hotair--2020-02-10--DoJ indictment: Equifax hack "an organized and remarkably brazen criminal heist" by China's military

The Department of Justice reminded us today that not all viruses from China are biological .
Attorney General William Barr unveiled a federal indictment against four members of the People ’ s Liberation Army for hacking Equifax in 2017 .
The theft of information was the largest so far , but it ’ s just one in a series of such thefts by China over the last decade .
Barr led off with his thoughts in support of two murdered NYPD officers , and then read his announcement about the indictment .
Were they after the data , or after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both : The Department of Justice unveiled charges against four members of China ’ s military for allegedly hacking into the credit agency Equifax and stealing the personal information of millions of Americans in 2017 .
“ This was one of the largest data breaches in history , ” Attorney General William Barr said at a press conference on Monday .
“ The scale of the theft was staggering .
As alleged in the indictment , the hackers obtained the names , birth dates and Social Security numbers of nearly 145 million Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 10 million Americans.
” The four charged are Wu Zhiyong , Wang Qian , Xu Ke and Liu Lei , all of whom are members of the 54th Research Institute , a component of China ’ s People ’ s Liberation Army , prosecutors said .
A federal grand jury in Atlanta returned the nine-count indictment on charges of computer fraud , economic espionage and wire fraud .
Barr mentions the hack of the Office of Personnel Management ( OPM ) in 2014 , which continued without detection for over a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel records going back to 1985 .
China was also behind commercial attacks on Marriott and Anthem Insurance , Barr alleges in this presser , as well as other hacks of US government systems .
China has been a bad actor for a long while on several fronts , and it has taken a long while for the US government to provide a robust response .
This might be mostly welcome news for Equifax , which has been buried in legal ramifications from the hack .
The settlement got reduced to $ 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling with the financial implications and the loss of confidence in its systems .
Barr called Equifax a victim in the hack , but the indictment doesn ’ t let them completely off the hook : How did the DoJ finger China for this hack ?
Oddly enough , one reason was that no one was exploiting the data : Bowditch said that the information stolen in the breach still has never been used by those who stole it , a mystery that has persisted since the breach and was first reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breach was announced on September 7 , 2017 , law enforcement officials and investigators turned their attention to China ’ s military .
This was due in part to the fact that the Equifax data has never been found for sale on underground internet forums that usually involve the trade in this type of data to criminals who may use it to fraudulently obtain credit or tax return funds .
By naming Chinese military officials , the Justice Department is finally confirming which nation ’ s military they suspect was behind the incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Equifax .
The company ’ s CEO resigned , as well as its head of cybersecurity , Susan Mauldin , and chief information officer Jun Ying .
Ying would later be sentenced to four months in prison for insider trading on the security incident before it was announced to the public , to profit from the information by $ 117,000 .
An indictment isn ’ t a bad start , but it ’ s still pretty weak in terms of actual impact .
China won ’ t extradite the suspects under any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they were implementing Beijing ’ s policy .
This does give the Trump administration more ammunition to pursue its actual hard-line strategy in the trade war , which is punishing China far more than it is hurting the US at the moment .
The tariff fight may not have been all that popular before now , but 143 million Americans impacted by the Equifax hack might decide that Trump should impose even more trade penalties on China for stealing their own personal data .
This means all eyes will turn to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 efforts on a trade deal .
After the coronavirus and a pork plague that has Beijing reeling , they will desperately need economic stability to keep people from rising up against the established order .
This is a very good time to start demanding curbs on hacking and other intellectual property theft and for stiff penalties when either occur .
Donald Trump has been issuing mainly friendly signals since the Phase 1 agreement went into effect , but this is precisely the kind of narrative he ’ s used to drive his @ @ @ @ @ @

The Department of Justice reminded us today that not all viruses from China are biological. Attorney General William Barr unveiled a federal indictment against four members of the People’s Liberation Army for hacking Equifax in 2017. The theft of information was the largest so far, but it’s just one in a series of such thefts by China over the last decade.
Barr led off with his thoughts in support of two murdered NYPD officers, and then read his announcement about the indictment. Were they after the data, or after Equifax’s intellectual property? Probably both:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aBCf198Ydg
The Department of Justice unveiled charges against four members of China’s military for allegedly hacking into the credit agency Equifax and stealing the personal information of millions of Americans in 2017. “This was one of the largest data breaches in history,” Attorney General William Barr said at a press conference on Monday. “The scale of the theft was staggering. As alleged in the indictment, the hackers obtained the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of nearly 145 million Americans, and the drivers licenses of at least 10 million Americans.” The four charged are Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke and Liu Lei, all of whom are members of the 54th Research Institute, a component of China’s People’s Liberation Army, prosecutors said. A federal grand jury in Atlanta returned the nine-count indictment on charges of computer fraud, economic espionage and wire fraud.
Barr mentions the hack of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in 2014, which continued without detection for over a year and gave China access to sensitive government personnel records going back to 1985. China was also behind commercial attacks on Marriott and Anthem Insurance, Barr alleges in this presser, as well as other hacks of US government systems. China has been a bad actor for a long while on several fronts, and it has taken a long while for the US government to provide a robust response.
This might be mostly welcome news for Equifax, which has been buried in legal ramifications from the hack. The settlement got reduced to $31 million, but the company is still struggling with the financial implications and the loss of confidence in its systems. Barr called Equifax a victim in the hack, but the indictment doesn’t let them completely off the hook:
How did the DoJ finger China for this hack? Oddly enough, one reason was that no one was exploiting the data:
Bowditch said that the information stolen in the breach still has never been used by those who stole it, a mystery that has persisted since the breach and was first reported by CNBC last year. After the initial breach was announced on September 7, 2017, law enforcement officials and investigators turned their attention to China’s military. This was due in part to the fact that the Equifax data has never been found for sale on underground internet forums that usually involve the trade in this type of data to criminals who may use it to fraudulently obtain credit or tax return funds. By naming Chinese military officials, the Justice Department is finally confirming which nation’s military they suspect was behind the incident, which ultimately led to enormous upheaval at Equifax. The company’s CEO resigned, as well as its head of cybersecurity, Susan Mauldin, and chief information officer Jun Ying. Ying would later be sentenced to four months in prison for insider trading on the security incident before it was announced to the public, to profit from the information by $117,000.
An indictment isn’t a bad start, but it’s still pretty weak in terms of actual impact. China won’t extradite the suspects under any circumstances, not least of which is because they were implementing Beijing’s policy. This does give the Trump administration more ammunition to pursue its actual hard-line strategy in the trade war, which is punishing China far more than it is hurting the US at the moment. The tariff fight may not have been all that popular before now, but 143 million Americans impacted by the Equifax hack might decide that Trump should impose even more trade penalties on China for stealing their own personal data.
This means all eyes will turn to the White House, and to their Phase 2 efforts on a trade deal. After the coronavirus and a pork plague that has Beijing reeling, they will desperately need economic stability to keep people from rising up against the established order. This is a very good time to start demanding curbs on hacking and other intellectual property theft and for stiff penalties when either occur. Donald Trump has been issuing mainly friendly signals since the Phase 1 agreement went into effect, but this is precisely the kind of narrative he’s used to drive his trade war since getting elected.


