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Federal Railroad Administration sends $2 million in funding to 25 projects in 13 states

The Federal Railroad Administration announced it plans to send up to $2 million in funding toward 25 different projects in 13 states. 

In a statement on Monday, the agency said the money would fund trespassing and suicide prevention grants and include educational outreach aimed at reducing railroad-related suicides.

The grants are targeted toward communities and states with high occurrence rates of trespassing and casualties.

The states include California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, New York and Ohio. 

“No mission is more important than saving lives, and FRA is fully committed to supporting states and communities in the collective effort to prevent avoidable tragedies,” Administrator Amit Bose said in the statement. “Through these grants, we will deter railroad trespassing and suicide through coordinated responses from a broad range of local organizations specializing in law enforcement, education, and mental health.” 

Three of the 25 projects will be aimed at suicide prevention and include efforts such as mental health services and crisis training targeting the New York’s Long Island Rail Road system, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The other 22 projects will fund hourly wages for law enforcement to enforce trespassing violations.

According to the agency, an average of more than 236 individuals died by suicide within the U.S. rail system every year from 2016 to 2021, in addition to 27 others who were injured in suicide attempts. 

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Trevor Reed files UN petition against Russia after over two years in prison

Trevor Reed, the former Marine released from a Russian prison in April after more than two years, filed a petition to the United Nations (U.N.) on Monday to issue a statement acknowledging that he was wrongly imprisoned and asking Russia to pay him reparations, according to a letter by his representative.

The petition requests that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issue a “Formal Opinion” stating that Reed’s imprisonment was “arbitrary and unlawful and contrary to fundamental principles of international law” and declaring that Russia is obligated to compensate Reed for these violations.

Reed was arrested by Russian officials in late 2019 and put on trial, where police surveillance tapes that allegedly absolved Reed of wrongdoing were unable to be shown after being erased without explanation.

“The Russian government then placed Trevor in a Soviet-era gulag, subjecting him to horrific living conditions, solitary confinement, malnutrition, and physical abuse, such that he began coughing up blood on a near daily basis,” wrote Reed spokesman Jonathan Franks.

Reed was freed this year when the Biden administration orchestrated a prisoner exchange between Reed and a Russian citizen convicted in the U.S. of drug trafficking.

The U.N.’s Working Group regularly issues opinions condemning wrongful imprisonments after the release of the former prisoner in addition to investigating instances of arbitrary detention.

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Oversight Republican questions Hollywood attorney on his 'sudden patronage' of Hunter Biden

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) addressed a letter on Sunday to Hollywood attorney Kevin Morris asking about his “sudden patronage” of Hunter Biden.

Comer, who sent the letter on behalf of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said the panel was investigating domestic and international business dealings of the president’s son “to determine whether these activities compromise U.S. national security and President Biden’s ability to lead with impartiality.”

“Your sudden patronage of the President’s son, enormous financial contributions to President Biden, and outsized role you are taking in defending against both congressional and criminal investigations raise serious concerns about whether you are providing in-kind contributions to President Biden’s re-election efforts,” Comer wrote.

Comer’s letter refers to a New York Times report in March that indicated Morris sent $2 million to Hunter Biden to help support his family and pay back taxes subject to a federal investigation, sources familiar told the newspaper.

In addition to the reported $2 million loan, which Comer said “may complicate” the government’s case against Hunter Biden, Comer alleged that Morris organized a group of lawyers and investigators to determine how the press initially discovered the laptop containing sensitive personal and business information about him, citing a report from CBS News.

Republicans have speculated that the younger Biden’s dealings with China could be linked to unethical actions by the elder Biden when he was vice president.

The investigation by the Oversight panel is expected to ramp up significantly if Republicans take control of the House after the November midterms.

Comer said that Morris had performed some actions, especially financial dealings, in an attempt to “shield” the Bidens from congressional oversight.

Comer also said that Morris’s regular pro bono legal advice to Hunter Biden “may constitute an ‘in-kind contribution,’ defined by the FEC [Federal Election Commission] as ‘goods or services offered free or at less than the usual charge.’”

Comer requested that Morris provide the committee with documents verifying that his interactions with both Hunter Biden and President Biden have been legal.

The documents requested by the Oversight and Reform Committee include any type of contract between Morris and Hunter Biden regarding the loan being used to pay taxes, documents and communications concerning the Federal Election Commission, all documents shared between Morris or his representatives and the president, and any informational aid used by Morris to describe the investigations of Hunter Biden, his father or another Biden associate.

The committee requested that Morris submit the documents on or before June 27.

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Australian gossip columnist apologizes after being accused of attempting to out Rebel Wilson

An Australian journalist has issued an apology to actress Rebel Wilson after being accused of trying to reveal her sexuality, The Guardian reported on Monday.

Andrew Hornery, a gossip columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, reportedly messaged Wilson’s team last week, giving them two days to provide comment for a story about Wilson’s relationship with a woman, which was not yet public knowledge.

