February 2, 2016


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-democratic-iowa-caucuses-begin/

Clinton, Sanders in virtual tie in Iowa Democratic caucuses
By STEPHANIE CONDON, MELISSA HERRMANN, STANLEY FELDMAN CBS NEWS
February 1, 2016, 8:12 PM
Last Updated Feb 2, 2016 7:10 AM EST

View Gallery -- © ERIC MILLER / REUTERS, REUTERS
Play VIDEO -- Hillary Clinton addresses supporters after Iowa caucuses
Live blog -- Iowa caucus kicks off
Play VIDEO -- Bernie Sanders addresses supporters after Iowa caucuses / Iowa Republican Results / Iowa Democrat Results
CBS News Elections Center


Monday's all-important Democratic caucuses in Iowa ended in a virtual tie.

A statement from the party's leader called the finish between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders "historically close," but didn't declare a winner.

Dr. Andy McGuire said Clinton was awarded 699.57 state delegate equivalents, Sanders 695.49, Martin O'Malley 7.68 and uncommitted, .46.

One precinct still hadn't reported, in Des Moines, with 2.28 state delegate equivalents.

Clinton's camp noted that, even if Sanders got all of the 2.28, "Statistically, there is no outstanding information that could change the results and no way that Senator Sanders can overcome Secretary Clinton's advantage."

And so, it said flatly, she "has won the Iowa Caucus."

Earlier, the Sanders camp had declared the results a "virtual draw" and called his efforts "a come-from-behind campaign for the history books."

With about 90 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton and Sanders were in a razor-thin race. Fifty percent of caucus-goers supported Clinton, while 50 percent backed Sanders. After earning just 1 percent support, Martin O'Malley decided to suspend his campaign.

Turnout was high at Iowa's approximately 1,100 precincts, a development that was expected to help the Sanders campaign. Yet a Clinton campaign aide told CBS at the time that they believed they had won.

There was a gender gap, but it wasn't as large as some may have expected. Clinton was leading Sanders among women, 53 percent to 42 percent. Sanders was ahead among men, 50 percent to 44 percent. This also came through among first-time caucus attenders, who were supporting Sanders over Clinton, 59 percent to 37 percent.

Sanders was doing extremely well among younger people. He was getting the support of 84 percent of those under 30 and 58 percent of those 30 to 45. Clinton was very strong among older people; she was getting the support of 58 percent of those 45 to 64 and 69 percent of those over 65.

Sanders support came from liberal Democrats. Those who call themselves very liberal favored him over Clinton, 58 percent to 39 percent. Among those who wanted the next president to pursue more liberal policies than President Obama, Sanders was favored by 76 percent to 21 percent for Clinton.

As many as 68 percent of Democratic caucus-goers described themselves as liberal, up from 54 percent in 2008. Self-identified Democrats were for Clinton, while independents were backing Sanders.

Clinton supporters said they want someone who can win in November and has experience. Sanders voters said they want someone who cares about people like them and who is honest and trustworthy.

While entrance polling showed early trends in Iowa, the participants in the Democratic caucuses had an opportunity to change their minds. The caucus-goers first gathered into groups based on their candidate of choice. There were then two periods of "realignment" during which people can shift their allegiances. During the second realignment, if a candidate did not have the support of at least 15 percent of caucus-goers, their whole group had to disperse to other viable candidates.

Entrance polling also shed some light on the priorities of Iowa caucus-goers: 30 percent said their most important issue was health care, 27 percent said income inequality, 33 percent said the economy and jobs, and 6 percent said terrorism.

Twenty-eight percent of Democratic voters also said experience is their most important quality, while 24 percent said it is honesty. Another 26 percent said it is that the candidate "cares about people like me."

Technically, no national delegates were won on this night. Ultimately, Iowa holds 44 elected delegates who will help determine the nominee at the national convention this summer.



“Dr. Andy McGuire said Clinton was awarded 699.57 state delegate equivalents, Sanders 695.49, Martin O'Malley 7.68 and uncommitted, .46. …. And so, it said flatly, she "has won the Iowa Caucus." Earlier, the Sanders camp had declared the results a "virtual draw" and called his efforts "a come-from-behind campaign for the history books." With about 90 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton and Sanders were in a razor-thin race. Fifty percent of caucus-goers supported Clinton, while 50 percent backed Sanders. After earning just 1 percent support, Martin O'Malley decided to suspend his campaign. …. This also came through among first-time caucus attenders, who were supporting Sanders over Clinton, 59 percent to 37 percent. Sanders was doing extremely well among younger people. He was getting the support of 84 percent of those under 30 and 58 percent of those 30 to 45. …. Sanders support came from liberal Democrats. Those who call themselves very liberal favored him over Clinton, 58 percent to 39 percent. Among those who wanted the next president to pursue more liberal policies than President Obama, Sanders was favored by 76 percent to 21 percent for Clinton.”


