September 5, 2016

News and Views


http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/mother-teresa-saint-missionaries-of-charity-india/

19 photographs – Mother Teresa view on site. She was declared a Saint yesterday.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/intelligence-community-investigating-covert-russian-influence-operations-in-the-united-states/2016/09/04/aec27fa0-7156-11e6-8533-6b0b0ded0253_story.html

National Security
Intelligence community investigating covert Russian influence operations in the United States
By Dana Priest, Ellen Nakashima and Tom Hamburger
September 5, 2016 at 6:00 AM

Play Video 0:46 -- Vladimir Putin says he has no idea who hacked the DNC
Related: [Russia’s anti-American fever goes beyond the Soviet era’s]

U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies are probing what they see as a broad covert Russian operation in the United States to sow public distrust in the upcoming presidential election and in U.S. political institutions, intelligence and congressional officials said.

The aim is to understand the scope and intent of the Russian campaign, which incorporates cyber-tools to hack systems used in the political process, enhancing Russia’s ability to spread disinformation.

The effort to better understand Russia’s covert influence operations is being spearheaded by James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. “This is something of concern for the DNI,” said Charles Allen, a former longtime CIA officer who has been briefed on some of these issues. “It is being addressed.”

A Russian influence operation in the United States “is something we’re looking very closely at,” said one senior intelligence official who, as others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Officials are also examining potential disruptions to the election process, and the FBI has alerted state and local officials to potential cyberthreats.

The official cautioned that the intelligence community is not saying it has “definitive proof” of such tampering, or any Russian plans to do so. “But even the hint of something impacting the security of our election system would be of significant concern,” the official said. “It’s the key to our democracy, that people have confidence in the election system.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he doesn't know who was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, but it was important the information had been made public. (Reuters)

The Kremlin’s intent may not be to sway the election in one direction or another, officials said, but to cause chaos and provide propaganda fodder to attack U.S. democracy-building policies around the world, particularly in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

U.S. intelligence officials described the covert influence campaign here as “ambitious” and said it is also designed to counter U.S. leadership and influence in international affairs.

One congressional official, who has been briefed recently on the matter, said “Russian ‘active measures’ or covert influence or ma­nipu­la­tion efforts, whether it’s in Eastern Europe or in the United States” are worrisome.

It “seems to be a global campaign,” the aide said. As a result, the issue has “moved up as a priority” for the intelligence agencies, which include the FBI and Department of Homeland Security as well as the CIA and the National Security Agency.

Some congressional leaders briefed recently by the intelligence agencies on Russian influence operations in Europe, and how they may serve as a template for activities here, have been disturbed by what they heard.

After Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) ended a secure, 30-minute phone briefing by a top intelligence official recently, he was “deeply shaken,” according to an aide who was with Reid when he left the secure room at the FBI’s Las Vegas headquarters.

The Russian government hack of the Democratic National Committee, disclosed by the DNC in June but not yet officially ascribed by the U.S. government to Russia, and the subsequent release of 20,000 hacked DNC emails by WikiLeaks, shocked officials. Cyber-analysts traced its digital markings to known Russian government hacking groups.

[Cyber researchers confirm Russian hack of DNC]

“We’ve seen an unprecedented intrusion and an attempt to influence or disrupt our political process,” said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat of the House Intelligence Committee, speaking about the DNC hack and the WikiLeaks release on the eve of the Democratic convention. The disclosures, which included a number of embarrassing internal emails, forced the resignation of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Members of both parties are urging the president to take the Russians to task publicly.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) in a statement urged President Obama to publicly name Russia as responsible for the DNC hack and apparent meddling in the electoral process. “Free and legitimate elections are non-negotiable. It’s clear that Russia thinks the reward outweighs any consequences,” he wrote. “That calculation must be changed. . . . This is going to take a cross-domain response — diplomatic, political and economic — that turns the screws on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his cronies.”

Administration officials said they are still weighing their response.

Russia has denied that it carried out any cyber-intrusions in the United States. Putin called the accusations against Russia by U.S. officials and politicians an attempt to “distract the public’s attention.”

“It doesn’t really matter who hacked this data from Mrs. Clinton’s campaign headquarters,” Putin said, referring to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, in an interview with Bloomberg News. “The important thing is the content was given to the public.”

[Russian hackers targeted Arizona election system]

The Department of Homeland Security has offered local and state election officials help to prevent or deal with Election Day cyber-disruptions, including vulnerability scans, regular actionable information and alerts, and access to other tools for improving cybersecurity at the local level. It will also have a cyber-team ready at the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to alert jurisdictions if attacks are detected.

Last month, the FBI issued an unprecedented warning to state election officials urging them to be on the lookout for intrusions into their election systems and to take steps to upgrade security measures across the voting process, including voter registration, voter roles and election-related websites. The confidential “flash” alert said investigators had detected attempts to penetrate election systems in several states.

Arizona, Illinois and both the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as the DNC, have been the victims of either attempted or successful cyberattacks that FBI agents with expertise in Russian government hacking are investigating.

