#NYC Republican Headquarters

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jonathan Ben-Menachem for Zeteo News (04.23.2024):

“Reprehensible and dangerous.” “Terrorist sympathizers.” “It’s not 1938 Berlin. It’s 2024, Columbia University, NYC.” The White House, Congressional Republicans, and cable news talking heads would have you believe that the Columbia University campus has devolved into a hotbed of antisemitic violence – but the reality on the ground is very different. As a Jewish student at Columbia, it depresses me that I have to correct the record and explain what the real risk to our safety looks like. I still can't quite believe how the events on campus over the past few days have been so cynically and hysterically misrepresented by the media and by our elected representatives. 

Last week, the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) coalition, representing more than 100 student organizations, including Jewish groups, organized the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, a peaceful campus protest in solidarity with Palestine. CUAD was reactivated after the university suspended Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace in the fall. On Wednesday morning, hundreds of students camped out on Columbia’s South Lawn. They vowed to stay put until the university divests from companies that profit from their ties to Israel. Protesters prayed, chanted, ate pizza, and condemned the university’s complicity in Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Though counter-protesters waved Israeli flags near the encampment, the campus remained largely calm from my vantage point.

Columbia responded by imposing a miniature police state. Just over a day after the encampment was formed, university President Minouche Shafik asked and authorized the New York Police Department to clear the lawn and load 108 students – including a number of Jewish students – onto Department of Corrections buses to be held at NYPD headquarters at 1 Police Plaza. One Jewish student told me that she and her fellow protesters were restrained in zip-tie handcuffs for eight hours and held in cells where they shared a toilet without privacy. The NYPD chief of patrol John Chell later told the Columbia Spectator that “the students that were arrested were peaceful, offered no resistance whatsoever, and were saying what they wanted to say in a peaceful manner.”  Since then, dozens of undergraduates have been locked out of their dorms without notice. Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia, notably gave students just 15 minutes to retrieve their belongings after returning from lockup and finding themselves evicted. Suspended students cannot return to campus and are struggling to access food or medical care. Students who keep Shabbat, and do not use electronics on the Sabbath, were forced to rely on technology in order to secure food and emergency housing. This crackdown was the most violence inflicted on our student body in decades. I implore you, as our Jewish Voice for Peace chapter does, to consider whether arresting Jewish students keeps us and Columbia safe.

Smears from the press and pro-Israel influencers, who have levied charges of antisemitism and violence against Jewish students, are a dangerous distraction from real threats to our safety. I saw politicians compare student organizers to neo-Nazis and call for a National Guard deployment, apparently ignorant of the lives lost at Kent State and in Charlottesville, and with very little pushback from national media. This is a repulsive form of self-aggrandizement that I can only assume is intended to preserve relationships with influential donors. Calls to more heavily police our campus actively endanger Jewish students, and threaten the regular operations of the university far more gravely than peaceful protests.  [...]

On Monday, I joined hundreds of my fellow student workers for a walk-out in solidarity with the encampment; we listened respectfully as a similarly sizable group of Columbia faculty held a rally on the library steps. Frankly, it didn’t feel much different from the environment during my union’s most recent strike on campus – I felt inspired again by my colleagues’ commitment to making Columbia a safer and better place to work and study.  Later that night, a Passover Seder service was held at the encampment. Would an antisemitic student movement welcome Jews in this way? I think not.  [...] Here’s what you’re not being told: The most pressing threats to our safety as Jewish students do not come from tents on campus. Instead, they come from the Columbia administration inviting police onto campus, certain faculty members, and third-party organizations that dox undergraduates. Frankly, I regret the fact that writing to confirm the safety of Jewish Ivy League students feels justified in the first place. I have not seen many pundits hand-wringing over the safety of my Palestinian colleagues mourning the deaths of family members, or the destruction of Gaza’s cherished universities. 

I am wary of a hysterical campus discourse – gleefully amplified by many of the same charlatans who have turned “DEI” into a slur – that draws attention away from the ongoing slaughter in the Gaza Strip and settler violence in the occupied West Bank. We should be focusing on the material reality of war: the munitions our government is sending to Israel, which kill Palestinians by the thousands, and the Americans participating in the violence. Forget the fringe folks and outside agitators: the CUAD organizers behind the campus protests have rightfully insisted on divestment as their most important demand of the Columbia administration, and on sustained attention to the situation in Palestine. And we are not alone. College campuses across the United States have followed Columbia’s lead. 

Jewish Columbia University student Jonathan Ben-Menachem wrote in Zeteo debunking the false "antisemitic" smears used to attack protests against the oppression of Palestinians on campuses.

[darkmaga-returns]

Karen Bracken

Oct 28, 2024

Edward Dowd: Global Vaccine Impact: Study Reveals Up to 15M Deaths, 60M Disabilities Worldwide - ARTICLE/VIDEO (2 min. 27 secs.)

BREAKING: ​​​​​​​Montgomery County PA Republican Committee Headquarters forced to evacuate after profanity-laced bomb threat - funny how they call us violent when the only violence we ever see comes from the left - ARTICLE

California rail workers fired for refusing Covid jab awarded $1 million each in federal lawsuit - and about 1600 NYC employees were reinstated with back pay - if people would have stood up together and got up an walked off the job believe me no one would have been forced to take the jab and no one would have lost their job - NEXT time (and there will be a next time) any employer that demands you inject poison into your body needs to be looking at an empty work place. EVERYONE no matter what business you are in needs to get up and walk out. They will be begging for you to come back within hours - We need to stop being a nation of weakling cowards - ARTICLE

Dr. Brian Hooker's Damning Testimony Against All Vaccines - ARTICLE

Alamo at The Ballot Box - ARTICLE

Divorce leads to 18 vaccine autism - I actually met this father. He lives in Tennessee. I met his 3 children. ALL 3 of these kids were court ordered to be vaccinated against the wishes of both the mother and father. This was a custody hearing and the TENNESSEE judge said the first parent that gets the kids vaccinated gets custody. Even though these parents had religious exemptions the judge flat out said he doesn’t care what the law says but in his opinion (mind you he is no doctor and was not there to make health care decisions for these children) not vaccinated these children was child abuse. He said the first parent to get the kids vaccinated immediately will get custody. The mother who has a drug problem took the kids and got them vaccinated. The youngest child who was a happy, healthy and normal 5 year old ended up in ICU and is now a regressive autistic. The 3 children were each given 17 vaccines. Both boys got the shots at all once and the girl got them in two visits. The mother abandoned the children and the father devotes his entire life to caring for his children and the youngest boy requires 24/7 care. He is fed from a bottle, is totally non-verbal and is in diapers. I cannot believe that here in Tennessee or in any state in America this man cannot get justice for what this judge did to his family. How can a mother who deserted her family over 3 years ago still have custody of these children and how is it possible this father is still ordered to pay child support? WHERE IS OUR GOVERNOR??? WHERE ARE OUR LEGISLATORS?? WHERE IS OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL?? Why has no Tennessee lawyer stepped up to help this man and his family?? If you can see it in your heart to donate to their gofundme please do so. I can vouch for this man and his children. THANK YOU. Interview with Children’s Health Defense bus in Knoxville, TN - 16 min. VIDEO

Top 10 most surveilled cities in the U.S. reveal globalist agenda is being implemented at the LOCAL LEVEL - this is a list of the most surveilled cities but they are not the only cities being surveilled. There are thousands of cities all over the US that are surveilling American citizens and collecting data. Anyone that believes they are doing this for safety reasons needs a reality check. ARTICLE

[unclesamsmisguidedclub]

NYC Republican Headquarters Vandalized: "Our Attack is Merely Beginning"

NYC Republican Headquarters Vandalized: “Our Attack is Merely Beginning”

Anarchists vandalized the NYC Republican headquarters at The Metropolitan Republican Club in New York City on Thursday evening. But they didn’t just smash windows, spray paint their Antifa symbol on the doors, and put glue in the locks and handles. They also left a threat.

Last night our NYC hq at the Metropolitan Republican Club was vandalized by anti-Republican forces saying this attack is…

[roseswitheraway]

Demonstrators Tom Doerr and Marty Robinson during the Gay Activists Alliance sit-in at New York State Republican headquarters in NYC, 1970

[shadowron]

The United Canadian and American States in the Neo-Anarchist’s Guide to North America for Shadowrun (1st Edition). Part 1.

We finally learn the piece of information we’ve been wanting to know since 1st Edition Shadowrun came out: How much is 1¥ worth?

The answer: $5.

Let’s see how bad inflation is in 2050!

A knife (30¥) costs $150.

A set of Ordinary Clothing (50¥) costs $250.

A copy of Maria Mercurial’s latest music disk (20¥) costs $100.

That gives you $100 from your stimulus check for pocket money. Now to just figure out how much data space 1 Megapulse (Mp) is…

Politics

With recent (real-life) events happening in the USA, it’s interesting to see where the authors thought we’d be in 2050:

Apparently by then we figure out how to break the 2-party Democrat/Republican system. In addition to the Libertarians hanging in there, bless their fiscally conservative, socially liberal hearts, we have the Technocratic party, pushing a “platform of technology as the salvation of the UCAS”, and the Archconservative party, whose platform is likely “let’s return to the way things were in 1850”.

The Technocracy Party was not able to nominate a single delegate. Yet…

Metroplexes

The NAGNA has separate sections on three UCAS cities:

New York. Sigh. Okay. Despite my naysaying of NYC, I’m sure there are people who want to see what the City That Never Sleeps is up to.

Washington, D.C., or “DeeCee”, as it is called by its stripper name. It’s the capital. Makes sense.

Chicago. Headquarters of FASA, and my “hometown”. Bear down.

[theamericanpatriotpage]

Vandalism...and a threat

~ The Wolfdragon

[ehathaway19ahsgov-blog]

The 3 Ps Assessment: Parties, Political Interest Groups, and PACs

1. a) The Republican Party believes that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has “stunted economic development, halted the construction of projects, burdened landowners, and has been used to pursue policy goals inconsistent with the ESA”. I do not agree with the Republican Party because I think that the ESA is a great movement that helps protect animals the way that they deserve to be protected.

