Transcript

2.23.26 · Washington Post

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Speaker 1: Good morning everybody, and happy mondayland. Let's start another week
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and welcome today to the reading of the Washington Post
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for this Monday, February twenty third. As a reminder, Radio
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I is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
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read printed material. Your reader today is Rod Brotherton, and
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usually we start Mondays by reading Paul Prather's weekly column
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from the Lexington Hair Leader, printed on Sunday, but Paul
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got off this week, so let's start with the news
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our headline. Armed man shot and killed inside mar Alago perimeter,
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the Secret Service says the US Secret Service agents and
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a Palm Beach County deputy's man shot and killed a
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man who entered the secure perimeter a President Trump's mar
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A Lago estate yesterday morning. The Secret Service said in
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a statement, Trump was not at Marlow I'll go this weekend.
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Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw told reporters Sunday morning
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that the individual, identified as Austin Tucker Martin, a twenty
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one year old white man from Cameron, North Carolina, was
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carrying a gas canister and a shotgun. Bradshaw confirmed the
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identification of Martin after initially withholding it until officials could
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notify his family. According to Bradshaw, the officers confronted Martin
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around one point thirty a m. And ordered him to
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put down the gas canister and gun. He put down
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the canister and raised the shotgun, then to a shooting position.
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Bradshaw said. At that point in time, the deputy and
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two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and shot and
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killed the man, who died at the scene, Bradshaw said.
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Bradshaw said the incident happened just inside the inner perimeter
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of mar A Lago, near the estate's northgate. No officers
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were injured during the incident. At Marlago, officials said Martin's
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family had reported him missing on Saturday. An art website
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and an Instagram account that appeared connected to Martin heavily
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featured drawings and illustrations of golf courses. Mar Lago is
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several miles away from one of Trump's signature golf courses,
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the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Bradshaw
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did not specify which officers fired their weapons or how
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many shots were fired, saying that is under investigation. Officers
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involved in the incident were wearing body cameras. He said.
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Officials will release photos of the man's weapon. He added,
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the FBI is the lead agency running the investigation, Bradshaw said,
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with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office assisting. There's a
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lot more investigation to be done. Bradshaw's in Fortunately, nobody
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was in jeopardy inside because of the quick action that
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was taken by the deputies and the Secret Service. Brett Skiles,
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the Special Agent in charge of the FBI's Miami Field Office,
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said the bureau was still processing the scene and collecting evidence.
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Skyles urged people who live in the area near the
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president's estate to check exterior security camorrhage for footage of
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Saturday night leading to Sunday morning and report anything that
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looked suspicious to law enforcement officers. On Sunday, White House
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Press Secretary Caroline Levitt posted on X that the Secret
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Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person
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who intruded President Trump's home. FBI Director Cosh Patel, who
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was in Italy over the weekend at the Olympics, set
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on AX that the Bureau is dedicating all necessary resources
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in the investigation. As of Sunday afternoon, the president had
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not commented on the incident on social media, where he
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posts about the US men's hockey team beating Canada to
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secure Olympic gold. Trump has survived two assassination attempts, both
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during the twenty twenty four election year, events that factored
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into that year's election and have played a significant role
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in the political image making of Trump's second term. On
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July thirteenth, twenty twenty four, a gunman on a rooftop
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fired several shots at Trump during a campaign speech in Butler, Pennsylvania.
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The then candidate was grazed by a bullet and two
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other people were critically injured, and one attendee was killed.
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The gunman was killed by the Secret Service. A few
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days later, Trump appeared at the Republican National Convention, where
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he wearing a bandage over his ear, and then months later,
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in September of twenty twenty four, a man armed with
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a rifle was spotted outside Trump's golf course in West
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Palm Beach as Trump played around. Secret servants agents intervened
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and the man was later convicted of attempted assassination. Trump
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has consistently linked the assassination attempts to what he calls
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angry rhetoric from his political opponents, whom he accuses of
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trying to style me his greater vision for America. But
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he also has depicted his surviving the attempts on his
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life as a sign of divine intervention. As he sought
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the nation's highest office just a few months ago in
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a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin's bullet ripped through my ear,
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Trump said during his second inaugural address. But I felt,
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and I believe even moreso now that my life was
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saved for a reason. I was saved by God to
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make a good America great again. Drop has leaned into
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that theme throughout his second term. A few weeks ago,
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while addressing GOP House members, he stopped his remarks to
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point out the photographer who captured a picture of a
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bullet's path in Butler. The president has installed a painting
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that depicts a moment after the shooting, a lot across
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his face with his fence fist raised in defiance in
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the White House entrance hall. It is among the first
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thing visitors see when coming through the front door, and
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next sixty percent disapprove of Trump. Ahead of the State
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of the Union, The Post ABC ipsos pole finds, but
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Democrats have made a little headway persuading Americans they have
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better ID it is or policies. As President Trump prepares
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to address the nation Tuesday evening, Americans remain generally sour
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about his performance, with majorities disapproving of his handling of
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priority initiatives while saying he has overreached the authority of
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his office. According to a Washington Post ABC News ipsos poll,
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the president's approval rating stands at thirty nine percent positive
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and sixty percent negative, including forty seven percent who say
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they strongly disapprove. The last time Trump's disapproval touched sixty
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percent or shortly after the January sixth, twenty twenty one
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attack at the US Capitol. Among registered voters, Trump's approval
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is forty one percent and his disapproval is fifty eight percent.