Federal law enforcement and local election officials say the decentralized nature of the voting process, which is run by states and counties, makes it impossible to ensure a high level of security in each district.

“I have a lot of concern” about this year’s election, said Ion Sancho, the longtime supervisor of elections in Leon County, Fla. “America doesn’t have its act together,” said Sancho, who has authorized red team attacks on his voting system to identify its vulnerabilities. “We need a plan.”

Sancho and others are particularly concerned about electronic balloting from overseas that travels on vulnerable networks before landing in the United States and efforts to use cyberattacks to disrupt vote tabulations being transmitted to state-level offices. Encryption, secured paper backups and secured backup computers are critical, he said.

Tom Hicks, chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an agency set up by Congress after the 2000 Florida recount to maintain election integrity, said he is confident that states have sufficient safeguards in place to ward off intrusions. He noted that electronic balloting from overseas is conducted by email, not through online voting machines. The overseas voter “waives their right of privacy” by emailing the ballot, which is tabulated by election officials. The email may still be hacked, but it is not a systemic risk, he said.

Recently, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he favors designating the various voting systems used in the country’s 9,000 polling places as “critical infrastructure” — in other words as vital to the nation’s safe functioning as nuclear power plants and electrical power grids.

[Readout of Secretary Jeh Johnson’s call with state election officials on cybersecurity]

Such a designation could mean increased DHS funding to localities to help ensure that voter registration, ballots and ballot tabulation remains free from interference. But it won’t happen before the November elections, federal and local officials said.

Russia has been in the vanguard of a growing global movement to use propaganda on the Internet to influence people and political events, especially since the political revolt in Ukraine, the subsequent annexation of Crimea by Russia, and the imposition of sanctions on Russia by the United States and the European Union.

The Baltic states, Georgia and Ukraine have been subject to Russian cyberattacks and other hidden influence operations meant to disrupt those countries, officials said.

“Our studies show that it is very likely that [the influence] operations are centrally run,” said Janis Sarts, director of the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence, a Riga, Latvia-based research organization.

He also said there is “a coordinated effort involving [groups using] Twitter and Facebook and networks of bots to amplify their message. The main themes seem to be orchestrated rather high up in the hierarchy of the Russian state, and then there are individual endeavors by people to exploit specific themes.”

Sarts said the Russian propaganda effort has been “successful in exploiting the vulnerabilities within societies.” In Western Europe, for instance, such Russian information operations have focused on the politically divisive refugee crisis.

On the eve of a crucial post-revolution presidential vote in Ukraine in 2014, a digital assault nearly crippled the country’s Central Election Commission’s website. Pro-Moscow hackers calling themselves the CyberBerkut claimed responsibility, saying they were not state-affiliated, but the authorities in Kiev blamed Moscow. The Russians used a “denial of service” technique, flooding the commission’s Web server with a high volume of requests, which was meant to slow down or disable the network.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director_of_National_Intelligence

Director of National Intelligence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is the United States government official – subject to the authority, direction, and control of the President – required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to:

Serve as principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council about intelligence matters related to national security;
Serve as head of the sixteen-member United States Intelligence Community; and
Direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program.

Further, by Presidential policy directive signed in October 2012, the DNI was given overall responsibility for Intelligence Community whistleblowing and source protection through Presidential Policy Directive 19.

. . . .

On July 20, 2010, President Obama nominated retired Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper for the position. Clapper was confirmed by the Senate on August 5, 2010, and replaced acting Director David C. Gompert. The prior DNI was retired Navy four-star admiral Dennis C. Blair, whose resignation became effective May 28, 2010.[3]

On July 30, 2008, President Bush issued Executive Order 13470,[4] amending Executive Order 12333 to strengthen the DNI's role.[5]

Founding[edit]

Before the DNI was formally established, the head of the Intelligence Community was the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), who concurrently served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The 9/11 Commission recommended establishing the DNI position in its 9/11 Commission Report, not released until July 22, 2004, as it had identified major intelligence failures that called into question how well the intelligence community was able to protect U.S. interests against foreign terrorist attacks.

Senators Dianne Feinstein, Jay Rockefeller and Bob Graham introduced S. 2645 on June 19, 2002, to create the Director of National Intelligence position. Other similar legislation soon followed. After considerable debate on the scope of the DNI's powers and authorities, the United States Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 by votes of 336–75 in the House of Representatives, and 89–2 in the Senate. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on December 17, 2004. Among other things, the law established the DNI position as the designated leader of the United States Intelligence Community and prohibited the DNI from serving as the CIA Director or the head of any other Intelligence Community element at the same time. In addition, the law required the CIA Director to "report" his agency's activities to the DNI.

. . . .

Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)[edit]

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 established the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as an independent agency to assist the DNI. The ODNI's goal is to effectively integrate foreign, military and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of United States interests abroad.[12] The budget for the ODNI – and the Intelligence Community for fiscal year 2013 is $52.6 billion[13] and the base request for fiscal year 2014 was $48.2 billion.[14] The Military Intelligence Program (MIP) base budget request for fiscal year 2014, excluding overseas contingency funds, is $14.6 billion, which together with the NIP, comprise an Intelligence Community budget request of $62.8 billion for fiscal year 2014.[15] The ODNI has about 1,750 employees.[2]

. . . .

