Friday, May 22, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/01/good-cop-physically-stops-bad-cop/

‘Good Cop’ Physically Stops Bad Cop From Abusing Handcuffed Man
Thursday, May 21, 2015

As the nation has been torn apart by police violence and abuse, many citizens have begun to wonder whether there are any good cops at all. Critics have suggested that if there are “good cops,” they should be out there stopping the bad cops from abusing their power.

So where are these legendary “good cops”?

Right here, in the video below, it would seem…We can see from the video that the arresting officer repeatedly tries to pull up the suspect by his restrained arms, contorting and twisting his shoulder joints in a way that was causing him sheer agony.

But another officer comes to the suspect’s aid, not once, not twice, but at least three times physically stopping the arresting officer from abusing the suspect.

If you think that all cops SHOULD take a stand like this, then help us SPREAD THE WORD!




“But another officer comes to the suspect’s aid, not once, not twice, but at least three times physically stopping the arresting officer from abusing the suspect.” Go to the video on this website. “Good Cop” intervenes twice but “Bad Cop” goes back and does the same thing again. Finally Good Cop shoves him strongly in the chest several times, at which point he slouches off beyond the camera range to suck his thumb. It’s like most bullying situations. The attacker is dissuaded from his pursuit by a third party because he’s a coward and, besides, he know he’s wrong.





http://www.commoncause.org/democracy-wire/alec-losing-clout-legitimacy.html?referrer=http://plus.url.google.com/url?sa=j&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.commoncause.org%2Fdemocracy-wire%2Falec-losing-clout-legitimacy.html&uct=1432048403&usg=tetR_K2fGgTikBzCruxKTWUaZtI.

ALEC Losing Clout, Legitimacy Amid Ongoing Controversy and Tax Fraud
Posted by Yael Bromberg on May 20, 2015

Amid an exodus of more than 100 corporations from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy sent federal authorities new evidence last week, that ALEC is a corporate lobby masquerading as a charity at the expense of taxpayers and voters.

The IRS Whistleblower Complaint exposes ALEC's misclassification as a 501(c)(3) public charity with a mountain of evidence that the group exists to bring its members - 2,000 state legislators and hundreds of corporations - together behind closed doors to develop and push model state legislation.

While ALEC functions as a tax-exempt charity, its corporate funders can deduct their donations on their corporate tax returns, effectively gaining a taxpayer subsidy for their lobbying. And because ALEC's corporate members pick up the tab for travel, hotel, meals and entertainment for state legislators attending the ALEC conferences where model legislation is hatched, the scheme has implications for lobbying disclosure, gifts disclosure, and ethics reform on the state level.

ALEC is the hidden force behind a bevy of bills that have swept through state capitols on a range of hot-button issues. Its "Right-to-Work" laws have undercut the collective bargaining power of unions; its voter-ID laws have erected barriers to voting by college students, seniors, and low-income citizens; its "Stand-Your-Ground" laws gained national attention in the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin shooting case; its "No Sanctuary Cities for Illegal Immigrants" laws encourage local police to engage in racial profiling; and its fracking laws limit public disclosure of toxic chemicals used to extract natural gas.

The IRS Whistleblower Complaint attacks ALEC's form rather than its substance however.

ALEC would qualify as a tax-exempt organization under the tax code if it were "organized and operated exclusively for . . . charitable . . . or educational purposes . . . [and] no substantial part of [its activities] is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation . . . ."[1] According to the regulations, an "organization is not organized or operated exclusively" for these purposes "unless it serves a public rather than a private interest."[2] Moreover, an organization attempts to influence legislation if it advocates "the adoption or rejection of legislation."[3]

The new trove of evidence released last week adds to a record of nearly 4,500 pages of documents in the IRS Whistleblower Complaint. The new evidence includes:

Explicit Admissions by 20 corporations that they joined and maintained their membership in ALEC to influence legislation and gain access to lawmakers.

A recent decision by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, which concluded after an in-depth investigation that ALEC's primary purpose is "the passage of state legislation in the various states and that all of its wide-ranging activities are in support of this primary purpose."

An analysis of ALEC's recent tax filings demonstrating that changes the organization has made in response to our ongoing IRS Complaint are window-dressing that do not cure the organization's fundamental misclassification. ALEC documents in support of the changes include apparent admissions that ALEC has been misleading the IRS about its lobbying activities for much of its 40-plus year history.

The IRS Whistleblower Complaint calls for an immediate investigation, revocation of ALEC's 501(c)(3) status, the imposition of necessary civil and criminal penalties, and collection of unpaid back and present taxes for corporate lobbying that is inconsistent with ALEC's tax-exempt status.

Groups like the Salvation Army, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Red Cross come to mind when most of us think about charities. ALEC is something far different, a shadowy operation that brings legislators and corporations together behind closed doors to advance private interests. While our Complaint focuses on federal issues, ALEC's carefully-shrouded activities highlight the need for reform in the states to ensure that perks related to lobbying and gifts are fully disclosed.

Help us Blow the Whistle on ALEC. Urge the IRS to immediately investigate ALEC's operations and hold ALEC and its corporate funders accountable by following this link.

