Sunday, August 1, 2021

US Navy Assault Ship Reduced to Scrap After Alleged Sabotage, US Sailor Charged Garion Frankel July 31, 2021 at 9:55am

US Navy Assault Ship Reduced to Scrap After Alleged Sabotage, US Sailor Charged

Garion Frankel July 31, 2021 at 9:55am

In July 2020, the USS Bonhomme Richard went up in flames at Naval Base San Diego.

According to The Hill, the blaze lasted four days and injured 63 people, including 40 service members and 23 civilians. Thankfully, nobody was killed.

The U.S. Navy decided to scrap the amphibious assault ship in November, as it would have taken seven years and $3 billion to repair it.

Now, someone may have to answer for the disaster.

The Navy on Thursday charged a sailor with arson, accusing him of intentionally causing one of the worst non-combat warship fires in recent memory.

The name of the sailor was not released, but Navy sources noted that he was a member of the Bonhomme Richard’s crew at the time of the fire.

U.S. 3rd Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Sean Robertson said in a statement that “evidence collected during the investigation is sufficient to direct a preliminary hearing in accordance with due process under the military justice system.”

Do you believe the sailor be convicted of arson?

Vice Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of the 3rd Fleet and the individual responsible for overseeing the case, said he “is considering court-martial charges and has directed a preliminary hearing” for the charged sailor.

Obviously, these officers know far more about the situation than I do, but I wonder why the sailor in question was not charged with attempted murder.

He is accused of starting a fire on a ship with people on board, so one could reasonably infer that he had some intent to kill.

I was not the only one to make this observation, either:

No motive has yet been revealed.

Let’s hope the Navy can get to the bottom of what appears to be an act of sabotage by one of its own.

The U.S. can ill afford disasters like this as our enemies grow ever more powerful and aggressive.

Even apart from those considerations, assuming the arson charges stick, the man responsible needs to be brought to justice. His crime could very well have had a much more tragic outcome.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

Court, Fire, investigation, Justice, military, U.S. Navy, US news

Garion Frankel

Contributor, Commentary

SummaryMoreRecentContact

Garion Frankel is the senior policy advisor for the Texas Federation of College Republicans. He enjoys and has published articles and academic works on public policy, philosophy and political theory.

@FrankelGarion

The Clock Is Ticking: Millions of Americans Could Become Homeless Within Weeks After Biden Administration and Democrats Refuse to Act Kipp Jones July 31, 2021 at 11:19am

The Clock Is Ticking: Millions of Americans Could Become Homeless Within Weeks After Biden Administration and Democrats Refuse to Act

Kipp Jones July 31, 2021 at 11:19am

Untold American families could face uncertainty about where they might live beginning Sunday after House Democrats failed to reach an agreement with regard to extending the nationwide eviction moratorium before a six-week recess.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a joint statement with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Whip James E. Clyburn on Friday that blamed Republicans, despite the fact that Democrats hold a majority.

“We are proud and pleased that, overwhelmingly, House Democrats have understood the hardship caused by rental evictions and support extending the eviction moratorium to October 18, 2021,” the House Democrats said. “Unfortunately, not a single Republican would support this measure.”

“No American family should have to be kicked out of their home because of the pandemic and the economic damage it has inflicted,” the statement added. “That’s why a moratorium was imposed on evictions and why Congress appropriated the $46.5 billion in emergency rental assistance earlier this year to state, local, territorial and tribal governments to help renters make their payments.”

The statement concluded by noting that the moratorium lapse could have “millions” of Americans “forced out on the streets.”

The White House issued a statement on Friday, which was attributed to President Joe Biden, and called for state and local leaders to disburse $21.5 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance funds from the American Rescue Plan.

“Every state and local government must get these funds out to ensure we prevent every eviction we can. State and local governments can and should use both the Emergency Rental Assistance and their American Rescue Plan state and local funds to support policies with courts, community groups, and legal aid to ensure no one seeks an eviction when they have not sought out Emergency Rental Assistance funds,” the statement read.

Radical Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri had attempted to rally her party to act to keep the moratorium on evictions in place in recent days.

