tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54931788015473245442024-03-28T20:28:52.447-07:00CAB News OnlineCAB News Online: Real News, Real TimeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-74679596529589875692024-03-10T16:52:00.000-07:002024-03-10T16:52:23.224-07:00Former Costa Rican First Lady Marita Camacho Quiros Celebrates 113th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Marita del Carmen Camacho Quirós, the former First Lady of Costa Rica, celebrated her 113th birthday today. Born on March 10, 1911, in San Ramón, she married businessman and politician Francisco José Orlich Bolmarcich, a descendant of Croatian immigrants, who became president of Costa Rica in 1962, serving until 1966. Both shared March 10 as their birthday. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">During her husband's presidency, she promoted children's education and shelters throughout the country. She and her husband also met US Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson on official state visits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her husband died a few years after leaving office at 62 in 1969. Now at 113, Camacho Quirós is the world's oldest former first lady ever, the oldest living Costa Rican, and the 28th oldest living person in the world. She is the oldest living person who remains notable for reasons other than their longevity. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Pk9wCynhi3XDb7476An5V9nuKeAJiipe0zSIp7rqDU96dIHYc3SoU18KeQPbuCv8389uS3Tcn6y0J0kcgG8FPSOD4uPWBnQgSYV3EnRiC5SfSJ-M0_rXg5MtvwGXYJNSUrJSzq6h30xpNPSUhp2B0fNHSQuosz_XftXz-nAd99MtqLogTWvREvILjrjC/s576/MaritaCamachoQuiros1962.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="358" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Pk9wCynhi3XDb7476An5V9nuKeAJiipe0zSIp7rqDU96dIHYc3SoU18KeQPbuCv8389uS3Tcn6y0J0kcgG8FPSOD4uPWBnQgSYV3EnRiC5SfSJ-M0_rXg5MtvwGXYJNSUrJSzq6h30xpNPSUhp2B0fNHSQuosz_XftXz-nAd99MtqLogTWvREvILjrjC/s320/MaritaCamachoQuiros1962.png" width="199" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camacho Quirós in 1962<br />Credit: US State Department</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>More information on her life and images of her throughout her life can be found on her <a href="https://gerontology.fandom.com/wiki/Marita_Camacho_Quiros" target="_blank">Gerontology Fandom page</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San José Province, San José, Costa Rica9.9280694 -84.0907246-18.382164436178847 -119.2469746 38.238303236178844 -48.9344746tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-68582218768553129662024-02-29T18:50:00.002-08:002024-02-29T18:50:57.844-08:00Haley Vows to Stay in Until Super Tuesday<p>While former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has failed to win any states so far in her quest for the Republican nomination, she has vowed to remain in the primary race until Super Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump has finished first in all states that have voted so far, including Haley’s home state of South Carolina.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Haley is the last major candidate still challenging Trump for the nomination, with all other major GOP challengers dropping out prior to the Iowa caucuses or shortly after. A longshot contender, Texas pastor and businessman Ryan Binkley, dropped out of the race this week and endorsed Trump.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Trump leads Nikki Haley in the RealClearPolitics average of polls 78.7% to 14.5%. So far, Haley has performed much better in each state that has voted than 14.5%, though in Michigan, the latest state to hold its primary, she failed to break 30% of the vote.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Trump’s campaign has appeared to transition to general election campaigning, with Trump choosing not to mention Haley in his victory speech after the South Carolina primary. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Charleston, SC, USA32.7833163 -79.93196644.4730824638211573 -115.0882164 61.093550136178848 -44.775716399999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-42852113892658399272024-02-29T18:50:00.001-08:002024-02-29T18:50:55.495-08:00Odysseus Lunar Lander Shuts Down After Week-Long Mission<p><span lang="en-US">The </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic;">Odysseus </span><span lang="en-US">lunar lander has been shut down by its operators after successfully transmitting data for the past week. The lander, developed by Houston-based Intuitive Machines and launched by a SpaceX rocket, was part of the first private mission to the moon, as opposed to government-sponsored missions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The mission did face a challenge when the lander tipped over shortly after reaching the lunar surface, a result of a harder-than-expected landing that broke two of its legs, but the lander continued to communicate with the earth-based team.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Intuitive Machines hopes that the lander will be able to be brought back online once solar power becomes available to its solar panels again. </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.36980281.4501928638211545 -130.5260528 58.070660536178849 -60.2135528tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-9954020277478024432024-02-29T18:50:00.000-08:002024-02-29T18:50:44.810-08:00Biden, Trump Make Dueling Visits to Texas Border Cities<p>President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump both made visits to the Texas-Mexico border on Thursday. Biden visited Brownsville, the southernmost city in the state, and Trump visited Eagle Pass, one of the most active crossing sites for migrants for the past several years.