Gary Wright died from complications of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's.
If you listen to Yacht Rock Radio on SiriusXM, you may hear a staple of the soft rock genre. American singer and writer Gary Wright has passed away at the age of 80.
Gary Wright, best known for his 70s hit songs "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive," died after long health battle, his son told Eyewitness News.
Wright has described his initial musical influences as "early R&B" – namely, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Bobby Bland – along with rock 'n' roll artists Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Beatles. While in Europe in 1967, Wright abandoned his plans to become a doctor and instead toured locally with a band he had formed, the New York Times. When the latter supported the English group Traffic – at Oslo in Norway, according to Wright – he met Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. Wright recalls that he and Blackwell had a mutual friend in Jimmy Miller, the New York-born producer of Island acts such as the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic.
Blackwell invited Wright to London, where he joined English singer and pianist Mike Harrison and drummer Mike Kellie in their band Art (formerly the VIPs). The group soon changed its name to Spooky Tooth, with Wright as joint lead vocalist and Hammond organ player. While noting the band's lack of significant commercial success over its career, The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll describes Spooky Tooth as "a bastion of Britain's hard-rock scene".
Spooky Tooth's first album was It's All About, released on Island in June 1968. Produced by Miller, it contained the Wright-composed "Sunshine Help Me" and six songs he co-wrote with either Miller, Harrison or Luther Grosvenor, the band's guitarist. Spooky Two, often considered the band's best work, followed in March 1969, with Miller again producing. Wright composed or co-composed seven of the album's eight songs, including "That Was Only Yesterday" and "Better By You, Better Than Me". Spooky Two sold well in America but, like It's All About, it failed to place on the UK's top 40 albums chart.
The third Spooky Tooth album was Ceremony, a Wright-instigated collaboration with French electronic music pioneer Pierre Henry, released in December 1969. Songwriting for all the tracks was credited to Henry and Wright, after the latter had passed the band's recordings on to Henry for what The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia terms "processed musique concrète overdubs".
Although Wright had traditionally provided an experimental influence within Spooky Tooth, he regretted the change of musical direction, saying in a 1973 interview: "We should have really taken off after Spooky Two but we got into the absurd situation of letting Pierre Henry make the Ceremony album. Then he took it back to France and remixed it." With bass player Greg Ridley having already left the band in 1969 to join Humble Pie, Wright departed in January 1970 to pursue a solo career.
His son, Justin, said his father had been suffering with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia for the past six years.
The singer-songwriter died Monday morning at his home in Palos Verdes Estates surrounded by his family and loved ones.
Word of his death spread on social media with many fans and fellow musicians sharing their memories of Wright, including singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop.
"The attached photos hold precious memories from the very first and last time we shared the stage together, alongside our mutual musical pal John Ford Coley," wrote Bishop on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Gary's vibrant personality and exceptional talent made every moment together truly enjoyable. His legacy will live on for many years to come ..."
A former child actor, Wright performed on Broadway in the hit musical Fanny before studying medicine and then psychology in New York and Berlin. After meeting Chris Blackwell of Island Records in Europe, Wright moved to London, where he helped establish Spooky Tooth as a popular live act. He also served as the band's principal songwriter on their recordings – among them, the well-regarded albums Spooky Two (1969) and You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw (1973). His solo album Footprint (1971), recorded with contributions from Harrison, coincided with the formation of Wright's short-lived band Wonderwheel, which included guitarist Mick Jones. Also, during the early 1970s, Wright played on notable recordings by B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson and Ronnie Spector, while his musical association with Harrison endured until shortly before the latter's death in 2001.
Wright turned to film soundtrack work in the early 1980s, including re-recording his most popular song, "Dream Weaver", for the 1992 comedy Wayne's World. Following Spooky Tooth's reunion tour in 2004, Wright has performed live frequently, either as a member of Starr's All-Starr Band, with his own live band, or on subsequent Spooky Tooth reunions. Wright's most recent solo albums, including Waiting to Catch the Light (2008) and Connected (2010), have all been issued on his Larklio record label. In 2014, Jeremy P. Tarcher published Wright's autobiography, Dream Weaver: Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison.
Grunge rock lead Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth died of liver cancer.
If you were a fan of grunge rock and campy pop, you listened to Smash Mouth.
It's former front man Steve Harwell who led the hook of "Hey now, you're a rock star..." passed away. Harwell died in his home in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by his friends and family.
It has been reported that Harwell had been in hospice care, according to CBS.
Hayes said Harwell struggled with alcohol throughout his career and was dealing with liver failure before passing away.
He was best known for the 1999 hit song “All Star”, “I’m a Believer” and the 1997 song “Walkin’ on the Sun”.
Harwell retired from the band in 2021. Smash Mouth has achieved two No. 1 hit singles, five Top 40 singles, a Grammy nomination, and has sold over 10 million albums worldwide.
Hayes said earlier this week that Harwell had been placed in hospice care and had only a short time left to live.
“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices from his generation,” Hayes said on Sunday. “Steve loved the fans and loved to perform.”
The band’s Instagram account published a tribute Monday. “Steve lived a 100% full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out,” it read.
During his long career with the band, Smash Mouth sold more than 10 million albums and had two No. 1 hit singles, “Walkin’ on the Sun” and “All Star.” The latter was certified triple platinum in the U.S. and became an international hit, vaulting the band to a Grammy nomination and pop culture history.
“I’m not going to toot my own horn, but nobody else could have sang that song,” Harwell told Rolling Stone of “All Star” in 2019. “It would have never been what it is now. I could’ve pitched that song to a million bands and they would have tried to do it, and it would’ve never been what it is.”
“‘All Star’ was meant to be ours,” he added. “And that’s why it was so big, and still is. It was meant to be Smash Mouth, and that’s the great thing about it.”
The song has maintained a place in the cultural zeitgeist for decades after it was featured in the film “Shrek.”
“We had no clue how big ‘Shrek’ was going to be. We had no clue,” Harwell told Rolling Stone. “The song was already a Number One single, and then ‘Shrek’ came out and we sold millions of records off that alone. The song was reborn again.”
