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- June 15, 2020 at 06:51AM
No guarantee of bipartisan deal in Congress on police reform
Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
With fresh outrage from over the weekend after the killing of a black man by police in Atlanta, Democrats this week will press ahead with legislative plans for police reform and accountability, as Republicans continue to cobble together their own ideas as well. 'If we don't do it right, then we'll have the same situation,' said Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), on CBS's 'Face the Nation.' Scott, who is in charge of police reform plans in the Senate, said Republicans would not accept an effort by Democrats to peel away legal immunity for law enforcement officers. 'Qualified immunity is off the table,' Scott said, indicating the President and his advisers regard efforts by Democrats to allow lawsuits against police officers as 'a poison pill' in any reform measure. Democrats in the House have scheduled a session on Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee to vote on legislation dealing with police reform. While Republicans have so far issued only bullet points and goals, Democrats last week rolled out the details of a 134 page bill, chock full of a variety of plans, including change to qualified immunity, and a national registry to list officers who have been tied to misconduct on the job. 'Our Justice in Policing Act gives the DOJ and state attorneys general more power to investigate entire police departments for patterns and practices of discrimination,' said Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA). 'No longer should police departments be able to evade accountability and consequence.' 'Not only do we need police accountability, but we must bring an end to the pandemic of racism,' said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX). Meanwhile, some Democrats expressed concern this weekend that Republicans were talking about cutting a deal on police reform legislation - but would back off in the end. 'I hope I’m wrong, but we cannot allow Republicans to get the benefit of feinting towards real action and then doing nothing,' said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI).
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 15, 2020 at 06:51AM No guarantee of bipartisan deal in Congress on police reform Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
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President Donald Trump on Saturday agreed to delay his first big campaign rally in three months by a day, so it would not take place on June 19 - known as Juneteenth - a day which marks the end of slavery in the United States. 'I spoke to the President on Friday and he asked me if I thought it would be more respectful to move the rally date off of Juneteenth, I told him yes,' Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said. 'I called some of the local event organizers and shared the President’s thoughts and they expressed that they would be grateful to the President if he moved the rally to either Thursday the 18th or Saturday the 20th,' Lankford added. 'Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out,' the President wrote on Twitter. The Trump Campaign says the response for the rally in Tulsa has been overwhelming, with hundreds of thousands of people signing up for tickets - even though the arena only has a capacity of 19,000. The Tulsa World newspaper reported this weekend that the Tulsa health director wanted the rally delayed for much more than a day, concerned about the Coronavirus. In order to attend the Trump rally, those getting tickets must agree to a waiver which acknowledges the possible virus threat. 'By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President,' and others liable for any illness. Judging from the response to the rally, there will be many thousands of people who may show up at the BOK Center, but not make it inside. It's the first rally for President Trump since a stop in early March in Charlotte, North Carolina; after that, the Coronavirus outbreak halted the 2020 campaign.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 15, 2020 at 06:51AM Trump shifts Tulsa campaign rally away from Juneteenth Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Unable to hold a full convention in Charlotte, North Carolina because of the possibility of Coronavirus restrictions, Republicans have officially decided to split their 2020 gathering, starting in Charlotte and finishing with President Donald Trump accepting the nomination in Jacksonville, Florida. 'We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion in the great city of Jacksonville,' RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a written statement. The unprecedented shift came after Gov. Roy Cooper (D) of North Carolina refused to guarantee a convention without restrictions for the Coronavirus - something demanded by President Trump. 'Florida is honored to host this special event where we will celebrate the re-nomination of President Donald J. Trump,' said Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) of Florida. It was not immediately clear what kind of Coronavirus restrictions - if any - would be required of delegates in Jacksonville. The divided convention - unheard of for either the Democrats or Republicans - will evidently require delegates and party officials to assemble first in Charlotte, and then go to Jacksonville for the President's acceptance speech. The two cities are 380 miles apart. For the press, the GOP move raises the question of whether there will be anything of note to cover in Charlotte - that may simply depend on whether President Trump shows up in Charlotte. The President will accept the GOP nomination on August 27 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, which has a capacity of 15,000 for concerts. Democrats are slated to hold their convention a week earlier in Milwaukee, but it's expected those events will be scaled back because of the virus outbreak.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 12, 2020 at 03:51AM Republicans, Trump will cap split convention in Jacksonville Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
