July 4 and 5, 2016


News and Views


THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH?


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-trump-iest-show-on-earth-what-to-expect-at-the-republican-national-convention/

The Trump-iest show on Earth: What to expect at the Republican National Convention
By JACQUELINE ALEMANY CBS NEWS
July 4, 2016, 6:00 AM

Play VIDEO -- Who will Trump pick for vice president?
Play VIDEO -- Mitt Romney: I can't vote for Clinton or Trump
Play VIDEO -- Donald Trump deletes Star of David tweet
Play VIDEO -- Gov. Bill Weld: Trump is a neo-isolationist
Play VIDEO -- Donald Trump speaks at Western Conservative Summit


The Republican National Convention is two weeks away and the city of Cleveland is working overtime to prepare for Donald Trump and the stampede of delegates, supporters, media, hangers-on, protestors and counter-protestors who are about to storm the city.

The four day spectacle that Trump is hoping -- but struggling -- to fill with a star-studded cast of speakers is earlier in the year than it's been in previous cycles, this time with the intention of unifying the party more divided than its been in a generation.

Party unity sounds like a pipe dream after Trump's tumultuous month of controversial statements, tweets, stumbles, bad polls and campaign infighting. Not to mention the number of negative stories surrounding the convention itself: the scores of senators and governors who will not be in attendance, the white supremacy groups who will be, the angsty anti-Trump delegates with plans of a coup, and tepid sponsors under pressure to pull the plug on the affair.

But with a new campaign manager, a recent push for a professionalized campaign and the persistence of a teleprompter -- paired with a professional team of convention planning experts -- it's still possible that convention drama might be more of a media narrative than a reality.

Even so, attention on Cleveland will be focused as much on the atmospherics outside Quicken Loans Arena as on the official proceedings inside. Here's what's on the horizon for the 2016 Republican National Convention.

THE RULES

Trump's vision for the convention may be one of glitz and glamor, but the arcane committee meetings taking place in Cleveland the week will take center stage prior to Trump's week in the sun -- and may ultimately decide the fate of his stint in Cleveland.

The decidedly unglamorous meeting of the RNC's Committee on Rules and Order of Business is now expecting an audience of over 400 reporters who have been credentialed to attend the panel. In 2012, less than 20 reporters attended the same proceedings before the Tampa Convention.

The committee of 112 members will make the rules that govern the convention, including party rules on whether delegates from primary and caucus states should be bound to the decisions of their states or be free to vote their conscience and for the candidate of their choice. Two former Romney supporters -- Enid Michelson, a committeewoman from Utah, and Ron Kaufman, a committeeman from Massachusetts -- will referee the three day meeting.

Helping spearhead the anti-Trump #freethedelegate effort is Steve Lonegan, a former Ted Cruz state director from New Jersey. He believes the success of the movement depends on whether Trump has another explosive "Judge Curiel moment" prior to convention.

"Best thing we can do is keep our nose to the grindstone to be in a position to act at the convention accordingly," Lonegan told CBS News.

However, CBS has surveyed at least 50 rules committee members who said they are enthusiastic Trump supporters or respect the will of Republican voters, and will not stand in the way of a Trump nomination.

There are also Republicans who are simply happy that the rules process is not being ignored.

Curly Haugland, an unbound delegate and longtime RNC committeeman from North Dakota, is not a part of the Stop Trump movement, but he is the author of a book called, "Unbound: The Conscience of a Republican Delegate." He argues that every delegate has no obligation to vote a certain way and there can be no penalties imposed by law on a delegate voting their conscience.

"It's an excellent lesson for the media," Hoagland added. "But it's a civics lesson for the entire population of this entire country. The story will be told. It will basically provide sunshine on the rules."

THE MONEY

The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee, the nonprofit arm responsible for organizing, hosting and funding the convention, has raised $57.5 million dollars to date. According to Emily Lauer, the spokeswoman for Cleveland's 2016 Host Committee, this accounts for 90 percent of the funding needed to cover convention costs.

"The amount we've raised to date also surpasses the funds raised for either of the prior two conventions," Lauer wrote in an email to CBS News. "As is customary in convention fundraising, we're in the midst of securing the final 10 percent of the budget in these last few weeks leading up to the Convention. We remain confident that we will have the money needed to pay for all facets of the convention."

It's not uncommon for host committees to fall short on their fundraising needs. Duke Energy picked up the late tab for Democrats in Charlotte in 2012, forgiving them of $10 million dollars worth of unpaid loans.

The Trump factor has inevitably chilled some sponsor support. Other past convention sponsors that are not contributing to the convention this time around include Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Apple. Ford, for example, provided $100,000 in cash in 2012 but is not participating this year.

Wells Fargo provided $500,000 in cash in 2012 and is not contributing this year. But it is hosting the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Arena.

The 2012 convention in Tampa also received a $1 million dollar donation from billionaire David Koch and a $5 million dollar contribution from Sheldon Adelson. Koch has stayed out of the presidential race this cycle and Adelson did not respond to request from CBS about whether or not he is helping bankroll the convention this year.

