Monday, April 14, 2014


News Clips For The Day



Former KKK Leader Suspected in Jewish Center Attacks: Sources – NBC
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By Jonathan Dienst
First published April 13 2014


The person of interest in custody for the killing of three people at two Jewish centers is a former Ku Klux Klan leader with a history of antisemitism and racism, law enforcement officials said.

Frazier Glenn Cross, Jr., 73, is suspected of fatally shooting a 14-year-old Eagle Scout and his grandfather in the parking lot at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City campus in Overland Park then gunning down a woman at Village Shalom, a retirement community that is several blocks away from the center, law enforcement officials said.

KSHB reporter Andres Gutierrez told MSNBC that the suspect who was taken away in the back of a police car yelled “Heil Hitler” at onlookers.

A civil rights organization that tracks hate groups said it has long known about Cross, who is from Missouri.

The Southern Poverty Law Center says Cross is known to them using aliases — Glenn Miller or Frazier Glenn Miller — and is the former Grand Dragon of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

The center sued Cross in the 1980s for intimidating African Americans, and he has had several run-ins with the law since then, including being accused of violating the terms of a court order that settled the lawsuit.

A profile assembled by the Southern Poverty Law Center includes several anti-semitic statements attributed to Cross.

Police only described the suspect as an elderly man with a beard in a Sunday afternoon news conference.

According to the SPLC, Cross quit high school as a senior to join the Army. In a 20-year Army career he had two tours in Vietnam and 13 years as a member of the elite Green Berets before he was forced to retire because of his Klan affiliation in 1979.
Later he went on to be active in a neo-Nazi group called “The Order” that advocated violence against Blacks and Jews among others, the SPLC said.

He even unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary for North Carolina governor in 1984 and as a Republican for a state Senate seat in 1987, the SPLC said.

According to The Associated Press, Miller was the subject of a nationwide manhunt in 1987 for violating the terms of his bond while appealing a North Carolina conviction for operating a paramilitary camp.

The search ended after federal agents found Miller and three other men in an Ozark mobile home, which was filled with hand grenades, automatic weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition.




Frazier Glenn Cross, Jr., 73, after killing an Eagle Scout and his grandfather, then a woman at a Jewish retirement center, yelled “Heil Hitler” as police drove him away. Old age doesn't always bring wisdom or gentleness. These people are soldiers in a race war that only they can perceive. Technically, they are probably mentally ill, but what they do is so bad that I tend to call them “evil.”

“The Southern Poverty Law Center says Cross is known to them using aliases — Glenn Miller or Frazier Glenn Miller — and is the former Grand Dragon of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.” His history with law enforcement and the Southern Poverty Law Center goes back as far as the 1980s, when the organization sued him for “intimidating African Americans,” with several other encounters since then. He had a long history with the army going back to Vietnam, but was forced to retire by the military in 1979 due to his KKK relationship. He then became active in The Order a violent racist and Neo-Nazi organization.

He ran for office twice in North Carolina, first as a Democrat and then three years later as a Republican. In 1987 he was hunted by the law in a nationwide manhunt for violation of bond in a NC case for operating a paramilitary group. He was found in a mobile home with an arsenal of grenades, guns and ammunition. This article didn't say he went to prison, but in fact, he did. See the following article about Cross from Wikipedia.


Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. (b. Nov 23, 1940), commonly known as Glenn Miller, Fraiser Glenn Cross Jr., or Rounder[1], is a former leader of the defunct North Carolina-based White Patriot Party (formerly known as the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan). Convicted of criminal charges related to weapons and violation of an injunction against paramilitary activity, he is a perennial candidate[2] for public office. He is an advocate of white nationalism, white separatism, and anti-Semitic theories; and a critic of homosexuality and Third World immigration into historically White nations.[3]

He is currently suspected of perpetrating the Overland Park Jewish Community Center shooting on April 13, 2014.[4]

Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. was born in North Carolina, and named after his father. He then joined the US Army and served in the Special Forces.[5] He served two tours of duty in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.[5] He was forcibly retired from the army as a Master Sergeant on June 1, 1979 for distributing politically incorrect propaganda.