Harwell retired from Smash Mouth two years ago after an erratic performance in New York, saying at the time his health issues had become too serious to allow him to continue.
“Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a Rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream,” he said. “To my bandmates, it’s been an honor performing with you all these years and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with.”
Smash Mouth has continued to tour with vocalist Zach Goode.
“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices from his generation,” the band’s manager said. “His legacy will continue to live on through the music.”
Republicans only support law and order only if they are allowed to commit crimes.
The Republicans are freaking out again. The party of white nationalism, conspiracy theories and culture wars is back to bashing President Joe Biden, Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan, obsessing over remarks made by Hillary Clinton, making new unfounded claims about Hunter Biden, threatening to impeach, threatening to shutdown federal government and reacting to the newest culture war.
Since they've taken control of the House of Representatives, nothing memorable other than keeping the debt ceiling from collapsing in a last minute negotiation.
Republicans have claimed to be the "party of law and order" and the like.
Washed Up 45 has committed over 90 felonies and many Republicans believe he is being prosecuted because he is running for president. Despite his attempts to overturn a fair election, his attempts to lead a coup d'etat against the U.S. government, his pressure campaign to force Republicans to end certification of election results and his hush money payments to keep a damaging story about him and Stormy Daniels are ignored. He was trying to blackmail Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy into launching a criminal investigation against Biden to get defense funding approved by Congress.
Those who participated in the Jan. 6 attacks are being sentenced. Republican lawmakers are calling for the release of several of them.
Many Republicans want to impeach President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra because of some conspiracy theory.
They want retired government official Dr. Anthony Fauci arrested for conspiracy theories. They want Jack Smith arrested.
Republicans want investigations in Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis, New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Leticia James.
So far, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has nothing to show for his leadership.
He is a miserable man.
He has a four seat majority in the House and of the 223 members, ten of them are at risk of federal prosecutions. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is a prime example. He is facing 11 felony charges and has no intention of resigning. The lawmaker faces fraud and perjury charges.
Florida's governor Ron DeSantis refuses to appear with the president after Hurricane Idalia ravaged through the state. Biden appeared with controversial Republican senator Rick Scott, a key opponent of the president and one of the most corrupt senators in Washington.
This is the face we all make when Republicans talk about how they can solve problems.
DeSantis who is struggling to win over MAGA made it political when he decided to avoid Biden and decided to offer fried chicken to first responders. He was booed by members of Jacksonville after he and wife Casey showed up at the memorial of the three Black victims of a white terrorist. The terrorist literally stated in a manifesto he was hoping to kill Black people.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), a vulnerable Republican lawmaker from Colorado barely won a second term. She was warned to stop showboating. Boebert had toned down for a moment (a very short moment). Boebert is still a do nothing lawmaker. Biden mocked her for celebrating her district getting a project that she and many Republicans voted against. These projects are courtesy of Biden's policies. She is feuding with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who is pissed that she refused to back her impeachment proposals. Boebert had introduced her impeachment proposals and it riled up Greene. The two were once allies but it went south when Boebert and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) held up McCarthy's leaderahip position for 15 votes. Greene backed McCarthy and attacked Boebert for being disloyal and a "little bitch." Boebert is facing Adam Frisch in a rematch. She is calling for impeachment of Democratic Kentucky governor Andy Beshear because he has the authority to appoint a senator if Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would resign or die in office.
Greene who openly calls for violence against Biden and Democratic lawmakers is upset over the White House calling her out by name. She has openly attacked the president and threatened government shutdowns over the Jack Smith investigation and Republican push for impeachment.
Republicans have no actual policies to combat crime, the economy and disinformation.
American politican who served as governor of New Mexico, U.S. Representative from the state, served as an U.N. Ambassador and Energy Secretary under Bill Clinton, Bill Richardson passed away. Richardson also served as the Democratic National Committee chairman and chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
Richardson ran for president in 2008. He endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton soon after which led to a brief feud between James Carville, a former strategist for Bill Clinton. Carville compared Richardson to Judas Iscariot for the move. Richardson responded in a Washington Post article, feeling "compelled to defend [himself] against character assassination and baseless allegations."
Richardson was a rumored vice presidential candidate for Senator and Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama, and was fully vetted by the Obama campaign, before Obama chose Joe Biden (former vice president and the current U.S. president) on August 23, 2008.
Richardson was nominated for the cabinet-level position of Secretary of Commerce in the first Obama administration but withdrew a month later, as he was being investigated for possible improper business dealings in New Mexico. Although the investigation was later dropped, it damaged Richardson's popularity and diminished his influence as his second and final term as New Mexico governor concluded.
Richardson occasionally provided advice on diplomatic issues pertaining to North Korea and visited the nation on several occasions, including efforts to release American detainees. He completed a number of private humanitarian missions, one of which secured the release of U.S. journalist Danny Fenster from a Myanmar prison in November 2021.
Bill Clinton with Bill Richardson.
Richardson died at his summer home in Chatham, Massachusetts, the organization said.
"Governor Richardson passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. He lived his entire life in the service of others – including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad," Mickey Bergman, vice president of the Richardson Center, said in a statement Saturday.
"The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend," the statement added.
Richardson was first elected to New Mexico's newly formed Third Congressional District in 1982. Richardson served in the U.S. House until 1997 when he was appointed by President Bill Clinton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He later served as Secretary of Energy from 1998 to 2000.
He was elected governor of New Mexico in 2002. His accomplishments as governor, according to the Richardson Center, included improving the state's job numbers and boosting economic development by bringing the movie industry to New Mexico, which resulted in more than 140 major film and TV productions. He also built a light-rail system from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, and partnered with Virgin Galactic to build a commercial spaceport.
In 2008, he sought the Democratic nomination for president, dropping out after Iowa and New Hampshire.
After serving two terms as governor, Richardson turned his attention to global conflict resolution and the release of political prisoners, particularly Americans wrongfully detained abroad. The Richardson Center, founded in 2011, is credited with successfully negotiating the release of hostages and people imprisoned in several countries including North Korea, Colombia, Sudan, Cuba and Myanmar.
