freebeacon--2020-07-20--China Uses Uyghur Forced Labor to Produce Masks

Chinese health equipment producers are using a government labor program that forces Uyghur minorities to work against their will , the New York Times reported on Sunday .
At least 17 companies participate in the labor program , which transports the Muslim minorities to factory and service jobs , the Times found .
Though the participating firms mostly produce products for domestic consumption , a shipment of personal protective equipment produced by one of the firms was found in the state of Georgia .
A Chinese spokesperson asserted the program helps `` local residents rise above poverty through employment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a large exporter of equipment for combating the coronavirus pandemic , many Chinese health products have caused more harm than good .
Beijing sent thousands of ineffective test kits to Europe , while providing aid in Latin America and Africa to gain political and economic leverage .
Chinese human-rights abuses—particularly toward Uyghur Muslims—have been in the spotlight in recent months .
At least one million Uyghurs are detained in labor camps where forced sterilization and mandatory denouncement of Islam are frequent .
Last week , the PRC sanctioned Sens .
Marco Rubio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruz ( R. , Tex . )
, along with two other American officials , for their previous comments on human-rights abuses in western China .
`` The Chinese Government and Communist Party 's systematic , ongoing efforts to wipe out the ethnic and cultural identities of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang is horrific and will be a stain on humanity should we refuse to act , '' Rubio said in May .
Following the lead of Republicans on the Hill , the State Department has made religious liberty a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese genocide of Uyghurs `` the stain of the century , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo advocated for a foreign policy connected to America 's founding and first principles in a speech last Thursday .
`` No nation is better equipped .
We have the most abundant resources , the most principled diplomats , and the most conviction to defend human rights of any nation in the world , '' he said .

Chinese health equipment producers are using a government labor program that forces Uyghur minorities to work against their will, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
At least 17 companies participate in the labor program, which transports the Muslim minorities to factory and service jobs, the Times found. Though the participating firms mostly produce products for domestic consumption, a shipment of personal protective equipment produced by one of the firms was found in the state of Georgia.
A Chinese spokesperson asserted the program helps "local residents rise above poverty through employment and lead fulfilling lives."
While China is a large exporter of equipment for combating the coronavirus pandemic, many Chinese health products have caused more harm than good. Beijing sent thousands of ineffective test kits to Europe, while providing aid in Latin America and Africa to gain political and economic leverage.
Chinese human-rights abuses—particularly toward Uyghur Muslims—have been in the spotlight in recent months. At least one million Uyghurs are detained in labor camps where forced sterilization and mandatory denouncement of Islam are frequent. Last week, the PRC sanctioned Sens. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R., Tex.), along with two other American officials, for their previous comments on human-rights abuses in western China.
"The Chinese Government and Communist Party's systematic, ongoing efforts to wipe out the ethnic and cultural identities of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang is horrific and will be a stain on humanity should we refuse to act," Rubio said in May.
Following the lead of Republicans on the Hill, the State Department has made religious liberty a key priority of American foreign policy.
Deeming the Chinese genocide of Uyghurs "the stain of the century," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo advocated for a foreign policy connected to America's founding and first principles in a speech last Thursday. "No nation is better equipped. We have the most abundant resources, the most principled diplomats, and the most conviction to defend human rights of any nation in the world," he said.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--Illinois Dem Suspected of Bribery After Federal Investigation

A federal investigation implicated the Democratic speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives in a bribery scheme , Fox News reported Monday .
Though not named in the official report , House Speaker Michael Madigan , who also chairs the state 's Democratic Party , is suspected to have close ties with utility company ComEd .
The company faces a $ 200 million fine for giving kickbacks by way of jobs and contracts to `` various associates of a high-level elected official for the state of Illinois . ''
A federal court filing confirmed that Madigan was the official .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he needs to answer for , to authorities , to investigators , and most importantly , to the people of Illinois , '' said Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker .
`` If these allegations of wrongdoing by the speaker are true , there is no question that he will have betrayed the public trust and he must resign . ''
No official charges have yet been brought against Madigan , though state Democratic Party officials promised his full cooperation .
Madigan has deep ties to Illinois Democrats .
In addition to chairing the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state legislature since 1971 .
He is the longest-serving state house speaker in the country .
His daughter also previously served as the state 's attorney general .
Democratic politicians in Illinois have faced similar corruption charges in the past .
Former governor Rod Blagojevich served eight years in prison on the pretense of attempting to sell President Obama 's former Senate seat to the highest bidder .
President Trump commuted Blagojevich 's sentence in February .

A federal investigation implicated the Democratic speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives in a bribery scheme, Fox News reported Monday.
Though not named in the official report, House Speaker Michael Madigan, who also chairs the state's Democratic Party, is suspected to have close ties with utility company ComEd. The company faces a $200 million fine for giving kickbacks by way of jobs and contracts to "various associates of a high-level elected official for the state of Illinois." A federal court filing confirmed that Madigan was the official.
"The speaker has a lot that he needs to answer for, to authorities, to investigators, and most importantly, to the people of Illinois," said Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker. "If these allegations of wrongdoing by the speaker are true, there is no question that he will have betrayed the public trust and he must resign."
No official charges have yet been brought against Madigan, though state Democratic Party officials promised his full cooperation.
Madigan has deep ties to Illinois Democrats. In addition to chairing the state party, he has served in the state legislature since 1971. He is the longest-serving state house speaker in the country. His daughter also previously served as the state's attorney general.
Democratic politicians in Illinois have faced similar corruption charges in the past. Former governor Rod Blagojevich served eight years in prison on the pretense of attempting to sell President Obama's former Senate seat to the highest bidder. President Trump commuted Blagojevich's sentence in February.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--Palestinian Authority Arrests Anti-Corruption Protesters in Ramallah

Palestinian Authority security forces arrested anti-corruption protesters in Ramallah on Sunday , drawing condemnation from rights groups .
An organizer said the PA arrested 23 protesters in its de facto capital for speaking out against nepotism in the government headed by President Mahmoud Abbas .
Health minister Dr. Mai al-Kaila and Abbas religious adviser Mahmoud al-Habash are among senior officials who have appointed relatives to top positions .
The crackdown came as a majority of Palestinians accuse their leadership of corruption .
A survey conducted annually by Transparency Palestine found that 63 percent of Palestinians say there is a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The same percentage gave that response in 2019 .
Seven of the activists were being held as of Monday for `` violating the state of emergency '' imposed by the PA over the coronavirus pandemic , the Jerusalem Post reported .
The Civic League for the Protection of the Constitution said the arrests were unjustified .
`` We express our shock at the growing intolerance toward the people 's right to hold peaceful gatherings and freedom of expression , '' the group said .
`` These rights are protected in accordance with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the immediate release of the detainees and strongly warn against the practices [ of PA security forces ] . ''
Another Palestinian group , Lawyers for Justice , called the arrests a `` blatant infringement of the law '' by security forces .
The Palestinian Authority has been beset by other corruption scandals , including an accusation by former Abbas official Yasser Jadallah that the PA president stole foreign aid money from international organizations .
Abbas has been president of the PA since 2005 , the last year the Palestinians held free @ @

Palestinian Authority security forces arrested anti-corruption protesters in Ramallah on Sunday, drawing condemnation from rights groups.
An organizer said the PA arrested 23 protesters in its de facto capital for speaking out against nepotism in the government headed by President Mahmoud Abbas. Health minister Dr. Mai al-Kaila and Abbas religious adviser Mahmoud al-Habash are among senior officials who have appointed relatives to top positions.
The crackdown came as a majority of Palestinians accuse their leadership of corruption. A survey conducted annually by Transparency Palestine found that 63 percent of Palestinians say there is a "high" level of corruption in Ramallah. The same percentage gave that response in 2019.
Seven of the activists were being held as of Monday for "violating the state of emergency" imposed by the PA over the coronavirus pandemic, the Jerusalem Post reported. The Civic League for the Protection of the Constitution said the arrests were unjustified.
"We express our shock at the growing intolerance toward the people's right to hold peaceful gatherings and freedom of expression," the group said. "These rights are protected in accordance with the Palestinian Basic Law. We call for the immediate release of the detainees and strongly warn against the practices [of PA security forces]."
Another Palestinian group, Lawyers for Justice, called the arrests a "blatant infringement of the law" by security forces.
The Palestinian Authority has been beset by other corruption scandals, including an accusation by former Abbas official Yasser Jadallah that the PA president stole foreign aid money from international organizations.
Abbas has been president of the PA since 2005, the last year the Palestinians held free elections.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--Supreme Court Rejects House’s Bid To Speed Campaign For Trump’s Financial Records

The Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed a request from House Democrats to speed the process for restarting their legal fight to obtain President Donald Trump 's financial records .
The decision means that the chances of congressional investigators obtaining Trump 's financial records ahead of the November election , which were already remote , are even lower .
Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the only member of the Court to note her dissent .
The Supreme Court dealt a blow to the House earlier this month when it sent legal disputes over its subpoenas to Trump 's accounting firm and partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another round of litigation .
The Court 's decisions take effect 25 days after they come down .
House Democrats on July 13 asked the Court to put the ruling into effect immediately , or in legal parlance , `` issue the judgments . ''
In legal filings , House lawyers emphasized that every day between now and January 2021 matters a great deal for their efforts to enforce their subpoenas .
That 's because the House is dissolved and reconstituted every two years after federal elections , meaning the contested subpoenas will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 3 .
What 's more , congressional Democrats say they are eager to enact legislation protecting the integrity of November 's general election .
`` Immediate issuance of this Court 's judgments would accelerate the proceedings in the lower courts so that the committees may obtain the materials necessary to undertake any needed legislative reforms as quickly as possible , '' congressional lawyers told the justices .
Outside lawyers for President Trump said the House did n't seem to be in a hurry at earlier phases of the case .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more than six months as these cases made their way through the lower courts , '' Trump 's response to the House 's request reads .
`` They should not be heard to complain that the proceedings are moving too slowly . ''
Chief Justice John Roberts , however , went the other way in a different case involving New York County district attorney Cyrus Vance , who obtained a grand jury subpoena for Trump 's financial information .
The Court sided with Vance on July 9 and rejected arguments that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state criminal proceedings while in office .
Roberts agreed to put that decision into effect on Friday , rather than wait the usual 25-day period .
Vance cited a looming statute of limitations as the reason for his request .
Quick issuance of the judgment would minimize `` any risk that criminal conduct will go unpunished , '' he wrote .
The president 's lawyers did not oppose Vance 's request .
The Court did not give detailed reasons for either decision , as is typical of such orders .

The Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed a request from House Democrats to speed the process for restarting their legal fight to obtain President Donald Trump's financial records.
The decision means that the chances of congressional investigators obtaining Trump's financial records ahead of the November election, which were already remote, are even lower. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the only member of the Court to note her dissent.
The Supreme Court dealt a blow to the House earlier this month when it sent legal disputes over its subpoenas to Trump's accounting firm and partner financial institutions back to lower courts for another round of litigation. The Court's decisions take effect 25 days after they come down. House Democrats on July 13 asked the Court to put the ruling into effect immediately, or in legal parlance, "issue the judgments."
In legal filings, House lawyers emphasized that every day between now and January 2021 matters a great deal for their efforts to enforce their subpoenas. That's because the House is dissolved and reconstituted every two years after federal elections, meaning the contested subpoenas will die when the current Congress ends on Jan. 3. What's more, congressional Democrats say they are eager to enact legislation protecting the integrity of November's general election.
"Immediate issuance of this Court's judgments would accelerate the proceedings in the lower courts so that the committees may obtain the materials necessary to undertake any needed legislative reforms as quickly as possible," congressional lawyers told the justices.
Outside lawyers for President Trump said the House didn't seem to be in a hurry at earlier phases of the case.
"The committees voluntarily stayed enforcement of the subpoenas for more than six months as these cases made their way through the lower courts," Trump's response to the House's request reads. "They should not be heard to complain that the proceedings are moving too slowly."
Chief Justice John Roberts, however, went the other way in a different case involving New York County district attorney Cyrus Vance, who obtained a grand jury subpoena for Trump's financial information. The Court sided with Vance on July 9 and rejected arguments that the president is "absolutely immune" from state criminal proceedings while in office. Roberts agreed to put that decision into effect on Friday, rather than wait the usual 25-day period.
Vance cited a looming statute of limitations as the reason for his request. Quick issuance of the judgment would minimize "any risk that criminal conduct will go unpunished," he wrote. The president's lawyers did not oppose Vance's request.
The Court did not give detailed reasons for either decision, as is typical of such orders.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--Associated Press Will Not Capitalize ‘White’

The Associated Press said Monday it will not capitalize the word `` white '' when referring to race and culture , after announcing last month that it would capitalize `` black '' when used in the same context .
John Daniszewski , AP ’ s editor at large for standards , said in a memo to the news outlet ’ s staff that white skin color plays into `` systemic inequalities and injustices , '' and opposed capitalizing `` white '' on the grounds that it could risk legitimizing white supremacy .
AP began capitalizing `` black '' last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deaths of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and others .
Though the Wall Street Journal , the New York Times , and the Los Angeles Times began capitalizing `` black '' and not `` white , '' CNN , Fox News , and the San Diego Union-Tribune capitalize both identifiers when referring to race .
Daniszewski said in a blog post last month that the term `` Black '' is capitalized to reflect the shared culture and identity of those who identify as black .
In Monday 's announcement , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when referring to `` white '' in a racial context .
`` White people generally do not share the same history and culture , or the experience of being discriminated against because of skin color , '' Daniszewski said .
The news outlet also decided to capitalize `` indigenous '' last month , and Daniszewski said the changes follow a longtime standard of capitalizing other racial identifiers .

The Associated Press said Monday it will not capitalize the word "white" when referring to race and culture, after announcing last month that it would capitalize "black" when used in the same context.
John Daniszewski, AP’s editor at large for standards, said in a memo to the news outlet’s staff that white skin color plays into "systemic inequalities and injustices," and opposed capitalizing "white" on the grounds that it could risk legitimizing white supremacy.
AP began capitalizing "black" last month in the wake of racial-justice protests following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others. Though the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times began capitalizing "black" and not "white," CNN, Fox News, and the San Diego Union-Tribune capitalize both identifiers when referring to race.
Daniszewski said in a blog post last month that the term "Black" is capitalized to reflect the shared culture and identity of those who identify as black. In Monday's announcement, he said the same considerations do not apply when referring to "white" in a racial context.
"White people generally do not share the same history and culture, or the experience of being discriminated against because of skin color," Daniszewski said.
The news outlet also decided to capitalize "indigenous" last month, and Daniszewski said the changes follow a longtime standard of capitalizing other racial identifiers.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--These True Facts About Democratic Voters Will Shock You

Wajahat Ali would never have become a New York Times contributing writer and failed CNN personality if he did n't possess a keen scientific insight into the minds of Republican voters .
Occasionally , Ali shares that insight on Twitter .
`` There are many white Republican voters in this country if they 're given a choice between renting a room in their house to a person of color or burning down the house , they will elect to burn down the entire neighborhood , '' Ali tweeted over the weekend .
`` It 's not just a small fringe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and difficult to accept .
Ali was viciously attacked for his expert analysis on Republican voters , yet his critics could not offer a single piece of scientific evidence to refute him .
It was just the latest example of a growing threat to the personal safety of media pundits : being criticized by non-blue-check accounts on Twitter .
The following facts about Democratic voters , for example , are shocking and difficult to accept .
They will probably be challenged by unverified Twitter users and other non-experts .
But that does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most Democratic voters in this country would rather watch their children be slowly dismembered by a trans woman of color than allow their children 's lives to be saved by a Christian gun owner .
• 85 percent of white Democrats who have publicly recommended White Fragility have not read the book ; 100 percent of the ones who actually did read it would not have done so if they were unable to post about it on social media .
• The vast majority of people who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Jeffrey Epstein 's financial support for Democratic causes cancels out all of his crimes .
• Most Democratic voters are disappointed Barack Obama did n't turn out to be a secret Muslim and cite `` the unlawful assassination of Osama bin Laden '' as the biggest mistake of his presidency .
• Most Democratic voters `` strongly agree '' that orchestrating a hate crime hoax is an effective way to combat bigotry in society .
• Most Democratic voters would prefer to be murdered by an illegal immigrant and come back as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested their killer .
• Two-thirds of white Democratic voters have Googled the phrase `` Coexist bumper sticker without cross and Jew symbol . ''
More than half have Googled `` how to oppose affordable-housing development without being racist . ''
About a third have Googled `` how to make my son gay . ''
• Every single Elizabeth Warren voter has at least one item in their household with the phrase , `` It 's Wine O'Clock , Bitches ! ''
More than 75 percent of Pete Buttigieg voters have updated their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ High Hopes '' be played at their funerals .

