PUBLISHED: 09:51 EST, 8 November 2018 | UPDATED: 12:11 EST, 9 November 2018
Eight of the 12 the victims shot dead in the crowded country music bar in California have now been identified.
Sean Adler, 48; Cody Coffman, 22; Blake Dingman, 23; Jake Dunham, 21; Justin Meek, 23; Daniel Manrique; Kristina Morisette; Telemachus Orfanos, 27; and Noel Sparks were among those killed in the massacre at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday night.
Alaina Housley, the 18-year-old niece of ‘Sister, Sister’ actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley, was also killed.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Sergeant Ron Helus, who was first on the scene, was killed after being shot multiple times when he exchanged fire with the 28-year-old gunman, Ian David Long.
Sergeant on Brink of Retirement
Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus was among those killed. He was shot multiple times by the gunman after responding to the first 911 calls and later died in hospital
Ron Helus, 54, was set to retire from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department next year after 29 years on the job.
He was among the first to respond to calls of a shooting at the Borderline Bar, and was shot multiple times as he and a California Highway Patrol officer exchanged fire with the gunman inside the bar.
Helus was speaking to his wife Karen when he received the call about a mass shooting.
The last thing he said to her was: ‘Hon, I got to go, I love you. I gotta go on a call’.
Devoted Son
Cody Coffman, 22, was killed in the massacre at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California on Wednesday night
Video playing bottom right…
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Cody Coffman’s father Jason sobbed as he confirmed that authorities had told him on Thursday that his oldest son had died.
‘Oh Cody, I love you son,’ he said. ‘This is a heart I will never get back.’
He said he spoke to his son just before he went to the bar Wednesday night.
‘The first thing I said was ‘Please don’t drink and drive.’ The last thing I said was ‘Son, I love you’,’ he said.
Cody had plans to go into the military and was speaking with U.S. Army recruiters.
His father Jason had earlier rushed to the bar after hearing news of the shooting and calls to his son’s cellphone went unanswered. He feared the worst when a tracking app on his son’s phone indicated the device was still inside the venue.
Jason said he was alerted to the shooting when several of Cody’s friends started banged on their front door after 1am.
‘Some of his girlfriends got out but they didn’t know where Cody was,’ Jason said.
Barman Who Rushed to Save Others
Justin Meek, 23, (above) worked at the Borderline Bar as a bouncer and was the organizer of the bar’s country music college night, which was taking place when the gunman struck
Justin Meek was identified as one of the slain victims by his family and his former college.
The 23-year-old, who was a recent graduate of California Lutheran University, worked at the bar where he was killed.
Meek is believed to have heroically saved lives as the shooting unfolded, according to university president Chris Kimball.
‘Justin was a criminal justice and criminology major who had a passion for doing what was right,’ Jenn Zimmerman, Cal Lutheran’s veterans coordinator, said in a statement.
‘I’m not shocked he took action to protect the people at Borderline.’
During college, he worked in the school’s veteran resource office and often worked with the Veterans Club to plan events and help veteran students.
Meek also loved singing in choir and took part in the school’s Kingsmen Quartet.
He planned to join the US Coast Guard.
Las Vegas Shooting Survivor
Borderline employee Telemachus Orfanos was also among those confirmed dead. He survived the mass shooting that killed 58 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas last year
Borderline employee Telemachus Orfanos, 27, was also among those confirmed dead.
In a cruel twist of fate, Orfanos was a survivor of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting massacre in Las Vegas last year.
An estimated 50 to 60 survivors of the Las Vegas shooting were at the Borderline Bar on Wednesday – they often met there for mutual support.
Orfanos was an Eagle Scout and served in the Navy.
His social media indicates he attended the local Thousand Oaks High School and Moorepark College.
Niece of Sitcom Actress
Alaina Housley, the 18-year-old niece of actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley, died in the shooting
Actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley (left) issued a statement saying their hearts were broken following her death
‘Sister, Sister’ actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley revealed that their 18-year-old niece had also been killed.
The couple issued a statement, saying: ‘Our hearts are broken’.
‘We just learned that our Alaina was one of the victims of last night’s shooting at Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks.
‘Alaina was an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her and we are devastated that her life was cut short in this manner.’
Mowry-Housley posted this tribute to her slain niece on Instagram after the shooting
The teenager was a freshman at Pepperdine University and had been at the bar with several friends.
Her Apple Watch and iPhone showed her location as still inside the bar in the aftermath of the shooting.
Her uncle Adam, who is a former Fox News correspondent, had rushed to the hospital at 3.30am in search of his niece after hearing reports of the shooting.
‘My gut is saying she’s inside the bar, dead. I’m hoping I’m wrong,’ Adam had told the LA Times before her dead was confirmed.
Two of her friends jumped out of a broken window and ran for safety but say they lost Alaina in the mayhem. They are in hospital being treated for major injuries.
Waitress with Bright Smile
Kristina Kaylee Morisette, who worked as the cashier at Borderline Bar and Grill, was also confirmed dead in the shooting
Kristina Kaylee Morisette, who worked at Borderline Bar and Grill, was also confirmed dead in the shooting.
She attended Simi Valley High School.
Morisette was reportedly working the cash register at the front of the bar when the gunman stormed in and began shooting.
‘The worst things happen to the best people,’ a friend wrote on Twitter. She was such a sweet girl and cared for everyone.
Churchgoing College Student
Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old student at Moorpark College, was also confirmed dead
Noel Sparks’ final Snapchat post
Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old student at Moorpark College, was also confirmed dead.
The United Methodist Church in Westlake Village, of which she was a member, posted condolences to her parents on Facebook.
Sparks’ friends had been in tears throughout the day as they desperately searched for her in the aftermath of the shooting.
Her friend Madison Nenkervis posted a tribute to Sparks on Facebook, writing: ‘one of the Victims of the shooting was a dear Church friend of my families and Such a sweet Amazing soul.’
Nenkervis shared Sparks’ chilling final post on Snapchat from shortly before the shooting.
It showed the dance floor at Borderline half empty, with the caption ‘It’s quite [sic] tonight’.
Entrepreneurial Bouncer
A friend places his hand on a photo of Sean Adler during a vigil at the Rivalry Roasters coffee shop on Thursday. Adler had recently launched the business when he was killed
Sean Adler, 48, was working as a bouncer at the Borderline Bar & Grill when he was killed.
He was a wrestling coach who had only recently opened a coffee shop in the local area.
The married father of two had big dreams for Rivalry Roasters, but stuck with his job working the door at Borderline to ensure he’d be able to support his family.
Adler had dreamed of becoming a police officer, and was training with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department last year when a heart attack forced him to reconsider his career path.
He is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 12 and 17.
Motorsports Enthusiast
Blake Dingman, 21, was identified by his girlfriend as a victim of the mass shooting
Blake Dingman, 21, was identified by his girlfriend as a victim of the mass shooting.
‘My sweet Blake… my heart is hurting more than words can say. I cannot believe you’re gone. I am so grateful for our little infinity and all of our deep talks, cuddles, late nights, and adventures,’ she wrote in a tribute.
‘I am so incredibly grateful for every moment we spent together. God brought us together for a reason and I will hold our memories in my heart forever. I love you with all of my heart my sweet boy and my angel.’
Dingman played high school baseball at Hillcrest Christian School in Thousand Oaks.
His Facebook page shows his enthusiasm for motorsports, including monster trucks and racing.
Jake Dunham, 21, was also killed
Loyal Friend
Jake Dunham, 21, was also among those killed in the shooting.
He had gone to the bar to play pool with his friends, his father Ken Dunham told NBC Los Angeles.
‘I keep calling it but there’s no answer,’ Ken said. ‘It just keeps ringing out… he always answers his phone.’
Some published reports said that Dunham was at Borderline with his friend, Blake Dingman, who also was among those killed.
Dunham and Dingham were known to be close friends.
Marine Veteran
Marine veteran Daniel Manrique, 33, was another victim confirmed killed in the shooting
Marine veteran Daniel Manrique, 33, was another victim confirmed killed in the shooting.
‘He had spent his entire adult life, post military service, helping veterans readjust to civilian life and had just recently accepted a position with Team RWB as the Pacific Regional Program Manager,’ family member Gladys Manrique Koscak wrote in a tribute on Facebook.
‘I have no doubt that he died a hero, shielding others from gunshots. He will forever be our hero, son, brother, and the best uncle anybody could ever ask for,’ she said.
Frantic Search for Survivors
A shirtless man and two others carry an injured person out of the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, on Wednesday night after a gunman opened fire at 11.20pm
A number of parents rushed to the bar and used tracking devices to look up their children’s iPhones and iWatches.
Many of the devices were still located inside the bar as the parents said they hadn’t heard from their loved ones since the shooting happened.
There were roughly 100 people inside the bar when the gunman opened fire.
Many of those inside were students at Pepperdine University and others are thought to have gone to California Lutheran University – both are Christian schools.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s office said the victim notification process was ‘slow and methodical’. They said they were doing everything possible to notify relatives.
EMTs treat a victim from the shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill on Wednesday. In addition to the 12 innocent people who were killed, another 12 at least were injured
Authorities said Long was wearing a hood and dressed all in black when he used a smoke bomb and handgun to open fire at the bar.
Patrons screamed in fear, shouted ‘get down!’ and used barstools to smash second-floor windows and jump to safety as gunfire erupted at the bar, a hangout popular with students from nearby California Lutheran University.
Authorities said 21 people injured in the shooting had been released from various hospitals by Thursday morning.
‘It’s a horrific scene in there,’ Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said. ‘There’s blood everywhere.’
The gunman, who was a former marine, deployed a smoke device and used a .45-caliber handgun in the attack.
He first fired on a person working the door and then appeared to shoot at random at people inside, according to witnesses.
PUBLISHED: 01:28 EST, 9 November 2018 | UPDATED: 13:39 EST, 9 November 2018
“The people of Florida deserve fairness and transparency,” Rick Scott told reporters
Florida has made a disturbing return to the election spotlight 18 years after the drama that launched George W Bush’s presidency, as the state braces for race recounts amid accusations of corruption and voting discrepancies.
Two races in the southeastern state, for governor and US Senate, hung in the balance Friday, three days after the contentious midterm elections that saw Democrats seize control of the House of Representatives from President Donald Trump’s Republicans.
Most US political races have already been settled. But Florida’s ballot chaos — rife with intrigue and Trump’s accusation of abuse by officials in Democrat-heavy counties — raises fresh questions about why the world’s most powerful democracy is incapable of producing swift and accurate election results across all 50 states.
Florida is not alone. In neighboring Georgia, the Democratic candidate for governor initiated legal action to ensure all votes were counted in her contest.
In Arizona, hundreds of thousands of ballots were still left to be counted in a fierce battle for the Senate as Kyrsten Sinema — currently a Democratic congresswoman — edged ahead of Martha McSally, a Republican congresswoman.
Florida’s Governor Rick Scott, the Republican challenging incumbent Senate Democrat Bill Nelson, filed a lawsuit against two election officials alleging fraud after his lead narrowed.
His race, and the one for governor, appear headed for mandatory recounts, which could delay a final outcome for days or weeks.
“The people of Florida deserve fairness and transparency,” Scott told reporters.
US President Donald Trump has accused some local Florida officials of “fraud” as the state’s key races for governor and US Senate head towards likely mandated recounts
“Every Floridian should be concerned there may be rampant fraud happening in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.”
Scott said he was ordering an official investigation into his own race.
With the developments raising partisan tensions to fresh highs, Trump weighed in to allege a major corruption scandal was brewing, while fellow Republican Marco Rubio of Florida accused Democrats of a coordinated effort to “steal the election.”
“What’s going on in Florida is a disgrace,” Trump told reporters.
Scott “easily won, but every hour it seems to be going down,” he said of Scott’s lead which on Friday stood at 14,999 votes out of 8.2 million cast, a margin of just 0.18 percent.
“If you look at Broward County, they have had a horrible history,” Trump added, referring to a Democrat-heavy county where officials were slowly counting votes including absentee and provisional ballots.
– 537 votes –
Broward County canvassing board member Judge Robert Rosenberg, pictured on November 24, 2000, looks over a questionable ballot at the Broward County Courthouse in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Broward was at the heart of Florida’s bitter legal brawls in 2000. That year’s recounts in Broward and other counties were halted by the US Supreme Court, and George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 537 votes in Florida, giving him the edge in the electoral college and handing him the White House.
Scott’s lawsuits alleged a lack of transparency over the counting process and asked that further details be made public.
Rancor was spilling into governors’ races, where Andrew Gillum in Florida and Stacey Abrams in Georgia were aiming to become the states’ first African-American leaders, but the contests were tilting in favor of their Republican rivals.
Unofficial results show Gillum trailing Ron DeSantis, a Trump-endorsed Republican, by just 36,165 votes, or 0.44 percentage points.
State law mandates a recount if the difference in a race is within 0.5 percent. If the margin is within 0.25 percent, as it stood in the Senate race, a hand recount — slower and more thorough than by machine — is ordered.
– ‘Highly irresponsible’ –
Andrew Gillum was aiming to become Florida’s first African-American governor and initially conceded, but now says he is ready for a state-mandated recount
David Lublin, a professor of government at American University, dismissed suggestions that corruption was to blame, and said the latest statements by Trump and Scott “are highly irresponsible.”
Broward County officials were simply taking deliberative steps to count all ballots, including absentee and provisional ones, he said.
“The good news is that since the 2000 election, the process has improved both in terms of how people vote in Florida and the designation of a recount,” he said.
And yet unusual voting discrepancies were being reported in Broward.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel said it analyzed voting patterns and found that of Broward ballots already counted, thousands made the unlikely choice of voting in lower-profile contests like for agriculture commissioner, but not for Senate, the marquee race on the ballot.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema, pictured on November 3, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona, is in a fierce battle against against two-term congresswoman Martha McSally
The unusual pattern appeared in no other Florida county, the newspaper reported.
Experts including lawyer Lawrence Norden have turned to a possible flaw with the ballot’s design.
“If this is the cause of lost votes, it is incredibly frustrating that somehow the state hasn’t gotten its act together to make sure ballots are designed in a way that don’t cause lost votes,” he told the Sentinel.
Who is Brenda Snipes, the Broward County supervisor of elections?
Rick Scott’s campaign names Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
Author: Mark Bergin
Published: 8:16 AM EST November 9, 2018
Updated: 4:33 PM EST November 9, 2018
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign has filed lawsuits against election officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties, accusing them of not being able to provide accurate totals of how many ballots remain left to be counted.
In the lawsuits, Scott’s campaign names Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher in their respective county roles.
Snipes and Bucher are Democrats. Scott is a Republican.
The Broward suit complains of a “lack of transparency” about how many people voted, how many ballots were received and how ballots were counted.
Scott ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate. Florida’s 67 counties are required to report their unofficial returns to state elections officials on Saturday.
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner held a conference call with county elections supervisors Thursday morning to discuss a possible recount and plan ahead for one.
The earliest Detzner could issue a recount is Saturday.
Friday afternoon, a judge ruled Snipes violated state law and must hand over records from Tuesday’s vote by 7 p.m. CBS Miami reports the judge said Snipes must “allow immediate” viewing and copying of records that have been requested.
Who is Brenda Snipes?
Republican Gov. Jeb Bush asked Snipes to serve as Supervisor of Elections in Broward County – Florida’s second-most populous county – nearly 15 years ago.
Broward County has about 1.15 million voters, second only to Miami-Dade’s at about 1.4 million.
CBS Miami reported while Oliphant was in office, uncounted votes were found in a cabinet drawer, and the department went a million dollars over budget.
Snipes was reelected in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
She has lived in Broward County since 1964.
Click or tap here to read Snipes’ biography on the Broward County Supervisor of Elections website.
Snipes has had several election-related incidents:
August 2016: Broward elections office post election results before polls close
CBS Miami reported the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office inadvertently posted election results 30 minutes before the polls closed at 7 p.m.
It prompted Secretary of State Ken Detzner to fire off memos to the Broward County State Attorney and sheriff asking for an investigation.
A private contractor that runs the website, VR Systems, said one of their workers accidentally put up the results while creating a link for a Broward County elections worker.
The CEO outlined the mistake in an affidavit sent to Snipes and issued an apology, saying, in part, “VR Systems assumes responsibility for the error. We are taking additional measures to ensure this never occurs again.”
March 2018: Judge rules in favor of Broward elections office in voter fraud suit
The Sun Sentinel reported a federal judge cleared Snipes in a lawsuit that accused her office of facilitating voter fraud.
May 2018: Destroyed ballots in Wasserman-Schultz race
In May 2018, the Sun Sentinel reported a judge ruled the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office violated state and federal laws by destroying ballots from a 2016 Congressional race too soon — and while the ballots were the subject of a lawsuit against the office.
The ruling stems from Tim Canova’s bid to unseat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the Democratic primary, a race he lost convincingly. In September, Snipes approved the destruction of the ballots, signing a certification that said no court cases involving the ballots were pending.
Snipes said the action a “mistake” during testimony she gave in the case, saying the boxes were mislabeled and there was “nothing on my part that was intentional” about destroying the contested ballots.
August 2018: Judge orders Snipes to stop opening mail-in ballots in secret
Politico reported a judge ordered for Snipes to stop opening mail-in ballots in secret or before the county’s three-member canvassing board to determine the ballots’ validity.
“We appreciate the court’s order clarifying what Florida law plainly requires — that Supervisor Snipes and her staff must safely keep and may not open any vote-by-mail ballot until the Broward County Canvassing Board canvasses the vote,” a spokeswoman for the Republican Party of Florida told Politico.
August 2018: Vote-by-mail late arrivals in the primary election
CBS Miami reported the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office had late delivery on about 5,000 vote-by-mail ballots for the 2018 primary election.
The Census Bureau has released new data that strengthens the case for calling the current generation of American children “The Welfare Generation.”
Among American residents under 18 years of age in 2017, according to the Census Bureau, 51.7 percent lived in households in which one or more persons received benefits from a means-tested government program.
That was down slightly from the 52.1 percent of Americans under 18 in 2016who lived in households receiving means-tested government assistance. (Also, because this new Census Bureau estimate is for 2017, it predates the significant economic and job growth the United States has seen in 2018).
But in each of the last five years on record (2013 through 2017), according to the Census Bureau, at least 51 percent of Americans under 18 have lived in households receiving means-tested government assistance.
In fact, the 51.7 percent in 2017 was the lowest percentage in any of the last five years on record.
The programs the Census Bureau includes in its estimate of how many people are living in households receiving means-tested government assistance include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), Supplemental Security Income, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, Medicaid, public housing, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the National School Lunch Program.
The table enumerates, by various characteristics, “[p]eople who lived with someone (a nonrelative or relative) who received aid.”
“Not every person tallied here,” Table POV-26 says, “received the aid themselves.”
In 2017, the Census Bureau estimates, according to the table, that there were approximately 322,549,000 people living in the United States. Of these, 114,637,000—or 35.5 percent—lived in a household that received means-tested government assistance.
Of the 322,549,000 people in the United States in 2017, 73,356,000 were under 18 years of age. Of these children, 37,908,000—or 51.7 percent—lived in a household that received means-tested government assistance.
Even when the school lunch program was excluded from the group of means-tested government programs, there were still 32,467,000 people in America under 18 (or 44.3 percent of that demographic) living in a household receiving means-tested government assistance.
The 51.7 percent of people under 18 on means-tested government assistance in 2017 was a slight declined from the 52.1 percent on means-tested government assistance in 2016.
In 2016, according to the Census estimate, there were 73,586,000 people under 18 in the United States (compared to 73,356,000 in 2017) and 38,365,000 (compared to 37,908,000 in 2017) were living in households receiving means-tested government assistance.
The percentage of persons under 18 living in households receiving means-tested government assistance also varied by the type of household the person was living in, according to the Census data.
But it was above 40 percent even in married-couple families.
In married couple families in 2017, according to Table POV-26, there were 49,436,000 related children under 18. Of these, 20,230,000—or 40.9 percent—lived in households in which one or more persons received means-tested government assistance.
There were 5,330,000 related children under 18 living in households headed by a male householder with no spouse present. 3,371,000 of these children—or 48.7 percent—lived in a household receiving means-tested government assistance.
There were 17,766,000 related children under 18 living in households headed by a female householder with no spouse present. 13,702,000 of these children—or 77.1 percent—lived in a household receiving means-tested government assistance.
After the 51.7 percent of children under 18 who lived in a household that received means-tested government assistance in 2017, the next most likely age group to live in a household that received means-tested government assistance were those 18 to 24. There were 29,363,000 in that age bracket and 11,855,000—or 40.4 percent—lived in a household getting means-tested government assistance.
The age group least likely to be receiving means-tested government assistance were people 75 and older. There were 20,713,000 in that age bracket in 2017 and only 3,894,000—or 18.8 percent—lived in a household on means-tested government assistance.
This chart summarizes key data from the Census Bureau’s POV-26 tables from 1994 through 2017, showing the total population each year, the total number of people in households receiving means-tested assistance, the percentage in households getting asisstance, the total number of residents under 18, the total number in households receiving means-tested assistance, and the percentage of children in households getting means-tested assistance:
Story 1: The Big Winner Is President Donald J. Trump — Senators: Republicans 55 — Democrats 45, Representatives: Republicans 201 — Democrats — 234 — No Blue Wave But Blue Ripple — Videos —
Midterm election 2018: The biggest winners
Republicans, Democrats weigh in on midterm election results
Trump will help Republicans win midterm elections: Rep. Biggs
Story 2: President Trump’s Reaction To Election Results — Videos —
Trump press conference following midterm elections
Trump holds press conference after mixed night at midterms
Donald Trump: 50 supporters explain why they love him – BBC News
A look at potential 2020 contenders
‘Sit down, you’re very rude, you’re fake news!’ President Trump’s extraordinary confrontation with CNN reporter as his aide wrestles for the microphone and he takes credit for mid-terms ‘victory’
Democrats took control of the House of Representatives during the US mid-terms in a blow to Donald Trump
Party vowed to frustrate his populist political agenda while launching investigations into his administration
But Republicans are set to increase their majority in the Senate, providing the President with a partial victory
Trump hailed a ‘big win’ for his party and those who backed his pro-business, anti-illegal immigration agenda
He also threatened to go to war in the Capitol if Democrats try to launch investigations into his administration
PUBLISHED: 02:03 EST, 7 November 2018 | UPDATED: 14:54 EST, 7 November 2018
Donald Trump hailed ‘a historic day’ for Republicans in the American mid-term elections and became embroiled in an extraordinary confrontation with a CNN reporter at his press conference today.
Democrats won back control of the House of Representatives, and are projected to win 238 seats to the Republicans 197 seats – with Republicans projected to retain control of the Senate and increase their majority to 54 seats.
At the press conference President Trump took credit for victory, then when taking questions from the media, got into a furious row with CNN reporter Jim Acosta who challenged his characterisation of migrants heading for the US border in a ‘caravan’ from Central America as ‘an invasion.’
A riled President Trump points and admonishes CNN reporter Jim Acosta in a tense argument between the two at his press conference today. The duo often clash during the President’s briefings at the White House
President Trump denied using a migrant caravan making its way to the US border through Mexico to whip up fear ahead of Tuesday’s election to win votes, and then went on to admonish Acosta
A clearly riled President Trump then said: ‘Why don’t you let me run the country you run CNN and if you did it well your ratings would improve.’
Acosta attempted to ask a further question that was denied to him before him and a White House Aide then got into a strange fight over the microphone.
The reporter attempted to ask a question about whether President Trump was ‘concerned about the investigation into Russia’, with a quick riposte coming from Trump who said the investigation was a ‘hoax.’
The President added: ‘CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a very rude ..terrible person.. the way you treat Sarah Huckabee is…’
The room went temporarily silent before another question from a reporter was taken who defended Acosta describing him as ‘diligent’.
President Trump shot back at the reporter he ‘wasn’t a big fan of his either’ to laughter from the room, before Acosta stood up again and started talking to the President.
Trump said ‘just sit down please’ and then accused Acosta of reporting ‘fake news’ and branded him ‘an enemy of the people.’
A White House aide takes the microphone from Jim Acosta as he attempts to ask a further question to President Trump. The reporter managed to ask a further question about Russia that President Trump rebutted saying the investigation was a ‘hoax’
At the start of the news conference President Trump claimed the largest Senate gains for a President’s first midterms since President Kennedy in 1962.
He said: ‘We saw the group of candidates I supported achieve tremendous success last night.’
The President said he they had a ‘big day yesterday, an incredible day and last night the Republican party defied history to expand our Senate.’
They managed this despite being ‘getting bombarded with money on the other side’ and ‘a very hostile media coverage to put it mildly,’ he added – ‘it set a new standard.’
Donald Trump hailed a ‘Big Win’ for Republicans in the mid-term elections on Tuesday after the party increased its majority in the Senate, marking the first time since 2002 that a ruling party has picked up seats in the upper house of government
Trump said he had made history in raising the number of Senators to 55, ‘the largest number of Republican Senators for the last 100 years.’
Responding to Democrats threats over claims of Russian election tampering, Trump said ‘It’s been a long time they’ve got nothing.’
He continued, ‘They can play that game but we can play it better because we’ve got the Unites States Senate.’
He was also critical of some Republican candidates who did not accept his ’embrace.’
‘Those are some of the people that decided for their own reasons – whether its me or what we stand for, but what we stand for meant a lot to most people and we have had tremendous support of the Republican party – at 93% its a record.’ Trump said.
There may be some room, however, for Trump and Democrats to work together on issues with bipartisan support such as a package to improve infrastructure or protections against prescription drug price increases.
‘It really could be a beautiful bipartisan situation,’ Trump said.
He said Nancy Pelosi, who may be the next speaker of the House, had expressed to him in a phone call a desire to work together. But Trump doubted there would be much common ground if Democrats press investigations.
‘You can’t do it simultaneously,’ he said.
He also said he hopes he can work with Congress to get enough money to build his long-promised border wall but that he would not necessarily force a government shutdown over the issue.
‘We need the money to build the wall, the whole wall, not pieces of it,’
‘We need the wall, many Democrats know we need the wall, and we’re just going to have to see what happens.’
Republicans are forecast to hold 54 out of 100 seats in the Senate once all votes are counted, up from 51, while the Democrats are projected to take 238 seats in the House of Representatives, with 218 needed for a majority.
Trump used the result – the first time since 2002 that the ruling party has gained Senate seats – to congratulate himself, saying: ‘Yesterday was such a very Big Win, and all under the pressure of a Nasty and Hostile Media!’
