Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial board calls for Biden to drop out ‘for the good of the nation’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) is calling for President Biden to step out of the presidential election after his debate debacle on Thursday night. The AJC Editorial Board is publishing a front page editorial Sunday arguing that Biden should bow out of the election “for the good” of the country and to defeat former President Trump. “The shade of retirement is now necessary for President Biden,” the board wrote. Biden, they argued, failed to convey a “competent and coherent vision for the future of America” at the first presidential debate in Atlanta on Thursday. “He failed to outline the most fundamental aspects of his platform,” they wrote. “He failed to take credit for the significant accomplishments of his 3½ years in office. And he failed to counter the prevarications of an opponent, who, according to CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale, lied 30 times during the course of the debate, approximately once every 90 seconds of his allotted time.” This is the second newspaper editorial board to call on President Biden to remove himself from the race. The New York Times called for Biden to drop out of the race Friday.
The Democrats’ social media account attempts to spin Biden’s debate debacle: ‘Did we watch the same debate?’
The Democrats’ social media account got roasted in the comment section after asserting President Biden won Thursday night’s presidential debate. “The winner of tonight’s debate,” The Democrats declared in a X post Thursday night following the first presidential debate. The post included an image — notably not from the debate — of a grinning President Biden wearing his signature aviator sunglasses. Voters quickly took to the comment section, sharply criticizing the social media post. “Did you watch the same debate as I did?” one person wrote. BIDEN DEBATE DEBACLE: 10 EYE-OPENING MEDIA RESPONSES, FROM MSNBC PANIC TO ‘THE VIEW’ CALLING FOR REPLACEMENT “Your entire party is out of touch with reality,” another wrote. “When CNN calls Biden’s performance abysmal you know something is wildly wrong with Biden’s performance.” “You lose all credibility when you lie to people,” another wrote. “Funny, I am pleased you still have your sense of humor,” one person wrote. Others called out the account for “gaslighting” voters. “This gaslighting won’t work,” one person wrote. BIDEN’S ‘DISASTER’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE SPARKS MEDIA MELTDOWN, CALLS FOR HIM TO WITHDRAW FROM 2024 RACE “You guys are seriously gaslighting a lot of people into turning to Trump,” another wrote. Following the debate, Democrats and liberal media figures were in reported “panic” after Biden’s performance. The optics led to a full-on meltdown in Democrat-friendly media, with journalists at various outlets reporting on dozens of Democratic Party officials who said the 81-year-old Biden should consider refusing his party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. BIDEN’S INNER CIRCLE SILENT AS PARTY REELS FOLLOWING ‘EMBARRASSING’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE Biden gave no indication he would step down at his first rally following the debate Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina, insisting he is capable of beating Trump. “I can do this job, because, quite frankly, the stakes are too high,” Biden energetically said. “Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation.” President Biden also addressed his stumbling performance, saying, “I don’t debate as well as I used to.” “I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done,” he told a roaring crowd that chanted “Four more years.” Biden has about four more months and a second debate — to be hosted by ABC News Sept. 10 — to make his case against Trump before Americans head to the polls in November. Fox News Digital has reached out to Biden’s campaign for comment. Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
European official appears to liken Biden to failed Roman emperor after disastrous debate performance
A top Polish official recently appeared to draw an unflattering comparison between President Biden’s Thursday debate performance and the decline of ancient Rome. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski made the comment in an X post Friday. The statement was posted in English, which hinted it was intended for English-speaking audiences because Sikorski usually posts in Polish. In the X post, Sikorski took aim at Marcus Aurelius’s son, Commodus, whose reign marked the end of Pax Romana, an era of peace and prosperity in ancient Rome. “Marcus Aurelius was a great emperor but he screwed up his succession by passing the baton to his feckless son Commodus (He, from the Gladiator),” Sikorski wrote. “Whose disastrous rule started Rome’s decline. BIDEN AIMS TO CHANGE NEGATIVE NARRATIVE AFTER ROUGH DEBATE WITH TRUMP “It’s important to manage one’s ride into the sunset.” Biden’s recent debate performance has sparked commentary across the world, prompting increased concern about his advanced age and declining cognitive abilities. Media publications in Russia, China, Iran and other countries all covered the debate and used it as an opportunity to criticize the U.S. HERITAGE FOUNDATION WORKING ON ELECTION LEGAL CHALLENGES IN CASE BIDEN PULLED FROM DNC NOMINATION Rebekah Koffler, a strategic military intelligence analyst and author of “Putin’s Playbook,” told Fox News Digital most foreign publications “are derogatory of both candidates and mocking America.” “Bottom line, Moscow feels confident that the societal crisis that has engulfed the U.S. is good for Russia,” Koffler said. Fox News Digital reached out to Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for additional comment but did not immediately hear back. Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
Odessa residents face another water outage
The fast-growing Permian Basin city has faced years of water problems due to crumbling infrastructure. The system last shut off in May.
