Wednesday, March 18, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/germany-protests-mar-opening-european-central-bank-headquarters-frankfurt/

Anti-austerity protests turn violent in Germany
AP March 18, 2015

Photograph – Activists march in a demonstration organized by the Blockupy movement to protest against the policies of the European Central Bank (ECB) after the ECB officially inaugurated its new headquarters, Mar.18 2015.
GETTY

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Three police cars were set alight and two officers injured Wednesday as authorities confronted anti-austerity protesters trying to blockade the inauguration ceremony for the European Central Bank's new headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany.

Several thousand riot officers pursued what they said was a minority of violence-minded activists as the bulk of protesters conducted themselves peacefully ahead of a rally in the city's main square. Some blocked bridges across the Main River or streets.

Police said one officer was injured by stones thrown near the city's Alte Oper opera house, several private vehicles were burned overnight, and two police cars were set on fire at a police station in the city center. Another police vehicle smoldered a block from the ECB.

Hundreds of officers ringed the ECB headquarters ahead of the inauguration ceremony. Protesters are targeting the ECB because of the bank's role in supervising efforts to restrain spending and reduce debt in financially troubled countries such as Greece.

The Blockupy alliance says activists plan to try to blockade the new headquarters and to disrupt what they term capitalist business as usual.

Some 10,000 people were expected for a rally in Frankfurt's main square, the Roemerberg. Organizers have chartered a special train bringing demonstrators from Berlin and are busing in others from around Germany and other European countries.

Frankfurt police say most demonstrators are expected to be peaceful, but that violence-prone elements could use the crowds as cover. Participants include trade unions and Germany's Left Party.

The ECB, along with the European Commission and International Monetary Fund, is part of the so-called "troika" that monitors compliance with the conditions of bailout loans for Greece and other financially troubled countries in Europe. Those conditions include spending cuts and reducing deficits, moves that are aimed at reducing debt but have also been blamed for high unemployment and slow growth.

Anti-austerity activists received a political boost when Greece's Syriza party won elections there in January by campaigning against the bailout deal and its conditions, which they say has led to a "humanitarian crisis." Refusal of the conditions, however, has led to the withholding of further aid and the possibility of a chaotic debt default by the government.

ECB President Mario Draghi has called for more spending by governments that are in good financial shape, such as Germany - a call that has been mostly ignored by elected officials.

The ECB says it plans to be "fully operational" during the protest, although some employees may work from home.




“Several thousand riot officers pursued what they said was a minority of violence-minded activists as the bulk of protesters conducted themselves peacefully ahead of a rally in the city's main square. Some blocked bridges across the Main River or streets. Police said one officer was injured by stones thrown near the city's Alte Oper opera house, several private vehicles were burned overnight, and two police cars were set on fire at a police station in the city center. Another police vehicle smoldered a block from the ECB.... Frankfurt police say most demonstrators are expected to be peaceful, but that violence-prone elements could use the crowds as cover. Participants include trade unions and Germany's Left Party.... Those conditions include spending cuts and reducing deficits, moves that are aimed at reducing debt but have also been blamed for high unemployment and slow growth. Anti-austerity activists received a political boost when Greece's Syriza party won elections there in January by campaigning against the bailout deal and its conditions, which they say has led to a "humanitarian crisis." Refusal of the conditions, however, has led to the withholding of further aid and the possibility of a chaotic debt default by the government.”

During my years watching news and trying to make sense out of everything, the most difficult subject to actually grasp was economics. I took a course at George Mason University and I made a good grade, but mainly by close studying and studying the workbook. I don't have a good grasp of math, especially a feeling for very large numbers. That's why numbers like how many stars are in our own universe, much less the numerous others that are thought to exist. The billions and trillions of dollars in the GDP is likewise, beyond me. Economists just love charts – supposedly proving a theory, but not reflecting actual numbers of either widgets or dollars – that study of that subject would be called “econometrics.” The one illustrating the theory that lowering taxes brings the government more money, for instance – didn't look particularly accurate. Finally I figured out that in using those charts they weren't even trying to “prove” that their theory was true, but to illustrate how it worked. That way they just say whatever they want to and then draw a chart to back their statement up. As you can see, I don't exactly trust economist, either.

