Mediaboss Marketing

WASHINGTON -- The last member of Congress to be shot while in office was former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), shot in the head by a would-be assassin during a strip-mall meet-and-greet with constituents in her home district on Jan. 8, 2011.

Giffords weathered an arduous recovery period, resigning from Congress a year after the shooting. She and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, became gun-control advocates and founded Americans for Responsible Solutions.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) was shot in the hip and was in criticalcondition after this morning's attack on a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Va.Rep. Roger Williams' (R-Texas) aide Zachary Barth, Tyson Foods lobbyist Matt Mika and two Capitol Police officers were also wounded: David Bailey and Krystal Griner. Mika was reportedly in critical condition.

The gunman, James T. Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Ill., had been arrested in 2006 for attacking his daughter and her friend, and threatening the friend's boyfriend with a 12-gauge shotgun. The Belleville News-Democratalsoreported that on March 24 neighbors called police on Hodgkinson shooting in the woods behind his home; cops found he had a valid firearms permit.

Hodgkinson was wounded by the officers and later died.

It doesnt matter if youre a Democrat or a Republican, nor if youre a senator or a representative, nor a staffer or a sworn officer. If you serve the institution of Congress, youre connected to your colleagues, current and former, by a shared sense of service to ideals far greater than yourself. This shooting is an attack on all who serve and on all who participate in our democracy," Giffords said in a statement issued by Americans for Responsible Solutions.

I am heartbroken for the pain of Congressman Scalise, the other victims, and their family, friends, and colleagues who survived. I am thankful for the great courage of the Capitol Police, who were my protectors after I was shot and became my friends. I also know the courage it takes to recover from a shooting like this, and I know Steve and everyone there this morning have such courage in great supply," she added.

May all Americans come together today with prayers for the survivors, love for their friends and family, and the courage to go about everyday making this country its best. Our nation is resilient, and we always come back stronger.

Dan Gross of theBrady Campaignto Prevent Gun Violencesaid in a statement that"all Americans, including our elected leaders, should live in an environment where they can pursue everyday activities without fear of being shot."

"Far too many Americans know what its like to be shot or have a loved one killed by gun violence," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, said she was "devastated by this mornings shooting tragedy," and added that "Americans should be able to play baseball, dance in a nightclub, and attend religious services without the threat of gun violence. We all deserve better."

See the original post:
Giffords Leaves Gun Control Out of Reaction to Scalise Shooting - PJ Media

Pamplin Media Group

DEQ announces air pollution controls for oil recyclers Pamplin Media Group TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO - Hayden Island residents complained in March to DEQ and two oil recycling The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced news last week that it hoped would please Hayden Island residents who have been inundated ...

Link:
DEQ announces air pollution controls for oil recyclers - Pamplin Media Group

Theresa May is skating on thin ice. More than ever, she needs to convey a sense of leadership and look and act like a Prime Minister. She may well be on borrowed time. In the short term she needs to radically rethink her media strategy, which was lacklustre at best during the election

These are the six things she needs to do to survive in the short term:

She is naturally media-shy, but needsto be on the airwaves moreto reassure the public and the party far more than she was before the election.

And we need to see her out doing more regional visits something she shunned before the election. This is crucial to remaining in touch with public sentiment andappearing in the regional media. Control events before they control you. The more she does, hopefully the better she will get at it.

Use them, and use a cross-section that reflect modern Britain on TV. She needs to demonstrate she is being collegiate. The more ministers she gets out, the more she can convey that she has the backing of the party. And their needs to be a good mix of Brexiters and Remainerswhich speak to the public.

She also needs young faces on broadcast outlets to reach out to an energised younger audience who Labour so effectively connected with. An absence of this will fuel a narrative of a government at drift and in chaos.

Its more important than ever to convey a sense of stability to the rest of the world, which will be wondering whats goingon here.

The questions around the world will be: Is the UK stable? Should I work there? Should I invest?

She needs to do more international media, and there must be a concerted briefing operation. Similarly, she needs to do a big foreign visit soon to show its business as usual and that we are still being taken seriously on the global stage.

