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Beacon Extra 2/26/20

Bernie's Iron Curtain?

February 26, 2020

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"Bernie’s Iron Curtain Holds as Rival Attacks Fall Flat in South Carolina," by WFB’s Andrew Stiles: While Sanders's rivals did launch a barrage of attacks, the senator deflected them with ease. He was never overwhelmed the way [Michael] Bloomberg appeared during his first debate appearance …

Because South Carolina has a significant African-American population, the white candidates occasionally sparred on the issue of who had the most black friends.

SOCIALIST NOT GUN-GRABBY ENOUGH … "Sanders Takes Heat for Past Opposition to Gun Control," by WFB’s Stephen Gutowski: Bernie Sanders came under fire on Tuesday evening for his mixed record on gun control, with his opponents seizing on a rare issue where Sanders has in the past staked out a moderate position in the past and hammering him from the left …

Democrats spent more time pummeling Sanders on gun control than they did arguing why his socialist views are wrong for the country.

CRACK LEGAL STRATEGY … "Hunter Biden Seeks to Delay Paternity Deposition Until After Key Primary Votes," by WFB’s Alana Goodman: Hunter Biden is asking a judge to delay his child support deposition scheduled for next week in Arkansas until April 1—a date when the key early primaries for his father Joe Biden's presidential campaign will be finished—according to a court motion filed by his attorney on Tuesday …

Lawyers for Lunden Alexis Roberts, who is the mother of Biden's 18-month-old baby and who is fighting him for child support, had offered Biden the option of doing the court-ordered deposition on March 3—which is Super Tuesday—or on March 5.

NOBODY TOLD OL’ JOE … "Biden says he worked on 2016 climate accord with leader who died in 1997," via NY POST: "I’m the guy who came back after meeting with Deng Xiaoping and making the case that I believe China will join if we put pressure on them. We got almost 200 nations to join," [Joe Biden] said [during a campaign stop in South Carolina].

Only problem is Deng Xiaoping, China’s former paramount leader, died in 1997.

CHASER … "Joe Biden Claims He Was Arrested In South Africa Trying To See Nelson Mandela," via RCP: Former VP Joe Biden has claimed three times this week that he was "arrested with our U.N. ambassador" in South Africa in the 1970s protesting Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment. The former U.N. ambassador in the story told the New York Times that it is not true.

HARM CITY … "Poll Shows Near-Unanimous Support for Anti-Crime Bills Spiked by Maryland Democrats," by WFB’s Collin Anderson: Democratic lawmakers in Maryland effectively killed a package of crime prevention bills proposed by Republican governor Larry Hogan despite support by wide majorities across the state and inside Baltimore, which has become America's deadliest large city …

The Witness Intimidation Prevention Act, which strengthened penalties for harming or threatening alleged witnesses, was supported by 97 percent of Baltimore residents and 90 percent of African Americans statewide, according to the results [shared by Hogan’s office].

SOUNDING THE ALARM … "Health Officials Warn of Coronavirus Outbreaks in the U.S.," via NYT: Officials at the CDC said they did not know whether spread of the disease to the United States would be mild or severe. But Americans should be ready for a significant disruption to their daily lives, Dr. [Nancy] Messonnier said.

OFF THE BATTLEFIELD … "U.S. military says it killed terrorist leader who planned attack that killed Americans in Kenya," via CNN: A U.S. airstrike in Somalia killed an al-Shabaab leader who had a role in "planning and directing terrorist operations," including a January attack on Manda Bay, Kenya, that killed three Americans, the U.S. military said Tuesday.

SIX CENTURIES OF DECLINE AND COUNTING … "Spanish carnival's Holocaust-themed parade of dancing 'Nazis' sparks outrage," via GUARDIAN: The Israeli government and the Auschwitz museum have accused a Spanish carnival of "trivializing" the Holocaust after a troupe danced through the streets of a small town dressed as Nazi officers and concentration camp prisoners, accompanied by a float bearing a menorah and two gas chamber chimneys.

MEDIA TOSS CHE T-SHIRTS ... by WFB’s Alex Griswold: After [Bernie] Sanders … hyped [Fidel] Castro's "literacy program" in a 60 Minutes interview, the Washington Post wrote sarcastically that "finding something positive to say about an authoritarian leader" was one of Sanders's "greatest hits," giving a rundown of all the times the socialist Vermont senator has praised dictatorial Communist governments …

But the Post‘s obituary for Castro claimed that "among Mr. Castro’s more successful efforts were universal health care and the near-eradication of illiteracy throughout Cuba."

NEWSPEAK … "CNN Report Describes A Baby Who Survives An Abortion As A 'Fetus That Was Born'," via DAILY CALLER: Senators vote[d] Tuesday on legislation that aims to protect babies who survive botched abortions and are born alive … the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

CNN covered the legislation in the Tuesday report: "Senate to vote on two abortion restriction bills," an article in which CNN’s Caroline Kelly described a baby who survived an abortion as a "fetus that was born."

OUR BOYCOTT OF MEN’S VOLLEYBALL WILL CONTINUE … "Brooklyn College Athletes Draw Ire For Kneeling During Israel’s National Anthem," by WFB’s Adam Kredo: At a men's volleyball competition that took place during the weekend, two players from Brooklyn College can be seen on video taking a knee as Hatikvah plays. The kneeling Brooklyn players were subsequently identified as Omar Rezika and Hunnan Butt in social media posts on the event …

While some alleged that Rezika and Butt refused to shake hands with the Jewish athletes, officials with both Brooklyn College and Yeshiva disputed that claim.

"COUNTERPOINT: Maybe Journalists Aren’t the Real Heroes of the Harvey Weinstein Case," by WFB’s Andrew Stiles: Media types … [are] celebrating the rape conviction of Democratic megadonor Harvey Weinstein as a testament to the importance of professional journalism …

After [Ronan] Farrow's story was published in October 2017, journalist Rebecca Traister wrote that she had been "having conversations about Harvey Weinstein's history of sexual harassment for more than 17 years." The allegations took so long to surface, she argued, because "Harvey could spin—or suppress—anything; there were so many journalists on his payroll."

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Published under: Beacon Extra