Latest news with #Confederate
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Today in history: Jenner takes gold in Montreal
In 1619, the first representative assembly in Colonial America convened in Jamestown in the Virginia Colony. In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces tried to take Petersburg, Virginia, by exploding a gunpowder-laden mine shaft beneath Confederate defense lines; the attack failed. In 1916, German saboteurs blew up a munitions plant on Black Tom, an island near Jersey City, New Jersey, killing about a dozen people. In 1930, Uruguay won the first FIFA World Cup, defeating Argentina 4-2. In 1945, the Portland class heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, having just delivered components of the atomic bomb to Tinian in the Mariana Islands during World War II, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine; only 316 out of nearly 1,200 service members survived. Advertisement In 1956, President Eisenhower signed a measure making 'In God We Trust' the national motto, replacing 'E Pluribus Unum.' In 1960, the recently founded American Football League had its first preseason game, in which the Boston Patriots defeated the host Buffalo Bills 28-7. In 1965, President Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which led to the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. In 1976, Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, set a world record of 8,618 points and won the gold medal in the Olympic decathlon at the Montreal Summer Games. In 2008, ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was extradited to The Hague to face genocide charges after nearly 13 years on the run. (He was sentenced by a UN court in 2019 to life imprisonment after being convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.) In 2012, three electric grids in India collapsed in a cascade, cutting power to 620 million people in the world's biggest blackout. In 2013, Army Private Chelsea Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy — the most serious charge she faced — but was convicted of espionage, theft and other charges at Fort Meade, Maryland, more than three years after she'd spilled secrets to WikiLeaks. (The former intelligence analyst was later sentenced to up to 35 years in prison, but the sentence was commuted by President Obama in his final days in office.) In 2016, 16 people died when a hot air balloon caught fire and exploded after hitting high-tension power lines before crashing into a pasture near Lockhart, Texas, about 70 miles northeast of San Antonio. Advertisement
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: 'In God We Trust' made the national motto
Today is Wednesday, July 30, the 211th day of 2025. There are 154 days left in the year. Today in history: On July 30, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a measure making 'In God We Trust' the national motto, replacing 'E Pluribus Unum.' Also on this date: In 1619, the first representative assembly in Colonial America convened in Jamestown in the Virginia Colony. In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces tried to take Petersburg, Virginia, by exploding a gunpowder-laden mine shaft beneath Confederate defense lines; the attack failed. In 1916, German saboteurs blew up a munitions plant on Black Tom, an island near Jersey City, New Jersey, killing about a dozen people. In 1930, Uruguay won the first FIFA World Cup, defeating Argentina 4-2. In 1945, the Portland class heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, having just delivered components of the atomic bomb to Tinian in the Mariana Islands during World War II, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine; only 316 out of nearly 1,200 service members survived. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which led to the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. In 1976, Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, set a world record of 8,618 points and won the gold medal in the Olympic decathlon at the Montreal Summer Games. In 2008, ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was extradited to The Hague to face genocide charges after nearly 13 years on the run. (He was sentenced by a U.N. court in 2019 to life imprisonment after being convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.) In 2012, three electric grids in India collapsed in a cascade, cutting power to 620 million people in the world's biggest blackout. In 2013, U.S. Army Pfc. Chelsea Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy — the most serious charge she faced — but was convicted of espionage, theft and other charges at Fort Meade, Maryland, more than three years after she'd spilled secrets to WikiLeaks. (The former intelligence analyst was later sentenced to up to 35 years in prison, but the sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in his final days in office.) In 2016, 16 people died when a hot air balloon caught fire and exploded after hitting high-tension power lines before crashing into a pasture near Lockhart, Texas, about 70 miles northeast of San Antonio. Today's Birthdays: Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is 91. Blues musician Buddy Guy is 89. Singer Paul Anka is 84. Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is 78. Actor Jean Reno is 77. Actor Ken Olin is 71. Actor Delta Burke is 69. Law professor Anita Hill is 69. Singer-songwriter Kate Bush is 67. Film director Richard Linklater is 65. Actor Laurence Fishburne is 64. TV personality Alton Brown is 63. Actor Lisa Kudrow is 62. Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin is 62. Actor Vivica A. Fox is 61. Actor Terry Crews is 57. Actor Simon Baker is 56. Film director Christopher Nolan is 55. Actor Tom Green is 54. Actor Christine Taylor is 54. Actor Hilary Swank is 51. Olympic gold medal beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor is 48. Actor Jaime Pressly is 48. Alt-country singer-musician Seth Avett (AY'-veht) is 45. Former soccer player Hope Solo is 44. Actor Yvonne Strahovski is 43. Actor Martin Starr is 43. Actor Gina Rodriguez is 41. Actor Nico Tortorella is 36. Actor Joey King is 26.