[1] 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) (emphasis added).
[2] Treas. Reg. 1.501(c)(3)-1(d)(1)(ii),
[3] Treas. Reg. 1.501(c)(3)-1(c)(3)(ii)(b).

This blog post also appears at the Huffington Post

Office: Common Cause National

Issues: More Democracy Reforms

Tags: ALEC



http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/05/12829/groups-add-evidence-whistleblower-tax-fraud-claim-against-alec

Groups Add to Evidence in "Whistleblower" Tax Fraud Claim Against ALEC
Posted by PR Watch Admin on May 12, 2015

Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy sent federal authorities new evidence today that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is falsely passing itself off as a tax-exempt charity and effectively using taxpayer dollars to subsidize its lobbying on behalf of private interests.

Common Cause filed a supplement to its three-year-old tax whistleblower complaint against ALEC, and the two groups sent a joint letter to Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen demanding an investigation, collection of fines and back taxes, and the revocation of ALEC’s status as a tax-exempt charity. Supporting evidence available here.

"Our whistleblower complaint, which includes statements, letters and correspondence from ALEC member companies and previously undisclosed public records of ALEC’s lobbying activities, demonstrates beyond doubt that ALEC is – and always has been – a lobby, not a charity," said Common Cause President Miles Rapoport.

The filing comes on the heels of ALEC’s threat in March to file suit against Common Cause and two other groups that have criticized ALEC’s positions on climate change and telecom issues. "This whistleblower supplement is unrelated to our dispute with ALEC on climate issues," Rapoport said, "but I hope that with today’s filing ALEC gets the message that we will not be deterred from working to expose its activities."

The new trove of documents includes statements by 20 corporations that admit that they joined and maintained membership in ALEC to influence legislation and gain access to lawmakers. The corporate admissions included in the complaint are from Yelp, Pfizer, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Honeywell, Yahoo, eBay, Eli Lilly, Duke Energy, Altria, American Electric Power, Anheuser-Busch, BP, Chevron, Cox Communications, CSX Corporation, ExxonMobil, Overstock, and Peabody Energy. Several of those companies no longer are part of ALEC.

The new filing also includes the recent finding of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board that "ALEC’s primary purpose is the passage of state legislation in the various states and that all of its wide-ranging activities are in support of this primary purpose."

ALEC continues to deny that it is engaged in lobbying, submitting annual reports to the IRS with "$0" filled in on a line designated for the amount it spends on lobbying.

"Our powerful new evidence demonstrates that ALEC continues to operate as a 'corporate lobbying group masquerading as a charity,'" said Lisa Graves, Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy, publisher of PRWatch.org and ALECexposed.org. "Clearly, in their own words, many of the corporations that fund ALEC use it as a vehicle for their lobbying agenda."

"ALEC is a pay-to-play operation where corporate lobbyists pay for a seat and a vote as equals with legislators on model bills to benefit the legislative agenda of those very same special interests," Graves added. "Though ALEC claims that it is now a legislator-driven, bottom-up enterprise, our evidence shows that the corporations underwriting ALEC continue to drive its legislative priorities and do so to benefit their bottom lines. ALEC operates for the private gain of its corporate funders like a trade group, offering them one-stop shopping for lawmakers nationwide."

In response to the groups’ past exposure of its misreporting and illegal schemes, ALEC formed a lobbying arm, the Jeffersonian Project, in 2013; it also made some changes on its tax forms, and now admits responsibility for a "scholarship" fund used to finance legislator travel.

"ALEC tried to outsource some of its more obvious lobbying to the Jeffersonian Project, an entity that ALEC controls," said Eric Havian, an attorney representing Common Cause on the submission. "But hiding its lobbying behind a different corporate mask doesn’t absolve ALEC. ALEC still manages the most critical lobbying activities, such as hosting junkets to bring legislators and lobbyists together at posh resorts to strategize about how to pass favored legislation."

Today’s submission to the IRS is the third challenge Common Cause and CMD have made against ALEC for masquerading as a charity at taxpayer expense.

"It has been almost exactly three years since we uncovered ALEC’s tax misrepresentation and first reported it to the IRS," Rapoport said. "Three years later, the IRS Whistleblower Office has not taken action, despite its legal mandate to investigate complaints. Meanwhile, ALEC continues its secretive lobbying activities that often benefit the corporations’ bottom line."

The growing scandal surrounding ALEC’s tax status, secretive lobbying activities, and extremist agenda has led to an exodus of more than 100 corporations since 2011.

"The work of a robust national coalition has pushed more than 100 companies to dump ALEC," Graves said. "Other companies and elected officials should seriously reconsider sticking with a group that has misled and continues to mislead the public and the IRS about its true purpose."

Click here for a fact sheet on the submission.

