Page 1633 – Texas Weekly Online

Protests, clashes resume in Kenya as military deployed

NewsFeed Anti-tax protests have turned anti-government in Kenya, with young people dissatisfied with the current economic situation and the government’s deadly response to protests earlier in the week. Published On 27 Jun 202427 Jun 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

US investigators sanction Boeing for sharing information on mid-air blowout

Boeing had ‘blatantly violated’ federal rules by providing ‘non-public investigative information’, investigators said. United States investigators have sanctioned Boeing for revealing details of a probe into a 737 MAX mid-air blowout and said they would refer its conduct to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), prompting the embattled planemaker to issue an apology. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Thursday that Boeing had “blatantly violated” its rules by providing “non-public investigative information” and speculating about possible causes of the January 5 Alaska Airlines door-plug emergency during a factory tour attended by dozens of journalists. The decision sheds new light on strains between the crisis-hit planemaker and government agencies at a time when it is trying to avoid criminal charges that are being weighed by the DOJ ahead of a July 7 deadline. “As a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing,” the NTSB said. The NTSB said Boeing would keep its status as a party to the investigation into the Alaska Airlines emergency, but would no longer see information produced during its probe into the accident, which involved the mid-air blowout of a door plug with four missing bolts. Unlike other parties, Boeing will now not be allowed to ask questions of other participants at an August 6-7 hearing. “We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSB’s role as the source of investigative information,” Boeing said in a statement. The NTSB’s criticism revolves around comments made during a media briefing on Tuesday at the 737 factory near Seattle, Washington about quality improvements – widely seen as part of an exercise to showcase greater transparency. During the briefing, which was held under an embargo allowing contents to be published on Thursday, an executive said the plug had been opened on the assembly line without the correct paperwork to fix a quality issue with surrounding rivets, and that missing bolts were not replaced. The team that came in and closed the plug was not responsible for reinstalling the bolts, Elizabeth Lund, Boeing’s senior vice president of quality, added. The NTSB said that by providing investigative information and giving an analysis of information already released, Boeing had contravened its agreement with the agency. “Boeing offered opinions and analysis on factors it suggested were causal to the accident,” it added. US investigators are probing the January 5 Alaska Airlines emergency [File: National Transportation Safety Board via AP] DOJ scrutiny In May, the DOJ said Boeing had violated a 2021 settlement with prosecutors that shielded it from criminal charges over interactions with the Federal Aviation Administration prior to MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. US prosecutors have recommended criminal charges be brought, Reuters reported on Sunday. The DOJ already has a separate criminal probe into the door-plug episode. Thursday’s rare exchange marks the latest sign of strains between Boeing and the NTSB. In 2018, Boeing was widely criticised for issuing a statement appearing to question the performance of pilots in the first of two fatal crashes that led to a grounding of the MAX. Later investigations emphasised the role of flawed software. In March this year, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told a US Senate hearing that Boeing had failed to provide names of employees on its 737 MAX door team for two months, drawing criticism from lawmakers. Boeing then quickly provided the names. On Thursday, the NTSB said Boeing had portrayed its investigation of the Alaska Airlines incident to media as a search to locate the individual responsible for plug work. “The NTSB is instead focused on the probable cause of the accident, not placing blame on any individual or assessing liability,” the agency said. Asked during Tuesday’s briefing who had failed to fill in documentation, Lund said: “There may have been one or more than one employee. What I will say is the ‘who’ is absolutely in the responsibility of the NTSB. That investigation is still going on and I am going to not comment on that right now.” The role of individuals is a particularly sensitive topic in air safety amid an increasing focus on litigation and, in some countries, a trend towards criminalising air accidents. Under global rules, agencies carry out civil probes into air accidents for the sole purpose of finding the cause and making recommendations to improve safety in the future. Such actions are separate from any judicial probes seeking to attribute blame. Adblock test (Why?)

What power does a president have in Iran?

