Another Russian Hoax

For John, BLUF:  I wonder about tthe motive for the leak, or if the Woke Reporters just invented it.  Assuming it was a real tip, was the reason to get a date or was it campaign dirty tricks.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Here's Why the 'Russian Bounties' Story Is the New 'Russian Collusion' Hoax

From PJ Media, by Mr Matt Margolils, 30 June 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

Last week, the New York Times published a report claiming that “a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops,” and that President Trump has done nothing about it despite being briefed on it in March.

Democrats, true to form, expressed more outrage at Trump for allegedly ignoring the intel than they did at Russia, but that’s par for the course.  Since the report has come out it has become apparent that the New York Times’ claims are likely not true and Democrats jumped the gun by attacking Trump.

For starters, John Ratcliffe, the Director of National Intelligence, quickly debunked the story.  “I have confirmed that neither the President nor the Vice President were ever briefed on any intelligence alleged by the New York Times in its reporting yesterday,” he tweeted.  “The White House statement addressing this issue earlier today, which denied such a briefing occurred, was accurate.  The New York Times reporting, and all other subsequent news reports about such an alleged briefing are inaccurate.”

So where did this go?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

School Reopening

For John, BLUF:  We are approaching a crunch point with regard to reopening of schools.  The different players are maneuvering for position.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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‘Nothing is off the table’: National teacher union supports strikes over reopening plans

From The Boston Globe, by Reporter Collin Binnley (Associated Press), 28 July 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

One of the nation's largest teachers unions is authorizing its members to strike if their schools plan to reopen without proper safety measures in the middle of the global pandemic.

The American Federation of Teachers, which represents 1.7 million school employees, issued a resolution on Tuesday saying it will support any local chapter that decides to strike over reopening plans.

In providing its blessing, the union is also offering local chapters access to its financial and legal resources as they navigate a return to the classroom.  Union officials said they will provide legal support, communications support and staffing to local chapters that vote to strike.

In the mean time, Home Schooling has begun.  At least that is the report I have from family in Virginia.

As for Lowell, I am in favor of a hybrid system.  In my mind we should be determining which students thrive in an on-line learning enviornment.  Those who can benefit from on-line education should be moved to that path.  It is my assumption that this will free up teach resources, to allow us to (1) do more social distancing and (2) allow for more attention for those students who would benefit from more attention.

For sure, we need to be doing better by all of our students, especially those who struggle in the current school enviornment.

The United Teachers of Lowell, our local Teachers Union has an on-line presence, here.

Regards  —  Cliff

Fordham Tramples Student Rights

For John, BLUF:  This could be filed under universities unhinged, except that that would be lost in the noise for those paying attention.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Fordham Demands Apology For Student’s Tiananmen Protest

Here is the sub-headline:

Austin Tong is refusing to back down after posting a photograph in which he criticized China's Tiananmen Square massacre

From The Washington Free Beacon, by Reporters Chrissy Clark and Stephen Gutowski, 23 JULY 2020.

Here is the lede plus one:

A New York City college has barred a Chinese immigrant from campus and demanded he apologize for posing with a legally owned rifle in a social media post that criticized China for the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Fordham University administrators are demanding that rising senior Austin Tong submit an apology letter to the school by July 23 after he posted to Instagram a photo that shows him holding a firearm in honor of the Tiananmen Square protests, according to a disciplinary letter from the school. Tong risks suspension or expulsion if he refuses to apologize.

The school is arguing that the photograph ran afoul of its commitment to combat bias and hate crimes.  D. Keith Eldredge, Fordham's dean of students, said Tong will not be welcome on campus regardless of whether he attends the university-sanctioned "implicit bias" training demanded of him under the disciplinary letter.

So what the Chinese Government did in Tiananmen Square is all OK?  The Chinese Government attacks on peaceful protestors is just fine with Fordham University.  Is Fordham united with the NBA in silently approving of Chinese abuse of power, such as with their Uighur minority?.

Which raises a small question in the back of my mind.  Why are protestors in the United States not protesting the various civil rights violations of the Chinese?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Charters Under Attack

For John, BLUF:  There is a war on Charter Schools, and it is the wrong enemy.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Wokeness Comes For Charters

Here is the sub-headline:

What is to be done?