About caucuses – the description above explains very well what seemed to me to be utter chaos when I first viewed a caucus in action. I still don’t think the caucus method is fair compared to voting by secret ballot. First, it puts peer pressure on individuals about their opinions. In fact, it’s all about pressure. That just isn’t the best way to ascertain their true opinions. In favor of it, it’s like watching a close basketball game, with the two teams flooding rapidly across the court between the two goals. As political activity, however, it’s pure theater.

The main reason I think it’s unfair and should be outlawed is that many classes of voters are unable to attend the caucuses, and at least in Iowa, there are no proxy votes allowed. See the very interesting article by Time on this subject: http://time.com/3070537/iowa-caucuses-2016/; POLITICS 2016 ELECTION, Iowa’s Democratic Caucuses Will Be More Accessible to Voters in 2016, Zeke J Miller @ZekeJMiller, Aug. 1, 2014. Iowans are emotionally attached to their time honored method, as small town Southerners are attached to their local statue of General Lee on his horse. I understand that.

In it’s favor, it can be described as “democracy in action,” but it still treats people very differently, especially shift workers, the homebound or severely ill, military voters, and people who need transportation such as the very poor and many blacks. According to this article Iowa has created more caucusing locations and a proposed military “tele-caucus” for out of state and country voters to improve that situation. Clinton complained about the inability of shift workers to come down to caucus. “But the Iowa party rejected calls to institute absentee ballot or proxies for the caucuses to enable military voter participation. Iowa’s moves to improve the accessibility have been incomplete at best.” The Democrats did propose one other improvement, which hadn’t occurred to me, the provision of child care for parents so that both men and women can attend. The actual selection at the general election, thank goodness, is done by secret ballot as in other states, so that is fair and accessible to all.


“Clinton supporters said they want someone who can win in November and has experience. Sanders voters said they want someone who cares about people like them and who is honest and trustworthy.” As for the contest results between the three Democratic candidates given above, Sanders is doing even better than I thought he might. He has come up from dark horse status over the last few months to a very strong option for us more “liberal” voters. Of course, Iowa is just one state so I’ll be watching all others as their primaries come up. This race is not only extremely important for the future of our country in my opinion, but very exciting and enthralling. I’m definitely hooked!




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/4-oklahoma-high-school-wrestlers-charged-with-raping-others/

4 Okla. high school wrestlers charged with raping others
CBS/AP
February 2, 2016

Photograph -- Norman North High School in Norman, Oklahoma KWTV


NORMAN, Okla. - Four high school wrestlers in Oklahoma have been charged with sexually assaulting two other wrestlers on a bus.

Officials with Norman North High School have said an incident involving students from the school occurred as the junior varsity wrestling team was returning from a tournament on a bus on Jan. 9. The victims are 16 and 12 years old.

Online court records show an 18-year-old, a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old were each charged Monday with three counts of rape by instrumentation. Another 17-year-old was charged with one count. Court records do not list attorneys for any of the teenagers.

School officials have said an undisclosed number of students, a coach and an adjunct coach have been suspended.

According to the court documents, CBS affiliate KWTV reports three of those charged each assaulted the 16-year-old at the back of the bus by restraining him and using their fingers to sexually assault the boy over his clothing.

Later, all four suspects attempted to lure a 12-year-old middle school wrestler to the back of the bus as well, before pulling the boy to the back. All four suspects then assault the boy in the same manner as before. This time, however, the suspects placed a condom over their fingers before the assault, the report states.

When the bus arrived back at Norman North, the 12-year-old was assaulted again; once in a secluded area on the side of the building and again between two vehicle in the parking lot when the victim briefly escaped. According to the report, the assault only ended when the 12-year-old boy's parent arrived at the school.



“Officials with Norman North High School have said an incident involving students from the school occurred as the junior varsity wrestling team was returning from a tournament on a bus on Jan. 9. The victims are 16 and 12 years old. Online court records show an 18-year-old, a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old were each charged Monday with three counts of rape by instrumentation. Another 17-year-old was charged with one count. Court records do not list attorneys for any of the teenagers. School officials have said an undisclosed number of students, a coach and an adjunct coach have been suspended. …. According to the report, the assault only ended when the 12-year-old boy's parent arrived at the school.”


This will chill the blood of the religious right, I’m sure, but I have to agree with them in this case. First, the fact that homosexual assault is apparently a part of the “culture” at Norman North, is shocking. I think homosexual behavior is more common among young people than we would like to think, but that they would essentially form a gang with that activity is worse. I had always thought of gays as being unaggressive and often loners, which is certainly not the situation here.

It also points to the generally permissive attitude toward sports heroes in many high schools and colleges, though the aggressors are more often in that most socially privileged group, the football team. I’ve said it before and I’ll undoubtedly say it the next time this kind of thing happens, sports are apparently prized over academics in most high schools except for expensive private prep schools. No wonder the kids come out unable to read over the 5th grade level.

I’m glad to see that two coaches and “an undisclosed number of students” have been suspended. That’s great. The authorities are apparently going into the business in the depth that it deserves. If I hear that they have been charged with criminal negligence or more, I will be even more satisfied. Things like this go way beyond the idea of “sowing wild oats.” I also wonder if hard core youth gang activity was involved. Simple “bullying” – which is of course not really “simple” – has been escalated here to an unacceptable level.

