[FoxNews] Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., will resign from the Senate after significant pressure from Democrats to do so following a guilty verdict in his federal corruption case.
A resignation letter from the senator was entered into the congressional record on Tuesday by Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., who was acting as chair of the Senate.
Menendez informed Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., that he would be resigning after Aug. 20 in the correspondence, which was obtained by Fox News.
"While I fully intend to appeal the jury's verdict, all the way and including to the Supreme Court, I do not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will detract from its important work," he wrote, likely in reference to a recently launched Ethics Committee review and potential efforts to expel him.
The New Jersey Democrat was found guilty on all 16 counts last week, which included charges of extortion, bribery, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and acting as a foreign agent. The trial lasted nine weeks and the jury deliberated for three days before reaching a verdict.
The New Jersey senator has served in the chamber since 2006 and was re-elected twice. Before being a senator, Menendez served for several terms in the House of Representatives.
"I am proud of the many accomplishments I've had on behalf of New Jersey, such as leading the federal effort for Superstorm Sandy recovery, preserving and funding Gateway and leading the federal efforts to help save our hospitals, State and municipalities, as well as New Jersey families through a once in a century COVID pandemic," he said in the Tuesday letter. "These successes led you, Governor, to call me the ‘Indispensable Senator.’"
In 2015, Menendez was indicted on charges of conspiracy, bribery, and honest services fraud in relation to gifts from a wealthy ophthalmologist who the government alleged he was doing political favors for in return. However, a mistrial was declared in 2017 when jurors could not agree on a verdict. By 2018, prosecutors said they would not seek to retry the senator.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] … Daily Mail's reporter on board reveals the incredible inside story of the mad rush to get Joe to Covid isolation - and why she feared for him
Air Force One was flying so fast that I was shaking in my seat.
Less than 30 minutes ago, my colleagues in the White House press corps and I had received word – just before the rest of the world – that President Biden had been diagnosed with COVID.
Now we were joining him on a mad rush back from Las Vegas to the Bidens' Rehoboth Beach getaway in Delaware.
Moments after fastening my seatbelt, the massive engines of the presidential Boeing 747 roared to life.
The flight attendants, in their custom blue uniforms, stumbled in the aisles as the jet's nose pointed skyward.
Tray tables shook. Reporters held up their water glasses so they wouldn't spill.
Most concerning, though, was that we had no idea what was going on.
For security reasons, there is no Wi-Fi on Air Force One, so we were cut off from the outside world.
A doctor always travels with the President, but no word came on the type of care he was receiving or how ill he was.
Twice, we asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who was also onboard, to give us an update on Biden's condition.
Twice, we were denied.
Even if she had spoken to us, there would have been no way to know what was coming.
That the president wouldn't be seen again in public for nearly a week.
And that in less than four days' time, his 52-year career in politics would come to a dramatic end.
After all, Biden's week had begun on a high note.
On Monday, July 15, despite escalating calls from within the Democratic party for the president to quit the 2024 race, he appeared to be in a jovial mood when he arrived in the afternoon at Joint Base Andrews, outside of Washington DC.
I was standing with the press pool – reporters from more than a dozen media organizations – waiting for him on the tarmac.
A good deal more bosom-heaving description of each minute of the day, but the upshot is that they let the unmasked, visibly unhealthy, known-to-be Covid-ridden president meet’n’greet the customers at a Mexican restaurant before rushing back to the White House. Then:
The motorcade raced through empty streets, sirens blaring and lights flashing.
'Just go,' we called out to our driver as we arrived at Harry Reid International Airport. We all pushed our way out of the van and ran to get close to Air Force One.
The Secret Service held us back as Biden stepped out of the Beast, six staff and agents forming a circle around him.
'How are you feeling, sir?' we yelled.
He gave a thumbs-up: 'I feel good!'
But as he walked slowly towards the plane, we knew that wasn't the case.
The president inched up the shortened gangway — built-in stairs near the front of the plane that he's been using instead of the traditional, longer staircase for more than a year now.
Once he was on board, we reporters rushed to find our seats in the back of the plane.
…allowing them all to breath in the Covid virii exhaled by the president into the recirculated airplane air…
And nearly from the moment we lifted off the runway, the fuselage began to shake.
