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County seeks cash for land to expand Arlington cemetery
Read full article: County seeks cash for land to expand Arlington cemeteryA trial underway in federal court will decide whether the U.S. government must pay up to $21 million to compensate a Virginia county for land taken to expand Arlington National Cemetery.
New this week: 'Interceptor,' Post Malone and 'Fire Island'
Read full article: New this week: 'Interceptor,' Post Malone and 'Fire Island'This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Post Malone and Drive-By Truckers, “Fast & Furious” alum Elsa Pataky leading her own action picture with “Interceptor,” and the modern romantic comedy “Fire Island,” set in the iconic LGBTQ vacation spot.
Russians scoff at Western fears of Ukraine invasion
Read full article: Russians scoff at Western fears of Ukraine invasionWhile the U.S. warns that Russia could invade Ukraine any day, the drumbeat of war is all but unheard in Moscow, where pundits and ordinary people alike don’t expect President Vladimir Putin to launch an attack on the ex-Soviet neighbor.
Colin Powell: A trailblazing legacy, blotted by Iraq war
Read full article: Colin Powell: A trailblazing legacy, blotted by Iraq warA child of working-class Jamaican immigrants in the Bronx, Colin Powell rose from neighborhood store clerk to warehouse floor-mopper to the highest echelons of the U.S. government.
'He lied': Iraqis still blame Powell for role in Iraq war
Read full article: 'He lied': Iraqis still blame Powell for role in Iraq warFor many Iraqis, the name Colin Powell conjures up one image: the man who as U.S. secretary of State went before the U.N. Security Council in 2003 to make the case for war against their country.
Colin Powell, first Black US Secretary of State, dies from COVID-19 complications, family says
Read full article: Colin Powell, first Black US Secretary of State, dies from COVID-19 complications, family saysGeneral Colin L. Powell, the first Black US Secretary of State and former military leader, died Monday morning due to complications from COVID-19, according to a post on his official Facebook page. He was 84.
Watchdog clears Pompeo's wife of travel ethics charges
Read full article: Watchdog clears Pompeo's wife of travel ethics chargesGeorgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, left, gives flowers to Susan Pompeo as she and her husband, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, arrive at Tbilisi International Airport in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)WASHINGTON – An independent probe into the travel of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s wife has concluded that the trips with her husband on official business did not violate federal ethics rules. The IG report was released just hours after the State Department took aim at the watchdog, Democratic members of Congress and media outlets for raising questions about Susan Pompeo’s travel and suggesting it may have been inappropriate. Susan Pompeo had attracted criticism for using government resources while accompanying her husband on diplomatic trips. The inspector general reacted icily to Bulatao's comment, saying Bulatao did not understand the role of an independent watchdog.
The Latest: Austin reveres idea of civilian military control
Read full article: The Latest: Austin reveres idea of civilian military control(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):2:15 p.m.Lloyd Austin, the retired Army general whom President-elect Joe Biden picked to be secretary of defense, says he reveres the principle of civilian control of the military. Austin retired four years ago after 41 years in the Army. Austin says he understands the need for civilian control of the military and sees himself as a civilian, not as a general. Congress intended civilian control of the military when it created the position of secretary of defense in 1947 and prohibited a recently retired military officer from holding the position. Austin retired in 2016.
Julia Reed, chronicler of Southern life and food, dies at 59
Read full article: Julia Reed, chronicler of Southern life and food, dies at 59Julia Reed, who wrote about food and culture in the South and promoted her native Mississippi Delta, has died. Reed died Friday of cancer, the editors of Garden & Gun magazine said in a post on the magazine's website. She attended parties with the likes of former Secretary of State and Army Gen. Colin Powell and former Vice President Al Gore, but was a champion of her native Mississippi, according to Meacham. A chapter in her book, Julia Reeds South, eventually led her to dedicate an entire book on how to party and dine in New Orleans, The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate reported. She called it Julia Reeds New Orleans: Food, Fun and Field Trips for Letting the Good Times Roll.In addition, Reed served on the board of the Ogden Museum of Art in New Orleans, the newspaper said.
Who's in power? Convention lineup has clues to Trump's favor
Read full article: Who's in power? Convention lineup has clues to Trump's favorDonald Trump Jr., speaks as he tapes his speech for the first day of the Republican National Convention from the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON If speaking time at the Republican convention is a measure of President Donald Trumps favor, his family wins by a mile. Instead, the 2020 Republican convention is an exhibit of a party Trump has remade as a largely family-led enterprise. First lady Melania Trump spoke for 16 minutes. The speech solidified his standing as the leading Republican presidential hopeful in 2024.
