Sunday, August 04, 2024

Dayton: 5 Years Later!

Five years later, still more mass shootings. Dayton had a deadly one hours after one in El Paso.

One early Sunday morning in Dayton, Ohio, a gunman opened fire on people inside the Oregon District. The gunman within seconds massacred 9 people before the police stopped him.

This came on the cusp of another mass shooting in America.

The August 3 and August 4 massacres in El Paso and Dayton mark the fifth year.

Since the mass shootings, no major legislative action from Congress. Gov. Greg Abbott and Gov. Mike DeWine have bowed to the will of the National Rifle Association and Republican leaders.

Former president Donald J. Trump will not acknowledge the events that rattled his presidency. The Las Vegas mass shooting under his term will be the most deadliest mass shooting in the United States.

I strongly doubt Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) will acknowledge the Dayton tragedy. He is the Republican vice presidential nominee. 

The incident will be considered one of the worst in Ohio history. The 24-year-old shooter identified as Connor Betts, shot and killed nine people, including his brother, and wounded 17 others near the entrance of the Ned Peppers Bar in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio. Betts was fatally shot by responding police officers 32 seconds after the first shots were fired. A total of 27 people were taken to area hospitals. It is the deadliest mass shooting to occur in Ohio since the 1975 Easter Sunday Massacre.

A search of the shooter's home found evidence that showed an interest in violence and mass shootings and that he had expressed a desire to commit one. He considered himself a leftist and voiced his support for Antifa, a preliminary assessment did not indicate that Betts had a racial or political motive. The attack occurred just 13 hours after a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.

Victims were shot quickly.

Police reported that all the fatalities occurred outside the bar on East 5th Street. The nine dead include six men and three women, six black and three white. Four of the dead were in their 20s, four more were in their 30s and one was 57. Two of the victims who died were also shot by police. An autopsy showed that a woman who was shot by Betts was already bleeding from a fatal gunshot wound when she was struck by two bullets that were fired by police. Had she not been suffering from fatal injuries, one of the bullets fired by police would not have been lethal. The second victim was shot by Betts multiple times and sustained a superficial gunshot wound from police. As a result of those findings, Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger ruled that the deaths were caused by Betts and were not the result of police gunfire.

Betts made online references about Satan and described himself as a leftist and antifa sympathizer. In the hours before he opened fire in Dayton, he "liked" a post in favor of gun control, and several concerning the El Paso shooting, including a tweet that called the El Paso shooter a "terrorist" and a "white supremacist". Betts was also known to have been in support of presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. An investigation concluded by the FBI in 2021 found that Betts "acted alone and was not directed by any organization or aligned to any specific ideological group," and that he "fantasized about mass shootings, serial killings, and murder-suicide for at least a decade".

The shooter was killed within seconds of trying to shoot clubgoers at Ned Peppers.

Two former high school classmates said Betts was suspended from Bellbrook High School after he made lists of other students he wanted to kill and rape. The "hit list" was discovered in 2010 and resulted in a police investigation. He was previously bullied and had planned to shoot up the school, a classmate said. His high school girlfriend said he complained of visual and auditory hallucinations and psychosis, and was afraid of developing schizophrenia.

The victims were:

  • Beatrice Warren Curtis (known as Nicole Curtis), 36
  • Derrick Fudge, 57
  • Monica Brickhouse, 39
  • Logan Turner, 30
  • Saeed Saleh, 38
  • Lois "Lola" Oglesby, 28
  • Nicholas Cumer, 24
  • Thomas McNichols (T.J. McNichols), 25
  • Jordan Coffer (formerly Megan Betts), 22
Betts killed his transgender brother. He killed eight people within 30 seconds of him firing his semiautomatic rifle.

There were 9 people killed in Dayton at a popular bar. The gunman traveled from his elite suburb of Bellbrook to Dayton to massacre folks. He knew that Ned Peppers is the place where many people go to for entertainment. He knew that the right time to attack. 

The shooting happened at the peak of nightlife.

Expect more.

Now, five years later, a memorial will be dedicated today to those who lost their lives on that fateful day. The memorial includes metal structures shaped like seeds representing the 9 lives lost.

Entertainer Dave Chappelle, who lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio was touched by the community's efforts to heal from a mass shooting and tornado. He host a charity event in the Oregon District.

Chappelle along with Jon Stewart, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Chance the Rapper, Stevie Wonder, Talib Kweli and Teyana Taylor were there to show solidarity with the community.

The Dayton massacre was one of the latest in a string of many other mass shootings where no one is safe. It happens in schools, places of worship, movie theaters, shopping malls, banks, convenience stores, workplaces, government facilities, festivals, clubs and the home.

Saturday, August 03, 2024

Ohio Woman Will Make Lyft Lift Its Policies!

Brandon Cooper's family want killer teens to serve the rest of their lives in the iron college.

The tragic murder of an Lyft driver touched me. I am a rideshare driver and have done rides for Uber and Lyft, as well as DoorDash. I am always concerned that a rider could put me in danger.

Lyft responded to the tragic 2022 shooting of their driver in Dayton, Ohio. The driver, identified as Brandon Cooper35 of Dayton was shot and killed by five teens who were a part of a ring of individuals tasked with carjacking Lyft and Uber drivers.

Cooper lost his life to a group of teens who robbed and killed him. The teens were indicted and pled guilty to his murder. They now face 25 years to LIFE.

The suspects aged between 15 and 16 were eligible for the adult court. They are held without release after being charged with murder (first-degree), criminal intent to commit murder, aggravated robbery, theft of property, disturbing the peace, inducing panic and unlawful discharge.

Since each individual had a role in the matter, they are complacent to murder.

Cooper leaves behind a wife and children. 

Da'travyvon Mitchell tearfully apologizes for his actions.

His wife and mother do not forgive the suspects. They are pushing for the maximum.

The suspects 17-year-old Tylan Peaks (likely shooter) and 17-year-old Da'trayvon Mitchell (accomplice/robber), both who were 15 years old at the time.

Peaks was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison. Mitchell will spend 25 years to life in prison.

“And I as a parent, I feel like I let him down. Maybe if I had been there more. But he’s not like what everybody’s trying to make him,” said Bryon Peaks, Tylan’s father.

The other two juveniles in the case were sentenced to five and six years in the Department of Youth Services.