It's not entirely uncommon for Air Force One pilots to drop the hammer. President Trump routinely asked his crew to cut down flight times by going faster. But this break-neck speed was unusual for President Biden.
The normal flight time from Vegas to Delaware is around four and a half hours. We made the trip in three hours and 48 minutes. Our destination was Dover Air Force Base — the closest suitable airport to Biden's Rehoboth home.
Touching down, we rushed into position once more on the tarmac to watch the president deplane. And as the steps of Air Force One were lowered, we waited anxiously under the wing.
He began his exit at 10:29pm (EST), still looking pale and frail. He stepped down gingerly, then paused and waved. Half way down, and for a few seconds, he stared off into space, until a Secret Service agent gently tapped his shoulder.
The touch seemed to rouse him and he continued down, appearing so unsteady that I was worried he would fall. But he sluggishly made it to his SUV and shakily climbed inside for the hour-long ride to Rehoboth.
Photos and video as usual at the link. Nobody appears masked up.
#9
^ They don't need to spend one more dime on Ukraine but they will.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
07/24/2024 18:00 Comments ||
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#10
Actually, there is WiFi on Air Force One. You just don't have access.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
07/24/2024 18:23 Comments ||
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#11
All this after Jill headed to Europe on her own. They had a fight for sure.
Posted by: Whavick Scourge of the Apes9857 ||
07/24/2024 20:35 Comments ||
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#12
Also, Astronauts remain stranded in space as Boeing’s Starliner mission exceeds 45-day window at ISS that the White House and MMS refuse to acknowledge.
Posted by: Whavick Scourge of the Apes9857 ||
07/24/2024 20:55 Comments ||
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[Outkick] President Joe Biden is in the middle of the most embarrassing moment of his political career, but his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, has had a trip to the Olympics in Paris on the books for quite a while, and she simply can not miss it.
The poor dear will never again be able to travel in such style and on the public dime. And when she gets back she’ll be in charge of the care and feeding of a spouse who is only going to get worse — and will never be able to pay off all those mortgages.
Joe Biden officially announced that he will not be running for re-election in 2024 on Sunday afternoon, less than a month after he embarrassed himself on the debate stage with former President Donald Trump. That debate showed a frail, unfit Biden that most folks with eyes, ears and a brain have been clamoring about for years.
The debate showed the elites in the Democratic party just how bad things are between the President's ears, and the push to get him to drop out of the race began seconds after he stepped off of that stage in Atlanta. It all came to a head Sunday when he announced he wouldn't be seeking re-election via a post on social media.
Despite her husband's life being turned upside down and every (reputable) news organization in the world talking negatively about the President, Dr. Jill sees this moment as a perfect time for a vacation to Paris.
The White House released a statement Monday announcing that Jill Biden will be headlining the presidential delegation headed to Paris for the Games and will be present for Friday's opening ceremony.
#2
It's no surprise. If she really cared about him she wouldn't have let him run in 2020.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
07/24/2024 13:16 Comments ||
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#3
I'm forseeing a paid attendant moving onto the Biden home, and Jill living apart.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
07/24/2024 13:34 Comments ||
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#4
She loves the sweet ride far more than her now diminished spouse, and will be a bitter harridan quickly upon return to Delaware and discovers that absent power, nobody gives a sh*t about her.
I think Jojo could be on short-final, but hope if he takes the dirt nap before me they don't plant him in Arlington.
#5
It’s a special sacrifice to be able to take care of a spouse with a medical issue. For some marriage is a contract; for others it’s a covenant. I would be delighted to be wrong about Jill.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/24/2024 14:57 Comments ||
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[Breitbart] President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) admitted Monday — the day after Biden dropped his reelection bid — it possessed transcripts of Biden’s interviews with his biographer after months of denying those transcripts existed.
The DOJ told a federal Judge Monday it had located transcripts of Biden’s chats with his biographer Mark Zwonitzer months after the conversations fell under the national spotlight, reported Politico.
Special counsel Robert Hur, appointed to investigate Biden’s retention of classified documents, invited scrutiny to the interviews after revealing in his March 2024 report that he would not bring charges against Biden in part because Biden was “a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Republicans sought transcripts of the Biden and Zwonitzer conversations — as well as audio recordings of Hur’s interrogations of Biden.