Gold Star family speaks out after Biden falsely claims no troops have died on his watch: ‘Shame on you’
President Biden is facing criticism from Gold Star families after falsely claiming during Thursday’s CNN Presidential Debate that he’s the “only president this century, this decade, that doesn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world.” Biden, after denying that 13 American service members were lost in Afghanistan, also said during the debate that “when he [Trump] was president, they were still killing people in Afghanistan. And he didn’t do anything about that.” Darin Hoover, Gold Star father of Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover who was one of those 13 American service members killed in action on August 26, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan, had a strong reaction to Biden’s debate claims. The younger Hoover, 31, was engaged to be married when he was killed. It was his third tour in Afghanistan. VOTERS REACT AFTER BIDEN FALSELY CLAIMED THAT NO TROOPS HAD DIED UNDER HIS WATCH “I knew Afghanistan was going to come up sooner or later,” said Hoover in an interview with Fox News Digital, recalling the debate. “You know, the stumbling, bumbling buffoon that we have in the White House had the audacity to say that under his watch that no military members have died.” In a statement to Fox News Digital after the initial publication of this story, a White House spokesperson said, “President Biden cares deeply about our service members, their families, and the immense sacrifices they have made. That’s why the President attended the dignified transfer of the 13 brave service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021; as well as, of the three who lost their lives in Jordan earlier this year.” “As he said then and continues to believe now: Our country owes them a great deal of gratitude and a debt that we can never repay, and we will continue to honor their ultimate sacrifice,” the spokesperson added. The Gold Star dad added, “the rage, the absolute disgust that I got, from hearing him say that–I started yelling back at the TV. Just out of frustration. He’s never acknowledged, not one time, any of our kids. He’s never said their names. Even to this day, I doubt very seriously that he even knows their names.” Taylor’s mother, Kelly Barnett, had this to say to Biden: “What I would say to them is shame on you using our children as a pawn. It just makes me sick.” HEROES OF KABUL: STAFF SGT. DARIN TAYLOR HOOVER HANDED OUT AMMO TO HIS MEN DESPITE FACING MORTAL INJURIES “It’s sickening, but it goes to the way that we’ve been treated the past three years. It’s three years–we’re going on three years now. And it’s just disrespect after disrespect. This is probably the cherry on top.” Hoover said the Biden administration sent the 13 Afghanistan Gold Star families letters – a year later. “All the 13 families get a canned letter. It said the same exact same thing. And it looked like it was a photocopy of all of that. It was basically, we’re sorry that your service member had died, and that’s been it. We’ve had absolutely nothing before, nothing since,” Hoover added. Hoover has made efforts to meet with Biden on behalf of the 13 lost on August 26, 2021. He said, “as much as we tried it in the past, when we’ve been going before Congress to try and get a meeting, it’s been denied because he’s a chicken.” “[Biden] doesn’t want to deal with us. He knows that we’re in his face, but he doesn’t want to deal with us,” said Hoover. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to the St. Charles County Veterans Museum in Missouri, Hoover was bestowed awards including the Purple Heart and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal after 11 years of service to the Marine Corps.
