freebeacon--2020-12-23--The 2020 Washington Free Beacon Christmas Gift Guide

If 2020 has taught us anything , it is the importance of being together .
In this trying but hopeful holiday season it is important to bridge the divisions in our polarized world , which is why we have once again partnered with our international team of brand consultants ( and our non-unionized elfin workforce ) to bring you the best gift items for everyone on your list .
You would think that this year ’ s record unemployment numbers would have meant a downturn in the luxury home appliance market , but it ’ s really been one for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of producers .
Smart living at home means saving lives .
By staying inside , we can ensure that all of us are able to live in fully automated comfort for many decades to come .
We have really come a long way from the days when smart toilets included only single-user programmable functionality .
Take your bathroom out of the Stone Age with this Kohler appliance , which allows you to open , close , and dry the seat and to empty the basin with both eco and full flush settings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own selections for light , warmth , heat direction and intensity , and , of course , music .
When just going to the coffee shop down the street poses a serious health risk , it ’ s hard to go without this machine from our friends at Elektra .
In addition to its attractive design , it sports a durable brass boiler , an advanced eco-friendly filtration system , and advanced safety features .
After using it , you ’ ll never want to leave your house for coffee again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gym simply was not an option .
And even in the best of times , the otherwise beneficial organic full-body workout that comes with splitting logs is not compatible with our commitment to the planet .
So what is a guy ( or gal ! )
looking for that classic lumberjack physique to do ?
This is where the Chopper comes in , offering all the fun of chopping logs without any of the mess of wood or fireplace-based carbon emissions that usually comes with it .
Includes safety wrist strap and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No one should be drinking non-ionized water .
The great thing about this unit from Life is that its nine-plate design allows users to adjust the pH levels with custom filters based upon the output data of the app to increase the sweetness of coffee and ( hello ! )
herbal tea to desired levels while keeping out dangerous toxins .
Dan Cousins blogs about socially distanced smart living and DIY for This New Home .
This year has only confirmed me in the wisdom of my stoic ancestors .
By both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Greenland have been inured to social distancing from early childhood .
Many is the time that I have gone six months or even a calendar year without speaking to anyone save my spear-wife Freja and our five sons Aksel , Ansgar , Asbjorn , Asger , and Asmund as we stalk the muskox in the frozen north .
But without these aids , our lonely vigil would be a hopeless one .
My travels have rarely taken me beyond my frozen native soil , but when they have the land to which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While my heart will always prefer mattak , the raw blubber of the great narwhal , I have learned to enjoy also the grand traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun .
Koyanagi Bunko , my old sparring partner , taught me the ways of spear combat ( sojutsu ) and of preparing sashimi with the help of these knives .
As the years pass and the shadows of the hearth-fire grow longer , the mature sportsman wearies of youth and its follies , such as the mechanical compound bow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bow of simple yew after the manner of our fathers is the deepest yearning of our hearts .
This fine weapon from Ravenbeak does not include a string , which should be taken from the hide of a previous kill .
Despite the stubborn independence of my countrymen , we are always willing to acknowledge the achievements of other proud races , such as the American , with its equally great traditions of frontier independence and ruthless conquest .
For this reason , I have no misgivings about wearing this heated jacket from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , which allows a hunting expedition in sub-zero temperatures to feel like a night-time visit to Freja in the sauna .
Ejnar Overgaard , who writes from his native Greenland , recently abandoned his tour hunting company because , as he put it to Free Beacon staff , `` There are no apprentices worthy of my tutelage . ''
With the assistance of his wife , he is currently writing Nights in Nunatak , the first in a series of Kindle Singles romances .
Folks , I got ta admit it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sugar MAGA podcast know , this year ’ s been real hard on the Love Ninja .
People tell me , `` Ray , man , you got ta follow the science . ''
I tell them the only science I follow is love .
And love , like Deep Purple said , conquers all , even crappy made-in-China viruses .
You may not realize this , but criminal justice reform is one of my passions .
Whenever I feel down about the state of our legal institutions in this country , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most high-profile cases of the 20th century , justice was done for a wrongly accused man .
So even though I don ’ t love masking up , when I have to put one on to head down to watch the Monday night game with Tim and Khan and the boys at Hicky ’ s Bar , I wear my Juice mask , inspired by the greatest running back ever to play the game .
This bad boy is handmade in these United States , a true American original , just like number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things about this year is that it ’ s meant the Ninja has spent a little less time drinking raspberry piña coladas at the Aruba Ritz-Carlton and a little more time catching up on reading .
( I got a secret for you : read on the toilet . )
These essays by one of our foremost cultural critics really hit that sweet spot for both me and the missus , who shares my dedication to the intellectual heritage of Western Civilization .
They ’ re short enough that you can read two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de Coco Coconut Juice With Meat ( $ 18.96 for pack of six ) Now contrary to what you might expect , I am not down with keto , paleo , or any of those other weird diets that restrict you to certain food groups .
Newsflash , dorks : that ’ s like restricting yourself to only one kind of love , when there are whole ancient Indian books on all the different ways of blowing the grounsils and playing the blanket hornpipe .
Instead I follow Ninja Nutrition , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole man or woman .
While you ’ ll have to subscribe to my premium tier on Patreon to receive the full diet plan , which includes customized menu selections , I ’ ll give you one free piece of advice : drink coconut juice with the meat included .
The other stuff just doesn ’ t give you that extra kick that separates cashew nibblers from real nut masters like yours truly .
I think it was Aristotle who said variety is the spice of life .
It would come as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that variety is also the spice of putting four quarters on a spit , as my father Raymond Nathan , Sr. , used to call it .
( Gentlemen don ’ t use four-letter words , bub . )
That ’ s why my wife and I are longtime subscribers to this service , which is the playing nug-a-nug equivalent of having one of those fancy Martha Stewart 40-jar spice racks delivered discreetly to your door .
Best of all , it comes in 72 sizes , depending upon whether the fish you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a minnow or a whale shark or anything in between .
This is more of a bonus pick , since my former fellow contributor Tatewaki Shiho , who usually handles the kiddo section , has left her writing career to help unseat the duly elected president of the United States .
Honestly , when I was a boy we didn ’ t have a lot of toys lying around , but I ’ ll tell you one I enjoy to this day : vintage carousels .
I have one in my backyard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zebra guy , but the whole point is to find your own carnival spirit animal .
I find riding it to be a meditative experience , a time when it ’ s just me and my thoughts , contemplating the mysteries of life and the universe and whether time is greater than space .
Like I always say on the podcast , don ’ t knock it till you ’ ve tried it , hoss .
Ray Nathan , a.k.a .
The Love Ninja , is a New York Times bestselling author and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MAGA podcast on iTunes .
I have no idea what I would have done without this product this year !
With the waiting lists for socially distanced facials stretching on for months , it is vitally important to have inclusive alternatives .
The use of natural jade is also a step in the direction of a more inclusive and wholistic understanding of wellness that rejects the narrow evidence-based imperatives of colonial medicine , assisting us in both unlearning cisheteronormativity at the intersections of difference and in queer worldmaking through collaged relational autoethnography .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more .
Jaimie Bao-Ornstein , the former director of the Vocal Choice Coalition , is currently providing diversity training and consulting services for McKinsey ’ s global partners .
When You Have It All You miss old friend Semen , readers of Freedom Lighthouse samizdat ?
Well , I am also missing of you , and of paycheck from Monkey of Truth .
So I once more write international catalogue of luxuries for special men and attractive women of high behavior .
Online Ed.D .
in Educational Leadership ( $ 697 per credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position is most important item .
If you attempt make education or , like impressive pal Semen , international consulting main focus of career , you must have credential .
So what better than to obtain doctor of education ( not philosophy , which is trash of Russia ) .
I earn mine from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv , but in United States you have better University of Delaware , such as is attended by learned Dr. Ulyana Biden , greatest scholar despite what Jewish old man of essay write in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not requiring GRE score !
Once again it is time I offer thanks to genius of business and mineral expert Hunter and to famous Ass Party of Endryu Jackson and other slaveholders .
And how I ask is victory possible without integrate latest technology ?
Even in Ukraine we hold social distance election for office while making elimination possible of Russian interference .
Perhaps now available off year special lad price , yes ?
Seek information , friend Ivan can inquire used and is good to count .
In happy times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoyment of sports noble wrestling .
But when I visit United States , I go with now Elective Premier Dzhozef to football game of national team .
He tells me always Redskins is best , for Hogs and Joe Theismann , who is glorious amid loss of leg to giant , as we have also in folk tales .
He even give hat to intellectual lad son for heat of ears in cold winter , which I now wear .
You think they are primary relation of sexual ?
This is narrow understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must in black plague time prevent spread of Mexican beer pneumonia of lung while commit to inclusive work force with engagement of traditional female artisans in East Europe ( not Russia , where vaccine is fake ) .
I make most recommendation of full mask always love encounter with Nita , Maryana , Yada , and Karina , as frequently has been arranged for Departments of State .
Semen Borysovych Nechyporenko is a former member of the Ukrainian parliament who served as vice deputy chairman of the Unconditional Fatherland League from 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior position with Pine Island Capital Partners .