In 1980 he founded the White Patriot Party, which developed from the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, a local chapter. It was a paramilitary organization with an ideology influenced by the Christian Identity theology. He was the leader and principal spokesman for the organization until his arrest in 1987, after which the organization soon dissolved.

After the Southern Poverty Law Center surreptitiously accessed the WPP computer systems, it presented evidence in court indicating the WPP leadership was planning the assassination of SPLC leader Morris Dees. The court issued an injunction barring the WPP from engaging in paramilitary activity.[6] The WPP was avowedly pro-Apartheid, and openly advocated the establishment of an all-White ethnostate in the territory of the American South.

During his time as leader of the WPP, he unsuccessfully sought both the Democratic Party's 1984 nomination for Governor of North Carolina,[7] and the 1986 Republican Party's nomination for a seat in the United States Senate.[8]

After his release from prison, Miller began trucking and wrote an autobiography, A White Man Speaks Out, which was privately published in 1999.[5][10] By 2002 he had moved to Aurora, Missouri.[11] When he retired from trucking in 2002, he tried to reenter the white supremacist movement by publishing a racist newsletter, however this was met with mixed reaction due to some regarding him as a traitor.[5] Miller has since become affiliated with the Vanguard News Network of Alex Linder, which is an anti-Semitic, white nationalist website.[12]

On April 13, 2014, Miller was named the only suspect for the shooting earlier that day in suburban Kansas City that ended in the death of 3 people. Shootings occurred both at the Jewish Community Center and at retirement home Village Shalom nearby, both located in Overland Park. The names of the victims of the JCC shooting were released, identifying victims as Dr. William Lewis Corporon and his grandson, 14-year-old Reat Griffin Underwood. Both were United Methodist Christians. The name of the woman shot at Village Shalom has not yet been released. Two others had been shot at, but escaped without wounds. Miller was found later outside an elementary school nearby and was immediately declared a suspect. Authorities told reporters that Miller had shouted "Heil Hitler" numerous times during shooting and arrest.[21]



This Wikipedia article gives more detail, including his recent activities. Interestingly, the two shot at the Jewish center were Methodists. He also missed on some of his shots, so he's failing in his old age. Failing, but not reformed.




What Real Russians Think About Ukraine Crisis – NBC
Around 700 miles from Crimea, Moscow residents ponder the impact its annexation will have on their lives. NBC News’ Albina Kovalyova reports.

The Writer
Acclaimed author Ludmila Ulitskaya, 71, is worried by Russia’s takeover of Crimea and what she fears is the start of a new Cold War.

"The ownership of Crimea has always historically been a difficult question. The fact that this was done now and the way it was done really does not make me happy. It will be an event that will not be favorable for Russia in the next few years. Will Russia be able to ensure a quality of life for Crimea that it had before it joined Russia? It is unknown. The whole civilized world is seeing this as an annexation and a take-over."

"There have been several statements that I think have been completely unnecessary, and exclusively threatening, and the results of these are a Cold War. And God forbid it becomes a hot war."

"We cannot speak about pride now, because we have completely lost face. All these events have caused us to lose face and the world has lost respect for us...on the other hand we live here and this is our country. In order for it not to be so shameful, we need to speak about the different opinions that exist in this country, that are not like that of the state. So that the world would know that not all of Russia is united by an impulse to turn the world into radioactive dust, and to show that a large amount of people do not like this, and do not like this rhetoric."
Author Ulitskaya continues: "There has already been such a powerful history of repressions in our county. There is no guarantee that this will not happen again. But we can at least now choose to go West."

"It is shameful to live in fear. We were taught to be brave and jump over hurdles ... and open up the world. I understand that some people who can -- they buy a ticket and leave. Others, who feel ashamed, decide to stay to make things better in their own country. You need courage for both these actions."

The Student
Natalia, 20, is studying to train children with learning disabilities. She supports Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

"I think that Crimea becoming part of Russia is a good thing. I don’t really know the history of it, but if Crimea used to be part of Russia, why not give it back?"

"My family has no kin in Ukraine, but we used to go there a lot. And I am frightened of what may happen."
Student Natalia continues: "There are rumors that Americans were financing the events in Ukraine. But why do they need this? There have always been stand-offs between America and Russia and so, why not get closer to Russia?"

