January 22, 2016


News Clips For The Day

See excerpts and commentary below in boldface print.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sen-mitch-holmes-kansas-lawmaker-bans-revealing-attire-for-female-witnesses/

Kansas lawmaker bans revealing attire for female witnesses
CBS/AP
January 22, 2016

Photograph -- Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, left, of Wichita, consults with Sen. Mitch Holmes, right, of St. John, following a caucus of Republican senators, Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. AP PHOTO/JOHN HANNA


TOPEKA, Kan. -- A Kansas Senate committee chairman has imposed a dress code that prohibits women testifying on an elections or ethics bill from wearing certain clothing while establishing no wardrobe restrictions exclusively for men.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a rule of state Sen. Mitch Holmes' 11-point code of conduct says "low-cut necklines and miniskirts" are inappropriate for women.

Holmes says he offered detailed guidance to women because he had observed provocatively clad women at the state Capitol. He says it's a distraction to the Senate committee during testimony.

A group of bipartisan women senators says no chairman ought to place gender-specific demands on those inspired to share thoughts on public policy with legislative committees.

"Oh, for crying out loud, what century is this?" said Democratic Sen. Laura Kelly, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal,

Holmes is the Republican chairman of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee.



“A Kansas Senate committee chairman has imposed a dress code that prohibits women testifying on an elections or ethics bill from wearing certain clothing while establishing no wardrobe restrictions exclusively for men. …. He says it's a distraction to the Senate committee during testimony. A group of bipartisan women senators says no chairman ought to place gender-specific demands on those inspired to share thoughts on public policy with legislative committees. …. "Oh, for crying out loud, what century is this?" said Democratic Sen. Laura Kelly, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.”


“… while establishing no wardrobe restrictions exclusively for men.” This really does go along with the verbal eviscerating of a female rape victim being allowed as proper questioning to show that she “tempted” the man. While I personally don’t like to see a skirt higher than 4” or so above the knee in ANY business setting, nor skin-tight curve hugging outfits, and necklines that show more than an inch or so of cleavage, this ruling is clearly biased. Men wearing equally tight pants and their shirts open at the neck to show their chest hair should also be banned in any office, I believe. Let’s all curb our sexual excesses and act mature! Sexual harassment in the business world is just as bad as it is on the street. It’s abusive, and it really can lead to physical interactions, which are not “harmless flirting.”




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/quotes-from-molenbeek-brussels-belgium-mother-of-dead-isis-fighter/

Five heartbreaking quotes from the mother of a dead ISIS fighter
By CHRISTINA CAPATIDES CBS NEWS
January 21, 2016

Photograph -- hate-the-recruiters.jpg, CBS NEWS
Photograph -- anis2.jpg, Geraldine Henneghien's son Anis, before he left home to join ISIS in January 2014. FAMILY PHOTO
Related -- Les Banlieues: Searching for the seeds of terror


When you think of ISIS militants, images of ruthless hostage executions or shadowy terror cells might fill your imagination. You probably don't think of mothers. But each and every radicalized youth in Iraq and Syria has one. And in the new CBSN Originals documentary, "Molenbeek: Terror Recruiting Ground," we talk to the mother of a young man from Brussels named Anis, who was recruited at just 18 years of age in just four months.

"Anis, in Arabic, is the friend of everybody. And he was very loving. He was a very normal boy. He was making jokes every day," says Geraldine Henneghien. "When something went wrong at school, he would say, 'I must help them.' That was my son."

In late 2013, however, all that changed. Anis began going to a new mosque, praying up to five times a day, and arguing with his father over sections of the Quran. Then, in January 2014, he left.

"I hate the recruiters," says Henneghien in tears. "Because they don't have the courage to go there. But they have the courage to send the young people there."

And for Anis, she says, life with ISIS was not what he expected. They simply wouldn't let him come home.

"One time he said, 'Mom, I would like to come back in Belgium ... so please, you want to buy for me a ticket to another place.' I say, 'Anise, I will buy the ticket where you want. Be sure.' And he say, 'Okay, I will let you know.' And two hours later, he was phoning me and he said, 'Mom, I will never come back. I will stay here with the brothers.'"

Geraldine Henneghien believes ISIS had officials listening in on all of her son's phone calls; and that whenever he expressed a desire to leave, they would step in.

"Sometimes young people say it's easy to leave, it's easy to come back. And I say no ... It's not easy to come back."

Now, roughly a year after he left, Henneghien has received word that her son died overseas -- sobering news, which while devastating for any mother to hear, also gives her a sort of solace.