The ODNI continued to evolve under succeeding directors, culminating in a new organization focused on intelligence integration across the community. The ODNI has six centers and 15 Offices that, together with the centers, support the Director of National Intelligence as the head of the Intelligence Community (IC) in overseeing and directing implementation of the NIP and acting as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security.

. . . .”



EXCERPTS – “It ‘seems to be a global campaign,’ the aide said. As a result, the issue has “moved up as a priority” for the intelligence agencies, which include the FBI and Department of Homeland Security as well as the CIA and the National Security Agency. Some congressional leaders briefed recently by the intelligence agencies on Russian influence operations in Europe, and how they may serve as a template for activities here, have been disturbed by what they heard. …. “Free and legitimate elections are non-negotiable. It’s clear that Russia thinks the reward outweighs any consequences,” he wrote. “That calculation must be changed. . . . This is going to take a cross-domain response — diplomatic, political and economic — that turns the screws on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his cronies.” Administration officials said they are still weighing their response. …. “But even the hint of something impacting the security of our election system would be of significant concern,” the official said. “It’s the key to our democracy, that people have confidence in the election system.” Russian President Vladimir Putin says he doesn't know who was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, but it was important the information had been made public. (Reuters) The Kremlin’s intent may not be to sway the election in one direction or another, officials said, but to cause chaos and provide propaganda fodder to attack U.S. democracy-building policies around the world, particularly in the countries of the former Soviet Union. U.S. intelligence officials described the covert influence campaign here as “ambitious” and said it is also designed to counter U.S. leadership and influence in international affairs.”


If I remember correctly, the DNC did say that a “Russian source” was “believed to be” responsible for capturing the Wikileaks material and now for the hijacking of voter registration information from Illinois and Arizona. Saying that it was the work of a “source” in Russia doesn’t mean that it was the government; and there are active “Russian Mafia” groups here in the US as well as inside Russia, who are not government related, as far as I know. While I agree with Putin that the publication of the exceedingly dirty dealings at the DNC was a “net positive,” I don’t want Russia involved in our elections at all. Thank you, Mr. Putin, but no thank you!



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dakota-access-pipeline-protest-turns-violent-in-north-dakota/

Guards accused of unleashing dogs, pepper-spraying oil pipeline protesters
CBS/AP
September 5, 2016, 10:36 AM

Photograph -- Native American protestors and their supporters are confronted by security during a demonstration against work being done for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) oil pipeline, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, September 3, 2016. Hundreds of Native American protestors and their supporters, who fear the Dakota Access Pipeline will polluted their water, forced construction workers and security forces to retreat and work to stop. ROBYN BECK/AFP/GETTY IMAGES


BISMARCK, N.D. -- A protest of a four-state, $3.8 billion oil pipeline turned violent after tribal officials say construction crews destroyed American Indian burial and cultural sites on private land in southern North Dakota.

Morton County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Donnell Preskey said four private security guards and two guard dogs were injured after several hundred protesters confronted construction crews Saturday afternoon at the DakotaAccess pipeline construction site just outside the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. One of the security officers was taken to a Bismarck hospital for undisclosed injuries. The two guard dogs were taken to a Bismarck veterinary clinic, Preskey said.

Tribe spokesman Steve Sitting Bear said protesters reported that six people had been bitten by security dogs, including a young child. At least 30 people were pepper-sprayed, he said. Preskey said law enforcement authorities had no reports of protesters being injured.

There were no law enforcement personnel at the site when the incident occurred, Preskey said. The crowd dispersed when officers arrived and no one was arrested, she said.

Vicki Granado, a spokeswoman for Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, which is developing the pipeline, said the protesters broke through a fence and “attacked” the workers.

The incident occurred within half a mile of an encampment where hundreds of people have gathered to join the tribe’s protest of the oil pipeline, which is slated to cross the Dakotas and Iowa to Illinois.

The Standing Rock Sioux have gone to court to challenge the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to grant permits for the project, and a federal judge will rule before Sept. 9 on whether construction can be halted.

The tribe fears the pipeline will disturb sacred sites and impact drinking water for thousands of tribal members on the reservation and millions farther downstream.

The protest Saturday came one day after the tribe filed court papers saying it found several sites of “significant cultural and historic value” along the pipeline’s path.

Tribal preservation officer Tim Mentz said in court documents that the tribe was only recently allowed to survey private land, where researchers found burials, rock piles called cairns and other sites of historic significance to Native Americans.

Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II said in a statement that construction crews removed topsoil across an area about 150 feet wide stretching for 2 miles.

“This demolition is devastating,” Archambault said. “These grounds are the resting places of our ancestors. The ancient cairns and stone prayer rings there cannot be replaced. In one day, our sacred land has been turned into hollow ground.”