The Democratic Party opposes “efforts to undermine the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act to protect threatened and endangered species”. I agree with the Democratic Party because they are saying that they disagree with the Republican Party and they support the ESA.

The Libertarian Party believes that “protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights and responsibilities regarding resources like land, water, air, and wildlife”. I agree with the Libertarian Party because they want to protect the environment.

The Green Party calls for “an intelligent, compassionate approach to the treatment of animals”. I strongly agree with the Green Party because they support animal rights.

The Peace and Freedom Party doesn’t take a stance on animal rights, however, they support the protection of the environment. 

c) I agree with the Green Party the most because they aren’t concerned with the politics of animal rights, they just want to do whatever they can to protect those animals.

2. a) The interest group that I chose is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or the ASPCA. 

b) The ASPCA’ mission is to “provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States".

c) The ASPCA opposes dogfighting, which is where dogs are forced to fight for human entertainment and profit. They want to stop animal hoarding, which is when a person adopts more animals that they can care for, which leads to neglect. They want farm animals to be cared for and not live in a crowded, inhumane factory farm. They also want to stop horse slaughtering.

d) The ASPCA’s website states, The ASPCA “today supported the NYC Council in passing two pieces of legislation intended to improve the well-being of New Yorkers and their pets, while also having the potential to augment funding to address NYC's animal overpopulation problem”. 

e) The ASPCA’s headquarters is located in New York City, but they have shelters all over the US. However, there are only conferences in New York. 

f) To volunteer, you can foster animals or even adopt them. You can also donate to their website.

g) I find it interesting that they are asking for donations of 63 cents a day.

3. a) The interest group is called the PawPAC, or California's Political Action Committee for Animals.

b)  PawPac is a “nonpartisan, nonprofit political action committee dedicated to the passage of humane laws and election of humane legislators”. 

c) They are dedicated to protecting all animals, not just dogs and cats. They help to elect candidates by endorsements, contributions, annual voting charts. They accept donations to stop the cruelty of animals. They keep people informed by social media and email alerts. 

d) They are trying to get people to contact Governor Jerry Brown and show support for a number of bills, one of which is the AB 2362 (Rubio &Cervantes) - Safe transportation for dogs & cats. They are asking that people tell Governor Brown that “Animals have suffered severe injury and death from heat exhaustion during transport. This bill will set minimum care standards for shelter and rescue transport”.

e) PawPac is located in Oxnard, CA. There are no current meetings.

f) To volunteer, you can contact Governor Jerry Brown or sign up for the mailing list or social media feed.

g) I find it interesting that there is no opportunity to donate to the PawPac, you can only volunteer by contacting the governor.

4. The ASPCA seems more organized because their website provides a lot more information and ways to help them. They also seem more successful because they are a well known nonprofit organization, unlike the PawPac who is not very well known. They seem more supported across the country. The ASPCA’s target audience is people that love animals, as well as people who aren’t aware of the horrible ways that many animals are currently being treated. The PawPac’s target audience is only those who want to make a change in the way that the government is protecting animals. Both are supported by animal lovers, and people who think it is wrong to treat animals cruelly. I am concerned with the way that the PawPac’s website looks because it is confusing and doesn’t provide a lot of information.

5. a) The PAC name is Animal Wellness Action.

b) There is no description of the PAC, however, based on the name we can assume that they support the wellness of animals.

c) They have raised $60,750, and they have spent $38,500. On hand they have $22,250. 

d) They have spent $4.5K on Democrats and $3.5K on Republicans. 

e) One of their donors is Josh Balk, and he is the vice president of farm animal protection for The Humane Society of the United States farm animal division. This reflects the views of the PAC because the Humane Society advocates for animal rights. 

[patriotsnet]

Why Did Republicans Vote Against The First Responders Bill

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/why-did-republicans-vote-against-the-first-responders-bill/

Why Did Republicans Vote Against The First Responders Bill

Biden Pushed For Bipartisanship What Happened

Why Did the Republican Congress Argue AGAINST the COVID Stimulus Bill?

Biden ran on wanting bipartisanship efforts on Capitol Hill, and being a;negotiator during his 36 years in the Senate.;

More:Amid calls for unity, President Biden and Republicans don’t agree what that looks like

Bipartisan efforts were made in the beginning of negotiations, with a;group of 10 Republicans meeting with Biden at the White House in early February to propose a counteroffer: a;$618 billion package.

But, those talks and communication have;since fizzled, according to Romney, who was;one of the senators who met with Biden. He told reporters;there has been very little effort on the part of the White House to find common ground with Republicans.

More:How much money will your state get if Biden’s COVID-19 relief bill passes?

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., who was also in the group of 10 Republicans, said;talks between the White House and her colleagues stalled.”

Biden said he hoped;”Republicans in Congress listen to their constituents,”;citing the popularity of the bill in some polls.;

Romney told reporters Thursday if some Republican amendments;got into the bill, some of his colleagues may support it.;

“But my guess is it’s not likely that many of our amendments will get any Democrat support so I think it’s very unlikely that any Republicans will support the final bill,” he said.

McConnell and other Republicans have also criticized Democrats for using;a special process called reconciliation to push forward;the legislation;without much input from the GOP.;

Gop Claims Afghan Refugees Are Arriving Unvetted That’s Not True

Thirty-five House Republican broke ranks Wednesday evening to support legislation that would establish an independent commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

Liz Cheney of Wyoming

Tom Rice of South Carolina

Dan Newhouse of Washington

Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington

Peter Meijer of Michigan

John Katko of New York

David Valadao of California

Tom Reed of New York

Don Bacon of Nebraska

Andrew Garbarino of New York

Tony Gonzales of Texas

Dusty Johnson of South Dakota

David Joyce of Ohio

Chris Smith of New Jersey

Van Taylor of Texas

Chris Jacobs of New York

David McKinley of West Virginia

Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska

Why 21 House Republicans Balked At Medals For Capitol Police

There was a brief political consensus in the immediate aftermath of the insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The left, right, and center could all agree on a simple truth: participating in a riotous assault against the nation’s seat of government, in the hopes of derailing our electoral system, is a serious attack against our democracy.

As we’ve discussed, however, that consensus broke down soon after. As winter turned to spring, many House Republicans decided to rewrite recent history, recasting the villains as heroes, and the police as heavy-handed abusers who interfered with “peaceful patriots” engaged in a lawful protest. There was fresh evidence of this yesterday: TPM reported, “During a House Oversight committee hearing Tuesday, several Republicans spent their speaking time expressing concern for a specific group of people involved in the January 6 attack: the insurrectionists themselves.”

Soon after the hearing, the House took up a measure to honor the law-enforcement officials who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6. The resolution passed, but not unanimously.

To be sure, a 406-to-21 vote is lopsided, but under normal circumstances, we’d expect zero members of Congress to vote against a measure honoring Capitol Police who kept them safe during an attack on their own institution. Yesterday, however, 21 lawmakers — each of them conservative Republicans — voted “no,” despite knowing that the resolution would pass anyway.

You May Like: Who Makes More Money Democrats Or Republicans

House Republicans Voted Against Giving Medals To Officers Who Responded To Jan 6 Riot

The House passed a bill Tuesday to award the Congressional Gold Medal to all law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, with 21 Republicans opposing the bill.

Why it matters via the Washington Post:“he vote underscored the still-lingering tensions in Congress amid efforts by some GOP lawmakers to whitewash the events of that day.”

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets.

The measure passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 406-21.

Details: The four medals awarded under the bill one of the highest civilian honors would be displayed in the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police headquarters, Smithsonian Institution and the Capitol building.

The bill names the three law enforcement officers who died following the attack, and singles out U.S. Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who lured a mob away from members of Congress.

The resolution recognizes their actions as an example of “the patriotism and the commitment of Capitol Police officers, and those of other law enforcement agencies, to risk their lives in service of our country.”

The Republicans who voted against:

Rep. Thomas Massie

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

Rep. Andy Harris

The Long Fight To Funding

Congress passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in 2010, over opposition from some Republicans who balked at its original $7 billion price tag. The act was reauthorized in 2015 for 90 years. But a portion of the law the Victim Compensation Fund was only funded for five years, through the end of 2020.; The fund aimed to provide necessary financial support for the thousands who suffered serious medical issues, including a spate of cancer diagnoses, after the 2001 attacks.;

The House voted 402 to 12 to permanently reauthorize the fund through 2092 earlier in July, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating $10.2 billion in costs over the next ten years. However, Sen. Rand Paul prevented the Senate from voting to approve the bill by unanimous consent last week because of its high cost. Fellow Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also placed a procedural hold on the legislation, further preventing it from passing in the Senate.;

Under Senate rules, any one senator can propose that a bill be considered for unanimous consent, but one senator can also block it. The bill was then brought to the floor for debate and a full vote this week.

Comedian and 9/11 first responder advocate Jon Stewart blasted Paul;over the issue, telling Fox News the move was “absolutely outrageous.”;

In a last-minute pitch before Tuesday’s vote, Paul offered an amendment he said would help offset the bill’s spending costs.;

Don’t Miss: How Many Democrats And Republicans Are In The House

/11 Responders Bill Defeated By Senate Gop Filibuster

the CNN Wire StaffSTORY HIGHLIGHTS

Motion for cloture falls three votes short of ending GOP filibuster

Republicans oppose the $7.4 billion cost; supporters hope to revive the measure

Bill would provide medical benefits, compensation for 9/11 first responders

NYC Mayor Bloomberg calls it an “example of partisan politics trumping patriotism”

Washington — Senate Democrats failed Thursday to win a procedural vote to open debate on a bill that would provide medical benefits and compensation for emergency workers who were first on the scene of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The motion for cloture, or to begin debate, needed 60 votes to pass due to a Republican filibuster, but fell short at 57-42 in favor.

