{"id":21447,"date":"2018-05-26T22:50:04","date_gmt":"2018-05-27T06:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/?p=21447"},"modified":"2018-05-26T22:50:04","modified_gmt":"2018-05-27T06:50:04","slug":"rouge-forum-dispatch-snake-bit-reformers-worse-than-2nd-international","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/rouge-forum-dispatch-snake-bit-reformers-worse-than-2nd-international\/","title":{"rendered":"Rouge Forum Dispatch:: Snake-bit reformers worse than 2nd International"},"content":{"rendered":"

We Say Fight Back!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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South Carolina teachers, state employees rally for better pay, send governor letter<\/h1>\n

Susan S. Smith, an Anderson special education teacher, drove to the Statehouse early Saturday morning to voice her concerns about unequal education in the state and teacher pay.<\/p>\n

Though lawmakers are poised to increase teachers’ salaries\u00a0by 1-2 percent for the next budget year, and Smith said she is grateful for any raise, she said the amount is “nowhere near” what teachers need.<\/p>\n

“I hope that our voices are heard,” she said as she joined dozens of other teachers and state employees to rally for better pay and launch a campaign, “South Carolinians Deserve The Best.”<\/p>\n

The rally comes amid similar protests in other states, most recently North Carolina, where educators have pushed for\u00a0better pay. While teacher strikes led to school being cancelled in some states, Saturday’s event was timed not to disrupt school.<\/p>\n

The rally also took place in front of an empty Statehouse, as lawmakers have adjourned for the year, though they are scheduled to return for several days later this month to work out differences between House and Senate bills and to take up any vetoes.<\/p>\n

Wearing red T-shirts and holding signs, the Statehouse crowd cheered and chanted, applauded speakers, and at one point yelled “Shame on you, South Carolina!” due to a benefit\u00a0system that has left the state facing a critical shortage of teachers.<\/p>\n

“Enough is enough!” yelled Kathy Maness, executive director of the Palmetto State Teachers Association. “The time has come for the General Assembly to recognize that our public schools and state services are South Carolina’s most important priority and do what they must do to protect them from further damage.”<\/p>\n

Maness and other speakers urged colleagues and state workers to talk to lawmakers in their districts and to vote for candidates who are\u00a0willing to improve pay.\u00a0 www.greenvilleonline.com\/story\/news\/local\/south-carolina\/2018\/05\/19\/south-carolina-teachers-state-workers-rally-livable-wage\/624009002\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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Organizing Upgrade<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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11 hrs<\/span><\/abbr><\/a><\/span> \u00b7 <\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Strikes change politics. This week we’re sharing a statement from the social and racial justice caucus of the North Carolina Association of Educators, called Organize2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“If you are taking a personal day and heading to Raleigh, or you are taking an action somewhere in the state in support of us on May 16, how do you feel right now? If your students, parents, and community are showing you their love and support, do you still feel powerless? If you\u2019re in an online group and laughing and arguing and being challenged or affirmed by someone you\u2019ve never met, do you still feel alone?<\/p>\n

Good.<\/p>\n

What if it felt like that every day?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

TEACHERS UNITE IN RED FOR STUDENTS<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"Teachers<\/p>\n

Several Charlotte Education Association members are concerned their students are not fully getting the help they need and have chosen to voice their concern by joining the statewide movement \u201cWear Red for Public Ed.\u201d That participation, however, has been met with resistance from Charlotte Public Schools administrators.<\/p>\n

Close to 50 current and former Charlotte Public Schools teachers, and members of the Michigan Education Association gathered in the Charlotte Upper Elementary School parking lot Wednesday, May 23 proudly wearing red shirts. The group took things a step further that morning, taking part in a planned \u201cwalk in,\u201d in which they entered the building as one large group prior to the start of the school day. A similar walk in took place at Washington Elementary School the same morning.<\/p>\n

The walk ins were the direct result of a memo teachers received from CPS Superintendent Mark Rosekrans and Board of Education president Lee Wheaton on Wednesday, May 9 that stated in part that \u201cwearing clothing at work in support of a political cause,\u201d goes against district policy.\u00a0 county-journal.com\/communities\/charlotte\/teachers-unite-in-red-for-students\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Want to know Korea?<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wgsUvtHAcJA<\/a><\/p>\n

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www.facebook.com\/Boston25News\/videos\/10154964279778122\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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www.youtube.com\/watch?v=anRLUg-ruaw<\/a><\/p>\n