"In Russia there is a uniting idea that sets us apart from others. It is something that is inside all of us... It’s is like a Russian soul. We don’t behave like others."

A Former Police Officer
Alexander Malishev, 46, works as a printer, but used to work in the special unit of the Interior Ministry. He does not believe in democracy.

"I think that there is no Russian role in what is going on in Ukraine, at all. In the 1990s, everyone was fixated on finding their direction and wanted their own independence, although it was not clear from what, because the Soviet system ended."
Former police officer Malishev continues: "There is no national idea at the moment. But it is needed. I don’t know what it should be because we were brought up on ideals of self-development, on movement forward. But we missed a whole generation -- who now dream only of making money. We will need to think very hard how people can be reached. I believe that monarchy would be the ideal option for us... there is no such thing as democracy."

The Grandmother
Vera Alekseyevna Solyankina, 80, is a former teacher who delivered mail to boost her post-retirement income.

"There is a Russian saying: 'There was unhappiness, but then a misfortune helped things along.' The events in Ukraine were a misfortune, but then Crimea was returned. I don’t think that Ukraine and Russia are separate countries. It is very hard for me to separate them. That is not because I want to take it over. It’s because this country is part of ours."

"There is an information war going on. The U.S. wants to be the main ones in charge and give orders to the rest of the world."
Solyankina continues: "I don’t want the country to return to Communism, which in the end, had reached a bad point.

"Russia has its own special path. Its not Western or Eastern -- but its own. What we have now is more or less all right. We don’t have a national idea, but we need one. The idea should be: the most just society in the world and the richest."

"Maybe that is what is driving the country forward -- the hope that something good will come. But there is no foundation that we can see for this."

The Businessman
Evgeny Streltsov, 35, owns an online clothing store. He is worried that the sanctions against Russia will affect him.

"I think that the isolation is already beginning. At the moment, they are focusing on the government officials and corrupt figures, and everyone promises that it will not affect average Russians. But our state is such that we will build up an Iron Curtain ourselves."

"There are no rules or laws. I have no certainty that I will not get closed down after they read this article. I have no rights, and I am no one, unless I am close to the trough, I don’t exist."
Businessman Streltsov continues: "I feel uneasy. I think the situation is going to get worse and worse and we are moving towards dictatorship. We have an elite, which makes a lot of money, and a mid-level that feeds off of the elite, but no one needs small business in such a dictatorial system."

The Hairdresser
Tatyana Nitcheko, 37, is a hairdresser who teaches beauty to students.

"My job is to make the world beautiful and to teach people how to do this job well, and to be polite to others. Politicians have their own job to do, and it’s better that they are the ones who do it."

"I don’t think it’s a bad thing that we are moving towards a superpower, but I hope not too much. Otherwise, there may be a war."
Hairdresser Nitcheko continues: "Maybe history needs its own Hitler again. I don’t believe that people can go vote or fight without leaders. Revolutions were led by leaders like Alexander the Great, Napoleon or Lenin."

"Our leader is a different man and he knows how to influence people’s minds in a different way. He does it while having a total alibi, and with an innocent face. And people just fall into this trap, willingly. But he has had special training for this."

The Street Cleaner
Buzrukhon Akramjan, 51, is a street cleaner who moved from Uzbekistan to Moscow in 2002, after serving in the Afghanistan war. He looks back with longing towards the Soviet Union.

"Ukrainian people are not to blame for what is going on, it’s the politicians who are responsible. It was Russian territory before. The referendum showed over 90 percent voted to become part of Russia."

Street cleaner Akramjan continues: "We were born in the Soviet Union and we want to live in the Soviet Union again. So that people can visit each other and talk to each other freely and so that there were no separate states and that there are no borders. I want all of the former Soviet republics to become part of Russia again. But it is people who chose the unity, not Russia."

The Teacher
Olga Svyantsiskaya, 68, is a teacher who fears that the Crimea incursion will drain the needed money from the Russia’s public sector.

