Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
News Clips For The Day
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/scalise-suggestion-he-was-involved-with-duke-group-is-ludicrous/
Scalise: Suggestion he was involved with Duke group is "ludicrous"
CBS NEWS/AP
December 30, 2014
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, said of his address at a white supremacist conference in 2002, "I didn't know who all of these groups were and I detest any kind of hate group. For anyone to suggest that I was involved with a group like that is insulting and ludicrous." Scalise spoke with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Monday.
He delivered the speech at issue to the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO), which was founded by white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Blogger Lamar White Jr., who writes about Louisiana state politics, was the first to report the speech. The EURO confererence, held at a Best Western hotel in Metairie, Louisiana, was benignly described in promotional material unearthed by White as an "all-day training workshop designed to teach the most effective and up-to-date methods of civil rights and heritage related activism."
Scalise told NOLA.com that at the time, he was making speeches to groups all over Southern Louisiana about his opposition to a state tax plan. "I spoke to the League of Women Voters, a pretty liberal group. ... I still went and spoke to them," he said. But, he said, "David Duke was never at any group I spoke to." Technically, this is true. Duke was not scheduled to be physically present in Metairie, but he would certainly be heard there. The EURO conference promotions said Duke would be attending a EURO event in Europe at the same time as the Metairie conference, and he would address both at the same time by teleconference.
Scalise also seemed to deny that David Duke was affiliated with EURO at all, saying to NOLA.com, "I would not go to any group he was a part of." But BloombergPolitics' Mike Bender talked with Duke, who thought Scalise knew about his connection to EURO. He said Scalise had been invited to speak to EURO by Duke's former campaign manager, Kenny Knight, and "he [Scalise] knew Kenny. I mean, he knew me. But I can't swear to it. When you're running around different places and talking to events you're invited and you just see a name and you've got three or four others to do and you don't have anyone to vet them, that's possible."
Now, Scalise says he "would not go to speak to" an organization like EURO. And now, he has a bigger staff that is able to vet his speech invitations--"[w]e turn down requests from organizations we don't approve of."
Incoming House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., delivers the weekly Republican address on July 19, 2014.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS VIA YOUTUBE
The story comes just days before a new Congress convenes, with Scalise poised to shape House Republicans' agenda in his first full term as whip.
At the same time, American voters have been showing increased racial polarization in their political preferences, with white majorities siding overwhelmingly with Republicans in the 2014 midterms and racial minorities continuing their strong support for Democrats. Many strategists say both parties must figure out how to reach beyond their respective bases.
Scalise, 49, ascended to his leadership post in June in the chain of events that followed then-Majority Leader Eric Cantor's surprise defeat in a Republican primary.
Scalise won the whip race with the solid backing of House conservatives, particularly Southerners who wanted a greater leadership voice, given the region's role in giving Republicans their largest House majority since the start of the Great Depression.
He won his seat in a 2008 special election after helping build a more cohesive Republican caucus in a Louisiana statehouse that historically had not operated along party lines. His district includes majority white portions of New Orleans and surrounding suburbs, reaching to coastal and bayou communities anchored by the energy and fishing industries.
European-American Unity and Rights Organization
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO) is a white supremacist organization in the United States. Led by former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, David Duke, it was founded in 2000.
Initially, it was to be called the National Organization for European-American Rights (or NO FEAR), until the use of the name was legally challenged by No Fear Inc. The group was one of the original signatories of the New Orleans Protocol, a mostly US-based alliance of white nationalist and white supremacist groups.
It is designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[1]
Ideology[edit]
The statement of principles sets out eight main goals for the organization, which are as follows:
Equal rights for White Americans, particularly through an end to affirmative action.
An end to desegregation busing, which they blame for declining educational standards, increased racial tension, and the wasting of public money.
Welfare reform that would see welfare recipients made to work for their money, and the encouragement of family planning.
Tougher sentencing for violent crime, alongside the repealing of hate crime legislation.
Very strict limitations on immigration.
An end to media portrayal of whites as oppressors.
The preservation of white heritage.
A demand for excellence in all things.[2]
The main areas of activity for EURO are Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi, with other groups active in the south.[3]
Its website, defunct as of 2014, included a number of anti-Jewish articles, including the suggestion that Israel was involved in the bombing of the World Trade Center.[4]
In an October 2007 article the author wrote (commenting on what he called Hitler's "workers paradise" "The beautiful Germany of the 1930s with blonde children happily running through every village has been replaced with a multi-racial cesspool. Out of work Africans can be seen shuffling along the same streets, which used to be clean and safe in the days of the National Socialists. One day, people in Germany will grow tired of the politically correct police state that is destroying their lives. They will recover their national pride and start speaking the truth about their past regardless of what the militant lesbians or thought police tell them. Once that happens, Germany may finally be a great nation again -free of foreign control."[5]
Activities[edit]
In 2006 the group's ex-leader in Idaho Stan Hess courted controversy when he ran unsuccessfully for election to theNorth Idaho College Board of Trustees. His campaign focused on what he described as "the European American human rights movement", with Hess advocating the establishment of a European American Studies programme and the designation of a "European American Heritage Month" in October.[6] According to an article in the Spokesman Review "he said he severed ties with the group about a year ago. Started by Ku Klux Klansman David Duke, Hess said the group’s ties to the KKK concerned him and that he found it difficult to work within a large organization. He served as president of the organization’s California chapter prior to moving to North Idaho in 2003.".[6]
See also[edit]
List of white nationalist organizations
References[edit]
1. Jump up^ "Active White Nationalist Groups". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
2. Jump up^ European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO) Statement of Principles
3. Jump up^ Active U.S. Hate Groups in 2006 from Southern Poverty Law Center
4. Jump up^ Buchanan, James. "Low Jewish Casualties in 911 Attack at WTC". EURO. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
5. Jump up^ Mosley, Ian. "Germans Still Remember their Historical Greatness". October 30, 2007. EURO. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
6. ^ Jump up to:a b Cuniff, Meghann (August 24, 2006). "Advocate for whites runs for NIC post: Hess wants more European studies.". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
Under “Stan Hess” –
" EURO Hour .. " My Awakening .. The Life of Stan Hess ...
www.stormfront.org › News › Newslinks & Articles
Stormfront
Mar 16, 2005 - 2 posts - 1 author
Idaho EURO representative and EURO Hour Host Stan Hess presents : " My Awakening .. The Life of Stan Hess " Tonight Wed . March 16th ...
Authentic European Voices .. The Real Story of the Holocaust
Feb 2, 2005
The European American Hour: Interview with “Iranian for Aryans” ... Host Stan Hess discusses white ethnicity with an Iranian-American (“Iranian for Aryans”).
1. MR Radio: Stan Hess, DanielS and GW discuss the ...
majorityrights.com/.../stan_hess_daniels_and_gw_discuss_the_seventies_...
Sep 30, 2014 - On the radio page: Stan Hess, formerly of Voice of Reason Radio, ... in the Stan Hess conversation: Stan suggested that we Europeanmen …
The European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO) is a white ... In 2006 the group's ex-leader in Idaho Stan Hess courted controversy when he ran ...
“Scalise spoke with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Monday.
He delivered the speech at issue to the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO), which was founded by white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Blogger Lamar White Jr., who writes about Louisiana state politics, was the first to report the speech. The EURO confererence, held at a Best Western hotel in Metairie, Louisiana, was benignly described in promotional material unearthed by White as an "all-day training workshop designed to teach the most effective and up-to-date methods of civil rights and heritage related activism."... The EURO conference promotions said Duke would be attending a EURO event in Europe at the same time as the Metairie conference, and he would address both at the same time by teleconference.... The story comes just days before a new Congress convenes, with Scalise poised to shape House Republicans' agenda in his first full term as whip. At the same time, American voters have been showing increased racial polarization in their political preferences, with white majorities siding overwhelmingly with Republicans in the 2014 midterms and racial minorities continuing their strong support for Democrats. Many strategists say both parties must figure out how to reach beyond their respective bases.”
My Google search just now under the term “Stan Hess” was to see if I could find any inference that he is related by blood or marriage to Rudolph Hess, but I found nothing about his personal life. I confess I didn't go through the whole ten pages or more of Net mentions. The search did produced many interesting articles, of which these are a few. He speaks not just against blacks and immigrants, but drags in the same old things against Jews. “The Jews were responsible for 9/11,” and “the real story of the Holocaust.” He also calls for “more European Studies,” a take-off from Black Studies college courses, I suppose. There are lots of European history and cultural courses available in colleges across the nation – what's the beef?
The most disturbing thing I saw in this news article was the fact that David Duke formerly of the KKK was out of town “attending a EURO meeting in Europe.” I suppose he is either beefing up his European (for which we should read white Protestants only) skills, or he is trying to spread a new and virulent generation of hate from our shores. Of course, I had read that there is a disturbing new uprising of Nazi sentiments in Europe in the last decade or so, so this shouldn't surprise me. Birds of a feather do flock together, they say.
It is sad and more than a little frightening, however. It really disturbs me that this man Scalise was elected to the House. I don't believe for a minute that he didn't realize that the sentiments he saw at the EURO in the Louisiana meeting meant that they are a White Supremacist group. Now that he has been elected to office, he is finding his viewpoints to be dangerous, I think, so he is backing away from them. There have been several similar cases among the Tea Partiers in the last year or so. They blurt out something racist or otherwise incriminating and then apologize (after they get a few hundred telephone calls.) Most of it has been against blacks, not Jews, but it's all the same brand of hatred.
The Republican Party members who are honest citizens and believers in human rights should push these Tea Party interlopers out of their ranks by simply voting moderately and thoughtfully, and speaking out against them. I was proud of Sen. John McCain when he quickly and sharply reprimanded a woman at a town meeting who implied that Obama was a Muslim. He's not afraid to buck the party line sometimes. I found an article about him just now, however, in which he is tangling with the Tea Party in Arizona and may be sanctioned. See http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/john-mccain-arizona-tea-party-113849.html, McCain's big purge: The Arizona senator’s team has been ridding the state’s GOP apparatus of his tea party foes, By Alex Isenstadt, 12/30/14 5:33 AM EST.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-police-officers-view-of-violent-protests/
A police officer's view of violent protests
By JOHN BLACKSTONE CBS NEWS
December 30, 2014
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- At demonstrations in cities across the country, squads of riot equipped police have been facing emotional, angry crowds, often feeling empowered by using cell phone video cameras.
"There are some who would like to capture on video police doing something that will look bad," said James Gonzalez, a detective with the San Jose Police Department.
Gonzalez has seen the demonstrations from the other side. Early in his career, his own police car was with hit bricks during a protest.
"We are always outnumbered," Gonzalez told me. "The first thing that goes through any police officer's mind is how do we get all the people home safely."
In his 15 years in the San Jose Police Department, Gonzalez has become experienced in pulling on full riot gear. While officers may look intimidating and impervious behind the protective equipment, Gonzalez says it's not how officers feel.
"You feel extremely vulnerable," he said. "There's a big difference in perception of what we see from one side of the riot glass and what protesters see from the other side."
When officers try to separate troublemakers from peaceful protesters, making an arrest can incite more trouble.
