FULL SPEECH: Gov. Rick Perry & Marcus Luttrell - Republican National Convention - LONE SURVIVOR
Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, a retired Navy SEAL, offered a powerful speech Monday night at the Republican National Convention, chronicling his experiences in the military and thanking Americans for allowing him to serve for 20 years.
To the large crowd of delegates, who were gathered at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland for the conventions opening night, which boasted the theme Make America Safe Again, Luttrell offered a heartfelt plea on the part of veterans.
Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
I think its important to say that we got to make sure that the h**l the veterans return from is not the h**l [they] come home to, OK? he said. Thats what was promised, and thats whats deserved.
It was at that point that the former SEAL started choking up. He talked about his love for his generation, Generation X, and offered gratitude for those who create charities and programs to help wounded veterans and families of the fallen when the system doesnt take care of our boys.
Please know that I end every day on my knees thanking G*d for yall, and what you do, and how you covet my generation of veterans coming home, Luttrell said, his voice shaking.
He told the delegation that Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, understands what its going to take to fix the problems currently plaguing the military community.
The only way were going to keep America safe is to have an elite military, all right, Luttrell said, before going off script.
The Lone Survivor author then called on Americans to join together as a family, standing up for one another and backing each other up.
The only way we survive this is together not apart, Luttrell said. In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter, you understand?
He called on the next generation to prepare themselves to take the mantle from his generation because your war is here. He asked who in the younger generations will love something more than you love yourself and who will step up and take the fight to the enemy, challenging everyone to fight for your country.
The world outside of our borders is a dark place a scary place, Luttrell said. America is the light, and her people are the goodness that grows from that.Shell always be worth fighting for it was my greatest honor to fight for her every day of my adult life.
Ultimately, the high-profile veteran ended his remarks by thanking those in attendance for allowing him to serve in the armed forces for 20 years.
I swear to G*d Im going to spend the next 20 paying you back, he said.
Real-life Benghazi heroes open up about "13 Hours" movie
As Republicans take to the stage in Cleveland starting today for the Republican National Convention, viewers can rest assured that they"ll hear one recurrent phrase when it comes to talking about Hillary Clinton: "Benghazi." Just like Clinton"s email probe, for which she was cleared by FBI, the Benghazi issue has been ongoing for years and is pretty complicated.
It started in 2012 after four U.S. citizens ambassador Christopher Stevens, CIA contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, and information officer Sean Smith were tragically killed. But what actually happened in Benghazi, Libya? Read on for an overview on everything you need to know to understand the debate.
WHAT HAPPENED?
An armed man waving his rifle as buildings and cars are engulfed in flames after being set on fire inside the US consulate compound in Benghazi on September 11, 2012.
STR/AFP/Getty
On Sept. 11, 2012, nearly a half-dozen Islamic countries held anti-US protests in reaction to a movie made by an American filmmaker that mocked the Prophet Mohammad, according to PBS. In Cairo, a mob of protesters breached a wall at the U.S. Embassy and ripped down a flag.
That same night, reports began coming in that terrorists had overrun the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, according to USA Today. Libya was still reeling from a civil war the year before and the death of its leader Moammar Gadhafi, and was unstable.
At the U.S. compound, a group of attackers opened a gate allowing armed men to enter and set fire to a building, filling it with smoke, NBC reported. The U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, went to a safe room with another American, Sean Smith, and the two died of smoke inhalation there as American security guards tried to rescue them.
There was a second attack on a CIA annex building nearby, and two CIA contractors, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, exchanged gunfire with the attackers, but were also killed.
THE RESPONSE
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the U.S. did not know the attack was coming and the military was too far away from the compound to help during the attack, and on Sunday morning political talk shows that week, then-U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice suggested a link between the anti-Mohammad movie and the attack in Benghazi, according to PBS. Rice stated that the "current best assessment" was that the attack was an extension of the protests against the film happening elsewhere.
"What this began as was a spontaneous, not a premeditated, response to what had transpired in Cairo," she said.
According to NBC, Rice was telling the truth: a CIA report had concluded that was the case, but the CIA report turned out to be wrong.
THE CONTROVERSY
U.S. Republican senators Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Kelly Ayotte speak during a press conference to discuss the Accountability Review Board report into the Benghazi terrorist attack on December 21, 2012 .
Win McNamee/Getty
Republicans in Congress said that the White House knew immediately that Benghazi was a terror attack, not part of the protests, and that they hid that information to help President Obama get re-elected in 2012. The White House said that Rice was speaking from the best information available at the time, according to PBS.