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Trump landed first in Del Rio before traveling to Eagle Pass, where he was joined by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and by National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, both staunch backers of Trump in his rematch against Biden in November. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">In his speech, Trump blasted Biden, calling him the “worst president” in American history and pledged to reinstate the policies of his presidency, including Remain in Mexico, where asylum claimants waited in Mexico while their claims were adjudicated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">In Brownsville, Biden met with local leaders and border patrol agents, where he had a brief tour of the border and then gave a speech at the border patrol station. After he spoke briefly on the wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, he called on Republicans to pass a bipartisan bill that would allocate money to hire more border patrol agents and judges.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Democrats have accused congressional Republicans of bowing to pressure from Trump to not pass the bill in order to prevent Biden from claiming credit in reducing the number of migrants coming to the US. Republicans counter that Biden can take executive action without the bill and that the bill should not be tied to funding for Ukraine in the war against Russia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The trip to Brownsville is Biden’s first trip to South Texas and his second to the US-Mexico border. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Brownsville, TX, USA25.9017472 -97.4974838-2.4084866361788464 -132.6537338 54.211981036178841 -62.3412338tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-69561912124893097142024-01-31T18:40:00.000-08:002024-01-31T18:40:02.843-08:00Trump Looks Likely to Take GOP Nod, Haley Vows to Stay In<p>Coming off two straight victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump has moved closer to becoming the Republican nominee in November. While still early in the contest, Trump only faces one major competitor for the race, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, over whom he holds a nearly 55-point lead nationwide, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Even with this large polling advantage, Haley has vowed to remain in the race, putting her hope in a strong showing in her home state of South Carolina, which votes next month. While it is Haley’s home state, Trump currently has a 30-point polling lead over Haley in the South Carolina. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Trump recently rebuffed an effort by some Republican National Committee (RNC) members to declare Trump the presumptive nominee. Trump wrote on his Truth Social page, “While I greatly appreciate the [RNC] wanting to make me their PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE...I feel...that they should NOT go forward with this plan...and finish the process off AT THE BALLOT BOX.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Columbia, SC, USA34.0007104 -81.03481445.6904765638211572 -116.1910644 62.310944236178848 -45.8785644tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-58752333350451105972024-01-31T18:39:00.000-08:002024-01-31T18:39:16.035-08:00US Says It Will Respond to Recent Deadly Drone Attack<p>The Biden administration has promised a response to the drone strike that killed three American servicemembers in Jordan. According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, the US holds the Islamic Resistance in Iraq responsible for the attack, which itself is an umbrella organization that contains Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shia militant group.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Kirby also said that the response from the US<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would not ‘be a one-off,’ but would come in phases.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The three soldiers killed in the drone strike were Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23. All three were from Georgia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Kata'ib Hezbollah did announce that it would suspend military operations against US force in the region, though whether it will truly back off from targeting US assets in the region is questionable. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC), Hossein Salami, warned that Iran was willing to respond to US retaliatory strikes, also saying, "We (Iran) are not looking for war, but we are not afraid of it either.” This echoes a similar sentiment from President Biden, who has also sought to avoid escalating the conflict in the Middle East. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The Middle East erupted into conflict after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians, killing 1,139. Israel responded with large scale airstrikes and a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 25,000 dead (both civilians and Hamas militants). In response, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, which control Yemen’s capital Sana’a and much of its western region, have launched attacks on cargo ships and US military vessels, leading to US strikes on Houthi targets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran35.7218583 51.33469547.4116244638211555 16.1784454 64.032092136178846 86.4909454tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-31894883682769697502024-01-31T17:37:00.000-08:002024-01-31T17:37:10.473-08:00 Fed Declines to Cut Rates at Latest Meeting, May Cut in Future<p>The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged after their latest meeting Wednesday, but future cuts may in store as inflation declines and concerns over an economic slowdown grow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">In the latest statement from the Fed, they expressed that rate cuts were not warranted currently as inflation remains elevated, but they dropped a reference to ‘additional policy firming,’ possibly signaling the cuts could come in the future and that additional rate increases are unlikely unless higher inflations returns.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The latest economic growth numbers remain strong, with job growth continuing, even amid notable layoffs at large companies this January.</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.036870710.596958463821153 -112.1931207 67.217426136178844 -41.880620699999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-23855451075178957642023-12-31T20:58:00.000-08:002023-12-31T21:17:48.683-08:00In Memoriam: Those Lost in the Final Weeks of 2023<p><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-weight: bold;">Charlie Munger (1924-2023)</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Chares “Charlie” Munger, the longtime vice president of Berkshire Hathaway and right-hand man to fellow investing legend Warren Buffett, died on November 28, just weeks shy of his 100th birthday. Born on January 1, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska, he served as a weather forecaster in World War II. After the war, he received his law degree from Harvard, even though he never completed his undergraduate degree. He became a successful corporate lawyer before pivoting to becoming a businessman himself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">He met Buffett in 1959 at a dinner, becoming inseparable business partners and friends. Together, they grew Berkshire Hathaway, once a struggling textile manufacturer, into an corporate juggernaut, investing in myriad companies and posting outsized returns for decades. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Henry Kissinger (1923-2023)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Henry Kissinger, one of the central figures in 20th century American diplomacy, died November 29 at 100. Kissinger, who was born in Germany, came to the US in 1938, his family fleeing Nazi rule. His accounting studies interrupted by World War II, Kissinger served in the army. He later studied political science at Harvard, eventually earning his Ph.D. He became a noted foreign policy expert by the time Richard Nixon appointed him as National Security Adviser in 1969 and later as Secretary of State in 1973.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">His diplomatic contributions include establishing relations with communist China and negotiating a peace with the North Vietnamese. His controversial actions include advocating for bombing Cambodia, support for Argentina’s military during the Dirty War, and support for the coup which led to Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Kissinger remained an influential voice on diplomacy in the decades after his public service, most recently making a surprise visit this year to China to speak with leader Xi Jinping amid growing tensions between the US and China.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-2023)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, died December 1 at 93 following a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s, the same disease that afflicted her late husband, who died in 2009. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">O’Connor, born in El Paso, Texas, in 1930, graduated from Stanford Law School, but found difficulty finding work following graduation. She eventually found work with the San Mateo County DA’s office and started her involvement in Republican politics. She and her husband later moved to Arizona, where she ran for state senate, rising up to majority leader. After her stint in the legislature, she became a judge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed her as the first female Supreme Court, fulfilling a campaign promise. O’Connor became known as a conservative-leaning moderate, retiring in 2006. In retirement, she launched a project to teach kids about civics.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Norman Lear (1922-2023)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Norman Lear, television pioneer and political activist, died December 5 at 101. Lear was a prolific creator of television shows, with some of his best known including ‘All in the Family,’ ‘The Jeffersons,’ and ‘Good Times,’ often including commentary on social issues. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Lear was also noted for his activism, most notably founding the progressive advocacy group People for the American Way. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972812.402541463821152 -109.1622228 69.023009136178842 -38.849722799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-87805028651936916412023-11-25T15:37:00.000-08:002023-11-25T15:38:24.676-08:00Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Dies at 96<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXHBkI1-Y6ICwv9_8qnNB-A6_GqSvxvl_ptgWydrIBYQP_bT3jY29evprVBPHRTb0d3TxSs2UM_xvzouD9NRjGvZgAz_UiqGseglCCovVzJihbP2vJOBJoPffskZKYOQELhb8NfWPE-PG_EgnJOuHkDNaAuo7MUKWbLH8Y_WLISpYXjCfW_foKva_-qp3/s1116/Rose_Carter,_official_color_photo,_1977-cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXHBkI1-Y6ICwv9_8qnNB-A6_GqSvxvl_ptgWydrIBYQP_bT3jY29evprVBPHRTb0d3TxSs2UM_xvzouD9NRjGvZgAz_UiqGseglCCovVzJihbP2vJOBJoPffskZKYOQELhb8NfWPE-PG_EgnJOuHkDNaAuo7MUKWbLH8Y_WLISpYXjCfW_foKva_-qp3/w143-h200/Rose_Carter,_official_color_photo,_1977-cropped.jpg" width="143" /></a></div><br />Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter died last Sunday at her Plains, Georgia, home at 96. She was the second oldest first lady ever, after Bess Truman, and her marriage to her husband former President Jimmy Carter was the longest presidential marriage in US history at 77 years.<p></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, on August 18, 1927. She started dating her future husband Jimmy in 1945, and they married in 1946. They would have four children together.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Carter became first lady of Georgia in 1971 and first lady of the US in 1977. She took an active role her husband's administration, acting as an adviser and attending cabinet meetings. She was a fierce advocate for mental health reform, both as first lady and during her husband’s post-presidency.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Plains, GA 31780, USA32.0340508 -84.39269123.7238169638211573 -119.5489412 60.344284636178848 -49.2364412tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-65985036628142749532023-11-22T20:32:00.000-08:002023-11-22T20:33:33.057-08:00JFK Assassination 60 Years Later<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ETYwpLOtIktIiAQGv6p6KRuQun-jN-Tph58rEL8hLYYDWxxOp9ArX8Ay4RCCAH4aHePfjwjRM99fFs9cdVzqGmoHrmjA8GUCWQCaB8p4Rcz4O5cUQjfEJclyCdL66fbgLXmQodcyG8RSpS3QyXTydheH7r_OoLPfSE0XJTJZQeqnStUGvQUd3uO7wAtL/s531/JFK1%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ETYwpLOtIktIiAQGv6p6KRuQun-jN-Tph58rEL8hLYYDWxxOp9ArX8Ay4RCCAH4aHePfjwjRM99fFs9cdVzqGmoHrmjA8GUCWQCaB8p4Rcz4O5cUQjfEJclyCdL66fbgLXmQodcyG8RSpS3QyXTydheH7r_OoLPfSE0XJTJZQeqnStUGvQUd3uO7wAtL/s320/JFK1%5B1%5D.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>Today marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a pivotal point in 20th century US history.<br /><p></p><p>On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was riding along with his wife, Jackie Kennedy, and Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, along a Dallas street. At approximately 12:30 PM CST, both Kennedy and Connally were shot by an unseen gunman. Kennedy was struck by a third fatal bullet that shattered part of his skull and pierced his brain, and he would be pronounced dead at 1:00 PM.</p><p>While conspiracy theories abound six decades after his death, most recognize Lee Harvey Oswald, a former US marine and Soviet sympathizer, as the shooter who fired the fatal shots. Oswald himself was murdered two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby.</p><p>His vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, was sworn in as president soon after, whose presidency ushered in a new era of American politics, including advances in civil rights, racial and geographic party realignment, and massive social welfare programs. Johnson's administration saw increased American involvement in Vietnam and the rise of the 1960s counterculture.</p><p>The '<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/books/killing-kennedy-by-bill-oreilly-and-martin-dugard.html">End of Camelot</a>' and '<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/david-shribman-the-day-america-lost-its-innocence/ar-AA1kaQok" target="_blank">The Day America Lost Its Innocence'</a> have both been used to describe the day and its effects on the country. Regardless of the possible hyperbole of the latter, his death did mark a transition into a more turbulent era of American history.</p><p>Two other notable deaths that occurred that day that were overshadowed by the Kennedy assassination were those of author and academic C.S. Lewis and author Aldous Huxley.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Dallas, TX, USA32.7766642 -96.7969878999999914.4664303638211535 -131.95323789999998 61.086898036178845 -61.640737899999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-42127429235979846222023-10-31T18:51:00.000-07:002023-10-31T18:51:56.473-07:00Questions Remain After Spree Shooter Leaves 18 Dead in Maine<p>After 40-year old Richard Card was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days after his shooting rampage left 18 dead and 13 more injured, questions over his motives, mental health, and access to firearms have continued to mount.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Card, an Army reservist, had been held in a hospital for psychiatric care in July of this year after behaving erratically while training at West Point. Card had told others he had been hearing voices and was disturbed by their content. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Card was released in August from the hospital. He had tried to purchase a firearm suppressor, the purchase of which was initially approved but later denied after Card admitted on his form that he had previously been committed to a mental institution. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The next month, Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office launched a search for him after someone from his Army unit reported that he feared Card was dangerous and could even commit a mass shooting. The sheriff’s office called off the search in October.