Preskey said the company filmed the confrontation by helicopter and turned the video over to authorities. Protesters also have posted some of the confrontation on social media.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said in a statement that “individuals crossed onto private property and accosted private security officers with wooden posts and flag poles.”

“Any suggestion that today’s event was a peaceful protest, is false,” his statement said.

CBS affiliate KXMB reported that on Sunday, more than 200 tribes took part in a march and ceremony at the protest site.



EXCERPTS -- “Hundreds of Native American protestors and their supporters, who fear the Dakota Access Pipeline will polluted [sic] their water, forced construction workers and security forces to retreat and work to stop. …. Tribe spokesman Steve Sitting Bear said protesters reported that six people had been bitten by security dogs, including a young child. At least 30 people were pepper-sprayed, he said. Preskey said law enforcement authorities had no reports of protesters being injured. …. The Standing Rock Sioux have gone to court to challenge the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to grant permits for the project, and a federal judge will rule before Sept. 9 on whether construction can be halted. …. Tribal preservation officer Tim Mentz said in court documents that the tribe was only recently allowed to survey private land, where researchers found burials, rock piles called cairns and other sites of historic significance to Native Americans. …. “This demolition is devastating,” Archambault said. “These grounds are the resting places of our ancestors. The ancient cairns and stone prayer rings there cannot be replaced. In one day, our sacred land has been turned into hollow ground.”


What efforts do US government agencies make to discover which lands are considered sacred, I wonder? They should have known they were on Indian owned land. We need to do better about that; and the fact that no injuries were reported among the protesters is also disturbing. Perhaps the officials didn’t consider dog bites and pepper spray to be injuries. In the era of the Internet, authorities will not find their decisions of this sort unopposed. Unfortunately, the damage is already done: ‘In one day, our sacred land has been turned into hollow ground.’”



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-soccer-star-megan-rapinoe-kneels-during-national-anthem-colin-kaepernick/

U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe kneels during national anthem
CBS/AP
September 4, 2016, 10:40 PM

Photograph -- U.S. women’s national soccer team player Megan Rapinoe poses for a portrait at the USOC Rio Olympics Shoot at Quixote Studios on November 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. HARRY HOW, GETTY IMAGES
Photograph -- San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick apparently wears socks portraying police as pigs during a practice in August. CBS
Play VIDEO -- Dolphins running back Arian Foster on Kaepernick controversy


CHICAGO -- U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe knelt during the national anthem Sunday night before the Seattle Reign’s game against the Chicago Red Stars “in a little nod” to NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the anthem to protest racial injustice and minority oppression came to public notice when he remained seated on the bench before a preseason game against Green Bay. On Thursday night in San Diego, he and safety Eric Reid kneeled during the anthem before a game against the Chargers.


16h
Dave Zirin ✔ @EdgeofSports
If someone has photo of Rapinoe kneeling during anthem, puhleeze post and tag me!
Follow
Jessica Dolan @jessicadolan
@EdgeofSports pic.twitter.com/ppxkQtLKqF
10:09 PM - 4 Sep 2016
View image on Twitter
161 161 Retweets 160 160 likes


“It was very intentional,” Rapinoe told American Soccer Now after Seattle’s 2-2 tie in the National Women’s Soccer League game. “It was a little nod to Kaepernick and everything that he’s standing for right now. I think it’s actually pretty disgusting the way he was treated and the way that a lot of the media has covered it and made it about something that it absolutely isn’t. We need to have a more thoughtful, two-sided conversation about racial issues in this country.

“Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties. It was something small that I could do and something that I plan to keep doing in the future and hopefully spark some meaningful conversation around it. It’s important to have white people stand in support of people of color on this. We don’t need to be the leading voice, of course, but standing in support of them is something that’s really powerful.”

The 31-year-old Rapinoe helped the U.S. win the World Cup last year and played in the Rio Olympics.

“It’s the least I can do. Keep the conversation going,” Rapinoe tweeted.


Follow
Megan Rapinoe ✔ @mPinoe
It's the least I can do. Keep the conversation going. https://twitter.com/shaunking/status/772606005762985984 …
9:43 PM - 4 Sep 2016
3,714 3,714 Retweets 8,112 8,112 likes


Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the anthem first came to public notice when he remained seated on the bench before a preseason game against Green Bay.

On Thursday night in San Diego, Kaepernick and safety Eric Reid kneeled during the anthem before a game against the Chargers.

Kaepernick and Reid dropped to one knee while a naval officer sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and dozens of military members unfurled an oversized flag at the Chargers’ Qualcomm Stadium.

Kaepernick received scattered boos when he dropped to a knee, but the protest was otherwise unremarked by the San Diego crowd. The 49ers’ visit coincided with the annual Salute to the Military preseason game for the Chargers, who have strong fan support in their city’s extensive armed forces community.

Kaepernick got much heavier boos when he took the field to start the game for the 49ers and immediately led them on a 16-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. The veteran quarterback is attempting to regain the starting job that he lost last season.