Despite the Democrats making gains, Tuesday failed to live up to expectations that a ‘blue wave’ of support would sweep them into power in both houses and leave Trump as a lame duck.
But winning the House does give Democrats the ability to block Republican legislation they disagree with, frustrating Trump’s political agenda for the remaining two years of his term.
They also win control of several powerful committees which they have pledged to use to launch investigations into Trump, including subpoenaing tax records he refused to release during the 2016 election and probing whether he has received money from Russia.
Trump preempted that tactic on Wednesday, vowing to go to war on Capitol Hill if necessary.
He said: ‘If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game!’
The President used the victory to attack critics within his own party, saying that those who supported his pro-business, anti-illegal immigration policies ‘did very well’
As well as gaining the House, Democrats gained control of powerful committees which they plan to use to investigate Trump. But he preempted that tactic on Wednesday, vowing to fight fire with fire
The Democrats are on course to win 238 seats in the House following the mid-term elections on Tuesday, though the figure falls short of the upper limit of 245 that they hoped to win
Republicans clung on to power in the Senate after the Democrats were defeated in key battleground states of Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and North Dakota
Nancy Pelosi, who could return as Democrat House Speaker after last night’s result, proclaimed victory and said the party would work to impose Constitutional checks and balances on Donald Trump
Trump tweeted out his support for Pelosi after she said the Democrats would work with Republicans in the House ‘where we can find common ground’
Nancy Pelosi thanks candidates for returning House to Dems
Democrats can also use their new powers to force Republicans into uncomfortable conversations on issues such as gun control and healthcare by sending bills on these subjects from the House to the Senate.
Should any of these bills pass both houses and make it to Trump’s desk, it could force him to veto the legislation, something he hasn’t had to do so far and allowing Democrats to paint him as the bad guy.
But maintaining control of the Senate allows Trump to nominate justices and recruit members of his cabinet unopposed, and puts a stop to any hopes the Democrats may have had of impeaching him.
The result also helps silence Trump’s critics within his own party, a fact he seemed very aware of when he tweeted: ‘Those that worked with me in this incredible Midterm Election, embracing certain policies and principles, did very well. Those that did not, say goodbye!’
The omens are not all bad for Trump’s hopes of winning a second term in 2020 either. Obama lost the House and Senate in the 2010 mid-terms, which he described as a ‘shellacking’, but went on to win a second term in 2012.
Nancy Pelosi, former Democrat Speaker in the House, hailed the victory early Wednesday, vowing to apply ‘checks and balances’ to Trump’s power, but also saying Democrats would cooperate with Republicans where possible.
Donald Trump called her to congratulate her on the win, and later endorsed her for Speaker, suggesting that Republicans could back her if Democrat hardliners choose to vote her down.
The Democrats also made gains in the elections for state governors – which act like lesser Presidents for the state they represent – gaining seven seats from the Republicans.
However, high-profile candidates Andrew Gillum and Stacey Abrams fell short in Florida and Georgia, leaving the Republicans with a majority of governors nationwide.
Gillum was hoping to become the first black governor of Florida, while in Georgia Stacey Abrams was aiming to enter history as America’s first female black governor.
Gillum finished less than a percent shy of Republican rival Ron DeSantis, while Abrams finished two per cent short of Brian Kemp. However, Abrams was refusing to concede on Wednesday, in the hopes that a recount could force another contest in December.
Encouragingly for the Democrats, they won governor’s races in states where Trump claimed victory in 2016, and while facing down candidates the President had endorsed.
In Kansas, Laura Kelly triumphed by a four-point margin over Kris Kobach – a strong ally of Trump’s immigration policies – while in Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer opened up an eight-point lead over Republican Bill Schuette.
Taylor Swift’s intervention also flopped as Marsha Blackburn won the Senate in Tennessee by 11 points over Democrat candidate Phil Bredesen, who the singer backed.
Trump called the night a ‘tremendous success’ for Republicans on Twitter because the incumbent party typically loses seats during the mid-terms, while he managed to make gains in the senate
The President also praised himself as a ‘magic man’, quoting from TV news reports that said the Republicans were ‘lucky’ to have him as their leader
One key Senate battleground was Texas, which had been widely seen as a safe seat for Republican Ted Cruz (pictured) until Beto O’Rourke emerged from obscurity to take him on
Ultimately Beto (pictured alongside wife Amy Sanders) fell short of victory, though many have pegged him as a rising star within the Democrat part
I’m so f***ing proud of you! Beto drops F-bomb after defeat
Ted Cruz supporter Marie Rice sheds tears of joy as Cruz declares victory at their election night headquarters
While the Democrats’ grass-roots organisation allowed them to seize the House, Trump’s showmanship and personality thwarted them in key Senate battleground states of Indiana, Missouri, and Tennessee – where he held rallies in the closing days of the election.
WHY IS LOSING THE HOUSE SIGNIFICANT?
Losing the House of Representatives will make it more difficult for Trump to govern by making it harder for Republicans to pass laws.
Laws start their life as bills submitted in either the House of Representatives – often shortened to House – or Senate, which makes up the legislative branch of the US government.
Bills must pass a vote in both of those houses before they can become law, giving the Democrats an opportunity to thwart bills they disagree with.
Holding the House also gives Democrats the opportunity to introduce bills on subjects the Republicans would rather not discuss – such as gun control, the environment, or healthcare – and force a debate.
Finally, the House includes several powerful committees which the Democrats now control and could use to probe Trump’s misdeeds.
Russian election meddling, Trump’s tax returns, and security clearances granted to members of the Trump clan could all come under scrutiny.
If a Democrat bill does make it through both the House and Senate it will land with the executive branch – which Trump leads – for approval.
This could force Trump into vetoing legislation he disagrees with, which is something he has not had to do so far.
However, maintaining control of the Senate allows Republicans to hold sway over the third branch of government – the judiciary – which is responsible for enforcing these laws.
The President is responsible for appointing justices, but they must be confirmed by Senators, which is why keeping control here was a key goal.
Senators are also responsible for confirming nominations to Trump’s cabinet, which he will also keep control of after Tuesday.
One of the most bitter defeats for the Democrats came in Texas, where rising star Beto O’Rourke was defeated by incumbent Ted Cruz – a onetime foe of Trump who has since warmed to him – though the contest was closer than anticipated.
In Arizona, Republican Martha McSally looked set to triumph over Kyrsten Sinema as counting stopped early on Wednesday, though the result might not be announced until later in the week.
The seat was left vacant after Jeff Flake, a Republican critic of Trump, announced he was retiring from politics.
Clare McCaskill, a moderate Democrat senator for Missouri, was handed a thumping defeat on Tuesday by Josh Hawley, a Republican who has allied himself to Trump, who won by more than 10 percentage points.
As the dust settled on Wednesday, Democrats standing ready to return next year as chairmen of House Oversight and Judiciary Committees were sharpening their pens and preparing to drag Trump through his own swamp.
‘We probably will’ seek Trump’s tax returns, said Reps. Elijah Cummings and Jerrold Nadler.
As Tuesday headed to Wednesday, presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters at the White House: ‘I guess they could try.’
‘I don’t know that there will be much of an appetite … for their members to be spending all of their time, or even most of their time, or a fraction of their time investigating, instigating, trying to impeach or subpoena people,’ Conway said.
Nadler said it was ‘way too early’ to talk about impeaching Trump, but wouldn’t rule it out depending on the results of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s expansive Russia probe.
‘He’s going to learn that he’s not above the law,’ he said, according to CNN.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that ‘the president’s agenda isn’t going to change regardless of whose party is there.’
Democrats will also find themselves empowered to launch probes into voting-rights matters and questions about whether Trump has violated the Constitution’s ‘Emoluments Clause’ that prohibits presidents from receiving income from foreign governments.
Security clearances in the Trump White House could also come under close examination, along with prescription drug prices, family separations along the U.S.-Mexico border, gun control and insurance coverage for Americans with pre-existing medical conditions.
As results rolled in from around the country, the Democrats made gains in suburban areas outside of Washington, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago and Denver that fell to Trump in 2016.
In Florida, Trump’s adopted home state, Ron DeSantis won the race to become state governor, defeating rival Andrew Gillum
Gillum said he regretting not being able to ‘bring it home’ in Florida after he lost the election with 49 per cent to 50 per cent
Speaking alongside his tearful wife, Gillum urged Democrats not to give up the fight in Florida, which was a key battleground state in 2016 that ultimately went to Trump
Republican Marsha Blackburn (left) claimed victory in Tennessee despite an unexpected intervention by pop princess Taylor Swift (right), who urged people to vote for her Democrat rival Phil Bredesen
Scott Walker, the Republican governor of Wisconsin who ran for President against Trump in 2016 (pictured), lost his race against Democrat Tony Evers
Marsha Blackburn defeats Bredesen in Tennessee’s senate race
But Trump tightened his grip on support in rural areas and among blue-collar workers. In Kentucky, one of the top Democratic recruits, retired Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, lost her bid to oust to three-term Rep. Andy Barr.
History was working against the president in the Senate: 2002 was the only midterm election in the past three decades when the party holding the White House gained Senate seats.
As the news broke that the Republicans had achieved just that, Trump began retweeting quotes from later night news bulletins praising himself as a ‘magic man’.
Whether voters opposed or supported him, Trump certainly electrified the mid-term contest, which has been a lackluster event under previous administrations with voter turnout struggling to hit 40 per cent.
High turnouts were recorded across the nation on Tuesday following record spending on advertising. Two thirds of those who voted said that Trump was the reason they cast their ballot, either to support or oppose him.
Overall, 6 in 10 voters said the country was headed in the wrong direction, but roughly that same number described the national economy as excellent or good.
Twenty-five percent described health care and immigration as the most important issues in the election.
Claire McCaskill (left), the incumbent Democrat in Missouri, lost her Senate seat to Republican challenger Josh Hawley, who attacked her for refusing to nominate Trump’s two Supreme Court picks
Abrams’s supporters cheer after learning she was making up ground on opponent Brian Kemp, though the election was still too close to call on Wednesday morning
The night was a record-breaker for women, who now hold more seats in the House than at any point in history. Among them is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 29-year-old Democrat who has come to embody what Trump brands the ‘far left’
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beats Republican Anthony Pappas
Trump encouraged voters to view the first nationwide election of his presidency as a referendum on his leadership, pointing proudly to the surging economy at recent rallies.
He bet big on a xenophobic closing message, warning of an immigrant ‘invasion’ that promised to spread violent crime and drugs across the nation. Several television networks, including the president’s favorite Fox News Channel, yanked a Trump campaign advertisement off the air on the eve of the election, determining that its portrayal of a murderous immigrant went too far.
The president’s current job approval, set at 40 percent by Gallup, was the lowest at this point of any first-term president in the modern era. Both Barack Obama’s and Bill Clinton’s numbers were 5 points higher, and both suffered major midterm losses of 63 and 54 House seats respectively.
Democrats, whose very relevance in the Trump era depended on winning at least one chamber of Congress, were laser-focused on health care as they predicted victories that would break up the GOP’s monopoly in Washington and state governments.
Yet Trump’s party will maintain Senate control for the next two years, at least.
In Texas, Sen Ted Cruz staved off a tough challenge from Democrat Beto O’Rourke, whose record-smashing fundraising and celebrity have set off buzz he could be a credible 2020 White House contender.
In Indiana, Trump-backed businessman Mike Braun defeated Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly. In Missouri, Josh Hawley knocked off Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. And in Tennessee, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn defeated former Gov. Phil Bredesen, a top Democratic recruit.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said that Trump has no plans to alter his political agenda despite losing the House to the Democrats
Democrat voters in Georgia learn that Stacey Abrams is trailing her Republican opponent, though she has refused to concede
Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, cheers as she declares victory in the governor’s race in Detroit, Michigan, one of the areas which was key to Trump’s victory in 2016
A Democrat supporter puts her head in her hands as she learns that Republicans are projected to hold the Senate
What are the mid-terms and why do they matter?
Mid-term elections come mid-way through a President’s term in office, and typically serve as a referendum on their work so far while shaping how the rest of their term will play out.
The office of President is not on the ballot paper, however, and voters are instead asked to pick candidates for the two houses of government – the House and Senate – and state governor, who acts like a lesser President for their own state.
In the November 2018 mid-terms, all 435 seats in the House and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate were up for election, along with 36 out of 50 state governors.
The Republicans held majorities in both houses before the election, allowing them to pass legislation, nominate judges, and appoint members of Trump’s cabinet unimpeded.
The Democrats were hoping to win back control of both houses in a so-called ‘blue wave’ that would have left Trump a lame duck and made it extremely difficult for him to get anything done in his last two years.
Supporters of Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who was running for the Senate in Texas, wait to hear the result. He ultimately lost the race to incumbent Republican Ted Cruz
As it happened, a divided nation produced a divided result, with Democrats winning back control of the House but Republicans increasing their majority in the Senate.
For Trump, that means the business of governing will become more difficult, with Democrats vowing to frustrate his populist political agenda.
Democrats also gained control of several powerful House committees and have promised to use them to investigate Trump, including a potential subpoena of his tax records.
But any hopes of impeachment, which was whispered about in Democrat circles during the campaign, are firmly off the table since the Senate would be required to find Trump guilty of an impeachable offence – which Republicans will not do.
Good showings for candidates who closely aligned themselves with Trump and his views will also help to quieten his opponents within his own party, and having Democrats in the House could provide a useful scapegoat for failed policies.
While state governors cannot affect Trump’s national agenda in the same way that representatives or senators can, he will rely on them to help enact his policies at a local level – and in these races, Republicans also lost ground.
The Democrats gained seven seats from Republicans, flipping states like Kansas and Michigan where Trump won big in 2016, but lost out in high profile races in Florida and Georgia.
A man dressed as Donald Trump lends his support to Florida governor candidate Ron DeSantis, an ally of the President who ultimately won his election against Democrat Andrew Gillum
Story 3: President Trump Fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions By Accepting His Requested Letter of Resignation — Second Special Counsel To Investigate and Prosecute Clinton Obama Democrat Criminal Conspiracy? — — The 2020 Presidential Election Begins –Videos Videos
Jeff Sessions resigns as Attorney General
Special Report: Jeff Sessions resigns as Attorney General
Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired
Schumer says he finds timing of Sessions’ resignation ‘suspect’
Trump slams Jeff Sessions: ‘I don’t have an attorney general’
GOP lawmakers call on Sessions to resign
Embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns under pressure from Trump
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is leaving the Trump administration after more than a year of public criticism from his boss, President Donald Trump.
Trump has repeatedly hammered Sessions for his decision last year to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin.
Sessions’s chief of staff Matthew Whitaker will serve as acting attorney general, Trump announced. Whitaker also will assume oversight of the ongoing investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and possible collusion by Trump’s campaign in that meddling.
Embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned at the “request” of President Donald Trump on Wednesday after more than a year of public criticism from the president.
Sessions’s chief of staff Matthew Whitaker will serve as acting attorney general, Trump announced.
Whitaker also will assume oversight of the ongoing investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and possible collusion by Trump’s campaign in that meddling, according to the Justice Department.
Whitaker, who has publicly criticized the Mueller investigation, by law can serve as acting AG for a maximum of 210 days.
Whitaker will have the power to fire Mueller “for cause” as outlined under rules governing the special counsel’s office, if such cause is found.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein up till now has had oversight over the Mueller probe, as a result of Sessions’ move to recuse himself from the investigation in 2017.
Sessions, 71, had been repeatedly blasted by Trump for his recusal.
Trump has said that moment opened the door to special counsel Mueller’s probe, which the president has repeatedly called a “witch hunt.”
Sessions’ resignation was expected to happen sometime after Tuesday’s midterm elections, particuarly given the drumbeat of the president’s repeated criticism of the attorney general.
Bob Woodward’s recently published book about the Trump administration, “Fear,” says that Trump had called Sessions “mentally retarded” and a “dumb southerner.” Trump has publicly claimed, “I said neither” about Sessions.
But the abruptness of the move, less than 24 hours after the close of the polls Tuesday, stunned Trump’s closet allies both inside and outside of the White House.
“I didn’t know this was coming, especially so soon after the midterms,” one source said on the condition of anonymity.
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
·
We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well….
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
….We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date.
Hours before the resignation was announced, Trump was asked about Sessions’ future in the administration.
“I’d rather answer that at a little bit different time,” Trump answered.
Trump’s press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House received a resignation letter from Sessions earlier Wednesday and Trump accepted it.
Sessions’ letter to Trump, which is not dated, begins by saying, “At your request, I am submitting my resignation.”
Getty Images
Attorney General Jeff Sessions
A spokesman for Mueller’s office declined to comment when contacted by CNBC about the resignation.
But Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is the odds on favorite to become the next speaker of the House of Representatives, called Sessions’ “firing” a “blatant attempt” by Trump to undermine Mueller.
Nancy Pelosi
✔@NancyPelosi
It is impossible to read Attorney General Sessions’ firing as anything other than another blatant attempt by @realDonaldTrump to undermine & end Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation.
It is impossible to read Attorney General Sessions’ firing as anything other than another blatant attempt by @realDonaldTrump to undermine & end Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation.
Nancy Pelosi
✔@NancyPelosi
Given his record of threats to undermine & weaken the Russia investigation, Matthew Whitaker should recuse himself from any involvement in Mueller’s investigation. Congress must take immediate action to protect the rule of law and integrity of the investigation. #FollowTheFacts
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and Senate minority leader, said, “Protecting Mueller and his investigation is paramount.”
“It would create a constitutional crisis if this was a prelude to ending or greatly limiting the Mueller investigation and I hope President Trump and those he listens to will refrain from that,” Schumer said.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-NY, the incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in a tweet wrote: “Americans must have answers immediately behind” Trump removing Sessions from the Justice Department.
“Why is the President making this change and who has authority over Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation? We will be holding people accountable,” Nadler wrote.
Additional reporting by Kevin Breuninger and Brian Schwartz of CNBC.
A staggering 36 million people have voted early, setting the stage for big midterm turnout
The turnout could be a source of error in pre-election surveys if pollsters did not calibrate properly for such high rates of voting.
Story 2: Top Three Issues — The Economy/Jobs, Illegal Alien Invasion, Healthcare — Videos —
Tucker: Elections turn on issues that affect the country
Dr. Jason Johnson on Top Voter Concerns for #Midterm Elections
Candidates for 2nd District say economy, health care top issues for voters
US Midterm election 2018: Road trip across key states
Dr. Jason Johnson on Top Voter Concerns for #Midterm Elections
Meet The Midterms: Voters Speak Out About Their Biggest Issues l Meet The Press | NBC News
Why it Matters: Here’s why immigration is inspiring these Americans to vote
Key issues in US midterm elections 2018
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Tucker: What are the Democrats running on?
With him or against him, Trump looms large over Election Day
By CLAIRE GALOFARO, MARTHA IRVINE and SHARON COHENtoday
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FILE- In this Nov. 2, 2018, file photo residents vote early at the Douglas County Election Commission office in Omaha, Neb. For voters across America, this year’s midterm elections represent something far greater than whatever Senate and House races appear on their ballots. It is a referendum on President Donald Trump and the venomous political culture that many blame for gridlock in Congress and a recent spate of hate crimes and politically motivated attacks. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Michael Gregoire marched along a downtown sidewalk in the tense days before the midterm elections, waving a hand-painted sign at passing traffic: “DEFEAT REPUBLICANS 2018.”
“The survival of the country is going to depend on this election,” he said as another man stopped for a moment to argue. The strangers faced each other from opposite edges of the great American divide, Democrat versus Republican, both convinced the election is among the most consequential in their lifetimes and that they must save the nation from the other side.
“I’m voting for Donald Trump,” Stuart Kanter said. “He’s not on the ticket. But, in a way, actually he is.”
President Donald Trump looms large over Tuesday’s election, which is expected to draw historic numbers to the polls and will determine which party controls Congress. For Gregoire and Kanter — and for voters across the country — the election represents something far greater than whatever Senate and House races appear on their ballots. It is a competition for the soul of America — a referendum on Trump and the venomous political culture that many blame for gridlock in Congress and a recent spate of hate crimes and politically motivated attacks.
Less than two weeks ago in this city, a white man gunned down two African-American shoppers at a grocery store in what police described as a racially motivated attack. Days later, an avid Trump supporter was arrested for mailing pipe bombs to prominent critics of the president, all of whom Trump routinely derides as “evil” and “un-American.” The next day, another gunman opened fire in a synagogue in Pittsburgh, massacring 11 worshippers and telling police “all these Jews need to die.”
Don Albrecht, a 75-year-old accountant and Republican who voted for Trump in 2016, lives blocks away from the Louisville grocery store where two people died. He’d pulled into the parking lot minutes after the gunfire erupted, saw the police cars and shaken employees, and felt like the country’s poisonous political climate had landed in his backyard. He wishes he could take back his vote for Trump.
“He has diarrhea of the mouth and diarrhea of the brain. He’s just so irresponsible,” said Albrecht, who worries Trump’s embrace of the far-right is remaking his party. “I don’t think the American public is going to put up with it. I think there’s going to be a big backlash against Republicans because of this divisiveness.”
He’s undecided going into Election Day. He can’t remember ever voting for a Democrat but said he might this time in protest.
Other Trump voters remain staunchly behind him, and plan to choose Republican candidates to help him make good on his pledges, including vows to implement more hardline immigration policies. “I want to see the wall go up,” said Joe Spirko, 57, as he peddled Trump flags outside of one of the president’s rallies in Florida last week. “Since Trump come along, I feel a lot better.”
Trump has stepped up his rhetoric on immigration ahead of the elections, focusing on a caravan of Central American migrants heading toward the United States. Trump and his backers have called it “an invasion” — though the group of a few thousand people, including mothers and children, remains hundreds of miles away — and suggested without proof that there are criminals and terrorists in the crowd of those fleeing violence and poverty. In a White House speech, the president said he would sign an order preventing border-crossers from claiming asylum, a legally questionable proposition, and said he’d told military troops he’s mobilizing to the border to respond to thrown rocks like they were “rifles.”
Julie Hoeppner, a 67-year-old psychologist in Indiana, voted early for Republican candidates, also citing illegal immigration as a primary concern.
A friend recently sent Hoeppner a photo of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island with a note that said: “For our ancestors, this is their caravan.” Hoeppner didn’t respond but thought to herself that her ancestors arrived legally. “Which is a big difference,” she said. “They didn’t come trying to storm the border.”
Pedro Panelo, the 21-year-old president of the College Republicans at Wheaton College in Illinois, is frustrated immigration became a last-minute political football, because the issue is more complex than what either Democrats or Republicans make it out to be. Panelo, the son of a Mexican immigrant, said migrants shouldn’t be demonized, but he stopped short of criticizing the president, and plans to vote for Republican candidates who could help push Trump’s agenda.
“When it comes to his actions, I’m not a huge fan of his tweets,” Panelo said. “But what I say is look what he’s done for the country and not always what he’s said on Twitter.”
He said he’s felt an extraordinary level of enthusiasm for this election among his fellow students. Young people, who historically sit out of midterm elections, and women are both expected to be pivotal forces Tuesday. In Georgia, Democratic campaign volunteer Adrienne White said she struggled to recruit volunteers ahead of the 2016 presidential election but that it’s been easy this year, especially among women.
In Pittsburgh, where residents just finished burying those gunned down at the Tree of Life synagogue, some voters saw their Election Day decisions as a way to send a message that the country is headed down a dark and dangerous path.
“This is probably the most important election in the past 100 years. This will turn the tables,” said Barbara Villa, 71, who with her husband planted a crop of “Vote Blue” signs outside their home.
Rose Cathleen Bagin, 77, lives in the same neighborhood as the synagogue. She lashed a sign to her front porch reading “VOTE FOR GUN CONTROL,” and she is stunned every time she sees the crowd at Trump rallies on television cheering for his divisive language.
“I can’t stand the terrible things he says and the terrible things he’s doing,” said Bagin, who plans to vote Democratic Tuesday. “I’m terrified. We’re going to a place I just don’t understand.”
___
Also contributing were AP reporters Allen G. Breed and Adam Geller from Pittsburgh and Tamara Lush from Estero, Florida.
More U.S. House races are competitive and leaning toward Democrats with Election Day tomorrow, according to the latest ratings changes by Cook Political Report. The new rankingsshow nine districts shifting toward Democrats and only one becoming better for Republicans.
Democrats’ chances to pick up seats have improved in key races in Georgia, Pennsylvania, California and Washington, according to ratings changes by Cook’s David Wasserman. The contest to succeed retiring California Republican Darell Issa is likely going to Democrat Mike Levin, and in Washington state’s 8th district, Democrat Kim Schrier’s chance of replacing retiring Republican Dave Reichert has moved from “Toss Up” to “Lean Democratic.”
“Bottom line: anything from a Democratic gain of 20 to 45 seats remains well within the realm of possibility, but a gain of 30 to 40 seats – and House control – is the most likely outcome,” Wasserman wrote today in an online post.
In Georgia, GOP Rep. Karen Handel’s race moved to “Toss Up” from “Lean Republican.”
Handel, elected in a special election last year, is facing headwinds from a gubernatorial contest that is energizing Democrats in her north Atlanta district. Handel’s challenger, Democrat Lucy McBath, is a gun-control activist and African American who could be helped by a possible surge in black voter turnout led by enthusiasm for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, according to Wasserman.
Meanwhile, a new congressional map in Pennsylvania is giving Freedom Caucus member Scott Perry his first competitive general election bid. The race is now considered a “Toss Up” as the three-term Republican continues to be out raised by Democrat George Scott.
The re-election bids of Republicans Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Fred Upton of Michigan both moved from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican.” In Texas, House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul’s race and retiring Republican Joe Barton’s open seat were previously considered “Solid Republican,” but now are rated “Likely Republican.” Wasserman also moved West Virginia Republican Representative Alex Mooney’s re-election from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican.”
The good news for Republicans out of the latest rating changes is in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. Incumbent Democrat Tom O’Halleran’s race moved from “Likely Democrat” to “Lean Democrat,” as the freshmen member continues to defend a seat in a district President Donald Trump narrowly won in 2016.
Democrats need to net 23 seats in order to win a majority.
Data: SurveyMonkey online poll. Poll methodology; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios
Just 51% of Americans said they have faith in democracy, and 37% say they have lost faith in democracy, according to a new Axios/SurveyMonkey poll conducted in late October.
Why it matters: It suggests that recent political turmoil has caused people to doubt the very foundation of American society, particularly leading up to election day.
Show less
Since October 2016, just before the last presidential election, SurveyMonkey has tracked Americans’ views toward democracy.