March for Nahel Merzouk a year after his killing by French police
Honourary rally comes a day before France heads to the polls in the first round of the snap elections with racism taking centrestage in the vote. A year after a French teenager with North African roots was killed by a policeman, his mother led a march to pay homage to her son that ended at the scene where he was gunned down without provocation. Several hundred family members, friends, and supporters gathered in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Saturday to remember Nahel Merzouk, 17, who was shot dead at point-blank range by a police officer at a traffic stop on June 27, 2023 – a killing that sparked shock and days of rioting across France. His mother, Mounia, spoke to the crowd, then broke away in tears. Friends wore white T-shirts with Merzouk’s photo and residents of his housing project held a banner reading “Justice for Nahel”. The march ended at the spot where he was killed and an imam sang and read a prayer. While there was no visible police presence, organisers recruited guards to ensure security for the event. The procession came at a politically fraught time when hate speech blights campaigning for snap parliamentary elections on Sunday. And when an anti-immigration party – that wants to boost police powers to use their weapons and has historical ties to racism and anti-Semitism – is leading in the polls. Merzouk’s mother asked politicians to stay away from the march to avoid tensions. “I don’t have Nahel any more. I just want justice for my son,” she told the crowd. Assa Traore, 39, who has fought for justice since her brother, Adama, died in police custody in 2016, said, “This march is a powerful symbol”. “It means that history can’t write itself without us. We, from the working-class neighbourhoods, are the firsthand victims of these elections. We realised from an early stage the National Rally and far-right parties were a danger for our country and will weaken it,” said Traore, who has roots in Mali. People take part in the march in Nanterre in honour of Nahel Merzouk [Julien de Rosa/AFP] ‘Racial profiling is our daily life’ Reporting from Nanterre, Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith noted: “Nahel’s death fed a narrative that French police use excessive force and get away with it. The office of the UN Commissioner for Human Rights said the shooting was a ‘moment for the country to seriously address the deep issue of racism and racial discrimination in law enforcement’.” On Sunday, French voters head to the polls in the first round of voting for the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, which could lead to the country’s first far-right government since the World War II Nazi occupation. Citing “security concerns”, notably in housing projects and other impoverished areas in French suburbs – or “banlieues” – the far-right National Rally (RN) party wants to give a specific new legal status to police. If police officers use weapons during an intervention, they would be “presumed” to have acted in self-defence. Currently, police officers share the same legal status as all French citizens, and must prove they acted in self-defence after discharging a firearm. Meanwhile, the left-wing coalition New Popular Front wants to ban the use of some police weapons and dismantle a notoriously violent police unit. “People fear a victory of the RN party. People from working-class neighbourhoods are afraid every day that our sons, brothers, or husbands will be killed. Racism and racial profiling are our daily life,” Traore said. ‘Conflicting loyalties’ On Friday, the RN faced new accusations of racism with a senior parliamentarian declaring a former education minister of Moroccan descent should never have got the job because of her origins. Lawmaker Roger Chudeau declared that Najat Vallaud-Belkacem’s appointment to the education portfolio in 2014 was “not a good thing” for France, saying her French and Moroccan citizenship meant she had “conflicting loyalties”. The incidents have done little to dent the popularity of the National Rally, however. Opinion polls suggest the RN party could dominate the next parliament after the July 7 second round of voting and secure the prime minister’s position. In that scenario, Macron would retain the presidency until 2027 but in a sharply weakened role. Adblock test (Why?)
