Saturday, September 20, 2014


News Clips For The Day


White House fence-jumper makes it well beyond fence
CBS/AP September 20, 2014, 7:09 AM

WASHINGTON -- The Secret Service is coming under intense scrutiny after a man who hopped the White House fence made it all the way through the front door before being apprehended.

President Obama and his daughters had just departed the White House on Friday evening when an intruder scaled the north fence, darted across the lawn and into the presidential residence, where agents nabbed him. The security breach triggered a rare evacuation of much of the White House, with Secret Service officers drawing their guns as they rushed staffers and journalists out a side door.

The moment of chaos outside the White House was caught on cell phone video, CBS News correspondent Julianna Goldman reports.

"Everybody out right now," a man is heard saying on the video. "Go back. Everybody into the park right now."

For the Secret Service, the incident was a devastating episode that prompted fresh questions about the storied agency and its ability to protect the president. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who chairs the House subpanel on national security oversight, called it "totally unacceptable" but said the incident was just one of a string of security failings on the Secret Service's watch.

"Unfortunately, they are failing to do their job," Chaffetz said. "These are good men and women, but the Secret Service leadership has a lot of questions to answer."

"Was the door open?" he added incredulously.

The Secret Service said the incident would be carefully reviewed to ensure proper protocols were followed.

The man in jeans and a dark shirt who scaled the fence shortly after 7 p.m. appeared to be unarmed, but ignored commands from officers to halt, Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said. He was tackled just inside the doors of the North Portico, the grand, columned entrance that looks out over Pennsylvania Avenue. A search of the suspect turned up no weapons.

The Secret Service identified the suspect as Omar J. Gonzalez, a 42-year-old man from Copperas Cove, Texas. He was charged with unlawful entry into the White House complex and transported to a nearby hospital complaining of chest pain. Attempts to reach Gonzalez or his relatives by phone were unsuccessful.

Although it's not uncommon for people to make it over the White House fence, they're typically stopped almost immediately and rarely get very far. Video from the scene showed the intruder sprinting across the lawn as Secret Service agents shouted at nearby pedestrians to clear the area.

"This situation was a little different than other incidents we have at the White House," Donovan said. "There will be a thorough investigation into the incident."

Only minutes before the breach, Mr. Obama had boarded his helicopter on the South Lawn with his daughters and one of their friends, who was joining the Obamas for a weekend getaway to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. First lady Michelle Obama had traveled separately to Camp David and was not at home.

It was unclear whether any other fence-jumpers have ever made it into the White House, one of the most highly protected buildings in the world. But Friday's incident was just the latest setback for an elite agency whose reputation has suffered a succession of blows in recent years.

In 2012, 13 Secret Service agents and officers were implicated in a prostitution scandal during preparations for Mr. Obama's trip to Cartagena, Colombia. The next year, two officers were removed from the president's detail after another alleged incident of sexually-related misconduct. And in March, an agent was found drunk by staff at a Dutch hotel the day before Mr. Obama was set to arrive in the Netherlands.

Mr. Obama appointed the agency's first female director last year as a sign he wanted to change the culture and restore public confidence in its operations. An inspector general's report in December found no evidence of widespread misconduct.

The Secret Service has struggled in recent years to strike the appropriate balance between ensuring the first family's security and preserving the public's access to the White House grounds. Once open to vehicles, the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was confined to pedestrians after the Oklahoma City bombing, but officials have been reluctant to restrict access to the area further.

Evacuations at the White House are extremely rare. Typically, when someone jumps the White House fence, the compound is put on lockdown and those inside remain in place while officers respond. Last week, the Secret Service apprehended a man who jumped over the same stretch of fence on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, prompting officers to draw their firearms and deploy service dogs as they took the man into custody.





“The Secret Service is coming under intense scrutiny after a man who hopped the White House fence made it all the way through the front door before being apprehended.... Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who chairs the House subpanel on national security oversight, called it 'totally unacceptable' but said the incident was just one of a string of security failings on the Secret Service's watch. 'Unfortunately, they are failing to do their job,' Chaffetz said. 'These are good men and women, but the Secret Service leadership has a lot of questions to answer. Was the door open?' he added incredulously.... The Secret Service identified the suspect as Omar J. Gonzalez, a 42-year-old man from Copperas Cove, Texas. He was charged with unlawful entry into the White House complex and transported to a nearby hospital complaining of chest pain.... Mr. Obama appointed the agency's first female director last year as a sign he wanted to change the culture and restore public confidence in its operations. An inspector general's report in December found no evidence of widespread misconduct.... Last week, the Secret Service apprehended a man who jumped over the same stretch of fence on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, prompting officers to draw their firearms and deploy service dogs as they took the man into custody.”

