a Monday press release .
`` They moved forward with the vendor , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is the clearinghouse for all of this work , '' Whitmer said .
`` When it was brought to my attention , I told them to cancel it . ''
A department spokeswoman told the Free Beacon that the tracing project had already trained volunteers by the time the contract was canceled .
She added that neither Whitmer nor the SEOC had a role in awarding the contract , despite the SEOC press release announcing the deal .
`` The press release was from the Michigan Department of Health and Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ releases are not involved in approving contracts , '' she said .
Whitmer called the contact tracing program `` an essential part of how we 're going to save lives '' during the Wednesday press conference , adding that the SEOC will choose a new vendor for the program .
She rebuffed concerns that the change in vendor would delay the effort , saying , `` I do n't believe that much had even gotten started at all , frankly . ''
The state 's press release announcing the contract said more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training requirements , and a copy of the contract obtained by Crain 's Detroit showed a start date of April 1 .
`` This was something that came to my attention recently , '' Whitmer said .
`` I took the action , and now we are moving forward quickly to try to make sure that we 've got a vendor that can do the job , do it well , and ramp up quickly . ''
State Republicans have expressed concern about the awarding of the contract to companies involved in Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hernandez , who chairs the state 's House appropriations committee , sent a letter to Whitmer on Tuesday demanding oversight of the contract-awarding process .
Hernandez said the legislature was not aware of the contract before its announcement .
`` If there 's no wrongdoing here , you defend the contract , '' Hernandez told the Free Beacon .
`` You do n't immediately terminate it . ''
Update 4/22/20 7:34 p.m. : This article was updated with comment from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services .

Michigan Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer denied responsibility after her administration awarded a coronavirus-related contract to a prominent Democratic consulting firm, blaming the decision on the state's health department.
"The department thought that that vendor was the best one for some reason. I don't know what that reason was, but I do know that the Department of Health and Human Services does not have a political bone in their theoretical body," Whitmer said during a Wednesday press conference. "When it was brought to my attention, I told them to cancel it."
The Whitmer administration on Monday announced that it had awarded a contract to Great Lakes Community Engagement to conduct contact tracing in the state. The organization is run by Democratic political consultant Mike Kolehouse, who planned to use NGP VAN, a liberal data firm working for the governor's reelection campaign, in the effort. Whitmer's office announced the decision to terminate the contract hours after a Washington Free Beacon report revealed that the firm had previously served as a Whitmer campaign vendor.
The state did not hold a competitive bidding process for the contract, which would have paid the political operatives to help collect information from thousands of individuals across the state to better understand the spread of the coronavirus. Whitmer denied any involvement in the decision. She said Wednesday that the state health department "moved forward with the vendor" on its own without seeking approval from the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). The SEOC announced the partnership with Great Lakes Community Engagement and NGP VAN in a Monday press release.
"They moved forward with the vendor, but they should have gone through the SEOC, which is the clearinghouse for all of this work," Whitmer said. "When it was brought to my attention, I told them to cancel it."
A department spokeswoman told the Free Beacon that the tracing project had already trained volunteers by the time the contract was canceled. She added that neither Whitmer nor the SEOC had a role in awarding the contract, despite the SEOC press release announcing the deal.
"The press release was from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The individuals who send press releases are not involved in approving contracts," she said.
Whitmer called the contact tracing program "an essential part of how we're going to save lives" during the Wednesday press conference, adding that the SEOC will choose a new vendor for the program. She rebuffed concerns that the change in vendor would delay the effort, saying, "I don't believe that much had even gotten started at all, frankly." The state's press release announcing the contract said more than 2,200 volunteers had completed the program's training requirements, and a copy of the contract obtained by Crain's Detroit showed a start date of April 1.
"This was something that came to my attention recently," Whitmer said. "I took the action, and now we are moving forward quickly to try to make sure that we've got a vendor that can do the job, do it well, and ramp up quickly."
State Republicans have expressed concern about the awarding of the contract to companies involved in Democratic political campaigns. GOP state lawmaker Shane Hernandez, who chairs the state's House appropriations committee, sent a letter to Whitmer on Tuesday demanding oversight of the contract-awarding process. Hernandez said the legislature was not aware of the contract before its announcement.
"If there's no wrongdoing here, you defend the contract," Hernandez told the Free Beacon. "You don't immediately terminate it."
Update 4/22/20 7:34 p.m.: This article was updated with comment from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.


freebeacon--2020-04-22--America’s Pain Is the Ecosocialist’s Pleasure

The town of Cushing , Oklahoma , lies about halfway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City .
With a population of just under 8,000 , Cushing is unremarkable save for the fact that , thanks to an accident of history , thousands of barrels of West Texas Intermediate oil are delivered to and distributed from there every month .
As the economy has ground to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic , demand for oil has dropped , but Texas rigs have continued to pump it out of the ground .
With supply steady but demand dropping , Cushing 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result , the people expecting to take delivery of oil in May started dumping those contracts , driving the price for a May-delivered barrel of WTI down .
Eventually , something funny happened : The price went negative , reflecting the fact that the bearer would need to pay someone to take the oil off his hands .
Most readers might take this situation for what it is : another strange side effect of the market entering a self-imposed shutdown , combined with the fact that there is n't that much space in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party 's ecosocialist flank it was something different entirely : the latest sign of impending global catastrophe—perversely , something they are celebrating .
Freshman firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D. , N.Y. ) responded to the news by writing in a tweet she later deleted that `` you love to see it '' —that is , oil prices dropping below zero .
In a subsequent tweet , the Green New Dealer wrote that her fellow environmentalists were celebrating the market fluke `` as a turning point in the climate movement '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term structural decline . ''
Failed 2020 contender Tom Steyer took to Twitter to argue that `` oil is in total free-fall because it is a bad investment that wo n't create sustained jobs or prosperity . ''
The Sunrise Movement , the youth wing of American ecosocialism , claimed the temporary drop is `` our chance to publicly own oil & gas companies . ''
Enter reality .
Far from being in `` structural decline , '' the shale revolution has brought U.S. oil production to record highs , helping to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran , Russia , and Venezuela .
And even as contracts on one month 's delivery of oil go south , oil remains a key strategic resource and every patriot should hope and pray for the day that consumption returns to where it was—because that will be the day that the American people have their lives back , their jobs back , their schools back .
What 's really telling about Monday 's environmentalist jubilation is not the greens ' misunderstanding of the situation , but the value judgments that lay behind their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in fact , mean the coronavirus had crushed wholesale the American oil industry and the 10 million jobs it supports , then Ocasio-Cortez 's pronouncement that `` you love to see it '' can not be judged anything other than grotesque .
The same motivated reasoning attends when climate activists applaud the shutdown 's effect on the environment ; moan that while `` emissions are way down , '' it 's `` not all good news '' because President Trump is more focused on saving jobs than saving forest animals ; or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to eat bugs .
Their conclusion is that the collapse of America 's industrial prowess and the attendant suffering that would accompany it are a necessary and even desirable part of the coming eco-realignment .
Americans must suffer not just because it might lead to a better tomorrow but as punishment for our hubris .
As Americans endure an unprecedented economic and health crisis , take notice of who is cheering for a recovery—and who thinks our loss is Gaia 's gain .

