Record-setting Hurricane Dorian keeps pounding north Bahamas

McLEAN’S TOWN CAY, Bahamas (AP) — In a slow, relentless advance, a catastrophic Hurricane Dorian kept pounding at the northern Bahamas early Monday, as one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded left wrecked homes, shredded roofs, tumbled cars and toppled power poles in its wake.

Full Coverage: Hurricane Dorian

The storm’s top sustained winds decreased slightly to 165 mph (265 kph) as its westward movement slowed, crawling along Grand Bahama island early Monday at 1 mph (1.6 kph) in what forecasters said would be a daylong assault. Earlier, Dorian churned over Abaco island with battering winds and surf during Sunday.
There was little information from the affected islands, though officials expected many residents to be left homeless. Most people went to shelters as the storm approached, with tourist hotels shutting down and residents boarded up their homes.
“It’s devastating,” Joy Jibrilu, director general of the Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, said Sunday afternoon. “There has been huge damage to property and infrastructure. Luckily, no loss of life reported.”
On Sunday, Dorian’s maximum sustained winds reached 185 mph (297 kph), with gusts up to 220 mph (354 kph), tying the record for the most powerful Atlantic hurricane to ever make landfall. That equaled the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, before storms were named. The only recorded storm that was more powerful was Hurricane Allen in 1980, with 190 mph (305 kph) winds, though it did not make landfall at that strength.

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Forecasters said Dorian was most likely to begin pulling away from the Bahamas early Tuesday and curving to the northeast parallel to the U.S. Southeast seaboard. Still, the potent storm was expected to stay close to shore and hammer the coast with dangerous winds and heavy surf, while authorities cautioned that it could still make landfall.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an order Sunday for the mandatory evacuation of his state’s entire coast. The order, which covers about 830,000 people, was to take effect at noon Monday, at which point state troopers were to make all lanes on major coastal highways one-way heading inland.
“We can’t make everybody happy, but we believe we can keep everyone alive,” McMaster said.
A few hours later, Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, ordered mandatory evacuations for that state’s Atlantic coast, also starting at midday Monday.
Authorities in Florida ordered mandatory evacuations in some vulnerable coastal areas. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned his state that it could see heavy rain, winds and floods later in the week.
Dorian first came ashore Sunday at Elbow Cay in Abaco island at 12:40 p.m., then made a second landfall near Marsh Harbour at 2 p.m.
“Catastrophic conditions” were reported in Abaco, with a storm surge of 18 to 23 feet (5.5-7 meters).
Video that Jibrilu and government spokesman Kevin Harris said was sent by Abaco residents showed homes missing parts of roofs, electric lines on the ground and smashed and overturned cars. One showed floodwaters rushing through the streets of an unidentified town at nearly the height of a car roof.
In some parts of Abaco, “you cannot tell the difference as to the beginning of the street versus where the ocean begins,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said. According to the Nassau Guardian, he called it “probably the most sad and worst day of my life to address the Bahamian people.”

 

Bahamas radio station ZNS Bahamas reported that a mother and child on Grand Bahama had called to say they were sheltering in a closet and seeking help from police.

Silbert Mills, owner of the Bahamas Christian Network, said trees and power lines were torn down in Abaco.
“The winds are howling like we’ve never, ever experienced before,” said Mills, who was riding out the hurricane with his family in the concrete home he built 41 years ago on central Abaco.
Jack Pittard, a 76-year-old American who has visited the Bahamas for 40 years, also decided to stay put on Abaco for Dorian, which he said was his first hurricane. A short video from Pittard about 2:30 p.m. Sunday showed the wind shaking his home and ripping off the siding.
The Bahamas archipelago is no stranger to hurricanes. Homes are required to have metal reinforcements for roof beams to withstand winds into the upper limits of a Category 4 hurricane, and compliance is generally tight for those who can afford it. Risks are higher in poorer neighborhoods, with wooden homes in low-lying areas.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Dorian is forecast to be 40 to 50 miles (64 to 80 kilometers) off Florida, with hurricane-force wind speeds extending about 35 miles (56 kilometers) to the west.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for Florida’s East Coast from Deerfield Beach north to the Georgia state line. The same area was put under a storm surge watch. Lake Okeechobee was under a tropical storm watch.

 

Mandatory evacuation orders for low-lying and flood-prone areas and mobile homes were in effect starting either Sunday or Monday from Palm Beach County north to at least the Daytona Beach area, and some counties to the north issued voluntary evacuation notices. Weekend traffic was light in Florida despite those orders, unlike during the chaotic run-up to Hurricane Irma in 2017 when the unusually broad storm menaced the entire state.