Richardson was involved with recent efforts to bring home WNBA star Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine Trevor Reed.
For his work as a diplomat and prisoner negotiator, Richardson was nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Richardson also co-founded the Foundation to Preserve New Mexico Wildlife with actor Robert Redford.
President Joe Biden remembered Richardson as a "patriot and true original" who "seized every chance to serve and met every new challenge with joy."
"Few have served our nation in as many capacities or with as much relentlessness, creativity, and good cheer," Biden said in a written statement on Saturday, noting Richardson's roles as an ambassador, a Cabinet secretary, a governor and a congressman.
Bill Richardson with Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
"But perhaps his most lasting legacy will be the work Bill did to free Americans held in some of the most dangerous places on Earth," Biden added.
The president noted the two first crossed paths when Richardson was a staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which Biden served on as senator.
"Over the years, I saw firsthand his passion for politics, love for America, and unflagging belief that, with respect and good faith, people can come together across any difference, no matter how vast," Biden said.
Richardson also co-founded the Foundation to Preserve New Mexico Wildlife with actor Robert Redford.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Richardson was "driven by a fierce belief in the power of diplomacy."
"He demonstrated the value of engagement and charted an inspiring path for future generations of public servants to follow," Blinken said in a statement.
"I'm sad to hear of former NM Gov Bill Richardson's passing," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who previously served as a U.S. representative from New Mexico, said in a statement Saturday. "He was a champion for Tribes, elevating Indian Affairs to a cabinet level. He helped me ensure Native students received in-state tuition. He was a true friend and one of our country's valued diplomats."
Former Vice President Al Gore, who served alongside Richardson in the Clinton administration, said in a statement, "He was an exceptional public servant, a relentless advocate for those unjustly held overseas and a true friend. I send my deepest condolences to the Richardson family during this difficult time."
Richardson was born in Pasadena, California, and grew up in Mexico City and in Concord, Massachusetts. His parents were of Mexican descent. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and French from Tufts in 1970 and a master's degree from Tuft's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1971.
Richardson is survived by his wife, Barbara, and a daughter.
Jimmy Buffett has passed away after a brief illness.
An American icon of folk, rock and country has passed away.
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Congress and many in the music industry were notified of this.
Jimmy Buffett, who popularized beach bum soft rock with the escapist Caribbean-flavored song “Margaritaville” and turned that celebration of loafing into a billion-dollar empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen concoctions, has died. He was 76.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement posted to Buffett’s official website and social media pages said late Friday. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
The statement did not say where Buffett died or give a cause of death. Illness had forced him to reschedule concerts in May and Buffett acknowledged in social media posts that he had been hospitalized, but provided no specifics.
“Margaritaville,” released on Feb. 14, 1977, quickly took on a life of its own, becoming a state of mind for those ”wastin’ away,” an excuse for a life of low-key fun and escapism for those “growing older, but not up.”
The song is the unhurried portrait of a loafer on his front porch, watching tourists sunbathe while a pot of shrimp is beginning to boil. The singer has a new tattoo, a likely hangover and regrets over a lost love. Somewhere there is a misplaced salt shaker.
“What seems like a simple ditty about getting blotto and mending a broken heart turns out to be a profound meditation on the often painful inertia of beach dwelling,” Spin magazine wrote in 2021. “The tourists come and go, one group indistinguishable from the other. Waves crest and break whether somebody is there to witness it or not. Everything that means anything has already happened and you’re not even sure when.”
The song — from the album “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” — spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at No. 8. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 for its cultural and historic significance, became a karaoke standard and helped brand Key West, Florida, as a distinct sound of music and a destination known the world over.
“There was no such place as Margaritaville,” Buffett told the Arizona Republic in 2021. “It was a made-up place in my mind, basically made up about my experiences in Key West and having to leave Key West and go on the road to work and then come back and spend time by the beach.”
The song soon inspired restaurants and resorts, turning Buffett’s alleged desire for the simplicity of island life into a multimillion brand. He landed at No. 18 in Forbes’ list of the Richest Celebrities of All Time with a net worth of $1 billion.
Buffett’s “music brought happiness to millions of people. I’ll always be grateful for his kindness, generosity, and great performances through the years,” wrote former President Bill Clinton on X, formerly Twitter.
Music critics were never very kind to Buffett or his catalogue, including the sandy beach-side snack bar songs like “Fins,” “Come Monday” and “Cheeseburgers in Paradise.” But his legions of fans, called “Parrotheads,” regularly turned up for his concerts wearing toy parrots, cheeseburgers, sharks and flamingos on their heads, leis around their necks and loud Hawaiian shirts.
“It’s pure escapism is all it is,” he told the Republic. “I’m not the first one to do it, nor shall I probably be the last. But I think it’s really a part of the human condition that you’ve got to have some fun. You’ve got to get away from whatever you do to make a living or other parts of life that stress you out. I try to make it at least 50/50 fun to work and so far it’s worked out.”
His special Gulf Coast mix of country, pop, folk and rock added instruments and tonalities more commonly found in the Caribbean, like steel drums. It was a stew of steelpans, trombones and pedal steel guitar. Buffett’s incredible ear for hooks and light grooves were often overshadowed by his lyrics about fish tacos and sunsets.
Biden met Jimmy Buffett in 2016.
Rolling Stone, in a review of Buffett’s 2020 album “Life on the Flip Side,” gave grudging props. “He continues mapping out his surfy, sandy corner of pop music utopia with the chill, friendly warmth of a multi-millionaire you wouldn’t mind sharing a tropically-themed 3 p.m. IPA with, especially if his gold card was on the bar when the last round came.”
Tributes on Saturday came from all walks of life, from Hollywood star Miles Teller posting photos of himself with Buffett to former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, who wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Buffett “lived life to the fullest and the world will miss him.” Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys wrote: “Love and Mercy, Jimmy Buffett.”