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Dissatisfaction with Trump applies to specific issues as well, so
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with significant majorities saying they disapprove of how he is
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handling the economy, tariffs, inflation, and relations with other countries.
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His worst rating is on inflation. Thirty two percent approve
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of how he has dealt with the issue the question
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of his handling the economy. Overall, forty one percent approved,
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but while he still gets low ratings on this the
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gap between negative and positive assessments has narrowed from twenty
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five points negative in October to sixteen this month. For Democrats,
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Trump's relatively low standing provides opportunities for the upcoming midterm elections,
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but the party out of power has made little headway
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in persuading Americans that they have better ideas or policies
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to offer, and are scene is no more in touch
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with the concerns of the average person. Ask whether the
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Trump or Democrats whether they trust Trump or Democrats in
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Congress to handle major issues, thirty three percent cite the President,
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thirty one say Democrats, four percent say both equally and
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crucially thirty one percent say neither. In April, Trump led
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by thirty seven to thirty on this question. Trump will
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deliver the State of the Union address to a joint
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session of Congress after a disruptive first year that has
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produced some successes but more controversies. Though his approval rating
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a sad from the early months of twenty twenty five,
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is not statistically changed from forty one percent in October
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that highlights the degree to which opinions about Trump remain
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firm and largely fixed among both his supporters and the
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far larger group of detractors. In the new poll, eighty
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five percent of Republicans approve of Trump's job performance, while
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ninety four percent of Democrats and sixty nine percent of
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independence to disapprove Independence disapprove. Those numbers are almost identical
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to the partisan breakdown in a post ABC IPSOS poll
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in October. Trump has issued more executive orders by far
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in the first year of his second term than any
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recent president, and those offer efforts do not set well
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with most Americans. Nearly two and three but sixty five
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percent say he has gone beyond his authority and exercising
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the powers he claims, rising from fifty seven percent early
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in his second term. Most Americans, at fifty six percent,
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say he is not committed to protecting America's rights and freedoms.
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More than six point ten at sixty two percent say
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he is using the presidency to enrich himself, and fifty
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six percent say his administration has not been transparent in
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releasing government files from the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. Other
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aspects of his presidency also draw negative reactions after earlier
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threats to take over Greenland, from which he has backed away,
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and only six weeks after the capture of Venezuelan President
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Nicolas Murado. A majority at fifty four percent say they
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oppose his use of the military to force changes in
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other countries, while twenty percent do support him and twenty
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six percent expressing no opinion. Those findings provide a snapshot
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of public opinion as the president weighs possible military action
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against Iran. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy
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Junior has helped engineer new recommendations against the use of
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many vaccines for children, but fifty three percent of Americans
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oppose recommending fewer childhood vaccinations, while twenty one percent support
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this and the remainder offered no opinion. Two issues were
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critical to Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in
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twenty twenty four. One was immigration, and on this issue,
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opinions are mixed. By fifty to forty eight percent. Americans
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say they support Trump's call to deport an investimated fourteen
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million undocumented immigrants in the United States, but fifty eight
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percent say he has gone too far in trying to
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deport undocumented immigrants, up to ten percentage points over the
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last ten months. That finding is consistent with other polls
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that found majorities support some of the Trump's goals but
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oppose the methods. The immigration issue has begun to turn
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against Trump after what happened in Minnesota Life last month,
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About six in ten say they opposed the tactics the
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US Immigration and Customs Enforcement as used, and majority say
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they oppose expanded enforcement operations to detain and deport undocumented immigrants.
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This comes after growing opposition to ICE and the border
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patrol operations in several cities, including Minneapolis, with the killings
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of two Americans sparked massive demonstrations. This has forced Trump
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to soften his tone and start the process of withdrawing
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eyes from Minnesota. The other issue that brought Trump back
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to the White House was the economy, the perception that
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President Biden had allowed inflation to spiral out of control
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and that Harris did not have a plan to deal
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with it. Trump promised he would immediately bring down prices
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of key goods, and while there has been progress, the
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war on inflation isn't over, and the general issue of
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affordability looms as central to the midterm elections. Government data
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released Friday showed economic growth slowed sharply at the end
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of twenty twenty five, weakened by tariffs and the government's
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shut down. Trump has begun to travel in twenty twenty
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six battlegrounds, and he did so on Thursday when he
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visited Georgia with a message that things are getting better
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and will continue to do so as the November election's
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near by. Forty eight to twenty nine percent Americans say
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the economy has gotten worse, not better, since Trump was
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inaugurated a year ago. Those numbers have trended in more
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positive directions for Trump since the fall, and administration officials
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are counting on additional gains over the coming months. Ask
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whether they are personally better or off financially trump returned
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to the presidency, twenty two percent say better, thirty three
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percent say worse, and forty four percent say no change.