While supporters said they would try to bring the bill up again, either on its own or as part of other legislation to be considered, the vote Thursday jeopardized the measure’s chances for approval in the final weeks of the current congressional session.

The House previously passed the bill on a mostly partisan 268-160 vote.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg reacted to Thursday’s result by calling it “a tragic example of partisan politics trumping patriotism.”

RELATED TOPICS

Michael Bloomberg

“I urge Senate Republicans to reconsider their wrong-headed political strategy and allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote,” Bloomberg said in a statement.

Zadroga Act Opponents Including Paul Ryan Observe September 11 Anniversary

WASHINGTON — The nation’s leading Republicans marked the 11th anniversary of 9/11 with the words “never forget” on their lips — most of those using the occasion to promote legislation — but nearly all of them opposed the bill passed two years ago to help the first responders who suffered health problems in the wake of the attacks.

Prominent among them was vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan , who voted twice against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and opposed the final passage of the bill.

“Eleven years ago today, from Capitol Hill, I could see the smoke rising from the fires burning in the Pentagon. Like all Americans, I will never forget the moment that our homeland came under attack,” Ryan said in a statement. “For me, this is a day to remember those who perished on that day of terror, including the first responders.”

A spokesman for Ryan, Brendan Buck, insisted that Ryan supports 9/11 responders and pointed to the congressman’s votes soon after the attacks in favor of aid for those suffering. He explained Ryan’s Dec. 2010 comments on the House floor in opposition to the Zadroga bill by noting that Ryan said he didn’t like the bill because he thought it was flawed, was “rushed” onto the floor by Democrats, and created a new mandatory spending program.

“Gov. Romney supports government assistance to the victims of terrorism,” Saul said.

Recommended Reading: What Witnesses Did The Republicans Want To Call

Texas Elections Bill Was Near Party

Friday’s vote;saw only one representative;cross;party lines; Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, who voted against SB 1.;

All 40 Democrats who were present Friday voted against the bill, with several saying efforts should focus on improving;voter access with such initiatives as online or election day voter registration.

Instead, Republicans squandered an opportunity by focusing on restrictions that will have a disproportionate impact on voters of color, said Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie,;one of nine Democrats to speak against SB 1 to close Friday’s debate.

The bill, Turner said, was inspired by the “big lie” that President Donald Trump was denied a second term because of widespread election fraud, a conspiracy theory unleashing a toxic and dangerous threat to democracy.

“He and other Republicans whipped their base into a frenzy with crazy conspiracies about election fraud,” Turner said.

“This bill was never about election security or voter integrity.;It was always about using the big lie to justify restricting access to the ballot box,” he said.

More:From polls to ballots, here’s what a new Texas voting bill would mean for you

Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, a Black woman who recalled having to pay a poll tax to vote when she was young, said SB 1 was a continuation of an attack on the right to vote for nonwhite citizens.

“We have 90 days to act,” he said. “The clock is ticking.”

Utah Sen Mike Lee Votes Against 9/11 First Responders Bill After Losing Bid To Limit Spending

Why Ted Cruz Voted Against 9/11 Relief Funds | MSNBC

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

Washington The Senate passed a measure Tuesday extending for decades the fund for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks after defeating an amendment by Sen. Mike Lee that would have limited the payout to about $20 billion over the life of the program.

The bill, which passed overwhelmingly in the Senate 97-2 and was previously approved by the House, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

Lee, a Utah Republican, had held up the bill while attempting to curtail the expansion to only what is needed in the next decade. His amendment, shot down by a 32-66 vote, would have given $10.18 billion to the fund in the next 10 years and another $10 billion after that.

After his amendment failed, Lee voted against the final bill. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, supported the overall measure.

Lee walked off the floor shortly after it was clear his amendment didnt have the 60 votes it needed to pass.

His office declined to comment on the vote and pointed to a statement from last week when the senator said that the victims fund has had an excellent record avoiding waste and abuse and has always been funded for a time-certain extension.

These two things are not coincidental, he said in that statement. They go together.

The Senate also rejected an amendment by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would have cut other programs to pay for extending the 9/11 fund. Paul cast the only other no vote.

You May Like: Who Are The Three Republicans Running Against Trump

Republicans Vote Against Awarding Medals To Police Who Defended Capitol

The House passed legislation on Tuesday to award Congressional Gold Medals; one of the highest civilian honors; to police officers who defended the Capitol during the violent Jan. 6 insurrection.

Lawmakers handily passed the legislation. Members of both parties supported it, 406-21, with all of the votes in opposition coming from conservative Republicans.

The four medals awarded under the bill would be displayed at the Capitol Police headquarters, at the D.C. Metropolitan Police headquarters, at the Smithsonian Institution and in a “prominent location” in the Capitol.

The medal displayed in the Capitol would be accompanied with a plaque listing all of the law enforcement agencies that helped protect the building on Jan. 6 from the mob of former President TrumpJoe BidenSpotlight turns to GOP’s McCarthy in Jan. 6 probeBiden visits union hall to mark Labor DayBiden approves disaster funds for NJ, NY after Ida floodingMOREs election victory.

The resolution names three police officers; Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood of the Capitol Police and;Jeffrey Smith of the Metropolitan Police; who died in the days after they were on duty at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The measure states that their actions “exemplify the patriotism and the commitment of Capitol Police officers, and those of other law enforcement agencies, to risk their lives in service of our country.”

‘we’ll See You At The Polls’

But the bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, said SB 1 was the product of more than 35 hours of House debate between the regular session that ended in May and two special sessions.

“We all strive for improvement, and I believe that’s what we’re looking at with this legislation, is improving the Election Code of Texas,” Murr said, his voice scratchy from almost 13 hours of debate Thursday over SB 1.

Moments before the House took its final vote on SB 1, Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, engaged Murr in a back-and-forth discussion on the House floor.

“Do you think there’s fraud in Texas elections?” Dutton asked.

“Generally speaking, I;think there is always a likelihood of fraud,” Murr replied. “We have;seen past examples of fraud.”

Dutton ended with an acknowledgement that the fight over SB 1 was almost over, but he said a larger fight is looming: “We’re going to;go;vote, and so we’ll see you at the polls.”

Once the House names its five members to the conference committee, they will negotiate a final version of SB 1 that will need to be approved;by both chambers.

The bill’s author, Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, said Friday that;he will determine the next step after;studying House changes.

Also Check: How Many Republicans Are Against Trump

Sign Up For The Intelligencer Newsletter

DOJ wades in against Texas abortion ban

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday that the Justice Department would protect women seeking an abortion in Texas as the agency explores ways to challenge one of the most restrictive laws in the nation. In a statement, Garland said the department would protect those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services pursuant to our criminal and civil enforcement of the law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

The announcement from the Justice Department comes days after the conservative-majority Supreme Court declined to block the Texas law that bans abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The law also allows anyone to file a lawsuit against any other person who has aided someone in obtaining an abortion, with the potential for a $10,000 payoff.

The Internet responds

Pro-choice users on TikTok and;Reddit;have launched a guerrilla effort to thwart Texass extreme new abortion law, flooding an online tip website that encourages people to report violators of the law with false reports, Shrek memes and porn.

The law makes it illegal to help women in;Texas;access abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy. To help enforce it, anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life established the digital tipline where people can send anonymous information about potential violations.

A Legislative Win But At What Cost

As the bill now heads to the president’s desk for final signature, advocates and living survivors can’t help but think the battle was won but at the expense of hundreds of their brothers in arms.

In the process of the reauthorization, over 200 firefighters and first responders died as a result of cancers and other medical ailments related to the 2001 terror attacks.;

The daughter of William Gormley, a former New York City firefighter who died after his own battle with cancer in 2017, told CBS that her family had filed a claim for benefits from the victims fund immediately after her father’s death and was assured that the money would be there.

“They went back on their promise but they had to. It was better for everyone to get a little money than no one at all,” Bridget Gormley said.

Gormley says the fund was unfortunately a “victim of its own success” after the fund quickly ran out of money because of a rise in cancer-related illnesses in the 9/11 community.;

“This is not going to be a cause for celebration,” Gormley noted importantly. “We unfortunately have to learn some lessons form our failures in this situation. It’ll be a milestone but it’ll serve as a testament to the first responders who fought.”

Recommended Reading: What Were The Reconstruction Goals Of The Radical Republicans

[architectnews]

Remembering New York City architecture of my youth

Moynihan Train Hall New York Building, SOM NYC Architecture Photos

In the age of the coronavirus, remembering the New York City architecture of my youth

Jan 5, 2021

Moynihan Train Hall New York City

In the age of the coronavirus, remembering the New York City architecture of my youth

Joel Solkoff’s Column Vol. VII, Number 3.

Thursday May 6, 2021.Rural Williamsport, Pennsylvania, US, population 28,186. {New York City’s population 8.4 million. Distance between them 192 miles}

Today’s column describes a one-day trip I took took on a battery-powered wheelchair on Tuesday February 16th from a nursing home in the New York City Borough of Queens where– the day before– I received the second dose of the Pfizer vacinne to a cab to Manhattan’s glorious new Moynihan Train Hall. Then, after a lenthy train ride to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capitol city, a one hour and 20 minute automobile ride to home. To Williamsport, my home. Now the new U.S. office of e-architect.com

US Office e-architect – 800 West Fourth Street Williamsport Pennsylvania 17701 Phone 570-772-4909 or 272-230-5805 jes243@caa.columbia.edu photo by Joel Solkoff

On the surface, there might not seem to be a parallel between a huge new train station in the largest city in the US and a luxury hotel in a little town in north central Pennsylvania. But for 1863 and the richest man in the world Peter Herdic.

Peter Herdic built a $250 thousand luxury hotel where e-architect now has our US office. The $250 thousand Herdic spent is astonishing in current dollars. Williamsport architect Anthony Visco Jr. who helped save the Herdic luxury hotel from extinction in the 1990s told me “This was a time when a single family home cost $500.”

