May 24, 2016


News and Views


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-will-seek-death-penalty-for-accused-charleston-church-shooter-dylann-roof/

DOJ will seek death penalty for accused Charleston church shooter
CBS/AP
May 24, 2016, 5:33 PM

Photograph -- Dylann Roof appears at a bond hearing court in North Charleston, S.C., June 19, 2015. Roof is accused of killing nine people inside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston on June 17. GRACE BEAHM/THE POST AND COURIER VIA AP, POOL
17 PHOTOS -- South Carolina church shooting victims
Play VIDEO -- Dylann Roof indicted on federal hate crime charge


WASHINGTON D.C. -- The Department of Justice announced Tuesday they will seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof accused of shooting nine black parishioners to death in Charleston, South Carolina, last year.

Roof, 21, faces dozens of federal charges, including hate crimes, stemming from the June 17 shootings. Six women and three men were killed at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

"Following the department's rigorous review process to thoroughly consider all relevant factual and legal issues, I have determined that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a statement. "The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision."

Last month 21-year-old Joey Meek, a friend of Roof, pleaded guilty to lying to authorities and failure to report a crime.

Authorities said Meek failed to tell investigators all he knew about Roof's plans to shoot nine black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church.

Meek previously said Roof stayed with him before the shootings.

He also previously told CBS News that Roof had complained that "black people was taking over the country."

Meek said that Roof told him he wanted to "start a civil war."

"It was a plan," Meek told CBS News in 2015 about the attack. "He said that he was planning it for six months."

Meek, of Lexington, S.C., also said Roof told him that he used birthday money from his parents to buy a .45-caliber Glock semi-automatic handgun.

Meek said he took the gun away from Roof the night of his drunken rant but gave it back when he had sobered up.



"Following the department's rigorous review process to thoroughly consider all relevant factual and legal issues, I have determined that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a statement. "The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision." …. Authorities said Meek failed to tell investigators all he knew about Roof's plans to shoot nine black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church. Meek previously said Roof stayed with him before the shootings. He also previously told CBS News that Roof had complained that "black people was taking over the country." Meek said that Roof told him he wanted to "start a civil war."


“Meek said he took the gun away from Roof the night of his drunken rant but gave it back when he had sobered up.” People so often have difficulty doing any preventative measures against “a friend” in this kind of case. When my good buddy is about to drive away from the bar with eight or ten drinks under his belt, it is my public, moral and civic duty to take his keys away from him or, failing that, call the police to chase him down and arrest him. Meek, in this case, should at least have told the police about it. We have a very simple-minded way of looking at personal loyalty. Teens are particularly prone to think in this way, and they also have a less well-developed moral/ethical structure in general.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/va-secretary-expresses-regret-over-disney-wait-times-comparison/

VA secretary expresses regret over Disney-wait times comparison
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS
May 24, 2016, 5:44 PM

Play VIDEO -- Fired VA doctors still collected bonuses

Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald on Tuesday expressed regret over comments he made a day earlier in which he downplayed the time it takes for military veterans to receive treatment by comparing the wait times at VA facilities to lines at Disneyland.

"It was never my intention to suggest that I don't take our mission of serving veterans very seriously," McDonald said in a statement. "If my comments Monday led any veterans to believe that I, or the dedicated workforce I am privileged to lead, don't take that noble mission seriously, I deeply regret that. Nothing could be further from the truth."

McDonald said that "improving access to care is my number one priority" and that VA employees have worked "tirelessly" over the last two years to improve the timeliness of treatment and benefits.

On Monday, he came under fire for remarks he made at a breakfast with reporters.

"The days to an appointment is really not what we should be measuring. What we should be measuring is the veteran's satisfaction," McDonald told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in Washington, according to The Hill newspaper. "When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line?" he asked. "What's important is what's your satisfaction with the experience."

Republicans blasted McDonald for the comment. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, even called on McDonald to resign for his "preposterous statement."

"I call on him to resign because it's clear he cannot prioritize getting our veterans the health care they deserve and have earned in a timely manner. Dismissing wait times when veterans can often wait months for an appointment is negligent and a clear sign that new leadership is needed at the VA," Blunt said in a statement Tuesday.

Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, called the comment "disgusting" at a press conference on Tuesday morning, but he stopped short of calling for McDonald's resignation.

"I don't know if he should resign. He should clarify his comments. He should show some empathy for the veterans he is supposed to serve," he said.