They also going after Lyft. The company does not offer safety measures or alerts to areas deemed potential dangerous for drivers. They are pushing for social media rideshare apps to be vigilant.

Tylan Peaks shows no remorse.

Cooper's mother and wife joined in a press conference at the Miami Valley NAACP with Derrick Forward announcing their civil case against Lyft is ongoing.

“The boys did not make this happen on their own. They had help and if the policies were enforced the way they were supposed to it wouldn't have happened,” Brittney Cooper, wife of Brandon Cooper.

“Lyft, in my opinion, the only thing they didn't do was pull the trigger. They have Brandon's blood on their hands,” said Michelle Cooper, mother of Brandon Cooper.

El Paso: 5 Years Later!

Nothing has changed since the El Paso mass shooting.

We still have mass shootings in the United States. Two major mass shootings happened on August 3 and 4 in 2019. It was a moment that affected my community and a city 1,560 miles away.

We mark five years of the tragic mass shooting in El Paso. The incident happened when a white nationalist traveled from the Dallas area to deliberately target Hispanic and Black shoppers at a Walmart near the Cielo Vista Mall.

His motive was the frustration of immigrants coming into the U.S. and politicians not doing anything to stop it. Inspired by white nationalists, conservative agitators, Republican lawmakers and former president Donald J. Trump, the shooter killed 23 before he was arrested without resistance.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime. The shooting has been described as the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern American history.

The shooter Patrick Crusius was one of the many shooters who aren't Muslim.

He posted a manifesto with white nationalist and anti-immigrant themes on the imageboard 8chan shortly before the attack. The manifesto cites the Christchurch mosque shootings earlier that year, and the far-right conspiracy theory known as the Great Replacement, as inspiration for the attack. On February 8, 2023, following an announcement that the Department of Justice would not seek the death penalty, Crusius pleaded guilty to 90 federal murder and hate crime charges. On July 7, 2023, Crusius was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences, but he is currently pending trial for state charges that would still potentially result in the death penalty under Texas state jurisdiction if found guilty.


The victims were identified by the El Paso Police.

  • Andre Anchondo, 23
  • Jordan Anchondo, 24
  • Arturo Benavides, 60
  • Leonardo Campos, 41
  • Angie Englisbee, 86
  • Maria Flores, 77
  • Raul Flores, 83
  • Guillermo "Memo" Garcia, 36
  • Jorge Calvillo García, 61
  • Adolfo Cerros Hernández, 68
  • Alexander Gerhard Hoffman, 66
  • David Johnson, 63
  • Luis Alfonzo Juarez, 90
  • Maria Eugenia Legarreta Rothe, 58
  • Maribel (Campos) Loya, 56
  • Ivan Filiberto Manzano, 46
  • Elsa Mendoza Marquez, 57
  • Gloria Irma Márquez, 61
  • Margie Reckard, 63
  • Sara Esther Regalado Moriel, 66
  • Javier Rodriguez, 15
  • Teresa Sanchez, 82
  • Juan Velazquez, 77

It was a moment where Trump could have toned down the rhetoric. He chose not to.

As he is running for another term, Trump will likely avoid El Paso. Trump, being a survivor of mass shooting continues to push rhetoric that could inspire more attacks.

He plans on returning to Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of the latest mass shooting that was an assassination attempt on his life.

Doubt he will post anything on Truth Social about the El Paso mass shooting.

Matter of fact, Trump and Republicans are amping up the rhetoric against immigrants, Muslims, President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and the junk food media. Trump typed "Unite America" after he survived the assassination attempt. It was all a farce. He never promised to tone down the rhetoric. The National Association of Black Journalists was a prime example of it.

Trump and Republicans have pushed spikes in border arrivals and the issue of immigration during President Joe Biden's term as a centerpiece of the 2024 election.

Trump had warned Republicans that he will support their primary challengers if they supported any Biden immigration bills. Republicans oppose a bipartisan bill being pushed by Sen. John Lankford (R-OK), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). They spent nearly a year working on a bipartisan bill to solve the immigration issue. Trump called the Republicans and directly told them that if they passed it, it would deflate his argument about the border being out of control.

Polls have shown increases in support for tougher border policies among voters, including Hispanics, as more communities have had to shelter and respond to people coming across the border, including those who have been shuttled to their cities. Some communities have had to deal with migrants on the streets when shelters have been overcrowded or resources have run out.

A memorial was erected for the victims of the El Paso mass shooting.

Families of those killed and 22 more who were wounded will mark the grim anniversary Saturday of the day that gunman drove 700 miles to target Mexicans — as he told police after the shooting — ended the lives of their spouses, children, family members and friends.

Before the shooting, the gunman posted a screed online saying the shooting was his response to the “Hispanic invasion of Texas” and a replacement of white people by immigrants, echoing the “great replacement” conspiracy theory promoted by white supremacists.

Paul Jamrowski, father of Jordan Anchondo who along with her husband, Andre Anchondo, lost her life shielding her then 2-month-old son, said he’ll spend the day “reminiscing, remembering them, the people they were”.

But because of a gag order in the state case against the shooter, Jarowski said he could not discuss the gunman's motivations. The shooter was sentenced last year to 90 consecutive life terms after pleading guilty to federal charges that included hate crime charges. He still faces state prosecution.  

The city's open wounds fester as the language used before the massacre by former president Donald Trump describing the border as under “invasion” and the nation being attacked has spread and is now amplified, leaders of several organizations, including Human Rights First, the Border Network for Human Rights, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and America's Voice, said in a press call Thursday. 

In July many speakers and delegates at the Republican National Convention waved signs blaring “Mass Deportation Now” each night. Trump continues to decry a border “invasion” and he has repeated a phrase similar to one used by Adolf Hitler by declaring that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” A call to "seal the border and stop the migrant invasion" is the first of 20 items listed in the Republican Party platform.

There will be more white extremists motivated by rhetoric of the far right.

Since the racist El Paso massacre, Trump has been joined by a chorus of others, largely Republicans, using the same language, said Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a civil rights group.

“We see more invasion talk than we saw back then. Certainly, there is lots more anti-immigration talk from Trump himself,” Saenz said.

On Wednesday, Trump told the audience at the NABJ conference that people crossing the U.S. southern border would take “Black jobs.”

The far right and Fox are covering the migrant caravans again. It comes as no surprise they are ramping up the caravans. It almost seems like every U.S. Midterm or Presidential election, the Republican call for more attention to the border. Trump spoke the rhetoric of white nationalists. He used the "us versus them" when it comes to Black and Brown. 