The progressive activist group Colors of Change has been applying pressure on corporations publicly and behind the scenes to drop sponsorship for the convention. The group told CBS News that it is still lobbying Facebook, Twitter, Coca-Cola, and Google and to completely withdraw their support.

None of these costs include the millions that individual donors and corporations will spend on outside parties and events throughout the four day affair, which brings us to...

THE PARTIES (THE BOOZY ONES)

Conventions are about more than nominating a presidential nominee. They're also about the parties. Whether they'll be celebrating, networking, fundraising or drowning their sorrows in Cleveland, Republicans will spend convention week making their way through an endless itinerary of receptions, concerts and late-night carousing.

Every state GOP delegation, from Hawaii to Maine, will be hosting events for its delegates and elected officials attending the convention, either casual happy hours or late-night hotel parties. On the opening day of the convention, the Wisconsin GOP is hosting a "Late Night Beers and Brats" party slated to go until 2 A.M., while the Kentucky Republican Party is planning to kick off the week with a "Red, White and Bourbon Welcome Reception."

Nor will Trump's controversial campaign stop ambitious senators, governors and members of congress from coming to town to tap into the abundance of money and political support packed into one frenzied place. John Kasich, Ohio's governor, hasn't endorsed Trump but is hosting a reception. So is Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who is not backing Trump. Those who are supporting the nominee, including Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, will of course also be in town raising money.

Corporate entities like the Chamber of Commerce, a frequent critic of Trump, and convention sponsor AT&T are hosting events, as are media companies like Bloomberg and Turner/CNN, which is hosting a private golf outing at Canterbury Golf Club.

And then there are the musical acts on the agenda. Those slated to perform include Kid Rock, Better Than Ezra, Robert Randolph, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride and Lynyrd Skynrd.

THE PROTESTS

Here's where the real story of the convention may lie: Outside of the official security perimeter.

The Secret Service, FBI, Cleveland and Ohio State Police, National Guard, and thousands of police officers from around the country will be working together over the course of the week to ensure peaceful demonstrations -- both for and against Trump.

Cleveland has been tightlipped about its convention preparation. But the city has offered assurances that it is prepared to handle the type of protests and violence that have broken out at Trump rallies across the country.

However, Cleveland.com reported last week that officials approved of a $50 million protest insurance policy, five times more than what they had previously planned for. Officials spent $1.7 million on protest insurance for Tampa's 2012 Republican Convention compared to the $9.5 million it will cost for the $50 million dollar plan this time around.

The city is still sorting through permit applications from a melange of protest groups and counter protestors, as well as some fringe groups, including the Westboro Baptist Church and at least one group claiming that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job.

Members of the white supremacist group involved with the violence in Sacramento two weekends ago, the Traditionalist Worker Party, have also said they will be attending the convention to "protect" Trump supporters from self-described anti-fascist demonstrators.

Police officers will equipped with riot gear and body cameras. Media outlets have been outfitted with tactical gear and have been putting employees through riot training. The ACLU and the Ohio Lawyers Guild have provided "Know Your Rights" trainings to local organizers and activists who might be arrested.

Cleveland itself, fresh off of its first NBA championship in 54 years, is ready to shine, newly outfitted with luxury hotels, designer restaurants and a burgeoning entrepreneurial scene. last week, they were profiled by the New York Times as a city to visit.

But come convention time, locals are just hoping the city doesn't catch fire, like the Cuyahoga River infamously did in 1969.



Media outlets have been outfitted with tactical gear and have been putting employees through riot training. The ACLU and the Ohio Lawyers Guild have provided "Know Your Rights" trainings to local organizers and activists who might be arrested. I hate to say it, but if the Sanders representatives do stage some memorable camera events, we may need this at the Democratic Convention also. I hope not. I want it lively and strongly put forward, but not violent. The idea that SOME Sanders followers may have been violent at several Trump events was a black mark against our name and hopefully was not true. I and millions of others are so revved up over this election that I can't help being excited, but if we act like the Militias and the NeoNazis, and just the typical Trump redneck style fans we will lose ground rather than gaining it.



WHAT DO NC AND AK HAVE IN COMMON? WILDLIFE ...


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-carolina-country-club-brawl-leaves-1-dead-others-shot-stabbed/

N.C. country club brawl leaves 1 dead; others shot, stabbed
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP
July 4, 2016, 10:08 AM

Photograph -- The scene of a fatal country club brawl in Salemburg, N.C. July 3, 2016 WNCN


SALEMBURG, N.C. -- Authorities say one person was killed and six others, including a police officer, have been hurt after a large fight that involved gunshots and a stabbing at a North Carolina country club.

Sampson County deputies said in a news release that officers found several groups fighting after responding to multiple 911 calls around 2:30 a.m. Sunday at the Lakewood Country Club in Salemburg. As many as 100 people may have been involved, reports CBS affiliate WNCN.

