Beltway Insider: Biden/Afghanistan, Cuomo Resigns, Hochul Ascends, AOC, COVID/Vaccine, Taliban, Haiti

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Published on Sunday, 15 August 2021 10:50; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden ordered an additional deployment of 5,000 soldiers to Afghanistan as Taliban forces surged over the nation, in Blitzkrieg style, entering Kabul, as U.S. Troops complete their final days and preparing to evacuate the Embassy.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending August 15, 2021, decreased by 0.2% to 50.0% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness increased by 0.5% percentage points to 43.8%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Beltway Insider: Biden/Eviction, Cuomo Report, Impeachment, COVID/Vaccine Totals, China Seals City, Olympics

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo Resigns

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in a stunning preemptive move, resigned as Governor of the State of New York, after New York Attorney General Letitia James, released an independent investigative report providing inherently believable allegations of gross misconduct, sexual harassment, and a toxic work environment.

While issuing a denial, The Governor said, "New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York and I love you," Cuomo said, "I would never want to be unhelpful in any way, and I think given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing, and therefore, that's what I'll do," Foxnews.com reported.

After the release of the six-month independent investigative report, lawmakers began immediately calling for the governor's resignation, and explained New York State legislature would initiate impeachment proceedings, which would also call for further investigation into the inherently credible allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women, groped another, and moved to exact revenge against his accusers.

"The New York Assembly will suspend its impeachment probe of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) upon the governor's resignation from office later this month, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie (D) said Friday," reported The Washington Post.

The Governor, who was expected to seek an historic fourth term in 2022, will leave office on August 25, 2021.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul to Succeed

At the announcement of Cuomo's resignation, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, will become the first female governor of the State of New York. She is to be sworn in on August 24, 2021.

"It won't be difficult for me. Everyone who has known my career over 27 years of elected office knows that I have very high ethical standards and I will go in there and literally say, 'It is a whole new day.' Zero tolerance. I'm going to be very firm in my expectations on how my administration conducts themselves throughout the entire work force but also I want people to know, particularly young women like I was once a young intern working in Buffalo in Democratic politics, I want them to know this is a place they're welcome," CNN.com reported.

Hochul, a former U.S. Representative, began working for Cuomo in 2011, and has served as the Lieutenant Governor of New York for the last seven years, gaining experience specifically in the issues central to New Yorkers, and the well-being of New York State, will be able to immediately assume the duties of governor without

She announced she would run for Governor in 2022.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Resigns

Wall Street Law Firm Remains Uninvestigated

The Wall Street International Law Firm has remained untouched by the substantiated allegations of rape, sexual violence, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and retaliation. The allegations made by a former employee, in part, have been corroborated through irrefutable documentation, which are often considered "sources" by media. The victim had no less than five interactions with police and detectives.

The most bizarre detail of this entire story is the continued revelations which point directly to a mentally imbalanced first year associate who was asked to leave the firm and at her new mid-town law firm met the victim's roommate and the two hatched a three tiered planned of career destruction, sexual violence and torture, and murder by suicide.

She was unable to sedate her psychopathic obsession, which apparently, was contagious and filter down to support staff who are not covered by the umbrella of above the law. Erasing the invisible door, which many believe they pass through taking them from regulated by the law to above the law, would be a first step is destroying this ongoing retaliation and the first steps toward prosecution.

The recent actions by AG James' office may hopefully encourage additional investigations into others who hold positions of power and for those within the law firm guilty of rape and sexual assault and conspiracy to commit murder, and retaliation, as well as the bullying, sexual harassment, violations of employment law and other provable crimes, justice may finally be served.

AOC Haunted by Amazon Hints at Senate Challenge

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), 31, who has been asked is she plans to challenge incumbent New York Senator Charles Schumer, 70, who has held his position since 1999, for his seat in the upcoming 2022 election has been vague in her responses.

Admitting that she didn't come into politics with a long-term plan in place to ascend to any particular position, she said, "And I know there's a lot of people who do not believe that. But I really -- I can't operate the way that I operate and do the things that I do in politics while trying to be aspiring to other things or calculating to other things," CNN.com reported.

Should she decided this is the time to challenge the incumbent and Senate Majority Leader, taking her brand of progressive politics statewide could prove challenging, even with her win as a U.S. Representative over a ten-term incumbent, Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley.

Her push against Amazon's plan to build a headquarters near her district, pre-Covid pandemic, was based on what many believed were poor economics which miscalculated the funding Amazon would have provided as actual monies already in place to be delegated to social service projects or infrastructure services and needs.

"As New York Mayor Bill de Blasio explained, the Amazon deal would have produced "$27 billion in new tax revenue to fuel priorities from transit to affordable housing — a nine-fold return on the taxes the city and state were prepared to forgo to win the headquarters." Unlike Ocasio-Cortez's imaginary $3 billion slush fund, that is real money that actually could have been used to hire teachers, fix subways, and put people to work. With Amazon leaving New York, that $27 billion leaves with it," reported The Washington Post.

As New Yorker's face the loss of thousands of jobs, all phases of the Amazon Headquarters, from construction, to vendors, to suppliers, to finally ground floor workers, who would be receiving wages above the minimum and above even New York State's minimum, would have continued throughout the pandemic and eased some of the burden the constituents in her districts and the surrounding boroughs and possibly even surrounding states, are still enduring.