I'm a little more concerned about last week's incident which occurred on September 11, as it is the anniversary of the al-Qaeda attack, so it may have been a terrorist. The article didn't give any information about the perpetrators in either of these cases. At least there haven't been any more episodes of drinking on the job and partying with prostitutes. Those things really bothered me, and showed the officers were not ready and able to defend the President if necessary. Hopefully the leadership of a woman will cut down on such hijinks. If yesterday's event was not caught earlier due to a lack of surveillance, then that will be a very bad thing. If I see another article that gives more information I will clip it.





Deal reached in Ukraine peace talks to pull artillery back
AP September 19, 2014, 9:07 PM

MINSK, Belarus - Negotiators in Ukrainian peace talks agreed early Saturday to create a buffer zone to separate government troops and pro-Russian militants and withdraw heavy weapons and foreign fighters in order to ensure a stable truce in eastern Ukraine.

The deal reached by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the Moscow-backed rebels and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe marks an effort to add substance to a cease-fire agreement that was signed on Sept. 5 but has been frequently broken by clashes.

The memorandum signed after hours of talks that dragged late into the night says that the conflicting parties should stay strictly where they were Friday and make no attempts to advance.

Leonid Kuchma, a former Ukrainian president who represented the Kiev government in the talks, said the memorandum will be implemented within a day.


Under the terms of the deal, reached in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, each party must pull its artillery at least 9 miles back, setting up a buffer zone that would be 19 miles wide.

The longer-range artillery systems are to be pulled even further back to make sure the parties can't reach one another.

The deal also specifically bans flights by combat aircraft over the area of conflict and setting up new minefields.

"It should offer the population a chance to feel secure," said Igor Plotnitskyi, the leader of rebels in the Luhansk region.

The memorandum also envisages the withdrawal of "all foreign armed units and weapons, as well as militants and mercenaries" - a diplomatic reference to Russians fighting alongside the rebels.

Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of fueling the insurgency in eastern Ukraine with weapons and soldiers. Moscow has denied that, saying that Russians who joined the mutiny did so as private citizens.

Pressed to comment about the agreement on the withdrawal of foreign fighters, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine, Mikhail Zurabov, who represented Moscow in the talks, said that "those whom we call mercenaries are present on both sides." ''This issue needs to be solved, and we will deal with it," he said, adding that the OSCE would control the pullout.

Heidi Tagliavini, OSCE's envoy in the talks, said that the group's monitors will be deployed to the buffer zone to monitor the cease-fire.

The negotiators, however, have left aside the most explosive issue - the future status of the rebel regions.

The insurgency in the mostly Russian-speaking Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine flared up after the ouster of Ukraine's former pro-Russian president in February and Russia's annexation of Crimea the following month.

In April, the rebels seized government buildings in the two provinces and declared them independent. They fought government troops to a standstill in five months of fighting that have killed more than 3,000 people and devastated the regions that formed Ukraine's industrial heartland.

The Ukrainian crisis has pushed Russia-West relations to their lowest point since the Cold War. Faced with several rounds of Western sanctions that badly hurt the Russian economy, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has pushed for a peace deal that would ease Western pressure while protecting Moscow's interests in Ukraine.

As part of a compromise to end the hostilities, the Ukrainian parliament this week passed a law giving a broad autonomy to the areas controlled by the rebels, including the power to hold local elections and form their own police force.

Alexander Zakharchenko, the leader of rebels in Donetsk, said after the talks that Ukraine and the rebels have conflicting interpretations of the law and the talks should continue.

In Donetsk, the largest rebel-held city in east Ukraine, the separatists held a city-wide cleanup day Friday, sending prisoners out to help remove the debris that has piled up after months of shelling.

Throughout the cease-fire, periods of peace have been interrupted by intermittent gunfire. The same was true Friday, when the Donetsk city council said in a statement that one person was killed by shelling during the night. Col. Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council, told journalists in Kiev that two servicemen were killed in the past day during the fighting.

The streets were quiet Friday as the rebels called for a cleanup. In one school that was shelled in late August, four Ukrainian prisoners guarded by armed rebels were sweeping up debris.





