New top story from Time: Here’s How Republicans Downplayed the Capitol Riot at CPAC

https://ift.tt/2MsQkjO

Republican speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday downplayed the deadly Jan. 6 storming of the United States Capitol by a pro-Trump mob that disrupted the peaceful transfer of power, sidestepping former President Donald Trump’s culpability in the violence.

On Friday, multiple speakers minimized the attack or cast blame outside their party. A marquee event in Republican politics, the CPAC conference is one of the first post-Trump gatherings of prominent conservative voices and will host the former President as a keynote speaker on Sunday.

The Capitol riot hung over the day’s speeches. Less than two months ago, a mob of extreme Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as Congress certified the Electoral College results, after months of Trump spreading conspiracy theories that the election had been stolen from him. He was then impeached and acquitted for his role in inciting the insurrection. As the GOP wrestles with how—or whether—to move on from Trump’s presidency, CPAC proves that some party leaders are still demonstrating total fealty to Trump, even if it means explaining away the insurrection.

Two of Friday’s speakers—Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas—both objected to certifying the results of the presidential election, and there have been calls for congressional investigations into their roles in spreading Trump’s election lies before the storming of the Capitol. In their CPAC speeches, neither acknowledged the seriousness of the security breach and related security concerns in their attempts to inherit the former President’s supporters.

If anything, Hawley wore his involvement in the insurrection as a badge of honor. “I was called a traitor, I was called a seditionist, the radical left said I should [resign], and if I wouldn’t resign, I should be expelled from the United States Senate,” Hawley, who was the first Republican Senator to announce he would object to the results, said. “I’m not going anywhere.” He received applause from the CPAC crowd. He did not mention the attack on the Capitol that followed his announcement that he would challenge the election results.

Nearly eight weeks after the attack, the Capitol remains under tight security, including an outer perimeter and heavy National Guard presence. But Cruz dismissed the security concerns stemming from the violence in January. “Let’s be clear, this is not about security at this point, this is about political theater,” he said. “Half the country, the ‘deplorables,’ are dangerous, and [Democrats are] going to turn the Capitol into a military outpost in Baghdad just to have the compliant media echo that message.”

In fact, acting Chief of U.S. Capitol Police Yogananda Pittman told lawmakers on Thursday that there are threats by extremists in militia groups to blow up the Capitol and kill lawmakers when Biden addresses Congress. Given the threats, Pittman said, the Capitol Police determined it was prudent to keep the security measures in place.

Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee also called for the security to come down, in an extension of an argument about the right to petition the government and peaceably assemble. “Nancy Pelosi, let’s get the fencing and the wire down and away from the U.S. Capitol,” Blackburn said to cheers. Democrats have also expressed concern about keeping the Capitol inaccessible to the general public.

The party’s unwillingness to accept responsibility for Trump’s false statements about election fraud that members of the mob said inspired them to carry out the insurrection is not surprising. House Republicans overwhelmingly voted against impeaching Trump, and 43 senators voted to acquit Trump in the impeachment trial. (Though with ten House Republicans who voted to impeach him and seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict him, it was the most bipartisan impeachment vote and trial in U.S. history.) Even in a hearing on Tuesday about the attack, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin baselessly suggested it was “provocateurs” that stirred up the Trump supporters on Jan. 6.

At CPAC, it wasn’t just senators who made mention of Jan. 6— other speakers also brought it to the stage. In a session on “Protecting Elections,” Deroy Murdock, a Fox News contributor, suggested that judges who rejected Trump campaign lawsuits in his baseless efforts to overturn the results of the presidential election were to blame. “Largely I think [they] bear a lot of responsibility for the chaos that ensued,” Murdock said to applause. The Trump campaign pursued dozens of lawsuits following the election, but nearly all of them were thrown out.

T.W. Shannon, a bank CEO and former Oklahoma Speaker of the House, falsely equated the riot to the racial justice protests that occurred over the summer, and echoed Trump’s spurious claim that the election was “rigged.” “The reason that people stormed the Capitol was because they felt hopeless because of a rigged election,” Shannon said.

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas sidestepped the violence at the Capitol entirely, never once bringing it up—even as he called for arresting rioters on the streets and condemned people tearing down statues. But he was talking about racial justice protesters and the replacement of Confederate statues, not those who stormed the U.S. Capitol (including at least one person who carried a Confederate flag). Said Cotton: “We will never bend the knee to a politically correct mob ever.”

