US continues to go backward...

9 House Republicans voted against a resolution condemning the Russian abduction of Ukrainian children


  • The House passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning the Russian abduction of Ukrainian children.
  • Nine Republicans voted against it.
  • It comes as a majority of the party has firmly turned against providing further US aid to Ukraine.
On Tuesday, the House overwhelmingly passed a resolution to condemn Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children in the two years since the war began.


Nine Republicans voted against the resolution.

Sponsored by Democratic Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, the resolution holds the Russian government "responsible for the wrongful and illegal kidnapping of children from Ukraine" and states that doing so "amounts to genocide."

The resolution passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a unanimous 44-0 vote in November.

Since the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, thousands of children have been abducted and taken into Russia, and it's unclear what's happening to them.

Russian officials have claimed that they're merely "saving" the children and that accusations of forcible abductions are a smear.

The Republican votes against the resolution come as most of the party has gradually turned against providing further US military aid to the besieged eastern European country.

Most Republican senators voted against a $93.5 billion aid package that includes more than $60 billion for the Ukraine war effort, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has thus far refused to hold a vote on the package, in part owing to fears that doing so could turn hard-right Republicans in his own conference against him.


Here are the 9 Republicans who voted against the resolution:

  • Andy Biggs of Arizona
  • Eric Burlison of Missouri
  • Warren Davidson of Ohio
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
  • Clay Higgins of Louisiana
  • Thomas Massie of Kentucky
  • Matt Rosendale of Montana
  • Chip Roy of Texas
  • Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin
 
Utah women's basketball team moves hotels after racist incidents espn

Utah coach Lynne Roberts said her team experienced a series of racial hate crimes last week after arriving at its first NCAA tournament hotel and was forced to change hotels for safety concerns.

Roberts didn't go into detail but said Monday there were several incidents that happened last Thursday night after the team arrived in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, which is located about 30 miles away from Spokane, Washington, where the Utes were scheduled to play in the tournament's opening weekend.

KSL.com reported early Tuesday that the N-word was yelled at members of the Utah basketball team, along with other members of the traveling party -- including cheerleaders and the school band, on multiple occasions as they were walking to and from a restaurant near their hotel in Coeur d'Alene.

Utah deputy athletic director Charmelle Green, who is Black, told KSL.com that the first incident occurred while the team was walking from the hotel to the restaurant. An unidentified person in a white truck revved the vehicle's engine near the team before yelling the N-word in the team's direction and speeding off.

"We all just were in shock, and we looked at each other like, did we just hear that? ... Everybody was in shock -- our cheerleaders, our students that were in that area that heard it clearly were just frozen," Green told KSL.com. "We kept walking, just shaking our heads, like I can't believe that."

Tony Stewart, an official with the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, confirmed Green's account of the incident Tuesday to The Associated Press and added that the truck had a Confederate flag. Stewart also told the AP that a team from another school was with the Utes at the time but did not identify the school.

South Dakota State and UC Irvine also were staying at hotels in Coeur d'Alene, even with Gonzaga as the host school, because of a lack of hotel space in the Spokane area.

Green told KSL.com that a similar incident took place about two hours later as the team was leaving the restaurant. Green said two trucks parked near the team began revving their engines before people inside the vehicles again yelled the N-word in their direction.

Stewart later added that the same driver from the first incident had returned the second time "reinforced by others."

Coeur d'Alene police Chief Lee White said about 100 people were around the area that night, but investigators still need to interview those affected. He said there are two state charges that could be enforced -- malicious harassment and disorderly conduct -- if someone is arrested. White also said he was working with the FBI.

"Until we get all the facts and the investigation is complete, what charges might actually be brought against the perpetrators is yet to be determined," White said.

Roberts said the incidents were "shocking" and "incredibly upsetting for all of us," saying the team had not been exposed to racism very often because of the diversity on college campuses.

"Racism is real and it happens, and it's awful," Roberts said after fifth-seeded Utah's loss Monday to fourth-seeded Gonzaga in the tournament's second round. "For our players, whether they are white, black, green, whatever -- no one knew how to handle it and it was really upsetting. For our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment, it's messed up."

Green told KSL.com that after the team safely returned to the hotel Thursday night, she "got emotional and started to cry."

"I will never forget the sound that I heard, the intimidation of the noise that came from that engine, and the word (N-word)," Green said. "I go to bed and I hear it every night since I've been here."

Roberts said the NCAA and Gonzaga worked to move her team after the first night in Coeur d'Alene.

Several years ago, Spokane was announced as a host for the first and second rounds of the men's NCAA tournament and there was also a large regional youth volleyball tournament during the weekend. With limited hotel space, Gonzaga received a waiver from the NCAA to allow teams to be housed in Coeur d'Alene.

Green said she contacted Utah AD Mark Harlan, who had not yet made the trip to join the team, after the incidents occurred Thursday night. Harlan told KSL.com that the incident was "disturbing" and that the team "should not have been" in Coeur d'Alene.

Far-right extremists have made a presence in the region of Spokane and northern Idaho. In 2018, at least nine hate groups operated in the region, including Identity Evropa, Proud Boys, ACT for America and America's Promise Ministries, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

...
 
Trump is selling ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles for $59.99 as he faces mounting legal bills apnews

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is now selling Bibles as he runs to return to the White House.

Trump, who became the presumptive Republican nominee earlier this month, released a video on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday urging his supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” which is inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad. Trump takes the stage to the song at each of his rallies and has appeared with Greenwood at events.

“Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless the USA Bible,” Trump wrote, directing his supporters to a website selling the book for $59.99.

...

“All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” Trump said in the video posted on Truth Social. “I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible. We must make America pray again.”


Billing itself as “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump!” the new venture’s website calls it “Easy-to-read” with “large print” and a “slim design” that “invites you to explore God’s Word anywhere, any time.”

Besides a King James Version translation, it includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as a handwritten chorus of the famous Greenwood song.

...

The Bible’s website states the product “is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.”

“GodBlessTheUSABible.com is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates,” it says.

Instead, it says, “GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”
...

Trump remains deeply popular with white evangelical Christians, who are among his most ardent supporters, even though the thrice-married former reality TV star has a long history of behavior that often seemed at odds with teachings espoused by Christ in the Gospels.

When he was running in 2016, Trump raised eyebrows when he cited “Two Corinthians” at Liberty University, instead of the standard “Second Corinthians.”

When asked to share his favorite Bible verse in an interview with Bloomberg Politics in 2015, he demurred.
“I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal,” he said. “The Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to get into specifics.”

When he was president, law enforcement officers aggressively removed racial justice protesters from a park near the White House, allowing Trump to walk to nearby St. John’s Church, where he stood alone and raised a Bible. The scene was condemned at the time by the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

Before he ran for office, Trump famously hawked everything from frozen steaks to vodka to a venture named Trump University, which was later sued for fraud.
 
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