Down through the years I have noticed, however, that when the Republicans are yelling about “Inflation,” my pocketbook has more money in it and my life goes along more easily. That's partly because I probably had a job at the time, and partly because the money flow is more relaxed. The rate of pay per worker was also higher. My father used to say that the Republicans “tighten up the money,” and indeed that is what they are trying to do in the US right now, and apparently around Europe. It's no wonder that Occupy is so active against the governmental austerity programs in many countries. When government programs try to lower the debt, they also reduce the growth of businesses and the income for individual citizens. People have less money to spend, but no less need for money. Republicans bring in “hard times.” Maybe more of us need to join Occupy in this country. I'm about ready to do that.






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-admin-sets-new-record-for-denying-censoring-government-files/

Obama admin sets new record for denying, censoring government files
AP  March 18, 2015

Video – Questions surround Clinton Foundation's foreign donors

WASHINGTON -- For the second consecutive year, the Obama administration more often than ever censored government files or outright denied access to them under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, according to a new analysis of federal data by The Associated Press.

The government took longer to turn over files when it provided any, said more regularly that it couldn't find documents, and refused a record number of times to turn over files quickly that might be especially newsworthy.

It also acknowledged in nearly 1 in 3 cases that its initial decisions to withhold or censor records were improper under the law - but only when it was challenged.

Its backlog of unanswered requests at year's end grew remarkably by 55 percent to more than 200,000.

The government's new figures, published Tuesday, covered all requests to 100 federal agencies during fiscal 2014 under the Freedom of Information law, which is heralded globally as a model for transparent government. They showed that despite disappointments and failed promises by the White House to make meaningful improvements in the way it releases records, the law was more popular than ever. Citizens, journalists, businesses and others made a record 714,231 requests for information. The U.S. spent a record $434 million trying to keep up.

The government responded to 647,142 requests, a 4 percent decrease over the previous year. The government more than ever censored materials it turned over or fully denied access to them, in 250,581 cases or 39 percent of all requests. Sometimes, the government censored only a few words or an employee's phone number, but other times it completely marked out nearly every paragraph on pages.

On 215,584 other occasions, the government said it couldn't find records, a person refused to pay for copies or the government determined the request to be unreasonable or improper.

The White House touted its success under its own analysis. It routinely excludes from its assessment instances when it couldn't find records, a person refused to pay for copies or the request was determined to be improper under the law, and said under this calculation it released all or parts of records in 91 percent of requests - still a record low since President Barack Obama took office using the White House's own math.

"We actually do have a lot to brag about," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

The government's responsiveness under the open records law is an important measure of its transparency. Under the law, citizens and foreigners can compel the government to turn over copies of federal records for zero or little cost. Anyone who seeks information through the law is generally supposed to get it unless disclosure would hurt national security, violate personal privacy or expose business secrets or confidential decision-making in certain areas. It cited such exceptions a record 554,969 times last year.

Under the president's instructions, the U.S. should not withhold or censor government files merely because they might be embarrassing, but federal employees last year regularly misapplied the law. In emails that AP obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration about who pays for Michelle Obama's expensive dresses, the agency blacked-out a sentence under part of the law intended to shield personal, private information, such as Social Security numbers, phone numbers or home addresses. But it failed to censor the same passage on a subsequent page.

The sentence: "We live in constant fear of upsetting the WH (White House)."

In nearly 1 in 3 cases, when someone challenged under appeal the administration's initial decision to censor or withhold files, the government reconsidered and acknowledged it was at least partly wrong. That was the highest reversal rate in at least five years.

The AP's chief executive, Gary Pruitt, said the news organization filed hundreds of requests for government files. Records the AP obtained revealed police efforts to restrict airspace to keep away news helicopters during violent street protests in Ferguson, Missouri. In another case, the records showed Veterans Affairs doctors concluding that a gunman who later killed 12 people had no mental health issues despite serious problems and encounters with police during the same period. They also showed the FBI pressuring local police agencies to keep details secret about a telephone surveillance device called Stingray.