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Trump's tariff policies have never been popular with the public,
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despite all he has done and set about them, public
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opinion has not budged over the last year. Today, thirty
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four percent say they approve of the tariffs. Sixty four
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percent disapprove, identical to the findings last April. On Friday,
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in a sharp rebuke to the president, the Supreme Court
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struck down the tariffs, saying Trump had exceeded his authority
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by unilaterally imposing them. There have been some cracks in
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the GOP's solid support for Trump recently, with the record
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low forty eight percent of Republicans now saying they approved
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strongly of his aerfortments, now from sixty three percent one
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year ago. Assessments of Trump's character and fitness show some
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change over time. Americans remain roughly evenly split whether Trump
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is a strong leader, as they have been for several years.
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The percentage of people who say Trump is not honest
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and trustworthy seventy percent in the new poll, is as
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high as any time in a Washington Post ABC poll.
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On two personal attributes, negative perceptions have grown. The percentage
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saying he lacks his mental sharpness to serve effectively has
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increased steadily over the past three years and now stands
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at fifty six percent. On the question of his physical
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fitness to serve, Americans are split almost evenly, saying fifty
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eight percent yes fifty one no. The beginning of twenty
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twenty four, fifty seven percent said he had the physical
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health to serve effectively. For Democrats, the new poll offers
16:57
a reminder of the challenges they face, not just in
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the twenty twenty six elections, but looking further ahead. For one,
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they have struggled to persuade Americans that their ideas are
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superior to Trump's. Ask whom they trust to deal with
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reducing the cost of living, for example, about one third
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of Americans say Trump, one third say the Democrats, and
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one third say neither. On immigration, Trump continues to have
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a slight edge at thirty eight to thirty four percent
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for the Democrats. Similarly, when asked who is more connected
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to the concerns of people, Trump and the Democrats fair
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equally poorly. By nearly two to one Americans say each
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is out of touch. Trump has shown a slight deterioration
17:51
on this measure over the past year, while Democrats have
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shown a slight improvement. But the broad findings are a
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reminder to the distrust that Americans have about their elected officials,
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no matter who the party. Reason. Special and off year
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elections have shown, however, that the Democratic base appears more
18:14
energized and that could prove to be a potential critical
18:17
advantage in the midterm election year would turnout historically dips
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from the previous presidential campaign. Because of the combination of
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Trump's poor ratings and those special election results, Republicans are
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braced for losses in November that could return Democrats to
18:38
the majority in the House of Representatives. The next story.
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Department of Homeland Security reverses course on suspending TSA PreCheck
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after an outcry. The Department of Homeland Security reversed course
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Sunday morning after saying it would suspend TSA PreCheck because
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of the partial from a shutdown. TSA PreCheck remains operational.
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No change for the traveling public, the Transportation Security Administration
19:09
said in a statement. As staffing constraints arise, TSA will
19:15
evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations. Accordingly,
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a DHS official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to
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discuss internal processes, said the change was based off of
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conversations the security had with the White House and TSA.
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The Global Entry program, however, will remain paused, according to
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the official. TSA pre Check and Global Entry are two
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popular programs that allow some travelers to move more quickly
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through Airport Security. Home Land Security Secretary Christy L. Newam
19:56
said in a statement Saturday that the agency was making
20:00
tough but necessary workforce and human decisions and prioritizing the
20:06
general traveling population at airports and ports of entry. Saturday's
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announcement that the TSA PreCheck would be suspended had drawn
20:17
swift criticism. The ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee,
20:23
Representative Benny G. Thompson of Mississippi, accused the Trump administration
20:29
of punishing air travelers and increasing the burden on DHS
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employees by pausing the pre check and global entry programs.
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The administration must reverse this decision immediately, he said in
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a statement on Saturday. Air and travel industry trade groups
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say pausing the program on such short notice would be
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especially disrupted. Chris Sinunu, the president and CEO of the
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trade association Airlines for America, set in a statement Sunday
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that air travelers had become a political football and described
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the program's suspension as deeply concerning. Travelers should be prioritized,
21:17
not leveraged. Jeff Freeman, head of the USA Travel Association
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and Industry Group, set, in a statement Sunday accusing Democrat
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and Republican lawmakers of prioritizing politics over air traffic controllers, TSA,
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Customs and Border Protection, and the travel experience. The changes
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the Department said it would be making starting Sunday include
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suspending airport police escorts for members of Congress and other
21:51
expedited services. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will also halt
21:58
all non disaster related response to prioritized disasters, NOMS said,
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noting the upcoming winter storm this weekend. The Washington Post
22:09
previously reported that DHS had altered almost all traffic travel
22:15
amid the standoff over the department's funding. DHS is now
22:20
requiring approval for all Federal Emergency Management Agency travel, including
22:25
for disaster relief. The partial shutdown of DHS operations stems
22:32
from a standoff in Congress over the appropriations bill that
22:37
provides money for the department. Democrats and Congress have demanded
22:43
that Republicans agreed to impose new restrictions on DHS. After
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federal personnel shot and killed two people, Alex Pritty and
22:53
Renee Good, last month in Minneapolis, the White House negotiated
22:58
with Democrats, with the two sides did not reach a
23:01
deal before DHS funding ran out on February the fourteenth.
