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Derek Chauvin Guilty Of Murdering George Floyd, Jury Decides; Ex-Cop Faces Years Behind Bars For May 2020 Death – Deadline
Derek Chauvin Guilty Of Murdering George Floyd, Jury Decides; Ex-Cop Faces Years Behind Bars For May 2020 Death – Deadline

Former police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty by a Minneapolis jury for the murder of George Floyd.

Guilty on all three counts, the end of deliberations came one day after the closing arguments and rebuttals in the three-week trial were presented by defense lawyers and the prosecution on April 19 in Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill’s courtroom. Along with CNN Fox News and MSNBC, broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC all covered the more than six hours of the end of Chauvin’s trial in almost its entirety.

Facing a decade or more behind bars, Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder; and second-degree manslaughter. Ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s, the 12-person jury was made up of three Black men, two white men, one Black woman, four white women, and two women who referred to themselves as mixed race. Seeking a unanimous conclusion, jurors could have convicted the accused Chauvin of all of the charges or none at all.

Now with the guilty verdict in, the amount of time Chauvin will actual serve will be determined in about two months after a pre-sentencing report, other processes and possible special circumstances are presented to Judge Cahill.

After the verdict was announced, Chauvin’s bail was revoked and he was taken into custody immediately. Chauvin, wearing a mask, was led away from the courtroom in handcuffs. As the verdicts were read, he did not show any emotion as he glanced over at the judge.

Joe Biden And Kamala Harris Call George Floyd’s Family After Derek Chauvin Guilty Verdict

Ben Crump, attorney for George Floyd’s family, said in a statement: “Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyd’s family and the community here in Minneapolis, but today’s verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world.”

“Justice for Black America is justice for all America,” the lawyer added.

Today, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, BBC America and even ESPN, among others, all covered the reading of the verdict and the lead up live. Even before the jury’s decision was made public, NBC News bumped Days of Our Lives on the West Coast and went live with a Lester Holt hosted special report. ABC and CBS stayed with regular scheduled programing until the jurors actually returned to the Gopher State courtroom.

Arrested under suspicion on May 25, 2020 of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a store in the Minnesota city’s Powderhorn Park neighborhood, 46-year old Floyd died soon after screaming for “Mama” as Chauvin thrust his knee into the handcuffed ex-security guard’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds in the street. Seemingly unconcerned with the public response to the situation as it tragically unfolded, Chauvin was caught on multiple cell phone cameras committing the act as two other junior officers helped hold Floyd down and a third prevented onlookers from intervening.

Fired by the MPD on May 26, 2020 as the videos went viral and outrage over Floyd’s killing and institutionalized injustice intensified, 20-year department vet Chauvin was arrested three days later. Initially charged with second-degree murder, the spotlight on Chauvin saw the coronavirus-battered nation erupt in protests and anger in what was the latest egregious and fatal attack on a person of color by police in an America almost numb to the occurrence.

With much of the country anxious about what could be the fallout from the verdict, the trial did see the traditional blue wall of silence crack somewhat as Chauvin’s conduct was condemned by fellow cops on the stand. Also, lies and slanted perspective that the much complained about officer told his superiors over what really went down were exposed during the trial.

Still, after failing to get the case dismissed last summer, defense lawyer Eric Nelson’s primary tactic was to create doubt about the cause of Floyd’s death. Insisting that Chauvin used reasonable measures, which has been countered by fellow cops and others, Nelson cited drug use and heart condition as likely culprits instead of his client’s use of apparent excessive force.

Out on $1 million conditional bail bond, Derek Chauvin did not testify at his own trial. Amidst pledges of police reform and up against a wrongful death suit from the Ben Crump represented Floyd family, the city of Minneapolis agreed on March 12 this year to pay out a settlement of $27 million. Chauvin’s crew of MPD newbies James Alexander Kueng, Thomas Kiernan Lane, and Tou Thao are penciled in to go to trial on August 23 for their role in Floyd’s death.

Worried of what could happen on the streets of cities and communities across America from another verdict that saw another cop get off in the Chauvin case, the realpolitik of race, racism and police brutality in America has been never far from the surface since the eagerly awaited trial and its near gavel-to-gavel coverage on much of cable news started on March 29.

President Joe Biden is expected to address the nation on the verdict later today.

Far beyond remarks from the president himself, the administration has been preparing for the verdict and has been in touch with local authorities, including governors and mayors, “to ensure there is a space for peaceful protest,” said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki earlier this week.

“I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict. Which is – I think it’s overwhelming in my view,” Biden said on Tuesday. He said that he phoned Floyd’s family after the jury was sequestered and that they were “calling for peace and tranquility.”

In the aftermath of the police shooting death of 20-year old Daunte Wright in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on April 11, the president stated last week that the “anger, pain and trauma that exists in the Black community that that environment is real, serious and consequential. But that does not justify violence.”

What is not immediately clear is whether the verdict will trigger much promised action on police reform.

After House passage, the Senate has yet to act on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would ban racial profiling, create a registry of police misconduct and create a higher threshold for permissible use of force by federal officers. It also would restrict the use of chokeholds by federal law enforcement. In the months after Floyd’s death, half of the largest police departments in the country placed new restrictions on the practice, according to The Washington Post.

Even before the verdict, there was political furor. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) faced harsh backlash from Republicans, and the judge in the Chauvin trial for remarks she made last weekend. The outspoken California politician said that she hoped for a guilty verdict. Asked what she thought protesters should do, she said, “We have got to stay on the street. We have got to get more active. We have got to get more confrontational. We have got to make sure that they know we mean business.”

On Monday, Judge Cahill rejected a defense call for a mistrial in the wake of Congresswoman Waters’ remarks, but said that they could serve as the basis for an appeal.

Source Article from https://deadline.com/2021/04/derek-chauvin-guilty-murder-verdict-trial-george-floyd-death-1234740531/

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Navy Charges Sailor With Arson In The Destruction Of The USS Bonhomme Richard – NPR
Navy Charges Sailor With Arson In The Destruction Of The USS Bonhomme Richard – NPR

Smoke rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego after an explosion and fire last year at Naval Base San Diego. The U.S. Navy said Thursday that arson charges have been filed against a sailor.

Denis Poroy/AP


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Smoke rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego after an explosion and fire last year at Naval Base San Diego. The U.S. Navy said Thursday that arson charges have been filed against a sailor.

Denis Poroy/AP

SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Navy charged a sailor Thursday with starting a fire last year that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard docked off San Diego, marking the maritime branch’s worst warship blaze outside of combat in recent memory.

The amphibious assault ship burned for more than four days. Left with extensive structural, electrical and mechanical damage, the ship was later scrapped. Estimates to replace it ran up to $4 billion.

The sailor was a member of the crew at the time, Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a U.S. 3rd Fleet spokesperson, said in a statement. The sailor was charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel, Robertson said. No name was released.

No other details were provided, and it was unclear what evidence was found or what the motive was.

The amphibious assault ships are among the few in the U.S. fleet that can act as a mini aircraft carrier.

The Bonhomme Richard had been nearing the end of a two-year upgrade estimated to cost $250 million when the fire broke out on July 12, 2020.

A sailor has been charged with arson in the explosion and fire on board the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego last year.

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A sailor has been charged with arson in the explosion and fire on board the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego last year.

Denis Poroy/AP

About 160 sailors and officers were on board when the flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke from the 840-foot (256-meter) vessel, which had been docked at Naval Base San Diego while undergoing the upgrade.

The fire started in the ship’s lower storage area, where cardboard boxes, rags and other maintenance supplies were stored. But winds coming off the San Diego Bay whipped up the flames and the flames spread up the elevator shafts and exhaust stacks.

Then two explosions — one heard as far as 13 miles (21 kilometers) away — caused it to grow even bigger.

The fire sent acrid smoke billowing over San Diego, and officials had recommended people avoid exercising outdoors.

Firefighters attacked the flames inside the ship, while firefighting vessels with water cannons directed streams of seawater into the ship and helicopters made water drops.

More than 60 sailors and civilians were treated for minor injuries, heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/07/29/1022514854/sailor-charged-arson-uss-bonhomme-richard-navy-san-diego

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Why Iran just listed US military personnel as terrorists – Washington Examiner
Why Iran just listed US military personnel as terrorists – Washington Examiner

Responding to the Trump administration’s decision to list the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, Iran on Tuesday officially listed U.S. military personnel in the Middle East as terrorists.

Iran’s hardliner faction intends for that response to deter the U.S. from continuing its pressure campaign against Iran. It wants the U.S. to fear attacks on its forces in the Middle East. But while it is likely that the IRGC will lash out in some fashion, their fury is really a function of fear, not confidence.

The Iranian hardliners know that Trump’s action will hamper the IRGC’s ability to earn foreign capital. That’s because foreign companies, and European ones in particular, will fear doing business in Iran lest they face new U.S. sanctions. Considering that the IRGC controls critical industries in the Iranian economy, such as the telecommunications and energy sectors, Trump’s listing is a big problem for the organization.