Kaepernick’s visit to San Diego fell on the Chargers’ 28th annual Salute to the Military, a night designed to pay tribute to the tens of thousands of active and retired military personnel who live in the area. The festivities included pregame music from the Marine Band San Diego, halftime recognition of Vietnam War veterans, and a crowd filled with numerous injured soldiers invited as special guests.

Kaepernick has said he doesn’t intend his stance to be a criticism of the military, claiming he has “great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country.”

Kaepernick’s social activism, which only emerged publicly in recent weeks, also included support for the Black Lives Matter movement through social media.

In Oakland, Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane also sat on the bench behind his standing teammates as the national anthem was performed before Seattle’s game against the Raiders.

Another new controversy arose on Thursday over Kaepernick’s choice of footwear during training camp in August, where he wore socks depicting police officers as pigs, CBS News’ Carter Evans reported.

The union for police officers who work San Francisco 49ers home games says its members may boycott policing the stadium if the 49ers don’t discipline Kaepernick for refusing to stand during the national anthem and for his statements about law enforcement.

A letter from the Santa Clara Police Officers Association sent to the 49ers was obtained Friday by CBS station KPIX.

It says that Kaepernick’s protest has “threatened our harmonious working relationship” with the 49ers. About 70 officers from the Santa Clara Police Department patrol Levi’s Stadium when the 49ers play there.

“If the 49ers organization fails to take action to stop this type of inappropriate behavior it could result in police officers choosing not to work at your facilities,” the letter reads. “The board of directors of the Santa Clara Police Officer’s Association has a duty to protect its members and work to make all of their working environments free of harassing behavior.”

It also criticized what it called anti-police statements made by Kaepernick, calling them “insulting, inaccurate and completely unsupported by any facts.”

In a statement Saturday, Santa Clara Police Chief Michael Sellers urged the leadership of the officers’ union to put citizens’ safety first after the boycott threat.



“In a statement Saturday, Santa Clara Police Chief Michael Sellers urged the leadership of the officers’ union to put citizens’ safety first after the boycott threat.” This is the first time I’ve read of police authorities standing up against the unions, and it’s high time. “… working environments free of harassing behavior” is in my view far from a realistic statement, unless the union spokesperson means that no dissention from their personal views is to be allowed. Sports players kneeling during the National Anthem is certainly not harassing to the police, and their support for the BLM is likewise their human right as citizens, a thing which is totally harmless to police. The overly violent behavior of those “bad apple” police officers is at best immature bullying and at worst murder. If it were to be punished immediately with a firing, or in some cases, imprisonment, it would STOP.

Why shouldn’t BLM, concerned sports figures and any others who want to do it, object in this simple and strictly visual way? Throwing drinks or spitting or other egregious behavior would be "harassment." Chief Sellers’ “urging the police to put citizens’ safety first” should be the basic underpinning of police work, and not something that police should have to be “urged” to do. If that were the case to begin with, we wouldn’t have any need for all this protest because there would be no police abuse. Let’s face it, in so many of the police brutality cases that hit the news, there was no real provocation for the shooting that ensued, and no weapon was found. BLM is disruptive and has gotten a little rough a couple of times, but the police behavior that they are protesting is an undeniable fact, and needs to be changed. Some police departments are actually changing their training, community relations, etc., but most still haven't. I am personally grateful for BLM, because they are making PDs feel the pain of their "bad apple" officer's behavior, but are NOT responsible for the police ambushes in any report that I have seen or heard about. And as for police officers getting all thin-skinned about some criticism, I have no sympathy with that. All they have to do is change their behavior in a couple of ways -- stop harassing and killing citizens, and make contact in peaceful interactions with members of the Black communities around the country to develop some trust and empathy from the neighborhoods. Make Love, Not War!




http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/09/05/492700740/would-you-like-a-side-of-propaganda-lunch-at-a-north-korean-restaurant

ASIA
Would You Like A Side Of Propaganda? Lunch At A North Korean Restaurant
Elise Hu
September 5, 2016 1:11 PM ET

Photograph -- North Korean restaurants, like this one in Vientiane, Laos, don't just serve North Korean cuisine. They are run by the North Korean government as a way to earn hard currency to send back to an increasingly sanctioned Pyongyang. Elise Hu/NPR
Photograph -- A waitress at Pyongyang Restaurant in Vientiane was able to speak Korean, a little Lao and Mandarin Chinese. Jobs outside North Korea like these are highly coveted, but also considered by human rights groups as a form of slave labor, as workers don't keep the majority of their wages and are under strict supervision.
Elise Hu/NPR
Photograph -- North Korean-run restaurants outside the country are said to number at least 100, and their menus are typically similar. Curiously, the main dishes aren't served with the Korean dining staple of banchan, or side dishes, which come for free. Instead, this restaurant charged for them. Elise Hu/NPR
Photograph -- Traditional Korean dolsot bibimbap, as served at Laos' Pyongyang Restaurant. Elise Hu/NPR


The North Korean regime's network of overseas restaurants have enjoyed a bit of renown this year, after the defection en masse of 13 restaurant workers from one of the Pyongyang dining outposts in Northeastern China this spring.