I hope no school authorities were aware of what may have been a long term problem in their sports program, and that the kid perpetrators don’t turn out to be the economically privileged group that keep getting away time after time with the abuse of other students and other crimes. Rape by a youth gang has been reported occasionally down through the years, but it was usually a street and the victim was usually female.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/generals-say-women-should-have-to-register-for-draft/

Generals say women should have to register for draft
AP February 2, 2016

Photograph -- Army Undersecretary Patrick Murphy listens at left as Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to examine the implementation of the decision to open all ground combat units to women. AP PHOTO/CLIFF OWEN
Play VIDEO -- Marine Corps experiment tests women for combat duty


WASHINGTON -- The top Army and Marine Corps generals say they believe all women should have to register for the draft now that combat jobs are open to them.

The military service leaders say they will not lower standards to bring women into the more grueling jobs. They told the Senate Armed Services Committee that it will take up to three years before the combat posts are fully integrated.

Army Gen. Mark Milley and Marine Gen. Robert Neller said women should be included in the requirement to register for the selective service at age 18. But Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Army Acting Secretary Patrick Murphy would only say that the issue should be discussed.

Political leaders have so far been reluctant to endorse the draft requirement.



I have thought for years that this is the best way to bring women into the military who are physically and emotionally able to enter a combat situation. There is a certain percentage of women who simply are not submissive or weak, who have the same kind of yen for excitement that young men do. They are not necessarily lesbian at all, but rather of a less classically feminine personality type. Many of them are highly athletic and able to carry that 40 plus pound bag on their back and go over 10 feet tall barriers hand over hand. They deserve a chance to progress in the army and win medals. Personally, I would never fit in an army setting. I question orders as a regular day in and out thing. I would probably spend all my time in the brig. It is, however, a way to “see the world,” get job skill training, educational assistance and leadership skills, and simply achieve in a competitive situation. I approve of this.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/peter-bergen-united-states-of-jihad-investigating-america-homegrown-terrorism-isis/

"United States of Jihad" author on the threat at home
By REBECCA LEE CBS NEWS
February 2, 2016

Play VIDEO -- Al Qaeda: Vital new info comes to light
Play VIDEO -- FBI strained by spike in homegrown terror cases
Play VIDEO -- FBI director James Comey on clash between security, Internet privacy


Following the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, the threat of homegrown terrorism and plans to defeat ISIS have taken center stage at the presidential race.

Some candidates have promised aggressive measures, such as Sen. Ted Cruz who vowed to "carpet-bomb ISIS," and Donald Trump, who proposed temporarily banning all Muslims from entering the country.

But while the rhetoric may resonate with voters because "they seem to provide answers," neither are viable solutions, according to CNN's national security analyst Peter Bergen.

"Ted Cruz wants to drop the bomb on ISIS but ISIS is embedded in the civilian population. Banning all Muslims - most of the people carrying out these attacks are American residents, American citizens, so that doesn't really solve the problem either," Bergen told "CBS This Morning" Tuesday.

So far, there have been more than 300 arrests of people involved in some kind of jihadist crime, of which an alarming number - four out of five - were American citizens and residents.

In his new book, "United States of Jihad: Investigating America's Homegrown Terrorists," Bergen offers a comprehensive look at "homegrown" Islamist terrorism, including a portrait of American jihadists based on 330 militants studied since 9/11.

At an average age of 29, one-third are married and have kids, 12 percent have served time in prison and 10 percent have mental health issues.

"They're as educated as the average American, similar incomes - these are ordinary Americans. American Muslims are well integrated into American society in a way that's not true in places like Paris or London," Bergen said.

Bergen said he also tried to answer the "puzzle" to determine the root of radicalization and point in which an individual decides to carry out a terrorist attack - but said he found "no common denominators."

"Some people have personal disappointments, or object to American foreign policy. Some people are Islamic, very radicalized - each person is a little different..." Bergen said, then added that it could also be a "cocktail" of several factors.

According to Bergen, resolving this "puzzle" is also a challenge for the FBI in their efforts to counter terror plots and detect homegrown terrorists, but he assured their defenses are "very good." Before the 9/11 attacks, just 16 people suspected of ties to terrorism were deemed on the no-fly list. That number has now jumped to 47,000.

In 2015, there were also 900 active investigations across all 50 states and 56 were arrested.

Still, according to a recent CBS News/New York Times Poll, 63 percent of Americans are very concerned about terror attacks committed by people currently in the United States, and 59 percent are concerned about terrorists entering the country.

"You're 5,000 times more likely to be killed by a fellow American with a gun than you are to be killed by a jihadi terrorist in this country. Yet we're more afraid about terrorism than we should be," Bergen said. "The government of both the Bush and Obama administration has done a very good job of containing this threat. It will be persistent, it's not going to go away, but it is managed and contained."

But some plots slip through the cracks, like the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino by American citizen Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, a Pakistani immigrant.

