DawgTalkers.net Forums Active Threads

Does this sound familiar?....................

Brazil prosecutor says ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, guilty of violent coup plot

Brasilia — A prosecutor asked Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday to find ex-president Jair Bolsonaro guilty of plotting a coup, in closing arguments after a trial that saw President Trump try to intervene on behalf of his right-wing ally. Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election won by his left-wing opponent, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The prosecution told the court that Bolsonaro, a former army officer, and seven others were guilty of participating in "armed criminal association" and had sought to "violently overthrow the democratic order."

After the defense presents its closing arguments, a five-justice panel will decide the fate of the former president. If found guilty, Bolsonaro and his co-defendants could face up to 40 years in prison.

Bolsonaro says he is the victim of political persecution, echoing Mr. Trump's defense when he faced criminal charges before his White House return.

"It's not about imprisoning me; they want to eliminate me," Bolsonaro told news website Poder360 on Tuesday.

Prosecutors say Bolsonaro tried to overturn his 2022 loss in a plot that only failed because the military did not side with him. The plan allegedly included dozens of people and involved a plot to poison Lula and shoot a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. Bolsonaro's defense team has vehemently denied the charges. Bolsonaro has also been barred from running for office until 2030, after casting doubt on the country's electronic voting machines.

After the plot failed, violent Bolsonaro supporters rioted, rampaging through government buildings in the capital Brasilia in scenes that echoed the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by Mr. Trump's supporters after the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

The trial has attracted attention from Mr. Trump, who returned to power in the 2024 election and continues to claim — despite this being rejected repeatedly by the courts — that he won in 2020. Mr. Trump has repeatedly called on social media for Bolsonaro's trial to be stopped, accusing the authorities in Brazil of mounting a "witch hunt" and a "disgrace."

On July 9, he took his campaign to extraordinary new levels by announcing plans to tariff Brazilian imports to the U.S. at 50%, again citing what he called a "witch hunt" against Bolsonaro. And on Tuesday, Washington said it was opening an investigation into "unfair trading practices" by Brazil, a move that could provide a legal basis to justify imposing tariffs on South America's largest economy.

Unlike the tariffs that Mr. Trump is slapping on countries around much of the world, including top U.S. allies, the measures against Brazil — which are set to take effect on August 1 — were announced in openly political terms.

Mr. Trump cited "Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections," among other issues, warning of further escalation if the country retaliated — something Lula indicated would happen.

Unlike many other countries that have been threatened with tariff hikes, the U.S. runs a trade surplus with Brazil, meaning Brazil buys more American goods than the U.S. buys from Brazil. Last year, the U.S. exported about $49 billion worth of goods to Brazil, and Brazil exported just over $42 billion in goods to the U.S., according to Census Bureau figures.

On Friday, Mr. Trump reiterated his claim that Bolsonaro was being unfairly treated.

"They're treating President Bolsonaro very unfairly," Mr. Trump told reporters, calling him "a good man."

"I know the honest ones, and I know the crooked ones," he added.

Lula has hit back at Mr. Trump's "interference," insisting that "no one is above the law."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-donald-trump-violent-overthrow-coup-plot/

This isn't about "reciprocal tariffs". This is about political blackmail for a man who did the same thing he did.

Man, what an awful week. I loved "Feels So Good".

Chuck Mangione, Grammy-winning jazz musician who played himself on “King of the Hill”, dies at 84

Mangione gained acclaim for his ubiquitous mega-hit single, "Feels So Good."

Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning jazz artist who achieved international success with his 1978 single "Feels So Good," has died. He was 84.

Mangione died peacefully in his sleep at his Rochester, N.Y., home on Tuesday, his manager confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.

"Chuck’s love affair with music has been characterized by his boundless energy, unabashed enthusiasm, and pure joy that radiated from the stage," said a statement from Mangione's family. "His appreciation for his loyal worldwide fans was genuine as evidenced by how often he would sit at the edge of the stage after a concert for however long it took to sign autographs for the fans who stayed to meet him and the band."

Born in Rochester on November 9, 1940, Mangione was raised in a musical household, with his father exposing him to jazz at a very young age. In addition to playing their records, his parents often invited jazz stars over for dinner, with guests including Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae.

Mangione's own musical journey began with piano lessons, before he asked to switch to the trumpet instead. The musician went on to earn his bachelors degree in music from the Eastman School of Music, where he would eventually start the Eastman Jazz program.

A trumpeter and flugelhorn player, Mangione soon gained acclaim for his work as both an instrumentalist and composer. With his older brother, Gap, Mangione formed the Jazz Brothers, kicking off his career as a recording artist. Gillespie, who became a mentor for the young musician, later recommended him for a spot in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, which he jumped at the chance to fill.

