Trump attacks San Juan mayor over hurricane response | SoTechNaija

Washington (CNN) - President Donald Trump launched an attack on San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz on Saturday for criticizing the White House's hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico, accusing her of "poor leadership" and suggesting that the island's residents are not doing enough to help themselves.

"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," the President tweeted from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he is spending the weekend. "Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort."

The spectacle of Trump's comments slamming Cruz and others on their own response efforts as Puerto Rico struggles to deal with disaster that left millions without power and with limited access to water -- and as Trump comes under fire for what some have called a slow federal reaction -- sparked a firestorm of reaction online, including from the creator of the Broadway musical "Hamilton," Lin-Manuel Miranda, who said that Trump was going "straight to hell."

"You're going straight to hell, @realDonald Trump. No long lines for you," tweeted Miranda, who is of Puerto Rican descent. "Someone will say, 'Right this way, sir.' They'll clear a path."

Later Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence defended the President's remarks in an interview with Orlando television station WKMG.

"Well, it is frustrating, I expect, to millions of Americans to hear rhetoric coming out from some in Puerto Rico, particularly the mayor of San Juan, instead of focusing on results," Pence said.

Pence said he learned that "while our joint field operation at the convention center in San Juan has more than 1,000 personnel working out in a football field environment, the mayor of San Juan has only visited our joint field operation once." He added that he would encourage her to come alongside Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló and other officials "who are focusing on continuing to make the steady progress that we are making in Puerto Rico."

In the series of early-morning tweets, Trump also lauded the federal government's response on the island, which is still grappling with the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria. The President said that the 10,000 federal workers there are doing a "fantastic job."

"The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job," he wrote. "Puerto Rico was totally destroyed."

Trump's early praise of relief efforts, however, does not appear to match the reality on the ground. Puerto Rico, which is home to 3.4 million people, is facing a humanitarian crisis, and many of its people remain without power and water. Sixteen people have died, according to government officials, but that number could well rise with the full range of devastation not yet known.

In an interview with MSNBC, Cruz said she wasn't making "nasty comments" about Trump in remarks earlier this week criticizing the administration's statements lauding the response, adding that her only goal was to save lives.

"I was asking for help," she said. "I wasn't saying anything nasty about the President."

Trump's comments come ahead of a planned visit to Puerto Rico on Tuesday. The President is scheduled to speak with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long, Rosselló and other Puerto Rican officials later Saturday.

Rosselló said Saturday morning that his previous conversations with Trump didn't square up with the President's tweets and that Trump had "reiterated his commitment with this effort."

"I do reiterate that the only way for this to work is for us to have collaboration," Rosselló said. "And let me stress this, I am committed to collaborating with everybody. This is a point where we can't look at small differences. We can't establish differences based on politics."

While Trump and other administration officials have repeatedly lauded the federal government's response to Maria, some have said that the administration has moved more slowly than it did in responding to the recent storms that battered Texas and Florida.

Other critics have drawn comparisons to President George W. Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, particularly given the race and class of most victims in both disasters. Katrina, of course, became a political disaster for the Bush presidency.

When asked for his reaction to President Trump's tweets, Russel Honoré, the retired general appointed by Bush to take over the federal response to Katrina in 2005, said he had none.

"I have no reaction. The mayor's living on a cot, and I hope the President has a good day of golf," he told CNN.

Earlier this week, Honoré told CNN that the President's response to Maria shows that he doesn't care about the poor or people of color.

"The President has shown again he don't give a damn about poor people," Honoré told CNN's Erin Burnett. "He doesn't give a damn about people of color. And the SOB that rides around in Air Force One is denying services needed by the people of Puerto Rico. I hate to say it that way but there's no other way to say it."

In his interview Saturday with WKMG, Pence took issue with Honore's characterization.

"Well, I would suggest, with great respect to that retired general and respect for the work he's done in the past, that the Department of Defense -- 16 different Navy ships in the region, the USS Comfort will be there in a matter of days," Pence said. "I was able to inform Governor Rosselló the USS Wasp will be arriving with 16 helicopters tomorrow. We have literally 10,000 federal officials on the ground, 4,500 National Guard have been there from early on, more are on the way."

A 'good news story'

Thursday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke also stirred controversy after she told reporters she was "very satisfied" with the federal response since Maria made landfall, calling it a "good news story."

"I know it is really a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane," Duke said.

That prompted a sharp retort from San Juan's mayor in a CNN interview.

"This is, damn it, this is not a good news story," Mayor Cruz said. "This is a 'people are dying' story. This is a 'life-or-death' story. This is, 'there's a truckload of stuff that cannot be taken to people' story. This is a story of a devastation that continues to worsen."

Dan Scavino, the White House social media director, tweeted on Saturday that Cruz "has been hating on @realDonaldTrump long before he was our President."

In a separate tweet, Scavino described San Juan's mayor as "the perfect example of an opportunistic politician."

In his own Saturday morning tweets, Trump also lashed out at the media for what he said was biased coverage, saying that the "Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico."

"Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to 'get Trump,'" he tweeted. "Not fair to FR or effort!"

