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☆ Florida's Fort Myers devastated by Hurricane Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

One of several destroyed portions of the causeway from Fort Myers to Sanibel Island is seen in this frame grab from video shot out of a U.S. Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter as U.S. National Guard Bureau Chief General Daniel Hokanson tours...moreOne of several destroyed portions of the causeway from Fort Myers to Sanibel Island is seen in this frame grab from video shot out of a U.S. Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter as U.S. National Guard Bureau Chief General Daniel Hokanson tours the area by air after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction on Sanibel Island, Florida, October 1. REUTERS/Kevin FogartyClose

☆ Factbox: Eight U.S. Senate races to watch in November's midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman speaks during a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 24, 2022. The chamber is currently split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, who are able to control the agenda thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote. The state is a former Republican stronghold where Democrats have made surprise gains in recent elections - Biden won the state by 0.3% in 2020. Masters' struggles have led Republicans to pull funding and analysts have shifted their predictions for the race in Kelly's favor. National groups have been pouring in money, and the topic of abortion is front and center since the state's Republican legislature banned all abortions after six weeks.

☆ Arnold Fisher Provided Better Care for Wounded Warriors
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Arnold Fisher, seen in 2016, kept a low profile but received honors for his philanthropy helping veterans and their families. The U.S. Army shipped Arnold Fisher to Korea, where he served as a corporal during the Korean War. After Mr. Fisher returned home to New York, he married, had children, joined his family’s real-estate development company, Fisher Brothers, and oversaw construction of skyscrapers. His military mission had only just begun.

☆ An ex-US Army general who witnessed Russia's basic training of recruits says it was awful, and the 'newbies' being drafted face disaster on the front line
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mark Hertling said he had witnessed how the Russian army is "poorly led and poorly trained." Mark Hertling, who commanded the US Army Europe, explained in a Twitter thread that he has personally witnessed how the Russian army is "poorly led and poorly trained." He compared Russia's army training with the US', which typically involves new soldiers getting 10 weeks of basic training across several sites from "very professional drill sergeants," and many going on to get more specialized training. Hertling said when he visited Russia, he noted that Russian army training faced many issues, including "horrible leadership by drill sergeants," and cited an article about hazing. The issue of Russian army training, according to Hertling, starts "in basic training, and doesn't get better during the [Russian] soldier's time in uniform."

REUTERS/Marco Bello/File PhotoSept 16 (Reuters) - Thirty-six of the 50 states will elect governors in November's U.S. midterm elections. His opponent is Charlie Crist, a former Republican governor who switched parties and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat. GEORGIARepublican Governor Brian Kemp faces Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams in a rematch of the state's close 2018 gubernatorial election. If elected, Abrams would be the first Black woman to serve as governor in the United States. MAINERecent opinion polls show Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, leading her Republican opponent, Paul LePage, who served as governor of the state from 2011 to 2019.

Timothy Hale-Cusanelli appears during a virtual hearing in a New Jersey court January 19, 2021 on charges related to the January 6th storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. REUTERS/Jane RosenbergWASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - A New Jersey man, who was accused of being a Nazi sympathizer and in May was found guilty of charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday, the Justice Department said. Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, 32, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, was sentenced in the District of Columbia on felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from his actions during the Capitol attack, the Justice Department said in a statement. An informant told investigators that Hale-Cusanelli was "an avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer" who had posted online videos espousing extreme political opinions, the Justice Department had alleged earlier in court filings. The Justice Department says it has arrested more than 870 people for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, including over 265 who were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Goodman told jurors that he’d been with the Capitol Police for 15 years and he previously was deployed to Iraq for the U.S. Army. Footage released during Trump's second impeachment trial showed Goodman directing Romney to turn around just after the mob had breached the building. The Senate chamber itself went through sweeps by K-9s and bomb squads so that Congress could resume its work, Goodman said. He told jurors to expect to see video of Jensen telling officers to do their job throughout the trial. The FBI has arrested more than 850 defendants in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Eight years after the show’s debut, the podcast circuit across all storytelling genres has never been more crowded or competitive. But in today’s oversaturated market, could any one show prove to be as singularly culture-shaping — influential enough to help free an imprisoned person? “I remember a time when I could keep up on new podcast series, but nowadays that seems virtually impossible,” he added. Cindy Ord / Getty Images file“Serial” is not the only podcast to have helped put more focus on a possible miscarriage of justice. In the years since, the stylistic tropes of true-crime podcasting have become all too easy to satirize.

☆ Veterans group presses state and local prosecutors to go after far-right Patriot Front
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

"We as veterans are tired of watching fascists run around, hurt people, and not be brought to justice. In July, group members marched in Boston, where no arrests were made. That same month, in Philadelphia, police detained but did not arrest members of the group after members of the public disrupted their march. Members of the Patriot Front attend the 49th annual March for Life rally Jan. 21, 2022, in Washington. He said he's hopeful his military and advocacy background will help prompt some prosecutorial movement against Patriot Front members.