Bergen explained that while authorities "should've known more" about warning signs, the fact that the attackers were a married couple - which eliminated the need for separate meetings to plot the attack - and appeared to be "regular, outstanding members of society" with kids and a good job - made it difficult to foil.

Bergen also commented on the controversy surrounding President Obama's refusal to link ISIS with Islam. President Obama has taken heat from critics for taking pains to separate Islam from terrorism. Former President George W. Bush walked the same line following the 9/11 attacks.

Drawing comparisons to the Christian crusades, Bergen said, "It's an uncomfortable fact that this has something to do with Islam. I mean you can't just wish that away... Of course it's a cherry-picked version of Islam but it is something to do with Islam."



“But while the rhetoric may resonate with voters because "they seem to provide answers," neither are viable solutions, according to CNN's national security analyst Peter Bergen. "Ted Cruz wants to drop the bomb on ISIS but ISIS is embedded in the civilian population. Banning all Muslims - most of the people carrying out these attacks are American residents, American citizens, so that doesn't really solve the problem either," Bergen told "CBS This Morning" Tuesday. So far, there have been more than 300 arrests of people involved in some kind of jihadist crime, of which an alarming number - four out of five - were American citizens and residents. …. At an average age of 29, one-third are married and have kids, 12 percent have served time in prison and 10 percent have mental health issues. "They're as educated as the average American, similar incomes - these are ordinary Americans. American Muslims are well integrated into American society in a way that's not true in places like Paris or London," Bergen said. …. According to Bergen, resolving this "puzzle" is also a challenge for the FBI in their efforts to counter terror plots and detect homegrown terrorists, but he assured their defenses are "very good." Before the 9/11 attacks, just 16 people suspected of ties to terrorism were deemed on the no-fly list. That number has now jumped to 47,000. In 2015, there were also 900 active investigations across all 50 states and 56 were arrested. …. "You're 5,000 times more likely to be killed by a fellow American with a gun than you are to be killed by a jihadi terrorist in this country. Yet we're more afraid about terrorism than we should be," Bergen said. "The government of both the Bush and Obama administration has done a very good job of containing this threat. It will be persistent, it's not going to go away, but it is managed and contained."


This is a very informative and reassuring article about our inevitable interactions with some Islamic radicals who are dangerous. The fact that Islamic refugees have flooded into mainly European areas with little control or inspection as to their level of hatred or religious fanaticism, and that some 60% of Americans fear that happening here are real concerns to me. However, I fear an American panic over the matter more than I fear large numbers of radical jihadists being among the refugee population. I think most of those refugees are impoverished people fearing an impossible situation in their home countries and do not represent a threat.

I especially don’t fear it as much as I do a gradual overthrow of the US government by the far right from religious fanatics of the Christian sort and just the various “gumint” haters, racists, flying saucer fanatics, and similar groups. The organization called ALEC is the center of all that through propaganda infiltration and the Tea Party, as they push rightwing laws onto the books in state legislatures and governors’ mansions around the country. Look up ALEC on the Net and you’ll see plenty of entries. The less well financed whites in this country are behind anything that sounds more restrictive, intellectually oriented, racist and religiously dogmatic. That sounds like “the old fashioned way” to them – like the Jim Crow years from which we have relatively recently emerged – and therefore like patriotism. Those of us who want to grow further beyond Jim Crow and the other evils of a restrictive and increasingly poor society are pro-Democrat and anti-Republican, especially Trump. Dump Trump is my motto.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stranger-pays-for-muslim-familys-meal-at-olive-garden/

Stranger pays for Muslim family's meal at Olive Garden
By JENNIFER EARL CBS NEWS
December 29, 2015

Photograph -- A Muslim man posts a photo of a paid receipt to thank a kind stranger at Georgia Olive Garden.
Play VIDEO -- What is it like being a Muslim in America? December 22, 2015, 10:33 AM -- An ethnically diverse group of Muslims tell CBS News what it’s like living in America today and share their views on what people might not know about Islam. Produced by @HebaKanso

A free meal may not seem like much to some, but to a Muslim man in America right now -- it meant the world.

Georgia resident Eslam Mohamed was finishing dinner with his family at a local Olive Garden on Christmas Day when he was surprised by a stranger's kindness.

A waitress handed the man a bill with large words written across it: "Paid. Merry Christmas. Beautiful family."

"Yes, someone paid for us and wrote those wonderful words on the receipt," Mohamed posted along with a photo of the receipt on Facebook. "I can't express how this act touched our hearts."

Mohamed's message has been shared nearly 25,000 times since it was posted on Dec. 25.

"Among all the bad things happening to Muslims and the hate speech that the presidential candidate had made lately, there is still light in the dark, there is still hope within the frustration," he continued.

Last month, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said that they had received more reports of crimes against Muslims and Islamic institutions across the U.S. at the end of November than any other period since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Following the mass shooting in San Bernardino on Dec. 2, which left 14 people dead, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."

Trump's controversial plan sparked a nationwide debate on Muslims living in America.

Hundreds of people who shared Mohamed's post hope his story shows Muslims can live peacefully.

