NORTH CAROLINA’S STORM OF A LIFETIME - FLORENCE (THE AFTERMATH)

NORTH CAROLINA’S STORM OF A LIFETIME - FLORENCE:

IT’S NOT OVER YET - THE AFTERMATH IS WORSE THAN STORM.

HURRICANE FLORENCE DEVASTATES NORTH CAROLINA -

DEATH TOLL IS RISING.

COAST GUARD CALLED IN FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE.

HELP & PRAYER NEEDED FOR NC RESIDENTS.


Post Sources: Charlotte Observer, CNN, Fox News, Weather.com, WRAL, Youtube


***** Storm of a lifetime


For days, residents had been told to heed the warnings. Hurricane Florence, at its peak a Category 5, would be the "storm of a lifetime"for portions of the Carolina coast," the National Weather Service said.

It would bring powerful wind, relentless rain and life-threatening storm surge to an area that wasn't used to hurricanes.

More than 1 million people were under mandatory evacuation orders as the storm crawled toward the East Coast.

t would soon become clear why residents had been told to leave.

The calm before the storm

As Florence twisted over the Atlantic Ocean Thursday morning, 65-year-old Deb Frese took a walk along the shoreline. The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, resident knew the storm could be keeping her inside for a while, so she wanted to fit in one last stroll.

Frese lived in the evacuation zone, about a mile from the beach, but she chose to ride the storm out in her home.

"Flooding, that's the biggest concern," said Frese. She also recognized that she might have to make do without power. But with a stockpile of food, batteries and lanterns, she was prepared to hunker down for "at least a week," she said.

"Then I might have to go."
'This is just the beginning'

By Thursday afternoon, Florence's wind speeds had dropped, and the storm was classified as a Category 2. But forecasters said its biggest threats remained: potentially deadly storm surge, flooding, and what was expected to be a historic rain event.

In New Bern, North Carolina, along the banks of the Neuse River, a CNN crew watched the water rise and flood Union Point Park until they were forced to leave.

Todd Willis, a resident of Kennel Beach, North Carolina, shared video on Facebook of tidal flooding. It was early in the afternoon, and water was already collecting beneath homes lofted on stilts. Some water inched up to the road as Willis drove by.

"This is just the beginning," he said. "It hasn't even gotten here yet and there's already water (in the) bottom parts of people's houses."

By evening, the storm was downgraded to a Category 1. But conditions continued to deteriorate into the night, as thousands of evacuees slept in emergency shelters.

Annazette Riley-Cromartie's home in eastern North Carolina began to flood around midnight. As her kids tried to sleep in a top bunk, her husband could hear voices in the distance.

"While we were still waiting, my husband kept hearing people yelling for help," she told CNN's Anderson Cooper, her voice thick with emotion. Her 6-foot-2 husband tried to go out and help, she said, but the water was already above his chest.

"You just keep hearing people yelling, and you can't do anything," she said. "It's the worst feeling in the world."

Back in New Bern, 200 people trapped in their homes were plucked from the water overnight.

"WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU," the city tweeted. "You may need to move up to the second story, or to your attic, but WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU."

By sunrise Friday, the town had seen about 7 inches of rainfall and 10 feet of storm surge, and scores of people still needed saving.
Trapped by floodwater

At 7:15 a.m., Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, became eerily calm as the eye of Hurricane Florence, now a Category 1 storm, loomed overhead.

Florence, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, had made landfall.

Trees swayed from the wind and toppled over, blocking roads. Deserted streets flooded and swollen rivers escaped their banks. Power transformers exploded in bursts of light like fireworks, leaving hundreds of thousands of electric customers in the dark. Whole neighborhoods soon became swamps.

Back in New Bern, the Cajun Navy and other ragtag teams of volunteers joined emergency responders to rescue people from the rising water.

As water poured into their homes, residents sought refuge in attics.

"In a matter of seconds, my house was flooded up to the waist, and now it is to the chest," Peggy Perry told CNN's Chris Cuomo Friday morning.

"We have been up here for like three or four hours."
In River Bend, south of New Bern, a man shouted out of his open window at a small boat that had been left behind and commandeered by the Maryland Swift Water Rescue Team.

But when they asked if he needed help, the man said no.
He had everything he needed, he said. He just wanted to say hello.

The first deaths

A tree came crashing down on a house in Wilmington, North Carolina.

A family of three was inside the home, and emergency responders worked for hours to save them.

In the afternoon, authorities confirmed that a woman and her infant daughter were dead -- the first known deaths attributed to Florence. The child's father was taken to a local hospital.

A group of firefighters who had rushed to the scene were shaken. They knelt outside the home in a circle and began to pray.

It's time to go'

By Friday evening, Florence had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm.

But the rain showed no signs of abating and rivers continued to spill over their banks.

On Saturday morning, the National Weather Service warned of the possibility of "catastrophic flooding."

"We face walls of water at our coast, along our rivers, across farmland, in our cities and in our towns," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told reporters that morning. "More people now are facing imminent threat than when the storm was just off shore."

Susan Bostic and her family had initially planned to wait out the storm in their Rocky Point, North Carolina home, not far from the Cape Fear River.

They changed their minds on Saturday, as water from the river spilled onto their property, collecting in big pools on the ground.

Bostic had lived through Hurricane Floyd in 1999, she said, and it took everything -- cars, clothes, her home.

"And they're expecting this to be even higher," she said. "So we know it's time to go."

About 40 miles to the northeast, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Marti Dias was grappling with the same realization. She watched water from the New River slowly creep up her street, mailboxes jutting above the surface. Some of her neighbors had already left. It was time to go.

"I'm not going to lie, I cried this morning," she told CNN. "I broke down and cried."

Residents of Lumberton, North Carolina, also kept a wary eye on their own Lumber River, which quickly rose foot after foot as heavy rains continued to drench the state. The river had inundated Lumberton two years before, during Hurricane Matthew, and city officials scrambled this week to plug a hole in the town's levee system.

As floodwaters rose, roads quickly became impassable. An abandoned car was left running idle in the street with water lapping at the passenger windows.

That night, emergency responders and volunteers in Wilmington, North Carolina, made about 700 rescues; Pender County conducted 172, and lost two ambulances in the floodwaters.

By the end of the day, 13 people would be confirmed dead, several of them from flash flooding.

On Saturday evening, Hailey Burgalow was traveling to Virginia with her sister, her sister's boyfriend and her aunt when they hit flooding on Interstate 95, forcing them to pull off and venture into Lumberton.

The town was still in the process of recovering from Hurricane Matthew, and many homes appeared to be abandoned or in disrepair, their windows boarded up and weeds growing tall in the yards.

The group parked at a gas station and tried to get some sleep in the car, Burgalow told CNN. Eventually, a police officer stopped, and they asked him if there was any way to make their way north. There wasn't, the officer told them. He directed them to a shelter that was filled with evacuees.

"They ran out of cots and blankets," Burgalow told CNN. "It was super crowded, but we were thankful."
On Sunday morning, Burgalow and her family realized they were stuck there.

Flooded roads and fragile levees

The National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory for Florence on Sunday morning as the storm, crawling inland, weakened to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph -- but plenty of rain was still on its way.

The center said in its last advisory that southeast North Carolina could see up to 40 inches of rain, and also warned of the risks of landslides across western North Carolina and southwest Virginia.

Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo called the flooding in the northern part of the county a "phenomenon," and "something we've never seen before." The city was essentially cut off from the rest of the state because of high waters, he said.

Any direction you try coming into the city -- from 20 to 40 miles out, roads are impassable," he said. "Anyone trying to get in here -- don't try. You will be turned away."

The Lumber River was close to 25 feet high by midday -- 12 feet above flood stage. At 26 feet, Lumberton city officials said, the levee around the river could be overwhelmed.

At that point, "all bets are off," said Corey Walters, deputy director of Public Works.

The rain had slowed down overnight, he said, giving officials another chance to try and plug the gap in the levee system -- but Walters didn't sound optimistic.

"Our crews are taking one more crack at trying to stop it," Walters said. "We're just fighting time here. There's another rain band that's going to be coming through and we know it. We're expecting to get another 4 to 6 inches."

Water began seeping beneath the sand barriers workers had placed there Sunday afternoon.

Bobby Hunt was just about finished packing belongings into the back of his pickup truck.