"My favorite subject is English where we learn about the world and everything, and we are aiming to educate a responsible citizen of the world. This means that we talk about all the problems of the world. And I love it when my students forget about the grammar and get involved in debates."

"Here’s the awful thing: the better we teach English, the faster the students go abroad. Many say honestly, ‘We need to get out, we need to get out.’ I see how difficult it is to get a job here."

Teacher Svyantsiskaya continues: "We will keep trying to do the best we can and we will keep going to demonstrations. We will continue to live and read books. I remember thinking: as long as we have books, we can keep living. All we can do is talk about how totalitarianism is bad and violence is bad, and books are good and thinking is good."




Author Ludmila Ulitskaya, 71 says, “The ownership of Crimea has always historically been a difficult question. The fact that this was done now and the way it was done really does not make me happy. It will be an event that will not be favorable for Russia in the next few years.” She expresses a fear of new repressions in Russia, and speaks perhaps enviously of Russians who “buy a ticket” and leave the country.

The interviews go on. The Grandmother among her comments said, “We don’t have a national idea, but we need one. The idea should be: the most just society in the world and the richest." That sounds just like the average American. Evgeny Streltsov, 35, the businessman, worries about the lack of “rules or laws” within Russia and about economic problems which will be brought on by the sanctions against Russia. He says, “I have no certainty that I will not get closed down after they read this article.”

The hairdresser, Tatyana Nitcheko, 37, talks about the need for leaders, naming among them two of the most despicable figures in the last century. She makes no distinction between good and bad leaders. Of Putin, she says, “Our leader is a different man and he knows how to influence people’s minds in a different way. He does it while having a total alibi, and with an innocent face. And people just fall into this trap, willingly. But he has had special training for this."

Olga Svyantsiskaya, 68, the teacher, is an idealist without borders. She says, “We will keep trying to do the best we can and we will keep going to demonstrations. We will continue to live and read books. I remember thinking: as long as we have books, we can keep living. All we can do is talk about how totalitarianism is bad and violence is bad, and books are good and thinking is good."

This article gives a great cross section of views from average Russians. Some, such as the businessman and the teacher, want a free society, while others want the feeling of power that some take from being in an aggressive and totalitarian society. There are such people in the US, too, but with the names and faces changed.

Hopefully this rivalry between the US and Russia won't end up in a “hot war,” as one of the speakers stated, but if the US and the West – working together – don't put up a defense against them, I have little doubt that Russia will make a play for getting back all its territory of the old Soviet Union. I have two faithful readers in Russia, according to the site that manages this blog, so I hope they will read this article and find themselves in it. I personally feel an affinity to the Russian people. It is clear from this article that they aren't all out to conquer the world.




Deadline Passes: 'Anti-Terrorist Operation' Looms in Ukraine? – NBC
The Associated Press
First published April 14 2014

DONETSK, Ukraine -- A deadline set by the Ukrainian government for pro-Russian gunmen to leave government buildings in eastern Ukraine and surrender weapons passed early Monday, with no immediate sign of any action to force the insurgents out.

Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov issued a decree Sunday that those protesters who disarm and vacate government offices in several cities in the Russian-leaning east of the country by 0600 GMT Monday will not be prosecuted. Turchynov vowed that a "large-scale anti-terrorist operation" would take place to re-establish control over those areas and that the fate of the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia last month, will not be repeated.

There was no immediate comment from the government on the deadline passing.
But Serhiy Taruta, governor of the Donetsk region, where government buildings in several cities, including the regional capital Donetsk, have been seized by pro-Russian gunmen, said an anti-terrorist operation was underway in the region, according to the Interfax news agency.

Taruta did not give any details of what the anti-terrorist operation would entail. The governor usually does not have authority to launch anti-terrorist measures on his own and he was likely acting on the orders of top security officials in Kiev.

Taruta said the anti-terrorism measures were aimed at "protecting the peace and order on our land, which today is being taken away from us by armed, aggressive fanatics," he was quoted as saying. "They are terrorists and we will not let them rule on our land." He did not provide any details of the operation.

The West has accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest. Ukraine's ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych, claimed that the Kiev government was coordinating its actions with the CIA.

