Sanders to Host Anti-Terror Attack Training with Top Defense Experts

State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village) will host a free Anti-Terror Attack & Mass Shooting Defense Training session  where top defense experts will teach the public how to protect themselves.

The training will take place on July 14 at the Holy Unity Baptist Church, which is located at 167-10 137th Avenue in Jamaica, New York. 

"Although we would like to believe that we will never be the victim of a terrorist attack or mass shooting, we live in dangerous times and it is best to be prepared for the unthinkable," said Senator Sanders. 

For more information call (718) 523-3069.

UPDATE: At 3:45 (EST), From The G-Man was notified that the following guests for the session have been confirmed: the NYPD Counterterrorism Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York Self-Defense Academy and International Security Associates, Inc. 

Source: The Office of Senator James Sanders, Jr.

NY State Assembly Announces Water Quality Hearings

Albany – On July 6, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Environmental Conservation Chair Steve Englebright and Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried announced the Assembly will hold public hearings on water quality in New York State. 

 

Liz Moran, Water & Natural Resources Associate at Environmental Advocates of New York, issued the following statement regarding the announcement.

 

“We are happy that the Assembly Committees on Health and Environmental Conservation will be holding hearings to not only examine the quality of New York’s drinking water, but to find out why it took so long for government agencies to act. Everyone has a right to drink water without worrying that what comes from the tap could make them seriously ill. For the residents of Hoosick Falls, Petersburgh and Newburgh, that right has been violated. Just as they fought for clean and safe water to drink, they have now raised their voices to demand answers so that other communities don’t go through what they have. All New Yorkers owe them a huge debt of gratitude that hearings will be held and as a result, the necessary standards put in place to ensure that we all have access to clean, safe drinking water.” 

Source: Environmental Advocates of New York

Minneapolis Shooting: Philando Castile's Death Sparks Outrage

Alton Sterling Shooting Exposes Racial Fractures in Baton Rouge

 

By Trymaine Lee 

BATON ROUGE, La. — The mourners danced in the muggy night air, beneath the stars and behind a brass band that led a second line parade through a neighborhood accustomed to rituals of grief and celebration.

The band played and mourners quick-stepped — some drenched in sweat, some with their heads cocked and their hands held high. A man heaving a gleaming brass trombone shouted out: "Oh, free my people!" The crowd responded: "Let my people go!"

That call-and-response captured the mood in this deeply segregated capital city, where two white police officers early Tuesday shot and killed Alton Sterling, 37, a black father of five. Police say he was armed as he wrestled with the officers outside the convenience store where he sold CDs. The Justice Department is investigating the killing, and the officers have been suspended. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News 

A Party Divided: How Donald Trump Emerged from Decades of GOP Tension

 

Words, Leigh Ann Caldwell  

Videos, Matt Rivera  

Photographs, Mark Peterson

The emergence of Donald J. Trump as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is an intricately woven tale: Fifty years of political, economic and cultural changes, exacerbated by the growth of conservative media, the polarization of Congress and, most recently, a crowded political landscape with no clear GOP leader. In chapter two of the United States of Trump, we look at voters fed up with the status quo and looking for a champion – and they found one in a bombastic master-marketer who, based on newly unearthed footage, has spent his career promoting himself and his brand, ultimately promising to “Make America Great Again.”

The movement that produced Trump should have surprised no one: It began amid the turbulence of the 1960s, when white southern Democrats began changing their party affiliation to Republican. Over the next five decades, as the GOP built a three-legged stool of support from security hawks, social conservatives and fiscal conservatives, white working-class voters, especially men, gravitated toward the party but did not fit neatly into any of those groups. Over time, those voters felt little loyalty to a party that increasingly counted on their support in election years but otherwise paid them little attention.

The Republican Party’s historic focus on supply-side economics — cutting taxes for the highest earners as a way to unleash economic growth and create jobs — has helped fuel the perception of the GOP as the party of the wealthy. The Democratic Party, once the political home for laborers and unions, has evolved into a more urban, coastal and college-educated coalition, has embraced its new core of women and the nation’s growing minority population. Working-class voters, particularly men, have felt increasingly marginalized, with no natural home in either party. 