"Y'all ready? Lets get in the truck and get out of here," Hunt told his wife and cousin as they prepared to leave their boarded-up Lumberton home, which still bore the damage from Hurricane Matthew.

That storm had caught them by surprise with flooding in the middle of the night, he told CNN.

But after being told by the city that the levee could be overwhelmed, the family didn't hesitate to leave.

On Sunday, Bostic, who fled her Rocky Point home the day before, learned she and her family got out just in time.

Her home, about 200 yards from the river bank, was submerged, and the water was still rising.
Nearly 20 years after Bostic lost almost everything to Hurricane Floyd, Florence would also force her to start over.
It's not over

On Sunday, two more deaths were confirmed in South Carolina, bringing the toll to at least 18.

Hundreds upon hundreds had been rescued in the Carolinas.

There were at least 170 patients in four medical shelters across the state, and officials believed more would be on their way as the rescues and flooding continued throughout the day.

Pender County, North Carolina officials said they had received 300 calls for help by Sunday.

Rescue attempts and other essential services were hindered by a lack of fuel.

Gov. Cooper accompanied the Coast Guard on a flyover of flooded areas in North Carolina.

He said he saw significant flooding in the farmland of Jacksonville and throughout Onslow County.

In New Bern, where the drama of Friday morning had significantly diminished, the governor saw boats washed up in town and significant debris.

Flying over Fayetteville, he said, "it was stark to see the raging Cape Fear River, and you knew it was rising and you could see these vulnerable communities."

We've got a tall task ahead," Cooper said.

The rain had slowed a little in Fayetteville, but officials there worried that would lure residents into a false sense of security and prompt them to make their way back.

"We're going to get hammered," said Kevin Arata, the city's director of communications.

"The worst is still yet to come."

FANNIE MAE IS BADLY IN NEED OF REFORM & NEW LEADERSHIP MINUS CONGRESS' INTERVENTION (NO BAIL OUT)

FANNIE MAE IS BADLY IN NEED OF REFORM & NEW LEADERSHIP MINUS CONGRESS' INTERVENTION (NO BAIL OUT):

WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL INTERFERENCE, FANNIE MAE STAFF CAN NO LONGER USE POLITICS TO HURT HOMEOWNERS WHO VOTE OPPOSITE OF THEIR CHOSEN CANDIDATES.

WITHOUT CONGRESS' HELP, FANNIE MAE STAFF CAN NO LONGER STEAL HOMES WITH EQUITY FROM U.S. MILITARY VETERANS WHO VOTE OPPOSITE OF THEIR CHOSEN CANDIDATES.


Post Sources: American Banker, Forbes, Fox News, Youtube


********How next FHFA chief can reform Fannie, Freddie without Congress' help


The legislative stalemate over housing finance reform is likely to prolong the uncertain future for the government-sponsored enterprises. But it also illuminates the power of the next head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

With FHFA Director Mel Watt's term due to end in January, his successor — either a Senate-confirmed appointee or an interim chief — has substantial authority to set part of the path forward on GSE reform, including how far Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac expand their mission and the status of a common securitization platform shared by the two mortgage giants.

“Reforms can move forward without legislation,” said Anne Canfield, executive director of the Consumer Mortgage Coalition. “There are things that can be done administratively that would reduce the government’s exposure and risk to the GSEs and bring private capital into the marketplace, but in a little bit of a different way.”

That highlights the importance of whomever the Trump administration selects for the job. It could be someone who differs from Watt — an Obama appointee — in style and policy, who could opt to go as far as placing the mortgage giants into receivership.

“I don’t think we’re going to have legislative GSE reform anytime, but the day-to-day decisions they make, whether to approve a pilot or fund the Housing Trust Fund, these are significant decisions that will impact the trajectory of mortgage finance,” said Isaac Boltansky, the director of policy research at Compass Point.

During his tenure, Watt has appeared cautious about changing Fannie and Freddie's role in the absence of congressional reforms.

"I am well aware, and regularly express my belief, that conservatorship should never be viewed as permanent or as a desirable end state and that housing finance reform is necessary," Watt said in a 2014 policy speech early in his FHFA tenure. "However, Congress and the administration have the important job of deciding on housing finance reform legislation, not FHFA. Instead, our task is to continue to fulfill our statutory mandates, to execute our strategic plan and to manage the present status of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

But observers said his successor could take advantage of the agency's powers to move in the direction of reducing the GSEs' role.

Before Watt arrived, the agency was run on an acting basis by Ed DeMarco, who had joined the agency in the Bush administration and was seen as more opposed to expanding Fannie and Freddie's reach.

“It depends on the person," said Canfield. "It really depends on who they select.”

Some candidates who have been mentioned as possible successors to Watt — including DeMarco himself along with retiring House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling — have been vocal about reducing the government’s role in the mortgage market.

In February, when Fannie requested a $3.7 billion draw from the Treasury, Hensarling harshly criticized giving the company any more bailout funds.

“Today’s announcement that Fannie Mae has once again run out of money to pay its own bills is the latest example of why we need to repeal the GSEs’ government charters once and for all," he said then in a statement, adding criticism later of Watt's handling of the companies' fiscal situation.

"The even more troubling aspect of the GSEs financial crisis is FHFA Director Mel Watt’s continued insistence to siphon taxpayer dollars to prop up payments to the Housing Trust Fund that the GSEs cannot afford to make," Hensarling said. "If the GSEs don’t have the money to pay their own bills, they should not be making optional payments to outside entities."

While Watt's term will end in early 2019, a pair of recent scandals facing the agency has led some to speculate he could leave sooner. Watt has been accused of sexually harassing an FHFA staffer and is reportedly under a separate investigation for attempting to weaken the oversight of the FHFA Office of Inspector General.

Before a new nominee is Senate-confirmed, the White House could appoint one of Watt’s three lieutenants to serve as acting director or appoint a temporary director under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act when Watt leaves.

“If there’s a prolonged period where we have an acting director … I think that it would be a slower decision-making process and more of a caretaker,” said Boltansky.

But Canfield disagreed, saying that the administrative decisions made by an acting director could depend on the person.

“I think the acting director can do quite a bit,” she said. “I would hope that they would get a permanent director in there but if they’re not able to do that, I think they can all move forward with an acting director.”

If the White House were to move quickly to nominate a successor to Watt, it would signal that the administration wants to move quickly to end conservatorship and implement reforms of the mortgage finance system, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods wrote in recent a research note.

“However, it is difficult to say what policy path the administration will pursue until we see what personnel it intends to insert at FHFA,” the company said.

Of all the actions a director could take, the most significant would be to put Fannie and Freddie into a receivership, which supporters claim would restructure the GSEs without burdening taxpayers.

Among the other decisions the next FHFA director could make would be to determine the courts of efforts to implement a common securitization platform, which would allow Fannie and Freddie to issue uniform mortgage-backed securities. The FHFA has pushed the second phase of the process to June 2019 — after Watt’s departure.

The director will also be at liberty to decide whether or not to continue Fannie's pilot Enterprise-Paid Mortgage Insurance program and Freddie's similar Integrated Mortgage Insurance pilot, which both debuted this year. Some have criticized the mortgage insurance programs as being too far outside the bounds of the GSEs’ mission.

An FHFA director with the view that the GSEs' footprint should be reduced could oppose the mortgage insurance pilots.

However, the pilot programs are too new to automatically write off, and the FHFA director could just as easily wait to see if the programs are effective before making a decision to implement them further, said Laurence Platt, an attorney at Mayer Brown.

“I don’t think this is an issue that will be dependent on who the new FHFA director is,” Platt said. “I don’t think there’s a partisan side to this, per se.”

To be sure, there are clear limits on what the next FHFA director can do administratively. Creating some new housing finance structure to replace the GSEs is the territory of Congress. Instituting an explicit government guarantee or changing the ownership charter or structure of the GSEs would need congressional approval, which is unlikely to happen in the short term.

Besides congressional reforms, there are other policy areas where the FHFA cannot move unilaterally. The FHFA would have to work with the Treasury Department to change the preferred stock purchase agreements, which require Fannie and Freddie to direct nearly all of their profit to Treasury. Investors have long claimed this is unfair, and have unsuccessfully challenged the legality of this agreement in court for several years.