He falsely claimed that immigrants are stealing jobs from Blacks.

“ ... they’re taking the employment away from Black people. They’re coming in, and they’re coming in, they’re invading,” he said. 

That is rhetoric I often hear from white supremacists, Black separatists and far right agitators in the junk food media.

NBC News reached out to the Trump campaign and of course, they pivoted or ignored request for comment.

Friday, August 02, 2024

Republicans Continue Their Weird Obsession With Biden's Cognitive Abilities!

Conservatives are weird. They take a celebration of freed Americans held in Russia and turned it into some bizarre conspiracy theory.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her allies have now labeled Republicans weird for their obsessions with trying to "own the libs" with conspiracy theories and straight up bullshit.

Even in his lame duck presidency, Joe Biden is getting things done. Where former president Donald J. Trump failed, the 46th President of the United States continues to work behind the scenes to free Americans and Russian dissidents from the Federation iron colleges.

In the early Friday morning, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan at Joint Base Andrews.

The U.S. made a prisoner swap with Russia. It was a move the Republicans will no doubt call a strategic blunder, but to the families, they will be lifelong allies to Biden and Harris.

The far right is still obsessed with the president and his cognitive abilities to govern.

They are weird.

Trump and his allies are sharing a video of Biden boarding a plane after the three individuals exited the plane.

Mediaite had to break through the noise.

After speaking to the media and further conversations with others present, Biden returned to the airplane which he entered while the Vice President and Secret Service officers watched.

“‘Did He Think It Was Air Force One?’ Biden Inexplicably Boards Plane Used By Freed Prisoners” is a headline used by MRC, which publishes Newsbusters — an organization that delights in calling out journalistic malfeasance, yet often fails to abide by those very standards themselves. Brittany Hughes wrote:

They were on the plane too.

So is anyone gonna ask questions about this? Or is it just another “cheap fake” we’re supposed to ignore?

Because I have all the questions.

Fresh off of welcoming home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and American veteran Paul Whelan, two American citizens who’d been held in a Russian prison, on Thursday night following a multi-national prisoner exchange, President Joe Biden appeared to wander on to the plane the former detainees had just gotten off of, leaving some people wondering if the 81-year-old thought he was getting on Air Force One.

The video has also gone viral on Twitter, an example of the mostly conservative comments read like this from conservative headline post “Amuse” which reads: “Joe Biden climbed back up the stairs of an airplane he wasn’t supposed to be on, as Kamala Harris and the Secret Service watched in disbelief. He clearly has no idea where he is or what he’s doing.”

Turns out the president was simply entering the plane to say hello to the many other passengers who had not yet deboarded following the exit of those released in the multinational prisoner swap with Russia.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates tells Mediaite: ““President Biden wanted to personally thank the flight crew who brought these brave individuals home to their families.”

Breakfast Platter! 🥞🍳🥓🥛

Biden still cooking. Will the junk food media start giving Harris the respect she deserves?

Of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the jobs report details how many jobs were spread across the United States. Some areas seen job growth while others saw job losses.

U.S. hiring decelerated sharply last month in the face of high interest rates as employers added an unexpectedly weak 114,000 jobs.

Friday’s Labor Department report showed a drop from the 179,000 jobs created in June. Forecasters had expected to see 175,000 jobs in July. The unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, highest since October 2021, as the number of jobless Americans rose by 352,000.

The economy had proven unexpectedly sturdy in the face of the Federal Reserve’s campaign to tame inflation with high interest rates. The Fed raised its benchmark rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023, taking it to a 23-year high. But the higher borrowing costs appear to be taking a toll.

The unemployment rate has risen for four consecutive months. It’s jump to 4.3% in July crossed a tripwire that historically has signaled that the United States is in recession — though economists say the gauge probably is not reliable in the topsy-turvy post-pandemic economy.

In another sign that the labor market is cooling, average hourly wages rose just 3.6% from July 2023, smallest year-over-year gain since May 2021 and a development likely to ease inflationary pressure in the economy.

Jobs gains were also concentrated in a few industries. Healthcare and social assistance firms added 64,000 jobs last month, accounting for 56% of hiring. Restaurants, hotels and bars added nearly 26,000 jobs.

The economy is weighing heavily on voters’ minds as they prepare for the presidential election in November. Many are unimpressed with the strong job gains of the past three years, exasperated instead by high prices. Two years ago, inflation hit a four-decade high. The price increases eased, but consumers are still paying 19% more for goods and services overall than they were before inflation first heated up in spring 2021.

The so-called Sahm Rule, named for the former Fed economist who came up with it, Claudia Sahm, holds that a recession is almost always already underway if the unemployment rate (based on a three-month moving average) rises by half a percentage point from its low of the past year. The jump to 4.3% crossed the threshold.

Still, Sahm, now chief economist at the investment firm New Century Advisors, said before Friday’s report that this time “a recession is not imminent’’ even if unemployment crosses the Sahm Rule threshold.

America’s jobs numbers have been unsettled by an unexpected surge in immigration — much of it illegal — over the past couple of years. The new arrivals have poured into the American labor force and helped ease labor shortages across the economy — but not all of them have found jobs right away, pushing up the jobless rate. Moreover, people who have entered the country illegally are less inclined to respond to the Labor Department’s jobs survey, meaning they can go uncounted as employed, notes Oxford’s Martin.

Nonetheless, Sahm remains concerned about the hiring slowdown, noting that a deteriorating job market can feed on itself.

“Once you have a certain momentum going to the downside, it often can get going,’’ Sahm said. The Sahm rule, she says, is “not working like it usually does, but it shouldn’t be ignored.’’

Sahm had urged Fed policymakers to preemptively cut their benchmark interest rate at their meeting this week, but they chose to leave it unchanged at the highest level in 23 years. They are widely expected to start reducing the rate at their next meeting in September.

Economists on Friday were questioning whether the Fed had waited too long to start easing borrowing costs. “Oh dear, has the Fed made a policy mistake?’' said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management. ”The labor market’s slowdown is now materializing with more clarity.., a September rate cut is in the bag and the Fed will be hoping that they haven’t, once again, been too slow to act.’'

In Mid-July, President Joe Biden announced he was ending his bid to run for reelection and passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris. 