Vaccine Totals

Bloomberg.com has built a vaccine tracker which can be seen here. "In the U.S., 356 million doses have been given so far. In the last week, an average of 737,694 doses per day were administered," Bloomberg.com reported.

Coronavirus Totals

While the infection rates of the coronavirus have continued to decline around the world. A new strain, a mutation, has created global concern for leaders around the world are determining the best direction for the protection of the population. The importance of maintaining personal protective practices is imperative to controlling the spread.

For the week ending August 15, 2021, coronavirus cases globally increased by 4,445,435 new confirmed cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases worldwide to 206,787,579 people with a total worldwide death toll of 4,354,316 deaths, a weekly death rate increase of 67,622. (Data from The New York Times).

COVID US Totals

Infections rates in the United States are also on the rise. For the week ending August 15, 2021, the total confirmed cases rose to 36,684,028 people with new confirmed cases increasing by 907,932 with a seven-day average of 148,341 cases per day and an increase of 134,403 confirmed cases over the previous week. The coronavirus has claimed 621,051 total deaths, adding 4,588 more deaths to the total of lives lost due to the coronavirus. (Data from The New York Times).

Taliban Surges Across Afghanistan

Taliban Forces, led since 2016 by Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, have begun a reinvention campaign and now call themselves Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), with allies across the middle east, and allegedly with both China and Russia, have proceeded in Blitzkrieg style to overrun Afghanistan, which will usher in strict adherence to Islamic law, jihadism, and the potential of global terrorism.

As the Taliban or IEA seeks to reinvent itself, the world will see, it is only a name change, as the barbaric and violent rule and the use of violence, death, torture, and terrorism will continue across the nation.

Known for terrorism tactics, the United Nations issued a report stating under Osama Bin Laden, "Bin Laden's so-called 055 Brigade was responsible for mass-killings of Afghan civilians. The report by the United Nations quotes "eyewitnesses in many villages describing Arab fighters carrying long knives used for slitting throats and skinning people". The Taliban's former ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, in late 2011 stated that cruel behaviour under and by the Taliban had been "necessary," Wikipedia.com reported.

World News: Macron Draws The Line on Vaccination

Afghanistan President Flees

With the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan scheduled for August 31, 2021, the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani fearing retaliation, has fled the country, as Taliban forces continued to move across the nation and are now inside the Kabul city limits, awaiting instructions.

"The Taliban's lightning-quick advance to the Afghan capital came as helicopters landed at the U.S. Embassy early Sunday and armored diplomatic vehicles were seen leaving the area around the compound, the Associated Press reported. Diplomats scrambled to destroy sensitive documents, sending smoke from the embassy's roof, the AP said, citing anonymous U.S. military officials," reported The Washington Post.

The Taliban, in less than one month has retaken major cities including Kandahar and now poised to take Kabul and control 14 of the 34 provincial capitals.

U.S. Leaders Demand Military Strikes

As the Taliban moves closer to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, U.S. lawmakers have urged the President to pick up the airstrikes against the Taliban as U.S. Troops and personnel prepare to leave the embassy.

McConnell said in a statement that "it is not too late to prevent the Taliban from overrunning Kabul. The Administration should move quickly to hammer Taliban advances with air strikes, provide critical support to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) defending the capital, and prevent the seemingly imminent fall of the city. If they fail to do so, the security threat to the United States will assuredly grow and the humanitarian cost to innocent Afghans will be catastrophic," the Kentucky senator warned," The Hill reported.

Taliban Liberates Prisons

With more than 65% of the Afghanistan nation now under Taliban control, the terrorist group has proceeded to liberate prisons, including Kandahar and Kabul prisons, where members of their military and terror cells have been incarcerated.

"Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, a spokesperson for the Taliban in Afghanistan, said: "The general prison in the central city of Kandahar was completely conquered this afternoon as a result of a long siege and violent attacks. The personnel surrendered and all the prisoners were released," IndiaToday.in reported.

As September 11, 2021, the 20^th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attack on The World Trade Center and Pentagon, which is considered a high holy day to the Taliban, the U.S. needs to move away from perception bias and look at the Taliban as a force who will stop at nothing to destroy the United States and its allies.

The Biden administration has stated the United State will continual to provide support to the Afghanistan Military logistical and financially.

Justice Watch: And They Got Away With It (Part 4)

Haiti Hit by Massive Earthquake

The island nation of Haiti, which has still yet to recover from the devastating earthquake of 2010 that killed more than 300,000 people, has been struck again with another devastating earthquake along the same fault lines.

President Biden issued a statement explaining the U.S. is poised and ready to send in relief, provide damage assessment, assist with search, and rescue and determine other first responder needs for the nearly 12MM people effected by the devastation.

"At a magnitude of 7.2, Saturday's quake released about twice as much energy as the one in 2010, which was a magnitude-7.0 quake. That quake killed some 300,000 people. Jerry Chandler, head of Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, said Sunday during a news conference that the latest earthquake had killed at least 724 people," The New York Times reported.

With search and rescue in the early stages, the death toll is expected to rise considerably and with peak Hurricane season approaching the potential for additional devastation is very real.

A surgeon from Immaculee Concepcion, Dr. James Pierre, told The New York Times, "A building housing medical students, hospital interns and two doctors had collapsed, trapping those who were most needed to provide aid."

For more information on President Joe Biden w ww.whitehouse.gov.