23:07
Democrats have insisted that federal agents wear body cameras and
23:12
stop wearing masks to get judicial warrants before raiding people's homes,
23:18
stop raids on sensitive sites such as churches and schools,
23:24
and adhere to a new code of conduct similar to
23:28
those of state and local police, among other demands. Congress
23:32
has gone from Washington for the past week on a
23:35
prescheduled recess. Democratic leaders have been negotiating with White House
23:41
officials over the break and sent a counter off for Monday,
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according to a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer,
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Democrat of New York. The federal government has endured two
23:57
other shutdowns in recent months, one that lasted forty three
24:01
days in the fall because of an impass over expiring
24:05
subsidies where the Affordable Care Act health plans. Much of
24:10
the government briefly shut down several weeks ago before Congress
24:14
passed legislation to reopen it. This shutdown, however, is narrower.
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Lawmakers have funded every department except DHS, limiting the impact
24:27
to an estimated thirteen percent of the civilian federal workforce.
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The agencies within DHS to which Democrats are demanding change
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are Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection,
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and it will probably be able to continue their operations
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uninterrupted because of an influx of money from the Republican
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Tax and Spending law that President Trump signed last year.
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DHS received one hundred and seventy billion, including seven five
25:00
billion four ICE, but other agencies, including FEMA and TSA
25:07
are more vulnerable to the funding lapse. According to DHS
25:12
September's shutdown plan, ninety one percent of its employees would
25:16
continue to work without pay. The first missed paycheck would
25:21
be March third. Republicans have warned that failing to fund
25:26
DHS would hinder its operations, even as Trump's campaign to
25:31
detail and deport more undocumented immigrations continues. If the Department
25:37
of Homeland Security is defunding, the pain will extend throughout
25:42
the country. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming the chambers number
25:47
two Republicans set on the Senate floor before the shutdown started.
25:51
Democrats have countered that they did not want to disrupt
25:55
the operations of TSA and other agencies that do not
26:00
play a role in immigration enforcement. Bo Democrats see federal
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agents aggressive tactics, such as a threat that they are
26:09
willing to block funding for the entire department until Republicans
26:15
agree to the new restrictions they've demanded. My wish is
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for my Republican colleagues to be just as upset as
26:27
they are about what's going to happen next week at
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TSA or at FEMA. As for the children that are
26:34
being traumatized right now in this country, who are being
26:38
thrown into what's called baby jail outside of San Antonio,
26:43
the lives that are fundamentally changed by an immigration policy
26:47
that is out of control. Senator Chris Murphy, the Democrat
26:53
of Connecticut, set on the Senate floor this month and next.
26:58
In politics, Josh Shapiro to his neighbors, get off my lawn.
27:03
In a leafy Philadelphia suburb, a petty neighborhood dispute over
27:07
mundane issues of land surveys and town ordinances has escalated
27:13
into a bizarre saga feature airing political attacks and confrontations
27:19
at property lines on one side. Since Josh Shapiro, governor
27:25
of the largest swing state Pennsylvania, an arising Democratic star
27:30
who is running for re election and has political aspirations
27:35
that may reach the White House on the other side,
27:38
said his neighbors. The Mocks at issue is a narrow
27:43
ten foot wide peninsula, a comically small spit of land
27:48
along the Shapiro's property line that broadens slightly into a
27:53
small chunk of someone's backyard. Who's yard depends on whom
27:59
you ask. On paper, the land belongs to the Mox,
28:05
but the Shapiros, seeking to build a security fence, have
28:09
claimed in court to have squatters' rights, a long time
28:13
feature of property law. Now it's devolved into dueling lawsuits,
28:20
accusations of political motivations, state police investigations, and angry yard signs.
28:27
Shapiro claims that for more than two decades he has
28:30
cared for the contested area as his own land. The Mox,
28:36
who have been paying taxes on the disputed segment, see
28:39
it as land grab from the most powerful man in
28:43
their state. Drones have been flying overhead, and a secondary
28:48
squabble is erupted over removing a large tulip poplar tree.
28:54
This is far from the type of multi million dollar
28:57
lawsuit that is embroiled President Trump and questioned about abuse
29:01
of power and intimidation. At most mock versus Shapiro and
29:07
Shapiro versus Mock will result in a resized yard for
29:12
one of the two parties, Yet it has created a
29:17
political distraction for Shapiro, with stealth theosposition research efforts underway,
29:23
and claims of political motivation. Stacey Garrity, a Republican running
29:29
against Shapiro, has started using the issue in her campaign,
29:33
posting fake Valentine's messages with Shapiro's face reading I love
29:39
you more than I love my neighbor's yard. The MOX
29:43
have hired Walters him along, a prominent Republican attorney, has
29:46
called himself the go to lawyer in Pennsylvania for conservative
29:50
causes that candidates use for office. This is not a
29:55
political action or stud It's a straightforward defense of the
29:59
property rights two innocent people, Zamlong said, adding that he
30:03
was hired because the MOX struggled to find a lawyer
30:05
who did not have conflicts of interest with the state government.
30:10
Neither side disputes the reasons for enhanced security, Nie agree
30:14
on the sobering reason the government wanted to erect defence
30:18
in the wake of an arson attack last year, or
30:21
a man set fire to the Governor's mansion. State police
30:24
began tightening security both at the official residence and the
30:28
Pashiro's personal one. The saga began when Shapiro sought to
30:33
build an eight foot fence and an edge of the
30:35
property and went to the town to obtain a permit.