MEL WATT, 72, FANNIE MAE CHIEF, INVESTIGATED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIM BY FEMALE EMPLOYEE (#MeToo)

MEL WATT, 72, FANNIE MAE CHIEF, INVESTIGATED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIM BY FEMALE EMPLOYEE (#MeToo):

FANNIE MAE OWNS THE LOANS FOR MANY U.S. MILITARY VETERAN HOMEOWNERS.

U.S. MILITARY VETERAN HOMEOWNERS ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES UNDER FANNIE MAE'S LEADERSHIP......WHY??

IF U.S. MILITARY VET HOMEOWNERS EXPERIENCE HARDSHIPS, WHY NOT TRANSFER THOSE LOANS TO VETERANS AFFAIRS ADMIN?

THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIM IS BEING THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED BY A FEDERAL AGENCY.

THE VICTIM HAS HIRED A VERY REPUTABLE ATTORNEY.

MEL WATT IS A CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA NATIVE & FORMER U.S. CONGRESS MEMBER.

MEL WATT IS AN OBAMA ADMIN HOLDOVER. HIS FIVE-YR TERM ENDS IN 2019.

DRAIN THE SWAMP.


Post Sources: Politico, Charlotte Observer, Daily Caller, Youtube


****** **** Federal housing leader Mel Watt under investigation for sexual harassment claim


Mel Watt, a former Democratic congressman from Charlotte who now heads a federal housing agency, is under investigation for harassment of a female employee.

Politico first reported the allegations Friday, citing documents and partial transcripts of conversations between Watt and the employee, which the story did not name. The story describes three 2016 incidents of Watt making sexual advances on the woman.

A statement from Watt through the Federal Housing Finance Agency to McClatchy confirmed an ongoing investigation, as did an attorney for the woman.

“The selective leaks related to this matter are obviously intended to embarrass or to lead to an unfounded or political conclusion.

However, I am confident that the investigation currently in progress will confirm that I have not done anything contrary to law. I will have no further comment while the investigation is in progress,” said Watt, who is the agency’s director.

The investigation began a month or two ago, said Diane Seltzer Torre, an attorney for the woman who alleges the harassment.

Torre said the investigation is being conducted by an official with the U.S. Postal Service. It is typical for an outside agency to investigate claims such as these.

My client did not submit information to the media. She is not looking for attention and doesn’t want to talk to the media,” Torre said.

Torre declined to identify her client nor would she discuss her client’s employment status with the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

She said she is not aware of any other complaints against Watt.

Watt, 72, represented Charlotte in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2014, when he was tapped by President Barack Obama to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The agency oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHLBanks, which provide nearly $6 trillion for mortgage markets and financial institutions, according to FHFA.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency was created after the housing crash in 2008 and it serves as the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Watt was confirmed by the Senate 57-41 months after he was nominated. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina was one of two Republicans to back Watt’s nomination.

Watt’s five-year term is set to expire in January. Watt is still on the job, a spokeswoman for the agency said.

Watt, an attorney, is married and has two grown children and three grandchildren, according to his FHFA bio.

A Mecklenburg County native, Watt graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill before earning a law degree at Yale. He served one term in the North Carolina state senate.

While in the U.S. House in 2011, Watt tried to slash funding for the Office of Congressional Ethics by 40 percent, a move that was soundly defeated.

Watt and seven colleagues were investigated and cleared by the office for fundraising that took place before a key House vote.

In 2008, Watt had voted to create the Office of Congressional Ethics.

“I wouldn’t call it a ‘personal vendetta,’” Watt told McClatchy at the time. “But I also wouldn’t deny that my experiences had something to do with my view of this agency.”

NO VETS = NO MEMORIAL DAY = NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS = NO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (THANK YOU)

NO VETS = NO MEMORIAL DAY = NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS = NO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (THANK YOU):

WE OWE OUR U.S. MILITARY TROOPS & VETS EVERYTHING GOOD.

CIVIL SERVANTS WORKING IN FEDERAL JOBS WHO DON'T PROPERLY HONOR OUR NATION'S VETS SHOULD BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE & SERVICE.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.


Post Sources: NY Post, NY Times, Youtube


***** On This Memorial Day Consider What We Owe America's Vets


The numbers are sobering: More than 1 million men and women have given their lives serving in our military during wartime, with thousands more dying in other conflicts.

Many died long ago in some of our nation’s — and world’s — most-well-known conflicts. Some died during operations few will ever hear about in history class. And, unfortunately and inevitably, more will die serving our country honorably battling terrorism, tyranny and threats to the American way of life.

None will be forgotten.

Officially recognized as first having been celebrated upstate in Waterloo in 1866, Memorial Day — then known as Decoration Day — was a community remembrance.

When the first official Decoration Day ceremonies were held at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868, James A. Garfield, a future president and a Civil War combat veteran, told the thousands gathered, “For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”

Today, we still remember their patriotism and virtue, and that of the scores who have selflessly sacrificed since to make this the greatest country in the world.
It is a blessing to count myself among those who served our nation and came home to enjoy all that America has to offer. While many have been so lucky to return, there are countless others who have struggled with the lasting effects of conflict, both physical and emotional.

In the same way we must not forget the sacrifice of those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms, we proud Americans and New Yorkers must not turn our backs on our veterans and military members in need.

We owe it to our veterans grappling with post-traumatic stress to continue researching new treatment options. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, between 11 and 20 percent of our Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom veterans deal with PTS. It is estimated that about 30 percent of our Vietnam veterans have had PTS at some point, according to the VA.

We owe it to our veterans who have fallen into homelessness or are on the verge of homelessness to ensure that they do not continue to slip through the cracks. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated in 2017 that more than 40,000 veterans were homeless on any given night, with more than 1,200 veterans experiencing homelessness in New York.

As a state and a nation, we must get our arms around this crisis and implement the proper policies to make sure vets have what they need long before they reach the point of homelessness or penury. We can’t wait until people are in crisis before we help them.

We owe it to all veterans and their families to ensure they receive the benefits they’re entitled to. No veteran should have to worry that red tape will keep them from accessing health care, education, insurance and the many other benefits we offer those who served.

Just as I am a proud New Yorker, American and veteran, I am a proud member of the American Legion, an organization that for nearly 100 years has advocated for veterans and active-duty military members to ensure that all sacrifices are remembered. As we near our centennial celebration in 2019, I encourage all New Yorkers — not just those who are eligible to join us — to learn more about our advocacy, programs and benefits-assistance efforts.

And I encourage our current and former service members to reach out to our state headquarters or their local posts to learn more about how we can serve them.
The American Legion Department of New York is proud to honor all who have served — regardless of branch, age, gender and background — and extend a hand to those who need it the most. We urge all New Yorkers to proudly do the same.

US Navy veteran Rena Nessler is the commander of the American Legion Department of New York.

HAWAII VOLCANO ERUPTIONS & EVACUATIONS INCREASE (PRAY)

HAWAII VOLCANO ERUPTIONS & EVACUATIONS INCREASE:

PARADISE IS BURNING.

MANY MEMBERS OF THE U.S. MILITARY RESIDE IN HAWAII.

MORE EVACUATIONS ORDERED.

PRES TRUMP DECLARES MAJOR DISASTER.

PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII.


Post Sources: CBS News, Fox News, Youtube


***** Hawaii volcano spurs new evacuations on Big Island after lava fissure reported


Officials ordered more evacuations on Sunday for residents on Hawaii’s Big Island after a new lava fissure threatened to send bright orange lava spewing onto major highways and roads.

An 18th fissure caused by the Kilaueau volcano, that first erupted more than a week ago, was reported early Sunday morning, releasing steam and lava spatter west of Highway 132 along Hale Kamahina Loop Road in lower Puna, Hawaii County Civil Defense said. Residents living along that road have been ordered to evacuate.

Two community centers have been opened to shelter people and pets.

Hawaii officials have been on edge throughout the weekend as they monitored reports of two new breakouts around Leilani Estates that could prompt thousands more to evacuate in an instant. The region saw a two-day reprieve from volcanic activity, giving some residents hope until the three new weekend fissures.

The 16th fissure reported on Saturday broke out about a miles east of the Puna Geothermal Venture plant. The 17th one opened about 109 yards below.

A portion of Highway 132, between the “Y” interchange turning into Pohoiki Road and Four Corners, was shut down on Sunday, Hawaii News Now reported. Cracks along the highway have worsened in the last few days, with authorities fearing a 19th fissure can form. Residents have said they fear getting cut off when, not if, the major roadway gets shut down.

