Latest news with #GeorgeBush
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Kananaskis golf course getting ready for G7, possible Trump visit
Darren Robinson, general manager of the Kananaskis Country Golf Course, has his hands full preparing the facility for the upcoming G7 Leaders meeting in Kananaskis, Alta., Monday, June 2, CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh KANANASKIS — Darren Robinson had some very important news to tell U.S. president George Bush and José María Aznar, the prime minister of Spain. The pro shop was open. Aznar had told Robinson, general manager of the Kananaskis Country Golf Club in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, that he wanted to visit the shop. True to his word, Robinson walked over to the two world leaders on a patio and interrupted their conversation. 'What was probably only 10 seconds felt like 10 minutes,' Robinson recalled of the G8 leaders' summit in 2002 in Kananaskis. He said the pair paused their discussion, and Bush waved over British prime minister Tony Blair. The four then talked about golf, running, the mountains, as the other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, chatted ahead of a dinner at the golf club. 'I'm like, somebody pinch me. It's really happening,' Robinson said. Twenty-three years later, Robinson is again teeing up to possibly host some of the world's most powerful people for the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis set for June 15-17. The golf club is included in the tightly controlled perimeter that will be closed to public access during the summit and is one of two primary locations the leaders could use. The summit is being hosted by the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, a short drive from the course. There's speculation U.S. President Donald Trump, with his known affection for golf, could tee off on the scenic course that sits at the foot of Mount Kidd. Trump even owns Kananaskis Country Golf Club merchandise. Prime Minister Mark Carney gifted the president a hat and gear from the club during his first White House visit in early May. Requests for comment to the White House and the Prime Minister's Office about whether Trump or Carney would get in a golf game at the summit were not returned. The summit's itinerary hasn't been shared publicly. And if history informs Robinson's expectations, any activities involving leaders at the course would be spontaneous. Robinson remembers one afternoon in 2002, when he mentioned to Jean Chrétien, touring the club before an upcoming dinner, that it was a shame the prime minister didn't have time to play. '(Chrétien) says, 'Who says I don't have time?' And he starts taking off his tie and jacket,' said Robinson, mimicking Chrétien's French accent. Chrétien hit two clean shots on his way to the putting green, said Robinson. But on the third shot, a short chip to get on the green, the prime minister accidentally nicked a divot out of the grass before making contact with the ball. 'Before the ball even stops rolling, he reaches into his pocket, drops another one, hits that nicely onto the green,' Robinson said. 'And then he looks at me and says, 'I call that a Clinton.'' Chrétien, after dropping the reference to former U.S. president Bill Clinton, played three more holes before getting back to work, said Robinson. He added that several interactions he had with Bush were personal highlights of the summit. It was a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. U.S. staffers asked Robinson to draw up a five-kilometre loop the president could run the next morning. When Bush arrived early the next day in his sneakers, he asked if a woman at the club dressed in athletic gear would jog with him, said Robinson. 'Now I'm filming the two of them walking up. And president Bush says to me, 'You set me up with an Olympic runner.'' Months later, Robinson received a manila envelope in the mail from the White House with a letter signed by Bush thanking him for the stay and a photo of the two of them talking on the club patio. This year, Robinson said he'll be on the course waiting to help, but isn't expecting a 2002 repeat. 'You hope that there's any opportunity to have some similar and memorable experiences,' he said while standing at a tee box overlooking the 16th hole on the course. 'If they happen, great. That would be wonderful. And if they don't, they don't.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
America protects Israel by killing democracy
Listen to article I was once talking to an old Pakistani man who had been living in America since the 60s. We tend to believe that somehow we have more authentic knowledge of things than the older folks just because we have better sources of information at our disposal. However, I believe the opposite is true. The people before us may not have been getting their information as quickly as we do, but they sure had a better understanding of things, especially politics. This old man was telling me about George Bush, the senior one. He was saying that the main reason Bush had lost was because he got tough with Israel by trying to prevent it from building settlements inside the occupied territories. The Israeli lobbies inside the United States got into action and punished him. I laughed off the old man's argument by saying that a foreign country and a mere lobby cannot be so powerful that they'd influence an American presidential election. Boy, was I naive? I spent years after that watching every single American politician, not just the presidential candidates, never forgetting to express their support and love for the state of Israel. It is as