hotair--2020-02-10--Let's talk about that brutal Biden attack ad on Buttigieg

Three months before New Hampshire or maybe even three weeks before , I think this ad would have landed .
Three days before , with Biden struggling to avoid fifth place ?
Hmmmm .
On the other hand , it ’ s been viewed more than four million times on Twitter alone as I write this on Monday morning .
Given the latest polling , it ’ s more of an Amy Klobuchar attack ad , no ?
Watch , then read on .
There were hot takes aplenty on social media after it was released on Saturday , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it treated small-town governance as a joke .
Why , it ’ s practically a reprise of “ deplorables , ” mocking average Americans for caring about local quality-of-life issues .
Others claimed it would backfire by treating a genuine liability for Buttigieg , his record with black public employees in South Bend , as an afterthought tacked onto an otherwise jokey spot .
If you want to hurt Pete , you don ’ t toss that into a stew of goofs on his lack of experience .
You cook it up and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Rest assured , one or more of his opponents will before South Carolina goes to vote . )
But all of that amounts to overthinking the ad .
The most basic concern about Buttigieg is that he ’ s not ready for primetime , a silver-tongued not-yet-40 lightweight who hasn ’ t spent a day in his life executing policy beyond the borders of a small midwestern city .
It ’ s not that local quality-of-life concerns are unimportant , it ’ s that we don ’ t normally view them as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or negotiating a trillion-dollar infrastructure package .
Yes , yes , I know — that didn ’ t stop Trump , who had even less governing experience than Buttigieg .
But Trump isn ’ t a useful comparison because he was a celebrity before he got into politics and the rules are different for celebrities .
Not just any celebrity either ; he ’ s a man who spent decades cultivating an image as a mega-successful business genius , a Bloombergian figure without the $ 50 billion to back it up , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series was developed around his supposed managerial acumen .
That was “ proof ” enough of his competence .
On top of that , Trump and Buttigieg were running as two different types of candidates .
Trump was a populist outsider , a man sent to Washington to wreck the system and rebuild it as something better .
No experience needed for that in populist minds ; if anything , government experience would only make him less qualified for the task .
Whereas Buttigieg is an elitist technocrat , a McKinsey boy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ heartland ” as needed but who ’ s asking Democrats to send him to Washington because he ’ s so darned smart and precocious that he ’ ll manage the system better than his more experienced rivals can .
( Which is also Bloomberg ’ s pitch .
In a way , Bloomberg is a weird hybrid of Trump and Buttigieg . )
So yeah , this ad is effective because it gets to the gut anxiety about Buttigieg : Who the hell is this guy and why should we make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world ?
Mayor Pete ’ s doing his best to counter with the expected pretend outrage about the affront to middle America : “ I know some are asking , what business does the South Bend mayor have seeking the highest office in the land , ” Buttigieg started , addressing Biden without mentioning him by name .
“ You don ’ t have an office in Washington , you don ’ t have decades of experience in the establishment , the city you are the mayor of isn ’ t even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is more like Manchester , New Hampshire , ” he said , to applause… “ To which I say , that is very much the point , because Americans in small , rural towns and industrial communities and yes , in our biggest cities , are tired of being reduced to a punchline by Washington politicians , and ready for someone to take the voice to the American capital .
And that is how we are going to defeat Donald Trump , ” Buttigieg said .
Good point .
Now that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Hampshire should probably give Wayne Messam a second look .
The city Messam governs is bigger than the one Buttigieg used to govern , after all .
I ’ m not going to spend time on the latest polls there since Ed has a post about them coming up but I do wonder if the viral sensation caused by Biden ’ s ad this weekend contributed to the “ Klomentum ” that ’ s materializing right now .
The spot may not have steered any centrist Dems in NH towards Joe but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg , leaving Klobuchar the obvious beneficiary after she took it to Mayor Pete at Friday night ’ s debate .
“ If Klobuchar really did ‘ mini-Christie ’ Buttigieg in the NH debate , ” said elections expert Dave Wasserman , “ it might go down as one of the best things to happen to Bernie Sanders ’ s bid for the nomination.
” Indeed .
A two-way or even three-way fight for the moderate lane in New Hampshire , Nevada , and South Carolina is a recipe for Bernie to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tomorrow night .
Here ’ s Buttigieg responding smartly to Biden ’ s desperate-sounding attack on him on the trail in New Hampshire this weekend , exclaiming , “ This guy ’ s not a Barack Obama !
” Neither are you , scoffs Buttigieg in reply , emphasizing that this is 2020 , not 2008 .
In the span of about two sentences he frames Biden as a candidate of the past ( which he is , per his campaign theme of restoring America to its pre-Trump status quo ) while implicitly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about his former VP at a moment when Obama ’ s endorsement might be the only thing that can save him .

Three months before New Hampshire or maybe even three weeks before, I think this ad would have landed. Three days before, with Biden struggling to avoid fifth place? Hmmmm.
Hmmmm.
On the other hand, it’s been viewed more than four million times on Twitter alone as I write this on Monday morning.
Given the latest polling, it’s more of an Amy Klobuchar attack ad, no? Watch, then read on.
https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1226189752598171648
There were hot takes aplenty on social media after it was released on Saturday, with some contrarians claiming it would backfire because it treated small-town governance as a joke. Why, it’s practically a reprise of “deplorables,” mocking average Americans for caring about local quality-of-life issues. Others claimed it would backfire by treating a genuine liability for Buttigieg, his record with black public employees in South Bend, as an afterthought tacked onto an otherwise jokey spot. If you want to hurt Pete, you don’t toss that into a stew of goofs on his lack of experience. You cook it up and serve it as a main course. (Rest assured, one or more of his opponents will before South Carolina goes to vote.)
But all of that amounts to overthinking the ad. The most basic concern about Buttigieg is that he’s not ready for primetime, a silver-tongued not-yet-40 lightweight who hasn’t spent a day in his life executing policy beyond the borders of a small midwestern city. It’s not that local quality-of-life concerns are unimportant, it’s that we don’t normally view them as relevant experience for commanding the U.S. military or negotiating a trillion-dollar infrastructure package. Yes, yes, I know — that didn’t stop Trump, who had even less governing experience than Buttigieg. But Trump isn’t a useful comparison because he was a celebrity before he got into politics and the rules are different for celebrities. Not just any celebrity either; he’s a man who spent decades cultivating an image as a mega-successful business genius, a Bloombergian figure without the $50 billion to back it up, a mogul so savvy that an entire TV series was developed around his supposed managerial acumen. That was “proof” enough of his competence.
On top of that, Trump and Buttigieg were running as two different types of candidates. Trump was a populist outsider, a man sent to Washington to wreck the system and rebuild it as something better. No experience needed for that in populist minds; if anything, government experience would only make him less qualified for the task. Whereas Buttigieg is an elitist technocrat, a McKinsey boy, who dutifully yammers about small-town life and the “heartland” as needed but who’s asking Democrats to send him to Washington because he’s so darned smart and precocious that he’ll manage the system better than his more experienced rivals can. (Which is also Bloomberg’s pitch. In a way, Bloomberg is a weird hybrid of Trump and Buttigieg.)
So yeah, this ad is effective because it gets to the gut anxiety about Buttigieg: Who the hell is this guy and why should we make him the most powerful person in the world? Mayor Pete’s doing his best to counter with the expected pretend outrage about the affront to middle America:
“I know some are asking, what business does the South Bend mayor have seeking the highest office in the land,” Buttigieg started, addressing Biden without mentioning him by name. “You don’t have an office in Washington, you don’t have decades of experience in the establishment, the city you are the mayor of isn’t even the biggest city in the country.” “It is more like Manchester, New Hampshire,” he said, to applause… “To which I say, that is very much the point, because Americans in small, rural towns and industrial communities and yes, in our biggest cities, are tired of being reduced to a punchline by Washington politicians, and ready for someone to take the voice to the American capital. And that is how we are going to defeat Donald Trump,” Buttigieg said.
Good point. Now that I’ve heard it, I think New Hampshire should probably give Wayne Messam a second look. The city Messam governs is bigger than the one Buttigieg used to govern, after all.
I’m not going to spend time on the latest polls there since Ed has a post about them coming up but I do wonder if the viral sensation caused by Biden’s ad this weekend contributed to the “Klomentum” that’s materializing right now. The spot may not have steered any centrist Dems in NH towards Joe but it could have steered them away from Buttigieg, leaving Klobuchar the obvious beneficiary after she took it to Mayor Pete at Friday night’s debate. “If Klobuchar really did ‘mini-Christie’ Buttigieg in the NH debate,” said elections expert Dave Wasserman, “it might go down as one of the best things to happen to Bernie Sanders’s bid for the nomination.” Indeed. A two-way or even three-way fight for the moderate lane in New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina is a recipe for Bernie to run the table, especially if Warren collapses tomorrow night.
Here’s Buttigieg responding smartly to Biden’s desperate-sounding attack on him on the trail in New Hampshire this weekend, exclaiming, “This guy’s not a Barack Obama!” Neither are you, scoffs Buttigieg in reply, emphasizing that this is 2020, not 2008. In the span of about two sentences he frames Biden as a candidate of the past (which he is, per his campaign theme of restoring America to its pre-Trump status quo) while implicitly reminding everyone that O has been quiet about his former VP at a moment when Obama’s endorsement might be the only thing that can save him.


hotair--2020-02-10--Obama-backed documentary filmmaker quotes Communist Manifesto