In 1863, the unwritten rule when building a luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere designed to attract rich Edith Wharton-style rich folks from New York City is to have a train station in your back yard. That is what Herdic did.

Herdic arranged for the Pennsylvania Railroad to construct an elegant train station next to the five acre hotel and sculptured grounds.The rich flocked here from New York City in a gloroius ride on their private elegant railroad cars.

e-architect’s office is now on the ground floor where large urns supplied railroad workers with coffee. From the window, I see Anthony Visco Jr.’s design for a Victorian train station complex now an historical landmark. The Peter Herdic Transportation Museum. Behind the station is a railroad car used by one of the 19th Century rich.

Because of the US’s post World War II assault on passenger train service begun in the 1950s and 1960s by autombile advocates, Williamsport no longer has passenger service. This railroad car sits outside our window going nowhere.

Abandoned railroad car in Williamsport Pennsylvania USA:

Photo by Joel Solkoff

New York City’s 1963 shameful attack on train service

In the 1960s and 1970s, the powerful New York City urban planner Robert Moses played a significant role in creating a destructive automobiles at any price society which we find ourselves in today at our peril. Robert Caro, the Pultizer Prize historian known best for his landmark series on President Lyndon Baines Johnson wrote a biography of Robert Moses. Wikipedia: “After working for many years as a reporter, Caro wrote The Power Broker(1974), a biography of New York urban planner Robert Moses, which was chosen by the Modern Library as one of the hundred greatest nonfiction books of the twentieth century.”

In 1963 as part of an especially shameful act, the New York powers that be began the complete demolition of McKim Mead & White’s astonishingly beautiful 1914 train station shown here:

1914 New York City Penn Station building interior: McKim Mead &White’s much admired 1914 New York City Penn Station. Photo courtesy McKim Mead & White Collection New York Historical Society

The New York Historical Society observed, “Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania Railroad optioned the air rights for the station in the 1950s, which meant the above ground portions of the structure would be demolished to make room for an office and sports complex. Many New Yorkers and architecture fans were outraged, but in 1963 the building was demolished.”

In October of 1963, the New York Times published the following:

“Any city gets what it admires, will pay for, and, ultimately, deserves. Even when we had Penn Station, we couldn’t afford to keep it clean. We want and deserve tin-can architecture in a tinhorn culture. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.”

My disability perspective

I am a paraplegic. During the past 25 years, I have gotten around on a battery-powered wheelchair. A scooter. In future columns I will be describing in detail how the scooter (and indeed the mobility device class) has become a critical architectural tool. It would be best when designing for the disabled, for the the architect to ride around in a scooter.

++++

The difference bertween great architecture and appreicating it in an excellent photograph ilike this one is hard to define. Define magic. If you want magic, nothing can delight like visiting in person as I did this beautifully designed architectural achievement. This waiting room had been the location of the automatic mail sorting machines for what was then the City’s postal headquarters. Turns out that back in 1982, when I was speechwriter to President Ronald Reagan’s excellent Postmaster General Preston Robert Tisch that I visited the sorting machines here. That was before mail volume dropped dramatically and the Farley Post Office provided New York with the opportunity, as the Moynihan Train Hall has done, to make up for the sin of demolishing the McKim Mead & White Penn Station. Lucas Blair Simpson © Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM). For permission to publish, thank you Clarissa Sorenson, public relations SOM

New York City’s new train station is wonderful

Check you have proof you were vaccinated for the coronavirus, book a flight to LaGuardia ( if you are lucky; Kennedy if not). Both airports are in the Borough of Queens (a too often neglected New York City borough which architects might bnefit from a visit).

Take a cab across Queens to the Moynihan Train Hall, the largest train station in the Western Hemisphere, located in mid-town Manhattan between Eighth and Ninth Avenues; 31st and 33rd Streets. Down the street is the Empire State Building, now beautifully restored by Frank Prial, Jr. at Beyer Blinder Belle. In the 1950s my father had a shabby office at the decaying Empire State Building.

The Moynihan Train Hall is located in this building the James A. Farley Post Office. Farley was President Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) Postmaster General back in the Depression when it was an extremely powerful position. Wikipedia: “The James A. Farley Building is a mixed-use structure [in addition to the Moynihan Train Hall the building includes what is now a very reduced-size post office] in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, which formerly served as the city’s main United States Postal Service (USPS) branch. Designed by McKim, Mead & White in the Beaux-Arts style, the structure was built between 1911 and 1914, with an annex constructed between 1932 and 1935. The Farley Building…faces Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden to the east.”

Photo courtesy Wikipedia A. Farley Building – Wikipedia

Naming a glorious McKim, Mead & White Beaux Art gem after Farley appropriately honors both the architecture firm and Farley. Now the building is appropriately renamed after one of the most intriguing and important political figures in the post World War II US. More on Moynihan and architecture in future columns.

Moynihan was extremely friendly to architects. When he worked as a political appointee in President John Kennedy’s administration, Moynihan convinced President Kennedy to sign an executive order to give non-traditional architects (I.e.you my readers) the ability to design to end too often drab federal office buildings

Wikipedia (with thanks for the photo): “Daniel Patrick “Pat” Moynihan (March 16, 1927 – March 26, 2003) was an American politician, sociologist, and diplomat. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New York in the United States Senate and served as an adviser to Republican U.S. President Richard Nixon.”

Amtrak, the US’s provider of passenger train service, writes about Moynihan being the visionary who 25 years ago suggested that this be done.After Moynihan’s death, the late senator’s fascinating daughter Maura worked tirelessly to make her father’s vision real. One architect in a position to know asserted Maura’s contribution to the hall was critical.

”Welcome to Moynihan Train Hall. Amtrak and LIRR [the Long Island Rail Road] have a new home in New York City. A visionary project – a generation in the making – championed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Moynihan Train Hall is the city’s newest grand civic icon. The $1.6 billion project transforms the 100+ year-old James A. Farley Post Office Building into a modern, world-class transit hub – an idea first proposed by the late United States Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan more than a quarter-century ago.”

++++

My visit to the Moynihan Train Hall returned me to the neighborhood I have known since I was three years old

One of my earliest memories is seeing at age three the McKim Mead & White 1914 Penn Station in the same location as the architectural abomination that is the 1963 Penn Station today. [Curiously, Penn Station, across the street from Moynihan Train Hall continues—as has been the case since the 1960s—to provide access to trains accessible only underground. Penn Station has no waiting room where passengers can see the light of day. Wheel chair access is dreadful. Penn Station should be shut down.]

In 1950 my mother took me to Florida, then a divorce capital, by train. I wanted to live with my father, not my mother.My memory, reinforced by summer train rides from Miami to see Dad in wonderful New York–a joy to visit in the 1950s and early 1960s–,-is of the station waiting room and the view of beautiful light from the City outside.

The Moynihan Train Hall re-captures that memory. This is the photograph I took of the Moynihan waiting room on February 16th after arriving directly by cab from the Regal Heights Nursing Home in Queens where I was a patient for three weeks:

Photo by Joel Solkoff

Used a battery powered wheelchair to visit the Moynihan Train Hall

As a 73 year old paraplegic for 25 years, I have been able to get from here to there and back using a battery powered wheelchair (scooter). My scooter has a 20 plus mile range before a charge is required. This means I can go– or so it seems– nearly anywhere on a single charge. During my six weeks in New York first at Memorial Sloan Kettring Center (which should have but doesn’t bathrooms accessible to the disabled) and the nursing home, I used the Amigo Travel Scooter (built in Michigan) for locomotion.

Your columnist at the Regal Heights Nursing Home in Queens on the day that I was released to a cab that took me to The Moynihan Train Hall. Photo by a member of the nursing home staff who gave me permission to use.

This is what the capsible scooter looked like when I drove it from nursing home to cab.

Photo by Frank Rasole, Jr., my excellent health aide and assistant

This is what the collapsed scooter looked like when the taxi driver arrived at the Moynihan Train Hall and removed it from his trunk

This is the inaccessible entrance at one end of the Moynihan Train Hall I feared. Beautiful isn’t it?

Photo by Joel Solkoff

This is the excellent grand wheelchair friendly entrance at the othher end of the Moynihan Train Hall I never dreamed possible

Photo by Joel Solkoff

Once again this is the entrance from the taxi to the train station—riding upon a network of hidden ramps that made it possible for me to ride directly from the cab to the waiting room of Moynihan Train Hall.

Photo by Joel Solkoff

Joel’s Column will return with more on the Moynihan Train Hall & SOM, the firm that brilliantly designed it

Embedded under the terms of YouTube’s licensing requirement

Global architects note: Infrastructure reform will help your bottom line

Infrastructure reform, after decades of neglect, is likely to take place and provide architects with commissions. President Biden’s bill would cost $2.2 trillion. The President’s approach expands the definition of infrastructure to include, for example, $300 billion for public housing and the necessity to upgrade housing so it is disability friendly.

The Republican version would narrow the definition of infrastructure to roads, trains, planes and wi/fi at a cost of $900 billion. My member of Congress Republican Rep.Fred Keller is a sponsor.

Whichever bill passes, Williamsport in isolated Lycoming County, the physically largest county in the state, requires passenger train service. As with so much of the country train service would open up our community to economic expansion. Here in a town with a large percntage of low income elderly. it would provide us with access to health care still badly needed to control the pandemic.

Sounding often like an urban planner, here is Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg who has become the Administration’s leader for its expanded infrastructue plan:

Embedded under terms of YouTube’s licensing agreement

My editors beckon: “All right, stop writing, Joel.”

Isabelle Lomholt and Adrian Welch, Editors at e-architect:

One last look before I leave. Plus here is our editor Isabelle’s report when the Moynihan Train Hall opened January 5, 2021

photo: Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM

“Designed by SOM, the Moynihan Train Hall completely reimagines the travel experience at the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere, and evokes the architectural heritage of New York’s original Pennsylvania Station.”