Buffett’s evolving brand began in 1985 with the opening of a string of Margaritaville-themed stores and restaurants in Key West, followed in 1987 with the first Margaritaville Café nearby. Over the course of the next two decades, several more of each opened throughout Florida, New Orleans and California.
The brand has since expanded to dozens of categories, including resorts, apparel and footwear for men and women, a radio station, a beer brand, ice tea, tequila and rum, home décor, food items like salad dressing, Margaritaville Crunchy Pimento Cheese & Shrimp Bites and Margaritaville Cantina Style Medium Chunky Salsa, the Margaritaville at Sea cruise line and restaurants, including Margaritaville Restaurant, JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill and LandShark Bar & Grill.
There also was a Broadway-bound jukebox musical, “Escape to Margaritaville,” a romantic comedy in which a singer-bartender called Tully falls for the far more career-minded Rachel, who is vacationing with friends and hanging out at Margaritaville, the hotel bar where Sully works.
James William Buffett was born on Christmas day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and raised in the port town of Mobile, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and went from busking the streets of New Orleans to playing six nights a week at Bourbon Street clubs.
He released his first record, “Down To Earth,” in 1970 and issued seven more on a regular yearly clip, with his 1974 song “Come Monday” from his fourth studio album “Living and Dying in ¾ Time,” peaking at No. 30. Then came “Margaritaville.”
He performed on more than 50 studio and live albums, often accompanied by his Coral Reefer Band, and was constantly on tour. He earned two Grammy Award nominations, two Academy of Country Music Awards and a Country Music Association Award.
Buffett was actually in Austin, Texas, when the inspiration struck for “Margaritaville.” He and a friend had stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant before she dropped him at the airport for a flight home to Key West, so they got to drinking margaritas.
“And I kind of came up with that idea of this is just like Margarita-ville,” Buffett told the Republic. “She kind of laughed at that and put me on the plane. And I started working on it.”
He wrote some on the plane and finished it while driving down the Keys. “There was a wreck on the bridge,” he said. “And we got stopped for about an hour so I finished the song on the Seven Mile Bridge, which I thought was apropos.”
Buffett also was the author of numerous books including “Where Is Joe Merchant?” and “A Pirate Looks At Fifty” and added movies to his resume as co-producer and co-star of an adaptation of Carl Hiaasen’s novel “Hoot.”
Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane; daughters, Savannah and Sarah; and son, Cameron.
Even with two federal indictments, two state indictments, a federal lawsuit, a state investigation into his finances, calls to disqualify him due to his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Washed Up 45 is still leading. Even though he skipped the debate and plans on doing none, the former president is still ahead in primary polls.
It was only two months and it appears that Miami mayor Francis X. Suarez is suspending his campaign. He failed to make the stage at the first Republican presidential debate and two other Floridians are at war with one another. It makes the moderate Republican less of a choice.
"Running for President of the United States has been one of the greatest honors of my life," Suarez said. "This country has given so much to my family and me. The prospect of giving back at the highest levels of public service is a motivator if not a calling. Throughout this process, I have met so many freedom-loving Americans who care deeply about our nation, her people, and its future. It was a privilege to come so close to appearing on stage with the other candidates at last week's first debate."
"While I have decided to suspend my campaign for President, my commitment to making this a better nation for every American remains," Suarez added.
The decision marks days of disputed back and forth between his team and the Republican National Committee over whether he would make it on the stage.
Ultimately, the RNC said he hadn't met all of their polling and donor benchmarks -- despite claiming otherwise.
He had released a social media video saying he had qualified and urging supporters to tune in.
"I am so excited to be able to deliver my message of prosperity to the entire nation, to introduce myself to the nation," he said. "This is the beginning of an incredible moment for our country and for our city. I want you all to watch and be a part of it."
The mayor's campaign also shared with the Associated Press portions of an email he said he had received from RNC staff which indicated the committee had reserved more than 100 tickets in Milwaukee for his campaign.
But the outlet later reported that the mayor's team had omitted a portion of the email exchange which included a disclaimer that the tickets would be canceled if Suarez failed to meet the debate criteria.
The 45-year-old Suarez, who announced his candidacy in June with an ad showing him running through Miami, pitched himself as an effective leader with the youthful presence needed in the White House.
But his campaign became more known for gaffes and gimmicks, as when in an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt he appeared to not know about the Uyghurs, a repressed ethnic minority in western China.
“What’s a Uyghur?” he asked Hewitt.
And in an effort to meet the debate criteria of 40,000 individual donors, Suarez had offered unusual rewards for people who gave his campaign a single dollar, including entrance into a raffle for tickets to Lionel Messi's first game in Major League Soccer.
The week before the debate, Suarez suggested that candidates unable to qualify for the first debate should consider dropping out of the race, telling ABC News' Rachel Scott, "Being honest, I think, remember, it only gets harder from here, right?"
"It's harder to make higher thresholds when you're not making lower thresholds."
As we approach the final four months of 2023, I am reminded that I like millions of others are working longer and not getting paid enough for the labor. On top of that, job satisfaction has become very low. Turnover at companies are high.
I am working check-to-check. I am surviving on what means I got.
The jobs report for August is out and it shows modest gain. It also raises the unemployment rate to 3.8%. The nation's employers added 187,000 jobs in August, evidence of a slowing but still-resilient labor market despite the high interest rates the Federal Reserve has imposed.
The job growth marked an increase from July's revised gain of 157,000 but still pointed to a moderating pace of hiring compared with earlier this year. From June through August, the economy added 449,000 jobs, the lowest three-month total in three years.
Friday's report from the Labor Department showed that the unemployment rate rose from 3.5% to 3.8%, the highest level since February 2022 though still low by historical standards. But the rate rose for an encouraging reason: A sizable number of people — 736,000 — began looking for work last month, the most since January, and not all of them found jobs right away. Only people who are actively looking for a job are counted as unemployed.
Indeed, the proportion of Americans who either have a job or are looking for one rose in August to 62.8%, the highest level since the February 2020, before COVID-19 slammed into the U.S. economy.