"If I will say the truth, I will say I'm happy that he's died. Because I cannot sleep when he was there. Every day, I was thinking about him... what he is doing," Henneghien says. "I am egoist, but I prefer that my son is no more there. ... It's not easy to sleep when your son has died, but I prefer it."

Watch the full report's debut on CBSN, Monday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. ET.



“In late 2013, however, all that changed. Anis began going to a new mosque, praying up to five times a day, and arguing with his father over sections of the Quran. Then, in January 2014, he left. "I hate the recruiters," says Henneghien in tears. "Because they don't have the courage to go there. But they have the courage to send the young people there." …. Geraldine Henneghien believes ISIS had officials listening in on all of her son's phone calls; and that whenever he expressed a desire to leave, they would step in. "Sometimes young people say it's easy to leave, it's easy to come back. And I say no ... It's not easy to come back." …. Every day, I was thinking about him... what he is doing," Henneghien says. "I am egoist, but I prefer that my son is no more there. ... It's not easy to sleep when your son has died, but I prefer it."


I’ve read several stories like this one and they all bear the same stamp. A young, immature young man or woman, seeking adventure and a cause, make their way to a no man’s land where they end up committing horrible crimes instead of doing the idealistic thing that they envision. It is deeply sad. Syrian and American youth are all the same. They are naïve and essentially innocent until they are radicalized. All cults, and that’s what I consider ISIS to be, are deeply evil. We must not consider American Islamic people of good intention to be equivalent at all with ISIS or al-Qaeda. A Donald Trump, who wants to require all Islamic Americans to be enrolled on a database and closely watched is not only being un-American, he is not solving the central problem which is the failure of our government to include them as citizens with full rights and as neighbors rather than outsiders. As a result they fail to form a personal attachment to our American way of life, and become hostile. From there it’s easy to indoctrinate them.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korea-says-its-arrested-american-college-student/

North Korea arrests U.S. college student
CBS/AP
January 22, 2016

Photograph -- Otto Fredrick Warmbier, University of Virginia student and Ohio native Otto Fredrick Warmbier is seen in an undated photo posted to his Facebook page. FACEBOOK


SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea said Friday it had arrested an American university student for committing what it said were anti-state acts.

Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency said the American was "arrested while perpetrating a hostile act against the DPRK (North Korea) after entering it under the guise of tourist for the purpose of bringing down the foundation of its single-minded unity at the tacit connivance of the U.S. government and under its manipulation."

KCNA identified the person as Warmbier Otto Frederick, a student at "Virginia University." North Korea sometimes lists English-language surnames first.

The University of Virginia's website lists Warmbier as an undergrad there, and a Facebook page appearing to belong to Warmbier describes him as an Ohio native studying at UVA.

The university itself confirmed that it had been in contact with Warmbier's family, but said it had no further comment.

The China-based Young Pioneer Tours company confirmed that Warmbier was on one of its tours and said he had been detained in North Korea on Jan. 2.

CBS News correspondent Seth Doane says Warmbier was in North Korea for a five-day visit and was detained at Pyongyang's airport ahead of a flight back to China.

The tour company said Warmbier's family had been informed and that it was "in contact with the Swedish Embassy, (who act as the protecting interest for U.S citizens), who are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the case. We are also assisting the U.S. Department of State closely with regards to the situation."

The U.S. State Deparment said it was aware of the reported arrest, and that the "welfare of U.S. citizens is one of the Department's highest priorities," but declined to give any further information due to privacy concerns. The statement also noted that the U.S. government works with Sweden, which handles U.S. consular issues in North Korea because Washington and Pyongyang do not have diplomatic relations. It did not describe any conslutations with Swedish officials that might already have taken place.

John Kasich, Ohio's governor and a Republican candidate in the 2016 U.S. presidential race, said in a tweet that North Korea's actions were "inexcusable" and called for Warmbier's release.

The announcement came as Washington, Seoul and others are pushing hard to slap North Korea with tougher sanctions for its recent nuclear test. In the past, North Korea has announced the arrests of foreign detainees in times of tension with the outside world in apparent attempts to wrest concessions.

Earlier this month, CNN reported that Pyongyang had detained another U.S. citizen, on suspicion of spying. It said a man identified as Kim Dong Chul was being held by the North and said authorities had accused him of engaging in spying and stealing state secrets.

The United States and North Korea are in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. About 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea..



“Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency said the American was "arrested while perpetrating a hostile act against the DPRK (North Korea) after entering it under the guise of tourist for the purpose of bringing down the foundation of its single-minded unity at the tacit connivance of the U.S. government and under its manipulation." …. The statement also noted that the U.S. government works with Sweden, which handles U.S. consular issues in North Korea because Washington and Pyongyang do not have diplomatic relations. It did not describe any conslutations [sic] with Swedish officials that might already have taken place. …. The announcement came as Washington, Seoul and others are pushing hard to slap North Korea with tougher sanctions for its recent nuclear test. In the past, North Korea has announced the arrests of foreign detainees in times of tension with the outside world in apparent attempts to wrest concessions. Earlier this month, CNN reported that Pyongyang had detained another U.S. citizen, on suspicion of spying. It said a man identified as Kim Dong Chul was being held by the North and said authorities had accused him of engaging in spying and stealing state secrets.”


Warmbier Otto Frederick is handsome young man, maybe 22 or so, with a pleasant and happy facial expression. He doesn’t look to me as though he would be seeking a life of danger by joining the CIA or other spy organization. I don’t understand, however, why a young person would go on a tourist visa to a dark and dangerous environment like North Korea, after all the stories down through the years of similar misadventures at their hands. I only hope he is returned safely and soon to the US.




TRUMP AND CRUZ – FOUR ARTICLES


http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/266656-conservatives-plan-anti-trump-manifesto

Conservatives pen anti-Trump manifesto
By Jesse Byrnes
January 21, 2016


Conservative authors are banding together to publish a manifesto Friday denouncing the ideas of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

Leading conservatives including Erick Erickson, William Kristol and Yuval Levin have written essays for a special issue of National Review to be published Friday, The New York Times reports.

“Donald Trump is a menace to American conservatism who would take the work of generations and trample it underfoot on behalf of a populism as heedless and crude as The Donald himself,” reads an editorial accompanying the essays in the issue, according to the newspaper.

The issue will include essays from 22 prominent conservative voices, according to CNN.

Rich Lowry, the editor of the conservative magazine who reached out to authors for the issue, has publicly sparred with Trump, including back in September when he suggested Republican presidential rival Carly Fiorina rhetorically castrated the outspoken businessman in a debate.

Trump called Lowry a "loser."

The manifesto comes as Republicans search for a counterweight to Trump, with Ted Cruz his nearest rival in polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1.



http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/politics/national-review-magazine-opposes-donald-trump/

National Review, conservative thinkers stand against Trump
By Dylan Byers
Updated 11:03 AM ET, Fri January 22, 2016


Los Angeles (CNN)National Review, the conservative magazine founded by William F. Buckley, published a special issue on Friday opposing Donald Trump's bid for the presidency.

The cover -- with the headline "Against Trump" -- was tweeted by the magazine on Thursday night.


The issue features a blistering editorial that labels Trump a threat to conservatism, as well as essays by 22 prominent conservative thinkers from various ideological factions, in opposition to Trump's candidacy.

GOP bans National Review from debate

"Donald Trump is a menace to American conservatism who would take the work of generations and trample it underfoot on behalf of a populism as heedless and crude as The Donald himself," the editorial states.

Trump or Cruz: GOP leaders ask who's worse for party

Trump issued a blistering response, tweeting late Thursday night that the National Review is a "failing publication."

"National Review is a failing publication that has lost it's way. It's circulation is way down w its influence being at an all time low. Sad!" he said.


He then tweeted, "Very few people read the National Review because it only knows how to criticize, but not how to lead."


And then: "The late, great, William F. Buckley would be ashamed of what had happened to his prize, the dying National Review!"


The issue, first reported by Jonathan Martin of The New York Times, comes as conservative pundits and GOP leaders debate which of the two leading Republican candidates -- Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz -- poses the greater threat to the party.
….

National Review editor Rich Lowry spent weeks reaching out to fellow conservatives, ranging from The Weekly Standard's William Kristol to RedState's Erick Erickson, to commission essays for the issue.

His effort reflects a frustration among conservative thought leaders over the GOP establishment's unwillingness to take a bold stand against Trump. While Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have signaled opposition to some of Trump's policy proposals, there has not been an aggressive effort by the GOP establishment to counter his rise.

Sign up for CNN Politics' Nightcap newsletter, serving up today's best and tomorrow's essentials in politics.

It is also notable that the anti-Trump manifesto is coming from Buckley's magazine -- which was first published in the 1950s and has long been a leading voice on the American right, influencing countless conservatives, including former President Ronald Reagan -- given that Trump cited the conservative thinker during the most recent Republican debate on January 14.

When asked to defend himself against Cruz's accusation that his "New York values" were out of sync with American conservatism, Trump replied: "Conservatives actually do come out of Manhattan, including William F. Buckley and others, just so you understand."

One of Trump's competitors, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, quickly tweeted out the cover Thursday night.

"Welcome to the fight, all. Trump is not a conservative," he said.

