Rescuers resumed preparations on Tuesday for a third rescue operation deep into a cave complex in northern Thailand to free four remaining boys and their soccer coach in a race against time and monsoon weather.

Four more of the boys were carried on stretchers out of the labyrinthine Tham Luang cave on the Myanmar border on Monday, bringing to eight the total number brought out so far after two rescue pushes in successive days.

The head of the operation, Narongsak Osottanakorn, said rescuers had learned from experience and were two hours faster in bringing the second batch of survivors out as scattered monsoon rains continued to risk flooding the tunnels with water.

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1K0061?__twitter_impression=true

Some immigrant U.S. Army reservists and recruits who enlisted in the military with a promised path to citizenship are being abruptly discharged, the Associated Press has learned.

The AP was unable to quantify how many men and women who enlisted through the special recruitment program have been booted from the Army, but immigration attorneys say they know of more than 40 who have been discharged or whose status has become questionable, jeopardizing their futures.

<snip>

Some of the service members say they were not told why they were being discharged. Others who pressed for answers said the Army informed them they'd been labeled as security risks because they have relatives abroad or because the Defense Department had not completed background checks on them.

Spokespeople for the Pentagon and the Army said that, due to the pending litigation, they were unable to explain the discharges or respond to questions about whether there have been policy changes in any of the military branches.

https://apnews.com/amp/38334c4d061e493fb108bd975b5a1a5d?__twitter_impression=true

https://twitter.com/ProudResister/status/1014910030997434369


Ryan Knight 🌊
@ProudResister
7 Republican Congress members just spent the 4th of July in Russia. I don’t ever want to hear again that NFL players—protesting racial injustice—are disrespecting the flag.

The GOP is openly conspiring with Russia and there is nothing more disrespectful to the flag than TREASON.

11:33 AM - Jul 5, 2018
5,035
2,719 people are talking about this

https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/1014912816191606786


John Aravosis
✔
@aravosis
I just googled this, it’s true. Trump isn’t even going to have an interpreter in the room with him when he meets with Putin. Who does that? Someone corrupt as hell who has something to hide.

Republicans, what have you done to our country?

Laffy
@GottaLaff
Trump is going to meet with Putin alone, WITHOUT AN AMERICAN INTERPRETER, so there will only be a Russian one.

GOP Congress members met with Russians without even ONE DEM, not one, and instead of confronting Russians, essentially kissed their asses.

MAGA.

11:44 AM - Jul 5, 2018
906
666 people are talking about this

will retake Congress

President Donald Trump has no plan for the possibility that Democrats will retake congressional majorities in November’s midterm elections.

Aides to former President George W. Bush correctly believed they would lose their Republican majority in the U.S. House and formed a secret “Oh Sh*t Group” to prepare, but the Trump White House isn’t doing that, reported Axios.

Bush’s staff met regularly in chief of staff Josh Bolten’s office to game out their strategy for dealing with Democrats, but sources said Trump and some White House officials are certain the GOP will hold onto their majorities in the House and Senate.

Some administration officials aren’t quite as confident as their colleagues, according to Axios, and some congressional Republicans have tried to convince the president to prepare — but aides say they spend most days in reaction mode.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/trump-staff-arent-even-bothering-plan-possibility-democrats-will-retake-congress/

WASHINGTON — Boasting about his tax cuts, President Donald Trump inflated his role in boosting the economy to mythical proportions, claiming full credit for U.S. growth that was already in the making and ignoring the reality of a mounting deficit. On immigration, he and administration officials repeatedly spread questionable alarms by linking weak border enforcement to pervasive crime and a “surge” in MS-13 gangs.

His statements capped a week of head-spinning assertion, fabricated history and dubious claims.

They included a contradictory tweet about his support for legislation to end family separations, a claim that Russia didn’t meddle in the 2016 election, a mangled account of Wisconsin politics and declarations of campaign promises fulfilled on an Obama-era law and veterans’ health care that don’t hold up.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trumps-tax-miracle-immigration-claims

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has addressed a series of recent death threats she said she has received, telling would-be threateners to "shoot straight" during an immigration rally on Saturday.

"I know that there are those who are talking about censuring me, talking about kicking me out of Congress, talking about shooting me, talking about hanging me," Waters told the crowd in Los Angeles.

"All I have to say is this, if you shoot me you better shoot straight, there's nothing like a wounded animal," she added to cheers.

Waters was forced to cancel a pair of events in Alabama and Texas this week after a "very serious death threat."

https://www.google.com/amp/thehill.com/homenews/house/395016-maxine-waters-responds-to-serious-death-threats-you-better-shoot-straight%3famp