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Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. DeSantis deletes ‘LGBTQ and Hispanic communities' from Pulse anniversary statement
Gov. Ron DeSantis' annual statement on the Pulse shooting anniversary released Thursday makes no mention of the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities — the two groups most devastated by the massacre that left 49 dead. DeSantis mentioned those communities last year and in other previous statements recognizing the shooting on June 12, 2016. Those anniversary statements called it a 'a horrific act of terrorism against the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities.' In his first year in office, however, the two-term governor faced blowback when an initial statement also failed to note who was most impacted by the shooting. The deletion this year seems in line with efforts by both the DeSantis and Trump administrations to purge what it calls 'diversity, equity and inclusion' from the government, which has included similar deletions that reference sexual orientation and race from the National Park Service website and others. 'Gov. DeSantis' erasure of the LGBTQ+ and Latino communities today may say a lot about what kind of person he is, but it doesn't change the fact that those were the communities most directly impacted at Pulse,' said Brandon Wolf, a Pulse survivor from Orlando who serves as spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign. The memorandum from the governor's office ordering flags to be at half-staff on Thursday states, 'Nine years ago, on June 12, 2016, a shooter claiming alliance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant committed a horrific act of terrorism at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.' Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando: Remembering the victims of June 12, 2016 Spokespersons for the governor did not respond to a request for comment. The governor's memorandum from last year, and for at least the last four years, included the reference to the terrorism 'against the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities.' Wolf said in an email that DeSantis' statement cannot rewrite what happened. 'His erasure doesn't change the fact that families have empty seats at dinner tables, friends have missing faces at birthday parties, and our communities still bear the scars,' Wolf wrote in an email. 'Today, rather than letting the governor's petty political cowardice write our story, I hope people choose to remember those stolen and impacted, reflect on the costs of violent hate, and recommit to honoring those we loved and lost with action.' DeSantis' previous removal of language citing the impact of the Pulse shooting on the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities, who made up the majority of the victims at what was Latin Night at the popular gay nightclub, led to an uproar in his first year in office in 2019. The Tampa Bay Times reported at the time that DeSantis' office prepared two proclamations to commemorate the 3-year anniversary of Pulse, one that mentioned the Hispanic and LGBTQ communities and one that didn't. DeSantis initially opted for the one that didn't, but then released a different version the next day that made reference to the community before visiting the Pulse site. 'The state of Florida will not tolerate hatred towards the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities and we will stand boldly with Orlando and the Central Florida community against terrorism and hate,' one of the drafts stated. The version that was initially released stated 'the entire state of Florida has come together to stand boldly.' DeSantis' spokeswoman at the time, Helen Ferre, blamed the mishap on a staffer, but didn't identify who it was. While DeSantis had been at the forefront of opposing 'critical race theory' and DEI, the new Trump administration has taken those efforts to the extreme in its removal of language about minorities. The park service website for Stonewall National Monument, which commemorates the birth of the gay rights movement in June 1969 and led to June being declared Pride Month, removed mention of 'transgender' people despite their being at the forefront of the historic confrontation with police. A webpage on Harriet Tubman was also altered to remove mention of 'the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight' and a prominent photo of Tubman. A Trump order also called for removal of Park Service language with 'improper' ideology and called for visitors to report any instances of language that 'inappropriately disparages Americans past or living.' The Department of Defense got into hot water earlier this year when it removed a webpage about civil rights icon Jackie Robinson's military career, with the letters 'dei' inserted into their web address. The page was later restored. But the DOD did announce this month it would change the name of a Navy ship bearing the name of assassinated LGBTQ politician Harvey Milk, who was a Navy vet, and also recommended renaming ships named after Tubman, African American Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, labor leaders Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, women's rights suffragist Lucy Stone, and civil rights leader Medgar Evers, according to CBS News.