The Republicans began pressing the administration with questions such as why diplomats were in Benghazi, why security at the compound was inadequate, why the intelligence community didn"t know about the attack, why military was unable to respond quickly, and why the Obama administration spread inaccurate information in the days after the attack.
THE INVESTIGATION
Five House Committees, two Senate Committees, the FBI, and the State Department launched investigations into the Benghazi attacks to try and get answers to some of those questions.
Clinton, who was then head of the State Department as Secretary of State, testified before two of the committees in January 2013 as part of the investigations.
"The fact is, we had four dead Americans," Clinton said in her testimony. "Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they would go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does this make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again."
Clinton said that she took responsibility for the tragedy and agreed to improve security at diplomatic outposts in high-threat areas, but was not involved in decisions, before the attacks, about whether to bolster security in Benghazi.
CONCLUSION: The State Department Failed, But Clinton Did Not
The multiple investigations found there was inadequate security at the Benghazi compound and a series of failures within the State Department, and that Rice was given inaccurate information about the attacks, but none of the reports found fault with Clinton, according to USA Today.
Those findings, however, were not enough to satisfy Clinton and Obama"s critics. As Mother Jones quoted NPR"s Ari Shapiro in 2013, "Benghazi has become a sort of catchword. To Republicans, it symbolizes everything bad about the Obama administration" and by extension Clinton. It"s an issue her Republican rival, Donald Trump, has seized upon throughout the campaign season, and it"s likely to come up again numerous times at the RNC .
Related: Where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Stand on Foreign Policy
We Are On A Log Flume! Chiapas POV Edition! Phantasialand Germany
So as Theresa May heads for Berlin tomorrow for her first foreign trip since becoming Prime Minister, there will be much interest in whether she and Angela Merkel get on together since this relationship will be critical to the way Britain and the EU handlethe consequences of the Brexit vote. The referendum outcome caused shock and dismay in Germany where there is no great desire to see the UK punished for leaving the club but no evident enthusiasm for helping Britain, either.
It would be nice to think Europes two most powerful leaders could strike up a friendship; but it is by no means essential. What is important is that they each respect where the other is coming from. It is too early in Mrs Mays premiership for her to be able to set out in even the sketchiest detail the likely direction of Britains negotiations with the EU. But she will want to lay down some parameters now with Mrs Merkel and with Francois Hollande, whom she is to meet in Paris on Thursday.
The EU Council is to meet in Bratislava on Sept 16 - with Britain absent for the first time - to set out the general negotiating framework for talks. In Berlin and Paris, therefore, Mrs May has her first opportunity of influencing that critical discussion. With characteristic cynicism, Charles de Gaulle, who vetoed Britains first attempts to join the EEC, once said that France had no friends, only interests. But it is also in a nations interests to have friends; and Mrs Mays task is to ensure we keep them.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - Full Race - Daytona 500
Twenty laps into the Coke Zero 500 things got a little crazy and very dangerous.
A 16-car crash led to a huge pileup and some of the race"s biggest names getting knocked out of contention.
YouTube/TBK LightIt started when Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. got loose ahead of the pack. Kevin Harvick told USA Today that he then "got squirrely." Jeff Gordon reportedly tried to avoid a crash and that started the huge wreck.
Along with Gordon, notable driversJimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were all involved in the crash, according to People. And not all of them were able to continue (though Patrick and Earnhardt did).
YouTube/TBK LightAric Almirola ended up winning the race which was ultimately shortened by rain.
Gerardo Ortizs Fuiste Mia hops 13-10 on the Latin Airplay chart (dated July 23), earning the singer his ninth top 10 on the tally (up 20 percent in audience impressions in the week ending July 10, according to Nielsen Music). Its the third top 10 from his Hoy Mas Fuerte album, which spent five weeks atop the Regional Mexican Albums chart in 2015.
Gerardo Ortiz"s Controversial "Fuiste Mia" Music Video Removed From YouTube
Over on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, Fuiste takes Greatest Gainer honors, rising 6-4 (up 20 percent to 9.8 million audience impressions). Its his ninth top five hit, which puts him in third place among solo acts with the most top fives. Ahead of Ortiz is Vicente Fernandez (with 14) and Marco Antonio Solis (21).
Earlier this year, Ortiz came under fire for releasing a music video for "Fuiste" which included violent images. The clip spurred an online petition advocating its removal from YouTube. The video was eventually removed from the site in April, although it is unknown as to whether Ortizs team or YouTube took down the video.
