Latest news with #AgentOrange
Los Angeles Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
What did bowing to Donald Trump get the Dodgers? A visit from federal agents
They groveled at his feet when they visited him at the White House earlier in April, owner Mark Walter applauding when he lied about egg prices and team president Stan Kasten laughing at his attempts at humor. They remained silent when he flooded their city with federal agents, chief marketing officer Lon Rosen refusing to comment on the racist kidnapping sweeps terrorizing the very community that helped them break attendance records. And what did the Dodgers receive in exchange for betraying their fans and sucking up to President Trump? A knock at the door from immigration enforcement. The Dodgers learned what many Trump voters already learned, which is that Agent Orange doesn't always reward subservience. So much for all of their front-office genius. So much for staying out of politics. Federal agents in unmarked vehicles formed a line at Dodger Stadium's main entrance on Thursday, apparently with the intention of using a section of the parking lot as a processing center for detainees who were picked up during a morning immigration raid. The Dodgers could look away when ICE was causing havoc in other parts of town, but even the morally compromised have limits. More than 40% of Dodgers fans are Latino. Transforming Dodger Stadium into ground zero for the administration's war on brown people would be financial suicide for the franchise. The agents were denied entry, according to the team. There was speculation in and around the organization about whether the presence of the federal agents was a form of retaliation by a notoriously vindictive administration. Just a day earlier, the Dodgers said they would announce on Thursday plans to assist immigrant communities affected by the recent raids. In the wake of the visit, the announcement was delayed. Ultimately, what did the Dodgers gain from their silent complicity of Trump? They further diminished their stature as vehicles of inclusion, a tradition that included the breaking of baseball's color barrier by Jackie Robinson and the expansion of the sport's borders with the likes of Fernando Valenzuela, Hideo Nomo and Chan Ho Park. They broke their sacred bond with the Latino community that was forged over Valenzuela's career and passed down for multiple generations. They at least resisted immigration agents' efforts to annex their parking lot, but how much damage was already done? How much trust was already lost? Consider this: When photographs of the unmarked vehicles in front of Dodger Stadium started circulating online, the widespread suspicion was that federal agents were permitted by the Dodgers to be there. That was later revealed to be untrue, but what does that say about how the Dodgers were perceived? Their announcement about their impending announcement looked like a cynical effort to reverse a recent wave of negative publicity, which started with Rosen refusing to comment on the immigration sweeps. Asked if the Dodgers regretted visiting the White House, Rosen said, 'We're not going to comment on anything.' On the day of the 'No Kings' demonstrations, a 30-year-old performer named Nezza sang a version of the national anthem in Spanish that was commissioned in 1945 by the U.S. State Department under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Nezza, whose full name is Vanessa Hernández, later posted a video on her TikTok account showing a Dodgers employee directing her to sing in English. She disobeyed the order, explaining that because of what was happening in Los Angeles, 'I just felt like I needed to do it.' In subsequent interviews, Nezza said her agent was called by a Dodgers employee, who said Nezza was to never return to Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers later clarified that Nezza wasn't banned from the ballpark, but the incident nonetheless struck a chord. Reports of American citizens being detained or harassed have surfaced, creating a feeling the raids are as much about making brown-skinned people feel unwelcome as they are about deporting undocumented migrants. Nezza's experience symbolized this feeling. The incident resulted in widespread calls for a Dodgers boycott, which, coincidentally or not, was followed by the Dodgers teasing their announcement of support for immigrants. The divisive environment created by Trump forced the Dodgers to take a side, however passively. Now, they have to win back angry fans who pledged allegiance to them only to be let down. Now, they have to deal with potential retaliation from the Mad King they pathetically tried to appease.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Rochester veterans, victims of Agent Orange, get national recognition
Jun. 19—ROCHESTER — Not all U.S. service members who died from their duties in Vietnam are memorialized on the Vietnam War Memorial wall. Now, some of those whose lives were cut short by service there were being recognized this year by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's (VVMF) In Memory Program. Debi Neville's husband, Andrew "Pat" Neville, of Rochester, was one of the veterans who died years later due to health complications likely caused by exposure to Agent Orange, a blend of herbicides used by the U.S. during the conflict. The U.S. dumped more than 19 million gallons of the herbicide mix to strip opposing forces cover foliage, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "So many people were dying from their service in Vietnam but weren't necessarily injured in Vietnam," Neville said. Pat was one of the 774 Vietnam veterans honored last week by the VVMF. The veterans were memorialized in a ceremony Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, alongside a traveling three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The service members' names were read aloud in a ceremony. An orange light was shone at the memorial as part of the ceremony. Neville was at the ceremony along with her friend Pam Sutton. The two met through their mutual experiences caring for a spouse dealing with the effects of Agent Orange. Pam's husband, Joe Sutton, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma — one of the 19 cancers and conditions recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of Health with "sufficient" or "suggestive" evidence to associate with exposure to the herbicides. Joe, who died in April 2021, had his name read at the ceremony as well. Pat died in May 2020 after suffering from ALS and dementia. Pam said the ceremony and recognition were moving and overdue. "It's about time," Pam said. Pam said it was nice to meet other families who have dealt with the same issues and frustrations caring for a loved one whose service jeopardized their health. "The government poisoned them," Pam said. There's still more accountability to be won, she added. Dementia is not, on its own, recognized as an illness associated with the herbicides. "To me, it's just wrong," she said. "It's neurological right along with ALS and Parkinson's that they do recognize." Pam said the Southeast Minnesota organization she and Debi established has two women who help care for husbands who served in Vietnam and are suffering from dementia. The two became friends over their shared experiences caring for husbands suffering from the effects of Agent Orange and started the support group.