Democratic lawmakers react

Trump's comments were criticized by a number of Democrats, who took issue with the President's rhetoric in the middle of a domestic disaster.

Rep. Al Green of Texas told CNN's Ana Cabrera on Saturday afternoon that he thought Trump's comments showed he cared less about Puerto Rico because it was unimportant to his reelection and added that he saw racial undertones in the President's remarks.

"If they were all Anglos, I don't believe the President would have the attitude that he has, because you don't hear that kind of dog whistle, of people not wanting to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, when the people are Anglos," Green said. "That's something reserved for people of color."

Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, meanwhile, called for an apology from the President.

"First thing Trump should do on Tues when he visits #PuertoRico for the first time since #HurricaneMaria devastated the island is apologize," Markey tweeted.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York called Trump's remarks "offensive."

"When millions in Puerto Rico are in crisis, the president should be better than this," she tweeted.

Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat facing trial for federal bribery charges, tweeted that Trump should be doing more to help the territory, suggesting his response might be slower because Puerto Rico has no electoral votes.

"I know Puerto Rico doesn't get Electoral College votes, Mr. President, but there are real Americans there suffering. Time to do more," he wrote.

In another tweet, Menendez declared the situation in Puerto Rico "worse" than Hurricane Katrina.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said Puerto Rico was in "crisis" and Trump should "stop playing politics with their lives."

"The definition of 'poor leadership' is sitting at your golf club while millions of US citizens beg for your help, @realDonaldTrump," she tweeted.

Don Beyer, a Democratic representative from Virginia, noted in a series of tweets that the President had ignored the people of Puerto Rico for days, instead "picking a fight with athletes while a humanitarian crisis grew in Puerto Rico."

"You focused on aid efforts in TX & FL but ignored Puerto Rico. Now you attack San Juan's mayor for saying 'people are dying.' THEY ARE DYING," he wrote.

Amid the criticisms, Trump took to Twitter later Saturday afternoon to praise several Puerto Rican officials, including Rosselló; US Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp, an independent; and Republican Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon.

"#FakeNews critics are working overtime, but we're getting great marks from the people that truly matter! #PRStrong" Trump wrote.

Trump continued to fault the news coverage of his administration's response in tweets Saturday night.

"Because of #FakeNews my people are not getting the credit they deserve for doing a great job," he wrote. "As seen here, they are ALL doing a GREAT JOB!"

At a news conference Saturday afternoon, Mapp said the vice president and his wife, Karen Pence, would arrive in St. Croix on Friday to assess the hurricane damage. He also said Trump did not rule out a visit to the territory during a phone call Saturday, but the President was trying to visit both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in one day, which posed logistical challenges.

Administration update

FEMA said in a news release Saturday that urban search-and-rescue teams, working alongside local law enforcement, have scoured the island and rescued 843 people. In addition, 11 highways have been cleared, 70% of ports and 60% of gas stations are operating, and half of the grocery and big box stores are open, the release said.

While the release said power has been restored to 59 hospitals, FEMA official Alejandro de la Campa told reporters only 5% of electricity had been restored in the island as of Saturday.

The president of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, Elí Díaz Atienza, gave a breakdown of the water service restoration effort to San Juan radio station WIPR, saying water is running to about 55% of the city.

CNN's Jenny Hansler contributed to this report.
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Nigeria Independence Day: Ajimobi pardons 21 convicts | SoTechNaija

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State said on Saturday that he has granted reprieve to 21 convicts in the exercise of his prerogative powers of mercy.
Ajimobi noted that this action was in pursuant to the provisions of section 212 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said it was done in commemoration of the 57th Independence Day Celebration.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr. Seun Abimbola who said this in a statement made available to DAILY POST by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Mr. Toye Arulogun explained that seven persons were granted release from prison having spent varying terms of their sentences.
Abimbola in the statement said that 13 convicts had their life sentences reduced to a term of years, having spent considerable terms in prison, while one person had his death sentence commuted to a life sentence.
He said “This is part of the commemorative efforts in celebration of the Independence day celebration. The records of the benefitting convicts suggests they have undergone reform while some of them have while incarcerated passed their GCE exams, obtained a first degree from the National Open University (NOUN) , with others at varying stages of a degree course at Noun in diverse courses.


“It is our hope that this gesture by his Excellency will be reciprocated by the beneficiaries by ensuring they are of good conduct when they are released, and become useful to themselves and the society at large,” the Attorney General added.
The statement, however, added that the government will organise a march-pass at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan for pupils and students in both public and private schools in the state.
It noted that Military and Para-Military agencies as well as voluntary organizations, such as Boys Scouts, Girls Guild amongst others are expected to participate in the march, adding that the Governor of the State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi will declare the ceremony open by 9am and take the salute.
Similarly, Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Yomi Oke then stated that the theme of this year’s celebration is “Youth and Economic Empowerment: The Way Forward”.