"What we discovered reaffirmed what we have seen all too frequently in recent years," Pruitt wrote in a column published this week. "The systems created to give citizens information about their government are badly broken and getting worse all the time."

The U.S. released its new figures during Sunshine Week, when news organizations promote open government and freedom of information.

The AP earlier this month sued the State Department under the law to force the release of email correspondence and government documents from Hillary Rodham Clinton's tenure as secretary of state. The government had failed to turn over the files under repeated requests, including one made five years ago and others pending since the summer of 2013.

The government said the average time it took to answer each records request ranged from one day to more than 2.5 years. More than half of federal agencies took longer to answer requests last year than the previous year.

Journalists and others who need information quickly to report breaking news fared worse than ever.

Under the law, the U.S. is required to move urgent requests from journalists to the front of the line for a speedy answer if records will inform the public concerning an actual or alleged government activity. But the government now routinely denies such requests: Over six years, the number of requests granted speedy processing status fell from nearly half to fewer than 1 in 8.

The CIA, at the center of so many headlines, has denied every such request the last two years.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_bias_in_the_United_States#Conservative_bias

Conservative bias

“.... Certain media outlets such as NewsMax, WorldNetDaily, and Fox News are generally seen as promoting a conservative agenda.[70][71][72][73][74]

Rupert Murdoch, the CEO of News Corporation (the parent of Fox News), self-identifies as a libertarian. Some claim that Rupert Murdoch has exerted a strong influence over the media he owns, including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, andThe Sun.[75][76]

According to former Fox News producer Charlie Reina, unlike the AP, CBS, or ABC, Fox News's editorial policy is set from the top down in the form of a daily memo: "[F]requently, Reina says, it also contains hints, suggestions and directives on how to slant the day's news—invariably, he says, in a way that's consistent with the politics and desires of the Bush administration." [77] Fox News responded by denouncing Reina as a "disgruntled employee" with "an ax to grind."[77] ....

According to Andrew Sullivan, "One alleged news network fed its audience a diet of lies, while contributing financially to the party that benefited from those lies."[78]

Kenneth Tomlinson, while chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, commissioned a $10,000 government study into Bill Moyers' PBS program, NOW.[79] The results of the study indicated that there was no particular bias on PBS. Mr. Tomlinson chose to reject the results of the study, subsequently reducing time and funding for NOW with Bill Moyers, which many including Tomlinson regarded as a "left-wing" program, and then expanded a show hosted by Fox News correspondent Tucker Carlson. Some board members stated that his actions were politically motivated.[80] Himself a frequent target of claims of bias (in this case, conservative bias), Tomlinson resigned from the CPB board on November 4, 2005. Regarding the claims of a left-wing bias, Bill Moyers asserted in a Broadcast & Cable interview that "If reporting on what's happening to ordinary people thrown overboard by circumstances beyond their control and betrayed by Washington officials is liberalism, I stand convicted."[81]




“In emails that AP obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration about who pays for Michelle Obama's expensive dresses, the agency blacked-out a sentence under part of the law intended to shield personal, private information, such as Social Security numbers, phone numbers or home addresses. But it failed to censor the same passage on a subsequent page. The sentence: "We live in constant fear of upsetting the WH (White House)." In nearly 1 in 3 cases, when someone challenged under appeal the administration's initial decision to censor or withhold files, the government reconsidered and acknowledged it was at least partly wrong. That was the highest reversal rate in at least five years.”

I was looking in this Wikipedia article for evidence that the Associated Press was considered to be conservatively biased in reporting stories, but I didn't find that to be true. I am sorry to see, therefore, that perhaps Obama has not been properly forthcoming in releasing potentially embarrassing documents. No matter what party is in office, I want to see less secrecy, and not more. I'm sorry to see this article. I hope Obama doesn't get into hot water over the matter.








http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/03/18/393645667/would-automatic-voter-registration-increase-turnout

Would Automatic Voter Registration Increase Turnout?
Domenico Montanaro
March 18, 2015

Photograph – Advocates are looking to a new Oregon law as a model for increasing voter turnout.
Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Go to renew your driver's license in Oregon, and you will now be signed up to vote automatically.