“Negotiators in Ukrainian peace talks agreed early Saturday to create a buffer zone to separate government troops and pro-Russian militants and withdraw heavy weapons and foreign fighters in order to ensure a stable truce in eastern Ukraine. The deal reached by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the Moscow-backed rebels and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe marks an effort to add substance to a cease-fire agreement that was signed on Sept. 5 but has been frequently broken by clashes.... Leonid Kuchma, a former Ukrainian president who represented the Kiev government in the talks, said the memorandum will be implemented within a day. Under the terms of the deal, reached in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, each party must pull its artillery at least 9 miles back, setting up a buffer zone that would be 19 miles wide.... The longer-range artillery systems are to be pulled even further back to make sure the parties can't reach one another. The deal also specifically bans flights by combat aircraft over the area of conflict and setting up new minefields.... The memorandum also envisages the withdrawal of "all foreign armed units and weapons, as well as militants and mercenaries" - a diplomatic reference to Russians fighting alongside the rebels.... As part of a compromise to end the hostilities, the Ukrainian parliament this week passed a law giving a broad autonomy to the areas controlled by the rebels, including the power to hold local elections and form their own police force.... Alexander Zakharchenko, the leader of rebels in Donetsk, said after the talks that Ukraine and the rebels have conflicting interpretations of the law and the talks should continue.”

Pulling their troops back on both sides is a major accomplishment, but the two sides on the Ukrainian agreements have “conflicting interpretations of the law” and “the talks should continue.” This article states that Western economic sanctions have done a fair amount of damage to the Russian economy, so that's good. Putin claims that outside fighters have been helping Kiev as well as the rebels, so that has to be sorted out. For now, however, I feel a sigh of relief. A Ukrainian government that meets the needs of both sides needs to be detailed and organized, but that is a story for another day. I must say, I am impressed with Poroshenko's leadership. He has effectively prosecuted the fight against the better armed rebels, and now has pursued a peaceful approach to peace. Congratulations to him and to the Ukrainian soldiers.






http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/14/1328722/-They-are-trying-to-stop-the-student-vote-We-won-t-let-them

They are trying to stop the student vote. We won't let them!
By Denise Oliver Velez
SUN SEP 14, 2014

"They," of course, refers to Republicans. "We" refers to every person who believes the right to vote is fundamental.  
Voter suppression isn't something that only happens to black people, Latinos, women,immigrants, the transgendered, the elderly, and the disabled.

Republicans in legislatures across the nation don't want young people to vote. They are specifically targeting students at universities and colleges across the nation.
Gee, wonder why that is?  I'm sure you can figure it out—instantly.  

As Catherine Rampell wrote:

First they came for blacks, and we said nothing. Then they came for Latinos, poor people and married women, and we again ignored the warning signs. Now, after our years of apathy, they’re coming for us: the nation’s millennials.

Across the country, Republican state policy makers have hoisted barriers to voting by passing voter-ID laws and curtailing electoral accommodations such as same-day registration and early voting. These policy changes are allegedly intended to eradicate the imagined scourge of voter fraud, but the real point seems to be voter suppression.

For a time, the targeted populations were primarily racial, ethnic and income groups that traditionally vote Democratic. Now they happen to include Gen-Y’ers, more specifically my college-age brethren. We millennials may be fickle in our loyalties, distrustful of government institutions and unaligned with any political party, but our generation’s motley, liberal-to-libertarian-leaning ideological preferences still threaten red-state leadership. In response, Republicans have set out to erect creative, if potentially unconstitutional, Tough-Mudder-style obstacle courses along our path to the polls.

Contrary to the popular media depictions of youthful apathy, there are a host of groups across the county, in communities, and on campuses who are fighting back against restrictive bills and getting young folks registered.

Young people are fighting back.

Who can forget Molly McDonough talking about her decision to get arrested in the Moral Mondays movement in North Carolina?

Molly McDonough turned 18 a few days after the 2012 election. She was arrested during a demonstration at the North Carolina state capitol to ensure that her right to vote is protected. Among a slew of new laws intended to restrict voting rights in North Carolina is an astonishingly cynical law aimed to limit the vote of college students. The parents of students who vote in North Carolina will be penalized on their tax returns, unless the students return home to cast their ballots.

So, if Molly feels more connected to the community surrounding North Carolina State University than she does to the community in which she grew up, or, if she does not have a car and traveling is difficult, or, if she has classes on that day and making a trip across the state would mean missing one of them, her parents will be penalized if she decides to exercise her Constitutional right to vote.

Groups that work to register young voters are non-partisan, but efforts to block youth registrations are clearly partisan. Efforts to get young people registered involve both doing the outreach and fighting back against restrictive legislation submitted to legislatures and being passed across the U.S.

In 2012, The Fair Elections Legal Network launched a nationwide effort to defend and engage student voting—the Campus Vote Project.

College students face special challenges when attempting to register and vote in their college communities. They lack information about voter registration rules and deadlines, do not have acceptable ID for voter registration or voting purposes, are confused about where to vote, may not have transportation to the polls, and occasionally are confronted by unfriendly or unsympathetic elections officials or poll workers.

The organization provides a handy downloadable tool kit, to give a step-by-step guide to increasing student activism.