"That's a very difficult thing to do and that crowd will often turn on the police doing that very difficult job," said Gonzalez.
It happened recently in Gonzales' own department, at a football game. When San Jose officers tried to remove a drunk and disorderly man from the stadium, fans shouted for the police to stop. The video quickly circulated online.
"Video is only one angle, one perspective, it doesn't tell the whole story," Gonzalez told me.
Soon officers in San Jose, like those in many other other cities, will be wearing their own video cameras -- adding a police perspective to the debate.
"There are some who would like to capture on video police doing something that will look bad," said James Gonzalez, a detective with the San Jose Police Department.... In his 15 years in the San Jose Police Department, Gonzalez has become experienced in pulling on full riot gear. While officers may look intimidating and impervious behind the protective equipment, Gonzalez says it's not how officers feel. "You feel extremely vulnerable," he said. "There's a big difference in perception of what we see from one side of the riot glass and what protesters see from the other side." When officers try to separate troublemakers from peaceful protesters, making an arrest can incite more trouble.... Soon officers in San Jose, like those in many other other cities, will be wearing their own video cameras -- adding a police perspective to the debate.”
There has been evidence cited on those cities which have already switched to body cameras that the incidence of police violence has been reduced. The more cameras the better. As for arresting onlookers who were using their cell phones to take videos, that is illegal. The public has a right to all the information they can get on what happens on our streets, and it isn't against the law to photograph police actions. That adds another layer of supervision of police which, unfortunately, has been absent until now. Ferguson has opened up a light on the inner life of police when they abuse their power. We must also make some more limitations legally on exactly how much power they do have, too.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/australias-koalas-are-spreading-chlamydia/
Australia's koalas are spreading chlamydia
By MAJOR GARRETT CBS NEWS
December 30, 2014
Photographs – Photos of President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin embracing a koala
BRISBANE, Australia -- Koalas are in a cuddly class by themselves. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin concur and they don't agree on much.
Koalas live in in eastern Australia where they compete with humans for habitat. It's a tough equation: each koala needs 100 eucalyptus trees to survive.
Karen Nilsson is head koala keeper at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, part of Australia's effort to protect a national mascot whose population has declined by 30 percent since 1990.
"The loss of their habitat not only loses where they live, it loses what they eat too," said Nilsson. "You lose that, you lose everything."
Little pockets of habitat don't work because they get fragmented, according to Nilsson.
"The populations within that group become severely inbred and then they lead to other problems," she told me.
By "other problems" Nilsson means a stunning and slightly uncomfortable reality threatening koalas: chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease.
Koalas sleep 18 to 20 hours a day and they eat a lot -- more than two pounds of eucalyptus leaves daily.
But they also mate and inadvertently spread the virus that causes infertility and blindness. Red eyes are its signature.
It's not too dire to suggest that koalas could face extinction, according to koala conservationist Adam Polkinghorne.
"There are koala populations that have experienced localized extinctions across its home range," Polkinghorne told me.
He's developing a new vaccine that would offer hope for a cure and a lifetime of protection.
"The idea of the vaccine is that we are going to be able to train the immune system of koalas such that if they're ever exposed to this infection in the wild, their immune system will be able to defend themselves against the infection," Polkinghorne said.
Researchers need more funds to prove the vaccine works so they can give koalas a chance to thrive while sleeping, eating, and doing everything else.
“Koalas live in in eastern Australia where they compete with humans for habitat. It's a tough equation: each koala needs 100 eucalyptus trees to survive. Karen Nilsson is head koala keeper at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, part of Australia's effort to protect a national mascot whose population has declined by 30 percent since 1990.... "The populations within that group become severely inbred and then they lead to other problems," she told me. By "other problems" Nilsson means a stunning and slightly uncomfortable reality threatening koalas: chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease. Koalas sleep 18 to 20 hours a day and they eat a lot -- more than two pounds of eucalyptus leaves daily. But they also mate and inadvertently spread the virus that causes infertility and blindness. Red eyes are its signature.... "The idea of the vaccine is that we are going to be able to train the immune system of koalas such that if they're ever exposed to this infection in the wild, their immune system will be able to defend themselves against the infection," Polkinghorne said.
“Train the immune system”? I've never heard the action of vaccines put that way. Is it possible to cause an external event like a vaccination to induce an immunity that would then be inherited? I don't think so. However, the following article may explain the statement, but surely this must be what “gene therapy” is? If so, why don't they just call it that?? Continuing to argue with myself, I have found the probable answer to the question by searching gene therapy and found a comparison between gene therapy and genetic engineering, which is basically one of purpose. Gene therapy is to cure a genetic disease, and genetic engineering is to change the species to cope with something in a better way – in this case chlamydia.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/new-vaccine-trains-t-cells-kill-melanoma-genetic-modifications-immune-system-could-transform-skin, New Vaccine Trains T-Cells To Kill Melanoma: Genetic Modifications To Immune System Could Transform Skin Cancer Treatment, Nov 19, 2013, By John Ericson.
“The body could soon hold its own against melanoma, according to a new study. Researchers at Loyola University Medical Center have created a new type of experimental vaccine that “trains” the body’s immune system to recognize and destroy tumor cells. The vaccine, which is currently undergoing a Phase 1 trial, could revolutionize treatment strategies for one of our most common cancers.
The research effort centers on an innovative delivery mechanism whereby a patient’s own T-cells are artificially prepared to do battle with rogue cells that drive tumor growth. According to principal investigator Joseph Clark, the project is the first of its kind. "This clinical trial is a unique attempt to manipulate a person's own immune system to attack their cancer in a more effective and specific manner,” he said in a press release.
Judging by lab results, the experimental treatment is as effective as it is mind boggling. Basically, a substantial chunk of the patient’s T-cell volume is extracted and sent to a genetic"boot camp," where the cells receive two key genes that allow them to target cancerous cells. In the meantime, the patient undergoes intense chemotherapy that dramatically reduces his or her T-cell count. Finally, the new cancer-killing T-cells are reintroduced to the patient’s body, where they (ideally) begin to proliferate and subdue tumor growth.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hail-and-farewell-to-those-we-lost-in-2014/
Hail and farewell to those we lost in 2014
CBS NEWS
December 28, 2014
THE FOLLOWING IS A SELECTION FROM THE REMEMBRANCES OF FAMOUS AND BELOVED PEOPLE WHO DIED IN 2014. SEE THE WEBSITE ABOVE FOR THE WHOLE LIST.
Robin Williams touched down, as if from a distant galaxy, speaking a language ("Nanu nanu!") we had never heard before, but which we instantly understood.
He held up his own funhouse mirror to the rest of us, exploring not only comic possibilities, but deeper truths.
"You don't know about real loss. Because that only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself," he said in the 1997 film, "Good Will Hunting."
Robin Williams dead at 63 (CBS News, 08/11/14)
Mike Nichols won every entertainment award there is -- and one, in 1959, that doesn't exist, for Total Mediocrity, presented by his comic partner, Elaine May.
"Graduate" director Mike Nichols dead at 83 (CBS News, 11/20/14)
And to Richard Kiel, whose enormous size usually got him cast as the bad guy (Jaws from the James Bond series), or an alien, monster, or the Soviet spy prowling on "Gilligan's Island."
Actor who played famous James Bond nemesis dies at 74 (10/10/14)
And to Ann B. Davis, Alice on "The Brady Bunch."
Ann B. Davis, "Brady Bunch" housekeeper, dead at 88 (CBS News, 06/02/14)
And to Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., who always got his man.
Efrem Zimbalist Jr., star of "The FBI," dead at 95 (05/03/14)
And farewell to Russell Johnson -- he played the brainy Professor on that crazy island of castaways:
Ginger: "You can hold me a little closer, I won't break."
Professor: "Well, I don't want to crush your dress."
Ginger: "Try."
Russell Johnson, "Gilligan" professor, has died (01/16/14)
Ralph Waite died this year. As patriarch of the Walton clan, he guided his large brood through the Depression days. Good night to you, Ralph Waite.
"Waltons" patriarch Ralph Waite dead at 85 ("CBS Evening News," 02/14/14)
And to you, Shirley Temple: You buoyed American spirits during those dark Depression years with your brilliant smile and precocious talent -- then walked away from it all and became a successful diplomat.
Shirley Temple Black taught us all a thing or two about life.
Shirley Temple Black dies at age 85 ("CBS This Morning," 02/11/14)
Mickey Rooney TORE through life with exuberance, talent and charm. He could do it all, and he DID it all, for most of his 93 years.
Good night and good luck, Mickey Rooney!
Mickey Rooney, Hollywood legend, dead at 93 (CBS News, 04/07/14)
Lauren Bacall, we fell in love with you right from the start. Bacall died this year at 89, her charm and her beauty intact.
Legendary actress Lauren Bacall dies at age 89(CBS News, 08/12/14)
James Garner, you were one smooth operator. He never took acting too seriously, but he was good at it. Farewell to you, James Garner ...
Gallery: James Garner 1928-2014
James Garner, TV and movie legend, dead at 86 (07/20/14)
And you, Maximilian Schell.
Gallery: Maximilian Schell 1930-2014
Oscar-winning actor Maximilian Schell dies at 83 (02/01/14)
Polly Bergen -- what a beautiful, long run YOU enjoyed.
Emmy-winning actress and singer Polly Bergen dies at 84 (09/21/14)
Ruby Dee, your extraordinary talents onstage were inspirational. Offstage, with your husband Ossie Davis, they were even more so.
Thank you, for showing us all what it means to stand up for what is right.
Ruby Dee, actress and activist, dead at 91(06/12/14)
Franklin McCain took his stand when he SAT, when he was refused service at a Greensboro, N.C., lunch counter, and the civil rights "sit-in" was born.
"There are many people who will plant the seed, but they will never reap the harvest," McCain said. "And I considered myself and my colleagues those people."
Passage: Men of conviction ("Sunday Morning," 01/12/14)
Legacy of the Greensboro Four ("CBS Evening News," 01/18/09)
James Brady took a bullet meant for President Ronald Reagan in 1981, and crusaded for gun control for the rest of his life.
"Damn it, don't let the vocal minority dictate your position," he said. "Morally, it's the right thing to do."
James Brady, Reagan spokesman and anti-gun activist, dies at 73 (CBS News, 08/04/14)
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-do-selfies-with-tigers-and-truants-have-in-common/
What do selfies with tigers, and truants have in common?
CBS/AP
December 31, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Everything from tigers to taxes and wine to sexual willingness is covered by laws taking effect in the new year.
In California, driver's licenses will be available for people in the country illegally.
The minimum wage goes up in Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
A New York law bans tiger selfies starting in February. They've been increasingly used by young men as social media profile photos. No photos with lions or other big cats, either.
Wine gets a boost in the Bay State. Out-of-state wineries can ship bottles directly to consumers in Massachusetts.
California is trying to end any question over whether "no" really means "yes." The new standard for sex between college students is "yes means yes". That means active consent. Silence or lack of resistance isn't enough.
California is also requiring more living space for egg-laying hens, breeding sows and veal calves.
Michigan is trying to cut down on the manufacture of meth by restricting the purchase of cough and cold medicines.
And school-skipping students in Nevada could lose their driving privileges.
