Latest news with #TheHeraldBulletin
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pence supportive of Trump policies
ANDERSON — Former Vice President Mike Pence voiced support for most of the actions President Donald Trump has taken during his second term in the White house. Pence served as Trump's vice president during his first term in office. He was interviewed in Anderson by The Herald Bulletin on Friday. The vice president was in Anderson to address graduates of the Indiana Christian Academy. 'I think this administration has set the nation back on a course of strength and prosperity like we have not experienced in the past four years,' Pence said when asked for his view of the direction of the country. 'I'm grateful the Congress passed the budget bill and made the tax cuts permanent, with a historic investment in our military,' he added. Pence said he supports efforts to make the government more efficient. He noted Trump has said that many would be surprised how much government would not be missed. 'Tracking down and ending abuse is very worthy,' he said. 'Have they done it perfectly? Probably not. They have admitted to some errors along the way. 'What I'm looking for is Congress to do their job,' Pence continued. 'It's one thing for the president to sign an executive order and change spending. Congress controls the purse strings; what I'm looking for is for the leaders in Congress to take those recommendations and bring them into the legislative process and let the American people work their will on everything from education to welfare.' Pence said he supports the efforts President Trump is making to keep peace in the Middle East. 'We take issue with some of the direction in the wavering support for our allies in the Ukraine, but it seems now to be going back in the right direction following the unprovoked Russian invasion,' he said. Regarding the back-and-forth decisions by Trump on tariffs, Pence voiced opposition — except in the case of trade with China. 'No matter how well intended, I think it will ultimately hurt consumers and the country and could well harm our economy in the long term,' Pence said of the increase in tariffs. 'My view is we should have free trade with free nations. 'I learned as a Congressman and governor that trade means jobs and markets for what we make and grow,' he said. 'We will continue to be a voice against unilateral, broad-based tariffs.' He believes the country should take a strong stance on China and end decades of trade abuses and intellectual property theft. 'We need to stand strong,' he said of China's aggression. Pence said he also supports efforts by the Trump administration when it comes to immigration. 'I believe that President Trump has secured the southern border of the United States,' he said. 'We had the worst border crisis in the history of the country, with the number of people that have surged across the border in the past four years and not just along our southern border but in communities across the country.' Pence said the Trump administration has brought back policies previously in place to secure the border. Pence, when asked about his future political plans, said he has no plans to run for office again. 'I have been blessed more than I ever could have imagined,' he said. 'When I was growing up, my dream was to be the Congressman from my hometown. I've had the chance to be governor of Indiana, serve as vice president and even to run for president. 'Whatever the future holds for me and my family, we will continue to do our part to be a champion for the values and ideals that I was raised to believe in here in the heartland,' Pence said.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local Briefs: April 30
Operation Veterans Services to meet ANDERSON — The Salvation Army will sponsor the Operation Veterans Services on Friday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army Citadel, 1615 Meridian St. Free food will be offered and various services organizations represented. Veterans should bring their DD214, or documents showing honorable discharge and drivers license to be registered. Information: Darrell Baylor, 765-644-7177. The Herald Bulletin
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Our View: Help stop city's cycle of violence
One group of acquaintances with Anderson connections has been devastated by murders. In particular, what should have been a high point of Ty Willis' high school basketball career was transformed by tragedy. In 2022, the Anderson High School Indians celebrated their first Madison County basketball title since 2014. Willis, who was named The Herald Bulletin's Basketball Athlete of the Year, dedicated his game to Devin Swain and Swain's cousin, Courtney Cox. Swain was murdered at a family gathering on New Year's Eve 2021. Cox died in October 2021 when she was shot by her boyfriend in Atlanta, Georgia. The boyfriend then died in a shootout with police. But the trail of tragedies had not reached its end. In February, a sister of Devin Swain — 26-year-old mother of two Dayla Swain — was shot to death in Anderson as she stood by a car talking to a witness in yet another murder. Dayla was most likely an innocent bystander. The witness was not killed in the February attack. Four young males have been charged in connection to the fatal shooting. One of them is allegedly a member of a Chicago-based crime gang. This insanity is traumatic. The cycle of violence not only destroys families but reaches like venomous tentacles into their communities and, in a larger sense, across the city of Anderson, which struggles against its reputation for violent crime. Thankfully, Anderson police and the Madison County Prosecutor's Office are working diligently and with focus in making arrests in these crimes. But those agencies find themselves far too often working in reaction to fatal shootings. Last September, an otherwise well-meaning but disorganized group sponsored a west side block party. After the party, some hangers-on were involved in a shooting that injured eight people. A moment for peace turned disastrous. With the threat of being shot, some folks are hesitant to 'work' with police or even acknowledge that they witnessed a crime. It is up to Anderson families to take control of this nightmare. Look around the community and see if there is a social challenge affecting residents that could use your help to resolve. Address the problem by establishing positive relationships with neighbors. Consider cleaning up trashy streets and parks. Make a home with strong morals, perhaps faith-based guidance. Raise children with clear anti-violence principles. Talk frequently with your kids to keep open communication. Ask them if they feel bullied, particularly in regard to joining gangs. Parents know the basics. Let's not just rely on law enforcement to react to crime. Now is the time for parents and relatives to instill concepts of right and practice, as they say, what we preach to our children. It might impede a cycle of violence that is on our doorstep and harming us all.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Our View: Spartz takes Trump's side in Zelenskyy ambush