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Business
- Buzz Feed
Elon Musk Honest Opinions
Elon Musk's time in government has thankfully come to an end. Now that he's no longer a "special government employee," we recently asked the BuzzFeed Community for their honest opinions on the DOGE leader's controversial stint in politics. Here's what they had to say: "Musk simply added to the chaos that is the Trump administration agenda. A billionaire reportedly suspected of drug abuse with no plan, no process, and no strategy. Just a huge mess made of dedicated federal employees. 'Move fast and break things' works for tech; it does not work in government. There already WAS oversight on the budget and spending. The damage Musk and his coders did to our federal government system is immeasurable." "It was egregious, to say the least. Absolutely fucking awful. Nobody wanted him there. I woke up every day hoping to see that he was gone. The only good thing that came out of this whole shitshow was his public breakup with Agent Orange. Shit is wild. Fuck Trump and fuck Musk, too." "From start to finish, I found it appalling. His public descent into right-wing extremism and obvious megalomania has been tragic, disgusting, and painful to watch. The embarrassing degree to which he can't handle criticism. Spending millions on the election (including exploiting voting laws by offering various schemes to incentivize votes without consequence). Shameless bragging about firing thousands of people by parading around on stage wielding a chainsaw. The complete lack of understanding or accountability for any of it. If he never comes back into the public eye, it'll be too soon." "Elon Musk and DOGE have completely upended my entire life. I'm a federal worker, and everything surrounding DOGE has left me and my colleagues in fear for our jobs. Every day, I wonder: 'Is today the day I am going to be fired for no reason?' I have 11 years in the federal government with nothing but exemplary performance reviews and no disciplinary actions ever taken against me, but here I am." "In the past, I thought Musk was a bit off, but his ventures into electric cars, space, and tunneling machines were a push forward in science and technology in a positive way. After his stint in government, I think he is a right-wing idiot. As such, I would never purchase a product he touched. I think he should be stripped of his American citizenship, his companies should be divested from the American government, and he should learn that American democracy has been the reason for his success, and his backing of Trump has been his demise." "I think all he did was prove that the government is shady and can be bought. I really do not think that he and Trump have broken up. I think that fight was staged and that everything he did in the name of DOGE was wrong. You do not just go in and wipe everything out. You go in and assess the situation first, then you make cuts. We have set America back years in scientific development. We have set the world up for major disruptions in healthcare." "He had no business doing anything in our government. Being rich does not make you smart. Being rich does not make you right. Being rich just means you have a lot of money, not a lot of sense." "Absolutely ridiculous. Why was he granted access to the personal data of every American? Where is the transparency? Where is the accountability? Where are the alleged savings to the US taxpayer? It is all a CON. Elon should be deported back to South Africa. Eff him." "Musk's entire time in government felt like we're living in a dystopian novel. Richest man in the world joins the government and wreaks havoc left and right. Any consequences? Nope! In fact, the president will parade his cars in front of the White House. And when people attack his car dealerships, does he see the error of his ways? Nope! He cries about it in interviews, looking for sympathy. And when the damage is done, he leaves with a key to the White House! If we read something similar in a novel, it would be criticized for being too unrealistic." "I don't wish harm on anyone, but if there're two people in the whole world who I would want to stub their toes every day until they die, it's Elon and Trump." "Good riddance to bad rubbish! What Elon Musk did was absolutely terrible for this country. It will take years — if ever — to recover from all the damage he did, and there are things he broke that we probably don't even know about yet. He should be tried in court for what he did." "I find it ridiculous that during their breakup, Elon said a lot of things that he should have said long ago, like how he didn't like the big, beautiful bill and how there will be a recession thanks to Trump's tariffs. Where was that energy before? Why did he keep silent if he disagreed with who knows how many of Trump's shenanigans that have real-world consequences for the rest of us?" "0 out of 10 stars. Would not like to experience again." "It's sad because Elon had a real opportunity with the ear of the president. Elon is so obsessed with having a bunch of children and cares about the birth rates? Great, focus on paid parental leave, free education, increased food assistance for families, anything that would actually help people who want to have children. But no, he focused on bullshit, and the president brought over white farmers from South Africa. Such a shame." And finally, "I think he's a disgusting, entitled piece of garbage. An unelected person allowed almost full, if not full, access to who knows how much sensitive information. Lays off people and slashes departments without actually knowing what they do. Still spreading misinformation and hate on X, and then has a fucking online, public catfight with Trump. The only thing he knows how to do is write checks and bully people; he doesn't actually create anything. At the end of all this, he still has access to a basically infinite amount of money and is suffering no consequences for all of the damage he has done, while millions are left struggling. He can rot." Now that we've heard opinions of Elon, I'm curious about your opinions of Trump. What do you think is the single worst thing the president has ever done? Share your thoughts in the comments or in the anonymous Google form below for a chance to be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Flag raising at garden shop hits home [opinion]