- See more at: http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/05/12829/groups-add-evidence-whistleblower-tax-fraud-claim-against-alec#sthash.xYfYISsI.dpuf

ALEC Exposed Corporations Lobbying
Press Release




www.commoncause.org -- The IRS Whistleblower Complaint exposes ALEC's misclassification as a 501(c)(3) public charity with a mountain of evidence that the group exists to bring its members - 2,000 state legislators and hundreds of corporations - together behind closed doors to develop and push model state legislation. While ALEC functions as a tax-exempt charity, its corporate funders can deduct their donations on their corporate tax returns, effectively gaining a taxpayer subsidy for their lobbying. And because ALEC's corporate members pick up the tab for travel, hotel, meals and entertainment for state legislators attending the ALEC conferences where model legislation is hatched, the scheme has implications for lobbying disclosure, gifts disclosure, and ethics reform on the state level. …. . Its "Right-to-Work" laws have undercut the collective bargaining power of unions; its voter-ID laws have erected barriers to voting by college students, seniors, and low-income citizens; its "Stand-Your-Ground" laws gained national attention in the af-termath of the Trayvon Martin shooting case; its "No Sanctuary Cities for Illegal Immigrants" laws encourage local police to engage in racial profiling; and its fracking laws limit public disclosure of toxic chemicals used to extract natural gas. …. ] According to the regulations, an "organization is not organized or operated exclusively" for these purposes "unless it serves a public rather than a private interest."[2] Moreover, an organization attempts to influence legislation if it advocates "the adoption or rejection of legislation."[3] The new trove of evidence released last week adds to a record of nearly 4,500 pages of documents in the IRS Whistleblower Complaint. The new evidence includes: Explicit Admissions by 20 corporations that they joined and maintained their membership in ALEC to influence legislation and gain access to lawmakers. …. . ALEC documents in support of the changes include apparent admissions that ALEC has been misleading the IRS about its lobbying activities for much of its 40-plus year history. The IRS Whistleblower Complaint calls for an immediate investigation, revocation of ALEC's 501(c)(3) status, the imposition of necessary civil and criminal penalties, and collection of unpaid back and present taxes for corporate lobbying that is inconsistent with ALEC's tax-exempt status. …. . ALEC is something far different, a shadowy operation that brings legislators and corporations together behind closed doors to advance private interests. While our Complaint focuses on federal issues, ALEC's carefully-shrouded activities highlight the need for reform in the states to ensure that perks related to lobbying and gifts are fully disclosed.”

www.prwatch.org -- The new trove of documents includes statements by 20 corpo-rations that admit that they joined and maintained membership in ALEC to influ-ence legislation and gain access to lawmakers. The corporate admissions included in the complaint are from Yelp, Pfizer, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Honeywell, Yahoo, eBay, Eli Lilly, Duke Energy, Altria, American Electric Power, Anheuser-Busch, BP, Chevron, Cox Communications, CSX Corporation, ExxonMobil, Overstock, and Peabody Energy. Several of those companies no longer are part of ALEC. …. The new filing also includes the recent finding of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board that "ALEC’s primary purpose is the passage of state legis-lation in the various states and that all of its wide-ranging activities are in support of this primary purpose." ALEC continues to deny that it is engaged in lobbying, sub-mitting annual reports to the IRS with "$0" filled in on a line designated for the amount it spends on lobbying.”

I think all members of Congress and the Senate, plus perhaps heads of departments that make rulings and even executives, should be required to disclose all money that comes to them from ALEC and other lobbyists. The IRS tax break should also stop giving tax exempt status to groups that are not specifically religious or exclusively di-rect aids to the poor in specific ways. That would include St. Jude Children’s Re-search Hospital, Meals On Wheels, Red Cross, etc. and exclude some for-profit hos-pitals that have been in the news this year for overcharging the poor and Medi-care/Medicaid. As for these ALEC laws, they are clearly anti-liberal laws that have been written and pushed through by ALEC and the radical right wing politicians who have made their way into legislatures in state and even federal government lev-els. This list of corporations above who admit to trying to influence lawmaking is not surprising. Unfortunately organizations like ALEC are not illegal, only their classifi-cation as non-profit is. We need a widespread reform of all groups that are allowed to interact with legislatures to write laws. The ordinary tax-paying and voting citizen is so far outside the sphere of influence that it makes a mockery of our democratic system.

http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/scott-walker-alec-and-rnc-lies-unmasked-court-ruling-tossing-wisconsins-tough, “TEA PARTY AND THE RIGHT
Scott Walker, ALEC and RNC Lies Unmasked In Court Ruling Tossing Wisconsin's Tough New Voter ID Law” is an article on the RNC and ALEC involvement in ille-gal activity. A 2014 legal victory in the US Supreme Court against Scott Walker’s ALEC inspired law restricting voting rights is progress for fair and open govern-ment.





http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/flashback-duggars-call-lgbt-people-threat-child-safety-duggar-resigns-frc

Flashback: Duggars Call LGBT People A Threat To Child Safety; Duggar Resigns From FRC
People For The American Way
Submitted by Brian Tashman on Thursday, 5/21/2015

The entertainment magazine In Touch reported this week on police records that they say reveal that Josh Duggar, the eldest son of reality TV’s Duggar family and executive director of the anti-gay Family Research Council’s political wing, as a minor was turned in to the police by his father for “fondling” girls, likely his sisters, while they were asleep.

According to reports, Jim Bob Duggar waited nearly a year to report his son’s actions to the authorities, while Michelle Duggar said that Josh did not receive counseling for the incidents, as they told their church’s leadership, but instead was instead was sent to live with a family friend. It appears that the only consequence was that he had to apologize and received a “very stern talk” from a state trooper.