Former president Donald J. Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The mass shooting in Pennsylvania was a massive failure of the Secret Service which led to its director resigning and Republicans grilling the agency. The Republican National Convention had Kid Rock, Amber Rose, Hulk Hogan and Teamsters president Sean O'Brien speak. Trump spoke briefly about his near death but quickly pivoted to attacking Biden and Democrats. It was one of the longest acceptance speeches in modern history.

Trump picked Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), a former critic who became a loyalist. Vance is being criticized for remarks about childless women and couches. His wife was introduced and it riled up white nationalists. Vance has no major accomplishments as a senator and has already became an insufferable senator the day he pointed his firearm in the sky trying to shoot down a 2 ton Chinese "spy balloon."

Trump and Republicans are playing desperation. They so far questioned Harris for not being Black. She is the daughter of a Jamaican American and Indian American. The Republicans are adamant on calling Harris an Indian. Harris identifies as a Black woman.

Trump also displayed total disregard for Black journalists. He went to the National Association of Black Journalists and right out the gate he insulted Rachel Scott, an ABC News reporter who asked a tough question to Trump. He didn't even make it through a hour because he constantly pivoted and insulted Biden, Harris, former president Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Harris, former president Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, retired Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and Houston leaders turned out for Sheila Jackson Lee's funeral. 

Alma Powell, the widow of Colin Powell had passed away. Her late husband, former Secretary of State Powell denounced Republicans in 2008 and endorsed Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. He felt betrayed by Republicans and their need to be a bunch of raving lunatics.

Bob Menendez, the New Jersey senator who became an independent announced he will step down in mid-August. Menendez was found guilty in a federal racketeering, failure to register as a foreign agent and bribery. Democrats called for him to step down after the charges were handed down but he refused. Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) is the nominee for the seat. Gov. Phil Murphy will appoint a senator to fill the term until a winner is seated.

After six years of captivity, Paul Whelan is freed. Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva were freed from Russian custody as well.

Red Lobster, Big Lots, Rite Aid, Long John Silvers, Sears, Kmart, Friendly's, Applebees, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, TGI Fridays, MOD Pizza, Noodles & Company, Outback Steakhouse, Boston Market and the Vitamin Shoppe are dying.

Due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Papa Johns, Burger King, McDonald's, Starbucks, Subway, Hardee's/Carl's Jr. and Rally's/Checkers are struggling. 

These companies raising the prices of their food and beverages have folks turning to home and gas station meals.

Trust me, Sheetz, Casey's General Stores, QuikTrip, Circle K, FavTrip and 7 Eleven are beating them in the fast food game.

Walmart is closing stores this year. Several are in Milwaukee, Chicago, Washington, DC, Portland, Oregon, Columbus, Ohio, Atlanta and Miami.

Trump overplayed his fist. Many almost felt sympathetic to him. He went back to his obnoxious self.

Bob's Stores, Conn's Home Plus, Badcock, Sam Ash Music and Rue21 are gone.

Norah O'Donnell is stepping down from CBS Evening News. 

Joe Manchin, the retiring independent senator from West Virginia dropped his bid to challenge Harris in the Democratic National Convention. He has not endorsed her. 

It is expected to be in Chicago and will have protests in regards to Biden and Harris' continued support of Israel. Brandon Johnson vows a safe Chicago. His city seen numerous mass shootings and single person gun violence.

Harris will pick her running mate by Sunday.

Benjamin Netanyahu came to the U.S. to attack Americans who protested against the apartheid ethnostate. He also urged lawmakers in the U.S. to continue its support.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) was told by Capitol Police to put her silent protest sign down. 

She held up a sign calling the fascist a "war criminal" and stated a call for a "ceasefire."

Republicans and some Democrats condemned her. An attendee of the Joint Session of Congress was arrested after he yelled at Netanyahu. He said that Netanyahu isn't concerned about the Israeli hostages only his massive ego. His appearance in the U.S. delayed talks for a ceasefire and also an ulterior motive. 

Israel killed three Iranian Revolutionary Guards, two Hezbollah leaders and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Israel killed him in Iran and it is now apparent that Israel is determined to spark a global war. Haniyeh was working on a ceasefire and his death now merits a possible retaliation from Hamas, Iran, Yemen and Hezbollah.

It will drag the U.S. into the conflict. The Arab League is working on imposing sanctions on Israel and no longer recognizing it as a legitimate sovereignty. The International Court of Justice already called Israel out for its illegal settlements and war crimes.

Israel conducted an illegal airstrike killing Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Far right Israeli lawmakers and settlers tried to cause an insurrection. They tried to free IDF soliders accused of rape and torture of Palestinians.

Ukraine also will be dragging the U.S. into the conflict. Russia, China and North Korea are working on a unilateral agreement to protect their own sovereignties. The U.S. finally granted Ukraine military funding.

Megan Thee Stallion, Quavo, Lil Nas X, Common, John Legend, Cardi B, GloRilla and Lizzo back Harris. 

50 Cent, Sexyy Red, Nicki Minaj, Waka Flocka Flame, Kodak Black, Lil Pump, Sleepy Hallow, Sheff G, Forgiato Blow, DaBaby, IceWear Vezzo, SadaBaby, Ye, Ice Cube, Ray J and AfroMan back Trump.

Greater Israel is happening. The UN is blocked from enacting sanctions on Israel because of the United States repeatedly blocking motions to hold the rogue apartheid ethnostate accountable for its nearly year war. This war is a genocide. It has killed 45,000 Palestinians are killed, thousands of Israeli soldiers are killed and regional conflict is happening. Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Yemen have vowed retaliation after Israel carried out illegal acts on their lands. 

The current president, Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He will serve one term and now in his lame duck term, his job approval is rising.

The junk food media is ignoring the accomplishments. Biden is facing blowback from his support of Israel, the constant mention of Republican rival former president Donald J. Trump and the repeated campaign to tarnish his son Hunter.

You know the junk food media ain't talking about Hunter Biden or Biden corruption now that he exited the race. Sean "Softball" Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Mark Levin, Fox, Breitbart are more concerned about Harris laughing, her Blackness and this made up border czar nonsense.

Trump is still telling Americans that if he doesn't win, there will be all out war. He still is telling the world that if he gets in he will finish what he started.

Republicans still can't govern in the House of Representatives. They are pushing authoritarianism in states they have control of. They are banning swatting, honing and regulations on testing. But when it comes to firearms, they refuse to do something.