Wilson beat Honrnery to the punch and took her relationship with fashion designer Ramona Agruma public via Instagram on Thursday before his story was published.

“I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince … but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,” the Australian actress captioned her post, adding, “#loveislove.”

Hornery then published a different column, this one complaining about her move. He had reached out to her representatives with “an abundance of caution and respect,” he claims.

“Big mistake,” he added.

Hornery’s response to the alleged snub sparked backlash from readers, prompting the Herald to remove the column.

Hornery has since apologized, saying, “My email was never intended to be a threat.”

He added, “It is not the Herald’s business to ‘out’ people and that is not what we set out to do. But I understand why my email has been seen as a threat. The framing of it was a mistake.”

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Manchin on Senate gun deal: 'No law-abiding gun owner should be offended by this'

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday defended the bipartisan Senate agreement on gun reform reached over the weekend in the wake of the latest spate of mass shootings, saying none of the measures agreed upon should concern America’s lawful gun owners. 

During an appearance on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” Manchin said that gun owners in his state also want something done, specifically pointing to their concerns about people with mental health issues owning firearms. 

“We have to do something. And gun owners are standing up. You take polls around the country, in my state, too, law-abiding gun owners want something to be done,” Manchin told Tapper. “They don’t want people who should never have a gun, or is mentally incapacitated, or not stable to be able to access anything they want.”  

Manchin also said that the proposed legislation, which has the backing of 10 Senate Republicans, the minimum needed to overcome a filibuster, is based on “something that’s sensible and reasonable,” citing the principles of prevention and intervention. 

“So, we have got to take what we have got as a positive and work off of this. But this should not — this piece of legislation, as drafted, should not be threatening to any law-abiding citizen in the United States of America, not one. And no law-abiding gun owners should be offended by this,” Machin told Tapper. 

“We take no rights away, no privileges away. We don’t basically threaten you’re going to lose anything at all.” 

The proposed gun reform package includes funding for school safety resources, expanded background checks for buyers under the age of 21, incentives for states to implement their own “red flag” laws, penalties for straw purchases of firearms and new protections for victims of domestic violence. 

President Biden said in a statement on Sunday he plans to sign the Senate’s gun reform package, adding “the sooner it comes to my desk, the sooner I can sign it, and the sooner we can use these measures to save lives.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Two houses differ on crisis response approaches

“When you’re used to having your way all the time, there’s no one who’s going to persuade you otherwise — especially when you already have the votes.”  

If someone has not already said that, I just did. 

That thought came to mind when I was reviewing how the two houses of Congress and two parties are responding to the crisis of gun violence in the United States.  As I recounted in my previous column (June 3), the House seemed to be on a unified, partisan fast-track to pass gun control legislation without internal party discord and with minimal minority party participation or disruptions.   

The “Protecting Our Kids Act” (H.R. 7910) was introduced on Tuesday, May 31, by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), marked-up and ordered reported from his committee two days later on a straight party-line vote. Unlike other major legislation, there were no preliminary hearings on the measure at which expert witnesses could be called by both parties. There was not even a section-by-section summary of the 41-page bill, containing six distinct titles.  Those details would be left for inclusion in the committee report filed the following week, available just a day before floor consideration instead of the requisite 72-hours. 

The Rules Committee was scheduled to meet on the measure on Tuesday, June 7, to set the ground rules for floor debate and any amendments. A closed (no-amendment) rule was anticipated. However, when some moderate Democrats complained they wanted more than just an up-or-down vote on the whole package, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) surprised them by agreeing to separate votes on each of the six titles. The Rules Committee followed the leader’s lead, and granted an otherwise closed rule, with two hours of general debate and separate votes on each of the titles.  

The House adopted the rule on Wednesday, June 8, along near party-lines. That pattern held for votes on each of the titles, and on final passage. On the final passage vote of 223-204, only two Democrats voted “nay” and only five Republicans voted “aye.”   

The Senate, which prides itself on being more individualistic and deliberative than the “other body,” took a different approach. Given its smaller size and broader representation of state interests, its actions can be much less predictable and manageable. This in turn can drive leaders or groups of individual senators to negotiate deals across-the-aisle in processing major legislation.   

One of the great ironies is that while the Senate was once considered “the world’s greatest deliberative body” for its high levels of debate, today that image of marathon debates is a myth from a bygone era. Rather than test senators’ real intentions and abilities to hold the floor for prolonged periods, the leaders simply defer to any senator giving notice of an intention to filibuster until 60 votes can be mustered to invoke cloture and come to a final vote. In the meantime, the Senate can move on to other business.    