Wajahat Ali would never have become a New York Times contributing writer and failed CNN personality if he didn't possess a keen scientific insight into the minds of Republican voters. Occasionally, Ali shares that insight on Twitter.
"There are many white Republican voters in this country if they're given a choice between renting a room in their house to a person of color or burning down the house, they will elect to burn down the entire neighborhood," Ali tweeted over the weekend. "It's not just a small fringe."
I hope people realize that there are many white Republican voters in this country if they're given a choice between renting a room in their house to a person of color or burning down the house, they will elect to burn down the entire neighborhood. It's not just a small fringe. — Wajahat "Butter King" Ali (@WajahatAli) July 19, 2020
Sometimes the truth is shocking and difficult to accept. Ali was viciously attacked for his expert analysis on Republican voters, yet his critics could not offer a single piece of scientific evidence to refute him. It was just the latest example of a growing threat to the personal safety of media pundits: being criticized by non-blue-check accounts on Twitter.
The following facts about Democratic voters, for example, are shocking and difficult to accept. They will probably be challenged by unverified Twitter users and other non-experts. But that doesn't make them any less true.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--Kasich Expected to Speak at DNC Convention

Former Ohio governor John Kasich , a prominent Republican critic of President Donald Trump , is expected to speak in support of Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention next month , according to an Associated Press report .
With news of the report , Kasich joins a handful of Republicans who have come out in support of Biden or otherwise opposed Trump ’ s reelection efforts this fall .
The two-time failed Republican presidential candidate blamed Trump on CNN earlier this month for causing a `` brand problem '' in the Republican party .
`` He 's flailing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks at his polls and he does n't know who to blame , '' Kasich , a senior CNN political commentator , said .
`` What he does n't realize is that the base he has , the edges of that base are beginning to fray , the base is getting smaller and smaller .
He 's causing a brand problem for Republicans . ''
Kasich supported Democrats ' calls to impeach Trump , claiming the president ’ s calls with Ukraine `` could not be tolerated . ''
Former secretary of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and retired Marine Corps general James Mattis rebuked the president in a statement .
And the Lincoln Project—a super PAC founded by former Republican operatives , including John Weaver , Kasich ’ s former campaign strategist—has released a slew of anti-Trump campaign ads this summer .
Biden expects to formally accept the Democratic nomination next month at the convention , which will be held in Milwaukee .

Former Ohio governor John Kasich, a prominent Republican critic of President Donald Trump, is expected to speak in support of Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention next month, according to an Associated Press report.
With news of the report, Kasich joins a handful of Republicans who have come out in support of Biden or otherwise opposed Trump’s reelection efforts this fall.
The two-time failed Republican presidential candidate blamed Trump on CNN earlier this month for causing a "brand problem" in the Republican party.
"He's flailing. He's in a meltdown and he looks at his polls and he doesn't know who to blame," Kasich, a senior CNN political commentator, said. "What he doesn't realize is that the base he has, the edges of that base are beginning to fray, the base is getting smaller and smaller. He's causing a brand problem for Republicans."
Kasich supported Democrats' calls to impeach Trump, claiming the president’s calls with Ukraine "could not be tolerated."
Former secretary of state Colin Powell endorsed Biden earlier this month, and retired Marine Corps general James Mattis rebuked the president in a statement. And the Lincoln Project—a super PAC founded by former Republican operatives, including John Weaver, Kasich’s former campaign strategist—has released a slew of anti-Trump campaign ads this summer.
Biden expects to formally accept the Democratic nomination next month at the convention, which will be held in Milwaukee.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--Son, Husband of Federal Judge Gunned Down in Savage Home Attack

An assailant shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge and wounded her husband at their home in North Brunswick , N.J. , late Sunday .
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of the New Jersey federal trial court was not injured when a gunman approached her home and attacked her husband Mark Anderl , 63 , and son Daniel Anderl .
Chief Judge Freda Wolfson confirmed to the Associated Press that the judge 's son was killed while her husband was taken to a nearby hospital with grave injuries .
The suspected gunman is Roy Hollander , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hollander apparently committed suicide in upstate New York after attacking the Salas home .
Court records show Hollander was litigating a case before Salas .
He appeared as a lawyer for a plaintiff challenging the male-only draft on constitutional grounds .
Oral arguments in the case were scheduled for June 25 , but the docket shows that they were delayed `` due to unforeseen circumstances . ''
Salas was assigned on July 16 to a class action lawsuit against Deutsche Bank , the scandal-plagued German financial institution , relating to the deceased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit seeks damages for Deutsche Bank securities holders , arguing the bank 's failure to effectively police suspect transactions involving Epstein and others adversely affected the value of its securities .
`` The Bank failed to properly monitor customers that the Bank itself deemed to be high risk , including , among others , the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , '' the complaint reads .
`` As a direct and proximate result of Defendants ' wrongful conduct , Plaintiff and the other members of the Class suffered damages in connection with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bank 's securities , '' the lawsuit adds .
The U.S .
Marshals Service is responsible for the protection of judicial officers , but federal judges generally do not enjoy full-time security details .
The FBI 's Newark field office is investigating the attack .
The bureau said in a statement that it is searching for `` one subject '' and asked any member of the public with relevant information to contact FBI Newark .
Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive as of this writing .
Francis Womack , the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salas 's family , told ABC News the judge occasionally received threats .
Salas has presided over other high-profile matters .
The judge sentenced Giuseppe and Teresa Giudice of Real Housewives of New Jersey fame following their convictions for fraud in 2014 .
Witnesses said the assailant was dressed as a FedEx deliveryman .
`` Our deepest sympathies are with Judge Salas and her family at this time , '' a FedEx spokesperson told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` We are fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation . ''
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bench in December 2010 .
She previously served as a federal magistrate judge and an assistant public defender .
Update 4:21 p.m. : This post has been updated with further information .

An assailant shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge and wounded her husband at their home in North Brunswick, N.J., late Sunday.
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of the New Jersey federal trial court was not injured when a gunman approached her home and attacked her husband Mark Anderl, 63, and son Daniel Anderl. Chief Judge Freda Wolfson confirmed to the Associated Press that the judge's son was killed while her husband was taken to a nearby hospital with grave injuries.
The suspected gunman is Roy Hollander, a "men’s rights" attorney. Hollander apparently committed suicide in upstate New York after attacking the Salas home.
Court records show Hollander was litigating a case before Salas. He appeared as a lawyer for a plaintiff challenging the male-only draft on constitutional grounds. Oral arguments in the case were scheduled for June 25, but the docket shows that they were delayed "due to unforeseen circumstances."
Salas was assigned on July 16 to a class action lawsuit against Deutsche Bank, the scandal-plagued German financial institution, relating to the deceased billionaire sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit seeks damages for Deutsche Bank securities holders, arguing the bank's failure to effectively police suspect transactions involving Epstein and others adversely affected the value of its securities.
"The Bank failed to properly monitor customers that the Bank itself deemed to be high risk, including, among others, the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein," the complaint reads.
"As a direct and proximate result of Defendants' wrongful conduct, Plaintiff and the other members of the Class suffered damages in connection with their respective purchases, acquisitions and sales of the Bank's securities," the lawsuit adds.
The U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for the protection of judicial officers, but federal judges generally do not enjoy full-time security details. The FBI's Newark field office is investigating the attack. The bureau said in a statement that it is searching for "one subject" and asked any member of the public with relevant information to contact FBI Newark.
Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive as of this writing. Francis Womack, the mayor of North Brunswick and a friend of Salas's family, told ABC News the judge occasionally received threats.
Salas has presided over other high-profile matters. The judge sentenced Giuseppe and Teresa Giudice of Real Housewives of New Jersey fame following their convictions for fraud in 2014.
Witnesses said the assailant was dressed as a FedEx deliveryman.
"Our deepest sympathies are with Judge Salas and her family at this time," a FedEx spokesperson told the Washington Free Beacon. "We are fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation."
President Barack Obama nominated Salas to the federal bench in December 2010. She previously served as a federal magistrate judge and an assistant public defender.
Update 4:21 p.m.: This post has been updated with further information.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--GOP Seeks Sanctions On Chinese Hackers Stealing Coronavirus Vaccine Info

Leading Republican lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to issue new sanctions on China for its attempts to hack proprietary information from the United States about the coronavirus and possible vaccines being developed .
Reps. Michael McCaul ( R. , Texas ) , Greg Walden ( R. , Ore. ) , and Patrick McHenry ( R. , N.C. ) petitioned the Trump administration on Monday to provide them with a classified briefing detailing the `` scope , number , and success rates '' of Chinese-sponsored hack attacks on America .
They are also seeking information on whether the Treasury Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these state-backed hackers .
The lawmakers accuse past administrations of failing to take action against Chinese hackers as part of a bid to foster closer relations with the communist government .
`` By decades of not taking principled stands or enforcing violations of commitments , the United States has allowed the CCP to proceed down another path , which threatens U.S. and global security , '' they wrote in a letter sent to the White House .
Recent reports indicate that Chinese government-backed hackers have stepped up their attacks on the U.S. government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on vaccines for the coronavirus .
The lawmakers argue that new sanctions are needed to send a message to China that these hacks will not be tolerated .
The Treasury Department , they said , has failed to take adequate action in recent years .
`` Treasury has not sufficiently imposed such sanctions on PRC actors for cyber attacks on Americans or those entities in the PRC that benefit from cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property , but we believe that time may be ripe for considering such action , '' the letter said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue to increase until the United States takes concrete action .