It's the first state in the country with that sort of law, which is designed to make voting easier, and stands in contrast to the trend seen in the past several years in more conservative states.

"It's really interesting — when we've seen restrictions emerging in Republican-leaning states," said Michael McDonald, a University of Florida associate who tracks turnout as head of the U.S. Elections Project. "In Democratic-controlled states, we're seeing laws intended to expand the electorate."

Colorado, for example, like Oregon is all vote-by-mail; Vermont is considering automatic registration, McDonald said, and a Philadelphia politician on Tuesday proposed the same for Pennsylvania. New York and Maryland, meanwhile, have expanded early voting.

In Oregon, the law could swell voter rolls by hundreds of thousands. If other states follow suit, it could have a dramatic effect on the U.S. voting process.

"During the testimony on the bill, a legislator said to me, 'It's already so easy to register — why would we make it easier?'" Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said during the bill signing Monday. "My answer is that we have the tools to make voter registration more cost-effective, more secure and more convenient for Oregonians, so why wouldn't we?"

Conservatives, however, argue that states need to be concerned about preventing voter fraud. They also make the case that the Oregon law makes it easier for the government to track people. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, for example:

"The bill passed along party lines earlier this month, with Democrats largely supporting it. Republicans who voted against the law say they're worried about data privacy when the [Department of Motor Vehicles] sends information to elections officials."

McDonald doesn't find that argument compelling.

"You're already in the DMV database," McDonald said. "They're just registering to vote at the same time; you can still opt out."

The "opt out" provision is key to the law. If someone does not want to be signed up, they have 21 days to let the state know. Many other states offer the chance to register to vote when someone renews their license or gets a state identification card, but those citizens have to opt in.

Advocates believe laws like Oregon's are key to increasing turnout, but not all experts agree that necessarily will be the result.

"It's likely we're going to see more people on the voter registration rolls," McDonald said, noting that some states with same-day registration have seen increases of 3 to 5 percent.

But he cautioned that "the effect might not be as dramatic in presidentials" when there is "no need for the reminder" to vote. The real impact might be on state and local elections, when voters previously were receiving little to no information.

What's more, McDonald said, when Canada implemented a similar system in the 1990s, only 1 to 2 percent of people opted out, but voter turnout didn't increase.

"Canada moved to universal voter registration, and turnout dropped," McDonald noted. "Maybe it would have dropped further, but this [laws like Oregon's] is no guarantee."




“Go to renew your driver's license in Oregon, and you will now be signed up to vote automatically. It's the first state in the country with that sort of law, which is designed to make voting easier, and stands in contrast to the trend seen in the past several years in more conservative states. "It's really interesting — when we've seen restrictions emerging in Republican-leaning states," said Michael McDonald, a University of Florida associate who tracks turnout as head of the U.S. Elections Project. "In Democratic-controlled states, we're seeing laws intended to expand the electorate." Colorado, for example, like Oregon is all vote-by-mail; Vermont is considering automatic registration, McDonald said, and a Philadelphia politician on Tuesday proposed the same for Pennsylvania. New York and Maryland, meanwhile, have expanded early voting.... Advocates believe laws like Oregon's are key to increasing turnout, but not all experts agree that necessarily will be the result. "It's likely we're going to see more people on the voter registration rolls," McDonald said, noting that some states with same-day registration have seen increases of 3 to 5 percent. But he cautioned that "the effect might not be as dramatic in presidentials" when there is "no need for the reminder" to vote. The real impact might be on state and local elections, when voters previously were receiving little to no information.”

There is a need to publicize elections. Here in Duval County a copy of the ballot comes to my mailbox weeks ahead of time to be studied on the Net or carried with me to the polls. One thing that makes a big difference in my voting is that the dates of early voting are also publicized. I tend to lose track of time, and when I have two weeks or so ahead of time for early voting I can go at my leisure. What is important to me about this Oregon law is that it more fairly recruits people for voter registration than in Florida, where they are instead busy tightening up the voter rolls by requiring a picture ID, sometimes at a noticeable cost to people for procuring their birth certificate. It is also true in Florida that felons who have served their jail sentence and been freed have to make a paper application to be put back on the voter rolls. That hits blacks and Hispanics harder than most whites, which is the whole point of the exercise. That's dirty politics, but commonplace. I think we should go to a plan like this Oregon law to increase the fairness for all.





