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newsmanmdgn · 3 years

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Is It “We’re Number One!” or “USA USA USA?” Gun Violence Rages On

If there is one certainty in life, as in death, it's that the good old US of A is really good at gun violence.

12 killed, dozens wounded in weekend shootings across U.S.

At least 12 people were killed and dozens more were wounded over the weekend in gun violence and mass shootings in five states.

The shootings in Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey, Georgia and South Carolina come amid a yearlong rise in nationwide gun violence and record firearm sales.

The latest violence erupted near a bar in Youngstown, Ohio, shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday. Three people were killed and three others were injured, one of them critically, after an incident inside the bar, Police Chief Carl Davis said at a news conference. He said authorities were searching for suspects and provided no other details.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said in a news conference that the shooting was “unnecessary” and that “it breaks my heart when we have young men and women” dying.

An hour earlier, three people were found dead from gunshot wounds in a condominium complex just south of Atlanta in South Fulton, Georgia. Authorities found the victims, who haven't been identified, after a report of gunfire at 1:30 a.m., a police spokesman said.

It wasn't clear what prompted the shooting, and no suspects had been identified, he said.

NBC News

We used to be the best in a lot of things. Now, it's Hollywood movies, vulture capital, and mass shootings.

Liz Cheney refuses to link Trump’s false election claims, GOP’s push for new voting restrictions

For months, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) has decried former president Donald Trump’s false claims of massive election fraud — a stance that cost her a leadership position in the House earlier this month.

But when pressed on Sunday about whether Trump’s falsehoods were the cause of Republican moves to pass restrictive new voting laws in dozens of states, Cheney disputed the suggestion.

“I think you have to look at the specifics of each one of those efforts,” Cheney said on “Axios on HBO,” arguing that some of the bills had been misrepresented.

WaPo

I'll say it again: The enemy of your enemy is not your friend.

National Guard troops will leave US Capitol on Sunday

National Guard troops who have been deployed at the US Capitol over the past four months will be leaving Sunday, said the man tasked with leading a review of Capitol security following the January 6 insurrection.

Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré said the National Guard will be leaving the Capitol grounds Sunday — 137 days after the insurrection — because they've accomplished their mission of securing the Capitol, in an interview on CBS' “Face the Nation.”

However, Honoré said the area surrounding the Capitol will not be able to open immediately because of the ongoing strain on US Capitol Police resources.

CNN

Obviously, Sunday has come and gone. And so have the National Guard.

Mother of boy, 6, killed in California road rage shooting: ‘It feels like my life is over'

The devastated mother of 6-year-old Aiden Leos is talking for the first time since her son was shot and killed in a road rage incident on the freeway in Southern California. The young boy was killed Friday morning as his mother was driving him to school on the 55 Freeway.

“This is not okay…Whoever these people are and for whatever reason, this is not okay. It should never happen again. So whatever help this does, that's my intention, is for my son,” said Joanna Cloonan, the boy's mother.

Authorities say someone shot at the car from a newer model white sedan, possibly a Volkswagen, and struck Aiden, who was sitting in a booster seat. He was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

6abc

No words.

U.S. condemns Belarus for forcing down passenger plane to arrest foe

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday condemned Belarus for forcing down a civilian airliner over its airspace in order to arrest a dissident on the flight.

Faking a bomb threat, Belarus used fighter aircraft to force down a Ryanair flight and arrest journalist Raman Pratasevich.

“The United States strongly condemns the forced diversion of a flight between two EU member states and the subsequent removal and arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich in Minsk,” Blinken said in a statement. “We demand his immediate release.”

Politico

The free press that was once so vaunted an institution across the globe has been rendered an enemy of the state in so many countries.

youtube

You may remember TFG making his phony case: “The news media is the enemy of the people.”

The Second-Largest Country in the World is Running Out of Land

Canada’s housing market is running hotter than just about anywhere else in the world.

But despite the anxiety about irrational bidding wars and fears of the bubble bursting, what's fundamentally driving it is a worsening imbalance between supply and demand: Buyers want large homes but increasingly can’t have them because there isn’t enough space in and around the major cities where people work.

The world's second biggest country by landmass is effectively running out of space, and that has Canada on course for a reckoning. The dream of a detached home and a piece of land, which generations of Canadians have taken for granted, and which continues to entice new immigrants, may soon be out of reach in the places where people want to live. That could force an expansion of the idea of home to include condos and rentals, potentially transforming how the middle class does everything from raising families to saving for retirement.

MSN

It's a silly headline, of course. But it's a real problem, globally: There is a housing shortage.