Leading Republican lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to issue new sanctions on China for its attempts to hack proprietary information from the United States about the coronavirus and possible vaccines being developed.
Reps. Michael McCaul (R., Texas), Greg Walden (R., Ore.), and Patrick McHenry (R., N.C.) petitioned the Trump administration on Monday to provide them with a classified briefing detailing the "scope, number, and success rates" of Chinese-sponsored hack attacks on America. They are also seeking information on whether the Treasury Department is working on sanctions that would target these state-backed hackers.
The lawmakers accuse past administrations of failing to take action against Chinese hackers as part of a bid to foster closer relations with the communist government. "By decades of not taking principled stands or enforcing violations of commitments, the United States has allowed the CCP to proceed down another path, which threatens U.S. and global security," they wrote in a letter sent to the White House.
Recent reports indicate that Chinese government-backed hackers have stepped up their attacks on the U.S. government and medical research institutions that are working on vaccines for the coronavirus.
The lawmakers argue that new sanctions are needed to send a message to China that these hacks will not be tolerated. The Treasury Department, they said, has failed to take adequate action in recent years.
"Treasury has not sufficiently imposed such sanctions on PRC actors for cyber attacks on Americans or those entities in the PRC that benefit from cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, but we believe that time may be ripe for considering such action," the letter said.
The lawmakers warn that these attacks will continue to increase until the United States takes concrete action.


freebeacon--2020-07-20--China Expands Its Amphibious Forces in Challenge to U.S. Supremacy Beyond Asia

HONG KONG – China launched its military build-up in the mid-1990s with a top priority : keep the United States at bay in any conflict by making the waters off the Chinese coast a death trap .
Now , China ’ s People ’ s Liberation Army ( PLA ) is preparing to challenge American power further afield .
China ’ s shipyards have launched the PLA Navy ’ s first two Type 075 amphibious assault ships , which will form the spearhead of an expeditionary force to play a role similar to that of the U.S. Marine Corps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ force will be self-contained – able to deploy solo with all its supporting weapons to fight in distant conflicts or demonstrate Chinese military power .
The 40,000-tonne Type 075 ships are a kind of small aircraft carrier with accommodation for up to 900 troops and space for heavy equipment and landing craft , according to Western military experts who have studied satellite images and photographs of the new vessels .
They will carry up to 30 helicopters at first ; later they could carry fighter jets , if China can build short take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. F-35B .
The first Type 075 was launched last September and the second in April , according to reports in China ’ s official military media .
A third is under construction , according to the May edition of a Congressional Research Service report .
Eventually , the PLA Navy could have seven or more of these ships , according to reports in China ’ s official military press .
Chinese military commentators quoted in official media say China ’ s shipyards are now building and launching amphibious ships so rapidly it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water .
The military rivalry between China and the United States is only growing sharper .
Last week , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared most of Beijing ’ s claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea illegal , throwing Washington ’ s weight behind the rival claims of Southeast Asian nations over territory and resources in the strategic waterway that were supported by international law .
China said the U.S. position raised tensions in the region and undermined stability .
China ’ s nascent amphibious forces still lag far behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speed of China ’ s military rise has already shifted the balance of power in Asia .
Over the past two decades , China has deployed an arsenal of missiles and a massive surface and sub-surface fleet to deter potential enemies from sailing in its coastal waters .
Now , as part of an accelerated modernization of the PLA since Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012 , these new amphibious ships and the specially trained marines they carry will boost Beijing ’ s firepower and political influence far from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western military analysts .
As shipyards churn out amphibious vessels , China is expanding its force of marines under the command of the PLA Navy .
These troops are being trained and equipped to make landings and fight their way ashore .
China now has between 25,000 and 35,000 marines , according to U.S. and Japanese military estimates .
That ’ s a sharp increase from about 10,000 in 2017 .
`` Without an amphibious force , any military force is greatly constrained in where and how it can conduct operations , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marine Corps colonel and researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies .
Newsham advised the Japanese military on the formation of Tokyo ’ s own Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade , formed in 2018 .
`` Jets can drop bombs and ships can fire missiles at the shore – but you might need infantry to go ashore and kill the enemy and occupy the ground . ''
China ’ s Ministry of National Defense and the Pentagon did not respond to questions from Reuters .
At home , too , the PLA marines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling Communist Party ’ s efforts to showcase China ’ s increasingly powerful military to its domestic audience .
The state-controlled media regularly reports on the gruelling training and military skills of the Jiaolong , or Sea Dragon commandos – a unit from the marines special forces brigade based on Hainan Island off southern China .
`` We should be the point of the sword in joint operations to strike terror into the heart of the enemy , '' said Gong Kaifeng , a Jiaolong commandos company commander , in a report last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on state television .
When the Type 075 ships enter service , China will have the capacity to combine them with its other new amphibious and support vessels , Chinese and foreign analysts say .
These self-contained fleets can be sent to distant conflicts , deployed as a show of force to deter potential enemies or to protect Chinese investments and citizens abroad .
They would also allow the PLA to provide disaster relief and humanitarian assistance , competing with the U.S. for prestige and soft power .
For Beijing , these amphibious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mounting capacity to make a landing on Taiwan or seize other strategically important or disputed territory in China ’ s offshore regions , according to specialists in amphibious warfare .
Beijing regards self-governing Taiwan a province of China .
Xi Jinping has said unifying Taiwan with the mainland is a vital step in realizing the Chinese people ’ s dream of a powerful , rejuvenated nation .
In a key speech early last year calling on Taiwan to open talks on peaceful reunification , Xi warned that this long-standing dispute could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make no promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means , '' Xi said .
China has this year stepped up military operations and exercises around Taiwan , according to U.S. and Taiwanese military analysts .
PLA Air Force jets , including at least one bomber and a fighter , briefly entered Taiwan ’ s air defense identification zone on June 22 , before being warned off by the Taiwanese air force , the island ’ s military said .
It was the eighth such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Taiwan launched its annual Han Kuang defense exercise on July 13 with an emphasis on joint operations between land , sea and air forces to defend the island from attack , according to the island 's military .
The exercise also involved an expanded role for reservists as the military strives to boost its firepower , senior Taiwan government officials said .
`` Our military is always working hard to prepare for war , closely monitoring the dynamics of the Chinese Communist ’ s military and the development of the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Defense Ministry said in response to questions from Reuters .