McDonald, the former CEO of Procter & Gamble, has served as the head of the VA since 2014. He took over after his predecessor, Secretary Eric Shinseki, resigned that year over the scandal that plagued the department with wait times that reportedly left as many as 40 people dead at a Phoenix VA hospital.

CBS News' Walt Cronkite contributed to this report.



“Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald on Tuesday expressed regret over comments he made a day earlier in which he downplayed the time it takes for military veterans to receive treatment by comparing the wait times at VA facilities to lines at Disneyland. "It was never my intention to suggest that I don't take our mission of serving veterans very seriously," McDonald said in a statement. "If my comments Monday led any veterans to believe that I, or the dedicated workforce I am privileged to lead, don't take that noble mission seriously, I deeply regret that. Nothing could be further from the truth." …. Dismissing wait times when veterans can often wait months for an appointment is negligent and a clear sign that new leadership is needed at the VA," Blunt said in a statement Tuesday. …. Secretary Eric Shinseki, resigned that year over the scandal that plagued the department with wait times that reportedly left as many as 40 people dead at a Phoenix VA hospital.”


What I think is needed IN ADDITION TO more hospitals and doctors and medical equipment, etc., is an emergency room examination and care at ANY hospital with the VA paying for it. As much as I deplore the addiction to constant warfare that we have in the US, treating the Vets the way we do is heartless, as well as shameful. These situations are as much a crisis as the inundation of New Orleans by Katrina. Thinking back on it, that wasn’t handled as well as I would like, either.



Democrats -- Superdelegates – Information May 24, 2016

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/democratic-superdelegates-how-does-2016-compare-to-2008/

Does Clinton need superdelegates in 2016 more than Obama did in 2008?
By JENNIFER PINTO CBS NEWS
May 24, 2016, 6:00 AM

Chart -- screen-shot-2016-05-23-at-6-32-10-pm.png
Chart -- screen-shot-2016-05-23-at-6-29-49-pm.png


Hillary Clinton will almost certainly clinch the Democratic nomination with the aid of superdelegates -- and it is not uncommon for a Democratic candidate to do so in a competitive late season primary. Barack Obama also needed a boost from superdelegates in 2008, though Clinton is relying slightly more on superdelegates than Mr. Obama did.

*Who are the superdelegates? Since 1984, the Democratic Party has set aside seats at its convention for party leaders including Democratic members of Congress, governors, past presidents and members of the Democratic National Committee, giving these leaders a role in choosing the nominee. These delegates are commonly referred to as superdelegates.

Superdelegates, or unpledged delegates, serve by virtue of their party position or elected office. They are not bound by state primaries and caucuses and can back any candidate they prefer at the convention. They can also change their minds at any time. Superdelegates make up about 15 percent of the total number of Democratic delegates and 30 percent of the number needed to nominate.

According to CBS News estimates, Hillary Clinton now has 2,293 total delegates (including superdelegates), and is 90 delegates away from the magic number of 2,383. She is on track to clinch in early June, but will need these superdelegates to do it. Clinton has a 763-delegate lead over Bernie Sanders in total delegates, but much of that lead is due to her considerable advantage with superdelegates. Currently, Clinton has the backing of 525 superdelegates to Sanders' 39.

**While most superdelegates are in Clinton's corner this year -- at least for now -- these delegates were more divided at this point in the 2008 campaign. According to CBS estimates, on May 23, 2008, Barack Obama had the backing of 310 superdelegates, compared to 277 for Clinton -- a difference of just 33 delegates between the two candidates. (The candidates were also closer in the pledged count too). Clinton started the 2008 primary season with a more than two to one advantage over Mr. Obama in superdelegates, but the Illinois senator narrowed the gap over the course of the campaign, something Sanders has yet to do.

To put him over the top and clinch the nomination, however, then-Sen. Obama needed the support of superdelegates. After the votes were counted and the delegates allocated in the last primary contests on June 3, 2008, then Sen. Obama had 2153 delegates, according to CBS News estimates (he needed 2,118 to clinch), including 390 superdelegates (more than 50 of these supers came out for Obama on June 3rd when it became apparent he would clinch).

**On the last day of the primaries, 18 percent of Barack Obama's total delegates were superdelegates. Right now, superdelegates make up slightly more -- 22 percent -- of Clinton's current total. Then-Sen. Obama did have a majority -- 52 percent -- of the pledged delegates at that point. Clinton needs to win a third of the pledged delegates going forward to finish the primary season with a majority of the pledged delegates.