if they are required to sing this anthem or else they'd be deemed traitors and be disqualified either from the office they are holding or from the race to win that office. Sure enough, the last sentence is not really untrue. What startled me recently have been two facts about the power of Israeli lobbies inside America: the pressure on TikTok and a song Michael Jackson once wrote but never became public. TikTok is perhaps the only mainstream platform that allows for the broadcast of videos that clearly show the brutality that Israel unleashes against innocent Palestinian children. Every other platform you have ever known suppresses any content that is even remotely critical of Israel or sympathetic toward Palestine. That's why it had to be pushed around. Michael Jackson wrote a song in 1993 called 'Palestine, Don't Cry' in which he expressed support for the cause of Palestine, showed solidarity with the Palestinian people, and highlighted the miseries of the Palestinians at the hands of Israeli society. From what I understand, Sony refused to publish the song, which was heavily pressured by the United States, which was heavily pressured by the Israel lobbies. Even George Bush had expressed his helplessness and sorrow at the extreme power AIPAC had inside America when he visited the presidential library at Texas A&M in 2005. That song by the mega superstar of the day would have created a tremendous impact in support of Palestine because Jackson was loved and almost worshipped by many Americans at the time. A superstar of his height would have done the same for Palestine, which the other MJ (Michael Jordan) did for the shoe brand Nike, which was a small and about-to-die brand. Today Palestine could have been what Nike is; supported and adored by millions of Americans. But the cunning Jewish society of Israel knew this and their even more cunning supporters in the form of lobbies in America understood the potential devastation in the form of blowing Israel's fake victimhood cover. America was allowed to use rockstars and pop stars in politics such as having them endorse candidates and hold concerts to motivate people to come out to vote during elections. However, the same could not be allowed in support of Palestine because that would create an American citizenry, which would become informed about the truth that Israel was an illegal state established over the land of Palestine and that it kills its way through expanding and grabbing more and more land every single day. A genuine democracy made up of informed citizenry would result in the death of Israel because Israel would no longer enjoy the unconditional support of the American might. Things that could have happened. History that could have been redirected. And the present that could have been beautiful.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
How is ICE getting tipped off so fast? A post-9/11 program is one way
A federal program created after the 9/11 attacks allows immigration officials to track undocumented migrants in the country — even in sanctuary communities. Community members in Chelsea raised questions after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents suddenly arrived at the city's police station and detained high school-aged boys shortly after they were booked in two separate instances last month. The federal program, created under President George Bush and expanded under President Barack Obama, gives ICE access to a national fingerprint database maintained by the FBI. When local police make an arrest, fingerprints taken during the booking process are shared with the national database, alerting ICE to immigrants it seeks to deport. Chelsea City Councilor Roberto Jimenez Rivera told MassLive that the city he represents has been 'particularly hit hard' by ICE due to the policies the city has enacted around not assisting with immigration operations. 'We don't hold people for immigration reasons, we do not ask about immigration status,' Jimenez Rivera said. Last month, there were two separate instances when ICE arrived at the Chelsea police station to detain teenagers shortly after they were arrested. In one instance, teenagers were arrested by Chelsea police due to a BB gun being mistaken for a real gun, Jimenez Rivera said. ICE detained three teenagers and the father of one of the teens at the police station, according to a news report by NBC Boston. In another instance, a fight at a high school involving a knife led to the arrests of some students, and one of them was detained by ICE at the police station, NBC Boston reported. Jimenez Rivera said it's been a challenge to explain to the community how the process works since it's 'something that looks like a collaboration,' but that the city's policies prevent police from carrying out immigration enforcement. The city councilor explained that when ICE arrives at the police station to detain an individual who is being released, the individuals are brought to a 'controlled space' where ICE agents can apprehend the person once they are done with the booking process. Likewise, Jimenez Rivera said it's a challenge to explain how ICE has access to the FBI's national fingerprint database and that the city cannot opt out of it. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Neither did the Chelsea Police Department. Secure Communities is a federal information-sharing program run by the FBI that holds criminal records, fingerprints and biometrics, according to Laura Rotolo, senior advocacy director for field initiatives with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She specializes in immigrant rights. The program allows the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, access to the FBI database. 