`` We have a complete defense plan and appropriate actions to deal with the threat of the Chinese Communists attacking Taiwan and the seizure of offshore islands , which can ensure national security . ''
Experts on amphibious forces note the PLA already has powerful army units that are trained and equipped to make the kind of landings necessary for an invasion of Taiwan .
In expanding the marines , they argue , PLA military planners are looking at operations across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has extensive offshore investments .
These commercial interests are likely to multiply as Beijing presses ahead with its Belt and Road Initiative , an ambitious bid to put China at the center of global trading routes .
China ’ s marines will also be important to man what is expected to become a network of strategic military bases around the world , including fortifications on territory Beijing has seized in the South China Sea , according to Chinese and Western military commentators .
Beijing has already deployed marines and their armored vehicles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Horn of Africa , according to Pentagon reports .
Marines are also deployed on the flotillas China sends on naval anti-piracy missions to the Gulf of Aden , these reports said .
`` We are currently only seeing the tip of the iceberg , '' said Ian Easton , the senior director of the Project 2049 Institute , an Arlington , Virginia-based security research group .
`` Ten years from now , China is almost certainly going to have marine units deployed at locations all over the world .
The Chinese Communist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Its interests are global .
It plans to send military units wherever its global strategic interests require . ''
Short of war , capable amphibious forces will also become a powerful diplomatic or coercive tool for Beijing , military analysts say .
So far , Washington has had a monopoly on this type of engagement with other governments , routinely sending marine expeditionary units abroad for port visits , joint training exercises and disaster relief .
U.S. expeditionary flotillas , packed with marines , all their heavy equipment and air support , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A raw demonstration came in the tense period in 1999 when an Australian-led United Nations peacekeeping force intervened to stop violence in what was then Indonesian-controlled East Timor .
American forces didn ’ t become heavily involved on the ground .
But the presence of the USS Belleau Wood , a 40,000-tonne amphibious assault ship carrying 900 marines and heavy lift and attack helicopters , served as formidable back-up as the UN troops restored order without any significant resistance from Indonesia .
China ’ s first two Type 075 amphibious assault vessels are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state-owned Shanghai shipyard , China ’ s official military media has reported .
Photographs in the official media and commercial satellite images show that the 250-meter-long vessels appear similar to flat-top amphibious assault ships in service with other advanced navies , including the U.S. fleet .
America currently has a fleet of eight Wasp and two America-class amphibious assault vessels .
However , in a blow to U.S. efforts to blunt the challenge from China , the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard caught fire on July 12 while tied up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The ship was extensively damaged in the fire which burned for four days .
It was unclear if the ship would be salvaged , the U.S. Navy said .
Since 2005 , China has also built a fleet of six Type 071 amphibious ships , according to a 2019 report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency .
These vessels can carry up to four air-cushion landing craft , similar to the hovercraft carried on U.S. amphibious landing ships , as well as four or more helicopters , armored vehicles and troops on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A seventh Type 071 is under construction , according to Western military analysts .
China ’ s official shipbuilding industry journals have reported the 29,000-tonne Type 071 has command and control capabilities , a medical unit and accommodation for hundreds of marines .
The 210-meter long vessel has a range of 10,000 nautical miles and reached a speed of 25 knots in trials , these reports said .
To build the force that will embark on these ships , China began a rapid increase in the size of its marine force in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , marines had been a low priority in the decades when China ’ s military built a massive ground force to defend the mainland .
A regiment of marines was formed in 1953 and expanded to a division but then disbanded in 1957 , according to an official timeline of major events in PLA history .
It was reformed in 1979 , the timeline shows .
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report said China ’ s marine force is now organized into seven brigades , each with armor , infantry , artillery and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this type among the rival claimants to disputed territories in the South China Sea .
China ’ s marines `` can simultaneously seize multiple islands in the Spratlys , '' the report said , referring to a contested group of islands and reefs in the South China Sea .
They could also rapidly reinforce China ’ s outposts in the Paracel Islands , another disputed territory in the same waterway .
China does not publish detailed accounts of the disposition of its forces .
`` The Chinese Communist Party ’ s ambitions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It plans to send military units wherever its global strategic interests require . ''
Amphibious warfare specialists say these marines would also be useful for seizing other disputed territory , including the uninhabited group of isles in the East China Sea that are claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing – known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and the Diaoyu islands in China .
Selected army units are being transferred to the marines to boost the force ’ s capability , according to reports in the official Chinese military media and Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military newspaper , the PLA Daily , reported in April that two army units trained in aerial assault had been transferred to a marines brigade dedicated to helicopter landings .
The Pentagon ’ s annual report on Chinese military power in 2018 revealed that a newly established headquarters under the command of the navy was responsible for staffing , training and equipping the expanding force .
And , the report said , a new commander had been appointed to lead the marines .
China ’ s state-controlled media has identified him as Major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer who transferred to the marines in early 2017 .
Despite this build-up , the Pentagon and other Western military experts argue the PLA marines remain far less capable than the 186,000-strong U.S. Marine Corps , with its extensive experience of amphibious and land operations .
In its 2019 report on China ’ s military power , the Pentagon said most of the new PLA marines brigades were not yet manned and equipped to be fully operational .
It said China ’ s marines lacked sufficient armored vehicles , helicopters and training to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military experts suggest one reason for this : The top priorities for the PLA brass are the army amphibious units and air force airborne troops that would spearhead an attack on Taiwan .
So , the marines `` don ’ t have priority when it comes to things like amphibious tanks and helicopters , '' said Easton of the Project 2049 Institute , who has written a book , The Chinese Invasion Threat , on the PLA ’ s preparations to conquer Taiwan .
The ruling Communist Party has long wanted control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also has huge strategic importance .
It would give the PLA a key foothold in the so-called first island chain , the string of islands that run from the Japanese archipelago through Taiwan , the Philippines and on to Borneo , enclosing China ’ s coastal seas .
From bases on Taiwan , Chinese warships , strike aircraft and missiles would dominate the sea lanes vital to Japan and South Korea .
And Taiwan would be an ideal jump-off point for operations aimed at seizing further territory in the island chain .
Newsham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the PLA had assembled a formidable army amphibious force and sufficient ships , military and civilian , to probably land enough troops on Taiwan as part of a full-scale attack that includes air , missile , naval and cyber assaults .
`` The PLA already has a lot lined up , '' he said .