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">On October 25, Card opened fire at a Lewiston, Maine bowling range, killing 7. He later opened fire at a bar, killing 11. After a statewide manhunt and residents being urged to shelter in place, his body was found on October 27.</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Lewiston, ME, USA44.100351 -70.21477639999999115.790117163821158 -105.37102639999999 72.410584836178856 -35.058526399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-1366471969400426712023-10-31T18:47:00.000-07:002023-10-31T18:47:06.539-07:00Israel Expands Ground Operation in Gaza<p></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have expanded their ground operations in the Gaza Strip after weeks of building up forces along the narrow strip of land. Israeli forces have moved into the north area of the strip just north of Gaza city as well just south of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The beginning of the ground invasion comes after weeks of aerial bombardments throughout the strip, a response to the October 7 terrorist attack by Palestinian group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. The attacks by Hamas left over one thousand Israelis dead, with around 200 others taken hostage and brought back to the Gaza Strip. Hamas has only released a handful of hostages since, all foreign citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The air strikes on Gaza by Israeli forces have drawn criticism for the collateral damage. Over 8,000 Palestinians are believed to have been killed in the strikes, with Israel responding that they try to avoid civilian causalities and blaming Hamas for keeping military targets near civilians.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Israel has claimed responsibility for a strike on a refugee camp on the Jabalia refugee camp on October 31. Israel says the strike killed Ibrahim Biari, a suspected key planner in the October 7 attacks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Gaza31.5016951 34.46684453.1914612638211537 -0.68940549999999945 59.811928936178845 69.623094500000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-23837568461140594752023-10-31T18:44:00.001-07:002023-10-31T18:44:50.292-07:00Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson Elected Speaker<p>Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the US House of Representatives on October 25, capping over three weeks of political drama which left the House paralyzed following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the first in US history.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Johnson, a staunch conservative, managed to attract unanimous support among his Republican colleagues on the House floor after winning the nomination from House Republicans. His victory followed three GOP nominees failing to win enough Republican support to win in a vote from the full House. Of the three, only Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) nomination received a vote on the floor, in which he lost three votes amid staunch opposition from GOP moderates. </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.036870710.596958463821153 -112.1931207 67.217426136178844 -41.880620699999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-24213858567349517992023-09-30T18:05:00.006-07:002023-09-30T18:05:50.510-07:00Dianne Feinstein, Longest Serving Female Senator, Dies at 90<p>US Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the longest serving female US senator in history, died Friday at 90. Feinstein, who had announced that she would not run for reelection in 2024, had been facing health issues the past few years, including shingles, encephalitis, Ramsay Hunt syndrome (causing face paralysis and other sensory issues), and possible dementia. </p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Feinstein, born in 1933, started her political career on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1970. She became president of the board in 1978, which allowed her to become acting mayor after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Feinstein won election as mayor in 1979, where she served until 1988.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Feinstein ran for California governor in 1990, losing to Republican candidate, US Senator Pete Wilson. Feinstein made a political comeback in 1992, winning Wilson’s Senate seat in a special election in a year that saw six other women elected to or currently serving in the Senate (often termed ‘The Year of the Woman.’)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Her death leaves the Senate with a 50-49 Democratic majority. Until a replacement is named, only one Democratic senator needs to vote against his or her party to block legislation. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has vowed to appoint a black woman to replace Feinstein in the Senate. While one black woman, Bay Area Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D) is already running for the seat, Newsom has said he will not appoint anyone currently in the race for the seat, which he says will create an unfair advantage against the other candidates, which include Democratic House representatives Katie Porter and Adam Schiff.