"I think everybody recognizes that the lava outbreak is purely unpredictable," resident David Ellis told Hawaii News Now. "I think our greatest danger is being cut off when Highway 132 is closed, and that should be soon, from everything that I hear."

"We assume the worst, and hope for the best," Ellis added.

Tina Neal, USGS scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said the volcano is still “highly active.” The volcano could spew out “hotter, fresher” magma, destroying everything in its path. At least 36 structures, including 27 homes, have been destroyed since the eruptions began. The lave has covered more than 17 acres of land.

"The situation remains unstable. Additional outbreaks of lava are likely."

The new developments over the weekend also prompted the U.S. Geological Survey to warn of possible more disaster to come. Experts are eyeing volcanic peaks on America’s West Coast, part of the geologically active Pacific “Ring of Fire.”

The West Coast is home to an 800-mile chain of 13 volcanoes, from Washington state's Mount Baker to California's Lassen Peak. They include Mount St. Helens, whose spectacular 1980 eruption in the Pacific Northwest killed dozens of people and sent volcanic ash across the country, and massive Mount Rainier, which towers above the Seattle metro area.

"There's lots of anxiety out there," said Liz Westby, geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash. "They see destruction, and people get nervous."

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is threatening to blow its top in the coming days or weeks. Scientists say there’s not definitive answer on when the volcanic activity will end.

Geologists warn that Kilauea's summit could have an explosive steam eruption that would hurl rocks and ash miles into the sky.

ANDREA CONSTAND vs BILL COSBY (USING POWER TO PREY ON WOMEN): #MeToo/ TRUTH PREVAILS

ANDREA CONSTAND vs BILL COSBY (USING POWER TO PREY ON WOMEN): #MeToo

TRUTH PREVAILS.

GOD IS EXPOSING MEN WHO USE THEIR POWER, RANK & MONEY TO ABUSE WOMEN.

GOD IS ALSO EXPOSING MARRIED MEN WHO BULLY & HUMILIATE THEIR WIVES TO COVER UP ADULTERY.

U.S. MILITARY VETS WHO ABUSE THEIR WIVES & SEXUALLY PREY ON WOMEN ARE NOT EXEMPT.

FEMALE DOCTORS WORKING FOR VA HOSPITALS OFTEN SHIELD VETS WHO ABUSE THEIR WIVES & PREY ON WOMEN........THIS NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED TOO.

TIME'S UP.


Post Sources: New York Times, Youtube


****** Andrea Constand Makes First Statement Since Bill Cosby’s Conviction: ‘Truth Prevails’


Andrea Constand, the woman whose sexual assault complaint against the television icon Bill Cosby led to his conviction, broke her long public silence with a short Twitter message Friday thanking the local community.

“A very profound and heartfelt thank you to the Commonwealth of PA, Montgomery County, for their service and sacrifices,” she wrote, seemingly addressing the district attorney’s office and the jury that on Thursday convicted Mr. Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting Ms. Constand.

“Congratulations,” she added. “Truth prevails.”

Following a high-profile trial like Mr. Cosby’s, the vindicated party traditionally makes the media rounds, appearing to discuss the case on the “Today” show or “Good Morning America.” Ms. Constand has not yet done so.

Outside the courtroom, where Ms. Constand testified that Mr. Cosby had drugged and molested her at his home in 2004, she has been reluctant to speak about the case. That may be due, in part, to the nondisclosure agreement she signed as part of her $3.38 million settlement she reached with Mr. Cosby in 2006.

Last year, a judge ruled that Mr. Cosby could pursue a lawsuit against Ms. Constand based on two Twitter posts she wrote in 2014.
(“I won’t go away, there is a lot more I will say,” she wrote in one.) But as the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse has gained influence, women who have agreed to settlements with powerful men — including Harvey Weinstein, Bill O’Reilly and Donald J. Trump — have broken their nondisclosure agreements, arguing that speaking out was more important.

Ms. Constand’s lawyer, Dolores Troiani, said by phone on Friday that she and her client were evaluating their options and the enforceability of the contract with Mr. Cosby.

“Obviously everyone in the world has sent me an email or text, but we’re just stepping back and seeing where we’re going to go,” Ms. Troiani said, referring to the extensive media requests for interviews with Ms. Constand. “I think we’re taking a breather, for one.”

At a news conference after the verdict on Thursday, Ms. Constand stood by, letting the Montgomery County district attorney, Kevin Steele, and Kristen Gibbons Feden, the special prosecutor on the case, speak about its importance.

Mr. Steele commended Ms. Constand for fighting through two trials. “She has been a major factor in a movement that has gone in the right direction, finally,” he said.

DAVID SHULKIN (OBAMA HOLDOVER) REPLACED BY TRUMP TO PRIVATIZE VET HEALTH CARE

DAVID SHULKIN (OBAMA HOLDOVER) REPLACED BY TRUMP TO PRIVATIZE VET HEALTH CARE:

VA HOSPITALS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN GIANT HOSPICE FACILITIES.

VA HOSPITALS EXPERIMENT ON VETS & ACTIVE DUTY TROOPS TO PROCURE FEDERAL DOLLARS.

VA HOSPITALS FOCUS ON SLOWLY KILLING VETS NOT HELPING THEM LIVE.

I AGREE VETS & ACTIVE DUTY TROOPS SHOULD RECEIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT FROM PRIVATE DOCTORS OR ON MILITARY BASES.

ALLOWING VETS TO RECEIVE PRIVATE MEDICAL CARE WILL SAVE MONEY AND HUMAN LIVES.

ALL VA HOSPITALS SHOULD GRADUALLY BE SHUT DOWN UNTIL VETS & TROOPS ARE REASSIGNED TO PRIVATE CARE.

REPLACING SHULKIN WAS A WISE MOVE BY TRUMP TO HELP MEN & WOMEN WHO DEFENDED OUR NATION.


Sources: ABC News, NBC News, Fox News, TIME, Youtube


**** Trump replaces embattled Veterans Affairs secretary with White House physician


President Donald Trump ousted Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin Wednesday, announcing his intent to nominate the White House physician, Admiral Ronny Jackson, in Shulkin's place and ending weeks of speculation about when the embattled cabinet official would leave the administration.

Trump tweeted a confirmation of the news, which was first reported by Reuters.

Jackson has been a White House physician to both presidents Trump and Barack Obama. Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Robert Wilkie will serve as interim secretary until Jackson is confirmed by the Senate, Trump said in a follow-up tweet.

Shulkin's departure comes amid a spate of other high level departures from Trump’s administration — including his secretary of state, his national security adviser, top economic adviser, and communications director.

Shulkin, who served as undersecretary in charge of the veterans’ health system during the Obama administration, clashed with Trump political appointees who surrounded him at the VA. Some of the tension arose from a central policy dispute: The Trump appointees, both within the VA and at the White House, want to see the VA transition to subsidizing private health care for veterans, while Shulkin resisted those efforts.

But the fight had become increasingly personal, particularly in the wake of an inspector general’s report in February that found taxpayers had picked up the tab for Shulkin’s wife accompanying him on a European business trip.

That provided ammunition to Shulkin’s foes, and, because he didn’t trust the Trump-appointed communications staff around him, he retained his own public-relations counsel.

Shulkin’s camp came to believe that Trump political appointees were trying to get him fired, according to reports. He sought White House permission to dismiss them, telling the New York Times earlier this month that he had secured that authority from Trump and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.

Jackson, for his part, stepped into the media spotlight earlier this year when he briefed the press on the results of Trump’s yearly physical examination. At the time, he deemed Trump "very sharp" mentally and in “excellent” overall health — but did recommend a better diet and more exercise for the commander-in-chief.

In recent weeks, Trump has said that he is "close” to assembling the Cabinet he desires — fueling the Washington rumor mill and increasing speculation about who might be next on the president's chopping block.

Shulkin is just one of several scandal-plagued Cabinet members in Trump's administration.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson are battling their own scandals, regarding high-priced travel and dining room furniture choices, respectively

YOUNTVILLE VETERANS HOME SHOOTING IS ABOUT PTSD & GUN CONTROL

YOUNTVILLE VETERANS HOME SHOOTING IS ABOUT PTSD & GUN CONTROL:

MILLIONS OF COMBAT VETS FROM VIETNAM, DESERT STORM, IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN ARE NOT TREATED FOR PTSD.