In the age of the coronavirus, remembering the New York City architecture of my youth article from Joel Solkoff Moynihan Train Hall Architects: SOM photo © Lucas Blair Simpson | Aaron Fedor © SOM Moynihan Train Hall Location: New York City, USA

New York City Architecture

Contemporary New York Buildings Manhattan Architectural Designs – chronological list New York City Architecture Tours by e-architect New York Architecture News Il Makiage pavilion Design: Zaha Hadid Architects photograph : Paul Warchol Il Makiage pavilion by Zaha Hadid 45 Park Place, Tribeca, Lower Manhattan Design: SOMA Architects ; AOR: Ismael Leyva rendering : Williams New York 45 Park Place Tower New York Skyscraper Buildings Pier 40 Hudson River Apartments Design: DFA images courtesy of architects Pier 40 Building 432 Park Avenue Skyscraper Design: Rafael Viñoly Architects image © dbox for CIM Group & Macklowe Properties 432 Park Avenue Tower New York New York Architecture New York Architects Offices Comments for the Remembering New York City architecture of my youth page welcome

The post Remembering New York City architecture of my youth appeared first on e-architect.

[masterofd1saster]

CJ current events

In New York transit news

An argument, for reasons unknown, on a crowded 2 train in Crown Heights on Wednesday afternoon had all the makings of a knife fight between a man and a woman.

A bystander eventually got between the feuding pair while a child in a stroller was seen dangerously close to the scuffle.

The argument escalates as the train comes to a stop, and it appears the male suspect is actually holding a blade in each hand. The female suspect leaves and in the end, no one was hurt.

But a knife also found its way onto a 6 train in Mott Haven later that night, when a young woman was slashed, cut across the head and hand in what bystanders say was an unprovoked attack. Police are still searching for that suspect.***

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/02/13/2-train-knife-fight/

*****************

3 NYC teenagers robbed Tessa Majors on Dec. 11 in Morningside Park.  She was an 18 y/o college student, and they wanted her phone.

She scratched one of her attackers, and the DNA under nails matches 14 y/o Rashaun Weaver.  He was arrested on Friday, 14 Feb, in the lobby of the Taft Houses on Fifth Ave.  He is charged as an adult.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-tessa-major-killers-father-20200217-pkwwzfe26rb3nhxjkiceoezicy-story.html

*********************

Cheryl Sanders, 59, and her husband, Robert Reed Sanders, armed themselves and attacked her ex-husband and his current wife on Wed, 12 Feb, in Miami, Ohio.  Robert Lindsey Duncan has a concealed carry permit, and he returned fire, killing Cheryl and Robert Sanders.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-ohio-stuntwoman-husband-ex-killed-20200216-jxhm3ehjcbhrtptxs7mh7yvs2y-story.html

********************

***“I’m famous! I take $200, $300 a day of your money, cracker! You can’t stop me!” [Charles] Barry yelled to a Daily News reporter late Thursday night as police led him out of NYPD Transit District 1 headquarters in the Columbus Circle station.“Bail reform, it’s lit!” Barry said. “It’s the Democrats! The Democrats know me and the Republicans fear me. You can’t touch me! I can’t be stopped!”

***Barry, 56, who has served six stints in state prison, has been arrested six times since New York’s bail reform laws took effect Jan. 1.

After each arrest, he was freed without bail because the charges against him did not involve violence. Twice he was charged with stealing money unsuspecting straphangers were trying to insert in MetroCard vending machines.

***The arrest was the 139th in Barry’s career. His criminal record includes six felonies, 87 misdemeanors, and 21 missed court hearings, records show.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-transit-offender-busted-again-nypd-20200215-cw7jlzg7rvecraevc5usevk2va-story.html

*******************

*** a dispute between two men in the capital's business district escalated when one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the other in the head, killing him. Hearing the gunshots, D.C. police officers responded rapidly to the scene. They located a suspect and chased him. The Washington Post reports how "witnesses on social media recounted a chaotic scene, describing officers with guns drawn chasing the suspect past churches, a theater, a law firm and restaurants." Following an exchange of fire, the suspect was detained — alive, and with only a minor injury.

Then, later Thursday evening, police received 911 calls of shots fired in the residential Petworth neighborhood. According to the chief of police, responding officers located a suspicious individual who fled when challenged. Pursuing him, officers were forced into a gunfight. The suspect was injured and taken to hospital, as was an officer with minor injuries.

In both these separate shootings, police officers did three things extraordinarily well. They responded quickly to serious threats to public safety, they efficiently located relevant suspects, and they took great personal risks to apprehend them. Apart from the original victim, no members of the public were harmed.***

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/how-dc-police-showed-great-courage-and-professionalism-on-thursday

********************

[womenofcolor15]

Political Fallout In Virginia, Kentucky & New York! Democrats Regain ALL The Power In VA + NY Adopts New Voting Method

It's a political shake up! Virginia Democrats take full control of state government while New York adopts a new voting system.

Republicans in Virginia woke up to a BLUE state this morning and we’re sure they aren’t happy about it.

Democrats won complete control of the Virginia government for the first time since 1993. Folks flocked to the polls and were able to flip both the state Senate and the House of Delegates, giving them power they haven’t had in more than two decades. Dems are also the top dogs at the governor's office.

"I'm here to officially declare today, Nov. 5, 2019, that Virginia is officially blue," Gov. Ralph Northam said to supporters in Richmond.

Why should this matter to you?  With Virginia going blue, it now allows for more liberal policies to be passed for its citizens (and possibly helping to set precedent throughout the country), including gun control measures, increases to the minimum wage and ratification the Equal Rights Amendment.  It also allows for more fair redistricting practices to be established as Republicans are often accused of illegally re-drawing districts to benefit themselves and hurt minority communities.

Local & state elections have a huge impact on our everyday lives, which is why non-Presidential year elections are equally, if not more, important.

  We did it. We got them both. Hard work pays off. VA is ALL BLUE!

— Terry McAuliffe (@TerryMcAuliffe) November 6, 2019

  "We did it," former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe tweeted. "We got them both. Hard work pays off. VA is ALL BLUE!"

“The Republican Party is toast in Virginia for the next 10 years,” said Corey Stewart, the outgoing Prince William County chair of the Board of Supervisors who was the Virginia GOP’s nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2018. “Republicans will cease to be a serious political power.”

Remember the cyclist who flipped off President Donald Trump’s motorcade in a viral 2017 photo? Her name is Juli Briskman and she just won her race for a seat at the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in Virginia. Juli – a former marketing executive and local Democratic activist – unseated eight-year incumbent Republican Suzanne Volpe.

  Looking forward to representing my friends & neighbors in #Algonkian District who backed me up today! So proud that we were able to #FlipLoudpun #FlipVA #LOCO219 Thank you Loudoun! https://t.co/vRcDUih1AP

— Juli Briskman (@julibriskman) November 6, 2019

  "Looking forward to representing my friends & neighbors in #Algonkian District who backed me up today! So proud that we were able to #FlipLoudpun #FlipVA #LOCO219 Thank you Loudoun!," Juli tweeted.

Turning off the cuff activism into a legit job.  Sweet. 

In New York...

    Headed to the City on the morning after Election Day, and just like I'm not running anymore, neither is #CuomosMTA ... pic.twitter.com/Csj8luF3Fm

— Jumaane Williams (@JumaaneWilliams) November 6, 2019

    According to the polls, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams won re-election, scooping up 73% of the vote, beating Republican challenger Joe Borelli. Queens has a new district attorney after borough president Melinda Katz defeated Republican Joe Murray.

  Congratulations to @JumaaneWilliams and @MelindaKatz on their victories tonight. I look forward to working with both of them to keep New Yorkers safe and make this the fairest big city in America.

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 6, 2019

  "Congratulations to @JumaaneWilliams and @MelindaKatz on their victories tonight. I look forward to working with both of them to keep New Yorkers safe and make this the fairest big city in America,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted.

Melinda won by the skin of her teeth as she and Joe were on each other’s heels in the polls.

“We are facing here an opportunity to make a national model for criminal justice reform, and if we don’t do it right here, it’s going to have massive effects all throughout this country,” she told supporters at her headquarters last night.

Also, Democrat Shawyn Patterson-Howard reportedly became the first African-American woman to be a mayor in the history of Westchester County. She scooped up the victory with more than 50% of the vote counted, unseating acting Mayor Andre Wallace. #BlackGirlMagic.

New York City also adopted a new voting system, a major milestone for voting reform efforts. NYC voters approved Ballot Question 1, which enables voters to begin using ranked-choice voting in local primary and special elections beginning in 2021. Ranked-choice voting will allow voters to rank their top five in order of preference instead of just picking one candidate on the ballot. The city joins 20 other cities – as well as multiple states – that have already started using this voting method.

  In Kentucky...

  300,000 people, 9 percent of Kentucky's population, can't vote because of felony conviction, including 26% of African Americans, highest black disenfranchisement rate in country. Andy Beshear pledged to restore voting rights to 140,000 with executive order https://t.co/CrOrbLwoNd

— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) November 6, 2019

  Issa flip!  Attorney General Andy Beshear narrowly beat out Republican Gov. Matt Bevin in the Kentucky election. Gov. Bevin refused to concede the election to his Democratic challenger, however, after all of the votes were counted, Beshear was ahead by 5,100 votes.

  Thank you, Kentucky! pic.twitter.com/mmMb7ekyK5

— Andy Beshear (@AndyBeshearKY) November 6, 2019

  “Tonight, voters in Kentucky sent a message loud and clear for everyone to hear,” Mr. Beshear said. “It’s a message that says our elections don’t have to be about right versus left, they are still about right versus wrong.”

While, yes, Bevin was an extremely unpopular governor, the fact Trump's rally in the state the day before still didn't help him - in a blood red state - speaks volumes.  Senate Majority Leader (R-KY) Mitch McConnell needs to start sprucing up his resumé since his approval rate is the same as Bevin's was, and he's up for re-election next year.  Bloop.