When Barack and Michelle Obama left the White House , it was assumed that they would write memoirs and reap the financial benefits of their years in public service .
That ’ s the traditional way for former presidents and first ladies to transition from public life back to private life .
The Obamas aren ’ t much for tradition , though , and when they left the White House they were able to sign a sweet deal with Netflix worth tens of millions of dollars .
The bottom line for their Netflix deal is probably more than that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the details were not released when the deal was signed .
The production company they started is called Higher Ground Productions .
During the 92nd Oscars which aired on Sunday night , the first Obama-backed documentary won an Oscar for Best Documentary .
Here ’ s the kicker to that little story – when the filmmakers accepted their award , Julia Reichert quoted Karl Marx ’ s Communist Manifesto when describing her perfect world .
Even for the far-left in Hollywood , that little shout-out was jarring .
She is literally reaping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her communist aspirations .
It can not be stated strongly enough how out of touch and naive these people are .
The winner of the documentary category was American Factory , an Obama-backed Netflix documentary which is “ set in an abandoned General Motors plant in Ohio that reopens when Chinese billionaire chairman Cao Dewang buys it and turns it into windshield factory Fuyao Glass America.
” This is the first documentary that the Obamas have funded .
When accepting the award the filmmakers said the communist mantra , “ Working people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.
” Given the Democrat field running for the presidential nomination , I suppose I shouldn ’ t have been so surprised .
Socialism , communism , whatever .
A statement like “ Workers of the world unite !
” was completely acceptable to the Oscars crowd , as I wrote about for Newsbusters .
Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar were delivering the party line .
While last year ’ s ceremony was not very political , this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a presidential election year , you know .
The Obamas came on board the film as executive producers after it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last year , making it the first title in their multi-year deal with Netflix .
American Factory focuses on the effort of Fuyao , a Chinese auto glass maker , to set up a factory on the footprint of an old GM plant outside the filmmakers ’ home base of Dayton , Ohio .
The venture triggered controversy , because Fuyao employees were discouraged from joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the hourly wage that had been paid by GM .
The film has been praised as a nuanced look at the cross cultural and economic challenges faced by both management and employees as they tried to make a success of Fuyao Glass America .
The Obamas congratulated the documentary makers on Twitter .
Note that Barack Obama mentions “ the very human consequences of wrenching economic change .
” Oh , like a shift from capitalism to socialism and then communism ?
You can ’ t make this stuff up .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night about former Obama speechwriters writing the acceptance speeches of woke Hollywood actors .
I find the story perfectly logical .
The Hollywood left always go political in their awards acceptance speeches when a Republican is in office .
Obama ’ s administration ran on “ fundamental ” change and the Oscars audience is a large one .
Why not weave some Democrat talking points into a few thank-yous ?
Fenway Strategies is a speechwriting and communications firm founded by former Obama administration officials Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor .
Although the firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political arena , helping speakers prep TED talks or United Nations addresses , Fenway has branched out into Hollywood .
And over the last few years the firm has helped ghostwrite awards acceptance speeches for a number of A-list clients ; you definitely know them but their identities are protected by non-disclosure agreements .
To hear it from Fenway principal Sam Koppelman , a former speechwriter for Michael Bloomberg and digital strategist for Hillary Clinton who also co-authored the New York Times best seller Impeach : The Case Against Donald Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , music , and TV stars nowadays , he finds it more astonishing to discover a nominee has eschewed professional speechwriting help than when one seeks it out .
“ Writing for actors is a speechwriter ’ s dream come true , ” says Koppelman .
“ Because unlike politicians , who are not professionals at memorizing lines or delivering them in compelling and charismatic ways , actors actually know how to deliver the lines.
” The very first award went to Brad Pitt for Best Supporting Actor .
He started his speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I only have 45 seconds up here , which is 45 seconds more than the senate gave John Bolton this week .
I ’ m thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it .
In the end the adults do the right thing.
” Excuse me if I am skeptical that Pitt is clever enough to come up with that one on his own .
When asked if someone else wrote his remarks , he denied it .
Actors make a living reciting words that others have written for them .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believe that professional political speechwriters want to get in on the action , too .

When Barack and Michelle Obama left the White House, it was assumed that they would write memoirs and reap the financial benefits of their years in public service. That’s the traditional way for former presidents and first ladies to transition from public life back to private life. The Obamas aren’t much for tradition, though, and when they left the White House they were able to sign a sweet deal with Netflix worth tens of millions of dollars.
The bottom line for their Netflix deal is probably more than that when all is said and done, but the details were not released when the deal was signed. The production company they started is called Higher Ground Productions. During the 92nd Oscars which aired on Sunday night, the first Obama-backed documentary won an Oscar for Best Documentary.
Here’s the kicker to that little story – when the filmmakers accepted their award, Julia Reichert quoted Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto when describing her perfect world. Even for the far-left in Hollywood, that little shout-out was jarring. She is literally reaping the rewards of capitalism while giving a nod to her communist aspirations. It cannot be stated strongly enough how out of touch and naive these people are.
The winner of the documentary category was American Factory, an Obama-backed Netflix documentary which is “set in an abandoned General Motors plant in Ohio that reopens when Chinese billionaire chairman Cao Dewang buys it and turns it into windshield factory Fuyao Glass America.” This is the first documentary that the Obamas have funded. When accepting the award the filmmakers said the communist mantra, “Working people have it harder and harder these days – and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.”
Given the Democrat field running for the presidential nomination, I suppose I shouldn’t have been so surprised. Socialism, communism, whatever. A statement like “Workers of the world unite!” was completely acceptable to the Oscars crowd, as I wrote about for Newsbusters. Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar were delivering the party line. While last year’s ceremony was not very political, this year made up for it. It’s a presidential election year, you know.
The Obamas came on board the film as executive producers after it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last year, making it the first title in their multi-year deal with Netflix. American Factory focuses on the effort of Fuyao, a Chinese auto glass maker, to set up a factory on the footprint of an old GM plant outside the filmmakers’ home base of Dayton, Ohio. The venture triggered controversy, because Fuyao employees were discouraged from joining a union and they earned less than half the hourly wage that had been paid by GM. The film has been praised as a nuanced look at the cross cultural and economic challenges faced by both management and employees as they tried to make a success of Fuyao Glass America.
The Obamas congratulated the documentary makers on Twitter. Note that Barack Obama mentions “the very human consequences of wrenching economic change. ” Oh, like a shift from capitalism to socialism and then communism? You can’t make this stuff up.
Congrats to Julia and Steven, the filmmakers behind American Factory, for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change. Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release. https://t.co/W4AZ68iWoY — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 10, 2020
Congrats to Julia, Steven, and the whole crew on winning Best Documentary for #AmericanFactory, Higher Ground's first release! So glad to see their heart and honesty recognized—because the best stories are rarely tidy or perfect. But that’s where the truth so often lies. https://t.co/qtdNEw9H3f — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) February 10, 2020
There was an interesting story published before Oscars night about former Obama speechwriters writing the acceptance speeches of woke Hollywood actors. I find the story perfectly logical. The Hollywood left always go political in their awards acceptance speeches when a Republican is in office. Obama’s administration ran on “fundamental” change and the Oscars audience is a large one. Why not weave some Democrat talking points into a few thank-yous?
Fenway Strategies is a speechwriting and communications firm founded by former Obama administration officials Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor. Although the firm’s most obvious connection is to the political arena, helping speakers prep TED talks or United Nations addresses, Fenway has branched out into Hollywood. And over the last few years the firm has helped ghostwrite awards acceptance speeches for a number of A-list clients; you definitely know them but their identities are protected by non-disclosure agreements. To hear it from Fenway principal Sam Koppelman, a former speechwriter for Michael Bloomberg and digital strategist for Hillary Clinton who also co-authored the New York Times best seller Impeach: The Case Against Donald Trump, the practice is so widespread among movie, music, and TV stars nowadays, he finds it more astonishing to discover a nominee has eschewed professional speechwriting help than when one seeks it out. “Writing for actors is a speechwriter’s dream come true,” says Koppelman. “Because unlike politicians, who are not professionals at memorizing lines or delivering them in compelling and charismatic ways, actors actually know how to deliver the lines.”
The very first award went to Brad Pitt for Best Supporting Actor. He started his speech by saying, “They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the senate gave John Bolton this week. I’m thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it. In the end the adults do the right thing.” Excuse me if I am skeptical that Pitt is clever enough to come up with that one on his own. When asked if someone else wrote his remarks, he denied it. Actors make a living reciting words that others have written for them. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to believe that professional political speechwriters want to get in on the action, too.


hotair--2020-02-10--Maximum socialism: Bernie Sanders' plan for a "maximum wage"

If you think Bernie Sanders has some completely radical socialist views now , you should have seen him when he was a younger man coming up in Vermont politics .
During an interview with Jake Tapper this weekend , Sanders was reminded of one of his really “ out there ” policies from back in the day .
Tapper asked him about his proposal to have a maximum wage in the United States on top of the minimum wage we already have in place .
Sanders was clearly not thrilled with being reminded of this and attempted to dismiss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beacon ) Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) on Sunday refused to discuss his support for a “ maximum wage ” during his early days in Vermont politics , calling the unearthing of such radical proposals not “ productive.
” “ Early in your political career , way back in 1974 , you said that it should be illegal to earn more money than someone could spend in his or her lifetime , ” CNN ’ s State of the Union anchor Jake Tapper said .
“ You proposed a maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders dismissed the question as irrelevant to his current political views .
Let ’ s go to the video so everyone can enjoy this rather awkward , uncomfortable moment .
( via Twitter ) You have to wonder if the grind of the campaign trail is starting to get to Bernie at this point .
Responding to the question by asking if Tapper had gone back to his third-grade essay from elementary school was a bit of scolding that came off as a challenge to the media , suggesting that anything from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that didn ’ t happen when Sanders was a child .
As Tapper pointed out to him , Sanders said that when he was a fully grown adult in his thirties .
If his position has changed after further consideration , he could simply say so and explain why .
But Sanders didn ’ t do that .
Not only didn ’ t he deny that he ’ d held that view , but he also didn ’ t even say that he had abandoned it .
Why ?
I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since Bernie didn ’ t offer to explain ) and suggest that he still believes that today .
The only reason he ’ s not saying it is that he realizes how unpopular it would be .
This is yet another area where Sanders and other socialists make incorrect assumptions about the bitterness of middle and lower-income workers .
They assume that the public ’ s supposed hatred of the dreaded “ top one percent ” extends to the point where everyone wants to tear them down .
That may be true for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( And not for nothing , but it ’ s an interesting argument to have with a guy who owns three houses . )
The truth is that most people don ’ t want to punish the wealthy , primarily because almost everyone still harbors hopes of becoming wealthy .
This concept brings to mind a story that Joe Scarborough frequently tells when he does interviews or gives speeches .
His father would drive past some big , expensive home , far nicer than the one they lived in .
He would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t resent the people living in such mansions .
He just wanted the opportunity to own a home like that himself one day .
And that ’ s the fundamental difference between capitalists and socialists in a nutshell .
It ’ s equality of opportunity versus equality of outcome .
This interview is a good reminder of what Senator Sanders and several of his competitors for the nomination think about that question .

