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“This deal legalizing marijuana is the result of closed-door discussions between leaders of one political party and a governor who is engulfed in scandal,” said Rob Ortt, the Republican leader in the Senate. “The outcome of these partisan negotiations is a deeply flawed piece of legislation that will hurt the health and safety of New Yorkers.”

The state’s recreational cannabis program will be run by two new government entities: the Cannabis Control Board, which will craft new regulations, and the Office of Cannabis Management, which will implement the regulations.

They will be in charge of creating and allocating licenses for businesses seeking to enter any facet of the supply chain, from the farming of cannabis to the processing of the plant into edibles, concentrates and smokable products.

There will be licenses for distributors who would sell cannabis wholesale to retailers, including dispensaries where individuals will be able to buy cannabis products and “consumption sites” where people will be allowed to smoke or ingest the products.

The tiered system of licenses is meant to create a division among those who produce, wholesale and retail the products, like in the alcohol market. Most businesses would only be allowed to have one type of license to avoid a few players from consolidating the entire market. Most dispensaries, for example, will not be able to also grow and distribute cannabis.

But that will not apply to the state’s few, but influential medical cannabis corporations, which currently operate about 40 dispensaries statewide. Those companies will be allowed to keep their operations vertically integrated, meaning they could cultivate, process and sell cannabis.

Supporters said the new law has guardrails to prevent a few companies from dominating the market and to stem suspicions that wealthy, white investors would reap most of the benefits, which critics say is what has happened in other states.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/nyregion/cuomo-ny-legal-weed.html

Media captionThe BBC’s Nick Beake goes inside the Legislative Council.

Police firing tear gas have evicted protesters who earlier stormed and ransacked Hong Kong’s parliament.

Activists had occupied the Legislative Council (LegCo) building for hours after breaking away from a protest on the anniversary of Hong Kong’s transfer of sovereignty to China from Britain.

After midnight (16:00 GMT), hundreds of police secured the building following a warning to protesters to clear it.

It follows weeks of unrest in the city over a controversial extradition law.

Hundreds of thousands took part in the earlier protest – the latest rally against a proposed law that critics fear could be used to extradite political dissidents to mainland China.

Dozens of demonstrators smashed their way through the glass facade of LegCo. They were joined inside by hundreds more after police vacated the building during the evening.

Media captionThe BBC’s Danny Vincent reports from inside parliament after protesters broke into the Legislative Council

Inside, they defaced the emblem of Hong Kong in the central chamber, raised the old British colonial flag, spray-painted messages across the walls, and shattered furniture.

Protesters clad in plastic helmets and brandishing umbrellas retreated from a baton charge by riot police, who quickly overcame the makeshift barriers in front of the building.

Inside, diehard protesters were pulled forcibly outside by their fellow occupants in an attempt to completely clear the building.

Democratic lawmakers Ted Hui and Roy Kwong stood in front of police asking them to allow demonstrators time to leave the area, the South China Morning Post reported.

Within an hour, the streets around the building were clear of everyone except the media and police. Officers then began searching the rooms of the LegCo building for any possible stragglers.

No arrests have yet been reported.

Why didn’t protesters stay?

One pro-democracy legislator told the BBC that young protesters initially said they would stay all night.

“They’re saying that they would beat the police by sheer numbers, and that sounds very scary to me,” she said.

“I was a journalist and I did cover the Tiananmen bloodbath 30 years ago, and that’s exactly what those students said back then in the Chinese capital.”

Her colleague, legislator Fernando Cheung, had been inside with those occupying the building, and said he was glad they all left safely without encountering police.

Media captionDemonstrators batter their way into parliament

“If they resisted… I’m afraid there would be bloodshed, or I think the police wouldn’t be hesitant to use force to disperse them,” he said.

He praised those who came back and grabbed those who refused to leave. “They came back and they dragged them out. And we’re actually glad that happened,” he said.

Why is there unrest?

Peaceful demonstrations had been planned for Monday, the 22nd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China.

Hong Kong enjoys a “one country, two systems” deal that guarantees it a level of autonomy. Pro-democracy events are held every year to mark the handover.

This year, however, the annual event follows weeks of protests which have seen millions take to the streets over the planned extradition bill.

The demonstrations forced the government to apologise and suspend the planned law.

However, many protesters said they would not back down until the bill had been completely scrapped.

Media captionChief Executive Carrie Lam said she personally had to shoulder much of the blame for the row

However, there have also been smaller demonstrations by the territory’s pro-Beijing movement.

On Sunday, thousands of pro-Beijing protesters rallied in support of the Hong Kong police.

Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-48832910

“There are many Democrats and Republicans who didn’t know enough about Anthony Tata to consider him for a very significant position at this time,” Inhofe said in the statement. “We didn’t get the required documentation in time; some documents, which we normally get before a hearing, didn’t arrive until yesterday. As I told the President last night, we’re simply out of time with the August recess coming, so it wouldn’t serve any useful purpose to have a hearing at this point, and he agreed.”

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2020/07/30/senate-hearing-controversial-pentagon-nominee-anthony-tata-canceled-just-before-it-was-set-begin/

The 737 Max has been grounded since March, shortly after the second crash in Ethi­o­pia. In both crashes, investigators found faulty information from an external sensor caused the automated MCAS feature to repeatedly kick in, while pilots struggled to regain control of the planes. Boeing has been working on a software fix for the MCAS, along with other problems discovered as part of that process.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/text-messages-show-boeing-employees-knew-in-2016-of-problems-that-turned-deadly-on-the-737-max/2019/10/18/8578c990-f1ca-11e9-89eb-ec56cd414732_story.html

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what’s happening in the world as it unfolds.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/23/politics/debt-deal-budget-ceiling/index.html

Minutes after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller ended his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee Wednesday afternoon, President Trump took to Twitter to send a cryptic message.

“TRUTH IS A FORCE OF NATURE!” Trump said on Twitter.