Those restaurant workers are now in South Korea, having absconded in a coordinated defection that is the biggest mass-defection from North Korea in history.

That North Korea-run restaurant from which the 12 waitresses and their manager escaped is now closed. But South Korea's government believes North Korea still operates more than 100 of these restaurants in a dozen countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, as they're a source of hard currency for the Kim Jong Un regime.

The majority are in China. One of them is in the capital of Laos, Vientiane, where global leaders will be this week for a major Asia summit.

Since I find myself in Laos, my Laotian local producer and I hopped over to Pyongyang Restaurant for lunch. It's only a few blocks away from Laos' lovely Pha That Luang, the gold-topped Buddhist stupa near the city center. The restaurant windows were blacked out from the outside, but from inside the joint you could see the out through sheer curtains.

We were welcomed by three women servers in short-sleeved, knee-length red dresses with Mandarin collars. The first thing Kham and I noticed was how meek they seemed; their voices barely rose above a whisper.

"They're probably being monitored, or fear they're being monitored," Kham said, knowing how closely North Koreans keep an eye on one another. That said, the waitresses didn't object to us taking photos of the food we ordered and snapping a few pics here and there, despite a No Photography sign on the wall near the restrooms.

Kham attempted to speak with our waitress in Lao, but their Lao was limited. I didn't want to raise any suspicion (North Koreans are raised to distrust Americans), so instead of English I used Mandarin Chinese to speak with our servers. Their Chinese was quite passable when it came to tones, which is the trickiest part of nailing Mandarin-speaking. But when I asked questions about the paper drawings of Chosun Dynasty-era Korean women hanging on the wall, the waitress said "really don't understand" in Chinese.

Hanging on the back wall, behind the single pool table, were rugs with elaborate mountainous landscapes on them.

The menu was as thick as a book, with pictures of each dish; Korean classics like naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), jajangmyeon and bibimbap. It also offered some Chinese-style dishes, like spicy mapo tofu. Our waitress recommended the pajeon — Korean-style scallion pancake — and asked whether we wanted to order kimchi.

That's s a key difference between this North Korean restaurant and any standard South Korean eatery: In South Korea, the kimchi comes for free, as part of the numerous banchan (side dishes) that are expected to be served alongside your main dish. Banchan is so prevalent and expected that last summer, when learning to make banchan, chef Dan Gray said you shouldn't trust any Korean restaurant that doesn't serve at least three banchan with your meal.

Side dishes aside, the main dishes were quite good. I went with a bibimbap, which was served with a broth to mix into the rice, vegetables, meat, egg and the standard sauce — gochujang. It was still sizzling in its clay pot when it came out, just as I like it.

Chosun Music via YouTube

The serving sizes were plentiful and the balance of rice to topping was on point. I also liked the gochujang — it was a milder red pepper paste than I usually get in Seoul. Kham got ddeokbokki and finished everything on his plate. We also bought a bottle of cold Pyongyang soju — a rice liquor with a slightly sweet taste — but took it with us since we still had interviews post-lunch and soju doesn't play.

To the right of our table was a glass display case featuring pamphlets of propaganda (like Kim Il Sung speeches) and books, plus free maps of Vientiane. Hardbound books in blue were the simply titled "Kim Il Sung Works," the ones in green were "Kim Jong Il Works."

Our waitress gestured that we could keep a copy, so we went with the works of Kim Il Sung, since, as North Korea's founding leader, he's considered the "father" of the nation.

There were also huge black speakers stacked to each side of the display case. This is for the evening song-and-dance routine that is traditional at these Pyongyang restaurants: The women will do a little number, but only one time a day: They told us they sing at 7 p.m. only. So instead of live entertainment, we stared at a 19-inch TV showing a loop of North Korean karaoke music videos, all with flower backdrops (boy did I see a lot of bees pollinating colorful flowers) but also images of majestic soldiers and workers. One of the songs was the famous 반갑습니다, or "Nice To Meet You." (It's also a well-known karaoke number in the South.)

We spent about $20 on lunch, which included the alcohol. The ladies never chitchatted, except to teach me how to say "delicious" in Korean when asked. They seemed scared — like little girls in women's bodies — and sort of sad, too. The atmosphere at lunch also was eerily quiet — after two Koreans who were dining when we came in paid and left, we were the only ones left in a restaurant big enough to seat 100. At one point, a filmmaker walked in trying to get permission to shoot footage — he got a big "no." He asked if he could speak to a manager, but a manager didn't seem to exist. It could have been a slow Monday, or it's like that a lot. Hard to say, given that you can't walk by and look in through the windows. Maybe it picks up around dinnertime, when our waitresses said they would break out into song.