The American Dream is turning into an International Nighmare.

The article was originally published here! Is It “We’re Number One!” or “USA USA USA?” Gun Violence Rages On

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butasformeblog · 3 years

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#Pelosi #Honored #Multi-agency response #Security #Jan 6th

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newstfionline · 7 years

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Trump attacks mayor of San Juan, ratcheting up tensions over crisis in Puerto Rico

By David Nakamura and John Wagner, Washington Post, September 30, 2017

BRANCHBURG, N.J.--President Trump, spending the weekend at his Bedminster golf resort in New Jersey, attacked the mayor of San Juan on Saturday for “poor leadership” and accused her of conspiring with Democrats to criticize his administration’s response to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico.

Trump blasted Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz in a series of tweets that aimed to deflect blame for the deepening humanitarian crisis on the island and to cast the mounting criticism against him as partisan attacks--from local officials, political rivals and the media.

“The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump,” Trump wrote on Twitter. In another message, he added that Cruz and other local officials “want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort.”

The outburst came as Trump has bristled over accusations from local officials that the federal government has not moved quickly enough to provide support and aid amid widespread power outages that have left residents without air conditioning, while food, drinking water and other basic necessities are in short supply in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. At least 16 people have died since the storm struck last week, with many others in critical condition, and officials expect the death toll to climb in the coming days.

On Friday, Cruz pleaded for additional help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying at a news conference: “I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying. ... We are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency.”

In his response on Twitter, Trump cast Cruz’s criticism as “unfair” to the thousands of federal workers who his administration says are now in place on the island, and he praised the efforts of the military and other first-responders.

And Trump reaffirmed that he and first lady Melania Trump intend to travel Tuesday to Puerto Rico, with a possible stop in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which also is recovering from the hurricane.

“To the people of Puerto Rico: Do not believe the #FakeNews!” Trump wrote on Twitter in the afternoon.

Appearing on MSNBC, Cruz emphasized that she was not trying to be “nasty” to the president and said she remains open to speaking or meeting with Trump.

“I’m fighting to save lives,” she said. “That’s it. This isn’t personal.”

She also made clear she didn’t plan to stay quiet.

“I will always speak my mind,” Cruz told reporters at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan. “I don’t give a damn.”

The president’s tone provoked a major backlash among Democrats, community leaders and celebrities who lambasted him for casting blame and appearing insensitive to the suffering of U.S. citizens.

Many of the strongest critiques came from female lawmakers, including Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif).

“When a hurricane hits, there are no Democrats or Republicans--only Americans, families struggling to survive,” Pelosi tweeted. “Shameful @POTUS can’t see that.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical “Hamilton,” wrote on Twitter that Trump is going “straight to hell,” while pop star Lady Gaga wrote to her 71 million followers that “it’s clear where the ‘poor leadership’ lies @realDonaldTrump Puerto Rico is part of the United States. This is our responsibility.”

Russel L. Honoré, the retired lieutenant general eventually appointed by President Bush in 2005 to improve the response to Hurricane Katrina, criticized Trump’s attack on Cruz.

“The mayor’s living on a cot, and I hope the president has a good day at golf,” he said on CNN.

Trump’s senior aides struck back, echoing the president’s assertions that the “fake news” media had failed to tell the full story of the administration’s recovery efforts. White House officials distributed an email to news outlets stating that 10,000 federal workers are on the island and that recovery workers have cleared 11 major highways and 50 percent of the major roadways. The military is airdropping supplies to remote regions in the mountains.

Yet the White House’s own statistics showed how much work remains: Forty-five percent of residents have access to drinking water from the island’s pipelines, and 49 percent of grocery and big box stores and 60 percent of gas stations have reopened.

Doug Heye, a GOP consultant and former communications director for the Republican National Committee, said he found Trump’s tweets “appalling.”

“He essentially said Puerto Ricans were lazy,” said Heye, adding that the mayor had not said anything negative about Trump and his role in the recovery.

Late Saturday, Trump sought to strike a more positive tone, tweeting: “We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster.”

But he did not relent in his criticism of Cruz.

“Results of recovery efforts will speak much louder than complaints by San Juan Mayor,” he tweeted. “Doing everything we can to help great people of PR!”

To his critics, Trump has seemed more concerned with the reviews his administration is getting than the response itself.

Presidential historians said Trump has failed to frame the catastrophe in the proper context.

“President Trump keeps talking about ratings and reviews,” said Douglas Brinkley, a historian and professor at Rice University. “It’s kind of a TV mentality he has. He’s acting like it’s a detached problem.”