Although it is unclear what the President was referring to, Mueller’s nearly 8 hours of testimony, reiterated many of the points already enumerated in his summary report of the Russia investigation.

Throughout the back to back hearings, Democrats questioned Mueller about the contents of his report, pressing him on whether or not the findings of the investigation truly exonerated the president, to which Mueller responded “No.”

In sometimes contentious rapport, where Mueller appeared flustered and asked members of the committees to repeat the questions multiple times, Republicans grilled the former FBI director over the way he conducted the investigation and whether or not personal political bias played into the findings.

Mueller denied that Trump’s assertions that the investigation was a “witch hunt” and insinuated that the Trump campaign welcomed Russian aid to help them win the 2016 election. He also warned that election interference by foreign agents was not a thing of the past saying “They’re doing it as we sit here and they expect to do it during the next campaign.”

Perhaps one of the most seemingly revealing moments in the hearings occurred when Mueller testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee that if it were not for the Office of Legal Counsel rule that says a sitting president can not be indicted, Mueller would have criminally charged the president based on the findings of his investigation.

“The reason that you did not indict the president is because of the OLC opinion that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?” Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. asked Mueller.

“Correct,” Mueller replied.

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Mueller backpedaled on these remarks at the top of the second hearing of the day, saying “I want to add one correction to my testimony this morning. I want to go back to one thing that was said this morning by Mr. Lieu, who said and I quote, ‘You didn’t charge the President because of the OLC opinion. That is not the correct way to say it. As we say in the report and as I said at the opening, we did not reach a determination as to whether the President committed a crime.”

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-tweets-cryptic-statement-as-mueller-hearings-end

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/23/russia-ukraine-war-news-biden-live-updates/


La Patria embrutecida, leitmotiv de la edición de NOTICIAS 24 horas antes de las elecciones, alcanzó su pico máximo entre la noche del 13 de agosto y la madrugada del 14.

Una vez más, Mauricio Macri y Cristina Kirchner ocuparon el centro de la fanatizada escena nacional. El Presidente, a las 23 del domingo, se declaró triunfador en todo el país, incluso donde la victoria no se le dio: las provincias de Buenos Aires y Santa Fe. La ex presidenta, casi a las 5 del lunes, protestó por la manipulación oficial de la información de los cómputos y se declaró ganadora sin pruebas al canto: los números indicaban un empate técnico. Una vez más, desde ambos lados de la grieta que tan buenos dividendos les otorga, los dos dijeron una parte de la verdad.

El éxito de Cambiemos en las PASO fue importante y los festejos con globos y cumbias en Costa Salguero, merecidos (si bien exagerados).
Pero en el GBA y el Gran Rosario, los dos manchones más populosos del territorio argentino, la carga de los cómputos terminó siendo toqueteada para engrandecer la sensación de tromba macrista (ver página 32) y, a la vez, satisfacer el morbo de quienes anhelan ver a una CFK hecha puré.

Hay que decirlo: significó una obra maestra del marketing (esperemos que no del terror, porque los ánimos quedaron muy caldeados). Una Cristina llena de magullones, amarrada al mástil de la victimización y solitaria en un universo peronista carente de liderazgo y articulación, representa la mejor contendiente posible para redoblar la táctica de polarizarlo todo con “el pasado” rumbo a las legislativas de octubre.

Hay que divisar lo que viene lejos del exitismo M y el lamento K. Y hacerlo partiendo de lo único que, por suerte, parecería confirmarse al cabo de las polémicas primarias: la gobernabilidad se vislumbra garantizada. La Argentina debe celebrar que Mauricio Macri no se parezca en nada a Fernando de la Rúa, por si alguno tenía dudas todavía. Toma riesgos. Tiene ganas y un inusual séquito de cuadros políticos con peso propio alrededor. Personifica la gran oportunidad de que, por fin, se perpetúe la alternancia democrática. Su riesgo es otro. Creérsela. Dar por hecho que llegar erguido a una elección de medio término alcanza para el bronce. Jugar al plebiscito diario. Ensimismarse. El ombligo junta pelusa propia, no soluciones colectivas. La expectativa requiere rumbo. Cuidado: aceptar la crítica enaltece, señor Presidente.

Las cifras de las PASO indicarían que CFK llegó a su límite y que, aun imponiéndose por uno o dos puntos en el conteo final, el techo era más bajo de lo que especulaban las encuestas. Si los macristas lograran que octubre funcione como un ballottage, objetivo en el cual se invertirá buena parte del poder del Estado, entonces sí podría hablarse de “paliza”. Lo cierto es que la era del post kirchnerismo parece haber comenzado. En términos históricos, alguna vez tenía que pasar. En términos políticos, reclamar en lo personal el copyright de la historia sería un logro engañoso por más partero que uno sea. Cuidado: con el arrinconamiento final de Cristina entre una banca en el Senado y los despachos judiciales (tanto los bien merecidos como los más politizados) no se come, ni se cura, ni se educa.

Aunque no lo veamos…

A lo largo de los últimos 72 años, el peronismo ha exhibido atributos metabólicos de ameba: cada vez que estalló, se multiplicó.
Aun en plena etapa implosiva, el domingo se impuso en 13 de las 24 provincias: Catamarca (46,70%), Chaco (43,74%), Chubut (32,95%), Formosa (56,47%), La Rioja (44,63%), Misiones (40,97%), Río Negro (40,77%), Salta (37,96%), San Juan (49,35%), Santa Fe (27,87%), Santiago del Estero (66,07%), Tucumán (52,36%) y Tierra Del Fuego (21,23%). Dejamos en suspenso, por ahorala elección bonaerense. Pero, pese a la módica performance de CFK y el pobre desempeño de Sergio Massa y Florencio Randazzo, ratificó su supremacía relativa en el GBA.