As Sanders looks to change the minds of superdelegates backing Clinton to come to his side, it may be a challenge. In 2008, when both the delegate race and the popular vote were closer, just about a dozen superdelegates switched from Clinton to Mr. Obama during the primary campaign. Instead, a number remained on the sidelines until it became clear who the nominee would be. It was when the primaries were over and Clinton suspended her campaign on June 7th that many of her superdelegates threw their support to Mr. Obama.



“*Who are the superdelegates? Since 1984, the Democratic Party has set aside seats at its convention for party leaders including Democratic members of Congress, governors, past presidents and members of the Democratic National Committee, giving these leaders a role in choosing the nominee. These delegates are commonly referred to as superdelegates. ….“They are not bound by state primaries and caucuses and can back any candidate they prefer at the convention.” In other words, the voice of the citizenry in the choice is muted by a power play. The Powers That Be can anoint at their will any highly placed Democrats as Superdelegates, again with no vote, who can then be bribed, coopted or otherwise coerced to vote a certain way. The only real use for Superdelegates is so that the desires of the voters can be skirted and literally bulldozed. Votes by the Superdelegates are the modern version of the old “smoke-filled rooms” whose only purpose is to bypass the people. The chosen candidate now is Hillary Clinton, mainly because the party loyal feel that it is “her turn,” and that Sanders is a “lone wolf.” He hasn’t paid his tangible and intangible dues to the party structure, so he’s not as popular. He has also hasn’t obeyed the party leaders to step down like a good boy and start supporting Clinton. His run for President has been symbolic only.

I understand the Republicans’ desire to take down Trump, but Sanders is not a dangerous man. He is a strong leader, yes, but his views are not those of Adolph Hitler; and his progressive economic plan is much needed to balance the economic scale here. Classism will rule as long as the 1% can buy everything from luxuries to judgeships. This is how caste systems begin. If every citizen were able to access a well-rounded college education from an accredited state university free of charge, we could have a population who are not gullible and unable to make certain kinds of decisions, and who could perform well on higher level jobs. “Good citizen” would come to mean more than patriotic, nationalistic and obedient.



Texas Educational Philosophy

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mexican-american-textbook-in-texas-slammed-as-racist/

Mexican-American textbook in Texas slammed as racist
AP May 24, 2016, 9:32 AM

Photograph -- Cynthia Dunbar during a break in the meeting of the State Board of Education Friday, May 23, 2008, in Austin, Texas. AP PHOTO/HARRY CABLUCK


HOUSTON - A textbook proposed to help teach the cultural history of Mexican-Americans in Texas public schools is under scrutiny by scholars, some of whom decry the effort as racist and not a reflection of serious academic study.

The textbook, titled "Mexican American Heritage," describes Mexican-Americans as people who "adopted a revolutionary narrative that opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society." It also links Mexican-Americans to undocumented immigrants, saying illegal immigration has "caused a number of economic and security problems" in the U.S. that include "poverty, drugs, crime, non-assimilation, and exploitation"

The State Board of Education voted to include textbooks on Mexican-American studies after activists last year demanded the subject be formally included in state curriculum. "Mexican American Heritage" is the first textbook on the subject included in a list of proposed instructional materials.

"Paradoxically, we pressed for the board to include texts on Mexican-American studies, and we achieved it, but not in the way we were expecting," Tony Diaz, host of Nuestra Palabra (Our Word) radio program in Houston and director of Intercultural Initiatives at Lone Star College-North Harris, told the Houston Chronicle. "Instead of a text that is respectful of the Mexican-American history, we have a book poorly written, racist, and prepared by non-experts."

The Texas Education Agency says it followed standard procedure for the call to submit instructional materials for Mexican-American curriculums for the 2017-2018 school year.

Texans have until September to submit comments on the proposed instructional materials, said TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. She also said the proposed textbooks will undergo review by a committee that includes teachers and administrators and that committee will make recommendations to the board.

Ultimately, books adopted by the elected members of the Texas State Board of Education in November become part of the recommended instructional materials for statewide curriculums, but school districts aren't required to embrace them. Individual districts can use their state money to buy whatever textbooks they wish.