The town of Cushing, Oklahoma, lies about halfway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. With a population of just under 8,000, Cushing is unremarkable save for the fact that, thanks to an accident of history, thousands of barrels of West Texas Intermediate oil are delivered to and distributed from there every month.
As the economy has ground to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, demand for oil has dropped, but Texas rigs have continued to pump it out of the ground. With supply steady but demand dropping, Cushing's storage tanks filled up. As a result, the people expecting to take delivery of oil in May started dumping those contracts, driving the price for a May-delivered barrel of WTI down. Eventually, something funny happened: The price went negative, reflecting the fact that the bearer would need to pay someone to take the oil off his hands.
Most readers might take this situation for what it is: another strange side effect of the market entering a self-imposed shutdown, combined with the fact that there isn't that much space in which to store crude oil.
To the Democratic Party's ecosocialist flank it was something different entirely: the latest sign of impending global catastrophe—perversely, something they are celebrating.
Freshman firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) responded to the news by writing in a tweet she later deleted that "you love to see it"—that is, oil prices dropping below zero. In a subsequent tweet, the Green New Dealer wrote that her fellow environmentalists were celebrating the market fluke "as a turning point in the climate movement" and that "fossil fuels are in long-term structural decline."
Failed 2020 contender Tom Steyer took to Twitter to argue that "oil is in total free-fall because it is a bad investment that won't create sustained jobs or prosperity." The Sunrise Movement, the youth wing of American ecosocialism, claimed the temporary drop is "our chance to publicly own oil & gas companies."
Enter reality. Far from being in "structural decline," the shale revolution has brought U.S. oil production to record highs, helping to ensure our energy independence from two-bit tyrants in Iran, Russia, and Venezuela. And even as contracts on one month's delivery of oil go south, oil remains a key strategic resource and every patriot should hope and pray for the day that consumption returns to where it was—because that will be the day that the American people have their lives back, their jobs back, their schools back.
What's really telling about Monday's environmentalist jubilation is not the greens' misunderstanding of the situation, but the value judgments that lay behind their misapprehension. If negative oil prices did, in fact, mean the coronavirus had crushed wholesale the American oil industry and the 10 million jobs it supports, then Ocasio-Cortez's pronouncement that "you love to see it" cannot be judged anything other than grotesque.
The same motivated reasoning attends when climate activists applaud the shutdown's effect on the environment; moan that while "emissions are way down," it's "not all good news" because President Trump is more focused on saving jobs than saving forest animals; or scold you about having children or refusing to eat bugs. Their conclusion is that the collapse of America's industrial prowess and the attendant suffering that would accompany it are a necessary and even desirable part of the coming eco-realignment. Americans must suffer not just because it might lead to a better tomorrow but as punishment for our hubris.
As Americans endure an unprecedented economic and health crisis, take notice of who is cheering for a recovery—and who thinks our loss is Gaia's gain.
Happy Earth Day!


freebeacon--2020-04-22--Iran’s Launch of Military Satellite a Cover for Nuclear Weapons Advancement, According to U.S. Offic

Iran’s Launch of Military Satellite a Cover for Nuclear Weapons Advancement, According to U.S. Officials

Iran 's launch Wednesday of a military satellite that it says will be used to conduct `` intelligence warfare '' against the United States violates international accords and represents a significant step forward in the Islamic Republic 's ballistic missile program , U.S. officials told the Washington Free Beacon .
Iranian military officials claimed they successfully launched a satellite into space that enables the country 's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) to track Western forces across the globe .
Major General Hossein Salami , the IRGC 's chief commander , announced his forces completed the launch of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said `` creates powerful grounds for us in intelligence warfare . ''
As the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged Iran , its ruling regime has spent billions on foreign military intervention and its nuclear infrastructure .
Wednesday 's launch was an attempted show of force by Iran that marks a significant step forward in its military efforts even as U.S. sanctions cripple the country 's economy .
`` Iran 's space program is clearly a cover for its intercontinental ballistic missile aspirations , '' Brian Hook , the administration 's special representative for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Any claims that Iran 's space program is peaceful are pure propaganda . ''
The Trump administration is closely tracking the launch and says Iran is using its space program as a front to continue its illicit development of a ballistic missile , which could carry a nuclear payload great distances .
`` Iran has long pretended its space program is peaceful in nature .
Their admission this was a military launch shows they have been lying about their intentions , '' a State Department official told the Free Beacon .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terrorist Organization—the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—was responsible for the launch and has now proudly announced itself as a ‘ space force . '
'' The launch of this satellite `` poses a significant proliferation concern '' to the United States , which will seek to hold Iran accountable for this major military escalation .
`` This vehicle incorporates technologies identical to , and interchangeable with , ballistic missiles , including longer-range systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles , '' the State Department official said .
While Iran has long used its space program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the first military satellite the country has launched .
`` Today , we can observe the world from space and this is a great achievement for IRGC to expand the strategic intelligence of its defense force , '' Salami was quoted as saying in the country 's state-controlled press .
Iran says it will use this technology to monitor Western forces , particularly the United States , which has been ratcheting up pressure through sanctions on Tehran for its support of terrorism .
`` The placement of this multi-purpose satellite in orbit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
and intelligence battles , can produce strategic added value for us , and it creates powerful grounds for us in intelligence warfare , '' Salami said .
U.S. officials concluded that the launch of this military craft violates United Nations Security Council resolutions barring Iran from developing ballistic missiles and launch technology that could be used to power a nuclear device .
`` We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to prevent Iran 's further advancement of its missile program , particularly efforts to refine or develop such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the State Department official said .
The Iranian regime has been eager to display its military might as the coronavirus ravages the country and calls into question the hardline regime 's ability to lead .
The Trump administration described the regime 's behavior as reprehensible .
`` When the Iranian people are suffering and dying from the coronavirus pandemic , it is jarring to see the Iranian regime focus their resources and efforts on these highly provocative military pursuits , instead of caring for their people , '' the State Department official @ @

Iran's launch Wednesday of a military satellite that it says will be used to conduct "intelligence warfare" against the United States violates international accords and represents a significant step forward in the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile program, U.S. officials told the Washington Free Beacon.
Iranian military officials claimed they successfully launched a satellite into space that enables the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to track Western forces across the globe.
Major General Hossein Salami, the IRGC's chief commander, announced his forces completed the launch of the nation's first-ever Noor-1 satellite, which he said "creates powerful grounds for us in intelligence warfare."
As the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged Iran, its ruling regime has spent billions on foreign military intervention and its nuclear infrastructure. Wednesday's launch was an attempted show of force by Iran that marks a significant step forward in its military efforts even as U.S. sanctions cripple the country's economy.
"Iran's space program is clearly a cover for its intercontinental ballistic missile aspirations," Brian Hook, the administration's special representative for Iran, told the Free Beacon. "Any claims that Iran's space program is peaceful are pure propaganda."
The Trump administration is closely tracking the launch and says Iran is using its space program as a front to continue its illicit development of a ballistic missile, which could carry a nuclear payload great distances.
"Iran has long pretended its space program is peaceful in nature. Their admission this was a military launch shows they have been lying about their intentions," a State Department official told the Free Beacon. "It's particularly striking that a Foreign Terrorist Organization—the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—was responsible for the launch and has now proudly announced itself as a 'space force.'"
The launch of this satellite "poses a significant proliferation concern" to the United States, which will seek to hold Iran accountable for this major military escalation.
"This vehicle incorporates technologies identical to, and interchangeable with, ballistic missiles, including longer-range systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles," the State Department official said.
While Iran has long used its space program to perfect ballistic missile technology, this is the first military satellite the country has launched.
"Today, we can observe the world from space and this is a great achievement for IRGC to expand the strategic intelligence of its defense force," Salami was quoted as saying in the country's state-controlled press.
Iran says it will use this technology to monitor Western forces, particularly the United States, which has been ratcheting up pressure through sanctions on Tehran for its support of terrorism.
"The placement of this multi-purpose satellite in orbit, both in the field of I.T. and intelligence battles, can produce strategic added value for us, and it creates powerful grounds for us in intelligence warfare," Salami said.
U.S. officials concluded that the launch of this military craft violates United Nations Security Council resolutions barring Iran from developing ballistic missiles and launch technology that could be used to power a nuclear device.
"We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to prevent Iran's further advancement of its missile program, particularly efforts to refine or develop such technology through its launches of satellites," the State Department official said.
The Iranian regime has been eager to display its military might as the coronavirus ravages the country and calls into question the hardline regime's ability to lead. The Trump administration described the regime's behavior as reprehensible.
"When the Iranian people are suffering and dying from the coronavirus pandemic, it is jarring to see the Iranian regime focus their resources and efforts on these highly provocative military pursuits, instead of caring for their people," the State Department official said.