This predictable pattern is once again front and center over gun control legislation. Given the reluctance of most Republican senators do anything on the issue, the only hope is to slowly build sufficient bipartisan support to overcome the 60-vote barrier. In the case of firearms legislation, a bipartisan group of senators led by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), has been busily negotiating over the past two weeks. The group purposely avoided calling itself a “gang,” as has been done in the past with rump groups like the “Gang of Six” on health care in 2006. For one thing, such “gangs” have a very slim record of success. More importantly, though, the term itself is too evocative of “gang-related shootings.” 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) gave the group until June 6 to come to agreement, but later extended it to the end of last week at the group’s urging. The group worked “virtually” through the weekend and, at midday Sunday, announced an agreed-upon final “framework,” with legislative language still to be worked-out. Most importantly, though, 20 senators have now signed on to the agreement — ten from each party, and that will be the key to overcoming any threatened filibuster. 

The bipartisan group may have better success than the groups and gangs that preceded it; but, even if it succeeds in passing something in the upper body, it must still somehow come to terms with the tougher House stance. Since House-Senate conference committees went the way of the Dodo years ago, the House would be well advised in this instance to accept the Senate’s compromise. Sometimes a half-loaf is better than being left with a handful of crumbs.   

Don Wolfensberger is a Congress Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, former staff director of the House Rules Committee and author of, “Changing Cultures in Congress: From Fair Play to Power Plays.”  The views expressed are solely his own.  

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Video: Yellowstone closes due to 'extremely hazardous' conditions from flooding, mudslides

HELENA, Mont. (NEXSTAR) — Major flooding swept away at least one bridge, washed away roads and set off mudslides in Yellowstone National Park on Monday.

Officials closed all five entrances and began evacuating visitors from the northern part of the park, issuing an alert that the park was being temporarily closed due to “extremely hazardous conditions.”

Park officials said roads going in and out of the community of Gardiner, Montana, just north of the park are impassable. Superintendent Cam Sholly said the northern loop of the park could be closed for a substantial amount of time.

Park officials planned to start evacuating visitors from the southern loop of the park on Monday afternoon because more rain is in the forecast.

Predictions of flooding at higher levels, along with water and wastewater concerns, prompted the decision, Sholly said.

Helicopter video shared by the park shows a road completely washed out in several places by the river next to it. Park officials said in a statement that “unprecedented amounts of rainfall” caused the flooding.

The park entrances will remain closed at least through Wednesday.

“We will not know timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we’re able to assess the damage throughout the park,” Sholly said. “I appreciate the efforts of the Yellowstone team and partners to safely evacuate areas of the park and of our gateway community partners who are helping us through this major event.”

For updated conditions, visit Park Roads or receive Yellowstone road alerts by texting “82190” to 888-777.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Mexico returns to CDC's highest-level COVID warning

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its travel warning for Mexico, saying the country now is a Level 3 for a high rate of coronavirus cases.

In an update on Monday, the health agency said the level of COVID-19 in Mexico was being upgraded from Level 2 (moderate) to Level 3 (high). 

People who go to Mexico, it said, should be vaccinated, and those who are not should avoid travel to the country.

“If you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, avoid travel to Mexico,” the health agency said in its advisory. “Even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19.” 

Mexico is one of seven countries within the last week that the CDC has issued new warnings about.

New Caledonia, United Arab Emirates, Guyana, Mongolia, Namibia, and Saint Kitts and Nevis have also been placed in a Level 3 advisory, meaning that the virus spread in the country is at a high level. 

As of June 13, there are 113 countries and islands currently on the health agency’s Level 3 advisory. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Trump releases 12-page response to Jan. 6 hearing

Former President Trump on Monday issued a 12-page rebuttal to testimony and evidence presented by a House committee investigating the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, accusing Democrats of seeking to distract from a series of domestic issues facing the country.

“Seventeen months after the events of January 6th, Democrats are unable to offer solutions,” Trump said in a statement released through his Save America PAC. “They are desperate to change the narrative of a failing nation, without even making mention of the havoc and death caused by the Radical Left just months earlier. Make no mistake, they control the government. They own this disaster. They are hoping that these hearings will somehow alter their failing prospects.”

The 12-page document underscores how Trump has yet to move on from his false claims of fraud in the 2020 election, and how the committee’s work may be central to a potential 2024 campaign. 

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection has held two hearings thus far as it builds a case to show Trump was repeatedly informed by aides that the election was not stolen or rigged, but he continued to claim publicly that it was for months, misleading his supporters up until the insurrection at the Capitol.

In the 12-page document, Trump repeats a handful of disproven claims to assert the 2020 election was stolen from him and rigged in favor of Democrats, including some that were brought up during testimony by former Trump campaign and administration officials.

One section of Trump’s statement focuses on ballot trafficking claims, for which he cites the Dinesh D’Souza documentary “2000 Mules.” In testimony shown earlier Monday, former Attorney General William Barr laughed at the mention of the film, saying he was “unimpressed with it” and dismissed the idea that it proved widespread fraud.

Another section asserts that Joe Biden could not have won the states of Pennsylvania, Arizona or Georgia because Biden got more Black votes and Hispanic votes than former President Obama. Each of those states has performed audits and recounts and found no evidence of widespread fraud.

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