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Brazilian president sends in army as truck protest paralyzes country<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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S\u00e3o Paulo, the biggest city in South America, in state of emergency over fuel shortages while markets run out of food<\/p>\n

Brazil\u2019s conservative president Michel Temer<\/a> has ordered the army and federal police to clear highways blockaded by striking truck drivers after a protest over soaring fuel prices entered its fifth day.<\/p>\n

The blockades have paralysed much of the country\u2019s economy and prompted S\u00e3o Paulo, the biggest city in South America, to declare a state of emergency over fuel shortages.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have actioned the federal security forces to unblock highways and I am asking governors to do the same,\u201d Temer said in a televised address on Friday. \u201cWe will not let the population do without its primary needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The protests began over fuel prices but have been further stoked by widespread anger over repeated graft scandals involving prominent politicians \u2013 including Temer himself.\u00a0 www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/may\/25\/brazil-protests-latest-temer-clears-trucks-highways-army<\/a><\/p>\n

www.facebook.com\/oneorganization\/videos\/1909145649137682\/<\/a><\/p>\n

People will fight back because, in many cases, they must fight back to survive. But, if they do not grasp why they fight, as in capital and empire, they may win reforms, or not, but reforms can be reversed over night.<\/em> <\/span><\/h1>\n

www.facebook.com\/Channel4NewsDemocracy\/videos\/1438990919512180\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Little Red Schoolhouse<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ammo box falls from Fort Bliss helicopter, crashes into school (education agenda=War agenda)<\/h1>\n
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Authorities are trying to determine how a box of ammunition fell from a military helicopter and\u00a0crashed<\/a>\u00a0through the roof of an\u00a0elementary school<\/a>\u00a0in Texas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Ysleta Independent School District said no one was injured when the ammo box hit Parkland Elementary School in El Paso on Thursday afternoon. The ammo box left a hole in the roof and caused a power outage in part of the building.<\/p>\n

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Officials at nearby Fort Bliss said they\u2019ll reassess flight patterns as part of their investigation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In a statement, 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade commander Col. Jay Hopkins said he was sorry for the damage and grateful no one was hurt.\u00a0 www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2018\/05\/18\/ammo-box-falls-from-fort-bliss-helicopter-crashes-into-school\/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ebb%2021.05.18&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief<\/a><\/p>\n

Mystery surrounds resignation of provost at San Diego State University<\/h1>\n

\"SDSU<\/p>\n

The provost of San Diego State University<\/a> has resigned under mysterious circumstances, temporarily leaving the school without a chief academic officer.<\/p>\n

The resignation was announced Wednesday by interim SDSU President Sally Roush, who would not discuss why Chukuka Enwemeka stepped down.<\/p>\n

Enwemeka could not be reached for comment about why he is leaving a position that more than doubled his salary to $292,000 since he took the job four years ago.<\/p>\n

In March, Enwemeka received mostly high praise in a performance review. But some faculty were concerned that Enwemeka wrote an email that seemed to wish harm on a professor who had called for an early review of his service as provost.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll said, if in the course of our time and interactions, I willfully sought to harm or perpetrate evil against you, may my Lord Jesus Christ, to whom I have given my entire life, see your action as well deserved by me …\u201d Enwemeka says in a Sept. 11, 2017, email to biology professor Douglas Deutschman.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOn the other hand, if all I have ever done was to promote your wellbeing and progress as previously detailed, and in return you willfully sought to harm or hurt me, may my Lord Jesus Christ ensure that you reap what you sowed. So that instead of blessings, you are showered with unending curse and harmed, hurt and visited by evil a million fold in everything you do throughout the rest of your life.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease note that in stating the foregoing, I am not necessarily cursing or wishing you evil. I am simply invoking the natural Law of Karma; the Law of Retributive Justice.\u201d\u00a0 www.sandiegouniontribune.com\/news\/education\/sd-me-sdsu-provost-20180523-story.html<\/a><\/p>\n

www.facebook.com\/splinternews\/videos\/2121219994830111\/<\/a><\/p>\n

USC President C.L. Max Nikias to step down<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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USC President C.L. Max Nikias, whose tenure was marked by a significant boost in the university’s prestige and fundraising prowess but tarnished by a series of damaging scandals, is stepping down from his post, the university’s Board of Trustees announced Friday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The move comes after more than a week of uproar over the university’s handling of a longtime campus gynecologist accused of misconduct toward female students<\/a>. More than 300 people, most of them former female patients of Dr. George Tyndall, have since come forward to USC, many with allegations of mistreatment and sexual abuse that date back to the early 1990s.\u00a0 www.latimes.com\/local\/lanow\/la-me-max-nikias-usc-20180525-story.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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England is still educating different classes for different functions in society<\/a><\/h2>\n