He urged Principals and Head teachers of public and private schools to mobilize their students and pupils to participate actively in all the events, including Cultural Display, Novelty March, Cycling and other side attractions.
He disclosed that the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi will visit homes within Ibadan metropolis to donate food items and some daily needs for them, stressing that there will also be an Interdenominational service at the Government House Arcade to pray for the sustainability of peace, unity and progress in Nigeria by 2:00pm.
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Google celebrates 19th birthday with 19 games from Doodles past | SoTechNaija

Google’s latest Doodle for its 19th anniversary is a birthday surprise spinner that takes players back to its most memorable Doodle games. Spin the wheel to play interactive browser games from the past 19 years, like a musical puzzle game celebrating Beethoven’s 245th birthday, or this adorable Magic Cat Academy Halloween game from 2016.

Google

Google has also added a brand-new Snake game to its Search Funbox, which is one of the 19 wheel surprises among other search result games like tic-tac-toe, and an Earth Day quiz. You can play it anytime by searching “snake game,” or just search “Google birthday surprise spinner” to give the wheel a spin and try out the other Doodle games.

The wheel also includes the 2010 Pac Man browser game, which time management software company RescueTime famously alleged cost the economy $120 million and 4.8 million hours of lost productivity. For the sake of humoring more bad math, I’m going to go ahead and guesstimate that $120 million x 19 games means $2.3 billion of productivity will be lost today. Have fun!

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Top 5 Guaranteed Online Businesses to Start and Earn Money online (Infographic) | SoTechNaija

Its almost Christmas and off-course every one wants to celebrate it in a very large way. But this can't be done when there is no much money, so this is why this info-graph has been complied.(To guide to finding a better and easy online job that you can make huge income from while investment won't cause you much)

There’s no better time to start an online business. Today, most retailers are finding that a good deal of their sales come from online shoppers. However, it doesn’t stop there -- nearly every industry is moving online. So if you’re thinking about starting a new business venture, you should think about how to put your skills to use on the web.

Are you not sure of what type of online business you should start that can make you earn? Easy. Sell what you already have; your knowledge. Offer your knowledge or expertise in a package, for example in the form of an ebook or a webinar. If your talents lie in creating things, then launch an Etsy or eBay channel and sell your crafts online. In 2016, Etsy sales reached $669.7 million -- an increase of more than $100 million from 2015. This was what some internet marketers was earned that period. FIND YOUR CHOICE AMONG THE HIGH-LIGHTED TEXT BELOW.. click here now



For some inspiration, check out Distributel’s infographic below.


Complied by: entrepreneur.com

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APPLY NOW: Free E-Z Mart Scholarship Award 2017 | Free Of Charge

Ten lucky recipients will receive $1,000 each toward achieving a higher education. This falls as part E-Z MART’s scholarship program.

The scholarship was created to recognize and support the Dependant Children or Dependents of Current Employees who demonstrate the desire to obtain higher education upon completing High School. It is funded by E-Z Mart and is intended to helps students by providing them with $1,000 for costs and expenses associated with college. Each year, up to $10,000 will be dedicated to the E-Z MART Scholarship Program. Kindly click on the text box or highlighted text to APPLY for this.

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North Korea Says That Trump's UN Speech Was a Declaration of War

North Korea’s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho just had a rare press conference outside the United Nations in New York. And it’s not great. The diplomat declared that the US has declared war on North Korea. And he stressed that he hopes the world remembers in the future that it was the US who declared war first.

“As you already know, for the last few days, the United Nations sincerely wished that the war of words between the DPRK and the United States did not turn into real actions,” he began, according to his translator.

“However, last weekend Trump claimed that our leadership wouldn’t be around much longer. And hence, at last, he declared a war on our country,” Ri continued.
President Trump declared in a speech at the UN last week that the US stands ready to “totally destroy” the country if necessary, in response to North Korea’s persistent nuclear weapons tests and overt threats to US territory Guam. His tweets about leader Kim Jong-un, who he calls “Rocket Man,” have also worsened tensions between the US and North Korea.

“Given the fact that this comes from someone who is currently holding the seat of the United States presidency, this is clearly a declaration of war,” Ri said at today’s press conference.

“All the member states participating in the United nations and the whole world should clearly remember that it was the US who first declared war on our country. The UN charter stipulates individual member states’ rights to self defense,” said Ri.
“Since the United States declared war on our country we will have every right to make countermeasures including the right to shoot down the United States strategic bombers, even when they’re not yet inside the airspace border of our country. The question of who won’t be around much longer will be answered then,” said Ri.
The foreign minister’s comments came just one day after the North Korean government issued an open letter to international leaders condemning Trump’s comments.

It should probably be noted that North Korea released a CGI video this weekend showing the country blowing up America’s F-35 and B-1 bombers.

After finishing his statement, the foreign minister left without taking questions. Again, not great for anybody involved.
Update, 2:19pm: The Pentagon has responded to the statement from the North Korean foreign minister.
From Reuters:

The Pentagon said on Monday that it would provide U.S. President Donald Trump with options to deal with North Korea if its provocations continue, after North Korea’s foreign minister said his country reserved the right to shoot down U.S. bombers even if they are not in its air space.
“If North Korea does not stop their provocative actions, you know, we will make sure that we provide options to the President to deal with North Korea,” Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning told reporters.

So, yeah, things aren’t going to cool down anytime soon.
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