What’s happening: Despite the political turbulence over the past two years, Americans’ faith in democracy has been relatively stable — with two exceptions.
Just before heading to the polls in 2016, 52% of voters had faith in democracy.
That number grew from pre-election numbers (by 8 percentage points) immediately following the election in November 2016 and in February 2017, after President Trump’s inauguration.
One year ago, in October 2017, faith in democracy dropped by 7 percentage points and has held fairly steady since then.
The other half of Americans have either lost faith in democracy or never had faith in it to begin with, according to the poll.
The big picture: SurveyMonkey also found that half the country believes America is more divided today than ever before — and that these divisions will probably continue far into the future (ranging between 46% and 51% over the past two years).
About one-third of Americans agree America is more divided today, but are optimistic that Americans will come together in the near future.
18% say America is not more divided today than it has been in the past.
Methodology: This survey wasconducted Oct. 19–24 among 3,913 adults. Respondents were selected from the more than 2 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. Data have been weighted for age, race, sex, education and geography using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the United States age 18 and over.
The modeled error estimate for the full sample of that survey is plus or minus 2 percentage points and full crosstabs are available here.
Story 1: November 2018 Jobs Report — U.S. Economy Added 250,000 Jobs With 3.7% U-3 Unemployment Rate — Real Wages Up 3.1% and Capital Spending Growth — Civilian Labor Participation Rate Up .2% Going in Right Direction Up! — Getting Better– All The Time — Videos
I used to get mad at my school (No, I can’t complain)
The teachers who taught me weren’t cool (No, I can’t complain)
You’re holding me down
Turning me round
Filling me up with your rules
I’ve got to admit it’s getting better (Better)
A little better all the time (It can’t get no worse)
I have to admit it’s getting better (Better)
It’s getting better
Since you’ve been mine
Me used to be angry young man
Me hiding me head in the sand
You gave me the word, I finally heard
I’m doing the best that I can
I’ve got to admit it’s getting better (Better)
A little better all the time (It can’t get no worse)
I have to admit it’s getting better (Better)
It’s getting better
Since you’ve been mine
Getting so much better all the time!
It’s getting better all the time
Better, better, better
It’s getting better all the time
Better, better, better
I used to be cruel to my woman
I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved
Man, I was mean but I’m changing my scene
And I’m doing the best that I can (ooh)
I admit it’s getting better (Better)
A little better all the time (It can’t get no worse)
Yes, I admit it’s getting better (Better)
It’s getting better
Since you’ve been mine
Getting so much better all the time!
It’s getting better all the time
Better, better, better
It’s getting better all the time
Better, better, better
A sign of the times in an Illinois shop window. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
(CNSNews.com) – The economy is the second most important issue for registered voters as the midterm election nears, a new Gallup Poll says. And there was very good economic news on Friday, as the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics rolled out the October employment report — the final one before next week’s midterm election.
The number of employed Americans has never been higher. The 156,562,000 Americans employed in October is the twefth record set under President Donald Trump.
In October, the number of employed men age 20 and up — 80,405,000 — set the 12th record since Trump took office; and likewise, for the 12th time, the number of employed women age 20 and up set a record, reaching 70,909,000 in October.
The unemployment rate held at 3.7 percent, the same as September, which is the lowest it’s been in decades — since the end of 1969. And the Hispanic unemployment rate, 4.4 percent, has never been lower.
The unemployment rate for African-Americans, 6.2 percent, remained near the all-time low of 5.9 percent set in May.
On top of those numbers, the economy added a whopping 250,000 jobs last month. After revisions, job gains have averaged 218,000 over the past 3 months.
(“Wow!” Trump tweeted on Friday morning. “The U.S. added 250,000 Jobs in October – and this was despite the hurricanes. Unemployment at 3.7%. Wages UP! These are incredible numbers. Keep it going, Vote Republican!”)
The number of Americans not in the labor force dipped to 95.8 million, down from last month’s record high; and the labor force participation rate increased two-tenths of a point to 62.9 percent, a move in the right direction.
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (3.5 percent), adult women (3.4 percent), teenagers (11.9 percent), Whites (3.3 percent), Blacks (6.2 percent), and Asians (3.2 percent) showed little or no change in October.
In October, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 5 cents to $27.30. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by 83 cents, or 3.1 percent.
In October, the nation’s civilian noninstitutionalized population, consisting of all people age 16 or older who were not in the military or an institution, reached 258,514,000. Of those, 162,637,000 participated in the labor force by either holding a job or actively seeking one.
The 162,637,000 who participated in the labor force equaled 62.9 percent of the 258,514,000 civilian noninstitutionalized population, the same as August.
The higher the participation rate, the better, but economists expect this percentage to remain stagnant and decline in the years ahead as an increasing number of baby boomers retire.
President Trump highlghted the booming economy at his rally in Missouri yesterday, telling voters that next week’s election “will decide whether we build on an extraordinary prosperity,” or whether Democrats “will wipe it all away.”
“The unemployment rate just fell to the lowest level in over 50 years,” the president said. “More Americans are working now than any time in history. Think of that…So today, right now, we have more Americans working than at any time, any time in the history of our country. That’s pretty good,” he said. “That’s pretty good!”
The seasonally-adjusted SGS Alternate Unemployment Rate reflects current unemployment reporting methodology adjusted for SGS-estimated long-term discouraged workers, who were defined out of official existence in 1994. That estimate is added to the BLS estimate of U-6 unemployment, which includes short-term discouraged workers.
The U-3 unemployment rate is the monthly headline number. The U-6 unemployment rate is the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) broadest unemployment measure, including short-term discouraged and other marginally-attached workers as well as those forced to work part-time because they cannot find full-time employment.
Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
Civilian Labor Force Level
162,637,000
Series Id: LNS11000000
Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Civilian Labor Force Level
Labor force status: Civilian labor force
Type of data: Number in thousands
Age: 16 years and over
Download:
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2000
142267(1)
142456
142434
142751
142388
142591
142278
142514
142518
142622
142962
143248
2001
143800
143701
143924
143569
143318
143357
143654
143284
143989
144086
144240
144305
2002
143883
144653
144481
144725
144938
144808
144803
145009
145552
145314
145041
145066
2003
145937(1)
146100
146022
146474
146500
147056
146485
146445
146530
146716
147000
146729
2004
146842(1)
146709
146944
146850
147065
147460
147692
147564
147415
147793
148162
148059
2005
148029(1)
148364
148391
148926
149261
149238
149432
149779
149954
150001
150065
150030
2006
150214(1)
150641
150813
150881
151069
151354
151377
151716
151662
152041
152406
152732
2007
153144(1)
152983
153051
152435
152670
153041
153054
152749
153414
153183
153835
153918
2008
154063(1)
153653
153908
153769
154303
154313
154469
154641
154570
154876
154639
154655
2009
154210(1)
154538
154133
154509
154747
154716
154502
154307
153827
153784
153878
153111
2010
153484(1)
153694
153954
154622
154091
153616
153691
154086
153975
153635
154125
153650
2011
153263(1)
153214
153376
153543
153479
153346
153288
153760
154131
153961
154128
153995
2012
154381(1)
154671
154749
154545
154866
155083
154948
154763
155160
155554
155338
155628
2013
155763(1)
155312
155005
155394
155536
155749
155599
155605
155687
154673
155265
155182
2014
155357(1)
155526
156108
155404
155564
155742
156011
156124
156019
156383
156455
156301
2015
157063(1)
156734
156754
157051
157449
157071
157035
157132
156700
157138
157435
158043
2016
158387(1)
158811
159253
158919
158512
158976
159207
159514
159734
159700
159544
159736
2017
159718(1)
159997
160235
160181
159729
160214
160467
160598
161082
160371
160533
160597
2018
161115(1)
161921
161763
161527
161539
162140
162245
161776
161926
162637
1 : Data affected by changes in population controls.
Labor Force Participation Rate
62.9%
Series Id: LNS11300000
Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Labor Force Participation Rate
Labor force status: Civilian labor force participation rate
Type of data: Percent or rate
Age: 16 years and over
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2000
67.3
67.3
67.3
67.3
67.1
67.1
66.9
66.9
66.9
66.8
66.9
67.0
2001
67.2
67.1
67.2
66.9
66.7
66.7
66.8
66.5
66.8
66.7
66.7
66.7
2002
66.5
66.8
66.6
66.7
66.7
66.6
66.5
66.6
66.7
66.6
66.4
66.3
2003
66.4
66.4
66.3
66.4
66.4
66.5
66.2
66.1
66.1
66.1
66.1
65.9
2004
66.1
66.0
66.0
65.9
66.0
66.1
66.1
66.0
65.8
65.9
66.0
65.9
2005
65.8
65.9
65.9
66.1
66.1
66.1
66.1
66.2
66.1
66.1
66.0
66.0
2006
66.0
66.1
66.2
66.1
66.1
66.2
66.1
66.2
66.1
66.2
66.3
66.4
2007
66.4
66.3
66.2
65.9
66.0
66.0
66.0
65.8
66.0
65.8
66.0
66.0
2008
66.2
66.0
66.1
65.9
66.1
66.1
66.1
66.1
66.0
66.0
65.9
65.8
2009
65.7
65.8
65.6
65.7
65.7
65.7
65.5
65.4
65.1
65.0
65.0
64.6
2010
64.8
64.9
64.9
65.2
64.9
64.6
64.6
64.7
64.6
64.4
64.6
64.3
2011
64.2
64.1
64.2
64.2
64.1
64.0
64.0
64.1
64.2
64.1
64.1
64.0
2012
63.7
63.8
63.8
63.7
63.7
63.8
63.7
63.5
63.6
63.8
63.6
63.7
2013
63.7
63.4
63.3
63.4
63.4
63.4
63.3
63.3
63.2
62.8
63.0
62.9
2014
62.9
62.9
63.1
62.8
62.8
62.8
62.9
62.9
62.8
62.9
62.9
62.8
2015
62.9
62.7
62.7
62.8
62.9
62.7
62.6
62.6
62.3
62.5
62.5
62.7
2016
62.8
62.9
63.0
62.8
62.6
62.7
62.8
62.8
62.9
62.8
62.7
62.7
2017
62.9
62.9
63.0
62.9
62.7
62.8
62.9
62.9
63.0
62.7
62.7
62.7
2018
62.7
63.0
62.9
62.8
62.7
62.9
62.9
62.7
62.7
62.9
Unemployment Level
6,075,000
Series Id: LNS13000000
Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Unemployment Level
Labor force status: Unemployed
Type of data: Number in thousands
Age: 16 years and over
Download:
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2000
5708
5858
5733
5481
5758
5651
5747
5853
5625
5534
5639
5634
2001
6023
6089
6141
6271
6226
6484
6583
7042
7142
7694
8003
8258
2002
8182
8215
8304
8599
8399
8393
8390
8304
8251
8307
8520
8640
2003
8520
8618
8588
8842
8957
9266
9011
8896
8921
8732
8576
8317
2004
8370
8167
8491
8170
8212
8286
8136
7990
7927
8061
7932
7934
2005
7784
7980
7737
7672
7651
7524
7406
7345
7553
7453
7566
7279
2006
7064
7184
7072
7120
6980
7001
7175
7091
6847
6727
6872
6762
2007
7116
6927
6731
6850
6766
6979
7149
7067
7170
7237
7240
7645
2008
7685
7497
7822
7637
8395
8575
8937
9438
9494
10074
10538
11286
2009
12058
12898
13426
13853
14499
14707
14601
14814
15009
15352
15219
15098
2010
15046
15113
15202
15325
14849
14474
14512
14648
14579
14516
15081
14348
2011
14013
13820
13737
13957
13855
13962
13763
13818
13948
13594
13302
13093
2012
12797
12813
12713
12646
12660
12692
12656
12471
12115
12124
12005
12298
2013
12471
11950
11689
11760
11654
11751
11335
11279
11270
11136
10787
10404
2014
10235
10365
10435
9724
9740
9474
9610
9602
9266
8972
9064
8704
2015
8951
8634
8578
8546
8662
8265
8206
7996
7891
7884
7948
7907
2016
7811
7806
8024
7942
7465
7812
7723
7827
7919
7761
7419
7502
2017
7642
7486
7171
7021
6837
6964
6956
7127
6759
6524
6616
6576
2018
6684
6706
6585
6346
6065
6564
6280
6234
5964
6075
Not in Labor Force
95,877,000
Series Id: LNS15000000
Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Not in Labor Force
Labor force status: Not in labor force
Type of data: Number in thousands
Age: 16 years and over
Download:
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2000
69142
69120
69338
69267
69853
69876
70398
70401
70645
70782
70579
70488
2001
70088
70409
70381
70956
71414
71592
71526
72136
71676
71817
71876
72010
2002
72623
72010
72343
72281
72260
72600
72827
72856
72554
73026
73508
73675
2003
73960
74015
74295
74066
74268
73958
74767
75062
75249
75324
75280
75780
2004
75319
75648
75606
75907
75903
75735
75730
76113
76526
76399
76259
76581
2005
76808
76677
76846
76514
76409
76673
76721
76642
76739
76958
77138
77394
2006
77339
77122
77161
77318
77359
77317
77535
77451
77757
77634
77499
77376
2007
77506
77851
77982
78818
78810
78671
78904
79461
79047
79532
79105
79238
2008
78554
79156
79087
79429
79102
79314
79395
79466
79790
79736
80189
80380
2009
80529
80374
80953
80762
80705
80938
81367
81780
82495
82766
82865
83813
2010
83349
83304
83206
82707
83409
84075
84199
84014
84347
84895
84590
85240
2011
85441
85637
85623
85603
85834
86144
86383
86111
85940
86308
86312
86589
2012
87888
87765
87855
88239
88100
88073
88405
88803
88613
88429
88836
88722
2013
88900
89516
89990
89780
89827
89803
90156
90355
90481
91708
91302
91563
2014
91557
91559
91150
92036
92058
92072
92012
92105
92428
92274
92390
92726
2015
92660
93165
93326
93214
93006
93592
93841
93963
94625
94403
94312
93893
2016
94010
93766
93515
94049
94662
94421
94413
94340
94357
94621
94996
95006
2017
94364
94248
94179
94407
95038
94743
94684
94759
94480
95395
95416
95512
2018
95665
95012
95335
95745
95915
95502
95598
96290
96364
95877
U-3 Unemployment Rate
3.7%
Series Id: LNS14000000
Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Unemployment Rate
Labor force status: Unemployment rate
Type of data: Percent or rate
Age: 16 years and over
Download:
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2000
4.0
4.1
4.0
3.8
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.1
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
2001
4.2
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.3
4.5
4.6
4.9
5.0
5.3
5.5
5.7
2002
5.7
5.7
5.7
5.9
5.8
5.8
5.8
5.7
5.7
5.7
5.9
6.0
2003
5.8
5.9
5.9
6.0
6.1
6.3
6.2
6.1
6.1
6.0
5.8
5.7
2004
5.7
5.6
5.8
5.6
5.6
5.6
5.5
5.4
5.4
5.5
5.4
5.4
2005
5.3
5.4
5.2
5.2
5.1
5.0
5.0
4.9
5.0
5.0
5.0
4.9
2006
4.7
4.8
4.7
4.7
4.6
4.6
4.7
4.7
4.5
4.4
4.5
4.4
2007
4.6
4.5
4.4
4.5
4.4
4.6
4.7
4.6
4.7
4.7
4.7
5.0
2008
5.0
4.9
5.1
5.0
5.4
5.6
5.8
6.1
6.1
6.5
6.8
7.3
2009
7.8
8.3
8.7
9.0
9.4
9.5
9.5
9.6
9.8
10.0
9.9
9.9
2010
9.8
9.8
9.9
9.9
9.6
9.4
9.4
9.5
9.5
9.4
9.8
9.3
2011
9.1
9.0
9.0
9.1
9.0
9.1
9.0
9.0
9.0
8.8
8.6
8.5
2012
8.3
8.3
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.1
7.8
7.8
7.7
7.9
2013
8.0
7.7
7.5
7.6
7.5
7.5
7.3
7.2
7.2
7.2
6.9
6.7
2014
6.6
6.7
6.7
6.3
6.3
6.1
6.2
6.2
5.9
5.7
5.8
5.6
2015
5.7
5.5
5.5
5.4
5.5
5.3
5.2
5.1
5.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
2016
4.9
4.9
5.0
5.0
4.7
4.9
4.9
4.9
5.0
4.9
4.6
4.7
2017
4.8
4.7
4.5
4.4
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.4
4.2
4.1
4.1
4.1
2018
4.1
4.1
4.1
3.9
3.8
4.0
3.9
3.9
3.7
3.7
U-6 Unemployment Rate
7.4 %
Series Id: LNS13327709
Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (seas) Total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of all civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers
Labor force status: Aggregated totals unemployed
Type of data: Percent or rate
Age: 16 years and over
Percent/rates: Unemployed and mrg attached and pt for econ reas as percent of labor force plus marg attached
Download:
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2000
7.1
7.2
7.1
6.9
7.1
7.0
7.0
7.1
7.0
6.8
7.1
6.9
2001
7.3
7.4
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.9
7.8
8.1
8.7
9.3
9.4
9.6
2002
9.5
9.5
9.4
9.7
9.5
9.5
9.6
9.6
9.6
9.6
9.7
9.8
2003
10.0
10.2
10.0
10.2
10.1
10.3
10.3
10.1
10.4
10.2
10.0
9.8
2004
9.9
9.7
10.0
9.6
9.6
9.5
9.5
9.4
9.4
9.7
9.4
9.2
2005
9.3
9.3
9.1
8.9
8.9
9.0
8.8
8.9
9.0
8.7
8.7
8.6
2006
8.4
8.4
8.2
8.1
8.2
8.4
8.5
8.4
8.0
8.2
8.1
7.9
2007
8.4
8.2
8.0
8.2
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.8
2008
9.2
9.0
9.1
9.2
9.7
10.1
10.5
10.8
11.0
11.8
12.6
13.6
2009
14.2
15.2
15.8
15.9
16.5
16.5
16.4
16.7
16.7
17.1
17.1
17.1
2010
16.7
17.0
17.1
17.1
16.6
16.4
16.4
16.5
16.8
16.6
16.9
16.6
2011
16.2
16.0
15.9
16.1
15.8
16.1
15.9
16.1
16.4
15.8
15.5
15.2
2012
15.2
15.0
14.5
14.6
14.7
14.8
14.8
14.6
14.8
14.4
14.4
14.4
2013
14.6
14.4
13.8
14.0
13.8
14.2
13.8
13.6
13.5
13.6
13.1
13.1
2014
12.7
12.7
12.7
12.3
12.1
12.0
12.1
11.9
11.7
11.5
11.4
11.2
2015
11.3
11.0
10.9
10.9
10.8
10.4
10.3
10.2
10.0
9.8
9.9
9.9
2016
9.9
9.7
9.8
9.8
9.8
9.5
9.7
9.6
9.7
9.6
9.3
9.1
2017
9.4
9.2
8.8
8.6
8.4
8.5
8.5
8.6
8.3
8.0
8.0
8.1
2018
8.2
8.2
8.0
7.8
7.6
7.8
7.5
7.4
7.5
7.4
Employment Situation Summary
Transmission of material in this news release is embargoed until USDL-18-1739
8:30 a.m. (EDT) Friday, November 2, 2018
Technical information:
Household data: (202) 691-6378 * cpsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/cps
Establishment data: (202) 691-6555 * cesinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/ces
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- OCTOBER 2018
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 250,000 in October, and the unemployment rate
was unchanged at 3.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job
gains occurred in health care, in manufacturing, in construction, and in transportation
and warehousing.
__________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Hurricane Michael |
| |
| Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on October 10, 2018, |
| during the reference periods for both the establishment and household surveys. |
| Hurricane Michael had no discernible effect on the national employment and |
| unemployment estimates for October, and response rates for the two surveys were |
| within normal ranges. For information on how severe weather can affect employment|
| and hours data, see Question 8 in the Frequently Asked Questions section of this |
| news release. |
| |
| BLS will release the state estimates of employment and unemployment on |
| November 16, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). |
|__________________________________________________________________________________|
Household Survey Data
The unemployment rate remained at 3.7 percent in October, and the number of unemployed
persons was little changed at 6.1 million. Over the year, the unemployment rate and
the number of unemployed persons declined by 0.4 percentage point and 449,000,
respectively. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (3.5 percent),
adult women (3.4 percent), teenagers (11.9 percent), Whites (3.3 percent), Blacks
(6.2 percent), Asians (3.2 percent), and Hispanics (4.4 percent) showed little or no
change in October. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was essentially
unchanged at 1.4 million in October and accounted for 22.5 percent of the unemployed.
(See table A-12.)
The labor force participation rate increased by 0.2 percentage point to 62.9 percent in
October but has shown little change over the year. The employment-population ratio
edged up by 0.2 percentage point to 60.6 percent in October and has increased by 0.4
percentage point over the year. (See table A-1.)
The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as
involuntary part-time workers) was essentially unchanged at 4.6 million in October.
These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part
time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs.
(See table A-8.)
In October, 1.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force, little
changed from a year earlier. (Data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were
not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job
sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had
not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. (See table A-16.)
Among the marginally attached, there were 506,000 discouraged workers in October, about
unchanged from a year earlier. (Data are not seasonally adjusted.) Discouraged workers
are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available
for them. The remaining 984,000 persons marginally attached to the labor force in
October had not searched for work for reasons such as school attendance or family
responsibilities. (See table A-16.)
Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 250,000 in October, following an average
monthly gain of 211,000 over the prior 12 months. In October, job growth occurred in
health care, in manufacturing, in construction, and in transportation and warehousing.
(See table B-1.)
Health care added 36,000 jobs in October. Within the industry, employment growth
occurred in hospitals (+13,000) and in nursing and residential care facilities
(+8,000). Employment in ambulatory health care services continued to trend up
(+14,000). Over the past 12 months, health care employment grew by 323,000.
In October, employment in manufacturing increased by 32,000. Most of the increase
occurred in durable goods manufacturing, with a gain in transportation equipment
(+10,000). Manufacturing has added 296,000 jobs over the year, largely in durable
goods industries.
Construction employment rose by 30,000 in October, with nearly half of the gain
occurring among residential specialty trade contractors (+14,000). Over the year,
construction has added 330,000 jobs.
Transportation and warehousing added 25,000 jobs in October. Within the industry,
employment growth occurred in couriers and messengers (+8,000) and in warehousing
and storage (+8,000). Over the year, employment in transportation and warehousing
has increased by 184,000.
Employment in leisure and hospitality edged up in October (+42,000). Employment was
unchanged in September, likely reflecting the impact of Hurricane Florence. The
average gain for the 2 months combined (+21,000) was the same as the average monthly
gain in the industry for the 12-month period prior to September.
In October, employment in professional and business services continued to trend up
(+35,000). Over the year, the industry has added 516,000 jobs.
Employment in mining also continued to trend up over the month (+5,000). The industry
has added 65,000 jobs over the year, with most of the gain in support activities for
mining.
Employment in other major industries--including wholesale trade, retail trade,
information, financial activities, and government--showed little change over the
month.
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1
hour to 34.5 hours in October. In manufacturing, the workweek edged down by 0.1 hour
to 40.8 hours, and overtime was unchanged at 3.5 hours. The average workweek for
production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls, at 33.7 hours,
was unchanged over the month. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)
In October, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls
rose by 5 cents to $27.30. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by
83 cents, or 3.1 percent. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and
nonsupervisory employees increased by 7 cents to $22.89 in October. (See tables B-3
and B-8.)
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for September was revised down from
+134,000 to +118,000, and the change for August was revised up from +270,000 to
+286,000. The downward revision in September offset the upward revision in August.
(Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and
government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation
of seasonal factors.) After revisions, job gains have averaged 218,000 over the
past 3 months.
_____________
The Employment Situation for November is scheduled to be released on Friday,
December 7, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. (EST).
Employment Situation Summary Table A. Household data, seasonally adjusted
HOUSEHOLD DATA
Summary table A. Household data, seasonally adjusted[Numbers in thousands]
Category
Oct.
2017
Aug.
2018
Sept.
2018
Oct.
2018
Change from:
Sept.
2018-
Oct.
2018
Employment status
Civilian noninstitutional population
255,766
258,066
258,290
258,514
224
Civilian labor force
160,371
161,776
161,926
162,637
711
Participation rate
62.7
62.7
62.7
62.9
0.2
Employed
153,846
155,542
155,962
156,562
600
Employment-population ratio
60.2
60.3
60.4
60.6
0.2
Unemployed
6,524
6,234
5,964
6,075
111
Unemployment rate
4.1
3.9
3.7
3.7
0.0
Not in labor force
95,395
96,290
96,364
95,877
-487
Unemployment rates
Total, 16 years and over
4.1
3.9
3.7
3.7
0.0
Adult men (20 years and over)
3.8
3.5
3.4
3.5
0.1
Adult women (20 years and over)
3.6
3.6
3.3
3.4
0.1
Teenagers (16 to 19 years)
13.7
12.8
12.8
11.9
-0.9
White
3.5
3.4
3.3
3.3
0.0
Black or African American
7.3
6.3
6.0
6.2
0.2
Asian
3.0
3.0
3.5
3.2
-0.3
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
4.8
4.7
4.5
4.4
-0.1
Total, 25 years and over
3.3
3.2
3.0
3.1
0.1
Less than a high school diploma
6.1
5.7
5.5
6.0
0.5
High school graduates, no college
4.3
3.9
3.7
4.0
0.3
Some college or associate degree
3.6
3.5
3.2
3.0
-0.2
Bachelor’s degree and higher
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.0
0.0
Reason for unemployment
Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs
3,214
2,875
2,796
2,850
54
Job leavers
731
862
730
726
-4
Reentrants
2,001
1,846
1,877
1,906
29
New entrants
626
584
586
606
20
Duration of unemployment
Less than 5 weeks
2,128
2,208
2,065
2,057
-8
5 to 14 weeks
1,943
1,720
1,720
1,821
101
15 to 26 weeks
856
923
861
856
-5
27 weeks and over
1,645
1,332
1,384
1,373
-11
Employed persons at work part time
Part time for economic reasons
4,880
4,379
4,642
4,621
-21
Slack work or business conditions
2,960
2,551
2,782
2,816
34
Could only find part-time work
1,615
1,365
1,447
1,436
-11
Part time for noneconomic reasons
20,897
21,781
21,464
21,512
48
Persons not in the labor force (not seasonally adjusted)
Marginally attached to the labor force
1,535
1,443
1,577
1,491
–
Discouraged workers
524
434
383
506
–
– Over-the-month changes are not displayed for not seasonally adjusted data.