The book "is not a text that we have recommended nor we will be recommending," says Douglas Torres-Edwards, coordinator of a TEA-approved Mexican-American studies course that has been implemented in some Houston Independent School District schools. "Frankly, that author is not recognized as someone who is part of the Mexican-American studies scholarship and most individuals engaged in scholarship will not recognize her as an author."

The book is produced by Momentum Instruction, a company that appears to be owned or operated by Cynthia Dunbar, a member of the Texas State Board of Education from 2007 to 2011. Dunbar, a right-wing Christian activist who questioned the constitutionality of public schools in 2008, labeled the education system "tyrannical" when she published her book, "One Nation Under God," while serving on the board.

The Chronicle was unable to reach Dunbar or any of the books other authors. A phone message and email to Momentum Instruction from The Associated Press were not immediately returned Monday.

The Texas Board of Education's members sanction textbooks for use statewide in a process that has for years been marred by ideological fights over lessons on subjects including evolution, climate change and the influence of biblical figures such as Moses on America's Founding Fathers.



http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/32135/tayn-rand-prolife-editor-write-textbook

Ayn Rand Scholar & Pro-Life Editor Pen Mexican-American Studies Text for Texas
By Andrea Greer
MAY 24, 2016

Photograph -- Photo by Patrick Feller used under creative commons license. [Sculpture entitled] Vaquero by Luis Jimenez stands in Houston’s Moody Park. The sculpture itself, and its installation in the park, are the sort of thing that should be covered in any text on Mexican-American history in Texas. Curious to see how the Riddle-Angle text frames the story.


Another chapter in the already-sordid story of Texas Republicans behaving very, very badly. According to the Associated Press:

A textbook proposed to help teach the cultural history of Mexican-Americans in Texas public schools is under scrutiny by scholars, some of whom decry the effort as racist and not a reflection of serious academic study.

The textbook, titled “Mexican American Heritage,” describes Mexican-Americans as people who “adopted a revolutionary narrative that opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society.” It also links Mexican-Americans to undocumented immigrants, saying illegal immigration has “caused a number of economic and security problems” in the U.S. that include “poverty, drugs, crime, non-assimilation, and exploitation”

The State Board of Education voted to include textbooks on Mexican-American studies after activists last year demanded the subject be formally included in state curriculum. “Mexican American Heritage” is the first textbook on the subject included in a list of proposed instructional materials.

In 2014, a broad coalition of community, education, and legal advocacy organizations petitioned the State Board of Education and won the chance for the board to consider appropriate textbooks for Mexican-American studies.

Now, the same board has announced its selection of a book that is the equivalent of picking the infamous, fraudulent, and thoroughly anti-Semitic screed The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as the primary text for a history of Judaism. More from AP:

The book “is not a text that we have recommended nor we will be recommending,” says Douglas Torres-Edwards, coordinator of a TEA-approved Mexican-American studies course that has been implemented in some Houston Independent School District schools. “Frankly, that author is not recognized as someone who is part of the Mexican-American studies scholarship and most individuals engaged in scholarship will not recognize her as an author.”

The book is produced by Momentum Instruction, a company that appears to be owned or operated by Cynthia Dunbar, a member of the Texas State Board of Education from 2007 to 2011. Dunbar, a right-wing Christian activist who questioned the constitutionality of public schools in 2008, labeled the education system “tyrannical” when she published her book, “One Nation Under God,” while serving on the board.

The two authors, quite plainly, lack appropriate credentials for the job they were assigned.

Co-author Jaime Riddle, whose LinkedIn profile describes her as the “primary author,” does have an undergraduate degree from Duke. That degree, plus her graduate degree from Pat Robertson’s Regent University, helped her secure, before she came on board at Momentum Group in 2015 to write the Mexican-American studies textbook, several jobs:

A content designer for Cambridge Christian Fellowship, where she helped “pioneer Imago Dei, a group focused on apologetics, biblical worldview, and networking Christian students with Christian faculty for on-campus solidarity.”

A freelance blogger, who wrote for blogs like “www.FreeMarketMommy.com, a website devoted to explaining financial concepts and encouraging childhood entrepreneurship through literature and extension activities.” She also notes her extensive experience reviewing books on Amazon.com.

Four years teaching in a homeschool co-op, where one of her classes prompted “several young people to consider a future in mission work.”

Content developer for the Go Network. She took on some editing duties for books like “The Fight for Life by noted pro-life activist Catherine Davis,” and served as “co-author of three books including Introducing the Bible, Come Follow Me, and Cracking the End Time Code (against the Armageddon fad).”