ALBERT WONG SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TERMINATED FROM PTSD/ TRAUMA PROGRAM.

PTSD TURNS MILITARY HEROS INTO MONSTERS WITH NO FEELINGS.

NO COMBAT VET SHOULD HAVE GUNS UNLESS PROPERLY EVALUATED FOR PTSD.

ALL VA HOSPITALS FOOLISHLY ALLOW COMBAT VETS TO CHOOSE IF THEY NEED TREATMENT.

VA HOSPITALS OFTEN IGNORE WARNINGS FROM WIVES & CHILDREN ABOUT VETS SUFFERING FROM PTSD.

VA HOSPITALS DENY VETS PTSD/ TRAUMA TREATMENT TO SPEND FEDERAL MONEY ELSEWHERE LIKE SALARY BONUSES.

PTSD TREATMENT SHOULD BE MANDATORY FOR ALL COMBAT VETS FROM VIETNAM, DESERT STORM, IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE OR SEPARATION TIME FROM SERVICE.


Sources: ABC News, CNN, Youtube


**** Victims, gunman identified in Yountville Veterans home shooting tragedy


A day-long standoff in Yountville has ended in tragedy.

Officials with the Pathway Home program at the veterans facility identified the three female victims that were killed after an armed gunman entered a staff meeting, taking hostages.

Yountville officials confirm that the three female hostages that died in the standoff are Executive Director Christine Loeber, a therapist Dr. Jen Golick, and Dr. Jennifer Gonzales, a psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

The gunman has been identified as 36-year-old Albert Wong of Sacramento who was a former member of the Pathway Home Program at the veterans facility.

The Pathway Home released a statement saying: "These brave women were accomplished professionals who dedicated their careers to serving our nation's veterans and working closely with those in the greatest need of attention after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of us at The Pathway Home are devastated by today's events. We stand with the families, friends, and colleagues who share in this terrible loss."

——————————————————-


***** Three women, suspect dead after hostage standoff in Yountville, California


After an apparent hourslong standoff between police and a gunman, three women were found dead Friday night at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, authorities said.

The suspect was also found dead, Chris Childs, assistant chief of the California Highway Patrol's Golden Gate Division, told reporters.

The three victims were earlier described as employees of The Pathway Home, a counseling service for veterans who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is on the property.

The suspect had been a client at facility until he left two weeks ago, according to State Senator Bill Dodd.
It's unclear if the women were chosen at random or had a connection with the gunman.

Hostage negotiators had spent hours trying to contact the gunman at the facility north of San Francisco but were not able to do so, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Robert Nacke.

After the victims were found, investigators were left to determine when during the standoff the deaths occurred.
California Gov. Jerry Brown said the shooting "tragically took the lives of three people dedicated to serving our veterans."

"Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones and the entire community of Yountville," Brown said in a statement.

The governor has ordered flags in the state's capitol to fly at half staff in tribute to the victims and their families.

Larry Kamer told CNN that his wife, Pathway employee Devereaux Smith, said the gunman barged into a going-away party for Pathway employees leaving the job.

"They were having cake and toasting, apparently he just walked in with this rifle," Kamer said. He said his wife and some other employees managed to escape, though he didn't say how.

The man was holding the three people hostage in a room inside the building, Napa County Sheriff John Robertson said during the afternoon.

"We've tried numerous times and been trying since 10:30 this morning to contact him by his own cell phone and also the phones in the dorm area," the sheriff said.
He said authorities knew the gunman's identity but did not release it. Robertson didn't give a motive for the gunman's actions.

Early in the standoff, the man and officers fired shots at each other.

"There was an exchange of gunfire, fired by the suspect and our deputy," Robertson said. "There were many bullets fired."

Law enforcement officers responded to a "shots fired" report around 10:20 a.m. local time from the facility that houses about 1,000 veterans, Robertson said.

Robertson said about 70 students who were inside a theater on the grounds of the veterans home, were safely evacuated.

"They were always safe," the sheriff said. "They were put into a locked down position for their own safety." The ages of the students or why they were at the veterans home was not clear Friday afternoon.
The California Department of Veterans (CalVet), which operates the home, said it enacted its emergency protocol. Police surrounded the facility and told people to avoid the area.

Marlon Harrison was one of the family members who gathered outside the gates to the home.
"I'm waiting for a phone call from my daughter," Harrison said. "It's considered a lockdown building, you can't go in unless authorized."

The FBI deployed a SWAT team to Yountville, spokesperson Katherine Zackel said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said via Twitter it was also responding.
Founded in 1884, the facility houses about 1,000 aging vets and is the largest veterans home in the United States, according to the CalVet.

Men and women who served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom live there, CalVet said.

The veterans home is an important part of the Napa Valley Community, with the 1,200-seat Lincoln Theater, a golf course and a large library, CalVet said.

Residents were temporarily evacuated from the veterans home in October when fires raged through Napa County.
Yountville is a town of about 3,000 residents in the north San Francisco Bay area.

FLORIDA SHOOTING, 15+ DEAD, ACTION NEEDED, GUN CONTROL

FLORIDA SHOOTING, 15+ DEAD, ACTION NEEDED, GUN CONTROL:

SHOOTING SUSPECT IS NICHOLAS CRUZ, 19.

I SUPPORT 2nd AMENDMENT RIGHTS BUT GUN CONTROL SHOULD BE ENFORCED.

SOME FORM OF GUN CONTROL IS BETTER THAN NO GUN CONTROL AT ALL.

EVEN IF THE U.S. MILITARY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED.

OUR GOV’T HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS.

IT’S TIME FOR MORE PRAYER.

IT’S ALSO TIME FOR A LEGISLATIVE COMPROMISE ON GUN CONTROL.

TIME FOR PRES TRUMP & CONGRESS TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED THEM INTO PUBLIC OFFICE.

NO MORE SLAUGHTER OF HUMAN LIVES VIA MASS SHOOTINGS.

DEAR GOD, HELP US ALL.


Sources: AP, CNN, Yahoo News, Youtube


****** At least 17 dead in Florida school shooting, law enforcement says


At least 17 people were killed Wednesday in a high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said.

The suspect, 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz, is in custody, the sheriff said. The sheriff said he was expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons.

At least 14 people have been taken to area hospitals following the shooting, Israel said.

Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shortly before 3 p.m. The shooting sent students and staff streaming out of the school in a panic. Some students said a fire drill earlier in the day added to the confusion.

mmediately after the shooting, aerial footage from CNN affiliate WSVN showed people lying on the ground outside the school, being treated for injuries and moved to ambulances.

Freshman Kayden Hanafi said he heard two gunshots and saw people running out of another building on campus. As he and his classmates went into lockdown in a classroom, many thought the noise might have been firecrackers.
"It's really a blessing to still be alive," he said.

Nicole Baltzer, 18, said she was in trigonometry class about 10 minutes before the end of the school day when the fire alarm went off. As students evacuated, she heard six gunshots and everyone started running back inside the school, Baltzer told CNN's Sara Ganim.

"I heard so many gunshots, at least like six. They were very close," Baltzer said.

A police officer told her to close her eyes as she walked past a classroom with broken glass, telling her "there's nothing good to see in there," she said.
A freshman named Aidan posted a photo on social media from inside his math class while on lockdown. Since then, he has left the building.

"We have been liberated. God bless, America," Aidan tweeted after being evacuated from the building. "Love each other. You may never know when it may be the last day you meet someone."
There had been a fire drill at the school earlier in the day, leading some to believe at first that the afternoon incident was another drill, a student told CNN affiliate WSVN. "Everyone just started freaking out."
"But then word started going around that it was shots and not just, like, something else, everyone just started running towards the canal," the student said.

Parkland, with a population of 31,000 people in 2016, was named Florida's safest city last year, according to an analysis by the Washington-based National Council for Home Safety and Security, a home security industry trade association.

The south Florida city had seven reported violent crimes and 186 property crimes the previous year, according to the analysis.

Stoneman Douglas High School had an enrollment of about 3,100 students in the 2015-16 year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

As news of the shooting spread, desperate parents gathered near the property searching for their children.
Lissette Rozenblat told CNN that her daughter safely evacuated the school and took shelter at a nearby Walmart.
"She was very nervous, she said that she could hear the person who was shot crying out for help, and was just a nervous wreck," Rozenblat said.