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.036870710.596958463821153 -112.1931207 67.217426136178844 -41.880620699999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-49970453999556917022023-09-30T18:05:00.001-07:002023-09-30T18:05:02.986-07:00Congress Struggles to Avoid Shutdown<p>The federal government is nearing another shutdown of non-essential operations, which would make it the fourth such occurrence since September 2013. Congressional leaders have so far failed to arrive at a spending agreement, with House Republican leadership unable to pass their own proposal as a group of conservative lawmakers have voted with Democrats to stop any GOP proposal from advancing.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The GOP proposal would fund the government for thirty days as both parties work to reach a more long-term solution. However, the group of breakaway Republicans has criticized any funding proposal that does not meet their demands for deep spending cuts and other conservative priorities. The small GOP majority in the House (221-212) gives this group near veto power absent GOP leadership relying on Democratic votes to pass their plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">One of these lawmakers, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL), has given no indication of backing down, saying, “I’m doing everything in my power to stop the uniparty…The battle is on.” The ‘uniparty’ is a term some use to describe the establishment of both the Democratic and Republican parties.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.036870710.596958463821153 -112.1931207 67.217426136178844 -41.880620699999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-60466188745117291602023-09-30T17:57:00.002-07:002023-09-30T17:57:15.824-07:00Heavy Rains Flood New York Subways<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Nearly eight inches of rain fell in some areas of New York City this past week, causing flash flooding in the nation’s most populous city. New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) declared a state of emergency for the area. Some areas in Westchester County just north of the city required rescues using inflatable rafts to retrieve people from flooded buildings. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The rain caused the New York City subway system to flood, disrupting the method of transportation many in the city rely upon for getting to work. Some bus riders were also stranded for hours on flooded streets.</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972812.402541463821152 -109.1622228 69.023009136178842 -38.849722799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-16590948209045167702023-08-31T15:44:00.002-07:002023-08-31T15:44:08.984-07:00Trump Enters Not Guilty Plea in Fulton County, GA Case<p>Former President Donald Trump entered a not guilty plea to 13 state felony counts, including racketeering, Thursday. Trump did not appear in court in person in Atlanta, Georgia, where the charges were filed, but rather filed a written plea which also waived a formal arraignment. Trump surrendered last week to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, where he was booked and had his mugshot taken. Trump is one of 19 defendants to be charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s office. </p><p>Fani Willis, a Democrat, launched an investigation into Trump and his allies in February 2021 after Trump’s team challenged the results of the 2020 election and in the aftermath. Willis believes Trump and his co-defendants broke the law by their actions challenging the results.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Atlanta, GA, USA33.748752 -84.3876844999999925.4385181638211577 -119.54393449999999 62.058985836178849 -49.231434499999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-62993509718218678152023-08-31T15:43:00.002-07:002023-08-31T15:43:15.566-07:00Hurricane Idalia Strikes Florida and East Coast<p>Hurricane Idalia struck Florida as a category 3 hurricane on Wednesday after briefly peaking in strength as a category 4 storm. Idalia struck the Big Bend area of Florida, where the Florida Panhandle connects to the larger Florida peninsula.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Idalia’s storm surge flooded coastal communities and low-lying inland areas. However, Idalia’s damage was nowhere near the destruction brought by last year’s Hurricane Ian, which struck as a strong category 4 storm in Southwest Florida, devastating the cities of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel. Unlike Ian, Idalia was a fast-moving storm, leaving less time for storm surge and heavy rains to inundate populated centers. Still, insured losses from Idalia are projected to exceed $9 billion. Ian’s damages, in contrast, were $113 billion, making it the third-costliest Atlantic hurricane on record after Katrina and Harvey. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">After striking Florida, Idalia moved up into Georgia, bringing rain and wind as it weakened over land. Idalia is currently hugging the North Carolina coast and moving offshore, where it is projected to move out to sea and possibly affect Bermuda in the coming days as weak hurricane.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Cedar Key, FL 32625, USA29.1385785 -83.0351211999999920.82834466382115579 -118.19137119999999 57.448812336178847 -47.878871199999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-84063576727717781402023-08-31T15:38:00.004-07:002023-08-31T15:38:46.236-07:00Celebrated Television Host Bob Barker Dies at 99<p><span lang="en-US">Game show host and television personality Bob Barker died last Saturday at 99, just months before his 100th birthday. Barker was perhaps best known for his 35-year long stint as host of </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic;">The Price is Right</span><span lang="en-US">, where he ended every broadcast with a plea for pet owners to get their pets spayed or neutered.