NOTE: Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Detail for the seasonally adjusted data shown in this table will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Employment Situation Summary Table B. Establishment data, seasonally adjusted
ESTABLISHMENT DATA
Summary table B. Establishment data, seasonally adjusted
Footnotes (1) Includes other industries, not shown separately. (2) Data relate to production employees in mining and logging and manufacturing, construction employees in construction, and nonsupervisory employees in the service-providing industries. (3) The indexes of aggregate weekly hours are calculated by dividing the current month’s estimates of aggregate hours by the corresponding annual average aggregate hours. (4) The indexes of aggregate weekly payrolls are calculated by dividing the current month’s estimates of aggregate weekly payrolls by the corresponding annual average aggregate weekly payrolls. (5) Figures are the percent of industries with employment increasing plus one-half of the industries with unchanged employment, where 50 percent indicates an equal balance between industries with increasing and decreasing employment. (P) Preliminary
NOTE: Data have been revised to reflect March 2017 benchmark levels and updated seasonal adjustment factors.
Hey Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude, don’t be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Hey Jude, don’t let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin
You’re waiting for someone to perform with
And don’t you know that it’s just you, hey Jude, you’ll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah
Hey Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you’ll begin to make it
Better better better better better better, oh
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
The song, which has been said to be musically reminiscent of the hit single “Penny Lane,”[4] moves forward by way of regular chords, produced by Lennon’s guitar, McCartney’s electric piano,[verification needed] and George Martin, who struck the strings of a pianet with a mallet. These heavily accented and repetitive lines cause the song to sound as if it is based on a drone. Lead guitarist George Harrison adds an Indian tanpura part to the final verse, which further accentuates this impact.
McCartney’s bassline, in counterpoint to this droning, was described by music critic Ian MacDonald as “dreamy” and “well thought out as a part of the production by McCartney”.[5] It was recorded after the main track was completed, as were many of the bass lines on Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.[6] Starting out in the verse with a pedal on the root note (G) that leaps two octaves, McCartney moves to a marching quarter-note (walking) bass line for the first (and only the first) chorus. In stark contrast, all subsequent choruses are played using a fluid, swing feel, full of anticipated notes that propel the song forward despite the quarter-note droning of the guitar and keyboard.
The song’s title and music suggest optimism, but some of the song’s lyrics have a more negative tone. In this sense, it reflects the contrasting personas of the two songwriters. In response to McCartney’s line, “It’s getting better all the time”, Lennon replies, “Can’t get no worse!”[7] In a December 1983 interview, McCartney praised this contribution as an example of things he “couldn’t ever have done [him]self”.[8]
Referring to the lyric “I used to be cruel to my woman/I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved/Man I was mean but I’m changing my scene/And I’m doing the best that I can”, Lennon admitted that he had done things in relationships in the past that he was not proud of.[9]
In a 1980 interview in Playboy with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Lennon, when asked about the song, said that the song’s lyrics came personally from his own experience abusing women in relationships in the past. He states: “It is a diary form of writing. All that ‘I used to be cruel to my woman / I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved’ was me. I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically—any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn’t express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women. That is why I am always on about peace, you see. It is the most violent people who go for love and peace. Everything’s the opposite. But I sincerely believe in love and peace. I am a violent man who has learned not to be violent and regrets his violence. I will have to be a lot older before I can face in public how I treated women as a youngster.”
According to the author Hunter Davies and music critic Ian MacDonald, the initial idea for the song’s title came from a phrase often spoken by Jimmie Nicol, the group’s stand-in drummer for the Australian leg of a 1964 tour.[3][5]
Lennon on the roof
One of the recording sessions for “Getting Better” is infamous for an incident involving Lennon. During the 21 March 1967 session in which producer George Martin added a piano solo to “Lovely Rita“, Lennon complained that he did not feel well and could not focus.[10][11]He had accidentally taken LSD when he meant to take an upper.[12] Unaware of the mistake, Martin took him up to the roof of Abbey Road Studios for some fresh air, and returned to Studio Two where McCartney and Harrison were waiting. They knew why Lennon was not well, and upon hearing where Lennon was, rushed to the roof to retrieve him and prevent a possible accident.[11][13][14]
In the 2003 film adaptation of Dr. Seuss‘ The Cat in the Hat, a version of this song recorded by the band Smash Mouth, with a horn interlude replacing the third verse, was used in the sequence of the Cat, Thing One and Thing Two cleaning up the wreckage of the house.
In 2007, Kaiser Chiefs re-recorded the song for It Was 40 Years Ago Today, a BBC television film with contemporary acts recording the album’s songs using the same studio, technicians and recording techniques as the original.
In 2007, Fionn Regan did a cover for the album Sgt. Pepper…With A Little Help From His Friends presented by Mojo magazine.
Les Fradkin has an instrumental version on his 2007 release Pepper Front To Back.
In 2009, Northern Irish band Kowalski covered the song at the BBC Across The Line Headroom gig at Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast.
On their 2014 tour, The Afghan Whigs appended an earnest, downtempo version of the song to their set-closer, “Lost In The Woods.”
Notes
Jump up^Everett 1999, p. 123. “In the United Kingdom Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band…was rush-released six days ahead of its official date, June 1.”
Emerick, Geoff; Massey, Howard (2006). Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN1-59240-179-1.
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Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Forty-seven percent (47%) disapprove.
The latest figures include 37% who Strongly Approve of the president is performing and 40% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -3. (See trends)
Regular updates are posted Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily email update).
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With early voting in full swing and Election Day approaching, we asked voters if they’re more likely or less likely to tell people how they are voting. Trump voters held back in 2016, and that unmeasured margin fooled most pollsters, not Rasmussen Reports. Find out at 10:30 if that silent vote is still out there.
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Republicans say they always vote in midterm elections, as do 71% of Democrats and 63% of voters not affiliated with either major political party. The real story on Tuesday will be which side turns out even more than usual.
Look for Rasmussen Reports’ final Generic Congressional Ballot on Monday morning. Democrats now hold a three-point lead on the survey which has a +/- 2 margin of error.
President Trump is sending troops to the southern border to stop thousands of Central Americans now in Mexico from entering the United States illegally. Voters tend to agree with the president’s decision, but as is frequently the case on issues related to illegal immigration, there’s a sharp difference of opinion between Democrats and Republicans.
To get a sense of longer-term job approval trends for the president, Rasmussen Reports compiles our tracking data on a full month-by-month basis.
Rasmussen Reports has been a pioneer in the use of automated telephone polling techniques, but many other firms still utilize their own operator-assisted technology (see methodology).
Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. To reach those who have abandoned traditional landline telephones, Rasmussen Reports uses an online survey tool to interview randomly selected participants from a demographically diverse panel. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,500 Likely Voters is +/- 2.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Results are also compiled on a full-week basis and crosstabs for full-week results are available for Platinum Members.
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President Trump and the economy are the major concerns for voters going into the midterm congressional elections.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 30% of Likely U.S. Voters view Trump as the most important issue to their vote in the upcoming elections. The economy is most important for 22%, followed by 15% who rank illegal immigration that way and 14% who say the same of Obamacare. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Rasmussen Reports invites you to be a part of our first-ever Citizen-Sourced National Midterm Election Polling Project. Learn more about how you can contribute.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 23-24, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
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BREAKING NEWS: We will open fire on the immigrant caravan if they throw stones says Trump as he promises to end to catch and release of illegals and put families in ‘tent cities’
The president unloaded on illegal immigration in a White House speech
Said he was ‘finalizing a plan to end the rampant abuse of our asylum system’
He said asylum seekers ‘never show up’ for trial
He said caravan members were not ‘legitimate asylum seekers’
He made the announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House
He’s promptly left for a rally in Columbia, Missouri
Anybody throwing stones, rocks … we will consider that a firearm
PUBLISHED: 13:38 EDT, 1 November 2018 | UPDATED: 18:07 EDT, 1 November 2018
President Donald Trump issued a dire warning to would-be immigrants making their way toward the U.S., warning that thousands of U.S. troops being sent to the border would return fire if caravan members throw rocks at them.
Trump has already ordered thousands of troops to the southern border, and was asked after delivering a fiery speech at the White House whether he envisioned them firing on the people making there way approaching the border on foot.
‘I hope not. I hope not. It’s the military. I hope there won’t be that. But I will tell you this: Anybody throwing stones, rocks, like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police – where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico – we will consider that a firearm,’ Trump warned.
‘Anybody throwing stones, rocks … we will consider that a firearm,’ President Donald Trump warned at the White House Thursday
Video playing bottom right…
Click here to expand to full page
‘Because there’s not much difference. When you get hit in the face with a rock. Which, as you know, it was very violent a few days ago. Very, very violent,’ he added.
The president evoked a potentially violent confrontation at the border, and referenced clashes that have occurred in Mexico with Mexican authorities.
‘This is an invasion and nobody’s really questioning that,’ the president added.
Trump spoke from the Roosevelt Room of the White House
Trump issued the threat after he delivered a long rant about illegal immigration from the White House on Thursday, blasting a clogged court system, called out people who jump the line of legal immigrants, and blasted what he called ‘endemic abuse of the asylum system.’
The White House had touted the policy change, but the president was unable to deliver any new executive order, legislation, or other formal action.
A 4,000-strong caravan set out before dawn from Juchitan to Matias Romero, at La Ventosa, Oaxaca State, Mexico, after being denied buses
Asked at one point about current obligations via U.S. law and treaties to consider asylum claims, the president curtly responded: ‘They’re going to court, as crazy as it sounds.’
The president once again said the U.S. would build tent cities to manage the problem of would-be asylum seekers, and said: ‘We’ll be holding the family and the children together’ in the tents.
‘We have other facilities also. But what’s happened is, we are holding so many facilities, so many people that our facilities are overrun. They’re being overrun. And we are putting up temporary facilities. Eventually people will not be coming here anymore when they realize they cannot get through,’ Trump said.
Trump spoke about how troops would respond to any rock-throwing during back-and-forth with reporters
The migrants were hoping to compel Mexican authorities to provide transportation for them to Mexico City, but it did not happen, prompting them to continue walking
TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION STEMWINDER: HIS GREATEST HITS
Some of the more memorable moments from the president’s November 1, 2018 immigration speech and the Q&A with reporters that followed:
ON WHETHER THE MILITARY WILL FIRE ON MIGRANT CARAVANS AT THE BORDER:
‘I hope not. I hope not. It’s the military. I hope there won’t be that. But I will tell you this: Anybody throwing stones, rocks, like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police – where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico – we will consider that a firearm. Because there’s not much difference. When you get hit in the face with a rock. Which, as you know, it was very violent a few days ago. Very, very violent.’
(AND LATER)
‘We will consider that the maximum that we can consider that. Because they’re throwing rocks viciously and violently. You saw that three days ago, really hurting the military. We’re not going to put up with that. They want to throw rocks at our military? Our military fights back. We’re going to consider it – I told them, “Consider it a rifle.” When they throw rocks like they did at the Mexico military and police, I say, “Consider it a rifle”.’
ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MIGRANTS’ CHILDREN WHEN THEIR PARENTS ARE HELD IN ‘TENT CITIES’:
‘We’re working on a system where they stay together. But I will say that by doing that, tremendous numbers – you know, under the Obama plan you could separate children. They never did anything about that. Nobody talks about that. But under President Obama they separated children from the parents. We actually put it so that didn’t happen. But what happens when you do is you get tremendous numbers of people coming. It’s almost like an incentive to – when they hear they’re not going to be separated, they come many, many times over. But President Obama separated the children from the parents and nobody complained. When we continued the exact same law, this country went crazy.’
ON WHETHER FAMILY UNITS WIL BE KEPT TOGETHER IN TENTS:
‘We will be holding the family and the children together. Remember this: President Obama separated children from families. And all I did was take the same law, and then I softened the law. But by softening the law, many people come up that would not have come up if there was separation.’
ON WHETHER A HARD LINE ON IMMIGRATION IS A PRE-ELECTION PLOY:
‘There’s nothing political about a caravan of thousands of people, and now others forming, pouring up into our country. We have no idea who they are. All we know is they’re pretty tough people when they can blast through the Mexican military and Mexican police. They’re pretty tough people. Even Mexico said, “Wow. These are tough people.” I don’t want them in our country. And women do not want them in our country. Women want security. Men don’t want them in our country. But the women don’t want them. Women want security. You look at what the women are looking for. They want to have security. They don’t want these people in our country, and they’re not going to be in our country. It’s a very big thing.’
ON WHETHER THE CARAVANS ARE BEING ORGANIZED FROM THE OUTSIDE:
‘They understand the law better than the lawyers understand the law. You have a lot of professionalism there, you have a lot of professionalism involved with setting up the caravans. You take a look at the way that’s happening. Even the countries – you look at Honduras and El Salvador. And you look at what’s happening at the different levels and different countries, or what’s happening on the streets. There’s a lot of professionalism taking place. And there seems to be a lot of money passing. And then all of a sudden, out of the blue, these big caravans are formed and they start marching up. They’ve got a long way to go.’
Asked if the children will be held in tent cities, Trump responded: ‘We will be holding the family and the children together. Remember this: President Obama separated children from families. And all I did was take the same law, and then I softened the law. But by softening the law, many people come up that would not have come up if there was separation.’
Asked what would happen to the children, Trump gave a lengthy answer where he mentioned President Barack Obama three times.
‘We’re working on a system where they stay together. But I will say that by doing that, tremendous numbers – you know, under the Obama plan you could separate children. They never did anything about that. Nobody talks about that. But under President Obama they separated children from the parents. We actually put it so that didn’t happen. But what happens when you do is you get tremendous numbers of people coming. It’s almost like an incentive to – when they hear they’re not going to be separated, they come many, many times over. But President Obama separated the children from the parents and nobody complained. When we continued the exact same law, this country went crazy. So we are going to continue and try to continue what we’re doing. But it is a tremendous incentive for people to try. But it’s going to be very, very hard for people to come into out country.’
With the election just days away, the president complained about a ‘catch and release’ immigration system he said failed because people are choosing not to show up for their court appearances.
‘They never show up at the trials. They never come back, they’re never seen again,’ the president vented.
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President Donald Trump blasted ‘catch and release’ during a speech from the White House that was broadcast on cable networks
The president vowed to ‘take every lawful action at my disposal to address this crisis,’ and emphasized asylum in particular. But he was vague on providing any details.
He said he was ‘finalizing a plan to end the rampant abuse of our asylum system.’
He complained about drugs, crime, and a caravan of immigrants making its way toward the border.
‘We’re not releasing them into our country any longer. They’ll wait long periods of time.’
In one of many tangents, he vented: ‘Fentanyl is killing our youth.’
The president said members of the caravan would not be getting asylum.
‘We will be doing an executive order some time next week … it’ll be quite comprehensive.’
Honduran girls hug while waiting in line for a chance to play on the playground at a camp set up by a caravan of thousands of Central American migrants in Juchitan, Mexico, Wednesday
‘These migrants are not legitimate asylum seekers. They’re not looking for protection because if they were, they’d be able to get it from Mexico.’
He called human traffickers ‘The lowest scum on earth.’
Trump once again went after the people comprising the caravan.
‘These are tough people in many cases. A lot of young men, strong men. And a lot of men that maybe we don’t want in our country,’ Trump said.
But he also acknowledged that many of those drawn to the U.S. were coming to reap the benefits of the U.S. economy.
‘We right now have the hottest economy anywhere in the world,’ Trump said. ‘In some cases they want to take advantage of that,’ he allowed.
In give-and-take with reporters, Trump rejected the suggestion he was just making a political move for the elections. Early voting has already begun and Election Day is Tuesday.
‘There’s nothing political about a caravan of thousands of people, and now others forming, pouring up into our country. We have no idea who they are,’ Trump said.
‘All we know is they’re pretty tough people when they can blast through the Mexican military and Mexican police. They’re pretty tough people. Even Mexico said, ‘Wow. These are tough people.’ I don’t want them in our country.’
With the views of female voters holding a potentially decisive role in control of the House with multiple toss-up suburban races, Trump said: ‘And women do not want them in our country. Women want security. Men don’t want them in our country. But the women don’t want them. Women want security. You look at what the women are looking for. They want to have security. They don’t want these people in our country, and they’re not going to be in our country. It’s a very big thing.’
In one of many odd features of his remarks, Trump appeared to thank the crowd when he first entered the Roosevelt Room, even though only reporters and photographers and a few aides were there, and no one had applauded him, which would have been out of the ordinary if it did happen.
This map shows the latest positions of the four Central American caravans making their way to the US border
‘Thank you very much everyone. Appreciate it,’ Trump said to the silent room.
The White House in advance touted a coming directive denying asylum to migrants who try to enter the country illegally this afternoon as he takes action to thwart migrant caravans heading toward the United States’ southern border.
Trump also said this week that he wants to get rid of birthright citizenship to discourage migrants from coming to America to giving birth to children who will automatically become United States citizens.
‘Birthright citizenship’ is derived from the 14th Amendment. Trump says that wording of the amendment leaves room for him to exercise his authority as the nation’s executive to keep children born to illegal immigrants for immediately becoming citizens.
The Immigration and Nationality Act similarly requires the federal government to follow asylum laws. However, Trump is expected to push the boundaries of his authority on immigration anyway, just like he did with extreme vetting.
It took him three tries, but the proposal was eventually held up by the Supreme Court. Trump said he barred legal residents of countries with ties to terror from temporarily coming to America, because their entry was a national security threat, not because they were from majority-Muslim nations.
This week, as he plotted executive actions that would make massive changes to the immigration system days before the mid-term elections, he pointed to Barack Obama’s 2012 decree that illegal immigrants who were brought to the country as children could stat in the U.S. indefinitely through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Trump made his most audacious attempt yet on Wednesday night to turn a sea of approaching Central American migrants into a midterm voting issue, tweeting a video linking them to a death row inmate who killed two Sacramento, California police officers after being deported twice from the United States and returning each time.
Convicted cop killer Luis Bracamontes famously grinned and swore his way through his trial and sentencing this year, vowing to escape and kill more police officers.
He screamed ‘F*** you, judge!’ during a late January hearing and was banned from attending the rest of his trial in person, watching the remaining days on video monitors.
Trump’s 55.5 million Twitter followers saw his own take on the case, a recap of the trial’s most shocking moments titled: ‘Illegal immigrant Luis Bracamontes killed our people!’
CNN editorialized through its website: ‘Trump campaign releases racist ad.’
Network host Don Lemon, under fire for declaring that ‘white men’ are the greatest threat to the United States, complained Wednesday night during his show about ‘how the ad depicts Latinos and immigrants generally. Why is this blatantly racist ad his closing argument before the midterms?’
This Oct. 29, 2018 photo provided by the U.S. Air Force shows a military vehicle loading into the cargo compartment of a C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The aircrews provided strategic airlift to Headquarters Company, 89th Military Police Brigade, Task Force Griffin, which is deploying to the Southwest border region
Trump supporters with red ‘Make America Great Again’ hats cheer the President during the rally in Estero, Florida on Wednesday
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Salvadoran migrants embark on a journey in caravan to the United States. They are pictured in San Salvador on Wednesday
A migrant boy, traveling with a caravan of thousands from Central America en route to the United States, cries while walking along the highway to Juchitan from Santiago Niltepec, Mexico, on Tuesday
Eight-month-old Hennessy Naomi, part of a caravan of migrants from Central America en route to the United States, is held by her mother Maria Jose Sevilla as they walk to Huixtla from Tapachula, in Viva Mexico, on Wednesday
Trump insisted at his Wednesday evening rally that the U.S. Constitution does not protect birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants.
‘Congress has never passed a law requiring birthright citizenship for illegal aliens, and the Constitution does not —I say that to the media — does not [cover it] because illegal aliens are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.’
It’s the 14th Amendment that legal scholars say protects birthright citizenship for everyone born in America.
But there is now a debate as to whether illegal immigrants are indeed covered under the equal protection clause. They are foreign nationals who may not fall under the ‘jurisdiction of the United States’ for protection because they are in the country illegally, the president and his advisers have said.
U.S. soldiers from the 541st Sapper Company are shown transported in an Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in Fort Knox, Kentucky on Tuesday. The troops are being sent to areas along the southwest border to assist the Department of Homeland Security
Trump told ABC News in an interview just before he took the stage that based on his experience judging crowd sizes, the caravans are larger than most people realize.
He claimed that there are mostly ‘young men’ traveling in the group that ‘almost looks like an invasion’ and asserted his broad authority to send in the military by deeming the border crisis a national emergency.
‘It’s a lot of young people, lot of young men – they are pushing the women right up to the front – not good – and the kids right up to the front,’ he told the network, without providing evidence.
Trump, who famously instructed former press secretary Sean Spicer to tell reporters his inaugural crowd bested Barack Obama‘s, made the claim after days of media reports on the substantial masses of people making their way toward the border.
A caravan that reached Oaxaca in Mexico was around 4,000 people, a drop from an earlier count of 5,000, and still 900 miles away from the U.S.
‘You have caravans coming up that look a lot larger than it’s reported, actually,’ Trump told ABC News. And I’ll tell you they look a lot bigger than people would think.’
He defended his decision to send up to 15,000 active military troops to the border, and compared them to a ‘wall’ – although his plan to construct a wall on the border is not yet complete, having received $1.6 billion in funding despite his proposal to spend many times that amount.
‘We have to have a wall of people,’ Trump said.
Interviewer Jonathan Karl asked about the need for the force, noting that many caravan members are women in children.
‘It’s a lot of young people, lot of young men — they are pushing the women right up to the front. Not good – and the kids right up to the front,’ Trump said.
Trump also pushed back when his interviewer said the military was restricted in the duties it can perform and that members could not make arrests. The Posse Comitatus Act proscribes what activities the military can carry out on U.S. soil.
‘Well, it depends,’ Trump responded. ‘National emergency covers a lot of terri–,’ Trump said,’ cutting off his thought.
‘I think it could be considered an invasion of our country, we can’t have it,’ Trump added.
Trump said women and children were being moved to the front of the caravan
He said caravans are ‘a lot’ larger than is reported
Trump cited his own expertise in counting crowds. Pictures is a view of the crowd at Trump’s inauguration
Trump said Wednesday he may triple the U.S. military contingent being sent to the southern border to 15,000, as he once again pointed to migrant caravans and what he called ‘roughness’ among its members.
First 100 troops arrive at US-Mexico border and start erecting tents after Trump threatens that they will SHOOT migrants, as he warns Missouri rally ‘these are not angels and we are not letting them in’
Some 7,000 military personnel will arrive at the border through the weekend ahead of the caravan’s arrival
Trump has promised to build a ‘tent city’ to house the migrants – but the troops are also building their own
Hundreds are flying to Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona, and Lackland Air Force Base in McAllen, Texas
The president issued a dire warning on Wednesday that migrants will be shot if they throw rocks at soldiers
He said he would end catch and release, warning: ‘We’re going to catch, we’re not going to release’
The 4,000-strong caravan will depart from Matias Romero, Mexico, early Friday and make its way toward Veracruz, stopping in Donaji or Sayula de Aleman
Two more are behind it which have another 1,500 people in them
PUBLISHED: 23:17 EDT, 1 November 2018 | UPDATED: 17:00 EDT, 2 November 2018
The first 100 troops have arrived at the US-Mexico border to await the arrival of the migrant caravan slowly making its way north from Central America.
On Thursday, 109 troops from the 591st Military Police Company were taken from Fort Hood, Texas, to to Lackland Air Force Base to help with operations there.
Separately, troops stationed at the Fort Huachuca base in Sierra Vista in Arizona were seen setting up tents for comrades who are due to arrive over the weekend and in the coming weeks.
President Trump has vowed to send as many as 15,000 troops to tackle the three migrant caravans which are snaking their way through Mexico towards the U.S.
He said he will make ‘tent cities’ to keep migrants once they are detained but it is not yet clear where those will be.
The plan, he said, is to ‘end catch and release’ by keeping the migrants there to face trial once they are caught.
‘We’re going to catch, we’re not going to release,’ he said on Wednesday in a lengthy speech where he also threatened that any migrants who throw stones at soldiers will be shot.
They are still 900 miles away and weeks from getting close but the president has bolstered his promise to stop them.
Scroll down for video
Troops unravel barbed wire at the border in Hidalgo, Texas, as Trump ramps up his rhetoric on stopping migrants from entering the US
US troops prepare to install barbed wire on the border in Hidalgo, Texas, on Friday
US Army soldiers from the 309th Military Intelligence Battalion and the 305th Military Intelligence Batallion positions their tents at Fort Huachuca in Arizona on November 1
Soldiers erect tents at Fort Huachuca in Arizona during Operation Faithful Patriot. They will sleep there during the operation. These tents are separate to the ‘tent city’ Trump has said he will build to house migrants while they search for political asylum
Members of the 309th Military Intelligence Battalion and the 305th Military Intelligence Battallion erect a tent at Fort Huachuca in Arizona
This map shows the latest positions of the four Central American caravans making their way to the US border
A US Army soldier helps build a tent at the Fort Huachuca base in Arizona. They are a tiny fraction of the 15,000 soldiers Trump has threatened to send to meet the migrants when they eventually get to the border, if they do
Some 7,000 military members will be arriving at the border through the weekend as President Donald Trump has said he’s willing to send as many as 15,000 troops to provide support to Border Patrol agents.
The migrants, of which there are now are still at least 900 miles away.
Trump issued a dire warning to the would-be immigrants with the caravan in a fiery speech at the White House on Thursday, saying that the troops would return fire if rocks are thrown at them.
With their eyes set on Texas, the 4,000-strong caravan will depart from Matias Romero, Mexico, early Friday and make their way up the Gulf coast toward Veracruz, likely stopping in Donaji or Sayula de Aleman.
Salvadorean migrants cross the Suchiate River from Guatemala to Mexico on Friday
Thousands are making their way to the US border despite Trump’s promises that they will not be allowed in
Meanwhile, Mexican federal police have been fairly tame in their efforts to stop the determined group.
The first group of troops to arrive at the port of entry in McAllen, Texas, have begun initial assessments, a Department of Defense official told Fox News on Thursday evening.
The official confirmed there are some 2,600 troops now at staging bases, largely in Texas, as several thousand more are expected to arrive through the weekend, moving into California and Arizona.
When asked at the White House if he envisioned the military personnel opening fire on the caravan, Trump replied: ‘I hope not. I hope not. It’s the military. I hope there won’t be that.
