Frustrated Obama Pleads for help to Tame Gun Violence

#UCCShooting

Students, staff and faculty are evacuated from Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Thursday, October 1, 2015, after a deadly shooting |PHOTO CREDIT:Michael Sullivan/The News-Review via AP

President Barack has expressed his frustrations following yet another mass shooting targeted at a learning institution in the US. The shooting which took place on Thursday morning at around 10:38 a.m. at the Umpqua Community College  in Roseburg, Oregon left ten people dead and seven others wounded ;a figure that was revised downward from an earlier death toll which was pegged at 13.

According to US media outlets, the gunman identified as Chris Harper Mercer ,26,is said to have been armed with three handguns and an assault weapon.US security officials who spoke to CNN also said that the gunman appeared to have been ready for a fight as he had a body armor and a stash of ammunition on him.

During a press conference at The White House, President Obama however expressed his disappointment by what he termed as lack of political goodwill by members of the Congress to adopt counter gun violence legislation in a bid to tame the rising incidents of mass shootings in the country.

Obama warned that prayer alone and empty rhetoric will not help the situation challenging the media to come out strongly on the matter and question Congressmen for their hard line position on the matter. “I hope and pray that I don’t have to come out again during my tenure as president to offer my condolences … but based on my experiences as president I can’t guarantee that,” the president added. “And that’s terrible to say. And it can change.”

Meanwhile, authorities have cordoned off a Winchester, Oregon, apartment complex which according to initial investigative reports is said to have been listed as Mercer’s address. The neighbours could not hide their unbelief though on the news as most described him as a calm man. An old neighbour who spoke to The Huffington Post  is quoted saying, “Chris was kind of reserved, kept to himself mostly.”

Police taped off an Oregon apartment complex listed as Mercer’s address.PHOTO CREDIT:ANDY CAMPBELL/HUFFINGTON POST

But even as security officials continue to grapple with what has now famously come to be known as “gun violence”, it remains unclear on what measures the Obama administration will take to tame the vice even as the president appears to be admitting to have lost the war. This even as the incident brings to 45, the number of shooting incidents at learning institutions so far this year.

By Jeremiah Wakaya

 

President Obama Set to Visit Kenya in July

#GES

Air Force One over Mt. Rushmore |CREDIT:The White House Office of the Press Secretary

The Office of the Press Secretary on March 30, 2015 released a statement indicating that President Barack Obama will be visiting Kenya in July.In what will go down as his fourth official visit to sub-Saharan Africa during his presidency,President Obama will be attending 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (#GES) ;an annual event which commenced in 2009.

Kenya will be the first sub-Saharan African country to host #GES since the government agreed to co-host the event.The event brings together emerging entrepreneurs with leaders from business, international organizations, and governments looking to support them.

The White House also indicated that President Obama will hold bilateral meetings.Part of the statement read,”His trip will build on the success of the August 2014 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit and continue our efforts to work with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, to accelerate economic growth, strengthen democratic institutions, and improve security.”

PREVIOUS VISITS TO SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA BY PRESIDENT OBAMA

Kenyans have welcomed the news considering the speculation on whether or not President Obama would visit the country before the end of his term.In previous visits to Sub-Saharan Africa,President Obama has visited Senegal,South Africa,Tanzania and Ghana.

Story by Jeremiah Wakaya

Senior Editor

Real Trends Blog

 

Air Force One Successor Unveiled

The Air Force One |Boeing 747-200 |The current US Presidential Aircraft

#AirForceOne

The service life of the two incumbent Boeing 747-200 will be coming to an end in 2017,Air Force officials announced.In a press release by the US Department of Defense,the secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James,in a determination arrived at in coordination with Frank Kendall,secretary of defense for acquisition,defense and logistics revealed that Boeing 747-8 will be taking over as the next presidential aircraft.

Describing the presidential aircraft as one of the most visible symbols of the United States of America and the office of the president of the United States of America,James said,”The Boeing 747-8 is the only aircraft manufactured in the United States (that), when fully missionized, meets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission, while reflecting the office of the president of the United States of America consistent with the national public interest.”

Air Force One Mission

Boeing 747-8 |The incoming Air Force One Replacement

In order to reach at the findings,a market research was conducted to determine would meet the demand of the Air Force One mission which were identified as a four-engine and wide-body aircraft.The research determined that there were only two such aircraft that could meet the requirement;the 747-8 manufactured by Boeing in the state of Washington, and the A380 manufactured by Airbus in Toulouse, France.The decision would to pick Boeing 747-8 allows discussions with Boeing that will likely lead to a contract for the aircraft platform as well as the modifications necessary to missionize the aircraft.

Acquisition Strategy

However, Col. Amy McCain, the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program manager indicated that the decision was not an actual award of the contract.McCain said,”We still need to finalize the overall acquisition strategy and conduct risk-reduction activities with Boeing to inform the engineering and manufacturing development contract negotiations that will define the capabilities and cost.”While keen on keeping the cost down,the Air Force wants to own enough of the technical baseline to permit competition for a sustained 30-year life cycle.“We are committed to incorporating competition for sub-systems of the missionized aircraft as much as practicable, and will participate substantively in any competitions led by the prime contractor,” James further added.

Affordability is Key

While observing that the current fleet of VC-25 presidential aircraft has performed exceptionally well,James noted that parts obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing sources and increased down times for maintenance are existing challenges.”The Air Force provides the president with safe and reliable air transportation with high levels of security and communication capability as the alternate airborne White House,”she said. James indicated that the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization(PAR) program will use multiple strategies, such as the use of proven technologies and commercially certified equipment, to ensure the program is as affordable as possible saying that the Air Force will insist upon program affordability through cost conscious procurement practices. A sum of $1.65 billion between 2015 and 2019 has been set aside by the Air Force for two replacement jets.

Story by Jeremiah Wakaya

Senior Editor

Real Trends Blog