Trump skirts Senate to install nominee under fire for Islamaphobic tweets in Pentagon post

President Donald Trump has installed a nominee for a top Pentagon job in a senior Department of Defense post on a temporary basis after lawmakers abruptly canceled his confirmation hearing last week amid lingering questions about his fitness for the role.

Retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, a novelist, former state government official and Fox News regular, withdrew Sunday from consideration to be undersecretary of defense for policy, a position that requires Senate confirmation, the Pentagon said in a statement emailed to POLITICO Sunday.

Instead, he has been designated as the official "performing the duties of" the deputy undersecretary of defense policy.

Since Trump announced his intent to nominate Tata earlier this year, the former Army general has been widely criticized for tweets calling former President Barack Obama a "terrorist leader" and referring to Islam as the "most oppressive violent religion I know of," among other controversial statements.

Tata later said he regretted the now-deleted tweets.

His nomination to be undersecretary of defense for policy, the department's number three official, was upended Thursday when the Senate Armed Services Committee canceled his confirmation hearing minutes before it was scheduled to begin.

Chair Sen. Jim Inhofe said lawmakers didn't have enough information about Tata to consider him for the position, while Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the committee's top Democrat, said that "members on both sides of the aisle have raised serious questions about this nominee."

A majority of Democrats on the panel have come out publicly against Tata. One Republican, Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, has also warned he would vote no on his confirmation, though for different reasons.

Still, the White House press secretary said Friday that Trump was standing by the nominee.

The intent to install Tata in a temporary position short of Senate confirmation drew a rebuke earlier Sunday from Rep. Adam Smith (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who accused the administration of making an end run around Congress.

“If an appointee cannot gain the support of the Senate, as is clearly the case with Tata, then the President should not put that person into an identical temporary role,” Smith said in a statement. “This evasion of scrutiny makes our government less accountable and prioritizes loyalty over competence.”

“The vacancies at the Department of Defense, which have now hit record highs under the Trump administration, should be filled though the existing nomination and confirmation process," Smith added. "If confirmations cannot be completed, the President must find new, qualified people who can win the support of the Senate."

Tata has been serving as a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

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Huge ‘Apple Fire’ rages in Southern California

As of Sunday afternoon, California Fire Captain Fernando Herrera confirmed that that the fire is 0% contained.

Almost 8000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes as a large fire moves through Cherry Vally, California.

City officials say that they are taking precautions to prevent coronavirus from spreading amidst the evacuations. Instead of evacuation sites being used as shelter, people are being told to check in and are then being moved to hotel rooms.

READ MORE: LeBron James forced out of his home by California wildfires

According to officials no one has been hurt, but there has been widespread damage, multiple road closures and a smoke advisory in the area.

As of Sunday afternoon, California Fire Captain Fernando Herrera confirmed that that the fire is 0% contained. Herrera said that they are utilizing planes to anticipate any new issues.

“It is steep terrain, rugged terrain,” he said. “Access is limited. We can’t really get to it on foot. We rely a lot on the aircraft to do the work during the day.”

I wonder what happened while I was gone?

*California Wild Fire*

Yup…home sweet home 🙂 pic.twitter.com/ICedO3KXUN

— Alton Fox @ Home…again (@AltonFoxxx) August 2, 2020

Over 1000 firefighters and emergency planes spent the day attending to the flames. The fire had spread across 20,000 acres and and smoke even flew across state lines into Arizona.

Many residences are in danger of burning down in both San Bernardino county and Riverside county.

READ MORE: Lizzo teams up with FOMO Festival to raise funds for devastating Australian wildfire crisis

Two small fires started on Friday night but they were not contained, and eventually combined into the Apple Fire. According to Desert Sun, the flames were “fed by low humidity, a slight breeze, thick vegetation and triple-digit temperatures.”

The initial cause is still not confirmed, but according to some media reports, and as reported by USA Today, witnesses called 911 after seeing a man walking on the street and igniting the vegetation.

Sending Prayers to those California families and to the EMT battling the Apple Fire.
(I created this graphic design to commemorate the work they are doing) #GraphicDesign #graphic #Graphicart https://t.co/YOmk26Xdzo

— Jim Rucker (@chicojimj) August 2, 2020

Officials are currently using Very Large Air Tankers (VLAT), which can hold about 10,000 gallons of fire retardant, to try and get the fire contained. 

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Astronauts successfully land on Earth after trip to International Space Station

The space capsule, financed by Elon Musk, carried two NASA astronauts on a two-month trip to and from orbit.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have returned to Earth, landing on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico today. The astronauts rode on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule spacecraft to the International Space Station and back.

“It’s been a great two months, and we appreciate all you’ve done as a crew to help us prove out Dragon on its maiden flight,” Hurley said.

READ MORE: NASA almost sent first Black man into space, new documentary reveals

The space capsule, financed by Elon Musk, carried two NASA astronauts on a two-month trip to and from orbit, something no person or exploration company has done before, according to Reuters.

“On behalf of the SpaceX and NASA teams, welcome back to Planet Earth. Thanks for flying SpaceX,” SpaceX mission control said upon splashdown.

The landing also makes Musk’s SpaceX the first private company to send humans to orbit.

LIVE: An update on today's @SpaceX Dragon Endeavour splashdown, returning @AstroBehnken & @Astro_Doug home to Earth. Hear from @JimBridenstine and experts about this milestone in human spaceflight: https://t.co/gdjWUW9yrh https://t.co/gdjWUW9yrh

— NASA (@NASA) August 2, 2020

The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceX’s crew transportation system. Behnken and Hurley launched at 3:22 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to orbit. This is the first launch of its kind since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.  

