AZProgressive
AZProgressive's Journal'Our country': Donald Trump renews racist attacks on Ilhan Omar
US President Donald Trump has renewed his racist attacks against Muslim-American Representative Ilhan Omar, telling a crowd of supporters that the congresswoman wants to turn "our country" into her native Somalia.
Speaking at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday, Trump bashed his political opponents and aired grievances against the media. And at a time of nationwide protests for racial justice, he implied that the Black congresswoman is a foreigner imposing her beliefs on Americans.
The US president addressed Omar by mispronouncing her first name as "Eel-ann" to boos from a smaller-than-expected crowd at his first rally since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. He warned that the congresswoman would be part of the US administration if the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wins in November.
"Omar is going to be very much involved in a Biden government," Trump said. "They will put this hate-filled, America-bashing socialist front and centre in deciding the fate of your family and deciding the fate of your country. I don’t think so.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/our-country-donald-trump-renews-racist-attack-ilhan-omar
Russia report: UK MPs condemn 'utterly reprehensible' delay
The government’s apparent refusal to release a report into Russian infiltration in the UK and to delay establishing a key scrutiny committee has been condemned as unprecedented and “utterly reprehensible”.
The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has not sat since before the general election in December, its longest break since it was established in 1994, and critics say the government has sat on the committee’s report into Russian interference for nine months.
The former chair of the committee Dominic Grieve said the report had been sent to Downing Street on 17 October and was ready for publication once it had been signed off, a process that usually takes up to 10 days.
The Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, said: “Given the prime minister has for nine months sat on the intelligence committee report into Russian interference of our democracy, his decision to delay nominations to the committee raises serious ethical questions.
https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/20/russia-report-uk-mps-condemn-utterly-reprehensible-delay
Military data reveals dangerous reality for black service members and veterans
Washington(CNN)Top US military officials are seeking to reassure the nation's roughly two million active duty and reserve personnel that they are committed to addressing issues of racial inequality across the branches following George Floyd's death and protests across the country.
But the challenges they face are huge.
A CNN review of data provided by the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs reveals the stark reality that black service members are less likely to become officers and, as a result, are more likely to be seriously injured serving their country than their white colleagues.
Those issues are very much intertwined, according to David Shulkin, who previously served as President Donald Trump's Veterans Affairs Secretary.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/06/13/politics/military-diversity-data/index.html
'Trump thought I was a secretary': Fiona Hill on the president, Putin and populism
(snip)
When we talked in May, Hill was back in seclusion but so was the rest of Washington. She was speaking from home, where she had an array of books spread around her feet. She had laid them out to try to piece together an explanation of why the three countries with which she was intimately familiar – the UK, where she was born; Russia, the country she had spent her life studying; and the US, where she has lived since 1989 and risen to the highest level of government – had all failed so spectacularly in handling the health crisis.
She is one of a handful of people to have stood at the nexus of these three disastrous governments, to have been in the room to witness Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Boris Johnson operate.
“It’s a story really about how the US, UK and Russia have all ended up in the same spot weirdly, not just in terms of Covid-19 but also populist politics and many of the same out-of-control inequalities,” Hill said.
(snip)
What interests Hill is how the three such different countries end up in the same boat, run by populists and significantly less able to cope with a pandemic than their neighbours. She believes the critical common factor is the heady rise, and then the catastrophic collapse, of heavy industry and the failure of their governments to manage the fall and cushion the impact on their people.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/12/fiona-hill-trump-putin-populism-interview
Well worth reading in full,
Man projects George Floyd's face over Lee monument at night
RICHMOND, Va. (WHSV) — As questions escalate over the future of the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, one man is taking a unique approach to unite those grieving the death of George Floyd. For the past few nights now, Dustin Klein has projected Floyd’s face over the statue, as well as others who have died in police custody.
It’s the Robert E. Lee monument like it’s never been seen before.
“Black lives matter!” a crowd yells while viewing it.
George Floyd’s face is in the spotlight, overshadowing the Confederate leader.
https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Man-projects-George-Floyds-face-over-Lee-monument-at-night-571202861.html
There is a photo when you click on the link.
Boris Johnson letting 'crazy' Dominic Cummings control government, says former aide to PM
Dominic Cummings is overseeing “a reign of terror” in Downing Street despite having “crazy” ideas, a former aide and friend of Boris Johnson is warning.
In an extraordinary attack for an influential Conservative, Tim Montgomerie accused the prime minister of a letting his chief aide control No 10 – partly blaming it for the “mishandling” of the coronavirus response.
Mr Montgomerie revealed he had been threatened with “retribution” for speaking out against the government, having worked for Mr Johnson until as recently as February.