In an attempt to blunt criticism, Trump has stressed the degree of difficulty the response in Puerto Rico presents.

At the top of a speech devoted to tax policy on Friday, Trump ticked off a series of issues, including that Puerto Rico’s infrastructure was already in “very, very poor shape,” that the U.S. territory is saddled with “tremendous” debt and that it’s an island.

“This is an island surrounded by water--big water, ocean water,” Trump said.

As for Cruz--who appeared on CNN Friday night wearing a T-shirt reading, “Help us we are dying”--she said on MSNBC that she would like Trump to visit decimated towns to see the public’s “passion for life, see what we are doing to get back on track and listen to their hearts.”

She added that “one can visit as a photo op, or one can visit to make sure that things get done the right way.”

#Trump #Donald Trump tweets #Puerto Rico #San Juan mayor #Carmen Yulín Cruz

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thisdaynews · 5 years

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Trump's Fourth of July extravaganza troubles former military leaders

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/trumps-fourth-of-july-extravaganza-troubles-former-military-leaders/

Trump's Fourth of July extravaganza troubles former military leaders

Tanks arrive in a Washington rail yard ahead of the Fourth of July celebrations. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

defense

“This looks like it’s becoming much more of a Republican Party event,” says one retired general.

President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday that the nation’s military leaders are “thrilled” that he’s trotting out a dazzling display of troops, tanks, helicopters and fighter jets for his personal Independence Day celebration.

But multiple former military leaders are publicly expressing dismay, calling it the latest example of Trump politicizing the armed services.

Story Continued Below

The annual public festivities and fireworks display on the National Mall scheduled for Thursday are being overtaken by Trump’s “Salute to America” event, which is shaping up to feature a prominent role for the military.

“This looks like it’s becoming much more of a Republican Party event — a political event about the president — than a national celebration of the Fourth of July, and it’s unfortunate to have the military smack dab in the middle of that,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan under President George W. Bush.

“The president is using the armed forces in a political ploy for his reelection campaign and I think it’s absolutely obscene,” added retired Army Maj. Gen. William Nash, a veteran of Vietnam, the Gulf War and peacekeeping operations in the Balkans.

The Pentagon is offering few details about the deployment of military hardware and the extent of its participation, referring queries to the White House. But a small contingent of tanks and other armored vehicles has arrived in the nation’s capital, and, according to news reports, will be placed on display ahead of Trump’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

A pair of Abrams tanks were photographed on railroad tracks in southeast Washington late Monday and again Tuesday, accompanied by two Bradley Fighting Vehicles and an M88 armored recovery vehicle. At least one of the vehicles bore markings of the Army’s Georgia-based 3rd Infantry Division.

A Defense official who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly confirmedto POLITICO that the unit had been tapped to send the hardware north by train. “From what I understand, the unit was given short notice — they only received the order last week,” the official said.

“There will be military vehicles on display at the Salute to America,” the Pentagon confirmed in a statement Tuesday. “DoD has provided two M1A2 Abrams tanks and two M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in support of the event.”

Meanwhile, the Interior Department confirmed to POLITICO last week that the Navy’s Blue Angels will conduct a flyover and a Marine Corps Silent Drill Team will take part in the celebration.

Other aircraft may include F-22 and F-35 fighters, one of the aircraft used as Air Force One, and even a massive B-2 stealth bomber, according to CNN. In addition, ABC reported an MV-22Osprey “tiltrotor” aircraft will be on hand, and the event could mark the public debut of the Marine Corps’ new presidential helicopter, the VH-92.

But the Fourth of July is not traditionally a holiday focused on the military — unlike the Bastille Day celebrations in France that so impressed Trump in 2017 and inspired his interest in a major military display.

“Military displays like this are a favorite tactic of those who want to wrap themselves in the symbols of who we are rather than really celebrating who we are,” said Jason Dempsey, a former Army major who studies the military and society at the Center for a New American Security, a nonpartisan think tank.

“The military is playing an ever more central role in American political life,” Dempsey added. “This fits into this larger, troubling trend of identifying America itself as a military state. The Fourth of July in America should be about so much more than our military and our ability to fight off the rest of the world.”

Barno called the Fourth of July plans “very unusual.”

“I think one of the big risks is that the military is being used in some ways as a political prop,” he said. “It’s looking highly politicized by anybody’s yardstick.”

The plans for July Fourth come after a string of appearances at military bases from Korea to Germany at which Trump offered “politicized diatribes against his political opponents,” Barno added.

“I hope the speech doesn’t become partisan, because troops shouldn’t be listening to the president talk about the other party,” agreed retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré. “Presidents usually leave their party business out when they talk in front of military audiences, but people are becoming numb to it.”