Iraq: 5 big ISIL bombs found hidden in Mosul’s al-Nuri Mosque
Iraqi authorities requested UNESCO halt all reconstruction operations at al-Nuri Mosque and evacuate the entire complex until the devices are disarmed. Five large bombs were discovered hidden in the walls of the historic al-Nuri Mosque in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, a remnant of the armed group ISIL’s (ISIS’s) rule over the region. The mosque – famous for its 12th-century leaning minaret – was destroyed by ISIL in 2017 and has been a focal point of the UN cultural agency UNESCO’s restoration efforts since 2020. The UN agency said five large-scale explosive devices, designed for significant destruction, were found inside the southern wall of the Prayer Hall on Tuesday. “These explosive devices were concealed within a specially rebuilt section of the wall,” a UNESCO statement said on Saturday. “Iraqi authorities were promptly notified, secured the area, and the situation is now fully under control. One bomb has been defused and removed while the remaining four are interconnected and will be safely disposed of in the coming days.” Iraqi authorities requested UNESCO halt all reconstruction operations at al-Nuri Mosque and evacuate the entire complex until the devices are disarmed. ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared “a caliphate” from the mosque a decade ago on June 29, 2014, leading to its destruction when fighters blew it up during the battle to liberate Mosul in 2017. Mosul remains in ruins The discovery of the bombs underscores ongoing challenges in clearing Mosul of explosives and revitalising its devastated urban areas. International efforts, supported by the United Nations, focus on mine clearance and aiding in the city’s recovery. Despite progress, much of Mosul’s old city remains in ruins, marked by minefield warning signs, highlighting the complexity of post-conflict reconstruction. UNESCO aims to complete the full reconstruction of al-Nuri Mosque by December, “finally erasing the stigma of the Daesh occupation,” the statement said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL’s name. A decade after the armed group declared its caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria, ISIL no longer controls any land, lost many prominent leaders, and is mostly out of the news headlines. Still, the group continues to recruit members and claim responsibility for deadly attacks around the world, including lethal operations in Iran and Russia earlier this year that left many dead. Adblock test (Why?)
At least 12 killed during spate of Russian attacks on Ukraine
Deadly attacks come as Russia continues to stretch out Ukrainian forces in areas along the eastern front. Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 12 people, including four children, as fighting intensifies during a series of offensives into several regions of the war-battered country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Saturday the death toll in the village of Vilniansk – near the regional hub of Zaporizhzhia – may increase. “Seven people, including two children, have been killed by a Russian missile strike in the Zaporizhzhia region,” Zelenskyy said on social media, calling for his Western allies to speed up weapons deliveries. “Any delay in decisions in this war means the loss of human lives.” Ukraine’s Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said 18 people – including four children – were also wounded in Vilniansk, 30km (18 miles) from the main city of Zaporizhzhia. The attack occurred “in broad daylight on a weekend in a place where people were spending their leisure time downtown – without any military infrastructure”, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Ukrainian officials reported attacks on Saturday killed four people and injured 23 in eastern villages, while rescuers in the central city of Dnipro dug through rubble after an attack ripped through a nine-storey residential building, leaving one dead and 12 wounded. The heavy attacks on Saturday come as Russia continues to stretch out Ukrainian forces in several areas along the 1,000km (600 mile) front. Moscow has stepped up air raids in a bid to drain Ukraine’s resources, often targeting energy facilities and other vital infrastructure. Ukraine’s military said, “The total number of hostile attacks along the entire front line has now risen to 90.” Eastern Donetsk’s regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said Russian forces shelled populated areas 13 times over the past 24 hours. Seven people, including two children, were killed by a Russian missile strike in the Zaporizhzhia region. At the moment, we know about eleven injured people, three of them are children. Unfortunately, the number of casualties may still increase. Our cities and communities suffer… pic.twitter.com/dbKQT8KTZK — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 29, 2024 Zelenskyy said the Dnipro attack was a reminder to Ukraine’s allies the country needs more air defence systems. “This is why we constantly remind all of our partners: only a sufficient amount of high-quality air defence systems, only a sufficient amount of determination from the world at large can stop Russian terror,” he said. Fighting in Ukraine has intensified in several directions after Russia launched offensives from several directions, taking advantage of Ukraine being on the back foot militarily. Russian officials also reported Ukrainian attacks with a drone attack killing at least five people in Russia’s Kursk region. Two children were among the victims in the village of Gorodishche on the Russian-Ukrainian border, Governor Alexey Smirnov said on social media. Adblock test (Why?)