Click here for the special report.

Source:  NBC News 

Ahead of Democratic Platform Meeting, Warren Urges Opposition to TPP Trade Deal

 

By Alex Seitz-Wald

Amid a heated intra-party debate on trade, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is encouraging members of a progressive group to keep up their fight against the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal.

The TPP is a multinational trade agreement pushed by the Obama administration, which progressives and Donald Trump allies feel would harm U.S. workers by driving down labor prices and empowering multi-national corporations.

The typically obscure issue of trade policy has thrust to the fore this year thanks to vocal opposition from Trump and Bernie Sanders, who is making an all-out push to get anti-TPP language added to the Democratic platform at a party meeting in Orlando this weekend. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Protesters Disrupt Senate Vote on Genetically Modified Food

 

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Protesters briefly disrupted the Senate Wednesday, tossing paper money from the visitors' gallery and chanting, "The Senate can be bought" as lawmakers voted to move ahead with legislation that would require labeling for food products containing genetically modified organisms.

The demonstration briefly stunned lawmakers as they voted and the paper cascaded down. But they resumed work quickly as U.S. Capitol police forcibly removed two vocal protesters from the visitors' gallery. Senators voted 65-32 to proceed with the bill. 

Click here for video.

Source: NBC News 

Tesla Told Regulators About Autopilot Crash Nine Days After Accident

 

By Reuters

Tesla alerted regulators to a fatality in one of its electric cars in partial self-driving Autopilot mode nine days after it crashed, the company said on Tuesday, defending its decision not to make the accident public before a federal investigation was announced.

Tesla learned about the crash of the Model S sedan in Florida "shortly" after the May 7 crash, and on May 16 it disclosed the incident to the government. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on June 30 announced a probe. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

U.S. Urges Puerto Rico to Spray for Zika as More Pregnant Women Get Infected

 

By Associated Press

As many as 50 pregnant women a day are becoming infected with Zika in Puerto Rico. The best defense is aerial spraying, said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) to The Associated Press.

Zika is a virus spread by mosquitos that can cause microcephaly, which results in babies being born with brain damage and abnormally small heads.

Frieden said Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory, lacks an integrated mosquito control program.

"If any part of the continental U.S. had the kind of spread of Zika that Puerto Rico has now, they would have sprayed months ago," said Frieden. "This is more a question of neglect than anything else. ... If we wait until children with microcephaly are born, it will be too late. That's the problem." 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Congo Miners Struggle After Commodities Slump

 

By Dibie Ike Michael

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has already shed thousands of mining jobs this year after global commodity prices tumbled.

Last month, the country’s chamber of mines announced that the mining sector lost at least 3000 direct and 10,000 subcontractor jobs since commodity began to tumble last year.

The DRC, Africa’s largest copper producer, is heavily dependent on the mining sector, which accounts for 98 percent of export earnings together with its smaller oil industry.

Workers at a former industrial open mine site in Kolwezi are part of tens of thousands of miners who work in the mostly unregulated artisanal mining sector. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: euronews.

Bank of England: Fighting the Brexit Blues

Source: euronews.

Asylum Seeker is Murdered in Italy

Source: euronews.

Former PM Tony Blair Defends His Decision to Invade Iraq, Apologizes for Mistakes

Source: euronews.

State Workers Urge Brazilian Government to Pay Their Salaries Instead of the Olympics

Source: euronews.

Syrian Army Announces Ceasefire Covering Entire Country for 72 Hours

Source: euronews.

Germany Says Brexit Changes Nothing for its Economy

 Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble

Germany’s cabinet has agree to press ahead with plans for a balanced budget over the next four years.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, presenting his budget for next year, said Britain’s vote to leave the EU changes nothing with, for the moment, no negative effects on the German economy, Europe’s largest.

Though he added “We’ll see if that remains the case.”

On his draft budget, Schaeuble told reporters: “I believe it is clear that we will stick to our solid, reliable budget policy, and which contributed to the economic development in our country which is positive despite difficulties in our environment. We have an exceptionally good situation on the labor market with a high employment rate and low unemployment.” 