La llamada “liga de gobernadores e intendentes” carece de un jefe, siquiera presunto. Y la posibilidad de avizorarlo en el corto plazo se complicó más con la derrota de Juan Schiaretti en Córdoba y el clima de desbarajuste que sumó la estrepitosa caída de los hermanos Rodríguez Saá en San Luis. Todos celebran el arrinconamiento de la ex Jefa y rezan para que Cambiemos concluya el “trabajo sucio” de quitarla del medio, si bien con una dosis de temor y desconfianza.
“Mirá que yo aprendí a no dar jamás por muerto a un Kirchner. Ni muerto Néstor, ¿eh?”, se ataja con humor negro un gobernante justicialista de acento provinciano y apunta: “El kirchnerismo ya no es nada en el país, pero la ola anti K le pega a todo el peronismo. Ahora hay que esperar a octubre, ver cómo nos realineamos en el Congreso y si (el salteño Juan Manuel) Urtubey y (el sanjuanino Sergio) Uñac se animan a mostrarse más. Son jóvenes, buenos gobernadores y caen bien”.

El gobernador de Salta, que hasta ahora se animó a nacionalizar su figura más que nada en videos y producciones de fotos junto a su bella esposa, Isabel Macedo, piensa el post kirchnerismo desde un mayor protagonismo. Tenía ganas de adquirirlo codo a codo con el “histórico” Schiaretti, pero las urnas le fueron adversas al compañero mediterráneo. “Es cierto que Cristina es el pasado, pero los gobernadores peronistas están calientes con el Gobierno. Hay que fortalecernos legislativamente en octubre y rearmar un bloque en torno a ellos en ambas cámaras, sumando a los massistas, a los randazzistas, a todos. El Gobierno sigue siendo centralista, pero con los peronistas salteños no pudo. A este paso, Cambiemos no va a tener quorum propio ni mayoría. Va a tener que negociar. La debilidad del peronismo es su atomización partidaria nacional”, desliza un influyente operador de Urtubey.

Un senador nacional enrolado con Randazzo coincide en que Cristina ya fue. “Terminó siendo funcional al Gobierno, ayudó a la división. Ya nadie está arriba de nadie, ahora todo es horizontal. Difícil que Cristina logre armar algo: pagó cara su soberbia, si aceptaba unas PASO competitivas quedaba en 40% y salía en la foto, como (Agustín) ‘El Chivo’ Rossi en Santa Fe. Ella obstaculizó al peronismo”, destila veneno el ex leal. Pero señala que “a Urtubey, para liderar algo, le falta una horneada: superar lo más lejos posible un 40% en las legislativas”. El miércoles 16 comenzó el recuento definitivo en Buenos Aires. Jorge Landau, histórico apoderado del PJ, le dio su punto de vista a NOTICIAS desde La Plata con tono de viejo zorro.

“Urtubey expresa a varios gobernadores con futuro, como Uñac, (el chaqueño Domingo) Peppo y tal vez (el entrerriano Gustavo) Bordet, pero les falta homogeneidad y consistencia”, sostiene. En cuanto a Cristina, pide esperar al resultado inapelable de las PASO: “Si no es candidata para 2019, puede ser la gran electora desde las sombras. No creo que se presente. Los intendentes que apostaron por ella pensaban que ganaba por varios puntos más. Muchos encontraron en CFK su posibilidad de afianzarse en su distrito y eso puede no volver a pasar dentro de dos años. Es interesante que, a pesar de todas las causas judiciales que le tiraron, siga manteniendo un 35% en la provincia. Igual, ella no ayuda para que el peronismo vuelva al poder dentro de dos años, con el Gobierno fortalecido y los peronistas dispersos”.

¿Y la “columna vertebral del movimiento”? Por más desprestigiada que esté su dirigencia, la CGT siempre está. La cuestión es cómo. El miércoles 16, sobre el cierre de esta edición, se reunía el consejo directivo para resolver la “modalidad” de la protesta convocada para el martes 22. Las horas previas del cónclave fueron tensas, empezando por el triunvirato que componen Carlos Acuña, Héctor Daer y Juan Carlos Schmid. Los dos primeros, otrora aliados de Sergio Massa, promovían un acto sin movilización; el último, que responde al camionero Hugo Moyano, impulsaba una movilización (sin definir si a Plaza de Mayo -como reclamaban los gremios chicos ligados al kirchnerismo- o a otra parte). Nadie, salvo las comisiones internas ligadas a la izquierda, hablaba de paro general. Hace unos meses, Schmid escribió una columna de tres páginas en el diario Perfil. En el único párrafo relevante, señaló: “Una vez más, al movimiento obrero le cabe la responsabilidad de reorganizar el movimiento nacional peronista”.

Uno de los más estrechos colaboradores de Schmid, mezcla sindicalismo y política en su posición: “El macrismo sacó votos que en otro momento hubieran ido para el peronismo. El cristinismo sacó a nivel país el 20%, muy lejos del 40% que es el verdadero caudal del peronismo. Con el paro, entonces, que tener mucho cuidado. Hay bases para una cosa y bases para otra. Hay que interpretar con mucho cuidado el fenómeno que se da hoy: cuando se tiene enfrente algo que está disgregado y no tiene capacidad de administrar un proyecto alternativo, hay que reforzar el voto de lo que ya tengo, que sería el macrismo. El problema del peronismo no es octubre, sino ser alternativa en el 2019. Y no hay que ir a pedirle por favor a CFK, sino salir a buscar los votos. En el peronismo, la fidelidad no es una virtud. Así que se puede dar cualquier cosa. Los intendentes y los gobernadores nunca van a jugar a perder. El peronismo está acostumbrado a mandar y no suele mostrar sus miedos, pero hoy hay terror. Igual, ojo: el que esté preparando la pala para el peronismo se equivoca”.