The working classes still get less of everything in education, including respect, argues\u00a0<\/em>Diane Reay<\/strong><\/a>. She suggests that in order to move towards a fairer educational system, England needs to implement a National Education Service that provides the same standards and level of resources to all children, regardless of class and ethnic background.<\/em><\/p>\n

Historically, the English educational system has educated the different social classes for different functions in society. However, in the 21st<\/sup> century, the expectation is that the English state system is providing roughly the same education for all. In my new book<\/a> I argue that it does not. Even within a comprehensive school, when young people are all being educated in the same building, the working classes are still getting less education than the middle classes, just as they had when my father was educated at the beginning of the 20th<\/sup> century. We are still educating different social classes for different functions in society.<\/p>\n

The book is based on a mix of statistics, more than 500 interviews and my personal memoir of growing up as a free school meal child living on a council estate. The book argues that, despite a whole plethora of policy initiatives from testing regimes, league tables, school choice, academies and free schools, the return to traditional models of both primary and secondary curriculum and to a preoccupation with \u2018school improvement\u2019 and \u2018school effectiveness\u2019, little has changed in relation to how the working classes are valued within education. And despite the incessant focus on social mobility, England is at the bottom of the league table for working class children achieving high academic levels.\u00a0 blogs.lse.ac.uk\/politicsandpolicy\/uk-educating-different-classes-for-different-functions\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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Broward Promise administrator could get $24,000 boost in compensation<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The administrator who oversees the district\u2019s embattled Promise program<\/a> could soon get a $24,000 boost in salary and benefits.<\/p>\n

The Broward County School Board is expected to decide whether to give initial approval to an upgraded job description for Mickey Pope, who made $149,389 as of fall 2017 as executive director of student support services.<\/p>\n

Under the proposal, her title would be chief of student support services, reporting directly to the superintendent instead of the chief academic officer.<\/p>\n

The promotion is being made \u201cto emphasize serving the needs of students, staff, families, and schools\u201d in the wake of the shootings Feb. 14<\/a> at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School<\/a>,\u201d a district report says.<\/p>\n

The move comes at a time when Broward\u2019s school discipline policies have come under fire, particularly the Promise program, which provides alternatives to arrest for students who commit certain misdemeanors.<\/p>\n

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported this month that the program is part of a culture of leniency<\/a> in the district that allows students to get countless second chances and that student success rates are exaggerated. Superintendent Robert Runcie<\/a> also has been criticized for insisting gunman Nikolas Cruz had no part in the program, only to backtrack this month <\/a>and acknowlege Cruz was referred to the program but didn\u2019t complete it.<\/p>\n

Critics on social media assailed Pope\u2019s possible promotion.\u00a0 www.sun-sentinel.com\/local\/broward\/parkland\/florida-school-shooting\/fl-florida-school-shooting-promise-raise-20180521-story.html<\/a><\/p>\n

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Above, a photo of Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills Michigan. Cranbrook, a k-12. has its own attached art colony. Five man made swimming pools, one smaller than the next, connected by lovely waterfalls. There is an on-site planetarium. An art museum. Football, rugby and soccer fields. Multiple tennis courts. Hockey rinks.\u00a0 Science labs. Dormitory for on-campus students. Less than 700 kids.<\/p>\n

\"Cranbrook<\/p>\n

40 acres of the carefully groomed campus are gardens. Cranbrook has a $300 million dollar endowment. It’s where Mitt Romney went to school. Daniel Ellsberg. Me too. And Eric Chester. It’s part of a relatively small group of private schools where the ruling classes train their children, and children of the poor alike, in order to understand how power works. Holding a globe, a past headmaster addressing the assembled youth said, “Gentlemen, this is ours, and during your tenure at Cranbrook, you will learn how we make it work.” Cranbrook and its like sits on top of a fundamentally segregated (class and race) not-so-public education system in the US.\u00a0 en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cranbrook_Schools<\/a><\/p>\n