Over 375 mass shootings. There is 366 days in 2024.

Republicans are using dog whistles when talking about Harris, Israel, crime, immigration and gun violence.

1. Hamas are terrorist to Israel and the United States. Those who support Hamas or defend their actions are labeled terrorist sympathizers, antisemitic, traitors, unpatriotic, radicals or whatever they conjure up.

2. Gun violence is the No. 1 threat to children and adults. When gun violence happen in Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Detroit and Baltimore, a Republican lawmaker wants to blame gun violence on Democratic mayors instead of the Congress.

3. Immigration is right now at record lows. The world views the U.S. as a hostile country and migrants from the Global South are beginning to ban American influence. They fear a Trump presidency could cause instability. Republicans are pushing for border closures, border/segregation walls, mass deportations, elimination of birthright citizenship, end of legal rights to Americans married to immigrants and push for English only. They also want to ban immigrants or student visas. They want to deport any immigrant who protest Israel or Trump.

4. Crime is a record lows. But property theft is up. Shoplifting, the Kia/Hyundai challenge, gun violence, white collar crimes and cybertheft have occurred. But again its racial dog whistles. Many corporations are getting away with greed and theft of wages. Many Americans are tired of paying more for less product. Kia and Hyundai are still facing criticism over this Kia Boyz nonsense. Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, Wexman are on their last legs. Walmart, Target and Kroger are closing stores in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods. Republicans are pushing for more mandatory sentences for theft. Democrats want to push for regulations on shrinkflation and theft of wages. Republicans oppose overtime and regulations to keep corporations from raising product prices.

Republicans want political revenge. Trump wants to jail his rivals. He may get that wish if he does return to power. This is not a joke. We ignored the threats in 2016 and 2020. It seems like we are going to do this again.

Do not assume that every place has jobs. Companies are closing up shop. The tech industry, retail, trucking and press are laying off workers. The service industry is continuing to suffer due to stagnant wages, lack of achievements and work overload.

Also, housing is still down. More Americans can't afford rent or car payments.

AIPAC has poured money into many of these primaries. It openly bragged that its choices which were Democrats and Republicans beat their challengers.

House members passed a bill to define antisemitism in attempt to suppress freedom of speech. The insufferable House of Representatives in a bipartisan moment are trying to criminalize thought and dissent.

They are now trying to outlaw any criticism of Israel as hate speech which could be punishable by sanctions, divestment or allowing companies to terminate employment of anyone who dares criticizes Israel.

Let me get this straight: You are more upset over words than actions. You are upset someone using their freedom of speech to criticize a foreign country engaged in a propaganda campaign to shield itself from war crimes and impunity. You are upset over people using their voices, their wallets and their time to protest an injustice. Well, get upset over your taxpayer money aiding foreign nations. Get upset over foreign nations killing Americans in a war funded by our taxpayer money. Get upset over the deaths of thousands in Haiti, Chad, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Venezuela, Myanmar, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine and Palestine. Get upset at your president, your senator, your representative, your governor, your state leader, your mayor and your local junk food media for bowing to the evil regime of Israel.

The Congress has less work than most Americans. It is infuriating that the average worker works more 50 hours a week while 157 House members and 36 senators work on average of 25 hours a week.

This evil man did a sideshow.

Republicans see the only path to victory is basically obstruct and complain about the president and vice president. They won't offer solutions or policies. All they care about is trying to keep folks angry with culture wars and distractions.

To make this clear, it doesn't matter anymore who the fucking president is. Biden, Harris, Trump and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. are backing Israel over the world. They are so out of touch with reality.

Holding Biden accountable for his actions doesn't mean a lockstep vote and support.

I. Am. Calling. Him. Out. 

Biden is an advocate of war and genocide. He is tone deaf and unfortunately a lost cause.

What pisses me off is our lawmakers are calling protesters "Hamas supporters" to paint peaceful protests as an act of "terrorism."

With billions of dollars of aid going to Israel, you would think that American lawmakers would have our taxpayer money spent on more useful things!

The lawmakers will spend more taxpayer money to fix our crumbling infrastructure.

Many of these Republicans who vote against funding the government and assistance for some of America's less fortunate are willing to give billions to a foreign nation engaged in an illegal act of genocide. Same with Democrats. They claim they want to protect democracy but endorse a fascist government sworn to being an ethnostate on our taxpayer dime.

President Joe Biden's headaches:

  1. Donald J. Trump.
  2. Elon Musk and X.
  3. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook and Meta.
  4. TikTok.
  5. The Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate stalling his agenda.
  6. Bad poll numbers.
  7. The media asking him about Russia, Israel, Hunter Biden and Trump's controversies.
  8. The Supreme Court making controversial decisions that impact the country.
  9. Gun violence and Congress not doing anything to stop it.
  10. Inflation and shrinkflation.
  11. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. John N. Kennedy (R-LA), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith (R-MS) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
  12. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), 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. Dean Phillips (D-MN), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO).
  13. Republican governors Ron DeSantis, Doug Burgum, Kay Ivey, Greg Abbott, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Bill Lee, Glenn Youngkin, Kristi Noem, Kim Reynolds, Brian Kemp, Brad Little and Greg Gianforte.
  14. Federal Judges and Supreme Court members appointed by Trump.
  15. The junk food media and their never ending dramatizing of world events.
  16. Anti-Vaxxers. 
  17. Lawmakers and activists who protest the CDC guidelines during the pandemic.
  18. The endless culture wars that Republicans find outrage in.
  19. Fox, Breitbart, Libs of TikTok, The Daily Mail, Newsmax and OANN's relentless talk about Biden conspiracies. 
  20. Mark Levin, Bill O'Reilly, Sean "Softball" Hannity, Lara Trump, Charlamagne tha God, Jesse Watters, Alex Jones, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, Van Jones, James Carville, Andrea Mitchell, Jake Tapper, Peter Doocy, Hillary Vaughn, Ben Shapiro, Glenn Beck, Simon Ateba, Greg Kelly, Forgiato Blow and Bill Maher.
  21. The Republicans constantly dogging his brother James Biden and son Hunter Biden.
  22. The Republicans and conservatives spreading misinformation about daughter Ashley Biden.
  23. The junk food media mentioning Russian propaganda and Tara Reade.
  24. The endless racism towards Vice President Kamala Harris, former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
  25. The relentless talk about spending despite the former president Trump's reckless spending.
  26. The lack of civility towards fellow Americans.
  27. The junk food media's obsession with his age.
  28. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
  29. Vladimir Putin.
  30. Xi Jinping.
  31. Kim Jong-Un.
  32. Benjamin Netanyahu.
  33. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
  34. Alexander Lukashenko.
  35. 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. However, there is always a catch to working entry level jobs that make over $20 an hour. Folks must work hours that do not accommodate home and social life, it may only be part time work or temporary. Some jobs may force overtime or refuse to pay for work rendered. With unions being weaken by states, it may be an at-will company. So if you are on social media, protesting injustices, supporting controversial issues or making threats to local officials; you could lose your job.