Por el lado del metalúrgico Miguel Caló, las cosas se ven con matices diferentes. “No era el resultado que esperábamos. Si CFK sacaba 45 puntos nos movilizábamos hasta Ezeiza, pero empató con Esteban Bullrich. Tampoco pensábamos que Massa iba a caer tanto y lo único que puede conducir Urtubey es a Isabel Macedo, y hasta ahí. Daer y Acuña no quieren hacer la marcha porque los silban. La CGT, en la práctica, hoy no existe”. A la cumbre del miércoles se llegó entre rumores de ruptura, pero la sangre no llegó al río. Habrá movilización a Plaza de Mayo, sin paro ni, aparentemente, la presencia de los gremios que votaron en contra de la medida. En síntesis: será una expresión del moyanismo, el kirchnerismo y la izquierda. Antes de la reunión cegetista, Hugo Moyano se reunió con el ministro de Interior, Rogelio Frigerio. Acordaron garantizar una marcha pacífica y coincidieron en que lo mejor para todos sería mantener en lo posible la unidad de la CGT para contener desbordes. El camionero, por momentos, supuso que Frigerio hablaba en representación de Acuña y Daer.

Territorios populares y gremios son el continente de una base social preocupada por el parate de la economía, pero en parte sensible al “cambio” como eufemismo de calma y expectativa. La sociedad recuerda en carne propia quién perdió más con la hecatombe política del 2001. Allí radica el verdadero desafío para el Gobierno, ansioso porque el peso electoral de CFK decaiga en octubre.

El post kirchnerismo transita su estado gaseoso. Y se manifiesta, también, en episodios ridículos. En las redes sociales K pululan las descalificaciones a Diego Brancatelli por el debate “piantavotos” con la gobernadora María Eugenia Vidal la noche anterior a la veda. La Patria embrutecida, que le dicen. Miopía. Superficialidad.

La verdad oficial

Por ahora, el clima de cambio de época tiene rostros no peronistas en primera fila: Macri, Vidal, Elisa Carrió, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta…El triunfo en 10 provincias les da derecho a festejar: Ciudad de Buenos Aires (49,55%), Córdoba (44,51%), Corrientes (45,44%), Entre Ríos (47,72%), Jujuy (36,26%), La Pampa (49,21%), Mendoza (41,07%), Neuquén (24,57%), San Luis (57,48%) y la híper significativa Santa Cruz (45,43%). Pero quedó dicho al principio: la cosa tampoco está para tirar manteca al techo.

En las primeras elecciones legislativas tras asumir la Presidencia de la Nación, Raúl Alfonsín ganó con el 43,2% (1985), Carlos Menem se impuso con el 40,22% (1991) y Néstor Kirchner lo hizo con el 41,6% (2005). Cambiemos viene cuarto con el 36,2% y por eso se obsesiona con octubre. (De la Rúa no entra en la cuenta, dado que perdió en el 2001 con el 23,30% y, en medio de un inolvidable caos que aún duele, renunció).

Macri precisa con suma urgencia (y los argentinos muchísimo más) resultados económicos palpables en los bolsillos. Él mismo se declaró sorprendido el domingo a la noche por la magnitud del apoyo recibido pese al ajuste.

La necesidad de ganar elecciones para invertir la ecuación parlamentaria se le contrapone con la de afianzar la base político-partidaria-institucional que le permita gobernar con solidez y a full, hacerlo sin zozobras y, por qué no, permanecer un período más (como ya se pretende en los pasillos M) si las cosas van bien. Dicha contradicción abre una brecha en el oficialismo. De un lado, los marketineros Jaime Durán Barba y el equipo de Marcos Peña. Del otro, Emilio Monzó –presidente de la Cámara de Diputados- y el radical Ernesto Sanz. En unos manda una excesiva euforia. En los otros, promotores de un “gran acuerdo nacional” para diseñar políticas de Estado para los próximos 20 años, se imponen la expectativa y el silencio. Uno de los máximos partidarios de Cambiemos como artefacto electoral señala: “A CFK le llegó el ocaso. No va a poder volver. Puso todo lo que tenía y un empate logró. Ahora le vamos a sacar puntos a Randazzo y a Massa, y varios puntos a ella. Hasta el domingo había varios gobernadores, como Schiaretti, que pensaban que nos íbamos en helicoptero a fin de año. Ahora van a tener que sentarse en nuestra mesa, y vamos a poder negociar mejor con gran parte del peronismo racional. Buscamos una propuesta institucional seria y a largo plazo. Hay gente como Uñac o Urtubey, con los que se puede construir. Somos muy optimistas. ¿La CGT? Partida y desprestigiada, gracias”.

Jamás lo dirían con estas palabras, pero sueñan con que Mauricio Macri sea la cabeza de la era post K como líder de al menos una buena parte de peronismo, incluido el sindical. Para experimentar esa especie de “menemismo realista”, quizás deberían estudiar muy a fondo las experiencias de Alfonsín y De la Rúa. Se proponían lo mismo, ya sea desde el “tercer movimiento histórico” o un post menemismo civilizado.

Para lo último dejamos abiertas otras tensiones que se avecinan en Cambiemos. La más ruidosa: Carrió-Macri. La más gris: UCR-PRO. Y la más improbable a corto plazo, pero latente: Vidal-Macri.

Ampliaremos.









Source Article from http://noticias.perfil.com/2017/08/25/el-post-kirchnerismo-la-etapa-final-de-cristina-ya-comenzo/

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/27/brian-laundrie-florida-search-scaled-back-gabby-petito/5881211001/

The now infamous Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was killed last month by Atlanta Police was cleared Monday morning of protesters who had encamped at the site for weeks and had refused to leave until demands for police reform and a memorial to Brooks’ memory were met.

Protesters were forced off the property by Atlanta police, who’d been sent by city leaders to clear the parking lot amid outrage over the death of Secoriea Turner.

The 8-year-old died Saturday night after someone shot into the Jeep her mother had been driving down the road in front of the Wendy’s when a group of armed people stopped the car. In recent weeks peaceful protesters had been joined by armed men who put up barricades in the road and controlled access to the site.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who had been aware of negotiations between city council members and the protesters for a mutually agreeable exit, said Sunday the “mediation is over” because of the child’s death. “I tell you if you are looking to be part of the solution and not the problem then you are going to have to clear out,” Bottoms said after Secoriea’s anguished mother was led away from cameras.