Ken Graham, director of the hurricane center, urged people not to bet on safety just because the forecast track had the storm a bit offshore. With every new forecast, “we keep nudging (Dorian’s track) a little bit to the left” — that is, is closer to the Florida coast, Graham said.
President Donald Trump already declared a state of emergency and was briefed about what he called a “monstrous” storm.
“We don’t know where it’s going to hit but we have an idea, probably a little bit different than the original course,” Trump said. “But it can change its course again and it can go back more toward Florida.”
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For AP’s complete coverage of the hurricane: https://apnews.com/Hurricanes

Hong Kong students boycott classes after weekend of violence

A riot police holds his shield at a Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station in Hong Kong, China, September 2, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

September 2, 2019
By Jessie Pang
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Thousands of Hong Kong university and school students swapped classes for democracy demonstrations on Monday, the latest act of defiance in an anti-government movement that has plunged the Chinese-ruled city into its biggest political crisis in decades.
The boycott follows a weekend marred by some of the worst violence since unrest escalated more than three months ago, with protesters burning barricades and throwing petrol bombs, and police retaliating with water cannon, tear gas and batons.
Riot police on Monday patrolled the subway, known as the MTR, where some of the most violent clashes have erupted.
Hundreds of students gathered outside the Chinese University of Hong Kong, one of the city’s largest, taking turns to make speeches from a stage with a black backdrop embossed with “Students in Unity Boycott for our City”.
“I come here just to tell others that even after summer holidays end we are not back to our normal life, we should continue to fight for Hong Kong,” said one 19-year old student who asked to be identified as just Chan.
“These protests awaken me to care more about the society and care for the voiceless.”
On the first day of the new school year, secondary students were seen singing, chanting and forming human chains, some wearing hard hats and masks. Many primary schools were closed because of a typhoon warning.
Matthew Cheung, Hong Kong government chief secretary, told reporters that schools were no place for protests.
Students have turned out in significant numbers at recent rallies and were also prominent during the 2014 pro-democracy “Umbrella Movement” that foreshadowed the current unrest.
“It’s very different from what happened back then. People are more mad now,” said Summer, a 20-year-old student who only gave his first name.
“I think this situation is a deadlock now. Both government and protesters won’t back down.”
Protesters had called for a general strike but most people appeared to return to their daily lives with shops open, trains operating and workers making their way to offices across the global financial hub.
Thousands of protesters blocked roads and public transport links to Hong Kong airport on Sunday in a bid to draw world attention to what they see as ever-tighter control by Beijing over the city, despite the promise of autonomy.
Airport authorities said 25 flights were canceled on Sunday but transport services were largely back to normal.
China denies meddling in Hong Kong’s affairs and accuses Western countries of egging on the protests. It says Hong Kong is an internal affair.
Several editorials in Chinese state media on Monday condemned the protesters.
One published by the state news agency Xinhua warned that “the end is coming” for protesters who should “never misjudge the determination and ability of the central government”.
ANGER AT CHINA
After leaving the airport on Sunday, some demonstrators targeted the MTR subway station in nearby Tung Chung district, ripping out turnstiles and smashing CCTV cameras and lamps with metal poles. Police moved in and made several arrests.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, a lightning rod for protesters’ anger at a city government they say is controlled by Beijing, said on her Facebook page on Monday that 10 subway stations were damaged by “violent offenders”.
Police and protesters had clashed on Saturday night in some of the most intense violence since unrest escalated in mid-June over concerns Beijing is eroding the freedoms granted to the territory under a “one country, two systems” agreement, including the right to protest and an independent judiciary.
John Lee, government secretary for security, told media that nearly 100 petrol bombs were thrown in various locations on Saturday with two found on a 13-year-old boy who was arrested inside an MTR station.
The unrest began over a now-suspended extradition bill that would have allowed people in the city to be sent to China for trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party.
The turmoil has evolved over 13 weeks to become a widespread demand for greater democracy. China is eager to quell the unrest before the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1.
With Hong Kong facing its first recession in a decade, China has also warned of the damage the protests are causing to the economy.
Shares of Hong Kong rail operator MTR Corp Ltd <0066 .hk=""> fell as much as 3.9% to HK$43.65, their lowest since Feb. 15.
With protesters and authorities locked in an impasse, speculation has grown that the city government may impose emergency law, giving it extra powers over detentions, censorship and curfews.
Lam has said the government would consider using all laws at its disposal to bring unrest to an end.
(Reporting by Jessie Pang, Joyce Zhou, Farah Master, Donny Kwok, Clare Jim and Twinnie Siu; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Paul Tait, Robert Birsel)

James Comey Cartoons

President Trump slams former Director Comey, calls him a ‘crooked cop’

FILE – In this Dec. 17, 2018, file photo, former FBI Director James Comey speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill Washington. The Justice Department’s inspector general says former FBI Director James Comey violated FBI policies in his handling of memos documenting private conversations with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

President Trump slams fired FBI Director James Comey, following a bombshell report from the Department of Justice.
On Twitter Saturday, the president said he was right about Comey, whom he then called a crooked cop.
The president’s remarks come after the release of the DOJ’s inspector general’s report on the former FBI chief.
The report concluded that Comey violated policy by writing, keeping, and then leaking memos he made about his conversations with President Trump.
However, the Justice Department decided not to bring a case against him.