Russia has warned the Kiev government against using force against the protesters in the east.




There is no sign of the anti-terrorist action by Kiev announced yesterday, except for the statements from Serhiy Taruta of Donetsk that the action is proceeding there. He did not tell any specifics about it, however. The article mentions again that Russia has issued a “warning” to Kiev against any such actions. I will clip any other articles about it that I see.





Terror Trial Opens for One-Eyed Radical Cleric – NBC
The Associated Press
First published April 14 2014

Jury selection has begun in New York City in the trial of an Egyptian Islamic preacher extradited from Great Britain on charges he conspired to support al-Qaida.

Twelve jurors and four alternates were being picked Monday for the trial of Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, 55.

Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan said openings statements were expected to occur Thursday.

Mustafa has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to support al-Qaeda by trying to set up a terrorist training camp in 1999 in Oregon. He also is accused of helping abduct two American tourists and 14 others in Yemen in 1998. Four hostages died.
Mustafa has indicated he will testify on his own behalf during the trial, which is expected to last about a month. If convicted, he could face life in prison.


Abu Hamza al-Masri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (Arabic: مصطفى كامل مصطفى‎; born 15 April 1958), also known as Abu Hamza al-Masri ( pronunciation (help·info);[needs IPA] أبو حمزة المصري, Abū Ḥamzah al-Maṣrī), or simply Abu Hamza, is an Egyptian-born convict and former imam, who has preached Islamic fundamentalism and militant Islamism, or jihadism. He was imprisoned in the United Kingdom in 2004 and was extradited to the United States on 5 October 2012 where he will face charges of supporting al-Qaeda, aiding a kidnapping in Yemen and plotting to open a training camp for militants in the United States.[1][2]

Hamza was formerly the imam of Finsbury Park Mosque, and a leader of "Supporters of Sharia", an extremist group that believed in a strict interpretation of Islamic law. In 2003, he addressed a rally in central London called by the Islamic al-Muhajiroun, where members spoke of their support for Islamist goals such as the creation of a new Islamic caliphate and destroying the Western-backed Middle Eastern regimes.
On 4 February 2003 (after being suspended since April 2002), Hamza was dismissed from his position at the Finsbury Park mosque by the Charity Commission,[22][23] the government department that regulates charities in England and Wales. After his exclusion from the mosque, he preached outside the gates until May 2004, when he was arrested at the start of US extradition proceedings against him (see below).[24]

Hamza publicly expressed support for Islamist goals such as creating a caliphate,[25] and for Osama bin Laden. He wrote a paper entitled El Ansar (The Victor) in which he expressed support for the actions of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) in Algeria, but he later rejected them when they started killing civilians.[26]

On 27 May 2004, Hamza was detained on remand by British authorities and appeared before magistrates at the start of a process to try to extradite him to the United States. Yemen also requested his extradition. The United States wanted Hamza to stand trial for 11 counts relating to the taking of 16 hostages in Yemen in 1998, advocating violent jihad in Afghanistan in 2001, supporting James Ujaama in an attempt to establish a terrorist training camp in late 1999 and early 2000 near Bly, Oregon, and of providing aid to al-Qaeda.[39][40] Ujaama is a U.S. citizen who had met Abu Hamza in England in 1999 and was indicted in the U.S. for providing aid to al-Qaeda, attempting to establish a terrorist training camp, and for running a website advocating global violent jihad.[41] Abu Hamza was in Britain throughout the relevant period.

Hamza could not face the death penalty if extradited to the United States because the UK is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). On 15 November 2007, British courts gave permission for Hamza's extradition to the U.S.[42][43] Abu Hamza appealed against this decision to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Europe's highest court. In the meantime, Hamza was kept in prison after the completion of his sentence.


I hope there will be television coverage of his trial. I don't see how he can plead not guilty with his background. Of course I didn't find anything in the Wikipedia article about his activities in Oregon except that he gave “aid” to James Ujaama toward setting up the Al-Qaeda training camp there. Ujaama later promised to testify against him as a part of a plea agreement to reduce his own charges.