Can Trump rewrite the rules in Iowa?



http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/08/politics/charles-koch-financial-times-interview/?iid=ob_article_footer_expansion&iref=obinsite

Koch brother: Trump plan would 'destroy free society'
By David Wright, CNN
Updated 11:38 AM ET, Fri January 8, 2016

Interactive polling site: Political Prediction Market, Donald Trump to be Republican nominee -- 45%


(CNN)GOP kingmaker Charles Koch said he is "disappointed" by the field of 2016 Republican candidates and sharply criticized the rhetoric and policies put forth by front-runners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

Koch, who along with billionaire brother David famously pledged to spend $900 million supporting Republicans in 2016, expressed dissatisfaction with the GOP primary thus far during a lengthy interview with the Financial Times published Friday.

Asked about Trump's proposal for a registry of Muslims in the U.S., Koch said, "Well, then you destroy a free society ... Who is it that said, 'If you want to defend your liberty, the first thing you've got to do is defend the liberty of people you like the least?'"

Koch also panned Cruz's aggressive strategy to fight ISIS, which has included calls for "carpet bombing" and declarations that Cruz would direct strikes until "sand glows in the dark."

"I've studied revolutionaries a lot," Koch said. "Mao said that the people are the sea in which the revolutionary swims. Not that we don't need to defend ourselves and have better intelligence and all that, but how do we create an unfriendly sea for the terrorists in the Muslims communities? We haven't done a good job of that."

Noting that 1.6 billion Muslims live around the world, Koch asked, "What are we going to do, go bomb each one of them?"

Later in the interview, Koch said he was unimpressed by the rest of the Republican field.

"It is hard for me to get a high level of enthusiasm because the things I'm passionate about and I think this country urgently needs aren't being addressed," he explained.

And though the Kochs' political operation has highlighted their priorities to the candidates, "it doesn't seem to faze them much," Koch said. "You think we could have a little more influence."

The Koch brothers have said they will not endorse during the primary, and plan instead to save their considerable financial firepower for the general election and the eventual Republican nominee.



Thehill.com -- “Donald Trump is a menace to American conservatism who would take the work of generations and trample it underfoot on behalf of a populism as heedless and crude as The Donald himself,” reads an editorial accompanying the essays in the issue, according to the newspaper. The issue will include essays from 22 prominent conservative voices, according to CNN. …. Trump called Lowry a "loser." The manifesto comes as Republicans search for a counterweight to Trump, with Ted Cruz his nearest rival in polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1.”

cnn.com National Review -- “Trump or Cruz: GOP leaders ask who's worse for party -- Trump issued a blistering response, tweeting late Thursday night that the National Review is a "failing publication." "National Review is a failing publication that has lost it's way. It's circulation is way down w its influence being at an all time low. Sad!" he said. He then tweeted, "Very few people read the National Review because it only knows how to criticize, but not how to lead." …. His effort reflects a frustration among conservative thought leaders over the GOP establishment's unwillingness to take a bold stand against Trump. While Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have signaled opposition to some of Trump's policy proposals, there has not been an aggressive effort by the GOP establishment to counter his rise. …. One of Trump's competitors, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, quickly tweeted out the cover Thursday night. "Welcome to the fight, all. Trump is not a conservative," he said.’

CNN.com – Koch Interview -- GOP kingmaker Charles Koch said he is "disappointed" by the field of 2016 Republican candidates and sharply criticized the rhetoric and policies put forth by front-runners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. …. Donald Trump is a menace to American conservatism who would take the work of generations and trample it underfoot on behalf of a populism as heedless and crude as The Donald himself,” reads an editorial accompanying the essays in the issue, according to the newspaper. The issue will include essays from 22 prominent conservative voices, according to CNN.” …. Asked about Trump's proposal for a registry of Muslims in the U.S., Koch said, "Well, then you destroy a free society ... Who is it that said, 'If you want to defend your liberty, the first thing you've got to do is defend the liberty of people you like the least?'" …. "I've studied revolutionaries a lot," Koch said. "Mao said that the people are the sea in which the revolutionary swims. Not that we don't need to defend ourselves and have better intelligence and all that, but how do we create an unfriendly sea for the terrorists in the Muslims communities? We haven't done a good job of that." Noting that 1.6 billion Muslims live around the world, Koch asked, "What are we going to do, go bomb each one of them?" …. And though the Kochs' political operation has highlighted their priorities to the candidates, "it doesn't seem to faze them much," Koch said. "You think we could have a little more influence."


