This is a bipartisan bill. There is no reason for a filibuster.

Senate Republicans have gotten used to the idea of leveraging power over every bill brought before them. They never give any respect to the Republicans in the US House.

The US House is unique in that each member represents a segment of the state's population. It is the US House where elected representatives can bring forth the interests and concerns of the people that elected them. Why is that lost on the US Senate?

When a House Republican votes the Senate Republicans have to apply brevity to that vote. The US Senate is supposed to represent the entire state's interest and is an enhancement to the US House. Why are the people represented in the US House less important to the US Senate. Providing a filibuster to House Republican votes has to be just as frustrating to them as it is to any US Senator that would rather have a functional Senate rather than a divided one.

July 14, 2022

By Karoun Demirjan

House lawmakers (click here) on Thursday approved an $840 billion plan to direct Pentagon policy and spending in the year ahead, lending strong bipartisan support to legislation that aims to help the United States better compete with China technologically, address mistakes made during last year’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, improve scrutiny of the military aid supplied to Ukraine and target a rise in domestic extremism.

The vote was 329 to 101.

The legislation, considered one of the few “must-pass” bills Congress authors each year, is yet to be reconciled with the Senate’s version. The text of that document has not been made public and is expected to reshape some how much money will be directed toward the Defense Department.

The House bill devotes considerable attention to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s breakthroughs in hypersonic weapons and other cutting-edge military technology, and rampant inflation that is battering the U.S. economy. It also directs military leaders to analyze the dangers posed by individuals in uniform who espouse white supremacist beliefs, neo-Nazism and antisemitism. The legislation specifically mentions the Proud Boys, a far-right group whose prominent role last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol has been an intense focus of federal prosecutors and the House select committee running a parallel investigation....

Italy's President was correct to refuse the resignation of the Prime Minister.

The anti-government forces within a society is what Bannon uses to build his personal wealth. They are unfit to govern.

Europe's parties that are died in the wool democracy that protects the people of the country from harm, economic downturn, and civil rights must join together to form governing bodies to end the threat of the anti-government parties.

Anti-government parties are just that, they want to dismantle government without regard to what it will do to the people. Now, these parties are finding a footing as they never have before because Bannon finds ways to promote them. Bannon is not interested in whether or not his candidates govern well with strong backgrounds, he is interested in money.

In the United States the 2016 and 2020 elections were about the anti-government movements that included White Supremacists/Nationals and even businesses that no longer wanted to pay taxes and were looking for all their money back when Trump passed tax reform.

When Trump was defeated in 2020 after turning loose a corona virus in the USA without regrets and then promoted death of citizens in advocating crackpot treatments, the election loss should be no surprise. A lot of people died because they were never educated well enough about the virus and how to live through it. Even today, Americans are still coping with variants that never ends.

Europe must look at the USA insurrection as a very real event intended to dismantle democracy and place someone, perhaps Trump, at the top of the government to rule as a king. The insurrection at the Capitol was a very real example of the anti-government element and who exactly was leading it. Bannon was riding to even greater fame amid those voters for knowing Trump's plans and able to foretell what was to happen on his podcasts and/or radio transmissions.

Bannon looked to Europe as an untouched field of money. He would go to Europe to find the disgruntled, the disenfranchised and provide for them his expertise as exampled by Trump. People in Europe, many for the first time, began to think differently about governance and provided him the monies he demanded for a change in regime shifting power, not to conservatives, but, to anti-government groups and people.

The re-election of Macron may have been something some French citizens did not want, but, they new their choices otherwise would result in a government that would turn against them and destroy their democracy. 

These are dangerous times, when citizens believe in the internet more than their human leaders. We also know through the investigation by Robert Muller the former FBI Director, that Russia votes in every country's election where freedom is a real commodity. You might almost say, that Bannon and Russia have a symbiotic relationship, each feeding off the uncertainty of people within a democracy. They created enough doubt so the people would lean into something new and different. The people wanted to try something odd, but, it might be something benevolent. That has to end.

The very countries where anti-government and extremist right wing candidates and elected representatives of the people find their power are susceptible to failure. The United States of America's governance is valued enough by the people so that the majority finally saw through the façade of the lies and reversed their beliefs in oddity and loose definitions of freedom. They stopped the dangerous course the election of 2016 put us on and put in office of the presidency a man with the most experience of any statesman in the country. In that, Americans knew the path of Joe Biden and believed in him.

I don't care if governance to form a coalition government seems messy and emotional, it must succeed. There is no doubt the voters within Europe are facing the same danger as the people of the USA. The elected officials cannot play with governance. There is too much on the line. They must govern and now. To do otherwise would be catastrophic.

