Hurricane Helene Death Toll Rises To Over 50, Billions Of Dollars In Damages Caused

The Rocky Broad River flows into Lake Lure and overflows the town with debris from Chimney Rock, North Carolina after heavy rains from Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, in Lake Lure, North Carolina. Approximately six feet of debris piled on the bridge from Lake Lure to Chimney Rock, blocking access. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
The Rocky Broad River flows into Lake Lure and overflows the town with debris from Chimney Rock, North Carolina, after heavy rains from Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, in Lake Lure, North Carolina. Approximately six feet of debris piled on the bridge from Lake Lure to Chimney Rock, blocking access. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:32 PM – Saturday, September 28, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/hurricane-helene-death-toll-rises-to-over-50-billions-of-dollars-in-damages-caused/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Hurricane Helene has caused at least 52 deaths, billions of dollars in damage, and left more than 3 million people without power. 

With winds of 140 mph, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region late on Thursday. It made its way through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, uprooting trees, shattering homes, forcing creeks and rivers over their banks, and stressing dams.

Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), announced that at least 15 people were killed in the Peach State. WRDW-TV reported that among those deaths were a four-year-old girl, a seven-year-old boy, and a first responder.

In South Carolina, 17 people died as a result of the storm. Two of the individuals were firefighters on duty.

Countless others have died in North Carolina and in Florida.

Most of the reported deaths have occurred from falling trees or are due to individuals drowning in the water.

The storm caused catastrophic damage, submerging several homes up the roofline and destroying boats. Emergency responders were having difficulties rescuing stranded individuals due to damaged trees, power lines and other debris.

In the meantime, nearly four million people lost electricity from Florida all the way up the east coast to Virginia.

Over 100 people have been rescued from the rising waters, and numerous landslides have been reported during the “fierce storm,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) said Friday.

“People in western North Carolina should consider all roads closed unless they are seeking higher ground,” he said.

Flash flood emergencies are currently in effect in five states: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

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Republicans, especially Speaker Mike Johnson, Abandon Election Security, Side With Democrats

Marjorie Taylor Greene SNAPS: Says Republicans Should LOSE ELECTION!

Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly snapped and said Republicans should lose the election because of the "weak" and "feckless" leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson.

Marjorie Taylor Greene ROASTS Mike Johnson FOR DEFYING TRUMP!

Was Marjorie Taylor Greene RIGHT About House Speaker Mike Johnson?

Republican House Speaker implodes over inner-party chaos as Marjorie Taylor Greene's previous attacks seem to be potentially validated over Johnson's false fight surrounding the looming government shutdown. Yasmin Kahn and Brett Erlich break it down in The Damage Report.

 

 

New ICE Data: 13,099 Illegals Living In U.S. Have Been Convicted Of Murder, Over 20,000 Accused Or Convicted Of Rape

Migrants queue at the border wall to be received by Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Bravo river (or Rio Grande river, as it is called in the US) from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico to El Paso, Texas, US on December 21, 2022. - Title 42, a President Donald Trump pandemic-era law that authorize United States border officials to expel migrants, is supposed to end on December 21. (Photo by Herika Martinez / AFP) (Photo by HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Migrants queue at the border wall to be received by Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Bravo river (or Rio Grande river, as it is called in the US) from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico to El Paso, Texas, US on December 21, 2022. (Photo by HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
4:56 PM – Friday, September 27, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/new-ice-data-13099-illegals-living-in-u-s-have-been-convicted-of-murder-over-20000-accused-or-convicted-of-rape/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Alarming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data revealed that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes and homicides are currently living within American society.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) published the findings after receiving the data, which showcased the national number of illegal immigrants holding serious criminal charges or convictions.

“As of July 21, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket – 13,099 criminally convicted MURDERS!” Gonzales posted on social media. “Americans deserve to be SAFE in our own communities.”

