Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

National Black Farmers Group Says Supporting GOP Ticket Is “Off the Table” After JD Vance’s Attack – Mother Jones

“He owes us an apology,” John Boyd, Jr., founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, told me. The remarks, Boyd added, were “disgraceful, deplorable, dumb, degrading, and disrespectful to the nation’s Black farmers, the oldest occupation in history for Black people.”

…Vance’s assertions here are an inaccurate portrayal of the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program, the federal program established through the Inflation Reduction Act. Contrary to Vance’s claim, applicants were not limited to Black farmers; Any farmer who had experienced discrimination by the US Department of Agriculture—including based on sexual orientation or gender identity, religion, age, or disability—was eligible to apply. Last month, the USDA announced it had distributed payments to more than 43,000 people in all 50 states through the program, which Congress allocated $2.2 billion for.

Source: National Black Farmers Group Says Supporting GOP Ticket Is “Off the Table” After JD Vance’s Attack – Mother Jones

Walz attacked by Trump but military record shows honorable service | Tim Walz | The Guardian

…“As far as I’m concerned, he made the right decision in retiring and going to Congress,” Bonnifield said. “At the time he retired, we hadn’t gotten alert notice. We had no notice other than ‘this could happen.’ It could have, may not have. So when he made the decision, there were a lot of other people that did at the same time, and why everyone was picking on him for retiring, I don’t know.” …The politicization of Walz’s service is equally disturbing, he said. “What we’re hearing from our members is, most people don’t care about what you did in the service, or what your exact job was, or where you got stationed, or anything like that,” Thomas said. “We care that you served, that you raised your right hand and that you did what was asked of you, and it’s clear from Walz’s record that that’s exactly what he did.”…“When a service member reaches 20 years of service, they can submit a request to retire even if there is time remaining on their enlisted contractual agreement,” said Army Col Scott Rohweder, Minnesota national guard’s joint chief of staff. ‘Their request is reviewed and must be approved by leadership.”

“If you do 20 years and a day and you reach retirement eligibility, you have done much more than many,” Lavigne said. “There’s absolutely no shame in the game in dropping your papers and walking and moving on with your life after 20 years of service. Twenty-four years of service is beyond the pale. The argument that comes from the people who are attacking him right now is disingenuous at best, absolutely dishonest at worst.”

Source: Walz attacked by Trump but military record shows honorable service | Tim Walz | The Guardian

Massive data breach that includes Social Security numbers may be even worse than suspected – Los Angeles Times

(Me: National Public Data cannot be allowed to put off security and protection steps on individuals… they must take steps to protect data and be held accountable… They should pay the ransom and a combination of NSA, CIA, FBI, and FTC take down the cybergang!!!) Source: Massive data breach that includes Social Security numbers may be even worse than suspected – Los Angeles Times

One Voice of Reason … | Filosofa’s Word

…don’t let the fear take hold. Legally, he doesn’t have a legitimate move to make. What he’s trying to do is similar to the kind of voter suppression where voters are told their votes won’t matter so they shouldn’t bother to make the effort. He’s trying to win a narrative war. Here, Trump wants to make his successful cheating seem so inevitable that people will accept it as a fait accompli. He’s gotten away with that type of strategy so often in the past. But he’s not going to here. We are not going to let him do that when democracy is at stake.

We’re in this together.

Source: One Voice of Reason … | Filosofa’s Word

Trump calls civilian presidential medal ‘much better’ than top military honor | Donald Trump | The Guardian

Donald Trump has been criticized after he claimed that the civilian Presidential Medal of Freedom, which he bestowed on people including Republican supporters and donors during his time in office, is “much better” than the top military award for those killed or wounded in action: the Medal of Honor.

Speaking at a campaign event on Thursday, Trump made the claim as he addressed Miriam Adelson, the widow of the Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. Trump awarded Miriam Adelson the Medal of Freedom in 2018.

“[The Medal of Freedom is] actually much better because everyone [who] gets the congressional Medal of Honor, they’re soldiers,” Trump said.

“They’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead. She gets it, and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman. And they’re rated equal.”

Source: Trump calls civilian presidential medal ‘much better’ than top military honor | Donald Trump | The Guardian