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Libertarian Party nominees promise fair, transparent, honest America with happier people
Two former Republican governors -- now running as the Libertarian presidential ticket -- told a National Press Club luncheon audience Thursday the Republican and Democratic parties are out of touch with the American people, and the two of them asked, "give us a chance and we will make a difference." "Both major parties are struggling to connect with the American public," said former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico, the presidential nominee. He said the tone of this election campaign is "often like warfare ... filled with anxiety and fear." "We refuse to stand by and watch our…
Type: News
NTSB chairman: Driverless cars promise to save lives, but there are challenges to overcome
Driverless cars have the potential to save thousands of lives by eliminating the main cause of highway crashes –- human error –- National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart said Thursday at a National Press Club Newsmakers Luncheon. But so-called “autonomous vehicles” won’t be cruising the roads anytime soon, Hart said. “People are underestimating the challenges,” he said. “It’s going to take longer than people are estimating.” He didn’t offer a timeline but outlined the challenges. “The theory of removing human error by removing the human assumes that the automation is…
Type: News
Ukrainian Prime Minister secures pledge of economic assistance during U.S. visit
On his first visit to Washington since taking office, the new Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman, told a June 16 National Press Club Newsmaker press conference that his country received a pledge of $220 million in economic assistance from the United States during meetings with U.S. officials. The assistance package was offered by Vice President Joe Biden, Groysman said. His talks with American officials centered on the political situation in his nation, including relations with Russia, which occupies the Crimean Peninsula, part of eastern Ukraine. Groysman, who is 38 and the…
Type: News
Author says American society is breaking down, but can be put back together
American society is breaking down because people are feeling lost and alienated. If this situation does not change, it could lead to the death of what America is, author and journalist Sebastian Junger said at a June 16 National Press Club Newsmaker. In his new book, "Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging," Junger discusses the breakdown of U.S. communities and explores what can be learned from tribal societies. "I wanted to write a book about modern society," Junger said. "One of the key points in the book is that tribal societies possess certain characteristics that lead to greater human…
Type: News
Military culture slow to change on suicide prevention
The U.S. military's "do or die" culture makes it difficult for many service members and veterans to seek the help they need in dealing with depression that can lead to suicide, Kim Ruocco, a leader of a survivors' service organization, said at a June 23 National Press Club Newsmaker event. Ruocco, chief external relations officer for suicide prevention for Arlington-based Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), was joined by two others who lost military family members to suicide in calling for a cultural change to encourage service personnel and veterans to seek help with depression…
Type: News
Author writes about homicide but says he isn’t ‘Castle’
Del Quentin Wilber is nothing like TV’s “Castle,” and the homicide detectives he shadowed for his book joked once that they wish he were, Wilber told a National Press Club Book Rap June 21. People often ask Wilber how the experiences in "A Good Month for Murder: The Inside Story of a Homicide Squad" differs from TV. “It is completely different than television because these are real people,” Wilber said. “Everyone is real. The victims are real. This is not a game to anybody. Everyone takes this very personally.” Wilber embedded with the homicide unit of the Prince Georges County, Md., Police…
Type: News
Investigative journalist, human rights lawyers detail forced organ harvesting in China
Forced organ harvesting in China from members of persecuted ethnic and religious groups is a much more horrific and widespread problem than was previously believed, three co-authors of a new investigative report said at a National Press Club event on June 22. The stories being suppressed by the Chinese government could at times be stomach-churning. “We talked to one resident of Taiwan who went twice to China for a kidney. Turns out in fact that eight vials of kidneys were brought to him until finally the eighth kidney worked,” said David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-…
Type: News
Perez dodges questions about VP chances, slams Trump without naming him
U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez repeatedly declined on June 22 to answer questions about whether he is being considered as a running mate with presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. At a National Press Club luncheon, Perez, who has been mentioned as one of nine possible candidates being considered by Clinton for vice president, would not say whether he is being vetted. “What I know is I love my work and I have 212 days left," he said. "I will do everything possible to leave the Labor Department better than I found it and help more people get access to opportunities…
Type: News
Democratic Convention officials emphasize First Amendment rights, safety
Democratic National Convention officials on Tuesday expressed their support for potential protesters' First Amendment rights and promised to ensure their safety at next month's event. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney cited his city's record of handling large events, such as the Occupy protests and the papal visit, while protecting those taking part. "This is a participatory democracy and the key is to participate," he said at a June 21 National Press Club Newsmakers news conference. A place will be set aside for protesters at the convention during the week of July 25, said Kenney, who encouraged…
Type: News
University of Missouri president sees 'grim' fall but says progress made after black student protests
University of Missouri President Michael Middleton said the school faces a “grim” situation this fall with declining enrollment and a projected $30 million revenue shortfall in the wake of tumultuous black student protests last year. At a National Press Club breakfast June 21, Middleton said the perceptions of disorder and disarray causing the decline are inaccurate but he acknowledged that dealing with problems of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” are “major challenges.” “We have made significant progress,” Middleton declared, “but there is much more work to be done.” Middleton, a law…
Type: News