Investigators say seven people needed medical treatment. Three were shot -- one fatally -- two were beaten and one was stabbed, while a deputy suffered a minor cut to the arm. The deputy was attempting to break up a fight when he was apparently cut with a broken glass shard from a bottle, Sampson Co. Capt. Eric Pope told WNCN.

Authorities say Anthony King died at the hospital from a gunshot wound and at least one other person was seriously injured.

"Boy, I have never experienced anything like last night," Jefferson Strickland, who lives across the street, told the station.

Deputies say the clubhouse was being rented for a private party. The club's manager told the station that the group renting the space was from nearby Fayetteville and there were no members or staff there when the altercation happened.

"This will not be a simple investigation," Pope told the station. "We've got several different versions. Until we can actually interview those who were wounded, the details are still kind of sketchy."

No arrests have been made but authorities reportedly have several persons of interest.



http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/sarah-palin-family-bloody-drunken-shirtless-thrilla-wasilla

The Palin family’s bloody, drunken, shirtless thrilla’ in Wasilla
By Joseph Neese
10/09/14 08:21 PM—UPDATED 10/09/14 08:39 PM

Photograph -- Sarah Palin attends the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Photo by Mark Peterson/Redux


Bristol and Willow were drunk, as were their boyfriends. Todd and Sarah Palin were asking what happened. There were two guys attacking Track. Bristol hit someone about six times, and then she fell over.

Finally, the details of the weekend spat this September that allegedly engulfed the Palin family have been made public. While a group of Alaska bloggers appears to have captured the essence of a feud involving members of the former vice presidential nominee’s family, a 24-page police report released Thursday includes a white stretch limo, two birthday parties, three intoxicated Palin children, two separate fights, and neighbors who barked “f— The Palins” while Todd was on the ground.

Related: Palin goes full ‘grizzly’ at Voter Values Summit

The bloody, drunken and shirtless brawl will not lead to any legal consequences for the Palins however, just public humiliation.

“The Anchorage Municipal Prosecutors Office will not be proceeding with charges,” Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro told msnbc Thursday in an email.

The Palin household was celebrating patriarch Todd’s birthday, before going to another birthday party, where the fighting occurred on the night of Sept. 6. It was there that Track, who was serving in the military while his mother ran on the Republican presidential ticket, ended up in a fight with a number of other men. In the police report, he is listed as a victim. He was found by police without a shirt, with blood on his mouth and hands, and with injuries to his left elbow, eye and upper cheek.

Two Palin daughters were also reportedly involved in arguments and fights with others. Bristol, a single mom and former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, allegedly hit the host of the party, identified as Korey Klingenmeyer, five or six times, according to witnesses. She then fell, and a group of female party-goers attacked her, according to police.

The dispute may have centered on whether Willow Palin was pushed by an older female guest and insulted. Unlike her bloodied brother, Bristol apparently emerged uninjured, save for some “dirt on her knees.”

As for the “Mama Grizzly,” little is known except that no one reportedly listened to her when she tried to intervene in Bristol’s defense. The one-time vice presidential candidate was sitting safely inside her white stretch limo when police arrived, according to the report.

While “angry that the Palins had showed up and were causing problems,” according to one investigator, Klingenmeyer ultimately declined to press charges over the epic fight that wreaked havoc on a gathering he threw for his friends from the Iron Dog snow mobile community. And one penitent witness apologized to police for wasting their time. It was just “a fight among friends due to too much alcohol and people talking trash,” he said.

Explore:
Alaska, Republicans, Sarah Palin and Tea Party



http://www.military.com/base-guide/fayetteville-north-carolina-military-bases

Right next door to Fort Bragg and Pope Army Airfield, Fayetteville is very military oriented. One of the most diverse cities in the US, Fayetteville, NC has many awards to its credit and activities for citizens. The sixth-largest city in North Carolina also has numerous historic sites, seven museums, three colleges and universities, multiple entertainment venues, a historic downtown and award-winning golf courses. Immaculate parks and lively recreation centers offer you the chance to experience the outdoors or work on a jump shot. Plus, if you're looking to travel, Fayetteville Regional Airport and Interstate 95 give you many destination options.



Excerpt – CBS -- “Authorities say one person was killed and six others, including a police officer, have been hurt after a large fight that involved gunshots and a stabbing at a North Carolina country club. Sampson County deputies said in a news release that officers found several groups fighting after responding to multiple 911 calls around 2:30 a.m. Sunday at the Lakewood Country Club in Salemburg. As many as 100 people may have been involved, reports CBS affiliate WNCN. …. Deputies say the clubhouse was being rented for a private party. The club's manager told the station that the group renting the space was from nearby Fayetteville and there were no members or staff there when the altercation happened. "This will not be a simple investigation," Pope told the station. "We've got several different versions. Until we can actually interview those who were wounded, the details are still kind of sketchy." No arrests have been made but authorities reportedly have several persons of interest.”


When I lived in NC Fayetteville was a military town and little more, but now it has colleges and museums, parks and “multiple entertainment venues.” In other words, like the rest of NC, it has grown hugely due to “snowbirds,” and better work opportunities. I still would think that this group of partiers are either fraternity men or soldiers enjoying a night out. The police will hopefully make another report after there is more information available. Small towns in NC are not known for this kind of thing.