Xaisongkham Induangchanthy contributed to this story.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap

Bibimbap
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photograph -- A selection of ingredients for making bibimbap
Photograph -- Photograph -- Jeonju bibimbap


Bibimbap (비빔밥, Korean pronunciation: [bibimbap],[1] sometimes anglicized bi bim bap or bi bim bop) is a Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed rice". Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste), soy sauce, or doenjang, a fermented soybean paste. A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The hot dish is stirred together thoroughly just before eating.[2]

In South Korea, Jeonju, Jinju, and Tongyeong are especially famous for their versions of bibimbap.[3] In 2011, it was listed at number 40 on the World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll compiled by CNN Travel.[4]

History[edit]

The name bibimbap was adopted in the early 20th century. From the Joseon Period (1392–16th century) until the 20th century, Bibimbap was called goldongban, which means rice made by mixing various types of food. This dish was traditionally eaten on the eve of the lunar new year as the people at that time felt that they had to get rid of all of the leftover side dishes before the new year. The solution to this problem was to put all of the leftovers in a bowl of rice and to mix them together.[5] Bibimbap is also thought to have been eaten by farmers during farming season as it was the easiest way to make food for a large amount of people.[citation needed] Bibimbap was served to the king usually as a lunch or an between-meal snack.[6]

Bibimbap is first mentioned in the Siuijeonseo, an anonymous cookbook from the late 19th century.[7][8] There its name is given as 부븸밥 (bubuimbap).[9] Some scholars assert that bibimbap originates from the traditional practice of mixing all the food offerings made at an ancestral rite (jesa) in a bowl before partaking in it.[10]

Since the late 20th century, bibimbap has become widespread in different countries, due to its convenience of preparation. It is also served on many airlines connecting to South Korea.

Preparation[edit]

Vegetables commonly used in bibimbap include julienned cucumber, zucchini (courgette), mu (daikon), mushrooms, doraji (bellflower root), and gim, as well as spinach, soybean sprouts, and gosari (bracken fern stems). Dubu (tofu), either plain or sautéed, or a leaf of lettuce may be added, or chicken or seafood may be substituted for beef.[2] For visual appeal, the vegetables are often placed so adjacent colors complement each other. In the South Korean version, sesame oil, red pepper paste (gochujang), and sesame seeds are added.

Variations[edit]

A variation of this dish, dolsot bibimbap (돌솥 비빔밥, dolsot meaning "stone pot"), is served in a very hot stone bowl in which a raw egg is cooked against the sides of the bowl. The bowl is so hot that anything that touches it sizzles for minutes. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil, making the layer of the rice touching the bowl cook to a crisp, golden brown (누릉지). This variation of bibimbap is typically served to order, with the egg and other ingredients mixed in the pot just prior to consumption.

Symbolism[edit]

Bibimbap ingredients are rich in symbolism. Black or dark colours represent North and the kidneys – for instance, shiitake mushrooms, bracken ferns or laver. Red or orange represents South and the heart, with chilli, carrots, and jujube dates. Green represents East and the liver, with cucumber and spinach. White is West or the lungs, with foods such as bean sprouts, radish, and rice. And finally yellow represents the centre, or stomach. Foods include pumpkin, potato or egg.[13]




There used to be a Korean restaurant in Arlington, VA, USA where I tasted Korean food. It was very different from Chinese or Japanese, but good. I would like to try the one above (dolsot bibimbap) I think, with the raw egg. I love the taste of egg yolk in a mixed combination like this. It clings to the other ingredients with its’ rich flavor, and the sizzling stone pot sounds very exciting to me, like the French flambe. Unfortunately, I have only had the chance to see a flaming dessert, not eat one. The dish I had in VA was composed of finely cut and shredded vegetables and ginger. It was lightly cooked in oil, a little bit sweet and pretty spicy, but not so hot on my tongue that I couldn’t eat it. Very nice.



http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/05/492705791/silent-but-not-lost-philae-landers-final-resting-place-located-on-comet

Silent, But Not Lost: Philae Lander's Final Resting Place Located On Comet
CAMILA DOMONOSKE
September 5, 2016 1:12 PM ET

Photograph -- Photos taken on Friday, from more than a mile and a half from the comet, show Philae's three-foot-wide body and two of its three legs. The April 2015 image on the top right shows the comet overall, with the approximate location of Philae marked with a red dot. Main image and lander inset: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA; context: ESA/Rosetta/ NavCam
THE TWO-WAY
Comet Lander Wakes Up, Calls Home, After Long Sleep
The Little Comet Probe That Could
13.7: COSMOS AND CULTURE -- The Little Comet Probe That Could
13.7: COSMOS AND CULTURE -- After Long Slumber, Philae Says Hi To The World
THE TWO-WAY
Related: History-Making Philae Lander Faces 'Eternal Hibernation' On Comet
THE TWO-WAY -- Comet Lander's Big Bounce Caught On Camera
Enlarge this image -- The high-resolution photo shows about 5 cm per pixel. That's enough for scientists to be able to discern a number of Philae's features. ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA


Well, hello there, Philae.

The famous little probe — the first one to ever land on a comet — has been silent for more than a year, after a less-than-perfect landing left it struggling to get enough sunlight to recharge its batteries. And now — thanks to a high-resolution photo — we finally know where it is.