The nation's top military officer told a group of service members on Thursday in Washington, D.C. that he made the wrong decision to accompany President Trump on a walk through Lafayette Square earlier this month, moments after the park had been forcefully cleared of demonstrators protesting the police killing of George Floyd. 'I should not have been there,' Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley told graduates of the National Defense University in a commencement speech. 'As a commissioned, uniformed officer, it was a mistake,' Milley said flatly. 'My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created a perception of a military involved in domestic politics.' Wearing combat fatigues, Milley was photographed - along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper - walking through the park minutes after police used smoke canisters, pepper balls, riot shields and batons to forcefully clear out protesters for the President's walk, where he was photographed in front of St. John's church. In his remarks, Milley said his presence with President Trump sent the wrong message to the military and the nation. 'We must hold dear the principle of an apolitical military that is so deeply rooted in the very essence of our Republic,' Milley said in his speech. Milley finished by telling graduates of the National Defense University to 'embrace the Constitution.' 'Keep it close to your heart. It is our North Star. It's our map to a better future,' Milley said. Milley's apology fell short with some Democrats in Congress, who argue the military did not stand up to the President in real time. Milley's statement came as President Trump again expressed satisfaction with the push to clear Lafayette Square. “Our great National Guard Troops who took care of the area around the White House could hardly believe how easy it was,” the President wrote on Twitter. “'A walk in the park,' one said,” the President added.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 12, 2020 at 03:51AM Top General on Trump walk: 'I should not have been there.' Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Hours after President Donald Trump declared that he would not let the Pentagon change the names of military bases that honor Confederate soldiers, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked a special House-Senate board to remove eleven statues of Confederate leaders which are on display in the U.S. Capitol. 'While I believe it is imperative that we never forget our history lest we repeat it, I also believe that there is no room for celebrating the violent bigotry of the men of the Confederacy in the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol or in places of honor across the country,' Pelosi wrote. The statues are part of the collection sent by the states to the Capitol - with each state choosing two people to honor. In her request, the Speaker specifically named two statues honoring the leaders of the Confederacy:Jefferson Davis - the President of the Confederacy - whose statue was sent to the Capitol in 1931 by the state of Mississippi, and Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, whose statue was sent by Georgia in 1927. Pelosi's request of a special House-Senate board came on a day of fast moving events related to the Civil War, as President Donald Trump declared that he would ignore any Pentagon move to rename military bases named after Confederate soldiers, going against the wishes of the Army, and some in his own party in Congress. The move from the House Speaker also came as NASCAR announced it would no longer allow Confederate flags to be displayed at racing events. The call to remove Confederate statues from the Capitol is not new - black lawmakers asked for that in 2017 after violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and other calls have come through the years as well. Asked about the statue of Stephens in 2015, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) turned cold. 'I want to see it go,' Lewis told me off the House floor. 'I don't like taking young people on a tour and telling them that this was the Vice President of the Confederacy.' 'We have to get our own house in order,' Lewis added. 'We have to have a cleansing in this place.' Each state sends two statues to the Capitol, and the choices are certainly a window into the wishes of that state. They include Robert E. Lee from Virginia, which was sent to the Capitol in 1909. Alabama has Confederate officer Joseph Wheeler, sent in 1925. North Carolina has a Confederate soldier sent in 1916.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 11, 2020 at 02:50AM Pelosi calls for removal of Confederate statues from Capitol Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Two days after U.S. Army officials said they were open to the idea of changing the names of military installations named after Confederate soldiers, President Donald Trump declared that would not allow such changes. 'Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with,' the President wrote in a series of posts on Twitter. 