‘But I will tell you this: Anybody throwing stones, rocks, like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police – where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico – we will consider that a firearm.’
Troops at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texasm are briefed on how they will support Operation Faithful Patriot on Wednesday October 31st
Soldiers from the 89th Military Police Brigade, the 41st Engineering Company and the 19th Engineering Battalion make their way to the border
An Army HMMWV is loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to be taken to the border on Wednesday October 31st
Troops board a plane at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to be taken to the southwest border on Tuesday
TRUMP’S BORDER ARMY
POLICE AND INTELLIGENCE
309th Military Intelligence Battalion and 305th Military Intelligence Battalion
Two battalions from the military’s intelligence branch have been sent to the border to assist with Operation Faithful Patriot. They are often the first boots on the ground and are tasked with training other officers later once they arrive. They are stationed out of Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
89th Military Police Brigade
The brigade was activated during the Vietnam war. Its troops have provided assistance during disaster relief and at Guantanamo Bay. Its soldiers operate out of Fort Hood, Texas.
591st Military Police Company
The 591st Military Police Company are also known as the Iron Spartans. They operate out of Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. They are already perfectly positioned near the border for Operation Faithful Patriot. Officers from the company served in the Iraq war.
ENGINEERS
41st Engineering Company
The 41st Engineer Company is a Route Clearance Company. Its soldiers have previously been deployed to Afghanistan to clear routes for bridge combat teams. They are stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas.
19th Engineering Battalion
The 19th Engineer Battalion O/O deploys engineer forces in order to provide mission command and general engineer support to decisive action in support of Expeditionary, Army, Joint, or Combined Military Operations world-wide.
They operate out of Fort Knox in Kentucky.
541st Sapper Company
The 541st Sapper Company performs a variety of military engineering operations; such as bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defenses and general construction, as well as road and airfield construction and repair. They are also trained to serve as infantry personnel in defensive and offensive operations.
They operate out of Fort Knox in Kentucky.
‘Because there’s not much difference. When you get hit in the face with a rock. Which, as you know, it was very violent a few days ago. Very, very violent,’ he added.
The president evoked a potentially violent confrontation at the border, and referenced clashes that have occurred in Mexico with Mexican authorities.
‘This is an invasion and nobody’s really questioning that,’ the president added.
Trump issued the threat after he delivered a long rant about illegal immigration from the White House on Thursday, blasting a clogged court system, calling out people who jump the line of legal immigrants, and blasting what he called ‘endemic abuse of the asylum system.’
The White House had touted the policy change, but the president was unable to deliver any new executive order, legislation, or other formal action.
Asked at one point about current obligations via U.S. law and treaties to consider asylum claims, the president curtly responded: ‘They’re going to court, as crazy as it sounds.’
The president once again said the US would build tent cities to manage the problem of would-be asylum seekers, and said: ‘We’ll be holding the family and the children together’ in the tents.
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Army Lt Ge. Jeffrey Buchanan briefs Joint Forces Land Component personnel and Air Force attorneys at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas on Thursday
The first 100 troops have arrived at the US-Mexico border to await the arrival of the migrant caravan slowly making its way north from Central America, according to the Department of Defense. Pictured: Members of the Air Force unload in Harlingen, Texas, on Thursday
‘We have other facilities also. But what’s happened is, we are holding so many facilities, so many people that our facilities are overrun.
‘They’re being overrun. And we are putting up temporary facilities. Eventually people will not be coming here anymore when they realize they cannot get through,’ Trump said.
Asked if the children will be held in tent cities, Trump responded: ‘We will be holding the family and the children together. Remember this: President Obama separated children from families. And all I did was take the same law, and then I softened the law. But by softening the law, many people come up that would not have come up if there was separation.’
In the caravan on Friday, migrants were giving each other tattoos to commemorate the journey
Asked what would happen to the children, Trump gave a lengthy answer where he mentioned President Barack Obama three times.
‘We’re working on a system where they stay together. But I will say that by doing that, tremendous numbers – you know, under the Obama plan you could separate children.
‘They never did anything about that. Nobody talks about that. But under President Obama they separated children from the parents.
We actually put it so that didn’t happen. But what happens when you do is you get tremendous numbers of people coming. It’s almost like an incentive to – when they hear they’re not going to be separated, they come many, many times over.
Members of the first caravan board a truck in Matias Romero, Mexico, before sunrise to get to their next stop. They are still 900 miles at least from where the troops are setting up . On Friday, they will trek 30 miles, to the town of Donaji
El Salvadorian migrants walk towards the border of Guatemala and Mexico. They are far behind the first group
Migrant children hug while playing in a playground in Juchitan, Mexico, on Wednesday. There are more than 5,000 migrants making their way to the US. Most are from Honduras
A 4,000-strong caravan set out before dawn from Juchitan to Matias Romero, at La Ventosa, Oaxaca State, Mexico, after being denied buses on November 1
The migrants were hoping to compel Mexican authorities to provide transportation for them to Mexico City, but it did not happen, prompting them to continue walking
‘But President Obama separated the children from the parents and nobody complained. When we continued the exact same law, this country went crazy. So we are going to continue and try to continue what we’re doing. But it is a tremendous incentive for people to try. But it’s going to be very, very hard for people to come into out country.’
With the election just days away, the president complained about a ‘catch and release’ immigration system he said failed because people are choosing not to show up for their court appearances.
‘We’re going to catch, we’re not going to release,’ he said. ‘They never show up at the trials. They never come back, they’re never seen again,’ the president vented.
The president vowed to ‘take every lawful action at my disposal to address this crisis,’ and emphasized asylum in particular. But he was vague on providing any details.
He said he was ‘finalizing a plan to end the rampant abuse of our asylum system.’ He complained about drugs, crime, and a caravan of immigrants making its way toward the border.
‘We’re not releasing them into our country any longer. They’ll wait long periods of time.’ In one of many tangents, he vented: ‘Fentanyl is killing our youth.’
The president said members of the caravan would not be getting asylum. ‘We will be doing an executive order some time next week … it’ll be quite comprehensive.’
TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION STEMWINDER: HIS GREATEST HITS
Some of the more memorable moments from the president’s November 1, 2018 immigration speech and the Q&A with reporters that followed:
ON WHETHER THE MILITARY WILL FIRE ON MIGRANT CARAVANS AT THE BORDER:
‘I hope not. I hope not. It’s the military. I hope there won’t be that. But I will tell you this: Anybody throwing stones, rocks, like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police – where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico – we will consider that a firearm. Because there’s not much difference. When you get hit in the face with a rock. Which, as you know, it was very violent a few days ago. Very, very violent.’
(AND LATER)
‘We will consider that the maximum that we can consider that. Because they’re throwing rocks viciously and violently. You saw that three days ago, really hurting the military. We’re not going to put up with that. They want to throw rocks at our military? Our military fights back. We’re going to consider it – I told them, “Consider it a rifle.” When they throw rocks like they did at the Mexico military and police, I say, “Consider it a rifle”.’
ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MIGRANTS’ CHILDREN WHEN THEIR PARENTS ARE HELD IN ‘TENT CITIES’:
‘We’re working on a system where they stay together. But I will say that by doing that, tremendous numbers – you know, under the Obama plan you could separate children. They never did anything about that. Nobody talks about that. But under President Obama they separated children from the parents. We actually put it so that didn’t happen. But what happens when you do is you get tremendous numbers of people coming. It’s almost like an incentive to – when they hear they’re not going to be separated, they come many, many times over. But President Obama separated the children from the parents and nobody complained. When we continued the exact same law, this country went crazy.’
ON WHETHER FAMILY UNITS WIL BE KEPT TOGETHER IN TENTS:
‘We will be holding the family and the children together. Remember this: President Obama separated children from families. And all I did was take the same law, and then I softened the law. But by softening the law, many people come up that would not have come up if there was separation.’
ON WHETHER A HARD LINE ON IMMIGRATION IS A PRE-ELECTION PLOY:
‘There’s nothing political about a caravan of thousands of people, and now others forming, pouring up into our country. We have no idea who they are. All we know is they’re pretty tough people when they can blast through the Mexican military and Mexican police. They’re pretty tough people. Even Mexico said, “Wow. These are tough people.” I don’t want them in our country. And women do not want them in our country. Women want security. Men don’t want them in our country. But the women don’t want them. Women want security. You look at what the women are looking for. They want to have security. They don’t want these people in our country, and they’re not going to be in our country. It’s a very big thing.’
ON WHETHER THE CARAVANS ARE BEING ORGANIZED FROM THE OUTSIDE:
‘They understand the law better than the lawyers understand the law. You have a lot of professionalism there, you have a lot of professionalism involved with setting up the caravans. You take a look at the way that’s happening. Even the countries – you look at Honduras and El Salvador. And you look at what’s happening at the different levels and different countries, or what’s happening on the streets. There’s a lot of professionalism taking place. And there seems to be a lot of money passing. And then all of a sudden, out of the blue, these big caravans are formed and they start marching up. They’ve got a long way to go.’
‘These migrants are not legitimate asylum seekers. They’re not looking for protection because if they were, they’d be able to get it from Mexico.’
He called human traffickers ‘The lowest scum on earth.’
Trump once again went after the people comprising the caravan.
‘These are tough people in many cases. A lot of young men, strong men. And a lot of men that maybe we don’t want in our country,’ Trump said.
But he also acknowledged that many of those drawn to the U.S. were coming to reap the benefits of the U.S. economy.
‘We right now have the hottest economy anywhere in the world,’ Trump said. ‘In some cases they want to take advantage of that,’ he allowed.
In give-and-take with reporters, Trump rejected the suggestion he was just making a political move for the elections. Early voting has already begun and Election Day is Tuesday.
‘There’s nothing political about a caravan of thousands of people, and now others forming, pouring up into our country. We have no idea who they are,’ Trump said.
‘All we know is they’re pretty tough people when they can blast through the Mexican military and Mexican police. They’re pretty tough people. Even Mexico said, ‘Wow. These are tough people.’ I don’t want them in our country.’
With the views of female voters holding a potentially decisive role in control of the House with multiple toss-up suburban races, Trump said: ‘And women do not want them in our country. Women want security. Men don’t want them in our country. But the women don’t want them. Women want security. You look at what the women are looking for. They want to have security. They don’t want these people in our country, and they’re not going to be in our country. It’s a very big thing.’
In one of many odd features of his remarks, Trump appeared to thank the crowd when he first entered the Roosevelt Room, even though only reporters and photographers and a few aides were there, and no one had applauded him, which would have been out of the ordinary if it did happen.
‘Thank you very much everyone. Appreciate it,’ Trump said to the silent room.
The White House in advance touted a coming directive denying asylum to migrants who try to enter the country illegally this afternoon as he takes action to thwart migrant caravans heading toward the United States’ southern border.
Trump also said this week that he wants to get rid of birthright citizenship to discourage migrants from coming to America to giving birth to children who will automatically become United States citizens.
‘Birthright citizenship’ is derived from the 14th Amendment. Trump says that wording of the amendment leaves room for him to exercise his authority as the nation’s executive to keep children born to illegal immigrants for immediately becoming citizens.
The Immigration and Nationality Act similarly requires the federal government to follow asylum laws. However, Trump is expected to push the boundaries of his authority on immigration anyway, just like he did with extreme vetting.
It took him three tries, but the proposal was eventually held up in a watered-down form by the Supreme Court. Trump said he barred legal residents of countries with ties to terror from temporarily coming to America, because their entry was a national security threat, not because they were from majority-Muslim nations.
This week, as he plotted executive actions that would make massive changes to the immigration system days before the mid-term elections, he pointed to Barack Obama’s 2012 decree that illegal immigrants who were brought to the country as children could stat in the U.S. indefinitely through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Trump made his most audacious attempt yet on Wednesday night to turn a sea of approaching Central American migrants into a midterm voting issue, tweeting a video linking them to a death row inmate who killed two Sacramento, California police officers after being deported twice from the United States and returning each time.
Convicted cop killer Luis Bracamontes famously grinned and swore his way through his trial and sentencing this year, vowing to escape and kill more police officers.
He screamed ‘F*** you, judge!’ during a late January hearing and was banned from attending the rest of his trial in person, watching the remaining days on video monitors.
Trump’s 55.5 million Twitter followers saw his own take on the case, a recap of the trial’s most shocking moments titled: ‘Illegal immigrant Luis Bracamontes killed our people!’
CNN editorialized through its website: ‘Trump campaign releases racist ad.’
ASYLUM, THE MEXICAN BORDER AND DONALD TRUMP: WHAT TO KNOW
WHAT IS ASYLUM?
Asylum is a protection and status granted to foreign nationals who fit the criteria of a refugee as defined by international law.
Once granted, asylum status allows that person to live and work in this country and apply for a green card after one year of residence.
HOW DO YOU GET ASYLUM?
Many people apply for asylum when they first arrive at the U.S. border – where it is legal to seek the protected status.
People already living in the country may also be able to successfully pursue asylum after their arrival – typically if they apply within one year of arrival.
People are considered eligible for asylum when they are unable or unwilling to return to his or her home country because they can’t obtain protection in that country due to past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution based on their ‘race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,’ according to the Refugee Act of 1980.
IS THE MEXICAN BORDER ANY DIFFERENT?
Trump said that he will only accept asylum applications from people who have crossed at legal crossing points on the Mexican border.
It is unclear if he can do this and it will likely be for courts to decide if that is possible.
In theory his powers are at their apex at the border and the government can reject anyone trying to enter.
But asylum is covered by international treaties enacted into U.S. laws which do not contain limits on where it is possible to claim asylum. So he is likely to face
HOW THE PROCESS WORKS
Applying for asylum can take years. In order to pursue a claim, immigrants must first pass a test known as the credible fear review before they are allowed to make their case before an immigration judge.
That review allows them to say why they are fleeing their country and establishes whether they have a legitimate fear of persecution or torture. Individuals who don’t pass the credible fear review can request a hearing to reconsider their plea, but many are quickly deported to their home countries.
In 2017, 60,566 people were found to have credible fear – meaning their cases could go to a full court hearing.
That year, 28,408 asylum cases reached a final decision in U.S. immigration courts. Of those, 10,697 applications were granted and the remaining 17,711 applicants were denied and slated for deportation. But how many leave voluntarily, and how many are deported is not clear. Immigration and Customs Enforcement do not publish a number of failed asylum seekers it has removed.
HOW IT’S CHANGED ALREADY UNDER TRUMP
It has gotten got harder to gain credible fear status under the Trump administration: in June, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made a decision that reversed previous guidelines that domestic violence and gangs were reasons to have ‘credible fear’ – which means that anyone now claiming asylum has a higher bar to cross.
The Trump administration has said that to be applied correctly, asylum must be granted to people who are seeking to escape persecution by a government – not from a violent family member or gang, as had widely been accepted after a 2014 immigration court ruling found those applicants were eligible for asylum.
While some legal experts believe it is still possible to argue cases on behalf of the immigrants affected by Sessions’ decision, that will be impossible if they don’t make it past their credible fear review.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much, everyone. Appreciate it. And good afternoon. I would like to provide an update to the American people regarding the crisis on our southern border — and crisis it is.
Illegal immigration affects the lives of all Americans. Illegal immigration hurts American workers; burdens American taxpayers; and undermines public safety; and places enormous strain on local schools, hospitals, and communities in general, taking precious resources away from the poorest Americans who need them most. Illegal immigration costs our country billions and billions of dollars each year.
America is a welcoming country. And under my leadership, it’s a welcoming country. We lead the world in humanitarian protection and assistance, by far. There’s nobody even close. We have the largest and most expansive immigration programs anywhere on the planet.
We’ve issued 40 million green cards since 1970, which means the permanent residency and a path to citizenship for many, many people. But we will not allow our generosity to be abused by those who would break our laws, defy our rules, violate our borders, break into our country illegally. We won’t allow it.
Mass, uncontrolled immigration is especially unfair to the many wonderful, law-abiding immigrants already living here who followed the rules and waited their turn. Some have been waiting for many years. Some have been waiting for a long time. They’ve done everything perfectly. And they’re going to come in. At some point, they’re going to come in. In many cases, very soon. We need them to come in, because we have companies coming into our country; they need workers. But they have to come in on a merit basis, and they will come in on a merit basis.
The communities are often left to bear the cost and the influx of people that come in illegally. We can’t allow that.
There’s a limit to how many people a nation can responsibly absorb into their societies. Every day, above and beyond our existing lawful admission programs, roughly 1,500 to 2,000 people try crossing our borders illegally. We do a very good job considering the laws are so bad. They’re not archaic; they’re incompetent. It’s not that they’re old; they’re just bad. And we can’t get any Democrat votes to change them. It’s only the Republicans that are — in unison, they want to change them. They want to make strong borders, want to get rid of any crime because of the borders, of which there’s a lot.
And we’ve done a great job with the laws that we have. We’re moving in tremendous numbers of people to get out the MS-13 gangs and others gangs that illegally come into our country. And we’re getting them out by the thousands.
But this is a perilous situation, and it threatens to become even more hazardous as our economy gets better and better. A lot of the cause of this problem is the fact that we right now have the hottest economy anywhere in the world. It’s doing better than any economy in the world. Jobs, unemployment — you look at any number.
Right now, we have more workers than any time in the history of our country. We have more people working, which is a tremendous statement. More people working than at any time in the history of our country. And people want to come in, and in some cases, they want to take advantage of that, and that’s okay. And we want them to come in, but they have to come in through merit. They have to come in legally.
At this very moment, large, well-organized caravans of migrants are marching towards our southern border. Some people call it an “invasion.” It’s like an invasion. They have violently overrun the Mexican border. You saw that two days ago. These are tough people, in many cases. A lot of young men, strong men. And a lot of men that maybe we don’t want in our country. But again, we’ll find that out through the legal process.
But they’ve overrun the Mexican police, and they’ve overrun and hurt badly Mexican soldiers. So this isn’t an innocent group of people. It’s a large number of people that are tough. They’ve injured, they’ve attacked, and the Mexican police and military has actually suffered. And I appreciate what Mexico is trying to do.
So let me begin by stating that these illegal caravans will not be allowed into the United States, and they should turn back now, because they’re wasting their time. They should apply to come into our country. We want them to come into our country very much. We need people to help us, with all of these companies that are coming in. We’ve never had anything like this. We have car companies coming in. We have Foxconn — so involved with the manufacturing of Apple products — coming in in Wisconsin. We have a lot of companies coming in, but they have to apply, and they have to be wonderful people that are going to love our country and work hard.
And we’ve already dispatched, for the border, the United States military. And they will do the job. They are setting up right now, and they’re preparing. We hope nothing happens. But if it does, we are totally prepared. Greatest military anywhere in the world, and it’s going to be, and is now, in great shape. No longer depleted like it was when I took over as the President of the United States.
The government of Mexico has generously offered asylum, jobs, education, and medical care for people within the caravan, but many members of the caravan have refused these offers, which demonstrate that these migrants are not legitimate asylum-seekers. They’re not looking for protection. Because if they were, they’d be able to get it from Mexico. Mexico has agreed to take them in and encouraged them to stay. But they don’t want to stay; they want to come into the United States. So this is no longer safety, and asylum is about safety.
Asylum is not a program for those living in poverty. There are billions of people in the world living at the poverty level. The United States cannot possibly absorb them all. Asylum is a very special protection intended only for those fleeing government persecution based on race, religion, and other protected status.
These caravans and illegal migrants are drawn to our country by Democrat-backed laws and left-wing judicial rulings. We’re getting rulings that are so ridiculous, so bad. They’re writing the laws. Can’t do that. Collectively known as — as an example, catch-and-release. It’s a disgrace that we have to put up with it.
These policies lead to the release of illegal aliens into our communities after they’ve been apprehended. But we’re not releasing anymore. Big change, as of a couple of days ago. We’re going to no longer release. We’re going to catch; we’re not going to release. They’re going to stay with us until the deportation hearing or the asylum hearing takes place. So we’re not releasing them into the community.
We have millions of people that, over the years, have been released into the community. They never show up for the trials. They never come back. They’re never seen again. And those people, they know who they are. And we know a lot of where they are, who they are. And those people will be deported, directly deported.
The biggest loophole drawing illegal aliens to our borders is the use of fraudulent or meritless asylum claims to gain entry into our great country. An alien simply crosses the border illegally, finds a Border Patrol agent, and using well-coached language — by lawyers and others that stand there trying to get fees or whatever they can get — they’re given a phrase to read. They never heard of the phrase before. They don’t believe in the phrase. But they’re given a little legal statement to read, and they read it. And now, all of a sudden, they’re supposed to qualify. But that’s not the reason they’re here.
This merely asserts the need for asylum, and then often released into the United States, and they await a lengthy court process. The court process will takes years sometimes for them to attend. Well, we’re not releasing them into our country any longer. They’ll wait for long periods of time. We’re putting up massive cities of tents. The military is helping us incredibly well.
I want to thank the Army Corps of Engineers. They’ve been so efficient, so good, so talented. And we have thousands of tents. We have a lot of tents; we have a lot of everything. We’re going to hold them right there. We’re not letting them into our country. And then they never show up — almost. It’s like a level of 3 percent. They never show up for the trial. So by the time their trial comes, they’re gone. Nobody knows where they are. But we know where a lot of them are, and they’re going to be deported.
There are now nearly 700,000 aliens inside the United States awaiting adjudication of their claims. Most of these people we have no idea how they got there, why they got there. And the number is actually going to be a much larger number as we look at all of the data. So if you look at just at a minimal number, it’s the size of Vermont, or bigger. And the overall number could be 10 million people; it could be 12 million people; it could be 20 million people. The record keeping from past administrations has not exactly been very good.
As human smugglers and traffickers have learned how the game is played and how to game the system, we have witnessed a staggering 1,700 [percent] increase in asylum claims since the year 2010. They understand the law better than the lawyers understand the law. You have a lot of professionalism there. You have a lot of professionalism involved with setting up the caravans. You take a look at the way that’s happening. Even the countries — you look at Honduras and El Salvador, and you look at what’s happening at the different levels and different countries, and what’s happening on the streets. There’s a lot of professionalism taking place, and there seems to be a lot of money passing. And then, all of a sudden, out of the blue, these big caravans are formed and they start marching up. They got a long way to go.
On average, once released, an asylum case takes three and half years to complete. Think of it. Somebody walks into our country, reads a statement given by a lawyer, and we have a three-and-a-half-year court case for one person, whereas other people tell them, “Out. Get out. Just get out.” Other countries — “Get out. We have a border. Get out.”
We go through years and years of litigation because of the Democrats and the incompetent, very, very stupid laws that we have. They’re the laughingstock all over the world, including the people that are marching up. They understand. But the difference is, we’re not allowing them in, and we’re not releasing, and we’re not doing any of the things that were done for so many years that really are terrible for our country.
The overwhelming majority of claims are rejected by the courts, but by that time, the alien has usually long since disappeared into our country. So they never get to see the judge. They never get to have a ruling. They don’t care because they’re in the country and nobody knows where they are.
All told, there are approximately 1 million aliens who have received final orders of removal. They’ve actually got final orders of removal. You don’t have to go to court anymore. The courts have already issued the orders of removal, and we’ve gotten a lot of them. But who remain at large in our country. So we’ve moving them out.
This endemic abuse of the asylum system makes a mockery of our immigration system, displacing legitimate asylum-seekers — and there are legitimate asylum-seekers — while rewarding those who abuse or defraud our system, which is almost everybody. Everybody is abusing it and just doing things to our system which were unthinkable, I’m sure even by the Democrats who were largely responsible for getting it done.
These individuals disrespect the foundations of American government by voluntarily choosing to break the law as their first act on American soil.
Furthermore, contained within this giant flow of illegal migration to our southwest border is the movement of illicit and deadly narcotics. It’s in the southwest, most of it comes in. Nearly 100 percent of heroin in the United States enters through the southern border– think of that: 100 percent, almost, of heroin comes in through the southern border, along with roughly 90 percent of cocaine, and the majority of meth, and a substantial portion of the ultra-lethal fentanyl killing our youth. Fentanyl is killing our youth.
These drugs destroy the lives and kill much more than 70,000 Americans every single year. And the number goes up. It goes up and up and up, because we are so foolish with our laws that we allow this to happen. A death toll equivalent of the size of an entire American city every year.
The current influx, if not halted, threatens to overwhelm our immigration system and our communities, and poses unacceptable dangers to the entire nation. We have to have our borders. Can’t let drugs come in. Not just — it’s not just people. It’s people; it’s drugs. It’s human traffickers.
Human trafficking is now at the highest level in the world that it’s ever been. And that’s because of the Internet. Think of it — human trafficking. You think back 200 years, 500 years. Human trafficking — where they steal children; in many cases, women, unfortunately. They steal women. The human traffickers, the lowest scum on Earth. The lowest scum on Earth. And it’s at a level that it’s never been. Worldwide — never been at a level like this.
If these caravans are allowed into our country, only bigger and more emboldened caravans will follow. And you see that’s what’s happening now. We have one that’s coming up, and it’s being somewhat dissipated, as they march. But then other people are joining it. And then it gets bigger. And now, if you look back at Honduras, and if you look at El Salvador, other ones are solving and they’re forming. They’re forming. You have new ones that are forming. And we call it “caravan number two” is unbelievably rough people. Very, very hard for the military to stop it. Our military will have no problem. But very, very hard. Mexico is having a very, very hard time with it.
Once they arrive, the Democrat Party’s vision is to offer them free healthcare, free welfare, free education, and even the right to vote. You and the hardworking taxpayers of our country will be asked to pick up the entire tab. And that’s what’s happening — medical and, in many cases, they’ve got some big medical problems before they get here.
No nation can allow itself to be overwhelmed by uncontrolled masses of people rushing their border. That’s what’s happening. They are rushing our border. They are coming up. And even before you get to the caravan, just on a daily basis, people coming in. And it’s a very bad thing for our country. It’s sad in many ways, but it’s a very bad thing for our country. And again, costs us billions and billions and billions of dollars a year.
And I will therefore take every lawful action at my disposal to address this crisis. And that’s what we’re doing. The United States military, great people.
My administration is finalizing a plan to end the rampant abuse of our asylum system — it’s abused — to halt the dangerous influx, and to establish control over America’s sovereign borders. We got borders. And once that control is set and standardized, and made very strong — including the building of the wall, which we’ve already started. $1.6 billion spent last year; $1.6 billion this year. We have another $1.6 [billion] that will be coming, but we want to build it at one time. All it does is turn people in a different direction if you don’t. We want to build it at one time.