Iranians are choosing a successor to the late Ebrahim Raisi. Following the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month, voters in Iran are choosing his successor. The Guardian Council initially approved six male candidates from a pool of 80, including one reformist and five hardline conservatives. But some dropped out. With the nation facing deep political unrest, economic challenges and tensions with the West over its nuclear programme, stakes are high in this election. And potential conflict between Israel and Lebanon is further increasing its significance. So what path might the country take after this vote? Presenter: Sami Zeidan Guests: Hassan Ahmadian – Senior fellow at the Center for Strategic Research Ali Vaez – Project director on Iran at the International Crisis Group Sami Nader – Director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs Adblock test (Why?)

Biden’s age much more of a liability than Trump’s, poll finds ahead of presidential debate

President Biden’s age is viewed as much more of a liability than former President Donald Trump’s, according to a new poll conducted ahead of the CNN presidential debate on Thursday. While 81-year-old Biden is just three years older than Trump, who turned 78 this month, about 67% of Americans say Biden is too old to be president, nearly twice as many as the 37% who said the same for Trump, according to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday. The results of the poll, conducted June 2-23, following Trump’s conviction in the Manhattan hush money trial, are in line with prior Gallup polling showing that 31% of Americans are willing to vote for a presidential candidate over age 80, and 63% are willing to vote for a candidate over age 70. TRUMP LEADING BIDEN AHEAD OF CNN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, SUPPORT FROM BLACK VOTERS WAY UP SINCE 2020: POLL In the June survey, Gallup said that half of respondents were asked whether each candidate is too old to be president, while the other half of respondents were asked whether they are concerned that each candidate is too old to be president. It showed that 59% were “very concerned” about Biden’s age, versus 18% about Trump’s. “When factoring in those who are ‘somewhat concerned,’ a combined 76% are concerned Biden is too old for the job, while 38% are concerned about Trump,” Gallup said. Gallup assessed that Biden’s age is not just a potential liability among Republicans and independents – majorities of whom say that he is too old and that they are very concerned about it – “but also among a sizable minority of Democrats.” The poll found that 44% of Democrats say Biden is too old, and that 31% are very worried about it. BLACK REPUBLICAN CALLS OUT BIDEN’S ‘REAL RECORD ON RACE’ IN SIX-FIGURE AD BUY TO AIR DURING CNN DEBATE Trump was 70 in 2017 when he took office, and Biden was 78 in 2021. Before them, Ronald Reagan had been the oldest U.S. president. He was 69 at the start of his presidency in 1981 and was 77 when he left office in 1989. A separate survey, the New York Times/ Siena College poll conducted June 20-25, also asked whether participants believed that Biden or Trump are too old to be an effective president. Its results released on Wednesday showed that a net percentage of 68% agreed that Biden is too old, while 39% said the same for Trump. With just over four months until Election Day, Thursday’s debate offers both candidates a rare potential to alter the trajectory of the race. Trump and Biden have not been on the same stage or even spoken since their last debate weeks before the 2020 presidential election. Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration. Thursday’s broadcast on CNN will be the earliest general election debate in history. It is the first-ever televised general election presidential debate hosted by a single news outlet after both campaigns ditched the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which had organized every one since 1988. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Court ruling suggests recent activity in federal investigation of Ken Paxton

Records don’t name the attorney general’s office, but their details line up with the accusations former top deputies made against Paxton.

More than 100 Texas counties lack plans to curb damage from natural disasters

The plans, which are required by the federal government to access certain grants after a natural disaster, are laborious to assemble — especially for rural counties.

Biden camp dodges answering if president plans to use performance-enhancing drugs before debate

