Stunning chart shows 'mindblowing' rise in manufacturing under Biden — that Trump gets to 'ribbon cut'

(Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Alex Henderson

ALTERNET

December 03, 2024

During the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump relentlessly attacked President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the economy — blaming both of them for post-pandemic inflation in the United States. And the message resonated with enough voters for Trump to pull off a narrow victory over Harris.

According to the Cook Political Report, Trump defeated Harris by roughly 1.5 or 1.6 percent in the popular vote and picked up 312 electoral votes compared to 226 for the vice president.

A victory of 1.5 or 1.6 percent is hardly a "landslide," as Trump's allies have been claiming. But it's a victory nonetheless, and Trump will be sworn in for a nonconsecutive second term on January 20, 2025.

Some of Biden's supporters have argued that history will be kind to the outgoing president — not unlike the kind words for the late President George H.W. Bush after he lost the 1992 election to President Bill Clinton. And history, they argue, will remember Biden's job-creation record and the low unemployment of his presidency.

In October, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. unemployment was 4.1 percent.

In a December 2 post on X, formerly Twitter, Alex Armlovich — a senior housing analyst for the Niskanen Center — praised Biden's record on creating manufacturing jobs. And he made his point by tweeting a chart from Joey Politano, who publishes a financial newsletter.

Armlovich tweeted, "This rise in US manufacturing construction spend via @JosephPolitano is absolutely mindblowing. So many CHIPS & IRA-fueled factories are about to start opening in January you're not gonna believe it."

@Alex_Armlovich

@aarmlovi

This rise in US manufacturing construction spend via

@JosephPolitano

is absolutely mindblowing So many CHIPS & IRA-fueled factories are about to start opening in January you're not gonna believe it

Quote

@Alex_Armlovich

@aarmlovi

·

Nov 22

Trump's name will be on every IIJA, CHIPS, & IRA ribbon cut b/c key Dem factions thought NEPA red tape was more important than permitting reform to finish projects in <4 yrs FDR didn't respond to the 1930s by saying "Mussolini is too fast we need NEPA." He just started building x.com/rSanti97/statu…

Show more

1:17 PM · Dec 2, 2024

·

1M

Views

In a separate tweet, Armlovich laments that Trump, in 2025, will get the credit for Biden's economic achievements.

@Alex_Armlovich

@aarmlovi

Trump's name will be on every IIJA, CHIPS, & IRA ribbon cut b/c key Dem factions thought NEPA red tape was more important than permitting reform to finish projects in <4 yrs FDR didn't respond to the 1930s by saying "Mussolini is too fast we need NEPA." He just started building

Quote

Santi Ruiz

@rSanti97

·

Nov 21

So many people believe that “making the trains run on time” is an authoritarian principle. You see it everywhere, sans justification. It’s just a background assumption. x.com/alecstapp/stat…

Armlovich predicts, "Trump's name will be on every IIJA, CHIPS, & IRA ribbon cut b/c key Dem factions thought NEPA red tape was more important than permitting reform to finish projects in <4 yrs FDR didn't respond to the 1930s by saying 'Mussolini is too fast we need NEPA.' He just started building."

Namibia elects its first woman president

Agence France-Presse
December 4, 2024 

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah becomes the first woman to rule the mineral-rich southern African country that has been governed by the SWAPO party since independence in 1990 (SIMON MAINA/AFP)

Namibia's ruling SWAPO party was declared winner Tuesday of last week's disputed elections, ushering in the southern African country's first woman president after a disputed vote that the main opposition has already said it does not recognise

Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah took just over 57 percent of ballots followed by the candidate for the main opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) with 25.5 percent, the election authority announced.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, becomes the first woman to rule the mineral-rich southern African country that has been governed by the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

The November 27 election was a test of SWAPO's 34-year grip on power, with the IPC attracting some support from younger generations more concerned by unemployment and inequality than loyalty to liberation-era parties.