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is the importance of being together. In this trying but hopeful holiday season it is important to bridge the divisions in our polarized world, which is why we have once again partnered with our international team of brand consultants (and our non-unionized elfin workforce) to bring you the best gift items for everyone on your list.
Home
You would think that this year’s record unemployment numbers would have meant a downturn in the luxury home appliance market, but it’s really been one for me of dynamic engagement with a variety of producers. Smart living at home means saving lives. By staying inside, we can ensure that all of us are able to live in fully automated comfort for many decades to come.
Kohler Numi Dual Flush One-Piece Elongated Comfort Toilet With Remote Control and Integrated Bidet ($8,775)
We have really come a long way from the days when smart toilets included only single-user programmable functionality. Take your bathroom out of the Stone Age with this Kohler appliance, which allows you to open, close, and dry the seat and to empty the basin with both eco and full flush settings. Individual users are also able to program their own selections for light, warmth, heat direction and intensity, and, of course, music.
Elektra Microcasa Semiautomatica Espresso Machine ($2,259)
When just going to the coffee shop down the street poses a serious health risk, it’s hard to go without this machine from our friends at Elektra. In addition to its attractive design, it sports a durable brass boiler, an advanced eco-friendly filtration system, and advanced safety features. After using it, you’ll never want to leave your house for coffee again.
Chopfit The Chopper Full-Body Workout ($119.99)
For most of us this year, the gym simply was not an option. And even in the best of times, the otherwise beneficial organic full-body workout that comes with splitting logs is not compatible with our commitment to the planet. So what is a guy (or gal!) looking for that classic lumberjack physique to do? This is where the Chopper comes in, offering all the fun of chopping logs without any of the mess of wood or fireplace-based carbon emissions that usually comes with it. Includes safety wrist strap and integrated mobile app.
Life Ionizer MXL-9 Under-Counter Alkaline Water Ionizer Hydrogen Machine ($2,997)
This is 2020. No one should be drinking non-ionized water. The great thing about this unit from Life is that its nine-plate design allows users to adjust the pH levels with custom filters based upon the output data of the app to increase the sweetness of coffee and (hello!) herbal tea to desired levels while keeping out dangerous toxins.
Dan Cousins blogs about socially distanced smart living and DIY for This New Home.
Outdoors
This year has only confirmed me in the wisdom of my stoic ancestors. By both necessity and temperament, we hardy men of Greenland have been inured to social distancing from early childhood. Many is the time that I have gone six months or even a calendar year without speaking to anyone save my spear-wife Freja and our five sons Aksel, Ansgar, Asbjorn, Asger, and Asmund as we stalk the muskox in the frozen north. But without these aids, our lonely vigil would be a hopeless one.
Sakai Takayuki Ginmaki Mirrored Honyaki Blue Steel Knives ($4,245.99)
My travels have rarely taken me beyond my frozen native soil, but when they have the land to which I was fondest of venturing was Japan. While my heart will always prefer mattak, the raw blubber of the great narwhal, I have learned to enjoy also the grand traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun. Koyanagi Bunko, my old sparring partner, taught me the ways of spear combat (sojutsu) and of preparing sashimi with the help of these knives.
Ravenbeak Traditional English Yew Longbow ($1200)
As the years pass and the shadows of the hearth-fire grow longer, the mature sportsman wearies of youth and its follies, such as the mechanical compound bow. To slay the crafty walrus with a bow of simple yew after the manner of our fathers is the deepest yearning of our hearts. This fine weapon from Ravenbeak does not include a string, which should be taken from the hide of a previous kill.
Ralph Lauren Polo 11 Heated Jacket ($1098)
Despite the stubborn independence of my countrymen, we are always willing to acknowledge the achievements of other proud races, such as the American, with its equally great traditions of frontier independence and ruthless conquest. For this reason, I have no misgivings about wearing this heated jacket from the Ralph Lauren company in the United States, which allows a hunting expedition in sub-zero temperatures to feel like a night-time visit to Freja in the sauna.
Ejnar Overgaard, who writes from his native Greenland, recently abandoned his tour hunting company because, as he put it to Free Beacon staff, "There are no apprentices worthy of my tutelage." With the assistance of his wife, he is currently writing Nights in Nunatak, the first in a series of Kindle Singles romances.
Couples
Folks, I gotta admit it. As regular listeners to the Blood Sex Sugar MAGA podcast know, this year’s been real hard on the Love Ninja. People tell me, "Ray, man, you gotta follow the science." I tell them the only science I follow is love. And love, like Deep Purple said, conquers all, even crappy made-in-China viruses.
Masks by Browne Limited Edition O.J. "The Juice" Mask ($29.99)
You may not realize this, but criminal justice reform is one of my passions. Whenever I feel down about the state of our legal institutions in this country, I remind myself that in one of the most high-profile cases of the 20th century, justice was done for a wrongly accused man. So even though I don’t love masking up, when I have to put one on to head down to watch the Monday night game with Tim and Khan and the boys at Hicky’s Bar, I wear my Juice mask, inspired by the greatest running back ever to play the game. This bad boy is handmade in these United States, a true American original, just like number 32.
Wind Sprints: Shorter Essays, by Joseph Epstein ($23.34)
One of the few good things about this year is that it’s meant the Ninja has spent a little less time drinking raspberry piña coladas at the Aruba Ritz-Carlton and a little more time catching up on reading. (I got a secret for you: read on the toilet.) These essays by one of our foremost cultural critics really hit that sweet spot for both me and the missus, who shares my dedication to the intellectual heritage of Western Civilization. They’re short enough that you can read two or three in a sitting.
Jugo de Coco Coconut Juice With Meat ($18.96 for pack of six)
Now contrary to what you might expect, I am not down with keto, paleo, or any of those other weird diets that restrict you to certain food groups. Newsflash, dorks: that’s like restricting yourself to only one kind of love, when there are whole ancient Indian books on all the different ways of blowing the grounsils and playing the blanket hornpipe. Instead I follow Ninja Nutrition, which is an integrated body-mind-soul approach to food for the whole man or woman. While you’ll have to subscribe to my premium tier on Patreon to receive the full diet plan, which includes customized menu selections, I’ll give you one free piece of advice: drink coconut juice with the meat included. The other stuff just doesn’t give you that extra kick that separates cashew nibblers from real nut masters like yours truly.
AdoreMe Lingerie Monthly Subscription ($39.95-$59.95 per month, plus initial styling fee)
I think it was Aristotle who said variety is the spice of life. It would come as no surprise to the fourth-century Athenian philosopher that variety is also the spice of putting four quarters on a spit, as my father Raymond Nathan, Sr., used to call it. (Gentlemen don’t use four-letter words, bub.) That’s why my wife and I are longtime subscribers to this service, which is the playing nug-a-nug equivalent of having one of those fancy Martha Stewart 40-jar spice racks delivered discreetly to your door. Best of all, it comes in 72 sizes, depending upon whether the fish you’re dipping that particular river for is a minnow or a whale shark or anything in between.
Vintage 16-Seat Carousel (price upon request)
This is more of a bonus pick, since my former fellow contributor Tatewaki Shiho, who usually handles the kiddo section, has left her writing career to help unseat the duly elected president of the United States. Honestly, when I was a boy we didn’t have a lot of toys lying around, but I’ll tell you one I enjoy to this day: vintage carousels. I have one in my backyard. I always pick that sparkly pink zebra guy, but the whole point is to find your own carnival spirit animal. I find riding it to be a meditative experience, a time when it’s just me and my thoughts, contemplating the mysteries of life and the universe and whether time is greater than space. Like I always say on the podcast, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, hoss.
Ray Nathan, a.k.a. The Love Ninja, is a New York Times bestselling author and the host of the Blood Sugar Sex MAGA podcast on iTunes.
Self Care
Ocim Jade Roller Anti-Aging Stone ($6.99)
I have no idea what I would have done without this product this year! With the waiting lists for socially distanced facials stretching on for months, it is vitally important to have inclusive alternatives. The use of natural jade is also a step in the direction of a more inclusive and wholistic understanding of wellness that rejects the narrow evidence-based imperatives of colonial medicine, assisting us in both unlearning cisheteronormativity at the intersections of difference and in queer worldmaking through collaged relational autoethnography. There is honestly nothing I would recommend more.
Jaimie Bao-Ornstein, the former director of the Vocal Choice Coalition, is currently providing diversity training and consulting services for McKinsey’s global partners.
When You Have It All
You miss old friend Semen, readers of Freedom Lighthouse samizdat? Well, I am also missing of you, and of paycheck from Monkey of Truth. So I once more write international catalogue of luxuries for special men and attractive women of high behavior.
Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership ($697 per credit, plus additional fees)
In primary position is most important item. If you attempt make education or, like impressive pal Semen, international consulting main focus of career, you must have credential. So what better than to obtain doctor of education (not philosophy, which is trash of Russia). I earn mine from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, but in United States you have better University of Delaware, such as is attended by learned Dr. Ulyana Biden, greatest scholar despite what Jewish old man of essay write in Wall Street diary. And best, it is not requiring GRE score!
Dominion Voting Machine (pricing information upon request)
Once again it is time I offer thanks to genius of business and mineral expert Hunter and to famous Ass Party of Endryu Jackson and other slaveholders. And how I ask is victory possible without integrate latest technology? Even in Ukraine we hold social distance election for office while making elimination possible of Russian interference. Perhaps now available off year special lad price, yes? Seek information, friend Ivan can inquire used and is good to count.
Redskins Jersey (second-hand price varies)
In happy times of past, I prefer most for enjoyment of sports noble wrestling. But when I visit United States, I go with now Elective Premier Dzhozef to football game of national team. He tells me always Redskins is best, for Hogs and Joe Theismann, who is glorious amid loss of leg to giant, as we have also in folk tales. He even give hat to intellectual lad son for heat of ears in cold winter, which I now wear.
EuroGirl Escort Ukraine (negotiable terms)
You think they are primary relation of sexual? This is narrow understanding, unspiritual. In global dynamic economy we must in black plague time prevent spread of Mexican beer pneumonia of lung while commit to inclusive work force with engagement of traditional female artisans in East Europe (not Russia, where vaccine is fake). I make most recommendation of full mask always love encounter with Nita, Maryana, Yada, and Karina, as frequently has been arranged for Departments of State.
Semen Borysovych Nechyporenko is a former member of the Ukrainian parliament who served as vice deputy chairman of the Unconditional Fatherland League from 2013 until 2017. He recently accepted a senior position with Pine Island Capital Partners.