U.S. Public Schools Have Lost Nearly 20% Of Their Librarians Since 2000<\/h1>\n

The United States\u00a0can’t afford librarians, according to a new analysis of federal data.<\/p>\n

Between 1999-2000 and 2015-16, U.S. public schools lost 19% of full-time equivalent school librarians, according to\u00a0a\u00a0School Library Journal article<\/a>\u00a0by researcher Keith Curry Lance that examined National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0shortage\u00a0in public school librarian employment \u2014 which saw the most dramatic drop following the Great Recession of 2008 and hasn’t recovered since \u2014 has hit districts serving minorities the hardest. Among all the districts that have retained all their librarians since 2005, 75% are white,\u00a0Education Week reports<\/a>. On the other end of the scale, student populations in the 20 districts that lost the most librarians in the same time\u00a0comprised\u00a078% students of color.<\/p>\n

In other words, while\u00a0U.S. employment rates are back\u00a0up<\/a>\u00a0in the wake of the Great Recession, the public school librarian sector has not rebounded, and the nation’s collective failure to rebuild its public information infrastructure is hitting minorities the hardest.<\/p>\n

Some states suffered a more dramatic loss than the average.\u00a0The number of librarians employed across\u00a0Florida\u2019s 67 school districts\u00a0has dropped by 27% since just 2005, according to a 2017\u00a0Herald Tribune article,<\/a>\u00a0leaving several districts without any librarians at all. In replacement, the Herald Tribune argues, paraprofessionals run libraries as media aides \u2014 a position that requires just a high school diploma and a certification, and which starts at\u00a0$14.60 an hour. Librarians with masters’ degrees, however, are often the first to go when budgets need to be cut.<\/p>\n

Education Week’s\u00a0articles\u00a0also argues that\u00a0librarian’s roles are being replaced by other, less qualified job titles: As public school librarians\u00a0dwindled by 20%, schools saw an 11%\u00a0rise in counselors, 19% boost in instructional aides, and a full 28% more school administrators.\u00a0 www.forbes.com\/sites\/adamrowe1\/2018\/05\/21\/u-s-public-schools-have-lost-20-of-their-librarians-since-2000\/#3cee8ae45ce5<\/a><\/p>\n

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The International Hot War of the Rich on the Poor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

www.youtube.com\/watch?v=msUY9p_ZPVE<\/a><\/p>\n

The Most Damning Sentence On The War In Afghanistan You\u2019ll Read Today<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBetween 2001 and 2017, U.S. government efforts to stabilize insecure and contested areas in Afghanistan mostly failed.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the\u00a0main conclusion<\/a>\u00a0in the latest \u201clessons learned\u201d\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0to Congress from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). After 16 years, nearly 2,400 U.S. service members killed, and untold billions spent, the U.S. government is\u00a0no closer<\/a>\u00a0to achieving the \u201cpeace and freedom\u201d that President George W. Bush promised would prevail in Afghanistan when he\u00a0announced<\/a>combat operations there in October 2001.<\/p>\n

The reason? The United States basically made the same mistakes it made in Iraq,\u00a0according<\/a>\u00a0to SIGAR chief John F. Sopko: the government \u201cgreatly overestimated its ability to build and reform government institutions,\u201d mainly because the U.S. programs for rebuilding Afghan civil society \u201cwere not properly tailored to the Afghan context, and successes in stabilizing Afghan districts rarely lasted longer than the physical presence of coalition troops and civilians.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the U.S.-led coalition handed over control to the Afghan government in 2014, he added, \u201cthe services and protection provided by Afghan forces and civil servants often could not compete with a resurgent Taliban as it filled the void in newly vacated territory.\u201d Just as ISIS filled the void left by the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq (and the ongoing civil war in Syria), the Taliban and other militant groups easily returned to Afghanistan. Now, nearly 17 years after the U.S. invasions,\u00a0nearly half of country\u2019s districts are contested<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Here are the critical bits from the latest SIGAR report:<\/p>\n