“A New York law bans tiger selfies starting in February. They've been increasingly used by young men as social media profile photos. No photos with lions or other big cats, either.... Wine gets a boost in the Bay State. Out-of-state wineries can ship bottles directly to consumers in Massachusetts.... California is trying to end any question over whether "no" really means "yes." The new standard for sex between college students is "yes means yes".... And school-skipping students in Nevada could lose their driving privileges.”
No more tiger selfies? Even if the tiger is safely behind bars? That sounds simply unnecessary to me. In the pen with the tiger, yes. That makes sense. As for wine being shipped to your house in Massachusetts – that sounds like what the article is referring to – that doesn't sound legal. How are the taxes paid on it? On college campuses rape trials have been in the news several times this year, and yes, I believe the woman or the man either should be required to give a verbal affirmative. Otherwise, the young people will continue to fall into each others arms as they always have done in the past, and then get a rush of post-coitus guilt and cry rape. It also gives the reluctant party a basis for the cases of rohypnol and other “date rape drugs” which certainly do make it a clear case of rape. Any woman who wakes up after such an episode should go immediately for a blood test for the drug. As for taking kids driver license away from them for skipping school, there is no logical relationship between the driving of a car and skipping school. That makes it “unusual” punishment, which some judges have been doing over the last decade or so and I don't think such things are fair and just. I think the ACLU or someone should pursue law suits on the basis of that.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/30/374030974/u-n-to-vote-on-palestinian-resolution-to-end-israeli-resolution
U.N. Security Council Rejects Palestinian Statehood Resolution
Krishnadev Calamur
DECEMBER 30, 2014
The U.N. Security Council failed to pass a Palestinian draft resolution that called for, among other things, an end to the Israeli occupation by late 2017. The proposal faced strong U.S. opposition, which threatened to veto the measure if it passed.
The measure needed support from at least nine of the 15 members of the Security Council for it to be adopted. It received eight "yes" votes and two "no" notes. Five countries abstained.
"We don't think this resolution is constructive," State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said in Washingtonbefore the measure failed. "We think it sets arbitrary deadlines for reaching a peace agreement and for Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank, and those are more likely to curtail useful negotiations than to bring them to a successful conclusion."
He added that other countries on the Security Council saw similar problems with the resolution, which, he said, "fails to account for Israel's legitimate security needs." The U.K., another veto-wielding member of the panel, also said it could not back the Palestinian proposal.
The Palestinian ambassador to the U.N., Riyad Mansour, said his side would present the resolution despite the opposition. It's time for the Security Council "to shoulder its responsibility," he said.
U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority stalled in April. Israel says the Palestinian resolution would only make the conflict worse.
The Palestinian draft resolution also called for, according toReuters, "negotiations to be based on territorial lines that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. It also calls for a peace deal within 12 months and ending Israeli occupation by the end of 2017." The proposal added that East Jerusalem will be the capital of an independent Palestinian state and called for an end to the construction of Israeli settlements.
“The measure needed support from at least nine of the 15 members of the Security Council for it to be adopted. It received eight "yes" votes and two "no" notes. Five countries abstained. "We don't think this resolution is constructive," State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said in Washingtonbefore the measure failed. "We think it sets arbitrary deadlines for reaching a peace agreement and for Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank, and those are more likely to curtail useful negotiations than to bring them to a successful conclusion." He added that other countries on the Security Council saw similar problems with the resolution, which, he said, "fails to account for Israel's legitimate security needs."
As far as rightful actions go, I don't think the acquisition of land by war is moral or ethical, even though it certainly is a long-standing method of making such decisions. The Jews in Bible times simply came in and conquered the “promised land,” with Jahweh's help, of course. Unfortunately the Babylonians and others also conquered them later. I think the UN should stand up against that kind of action in modern times. Russia should be made to cough up Crimea and behave themselves. Ideally the territory should be allocated to the various tribal and cultural groups who for, say 300 years, have occupied a piece of land. The problem with some groups like the Palestinians and the Kurds is that they don't have a defined nation and central government that is theirs, but rather have lived there for thousands of years and feel that it is their home.
The Jews, on the other hand, had a claim on Israel, but I could argue that they lost their right to it when they were dispersed around the globe under the Babylonians. When the rabidly inhumane Nazis performed the atrocities upon them as they did across most of Europe, they gained the right to retribution. Unfortunately the Palestinians have never consented to that, feeling that the land given to the Jews in Israel is rightfully theirs. It's a complicated mess. At this point, I do strongly feel that Israel should give up the conquered land from the 1967 war and stop building Jewish settlements there, and proceed toward a peaceful resolution to their disagreement. The Palestinians, on the other hand, should give up the claim to half of Jerusalem and stop sending rockets and bombs into Israeli land. None of them are going to do those things, of course. It's really very sad.
http://www.npr.org/2014/12/28/373564985/tennessees-medicaid-deal-dodges-a-partisan-fight
Tennessee's Medicaid Deal Dodges A Partisan Fight
BOBBY ALLYN
DECEMBER 28, 2014
Tony Smith's disability check puts him over the income limit to receive standard Medicaid, but it's too little for him to qualify for a subsidy.
Sitting next to a federal health-care navigator at a Nashville, Tenn., clinic, he said he hopes lawmakers think of his plight and that of thousands of others when considering Medicaid expansion.
"I'm not looking for a handout," Smith says. "I'm just looking for some help ... because I need it."
Expanding Medicaid has until recently been seen as a political poison pill in Tennessee. But the hospital lobby has struck a unique deal with Republican Gov. Bill Haslam to pay for the expansion, a move that has paved the way for greater GOP support.
Hospital administrators saw no other choice, says Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association.
"We basically left over $800 million on the table in federal dollars, which is a lot of money that could've done a lot of different things," Becker says, referring to the new Medicaid money Tennessee turned away in 2014.
"Look, we're stressed," he says. "Each individual hospital has gone to [Haslam] and said, 'Look we're gonna have to lay people off.' We've seen layoffs here. We've seen hospitals close, and they're saying, 'We're not just crying wolf here.' "
The association will pay for the state's contribution under the deal — taking state taxpayers off the hook. It's not the first time the hospital group has helped finance the state's Medicaid program.
"I've heard from several of my counterparts, and they have all said the same thing — that they're really hopeful that perhaps their states will follow the lead of Tennessee," Becker says.
Tennessee's Senate leader, Ron Ramsey, who once fiercely opposed Medicaid expansion, now says it's an "opportunity that must be taken seriously."
Haslam heads the Republican Governors Association, and the hospital deal might be up to him to reassure other state leaders that accepting federal Medicaid money doesn't have to trigger a bitter partisan fight.
Other states have sought Affordable Care Act waivers, but Tennessee's approach stands out, says John Graves, who studies health care at Vanderbilt University.
"The state views itself as an innovator," Graves says. "They want to create a program that's amenable to not only the governor, but the legislature ... something with their own Tennessee spin on it."
Whether that spin will be enough to satisfy the state's Republican super-majority won't be known until lawmakers reconvene in January.
“Expanding Medicaid has until recently been seen as a political poison pill in Tennessee. But the hospital lobby has struck a unique deal with Republican Gov. Bill Haslam to pay for the expansion, a move that has paved the way for greater GOP support. Hospital administrators saw no other choice, says Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association. "We basically left over $800 million on the table in federal dollars, which is a lot of money that could've done a lot of different things," Becker says, referring to the new Medicaid money Tennessee turned away in 2014.... The association will pay for the state's contribution under the deal — taking state taxpayers off the hook. It's not the first time the hospital group has helped finance the state's Medicaid program. "I've heard from several of my counterparts, and they have all said the same thing — that they're really hopeful that perhaps their states will follow the lead of Tennessee," Becker says....
“Haslam heads the Republican Governors Association, and the hospital deal might be up to him to reassure other state leaders that accepting federal Medicaid money doesn't have to trigger a bitter partisan fight.”
Ultra-conservative State governments fears of alienating their angry white base by paying more toward medical care for the poor, thus being “not conservative enough,” has put many poor people in the position of being unable to pay for their individual premiums under the Affordable Care Act, but unable to get the federal stipend to help cover it. When I have tried to get Medicaid to cover my Medicare premium I have been too rich – I have $200.00 above the poverty level cutoff for the Medicaid funded “Extra Help”. As a result I currently have to live on under $1000.00 a month and budget the best I can. States have been very much like Mr. Scrooge with Medicaid, on general principals, begrudging their contribution to the Medicaid fund because they basically believe that being poor is our fault anyway (we refuse to work) and we should be punished, or at any rate it's a case of “not my problem.” In other words, “tough turkey.”
I'm glad to see Tennessee taking the lead on this, and the Hospital Association stepping up to help the state on the matter. They should help, because it is their outrageously high bills that are running the medicals costs up for the most part. Maybe all states who are now following the same path will make the changes necessary and expand their Medicaid coverage, too. I hope so. As for my personal situation, I have now had some automobile expenses and a medical procedure, so I hope my checking account won't look like I'm too wealthy for Medicaid assistance anymore. I plan to reapply soon.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
News Clips For The Day
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/15/1351990/-Dick-Cheney-I-have-no-problem-using-torture-program-against-innocent-persons?detail=email
Dick Cheney: 'I have no problem' using torture program against innocent persons
By Hunter
MON DEC 15, 2014
Yesterday, the former vice president of the United States and one of the architects of the American torture program explained why he was unconcerned about the torture of innocent prisoners.
CHUCK TODD: Let me go to Gul Rahman. He was chained to the wall of his cell, doused with water, froze to death in C.I.A. custody. And it turned out it was a case of mistaken identity.
DICK CHENEY: --right. But the problem I had is with the folks that we did release that end up back on the battlefield. [...] I'm more concerned with bad guys who got out and released than I am with a few that, in fact, were innocent.
CHUCK TODD: 25% of the detainees though, 25% turned out to be innocent. They were released.
DICK CHENEY: Where are you going to draw the line, Chuck? How are-- […]
CHUCK TODD: Is that too high? You're okay with that margin for error?
DICK CHENEY: I have no problem as long as we achieve our objective.
A reminder: some of the most egregious torture cases took place during preparations for theIraq War.
It was during this period that CIA interrogators waterboarded two alleged top al Qaida detainees repeatedly — Abu Zubaydah at least 83 times in August 2002 and Khalid Sheik Muhammed 183 times in March 2003 — according to a newly released Justice Department document.
"There was constant pressure on the intelligence agencies and the interrogators to do whatever it took to get that information out of the detainees, especially the few high-value ones we had, and when people kept coming up empty, they were told by Cheney's and Rumsfeld's people to push harder," he continued.
"Cheney's and Rumsfeld's people were told repeatedly, by CIA . . . and by others, that there wasn't any reliable intelligence that pointed to operational ties between bin Laden and Saddam, and that no such ties were likely because the two were fundamentally enemies, not allies."
Senior administration officials, however, "blew that off and kept insisting that we'd overlooked something, that the interrogators weren't pushing hard enough, that there had to be something more we could do to get that information," he said.
As for the innocent persons who found themselves in the CIA's torture programs, the effects were devastating.
