( CNN ) – A new plan from President Barack Obama that would alter the corporate tax code while investing in job creation is a deal that any `` serious '' lawmaker could sign onto , the president argued in Tennessee Tuesday .\nWhat Obama called a `` grand bargain '' is being proposed in a bid to break partisan gridlock currently plaguing attempts to pass major legislation in Washington , though congressional Republicans signaled on Tuesday they were unlikely to back the plan , which the president announced at an Amazon.com distribution center in Chattanooga .\n`` Here 's the bottom line : If folks in Washington really want a 'grand bargain , ' how about a grand bargain for middle-class jobs ? '' Obama said in his fourth speech in a week centered on the economy . `` I do n't want to go through the same old arguments , where I propose an idea and Republicans say no just because it 's my idea . So I 'm going to try offering something that serious people in both parties should be able to support . ''\nObama suggested Congress cut corporate tax rates - long a goal of Republicans - while simultaneously making investments in job creation programs , which Democrats and the president have been championing .\nIn the past , both Obama and Republicans have insisted that corporate tax reform be passed alongside reform for individual earners . Republicans argue that some small business owners file taxes as individuals , and would only benefit from an overhaul of the entire tax code .\nThe president 's plan would propose slashing the corporate tax rate to 28 % from 35 % while making the filing process simpler and ramping up incentives for small businesses to hire workers .\nThe plan would also put the tax rate on manufacturers at 25 % and remove current tax incentives to send jobs overseas .\nOn Tuesday , Obama explained that he 's open to changing only the corporate tax code as long as it 's combined with major investments in programs that create high-paying middle class jobs .\n`` If we 're going to give businesses a better deal , we 're also going to have to give workers a better deal , too , '' he said , suggesting money saved by closing tax loopholes should be put toward infrastructure initiatives that would create construction jobs .\nObama also called for bolstering the country 's manufacturing sector and network of community colleges , and proposed creating 45 `` innovation institutes '' that pair companies with universities and community colleges with the goal of fostering research and development .\nEarly reaction from Republicans to the outlines of the president 's plan was not receptive .\n`` While I understand he is looking for headlines here , reports indicate that the policy he intends to announce does n't exactly qualify as news , '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday . `` It is just a further left version of a widely panned plan he already proposed two years ago , this time with extra goodies for tax-and-spend liberals . ''\nMcConnell said he first learned of the plan Monday night . Brendan Buck , a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner , wrote on Twitter his office learned of the proposed `` grand bargain '' through media reports , though White House officials said they reached out to a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday to discuss the proposal .\nMichael Steel , another spokesman for Boehner , cast the proposal as old news .\n`` The President has always supported corporate tax reform , '' Steel wrote in a statement . `` Republicans want to help families and small businesses , too . This proposal allows President Obama to support President Obama 's position on taxes and President Obama 's position on spending , while leaving small businesses and American families behind . ''\nAnother House Republican leadership aide said the White House was taking their own plan and making it less amenable to Republicans than previous offers , while `` trying to extract a ransom of infrastructure spending '' at the same time .\nThe aide argued the new White House plan was an attempt to `` get a headline that says they 're offering a grand bargain . ''\nObama 's address in Chattanooga is the latest in a series of speeches the president will deliver on the economy and jobs , part of an attempt to turn back to the issue that rates as most important among Americans . The tour began last week in Illinois , Missouri and Florida .\nTuesday 's announcement of a `` grand bargain '' was the first specific proposal the president made in his new push to focus on the economy , though White House officials say there will be more as the initiative continues .\nDuring his remarks , Obama said he 'd `` keep throwing things out there to see if something takes '' on jobs .\n`` If ( Republicans ) have better ideas to help create jobs rebuilding our infrastructure , or help workers earn the high-tech skills our businesses demand , let 's hear 'em , '' the president said .\nAmazon.com , whose facility Obama spoke at Tuesday , announced this week plans to hire 7,000 workers for its U.S. operation , with most jobs offering pay and benefits far above typical retail wages , the company said .\nAmazon did not give specific pay scales for the positions , but said the 5,000 warehouse jobs will pay 30 % more than jobs in traditional retail stores .\nThe jobs are full-time permanent positions and also include stock grants that , over the last five years , have averaged 9 % of pay for Amazon 's full-time workers . And the company said many workers would also be eligible for 95 % tuition reimbursement for those attending college , whether or not their field of study is related to their job .\nIn addition , Amazon is looking for 2,000 workers for its customer service department , with those jobs being a mix of full-time , part-time and seasonal positions .


( CNN ) The rain may have stopped , but South Carolina is grappling with a host of new concerns . Dam breaks . Billions of dollars in damage . And rivers that still have n't crested .\n`` We still have to be cautious , '' Gov . Nikki Haley told reporters on Tuesday afternoon . `` The next 36 to 48 hours are going to be a time that we need to continue to be careful . ''\nHaley declined to provide an estimated cost of the damage -- which she called `` disturbing '' -- but said state and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials were making assessments .\n`` It 's hard to look at the loss we 're going to have , '' she said . `` This could be any amount of dollars . ''\nMore than 400,000 state residents were under a `` boil water advisory '' affecting about 16 water systems , said Jim Beasley , a spokesman for the S.C . Emergency Response Team .\nHere 's the latest on the mammoth flooding in the region :\nAt least 11 dams have failed in South Carolina since Saturday , the state 's Emergency Management Division said . Another 35 dams were being monitored .\nOne failure , of the Overcreek Bridge dam in Richland County 's Forest Acres , sent a torrent of floodwater raging downstream and forced evacuations near Columbia .\nMANDATORY EVACUATION : OVERCREEK RESIDENTS LIVING BETWEEN FOREST DR. & PERCIVAL RD . IN FOREST ACRES — SCEMD ( @ SCEMD ) October 5 , 2015\nOfficials allowed water to breach at least one other dam , also in Richland County . Officials conduct these controlled breaches `` to prevent a much larger incident and a much larger amount of water escaping from the dam , '' emergency management spokesman Derrec Becker said .\nHaley said National Guard members were helping with sandbagging operations and other mitigation efforts .\nSo far , at least 17 people have died in weather-related incidents : 15 in South Carolina and two in North Carolina .\nAt least nine people drowned and six died in traffic accidents , South Carolina 's Department of Public Safety said .\nNorth Carolina reported two deaths from traffic accidents , in Cumberland and Jackson counties , a state emergency management spokeswoman said .\nHaley said there had been 175 water rescues so far in South Carolina , and more than 800 people were temporarily housed in shelters .\nMore than 70 miles of Interstate 95 in the state remained closed , with five to eight bridges still awaiting structural checks , she said .\nOf all the scenes of items drifting away in the flooding , perhaps none appeared as dramatic as a casket unearthed from a cemetery .\nWayne Reeves , pastor of New Life Ministries in Summerville , was in the middle of an interview when he saw the casket float away .\nSo he headed into the waist-deep floodwater to retrieve it .\nThis was the scene an hour ago as a SC pastor pushed an unearthed casket out of the flood waters @ WCBD pic.twitter.com/qLVe3q4i5l — Matt Alba ( @ mattalbaWCBD ) October 5 , 2015\n`` That 's somebody 's family out there , '' he told CNN affiliate WCBD-TV . `` That 's ( a ) family suffering . That 's their family there that popped up from under the ground . And I think it 's the human thing to do . ''\nThe casket , still adorned with white and pink flowers , carried the remains of a woman buried in May , WCBD said . Another casket , that of the woman 's husband , also drifted away , but Dorchester County sheriff 's officials later recovered it .\nAs it turned out , the woman 's family was watching nearby as Reeves went into the water .\n`` This family do n't want to sit on the edge of this road all night long watching their family members bob in the water like that , '' the pastor told WCBD .\n`` If that was my mom or my dad , I 'd walk through hell and high water . And today it happened to be high water . ''\nSome Columbia residents left their homes as victims of flooding . They returned to find their homes looted .\nOn Sunday , an apparent dam breach led to the flooding of the Willow Creek Apartments , property manager Heather Lovell told CNN affiliate WACH-TV\nSo rescue crews in boats came to the complex and helped residents to safety .\nOn Monday , Pamela Courts returned to her apartment and found not just flood damage but signs of theft .\n`` Overnight , we had a break-in , so whatever was upstairs they came and took : TVs , jewelry , everything , '' she told WACH .\nResident Juamaame Evins told the affiliate he was trying to stay positive despite the back-to-back hardships .\n`` Even though we lost everything and stuff got stolen , we can rebuild together and help each other and be each other 's backbones and carry each other through this time because we need each other , '' he said .\nThe flooding is far from over . Rivers might not crest for another two weeks , CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said .\nAnd the mayor of Columbia , who has said he believes damage `` will probably be in the billions of dollars , '' is bracing for more trouble .\n`` We are n't close to being out of the woods , '' Mayor Steve Benjamin said Tuesday , adding that even more dams could be in danger of breaking or being topped by water . `` We still expect the water to start coming down from the Upstate , coming downhill to the Midlands . ''\nThe situation is the result of a weather system that funneled tropical moisture into South Carolina last week and refused to move on , Myers said .\n`` It was a garden hose that just kept pouring ashore in one spot , and that spot was South Carolina , '' he said .\nFlooding conditions could force the South Carolina Gamecocks to move Saturday 's game against Louisiana State University to Baton Rouge , University of South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner said . The school hopes to make a decision in the next day or two .\nThe University of South Carolina has canceled classes through Friday , saying that resuming normal operations for its 34,000 students and 6,000 faculty would `` place an undue burden on a recovering infrastructure in the city . ''