Several hours later I searched this story for more information and found a Daily Mail article with video and photographs. There is one sad fact – alcohol and large gatherings almost always cause trouble. Video from the NC story shows that the people involved are black, which will be all over the press especially in “conservative” news sources, and that will tend to reinforce our racial stereotypes. That is not typical of what the black Middle Class are like, as they are usually holders of well-respected positions, from medical personnel to business offices to school classrooms. Just to balance out the picture, I am presenting the white Republican brawl at Wasilla, AK, in which the Palin family played a starring role. To be fair, the Kennedy families have had some riotous times in the news as well. Money, alcohol and big parties going on into the next morning are the problem, and thus such unsightly disorder.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/if-elected-hillary-might-try-for-cocktail-diplomacy-with-the-gop/

If elected, Hillary might try for cocktail diplomacy with the GOP
CBS NEWS
July 4, 2016, 11:32 AM

Play VIDEO -- Hillary Clinton's FBI interview is one of final steps in investigation

Should she be elected president in November, Hillary Clinton may begin reaching out to Republicans in a very old fashioned way.

The former secretary of state's ability to bond with political rivals over cocktails will, according to aides and allies, be an important asset should she make her way back to the White House, The New York Times reports.

According to the Times, Clinton "believes that a relaxed, frank discussion is more authentic than trying to bond awkwardly with adversaries over sports -- and more productive than keeping them at arm's length, as Mr. Obama has often done."

And she knows that a little booze can be conducive to such relaxed, frank discussions.

"She likes to cajole, she likes to make deals, and she likes to make friends," former Bill Clinton adviser Richard Socarides told the Times. "And she knows it's much harder to go after someone who you basically like, who you've had a drink with."

Clinton, who is known to enjoy the occasional stiff drink, reportedly even had a contest with Sen. John McCain to see who could down the most vodka while touring Estonia in 2004.

Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe confirmed the story in a 2008 interview with the BBC, and insisted that Hillary had won the competition.

"She's a girl from Illinois who likes to throw 'em down with the rest of us," McAuliffe said at the time.


This is not a good story for Hillary’s camp to float about her. We want stories about her trustworthiness and progressive leanings, and not about her tendencies to drink to excess or cozy up to the Republicans. That fits in with the image of her hobnobbing with the Wall Street powers that be. I wonder who the source of this information was.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/disabled-teen-sues-tsa-memphis-airport-after-bloody-scuffle/

Disabled teen sues TSA, Memphis airport after bloody scuffle
CBS/AP
July 4, 2016, 3:30 PM

Photograph -- Hannah Cohen after she was involved in a bloody scuffle with TSA agents at the Memphis airport. WREG-TV
Play video -- Security scuffle at Memphis International Airport


MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A disabled St. Jude Children's Research Hospital patient was injured, and then arrested, by security workers at a Memphis International Airport checkpoint, a lawsuit alleges.

CBS affiliate WREG-TV reports that 19-year-old Hannah Cohen was flying home to Chattanooga on June 30, 2015, after receiving treatment at Memphis-based St. Jude. Attorneys say Hannah Cohen has an impairment from radiation and removal of a brain tumor, and she is limited in her ability to talk, walk, stand, see and hear.

The lawsuit says an alarm went off as she and her mother were going through a security checkpoint operated by the Memphis International Airport Police Department and the Transportation Safety Administration. Hannah Cohen became disoriented by the alarm and the security workers' attempts to search her, the lawsuit says.

"The security personnel failed to recognize that she was confused because of her obvious disability and was unable to cooperate with the search," Cohen's lawyers, Kelly Pearson and William Hardwick, wrote in the lawsuit.

Her mother, Shirley Cohen, said she tried to tell TSA agents about her daughter's disability, but she was kept away by police.

"She's trying to get away from them but in the next instant, one of them had her down on the ground and hit her head on the floor. There was blood everywhere," Shirley Cohen told WREG-TV.

The lawsuit alleges the security personnel assaulted Hannah Cohen at the checkpoint, "causing her physical and emotional injury as well as emotional injury" to her mother.

Hannah was arrested, booked and on the night she should have been celebrating the end of her treatment, she was locked up in Jail East.

"Here we were with nowhere to go, not even a toothbrush, our bags had gone to Chattanooga," said Cohen.

Hannah Cohen was arrested, but the charges were later dropped. The family filed a federal lawsuit against the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority and the TSA for damages that include pain, medical expenses, personal and emotional injury, and embarrassment.

The lawsuit alleges that the TSA and airport police discriminated against Cohen because of her disability and failed to provide reasonable accommodation for screening her. The suit asks for a "reasonable sum not exceeding $100,000 and costs."

TSA spokesman Mark Howell and Jerry Brandon, chief of public safety of the Memphis International Airport Police Department, said they could not comment on pending litigation.

"Anybody can file anything, and we don't comment on active litigation," Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority president and CEO Scott Brockman told The Commercial Appeal newspaper. "Clearly there are additional facts in this matter, and we won't comment until we address the litigation."



