“Both parties need to convince the public we’re not completely crazy up here [and] we can do our job.”
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Quick Quotes
Quick Quotes
“The continued drop in enforcement actions is encouraging, but make no mistake, we’re still in a crisis and more must be done.”
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“The lives of thousands of families are at stake.”
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“It’s very easy actually to work with me. You know why it’s easy? Because I make all the decisions.”
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“We’ll almost double our fleet to 2,000 stores in North America, predominantly in under-served small markets.”
Quick Quotes
Have a great weekend!
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Current Events
Terror Watchlist
Created to keep us safe, is “the list” weaker today than ever before?
Current Events
THE LIST
- Terrorist Screening Database.
- Contains names of those “known” or “reasonably suspected” of terror ties (exact criteria unknown)
- Created after 9/11, run by FBI & shared with 18,000+ law enforcement agencies
- Gov’t does not confirm or deny if you’re on the list.
- 1M+ people on list; 4,600 Americans (as of 2017).
Current Events
THE CASE
- 23 U.S. citizens who *believe* they’re on the list sued the gov’t.
- Plaintiffs argued “the list” violates their constitutional rights to due process, adds unnecessary scrutiny while traveling.
- Gov’t argued national security trumps the inconvenience to an individual, and an acceptable process is in place to challenge one’s status.
Current Events
What Happened:
The list can stay, but it may change.
- Court ruled individuals are *not* entitled to notice or a hearing before being placed on the list.
- Court *also* ruled the process to challenge one’s status (at least for U.S citizens) is inadequate.
- Judge ordered both sides to submit proposals for a solution by mid-October.
Current Events
The very nature of the secret database ignites questions. Critics say it unfairly targets Muslims & doesn't prevent terror attacks. The gov't says it's updated daily & provides useful information sharing between security agencies. What do you think?
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Now You Know
The Survivor Tree
Remembering 9/11
Now You Know
One tree, common to many cities, has an extraordinary story. Read more on our source page.
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Podcast
A Daughter’s Mission
Special tribute to American hero Mike Spann – the first American killed in combat in the war on terror – as told by his daughter, Alison.
Podcast
Link to podcast on our source page.
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Coffee Talk
“Ending” vs. “Winning”
What to know about Afghanistan, the Taliban and the “peace” deal that broke apart as we mark 18 years since the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Coffee Talk
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Current Events
NO PEACE
A reported deal falls apart with the very group America has fought in Afghanistan for 18 years.
Current Events
What To Know:
- The Trump administration has held “peace talks” with the Taliban & Afghan gov’t over the last year.
- The Goal: Find a way to negotiate an end to America’s longest war.
- Reports of a “deal” included: *some* American forces leaving Afghanistan; the Taliban having a seat in the Afghan gov’t and promising not to harbor terrorist groups.
Current Events
“They’re dead.”
- Pres. Trump said this as he called off negotiations between the U.S. & the Taliban, after the Taliban claimed responsibility for killing an American soldier in a car bomb attack; 11 others were also killed.
- This isn’t new. The Taliban have continued attacks on local people and American forces during earlier peace talks.
Current Events
What You Should Know:
16 American soldiers have been killed in action this year – the most since 2014.
The Taliban currently control more territory than at any other time during the 18-year war.
The Taliban provided safe harbor to not just al-Qaeda, but other Islamic terrorist groups as well.
Current Events
Big Picture:
- Osama bin Laden used Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as a safe haven to train and stage the 9/11 attacks.
- Bin Laden wanted to obtain chemical and nuclear weapons for future attacks.
- “The Taliban remains closely allied with al-Qaeda.” Thomas Joscelyn, FDD Long War Journal, Congressional testimony 9/10/19.
Current Events
Sgt. First Class Elis A. Barreto Ortiz was killed last Thursday in Afghanistan. His wife told The New York Times: “He loved his country, and for him it was an honor to serve.”
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Quote of the Day
“Our democratic experiment, even on its most imperfect day, is worth defending.”
Maj. Gen. Maria Barrett
Quote of the Day
Barrett and her younger sister Brig. Gen. Paula Lodi are the first sisters ever to become U.S. Army generals in the service’s 240+ year history. The Army first accepted women to serve as nurses in 1901.
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Sports
A Family Affair
Former NFL Quarterback Bob Lee takes your questions!
Sports
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Health
CONCUSSION CLUE?
How a drop of blood may tell you lifesaving info about a hit to the head.
Health
New Research
- New study of 450 people using Abbott Laboratories invention.
- Handheld device collects a few drops of blood from patient, measuring proteins in the bloodstream released when a brain injury occurs.
- Within 15 minutes the device can predict if a patient has a traumatic brain injury or concussion.
Health
Why It Matters
“One of the hardest parts about treating concussions today is in diagnosing them. We have to base a diagnosis on the ‘clinical’ picture: how a person or child behaves and their symptoms. So, it would be wonderful to have a simple test that could definitively diagnose it.”
Health
Data shows upwards of 1/2 of all concussions go undiagnosed. The Dept of Defense helped fund the research on this device which could be used in war zones. It's currently already in use in Europe to diagnose heart attacks.
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Now You Know
Fact or Fiction?
“If you look at the numbers, we’re looking at an active shooter every other week in this country.”
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
Now You Know
Who Said This?
FBI special agent Christopher Combs said this during an interview on last week’s mass shooting in West Texas.
The FBI defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.”
by the numbers
Now You Know
What We Know
It’s true in recent years.
From 2000 – 2018, America saw an average of 14.5 each year (less than one every other week).
*BUT* in 2017 & 2018 there was an average of 28.5 active shooter incidents each year (more than one every other week).
Now You Know
Why It Matters
- In addition to increasing in frequency over the years, active shooter incidents have become more deadly.
- Of the more than 800 people killed by active shooters, more than a quarter were killed during 2017 and 2018 incidents.
- No single explanation as to why the numbers recently increased.
Now You Know
Despite the increase of active shooter incidents, the numbers also show they are rare considering the American population of 300M+.
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Quick Quotes
“People think you’re a little bit nuts.”
Quick Quotes
“YouTube cannot bury its head in the sand.”
Quick Quotes
“The status quo is unacceptable.”
Quick Quotes
“This has been a technical matter and a technical error. Our experts unanimously say so.”
Quick Quotes
“I think I have a voice that should be heard.”
Quick Quotes
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Coffee Talk
An update on one of the biggest stories of the year.
Tuesday
Sept. 3, 2019
Coffee Talk
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SmartHER News—#GetSmartHER
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