If you think Bernie Sanders has some completely radical socialist views now, you should have seen him when he was a younger man coming up in Vermont politics. During an interview with Jake Tapper this weekend, Sanders was reminded of one of his really “out there” policies from back in the day. Tapper asked him about his proposal to have a maximum wage in the United States on top of the minimum wage we already have in place. Sanders was clearly not thrilled with being reminded of this and attempted to dismiss the question out of hand. (Free Beacon)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) on Sunday refused to discuss his support for a “maximum wage” during his early days in Vermont politics, calling the unearthing of such radical proposals not “productive.” “Early in your political career, way back in 1974, you said that it should be illegal to earn more money than someone could spend in his or her lifetime,” CNN’s State of the Union anchor Jake Tapper said. “You proposed a maximum wage cap on the highest earners.” Sanders dismissed the question as irrelevant to his current political views.
Let’s go to the video so everyone can enjoy this rather awkward, uncomfortable moment. (via Twitter)
Bernie Sanders fires back after Jake Tapper asks him about his backing of a wage cap in 1974 that CNN recently dug up. "Did you go back to my third-grade essay when I was in PS 197 about what I said?" pic.twitter.com/FYpjudY3Yu — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) February 9, 2020
You have to wonder if the grind of the campaign trail is starting to get to Bernie at this point. Responding to the question by asking if Tapper had gone back to his third-grade essay from elementary school was a bit of scolding that came off as a challenge to the media, suggesting that anything from his political past was somehow off-limits. But that didn’t happen when Sanders was a child. As Tapper pointed out to him, Sanders said that when he was a fully grown adult in his thirties. If his position has changed after further consideration, he could simply say so and explain why.
But Sanders didn’t do that. Not only didn’t he deny that he’d held that view, but he also didn’t even say that he had abandoned it. Why? I’m going to toss out a guess here (since Bernie didn’t offer to explain) and suggest that he still believes that today. The only reason he’s not saying it is that he realizes how unpopular it would be.
This is yet another area where Sanders and other socialists make incorrect assumptions about the bitterness of middle and lower-income workers. They assume that the public’s supposed hatred of the dreaded “top one percent” extends to the point where everyone wants to tear them down. That may be true for some, but certainly not a majority. (And not for nothing, but it’s an interesting argument to have with a guy who owns three houses.)
The truth is that most people don’t want to punish the wealthy, primarily because almost everyone still harbors hopes of becoming wealthy. This concept brings to mind a story that Joe Scarborough frequently tells when he does interviews or gives speeches. His father would drive past some big, expensive home, far nicer than the one they lived in. He would explain to his children that he didn’t resent the people living in such mansions. He just wanted the opportunity to own a home like that himself one day.
And that’s the fundamental difference between capitalists and socialists in a nutshell. It’s equality of opportunity versus equality of outcome. This interview is a good reminder of what Senator Sanders and several of his competitors for the nomination think about that question.


hotair--2020-02-10--DNC Chair: Dump the caucuses

DNC Chair: Dump the caucuses

DNC Chairman Tom Perez has been under fire ever since the debacle in Iowa blew up in the Democrats ’ faces last week .
In an apparent effort to “ clarify ” what went wrong and what he plans to do about it , Perez sat down with Jake Tapper on State of the Union yesterday .
Tapper posed some of the obvious questions that many people have been asking all week and , to his credit , Perez fielded them gamely .
The first one dealt with whether or not the caucus system simply isn ’ t working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s time for both parties to go to primaries controlled by state election officials across the nation .
Perez seems to have given up on the idea himself and agreed with that proposal .
( Free Beacon ) Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez on Sunday said he believes the DNC should eliminate caucuses and move to primaries after last week ’ s fiasco in Iowa .
“ I do think it needs to be state election officials running elections , ” Perez said during an appearance on CNN ’ s State of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the botched Iowa caucus , the results of which remain unclear , and noted that he has supported primaries—which are administered by state election officials—over caucuses—which are run by state parties—since 2016 .
Perez went on to say that the mistakes that happened in Iowa were “ undeniably unacceptable.
” ( Thanks for stating the obvious , Tom . )
But rather than leaving it at that , Tapper also asked Perez if it was time for Iowa to lose their traditional role as the first state to cast votes in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t quite as absolute on that point but suggested that the idea was definitely on the table .
Keep in mind that this conversation is taking place at the same time that leading Democrats like Jim Clyburn are calling for his resignation .
Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio was even more emphatic in saying Perez needs to go .
But when Jake Tapper asked if he was considering stepping down , Perez said : “ absolutely not.
” As I wrote this weekend , the disaster in Iowa really wasn ’ t Perez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dump him from the chairmanship might be premature .
But now that the flaws in the system have been exposed , he clearly has a responsibility to lead on the issue .
The DNC can ’ t force the state parties to make changes to their calendars or how they handle their primaries , but they can certainly apply pressure to make changes more likely .
Both parties have done this in the past .
The DNC could vote on new rules at the convention which would apply to all states equally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of delegates each state can send to the convention if they choose to keep using caucuses instead of actual primaries with voting machines overseen by state election officials .
Similarly , they already impose similar penalties for any states holding their primary before a certain date .
That could be tailored to rotate the states that go first .
Any state refusing to accept the new schedule could lose some or all of their delegates at the convention .
One of the many challenges with such a plan is that you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go along with it as well .
Holding two separate primaries on different dates will drive up the total costs and most state parties would object to that .
But hey… Tom Perez asked for this job .
Nobody said it was going to be easy .
And now he needs to get into gear and fix things or the demands for his resignation will only grow louder .

DNC Chairman Tom Perez has been under fire ever since the debacle in Iowa blew up in the Democrats’ faces last week. In an apparent effort to “clarify” what went wrong and what he plans to do about it, Perez sat down with Jake Tapper on State of the Union yesterday. Tapper posed some of the obvious questions that many people have been asking all week and, to his credit, Perez fielded them gamely. The first one dealt with whether or not the caucus system simply isn’t working in the 21st century and if it’s time for both parties to go to primaries controlled by state election officials across the nation. Perez seems to have given up on the idea himself and agreed with that proposal. (Free Beacon)
Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez on Sunday said he believes the DNC should eliminate caucuses and move to primaries after last week’s fiasco in Iowa. “I do think it needs to be state election officials running elections,” Perez said during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union. Perez expressed his discontent with the botched Iowa caucus, the results of which remain unclear, and noted that he has supported primaries—which are administered by state election officials—over caucuses—which are run by state parties—since 2016.
Perez went on to say that the mistakes that happened in Iowa were “undeniably unacceptable.” (Thanks for stating the obvious, Tom.) But rather than leaving it at that, Tapper also asked Perez if it was time for Iowa to lose their traditional role as the first state to cast votes in each presidential election cycle. He wasn’t quite as absolute on that point but suggested that the idea was definitely on the table.
“Well, that’s the conversation that will absolutely happen after this election cycle,” Perez said.
Keep in mind that this conversation is taking place at the same time that leading Democrats like Jim Clyburn are calling for his resignation. Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio was even more emphatic in saying Perez needs to go. But when Jake Tapper asked if he was considering stepping down, Perez said: “absolutely not.”
As I wrote this weekend, the disaster in Iowa really wasn’t Perez’s fault, so trying to dump him from the chairmanship might be premature. But now that the flaws in the system have been exposed, he clearly has a responsibility to lead on the issue. The DNC can’t force the state parties to make changes to their calendars or how they handle their primaries, but they can certainly apply pressure to make changes more likely.
Both parties have done this in the past. The DNC could vote on new rules at the convention which would apply to all states equally. These could include a penalty in the number of delegates each state can send to the convention if they choose to keep using caucuses instead of actual primaries with voting machines overseen by state election officials. Similarly, they already impose similar penalties for any states holding their primary before a certain date. That could be tailored to rotate the states that go first. Any state refusing to accept the new schedule could lose some or all of their delegates at the convention.
One of the many challenges with such a plan is that you’d really need to get the Republicans to go along with it as well. Holding two separate primaries on different dates will drive up the total costs and most state parties would object to that. But hey… Tom Perez asked for this job. Nobody said it was going to be easy. And now he needs to get into gear and fix things or the demands for his resignation will only grow louder.


hotair--2020-02-10--Biden woos NH voter by, er, calling her a "lying, dog-faced pony soldier"