Excerpt -- “CBS affiliate WREG-TV reports that 19-year-old Hannah Cohen was flying home to Chattanooga on June 30, 2015, after receiving treatment at Memphis-based St. Jude. Attorneys say Hannah Cohen has an impairment from radiation and removal of a brain tumor, and she is limited in her ability to talk, walk, stand, see and hear. The lawsuit says an alarm went off as she and her mother were going through a security checkpoint operated by the Memphis International Airport Police Department and the Transportation Safety Administration. Hannah Cohen became disoriented by the alarm and the security workers' attempts to search her, the lawsuit says. …. Her mother, Shirley Cohen, said she tried to tell TSA agents about her daughter's disability, but she was kept away by police. "She's trying to get away from them but in the next instant, one of them had her down on the ground and hit her head on the floor. There was blood everywhere," Shirley Cohen told WREG-TV. …. Hannah Cohen was arrested, but the charges were later dropped. The family filed a federal lawsuit against the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority and the TSA for damages that include pain, medical expenses, personal and emotional injury, and embarrassment. The lawsuit alleges that the TSA and airport police discriminated against Cohen because of her disability and failed to provide reasonable accommodation for screening her. The suit asks for a "reasonable sum not exceeding $100,000 and costs."


Here's another unfortunate case of a suspect “failing to follow orders” and “resisting arrest.” It’s a good thing they didn’t shoot her. Her chances might not have been so good on a dark street with no witnesses. Every authority figure who wears a uniform needs to be trained to deal with the public under the assumption that they are not felons, rather than the reverse. I’m so happy to see that her mother is filing suit. I think that, even with the present laws on the books, such men “in a position of public trust” will behave much more honestly and fairly when more people sue on a regular basis. There’s nothing like consequences to stop abuse and crime.



SANDERS LAWSUITS -- COMPUTER COMPANIES PAID TO FALSIFY THE ELECTIONS?

http://trustvote.org/

The Institute For American Democracy and Election Integrity
Updates
Updated July 2, 2016
Click here to see the video stream on YouTube now (Saturday meeting at Sunrise Center)

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: The 2016 California Primary: A Disturbing Situation. The California Primary was very poorly managed. This evening offered updates on the many injustices that occurred in California, ranging from poor poll worker training to voter suppression to electronic manipulation. Updates were presented on recently filed lawsuits in California.

Photograph -- This event was on June 30, 2014 featuring attorneys-at-law Bill Simpich, San Diego election confusion witness, Marie Johnson, poll analyst, John Rice and election integrity activists Lori Grace and Emily Levy.
Photograph -- The 2016 California Primary: A Disturbing Story w/Bill Simpich, Lori Grace This event is Saturday July 2, 2016 from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM PDT. Come join us at Sunrise Center, 645 Tamalpais, Corte Madera, CA 94925 for an update on the condition of the California Primary.


Cliff Arnebeck and Bob Fitrakis are is [sic] still filing the Ohio election integrity lawsuit, so while the delay is understandably of concern to all of us, we do remain hopeful that it will be filed soon. We will be releasing breaking news including timely evidence from poll analyst, John Rice, who will give many people the assurance they need to know that Bernie has, in fact, won the Presidential Primary, at our events. What we do with this information will require all of your support so stay tuned and be sure to sign up on our mailing list.

Please check http://sunrisecenter.org for a complete description of the event and register on the Sunrise Center site so we can be sure to save you a seat. Please also sign up to our Sunrise Center mailing list so that you can be sure to receive future announcements regarding the issue of election integrity.
Thank you so much for your support!

Lori
The American Institute for Democracy and Election Integrity
Email: info@trustvote.org
http://trustvote.org
http://sunrisecenter.org


Video ©2016 courtesy of Edward Ellsworth, Enlightened Films
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: The 2016 California Primary: A Disturbing Situation

Announcement: Come join us at the Corte Madera Best Western for an update on the disturbing condition of the California Primary starting at 6:30 pm, Thursday, June 30th with attorneys at law Bill Simpich and Ida Martinac, poll analyst, John Rice and election integrity activist, Lori Grace. Please check Sunrisecenter.org for a complete description of the event and sign up on the Sunrise Center site so you can be sure to have a seat at the event. If you cannot attend, please sign up for the Sunrise Center mailing list so that you can be sure to have future announcements regarding the issue of election integrity.

The lawsuit against Edison Research and the Media Consortium: The lawsuit is being delayed because new evidence recently found is going to make the lawsuit even stronger. It will be revealed when the lawsuit is submitted. Many people have questioned whether the lawsuit is real. It is very real. It is getting stronger each day with new evidence and new witnesses.

Cliff Arnebeck and Robert Fitrakis, the lawyers connected with the lawsuit are also still waiting for the data from California. As we mentioned before, we decided to do a citizen exit poll on election day, because Edison Research and the Media Consortium canceled their exit polls in the remaining 7 states including California after an article by Tim Robbins on Rawstory.com came out writing about the editing of the raw exit poll data to match the computerized, hackable and proprietary electronic vote totals.