Guilfoyle's loud RNC speech makes her the comics' favorite
Read full article: Guilfoyle's loud RNC speech makes her the comics' favoriteStephen Colbert mimicked poking his head out from under a table after playing a clip of Guilfoyle on CBS' Late Show." I'm glad we already have kids, because I think I was sterilized by that.He called Guilfoyle a vengeful banshee who will haunt your dreams.On The Daily Show, Trevor Noah said Guilfoyle's speech was so loud that Canada called the cops. I want to wish a speedy recovery for anyone who watched the convention on headphones, he said. MSNBC's Morning Joe ran portions of her speech side-by-side with Dwight Schrute's classic award acceptance speech in The Office.Somewhere, Kimmel was taking notes. That stands in contrast to Colbert, who is doing the Late Show live for the two weeks of the convention.
Democrats nominate Biden for epic challenge to oust Trump
Read full article: Democrats nominate Biden for epic challenge to oust TrumpBiden celebrated his new status as the Democratic nominee alongside his wife and grandchildren in a Delaware school library. For his part, Trump spent Tuesday courting battleground voters in an effort to distract from Bidens convention. And Bidens supporters consistently report that theyre motivated more by opposition to Trump than excitement about Biden. The Democrats party elders played a prominent role throughout the night. Kerry, 76, was the Democratic presidential nominee back in 2004 when the youngest voters this fall were still in diapers.
Progressives irked by spotlight on GOP at Dem convention
Read full article: Progressives irked by spotlight on GOP at Dem conventionIn this image from video, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., delivers a nominating speech during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)WASHINGTON For nearly three minutes at this week's Democratic National Convention, Cindy McCain recounted Joe Biden's friendship with her late husband, John McCain, the Arizona senator and former Republican presidential candidate. Meanwhile, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most dynamic young stars of the Democratic Party, spoke for just 60 seconds. California Rep. Ro Khanna, head of the California delegation to the convention, said people need to be inspired to vote. Among those who have addressed the convention is Ady Barkin, a progressive activist who after being diagnosed with A.L.S.
A Long-Overdue 'Tip of the Cap' to baseball's Black pioneers
Read full article: A Long-Overdue 'Tip of the Cap' to baseball's Black pioneersNot long after, with many of its best players gradually following Robinsons path, the Negro Leagues ceased operations. President Clinton said he chose a Chicago Cubs cap in honor of Ernie Banks, the late Hall of Famer who got his start in the Negro Leagues. Long before that, the Negro Leagues made baseball better and America better.The celebration was moved online after a major league-wide tribute to baseballs Black pioneers scheduled for June 27 was shelved along with the games because of the coronavirus pandemic. So then I thought, How about a virtual tip of the cap?''' I always felt if there was going to be conversations about race in sports, the Negro Leagues should be at the center, because thats the story: They triumphed over adversity.
Former Army secretary backs Biden, citing moral leadership
Read full article: Former Army secretary backs Biden, citing moral leadership(Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP, FIle)WASHINGTON The first openly gay Army secretary says hes supporting Joe Biden for president, the latest endorsement from a former military leader who had criticized President Donald Trump over his handling of anti-racism demonstrations. Eric Fanning, who held a variety of Navy and Air Force civilian positions and was Army secretary from 2016 to 2017, on Wednesday cited Bidens empathy and integrity in engaging with members of the military. The next president faces a monumental task: repairing our damaged democracy and our eroded moral leadership around the world, Fanning said in his announcement. Joe Bidens leadership in steering repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell ensured that E.J. Others, including former defense secretary Jim Mattis, have criticized Trumps leadership.
Romney says he'll 'stay quiet' on his 2020 presidential vote
Read full article: Romney says he'll 'stay quiet' on his 2020 presidential voteWASHINGTON Utah Sen. Mitt Romney on Monday became the latest prominent Republican to cast doubt on his support for President Donald Trump's reelection, saying he would stay quiet about whom he'll be supporting in November. Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, told reporters on Capitol Hill that I'm not going to be describing who I'll be voting for." In 2016, Romney said publicly that he would support neither Trump nor Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The relationship between Trump and Romney is acrimonious. Romney was the only GOP senator to support removing Trump from office after the president's impeachment trial earlier this year.
Floyd death pushes military to face 'own demons' on race
Read full article: Floyd death pushes military to face 'own demons' on raceA military Humvee blocks an intersection along K Street in downtown Washington as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Although the military historically has prided itself on diversity, leaders acknowledge that black troops often are disproportionately subject to military legal punishment and are impeded in promotions. Blacks make up about 17 percent of the Navy and less than 15 percent of the Air Force. But there is a much greater racial divide within the active duty military based on rank. Brown Jr., has been nominated to lead the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Goldfein.
Floyd death pushes military to face 'own demons' on race
Read full article: Floyd death pushes military to face 'own demons' on raceA military Humvee blocks an intersection along K Street in downtown Washington as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Although the military historically has prided itself on diversity, leaders acknowledge that black troops often are disproportionately subject to military legal punishment and are impeded in promotions. Blacks make up about 17 percent of the Navy and less than 15 percent of the Air Force. But there is a much greater racial divide within the active duty military based on rank. Brown Jr., has been nominated to lead the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Goldfein.