IRGC commanding officer Mohammad Ali Jafari proved as much Sunday when he warned that “If (the Americans) make such a stupid move, the U.S. Army and American security forces stationed in West Asia will lose their current status of ease and serenity.” Trying to placate the hardliners, the more-moderate foreign minister Javad Zarif called for the U.S. military’s Central Command to be listed as a terrorist organization. Pro-hardliner media have also hinted at Iranian terrorist reprisals, warning that Trump’s action will mean more chaos in the Middle East.

Nevertheless, it’s clear the hardliners feel increasingly encircled. This situation is unstable.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/why-iran-just-listed-us-military-personnel-as-terrorists

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A month without water: In Jackson, Mississippi, struggling residents fear next outage – NBC News
A month without water: In Jackson, Mississippi, struggling residents fear next outage – NBC News
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Federal workers sue Trump administration over shutdown, allege work without pay violates 13th Amendment | TheHill – The Hill
Federal workers sue Trump administration over shutdown, allege work without pay violates 13th Amendment | TheHill – The Hill

Five federal government employees are suing President TrumpDonald John TrumpGovernment workers protest outside White House on shutdown day 20 Fed chief Powell: Prolonged shutdown will harm US economy Senators say questions remain on Trump strategy in Syria after briefing MORE and members of his administration, alleging that they’ve been unlawfully required to work without pay and barred from seeking alternative jobs during the ongoing partial government shutdown.

The lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that requiring workers to report for duty without pay during the shutdown violates the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.

The lawsuit also claims that the government violated the plaintiffs’ Fifth Amendment rights by limiting their ability to seek alternative employment during the shutdown, which began Dec. 22. 

The plaintiffs are not identified, but two work for the Department of Justice, and the other three work for the Departments of Transportation, Agriculture and Homeland Security. Four of the individuals have been required to work without pay during the shutdown, while one has been deemed nonessential, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint names President Trump, Transportation Secretary Elaine ChaoElaine Lan ChaoTrump’s shifting Cabinet to introduce new faces Trump to attend World Economic Forum in Davos for second straight year George H.W. Bush remembered at Kennedy Center Honors MORE, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen NielsenKirstjen Michele NielsenTrump cancels Davos trip over shutdown The Hill’s Morning Report — Groundhog Day: Negotiations implode as shutdown reaches 20 days Terrorism is not a thing to cry wolf about MORE, acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Agriculture Secretary Sonny PerdueGeorge (Sonny) Ervin PerdueUSDA extends deadline for farmers hurt by tariffs to seek aid Food stamp benefits will continue in February despite shutdown: USDA Trump’s shifting Cabinet to introduce new faces MORE. 

The lawsuit cites Trump’s comments earlier this month that the shutdown could go on for “months or even years,” leaving the plaintiffs in limbo for an extended period.

The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction barring the government from requiring employees to report for work without pay during the shutdown, and prohibiting the government from restricting employees’ ability to work elsewhere during the shutdown. About 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed or forced to work without pay for the time being due to the shutdown.

Two federal employees’ unions have already sued the Trump administration over the partial government shutdown, which has dragged on for 20 days and counting.

The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents 150,000 members at 33 federal agencies, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday alleging that hundreds of thousands of workers are being illegally forced to work without pay.

The American Federation of Government Employees union announced a similar lawsuit last week.

Trump has demanded for weeks that Congress provide more than $5 billion in funding for his proposed wall, something Democrats have staunchly opposed. The disagreement has been at the heart of the shutdown, which affects roughly 25 percent of the government.

The president has pledged to hold out for funding for the wall, arguing that furloughed federal workers support his position. 

The Democratic-led House on Thursday passed a standalone spending measure Thursday to provide funding for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and other agencies. The bills are unlikely to be taken up in the Senate.

Source Article from https://thehill.com/regulation/424817-5-federal-workers-sue-over-shutdown-allege-work-without-pay-violates-13th

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Trump wants to remake the Fed. Moore’s imperiled nomination shows it won’t be easy. – The Washington Post
Trump wants to remake the Fed. Moore’s imperiled nomination shows it won’t be easy. – The Washington Post

Heather Long

Josh Dawsey

April 30 at 7:32 PM

President Trump’s effort to reshape the Federal Reserve and accelerate economic growth hit a setback Tuesday as multiple Republican senators criticized or outright rejected the president’s plans to nominate political supporter Stephen Moore.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said she was “very unlikely” to vote for Moore. Several others raised big questions about his potential nomination, including Trump ally Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who called Moore a “problematic” nominee.

Ernst said she didn’t think Moore would be confirmed, adding that “several” senators agree with her on Moore’s unsuitability for one of the nation’s top positions steering the economy. A simple majority is needed to confirm Moore to the Fed board, but with Democrats controlling 47 Senate seats, he can lose precious few Republicans.

At least seven GOP senators have taken issue with Moore’s provocative past columns and statements that have come to light since his name began to circulate publicly as a potential Fed nominee in March.

Moore’s quickly declining chances of winning Senate approval show the risks of a president determined to reshape the government by whatever means.

Trump has grown increasingly angry with the Fed as he has complained that Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell, whom he picked, has raised interest rates too quickly. Trump says that those decisions have slowed the economy unnecessarily and he’s expressed to aides that could harm his reelection chances, according to current and former advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity.


“The president stands behind him,” Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said of Moore on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Here, Conway speaks to the media outside the White House. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg News)

Amid that frustration, Trump turned to Moore and another outspoken supporter, former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, to fill two open seats on the Fed’s board of governors, which sets interest rate policy. Trump indicated he supported the men, although he did not formally nominate either.

Cain’s candidacy was short-lived amid opposition from Senate Republicans concerned about his economic record and allegations of sexual harassment that had previously doomed his presidential bid.

White House officials say Trump is inclined to stick with Moore, even as some of his advisers increasingly question whether that’s the best path. The White House also signaled support for Cain until shortly before he dropped out.

“The president stands behind him,” Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said Tuesday of Moore. “He’s somebody that gets the economy and I guess we’ll continue to focus on that.”

Moore said Tuesday that he talked to the White House and they are “full steam ahead” on his nomination and that he is filling out papers for his background check. Moore said he wants to meet with senators about his record.


“I feel strongly about the independence of the Federal Reserve. I would also want to explore that issue with him,” said Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), a key GOP swing vote. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

“If it’s about the economy and my record as an economist, I’ll probably get confirmed,” he said. “If it becomes about my writings from 25 years ago, I might not. That’s why I am trying to turn it back to the economy.”

The Fed is designed to be independent of politics, but Trump has broken with the precedent set by recent presidents by forcefully urging the Fed to cut rates and bring back “quantitative easing,” a policy of bond purchases used to stimulate economic growth that was adopted in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

Powell and the rest of the Fed leaders have been pushing to withdraw stimulus, given the economy’s strength, although the Fed recently decided to pause. The economy grew at a 3.2 percent annualized rate in the first quarter of 2019, according to data released Friday, continuing a strong run of recent years.

“Moore has been clear that his agenda at the Fed would be to further the president’s agenda,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton and a longtime Fed adviser. “It’s a dangerous precedent to politicize the Fed with the poison that has already affected our political system.”

Unlike most potential nominees for the Fed, Moore has been outspoken in defending his record in media interviews since his name was floated. He also has met with donors to praise Trump in recent weeks — even giving out charts that emphasize how well the economy has been performing under Trump.

“He had a PowerPoint presentation about how Trump was good and Democrats were bad,” said Dan Eberhart, a Trump donor who attended a FreedomWorks conference with Moore. “He was praising Trump’s economic policies extensively. He was being very vocal in his support of Trump.”

Eberhart and Swonk both said they were surprised that Moore was so vocal while under consideration for a position.

“Normally people stay quiet and try not to make mistakes, but he didn’t seem to be following that message,” Eberhart said.

Trump routinely cites the growth and low unemployment the economy has been enjoying since he took office. If the economy keeps growing through July, which appears almost certain, this expansion will become the longest in U.S. history.

“Our Federal Reserve has incessantly lifted interest rates, even though inflation is very low, and instituted a very big dose of quantitative tightening. We have the potential to go up like a rocket if we did some lowering of rates, like one point, and some quantitative easing,” Trump tweeted Tuesday.

Trump has attacked Powell and told aides he regrets appointing him. He has offered near-constant criticism of Powell to lawmakers, supporters and almost anyone he comes in contact with.

“Politicians do think shorter term. They want to get reelected. The central bank needs to think long-term. Monetary policy takes a long time to have an effect,” said Frederic Mishkin, a former Fed governor appointed by President George W. Bush.

After Powell raised interest rates a full percentage point last year — to just shy of 2.5 percent — Trump decided he would nominate Moore, a longtime conservative commentator, and Cain, both of whom publicly said that interest rates need to come down.

While Republican senators didn’t say with full confidence Moore wouldn’t be confirmed, they sent strong signs that his nomination was imperiled.

“I think he’s probably down to the high water mark now of 50 or 51,” said Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who declined to say how he would vote and said he wanted to review Moore’s record as a whole.

Trump is being egged on by his supporters, who say the president should pick officials at the Fed whom he trusts, not someone whose qualifications line up neatly with past central bank appointees, who are typically PhD economists or Wall Street bankers.

At a gathering with supporters in Florida recently, Trump said he needed to get some of his own people on the board, according to attendees.