The group's General Student Voting Guide answers questions often raised by students like:

Will voting in my college community affect my federal financial aid?

Will I lose my scholarship if I register to vote in my college community?

Will registering to vote in my college community affect my driver’s license or car registration?

Does being an instate or out-of-state student for tuition purposes affect my right to vote?

There are specific guidelines for each state, which can be seen here. For example, here is the one for my home state, New York. These guidelines are crucial to check in some states, given recent changes in voter ID laws.

Young people, on campus and off, have been mobilized for over two decades through the efforts of Rock the Vote.

Take a look at the organization's history:

Rock the Vote is the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States driving the youth vote to the polls. Fusing pop culture, politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate.

Since 1990, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art and technology to inspire political activity. Now, for almost 25 years, Rock the Vote has pioneered ways to make voting easier by simplifying and demystifying voter registration and elections for young adults.

Like many organizations, Rock the Vote is gearing up for National Voter Registration Day, September 23:

Every election, millions of Americans don’t vote because they forget to register or miss their state’s voter registration deadline.

This year, we’re calling their bluff.

Join us on September 23, 2014 for a day of action and awareness as we celebrate the third annual National Voter Registration Day. We are partnering with hundreds of volunteers, artists, organizations, campuses, and even elected officials from all over the country to register voters before the 2014 elections.

But we can’t do it without you. Will you help us make National Voter Registration Day the biggest holiday of 2014?

Spread the word. Check out the National Voter Registration Day website.  

Adults can and must play a major part in assisting these efforts. Take time out to see what these groups are doing and find out how you can help. For Daily Kos members, check out and follow the new group on our site: GOTV 2014.

ORIGINALLY POSTED TO DAILY KOS ON SUN SEP 14, 2014 AT 06:00 AM PDT.



Moral Mondays
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Moral Mondays are protests in North Carolina, United States of America. The protests are in response to several actions by the government of North Carolina elected into office by the citizens of North Carolina in 2013. The protests are characterized by engaging incivil disobedience by entering the state legislature building and then being peacefully arrested. The movement protests many wide ranging issues under the blanket of unfair treatment, discrimination, and adverse effects of government legislation on the citizens of North Carolina. The protests in North Carolina launched a grassroots social justice movement that, in 2014, spread to Georgia and South Carolina.[1]

In 2012, North Carolina elected a Republican governor, Pat McCrory, and Republicans were voted into majority in both state houses by the citizens of North Carolina, giving them control of both the legislative and executive branch for the first time since 1870. Since taking office, McCrory has signed into law a number of bills promoting conservative governance, and the legislature has passed or considered a number of other laws that have generated controversy.[2]The bills signed into law by McCrory and proposed legislation have been the target of ongoing "Moral Mondays" civil disobedience protests, organized in part by local religious leaders including William Barber, head of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP.[3][4]

Members of the protest movement meet Monday to protest an action by the North Carolina legislature and then enter the legislature building. Once they enter, a number are peacefully arrested each Monday.[5] The protestors are a wide range of mostly North Carolina citizens, with many religious progressive movements represented.[6]

Issues[edit]

Voting rights[edit]

Redistricting and proposed voting rights changes have been a focus of the ongoing protests.[7] North Carolina Republicans benefited from a round of redistricting that was conducted in 2011 and used in the 2012 election. The redistricting process was upheld by a three-member panel of state judges in early July 2013, and is expected to be appealed.[8]51% of North Carolina voters chose a Democrat for their US house representative, but Republicans won 9 of the 13 seats up for election.[9]

The state House passed legislation that would require voters to present government-issued photo identification, provided by the state free of charge,[10] in order to vote and repeals same-day voter registration and limits early voting.[2] Legislators also passed "Equalize Voter Rights", a bill that would revoke the tax credit given to parents if their dependent college student registers to vote at their college/university address. This bill would also require voters to register their vehicles at the same address as their voter registration.[11] The editorial board of the New York Timescalled this "a blatant effort to reduce Democratic voting strength in college towns like Chapel Hill and Durham."[12]
McCrory has said he will sign a revised version of the bill, which also includes provisions that end same-day voter registration, reduce early voting, and ends a program that allowed high school students to register to vote before their 18th birthdays. The bill also changes regulations for registration, requiring voters to appear in person or mail in a form 25 days before the election. When asked how preventing students from registering before their 18th birthdays would prevent voter fraud, McCrory said "I don't know enough, I'm sorry, I haven't seen that part of the bill."[13]

In August 2013 McCrory signed into law the revised bill, which was the subject of renewed protests. The NAACP filed suit to halt the law from being implemented.[14]

Environment[edit]