Click here for video.

Source: euronews.

Oval Office Chat: President Vladimir Putin of Russia

President Obama spoke today by phone with President Vladimir Putin of Russia to discuss President Putin’s June 20 meeting with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Serzh Sargsian of Armenia regarding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.  President Obama expressed his readiness to intensify efforts together with Russia and with France, as co-Chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Minsk Group, to achieve a comprehensive settlement to the conflict.

On Syria, President Obama emphasized his concerns over the failure of the Syrian regime to comply with the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria.  President Obama stressed the importance of Russia pressing the Syrian regime for a lasting halt to offensive attacks against civilians and parties to the Cessation, noting the importance of fully recommitting to the original terms of the Cessation.

The Presidents confirmed their commitment to defeating ISIL and the Nusrah Front, al-Qa’ida’s affiliate in Syria.  President Obama also stressed the necessity for progress on a genuine political transition to end the conflict in Syria, as well as sustained humanitarian access, and expressed his support for the efforts of UN Special Representative for Syria Staffan de Mistura to make progress on those efforts.

On Ukraine, President Obama urged President Putin to take steps to end the significant uptick in fighting in eastern Ukraine and stressed the urgent importance of moving forward with full implementation of the Minsk agreements. 

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary

Veep Talk: President Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia

Vice President Biden spoke today with President Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia.  The Vice President underscored the unshakable U.S. commitment to the security of the Baltic states and the importance of the U.S-Latvia bilateral relationship.  The leaders pledged to work closely together to ensure regional security and prosperity.  During the call, the Vice President accepted the invitation of President Vejonis to visit Latvia later this summer.

Source: The White House, Office of the Vice President

Politics in Action: S. 2193 and S. 3100

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

S. 2193 - Kate's Law 

(Sen. Cruz, R-TX, and eight cosponsors)

The Administration strongly opposes S. 2193.  The bill fails to offer the comprehensive reforms needed to fix the Nation's broken immigration laws and would impose severe and unprecedented mandatory minimum sentences that would undermine the discretion of Federal judges to make sure the punishment fits the crime in each case.

The Administration continues to believe that it is critical to fix the Nation's broken immigration system through comprehensive commonsense legislation that builds on existing efforts to strengthen border security, cracks down on employers hiring undocumented workers, streamlines legal immigration, increases the efficiency of the immigration court system, and offers an earned path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants to get right with the law if they pass background checks, contribute to the Nation's economy by paying taxes, and go to the back of the line.  While the Senate passed comprehensive legislation with strong bipartisan support over three years ago that would do just that, the House of Representatives failed to take any action.  The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bipartisan Senate bill would grow the Nation's economy by 5.4 percent and reduce Federal deficits by nearly $1 trillion over 20 years.  The Administration continues to urge the Congress to address all of the problems with the Nation's broken immigration system and take up commonsense legislation that will offer meaningful solutions to those problems. 

Click here for the complete statement.  

S. 3100 - Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act

(Sen. Toomey, R-PA, and Sen. Inhofe, R-OK)

The Administration strongly opposes S. 3100.  This bill fails to offer comprehensive reforms needed to fix the Nation's broken immigration laws, and undermines current Administration efforts to remove the most dangerous convicted criminals and national security threats, and to work collaboratively with State and local law enforcement agencies.

The Administration continues to believe that it is critical to fix the Nation's broken immigration system through comprehensive commonsense legislation that builds on existing efforts to strengthen border security, cracks down on employers hiring undocumented workers, streamlines legal immigration, increases the efficiency of the immigration court system, and offers an earned path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants to get right with the law if they pass background checks, contribute to the Nation's economy by paying taxes, and go to the back of the line.  While the Senate passed comprehensive legislation with strong bipartisan support over three years ago that would do just that, the House of Representatives failed to take any action.  The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bipartisan Senate bill would grow the Nation's economy by 5.4 percent and reduce Federal deficits by nearly $1 trillion over 20 years.  The Administration continues to urge the Congress to address all of the problems with the Nation's broken immigration system and take up commonsense legislation that will offer meaningful solutions to those problems.