No candidate and no situation is perfect. Every single issue we have as citizens will not always be catered to, but that doesn't mean we simply don't care and don't vote.  We do what we can and make strategic moves.  This includes electing attorney generals who PROPERLY enforce and push for more fair laws and better governors and local legislators who don't create or approve local laws that directly hurt us disproportionately.  These things have a larger effect on our daily lives than electing the President of the United States.  So, salute to everyone who turned out on election day!

P.S.  Louisiana, you're up next on November 16th (early voting ends Nov. 9th) for a very important gubernatorial election.

The tide is changing...

Photo: Shuttershock.com

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2019/11/06/political-fallout-in-virginia-new-york-democrats-regain-all-the-power-in-va-ny-adopts-new

[vsplusonline]

Americans slowly emerge from coronavirus lockdown as states ease restrictions

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/americans-slowly-emerge-from-coronavirus-lockdown-as-states-ease-restrictions/

Americans slowly emerge from coronavirus lockdown as states ease restrictions

Americans in about half of U.S. states, led by Texas and Georgia, began emerging on Friday from home confinement while California and New York held fast to business closures and other restrictions imposed in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Texas on Friday began a phased-in reopening of businesses shuttered more than a month ago, with restaurants, retail stores and malls allowed to open at 25 per cent capacity.

A second phase is planned for May 18 if infection rates continue to decline.

READ MORE: Nearly 100 residents dead at NYC nursing home suffering COVID-19 outbreak

“It’s a fraction of a typical Friday crowd, but compared to the last couple months it’s better than zero,” said Omid Rafiei co-owner the Wakefield Crow Bar in Houston, which reopened for dine-in customers with a limited menu.

“I feel comfortable with the protocols we have in place,” Rafiei said, referring to required face masks for staff and greater separation between tables.

Story continues below advertisement

0:46 Coronavirus outbreak: DeBlasio takes aim at Trump over ‘Liberate’ tweet

Coronavirus outbreak: DeBlasio takes aim at Trump over ‘Liberate’ tweet

Across Texas, major employers were putting plans in place to bring staff back to their offices.

Chevron Corp has not yet made decisions on timing or locations, spokesman Sean Comey said, but the oil company is working on guidelines for the restart.

Suchada Mesuwan, an employee of A-1 Cleaners dry cleaning shop wears a mask as restaurants and stores are reopened following the lifting of some restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Houston, Texas, U.S., May 1, 2020. REUTERS/Go Nakamura

“Some workers are eager to get back to the office,” said ConocoPhillips spokesman John Roper.

Conoco alerted its 2,500 Houston-area workers on Thursday it will reopen its corporate headquarters in phases beginning May 11.

GOVERNORS UNDER PRESSURE

About half of U.S. states, joined by some local jurisdictions, have moved toward at least partial lifting of shutdowns as the number of new COVID-19 cases began to drop or level off.

Story continues below advertisement

Governors have been under pressure from citizens agitating for relief from the restrictions as U.S. Department of Labor data this week showed some 30 million Americans have sought unemployment benefits since March 21.

READ MORE: U.S. government missed chances to slow down coronavirus spread: top health official

As of Friday, the number of known infections nationwide had climbed to more than 1 million, including nearly 64,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally.

[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]

President Donald Trump added to the pressure on governors on Friday, urging Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, to compromise with activists who have protested her request to extend emergency powers to combat COVID-19.

1:00 Coronavirus outbreak: New York reports rise in domestic violence incidents amid pandemic

Coronavirus outbreak: New York reports rise in domestic violence incidents amid pandemic

“The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal,” Trump tweeted.

California has also seen protests over Governor Gavin Newsom’s sweeping stay-at-home orders, which remain fully in place, and crack-down on beach goers who have defied those restrictions.

A dentist office manager takes the temperature of a woman as Ohio implements phase one of reopening dentists, veterinarians and elective surgeries, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Columbus, Ohio, U.S., May 01, 2020. REUTERS/Megan Jelinger

Newsom struck a conciliatory tone during his daily remarks on the pandemic on Friday, telling Californians for the first time that the state may be only days away from lifting some of the rules but that residents needed to stay strong in the meantime.

Story continues below advertisement

READ MORE: Several U.S. states prepare to ease coronavirus restrictions despite experts’ worries

“If we can hold the line and continue to do good work ,we’ll get there much sooner,” the Democratic governor said.

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, which has lead the country in coronavirus deaths, said on Friday that all state schools, colleges and universities would remain closed for the remainder of the academic year due to the pandemic.

Washington State, where Seattle was an early hot spot for the virus, extended its lockdown to May 31, Governor Jay Inslee announced.

GEORGIA WATCHED CLOSELY

Georgia has so far gone farthest toward reopening its economy, with nearly every business in the state free to reopen on Friday.

The move by Republican Governor Brian Kemp is being watched by the federal government and other states to see if the number of cases in Georgia surge.

1:33 Protesters flood Michigan’s capitol building protesting the state’s stay-at-home order

Protesters flood Michigan’s capitol building protesting the state’s stay-at-home order

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top pandemic adviser to Trump, said earlier this week he was concerned about states and communities reopening ahead of a timeline recommended by the White House.

But in Atlanta on Friday Kemp’s decision was cheered by Michael Bowers, who co-owns Bowers Watch & Clock Repair in the city’s tony Buckhead neighborhood.

Story continues below advertisement

“We need to reopen,” Bowers, 55, said of the small business his grandfather started in the 1940s. “We couldn’t stay alive with doors shut. We need that money stream or we fail.”

READ MORE: ‘Very good people’: Trump backs armed effort to storm Michigan capitol over coronavirus rules

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Georgia rose to 27,270 on Friday, according to the state Department of Public Health, an increase of more than 1,000 from Thursday.

With stores shut, Americans have relied heavily on home deliveries of everything from food to clothes and office equipment, giving online retailers like Amazon.com Inc a heavy workload.

Demonstrators hold signs during a protest outside of an Amazon warehouse as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in the Staten Island borough of New York U.S., May 1, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Some workers at Amazon, Target Corp and Instacart Inc staged protests and sick-outs in New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon and other states on Friday to demand a safer work environment and better pay during the outbreak.

Story continues below advertisement

In Los Angeles, street vendors drove around City Hall in a caravan pleading for rent relief in a May Day demonstration, saying they have been unable to collect unemployment benefits because of the informal nature of their work or because of their immigration status.

1:26 Activists paint mural outside Jeff Bezos’s home demanding PPE for Amazon workers

Activists paint mural outside Jeff Bezos’s home demanding PPE for Amazon workers

“I’m trying to get help from food banks and donations,” said Francisca Salgado, 36, who sat in a minivan with her three children. “We’re not qualified for unemployment.”

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday ordered a lockdown of the town of Gallup after its mayor requested the measure to control the state’s worst coronavirus outbreak.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Tensions rise as New York police crack down on crowded funeral

All roads into the town of 22,000 people were to close and businesses shut nightly from 5 p.m. Gallup is the county seat of McKinley County, which forms part of the hard-hit Navajo Nation reservation.

The county has 1,027 coronavirus cases, the highest of any in New Mexico, and 19 deaths.

JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS

REPORT AN ERROR

Source link

[patriotsnet]

Why Did Republicans Vote Against The First Responders Bill

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/why-did-republicans-vote-against-the-first-responders-bill/

Why Did Republicans Vote Against The First Responders Bill

Biden Pushed For Bipartisanship What Happened

Why Did the Republican Congress Argue AGAINST the COVID Stimulus Bill?

Biden ran on wanting bipartisanship efforts on Capitol Hill, and being a;negotiator during his 36 years in the Senate.;

More:Amid calls for unity, President Biden and Republicans don’t agree what that looks like

Bipartisan efforts were made in the beginning of negotiations, with a;group of 10 Republicans meeting with Biden at the White House in early February to propose a counteroffer: a;$618 billion package.

But, those talks and communication have;since fizzled, according to Romney, who was;one of the senators who met with Biden. He told reporters;there has been very little effort on the part of the White House to find common ground with Republicans.

More:How much money will your state get if Biden’s COVID-19 relief bill passes?

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., who was also in the group of 10 Republicans, said;talks between the White House and her colleagues stalled.”

Biden said he hoped;”Republicans in Congress listen to their constituents,”;citing the popularity of the bill in some polls.;

Romney told reporters Thursday if some Republican amendments;got into the bill, some of his colleagues may support it.;

“But my guess is it’s not likely that many of our amendments will get any Democrat support so I think it’s very unlikely that any Republicans will support the final bill,” he said.

McConnell and other Republicans have also criticized Democrats for using;a special process called reconciliation to push forward;the legislation;without much input from the GOP.;

Gop Claims Afghan Refugees Are Arriving Unvetted That’s Not True

Thirty-five House Republican broke ranks Wednesday evening to support legislation that would establish an independent commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

Liz Cheney of Wyoming

Tom Rice of South Carolina

Dan Newhouse of Washington

Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington

Peter Meijer of Michigan

John Katko of New York

David Valadao of California

Tom Reed of New York

Don Bacon of Nebraska

Andrew Garbarino of New York

Tony Gonzales of Texas

Dusty Johnson of South Dakota

David Joyce of Ohio

Chris Smith of New Jersey

Van Taylor of Texas

Chris Jacobs of New York

David McKinley of West Virginia

Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska

Why 21 House Republicans Balked At Medals For Capitol Police

There was a brief political consensus in the immediate aftermath of the insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The left, right, and center could all agree on a simple truth: participating in a riotous assault against the nation’s seat of government, in the hopes of derailing our electoral system, is a serious attack against our democracy.

As we’ve discussed, however, that consensus broke down soon after. As winter turned to spring, many House Republicans decided to rewrite recent history, recasting the villains as heroes, and the police as heavy-handed abusers who interfered with “peaceful patriots” engaged in a lawful protest. There was fresh evidence of this yesterday: TPM reported, “During a House Oversight committee hearing Tuesday, several Republicans spent their speaking time expressing concern for a specific group of people involved in the January 6 attack: the insurrectionists themselves.”

Soon after the hearing, the House took up a measure to honor the law-enforcement officials who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6. The resolution passed, but not unanimously.