Valarie Angle, Riddle’s co-author, has experience as an early childhood and elementary school teacher, but no graduate level coursework in history. She did take a course on the philosophy of Ayn Rand. When not writing Mexican-American studies textbooks, she runs Bella Vita, a wellness coaching business, promising:

I am an overwhelmed woman’s secret weapon. I transform your cluttered mind into a peaceful fountain of creativity, your stressed knot of a body into a wellness machine, your chaotic frenzy of life into a seamless flow of energy, and your choppy disaster of a schedule into a calm fulfilling routine.

While she assures readers that her company is not about peddling products, she does hawk reduced-chemical cosmetics and essential oils.

What language is strong enough to explain just how insulting and wrong it is to select a textbook written by a blogger and a wellness coach, published by a company run by a former SBOE member whose stunts while serving included opening a state board meeting about what students should learn about the separation of church and state with a prayer?

Scholars, teachers, parents, and reasonable Texans, keep an eye on this story, and be prepared to speak out:

Texans have until September to submit comments on the proposed instructional materials, said TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. She also said the proposed textbooks will undergo review by a committee that includes teachers and administrators and that committee will make recommendations to the board.

Burnt Orange Report and many others will watch closely to see who is selected to serve on the review committee, and whether their credentials support their selection.


SEARCHWORDS: “momentum instruction Cynthia Dunbar”

Search Results

Mexican American textbook incites controversy - Houston Chronicle
www.houstonchronicle.com/.../Mexican-American-textbook-incites-cont...
2 days ago - The book is produced by Momentum Instruction, a company that appears to be owned or operated by Cynthia Dunbar, a member of the Texas ...

Proposed Mex-Am Studies Text: Chicanos Want to 'Destroy' Society
https://www.texasobserver.org/mexican-american-stu...
The Texas Observer
May 11, 2016 - SBOE alum Cynthia Dunbar, who once called public ed “tyrannical,” has a ... Cover of Mexican American Heritage by Momentum Instruction.

Conservative Ideologue Peddles Textbook That Butchers Mexican ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../conservative-ideologue...
The Huffington Post
May 16, 2016 - No company by the name of “Momentum Instruction” has been registered ... Cynthia Dunbar studies a curriculum version during a break in the ...

Mexican-American history textbook proposed for Texas schools called ...
thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/.../mexican-amer...
The Dallas Morning News
18 hours ago - The book is produced by Momentum Instruction, a company that appears to be owned or operated by Cynthia Dunbar, a member of the Texas ...

Cynthia Dunbar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Dunbar
Wikipedia
Cynthia Noland Dunbar (June 1964) is an American lawyer and author in Richmond, Texas who served as a Republican on the Texas State Board of Education, ...

Mexican-American textbook in Texas slammed as racist - News 12 Now
www.wdef.com › News
WDEF‑TV
7 hours ago - The book is produced by Momentum Instruction, a company that appears to be owned or operated by Cynthia Dunbar, a member of the Texas ...

Ayn Rand Scholar & Pro-Life Editor Pen Mexican-American Studies ...
www.burntorangereport.com/.../tayn-rand-prolife-e...
Burnt Orange Report
6 hours ago - The book is produced by Momentum Instruction, a company that appears to be owned or operated by Cynthia Dunbar, a member of the Texas ...

TX Mulls Racist Textbook Produced By Religious Extremists
reverbpress.com/.../tx-considers-racist-mexican-american-textbook-prod...
3 hours ago - So who is Cynthia Dunbar? As a right-wing ... HuffPost attempted to contact Momentum Instruction but wasn't able to do so. Like Diaz, Nolan ...



CBS -- “A textbook proposed to help teach the cultural history of Mexican-Americans in Texas public schools is under scrutiny by scholars, some of whom decry the effort as racist and not a reflection of serious academic study. …. "… adopted a revolutionary narrative that opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society." …. "Paradoxically, we pressed for the board to include texts on Mexican-American studies, and we achieved it, but not in the way we were expecting," Tony Diaz, host of Nuestra Palabra (Our Word) radio program in Houston and director of Intercultural Initiatives at Lone Star College-North Harris, told the Houston Chronicle. "Instead of a text that is respectful of the Mexican-American history, we have a book poorly written, racist, and prepared by non-experts." …. Texans have until September to submit comments on the proposed instructional materials, said TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. She also said the proposed textbooks will undergo review by a committee that includes teachers and administrators and that committee will make recommendations to the board. …. Dunbar, a right-wing Christian activist who questioned the constitutionality of public schools in 2008, labeled the education system "tyrannical" when she published her book, "One Nation Under God," while serving on the board.”