Under this plan, the illegal aliens will no longer get a free pass into our country by lodging meritless claims in seeking asylum. Instead, migrants seeking asylum will have to present themselves lawfully at a port of entry. So they’re going to have to lawfully present themselves at a port of entry. Those who choose to break our laws and enter illegally will no longer be able to use meritless claims to gain automatic admission into our country. We will hold them — for a long time, if necessary.
The only long-term solution to the crisis, and the only way to ensure the endurance of our nation as a sovereign country, is for Congress to overcome open borders obstruction. That’s exactly what it is: It’s open border obstruction. No votes. You can come up with the greatest border plan, the greatest immigration plan. You won’t get one vote from a Democrat. They have terrible policy. In many cases, they’re terrible politicians. But the one thing I give them great credit for: They vote as a bloc. They stick together.
And we will end catch-and-release. We’re not releasing any longer. We also must finish the job that we started by being strong at the border. When we’re strong at the border, people will turn away and they won’t bother. You will see, in a year from now, or in certainly a period of time from now, despite our very good economy, which some of them come for that — I can’t blame them for that; you have to do it legally — but you will see that the numbers of people trying to get in will be greatly reduced.
But that can only happen if we’re strong at the border. And the southern border is a big problem, and it’s a tremendous problem for drugs pouring in and destroying our youth, and, really, destroying the fabric of our country. There’s never been a drug problem like we have today. And as I said, much of it comes from the southern border.
So in the meantime, I will fulfill my sacred obligation to protect our country and defend the United States of America. And this is a defense of our country. We have no choice. We have no choice. We will defend our borders, we will defend our country.
Thank you very much.
Q Mr. President, what happens to the children then? If you’re ending catch-and-release, what happens to those children? Do they stay in these tent cities? Or what happens?
THE PRESIDENT: We’re working on a system where they stay together. But I will say that, by doing that, tremendous numbers — you know, under the Obama plan, you could separate children. They never did anything about that. Nobody talks about that. But under President Obama, they separated children from the parents. We actually put it so that that didn’t happen.
But what happens when you do that is you get tremendous numbers of people coming. It’s almost like an incentive to — when they hear they’re not going to be separated, they come many, many times over. But President Obama separated the children, the parents. And nobody complained. When we continued the exact same law, this country went crazy.
So we are going to continue and try to continue what we’re doing. But it is a tremendous incentive for people to try. But it’s going to be very, very hard for people to come into our country. So we think we’ll be able to do that.
Q With the military, do you envision them firing upon any of these people?
THE PRESIDENT: I hope not.
Q Could you see the military (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: I hope not. It’s the military — I hope — I hope there won’t be that. But I will tell you this: Anybody throwing stones, rocks — like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police, where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico — we will consider that a firearm. Because there’s not much difference, where you get hit in the face with a rock — which, as you know, it was very violent a few days ago — very, very violent — that break-in. It was a break-in of a country. They broke into Mexico.
And you look at what’s happening in Guatemala, just to mention Guatemala, along with El Salvador and Honduras. It’s disgraceful that those countries aren’t able to stop this. Because they should be able to stop it before it starts.
And the United States pays them a fortune, and we’re looking at not doing that anymore. Because why should we be doing that when they do nothing for us?
Jeff. Jeff, go ahead.
Q Mr. President, how is this plan going to be legal, considering the current law?
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, this is totally legal. No. This is legal. We are stopping people at the border. This is an invasion, and nobody is even questioning that.
Q But in terms of your plans to change asylum, are you going to do this via executive order?
THE PRESIDENT: No, no, you don’t have to — you don’t have to release. You have — you can hold. The problem is, to hold people, you need massive facilities. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Another country says, “Sorry, you can’t come in.” With us, we take their name, take their phone number, take their everything, and say, “Good luck.” Only because we don’t have the facilities to hold people. But we’re building the facilities now. We’re building massive numbers of tents, and we will hold them in tents. But you don’t have to release them. They released them only because they didn’t have the facilities to hold them.
Q Mr. President, is there like an executive order that you’re going to be releasing today?
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, we will be doing an executive order sometime next week, yes.
Q (Inaudible) executive order dealing with ending catch-and-release and asylum?
THE PRESIDENT: It’s going to end — it’s going to be talking about everything. It’ll be quite comprehensive. Many of the things we’ve talked about today.
Q Mr. President, so you’re — so just to clarify, you are speaking of, in the tents, these family units that would arrive (inaudible) the children?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we have other facilities also. But what’s happened is we are holding so many facilities — so many people that our facilities are being overrun. They’re being overrun. And we are putting up temporary facilities. Eventually, people won’t be coming here anymore when they realize they can’t get through.
Q So they will hold the children in those tents with their parents?
THE PRESIDENT: We will be holding the family and the children together. Remember this: President Obama separated children from families. And all I did was take the same law, and then I softened the law. But by softening the law, many people come up that would not have come up if there was separation.
Q Mr. President, what do you say to the critics who think this is a political thing before the midterms?
THE PRESIDENT: There’s nothing political about a caravan of thousands of people, and now others forming, pouring up into our country. We have no idea who they are. All we know is they’re pretty tough people when they can blast through the Mexican military and Mexican police. They’re pretty tough people. Even Mexico said, “Wow, these are tough people.” I don’t want them in our country. And women don’t want them in our country. Women want security. Men don’t want them in our country. But the women do not want them. Women want security. You look at what the women are looking for. They want to have security. They don’t want to have these people in our country. And they’re not going to be in our country. It’s a very big thing.
Yes.
Q Mr. President, when you talk about finalizing a plan to end asylum, is this a plan that would be included in that executive order?
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, no, people are going to have a chance to go for asylum. But if you look at the records, not very many people are allowed to stay once they go to court. But what happens is they’d go into — they were using asylum — first of all, they were told what to say by lawyers and others. “Read this statement.” You read the statement, and now you’re seeking asylum. The whole thing is ridiculous. And we won’t put up with it any longer.
Q President Trump, U.S. law and international law says that people who have valid claims have a right to seek asylum.
THE PRESIDENT: That’s right.
Q So why would — why would they be —
THE PRESIDENT: Well, they’re going to go to court. They’re going to go to court, as crazy as it sounds. They’re going to go —
Q But the law say that they don’t — they’re not —
THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me. Excuse me. Ready? They’re going to go to court, and a judge is going to determine. But usually, when they go to court, they’re deported. It just seems that most of the people are deported once they go. The problem is they never end up going to court, because when they come in, they’re told to come back in a year, for a court case, and they disappear into the United States never to be seen again.
But we’re going to be —
Q But the current laws doesn’t say about holding people in tent cities.
THE PRESIDENT: And they’re given deportation notices. We will be deporting those people.
Q Mr. President, you’re saying rocks are — rock-throwing, like happened in Mexico, will be considered —
THE PRESIDENT: We will consider that the maximum that we can consider that, because they’re throwing rocks viciously and violently. You saw that three days ago. Really hurting the military. We’re not going to put up with that. If they want to throw rocks at our military, our military fights back. We’re going to consider — and I told them, consider it a rifle. When they throw rocks like they did at the Mexico military and police, I say, consider it a rifle.
Jeff?
Q A separate topic, sir. Did you offer Heather Nauert the job of U.N. Ambassador?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, she’s under very serious consideration. She’s excellent. She’s been with us a long time. She’s been a supporter for a long time. And she’s really excellent. So she’s under very serious — we’ll probably make a decision next week. We have a lot of people that want the job, and there are a lot of really great people. But we’ll be talking about that next week sometime.
Q Did you see Oprah Winfrey’s comments today?
THE PRESIDENT: I didn’t. What did she say?
Q She was campaigning in Georgia at the same time that Vice President Pence was.
THE PRESIDENT: At the same time as who?
Q Excuse me, at the same time Vice President Pence was, encouraging people to vote and —
THE PRESIDENT: Well, that’s okay. I mean, I was on Oprah’s last week — the last week of her show. Oprah liked me very much. I’ve always liked Oprah. You know, Oprah is good. But the woman that she’s supporting is not qualified to be the governor of Georgia, by any stretch of the imagination.
And I’ll be in Georgia the next few days — the next few days — and we have a tremendous — around Macon — we have a tremendous crowd already. Nobody has a crowd like we have because people want to see a great governor of Georgia. And I think Brian is going to be a great governor of Georgia. I think he’ll be a fantastic governor. He’s totally qualified.
She is not qualified to be the governor of Georgia. She’s not qualified. And Georgia is a great state —
Q Why is she not qualified?
THE PRESIDENT: — it’s a great, great state. Take a — take a look. Take a look at her past. Take a look at her history. Take a look at what she wants to do and what she has in mind for the state. That state will be in big, big trouble very quickly. And the people of Georgia don’t want that.
Question?
Q Mr. President, really quickly, just on election integrity? Can you say for a fact that our elections are secure next week? What can you tell us?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, yeah. I just met with — I just met with the FBI, with Chris; and the Justice Department; and with Secretary Nielsen. And they’ve spent a lot of time and effort and some money on making sure that everything with respect to the election coming up in five days is going to be perfect and safe. There will be hopefully no meddling, no tampering, no nothing. And we spent a lot —
Now President Obama had the chance to do that in September before ’16, but he chose not to do that because he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win. And while everybody agrees it didn’t affect the vote at all, nevertheless he could have done things that probably would have made it a little more obvious, a little clearer. But he was told by the FBI in September before the election in ’16 about potential meddling or potential Russian meddling, and he did nothing about it. He didn’t do that because he thought that Hillary Clinton would win.
All right, one more.
Q Are you optimistic that you can still get the continuing resolution through December 7th for Homeland Security funded, even if the Democrats take the House?
THE PRESIDENT: I think if — I think we’re going to do very well in the election, I must tell you. If you look at the races, if you look at the Senate, which is very important, obviously. I’m leaving today; I’ll be in Missouri. And I’ll be touching down at a number of places over the next five days. But I think we’re doing very well in the Senate, and I think we’re doing very well in the House.
The only problem is, with the House, there’s so many people. I’d like to stop for every one of them, but there’s so many people. But I think we’re doing very well in the House. I think people want to see strong borders. I think they want to see security. They want to see good healthcare. They want to see the things that we’re providing. They don’t want to have their taxes increased. We’re decreasing their taxes.
We just announced yesterday, you probably heard — Kevin Brady put it out — a reduction of tax. We’re going for a reduction of middle-income tax or 10 percent. The Democrats want to, I mean, double up your taxes. In some cases, you’ll have to pay three times what you’re paying right now in order to get bad healthcare.
And so what we’re doing is something that I think the people want, and I think we’re going to do very well in the election, even though history says that whoever President it — whoever the President may be, it trends the other way. It certainly does seem that way.
But nobody has ever been President that has the greatest economy in the history of our country. This is the greatest economy in the history of our country. These are the greatest unemployment and employment numbers in the history of our country. Nobody has ever had that to campaign with. So I do.
Thank you all very much. I appreciate it. Thank you.
Story 1: Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting Suspect Robert Bowers, Age 46, Appearance in Pittsburgh Court For 11 Counts of Homicide and 6 Counts of Battery — Prosecutor Seeks Death Penalty — Videos —
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By ALLEN G. BREED, MARK SCOLFORO and MARYCLAIRE DALE
This undated Pennsylvania Department of Transportation photo shows Robert Bowers, the suspect in the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018. (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation via AP)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The man charged in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre was brought into court in a wheelchair Monday, as some members of the Jewish community and others objected to President Donald Trump’s plans to visit, accusing him of contributing to a toxic political climate in the U.S. that might have led to the bloodshed.
With the first funerals set for Tuesday, the White House announced that Trump and first lady Melania Trump will visit the same day to “express the support of the American people and to grieve with the Pittsburgh community” over the 11 congregants killed Saturday in the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.
Some Pittsburghers urged Trump to stay away.
“His language has encouraged hatred and fear of immigrants, which is part of the reason why these people were killed,” said Marianne Novy, 73, a retired college English professor who lives in the city’s Squirrel Hill section, the historic Jewish neighborhood where the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue took place.
Meanwhile, the alleged gunman, 46-year-old truck driver Robert Gregory Bowers, was released from the hospital where he was treated for wounds suffered in a gun battle with police. Hours later he was wheeled into a downtown federal courtroom in handcuffs to face charges.
Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers vowed to rebuild following a weekend massacre at his Pittsburgh synagogue where Robert Gregory Bowers is accused of killing 11 people in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. (Oct. 29)
A judge ordered him held without bail for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, when prosecutors will outline their case. He did not enter a plea.
During the brief proceeding, Bowers talked with two court-appointed lawyers and said little more than “Yes” in a soft voice a few times in response to routine questions from the judge. Courtroom deputies freed one of his cuffed hands so he could sign paperwork.
He was expressionless.
“It was not the face of villainy that I thought we’d see,” said Jon Pushinsky, a congregant who was in court for the hearing.
Federal prosecutors are pressing for the death penalty against Bowers, who authorities say expressed hatred of Jews during the attack and later told police, “I just want to kill Jews” and “All these Jews need to die.”
After the hearing, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady called the shootings “horrific acts of violence” and added: “Rest assured we have a team of prosecutors working hard to ensure that justice is done.”
The weekend massacre — which took place 10 days before the midterm elections — heightened tensions around the country, coming just a day after the arrest of the Florida man accused of sending a wave of pipe bombs to Trump critics.
The mail bomb attacks and the bloodshed in Pittsburgh set off debate over whether the corrosive political atmosphere in Washington and beyond contributed to the violence and whether Trump himself bears any blame because of his combative language.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, a Democrat, said the White House should contact the victims’ families and ask them if they want the president to come. He also warned Trump to stay away when the first funerals are held.
“If the president is looking to come to Pittsburgh, I would ask that he not do so while we are burying the dead,” Peduto said. “Our attention and our focus is going to be on them, and we don’t have public safety that we can take away from what is needed in order to do both.”
The White House did not immediately respond to the mayor’s request. Asked if Trump has done enough to condemn white nationalism, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said he has “denounced racism, hatred and bigotry in all forms on a number of occasions.”
Some looked forward to the president’s visit.
Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers said that Trump is “certainly welcome.”
“I am a citizen. He is my president,” Myers told CNN.
But Barry Werber, 76, who hid in a dark storage closet as the gunman rampaged through the synagogue, said he doesn’t want Trump to come to Pittsburgh. He said Trump is trying to “instigate his base,” and “bigots are coming out of the woodwork.”
Kristin Wessell, a homemaker who lives near Squirrel Hill, also said Trump should steer clear of Pittsburgh, to let the victims’ families “grieve how they see fit.”
“I feel a lot of his comments are very much dog whistles to nationalists and white supremacists and racists. So, yeah, I do place part of the blame on this on him,” said Wessell, a Democrat, who was passing out bouquets to passersby across the street from a kosher grocery store. “Anti-Semitism has always existed. But I feel like he is giving cover to people to be more blatant about it. And to be more violent about it, rather than trying to calm and heal.”
The youngest of the 11 dead was 54, the oldest 97. The toll included a husband and wife, professors, dentists and physicians.
Bowers was charged with offenses that included causing death while obstructing a person’s right to the free exercise of religion — a hate crime — and using a gun to commit murder. He was also charged under state law with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation.
The president of the hospital where a wounded Bowers was taken said that he was ranting against Jews even as Jewish staff members were treating him.
“He’s taken into my hospital and he’s shouting, ‘I want to kill all the Jews!’ and the first three people who are taking care of him are Jewish,” Jeffrey Cohen of Allegheny General Hospital told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” ″Ain’t that a kick in the pants?”
Cohen, who is also Jewish and a member of Tree of Life synagogue, said he stopped by Bowers’ room.
“I just asked how he was doing, was he in pain, and he said no, he was fine,” Cohen said. “He asked who I was, and I said, ‘I’m Dr. Cohen, the president of the hospital,’ and I turned around and left.”
He said the FBI agent outside Bowers’ room told him he didn’t think he could have done that. “And I said, ‘If you were in my shoes I’m sure you could have,’” Cohen said.
Just minutes before the synagogue attack, Bowers apparently took to social media to rage against HIAS, a Jewish organization that resettles refugees under contract with the U.S. government.
“HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” he is believed to have written on Gab.com, a social media site favored by right-wing extremists. “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”
HIAS had recently weighed in on the migrant caravan heading toward the U.S. from Central America, urging the Trump administration to “provide all asylum seekers the opportunity to present their claims as required by law.” The president has vilified the caravan and pledged to stop the migrants.
One of the targets of the mail bomb attacks last week was liberal Jewish philanthropist George Soros, who has been accused by far-right conspiracy theorists of paying migrants to join the caravan.
Bowers was a long-haul trucker who worked for himself, authorities said. Little else was known about the suspect, who had no apparent criminal record.
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This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of “Pushinsky” and “Jeffrey” and to show Jeffrey Cohen’s comments were made to “Good Morning America,” not WTAE-TV.
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Associated Press reporters Claudia Lauer and Kristen de Groot contributed to this report from Philadelphia.
BY BRETT SAMUELS AND EMILY BIRNBAUM – 10/29/18 06:00 AM EDT
A string of violent incidents has cast a pall over the final weeks of a midterm season already marked by months of bitter partisan fighting, vitriolic rhetoric and angry protests.
A week that began with President Trump spreading unfounded claims at a rally in Houston about Democrats and a caravan of migrants ended with arrests in a spate of attempted bombings against prominent Democrats and the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the country’s history.
Both episodes were met with calls for unity from Democrats and Republicans alike, but neither party indicated they would cede an inch in the debate over responsibility for the attacks.
Marc Hetherington, a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, expressed skepticism that the rhetoric will cool in the last full week of the campaign, even as the country remains on edge.
“I don’t think anything’s going to cool tensions,” he said in an interview with The Hill. “This, on both sides, has the feel of the apocalypse if they lose.”
The chairmen of both parties’ campaign arms in the House appeared jointly on a pair of Sunday talk shows, where they delivered a message of unity.
“We should come together as a country. This should not be a political response, but rather a response at how we can further bring us together,” Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said on “Fox News Sunday.”
His Republican counterpart, Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), expressed confidence that the midterm elections would not prove to be an obstacle in efforts to unify the country.
Even as they spoke of bipartisanship, the two men regularly slipped in jabs about the other party’s campaign operation and questioned whether their opponent’s tactics were “sleazy” or “racist.”
The back-and-forth was reflective of a national conversation in recent days where politicians have alternately called for an easing of political hostilities while quickly blaming the other side for stoking them in the first place.
At the center of it all has been Trump, who struck a unifying tone in the immediate aftermath of the attempted bombings while also questioning its timing.
“Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows — news not talking about politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans go out and vote!” Trump tweeted on Friday, as authorities closed in on a suspect in the spate of attempted bombings.
Authorities eventually charged Cesar Sayoc Jr. with addressing more than a dozen explosive devices to high-profile Democrats, including former President Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, Bill and Hillary Clintonand Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), among others. CNN’s New York City offices were also targeted.
The next day, Robert Bowers was arrested after police said he opened fire in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, killing 11 people and wounding six.
Democrats have seized on both incidents to draw attention to the consequences of extreme rhetoric, invoking Trump in the process.
“Honestly, I think this president’s whole modus operandi is to divide us,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “He gets up in the morning with new and inventive ways to divide us. And it’s not enough that on the day of a tragedy he says the right words if, every day of the year, he’s saying things to bring us into conflict with each other.”
Republicans, meanwhile, have been quick to downplay the connection between the president’s over-the-top rhetoric and the men responsible for last week’s violence.
“Look, everyone has their own style, and frankly, people on both sides of the aisle use strong language about our political differences, but I just don’t think you can connect it to threats or acts of violence,” Vice President Pence told NBC News in an interview aired Sunday.
“And I don’t think the American people connect it,” Pence added. “The American people believe that those who are responsible are the people that actually conduct these threats.”
George Selim, senior vice president of programs at the Anti-Defamation League, said the campaign rhetoric has reached a “tipping point.”
“The rhetoric has really reached a tipping point that’s gone beyond political divisiveness into acts of cold and callous murder and intent to harm,” he told The Hill.
Democrats campaigning across the country have largely implicated both sides as they walk a tenuous line between using the events for messaging without being seen as politicizing a tragedy.
Gun-control activists have shown less hesitation to draw a direct line between Saturday’s shooting and the upcoming midterm elections.
“Americans believe that gun safety is a priority and we expect them to be taking that issue into the voting booth with them,” John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, told The Hill. “Certainly what happened in Pittsburgh is one more stark reminder, the fact that gun safety isn’t the left or right issue, it’s a life or death issue.”
Everytown spent $30 million total on the midterm elections, Feinblatt noted.
Hetherington, the UNC professor, said issues of gun violence and Trump’s rhetoric are likely to be fresh in voters’ minds for the midterms, particularly since early voting has already begun in many states.
“We have a new framing in a sense for the election,” he said, pointing to two issues — Trump’s divisive rhetoric and gun violence — that have once again become urgent topics in the news. “And it’s on grounds that Democrats benefit from.”
Despite calls for him to cool his overheated rhetoric after the deadly synagogue shooting and pipe bomb mailings, President Trump on Monday continued his assault on the news media by once again branding them as the “Enemy of the People” and accusing them of stoking rage.
“There is great anger in our Country caused in part by inaccurate, and even fraudulent, reporting of the news. The Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People, must stop the open & obvious hostility & report the news accurately & fairly,” he wrote to his more than 55 million Twitter followers. .
“That will do much to put out the flame of Anger and Outrage and we will then be able to bring all sides together in Peace and Harmony. Fake News Must End!,” the president posted, just two days after 11 people were gunned down by a man yelling “all Jews must die” at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
The tweets also come three days after Cesar Sayoc was arrested for sending 14 pipe bombs through the postal system to CNN and a number of prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, his Vice President Joe Biden, and Trump’s 2016 presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton — all outspoken critics of Trump’s.
A number of Democratic and Republican lawmakers made the rounds of the Sunday news shows to call for unity and encourage the president to tamp down his name-calling and attacks on the media.
After Monday’s tweet, more politicians weighed in.
Sen. Chris Murphy encouraged people to send Trump a message next Tuesday by voting in the midterm elections.
“This is, for all practical purposes, a call for more violence against the press. My god….what is happening???,” the Connecticut Democrat wrote on Twitter.
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said instigating indignation isn’t a successful political strategy.
“History offers numerous examples of social & political movements built primarily on tapping into & stoking anger. To varying degrees they had some early success, but none of them ended well,” Rubio said on Twitter. “And many of them caused great suffering & tragedy on the way down.”
Republican Rep. Ryan Costello said there are many things “shaking up the hornet’s nest” and Trump’s comments are among them – especially for Democrats.
“In the grand scheme of things if you were to subsequently ask me, ‘Does he quell or exacerbate?’ I would say he oftentimes exacerbates,” Costello of Pennsylvania said during a panel hosted by Politico.
Jim Sciutto, a reporter for CNN – which was a target of several of the pipe bombs, including another suspicious package found Monday that was intended for its Atlanta headquarters – said he and other journalists are just doing their jobs.
“Mr. President @realDonaldTrump I watched my team escorted out of our NY HQ five days ago as the NYPD isolated a bomb in our building. We reported the facts, as we always do,” he posted on Twitter. “We are not fake news. We are journalists doing our jobs as best we can every day.”
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway said the president is “trying to heal the country.”
“The president’s not trying to reach his base by denouncing anti-Semitism and asking everybody to rise above hate, he’s being the president of all Americans,” she said on CNN.
Trump condemned the synagogue shooting as “pure evil.”
“There must be no tolerance for anti-Semitism in America or for any form of religious or racial hatred or prejudice,” he said during a rally Saturday in Illinois.
Trump: “The media has been extremely unfair to me and the Republican party”
‘I’m going in’: Synagogue shooting suspect, 46, posted chilling final message before the Trump-hating antisemite ‘opened fire with an AR-15 on a BABY naming ceremony yelling “All Jews must die”‘, killing 11 and injuring six – including four cops
Suspect Robert Bowers, 46, allegedly opened fire on the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue at around 10am on Saturday
Suspect killed congregants in the main level who had gathered to observe the Sabbath then went downstairs
In the basement, a second congregation had gathered. He shot them then fled to the third floor
There, Bowers exchanged gunfire with police and injured two police officers and two SWAT team members
He was eventually injured and surrendered to police by crawling to them before being taken to the hospital
Bowers posted on the social network Gab an hour before the attack that he was ‘going in’
He regularly spewed his hatred of Jews and of President Trump on the website
Trump first called the shooting a ‘shame’ and said the synagogue should have had its own security
He then called it a ‘twisted act of malice’ in a later speech and called for the shooter to be executed quickly
PUBLISHED: 10:53 EDT, 27 October 2018 | UPDATED: 12:11 EDT, 29 October 2018
The gunman who opened fire on a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday morning, killing at least 11 people and injuring several others, has been named as 46-year-old Robert Bowers, a Trump-hating antisemite who regularly complained on social media about the president and ‘the infestation of Jews.’
Bowers opened fire at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh shortly before 10am. The synagogue was busier than usual with Sabbath services and because of a baby naming ceremony that had also been scheduled.
After opening fire on the congregation with three handguns and an AR-15, he was confronted by two Pittsburgh police officers who had been called to the scene as he tried to leave the building. Police say Bowers returned fire, injuring both of the cops, then retreated inside and ran to the third floor to hide.
He then engaged in a gun battle with a SWAT team and injured two of them before being shot multiple times himself and surrendering.
He is still alive, in a stable condition, and is in the hospital under the watch of police.
None of the victims have been named. Police revealed on Saturday afternoon that all of those killed were adults and that no children were harmed.
Robert Bowers, 46, has been identified as the suspected gunman who opened fire on a synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday. He is pictured, left, in his Gab profile picture and right in his driver’s license picture
An hour before the first reports emerged of the shooting, Bowers posted this on the social media website Gab. He was enraged by HIAS, the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society which helps Jewish migrants settle in the US, and said he couldn’t ‘sit by’ and watch ‘my people get slaughtered’
Among his antisemitic comments on the social network Gab are complaints about President Trump
Bowers also shared photographs of his Glock collection on the website. He used several handguns and an AR-15 in the attack. Right, his cover photo included the white supremacist number 1488
Police vehicles are deployed near the vicinity of the home of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers’ home in Baldwin
More emergency vehicles are seen blocking the road near Bowers’ home in Baldwin on Saturday
Baldwin is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area
The six people injured include a 70-year-old man who is undergoing surgery for multiple gunshot wounds and a 61-year-old woman who is expected to survive.
Three of the four cops are likely to survive but a fourth, a 55-year-old law enforcement officer, is in a critical condition.