freebeacon--2020-12-23--Trump Administration Finds Historic Success Rescuing American Hostages

Bryan Nerren spent seven months detained in an Indian prison , unsure if or when he would see his family again .
`` The experience was horrific , very difficult , '' said Nerren .
`` I was put in a cage , treated like the worst criminal in India . ''
For 18 years , the small-town pastor from Shelbyville , Tenn. , traveled to India and Nepal to spread the Gospel , cultivating a network of Christian communities across Southeast Asia .
In 2019 , he had amassed $ 40,000 for educational aid and anti-poverty efforts in Nepal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India , government agents detained the pastor and his associates .
They faced an eight-hour interrogation of `` TV-horror quality '' that focused on their faith .
After lengthy negotiations , Nerren 's associates were released , but the pastor faced a seven-year prison sentence for smuggling and conversionism .
Then the White House stepped in .
A full-court press from President Donald Trump and National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien secured Nerren 's freedom after negotiating with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi .
Nerren returned home to his family in May .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a doubt , that had Donald Trump not been the president , I 'd still be in India , '' Nerren told the Washington Free Beacon .
The Trump administration has brought home dozens of Americans trapped overseas .
The pace has accelerated since August when the White House announced that at least 50 hostages had been rescued from 22 countries .
Since then , even more Americans have returned safely from hostile foreign captivity in Belarus , Yemen , and Nigeria , among other countries .
Officials and experts familiar with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international hostage-taking historic in scope after previous administrations treated the issue as a more peripheral concern .
Former hostage Josh Holt spoke to the Free Beacon about this contrast .
Venezuelan agents accused the Utah resident of attempting to destabilize the Maduro regime when he entered the country to retrieve his wife and her two daughters in 2016 .
`` They did n't really do anything to help us out , '' Holt said of the Obama administration .
`` They did n't really respond to any of the letters sent by my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Utah . ''
Holt spent nearly two years in prison , deprived of a toothbrush and toilet paper .
Holt says he saw a much more deliberate effort to get him and his family home after Trump took office .
He appeared at the 2020 Republican National Convention alongside Trump in a video segment discussing the White House 's success in bringing home detained Americans .
`` It was n't really until the RNC that just happened that I was able to go back again and talk to Ambassador Robert O'Brien and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully understand the type of effort that they put into getting people abroad back home , '' Holt said .
Experts observed a broad policy push for bringing hostages home , led by Trump , O'Brien , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , and Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens .
`` Overall , I think the president has placed a significant emphasis on this issue , '' Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior vice president Jonathan Schanzer told the Free Beacon .
`` Bringing home Americans that are being held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unmitigated good . ''
Schanzer also noted that at least two cases—Aya Hijazi in Egypt and Andrew Brunson in Turkey—demonstrated the benefits of personal relationships between senior leaders in Washington and foreign strongmen .
Those relationships gave the Trump administration leverage , according to a senior State Department official .
`` We 've professionalized what we 're doing , we 've figured out the tools , '' the official told the Free Beacon .
`` President Trump has made all the difference . ''
A major milestone in the process of expanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expansion and consolidation of the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs , a position created in 2015 .
O'Brien led the newly created office before his appointment to the National Security Council .
`` [ Trump ] and Secretary Pompeo have been so on board that it allows us to institutionalize this , '' the State Department official told the Free Beacon .
Part of the office 's increased support comes from Congress .
Sen. Marco Rubio ( R. , Fla. ) introduced the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Department protocol in hostage situations .
The act , which Congress passed on Monday , also brings congressional approval to the office of the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs , which President Obama only established by executive order .
`` The U.S. government should remain committed to bringing American hostages home , '' a Rubio spokesman told the Free Beacon .
`` We must have the tools necessary in order to achieve this and reunite them with their families .
Senator Rubio was proud to co-sponsor this bipartisan bill , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and looks forward to its enactment . ''
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Michael McCaul ( R. , Texas ) stressed the need for congressional support on the issue .
McCaul has been a strong voice in bringing home Trevor Reed , an ex-Marine detained in Russia on trumped-up charges .
`` Bringing home wrongfully detained Americans has been a top priority of this administration and , thankfully , they have been successful in many cases , '' McCaul said .
`` I have personally met with families whose loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I can not imagine the pain they endure on a daily basis .
We must continue our efforts to bring every American who is unjustly detained safely home to be with their families . ''
Despite the White House 's and Congress 's best efforts , Schanzer warned that the Biden administration could reverse Trump 's progress in bringing Americans home .
It may require a similar level of personal commitment from senior levels of Joe Biden 's team to replicate Trump 's success .
`` A lot of that [ success @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapport of top leadership in the United States with top leadership abroad , '' Schanzer told the Free Beacon .
`` In some ways , we really might look for how the Biden administration at the top level engages or establishes ties with the countries where we have hostage concerns . ''
Nerren echoed Schanzer 's concerns , citing Biden and his advisers ' track record with hostage negotiations during the Obama administration .
`` They have a history of talking about everything , and doing absolutely nothing , '' Nerren said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any political capital to make sure that American citizenship matters .
We know exactly what they did for eight years . ''

Bryan Nerren spent seven months detained in an Indian prison, unsure if or when he would see his family again.
"The experience was horrific, very difficult," said Nerren. "I was put in a cage, treated like the worst criminal in India."
For 18 years, the small-town pastor from Shelbyville, Tenn., traveled to India and Nepal to spread the Gospel, cultivating a network of Christian communities across Southeast Asia. In 2019, he had amassed $40,000 for educational aid and anti-poverty efforts in Nepal. After a series of stops in India, government agents detained the pastor and his associates. They faced an eight-hour interrogation of "TV-horror quality" that focused on their faith. After lengthy negotiations, Nerren's associates were released, but the pastor faced a seven-year prison sentence for smuggling and conversionism.
Then the White House stepped in. A full-court press from President Donald Trump and National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien secured Nerren's freedom after negotiating with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. Nerren returned home to his family in May.
"I am clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that had Donald Trump not been the president, I'd still be in India," Nerren told the Washington Free Beacon.
The Trump administration has brought home dozens of Americans trapped overseas. The pace has accelerated since August when the White House announced that at least 50 hostages had been rescued from 22 countries. Since then, even more Americans have returned safely from hostile foreign captivity in Belarus, Yemen, and Nigeria, among other countries.
Officials and experts familiar with the matter call Trump's approach to international hostage-taking historic in scope after previous administrations treated the issue as a more peripheral concern. Former hostage Josh Holt spoke to the Free Beacon about this contrast. Venezuelan agents accused the Utah resident of attempting to destabilize the Maduro regime when he entered the country to retrieve his wife and her two daughters in 2016.
"They didn't really do anything to help us out," Holt said of the Obama administration. "They didn't really respond to any of the letters sent by my parents or the senators or congresspeople here in Utah."
Holt spent nearly two years in prison, deprived of a toothbrush and toilet paper. Holt says he saw a much more deliberate effort to get him and his family home after Trump took office. He appeared at the 2020 Republican National Convention alongside Trump in a video segment discussing the White House's success in bringing home detained Americans.
"It wasn't really until the RNC that just happened that I was able to go back again and talk to Ambassador Robert O'Brien and President Trump and I was able to fully understand the type of effort that they put into getting people abroad back home," Holt said.
Experts observed a broad policy push for bringing hostages home, led by Trump, O'Brien, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens.
"Overall, I think the president has placed a significant emphasis on this issue," Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior vice president Jonathan Schanzer told the Free Beacon. "Bringing home Americans that are being held by rogue states or terrorist groups is an unmitigated good."
Schanzer also noted that at least two cases—Aya Hijazi in Egypt and Andrew Brunson in Turkey—demonstrated the benefits of personal relationships between senior leaders in Washington and foreign strongmen. Those relationships gave the Trump administration leverage, according to a senior State Department official.
"We've professionalized what we're doing, we've figured out the tools," the official told the Free Beacon. "President Trump has made all the difference."
A major milestone in the process of expanding hostage retrieval operations has also been the expansion and consolidation of the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, a position created in 2015. O'Brien led the newly created office before his appointment to the National Security Council.
"[Trump] and Secretary Pompeo have been so on board that it allows us to institutionalize this," the State Department official told the Free Beacon.
Part of the office's increased support comes from Congress. Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) introduced the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act last year, which affirms and expands on State Department protocol in hostage situations. The act, which Congress passed on Monday, also brings congressional approval to the office of the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, which President Obama only established by executive order.
"The U.S. government should remain committed to bringing American hostages home," a Rubio spokesman told the Free Beacon. "We must have the tools necessary in order to achieve this and reunite them with their families. Senator Rubio was proud to co-sponsor this bipartisan bill, which passed in the Senate earlier this year, and looks forward to its enactment."
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Michael McCaul (R., Texas) stressed the need for congressional support on the issue. McCaul has been a strong voice in bringing home Trevor Reed, an ex-Marine detained in Russia on trumped-up charges.
"Bringing home wrongfully detained Americans has been a top priority of this administration and, thankfully, they have been successful in many cases," McCaul said. "I have personally met with families whose loved ones are being held as political prisoners, and I cannot imagine the pain they endure on a daily basis. We must continue our efforts to bring every American who is unjustly detained safely home to be with their families."
Despite the White House's and Congress's best efforts, Schanzer warned that the Biden administration could reverse Trump's progress in bringing Americans home. It may require a similar level of personal commitment from senior levels of Joe Biden's team to replicate Trump's success.
"A lot of that [success] really had to do with the rapport of top leadership in the United States with top leadership abroad," Schanzer told the Free Beacon. "In some ways, we really might look for how the Biden administration at the top level engages or establishes ties with the countries where we have hostage concerns."
Nerren echoed Schanzer's concerns, citing Biden and his advisers' track record with hostage negotiations during the Obama administration.
"They have a history of talking about everything, and doing absolutely nothing," Nerren said. "They're not going to use any political capital to make sure that American citizenship matters. We know exactly what they did for eight years."