Voting was extended to November 30 after logistical and technical problems, including a shortage of ballot papers, led to long queues. Some voters gave up on the first day of voting after waiting for up to 12 hours.

The IPC said this was a deliberate attempt to frustrate voters and it would not accept the results.

Its presidential candidate Panduleni Itula, 67, said last week there were a "multitude of irregularities".

The "IPC shall not recognize the outcome of that election", he said on Saturday, the last day of the extended vote. The party would "fight... to nullify the elections through the processes that are established within our electoral process", he said.

In reaction to Tuesday's announcement of the SWAPO victory, IPC spokesperson Imms Nashinge said the party maintained this position.


Itula last week called on his party's supporters to be calm but also "stand firm to ensure that we shall not be robbed neither denied our democratic right to choose our leaders."

An organisation of southern African human rights lawyers serving as election monitors also said the delays at the ballot box were intentional and widespread.

- Failures -

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) admitted to failures in the organisation of the vote, including a shortage of ballot papers and the overheating of electronic tablets used to register voters.

Of the nearly 1.5 million registered voters in the sparsely populated country, nearly 77 percent had cast ballots in the presidential vote, it said Tuesday.

AFP IPC presidential candidate Panduleni Itula said last week there were a 'multitude of irregularities' in the vote"Fellow Namibians, elections are competitive by nature, but democracy calls upon us to unite once the votes have been counted. I urge all Namibians to embrace the results with the spirit of unity, diversity, understanding and reconciliation," said ECN chairperson Elsie Nghikembua after announcing the results.

SWAPO also had a clean sweep of the concurrent national assembly election, taking 51 seats compared to 20 for the IPC. SWAPO's tally was down from its 63 seats in the previous assembly.

The election was seen as a key test for SWAPO after other liberation-era movements in the region have lost favour with young voters including with the Botswana Democratic Party being ousted from power of that country last month after almost six decades.

Namibia is a major uranium and diamond exporter but analysts say not many of its nearly three million people have benefited from that wealth in terms of improved infrastructure and job opportunities.

Unemployment among 15- to 34-year-olds is estimated at 46 percent, according to the latest official figures from 2018, which is almost triple the national average.

AFP Nandi-Ndaitwah, a SWAPO stalwart known by her initials NNN, will be among the few women leaders on the continentNandi-Ndaitwah, a SWAPO stalwart known by her initials NNN, will be among the few women leaders on the continent.

The conservative daughter of an Anglican pastor, she became vice president in February this year.

Recognizable by her gold-framed glasses, she has tried to vaunt the wisdom of her years during the campaign where she was often wearing blue, red and green, the colors of her party and of the national flag.

Among her election promises, NNN said she intends to "create jobs by attracting investments using economic diplomacy."

WWIII

Philippines says China Coast Guard fired water cannon, 'sideswiped' govt vessel

Agence France-Presse
December 4, 2024 

AFPA frame grab from a handout video released by the Philippines shows an apparent collision between a China Coast Guard ship (R) and a fisheries department vessel

The Philippines said the China Coast Guard fired water cannon and "sideswiped" a government vessel Wednesday during a maritime patrol near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, after Beijing said it had "exercised control" over the ship.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims from other countries -- including the Philippines -- and an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Vessels from the two sides have clashed frequently in the past year, resulting in injuries and damage.

Tensions flared again on Wednesday, with Manila releasing a video appearing to show a Chinese coast guard ship firing a torrent of water at the Philippines fisheries department vessel BRP Datu Pagbuaya.

Other footage apparently taken from the Philippine ship showed its crew shouting "Collision! Collision!" as the much larger Chinese vessel nears its right-hand side before crashing into it.

The water cannon was aimed "directly at the vessel's navigational antennas", the Philippine coast guard and fisheries ministry said in a joint statement.


The Chinese vessel "intentionally sideswiped" the ship before launching a second water cannon attack, the statement said.

China's coast guard said in an initial statement that Philippine ships "came dangerously close" and that its crew's actions had been "in accordance with the law".