Agents from the Miami office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are responding to the scene, a spokesman said.

TRUMP'S 2018 STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH - 9pm EST (LIVE VIDEO); MILESTONES FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

TRUMP'S 2018 STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH - 9pm EST:

EXPECTED TOPICS -

MILESTONES FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

HOW TO UNIFY OUR NATION

MORE TRAINING FOR U.S. TROOPS

UPDATES ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

GOP TAX PLAN

MORE FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

WALL STREET & THE STOCK MARKET

AFFORDABLE EDUCATION & HEALTH CARE

SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA & RUSSIA

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE

ETC.,


Sources: NY Times, Youtube


******* State of the Union: Trump to Declare a ‘New American Moment’


• President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern, and The New York Times will be streaming it live on our website and on our app. Follow our coverage for the latest updates and analysis.

• The White House has released excerpts from the speech.

• The president will arrive at the Capitol amid remarkable tumult: Anger that he has declined to impose sanctions on Russia and worry over a Republican memo on the origins of the Russia investigation.

White House releases excerpts — “the New American Moment.”
The White House released excerpts from the State of the Union address, a tradition that gives the president a few hours’ head start to highlight what he wants the audience to focus on.

Here are a few, as prepared for delivery:

“We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day’s work; we want every child to be safe in their home at night, and we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we love.”

“Since we passed tax cuts, roughly 3 million workers have already gotten tax cut bonuses — many of them thousands of dollars per worker.”

“This is our New American Moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American dream.”

“For the last year we have sought to restore the bonds of trust between our citizens and their government.”

“In our drive to make Washington accountable, we have eliminated more regulations in our first year than any administration in history.”

“America has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed our prosperity and shipped away our companies, our jobs and our nation’s wealth.”

“America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year — isn’t it a disgrace that it can now take ten years just to get a permit approved for a simple road?”

“I am asking both parties to come together to give us the safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve.”

“Struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American workers and American families.”

“As we rebuild America’s strength and confidence at home, we are also restoring our strength and standing abroad.”

“Last year I pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the earth. One year later, I’m proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria. But there is much more work to be done. We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated.”

Sonny Perdue, agriculture secretary, designated survivor.
Yeah, there’s the first lady’s clothes or which big wig will fall asleep this year. But the State of the Union proceedings also have this bit of intrigue: Which cabinet official will earn the distinction of designated survivor?

The mystery this time was solved two hours before Mr. Trump was due to give his address on Tuesday, when the White House said that the honor would go to Mr. Perdue, the former governor of Georgia and the president’s agriculture secretary.

Glamorous in title but, thankfully, not so far in practice, the designated survivor does not attend the president’s address, and is poised to take over the commander-in-chief’s responsibilities in the event that catastrophe strikes the Capitol and wipes out most of the government. If tradition holds, Mr. Perdue will be watching from a distant and secure location while Mr. Trump speaks.

The short tenure of the designated survivor has an oversize presence in the public imagination: There is a TV series by the same title, about a low-profile cabinet member who suddenly assumes the presidency after a terror attack.

How might he measure up in the Oval Office? Mr. Perdue, a conservative Republican, shares something in common with Mr. Trump: As governor of Georgia, he faced ethical criticisms for not appearing to fully separate himself from his business interests. He once ran a grain and fertilizer business.

— Katie Rogers

“You’ve gotta have heart.”
Hours before his first State of the Union address, President Trump told a group of news anchors at a lunch in the White House that his first year in office has taught him that the biggest difference between excelling in business and performing his current job is that governing takes compassion.

“I’ve really learned a lot,” Mr. Trump told the reporters, according to a partial transcript of an off-the-record lunch released publicly by the White House. “In doing what I’m doing now, a lot of it is heart, a lot of it is compassion, a lot of it is far beyond money — such as immigration.”

Mr. Trump, who is expected to use Tuesday night’s speech to call for a bipartisan compromise that pairs legal status for a group of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children with funding for a border wall, tougher enforcement and new restrictions on legal immigration, recently said he was hoping to sign a “bill of love.”

That tone is sharply at odds with the president’s approach on immigration thus far, which has included a travel ban against visitors from six countries, slashing refugee resettlement and revoking temporary protected status for people from El Salvador and Haiti. He has been more publicly conflicted about his decision last fall to rescind DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program that has given legal status to certain people brought illegally to the United States as children.

“I’m telling you, the immigration is so easy to solve if it was purely a business matter, but it’s not,” Mr. Trump said. “And I think that’s something that I’ve learned maybe more than anything else: You have to — you govern with all of the instincts of a businessperson, but you have to add much more heart and soul into your decisions than you would ever have even thought of before.”

Dreamers head to the Capitol — despite the risk.
Democratic lawmakers have decided to put a face on the difficult negotiations happening in Congress over the fate of young, undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children. They are bringing scores of such “Dreamers” to the Capitol for Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.

Representative Nancy Pelosi’s guest, Melody Klingenfuss, is just one of them. Born in Guatemala, she was brought to Los Angeles when she was 9, earned a degree in communications and political science from California State University, Los Angeles, a master’s degree from the University of Southern California, then won protection under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2015.

“Tonight, when President Trump looks into the gallery during his State of the Union, he will see the dignity, courage and patriotism of dozens of Dreamers,” said Ms. Pelosi, the House Democratic leader.

But there is a flip side. Representative Paul Gosar, Republican of Arizona, has called the cops.

So much for the warm welcome.

Mr. Gosar’s fellow Arizona Republican, Senator Jeff Flake, didn’t take kindly to his colleague’s citizen’s arrest.

Are we facing a “Constitutional crisis”?
The Trump administration’s announcement on Monday that it would not impose sanctions on countries that buy Russian military equipment sparked an angry response in Congress, where the Senate and House overwhelmingly approved the sanctions to punish Russia for interfering in the 2016 election.

Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri who faces a difficult re-election campaign this year, set the tone with a blast on Twitter.

That concern is bipartisan, at least in some quarters of the Republican Party. Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, was flummoxed by the administration’s decision:

“That bill passed with only two dissenting votes in the Senate. It was not partisan in the least,” she said on CNN. “The one thing we know for sure already is the Russians did attempt to meddle in our elections, and not only should there be a price to pay in terms of sanctions, but also we need to put safeguards in place right now for the elections for this year, because we know that the Russians have not given up on their disinformation campaign and their attempt to sow discord in this country and also to undermine faith in democratic institutions.”

Testifying before a Senate panel on Tuesday morning, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his department had followed instructions under the sanctions law and drawn up a list of Russian targets for sanctions. An imposition of sanctions could still follow.

Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee and one of the authors of the sanctions legislation, declined to criticize the administration’s actions. He did say, “I look forward” to the implementation of the sanctions.

Speaker Ryan weighs in on Russia memo.

Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin spent part of the morning before Mr. Trump’s speech tamping down expectations about a secretive Republican memo that some House members have claimed contains evidence that could undercut the Russia investigation.

In a closed-door meeting of House Republicans this morning, Mr. Ryan “implored” his fellow lawmakers not to overstate the facts of the memo, which the House Intelligence Committee voted to release Monday night. And he urged them not to tie the contentious document — which Democrats call dangerously misleading — to the work of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, according to a person in the room.

Mr. Ryan reiterated some of those points during a public news conference an hour later, saying that he had faith in the F.B.I. and Justice Department’s broadly and that he thought Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, the man overseeing the Russia investigation, was “doing a fine job.” Still, Mr. Ryan defended the Republicans’ overall approach, saying that they were following proper processes and that only transparency would lead to accountability at the agencies.

That was not enough to quiet the most ardent proponents of the notion that federal law enforcement agents have conspired to bring down the Trump White House. Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, called on the president to release the memo during the State of the Union.

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE ALLOWED TO ENLIST IN U.S. MILITARY JAN 1, 2018 (TRUMP'S STRATEGY)

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE ALLOWED TO ENLIST IN U.S. MILITARY JAN 1, 2018 (TRUMP'S STRATEGY):

TRUMP CHOSE NOT TO APPEAL COURT'S LATEST RULING.

IS THIS TRUMP'S WAY OF REACHING OUT TO THE GAY COMMUNITY AHEAD OF 2020??

TRUMP MAY BE MUCH WISER THAN WE ALL REALIZE.