Just last month, then-acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan called on troops and their leaders to “reinforce the apolitical nature of military and civilian service.” He offered those words in a pair of memos issued after an episode in which the White House’s military office had asked the Navy to keep the destroyerUSS John McCain out of sight during a presidential visit to Japan.

Other veterans and defense experts, however, insisted the flyovers and deployment of armored vehicles aren’t too far out of line with the Pentagon’s own routine displays at public events like air shows and other recruiting efforts.

“This is not such a big deal. It’s all been done before,” said Ron Moeller, an Air Force veteran and former senior CIA paramilitary officer — though not on Independence Day, he acknowledged.

Moeller cited past displays of military hardware and capabilities at a base just outside Washington. And in June 1991, troops and vehicles poured through the capital in a Gulf War victory parade with a $12 million price tag — which also involved tanks, Bradleys and even stealth bombers, according to news reports at the time.

The military display on Thursday could be expensive. For example, flying a B-2 stealth bomber will likely require a journey from an Air Force base as far away as Missouri or Florida.

“That will be millions of dollars in and of itself,” estimated Rick Berger, a Defense budget expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

But he also said Trump’s military display could enhance military recruiting efforts and public knowledge of the armed forces.

“I don’t think it’s the worst thing to ship up a few vehicles out of the thousands that we own to maybe give some young Americans a glimpse of what the military looks like,” Berger said. “Public support gets translated into support in Congress, which gets translated into appropriations bills. It’s probably actually a good cost-benefit ratio given how separated the military is from the public today.”

Still, “this celebration definitely seems to be more politicized than in the past,” he added, “but so is everything.”

#Foreign #Leaders #MILITARY #Politics

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bountyofbeads · 5 years

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Trump's Fourth of July extravaganza troubles former military leaders

"This looks like it’s becoming much more of a Republican Party event," says one retired general.

By WESLEY MORGAN | Published 07/02/2019 04:48 PM EDT | Politico | Posted July 2, 2019 |

But multiple former military leaders are publicly expressing dismay, calling it the latest example of Trump politicizing the armed services.

The annual public festivities and fireworks display on the National Mall scheduled for Thursday are being overtaken by Trump's "Salute to America" event, which is shaping up to feature a prominent role for the military.

"This looks like it’s becoming much more of a Republican Party event — a political event about the president — than a national celebration of the Fourth of July, and it’s unfortunate to have the military smack dab in the middle of that,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan under President George W. Bush.

The Pentagon is offering few details about the deployment of military hardware and the extent of its participation, referring queries to the White House. But a small contingent of tanks and other armored vehicles has arrived in the nation's capital, and, according to news reports, will be placed on display ahead of Trump’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

"There will be military vehicles on display at the Salute to America," the Pentagon confirmed in a statement Tuesday. "DoD has provided two M1A2 Abrams tanks and two M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in support of the event."

Meanwhile, the Interior Department confirmed to POLITICO last week that the Navy’s Blue Angels will conduct a flyover and a Marine Corps Silent Drill Team will take part in the celebration.

Other aircraft may include F-22 and F-35 fighters, one of the aircraft used as Air Force One, and even a massive B-2 stealth bomber, according to CNN. In addition, ABC reported an MV-22Osprey "tiltrotor" aircraft will be on hand, and the event could mark the public debut of the Marine Corps’ new presidential helicopter, the VH-92.

"Military displays like this are a favorite tactic of those who want to wrap themselves in the symbols of who we are rather than really celebrating who we are,” said Jason Dempsey, a former Army major who studies the military and society at the Center for a New American Security, a nonpartisan think tank.

Barno called the Fourth of July plans "very unusual."

"I think one of the big risks is that the military is being used in some ways as a political prop," he said. "It’s looking highly politicized by anybody’s yardstick."

The plans for July Fourth come after a string of appearances at military bases from Korea to Germany at which Trump offered "politicized diatribes against his political opponents," Barno added.

"I hope the speech doesn’t become partisan, because troops shouldn’t be listening to the president talk about the other party," agreed retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré. "Presidents usually leave their party business out when they talk in front of military audiences, but people are becoming numb to it."

Just last month, then-acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan called on troops and their leaders to "reinforce the apolitical nature of military and civilian service." He offered those words in a pair of memos issued after an episode in which the White House's military office had asked the Navy to keep the destroyer USS John McCain out of sight during a presidential visit to Japan.

Other veterans and defense experts, however, insisted the flyovers and deployment of armored vehicles aren't too far out of line with the Pentagon’s own routine displays at public events like air shows and other recruiting efforts.