In a later statement, it accused Manila of making "bogus accusations in an attempt to mislead international understanding".

It said the Philippine ship had

AFP A China Coast Guard ship deploys water cannon at a fisheries department vessel
"turned at a great angle and reversed, deliberately colliding" with the Chinese ship.

Video released by Manila said to be drone footage of the collision does not show the Philippine ship reversing.

The videos were reviewed by AFP Factcheck, who found no evidence of their prior circulation online but were unable to independently verify them further.

The Chinese coast guard later released a video it said showed the Philippine ship ramming its vessel.


The 20-second showed the moments just before and after the collision but not the lead-up.
- Growing tensions -

Scarborough Shoal -- a triangular chain of reefs and rocks -- has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.


Since then, Beijing has deployed patrol boats that Manila says harass Philippine vessels and prevent Filipino fishermen from accessing a fish-rich lagoon there.

The shoal lies 240 kilometers (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan.

Philippine officials said in a press conference there had been another incident on Wednesday near Sabina Shoal, in the Spratly Islands.

A Chinese coastguard vessel "intentionally rammed" another fisheries department vessel, which "significantly destroyed some of her structure", an official said.

The Chinese side has not released a statement on the incident.

Tensions between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea escalated last month when Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos signed two laws defining the country's sea waters and imposing fixed lanes for foreign ships, prompting China to summon the Philippine ambassador.

And ties frayed further when the Philippines and the United States signed a security deal allowing both sides to share classified information.

In a separate incident, Beijing said Monday it had taken "control measures" against Philippine ships it accused of "illegally gathering" near Iroquois Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands.

On that occasion, Beijing warned Manila to "immediately stop its infringements and provocations".

Manila said a Chinese navy helicopter had "harassed" Philippine fishing vessels in the area, and shared video footage that purported to show the aircraft hovering low over a Philippine boat.

The Philippine coast guard said it had deployed two vessels in the area "to ensure the safety and security of Filipino fishermen exercising their right to fish freely" there.

© Agence France-Presse

Chinese Helicopter Hazes Philippine Fishermen at Iroquois Reef

Courtesy AFP

Published Dec 2, 2024 8:27 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

Last week, after a PLA Navy helicopter harassed fishing vessels near Iroquois Reef in the Philippine exclusive economic zone, the Philippine Coast Guard deployed two of its newest cutters to the area to help protect local fishermen. BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Cape Engaño were dispatched to the area to demonstrate the "firm stance and commitment of [President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] not to surrender a square inch of our territory to any foreign power," the PCG said in a statement. 

On Monday, the China Coast Guard accused the Philippines of deploying fishing vessels to gather near Iroquois Reef under a "pretext of fishing" - the same pretext used by the Chinese maritime militia, a state paramilitary organization that operates hundreds of trawlers in the Philippine exclusive economic zone. In a statement, the CCG alleged that the Philippine fishing vessels were conducting an "illegal gathering" in the Philippine exclusive economic zone, more than 600 nautical miles away from mainland China. 

"Dealing with an authoritarian regime that disregards human rights and freedom is very challenging. The China Coast Guard views the fishing activities of a group of Filipino fishermen as an 'illegal gathering' and interprets it as a provocation on the part of the Philippines," said Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela. "Filipino fishermen have every legal right to fish in our EEZ, as it is only 138 nautical miles from the coastline of Palawan."

The Chinese allegation follows less than a week after a swarm of 80-plus Chinese maritime militia vessels anchored near Pag-Asa Island, within the Philippines' 12-mile territorial sea boundary. That cluster of Chinese ships has departed the area and relocated en masse to the Chinese naval base at Subi Reef, according to open-source intelligence analysts and satellite imaging.  

Beijing claims most of the western Philippine EEZ under the sweeping "nine-dash line" policy, even though this claim was invalidated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in 2016. China refuses to recognize the court ruling, and it maintains that it has historical sovereignty over the vast majority of the South China Sea, including the areas beyond national jurisdiction and most of the exclusive economic zones of neighboring states. 