4 days ago
- Politics
Renaming of military bases stirs debate over Confederate ties
In 2023, amid a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases' names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Now, those same bases are reverting back to their original names, this time with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames — the Army found other service members with the same last names to honor. The move is stirring up conversation in and outside military circles. Skeptics wonder if the true intention is to undermine efforts to move away from Confederate associations, an issue that has long split people who favor preserving an aspect of southern heritage and those who want slavery-supporting revels stripped of valor. Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, a civil rights group, said the latest renaming is a 'difference without a distinction.' The wiping away of names that were given by the Biden administration, many of which honored service members who were women or minorities, is the latest move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to align with Trump's purging of all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of the Army responded to emailed requests for comment. Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores names know by generations of soldiers. Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, 11 southern states seceded from the United States to form the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, to preserve slavery an institution that enslaved millions of African Americans. Their secession led to the Civil War, which the Confederates ultimately lost in 1865. By restoring the old names with soldiers or figures who were not Confederates, 'they are trying to be slick," Morial said. For example, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which was changed to Fort Liberty by the Biden administration, was the first to have its original name restored, in June. The Army found another American service member with the same last name, a World War II soldier. Hegseth signed an order restoring the name in February. 'By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit,' Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., wrote in a statement opposing the defense secretary's 'cynical maneuver.' In March, Hegseth reversed the 2023 decision changing Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore. The same name restoring process applied to the additional seven bases: Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. Last week, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced that he was restoring the name of the state's largest National Guard training site. In a social media post announcing the name, Landry wrote that in Louisiana, 'we honor courage, not cancel it.' Attached was what seemed to be an AI-generated image of a headstone with the word 'Wokeism' on it. 'Let this be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations,' Landry wrote. Bases aren't the only military assets being renamed. In late June, Hegseth announced that the USNS Harvey Milk would be renamed after a World War II sailor who received the Medal of Honor, stripping the ship of the name of a killed gay rights activists who served during the Korean War. Morial said there are other ways to recognize unsung heroes instead of returning a base to a name that has long been associated with Confederate leaders. 'No county on Earth would name its military based after people that tried to overthrow the government,' Morial said. 'So, why are people holding on to these names?' Stacy Rosenberg, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, said she is concerned with the inefficiency of renaming bases. She said the cost of changing signages across seven bases could be used for something else that might have more impact. There is no immediate cost estimate for changing all the signs at the bases. Rosenberg said it made sense to move away from Confederate heroes as namesakes but that the latest move seems like a way to appeal to Trump's political base. 'I think what we really need to consider is does whoever the base is named after have such a service record that warrants the honor of having their name associated with that base?' Rosenberg said. Angela Betancourt, a public relations strategist at Betancourt Group and a United States Air Force Reservist said the ongoing renaming of military bases is a form of branding for what each administration views the military should represent. While she understands why people are upset about military bases reverting to a name associated with the Confederacy, Betancourt said that should not take away from the new namesake's heritage and legacy. 'It doesn't mean it's not a good thing to do,' Betancourt said. 'There's certainly heroes, especially African American and diverse heroes, that should be honored. I think this is a good way to do it.'
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Renaming of military bases stirs debate over Confederate ties
In 2023, amid a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases' names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Now, those same bases are reverting back to their original names, this time with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames — the Army found other service members with the same last names to honor. The move is stirring up conversation in and outside military circles. Skeptics wonder if the true intention is to undermine efforts to move away from Confederate associations, an issue that has long split people who favor preserving an aspect of southern heritage and those who want slavery-supporting revels stripped of valor. Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, a civil rights group, said the latest renaming is a 'difference without a distinction.' The wiping away of names that were given by the Biden administration, many of which honored service members who were women or minorities, is the latest move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to align with Trump's purging of all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of the Army responded to emailed requests for comment. Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores names know by generations of soldiers. Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, 11 southern states seceded from the United States to form the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, to preserve slavery an institution that enslaved millions of African Americans. Their secession led to the Civil War, which the Confederates ultimately lost in 1865. By restoring the old names with soldiers or figures who were not Confederates, 'they are trying to be slick," Morial said. For example, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which was changed to Fort Liberty by the Biden administration, was the first to have its original name restored, in June. The Army found another American service member with the same last name, a World War II soldier. Hegseth signed an order restoring the name in February. 'By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit,' Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., wrote in a statement opposing the defense secretary's 'cynical maneuver.' In March, Hegseth reversed the 2023 decision changing Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore. The same name restoring process applied to the additional seven bases: Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. Other name changes Last week, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced that he was restoring the name of the state's largest National Guard training site. In a social media post announcing the name, Landry wrote that in Louisiana, 'we honor courage, not cancel it.' Attached was what seemed to be an AI-generated image of a headstone with the word 'Wokeism' on it. 