freebeacon--2020-04-22--Vulnerable New Mexico Democrat Condemns AOC for Cheering Decline of Oil Prices

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D. , N.Y. ) on Tuesday drew fire from a fellow freshman Democrat for cheering on the collapse of oil prices .
Ocasio-Cortez faced criticism Monday for a tweet in which she said `` you absolutely love to see '' plunging oil prices .
Rep. Xochitl Torres Small ( D. , N.M. ) , whose district includes the oil-rich Permian Basin , admonished Ocasio-Cortez , accusing her of taking joy in an economic crash that could destroy the livelihoods of thousands of workers .
`` A champion for the working class should be a champion for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement Tuesday .
`` In New Mexico , the working class is , in part , made up of tens of thousands of oil and gas workers who have worked hard every day to power our state and now stand to lose their livelihoods .
No person should take joy in their suffering . ''
The rising prominence of far-left figures like Ocasio-Cortez and the Democratic Party 's liberal lurch create challenges for candidates like Torres Small .
The New Mexico Democrat was narrowly elected in 2018 as a moderate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pearce opted to run for governor .
Republicans on the campaign trail have attempted to equate Torres Small with her national partymates .
Claire Chase , a former energy sector worker and one of three candidates for the GOP nomination , said Torres Small 's criticism means little if she continues to toe a party line that is hostile to oil and gas workers .
`` I 'm glad we were finally able to shame Xochitl Torres Small into offering an ounce of criticism for her radical party , '' Chase told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this muted criticism will be meaningless when Xochitl eventually endorses Joe Biden , who has vowed to ban oil drilling and bankrupt our state . ''
Chase had called on Torres Small to condemn Ocasio-Cortez 's remarks Monday .
She pointed to `` over 100,000 New Mexico jobs '' threatened by the dramatic drop in oil prices , which fell into negative territory for the first time in history .
Following the bipartisan criticism , Ocasio-Cortez deleted her tweet celebrating the tumble , replacing it with a new tweet touting her $ 94 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the time to create millions of good jobs building out the infrastructure and clean energy necessary to save our planet for future generations , '' Ocasio-Cortez said .
`` For our economy , our planet , and our future , we need a Green New Deal . ''
Increased animosity from progressives toward the American oil industry could spell trouble for Democrats pitching themselves as moderates to swing-state voters .
Biden in March said he would prevent oil companies from drilling as part of his effort to fight climate change following pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Vt. ) .
The Biden campaign walked back the controversial statement by saying Biden had `` misspoken . ''
Chase , the former chair of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association , will face former state legislator Yvette Herrell and businessman Chris Mathys in the district 's Republican primary in June .
She has outraised Herrell , who fell to Torres Small by less than 2 points in 2018 , by more than $ 300,000 .
Torres Small did not draw a primary opponent .
Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to request @ @ @

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) on Tuesday drew fire from a fellow freshman Democrat for cheering on the collapse of oil prices.
Ocasio-Cortez faced criticism Monday for a tweet in which she said "you absolutely love to see" plunging oil prices. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D., N.M.), whose district includes the oil-rich Permian Basin, admonished Ocasio-Cortez, accusing her of taking joy in an economic crash that could destroy the livelihoods of thousands of workers.
"A champion for the working class should be a champion for all workers," Torres Small said in a statement Tuesday. "In New Mexico, the working class is, in part, made up of tens of thousands of oil and gas workers who have worked hard every day to power our state and now stand to lose their livelihoods. No person should take joy in their suffering."
The rising prominence of far-left figures like Ocasio-Cortez and the Democratic Party's liberal lurch create challenges for candidates like Torres Small. The New Mexico Democrat was narrowly elected in 2018 as a moderate in a conservative district after GOP incumbent Steve Pearce opted to run for governor. Republicans on the campaign trail have attempted to equate Torres Small with her national partymates. Claire Chase, a former energy sector worker and one of three candidates for the GOP nomination, said Torres Small's criticism means little if she continues to toe a party line that is hostile to oil and gas workers.
"I'm glad we were finally able to shame Xochitl Torres Small into offering an ounce of criticism for her radical party," Chase told the Washington Free Beacon. "Unfortunately, this muted criticism will be meaningless when Xochitl eventually endorses Joe Biden, who has vowed to ban oil drilling and bankrupt our state."
Chase had called on Torres Small to condemn Ocasio-Cortez's remarks Monday. She pointed to "over 100,000 New Mexico jobs" threatened by the dramatic drop in oil prices, which fell into negative territory for the first time in history. Following the bipartisan criticism, Ocasio-Cortez deleted her tweet celebrating the tumble, replacing it with a new tweet touting her $94 trillion Green New Deal.
"Now is the time to create millions of good jobs building out the infrastructure and clean energy necessary to save our planet for future generations," Ocasio-Cortez said. "For our economy, our planet, and our future, we need a Green New Deal."
Increased animosity from progressives toward the American oil industry could spell trouble for Democrats pitching themselves as moderates to swing-state voters. Biden in March said he would prevent oil companies from drilling as part of his effort to fight climate change following pressure from socialist senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.). The Biden campaign walked back the controversial statement by saying Biden had "misspoken."
Chase, the former chair of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, will face former state legislator Yvette Herrell and businessman Chris Mathys in the district's Republican primary in June. She has outraised Herrell, who fell to Torres Small by less than 2 points in 2018, by more than $300,000. Torres Small did not draw a primary opponent.
Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-04-22--‘We’re Doing It. It’s Possible!’: Enviro-Activist Applauds Global Pandemic’s Impact on Climate Chang

‘We’re Doing It. It’s Possible!’: Enviro-Activist Applauds Global Pandemic’s Impact on Climate Change

The coronavirus pandemic unleashed by China , and the ensuing shutdown of the global economy , looks to climate activists like a golden opportunity to convince skeptics that their goals are reasonable and easy to achieve .
Eric Holthaus , a self-described `` ecosocialist '' and user of the popular social networking website Twitter , was thrilled to announce that global carbon emissions are expected to fall by 6 percent this year , which would mark the biggest annual decline since World War II .
`` We 're doing it .
It 's possible ! ''
wrote Holthaus , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these pandemic levels of economic shutdown `` every year until 2030 '' to achieve the goals set by the Paris climate accords , which climate activists view as a good first step .
Holthaus argued that the Green New Deal , authored by celebrity congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D. , N.Y. ) , would play a vital role in helping the United States sustain these pandemic levels of economic inactivity , but without the mass unemployment .
`` We can build a better world for everyone out of the ashes of the old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's certainly a relief to know that the world envisioned by climate activists is possible and will only require the equivalent of a global economic shutdown for a mere 10 years to achieve , or at least to start .
It just goes to show that , despite his skepticism of global climate accord , President Donald J. Trump is on pace to be the most successful climate-change president in American history , far exceeding anything Barack Obama was able to accomplish .
That 's what courageous leadership can do .