Retailers dangled hefty discounts in their stores—after offering earlier deals on their websites—as they waged a high-stakes battle with Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -1.40 % and other rivals to capture as much spending as they could during the Black Friday shopping spree .\nShoppers arrived in the predawn hours Friday , following millions of Americans who left family Thanksgiving gatherings Thursday to visit malls and shopping centers . They scooped up flat-screen Samsung televisions , Hatchimals toys and other gifts that retailers have been promoting for days—but often had their smartphones in hand to check prices .\n“ So far , the most encouraging trend we are seeing is that while door-busters continue to be important , once guests are there , they are shopping multiple categories , ” Target Corp. TGT 0.21 % chief Brian Cornell said late Thursday .\nFor brick-and-mortar retailers , the challenge is to draw more shoppers into their stores on a chaotic day often marred by long lines and crowded parking lots .\nLast year , more people shopped online than in stores during the Thanksgiving weekend , according to the National Retail Federation .\nOn Friday morning , Macy ’ s Inc. CEO Terry Lundgren said he was seeing more opportunity to grow sales as a whole this holiday season , compared with last year when online gains came at the expense of physical stores . “ This year , there is more opportunity to grow the pie , ” Mr. Lundgren said . “ Last year , when business was challenging , the pie was being divided in more ways . ”\nRetailNext Inc. , which collects data through analytics software it provides to retailers , said online sales increased 14 % on Thanksgiving compared with the same day a year ago , while sales at brick-and-mortar stores fell nearly 18 % . RetailNext attributed the drop in sales at physical stores to fewer stores opening on Thanksgiving .\nMarshal Cohen , retail analyst at NPD , said he saw evidence that Thanksgiving openings and online deals were stealing business from Black Friday . “ In the 40 years I ’ ve studied Black Friday , I ’ ve never seen the crowds this soft on Friday morning ; parking wasn ’ t an issue , and lines were shorter than any weekend in October , ” he wrote .\nBy 5:30 a.m. Friday the crowds had thinned at the sprawling Gateway Center in Brooklyn , N.Y. , with employees appearing to outnumber shoppers at several stores . “ I don ’ t miss the crazy , ” said Christine Aguirre , a 37-year-old office manager , as she pushed a cart filled with two televisions and other goods at a Target on Friday morning . “ It ’ s better now ; it used to be so packed . ”\nAlthough more people are doing holiday shopping online and know that the same deals or better can be found there , many Black Friday shoppers said they still wanted to try on clothes , shoes or household items .\n“ I know you can get the deals online , but I don ’ t think you get the gratification , ” said Tara Christy , 34 , who drove nearly two hours with her cousin to shop in Kansas City . By 9 a.m. the crowds had died down .\nRetail CEOs credited a stronger economy and pent-up demand following the presidential election for helping drive traffic to stores . “ With the election earlier in the month , things were soft , ” Kohl ’ s Corp. chief Kevin Mansell said . “ That put a lot of pressure on this weekend . It looks like results will come in equal or better to our expectations . ”\nThe executives cited strong sales of smartwatches and other electronics such as videogame systems and TVs . Coats and other winter goods got a lift from a cold snap that hit the East Coast just before this year ’ s Thanksgiving , said Jerry Storch , the CEO of Hudson ’ s Bay Co. , which owns Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor .\nBut it was the sharply discounted goods that were the big draw . J.C. Penney sold out of 200,000 pairs of diamond stud earrings priced at $ 20 each .\nEven though the chain doesn ’ t make money on that item , shoppers purchase other goods while in the store , “ so you come out ahead , ” said Penney chief Marvin Ellison .\nWhile some shoppers said they hit the stores out of tradition , many consumers said they were largely focused on grabbing deeply discounted items . Some shoppers said they went to brick-and-mortar stores because they weren ’ t confident they could get door-busters online , even though they were offered .\n“ I try online every year , but it just hasn ’ t worked ; you can ’ t access everything online , ” said Betty Rasmus , 63 , who arrived at Best Buy in Spring , Texas , at 4:45 a.m. and was the first in line , aiming to buy a 55-inch Sharp television for $ 250 , about half price , as well as two laptops .\nBlack Friday is no longer a one-day event . Promotions are increasingly spread throughout November , as traditional retailers try to match online rivals such as Amazon . They have been linking their stores and websites more closely and are finding ways to capitalize on the rise in mobile shopping .\nAmazon said Friday that Thanksgiving was becoming one of the biggest mobile shopping days on the site , with orders exceeding both Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday last year . Wal-Mart said mobile orders accounted for 60 % of its Black Friday event sales that were purchased online .\nOthers used their smartphones to avoid the stores altogether . James Seatter , 24 , purchased a vacuum cleaner on his phone from Amazon and gifts for his father on BrooksBrothers.com . He plans to continue his online shopping Monday . “ I don ’ t want to fight with someone over a toaster oven at Wal-Mart , ” he said .\n—Sharon Terlep , Bradley Olson and Annie Gasparro contributed to this article .


Billionaire businessman , philanthropist and independent presidential candidate Ross Perot is dead at 89 , ███ has confirmed . Perot , who ran for president in 1992 and 1996 , died after a five-month battle with leukemia , said James Fuller , a representative for the Perot family . `` In business and in life , Ross was a man of integrity and action . A true American patriot and a man of rare vision , principle and deep compassion , he touched the lives of countless people through his unwavering support of the military and veterans and through his charitable endeavors , '' Fuller said in a statement . Perot is survived by his wife , Margot , his five children and 16 grandchildren .\nThis 1992 file photo shows presidential hopeful H. Ross Perot at a rally in Austin , Texas . AP\nPerot was an early tech entrepreneur . He started his career in sales at IBM , where he excelled . In 1962 , he founded his first company , Electronic Data Systems , with just $ 1,000 in savings . More than two decades later , he launched information technology services provider Perot Systems , which was acquired in 2009 by Dell for $ 3.9 billion . As a disruptive third-party candidate for president , Perot ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility and protectionism . He won nearly 19 % of the vote in the 1992 race — by far the biggest slice of the electorate for a third-party candidate since Theodore Roosevelt 's Bull Moose Party in the 1912 election .\nPerot stood out from the political crowd for his quirks as much as his business credentials and lack of experience in establishment politics . `` I do n't have any experience in running up a $ 4 trillion debt . I do n't have any experience in gridlock government , where nobody takes responsibility for anything and everybody blames everybody else , '' he said in a 1992 presidential debate . The shifting of U.S. jobs to Mexico created a `` giant sucking sound , '' he famously said during the campaign . Perot participated in all three presidential debates in that election , and took a nontraditional campaign route by booking lengthy time slots on network television to lay out his political views . He was `` certainly the most influential political force in the late 20th century from outside the regular party system , '' said Allan Lichtman , distinguished professor of history at American University . Lichtman told ███ he had been tapped to write a biography of Perot , and Lichtman had agreed . But `` quirky Ross Perot , just like he pulled out of the presidential race , he pulled out of the biography , '' Lichtman said . Perot was a veteran , and followed his service with a lifetime commitment to supporting U.S. veterans , especially during the Vietnam War . He was honored in 2009 by then-Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake for his advocacy efforts .


Fox News announced long-time anchor Shepard Smith will be leaving the network . Smith was most recently the chief news anchor and managing editor of the network ’ s breaking news unit and anchor of `` Shepard Smith Reporting . ''\nFriday 's episode `` Shepard Smith Reporting '' is his final show . Fox News said there will be rotating anchors hosting the 3 p.m . ET time slot until a new dayside news program is announced .\n“ Shep is one of the premier newscasters of his generation and his extraordinary body of work is among the finest journalism in the industry . His integrity and outstanding reporting from the field helped put FOX News on the map and there is simply no better breaking news anchor who has the ability to transport a viewer to a place of conflict , tragedy , despair or elation through his masterful delivery , '' Jay Wallace , President & Executive Editor of FOX News Media , said in a statement .\n“ Recently , I asked the company to allow me to leave Fox News and begin a new chapter , '' Smith explained in the press release . `` After requesting that I stay , they graciously obliged . The opportunities afforded this guy from small town Mississippi have been many . It ’ s been an honor and a privilege to report the news each day to our loyal audience in context and with perspective , without fear or favor . I ’ ve worked with the most talented , dedicated and focused professionals I know and I ’ m proud to have anchored their work each day — I will deeply miss them . ”\nSmith has been known to make rebuttals to President Trump on his show , especially when it came to Trump 's criticisms against the press . As a result , Trump has sent out tweets targeting Smith . Trump sent a tweet about Smith as recently as Thursday .\n... Court Justice & I turned him down ( he ’ s been terrible ever since ) , Shep Smith , @ donnabrazile ( who gave Crooked Hillary the debate questions & got fired from @ CNN ) , & others , @ FoxNews doesn ’ t deliver for US anymore . It is so different than it used to be . Oh well , I ’ m President ! — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) October 10 , 2019\nThis is a breaking news story and will be updated .