30:39
A surveyor discovered that the land next to his driveway
30:43
where the fence line had been for years, in which
30:46
he treated as his since moving into the home in
30:49
twenty oh three, actually belonged to the Mox and for
30:54
most of the time since the Mox bought their home
30:56
in twenty seventeen. There has been peace between the two
31:00
no known conflicts, but not a particularly strong relationship either.
31:06
The Mocks excessed their front door through a different street
31:10
from the Shapiros. The border is blurred by wooded backyards.
31:16
The contested area is a narrow stretch of land smaller
31:19
than three thousand square feet, which juts out of the
31:23
Mox property in the back and separates the Shapiro's driveway
31:27
from that of another neighbor. In July, the Shapiros met
31:31
with the Mox and told them the dilemma. Initially, the
31:34
conversation was cordial, and the Shapiro's offered to purchase the
31:37
property because the land was in the deed for the
31:41
MOX property. They had been paying taxes based on it,
31:45
but it wasn't something they had maintained. Shapiro believed that
31:50
as it was always his, according to the suit, in
31:54
which he claims, his family mowed the yard, planted the trees,
31:57
cleaned the debris, removed leaves, and installed an electric dog
32:01
fence around the area, but unable to come to an
32:05
agreement on purchasing the property, Sidzev tried to arrange a lease,
32:10
but that also fell apart. The Shapiro's attorney, Walter Weird Junior,
32:16
said that the MOX continued to move the gold posts
32:19
and were not negotiating in good faith. The MOX asked
32:23
the Shapiros to pay the associated legal fees, but as
32:28
negotiations dragged on, those ballooned from twelve thousand to more
32:35
than thirty thousand dollars. We Are said in the fall,
32:39
according to the lawsuits, things grew hostile. What followed was
32:45
an outrageous abuse of power by the setting governor of
32:49
Pennsylvania and its former attorney general, says the complaints from
32:54
the MOX Shapiro's claim it lies on a long standing
32:59
property land called adverse possession, in which Pennsylvania means that
33:05
someone who maintains the property uncontested for more than twenty
33:09
one years can't claim it as their own without a
33:13
court ruling in his favor, which could take years. Shapiro
33:18
has been able to build a fence on the land.
33:21
In the meantime, he has planted trees, and to address
33:24
concerns raised by state police, made alternative security arrangements in
33:30
the area. According to a suit, state police have been
33:34
stationed in the area since the governor was inaugurated three
33:37
years ago, which included the period before the arson attack.
33:40
According to the office, the governor's legal team concluded that
33:46
the property belongs to the Shapiros and that they were
33:49
within their rights to continue occupying the land. According to
33:52
the governor's office, this dispute over a small piece of
33:58
the Shapiro's backyard has turned into shameless political stunts by
34:04
the neighbors, and members of the Republican State Senate were
34:08
now harassing and exploiting the Shapiros, said Rousy Lapowski, a
34:13
spokeswoman for the governor. We look forward to a judge
34:18
ruling on the merits. The legal actions coincided with an
34:24
investigation by a Republican led state Senate committee over the
34:29
use of taxpayer funds to make upgrades at the Shapiro's property,
34:34
including the disputed land. Shapiro allies have suggested that State
34:41
President of the Senate pro Tem Kim Ward may have
34:45
had a behind the Semine's role in the land dispute.
34:48
She has said that she spoke twice with the Mocks,
34:51
but her spokeswoman said she had not advised them and
34:55
had no prior relationship with them. Governorship Papio likes to
35:01
play both sides of the fence ah and as a
35:05
pattern of behavior, we all have come to experience from him,
35:10
said Erica Clayton Wright, a spokeswoman for Ward, who accused
35:14
Shapiro of holding a sense of entitlement. Jeremm Mock, who
35:20
is a registered Republican and donated ninety dollars and twenty
35:24
two cents to Trump's campaign in twenty sixteen. According to
35:28
federal records, Simone Mack has no party affiliation and an
35:33
inactive voting status. At one point, Shapiro alleges the Mocks
35:40
enter the property and posted signs claiming they owned the area.
35:44
According to the counter suit, this is my property, read one.
35:49
Tippety hoppity, stay off my property read another. According to
35:54
a person familiar with the situation, the Mox also attempted
35:58
to enlist the local police. We helped them obtain permission
36:02
possession of the land, claiming that the governor was trespassing.
36:06
According to shapiro suit, it's unclear whether they got involved,
36:11
and messages left with the local police department were not returned.
36:16
In October, the Mox attempted to build a fence of
36:19
their own, one that would go through the disputed area,
36:24
and they also hired an arborist to remove a large
36:27
tulip poplar tree in the disputed area, but any efforts
36:32
to enter the disputed area have been blocked by state police.
36:36
Once demanded, they remain on the other side of the
36:39
green post. According to a video obtained by the Washington Post, Look,
36:44
this is our property, one of the Mocks responded, it's
36:49
a disputed land. That the officer said, as far as
36:53
we're concerned, this is a gray area and everybody knows it.