Real Reasons To Why Unemployment Rate Stays The Way It Is! The main reasons why some are not working.

  1. DEAD
  2. BORN
  3. IN PRISON
  4. IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  5. IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
  6. IN HIGH SCHOOL
  7. IN COLLEGE FULL TIME
  8. VOLUNTEER
  9. DISABLED
  10. INFLATION
  11. STAY AT HOME PARENT
  12. LACK OF TRANSPORTATION OR BABYSITTING
  13. RETIRED 
  14. QUIT ON THEIR OWN
  15. TERMINATED FROM EMPLOYMENT 
  16. NOT HIRING UNQUALIFIED
  17. NOT HIRING TOO QUALIFIED
  18. ACTIVE MILITARY
  19. NATURAL DISASTERS
  20. MASS SHOOTINGS DISRUPTING DAILY ROUTINE
  21. RACISM
  22. WAGE THEFT
  23. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE ON JOB POSTING BUT DECEPTION UPON HIRING
  24. BEING LAID OFF DUE TO CLOSING OR STAFF REDUCTION
  25. DESTRUCTION TO FACILITY OR PROPRETY
  26. OUTSOURCING JOBS TO OTHER STATES OR COUNTRIES
  27. BEING UNDOCUMENTED IN FEAR OF I.C.E. OR U.S. AGENCIES
  28. BEING PUBLICLY OUTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA DOING SHAMEFUL ACTS
  29. PARTICIPATING IN UNCIVIL OR VIOLENT PROTESTS
  30. PUBLICLY SUPPORTING OR PROTESTING AGAINST ISRAEL

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.

We can't always assume that folks are lazy. People are literally dying from being exposed to the coronavirus, gun violence 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. 

Gaza will not be erased. The world will hold Israel accountable.

Trump's presidency and Republican controlled governments are incompetent. Their leadership has 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.

Keep pressure on them with Israel. 

Israel must be held accountable for war crimes and the U.S. must end its aid. Our taxpayer money should not help Israel any further.

They are feeling it. Democrats know the risk of supporters being turned off by their policies. They know that Biden is under extreme pressure to do something. Arab Americans, Muslim and young voters have vowed to never back Biden putting his reelection chances in danger.

The call number to the White House and U.S. Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official White House numbers 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414. This is the Congress official phone number, 202-224-3121. Please be respectful to operators, staff members and elected leaders. Your calls are monitored by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police. 

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 we are tired of police officers using immunity when committing death of suspects in custody. Let them know that you are tired of private equity firms getting away with destroying small businesses and long established companies. Let them know that you are tired of your taxpayer money going to foreign nations like Israel. You are tired of hearing about "Israel having a right to..." and the bogus claims of being anti-semitic or in support of terrorism. 

We have bigger issues at home and our tax dollars should solve the housing crisis, lowering food prices, fixing roads, bridges, helping reinvest in struggling urban and rural communities. We have hospitals closing, big box retailers leaving communities and television programs dying. There are bigger issues in the country than Israel. You want an immediate ceasefire and accountability for war crimes done by Israel. You want no more foreign influence in American elections. You also want to make sure future presidents and lawmakers avoid influence from lobbyists.

Thursday, August 01, 2024

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed Pleas Out!

After 20 years of detainment, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed reached a deal for a LIFE sentence.

The U.S. government reached a deal with the man who spent over 20 years in detainment at Guantanamo Bay. He was accused of being the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

Even though he did not fly the airliners that crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the U.S. government charged individuals as accessory to murder, inspiring terrorism and conspiring to disrupt normal life.

He was expected to get the DEATH card if convicted. But the U.S. was delayed from an in person trial in the U.S.

Now he and several men took a plea deal.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the man accused of masterminding the terrorist attack, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, were captured in 2003, but their cases have faced years of legal delays over whether the evidence extracted during their interrogations was admissible in court.

The Pentagon did not release details of the plea deal. 

According to the New York Times, the deal includes guilty pleas on conspiracy charges in exchange for a life sentence rather than the death penalty. 

The detainees were first held at secret CIA prisons, where they were subject to "enhanced interrogation techniques," or torture, before they were moved to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2006. The detainees were formally charged in 2008. 

A National Security Council spokesperson said the White House learned of the plea deals, which were negotiated by military prosecutors, on Wednesday. 

"The President and the White House played no role in this process," the spokesperson said. "The President has directed his team to consult as appropriate with officials and lawyers at the Department of Defense on this matter."

In 2023, the Pentagon advised families of 9/11 victims of a potential plea deal involving five detainees, prompting outrage from families who wanted the men to face a death-penalty trial. 

Mohammed was captured in Pakistan and sent to the military installation in Cuba after being tortured in several CIA sites. Thanks to the intelligence of Israel, the CIA and U.S. Marines tortured Mohammed and numerous others. It led us into the quagmire of Iraq and the longstanding aftermath of Afghanistan.

Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan. Former president Barack Obama took credit for the capture and Republicans complained about it. Obama announced the capture and interrupted the season finale of former president Donald J. Trump's reality show The Apprentice. It came days after Obama brutally mocked Trump during the White House Correspondents Dinner and the release of his birth certificate.

Ayman al-Zawahri was killed in Afghanistan. President Joe Biden took credit for the capture and Republicans complained and pivoted to Hunter Biden, Tara Reade and other conspiracies. Biden had the coronavirus and still managed to capture the suspect with little collateral damage and signed off the infrastructure bill into law.

Both were hiding in plain sight and the U.S. finally brought justice to the victims of the September 11th 2001 attacks. As usual, Republican presidents exploited tragedies.