About California ballots: With respect to California, there are so many votes still not counted. Because of the confusing instructions offered by the Secretary of State on how to process NPP (No Party Preference) ballots and the introduction of a million and a half new voters, there are an unprecedented number of provisional ballots left to be counted. Because many of these ballots were from independent voters who were unable to obtain democratic crossover ballots as instructed, we can safely assume that many of the provisional ballots will be votes for Bernie Sanders.

Complaints from California voters: In the enormous number of citizen complaints we have received on info@trustvote.org, we did receive only one from a independent voter who wanted to vote for Trump, but was given a provisional ballot instead. Of course, in the manual, Secretary of State Padilla did mention that NPP ballots should receive a Democratic crossover ballot, if they request one and that poll workers were supposed to offer a provisional ballot to NPP voters if they did not know to request one. According to our complaint records, many poll workers, especially in San Diego and Los Angeles were NOT clear on this instruction. Additionally, although the precincts were supposed to be supplied with the Democratic and Republican crossover ballots, many precincts in Los Angeles and San Diego did not according the complaints from poll workers and poll inspectors that we have received have anywhere enough Democratic crossover ballots. In San Diego count, poll workers and poll inspectors received instructions by phone in some cases the night before Election Day that they needed to provide all NPP voters with provisional ballots. We are still investigating the origin of these calls. Electionintegrity

We have also heard from a tremendous number Bernie voters who received provisional ballots when in fact, they wanted a Democratic crossover ballot or Bernie voters who wanted to vote for Bernie, but were not informed by the poll workers that they could request a democratic crossover ballots.

The effects of voter suppression on California voters: I am not saying that the confusing management of the election from Clinton supporters and Secretary of State Padilla’s office was intentional or San Diego registrar Michael Vu, but I do want to say that many voters are saying to us that they do not want to vote for Hillary Clinton even if she becomes the nominee because they feel their votes were mishandled. There is a chance that this confusion was also intentional to support Hillary Clinton. With respect to lawsuits, one lawsuit on voter suppression is going to be coming out against Michael Vu in San Diego county. A lawsuit has already been submitted by San Diego citizen Ray Lutz against Registrar Michael Vu for an improper decision to not count any qualifying provisional ballots in the 1% manual recount in San Diego. We will wait to hear the results of this lawsuit.

About our citizen exit polls: the true California election results and assessment of the exit polls can only be announced after all the vote-by-mails and qualifying provisional votes are counted. It will be then that the results of the citizen exit polls can be completed and complete clarity can be obtained about whether extensive election manipulation took place in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara on a precinct level. We do have some apparent manipulation in one precinct so far, but will still need the final election results to be sure. The open source election audits by Democracy Counts in San Diego, Los Angeles and Alameda County also seem to indicate a decisive Bernie Sanders victory. Still, the final results again depend on the final counting of all the ballots. All election irregularities from California that we discover will be added to the lawsuit.

Thank you for your support! We are working very hard preparing for these lawsuits. Any donations to keep this cause strong would be appreciated. Also do not hesitate to send us your way any accounts of election mismanagement that you witnessed or experienced anywhere in the nation and especially California. We will be working to reform the California election process for the upcoming November election.

Lori



It seems to me that in the state of California alone there is so much confusion due to differing procedures state to state that we would do much better to have Federal election rules rather than state over how elections are to be carried out. There should be no more darned caucuses for one thing, and dependably long periods for people to get to the polls due to difficult work hours and transportation issues, with the right of election day registration, no overriding (“adjusting,” “editing”) of exit polls using potentially manipulated and falsified electronically counted numbers rather than demanding a recount, a paper printout of all electronic counts, the requirement of hand counts when exit polls differ from electronic, a printed list of all ballot types and voting procedures, plenty of the necessary ballot forms on hand, mandatory early submission of all mail-in votes in order to allow for more timely counting, no arbitrary movement of votes from one candidate to another in order to bolster his vote counts.

There are undoubtedly other things to see to as well, but the idea should be that local politics – which tends to be dirtier – should not override national on either primaries or presidential elections. It’s like the school systems. When most rules are decided on the local level as so many conservatives want, the money allocation is often unfairly made and other inequities tend to pop up, especially in regard to minority schools.