Before September, Trump rarely talked about the Fed and ceded almost all decision-making over Fed personnel to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other economic advisers, but he has since wrested the process away. The Fed used to be in close contact with the White House on nominations, but that has stopped.

Trump has blamed Mnuchin at least six times in recent weeks for the selection of Powell, according to interviews with lawmakers, supporters and aides who have spoken to the president and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“You give him something bad and he never forgets,” said a Trump adviser who frequently speaks with him, describing his animus toward Mnuchin.

Two spots remain on the Fed’s seven-seat board of governors. Trump has appointed four of the current Fed governors.

Moore, 59, has a master’s degree in economics and has spent most of his career advocating for tax cuts as a fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, a Wall Street Journal editorial board member and president of the Club for Growth.

Moore apologized over the weekend for past comments about women, but three other female Republican senators — Susan Collins (Maine), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Shelley Moore Capito (W. Va.) — expressed concerns. They cited his comments saying there could be societal problems if men were not the breadwinners in the family, denouncing coed student sports and saying female athletes do “inferior work” to men.

“It’s hard to look past some of those [comments],” Capito said.

Blackburn said she was troubled by what he said as recently as 2014, when he wrote a column questioning whether women outearning men would cause societal unrest.

“Of course his comments are something that are not good and you can guarantee — be guaranteed absolutely without fail — if I visit with him that would be a topic of discussion,” Blackburn said.

Collins, another GOP swing vote, said that she wasn’t just concerned about Moore’s comments on women but also whether he would maintain the Fed’s independence from politics.

“Obviously some of his past writings are of concern. I feel strongly about the independence of the Federal Reserve. I would also want to explore that issue with him,” said Collins.

Damian Paletta, Erica Werner and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-wants-to-remake-the-fed-but-moores-imperiled-nomination-shows-it-wont-be-easy/2019/04/30/c0bd1198-6b86-11e9-be3a-33217240a539_story.html

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Georgia House Passes Elections Bill That Would Limit Absentee And Early Voting – NPR
Georgia House Passes Elections Bill That Would Limit Absentee And Early Voting – NPR

Georgia voters cast their ballots in Chamblee for runoff elections in early January. Georgia’s Republican lawmakers have proposed a number of changes to cut down on voting options.

Virginie Kippelen/AFP via Getty Images


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Georgia voters cast their ballots in Chamblee for runoff elections in early January. Georgia’s Republican lawmakers have proposed a number of changes to cut down on voting options.

Virginie Kippelen/AFP via Getty Images

Over objections from Democrats, Georgia House Republicans passed a sweeping elections bill that would enact more restrictions on absentee voting and cut back on weekend early voting hours favored by larger counties, among other changes.

House Bill 531, which passed 97-72 Monday, would also strip the secretary of state of his role as chair of the State Election Board, prevent county elections offices from receiving direct grant funding, shorten Georgia’s runoff election period and require counties to add more staff, equipment or polling places in large precincts with long voter lines.

The bill’s sponsor, GOP Rep. Barry Fleming, who chairs the House Special Committee on Election Integrity, said the 66-page measure “is designed to begin to bring back the confidence of our voters back into our election system” after Republicans lost confidence in the GOP-backed voting system following Democrats’ victories in the November presidential contest and both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate races.

One of the most controversial sections in the bill would mandate that all counties have the same early voting dates and times: three weeks of Monday-through-Friday voting, one mandatory Saturday and then one additional Saturday or Sunday during the first weekend.

“The bill sets more uniform voting times for advanced voting across the state and attempts to bring more uniformity to our state and less confusion,” Fleming said.

But Rep. Calvin Smyre, a Black Democrat from Columbus and the longest-serving member in the chamber, said Fleming’s logic was hypocritical and discriminatory against Black voters who use the second Sunday for “souls to the polls” events.

“It takes away the ability to have uniformity in every county,” he said. “For example, if a county chooses the first Sunday, the situation will be extremely confusing for county residents with voting closed on that Saturday. An avalanche of misinformation will follow regarding when voting happens on weekends. Confusion deters voting, which brings about voter suppression.”

Speaker pro tempore Jan Jones, a Milton Republican, spoke about sections of the bill that would restrict access to secure drop boxes by limiting the number of boxes and requiring them to be inside early voting sites and only available during in-person early voting.

“Drop boxes are the most inconvenient way to vote absentee,” she said. “Were we to eliminate drop boxes, which we are not, not a single absentee voter would be inconvenienced because every voter has a drop box called a mailbox.”

In addition to the drop boxes, Georgia voters can return absentee ballots in person to their county elections office or use the mail, both arguably more inconvenient than a secure 24/7 monitored drop box that minimizes human contact in a pandemic.

Rep. Bee Nguyen, a Democrat from Atlanta, said in a floor speech that Republican lawmakers were passing harmful legislation that helps continue a narrative that led to death threats for elected officials and elections workers and contributed to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January.

“We are legislating on lies … lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories that have gone unchecked by many members of this body, who stayed silent, who signed on to the Texas lawsuit or who encouraged sham hearings in our General Assembly,” she said. “Members of this body aided and abetted a deliberate misinformation campaign to sow seeds of doubt among Georgia voters with absolutely no facts or evidence.”

Minority Leader James Beverly said the bill does not reflect bipartisan efforts to handle election changes and said it “silences the voice of Georgians.”

“In the opening salvo: Line 8 restricts access, Line 15 limits my ability to vote, Line 21 limits my ability to vote, Line 25 limits my ability to vote, Line 30 restricts access, and it goes on and on for 66 pages,” he said. “I stand in opposition to this bill because Democrats weren’t involved in any meaningful conversation before 531 was haphazardly thrown together in committee and passed.”

The bill now heads to the Georgia Senate, which is considering its own omnibus measure that would end no-excuse absentee voting, among other changes.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/03/01/972631655/georgia-house-passes-elections-bill-that-would-limit-absentee-and-early-voting

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Fauci says Gov. Ivey ‘has every right to be frustrated’ by Alabama’s low vaccination rate – AL.com
Fauci says Gov. Ivey ‘has every right to be frustrated’ by Alabama’s low vaccination rate – AL.com

Dr. Anthony Fauci said on CNN Sunday morning that Gov. Kay Ivey “has every right to be frustrated” by Alabama’s worst-in-the-nation COVID-19 vaccination rate. But he said more politicians and influential people need to call on Americans to get the shot.

Asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper if he “share[s] Gov. Ivey’s anger” about unvaccinated people driving a surge in COVID cases in Alabama, Fauci, President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser, said he is “very frustrated” by the masses of Americans who have yet to get the vaccine.

“I can totally understand the governor’s frustration. So I don’t have any problem with that; she has every right to be frustrated,” Fauci said on Tapper’s Sunday morning talk show, State of the Union. “But what I would really like to see is more and more of the leaders in those areas that are not vaccinated to get out and speak out to encourage people to get vaccinated.”

Fauci added that he “was very heartened” to see politicians like U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, both Republicans like Ivey, calling for people to get vaccinated. But he said more must be done to slow the spread of the Delta variant.

“We’ve gotta get more people who relate well to the individuals who are not getting vaccinated to get out there and encourage them to get vaccinated as well as the trusted messengers in the community,” Fauci told Tapper. “We’ve just gotta do better, Jake, because we have the tools to do this. This is an unnecessary predicament we’re putting ourselves in.”

As of Thursday, Alabama was the only state in the nation in which fewer than 40% of eligible residents were fully vaccinated against COVID, according to federal data. Meanwhile, the seven-day average for new cases in Alabama has increased by over 500% since July 4, and hospitalizations due to COVID have surged by over 300%.

Source Article from https://www.al.com/news/2021/07/fauci-says-gov-ivey-has-every-right-to-be-frustrated-by-alabamas-low-vaccination-rate.html

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Presunto homicida de Spear es un delincuente reincidente – Últimas Noticias
Presunto homicida de Spear es un delincuente reincidente – Últimas Noticias










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Rep. Adam Kinzinger becomes second House Republican who voted to impeach Trump to not run for reelection – Fox News
Rep. Adam Kinzinger becomes second House Republican who voted to impeach Trump to not run for reelection – Fox News
Video

Kinzinger slams McCarthy for failing ‘to tell the truth’ about Jan. 6 attack on Capitol

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., argues House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy lied to Americans regarding details of the January 6 attack on the Capitol

Saying that he can’t run for reelection to Congress while at the same time waging a broader war for the future of the Republican Party, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois on Friday announced that he wouldn’t run for reelection next year.

The six-term conservative congressman and combat pilot veteran made headlines in January as the second-most high profile of the 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. He becomes the second of that group to not seek another two-year term in the House in the 2022 midterm elections, following Rep. Anthony Gonzales of Ohio.

As he fights to break the GOP from its current domination by the former president and works to back other anti-Trump Republicans, Kinzinger stressed in a video announcing his decision that it has “become increasingly obvious to me that in order to break the narrative, I cannot focus on both a reelection to Congress and a broader fight nationwide.”