Russian sub transits Philippine EEZ

Last week, a Russian Kilo-class submarine was spotted on the surface about 80 nautical miles to the west of Occidental Mindoro, transiting the Philippine EEZ. The Philippine Navy deployed a patrol aircraft and the frigate BRP Jose Rizal to monitor its passage. 

Courtesy AFP

The sub was identified as the Ufa, a Kilo II-class diesel-electric attack sub, which had been deployed for exercises with the Malaysian Navy earlier in November. The Philippine Navy queried the surfaced sub by VHF, and the captain responded that the vessel was on its way back to Vladivostok and was waiting out poor weather. It remained surfaced throughout its transit through Philippine waters. 

In a brief exchange with reporters on Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that the sub's unexpected presence was "very worrisome," but declined to comment on details. 

The Russian corvettes Gromkiy, Aldar Tsydenzhapov and Rezkiy are also currently operating in the South China Sea, along with the oiler Pechenga.

MARTIAL LAW FAILS

'The People Will Not Forgive This': South Korean President Faces Impeachment After Martial Law Gambit

"The Yoon Suk Yeol regime has declared its own end of power," said the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.


A woman holds a sign that reads "Insurrection Yoon Suk Yeol Step Down!" during a candlelight vigil to protest against the South Korean president on December 4, 2024.
(Photo: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images)

Jake Johnson
Dec 04, 2024
COMMON DREAMS

South Koreans took to the streets en masse Wednesday to protest conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law, a move that sparked an immediate political crisis and calls for his resignation or removal.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) led marches Wednesday and vowed that its 1.2-million-strong membership would strike until Yoon steps aside. Prior to Tuesday night, martial law was last imposed in South Korea more than four decades ago.

Yoon's decree prompted the resignation of his chief of staff, defense minister, and other officials.

"While the stated reason for declaring martial law is 'to eradicate pro-North Korean forces and maintain the constitutional order,' all citizens except Yoon Suk Yeol understand the true meaning of this martial law declaration," KCTU said in a statement. "Yoon Suk Yeol has chosen the irrational and anti-democratic method of martial law to extend his political life as he has been driven to the edge."

"The people will not forgive this," the labor organization added. "They remember the fate of regimes that declared martial law. The people clearly remember the end of regimes that deceived the citizens and damaged democracy. The people never forgave regimes that suppressed citizens and violated democracy. The Yoon Suk Yeol regime has declared its own end of power."



Just hours after issuing it, Yoon withdrew the martial law order in the face of large-scale backlash from the public and members of South Korea's Legislature, who are now looking to impeach the president after unanimously rejecting his ill-fated declaration.

The Financial Timesreported Wednesday that "about 190 lawmakers from six opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion, intending to discuss the bill in parliament on Thursday before a vote on Friday or Saturday." For impeachment to succeed, some members of Yoon's party would have to support the president's removal.

"As pressure built on members of Yoon's own party to support the impeachment bid, thousands of protesters against the president gathered in central Seoul," FT observed. "South Korea's main opposition, the Democratic Party, labeled the declaration of martial law 'a clear act of treason' and 'a perfect reason' to impeach the president."

Lee Jae-myung, the opposition party's leader, said Yoon "is likely to make another attempt" at imposing martial law if given the opportunity.

"But we face a bigger risk where he can provoke North Korea and run the risk of an armed clash with North Korea by destabilizing the divided border," he added.

Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, said Yoon should face investigation for treason and warned the president "is someone who can press the button to start war or declare martial law again."

"He is the one who can put South Korea in the biggest jeopardy now," he said. "We should immediately suspend his presidential duties by impeaching him."

Soldiers vs office chairs: South Korea's martial law standoff

Agence France-Presse
December 4, 2024 

Soldiers try to enter the main hall of the National Assembly in Seoul late Tuesday night (STR/YONHAP/AFP)

by Kang Jin-kyu

Parliamentary staffers used sofas and fire extinguishers to block soldiers armed with assault rifles and night-vision goggles from entering South Korea's National Assembly to maintain martial law, CCTV footage released Wednesday showed.