10 more years of total economic shutdown might be enough to meet Paris climate accord requirements
The coronavirus pandemic unleashed by China, and the ensuing shutdown of the global economy, looks to climate activists like a golden opportunity to convince skeptics that their goals are reasonable and easy to achieve.
Eric Holthaus, a self-described "ecosocialist" and user of the popular social networking website Twitter, was thrilled to announce that global carbon emissions are expected to fall by 6 percent this year, which would mark the biggest annual decline since World War II.
"We're doing it. It's possible!" wrote Holthaus, adding that the world would need to maintain these pandemic levels of economic shutdown "every year until 2030" to achieve the goals set by the Paris climate accords, which climate activists view as a good first step.
Holthaus argued that the Green New Deal, authored by celebrity congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), would play a vital role in helping the United States sustain these pandemic levels of economic inactivity, but without the mass unemployment. "We can build a better world for everyone out of the ashes of the old one," he wrote.
It's certainly a relief to know that the world envisioned by climate activists is possible and will only require the equivalent of a global economic shutdown for a mere 10 years to achieve, or at least to start.
It just goes to show that, despite his skepticism of global climate accord, President Donald J. Trump is on pace to be the most successful climate-change president in American history, far exceeding anything Barack Obama was able to accomplish. That's what courageous leadership can do.
Happy Earth Day!


freebeacon--2020-04-23--States Made Risky Bets with Pensions Before Coronavirus. Now They Want a Bailout.

Staring down the coronavirus 's effect on their budgets , states like New Jersey and Illinois are calling on federal leaders to backstop public pensions as part of future coronavirus relief .
Democratic leaders in those states are pushing the federal government for billions in funding to shore up underfunded public pensions .
Democrats in Congress have made bailouts for state and local governments a major priority for the next round of coronavirus stimulus , even allowing a major small business loan program to run dry as Republicans refused to package a renewal with more cash for states .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ product of the bear market , experts tell the Washington Free Beacon .
Some states now seeking bailouts are in part covering for more than a decade of economic mismanagement , having chased increasingly risky investments to fund generous benefits at low up-front costs .
Bailouts would allow states to dodge hard questions about the viability of excessively generous public pensions .
Illinois state senate president Don Harmon ( D. ) over the weekend sent a letter to the state 's congressional delegation asking for $ 10 billion for the state 's chronically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Jersey state senate president Stephen Sweeney ( D. ) expanded on Illinois 's request , asking for $ 500 billion in federal loans to buckling state pensions across the nation .
The National Governors Association has called for $ 500 billion for fiscal relief generally , some of which would undoubtedly go to state pensions .
Andrew Biggs , a pension expert at the American Enterprise Institute , told the Washington Free Beacon that a bailout for Illinois could break the dam of federal funding : `` If Illinois got money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it , because all of these pensions have some level of funding problems .
I think this is the feeler to see what happens . ''
The requests for a pension bailout follow crippling losses thanks to the coronavirus-driven downturn .
Credit rating agency Moody 's estimates that state and territory pensions have lost about 21 percent of their value , close to $ 1 trillion .
By comparison , 401 ( k ) s have lost about 11 percent on average since the market went south .
Advocates of a bailout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the fight against the coronavirus .
State spending has risen just as standard sources of revenue—sales taxes , income taxes , etc.—are either delayed or drying up altogether .
But data reveal that state pensions have been a ticking financial time bomb for years , chronically underfunded and ill-prepared for a recession .
As of 2017 , analysis from the Pew Charitable Trusts finds there was a $ 1 trillion gap between state pensions ' assets and liabilities .
Some states , including New Jersey and Illinois , held as little as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liability .
States pension funds last took a beating during the Great Recession , with every state feeling at least some heat .
But states responded differently—the eight best-funded states had rebounded 95 percent by 2017 , while the 20 worst-funded states saw funding drop from 76 percent in 2007 to 56 percent in 2017 .
`` The general narrative of pensions over the past 10 years is that we 're back on track , we 're doing okay , our rate of return assumptions are alright , we 're making our contributions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they get hammered again , and there 's been kind of willful ignorance among a lot of them about what 's involved in really running one of these things . ''
Josh McGee , a research assistant professor at the University of Arkansas and the former chairman of the Texas State Pension Review Board , told the Free Beacon that this growth in shortfalls comes down to a number of factors .
Liabilities have grown—they 're now 30 to 40 percent of GDP , he said , up from 10 percent in 1990 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making it harder for states to get the returns on investment they want .
States largely failed to capitalize on the market expansion between 2009 and 2020— '' Essentially plans have just been treading water and have not closed the gap [ between liabilities and assets ] since 2008 . ''
Facing these yawning gaps , many states have chosen to move their pension funds out of safe assets and into riskier ones , like stocks and real estate .
This , McGee explained , helps keep annual contributions to pension funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ derisk , their advisers would say they would have a lower assumed return on assets , which would mean they would have to discount at a lower rate , which would mean they 'd have to put more money in today , and state budgets have been relatively strapped , so they 're hesitant to do that , '' McGee said .
`` So they chase riskier and riskier returns , so they can keep their budget contributions lower today . ''
All of that risk , however , came back to spite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were much more exposed to the downturn than comparatively risk-averse 401 ( k ) s. That 's part of what concerns McGee about a federal bailout : Loans issued to state pension funds would move some of that risk on to the federal balance sheet .
Should the federal government take on that risk ?
`` I do n't know , '' he said .
Biggs , who sits on the federal board overseeing Puerto Rico 's bankruptcy , cautioned that allowing state pensions to fail would be `` an incredibly messy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate servicing of obligations could push a state like Illinois into bankruptcy .
Both he and McGee said they could get behind federal support for pension funds , but only if there were safeguards in place : some reduction in or freeze on benefit increases , restrictions on the risk level of assets bought with federal funds , and requirements for additional reporting .
Whether national politicians , especially Democrats still eager to push funds to states , will impose such restrictions is another question .
A bailout with no strings attached , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look in the eyes of states—including corona-battered New York—that did practice fiscal discipline prior to the start of the current crisis .
`` If the federal government bails out the less responsible states , states like New Jersey and Illinois whose legislatures and governor have been pretty militant about underfunding pensions , then I think it sends a bad message , '' he said .