As police dismantled the encampment Monday morning, protesters told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they, too, were outraged and grieving for the child. They said they didn’t know the shooters, that they weren’t with them and they pointed out repeatedly that the shooting took place across the street, not at the Wendy’s — even though the mayor said Sunday a shot came from the restaurant parking lot.

Earlier in the day Saturday, there had been an event honoring Brooks with live music, games for kids and food for everyone.

Monday, though, marked another stage of transformation for the site.

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Immediately after Brooks fell dying in the parking lot three weeks ago, the Wendy’s building was burned down. In the days after, it became a shrine to his memory. People spray painted the exterior walls and the pavement.

On the spot where he fell, was a message in white paint, 20 feet or longer reads: “REST RAYSHARD, WE GOT IT FROM HERE.” People camped out in the parking lot. They grilled dinner. Bouquets of flowers were lined up along the curb in tribute to Brooks.

But sometimes, armed men and women guarded the insular encampment, threatening journalists and assaulting one. They also ran off police at least once after a young woman was shot in the leg. The scene frightened passersby and some visitors, particularly because of openly carried firearms.

Interim Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant told protesters at the site Monday the “environment” around the Wendy’s needed to change because several shootings had happened since the protesters took over. He agreed to meet with a protest leader to talk about how common ground could be found. He said it was unacceptable that the road was barricaded before the child was shot.

“Even when you shut the street down for a minute, it’s problematic,” Bryant said. “It’s problematic for people who are supposed to use this street, trying to get home.”

Dean Dabney, chairman of Georgia State University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, wasn’t surprised by Atlanta’s move.

“The longer they waited,” said Dabney, “the harder it was going to get.”

Leaders of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association agreed.

“It was the right move,” said Butch Ayers, executive director of the chiefs’ association. He said the lawlessness that seemed to persist around the Wendy’s was harmful and not closing down what appeared to be at the center of the issues — the Wendy’s — wouldn’t be “good for anybody.”

Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd, who represents the area, said she’s heard from constituents in the neighborhood that they wanted the encampment cleared, too.

The operation to evict the campers started shortly after 9 a.m.

The protesters hurriedly took down their tents and collected their belongings, loading them into the back of cars while occasionally sending angry looks at police. At the same time, city sanitation workers picked up pictures and flowers and other items that had been placed in an altar to Brooks’ memory and put them in the trash.

Zoe Williams was angry. He loaded a van as a street sweeper whirled across the parking lot. Williams and others had come to see this as sacred ground, a memorial to Brooks.

“You don’t mess with someone’s memorial,” Williams said. “We’re not trying to promote violence. We’re not trying to promote negativity.”

A woman who had taken on a leadership role at the site was outraged to see officials and media connect the shooting to the occupiers of the Wendy’s. The woman, who identified herself only as Lady A, acknowledged that the shooting happened after someone barricaded the road — which people connected to her group had done a few weeks ago — but she said it had been done Saturday without her knowledge. When she saw the barricades, she said, she immediately ordered them to be taken down.

The message didn’t get through.

Secoriea’s mother Charmaine Turner said she encountered the barricades and the armed group wouldn’t let her pass.

“They didn’t give us time to make a U-turn,” Turner said Sunday. “They shot my tires before we had time to turn around.”

Protesters said they were cooperating with investigators trying to catch the two men said to have been the shooters. As the campers were forced off the property while giant concrete barriers were placed around the parking lot, the lead Atlanta police investigator came to the scene. He passed out flyers with Secoriea’s face and information about a $10,000 reward from Crime Stoppers. Several people spoke with him.

The scene was mostly calm, if tense, until Lady A saw a sanitation worker pick up a bouquet of flowers and drop it in a trash can.

She stood up and began to scream and cry in outrage.

“They’re trashing what we built!” Lady A yelled. “This is a peaceful spot! We don’t know nothing about a shooting! If we had something to do with a murder, you think we would be here?”


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Source Article from https://www.ajc.com/news/crime–law/tensions-high-campers-evicted-from-atlanta-wendy-after-child-death/r88dE2ZmFWySVvVH8z3s5I/

Rep. Jim Banks is vowing not to back down from investigating the security shortcomings that led to the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 despite Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) booting him on Wednesday.

Pelosi announced on Wednesday she was rejecting two of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) five selections to serve on the committee, with the California Democrat also vetoing Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), another vocal ally of former President Trump.

McCarthy ultimately opted to reject placing any Republicans on the panel — which is tasked with investigating the deadly riot, when a pro-Trump mob attempted to disrupt the certification of the election results — asserting they would move forward with their own investigation. 

Banks (R-Ind.), who was tapped by McCarthy to serve as the ranking member on the Jan. 6 select committee, said Pelosi’s decision proves that the Democrats’ intentions were politically motivated.  

“It really made me angry. I served my country in Afghanistan and she is saying that I’m not up to playing a serious role on this Jan. 6 committee,” he told The Post Wednesday. 

“But it just goes to show all along this was never a serious effort on their part, it’s all a political witch hunt. They want to make this all about Donald Trump, dragging Republican members of Congress through the mud and attacking 75 million people that voted for Donald Trump.” 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she is rejecting two of House Minority Leaders Kevin McCarthy’s picks for the committee.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

McCarthy confirmed to The Post that he plans to select Banks to head the separate GOP panel. 

Banks alleged that Pelosi and Democrats on the committee are hesitant to look into potential shortcomings that could reflect poorly on the Speaker, with Republicans questioning whether she played a role in delaying the deployment of the National Guard that day. 

“When I came out of the gate, the minute that Kevin McCarthy asked me to do this job and I rolled up my sleeves and started digging into the real questions that nobody’s asked, that Democrats don’t want to answer to on why the Capitol was vulnerable on Jan. 6 when we had real intelligence three weeks before and we didn’t do anything to prepare for it,” he said.   