Sources: Reuters


****** U.S. military to accept transgender recruits on Monday: Pentagon


Transgender people will be allowed for the first time to enlist in the U.S. military starting on Monday as ordered by federal courts, the Pentagon said on Friday, after President Donald Trump’s administration decided not to appeal rulings that blocked his transgender ban.

Two federal appeals courts, one in Washington and one in Virginia, last week rejected the administration’s request to put on hold orders by lower court judges requiring the military to begin accepting transgender recruits on Jan. 1.

A Justice Department official said the administration will not challenge those rulings.

“The Department of Defense has announced that it will be releasing an independent study of these issues in the coming weeks.

So rather than litigate this interim appeal before that occurs, the administration has decided to wait for DOD’s study and will continue to defend the president’s lawful authority in District Court in the meantime,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In September, the Pentagon said it had created a panel of senior officials to study how to implement a directive by Trump to prohibit transgender individuals from serving. The Defense Department has until Feb. 21 to submit a plan to Trump.

Lawyers representing currently-serving transgender service members and aspiring recruits said they had expected the administration to appeal the rulings to the conservative-majority Supreme Court, but were hoping that would not happen.

Pentagon spokeswoman Heather Babb said in a statement: “As mandated by court order, the Department of Defense is prepared to begin accessing transgender applicants for military service Jan. 1. All applicants must meet all accession standards.”

Jennifer Levi, a lawyer with gay, lesbian and transgender advocacy group GLAD, called the decision not to appeal “great news.”

“I’m hoping it means the government has come to see that there is no way to justify a ban and that it’s not good for the military or our country,” Levi said. Both GLAD and the American Civil Liberties Union represent plaintiffs in the lawsuits filed against the administration.

“COSTS AND DISRUPTION”

In a move that appealed to his hard-line conservative supporters, Trump announced in July that he would prohibit transgender people from serving in the military, reversing Democratic President Barack Obama’s policy of accepting them.

Trump said on Twitter at the time that the military “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”

Four federal judges - in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Seattle and Riverside, California - have issued rulings blocking Trump’s ban while legal challenges to the Republican president’s policy proceed.

The judges said the ban would likely violate the right under the U.S. Constitution to equal protection under the law.

The Pentagon on Dec. 8 issued guidelines to recruitment personnel in order to enlist transgender applicants by Jan. 1.

The memo outlined medical requirements and specified how the applicants’ sex would be identified and even which undergarments they would wear.

The Trump administration previously said in legal papers that the armed forces were not prepared to train thousands of personnel on the medical standards needed to process transgender applicants and might have to accept “some individuals who are not medically fit for service.”

The Obama administration had set a deadline of July 1, 2017, to begin accepting transgender recruits.

But Trump’s defense secretary, James Mattis, postponed that date to Jan. 1, 2018, which the president’s ban then put off indefinitely.

Trump has taken other steps aimed at rolling back transgender rights. In October, his administration said a federal law banning gender-based workplace discrimination does not protect transgender employees, reversing another Obama-era position.
In February, Trump rescinded guidance issued by the Obama administration saying that public schools should allow transgender students to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity.

U.S. SOLDIER DIES AS A HERO HELPING SAVE LIVES IN NYC FIRE (KWABENA MENSAH, 27)

U.S. SOLDIER DIES AS A HERO HELPING SAVE LIVES IN NYC FIRE:

KWABENA MENSAH 27, WENT HOME TO VISIT AND WAS KILLED BY A DEADLY BRONX BLAZE.

THE U.S. MILITARY TEACHES SOLDIERS TO CONSIDER OTHERS ABOVE THEMSELVES.

I SEND MY PRAYERS & CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY.


Sources: MSN


***** Army soldier, visiting NYC for holidays, died trying to save people from fire, father says


An Army soldier who was visiting New York City for the holidays was among the 12 victims in the deadly Bronx blaze, his father told CBS New York. Kwabena Mensah said his son, Emmanuel, spent his final moments trying to rescue other people in the building.

"That's what I think, because it was in his nature," the elder Mensah said. "He wanted to help people out."

The 28-year-old was in for the holidays – his first trip home since joining the Army a year ago. Kwabena Mensah was on the scene early Friday morning, looking for any signs of his son after checking area hospitals.

"I thought maybe he was coming back," he said. "Unfortunately, it turns out the other way."

Emmanuel Mensah's roommate was the last to see him. She made it out with her four children and husband but lost Mensah in the mix.

"Tried to call and phone everywhere, my husband went to hospital," she told CBS New York.

Kwaben Mensah took comfort knowing his son lived and died a hero.

"God is in control, I have no control. God is in control," he said.
The four-alarm blaze that broke out late Thursday is New York City's deadliest fire in 25 years, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Four children, including a 1-year-old baby, are among the 12 killed.

The fire was started by a 3-and-a-half-year-old boy who was playing with burners on a kitchen stove located in a first-floor apartment, officials said.

"The mother was not aware of it, was alerted by the young man screaming," said Daniel Nigro, commissioner for the New York City Fire Department. "She exited her apartment with her 2-year-old, and 3-year-old and left the door open."

As smoke engulfed the building on Prospect Avenue just before 7 p.m. Thursday, family after family desperately ran out, barefoot and freezing, to try to get to safety.

"When I wake up, all I see is the flames going up, kids are on the fire escape," said neighbor Rafael Gonzalez. "It was one apartment and then it escalated to two apartments. It just kept going next and up — it escalated."

As firefighters scrambled to save tenants, the Red Cross arrived on scene to wrap residents in blankets and provide buses for shelter as temperatures lingered in the teens with the wind chill below zero.

"No coat or nothing, straight shorts," said Gonzalez. "Straight shorts so I know, therefore, I know they had to be cold."

"It was like freezing point, so it was worse for people who wasn't ready and dressed appropriately – with no shoes or any of that," said one woman who was evacuated to a warming bus.

The victims range in age from one to 63. Among the dead: a mother and her two daughters and niece. A family member didn't want to go on camera, but the heartbreak was obvious, CBS News' Don Dahler reports.

"Oh my God, those two little babies," they said. "God rest their souls, they're beautiful."

In another apartment, a woman and infant were found huddled in a bathtub.

In all, 170 firefighters were called in to fight the blaze, but the cold weather made things worse, since crews had to battle the flames with freezing hoses.

According to city records, the 100-year-old building has a number of open safety violations, including a defective smoke detector on the floor where the fire began.
The fire department is investigating whether that played any role in the tragedy.

PENTAGON SUED FOR ALLOWING MEN WHO BEAT WOMEN TO POSSESS GUNS (VETS NOT EXEMPT)

PENTAGON SUED FOR ALLOWING MEN WHO BEAT WOMEN TO POSSESS GUNS:

VETS WHO BEAT THEIR WIVES SHOULD NOT BE EXEMPT.

VETS WHO BEAT THEIR WIVES SHOULD BE COURT FORCED INTO THERAPY, NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY GUNS.

NO WOMAN CAN PROVOKE A MAN TO BEAT HER BRAINS OUT OR SHOOT HER BRAINS OUT.

21st CENTURY AMERICA STILL LAGS WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING WOMEN.


Sources: Washington Post


***** After Texas church massacre, cities sue Pentagon for failing to report criminals to FBI gun database


Three cities have filed suit against the Pentagon for lapses that allowed a mass shooter in Texas to buy a gun, even though he carried a conviction in military court that should have barred his purchase.

Devin P. Kelley, who was convicted of domestic violence while serving in the U.S. Air Force, was never reported by the military for inclusion on an FBI database of individuals blocked from purchasing firearms. Kelley went on to kill more than two dozen churchgoers in Sutherland Springs, Tex., last month in one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.

In the complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., the three cities — New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia — say they rely on the integrity of the FBI’s background check system. The suit alleges that the defendants, which include the military branches and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, have an “admitted, systemic and longstanding failure to comply with the law.”

The cities are seeking to force the Defense Department to fully participate in the reporting system, which they said is already required by law. They also want the court to oversee the department’s compliance efforts.

“The Executive Branch and Congress have both had their chances to repair this clearly broken system. Now, after twenty years of failure, it’s time for the Courts to step in,” Ken Taber, a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said in a statement. The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence also helped prepare the suit.

A spokesman for the Defense Department declined to comment Wednesday, citing a policy against commenting on ongoing litigation. A spokesman for the Justice Department said the attorney general has launched his own investigation into the issue.