That’s not to say that there aren’t Republican lawmakers who haven’t sought to distance themselves from Trump. On Wednesday, after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he believed that Trump should speak at CPAC, a reporter directed the question to third-ranking House Republican Liz Cheney. Cheney, who voted to impeach Trump, said it was up to the conference. “I don’t believe he should be playing a role in the future of the party or the country,” she said.

Even Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for the Capitol attack. But on Thursday, one day before the CPAC conference began, McConnell told Fox News he would “absolutely” support Trump again in 2024 if he’s the party’s nominee.

Comments

New top story from Time: John le Carré’s Silverview Is Not the Defining Final Chapter of a Literary Career

https://ift.tt/3BMuXOI When John le Carré died last December, his obituarists struck a common theme: here was a master spy novelist who, despite selling millions of books and having his work adapted for television and film , never received the recognition he deserved as a literary giant. Over six decades, le Carré drew upon his brief career in British intelligence to chronicle the decline of the U.K. as a global power and critique what he saw as an arrogant and corrupt Western neo-imperialism, typically through the perspective of those in the “secret world” of spying. His archetypal heroes were not James Bonds or Jack Reachers but often disillusioned men driven by moral values they are not certain they still believe in. What compels people to serve their country, or betray it, was a consistent theme in his work. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] But just as Graham Greene —another former spy turned novelist—divided his work into “entertainments” and serious fare, so can one...

New top story from Time: Google’s Employee Vaccine Mandate Could Influence Other Companies to Do the Same

https://ift.tt/3BQnXRv (SAN RAMON, Calif.) — Google is postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-October and rolling out a policy that will eventually require everyone to be vaccinated once its sprawling campuses are fully reopened in an attempt to fight the spreading Delta variant. In a Wednesday email sent to Google’s more than 130,000 employees, CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is now aiming to have most of its workforce back to its offices beginning Oct. 18 instead of its previous target date of Sept. 1. The decision also affects tens of thousands of contractors who Google intends to continue to pay while access to its campuses remains limited. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “This extension will allow us time to ramp back into work while providing flexibility for those who need it,” Pichai wrote. And Pichai disclosed that once offices are fully reopened, everyone working there will have be vaccinated. The requirement will be first imposed at Goog...

New top story from Time: Joe Biden’s Agenda Uncertain After Progressives Force Delay on Infrastructure Vote

https://ift.tt/39YKeQc For weeks, progressive lawmakers in Congress have been threatening to sink the bipartisan infrastructure bill if they were not given certain guarantees about a larger social spending bill. And for weeks, many of their colleagues thought they were bluffing. They weren’t. And now the fate of President Joe Biden’s agenda hangs in the balance. Progressives claimed victory Thursday night after a planned infrastructure vote was delayed following their united front to oppose the $1 trillion bill without assurances about the fate of the accompanying Democratic spending plan. The move highlighted the growing power of leftwing Democrats, and sent a strong message to the rest of their party: You can’t get one bill without the other. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “The progressive movement has not had this type of power in Washington since the 1960s,” says Joseph Geevarghese, Executive Director of Our Revolution, a political group that grew out of Vermont Sen...

New top story from Time: The Story Behind Team USA Women’s Gymnasts’ Leotards

https://ift.tt/2WpAo6G There was probably little doubt that when the U.S. women’s gymnastics team walked into the arena at the Tokyo Olympics for the team event, their leotards would embody some red, white and blue theme. And the women did not disappoint. Striding on to the mats, the four-woman team event squad resembled patriotic superheroes in their red-sleeved leotards with a white band across the chest and blue bottom. And that was the idea. Jeanne Diaz, senior designer and director of custom at GK Elite, the leotard manufacturer that for the first time made the women’s Olympic uniforms, says the theme for the leotards was Modern Warrior. “These strong…women come onto the mat like it’s their battlefield,” says Diaz. “They are ready to go, ready to fight for these gold medals and I wanted the apparel to highlight the strength of these athletes.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Altogether, GK Elite designed eight leotards for the six-member women’s team to wear during ...

New top story from Time: ‘I Choose to Do More.’ Olympian Ashleigh Johnson Embraces Her Role As Water Polo Pioneer

https://ift.tt/3i8slne When Ashleigh Johnson —the 6’1″ star goalkeeper for America’s “best-team-you’ve-likely-never-heard-of-but-totally-should”—was growing up swimming and playing water polo in Miami, she heard racist stereotypes about Black people and pools. Other kids, parents, even people she didn’t know would tell her they were surprised she could swim. Or ask her if Black people could float. She was sometimes the only Black person around the pool. “When you’re young, you don’t really have the protective mechanisms to not internalize that story,” says Johnson, 26. “I brought those questions to my mother, and she’s like, ‘O.K., that’s not real.’ But I still held on to it a little bit. Because those are my teammates, or maybe a coach I came into contact with, who would limit my belief in myself. And I had to learn you write your own story. And the things that make you different are your strengths.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Johnson, who in Rio became the first Blac...

