The A-10 can do one thing really well–blowing up stuff on the ground. But, it can’t do much else, and is only brought in after the most threatening air-to-air threats are destroyed or suppressed. The military would prefer to have more general and advanced craft than one with such a narrow use. Congress has kept it alive because it is popular and gives their constituents jobs. A major advantage of the A-10 is its cheaper to fire.
Obama was interested in military force in Syria after Syria crossed Obama’s redline, but Obama wanted authorization from Congress. Congress didn’t want to be on the record one way or the other, and told Obama to act if he wanted to act.
Then for Libya, some of the Congressmen who said they didn’t want to be on the record and they wanted Obama to act if he wanted to, complained that Obama didn’t get authorization for Libya.
Not only were Congress people derelict of their duty to discuss and vote on military action, but they dishonestly portrayed their true feelings to the public.
“The Senate early Friday morning approved Homeland Security funds to pay Transportation Security Administration agents and most other agencies, but not the immigration enforcement operations at the heart of the budget impasse that has jammed airports, disrupted travel and imposed financial hardship on workers.
The deal, which the Senate approved unanimously without a roll call, next goes to the House, which is expected to consider it Friday.
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The deal did not include any of the restraints Democrats have demanded as they sought to rein in Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
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The GOP’s big tax cuts bill that Trump signed into law last year funneled billions in extra funds to DHS, including $75 billion for ICE operations, ensuring the immigration officers are still being paid despite the lapse.”
“”ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security,” American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley previously said in a statement to USA TODAY. “TSA officers spend months learning to detect explosives, weapons, and threats specifically designed to evade detection at checkpoints – skills that require specialized instruction, hands-on practice, and ongoing recertification. You cannot improvise that. Putting untrained personnel at security checkpoints does not fill a gap. It creates one.”
Early reports from some travelers indicated that ICE’s presence wasn’t doing much to improve conditions – and for some employees it may be more disruptive than helpful.
“The employees that actually work at the airport, they’re afraid of coming to work because they were afraid that their immigration status would cause them to be detained or removed from the airport,” Johnny Jones, secretary and treasurer of the Association of Federal Government Employees local 1040 representing TSA workers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said in a March 24 press briefing. “A couple of restaurants did not actually open at the airport because they had no workers show up.”
While Harmon-Marshall doesn’t expect ICE’s presence to pose a risk to aviation security, it could have other adverse impacts. “What I do think their presence is going to do is intimidate the traveling public,” he said.”
“Former President Bill Clinton told members of the House Oversight Committee that he never witnessed the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse young women or girls, nor did he himself ever have sexual contact with anyone introduced to him by Epstein
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Addressing a photo showing Clinton in a pool with an unknown woman, the former president told lawmakers that he could not recall the identity of the woman.
“It appears there’s a — this photo there’s a girl over here,” said one questioner.
“Yeah, I don’t know who that is,” Clinton said.
“But he’s also asking in the pool area. Were there other individuals?” an attorney asked.
“I don’t know who that is,” Clinton repeated.
“And then I have to ask this, did you engage in any sexual activities with this person?” the questioner asked.
“No,” Clinton said, appearing visibly frustrated.
Clinton was also asked about a photo showing him appearing to get a massage in an airport by an unknown woman. He claimed that his “neck had spasmed” and that one of the women offered to help.
“The problem I remember from that trip was that my neck had spasmed and I was in — and so they offered to help and I let them help one,” Clinton said. He said that he could not recall any other massages from the trip.
“This is an email from Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim that alleged that you walked into Vanity Fair and threatened them not to write sex trafficking articles about your good friend Jeffrey Epstein,” a lawmaker asked. “Mr. President, is this true?”
“No. And no, not no. Hell no. Not close. No,” Clinton said.
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Clinton suggested to members of the House Oversight Committee that he first met Epstein after being connected by his former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, shedding light for the first time on the origin of his and Epstein’s relationship.
“He was calling because a man named Jeffrey Epstein, who had made a substantial commitment of several million dollars … to brain research, and he was an information hungry person, and he wanted to spend some time talking to me about economics and politics,” Clinton said.
“He said he’s got this massive airplane, and he said he would take you, your staff, your Secret Service detail, anybody else you wanted to bring on the trips that he knew I was planning to set up a global network to provide lifesaving AIDS medicine to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible,” Clinton said.
“Did you witness anything unusual with Epstein that would lead you to believe that Epstein was creepy?” he was asked.
“No, I never saw him do anything that I was suspicious,” Clinton responded.
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While Clinton acknowledged a photograph showing him and Epstein in the White House in 1993, the former president said he did not remember Epstein from the encounter, which he said was a generic meet-and-greet with donors.
“I first remember meeting him when I got on his airplane to take the first trip with my foundation in, I think 2002, whatever it was,” Clinton said.
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“Through my brief acquaintance with Jeffrey Epstein, though it ended years before his crimes came to light, and though I never witnessed during our limited interactions any indication of what was going on, I’m here to offer what little I know so I can do my part to prevent something like this from happening again,” Bill Clinton said.
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He also criticized the Oversight Committee for subpoenaing and questioning Hillary Clinton, arguing she had nothing to do with Epstein.
“I have to just say one personal thing. Since Hillary came in yesterday, she had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing,” he said.
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No Epstein survivor or associate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife in connection with his prior relationship with Epstein.”
“Trump appointees who defy the president’s will are showing the courage of their convictions, applying the law as they understand it rather than reflexively deferring to the politician who gave them their jobs. But Trump, who takes it for granted that justices vote the way they do for political reasons, neither understands nor appreciates judicial independence.”
There’s not good enough reason to believe Hillary Clinton had anything to do with Epstein’s crimes to force her to come to Congress. Melania Trump had more connections with Epstein than she did. And obviously, Donald Trump had a lot of connections with him! This is an abuse of power by the Republicans in Congress.
“Commercial real estate firm CBRE reported in an October 2024 research brief that single-family rental inventory had declined by 1.7 million units since 2016. Investors who own more than 100 homes are also responsible for some 3 or 4 percent of single-family home purchases each year.
The vast majority of homes are owned, bought, and sold by either individual owner-occupiers or small mom-and-pop investors who own fewer than 10 homes.
This is the windmill that Trump and lawmakers of both parties are tilting at.
And even though large investors are not major purchasers of single-family homes, they do provide benefits that would be lost if federal regulation excluded them from the single-family rental market.
A 2022 study by Neroli Austin of the University of Michigan found that institutional investment in real estate increases neighborhood diversity by opening up more affordable rental housing options. That study did find that these investors were raising home prices overall.
Banning institutional investors from the single-family market would reduce the accessibility they provide to renters who can’t qualify for mortgages.”