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Barker was born in 1923 in Washington and was raised in South Dakota on an Indian reservation (Barker was one-eighth Sioux). After serving in World War II, he began his broadcasting career in 1950. In 1956, he began hosting the gameshow </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Truth or Consequences</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">. In the 1975, he began hosting </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The Price is Right</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">, from which he retired in 2007 and was replaced as host by Drew Carey.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">He also had several acting roles, including in </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Happy Gilmore</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> and </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Spongebob Squarepants.</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0549076 -118.2426435.7446737638211545 -153.398893 62.365141436178845 -83.086393tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-76665516271848712372023-07-31T18:47:00.002-07:002023-07-31T18:48:05.208-07:00Israeli Knesset Approves Judicial Changes Amid Protests<p>The Israeli legislature (Knesset) has approved changes to the country’s judiciary, most notably the selection system for its highest court. The changes would remove the ability for current Supreme Court judges to block candidates to the court. In addition, it removes the ability of the court to strike down laws they deem as ‘unreasonable.’</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its supporters argue the reforms are necessary to prevent activist judicial decisions. Opponents of the changes, many of whom have joined protests against them, argue that it removes critical checks and balances against the among branches of government.</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Jerusalem, Israel31.768319 35.213713.4580851638211563 0.057459999999998956 60.078552836178844 70.369959999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-57679647866418772812023-07-31T18:46:00.000-07:002023-07-31T18:46:21.225-07:00Incandescent Lightbulb Ban Takes Effect in August<p>The Biden administration’s new ban on the sale of most incandescent light bulbs takes effect August 1, capping a nearly sixteen year long effort to phaseout the lighting from most consumer use. The Trump administration had delayed implementation of the rule, with the Biden administration reinstating it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-US">People can still own incandescent bulbs, but retailers can no longer sell them after August 1.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The market has long been shifting toward more energy efficient LED lighting, which uses a fraction of the power that traditional incandescent bulbs use. LED lighting also does not contain any toxic elements like fluorescent lighting does.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">LED lighting does have its limitations: They are more difficult to dim than incandescent lights, and the spectrum of light they emit is different from incandescent light, requiring adjustments to emulate the light of incandescent bulbs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Praise for the new rule focuses on the expected environmental benefits from using less energy. Criticism has focused on perceived government overreach and that consumers can no longer choose incandescent lighting even if they prefer it.</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.036870710.596958463821153 -112.1931207 67.217426136178844 -41.880620699999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-31358694024996052242023-07-31T18:39:00.001-07:002023-07-31T18:39:11.113-07:002024 Contest Marked by Trump Legal Troubles, Biden Investigations<p>The two likely general election opponents in the 2024 presidential race are both dealing with their own legal issues. Former President Donald Trump’s are more pressing given his three state and federal indictments, but President Biden faces increased scrutiny over alleged involvement in his son Hunter’s business dealings, with calls for impeachment growing among congressional Republicans.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Trump was indicted for the third time this month; in a superseding indictment, he is now alleged to have obstructed justice by scheming to erase video surveillance at Mar-a-Lago in an attempt to cover up his retention of classified material. Trump has denied the charges. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Trump is also expected to face another federal indictment over his actions in challenging the results of the 2020 election and the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. He may also face a state indictment in Georgia over his actions to overturn Biden’s victory in the state in 2020. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden remain the subjects of House GOP inquiries. Biden has long denied any knowledge of his son’s business dealings, which have been linked to previous money laundering, tax evasion, and foreign lobbying investigations, which have led to misdemeanor failure to pay tax charges (Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to those charges after a recent plea deal was effectively rejected during a recent hearing). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Republicans have so far failed to tie Joe Biden directly to Hunter’s business activities, though an FBI document reporting a source’s claim that Joe Biden was bribed by Ukrainian company Burisma has been uncovered. To date, no evidence to confirm that claim has been found.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.036870710.596958463821153 -112.1931207 67.217426136178844 -41.880620699999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-91018159327133258192023-06-29T11:15:00.004-07:002023-06-29T11:15:43.343-07:00Wagner Group Insurrection Shows Weaknesses in Russian Government<p>This past weekend, the Russian government experienced the most direct challenge to its rule since the fall of Soviet Union in 1991 when the head of the mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, took control of some Russian cities and ordered his troops to advance towards Moscow. The advance was called off after Prigozhin agreed to an agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, with the Wagner Group withdrawing from occupied cities and the criminal charges against Prigozhin dropped.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The Wagner Group is a private military company (PMC) that since 2014 has operated closely with the Russian government and other governments in operations across the world, from the Central African Republic to Syria to Venezuela. Wagner troops have been heavily involved in the war in Ukraine, with some troops suspected of committing war crimes in the course of the war. Prigozhin is known for recruiting from prisons to fill his ranks, with the promise of amnesty after a six-month deployment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Prigozhin had long been one of Putin’s closest associates, originally heading a catering company with a number of government and military contracts. Since then, he has transformed Wagner Group into a military juggernaut, which this weekend challenged the Russian military for dominance. Prigozhin has for months expressed frustration with the leadership of the Russian military, claiming they have mishandled the war and failed to provide his troops ammunition.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">While the attempted rebellion failed to take control of the Russian government or depose top military leaders, it was the greatest internal challenge to Putin’s rule since he first took power in 2000.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast, Russia47.2357137 39.70150518.925479863821153 4.5452549999999974 75.545947536178844 74.857755tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-69782767596031299212023-06-29T11:14:00.004-07:002023-06-29T11:14:38.116-07:00Investigation Begins in Implosion of Submersible<p><span lang="en-US">The US Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the implosion of lost submersible </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic;">Titan</span><span lang="en-US">, which was created by private company Oceangate to take tourists to see the wreck of the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic;">Titanic</span><span lang="en-US">. The investigation will also include involvement from authorities in Canada, the United Kingdom, and France.</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five crew members, including Oceangate CEO Rush Stockton, died on the trip, likely during the descent on June 18, when the submersible lost communication with the ship on the surface.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Stockton and Oceangate had faced criticism and concerns over the perceived lack of attention to safety in the construction of their submersibles, using commercial-of-the-shelf materials and a carbon fiber hull. Unlike steel and similar materials, carbon fiber does not have strong compression strength, which made it unsuitable for use in deep sea navigation, where high water pressure can lead to failure of the vehicle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText3" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">The US Navy had picked up audio consistent with an implosion on June 18, and confirmed that disovered debris was from the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Titan </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">on June 22. Wreckage is now being recovered.</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Bodoni MT"; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Boston, MA, USA42.3600825 -71.058880114.049848663821152 -106.2151301 70.670316336178843 -35.902630099999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493178801547324544.post-16525830344386746902023-06-29T11:13:00.006-07:002023-06-29T11:13:43.932-07:00Midwestern Air Quality Drops as Canadian Wildfire Smoke Moves South Midwestern states are facing an onslaught of smoke from Canadian wildfires, experiencing the same phenomenon that eastern states endured earlier this month. <div><br /></div><div>Residents of Chicago experienced the worst air quality in the world as 488 wildfires send their smoke into the US, 259 of which are deemed as ‘out of control’ by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. Other local and state authorities have issued advisories on the hazardous air conditions, advising residents to stay indoors.
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.629798213.567879763821153 -122.7860482 70.188347436178844 -52.473548199999996