The Administration also believes the most effective way to enhance public safety is through sensible and effective policies that focus enforcement resources on the most significant public safety threats.  The Administration has put in place new enforcement priorities that accomplish this important law enforcement goal by focusing limited resources on the worst offenders – including national security threats, convicted criminals, and gang members.  The effectiveness of these new priorities depends on collaboration between Federal, State, and local law enforcement.  Every day, the Federal government fosters State and local collaboration through a variety of mechanisms, including policies, programs, and joint task forces.  

Click here for the complete statement.

Source: Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget

Dept. of Public Service to Monitor Energy Usage as Temperatures Climb

 

Governor Andrew Cuomo today directed the New York State Department of Public Service to closely monitor statewide energy usage due to weather predictions of high temperatures and humidity for much of the week across New York State. As part of these monitoring efforts, Governor Cuomo also directed the Department to investigate the cause of an unexpected shut down of Indian Point 2 earlier today, which was not heat-related. The Department will evaluate the cause of the shut down and assess steps that should be taken to avoid future events.

The ongoing heat event is having a direct and immediate impact on electricity usage. At this point in time, the system has enough resources to maintain reliability. However, residential and business consumers are encouraged to seek ways to reduce their energy usage, where possible. To help lower demand, Governor Cuomo has directed that all State agencies immediately lower their energy usage by turning off lights, raising air conditioning temperatures, closing window shades, and powering down unused computers, printers and other electrical devices.

As a result of the high demand on the electric system, DPS staff has been in communication with the State’s utilities and the New York Independent System Operator to ensure that they are prepared for any heat-related outages, including current and planned communications with customers. DPS will continue to monitor conditions and ensure that the utility companies take appropriate steps to manage the demand for energy. 

Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

President Obama Drops Plan to Reduce Troop Levels in Afghanistan

 

President Obama delivered a statement on the security situation in Afghanistan. He said the situation remained “precarious,” and announced that the U.S. would maintain 8,400 troops in Afghanistan through the end of his presidency with a continued focus on training and advising the Afghan military.

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

White House Press Briefing

 

Spokesman Josh Earnest responds to reporters' questions on several topics, including President Obama’s decision to keep 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and the FBI’s decision not to recommend charges against Hillary Clinton. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

Senator Ben Sasse Criticizes FBI Director

Senator Ben Sasse criticizes FBI Director James Comey's decision to not recommend charges against Hillary Clinton for using personal email servers while serving as secretary of State and communicating classified material. Senator Sasse says the decision leads to a two-tiered system of justice. 

User-Created Clip
by etouhey
July 6, 2016 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

House Republicans Hold News Conference on Capitol Hill

 

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), and other House Republican leaders spoke to reporters about the House legislative agenda following their weekly conference meeting. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

House Democrats Call for Gun Control Legislation

 

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), along with other House Democrats, victims of gun violence, family members, and advocates, held a news conference to call on House Republicans to take up gun control legislation. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

Trailblazers in Black History: Alma Thomas

 

Alma Woodsey Thomas was an African-American Expressionist painter and art educator. She lived and worked primarily in Washington, D.C. and the Washington Post described her as a force in the Washington Color School.  

The Wall Street Journal describes her as a previously "underappreciated artist" who is more recently recognized for her "exuberant" works, noteworthy for their pattern, rhythm and color.

Additional information is available here. 

Source: Wikipedia

U.S. Punishing North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un With Sanctions Over Human Rights Abuses

 

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The U.S. is imposing sanctions on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and 10 other top officials for human rights abuses.

The penalties are escalation of Washington's effort to isolate Kim's government. 

The Treasury Department says it's blacklisting Kim for human rights violations by his government and the ruling Communist Party.  

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Alton Sterling Shooting by Baton Rouge Police Sparks Outrage, DOJ to Investigate

By Erik Ortiz

The U.S. Department of Justice will lead a civil rights investigation into the death of a black man shot multiple times by police during a confrontation at a Louisiana convenience store.

 

Graphic cellphone video circulating online, filmed by a witness early Tuesday, appears to show 37-year-old Alton Sterling being tackled and shot as two cops pin him to the ground before he is killed.