I was right about Comey, CROOKED COP!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2019

U.S. set to hit China with new round of tariffs on Sunday

In this Aug. 6, 2019, photo, a container ship is docked a port in Qingdao in eastern China’s Shandong province. U.S. President Donald Trump angrily escalated his trade fight with China on Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, raising retaliatory tariffs and ordering American companies to consider alternatives to doing business there. (Chinatopix via AP)

The U.S. is expected to impose another round of tariffs on China this weekend.
Speaking to reporters Friday, President Trump said the tariffs are set to go into effect Sunday, and noted Beijing and his administration, are still working on hashing out a trade deal.
Once in effect, Customs and Border Protection will begin collecting 15% tariffs on $112 billions worth of Chinese imports. The president also stated the move puts the U.S. in a favorable position for negotiations.
“The tariffs have put us in an incredible negotiating position and I say that to China directly,” President Trump said to reporters Friday. “And it’s only going to get worse for China. But I say it to China directly, because of the tariffs we’re in an incredible negotiating position and we happen to be taking in billions and billions and billions of dollars.”
The president also weighed in on China’s involvement in Hong Kong, saying he told Beijing officials he wants the situation to be handled in a “humane fashion.”

President Trump: suing Omarosa Newman over confidentiality agreement

President Trump said he’s filing a lawsuit against former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman.
In a tweet Saturday, the president said he’s currently suing “various people” for confidentiality agreement violations.
He said one of them included Newman, adding although he gave her a break, she went for some cheap money with a book.

…Yes, I am currently suing various people for violating their confidentiality agreements. Disgusting and foul mouthed Omarosa is one. I gave her every break, despite the fact that she was despised by everyone, and she went for some cheap money from a book. Numerous others also!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2019

The tweet comes after the president said he wouldn’t have to enforce a confidentially agreement against former personal assistant Madeline Westerhout, who stepped down earlier this week.
Newman published a book about her alleged experiences working with the president last year.

Remarks against Antifa prompt FBI seizure of former Marine’s weapons under Oregon’s ‘red flag’ law: reports

A former Marine who said at a protest that he would “slaughter” Antifa members in self-defense, if attacked, recently had his five weapons confiscated by the FBI, according to reports.
The temporary seizure came through the use of Oregon’s “red flag” law, which allows law enforcement agencies and family members to seek a court order to have weapons taken away from an individual viewed as potentially violent. Such laws are often opposed by supporters of Second Amendment gun rights.
The former Marine, Shane Kohfield, 32, was not charged with any crime, but surrendered five guns, including an AR-15 rifle, according to Phil Lemman, Oregon’s acting deputy state court administrator, the Washington Examiner reported.
The action was reportedly prompted by remarks Kohfield made in public during a demonstration outside the home of Portland, Ore., Mayor Ted Wheeler in August, the Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
“If Antifa gets to the point where they start killing us, I’m going to kill them next," Kohfield told a crowd, according to the Oregonian. “I’d slaughter them, and I have a detailed plan on how I would wipe out Antifa.”
Kohfield previously wrote to U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, a former Navy SEAL, to share his concern about Antifa and voice his support for having the group declared a terrorist organization, a step that President Trump has considered.
Portland has been the site of frequent violent clashes between members of far-left Antifa and supporters of conservative groups such as Proud Boys. The mayor and other city officials have faced criticism for their handling of such events.
Based on the court order, Kohfield – who served two tours of duty in Iraq -- was committed to a veterans hospital for 20 days and was barred from participating in subsequent protests in Portland.
According to the Oregonian, Kohfield conceded that he probably appeared threatening to other people, but he never intended to cause harm.
“I looked unhinged,” he told the newspaper. “I looked dangerous and have the training to be dangerous.”
The FBI would not comment about the case, the Oregonian reported. It was unclear when Kohfield’s weapons would be returned to him.
The Oregon Legislature narrowly passed the state’s red-flag law in 2017, with no Republican support in the House and backing from only one Republican in the Senate. Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, signed the bill into law on Aug. 15 of that year and the law took effect Jan. 1, 2018.

Townhall Cartoons August 2019