North Carolina suffered a major disaster when coal ash from a Duke Energy site spilled into the Dan River. Governor McCrory worked for Duke Energy for many years, and it is believed by some that Duke Energy has been a major influence on his administration. Environmental laws relating to air, water, and soil quality have been weakened by the Republican legislature; along with this, budgets for environmental agencies have been cut. The boards and commissions tasked with regulation of the environment were all replaced by new members that have links to McCrory and the Republicans currently in power in the General Assembly. A bill to allow hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking) in North Carolina was passed rapidly with little or no public input.[15]

Cuts to social programs[edit]

McCrory signed legislation that made North Carolina the 8th state to cut unemployment benefits since the start of thecurrent recession. In addition to cutting maximum weekly unemployment benefits by 35%, and has reduced the maximum number of weeks of assistance to between 12 and 20, down from 26. This prevents 170,000 North Carolinians from benefiting from federal emergency extended benefits, which require a minimum of 26 weeks of state support. This allows the state's unemployment fund, which became bankrupt over the course of the recession, to become solvent three years sooner. This move was criticized for weakening the safety net when the state had the nation's 5th highest unemployment, and for passing up federal support.[16][17]

In March 2013, McCrory signed a bill that opts the state out of the expanded Medicaid program of the Affordable Care Act of 2009, which would have provided health care coverage to 500,000 North Carolinians, citing concerns about the sustainability of the program.[18][19] He has also proposed managing Medicaid accounts, by enrolling patients in managed care programs run by private companies.[20]

Tax changes[edit]

Legislators considered legislation that would remove or lower income taxes, making up for the lost revenue with an increased sales tax. McCrory distanced himself from this proposal, which was criticized by Art Pope, his deputy budget director, as being regressive.[21] According to legislative analysts, the reform passed will result in some families, retirees and small business owners seeing a tax hike. All taxpayers will have to pay some additional sales taxes due to expansions of the tax to some services and higher sales tax on electricity. The largest income tax breaks will go to higher-income earners as it replaced a three-tier progressive income tax with a flat tax. The changes reduce state revenue by $2 billion over 5 years, despite McCrory's previous insistence that any reform must be revenue-neutral.[22]

Racial Justice Act[edit]

McCrory signed into law a bill that repealed the state's Racial Justice Act of 2009, which allowed inmates facing thedeath penalty to challenge their sentences on the basis of racial discrimination. His predecessor, Bev Perdue, had previously vetoed similar legislation.[23]

Abortion[edit]

In early July 2013 the state House unexpectedly attached a number of restrictions on abortion access to a bill described as combating Sharia law. It passed the house less than a day later but was abandoned after protests and McCrory said he would not sign it without modifications. An amended version of the restrictions were later added to a motorcycle safety bill.[24][25] This bill was passed by the state Senate, and became a subject of the protests.[26]

In July 2013 McCrory signed into law legislation that requires abortion providers to meet the same standards as surgical centers, allows health-care providers to decline to perform abortions, and prohibits public health insurance policy for paying for abortions. Abortion-rights groups criticized McCrory, who had said during his campaign that he would not sign new abortion restrictions.[27]

The day after McCrory signed the bill, he took a plate of chocolate chip cookies to protesters. They were returned to him with a note saying, "Gov. McCrory, we'll take women’s health care over cookies!"[28]

Public education[edit]

As of 2012, the average state teacher in North Carolina earned about $9,500 less than the average public school teacher in the US.[29] The 2013 budget for state teachers did not include raises to base salary. Additionally, the budget phases out tenure for public school teachers by 2018, eliminates future salary increases for teachers who earn master's degrees, and cuts $120 million from the budget for teacher assistants.[30] Cuts to education have been one of the issues raised in the protests.[7]

Protests[edit]

Since the first 17 arrests on April 29, 2013, more than 900 demonstrators have been arrested as part of the Moral Monday movement,[31] and police have estimated weekly attendance at over 2,500.[32] Cited reasons for the protests include legislation recently passed or proposed on changes to Medicaid, changes to voting regulations, school vouchers, tax reform, and abortion.[3][4][26] McCrory has criticized the protests as unlawful and a drain on state resources,[31] and has declined to meet with them,[4] later saying "outsiders are coming in and they're going to try to do to us what they did to Scott Walker in Wisconsin."[33] The vast majority of attendees are North Carolina residents.[34]

Once the legislature finished for 2013, an estimated 10,000 protesters gathered for Mountain Moral Monday at theBuncombe County Courthouse in Asheville. The NAACP and others intended to visit all 13 North Carolina congressional districts. Rev. William Barber, the president of the NAACP's state chapter, said more people needed to register and vote to show their disapproval of state policies.[35]

On August 19, 2013 the Moral Monday protests moved to Charlotte when 2,000 people gathered in Marshall Park for one of the city’s largest protests. Organizers announced plans to return to Marshall Park and a dozen other sites across North Carolina.[36]

On February 8, 2014 Moral Mondays participated in a cumulative protest calledHK on J (Historic Thousands on Jones Street). The protest gathered in the morning around 9:30 at Shaw University and the march began at 10:30. Protesters marched from Shaw University down Wilmington Street then Davie Street and then Fayetteville Street congregating along Fayetteville Street for protest.[citation needed]

During 2014, weekly protests took place in Raleigh starting in April. In May, a group staged a sit-in at the office of House Speaker Thom Tillis.[37]

Adam O'Neal, Republican mayor of Belhaven, North Carolina, began a 14-day 273-mile walk to Washington, D.C. after Vidant Health closed his town's hospital in July.[38]

Criminal charges and trials[edit]

924 people were arrested during the 2013 protests in the legislature building. In August, the Wake County District Attorney offered them a deferred prosecution deal under which they would pay $180 in court costs and perform 25 hours of community service in exchange for having their charges dismissed.[39] Fewer than two dozen accepted the deal.[40] Trials for those who refused the deal began on October 4, with former Wake County district court judges Joy Hamilton and William Lawton appointed by the state to preside over them. Protestors were charged with second-degree trespassing, failure to disperse on command, and posting or displaying signs or placards in violation of legislative building rules. Despite the similarity in the cases, outcomes have significantly varied in different trials. Saladin Muhammad, the first to be tried, was convicted on all counts.[41] In trials on October 11, all charges were dismissed

William Barber and others were convicted only of trespassing and violating building rules. The failure to disperse charge was dismissed due to lack of evidence that there was a threat of violence associated with the demonstrations. In other trials, the violation of building rules charges were deemed unconstitutional due to the vagueness of the rule regarding signs. Barber and others have announced their intention to appeal.[40] As lower court judges in North Carolina are not required to provide the reasons for their rulings, the reasons for the differences between cases are often unknown.[43]

On July 11, fourteen protestors pleaded guilty to second-degree trespassing, a class three misdemeanor, and received community service but could have the charges taken off their records.[37]

Impact[edit]

In January 2014, the Moral Mondays movement spread to Georgia with the formation of the group Moral Monday Georgia. Leaders of the group announced plans to protest Governor Nathan Deal's decision to reject federal funds for Medicaid expansion.[1] The second rally held at the Georgia state Capitol building, again focusing on Medicaid expansion, resulted in 10 arrests for civil disobedience.[44]

January 2014 also saw the formation of the "Truthful Tuesday" movement in South Carolina.[4





I do believe we are in a fight for democracy in this country again, as these much more radical right elements in the Republican Party get voted in heavily in some places. There is a rising tide of liberal opinion among students again, however, in reaction to the reactionary new laws in some places. Voter suppression against the student population in the country is occurring, another Republican “dirty trick.” It's beginning to look like the '70s and I am glad to see it.

Quiet, thoughtful Democratic citizens just don't have the push that street demonstrators do. The liberals are fighting against the power of the very wealthy and the Koch brothers, who fund countless political ads on TV and keep the Tea Partiers stirred up. The website DailyKos is keeping me abreast of incidents and movements on the left, so I can sign petitions to the FCC, etc., and publish articles as appropriate on my blog. In another article today is one on the Net Neutrality push by ActBlue and Daily Kos to keep the Internet free of monetarily enforced censorship and possible Internet rate hikes, which is having some effect. The battle isn't won yet, but the FCC chief is actively considering reclassifying the Internet, as demanded by countless Internet users. See the article below from the website “thehill.com” on another Democratic issue -- Net Neutrality.




http://thehill.com/policy/technology/218059-fcc-very-much-eyeing-web-rules-shakeup

FCC 'very much' eyeing Web rules shakeup
By Julian Hattem - 
09/17/14 03:02 PM EDT

The head of the Federal Communications Commission was quick to reassure lawmakers on Wednesday that his agency is seriously considering using the authority it has to regulate phone lines on Internet service providers.

“Title II is very much on the table,” Chairman Tom Wheeler said during a House Small Business Committee hearing on Wednesday, referring to the section of the Communications Act that some have urged the agency to turn to for stronger rules.

“I will assure you that Title II is very much a topic of conversation and on the table and something that’s we’ve specially asked for comment on,” he added.

In its controversial proposal on net neutrality — the notion that Internet service companies like Comcast or Cox should be banned from slowing or block access to some websites — the agency specifically asked whether it should reclassify broadband Internet as a “telecommunications service” and open them up to Title II rules, instead of an “information service.”

The plan Wheeler proposed earlier this year would not rely on that authority, but would instead allow for companies to make “commercially reasonable” deals to speed up users’ service on a particular website. Critics have said that would lead to “fast lanes” on the Internet, with quicker speeds for wealthy companies and slower service everywhere else.

Supporters of strong rules have told the FCC that the stronger legal backing is the best way to prevent companies from slowing users’ service or blocking their access to particular websites.

Critics, however, have said that the rules were designed for telephone monopolies and would lead to utility-style regulation on the Internet. In their comments to the FCC, cable companies have said that reclassifying broadband service to use the tough rules would likely be a violation of the law, which could tie the new rules up in court for years to come.

Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), a member of the Small Business Committee, told Wheeler that he was “concerned” about the prospect of Title II authority.

“I would caution greatly against further federal regulation of the internet,” he said. 




“The head of the Federal Communications Commission was quick to reassure lawmakers on Wednesday that his agency is seriously considering using the authority it has to regulate phone lines on Internet service providers. 'Title II is very much on the table,' Chairman Tom Wheeler said during a House Small Business Committee hearing on Wednesday, referring to the section of the Communications Act that some have urged the agency to turn to for stronger rules.... In its controversial proposal on net neutrality — the notion that Internet service companies like Comcast or Cox should be banned from slowing or block access to some websites — the agency specifically asked whether it should reclassify broadband Internet as a “telecommunications service” and open them up to Title II rules, instead of an 'information service.'... In their comments to the FCC, cable companies have said that reclassifying broadband service to use the tough rules would likely be a violation of the law, which could tie the new rules up in court for years to come. Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), a member of the Small Business Committee, told Wheeler that he was “concerned” about the prospect of Title II authority. “I would caution greatly against further federal regulation of the internet,” he said.” 

Republicans always rant against taxes and rules, but taxes keep the wealthy from becoming all powerful in economic life like the “robber barons” of the late 1900s to the 1920s, while federal rules keep the business and political systems balanced between the powerful and the weaker ordinary citizens. Right now those very wealthy people are trying to stop college students from voting, as they consistently have the blacks using everything from literacy tests and poll taxes to nightime visits by the KKK. The Republicans are now trying to push the FCC chairman to open up the Internet to the financial control of the very wealthy who can then censor groups like DailyKos and ActBlue. On my Facebook one commenter said that we should all close down our Internet service for at least a month to give them a taste of having no business activity at all except for the very wealthy. Hopefully, the FCC will simply reclassify the Net and prevent this privileged “fast lane” and, worse yet, censorship.





States with the highest and lowest rates of gun deaths – CBS
By MARY ELIZABETH DALLAS HEALTHDAY September 19, 2014, 12:51 PM

Hawaii has the lowest rate of gun deaths in the United States, while the District of Columbia has the highest, according to new research.

Over the past decade, deaths from gun-related violence -- including murders, suicides and unintentional shootings -- varied widely across the United States, the study revealed. Hawaii's rate was roughly three per 100,000 citizens. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the District of Columbia had the highest rate of gun deaths, with about 22 per 100,000 citizens.

Aside from geography, race/ethnicity also played a role in gun death rates. The national rate of gun deaths was twice as high among black people as it was among whites. The researchers noted, however, that the number of black people killed as a result of gun violence fell in seven states and the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, gun deaths involving white people fell in only four states.

Gun deaths among Hispanics also declined in four states, while gun deaths involving non-Hispanics increased in nine states, according to the study published online Sept. 18 in BMJ Open.

The research, led by Bindu Kalesan, an assistant professor at Columbia University in New York City, examined all recorded gun deaths in the United States between 2000 and 2010.

The study also found that gun-related deaths increased in both Florida and Massachusetts. In these states, there were more gun deaths among whites and non-Hispanics. These states also reported an increase in gun-related murder rates.

The researchers pointed out these trends do not seem to reflect gun-control efforts and law in individual states. For example, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence ranked Massachusetts the third most restrictive state for firearm legislation in 2011.After Massachusetts passed a tough law restricting gun use in 1998, gun ownership rates dropped sharply, but violent crimes and murders increased. The influx of firearms from nearby states with weaker firearm laws could be to blame, the researchers suggested in a journal news release.

Meanwhile, in 2011 the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence ranked Florida the 40th most restrictive state for firearm legislation. Although Florida gun deaths increased, the state had an overall drop in violent crime from 2000 to 2010.

The study authors concluded that curbing gun violence may require reducing access to firearms and strengthening interstate border controls to prevent the transport of guns.

Aside from D.C., states with fewer gun-related deaths over the decade include:Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New York and North Carolina.