The Biden administration has seen millions of illegal aliens pouring into the country across the southern border. Biden officials say they’re here to claim asylum, but it is extremely backlogged, meaning that their cases will most likely not be heard for years, allowing them to live in the country while they wait for their cases to be examined.

Former President Donald Trump previously had a much different policy for non-citizens seeking asylum. His policies discouraged foreigners looking to migrate to the U.S. for better economic opportunities and free government kickbacks. However, the Biden administration relinquished Trump’s policy, resulting in tens of millions of Border Patrol encounters with foreigners illegally crossing the border.

Additionally, the data revealed that federal authorities were aware of 13,099 illegal immigrants freely presiding in the U.S. who have been convicted of homicide, as well as an additional 1,845 who have been accused of committing homicide.

Disturbingly, the data set also revealed that there are over 20,000 illegal immigrants living in the U.S. who have been convicted of or suspected of rape, as well as over 100,000 other illegals convicted of or accused of assault.

After the data release, ICE issued a statement in which they expressed concern in relation to the “policies” of “sanctuary” cities, which often end up becoming hotbeds for migrant criminals. Many of the convicted or accused migrant criminals living here left their own countries in the first place in order to avoid prison time.

The list of sanctuary states includes Kamala Harris’s home state of California, New York, and Illinois.

“ICE recognizes that some jurisdictions are concerned that cooperating with federal immigration officials will erode trust with immigrant communities and make it harder for local law enforcement to serve those populations,” stated ICE acting director Patrick Lechleitner. “However, ‘sanctuary’ policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities.”

The data also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’ leadership, as Americans questioned why her and Biden’s policies have allowed a massive number of migrant criminals to enter the country under their watch.

“The Biden/Harris administration has opened the border, closed ICE detention centers, slowed deportations, and released murderers back to the street instead of removing them,” former ICE field office director John Fabbricatore posted on social media.

Former President Donald Trump chimed in on social media following the data drop, stating “Nobody who has allowed this to happen to our country is fit to be President of the United States!" Bad timing for her to show up to the Border today, after not going for four years. Why didn’t she release these numbers earlier?”

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Hurricane Helene: Florida gov. Ron Desantis provides update on deadly storm

Hurricane Helene made its way through the sunshine state and emergency crews rushed Friday to rescue people trapped in flooded homes. Florida and other states such as Georgia experienced massive storm surge power outages. Florida governor Ron Desantis held a press conference on Friday providing an update on Hurricane Helene.

FOX Weather’s Bob Van Dillen Rescues Woman From Atlanta Floodwater

FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen found himself in the middle of a harrowing rescue mission during Hurricane Helene. Conditions deteriorated rapidly in the pre-dawn hours around Atlanta, with millions facing the threat of life-threatening flooding. On Friday morning, the city was placed under its first-ever Flash Flood Emergency, as Atlanta endured its wettest three-day period in 104 years. While covering the storm's aftermath, Van Dillen, a journalist from the area, heard a woman's desperate cries for help along Peach Tree Creek. She had driven into floodwaters and was trapped in her car before sunrise.

Hurricane Helene makes landfall in Florida as major category 4 storm

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a catastrophic storm, lashing the region with devastating winds over 130 mph, and threatening a potentially "unsurvivable" 20-foot storm surge and flooding rain. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave an update moments after Helene made landfall in Taylor County, FL at 11:10pm ET.

Helene Update & Next 2 Storms Coming Is VERY Concerning!

The next 2 storms forming will be tricky and potentially strong. We also still have Tropical storm Helene. We also have severe weather, damaging winds and potential tornadoes. In this video I will show you the information and impacts so you can better prepare.