36:57
That's what the attorneys are for, that's what the court's
37:01
for to figure it out. He continued to urge them
37:06
to leave the property line, which they ultimately did. And
37:12
the next story inside rfk's junior's push against the flu
37:17
vaccine and what he links to his voice condition. Health
37:24
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has spent years campaigning against vaccine,
37:30
but with the flu shot, he suggested it's personal. Kennedy
37:35
has linked his strained, raspy speech to the vaccine, despite
37:40
several medical experts saying there is no scientific evidence to
37:44
support that claim. Federal guidance revised under Kennedy last month,
37:50
while the United States is experiencing a hard hitting flu season,
37:55
no longer recommends routine flu vaccines for children and adolescents.
37:59
The day after he assumed office a year ago, he
38:03
ordered the end of a government ad campaign encouraging flu vaccines.
38:09
Kennedy has repeatedly said he suspects the flu vaccine triggered
38:14
his spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological voice disorder, and that he
38:21
stopped getting flu shots in twenty oh five. Although he
38:26
acknowledges he has unlikely to prove a connection, he said
38:30
his eyes were open to a link after reading vaccine
38:33
inserts while he was engaged in litigation against flu vaccine manufacturers.
38:40
In a twenty twenty appearance on a web show run
38:43
by the anti vaccine group he founded, he said, I
38:47
got spasmodic dysphonia.
38:50
Speaker 2: That's what's wrong with my voice, and it is listed
38:54
as a side effect of the flu vaccine.
38:57
Speaker 1: Now, in his role as America's most power public health
39:01
visial in the nation, he continues to say that the
39:04
vaccination may have caused his condition. He told USA Today
39:09
in January.
39:11
Speaker 2: It's a potential culprit that I cannot rule out.
39:16
Speaker 1: It's the sort of statement that alarms public health experts
39:21
who protested Kennedy's pattern of raising doubts about vaccines that
39:25
they have said have proved to be safe and effective
39:29
with decades of evidence. The vast majority of children who
39:34
die of the flu are not vaccinated, according to the
39:37
Sinners of Disease Control and Prevention, In the current season,
39:42
pediatric deaths have reached seventy one, about a four percent
39:46
increase from last season. At this time. Among those eligible
39:51
for vaccination and whose status was known, about ninety percent
39:55
who died were children who were not fully vaccinated. The
39:58
CDC said HS spokesman Andrew Nixon did not respond to
40:06
questions about Kennedy linking his vocal problems to vaccines. The
40:12
Secretary directed a review to ensure federal messaging reflects evidence
40:17
and earns credibility, Nixon said in the statement, noting after
40:21
years of heavy DC flu advertising, vaccine uptake has stagnated
40:28
and trust in public health has fallen. Three top voice
40:32
medical experts, as well as the nonprofit Dysphonia International, said
40:38
in interviews that there's no evidence evidence of scientific basis
40:43
for the claim that the flu vaccine is behind Kennedy's condition.
40:48
Having seen over three hundred patients with this condition over
40:51
the course of my thirty year career, no one else
40:55
has ever claimed or felt that they developed this condition
40:58
due to a vaccination of any kind, said Stephen Blimowitz,
41:02
Professor of surgery and director of the Voice Treatment Center
41:06
at George Washington University School of Metting Medicine and Health Sciences.
41:12
A type of dystonia, spasmodic dysphonia is a central nervous
41:19
system and neurological condition of the brain that affects the
41:23
muscles of the voice box and vocal chords. It is
41:27
distinct from dysphonia, which means an abnormal voice. A Washington
41:33
Post interview of eleven vaccine inserts for flu vaccines found
41:38
dysphonia listed as a possible side effect on one type
41:42
of flu shot, but not spasmodic dysphonia. Dysphonia just means
41:49
abnormal voice. That's all what dysphonia means. And physician Michael
41:56
John's the third director of the University of Southern Californnia
42:00
Voice Center with Kech Medicine of USC. So that's a symptom.
42:06
I'm a horse, I have dysphonia, so it's not the
42:09
same thing. While there is no known cause for spasmodic dysphonia,
42:16
brain injuries such as stroke, and in rare cases, genetic
42:20
factors have been associated with the disorder. There is evidence
42:26
to suggest a potential association between dysphonias and certain drug use.
42:32
Three autolaryngologists told The Post Kennedy has public discussed his
42:40
past addiction to heroin. The voice experts noted there is
42:45
some evidence that dystonia is associated with drug use can
42:49
be permanent or temporary. Influenza vaccines are less effective in
42:56
preventing infections than other vaccines, such as the one uns
43:00
from measles MOBS and rubella, which the CDC says prevents
43:05
measles in about ninety seven percent of cases when patients
43:09
have received the two doses, but multiple studies have shown
43:13
the flu vaccine reduces the disease and severity and averts
43:18
hospitalizations and deaths. Under Kennedy's leadership, the government's rationale for
43:24
downgrading the recommendation that children and adolescents routinely received flu
43:29
vaccines is that odds with those findings, HSIs will put
43:35
rigorous science and public trusts first every time, Nixon, says.
43:41
Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine doctor at the Golisano
43:47
Children's Hospital at the University of Rochester, said she was
43:51
bewildered by the administration's decision to stop recommending the flu vaccine.
43:57
She said she has already seen an uptick and pay
44:00
refusing the flu shot in the last few months, and
44:03
she worries the trend will only worsen with Kennedy's director.