Can ’ t wait to read Joe Biden ’ s upcoming book , How to Win Voters and Influence Activists .
Yesterday in New Hampshire , a state in which Biden has fallen badly off the polling pace , a voter asked him a reasonable question about his prospects .
After his debacle in Iowa , she wondered , how does Biden explain that he can win a national election ?
Given that Biden ’ s main argument is his electability , it ’ s a fair question — certainly one on the minds of more Democratic primary voters than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as respectfully as she could , as much as “ you got ta explain your bad performance ” questions can be .
Even Biden agreed that it was “ a good question , ” but it clearly got under his skin .
“ Number one , ” Biden said , “ Iowa was a caucus .
You ever been to a caucus ?
” Biden asked the woman — and that ’ s where the fun begins ( via Grabien ) : The dust-up came after the voter asked Biden , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa and why should the voters believe that you can win a national election ?
” “ You ever been to a caucus ?
” Biden replied .
After the voter said she indeed had attended a caucus , Biden shot back : “ No you haven ’ t .
You ’ re a lying dog-faced pony soldier.
” “ You got ta be honest , ” he continued .
“ I ’ m gon na be honest with you .
It was a little bit confusing in Iowa .
But let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” What in the hell ?
First off , what does “ dog-faced pony soldier ” even mean ?
It sounds like something said off the back end of Studebaker covered wagon as it traveled across the prairie .
The most recent reference to “ pony soldier ” I could find is a Tyrone Power film of the same name … from 1952 .
OK Boomer !
Odds are that any New Hampshire voter has more experience in caucus-style politics in their little finger than Biden has in his whole body .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential-nomination delegate assignment , but most of its politics are conducted on the local level , using the town-hall model .
Granite State voters are so proud of that model that their state legislature is the largest in the country , with every legislator representing about 4,000 citizens each .
If you don ’ t know that , you shouldn ’ t be campaigning in New Hampshire at all .
Even worse , this is yet another eruption of Biden ’ s I ’ m the smartest guy in the room — just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woman is lying because it contradicts his Very Smart And Not At All Problematic excuse he ’ s about to make about caucuses .
Biden dismisses them as unpredictable , but ( a ) this is his third presidential run , ( b ) he had about four years to prepare for it , and ( c ) his competitors seemed to be able to handle it better than he did .
It ’ s basically a replay of his 1987 “ I have a much higher I.Q .
than you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the first one this cycle either .
It doesn ’ t take much to turn Folksy Joe into Arrogant Elitist Joe , does it ?
Perhaps we should adjust our assumptions about Joe Biden in the Democratic primary .
Does he actually want to win it ?

Can’t wait to read Joe Biden’s upcoming book, How to Win Voters and Influence Activists. Yesterday in New Hampshire, a state in which Biden has fallen badly off the polling pace, a voter asked him a reasonable question about his prospects. After his debacle in Iowa, she wondered, how does Biden explain that he can win a national election?
Given that Biden’s main argument is his electability, it’s a fair question — certainly one on the minds of more Democratic primary voters than just this one woman. She posed it as respectfully as she could, as much as “you gotta explain your bad performance” questions can be. Even Biden agreed that it was “a good question,” but it clearly got under his skin.
“Number one,” Biden said, “Iowa was a caucus. You ever been to a caucus?” Biden asked the woman — and that’s where the fun begins (via Grabien):
The dust-up came after the voter asked Biden, “How do you explain the performance in Iowa and why should the voters believe that you can win a national election?” “You ever been to a caucus?” Biden replied. After the voter said she indeed had attended a caucus, Biden shot back: “No you haven’t. You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier.” “You gotta be honest,” he continued. “I’m gonna be honest with you. It was a little bit confusing in Iowa. But let’s assume it was all exactly right.”
What in the hell? First off, what does “dog-faced pony soldier” even mean? It sounds like something said off the back end of Studebaker covered wagon as it traveled across the prairie. The most recent reference to “pony soldier” I could find is a Tyrone Power film of the same name … from 1952. OK Boomer!
Odds are that any New Hampshire voter has more experience in caucus-style politics in their little finger than Biden has in his whole body. New Hampshire (wisely) uses primaries for presidential-nomination delegate assignment, but most of its politics are conducted on the local level, using the town-hall model. Granite State voters are so proud of that model that their state legislature is the largest in the country, with every legislator representing about 4,000 citizens each. If you don’t know that, you shouldn’t be campaigning in New Hampshire at all.
Even worse, this is yet another eruption of Biden’s I’m the smartest guy in the room — just ask me impulse. Biden just assumes the woman is lying because it contradicts his Very Smart And Not At All Problematic excuse he’s about to make about caucuses. Biden dismisses them as unpredictable, but (a) this is his third presidential run, (b) he had about four years to prepare for it, and (c) his competitors seemed to be able to handle it better than he did. It’s basically a replay of his 1987 “I have a much higher I.Q. than you do” fiasco, and it’s not the first one this cycle either. It doesn’t take much to turn Folksy Joe into Arrogant Elitist Joe, does it?
Perhaps we should adjust our assumptions about Joe Biden in the Democratic primary. Does he actually want to win it?


hotair--2020-02-10--NeverTrumpers trying to tank Sanders in New Hampshire

If you ’ re a conservative-leaning independent voter in New Hampshire , you may have gotten an unusual phone call this weekend .
Having your phone ringing off the hook in the Granite State in February is nothing new , obviously .
( Some people have probably just shut their phones off entirely by now . )
But there ’ s at least some novelty in having the caller suggest that those of you who normally vote in the GOP primary should consider switching sides and voting in the Democratic nomination race .
And which candidate does the mystery caller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t matter , as long as it ’ s not Bernie Sanders .
The puzzle as to who was behind these calls was quickly solved .
It ’ s the usual group of NeverTrumpers , including Bill Kristol .
( New Hampshire Journal ) GOP-leaning independent voters in New Hampshire are receiving phone calls and texts from anti-Trump Republicans urging them to cross the aisle and vote in the Democratic primary on Tuesday , NHJournal has learned .
The message is for these unaffiliated voters , who can vote in either party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ responsible and electable ” Democratic alternative to Donald Trump .
National # NeverTrump leader Bill Kristol , founder of the conservative Weekly Standard magazine , confirmed to NHJournal that he is part of the effort , which involves tens of thousands of New Hampshire voter contacts and a six-figure budget .
“ Yup .
I ’ m happy to have joined with some others to help remind New Hampshire independents , who might be accustomed to voting in the Republican primary , that this year , they may be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a responsible and electable candidate in the Democratic primary , ” Kristol said .
The message from Kristol and his # NeverTrump buddies is pretty straightforward .
They want voters sympathetic to the Republican Party to not waste their time and instead go help one of the more “ responsible and electable ” Democrats .
Translation : Bernie Sanders ( and probably Elizabeth Warren ) are too far out on the socialist limb to possibly beat Donald Trump , so you need to help Biden , Buttigieg or Klobuchar grab the nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear .
While Kristol et al .
were fired up for challengers to President Trump ( like Joe Walsh and the rest of them ) in the Republican primary , that ship has sailed .
Or perhaps the ship never even made it out of port .
The GOP base has stuck with the President through thick and thin and none of the NeverTrumpers ever gained any measurable traction .
Now , perhaps out of desperation , they ’ re going to openly back the Democrats .
I have to wonder how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions .
Being opposed to Trump is one thing , but cheering for four years of Democratic control of the White House is another .
They ’ re trying to draw a distinction between Sanders or Warren and the rest of the field , but that ’ s deceptive .
As both myself and the Washington Post editorial board recently agreed , there are no moderates in the Democrats ’ nomination battle .
Every one of them is well to the left of Barack Obama .
( That ’ s a quote from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
They all want to undo the tax cuts , offer amnesty to illegal aliens , legalize infanticide and destroy the private health insurance industry .
And each of them would arrive at the White House with a list of the most liberal judges possible , ready to undo all of the progress that Trump and Cocaine Mitch have made in terms of judicial appointments .
Just keep that in mind when you ’ re being preached to by your NeverTrump betters .
Some of them are not just “ against Trump.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of National Review from a few years back . )
They ’ re actively working to help put a socialist in the Oval Office and undo everything that ’ s been accomplished in the conservative cause over the past three years .

If you’re a conservative-leaning independent voter in New Hampshire, you may have gotten an unusual phone call this weekend. Having your phone ringing off the hook in the Granite State in February is nothing new, obviously. (Some people have probably just shut their phones off entirely by now.) But there’s at least some novelty in having the caller suggest that those of you who normally vote in the GOP primary should consider switching sides and voting in the Democratic nomination race.
And which candidate does the mystery caller want you to support? It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s not Bernie Sanders. The puzzle as to who was behind these calls was quickly solved. It’s the usual group of NeverTrumpers, including Bill Kristol. (New Hampshire Journal)
GOP-leaning independent voters in New Hampshire are receiving phone calls and texts from anti-Trump Republicans urging them to cross the aisle and vote in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, NHJournal has learned. The message is for these unaffiliated voters, who can vote in either party’s primary, to vote for a “responsible and electable” Democratic alternative to Donald Trump. National #NeverTrump leader Bill Kristol, founder of the conservative Weekly Standard magazine, confirmed to NHJournal that he is part of the effort, which involves tens of thousands of New Hampshire voter contacts and a six-figure budget. “Yup. I’m happy to have joined with some others to help remind New Hampshire independents, who might be accustomed to voting in the Republican primary, that this year, they may be able to make more of a difference by voting for a responsible and electable candidate in the Democratic primary,” Kristol said.
The message from Kristol and his #NeverTrump buddies is pretty straightforward. They want voters sympathetic to the Republican Party to not waste their time and instead go help one of the more “responsible and electable” Democrats. Translation: Bernie Sanders (and probably Elizabeth Warren) are too far out on the socialist limb to possibly beat Donald Trump, so you need to help Biden, Buttigieg or Klobuchar grab the nomination.
The other underlying message is equally clear. While Kristol et al. were fired up for challengers to President Trump (like Joe Walsh and the rest of them) in the Republican primary, that ship has sailed. Or perhaps the ship never even made it out of port. The GOP base has stuck with the President through thick and thin and none of the NeverTrumpers ever gained any measurable traction. Now, perhaps out of desperation, they’re going to openly back the Democrats.
I have to wonder how much consideration these conservatives have given to their actions. Being opposed to Trump is one thing, but cheering for four years of Democratic control of the White House is another. They’re trying to draw a distinction between Sanders or Warren and the rest of the field, but that’s deceptive. As both myself and the Washington Post editorial board recently agreed, there are no moderates in the Democrats’ nomination battle.
Every one of them is well to the left of Barack Obama. (That’s a quote from the WaPo editorial, not just me.) They all want to undo the tax cuts, offer amnesty to illegal aliens, legalize infanticide and destroy the private health insurance industry. And each of them would arrive at the White House with a list of the most liberal judges possible, ready to undo all of the progress that Trump and Cocaine Mitch have made in terms of judicial appointments.
Just keep that in mind when you’re being preached to by your NeverTrump betters. Some of them are not just “against Trump.” (To quote a famous edition of National Review from a few years back.) They’re actively working to help put a socialist in the Oval Office and undo everything that’s been accomplished in the conservative cause over the past three years.