Staring down the coronavirus's effect on their budgets, states like New Jersey and Illinois are calling on federal leaders to backstop public pensions as part of future coronavirus relief.
Democratic leaders in those states are pushing the federal government for billions in funding to shore up underfunded public pensions. Democrats in Congress have made bailouts for state and local governments a major priority for the next round of coronavirus stimulus, even allowing a major small business loan program to run dry as Republicans refused to package a renewal with more cash for states.
But the pension shortfalls are not just a product of the bear market, experts tell the Washington Free Beacon. Some states now seeking bailouts are in part covering for more than a decade of economic mismanagement, having chased increasingly risky investments to fund generous benefits at low up-front costs. Bailouts would allow states to dodge hard questions about the viability of excessively generous public pensions.
Illinois state senate president Don Harmon (D.) over the weekend sent a letter to the state's congressional delegation asking for $10 billion for the state's chronically underfunded public pension system. On Tuesday, New Jersey state senate president Stephen Sweeney (D.) expanded on Illinois's request, asking for $500 billion in federal loans to buckling state pensions across the nation. The National Governors Association has called for $500 billion for fiscal relief generally, some of which would undoubtedly go to state pensions.
Andrew Biggs, a pension expert at the American Enterprise Institute, told the Washington Free Beacon that a bailout for Illinois could break the dam of federal funding: "If Illinois got money, then everybody's going to ask for it, because all of these pensions have some level of funding problems. I think this is the feeler to see what happens."
The requests for a pension bailout follow crippling losses thanks to the coronavirus-driven downturn. Credit rating agency Moody's estimates that state and territory pensions have lost about 21 percent of their value, close to $1 trillion. By comparison, 401(k)s have lost about 11 percent on average since the market went south.
Advocates of a bailout argue that states are the front line for the fight against the coronavirus. State spending has risen just as standard sources of revenue—sales taxes, income taxes, etc.—are either delayed or drying up altogether.
But data reveal that state pensions have been a ticking financial time bomb for years, chronically underfunded and ill-prepared for a recession. As of 2017, analysis from the Pew Charitable Trusts finds there was a $1 trillion gap between state pensions' assets and liabilities. Some states, including New Jersey and Illinois, held as little as one dollar for every three of outstanding liability.
States pension funds last took a beating during the Great Recession, with every state feeling at least some heat. But states responded differently—the eight best-funded states had rebounded 95 percent by 2017, while the 20 worst-funded states saw funding drop from 76 percent in 2007 to 56 percent in 2017.
"The general narrative of pensions over the past 10 years is that we're back on track, we're doing okay, our rate of return assumptions are alright, we're making our contributions," Biggs said. "Now they get hammered again, and there's been kind of willful ignorance among a lot of them about what's involved in really running one of these things."
Josh McGee, a research assistant professor at the University of Arkansas and the former chairman of the Texas State Pension Review Board, told the Free Beacon that this growth in shortfalls comes down to a number of factors. Liabilities have grown—they're now 30 to 40 percent of GDP, he said, up from 10 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, interest rates have fallen, making it harder for states to get the returns on investment they want. States largely failed to capitalize on the market expansion between 2009 and 2020—"Essentially plans have just been treading water and have not closed the gap [between liabilities and assets] since 2008."
Facing these yawning gaps, many states have chosen to move their pension funds out of safe assets and into riskier ones, like stocks and real estate. This, McGee explained, helps keep annual contributions to pension funds low.
"If they were to derisk, their advisers would say they would have a lower assumed return on assets, which would mean they would have to discount at a lower rate, which would mean they'd have to put more money in today, and state budgets have been relatively strapped, so they're hesitant to do that," McGee said. "So they chase riskier and riskier returns, so they can keep their budget contributions lower today."
All of that risk, however, came back to spite public pensions when the current recession hit—they were much more exposed to the downturn than comparatively risk-averse 401(k)s. That's part of what concerns McGee about a federal bailout: Loans issued to state pension funds would move some of that risk on to the federal balance sheet. Should the federal government take on that risk? "I don't know," he said.
Biggs, who sits on the federal board overseeing Puerto Rico's bankruptcy, cautioned that allowing state pensions to fail would be "an incredibly messy, awful thing," especially as the immediate servicing of obligations could push a state like Illinois into bankruptcy. Both he and McGee said they could get behind federal support for pension funds, but only if there were safeguards in place: some reduction in or freeze on benefit increases, restrictions on the risk level of assets bought with federal funds, and requirements for additional reporting.
Whether national politicians, especially Democrats still eager to push funds to states, will impose such restrictions is another question. A bailout with no strings attached, McGee said, would be a bad look in the eyes of states—including corona-battered New York—that did practice fiscal discipline prior to the start of the current crisis.
"If the federal government bails out the less responsible states, states like New Jersey and Illinois whose legislatures and governor have been pretty militant about underfunding pensions, then I think it sends a bad message," he said.


freebeacon--2020-04-23--Dem Operative Goes Dark as MI Lawmakers Question Coronavirus Contract

The Democratic operative who was awarded a coronavirus-related contract by Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer 's administration has deleted his website and removed identifying information from social media platforms .
Democratic consultant Mike Kolehouse scrubbed his online presence as state lawmakers push for oversight into Whitmer 's handling of the pandemic , voicing concerns about hiring political operatives to run a public health project .
GOP state representative Shane Hernandez sent Whitmer a letter Tuesday demanding answers on the contract .
House speaker Lee Chatfield said the legislature would convene Friday to create an oversight committee examining the state 's coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terminated a door-to-door pandemic tracing contract awarded to Great Lakes Community Engagement , an organization led by Kolehouse , just one day after its announcement .
Within 24 hours of the cancellation , Kolehouse , who was set to take in nearly $ 200,000 in the deal , took down the website for his consulting firm , K2K strategies , as well as his Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn accounts .
He did not return multiple requests for comment from the Washington Free Beacon and declined to answer questions about the contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collecting sensitive health data , from the Washington Post and Crain 's Detroit .
The oversight effort could spell trouble for Whitmer , who in March emerged as a potential running mate to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
She has faced intense criticism in recent weeks over a far-reaching stay-at-home order that hurts small businesses .
The governor blamed the controversial contract on the state 's health department and denied any involvement in the deal at a Wednesday press briefing .
Hernandez said the public deserves a thorough explanation of how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's campaign consultants .
`` If the governor thinks that canceling the contract means we 're not going to pursue the questions I asked , that 's not going to happen .
We deserve to know how this contract came about , '' Hernandez told the Free Beacon .
`` We also need to conduct oversight in the legislature to make sure there are n't other contracts going out that are political in nature . ''
Whitmer 's office did not respond to a request for comment .
State filings show that Kolehouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in 2012 .
Both Great Lakes Community Engagement and Kolehouse Strategies are licensed as assumed names of the firm and were created in 2017 and 2019 , respectively .
Kolehouse has earned more than $ 750,000 working for Democratic campaigns and liberal ballot initiatives since 2017 .
More than $ 570,000 came from Fair and Equal Michigan , an LGBTQ advocacy group .
Other clients include the Michigan Senate Democratic Fund and Shri Thanedar , who ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2018 .
Kolehouse has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , `` I hope he gets Coronavirus ASAP '' and `` can someone do the country a favor and cough on that man . ''
Kolehouse was pictured with former president Bill Clinton at a 2016 Hillary Clinton fundraiser in Grand Rapids .
In an interview with the Free Beacon , Hernandez said the administration could have easily found a nonpartisan data firm capable of performing tracking work .
`` I 've been doing some digging and know that there are other vendors that could have done this , vendors that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't have political ties , '' he said .
`` We want to know : Did the state follow protocol , did they have a pre-approved list of vendors , and did they pick a vendor that was not on that list ? ''
A former official in Michigan Republican governor Rick Snyder 's administration told the Free Beacon that Snyder started a data storage contract with Microsoft that is still used by Whitmer today and could have been used in the contact tracing project .
`` Microsoft CRM is used in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correspondence and scheduling request correspondence , '' the former official said .
`` Whitmer still uses the same system that Snyder started , which would have been in 2011 or 2012 . ''
The official said the Michigan Economic Development Corporation uses Salesforce products for similar purposes—the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts announced partnerships with Salesforce in contact tracing projects in early April .
While Whitmer called contact tracing `` an essential part of how we 're going to save lives , '' she said she was not aware of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was announced Monday , adding that she canceled it as soon as it was brought to her attention .
The state began recruiting volunteers for the effort in late March , and Whitmer was credited with launching the effort by a Grand Rapids ABC affiliate on March 28 .
The former Snyder official called Whitmer 's lack of awareness `` abnormal , '' saying the governor is likely discussing the state 's coronavirus response with administration officials multiple times daily .
`` If it 's that big , surely she should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During Flint , we had update calls with the governor every morning and every night , '' the official said .
`` PPE status , testing status , contact tracing status , those should have been discussed with her . ''
The contract fiasco marks the latest unforced error by Whitmer , who has faced mounting criticism since presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden said she was on his shortlist for vice president in late March .
Whitmer downplayed her chances of securing the nomination during a CNN appearance Thursday .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger conversation , but that 's not something that I 'm promoting , it 's not something that I 'm spending energy on , '' Whitmer said .
When asked if she would turn down the job if offered , she failed to answer , saying , `` I 'm going to continue to support him in any way that I can be helpful . ''

