Showing posts with label US. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US. Show all posts

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Haley Vows to Stay in Until Super Tuesday

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

Odysseus Lunar Lander Shuts Down After Week-Long Mission

The Odysseus 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.

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.

Intuitive Machines hopes that the lander will be able to be brought back online once solar power becomes available to its solar panels again.

 

Biden, Trump Make Dueling Visits to Texas Border Cities

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The trip to Brownsville is Biden’s first trip to South Texas and his second to the US-Mexico border.

 

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Trump Looks Likely to Take GOP Nod, Haley Vows to Stay In

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.

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.

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.”

 

US Says It Will Respond to Recent Deadly Drone Attack

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.

Kirby also said that the response from the US  would not ‘be a one-off,’ but would come in phases.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

Fed Declines to Cut Rates at Latest Meeting, May Cut in Future

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.

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.

The latest economic growth numbers remain strong, with job growth continuing, even amid notable layoffs at large companies this January.

 

Sunday, December 31, 2023

In Memoriam: Those Lost in the Final Weeks of 2023

Charlie Munger (1924-2023)

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.

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.


Henry Kissinger (1923-2023)

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.

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.

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.

 

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-2023)

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’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.

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.


Norman Lear (1922-2023)

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.

Lear was also noted for his activism, most notably founding the progressive advocacy group People for the American Way.

 

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Dies at 96


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.

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.

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.

 

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

JFK Assassination 60 Years Later

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a pivotal point in 20th century US history.

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.

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.

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.

The 'End of Camelot' and 'The Day America Lost Its Innocence' 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.

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.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Questions Remain After Spree Shooter Leaves 18 Dead in Maine

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson Elected Speaker

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.

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.

 

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Dianne Feinstein, Longest Serving Female Senator, Dies at 90

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. 

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.

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.’)

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.

 

Congress Struggles to Avoid Shutdown

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.

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.

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.

 

Heavy Rains Flood New York Subways

 

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. 

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.

 

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Trump Enters Not Guilty Plea in Fulton County, GA Case

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. 

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.

 

Hurricane Idalia Strikes Florida and East Coast

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.

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.

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.

 

Celebrated Television Host Bob Barker Dies at 99

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 The Price is Right, where he ended every broadcast with a plea for pet owners to get their pets spayed or neutered.

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 Truth or Consequences. In the 1975, he began hosting The Price is Right, from which he retired in 2007 and was replaced as host by Drew Carey.

He also had several acting roles, including in Happy Gilmore and Spongebob Squarepants.

 

Monday, July 31, 2023

Incandescent Lightbulb Ban Takes Effect in August

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.

People can still own incandescent bulbs, but retailers can no longer sell them after August 1.

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.

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.

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.

 

2024 Contest Marked by Trump Legal Troubles, Biden Investigations

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

 

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Investigation Begins in Implosion of Submersible

The US Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the implosion of lost submersible Titan, which was created by private company Oceangate to take tourists to see the wreck of the Titanic. The investigation will also include involvement from authorities in Canada, the United Kingdom, and France.

 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.

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.

The US Navy had picked up audio consistent with an implosion on June 18, and confirmed that disovered debris was from the Titan on June 22. Wreckage is now being recovered.