His death has sparked protests against police brutality in Baton Rouge, and family members and the local NAACP branch called for an independent review outside of the city's police department.

"I have full confidence that this matter will be investigated thoroughly, impartially and professionally," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a news conference Wednesday. 

Click here for the full article. 

Source: NBC News

 

Mayor David Dinkins’ Statement on the Passing of Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr.

I held my dear friend, Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. in such high esteem that I referred to him as ‘The Fighter Pilot’ for the duration of our friendship, which spanned more than 60 years.  By age 22, Roscoe was a Captain in command of the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group of Tuskegee Airmen.  He was the very first of their ranks to actually shoot down a German bomber while escorting American bombers in WWII.  I remain in awe of how difficult doing something like that must have been from the cockpit of a prop-plane, his famous P51. Roscoe had tremendous courage and grit, along with grace, loyalty, and humor.  He has always been one of my heroes and I was beyond proud to call him friend and brother.

The Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 2007.  So when the Montford Point Marines were announced to receive the same recognition in 2012, I called Roscoe to ask if it was okay for me accept the medal since I had never actually seen combat and he was a real hero.  If Roscoe had not given me permission to go get that medal, I would not have gone to receive it.

While Roscoe was a living legend of WWII, he went on to devote his entire personal and professional life to public service and in the process, distinguished himself while serving others.  In addition to his outstanding contributions to higher education, focusing on access and excellence, Roscoe was a model of progressive thought and activity in New York City and across our nation.

He was influential in the civil rights movement, community services, and local politics for most of his long life.  Though he repeatedly turned down requests and opportunities to officially run for office, we all consulted with Roscoe during various campaigns and moments of serious challenge while holding office.  Along those lines, he was definitively helpful to Percy Sutton, Basil Paterson, Charlie Rangel, Bill Lynch, and yours truly.  Even so, it was never Roscoe’s style to pound his chest and demand his own spotlight.

Dr. Brown directed the Institute of Afro-American Affairs at New York University before assuming the presidency at Bronx Community College, spending over 30 years with CUNY, and gaining national prominence as a champion for the rights of others.  I know that he was proud of all that he and his team accomplished during his nearly quarter century as President of Bronx Community College and the years before that making history at New York University.  The African-American community, in particular, benefited from Roscoe’s keen insights into the issues that have troubled our city.  From his optimistic view that there is a solution to every problem, and from his ability to work with people of all temperaments and from all political leanings to find those solutions, Roscoe gave new meaning to the title: “public servant.”  He chaired several boards of numerous non-profit organizations.  His leadership was demonstrated time and again in his willingness to tackle tough problems, the energy he brought to every task, and his infinite capacity to truly care for people.  These were also among the reasons I looked up to him as one of my true heroes.

We were founding members of the One Hundred Black Men and brothers in the Boule, among numerous community organizations and committees on which we collaborated. Recently, I was proud to be interviewed alongside Roscoe by Carol Jenkins for CUNY TV as we celebrated his 94th birthday on March 9th discussing the past and our hopes for the future. During that episode, the torch was passed from his 30-year-run hosting, ‘African Americans Legends’ to Jenkins’ new show, ‘Black America.’ This was one of Roscoe’s last public appearances and I am so proud to have shared that conversation with him at that moment in time.

Roscoe was a quiet leader, thoughtful and deliberate.  He came to lecture my students each semester over the course of my 24 years teaching at Columbia University, and after every class, without fail, he would tell me that they had taught him something new.  His optimism about the future and his faith in the next generation never aged – he equally enjoyed speaking to young people AND about young people.  Roscoe taught everyone about authentic enthusiasm and selfless focus by leaving all of us with these types of memories from all sorts of occasions. His mantra was to lead by example and nobody walked that walk better than Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr.

I am not sure that Roscoe’s impact on New York City, our country, and indeed, the world, can ever be accurately measured, he simply broke too many barriers, influenced too many future leaders, and effected change across so many disciplines.  He was one of the few people that I would be sure to call every week, and I already miss him terribly.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Roscoe’s family and extended family during this difficult time.

                                                        - David N. Dinkins, 106th Mayor, City of New York