Duggar’s group, the Family Research Council, regularly paints the LGBT community as a precarious threat to children, and he and his family have participated in that rhetoric.

Last December, Duggar led a successful campaign to defeat a LGBT nondiscrimination measure in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which he said jeopardized the safety of children during an interview on the FRC radio program “Washington Watch”:

Duggar also said that opposing the nondiscrimination ordinance as a sign of “love” to the gay community, which he accused of trying to “silence” its critics.

Michelle Duggar also ran a robocall pushing for the repeal of the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance, which she warned would empower “child predators” to threaten “the safety and innocence of a child.”

Josh Duggar released a statement to People magazine saying that God has forgiven him but that he has resigned from the FRC:

Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends," Josh, 27, tells PEOPLE in a statement. "I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life."

Josh has resigned from his position at the Family Research Council as a result of the accusations becoming public, but his family has stood behind him.

"Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives," Jim Bob, 49, and Michelle, 48, said in a joint statement. "When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes, and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before."

Their statement continues, "Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God. We pray that as people watch our lives they see that we are not a perfect family. We have challenges and struggles everyday. It is one of the reasons we treasure our faith so much because God's kindness and goodness and forgiveness are extended to us – even though we are so undeserving. We hope somehow the story of our journey – the good times and the difficult times – cause you to see the kindness of God and learn that He can bring you through anything."

]"I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions," says Josh. "I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged and asked Christ to forgive me and come into my life. In my life today, I am so very thankful for God's grace, mercy and redemption."




This is one more story about people on the right and their life, but it’s a very informative one. Not only is it about a group who are admired by many followers of fundamentalist religion and who are involved in discrimination against LGBT individuals, it discloses a skeleton in the closet. Like the Catholic Church down through the centuries, this family covered up the fact that Josh Duggar was not immediately turned over to the police and didn’t receive any counseling for his crimes, but that his only punishment has been “a ‘very stern talk’ from a state trooper.” Somehow his story was uncovered by the media, however, and Duggar made a statement about his repentance to People Magazine. It’s one more sad occurrence for justice, or the lack thereof.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cleveland-braces-for-decisions-in-controversial-killings-by-police/

Cleveland braces for decisions in controversial killings by police
CBS/AP
May 22, 2015

Photograph -- The car that was driven by Timothy Russell rests next to a police car at a warehouse where the car and two police cruisers involved in the chase are stored Friday, April 10, 2015, in Cleveland. Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo, 31, is being tried on two counts of voluntary manslaughter in the November 2012 deaths of Russell, 43, and Malissa Williams, 30, after a high-speed chase. AP

CLEVELAND -- For Cleveland's maligned police department, the barrage began with a car chase that ended when officers fired 137 rounds and killed two unarmed black people.

Then late last year, a white, rookie police officer shot and killed a 12-year-old black boy carrying a pellet gun in a park. Around the same time, a U.S. Justice Department inquiry slammed the entire department, outlining a string of excessive force and civil rights violations.

Somehow, despite the repeated stains, Cleveland has been spared from violent protests that have erupted in places like Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri.

Cleveland's politicians and community leaders are now working to make sure protests remain peaceful as the city awaits a verdict in the trial of a white officer in the deaths of the two unarmed people and a decision on whether charges will be filed in the 12-year-old's death.

There's nothing at this point that indicates there's a cauldron of dissent in the predominantly black, largely poor city that's about to boil over into violence. Cleveland and the region's biggest concern at the moment appear to be a hoped-for march by the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title.

"I think the mayor's been very clear. We're interested in making sure that those who want to protest for whatever reason do it in a responsible way," said Dan Williams, spokesman for Mayor Frank Jackson. "We've had demonstrators them for a long time and we've been fair in dealing with them."

Cleveland has worked hard to burnish its image as a decaying Rust Belt city. Downtown has become a vibrant place for people to live, work and play. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame attracts tourists from near and far, and Republicans are bringing their national nominating convention here next year. But not far away are neighborhoods ravaged by poverty and blight, and a long history of ill will between citizens and police, especially on Cleveland's overwhelmingly black east side.

The Justice Department slammed police in December when Eric Holder, attorney general at the time, announced that a lengthy investigation concluded officers unnecessarily fired their guns, hit suspects in the head with their weapons, and punched and used Tasers on people already handcuffed.

Discontent with police has gone beyond allegations of excessive force. Six years ago, the department came under criticism following the discovery of 11 women's bodies in a home where the stench of death hung over a poverty-stricken neighborhood for months. The victims' families accused police of failing to properly investigate the disappearances because most of the women were drug addicts and poor.

Mayors have for decades struggled to rein in the police department. Jackson and his administration have made a very public show in the past weeks of how they're working to keep the peace before a judge delivers his verdict for the trial of Michael Brelo in the 137-shot case.

CBS affiliate WOIO reports that a prayer service is planned for Friday to show support for Cleveland Police Officers. The Sea of Blue, an organization that supports the police, is sponsoring the event. Steve Loomis, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolman Association, said the service is designed to show community unity.

What has helped ease the tension so far is Cleveland's long history of electing black leaders along with a strong network of seasoned activists and clergy in the black community, said Ronnie Dunn, an urban affairs professor at Cleveland State University.