Embarrassing. Cringe-worthy. Shortsighted. Shameful. These adjectives apply not just to the Donald Trump-JD Vance tag-team bullying of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday at the White House, but also to the comments of U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz about the episode. A few hours after Trump and Vance publicly harangued Zelenskyy about his perceived lack of gratitude for the United States' military and monetary support in his country's war against the invading Russians, Spartz, who represents the Madison County area, sat for an interview at The Herald Bulletin. The interview had been arranged to gauge Spartz's thoughts about the recent plight of her native land, Ukraine, as the three-year war with Russia drags on. We wanted to know her take on Trump's surreal assertion that Ukraine had started the war and her reaction to Trump's collaboration with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to award Russia parts of Ukrainian territory in a 'peace agreement.' It's no secret that Spartz has been hypercritical of Zelenskyy, saying that he's a weak leader who failed to prepare his country for war. But still, one could reasonably expect Spartz to stand up for her homeland just as you would expect anyone born and raised on American soil to defend the U.S. president if he were publicly ambushed by the leaders of another nation. Even taking Spartz's personal ties to Ukraine out of the mix, couldn't we expect any independent-thinking member of Congress to condemn Trump and Vance for their petulant harassment of Zelenskyy? Instead, here's what Spartz had to say: 'I don't think it's good for the Ukrainian people when their president (is) insulting and being offensive to the president of the United States. It's insulting to the American people. So I think it was a terrible idea. ... President Zelenskyy, himself, engaged in all that without having a reason to.' OK, so what interview was Spartz watching? From any objective viewpoint, Trump and Vance were clearly the aggressors and antagonists, springing a public trap and excoriating Zelenskyy. They essentially took an opportunity for good diplomacy and turned it into an unprovoked attack. The Trump administration's handling of the war in Ukraine has been an outrage to American interests, emboldening Putin in this military conflict and encouraging future Russian land grabs. The United States should be steadfastly on Ukraine's side. The Russians have gambled all along that American resolve to help Ukraine stave off the invasion would wane. But even Putin could only dream that the U.S. would become actively complicit in his international crimes. The blind support of GOP leaders like Spartz enable Trump's preposterous, reality-bending politics. Hoosiers demand better of their representatives in Congress.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Spartz: Zelenskyy insulted Trump, American people during heated Oval Office meeting
ANDERSON — Rep. Victoria Spartz said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insulted President Donald Trump and the American people by walking out of an Oval Office meeting Friday. Spartz, R-5th District, shared her thoughts on Friday's contentious meeting at the White House in an interview with The Herald Bulletin in Anderson. She is the only member of Congress who was born in the Ukraine. The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy was expected to include the signing of an agreement for America to access Ukrainian rare earth and critical minerals. 'I think it was a terrible idea,' Spartz said of Zelenskyy walking out of the meeting. 'This is a real war and a very serious situation.' Last week, Spartz said that her heart goes out to the Ukrainian soldiers and their families who have sacrificed during the war. 'Thanks to your courage — despite your worthless government — Putin was not able to take over Ukraine and move farther into Europe,' she said. Spartz said any change in the government in the Ukraine would be up to its people. 'People pay a high price for government,' she said. 'It's hard to build a democracy after being under Communism and socialism for such a long time. It's hard to find good people in the Ukraine.' Spartz took a different position from President Trump, who has said Russia didn't start the war. 'I have always been clear that Russia is being aggressive and opportunistic,' she said. 'We wanted Ukraine that Russia was going to attack in 2014 and they did nothing.' Spartz said Zelenskyy did nothing to prepare weapons and the military for the attack. 'Russia is willing to kill a lot of people,' she said. 'The economic sanctions are not working because Russia is working with China.' Spartz said a vote this week on a United Nations resolution declaring that Russia was the aggressor — which the U.S. declined to support — amounted to grandstanding. 'The United Nations is a corrupt organization that is controlled by Russia and China,' she said. 'It needs to be reformed. It gets no results.' Spartz said Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be restrained by any action by the U.N. She said it was important for an agreement to be reached on mineral rights. 'It's a benefit to Ukraine if the United States has some financial interest,' Spartz said. 'When there is a financial interest, we're more likely to get engaged. The American people want to see what we're getting in return.' Spartz said it's hard to predict if the Congress will approve more funds for the defense of the Ukraine. She believes Trump can resolve the war in the Ukraine, but said she's unsure of what will happen in four years. She added that she believes Trump is a good negotiator and a strong leader. 'A lot can change in the Ukraine, Russia and the United States,' Spartz said.