Shortly after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday -- the first time it had been imposed in the South in over four decades -- helicopters ferried the heavily-armed troops into the compound of South Korea's parliament, the footage showed.

Other soldiers climbed over perimeter fences after midnight, Kim Min-ki, secretary general of the assembly, told reporters at a briefing, adding that they then smashed windows to enter the building in what he called an "unconstitutional and illegal" invasion.

"We will identify the physical damages and losses caused by the declaration of martial law and hold those responsible accountable through legal action," he said.



AFP Members of South Korea's Democratic Party use couches as barricades at the entrance of the National Assembly building

About 280 soldiers entered the parliament building, he said, but quickly encountered resistance from staffers, who grabbed anything on hand to barricade entrance ways and prevent the troops from reaching lawmakers in the debating chamber.

Footage showed dozens of soldiers attempting to enter the building, only to be pulled away by protesters.

"We are currently assessing the injuries sustained by several individuals, including parliamentary staff, during clashes with the martial law troops," Kim said.

The soldiers "illegally sealed off the National Assembly after declaring martial law, violating the Constitution and the law by barring lawmakers from entering," he said.

"They also trampled on the parliament building using military force, inflicting deep wounds on the hearts of the people," he added.

- Struggle over a gun -


AFP Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law

In one dramatic scene, An Gwi-ryeong, a spokeswoman for the opposition Democratic Party, scuffled with a soldier, attempting to seize his rifle.

The struggle lasted more than 10 seconds. After she released the weapon, the soldier briefly pointed it at her.

Undeterred, An, a former news anchor, shouted: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" footage of the incident showed.


"I had no choice but to stop them from entering the main building because a resolution was being submitted to block the martial law," An told AFP Wednesday.

Under South Korea's constitution, if parliament requests martial law be lifted, the president is obliged to comply, and experts have speculated the soldiers were sent in a bid to stop the vote from taking place.

"I did fear for my life," she said of the confrontation.

"But I felt I had to stop them no matter what... because I could not comprehend the presence of fully armed soldiers inside the parliament."


AFP Police attempted to seal off the assembly gates, barring MPs from entering the premises

While the soldiers in the compound attempted to breach the building, police were sealing off the assembly gates, attempting to bar MPs from entering.


"Some MPs had to climb over the fence to get inside to vote on the resolution," opposition MP Shin Chang-sik told AFP.

Not all MPs managed to enter the assembly. Lee Jun-seok, another opposition lawmaker, was stopped by rows of police guarding the gates.

"You are now obstructing the official duties of a lawmaker," Lee can be heard shouting in the footage -- but he was still not allowed in.

- 'Go home, you bastards!' -

Once soldiers had made it into parliament, they found the doorways to the main chamber barricaded with piles of furniture erected by parliamentary staff, CCTV footage showed.


AFP South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik (C top) passes a resolution demanding the immediate lifting of martial law

The video shows soldiers rushing towards the barricaded gate with guns pointed at the unarmed staffers, who continued to pile office chairs and desks in their path.

"Go home, you bastards!" shouted one staff member, as another protester unleashed a fire extinguisher in the direction of the soldiers,.

Behind the throngs of staff were scores of flashing cameras, capturing the surreal moment.

It was not until after the resolution calling for the withdrawal of martial law passed at around 1 am (1600 GMT) that the soldiers began to retreat.

They completed their withdrawal by 2 am, leaving behind shattered windows and broken furniture, but without a single shot fired.

"I was so incensed I couldn't sleep a wink last night, I came out to make sure we push out Yoon once and for all," 50-year-old Kim Min-ho told AFP at a protest at the assembly Wednesday.

"How can something like this happen in the 21st century?" Park Su-hyung, 39, said.

"I'm here out of fear our democracy will be trampled if we keep Yoon in office a moment longer"

© Agence France-Presse

Yoon’s martial law debacle a throwback to South Korea’s history of military rule

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived proclamation of martial law this week marked the first time a South Korean leader took such a drastic measure since the country became a fully functioning democracy more than 35 years ago.