New top story from Time: Afghanistan Faces a ‘Make-or-Break Moment,’ U.N. Chief Says

https://ift.tt/3FERaRq UNITED NATIONS — Warning that Afghanistan is facing “a make-or-break moment,” the United Nations chief on Monday urged the world to prevent the country’s economy from collapsing. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also appealed to the Taliban to stop breaking its promises to allow women to work and girls to have access to all levels of education. Eighty percent of Afghanistan’s economy is informal, with women playing an overwhelming role, and “without them there is no way the Afghan economy and society will recover,” he said. He said the U.N. is urgently appealing to countries to inject cash into the Afghan economy, which before the Taliban takeover in August was dependent on international aid that accounted for 75% of state spending. The country is grappling with a liquidity crisis as assets remain frozen in the U.S. and other countries, and disbursements from international organizations have been put on hold. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “Rig...

New top story from Time: Hurricane Ida Winds Hit 150 MPH Ahead of Louisiana Strike

https://ift.tt/3jmdoyl NEW ORLEANS — Hurricane Ida rapidly grew in strength early Sunday, becoming a dangerous Category 4 hurricane just hours before hitting the Louisiana coast while emergency officials in the region grappled with opening shelters for displaced evacuees despite the risks of spreading the coronavirus. As Ida moved through some of the warmest ocean water in the world in the northern Gulf of Mexico, its top winds grew by 45 mph (72 kph) to 150 mph (230 kph) in five hours. The system was expected to make landfall Sunday afternoon, set to arrive on the exact date Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi 16 years earlier. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The hurricane center said Ida is forecast to hit at 155 mph (250 kph), just 1 mph shy of a Category 5 hurricane. Only four Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States: Michael in 2018, Andrew in 1992, Camille in 1969 and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. Both Michael and Andrew were u...

New top story from Time: Ecuador Declares a Prison Emergency After 116 People Were Killed in a Riot

https://ift.tt/3CWPCQv QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador’s president has declared a state of emergency in the prison system following a battle among gang members in a coastal lockup that killed at least 116 people and injured 80 in what authorities say was the worst prison bloodbath ever in the country. Officials said at least five of the dead were found to have been beheaded. President Guillermo Lasso decreed a state of emergency Wednesday, which will give the government powers that include deploying police and soldiers inside prisons. The order came a day after bloodshed at the Litoral penitentiary in Guayaquil that officials blamed on gangs linked to international drug cartels fighting for control of the facility. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Lasso, visibly moved by the carnage, said at a news conference that what had happened in the prison was “bad and sad.” He also said he could not guarantee that authorities had regained control of the lockup. “It is regrettable that th...

New top story from Time: The Overlooked American Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

https://ift.tt/3CRBisk More than 75 years after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945, roughly 136,000 people are living with the memories—and effects—of the disasters . In the U.S., specifically, there are believed to be just under 1,000 survivors. Many of these men and women ended up in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as children or young adults on those fateful days because they were visiting extended family, or had been sent to study in the country during a time of rising anti-Asian sentiments in the U.S. (It was not uncommon for families of Japanese descent in America to send their children to Japanese schools for a few years so that they would have the option to work in the country as adults.) [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Hoping to raise awareness of this community, historian Naoko Wake conducted 86 interviews with members of this community for her recently published book American Survivors: Trans-P...

June 10 Service Changes Add Muni Service on Connector Routes

June 10 Service Changes Add Muni Service on Connector Routes By Clive Tsuma Summer service changes will address crowding and wait times. The 44 O’Shaughnessy frequency will increase from every 12 minutes to every 10 minutes. Starting Saturday, June 10, the SFMTA will launch summer Muni service, adding service on several routes to address crowding and wait times and to support increased summer tourism. Several stop changes will be introduced to serve more customers and make service more accessible and reliable. These service changes prioritize supporting the city’s economic recovery and matching Muni service more closely to the needs of riders and their communities. We are working to build back our ridership by providing high-quality, reliable service that people can count on and riders are noticing !All of the service changes described here are cost neutral. This means that we are shifting available operators and vehicles to Muni lines that need more service to...

My precise view

Search This Blog