"With all the anti Muslim rhetoric it would so nice if we could all show an act of kindness," one Facebook user wrote.

"Let's help enlighten by re-posting this all over the world," another replied.

The Augusta, Georgia resident believes the good deed toward his group of seven adults and five children -- all Arab Muslims -- in the restaurant is a step in the right direction.

"All what i can say to who did that, Merry Christmas to you too and God bless such a beautiful heart you have," he wrote. His post is below.

Eslam S. Mohamed

Graduate Research Assistant at Augusta University · December 25, 2015 · Augusta, GA ·
Yesterday i went to Olive Garden restaurant to have dinner with nice families. We were a group of 7 adults and 5 children. Everyone in the restaurant was knowing that we were Arabs Muslims on the table coz of the language and the ladies were having scarves over their head ( Hijab ). After finishing we asked for the receipts and the waitress came to us with that receipt in the picture. Yes, someone paid for us and wrote those wonderful words on the receipt. I can't express how this act touched our hearts. Among all the bad things happening to Muslims and the hate speech that the presidential candidate had made lately , there is still light in the dark, there is still hope within the frustration. All what i can say to who did that, Merry Christmas to you too and God bless such a beautiful heart you have smile emoticon
273 Likes · 35 Comments · 28,577 Shares




"Among all the bad things happening to Muslims and the hate speech that the presidential candidate had made lately, there is still light in the dark, there is still hope within the frustration," he continued. Last month, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said that they had received more reports of crimes against Muslims and Islamic institutions across the U.S. at the end of November than any other period since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.”


I do hope crimes against Muslims will stop. If a terrible Muslim attack like the one in San Bernardino last month occurs again, then the FBI and other forces will investigate and possibly shoot to kill. That’s what they’re there for, and the lawless activity of hate filled “Patriots” is not the right way to go. Those groups seem to think that just because we have not declared a state of martial law and imprisoned all the Muslims without due process, we are “doing nothing.” What we need is more openhearted demonstrations of our welcome to all. "All what i can say to who did that, Merry Christmas to you too and God bless such a beautiful heart you have," he wrote. This is a blessed Christmas exchange.



http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/02/465279038/controversial-emergency-manager-of-detroits-public-schools-resigns

Controversial Emergency Manager Of Detroit's Public Schools Resigns
MERRIT KENNEDY
Updated February 2, 20162:24 PM ET
Published February 2, 201612:46 PM ET

Photograph -- In this Sept. 11, 2013 photo, Saginaw City Manager Darnell Earley appears at a news conference in Flint, Mich. Earley was in charge of both the city of Flint and the schools at key points in their recent turmoil.
Zack Wittman/The Flint Journal/MLive.com via AP


A Michigan emergency manager tied to two major controversies has resigned from his current post running Detroit's public school district.

Darnell Earley has faced escalating criticism over poor conditions in Detroit schools. Before that, he ran the troubled city of Flint. As Michigan Radio's Rick Pluta reports:

"He carried out the now-infamous decision to use the Flint River as a temporary source of drinking water for the city. The untreated corrosive river water caused lead to leach from old pipes into the drinking water.

"[Michigan Gov. Rick] Snyder does not intend to appoint another emergency manager to run the school district. Instead, he will name a transition leader while he works with the Legislature to come up with a bailout plan for the school district, which is nearing insolvency."

Earley plans to leave his position by the end of the month, the governor's office says.

"Darnell has done a very good job under some very difficult circumstances," Snyder says in a statement. "He restructured a heavily bureaucratic central office, set in place operating and cost-containment measures, and has taken steps to stabilize enrollment."

Detroit teachers have recently protested poor school conditions by calling in sick en masse. "The teachers say they are protesting classroom overcrowding, mold in classrooms, collapsing ceilings and dilapidated buildings," as the Two-Way previously reported.

Earley has criticized these protests, saying they amount to "using students as pawns to advance a political decision," Michigan Radio says.

When Earley was appointed to run Detroit schools last January, Michigan Radio reported that the school board was furious. "[The school board] and other critics maintain that conditions in DPS schools have only gotten worse under emergency management, while leaving parents, teachers and community members marginalized," the member station says.

Earley was emergency manager for Flint from September 2013 to January 2015. He did not lay the initial groundwork for the now-notorious decision to switch the city's water source to the Flint River and insists that he is not to blame for the repercussions.

The decision was implemented during his time managing Flint.

As The New York Times reports, the use of emergency managers in Michigan has come under scrutiny: "Public outrage over the tainted water in Flint and the decrepit schools in Detroit has led many people to question whether the state has overreached in imposing too many emergency managers in largely black jurisdictions."