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Why Flags Are at Half-Mast Across Florida Today
Flags are being flown at half-staff across Florida on Thursday to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando. Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday instructed that flags should be flown at half-staff between sunrise and sunset the following day. He said: "Nine years ago, on June 12, 2016, a shooter claiming alliance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant committed a horrific act of terrorism at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine people were killed and fifty-three were wounded. "As a mark of respect for the victims, their families, and the many affected by this tragedy, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida." Related Articles Ron DeSantis Says Floridians Have Right to Hit Protesters With CarsDemocrats' Chances of Flipping Florida in Governor's Race-PollsFlorida Unveils Inter-City Rail ChangesMAGA Supporters Counter Anti-ICE Protests: 'Go Back to Mexico' 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pakistani man extradited to U.S. from Canada over plot to attack Jewish centre on October 7 anniversary
A Pakistani citizen living in Canada has been extradited to the U.S. to face charges for plotting an Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)-inspired mass shooting at a Jewish centre in New York City around the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks, U.S. officials said. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan (20), also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was extradited to the U.S. on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) in connection with an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice said in a press release. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel said Mr. Khan allegedly tried to enter the U.S. to commit the attack and planned an ISIS-inspired mass shooting on October 7, 2024, around the first anniversary of the 2023 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel. "Major news… earlier this afternoon, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, was extradited to the United States on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism," Mr. Patel said in a post on X. Major news… earlier this afternoon, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, was extradited to the United States on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism. In the fall of last year, Khan… — FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 10, 2025 Mr. Khan is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on Wednesday (June 10, 2025). U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York said Mr. Khan planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of the Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS, the press release said. In a communication with undercover law enforcement officers, Mr. Khan claimed that if the plan succeeded, it would be "the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11". He was provisionally arrested in Canada in September last year based on a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. According to the complaint, Mr. Khan tried to travel from Canada to New York to carry out the mass shooting at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn. Around November 2023, Mr. Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS, distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature, among other things. Subsequently, he began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers and confirmed planning an attack along with a U.S.-based associate in an unnamed American city. Mr. Khan said he had been actively attempting to create 'a real offline cell' of ISIS supporters to carry out a 'coordinated assault' in a U.S. city using Augmented Reality (AR)-style rifles to 'target Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around' the city. He also repeatedly instructed the undercover officers to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, including 'some good hunting [knives] so we can slit their throats'. Mr. Khan identified the specific locations in the city where the attacks would take place and provided details about how he would cross the border from Canada into the U.S. for these. During these conversations, he emphasised that 'Oct 7th and Oct 11th are the best days for targeting the Jews' because 'Oct 7 they will surely have some protests and Oct 11 is Yom Kippur', referring to Judaism's holiest day. He changed the target location to New York City around August 20 and decided to target the Jewish centre in Brooklyn. He told the agents that New York is "perfect to target jews' as it has the 'largest Jewish population" in the US and said, 'Even if we don't attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.' Mr. Khan told the undercover officers that he planned to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024 — which he recognised as the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas. As part of his plan, Mr. Khan attempted to reach the U.S.-Canada border around September 4 by using three separate cars to travel across Canada towards the U.S. Canadian authorities stopped him in or around Ormstown, approximately 12 miles from the border. Mr. Khan is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to the ISIS terrorist organisation and one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
American Military News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
US military cutting 7 of 8 military bases in Syria, top Trump official says
U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barrack indicated on Monday that the U.S. military is planning to reduce its presence in Syria from eight bases to one base and that President Donald Trump's administration plans to significantly change its policy with the country. According to Reuters, Barrack was appointed as the special envoy to Syria last month after Trump removed U.S. sanctions against Syria. Following the removal of Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad from power in December, the United States and other countries throughout the world are engaging with the new government under transitional Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to the outlet. Reuters reported that the U.S. military currently has roughly 2,000 troops deployed in Syria, with the majority of the U.S. troops located in the northeastern region of the country. The outlet noted that the U.S. military forces in Syria remain deployed as part of an effort to prevent the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) from retaking the land that the terrorist organization captured in Syria and Iraq in 2014. READ MORE: US military urges African allies to increase 'burden sharing' According to Reuters, when asked on Monday about the Trump administration's policy plans with regard to Syria and whether the U.S. military is considering a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, Barrack told Turkish broadcaster NTV, 'What I can assure you is that our current Syria policy will not be close to the Syria policy of the last 100 years, because none of these have worked.' During Monday's interview, Barrack explained that the Trump administration's change in policy with regard to Syria includes a reduction of U.S. military bases in the country, according to an interview transcript obtained by Reuters. Barrack indicated that the United States is planning to reduce its presence from eight bases in Syria to one base. Reuters reported that two security sources previously told Reuters in April that the U.S. military had relocated vehicles and equipment from the Deir el-Zor in eastern Syria to Hasakah in northeastern Syria. One of the anonymous security sources told Reuters that the U.S. military's plan to consolidate resources in the Hasakah region of Syria included removing U.S. troops deployed in the Deir el-Zor region. According to Reuters, an anonymous U.S. State Department official also claimed that the U.S. military's presence in Syria would be reduced 'if and when appropriate' based on various conditions.