The August jobs report also showed that wage gains are easing, a trend that may help signal to the Fed that inflation pressures are cooling: Average hourly wages rose 0.2% from July to August and are up 4.3% from August 2022. The year-over-year increase was down from 4.4% in both July and June.
In addition to reporting August job growth, the Labor Department on Friday revised down the gains for June and July by a combined 110,000. A decelerating job market could help shift the economy into a slower gear and reassure the Fed that inflation will continue to decelerate. The Fed’s streak of 11 interest rate hikes have helped slow inflation from a peak of 9.1% last year to 3.2% now. Given signs that inflation has continued to ease, many economists think the Fed may decide no further rate hikes are necessary.
The Fed wants to see hiring slow because intense demand for labor tends to inflate wages and feed inflation. The central bank hopes to achieve a rare “soft landing,” in which its rate hikes would manage to slow hiring, borrowing and spending enough to curb high inflation without causing a deep recession.
Washed Up 45 and the minions.
Optimism about a soft landing has been growing. The economy, though growing more slowly than it did in the boom that followed the pandemic recession of 2020, has defied the squeeze of increasingly high borrowing costs. The gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — rose at a respectable 2.1% annual rate from April to June. Consumers continued to spend, and businesses increased their investments.
The Fed wants to see hiring decelerate because strong demand for workers tends to inflate wages and feed inflation.
So far, the job market has been cooling in the least painful way possible — with few layoffs. The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits — a proxy for job cuts — fell for a third straight week.
Well the one thing which is happening is the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike which affects network and streaming services. The 2023-24 U.S. network schedules is disrupted.
Actors, writers and others in the entertainment industry are struggling. The network executives refuse to negotiate with actors and writers when it comes to royalties, artificial intelligence and syndication payments.
No scripted shows and several game shows will be halted once they finish production.
An automotive strike is looming as well. Members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union recently voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike against General Motors, Ford, or Stellantis if the ongoing negotiations regarding a new labor contract fails.
Yellow, one of the oldest trucking company in the country went out of business after it had failed negotiating with Teamsters.
Instead of slashing jobs, companies are posting fewer openings — 8.8 million in July, the fewest since March 2021. And American workers are less likely to leave their jobs in search of better pay, benefits and working conditions elsewhere: 3.5 million people quit their jobs in July, the fewest since February 2021. A lower pace of quits tends to ease pressure on companies to raise pay to keep their existing employees or to attract new ones.
Marjorie Taylor Greene warns Kevin McCarthy that if doesn't impeach Biden, she and Republicans will shut the government down.
Economists and financial market analysts increasingly think the Fed may be done raising interest rates: Nearly nine in 10 analysts surveyed by the CME Group expect the Fed to leave rates unchanged at its next meeting, Sept. 19-20.
Despite what appears to be a clear trend toward slower hiring, Friday’s jobs report could get complicated. The reopening of school can cause problems for the Labor Department’s attempts to adjust hiring numbers for seasonal fluctuations: Many teachers are leaving temporary summer jobs to return to the classroom.
Washed Up 45 pleads not guilty in his Georgia election fraud case. He and 18 allies are facing RICO and election interference charges. The Republican governor Brian Kemp confirms that he will not participate in the removal of Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis as many state Republicans are vowing to push. The U.S. House Republicans also are working on trying to push for investigations to stifle Willis and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was rejected by federal courts when he tried to get his indictment in Georgia moved to federal. Harrison Floyd, the Blacks for Trump member is the only conspirator who could not afford bail. He is currently in Fulton County lockup. Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, Kenneth Cheeseboro, Ray Smith, Jeffrey Clark, Michael Roman, Misty Hampton, Robert Cheeley, Scott Hall, Stephen Lee, Trevian Kutti, Cathy Latham, Shawn Still and David Shafer are also criminally charged as well.
Trevian Kutti is a former public relations executive who worked for Ye and R. Kelly, two disgraced hip-hop moguls. She is facing a federal lawsuit from Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.
Giuliani was found liable for defamation and will be paying Freeman and Moss after a federal jury decided that his lies costed the reputation of these women.
Former Proud Boys members Enrique Tarrio, Joe Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Christopher Worrell will face justice. Tarrio is expected to face heavy sentencing for planning the Jan. 6 attack as well as violating his probation. Biggs, sobbed in court when he was hit with 17 years for his role. Rehl was hit with 15 years. Worrell is wanted by the feds for failure to appear and will be likely hit with at least the maximum of 40 years if he is convicted.
The noise of the far left. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), David Hogg and Van Jones are noise and chaos agents against President Joe Biden. Reports about his age, primarying Democrats in swing districts, Biden not focused on "progressive issues" and claims that Vice President Kamala Harris not doing enough for Black America are once again in the spotlight after these agitators started complaining about Biden distancing himself from Washed Up 45's legal woes.
Ukraine has now used military drones in Russia. The attacks are crippling Russian troops and the dictator Vladimir Putin is hinting nuclear war. His former ally Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash. A eerie video surfaced showing Prigozhin saying he is alive and well.
Mitch McConnell freezes up again.
Republican lawmakers in the House threaten a government shutdown if they dodon't draft impeachment against Biden. They claim without evidence that Biden took bribes from Ukrainian officials. This along with Hunter Biden have been distractions from Washed Up 45's legal woes.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida and it has made catastrophic damage in the state as well as Georgia, South Carolina and parts of North Carolina.
Yes, folks are working two jobs. I am a testimony of that. But I am confident that in the short term I will have all the resources to reapply for the job I prefer.
The Congress has less work than most Americans. It is infuriating that the average worker works more hours than 157 House members and 36 senators.
Republicans see the only path to victory is basically obstruct and complain about the president. They won't offer solutions or policies. All they care about is trying to keep folks angry with culture wars and distractions.
President Joe Biden's headaches:
The Republicans in the House of Representatives.
The media asking him about Washed Up 45's controversies.
The Supreme Court making controversial decisions that impact the country.
Gun violence and Congress not doing anything to stop it.