READ MORE: Nasa removes Black US astronaut from Space Station mission

Hurtling at speeds of 17,500 mph, the capsule’s outer shell resisted the extreme heat of 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, Behnken and Hurley experienced only 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boeing is on its way to becoming the second commercial ride provider for NASA, Tech Crunch reported.

NASA gave a combined total of nearly $8 billion to SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to develop two space capsules.

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OKC Thunder players kneel, despite Oklahoma lawmaker’s threat to end tax breaks

State Rep. Sean Roberts says taking a knee during the national anthem is an ‘anti-patriotic act’

An Oklahoma state representative is fed up with athletes kneeling during the national anthem and is threatening to hold the Oklahoma City Thunder to account.

State Rep. Sean Roberts issued a warning to the NBA franchise on Friday, urging that the team stand for the playing of the song or he will lead a charge to strip tax benefits that the organization receives from the state, local news outlet KFOR-TV reports.

That, however, did not deter the team as members of the Thunder joined Utah Jazz members in kneeling during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” anyway.

Video footage of the scene was posted to Twitter by Salt Lake City Tribune writer Eric Walden, who noted that one referee stood during the anthem.

Jazz and Thunder all kneel for the national anthem. One referee remains standing. pic.twitter.com/hFMoq9hVNl

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) August 1, 2020

Since the shortened season resumed last week, nearly every player and coach in the basketball league has unified by taking a knee, as inspired by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and wearing a “Black Lives Matter” t-shirt to make a statement against issues of police brutality and racial injustices in America.

READ MORE: NBA players kneel during national anthem at season reopening

Roberts, of Homity, Okla., made it clear that he doesn’t want the Thunder to take part in the pregame demonstration.

Players kneel before an NBA basketball game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder on August 1, 2020, in the NBA bubble in Florida. (Photo by Ashley Landis – Pool/Getty Images)

“If the Oklahoma City Thunder leadership and players follow the current trend of the NBA by kneeling during the national anthem prior to Saturday’s game, perhaps we need to reexamine the significant tax benefits the State of Oklahoma granted the Oklahoma City Thunder organization when they came to Oklahoma,” Roberts said in a statement.

The Thunder took the liberty of showcasing players’ reasoning to participate in the protest, posting a video to Twitter later that night with the caption: “For equality.”

For equality. pic.twitter.com/xDY5qjScHl

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 2, 2020

READ MORE: Orlando Magic’s Isaac is the first player not to kneel during anthem

“Man, it was special, you know, to be able to do that together,” Chris Paul, Thunder point guard, said in the roughly one minute clip. “As players, we had a lot of conversations about coming down here and, you know, the bigger reason of what we [were] playing for, so to do it on a united front was nice.”

Paul also serves as president of the National Basketball Players Association.

Georges Niang #3 of the Utah Jazz guards Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of an NBA basketball game on August 1, 2020 in the NBA bubble in Florida. (Photo by Ashley Landis – Pool/Getty Images)

Ever since the NBA season returned Thursday from a four-month hiatus caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, a majority of players and coaches alike have been kneeling during the anthem in a nod to the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

Roberts expressed in his statement that he opposes the movement, claiming that it has “ties to Marxism” and is trying to “destroy nuclear families.”

Furthermore, Roberts framed the protest as an “anti-patriotic act” that displays “disrespect to the American flag and all it stands for.”

The lawmaker, who was first elected in 2011, also believes that the NBA’s support of the stance that players are taking proves the league supports efforts to defund the police.

Roberts highlighted that the Thunder organization is under contract through the Quality Jobs Act to receive tax breaks through 2024. He raised the idea of diverting the potential tax revenue to law enforcement, should the Thunder no longer be granted the tax relief.

“Perhaps these funds would be better served in support of our police departments rather than giving tax breaks to an organization that supports defunding police and the dissolution of the American nuclear family,” he wrote.

In the team’s first game in the NBA bubble at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla., the Thunder defeated the Jazz 110-94.

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This Art Consultant Wants To Create A New Era Of Celebrating Black Art

Black culture has become the muse for many artists around the world. However, the professionals that make up the industry do not often reflect the same diversity. One woman has made it her mission to disrupt the art world by celebrating Black art.

Alaina Simone, the owner of an art consulting agency, is centering Black artists on the mainstream stage. Her love of art came from seeing a different side of life outside of the traditional working roles like her parents had.

“I remember seeing Alvin Loving as a very small child, who was a friend of my family in Flint, Michigan, at a gathering and being intrigued by the man with the locks and jeans. He was the coolest at the party, and I was beyond curious,” Simone tells BLACK ENTERPRISE via email.

“He was completely different from my parents’ friends of doctors, teachers, and lawyers, which was the Black professional crowd. They were teasing him, but he didn’t care. His image is clear in my memory, and I remember wanting to know more because he was so different and marching to his own drum.”

“When I was in college and trying to figure out how to make a living with my interest in art, my older cousin called and said that I should meet a Black gallerist that she met in Detroit. I didn’t know any Black people who owned galleries so that was exciting and gave me hope that I could live my dream of working with artists and figuring out a way to be an entrepreneur in the creative arts.”

Since then, Simone has made a name for herself in the art world, centering around projects that serve as a “catalyst for change,” working with artists from all across the African Diaspora. She says one of the biggest steps Black artists can take is to learn the industry, using that education to create innovative works outside of the Eurocentric gaze.

“I moved from Detroit because I knew that I had to get physically inside the market to understand how it works from the inside out,” she explains. “I suggest that artists at least intern with galleries and art institutions to shed light on the inner workings of the art world.”

“There are many nuances, and I think that sometimes artists tend to romanticize the art world. The market can be a ‘scary’ space for young artists, especially art fairs, which are mainly about watching a massive, primarily Eurocentric public, consume their work.”

Her new advice for young Black artists looking to get their foot in the door: “Don’t give up. Stick to your vision and go for it!”

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