freebeacon--2020-12-22--Future Biden Education Secretary Oversaw Creation of Critical Theory Class for High Schoolers

Joe Biden 's likely pick for education secretary helped create a mandated , statewide minority-studies course that `` analyze [ s ] how race , power , and privilege influence group access to citizenship , civil rights , and economic power . ''
Miguel Cardona , the current Connecticut commissioner of education , played a key role in creating the curriculum for Connecticut 's required course in African-American , Black , Puerto Rican , and Latino studies .
The curriculum supposedly helps students `` consider the scope of African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino contributions to U.S. history , society , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooted in `` critical race theory , '' which claims that America is intrinsically racist .
As the state 's commissioner of education , Cardona oversees all educational programming .
On Dec. 2 , the Connecticut State Board of Education unanimously approved the curriculum for the mandatory course , which students will be required to take beginning in the fall of 2022 .
The curriculum is only mandatory for high school students , though other K-8 school systems are also changing their curricula along similar lines .
Hearing Youth Voices , a left-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political education and theory '' into public schools , helped develop the curriculum with Cardona .
Hearing Youth Voices hosts a slew of diversity training sessions , including one that claims `` capitalism is at the root of white supremacy , patriarchy , police brutality , the school-to-prison pipeline and so much more . ''
Other training courses call for police abolition and refer to Israel as a police state .
The Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Collective was also involved in finalizing the curriculum 's instructional materials .
Following a review of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curriculum helps students engage in `` anti-racist leadership . ''
Cardona has long been a proponent of integrating identity politics into public education .
In a press release for Connecticut governor Ned Lamont ( D. ) , Cardona said that `` identities matter '' in the context of a child 's education success , `` especially when 27 percent of our students identify as Hispanic or Latino and 13 percent identify as Black or African-American… .
[ M ] ore inclusive , culturally relevant content in classrooms leads to greater student engagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The finalized curriculum asks students to `` examine the scope and legacy of resistance that has been integral to African American , Black , Latino , and Puerto Rican histories '' and includes readings about the Black Lives Matter movement .
It also asks students what the experiences of minorities `` reveal about the United States , its foundation , and how power is structured today . ''
An `` expert review panel , '' which was filled with educators who support critical race theory being taught in the classroom , had input @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glenn Singleton , founded an organization that teaches students that individualism , competition , politeness , the scientific method , planning for the future , and the nuclear family are `` aspects and assumptions of white culture . ''
Stefanie Wager , another member of the review panel and president of the National Council for the Social Studies , said social studies should be used to combat racism .
President Donald Trump has resisted the growing push for critical race theory in education and training seminars .
He signed an executive order barring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and established a commission to reorient educational programming around American ideals .
Under Cardona 's leadership , the Biden administration is likely to undo those changes , especially given the pressure from outside education groups to reverse Trump 's order .
The Biden transition team did not respond to requests for comment .

Joe Biden's likely pick for education secretary helped create a mandated, statewide minority-studies course that "analyze[s] how race, power, and privilege influence group access to citizenship, civil rights, and economic power."
Miguel Cardona, the current Connecticut commissioner of education, played a key role in creating the curriculum for Connecticut's required course in African-American, Black, Puerto Rican, and Latino studies. The curriculum supposedly helps students "consider the scope of African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino contributions to U.S. history, society, economy, and culture" and is rooted in "critical race theory," which claims that America is intrinsically racist. As the state's commissioner of education, Cardona oversees all educational programming.
On Dec. 2, the Connecticut State Board of Education unanimously approved the curriculum for the mandatory course, which students will be required to take beginning in the fall of 2022. The curriculum is only mandatory for high school students, though other K-8 school systems are also changing their curricula along similar lines.
Hearing Youth Voices, a left-wing activist group that works to integrate "political education and theory" into public schools, helped develop the curriculum with Cardona. Hearing Youth Voices hosts a slew of diversity training sessions, including one that claims "capitalism is at the root of white supremacy, patriarchy, police brutality, the school-to-prison pipeline and so much more." Other training courses call for police abolition and refer to Israel as a police state.
The Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Collective was also involved in finalizing the curriculum's instructional materials. Following a review of the course's syllabus, the group said the curriculum helps students engage in "anti-racist leadership."
Cardona has long been a proponent of integrating identity politics into public education. In a press release for Connecticut governor Ned Lamont (D.), Cardona said that "identities matter" in the context of a child's education success, "especially when 27 percent of our students identify as Hispanic or Latino and 13 percent identify as Black or African-American.... [M]ore inclusive, culturally relevant content in classrooms leads to greater student engagement and better outcomes for all."
The finalized curriculum asks students to "examine the scope and legacy of resistance that has been integral to African American, Black, Latino, and Puerto Rican histories" and includes readings about the Black Lives Matter movement. It also asks students what the experiences of minorities "reveal about the United States, its foundation, and how power is structured today."
An "expert review panel," which was filled with educators who support critical race theory being taught in the classroom, had input on the curriculum. One reviewer, Glenn Singleton, founded an organization that teaches students that individualism, competition, politeness, the scientific method, planning for the future, and the nuclear family are "aspects and assumptions of white culture." Stefanie Wager, another member of the review panel and president of the National Council for the Social Studies, said social studies should be used to combat racism.
President Donald Trump has resisted the growing push for critical race theory in education and training seminars. He signed an executive order barring critical theory-inspired trainings from the federal government and established a commission to reorient educational programming around American ideals. Under Cardona's leadership, the Biden administration is likely to undo those changes, especially given the pressure from outside education groups to reverse Trump's order.
The Biden transition team did not respond to requests for comment.


freebeacon--2020-12-22--How the Centers for Disease Control Went Woke

In 2015 , Dayna Bowen Matthew , the dean of George Washington University Law School , published a paper concerning racial disparities in health care .
She traced those disparities back to the Founding Fathers and argued their persistence today reflects the `` structural violence '' of American society .
Matthew was 1 of 11 people who helped draft the Centers for Disease Control 's ethical framework for allocating COVID-19 vaccines .
She is also listed as a `` health equity '' consultant to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices , which voted in November to vaccinate essential workers before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the elderly skew white—only to pull back Sunday in the face of outrage from across the political spectrum .
The committee openly acknowledged that its initial plan would result in more deaths than `` vaccinating older adults first . ''
But , the panel said , the plan would reduce racial disparities—something they deemed more important than saving lives—because essential workers , unlike adults over 65 , are disproportionately black and Hispanic , the two groups that have borne the brunt of the pandemic .
How did the committee reach that conclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slides , public statements , and even civil-rights directives , the now-scuttled plan did n't come out of thin air .
Rather , it reflects the reductive , racialist worldview that is rapidly gaining ground in education , media , nonprofits , and now the U.S federal government—a worldview with concrete policy implications and concrete human costs .
That policy agenda was seeded by outside consultants like Matthew , who told the New York Times that racial inequality `` requires us to prioritize by race . ''
But it was also seeded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosted a series of trainings on `` racism , sexism , and other systems of structured inequality , '' in direct violation of President Trump 's executive order barring such programs from government agencies .
And it was even seeded by the chairman of the CDC committee , José Romero , who said in July that minorities `` need to be moved to the forefront '' of the vaccination line .
The result was an explicitly race-conscious plan that would have prioritized shrinking the case gap between races over saving the most lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as an assumption that age-based policies would be discriminatory but that race-based ones would n't be .
It relied on omission , distortion , and equivocation to make a highly contentious judgment seem self-evident , building bureaucratic consensus upon shaky foundations that were anything but apolitical or science-based .
That consensus coalesced in September , when committee members met to discuss their framework for `` vaccine equity and prioritization . ''
At the meeting , Sara Oliver , an epidemiologist with the CDC , delivered a presentation on the criteria the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for rolling out a coronavirus vaccine .
She began by reviewing three other frameworks—from the World Health Organization , the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , and the National Academies of Science , Engineering and Medicine ( NASEM ) —on which her working group had drawn in formulating its own principles .
`` Equity , '' Oliver emphasized , was a `` crosscutting consideration for all three frameworks , '' suggesting that the CDC would be in good company if it prioritized that value .
But all three frameworks also considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , they tended to prioritize saving lives over reducing disparities , a point Oliver either ignored or overlooked .
For example , although the Hopkins framework includes several throat-clearing paragraphs about the impact of `` structural racism , '' it concludes by suggesting adults 65 and older receive vaccinations before most essential workers—the `` primary reason '' being that `` their prioritization would likely avert the greatest overall harm . ''
But the CDC 's framework adopted different priorities .
Of its five proposed principles—maximize benefits and minimize harms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transparency—two explicitly mention racial health disparities .
`` The equity principle , '' Oliver said , according to meeting notes , will `` make sure that vaccine allocation reduces , rather than increases , health disparities , '' while the `` fairness principle includes a commitment to … not exacerbating existing disparities in health outcomes . ''
The result was a kind of moral double counting , in which closing disparities promoted two separate values , whereas saving lives promoted just one .
As phrased , equity and fairness sound like they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinating by age minimized deaths across all racial groups , but widened the gap between racial death rates , the principles seem to rule out that strategy , since it would increase racial disparities overall .
The Washington Free Beacon asked 13 members of the CDC advisory committee whether this was an accurate reading of its framework .
Not a single one answered the question , though Kathy Kinlaw , the group 's sole `` ethics consultant , '' said she thought `` mitigating health inequities '' would `` minimize harm—and maximize benefits—for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern that vaccinating by age would amount to immoral—and potentially illegal—discrimination .
The evidence its experts cited , however , arguably favored doing just that .
One graphic from Oliver 's presentation , used to illustrate the trade-offs of prioritizing the elderly , cites a statement from the American Geriatric Society that `` age should never be used to exclude someone from a standard of care , nor should age ‘ cut-offs ' be used '' to allocate scarce supplies .
It also notes that the Health and Human Services Office for Civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age at the start of the pandemic .
The HHS office , however , was worried about triage plans that discriminated against the elderly , `` such that older persons might automatically be deemed ineligible for life-saving care without any individualized assessment . ''
The president of the American Geriatric Society concurred , saying that age-based criteria `` disfavo [ r ] older adults regardless of their function and health relative to COVID-19 . ''
The CDC committee thus took two statements that championed the interests of the elderly and used them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior citizens—implying that age-conscious alternatives were discriminatory , even as the race-conscious plan passed with unanimous support at a subsequent meeting .
All of this—the exclusions , the contradictions , the moral redundancies—helped disguise the agenda that it justified , giving unscientific value judgments an air of scientific assuredness .
The backlash against those judgments has n't contained the ideology that gave rise to them .
Marcella Nunez-Smith , a co-chair of Joe Biden 's COVID-19 advisory board , commended the experts at the CDC for `` taking political interference out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in inequity . ''
Like them , she seems not to have realized the irony .

