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Department of Defense Chief of Staff Sweeney Departs Pentagon

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Kevin M. Sweeney

Following Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ resignation, Kevin Sweeney, the chief of staff to the secretary of defense, has also stepped down from the Pentagon.

“After two years in the Pentagon, I’ve decided the time is right to return to the private sector. It has been an honor to serve again alongside the men and women of the Department of Defense,” reads Sweeney’s resignation letter.

Sweeney has been with the Navy for several decades, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982. He served on several ships, and oversaw the restoration and return to operations for the USS Cole after it was damaged in a terrorist attack in October of 2000. He became chief of staff under former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in January 2017, and follows Mattis’ own departure in December of 2017.

The move would not be especially noteworthy in otherwise calm times, but under the backdrop of a government shutdown, the unexpected planned withdrawal from Syria, and a president threatening to declare a “national emergency” to bestow himself with broad-reaching powers, the move heightens fears of instability in the Department of Defense.

Mattis resigned in protest over President Trump’s decision to leave Syria, which will threaten US allies in the region to attacked by Turkey and ISIS, while creating a power vacuum likely to be filled by Russia and Iran. 

Mattis had set an end date for his service for the end February, but President Trump, angered by a resignation letter critical of the President’s actions, removed Mattis early as additional military brass also head for the exit doors.

In December, John Kelly, White House chief of staff and another former general, as well as Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the coalition fighting ISIS, both resigned. 

Pentagon spokesperson Dana White has also resigned as of the past week.

Image via the U.S. Navy.

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Employer of Anti-Masker Who ‘Deliberately’ Coughed on Supermarket Shoppers Announces She ‘No Longer Works’ There

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A woman who refused to wear a mask inside a Nebraska supermarket and apparently “deliberately” coughed on other customers “no longer works for” her now-former employer, software giant SAP.

The viral video, which has received over 4 million views in just two days, shows the woman, almost giddy, as she claims to have “allergies” and “maybe” a medical condition, while coughing in the direction of other shoppers who recorded her actions.

KRON reported the Nebraska town where the supermarket is located has an ordinance requiring masks, regardless of vaccination status. The report also stated she “was caught on camera appearing to deliberately cough inside a supermarket without a face mask on.”

An internet sleuth identified the woman, and on Wednesday SAP announced it was “investigating.” Hours later the company posted a tweet saying the woman no longer works for them, although it did not disclose any details.

In the video (below) the woman, who apparently does not understand how the coronavirus operates, can be heard saying, “I don’t need to have [a mask] on, I’m not sick and neither are you.”

Video of the woman was posted to Twitter by a freelance reporter who regularly exposes acts of wrongdoing:

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Pelosi to Cuomo: Resign

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The Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, the second most-powerful elected woman in America today wasted no time in telling New York’s Democratic governor to resign.

Speaker Pelosi in a short but pointed statement released to the press told two-term Governor Andrew Cuomo he must leave office after a damning investigation by another Democrat, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, alleges he sexually harassed “multiple women,” and in her view broke federal and state law.

“Under Attorney General Letitia James, a comprehensive and independent investigation into the allegations against Governor Cuomo has been completed,” Speaker Pelosi said.

“As always, I commend the women who came forward to speak their truth.

“Recognizing his love of New York and the respect for the office he holds, I call upon the Governor to resign.”

Related: NY Gov. Cuomo ‘Sexually Harassed Multiple Women’ Says State Attorney General

Other top Democrats, including the Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York also called on Cuomo to quit.

As ABC News reports the list of Democrats calling for Cuomo to resign is long and growing. It also includes New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who is the Democratic nominee for NYC mayor. Several state-level elected officials also are on the list.

By comparison, even before the 2016 presidential election Donald Trump had been credibly accused of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct by dozens of women. Even after his damning comments in the “Access Hollywood” video Republicans ultimately stood by him.

 

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Twitter Announces Massive Revenue Growth, Increase in Users After Banning Trump: Report

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Social media giant Twitter has announced a massive level of growth and increase in users.

According to CNBC, Twitter revenue increased 74% this quarter, and 28% in the previous quarter. CNBC calls it “the strongest growth since 2014.”

The company banned Donald Trump on January 8, “due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” it said in its announcement explaining its reasons for the permanent suspension two days after Trump incited the January 6 insurrection.

Neither CNBC nor Twitter cited the ban on Trump as the reason for the increase in revenue or users, but anecdotally many have commented in the weeks and months after Trump was no longer on the site how much more enjoyable the platform was.

In April The New York Times reported on Twitter sans Trump.

“For all of the country’s news consumers, a strange quiet has descended after a four-year bombardment of presidential verbiage,” wrote Sarah Lyall in a Political Memo, offering these observations from several users:

“My blood pressure has gone down 20 points,” said Mr. Cavalli, 71, whose obsessive hate-following of Mr. Trump ended for good when Twitter permanently barred the former president in January. “Not having to read his latest dishonest tweets has made my life so much happier.”

“I legitimately slept better with him off Twitter,” said Mario Marval, 35, a program manager and Air Force veteran in the Cincinnati area. “It allowed me to reflect on how much of a vacuum of my attention he became.”

For Matt Leece, 29, a music professor in Bloomsburg, Pa., the Twitter suspension was akin to a clearing of the air: “It’s like living in a city perpetually choked with smog, and suddenly one day you wake up and the sky is blue, the birds are singing, and you can finally take a full, nontoxic breath.”

Trump in early July announced he was suing Twitter, Facebook, and Google for banning him. Experts say the lawsuit is without merit.

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