Russian jet makes "provocative and unprofessional" pass at USS Donald Cook
CBS News April 14, 2014

In the midst of increasing East-West tensions over the crisis in Ukraine, a Russian jet made a pass of a U.S. Navy destroyer patrolling the western Black Sea.
A Pentagon spokesperson told CBS Radio that a Russian SU-24 fighter jet made several low altitude, close passes in the vicinity of the USS Donald Cook in international waters of the western Black Sea on April 12.

While the jet did not overfly the deck, Col. Steve Warren called the action "provocative and unprofessional."

The jet was one of two Russian aircraft in the vicinity -- the other flew at a higher altitude.

The close-flying jet came within a few thousand feet of the USS Donald Cook, a guided missile destroyer which was conducting a "routine mission" at the time.

The U.S. ship tried to contact the plane's cockpit, but received no response.
The Russian plane, which the U.S. says was unarmed, made at least 12 passes. This continued for about 90 minutes. The event ended without incident.

A member of the United States European Command (EUCOM) told CBS News the USS Donald Cook is now in Port Constana in Romania, and that there is nothing to monitor now.
Captain Greg Hicks of EUCOM told CBS News: "All of our units take appropriate steps and she's more than capable of defending herself. This does not take away from the fact that this was unprofessional and provocative behavior."

Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced it would be sending a second warship into the Black Sea to conduct exercises with "our Black Sea partners," CBS News correspondent David Martin reported.




“The Russian plane, which the U.S. says was unarmed, made at least 12 passes. This continued for about 90 minutes. The event ended without incident.” “Captain Greg Hicks of EUCOM told CBS News: "All of our units take appropriate steps and she's more than capable of defending herself.” Another US ship is due in the Black Sea soon to conduct exercises. That's good. Some direct aid to Kiev would also be great.





Why are more moms staying at home? Childcare costs – CBS
By Aimee Picchi Money Watch April 14, 2014

In the so-called mommy wars, the rhetoric often pits two sides against each other: wealthy women who opt to stay at home with their children versus middle-class moms forced to balance work and child duties.

But while there are certainly members of the "opt-out" generation staying at home -- more affluent, educated female high-achievers -- the recent jump in the number of stay-at-home moms is much more complicated than those generalizations. It's also much more depressing.

Almost one-third of mothers are now stay-at-home parents, up from a 45-year low of 23 percent in 1999, the Pew Research Center recently found. For many of those parents, the choice isn't based on parenting beliefs, but rather is rooted in stark household economics: In 31 states, college tuition is cheaper than paying for daycare.

"Looking at my options, staying at home just worked out better for us," Sarah Davey, a stay-at-home mom, told CBS station WDJT-TV. "I would have been working just for him to be in daycare. I don't know how else I would have paid the bills if my check just went to daycare."

Davey gave up a hospital job she had held for nine years to stay at home with her son, Silas, who is now 11 months old.

Davey isn't alone in choosing to give her career because of childcare costs. For middle-class families, there's often not much room for debate, given the stagnant wages for the overwhelming number of Americans. About half of stay-at-homes have a high school diploma or less schooling, while one-third live in poverty.

Childcare costs have jumped almost 70 percent since the mid-1980s, based on constant 2011 dollars, the Census Bureau reported last year. As a result, for many middle-class and lower-middle-class families, paying for childcare may be increasingly out of reach.

Parents in Massachusetts, for instance, face an annual cost of $16,430 for full-time infant care in a legally operating childcare center, Pew found. While that's the most expensive in the nation, other states aren't far off. New York parents pay an average of almost $15,000, while for Minnesota parents the tab runs about $14,000.
In Davey's home state of Wisconsin, daycare costs an average of almost $10,000 per year. That compares with in-state college tuition of about $8,600. Of course, parents can help pay for childcare costs through a flexible spending account, but the plan is capped at $5,000 per year.

The financial repercussions for stay-at-home moms often continue when they hit retirement age. Annual median retirement income for women older than 65 is $11,000 less than men, partially because they take time to take care of children and other dependents, according to a recent report issued by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D.-Minn.