It's difficult to understand how anyone could paint Dick Cheney as anything but a war criminal. Smugly advocating for torture of potential innocents; undertaking a torture program in major part to find "evidence" of an al Qaeda-Iraq link that did not exist—there are no possible legitimizing factors here.
ORIGINALLY POSTED TO HUNTER ON MON DEC 15, 2014 AT 10:27 AM PST.
ALSO REPUBLISHED BY DAILY KOS.
CHUCK TODD: 25% of the detainees though, 25% turned out to be innocent. They were released.... DICK CHENEY: I have no problem as long as we achieve our objective.... according to a newly released Justice Department document. "There was constant pressure on the intelligence agencies and the interrogators to do whatever it took to get that information out of the detainees, especially the few high-value ones we had, and when people kept coming up empty, they were told by Cheney's and Rumsfeld's people to push harder," he continued.... As for the innocent persons who found themselves in the CIA's torture programs, the effects were devastating. It's difficult to understand how anyone could paint Dick Cheney as anything but a war criminal. Smugly advocating for torture of potential innocents; undertaking a torture program in major part to find "evidence" of an al Qaeda-Iraq link that did not exist—there are no possible legitimizing factors here.”
George Bush once said that he went after Saddam Hussein because “he tried to kill my Daddy.” I empathize with that sentiment, but it's not a valid reason to go to war. Nonetheless, Bush and some of his advisors had decided to push the fighting into iraq – who had nothing to do with 9/11 – and they ramrodded it through the legislature. The Neocons then made disastrous and immoral moves as a result, including more than just the torture that occurred. Their ultra right warlike views have done our government and laws lasting damage, causing us to be too similar to a police state. They call it patriotism, but I just call it moving toward fascism. I dread what changes may come next every time more – and increasingly right wing – Republicans are elected to make still more radical moves. The conservatives in this country, though they talk about individualism, are much more like a herd of sheep than they were in the 1950s and 60s. There were free-thinking people among them at that time.
President Obama was one of the few who bucked popular patriotic feeling and didn't vote for the Iraq War. Hillary Clinton did, however, after arguing against it. In other words, she caved in. I have not forgotten that, and when it's time to consider her for the Presidency I will look around for someone else, especially another woman like Elizabeth Warren, to vote for instead of Hillary. A woman president is like a black or Hispanic president, it's high time we had one, but I don't want to elect just any woman. If there is no more liberal choice, I may vote for Hillary in 2016. Status Quo thinking is too prevalent in the country these days, and we need progressive fighters for the average people and for social improvements. Electing a Democrat who is going to be afraid to protect our rights serves no purpose except to keep Republicans out of the White House. That's something, but not enough.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/17/1352496/-Ancient-Egyptian-technology-may-be-our-first-line-of-defense-from-hospital-infections?detail=email
Ancient Egyptian technology may be our first line of defense from hospital infections
By Weinenkel
WED DEC 17, 2014
No matter where in the world you find yourself, hospitals are filled with bacteria and viruses and potential infections for patients. Constanza Correa and her colleagues believe they have found a simple, and very old, fix that could greatly reduce inpatients' chances of infection—replacing bedrails with copper.
Copper definitely wipes out microbes. "Bacteria, yeasts and viruses are rapidly killed on metallic copper surfaces, and the term "contact killing" has been coined for this process," wrote the authors of an article on copper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. That knowledge has been around a very long time. The journal article cites an Egyptian medical text, written around 2600-2000 B.C., that cites the use of copper to sterilize chest wounds and drinking water.
Cassandra D. Salgado, MD (who, besides being a hospital epidemiologist and associate professor of medicine, is also the medical director for infection prevention at the Medical University of South Carolina) explains:
“...that the antimicrobial effect of copper-alloy surfaces is a result of the metal stealing electrons from the bacteria when they come into contact with each other. “Once the bacteria donate the electrons to the copper metal, this places the organism into a state of electrical-charge deficit,” she says. “As a consequence, free radicals are generated inside the cell, which ultimately leads to the cell’s death.”
Early data from a study done where copper rails were used in 3 separate hospitals' ICU units are promising.
Our study demonstrated that placing a copper alloy surface onto 6 common, highly touched objects in ICU rooms reduced the risk of HAI by more than half at all study sites.
Copper hasn't been used because it's cheaper to mass-produce plastics and stainless steel moldings. However, hospital related infections are considerably more of an economic burden for everyone involved.
In industrialized countries, 5 percent of patients develop these infections and the number is three times more in developing countries. These are infections like pneumonia and urinary tract infections. In the United States, the annual direct cost to treat these infections is $40 billion a year. Plus the patient loses time at work. And we don't consider what happens after a patient leaves the hospital. They may get sick [from these infections] later, too.
In the end, the bump in price to install copper bedrails is not that much. The larger question will be whether hospitals get more radical and actually outfit the numerous surfaces that can benefit from the use of copper.
Copper kills everything. Why wouldn't you use it?
"Bacteria, yeasts and viruses are rapidly killed on metallic copper surfaces, and the term "contact killing" has been coined for this process," wrote the authors of an article on copper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. That knowledge has been around a very long time. The journal article cites an Egyptian medical text, written around 2600-2000 B.C., that cites the use of copper to sterilize chest wounds and drinking water.... “...that the antimicrobial effect of copper-alloy surfaces is a result of the metal stealing electrons from the bacteria when they come into contact with each other. “Once the bacteria donate the electrons to the copper metal, this places the organism into a state of electrical-charge deficit,” she says. “As a consequence, free radicals are generated inside the cell, which ultimately leads to the cell’s death.” Early data from a study done where copper rails were used in 3 separate hospitals' ICU units are promising.... Copper hasn't been used because it's cheaper to mass-produce plastics and stainless steel moldings. However, hospital related infections are considerably ..more of an economic burden for everyone involved... These are infections like pneumonia and urinary tract infections. In the United States, the annual direct cost to treat these infections is $40 billion a year. Plus the patient loses time at work. And we don't consider what happens after a patient leaves the hospital. They may get sick [from these infections] later, too."
The term HAI is used in this article, but not defined I don't think. It means “Healthcare associated infections.” Such HAIs are costing $40 billion a year, not to mention the number of people who become so seriously infected that they die. This is one case in which the cost of using copper instead of plastic should not stop our medical facilities from switching over. It's amazing that the Egyptians knew this before anyone had – as far as we know – the skill to makes lenses that would magnify strongly enough to render bacteria visible. They could, by observing the changes in drinking water or wounds as infections multiplied, however, and perhaps guess that there was a living agent. Or maybe they just thought it “purified” things. Still, it's a very advanced idea for that time period. Of course, there are the trepanned skulls, successfully healed over, which have been found in prehistoric sites. That's pretty amazing, too!
Trepanning
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trepanning, also known as trepanation, trephination,trephining or making a burr hole (the verb trepan derives via Old French and therefrom via Medieval Latin from the Greek noun of relevant meaning trypanon, literally "(a) borer, (an) auger")[1][2] is a surgical intervention in which a hole is drilledor scraped into the human skull, exposing the dura mater to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases. It may also refer to any "burr" hole created through other body surfaces, including nail beds. It is often used to relieve pressure beneath a surface. A trephine is an instrument used for cutting out a round piece of skull bone.
In ancient times, holes were drilled into a person who was behaving in what was considered an abnormal way to let out what they believed were evil spirits.[3] Evidence of trepanation has been found in prehistoric human remains from Neolithic times onward. Cave paintings indicate that people believed the practice would cure epileptic seizures, migraines, and mental disorders.[4] The bone that was trepanned was kept by the prehistoric people and may have been worn as a charm to keep evil spirits away. Evidence also suggests that trepanation was primitive emergency surgery after head wounds[5] to remove shattered bits of bone from a fractured skull and clean out the blood that often pools under the skull after a blow to the head. Such injuries were typical for primitive weaponry such as slings and war clubs.[6]
There is some contemporary use of the term. In modern eye surgery, a trephine instrument is used in corneal transplant surgery. The procedure of drilling a hole through a fingernail or toenail is also known as trephination. It is performed by a physician or surgeon to relieve the pain associated with a subungual hematoma (blood under the nail); a small amount of blood is expressed through the hole and the pain associated with the pressure is partially alleviated.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/19/1352929/-Former-Buffalo-cop-fights-for-pension-after-exposing-brutality?detail=email
Former Buffalo cop fights for pension after exposing brutality
Scout Finch
FRI DEC 19, 2014
In 2006, Cariol Horne was a 19-year Buffalo police department veteran. She rushed to assist another officer on a domestic violence call. When she arrived, she was shocked to see another officer abusing the suspect and what happened next changed her life forever. The suspect was already cuffed, but that didn't stop the arresting officer from attacking:
"He was handcuffed in the front and he was sideways and being punched in the face by Gregory Kwiatkowski," explained Horne.
That was just the beginning:
"Gregory Kwiatkowski turned Neal Mack around and started choking him. So then I'm like, 'Greg! You're choking him,' because I thought whatever happened in the house he was still upset about so when he didn't stop choking him I just grabbed his arm from around Neal Mack's neck," said Horne.
From there, Officer Kwiatkowkski turned his attention to Cariol Horne:
"He comes up and punches me in the face and I had to have my bridge replaced," said Horne.
Cariol Horne was fired and denied her pension after a 19-year career. She's lost every appeal and her case is now being reviewed by the City of Buffalo Common Council.
As for Officer Kwiatkowkski?
Officer Kwiatkowski was forced to retire from the police department after he was suspended for choking another officer on the job, and in a separate incident, punching another officer when he was off the clock.
In May 2014, Kwiatowkski and two other officers were indicted on federal civil rights violations against black teen suspects.
Kwiatowkski is accused of holding down one of the teens and shooting him with a BB gun.
Let's hope the City of Buffalo Common Council does the right thing and restores Cariol Horne's full pension.
You can learn more and see WKBW's interview with Cariol Horne here.
"Gregory Kwiatkowski turned Neal Mack around and started choking him. So then I'm like, 'Greg! You're choking him,' because I thought whatever happened in the house he was still upset about so when he didn't stop choking him I just grabbed his arm from around Neal Mack's neck," said Horne. From there, Officer Kwiatkowkski turned his attention to Cariol Horne: "He comes up and punches me in the face and I had to have my bridge replaced," said Horne. Cariol Horne was fired and denied her pension after a 19-year career. She's lost every appeal and her case is now being reviewed by the City of Buffalo Common Council.... Officer Kwiatkowski was forced to retire from the police department after he was suspended for choking another officer on the job, and in a separate incident, punching another officer when he was off the clock.... In May 2014, Kwiatowkski and two other officers were indicted on federal civil rights violations against black teen suspects. Kwiatowkski is accused of holding down one of the teens and shooting him with a BB gun. Let's hope the City of Buffalo Common Council does the right thing and restores Cariol Horne's full pension.
You can learn more and see WKBW's interview with Cariol Horne here (https://www.facebook.com/wkbwtv/posts/10152488461606892).
