Hillary Clinton Slams Trump’s ‘Failures’, Urges Pentagon Cuts to Face ‘Asymmetrical Threats’

Hillary Clinton, who earlier endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ahead of the November elections in the US, intimated that America’s defence spending was veering down the “wrong path”, pointing the finger of blame at President Donald Trump’s alleged mismanagement, augmented by “right-wing ideological resistance”.

Hillary Clinton has offered her vision of how America ought to be gearing up to face new emerging threats on the global arena, slamming “exorbitant” Pentagon spending on “legacy weapons systems”.

In an essay published in Foreign Affairs magazine on 9 October, the former secretary of state urged Congress to review the defense spending budget, explaining that considering the array of current adversaries the country was facing, costly weapons systems dating back to the Cold War era and the fight against terror were outdated.

Funding ought to be shifted towards “domestic renewal” and foreign diplomacy, with investments boosting “American innovation and bolstering strategically important industries and supply chains”, according to Clinton.

“Today's competition is not a traditional global military contest of force and firepower… Dusting off the Cold War playbook will do little to prepare the United States for adversaries that use new tools to fight in the gray zone between war and peace, exploit its open Internet and economy to undermine American democracy, and expose the vulnerability of many of its legacy weapons systems,” said the former secretary of state.

‘Broader Approach’

Clinton, who served as the 67th United States secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, emphatically called for slashing funding for some of the most expensive weapons systems, in favour of embracing “a broader approach”, pointing to emerging threats such as cyberattacks, deadly viruses able to generate pandemics, carbon emissions affecting the global climate, online propaganda, and “shifting supply chains”.

Earlier, as Clinton described what had motivated her to write the piece for Foreign Affairs, she endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, while slamming his opponent Donald Trump.

“I spent a lot of time with my longtime collaborator and thought-partner-in-crime Dan Schwerin thinking about how Trump's failures as commander-in-chief have made America less safe, how some of these problems actually go back decades, and how a Biden administration could right the ship,” writes Clinton.

Referring to Trump’s perceived mishandling of the state of affairs in the country, she concluded that only a Biden triumph in the November election could be the “first step in digging out of the deep hole he's put America in”.

https://sputniknews.com/us/202010101080727611-hillary-clinton-slams-trumps-failures-urges-pentagon-cuts-to-face-asymmetrical-threats/

Nearly 500,000 power outages reported across Texas & Louisiana as Hurricane Delta pummels gulf coast with 80mph gusts

Nearly a half-million residents in Texas and Louisiana have been left without power after Hurricane Delta made landfall along the US gulf coast, battering cities with winds up to 80 miles per hour.

Delta hit land in southwest Louisiana on Friday night, inflicting widespread damage and knocking out electricity for some 379,636 people in the state and another 108,402 in neighboring Texas, according to PowerOutage.us, a project that aggregates data from utility companies around the country.

Footage circulating on social media showed powerful gusts sweeping through the streets of multiple Louisiana cities, including Jennings and Lake Charles, where power lines were also seen downed by the wind.

Though the storm was initially classified a Category 2 hurricane, producing winds up to 100 miles per hour, it was downgraded to a Category 1 soon after making landfall. Delta is expected to continue to lose steam as it moves northeast across Louisiana and will eventually become a tropical storm, according to forecasts from local meteorologists.

The storm comes on the heels of a number of destructive weather systems in recent months, with the Category 4 Hurricane Laura pounding Louisiana and neighboring states in August with winds up to 150 miles per hour, resulting in some 77 deaths in total and more than $14.1 billion in damage. Tropical Storm Beta also hit Texas last month, wreaking destruction across parts of the state’s coast.

https://www.rt.com/usa/503114-hurricane-delta-half-million-lose-power/

Maher slams California's 'super-high taxes,' cites Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro as part of state's 'exodus'

'I feel like I’m living in Italy in the 70s or something,' Maher tells Rep. Adam Schiff

"Real Time" host Bill Maher took a moment on his show Friday night to slam his Democrat-controlled home state of California and sound the alarm over the "exodus" that is taking place.

During an interview with Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Maher acknowledged that local issues were not in the congressman's "domain" but said he still felt the need to "b—- a little bit."

"There is an exodus," Maher said before reading from his notecard.

"California businesses are leaving the state in droves. In just 2018 and 19, which were economic boom years, 765 commercial facilities left, 13,000 between 2009 and 2016."

He continued, "Look, I came out here in 1983. I found paradise. I love California. I do. I don't want to leave, but I feel like I’m living in Italy in the 70s or something. Super high taxes, potholes in the road, fires. I don’t know what I’m getting for my super-high taxes."

The HBO star circled back to the idea of the "exodus," telling Schiff, "People talk about this a lot now and people are leaving. Like in my industry, Joe Rogan left, Ben Shapiro … Elon Musk talks about leaving."

"What do you say about that as a California representative?" Maher asked.

"Well, I think we have to make every effort to make this a more business-friendly state," Schiff responded. "And I don't think that there's anything incompatible with being progressive and also wanting to make sure that this is a place that businesses can survive and thrive."

Rogan, host of the popular podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience," left the Golden State in August and relocated to Austin, Texas.

Last month, the host of "The Ben Shapiro Show" packed his bags from Los Angeles and moved to Nashville, Tenn.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/bill-maher-california-super-high-taxes

Partygoers fined $21k in fines for breaching Melbourne's COVID-19 restrictions

A birthday party in has cost guests a total of $21,476 after partygoers were found flouting Victoria's strict COVID-19 restrictions.

Victoria Police received a report of a party at a Bentleigh address in Melbourne's south east early this morning.

When officers arrived they found a birthday with about 20 occupants not wearing masks or social distancing.

Several people climbed onto the roofs of neighbouring businesses and fled.

Four partygoers were found hiding on the roof of a neighbouring premises and received a fine once they came down.

Overall, police identified 13 people were fined $1652.

Overall, Victoria Police issued a total of 79 fines for COVID-19 rule breaches in the last 24 hours,

Close to 2000 spot checks have been

conducted on people at homes, businesses and public places across the state.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-victoria-police-partygoers-fined-21k-total-for-breaching-gathering-restrictions/f287f0d1-e84d-476b-83ec-ffd5cfe148a6

Senior member of notorious bikie gang charged over accessing 'child abuse material'

A senior member of the Satudarah outlaw motorcycle gang has been charged with accessing child abuse material.

The 38-year-old bikie was arrested about 6.20am yesterday morning in Schofields, in Sydney's west.

The arrest came after an investigation that began in June following a tip-off.

The man is known to police.

A search warrant was executed and a phone and laptop were seized for forensic examination.

During the search police found a reptile in urgent need of veterinary care. It was removed from the home and taken for treatment.

The 38-year-old was charged with attempt to use carriage service to access child abuse material, being in charge of an animal fail to provide vet treatment, attempt sell prohibited weapon to person without permit and habitually consort with convicted offenders after warning.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/bikie-gang-member-omcg-charged-child-abuse-material-sydney-crime-news/9fed79c7-c1fd-4a6d-a163-02a34af45265