DeSantis Reveals Fatalities Due To Hurricane Helene, Discusses Search & Rescue Operations

Biden-Harris Admin Announces Over $8B In Additional Aid For Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with US President Joe Biden during an event with world leaders launching a Joint Declaration of Support for Ukrainian Recovery and Reconstruction on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:28 PM – Thursday, September 26, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/biden-harris-admin-announces-over-8b-in-additional-aid-for-ukraine/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

After President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that more than $8 billion in military aid would be provided to Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The first delivery of the Joint Standoff Weapon, a precision-guided glide bomb with a maximum range of 81 miles, will be one of the many expensive explosives provided as part of the aid. With the medium-range missile, Ukraine can try to strike Russian forces at “safer ranges,” and it significantly improves its arsenal of weaponry.

“Biden will not announce that Washington would let Ukraine use U.S. missiles to hit targets deeper in Russia," a U.S. official said,” according to Reuters.

“We’re making clear that we stand with Ukraine now and in the future,” Biden told reporters ahead of a bilateral meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office. He said the U.S. would continue to help Ukraine strengthen its position on the battlefield, and that he had directed the Pentagon to allocate all remaining security funding by the end of his term in January.

Zelenskyy praised Biden for his decision to give Ukraine even more assistance, and he emphasized the need to secure Ukraine’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

At least $5.5 billion of the extra aid will be disbursed before the financing authority expires on Monday, the last day of the U.S. fiscal year. Under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, an additional $2.4 billion is available, enabling the administration to purchase more weapons for Ukraine from companies.

According to Biden, this will boost Ukraine’s defense industrial base, support its maintenance and sustainment needs, and give it more air defense, unmanned aerial systems, as well as air-to-ground weapons.

The president also stated that his proposal also calls for the Defense Department to repair and supply Ukraine with more Patriot missiles and an extra Patriot air defense battery.

In order to boost training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, Biden directed the Pentagon to support U.S.-funded training of at least 18 pilots in the upcoming year.

“I am grateful to the United States for providing the items that are most critical to protecting our people,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter, noting the Patriot battery, the large number of drones, and other long-range missiles.

At a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump expressed his own feelings regarding the continued U.S. funding of billions of dollars to Ukraine.

“We continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refused to make a deal, Zelenskyy,” Trump reminded the crowd.

Time Magazine and the BBC outlet also had some discouraging words to say about Ukraine’s war efforts.

“U.S. officials also need to recognize that even if this aid continues, there is no realistic chance of a total Ukrainian victory next year, or the year after that. Even if the Ukrainians can build up their forces, Russia can deepen its defenses even more,” Time Magazine reported.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that: “the former commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command has warned that Ukraine could face defeat by Russia in 2024.”

According to AllSides’ Political Bias Meter, the BBC lands “center-left,” while Time Magazine leans fully “left” politically.

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Senate Report: USSS Agent in Charge Withheld Threat Info at Trump’s Butler, PA Rally

BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump is whisked away by Secret Service after shots rang out at a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump slumped and injuries were visible to the side of his head. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter and one audience member are dead and another was injured. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is whisked away by the Secret Service after shots rang out at a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:47 AM – Thursday, September 26, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/senate-report-usss-agent-in-charge-knew-of-threat-at-trumps-butler-rally-didnt-inform-superiors/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

A new Senate report has revealed that the U.S. Secret Service agent in charge of former President Donald Trump’s July 13th Butler, Pennsylvania, rally was aware of “credible intelligence” regarding a dire security threat, yet did not pass the information on to event planners or her supervisor.

The Wednesday report, released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, found that the Secret Service’s lead agent in charge of the Trump rally had stated in a security planning document that there was “no adverse intelligence” regarding Trump’s Butler rally, despite her own “prior knowledge of an unspecified threat.”

Additionally, the advance agent in question reportedly told Senate investigators that she had notified the special agent in charge (SAIC) of the Secret Service’s Pittsburgh field office regarding the “credible intelligence” prior to the rally. However, after contacting Pittsburgh’s SAIC and speaking to him directly, he disputed her claims and informed Senate officials that he was not informed and had no knowledge of this.