'Let this be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations,' Landry wrote. Bases aren't the only military assets being renamed. In late June, Hegseth announced that the USNS Harvey Milk would be renamed after a World War II sailor who received the Medal of Honor, stripping the ship of the name of a killed gay rights activists who served during the Korean War. Morial said there are other ways to recognize unsung heroes instead of returning a base to a name that has long been associated with Confederate leaders. 'No county on Earth would name its military based after people that tried to overthrow the government,' Morial said. 'So, why are people holding on to these names?' Stacy Rosenberg, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, said she is concerned with the inefficiency of renaming bases. She said the cost of changing signages across seven bases could be used for something else that might have more impact. There is no immediate cost estimate for changing all the signs at the bases. Rosenberg said it made sense to move away from Confederate heroes as namesakes but that the latest move seems like a way to appeal to Trump's political base. 'I think what we really need to consider is does whoever the base is named after have such a service record that warrants the honor of having their name associated with that base?' Rosenberg said. Angela Betancourt, a public relations strategist at Betancourt Group and a United States Air Force Reservist said the ongoing renaming of military bases is a form of branding for what each administration views the military should represent. While she understands why people are upset about military bases reverting to a name associated with the Confederacy, Betancourt said that should not take away from the new namesake's heritage and legacy. 'It doesn't mean it's not a good thing to do,' Betancourt said. 'There's certainly heroes, especially African American and diverse heroes, that should be honored. I think this is a good way to do it.'
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Renaming of military bases stirs debate over Confederate ties
In 2023, amid a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases' names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Now, those same bases are reverting back to their original names, this time with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames — the Army found other service members with the same last names to honor. The move is stirring up conversation in and outside military circles. Skeptics wonder if the true intention is to undermine efforts to move away from Confederate associations, an issue that has long split people who favor preserving an aspect of southern heritage and those who want slavery-supporting revels stripped of valor. Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, a civil rights group, said the latest renaming is a 'difference without a distinction.' The wiping away of names that were given by the Biden administration, many of which honored service members who were women or minorities, is the latest move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to align with Trump's purging of all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of the Army responded to emailed requests for comment. Confederate names return Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores names know by generations of soldiers. Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, 11 southern states seceded from the United States to form the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, to preserve slavery an institution that enslaved millions of African Americans. Their secession led to the Civil War, which the Confederates ultimately lost in 1865. By restoring the old names with soldiers or figures who were not Confederates, 'they are trying to be slick,' Morial said. For example, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which was changed to Fort Liberty by the Biden administration, was the first to have its original name restored, in June. The Army found another American service member with the same last name, a World War II soldier. Hegseth signed an order restoring the name in February. 'By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit,' Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., wrote in a statement opposing the defense secretary's 'cynical maneuver.' In March, Hegseth reversed the 2023 decision changing Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore. The same name restoring process applied to the additional seven bases: Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. Other name changes Last week, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced that he was restoring the name of the state's largest National Guard training site. In a social media post announcing the name, Landry wrote that in Louisiana, 'we honor courage, not cancel it.' Attached was what seemed to be an AI-generated image of a headstone with the word 'Wokeism' on it. 'Let this be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations,' Landry wrote. Bases aren't the only military assets being renamed. In late June, Hegseth announced that the USNS Harvey Milk would be renamed after a World War II sailor who received the Medal of Honor, stripping the ship of the name of a killed gay rights activists who served during the Korean War. Critics express concern over Confederate associations and inefficiency Morial said there are other ways to recognize unsung heroes instead of returning a base to a name that has long been associated with Confederate leaders. 'No county on Earth would name its military based after people that tried to overthrow the government,' Morial said. 'So, why are people holding on to these names?' Stacy Rosenberg, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, said she is concerned with the inefficiency of renaming bases. She said the cost of changing signages across seven bases could be used for something else that might have more impact. There is no immediate cost estimate for changing all the signs at the bases. Rosenberg said it made sense to move away from Confederate heroes as namesakes but that the latest move seems like a way to appeal to Trump's political base. 'I think what we really need to consider is does whoever the base is named after have such a service record that warrants the honor of having their name associated with that base?' Rosenberg said. Angela Betancourt, a public relations strategist at Betancourt Group and a United States Air Force Reservist said the ongoing renaming of military bases is a form of branding for what each administration views the military should represent. While she understands why people are upset about military bases reverting to a name associated with the Confederacy, Betancourt said that should not take away from the new namesake's heritage and legacy. 'It doesn't mean it's not a good thing to do,' Betancourt said. 'There's certainly heroes, especially African American and diverse heroes, that should be honored. I think this is a good way to do it.' ______ The Associated Press reporters Lolita C. Baldor, John Hanna and Sara Cline contributed to this report.