The Democratic operative who was awarded a coronavirus-related contract by Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer's administration has deleted his website and removed identifying information from social media platforms.
Democratic consultant Mike Kolehouse scrubbed his online presence as state lawmakers push for oversight into Whitmer's handling of the pandemic, voicing concerns about hiring political operatives to run a public health project. GOP state representative Shane Hernandez sent Whitmer a letter Tuesday demanding answers on the contract. House speaker Lee Chatfield said the legislature would convene Friday to create an oversight committee examining the state's coronavirus response.
On Tuesday the Whitmer administration terminated a door-to-door pandemic tracing contract awarded to Great Lakes Community Engagement, an organization led by Kolehouse, just one day after its announcement. Within 24 hours of the cancellation, Kolehouse, who was set to take in nearly $200,000 in the deal, took down the website for his consulting firm, K2K strategies, as well as his Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. He did not return multiple requests for comment from the Washington Free Beacon and declined to answer questions about the contract, which would have tasked him with collecting sensitive health data, from the Washington Post and Crain's Detroit.
The oversight effort could spell trouble for Whitmer, who in March emerged as a potential running mate to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. She has faced intense criticism in recent weeks over a far-reaching stay-at-home order that hurts small businesses. The governor blamed the controversial contract on the state's health department and denied any involvement in the deal at a Wednesday press briefing. Hernandez said the public deserves a thorough explanation of how the state awarded a lucrative contract to Whitmer's campaign consultants.
"If the governor thinks that canceling the contract means we're not going to pursue the questions I asked, that's not going to happen. We deserve to know how this contract came about," Hernandez told the Free Beacon. "We also need to conduct oversight in the legislature to make sure there aren't other contracts going out that are political in nature."
Whitmer's office did not respond to a request for comment.
State filings show that Kolehouse registered his consulting firm, K2K Consulting, in 2012. Both Great Lakes Community Engagement and Kolehouse Strategies are licensed as assumed names of the firm and were created in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Kolehouse has earned more than $750,000 working for Democratic campaigns and liberal ballot initiatives since 2017. More than $570,000 came from Fair and Equal Michigan, an LGBTQ advocacy group. Other clients include the Michigan Senate Democratic Fund and Shri Thanedar, who ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2018.
Kolehouse has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump on social media. In late March he said, "I hope he gets Coronavirus ASAP" and "can someone do the country a favor and cough on that man." Kolehouse was pictured with former president Bill Clinton at a 2016 Hillary Clinton fundraiser in Grand Rapids.
In an interview with the Free Beacon, Hernandez said the administration could have easily found a nonpartisan data firm capable of performing tracking work.
"I've been doing some digging and know that there are other vendors that could have done this, vendors that the state has used in the past that don't have political ties," he said. "We want to know: Did the state follow protocol, did they have a pre-approved list of vendors, and did they pick a vendor that was not on that list?"
A former official in Michigan Republican governor Rick Snyder's administration told the Free Beacon that Snyder started a data storage contract with Microsoft that is still used by Whitmer today and could have been used in the contact tracing project.
"Microsoft CRM is used in the governor's office for storing constituent correspondence and scheduling request correspondence," the former official said. "Whitmer still uses the same system that Snyder started, which would have been in 2011 or 2012." The official said the Michigan Economic Development Corporation uses Salesforce products for similar purposes—the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts announced partnerships with Salesforce in contact tracing projects in early April.
While Whitmer called contact tracing "an essential part of how we're going to save lives," she said she was not aware of the state's contract on the effort until after it was announced Monday, adding that she canceled it as soon as it was brought to her attention. The state began recruiting volunteers for the effort in late March, and Whitmer was credited with launching the effort by a Grand Rapids ABC affiliate on March 28.
The former Snyder official called Whitmer's lack of awareness "abnormal," saying the governor is likely discussing the state's coronavirus response with administration officials multiple times daily.
"If it's that big, surely she should have known how it was going to work. During the state of emergency for Flint, we had update calls with the governor every morning," the official said. "PPE status, testing status, contact tracing status, those should have been discussed with her."
The contract fiasco marks the latest unforced error by Whitmer, who has faced mounting criticism since presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden said she was on his shortlist for vice president in late March. Whitmer downplayed her chances of securing the nomination during a CNN appearance Thursday.
"I am honored to be included in a bigger conversation, but that's not something that I'm promoting, it's not something that I'm spending energy on," Whitmer said. When asked if she would turn down the job if offered, she failed to answer, saying, "I'm going to continue to support him in any way that I can be helpful."


freebeacon--2020-04-23--Police Photos From Scene of Overdose Incident Involving Florida Dem Andrew Gillum Reveal Crystal Met

Police Photos From Scene of Overdose Incident Involving Florida Dem Andrew Gillum Reveal Crystal Meth, Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

The Miami Beach Police Department released new photographs , video , and audio from the scene of a drug overdose incident involving failed Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum , who was found unconscious along with two men in a drug-filled hotel room .
The photos reveal three bags of what police said was crystal methamphetamine , as well as numerous prescription drugs , including a vial of papaverine , phentolamine , and alprostadil , a mixture commonly injected into the penis by men suffering from erectile dysfunction , according to Memorial Sloane Kettering .
Police were called in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the men , who told officers he arrived in the room to find Gillum vomiting in the bathroom and a second person non-responsive on the bed .
The man told police over the phone that Gillum and the other man appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance .
When police arrived at the scene , they found that `` Gillum was unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state , '' according to the police report , but that his vital signs were normal .
They allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to his residence .
Other drugs visible in photos include Citalopram , Gabapentin , and Xanax , a popular recreational drug often linked to overdoses .
After denying immediately after the incident that he used crystal meth , Gillum , who is married with three children , announced that he was entering rehab for alcohol abuse .
`` After conversation with my family and deep reflection , I have made the decision to seek help , guidance , and enter a rehabilitation facility at this time , '' Gillum said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me . ''
Though Gillum said the incident stemmed from a wedding he was attending , the man who suffered from the drug overdose told the Miami New Times he had n't heard Gillum mention celebrating a wedding that night .
The redacted 911 call , as well as all the photos of the hotel room released by police , can be found below .