http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/18/393754821/letter-to-white-house-tested-positive-for-cyanide-secret-service-says

Letter To White House Tested Positive For Cyanide, Secret Service Says
Korva Coleman
March 18, 2015

Photograph – The Secret Service has confirmed that an envelope sent to the White House tested positive for cyanide.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters/Landov

A test on an envelope that arrived at the White House Mail Screening Facility Monday indicates that it contains cyanide, according to the Secret Service. The agency did not announce to whom the letter was addressed; further tests are being conducted to confirm the results.

Secret Service Spokesperson Robert Hoback says:

"On Monday 3/16/15, an envelope was received at the White House Mail Screening Facility. Initial Biological testing was negative; however, on 03/17/15, the chemical testing returned a presumptive positive for Cyanide. The sample was transported to another facility to confirm the results.
"As this is an ongoing investigation, the Secret Service will have no additional comment."

The letter was first reported by news site The Intercept, which adds that the return address matches that of a man the Secret Service believes is responsible for other alarming packages received in the past 20 years.

News of the intercepted letter came on the same day that Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy was taken to task on Capitol Hill, in a budget hearing that focused on a string of recent misconduct by federal agents.




The good news here is that the Secret Service caught this letter with nobody being injured. The bad news is that so many would be, ham-fisted attempts to harm Obama have occurred. It's not just that he's stubbornly resisting Republicans in Congress, but that he is black and has an Islamic middle name. Birthers et al. tend to be nut cases, and prone to extreme politics. I suspect he will feel considerable happiness when he can retire.





FRAT PROBLEMS


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/penn-state-seeks-kappa-delta-rho-fraternity-members-who-posted-photos-of-nude-women-online/

Penn State seeks frat members who posted photos of nude women online
CBS/AP
March 18, 2015

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Penn State intends to hold accountable the fraternity members who used a private, invitation-only Facebook page to post "appalling, offensive" photos of nude and partly nude women, some apparently asleep or passed out, a university official said.

Kappa Delta Rho was suspended for a year Tuesday after police began investigating the allegations.

A former member at the university's flagship campus in State College tipped police off to the page, telling them in January that it had been used by members to share photos of "unsuspecting victims, drug sales and hazing," according to a copy of a police warrant obtained by The Associated Press.

The ex-member also provided authorities with printouts from the page.

A Penn State administrator called the allegations a violation of the standards and values required for recognized student organizations.

"The evidence offered by the Facebook postings is appalling, offensive and inconsistent" with the university's expectations, Damon Sims, Penn State's vice president for student affairs, said in a news release.

Sims said the school would find those responsible and hold them accountable.

The fraternity's national executive director, Joe Rosenberg, told the Penn State chapter in a letter that it would be banned from most activities for the near future and must reorganize.

He said the suspension was "for the most serious misconduct, most serious disregard of fraternity rules."

Chapter officials, who can appeal the decision, did not respond to messages seeking comment. A young man who answered the door Tuesday afternoon declined to identify himself and said the fraternity had no comment.

Police said anyone who posted the photos could face misdemeanor charges of harassment or invasion of privacy, with a fine being the most likely penalty.

State College Police Assistant Chief John Gardner told CBS News the photos showed "primarily females in various states of undress."

"I don't want to get into numbers, but they were pretty disturbing," Gardner said.

According to the warrant, the fraternity's page had 144 active members that included both students and alumni.

State College police said they first fielded the complaint on Jan. 18 and reported the matter to university administrators on March 3.

The informant's computer "yielded information on two victims whose images would rise to the level of criminal action," State College police Lt. Keith Robb said Tuesday.

Facebook was contacted to disable the site and to obtain more information for the investigation, Robb said.

Some of the postings involved nude women in "sexual or embarrassing positions," the warrant reads. "It appears from the photos provided that the individuals in the photos are not aware that the photos had been taken."

Penn State's Interfraternity Council planned a full review of Kappa Delta Rho's conduct.