hotair--2020-02-10--The CROWN Act: How a Texas teen ended up on Oscar's red carpet

The spotlight was placed on a piece of little-known legislation in recent weeks having to do with how an employee or student wears his or her hair .
The CROWN Act uses the acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair .
So far , the issue has been a focus due to hairstyles made of dreadlocks .
From the website : “ The CROWN Act ensures protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act ( FEHA ) and state Education Codes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chocolate company ) is a woke corporation now and it is a corporate partner of the movement .
I was only vaguely aware of this push for legislation .
I read about actress Gabrielle Union being fired from her gig on America ’ s Got Talent and at the time Gabrielle cited cultural insensitivity and sexism as a reason for the action .
One of the problems the show executives had with her , apparently , was how she wore her hair .
She stirred up a lot of publicity and moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hair in a natural way to the forefront .
The CROWN Act is law in California , New York , New Jersey , Montgomery County , Maryland , and the City of Cincinnati .
The website lists twenty-two states who are in the process of moving the legislation into their political agenda , too .
The point being , this is catching on .
The State of Texas is not on that list .
The reason I know more about the CROWN Act now is because of the case of Texas teenager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu , Texas .
Mont Belvieu is about 30 miles from Houston and the story made local news coverage in Houston when DeAndre was suspended from school for violating the school ’ s dress code policy on the length of his hair .
He was also told he would not be able to walk in the school ’ s graduation ceremony if he didn ’ t cut his hair .
To be clear – it was over the length of his hair , his dreadlocks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story made its way to people outside the area , like celebrities , he became an instant celebrity himself .
Ellen DeGeneres was an early supporter in Hollywood .
He has changed schools .
A documentary about the CROWN Act titled Hair Love was nominated for an Oscar .
Gabrielle Union is a co-producer of the documentary .
She , her husband Dwayne Wade , and Hair Love ‘ s writer and co-director Matthew A. Cherry invited him and his mother to be their guests at the Oscars Sunday night .
DeAndre walked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in style , thanks to Dove ’ s corporate sponsorship .
Dove covered wardrobe and other expenses for both DeAndre and his mom .
“ Deandre already changed schools , but I hope that we are able to help give him the platform that him & his story deserves .
We ’ re so proud & can not wait to meet him , ” Cherry said .
Cherry then tweeted a video in which he , Union and Wade personally addressed Arnold .
In it , Union discussed how she and Wade originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When we heard about this amazing story of a young black father with long , beautiful locks just trying to figure out how to do his daughter ’ s hair , we knew that we had to support any way we could.
” DeAndre isn ’ t the first high school kid to be told to conform with his school ’ s dress code .
In January a male student in California was suspended for the same thing .
His school walked back the discipline and now the CROWN Act is law in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t back down , though .
That ’ s why he switched schools .
A reporter for Houston ’ s ABC affiliate traveled along to L.A. for the story .
DeAndre ’ s excuse all along has been that his hair length is a cultural decision – a tribute to his father ’ s Trinidad roots .
He has been growing his hair since seventh grade .
His mother blames the local school board ’ s lack of diversity – in other words , racism .
Ms. Arnold said so on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told the news station that after Christmas break and three months before graduation , the school district changed the dress code policy .
“ They say that even ( when ) my hair is up if it were to be down it would be not in compliance with the dress code .
However , I don ’ t take it down in the school , ” Arnold said .
Sandy told CBS This Morning that she believes the lack of diversity in the district is the issue .
“ There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I get it that they don ’ t understand his hair , ” she said .
DeAndre ’ s hair length violates the school policy , as written in the student handbook .
The school superintendent says the policy has been in place for thirty years .
The Arnold family surely knew that when DeAndre began growing out his dreadlocks in the seventh grade .
I would guess that the school has been unsuccessful in getting DeAndre to comply for some time now , so when it became closer to graduation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How could he walk in a graduation ceremony with his long dreadlocks when the other kids abided by the dress code ?
Like I said , just a guess .
Texas will likely join the list of states passing the CROWN Act .
Black lawmakers and officials held a press conference last Thursday in support of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus working on a bill .
A bill is expected to be introduced for the 2021 Texas legislative session .

The spotlight was placed on a piece of little-known legislation in recent weeks having to do with how an employee or student wears his or her hair. The CROWN Act uses the acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. So far, the issue has been a focus due to hairstyles made of dreadlocks.
From the website: “The CROWN Act ensures protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and state Education Codes.” Dove (the soapmaker, not the chocolate company) is a woke corporation now and it is a corporate partner of the movement. I was only vaguely aware of this push for legislation. I read about actress Gabrielle Union being fired from her gig on America’s Got Talent and at the time Gabrielle cited cultural insensitivity and sexism as a reason for the action. One of the problems the show executives had with her, apparently, was how she wore her hair. She stirred up a lot of publicity and moved the issue of people of color wearing their hair in a natural way to the forefront.
The CROWN Act is law in California, New York, New Jersey, Montgomery County, Maryland, and the City of Cincinnati. The website lists twenty-two states who are in the process of moving the legislation into their political agenda, too. The point being, this is catching on.
Twenty-two (22) additional states are considering the CROWN Act and have either pre-filed, filed or formally stated an intent to introduce their own anti-hair discrimination bills, including Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The State of Texas is not on that list. The reason I know more about the CROWN Act now is because of the case of Texas teenager DeAndre Arnold. DeAndre was a senior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas. Mont Belvieu is about 30 miles from Houston and the story made local news coverage in Houston when DeAndre was suspended from school for violating the school’s dress code policy on the length of his hair. He was also told he would not be able to walk in the school’s graduation ceremony if he didn’t cut his hair. To be clear – it was over the length of his hair, his dreadlocks, not the dreadlocks themselves. When his story made its way to people outside the area, like celebrities, he became an instant celebrity himself. Ellen DeGeneres was an early supporter in Hollywood. He has changed schools.
A documentary about the CROWN Act titled Hair Love was nominated for an Oscar. Gabrielle Union is a co-producer of the documentary. She, her husband Dwayne Wade, and Hair Love‘s writer and co-director Matthew A. Cherry invited him and his mother to be their guests at the Oscars Sunday night. DeAndre walked the red carpet before the Oscars ceremony in style, thanks to Dove’s corporate sponsorship. Dove covered wardrobe and other expenses for both DeAndre and his mom.
“Deandre already changed schools, but I hope that we are able to help give him the platform that him & his story deserves. We’re so proud & cannot wait to meet him,” Cherry said. Cherry then tweeted a video in which he, Union and Wade personally addressed Arnold. In it, Union discussed how she and Wade originally became involved in the film: “When we heard about this amazing story of a young black father with long, beautiful locks just trying to figure out how to do his daughter’s hair, we knew that we had to support any way we could.”
DeAndre isn’t the first high school kid to be told to conform with his school’s dress code. In January a male student in California was suspended for the same thing. His school walked back the discipline and now the CROWN Act is law in California. DeAndre’s Texas school didn’t back down, though. That’s why he switched schools.
Hair discrimination should never be tolerated. That is why we are proud co-founders of the #CrownCoalition and supporters of #TheCROWNAct. https://t.co/la4FQWCSOA — Dove (@Dove) January 21, 2020
A reporter for Houston’s ABC affiliate traveled along to L.A. for the story. DeAndre’s excuse all along has been that his hair length is a cultural decision – a tribute to his father’s Trinidad roots. He has been growing his hair since seventh grade. His mother blames the local school board’s lack of diversity – in other words, racism. Ms. Arnold said so on CBS.
His mother, Sandy Arnold, told the news station that after Christmas break and three months before graduation, the school district changed the dress code policy. “They say that even (when) my hair is up if it were to be down it would be not in compliance with the dress code. However, I don’t take it down in the school,” Arnold said. Sandy told CBS This Morning that she believes the lack of diversity in the district is the issue. “There is no people of color on the school board. I get it that they don’t understand his hair,” she said.
DeAndre’s hair length violates the school policy, as written in the student handbook. The school superintendent says the policy has been in place for thirty years. The Arnold family surely knew that when DeAndre began growing out his dreadlocks in the seventh grade. I would guess that the school has been unsuccessful in getting DeAndre to comply for some time now, so when it became closer to graduation, they had to take a stronger stand. How could he walk in a graduation ceremony with his long dreadlocks when the other kids abided by the dress code? Like I said, just a guess.
The school district’s student handbook says that “male students’ hair must not extend below the top of a T-shirt collar or be gathered or worn in a style that would allow the hair to extend below the top of a T-shirt collar, below the eyebrows, or below the earlobes when let down.
Texas will likely join the list of states passing the CROWN Act. Black lawmakers and officials held a press conference last Thursday in support of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus working on a bill. A bill is expected to be introduced for the 2021 Texas legislative session.


hotair--2020-02-10--Uh, are Nevada Dems going to have a meltdown on caucus night too?