“Darnell Earley has faced escalating criticism over poor conditions in Detroit schools. Before that, he ran the troubled city of Flint. As Michigan Radio's Rick Pluta reports: "He carried out the now-infamous decision to use the Flint River as a temporary source of drinking water for the city. The untreated corrosive river water caused lead to leach from old pipes into the drinking water. …. "Darnell has done a very good job under some very difficult circumstances," Snyder says in a statement. "He restructured a heavily bureaucratic central office, set in place operating and cost-containment measures, and has taken steps to stabilize enrollment." Detroit teachers have recently protested poor school conditions by calling in sick en masse. "The teachers say they are protesting classroom overcrowding, mold in classrooms, collapsing ceilings and dilapidated buildings," as the Two-Way previously reported. …. Earley was emergency manager for Flint from September 2013 to January 2015. He did not lay the initial groundwork for the now-notorious decision to switch the city's water source to the Flint River and insists that he is not to blame for the repercussions. The decision was implemented during his time managing Flint.”


According to the New York Times report on the situation at Flint, the state has repeatedly appointed Emergency Managers, “in largely black districts.” I did notice from his photo that Early is a black man. While he was in office when the decision to switch to river water occurred, he did not initiate it or recommend it. This article makes it seem, and probably rightfully, that the State of Michigan was behind the whole thing, and under Republican leadership. That isn’t surprising because Republicans over and over do things to “save money” without much concern for the human lives that are affected. Money is their “bottom line” every time. The problems of overcrowding and dilapidated buildings is shared by many of our local school systems across the country. From the top down, Republicans in particular tend to want to cut costs by reducing the school budgets, and they don’t want to become unpopular by raising taxes to pay for the needed improvements. That’s why so mny American cities are considered to be in a state of decay. A nation of millions of millions of people must have a centrally funded infrastructure complete with a public education system, and that takes tax money. Big Government is needed in a big country.



http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/02/02/465278086/encryption-may-hurt-surveillance-but-internet-of-things-could-open-new-doors

Encryption May Hurt Surveillance, But Internet Of Things Could Open New Doors
ALINA SELYUKH
February 2, 20162:54 PM ET

Photograph -- Attorney General Loretta Lynch (right) and FBI Director James Comey, seen at a meeting in Washington, D.C., in November, are among the Obama administration officials meeting Friday with tech industry leaders.

RELATED:
ALL TECH CONSIDERED -- U.S. Officials, Tech Leaders Meet To Discuss Counterterrorism, FBI Director James Comey testifies that Congress should require digital encryption programs to allow access by law enforcement. The issue pits privacy against public safety.
THE TWO-WAY -- FBI Director Says Agents Need Access To Encrypted Data To Preserve Public Safety, FBI Director James Comey says new encryption features allow people "to place themselves beyond the law."
ALL TECH CONSIDERED -- Apple Says iOS Encryption Protects Privacy; FBI Raises Crime Fears


Tech companies and privacy advocates have been in a stalemate with government officials over how encrypted communication affects the ability of federal investigators to monitor terrorists and other criminals. A new study by Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society convened experts from all sides to put the issue in context.

The report concluded that information from some apps and devices like smartphones may be harder for government investigators to intercept because of stronger encryption. But, it said, we are connecting so many more things to the Internet (light bulbs, door locks, watches, toasters) that they could create new surveillance channels.

According to the report:

"The increased availability of encryption technologies certainly impedes government surveillance under certain circumstances, and in this sense, the government is losing some surveillance opportunities. However, we concluded that the combination of technological developments and market forces is likely to fill some of these gaps and, more broadly, to ensure that the government will gain new opportunities to gather critical information from surveillance."

The encryption debate has re-heated recently following the attacks in Paris and to some extent San Bernardino, Calif., with CIA and FBI officials warning about their investigation channels "going dark" because of the stronger encryption placed on communications tools like WhatsApp or FaceTime.

(The distinction is this: With things like emails, Web searches, photos or social network posts, information typically gets encrypted on your phone or laptop and then decrypted and stored on a big corporate data server, where law enforcement officials have the technical and legal ability to get access to the content, for instance, with a subpoena. But with messages that are encrypted end-to-end, data gets encrypted on one device and only gets decrypted when it reaches the recipient's device, making it inaccessible even with a subpoena.)

The agencies have asked for "back doors" into these technologies, though the Obama administration cooled off its push for related legislation late last year over concerns that such security loopholes would also attract hackers and other governments.

But the Harvard report (which was funded by the Hewlett Foundation) argues that "going dark" is a faulty metaphor for the surveillance of the future, thanks to the raft of new technologies that are and likely will remain unencrypted — all the Web-connected home appliances and consumer electronics that sometimes get dubbed the Internet of Things.

Some of the ways the data used to be accessed will undoubtedly become unavailable to investigators, says Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard professor who was one of the authors. "But the overall landscape is getting brighter and brighter as there are so many more paths by which to achieve surveillance," he says.

"If you have data flowing or at rest somewhere and it's held by somebody that can be under the jurisdiction of not just one but multiple governments, those governments at some point or another are going to get around to asking for the data," he says.

The study team is notable for including technical experts and civil liberties advocates alongside current and former National Security Agency, Defense Department and Justice Department officials. Another chief author was Matthew Olsen, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center and NSA general counsel.

Though not all 14 core members had to agree to every word of the report, they had to approve of the thrust of its findings — with the exception of current NSA officials John DeLong and Anne Neuberger, whose jobs prevented them from signing onto the report (and Zittrain says nothing should be inferred about their views).

