Amendments to defense spending bills offer differing views of US role in NATO
Congress’ consideration of the defense budget now includes a debate on whether the United States should be a member of NATO, which it helped found after World War II to protect Europe from Russian aggression.
The Senate and House will consider amendments on their own versions of the National Defense Authorization Act that could force the country’s withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or lock it in indefinitely, barring an act of Congress.
During his administration, former president Donald Trump reportedly discussed withdrawing from the organization. On Tuesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an influential member of House leadership, introduced an amendment to the House bill that would direct the president to withdraw from the international military alliance.
And on Wednesday, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., reintroduced legislation to prohibit any U.S. president from withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval or an Act of Congress.
—The Virginian-Pilot
Majority of New Yorkers are worried about becoming crime victims; many have bought a gun for protection: poll
More than 60% of New Yorkers are worried they’re destined to become a victim of a crime and have taken steps to better protect themselves — including purchasing a gun, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
Seventeen percent of city residents questioned in the Siena College Research Institute poll admitted that they’ve bought a firearm in the last year to protect themselves, the study shows.
The poll found that 61% of New Yorkers are either very concerned or somewhat concerned that they will be a victim of a crime one day.
Out of that number, 51% said they were concerned for their family’s safety and one in 10 New Yorkers said they have been physically assaulted in the past year. The results were culled from randomly questioning 802 city and state residents in June.
—New York Daily News
School board fires teacher for criticizing ban of Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus song ‘Rainbowland’
A Wisconsin teacher who complained about the banning of the Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton song “Rainbowland” has now been fired.
In a unanimous decision, the Waukesha School Board on Wednesday night voted to fire first-grade teacher Melissa Tempel, four months after she criticized Heyer Elementary School’s decision to prohibit her students from singing a pro-LGBTQ song in a school concert.
Earlier this year, Tempel took to Twitter to express frustration at school administrators who banned the 2017 pop-country track, which was once described by Parton as a song about “dreaming and hoping that we could all do better.” The song was written by Parton and her goddaughter Cyrus, who featured it on her sixth studio album, “Younger Now.”
“My first-graders were so excited to sing ‘Rainbowland’ for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration,” Tempel tweeted in March. “When will it end?” Tempel was placed on leave on April 3, local television station WISN-TV reported.
—New York Daily News
Ouster of Russian general ‘Spartacus’ sparks ruling party feud
A Russian general who accused army chiefs of “treacherously” ousting him for criticizing troop losses in the war in Ukraine has sparked a political feud within Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party, the latest sign of tensions over the military following the mutiny by Wagner mercenaries.
Major General Ivan Popov, whose call sign is “Spartacus,” said in an audio message that he’d been removed as commander of Russia’s 58th army in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region after he spoke to Defense Ministry chiefs “at the highest level, extremely harshly” about shortcomings in combat operations.
Popov told his “gladiators” in the message that he’d emphasized “the large-scale death and injury of our brothers from enemy artillery” because of an absence of countermeasures.
“Apparently, the senior bosses sensed some kind of danger” from the criticisms and quickly arranged an order from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to remove him, Popov said.
—Bloomberg News