This is a rush transcript . Copy may not be in its final form .\nAMY GOODMAN : In one of his final acts in office , President Obama shortened the sentences of 209 prisoners , pardoned 64 individuals on Tuesday . The list included Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning , longtime imprisoned Puerto Rican independence activist Oscar López Rivera and retired U.S. Marine Corps General James Cartwright . But missing from the list is 71-year-old Native American activist Leonard Peltier .\nLater in the program , we ’ ll look at the cases of Peltier and Oscar López Rivera , but first to Chelsea Manning , who ’ s now set to be free May 17th , after Obama shortened her sentence from 35 years to seven . According to her attorneys , she is already the longest-held whistleblower in U.S. history . She ’ s been in military custody since May 2010 . Manning leaked more than 700,000 classified files and videos to WikiLeaks about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and U.S. foreign policy . She ’ s been subjected to long stretches of solitary confinement and denied medical treatment related to her gender identity . Chelsea Manning attempted to commit suicide twice last year .\nJoining us now are two of her attorneys . Nancy Hollander is Manning ’ s appellate attorney . Chase Strangio of the ACLU represents Manning in a lawsuit against the Pentagon for denial of medical care related to her gender dysphoria . Also with us is The Intercept ’ s Jeremy Scahill , author of the recent piece , “ The True Scandal of 2016 was the Torture of Chelsea Manning . ”\nWe welcome you all to ███ ! Chase Strangio , your response to what President Obama did yesterday ?\nCHASE STRANGIO : Well , I just—I first want to thank you and everyone who supported Chelsea over the years . The reality is that this was a mass mobilization effort , keeping her story alive , led by Chelsea herself and all of the people who made sure that nobody forgot the justice that she fought for and the incredible symbol of democratic principles and advocacy that she really embodies . Yesterday was an incredible day for us who care about her . As I ’ ve said time and time again , President Obama really had her life in his hands . And it ’ s such a relief that he acted on the side of mercy and justice here .\nCHASE STRANGIO : Unfortunately , we haven ’ t spoken to Chelsea , which is a bit concerning , but we ’ re remaining hopeful that we will be able to speak with her today and actually be able to share this news . It ’ s quite unusual for the individual to not be informed of their commutation with their attorneys . But we know that , you know , she was on standby , waiting for this . I spoke with her yesterday around 2:00 p.m. , and she was just her sort of hopeful , pragmatic self , waiting for news . And we were all hoping and praying with her . So , hopefully , today we ’ ll connect with her and get to share in this incredible moment that really did save her life .\nCHASE STRANGIO : Yeah , absolutely . She has served seven years already . The 35-year sentence was egregious at the time . It ’ s particularly egregious in retrospect . And she has served seven years . It is absolutely preposterous to hear people saying that there are no consequences for her actions . She has been tortured and imprisoned , denied basic medical care . She has suffered so much , and it is time for her to be free .\nAMY GOODMAN : Nancy Hollander , the response on the networks—I was watching CNN last night . The overwhelming response of the guests that they ’ ve had on—let me go to some of the comments . Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan released a statement protesting the commutation , saying , quote , “ This is just outrageous . Chelsea Manning ’ s treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation ’ s most sensitive secrets . President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security won ’ t be held accountable for their crimes. ” Meanwhile , Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona called the commutation a “ grave mistake ” that may , quote , “ encourage further acts of espionage and undermine military discipline. ” He added , quote , “ Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation . Chelsea Manning broke her oath and made it more likely that others would join the ranks of her fallen comrades . Her prison sentence may end in a few months ’ [ time ] , but her dishonor will last forever , ” McCain said . Nancy Hollander , your response ?\nNANCY HOLLANDER : They ’ re totally—it ’ s just false . The secretary of defense at the time , Gates , said that the worst that happened was some embarrassment for the United States . There was not a single individual ever identified who was harmed by what Chelsea did . What Chelsea did actually helped the United States . It helped Americans . It helped people around the world understand about human rights violations , understand—bring war home to people . She wanted people to see what happens to somebody who gets killed , what happens to people in Iraq and Afghanistan . She wanted to make this real , so that we would stop doing these kinds of things to people . And so , what they ’ re saying is exactly the opposite of what Chelsea did . There has never been a single bit of evidence that anybody was harmed or that national security was harmed .


Steve Stephens , the so-called “ Facebook killer ” who sparked a multi-state manhunt after he brazenly gunned down a Cleveland man at random , killed himself Tuesday morning in Pennsylvania as cops closed in , authorities said .\nStephens was spotted in a McDonald 's parking lot in Erie County just after 11 a.m. by a member of the public who quickly contacted Pennsylvania State Police . After a 2-mile chase , `` troopers attempted a PIT maneuver to disable Stephens ’ vehicle ... As the vehicle was spinning out of control from the PIT maneuver , Stephens pulled a pistol and shot himself in the head , '' a state police Facebook statement said .\n“ We have closure in regards to the search for Steve Stephens , ” Mayor Frank Jackson said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference in Cleveland .\nStephens was driving a white Ford Fusion , a picture of which had been circulated by police , when he was discovered .\nCleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said officials knew of no ties Stephens had to the Erie County area , but they were continuing to investigate .\nIt was not believed that Stephens killed anyone else during his nearly 48 hours on the run , FBI Special Agent in Charge Steve Anthony said .\nPennsylvania police said they kept a close watch on an Erie casino in recent days because Stephens had a history of gambling .\nPennsylvania State Police Major William Teper Jr. said he was only aware through social media that Stephens ' cellphone had been located Sunday afternoon in Erie just hours after killing 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. on a Cleveland street . Teper said investigators are trying to determine Stephens ' movements in the area .\nStephens ' mom , Maggie Green , told Fox News on Tuesday she heard the news of her son 's death on the radio . She said she believed he would commit suicide because he visited her house before the murder to say goodbye .\n`` 'Momma this will be the last time you see me ... I just wanted to see you for the last time , ' '' Green said that Stephens told her .\n`` Steve was a good Christian person ... he just snapped ... he had a gambling problem , '' she said .\nAt a press conference earlier this morning , Cleveland police said they did not know where Stephens was .\nStephens , 37 , shot and killed Robert Godwin seemingly at random on Sunday , recording the encounter on his phone and uploading the horrific video to Facebook . Godwin 's family said he had no connection to Stephens or a woman Stephens mentioned during the incident .\nCleveland police on Monday advised residents of Pennsylvania , Michigan , Indiana and New York that Stephens could be in those states , and the manhunt for Stephens soon expanded nationwide .\nErie County , Pa. , is about 100 miles northeast of Cleveland .


His standing with veterans damaged by scandal , President Barack Obama on Tuesday defended his administration 's response to Veterans Affairs lapses that delayed health care for thousands of former service members , but conceded more needed to be done to regain their trust .\nHis appearance also had deep political overtones in a state where the Democratic senator , Kay Hagan , is facing a difficult re-election and has sought to distance herself from Obama 's policies , declaring as recently as Friday that his administration had not `` done enough to earn the lasting trust of our veterans . ''\nBut Hagan and the state 's Republican Senator , Richard Burr , were at the North Carolina Air National Guard Base to greet Obama . She welcomed him warmly and he gave her a peck on the cheek .\nObama and Hagan were both addressing the American Legion 's National convention , with the president 's address to the legionnaires the latest administration response to the health care uproar that led to the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki in May .\nObama declared that the nation owes veterans for their service and that the lengthy wait times and attempts to hide scheduling flaws were `` outrageous and inexcusable . ''\n`` We are very clear-eyed about the problems that are still there , '' Obama said . `` And those problems require us to regain the trust of our veterans and live up to our vision of a VA that is more effective and more efficient and that truly puts veterans first . And I will not be satisfied until that happens . ''\nObama promised `` a new culture of accountability '' under new Secretary Bob McDonald . `` Bob does n't play , '' Obama said .\nHe announced steps to strengthen access to mental health care by members of the military , to improve the transition for those leaving the military from care administered by the Defense Department to that run by Veterans Affairs , and to foster suicide prevention and better treatments for post-traumatic stress syndrome .\nEarlier this month , Obama signed a $ 16.3 billion law aimed at easing the long waits that tens of thousands of military veterans had endured to get medical care .\nThe law , a product of rare bipartisanship in the House and Senate , followed reports of veterans dying while awaiting appointments to see VA doctors and of a widespread practice of employees covering up months-long wait times for appointments . In some cases , employees received bonuses based on falsified records .\nThe VA says investigators have found no proof that delays in care caused any deaths at a VA hospital in Phoenix .\nMoving beyond the steps included in the law , Obama planned to take executive actions that :\n— Automatically enroll military personnel who are receiving care for mental health conditions and are leaving the service in a program that transfers them to a new care team in the VA .\n— Undertake a study designed to detect whether people show signs of being vulnerable to suicide or post-traumatic stress syndrome .\n— Spends $ 34.4 million in a VA suicide prevention study and about $ 80 million on a program to treat diseases , including post-traumatic stress syndrome .\nObama also announced a partnership with lenders such as Wells Fargo Bank , CitiMortgage , Bank of America , Ocwen Loan Servicing and Quicken Loans to make it easier for active-duty service members to obtain mortgage interest rate reductions .


In attacking Donald Trump , President Obama has managed to anger one of the nation ’ s largest and oldest veterans ’ groups .\nThe Veterans of Foreign Wars took offense at Mr. Obama ’ s assertion that its members are confused by right-wing media pundits .\n“ I don ’ t know how many VFW posts the president has ever visited , ” VFW National Commander John A. Biedrzycki Jr. said Thursday , “ but our near 1.7 million members are a direct reflection of America , which means we represent every generation , race , religion , gender and political and ideological viewpoint . ”\nHe added , “ We don ’ t have confused politics , we don ’ t need left- or right-wing media filters telling us how to think or vote , and we don ’ t need any president of the United States lecturing us about how we are individually effected by the economy . ”\nDuring a speech Wednesday in Elkhart , Indiana Mr. Obama said , “ I ’ m concerned when I watch the direction of our politics . I mean , we have been hearing this story for decades — tales about welfare queens , talking about takers , talking about the 47 percent . It ’ s the story that ’ s broadcast every day on some cable news stations , on right-wing radio . It ’ s pumped into cars and bars and VFW halls all across America , and right here in Elkhart . ”\nThe president went on , “ If you ’ re hearing that story all the time , you start believing it . It ’ s no wonder people think big government is the problem . No wonder public support for unions is so low . No wonder that people think the deficit has gone up under my presidency when it ’ s actually gone down . ”\n“ Our nation was created and continues to exist solely because of the men and women who wear the uniform , ” he said . “ Let ’ s not denigrate their service , their sacrifice or their intelligence . ”