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Paramedics race to get a victim from Saturday’s shooting to the hospital outside the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh
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Jewish residents who live near the synagogue are pictured outside after the shooting. At least 11 are dead and others are injured
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Members of the community gather outside the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, on Saturday morning after an antisemitic gunman opened fire, murdering at least 11 and injuring several others
Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers, who was likely leading the Sabbath service, is pictured after escaping from the gunman on Saturday morning
EMTs work at the scene of a mass shooting on Saturday morning at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue. At least 11 people are dead and more are injured
Kate Rothstein (left) looks on as Tammy Hepps and Simone Rosthein hug outside the synagogue in Squirrel Hill on Saturday
The entire incident, from when he entered the synagogue to when he was removed, lasted 20 minutes.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Saturday that the federal government plans to file hate crimes and other charges against the alleged gunman – which carry the maximum penalty of death.
The synagogue was particularly busy because of the special ceremony planned. There are mixed reports that it was a bris, the Jewish ceremony which involves an infant’s circumcision, but there were children in the synagogue at the time.
Little is known about him but he made no attempt to conceal his antisemitism on the social media website Gab, beloved by users because it promises never to censor them or hinder their free speech.
In response to the shooting, the online payment giant PayPal announced that it has banned Gab, according to The Verge.
Gab responded by releasing a statement on Medium condemning the shooting while denying that it encourages terrorism or violence.
‘Gab.com’s policy on terrorism and violence have always been very clear: we a have zero tolerance for it,’ the company said.
‘Gab unequivocally disavows and condemns all acts of terrorism and violence.’
Apple refuses to host Gab in its iOS store while Google banned the app from its Google Play store for violating the company’s hate speech policy.
A post made on the site’s Twitter account on Saturday appeared to revel in the attention prompted by the killings, saying ‘We have been getting 1 million hits an hour all day.’
Bowers had an active gun license and has bought six firearms since 1996.
Police are preparing to search his home in Baldwin, Pennsylvania.
An hour before he arrived at the synagogue and started shooting on Saturday, Bowers, posted this chilling message on the site: ‘I’m going in.’
Denise Fulton cries as she speaks with Bishop David Zubick at the scene of the mass shooting on Saturday
A woman holds a candle during a vigil in Squirrel Hill on Saturday to remember those that died in the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting earlier in the day
Deb Polk holds a sign as she gathers with others for a vigil in the aftermath of the deadly shooting
Crowds gathered at the intersection of Murray Avenue and Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh for a vigil that was held at Sixth Presbyterian Church
More than 3,000 people from the Pittsburgh community gathered for the candlelight vigil on Saturday night
People sang and held candles during the gathering at Murray and Forbes avenues in Pittsburgh
Braddock, Pennsylvania Mayor John Fetterman hugs a person as they gather for the vigil on Saturday
He was enraged by HIAS, the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society which helps Jewish migrants settle in the US, which he accused of bringing ‘invaders in that kill our people’.
‘I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in,’ he wrote.
Two days ago, he said there was no ‘MAGA as long as there is a k*** [ethnic slur for a Jewish person] infestation’.
A photograph at the top of Bowers’ profile showed a machine with the numbers 1488 – a prolific white supremacist symbol – on it.
He also previously wrote that he had never voted for Donald Trump, ‘nor have I owned, worn or even touched a maga hat’.
Bowers also said Trump is ‘a puppet for Jewish interests’.
He recently posted a photo of a collection of three black semi-automatic handguns he titled ‘my glock family,’ a reference to the Austrian firearms manufacturer.
He also posted photos of bullet holes in person-sized targets at a firing range, touting the ‘amazing trigger’ on his weapon.
After killing people on the main floor, the shooter went downstairs, where the New Light congregation was gathering in the basement, and opened fire there.
Dor Hadash, a third, smaller group, was gathered in the rabbi’s study to the side of the Tree of Life’s congregation.
The first cops on the scene exchanged fire with him and two were shot.
Two SWAT team members were then shot during a gun battle with Bowers as the suspect tried to fight them off from the third floor.
After being injured himself in the crossfire, Bowers surrendered to police. None of the people killed have been named but police confirmed they were all adults.
Local officials described the scene as ‘horrific’ and cried as they gave an update on the shooting on Saturday afternoon.
The FBI special agent in charge who is investigating the shooting described it as the worst crime scene he had encountered in 22 years of service.
The vigil was held just as the Jewish Sabbath was ending and observant Jews were first learning of the massacre at the synagogue
The vigil was organized by students from nearby Allderdice High School, a public high school in Squirrel Hill
The mayor of Pittsburgh said that the names of the deceased will be released on Sunday morning
Amy Gilligan hugs her daughter at the intersection of Murray Ave. and Forbes Ave in Pittsburgh on Saturday
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the federal government would seek the death penalty and file hate crimes charges against the alleged gunman
President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as an ‘evil anti-Semitic attack’
Matthew Chinman, 49, of Squirrel Hill, hugs a fellow community member during the vigil on Saturday night
A young boy holds up a sign that reads ‘Hate and violence are not the answer’ at the vigil in Pittsburgh
Trump said lawmakers ‘should very much bring the death penalty into vogue’ and people who kill in places such as synagogues and churches ‘really should suffer the ultimate price’
President Trump said he plans to visit Pittsburgh in the near future. A crowd is seen gathering at an intersection for the vigil on Saturday night
A large interfaith memorial service was held at the Sixth Presbyterian Church in Squirrel Hill on Saturday
After tweeting that the situation was ‘devastating’, President Trump said on Saturday that it would not have happened if the synagogue had had its own security.
He called for the shooter to be sentenced to death and spoke about making capital punishment ‘in vogue’.
He took a stronger tone in a later speech where he described it as a ‘twisted act of malice’.
Later on Saturday, Trump held a rally in Illinois, where he addressed the shooting.
‘This evil anti-Semitic attack is an assault on all of us,’ the president said. ‘It’s an assault on humanity.
‘We must draw a line in the sand…and say never again,’ Trump said.
The president also tweeted on Saturday: ‘All of America is in mourning over the mass murder of Jewish Americans at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
‘We pray for those who perished and their loved ones, and our hearts go out to the brave police officers who sustained serious injuries.
‘This evil Anti-Semitic attack is an assault on humanity.
‘It will take all of us working together to extract the poison of Anti-Semitism from our world.
‘We must unite to conquer hate.’
Bowers started his killing in the main chapel where the Tree of Life congregants were gathered.
He shot randomly, according to survivors, then made his way down to the basement where one of the other two groups was.
After killing between those two floors, he made his way to the third floor.
By then, SWAT teams had arrived at the scene. Bowers was injured in the battle and surrendered to police by crawling to them. He was taken to the hospital.
Speaking afterwards, Wendell Hissnich, Pittsburgh Director of Public Safety, fought back tears as he described the scene inside.
‘It’s a very horrific crime scene. It’s one of the worst that I have seen and I have been on plane crashes. It is very bad,’ he said.
People hug outside the synagogue on Saturday morning after the shooting
Police and EMTs are pictured outside the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, on Saturday after an antisemitic gunman opened fire, murdering at least eight people and injuring many others
Armed police are pictured entering the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, on Saturday after a shooting which claimed at least eight lives
SWAT teams are pictured at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, on Saturday after a shooter opened fire
The scene at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, on Saturday
This is the view inside the synagogue on an ordinary day. It is unknown how many people were inside when the gunman opened fire but it was busier than usual, with worshipers observing the Sabbath. Some were also there to attend a ceremony either for a bris, an infant’s circumcision, or a baby naming ceremony
One woman, whose daughter was inside at the time, told CNN: ‘They heard the shots and they all, her friend’s mom and dad and son, they just all ran downstairs I guess and barricaded themselves in the basement.
It’s a very horrific crime scene… it’s one of the worst that I have seen and I have been on plane crashes. It is very bad
Wendell Hissnich, Pittsburgh Director of Public Safety
‘They kept hearing gunfire and everything else.’
Another man rushed to the scene to try to get his elderly father-in-law to safety.
He told reporters: ‘My father-in-law was inside, I got married in this place, this is crazy.
‘This is unbelievable. People have to stop the hate. They have to stop.’
President Trump spoke about the atrocity as he boarded Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews.
He asked why the synagogue did not have its own security and suggested that fewer would have died had an armed guard been stationed there.
GUNMAN’S ANTISEMITIC SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
An hour before the shooting, Bowers posted this on the social network Gab
The 46-year-old man suspected of shooting at least eight people dead at a synagogue in Pittsburgh is an anti-Trump white supremacist who spewed his anti-Semitic views online.
Robert Bowers has a profile on the social media network Gab, which he joined in January 2018.
The bio section of his profile, which has since been deleted, reads: ‘jews are the children of satan. (john 8:44) — —- the lord jesus christ is come in the flesh.
Among his antisemitic comments on the social network Gab are complaints about President Trump
On Saturday morning, seemingly just moments before the shooting, he posted: ‘HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.’
HAIS is a Jewish organization which works with refugees and was founded in 1881, originally to assist Jews fleeing pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Within the last two days he reposted an article from HAIS’ website about National Refugee Shabbat last week, described as ‘a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals around the country to create a Shabbat experience dedicated to refugees’.
He initially wrote alongside the article 17 days ago: ‘Why hello there HIAS! You like to bring in hostile invaders to dwell among us? We appreciate the list of friends you have provided.’
He then provided a link, however the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh is not on that list.
A spokesman at HAIS said the organization is still learning about the situation and does not yet have a comment.
A photograph at the top of Bowers’ profile showed a machine with the numbers 1488 on it. 1488 is a white supremacist symbol.
Bowers wrote on social media that he did not vote for Donald Trump and ‘nor have I owned, worn or even touched a maga hat’.
He also wrote: ‘Trump is a globalist, not a nationalist.
‘There is no #MAGA as long as there is a k*** [ethnic slur for a Jewish person] infestation. #Qanon is here to get patriot that were against martial in the 90’s to be the ones begging for it now to drain muh swamp.
‘But go ahead and keep saying you are #Winning.’
As news of the shooting spread, Gab – which is beloved by users for its commitment not to censor them – separated itself from him.
In a statement, the company said it had reported his profile to the FBI and deactivated it.
‘Shortly after the attack, Gab was alerted to a user profile of the alleged Tree of Life Synagogue shooter.
‘The account was verified and matched the name of the alleged shooter’s name, which was mentioned on police scanners.
‘This person also had accounts on other social networks.
‘Gab took swift and proactive action to contact law enforcement immediately. We first backed up all user data from the account and then proceeded to suspend the account.
‘We then contacted the FBI and made them aware of this account and the user data in our possession.
‘We are ready and willing to work with law enforcement to see to it that justice is served.’
In a tweet, it hit back at the idea that its free-speech stance was in any way to blame for the shooting, writing: ‘Words are not bullets.
‘Social media posts have a body count of zero.
‘The sole responsibility for today’s horrific actions lies with one person.
‘We will do everything in our power to work with law enforcement to see that justice is served.’
HIAS released a statement on Saturday afternoon to say it was devastated by the events of the day.
‘There are no words to express how devastated we are by the events in Pittsburgh this morning. This loss is our loss, and our thoughts are with Tree of Life Congregation, our local partner Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) of Pittsburgh, the city of Pittsburgh and all those affected by this senseless act of violence.
‘As we try to process this horrifying tragedy, we pray that the American Jewish community and the country can find healing,’ they said.
‘If there was an armed guard inside the temple that would have been able to stop him, maybe there would have been nobody killed except from him.
‘We can look at it two ways. But if they had somebody to protect people… isn’t it a shame that we even have to speak that way?
‘That we even have to think that way inside a temple… but certainly the results should have been better,’ he said.
Asked if he thinks every place of worship should have armed security, Trump replied: ‘I hate to think of it that way.
‘It’s certainly an option. This world, this is a world with a lot of problems and it has been for many years, many many years, and you could say for many centuries but certainly you want protection and they didn’t have protection.
‘They had a maniac walk in and the didn’t have any protection and it’s so sad to see. So sad to see.
‘It’s a very difficult thing for me to stand as president and watch.
‘Before I ran for office, I watched instances like this and I’d say, “what a shame, what a shame.” It’s tougher when you’re the president of the United States and you have to watch this kind of thing happen. It’s so sad to see.’
Former rabbi Chuck Diamond (left) said on Saturday that he always feared there would be a shooting at the synagogue when he worked there. The synagogue’s former president Michael Eisenberg (right) said he was working on ways to make it easier to escape so that people could flee in the event of a shooting
Police rapid response team members at the scene of the shooting on Saturday. Some were engaged in a gun fight with the shooter before he was taken into custody
Squirrel Hill residents return to their home arm in arm after going to the synagogue to see what had happened after the shooting on Saturday morning
An armed police officer at the scene of the shooting on Saturday after the suspect had been taken into custody
Wendell Hissnich, Pittsburgh Director of Public Safety, (left) fought back tears as he described the ‘horrific’ crime scene which he said was worse than some plane crashes he had investigated. Right, Bishop David Zubik of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh went to the scene to condemn the violence
TRUMP CALLS SHOOTING ‘A SHAME’, SAYS SYNAGOGUE SHOULD HAVE HAD SECURITY GUARD AND CALLS FOR QUICK DEATH PENALTY FOR SHOOTER THEN RAMPS UP HIS CRITICISM OF ‘ACT OF TWISTED MALICE AND EVIL’
President Trump abhorred the shooting as he spoke before the FFA on Saturday
President Trump described the shooting as a ‘shame’ on Saturday as he boarded Air Force One to fly to Indiana and called for the shooter to face the death penalty quickly, without being bogged down by legal delays.
After tweeting that the devastation was worse than had been reported, Trump suggested that the shooting could have been prevented if the Tree of Life Congregation had hired its own security.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, he said: ‘If there was an armed guard inside the temple that would have been able to stop him, maybe there would have been nobody killed except from him.
‘We can look at it two ways. But if they had somebody to protect people… isn’t it a shame that we even have to speak that way? ‘That we even have to think that way inside a temple… but certainly the results should have been better,’ he said.
Asked if he thinks every place of worship should have armed security, Trump replied: ‘I hate to think of it that way.
‘It’s certainly an option. This world, this is a world with a lot of problems and it has been for many years, many many years, and you could say for many centuries but certainly you want protection and they didn’t have protection.
‘They had a maniac walk in and the didn’t have any protection and it’s so sad to see. So sad to see.
‘It’s a very difficult thing for me to stand as president and watch. Before I ran for office, I watched instances like this and I’d say, “what a shame, what a shame.” It’s tougher when you’re the president of the United States and you have to watch this kind of thing happen. It’s so sad to see.’
He said gun laws had ‘little to do with it’ when questioned.
He called for swift action for the shooter and all mass shooters who he said should be given the death penalty soon after the events.
‘You look at the violence all over the world. It comes back in the form of a mad man, a wacko. We should stiffen up our laws in terms of the death penalty, they shouldn’t have to wait years and years.
‘I think they should stiffen up laws and bring the death penalty in to vogue,’ he said.
By the time he had arrived in Indianapolis to give his speech to the Future Farmers of America, his rhetoric had become more stern.
He abhorred what he called the ‘twisted malice’ and ‘wicked’ and ‘evil’ shooting, calling for all Americans to unite against antisemitism and not tolerate prejudice of any kind.
‘This wicked act of mass murder is pure evil, hard to believe and frankly something that is unimaginable. Our nation and the world are shocked and stunned by the grief. This was an antisemitic act. you wouldn’t think this would be possible in this day and age but we just don’t seem to learn from the past.
‘Our minds cannot comprehend the cruel hate and the twisted malice that could cause a person to unleash such terrible violence during a baby naming ceremony. This was a baby naming ceremony at a sacred house of worship on the holy day of Sabbath.
‘Antisemitism and the widespread persecution of Jews represents one of the ugliest and darkest human features of human history the vile hatred and poison of antisemitism must be condemned anywhere and everywhere it appears there must be no tolerance of antisemitism in America or for any form of religious hatred or prejudice,’ he said.
He praised the ‘outstanding’ law enforcement and said the gunman was able to get access when he shouldn’t have been because of the lack of security.
‘You look at the violence all over the world. It comes back in the form of a mad man, a wacko. We should stiffen up our laws in terms of the death penalty, they shouldn’t have to wait years and years.
‘I think they should stiffen up laws and bring the death penalty in to vogue,’ he said.
Vice President Mike Pence later said: ‘What happened in Pittsburgh today was not just criminal, it was evil.
‘An attack on innocent Americans and an assault on our freedom of religion.
‘There is no place in America for violence or antisemitism and this evil must end.’
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also released a statement, saying: ‘Today’s tragic shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh was a cowardly act, driven by hate.
‘The Senate stands with all Americans to condemn the evil of bigotry in all its forms.’
‘As the Pittsburgh community mourns, our prayers are with the victims and their families, and our sincere gratitude is with the first responders who work to project and save lives every day.’
Former President Barack Obama tweeted on Saturday: ‘We grieve for the Americans murdered in Pittsburgh.
‘All of us have to fight the rise of anti-Semitism and hateful rhetoric against those who look, love, or pray differently.
Former President Barack Obama tweeted on Saturday: ‘We grieve for the Americans murdered in Pittsburgh’
‘And we have to stop making it so easy for those who want to harm the innocent to get their hands on a gun.’
There was no security at the Tree of Life on Saturday, with former synagogue leaders describing how it operates an open-door policy for worshipers and only puts security on for significant holy days despite fears among community leaders that such a shooting was on the horizon.
‘On a day today the door is open you can walk in an out. Like most religious institutions, we have an open door,’ the synagogue’s former president, Michael Eisenberg, told CBS Pittsburgh.
He added that security had been a ‘major’ concern for him in the past and that he was working with the government to improve escape routes and emergency procedures.
‘It was a major concern for me, for us.
‘We were working with the DHS to evaluate exit routes, I just spoke to our maintenance person who was able to get out.
The synagogue is located in Squirrel Hill which is also home to Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University. It is a hub for the Jewish community in Pittsburgh
The scene remained taped off on Saturday as the investigation into the shooting continued
ANTI-GUN RABBI WHO SURVIVED MASSACRE WROTE ABOUT ENDING VIOLENCE IN BLOG POST THREE MONTHS BEFORE SHOOTER OPENED FIRE ON HIS SERVICE
Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers, who was likely leading the Sabbath service, is pictured after escaping from the gunman on Saturday morning
The rabbi who was likely leading the Sabbath service at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday when a gunman opened fire wrote at length about gun violence and his desire for it to end three months ago.
In a blog post in July, Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers wrote a blog post for the synagogue’s website titled ‘We Deserve Better’.
He said, in part: ‘Despite continuous calls for sensible gun control and mental health care, our elected leaders in Washington knew that it would fade away in time.
‘Unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the mid-term elections, I fear that that the status quo will remain unchanged, and school shootings will resume.
‘I shouldn’t have to include in my daily morning prayers that God should watch over my wife and daughter, both teachers, and keep them safe.
‘Where are our leaders?’
He also wrote about immigration – a trigger subject for the shooter who regularly complained about it on social media.
‘Immigration advocates were wise in bringing the separation of parents and children to the courts, because we have seen legal decisions pushing our leaders to respond in a timely manner. What happens to the children whose parents were deported?
‘There must be a better system, and I would have hoped that bright minds in Washington, D.C., could sit down and work out a solution that takes into account all of the concerns that have been raised. Alas, inaction once again,’ he wrote.
Rabbi Myers survived Saturday’s attack and was pictured walking out of the synagogue clutching his head in bewilderment and trauma.
It remains unclear if any one specific person was targeted or if it was a general attack on Judaism by antisemitic gunman Robert Bowers.
‘We were working with the other synagogues on what to do if this happened,’ he said.
He said of the building’s maintenance man, who witnessed Saturday’s shooting and escaped through one of the exit doors,: ‘He was shaken, he saw one of our congregants down, he knew, he was in the bathroom and he was able to get out of the building.’
A former rabbi said he was grateful that many of the congregants often arrived late for morning services and that he was grateful on this occasion.
‘I thought about it all the time I have to tell you when I was there I always had the thought in the back of my had unfortunately in the world we live in,’ the former rabbi said.
The area was put on lock down, with any residents living nearby told to lock their doors and not go outside. Witnesses are still being interviewed by police at the scene.
The shooting happened at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, on Saturday morning (file image
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FANG Stocks
What are ‘FANG Stocks’
FANG is the acronym for four high-performing technology stocks in the market as of 2017 – Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google (now Alphabet, Inc.).
The term was coined by CNBC’s Mad Money host Jim Cramer.
BREAKING DOWN ‘FANG Stocks’
FANG represents the most popular and best performing tech stocks in the market that have generated spectacular returns for their investors. The four stocks — Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet — all trade on the NASDAQ, which measures the performance of more than 3,000 tech and growth stocks that are considered a reflection of the economy and capital market.
The S&P 500, which is based on the market capitalization of the 500 largest stocks listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ including FANG stocks, is considered the best representation of the U.S. market. As of August 10, 2017 — while the NASDAQ 100 was up 19 percent and the S&P 500 was up 8.9 percent year-to-date (YTD) — FANGs were up more than 2x that of the latter. Year-to-date, Facebook (FB) was up 45 percent, Amazon (AMZN) 27 percent, Netflix (NFLX) 36 percent and Alphabet’s Google (GOOG) 16 percent, beating the returns of both indices.
Within the S&P 500 index, FB, AMZN, NFLX and GOOG are ranked 4th, 3rd, 67th, and 9th (and 10th), respectively. (The reason that Alphabet’s Google has two positions is because the company has two class of shares currently trading on the public markets — GOOG and GOOGL — the difference being that GOOG has no voting rights and GOOGL does.) Because of their high ranking, FANG stocks have a greater impact on the value of the index than other companies. In effect, when they move up (or down), the overall market tends to also move up (or down), given that the S&P 500 index characterizes the market.
Each of the FANG stocks are big cap stocks that focus on technology and internet services. They are also considered growth stocks due to the continued emergence of technological devices like cloud storage devices, big data, social media and e-commerce tools. Financial reporting from the quarterly 13-F filing, which is required of all investment managers with over $100 million in assets, revealed that the most prominent hedge fund managers have FANGs in their portfolios. The stocks were included as growth and momentum stocks by reputable funds like Berkshire, Soros, Renaissance and Citadel in the first quarter of 2017.
In the five-day trading week of July 24 to 28, 2017, three out of the four FANG stocks traded at their highest prices ever. Facebook reached a high of $175.49, Amazon peaked at $1,083.31, Netflix recorded an all-time high of $191.50, and Google rose as high as $988.31.
A FANG Stock Bubble?
Although FANGs have consistently delivered positive returns, some analysts believe that these tech stocks are a mirror image of the tech stocks that delivered similar momentum prior to the dotcom crash. Because investors have priced high levels of growth into each of the stock valuations, this expected growth may be unsustainable. In June 2017, analysts in firms such as Goldman Sachs and UBS stated that the high valuations and unusual low volatility attached to these stocks are similar to tech stocks which crashed after the tech bubble burst in 2000.
Despite FANGs being compared to dotcom stocks of the late 1990s, most analysts agree that the upward momentum of these growth stocks is sustainable as long as there are more technological advancements to be made, especially in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. While investors can diversify their value portfolio with these growth stocks, they should also be diligent in reading and understanding the fundamentals and metrics behind FANG stocks’ growing force.
As of the market’s close yesterday the S&P 500 was down 9.4%. Not quite a 10% correction but it’s a stone’s throw away.The question all investors would like to know is how much further this downturn has to go.The answer is I don’t know and neither does anyone else.But we can look back historically to see how many corrections turned into bear markets or crashes to get a better sense of the potential range of outcomes.Going back to 1928…When stocks fell 10%:
44.7% of the time they didn’t fall any further than 15%
12.8% of the time they didn’t fall any further than 20%
17.0% of the time they fell between 20% and 30%
10.6% of the time they fell between 30% and 40%
8.5% of the time they fell between 40% and 50%
6.4% of the time they fell more than 50%
When stocks fell 15%:
23.1% of the time they didn’t fall any further than 20%
30.8% of the time they fell between 20% and 30%
19.2% of the time they fell between 30% and 40%
15.4% of the time they fell between 40% and 50%
11.5% of the time they fell more than 50%
When stocks fell 20%:
40.0% of the time they didn’t fall any further than 30%
25.0% of the time they fell between 30% and 40%
20.0% of the time they fell between 40% and 50%
15.0% of the time they fell more than 50%
When stocks fell 30%:
41.7% of the time they didn’t fall any further than 40%
33.3% of the time they fell between 40% and 50%
25.0% of the time they fell more than 50%
When stocks fell 40%:
57.1% of the time they didn’t fall any further than 50%
42.9% of the time they fell more than 50%
When stocks fell 50%:
66.7% of the time they didn’t fall any further than 60%
33.3% of the time they fell more than 60%
Here’s a chart showing the frequency of drawdowns by the different levels:
So roughly 60% of the time a 10% correction didn’t lead to a bear market while roughly 40% of the time it did. The further down you go on the loss spectrum the smaller the sample size but this gives you a good idea of how things have looked historically in terms of the loss profile of the stock market once they have already begun their descent.
The average correction which saw stocks drop 10% but not enter bear market territory1 was a drawdown of -14%, lasting 132 days from peak-to-trough. Bear markets in this time frame experienced a drawdown of -37% over 358 days, on average.2
Historical information like this can help put things into perspective but historical data is rarely enough to help people sleep at night or change their behavior. Market averages tell a story but no one’s experience in the markets is ever average in the moment.
The past is easy because we know what happened but the future is messy since the uncertainty of the potential outcomes cannot be reduced.
Most of the time the stock market has a run-of-the-mill correction that doesn’t turn into a bear market but a bear market is always a possibility. And every time stocks begin to fall there’s a little voice in the back of our heads that tell us, “Maybe this is the big one…”
Intelligent investors bake these scenarios into their investment plan and prepare for them in advance. No matter the path stocks take from here, if you don’t have a plan in place about how to react no matter the outcome, now would be a good time to formulate one.
1Using 20% as our magical threshold for a bear market.
2The Great Depression skews things a little here but the numbers are what they are. Since WWII, the average bear market was a drop of 33% over 395 days, on average.
Seems we’re heading toward a market correction, expert says
Stocks closed lower on Monday, giving up sharp gains from earlier in the day in a wild session that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average travel more than 900 points. The S&P 500 closed in correction territory, down 10 percent from its recent high.
Traders blamed the possibility of more U.S.-China tariffs coupled with a drop in tech shares for the decline.