“After visiting first responders and victims’ families in Sutherland Springs, Attorney General Jeff Sessions instructed the ATF and FBI to conduct a comprehensive review with the Department of Defense of how certain information is reported to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System,” Justice Department spokesman Devin O’Malley said in an email Wednesday. “The Justice Department is reviewing yesterday’s lawsuit and determining next steps.”

Members of a family ravaged by the Sutherland Springs shooting have also filed suit against the Air Force, alleging its failure to report Kelley’s criminal background led to their loved ones’ slayings.

Military officials have long acknowledged problems with the way it reports records to the FBI gun background check database.

According to Pentagon guidelines, military law enforcement personnel are supposed to submit fingerprint cards as well as information about the results of a criminal proceeding to the FBI database if troops are charged with or convicted of certain violent crimes, including domestic violence and child abuse.

However, a recent review by the Pentagon’s oversight agency, which examined 2,502 criminal cases between January 2015 and December 2016, found that 1 in 4 fingerprint cards were not submitted to the database. Military law enforcement failed to submit one-third of the final disposition reports, the review found.

Kelley’s record should have disqualified him from purchasing a weapon. Kelley spent a year in jail for crushing his young stepson’s skull, assaulting his wife and making other threats. He received a bad-conduct discharge from the military in 2014, a step below a dishonorable discharge.

Two years after his discharge, Kelley cleared a background check and bought a Ruger AR-556 semiautomatic rifle from a San Antonio sporting goods shop.
The weapon was found in front of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs after the Nov. 5 killings.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS JUST AS BAD AS SEXUAL HARASSMENT (RETIRED U.S. MILITARY VETS)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS JUST AS BAD AS SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

WHEN WILL THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA EXPOSE MEN (MALE CELEBRITIES TOO) WHO BEAT ON WOMEN??

INCLUDING MANY RETIRED OLDER MALE SOLDIERS WHO NEVER SOUGHT THERAPY TO DEAL WITH PTSD YET BEAT THEIR WIVES.

VA HOSPITALS OFTEN PROTECT THESE VIOLENT RETIRED U.S. SOLDIERS WHILE BLAMING THEIR WIVES.


Sources: VA.gov, Youtube


***** Veterans Health Administration: Women Vets and Violence


Every nine seconds a woman is battered in the United States, according to the American Medical Association.

“That’s a staggering number,” said Paula Boothe, a social worker at the VA Medical Center in Beckley, W.Va. “Most people aren’t aware of how big a problem this really is.”
Particularly Bad

Boothe runs the Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program at Beckley — a program that sprang into existence less than a year ago.

“We felt there was a real need for something like this,” Boothe said. “Intimate partner violence is a serious problem throughout the country, but here in West Virginia it’s particularly bad. We rank 13th in the Nation for domestic homicide and suicide events. That’s depressing. It’s also unnecessary, because there’s something we can do about it.”

Boothe said emergency room personnel at the Beckley VA are now attempting to screen all their female patients for signs of domestic violence.

“Here at the VA we want to treat the whole person,” she said. “So if you come into our emergency room with a broken nose or a black eye, we’re going to treat you. But we’re also going to bring up the subject of domestic violence with you. If you’re in a bad situation at home, we want you to know we’re here to help, that you don’t have to keep on enduring what you’re enduring.”
“You have to believe that you’re strong enough to leave.”

Troubled Waters
Boothe noted that an abusive relationship can be the root cause of numerous other health issues for a woman, not just broken bones or a swollen lip.

“A woman who’s being routinely abused, physically or verbally, is in a state of constant anxiety and stress,” she explained. “She might develop high blood pressure, or a stomach ulcer. She might develop mental health problems. She’s a candidate for all kinds of trouble.”

So, if you tell someone at the Beckley VA that you’re in a physically abusive relationship, what happens next?

“We’ll hook you up with a social worker here,” Boothe explained. “Someone you can talk to, someone you can trust, someone who can explain your options to you. And there are always options.”

She added: “If you tell us you feel like you’re in imminent danger, that you don’t want to go home again, we’ll find a place for you to stay. There are several local and state organizations we partner with in the area, including the Women’s Resource Center here in Beckley and the Family Refuge Center over in Lewisburg. These folks provide food, shelter, clothing, employment assistance and a bunch of other services for abused women who are trying to start their lives over.”

She continued: “Women need to know there’s all kinds of help just a phone call away. Just pick up the phone, or walk into a VA hospital, clinic or Vet Center and ask for help. Because you’re not alone. You may feel like you’re alone, but you’re not.”
Over 40 percent of victims of severe physical violence are men. - CDC

Sticking Around
Boothe, a victim of domestic violence herself, said a lot of people can’t comprehend how an abused woman can opt to stay trapped in a relationship with a violent partner.
“People will ask you, ‘How do you put up with that? Why don’t you just leave?’” she observed. “Sadly, there are lots of reasons a woman sticks around, even though she’s being beaten. One big reason is fear. You’re afraid that if you leave, he’ll get even angrier than he already is; that he’ll find you and kill you. I sort of felt like that when I was in this situation. I said to myself, ‘He’s going to kill me if I leave.’ Then one day I realized he was going to kill me if I stayed.”
Women will also remain in an abusive relationship because they feel they have no place else to go, according to Boothe.

“They’re isolated,” she explained. “Their self-esteem has been battered into the ground. They have no job, no money of their own. They’re afraid that if they leave they’ll be homeless. A lot of them don’t leave because they feel like they’ll lose their kids. There are a ton of reasons a woman will stay in a very bad situation and just try to ride things out, day by day. Fear, hopelessness and despair can immobilize you.”

Saving Yourself
Boothe said it’s her job to assure a woman that she is stronger than she realizes, that somewhere inside her she has the courage to start over.
“We can’t make you leave someone who’s abusing you,” she said. “You have to want to leave. You have to want to save yourself. We can give you support and encouragement, but you’re the one who has to make the decision to take back your life.”
Boothe said that, on average, a woman will leave an abusive relationship and then return to it about seven times before finally leaving for good.

“A big life change like this often doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “Sometimes it does, but usually it’s more of a process. We just want you to know that when you’re ready to make that change, we’ll be here for you. We want you to know you deserve a better life.”

To learn more about Intimate Partner Violence and where to turn for help, visit www.womenshealth.va.gov/…/abu…/intimatepartnerviolence.aspor VA’s National Center for PTSD at www.ptsd.va.gov/public/types/violence/domestic-violence.asp

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2017 TO THE U.S. MILITARY & ALL FIRST RESPONDERS EVERYWHERE

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO THE ENTIRE U.S. MILITARY & ALL FIRST RESPONDERS EVERYWHERE.

GOD BLESS.

"Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and of good COURAGE.
Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your GOD is with you wherever you go.”

JOSHUA 1:9

Sources: Youtube

TALIBAN (ISIL) STRIKES ON EASTER, MURDERS AT LEAST 65 IN PAKISTAN

TALIBAN (ISIL) STRIKES ON EASTER, MURDERS AT LEAST 65:

ISIL, TALIBAN & HAMAS TERRORIST GROUPS USE ABANDONED U.S. MILITARY WEAPONS TO RULE THE WORLD.

Sources: AP, Wall Street Journal, Youtube

****** A Taliban Easter

The casualties will be worse when jihadists acquire WMD.

There aren’t many Christians left in Pakistan, but that’s still too many for the Taliban. A splinter group of the Pakistani faction of the Islamist terror group claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on Christians celebrating in a park in Lahore on Easter Sunday.

At least 65 people, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 300 others were injured as the terrorists targeted a children’s park in Pakistan’s most cosmopolitan city. “Members of the Christian community who were celebrating Easter today were our prime target,” said a Taliban spokesman who called NBC News from the safety of an undisclosed location.

Islamist attacks on Christians during religious holidays is becoming routine, as the jihadists strive for maximum political impact. 

While Europe tries to find and break up jihadist networks after last week’s bombing in Brussels, the Pakistan murders are a reminder that the jihadists are killing even more people in Muslim-majority countries. The victims are Muslims and Christians.

Mass-casualty terrorism has become an almost daily occurrence, and there’s a danger that the world will become inured to it as a new normal. That is dangerous. 

A terror group that targets women and children without remorse wouldn’t hesitate to kill tens of thousands, even millions, if it can acquire the means.