“Democrats don’t want to talk about it because at the end of the day, the higher up the food chain you get, the closer to Nancy Pelosi you get, and that spooked Nancy Pelosi and that’s why she rejected Jim Jordan and me.” 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Jordan and Rep. Banks at a press conference after Speaker Pelosi’s decision.
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Democrats have vehemently denied that Pelosi had any role in the delay in response for additional law enforcement to provide backup for Capitol Police on the day of the attack, arguing Republicans taking aim at the Speaker are attempting to whitewash the severity of the riot. 

“On January 6th, the Speaker, a target of an assassination attempt that day, was no more in charge of Capitol security than Mitch McConnell was. This is a clear attempt to whitewash what happened on January 6th and divert blame,” Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement. 

“The Speaker believes security officials should make security decisions. The Speaker immediately signaled her support for the deployment of the National Guard when she was presented with that recommendation on the afternoon of January 6th. Public testimony confirms the fact that the Speaker was not made aware of any request for such a deployment prior to then.” 

Banks accused Democrats of avoiding to call certain witnesses that could provide critical information, taking aim at Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the Pelosi-appointed chairman of the select committee, for allegedly not being open to GOP  suggestions. “I met earlier today with the head of the Capitol police union, who represents the rank and file members of the Capitol Police. They [the select committee] don’t want him to appear on Tuesday,” he said. 

“I wrote a letter this morning, I waited to fire it off to him — but I did call Bennie Thompson yesterday and asked if Republicans would be given a chance to provide a witness and he hemmed and hawed. He was very shaky on the phone, and that now in hindsight I realized that’s because we were immediately going down a path that they were very uncomfortable with.” 

The Indiana Republican said in addition to asking about witnesses, Thompson did not answer his multiple requests for information on resources the minority party would be allotted during the course of the probe.

He said he believes Pelosi’s picks to serve on the panel — which include Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and Elaine Luria (D-Va.) and GOP Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) — were strategically chosen to fit a narrative. Banks took a swing at Cheney for her decision to buck party lines and accept Pelosi’s offer, a move that has sparked strong backlash from her GOP colleagues. 

Rep. Liz Cheney was one of Speaker Pelosi’s picks for the committee.
AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File

“I asked him [Thompson], will Republicans have resources for staffing, he hemmed and hawed about that. I asked him if we could delay the hearing next week so we’d have more time to prepare since they hadn’t named our names yet and he hemmed and hawed about that,” he said. 

“He doesn’t seem to be that serious of a leader, to be serious, you would have to share an effort like this and come up with something substantive or meaningful at the end of the day. And I think it’s because Pelosi picked people to be on this panel that are going to do what she tells them to do and that’s why she picked Liz Cheney.” 

Cheney, a GOP Trump foe, has stood by her decision to sit on the panel, stating “she objected to two, one of whom may well be a material witness to events that led to that day – that led to January 6th. The other, who disqualified himself by his comments in particular over the last 24 hours demonstrating that he is not taking this seriously.”

Thompson’s office declined to provide comment.

Top Republicans initially pushed for the scope of the investigation to stem beyond the Jan. 6 attack, with a sizable number of GOP lawmakers citing it as their reason for voting against a bipartisan 9/11-style commission in June.

Banks said he is hoping for the GOP investigation — which is expected to include Jordan, Reps. Rodney Davis (Ill.), Kelly Armstrong (S.D.) and Troy Nehls (Texas) — to probe an array of instances of political violence. It’s unclear if the panel will expand beyond the initial five lawmakers tapped to serve on the select committee.

Rep. Banks will serve on a GOP panel to investigate the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
NurPhoto via Getty Images

“We’re not giving up. These are questions that deserve answers and we’re still members of Congress who can demand answers to serious questions that the Democrats, so far. have not given any attention to. 

“If you want to study what happened at the Capitol, you’ve got to study the political violence that happened in big cities around the country. And I think you’ve got what happened on Good Friday with the Capitol police officer that was killed by a left-wing extremist,” he said. 

“I think all of it deserves attention, because again it gets back to leadership and it gets back to protocols. And I’ll tell you what the leader of the Capitol police union told us today said, on Jan. 6, the leadership the Capitol Police didn’t prepare them for what was going to happen even though they had three weeks to prepare with legitimate intelligence,” Banks said.

“They didn’t train them for what was going to happen on Jan. 6. They didn’t equip them for what was going to happen on Jan. 6, so why aren’t we talking about that? It’s serious.” 

Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/07/21/banks-unloads-on-pelosi-vows-to-get-jan-6-answers-via-gop-panel/

Un militar en Colombia fue asesinado a golpes este domingo tras matar a tres civiles, y dejar a tres personas heridas, entre ellas dos soldados, informó el Ejército, que investiga lo que calificó de “hecho irracional” y “nefasto”.

“En un hecho irracional (…) un soldado adscrito al Batallón de Infantería Mecanizado n°4 General Antonio Nariño, de la Segunda Brigada, produjo la muerte de tres personas, heridas a tres más y finalmente fue asesinado en el casco urbano del municipio de Montecristo, departamento de Bolívar (norte)”, señaló la Primera División del Ejército en un comunicado.

Según la versión oficial, el soldado José Amado Gómez Castaño abandonó la Base de Patrulla Móvil “en un acto de indisciplina” y regresó más tarde “en estado de alicoramiento y enajenado” para tomar su arma de dotación, aduciendo que en el establecimiento donde estaba le habían robado la billetera.

Allí mató luego a dos adultos, Deimer Eduardo Dávila y Luis Enrique Jiménez Ávila, y a la menor Yahira del Carmen Miranda Castro. Además, hirió a Sergio Jácome y a dos militares no identificados por el Ejército, que fueron enviados al lugar alertados por los disparos, señaló el texto.

Ante lo ocurrido, integrantes de la comunidad atacaron al soldado Gómez Castaño, hiriéndolo de gravedad. Las mismas personas terminaron asesinándolo a golpes cuando era trasladado al hospital, según el relato castrense.