'Anytime anyone is arrested anywhere in the country, their fingerprints are taken by the local police,' Rotolo said. It is a common practice for police to upload the fingerprints to the FBI database, where police can learn about other information, such as any outstanding warrants, Rotolo said. 'It's the fingerprints that are key here,' she said, because they are automatically shared with the Department of Homeland Security. '(DHS) might have information that the person is of interest to them because they are deportable for whatever reason or because they have said that they are not a U.S. citizen,' Rotolo said. 'It's very quick,' she said. 'So they know if somebody's arrested in Chelsea, that they are interested in detaining, they can show up at the Chelsea police department or court and detain that person. And that's all done just by the simple act of taking the person's fingerprints when they're arrested.' Rotolo said the program came after the post-9/11 restructuring of federal agencies and how they shared information. The Trump administration ramped up deportations since January, and on May 30, it identified more than 500 communities, including Boston and 11 others in Massachusetts, as 'sanctuary cities.' But by Sunday, the administration had withdrawn the published list after pushback from the National Sheriffs' Association. 'Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in grave danger,' the administration said in a press release. 'DHS is committed to exposing these lawless jurisdictions to the public and making them accountable for not respecting the rule of law.' The Trump administration has targeted cities such as Chicago, New York City and Boston for its immigration policies. Other Massachusetts communities have felt the brunt of stepped-up deportation efforts. 'It's been harsher on Chelsea,' Jimenez Rivera said. 'I keep telling people, this isn't about public safety, it's about terrifying communities and making politics out of our people.' Chelsea, along with Somerville, filed a federal lawsuit in February challenging the Trump administration's 'efforts to coerce them into participating in mass deportation efforts,' according to a press release. The cities say that the administration's threats to strip sanctuary cities of federal funding and prosecute them for 'failing to bend to the president's will' are unconstitutional. Chelsea received about $14.5 million in federal funding for the 2024 fiscal year. 'We are really small, it's easy to terrorize our people,' Jimenez Rivera said. Why do ICE agents wear masks? This is what it's like on Martha's Vineyard after ICE raids ICE defends arrest of Milford High School student, though teen was 'not the target' ICE detained nearly 1,500 people in Mass. in one month Trump admin's sanctuary cities list disappears after sheriffs' criticism Read the original article on MassLive.
Irish Times
19-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Áine Ryan on losing things, from cash and a car, to a child mislaid on a hillside ramble
It is a while since I threw €500 into the rubbish. At the time, I still erred on the side of agnosticism about the powers of St Anthony and felt lucky that my flimsy faith led me to my recycling bin before its imminent collection. The crisp notes were wrapped inside the opinion pages of this onetime Old Lady of D'Olier Street. 'Phew!,' I said to myself. 'That was a close one.' Of course, it wasn't the first time – or the last for that matter – that I was guilty of mislaying items of importance in my life. There has been the missing car, the lost wedding ring, my spectacles, fresh ginger for a chana masala, a multitude of berets, my marriage and, of course, my toddler daughter. READ MORE The daughter debacle was more of 'a left behind' situation. It was on the side of a hill overlooking a cliff out on the island where I lived at the time. She was about 18 months old and loved sitting on her Daddy's shoulders during these expeditions. So we had brought her with us to gather the sheep. In a moment of high drama – with sheep baa-ing hysterically and running in every direction – himself dropped her down on the grass so that he could use his full resource of expletives on the dog, Saddam. (Blame Tony Blair, George Bush and certain non-existent weapons of mass destruction.) When the crisis was finally averted, I scarpered to the house to prepare lunch. Obviously, when he arrived back into the house a short while later, still flushed and in a ball of sweat, the dog panting, I wondered where our daughter was. He had assumed I'd brought her with me. It was that slow moment just before your brain tells you to panic. The two of us were up Coinne Rón like mountain goats shouting her name, hearts thumping. There she was, though, exactly where he'd left her, under a soft hummock, playing with daisies and sheep poo and singing to herself. While our marriage almost went up on the rocks that day, we survived many more dramas before we weighed anchor. I often wondered was losing my wedding ring while footing turf in the bog an omen of our parting. It is comforting, though, that on some distant day in the future a young archaeologist on a field trip to the island might dig up my ring and write a paper about who I might have been. Talking about jewellery, back in the day when I was a student in Maynooth, it was trendy to wear earrings that didn't match. A handy fashion statement for my stash of solitary hoops, dangles, tassels and clip-ons. Of course, now that I am much older and a tad more understated about the decoration of my lobes, I