The results of the report are a bit ironic: It tries to close one can of worms (the debate over encryption hurting surveillance) but opens another one (the concerns about privacy in the future of Internet-connected everything).

"When you look at it over the long term," says Zittrain, "with the breadth of ways in which stuff that used to be ephemeral is now becoming digital and stored, the opportunities for surveillance are quite bright, possibly even worryingly so."



End-to-end encryption
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a system of communication where only the people communicating can read the messages. No eavesdropper can access the cryptographic keys needed to decrypt the conversation, including telecom providers, Internet providers and the company that runs the messaging service.[1] Since no third-parties have knowledge of the data being communicated or stored, surveillance and tampering are impossible. For example, companies that use end-to-end encryption can’t hand over texts of their customers’ messages to the authorities.[2]

In E2EE systems, data is encrypted at the participating endpoints using either a pre-shared secret (such as PGP), a one-time secret derived from a pre-shared secret (such as DUKPT) or a secret negotiated in situ (such as OTR).[citation needed]”


This info above, taken from Wikipedia, is one of those “explanations” that makes me want to look it up again to explain the explanation, but I’m not going to take the time. I’m really not interested in tech in such a depth, so I’m going to trust that lots of you on your own WILL understand it! My own interest is in the complexity here between the need to know, the right to know and the technical ability to know. It’s a legitimate social issue.

Personally I want the FBI to have the right to do and know what it really DOES need to, but not set up mega files of the personal information from our citizens’ lives to be used willy nilly everytime it takes a notion. No information without due process, which would include a full explanation of their NEED. That would be my rule. That’s what the secret FISA courts are for, and they already exist. If the US wants to make it illegal for anyone to buy encryption that powerful, then they should try to push the law through Congress. There will be a major stink over that, though.


FROM NPR -- “A new study by Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society convened experts from all sides to put the issue in context. The report concluded that information from some apps and devices like smartphones may be harder for government investigators to intercept because of stronger encryption. But, it said, we are connecting so many more things to the Internet (light bulbs, door locks, watches, toasters) that they could create new surveillance channels. …. The encryption debate has re-heated recently following the attacks in Paris and to some extent San Bernardino, Calif., with CIA and FBI officials warning about their investigation channels "going dark" because of the stronger encryption placed on communications tools like WhatsApp or FaceTime. …. The agencies have asked for "back doors" into these technologies, though the Obama administration cooled off its push for related legislation late last year over concerns that such security loopholes would also attract hackers and other governments. …. "going dark" is a faulty metaphor for the surveillance of the future, thanks to the raft of new technologies that are and likely will remain unencrypted — all the Web-connected home appliances and consumer electronics that sometimes get dubbed the Internet of Things. …. The study team is notable for including technical experts and civil liberties advocates alongside current and former National Security Agency, Defense Department and Justice Department officials.”


“Going dark” at important government agencies would be a genuine problem, but according to this article it hasn’t really happened, though it may in the future. The mention of this Internet of Things is something I first heard of earlier this year, and I was shocked. My computer and TV taking nude pictures of me unless I find the little camera opening, wherever that is and whatever it looks like, and cover it up with a piece of electrical tape is more than a little shocking; and my refrigerator, if it’s one of those fancy new ones, using its’ imbedded microphone to pass my conversations on to some unknown person on the other end – those are just the things I’m going to have to adjust to, unless I get all that equipment disabled before I buy, just may be the legal issue of the near future.

As far as I’m concerned, the legal right on the part of manufacturers to put spy thingies like that in our innocent-looking appliances should be stopped dead in its’ tracks, and manufacturers required to come into every home where one was bought to personally remove the device. There really is rarely a need for an “intelligent refrigerator,” after all. Thank goodness the microphone is probably located near the outside of the structure and easy to get to.



http://www.npr.org/2016/02/02/465276082/to-protesters-flocking-to-oregon-town-locals-say-go-home

To Protesters Flocking To Oregon Town, Locals Say 'Go Home'
MARTIN KASTE
Updated February 2, 20165:22 PM ET
Published February 2, 20164:47 PM ET

Photograph -- Anti-government protesters face off with a group of locals in Burns, Ore., who want them to go home. Martin Kaste/NPR
Photograph -- Burns resident Leon Pielstick carries a sign outside the Harney County Courthouse on Monday. Martin Kaste/NPR
AROUND THE NATION -- FBI Releases Aerial Surveillance Video Of Refuge Occupier's Death
PHotograph -- Ammon Bundy, 40, (pictured) and his brother Ryan Bundy were arrested Tuesday afternoon.
Photograph -- This photo taken from an FBI video shows Robert "LaVoy" Finicum before he was fatally shot by police.
THE TWO-WAY -- No Bail For Oregon Occupiers Ammon And Ryan Bundy
Photograph -- Residents Grant and Gaye Gunderson, part of the group of town residents who were waiting for the anti-federal, anti-FBI protesters at the courthouse in Harney County. Martin Kaste/NPR


It's been a month since armed militants took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, and even though the leaders of that occupation have been arrested, the community of Harney County finds itself deeply divided.