Inflation.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. James Comer (R-KY), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. George Santos (R-NY), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO).
Republican governors Ron DeSantis, Kay Ivey, Greg Abbott, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Bill Lee, Glenn Youngkin, Kristie Noem, Kim Reynolds, Brian Kemp, Brad Little and Greg Gianforte.
Judges appointed by Washed Up 45.
The junk food media and their never ending dramatizing of world events.
Anti-Vaxxers.
Lawmakers and activists who protest the CDC guidelines during the pandemic.
The endless culture wars that Republicans find outrage in.
Washed Up 45 and his minions on Fox, Newsmax, OANN and the internet.
Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. The idiots who run it and the idiots who post on it.
Fox, Breitbart, Libs of TikTok, The Daily Mail, Newsmax and OANN's relentless talk about conspiracies. The endless attacks on the president's age, First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, Ashley Biden and the conspiracies about the president's mental capacity and health.
The endless racism towards Biden's allies Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Barack Obama.
The relentless talk about spending despite the former president's reckless spending.
The lack of civility towards fellow Americans.
Vladimir Putin.
Xi Jinping.
Kim Jong-Un.
Benjamin Netanyahu.
Alexander Lukashenko.
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
Monthly reminders:
The coronavirus doesn't care about your age, race, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, politics, economic or social standings. It doesn't care about your business, your performances, your personal finances and travel. It doesn't care about the funerals, the birthday parties, the weddings, the vacations, the events and your graduations.
An active shooter doesn't care about the politics, race, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, your finances, your family, your plans that day, your successes, your failures, and most importantly, your life.
You're not safe in the school, the concert, the hospital, the church, the casino, the bus station, the subway, the light rail train, the buses, the malls, the local big box store, the political rally, the protest rally, the women's center for reproductive surgeries, the mosque, the synagogue, the state buildings, the workplace, the gas station, the family picnic, the food truck rally, the funerals, the birthday parties, the graduations, the wedding, the televised events, the sporting events and many more events that have some terrorist with a firearm. Domestic violence, suicide, racism, culture war inspired, politically motivated and international operative inspired are types of gun violence.
Food prices, energy prices, rent, city services and college education have risen. Companies are struggling to find workers. They are now trying to push incentives to get workers in.
Real Reasons To Why Unemployment Rate Stays The Way It Is! The main reasons why some are not working.
DEAD
BORN
IN PRISON
IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
IN HIGH SCHOOL
IN COLLEGE FULL TIME
VOLUNTEER
DISABLED
INFLATION
STAY AT HOME PARENT
RETIRED
QUIT ON THEIR OWN
TERMINATED FROM EMPLOYMENT
NOT HIRING UNQUALIFIED
NOT HIRING TOO QUALIFIED
ACTIVE MILITARY
NATURAL DISASTERS
MASS SHOOTINGS DISRUPTING DAILY ROUTINE
BEING LAID OFF DUE TO CLOSING OR STAFF REDUCTION
DESTRUCTION TO FACILITY OR PROPRETY
OUTSOURCING JOBS TO OTHER STATES OR COUNTRIES
BEING UNDOCUMENTED IN FEAR OF I.C.E. OR U.S. AGENCIES
BEING PUBLICLY OUTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA DOING SHAMEFUL ACTS
PARTICIPATING IN UNCIVIL OR VIOLENT PROTESTS
Jobs are looking good despite fears.
Companies are cautious about hiring employees. With the average wages stagnant, many are not looking forward to returning to a job that pays dirt wages. Many who worked in the retail, restaurant and low end service industry are not willing to take a job for less than $10 an hour. Matter of fact, no one can survive on $15 an hour.
Republicans don't see the bigger picture itself. They rather continue to believe in conspiracies about people collecting the safety net and not going back to work.
Give them a liveable wage and maybe things might improve in the job market.
Bernie Sanders endorses Biden for 2024 but pressures him to be more progressive.
We can't always assume that folks are lazy. People are literally dying from being exposed to the coronavirus and folks are tired of the status quo of their jobs.
Many single mothers are having trouble trying to find quality daycare or family members to watch children. On top of that, some have lost family members due to the pandemic. A homemaker may have lost their spouse. Some may have no choice but to watch their children or loved ones due to the aftermath of the pandemic.
Folks are still trying to rebound from medical bills, late rent payments, owing taxes and college loans.
Republicans are white nationalists without a conscience.
Washed Up 45's presidency and Republican controlled governments killed millions of Americans. Biden has a slim majority in Congress and things can't be done with obstruction from both parties.
Holding these lawmakers accountable is not just a pledge, but a promise. You need to learn who represents your community. Your local community member, your school board member, your mayor, your state representative, your state senator, your governor, your U.S. Representative, your U.S. Senator and the president need to be held accountable for their actions.
We need to put pressure on Republicans and Democrats to do something to improve everyone's lives.
The call number to the U.S. Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official phone number, 202-224-3121. Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence. Let them know that being in your district means you are tasked to bring results to the constituents who voted for you and convince those who didn't consider you the next election. Let them know that women deserve the right to safe medical procedures. Let them know that their failure to pass legislation are the reasons why democracy and the economy are in free fall.
While doing a presser in Kentucky, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Republican Minority Leader froze when asked about a run in 2026.
He had a serious concussion and it led to a freeze in his speech.
The "armchair doctors" - the ones who are complaining about Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and President Joe Biden's health and age are back at it again.
Biden called McConnell to check on him.
I strongly disagree with McConnell and the way he does business. I mean he vowed to make Barack Obama, a one term president. McConnell, John Boehner, Paul Ryan and Republicans led two government shutdowns. He denied Obama his third Supreme Court nomination. He quickly rushed through Washed Up 45's third Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. McConnell refused to removed Washed Up 45 after he led an insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. He is literally stalling Biden nominees and refusing to allow stand ins for Feinstein when it comes to appointing federal judges.
Yet, he freezes up and we're supposed to have sympathy.