According to the ex-fraternity member who went to police, a second page dubbed "2.0" was started in about April 2014 after a woman depicted on the first Facebook page, called "Covert Business Transactions," complained.

The informant said the woman was visiting the fraternity when a member accidentally left his Facebook page logged in, and she noticed a topless photograph of her had been posted to the group.

Robb told the AP she wanted the photo removed but did not wish to press charges.

"A lot of that is probably what we're going to end up with, people who don't want anything done, just these photos removed," Robb said. "That's already done."

The investigation was first reported by WJAC-TV in Johnstown.

Penn State's director of student conduct, Danny Shaha, told reporters that students are still living in the fraternity house. He said the house is privately owned, giving the university little control over it.

The photographs accompanying the warrant included images of fully nude and partly clothed women and a scene of a man appearing to grope a woman, her pants partly pulled down.

Police said some of the copies of the warrant sent to news outlets included images of the victims, and authorities asked that those images not be released. They said the photos were sent in error.

The informant who visited the police station provided police with brief explanations for individual photos. One, he said, showed a woman vomiting in a member's room. Another showed "the type of stuff that happens at KDR." Two other images showed strippers hired by the fraternity for a party.

Some of the posts included with the warrant were images of cellphone text exchanges, including one from a woman apparently concerned about a casual sexual encounter the night before and whether birth control was used.




“Penn State intends to hold accountable the fraternity members who used a private, invitation-only Facebook page to post "appalling, offensive" photos of nude and partly nude women, some apparently asleep or passed out, a university official said. Kappa Delta Rho was suspended for a year Tuesday after police began investigating the allegations. A former member at the university's flagship campus in State College tipped police off to the page, telling them in January that it had been used by members to share photos of "unsuspecting victims, drug sales and hazing," according to a copy of a police warrant obtained by The Associated Press.... Police said anyone who posted the photos could face misdemeanor charges of harassment or invasion of privacy, with a fine being the most likely penalty.... According to the warrant, the fraternity's page had 144 active members that included both students and alumni. State College police said they first fielded the complaint on Jan. 18 and reported the matter to university administrators on March 3. The informant's computer "yielded information on two victims whose images would rise to the level of criminal action," State College police Lt. Keith Robb said Tuesday. Facebook was contacted to disable the site and to obtain more information for the investigation, Robb said.”

Why did the campus police wait so long to notify the University of this matters? The article said they were notified on January 18 and only on March 3 did they tell administrators. Were they being paid off by the fraternity, perhaps? At any rate, it's out in the open now. Thank goodness one frat member had the decency to blow the whistle and report the Facebook page. It is my opinion that material as obscene and abusive of these women's rights should not be allowed on Facebook, and should have been deleted before now.




MORE QUESTIONABLE POLICE ACTIONS


http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150317/morrisania/mom-arrested-after-asking-police-talk-young-son-about-stealing-suit

Mom Arrested After Asking Police to Talk to Young Son About Stealing: Suit
By James Fanelli on March 17, 2015

MORRISANIA — A Bronxmom of two who called 911 to ask police to come talk to her young son about why stealing is bad was wrongfully arrested and told by an NYPD officer “you black b----es don’t know how to take care of your kids,” a new lawsuit charges.

Tyeesha Mobley, 29, is suing the city, the NYPD and the Administration for Children’s Services, claiming she was handcuffed, roughed up and had her two children taken away from her for four months — all because of an innocuous request to have officers teach her 9-year-old about right and wrong.

“She was simply trying to make sure her son stayed on the right path,” her lawyer, Philip Sporn, told DNAinfo New York. “This shouldn’t happen to anyone, let alone to a good mom with her kids.”

Mobley called 911 on April 16, 2014, after her 9-year-old, Tyleke, took $10 out of her purse, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in Bronx Supreme Court.

A dispatcher sent four officers, who met her, Tyleke, and her 4-year-old son, Keyshawn, at a gas station near their Morrisania apartment, the lawsuit says.

Initially, the interaction with officers was light-hearted, according to a transcript of Mobley's account during a October 2014 preliminary hearing with the city over her then-plans to sue the city.