The Dow fell 245.39 points to 24,442.92, erasing a 352-point gain, as Boeing dropped 6.6 percent. At the lows of the day, the Dow was down 566 points before coming back shortly before the close. The 30-stock index also briefly dipped into correction territory.
The S&P 500 closed 0.7 percent lower at 2,641.25 after gaining more than 1 percent earlier in the day. The benchmark is now down 10.2 percent from its high reached at the end of September. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.6 percent to 7,050.29 as shares of Amazon got pounded.
“I think this is an old-fashion tech wreck,” said Mike Bailey, director of research at FBB Capital Partners. “Investors are reassessing growth prospects for next year … in the context of the IBM-Red Hat deal and the prospects of more tariffs.”
Bloomberg News reported that the U.S. is planning on slapping tariffs on more Chinese products if upcoming talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping falter. Both countries have already implemented levies on billions of dollars worth of each other’s goods.
Amazon and Netflix rolled over throughout the day, capping the stock market’s gains; the stocks were down 6.3 percent and 5 percent, respectively. These losses offset strong gains from bank shares. J.P Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo both climbed more than 1 percent, while Goldman Sachs gained 1 percent. The SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE) surged 1.8 percent.
Why you shouldn’t panic when stocks are getting slammed
Monday’s moves come after a 3 percent drop on the Dow last week, which was capped off by a decline of nearly 300 points on Friday. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped 3.9 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively.
Worries over a possible slowdown in corporate earnings growth, as well as in the global economy, have sent the major indexes down sharply this month. The Dow and S&P 500 are down 7.7 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively, for October. The Nasdaq, meanwhile, has lost 12 percent.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
“It’s likely we see some lows get retested once again, once again we can’t assume a v-bounce as many were calling for back in early October,” said Andrew Thrasher, portfolio manager for The Financial Enhancement Group and founder of Thrasher Analytics, said in a note.
“Typically, v-bottoms show themselves when the market declines on news, as in a single event that rocks the market but that wasn’t the case this time,” Thrasher said. “Instead we saw a slow bleed in market participation that finally broke the dam of selling and sent stocks across the board lower.”
The S&P 500’s decline this month has shaved off $2.141 trillion in market cap, according to data from Howard Silverblatt of S&P Dow Jones Indices. Silverblatt’s data also show Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, Facebook and Apple are among the biggest contributors to the decline this month. Facebook and Apple will both report financial results later this week.
“The market will not reward earnings unless you’ve got growth in the top line, bottom line and guidance. It can be brutal for companies that don’t hit all those marks,” said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial. “There are questions remaining on whether this market can really regain strength if tech doesn’t lead.”
U.S. stocks got a boost earlier on Monday after IBM agreed to buy Red Hat, an open-source software distributor, for around $34 billion. Red Hat shares surged 45.4 percent on the deal, while IBM’s stock fell more than 4 percent.
“While it will take some time to see the merits of this deal manifest and the impact on enterprise hybrid cloud competitive deployments in the field … we believe the combination of Red Hat and its Linux cloud platform with IBM could represent a formidable cloud behemoth for the coming years,” said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, in a note to clients.
Scott Walker, the Republican governor of Wisconsin who ran for President against Trump in 2016 (pictured), lost his race against Democrat Tony Evers
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An Army HMMWV is loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to be taken to the border on Wednesday October 31st
So roughly 60% of the time a 10% correction didn’t lead to a bear market while roughly 40% of the time it did. The further down you go on the loss spectrum the smaller the sample size but this gives you a good idea of how things have looked historically in terms of the loss profile of the stock market once they have already begun their descent.
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— Breaking News — Story 1: Mass Shooting in Thousand Oaks, California, Country and Western Night Club with 12 Killed — Videos —
Press conference on Thousand Oaks bar shooting
BREAKING NEWS: Sheriff confirms 12 shot dead in California bar
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Father Remembers Son Who Survived Las Vegas Shooting, Killed In Thousand Oaks | NBC News
VIDEO: Thousand Oaks shooting survivor also survived Las Vegas shooting | ABC7
Special Report: Shooting in Thousand Oaks, California
Witnesses on “utter chaos” and escape from California bar shooting
Sheriff describes “horrific” scene inside California bar after mass shooting
Pictured: An aspiring soldier, two bouncers and multiple students are among the 12 killed after California bar mass shooting
By KEITH GRIFFITH and EMILY CRANE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 09:51 EST, 8 November 2018 | UPDATED: 12:11 EST, 9 November 2018
Eight of the 12 the victims shot dead in the crowded country music bar in California have now been identified.
Sean Adler, 48; Cody Coffman, 22; Blake Dingman, 23; Jake Dunham, 21; Justin Meek, 23; Daniel Manrique; Kristina Morisette; Telemachus Orfanos, 27; and Noel Sparks were among those killed in the massacre at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday night.
Alaina Housley, the 18-year-old niece of ‘Sister, Sister’ actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley, was also killed.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Sergeant Ron Helus, who was first on the scene, was killed after being shot multiple times when he exchanged fire with the 28-year-old gunman, Ian David Long.
Sergeant on Brink of Retirement
Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus was among those killed. He was shot multiple times by the gunman after responding to the first 911 calls and later died in hospital
Ron Helus, 54, was set to retire from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department next year after 29 years on the job.
He was among the first to respond to calls of a shooting at the Borderline Bar, and was shot multiple times as he and a California Highway Patrol officer exchanged fire with the gunman inside the bar.
Helus was speaking to his wife Karen when he received the call about a mass shooting.
The last thing he said to her was: ‘Hon, I got to go, I love you. I gotta go on a call’.
Devoted Son
Video playing bottom right…
Cody Coffman’s father Jason sobbed as he confirmed that authorities had told him on Thursday that his oldest son had died.
‘Oh Cody, I love you son,’ he said. ‘This is a heart I will never get back.’
He said he spoke to his son just before he went to the bar Wednesday night.
‘The first thing I said was ‘Please don’t drink and drive.’ The last thing I said was ‘Son, I love you’,’ he said.
Cody had plans to go into the military and was speaking with U.S. Army recruiters.
His father Jason had earlier rushed to the bar after hearing news of the shooting and calls to his son’s cellphone went unanswered. He feared the worst when a tracking app on his son’s phone indicated the device was still inside the venue.
Jason said he was alerted to the shooting when several of Cody’s friends started banged on their front door after 1am.
‘Some of his girlfriends got out but they didn’t know where Cody was,’ Jason said.
Barman Who Rushed to Save Others
Justin Meek was identified as one of the slain victims by his family and his former college.
The 23-year-old, who was a recent graduate of California Lutheran University, worked at the bar where he was killed.
Meek is believed to have heroically saved lives as the shooting unfolded, according to university president Chris Kimball.
‘Justin was a criminal justice and criminology major who had a passion for doing what was right,’ Jenn Zimmerman, Cal Lutheran’s veterans coordinator, said in a statement.
‘I’m not shocked he took action to protect the people at Borderline.’
During college, he worked in the school’s veteran resource office and often worked with the Veterans Club to plan events and help veteran students.
Meek also loved singing in choir and took part in the school’s Kingsmen Quartet.
He planned to join the US Coast Guard.
Las Vegas Shooting Survivor
Borderline employee Telemachus Orfanos was also among those confirmed dead. He survived the mass shooting that killed 58 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas last year
Borderline employee Telemachus Orfanos, 27, was also among those confirmed dead.
In a cruel twist of fate, Orfanos was a survivor of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting massacre in Las Vegas last year.
An estimated 50 to 60 survivors of the Las Vegas shooting were at the Borderline Bar on Wednesday – they often met there for mutual support.
Orfanos was an Eagle Scout and served in the Navy.
His social media indicates he attended the local Thousand Oaks High School and Moorepark College.
Niece of Sitcom Actress
Alaina Housley, the 18-year-old niece of actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley, died in the shooting
Actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley (left) issued a statement saying their hearts were broken following her death
‘Sister, Sister’ actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley revealed that their 18-year-old niece had also been killed.
The couple issued a statement, saying: ‘Our hearts are broken’.
‘We just learned that our Alaina was one of the victims of last night’s shooting at Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks.
‘Alaina was an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her and we are devastated that her life was cut short in this manner.’
Mowry-Housley posted this tribute to her slain niece on Instagram after the shooting
Her Apple Watch and iPhone showed her location as still inside the bar in the aftermath of the shooting.
Her uncle Adam, who is a former Fox News correspondent, had rushed to the hospital at 3.30am in search of his niece after hearing reports of the shooting.
‘My gut is saying she’s inside the bar, dead. I’m hoping I’m wrong,’ Adam had told the LA Times before her dead was confirmed.
Two of her friends jumped out of a broken window and ran for safety but say they lost Alaina in the mayhem. They are in hospital being treated for major injuries.
Waitress with Bright Smile
Kristina Kaylee Morisette, who worked as the cashier at Borderline Bar and Grill, was also confirmed dead in the shooting
Kristina Kaylee Morisette, who worked at Borderline Bar and Grill, was also confirmed dead in the shooting.
She attended Simi Valley High School.
Morisette was reportedly working the cash register at the front of the bar when the gunman stormed in and began shooting.
‘The worst things happen to the best people,’ a friend wrote on Twitter. She was such a sweet girl and cared for everyone.
Churchgoing College Student
Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old student at Moorpark College, was also confirmed dead
Noel Sparks’ final Snapchat post
Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old student at Moorpark College, was also confirmed dead.
The United Methodist Church in Westlake Village, of which she was a member, posted condolences to her parents on Facebook.
Sparks’ friends had been in tears throughout the day as they desperately searched for her in the aftermath of the shooting.
Her friend Madison Nenkervis posted a tribute to Sparks on Facebook, writing: ‘one of the Victims of the shooting was a dear Church friend of my families and Such a sweet Amazing soul.’
Nenkervis shared Sparks’ chilling final post on Snapchat from shortly before the shooting.
It showed the dance floor at Borderline half empty, with the caption ‘It’s quite [sic] tonight’.
Entrepreneurial Bouncer
A friend places his hand on a photo of Sean Adler during a vigil at the Rivalry Roasters coffee shop on Thursday. Adler had recently launched the business when he was killed
Sean Adler, 48, was working as a bouncer at the Borderline Bar & Grill when he was killed.
He was a wrestling coach who had only recently opened a coffee shop in the local area.
The married father of two had big dreams for Rivalry Roasters, but stuck with his job working the door at Borderline to ensure he’d be able to support his family.
Adler had dreamed of becoming a police officer, and was training with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department last year when a heart attack forced him to reconsider his career path.
He is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 12 and 17.
Motorsports Enthusiast
Blake Dingman, 21, was identified by his girlfriend as a victim of the mass shooting
Blake Dingman, 21, was identified by his girlfriend as a victim of the mass shooting.
‘My sweet Blake… my heart is hurting more than words can say. I cannot believe you’re gone. I am so grateful for our little infinity and all of our deep talks, cuddles, late nights, and adventures,’ she wrote in a tribute.
‘I am so incredibly grateful for every moment we spent together. God brought us together for a reason and I will hold our memories in my heart forever. I love you with all of my heart my sweet boy and my angel.’
Dingman played high school baseball at Hillcrest Christian School in Thousand Oaks.
His Facebook page shows his enthusiasm for motorsports, including monster trucks and racing.
Jake Dunham, 21, was also killed
Loyal Friend
Jake Dunham, 21, was also among those killed in the shooting.
He had gone to the bar to play pool with his friends, his father Ken Dunham told NBC Los Angeles.
‘I keep calling it but there’s no answer,’ Ken said. ‘It just keeps ringing out… he always answers his phone.’
Some published reports said that Dunham was at Borderline with his friend, Blake Dingman, who also was among those killed.
Dunham and Dingham were known to be close friends.
Marine Veteran
Marine veteran Daniel Manrique, 33, was another victim confirmed killed in the shooting
Marine veteran Daniel Manrique, 33, was another victim confirmed killed in the shooting.
‘He had spent his entire adult life, post military service, helping veterans readjust to civilian life and had just recently accepted a position with Team RWB as the Pacific Regional Program Manager,’ family member Gladys Manrique Koscak wrote in a tribute on Facebook.
‘I have no doubt that he died a hero, shielding others from gunshots. He will forever be our hero, son, brother, and the best uncle anybody could ever ask for,’ she said.
Frantic Search for Survivors
A shirtless man and two others carry an injured person out of the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, on Wednesday night after a gunman opened fire at 11.20pm
A number of parents rushed to the bar and used tracking devices to look up their children’s iPhones and iWatches.
Many of the devices were still located inside the bar as the parents said they hadn’t heard from their loved ones since the shooting happened.
There were roughly 100 people inside the bar when the gunman opened fire.
Many of those inside were students at Pepperdine University and others are thought to have gone to California Lutheran University – both are Christian schools.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s office said the victim notification process was ‘slow and methodical’. They said they were doing everything possible to notify relatives.
EMTs treat a victim from the shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill on Wednesday. In addition to the 12 innocent people who were killed, another 12 at least were injured
Authorities said Long was wearing a hood and dressed all in black when he used a smoke bomb and handgun to open fire at the bar.
Patrons screamed in fear, shouted ‘get down!’ and used barstools to smash second-floor windows and jump to safety as gunfire erupted at the bar, a hangout popular with students from nearby California Lutheran University.
Authorities said 21 people injured in the shooting had been released from various hospitals by Thursday morning.
‘It’s a horrific scene in there,’ Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said. ‘There’s blood everywhere.’
The gunman, who was a former marine, deployed a smoke device and used a .45-caliber handgun in the attack.
He first fired on a person working the door and then appeared to shoot at random at people inside, according to witnesses.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6367867/Father-fears-son-12-dead-California-bar-mass-shooting.html
Story 2: If You Cannot Win An Election — Steal It — Florida Fake Votes — Voter Fraud? — Videos —
“STEALING THE ELECTION”: Florida Congressman Says Democrats Are Trying To Steal Senate Seat
Rick Scott sues two Florida counties for ‘rampant fraud’
Voter fraud – US Midterm Elections
Rubio Shares Video Allegedly Showing FL Ballots Being Privately Transported
Florida deja vu as state election hit by chaos, fraud accusations
By AFP
PUBLISHED: 01:28 EST, 9 November 2018 | UPDATED: 13:39 EST, 9 November 2018
Florida has made a disturbing return to the election spotlight 18 years after the drama that launched George W Bush’s presidency, as the state braces for race recounts amid accusations of corruption and voting discrepancies.
Two races in the southeastern state, for governor and US Senate, hung in the balance Friday, three days after the contentious midterm elections that saw Democrats seize control of the House of Representatives from President Donald Trump’s Republicans.
Most US political races have already been settled. But Florida’s ballot chaos — rife with intrigue and Trump’s accusation of abuse by officials in Democrat-heavy counties — raises fresh questions about why the world’s most powerful democracy is incapable of producing swift and accurate election results across all 50 states.
Florida is not alone. In neighboring Georgia, the Democratic candidate for governor initiated legal action to ensure all votes were counted in her contest.
In Arizona, hundreds of thousands of ballots were still left to be counted in a fierce battle for the Senate as Kyrsten Sinema — currently a Democratic congresswoman — edged ahead of Martha McSally, a Republican congresswoman.
Florida’s Governor Rick Scott, the Republican challenging incumbent Senate Democrat Bill Nelson, filed a lawsuit against two election officials alleging fraud after his lead narrowed.
His race, and the one for governor, appear headed for mandatory recounts, which could delay a final outcome for days or weeks.
“The people of Florida deserve fairness and transparency,” Scott told reporters.
US President Donald Trump has accused some local Florida officials of “fraud” as the state’s key races for governor and US Senate head towards likely mandated recounts
“Every Floridian should be concerned there may be rampant fraud happening in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.”
Scott said he was ordering an official investigation into his own race.
With the developments raising partisan tensions to fresh highs, Trump weighed in to allege a major corruption scandal was brewing, while fellow Republican Marco Rubio of Florida accused Democrats of a coordinated effort to “steal the election.”
“What’s going on in Florida is a disgrace,” Trump told reporters.
Scott “easily won, but every hour it seems to be going down,” he said of Scott’s lead which on Friday stood at 14,999 votes out of 8.2 million cast, a margin of just 0.18 percent.
“If you look at Broward County, they have had a horrible history,” Trump added, referring to a Democrat-heavy county where officials were slowly counting votes including absentee and provisional ballots.
– 537 votes –
Broward was at the heart of Florida’s bitter legal brawls in 2000. That year’s recounts in Broward and other counties were halted by the US Supreme Court, and George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 537 votes in Florida, giving him the edge in the electoral college and handing him the White House.
Scott’s lawsuits alleged a lack of transparency over the counting process and asked that further details be made public.
Rancor was spilling into governors’ races, where Andrew Gillum in Florida and Stacey Abrams in Georgia were aiming to become the states’ first African-American leaders, but the contests were tilting in favor of their Republican rivals.
Unofficial results show Gillum trailing Ron DeSantis, a Trump-endorsed Republican, by just 36,165 votes, or 0.44 percentage points.
State law mandates a recount if the difference in a race is within 0.5 percent. If the margin is within 0.25 percent, as it stood in the Senate race, a hand recount — slower and more thorough than by machine — is ordered.
– ‘Highly irresponsible’ –
Andrew Gillum was aiming to become Florida’s first African-American governor and initially conceded, but now says he is ready for a state-mandated recount
David Lublin, a professor of government at American University, dismissed suggestions that corruption was to blame, and said the latest statements by Trump and Scott “are highly irresponsible.”
Broward County officials were simply taking deliberative steps to count all ballots, including absentee and provisional ones, he said.
“The good news is that since the 2000 election, the process has improved both in terms of how people vote in Florida and the designation of a recount,” he said.
And yet unusual voting discrepancies were being reported in Broward.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel said it analyzed voting patterns and found that of Broward ballots already counted, thousands made the unlikely choice of voting in lower-profile contests like for agriculture commissioner, but not for Senate, the marquee race on the ballot.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema, pictured on November 3, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona, is in a fierce battle against against two-term congresswoman Martha McSally
The unusual pattern appeared in no other Florida county, the newspaper reported.
Experts including lawyer Lawrence Norden have turned to a possible flaw with the ballot’s design.
“If this is the cause of lost votes, it is incredibly frustrating that somehow the state hasn’t gotten its act together to make sure ballots are designed in a way that don’t cause lost votes,” he told the Sentinel.
ttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6370771/Florida-headed-recounts-Republican-challenger-sues.html
Who is Brenda Snipes, the Broward County supervisor of elections?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign has filed lawsuits against election officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties, accusing them of not being able to provide accurate totals of how many ballots remain left to be counted.
In the lawsuits, Scott’s campaign names Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher in their respective county roles.
Snipes and Bucher are Democrats. Scott is a Republican.
The Broward suit complains of a “lack of transparency” about how many people voted, how many ballots were received and how ballots were counted.
Scott ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate. Florida’s 67 counties are required to report their unofficial returns to state elections officials on Saturday.
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner held a conference call with county elections supervisors Thursday morning to discuss a possible recount and plan ahead for one.
The earliest Detzner could issue a recount is Saturday.
Friday afternoon, a judge ruled Snipes violated state law and must hand over records from Tuesday’s vote by 7 p.m. CBS Miami reports the judge said Snipes must “allow immediate” viewing and copying of records that have been requested.
Who is Brenda Snipes?
Republican Gov. Jeb Bush asked Snipes to serve as Supervisor of Elections in Broward County – Florida’s second-most populous county – nearly 15 years ago.
Broward County has about 1.15 million voters, second only to Miami-Dade’s at about 1.4 million.
Snipes was formally appointed on Nov. 20, 2003, to replace former County Supervisor Miriam Oliphant, who was escorted out of her office and removed from her job.
CBS Miami reported while Oliphant was in office, uncounted votes were found in a cabinet drawer, and the department went a million dollars over budget.
Snipes was reelected in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
She has lived in Broward County since 1964.
Click or tap here to read Snipes’ biography on the Broward County Supervisor of Elections website.
Snipes has had several election-related incidents:
August 2016: Broward elections office post election results before polls close
CBS Miami reported the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office inadvertently posted election results 30 minutes before the polls closed at 7 p.m.
It prompted Secretary of State Ken Detzner to fire off memos to the Broward County State Attorney and sheriff asking for an investigation.
A private contractor that runs the website, VR Systems, said one of their workers accidentally put up the results while creating a link for a Broward County elections worker.
The CEO outlined the mistake in an affidavit sent to Snipes and issued an apology, saying, in part, “VR Systems assumes responsibility for the error. We are taking additional measures to ensure this never occurs again.”
March 2018: Judge rules in favor of Broward elections office in voter fraud suit
The Sun Sentinel reported a federal judge cleared Snipes in a lawsuit that accused her office of facilitating voter fraud.
May 2018: Destroyed ballots in Wasserman-Schultz race
In May 2018, the Sun Sentinel reported a judge ruled the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office violated state and federal laws by destroying ballots from a 2016 Congressional race too soon — and while the ballots were the subject of a lawsuit against the office.
The ruling stems from Tim Canova’s bid to unseat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the Democratic primary, a race he lost convincingly. In September, Snipes approved the destruction of the ballots, signing a certification that said no court cases involving the ballots were pending.
Snipes said the action a “mistake” during testimony she gave in the case, saying the boxes were mislabeled and there was “nothing on my part that was intentional” about destroying the contested ballots.
August 2018: Judge orders Snipes to stop opening mail-in ballots in secret
Politico reported a judge ordered for Snipes to stop opening mail-in ballots in secret or before the county’s three-member canvassing board to determine the ballots’ validity.
August 2018: Vote-by-mail late arrivals in the primary election
CBS Miami reported the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office had late delivery on about 5,000 vote-by-mail ballots for the 2018 primary election.
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/elections/who-is-brenda-snipes-the-broward-county-supervisor-of-elections/67-612946611
Story 3, Government Dependency Rising — Welfare Generation –Videos
There Is Only One Way Out of Poverty
Why it’s so hard to get off welfare
The Welfare Generation: 51.7% Kids in 2017 Lived in Households Getting Govt Assistance
By Terence P. Jeffrey | November 8, 2018 | 3:59 PM EST
The Census Bureau has released new data that strengthens the case for calling the current generation of American children “The Welfare Generation.”
Among American residents under 18 years of age in 2017, according to the Census Bureau, 51.7 percent lived in households in which one or more persons received benefits from a means-tested government program.
That was down slightly from the 52.1 percent of Americans under 18 in 2016who lived in households receiving means-tested government assistance. (Also, because this new Census Bureau estimate is for 2017, it predates the significant economic and job growth the United States has seen in 2018).
But in each of the last five years on record (2013 through 2017), according to the Census Bureau, at least 51 percent of Americans under 18 have lived in households receiving means-tested government assistance.
In fact, the 51.7 percent in 2017 was the lowest percentage in any of the last five years on record.
The programs the Census Bureau includes in its estimate of how many people are living in households receiving means-tested government assistance include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), Supplemental Security Income, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, Medicaid, public housing, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the National School Lunch Program.
The data on the number of people living in households in which one or more persons received means-tested government assistance comes from Table POV-26 of the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, 2018 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
The table enumerates, by various characteristics, “[p]eople who lived with someone (a nonrelative or relative) who received aid.”
“Not every person tallied here,” Table POV-26 says, “received the aid themselves.”
In 2017, the Census Bureau estimates, according to the table, that there were approximately 322,549,000 people living in the United States. Of these, 114,637,000—or 35.5 percent—lived in a household that received means-tested government assistance.
Of the 322,549,000 people in the United States in 2017, 73,356,000 were under 18 years of age. Of these children, 37,908,000—or 51.7 percent—lived in a household that received means-tested government assistance.
Even when the school lunch program was excluded from the group of means-tested government programs, there were still 32,467,000 people in America under 18 (or 44.3 percent of that demographic) living in a household receiving means-tested government assistance.
The 51.7 percent of people under 18 on means-tested government assistance in 2017 was a slight declined from the 52.1 percent on means-tested government assistance in 2016.
In 2016, according to the Census estimate, there were 73,586,000 people under 18 in the United States (compared to 73,356,000 in 2017) and 38,365,000 (compared to 37,908,000 in 2017) were living in households receiving means-tested government assistance.
The percentage of persons under 18 living in households receiving means-tested government assistance also varied by the type of household the person was living in, according to the Census data.
But it was above 40 percent even in married-couple families.
In married couple families in 2017, according to Table POV-26, there were 49,436,000 related children under 18. Of these, 20,230,000—or 40.9 percent—lived in households in which one or more persons received means-tested government assistance.
There were 5,330,000 related children under 18 living in households headed by a male householder with no spouse present. 3,371,000 of these children—or 48.7 percent—lived in a household receiving means-tested government assistance.
There were 17,766,000 related children under 18 living in households headed by a female householder with no spouse present. 13,702,000 of these children—or 77.1 percent—lived in a household receiving means-tested government assistance.
After the 51.7 percent of children under 18 who lived in a household that received means-tested government assistance in 2017, the next most likely age group to live in a household that received means-tested government assistance were those 18 to 24. There were 29,363,000 in that age bracket and 11,855,000—or 40.4 percent—lived in a household getting means-tested government assistance.
The age group least likely to be receiving means-tested government assistance were people 75 and older. There were 20,713,000 in that age bracket in 2017 and only 3,894,000—or 18.8 percent—lived in a household on means-tested government assistance.
This chart summarizes key data from the Census Bureau’s POV-26 tables from 1994 through 2017, showing the total population each year, the total number of people in households receiving means-tested assistance, the percentage in households getting asisstance, the total number of residents under 18, the total number in households receiving means-tested assistance, and the percentage of children in households getting means-tested assistance:
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Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 328-337
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 319-327
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 307-318
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 296-306
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 287-295
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 277-286
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 264-276
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 250-263
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 236-249
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 222-235
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 211-221
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 202-210
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 194-201
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 184-193
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 174-183
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 165-173
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 158-164
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 151-157
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 143-150
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 135-142
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 131-134
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 124-130
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 121-123
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 118-120
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 113 -117
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Show 112
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 108-111
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 106-108
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 104-105
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 101-103
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 98-100
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 94-97
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Show 93
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Show 92
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Show 91
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 88-90
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 84-87
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 79-83
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 74-78
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 71-73
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 68-70
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 65-67
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 62-64
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 58-61
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 55-57
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 52-54
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 49-51
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 45-48
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 41-44
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 38-40
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 34-37
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 30-33
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 27-29
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 17-26
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 16-22
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 10-15
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 1-9