Biden, 80 rides a bicycle and works out. But one misspoke and its all about his age.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Maize Hirono (D-HI), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sen. John N. Kennedy (R-LA), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Angus King (I-ME), Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Maggie Hassen (D-NH), Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SC), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) are over 65.
Frozen in time.
Blackburn says some dumb shit.
Johnson says some dumb shit.
Scott says some dumb shit.
Graham says some dumb shit.
Romney says some dumb shit.
Manchin says some dumb shit.
Sanders says some dumb shit.
Warren says some dumb shit.
Tuberville definitely says some dumb shit.
Kennedy definitely says some dumb shit.
Yet, no one is calling on them to step aside or question their mental capacity.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) are constantly saying dumb shit and they are younger.
Should we question their age or mental capacity?
I don't want to play doctor.
If McConnell does step aside, Gov. Andy Beshear, Democratic incumbent will not be able to replace him with a Democrat senator. Kentucky has restrictions on appointing a senator. I get the feeling that Attorney General and Republican nominee for governor Daniel Cameron will be considering a run or appointment if McConnell retires, steps down or dies in office.
Do nothing lawmaker Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) already mocked the freeze and said that Republicans should force him out and appoint Cameron.
Greene, Nimarata "Nikki" Haley, Sean "Softball" Hannity, Mark Levin and Bill Cunningham have openly attacked Biden on his age.
Coongressive Van Jones also opened his mouth about polls claiming that Biden's age being a factor.
Washed Up 45 is old too but to the cult, he is young, fit and competent. Despite the lies, the criminal conspiracy to overturn the election, the immature name calling, the failure to take charge in a national emergency and the ineptness to sympathy, they're going to back this hot mess.
That's not his seat. Why can't I just sit down and enjoy my seat? I am not in the wrong here! I have rights!
Video is fake. It was an instructional video to generate conversation on real life issues.
Is this acting or a real event?
Regardless, I was disturbed by this.
Here's seven minutes of the most frustrating experience a Black man felt on a flight. He paid for an elite class ticket on flight only to be harassed by a white woman who looked at the clothes he wore an automatically assumed he was an economy class.
For nearly five minutes, the woman would demand he take his things and leave.
She was playing the victim the entire time and confronting both the Black man, people demanding her to sit down and the flight attendant who told her to take a seat or face the consequences.
I am so angry about this I had to post it.
I want to know who this person is and see if she still has an employer or even a social media account after this.
I almost thought this was a joke and wanted to believe this would end peacefully.
The look on that face screams confrontational.
No.
This white woman showed the privilege and the Karen-like behavior many Blacks face when dealing with MAGA.
Washed Up 45 has made this country polarizing. It has the world leaders concerned the U.S. is downsliding on democracy.
Obviously, this woman needs to be identified. She needs to meet my adopted son.
My adopted son is Folding Chair.
Here's a video of an ignorant Black man being a diva. Just to show you that I don't condone unruly behavior on airplanes. This piece of shit screamed racism after he literally shoved passengers and demanded he given his respect.
Enrique Tarrio is convicted of seditious conspiracy which is a federal crime. He and his former group The Proud Boys tried to overthrow the U.S. government by staging an insurrection against the certification of Joe Biden for president.
Tarrio, a Latino Black man from Florida who was then an annoying agitator before becoming a leader of the domestic terrorist group. Tarrio has since denounced Washed Up 45, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Gavin McInnes and Republicans.
Prosecutors are seeking 33 years behind bars for Tarrio, who had been scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday. That would be the longest sentence so far among hundreds of Capitol riot cases.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who postponed the sentencing shortly before it was to take place, isn’t bound by prosecutors’ recommendation when he sentences Tarrio in Washington’s federal courthouse, which sits within view of the Capitol. The sentencing for former Proud Boys chapter leader Ethan Nordean was also delayed Wednesday; it will now be Friday.
Kelly this week also was scheduled to sentence three other Proud Boys members who were convicted by a jury in May after a trial alongside Tarrio and Nordean. It’s unclear whether their hearings will be postponed, too.
Tarrio had already been arrested and ordered to leave Washington, D.C., by the time Proud Boys members joined thousands of Washed Up 45 supporters in storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as lawmakers met to certify Joe Biden’s election victory. But prosecutors say Tarrio organized and led the group’s assault from afar, inspiring followers with his charisma and penchant for propaganda.
Tarrio was a top target in one of the most important Capitol riot cases prosecuted by the Justice Department. He and three lieutenants were convicted in May of charges including seditious conspiracy — a rarely brought Civil War-era offense that the Justice Department levied against members of far-right groups who played a key role in the Jan. 6 attack. His sentencing, now set for Sept. 5, caps one of the most significant prosecutions in the U.S. Capitol insurrection.
“Using his powerful platform, Tarrio has repeatedly and publicly indicated that he has no regrets about what he helped make happen on January 6,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
The Justice Department has also recently charged the former president with conspiring to subvert American democracy, accusing the Republican of plotting in the days before the attack to overturn the results of the election that he lost to Biden, a Democrat. The Tarrio case — and hundreds of others like it — function as a vivid reminder of the violent chaos fueled by Washed Up 45’s lies around the election and the extent to which his false claims helped inspire right-wing extremists who ultimately stormed the Capitol to thwart the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
Washed Up 45, who is the early front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, insists he did nothing wrong. His trial is set for March 4.
The 33-year prison sentence that prosecutors have recommended for Tarrio, 39, of Miami, is nearly twice as long as the harshest punishment that has been handed down so far in the Justice Department’s massive Jan. 6 prosecution. The longest prison sentence so far went to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who got 18 years for seditious conspiracy and his conviction on other charges.
Tarrio, Nordean and fellow Proud Boys Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl were convicted of seditious conspiracy. A fifth Proud Boys member, Dominic Pezzola, was acquitted of seditious conspiracy but convicted of other serious charges.
Prosecutors also recommended prison sentences of 33 years for Biggs, 30 years for Rehl, 27 years for Nordean and 20 years for Pezzola. Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, and Rehl, of Philadelphia, led local Proud Boys chapters. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, was a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Pezzola was a group member from Rochester, New York.