Story highlights Obama 's plan was for a `` smarter and better '' government with demonstrable benefits\nGloria Borger says President is instead staring down rabbit hole of government incompetence\nShe says the VA scandal , after the health care website woes , highlights the problem\nBorger : Obama can be effective in managing but needs to grab control of bureaucracy\nWhen Barack Obama was a newbie president , there was no shortage of ambition or lack of confidence in the government he was about to lead . Government should be seen as a force for good , not evil . Sure , he told us , it needed to be `` smarter and better , '' but that could—and would—happen under his watch .\nNever mind that Bill Clinton spent years `` reinventing government '' with mixed success . Or that only 2 % of the American public believes that government can be trusted to do the right thing all the time . President Obama was convinced he could change all that with programs that would deliver for America—such as health care reform—and the public would be grateful .\nInstead , the President is living his own version of `` Alice Through the Looking Glass '' : staring down a rabbit hole of government bureaucracy and inefficiency . The government he has studiously tried to grow , manage and change has become his own personal nemesis . All of which makes you wonder : Does the President himself trust government anymore ?\nThe scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs is just the latest in a slew of bureaucratic messes that strike at the core power point of the Obama presidency : Making government work . Consider the disastrous health care website rollout . The IRS controversy . Even the question of NSA surveillance raises questions about the role of government : Did the civil libertarian Obama allow spies to run amok ?\nThe President is clearly having a running debate with himself over all this . About a year ago , after the NSA program was revealed and Democrats and libertarians started squawking , Obama seemed more than a tad defensive on government spying . `` If people ca n't trust not only the executive branch but also do n't trust Congress ... to make sure that we 're abiding by the Constitution ... '' he said , `` then we 're going to have some problems here . ''\nThese are not trivial matters . Health care is the signature legislative achievement of the administration , and a botched rollout made it smell bad at the start . Fixing the VA—and aiding veterans—is a cornerstone of the Obama presidency . And yet , it all looks as if somehow the bureaucracy has beaten the boss .\nJUST WATCHED House Committee grills VA witnesses Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH House Committee grills VA witnesses 00:45\nJUST WATCHED McCain : Time for Shinseki to move on Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH McCain : Time for Shinseki to move on 04:32\nJUST WATCHED VA staffers fudged numbers to meet goal Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH VA staffers fudged numbers to meet goal 02:55\nJUST WATCHED Some in VA may face criminal charges Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Some in VA may face criminal charges 06:00\nIt 's a management issue . So far as I can tell , the governing style of this administration has two extremes : issues singled out for micromanagement ( as in , foreign policy , from the West Wing ) and issues completely delegated ( as in , VA management ) . What seems to be missing is the in-between : the continual monitoring and early warning system that avoids presidential blindsiding . That 's the area in which most of the business of government actually gets done .\nAnd it can get done . The apparatus to do the nation 's business in a competent way is there . Use it , and manage it . That 's what chief executives are hired to do .\nGovernment is unwieldy and difficult and hard to tame , sure . But if your presidency is based , in large part , on telling Americans that government can work for them -- which it can -- you need to make it work .\nIt 's not that the President is a hopeless manager . He does very well when he leads a hierarchical organization with a single goal , like a presidential bid . He 's top dog , he 's not negotiating with anybody , and he 's not trying to get people to do things they do n't want to do . In a campaign , for instance , they all want to elect the same person : him .\nBut when you have to negotiate—or lead—people not related to you , or not indebted to you or who do n't agree with you , it 's a different story . Managing or negotiating with people with mixed motives ( Congress , anyone ? ) is not an Obama strong point .\nBy nature , bureaucracies are hard to trust and even harder to tame . And if a chief executive is n't careful , it 's an energy-sapping ( and legacy endangering ) vortex that sucks you right in . Just ask Obama , who was government 's best friend .\nDoes he still feel that way today ? Hard to know . But my guess is he 's a bit like Alice in Wonderland . `` I ca n't go back to yesterday , '' she said , `` because I was a different person then . ''


One of Donald Trump ’ s major themes on the 2016 campaign trail was the need to improve the health care offerings afforded to America ’ s veterans . We ’ re going to “ take care of our veterans like they have never been taken care of before ” was a fairly typical stump speech line , though he sometimes shortened it to simply a brief promise to “ take care of our vets . ”\nThis was typically laced with references to the spring 2014 VA scandal and devoid of references to the bipartisan reform legislation that passed in the wake of the scandal . Trump didn ’ t particularly have a policy critique of the Obama administration and never so much as mentioned any of Hillary Clinton ’ s policy ideas on the issue — the pitch he was making was , broadly , that Democrats didn ’ t respect or care about veterans as much as he did .\nWednesday he held meetings at his Florida estate with private sector health care leaders to discuss ways to improve things , and then , as described by the New York Times ’ s Michael Shear , briefed the press on his thinking :\nMr. Trump met with several executives of private hospital systems at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Wednesday . After the meeting , Mr. Trump called out to reporters , saying he wanted to describe his ideas for changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs , but then quickly directed one of his senior aides to describe the proposals under consideration . The official , speaking on the condition of anonymity , provided no details about how the plans would work , how much they would cost , or the possibility of unintended consequences from privatizing part of the V.A. ’ s sprawling medical system .\nLooking back to the campaign trail , it ’ s not hard to see what Trump was doing . Whether it was taking care of vets or respecting cops or reopening coal mines or getting Americans jobs in steel mills , wherever there was a stereotypically male occupational category , Trump was there to rhetorically elevate its social status .\nHe did not actually have a specific criticism of the veterans ’ health care status quo or a specific plan to improve it , and I think Americans in the relevant parts of the country will soon find that he doesn ’ t have a plan to bring back coal mining or labor-intensive forms of domestic steel production either . In many cases , that reality probably won ’ t cost Trump votes . Voting for the guy who praises steel and coal and cops and veterans rather than the woman talking about reducing student debt is at least as much a matter of identity politics as it is a matter of policy . After all , anyone interested enough in the details of veterans ’ health policy or energy policy could have figured out pretty quickly that there was no substance to Trump ’ s plans .\nBut there probably are some people out there who voted for Trump on the assumption that he had some notion of how to accomplish the things he ’ s promised . If so , they ’ re set to be sorely disappointed .


