From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake shook Seattle and the Puget Sound region just before 3 a.m. Friday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The shaking emanated from Three Lakes, Snohomish County, about nine miles east of downtown Everett. The earthquake was relatively shallow, and originated about 14 miles beneath the surface, according to a USGS map. Continue reading “4.6 earthquake shakes Seattle region overnight”
GUATEMALA CITY, July 11 (Reuters) – Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales will travel to Washington next week to discuss migration, and sources said he may sign an agreement declaring the Central American country a safe destination for asylum seekers.
Morales will visit President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, and “meet with U.S. Government officials to address security, migration and economic issues,” the Guatemalan government said in a statement on Twitter on Thursday. Continue reading “Asylum deal at the fore as Guatemalan president visits White House”
Scientists have identified a radiation leak on the wreck of a Russian nuclear submarine that sank in Arctic waters in 1989.
The Soviet-era Komsomolets submarine sank off Norway’s Bear Island following a fire on board, which resulted in the loss of life of 42 of the 69 crewmen on board. Resting at a depth of 5,577 feet, the submarine’s nuclear reactor and two nuclear warheads are still on board. Continue reading “Scientists discover radiation leak ‘100,000 times normal level’ from Russian nuclear sub wreck”
President Trump, speaking at the White House on Thursday, announced that he would “immediately” issue an executive order to get an accurate count of non-citizens and citizens in the United States — a measure Trump said would be “far more accurate” than relying on a citizenship question in the 2020 census.
The move would make use of “vast” federal databases and free up information sharing among all federal agencies concerning who they know is living in the country, Trump said. Continue reading “Trump, ‘not backing down’ in effort to count citizens amid census fight, announces executive order”
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit that aims to protect asylum seekers from an immigration enforcement operation expected to start this weekend.
The lawsuit argues that those individuals weren’t allowed a fair chance to request asylum and their deportation orders aren’t valid. Most of them are from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Continue reading “ACLU files lawsuit ahead of anticipated raids”
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Britain said Thursday that three Iranian vessels had unsuccessfully tried “to impede the passage” of a British commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran denied it. A statement issued by the British Ministry of Defense said a Royal Navy warship, the frigate HMS Montrose “was forced to position herself” between the Iranian vessels and the oil tanker, called the British Heritage. Continue reading “U.K. says Iranians tried to block British tanker in Strait of Hormuz”
(July 8, 2019 / JNS) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton took a victory lap over the Trump administration’s pro-Israel accomplishments, as did Vice President Mike Pence, at the Christians United for Israel conference in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Continue reading “Bolton, Pompeo take victory lap over Trump’s pro-Israel accomplishments”
Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., signed a bill into law on Tuesday making young illegal immigrants eligible for the Medicaid program in California, making it the first state to offer such taxpayer-funded health benefits to low-income adults age 25 and younger regardless of their immigration status.
State officials said they expected the plan to cover about 90,000 people and cost taxpayers $98 million. California already covered children 18 and younger regardless of immigration status. Continue reading “California becomes 1st state to give taxpayer-funded health benefits to illegal immigrants”
Walmart will reportedly stop selling guns at its New Mexico stores later this month.
The retailer’s decision came after the state passed a new law expanding background checks, which was put into effect on July 1, CBS News reported. Continue reading “Walmart will stop gun sales in New Mexico over background check laws: report”
An indictment alleging sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy was unsealed Monday morning against billionaire financier and registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who is set to make his first appearance in a New York City federal court later in the day.
Prosecutors allege Epstein, the 66-year-old wealthy hedge fund manager arrested on Saturday, preyed on “dozens” of victims as young as 14. Continue reading “Jeffrey Epstein due in federal court after sex trafficking arrest, preyed on young girls, prosecutors say”
Six Tempe, Arizona, police officers were asked to leave a local Starbucks on the Fourth of July because a customer said the officers were making them feel uncomfortable, prompting an outcry on social media and an apology from Starbucks.
“Don’t appreciate Starbucks asking our Temp cops to leave on 4th of July 2019,” The Tempe Officers Association posted on Twitter. “Several of those cops are veterans who fought for this country! #ZeroRespect” Continue reading “Tempe, Arizona, police officers asked to leave local Starbucks, prompting an apology”
Police and fire crews are looking for answers after an explosion at a shopping center in Florida, officials said Saturday.
Twenty-one people were injured, including two seriously, in the blast in Plantation, just outside of Fort Lauderdale, said Joel Gordon, Battalion Chief for Plantation Fire. Continue reading “Explosion at Plantation, Florida, shopping center leaves 21 people injured: ‘It just looks like an apocalypse’”
RENO, Nev. – Eight people were injured Friday in an explosion at a University of Nevada, Reno dormitory, authorities say.
According to Steve Leighton, operations chief for the Reno Fire Department, six people were treated at the scene. Two were transferred to the hospital, but have been released. Continue reading “Eight people injured in explosion at University of Nevada, Reno dorm”
A 10-person flash mob made off with up to $30,000 worth of merchandise from a North Face store in Wisconsin this week.
The incident occurred Monday night in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, when the ten men “entered the store with purpose,” Police Chief David Smetana told ABC News. “They were gone from the store within 30 seconds.” Continue reading “Flash mob thieves make off with $30,000 in merchandise from North Face store in Wisconsin”
Pacific Standard – by Massoud Hayoun
Oregon lawmakers have voted to grant the state’s undocumented residents drivers’ licenses, amid a nationwide push to do so in response to data indicating that minor traffic violations are landing immigrants in deportation proceedings.
State senators voted 17–10 on Saturday to pass a bill granting licenses to all Oregon residents, regardless of citizenship status, which “eliminates [the] requirement that [a] person provide proof of legal presence before Department of Transportation issues [a] noncommercial driver license, noncommercial driver permit or identification card.” Continue reading “Oregon Will Make Undocumented People Eligible For Drivers’ Licenses Again”
While the headline payrolls number was stellar, coming in higher than even the most optimistic Wall Street forecast, one aspect of today’s jobs report that will likely become a major talking point for Democrats and other critics of the Trump economy, is that the number of multiple-jobholders soared from 7.855 million to 8.156 million, a monthly surge of 301,000 – the biggest since July 2018, and an indication that the jobs number was far weaker than the headline represents if one excludes all those workers who represented two jobs to the BLS’ various surveys. Continue reading “It Wasn’t All Great News: Multiple Jobholders Soar To Record High”
One person was killed and several others suffered minor injuries from a lightning strike in South Carolina on Thursday, officials said.
The person who was killed was under a tree at Lawshe Plantation in Georgetown County when the lightning hit, according to Georgetown County Fire and EMS officials. The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area at the time of the strike. Continue reading “1 dead, several injured from lightning strike in South Carolina: Officials”
Market Watch – by Robert Schroeder
The Washington Post reports the National Park Service is diverting nearly $2.5 million in entrance and recreation fees primarily intended to improve parks across the country to cover costs associated with President Donald Trump’s Independence Day celebration on the Mall.
Administration officials, writes the Post, have consistently refused to say how much taxpayers will have to pay for the expanded celebration on the Mall this year, which the president has dubbed the “Salute to America.” Continue reading “Park Service diverts $2.5 million in fees to pay for Trump’s July 4th celebration”
CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago police have arrested 77 people in a gun and drug takedown ahead of the 4th of July holiday, a police spokesman said.
Nearly a dozen weapons were recovered as part of Operation Independence conducted by CPD’s Organized Crime Bureau, the spokesman said Wednesday morning. Continue reading “77 arrested by Chicago police in pre-4th of July holiday gun, drug take down, Mayor Lori Lightfoot to unveil safety plan”