I ’ m not sure it matters since Michael R. Bloomberg pretty clearly has this nomination wrapped up .
But yes , for what it ’ s worth , the chance of a second caucus fiasco less than three weeks removed from an historic Iowa debacle is real .
Not likely , perhaps : Nevada Dems will have had 19 days to learn from Iowa Dems ’ many , many , many — many — mistakes and adjust their process accordingly .
But not quite unlikely either .
Remember “ Shadow , ” the group responsible for the now-infamous app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comedy of errors ?
Guess which company designed the apps that Nevada is using .
Or was using , I should say .
Conducting caucuses is a particular challenge in Nevada , where there are more than 2,000 caucus sites across the state , including in some rural areas .
Adding to the challenge this year is an ambitious early-voting plan designed to increase flexibility and participation .
Nevada Democrats expect about 90,000 people to caucus ; they expect more than half of this year ’ s caucus-goers to vote early .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote at any site in the state between Feb. 15 and 18 , no matter their registered precinct .
Under the original plan , upon arrival , voters would have ranked their top three presidential choices on an iPad-based app .
The plan was for that data to be transmitted to voters ’ home precincts for the Feb. 22 in-person caucuses .
The local caucus leaders , using a second reporting app , were to have incorporated the early voters ’ choices into the first alignment and reallocate them if their first choices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , used by the caucus leader , would have then transmitted the final results to the state party .
Both apps were productions of Shadow .
A company that , allegedly , chose to test its Iowa app designed to serve 1,700 precincts via a free service that allowed … 200 test users maximum .
No problem , though .
Nevada has ditched the apps , replacing them with … something .
Whatever they end up doing , the trick will be to efficiently incorporate early voters ’ ranked choices on caucus night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you have Klobuchar , Buttigieg , and Biden as your top three and Klobuchar falls short of the 15 percent viability threshold at your precinct , your vote would shift to Pete on the second ballot .
That can be done quickly by a computer but less quickly and reliably by hand on election night when there are hundreds of voters potentially at a precinct .
So what ’ s replacing the now-abandoned Shadow app that was supposed to handle the task ?
According to Nevada Democrats , they ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPads .
Which , when you hear them describe it , sounds a lot like an app .
And early reviews from precinct volunteers aren ’ t great : In interviews , volunteers said they received little information at the training beyond a rough outline of how the tool is supposed to function… [ Volunteer Seth ] Morrison said that there was “ not a bit of proof ” at the training that Nevada wouldn ’ t be another Iowa .
Another volunteer , who asked for anonymity to speak openly about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the room at the training was frustration and confusion .
“ We got very little information .
It was just a preview .
There was no hands on , ” the volunteer said .
“ We were not given the program to work with or practice with .
All we have were a few slides to look at while they told us that they ’ re planning to develop it further.
” Nevada Democrats haven ’ t revealed who designed the “ tool , ” ostensibly for reasons of cybersecurity , nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s supposed to do beyond tabulating results at the precinct .
Will it incorporate ranked choices from early voters ?
Unclear .
Will it transmit results from the precincts to HQ ?
Unclear .
What ’ s the back-up plan if , as in Iowa , the “ tool ” fails on caucus night ?
Volunteers told the Nevada Independent that they , ah , haven ’ t been given one .
The party is reportedly still recruiting volunteers too , meaning that some staffers may end up missing whatever meager training the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this sentence from the Independent : “ One volunteer expressed concerns that the people participating in the training didn ’ t even seem to understand the basic details of how to carry out the caucus process and didn ’ t know that precinct chairs can ’ t also be precinct captains on behalf of a campaign.
” Morrison went on to tell the Wall Street Journal that he still doesn ’ t know how the iPads will be protected and that the state party has seemed “ annoyed ” by all the questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very well end up being another galactic sh*tshow .
And if it is , that ’ ll be the end of caucuses in America forever .
At least until Democrats learn how to count .
I ’ ll leave you with this moment from today ’ s press conference by the head of the Iowa Democratic Party , which perfectly sums up the past week .

I’m not sure it matters since Michael R. Bloomberg pretty clearly has this nomination wrapped up.
But yes, for what it’s worth, the chance of a second caucus fiasco less than three weeks removed from an historic Iowa debacle is real. Not likely, perhaps: Nevada Dems will have had 19 days to learn from Iowa Dems’ many, many, many — many — mistakes and adjust their process accordingly. But not quite unlikely either. Remember “Shadow,” the group responsible for the now-infamous app that set in motion Iowa’s comedy of errors?
Guess which company designed the apps that Nevada is using. Or was using, I should say.
Conducting caucuses is a particular challenge in Nevada, where there are more than 2,000 caucus sites across the state, including in some rural areas. Adding to the challenge this year is an ambitious early-voting plan designed to increase flexibility and participation. Nevada Democrats expect about 90,000 people to caucus; they expect more than half of this year’s caucus-goers to vote early. During early voting, Democrats are allowed to vote at any site in the state between Feb. 15 and 18, no matter their registered precinct. Under the original plan, upon arrival, voters would have ranked their top three presidential choices on an iPad-based app. The plan was for that data to be transmitted to voters’ home precincts for the Feb. 22 in-person caucuses. The local caucus leaders, using a second reporting app, were to have incorporated the early voters’ choices into the first alignment and reallocate them if their first choices were not viable. The second app, used by the caucus leader, would have then transmitted the final results to the state party.
Both apps were productions of Shadow. A company that, allegedly, chose to test its Iowa app designed to serve 1,700 precincts via a free service that allowed … 200 test users maximum.
No problem, though. Nevada has ditched the apps, replacing them with … something. Whatever they end up doing, the trick will be to efficiently incorporate early voters’ ranked choices on caucus night. E.g., if you vote early and you have Klobuchar, Buttigieg, and Biden as your top three and Klobuchar falls short of the 15 percent viability threshold at your precinct, your vote would shift to Pete on the second ballot. That can be done quickly by a computer but less quickly and reliably by hand on election night when there are hundreds of voters potentially at a precinct. So what’s replacing the now-abandoned Shadow app that was supposed to handle the task?
According to Nevada Democrats, they’ll be using a “tool” loaded onto iPads. Which, when you hear them describe it, sounds a lot like an app. And early reviews from precinct volunteers aren’t great:
In interviews, volunteers said they received little information at the training beyond a rough outline of how the tool is supposed to function… [Volunteer Seth] Morrison said that there was “not a bit of proof” at the training that Nevada wouldn’t be another Iowa. Another volunteer, who asked for anonymity to speak openly about the training process, said the general sentiment in the room at the training was frustration and confusion. “We got very little information. It was just a preview. There was no hands on,” the volunteer said. “We were not given the program to work with or practice with. All we have were a few slides to look at while they told us that they’re planning to develop it further.”
Nevada Democrats haven’t revealed who designed the “tool,” ostensibly for reasons of cybersecurity, nor will they say exactly what it’s supposed to do beyond tabulating results at the precinct. Will it incorporate ranked choices from early voters? Unclear. Will it transmit results from the precincts to HQ? Unclear. What’s the back-up plan if, as in Iowa, the “tool” fails on caucus night? Volunteers told the Nevada Independent that they, ah, haven’t been given one. The party is reportedly still recruiting volunteers too, meaning that some staffers may end up missing whatever meager training the current volunteers have received. Meditate on this sentence from the Independent: “One volunteer expressed concerns that the people participating in the training didn’t even seem to understand the basic details of how to carry out the caucus process and didn’t know that precinct chairs can’t also be precinct captains on behalf of a campaign.”
That sounds familiar.
Morrison went on to tell the Wall Street Journal that he still doesn’t know how the iPads will be protected and that the state party has seemed “annoyed” by all the questions. So, yeah, this may very well end up being another galactic sh*tshow. And if it is, that’ll be the end of caucuses in America forever. At least until Democrats learn how to count.
I’ll leave you with this moment from today’s press conference by the head of the Iowa Democratic Party, which perfectly sums up the past week.


hotair--2020-02-10--Bernie: On second thought, you don't need to see my medical records