Trump’s abrasive, abusive behavior is appealing to a very angry group – the most ignorant of our rightists. They aren’t keeping up financially, they believe in scapegoating against religious and racial outsiders, and they are showing enough rightist tendencies in all ways that they are clearly dangerous. Even Koch fears Trump’s political stance against ALL Muslims. Finally, Koch laments that he, for all his financial input to Republicans, “could have a little more influence.” Koch has been fostering illiberal thought for many years, but now that we have it clearly on the rise in the US, he doesn’t seem to like its’ sheer and unpredictable radicalism.

The political and religious far right is a very dangerous group who do everything they can to destroy the logical ability of their “believers” – individual thought is dangerous after all. What Trump is, in my belief, is a man so individualistic, conceited, power hungry, manipulative and ruthless that he causes the poor and undereducated whites to believe that he is one of them, by playing to their angry crudeness and spouting their vile rhetoric. They have been marginalized for the last 40 or 50 years and they want to have their fascist revolution now.

Trump is their guy. The facial expressions shown by his listeners in two group shots taken during his speeches are shocking to me, full of excitement and joy at the chance of being in his presence. They clearly aren’t moderates or, as Bush said of Trump, conservative. I’m glad somebody said that out loud because for the last couple of years that I have done this blog, I have commonly put the word “conservative” in quotation marks, because of the way it is being used. He who thinks conservatively is not a radical by definition, and many to most of the Tea Party wing are.

Apparently the Koch Brothers don’t trust Trump and his fundamentalist followers any more than the liberals do. They are “loose cannons,” especially Trump. He is clearly not a group guy unless he is the boss – a demagogue, in short. If you want to see what some of those “conservatives” are doing, look at the Bundy family and the Sovereign Citizens. It gives me cold chills.

It looks to me as though at least 22 avowed conservatives fear Trump’s outrageous and fiery tongue as he attempts to discredit them and promote radical ideas, such as “carpet bombing” the ISIS territory in spite of the fact that civilians still live there, and encouraging “racial and religious scapegoating.”

Their courage in posting their criticisms on this National Review website is encouraging for our democratic principles, but in a late day article today by NPR, (See http://www.npr.org/2016/01/22/463984412/stripping-conservative-magazine-of-debate-is-latest-sign-of-gops-trump-nerves”) the RNC has amazingly punished the National Review for its’ effrontery. What is going to happen next?? The reason given for their action is that a media debate partner must maintain an impartial stance. From that article comes the following:

“The RNC's decision didn't come as a surprise to National Review publisher Jack Fowler, writing on their site that it was a "Small price to pay for speaking the truth about The Donald." The magazine didn't mince words in its criticism of Trump. In an editorial, staff wrote that "Trump is a philosophically unmoored political opportunist who would trash the broad conservative ideological consensus within the GOP in favor of a free-floating populism with strong-man overtones. …. Tonight’s article continues, "Not since George Wallace has there been a presidential candidate who made racial and religious scapegoating so central to his campaign," Cato Institute president David Boaz wrote.”

There have been stirrings of conflict among Republicans since the beginning about the Tea Party’s strongarm methods, with sadness over the loss or intimidation of the middle of the road members. Some Republicans are correctly noticing that a moderate voice is not without value in a debate. Others of course have called those moderate members “RINO” and even forced a few from the Republican ranks into the Democratic side. Fine. I’m glad to have them. At least the center, the “republican” side of the party, is not dead, and is in no mood to take Trump’s attempt at steamrolling them lying down. Sanders, of course, is producing shifts among the grassroots Democrats over philosophical differences also. This is becoming a very exciting time in the USA, and one that is moving in a direction that encourages me for the future of our country.


A VERY GOOD COP


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/caught-on-dashcam-oregon-trooper-saves-2-year-old-on-busy-road/

Caught on dashcam: Oregon trooper saves 2-year-old on busy road
CBS NEWS
January 22, 2016

Photograph -- tot1.jpg, Deputy Jeremy Gautney was driving on Highway 101 when he spotted this child on the road. KOIN
Photograph -- deputy-jeremy-gautney-01212016.jpg, Lincoln County deputy Jeremy Gautney KOIN
Photograph -- tot2-1.jpg, Deputy Jeremy Gautney scoops up tot he found running down Oregon highway. KOIN

NEWPORT, Oregon -- An alert Oregon trooper averted a tragedy when he spotted a runaway 2-year-old running down the middle of a highway. The tot had slipped away from his parents at a nearby community center. KOIN's Amy Frazier has the story.

Dashcam video obtained by KOINs shows Lincoln County deputy Jeremy Gautney spotting the 2-year-old boy running on Highway 101 outside Newport on January 9.

Gautney was headed south on Highway 101 on his regular patrol.

