Trump cancels meetings with Iranian officials and tells protesters 'help is on its way'

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Trump said Tuesday he’s canceled talks with Iranian officials amid a protest crackdown, telling Iranian citizens “help is on its way.”

Trump did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after the Republican president earlier this week said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic that has killed more than 2,000, according to human right monitors.

But Trump with his latest message on social media appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote in a morning post on Truth Social. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-trump-80f937dfbb3e04e5322dae30db3ad4b3

Rep. Gerry Connolly, top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, dies at 75

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON — Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee known for his vocal advocacy of federal workers and his frequent clashes with Republicans during televised hearings, died Wednesday morning, his family said. He was 75.

His death comes less than a year after he won a competitive race to become the ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, one of the key panels that are charged with keeping a check on the executive branch. He announced in April that his esophageal cancer had returned despite receiving “grueling treatments,” and he would not be running for reelection in 2026.

“Gerry lived his life to give back to others and make our community better. He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. He always stood up for what is right and just. He was a skilled statesman on the international stage, an accomplished legislator in Congress, a visionary executive on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a fierce defender of democracy, an environmental champion, and a mentor to so many,” his family said in a statement announcing his death.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-gerry-connolly-top-democrat-oversight-committee-dies-75-rcna208183

Personal anecdote, interaction with a Trump supporter in Indiana

I'm involved in politics in Elkhart County, Indiana. The day after the election, I had this interaction with a Trump supporter.

She told me that she only votes in presidential elections, she thinks politicians are scum, and votes ONLY for Trump and leaves the rest of the ballot blank.

Like it or not, there are tens of thousands of voters like her across the country, including key swing states. It's why Dems do so well in midterms and special elections, but the GOP outperforms expectations in presidential years.

Big question is if these voters come out again in 2028, or if they stay home when Trump is no longer on the ballot.

I think sometimes, as Democrats, we get stuck in our own liberal bubble

We know about all the great things Dems do, the hard work President Biden and his staff have done over the past 4 years. I also think acknowledging that Independent and GOP voters see things differently than we do can go a long way in helping win those voters over (at least swing voters).

The best example I can give it, say you run into someone on the street who makes 35K a year, and they tell you "This economy is awful, I can barely afford my groceries" we spent the last couple years telling them "Well, the economy actually is pretty good, unemployment rates are at historic lows!" That doesn't change the fact that grocery prices have gone up 20 percent over the last four years, and they are barely holding it together.

A better response is to acknowledge that they're hurting, and explain that Biden and the Democrats want to go after companies that are price gouging to bring down costs, while Trump wants to apply tariffs that would cause prices to increase even more.

Our policies are a million times better, I think we need to find a way to message it better, and that means remembering that the people we're talking to, don't always have the same viewpoint we do.

Anybody else notice RFK has largely disappeared since endorsing Trump?

I get the feeling the Trump campaign realized his weirdness was probably doing more harm than good, and decided to sideline him through the election.

All Ron DeStantis events taken off of Events page on campaign website

Only posting the link so you can see for yourself.

https://events.rondesantis.com/?_gl=1*s7sn3m*_gcl_au*MTk4OTA5NjE1Ny4xNzA1ODQ0MzUz

His official campaign Twitter page, rapid response director page, war room Twitter, etc have all been completely silent since about 5 PM EST yesterday.

Second senior Russian-appointed Kherson official injured in his car

Source: Reuters

A Russian-appointed deputy governor of Ukraine's Kherson region, Vitaly Bulyuk, was injured on Monday when his car exploded, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing the occupation administration's health minister.

Five weeks ago, Kirill Stremousov, another deputy head of the Russian-installed Kherson administration, was killed in a car crash after his driver tried to avoid hitting a truck, according to authorities.

Shortly afterwards, Moscow ordered its troops to withdraw from the western part of Kherson province on the west bank of the Dnipro river, which had been occupied since early in Russia's invasion of Ukraine and annexed by Russia in October.

Moscow calls its war in Ukraine a "special military operation" to degrade the Ukrainian military and remove what it says is a potential threat against its own security. Ukraine and its allies call the war that began in late February an unprovoked act of aggression.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/second-senior

Adam Kinzinger, outspoken GOP Trump critic, won't seek reelection for US House seat

Source: CNN

(CNN)Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois who has been a strong critic of former President Donald Trump, announced in a video Friday morning he is not running for reelection.

"I also remember during that campaign saying that if I ever thought it was time to move on from Congress, I would, and that time is now," Kinzinger said.

Kinzinger is one of two Republican members of the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol Hill riot.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/29/politics/adam-kinzinger-not-running-reelection-illinois-republican/index.html

Blast reported at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul

Source: CNN

(CNN)An explosion was reported outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, according to two US officials.

One official said there are injuries among Afghans, but there is no information yet on any US casualties.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby confirmed there was an explosion outside of the airport. "We can confirm an explosion outside Kabul airport. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can," he said in a tweet.

This is a developing story.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/26/asia/afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-intl/index.html

Power blackout in Kabul