Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 18 July 2018

By a 1-vote margin, city leaders OK bid for GOP convention

By TOM FOREMAN Jr., Asso- Hooks said to reject the
ciated Press RNC would be to reverse
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A the good done by hosting
divided North Carolina city the Democratic National
council narrowly approved Convention in 2012.
a bid Monday to host the Other businesspeople said
2020 Republican National hosting the convention
Convention, a decision would mean jobs and pay-
that followed nearly two checks for residents who
hours of comments pro and would work extra hours dur-
con from local residents ing the week of the con-
and council members. vention. Some mentioned
After a public discussion that the city would be
period with more than 100 showcased to the nation
speakers and nearly one by hosting the convention.
hour of debate among Brenda Jackson-Little said
themselves, the Charlotte the RNC would be "a tre-
City Council voted 6-5 in mendous economic boon
favor of hosting the event. for the region."
Charlotte, North Carolina's Former city councilman
largest city, has been con- Kenny Smith urged support
sidered a front-runner for for the bid.
the convention. Published Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles speaks to a packed chamber during a public forum before the Charlotte "A "no" vote only hurts the
reports showed a number City Council votes whether to host the 2020 Republican National Convention, in Charlotte, N.C., city you have sworn to rep-
of cities thought to be up Monday, July 16, 2018. resent," Smith said. "Cast
for the event didn't actually Associated Press aside politics."
submit bids. If Charlotte hosts the con-
Mayor Vi Lyles, Charlotte's endorsement of Trump. housing and transporta- that care about their com- vention, the GOP will be
first black female mayor, "I believe that hosting the tion infrastructure don't get munities have said, 'Nope, visiting a community where
had led efforts to secure Republican convention is lost in this process," Winston we agree with the public.'" it hasn't fared well against
the convention, despite about what opportunities said. Supporters carried white Democrats in the last two
critics who decried the at- we can make of it after this Some opponents of the bid sheets of paper with "2020 presidential elections. Presi-
tempt because of Presi- very, very difficult time of carried green-and-white RNC Supporter" printed dent Barack Obama car-
dent Donald Trump's state- deliberation," she said. signs that read "No RNC In on black letters One man ried Mecklenburg County
ments denigrating minori- City councilman Braxton CLT. #defendcharlotte". stood outside the Char- in 2012 with 60 percent of
ties, Muslims, women and Winston, who debated Among those with a sign lotte-Mecklenburg Gov- the vote. Democratic can-
the LGBTQ population. fellow councilman Tariq was Mandy Deese, 39, a ernment Center holding a didate Hillary Clinton won
"I think that this is probably Bokhari over the issue, said Charlotte paralegal. big white flag with the red, the county over Trump in
one of the most difficult de- the outcome wasn't unex- "I consider the 6-5 vote a white and blue GOP logo 2016 with 62 percent of
cisions and the most tested pected, but he added that win because that lets Don- on it. Many pro-conven- the vote. In 2012, Charlotte
for us as a council," Lyles the city now must make ald Trump know that this city tion speakers represented hosted the convention that
said. "But I welcome that sure "the people of Char- does not want him here," hotels and the service in- launched Obama's second
test, because if we're not lotte are centered in this." Deese said. "We didn't vote dustry, among them Dan run for The White House.
tested, we're not doing the "That the priorities that we for him. We protest against Hooks, who said the coun- North Carolina voted for
right things." have collectively come up him every time we have cil should look past politi- the GOP in 2012 and 2016
Lyles emphasized the vote with, around economic in- a chance. And that just cal rhetoric and see what's after Obama won the state
to approve the bid isn't an equities, upward mobility, shows that these people good for the city. in 2008.q
Lights go out during Trump statement at the White House

By KEN THOMAS the aftermath of his Helsinki be the intelligence agen- he said, returning to his elections.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- news conference when the cies," the president joked statement. His remarks came during
dent Donald Trump want- lights in the White House to members of his Cabinet, Trump was trying to make a meeting with Vice Presi-
ed to make an important Cabinet Room dimmed lawmakers and the assem- clear after his meeting with dent Mike Pence, Treasury
point. And then the lights and briefly went out, leav- bled media. Russian President Vladimir Secretary Steven Mnuchin
went out. ing the room mostly in dark- As the lights were quickly Putin that he fully supports and several members of
Trump was saying Tuesday ness. switched on, Trump asked the U.S intelligence com- Congress, including Ways
that he has "full faith" in the "Whoops, they just turned if everyone was OK. "That munity and its finding that and Means Chairman Kev-
U.S. intelligence agencies in off the lights. That must was strange. But that's OK," Russia interfered in the 2016 in Brady, R-Texas. q