WHO IS ADAM KINZINGER: THE CONSERVATIVE CONGRESSMAN TURNED ANTI-TRUMP GOP LEADER

“I want to make it clear, this isn’t the end of my political future but the beginning,” he also emphasized. “Let me be clear, my passion for this country has only grown. My desire to make a difference is bigger than it’s ever been.”

Kinzinger joined the Air Force after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, serving in both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He’s currently a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. 

As a 32-year-old, he was elected to Congress in the Tea Party wave election of 2010, beating a Democratic incumbent by nearly 15 points in a north-central and northeastern Illinois district, thanks in part to Sarah Palin’s endorsement. Two years later, after redistricting, he took down 10-term GOP Rep. Don Manzullo in the primary before winning the general election.

In early January, Kinzinger joined nine other House Republicans to impeach Trump for his role in inciting the deadly attack on the Capitol by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters bent on disrupting congressional certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. The storming of the Capitol occurred soon after Trump urged a large crowd of supporters he addressed at a rally near the White House to march to the Capitol and show strength in protesting the certification of the election.

Trump was impeached by the House a week later on one count of inciting an insurrection. The 10 Republicans joined all 222 Democrats in voting to impeach Trump, with 197 Republicans voting against impeachment. In February, after leaving the White House, Trump was acquitted in a Senate trial, with seven GOP senators joining all 50 Democrats in the chamber to vote to convict the former president.

PELOSI TAPS KINZINGER TO SERVE AS SECOND REPUBLICAN ON JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION PANEL

All 10 House Republicans instantly faced the wrath of Trump and his allies, who have worked to defeat the lawmakers as they run for reelection in the midterms. Trump’s endorsed primary challengers to a number of the 10, including the most well known of the bunch, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

“I stand in awe of the courage of the other nine members in the House who voted to impeach a president of their own party, knowing it could be detrimental to their political career,” Kinzinger said.

Trump, in a statement after Kinzinger’s announcement, wrote “2 down, 8 to go!”

In an apparent jab at the former president’s brand of divisive politics, Kinzinger lamented that “our political parties only survive by appealing to the most motivated and the most extreme elements within it. And the price tag to power has skyrocketed and fear and distrust has served as an effective strategy to meet that cost.”

And he argued that “dehumanizing each other has become the norm. We’ve taken it from social media to the streets. We’ve allowed leaders to reach power selling the false premise that strength comes from degrading others and dehumanizing those that look, act, think differently that we do. As a country, we’ve fallen for those lies and now we face a poisoned country.”

KINZINGER HAULS IN BIG BUCKS AFTER FACING TRUMP’S WRATH OVER IMPEACHMENT

Kinzinger, who along with Cheney are the only two Republicans on a Democratic- named special committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, has seen his  stance against Trump dramatically boost his fundraising. And the Country First Leadership PAC, which he formed earlier this year to support other anti-Trump Republicans, is also hauling in big bucks.

The congressman said that “I know I’m not alone. There’s many Americans that are desperately searching for a better way. They want solutions, not more problems.”

“Now is the time for choosing,” he urged. “Now is the time to join our movement at Country First.”

Another likely factor in his decision to not seek another term in the House is redistricting.

With Illinois losing a congressional seat due to the 2020 Census and Democrats controlling the redistricting process in the blue state, according to maps awaiting the signature of the Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Kinzinger may have been dumped into the same district as Republican Rep. Darin LaHood. 

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That would have set up a potentially nasty intra-GOP showdown in northern Illinois. Kinzinger’s decision now likely clears the way for LaHood to secure reelection in a safe Republican House district.

And there’s speculation that Kinzinger may now mull a Republican gubernatorial challenge next year against Pritzker.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Jason Donner, and James Levinson contributed to this report

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-adam-kinzinger-not-running-reelection-illinois-republican

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Video revela presuntos actos de corrupción del expresidente de Pasco – Radio Programas del Perú
Video revela presuntos actos de corrupción del expresidente de Pasco – Radio Programas del Perú


Domingo, 29 de Junio 2014  |  9:47 pm



Créditos: Andina

El empresario Marino Sifuentes Osorio habría pagado S/.180 mil a Meléndez por la supuesta entrega de una obra de tendido eléctrico en la zona de Huachón y Quiparacra´. Estos proyectos de inversión nunca le fueron otorgados.








Un nuevo video comprometería más al encarcelado presidente regional de Pasco, Kléver Meléndez, en las investigaciones por presunta corrupción durante su gestión.

Se trata de una grabación que habría realizado el empresario Marino Sifuentes Osorio, quien aparece citado en varios informes de inteligencia de la Policía de Pasco.

De acuerdo al Informe de Inteligencia N° 024-2014, Sifuentes Osorio “habría sido sorprendido por el accionar de la organización criminal que viene operando en el Gobierno Regional de Pasco”.

La investigación policial señala que dicha organización le habría ocasionado al empresario “un importante perjuicio económico de 180 mil soles en dos años por la supuesta entrega de una obra de tendido eléctrico en la zona de Huachón y Quiparacra”. Estos proyectos de inversión nunca le fueron otorgados.

En los videos, revelados por el programa dominical Cuarto Poder, no muestran al empresario reclamando al expresidente regional por la ingente suma que habría pagado. Solo se escuchan las que serían las excusas dadas por Meléndez, quien actualmente permanece recluido en el penal Miguel Castro Castro por presuntos delitos de corrupción.

Al parecer, el modus operandi de la Presidencia de Meléndez Gamarra era prometer a varios empresarios la ejecución de una misma obra, todos pagaban su diezmo pero al final solo uno conseguía la licitación, y el resto salía “trasquilado”.

Al ser consultado sobre el tema, Osorio, que habría usado una cámara reloj para la grabación, negó el pago de cualquier soborno. “En ningún momento he pagado, eso es completamente falso”, subrayó.






Noticias relacionadas:




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Source Article from http://www.rpp.com.pe/2014-06-29-video-revela-presuntos-actos-de-corrupcion-del-expresidente-de-pasco-noticia_704062.html

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At least seven injured after New York City bus plunges off overpass – Daily Mail
At least seven injured after New York City bus plunges off overpass – Daily Mail

NYC bus is left suspended in MID-AIR after plunging off an overpass and almost snapping in half – leaving at least seven injured

  • At least seven people have been hospitalized after a tandem MTA bus veered off the road and plunged over an overpass in the Bronx
  • The incident took place at 11.10pm Thursday evening 
  • The driver was ‘unable to navigate the roadway and/or experienced brake failure’ near the Cross Bronx Expressway and University Avenue  
  • Police say there were seven to eight people on board, including the driver
  • All have been transported to hospitals suffering minor injuries
  • The bus is secure and officials were in the process of removing it after midnight 

By Marlene Lenthang For Dailymail.com

Published: 00:56 EST, 15 January 2021 | Updated: 03:31 EST, 15 January 2021

At least seven people have been hospitalized after a tandem MTA bus veered off the road and plunged over an overpass in the Bronx. 

The incident took place at 11.10pm Thursday evening when the bus driver was ‘unable to navigate the roadway and/or experienced brake failure’ and went off road, the New York Police Department said to DailyMail.com. 

The ‘accordion-style’ bus veered off the roadway near University Avenue by the exit for the Deegan Expressway, causing the bus to fall onto the Cross Bronx Expressway below. 

At least seven people have been hospitalized after a tandem MTA bus veered off the road and plunged over an overpass in the Bronx

 The incident took place at 11.10pm Thursday evening when the bus driver was ‘unable to navigate the roadway and/or experienced brake failure’ and went off road, the New York Police Department said to DailyMail.com

 The bus has been secured and crews are in the process of removing it as of 12.30am Friday

The ‘accordion-style’ bus veered off the roadway near University Avenue by the exit for the Deegan Expressway, causing the bus to fall onto the Cross Bronx Expressway below

No other vehicles or people were injured in the accident. Cops pictured on the scene

There were seven to eight people, including the bus driver, on board and all suffered minor injuries and have been transported to area hospitals. 

No other vehicles or people were injured in the accident. 

Officials say they’re investigating the cause of the crash. 

There were seven to eight people, including the bus driver, on board and all suffered minor injuries and have been transported to area hospitals

An aerial view of the dangling bus above late Thursday evening

The bus has been secured and crews are in the process of removing it as of 12.30am Friday.  

Police have shut down the New Jersey-bound lanes of the Cross Bound Expressway.

This is a developing story. 


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Source Article from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9150147/At-seven-injured-New-York-City-bus-plunges-overpass.html

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Fraud overwhelms pandemic-related unemployment programs – The Associated Press
Fraud overwhelms pandemic-related unemployment programs – The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With the floodgates set to open on another round of unemployment aid, states are being hammered with a new wave of fraud as they scramble to update security systems and block scammers who already have siphoned billions of dollars from pandemic-related jobless programs.

The fraud is fleecing taxpayers, delaying legitimate payments and turning thousands of Americans into unwitting identity theft victims. Many states have failed to adequately safeguard their systems, and a review by The Associated Press finds that some will not even publicly acknowledge the extent of the problem.

The massive sham springs from prior identity theft from banks, credit rating agencies, health care systems and retailers. Fraud perpetrators, sometimes in China, Nigeria or Russia, buy stolen personal identifying information on the dark web and use it to flood state unemployment systems with bogus claims.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating unemployment fraud by “transnational criminal organizations, sophisticated domestic actors, and individuals across the United States,” said Joshua Stueve, a spokesman for the department’s criminal division.