Burntorangereport -- “In 2014, a broad coalition of community, education, and legal advocacy organizations petitioned the State Board of Education and won the chance for the board to consider appropriate textbooks for Mexican-American studies. Now, the same board has announced its selection of a book that is the equivalent of picking the infamous, fraudulent, and thoroughly anti-Semitic screed The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as the primary text for a history of Judaism. …. Co-author Jaime Riddle, whose LinkedIn profile describes her as the “primary author,” does have an undergraduate degree from Duke. That degree, plus her graduate degree from Pat Robertson’s Regent University, helped her secure, before she came on board at Momentum Group in 2015 to write the Mexican-American studies textbook …. Valarie Angle, Riddle’s co-author, has experience as an early childhood and elementary school teacher, but no graduate level coursework in history. She did take a course on the philosophy of Ayn Rand. When not writing Mexican-American studies textbooks, she runs Bella Vita, a wellness coaching business …. While she assures readers that her company is not about peddling products, she does hawk reduced-chemical cosmetics and essential oils. What language is strong enough to explain just how insulting and wrong it is to select a textbook written by a blogger and a wellness coach, published by a company run by a former SBOE member whose stunts while serving included opening a state board meeting about what students should learn about the separation of church and state with a prayer? …. Texans have until September to submit comments on the proposed instructional materials, said TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. She also said the proposed textbooks will undergo review by a committee that includes teachers and administrators and that committee will make recommendations to the board. Burnt Orange Report and many others will watch closely to see who is selected to serve on the review committee, and whether their credentials support their selection.”


“Individual districts can use their state money to buy whatever textbooks they wish.” Articles on Google under the Agency name include some interesting things, such as “Parents sue Texas Education Agency over STAAR exams.; WFAA.com‎ - 21 hours ago.” The “Burntorangereport” is in my opinion the best information on this libelous textbook which tars with one brush the whole Hispanic ethnic group, and sets up a future of increasingly hard-set societal hatred. While I don’t like any form of group hatred, the use of our precious public educational system to damn the poor and outsiders of all kinds, is especially disgusting. The Religious Right is a politically based cult, and not a religion by my way of understanding the term. It is also alarmingly strong in the “conservative” parts of this country, where real EDUCATION has lagged due to a combination of a true lack of interest in learning and a lack of faith in it. Many people in the US have such a closed mindset that they are literally incapable on incorporating any new information. The Ultrarightist oligarchs want that, because it makes people so much easier to control. Donald Trump’s recent statement, “I love the poorly educated!” fits right in there. This is what happens when the lack of college educations, high quality jobs, and even the ability to read beyond a 5th grade level are becoming so common here. That doesn’t sound like a “great” nation to me. Good, yes, if the people were to really follow the Ten Commandments, but we have a lot of work to do to be great. Hint, read "A Canticle For Leibowitz" by Walter Miller, Jr. It's a work of genius and deals directly with a total lack of education, along with lots of other things, as a result of an all out nuclear war. Humans survived, but society as we know it didn't.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bronx-man-arrested-accused-of-isis-support/

Bronx man arrested, accused of ISIS support
CBS/AP
May 24, 2016, 11:45 AM

NEW YORK - A Bronx man has been arrested on charges he tried to provide assistance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS.)

Sajmir Alimehmeti was arrested Tuesday. The 22-year-old was described in court papers as repeatedly demonstrating support for the ISIS since 2014.

It was not immediately known who will represent him at an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court.

Authorities said in a criminal complaint that Alimehmeti this month tried to provide advice and assistance to a person he thought was traveling from New York to Syria to train and fight with ISIS.

The complaint states that officials found numerous materials on his laptop indicating support for ISIS, including photos of ISIS fighters, pictures of Alimehmeti posing in front of ISIS flags, and several lectures from the infamous late American al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

They said authorities in the United Kingdom had returned Alimehmeti to the United States and provided the FBI with information after he was stopped last year entering the United Kingdom at Manchester and Heathrow airports. The criminal complaint against Alimehmeti said British authorities discovered camouflage outfits and "nunchucks" in his luggage.