From American Mind, by Mr Max Eden, 14 July 2020.

Here is the lede plus three:

Black and Hispanic students should not work hard or be nice.  If you believe that doing so would be to their advantage, that’s probably a sign that you haven’t adequately grappled with your internalized white supremacism and anti-Blackness.

So suggests, at least, the founder and CEO of KIPP, America’s largest and arguably most successful charter school network, which operates 242 schools serving about 100,000 students.

A decade ago, charter schools were a rare bipartisan bright spot.  Conservatives liked them because they demonstrated that choice and competition can drive superior results.  Liberals liked them because they demonstrated that well-run programs could change the life trajectory of disadvantaged students.  What distinguished KIPP from traditional public schools was its ethos:  high expectations for academic achievement, strict standards for discipline, and an unflagging insistence that their students had the power to shape their destinies.  All this was encapsulated in its pithy slogan: “Work Hard. Be Nice.”

But last week, KIPP retired that slogan, explaining that it ignores the significant effort required to dismantle systemic racism, places value on being compliant and submissive, supports the illusion of meritocracy, and does not align with our vision of students being free to create the future they want.”

People seem so locked in.  The ones who suffer are the students.  For many of us school was a hard experience and we were looking for all the help we could find.  My own experience was that my failing experience up through Seventh Grade turned around when I was plopped down in a new school system in a new state.  For some of us, change is good.

UPDATE:  On the advice of my wife I updated plumped down to plopped down.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Old Gray Lady's Window is Locked

For John, BLUF:  The Overton Window at The New York Times seems to be stuck.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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NY Times writer Wajahat Ali makes eyebrow-raising claim about 'many' White GOP voters

Here is the sub-headline:

'I would love nothing more to be wrong, but sadly I don't think I am,' the former CNN contributor said

From Fox News, By Mr Joseph A. Wulfsohn, 20 July 2020.

Here is the lede plus one:

New York Times contributing opinion writer Wajahat Ali raised eyebrows on Sunday with a shocking claim about "many white Republican voters."

"I hope people realize that there are many white Republican voters in this country if they're given a choice between renting a room in their house to a person of color or burning down the house, they will elect to burn down the entire neighborhood.  It's not just a small fringe," Ali began a Twitter thread.  "If you think this is an exaggeration, you should study US history.  Look at what many white communities did after desegregation.  Some shut down the local pools instead of allowing equal access for everyone."

"They will rationalize it as legitimate victimhood. They feel everything and everyone is against them, and they are being 'replaced.'  It's a zero sum game for them.  Hence the 2016 election labeled as the Flight 93 election:  charge the cockpit or die."

I may be the only one, but this does not seem to be a good look for "the newspaper of record.".

We need to be having millions of conversations on race, but the self-righteous approach of opinion writer Wajahat Ali only serves to shut down those conversations.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Rep Schiff the Bulldog

For John, BLUF:  Representative Adam Schiff is an embarrassment and the People of his district should all vote against him come November.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Schiff:  After Trump Is Gone We Will Continue to Investigate and ‘Expose What He Did’

From Breitbart; by Ms Pam Key, 19 Jul 2020.

Here is the lede plus one:

Saturday, during an interview with Jon Lovett on “Crooked Media,” House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said investigations into President Donald Trump would continue after he leaves office.

Schiff said, “After the election, after he’s gone, then I think we have to continue to expose what he did in office because, of course, the administration has stonewalled us in every way it can. They have stonewalled every subpoena, every request for information. There is a lot more evidence of the president’s wrongdoing that is being withheld and will be withheld as long as he is in office.”

I am assuming Rep Schiff is thinking in terms of a Joe Biden win in November.  Won't he (Schiff) be shocked if it goes the other way.  How much more shocked would he be if the Republicans take the house and elect to dig into 2016.

If President Trrump loses, then what?  After late January there is no impeachment.  There is just hearings.  They can be tightly controlled, and look like a political hatchet job, or they can be open, and turn into a farce.  I am thinking Rep Schiff has not fully thought this through.

Hat tip to my Wife.