The Labor Department inspector general’s office estimates that more than $63 billion has been paid out improperly through fraud or errors — roughly 10% of the total amount paid under coronavirus pandemic-related unemployment programs since March.

“We’re all learning that there is an epidemic of fraud,” said U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House’s powerful Ways and Means Committee. Brady said the $63 billion estimate “is larger than the entire budget of the Department of Homeland Security.”

“These are frightening levels of fraud,” he said.

California has been the biggest target, with an estimated $11 billion in fraudulent payments and an additional $19 billion in suspect accounts. Colorado has paid out nearly as much to scammers — an estimated $6.5 billion — as it has to people who filed legitimate unemployment claims.

Other estimates, according to AP reporting across the states, range from several hundred thousand dollars in smaller states such as Alaska and Wyoming to hundreds of millions in more populous states such as Massachusetts and Ohio.

The nationwide fraud has fed on twin vulnerabilities: a flood of jobless benefit applications since the pandemic began that has overwhelmed state unemployment agencies and antiquated benefit systems that are easy prey for crafty and persistent criminals.

In Ohio, weekly first-time unemployment claims have ranged from 17,000 to more than 40,000 during the pandemic. But since late last month, those claims have topped more than 140,000 some weeks, with many of them believed to be fraudulent. The state has paid at least $330 million in fraudulent pandemic unemployment benefit claims.

Trying to catch so many bogus claims delays payouts to Ohioans who are legitimately in need of help. In the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington, Cynthia Sbertoli was receiving $228 a week after she was laid off in March from her job with a nonprofit that runs high school student exchange programs.

Her benefits were put on hold in January after she informed the state that someone had tried to use her identity in a scam to claim benefits. She thought the problem was resolved but has yet to see a renewal of her benefit checks, which she and her husband use to help pay for a son’s vision and auditory therapy.

“It’s just not a good way to take care of people,” said Sbertoli, 49.

In Indiana, Kentucky and Maryland, officials have said that for certain weeks in the new year at least two-thirds of the claims they received were classified as suspicious due to problems verifying identities. It’s not the first brush with serious fraud for Maryland. In July, officials said they’d discovered a massive criminal enterprise that had stolen more than $500 million in unemployment benefits.

Among states that have been hardest hit are those participating in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program adopted by Congress last year. It has been a lifeline for out-of-work freelancers and gig workers who normally don’t qualify for unemployment insurance, but it’s also been a boon for criminals who use stolen identities to make claims. Nearly 800,000 of the 1.4 million claims Ohio has received through this program have been tagged for potential fraud.

Scams have been so widespread that the U.S. Department of Justice is setting aside money to hire more prosecutors. In New York alone, the Department of Labor says it has referred “hundreds of thousands of fraud cases” to federal prosecutors. The state says it has blocked $5.5 billion in fraudulent claims, while New Jersey says it’s prevented $2.5 billion from flowing into the hands of criminals.

Despite those efforts, a government watchdog agency says not enough states are taking the necessary steps to prevent fraud.

In its memo this past week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General said that by the end of last year, 22 of the 54 state and territorial workforce agencies were still not following its repeated recommendation to join a data exchange run by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

That system is designed to check Social Security numbers used in claims to see if they are being used in multiple states, or are linked to dead people or other scam methods. The office said it had found $5.4 billion in fraudulent payments from March through October.

The biggest chunk of that, $3.5 billion, came through claims that used the same Social Security numbers in multiple states. One number was used on claims in 40 states. Twenty-nine of the states paid those claims, totaling more than $220,000.

“The Department needs to take immediate action and increase its efforts to ensure (states) implement effective controls to mitigate fraud in these high risk areas,” the inspector general warned Labor officials.

The people whose identities are used to claim improper benefits often don’t find out until they receive their tax statements.

Andrew Heidtke received a letter in September from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development notifying him that unemployment claims he never applied for were being processed.

“I had no idea what was happening,” said Heidtke, who works as an administrative assistant for an engineering lobbying organization. “I kind of just thought it was spam at first.”

Another victim was 99-year-old Harry Hollingsworth of Strongsville, Ohio. The retired elevator car factory worker received a form in late January showing he had received $3,156 in benefits. Hollingsworth died recently, and his son, Jim Hollingsworth, said the bogus claim created a big hassle.

“It looks like the state, they dropped the ball on this completely,” he said.

In its own survey of state governments, the AP found that many are not publicly disclosing the level of fraud. Some officials expressed concern that providing any information, no matter how general, could provide criminals an opening to exploit their systems further.

President Joe Biden’s administration is pledging to cut down on unemployment fraud even as it tries to extend benefits through September. As part of previous legislation, the administration is sending states $200 million to fight it.

That would be welcome in Virginia, where House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, a Republican, said the Legislature’s watchdog agency should investigate how the state allowed $40 million in bogus payments through prison inmate-related scams.

“How many desperate people, laid off through no fault of their own, could have been helped with that money?” he asked. “It’s maddening.”

____

Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

___

Associated Press writers Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville, Tennessee; Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia; Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin; and Casey Smith in Indianapolis contributed.

Source Article from https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-health-coronavirus-pandemic-asia-pacific-ohio-b651def05a8a049637c4a1047f788631

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Lyft prices surge to $1,500 out of South Lake Tahoe as Caldor fire closes in – Daily Mail
Lyft prices surge to $1,500 out of South Lake Tahoe as Caldor fire closes in – Daily Mail

The ordinarily heaving summer town of South Lake Tahoe is deserted on Wednesday after tens of thousands of residents evacuated in fear of the fast approaching Caldor wildfire, which has scored nearly 204,000 acres of land, is now three miles away and is just 20 percent contained. 

More than 50,000 people across northeast California are under evacuation orders to avoid the fire including the 22,000 residents of the tourist trap of South Lake Tahoe. 

The fire has destroyed 500 homes and threatens to eviscerate 34,000 structures in the town of South Lake Tahoe. 

Tahoe hasn’t seen a fire of this size or ferocity for some 80 years and scientists believe prolonged periods of abnormally high temperatures, coupled with dry and windy conditions, make this year particularly dangerous.

The rush to get out on Tuesday created a surge in traffic on the roads and a race for taxis among those who do not have access to their own cars.  

A Lyft XL ride from South Lake Tahoe to Reno, Nevada, normally costs $200 but on Tuesday it soared to nearly eight times as much as people rushed to beat the flames. Uber had no drivers available in the area, leaving some of the people on the ground who do not have cars to rely on rescue teams or neighbors for a ride out of the area. 

A furious resident shared a screenshot of the prices on Twitter yesterday. Lyft has since disabled price gouging in the area. In the meantime, a strike crew of 16 firefighters who would have been able to fight the flames has been completely sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19. 

It’s unclear how many firefighters are now left to battle the blaze but at a briefing on Tuesday, Cal Fire incident commander Jeff Veik warned that if one more firefighter tests positive, it could halt the entire mission. 

One volunteer firefighter, Richard Geraty, suffered third degree burns to 20 percent of his body. He is now in the hospital and his family is raising money for him via GoFundMe page that has so far raised $40,000.  

On Wednesday, injured bears were seen roaming the deserted streets and burning forests trying to find shelter. Wildlife Disaster Network, a group of volunteers who work with California Fish and Wildlife, are on the streets looking for animals to save.   

‘This one’s really scary. I’m afraid it’s going to burn down the jewel of California,’ resident Glen Naasz told CBS News. 

A bear seeking refuge from the smoke and flames crosses a deserted road in South Lake Tahoe on Tuesday. There are growing concerns for the wildlife in the area 

Abandoned boats near the empty shores of Lake Tahoe on Tuesday night as smoke from the wildfire clouds the views

A view of empty streets after the mandatory evacuation the day before in South Lake Tahoe, California, U.S., August 31, 2021.

The sun sets on an empty beach with the sky obscured by the smoke of the Caldor fire, in South Lake Tahoe, California

Empty chairs stand on the beach with the sky obscured by the smoke of the Caldor fire, in South Lake Tahoe, California, U.S., August 31, 2021

An injured bear is seen struggling to walk with burned front paws in the community of Meyers in El Dorado County, California

An injured bear with burned paws sits under trees near a home in Meyers during the Caldor Fire at on Tuesday

Lyft prices surged by nearly 800 percent on Tuesday as people desperately tried to flee South Lake Tahoe. A journey that normally costs $200 from South Lake Tahoe to Reno in an Uber XL was costing $1,500. The company has now disabled the automated price gouging 

Lyft said on Tuesday that it had disabled the price gouging algorithm, which happens automatically in areas where there is increased demand and few cars. 

In a statement, a spokesman told SF Gate: ‘When ride requests outpace the number of drivers on the road, prime time pricing — elevated fares designed to get more drivers to high-demand areas — is automatically enabled. 

‘When we realized how the evacuation order was affecting Lyft prices, we immediately implemented a cap and ultimately suspended prime time pricing.’ 

Uber cars were regularly priced on the app but there were no drivers in the area. 