It's not surprising that Cariol Horne is a young and pretty black woman. The good old boy's network doesn't like outsiders interfering with things, even if what was going on was illegal, immoral and more than a tad obscene in it's cruelty. I don't think most cops, even those who have committed violent abuse, are as bad as Kwiatowkski. I do hope Horne wins her case, gets her pension, and throws a scare into the Buffalo Police Department, because they aren't doing what they should. They waited until Kwiatkowski had also assaulted two police officers and an unmentioned number of young black youths. The DOJ needs to jump in on this one, and possibly a lawsuit by the NAACP or the ACLU or both against the Buffalo PD and the rotten excuse for a "peace officer," Kwiatkowski.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/29/373810455/new-york-mayor-de-blasio-heckled-at-police-graduation-ceremony
New York City Mayor De Blasio Heckled At Police Graduation Ceremony
Eyder Peralta
DECEMBER 29, 2014
Adding to an already tense situation, police cadets heckled New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a graduation ceremony on Monday.
CBS News describes the scene at Madison Square Garden:
" 'Let's be honest about the realities of our society,' de Blasio told the graduating class of more than 800 new officers. 'You'll confront all the problems that plague our society, problems that you didn't create.'"
Immediately after the mayor made that remark, someone from the crowd yelled, 'You did!' to a round of applause."
As we've reported, the rift between the mayor and the police department began after a grand jury refused to indict a police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner. Since then, protests have erupted across the city and a gunman, apparently in response to Garner's death, shot and killed two police officers.
The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association's president, Pat Lynch, accused the mayor of having "blood on his hands."
Reuters reports that as in the past, about a dozen people turned their backs on de Blasio today.
The wire service adds:
"Before he had even finished speaking, the mayor's press office circulated a long, evidently prepared email to journalists.
" 'Want to remind folks that today was not the first time a NYC Mayor has been booed at a police graduation,' Marti Adams, a spokeswoman for the mayor, wrote before pointing reporters to old news reports about de Blasio's three predecessors getting similar treatment.
"The wake for the second slain officer, Wenjian Liu, is due to be held on Saturday in Brooklyn and the funeral on Sunday."
" 'Let's be honest about the realities of our society,' de Blasio told the graduating class of more than 800 new officers. 'You'll confront all the problems that plague our society, problems that you didn't create.'" Immediately after the mayor made that remark, someone from the crowd yelled, 'You did!' to a round of applause."... Since then, protests have erupted across the city and a gunman, apparently in response to Garner's death, shot and killed two police officers.... " 'Want to remind folks that today was not the first time a NYC Mayor has been booed at a police graduation,' Marti Adams, a spokeswoman for the mayor, wrote before pointing reporters to old news reports about de Blasio's three predecessors getting similar treatment.”
I sampled some police comments at a police website since the Ferguson case emerged, and there was very little moderation to be seen among them. They know that they are all under scrutiny, and they are reacting as a group under attack. I understand that, but I don't like it. I want to see those police officers who are decent people to stand up and speak for a just, fair, benign way of doing their job. I'm not saying they don't have a hard job, just that it is possible for police officers to refrain from being downright abusive and ruled by anger every moment. That mindset is a sign of mental illness – not insanity, but viciousness – what I call sin. As Jesus said, humans are “sick with sin!”
I have seen a number of de Blasio's statements, and they have not been against the police. They have been expressive of concern about the unnecessary violence when it occurs and the welfare of all the people in the city, including the poor, the ignorant, the mentally disturbed, and people “whose skin is a different shade.” I quoted that recently I know, but I love the turn of phrase. It's from the wonderful musical play South Pacific. I think de Blasio's statements have been appropriate as the mayor of a city and aimed toward healing community problems, while not coddling the police.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/29/373791213/2-los-angeles-police-officers-attacked-by-gunmen
2 Los Angeles Police Officers Attacked By Gunmen
Eyder Peralta
DECEMBER 29, 2014
The Los Angeles Police Department says two suspects opened fire on a patrol car with a rifle Sunday evening.
KTLA-TV reports:
"Several rounds were shot in the direction of the officers, LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza said.
"'This was a completely unprovoked attack,' she added.
"One of the officers returned fire toward the alleged gunmen, but it was not immediately clear whether either was hit."
The two officers inside the car survived without injuries and one of the suspects was apprehended. But the search for the other suspect resulted in a manhunt through the evening.
The Los Angeles Times reports:
"Police recovered a rifle at the scene of the shooting, which occurred about 9:30 p.m.
"A three-block area around the shooting scene was immediately cordoned off after the attack as police scoured the area with search dogs.
"Just before 11 p.m. LAPD advised residents to stay indoors. 'Armed suspect in the area,' the police station said on Facebook. 'Please keep our officers in your thoughts and prayers!'"
Police departments across the country have been on alert after a gunman shot and killed two New York City Police officers more than a week ago.
There is no word on motive for the attack in Los Angeles.
"Several rounds were shot in the direction of the officers, LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza said. "'This was a completely unprovoked attack,' she added. "One of the officers returned fire toward the alleged gunmen, but it was not immediately clear whether either was hit."... "Police recovered a rifle at the scene of the shooting, which occurred about 9:30 p.m. "A three-block area around the shooting scene was immediately cordoned off after the attack as police scoured the area with search dogs. "Just before 11 p.m. LAPD advised residents to stay indoors. 'Armed suspect in the area,' the police station said on Facebook. 'Please keep our officers in your thoughts and prayers!'"
This is another unprovoked attack on police officers since Ferguson. I understand the anger of black neighborhoods, especially in areas where police abuse has been commonplace, but these killings won't forward the cause of justice, and will only increase the rancor on both sides of the issue. We need a new Martin Luther King – disciplined, highly intelligent, ethical, persistent, but passive under attack by police. Lacking that, we need a group of committed neighborhood organizers of all colors across this whole nation who will work to improve the living situation in the black neighborhoods (and other poor neighborhoods), file lawsuits against very aggressive policemen and their departments, and work cooperatively with those police departments who will do likewise in return.
De Blasio strikes me as a good leader for forming interracial ties and yet continuing to put pressure on all the transgressions that occur, by both the police and the communities. More marching, more talking, more legal work, and efforts to get blacks ready to vote no matter what the state voting rules are, and less rioting and police abuse are necessary for constructive change. Acting in anger exacerbates anger. We all know that, but it's hard to be the first to put it into action.
http://www.npr.org/2014/12/28/373519521/fleeing-to-dismal-swamp-slaves-and-outcasts-found-freedom
Fleeing To Dismal Swamp, Slaves And Outcasts Found Freedom
Sandy Hausman
DECEMBER 28, 2014
Most Americans know about the Underground Railroad, the route that allowed Southern slaves to escape North. Some slaves found freedom by hiding closer to home, however — in Great Dismal Swamp.
The swamp is a vast wetland in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. In George Washington's time, it was a million acres of trees, dark water, bears, bobcats, snakes and stinging insects. British settlers, who first arrived in 1607, believed the swamp was haunted.
By 1620, some of their slaves may have overcome that fear to find freedom there.
Hidden Islands Of Resistance Communities
Today, 112,000 acres of swamp remain, and archaeologist Daniel Sayers has explored many of them. He's found large islands where escaped slaves settled.
"When you're walking through a thousand feet of the briars and the water, the mosquitoes are eating you alive, sweating bullets, and you're almost exhausted, and then suddenly your foot's no longer squishing in the peat but now it's walking on dry ground and crunchy leaves — it blows your mind," Sayers says. "You can't imagine people not living there."
He's now written about life on these islands in a new book,A Desolate Place for a Defiant People. He believes 10 generations of escaped slaves lived here, along with Native Americans who'd been driven off their land and whites who were shunned by mainstream society.
Since 2003, he's found thousands of artifacts during Great Dismal Swamp digs. In his laboratory at American University, he unwraps several: bits of clay tobacco pipes, nails and traces of at least a dozen cabins, along with what could have been an arsenal — a place where Sayers found gun flints and lead shot.
"Make no mistake about it. These were resistance communities. They weren't going out there because they loved swamps," he says. "They were going out there because they were living in a very brutal and oppressive world of enslavement and colonialism."
Ancestors Calling
News of these finds is exciting for professional and amateur historians like Eric Shepherd, a resident of Suffolk, Va., who organizes tours to help African-Americans get in touch with their roots.
"As our ancestors are calling us to look for them, I think we ought to pick up the spiritual phone and answer the call," he says.
Research led Shepherd to a distant relative named Moses Grandy, who left an account of his time in the swamp around 1800. He first went there to dig canals so his master could cut and transport timber.
"The labor there was very severe," Grandy wrote. "The ground is often very boggy: the negroes are up to the middle or much deeper in mud and water, cutting away roots and baling out mud: if they can keep their heads above water, they work on. ... [The overseer] gave the same task to each slave; of course the weak ones often failed to do it. I have often seen him tie up persons and flog them in the morning, only because they were unable to get the previous day's task done."
Grandy was skilled at handling boats, and sometimes his master allowed him to work for others, sharing the money that he made moonlighting. Over the years, Grandy saved enough to buy his own freedom. He could have headed north. Instead, he returned to live in the swamp.
"I built myself a little hut, and had provisions brought to me as opportunity served," Grandy wrote. "Here, among snakes, bears and panthers, whenever my strength was sufficient, I cut down a juniper tree, and converted it into cooper's timber. ... I felt to myself so light, that I almost thought I could fly, and in my sleep I was always dreaming of flying over woods and rivers."
"Slavery will teach any man to be glad when he gets freedom," Grandy wrote.
Such stories, along with some of the artifacts Sayers found, will be on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African-American History and Culture when it opens in 2016.
Moses Grandy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Moses Grandy (c. 1786[nb 1] - unknown), was an African-American author, abolitionist, and, for more than the first four decades of his life, an enslaved person. At eight years of age he became the property of his playmate, James Grandy and two years later he was hired out for work. The monies Moses earned were collected and held until James Grandy turned 21. Grandy helped build the Great Dismal Swamp Canal and learned how to navigate boats. It was that skill that led him to be made commander of several boats that traveled the canal andPasquotank River, transporting merchandise from Elizabeth City, North Carolina to Norfolk, Virginia. The position allowed him to be better fed, shod and dressed. Able to keep a portion of his earnings, Grandy arranged to buy his freedom twice and twice his owners kept the money and held him in slavery. An arrangement was made for an honorable man to buy him and Grandy earned the money to buy his freedom a third time, this time successfully.
In the course of his life he had witnessed beatings and sales of family members, including his first bride when they were married but eight months. Once he obtained his freedom, he worked to make the money to free his wife and children. He was able to secure the release of his wife and 15-year-old son. He dictated a narrative of his life, Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy, Late a Slave in the United States of America, with the intention of buying the freedom of additional family members.
His slave narrative, and others, read in the United States and overseas, helped to bring awareness of slavery and fuel the abolitionist movement.
“British settlers, who first arrived in 1607, believed the swamp was haunted. By 1620, some of their slaves may have overcome that fear to find freedom there. Hidden Islands Of Resistance Communities – Today, 112,000 acres of swamp remain, and archaeologist Daniel Sayers has explored many of them. He's found large islands where escaped slaves settled.... He's now written about life on these islands in a new book,A Desolate Place for a Defiant People. He believes 10 generations of escaped slaves lived here, along with Native Americans who'd been driven off their land and whites who were shunned by mainstream society.... Research led Shepherd to a distant relative named Moses Grandy, who left an account of his time in the swamp around 1800. He first went there to dig canals so his master could cut and transport timber.... Grandy was skilled at handling boats, and sometimes his master allowed him to work for others, sharing the money that he made moonlighting. Over the years, Grandy saved enough to buy his own freedom. He could have headed north. Instead, he returned to live in the swamp.”