Issued on: 04/12/2024 
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Selina SYKES

01:52

South Korean student demonstrators demand the lifting of martial law at a protest in May 1980. © AP file photo




South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol faced parliamentary moves to impeach him on Wednesday after he sent heavily armed forces into Seoul's streets with a baffling and sudden declaration of martial law that harked back to the country’s past dictatorships.

Opposition parties submitted the impeachment motion just hours after parliament unanimously voted to cancel Yoon's declaration, forcing him to lift martial law about six hours after it began.

Read moreSouth Korea's Yoon faces impeachment over shock martial law order

During the tense and shocking hours under martial law, heavily armed forces surrounded the parliament, backed by army helicopters and armored vehicles. Lawmakers climbed walls to get into the building and held off troops by activating fire extinguishers. Politician and former news anchor Ahn Gwi-ryeong tried to pull away an assault rifle that a soldier had pointed at her chest as she shouted: “Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?”

Opposition lawmakers stage a protest against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the National Assembly in Seoul on December 4, 2024. © Ahn Young-joon, AP

Yoon ordered martial law without warning in a speech late Tuesday where he vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces he said were plotting rebellion and accused the main opposition parties of supporting the country’s rival, North Korea. He gave no direct evidence when he raised the spectre of North Korea as a destabilising force.

In the late 1980s, South Korea had a series of strongmen who repeatedly invoked North Korea when struggling to control domestic dissidents and political opponents.

Following Yoon’s shock announcement, there were immediate claims that the emergency declaration was linked to the political struggles of an unpopular president who has been at a loggerheads with a hostile parliament and is mired in an influence-peddling scandal involving him and his wife.

01:41
South Korea became a democracy only in the late 1980s, and military intervention in civilian affairs is still a touchy subject.

During the dictatorships that emerged as the country rebuilt from the 1950-53 Korean War, leaders occasionally proclaimed martial law that allowed them to station combat soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles on streets or in public places to prevent anti-government demonstrations.

Such scenes are unimaginable for many today.

Dictator Park Chung-hee, who ruled South Korea for nearly 20 years before he was assassinated by his spy chief in 1979, led several thousand troops into Seoul in the early hours of May 16, 1961, in the country’s first coup. He proclaimed martial law several times to stop protests and jail critics.

South Korean troops round up demonstrators after a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Gwangju on May 27, 2024. © Sadayuki Mikami, AP

Less than two months after Park’s death, Maj. Gen. Chun Doo-hwan led tanks and troops into Seoul in December 1979 in the country’s second coup. The next year, he orchestrated a brutal military crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in the southern city of Gwangju, killing at least 200 people.

In the summer of 1987, massive street protests forced Chun’s government to accept direct presidential elections. His army buddy Roh Tae-woo, who had joined Chun’s 1979 coup, won the election held later in 1987 thanks largely to divided votes among liberal opposition candidates.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)

South Korean President Forced to Rescind Right-Wing Martial Law Declaration

The scandal-plagued far right leader declared a need to protect the country from “communist” and “anti-state” forces.

By Sharon Zhang ,

Truthout

December 3, 2024    

Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.

Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images

South Korea’s right-wing president, Yoon Suk Yeol, suddenly declared martial law across the country on Tuesday and then swiftly rescinded it after the self-declared anti-communist power grab was unanimously rejected by parliament and sparked a public mass uprising.

Late Tuesday evening, Yoon declared martial law, saying that there is a need to protect the country from “communist forces” and to eliminate “anti-state forces.” The decree prohibited all political activities, put all news publications under control of martial law and banned all labor activities like strikes or work slowdowns.

Members of the National Assembly, South Korea’s parliament, rushed to the chamber after the declaration, with one lawmaker saying that he had to climb over a wall to get past police and military who were blocking the building. Less than three hours after it was declared, parliament voted, 190 to 0, to reverse the edict.