☆ Battle to liberate Russian-occupied Luhansk leaves proxy leaders worried; UK pledges to match support for Ukraine in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's counteroffensive is continuing with efforts to liberate the Russian-occupied Luhansk in the eastern Donbas region. Luhansk is where one of two pro-Russian self-proclaimed "republics" are located, and officials there are calling for hasty referenda on joining Russia. In other news, the U.K. has announced that in 2023 it will meet or exceed the amount of military aid spent on Ukraine this year. On Monday, Russian troops struck a nuclear power plant in the country's southern Mykolaiv region, but while its buildings sustained damage, its reactors are functioning normally, Ukrainian state energy officials said. The war "isn't going too well" for Russia, U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley said from Poland, adding that this could make Moscow's reactions less certain and that U.S. forces in Europe need to maintain alertness.

Police clear the U.S. Capitol Building with tear gas as supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather outside, in Washington, U.S. January 6, 2021. He is the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers. Caldwell has denied he was a member of the Oath Keepers but prosecutors have said he has strong ties to the group. JESSICA WATKINSWatkins, 40, of Woodstock, Ohio, led the Ohio team of Oath Keepers at the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to the indictment. PREVIOUS DEFENDANTSThree other Oath Keepers defendants - Joshua James, Brian Ulrich and William Todd Wilson - pleaded guilty this year to engaging in seditious conspiracy in connection with the attack.

☆ Ukraine says its troops threaten Russians in Donbas
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian troops “have pushed across the Oskil. From yesterday, Ukraine controls the east bank,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces wrote on Telegram late Sunday. All of it.”President Joe Biden also said victory for Ukraine meant removing Russian forces from the entire country, and pledged U.S. support for as long as it takes. “Winning the war in Ukraine is to get Russia out of Ukraine completely and to recognize the sovereignty. Britain said Russian forces had widened strikes on civilian infrastructure following battlefield setbacks and were likely to expand their targets further.

☆ Russian pop star lashes out against Ukraine war; another nuclear plant hit by Russian strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Longtime Russian pop singer and celebrity Alla Pugacheva spoke out against the Ukraine war on an Instagram post to her 3.4 million followers, which received more than 600,000 likes and scores of supportive comments. Acts of public dissent are rare since Russia imposed a law threatening up to 15 years' imprisonment for spreading "fake news" about what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russian troops struck a nuclear power plant in the country's southern Mykolaiv region, but while its buildings sustained damage, its reactors are functioning normally, Ukrainian state energy officials said. The war "isn't going too well" for Russia, U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley said from Poland, adding that this could make Moscow's reactions less certain and that U.S. forces in Europe need to maintain alertness. Meanwhile, reports show Russian President Vladimir Putin relying increasingly on ad hoc volunteer forces for its Ukraine combat operations, sidestepping his country's military high command after a series of setbacks in recent weeks.

☆ Top U.S. general urges vigilance as Russia weighs Ukraine setbacks
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Phil Stewart | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A MILITARY BASE IN POLAND, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The top U.S. general cautioned on Sunday it remained unclear how Russia might react to the latest battlefield setbacks in Ukraine and called for increased vigilance among U.S. troops as he visited a base in Poland aiding Ukraine's war effort. "They're not willing to scrap it," one soldier said, recalling artillery with shrapnel damage and sometimes completely worn out from firing round after round against Russian troops. "Combat power for Ukraine is staying at the level it is because of America's investment in the sustainment," the soldier said. PUTIN'S OPTIONSThe rout of Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces in northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region a week ago has prompted unusually strong public criticism from Russian military commentators. Russian government officials have dismissed Western suggestions that Moscow would use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine allies see risk in Russia's response to battlefield setbacks
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian soldiers sit on infantry fighting vehicles as they drive near Izyum, eastern Ukraine on September 16, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Such repeated threats have raised concerns Putin could at some point turn to small nuclear weapons or chemical warfare. It would change the face of war unlike anything since World War Two." Some military analysts have said Russia might also stage a nuclear incident at Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear power plant held by Russia but run by Ukrainian staff. His remarks were a reminder of the risks of escalation as the United States and its NATO allies aid Ukraine from a distance.

The state’s restrictive abortion laws spotlight existing gender disparities within the VA medical system, according to former military women who shared their personal experiences during a listening tour held by Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health. The VA does not provide any abortion services, even initial consultations, to women seeking more information about terminating their pregnancies. And that doesn’t end when we get out,” veteran Amber Davila, 37, said outside of the session in Austin, Texas. “We will continue to make sure they have timely access to the full suite of reproductive care,” the VA said. “This is fuel to the fire,” said Plescher, lead outreach coordinator for Grace After Fire, a female veterans group based in Houston.