The VA 's Broken Promise To Thousands Of Vets Exposed To Mustard Gas\nIn secret chemical weapons experiments conducted during World War II , the U.S. military exposed thousands of American troops to mustard gas .\nWhen those experiments were formally declassified in the 1990s , the Department of Veterans Affairs made two promises : to locate about 4,000 men who were used in the most extreme tests , and to compensate those who had permanent injuries .\nBut the VA did n't uphold those promises , an NPR investigation has found .\nNPR interviewed more than 40 living test subjects and family members , and they describe an unending cycle of appeals and denials as they struggled to get government benefits for mustard gas exposure . Some gave up out of frustration .\nIn more than 20 years , the VA attempted to reach just 610 of the men , with a single letter sent in the mail . Brad Flohr , a VA senior adviser for benefits , says the agency could n't find the rest , because military records of the experiments were incomplete .\n`` There was no identifying information , '' he says . `` No Social Security numbers , no addresses , no ... way of identifying them . Although , we tried . ''\nYet in just two months , an NPR research librarian located more than 1,200 of them , using the VA 's own list of test subjects and public records .\nThe mustard gas experiments were conducted at a time when American intelligence showed that enemy gas attacks were imminent . The tests evaluated protective equipment like gas masks and suits . They also compared the relative sensitivity of soldiers , including tests designed to look for racial difference .\nThe test subjects who are still alive are now in their 80s and 90s . Each year more of their stories die with them .\n`` We were n't told what it was , '' says Charlie Cavell , who was 19 when he volunteered for the program in exchange for two weeks ' vacation . `` Until we actually got into the process of being in that room and realized , wait a minute , we ca n't get out of here . ''\nCavell and 11 other volunteers were locked inside a gas chamber with mustard gas piping inside . Blocks of ice sat on shelves overhead with fans blowing across them to increase the humidity in the room , which intensified mustard gas 's effects on the body . After an hour , the officer released six of the men back to their barracks . Cavell and five others were told to stay put .\nInside the chamber , Cavell 's skin started to turn red and burn in the places where he sweat the most : between his legs , behind his neck and under his arms . Blisters that eventually increased to the size of half dollar coins started to grow in the same places . At the end of the second hour , the officer ordered Cavell back to his barracks and to continue wearing his gas-saturated uniform .\nAbout This Investigation This is Part 2 of a two-part investigation on mustard gas testing conducted by the U.S. military during World War II . The first story in this report focused on race-based experiments done as part of the military 's chemical warfare program : NPR News Investigations Secret World War II Chemical Experiments Tested Troops By Race\nCavell , now 88 years old , says the officer threatened him and the other test subjects : If they told anyone about their knowledge or participation in the experiments , they would receive a dishonorable discharge and be sent to military prison at Fort Leavenworth , Kan .\n`` They put the fear of God in just a bunch of young kids , '' he says .\nThese experiments with mustard gas were conducted by the Army and Navy at more than a dozen locations . Some test subjects had only partial exposure , such as having the chemical agents applied directly onto their skin . Others were locked in gas chambers , like Cavell . A third type of test exposed troops to gas outdoors in simulated combat settings .\nIn all , roughly 60,000 World War II veterans were used as test subjects , and they kept the experiments secret for half a century . A group of them , led by Nat Schnurman , went public with their stories in 1990 .\nSchnurman , who died in 2013 when he was 87 , had suffered debilitating injuries after being tested at the U.S . Naval Training Center in Bainbridge , Md . He filed a federal lawsuit for compensation in 1979 , but was unsuccessful because of a legal doctrine that protects the military from being sued for service-related injuries . Schnurman and his wife , Joy , spent the next two decades compiling evidence of the testing in order to put pressure on the military .\nWhen the story broke , VA Deputy Secretary Anthony Principi appeared on 60 Minutes , in 1991 , to explain how the agency would respond to men who were injured in the tests : `` They should be praised for what they did , '' Principi said on the CBS News program . `` And as far as the secretary and I are concerned , we 're about to do right by them . ''\nMore than 20 years later , the VA has attempted to contact fewer than a quarter of the thousands it said it would .\nOne of the men who never heard from the VA was John Berzellini . His wife , Irene , remembers how the experiments affected his health for the rest of his life .\n`` I remember him laying up in the bedroom up there , '' she says .\nBerzellini says every winter her husband spent weeks in bed with chronic bronchitis — an illness government studies have linked to mustard gas exposure . She says they did n't know that he was eligible for disability benefits when he died of a heart attack in 1995 .\nIn the early 1990s , VA officials also announced the agency would lower its burden of proof to make getting benefits easier in these cases . The process typically relies on evidence , but most of the men in these experiments have none because the tests were done in secret .\n`` This is not an easy , not a simple thing , '' Flohr says . `` But we have done everything that we could do , I definitely believe that . ''\nThe VA created a list of illnesses that are linked to mustard gas exposure — such as skin cancer , leukemia and chronic breathing problems . According to the agency , if a veteran has an illness on the list and can prove he was exposed , he receives benefits .\nBut NPR interviewed veterans who met both of those requirements and have still been denied for years — sometimes decades — as the VA continues to request more information and proof .\nCavell says that even today , when he comes to a locked door he 's reminded of the inside of a gas chamber .\n`` There was no handle on the door . You could n't get out , '' he says . `` And that 's what I have problems with today . If I go to a locked door , I panic sometimes to try to get out . ''\nIn 1988 , Cavell requested copies of his records from the experiments he was in at the Naval Research Laboratory . Researchers there had recorded his full name in neat handwriting on lined paper . They had detailed the length of time he spent inside a gas chamber and the level of mustard gas in the air .\nCavell then submitted the documents to the VA as proof of his exposure . He filed claims for several illnesses on the VA 's list of those linked to mustard gas , including skin cancer and chronic breathing problems . But until NPR inquired about his case , all of those claims had been denied .\nAfter NPR 's inquiry , the VA told NPR there was enough evidence to grant his claims . They based that conclusion on the same information that had been sitting in his VA file for decades . Officials say they ca n't explain why the benefits were n't granted sooner . Cavell is currently being re-evaluated before the benefits can be disbursed .\nFormer CIA Director Porter Goss says the VA has mishandled these claims . Goss was a Florida congressman when he was contacted by a group of constituents who were used as test subjects and spoke out on their behalf . `` This should have been ancient history by now , '' he told NPR . `` And these people should have long been appropriately provided for . ''\nGoss says he thinks the VA never delivered on its promises because this issue has been disappearing on its own for years . About 500 World War II veterans die each day , according to data maintained by the VA. `` I do think there is a little bit of that attitude of : 'This is today 's problem , it will be gone by tomorrow , ' `` Goss says . `` But this is a bargain we made . And this goes to the essence of 'Can you trust your government ? ' And in this case I 'm afraid the answer is not yet . ''\nFlohr tells NPR his agency has followed federal statutes in its handling of claims for mustard gas exposure . But Goss says that excuse is at the core of all that is dysfunctional in Washington bureaucracies . `` I do n't think there 's an explanation for why this program was n't more successful , '' Goss says . `` If I were back in Congress , I 'd be asking that question . ''\nCongress has intervened in similar situations . It passed the Agent Orange Act in 1991 , which requires the VA to assume that all veterans who served in and around Vietnam were exposed to the chemical . And in 2010 , the VA announced it would review 90,000 previously denied Agent Orange claims . To date , these policies have not been applied to World War II vets who were exposed to mustard gas .\nOfficials at the Pentagon tell NPR it 's likely that some of the records about military mustard gas experiments were never recovered . And yet Flohr insists the VA still needs proof in order to grant claims .\n`` I 'm sorry , '' Flohr says . `` But the only thing we can do is follow our statutes and regulations . ''\nThose regulations have kept veterans like Harry Bollinger , 88 , from receiving benefits . Bollinger still has chronic breathing problems and breaks out in eczema in places where he was burned as a young Navy recruit :\n`` Around my privates and under my arms and face and everywhere else , '' he says .\nBollinger gave up appealing VA rejections in 1994 , after four years of traveling back and forth 30 miles to a VA office office in Pittsburgh . Then , in 1996 , Bollinger received a military commendation in the mail . The document acknowledges his participation in mustard gas experiments . But Bollinger says he would n't go back to the agency after the way he was treated there .\nA tattered ball cap that says World War II veteran hangs by the front door in his house . He says he is proud of his service , and he wears the cap everywhere he goes . But Bollinger says that time in his life is tainted : by the pain he felt as a human test subject in military experiments , and by the VA that told him it was n't real .\n`` That 's going to be on my tombstone , '' Bollinger says . `` U.S. Navy , Guinea Pig . That wo n't be too long now probably . ''\nNPR Investigations Research Librarian Barbara Van Woerkom contributed reporting and research to this investigation . NPR Photo Editor Ariel Zambelich and reporters Christopher Groskopf , Jani Actman and Lydia Emmanouilidou also contributed to this story .


Patient Michael Swan rests his hand on his walker as he inhales a drag while taking a cigarette break in the smoking shack outside the West Roxbury campus of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Boston , Monday , Sept. 30 , 2019 . The VA is set to ban smoking at all its grounds nationwide starting Oct. 1 , a welcome move by health-conscious veterans but not by others who enjoy a smoke between appointments . ( AP Photo/Charles Krupa )\nPatient Michael Swan rests his hand on his walker as he inhales a drag while taking a cigarette break in the smoking shack outside the West Roxbury campus of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Boston , Monday , Sept. 30 , 2019 . The VA is set to ban smoking at all its grounds nationwide starting Oct. 1 , a welcome move by health-conscious veterans but not by others who enjoy a smoke between appointments . ( AP Photo/Charles Krupa )\nCONCORD , N.H. ( AP ) — Serving up drinks at the American Legion post in Concord , Jeff Holland gets a little testy when the talk turns to smoking .\nA Marine veteran who enjoys lighting up , the 44-year-old Holland fought unsuccessfully against a ban at the post that went into effect this month . And starting Tuesday , he will be prohibited from smoking when he visits the nearby Manchester VA Medical Center in New Hampshire .\nIt is part of a nationwide smoking ban outside all VA medical facilities that applies to visitors , patients and employees .\n“ I get the aspect that it ’ s a hospital and for all practical purposes you shouldn ’ t be smoking inside the VA , ” Holland said . “ But as far outside , I think they should still have a smoking area . I mean you got guys from World War I , World War II where this is all they have known for 40 or 50 years . To kind of take that right away , it ’ s kind of a shame . ”\nSmoking was already prohibited inside VA medical buildings , but now patients , employees and visitors will not be able to puff away anywhere on the grounds . Previously , smoking was allowed in designated shelters dotting the grounds of VA medical facilities . Posters and banners promoting the ban have been put up in facilities and the VA is alerting veterans through social media and letters . They have also held forums on the ban .\n“ This is a really good thing for our veterans and our staff , ” said Kevin Forrest , associate director of the Manchester VA , which serves 27,000 veterans . “ It ’ s a safer environment . It reduces fire risk . There is certainly evidence that smoking and second-hand exposure is a medical risk for our veterans . ”\nThe smoking ban was first announced this summer . It brings the facilities in line with bans already in place at 4,000 medical facilities and four national health care systems that have made their grounds smoke free .\nBut the move isn ’ t without controversy . A third of veterans smoke , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and many were introduced to the habit while serving . Tobacco has long been tied to military : Cigarette ads featured troops , and the culture of the service historically promoted smoking on the battlefield or as a welcome respite from the stress of combat .\n“ We recognize this is a difficult change for many folks , ” John D ’ Adamo , who is co-chairing the smoke-free implementation working group for VA Boston . It is gradually implementing the ban for the 62,000 veterans it serves over the coming months , including providing resources that could help veterans kick the habit . Violators will initially be warned of the policy and eventually VA police will enforce it .\n“ This is a major cultural change , ” he continued . “ It ’ s really been something often utilized for comradery , essentially a sense of community . ”\nBut even a gradual rollout is seen as too stringent for some smokers — and even some veterans who don ’ t smoke . They argue that there should be some place for smoking at VA facilities and fear that some veterans may choose cigarettes or cigars over visiting their VA doctors .\n“ It ’ s going a little too far , ” Gregory d ’ Arbonne , president of the New Hampshire chapter of the Association of the United States Army . “ I ’ m against smoking , but there are people who smoke . When they do , they go outside and have this little smoking area . Now , what are they going to do ? ”\nJorg Dreusicke , a 72-year-old former smoker from New Hampshire who recruits members for the Veterans of Foreign Wars nationwide , called the move government overreach . He started smoking at the age of 10 and quit three years ago .\n“ It ’ s big brother telling people how to live , ” he said . “ Some people don ’ t mind because it doesn ’ t affect them . But for those it effects , they are pissed . ”\nHe predicted that after a “ period of revolt ” and much complaining , veterans would eventually return to medical centers .\nOthers are welcoming the ban , saying it is long overdue .\nTony Botticello , a 76-year-old Coast Guard veteran whose lung cancer is in remission , said he would often pass by smokers in parking lot on the way to his treatment at the Manchester VA . He smoked for over 50 years but quit smoking five years ago .\n“ It ’ s personal for me , ” he said . “ Maybe this will make somebody think about the ramifications of smoking and how some people find smoking offensive . ”