Pittsburgh SAIC then told investigators that if he had known about the threat, the rally would have most likely moved to an indoor location in order to mitigate the potential risk.

The 94-page report also cited security failures, which included: a lack of chain of command, poor coordination between state and local law enforcement, insufficient equipment and resources, and a failure to effectively secure the site of the rally.

Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, came within millimeters of killing the former president on live television. Crooks climbed on top of a nearby building and, soon after, fired eight gunshots from his AK-47 style firearm in Trump’s direction. Nonetheless, the gunman only hit Trump in the side of his right ear, as the former president had turned and moved his head at the exact timing of the gunshots.

However, 50-year-old rally goer Corey Comperatore and two others were not so lucky. Comperatore passed away that day after being hit by a barrage of bullets, while the other two men were quickly rushed to the hospital.

In terms of the Senate report, it also revealed that counter snipers were on site due to this exact “credible intelligence” of a threat, yet the majority of Secret Service personnel who spoke to the committee still claimed that they had been unaware of the threat.

Secret Service agents said that they “could not identify” who had the final authority to make decisions during the Trump event.

“It was almost like an ‘Abbott and Costello’ farce with ‘who’s on first’ finger pointing by all of the different actors,” stated Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), “It was really truth being stranger than fiction.”

“Every single one of these actions is directly related to a failure in the U.S. Secret Service’s planning, communications, intelligence sharing and law enforcement coordination efforts,” Chairman Gary Peters stated on Tuesday. “Every single one of these failures was preventable, and the consequences of those failures were dire.”

Despite egregious mistakes by the lead agent and other Secret Service members, they still refused to accept any responsibility when questioned by investigators on the security failure findings.

The lead agent’s identity has not been made public, however, during a July hearing with Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) stated “I know their name,” referencing the lead agent.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi also stated that the agency reviewed the report and agreed that the committee’s findings aligned with many of the Secret Service’s “Mission Assurance Review,” revealing multiple communication issues as well as a lack of “due diligence.”

“The weight of our mission is not lost on us and in this hyperdynamic threat environment, the U.S. Secret Service cannot fail,” Guglielmi stated. “Many of the insights gained from the Senate report aligned with the findings from our mission assurance review and are essential to ensuring that what happened on July 13 never happens again.”

The committee has reportedly completed 12 interviews, reviewed roughly 2,800 documents, and conducted a walkthrough inspection at the Butler rally site, with additional interviews expected in the coming weeks.

Committee aides have not confirmed if the probe will expand or continue, looking into the second assassination attempt, which took place earlier this month at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club. However, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced at a recent Justice Department event that the DOJ will “waste no resources” in the agency’s investigation of the second incident.

“We’ve put a lot of meat on the bones here, but we are a long way from getting the information we need,” stated Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a member of the investigation subcommittee.

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Donald Trump holds rally in Savannah, GA

Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance are both making trips to Georgia this week. Trump spoke about taxes and manufacturing during his campaign stop in Savannah. Among the ideas Trump pitched is offering foreign access to federal land. He teased the plan earlier this month when he proposed a cut in the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15%, but only for companies that produce in the U.S.

Exposing Tim Walz’s Deep Ties To The Chinese Communist Party | 9/25/24

The leftist media has continued its fear-mongering rhetoric about Donald Trump even after two assassination attempts against the former president. Blaze News investigative journalist Steve Baker joins to discuss and provides updates on the first assassination attempt. Plus, senior analyst for strategy at the Center for Security Policy J. Michael Waller joins to break down the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in America and Tim Walz’s involvement. Blaze News senior politics editor Christopher Bedford joins to break down Kamala Harris’ and Donald Trump’s 2024 events as well as D.C.’s reaction to his interview with Representative Andy Harris. Could a new California law weaponize artificial intelligence and outlaw parody? BlazeTV Host James Poulos joins to discuss. Finally, Springfield resident Bill Monaghan joins to explain how the Haitian immigrant crisis has impacted his town.