44:08
Once you've kind of planted that little seed of doubt,
44:12
it can really be challenging to come back from, she
44:16
said of Kennedy's comments, on the flu vaccine. It's just
44:20
so disheartening to see the false information being spread by
44:26
people who should be reputable public health advocates, physicians and
44:32
families impacted by flu deaths warned Kennedy's actions could lead
44:38
to more death and misery. We're going to see declining
44:42
vaccination rates as a result, and we're going to see
44:47
more and more families suffer, said Gary Stein, the president
44:52
of the advocacy group Families Fighting Flu, which promotes vaccinations.
45:00
Stein's daughter Jessica, a four year old who loved swimming, ballet,
45:05
and gymnastics, died of flu complications in twenty oh two.
45:11
The vaccine was not recommended by the CDC at the
45:14
time for her age group, and Jessica was unvaccinated. There
45:20
aren't many people that would put a toddler in the
45:24
back seat without a car seat, nor not use a
45:27
seat belt, he said. I could live my life without
45:31
the flu vaccine, My family could, and I might survive.
45:37
But why would I roll the dice with my child's life?
45:44
And next, Mexico's most powerful cartel leader is killed by
45:50
security forces from Guadalajara. Mexico's most powerful drug kingpin, the
45:58
head of the Hallisco New Generation Cartel was killed by
46:03
Mexican security forces on Sunday. Mexican defense official said the
46:09
killing of Nimisio Rubin Osuega Serrantes, known as El Mincho,
46:17
represents a major show of force by the country's military
46:21
as President Trump continues to pressure the United States southern
46:25
neighbor to do more to fight its drug trafficking organizations.
46:31
The cartel's leaders killing set off a wave of violence
46:35
and areas controlled by the cartel, with reports of burning
46:39
cars blocking roads. In Guadlajara, the capital city of the
46:44
western state of Jlisco and one of the host cities
46:48
of the upcoming World Cup, businesses were shut down, Sirens
46:53
and helicopters could be heard in the city center, and
46:57
residents were worn to stay inside. The US Embassy warned
47:03
US citizens in Jalisco and Tampuatas States and other parts
47:08
of three other states to shelter in place because of
47:12
security operations related road blockages and criminal activity. Asi Uega,
47:20
one of the most wanted fugitives in Mexico, was a
47:23
founder of the New Generation Cartel, which has grown to
47:26
become one of the most powerful and violent organizations in Mexico.
47:32
Drafting in large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine
47:38
into the US. A US Defense official, speaking on the
47:42
condition of aminemity because of the sensitivity of the issue,
47:47
said the Operation Sunday was carried out by Mexican military,
47:52
but included participation from a joint US Mexican task force
47:58
that regularly works with the Mexican military throughout the US
48:02
Northern Command, which oversees US operations in both countries. The unit,
48:08
known as the Joint Interagency Task Force Counter Cartel, was
48:14
established last month with headquarters at Davis monthan Air Force
48:19
base in Tucson, integrates intelligence personnel and law enforcement represents
48:25
with the military. The operations came after the Trump administration
48:30
had repeatedly pressured Mexican officials to do more to counsel
48:35
the Cartels, and after Trump and the White House Deputy
48:39
Chief Staff Stephen Miller explored the possibility of unilateral military
48:45
action in Mexico. Other US officials had been advised against
48:50
such an operation, citing Mexico's increasingly aggressive stance toward the
48:55
cartels and cooperation along the US border, where Trump authorized
49:02
the deployment of about ten thousand US troops last year,
49:06
and Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum dispatched a similar number on
49:11
the Mexican side. This collaboration, these officials argued, is effective
49:19
and should not be jeopardized by unilateral US action. Shine
49:24
Baum has said she opposes any unilateral US military action
49:28
in our country, and instead her government has sought to
49:32
show its own results in taking a more aggressive approach
49:37
against drug trafficking groups. In January, Mexico transferred thirty seven
49:43
accused criminal opera operatives to the United States, one in
49:48
a series of handovers to US authorities. Mexican security officials
49:55
planned the operation to detain Asigura, and members of the
50:00
military came under attack as they carried out the operation.
50:03
According to a statement from the Defense Ministry, security forces
50:09
returned fire, killing four members of the cartel and seriously
50:14
wounding three others who later died. One of them was
50:19
a Sigura of the cartel. Members were detained, and weapons
50:24
and armored vehicles received seized, including rocket launchers with the
50:30
capacity to attack aircraft and destroy armored vehicles. Shine Bomb
50:36
congratulated the country's security forces, but urged Mexicans to remain
50:42
informed and calm. In the aftermath of the operation. In
50:47
this vast majority of the national territory, activities are proceeding
50:53
with complete normalcy, she said on a post on x.
50:58
US Deputy Security Secretary of State Christopher Landau, in a
51:03
post on ex you stribe Asigura as one of the bloodiest,
51:08
most ruthless drug kingpins and said his killing was a
51:12
great development from Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world.