Rescuers in Thailand on Monday freed four more members of the boys soccer team stranded in a flooded cave complex , as part of the second phase of a desperate rescue operation that aims to save four more kids and the team 's coach before heavy rains imperil the effort .\nFour ambulances with flashing lights were spotted leaving the area as Thai navy SEALs said on Facebook that four boys were brought out of the cave on Monday , bringing the total to eight rescued so far before rescue operations were suspended for the day .\nChiang Rai acting Gov . Narongsak Osatanakorn said at a news conference the rescue mission on Monday took only 9 hours compared to the 11 hours the previous day , adding that rescue crews are more familiar with the mission and additional help was present . A Thai army deputy commander added that the operation went `` smoothly '' but warned the next phase `` will depend on all conditions , '' according to Sky News .\nNarongsak said that rescuers , which included 18 divers and 100 personnel , may need to adjust their operation if they choose to bring out the remaining five people on Tuesday , and that it may take multiple steps .\nThai officials stressed they are hoping the rescue operation will be wrapped up by Tuesday , and that the four who were first pulled out of the cave on Sunday are eating solid food now and in `` good condition . ''\nThe newest set of rescues came about six hours after Chiang Rai acting Gov . Narongsak Osatanakorn said the second phase was underway . One helicopter carried the sixth and seventh boys to be rescued to a hospital , while the eighth boy was being transported on another helicopter for medical treatment .\n`` All conditions are still as good as they were yesterday , '' Narongsak told a news conference . `` The boys ' strength , the plan — today we are ready like before . And we will do it faster because we are afraid of the rain . ''\nOn Sunday , Thai navy SEALs successfully retrieved the first four members of the youth soccer team from the cave where they had been trapped for more than two weeks in the first rescue operation .\nInterior Minister Anupong Paojinda said early Monday the same group of expert divers who took part in Sunday 's rescue returned to extricate the others because they know the cave conditions and what to do . He said fresh air tanks needed to be laid along the underwater route , as officials continue to pump water out of the cave .\n'DO N'T BLAME YOURSELF , ' PARENT OF TRAPPED THAI YOUTH WRITES TO BOYS ' COACH\nReuters , citing an unnamed source at a nearby hospital , reported the boys ’ conditions were “ not bad ” but will continue to be monitored .\n`` This morning they said they were hungry and wanted to eat khao pad grapao , '' Narongsak said , according to the Associated Press , referring to a Thai dish of meat fried with chili and basil and served over rice .\nIt was not immediately clear Monday how the overnight rains had impacted water levels inside the flooded cave . Officials have said storms forecast for Chiang Rai province in Thailand 's far north had factored into their decision to go ahead with a complicated and dangerous plan to have the boys and their coach dive out of the cave . If everything goes to according to plan , the operation should be completed on Tuesday , officials previously told The Wall Street Journal .\nDR. MARC SIEGEL : BOYS RESCUED FROM THAI CAVE NOW FACE POSSIBLE MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES\nNarongsak previously said experts told him flooding from new rain could shrink the unflooded space where the boys are sheltering to just 108 square feet .\n`` I confirm that we are at war with water and time from the first day up to today , '' he said . `` Finding the boys does n't mean we 've finished our mission . It is only a small battle we 've won , but the war has not ended . The war ends when we win all three battles — the battles to search , rescue and send them home . ''\nThe death Friday of a former Thai navy SEAL underscored the risks . The diver , the first fatality of the rescue effort , was working in a volunteer capacity and died on a mission to place air canisters along the passage to where the boys are , a necessary task in order for divers to safely travel the five- to six-hour route .\n4 BOYS FROM THAI SOCCER TEAM RESCUED FROM FLOODED CAVE\nAuthorities spent hours replenishing air tanks along the cave 's treacherous exit route .\nTrips from the entrance to where the team is trapped and back to the entrance take about 11 hours and include walking , wading , climbing and diving , the BBC reported . There is reportedly a guide rope in place . Two divers will accompany each boy as they are gradually extracted .\nAn international team of expert divers—90 in all , 40 from Thailand and 50 from overseas—have been working in the area .\nAbout 40 U.S. Air Force special operations personnel -- including an 18-person personnel recovery team -- were on the ground in Thailand at two locations , a U.S. defense official told Fox News .\nThe stranded boys , members of the Wild Boars soccer team , have been invited to the World Cup Final in Moscow if they make it out in time and can physically handle the trip .\nFox News ' Jeff Paul and Melissa Chrise in Chiang Rai , Thailand , Fox News ' Lucas Tomlinson , and The Associated Press contributed to this report


Activists in Hong Kong , angered by what they perceive as little progress in talks on democratic reforms with the government , marched to the home of the territory 's chief executive to demand his ouster .\nReuters says : `` Others continued to occupy main streets in the Chinese-controlled city , where they have camped for nearly a month in protest against a central government plan that would give Hong Kong people the chance to vote for their own leader in 2017 but tightly restrict the candidates to Beijing loyalists . ''\nAbout 200 protesters held signs at Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying 's home . The BBC reports that many were also angered by Leung 's recent remarks arguing that `` universal suffrage '' in the former British colony would lead to the poorer segments of society gaining control .\nAs we reported on Tuesday , the government held a televised meeting with student activists in an effort to defuse the crisis , but the results were inconclusive .\nAccording to the South China Morning Post , police had to intervene on Wednesday in Mong Kok , one of three main protest sites , to prevent taxi drivers from tearing down barriers .\n`` Rubbish bins , fences , wooden pallets and bamboo poles were ripped up by members of the Taxi Drivers and Operators Association and loaded onto the back of a truck with a crane , as angry protesters rushed to stop the destruction at the Dundas Street end of Nathan Road . ''\nThe cabbies are angry at the blocked streets that have resulted from the weeks of protests .\nThe SCMP also reports that Hong Kong 's Commerce Secretary Greg So Kam-leung has told the territory 's lawmakers that more than 70 government websites have been hacked .\nThe commerce secretary said hackers identifying themselves as from the group Anonymous `` issued a warning to the government and police force on October 2 after tear gas was fired at pro-democracy demonstrators in the city , '' SCMP says .


Click to expand Image Indians protesting against the new citizenship law and verification policies at Shaheen Bagh , a Muslim-majority neighborhood in Delhi that became the iconic image of these protests , January 31 , 2020 . ( Photo by Amarjeet Kumar Singh / SOPA Images/Sipa USA ) © Sipa via AP Images\n( New York ) – Indian authorities should immediately drop politically-motivated charges against those peacefully protesting against citizenship policies that discriminate against Muslims and release them from custody , ███ said today .\nPolice have used draconian anti-terrorism , sedition , and other laws against students , activists , and other government critics , but have not acted against violence by supporters of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) . In some cases , the police filed new charges after activists were granted bail to ensure that they remained in custody , placing them at further risk during the Covid-19 outbreak in overcrowded prisons with inadequate sanitation , hygiene , and access to medical care .\n“ The Indian authorities have used the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown to arrest activists , silence dissent , and deter future protests against discriminatory policies , ” said Meenakshi Ganguly , South Asia director at ███ . “ Instead of addressing past police abuse , the authorities seem to be trying their best to add to the list . ”\nIn December 2019 , the BJP-led government adopted the Citizenship Amendment Act , which for the first time in India makes religion a basis for citizenship . In response , protests broke out throughout the country following fears that the act , together with a planned nationwide verification process to identify “ illegal migrants , ” could threaten the citizenship rights of millions of Indian Muslims .\nViolence around the protests broke out in Delhi on February 24 , 2020 , leaving at least 53 people dead and hundreds injured , most of them Muslim . The police failed to respond adequately and were at times complicit in these attacks . The authorities have failed to conduct impartial and transparent investigations into the violence .\nWhile peaceful protests were dispersed after the government announced a lockdown in March 2020 to contain the spread of Covid-19 , the authorities have since started arresting protesters , including students and activists , and filing charges of sedition , murder , and terrorism under the Unlawful Activities ( Prevention ) Act ( UAPA ) , accusing them of a “ conspiracy ” to “ defame the country in the international arena . ”\nThose arrested include Meeran Haider , Safoora Zargar , Asif Iqbal Tanha , and Gulfisha Fatima , student activists ; Shifa-Ur-Rehman and Khalid Saifi , activists ; Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal , student activists from the feminist collective Pinjra Tod ; Tahir Hussain , a local political leader from Aam Aadmi Party ; and Ishrat Jahan , local leader from the opposition Congress party .\nZargar , arrested on April 10 for rioting , was granted bail three days later . But that day the police booked her under the UAPA and for murder and sedition . She was denied bail on those charges despite her being in the second trimester of pregnancy and having an underlying medical condition , two factors that could place her at heightened risk of complications if she were to contract Covid-19 .\nKalita and Narwal were granted bail after being arrested for rioting . In Kalita ’ s case , the magistrate noted that the police could not produce any concrete evidence to prove her role in the violence . However , the Delhi police immediately booked them on other charges , including sedition , murder , and under the UAPA , and they remain in jail .\nViolence broke out in Delhi on February 24 , soon after a local BJP politician , Kapil Mishra , demanded that the police clear the roads of protesters . Tensions had been building for weeks , with BJP leaders openly advocating violence against the protesters , portraying anyone who spoke out against the government as working against the country ’ s interests .\nClashes between BJP supporters and citizenship law protesters soon transformed into Hindu mobs rampaging through northeast Delhi , killing Muslims and damaging their homes , shops , mosques , and property . While several Hindus were also killed , including a policeman and a government official , Muslims overwhelmingly bore the brunt of the violence .\nActivists fear the police have overwhelmingly arrested Muslim residents from northeast Delhi neighborhoods where the violence took place in February , some of them victims of attacks , while failing to act against those responsible for the mob violence . The Delhi police have denied these allegations , saying the number of people arrested from the two communities are “ almost identical to each other , ” but have failed to disclose arrest details . The authorities have even provided contradictory information . In March , Home Minister Amit Shah told parliament that the violence was a “ well-planned conspiracy ” and that the police had filed over 700 cases , and detained 2,647 people . In a media briefing a day later , the Delhi police said that 200 people had been arrested . A month later , in reply to a Right to Information request , the Delhi police claimed that 48 people had been arrested . In May , a police spokesperson said that more than 1,300 people had been arrested in over 750 cases .\nIn several cases , ███ found that the police did not follow procedures established under the criminal code such as producing an arrest warrant , informing the person ’ s family of the arrest , and providing them a copy of the First Information Report , the official police case , or ensuring that those arrested have access to legal counsel , including during interrogation .\nA lawyer reported that his 45-year-old client was accused of looting and burning a shop as part of a mob . On April 2 , when the man and his wife were not at home , several policemen barged into their house , searched it , and took their younger son to the police station . His son was released only when the man presented himself to the police , who detained him without telling him or his wife of his charges . His wife was given a copy of the First Information Report after 10 days . He was not able to meet or speak to his lawyer until he received bail over two months later .\nA 35-year-old man who was shot and injured during the violence in Delhi in February was detained without a warrant on April 7 , his lawyer said . His family went to three police stations to inquire about his whereabouts but were given no information . They were eventually informed that he had been arrested but were not given a copy of the First Information Report . His lawyer had to apply for his records through the courts and found out that he was charged with murder . He remains in jail .\nDue to the Covid-19 lockdown , those arrested have limited to no access to legal counsel or to family members . A 21-year-old man was arrested on April 7 on charges of rioting and arson . His lawyer told ███ that she is yet to meet her client : “ At the beginning of the lockdown , access to court records was a huge challenge . Generally , people being arrested were being sent into judicial remand without a lawyer present . I have had no contact with my client . Under normal circumstances , he would have been produced in court every 14 days and I would check on his health , have a conversation with him , move an application if he needs anything , but I can not do any of that now . ”\nActivists and students across the country , especially in BJP-ruled states , continue to be targeted for participating in anti-citizenship law protests . In Uttar Pradesh state , Farhan Zuberi , a student at Aligarh Muslim University , was arrested on charges of sedition , rioting , and attempted murder . Dr. Kafeel Khan was initially arrested for promoting enmity between groups for a speech during the protests , but after he received bail on February 11 , he was charged under the draconian National Security Act and kept in custody .\nIn Assam state , the police arrested several activists , charging some of them with sedition and under the UAPA . In January , Delhi police charged a university student , Sharjeel Imam , with sedition and he remains in jail . In February , Amulya Leona Noronha was arrested for sedition in Karnataka for raising the slogans for Pakistan and India unity at a protest but released on bail after over three months in detention because the authorities failed to file charges within the 90-day mandated time period .\n███ previously documented that the authorities responded to the largely peaceful protests in a partisan manner . In many cases , when BJP-affiliated groups attacked protesters , the police did not intervene .\nNor have the authorities taken any action against BJP leaders who incited violence against the protesters , calling to “ shoot ” them . The Delhi High Court , while hearing petitions about the violence in February , questioned the police decision to not file cases against BJP leaders advocating violence , saying it sent the wrong message and perpetuated impunity . The government ’ s attorney said that the situation was not “ conducive ” for registering complaints against BJP leaders .\nIndian authorities should uphold the rights to freedom of expression , association , and peaceful assembly , ███ said . The government should act to repeal or substantially revise the UAPA as well as repeal the colonial-era sedition law to end the abuses committed under these laws .\n“ Instead of locking up people who dare to speak out against discriminatory government policies , the authorities should listen to their legitimate fears and grievances , ” Ganguly said . “ The government has repeatedly said that minorities in India have nothing to fear , and the authorities should put actions to those words . ”