China's main aim is to project power far from home, but it is also strengthening its ability to invade Taiwan
By David Lague
HONG KONG - China launched its military build-up in the mid-1990s with a top priority: keep the United States at bay in any conflict by making the waters off the Chinese coast a death trap. Now, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is preparing to challenge American power further afield.
China’s shipyards have launched the PLA Navy’s first two Type 075 amphibious assault ships, which will form the spearhead of an expeditionary force to play a role similar to that of the U.S. Marine Corps. And like the Marines, the new force will be self-contained - able to deploy solo with all its supporting weapons to fight in distant conflicts or demonstrate Chinese military power.
The 40,000-tonne Type 075 ships are a kind of small aircraft carrier with accommodation for up to 900 troops and space for heavy equipment and landing craft, according to Western military experts who have studied satellite images and photographs of the new vessels. They will carry up to 30 helicopters at first; later they could carry fighter jets, if China can build short take off and vertical landing aircraft like the U.S. F-35B.
The first Type 075 was launched last September and the second in April, according to reports in China’s official military media. A third is under construction, according to the May edition of a Congressional Research Service report. Eventually, the PLA Navy could have seven or more of these ships, according to reports in China’s official military press.
Chinese military commentators quoted in official media say China’s shipyards are now building and launching amphibious ships so rapidly it is like "dropping dumplings" into water.
The military rivalry between China and the United States is only growing sharper. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared most of Beijing’s claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea illegal, throwing Washington’s weight behind the rival claims of Southeast Asian nations over territory and resources in the strategic waterway that were supported by international law. China said the U.S. position raised tensions in the region and undermined stability.
China’s nascent amphibious forces still lag far behind those of the United States, but the speed of China’s military rise has already shifted the balance of power in Asia. Over the past two decades, China has deployed an arsenal of missiles and a massive surface and sub-surface fleet to deter potential enemies from sailing in its coastal waters. Now, as part of an accelerated modernization of the PLA since Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, these new amphibious ships and the specially trained marines they carry will boost Beijing’s firepower and political influence far from its shores, according to Chinese and Western military analysts.
As shipyards churn out amphibious vessels, China is expanding its force of marines under the command of the PLA Navy. These troops are being trained and equipped to make landings and fight their way ashore. China now has between 25,000 and 35,000 marines, according to U.S. and Japanese military estimates. That’s a sharp increase from about 10,000 in 2017.
"Without an amphibious force, any military force is greatly constrained in where and how it can conduct operations," said Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel and researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies. Newsham advised the Japanese military on the formation of Tokyo’s own Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, formed in 2018. "Jets can drop bombs and ships can fire missiles at the shore - but you might need infantry to go ashore and kill the enemy and occupy the ground."
China’s Ministry of National Defense and the Pentagon did not respond to questions from Reuters.
At home, too, the PLA marines have become an important tool in the ruling Communist Party’s efforts to showcase China’s increasingly powerful military to its domestic audience. The state-controlled media regularly reports on the gruelling training and military skills of the Jiaolong, or Sea Dragon commandos - a unit from the marines special forces brigade based on Hainan Island off southern China.
"We should be the point of the sword in joint operations to strike terror into the heart of the enemy," said Gong Kaifeng, a Jiaolong commandos company commander, in a report last year on the unit's training broadcast on state television.
When the Type 075 ships enter service, China will have the capacity to combine them with its other new amphibious and support vessels, Chinese and foreign analysts say. These self-contained fleets can be sent to distant conflicts, deployed as a show of force to deter potential enemies or to protect Chinese investments and citizens abroad. They would also allow the PLA to provide disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, competing with the U.S. for prestige and soft power.
Invading Taiwan
For Beijing, these amphibious forces will also contribute to the PLA’s mounting capacity to make a landing on Taiwan or seize other strategically important or disputed territory in China’s offshore regions, according to specialists in amphibious warfare.
Beijing regards self-governing Taiwan a province of China. Xi Jinping has said unifying Taiwan with the mainland is a vital step in realizing the Chinese people’s dream of a powerful, rejuvenated nation. In a key speech early last year calling on Taiwan to open talks on peaceful reunification, Xi warned that this long-standing dispute could not be deferred indefinitely. "We make no promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means," Xi said.
China has this year stepped up military operations and exercises around Taiwan, according to U.S. and Taiwanese military analysts. PLA Air Force jets, including at least one bomber and a fighter, briefly entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on June 22, before being warned off by the Taiwanese air force, the island’s military said. It was the eighth such encounter in two weeks, the military said.
Taiwan launched its annual Han Kuang defense exercise on July 13 with an emphasis on joint operations between land, sea and air forces to defend the island from attack, according to the island's military. The exercise also involved an expanded role for reservists as the military strives to boost its firepower, senior Taiwan government officials said.
"Our military is always working hard to prepare for war, closely monitoring the dynamics of the Chinese Communist’s military and the development of the situation in the Taiwan Strait," Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in response to questions from Reuters. "We have a complete defense plan and appropriate actions to deal with the threat of the Chinese Communists attacking Taiwan and the seizure of offshore islands, which can ensure national security."
Experts on amphibious forces note the PLA already has powerful army units that are trained and equipped to make the kind of landings necessary for an invasion of Taiwan. In expanding the marines, they argue, PLA military planners are looking at operations across the globe, in places where China has extensive offshore investments. These commercial interests are likely to multiply as Beijing presses ahead with its Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious bid to put China at the center of global trading routes.
China’s marines will also be important to man what is expected to become a network of strategic military bases around the world, including fortifications on territory Beijing has seized in the South China Sea, according to Chinese and Western military commentators.
Beijing has already deployed marines and their armored vehicles to its first overseas base at Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, according to Pentagon reports. Marines are also deployed on the flotillas China sends on naval anti-piracy missions to the Gulf of Aden, these reports said.
"We are currently only seeing the tip of the iceberg," said Ian Easton, the senior director of the Project 2049 Institute, an Arlington, Virginia-based security research group. "Ten years from now, China is almost certainly going to have marine units deployed at locations all over the world. The Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions are global. Its interests are global. It plans to send military units wherever its global strategic interests require."
Short of war, capable amphibious forces will also become a powerful diplomatic or coercive tool for Beijing, military analysts say. So far, Washington has had a monopoly on this type of engagement with other governments, routinely sending marine expeditionary units abroad for port visits, joint training exercises and disaster relief.
U.S. expeditionary flotillas, packed with marines, all their heavy equipment and air support, are a potent reminder of American power. A raw demonstration came in the tense period in 1999 when an Australian-led United Nations peacekeeping force intervened to stop violence in what was then Indonesian-controlled East Timor. American forces didn’t become heavily involved on the ground. But the presence of the USS Belleau Wood, a 40,000-tonne amphibious assault ship carrying 900 marines and heavy lift and attack helicopters, served as formidable back-up as the UN troops restored order without any significant resistance from Indonesia.
Seizing Islands
China’s first two Type 075 amphibious assault vessels are now berthed together undergoing final fit-out at a state-owned Shanghai shipyard, China’s official military media has reported. Photographs in the official media and commercial satellite images show that the 250-meter-long vessels appear similar to flat-top amphibious assault ships in service with other advanced navies, including the U.S. fleet. America currently has a fleet of eight Wasp and two America-class amphibious assault vessels.
However, in a blow to U.S. efforts to blunt the challenge from China, the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard caught fire on July 12 while tied up at its home port in San Diego. The ship was extensively damaged in the fire which burned for four days. It was unclear if the ship would be salvaged, the U.S. Navy said.
Since 2005, China has also built a fleet of six Type 071 amphibious ships, according to a 2019 report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. These vessels can carry up to four air-cushion landing craft, similar to the hovercraft carried on U.S. amphibious landing ships, as well as four or more helicopters, armored vehicles and troops on long-distance deployments, the report said. A seventh Type 071 is under construction, according to Western military analysts.
China’s official shipbuilding industry journals have reported the 29,000-tonne Type 071 has command and control capabilities, a medical unit and accommodation for hundreds of marines. The 210-meter long vessel has a range of 10,000 nautical miles and reached a speed of 25 knots in trials, these reports said.
To build the force that will embark on these ships, China began a rapid increase in the size of its marine force in 2017, according to Pentagon reports. Earlier, marines had been a low priority in the decades when China’s military built a massive ground force to defend the mainland. A regiment of marines was formed in 1953 and expanded to a division but then disbanded in 1957, according to an official timeline of major events in PLA history. It was reformed in 1979, the timeline shows.
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report said China’s marine force is now organized into seven brigades, each with armor, infantry, artillery and missiles, and is the strongest force of this type among the rival claimants to disputed territories in the South China Sea. China’s marines "can simultaneously seize multiple islands in the Spratlys," the report said, referring to a contested group of islands and reefs in the South China Sea. They could also rapidly reinforce China’s outposts in the Paracel Islands, another disputed territory in the same waterway. China does not publish detailed accounts of the disposition of its forces.
"The Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions are global. Its interests are global. It plans to send military units wherever its global strategic interests require."
Amphibious warfare specialists say these marines would also be useful for seizing other disputed territory, including the uninhabited group of isles in the East China Sea that are claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing - known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and the Diaoyu islands in China.
Selected army units are being transferred to the marines to boost the force’s capability, according to reports in the official Chinese military media and Western defense analysts. China’s official military newspaper, the PLA Daily, reported in April that two army units trained in aerial assault had been transferred to a marines brigade dedicated to helicopter landings.
The Pentagon’s annual report on Chinese military power in 2018 revealed that a newly established headquarters under the command of the navy was responsible for staffing, training and equipping the expanding force. And, the report said, a new commander had been appointed to lead the marines. China’s state-controlled media has identified him as Major General Kong Jun, a former army officer who transferred to the marines in early 2017.
Despite this build-up, the Pentagon and other Western military experts argue the PLA marines remain far less capable than the 186,000-strong U.S. Marine Corps, with its extensive experience of amphibious and land operations.
In its 2019 report on China’s military power, the Pentagon said most of the new PLA marines brigades were not yet manned and equipped to be fully operational. It said China’s marines lacked sufficient armored vehicles, helicopters and training to conduct complex amphibious operations.
Some Western military experts suggest one reason for this: The top priorities for the PLA brass are the army amphibious units and air force airborne troops that would spearhead an attack on Taiwan. So, the marines "don’t have priority when it comes to things like amphibious tanks and helicopters," said Easton of the Project 2049 Institute, who has written a book, The Chinese Invasion Threat, on the PLA’s preparations to conquer Taiwan.
The ruling Communist Party has long wanted control of Taiwan for political reasons. The island also has huge strategic importance. It would give the PLA a key foothold in the so-called first island chain, the string of islands that run from the Japanese archipelago through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing China’s coastal seas. From bases on Taiwan, Chinese warships, strike aircraft and missiles would dominate the sea lanes vital to Japan and South Korea. And Taiwan would be an ideal jump-off point for operations aimed at seizing further territory in the island chain.
Newsham, the retired U.S. Marine colonel, said the PLA had assembled a formidable army amphibious force and sufficient ships, military and civilian, to probably land enough troops on Taiwan as part of a full-scale attack that includes air, missile, naval and cyber assaults. "The PLA already has a lot lined up," he said.