Cleveland has had three black mayors, including Carl Stokes, who in 1967 became the first black mayor of a major U.S. city. Jackson is in his third term.

"We have a black mayor, a black police chief, we have several black council people," said Carol Steiner, who has organized protests of police in Cleveland. "It's different from Ferguson in that way."

It's important to distinguish, she said, between the organized protest movement that is almost entirely nonviolent and the types of uprisings brought on by years of oppression.

"To us the more interesting question is why haven't more people from the neighborhoods been united in large scale protests," said Steiner, who added that she doesn't know the answer.

Just four days after Rice was fatally shot in November, about 200 protesters blocked evening rush hour traffic, but officers simply directed commuters around the protest instead of arresting the demonstrators.

Cleveland may also have benefited from an aggressive county prosecutor willing to charge and prosecute police officers.

The 137-shot incident in November 2012 drew attention because of its sheer excess. Thirteen officers fired at a car with two unarmed suspects after a 22-mile-long, high-speed chase involving more than 100 Cleveland police officers in more than 60 cars. Brelo fired 49 of those shots, but it's the last 15 that resulted in criminal charges. He fired those shots at point-blank range into the windshield of a car at Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. Prosecutors contend Brelo, 31, intended to kill the pair even though their car had stopped and they were no longer a threat to anyone.

The chase began after Russell's beat-up Chevy Malibu backfired as it sped past police headquarters, which caused officers to think someone in the car had fired a gun.

Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty has not spared any expense in prosecuting Brelo, committing more than a half-dozen prosecutors and thousands of dollars on expert witnesses to testify in his effort to win a conviction.

Civil rights attorney James Hardiman said McGinty's willingness to prosecute has helped ease tensions in Cleveland.

"That obviously has played a role in appeasing some people," Hardiman said. "But depending on the ultimate verdict, that might not keep a lid on protests."

What will happen with the Tamir Rice case is uncertain. Outrage grew with the release of footage from a surveillance camera showed patrolman Timothy Loehmann shooting the boy within two seconds of his patrol car skidding to a stop next to him. Tamir can be seen in the video reaching for the realistic-looking pellet gun he had tucked in his waistband.

The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department is wrapping up an investigation into the shooting it started in mid-January. Once complete, the sheriff will turn the case over prosecutors, who can charge Loehmann, present evidence to a grand jury or rule the shooting justified and not pursue criminal charges.

CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds reports that Samarria Rice's pain is still fresh from the death of her 12-year-old son.

When his 14-year-old sister went to his aid, police tackled her, repeatedly. An investigation of the shooting has gone on for months, but no charges have been filed.

"I'm very much angry," said Rice, adding that she doesn't know what the holdup is. "I need an indictment immediately.

"It's an open and shut case, it's five months later. I don't know what they're waiting on."

But does she think this is a race problem or a police problem?

"It's a race problem with bad police officers. Let me just say that. Because all police officers are not bad," she said. "I'm aware of that."




"Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo, 31, is being tried on two counts of voluntary manslaughter in the November 2012 deaths of Russell, 43, and Malissa Williams, 30, after a high-speed chase. …. What has helped ease the tension so far is Cleveland's long history of electing black leaders along with a strong network of seasoned activists and clergy in the black community, said Ronnie Dunn, an urban affairs professor at Cleveland State University. …. Cleveland has had three black mayors, including Carl Stokes, who in 1967 became the first black mayor of a major U.S. city. Jackson is in his third term. "We have a black mayor, a black police chief, we have several black council people," said Carol Steiner, who has organized protests of police in Cleveland. "It's different from Ferguson in that way." It's important to distinguish, she said, between the organized protest movement that is almost entirely nonviolent and the types of uprisings brought on by years of oppression. …. Just four days after Rice was fatally shot in November, about 200 protesters blocked evening rush hour traffic, but officers simply directed commuters around the protest instead of arresting the demonstrators. Cleveland may also have benefited from an aggressive county prosecutor willing to charge and prosecute police officers. …. "It's an open and shut case, it's five months later. I don't know what they're waiting on." But does she think this is a race problem or a police problem? "It's a race problem with bad police officers. Let me just say that. Because all police officers are not bad," she said. "I'm aware of that."

Cleveland vs Ferguson, the good that at least a few black people in the government and an “aggressive county prosecutor” can do is important, I think. Ferguson, when the whole mess exploded there, was almost totally white on the city council, mayor, prosecutor, and police force like so many southern areas are. For police and city government to have established a reasonably satisfactory relationship with minority and poor citizens is indeed helpful if, later, an incident with police erupts. How furious the locals will be will be determined by how much trust the city has managed to build. Further, Cleveland’s demonstrations were non-violent, making it easier for the police to handle. Perhaps Brelo will be convicted and jailed. There should be a decision in the news soon. That wild car chase ending in a hail of bullets was clearly egregious violence of the type that has been occurring repeatedly across the nation, and it should be punished.