Former president George W. Bush didn't keep America safe. He ignored intelligence.

He took the word of Israel and lead us into Iraq, Afghanistan and nearly Iran. He failed to control Republicans from their onslaught of hate and phony patriotism. The hatred towards Arab Americans, Muslims and Black Americans was off the wall.

Being held in detention without a trial or lawyers was a stain on U.S. credibility as a country that operates under the rule of law.

The U.S. government without a lawyer forced Mohammed to confess to a laundry list of crimes. 

Mohammed has made at least 31 confessions:

The February 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City

The 11 September attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon using hijacked commercial airliners

A failed "shoe bomber" operation

The October 2002 attack in Kuwait

The beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl

The 2002 Bali bombings, Pady's and Sari's club bombings in Bali, Indonesia

A plan for a "second wave" of attacks on major U.S. landmarks after the 9/11 attacks, including the Library Tower in Los Angeles, the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) in Chicago, the Empire State Building in New York City, and what has been reported as the Plaza Bank Building in Seattle, although there is no Plaza Bank Building; there is a Safeco Plaza and Columbia Center, the city's tallest skyscraper

Plots to attack oil tankers and U.S. naval ships in the Straits of Hormuz, the Straits of Gibraltar and in Singapore

A plan to blow up the Panama Canal

Plans to assassinate Jimmy Carter

A plot to blow up suspension bridges in New York City

A plan to destroy the Sears Tower in Chicago with burning fuel trucks

Plans to destroy London Heathrow Airport, Canary Wharf and Big Ben in London

A planned attack on many nightclubs in Thailand

A plot targeting the New York Stock Exchange and other U.S. financial targets

A plan to destroy buildings in Eilat, Israel

Plans to destroy U.S. embassies in Indonesia, Australia and Japan in 2002

Plots to destroy Israeli embassies in India, Azerbaijan, the Philippines and Australia

Surveying and financing an attack on an Israeli El-Al flight from Bangkok

Sending several "mujahideen" into Israel to survey "strategic targets" with the intention of attacking them

The November 2002 suicide bombing of a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, and failed attempt to shoot down an Israeli passenger jet leaving Mombasa Airport

Plans to attack U.S. targets in South Korea

Providing financial support for a plan to attack U.S., British and Jewish targets in Turkey

Surveillance of U.S. nuclear power plants in order to attack them

A plot to attack NATO's headquarters in Europe

Planning and surveillance in a 1995 plan (the "Bojinka plot") to bomb 12 American passenger jets

The planned assassination attempt against then-U.S. President Bill Clinton during a mid-1990s trip to the Philippines

"Shared responsibility" for a plot to kill Pope John Paul II

Plans to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf

An attempt to attack a U.S. oil company in Sumatra, Indonesia, "owned by the Jewish former [U.S.] Secretary of State Henry Kissinger"

The U.S. reached a plea deal with four individuals they accuse of being the masterminds of the September 11th attacks.

Mohammed was captured in Rawalpindi, Pakistan (about 20 kilometres southwest of Islamabad), on 1 March 2003, by the Pakistani ISI, possibly in a joint action with the CIA's Special Activities Division paramilitary operatives and officers of the American Diplomatic Security Service. He has been in U.S custody since that time.

Initially, Mohammed was held in the CIA's Salt Pit (Cobalt) prison in Afghanistan. After just a "few minutes" of questioning at Cobalt, he was subject to "enhanced interrogation techniques". He was slapped, grabbed in the face, placed in stress positions, placed in standing sleep deprivation, doused with water, and subjected to rectal rehydration multiple times, without a determination of medical need.

During 2003, Mohammad was held at a secret CIA prison, or black site, in Poland, where the CIA waterboarded him at least 183 times. He was then transferred to another secret CIA prison in Romania.

While Republicans, some Democrats, far right agitators and some victims who developed Islamophobic and anti-Arab sentiment will balk, scream and denounce the plea deal, the U.S. finally settles a matter that was over 20 years in the making.

It is a part of the Biden agenda that makes me believe he would have beaten Trump.

Although I despise him and Vice President Kamala Harris for their support of Israel, the prospect of Trump returning and Republicans being open about destroying democracy makes it clear that I have no choice but to support Harris. Project 2025 and Greater Israel are a bigger threat to America. Gun violence and white supremacy are more dangerous than a foreign terrorist.

Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva And Evan Gershkovich Out Of Russian Time Out!

Paul Whelan to be set free.

Some tensions are cooling between Washington, DC and Moscow.

The Wall Street Journal reporter, the Canadian-American contractor who were held in the Russian Federation iron colleges for "trumped up" charges are going to be released.

The U.S. and Russia will do a prisoner swap. It will certainly get the far right angry.

After all, Brittney Griner was released through a prisoner swap and the far right went bonkers about it.

As President Joe Biden is in his lame duck presidency, he still manages to get things done while he finishes his term. And of course, Republicans will not give him credit and they will find the next shiny coin to latch on. They will continue to focus on Vice President Kamala Harris and find some outrage to her rise in polls.

Former president Donald J. Trump could not get the deal done. Biden did despite one of the individual's family members vocally supporting Trump.

Russia has agreed to a multi-country prisoner swap that will free Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan, media reports say.

A senior Biden Administration official told media outlets that the two wrongfully imprisoned Americans will be in U.S. custody soon.

Specific details of the swap have not been made public yet.

Gershkovich was falsely accused of spying by Russia and recently sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Remind me on how Biden couldn't beat Trump.

Paul Whelen is also serving a 16-year prison sentence. The U.S. says that he, too, has falsely been accused of espionage.

Whelan traveled to Russia several times from 2006 and maintained an intermittent presence on a Russian-language social media website, VKontakte (VK), where he had approximately 70 contacts. He has studied Russian but communicated online using Google Translate. He said in a deposition in 2013 that he holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and an MBA degree. He took courses at Northern Michigan University from fall 1988 to fall 1990 without earning a degree. 

Whelan supported Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election; following Trump's victory, he posted in Russian Президент Трyмп Вперед!! ("President Trump Onward!!").

In 2018, Whelan was arrested in the Moscow area by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), which later confirmed his arrest. Whelan's twin brother David said Whelan arrived in Moscow on December 22 to attend the wedding of a former fellow Marine at the Hotel Metropol Moscow and to assist the groom's family members on their first visit to Russia, a country he had visited many times. He said his brother planned to return to Michigan on January 6, 2019, via Saint Petersburg. David said his brother entered Russia using his U.S. passport and had not been in contact with his family.