The Miami Beach Police Department released new photographs, video, and audio from the scene of a drug overdose incident involving failed Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, who was found unconscious along with two men in a drug-filled hotel room.
The photos reveal three bags of what police said was crystal methamphetamine, as well as numerous prescription drugs, including a vial of papaverine, phentolamine, and alprostadil, a mixture commonly injected into the penis by men suffering from erectile dysfunction, according to Memorial Sloane Kettering.
Police were called in the early hours of March 13 by one of the men, who told officers he arrived in the room to find Gillum vomiting in the bathroom and a second person non-responsive on the bed. The man told police over the phone that Gillum and the other man appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance.
When police arrived at the scene, they found that "Gillum was unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state," according to the police report, but that his vital signs were normal. They allowed Gillum to leave the hotel room and return to his residence.
Images reveal a hotel room littered with drug paraphernalia, stained bedding, and towels.
Other drugs visible in photos include Citalopram, Gabapentin, and Xanax, a popular recreational drug often linked to overdoses.
After denying immediately after the incident that he used crystal meth, Gillum, who is married with three children, announced that he was entering rehab for alcohol abuse.
"After conversation with my family and deep reflection, I have made the decision to seek help, guidance, and enter a rehabilitation facility at this time," Gillum said. "This has been a wake-up call for me."
Though Gillum said the incident stemmed from a wedding he was attending, the man who suffered from the drug overdose told the Miami New Times he hadn't heard Gillum mention celebrating a wedding that night.
The redacted 911 call, as well as all the photos of the hotel room released by police, can be found below.


freebeacon--2020-04-23--Candidate Who Killed #MeToo Movement Returns Donation From Notorious Masturbator

Former vice president Joe Biden may be solely responsible for the death of the # MeToo movement , but that does n't mean he 's going to start accepting donations from notorious perverts any time soon .
Biden 's campaign on Wednesday said it returned a $ 2,800 contribution from Louis C.K.
, a comedian whose successful career was # canceled after numerous women accused him of forcing them to watch him masturbate .
The comedian donated under his real name , Louis Szekely , on March 4 following Biden 's commanding primary victories on Super Tuesday , which solidified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party 's presumptive nominee for president .
Szekely , who wrote and directed the 2001 smash hit Pootie Tang , was among the prominent entertainers accused of sexual misconduct during the so-called # MeToo movement , which inspired the popular hashtag # BelieveAllWomen .
That movement died earlier this month when mainstream publications were forced to admit they 'd rather not believe Tara Reade , who accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her when she worked in his Senate office in 1993 .
The New York Times , for example , waited three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's allegation—on page A20 .
The media coverage of Reade 's allegation has , for some reason , been considerably less credulous and hysterical than the coverage of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford 's sexual assault allegation against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 .
Perhaps because such allegations are just more credible when they 're made against Republicans ?

Former vice president Joe Biden may be solely responsible for the death of the #MeToo movement, but that doesn't mean he's going to start accepting donations from notorious perverts any time soon.
Biden's campaign on Wednesday said it returned a $2,800 contribution from Louis C.K., a comedian whose successful career was #canceled after numerous women accused him of forcing them to watch him masturbate.
The comedian donated under his real name, Louis Szekely, on March 4 following Biden's commanding primary victories on Super Tuesday, which solidified the former VP's status as the party's presumptive nominee for president.
Szekely, who wrote and directed the 2001 smash hit Pootie Tang, was among the prominent entertainers accused of sexual misconduct during the so-called #MeToo movement, which inspired the popular hashtag #BelieveAllWomen.
That movement died earlier this month when mainstream publications were forced to admit they'd rather not believe Tara Reade, who accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her when she worked in his Senate office in 1993. The New York Times, for example, waited three weeks before publishing a story on Reade's allegation—on page A20.
The media coverage of Reade's allegation has, for some reason, been considerably less credulous and hysterical than the coverage of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegation against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. Perhaps because such allegations are just more credible when they're made against Republicans?


freebeacon--2020-04-23--Soros’s Lobbyists Depart From D.C. Liberal Advocacy Group

George Soros 's advocacy group , the second-highest-spending lobby group in the country , has halted its advocacy operations after its lobbyists departed earlier this year .
The Open Society Policy Center ( OSPC ) , a D.C.-based lobbying shop in the liberal billionaire 's vast network , deployed two in-house staffers to influence Capitol Hill lawmakers on legislation .
The policy center , however , recently filed a termination report to the U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk that became effective on March 31 , as both lobbyists left the OSPC earlier in the year .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soros 's political influence operation .
Their departure means the nonprofit 's advocacy efforts in the nation 's capital will halt for the time being .
OSPC was the second-largest lobbying spender in the nation in 2019 , according to the Center for Responsive Politics .
Soros 's lobbying shop has poured more than $ 100 million into advocacy efforts since President Donald Trump took office— $ 40 million more than it spent over the previous 14 years combined .
In recent years , it has spent more than Amazon , Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent company .
Only the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent more than the OSPC on lobbying last year .
Much of the OSPC 's spending was for grants to other liberal organizations for their advocacy efforts rather than its own lobbying .
Jonathan Kaplan , a spokesman for the OSPC , said the two staff members , who had to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act—which requires the disclosure of activities to influence the federal government—departed the group before the end of the quarter .
Federal guidance says to terminate registration once there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group filed a termination report .
`` We will continue abiding by the rules and register [ as a lobbying group ] if or when we trigger the requirements again , '' Kaplan told the Washington Free Beacon .
He added that OSPC would provide a breakdown of its expenses , the `` vast majority '' of which are grants , online .
The two lobbyists departed for other jobs in D.C. Lora Lumpe , OSPC 's former advocacy director , left the group to become the first CEO of the Soros- and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Staff and scholars at the foreign policy think tank have been dogged by charges of anti-Semitism and have echoed Chinese propaganda .
Jacob Marx , OSPC 's former senior policy specialist , is now a military legislative assistant in Rep. Katie Porter 's ( D. , Calif. ) D.C. office .
While Soros 's group will have to put the brakes on its own Capitol Hill lobbying until it again meets the requirements for registration , two other D.C. lobbying outfits—NVG LLC and the Raben Group—list the OSPC as a client .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports Soros 's Open Society Foundation as a client .
The OSPC spent a record $ 48 million on advocacy last year .
It lobbied in favor of making gun companies liable for crimes committed with firearms , against President Trump 's judicial nominations , and on issues related to immigration enforcement .
Groups that receive money from OSPC have pushed back against repealing Obamacare and Trump 's tax cuts .
During the first quarter of 2020 , the OSPC added $ 5 million to its lobbying total , its newest disclosures show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021 and issues related to national security powers .
The OSPC 's website shows that during the third quarter of 2019 , the group spent $ 3.9 million on projects at the Sixteen Thirty Fund , a massive dark money network that funneled more than $ 600 million to liberal groups and initiatives in 2018 alone .
It passed at least $ 1 million more to other activist organizations , including Community Change Action , Emgage Action , Indivisible Project , Tides Advocacy , and New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet posted .
The OSPC will continue to hand out grants after the departure of its in-house lobbyists .

George Soros's advocacy group, the second-highest-spending lobby group in the country, has halted its advocacy operations after its lobbyists departed earlier this year.
The Open Society Policy Center (OSPC), a D.C.-based lobbying shop in the liberal billionaire's vast network, deployed two in-house staffers to influence Capitol Hill lawmakers on legislation. The policy center, however, recently filed a termination report to the U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk that became effective on March 31, as both lobbyists left the OSPC earlier in the year.
The two lobbyists were an integral part of Soros's political influence operation. Their departure means the nonprofit's advocacy efforts in the nation's capital will halt for the time being. OSPC was the second-largest lobbying spender in the nation in 2019, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Soros's lobbying shop has poured more than $100 million into advocacy efforts since President Donald Trump took office—$40 million more than it spent over the previous 14 years combined. In recent years, it has spent more than Amazon, Facebook, Boeing, and Alphabet, Google's parent company. Only the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent more than the OSPC on lobbying last year. Much of the OSPC's spending was for grants to other liberal organizations for their advocacy efforts rather than its own lobbying.
Jonathan Kaplan, a spokesman for the OSPC, said the two staff members, who had to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act—which requires the disclosure of activities to influence the federal government—departed the group before the end of the quarter. Federal guidance says to terminate registration once there are no registered lobbyists, so the group filed a termination report.
"We will continue abiding by the rules and register [as a lobbying group] if or when we trigger the requirements again," Kaplan told the Washington Free Beacon. He added that OSPC would provide a breakdown of its expenses, the "vast majority" of which are grants, online.
The two lobbyists departed for other jobs in D.C. Lora Lumpe, OSPC's former advocacy director, left the group to become the first CEO of the Soros- and Charles Koch-funded Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Staff and scholars at the foreign policy think tank have been dogged by charges of anti-Semitism and have echoed Chinese propaganda. Jacob Marx, OSPC's former senior policy specialist, is now a military legislative assistant in Rep. Katie Porter's (D., Calif.) D.C. office.
While Soros's group will have to put the brakes on its own Capitol Hill lobbying until it again meets the requirements for registration, two other D.C. lobbying outfits—NVG LLC and the Raben Group—list the OSPC as a client. The New York City-based Mirram Group also reports Soros's Open Society Foundation as a client.
The OSPC spent a record $48 million on advocacy last year. It lobbied in favor of making gun companies liable for crimes committed with firearms, against President Trump's judicial nominations, and on issues related to immigration enforcement. Groups that receive money from OSPC have pushed back against repealing Obamacare and Trump's tax cuts.
During the first quarter of 2020, the OSPC added $5 million to its lobbying total, its newest disclosures show. Its staffers lobbied Congress on the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021 and issues related to national security powers.
The OSPC's website shows that during the third quarter of 2019, the group spent $3.9 million on projects at the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a massive dark money network that funneled more than $600 million to liberal groups and initiatives in 2018 alone. It passed at least $1 million more to other activist organizations, including Community Change Action, Emgage Action, Indivisible Project, Tides Advocacy, and New Virginia Majority. Its fourth-quarter grants are not yet posted.
The OSPC will continue to hand out grants after the departure of its in-house lobbyists.


freebeacon--2020-04-23--Liberals Really Want to Exploit the Coronavirus

David Rutz is senior writer at the Washington Free Beacon .
He was previously a sports reporter for two years @ @ @ @ @ freelance sports reporting for the Washington Post .
He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2010 @ @ @ @ @ Ga. His Twitter handle is @ DavidRutz .
He can be reached at rutz @ @ @

Democrats from Joe Biden to California governor Gavin Newsom, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D., S.C.), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) see the coronavirus pandemic as a unique opportunity to drive left-wing policies.


freebeacon--2020-04-23--Ousted HHS Official Has Retained Christine Blasey Ford’s Legal Team

The federal health official who claims he was demoted for opposing the Trump administration 's alleged politicization of coronavirus treatments has hired Christine Blasey Ford 's legal team to represent him in a whistleblower complaint against the government .
Rick Bright , who was a registered Democrat until at least the 2016 election , was ousted on Tuesday as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) , a vaccine development and procurement office at the Department of Health and Human Services .
He was transferred to another position at the National Institutes of Health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Debra Katz and Lisa Banks , who previously represented Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh 's sexual assault accuser Christine Blasey Ford .
Bright said he plans to file a whistleblower complaint with the HHS inspector general .
Bradley P. Moss , a national security lawyer who represented the whistleblower at the center of Trump 's Ukraine impeachment scandal , told the Washington Free Beacon that there are `` a lot of variables that need to be clarified before anyone can say definitively if the president had the legal authority to reassign Bright with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are at-will employees and can be reassigned or fired without cause .
It 's not clear where Bright falls in that hierarchy , '' he said .
Moss said it 's also unclear whether Bright 's actions were sufficient to give him whistleblower status under the law .
`` We only have fragments of the story , so it 's not clear if the alleged disagreements over policy were ever expressed by Bright through his supervisory chain of command or to an IG '' prior to his reassignment , said Moss .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Bright to be considered a whistleblower .
Bright 's attorney Katz did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on these issues .
Katz and Banks have been active in donating to Democratic candidates , including Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama .
In 2018 , the attorneys were scheduled to host a fundraiser for Sen. Tammy Baldwin ( D. , Wis. ) , but the event was canceled following a Washington Free Beacon report .
Blasey Ford said she hired the lawyers after Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D. , Calif. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Banks said in a statement about Bright 's demotion that the administration 's actions would be `` catastrophic '' for the American people .
They called on the HHS inspector general to `` seek a stay of Dr .
Bright 's termination '' until an investigation can be carried out .
Bright called on the HHS inspector general to `` investigate the manner in which this administration has politicized the work of BARDA and has pressured me and other conscientious scientists to fund companies with political connections and efforts that lack scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Ph.D. in immunology , served as BARDA director since November 2016 .
He says he was wrongfully `` sidelined '' by the Trump administration , which he accused of `` politiciz [ ing ] the work of BARDA . ''
`` I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus , science—not politics or cronyism—has to lead the way , '' he said in a statement on Wednesday .
Bright is currently listed as an unaffiliated voter .
In his statement , Bright said he was transferred out of BARDA because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections . ''
He claimed this included the administration 's efforts to give doctors access to the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine , which President Trump had touted as a promising potential treatment for coronavirus .
Studies of hydroxychloroquine 's effectiveness have had varied results .

The federal health official who claims he was demoted for opposing the Trump administration's alleged politicization of coronavirus treatments has hired Christine Blasey Ford's legal team to represent him in a whistleblower complaint against the government.
Rick Bright, who was a registered Democrat until at least the 2016 election, was ousted on Tuesday as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a vaccine development and procurement office at the Department of Health and Human Services. He was transferred to another position at the National Institutes of Health.
Bright has retained prominent Democratic activist lawyers Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, who previously represented Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's sexual assault accuser Christine Blasey Ford. Bright said he plans to file a whistleblower complaint with the HHS inspector general.
Bradley P. Moss, a national security lawyer who represented the whistleblower at the center of Trump's Ukraine impeachment scandal, told the Washington Free Beacon that there are "a lot of variables that need to be clarified before anyone can say definitively if the president had the legal authority to reassign Bright with impunity."
"Many government officials are at-will employees and can be reassigned or fired without cause. It's not clear where Bright falls in that hierarchy," he said.
Moss said it's also unclear whether Bright's actions were sufficient to give him whistleblower status under the law. "We only have fragments of the story, so it's not clear if the alleged disagreements over policy were ever expressed by Bright through his supervisory chain of command or to an IG" prior to his reassignment, said Moss. This would need to be established in order for Bright to be considered a whistleblower.
Bright's attorney Katz did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on these issues.
Katz and Banks have been active in donating to Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama. In 2018, the attorneys were scheduled to host a fundraiser for Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D., Wis.), but the event was canceled following a Washington Free Beacon report. Blasey Ford said she hired the lawyers after Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) recommended them to her.
Katz and Banks said in a statement about Bright's demotion that the administration's actions would be "catastrophic" for the American people. They called on the HHS inspector general to "seek a stay of Dr. Bright's termination" until an investigation can be carried out.