Her efforts were in vain, however, as Democrats were incapable of reaching a deal.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky issued a statement earlier in the week that explained millions of people being homeless could lead to new COVID-19 infections.

Do you think an eviction moratorium extension is necessary?

“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to the nation’s public health. Keeping people in their homes and out of crowded or congregate settings — like homeless shelters — by preventing evictions is a key step in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Walensky said.

The end to the moratorium comes as Democrats, the CDC and the establishment media continue to spread fear about the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

MarketWatch reported eviction moratoriums will remain in place until later in the year in places such as New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, California and Washington, D.C.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

Biden administration, Homeless, House of Representatives, housing, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, politics, US news

Kipp Jones

SummaryMoreRecentContact

Johnathan "Kipp" Jones has worked as a reporter, an editor and a producer in radio, television and digital media. He is a proud husband and father.

Hours After Announcing Strict DC Mask Mandate, Mayor Photographed Having Maskless Party with Celebrities Andrew Jose July 31, 2021 at 1:57pm

Hours After Announcing Strict DC Mask Mandate, Mayor Photographed Having Maskless Party with Celebrities

Andrew Jose July 31, 2021 at 1:57pm

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser appeared to be posing for photographs maskless at a party just a few hours before her Saturday mask mandate came into effect.

A now-deleted Friday night Instagram post with the caption, “When your asked to Dj for the Mayor!!! Happy Birthday @mayor_bowser,” showed the mayor with comedian Dave Chappelle and a few others at a celebration ahead of Bowser’s birthday, which falls on Monday.

None of them wore masks, according to a screenshot of the Instagram post shared in a Saturday morning Twitter update by Washington Examiner journalist Jerry Dunleavy.

Chapelle, who was born in D.C., is performing in the district this weekend, according to a news release from Bowser’s office.

“DC is open and we are so proud to welcome home Dave Chappelle,” the Democratic mayor said in the release.

“Washingtonians have waited months to be able to enjoy shows like this one again, and it makes it even sweeter to be able to reopen one of our favorite venues with a performance from one of the world’s most beloved comedians and a DC native, Dave Chappelle.”

The images of the mayor maskless come as Bowser on Friday was sharing posts on Twitter urging D.C. residents to wear masks as a precaution against COVID-19.

Two days ago, the mayor announced that people in the district must wear facial coverings indoors, whether they have received the COVID-19 vaccine or not, in a move that sparked swift backlash.

Bowser’s mask mandate was set to come into effect Saturday morning at 5.

The new mandate came days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines for vaccinated individuals, recommending that even those who have been vaccinated put on face coverings indoors like their unvaccinated counterparts.

Bowser’s and the CDC’s moves come amid concerns over the more contagious Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.

The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ query, asking if “the mask mandate was put into effect Saturday so she could celebrate her birthday on Friday,” according to the outlet.

Delta has demonstrated the capability of breaking through vaccinated people. This variant, first discovered in India, is now one of the most dominant coronavirus strains in the United States.

According to UCDavis Health, there have been 65,000 breakthrough cases among the 160 million fully vaccinated individuals in the country, as of July 23.

Do you think COVID-19 is excessively politicized?

“Recent research found that the Delta variant grows more rapidly — and to much greater levels — in the respiratory tract,” UCDavis stated.

“As long as a chunk of people across the world are unvaccinated, new strains of the virus will continue to develop and cause problems.”

This is not the first time Bowser has gone against her own recommendations or guidelines. She was criticized for attending President Joe Biden’s victory speech in November despite Delaware being a state at “high risk” of COVID-19 infections, according to Fox News.

When asked about it, her office brushed the question away by asserting it was “essential travel,” the outlet reported.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

Coronavirus, Democrat policy, Democratic Party, Democrats, health, masks, politics, US news, Washington D.C.

Andrew Jose

Contributor, News

SummaryMoreRecentContact

Andrew Jose is a journalist covering business and finance, foreign policy and the aviation industry, among other beats.

@realAndrewJose

The New Under Ground Church-THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD

Sunday, August 1, 2021