She needs to convey a coalition of support from the business community and other interest groups. This was severely lacking during the election it was widely rumoured that her aides didnt like using them. Number 10 needs to secure the support of prominent third parties in the business sectorlike the CBI and BCC to be out and about in the media making the case for the UK as Brexit negotiations progress.

Let May be May? The more she talked, the less people liked her or listened during the election. This is the big headache. She needs to emotionally connect with the public and address her mistakes and with the party.

We saw the beginning of this on Monday night when she said to the party Ive got us into this mess, I will get us out of it. For her, this is the biggest ask and toughest challenge. She needs to connect with people but remain authentic. If she isnt, the public will see straight through her.

May needs to show that her premiership is not solely defined by Brexit. She needs a radical domestic agenda to convey a sense of momentum here and abroad. Governments often run out of ideas and energy. She needs to show she is fizzing with innovative policies.

Giles Kenningham was director of Communications for the Conservative Party for the 2015 campaign. He now runs a PR consultancy Trafalgar Strategy http://www.trafalgar-strategy.co.uk

More:
Former Tory communications director: Theresa May must do these six things to survive - iNews

Middle East Eye

Egypt trying to 'control narrative' with media shutdowns, rights groups say Middle East Eye "The latest clampdown on digital media is further evidence of Egypt's age-old police state tactics in motion. Even in the darkest days of the repressive Mubarak era the authorities didn't cut off access to all independent news sites," said Najia ... and more »

Read more:
Egypt trying to 'control narrative' with media shutdowns, rights groups say - Middle East Eye

The New York state legislative session is drawing to a close, and Democrats and Republicans are digging in on the remaining issues of 2017. Among them is a measure to extend the New York City mayors control of the public schools, which has now been linked to a number of diverse issues affecting people in the rest of the state.

Games of chicken are common at the Capitol whenever a deadline like the budget or the end of session draws near. This time, it was the state Senates turn to go first.

Republicans, who control the chamber, offered three bills extending New York City Mayor Bill de Blasios control of the public schools, for one, two or five years. The measures are linked to passage of an education tax credit that would benefit charter schools. Charter schools have long been championed by Republicans but are viewed with suspicion by some Democrats.

The three take-it-or-leave-it measures were angrily rejected by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who was asked about them by reporters.

God bless them, were not doing them, Heastie said. Next question.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco joked that he could easily walk away with the extension of mayoral control unresolved.

I can go home without it happening, DeFrancisco said. I live in Syracuse.

De Blasio unsuccessfully campaigned for Democrats to take the chamber away from Republicans in 2014, and some GOP members continue to hold some resentment.

But the Assembly has tied mayoral control to the renewal of sales tax in counties outside of New York City, in upstate and on Long Island, and including counties in DeFranciscos district.

Heastie defended the linkage, saying there is a certain logic to it.

We passed a bill that respected every localitys request for an extender, including the city (of New York), Heastie said. Were trying to treat every county with the same amount of respect and we wish the Senate Republicans would do the same for the city of New York.

Heastie said he hopes that there can be a three-way agreement among the Assembly, Senate and governor on another key end-of-session issue increasing oversight of the states economic development contracts in light of a scandal thats led to corruption charges against several of Cuomos former associates.

Well see what happens, Heastie said.

The bills supported by the Assembly and Senate reinstate the state comptrollers oversight over economic development contracts. Cuomo does not support that plan. He instead wants to create a new inspector general under the executive branch to root out potential corruption in procurement practices. DeFrancisco said that plan would not provide true oversight.

You just have to be somewhat sane to realize that thats not a check and balance over anybody, DeFrancisco said.

A spokesman for the governor responded that its a joke to think a comptrollers pre-audit of an economic development contract could flag a corrupt arrangement. Spokesman Rich Azzopardi dismissed DeFranciscos comments as a personal grudge against Cuomo because, he said, the governor criticized the senator for spending some time in Florida.

The session is scheduled to end June 21.

Follow this link:
Mayoral control, reform uncertain as session draws to close - WRVO Public Media