Moses Grandy was quite a man. I have ordered his autobiography from Amazon and should get it soon. I look forward to reading this, and I plan to pass it around in my family, on the promise that they will send it back to me when finished. The Dismal Swamp, also, is one of my favorite places. In the 1970's I stayed a little over a year at my parents house in Plymouth, NC – my father was a lumber inspector and was working at a Georgia Pacific plant grading lumber for them to sell. We sometimes went out in a rowboat on the Dismal Swamp Canal. Other than the mosquitoes, it was a great way to spend time. One of my favorite memories is of a Great Blue Heron lifting skyward from the edge of the water. We also saw a bear, raccoons and other wildlife, but I don't remember any alligators. According to Wikipedia, they do live there, however.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/28/373648101/pope-john-paul-iis-would-be-assassin-lays-roses-at-his-tomb
Pope John Paul II's Would-Be Assassin Lays Roses At His Tomb
Scott Neuman
DECEMBER 28, 2014
The Turkish man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II and subsequently spent three decades in jail, has laid flowers at the tomb of the former pontiff.
Mehmet Ali Ağca shot John Paul twice at close range on May 13, 1981 as the pope was traveling in an open car through St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, an attack that left the pope in critical condition.
The gunman was quickly arrested. John Paul recovered and later met Ağca in prison, where the pontiff forgave his would-be killer.
At the time of the shooting, Ağca, now 56, had been a member of the right-wing Turkish nationalist group known as the Grey Wolves. He was sentenced to life in prison for the attempt on the pope's life as well as for the murder of a Turkish journalist two years before. He was subsequently released in 2010.
Reuters reports:
"Ağca called the Italian daily la Repubblica on Saturday to announce he had arrived in the Vatican, his first visit since the assassination attempt and exactly 31 years after John Paul met him in prison.
"The visit was confirmed to Reuters by Father Ciro Benedettini, the Vatican's deputy spokesman, who said Ağca stood for a few moments in silent meditation over the tomb in St. Peter's Basilica before leaving two bunches of white roses."
By way of background, Newsweek writes:
"The assassination attempt prompted the Vatican to add glass to the vehicle used to transport the pope during public visits, nicknamed the 'Popemobile.' Pope Francis said this year it is his preference not to use the bulletproof vehicle because it distances him from people.
"It's still unclear why Ağca attempted to assassinate the pope; originally, he testified that he had been on a solo mission. Later on, he said that the attack had been planned by Soviet and Bulgarian secret services. A 2006 investigation led by an Italian parliamentary commission corroborates said claim; the investigative team said the attack had been orchestrated by former Soviet Union leaders 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' At the time, Ağca ... was sought by Turkish police for various crimes, including armed robbery, when he attempted to murder the Pope."
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/asktheexpert/nov7.html
What part did Pope John Paul II play in opposing Communism in Eastern Europe?
Steven Gertz answers your questions. | posted 8/08/2008
To understand Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II's birth name) and his part in the collapse of Communism is to remember this man lived under oppression and tyranny for much of his life. Wojtyla had barely turned 19 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, and the regime forced him into manual labor, first as a quarryman and blaster, and later as a factory worker in a chemical plant. But Wojtyla refused to bow to Nazi propaganda; he joined UNIA, a broad-based armed resistance movement trying to save Jews from the Holocaust. Later, he entered an underground seminary, where Adam Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow, reinforced and guided his thinking about human dignity and freedom.
Yet Soviet "liberation" of occupied Poland brought only further repression. And for 33 years, Wojtyla would promote Christianity and religious freedom under threat of a regime attempting to squash any opposition to atheistic totalitarian rule. Rising to the position of archbishop of Krakow in 1963, he carefully avoided direct criticism of the government, but spread his philosophy of Christian "humanism" through a series of poem-cycles that, in effect, worked to undermine the Marxist foundation of Communism. Yet clashes were inevitable—he encountered fierce opposition in his efforts to create 11 new parishes through door-to-door evangelism, and Soviet authorities tried to stop him from publicly leading Catholics in Poland's Corpus Christi procession, a medieval feast day celebrated every June.
Wojtyla's election as pope in 1978 armed him with an international following that, in retrospect, cowed even the Soviet empire. "Be not afraid" became his rallying cry, and following a 1979 address to the U.N. General Assembly in which he challenged the free world to defend human rights, he embarked on a courageous but dangerous nine-day public pilgrimage to "strengthen the brethren" in Poland. There he warned Communist authorities that the papacy would watch them closely, and he reminded them of their responsibility "before history and before your conscience." The people responded to John Paul II's visit with loyalty borne of years of shared suffering—banners with the Communist party slogan "The Party Is for the People" sported the daring addition, ". . . but the People are for the Pope."
John Paul II's example encouraged other leading church authorities, such as the Czech Cardinal Frantisek Tomasek, to become fierce critics of Communism. His visit also inspired an unemployed electrician named Lech Walesa to form in 1980 the Soviet Union's first and only trade union—Solidarity—that in the words of French political scientist Alain Besancon gave the Poles back "the private ownership of their tongues." Soviet authorities feared Solidarity could undermine Soviet power, and the Warsaw Pact planned an invasion and mass arrest of Solidarity's leaders. John Paul II intervened by writing directly to Soviet president Leonid Brezhnev, giving his support to Solidarity and warning against the consequences of such an action. While this only delayed a crackdown, the pope had set a precedent. In 1989, when Solidarity swept available seats in a semi-free election, no one doubted who to credit for the moral fiber that had held the party together.
On December 1, 1989, Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev visited John Paul II in the Vatican. It marked the extraordinary end to hostilities between Rome and Moscow—and the triumph of Christian faith over Communism. Taking his wife Raisa by the hand, introduced her to John Paul II. "Raisa Maximovna, I have the honor to introduce the highest moral authority on earth." Then he joked, "And he's Slavic, like us!"
“The gunman was quickly arrested. John Paul recovered and later met Ağca in prison, where the pontiff forgave his would-be killer. At the time of the shooting, Ağca, now 56, had been a member of the right-wing Turkish nationalist group known as the Grey Wolves. He was sentenced to life in prison for the attempt on the pope's life as well as for the murder of a Turkish journalist two years before. He was subsequently released in 2010.... "The visit was confirmed to Reuters by Father Ciro Benedettini, the Vatican's deputy spokesman, who said Ağca stood for a few moments in silent meditation over the tomb in St. Peter's Basilica before leaving two bunches of white roses."... A 2006 investigation led by an Italian parliamentary commission corroborates said claim; the investigative team said the attack had been orchestrated by former Soviet Union leaders 'beyond a reasonable doubt.'”
The Pope was shot on May 13, 1981. Gorbachev was general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1985 to 1991 and president of the Soviet Union in 1990–91. The Russian leader in 1981 was Leonid Brezhnev. President Grobachev was, in my eyes, an enlightened leader and reached out for detente during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Under his tenure the opening of East Germany occurred, with the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall. That scene from news footage is one that I remember well. Unfortunately now, under Putin, Russia is apparently trying to grab back some of the USSR's former territory. He denies that, of course.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Saturday, December 20, 2014
News Clips For The Day
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marco-rubios-fury-over-the-cuba-shift-shows-why-obama-made-the-right-move/2014/12/17/42ead216-8632-11e4-b9b7-b8632ae73d25_story.html?tid=rssfeed
Marco Rubio’s fury over the Cuba shift shows why Obama made the right move
By Dana Milbank Opinion writer
December 17, 2014
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the Republican Party’s point man on Cuba, seemed to be struggling to contain his fury as he responded to President Obama’s move Wednesday to normalize relations with the Cold War foe.
The Cuban American legislator, addressing a roomful of reporters and photographers in the Capitol, chopped the air with his right hand, fired off terse answers to questions and, frequently raising his voice, spat insults at the Obama administration:
“Absurd.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marco-rubio-says-rand-paul-has-no-idea-what-hes-talking-about-on-cuba/
Marco Rubio says Rand Paul "has no idea what he's talking about" on Cuba
CBS NEWS December 19, 2014
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, had said his Kentucky colleague Sen. Rand Paul "like many people who have been opining, has no idea what he's talking about."
Paul was the first of the major potential Republican presidential candidates to say anything positive about the President's move toward normalizing relations with Cuba. In an interview Thursday with WVHU, he said that he thought "opening up Cuba is probably a good idea." Paul feels the five-decade embargo against Cuba "just hasn't worked," and "probably, it punishes the people more than the regime because the regime can blame the embargo for hardship."
Rubio, who was interviewed on "The Kelly File" on Fox News, agreed that the embargo is imperfect, saying it "quite frankly has a bunch of holes in it," but he went on to say that "the embargo is not what's hurting people--it's the lack of freedom and the lack of competent leaders."
Rand Paul's Comments:
Senator Rand Paul ✔ @SenRandPaul
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Hey @marcorubio if the embargo doesn't hurt Cuba, why do you want to keep it?
Senator Rand Paul ✔ @SenRandPaul
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The United States trades and engages with other communist nations, such as China and Vietnam. So @marcorubio why not Cuba?
Senator Rand Paul ✔ @SenRandPaul
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Senator @marcorubio is acting like an isolationist who wants to retreat to our borders and perhaps build a moat. I reject this isolationism.
Hating Obama vocally is many a Republican's primary way to feed some “red meat” to their base. They hate him no matter what he does. Senator Rand Paul, on the other hand, disputes Rubio's position. As far as I'm concerned, it's definitely time we normalized our relationship with Cuba. The era of reasonable fear that Cuba would be a tool of Russia in a nuclear conflict with the US is over, I think. On NPR radio a few minutes ago they said that our farmers may make billions more annually with Cuba as a new trading partner. Cuba buys almost all of its food, and they have been trading a great deal with China until this point. Hopefully Congress won't kill Obama's move on Cuban relations.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/video-appears-to-show-nypd-beating-teen/
Video appears to show NYPD beating teen
ByCRIMESIDER STAFFCBS NEWS
December 19, 2014
NEW YORK - The NYPD said its Internal Affairs Bureau is reviewing an incident after video of a violent confrontation between a teenager and police was posted online, reports CBS New York.
The video posted Wednesday shows three uniformed officers holding the teen while an officer in street clothing runs up and repeatedly punches him.
Witnesses reportedly believed the boy to be 12-years-old, but police said he's 16.
The NYPD said the teen was arrested with two others for allegedly assaulting another person with a cane.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nypd-officer-suspended-after-allegedly-punching-teen-suspect/
NYPD officer suspended after allegedly punching teen suspect
CBS/AP December 20, 2014
NEW YORK -- A New York police officer seen on a smartphone video punching a teenage suspect during an arrest has been suspended.
New York Police Department officials announced the suspension on Friday but didn't name the officer.
The arrest occurred Monday after police responded to a report of an assault in Manhattan. The video shows several uniformed officers struggling to handcuff a 16-year-old boy before a plainclothes officer rushes in and throws two punches.