“Este nefasto suceso, que enluta y entristece a la Institución y conmociona a la comunidad en general, será investigado con el rigor que corresponde”, dijo el Ejército.

Source Article from http://www.noticiascaracol.com/colombia/soldado-murio-linchado-tras-asesinar-dos-menores-en-montecristo-bolivar

Facebook evitará que veas molestas noticias de clic fácil en tu muro de noticias.


Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Facebook dio a conocer el jueves un nuevo mecanismo que le ayudará a eliminar esos titulares sensacionalistas del muro de noticias para que veas más informaciones de verdad — y menos del tipo de clic fácil (clickbait).

Según dijo la empresa en su blog oficial, un equipo estuvo trabajando para determinar qué titulares caían bajo la categoría de clickbait y cuáles no; analizaron cientos de ellos y crearon un algoritmo capaz de entender frases especulativas y vacías que no te aportarán nada.

Facebook quiere que los titulares te sorprendan, pero al mismo tiempo que te reflejen la verdad y que no te generen falsas expectativas sobre lo que vas a encontrar.

La compañía asegura que titulares del tipo “¡WOW! El té de jengibre es el secreto de la eterna juventud. ¡TIENES que ver esto!”, dejarán de aparecer en tu muro de noticias, en donde de ahora en adelante encontrarás más informaciones reales.

La red social explicó que las Páginas no deberían experimentar cambios significativos en su difusión de contenidos en el News Feed de sus seguidores como resultado de la actualización. En el caso de las que dependen del clickbait, deberán esperar que su difusión disminuya.

“Las Páginas deben evitar titulares que oculten información necesaria para entender cuál es el contenido del artículo y los titulares que exageran el artículo para crear expectativas engañosas. Si una Página deja de publicar titulares clickbait y sensacionalistas, sus publicaciones dejarán de verse afectados por este cambio”, dijo la compañía.

La semana pasada la empresa dio a conocer que acabaría con los anuncios engañosos en tu muro de noticias, incluyendo publicidad e imágenes sugestivas y explícitas, reduciendo así la financiación de este tipo de sitios de Internet que obtienen ingresos de sus malas prácticas.

Desde que Facebook fue acusada de no hacer nada para evitar las noticias falsas durante la elección presidencial de EE.UU. ganada por Trump, la empresa se ha puesto manos a la obra en un intento por limpiar su nombre y evitar errores futuros. En enero la empresa ya dijo que tomaría cartas en el asunto para evitar que se repita lo mismo durante las elecciones presidenciales de Alemania en otoño.

Source Article from https://www.cnet.com/es/noticias/facebook-desaparecera-noticias-sensacionalistas-del-news-feed/

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Ramos Allup fue el primer presidente de la Asamblea Nacional en usar el derecho a la réplica al mensaje presidencial en 10 años.

Las pantallas, las vestimentas de gala y la alfombra roja estaban listas para el “Memoria y Cuenta” -el discurso anual de gestión- de Nicolás Maduro, en la que era su primera visita a una Asamblea Nacional con mayoría opositora.

Pero nadie en Venezuela se imaginó que las noticias del día saldrían de otro edificio del Estado, a un par de cuadras de la Asamblea: el Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV).

Por primera vez en un año, el BCV publicó las cifras de la economía, que corroboraron que el país tiene la inflación más alta del mundo (más del 140% anual) y la peor caída del PIB en América (7,1%).

Maduro en su discurso calificó las cifras de “catastróficas“.

Para algunos, esos números son una muestra de la mala gestión del mandatario, pero para él reflejan la “salvaje” guerra económica que supuestamente azota a Venezuela a punta de escasez, sobreprecios y bloqueo financiero.

Derecho a réplica

Pero si alguien pensó que Maduro sería el único político que hablaría en cadena nacional por radio y televisión este viernes, se equivocó.

Después de las 3 horas que habló el mandatario, el nuevo presidente de la Asamblea, el opositor Henry Ramos Allup, tomó el micrófono.

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La bancada oficialista aplaudió de pie el mensaje de Maduro y respondió con gritos a la réplica de Ramos Allup.

Con el lenguaje mordaz que caracteriza a uno de los opositores más abominados por del chavismo, Ramos Allup habló de “presos políticos”, “corrupción” y “fracaso del modelo socialista”.

“Que nadie se equivoque, este es ahora un poder autónomo que va a debatir, legislar y controlar”, dijo Ramos Allup, mientras lo rechiflaban.

Incluso respondió a las fuertes críticas que le han hecho por haber sacado del Palacio Federal, la sede de la Asamblea, las imágenes de Hugo Chávez.

Por primera vez en al menos una década se ejerció el derecho a réplica en la rendición de cuentas del Presidente y Ramos la usó para hablar de temas que no se suelen mencionar en las cadenas nacionales.

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Con la emergencia económica el presidente puede gobernar a través de decretos.

Mientras tanto, Maduro les decía a sus partidarios, que no cesaban de abuchear cada una de las hipótesis de Ramos Allup, que se calmaran y lo dejaran hablar.

Emergencia económica

Unas 12 horas antes de que terminara la sesión en la Asamblea, a las 21:00 (hora local), los venezolanos se encontraron con otra noticia que en cualquier otro día daría para primera plana: el gobierno decretó en la Gaceta Oficial una emergencia económica.

Aunque la entrada en vigencia del decreto debe esperar ocho días a que la Asamblea la estudie y apruebe o rechace, las implicaciones de la medida generaron no pocos comentarios.

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El oficialismo aprovechó la sesión congresal para distribuir mensajes contra Ramos Allup.

Con la emergencia, que es un apartado del estado de excepción, el presidente puede gobernar a través de decretos sin la necesidad de la aprobación de la Asamblea.

También se le dan garantías constitucionales para limitar el uso de servicios o el consumo de artículos de primera necesidad y tomar medidas necesarias para asegurar el abastecimiento de los mercados.

Hay quienes creen que la emergencia económica le da vía libre al gobierno para intervenir Polar, la empresa de alimentos más grande del país, que es considerada por el gobierno un gestor clave en la guerra económica.