A look at the experts and the arguments that persuaded a government agency to prioritize 'equity' over saving lives
In 2015, Dayna Bowen Matthew, the dean of George Washington University Law School, published a paper concerning racial disparities in health care. She traced those disparities back to the Founding Fathers and argued their persistence today reflects the "structural violence" of American society.
Matthew was 1 of 11 people who helped draft the Centers for Disease Control's ethical framework for allocating COVID-19 vaccines. She is also listed as a "health equity" consultant to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which voted in November to vaccinate essential workers before the elderly, partly on the grounds that the elderly skew white—only to pull back Sunday in the face of outrage from across the political spectrum.
The committee openly acknowledged that its initial plan would result in more deaths than "vaccinating older adults first." But, the panel said, the plan would reduce racial disparities—something they deemed more important than saving lives—because essential workers, unlike adults over 65, are disproportionately black and Hispanic, the two groups that have borne the brunt of the pandemic.
How did the committee reach that conclusion? According to meeting minutes, presentation slides, public statements, and even civil-rights directives, the now-scuttled plan didn't come out of thin air. Rather, it reflects the reductive, racialist worldview that is rapidly gaining ground in education, media, nonprofits, and now the U.S federal government—a worldview with concrete policy implications and concrete human costs.
That policy agenda was seeded by outside consultants like Matthew, who told the New York Times that racial inequality "requires us to prioritize by race." But it was also seeded by the CDC itself, which in September hosted a series of trainings on "racism, sexism, and other systems of structured inequality," in direct violation of President Trump's executive order barring such programs from government agencies. And it was even seeded by the chairman of the CDC committee, José Romero, who said in July that minorities "need to be moved to the forefront" of the vaccination line.
The result was an explicitly race-conscious plan that would have prioritized shrinking the case gap between races over saving the most lives.
This plan contained glaring double standards, such as an assumption that age-based policies would be discriminatory but that race-based ones wouldn't be. It relied on omission, distortion, and equivocation to make a highly contentious judgment seem self-evident, building bureaucratic consensus upon shaky foundations that were anything but apolitical or science-based.
That consensus coalesced in September, when committee members met to discuss their framework for "vaccine equity and prioritization."
At the meeting, Sara Oliver, an epidemiologist with the CDC, delivered a presentation on the criteria the government should consider when developing a plan for rolling out a coronavirus vaccine. She began by reviewing three other frameworks—from the World Health Organization, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM)—on which her working group had drawn in formulating its own principles.
"Equity," Oliver emphasized, was a "crosscutting consideration for all three frameworks," suggesting that the CDC would be in good company if it prioritized that value.
But all three frameworks also considered harm reduction to be an important goal. In fact, they tended to prioritize saving lives over reducing disparities, a point Oliver either ignored or overlooked.
For example, although the Hopkins framework includes several throat-clearing paragraphs about the impact of "structural racism," it concludes by suggesting adults 65 and older receive vaccinations before most essential workers—the "primary reason" being that "their prioritization would likely avert the greatest overall harm."
But the CDC's framework adopted different priorities. Of its five proposed principles—maximize benefits and minimize harms, equity, justice, fairness, and transparency—two explicitly mention racial health disparities.
"The equity principle," Oliver said, according to meeting notes, will "make sure that vaccine allocation reduces, rather than increases, health disparities," while the "fairness principle includes a commitment to … not exacerbating existing disparities in health outcomes."
The result was a kind of moral double counting, in which closing disparities promoted two separate values, whereas saving lives promoted just one. As phrased, equity and fairness sound like they are at odds with harm reduction: If vaccinating by age minimized deaths across all racial groups, but widened the gap between racial death rates, the principles seem to rule out that strategy, since it would increase racial disparities overall.
The Washington Free Beacon asked 13 members of the CDC advisory committee whether this was an accurate reading of its framework. Not a single one answered the question, though Kathy Kinlaw, the group's sole "ethics consultant," said she thought "mitigating health inequities" would "minimize harm—and maximize benefits—for all."
The CDC also expressed concern that vaccinating by age would amount to immoral—and potentially illegal—discrimination. The evidence its experts cited, however, arguably favored doing just that.
One graphic from Oliver's presentation, used to illustrate the trade-offs of prioritizing the elderly, cites a statement from the American Geriatric Society that "age should never be used to exclude someone from a standard of care, nor should age 'cut-offs' be used" to allocate scarce supplies. It also notes that the Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights had objected to triaging ventilators by age at the start of the pandemic.
The HHS office, however, was worried about triage plans that discriminated against the elderly, "such that older persons might automatically be deemed ineligible for life-saving care without any individualized assessment." The president of the American Geriatric Society concurred, saying that age-based criteria "disfavo[r] older adults regardless of their function and health relative to COVID-19."
The CDC committee thus took two statements that championed the interests of the elderly and used them to justify a plan that would disproportionately kill senior citizens—implying that age-conscious alternatives were discriminatory, even as the race-conscious plan passed with unanimous support at a subsequent meeting.
All of this—the exclusions, the contradictions, the moral redundancies—helped disguise the agenda that it justified, giving unscientific value judgments an air of scientific assuredness.
The backlash against those judgments hasn't contained the ideology that gave rise to them. Marcella Nunez-Smith, a co-chair of Joe Biden's COVID-19 advisory board, commended the experts at the CDC for "taking political interference out of the process" and for "their grounding in inequity." Like them, she seems not to have realized the irony.


freebeacon--2020-12-22--CA Dem Who Pushed Plum Contract to Biden-Linked Firm Tapped for Senate Seat

The California Democrat who fought to pay out a $ 35 million state contract to a Biden-linked consulting firm was selected to succeed Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate .
Democratic governor Gavin Newsom appointed California secretary of state Alex Padilla to replace Harris on Tuesday , months after Padilla awarded Democratic public relations giant SKDKnickerbocker a $ 35 million no-bid contract as part of a state voter outreach program .
The secretive deal saw Padilla ensnared in controversy as he lobbied for the Senate seat .
After California 's chief fiscal officer refused to approve the contract—arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it—Padilla spent months lobbying to pay the firm , which has deep ties to Harris and President-elect Joe Biden .
His efforts have so far proved unsuccessful , with the payment still yet to be approved .
But Padilla 's decision to award the contract to SKDK may have boosted his standing among the nation 's top Democratic operatives .
Anita Dunn—the firm 's managing director—led Biden 's presidential campaign , which disbursed more than $ 2.2 million to SKDK during the 2020 cycle .
Other top clients include Senate Minority Leader Chuck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Majority PAC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee .
SKDK 's website currently thanks `` Joe Biden , Kamala Harris , and all of our clients who fought for the soul of the nation . ''
Newsom—whose office did not respond to a request for comment—has not revealed how the outstanding payment will be handled given Padilla 's imminent promotion .
Padilla 's office also did not respond to a request for comment .
Padilla awarded the contract to SKDK as part of California 's `` Vote Safe '' initiative , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the safety , security , and ease of voting in the general election amid the COVID-19 pandemic . ''
Padilla issued the contract on an `` emergency '' basis due to the pandemic , meaning it did not require a competitive bidding process and was not approved by state financial officers before it was granted .
The contract saw SKDK target `` first-time mail voters '' and those with language barriers .
Republican state lawmakers have used the contract 's lack of competitive bidding process to accuse Padilla of operating without accountability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appoints [ Padilla ] to serve the 40 million residents of this state based on his resume of a … partisan PR deal with taxpayer money , Americans can expect more of the same—no transparency , no accountability , and backroom deals , '' Republican state senate leader Shannon Grove said in a recent statement .
Padilla will become California 's newest U.S. senator after Harris is sworn in as vice president in January .