The musician won his first Grammy for the 1976 album Bellavia, followed by his second for the Children of Sanchez soundtrack. But it was his mega-hit single, "Feels So Good," that catapulted him to worldwide recognition. He would next gain acclaim for composing and performing "Give it All You Got," which was the theme song for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

Mangione continued to record and tour extensively throughout the 1980s, taking a hiatus from music in 1989. He picked up his horn once again after Gillespie's death in 1994.

Recent years have seen new audiences introduced to Mangione via his regular gig as a guest character on King of the Hill. The series saw the musician play a parody of himself, as a Mega Lo Mart spokesperson often touting his fluegelhorn. Mangione appeared in several episodes, including the 2009 series finale.

Across his 60-year career, Mangione recorded over 30 albums, and was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, of which he won two. His popular track "Feels So Good" has remained ubiquitous and is frequently used in movie soundtracks, including 1996's Fargo, 2009's Zombieland, and 2016's Doctor Strange. It has also been featured in shows such as South Park, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, iZombie and The Simpsons.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/us/states-sue-trump-education-funds-afterschool.html

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/14/nx-s1-5467251/trump-school-education-grants-lawsuit

Trump said he threatened to bomb Moscow if Putin attacked Ukraine, 2024 fundraiser tapes show

Donald Trump told a private gathering of donors last year that he once sought to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine by threatening to “bomb the sh*t out of Moscow” in retaliation, according to audio provided to CNN.

“With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the sh*t out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,’” Trump said during one 2024 fundraiser, according to the audio. “And then [Putin] goes, like, ‘I don’t believe you.’ But he believed me 10%.”

Trump later claimed he relayed a similar warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping over a potential invasion of Taiwan, telling him that the US would bomb Beijing in response.

“He thought I was crazy,” Trump said of Xi, before noting that “we never had a problem.”

The remarks, which came as Trump made his case for a second term, were among those captured in a series of audio tapes of 2024 fundraisers in New York and Florida, which were later obtained by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf, who detailed some of the exchanges in their new book, “2024.” The audio has not previously been aired. The Trump campaign declined to comment on the content of the tapes.

The audio shows a more unleashed side of Trump that he was willing to reveal behind closed doors to appeal to wealthy donors – when he talked about not only his at-times aggressive foreign policy strategy, but also deporting student protestors and his opinion that “the welfare people” will always vote for Democrats.

Trump referenced his conversations with Putin and Xi while arguing that he would have staved off conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza if he were president instead of Joe Biden – a claim he’s continued to repeat as he now struggles to end both wars.

On Tuesday, Trump again expressed frustration with Putin’s resistance to a peace deal, complaining that the Russian leader was throwing “a lot of bullsh*t” at the U.S.

“I’m not happy with Putin,” he said during a Cabinet meeting. “I’m very unhappy with them.”

During one fundraiser, Trump boasted about pressuring wealthy allies to donate tens of millions of dollars to his campaign. At another, he previewed his administration’s efforts to deport student protesters in addition to recounting his exchanges with foreign leaders.

“One thing I’d do is any student that protests, I would throw them out of the country,” Trump said at a second closed-door fundraiser, vowing to crack down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses. “Those people made a big mistake. Throw them out of the country, and I think that will stop it.”

After one donor voiced concern that some of the student protesters would eventually be “running this country,” Trump pressed the audience to “really be generous” in helping him get elected.

“If you get me elected, we will set that movement back 25 to 30 years,” he said.

Trump has sought to follow through on that pledge since taking office, sparking a series of running legal showdowns between the White House and the judiciary over the scope of the administration’s mass deportation drive – including against students who hold visas that the administration has sought to revoke.

At another fundraiser, Trump pressed attendees to give more to his campaign by asserting that Republicans were at a disadvantage because “the welfare people will always vote for Democrats.”

“The unions give big money, the civil service stuff gives big money, and they have the advantage of welfare,” he said. “The one thing that I have to say to my Jewish friends: You’ve got to get them to start voting Republican.”

During that event, Trump also bragged about convincing one wealthy donor who had offered a $1 million donation in exchange for lunch with him to instead increase the amount to $25 million.

“And he did it, he gave me $25 million,” Trump said. “It’s crazy.”

The then-GOP presidential nominee claimed he had similarly succeeded in getting others to donate far more than they originally planned.

“You have to have the courage to ask,” he said. “You have to get them into the mindset.”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/politics/trump-tape-putin-bomb-fundraiser

Why do people believe a word this man says?

The White House has sought to dismantle the Department of Education.