The case of Tamir Rice was equally suspicious, with the police officer firing on him within less than a minute of arriving at the scene, according to an earlier news article. That is yet to come to court. His mother did say, “all police officers are not bad,” but that there is a race problem. This is the real problem across the country – there is an underlying race issue in the US society at large, and it affects how police behave. Prosecuting individual policemen is the only way to overcome the problems, unless something like a federal law making specific a tighter oversight and rein on their behavior is enacted, and I think that will be hard to push through with the Tea Party in charge in Washington.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-man-who-tried-to-join-isis-threatened-to-kill-fbi-agents-prosecutors-say/

Minnesota man linked to ISIS threatened to kill FBI agents, prosecutors say
CBS/AP
May 22, 2015

Photograph -- This undated photo provided the Sherburne County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office shows Abdirahman Yasin Daud, one of several Minnesota men accused of conspiring to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group. SHERBURNE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE VIA AP

MINNEAPOLIS -- One Minnesota man accused of trying to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) told an informant he'd kill FBI agents if they tried to stop him, while another told friends he'd "spit on America" at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a document filed Thursday by prosecutors.

The document reveals new details about Mohamed Abdihamid Farah and Abdirahman Yasin Daud, both 21. They are among six Minnesota men arrested last month for conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Authorities have described the Minnesota men as friends in the state's Somali community who recruited and inspired each other to join ISIS. Authorities allege some of the men made repeated attempts to get to Syria and developed a plot to get fake passports and travel overseas through Mexico.

Daud and Farah were arrested last month in San Diego as authorities say they were attempting to make that trip. Daud has since been transferred to Minnesota; Farah is listed as being in federal custody in San Diego.

In the new court document, filed in advance of a Friday detention hearing for Daud, prosecutors argued Daud should stay in custody because he is a flight risk and a danger to the community. They said Daud conspired for at least a year to get to Syria along with others to fight and, in some cases die, for ISIS.

Prosecutors allege Daud went to extraordinary lengths to plan his travel, provided a photo and down-payment for a false passport and used his own vehicle to drive himself, Farah and an informant to San Diego.

Prosecutors say Daud had communicated with members of ISIS including Abdi Nur, a Minnesotan who is believed to be in Syria.

Authorities say the Minneapolis area has become a recruiting ground for some Islamic extremists.

When Daud was arrested, authorities found additional electronic communications between Daud and an unidentified member of the militant group who provided detailed instructions on how to get to Syria, including what type of SIM card Daud should buy for his cellphone once he arrived in Turkey, a gateway for many to Syria.

Daud also allegedly said at least once that his family knew he was going to Syria and they "won't say a word." He also spoke of getting an assault rifle in Syria and said he, Farah and the informant would become martyrs.

In a conversation recorded as Daud, Farah and the informant were driving to San Diego, Daud allegedly said: "I'm going to spit on America at the border crossing." The men also discussed tweeting FBI Agents upon arrival in Syria.

In another recorded conversation, Farah told the informant he would kill FBI agents "if our backs are against the wall," prosecutors said.

Daud's attorney, Bruce Nestor, said the government is cherry-picking what it considers to be the most damaging information.

"Many of the alleged statements are simply youthful boasting which, like the so-called conspiracy, were encouraged and facilitated by a government informant who himself tried to join ISIS and repeatedly had lied to the government," Nestor said.

Farah's mother declined comment Thursday. Efforts to reach Daud's family were unsuccessful.

The Minneapolis area is home to the largest concentration of Somali immigrants in the U.S.

Authorities have said a handful of Minnesota residents have traveled to Syria to fight with militants. Since 2007, more than 22 young Somali men have also traveled from Minnesota to Somalia to join the militant group al-Shabab.

Last month, attorneys for four of the suspects challenged the government's use of a paid informant.

Family members have claimed the men were entrapped. A criminal complaint unsealed Monday showed the government relied in part on help from a man who once wanted to join ISIS himself.




"One Minnesota man accused of trying to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) told an informant he'd kill FBI agents if they tried to stop him, while another told friends he'd "spit on America" at the U.S.-Mexico border, accord-ing to a document filed Thursday by prosecutors. …. Authorities have described the Minnesota men as friends in the state's Somali community who recruited and in-spired each other to join ISIS. …. Prosecutors say Daud had communicated with members of ISIS including Abdi Nur, a Minnesotan who is believed to be in Syria. Authorities say the Minneapolis area has become a recruiting ground for some Islam-ic extremists. When Daud was arrested, authorities found additional electronic com-munications between Daud and an unidentified member of the militant group who provided detailed instructions on how to get to Syria, including what type of SIM card Daud should buy for his cellphone once he arrived in Turkey, a gateway for many to Syria. …. Daud's attorney, Bruce Nestor, said the government is cherry-picking what it considers to be the most damaging information. "Many of the alleged statements are simply youthful boasting which, like the so-called conspiracy, were encouraged and facilitated by a government informant who himself tried to join ISIS and repeatedly had lied to the government," Nestor said. …. The Minneapolis area is home to the largest concentration of Somali immigrants in the U.S. Authorities have said a handful of Minnesota residents have traveled to Syria to fight with militants. Since 2007, more than 22 young Somali men have also traveled from Minnesota to Somalia to join the militant group al-Shabab. …. Last month, attorneys for four of the suspects challenged the government's use of a paid informant. Family members have claimed the men were entrapped.”