The California Democrat who fought to pay out a $35 million state contract to a Biden-linked consulting firm was selected to succeed Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate.
Democratic governor Gavin Newsom appointed California secretary of state Alex Padilla to replace Harris on Tuesday, months after Padilla awarded Democratic public relations giant SKDKnickerbocker a $35 million no-bid contract as part of a state voter outreach program.
The secretive deal saw Padilla ensnared in controversy as he lobbied for the Senate seat. After California's chief fiscal officer refused to approve the contract—arguing that Padilla lacked the authority to grant it—Padilla spent months lobbying to pay the firm, which has deep ties to Harris and President-elect Joe Biden.
His efforts have so far proved unsuccessful, with the payment still yet to be approved. But Padilla's decision to award the contract to SKDK may have boosted his standing among the nation's top Democratic operatives. Anita Dunn—the firm's managing director—led Biden's presidential campaign, which disbursed more than $2.2 million to SKDK during the 2020 cycle. Other top clients include Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D., N.Y.) Senate Majority PAC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. SKDK's website currently thanks "Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and all of our clients who fought for the soul of the nation."
Newsom—whose office did not respond to a request for comment—has not revealed how the outstanding payment will be handled given Padilla's imminent promotion. Padilla's office also did not respond to a request for comment.
Padilla awarded the contract to SKDK as part of California's "Vote Safe" initiative, which was created to "educate the public on the safety, security, and ease of voting in the general election amid the COVID-19 pandemic." Padilla issued the contract on an "emergency" basis due to the pandemic, meaning it did not require a competitive bidding process and was not approved by state financial officers before it was granted. The contract saw SKDK target "first-time mail voters" and those with language barriers.
Republican state lawmakers have used the contract's lack of competitive bidding process to accuse Padilla of operating without accountability.
"If Gov. Newsom unilaterally appoints [Padilla] to serve the 40 million residents of this state based on his resume of a … partisan PR deal with taxpayer money, Americans can expect more of the same—no transparency, no accountability, and backroom deals," Republican state senate leader Shannon Grove said in a recent statement.
Padilla will become California's newest U.S. senator after Harris is sworn in as vice president in January.


freebeacon--2020-12-22--After Racial Reckoning, DCCC Taps Top Aide Accused of Exemplifying ‘Systemic Racism’

The new executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018 attempted to convince a minority candidate to remove himself from a Democratic primary , leading to accusations of `` systemic racism . ''
Newly elected DCCC chairman Sean Patrick Maloney named as his top staffer on Tuesday Tim Persico , a longtime party operative who drew fire in 2018 when he was deployed to Pennsylvania to persuade a black progressive pastor , Greg Edwards , to run for local office instead of Congress .
Edwards told local news at the time that Persico viewed former Bethlehem mayor John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party ’ s strongest candidate even though Edwards had posted strong fundraising numbers .
Edwards ultimately remained in the race .
Nonetheless , Justice Democrats , an insurgent liberal group that has worked to get anti-establishment candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar elected in safe Democratic districts , seized on Persico 's comments , calling them evidence of `` systemic racism '' among the Democratic Party establishment that did n't think candidates of color could win .
`` It ’ s a shame that the DCCC and the wealthy white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the Democratic Party establishment are actively trying to stop Greg [ Edwards ] , '' Waleed Shahid , a spokesman for Justice Democrats , told the Washington Post .
`` Their consultant-driven strategy seems to prefer milquetoast candidates who they believe can appeal to moderate Republicans over progressive candidates of color .
This is what systemic racism looks like . ''
Maloney 's decision to elevate Persico to the top spot at the DCCC has already sparked furor within the party and comes just 18 months after the committee was pushed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internal complaints over lack of diversity .
Rep. Ruben Gallego ( D. , Ariz. ) , who passed on a Senate bid this cycle to allow a white Democrat to run , questioned how Maloney could commit to diversity `` if his top staffer is going to be a white male . ''
Rep. Filemon Vela ( D. , Texas ) , a critic of the selection of Maloney to lead the DCCC , said he was `` not surprised '' that Maloney elevated the first white male executive director the DCCC has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he puts the wrong markers down early , '' Rep. Bennie Thompson ( D. , Miss . )
told Politico , `` it will make his job more difficult .
Because , in the end , he has to convince [ Congressional Black Caucus ] members and other members of the Black community that he ’ s different . ''

The new executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018 attempted to convince a minority candidate to remove himself from a Democratic primary, leading to accusations of "systemic racism."
Newly elected DCCC chairman Sean Patrick Maloney named as his top staffer on Tuesday Tim Persico, a longtime party operative who drew fire in 2018 when he was deployed to Pennsylvania to persuade a black progressive pastor, Greg Edwards, to run for local office instead of Congress. Edwards told local news at the time that Persico viewed former Bethlehem mayor John Callahan, a white man, as the party’s strongest candidate even though Edwards had posted strong fundraising numbers.
Edwards ultimately remained in the race. Nonetheless, Justice Democrats, an insurgent liberal group that has worked to get anti-establishment candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar elected in safe Democratic districts, seized on Persico's comments, calling them evidence of "systemic racism" among the Democratic Party establishment that didn't think candidates of color could win.
"It’s a shame that the DCCC and the wealthy white donors and revolving door consultants that make up the Democratic Party establishment are actively trying to stop Greg [Edwards]," Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for Justice Democrats, told the Washington Post. "Their consultant-driven strategy seems to prefer milquetoast candidates who they believe can appeal to moderate Republicans over progressive candidates of color. This is what systemic racism looks like."
Maloney's decision to elevate Persico to the top spot at the DCCC has already sparked furor within the party and comes just 18 months after the committee was pushed to purge its white senior staff due to internal complaints over lack of diversity.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.), who passed on a Senate bid this cycle to allow a white Democrat to run, questioned how Maloney could commit to diversity "if his top staffer is going to be a white male." Rep. Filemon Vela (D., Texas), a critic of the selection of Maloney to lead the DCCC, said he was "not surprised" that Maloney elevated the first white male executive director the DCCC has seen in a decade.
"If he puts the wrong markers down early," Rep. Bennie Thompson (D., Miss.) told Politico, "it will make his job more difficult. Because, in the end, he has to convince [Congressional Black Caucus] members and other members of the Black community that he’s different."


freebeacon--2020-12-22--Squad Drama: Omar vs. AOC in Passive-Aggressive Feud Over Who’s a More Responsible Celeb

Two of the biggest political celebrities not named Kamala Harris or Pete Buttigieg are feuding like a couple of mean girls .
Reps. Ilhan Omar ( D. , Minn. ) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D. , N.Y. ) have spent the last several days attacking each other 's position on whether members of Congress should be first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine .
Ocasio-Cortez , 31 , received the vaccine last week , before at-risk elderly Americans were eligible to get the shot .
She live-streamed it to her 8.2 million followers on Instagram , thinking she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have nothing to fear from getting vaccinated .
Omar , 38 , thought otherwise .
She declined to receive the vaccine , calling it `` shameful '' that Ocasio-Cortez and other members of Congress are getting early access due to their `` importance . ''
Politicians , she wrote on Twitter , `` are not more important than frontline workers , teachers etc .
who are making sacrifices everyday . ''
Vaccines should go to the people `` who need it most . ''
Sen. Rand Paul ( R. , Ky. ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any young healthy person '' should be among the last to receive the vaccine .
Ocasio-Cortez seized on the opportunity to lash out at Republicans , rather than her fellow `` Squad '' member .
The congresswoman defended her decision to get vaccinated by blaming the GOP for `` undermining public faith in science . ''
For the time being , Omar 's definition of being a responsible celeb appears to be the most popular .
Republicans and Democrats have been speaking out in opposition to AOC 's belief in her own importance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hawaii ) announced she would `` stand in solidarity with our seniors by not [ getting vaccinated ] until they can . ''
Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R. , Fla. ) concurred .
Ocasio-Cortez is n't wrong to suggest that some Americans might be skeptical about getting the COVID-19 vaccine .
It might have something to do with the fact that prominent Democrats , including Vice President-elect Kamala Harris , strongly suggested that a vaccine developed under President Donald Trump should not be trusted .
Celebrity-feud enthusiasts are hoping the fireworks will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggles to accept the fact that Nancy Pelosi is never going to retire , and there 's nothing they can do about it .