“They started asking Tyleke what did he take,” Mobley said at the hearing. “He told them. And about three officers was joking around with him, telling him, 'You can’t be stealing, you’ll wind up going in the police car.'”

But a fourth officer wasn’t amused and chewed out Mobley for contacting them, the lawsuit says.

“You black b----es don’t know how to take care of your kids … you need to call the kids’ father, not us … we can’t raise your kids … why are you wasting our time, we aren’t here to raise your kid … why don’t you take your f---ing kid and leave?” the officer said, according to the lawsuit.

Mobley said at her preliminary hearing that when she tried to leave, the officer stopped her and told her he was arresting her. She also said that when she asked the officer why she was being arrested, he told her, “If you’re going to say another f---ing word, I’m going to knock your teeth down your throat.”

The officer then handcuffed her, threw her against a squad car and kicked her legs, she recalled.

“All I was saying is, ‘Please stop, you’re hurting me, my kids is there,’” she said.

She added that her children were crying, saying, “Stop, you’re hurting mommy.”

The officer’s actions even prompted a female colleague in a squad car to roll down her window and tell him, “We are not supposed to act like this,” the lawsuit says.
But the arresting officer responded to his female colleague by saying, “Black b----es like that … this is how I treat them,” according to the suit.

The lawsuit says that Mobley and her children were taken in separate cars to a police stationhouse.

While in custody, Mobley had to be taken to the hospital because of the bruising to her legs, according to the lawsuit.

She was ultimately charged with child endangerment. She spent months fighting the charge until a judge dismissed the case, her lawyer, Sporn, told DNAinfo New York.

Meanwhile, ACS placed Mobley’s children in foster care for four months. The lawsuit claims that the foster mom only spoke Spanish and, while the children were in her care, Keyshawn suffered a bad burn and Tyleke had several asthma attacks.
The NYPD declined to comment on the case, citing pending litigation. The city Law Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Sporn said his client should have never been arrested — especially since the police officers agreed to meet with Mobley and her kids.
“They agreed to come,” Sporn said. “It wasn’t like she hoodwinked anyone into coming.” 




This story again shows a policeman engaging in pointless, silly and abusive language and physical harm to a woman who at worst should have been lectured on the harm produced by creating an unnecessary police report. He had no reason to say that “black bitches don't know how to raise their children.” That was racist, crude and cruel. The court, even worse, placed her children in foster care while she fought the charges against her, where they were harmed by the foster parent. “The NYPD declined to comment on the case, citing pending litigation. The city Law Department did not respond to a request for comment.” Unfortunately that is too often what happens when people raise complaints against the police.





http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/about-us/our-team/ceo-founder/joe-ricketts

DNAinfo.com is New York's leading hyper-local news source, covering New York City's neighborhoods. We deliver up-to-the-minute reports on entertainment, education, politics, crime, sports, and dining. Our award-winning journalists find the stories - big or small - that matter most to New Yorkers.



This is a story of a police officer who gets so far out of hand that he appears to be insane or on drugs. Perhaps he isn't of normal intelligence. At any rate he should be fired. I'm glad to see this mother is suing him. Again, he is a member of the NYPD who were in the news so recently for having abusive policemen and not enough control over them.





http://nypost.com/2015/03/18/justice-department-staffed-with-marxists-and-black-radicals-missouri-official/

Justice Department ‘staffed with Marxists and black radicals’: Missouri official
By Associated Press
March 18, 2015 | 9:12am

Photograph – Missouri Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder.Photo: AP

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s lieutenant governor is accusing Justice Department officials of “fanning the flames of racial division,” as the federal agency is criticizing Ferguson police for alleged racial biases following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder on Tuesday also asserted that the department was “staffed with Marxists and black radicals” and defended statements he had made a day earlier accusing agency officials of racism.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon declined to comment about Kinder’s statements.

The Justice Department recently cleared Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, who is white, of any civil rights violations for the Aug. 9 shooting. A department report said Wilson was acting in self-defense when he shot Brown after a physical struggle during which Wilson said the unarmed black 18-year-old grabbed for Wilson’s gun.

But the Justice Department simultaneously released a report citing widespread racial bias in Ferguson’s policing.