It comes as fire chiefs warned crews at a briefing on the mission to wear masks in order to protect each other from COVID-19.

‘We lost a whole strike team of crews yesterday, we lost a finance section chief due to [being] COVID positive, so understand, do not come to this briefing without a mask on. 

‘I understand your views are important and I will always respect that as one of our leaders, but you are here at a briefing.

‘One more COVID firefighter getting sick could take out our actions to protect the community and the people we’re here to serve,’ Veik said. 

Geraty is a volunteer with West Stanislaus Fire District. He suffered third degree burns to his hands, arms, legs and groin on August 28 while battling the flames and he is now expected to be in the hospital for a month. 

The fire district set up a GoFundMe to help pay for his care.

‘Richard is expected to be hospitalized for at least one month to treat second and third degree burns to about 20 percent of his body. 

Fire officials dealt with a two-week old blaze they said was ‘more aggressive than anticipated,’ and continued to edge toward the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe

A heat map shows the spread of Caldor fire and the smaller Tamarack fire. The Caldor fire has now covered 204,000 acres of El Dorado County and is approaching South Lake Tahoe 

Volunteer firefighter Richard Geraty suffered third degree burns battling the blaze on August 28 He is now expected to be in the hospital for a month while he recovers; so far, no deaths have been recorded

Firefighters try to extinguish the Caldor Fire in Twin Bridges, California, United States on August 31, 2021

Embers fly from a tree as the Caldor Fire burns along Highway 50 in Eldorado National Forest, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021 

‘Richard is husband to his wife Jennifer Gerety and father to a two year old son. This GoFundMe was established to help the Gerety’s while Richard is treated at UC Davis Medical Center.

‘Any help is greatly appreciated,’ its description reads. 

There are 22,000 residents in South Lake Tahoe who have been told to leave but some are choosing to stay behind, either because they want to help firefighters on the ground or because they don’t feel as though they have anywhere to go. 

Evacuation shelters have been opened for people with no friends or family to go to. 

‘This thing is just unstoppable,’ Lee England, who fled her South Lake Tahoe apartment late Sunday, said as she looked at the Forest Service map outside the Carson City rec center Tuesday evening.

Before leaving, the 47-year-old hip hop skate performer and instructor initially thought – or hoped – she was seeing a storm in the distance.

‘It was only wishful thinking that it was rain,’ she said. ‘It was smoke.’ 

Tod Johnson stands in front of his house in South Lake Tahoe, California on Tuesday. He spray-painted his house, which is not insured, hoping that firefighters would help save it if the fire reaches his neighborhood  

David Duet, who camps with friends in a meadow in South Lake Tahoe, said on Tuesday they didn’t evacuate because they ‘don’t really have anywhere else to go’

Bill Roberts rolls up an American flag in front of his house in South Lake Tahoe on Tuesday

Russ Crupi points to sprinklers he’s set up around a mobile home park where he works as a maintenance man in South Lake Tahoe on Tuesday

Among those who stayed behind on Tuesday was David Duet, a South Lake Tahoe resident who is homeless.  

He dismissed the idea of fleeing to nearby Carson City, saying his group didn’t know anyone in the Nevada capital, and declined a ride a stranger offered him Monday.

Duet said he and his friends are checking the internet and radio for updates on the fire and plan to ride bicycles out or catch a ride from someone if it gets really bad.

‘No one’s stupid enough to stay when the flames are right mounting around the outside of the meadow. So as long as the smoke isn’t so bad and the flames aren’t real close, we´re going to stick it out, you know?’ Duet said.

 ‘But if not, we’ll hightail it out. We’ll get out.’

While most of his neighbors fled South Lake Tahoe as a major wildfire charged closer to town, Tod Johnson also stayed put.

The 66-year-old retiree swept up pine needles from the yard and roof of his home Tuesday after spending the night keeping an eye on reports of the advancing flames. The police knew he was there, but told him that when he leaves, he can’t come back until it’s safe.

‘I promised my kid I’d be out of here as soon as I saw any flames anywhere. And I’m trying to be here to help the firefighters,’ he said.

After seeing gusty winds in the forecast as the fire moved closer to his Lake Tahoe community, Johnson said he planned to leave Tuesday afternoon to join his girlfriend in Reno, once he had packed up a few precious items to take with him. 

While more than 20,000 residents and likely thousands of tourists packed roads leading out of Lake Tahoe on Monday to flee the Caldor Fire closing in on the resort community, a handful of people decided to buck the mandatory evacuation orders and stay behind.

With many emergencies, from wildfires to hurricanes, most people choose to comply with orders to leave. However, there are almost always a few holdouts, and their reasons for staying vary.

Of the few who stayed behind, some said they wanted to stick it out, pack more belongings and guard their property a little longer. 

Source Article from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9946941/Lyft-prices-surge-1-500-South-Lake-Tahoe-Caldor-fire-closes-in.html

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Dos noticias: una mala y una buena – Trabajadores de Cuba
Dos noticias: una mala y una buena – Trabajadores de Cuba
Lograr un mayor nivel de efectividad en el combate contra el tráfico de drogas y sustancias psicotrópicas es un deber ineludible. / Foto: Tomada del sitio Web de Juventud Rebelde.

 

El amable cartero de mi zona de residencia, quien también distribuye los periódicos del día, trajo ayer dos noticias: una mala y una buena.

¿Cuál prefiere conocer primero?… “La mala”, diría usted, como elige casi todo el mundo ante la disyuntiva.

El diario Granma, en su página cinco, reseñó la nota referida a “un grupo de delincuentes que pretendió introducir droga en Cuba, procedente de Jamaica”.

En información ofrecida por la Dirección Nacional Antidroga (DNA) se da cuenta que “las acciones fueron desplegadas en las provincia de La Habana y Granma” y posibilitaron obstaculizar la entrada de lanchas rápidas provenientes de territorio jamaicano, ocupar una considerable cantidad de dólares e incautar 295,24 kilogramos de marihuana.

Fueron procesados y acusados 11 ciudadanos, mayoritariamente jóvenes, los que recibieron condenas de entre 15 y 30 años de privación de libertad.

¿Cuáles hubiesen sido las consecuencias sociales si esa cantidad de marihuana entra al país y es distribuida? ¿Cuánto daño hubiese causado? Resulta doloroso pensar que hay quienes no miden las secuelas de sus actos y que solo tienen en cuenta las ganancias financieras. Es muy lamentable.

La buena

Y ahora, la buena: El semanario 5 de Septiembre, el mismo día, informó en su segunda página que cuatro pescadores de la provincia de Cienfuegos, mientras navegaban mar afuera como parte de sus faenas cotidianas, avistaron tres bultos flotando sobre el agua. Los subieron a la embarcación y protegieron debidamente. Ante la sospecha de que fuera droga llamaron de inmediato a autoridades de las Tropas Guardafronteras (TGF). Las que comprobaron que se trataba de 77 kilogramos de marihuana.

Carlos Rafael Montalván Casales, capitán de la embarcación, manifestó al respecto: “Tengo hijos y no me gustaría verlos inmersos en el consumo de drogas”. La tripulación la integraban también Jan Cruz González, Vladimir Marín Ramírez y Yirobis Toledo Álvarez.

El Héroe Nacional José Martí dejó escrito para la posteridad: “En el mundo ha de haber cierta cantidad de decoro, como ha de haber cierta cantidad de luz”.

Factores

En una intervención de Abelardo Moreno, viceministro cubano de Relaciones exteriores, sobre el enfrentamiento a las actividades ilícitas en materia de drogas, expresó que existen varios factores que exponen a Cuba a los peligros del tráfico de estupefacientes.

El factor primario resulta su posición geográfica en el Caribe en un lugar clave como una de las principales rutas entre países productores y el primer consumidor del mundo.

Otros que vienen actuando en los últimos años son: El desarrollo del turismo en nuestro país, la apertura a la inversión extranjera, y el incremento y diversificación de las relaciones comerciales.

Cabe destacar que actualmente existen 11 aeropuertos internacionales y 10 marinas, así como 6 puertos con operaciones comerciales importantes.

Desde el mismo 1959 comenzó a aplicarse una política en Cuba contra el tráfico de drogas. A través de estos años hemos ido solidificando nuestra estrategia de prevención y de enfrentamiento.

La protección de nuestra sociedad contra este flagelo ha sido en todo momento un elemento fundamental.

Source Article from http://www.trabajadores.cu/20160730/dos-noticias-una-mala-y-una-buena/

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Rebuild this temple – Washington Examiner
Rebuild this temple – Washington Examiner

People were getting carried away about the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, one Catholic bishop felt. “Some commentators are reading, imposing, waaaaay too much spiritual significance into the Notre Dame fire,” Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, R.I., wrote on Twitter in the middle of Holy Week. “It was a frightful event, a terrible fire, that severely damaged a spectacular, historic, sacred house of worship. Nothing more.”

Discerning and interpreting divine signs are not the typical fare of this page. Still, it’s hard not to read something more into the inferno that destroyed the 200-year-old roof on the 800-year-old cathedral, especially if you take a slightly larger perspective.