White House Releases Gun Violence Prevention Office ‘Progress Report’

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/09/white-house-releases-gun-violence-prevention-office-progress-report; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
The White House has issued a report on the activities of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

The Biden-Harris administration has released a 13-page progress report on the Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s (OGVP) first-year accomplishments, emphasizing “executive actions to combat gun violence” and how the White House has been helping state lawmakers push new gun control measures.

“The White House Office of Gun Violence released the Safer States Agenda, a playbook of 14 legislative actions that states can pursue to prevent gun violence and save lives,” the report states. “Since December 2023, at least 31 states have introduced new legislation to address gun violence. At least 17 states have enacted new legislation, including a safe storage law in California, a gun dealer accountability law in Washington, a victims compensation law in Maryland, a ghost gun ban in Vermont, a background check expansion in Maine, and a permit to purchase law in Delaware.”

Now, with Kamala Harris running hard to replace Joe Biden in 2025, it appears gun control is back in the spotlight, especially after she acknowledged being a gun owner while almost in the same breath saying the nation needs to ban so-called “assault weapons.”

As noted by Scripps News Service, the creation of the White House gun control office was “a landmark moment for President Joe Biden, for whom the issue of gun violence has been a decades-long focus.”

True enough, as Biden has been a gun control proponent since his early days on Capitol Hill a half-century ago.

Scripps quoted Stefanie Feldman, director of the OGVP, stating, “President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to continuing their long legacy of leadership on this work.”

In a statement from the White House, it was acknowledged the Biden-Harris OGVP has “encouraged other states and cities to establish their own offices of violence prevention to coordinate their work to reduce gun violence, and partnered with existing offices of violence prevention to share best practices.”

The statement revealed that Maryland, Pennsylvania and Maine have established their own offices of violence prevention, and in May, the White House “convened over 80 leaders from city and local offices of violence prevention in over 50 cities across the country to share common challenges their offices face.”

What it means in simple terms is that the Biden-Harris administration has spread its gun control tentacles to the states.

The Scripps report quoted data from the Gun Violence Archive indicating mass shootings have declined by 20 percent this year over the same period in 2023. A report in the Nebraska Examiner said the school shooting in Georgia “marked the 30th mass killing in the United States this year, defined as an attack in which four or more people, excluding the perpetrator, are killed.” This is based on a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, the Examiner detailed.

Expect more anti-gun news to crop up, including the oft-repeated claim that guns kill more children than traffic wrecks. Even NYU News recently reported that “gun violence remains the leading cause of death among children and teenagers.” Is that really accurate?

Back in early February, the Washington Post’s reliable fact checker Glenn Kessler took on this claim, and while not issuing any “Pinocchio’s” to the people making the argument, he did explain how including people aged 18 and 19 into the mix, and excluding infants under the age of one year can skew the data. Here’s what he wrote at the time:

“By including 18- and 19-year-olds, excluding infants under age 1 and comparing firearm deaths with only vehicle crashes, Johns Hopkins reports that in 2021, there were 4,733 firearm deaths of “children and teens” compared with 4,048 deaths from motor vehicle crashes.

“But by counting only children 17 and under, including infants under the age of 1, and comparing with all motor vehicle deaths, the CDC data shows that in 2021, there were 2,590 firearm deaths of children, compared with 2,687 motor vehicle deaths.

“Excluding infants under 1 from the data narrows the gap to a near tie — 2,580 deaths from motor vehicles compared with 2,571 from firearms. If one focuses just on vehicle crashes, as Johns Hopkins does, then starting in 2020, firearm deaths exceeded motor vehicle deaths of children ages 1 to 17.”

Harris will no doubt push the claim that the OGVP, which she ostensibly oversees, has made great strides in reducing gun-related violence. Whether it is an accurate claim could be open to argument, but what is a certainty is that gun control, as predicted months ago, is going to be an issue as the nation rushes toward the November elections.

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman

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