To be sure, a 406-to-21 vote is lopsided, but under normal circumstances, we’d expect zero members of Congress to vote against a measure honoring Capitol Police who kept them safe during an attack on their own institution. Yesterday, however, 21 lawmakers — each of them conservative Republicans — voted “no,” despite knowing that the resolution would pass anyway.

You May Like: Who Makes More Money Democrats Or Republicans

House Republicans Voted Against Giving Medals To Officers Who Responded To Jan 6 Riot

The House passed a bill Tuesday to award the Congressional Gold Medal to all law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, with 21 Republicans opposing the bill.

Why it matters via the Washington Post:“he vote underscored the still-lingering tensions in Congress amid efforts by some GOP lawmakers to whitewash the events of that day.”

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets.

The measure passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 406-21.

Details: The four medals awarded under the bill one of the highest civilian honors would be displayed in the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police headquarters, Smithsonian Institution and the Capitol building.

The bill names the three law enforcement officers who died following the attack, and singles out U.S. Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who lured a mob away from members of Congress.

The resolution recognizes their actions as an example of “the patriotism and the commitment of Capitol Police officers, and those of other law enforcement agencies, to risk their lives in service of our country.”

The Republicans who voted against:

Rep. Thomas Massie

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

Rep. Andy Harris

The Long Fight To Funding

Congress passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in 2010, over opposition from some Republicans who balked at its original $7 billion price tag. The act was reauthorized in 2015 for 90 years. But a portion of the law the Victim Compensation Fund was only funded for five years, through the end of 2020.; The fund aimed to provide necessary financial support for the thousands who suffered serious medical issues, including a spate of cancer diagnoses, after the 2001 attacks.;

The House voted 402 to 12 to permanently reauthorize the fund through 2092 earlier in July, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating $10.2 billion in costs over the next ten years. However, Sen. Rand Paul prevented the Senate from voting to approve the bill by unanimous consent last week because of its high cost. Fellow Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also placed a procedural hold on the legislation, further preventing it from passing in the Senate.;

Under Senate rules, any one senator can propose that a bill be considered for unanimous consent, but one senator can also block it. The bill was then brought to the floor for debate and a full vote this week.

Comedian and 9/11 first responder advocate Jon Stewart blasted Paul;over the issue, telling Fox News the move was “absolutely outrageous.”;

In a last-minute pitch before Tuesday’s vote, Paul offered an amendment he said would help offset the bill’s spending costs.;

Don’t Miss: How Many Democrats And Republicans Are In The House

/11 Responders Bill Defeated By Senate Gop Filibuster

the CNN Wire StaffSTORY HIGHLIGHTS

Motion for cloture falls three votes short of ending GOP filibuster

Republicans oppose the $7.4 billion cost; supporters hope to revive the measure

Bill would provide medical benefits, compensation for 9/11 first responders

NYC Mayor Bloomberg calls it an “example of partisan politics trumping patriotism”

Washington — Senate Democrats failed Thursday to win a procedural vote to open debate on a bill that would provide medical benefits and compensation for emergency workers who were first on the scene of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The motion for cloture, or to begin debate, needed 60 votes to pass due to a Republican filibuster, but fell short at 57-42 in favor.

While supporters said they would try to bring the bill up again, either on its own or as part of other legislation to be considered, the vote Thursday jeopardized the measure’s chances for approval in the final weeks of the current congressional session.

The House previously passed the bill on a mostly partisan 268-160 vote.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg reacted to Thursday’s result by calling it “a tragic example of partisan politics trumping patriotism.”

RELATED TOPICS

Michael Bloomberg

“I urge Senate Republicans to reconsider their wrong-headed political strategy and allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote,” Bloomberg said in a statement.

Zadroga Act Opponents Including Paul Ryan Observe September 11 Anniversary

WASHINGTON — The nation’s leading Republicans marked the 11th anniversary of 9/11 with the words “never forget” on their lips — most of those using the occasion to promote legislation — but nearly all of them opposed the bill passed two years ago to help the first responders who suffered health problems in the wake of the attacks.

Prominent among them was vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan , who voted twice against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and opposed the final passage of the bill.

“Eleven years ago today, from Capitol Hill, I could see the smoke rising from the fires burning in the Pentagon. Like all Americans, I will never forget the moment that our homeland came under attack,” Ryan said in a statement. “For me, this is a day to remember those who perished on that day of terror, including the first responders.”

A spokesman for Ryan, Brendan Buck, insisted that Ryan supports 9/11 responders and pointed to the congressman’s votes soon after the attacks in favor of aid for those suffering. He explained Ryan’s Dec. 2010 comments on the House floor in opposition to the Zadroga bill by noting that Ryan said he didn’t like the bill because he thought it was flawed, was “rushed” onto the floor by Democrats, and created a new mandatory spending program.

“Gov. Romney supports government assistance to the victims of terrorism,” Saul said.

Recommended Reading: What Witnesses Did The Republicans Want To Call

Texas Elections Bill Was Near Party

Friday’s vote;saw only one representative;cross;party lines; Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, who voted against SB 1.;

All 40 Democrats who were present Friday voted against the bill, with several saying efforts should focus on improving;voter access with such initiatives as online or election day voter registration.

Instead, Republicans squandered an opportunity by focusing on restrictions that will have a disproportionate impact on voters of color, said Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie,;one of nine Democrats to speak against SB 1 to close Friday’s debate.

The bill, Turner said, was inspired by the “big lie” that President Donald Trump was denied a second term because of widespread election fraud, a conspiracy theory unleashing a toxic and dangerous threat to democracy.

“He and other Republicans whipped their base into a frenzy with crazy conspiracies about election fraud,” Turner said.

“This bill was never about election security or voter integrity.;It was always about using the big lie to justify restricting access to the ballot box,” he said.

More:From polls to ballots, here��s what a new Texas voting bill would mean for you

Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, a Black woman who recalled having to pay a poll tax to vote when she was young, said SB 1 was a continuation of an attack on the right to vote for nonwhite citizens.

“We have 90 days to act,” he said. “The clock is ticking.”

Utah Sen Mike Lee Votes Against 9/11 First Responders Bill After Losing Bid To Limit Spending

Why Ted Cruz Voted Against 9/11 Relief Funds | MSNBC

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

Washington The Senate passed a measure Tuesday extending for decades the fund for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks after defeating an amendment by Sen. Mike Lee that would have limited the payout to about $20 billion over the life of the program.

The bill, which passed overwhelmingly in the Senate 97-2 and was previously approved by the House, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

Lee, a Utah Republican, had held up the bill while attempting to curtail the expansion to only what is needed in the next decade. His amendment, shot down by a 32-66 vote, would have given $10.18 billion to the fund in the next 10 years and another $10 billion after that.

After his amendment failed, Lee voted against the final bill. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, supported the overall measure.

Lee walked off the floor shortly after it was clear his amendment didnt have the 60 votes it needed to pass.

His office declined to comment on the vote and pointed to a statement from last week when the senator said that the victims fund has had an excellent record avoiding waste and abuse and has always been funded for a time-certain extension.

These two things are not coincidental, he said in that statement. They go together.

The Senate also rejected an amendment by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would have cut other programs to pay for extending the 9/11 fund. Paul cast the only other no vote.

You May Like: Who Are The Three Republicans Running Against Trump

Republicans Vote Against Awarding Medals To Police Who Defended Capitol

The House passed legislation on Tuesday to award Congressional Gold Medals; one of the highest civilian honors; to police officers who defended the Capitol during the violent Jan. 6 insurrection.

Lawmakers handily passed the legislation. Members of both parties supported it, 406-21, with all of the votes in opposition coming from conservative Republicans.

The four medals awarded under the bill would be displayed at the Capitol Police headquarters, at the D.C. Metropolitan Police headquarters, at the Smithsonian Institution and in a “prominent location” in the Capitol.

The medal displayed in the Capitol would be accompanied with a plaque listing all of the law enforcement agencies that helped protect the building on Jan. 6 from the mob of former President TrumpJoe BidenSpotlight turns to GOP’s McCarthy in Jan. 6 probeBiden visits union hall to mark Labor DayBiden approves disaster funds for NJ, NY after Ida floodingMOREs election victory.

The resolution names three police officers; Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood of the Capitol Police and;Jeffrey Smith of the Metropolitan Police; who died in the days after they were on duty at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The measure states that their actions “exemplify the patriotism and the commitment of Capitol Police officers, and those of other law enforcement agencies, to risk their lives in service of our country.”

‘we’ll See You At The Polls’

But the bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, said SB 1 was the product of more than 35 hours of House debate between the regular session that ended in May and two special sessions.

“We all strive for improvement, and I believe that’s what we’re looking at with this legislation, is improving the Election Code of Texas,” Murr said, his voice scratchy from almost 13 hours of debate Thursday over SB 1.

Moments before the House took its final vote on SB 1, Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, engaged Murr in a back-and-forth discussion on the House floor.

“Do you think there’s fraud in Texas elections?” Dutton asked.

“Generally speaking, I;think there is always a likelihood of fraud,” Murr replied. “We have;seen past examples of fraud.”

Dutton ended with an acknowledgement that the fight over SB 1 was almost over, but he said a larger fight is looming: “We’re going to;go;vote, and so we’ll see you at the polls.”

Once the House names its five members to the conference committee, they will negotiate a final version of SB 1 that will need to be approved;by both chambers.

The bill’s author, Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, said Friday that;he will determine the next step after;studying House changes.

Also Check: How Many Republicans Are Against Trump

Sign Up For The Intelligencer Newsletter

DOJ wades in against Texas abortion ban

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday that the Justice Department would protect women seeking an abortion in Texas as the agency explores ways to challenge one of the most restrictive laws in the nation. In a statement, Garland said the department would protect those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services pursuant to our criminal and civil enforcement of the law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

The announcement from the Justice Department comes days after the conservative-majority Supreme Court declined to block the Texas law that bans abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The law also allows anyone to file a lawsuit against any other person who has aided someone in obtaining an abortion, with the potential for a $10,000 payoff.