That anger erupted on Monday in the form of a huge shouting match on the steps of the county courthouse in Burns, Ore. It's a small town of about 2,700 people, so it's not every day that you see 400 or 500 people out on the street, screaming at each other.

Here's what led up to the scene: A week ago, the FBI made its move against the leaders of the occupation, arresting them out on a stretch of lonely highway. During that operation, law enforcement shot and killed a militant named LaVoy Finicum, causing outrage among sympathizers all across the West. So they started flocking to Burns to show their displeasure with the FBI. They planned a big rally outside the courthouse, but when they got there, they came up against a wall of local people.

"Go home! Go home! Go home!" the locals chanted.

It wasn't the reception Barbara Berg expected. She is an anti-government protester from Nevada, who until this moment believed most of the community supported the militants.

"I ... want to know how many of them live here, how many are paid actors," Berg says.

The self-styled "patriot" groups regrouped and got out their bullhorn.

"We are all Americans! We're all Americans here!" shouted B.J. Soper, one of the leaders of a group called the Pacific Patriots Network. He tried to explain to the locals that his organization just wants to rein in an overly aggressive government.

"We want your community and the people accountable for the death of LaVoy Finicum held accountable because they are as guilty as the FBI that pulled the trigger!"

Now, people in Burns agree with a lot of what these groups have to say. Locals are tired of the heavy police and FBI presence since the takeover at the refuge, and most people here do think the federal government overreaches, especially when it comes to environmental rules and land use. But they're also sick of outsiders hanging around, trying to start a movement.

"I don't know who to wave to anymore," says local resident Nancy Fine. "You have to kind of look and say, 'Is that a friend or is that someone who doesn't belong or doesn't live here and has come here to make trouble?' "

Fine says one sure way of identifying an outsider is a prominently displayed sidearm. She shoots a scornful glance at a trio of men standing in front of her, their arms crossed, their holsters hanging out.

"We all have guns but none of us wear them on our hip and kind of flaunt them around. We consider that extremely rude and ungentlemanly at best," Fine says.

To many here, flaunted guns represent a deeper shift. There's always been tension over the role of the federal government, just as in the rest of the rural West. But the tensions didn't seem extreme. In fact, locals thought they had made progress, hammering out compromises with federal agencies. But now there's a harder edge to things, according to Leon Pielstick.

"I was having kind of a heated discussion with a good friend of mine. We had to stop and get back on ... the same footing because you can't have those kind of arguments. You can't be tearing the community apart," Pielstick says.

Pielstick carries a sign that says "Re-Unite Harney County." Two women nearby aren't sure that's possible anymore. One says the community has been flooded in "testosterone," as she puts it, and the other, Donna Clark, says the effects of that will linger.

"We need the outside people to go home so we can start to heal. It's going to be a long, hard process," Clark says.



“It wasn't the reception Barbara Berg expected. She is an anti-government protester from Nevada, who until this moment believed most of the community supported the militants. "I ... want to know how many of them live here, how many are paid actors," Berg says. …. "We want your community and the people accountable for the death of LaVoy Finicum held accountable because they are as guilty as the FBI that pulled the trigger!" Now, people in Burns agree with a lot of what these groups have to say. Locals are tired of the heavy police and FBI presence since the takeover at the refuge, and most people here do think the federal government overreaches, especially when it comes to environmental rules and land use. But they're also sick of outsiders hanging around, trying to start a movement. …. Fine says one sure way of identifying an outsider is a prominently displayed sidearm. She shoots a scornful glance at a trio of men standing in front of her, their arms crossed, their holsters hanging out. "We all have guns but none of us wear them on our hip and kind of flaunt them around. We consider that extremely rude and ungentlemanly at best," Fine says. …. In fact, locals thought they had made progress, hammering out compromises with federal agencies. But now there's a harder edge to things, according to Leon Pielstick. …. Pielstick carries a sign that says "Re-Unite Harney County." Two women nearby aren't sure that's possible anymore. One says the community has been flooded in "testosterone," as she puts it, and the other, Donna Clark, says the effects of that will linger. "We need the outside people to go home so we can start to heal. It's going to be a long, hard process," Clark says.”


“…how many of them live here, how many are paid actors…” There really is a lot of pure paranoia against “the government” around, isn’t there? In spite of the concern of the two women, Pielstick and Clark, I believe the community will “heal” again. The residents are standing up against the “testosterone flood” of ignorance and political vehemence, and spoke eloquently to the NPR reporters of their own values and views. Even if locals do feel that the government overreaches, the press, the legislature, lawyers and courts, and even the federal government FBI are the way to solve all problems. If we devolve into ad hoc disorder to a really great extent, it will serve to discourage civic pride and positivity. It will damage our democracy internally, like a cancer. The two ladies are concerned with how to keep the fabric of the community whole. For this they are standing up to what really is a very rough group, not unlike outlaws. Good for them!


TOMORROW SEE: ZIKA VIRUS SPREAD THROUGH SEXUAL TRANSMISSION