Nepali Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli has said that Hindu deity Ram was born in the Himalayan nation and not India , as he accused New Delhi of `` encroaching on cultural facts '' amid frayed diplomatic relations between the two South Asian neighbours .\n`` We have been oppressed a bit culturally . Facts have been encroached , '' Oli said at a function at his residence in the capital , Kathmandu , on Monday , according to Nepali news website setopati.com .\nAccording to Hindu mythology , Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya town located in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and married to Sita from Janakpur located in present-day Nepal .\nBut the 68-year-old leader claimed Ayodhya is a village to the west of the Nepali border town of Birgunj . He added that Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh , about 135km from state capital Lucknow , is a more recent creation of India 's .\nA demonstrator shouts slogans after being arrested in Kathmandu during a protest against India 's newly inaugurated link road [ Prakash Mathema/AFP ]\n`` We still believe that we gave Sita to Indian Prince Ram . But we gave to the prince from Ayodhya , not India . Ayodhya is a village a little west to Birgunj , not the Ayodhya created now , '' he was quoted as saying by setopati.com .\nIndia 's Hindu far-right believe Ram was born at the site of a medieval-era mosque . The Babri mosque was demolished by a Hindu mob in 1992 . Last year India 's Supreme Court gave the disputed land to Hindus to build a Ram Temple , asking Muslims to build a mosque far from the site .\nOn Tuesday , Nepal 's foreign ministry sought to clarify Oli 's comments .\n`` As there have been several myths and references about Shri Ram and the places associated with him , the prime minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research of the vast cultural geography the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram , Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilization , '' the ministry said in a statement .\n`` The remarks were not meant to debasing the significance of Ayodhya and the cultural value it bears . ''\nThe Nepali prime minister has attacked India several times since a diplomatic row erupted on May 8 when New Delhi inaugurated a Himalayan road link passing through the disputed territory of Kalapani . Nepal opposes a controversial Indian map published last November that showed Kalapani in India .\nLast month , Nepal 's parliament approved a new political map , showing Kalapani , Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura within its borders , drawing strong reactions from India .\nOli has in the past accused New Delhi of conspiring to topple his government , and last week banned private Indian channels for `` character assassination '' and airing `` false propaganda '' .\nAnalysts say Oli 's tirade against India likely aims to divert attention from domestic political troubles . Senior leaders from his ruling National Communist Party ( NCP ) have been seeking his resignation over his leadership style and governance failure . He has also faced the ire of the people for his handling of the coronavirus crisis .\nThe Nepali prime minister has also accused India of spreading the coronavirus pandemic into his country .\nSenior NCP leaders have also criticised Oli 's anti-India remarks that were deemed `` neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate '' .\nA spokesman from India 's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) has criticised Oli and accused the left parties of `` playing with peoples ' faith '' .\n`` Lord Ram is a matter of faith for us , and people will not allow anybody , be it prime minister of Nepal or anyone , to play with this , '' Bizay Sonkar Shastri told the Times of India newspaper .


Thursday was a traditional Chinese holiday that follows a lunar calendar , and it coincidentally came right after the National Day holiday this year . As a result , many people had expected the rallies to remain just as large on Thursday as on Wednesday .\nDemonstrators were making a bigger effort by midmorning Thursday to minimize their disruption to commerce . Ken Lee , a 17-year-old hotel worker , sat on a gray plastic stool next to a row of safety cones — commandeered earlier from the police — that partly blocked the entrance to Queens Road , an important commercial street in Hong Kong . He explained that he was supposed to remove the cones not just for emergency vehicles that might come along , but also for delivery vehicles . Moments later , a newspaper deliveryman on a bicycle and a large bakery truck appeared . Mr. Lee politely moved the cones . The city ’ s leadership has concluded that it would be pointless for Mr. Leung to sit down with protest leaders , although a few informal contacts have been made with democracy advocates and a few of Mr. Leung ’ s friends have recommended negotiations . Beijing has given the Hong Kong government only a little room to negotiate the details of how the next chief executive will be elected in 2017 — the fundamental issue for the demonstrators .\n“ The government can tolerate the blockade of three or four or five areas and see how the demonstrations go , so the only way the demonstrators can go is to escalate it — spread it to more places , and then they can not sustain it — or they will become violent , ” said a person who is involved in the Hong Kong government ’ s decision-making .\nAn adviser to the government said the officials believed that Mr. Leung should bide his time . “ The consensus is to wait and patiently deal with the crisis — it is not easy , but we shall do our best to resolve it peacefully , ” the adviser said .\nThe strategy carries risks for the local and national governments because it in effect cedes momentum to the protesters and allows them to drive events . For China , continuing protests could inspire more dissent on the mainland , despite its censors ’ attempts to block discussion of the events . Chinese Human Rights Defenders , an advocacy group , said Wednesday that China had already detained or intimidated dozens of people for perceived transgressions like expressing support for the protesters on social media .\nFor the Hong Kong government , the risk is that the city ’ s image as a stable financial center will be harmed and that the government ’ s intransigence , rather than the protesters ’ actions , will be blamed for the disruption .


India has seen a sudden increase in attacks on Christians as more people are circulating since the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted .\nAccording to International Christian Concern ( ICC ) , eight separate attacks have taken place in two weeks involving radical Hindu nationalist groups that are physically assaulting Christians and damaging their property .\nThe most recent incident occurred on June 21 where a pastor was praying for a sick person in Kolonguda village .\nA mob of 150 people broke into Pastor Suresh Rao 's house , then dragged him out and severely beat him .\n`` They kicked me like they would kick a football , '' Pastor Rao said . `` They dragged me into the street and pushed me to the ground . There , they started to trample on me . They tore my clothes , kicked me all over my body , and punched my left eye . I have sustained a serious eye injury as a result of a blood clot . ''\nThe pastor was accused of trying to convert Hindus to Christianity .\n`` They said that India is a Hindu nation , and there is no place for Christians , '' Rao explained .\n`` I am prepared for this kind of eventuality , '' Pastor Rao explained . `` I know the cost of serving Jesus in these remote villages , and I will continue to serve the people of this region . ''\nAnother incident took place in India 's Tamil Nadu state where a church was reduced to ashes , leaving 100 Christians with no house of worship .\n`` I was so distressed and pained in my heart , '' Pastor Ramesh , head pastor of Real Peace Church said . `` It was hard labor for 10 years to build the church . All the hard work and sacrificial donations from the poor congregants were brought down to the ground . All that is left is ash . ''\n`` In the last ten years , I have been told numerous times by radicals to close the church . By God 's grace , I was able to endure all these hardships and abuses , but this time it is total devastation , '' the pastor added .\nAnd on June 13 , radicals threatened members of Laymen Evangelical Fellowship Church while they were setting up the church to reopen after being on lockdown .\nPastor Augustine said radicals were telling Christians that praying or gathering at church was forbidden and that Christians had caused the virus to spread .\n`` We do n't know what future holds , '' Pastor Augustine said . `` However , we are concerned that the radicals will not allow us to have a church service . ''\nIndian Christians fear the persecution will continue as more people begin to emerge from the COVID-19 lockdown .\nSTAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FREE ███ NEWS APP !\nClick Here Get the App with Special Alerts on Breaking News and Live Events !\nWe encourage readers who wish to comment on our material to do so through our Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , and Instagram accounts . God bless you and keep you in His truth .