Corazon Climbs Back to No. 1: Meanwhile, Enrique Iglesias returns to No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs with Duele el Corazon, featuring Wisin, for a fourth week atop the chart. The track rises 3-1 in its eighth week on the list, aided in part by a four percent increase in weekly streams (to 2.1 million). The track concurrently reaches a new peak on Dance Club Songs, jumping 38-32.
Intocables 53rd Entry: Finally, regional Mexican group Intocable scores the Hot Shot Debut on Hot Latin Songs, arriving at No. 42 with Quiereme (Amame), from its most recent album, Highway -- which crowns Top Latin Albums for a second week. The entrance marks the bands 53rd song to chart, tying with singer Ednita Nazario for the third-most chart hits. Intocable is only bested by Luis Miguel and Vicente Fernandez, each with 57 entries, and Los Tigres del Norte -- who hold the record with 66.
shooting at parrish medical center| who is speaking at the republican convention| baton rouge PMC Code Silver Active Shooter protocols
Natalie Sellers, Parrish Medical Center vice president of communications, community and corporate services, issued a statement in response to the deadly shooting at the hospital in the early morning hours on Sunday. (WFTV video image)
Parrish Medical CenterMourns Loss of Shooting Victims Carrie Rouzer and Cynthia Zingsheim;PMC Security Officers Matt Dolan and Jason Rowley Commended
BREVARD COUNTY TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA Natalie Sellers, Parrish Medical Center vice president of communications, community and corporate services, issued this statement in response to the deadly shooting at the hospital in the early morning hours on Sunday:
Our hearts are broken for the families affected by this tragedy, and we are supporting our care partners, patients and families. As the work of a hospital cannot stop, our service to patients and families continues.
Our hospital active shooter security policy, which we call Code Silver, was followed by PMC security and all care partners (employees, medical staff and volunteers). Security responded immediately and subdued the shooter. We have attached a copy of our Code Silver protocols for your information.
PMC security officers Matt Dolan and Jason Rowley responded to the emergency. Security officer Dolan tackled the individual and Security Officer Rowley assisted in restraining him until the arrival of the Titusville Police Department and Brevard County Sheriffs Department.
We appreciate and commend the immediate response of the TPD and deputies and commend officers for their professionalism. It is for this reason the hospital works on these procedures with our law enforcement and conduct frequent trainings.
We will, in this case and in any case where patient safety is involved, review all aspects of this situation.
Again, our hearts are broken for the families affected by this tragedy, and we are supporting our care partners, patients and families. We thank the community for their support.
Sellers also released the below Parrish Medical Center Code Silver Active Shooter information about their protocols and operational impacts on the hospital today for the public.
Code initiated bv: Staff. Dial 1-1
ACTIVE SHOOTER DEFINED: One or more subjects who participate in a random orsystematic shooting spree, demonstrating intent to continuously harm others.
The termactive shooter will include anyone who uses any deadly weapon (knife, club, bow and arrow,explosives, etc.) to systematically or randomly inflict death or great bodily harm on anyone.
If you hear Code Silver announced or see someone in Parrish Medical Centerdischarging or threatening to discharge a weapon, FOLLOW THESEGUIDELINES:
Lock yourself in the room you are in at the time of the threatening activity.If you are able to do so, notify Security by dialing 1-1 or 6565.Inform Security of the Code Silver situation and the location of the incident.If its safe to do so, activate a duress/panic alarm if one is nearby.Do not stay in an open hall or area, such as the PMC Atrium.If you are able to safely do so, take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the safety andwell being of all patients, visitors and staff in any shooting situation.If you are able to safely do so, close all curtains and blindsKeep patients and visitors away from windows if possible.The objective is to allow the shooter to leave the facility so that no one isinjured.If faced with the person holding the firearm, do exactly as you are told. Do not hesitate.Remain calm. Try to observe the suspect(s) eyes, ears, nose, eye brows and eyelids first.Next observe height and weight and finally the clothing. Do not stare at the weapon. Do notstare at the suspect(s). Casual observations are always the best and the safest technique.After the suspect(s) have left, LOCK THE DOOR.If there are any injuries, advise Security by dialing 11 or 6565. To the extent possible,provide first aid to the injured. No one should leave the premises and do not open the dooruntil the arrival of the police department and/or security.If security arrives prior to the police department they will separate all witnesses and havethem write down their description of the suspect(s). Witnesses should not collaborate onthe description. Five separate descriptions are better than a group description. Individualstatements are always more accurate and easier for police to work with in investigating thecase.All requests from any media representative shall be referred to the PMCs PublicInformation Officer.Employees are not to make ANY statements in regard to the incident to the media.
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