Biden’s DOJ has fought efforts to turn over recordings, which Republicans have argued could reveal more than the transcripts about Biden’s mental state.
Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate with Donald Trump amplified concerns from Republicans and Democrats on Biden’s capabilities. Biden ended his reelection bid Sunday after three brutal weeks of pressure from Democrats who feared his ability to run a campaign and defeat Trump in the aftermath of the debate.
[Breitbart] The Secret Service has reportedly advised the Trump campaign to stop holding rallies and events outdoors, almost two weeks after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Three people close to the matter, who spoke to the Washington Post “on the condition of anonymity,” said the Secret Service had spoken to campaign advisers about not holding events outdoors with large crowds.
This comes after Trump was shot by “a bullet that pierced the upper part” of his right ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from the roof of a nearby building.
The sources added that the Trump campaign is not currently looking to hold outdoor events and is eyeing indoor venues, “such as basketball arenas and other large spaces” that can seat thousands of attendees.
A campaign official who spoke to the outlet anonymously explained that holding events indoors is safer because you are able “to control who comes through a finite number of doors,” but pointed out that indoor events have capacity limits:
Indoor rallies are more expensive, campaign advisers said. But one campaign official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private plans said the indoor events are inherently safer because it is easier to control who comes through a finite number of doors, and there are fewer line-of-sight issues.
“Obviously with an indoor venue, you have a capacity,” the campaign official added. “It doesn’t pack the same punch. There’s something about being at one of those outdoor rallies.”
Since the assassination attempt on Trump, the U.S. Secret Service has received increased criticism surrounding the security failings that occurred during the Trump rally.
Why doesn't the SS admit publicly that it
is not up to the job?
It all depends on the meaning of "the job". If the job was Security Theater, they did great. They had the Professional Bodyguards with blue blazers and sunglasses. They had the Tacticool Snipers with scary black rifles. We should not let the clips of swarmy confusion or the fact that the protectee got shot detract from the performance.
#13
Over at Althouse someone pointed out that drones will make the job far harder than before.
Posted by: James ||
07/24/2024 18:17 Comments ||
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#14
Drones will be a big problem. Watching the tech that is being developed in Ukraine, and it low tec - high yields stuff, is just frightening. Iran has facial recognition in their drones, hence the drone attack on the Russian aircraft. Defending and defeating this will be hard.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/24/2024 20:51 Comments ||
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#15
/\ Possibly an understatement, but yes, things appear to have change on tne modern battlefield.
[NEWARAB] Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said on Tuesday, a sign the two men are looking to ease tensions between them.
"Looking forward to welcoming Bibi Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida," the former US president said in a post on Truth Social, using Netanyahu's nickname.
The meeting will be their first since the end of Trump's presidency, during which the two forged close ties, and comes at a time of strains also between Netanyahu and Democratic President Joe Biden over Israel's war on Gaza.
The Israeli leader angered Trump when he congratulated Biden on his victory over Trump in the 2020 election. Trump has falsely claimed the election was stolen from him by voter fraud.
Netanyahu requested an in-person meeting with Trump during his visit to Washington this week, Politico said on Monday. The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The planned meeting comes during Netanyahu’s visit to the United States. Netanyahu is set to first visit Washington D.C. where he will address Congress on Wednesday, and meet with President Biden on Thursday afternoon for a bilateral meeting. He is expected to join Biden to later meet with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas.
Netanyahu's visit comes amid the war between Israel and Hamas after the terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, posted to his Truth Social, "During my first term, we had Peace and Stability in the Region, even signing the historic Abraham Accords - And we will have it again," Trump continued. "Just as I have said in discussions with President Zelensky and other World Leaders in recent weeks, my PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH Agenda will demonstrate to the World that these horrible, deadly Wars, and violent Conflicts must end."
Trump added: "Millions are dying, and Kamala Harris is in no way capable of stopping it."
In 2018, the Trump administration moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – a relocation long debated in Washington – and one that showed the U.S. officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
During his administration, Trump also recognized Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights; withdrew the U.S. from the U.N. Human Rights Council; and brokered the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords was a historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates that normalized relations and created bilateral agreements regarding "investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, health care, culture, the environment, the establishment of reciprocal embassies, and other areas of mutual benefit."