“This is not such a big deal. It’s all been done before,” said Ron Moeller, an Air Force veteran and former senior CIA paramilitary officer — though not on Independence Day, he acknowledged.

Moeller cited past displays of military hardware and capabilities at a base just outside Washington. And in June 1991, troops and vehicles poured through the capital in a Gulf War victory paradewith a $12 million price tag — which also involved tanks, Bradleys and even stealth bombers, according to news reports at the time.

The military display on Thursday could be expensive. For example, flying a B-2 stealth bomber will likely require a journey from an Air Force base as far away as Missouri or Florida.

"That will be millions of dollars in and of itself," estimated Rick Berger, a Defense budget expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

But he also said Trump's military display could enhance military recruiting efforts and public knowledge of the armed forces.

Still, "this celebration definitely seems to be more politicized than in the past," he added, "but so is everything."

#donald trump #u.s. news #politics #trump administration #president donald trump #politics and government #trump #republican politics #white house #republican party #national security #us: news #u.s. military #military #u. s. military

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learnprogress · 7 years

Text

WATCH: Lt. General Destroys Trump’s Hurricane “Relief” Lie

Donald Trump is outrageously saying the disaster recovery efforts are going fine in Puerto Rico, but retired Lt. General Russel Honoré—the man who coordinated the U.S. military’s relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina—just BLASTED Trump’s sick lie for the whole world to see. Lt. Gen. Honoré called Trump an “SOB” that is utterly botching the federal government’s response in Puerto Rico.

The whole world is watching in horror right now as Trump’s been slow to get Puerto Rico the help it needs in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s devastation. And perhaps no one is more horrified than Lt. Gen. Honoré—as a key organizer during Hurricane Katrina, he knows better than anyone that Trump is failing spectacularly in his response to the crisis.

In a series of interviews with CNN and CBS News, Lt. Gen. Honoré told the nation what he thought about Trump’s recent actions, and he did NOT mince words. He lambasted President Orange for having the gall to go golfing right now when the American citizens in Puerto Rico need his help more than ever.

“The [San Juan] mayor’s living on a cot,” Honoré told CNN. “And I hope the president has a good day at golf.” Ouch.

“The president has shown again, you don’t give a damn about poor people,” Honoré continued. “You don’t give a damn about people of color and the SOB that rides around in Air Force One is denying services needed by the people of Puerto Rico.”

Later, during an interview with CBS News, Honoré compared what he saw during Katrina with what he’s seeing in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. “Is Puerto Rico worse than what you found here in Katrina?” CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller asked.

“Oh, hell yeah,” Honore said. “The number one priority is saving lives and when you’re saving lives, you’ve gotta figure out what rules you’re gonna break. All the rules we live by are designed for peacetime. This is like a war.”

Ret. Lt. Gen. Honoré on Trump tweets: “The mayor’s living on a cot and I hope the President has a good day at golf.” https://t.co/iVhtWZQbyw http://pic.twitter.com/isb3ozOuCJ

— CNN (@CNN) September 30, 2017

“[Trump’s] not giving the mission to the military,” Honoré continued. “Look, we got Army units that go do port openings. Not called. We got special forces that could’ve been in every town. Not employed.”

Honoré is an expert in disaster relief efforts, so his critiques of Trump here carry extra weight. Trump is not empowering the response efforts—he’s HINDERING them.

All the lives that are lost in Puerto Rico in the coming days are squarely Trump’s fault. These deaths could have been mitigated if Trump did his job from the start. Is that too much to ask?

POLL: Is Donald Trump a pampered fool?

Is it sick that Trump’s watching Puerto Rico fall apart while he’s golfing? Is he too pampered to understand the devastation that’s occurred on the island?

Let’s band together and send a powerful message to Team Trump. Please participate in our poll below!

Puerto Ricans are American citizens. But, for some godforsaken reason, Trump’s treating them like they’re enemies right now.

This crisis is far worse than Katrina because Trump is botching the disaster response efforts up, down, left, and right. This is so far beyond unacceptable that it makes our heads spin.

Trump HAS to be ousted. Help us take him to trial in the court of public opinion by sharing this story on Facebook with everyone you know!

The post WATCH: Lt. General Destroys Trump’s Hurricane “Relief” Lie appeared first on Learn Progress.

from WATCH: Lt. General Destroys Trump’s Hurricane “Relief” Lie

#Corruption #Domestic Affairs #Donald Trump #CBS #CNN #donald trump #golfing #Hurricane Katrina #Hurr

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