In the video, which was posted online on Wednesday, a woman can be heard yelling at the officers to stop what they're doing.
Another woman says she can't believe what she's seeing after "everything that's happened," an apparent reference to the chokehold death of Eric Garner.
Garner's fatal confrontation with a police officer was partially caught on camera. A grand jury decision not to indict the officer in Garner's death sparked protests across New York and the U.S.
New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating Monday's incident.
"An individual that we have identified as a plainclothes anti-crime officer runs up and appears to strike the individual with a closed fist twice on the side of the body," Bratton said. "That officer has been suspended pending the investigation going forward."
"There doesn't seem to be any legitimate reason for it," police procedure expert Robert McRie, a professor at John Jay College, told CBS New York. "The arrestee was pinned up against the hood of a car, he wasn't moving at the time the blows were delivered and he was in no position to escape."
McRie added, "A police officer who does something like that to someone who's already subdued is due for disciplinary action."
Sources told CBS New York the teenager is named Denzel Funderburk. He and two others, ages 16 and 17, were allegedly screaming "murder gang" as they beat a man with a cane. The 20-year-old victim suffered a broken jaw.
According to CBS New York, all three teenagers were charged with gang assault. Funderburk was also arrested for assault, obstruction, criminal possession of a weapon and other charges, the station said.
The three youths were arrested for assault with a cane, which is a violent crime. I don't like these “punishment” beatings, however, because the extra violence on the part of the police involved is not, or should not be, within the police officer's rights and it is hardly “professional conduct.” That's what happened in the Rodney King case, one of the first of these cases to be caught on video. . Police should use no more violence than is actually necessary to complete the arrest.
Today's followup article on CBS does say that the police officer who threw the punches while the suspect was being held has been suspended for excess violence. I hope John Q Public will continue to walk around with their cell phone cameras and video these events when they occur. During the Ferguson demonstrations police arrested at least one member of the press for videoing the police activity. That, too, should not be within their rights. Freedom of the press is one of our most important rights in this society. Silence on abuses like these fosters more and more abuse.
When I searched “Plain clothes anti-crime officer” I got the following from Wikipedia. The Street Crimes Unit, described as a “plain clothes anti-crime unit.” Under the NYPD Street Crimes Unit, which supposedly was disbanded in 2002 following a police killing, I found the information below. That description as a type of police officer is apparently still in use within the NYPD, however, judging from today's CBS news article. I would like to know more about them, their record, and their mandate.
Street Crimes Unit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New York Police Department's Street Crime Unit (motto: "We Own The Night") was a plain clothes anti-crime unit. The SCU was formed in 1971 as the "City Wide Anti-Crime Unit" and operated for decades tasked with the apprehension of armed felons from the streets of New York City, however it was disbanded in 2002, following the controversial killing of Amadou Diallo. …
Methods[edit]
From 1971-99, the unit was made up of 60 to 100 members. In 2000 it expanded to 300 members. It employed innovative methods, including possibly the earliest coordinated sting operations to elicit potential muggers. According to Criminal Justice Today: "The SCU disguised officers as potential mugging victims and put them in areas where they were most likely to be attacked."[3]
The SCU would go into high-crime neighborhoods and make a much larger number of firearms-related arrests in comparison to regular police departments. In 1973, the SCU
won recognition as an Exemplary Project from the U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration. The LEAA was the United States' leading crime-reduction and crime-prevention funding agency. "In its first year, the SCU made nearly 4,000 arrests and averaged a successful conviction rate of around 80%. Perhaps the most telling statistic was the 'average officer day per arrest'." The SCU invested 8.2 days in each arrest, whereas the department average for all uniformed officers was 167 days."[4]
Law Enforcement Assistance Administration
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) was a U.S. federal agency within the U.S. Dept. of Justice. It administered federal funding to state and local law enforcement agencies, and funded educational programs, research, state planning agencies, and local crime initiatives.
The LEAA was established by the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and was abolished in 1982. Its predecessor agency was the Office of Law Enforcement Assistance (1965–1968). Its successor agencies were the Office of Justice Assistance, Research, and Statistics (1982–1984) and the Office of Justice Programs(1984–).[1]
LEAA included the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, which had its functions absorbed by the National Institute of Justice on December 27, 1979, with passage of the Justice System Improvement Act of 1979.[2] The Act, which amended the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, also led to creation of the Bureau of Justice Statistics.[3] LEAA also included the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals.
In March 1973, the LEAA ordered any police department receiving federal funding to end minimum height requirements, which most women could not meet.[4]
Office of Justice Programs – http://ojp.gov/
About Us
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. Therefore, OJP does not directly carry out law enforcement and justice activities. Instead, OJP works in partnership with the justice
community to identify the most pressing crime-related challenges confronting the justice system and to provide information, training, coordination, and innovative strategies and approaches for addressing these challenges.
Office of Justice Programs Goals
Strengthen partnerships with state, local and tribal stakeholders.
Ensure integrity of, and respect for, science - including a focus on evidence-based, "smart on crime" approaches in criminal and juvenile justice.
Administer OJP’s grant awards process in a fair, accessible and transparent fashion - and, as good stewards of federal funds, manage the grants system in a manner that avoids waste, fraud and abuse.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korea-responds-to-sony-hack-attack-allegations/
North Korea responds to Sony hack attack allegations
CBS/AP December 20, 2014, 6:47 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea on Saturday proposed a joint investigation with the U.S. into the hacking attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment, warning of "serious" consequences if Washington rejects a probe that it believes would prove Pyongyang had nothing to do with the cyberattack.
The proposal was seen by analysts as a typical ploy by the North to try to show that it is sincere, even though it knows the U.S. would never accept its offer for a joint investigation.
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports that, according to law enforcement sources, North Korea hacked into the Sony network by stealing the login credentials of one of the company's computer system administrators. Once logged in, the hackers wiped out hard drives, stole personal data and revealed embarrassing e-mails.
The break-in escalated to terrorist threats that caused Sony to cancel the Christmas Day release of the movie "The Interview." The comedy is about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
On Saturday, an unidentified North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman in Pyongyang proposed the joint investigation with the U.S., saying the North knows how to prove it's not responsible for the hacking. He also said Washington was slandering Pyongyang by spreading unfounded rumors.
CBS News senior national security analyst Juan Zarate said on "CBS This Morning: Saturday" that North Korea's denial of any role in the attack are related to the FBI not wanting to reveal too much about what the U.S. knows about the country and how it obtained its information.
"North Korea knows that, and they know we're going to have difficulty talking publicly about the proof behind why they were behind the attack," Zarate said.
Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University, called the North's proposal a "typical" tactic the country has taken in similar disputes with rival countries. In 2010, North Korea proposed a joint investigation after a South Korean-led international team concluded that the North was behind a torpedo attack that killed 46 South Korean sailors, though Pyongyang denied its involvement. South Korea rejected the North's offer for the joint probe.
"They are now talking about a joint investigation because they think there is no conclusive evidence," Koh said. "But the U.S. won't accede to a joint investigation for the crime."
On Friday, President Obama declared that Sony "made a mistake" in shelving the satirical film about a plot to assassinate the North Korean leader, and pledged that the U.S. would respond "in a place and manner and time that we choose" to the hacking attack on Sony that led to the movie's withdrawal.
"I wish they had spoken to me first. ... We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship," Mr. Obama said at a year-end news conference, speaking of executives at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Sony said it had had no choice but to cancel distribution of the movie because theaters were refusing to show it.
U.S. options for acting against North Korea are limited. The U.S. already has severe trade sanctions in place, and there is no appetite for military action. Even if investigators could identify and prosecute the individual hackers believed responsible, there's no guarantee that any located are overseas would ever see a U.S. courtroom. Hacking back at North Korean targets by U.S. government experts could encourage further attacks against American targets.
North Korea and the U.S. remain in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The rivals also are locked in an international standoff over the North's nuclear and missile programs and its alleged human rights abuses.
Earlier Saturday, North Korea angrily denounced a move by the United Nations to bring its human rights record before the Security Council and renewed its threat to further bolster its nuclear deterrent against what it called a hostile policy by the U.S. to topple its ruling regime.
Pyongyang "vehemently and categorically rejects" the resolution passed by the U.N. General Assembly that could open the door for its leaders, including Kim Jong Un, to be hauled before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, according to a Foreign Ministry statement carried by KCNA.
The Security Council is due to meet Monday to discuss Pyongyang's human rights situation for the first time.
The meeting caps almost a year of international pressure, and even though ally China could use its veto power to block any action against the North, the nonbinding resolution has broad support in the General Assembly and has drawn unusually strong and vitriolic protests from Pyongyang.
"The U.S. should bear in mind that it will face serious consequences in case it rejects our proposal for joint investigation and presses for what it called countermeasures while finding fault with" North Korea, the spokesman said in a statement carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA. "We have a way to prove that we have nothing to do with the case without resorting to torture, as the CIA does," he said, adding that the U.S. lacks any specific evidence tying North Korea to the hacking.... Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University, called the North's proposal a "typical" tactic the country has taken in similar disputes with rival countries. In 2010, North Korea proposed a joint investigation after a South Korean-led international team concluded that the North was behind a torpedo attack that killed 46 South Korean sailors, though Pyongyang denied its involvement. South Korea rejected the North's offer for the joint probe.... "I wish they had spoken to me first. ... We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship," Mr. Obama said at a year-end news conference, speaking of executives at Sony Pictures Entertainment. Sony said it had had no choice but to cancel distribution of the movie because theaters were refusing to show it. U.S. options for acting against North Korea are limited. The U.S. already has severe trade sanctions in place, and there is no appetite for military action. Even if investigators could identify and prosecute the individual hackers believed responsible, there's no guarantee that any located are overseas would ever see a U.S. Courtroom.... The Security Council is due to meet Monday to discuss Pyongyang's human rights situation for the first time.
I wonder what action the Security Council might take against North Korea. They only seem to deliver more and more economic sanctions. Of course, I wouldn't want to see a hot war rather than the current cold war status against them. It was interesting that Russia invited Kim Jong Un to visit Putin next month. Russia probably wouldn't want to have a military confrontation with the US, even with the assistance of North Korea. I think that though Putin talks threateningly, he is not up for a war, especially with the possibility of a nuclear interaction. I don't trust Putin to be honest in his dealings, but I do trust him to be basically intelligent.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamas-fast-and-loose-press-conference/
Obama's fast and loose press conference
By JOHN DICKERSON CBS NEWS December 20, 2014
President Obama has a more than 11-hour flight ahead of him to Hawaii, but at his press conference on Friday it felt like he was already on vacation. He was loose as he joked with a Politico reporter about the magazine's new Brussels' bureau, admitted to another he'd forgotten the back half of her list of questions, and even interrupted his remarks to say "bless you" to someone who sneezed. Before leaving the podium he offered the traditional Hawaiian Christmas salutation (Bing Crosby earworm available here). But if it seemed like he might let slip the cocktail umbrella up his sleeve into a fruity drink, Obama was more serious about the messages he was sending to everyone from the North Korean dictator to Sony executives and the network television bosses who wouldn't air his address about immigration last month.