Rather than merely “members of the "opt-out" generation staying at home -- more affluent, educated female high-achievers -” too many women are giving up their jobs because they can't afford child care. “... for many middle-class and lower-middle-class families, paying for childcare may be increasingly out of reach.... parents can help pay for childcare costs through a flexible spending account, but the plan is capped at $5,000 per year.” That doesn't compare with the child care costs mentioned in this article as high as $16,430 a year. The costs of women missing out on a work career also includes having less for retirement when they reach 65. This is really bad news, and if the husband can't get a job on top of it, the family may have to go on food stamps, live in subsidized housing and get public assistance. Many white Americans have proudly viewed that life as being “lower class,” but in our current economy it is more than possible that they may be next in that position.





Despite reports, feds deny NSA exploited "Heartbleed" bug
CBS/AP April 14, 2014

Disclosing vulnerabilities in commercial and open source software is in the national interest and shouldn't be withheld from the public unless there is a clear national security or law enforcement need, President Barack Obama's National Security Council said Saturday.

The statement of White House policy came after a computer bug called "Heartbleed" caused major security concerns across the Internet and affected a widely used encryption technology, the variant of SSL/TLS known as OpenSSL, that was designed to protect online accounts.

Heartbleed could affect millions of Americans who use popular Web services. Tech companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook said last week they identified the issue and patched the security vulnerability.

Bloomberg reported last week that the National Security Agency knew about the Heartbleed bug for two years, and regularly used it to gather intelligence. Citing two sources familiar with the matter, the news agency said the NSA kept the bug a secret for national security reasons.

The New York Times points out that a document leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA was looking for vulnerability like Heartbleed. The program, called Bullrun, sought to crack encryption on the Web.

The NSC, which Obama chairs, advises the president on national security and foreign policy matters. Its spokeswoman, Caitlin Hayden, said in a statement that the federal government was not aware of the Heartbleed vulnerability in OpenSSL until it was made public in a private sector cybersecurity report. The federal government relies on OpenSSL to protect the privacy of users of government websites and other online services, she said.

"This administration takes seriously its responsibility to help maintain an open, interoperable, secure and reliable Internet," she said. "If the federal government, including the intelligence community, had discovered this vulnerability prior to last week, it would have been disclosed to the community responsible for OpenSSL."
Changing password after "heartbleed" bug? Here's what you need to know
The president's Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, which Obama appointed last year to review NSA surveillance programs and other intelligence and counterterrorism operations, recommended in December that U.S. policy should generally move to ensure that previously unknown vulnerabilities "are quickly blocked, so that the underlying vulnerabilities are patched on U.S. government and other networks."

"The White House has reviewed its policies in this area and reinvigorated an interagency process for deciding when to share vulnerabilities. This process is called the Vulnerabilities Equities Process," Hayden said. "Unless there is a clear national security or law enforcement need, this process is biased toward responsibly disclosing such vulnerabilities."

“Bloomberg reported last week that the National Security Agency knew about the Heartbleed bug for two years, and regularly used it to gather intelligence. Citing two sources familiar with the matter, the news agency said the NSA kept the bug a secret for national security reasons.”




A document leaked by Snowden states that the NSA was looking for such a vulnerability, in a program called “Bullrun.” NSC's spokesperson Caitlin Hayden denied that the federal government knew about Heartbleed before it came to light recently, and that the government itself relies on OpenSSL for its own encryption. Obama's recently appointed Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, set up to keep watch on NSA and other security programs, has recommended that all vulnerabilities “are quickly blocked,” or “patched.” As for when to share those vulnerabilities with the public, this is overseen by Obama's Vulnerabilities Equities Process, which has “a bias toward” responsibly disclosing them unless there is a “clear national security or law enforcement” need. I would like to know for a certainty who was the first person or group to discover Heartbleed two years ago, and why they didn't disclose it then. The news reports said that it had been known by some since that time, but they didn't say who knew.

I personally never bank on the Internet, though I have used my credit card to buy things a few times. Of course my SSN, date of birth, mother's maiden name and a history of addresses are on the Net with some websites. All websites are busily patching the OpenSSL problem as of the time last week when it was made public. I will try to think of all the websites where I may have made a purchase or given personal information to change my passwords, but after the problem being in existence for the last two years, it's like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.