"I was shocked because I thought it was like an animal at first, and then I noticed it was a child," Gautney told KOIN on Thursday. "I guess I was shocked there was a child in the middle of that highway. It's like the main highway for the Oregon coast."

The deputy driving noticed the boy running in his lane and quickly stopped to rescue him.

His frantic parents were nearby searching for him. They had been cleaning up after a gathering at a nearby community center when the boy ran out the door and onto the highway.

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office released the dashcam video in an effort to remind drivers to be alert at all times. They urge drivers to refrain from texting and using cellphones while driving.

"It sure opened my eyes," the deputy said.

No criminal charges were filed against the parents.


A two-year old is strong, quick and clever. I’ve seen a couple of other stories about a child under four managing to unlock the front door and go outside to end up in a body of water deep enough to drown the child, or simply disappear into a nearby woodland. I am so glad to see that this officer saw what was happening and took action that could have caused injury to himself. Stopping a car, even a patrol car, on a major highway can at the very least cause a wreck, and at worst he could have failed to see the child in time and run over him accidentally. I hope this officer will get an award for demonstrating such good personal skills. I’m glad to see that the parents haven’t been charged with a crime, but even a little bit of neglect of a child that age is dangerous. It’s a story that ended well, though, thank goodness.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wife-of-murdered-anti-isis-filmmaker-he-knew-they-would-kill-him/

Widow: Murdered anti-ISIS filmmaker knew they would kill him
By HOLLY WILLIAMS CBS NEWS
January 21, 2016

Photograph -- williams0121activistkilled.png, Mohammad Mosaraa CBS NEWS
Photograph -- naji-jerfbuzzfeed-1.jpg, Bushra Kashmar at the burial of her husband, slain Syrian filmmaker Naji JerfSIMA DIAB/BUZZFEED NEWS
Photograph -- williams0121activistkilled2.png, Naji Jerf and his wife Boshra Kashmar


Boshra Kashmar lost her husband a month ago. Naji Jerf was shot in broad daylight, on a busy street in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border.

"It was a nightmare, yes. I'm trying all the time to wake up and find him, standing there, and joking, laughing," she told CBS News.

Jerf was a documentary maker who showed what life is really like under ISIS.

Kashmar told CBS News her husband received death threats from ISIS, though the extremists haven't claimed responsibility for his murder.

"He was telling me all the time, 'I hate the sound of bullets. I hate it very much. I know they are not going to kill me by the knife. They will gun me.' He knew."

Jerf sometimes worked with a group known as "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently." Their citizen journalists risk their lives to report from inside the city of Raqqa, the so-called ISIS capital.

The group's website includes accounts not just of public executions, but also of extortion, bread lines, and how ISIS stops people from escaping the city. All of it reveals that Raqqa is far from the paradise that ISIS claims.

To stop the truth getting out, ISIS has hunted down and murdered the group's activists, even when they're over the border in Turkey.

Mohammad Mosaraa is a former high school math teacher who helped found the Raqqa group and later fled to Turkey, where the death threats followed him.

"We've become numb," he said. "It's not easy to talk to your friends at night, and discover the next morning that they've been killed."

"Every time I go outside I have the feeling I'm being followed," Mosaraa continued. "But I need to stay alive, keep getting the word out, and not give in to ISIS."

Mosaraa left Turkey on Wednesday, and is now seeking asylum in Europe. But he said that other activists from the group remain inside Raqqa, risking death to report what's happening to their city.

Boshra Kashmar is also seeking asylum in Europe, but still can't bring herself to tell her youngest daughter, Emissa, that her father is gone.

"He said before, 'I don't want to die, I don't want to be arrested, I want to live and to do everything I can...'"



“Jerf was a documentary maker who showed what life is really like under ISIS. Kashmar told CBS News her husband received death threats from ISIS, though the extremists haven't claimed responsibility for his murder. "He was telling me all the time, 'I hate the sound of bullets. I hate it very much. I know they are not going to kill me by the knife. They will gun me.' He knew." …. The group's website includes accounts not just of public executions, but also of extortion, bread lines, and how ISIS stops people from escaping the city. All of it reveals that Raqqa is far from the paradise that ISIS claims. To stop the truth getting out, ISIS has hunted down and murdered the group's activists, even when they're over the border in Turkey. …. Mohammad Mosaraa is a former high school math teacher who helped found the Raqqa group and later fled to Turkey …”