Supporters of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act — or PACT Act — overwhelmingly expected the House-passed bill to sail through to the president's desk for signature. The PACT Act would have expanded VA health care eligibility to more than 3.5 million post-9/11 combat veterans who were exposed to toxins while serving in the military. When the bill returned to the Senate, the bill had not changed much but the view — and vote — of 25 senators did. "But what is shocking is that so many senators would literally be willing to play with veterans’ lives so openly like this." Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., speaks at a news conference about the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act in Washington on Thursday.

☆ Factbox: Mass shootings in the U.S. from Club Q to Pulse nightclub
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A police officer sits in their vehicle while responding to a mass shooting at the Club Q gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., November 20, 2022. - BUFFALO, May 14, 2022 - A white gunman killed 10 Black people inside a supermarket in a racially motivated attack. - ORLANDO, June 12, 2016 - A gunman fatally shot 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub, before he was shot dead by police. - WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2013 - A former Navy reservist working as a government contractor killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard. - AURORA, July 20, 2012 - A masked gunman killed 12 people at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado.

☆ How viral memes did the Taliban's work of helping them rebrand
▼ + stars: | 2021-08-31 | by ( Chris Stokel-Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Since the Taliban took control of Kabul on Aug. 15, memes have helped soften the Taliban's image. Widely shared clips show Taliban fighters struggling to understand how gym equipment works and riding carousel horses. One image of Taliban fighters eating ice cream shared on Twitter by journalist Sami Yousafzai received 8.4 million impressions in a little over a week. Taliban fighters gather in the outskirts of Kabul to showcase and repair captured military equipment from defeated elite Afghan units on Aug. 16, 2021. Others are categorically not: a video purporting to be Taliban fighters celebrating by dancing to music was fact-checked as a fraud.

Switching careers is hard, but it can be particularly daunting for soldiers transitioning into civilian life. However, when it comes to transitioning into the civilian workforce, they need to ask for help, Sweet said. And it’s a matter of finding them.”There are a number of organizations that want to help and hire veterans of the military. Sweet credits his mentors, Ritholtz CEO Josh Brown and Ritholtz chairman and CIO Barry Ritholtz, for helping him succeed. Sweet landed at the firm several years after leaving the Army, with just one financial job under his belt.

“That was a massive expense.”In fact,service members and their spouses ranked financial stress as their greatest concern, even over deployment, according to Blue Star Families’ annual military family lifestyle survey. As a result, about half of service members and their spouses of service members say they rely on the gig economy to stay afloat, the NFCC found. You can keep on top of the many benefits the military offers, as well as whatever financial education it makes available, through Military OneSourceor other channels. For its part, the NFCC offers financial education and credit counseling through its member agencies. Institutions such as USAA also regularly work with current and former service members and offer a range of banking and insurance products.

☆ Military families find money matters complex
▼ + stars: | 2019-05-23 | by ( Dick Powers | Power Plans | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Almost half of service members are under the age of 25, and a high percentage are married with children. So, what do they need to do to stay financially ready, for both the military life and after they leave? SGLI is a group life insurance policy purchased by the Department of Veterans Affairs from a commercial life insurance company. Perhaps the most important thing service members and their families, or any young couple, can do is to have a budget. Of course, service members need to be willing to ask for some assistance with their money matters.

☆ Aid workers in ISIS bull's-eye: 'If not us, then who?'
▼ + stars: | 2015-03-14 | by ( Katie Walmsley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Story highlights Numerous aid workers remain in Syria despite dangers With a lack of government, more than 8 million refugees rely on aid agencies for food, shelter and medical care Many aid agencies have no means of armed defense against attackNew York CNN —Kayla Mueller, Peter Kassig, Alan Henning, David Haines – just a few of the aid workers who have been abducted and killed by ISIS in the past year. The exact number of aid workers currently being held is unknown; a level of secrecy tends to surround details of those currently captive. Abductions and killings of aid workers are, unfortunately, nothing new, but the numbers are. According to Aidworkersecurity.org, at least 155 aid workers were killed in 2013, a 121% increase on 70 recorded killings the year before. ISIS doesn’t just target aid workers.

☆ Water's edge: the crisis of rising sea levels
▼ + stars: | 2014-09-04 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

But sea levels have been rising for 100 years in Baltimore.”ROCKET SCIENCEThe irony is evident at Wallops Flight Facility. Yet this bastion of climate research has been slow to apply the science of sea level rise to its own operations. Reviewers from state and federal agencies criticized the 348-page document for failing to adequately take rising sea levels into account in the project design and impact, or to temper future plans for expansion. Joshua Bundick, Wallops’s environmental planning manager, explained that he distilled the issues “down to only the highest points,” and sea level rise wasn’t among them. The cost to American taxpayers of repeated destruction of the parking lot and causeway from rising sea levels would only increase, Fish and Wildlife officials said.

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