The morning after a storm that snapped tree branches, sent people to their basements and trash cans to the curbs, I was sitting in a line of traffic adjacent to a small family-owned garden store. A woman out front of the garden shop struggled to untangle flagpole ropes twisted in the storm. Hunched over in an awkward position, she couldn't seem to get a grip on them. I wondered why she wasn't using both hands when a swatch of red and white peeked out from under her arm. She was holding a folded flag beneath her elbow pressed tightly to her side. With the flagpole lines finally free, she attached the flag, taking care that it didn't touch the ground. Old Glory was halfway up the pole when the traffic resumed moving. The woman who raised the flag has probably done that hundreds of times, but I was glad to be there at that particular time, to see her respectful handling of Old Glory and to watch the stars and stripes reach for the sky. My dad fought under that flag, as did two of his brothers, one who never made it home. I have a total of six uncles who served under that flag. Two made the military a career. My mother-in-law, brother-in-law and our son-in-law all served under that flag. Served sounds so easy. Combat, bombs, gunfire, tanks, makeshift hospitals, sleeping in tents, land mines, Agent Orange, suicide bombers and open burn pits. Nobody ever comes home the same. Some never come home. The lives of those who serve are upended just like the lives of everyone who loves them, prays for them and waits for them. We fly the flag from our front porch almost every day. To us, it is a reminder of the long and bloody road to freedom and a nod of gratitude to all who have served. Those red and white stripes and stars on a field of blue are so powerful they can temporarily unite opposing teams on football fields, baseball fields, soccer fields and basketball courts. That flag can trigger the roar of the crowd at the Indy 500 and NASCAR races. In rare moments, that flag can even still warring political factions at our nation's capital. Old Glory represents our shared history as well as our shared hope for the future. I called the garden shop and told the man who answered the phone that I'd watched someone raise the flag in front of their business that morning and appreciated it. 'You know why we have that done every day?' he asked. 'My dad served in World War II.' Lori Borgman is a columnist, author and speaker. Her new book, 'What Happens at Grandma's Stays at Grandma's' is now available. Email her at lori@
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Why former Congressman Roe was so passionate about veteran legislation
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Most people know Phil Roe as the Congressman who served Northeast Tennessee for six terms. During his time in Washington, D.C., he passed several bills to benefit veterans and servicemembers. He even chaired the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. 'I was one of the last people drafted in the army. I drafted in 1971,' he said. Roe was in Memphis for medical school when his first orders for Da Nang, Vietnam, were deferred for a year because so many doctors had been drafted from the area, leaving insufficient personnel to run the hospitals. He ended up going to Korea and was stationed 11 miles south of the demilitarized zone (DMZ). 'When you're in an infantry division like I was, you're divided into battalions. You have infantry battalions, aviation armor,' he said. 'I was in a medical battalion, and my medical battalion was right next to the armored battalion.' Roe was in the Second Infantry Division and the captain of the medical battalion. 'There were three of us young doctors that were in charge of taking the health care of an infantry division with 10,000 men in it,' said Roe. When he got out of the army, the $300 a month he received from the GI Bill helped support his young and growing career, as well as his family. 'I was having to work extra shifts in the [Emergency Room] to just pay the bills. I mean the rent was almost as much as my check was for a month, and I had a family to feed,' he said. 'To this very day, that made an impression on me.' Roe went on to become one of the most well-known OBGYNs in Johnson City, where he later served as the mayor before heading to Congress. 'I never thought I would ever do what I ended up doing,' he said. 'I never dreamed that, but I thought if I can ever do anything, I'm going to. And so I did.' SEE MORE: Fmr Congressman Roe discusses passage of Blue Water Navy Act for Agent Orange effects When chairing the House Veterans Affairs Committee, he visited VAs across the nation. He spearheaded bills aimed at helping his fellow veterans, including making the GI Bill a lifetime benefit and securing care for Blue Water Navy Veterans. 'They also have committed that service. And that's why I said, you know, I'm going to take care of them now,' he said. Roe says the Army set him up for success in many ways, but there is one thing that has stuck with him every day. 'I get up every day if I'm going somewhere, I polish and shine my shoes,' he said. 'You had to have shiny shoes in the military. If you'll notice, my shoes are polished. He hasn't slowed down since leaving Congress five years ago. He continues to volunteer with several local and national boards and occasionally participates in speaking engagements. However, he now has more time to play his guitar and pick his banjo. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