The Internet responds

Pro-choice users on TikTok and;Reddit;have launched a guerrilla effort to thwart Texass extreme new abortion law, flooding an online tip website that encourages people to report violators of the law with false reports, Shrek memes and porn.

The law makes it illegal to help women in;Texas;access abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy. To help enforce it, anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life established the digital tipline where people can send anonymous information about potential violations.

A Legislative Win But At What Cost

As the bill now heads to the president’s desk for final signature, advocates and living survivors can’t help but think the battle was won but at the expense of hundreds of their brothers in arms.

In the process of the reauthorization, over 200 firefighters and first responders died as a result of cancers and other medical ailments related to the 2001 terror attacks.;

The daughter of William Gormley, a former New York City firefighter who died after his own battle with cancer in 2017, told CBS that her family had filed a claim for benefits from the victims fund immediately after her father’s death and was assured that the money would be there.

“They went back on their promise but they had to. It was better for everyone to get a little money than no one at all,” Bridget Gormley said.

Gormley says the fund was unfortunately a “victim of its own success” after the fund quickly ran out of money because of a rise in cancer-related illnesses in the 9/11 community.;

“This is not going to be a cause for celebration,” Gormley noted importantly. “We unfortunately have to learn some lessons form our failures in this situation. It’ll be a milestone but it’ll serve as a testament to the first responders who fought.”

Recommended Reading: What Were The Reconstruction Goals Of The Radical Republicans

[internetrodeo]

Ok, I don't often find the need to comment on Mr. Trump, the American businessman who became president of his country. The man who is so good at making everything about him, Mr. Stable Genius.

But.

Now.

We have a situation where he first gets many of us to rub our eyes and ears and ask "What did he just say?!", and then he turns around and says, literally, "I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen".

Source:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/494519-trump-says-remarks-about-heat-light-disinfectant-were-sarcastic

This is hilarious. And sad.

And it makes me so happy that I am not a US citizen. I would bow my head in so much shame, I really would not know where to look.

To literally - Literally! - have a trolling president.

Who in such a situation, where his country is suffering, economically as well as in terms of the thousands affected by the deaths to this virus, goes and "like to see what would happen".

I am really concerned about such a person staying president for another 4 years. I don't mind another republican, but please at least make it someone who is not such a stable genius. Because I don't know if we can take all this advanced trolling.

Let's imagine scenarios now, things he might say in his second term in office:

"We need to bomb China to make sure that they stop producing hardware with micro-robots that spy on us"

"I hereby declare that we will kick the United Nations out of their NYC building. We will use the former UN facilities as a hotel. With the best views. BEST VIEWS."

"Yes, of course the UN headquarters can be in this old school building. We need to drain the swamp, and the UN is the swamp."

"Oh, the UN staff can't fit into the old school building? Let's just fire all the translators, for a start. The whole world should just understand English. Yes yes, great idea".

***

We all know where this is heading.

The 4chan gang is rolling on the floor, laughing at CNN and all the other news who took what Mr. Trump said seriously. They are having the best day of the week now. The memes are endless. Endless! I don't have to see the message boards to know what is on there.

Me? I doubt I will comment further on this American president. He is simply not worth it. Too bad that the power vacuum after the reduced international influence of USA will lead to the rise of regional superpowers such as China, Russia and Turkey. I hope that we see more from Canada, Germany, France or even Norway. Nah, Norway is too busy with our own things now.

[fullspectrum-cbd-oil]

AOC Ducks GOP Challenger After He Confronted Her About Her Socialist Views: ‘She Literally Ran!’

According to radio producer Rich Valdes, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wasn’t keen on debating any political challengers during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday.

Valdes, a potential Republican opponent for Ocasio-Cortez in the upcoming election cycle, said that he approached the congresswoman to have a conversation about capitalism versus socialism.

But the lawmaker “cut her handshaking short, jerked her hand back and jetted to the other side of the street,” Valdes said.

“She literally ran!” he added.

He claimed that he believed the parade would be a good neutral place to have a conversation, but Ocasio-Cortez did not agree.

“I thought this was a good time to try and get a response but I honestly only saw the back of her head as she trotted across the street,” said Valdes.

In the spirit of “todos juntos” I tried to politely introduce myself to ⁦@RepAOC⁩ at the Puerto Rican parade where we we both marching, hoping to invite her to debate the issues, but she ran away. 🤷🏻‍♂️#NationalPuertoRicanDayParade #NYC 🇺🇸🇵🇷 https://t.co/URvkoG4uUu

— Rich Valdes 🇺🇸 (@RichValdes) June 9, 2019

Fellow radio host Curtis Sliwa said that Ocasio-Cortez ran ahead to avoid speaking with Valdes.

“As soon as she saw him she did a pirouette — a spin — and she ran north on Fifth Avenue, ahead of her delegation, just to get away from Rich,” he said.

Valdes allegedly called out to her with no response.

“I heard Rich yelling after her, ‘OK, AOC. You can run — but you can’t hide!’”

Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesman Corbin Trent responded to the New York Post, claiming that Ocasio-Cortez was not running away from the confrontation, but simply continuing to walk in the parade.

“She kept walking! The parade moved! It’s a procession! Give me a break,” Trent said.

The spokesman also stated that Ocasio-Cortez “doesn’t owe anybody a debate,” and said to tell Valdes “to run for office and she’ll debate him.”

As IJR Red previously reported, many of Ocasio-Cortez’s policies are controversial and some have been found to be unsustainable. The lawmaker was also seen as responsible for Amazon backing out of building their new headquarters in her district, yet it is uncertain if these issues will affect her reelection.

from IJR http://bit.ly/2Wov5P3 via IFTTT

[coin-river-blog]

Newbie congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is causing waves within her own political caucus by declaring war on moderate Democrats who refuse to go along with her desire to move to the party to the far-left.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wants to Blacklist Reasonable Democrats

Ocasio-Cortez — a self-declared socialist — threatened to put moderate Democrats on a hit list of people she’ll target to unseat at the next election, the Washington Post reported.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was a bartender last year. Now she’s helping make US laws. | Source: AOC/Twitter

AOC Champions Open Borders and Socialism

AOC and other far-left members of the splintered Democrat Party were furious this week after 24 moderate Democrats sided with Republicans on a bill that would expand background checks for gun purchases.

Ocasio-Cortez’s rep said she told her colleagues that moderate Democrats who side with Republicans on this issue “are putting themselves on a [hit] list.”

While Democrats want restrictions on the Second Amendment, AOC and her motley crew of open-borders leftists were outraged that a provision requires ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to be notified if illegal immigrants try to buy guns.

This goes against the leftist orthodoxy of rabidly promoting illegal immigration — regardless of the heavy financial burden and social costs to Americans.

Some 15 Americans are murdered every day by illegal immigrants – who collectively cost U.S. taxpayers $116 billion every year, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

Illegal immigration costs US taxpayers $116 billion a year. | Source: FAIR

Democrats Previously Opposed Illegal Immigration

While the Democrat Party supported a border fence and opposed illegal immigration as recently as 2014, all that changed once Republican President Donald Trump took office.

The entire Democrat Party has since done a radical about-face and now supports open borders and illegal immigration. Many, like Ocasio-Cortez, even support socialism — a failed ideology that runs counter to the capitalist principles that made the United States the richest and most powerful country in history.

In short, today’s Democrats oppose any political position that President Trump takes, no matter how destructive. And freshman lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are leading the charge.

Some people might be fooled into believing that liberals support illegal immigration because they’re kindhearted humanitarians. In reality, it’s a cynical power play to increase the Democrat voting bloc after the party began losing middle-class and minority voters, who felt abandoned.

NYC Still Reeling from AOC’s Amazon Disaster

Even though Ocasio-Cortez has only been a congresswoman for a month, the former bartender’s star power is undisputed, thanks to her massive social media following. But so far, AOC is proving that she’s all style, no substance.

Her most recent debacle was chasing Amazon out of New York in a move that cost the city 25,000 high-paying jobs. Amazon’s new headquarters would have spurred an economic boom in the financially struggling borough of Queens, New York. When Amazon pulled out, Ocasio-Cortez gleefully celebrated.

Local businessman Josh Bowen, the owner of the John Brown Smokehouse in Queens, torched her. Bowen said AOC’s comical stupidity and radical activism hurt his blue-collar community.

“Our dumb, glory-seeking politicians decided this was their hot-button issue, f–king over our people for political gain,” Bowen said. “This is not Shangri-La over here. We needed this! We needed this! This was a gift.”

The Job Creators Network mocked AOC with snarky billboards in New York. | Source: JCN

Fed: There Are Limits to Using Other People’s Money

Even Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell ripped Ocasio-Cortez’s epic ignorance. At a February 26 hearing of the Senate Banking Committee, Powell said Democrat enthusiasm for using OPM (Other People’s Money) is “just wrong.”

“The idea that deficits don’t matter for countries that can borrow in their own currency is just wrong,” Powell said, in reference to an idea vocally championed by AOC.

The thin-skinned Ocasio-Cortez bristles at the bipartisan criticism she receives over her lack of knowledge of basic economic principles. While she has tried to frame the backlash as racist by suggesting that only white male Republicans find her clueless, in reality, many minorities also mock her foolishness.

Alfredo Ortiz, the CEO of the Job Creators Network, trashed Ocasio-Cortez for championing socialism, a failed ideology that caused the once-sizzling Venezuelan economy to plunge into poverty.

“Socialism takes, and capitalism creates,” Ortiz said. “We can see what socialism did here. It took away 25,000 to 40,000 great-paying jobs. We calculated somewhere between $4 billion to $6 billion in lost wages for New Yorkers.”

“We have economic illiteracy in this country. [Ocasio-Cortez] basically is taking a victory lap while thousands of people lost the American dream opportunity.”

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not represent those of, nor should they be attributed to, CCN.

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1288856321255834'); fbq('track', 'PageView');