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  • Arrogance:\u00a0<\/b>The U.S. government \u201cgreatly overestimated its ability to build and reform government institutions in Afghanistan as part of its stabilization strategy,\u201d the report said. Nation-building is hard, it turns out: A 2015 RAND Corporation\u00a0assessment<\/a>\u00a0of U.S. nation-building efforts after World War II found that post-war reconstruction efforts only actually stuck in countries like, say, Germany and Japan, that already had some relative economic wealth despite wartime devastation; by\u00a0contrast<\/a>, \u201cno post-colonial program of reconstruction could turn Somalia, Haiti or Afghanistan into thriving centers of prosperity.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • Wasteful spending:\u00a0<\/b>The post-invasion stabilization programs instituted by the United States \u201cwere not properly tailored to the Afghan context,\u201d as the SIGAR report put it. As a result, the those billions in taxpayers dollars the U.S. funneled into the country \u201cin search of quick gains often exacerbated conflicts, enabled corruption, and bolstered support for insurgents.\u201d This is to say nothing of the\u00a0perennially bad oversight that the DoD exercises over its war dollars<\/a>. Sweet!<\/li>\n
  • An inadequate strategy:<\/b>\u00a0Because the coalition prioritized the most dangerous districts first, it continuously struggled to clear them of insurgents,\u201d the report\u00a0reads<\/a>. \u201cAs a result, the coalition couldn\u2019t make sufficient progress to convince Afghans in those or other districts that the government could protect them if they openly turned against the insurgents.\u201d Ugh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    One last key point: In its timeline of U.S.-led stabilization efforts, the SIGAR report notes that President Barack Obama\u2019s 50,000-troop surge in 2010 in the service of an aggressive and explicit stabilization strategy and set withdrawal timeline \u201chad a profound and harmful impact on countless downstream decisions regarding stabilization planning,\u00a0staffing, and programming.\u201d Say what you will about President Donald Trump\u2019s\u00a0emphasis<\/a>\u00a0on a conditions-based approach to the Afghan War laid out in 2017; according to SIGAR\u2019s assessment, it\u2019s a far more practical approach to the U.S. military presence there than a time-based one, no matter how depressing that may be.<\/p>\n

    \u201cBetween 2001 and 2017, U.S. government efforts to stabilize insecure and contested areas in Afghanistan mostly failed.\u201d That\u2019s OK: Maybe the next 16 years will be better!<\/p>\n

    Read the whole SIGAR report below:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    taskandpurpose.com\/war-afghanistan-stabilization-failure\/?bsft_eid=6bf83495-323c-4e87-a849-2a6f864fd212&utm_campaign=tp_daily_thursday_pm&utm_source=blueshift&utm_medium=email&utm_content=tp_daily_pm_ricks&bsft_pid=faa5f91f-5d51-47b9-a8dc-5dc28278944a&bsft_clkid=ecbc2b30-91b3-496f-87a3-d0ea589086b3&bsft_uid=7c674a6c-ae11-4ec4-84f1-aef0c34e44e5&bsft_mid=80e06a4a-e36d-45e1-bee5-d5997c90c8af&bsft_pp=1<\/a><\/p>\n

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    www.facebook.com\/MarineCorpsTimes\/videos\/10156300925372383\/<\/a><\/p>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    Taliban overruns second district in Ghazni<\/a><\/h1>\n

    \"Map<\/p>\n

    The Afghan Taliban claimed it overran the district of Ajristan in the southeastern province of Ghazni after laying siege to the district center for several days. If confirmed, Ajristan is the second district in Ghazni to be overrun by the Taliban in the past week.<\/p>\n

    The Taliban\u00a0made the claim in a statement<\/a>\u00a0that was released today on its official website, Voice of Jihad, which is published in five languages: Dari, Pashtu, Urdu, Arabic, and English.<\/p>\n

    According to the Taliban, a \u201cmajor of enemy troops surrendered to Mujahideen and the rest were forced to flee,\u201d and the district center and police headquarters was taken \u201cwithout any firefight.\u201d The Taliban claimed it showed the besieged Afghan troops a \u201cmessage of esteemed leader\u201d Mullah Haibatullah, which presumably is the offer of amnesty for military, police, and government officials who lay down their arms and promise not to work with the Afghan government and Coalition.<\/p>\n

    Additionally, the Taliban claimed it seized \u201ca sizable amount of war spoils\u201d and its fighters \u201care conducting [clearing] operations in the district.\u201d\u00a0 www.longwarjournal.org\/archives\/2018\/05\/taliban-overruns-second-district-in-ghazni.php?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ebb%2021.05.18&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief<\/a><\/p>\n

    \"Image<\/p>\n

    Trump Drones On<\/strong>
    \nHow Unpiloted Aircraft Expand the War on Terror<\/strong><\/p>\n

