CURRENT EVENTS MAY 19 -21

Sources contradict Trump narrative about Qatar offering plane as ‘gift’​



“The Trump administration first approached Qatar to inquire about acquiring a Boeing 747 that could be used as Air Force One by President Donald Trump, four sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.

That’s contrary to the narrative from the president that Qatar reached out and offered the jet as a “gift” to him.

After Trump took office in January, the Pentagon contacted Boeing and was told the company would not be able to deliver the new jets it was building to replace the aging presidential planes for another two years, the sources said.

The Trump administration, however, wanted a replacement plane much faster, and the Air Force was exploring different options for doing so. At the same time, Trump tasked his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff with finding a list of viable planes, a senior White House official told CNN.

…
Beyond the ethical and legal questions, retrofitting and installing the required security and communications equipment on a second-hand plane from another government, even a friendly one, is a monumental task.

It could take two years and cost multiples of what the plane itself is worth, current and former officials have told CNN. US spy and security agencies tasked with the overhaul would need to essentially strip the aircraft down to its frame and rebuild it with the necessary equipment.

… The two Boeing 747-800s that are set to become the permanent Air Force One replacements are due to be delivered in 2027, in the second half of Trump’s final term.

“I would not necessarily guarantee that date, but they are proposing to bring it in ’27, if we can come to agreement on the requirement changes,” the Air Force’s acting acquisitions chief, Darlene Costello, told Congress earlier this month.

That’s five years later than the original delivery date but still two years earlier than Boeing had recently predicted.
 


“… “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” he wrote in a Truth Social postannouncing a return to a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture” for the storied theater.

… And yet the 2025-26 season announced Monday will include Chicago, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Monty Python’s Spamalot, all of which typically feature performers in drag, The New York Times reported.

… Last month, the Kennedy Center quietly canceledseveral Pride Month events that were scheduled for June. At a dinner for the Kennedy Center board on Monday, Trump boasted that the arts institution had balanced its budget, eliminated DEI initiatives, and “brought back family-friendly programming that will attract large audiences once again.”“

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I don’t pay much attention to The Kennedy Center and wouldn’t usually know what is on their schedule unless a Kennedy Center event popped up on PBS, so I’m not sure how different their headliner lineup is from what would be typical. I do think it is worth someone paying attention to see if any of these productions are tweaked to eliminate LGBTQ story arcs or moments, but mainly because POTUS himself cared so much to have himself installed as the leader and he is spending a surprising amount of time on this.
 
nycfan said:


“… “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” he wrote in a Truth Social postannouncing a return to a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture” for the storied theater.

… And yet the 2025-26 season announced Monday will include Chicago, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Monty Python’s Spamalot, all of which typically feature performers in drag, The New York Times reported.

… Last month, the Kennedy Center quietly canceledseveral Pride Month events that were scheduled for June. At a dinner for the Kennedy Center board on Monday, Trump boasted that the arts institution had balanced its budget, eliminated DEI initiatives, and “brought back family-friendly programming that will attract large audiences once again.”“

——
I don’t pay much attention to The Kennedy Center and wouldn’t usually know what is on their schedule unless a Kennedy Center event popped up on PBS, so I’m not sure how different their headliner lineup is from what would be typical. I do think it is worth someone paying attention to see if any of these productions are tweaked to eliminate LGBTQ story arcs or moments, but mainly because POTUS himself cared so much to have himself installed as the leader and he is spending a surprising amount of time on this.
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Lest we forget that, for over a millennia, in many cultures, most of the actors who played female characters were men.
 
4thgenheel said:
the dumbest people are running the country. what a shitshow.
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I just don't understand where her education failed her. Let's see, she attended an institution called Northern State University from 90-94 but didn't graduate. Then she took some classes at "Mount Marty College" and some online classes from U of South Dakota. 25 years after matriculation, she had her BA.

You'd think after such a long time of dedicated study, she would have picked up a few things.
 
superrific said:
I just don't understand where her education failed her. Let's see, she attended an institution called Northern State University from 90-94 but didn't graduate. Then she took some classes at "Mount Marty College" and some online classes from U of South Dakota. 25 years after matriculation, she had her BA.

You'd think after such a long time of dedicated study, she would have picked up a few things.
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reminiscent of the situation in NC where the rethuglicans installed the fucking jarrett bay guy as the goddamn president of the UNC system BOG.

they love putting people in charge of things that they have no business being even tangentially involved in.
 
nycfan said:
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Blind squirrel finds nut.
nycfan said:






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This is a harrowing article, maybe the best pictures and videos I’ve seen yet that capture the level of destruction these small communities faced. I was up in Black Mountain and Old Fort this weekend- the destruction is still astounding. And now there are frequent power outages due to the recently repaired infrastructure. It seems tourism is still down and businesses that were struggling to hang on are now beginning to close.
 
nrsair said:
Blind squirrel finds nut.


This is a harrowing article, maybe the best pictures and videos I’ve seen yet that capture the level of destruction these small communities faced. I was up in Black Mountain and Old Fort this weekend- the destruction is still astounding. And now there are frequent power outages due to the recently repaired infrastructure. It seems tourism is still down and businesses that were struggling to hang on are now beginning to close.
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I can’t recommend the article enough — really outstanding work.
 
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