National Observer
05-06-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Canadian men, children held in Syria make human rights complaints against Ottawa
A dozen Canadian men and children detained in Syria are complaining to the Canadian Human Rights Commission that Ottawa is discriminating against them by not assisting their return to Canada. The Canadians are among the foreign nationals who have endured squalid and dangerous conditions for years in camps and prisons run by Kurdish forces that reclaimed the war-ravaged region from militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Some Canadian women and children have been repatriated in recent years with help from Canadian officials and the co-operation of Kurdish authorities. There are 12 complainants in the human rights commission case — five Canadian men and seven children aged five to 12. Lawyer Nicholas Pope, who launched the complaints, said federal policy guiding the repatriation of Canadians from the region discriminates based on age, sex and family status. Pope said the policy gives less favourable treatment to Canadian children whose mothers were not born in Canada. Canada has insisted that the remaining detained Canadian children, who were born to three non-Canadian mothers, be forcibly separated from their mothers and become orphans in Canada in order to receive repatriation services, he said. In addition, Ottawa has declined to help repatriate Canadian men. "Every Canadian has the right to be treated equally," Pope said in a statement. "This is a rare situation in which the detaining authority holding Canadians abroad is actually pleading with us to end the detention, but it is Ottawa that is selectively refusing to let some Canadians return home." Among the men complaining to the human rights commission is Jack Letts, who became a devoted Muslim as a teenager, went on holiday to Jordan, then studied in Kuwait before winding up in Syria. The Federal Court of Appeal ruled two years ago that Ottawa was not obligated under the law to repatriate Letts and three other Canadian men. The Supreme Court of Canada then declined to hear an appeal of the ruling. In accordance with the Canadian Human Rights Act, the human rights commission receives and screens complaints from people who believe they have experienced discrimination or harassment. The commission helps resolve disputes through mediation or conciliation, and sometimes refers complaints to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, an independent body that can decide whether there is discrimination. Pope said the commission "has put the files on a fast-track" and is requiring the government to participate in conciliation, which is in the process of being scheduled. The human rights commission did not respond to a request for comment. Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said that due to confidentiality the department is unable to comment on cases before the human rights commission. The complaint filed last August on behalf of Letts says he suffers from anemia and experiences considerable pain from a potentially life-threatening kidney disorder, but he cannot access adequate medical treatment. "The Complainant is held in prison in a small cell that is overcrowded and unsanitary," the form reads. "He lacks adequate food and medical attention. He has never been given any legal process to challenge his detention." It notes that Canada has repatriated women and children from northeastern Syria under federal policy, but not any men, even though their conditions are more dire than those of the repatriated women and children. "The blanket ban on repatriating adult males perpetuates the stereotype that men are more dangerous than women and children," the complaint says. In a response filed with the commission concerning Letts's case, the federal government says the commission should refuse to deal with the complaint because "the assessment of the complainant's situation is ongoing and a decision whether to provide extraordinary assistance has not yet been made." The government also denies the allegation that Letts was not given repatriation assistance because of his sex or age. A statement of reply to the commission on behalf of Letts says the government has twice made determinations to refuse him repatriation services. In a response to the commission concerning the complaints involving children, the government denies the federal policy is discriminatory towards them on the basis of family status. MacLeod said Global Affairs continues to evaluate the provision of extraordinary assistance, including repatriation to Canada, on a case-by-case basis. "Canadian consular officials remain actively engaged with authorities and international organizations operating in Syria for information on and assistance to Canadian citizens in custody," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