Two of the biggest political celebrities not named Kamala Harris or Pete Buttigieg are feuding like a couple of mean girls.
Reps. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) have spent the last several days attacking each other's position on whether members of Congress should be first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ocasio-Cortez, 31, received the vaccine last week, before at-risk elderly Americans were eligible to get the shot. She live-streamed it to her 8.2 million followers on Instagram, thinking she was being a responsible celeb by showing people they have nothing to fear from getting vaccinated.
Omar, 38, thought otherwise. She declined to receive the vaccine, calling it "shameful" that Ocasio-Cortez and other members of Congress are getting early access due to their "importance." Politicians, she wrote on Twitter, "are not more important than frontline workers, teachers etc. who are making sacrifices everyday." Vaccines should go to the people "who need it most."
Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) agreed, arguing that "AOC or any young healthy person" should be among the last to receive the vaccine. Ocasio-Cortez seized on the opportunity to lash out at Republicans, rather than her fellow "Squad" member. The congresswoman defended her decision to get vaccinated by blaming the GOP for "undermining public faith in science."
For the time being, Omar's definition of being a responsible celeb appears to be the most popular. Republicans and Democrats have been speaking out in opposition to AOC's belief in her own importance. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D., Hawaii) announced she would "stand in solidarity with our seniors by not [getting vaccinated] until they can." Rep. Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) concurred.
Ocasio-Cortez isn't wrong to suggest that some Americans might be skeptical about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. It might have something to do with the fact that prominent Democrats, including Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, strongly suggested that a vaccine developed under President Donald Trump should not be trusted.
Celebrity-feud enthusiasts are hoping the fireworks will continue as the new generation of House Democrats struggles to accept the fact that Nancy Pelosi is never going to retire, and there's nothing they can do about it.


freebeacon--2020-12-22--Illicit Iranian Oil Shipment Shut Down at Sea

An international shipping company shut down an illicit transfer of Iranian crude oil , denying the regime much-needed revenue as it works to skirt international sanctions , according to information obtained by the Washington Free Beacon .
Iran is believed to have loaded a tanker with petroleum products from its Tombak Port before sending it to perform a ship-to-ship transfer with a Danish vessel operated by Celsius Shipping , which is partnered with the Singapore-based Maersk Tankers .
United Against Nuclear Iran ( UANI ) , a watchdog group that monitors Tehran 's movements at sea , alerted Celsius and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Ocean Schooner , likely contained Iran 's heavily sanctioned crude oil .
The incident highlights the critical role non-governmental watchdog groups play in policing Iran 's illicit activity .
While the United States and other countries maintain sanctions on the Iranian oil sector , these governments are not always capable of tracking Tehran 's day-to-day movements .
UANI has emerged as one of the leading advocacy groups helping to enforce international sanctions by naming and shaming companies still doing business with Tehran .
Iran uses a range of tricks to obfuscate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source for the hardline regime .
It routinely shuts off tracking devices monitored by international authorities , making it difficult for companies to determine the origins of a ship 's crude payload , and flies false flags on its ships to deceive recipients .
UANI discovered the Ocean Schooner docked in Iran in early December .
It immediately sent a letter to Celsius leaders that provided detailed information about the vessel 's movements and links to Tehran .
At the time , the Schooner was engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer at sea with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information provided to the Free Beacon .
As in similar cases , the Schooner was found to have disabled its tracking devices , known as `` going dark , '' when docked in Iran 's port .
UANI warned Celsius that it could run afoul of American sanctions laws , and Celsius immediately stopped the transfer .
`` The timeliness of your information was extremely helpful , '' Eva Birgitte Bisgaard , chief commercial officer at Maersk , wrote to UANI , according to a copy of that letter viewed by the Free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided that the CELSIUS EVERETT would not accept the cargo from the OCEAN SCHOONER and terminated the ship-to-ship transfer between the two vessels .
We have also decided to refrain from engaging in any transaction with the OCEAN SHOONER [ sic ] or its owner in the future . ''
UANI praised Celsius for its action and said that more companies are waking up to the dangers of doing business with Iran .
`` With every responsible action taken by the international shipping community , such as the action taken by Maersk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these illicit operations , '' UANI chief of staff Claire Jungman told the Free Beacon .

An international shipping company shut down an illicit transfer of Iranian crude oil, denying the regime much-needed revenue as it works to skirt international sanctions, according to information obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
Iran is believed to have loaded a tanker with petroleum products from its Tombak Port before sending it to perform a ship-to-ship transfer with a Danish vessel operated by Celsius Shipping, which is partnered with the Singapore-based Maersk Tankers. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a watchdog group that monitors Tehran's movements at sea, alerted Celsius and its partner mid-transfer that the other vessel, the Ocean Schooner, likely contained Iran's heavily sanctioned crude oil.
The incident highlights the critical role non-governmental watchdog groups play in policing Iran's illicit activity. While the United States and other countries maintain sanctions on the Iranian oil sector, these governments are not always capable of tracking Tehran's day-to-day movements. UANI has emerged as one of the leading advocacy groups helping to enforce international sanctions by naming and shaming companies still doing business with Tehran.
Iran uses a range of tricks to obfuscate the origins of its oil—a critical revenue source for the hardline regime. It routinely shuts off tracking devices monitored by international authorities, making it difficult for companies to determine the origins of a ship's crude payload, and flies false flags on its ships to deceive recipients.
UANI discovered the Ocean Schooner docked in Iran in early December. It immediately sent a letter to Celsius leaders that provided detailed information about the vessel's movements and links to Tehran. At the time, the Schooner was engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer at sea with the Celsius Everett, according to shipping information provided to the Free Beacon.
As in similar cases, the Schooner was found to have disabled its tracking devices, known as "going dark," when docked in Iran's port.
UANI warned Celsius that it could run afoul of American sanctions laws, and Celsius immediately stopped the transfer.
"The timeliness of your information was extremely helpful," Eva Birgitte Bisgaard, chief commercial officer at Maersk, wrote to UANI, according to a copy of that letter viewed by the Free Beacon. "Maersk Tankers and Celsius decided that the CELSIUS EVERETT would not accept the cargo from the OCEAN SCHOONER and terminated the ship-to-ship transfer between the two vessels. We have also decided to refrain from engaging in any transaction with the OCEAN SHOONER [sic] or its owner in the future."
UANI praised Celsius for its action and said that more companies are waking up to the dangers of doing business with Iran.
"With every responsible action taken by the international shipping community, such as the action taken by Maersk, it becomes harder for Iran to conduct these illicit operations," UANI chief of staff Claire Jungman told the Free Beacon.


freebeacon--2020-12-22--Gun Industry Mobilizes Against Proposed Regulation

Second Amendment activists and industry giants are imploring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use his influence on the Department of Justice to scuttle a proposed firearms regulation that would banish a popular gun accessory known as a `` pistol brace . ''
In a phone call with McConnell ’ s office on Saturday , approximately 80 gun makers warned that a proposed ruling from the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , and Firearms could cost them nearly $ 2 billion in sales , according to several sources who participated in the call .
National Rifle Association executive vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter with President Donald Trump this week , and industry officials have raised the issue in conversations with senior White House officials .
The ATF ’ s ruling would classify guns with pistol braces as short-barrel rifles and require the owners to register them with the federal government .
Pistol braces are attached to some guns and used to steady the user ’ s arm .
The reclassification could criminalize between 3 and 4 million guns and prevent the industry from selling firearms that make up a sizable percentage of sales over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , McConnell , the White House , and the ATF did not respond to a request for comment .
The ATF first approved the use of forearm braces on AR-15 pistols in 2012 and has approved several more designs in the following years .
The new guidance casts doubt on the legality of any gun equipped with a pistol brace and indicates that the ATF will determine their legality on a `` case-by-case basis . ''
Activists are warning that beyond the business fallout , the ATF ’ s proposed move could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the home of two hotly contested Senate runoffs next month .
Nearly half of all Georgians live in homes with guns , and the Second Amendment is a top issue among voters in the state .
`` This could actually cost the Georgia runoff for Republicans , '' Jamin McCallum , founder of Palmetto State Armory , told the Free Beacon .
`` Gun owners are demoralized right now . ''
Palmetto State Armory is looking at a potential loss of $ 150 million in revenue if forced to end production and sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't unique to them .
`` I would say that most manufacturers are going to lose 20-to-30 percent of their business , '' McCallum said .
Industry insiders are pushing McConnell to press Attorney General Bill Barr to rescind the ATF guidance before he leaves office on Wednesday .
The ATF is a part of the Department of Justice and operates under its purview , giving Barr or his successor a direct say in the agency 's decision .
If Barr does n't act , the activists and industry sources hope to convince @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeffrey Rosen , or the president himself to step in and overturn the ATF decision .
The proposed measure has also sparked blowback , evidenced in the 21,444 public comments that have appeared in the four days since the guidance was published .
McCallum of Palmetto State Armory said his company relied on previous ATF guidance to invest in AR-15 pistols and make them a significant part of the business .
`` For the last eight years , we have geared our R & D , production , and manufacturing around the guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're basically trying to put the genie back in the bottle , '' he said .
`` Now they 're saying ‘ all this what you 've done for eight years is bad . '
''

A proposed regulation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms would be a gut punch to gun industry, sources say
Second Amendment activists and industry giants are imploring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use his influence on the Department of Justice to scuttle a proposed firearms regulation that would banish a popular gun accessory known as a "pistol brace."
In a phone call with McConnell’s office on Saturday, approximately 80 gun makers warned that a proposed ruling from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms could cost them nearly $2 billion in sales, according to several sources who participated in the call. National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre is scheduled to discuss the matter with President Donald Trump this week, and industry officials have raised the issue in conversations with senior White House officials.
The ATF’s ruling would classify guns with pistol braces as short-barrel rifles and require the owners to register them with the federal government. Pistol braces are attached to some guns and used to steady the user’s arm. The reclassification could criminalize between 3 and 4 million guns and prevent the industry from selling firearms that make up a sizable percentage of sales over the last decade.
Spokesmen for the NRA, McConnell, the White House, and the ATF did not respond to a request for comment.
The ATF first approved the use of forearm braces on AR-15 pistols in 2012 and has approved several more designs in the following years. The new guidance casts doubt on the legality of any gun equipped with a pistol brace and indicates that the ATF will determine their legality on a "case-by-case basis."
Activists are warning that beyond the business fallout, the ATF’s proposed move could have political ramifications, particularly in Georgia, the home of two hotly contested Senate runoffs next month. Nearly half of all Georgians live in homes with guns, and the Second Amendment is a top issue among voters in the state.
"This could actually cost the Georgia runoff for Republicans," Jamin McCallum, founder of Palmetto State Armory, told the Free Beacon. "Gun owners are demoralized right now." Palmetto State Armory is looking at a potential loss of $150 million in revenue if forced to end production and sales of braced-ARs, and those losses aren't unique to them.
"I would say that most manufacturers are going to lose 20-to-30 percent of their business," McCallum said.
Industry insiders are pushing McConnell to press Attorney General Bill Barr to rescind the ATF guidance before he leaves office on Wednesday. The ATF is a part of the Department of Justice and operates under its purview, giving Barr or his successor a direct say in the agency's decision.
If Barr doesn't act, the activists and industry sources hope to convince either his replacement, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, or the president himself to step in and overturn the ATF decision.
The proposed measure has also sparked blowback, evidenced in the 21,444 public comments that have appeared in the four days since the guidance was published.
McCallum of Palmetto State Armory said his company relied on previous ATF guidance to invest in AR-15 pistols and make them a significant part of the business. "For the last eight years, we have geared our R&D, production, and manufacturing around the guidance given by the ATF. And now they're basically trying to put the genie back in the bottle," he said. "Now they're saying 'all this what you've done for eight years is bad.'"