DNA TV Show: Analysis of bulldozer politics around different states in India
In today’s DNA, Zee News’ Anant Tyagi analysed the rising trend of bulldozer politics around different states in India
Trump endorses former Green Beret, Army colonel in their bids to flip House seats from blue to red
Former President Trump on Friday endorsed two Republican House candidates, both of whom served in the U.S. Army and are seeking to flip Democrat-held seats this fall. Trump’s endorsements of Derrick Anderson, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret, and Laurie Buckhout, a former Army colonel, came one day after his debate against President Biden. In his endorsement of Anderson, the Republican nominee to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, Trump said, “He bravely fought for our Great Country as a Green Beret, and was deployed to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. Unlike the current administration, he never left anyone behind! “Derrick is America First all the way, and he is running against a weak and pathetic Democrat named Yevgeny ‘Eugene’ Vindman who, along with Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff and others, lied to push the Ukraine Impeachment Hoax, a continuation of the greatest and most dangerous Political WITCH HUNT in the History of our Country.” FORMER SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA TO FLIP SWING HOUSE SEAT FROM DEMOCRATS Anderson is running for the seat held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who announced in November that she would seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor of Virginia in 2025. “Derrick Anderson has my Complete and Total Endorsement – HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN,” Trump said. In announcing his campaign in September, Anderson told Fox News Digital he could “no longer remain silent on the sidelines.” “I have spent my life serving this country overseas, including combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Watching President Biden and Washington Democrats squander 22 years of sacrifices made by our service members and their families was the final straw for me,” Anderson said at the time. Anderson served in the Army from 2006 to 2014 before his first run for Congress in 2022. That year, he narrowly lost the Republican primary to former congressional candidate Yesli Vega. Spanberger, a former CIA operative, defeated Vega in the general election by just under 5%, securing her third term after she was first elected in the 2018 midterms. Anderson advanced to the general election after defeating five other Republicans in the state’s June 18 primary. He will face off against Vindman, the Democratic Party’s nominee, Nov. 5. In his endorsement of Buckhout, the Republican nominee to represent North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Trump said, “Laurie bravely served our Country as an Army Colonel and Decorated Combat Commander and, in Congress, she will Grow the Economy, Lower Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, Secure our Border, Support our Military/Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.” FORMER ARMY COLONEL SEEKING TO FLIP NORTH CAROLINA HOUSE SEAT SAYS DEM OPPONENT IS ‘BEHOLDEN’ TO BIDEN Trump said he believes Buckhout “will be an incredible Representative for the fantastic people” of the state’s 1st congressional district. “Laurie Buckhout has my Complete and Total Endorsement,” the former president added. Buckhout, who served for 26 years in the U.S. Army and reached the rank of colonel before she retired in 2010, is aiming to flip a blue House seat to red in her challenge against incumbent Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C. Buckhout advanced to the general election in March after defeating Sandy Smith, her sole primary challenger. Speaking to Fox News Digital earlier this year, Buckhout accused Davis, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served for 14 years in the North Carolina state Senate before getting elected to the House in Nov. 2022, of being a “career politician” who has “never had a day in his life where he’s run a business.” Additionally, Buckhout accused Davis of being “beholden” to President Biden and the Democratic policies that continue to wreak havoc on her district. Davis later fired back at Buckhout’s allegations during an interview with Fox News Digital. “Let me be clear. I want to thank Col. Buckhout for her service to our country. But I think she couldn’t be more off on that whole comment because this is not about being beholden,” the first-term lawmaker said. “I’ve heard about flipping the seat. But, for me, it’s about fighting every day for families of eastern North Carolina.” Buckhout will face Davis, who ran unopposed, in the general election Nov. 5.