freebeacon--2020-07-19--Virginia Urges Slavery Lessons for Kindergarteners

Virginia kindergarten students will learn about institutional racism alongside the alphabet , according to new curriculum recommendations created for the upcoming school year .
Loudoun County is adding `` social justice '' to the mission of teaching elementary school students reading , writing , and arithmetic .
The Washington , D.C. , suburb—the richest county in the country—has teamed up with the Southern Poverty Law Center 's ( SPLC ) education arm Teaching Tolerance to develop its new curriculum .
The proposed lesson plan recommends restructuring history and social studies classes to emphasize slavery as fundamental to American society for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Sugarcoating or ignoring slavery until later grades makes students more upset by or even resistant to true stories about American history , '' the documents say .
`` Long before we teach algebra , we teach its component parts .
We should structure history instruction the same way . ''
Following parent complaints , a district spokesman told the Washington Free Beacon on Monday that the changes are optional .
* '' The Teaching Tolerance resources are optional , '' spokesman Rob Doolittle said .
`` Parents who have queried LCPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are optional .
Not every Loudoun County educator is on board with the administration 's direction .
A longtime elementary school teacher , who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution , said that the school system had always taught students about the reality of slavery—lessons that typically begin in the fourth grade .
She said the administrative focus to push racial politics on students who do not yet know how to read is motivated by politics , rather than education .
`` I teach lower grades in elementary school.… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to teach about slavery , '' the teacher said .
`` Our standards were always [ to ] teach about famous Americans , George Washington , Martin Luther King Jr. , people like that .
But , it was all very general and the bigger picture , we highlighted their accomplishments . ''
The new Teaching Tolerance kindergarten curriculum urges teachers to explain social justice theories to five-year-olds .
The Loudoun County elementary school teacher believes this curriculum will prove divisive for children who lack the maturity to deal with the subject .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do is divide people as early as they can , starting now with kindergarteners .
They 're really going to be inciting hate , '' the teacher said .
`` They 're pointing out that there 's ‘ whiteness ' and ‘ blackness ' and that 's crazy .
We never taught about that in school… .
We learn about how to get along with one another and be kind and respect others .
But now , with this new curriculum that they 're adding , it 's going to do the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced by the Virginia Department of Education 's superintendent .
When asked how the SPLC guidelines were funded and whether the guidelines were mandatory across the state , the state 's education department deflected .
`` The state Board of Education approves content standards and curriculum frameworks for history and social studies , '' a state education department spokesman said .
`` Local school boards are responsible for developing or adopting curriculum aligned with the state standards and framework . ''
Loudoun County 's school board did not respond to multiple requests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create opportunities for kindergarten , first , and second grade students to learn about `` activism and action civics . ''
`` Students should study examples of role models from the past and present , and ask themselves , ‘ how can I make a difference ? '
'' the guide says .
`` These conversations [ about slavery ] should lead into discussions about current injustices—particularly those that continue to disenfranchise and oppress the descendants of enslaved people—and possibilities for activism and reform . ''
Max Eden , an education policy expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curriculum 's focus on political activism and the horrors of slavery is not suitable for kindergarten students .
He said the movement to inject politics into elementary school classrooms has gained momentum since the New York Times launched its controversial 1619 Project .
`` Students are n't prepared when they 're five years old to develop a nuanced sense of history and political processes , and pros and cons of different side effects , and unintended consequences , '' Eden said .
`` What the real goal of this is , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to try to get the left-wing , Nikole Hannah-Jones , [ SPLC ] meta-political narrative into kids ' heads as soon as possible , which is basically trying to compel them to believe that because slavery happened , therefore , America is evil and you must follow the leftist idea of … how we need to overturn power in society . ''
Parents are also upset that social justice would explicitly be taught in a public elementary school .
A Loudoun County parent of two—who also spoke on the condition of anonymity—told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school district .
`` SPLC is pushing Marxist ideology more or less .
They 're really pushing those concepts of ‘ revolution ' and ‘ dismantling the system ' that we have , '' the father said .
`` So rather than everyone coming together and building something great together , it 's about destroying what 's been built . ''
The school board is asking parents concerned about the `` social justice '' curriculum to fill out a survey requesting the board reconsider instructional materials .
SPLC did not respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been updated with new comments from the Loudon County School District

Virginia kindergarten students will learn about institutional racism alongside the alphabet, according to new curriculum recommendations created for the upcoming school year.
Loudoun County is adding "social justice" to the mission of teaching elementary school students reading, writing, and arithmetic. The Washington, D.C., suburb—the richest county in the country—has teamed up with the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) education arm Teaching Tolerance to develop its new curriculum. The proposed lesson plan recommends restructuring history and social studies classes to emphasize slavery as fundamental to American society for students from kindergarten to the fifth grade.
"Sugarcoating or ignoring slavery until later grades makes students more upset by or even resistant to true stories about American history," the documents say. "Long before we teach algebra, we teach its component parts. We should structure history instruction the same way."
Following parent complaints, a district spokesman told the Washington Free Beacon on Monday that the changes are optional.*
"The Teaching Tolerance resources are optional," spokesman Rob Doolittle said. "Parents who have queried LCPS about those resources have been informed that they are optional.
Not every Loudoun County educator is on board with the administration's direction. A longtime elementary school teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said that the school system had always taught students about the reality of slavery—lessons that typically begin in the fourth grade. She said the administrative focus to push racial politics on students who do not yet know how to read is motivated by politics, rather than education.
"I teach lower grades in elementary school.… [Never before] did I have to teach about slavery," the teacher said. "Our standards were always [to] teach about famous Americans, George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., people like that. But, it was all very general and the bigger picture, we highlighted their accomplishments."
The new Teaching Tolerance kindergarten curriculum urges teachers to explain social justice theories to five-year-olds. The Loudoun County elementary school teacher believes this curriculum will prove divisive for children who lack the maturity to deal with the subject.
"What they're really trying to do is divide people as early as they can, starting now with kindergarteners. They're really going to be inciting hate," the teacher said. "They're pointing out that there's 'whiteness' and 'blackness' and that's crazy. We never taught about that in school.... We learn about how to get along with one another and be kind and respect others. But now, with this new curriculum that they're adding, it's going to do the total opposite."
The curriculum was first introduced by the Virginia Department of Education's superintendent. When asked how the SPLC guidelines were funded and whether the guidelines were mandatory across the state, the state's education department deflected.
"The state Board of Education approves content standards and curriculum frameworks for history and social studies," a state education department spokesman said. "Local school boards are responsible for developing or adopting curriculum aligned with the state standards and framework." Loudoun County's school board did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The guide encourages educators to create opportunities for kindergarten, first, and second grade students to learn about "activism and action civics."
"Students should study examples of role models from the past and present, and ask themselves, 'how can I make a difference?'" the guide says. "These conversations [about slavery] should lead into discussions about current injustices—particularly those that continue to disenfranchise and oppress the descendants of enslaved people—and possibilities for activism and reform."
Max Eden, an education policy expert at the right-leaning Manhattan Institute, said the curriculum's focus on political activism and the horrors of slavery is not suitable for kindergarten students. He said the movement to inject politics into elementary school classrooms has gained momentum since the New York Times launched its controversial 1619 Project.
"Students aren't prepared when they're five years old to develop a nuanced sense of history and political processes, and pros and cons of different side effects, and unintended consequences," Eden said. "What the real goal of this is, by introducing [slavery] this young, is to try to get the left-wing, Nikole Hannah-Jones, [SPLC] meta-political narrative into kids' heads as soon as possible, which is basically trying to compel them to believe that because slavery happened, therefore, America is evil and you must follow the leftist idea of ... how we need to overturn power in society."
Parents are also upset that social justice would explicitly be taught in a public elementary school. A Loudoun County parent of two—who also spoke on the condition of anonymity—told the Free Beacon he was disappointed in the school district.
"SPLC is pushing Marxist ideology more or less. They're really pushing those concepts of 'revolution' and 'dismantling the system' that we have," the father said. "So rather than everyone coming together and building something great together, it's about destroying what's been built."
The school board is asking parents concerned about the "social justice" curriculum to fill out a survey requesting the board reconsider instructional materials.
SPLC did not respond to a request for comment.
*UPDATE: July 20, 2020 3:10 p.m.
This piece has been updated with new comments from the Loudon County School District


freebeacon--2020-07-21--As Democratic Nominee, Biden Pivots Away From Career Alliance With Police