freebeacon--2020-12-23--Big Tech Writes Its Ticket to the White House

Silicon Valley played an integral role in propelling Joe Biden to the White House .
He raked in uncounted millions from liberal tech billionaires such as Netflix 's Reed Hastings , LinkedIn 's Reid Hoffman , and Apple heiress Laurene Powell Jobs ; their employees shelled out $ 5 million more .
As Biden takes office , the techies want what they paid for .
Reuters reports that executives at top firms like Amazon , Google , Facebook , and Microsoft are gunning for jobs at the Departments of Defense , State , Justice , and Commerce and also eyeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and beyond .
They want two things : lucrative federal contracts and less scrutiny than they ’ ve gotten over the past four years , as President Donald Trump has made their bias against conservatives front-page news .
The Department of Justice 's antitrust inquiry into big tech has already garnered bipartisan backing , including from a group of state attorneys general who have filed their own suit .
A Biden administration could make all of that go away .
And it could ignore altogether these firms ' obsequious dealings with Communist China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats : It ’ s unlikely that the techies moving into the Biden administration will check their business relationships at the door .
Each hire is another pressure point for Silicon Valley ’ s most powerful to exploit .
This is hardly a problem unique to Democrats , you just hear about it less when they ’ re in the White House .
This sort of revolving door was considered outrageous in the George W. Bush administration , when Democrats and the media harped relentlessly on Dick Cheney ’ s ties to Halliburton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pocket of Big Oil .
They raised the same ruckus when Trump appointed Exxon chief Rex Tillerson as his first secretary of state .
These unseemly connections aren ’ t new for Democrats .
Google employees averaged a meeting a week with that Obama White House , influencing a president who `` routinely pushed policy that pleased the tech-savvy . ''
Now think what happens with those same lobbyists running the show .
After rolling out transition teams free of connections to big tech , Team Biden added several Facebook executives over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already stacked its agency review teams with more tech executives than tech critics , '' Reuters notes , including `` several officials from Big Tech companies , which emerged as top donors to the campaign . ''
Their influence doesn ’ t stop there .
Biden on Tuesday named as an economic adviser Joelle Gamble , who last worked as an investor under eBay founder Pierre Omidyar , funneling funding to outfits run by other Biden appointees .
Others may soon follow , like Mark Zuckerberg ’ s philanthropy chief and former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one example of how a problematic connection , consider WestExec , the consultancy cofounded by secretary of state nominee Tony Blinken .
The firm helped Google win contracts from the Defense Department and advised Google cofounder Eric Schmidt 's philanthropy .
Now , Reuters says , Schmidt is making recommendations for personnel in the Biden Defense Department , a textbook example of business relationships shaping government policy .
That ’ s just the start of the coming horse trading , hidden behind the Obama-era pretext that the White House is merely cultivating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But if personnel is policy , the Biden White House will be doing everything it can to comfort Silicon Valley ’ s most comfortable .

Silicon Valley played an integral role in propelling Joe Biden to the White House. He raked in uncounted millions from liberal tech billionaires such as Netflix's Reed Hastings, LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman, and Apple heiress Laurene Powell Jobs; their employees shelled out $5 million more.
As Biden takes office, the techies want what they paid for. Reuters reports that executives at top firms like Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are gunning for jobs at the Departments of Defense, State, Justice, and Commerce and also eyeing influential posts at the Federal Trade Commission and beyond.
They want two things: lucrative federal contracts and less scrutiny than they’ve gotten over the past four years, as President Donald Trump has made their bias against conservatives front-page news. The Department of Justice's antitrust inquiry into big tech has already garnered bipartisan backing, including from a group of state attorneys general who have filed their own suit.
A Biden administration could make all of that go away. And it could ignore altogether these firms' obsequious dealings with Communist China.
That explains the rush to fill seats: It’s unlikely that the techies moving into the Biden administration will check their business relationships at the door. Each hire is another pressure point for Silicon Valley’s most powerful to exploit.
This is hardly a problem unique to Democrats—you just hear about it less when they’re in the White House. This sort of revolving door was considered outrageous in the George W. Bush administration, when Democrats and the media harped relentlessly on Dick Cheney’s ties to Halliburton and charged that he was in the pocket of Big Oil. They raised the same ruckus when Trump appointed Exxon chief Rex Tillerson as his first secretary of state.
These unseemly connections aren’t new for Democrats. Google employees averaged a meeting a week with that Obama White House, influencing a president who "routinely pushed policy that pleased the tech-savvy."
Now think what happens with those same lobbyists running the show. After rolling out transition teams free of connections to big tech, Team Biden added several Facebook executives over the Thanksgiving holiday. The transition team "has already stacked its agency review teams with more tech executives than tech critics," Reuters notes, including "several officials from Big Tech companies, which emerged as top donors to the campaign."
Their influence doesn’t stop there. Biden on Tuesday named as an economic adviser Joelle Gamble, who last worked as an investor under eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, funneling funding to outfits run by other Biden appointees. Others may soon follow, like Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropy chief and former Kamala Harris aide Mike Troncoso.
For just one example of how a problematic connection, consider WestExec, the consultancy cofounded by secretary of state nominee Tony Blinken. The firm helped Google win contracts from the Defense Department and advised Google cofounder Eric Schmidt's philanthropy. Now, Reuters says, Schmidt is making recommendations for personnel in the Biden Defense Department, a textbook example of business relationships shaping government policy.
That’s just the start of the coming horse trading, hidden behind the Obama-era pretext that the White House is merely cultivating a relationship with the smartest people. But if personnel is policy, the Biden White House will be doing everything it can to comfort Silicon Valley’s most comfortable.


freebeacon--2020-12-23--Pro-Israel Group Torches Warnock in New Ad

The political arm of the largest pro-Israel membership group in the United States launched an ad campaign Wednesday targeting Rev .
Raphael Warnock , the Democratic candidate for Senate in the Georgia runoff .
The 30-second spot from Christians United for Israel Action Fund takes aim at both Warnock 's record of statements critical of Israel and his recent attack on evangelical Christians , traditionally a staunchly pro-Israel denomination .
The ad calls him `` Radical Raphael Warnock '' and says he is `` preaching a gospel of hate . ''
The voiceover says `` Warnock demonized Christians who stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his sermon after the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem in 2018 in which he accused `` mealy-mouthed evangelical preachers '' of being `` responsible for the mess that we found ourselves in … misquoting and misinterpreting the Scripture , talking about peace . ''
A spokesperson for the group said the ad is backed by a six-figure digital and social media buy targeting pro-Israel voters in Georgia , where the organization has approximately 500,000 members , according to the spokesperson .
Last month , Pastor Jay Bailey , CUFI 's Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warnock 's `` condemnations of Israel '' as `` disgusting . ''
The organization announced this week it had reached 10 million members .
Warnock is locked in a tight race with incumbent senator Kelly Loeffler ( R. ) .
The runoff election will take place on Jan. 5 .

The political arm of the largest pro-Israel membership group in the United States launched an ad campaign Wednesday targeting Rev. Raphael Warnock, the Democratic candidate for Senate in the Georgia runoff.
The 30-second spot from Christians United for Israel Action Fund takes aim at both Warnock's record of statements critical of Israel and his recent attack on evangelical Christians, traditionally a staunchly pro-Israel denomination.
The ad calls him "Radical Raphael Warnock" and says he is "preaching a gospel of hate." The voiceover says "Warnock demonized Christians who stand with Israel," a reference to his sermon after the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem in 2018 in which he accused "mealy-mouthed evangelical preachers" of being "responsible for the mess that we found ourselves in … misquoting and misinterpreting the Scripture, talking about peace."
NEW AD: Radical Raphael Warnock is no friend to Israel #cufiactionfund pic.twitter.com/BAfQJyM18S — CUFI Action Fund (@CUFIActionFund) December 23, 2020
A spokesperson for the group said the ad is backed by a six-figure digital and social media buy targeting pro-Israel voters in Georgia, where the organization has approximately 500,000 members, according to the spokesperson.
Last month, Pastor Jay Bailey, CUFI's Georgia state director, published an op-ed criticizing Warnock's "condemnations of Israel" as "disgusting."
The organization announced this week it had reached 10 million members.
Warnock is locked in a tight race with incumbent senator Kelly Loeffler (R.). The runoff election will take place on Jan. 5.