Netanyahu will also address Congress on Wednesday, after being invited by the bipartisan leaders of both the House and the Senate back in May.
But Vice President Kamala Harris has declined to preside over his address, because she will be in Indiana for an event that was previously scheduled, according to an aide. Harris, who on Monday became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president following Biden’s campaign suspension, will not attend Netanyahu’s address. The vice president serves as the president of the Senate.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/24/2024 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11134 views]
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#1
The actual state visit.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/24/2024 14:26 Comments ||
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God help us all!
[GEO.TV] With the US presidential elections having come closer, Vice President Kámala Harris Former Oakland mayor Willie Brown's former mistress, then a senatrix from California former 2020 Dem presidential hopeful, and Joe Biden's wing nut, Joe's intended successor'... opened up a marginal two-percentage-point lead over Republican Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... after President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. This Is A Man That Does Not Seem Demented... ended his re-election campaign and passed the torch to her, a Rooters/Ipsos poll found.
The poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, followed both the Republican National Convention where Trump on Thursday formally accepted his party's nomination and the Biden announcement on Sunday he was leaving the race and endorsing Harris.
Harris, whose campaign says she has secured the Democratic nomination, led Trump 44% to 42% in the national poll, a difference within the 3-percentage-point margin of error.
In other words, the difference is probably meaningless. One need look at other polls taken at the same time, and then several polls done over weeks or months to know if this single poll is representative or a fluke.
Harris and Trump were tied at 44% in a July 15-16 poll, and Trump led by one percentage point in a July 1-2 poll, both within the same margin of error.
While nationwide surveys give important signals of American support for political candidates, just a handful of competitive states typically tilt the balance in the US Electoral College, which ultimately decides who wins a presidential election.
The most recent poll results underscored the rationale for Biden dropping out of the race and for Harris replacing him on the ticket.
Some 56% of registered voters agreed with a statement that Harris, 59, was "mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges," compared to 49% who said the same of Trump, 78.
Only 22% of voters assessed Biden that way.
That’s one poll. Real Clear Politics has more here, and most of them have President Trump up slightly.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/24/2024 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11137 views]
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#4
Que mala will get 400 million votes for the win in November no matter what the "polls" say. Remember Biden's brag about "the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics." Remember virtually nothing was done about that last time?
#5
I listen to Rich Baris he points out that there are three of the “polls” that subscribe to the same data set. They weight the data differently and publish different portions of the questions, but it is the same underlying data for those three. The panel for that data set is not very accurate. It will also appear to be different data because of the different weights used. In the end aggregating those three polls is not statistically valid.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/24/2024 16:24 Comments ||
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#6
Geo TV poll? Is this the same news network founded in 2002 in Pakistan? Why should we believe this poll. Is this like a CNN or MSNBC poll?
GEOtv pulled the article off the Reuters feed, JohnQC. They don’t do original reporting about events a road unless there are Pakistanis involved — they don’t have the staff for such fripperies.
#4
Grom the Reflective she isn't black. Her father is Jamaican and her mother is from India. She is descended from the biggest slave trader in Jamaica.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/24/2024 11:37 Comments ||
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Another viral clip reveals this was not the only instance of Schumer attempting to get audible support during his presser with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Schumer attempted to tout Harris as the next President of United States, pumping his fist.
"Vice President Harris secured a majority of delegates. Today in Wisconsin and across America, we begin our next chapter, and it will be our best yet. Vice President Harris will beat Donald Trump ...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US... and become the next President of the United States of America," Schumer said. He then pointed to the audience, wagging his finger asking, "Applause?"
After no one clapped, Schumer quickly smiled and called on Jeffries to take his turn after the second awkward moment with no applause for Harris.
According to a YouGov survey taken the day Biden announced he is no longer seeking reelection, just 37 percent believe Harris should be the Democrat nominee, while over one-third, 35 percent, believe it should be someone else. The same survey found that while 60 percent of Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy,white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... said Harris should be the nominee, another 40 percent either think it should be someone else or are not sure. The breakdown of that 40 percent shows 21 percent of Democrats saying it should be "someone else," and 19 percent remaining unsure.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/24/2024 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11138 views]
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...46th president of the U.S. 
...every time you hear the phrase 