After Brown’s death, some witnesses said Brown had his hands in the air when he was shot. But the Justice Department report said there were “no credible witness accounts that state that Brown was clearly attempting to surrender when Wilson shot him.”

During an interview Monday on the conservative news outlet Newsmax TV, host Steve Malzberg suggested to Kinder that the sometimes-violent protests that followed Brown’s death were in response to a false premise of “Hands up, don’t shoot” that he said was promoted by President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder.

Kinder agreed and said Obama and Holder had joined in “incitement of the mob” and “encouraging disorder in Ferguson.”

Neither Kinder nor Malzberg cited specific comments by Obama or Holder.

The TV show host later asked Kinder: “Is there more racism in the Justice Department than there is in the town of Ferguson in the police department?”

Kinder responded: “There is more racism in the Justice Department than there is in any, yes, than anywhere I see in the St. Louis area.”

“It is the Eric Holder and Obama left and their minions who are obsessed with race while the rest of us are moving on beyond it,” Kinder added on the show.


Kinder told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he stood behind those statements. He said Holder appeared to pick sides soon after Brown’s shooting when he met with Brown’s family but not Wilson.

“The Justice Department has had an interest in fanning the flames of racial divisions since the first day Eric Holder took office. So has this president,” Kinder said.

Kinder, who attended Brown’s funeral, also said he frequently “goes into the urban core” and has fared better than many other Republicans in attracting votes in Missouri’s predominantly Democratic big cities.

While Kinder is next in line to Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, Missouri’s governor and lieutenant governor don’t run as a ticket, and Nixon and Kinder seldom communicate.

Nixon’s spokesman Scott Holste declined to comment about Kinder’s remarks.




“Missouri’s lieutenant governor is accusing Justice Department officials of “fanning the flames of racial division,” as the federal agency is criticizing Ferguson police for alleged racial biases following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder on Tuesday also asserted that the department was “staffed with Marxists and black radicals” and defended statements he had made a day earlier accusing agency officials of racism. Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon declined to comment about Kinder’s statements.... During an interview Monday on the conservative news outlet Newsmax TV, host Steve Malzberg suggested to Kinder that the sometimes-violent protests that followed Brown’s death were in response to a false premise of “Hands up, don’t shoot” that he said was promoted by President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder. Kinder agreed and said Obama and Holder had joined in “incitement of the mob” and “encouraging disorder in Ferguson.” Neither Kinder nor Malzberg cited specific comments by Obama or Holder. The TV show host later asked Kinder: “Is there more racism in the Justice Department than there is in the town of Ferguson in the police department?” Kinder responded: “There is more racism in the Justice Department than there is in any, yes, than anywhere I see in the St. Louis area.”

The pots are calling the kettle's black again. This is the second time I've seen liberal whites called “racists” by the right wing element. The other time was on the Internet where Wheel Of Fortune's Pat Sajak made an “awkward” statement. See website http://www.mediaite.com/tv/pat-sajak-makes-unfortunate-comment-to-gay-wheel-of-fortune-contestant/, Pat Sajak Makes Unfortunate Comment to Gay Wheel of Fortune Contestant, by Matt Wilstein | 2:29 pm, June 27th, 2014. Excerpt:

“Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak found himself in an awkward position during Thursday evening’s show when he assumed that if a man says he is engaged in must be to a woman.

“So you’re engaged?” Sajak said to player T.K. Klotz, reading off his cards. “Some woman has agreed to marry you.”

“Some gentleman,” Klotz said, taking the air out of the room for a moment. “Wrong again,” Sajak scolded himself. “I had a 50-50 shot, T.K.”

Someone who claims to be Klotz weighed in on the matter over at Deadspin, writing, “Pat actually apologized to me during commercial break. He may be outspoken about homosexuality but…”

The whole thing would come off as more of an honest mistake if Sajak didn’t have a history of making deliberately controversial comments about homosexuality and other issues. Besides saying “global warming alarmists” are “patriotic racists” on Twitter last month, he also sent out this tweet in which he “came out” as straight: Damn the career consequences! I'm hereby proclaiming my heterosexuality! That message does nothing if not belittle the actual career consequences some people face for coming out as gay.”