I do hope these law suits will bring a clarification, and of course a Sanders win. Why in heaven’s name have all these votes not been fully counted within a day or two at the most? That causes even more confusion on election days. The following on exit polls vs electronic counts fails to explain why Edison, etc., “adjust” their exit poll figures before all variances beyond the “MoE” have been examined as possible indications of fraud. That obliterates the evidence of fraud. The point of the Exit poll is to record statements of actual voting, and if the polls differ from the electronic counts by more than the Margin of Error they are supposed to be investigated. That, apparently, isn’t happening, as the Edison and other Exit poll companies simply change the poll result to the computer recorded vote. Computers are subject to hacking, manipulation by techs in order to change the vote to a more desirable count, etc. The article above states that the Exit Polls were canceled in 7 states because a critical article had been published about the destruction of good date when they follow their procedure of “editing” immediately and without investigating. The Sanders followers filing suit did their own “citizens exit poll,” to gather the data. Edison Research and the Media Consortium are being sued by Sanders voters.


https://richardcharnin.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/democratic-primaries-426-exit-poll-anomalies-continued/

The NY Democratic Primary Quiz Election Fraud: Response to Joshua Holland →

Democratic Primaries 4/26: Exit Poll anomalies (continued)

27
APR
Richard Charnin
April 27, 2016 (updated May 26)

There were three exit polls yesterday in CT, MD, PA. Sanders exit poll share declined from the poll to the vote in two of the three elections. As usual, the exit polls were forced to match the recorded vote.

The difference between Clinton’s adjusted exit poll and recorded share were:
CT .01%; MD 0.10%; PA -.17%

In 21 of 23 primaries, Sander’s exit poll share exceeded his recorded share.
The probability of this being due to chance:
P = 1 in 30,000 = binomdist(2,23,0.5,true)

In 9 of 23 primaries, Sanders exit poll share exceeded his recorded share by more than the margin of error. The probability of this being due to chance:
P = 1 in 441 million = =1-BINOMDIST( 8,23, 0.025, true)

The pollsters ALWAYS force the unadjusted exit polls to match the recorded vote. Where are the unadjusted exit polls? The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) discusses the matching process in Explaining Exit Polls.

In close races, the projection models also employ actual vote totals, first in sample precincts as it becomes available and then at the county level for all counties in a state as they become available. It is important to note that after the votes have been counted, the exit poll results are adjusted to match the actual election outcomes. It is in this way that the final exit poll data can be used for its primary and most important purpose – to shed light on why the election turned out the way it did.

Note: It’s not just in close races. Unadjusted exit polls are adjusted to match the recorded vote in ALL races. The pollsters need to provide the actual exit poll respondent data for all precincts. They need to provide the data and then explain the rationale for making the adjustments to match the vote. But they won’t. Ask yourself WHY?

The AAPOR never mentions election fraud as a likely cause of the discrepancies. In actuality all of the adjusted exit poll crosstabs contaminate the true statistical results and are misleading as they do not reflect the the actual responses of those exit polled.

Exit pollsters at Edison Research should not be making adjustments. But it is standard operating procedure. It is unscientific and hides the actual exit poll results. It serves to cover-up the fraud which is measured by the recorded vote discrepancy .

https://richardcharnin.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/ma-primary-unadjusted-exit-poll-indicates-bernie-won/

Final Adjusted Exit Polls (forced to match the recorded vote)


My final quip, a commenter on one article about this in the last month said that the US should invite the UN to come and monitor our elections as they do in Third World countries! Makes sense to me!



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-no-charges-against-hillary-clinton-are-appropriate-for-email-server-use/

FBI: No charges against Hillary Clinton are appropriate for email server use
CBS NEWS
July 5, 2016, 11:27 AM

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is recommending to the Justice Department that no charges should be brought against Hillary Clinton for her use of private email servers as secretary of state, FBI Director James Comey announced Tuesday.

"Our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case," Comey said after detailing the FBI's findings in its investigation of Clinton's use of personal email servers. "No charges are appropriate in this case."

Clinton met with FBI officials in Washington for three and a half hours Saturday about her use of the private email server she used while she was secretary of state, her campaign said. Federal investigators also interviewed Clinton's top aides, including Huma Abedin, who was questioned in April.

Clinton had turned over her email server to the FBI in August, and at the time she turned it over, it had been wiped clean.

In May, Clinton told CBS News that she expected a quick conclusion to the FBI probe into whether she mishandled classified information on her server, which Clinton used exclusively to send and receive State Department correspondence.

"I always took classified material seriously," she told "Face the Nation" host John Dickerson. "There was never any material marked classified that was sent or received by me. And I look forward to this being wrapped up."

There has been increased scrutiny of the Justice Department, which oversees the FBI, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch after she had a spontaneous half-hour-long meeting with former President Clinton early last week. The attorney general said Friday of the meeting with Clinton that she "certainly wouldn't do it again," a sentiment seconded by the former president and by Hillary Clinton, who told MSNBC in an interview that "hindsight is 20-20."

Lynch confirmed Friday that she would be accepting the recommendations of the career prosecutors in the email case, though she stopped short of formally recusing herself from the matter.

CBS News' Paula Reid contributed to this report.



This whole issue may (MAY, I Say) be over now. I do hope so. I don’t think what she did was wise, but I also don’t think she sent American info to the Russkies, or anything like that.



FEAST YOUR EYES -- GO TO WEBSITE

http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/2016-national-geographic-travel-photographer-winners/

2016 National Geographic Travel Photographer winners
Go to website for great photos.
July 5, 2016

1 -- Grand Prize
The 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest winners were revealed Friday on "CBS This Morning." The contest recognizes the most compelling travel photography taken in the past two years, with entries in the Nature, People and Cities categories.