President Biden’s campaign repeatedly dodged answering a point-blank question about whether Biden plans to take any drugs to enhance his performance during the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday evening. Biden’s opponent at the debate, former President Trump, has led a rising chorus – that has come to include lawmakers – demanding that Biden take a drug test before the showdown. Those advocating a screening suggest that Biden may be motivated by a desire to quell mounting concerns about his mental acuity. Given the controversy, Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden campaign, White House and Trump campaign asking if the respective candidates have any plans to use performance-enhancing drugs for the debate. The Biden campaign twice avoided a direct answer to the question. “Donald Trump is so scared of being held accountable for his toxic agenda of attacking reproductive freedom and cutting Social Security that he and his allies are resorting to desperate, obviously false lies,” Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt told Fox News Digital on Wednesday evening. MOST BIDEN RALLY APPEARANCES ARE SHORTER THAN A SITCOM, HELPING FUEL STAMINA CONCERNS When asked in a follow-up email for a “yes” or “no” response, Hitt said her original statement answered the question. “The accusation from Trump on drugs is a ‘desperate, obviously false lie,’” Hitt added. The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. In contrast, the Trump campaign issued a direct response when asked if Trump planned to take any performance-enhancing drugs for the debate. “Absolutely not,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karolina Leavitt told Fox News Digital. She added, “President Trump has naturally elite stamina and doesn’t need performance enhancing drugs, unlike Joe Biden, who many are saying will be drugged up for the debate like he was at the State of the Union. President Trump has repeatedly asked Joe Biden to participate in drug testing. What does Team Biden have to hide?” Despite the accusations of his political adversaries, there is no clear evidence that Biden has used any performance-enhancing drug or other similar substance during his tenure in the Oval Office. OBAMA LEADING BIDEN OFF LA FUNDRAISER’S STAGE JUST LATEST EXAMPLE OF ALLIES DIRECTING PRESIDENT Still, Trump has challenged Biden to take a drug test before the Thursday night debate, previously suggesting that Biden uses substances to enhance his cognitive functioning. Trump, when issuing his challenge to Biden, volunteered to also take a drug test. Former White House physician Ronny Jackson, who is now a Republican congressman representing Texas, has also called on Biden to take a pre-debate drug test. Jackson cited the dozens of lawmakers and administration officials who described Biden as losing his mental edge in interviews for a recent bombshell Wall Street Journal report. “This is a Biden-specific concern based on the unexplained change in his demeanor during the [State of the Union],” Jackson previously told Fox News Digital. “President Trump has been the same his entire life, and there have definitely been no concerning changes. President Trump has also previously offered to take one if Biden does.” OBAMA AGAIN STEPPING INTO ROLE AS JOE’S CLOSER AHEAD OF TRUMP V BIDEN REMATCH In response to the Wall Street Journal report, the White House dismissed the unflattering portrait of the president as nothing more than partisan politics working to deride a “savvy and effective” Biden. Earlier this year, special counsel Robert Hur raised further concerns about Biden’s mental acuity within a report detailing Biden’s handling of classified documents after his time as vice president in the Obama administration. Hur announced in February that he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after leaving government service, describing the 81-year-old Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” BIDEN LOOKS TO CAPITALIZE ON STAR-STUDDED HOLLYWOOD FUNDRAISER AFTER TRUMP’S MASSIVE CASH HAUL IN BLUE STATE “Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone from whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt,” Hur wrote in his report. “It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him – by then a former president well into his eighties – of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.” The findings sparked widespread outrage that Biden had been effectively deemed too cognitively impaired to be charged with a crime yet was still serving as president. TRUMP’S ‘MODERN DAY SALEM WITCH TRIAL’ VERDICT SIGNALS ‘OPEN SEASON’ ON FORMER PRESIDENTS: EXPERTS The report has been repeatedly cited by critics and the media amid a string of gaffes and missed cues from Biden in recent weeks. Those include: former President Obama taking Biden’s wrist to seemingly lead him offstage at a fundraiser in Los Angeles this month; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni directing Biden back to a gaggle of world leaders in Italy this month after he took a few steps away from the group to give a thumbs up to a parachutist; and viral video showing the president standing relatively motionless during a Juneteenth concert event at the White House. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last week addressed the recent videos of Biden “freezing” at public events, describing the footage as “disinformation” promoted by “right-wing critics.” “They are cheap fakes. … They are done in bad faith. And some of your news organizations have been very clear, have stressed that these right-wing … critics of the president have a credibility problem because the fact-checkers have repeatedly caught them pushing misinformation, disinformation,” she said. Fox News Digital reported earlier this week that after Biden’s cloistered campaign strategy during the 2020 election cycle – which earned him the nickname “Basement Joe” from Trump – Biden has delivered just three campaign rally speeches this year lasting longer than 30 minutes. TRUMP RESURRECTS BIDEN’S ‘DEVASTATING’ 1994 CRIME BILL AS HE COURTS BLACK DETROIT VOTERS: ‘SUPER PREDATORS’ Biden spoke for more than 30 minutes on just three occasions during his 11 rallies in 2024. Fox News Digital defines rallies in

Author: