Wednesday, September 25, 2014


News Clips For The Day


Suspected cop killer taunting police?
CBS NEWS September 25, 2014, 7:02 AM

It's a dangerous game of cat and mouse; police think suspected cop killer Eric Frein might be taunting them by showing off in public.

On the 13th day of the search, CBS News' correspondent Vladimir Duthiers went to Canadensis, Pennsylvania, where police uncovered more clues about their suspect.

Police made some surprising revelations Wednesday on the progress of the search for Eric Frein. They also continue to ask for help, and patience, from residents in this rural Pennsylvania community.

Pennsylvania State Police say Frein has purposely made himself visible to cops, before falling back into the dense forest he's been using as cover for almost two weeks.

It was the first time authorities acknowledged possible sightings of Frein during the manhunt.

The last sighting, said State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens, came as recently as Tuesday.

"Any sightings that occurred by law enforcement, again we're at a significant distance, there wasn't an opportunity to take a few steps and apprehend him," Bivens said.

Other clues discovered in the wilderness are giving police added confidence that they're closing in on their suspect.

"Some of those items include Siberian cigarettes and soiled diapers that we have found in the area, among many other things," Bivens said.

Officials believe Frein is using diapers to remain stationary for long periods of time.

Cops say other evidence -- like notes and journals -- indicate Frein may have spent years planning the shooting at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks on September 12, where one officer was killed and another, seriously injured.

The ambush attack landed Frein on the FBI's most wanted list, and police have been authorized to use deadly force.

With close to 1,000 law enforcement officers scouring the woods, police offered a piece of advice to the suspect.

"Before this gets any worse for him, before he gets hurt or worse, he needs to surrender," said Bivens. "We're not going away and we will be here until we apprehend him."

Lieutenant colonel Bivens also had a message for residents, asking for any information -- including photos or video of suspicious activity that could lead to Frein's capture.

He also thanked them for their continued patience while their community remains on lock-down.



Accused Cop Killer Eric Frein Stars in War Reenactor Documentary – ABC
By Rheana Murray
via Good Morning America
September 23, 2014

The filmmaker of a new documentary about a Vietnam War reenactment said he was shocked to learn that one of his actors was Eric Frein, the subject of a massive Pennsylvania manhunt, and said he had sensed that some reenactors were on the "edge of violence."

The dragnet for Frein, wanted for allegedly shooting two state troopers at the Blooming Grove barracks on Sept. 12, has plagued eastern Pennsylvania for the past 12 days. Schools in the Pocono Mountain School District reopened today, but students were kept indoors and some bus routes were canceled. Frein is believed to be hiding out in the woods near his home in Canadensis, Pa.

Police 'Close' to Accused Cop Shooter Eric Frein

Suspect in Pennsylvania Cop Shooting Is a Sharpshooting Survivalist

Accused Cop Shooter Eric Frein Reenacting Rambo, Colleague Suggests

"I think we always had a fear that one of the people we were following -- because they had so much weaponry -- could do something very dangerous," filmmaker Patrick Bresnan of Austin, Texas, told ABC News today.

Bresnan, 38, said he and his wife, also a filmmaker, have been busy all summer getting their documentary "Vietnam Appreciation Day" ready for film festival submissions. The documentary follows a group of war reenactors in rural Pennsylvania, including Frein, preparing for a public show.

Frein and his friends were "very serious about the job," said Bresnan, who grew up in Pennsylvania and spent time there while filming.

"They were at another level," he said. "Their collections were almost fetishistic, obsessing over details on uniforms and weaponries."

Frein and his friends discuss reenacting battles in clips Bresnan filmed, at one point saying: "I would stress that it's not a reenactment, it's a living history."

"It's about teaching the public, and showing the equipment that was used, talking about the history of it all," Frein said.

But Bresnan sensed how the hobby could lead to violence.

"Many people use reenacting as a way to justify owning weapons," Bresnan said, adding that many of the reenactors he met were people who failed to get into the military.

"A lot of these guys try to act in History Channel episodes as extras, and they get paid $150 so they justify hoarding and collecting weaponry through their reenacting. That's like the crown jewel for a lot of these guys -- getting to portray a Nazi or a soldier on the History Channel."

Frein is not a main character in "Vietnam Appreciation Day," but the film "is a window into Eric's world," said Bresnan, who described the suspected murderer as "goofy but dark."

Filming wrapped in 2011, and Bresnan hopes the film will appear on the next festival circuit. The application deadline for the Sundance Film Festival is next week, he added.

Frein is accused of killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and critically wounding another trooper when police say he opened fire at the barracks, and then fled into the woods. He's a survivalist with experience living off the land and a skilled shooter, police said.

His father, a retired Army major, said two weapons were missing from his home, a .308 with a scope and an AK-47 assault rifle. Police scouring the woods have found an AK-47 and ammunition that they believe Frein either abandoned or had stashed.




“Other clues discovered in the wilderness are giving police added confidence that they're closing in on their suspect. 'Some of those items include Siberian cigarettes and soiled diapers that we have found in the area, among many other things,' Bivens said. Officials believe Frein is using diapers to remain stationary for long periods of time. Cops say other evidence -- like notes and journals -- indicate Frein may have spent years planning the shooting at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks on September 12, where one officer was killed and another, seriously injured.”

“'The filmmaker of a new documentary about a Vietnam War reenactment said he was shocked to learn that one of his actors was Eric Frein, the subject of a massive Pennsylvania manhunt, and said he had sensed that some reenactors were on the 'edge of violence.'... 'I think we always had a fear that one of the people we were following -- because they had so much weaponry -- could do something very dangerous,' filmmaker Patrick Bresnan of Austin, Texas, told ABC News today. Bresnan, 38, said he and his wife, also a filmmaker, have been busy all summer getting their documentary "Vietnam Appreciation Day" ready for film festival submissions. The documentary follows a group of war reenactors in rural Pennsylvania, including Frein, preparing for a public show.... 'They were at another level,' he said. 'Their collections were almost fetishistic, obsessing over details on uniforms and weaponries.'... 'Many people use reenacting as a way to justify owning weapons,' Bresnan said, adding that many of the reenactors he met were people who failed to get into the military. 'A lot of these guys try to act in History Channel episodes as extras, and they get paid $150 so they justify hoarding and collecting weaponry through their reenacting. That's like the crown jewel for a lot of these guys -- getting to portray a Nazi or a soldier on the History Channel.'... the film is a window into Eric's world,' said Bresnan, who described the suspected murderer as 'goofy but dark.'... He's a survivalist with experience living off the land and a skilled shooter, police said. His father, a retired Army major, said two weapons were missing from his home, a .308 with a scope and an AK-47 assault rifle. Police scouring the woods have found an AK-47 and ammunition that they believe Frein either abandoned or had stashed.”

It's clear to me that the survivalists, gun hoarders, reenactors, and people who are stockpiling food and other such emergency needs may be distinctly paranoid. Some of the conservative Christians are into preparing for the end times, for instance. Just as a radical Muslim preacher stirs up feeling against the US and causes some individuals to go join al-Qaeda, the National Rifle Association sends alarming letters through the mail to people about “jackbooted thugs” from the federal government to get them to join the NRA and buy guns. In highly conservative areas of the country the number of paranoid and politically radical people will also increase as citizens talk together about preparing for a race war, etc., or “the end times.”

It doesn't surprise me that this man comes from a small town in the Pennsylvania mountains where there are lots of poor ultra-conservative white people, so his cultural background in a way may have encouraged him to focus on guns and warfare. In the Western states and the South there have been groups calling themselves militias for years now who go out into the woods, do a lot of male bonding and enact war games. They often plan to defend themselves against an attack from federal forces, as in the case of the Branch Davidian encampment. They ignore the fact that the Branch Davidians were also stockpiling guns and holding women and children in their compound. There was even the belief in the government that they were sexually molesting the children, so the feds brought in a massive number of trucks etc. and assaulted the cult. It was believed that tear gas, when it was shot into the house where they were staying ignited some ammunition and burned the building.

It is the case the the FBI and maybe the NSA keep track of some of those militia groups after the Oklahoma City bombing, and probably “lone wolf” type individuals too if they know about them. Frein was described by the filmmaker Patrick Bresnan as being “goofy but dark.” That doesn't sound good. This man apparently slipped through the surveillance net and managed to attack the police barracks. It is probably not important, but it is interesting, that he is apparently smoking Siberian cigarettes, and I can't help wondering where he got them. But thinking Russia could be involved in this is probably paranoid on my part, so forget I said that. I read too many mysteries.





COPS UNDER THE GUN – THREE ARTICLES


Woman hit by Calif. cop settles for cash
CBS/AP September 25, 2014, 2:22 AM

LOS ANGELES -- A woman punched repeatedly by a California Highway Patrol officer on the side of a freeway in an incident caught on video will receive $1.5 million under a settlement reached Wednesday night, and the officer has agreed to resign.

CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow confirmed the settlement in an emailed statement and an attorney for Marlene Pinnock confirmed the dollar amount.

The agreement came after a nine-hour mediation session in Los Angeles.

"When this incident occurred, I promised that I would look into it and vowed a swift resolution," Farrow's statement said. "Today, we have worked constructively to reach a settlement agreement that is satisfactory to all parties involved."

The statement said that Officer Daniel Andrew, who joined the CHP in 2012 and has been on paid administrative leave since the incident, "has elected to resign."

Andrew could still be charged criminally in the case. The CHP forwarded the results of its investigation of the incident to Los Angeles County prosecutors last month, saying he could face serious charges but none have been filed yet.

The bulk of the settlement will take the form of a special needs trust for Pinnock, the CHP said.

Pinnock's attorney Caree Harper said the settlement fulfilled the two elements her side was looking for.

"One of the things we wanted to make sure of was that she was provided for in a manner that accommodated her unique situation in life," Harper said, "and that the officer was not going to be an officer anymore and we secured those things."

The July 1 video of Andrew punching Pinnock was captured by a passing driver and spread widely on the internet and television.

On Aug. 10, Pinnock broke her silence and told CBS News' Carter Evans she believed Andrew was trying "to kill" her and she feared for her life.

"He was trying to beat me to death," she told Evans, "take my life away. For no reason. I did nothing to him."

According to a search warrant made public in court documents last month, Andrew had just pulled Pinnock from oncoming traffic and she resisted by pushing him after multiple drivers called 911 to report her walking barefoot along the side of the freeway.

Andrew then straddled her on the ground as Pinnock resisted by "kicking her legs, grabbing the officer's uniform and twisting her body," the warrant said. Andrew "struck her in the upper torso and head several times with a closed right fist," the records say.

The warrant said Pinnock suffered no signs of physical injury and refused medical treatment. She was placed on a psychiatric hold for two weeks.

CBS Los Angeles reported, however, that while the CHP initially reported that Pinnock did not seek medical treatment, she was actually hospitalized for a month.

In July, CHP investigators seized Pinnock's medical records. Chris Arevalo, executive administrator for psychiatric services at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, confirmed that the CHP served a search warrant Tuesday for the documents.

The move prompted an outcry from Pinnock's attorney.

"She suffered a traumatic head injury," Harper said at the time. "How can you give away files about someone injured ... to the very people who beat her?"

Pinnock has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had been off her medication for two to three months before the altercation.



S.C. trooper charged in shooting of unarmed man
CBS/AP September 25, 2014, 8:49 AM

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A former state trooper faces a felony charge in the shooting of an unarmed man during a traffic stop in Columbia earlier this month.

The State Law Enforcement Division said in a news release that 31-year-old Sean Groubert was charged Wednesday with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Authorities say Groubert stopped the victim for a seatbelt violation on Sept. 4. Levar Jones, 35, got out of his car, and investigators say the trooper shot him as he reached back into his vehicle.

Prosecutors released video of the traffic stop that shows the trooper pulling up behind Jones, who had stopped at a Columbia gas station. Groubert asked Jones - who had already stepped out of his car - for his license, then fired shots as Jones reaches back into his vehicle.

Jones was hit by one bullet in the hip. He screamed, "What did I do? . . . I just got my license, you said get my license."

Groubert said he shot the man because he was reaching back into his car.

Jones is recovering at home after being hospitalized for the injury.

CBS affiliate WLTX reports that South Carolina Department of Public Safety Director Leroy Smith fired Groubert Sept. 19 after observing the video and reviewing a report from the State Law Enforcement Division.

In dismissing Groubert, Smith called the facts of the case "disturbing."

The charges filed Wednesday were brought by the Fifth Circuit Solicitor's office, which also reviewed SLED's findings.

After seeing the video in court, Groubert's attorney, former Fifth Circuit Solicitor Barney Geise, says that his client is not guilty and is looking forward to his day in court, reports WLTX.



Ferguson residents give feds an earful about police harassment
CBS/AP September 24, 2014, 10:24 PM

FERGUSON, Mo. -- Department of Justice civil rights investigators have heard one story after another about police harassment and brutality in Ferguson, a suburban St. Louis town where 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer last month.

At least 300 people who live in and near Ferguson crammed into a community college meeting room Wednesday evening to tell investigators about their experiences.

No timetable was offered for completion of the investigation.

There was no public comment period but tables were set up for people to share their concerns privately with investigators. Several said they shared stories of how police too often target black motorists or act too aggressively toward black residents.

Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson has said he welcomes the investigation.

The meeting comes on the same day that five people were arrested and two law enforcement officers were hurt in Ferguson after protests over the death of Brown again intensified.

Ferguson was the site of sometimes violent protests and looting in the days after 18-year-old Brown, who was black, was shot by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.

Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said it wasn't clear if a fire at a makeshift memorial for Brown led to the unrest Tuesday night in the St. Louis suburb. Reports of smashed windows and possible arson came hours after the memorial of teddy bears, signs and other items burned.

About 150 protesters gathered late Tuesday night. Johnson, whom Missouri's governor put in charge of security in Ferguson, said Wednesday that one person was arrested for inciting a riot and four others for failure to disperse.

He said one of the two officers hurt was struck with a rock below the eye. He described the other officer's injuries as minor. Meanwhile, the St. Louis County Police Department said one business was vandalized and at least four officers were hit with rocks by the unruly crowd, reports CBS affiliate KMOV in St. Louis.

Windows were smashed at a beauty shop on West Florissant Avenue, where much of the looting happened last month. Johnson said looters also tried to steal a cash register from the shop. A small fire outside a custard shop appeared to be intentionally set, according to fire officials.

Johnson said officers reported seeing gunfire from the protesters but that no one was struck.

Police began clearing the street around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday.

One of two memorials at the site where Brown was shot was destroyed in a fire early Tuesday morning. Police are investigating the cause of the blaze, but the fire renewed anger, especially among residents of the apartment community where Brown was killed.

Several people who gathered at the scene Tuesday blamed police for not acting quickly enough to put out the fire. The memorial site was quickly filled, becoming a new, and bigger, memorial.

Resentment lingers among those who question why Wilson hasn't been arrested and remains on paid administrative leave. A state grand jury is weighing whether he should face charges but a decision isn't expected until mid-October.




CHP Assault Incident

“A woman punched repeatedly by a California Highway Patrol officer on the side of a freeway in an incident caught on video will receive $1.5 million under a settlement reached Wednesday night, and the officer has agreed to resign. CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow confirmed the settlement in an emailed statement and an attorney for Marlene Pinnock confirmed the dollar amount. The agreement came after a nine-hour mediation session in Los Angeles. 'When this incident occurred, I promised that I would look into it and vowed a swift resolution,' Farrow's statement said. 'Today, we have worked constructively to reach a settlement agreement that is satisfactory to all parties involved.'”

SC Trooper

“A former state trooper faces a felony charge in the shooting of an unarmed man during a traffic stop in Columbia earlier this month. The State Law Enforcement Division said in a news release that 31-year-old Sean Groubert was charged Wednesday with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.... CBS affiliate WLTX reports that South Carolina Department of Public Safety Director Leroy Smith fired Groubert Sept. 19 after observing the video and reviewing a report from the State Law Enforcement Division. In dismissing Groubert, Smith called the facts of the case 'disturbing.'”

Ferguson witnesses

“At least 300 people who live in and near Ferguson crammed into a community college meeting room Wednesday evening to tell investigators about their experiences. No timetable was offered for completion of the investigation. There was no public comment period but tables were set up for people to share their concerns privately with investigators. Several said they shared stories of how police too often target black motorists or act too aggressively toward black residents.'

The good news is that in all these cases concrete action is being taken about the police abuse cases, and with the first two the officers have both been fired. In the first case, which was in a way the most egregious in that a woman in the grips of a mental episode was severely beaten for simply walking in the highway. The police officer, instead of walking her out of the road as quickly as he could, threw her down in the traffic lane and started to hit her in the face. The whole thing was caught on camera. From the original article I seem to remember that the officer said the woman “called him the devil.” If she was psychotic she probably thought he was the devil. Police officers have to handle mentally unstabled individuals, and unless they attack the police officer they shouldn't be pointlessly abused. Cases like that are what a taser is for. His goal, with cars bearing down on them in a multiple lane highway, should have been to get her handcuffed and moved off the road as soon as possible. All he needed to do then was take her to the police station and do the paperwork. Instead he spent in the range of a minute hitting her with his fist. It wasn't very bright on his part. It's hard to say who was crazier. In the SC case, the officer was again irrational in his behavior, first telling the man to get his drivers license and then when he went into his car to get it the officer shot him. The SC public safety officer called the case “disturbing” and fired the man.

In Ferguson the problems continue. Some local person who wanted to start more trouble burned a memorial of teddy bears, etc., and he or she did indeed start more riots. The whole city needs sensitivity training. The good news is that the FBI is still on the case investigating and taking statements from members of the community on other cases of police misconduct that form the background for this whole series of riots. Also the city council still has work to do on improving the black/white ratio in the city government and police force.




London cops sweep up 9 terror suspects
CBS/AP September 25, 2014, 4:59 AM

LONDON -- The Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command arrested nine men on suspicion of being members of banned organizations as well as supporting and encouraging terrorism.

The men, ranging in age from 22 to 51, were in custody Thursday in central London police stations.

Scotland Yard also raided homes, businesses and community centers as part of the probe. Searches were underway Thursday at 18 sites in London and one residence in Stoke on Trent.

Police said in a statement that the arrests and searches were part of an ongoing investigation into Islamic extremist-related terrorism rather than any immediate risk to public safety.

One of the men detained was radical preacher Anjem Choudary, organizer of banned UK Islamic fundamentalist group "Islam4UK." Choudary is well-known to British law enforcement, and has for years organized demonstrations against Western military action in Middle East and in favor of bringing Islamic Sharia law to Britain.

He has publicly expressed support for the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. and the July 7 bombings against London's transport network.

Choudary, who was also linked to the men behind the brutal daylight murder of British solider Lee Rigby in south London, has been questioned by police previously.
The preacher has been a prominent member of several radical Islamic groups in the U.K. He was a top aide to the leader of "al Mujaharoon," another radical preacher named Omar Bakri Muhammad. Muhammad fled to Lebanon -- where he still lives freely, in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

The group was officially banned, along with Islam4UK, in 2010.




“The Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command arrested nine men on suspicion of being members of banned organizations as well as supporting and encouraging terrorism. The men, ranging in age from 22 to 51, were in custody Thursday in central London police stations. Scotland Yard also raided homes, businesses and community centers as part of the probe. Searches were underway Thursday at 18 sites in London and one residence in Stoke on Trent. Police said in a statement that the arrests and searches were part of an ongoing investigation into Islamic extremist-related terrorism rather than any immediate risk to public safety.... Choudary is well-known to British law enforcement, and has for years organized demonstrations against Western military action in Middle East and in favor of bringing Islamic Sharia law to Britain.”

So the Islamists in Britain are trying to bring Sharia law there. There was a news article in the last few months that mentioned the fact that one British lawyer was researching how to make wills under Sharia law. That doesn't sound good to me. I haven't heard of any neighborhoods in the US where Islamic people predominately make up the population, as there are in some European countries. France was having problems a few years ago where a great many Islamic refugees have congregated and there were some riots. One cause of the riots was that the French government banned the wearing of the Burqa, which covers the face, by the women. Interestingly a recent CNN article is about the European Court Of Human Rights statement on the question, which upheld the French ban.

The French enacted the ban because the burqa conceals the woman's identity. It makes sense. There were even a few cases in Afghanistan of men dressing up in burqas and using that to hide their bombs or guns. There's one thing about Islamic terrorists and other radicals. If they come to Western countries and try to blend in with the population, they had better get used to some restrictions. If they become too troublesome in general, so that their Western neighbors are angered, they may find themselves the target of “lone wolf” vengeance. I'm afraid we are in for all sorts of trouble until these insurgents are controlled. I am glad to see that the UK, and undoubtedly the FBI as well, are watching them.






U.N. Security Council Unanimously Passes Anti-Terrorism Resolution – NPR
by SCOTT NEUMAN
September 24, 2014

In a vote presided over by President Obama, the U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved a historic resolution aimed at stopping the flow of foreign extremists to battlefields around the world.

Resolution 2178, which criminalizes traveling abroad to fight for extremist organizations as well as the recruiting for or funding of such groups, was adopted by all 15 members of the Security Council. According to Reuters: "It generally targets fighters traveling to conflicts anywhere in the world. It does not mandate military force to tackle the foreign fighter issue."

The U.N. resolution expresses concern that "foreign terrorist fighters increase the intensity, duration and intractability of conflicts, and also may pose a serious threat to their states of origin, the states they transit, and the states to which they travel."

Obama, who was the first U.S. president to chair a Security Council meeting in 2009, thanked members for approving the historic measure, but warned that "a resolution alone will not be enough." The vote follows an address by the president in which he warned that inaction on extremism and other global threats could pull the world into "an undertow of instability."

"The words spoken here today must be matched and translated into action," Obama said.

The president said 15,000 fighters from 80 nations were thought to have traveled to Syria since the conflict there began.

Reuters says: "The resolution is under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which makes it legally binding for the 193 U.N. member states and gives the Security Council authority to enforce decisions with economic sanctions or force."




“In a vote presided over by President Obama, the U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved a historic resolution aimed at stopping the flow of foreign extremists to battlefields around the world. Resolution 2178, which criminalizes traveling abroad to fight for extremist organizations as well as the recruiting for or funding of such groups, was adopted by all 15 members of the Security Council. According to Reuters: 'It generally targets fighters traveling to conflicts anywhere in the world. It does not mandate military force to tackle the foreign fighter issue.'... Obama, who was the first U.S. president to chair a Security Council meeting in 2009, thanked members for approving the historic measure, but warned that 'a resolution alone will not be enough.' The vote follows an address by the president in which he warned that inaction on extremism and other global threats could pull the world into 'an undertow of instability.'... The president said 15,000 fighters from 80 nations were thought to have traveled to Syria since the conflict there began. Reuters says: 'The resolution is under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which makes it legally binding for the 193 U.N. member states and gives the Security Council authority to enforce decisions with economic sanctions or force.'"

This growth of instability is what worries me most about the stories coming from the Middle East. A nation whose central government is not strong enough to maintain control has a tendency to erupt in Islamic fundamentalism, with rival religious groups being slaughtered or threatened into submission. Assad of Syria is just the latest case of instability. The Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan are largely in control at least in some places of tribal dominance like Waziristan. Saudi Arabia is never in the news for uprisings of fundamentalism, but that may be because they heavily suppress such things, putting the rebels in prison or even killing them. I doubt if their human rights record is very good. The same heavy handed enforcement was true of Saddam Hussein, and now that we deposed him the Iraqi government has never fully succeeded in taking control of the situation.

At any rate, I'm glad to see this UN measure because now people like the radical preachers in UK and elsewhere can be arrested, I would think, or at any rate any of their followers who try to leave the UK to a hot spot like Syria. The UN stated that military measures can be enacted if necessary.





Why is Social Security seizing your tax refund over your relatives' debt?
By WYATT ANDREWS CBS NEWS September 24, 2014, 7:53 PM

CBS News first met Mary Grice in April after her tax refund of almost $3,000 dollars had been confiscated, she said, without notice. It turned out the Social Security Administration had seized her refund, claiming her family received too much in death benefits after Grice's father died - in 1960. Grice, who was five years old at the time, says she never got a penny and calls the loss of her refund an injustice.

"They feel that, 'We're the government, we can do whatever we want, however we want, whenever we want.' and it's so unfair," she said.

CBS News first met Mary Grice in April after her tax refund of almost $3,000 dollars had been confiscated, she said, without notice.

Grice was the target of what Social Security calls its Treasury Offset Program, which allows it to seize old debt. Officials believe that debt older than ten years totals $714 million and needs to be collected.

But when Grice's story went public, Social Security announced an "immediate halt to further referrals" on decades-old debt, and said in a statement it would never "(try) to collect the debt of a person's relative."

CBS News found several taxpayers who say Social Security is doing just that: taking their refunds without evidence the debt is theirs.

Here's what happened to Diana Vonderacht of New Jersey: "I asked them to give me checks with signatures because I can show them I didn't sign these checks. They don't have any checks. They have no proof."

Social Security said in a statement: "We do provide documentation of the alleged overpayments."

But John Jones of Maryland, who lost a $3,100 refund, saved a voicemail from a Social Security worker warning him not to expect any documents.

"...there is no paper folder still existing for that case. As I said, it's usually after 7 years they're destroyed," the worker can be heard saying on the tape.

When Mary Grice complained last spring, Social Security at first paid her back. But last month it sent a letter, saying she still owes the debt.

"You haven't explained to me why I owe you, and I have no intentions of paying it until you do," Grice said.

Social Security told CBS News the entire old debt collection process remains under review. But five taxpayers have sued to stop the program all together.



http://fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/debtColl/pdf/dca/dmtro_child.txt
[Federal Register: December 30, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 250)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 72091-72096]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30de98-24]

[[Page 72091]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part III

Department of the Treasury

_______________________________________________________________________

Fiscal Service

_______________________________________________________________________

31 CFR Part 285

Offset of Tax Refund Payments To Collect Past-Due Support; Final Rule

SUMMARY: Federal law authorizes the Federal tax refund of a taxpayer
who owes past-due support to be reduced, or offset, by the amounts owed
by the taxpayer. Past-due support includes delinquent child support or
other obligations for the support of a child. The funds offset from a
taxpayer's tax refund are forwarded to the State enforcing the
collection of the past-due support. Effective January 1, 1999, the
Department of the Treasury will conduct the tax refund offset program
as part of the centralized offset program, known as the Treasury Offset
Program, operated by the Financial Management Service (FMS), a bureau
of the Department of the Treasury. This final rule establishes tax
refund offset procedures that supersede the procedures governing the
tax refund offset program established by the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) and applicable to the collection of past-due support (codified at
26 CFR 301.6402-5). Differences between this rule and the IRS rule
reflect requirements necessitated by the inclusion of the tax refund
offset program as a part of the Treasury Offset Program.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 30, 1998.
General

Under 26 U.S.C. 6402(c) and 42 U.S.C. 664, Federal tax payments may
be withheld or reduced to collect past-due support on behalf of States.
This process is known as ``offset'' or ``tax refund offset.'' The
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been collecting past-due support for
States by tax refund offset since 1982. ``Past-due support'' means the
amount of support, determined under a court order, or an order of an
administrative process established under State law, for support and
maintenance of a child, or of a child and the parent with whom the
child is living, which has not been paid.

The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA), Pub. L. 104-
134, 110 Stat. 1321, 1358 (1996), established a centralized process for
offsetting eligible nontax Federal payments to collect delinquent debt
owed to the United States. In addition, the DCIA authorized offset of
such payments to collect past-due support being enforced by States, as
well as other debts owed to States.

The Financial Management Service (FMS), the disbursing agency of
the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), is responsible for the
implementation of centralized offset in accordance with the provisions
of the DCIA. To meet this responsibility, FMS established the
``Treasury Offset Program.'' To improve the efficiency of Treasury's
collection of debts, including past-due support, operation of the tax
refund offset program will be included as part of the Treasury Offset
Program effective January 1, 1999. The provisions and legislative
history of the DCIA clarified that FMS may conduct tax refund offsets
to collect past-due support (see Secs. 31001(v)(2) of the DCIA,
codified at 42 U.S.C. 664(a); 142 Cong. Rec., 104th Cong. 2d Sess.,
H4087, H4090 (Apr. 25, 1996)).

On August 4, 1998, FMS issued a notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM) (63 FR 41688, August 4, 1998) proposing changes to the tax
refund offset procedures for the collection of past-due support after
January 1, 1999. For tax refund payments after January 1, 1999, the
revised procedures, as finalized in this rule, supersede the procedures
governing the tax refund offset program established by the IRS and
applicable to the collection of past-due support (codified at 26 CFR
301.6402-5).




“Grice was the target of what Social Security calls its Treasury Offset Program, which allows it to seize old debt. Officials believe that debt older than ten years totals $714 million and needs to be collected. But when Grice's story went public, Social Security announced an 'immediate halt to further referrals' on decades-old debt, and said in a statement it would never '(try) to collect the debt of a person's relative.' CBS News found several taxpayers who say Social Security is doing just that: taking their refunds without evidence the debt is theirs.... Social Security said in a statement: 'We do provide documentation of the alleged overpayments.' But John Jones of Maryland, who lost a $3,100 refund, saved a voicemail from a Social Security worker warning him not to expect any documents. '...there is no paper folder still existing for that case. As I said, it's usually after 7 years they're destroyed,' the worker can be heard saying on the tape.... When Mary Grice complained last spring, Social Security at first paid her back. But last month it sent a letter, saying she still owes the debt. 'You haven't explained to me why I owe you, and I have no intentions of paying it until you do,' Grice said. Social Security told CBS News the entire old debt collection process remains under review. But five taxpayers have sued to stop the program all together.”

Social Security said the old debt collection process “remains under review,” and five taxpayers have sued to eliminate the program. I vote for eliminating the program. I don't think the government should be allowed to collect money from a citizen that was actually owed by his or her relative, and that they should keep for a VERY LONG TIME (not 7 years!) full evidence of that debt, and then furnish the evidence to the citizen – any old documents on paper, microfilm or computer databanks which justify the collection – if they take measures to “collect” such debts. If they can't find the documentation then they should forfeit the money. Also, there should be a time limit on the legality of such collection, and if the true debtor cannot be found, the debt should be written off as no longer owed. Businesses do that all the time.

One of the problems of a government as big and complicated as ours is that they sometimes (or often?) make mistakes and don't find the error until a great deal of time has elapsed. No citizen should be responsible for those errors to the tune of thousands of dollars taken out of their meager Social Security payment!! I hope the citizens' lawsuits will open up this situation to scrutiny and if Congress can't make it a fair and open process, the Treasury Offset Program should be abolished!! Next article!




Research Institutions Will Have To Identify 'Dual-Use' Pathogens – NPR
by NELL GREENFIELDBOYCE
September 24, 2014

Any research institution that receives federal funding will soon have to screen certain kinds of scientific experiments to see if the work could potentially be misused to endanger the public.

The new policy will take effect next year, and it's the latest effort by the U. S. government to come to grips with so called "dual-use" biological research—legitimate medical or public health studies that could reveal how to make already-worrisome germs or toxins even more destructive.

Only a small number of experiments are expected to raise this type of concern; one official said a recent review of already-funded research found only a handful of projects. But some of this research, including a lab-altered bird flu virus, has proven hugely contentious, with scientists sharply divided on whether it should even be done.

Research institutions have long had "biosafety" review boards charged with making sure that infectious agents and toxins will stay safely contained within labs. The new policy means that universities and other federally-funded science organizations will have to consider whether certain kinds of experiments might generate knowledge that could provide a recipe for a weapon or attack.

The required review covers work that involves a list of 15 nasty toxins and pathogens, such as Ebola and anthrax, and seven categories of sensitive experiments that scientists sometimes call "the Seven Deadly Sins." These include studies that could make a germ more deadly or contagious, or that would let it evade existing treatments or diagnostic tests.

The new policy for research institutions is similar to another one issued in March of 2012 that requires government funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to screen proposed research projects for potential dual-use dangers before issuing grants.

"It's a complementary process," says Amy Patterson, associate director for biosecurity and biosafety policy at the NIH. "I think it is important for institutions and investigators to also gain expertise in the mind-set." As a project is underway, she adds, "They are going to have to be mindful as well of whether dual-use issues emerge during the conduct of the science."

All of this regulatory action came in the wake of a high-profile controversy over two experiments that made a kind of highly-pathogenic bird flu more contagious in ferrets, the lab stand-in for humans. Critics said that the researchers had created super-flus that could cause a pandemic in people, if they ever fell into the wrong hands or got out of the lab.

The government put a special review process in place for this type of flu research, but scientists are still arguing about the wisdom of conducting research intended to give pathogens new properties, sometimes called "gain-of-function" work.

"The U. S. government's approach to gain-of-function studies is definitely an area that we are actively discussing," says Andrew Hebbeler, assistant director for biological and chemical threats at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

He says officials want advice on gain-of-function studies from a government advisory committee called the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity.

That committee reviewed the controversial bird flu experiments back in 2011 and 2012. But the government has not convened this advisory group for almost two years. Federal officials recently appointed a slew of new members and have scheduled a meeting for next month.

"One of the agenda items will include thinking through risks and benefits associated with gain-of-function studies," says Hebbeler. "As these discussions advance within the government, we hope to have more to share with you in the future."

The National Academies of Sciences is also planning to wade into the debate soon, with a symposium that could be held later this year.




“Any research institution that receives federal funding will soon have to screen certain kinds of scientific experiments to see if the work could potentially be misused to endanger the public. The new policy will take effect next year, and it's the latest effort by the U. S. government to come to grips with so called "dual-use" biological research—legitimate medical or public health studies that could reveal how to make already-worrisome germs or toxins even more destructive.... But some of this research, including a lab-altered bird flu virus, has proven hugely contentious, with scientists sharply divided on whether it should even be done. Research institutions have long had 'biosafety' review boards charged with making sure that infectious agents and toxins will stay safely contained within labs. The new policy means that universities and other federally-funded science organizations will have to consider whether certain kinds of experiments might generate knowledge that could provide a recipe for a weapon or attack.... The new policy for research institutions is similar to another one issued in March of 2012 that requires government funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to screen proposed research projects for potential dual-use dangers before issuing grants.... All of this regulatory action came in the wake of a high-profile controversy over two experiments that made a kind of highly-pathogenic bird flu more contagious in ferrets, the lab stand-in for humans. Critics said that the researchers had created super-flus that could cause a pandemic in people, if they ever fell into the wrong hands or got out of the lab.... Andrew Hebbeler of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy said that “officials want advice on gain-of-function studies from a government advisory committee called the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity. That committee reviewed the controversial bird flu experiments back in 2011 and 2012. But the government has not convened this advisory group for almost two years. Federal officials recently appointed a slew of new members and have scheduled a meeting for next month.”

First, why hasn't this National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity met in two years? Okay, they have been reorganized, so hopefully they will deal with this problem the way they should. Just like global nuclear warfare, germ warfare has been the subject of sci fi thrillers since I began to read that sort of material in my twenties. The case of some “weaponized anthrax” powder that was mailed from an unknown source in 2001 came just after the 9/11 attacks. One worker from the “biodefense lab” at Ft. Detrick MD was a suspect in the letters. That tells me that the US is, at least as a defensive measure, doing “germ warfare,” and they certainly know “weaponized” anthrax when they see it. This makes me nervous. I hope to goodness Obama is not allowing germ warfare to go on. The whole way these bird flu experiments are described, “dual-use” and “gain-of-function studies” implies a high degree of familiarity with some iffy research. Hebbeler's statement that “'The U. S. government's approach to gain-of-function studies is definitely an area that we are actively discussing,'” I hope to hear more about this soon. All you have to do is read “The Andromeda Strain” and “The Stand” to see why labs may not be able to be sufficiently safe in their handling of those weaponized bacteria or viruses. At the NIH within the last six months two vials with smallpox in them were found lying out in the open. See the article below from July 16.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/fda-found-more-than-smallpox-vials-in-storage-room/2014/07/16/850d4b12-0d22-11e4-8341-b8072b1e7348_story.html

FDA found more than smallpox vials in storage room
By Brady Dennis and Lena H.
Sun July 16, 2014

Federal officials found more than just long-forgotten smallpox samples recently in a storage room on the National Institutes for Health campus in Bethesda, Md. The discovery included 12 boxes and 327 vials holding an array of pathogens, including the virus behind the tropical disease dengue and the bacteria that can cause spotted fever, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the lab in question.

“The fact that these materials were not discovered until now is unacceptable,” Karen Midthun, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), told reporters Wednesday. “We take this matter very seriously, and we’re working to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”

The disclosure came hours after Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testified on Capitol Hill that researchers at the agency mishandled live anthrax and other deadly pathogens in a string of mishaps in recent years. “We missed a critical pattern,” he told lawmakers. “And the pattern is an insufficient culture of safety.”

Both the smallpox discovery and the previously undisclosed safety lapses at the CDC have sowed doubt about how the nation’s premier public health and research institutions are safeguarding some of the most lethal organisms on Earth.

The vials of smallpox, a scourge that was eradicated decades ago after killing hundreds of millions of people in the 20th century alone, remain the most disturbing find this month inside the third-floor cold storage room in Building 29A. Those samples were flown to the CDC in Atlanta, and at least two have shown growth in tissue cultures, meaning they are viable, or alive.

On Wednesday, the FDA said that along with dengue and rickettsia, the bacteria that can cause spotted fever, the additional vials contained microbes such as influenza and Q fever, a bacteria that can cause complications with the heart, lungs and liver. The samples were in well-packed, heat-sealed vials and showed no signs of leakage. No evidence exists that anyone has been exposed to the pathogens, the agency said.

“The reasons why these samples went unnoticed for this long is something that we’re actively trying to understand,” said Peter Marks, CBER’s deputy director, adding that the boxes were in a seldom-accessed storage area.

Agency officials said 32 of the samples were destroyed at an NIH facility. An additional 279 were transferred to the Department of Homeland Security’s National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center in Maryland. No additional smallpox samples were found.

The FDA said the collection “was most likely assembled between 1946 and 1964 when standards for work with and storage of biological specimens were very different from those used today.”

The smallpox vials were labeled with a date — Feb. 10, 1954 — Frieden said last week, adding that it appeared that whoever left them at NIH “didn’t do so out of malice.”