Entrapment is a charge that has often been brought against the police in these cases, but I think entrapment – unless some form of coercion like blackmail is involved – is probably hard to prove. The average person can’t be convinced to do something that is directly against his will and his interests except in unusual circumstances. Of course, suspects in police custody have been beaten or severely frightened into mak-ing confessions at times, which is why the Miranda law became so important. Hope-fully these men will be convicted and jailed, and their contacts if there are any can be put under surveillance. I know some Democrats think this observation of ethnic and religious minority groups is unfair, but at times of danger to the US we need to be alert to what is going on undercover.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/temple-professor-accused-of-sharing-sensitive-technology-with-china/

Temple professor accused of sharing sensitive technology with China
CBS/AP
May 22, 2015

PHILADELPHIA -- The chairman of Temple University's physics department sought prestigious appointments in China in exchange for providing data on electronics technology invented by a U.S. firm and offered to make the country a leader in the field of superconductivity, federal prosecutors said.

Xi Xiaoxing, 47, of suburban Philadelphia, appeared in U.S. District Court Thursday on four counts of wire fraud. The naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in China was released on $100,000 bond. CBS Philadelphia reports that no one answered the door at Xi's home in Penn Valley after investigators left.

Prosecutors said Xi had participated in a Chinese government program involving technology innovation before he took a sabbatical in 2002 to work with a U.S. company that developed a thin-film superconducting device containing magnesium diboride. Researchers have found that magnesium diboride can conduct electricity at high temperatures, and Xi helped develop high-quality thin films needed for the technology to work.

The charges came two days after three Chinese nationals who earned advanced degrees from the University of Southern California and three others were charged in San Francisco with stealing wireless technology from a pair of U.S. companies. They were charged with economic espionage and theft of trade secrets, offenses that Xi was not charged on.

Xi was awarded a grant in 2004 from the U.S. Department of Defense to purchase the device to use for research, but prosecutors say he then "exploited it for the benefit of third parties in China, including government entities," by sharing it with the help of his post-doctoral students from China.

Xi also offered to build a world-class thin film laboratory there, according to emails detailed by prosecutors.

The name of the U.S. firm isn't included in the indictment.

Xi joined Temple in 2009 and previously was a professor at Penn State University, according to his online faculty profile. He received his doctorate in physics from China's Peking University in 1987.

Ray Bentzner, a spokesman for Temple, said his status as chairman of the department has not changed.

"We are aware of the charges and look forward to talking with Dr. Xi about the matter," Bentzner said.

He faces up to 80 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted.




"The chairman of Temple University's physics department sought prestigious appointments in China in exchange for providing data on electronics technology invented by a U.S. firm and offered to make the country a leader in the field of superconductivity, federal prosecutors said. …. Xi was awarded a grant in 2004 from the U.S. Department of Defense to purchase the device to use for research, but prosecutors say he then "exploited it for the benefit of third parties in China, including government entities," by sharing it with the help of his post-doctoral students from China. …. Ray Bentzner, a spokesman for Temple, said his status as chairman of the department has not changed. "We are aware of the charges and look forward to talking with Dr. Xi about the matter," Bentzner said. He faces up to 80 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted.”

Espionage by Chinese nationals in the US has been in the news numerous times over the years, and their national goal, rather than military conquest, seems to be economic conquest. The fact that the US is deeply involved in debt to China doesn’t make me happy. They have, however, interceded for US interests with the North Korean government several times, and that is definitely useful. They aren’t exactly our friends, but I don’t think they will fire off a nuclear missile in our direction any time soon, either.




WHAT TO DO ABOUT BED BUGS?


http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/05/22/408758867/your-roommate-in-the-nursing-home-might-be-a-bedbug

Your Roommate In The Nursing Home Might Be A Bedbug
ANGUS CHEN
MAY 22, 2015

Photograph --

If you're in the hospital or a nursing home, the last thing you want to be dealing with is bedbugs. But exterminators saying they're getting more and more calls for bedbug infestations in nursing homes, hospitals and doctor's offices.

Nearly 60 percent of pest control professionals have found bedbugs in nursing homes in the past year, according to an industry survey, up from 46 percent in 2013. Bedbug reports in other medical facilities have gone up slightly. Thirty-six percent of exterminators reported seeing them in hospitals, up from 33 percent. Infestations seen in doctors' offices rose from 26 percent to 33 percent in the past two years.

"Nursing homes would be difficult to treat for the simple reason you don't use any pesticides there," says Billy Swan, an exterminator who runs a pest-control company in New York City. That and the fact that there's a lot more stuff. "Somebody's gotta wash and dry all the linens, you know, and all their personal artifacts and picture frames."

Brooke Borel says bedbugs were essentially wiped out after World War II thanks to DDT. It's not totally clear why they came back in the past couple of decades.
SHOTS - HEALTH NEWS
The Creepy, Crawly World Of Bedbugs And How They Have 'Infested' Homes
Those personal belongings might help account for the big disparity in infestations between nursing homes and hospitals, according to Dr. Silvia Munoz-Price, an epidemiologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin who studies infection control in health care facilities. "The more things you bring with you, the more likely you're bringing bedbugs, if you have a bedbug problem... and you live in a nursing home, so all your things are there."

By contrast, "When bedbugs are located in a hospital, they're usually confined to a couple of hospital rooms," Munoz-Price says.