Tarrio’s lawyers denied the Proud Boys had any plan to attack the Capitol. They argued that prosecutors used Tarrio as a scapegoat for Washed Up 45, who spoke at the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6 and urged his supporters to “fight like hell.”
In urging the judge for a lenient sentence, Tarrio’s lawyers noted in court papers that he has a history of cooperating with law enforcement. Court records uncovered in 2021 showed that Tarrio previously worked undercover and cooperated with investigators after he was accused of fraud in 2012.
Tarrio’s lawyers urged the judge “to see another side of him — one that is benevolent, cooperative with law enforcement, useful in the community, hardworking and with a tight-knit family unit and community support.”
Enrique Tarrio pays the price for being a cult leader.
Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot on charges that he defaced a Black Lives Matter banner during an earlier rally in the nation’s capital, but law enforcement officials later said he was arrested in part over concerns about the potential for unrest during the certification. He complied with a judge’s order to leave the city after his arrest.
On Jan. 6, dozens of Proud Boys leaders, members and associates were among the first rioters to breach the Capitol. The mob’s assault overwhelmed police, forced lawmakers to flee the House and Senate floors and disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying Biden’s victory.
Tarrio picked Nordean and Biggs to be his top lieutenants on Jan. 6 and created an encrypted Telegram group chat for group leaders to communicate, according to prosecutors. The backbone of the case against Tarrio and other Proud Boys leaders was messages that they privately exchanged before, during and after the Jan. 6 attack.
“Make no mistake ... we did this,” Tarrio wrote to other group leaders.
Tarrio also posted encouraging messages on social media during the riot, expressing pride for what he saw unfold at the Capitol and urging his followers to stay there. He also posted a picture of rioters in the Senate chamber with the caption “1776.”
Several days before the riot, a girlfriend sent Tarrio a document entitled “1776 Returns.” It called for storming and occupying government buildings in Washington “for the purpose of getting the government to overturn the election results,” according to prosecutors.
More than 1,100 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol attack. More than 600 of them have been sentenced, with over half receiving terms of imprisonment.
A border wall does not stop migrants. It is a eye sore on the natural lands and a hazard to safety.
Hurricane Idalina is a Category 4 storm and usually that means it is destruction expected. It is literally ripping up Northern Florida.
Please stay safe this week if you live in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina.
Fox, The New York Post, The Daily Mail, Newsmax, OAN, Truth Social, Right Side Broadcasting Network, Real America Voice, The Blaze, Breitbart, Jacobin, The Hill, NewsNation, The Young Turks, The Intercept, The Daily Express, The Sun, InfoWars, The Daily Caller and X are the platforms for morons.
Morons who are potential threats to democracy and the truth.
Tucson is the second largest city in Arizona. Has a population of 533,000.
The city is about 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexican border. But one had you thinking that the floodgates were open and President Joe Biden is letting an invasion of migrants into the country.
Mind you, the U.S. does have asylum for people who want to seek better lives.
Arizona has heavy monsoon storms which causes catastrophic flooding and lives are in danger when debris is washed into the communities. That's why many Democrats oppose the border wall, fence or barriers. Republicans who are clueless, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who lives no where close to the border and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) who lives in Arizona but is totally playing to the white nationalist base that has no freaking understanding of consequences.
The white supremacists are upset that their birth rate is dropping rapidly and are scapegoating people of color as the reason.
The far right will post on X (formerly Twitter) all sorts of memes to rile up folks who don't support immigration reform or Biden.
This account @endwokeness is possibly a Russian account but an influencer of most of the phony outrage.
Monsoons happen during the Summer and Fall months and it poses a serious threat to places in Arizona.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), one of the many morons in the Senate fell for this. It is like he spends more time doing podcasts than actually governing or being his Senate committee meetings.
Thankfully he isn't running for president again. His old running mate Carly Fiorina has already backed Joe Biden for reelection.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), a controversial Republican lawmaker who currently serves as the House Majority Leader confirms he is diagnosed with leukemia, a known blood cancer. The Republican survived a mass shooting in 2017 when a white terrorist shot at him and other lawmakers during a practice session of their Congressional Honorary Baseball game.
Scalise's district is a gerrymandered mess. The 1st Congressional District covers Slidell, Metairie, Kenner, Houma, Hammond, French Louisiana and a sliver of New Orleans.
Louisiana state Republicans refuse to redraw their Congressional District maps despite the Supreme Court ruling against the state and Alabama. Most of the Parishes Scalise's district covers have a 45% Black population.
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) were informed.
“After a few days of not feeling like myself this past week, I had some blood work done. The results uncovered some irregularities and after undergoing additional tests, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a very treatable blood cancer," he said in a statement.
“I have now begun treatment, which will continue for the next several months. I expect to work through this period and intend to return to Washington, continuing my work as Majority Leader and serving the people of Louisiana’s First Congressional District," Scalise, 57, continued.
Congress has been on a monthlong August recess and is expected to return next month.
“I am incredibly grateful we were able to detect this early and that this cancer is treatable," Scalise's statement continued. "I am thankful for my excellent medical team, and with the help of God, support of my family, friends, colleagues, and constituents, I will tackle this with the same strength and energy as I have tackled past challenges.”
Scalise was gravely wounded in a mass shooting at a congressional baseball practice in 2017. He was shot in the hip and the bullet ruptured several organs, which required multiple operations. His injuries took him away from the House floor for three months and he continues to walk with a limp.
McCarthy said on X that he spoke to Scalise Tuesday and "he's in good spirits."
Scalise, McCarthy wrote, "is a dear friend, and anyone who knows him knows he’s a faith-filled fighter who can overcome any obstacle that stands in his way. ... Nothing—not a gunshot and certainly not cancer—will stop him from accomplishing what he sets his mind to."
Scalise once referred himself to being "David Duke without the baggage."
Before he joined politics, he appeared at white nationalist events. Scalise called his appearance before the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO) — an extremist group founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke — a “mistake I regret” and added that he rejected the organization’s racist ideology.
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