At a town hall in Iowa last January , Joe Biden boasted to the audience that he has `` written every major piece of legislation relating to law enforcement in the last 35 years . ''
Six months later , in early July , his presidential campaign proposed an ambitious plan to dismantle many of the tough-on-crime policies he spearheaded during his decades in the Senate , including federal programs that provided military equipment to local police , posted cops in public schools , and expanded the prison system .
Biden 's history of aggressive legislation increasing the footprint of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him with criminal justice reform advocates , a vocal part of the Democratic base .
But his decision to reverse course on policies he supported over decades in the Senate reveals the leftward shift of the Democratic Party and his assessment that those long-held positions are now an obstacle to his election .
The `` Unity Task Force Recommendations , '' a list of proposals drafted by the Biden campaign 's joint task force with Bernie Sanders and other progressive leaders , takes aim at policies the candidate has already renounced , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ users that have been blamed for the disproportionate number of black people in federal prison .
But the document , published July 8 , also offers scathing criticism of Biden-backed policies and the overall U.S. law enforcement system that Biden claimed to have shaped during his decades in public office .
`` We need to overhaul the criminal justice system from top to bottom , '' the task force recommendations say .
`` Our system has criminalized poverty , overpoliced and underserved Black and brown communities , and cut public services . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of military equipment to state and local police departments .
Criminal justice reform advocates trace the `` militarization '' of state and local police back to the federal COPS grant program authorized in the 1994 crime bill , which was written by Biden .
`` Federal funds for policing through programs such as COPS grants funded new equipment and technologies purchased by local police forces , resulting in the escalation of SWAT teams and other paramilitary units—ultimately increasing the presence of military grade weapons and surveillance systems in our most vulnerable communities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups in a letter to House Judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler last month .
Biden went on to vote for a 1997 defense bill that created a federal agency tasked with transferring surplus military equipment to police departments .
In 2008 , he sponsored a bill to expand a federal program that provided counterterrorism technology and equipment to local law enforcement .
The Biden campaign task force ’ s new proposal is a sharp contrast to bellicose statements the candidate has made over the years about the `` war on crime . ''
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a massive influx of federal funding to launch a well-funded `` D-Day '' against criminals .
`` What we need is another D-Day , not another Vietnam—a war fought on the cheap and destined for stalemate and human tragedy , '' then-senator Biden said .
While promoting his crime bill in 1990 , Biden compared police to `` soldiers '' in a war zone .
`` My crime bill is loaded with money for more police and drug agents—soldiers we need to fight the war on crime today , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls for dismantling `` the school-to-prison pipeline that sees children of color arrested in their classrooms for misbehavior that ought to be handled in the principal ’ s office , and build a school to opportunity pipeline instead . ''
The proposal conflicts with prior legislation sponsored by Biden , including a 2007 bill to increase the number of school-based police officers , also known as `` resource officers . ''
The bill authorized `` grants to hire school resource officers and to establish school-based partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , drug activities , and other problems in and around elementary and secondary schools . ''
According to critics , `` resource officers '' are a key component of the so-called school-to-prison pipeline decried in the Biden unity committee ’ s plan .
`` Though these police are often referred to as ‘ school resource officers , ' their legal power and attending actions reveal that this designation only serves to mask that their presence has transformed schools into another site of concentrated policing , '' said the American Civil Liberties Union .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school-to-prison pipeline—the entry point to the criminal justice system for too many kids—and fuels mass incarceration . ''
The Biden campaign proposal also marks a notable departure from his previous statements on juvenile criminals , whom he has referred to as future `` predators '' who were raised without consciences .
`` The significant number of the children who are committing these crimes have no parents and they are predators who are wandering the streets , '' Biden said in a 1993 Senate floor speech .
`` We find , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are 175,000 drug-addicted children under the age of 17 who have no mother , no father , who , in fact , commit on average 200 crimes a year , and there ’ s going to be no one to put in jail or have community service for except these individuals . ''
In another speech that year , Biden warned that the government must address the `` cadre of young people , tens of thousands of them , born out of wedlock without parents , without supervision , without any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` We should focus on them now , not out of a liberal instinct for love , brother and humanity—although I think that ’ s a good instinct—but for simple pragmatic reasons , '' he added .
`` If we do n't , they will or a portion of them will become the predators 15 years from now . ''
Biden said those who grow up to become predators should be removed from society `` to protect my family and yours from them . ''
`` They are beyond the pale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pale , '' said Biden .
`` It is a sad commentary on society .
We have no choice but to take them out of society .
And the truth is , we don ’ t very well know how to rehabilitate them at that point .
That is the sad truth . ''

At a town hall in Iowa last January, Joe Biden boasted to the audience that he has "written every major piece of legislation relating to law enforcement in the last 35 years."
Six months later, in early July, his presidential campaign proposed an ambitious plan to dismantle many of the tough-on-crime policies he spearheaded during his decades in the Senate, including federal programs that provided military equipment to local police, posted cops in public schools, and expanded the prison system.
Biden's history of aggressive legislation increasing the footprint of local cops has already caused problems for him with criminal justice reform advocates, a vocal part of the Democratic base. But his decision to reverse course on policies he supported over decades in the Senate reveals the leftward shift of the Democratic Party and his assessment that those long-held positions are now an obstacle to his election.
The "Unity Task Force Recommendations," a list of proposals drafted by the Biden campaign's joint task force with Bernie Sanders and other progressive leaders, takes aim at policies the candidate has already renounced, including sentencing disparities for crack and powder cocaine users that have been blamed for the disproportionate number of black people in federal prison.
But the document, published July 8, also offers scathing criticism of Biden-backed policies and the overall U.S. law enforcement system that Biden claimed to have shaped during his decades in public office.
"We need to overhaul the criminal justice system from top to bottom," the task force recommendations say. "Our system has criminalized poverty, overpoliced and underserved Black and brown communities, and cut public services."
The plan calls to limit the sale of military equipment to state and local police departments. Criminal justice reform advocates trace the "militarization" of state and local police back to the federal COPS grant program authorized in the 1994 crime bill, which was written by Biden.
"Federal funds for policing through programs such as COPS grants funded new equipment and technologies purchased by local police forces, resulting in the escalation of SWAT teams and other paramilitary units—ultimately increasing the presence of military grade weapons and surveillance systems in our most vulnerable communities," wrote a coalition of progressive activist groups in a letter to House Judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler last month.
Biden went on to vote for a 1997 defense bill that created a federal agency tasked with transferring surplus military equipment to police departments. In 2008, he sponsored a bill to expand a federal program that provided counterterrorism technology and equipment to local law enforcement.
The Biden campaign task force’s new proposal is a sharp contrast to bellicose statements the candidate has made over the years about the "war on crime." In 1989, Biden argued that police needed a massive influx of federal funding to launch a well-funded "D-Day" against criminals.
"What we need is another D-Day, not another Vietnam—a war fought on the cheap and destined for stalemate and human tragedy," then-senator Biden said.
While promoting his crime bill in 1990, Biden compared police to "soldiers" in a war zone.
"My crime bill is loaded with money for more police and drug agents—soldiers we need to fight the war on crime today," he said.
The new Biden task force document also calls for dismantling "the school-to-prison pipeline that sees children of color arrested in their classrooms for misbehavior that ought to be handled in the principal’s office, and build a school to opportunity pipeline instead."
The proposal conflicts with prior legislation sponsored by Biden, including a 2007 bill to increase the number of school-based police officers, also known as "resource officers."
The bill authorized "grants to hire school resource officers and to establish school-based partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and local school systems to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems in and around elementary and secondary schools."
According to critics, "resource officers" are a key component of the so-called school-to-prison pipeline decried in the Biden unity committee’s plan.
"Though these police are often referred to as 'school resource officers,' their legal power and attending actions reveal that this designation only serves to mask that their presence has transformed schools into another site of concentrated policing," said the American Civil Liberties Union. "Such policing marks the start of the school-to-prison pipeline—the entry point to the criminal justice system for too many kids—and fuels mass incarceration."
The Biden campaign proposal also marks a notable departure from his previous statements on juvenile criminals, whom he has referred to as future "predators" who were raised without consciences.
"The significant number of the children who are committing these crimes have no parents and they are predators who are wandering the streets," Biden said in a 1993 Senate floor speech. "We find, for example, in the city of New York, there are 175,000 drug-addicted children under the age of 17 who have no mother, no father, who, in fact, commit on average 200 crimes a year, and there’s going to be no one to put in jail or have community service for except these individuals."
In another speech that year, Biden warned that the government must address the "cadre of young people, tens of thousands of them, born out of wedlock without parents, without supervision, without any structure, without any conscience developing."
"We should focus on them now, not out of a liberal instinct for love, brother and humanity—although I think that’s a good instinct—but for simple pragmatic reasons," he added. "If we don't, they will or a portion of them will become the predators 15 years from now."
Biden said those who grow up to become predators should be removed from society "to protect my family and yours from them."
"They are beyond the pale, many of those people. Beyond the pale," said Biden. "It is a sad commentary on society. We have no choice but to take them out of society. And the truth is, we don’t very well know how to rehabilitate them at that point. That is the sad truth."