And it may be easier for hospital staff to spot bedbugs.

"Hospital cleaning staff, nurses, doctors are extremely vigilant," says Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist for the National Pest Management Association, which conducted the survey along with the University of Kentucky. "[Bedbugs] don't go unnoticed for long."

Bedbugs are becoming a common nuisance in many places. But cheap ultrasonic devices advertised as bedbug repellents don't work, scientists say.
SHOTS - HEALTH NEWS
Buzz Off: Bedbugs Unfazed By Ultrasonic Devices
And hospitals are typically brightly lit, routinely cleaned places. It's just much easier to find pests in this setting than in a dark movie theater, where only 16 percent of pest professionals report seeing bedbugs, according to the survey.

Fredericks says the recent multiplication of bedbug reports in medical facilities is just a part of a larger trend. Exterminators have been finding more of the bugs everywhere the parasites are most commonly found like hotels, offices, and homes, where virtually 100 percent of pest control professionals have treated bedbugs in the past year. And they've been popping up in a few unexpected places, too, like a prosthetic leg and in an occupied casket.

"There are a lot of theories as to why they've made a comeback," Fredericks says. It could be differences in pest management practices, insecticide resistance, or just increased travel. "Bottom line is nobody knows what caused it, but bedbugs are back." He falters for a moment. "And they're most likely here to stay."

The good news is bedbugs aren't known to transmit any diseases, and a quick inspection under mattresses or in the odd nook or cranny while traveling can lower the risk of picking the hitchhiking bugs up. Swan says a simple wash or freezing will kill any bedbug. "If you came home, took off all your clothes, put 'em in a bag – you'd never bring a bedbug home," he says. "But who does that?"

At least one reporter might start.



http://www.bedbugsupply.com/blog/faq/bed-bugs-spreading-came-back/

WHY BED BUGS ARE BACK (AND HOW DDT ALMOST BEAT THEM)

There’s no denying that bed bugs are an epidemic. What was once just a rhyme is now a very real threat spreading across North America and beyond. Bed bugs were here before, and we almost wiped them out. Why are bed bugs back now, with such prevalence?

Bed bugs have been feeding on humans since before written history, and were common in Europe and the Americas from the 17th to 19th centuries. In the 1800s, English and American homes were regularly fumigated with smoke from decayed vegetations to clear out bed bug infestations. As electricity became common in the early 20th century, bed bugs had an easier time surviving the winters, and became a more widespread problem.

DDT Insect SprayDDT, a potent insecticide, gained popularity during World War II. The chemical was so effective at wiping out bed bug infestations that the species was nearly wiped out in many countries. Unfortunately, DDT became the target of criticism during the environmental movement of the 60s. The movement led to an agricultural ban of DDT in 1972, and the eventual ban of its use worldwide in the 2001 Stockholm Convention.

With DDT off of the table, bed bugs began their return. Over the 50 years since their decline, advances in transportation technology had allowed travel to explode around the world. Bed bugs now have an easy time moving from place to place, and the pesticides in use are nowhere near as effective as DDT was. After the 2001 ban, the number of bed bug infestations in Europe multiplied year after year- it was only a matter of time before the epidemic reached the US and Canada.

Fast forward to 2013, and the struggle is apparent everywhere. Bed bugs make the news every day, infesting hotels, libraries, trains, and anywhere else that people frequent. Today’s modern luxuries allow bed bugs to travel with ease: with thousands of flights every day, and central heating keeping home temperatures comfortable year-round, there’s nothing stopping these pests from thriving.

Unfortunately, the solution to today’s bed bug epidemic won’t be as simple as the one a century ago. Any insecticide that’s strong enough to kill every bed bug in a home would likely be too harmful to the people and pets that inhabit it, or to the environment outside. Consequently, organizations like the EPA keep chemical development strictly regulated, for the sake of public safety. Don’t count on another silver bullet like DDT to pop up and save the day.

I’d hate to write an article that’s all bad news. There certainly is hope against this menace; we just need to spread awareness and education, and use the right treatment methods for today’s bed bugs. People need to know how they get bed bugs, how to treat infestations if they have them, and how to prevent them if they don’t. We also need to promote holistic solutions with proven products, and discourage the use of ineffective foggers and outdated chemical sprays.

Arm yourselves with knowledge, folks. Bed bugs are back, and they mean business.


RELATED BEDBUG ARTICLES --
Get Rid of Bed Bugs in 4 Easy Steps
Why Bug Bombs Won’t Kill Your Bed Bugs
How to Look for Bed Bugs
Top 3 Reasons Why Most Bed Bug Treatments Fail




While these two articles are not the kind of article we want to read, because the subject is so unsavory, it is informational -- “. Swan says a simple wash or freezing will kill any bedbug. "If you came home, took off all your clothes, put 'em in a bag – you'd never bring a bedbug home," he says. "But who does that?" At least one reporter might start.” He does mean a large plastic kitchen trash bag, of course. A baby bed bug can probably crawl through the weave of a fabric bag. The problem is being sufficiently aware of our surroundings to know it when we have been infested by the one lonely little bed bug that is capable of laying lots of eggs. From the library? That’s shocking!!