While the Notre Dame fire appears to be the result of an electrical short circuit, hundreds of French churches have been deliberately vandalized and desecrated over the past few months, according to multiple media reports. Vandals smeared human excrement on the cross in a church in Nîmes. Crosses and saint statues were smashed at a church in Lavaur. A statue of the Virgin Mary was destroyed in Houilles. Paris’s Church of St. Sulpice was set on fire on a Sunday.

This plague of deliberate attacks on churches across France, often with the clear intent to desecrate Christian holy symbols and objects, was largely ignored by the media.

Meanwhile in Louisiana, there was a terroristic campaign of church burnings. Three black Baptist churches in St. Landry’s Parish were deliberately burned in a 10-day stretch, evoking ugly memories of the Jim Crow era. The suspect, since caught, is a racist, white male.

So, when on Monday Notre Dame’s roof caught fire, and at the same time a blaze broke out in Jerusalem’s venerated Al-Aqsa Mosque, you’d have be quite the skeptic not to divine some sort of a message. It seemed as though God was telling us all, “Look! My house is crumbling.”

Alongside the destruction of church buildings is the crumbling of the church as a collection of worshippers.

Only half of all American adults belong to a religious congregation (Muslim, Christian, or Jewish), according to a Gallup survey published on Holy Thursday. That is a precipitous decline: As recently as 1998, the portion was 70%.

Behind this drop-off is more than a doubling of the irreligious (from 8% to 19%), an increase of the religiously unaffiliated, and a decrease of attendance among even those who belong to a specific faith.

America is becoming unchurched.

Church leaders have worried about this crisis for years, as it has slowly unfolded. But secular leaders and commentators should worry about this, too.

Secularization strikes many liberal commentators as progress, but the social science suggests that, especially for the working class and middle class, those without church are in bad shape.

Churchgoing, synagogue-going, and mosque-going adults are less likely to divorce and less likely to abuse their spouses. Churchgoing families are more likely to eat dinner together and have family activities. Churchgoing kids do less drugs and more sports. People who go to church weekly are far more likely to report being “very happy.” Going to church even correlates with living longer, it seems.

If people are falling away from religious congregations, that’s a bad thing.

The causes of this trend are many. Of course, modern technology, secular crusades against public displays of religion, and popular culture are culprits. So is a broader alienation and deinstitutionalization of life in America. But the churches cannot escape blame for their decreased draw: The Catholic Church is still refusing to reckon with its abuse scandals, and many churches have become nearly secular, emphasizing the political or the popular instead of the sacred.

Maybe the fires at Notre Dame Cathedral and Al-Aqsa Mosque weren’t messages from the almighty. Nevertheless, this Easter, it wouldn’t hurt for us to take stock of the worldwide crumbling of the church.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/rebuild-this-temple

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Who won, who lost and who cocked up in the EU election – POLITICO Europe
Who won, who lost and who cocked up in the EU election – POLITICO Europe
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Florida cop says there’s a lot of ‘oddness’ in Brian Laundrie case – New York Post
Florida cop says there’s a lot of ‘oddness’ in Brian Laundrie case – New York Post

Florida cops said they tried to keep tabs on Brian Laundrie before he slipped away amid the probe into Gabby Petito’s disappearance — but acknowledged there’s a lot of “oddness” when it comes to his case.

“We’ve said from the beginning there’s a lot of oddness here, a lot of things that just didn’t make sense,” North Port Police Department spokesman Josh Taylor told NewsNation.

“I mean, your son walks out there — now they’re saying on a Monday — to report that on a Friday and then be confused on what day that was,” Taylor said in an interview Friday. “There’s a lot of things that are odd there.”

Laundrie, 23, disappeared from his family’s North Port home last month after his parents claimed he went for a hike at the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve, where authorities have been searching since Sept. 18.

His parents Chris and Roberta Laundrie initially told cops that their son left the house on Sept. 14 — but they waited three days to report him missing despite the notoriety surrounding him.

Last week, family attorney Steven Bertolino said in a statement that the Laundries had been mistaken and said Brian actually left the house on Sept. 13.

Brian had been sought for questioning in Petito’s disappearance during the couple’s cross-country trip — but had lawyered up and refused to cooperate.

Brian Laundrie disappeared from his family’s North Port home last month.
Instagram

Brian had returned home without his 22-year-old girlfriend on Sept. 1, nearly three weeks before Petito’s body was found at a Wyoming campground on Sept. 19.

Police have since come under fire for letting Brian — the sole person of interest in the case — slip away. But Taylor insisted cops did what they could.

“What I’ll say to that is that we were doing everything within the law that we could with the facts and the circumstances at that time,” he said. “What I’ll say is that that is … something that we’re working to figure out as far as how he got away.”

Asked if he thought Laundrie was still alive, Taylor said, “It’s possible.”

“I certainly think that it would not surprise me if he is,” he said. “It would not surprise me if he’s not.”

Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/10/10/florida-cop-says-theres-oddness-in-brian-laundrie-case/

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If Trump can’t get ‘the wall,’ give border agents ‘more wall’ – Washington Examiner
If Trump can’t get ‘the wall,’ give border agents ‘more wall’ – Washington Examiner

Talking about “the wall” is now like banging your head against one. President Trump did a fantastic job selling the idea to the public, but the debate on controlling our jungle-like immigration system has shifted and now he needs to adjust. Otherwise, the border will be no more secure when he leaves the White House than when he arrived.

That means he needs to stop yelling about “the wall,” where Democrats are completely uncompromising and screaming “racism” for entirely political reasons. He needs to start talking about “more wall,” which all the border patrol agents I spoke to in Texas (mostly Latinos, by the way) are asking for.

There is no “the wall” that will ever get built — not least because Trump has never explained what it would look like or where it would go. But more importantly, there is already “wall” in place. We just need more of it, and depending on where it goes, it’s going to look different.

In the Rio Grande Valley sector at the southern border of Texas, more people are illegally crossing into the U.S. than anywhere else. There are sections of wall there — 25 feet of concrete and steel — that work to slow down or stop aliens, aiding in their apprehension by agents.

A portion of the border barrier in the Rio Grande Valley sector of the Texas southern border.

When I went there two weeks ago, they said they want more of that wall to fill in gaps where it hasn’t been built. They also want more money for cameras and additional agents.

This has nothing to do with Trump. The pieces of wall that are there now were recommended by the border patrol in the 1990s and were built in 2008.

But Trump on Saturday, after caving on the government shutdown, tweeted again about a “a powerful Wall” necessary to keep illegals at bay.

Okay, maybe? But if Democrats are simply going to call that “racist” and never say yes to building it, force them instead to say no to what the border patrol wants.

If they do, then we can once and for all drop the lie that Democrats are “for border security.”

Border agents aren’t asking for “a powerful Wall.” They’re asking for more of what they already have, which Democrats said yes to in the past. Some in the conservative media aren’t helping by making dumb demands about “the wall,” insisting we replicate the barrier Israel has up around Gaza. Yes, Israel has a “wall” there, but guess what: It’s 40 miles long on mostly flat desert. You can’t build that over the 1,000 miles of canyons, mountains, and forest that make up our border with Mexico.

Trump moved the country in the right direction on immigration. His repeated “We either have a country, or we don’t” argument in favor of border control was essential to his victory and should go down as one of the great political lines of all time.

But he dragged his feet on fixing the problem when he had Republicans controlling both houses of Congress. Now he has to deal with Democrats who, if unwilling to build “the wall,” should at least be forced on the record to opposing what the Border Patrol wants: “more wall.”

Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/if-trump-cant-get-the-wall-give-border-agents-more-wall

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Argentina: ¿Qué significa entrar en "default selectivo"? – BBC Mundo
Argentina: ¿Qué significa entrar en "default selectivo"? – BBC Mundo

Los simpatizantes del gobierno consideran el fallo del juez Griesa un ataque a la soberanía. Foto: Reuters

Después de 13 años de altibajos en su economía, los argentinos escucharon de nuevo una palabra temida: default (o cesación de pagos).

Este miércoles está por cumplirse el plazo para que Argentina pague a un grupo de tenedores de deuda estructurada, convirtiéndose en la segunda vez en el siglo XXI que el país se encamina a la suspensión de pagos, luego del masivo default de 2001, que fue el más grande en la historia.

A pesar de que medios locales todavía plantean la opción de un acuerdo entre bancos argentinos y holdouts, el fracaso de las negociaciones con el gobierno hicieron que el mediador designado por la Justicia estadounidense, Daniel Pollack, asegurara que “la Argentina entrará inminentemente en default”.

El default “no es una condición meramente técnica sino un evento real y doloroso que dañará a personas reales: estas incluyen ciudadanos argentinos, los bonistas que entraron al canje y lo houldouts”, aseguró el mediador.

Eso sí, esta vez será un default sui géneris, pues no sería un cese de pagos voluntario sino obligado por falta de alternativas para depositar su dinero, completamente distinto a lo ocurrido hace 13 años.

BBC Mundo le ofrece las claves del llamado “default selectivo” argentino, las opciones del gobierno para vivir con él y sus posibles implicaciones.

¿Por qué es un “default selectivo”?

Así lo calificó la agencia de medición de riesgo Standard and Poor’s (S&P), quien declaró este miércoles a Argentina en “default selectivo” luego de que venciera el plazo del país para pagar US$539 millones.