Ramos Allup dijo que la oposición analizará el decreto que el propio presidente le entregó en el hemiciclo.

Sin embargo, algunos comentaristas en los corredores de la Asamblea vieron la emergencia económica como una jugada estratégica del gobierno más que como una medida económica.

En efecto, con este decreto el oficialismo pone otra vez a la oposición en una encrucijada: ¿van a darle poderes especiales a Maduro, reduciendo las competencias de la Asamblea misma? ¿O van a quedar como quien no ve urgente el arreglo de la economía?

¿Diálogo?

Los detalles sobre la emergencia económica fueron explicados por la mañana por el ministro de Economía, Luis Salas, en una también noticiosa rueda de prensa, pues el decreto vaticina una profundización de los controles que ya ejerce el gobierno sobre la economía.

Maduro, sin embargo, usó el decreto para llamar al diálogo con la oposición, algo que no había hecho –y muchos le habían reclamado– desde que el chavismo perdió las elecciones el 6 de diciembre del año pasado.

“Llamo a la unión nacional para enfrentar esta emergencia económica, preservar la paz y atender los asuntos de una nueva etapa de la economía nacional”, dijo el presidente.

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Por primera vez en un año, el gobierno venezolano brindó datos oficiales sobre el elevado estado de la inflación en aquel país.

Maduro también se refirió al precio de la gasolina, que al ser subsidiada es prácticamente gratis y le genera todo tipo de desbalances financieros al gobierno.

“Hay que hacerlo. Llegó la hora de aumentar el costo de la gasolina y Venezuela tiene que entrar en el sistema del cobro de sus hidrocarburos”, dijo.

No es la primera vez que Maduro llama al diálogo o argumenta la necesidad de subir el precio de la gasolina, pero después de la derrota electoral se espera que haya más disposición de ambas partes.

El camino, en todo caso, no será fácil: en la sesión del viernes las muestras de la profunda desconfianza que se tienen ambas bancadas fueron constantes.

Tanto Maduro hablándoles a los opositores como Ramos Allup hablándoles a los chavistas, recomendaron el uso de la moringa, una hierba que sirve para relajarse y suele ser usada por el diputado Diosdado Cabello para burlarse de las quejas de la oposición.

Los productores de moringa se frotan las manos.

Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2016/01/160116_venezuela_maduro_asamblea_nacional_oposicion_dp

CLOSE

Officials temporarily suspended aid efforts and closed some small airports in the Bahamas on Saturday as Tropical Storm Humberto threatened to lash the archipelago’s northwest region that was already hit by Hurricane Dorian two weeks ago. (Sept. 14)
AP, AP

Residents, rescue teams and aid workers across the storm-battered northern Bahamas could breathe a sigh of relief Sunday when Tropical Storm Humberto, expected to soon reach hurricane status, steered wide of the beleaguered island nation.

The National Hurricane Center said Humberto was located well north of Great Abaco Island and was moving toward the north-northwest at about 7 mph.

The Florida coast also won an apparent reprieve, with forecasters predicting Humberto will turn sharply to the northeast early this week and well off the U.S. coast. Still, swells generated by Humberto will affect the U.S. coast from central Florida to North Carolina during the next few day with “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the Hurricane Center warned.

“Regardless of the exact track or development, Floridians along the East Coast should be prepared for heavy rain and potential flooding, have supplies ready and follow local media for updates,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Humberto could threaten Bermuda on Wednesday or Thursday, AccuWeather said.

In the Bahamas, Great Abaco and Grand Bahama islands are still reeling from Hurricane Dorian. Thousands of homes and businesses were flooded and flattened two weeks ago, when the storm blasted through the region as a Category 5 behemoth blamed for at least 50 deaths.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Great Abaco on Saturday, rallying humanitarian workers and blaming climate change for the severity of storms in recent years.

“I’m horrified by the level of devastation,” he tweeted from the island. “I’ve never seen anything like this. #HurricaneDorian was not category 5, but category hell.”

Some rescue and aid efforts, suspended when Humberto threatened, were back to work Sunday. Tens of thousands of residents remain essentially homeless, more than 1,000 remain missing, and thousands have taken to social media in a frantic attempt to track down loved ones.

Authorities warn the death toll could rise sharply in coming days as recovery teams continue to pick through devastated neighborhoods. Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said the searches were a priority and that his government, with the help of international aid teams, was working feverishly to update the status of the missing. 

“We will first and foremost put the priority on notifying families and giving them the help they need to grieve,” Minnis said.

Calling Dorian a “historic tragedy,” Minnis designated Wednesday a day of National Day of Prayer and Fasting. Flags will be flown at half-staff on public buildings to mourn those killed in the storm.

“We are a nation in mourning,” Minnis said. “We will need as many spiritual resources as we will need physical resources, to rebuild lives and to recover.”

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/09/15/tropical-storm-humberto-steers-clear-hurricane-dorian-ravaged-bahamas/2333755001/

After three demonstrators were killed on Tuesday by riot police officers who resorted to live fire, Mr. Mehdi ordered the security forces to refrain from the use of bullets. By nightfall on Wednesday, however, it seemed that some police officers may have ignored his instructions as more people were reported shot.

Officials in the prime minister’s office said the government had cut off the internet to hinder the use of social media by protesters, but the extent of such a shutdown was unclear.

The protests have veered from furious attacks on government property to peaceful, even ecumenical, pleas for the government to respond to citizens’ needs. At dusk in Baghdad, some Sunni and Shia Muslims joined together in prayer.

Some demonstrators carried banners that seemed in keeping with Mr. Mehdi’s statement that both the police and the demonstrators were sons of Iraq. But some banners also appeared aimed at rallying the police to the side of the protesters.

One banner read: “Oh you soldier, do not open fire. I am your brother. Your mother and my mother cry the same tears. You fight for me and I demonstrate for you.”

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/world/middleeast/iraq-corruption-protests.html