The drop in firearm death rates in California was largely the result of a decline in the number of gun-related suicides. Across the United States, however, the number of gun-related murders and suicides did not change between 2000 and 2010. Nationally, deaths resulting from unintentional shootings dropped significantly, the study found.




“The researchers pointed out these trends do not seem to reflect gun-control efforts and law in individual states. For example, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence ranked Massachusetts the third most restrictive state for firearm legislation in 2011.After Massachusetts passed a tough law restricting gun use in 1998, gun ownership rates dropped sharply, but violent crimes and murders increased. The influx of firearms from nearby states with weaker firearm laws could be to blame, the researchers suggested in a journal news release.... Meanwhile, in 2011 the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence ranked Florida the 40th most restrictive state for firearm legislation. Although Florida gun deaths increased, the state had an overall drop in violent crime from 2000 to 2010.... The drop in firearm death rates in California was largely the result of a decline in the number of gun-related suicides. Across the United States, however, the number of gun-related murders and suicides did not change between 2000 and 2010. Nationally, deaths resulting from unintentional shootings dropped significantly, the study found.”

In the most heavily regulated states gun violence and murders over the time period increased. The article suggests that decreased “access” to guns – by laws about criminal records and poor mental health, presumably – would probably help, and also interstate border control should be increased. The national increase over that ten year span was due to accidental shootings, however, not murders and suicides. In other words, a household that doesn't have a loaded gun within easy access will be less likely to be the site of an accidental gun death. There are also those events when someone is carelessly cleaning or servicing his weapon without having cleared out all the bullets first. There are also hunting accidents every year, too – the hunter thinks he sees a deer, but oops, it's his friend.

The truth is, guns are dangerous. I understand someone who fears for his life – he has to live in a crime-ridden neighborhood because he can't afford higher rent in another location, for instance – but those gun fanciers who just love the sight, the smell, the sound of guns are the ones I don't approve of or understand. The Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza's mother, a registered Republican, was a gun collector and was preparing for a feared doomsday. I think it's safe to say that Lanza would have had a much more difficult time doing his shooting if his house hadn't been full of unsecured guns. Ironically, before he went to shoot up the school, he first shot his mother to death. This is probably what the writer of the article means by “access.” We won't be getting rid of guns entirely, and I wouldn't want to, but a great deal less “access” would be preferred.




Dozens Of Turkish Hostages Freed, As ISIS Advances In Syria
by BILL CHAPPELL
September 20, 2014

After more than 100 days in captivity, nearly 50 Turkish people are now free from the extremist group ISIS. The group includes diplomats and children, along with security personnel who were seized in June along with Turkey's consulate in Mosul.

As it celebrates the 49 hostages' return, Turkey is also receiving an influx of thousands of Kurdish people who are fleeing parts of Syria where ISIS has taken dozens of towns in recent days.

The circumstances of the hostage's release aren't known in detail; Turkey's government says they were rescued as a result of intelligence work and that no ransom was paid. They were flown to Ankara's main airport after crossing into southern Turkey late last night.

From southern Turkey, NPR'S Deb Amos reports:

"Turkish officials insist no ransom was paid — but provided few other details – after the release of the hostages, which included diplomats, their families, and special forces soldiers.

"Turkish television carried a live broadcast of an emotional reunion with families in the Turkish capital. The release came late Friday night, when the captives crossed into Turkey from the Syrian border.

"The group was kidnapped three months ago when ISIS militants swept into the Iraqi town of Mosul. Turkey has been a reluctant partner in the U.S.-led coalition to fight ISIS, saying the hostages were at risk."

"I thank ... every single member of the national intelligence agency from the director to the field operatives," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, according to CNN. "I congratulate them for their big success from the bottom of my heart."

This week, the fighting in Syria has forced an estimated 40,000 civilians to head to the border with Turkey, fleeing ISIS fighters and heavy artillery. The extremist group has now claimed territory close to the border.

"The Syrian Kurdish militia was outgunned, according to Syrian activists in contact with Kurdish fighters," Deb Amos says. "Turkey opened a stretch of the frontier on Friday to allow mostly women and children to cross to safety."




Within the last few days, one news article stated that Turkey was holding back on supporting the US led efforts against ISIS, at least partly because of the high number of Turkish hostages ISIS is holding. This new article has announced that all 50 hostages have been safely returned to Turkey, so perhaps they won't be as reluctant to side against ISIS now. The article says that a large number of Kurds have fled to Turkey as well. If Turkey will now keep Western ISIS wannabees from crossing their border into Syria, that will be a great help in the fight. Perhaps Turkey will also send troops against ISIS, along with some other Islamic states as was discussed last week. I hope this additional aid to Iraq comes soon, and ISIS will be unceremoniously kicked out of Syria and Iraq.