Esta cantidad corresponde a ese pago concreto previsto para un grupo de tenedores de deuda, que en realidad Argentina había transferido ya hace un mes, pero que nunca llegaron a manos de los bonistas.

¿La razón? Un fallo de la Justicia de Estados Unidos determinó que no puede pagar sus bonos reestructurados hasta que pague también unos US$1.500 millones a un grupo de fondos especulativos que demandaron al país por el valor total de sus papeles.

Es selectivo porque se refiere a este pago concreto, con vencimiento original del 30 de junio, y que estaba sujeto a un periodo de gracia de 30 días que expiraba al finalizar el miércoles.

Además, hay bonos argentinos pagables bajo ley de Estados Unidos, otros en Argentina, e incluso en diferentes monedas: pesos, dólares, yenes… En medio de esta complejidad de la deuda argentina aún no está claro todavía qué bonistas podrán recibir los pagos de Argentina y cuáles no, según la decisión del juez Thomas Griesa.

Pero como aclara la agencia de medición de riesgo Standard and Poor’s, podría revisar su clasificación si finalmente se anunciara una manera de efectuar los pagos.

¿Por qué, según Argentina, “no es un default”?

El gobierno argentino asegura que no existe ningún default, argumentando que no cabe cesación posible cuando el propio estado sigue pagando voluntariamente a sus deudores.

“No es default porque Argentina paga. El default de un país es la consecuencia de los problemas de un país, de solvencia, de divisa… no la causa. Que el juez impida cobrar es un problema que carga sobre las espaldas del juez, no relativo a la posición del país”, dijo este miércoles el ministro de Economía, Axel Kicillof.

“¿Quién creen en las agencias calificadoras todavía? ¿Quién cree que son todavía referís imparciales?”, dijo durante una conferencia de prensa en Nueva York.

El gobierno de Cristina Fernández de Kirchner insiste en que seguirá pagando sus deudas, y califica el término de “default selectivo” como un “eufemismo, una situación novedosa e insólita”.

Más allá de los fondos bloqueados por Griesa, existen otros acuerdos por los que Argentina podrá seguir pagando a otras instituciones, como la española Repsol -indemnizada por la nacionalización de YPF- o el Club de París -al que Argentina pagó US$650 millones apenas esta semana-.

¿Cómo llegó Argentina a esta situación?

La presidenta argentina, Cristina Fernández, dijo que su país quiere pagar y que el juez Griesa se lo impide.

Mientras que Argentina logró reestructurar el 93% de la deuda de cerca de US$100.000 millones que había entrado en cesación de pagos en 2001, aún debe negociar con el 7% que se rehusó a entrar en los canjes de deuda de 2005 y 2010, conocidos como “holdouts” o “fondos buitre” según el gobierno argentino.

Se trata de un grupo de fondos de inversión extranjeros que demandaron a Argentina ante la Justicia estadounidense y a los que el juez de Nueva York Thomas Griesa les dio la razón.

Son apenas un pequeño grupo, representan el 0,45% del total de acreedores, pero Argentina mantiene que si les paga el 100% del valor de sus bonos a estos demandantes, el resto de los holdouts exigirá lo mismo, algo que el país considera impagable.

El juez Griesa falló que Argentina debe pagar a todos sus acreedores en lugar de ser selectiva.

Es decir, impide al país seguir pagándole al 93% de los bonistas que sí aceptaron reestructurar sus bonos si no le paga también a los demandantes, por lo que Argentina ya había advertido que un fallo adverso generaría una nueva cesación de pagos o default técnico.

Aunque el gobierno intentó depositar el pago previsto a los tenedores de deuda reestructurada, el juez ordenó frenar esa transferencia, lo que en la práctica ya dejaba a Argentina en una cesación de pagos oficiosa.

¿Es esta crisis parecida a la de 2001?

Ni la situación económica ni el tipo de default se parecen a la crisis de 2001.

No. En primer lugar, las condiciones de partida son muy diferentes. Aunque Argentina ha vivido en los últimos años una desaceleración de su economía y se ha visto afectada por los altos índices de inflación, su economía es aún significativamente más robusta que hace 12 años y la deuda representa un porcentaje del Producto Interior Bruto mucho menor.

Pero es que además la naturaleza de este default sería muy distinta a la de aquella crisis.

“Este sería un defaul extraño, porque no se produce porque Argentina sea incapaz de pagar, como en 2001, sino por el fallo de la corte y las dificultades que introduce en el calendario de pagos de Argentina al resto de deudores”, le explica a BBC Mundo el economista Alan Cibils.

“El default de 2001 fue en aquel momento una buena decisión y acabó ayudando a Argentina a salir de la crisis, con varios años de crecimiento”, dice el profesor de la Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento.

Entre 2005 y 2010 Argentina logró reducir en más de un 60% el valor de su deuda. Ahora, para pagarle a los holdouts el total de lo que reclaman tendría que destinar más de dos tercios de sus reservas, según las estimaciones oficiales.

Qué tanto contribuiría un default a “desandar” el camino recorrido por Argentina nos lleva a la siguiente pregunta.

¿Cuáles son los efectos que podría tener este default en la economía?

El ministro de Economía argentino, Axel Kicillof, pidió el apoyo internacional contra los “fondos buitre”. Foto: AP

Según el gobierno, el aumento de la deuda podría conllevar un aumento del desempleo, una de las mayores preocupaciones de los argentinos en una economía en recesión. Es por eso que la presidenta dijo que no estaba dispuesta a firmar “cualquier cosa”.

Cristina Fernández ha hecho llamados a potenciar el consumo en el país para fortalecer la economía en época de turbulencias.

“Necesitamos fortalecer más que nunca el mercado interno. Compren una moto si es que puede, compren una plancha o un lavarropa si es que lo necesitan, porque estarán fortaleciendo el trabajo de los argentinos”, dijo recientemente Fernández de Kirchner.

Algunos analistas aseguran que además podría poner en riesgo inversiones extranjeras clave, como las del yacimiento de Vaca Muerta.

Algo que el ejecutivo niega: “Los acuerdos desde el punto de vista de las inversiones extranjeras directas se respetan claramente en virtud de los compromisos preexistentes”, según el jefe de gabinete, Jorge Capitanich.

En realidad, Argentina lleva ya más de una década excluida de los mercados internacionales de crédito. Es por eso que el país tendrá que seguir buscando otras fuentes de financiación alternativas.

Como lo fue, por ejemplo, el reciente acuerdo entre el Banco Central argentino y el gobierno chino para contar con un apoyo a las reservas de hasta US$11.000 millones.

“Mañana será otro día y el país seguirá andando”, dijo Kicillof para tranquilizar al país.

¿Afecta esta situación al resto de países?

Otros países en default podrían elegir otros mercados, no el de EE.UU., para reestructurar sus deudas. Foto: AFP

Sí. “Es uno de los aspectos clave de este fallo. Implica que cualquier país que esté contemplando un default debería ser muy cuidadoso con dónde decide reestructurar su deuda”, explica Cibils.

“Y Nueva York parece un lugar que deberían evitar, lo que tendrá un impacto en los mercados financieros de Estados Unidos”, añade.

Y es que, según el Fondo Monetario Internacional, al ofrecer a los holdouts un mecanismo para extraer la recuperación fuera de un canje de deuda voluntario, las decisiones incrementarían los riesgos de que los holdouts se multipliquen.

Por otro lado, “los acreedores, quienes de otra manera están inclinados a acordar una reestructuracion, podrían ser menos propensos a hacerlo” en futuras ocasiones y en otros países, según el FMI.

Es por eso que Argentina cuenta con el apoyo del FMI, pero también de numerosos gobiernos, del grupo del G77+China y de la Organización de Estados Americanos.

¿Todos pierden con esta situación?

No. También hay quienes saldrían beneficiados si el país se ve nuevamente imposibilitado de pagarle a sus acreedores, incluso si esta vez la falta de pago se da como consecuencia de un fallo de la justicia de EE.UU. y no por decisión del gobierno, como ocurrió en 2001.

Los principales ganadores serán quienes posean seguros contra default (credit default swap o CDS, por sus siglas en inglés), que se activarán no bien la Asociación Internacional de Swaps y Derivados (ISDA, en inglés) confirme la situación de Argentina.

Se desconoce con exactitud quiénes y cuántos serán estos beneficiados, ya que los CDS son contratos entre privados.

Muchos en Argentina creen que los “fondos buitre” que demandaron al país poseen estos seguros, por lo que obtendrían una ganancia incluso si el gobierno de Cristina Fernández de Kirchner se niega a pagarles los cerca de US$1.500 millones que reclaman por sus bonos.

Pero lo cierto es que es imposible saberlo, debido a lo secreto de estas transacciones.

Con información de Verónica Smink e Ignacio de los Reyes

Source Article from http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2014/07/140730_argentina_default_selectivo_preguntas_kicillof_irm.shtml

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Judge orders utility PG&E to explain role in start of Dixie Fire that’s tearing through California – The Washington Post
Judge orders utility PG&E to explain role in start of Dixie Fire that’s tearing through California – The Washington Post

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Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/07/dixie-fire-california-missing-people/

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