don't feel it is quite as acceptable to give them separate identities, in a nod to their lost partners. At least in the case of my milliner's shop of berets, they are easily replaced. At last count, I have 25 – pink and purple, blue and green, black and brown – the majority of which are second and third generation since they seem to vanish in cafes, on buses, trains, planes, hotel lobbies. On a more serious note, to this day I wish I had held off calling the cops about my car having been stolen from right outside my house in Westport. Well, isn't it rather humiliating when half way through an interview with a friendly member of the Garda, you have a sudden vision of leaving the same vehicle in a centre town car park two nights earlier before partying until dawn? All these years later, that same garda smirks at me when I pass him on the street. I can't be alone, can I, in regularly leaving a key item of my shopping in either the trolley or at the checkout? It is usually something small like garlic or ginger, an essential ingredient for that dinner you are about to make, after you have hauled the shopping home, put everything away in the presses, pulled out the recipe book and make the discovery. And let's not even go there about losing my glasses. I have often torn the house apart in a desperate search for them to discover they are sitting dispassionately on my head, waiting patiently to read that book, check the washing instructions for a new duvet cover, rest on my nose. Having three pairs of glasses doesn't help, I suppose. I have inadvertently worn my prescription sunglasses on the treadmill in the gym. Well, you wouldn't mind if it was sunny outside but it happened to be a wild and windy day on the West coast. Unfortunately, I can't recall right now if there happens to be a saint for absent-mindedness.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In 1988, R.E.M. were so disgusted with the state of the US that guitarist Peter Buck admitted to wanting to shoot President Bush
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. "I recommend anyone reading this who's a psycho and can buy a gun to shoot George Bush. I'm serious. l would consider it myself. I live in a country that I hate! I live in a country where I wanna shoot politicians, where the only way you can make a real dent is not voting, it's murder." It's October 1988, and speaking to Melody Maker writer Steve Sutherland ahead of the forthcoming US presidential election, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck is delivering a somewhat provocative state-of-the-nation address. The guitarist is in a Athens, Georgia drinking den named the GA Bar, and, by his own admission, he's "a little tipsy", drinking Bloody Marys in an attempt to battle the jetlag he's feeling having flown home from London the previous day. The 1988 US presidential election would see Ronald Reagan's Vice President George Bush representing the Republican Party versus the Democratic Party candidate Michael Dukakis, Governor of Massachusetts. Given that Reagan had been elected by a landslide majority in 1980 and 1984, Buck was adamant that "that asshole Bush" was going to become the 41st President of the United States, and he wasn't happy about it."I'm so fucking furious, I feel like shooting people," he declared, "George Bush first and then the people who vote for him." "I hate this country, I really hate America," he continued. "We've turned into such selfish bastards. If Adolf Hitler came back and said, 'I won't raise taxes', he'd win in a landslide. I'm washing my hands of it. I don't give a shit. We're essentially a nation of fat-assed used-car salesmen that wanna protect our pile. That's all we are, and that disgusts me." "D'you know the weirdest thing?," Buck continued. "Everything that Reagan's done that I hate and despise benefits me. I mean, you wouldn't believe how much less tax I pay - it went down from 44 per cent to 28 per cent. I don't wanna put money into Cruise missiles, but I want money to go to people who are hungry, I want money to go to people who need houses... and he cuts the tax and what's left goes to make bombs. That's obscene!" At the time, R.E.M. were about to release their sixth studio album, Green, which would be released by Warners on November 8, 1988, that date explicitly chosen to coincide with the date of the presidential election. The album would go on to sell over two million copies in the US, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard 200, the indie-rock band's highest chart placing at the time. The group once said that the record was full of "big dumb bubble-gum pop songs", but songs such as Orange Crush (about the Vietnam War) and World Leader Pretend carried on some of the political musings heard on the previous year's Document album. Frontman Michael Stipe would insist that he wasn't the man to look to for answers, however."I have no answers to anything, I'm just kind of questioning with everyone else," he told Melody Maker in a previous interview. "I don't really like being misperceived as being shamanistic or some man of wisdom or something like that, because I don't think I am." His buddy Buck, however, wasn't shy about airing his personal political views at the time. "Really, anyone who wants to be a politician is not qualified," he suggested. "Hell, I don't even like Dukakis - he's a politician. They should all be shot." As far as we're aware, Buck's comments did not lead to any demands for R.E.M.'s cancellation, removal from festival bills, or life imprisonment by band managers, opportunistic politicians or professionally outraged newspaper columnists. Simpler times.