July 14, 2022
By Jason Horowitz

Rome - Italy’s golden period of stability (click here) suddenly seemed on the familiar precipice of chaos on Thursday after Prime Minister Mario Draghi tendered his resignation in response to a revolt by anti-establishment populists within his broad national unity government.

But in a sign of how traumatic Mr. Draghi’s departure would be for Italy, the country’s president refused to accept his resignation, essentially freezing the political situation in place until next week, when Mr. Draghi will address Parliament.

The unexpected government crisis, and the theatrics and behind-the-scenes machinations, left Italy in a state of suspended animation and created a potential calamity for Europe as it seeks a united front against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and faces a wave of Covid infections and an energy crisis....

Sorry to hear of the death of a beautiful lady.

73 years old is far too young for any woman to die. I am sure her children are grieving her.

This was from an interview.

...Now 71, (click here) Ivana says she splits her time between New York, Miami, and Saint-Tropez (although Page Six recently reported that, due to the ongoing pandemic, she's kept her travels this summer closer to home, choosing to vacation in the Hamptons). But the mother of Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. has had a fascinating, unlikely journey from a childhood in Czechoslovakia to life of glitzed-up leisure. Here's what you should know about her....
 

Does anyone actually believe the Biden White House would produce fraud?

President Biden is chronically fighting fraud and corruption while trying to return competition back to the USA economy to benefit Americans now captured and coveted by Wall Street.

Now, I am angry. Why isn't the FCC fining those that are seeking to "pull a Trump" and create an alternate reality for political purposes. It is time to fine those that believe "infotainment" for political purposes is a real arm of journalism. It is not. It is a platform for political dogma that injures the people of this country.

President Biden is not a toy to bat around as if a joke or a clown. It is time to put this element that chronically lies to an end. They aren't even as entertaining as the daytime dramas with plenty of gossipy plots.

July 13, 2022
by Andrew Welsh-Higgins and Julie Carr Smith

Columbus - An Ohio man (click here) has been charged with raping a 10-year-old girl whose case drew national attention following a doctor’s comments that the child had to travel to Indiana for an abortion, an account that had led some prominent Republicans — including Ohio’s attorney general and a congressman — to suggest it was fabricated.

Democratic President Joe Biden highlighted the case last week at the signing of an executive order aimed at protecting access to abortion as state after Republican-led state, including Ohio, enacted near-total restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent landmark ruling.

A detective testified Wednesday at an initial court appearance for the 27-year-old suspect that Columbus police learned about the girl's pregnancy through a referral by Franklin County Children Services that was made by her mother June 22, and that she had an abortion in Indianapolis on June 30, The Columbus Dispatch reported....

Of all the topics President Biden will address in his Mideast visit, the most important and pressing is Iran.

President Biden has openly stated a military solution will be considered as an answer to the creation of  Iran's first nuclear weapon.

Russia is not a partner to the Iran Nuclear talks and it should not be allowed into further diplomatic efforts. Iran is a flash point for Putin to engage the USA in war and quite possibly a nuclear exchange. Russia will think nothing of dead Iranians at the hand of the USA attempting to end Iran's ambitions for a nuclear arsenal. To Putin, any actions by the USA to defend the region will result in a counter attack and possibly a sustained war. There is a reason why Russia doesn't care about the nuclear talks with Iran. If Iran agrees to the nuclear talks and an actual signed agreement, Russia loses it's flash point of war with The West.

Russia straddles the Shi'ite crescent.

March 20, 2022
By Javad Heiran-Nia

Russia has abandoned (click here) a recent attempt to exploit the Vienna talks to gain sanctions relief beyond what was guaranteed in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, there are no signs that Tehran is walking away from its relationship with Moscow despite Russia’s actions toward Iran and its invasion of Ukraine.

Any improvement in Iran’s relationship with the West has always been a concern for Russia. Its March 5 demand for a written guarantee from the United States that trade with Iran not be affected by new US sanctions imposed on Russia for the invasion is the latest example of Moscow playing the Iranian card and jeopardizing Tehran’s interests to secure its own interests.

This isn’t the first time that Russia has used nuclear talks in such a manner.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said in March 2021 during a leaked interview about Russia’s destructive role in the Iran nuclear talks: “The Russians have been trying to prevent the nuclear deal (JCPOA)since 2015 and [Foreign Minister] Sergei Lavrov wanted to disrupt everything on the night of the agreement. After the JCPOA, when Lavrov returned to Russia, he was attacked by the Russian media. Why did you allow this agreement to be reached and Iran to get closer to the West?”...

One would think that in a world where Russia invades at will and attempting to commit genocide of a people, Iran would be the last country to continue it's relationship with Putin's Russia. An ally that imperils it's people is not an ally. This persistence of Iran to continue to see Russia as a benevolent ally is ridiculous. Every Russian ally should be running the other way.