In times like these ordinary people become heroes, fighting for their basic rights. I’m glad to see that there is a group like this one, and hopefully others as well. I have a book which I haven’t finished, but which is very interesting called “Tough Jews.” It is the true story of the lives of four young French Jews fighting in the French Underground against the Nazis. In the end the world, working together, did beat and destroy the Nazis. Hopefully this new hate group will reach the same end, and in the near future. I’m afraid that the only way the Middle Eastern nations will be freed from the influence of radicalism is for their ordinary citizens to step up to the plate and risk their lives as this man has done.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gainesville-cops-response-to-teens-playing-basketball-goes-viral/

Gainesville cop's response to teens playing basketball goes viral
By JENNIFER EARL CBS NEWS
January 22, 2016

Dashcam Shot -- Video showing police officer playing basketball with a group of kids goes viral. GAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT/FACEBOOK

A police officer responding to a report of kids playing basketball "loudly" in the streets parked his patrol car and spotted a tall boy holding a basketball.

Gainesville Officer Bobby White walked up to the boy and asked him sternly, "Can you believe someone's calling to complain about kids playing basketball in the street -- can you believe that?"

Before the boy could respond, White cracked a smile: "Obviously, I ain't got no problem with it."

The young man tossed the officer the ball and he went for two points.

A few seconds later, another boy joined the game -- and then five more.

"Oh no, you've brought backup," said White, moments before attempting to dunk on the hoop.

"The takeaway here is -- these kids were out, not inside playing video games, getting exercise and having fun," Gainseville Police Department spokesman Ben Tobias told CBS News. "As a society, we've gotten away from letting kids be kids."

Tobias, who is also the department's social media manager, shared a dashcam video of the Florida officer's cool response.

The video has been viewed more than 5 million times and shared by 135,000 people since it was posted 24 hours ago.

The police department hopes Officer White's "style of policing" inspires other officers.

"Things like this could have been handled so differently," Tobias explained. "How [Officer White] handled it really put a human aspect to it."

Thousands of people left comments, praising the officer for his response.

"Great job officer! I'd much rather kids play basketball that committing crimes in the neighborhood!" one Facebook user commented.

"Good man. Good cop," another responded.

Officer White had six days off since this video was posted. Tonight, he's going to roll back out there, Tobias said.

While several applauded Officer White's basketball skills, he may have to call for backup next time.

"How many of them were there?" Tobias joked. "They may have won this round; next time, they can try putting on 30 pounds of gear and dunking."



This encouraging story of a police officer, on his own basically, fostering good human relations rather than the more frequently reported hostility and distrust. Congratulations to Officer White. I do hope he gets an award. Go to the website and watch the video.



http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/22/463976098/debate-sharpens-over-single-payer-health-care-but-what-is-it-exactly

Debate Sharpens Over Single-Payer Health Care, But What Is It Exactly?
JULIE ROVNER
Updated January 22, 2016

Photograph -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, has made a particular form of health care finance part of his campaign pitch. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images


Health care has emerged as one of the flash points in the Democratic presidential race.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has been a longtime supporter of a concept he calls "Medicare for All," a health system that falls under the heading of single- payer health care.

Sanders released more details about his proposal shortly before the Democratic debate in South Carolina on Sunday. "What a Medicare for All program does is finally provide in this country health care for every man, woman and child as a right," he said in Charleston.

Sanders' main rival for the nomination, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has criticized the plan for raising taxes on the middle class and says it is politically unattainable. "I don't want to see us start over again with a contentious debate" about health care, she said Sunday.

Some of the details of Sanders' plan are still to be released. But his proposal has renewed questions about what a single-payer health care system is and how it works. Here are some quick answers.

What Is A Single Payer?

A single payer refers to a system in which one entity (usually the government) pays all the medical bills for a specific population. And usually (though, again, not always) that entity sets the prices for medical procedures.

A single-payer system is not the same thing as socialized medicine. In a truly socialized medicine system, the government not only pays the bills but also owns the health care facilities and employs the professionals who work there.

The Veterans Health Administration is an example of a socialized health system run by the government. The VA owns the hospitals and clinics and pays the doctors, nurses and other health providers.

Medicare, on the other hand, is a single-payer system in which the federal government pays the bills for those who qualify, but hospitals and other providers remain private.

Which Countries Have Single-Payer Health Systems?

There are fewer than many people might think. Most European countries either never had or no longer have single-payer systems. "Most are basically what we call social insurance systems," says Gerard Anderson, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who has studied international health systems. Social insurance programs ensure that almost everyone is covered. They are taxpayer-funded but aren't necessarily run by the government.

Germany, for example, has 135 "sickness funds," which are essentially private, nonprofit insurance plans that negotiate prices with health care providers. "So you have 135 funds to choose from," said Anderson.