    They are like the camel\u2019s nose, lifting a corner of the tent. Don\u2019t be fooled, though. It won\u2019t take long until the whole animal is sitting inside, sipping your tea and eating your sweets. In countries around the world — in the Middle East<\/a>, Asia Minor<\/a>, Central Asia<\/a>, Africa<\/a>, even the Philippines<\/a> — the appearance of U.S. drones in the sky (and on the ground) is often Washington\u2019s equivalent of the camel\u2019s nose entering a new theater of operations in this country\u2019s forever war<\/a>\u00a0against \u201cterror.\u201d Sometimes, however, the drones are more like the camel’s tail, arriving after<\/a> less visible U.S. military forces have been in an area for a while.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Scrambling for Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n

    AFRICOM, the Pentagon\u2019s Africa Command, is building<\/a> Air Base 201 in Agadez, a town in the nation of Niger. The $110 million installation, which officially opens later this year, will be able to house both C-17 transport planes and MQ-9 Reaper armed drones. It will soon become the new centerpiece in an undeclared U.S. war in West Africa. Even before the base opens, armed U.S. drones are already flying from Niger\u2019s capital, Niamey, having received permission<\/a>\u00a0from the Nigerien government to do so last November.<\/p>\n

    Despite crucial reporting<\/a>\u00a0by Nick Turse and others, most people in this country only learned of U.S. military activities in Niger in 2017 (and had no idea that about 800<\/a>\u00a0U.S. military personnel were already stationed in the country) when news broke that four U.S. soldiers had died<\/a>\u00a0in an October ambush there. It turns out, however, that they weren’t the only U.S soldiers involved in firefights in Niger. This March, the Pentagon acknowledged<\/a> that another clash took place last December between Green Berets and a previously unknown group identified as ISIS-West Africa. For those keeping score at home on the ever-expanding enemies list in Washington\u2019s war on terror, this is a different group from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara<\/a>\u00a0(ISGS), responsible for the October ambush. Across Africa, there have been at least eight other incidents<\/a>, most of them in Somalia.<\/p>\n

    What are U.S. forces doing in Niger?\u00a0 www.tomdispatch.com\/post\/176427\/tomgram%3A_rebecca_gordon%2C_recognizing_the_camel%27s_nose\/#more<\/a><\/p>\n

    www.facebook.com\/TYTpolitics\/videos\/2036671603247211\/<\/a><\/p>\n

    House Democrats and Republicans Unite to Expand U.S. Nuclear Arsenal <\/a><\/h1>\n

    Democrats attempted to include gun control legislation in the bill that would have expanded background checks, while Republicans sought to include an amendment requiring the military buy only American-made dinner and flatware.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved its version of the $717 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2019 on Thursday, with a bipartisan 351 to 66 vote<\/a> that included 131 Democrats. The significant increase in the NDAA budget garnered the support of both parties, which cited concerns about the readiness of the U.S. military. Democratic amendments aimed at limiting spending on nuclear weapons and slashing the National Nuclear Security Administration\u2019s weapons account were defeated.<\/p>\n

    According to<\/a> Military Times<\/i>, the House\u2019s version of the bill \u201cincludes plans to boost active-duty military end strength, a 2.6 percent pay raise for troops, and sizeable boosts for military aviation upgrades and equipment maintenance, all in line with White House plans to boost American defense power.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The budget will allow<\/a> defense officials \u201cto spend more than $39 billion on military aviation upgrades,\u201d and includes $44 billion to replace Army equipment and parts, as well as general equipment maintenance. The measure also includes plans for 77 new F-35 fighter jets, two submarines, and modernization plans for nearly 3,400 tactical vehicles.<\/p>\n

    House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) says the bill \u201ctakes the next steps to rebuilding our military and reforming the Pentagon\u00a0 www.mintpressnews.com\/democrats-republicans-unite-ndaa\/242773\/<\/a><\/p>\n