Regards  —  Cliff

Black Lives Matter vs America

For John, BLUF:  What is the long term goal of Black Lives Matter?  I am thinking it is about a Marxist reshapement of the nation.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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A Black Portland Cop Says Rioters Are Racist.  Leftists Immediately Confirm It.

From PJ Media, by Ms Victoria Taft, 17 July 2020.

Here is a key sentence:

Officer Jackson finds it ironic that “if you’re at a Black Lives Matter protest you have more minorities on the police side than you do in a violent crowd.”

Is it possible that Black Lives Matter is more about reining in policing, rather than being about protecting Black lives overall?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The China-Iran Team

For John, BLUF:  This is unlikely to add up to good for the liberal democracies of the international order.  Both China and Iran Governments are interested in control of their populations.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Israel and the Sino-Iranian alliance

From Caroline Glick's web page, by Ms Glick, 17 Julky 2020.

Here is the lede plus four:

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Teheran in 2016, most observers dismissed the significance of the move.  The notion that Beijing would wreck its relations with America, the largest economy and most powerful global superpower, in favor of an alliance with Iran, the world’s greatest state sponsor of terror was, on its face, preposterous.

But despite the ridiculousness of the idea, concern grew about Sino-Iranian ties as Iranian political leaders and military commanders beat a path to China’s door.  Now, in the midst of the global recession caused by China’s export of the coronavirus, the preposterous has become reality.

Following weeks of feverish rumors, Iran and China have concluded a strategic accord.  Last weekend, the New York Times reported on the contents of a final draft of the agreement.

In its opening line, China and Iran describe themselves as “two ancient Asian cultures, two partners in the sectors of trade, economy, politics, culture and security with a similar outlook and many mutual bilateral and multilateral interests.”

Henceforth, they, “will consider one another strategic partners.”

Hat tip to my Buddy Jeff.

Regards  —  Cliff

Population Implosion

For John, BLUF:  For a while we have lived in fear of too many people.  Now the numbers suggest the problem may be just the opposite.  That is to say, Thomas Malthus was wrong.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Fertility rate:  'Jaw-dropping' global crash in children being born

Here is the sub-headline:

The world is ill-prepared for the global crash in children being born which is set to have a "jaw-dropping" impact on societies, say researchers.

From The Beeb, by Reporter James Gallagher, 15 July 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

Falling fertility rates mean nearly every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century.

And 23 nations - including Spain and Japan - are expected to see their populations halve by 2100.

Countries will also age dramatically, with as many people turning 80 as there are being born.

We are looking at a big population falloff.  In additiion, it looks to be Africa that will be generating the excess people to keep the economies of other nations going.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

"Cities will become places of fear and decay"

For John, BLUF:  Defunding police will make cities worse, including for minority residents.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Repudiate the Anti-Police Narrative

Here is the sub-headline:

Comments submitted to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives in response to the Oversight Hearing on Policing Practices

From City Journal, by Ms Heather MacDonald, 10 June 2020.

Ms MacDonald makes the case that (1) there are problems with police, but that (2) police do a lot of good and are welcomed in minority neighborhoods by law-abiding citizens.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

It Doesn't Happen, Yet It Does

For John, BLUF:  I keep hearing rumors of this, but you don't think it really happens, do you?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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New Jersey attorney general charges local politicians in mail-in voter fraud case

Here is the sub-headline:

A city councilman, a councilman-elect and two others have been charged

From Just the News, by Writer Daniel Payne, 26 June 2020.

Here is the lede plus three:

Four New Jersey residents have been charged in a recent mail-in voter fraud case, with state's attorney general accusing them of multiple crimes including voting fraud, tampering with public records and unauthorized possession of multiple vote-by-mail ballots.

Fraud allegations have plagued the recent Patterson City Council special election in New Jersey, with three losing candidates last month demanding a recount after thousands of ballots were voided in the largely mail-in race.

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced Thursday that four people, one of them a Paterson city councilman and another a councilman-elect, have been charged with committing fraud during that election.

Grewal said the state would "not allow a small number of criminals to undermine the public’s confidence in our democratic process."

All the best people assure me this never happens.

So, avert your eyes.

And pray.

Regards  —  Cliff