Meanwhile, protests erupted in Seoul after the declaration. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of South Korea’s largest unions with over 1 million members, called for an “indefinite general strike” until Yoon resigned.

Even though the parliament voted to undo the declaration, military officials had reportedly pledged to continue enforcing it until the president lifted it, according to South Korean news channel YTN.

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But then, just about six hours after Yoon’s surprise television conference, he rescinded his declaration, citing the National Assembly’s vote. It was the first time martial law had been declared in South Korea since 1980, when it was declared under a fascist dictatorship propped up in part by the U.S.

Yoon is a scandal-plagued far right leader who has massively expanded the oppressive security state within the country since he was narrowly elected in 2022. President Joe Biden has been criticized for his warm relationship with Yoon, saying he is a “great friend” and maintaining diplomatic relations. The Biden administration refused to condemn the martial law declaration on Tuesday, only expressing “concern” over “developments we are seeing on the ground,” as a White House spokesperson said.

“Certainly it is our hope and expectation that the laws and regulations of a particular country are abided by that particular country,” said State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel at a news briefing. “Ultimately, we want to see these political disputes resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law. And of course, such a vote in the legislature would be consistent with that approach.”

Yoon had already faced mass calls to resign prior to Tuesday, facing accusations of abusing his veto power to advance his own interests, including vetoing a bill to investigate his wife for allegations of stock manipulation; legislation to investigate a 2022 crowd crush that killed 159 people in Seoul; and a bill to probe the death of a marine seemingly caused by negligence within the military.

DO IT

'Cancel me': NYC mayor vows sit-down with Trump border czar to talk mass deportation plan

Matthew Chapman
December 3, 2024 

RAW STORY

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during an event to release the 2024 Mayor's Management Report and to update New Yorkers on City government operations at City Hall in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 16, 2024. (Photo credit: REUTERS/Kent J Edwards)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams vowed at a press conference this week that he opposed mass deportation of non-criminal undocumented immigrants — but that he was happy to work with Donald Trump's "border czar," former Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Tom Homan, to remove violent criminals from the city.

And anyone who doesn't like that, he said, can go ahead and try to "cancel" him.

Adams, who was indicted earlier this year in a federal corruption probe into unlawful foreign donations from the Turkish government, has been one of the more outspoken Democrats against the strain migrants are putting on his community,

"I think you should clarify your position," one reporter asked him. "A week ago I asked about mass deportations, and you specifically told me that you oppose mass deportations. You were on Channel 41 last night, you were quoted as saying you think the city should cooperate with ICE under certain circumstances. So can you explain to us what your point is on this, where your position is?"

"You have Miss Jones from some country who's been here for 10 years, undocumented, working hard, trying to provide her way, not committing a crime, or you have the commissioner of my Office of Immigrant Affairs, a Dreamer, came across the river with his mother," said Adams. "Those people should not be rounded up in the middle of the night. You know, these are people who love our country, and they participate in our country."

On the other hand, he continued, "Those who are here committing crimes, robberies, shooting at police officers, raping innocent people, have been a harm to our country, I want to sit down and get a plan on how we're going to address them. Those are the people I am talking about. And I would love to sit down with the border czar and hear his thoughts on how we're going to address those who are harming our citizens."

Asked again to clarify if that means he's open to cooperating with ICE, he said, "You know something ... I want you all to go and Google Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Google what they said about those who commit crimes in our city, and what they said, in our country. They said those who commit crimes need to get out right away. That was their position. So this is not a new position. Because in the state of — in the era of cancel culture, no one's afraid to be honest about the truth. Well, cancel me. Because I'm going to protect the people of the city."

Homan has frequently tried to assure the public that Trump's administration will prioritize going after criminal immigrants first and foremost — but has also emphasized that no one here without authorization is safe, that anyone who resists ICE efforts to deport anyone will be arrested, and prior to the election appeared to suggest whole families could be deported together even if the children are U.S. citizens.

Watch Adams' full press conference below or at the link here