WASHINGTON – The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency suggested to a gathering of conservative Republicans on Saturday that the agency could begin as early as next week the process of rolling back some of the federal regulations put in place by the Obama administration .\n`` The future ain ’ t what it used to be '' at the EPA , Scott Pruitt said during an address at the Conservative Political Action Conference , or CPAC .\nPruitt , who started at the agency Tuesday , did not specifically indicate what rules President Trump 's administration will target immediately . But he cited a controversial clean water rule as an example of a regulation that went too far .\nThe regulation – known as the Waters of the United States Rule and adopted by the Obama administration – expands the definition of waters subject to the jurisdiction of the EPA under the Clean Water Act .\nCritics charge the rule so broadly expands the federal government ’ s authority that it would be able to regulate ditches and small bodies of water . The EPA finalized the rule in May 2015 but it has been blocked by a federal appeals court pending further legal challenges .\nCongress voted last year to overturn the rule by invoking a rarely used law known as the Congressional Review Act . But President Obama vetoed that resolution .\nNew EPA head tells employees to 'avoid abuses ' in regulating process\nTrump 's new EPA head is in the middle of an email controversy\nSenate confirms Scott Pruitt for EPA chief amid last-minute drama\nIn his CPAC address , Pruitt , who as Oklahoma attorney general sued the EPA 14 times , said people who want to eliminate the agency are `` justified '' for such attitudes because of the regulatory overreach by the Obama administration .\n`` People across this country look at the EPA like they look at the IRS , '' he said . `` I hope to be able to change that . ''\nUnder his leadership , Pruitt said , the EPA would pay close attention to the rule-making process to ensure any new rules do not go beyond what is allowed under federal law .\n“ Executive agencies only have the power that Congress has given them , ” he said . “ They can ’ t make it up as they go . They can ’ t fill in the blank . ”\nOne of his top priorities , he said , will be providing businesses with “ regulatory certainty . ”\n“ We ’ re going to provide certainty by living within the framework that Congress has passed , ” he said . Obama-era regulations that don ’ t fit within that framework will be rolled back , Pruitt added .\nPruitt also promised to work with the states as “ partners , not adversaries ” on issues such as clean air and water .


ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE ( ███ ) - U.S. President Donald Trump is pleased with Scott Pruitt ’ s performance as head of the Environmental Protection Agency but allegations of ethical missteps “ have raised some concerns , ” a White House spokesman said on Thursday .\nThe White House is hopeful Pruitt will be able to answer those concerns , spokesman Raj Shah told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Elkhart , Indiana .\nPruitt has been under fire for potential ethics lapses , including flying first class , excessive spending on security , and the rental of a room in a Washington condominium owned by the wife of an energy lobbyist .\n“ The president is pleased with the job that he ’ s doing as the administrator . However , the issues that have been raised that I think you guys are all familiar with - they have raised some concerns , ” Shah said .\n“ We ’ re hopeful and expecting that Administrator Pruitt will be able to answer those , ” he said .\nThe EPA has defended Pruitt ’ s spending on travel and security , saying it has been crucial to protecting him from public threats and ensuring he can conduct confidential work , and have also pointed out that Pruitt ’ s lease for the room in Washington , of about $ 50 a night he was there , was around market rate .\nPruitt has drawn praise from conservatives during his EPA tenure for rolling back Democratic former President Barack Obama ’ s policy to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other environmental regulations opposed by industry .\nAlthough Trump has expressed support for Pruitt for his work on scaling back environmental regulations , White House sources have told ███ officials are worried about the flow of charges against him .\nThere are nearly a dozen pending investigations into Pruitt with the EPA inspector general , the Government Accountability Office and the White House Office of Management and Budget , as well as the U.S. House of Representatives oversight committee .


The carbon emissions rule would be one of Obama ’ s largest legacy achievements . How Obama 's team sold the EPA rule\nOnce again facing a big decision , President Barack Obama chose a familiar path : a walk around the South Lawn of the White House with chief of staff Denis McDonough .\nPodesta ’ s a runner , and he couldn ’ t look more like one . But he ’ s not used to meetings on the move—even if this one was to discuss the progress on climate change , the issue he ’ s been trying to get more attention to for years and came back to the White House in January to lead .\nThe EPA ’ s proposed carbon emissions standards rule released Monday is one of the most significant actions the federal government ’ s ever taken on climate change . If finalized next year and put in place , it would be one of Obama ’ s largest legacy achievements .\nMaking sure that it didn ’ t seem like a big deal or all about Obama was all part of Podesta ’ s plan .\nInterviews with Podesta and other senior White House aides on Monday portrayed a White House that had been closely involved along every step of the way , from drafting the rule to the roll-out and messaging effort surrounding it .\nLap after lap that evening in mid-May , Podesta and McDonough talked the president through the proposed rule . He wanted to know how it squared with promises he had made in Copenhagen in 2009 , would hold up against the inevitable court challenges and how they ’ d attempted to balance the concerns of business , labor , Democrats and green groups so that everyone walked away not too disappointed and excited enough .\nLast week in the Oval Office , Obama signed off on the outreach and messaging strategy Podesta and climate adviser Dan Utech briefed him on . The president wanted all the groups they needed bought in . He wanted the White House to be ready with whatever rebuttals they ’ d need . And most of all , he wanted to minimize the prospects of this becoming yet another flashpoint .\n“ He wanted to know , ” Podesta said Monday evening , relaxed after a successfully calm roll-out day , “ ‘ Okay , how are we prepared for battle here ? ’ ”\nObama had all day Monday for an event at the White House , or maybe in front of a power plant , running footage for the evening news of him announcing his plan to save the planet . Just last week , he ’ d talked to the graduating cadets at West Point about the likelihood that they ’ d have food riot duty in their futures . Instead , they had EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy make the announcement , keeping Obama to a conference call run by the American Lung Association .\n“ The idea was to modulate his involvement , ” said an administration official .\nFor seven minutes , Obama held forth on children ’ s asthma , which White House data showed was the most compelling angle they had — pointing out the disparate rates in the African-American and Latino community — with only a passing reference to taking care of “ this beautiful blue ball in the middle of space , ” just before he put down the phone .\nFor months , Podesta ran a strategy to seed support for the rule , planning a sequence of events to get people thinking about the administration ’ s efforts on climate change — a visit to the California wildfire damage in February , a solar summit at the White House in April , the National Climate Assessment in May ( complete with an afternoon of interviews by weathermen in the Rose Garden ) .\nThe effort , Podesta said , was “ try to tell a story to the American people so these individual actions didn ’ t come in a way that they didn ’ t understand what the overall strategy was . ”\nBy the time Hurricane Sandy hit in October 2012 , the Obama campaign was certain he was going to win . But looking out at the damage to the Jersey Shore from his helicopter , he talked , aides said , about how the area would need to rebuild in a totally different way — with climate change in mind .\nThe change that really mattered , though , was the amount of coverage the storm was getting — hitting the media capital helped — and the way the White House felt it resonating with people around the country . They don ’ t like to use the word opportunity to describe where they found themselves after Sandy , but that ’ s what this was .\n“ It was something he always knew he was going to come back to , ” said White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri . “ But Sandy also put the connection between climate and weather and the impact it could have on the radar for Americans in a level to which prior to that it had not broken . ”\nClimate change hadn ’ t gone well for the White House in the first term — the House barely passed a cap-and-trade bill in 2009 that died in the Senate — but became yet another campaign issue that helped Republicans take the House and pick up Senate seats in the 2010 midterms .


Agencies use loopholes to avoid transparency , the author writes . | John Shinkle/███ How the EPA skirts transparency\nIt appeared to be the dawn of a new day when , in January 2009 , President Barack Obama proclaimed that his administration would be “ committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government . We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency , public participation and collaboration . ”\nBut more than four years later Americans continue to wait for the president to make good on those promises .\nInstead of more sunshine on how federal bureaucracies operate , agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency have increasingly utilized regulatory loopholes to avoid transparency and pander to special interests .\nOne such Clinton-era tactic , known as “ sue and settle , ” is perhaps the most devious way in which agencies make sweeping policy changes , while keeping Congress and the American people in the dark .\nUnder this process , environmental groups and a federal agency agree to enter into a lawsuit that alleges that the agency has failed to meet a regulatory deadline or requirement . The two parties then settle with a preconceived consent decree that circumvents the traditional rule-making process and “ forces ” the agency to quickly implement mutually agreed-upon rules .\nIn a recently released report , the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that EPA chose not to defend itself in lawsuits brought by special interest advocacy groups at least 60 times between 2009 and 2012 . As the Chamber notes , “ these settlements directly resulted in EPA agreeing to publish more than 100 new regulations , many of which impose compliance costs in the tens of millions and even billions of dollars . ”\nNot surprisingly , in each case , EPA settled on terms dictated by environmentalists — 34 times with the Sierra Club alone — without input or review from Congress , stakeholders or even the Office of Management and Budget . In fact , EPA does not disclose that it is even being sued until the two parties have already struck a deal and that agreement is filed in court .\nWorse yet for taxpayers , the environmental groups ’ lawyers are paid directly out of federal coffers .\nThose fees also lack appropriate transparency . In 2012 , the Government Accountability Office reported that of the 75 agencies GAO contacted , a staggering 65 did not maintain records of why or what taxpayers were forking over for frivolous lawsuits .