The Middle East witnessed the horror of Russia's attacks on the Syrian people first hand. Iran's only problem is that it believes it needs Russia to protect the Shi'ites, that is the furthest from the truth. Iran needs to stop it's ridiculous pursuit of nuclear weapons and focus on peace and prosperity. Iraq is already a trading partner. I would think the leadership of Iran would be viewed better for the Shi'ites and were accepted throughout the world as a reasonable government interested in economic ties rather than a creator of greater division by promulgating war.

July 5, 2022
LEILA FADEL, HOST: (click here)

U.S. and Iranian officials recently left Doha, Qatar, after one more round of talks to try to restore the Iran nuclear deal. Both sides left disappointed. The two delegations have been trying for more than a year through indirect talks with European Union officials acting as intermediaries. The U.S. special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, leads the delegation from Washington, and he spoke with our colleague Steve Inskeep about this latest round.

ROBERT MALLEY: The European Union, in its role as coordinator, wanted to try one more effort, at least one more effort, and so they invited both delegations to meet with them in Doha in the hope that the Iranians would show something, some willingness to get to yes. But they seem, at this point, not capable of providing an answer. And so it was a little bit of a - well, more than a little bit of a wasted occasion, I'd say....

There are estimates, either right or wrong, that Iran has enriched enough uranium to build a nuclear weapon within weeks. Iran is a serious problem. Iran has also armed the Houthis against Saudi Arabia. The tensions in the Middle East have to be among the highest ever assessed.

Israel needs to settle their governance.

There are too many guns on the street. What good are "good guys with guns?"

Link to oath (click here).

This isn't the first time cowardice ruled the police response. The San Bernardino response was very lack luster. Writing parking tickets doesn't require combat training. Border patrol agents don't write tickets for misbehavior or arrest drunk drivers.

The response at Uvalde is a growing understanding of poor police response. We saw it in San Bernardino and Parkland, Florida. These police are not trained for combat and that is what they are meeting up with when they respond to a school killing.

Sure the legislature has given the police all kinds of permission to proceed in school shootings, but, where is the urban warfare training? The presence of weapons of war on the streets of America changes the idea of domestic tranquility. There is no domestic tranquility anymore.

The entire idea that the Second Amendment is empowering the public to act in dangerous situations is nonsense. That is not happening. I doubt it was happening when it was written. The Second Amendment of the USA Constitution empowers a militia. It allowed colonists to become a military unit to take their country away from the British crown. Now, today, that capacity is used as a reason to act against a government. I think the Second Amendment is useless. It is more of a danger than a deterrent to violence.

The police should be reviewed for crimes. What comes to mind is negligent homicide in the practice of policing. Manslaughter or murder might apply if it was a conscience decision to allow the killing to occur.

Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson (click here)

The Uvalde shooting involved minority Americans. The character of the police involved needs to be reviewed to understand if they held any prejudices. I realize the husband of one of the victims were among the police. There were other officers. All of them need an ethics review in regard to their view of the people they are empowered to protect.

The reason there are angry young men that plan to attack completely innocent and unarmed Americans, including and especially children, is because a culture of hate is allowed to propagate in the USA. Hate's response is fear. Those two components drive the demand for guns in the USA. Currently there are so many guns on the streets, including safes in homes, in the USA it is impossible to stop this wave of violence.

Weapons of war are not reasonable possessions in a country that prides itself on domestic tranquility and peace. The element of these weapons in society is providing a chronic issue that until confronted will never end. The entire epidemic of violence in the USA has to be a concern for every legislator at every level of government. The allowance of firearms by liberalized laws intended to allow personal protection IS NOT WORKING! The menace that is allowed today in the name of personal safety is a monster that needs to be handled. Background checks accompanied by extensive training and limiting concealed carry permits is a good beginning. The Assault Weapons Ban must return and be the law of the land. The Assault Weapons Ban WORKED. Nothing else is working. To ignore the epidemic of violence is to neglect one's oath of office to the people they are suppose to protect and serve at all levels of government.

The day of the gun slinger is long over, it is time our laws and our streets reflect that.

July 13, 2022
By Edgar Sandoval and J. David Goodman

Uvalde - Families of those killed in a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, (click here) in May voiced a mix of sorrow and anger on Wednesday after seeing a video showing how armed officers stood around waiting before confronting the gunman.

For the first time, the delayed response that had been exhaustively described and debated could be seen in all its agonizing detail, rekindling the outrage at officers who failed to rush to the aid of children inside two classrooms where 19 students were killed, along with two teachers.

The parents, who had fought for weeks to gain clarity on what exactly took place inside Robb Elementary School on May 24, were finally able to watch part of the minute-by-minute police response along with viewers around the country after The Austin American-Statesman and KVUE posted the video on Tuesday....