In November, President Obama's party took a pounding at the polls. In the press conference the day after, Obama avoided offering a word or descriptive phrase to encapsulate the catastrophe. (It's something he and past presidents have often done in the wake of a drubbing.) He then sort of refused to take the loss, reminding the world that he too had a constituency: the voters who elected him and re-elected him, a larger group than had just handed Republicans control of the Senate.
In the 40 days between that press conference and the one he gave Friday, the president has worked that same seam--unburdened and loose from having no more elections to face. First, he announced his support for strong net neutrality,then he announced a climate deal with China--secret and long in the making--that helped jump-start progress in global talks, then he issued the executive order protecting as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants. After that came an EPA ruling on ozone emissions, a budget deal to keep the government open, and the historic deal opening diplomatic relations with Cuba.
This press conference was an exclamation point on this dash in his presidency. Obama clearly seemed pleased with the way things have been going. He said he still remained open to working with Republicans, and he said nothing ill of them. His goal next year, he said, was to separate those things that he and Republicans agree on (tax reform, infrastructure improvements, and trade) from those things they will fight passionately over (everything else). 2015 is going to be an exciting year, with Republicans anxious to show they can govern and the president anxious to show he's still got more punch.
Obama did have a little chin music for network television executives whose representatives he didn't call on during the 45-minute event. He only called on female correspondents, in another sign that in ways big and small he's going to do things his way. The president said he thought Sony executives had made a mistake removing The Interview from theaters. "That's not who we are," he said.
In fact, Obama had a lot to say about who we are. Asked about race relations in America, he expanded his remarks to talk about the general resilience and goodness of the American people. It was his own long-standing paean to American Exceptionalism, though his critics say he is only capable of running down the country.
"The vast majority of people are just trying to do the right thing. People are basically good and have good intentions," he said. He said his general theme for the end of the year was, "We've gone through difficult times. ... But through persistent effort and faith in the American people, things get better. The economy has gotten better. Our ability to generate clean energy has gotten better. We know more about how to educate our kids. We solve problems. Ebola is a real crisis. You get a mistake in the first case because it's not something that's been seen before. We fix it. You have some unaccompanied children who spike at a border. And it may not get fixed in the time frame of the news cycle, but it gets fixed. And, you know, part of what I hope, as we reflect on the new year, this should generate is some confidence. America knows how to solve problem s. And when we work together, we can't be stopped."
The president said next year will be the fourth quarter of his presidency. An exciting time, he said. Perhaps that will be true if he's got surprises like the ones he unveiled in the past 40 days--the deals with China and Cuba were covert operations. But presidencies aren't like sporting events. Every morning after the final election of a second term, the valet will lay out the lame-duck suit on his chair. The president has vigorously resisted it so far. He will need to rest up on vacation because it will be waiting for him when he returns.
ear·worm
ˈi(ə)rˌwərm/
noun
1. 1.
short for corn earworm.
2. 2.
informal
a catchy song or tune that runs continually through a person's mind.
“This press conference was an exclamation point on this dash in his presidency. Obama clearly seemed pleased with the way things have been going. He said he still remained open to working with Republicans, and he said nothing ill of them. His goal next year, he said, was to separate those things that he and Republicans agree on (tax reform, infrastructure improvements, and trade) from those things they will fight passionately over (everything else).... Obama did have a little chin music for network television executives whose representatives he didn't call on during the 45-minute event. He only called on female correspondents, in another sign that in ways big and small he's going to do things his way.... In fact, Obama had a lot to say about who we are. Asked about race relations in America, he expanded his remarks to talk about the general resilience and goodness of the American people.... “... And, you know, part of what I hope, as we reflect on the new year, this should generate is some confidence. America knows how to solve problem s. And when we work together, we can't be stopped."
Writer John Dickerson of Slate.com seems to be a little annoyed at President Obama's humorous mood, and even suggested a little involvement with alcohol in his “cocktail umbrella” comment, but I personally doubt that Obama had had anything to drink. I think he has had a successful series of executive actions, and is not concerned about the conservative viewpoint. He did achieve half a dozen things that I wanted, as a progressive Democrat. If he's a little giddy that he's going on vacation, I think he deserves to relax. He has never complained about the abusive things that some of those people have aimed his way, and hasn't become discouraged. I hope he has a very merry Christmas in Hawaii.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-wont-stop-same-sex-marriage-in-florida/
Supreme Court won't stop same-sex marriage in Florida
AP December 19, 2014
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday refused to block gay marriages in Florida, the latest of about three dozen states allowing same-sex weddings.
In a one-paragraph order, the court decided not to step into the Florida case. A federal judge previously declared Florida's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional and said same-sex marriage licenses could start being issued in the state after Jan. 5 unless the Supreme Court intervened.
"This is a thrilling day for all Florida families," Daniel Tilley, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties of Florida, said in a statement. "As we explained to the court, every day that the ban remains in place, couples are suffering real harms. We are grateful that the court recognized that, and that as a result, those days are finally coming to an end."
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has fought to uphold the state's ban, said in a statement that her goal was "to have uniformity" throughout the state while various legal challenges were pursued in both state and federal courts.
"Nonetheless, the Supreme Court has now spoken, and the stay will end on Jan. 5," Bondi said.
In August, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle declared the state's ban unconstitutional, but he put his ruling on hold until after Jan. 5 pending appeals.
Like many other judges and appellate courts, Hinkle ruled the ban approved by voters in 2008 violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection.
Bondi had tried to persuade a federal appeals court in Atlanta to keep Hinkle's ruling on hold. The appeals court rejected the request so Bondi went to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who oversees emergency appeals from Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
The entire court wound up considering the petition. The order said only Thomas and Justice Antonin Scalia would have kept the stay in place.
Bondi said if the ban was struck down, some, but not all, county clerks in Florida would begin issuing marriage licenses, causing confusion throughout the state. She said that would happen because the lawsuit against Florida's ban only named the clerk in tiny Washington County in the Panhandle.
The state clerks association has warned its members that they could be risking misdemeanor prosecution under state law if they issue licenses before the question is fully settled. It is unclear how many plan to take that advice.
Tilley said his group expects "public officials in all of Florida's 67 counties to understand the significance of this development and look forward to full implementation of Judge Hinkle's decision across our state."
State judges in four South Florida counties have declared the same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, but those decisions are also being appealed by Bondi and no marriage licenses have been issued.
On the federal level, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has upheld the right of four states to decide whether to allow gay marriage.
“In a one-paragraph order, the court decided not to step into the Florida case. A federal judge previously declared Florida's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional and said same-sex marriage licenses could start being issued in the state after Jan. 5 unless the Supreme Court intervened.... Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has fought to uphold the state's ban, said in a statement that her goal was "to have uniformity" throughout the state while various legal challenges were pursued in both state and federal courts. "Nonetheless, the Supreme Court has now spoken, and the stay will end on Jan. 5," Bondi said.... The state clerks association has warned its members that they could be risking misdemeanor prosecution under state law if they issue licenses before the question is fully settled. It is unclear how many plan to take that advice. Tilley said his group expects "public officials in all of Florida's 67 counties to understand the significance of this development and look forward to full implementation of Judge Hinkle's decision across our state."
I hope this decision does result in Florida's citizens having the right to sleep and partner with whoever they want to. I just don't think gays hurt anybody by their listening to another drummer. If they aren't born gay, they become inclined in that direction at a very young age, and can't be “cured” of it. Besides, the American Psychiatric Association has stopped considering homosexuality a “mental illness.” The following article gives some history on the subject and is very interesting. http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/faculty_sites/rainbow/html/facts_mental_health.html –
“Facts About Homosexuality and Mental Health.” It's too long to include here, but I suggest you read it. I have placed it in my blog called Thoughts And Researches, at manessmorrison2.blogspot.com.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-court-rejects-obama-decision-to-delist-great-lakes-wolf-popuation/
Federal court puts gray wolf back on endangered species list
CBS NEWS/AP December 19, 2014
A federal judge on Friday threw out an Obama administration decision to remove the gray wolf population in the western Great Lakes region from the endangered species list -- a decision that will ban further wolf hunting and trapping in three states.
The order affects wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dropped federal protections from those wolves in 2012 and handed over management to the states.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., ruled Friday the removal was "arbitrary and capricious" and violated the federal Endangered Species Act.
Unless overturned, his decision will prohibit further wolf hunting and trapping in the three states, all of which have had at least one hunting season since protections were removed. More than 1,500 Great Lakes wolves have been killed since federal protections were removed, said Jonathan Lovvorn, senior vice president of the Humane Society of the United States. The group filed a lawsuit that prompted Howell's ruling.
"We are pleased that the court has recognized that the basis for the delisting decision was flawed, and would stop wolf recovery in its tracks," Lovvorn said.
Since the federal protection was dropped, the Humane Society said Minnesota and Wisconsin had legalized the hunting and trapping of wolves in the Great Lakes region for the first time in more than 40 years. Wisconsin's wolf hunt ended this year after killing 154 wolves -- 80 percent of them in leghold traps. And in Minnesota, 272 gray wolves were killed -- 84 percent of the wolves in this year's late season were trapped.
"In the short time since federal protections have been removed, trophy hunters and trappers have killed more than 1,500 Great Lakes wolves under hostile state management programs that encourage dramatic reductions in wolf populations," Lovvorn said.
Collette L. Adkins Giese, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the ruling showed the government had acted prematurely.
"It's been clear for years that wolves in the Great Lakes region still need the protection of the Endangered Species Act," Giese said. "We're glad to see the court recognize that and are happy to know these wolf populations will now be safer and better able to survive and thrive in the long run."
There was no immediate reaction from officials in the three states. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Gavin Shire said the agency was disappointed with the decision.
"We are disappointed by the Court's decision. The science clearly shows that wolves are recovered in the Great Lakes Region and we believe the Great Lakes states have clearly demonstrated their ability to effectively manage their wolf populations," Shire said. "This is a significant step backward."
“U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., ruled Friday the removal was "arbitrary and capricious" and violated the federal Endangered Species Act. Unless overturned, his decision will prohibit further wolf hunting and trapping in the three states, all of which have had at least one hunting season since protections were removed. More than 1,500 Great Lakes wolves have been killed since federal protections were removed, said Jonathan Lovvorn, senior vice president of the Humane Society of the United States. The group filed a lawsuit that prompted Howell's ruling. "We are pleased that the court has recognized that the basis for the delisting decision was flawed, and would stop wolf recovery in its tracks," Lovvorn said.... Collette L. Adkins Giese, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the ruling showed the government had acted prematurely. "It's been clear for years that wolves in the Great Lakes region still need the protection of the Endangered Species Act," Giese said. "We're glad to see the court recognize that and are happy to know these wolf populations will now be safer and better able to survive and thrive in the long run." There was no immediate reaction from officials in the three states. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Gavin Shire said the agency was disappointed with the decision.”
Why have so many wolves been killed in such a short time? Didn't the Fish and Wildlife Service put a limit on how many could be taken? Also, why is trapping rather than shooting allowed, since it has long been considered a very cruel and inhumane practice, causing animals to die in pain and starvation. I do wish more Americans had a gentler way of looking at animals. To me, they are valuable companions to the human race. Wolves are predators, true, but they serve an important function in wildlife populations as they weed out the diseased and genetically inferior.
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