And he said: “What I worry about is that he [Cummings] is a brilliant figure, but half of his ideas are crazy, and half of his ideas are good.
The Independent
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-dominic-cummings-tim-montgomery-downing-street-a9561056.html%3famp
I follow people in the UK on Twitter and this confirms their theories that Cummings is the one who is really in charge.
Study: 100% face mask use could crush second, third COVID-19 wave
We've all heard it many times: Wear a face covering — indoors, outdoors, on trains and buses. At work, in the supermarket and at church.
But now a new modeling study out of Cambridge and Greenwich universities suggests that face masks may be even more important than originally thought in preventing future outbreaks of the new coronavirus.
To ward off resurgences, the reproduction number for the virus (the average number of people who will contract it from one infected person) needs to drop below 1.0. Researchers don’t believe that’s achievable with lockdowns alone. However, a combination of lockdowns and widespread mask compliance might do the trick, they say.
“We show that, when face masks are used by the public all the time (not just from when symptoms first appear), the effective reproduction number, Re, can be decreased below 1, leading to the mitigation of epidemic spread,” the scientists wrote in the paper published Wednesday by the Proceedings of the Royal Society A.
https://www.sfgate.com/science/amp/Study-100-face-mask-use-could-crush-second-15333170.php
Pete Carroll regrets fact Seahawks didn't sign Colin Kaepernick, says another team is interested in
Pete Carroll regrets fact Seahawks didn’t sign Colin Kaepernick, says another team is interested in him now
In what were his most expansive comments on the Seahawks’ interactions with Colin Kaepernick, coach Pete Carroll said Thursday he wishes in retrospect the team could have found a way to sign him in 2017 or 2018.
“I regret that that didn’t happen in some fashion,’’ Carroll said of not signing Kaepernick, who has not played in the NFL since 2016, a season in which he kneeled during the national anthem while playing for the 49ers. “I wish we would have contributed to it because he deserved to play. … I wish we could have figured that out knowing what we know now, and given him the chance because I would love to see him play for all those years.’’
Seattle Times
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/pete-carroll-regrets-seahawks-didnt-sign-colin-kaepernick-says-another-nfl-team-is-interested-in-him-now/%3famp=1
Iowa football players put fans on notice: Support their movement or don't support the Hawkeyes
Current Iowa football players have now made it clear to fans that they will not tolerate those who don't support their message off of the field on the heels of allegations against strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle. Sophomore defensive back Kaevon Merriweather took to Twitter on Monday to deliver the message that fans who don't support the team's decision to kneel during the national anthem shouldn't bother cheering for them moving forward.
"If you can not support us right now with this movement and with our team taking a knee during the national anthem, DO NOT support us during the football season," he wrote. "DO NOT watch our games on TV. DO NOT come up to us when you want photos. DO NOT ask us to give your kids autographs. DON'T COME TO US EXPECTING US TO DO FOR YOU WHEN YOU CAN'T SUPPORT THE BLACK ATHLETES ON THIS TEAM AND THE DECISIONS WE MAKE AS A TEAM. I would rather play in front of 1,000 fans who care about us as people outside of football and what we are standing for, than 70,000 fans who only care about us when we are in uniform and on the field entertaining them."
Scott Dochterman of The Athletic pointed out that several current Iowa players have posted the same statement on Instagram.
https://twitter.com/ScottDochterman/status/1270066055474483200
https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/iowa-football-players-put-fans-on-notice-support-their-movement-or-dont-support-the-hawkeyes/amp/
Saints' Drew Brees says he'll 'never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag'
METAIRIE, La. -- After earlier sharing a message of unity on social media, Drew Brees attracted backlash later Wednesday when he reiterated his stance on how he will "never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America" during an interview with Yahoo Finance.
They were his first comments in the wake of George Floyd's killing last week.
The star New Orleans Saints quarterback gave a lengthy response to ESPN when asked about the perceived conflict between those two stances -- including the potential divide in his own locker room, where players like Malcolm Jenkins and Demario Davis are among the leaders of the players' coalition seeking social justice and racial equality.
"I love and respect my teammates and I stand right there with them in regards to fighting for racial equality and justice," Brees said. "I also stand with my grandfathers who risked their lives for this country and countless other military men and women who do it on a daily basis."
ESPN
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29262906/saints-drew-brees-says-never-agree-anybody-disrespecting-flag%3fplatform=amp
Like George Carlin said I leave symbols to the symbol minded but systematic racism is something that should be addressed. BTW Drew Brees I served in the military and I stand with Kaepernick. I'm tired of people bringing the troops into this as a veteran.
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Arizona
Home country: USA
Member since: Wed Jul 16, 2008, 08:35 PM
Number of posts: 29,322