First, second and third places prizes were also awarded in each category.

The grand prize was awarded to Anthony Lau of Hong Kong. His photo, "Winter Horseman," placed first in the People category:

"The Winter in Inner Mongolia is very unforgiving. At a freezing temperature of minus 20 and lower with constant breeze of snow from all direction, it was pretty hard to convince myself to get out of the car and take photos. Not until I saw Inner Mongolia horsemen showing off their skills in commanding the steed from a distance, I quickly grab my telephoto lens and capture the moment when one of the horseman charged out from morning mist."

The grand prize is a seven-day Polar Bear Safari for two at Churchill Wild-Seal River Heritage Lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World. eight-day National Geographic Photo Expedition to Costa Rica.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Anthony Lau / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

2 -- Winner in Nature category
"Wherever you go, I will follow you!!" - Hiroki Inoue

"Romance is in the air. It was the time of day immediately following sunset. I heard a voice. 'Wherever you go, I will follow you' the voice says."

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Hiroki Inoue/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

3 -- Winner in Cities category
"Ben Youssef" - Takashi Nakagawa

Nakagawa wrote that even though there were a lot of people in Ben Youssef, it was still more quiet and relaxing compared to the streets outside in Marrakesh. The photographer waited for the perfect timing to photograph for long time.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Takashi Nakagawa/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

4 -- Second place in Nature category
"Double trapping" - Massimiliano Bencivenni

Bencivenni took this photo in the Brazilian Pantanal. The photographer couldn't believe the image captured, writing nature always gives magnificent events but sometimes extraordinary ones as well.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Massimiliano Bencivenni/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

5 -- Second place in People category
"Rooftop Dreams, Varanasi" - Yasmin Mund

Mund: "I arrived at my guest house in Varanasi at 5:30am, I instinctively climbed the 7 sets of stairs to the rooftop (which happened to be the highest in the vicinity) to see the sunrise over the famous Ganges River. As the sun was rising I looked over the right hand side of the balcony and my jaw dropped with disbelief. Below were families - mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sister and dogs all sleeping on the top of their houses. It was mid summer in Varanasi and sleeping sans AC was difficult."

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Yasmin Mund / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

6 -- Second place in Cities category
"Silenced" - Wing Ka H.

"At Mainland China university, students work like slaves or more like prisoners. Serious academic corruption, dry and irrelevant to society curriculum, and rote memorization teaching methods" were leading students to develop "rigid ways of thinking," making them lose interest, "ultimately emerging from university as 'soulless zombies,'" explained the photographer.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Wing Ka H./National Geographic Traveler Photographer of the Year

7 -- Third place in Nature category
"Lagunas Baltinache (Atacama Desert)" - Victor Lima

Lima wrote, the Baltinache Ponds, also called Hidden Ponds, are a set of seven salt ponds located in the area of the Salt Cordillera, near San Pedro de Atacama, in the second region of northern Chile, in the Atacama desert. Lima believes he may be the first to photograph the location at night.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Victor Lima/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

8 -- Third place in People category
"Remote life at -21 degree" - Mattia Passarini

A Kinnaura tribal woman in the remote village of Himachal Pradesh carries a big log back home to warm up her house.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Mattia Passarini/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

9 -- Third place in Cities category
"Celestial Reverie" - Jeremy Tan

Lightning appears to strike Komtar Tower, the most iconic landmark of George Town, capital of Penang state in Malaysia. The image is symbolic of the rejuvenation the city, famous for a unique blend of centuries-old buildings and modern structures, has enjoyed in recent years. While many of its old neighborhoods fell into neglect in the 1990s and early 2000s, a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2008 sparked a transformation, and today, they are all part of a vibrant tourist destination.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Jeremy Tan/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

10 -- Third place in Cities category
"Celestial Reverie" - Jeremy Tan

Lightning appears to strike Komtar Tower, the most iconic landmark of George Town, capital of Penang state in Malaysia. The image is symbolic of the rejuvenation the city, famous for a unique blend of centuries-old buildings and modern structures, has enjoyed in recent years. While many of its old neighborhoods fell into neglect in the 1990s and early 2000s, a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2008 sparked a transformation, and today, they are all part of a vibrant tourist destination.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Jeremy Tan/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

11 -- Honorable Mention in Cities category
"Divide" - Kathleen Dolmatch

In a helicopter looking south on Central Park West - dividing the architecture and Central park in New York City on November 5th 2014. The photographer took the flight as a celebration of her 27th birthday.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: Kathleen Dolmatch/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year

12 -- Honorable Mention in Nature category
"Bears on a Berg" - John Rollins

This photo was taken far out on the sea ice in the Davis Straight off the coast of Baffin Island. This mother and her yearling are perched atop a huge snow covered iceberg that got "socked in" when the ocean froze over for the winter.

To Rollins, the relative "smallness" of these large creatures when compared to the immensity of the iceberg in the photo represents the precariousness of the polar bear's reliance on the sea and sea ice for its existence.

Read more about the 2016 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

CREDIT: John Rollins/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year