51:20
In a hotel in Guadalajara, tourists on Sunday morning had
51:24
no way to get to the airport, with taxis and
51:27
public transit paralyzed. Hotel staff worked a double shift because
51:33
employees had no way to get to work. A woman
51:37
made a sign of the cross as she stepped outside
51:39
the hotel. Mark Delise sixty nine and his wife, Muriel Laretz,
51:45
seventy two retirees from Canada, had been living in the
51:50
coastal city of Puerto Vallata for the past two months
51:54
and visited Guadalajara for the weekend on Sunday morning. When
51:58
they arrived at a bus terminal to head back to
52:00
Porta Volata, they noticed a long line of people trying
52:04
to reschedule bus tickets because of the cartel blockades and violence.
52:09
A taxi managed to get them back to their hotel,
52:13
nervously driving on side roads. They later learned the cartel
52:18
had set fires close to the place with air living
52:21
in Portuguayarta. Now we're stuck here, Eli said in port
52:27
of Alerta videos should gray smoke billowing above beachfront hotels.
52:33
A forty nine year old man who splits his time
52:35
between New York and Porto Alata, said in a telephone
52:39
interview that he was at his neighborhood gym Sunday morning
52:44
when word began spreading of cartel activity. Stephen, whom The
52:49
Washington Post is identifying by his first name because of
52:52
security concerns, said the gym was initially locked down. Once
52:58
he was allowed to leave, he walked home and found
53:01
burned out car after burned out car after burned out car.
53:06
He said other fires had been started in his neighborhood,
53:11
Zono Romantica, and he was told to shelter in his apartment.
53:16
From his window, he recorded a video of what appeared
53:20
to be two men setting a convenience store on fire,
53:24
and now it is burning to the ground, he said.
53:27
Videos circulating on social media showed people running through the
53:32
air Guadalajara Airport and hiding behind ticket counters, but the
53:36
airport in a statement said that flights and operations are
53:40
continuing as normal that the chaos scene in the videos
53:44
was related to paranoia among passengers. The Trump administration has
53:50
designated the Hallisco New Generation Cartel a terrorist organization. The
53:56
United States has offered a reward of up to fifteen
53:59
million dollars for information leading to Asigua's capture. Asigua is
54:06
a former police officer, helped transform the cartel into a
54:10
major power. He is believed to have ordered the assassination
54:14
of several Mexican politicians. The fifty nine year old's leadership
54:20
helped to expand the cartel's global reach to allow it
54:24
to sell drugs on every continent but Antarctica. The cartel's
54:28
wealth allowed him to buy political influence, a mass a
54:32
cache of weapons, and build an army of more than
54:35
seven thousand people. According to a US federal law enforcement
54:39
official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss
54:43
sensitive details, the Hellisko New Generation Cartel has surpassed a
54:49
Sinaloa cartel. This most powerful group in Mexico in part
54:54
due to serious leadership losses in the rival organization once
54:59
led by the case known as il Chapo. The Hallisco
55:05
New generation cartel has through violence, managed to take over
55:10
important drug routes in the United States. The killing Abasigura
55:15
will not destroy the cartel. The group's hierarchy will allow
55:19
it to carry on. The federal law enforcement official said
55:24
it is certainly going to have some immediate impact on
55:28
the supply chain in the United States because he was
55:31
such a powerful figure in the international drug trade. The
55:35
law enforcement official said, it's going to at least temporarily
55:40
cripple some of their abilities. How temporary is that going
55:44
to be, well, nobody knows. Even more than a decade.
55:50
Hel Mincho evaded repeated attempts by Mexican security forces to
55:55
capture him. Security forces struggle to track him down in
55:59
the remote, rugged terrain where he often hid, protected by
56:03
a huge security detail. During one attempt in Guadalajara in
56:08
August of twenty twelve, cartel members formed barricades with burning
56:13
vehicles to impede police from capturing him. According to Insight Crime.
56:19
In twenty fifteen, another operation resulted in cartel gunmen shooting
56:25
down a Mexican military helicopter, killing three soldiers. At about
56:30
five years ago, security forces had identified a location where
56:36
they believed they could capture Asigura, according to a former
56:40
US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to
56:44
discuss sensitive cases, but the cartel leader was nowhere to
56:48
be seen. Authorities suspected that information about his capture was leaked.
56:56
It's not easy, the official said. The fact that the
57:00
Mexicans were able to do it with US intelligence reports
57:05
shows why the US doesn't need boots on the ground
57:09
in the country, and these comments reflect skepticism about the
57:16
long term impact of Nimsio Rubinosigura Sevante's killing on how
57:22
the Hallisco New generation cartel's operations may be effected. Many
57:27
suggest that his death will not significantly disrupt the cartel's activities,
57:32
as another leader will likely take his place. The comments
57:36
emphasize the persistent demand for drugs in the United States
57:40
as a driving force behind the cartel's power, suggesting that
57:46
addressing this demand is crucial lasting solution. Additionally, there have
57:52
been criticisms of the US role in supplying weapons to
57:56
the cartels and calls for more focus on reducing domestic
58:01
drug consumption. And now this concludes the reading of the
58:06
Washington Post for today, Monday, February twenty third. Your reader
58:11
for today has been Rod Brotherton. If you have any questions, comments,
58:15
or suggestions concerning the program, please feel free to call
58:19
us at eight five nine four two two sixty three ninety.
58:24
Once again, thank you for listening, and now please stay
58:28
tuned for continued programming right here on Radio I