The BBC cited family members of Whelan, who said Whelan previously bragged about knowing an agent of the FSB, and was privy to an unusual cache of personal details about his friend, including which intelligence training school he attended (biographical information typically reserved for a very close circle). Whelan said the man was one of his oldest friends in Russia and that he had visited this man's house the winter before his arrest. Whelan also said he loaned his friend 80,000 Russian rubles ($1,147; £930), and claimed it was for the wedding. The FSB later said that the payment was for intelligence.

According to Whelan, his long-time friend framed him by appearing unexpectedly in the hotel, followed by authorities, who later arrested him. According to attorneys for Whelan, they could not provide the name of Whelan's Russian friend due to Russian secrecy rules, but Whelan's family identified the person as Ilya Yatsenko, whom the Russian newspaper Kommersant described as a major in the FSB's Department "K", which monitors Russian economic crimes.

Evan Gershkovich is out.

Evan Gershkovich was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service on charges of espionage in March 2023, marking the first time a journalist working for an American outlet had been arrested on charges of spying in Russia since the Cold War. The White House and media advocacy groups have condemned the arrest. On July 19, 2024, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted in an espionage trial. He was later released as part of a prisoner exchange in August.

Gershkovich was on assignment in Yekaterinburg, the counterintelligence department of the Federal Security Service (FSB) detained him for having information on a "Russian defence enterprise". Russian officials said he was collecting secrets on the "production and repair of military equipment" for the CIA.

According to U.S. officials, Gershkovich's driver dropped him off at a steakhouse at 4 p.m. and two hours later his phone was turned off. The Wall Street Journal hired a lawyer to find him at the FSB's headquarters but couldn't locate him. The Kremlin confirmed his arrest hours later. Dmitri Peskov, Russian president Vladimir Putin's press secretary, said that he was "caught red-handed" but could not provide further details. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said "we have irrefutable evidence that Gershkovich was engaged in espionage" during a visit to New York in July 2024.

Gershkovich was transferred to Moscow where he was formally arrested by a district court until May 29. He was then taken to Lefortovo Prison, a holding facility used by the Soviet Union to detain Soviet dissidents. He was formally charged on April 7. He was accused of acting on behalf of foreign intelligence and attempting to collect classified information about Uralvagonzavod, the largest main battle tank manufacturer in the world, in Yekaterinburg. United States ambassador to Russia Lynne M. Tracy met with Gershkovich on April 17 and wrote that he is "in good health and remains strong".

Gershkovich's detention by Russia's Federal Security Service  marked the first time a journalist working for an American news outlet has been arrested in Russia on charges of spying since the Cold War. According to NPR, a court, operating in closed session, ordered Gershkovich held until the end of May while investigations were ongoing. According to Kommersant, he was scheduled to be transferred to Lefortovo prison while awaiting trial. A conviction for espionage could carry a sentence of 20 years.

Gershkovich appealed his arrest on April 3. A judge denied his appeal and rejected an offer from The Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Company to post a bond of 50,000,000 ₽ (US$600,000). Gershkovich's lawyers said he was reading Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (1869) and watching cooking shows on monastery cuisine. In a handwritten letter from April 5 obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich said he was "not losing hope". He appeared in Moscow City Court on April 18 to appeal his pre-trial detention. A Moscow court extended his detention to August 30 on May 23, where Gershkovich's parents met him. The court rejected his legal team's offer to free him on bail of 50 million rubles ($614,000) or put him under house arrest. He appealed the extension on May 26; a Moscow court denied the appeal on June 22. Tracy met with Gershkovich on July 3.

Former US officials have speculated that the motivation behind the order for Gershkovich's arrest was an anticipated prisoner exchange for one or more high-profile Russians imprisoned in other countries. Gershkovich, who remained in the country following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine after his arrest in 2023.

When asked Wednesday about the prospects of getting home the two Americans, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told Gray DC she didn’t have any specifics on the negotiations but said, “....This is a president that has made it a priority to get home wrongfully detained Americans back to their families, back to their loved ones. ... We are careful here. We do not negotiate in public. We cannot negotiate in public because we want to make sure that we get this job done, get this work done.”

Alsu Kurmasheva is out.

Alsu Kurmasheva was also released too.

She is a Prague-based Russian-American journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Tatar-Bashkir Service. Kurmasheva was arrested in Kazan, Russia on October 18, 2023, and charged with failure to register as a foreign agent. The charge carried a potential sentence of five years in prison. She was released on August 1, 2024 as part of a prisoner exchange.

Kurmasheva entered Russia on May 20, 2023, to deal with a family emergency, according to RFE/RL. She was temporarily detained while waiting for her return flight on June 2, 2023, at Kazan airport and authorities confiscated Kurmasheva's passports, preventing her from leaving the country. She was fined 10,000 rubles for failing to register her American passport on October 11, 2023, according to court documents.

Kurmasheva was detained again on October 18, 2023, and charged with failure to register as a foreign agent, punishable by up to five years in prison. Specifically, the charges against Kurmasheva allege that she “deliberately conducted a targeted collection of military information about Russian activities via the internet to transmit information to foreign sources." Her lawyer, Edgar Matevosyan, said she was pleading not guilty. On October 20, 2023, Russian authorities extended Kurmasheva's detention by three days. On October 23, 2023, a district court in Kazan rejected Kurmasheva's request for pretrial measures avoiding incarceration, instead assigning her to a detention center until December 5, 2023.

Kurnasheva's detainment garnered significant criticism, particularly from Western governments and international human rights and media freedom organizations. Dmitry Kolezev, a prominent Russian journalist, characterized her arrest as "another hostage has been taken." The Committee to Protect Journalists demanded Russia release Kurmasheva, expressing "deep concern" with her detention and stating "journalism is not a crime." The U.S. State Department claimed Kurmasheva's detention was a case of Russian harassment of American citizens. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia was harassing Americans. According to the Associated Press, analysts believe Russia may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after the increase of Russian-American tensions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On April 1, 2024, a Russian court extended her detention until June 5, 2024.

In July 2024, Kurmasheva was secretly sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for spreading "false information" about the Russian army. The charges were related to a book she had edited after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, “Saying No To War,” which featured stories of 40 Russians who opposed the invasion.

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