Five months ago , Bernie Sanders pledged to release all his medical records because “ the American people have the right to know.
” Now , suddenly , it ’ s a slippery slope .
“ I mean , ” Sanders tells Chuck Todd on NBC ’ s Meet the Press , you can start releasing medical records and it never ends.
” Does any of this sound a bit … familiar ?
CHUCK TODD : In September of 2019 , before your heart incident , you had said the following about your medical records .
Take a listen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s the right thing to do .
The American people have the right know whether the person they ’ re going to be voting for for president is healthy , and we will certainly release our medical records before the primaries .
It will certainly be before the first votes are cast .
[ end tape ] CHUCK TODD : The first votes have already been cast , you did not release your medical records .
You released a few letters .
Nobody interviewed your doctors .
You did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shouldn ’ t voters see your medical records — SEN. BERNIE SANDERS : We have released as much — SEN. BERNIE SANDERS : — documentation , I think , as any other candidate .
CHUCK TODD : But no other candidate has had a heart attack .
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS : Well , look , I am — yeah , no other candidate ’ s doing four or five events a day , running all over this country — CHUCK TODD : I hear you .
No , you have proven — CHUCK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt , you ’ ve proven your mettle here .
But voters , you heard voters have been concerned about your age .
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS : I mean , you can start releasing medical records and it never ends .
We have released a substantive part — all of our background .
We have doctors who have — cardiologists who are confirming that I am in good health .
I am in good health .
CHUCK TODD : What changes have you — did the doctors ask you to make that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I ’ m trying to walk a little bit more , but the schedule doesn ’ t allow me .
They didn ’ t say — I ’ m trying to sleep a little bit better , sometimes that ’ s hard .
But I ’ m feeling great .
Thanks .
CHUCK TODD : My guess is winning will help you sleep a little bit better ?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS : Winning will make me sleep a lot better , and I think we ’ re going to do just that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting into office before reneging on campaign pledges .
They almost always wait until after getting the nomination .
Bernie ’ s breaking new ground by breaking his promise before the first primary even takes place .
What an innovator !
The reason this sounds familiar is that Donald Trump did almost exactly the same thing four years ago with his tax returns .
Early in the primary , Trump said he ’ d release his returns before voters went to the polls , only later to change his mind .
Trump argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing — that his mandated disclosure forms were sufficient and that document demands wouldn ’ t end with his tax returns .
All that voters needed to know was that he wasn ’ t a crook , Trump argued , and Bernie ’ s arguing now that all voters need to know is that doctors think he ’ s healthy .
Of course , when a candidate has a heart attack in the middle of a campaign , that does tend to make the medical-records issue a bit more acute .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place after the heart attack , which makes it look like Sanders has something to hide .
It might be important to know whether your presidential candidate pays his proper taxes , but it ’ s somewhat more critical to know whether your presidential candidate is healthy enough for the job — especially when he ’ s already nearly 80 years old .
Will Democrats insist on full transparency here with personal records — maybe led by the party leadership that ’ s already dreading a Sanders nomination for other reasons ?

Five months ago, Bernie Sanders pledged to release all his medical records because “the American people have the right to know.” Now, suddenly, it’s a slippery slope. “I mean,” Sanders tells Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press, you can start releasing medical records and it never ends.”
Does any of this sound a bit … familiar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRLxSo3URxA
CHUCK TODD: In September of 2019, before your heart incident, you had said the following about your medical records. Take a listen. SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: [taped] I think it’s the right thing to do. The American people have the right know whether the person they’re going to be voting for for president is healthy, and we will certainly release our medical records before the primaries. It will certainly be before the first votes are cast. [end tape] CHUCK TODD: The first votes have already been cast, you did not release your medical records. You released a few letters. Nobody interviewed your doctors. You did have a heart attack, apparently. Shouldn’t voters see your medical records — SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: We have released as much — CHUCK TODD: — before Super Tuesday? SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: — documentation, I think, as any other candidate. CHUCK TODD: But no other candidate has had a heart attack. SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Well, look, I am — yeah, no other candidate’s doing four or five events a day, running all over this country — CHUCK TODD: I hear you. No, you have proven — SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: We are — CHUCK TODD: — I mean, no doubt, you’ve proven your mettle here. But voters, you heard voters have been concerned about your age. SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: I mean, you can start releasing medical records and it never ends. We have released a substantive part — all of our background. We have doctors who have — cardiologists who are confirming that I am in good health. I am in good health. CHUCK TODD: What changes have you — did the doctors ask you to make that you’ve made? SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: I’m trying to walk a little bit more, but the schedule doesn’t allow me. They didn’t say — I’m trying to sleep a little bit better, sometimes that’s hard. But I’m feeling great. Thanks. CHUCK TODD: My guess is winning will help you sleep a little bit better? SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Winning will make me sleep a lot better, and I think we’re going to do just that.
Usually, politicians wait until after getting into office before reneging on campaign pledges. They almost always wait until after getting the nomination. Bernie’s breaking new ground by breaking his promise before the first primary even takes place. What an innovator!
The reason this sounds familiar is that Donald Trump did almost exactly the same thing four years ago with his tax returns. Early in the primary, Trump said he’d release his returns before voters went to the polls, only later to change his mind. Trump argued at the time — and is still arguing — that his mandated disclosure forms were sufficient and that document demands wouldn’t end with his tax returns. All that voters needed to know was that he wasn’t a crook, Trump argued, and Bernie’s arguing now that all voters need to know is that doctors think he’s healthy.
Funny thing about populists and transparency, eh?
Of course, when a candidate has a heart attack in the middle of a campaign, that does tend to make the medical-records issue a bit more acute. It’s also curious that this reversal took place after the heart attack, which makes it look like Sanders has something to hide. It might be important to know whether your presidential candidate pays his proper taxes, but it’s somewhat more critical to know whether your presidential candidate is healthy enough for the job — especially when he’s already nearly 80 years old. Will Democrats insist on full transparency here with personal records — maybe led by the party leadership that’s already dreading a Sanders nomination for other reasons?


hotair--2020-02-10--"Paradise": Korean TV reunites mother with late daughter

"Paradise": Korean TV reunites mother with late daughter -- in virtual reality

The video isn ’ t subtitled but you don ’ t need subtitles .
The whole thing is perfectly clear , and relentlessly excruciating , by dint of the situation .
All you need is the basics : The child died in 2016 when she was seven from a blood-cell disorder and her mother is still trying to cope , tattooing the girl ’ s name on her body and wearing some of her ashes in a necklace .
VR wizards tried to engineer a reunion of sorts , creating an avatar of the girl from 3-D recordings made of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and some elementary AI .
To make it as real as possible , they created a sense of physical touch by having the mother wear haptic gloves in addition to a VR headset .
Reading that , do you even need the clip ?
Imagine it .
The thought is overwhelming .
Kotaku calls the decision to air this intensely intimate experience on television “ extremely f***ed up.
” I understand that reaction .
But after watching it and reading what the mother had to say afterward , I ’ m torn .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ paradise , ” Jang Ji-sung , the mother of four children , said of the moment she met her deceased daughter , Nayeon .
“ I met Nayeon , who called me with a smile , for a very short time , but it ’ s a very happy time .
I think I ’ ve had the dream I ’ ve always wanted.
” … The mother has said she had decided to appear in the document to comfort “ someone who has lost a child like me , or who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the start of the broadcast to the next morning , more than 200,000 people have visited Jang ’ s blog until it was closed .
Her age and location were withheld .
“ Three years later , I now think I should love her more than miss her and feel sick so that I can be confident when I meet her later .
I hope many people will remember Nayeon after watching the show , ” Jang wrote on her blog .
I couldn ’ t do it .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this made her grief easier , not harder , and I can believe that some who watched it were comforted by the prospect of having their own VR reunion someday .
Considering how differently different people grieve , it ’ s inevitable that time spent with a simulacrum of the dead will help ease some into acceptance and recovery .
There ’ s joy in that .
And agony too .
Steel yourself before you click .

The video isn’t subtitled but you don’t need subtitles. The whole thing is perfectly clear, and relentlessly excruciating, by dint of the situation. All you need is the basics: The child died in 2016 when she was seven from a blood-cell disorder and her mother is still trying to cope, tattooing the girl’s name on her body and wearing some of her ashes in a necklace. VR wizards tried to engineer a reunion of sorts, creating an avatar of the girl from 3-D recordings made of her younger sister and adding voice recognition and some elementary AI. To make it as real as possible, they created a sense of physical touch by having the mother wear haptic gloves in addition to a VR headset.
Reading that, do you even need the clip? Imagine it. The thought is overwhelming.
Kotaku calls the decision to air this intensely intimate experience on television “extremely f***ed up.” I understand that reaction. But after watching it and reading what the mother had to say afterward, I’m torn.
“Maybe it’s a real paradise,” Jang Ji-sung, the mother of four children, said of the moment she met her deceased daughter, Nayeon. “I met Nayeon, who called me with a smile, for a very short time, but it’s a very happy time. I think I’ve had the dream I’ve always wanted.”… The mother has said she had decided to appear in the document to comfort “someone who has lost a child like me, or who has lost a brother or a parent.” From the start of the broadcast to the next morning, more than 200,000 people have visited Jang’s blog until it was closed. Her age and location were withheld. “Three years later, I now think I should love her more than miss her and feel sick so that I can be confident when I meet her later. I hope many people will remember Nayeon after watching the show,” Jang wrote on her blog.
I couldn’t do it. It’s too much.
But I can believe that this made her grief easier, not harder, and I can believe that some who watched it were comforted by the prospect of having their own VR reunion someday. Considering how differently different people grieve, it’s inevitable that time spent with a simulacrum of the dead will help ease some into acceptance and recovery. There’s joy in that.
And agony too. Steel yourself before you click.