    Former McCain CO sentenced at court-martial for fatal collision<\/h1>\n

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    The officer who was in charge of the destroyer John S. McCain when it collided with the 30,000-ton, 600-foot-long oil tanker Alnic MC had his punishment doled out Friday afternoon at a special court-martial in front of family members of the 10 sailors who died in the carnage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez <\/a>pleaded guilty, as part of a pretrial agreement, to dereliction of duty for his role in the Aug. 21 collision off the coast of Singapore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Ensuring the ship\u2019s safe navigation, setting a proper watch, taking control of the ship during a system casualty and following operational standing orders were all duties Sanchez failed to perform, according to the charges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    Sanchez was sentenced by Navy judge advocate Capt. Charles Purnell to a letter of reprimand and a forfeiture of $2,000 per month for three months. He currently has a base pay of $9,009 per month.<\/p>\n

    \"Cmdr.<\/p>\n

    www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/25\/former-mccain-co-sentenced-at-court-martial-for-fatal-collision\/<\/a><\/p>\n

    Marine battalion commander sacked during deployment<\/h1>\n
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    A Marine battalion commander deployed overseas with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit<\/a>, or MEU, was relieved of his command on Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Lt. Col. Marcus J. Mainz, the commander of 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment embarked with the 26th MEU, was relieved of his duties by the commander of Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51\/ 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade<\/a>, \u201cdue to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to continue to lead the battalion,\u201d a press release reads.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Lt. Col. Christopher Bopp, the former commander of 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, has replaced Mainz as commander of 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    The Corps provided no further details surrounding the sacking of the battalion commander.\u00a0 www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/05\/21\/marine-battalion-commander-sacked\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Air Force Uncovered LSD Use Among Airmen Guarding Nuclear Missiles<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n

    More than a dozen U.S. Air Force airmen were linked to a drug ring at a base that controls America’s nuclear missiles and have faced disciplinary actions \u2013 including courts martial, according to an investigation by The Associated Press.<\/p>\n

    Military investigators cracked the ring in 2016, after one of the service members made the mistake of posting drug-related material to social media.<\/p>\n

    Nearly half of the airmen were convicted of using or distributing LSD \u2014 which the Pentagon has stopped screening for in drug tests, the AP reported Thursday<\/a>. Citing records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the news service reports that the drug ring operated at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, just outside of Cheyenne, Wyo.<\/p>\n

    The airmen took the drugs \u2014 which also included ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana \u2014 during their off-duty time, but at least one airman acknowledged that while under the influence of LSD, he wouldn’t have been able to respond properly if he had been suddenly called to duty.<\/p>\n

    Evidence in the airmen’s cases showed that they did the drugs at state parks or at parties in Denver, where a group went longboarding on the streets after taking LSD, according to the AP. It also includes quotes from some service members who recalled having “bad trips,” and others who said their experiences had been positive.<\/p>\n

    “Minutes felt like hours, colors seemed more vibrant and clear,” Airman Kyle S. Morrison is quoted as saying. “In general, I felt more alive.”<\/p>\n

    But Air Force prosecutors had a different view, saying that taking the hallucinogenic drug can produce “paranoia, fear and panic, unwanted and overwhelming feelings, unwanted life-changing spiritual experiences, and flashbacks.”\u00a0 www.npr.org\/sections\/thetwo-way\/2018\/05\/24\/614013988\/air-force-uncovered-lsd-use-among-airmen-guarding-nuclear-missiles<\/a><\/p>\n

    Number of homeless veterans spikes locally despite efforts to house more<\/a><\/h2>\n

    \"Number<\/p>\n

    Despite the city\u2019s concerted effort to house and shelter homeless veterans, a report released last week found that their numbers had increased by 24 percent in this past year, reaching 1,312.<\/p>\n

    What happened?<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s hard to say, but San Diego isn\u2019t alone. In 2017, the number of homeless veterans nationwide increased for the first time in seven years, although not as dramatically as in San Diego County. The 2017 count found about 40,000 homeless veterans nationwide, up by nearly 600 people and a 1.5 percent increase from the previous year.<\/p>\n

    Overall, however, homelessness among veterans has improved significantly. Nationally, the number of homeless vets dropped 46 percent from 2010 to 2017. San Diego County had 2,200 homeless veterans in 2010, and this year\u2019s number reflects a 40 percent decrease over the past seven years.<\/p>\n

    Locally, people in the field said this year\u2019s increase could be linked to housing cost or people transitioning out of the military who haven\u2019t saved money and prepared for civilian life. At least one person suspected that veterans were moving to San Diego County from other areas, outpacing efforts to help ones already here.\u00a0\u00a0 www.sandiegouniontribune.com\/news\/homelessness\/sd-me-homeless-veterans-20180522-story.html<\/a><\/p>\n