“Authorities said in a criminal complaint that Alimehmeti this month tried to provide advice and assistance to a person he thought was traveling from New York to Syria to train and fight with ISIS. The complaint states that officials found numerous materials on his laptop indicating support for ISIS, including photos of ISIS fighters, pictures of Alimehmeti posing in front of ISIS flags, and several lectures from the infamous late American al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.” The CIA knew his propensities, but apparently had to catch him in a specific tangible criminal act and build a case against him. The good news is that with the Brits’ help, one of the bad guys was caught and will be tried. One down, 900,000 to go!



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sanders-requests-recanvassing-of-kentucky-results/

Bernie Sanders requests recanvass of Kentucky results
CBS/AP
May 24, 2016, 2:05 PM

Play VIDEO -- Bernie Sanders expects the Democratic National Convention to get "messy"


ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign requested a recanvass in Kentucky's presidential primary Tuesday, where he trails Hillary Clinton by less than one-half of 1 percent of the vote.

CBS News' Kylie Atwood Sanders signed a letter Tuesday morning that requests "a full and compete check and recanvass of every one of the voting machines and absentee ballots from all precincts in all 120 counties involving the Democratic presidential race from the 2016 primary election."

"He's in this until every last vote is counted and he's fighting for every last delegate," said Sanders' spokesman Michael Briggs.

Clinton holds 1,924-vote lead over Sanders out of 454,573 votes cast. The Associated Press had not called the race, despite Clinton's slight lead, in the event that Sanders might ask to recanvass the vote.

A recanvass is not a recount but a review of the voting totals. It is unlikely to affect the final outcome but could affect the awarding of a single delegate still up for grabs.

Sanders has vowed to amass as many delegates as possible in his lengthy primary fight against Clinton, where he trails the former secretary of state by 274 pledged delegates according to a count by The Associated Press. Clinton holds a substantial lead with party leaders and elected officials, called superdelegates, and is on track to clinch the nomination through the combination of pledged delegates and superdelegates after contests on June 7.

Sanders can ask a judge to order a recount or an examination of individual ballots but his campaign would have to pay for it. The deadline to request a recanvass is Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Clinton and Sanders both picked up 27 delegates in Kentucky and one remaining delegate will be allocated in the sixth congressional district, which includes Frankfort and Lexington. The delegate will be awarded based on final vote tallies and Clinton currently leads Sanders by a slim margin of about 500 votes in that district.

A Clinton aide told CBS News, in reference to Sanders' recanvass request, "We are aware of this, but I'm not sure what the net impact will be going forward."

The recanvass is conducted by the state at no cost to the Sanders campaign.

A tip in the statewide vote in Sanders' favor would not guarantee him that last delegate. But if a recanvass were to determine he actually received more votes than Clinton in the sixth congressional district, Sanders could earn the last remaining delegate that Clinton would otherwise receive.

Earlier this year, Sanders could have pressed for a review of voting results in the leadoff Iowa caucuses and in Missouri's primary. He narrowly lost both contests but in those cases, he chose not to contest the results but to pursue delegates later in the process.



“Clinton holds 1,924-vote lead over Sanders out of 454,573 votes cast. The Associated Press had not called the race, despite Clinton's slight lead, in the event that Sanders might ask to recanvass the vote. A recanvass is not a recount but a review of the voting totals. It is unlikely to affect the final outcome but could affect the awarding of a single delegate still up for grabs. …. A tip in the statewide vote in Sanders' favor would not guarantee him that last delegate. But if a recanvass were to determine he actually received more votes than Clinton in the sixth congressional district, Sanders could earn the last remaining delegate that Clinton would otherwise receive. Earlier this year, Sanders could have pressed for a review of voting results in the leadoff Iowa caucuses and in Missouri's primary. He narrowly lost both contests but in those cases, he chose not to contest the results but to pursue delegates later in the process.”


I want to see federal control over how many delegates will be selected rather than state; the elimination of the caucus method as being unfair to a number of would be voters; a mandate that the counting method should be proportional and not “winner take all.” It is shameful for a man to put up the kind of fight that Sanders has and get nothing for his efforts. And, as I’ve said before, the Superdelegate system is unnecessary and also unfair. Just because they are party bigwigs shouldn’t mean that they can override the popular vote. that really isn't "the American Way!" I hope the recanvass will help him. I’ll be watching the convention this year, at least in part, as I always have. I hope it doesn’t run past 11:00 PM. I can’t do those all-nighters like I used to.