'Therefore, my Administration will not even consider renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations,' Mr. Trump wrote. The tweets came as the Pentagon was moving on a variety of fronts to snuff out the display of the Confederate flag at military bases used by the Army, Navy, and Marines. The declaration was so important for the President that he had his Press Secretary read his tweets to reporters at the start of Wednesday's White House briefing. “So, that was directly from the President - we spent some time working on that,” Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said to reporters. The announcement by the President came amid of flurry of actions by the Pentagon in recent days with respect to the Confederacy, and the Civil War. Last week, the Marine Corps announced the details of a ban on the display of the Confederate Flag by any personnel on military bases. On Monday, the Army floated the idea of renaming bases like Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, and Fort Benning, all named for soldiers who fought with the South, and against the Union. Then on Tuesday, the Navy said it would also ban the display of any items which bear the likeness of the Confederate Flag. Even before this decision, the President had come under political attacks on the Confederate Flag, as a group of GOP activists who oppose Mr. Trump had put together an ad titled, 'Flag of Treason.' 'Curious which of Trump's 'fine' pollsters came up with the idea of litigating the Civil War on the side of the racist, traitorous confederacy,' said John Weaver, the founder of Project Lincoln. 'These bases were named long after the Civil War was over, by whites who wanted to fight back against progress towards racial equality,' said retired Army Gen. Paul Eaton, once the commander at Fort Benning in Georgia. 'Rather than move this nation further away from institutionalized racism, he believes we should cling to it and its heritage, by keeping the names of racist traitors on the gates of our military bases,' Eaton added.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 11, 2020 at 02:50AM Trump rules out changing Confederate names on military bases Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Asking lawmakers to make sure the death of his older brother was not in vain, Philonise Floyd urged Congress on Wednesday to push ahead with reforms which can hold police accountable for the wrongful deaths of Americans like his brother George, who was killed in Minneapolis last month. 'The people marching in the streets are telling you, enough is enough,' Philonise Floyd said to the House Judiciary Committee. 'When you watch your big brother, who you looked up to your whole entire life, die - die begging for his mom,' Floyd's brother said with disbelief in his voice. 'I'm tired of pain,' Floyd added, adding that he wanted to make sure his brother George 'was more than another face on a t-shirt, more than another name on a list that won't stop growing.' George Floyd's killing in late May - after a police officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes - touched off riots and street protests around the world, and pushed Democrats to rush forward with a new bill on police accountability and reform. 'For every incidence of excessive force that makes headlines, the ugly truth is that there are countless others that we never hear about,' said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 11, 2020 at 02:50AM Brother of George Floyd pleads for action by Congress Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
At the same time of the final memorial service for George Floyd in Houston, the U.S. Senate was voting unanimously on Tuesday to approve the first black officer to lead one of the nation's military services, as Gen. Charles Brown was confirmed 98-0 as the next Chief of Staff for the Air Force. 'We salute Gen. Brown for his distinguished service as he becomes the first black service member to lead a branch of the U.S. military,' said Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). 'A historic day for America!' President Trump tweeted from the White House. Gen. Brown has most recently been the head of U.S. Air Force elements in the Pacific Ocean region; he started pilot training in 1985 and rose through the ranks through the years. Maybe most notable about Brown's confirmation vote, was that the General issued a video this week discussing George Floyd's death - as the General spoke about how he had lived in 'two worlds' during his life. 'I'm thinking about a history of racial issues, and my own experiences, that didn't always sing of liberty and equality,' Brown said. In his video to fellow service members, the General also spoke of how - even after he had become a pilot - he encountered questions and skepticism, seemingly because he was an African-American. 'I'm thinking about the pressure I felt to perform error-free, especially for supervisors I perceive had expected less from me, as an African-American,' the General added. You can watch his remarks in the video link above.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 10, 2020 at 01:50AM Senate approves first black military chief of staff Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