Nearby, Switzerland and the Netherlands require their residents to have private insurance (just like the Affordable Care Act does), with subsidies to help those who cannot otherwise afford coverage.

And while conservatives in the United States often use Great Britain's National Health Service as the poster child for a socialized system, there are many private insurance options available to residents there, too.

As far as countries that have true single-payer systems, Anderson lists only two: Canada and Taiwan.

Are Single-Payer Plans Less Expensive Than Other Health Coverage Systems?

Not necessarily. True, eliminating the profits and duplicative administrative costs associated with hundreds of different private insurance plans would reduce spending, perhaps as much as 10 percent of the nation's $3 trillion annual health care bill, says Anderson. But, he notes, once those savings are achieved, there wouldn't be further reductions afterward.

More important, as many analysts have noted, is how much health services cost and how those prices are determined. In most other developed countries, even those with private insurance, writes Princeton health economist Uwe Reinhardt, prices "either are set by government or negotiated between associations of insurers and providers of care on a regional, state or national basis." By contrast, in the U.S., "the payment side of the health care market in the private sector is fragmented, weakening the bargaining power of individual insurers."

Would Medicare For All Be Just Like The Existing Medicare Program?

No, at least not as Sanders envisions it. Medicare is not nearly as generous as many people think. Between premiums (for doctor and drug coverage), cost-sharing (deductibles and coinsurance), and items Medicare does not cover at all (most dental, hearing and eye care), the average Medicare beneficiary still devotes an estimated 14 percent of all household spending to health care.

Sanders' plan would be far more generous, including dental, vision, hearing, mental health and long-term care, all without copays or deductibles (which has given rise to a lively debate about how to pay for it and whether middle-class families will save money or pay more).

Would Private Insurance Companies Really Disappear Under Sanders' Plan?

Probably not. Private insurers are fully integrated into Medicare, handling most of the claims processing and providing supplemental coverage through "Medigap" plans. In addition, nearly a third of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in private managed care plans as part of the Medicare Advantage program.

Creating an entirely new federal claims processing structure would in all likelihood be more expensive than continuing to contract with private insurance companies. However, Sanders makes it clear that insurers in the future would no longer be the risk-bearing entities they are today, but more like regulated utilities.

Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Julie Rovner is on Twitter: @jrovner.



"What a Medicare for All program does is finally provide in this country health care for every man, woman and child as a right," he said in Charleston. Sanders' main rival for the nomination, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has criticized the plan for raising taxes on the middle class and says it is politically unattainable. "I don't want to see us start over again with a contentious debate" about health care, she said Sunday. …. A single-payer system is not the same thing as socialized medicine. In a truly socialized medicine system, the government not only pays the bills but also owns the health care facilities and employs the professionals who work there. …. Medicare, on the other hand, is a single-payer system in which the federal government pays the bills for those who qualify, but hospitals and other providers remain private. …. Most European countries either never had or no longer have single-payer systems. "Most are basically what we call social insurance systems," says Gerard Anderson, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who has studied international health systems. Social insurance programs ensure that almost everyone is covered. They are taxpayer-funded but aren't necessarily run by the government. …. More important, as many analysts have noted, is how much health services cost and how those prices are determined. …. Would Medicare For All Be Just Like The Existing Medicare Program? No, at least not as Sanders envisions it. Medicare is not nearly as generous as many people think. Between premiums (for doctor and drug coverage), cost-sharing (deductibles and coinsurance), and items Medicare does not cover at all (most dental, hearing and eye care), the average Medicare beneficiary still devotes an estimated 14 percent of all household spending to health care. …. Sanders' plan would be far more generous, including dental, vision, hearing, mental health and long-term care, all without copays or deductibles (which has given rise to a lively debate about how to pay for it and whether middle-class families will save money or pay more). …. Creating an entirely new federal claims processing structure would in all likelihood be more expensive than continuing to contract with private insurance companies. However, Sanders makes it clear that insurers in the future would no longer be the risk-bearing entities they are today, but more like regulated utilities.”


What Sanders has espoused recently is “Medicare for all.” That would be less likely to infuriate doctors and hospitals than total governmental control of facilities, and would include all citizens young and old. That sounds good to me. MCR as we have it now does interact on the prices which a citizen may be charged – in that it disallows fees above the recommended fee and pays most of the allowed amount. Doctors, I believe, do not all have to be in the MCR system, however, so we do have to contact a physician to see whether he is covered. Should we go to Medicare For All, nearly everyone would be covered (This article doesn’t say who won’t be included, unfortunately) and will pay for most of the medical bills the patient encounters, plus those pesky copays and coinsurances. It sounds like a better deal to me. Go, Bernie!!