President Donald Trump's administration is pausing over $6 billion of congressionally-appropriated federal funding for after-school, student support, teacher training, English language and other education programs, according to a Department of Education memo obtained by ABC News.

In a letter to Congress from the agency's office of legislation and congressional affairs Monday afternoon, the DOE said a notification would be sent to certain grantees alerting them that funding for the upcoming school year would be reviewed on July 1 and decisions concerning this academic year have "not yet been made."

"The department will not be issuing grant award notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review," the memo reads in part. "The department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president's priorities and the department's statutory responsibilities."

The statutorily mandated special education funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have been awarded to states on time, according to a DOE source.

But school budgets for the year are typically approved in May or June and are ready to be allocated by July 1, according to education finance experts. The abrupt messaging from the administration gave scant details on how the key programs would be impacted moving forward and comes just weeks before many state education agencies return students to the classroom.

The 2024 National Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman, an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor in Tennessee, told ABC News any withholding of funds will affect schools.

"School budgets are already very tight, so withholding funds for required programs -- such as those for English learners -- will certainly place a burden on school systems," Testerman wrote in a statement to ABC News.

"This likely will mean that systems will face the difficult decision to make budget cuts in other areas, affecting students. In rural systems like mine, this could mean a reduction in overall staff or the elimination of crucial supports for students such as afterschool and tutoring programs," Testerman added.

House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., called the move to withhold the appropriated funds a violation of federal law with potentially devastating consequences.

"The halting of these critical funds harms the students, educators, and schools that strive to provide quality public education with the meager funds and challenges they face," Scott wrote in a statement to ABC News.

"Cash-strapped school districts, particularly those in low-income and rural areas, cannot afford this delay and will likely be forced to either lay off staff or cut back on programs and services while the White House Office of Budget and Management 'reviews' the funding," Scott said.

State attorneys general are expected to sue the administration over the reviews, according to a source familiar with the matter. Parents groups and education advocates decrying the decision are also mounting lawsuits against the administration, the source confirmed. Advocates accuse the administration of undermining public education in a "cruel betrayal" of students.

"Schools are already grappling with severe teacher shortages, burnout and under-resourced classrooms, and here comes the federal government ripping resources away from public schools. It is outrageous and unconscionable," said National Education Association President Becky Pringle.

"Educators and parents will not be silent while students are undervalued, unheard and unsupported," Pringle wrote in a statement, adding, "We will stand up, speak out and take action to ensure every classroom is a place of dignity, opportunity and respect."

Education providers are sounding the alarm about the funding that impacts millions of students, teachers, and families, telling ABC News they fear that low-income students and families will be left in a bind with no other options of care for their children.

The Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization, said, "If these funds are not released very soon, we will quickly see more children and youth unsupervised and at risk, more academic failures, more hungry kids, more chronic absenteeism, higher dropout rates, more parents forced out of their jobs, and a less STEM-ready and successful workforce as our child care crisis worsens dramatically."

The pause comes as efforts to dismantle the Department of Education have been blocked by lower courts. The Supreme Court is also expected to weigh in on the firing of nearly 2,000 employees at the agency.

The DOE referred additional questions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

An OMB spokesman told ABC News the pause is due to an "ongoing programmatic review" of education funding, adding no decisions have been made yet.

Many of the programs "grossly misused" government funds to promote a "radical leftwing agenda," the OMB spokesperson added. In some cases, the programs allegedly promote illegal immigration advocacy and queer resistance in the arts, according to the spokesman.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-adm...programs-ahead-school/story?id=123403964

Trump administration freezes millions for NC public schools during review

The Trump administration is withholding nearly $7 billion in federal education funding, including $168.8 million that North Carolina public schools had expected to get for the new school year.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article310131750.html#storylink=cpy

'Chaos and uncertainty': Arizona schools left reeling by education fund freeze

Arizona was set to receive approximately $118 million in funding on July 1 — the date schools typically receive the bulk of their annual federal education support.

PHOENIX — Arizona school districts are scrambling after the Trump administration unexpectedly froze roughly $120 million in federal education funding that was supposed to be released July 1.

The move is part of a broader nationwide freeze, with the U.S. Department of Education holding back nearly $6.8 billion in federal education funding that had already been approved by Congress. The decision caught school leaders off guard and left thousands of schools uncertain about how they’ll pay for essential programs, staff and services.

https://www.12news.com/article/news.../75-13b64911-97dc-4a83-b1b3-b1bee7fd3346

$106M in limbo for Tennessee schools as Trump administration conducts review

https://www.yahoo.com/news/106m-limbo-tennessee-schools-trump-100353917.html

Those are only a few examples of states he is cutting school funding for. MADA. Make America Dumb Again ?

"We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated.”

Maybe he just wants more people to love?