After President Donald Trump embraced conservative media attacks against a 75 year-old man injured last week by riot police in Buffalo, suggesting Martin Gugino 'could be an ANTIFA provocateur' and that his injuries may have been a 'set up,' Democrats denounced the President's Tuesday tweet, as a lawyer for Gugino expressed alarm at the President's accusation. 'He accuses this man of being associated with ANTIFA - no proof whatsoever,' said Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), who labeled the President's accusations as reckless, irresponsible, mean, and cruel. 'It's all made up,' Cuomo said of the President's tweet about Gugino, who had blood running from his right ear after falling back and hitting his head. The reaction was the same from Democrats on Capitol Hill. 'How much more can we lower the bar? This is a disgusting tweet,' said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), who accused the President of 'spreading ridiculous conspiracy theories.' 'We don’t need crazy conspiracy theories to explain why the police are abusing power,' said Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), who said Americans should 'believe your eyes, not the President.' In a statement, the attorney for Gugino expressed shock at the President's accusation, which was based on a report aired by the conservative One America Network. 'No one from law enforcement has even suggested anything,' said lawyer Kelly Zarcone. '(W)e are at a loss to understand why the President of the United States would make such dark, dangerous, and untrue accusations against him.' Gugino is known in western New York for his advocacy for more liberal causes, like trying to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, working with the group Witness Against Torture. 'Trump callously lied this morning on Twitter about Witness Against Torture’s friend and fellow activist, Martin Gugino,' the group said in a written statement. 'Trump should go back to hiding in the bunker instead of tweeting baseless conspiracies about peaceful protestors and further dividing America,' said Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer. It wasn't just the President embracing the conspiracy theories about Gugino. Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Harrington used a tweet to post an article that claimed Gugino was using a special device filled with fake blood.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 10, 2020 at 01:50AM Democrats denounce Trump tweet about hospitalized protester Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
While the improvements continue almost daily in New York and other areas on the East Coast hit hard by the early impact of the Coronavirus, new numbers clearly show the virus outbreak now shifting its way across the United States, infecting other areas which had escaped major virus troubles in March and April. Over the weekend, a series of states hit highs for their 7-day average of new virus cases, with warning signs in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, and other states. 'There is persistent spread,' Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Monday. 'We have about 20,000 cases a day, and it's not going down.' 'The point is, we still have an epidemic that is very slowly expanding in this country,' Gottlieb added. The picture is much different in areas between Washington, D.C. and Boston, as the big urban corridor anchored by New York City begins to finally loosen virus restrictions. For example on Monday in Maryland, the number of Coronavirus hospitalizations dropped below 1,000 for the first time since April 10. On Monday, Massachusetts was moving into Phase 2 of its re-opening. 'This next step will allow more businesses and activities to resume operations,' said Gov. Charlie Baker (R-MA). Last week, New York City had its first day without a Coronavirus death since March. 'Day 100 since we had the first case in New York,' said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 'It is a day that New York City begins to re-open.' While New York is seeing lower case numbers and deaths, the increase in Coronavirus cases around the nation isn't happening mainly because of individual prison or meatpacking plant outbreaks - but rather it is taking place in big counties which anchor urban areas. Numbers compiled by the Washington Post for example show a sustained increase over the last two weeks in Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix), Los Angles County in California, and the three big counties of South Florida - Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade. Meanwhile, hospitalizations have hit a high in Texas, and in North Carolina, while South Carolina, Utah, and Oregon also hit their highest 7-day case average on Monday. On Monday - a day which usually features low reporting of new cases and deaths - Arizona reported 789 new cases of the Coronavirus, over triple the previous high for any Monday since the virus outbreak began in March. The jump in states like Arizona was noted on Monday by Gov. Cuomo, who used a slide at his daily briefing to tell New Yorkers to, “Stay disciplined. Stay smart.” Under that headline, Cuomo showed graphs demonstrating the increase in virus cases in Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida to hammer home his warning. “That is the cautionary tale, my friends,” Cuomo said.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 09, 2020 at 12:51AM As East Coast improves, Coronavirus heads south and west Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider |
Jamie DupreeJamie Dupree is the Washington Bureau Chief for Cox Communications. He writes and produces radio reports with the aid of digital reconstructions of the voice he lost in 2012.. Archives
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