The lander, carried by the Rosetta spacecraft on a European Space Agency mission, had been eagerly watched from Earth throughout its mission. A few successful hours of communication were celebrated, and then it was clear they couldn't last.

The ESA marked the lander's descent into "eternal hibernation" with mournful tweets — "it's cold and dark," the Philae2014 account said. "It's time for me to say goodbye."

The problem, as NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce tells our Newscast unit, was that Philae hadn't ended up where it was supposed to. And as a result, no one knew exactly where it was.

"Instead of landing on a flat spot as planned, it bounced and flew for another two hours, ending up ... somewhere," she says. "Controllers could talk to it, but its exact whereabouts remained unknown."

Before it shut down, Philae did send photos showing its landing spot. But the gray rocky scene it showed was, well, less than distinctive.

But now, with just one month left on its mission, the Rosetta spacecraft flew near the comet and caught a glimpse of the lander's predicament.

It's now clear why the lander had so much trouble recharging and communicating: It turns out the washing-machine-sized lander is wedged in a shadowy crack.

The photos from Rosetta, taken "unprecedentedly close" to the comet, show the main body of the lander and two of its three legs, ESA says in a blog post.

"This remarkable discovery comes at the end of a long, painstaking search," Patrick Martin, ESA's Rosetta Mission Manager, says in the post. "We were beginning to think that Philae would remain lost forever. It is incredible we have captured this at the final hour."

On Sept. 30, Rosetta will take an even closer look at the comet — by crash-landing on it. Spacecraft and lander will be together again, each quiet and still, on the surface of Comet 67P.



“The ESA marked the lander's descent into "eternal hibernation" with mournful tweets — "it's cold and dark," the Philae2014 account said. "It's time for me to say goodbye." I thought the writer of this NPR article was just having lots of fun with this quotation, but the hundreds of other articles on google say the same thing. Remember Hal’s last few minutes once the astronaut managed to turn him off? Or are you too young to have seen that movie?

I just searched Google one more time and found a serious article on Philae. See below. Philae did tweet messages, and CNN quotes this one only:

Philae Lander ✔ @Philae2014
It’s time for me to say goodbye. Tomorrow, the unit on @ESA_Rosetta for communication with me will be switched off forever...
10:00 AM - 26 Jul 2016
3,737 3,737 Retweets 4,760 4,760 likes



http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/05/europe/philae-is-found/

Space probe finds lost Philae lander on comet
By Elizabeth Roberts for CNN
Updated 5:32 PM ET, Mon September 5, 2016

(CNN)Philae, the little space robot that has captured hearts around the world, was thought to be forever lost.

But delighted scientists announced Sunday that the European Space Agency's comet lander has come back from the cosmic dead.

New images downloaded from the Rosetta probe in orbit around the awkwardly named Comet67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko show the long-lost Philae wedged in a crack between some rocks. Rosetta captured the images in the nick of time, as its mission is ending in less than a month.

"THE SEARCH IS OVER! I've found @Philae2014!!" announced the Rosetta Mission team on Twitter.
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
Follow
ESA Rosetta Mission ✔ @ESA_Rosetta
THE SEARCH IS OVER! I’ve found @Philae2014!! http://ow.ly/wGPY303UgXG #CometLanding #PhilaeFound
9:49 AM - 5 Sep 2016
5,806 5,806 Retweets 6,598 6,598 likes

The discovery is the latest twist in an amazing space odyssey.
. . . .
Follow
Kevin Schawinski ✔ @kevinschawinski
No wonder that #philae couldn't reestablish contact. It's practically stuck under a boulder l! https://twitter.com/esa_rosetta/status/772793706869055488 …
10:18 AM - 5 Sep 2016
7 7 Retweets 4 4 likes

There has been an outpouring of delight at the remarkable news.
"With only a month left of the Rosetta mission, we are so happy to have finally imaged Philae, and to see it in such amazing detail," said Cecilia Tubiana of the Osiris camera team.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
Follow
ESA Rosetta Mission ✔ @ESA_Rosetta
So happy to have seen @Philae2014 again before my mission ends later this month...more about my #CometLanding soon!
11:26 AM - 5 Sep 2016
1,226 1,226 Retweets 1,804 1,804 likes

Patrick Martin, ESA's Rosetta Mission Manager, said: "This remarkable discovery comes at the end of a long, painstaking search. We were beginning to think that Philae would remain lost forever. It is incredible we have captured this at the final hour."

Follow
☀️Rachelle Williams☾ @AstroAnarchy
I love the fact that #PhilaeFound is trending on my feed. I love the fact that Philae was found. I just love this entire fact.
10:38 AM - 5 Sep 2016
10 10 Retweets 39 39 likes

8h
Katie Mack ✔ @AstroKatie
PHILAE! THEY FOUND PHILAE!!! 😃 #PhilaeFound #OMG https://twitter.com/esa_rosetta/status/772793706869055488 …

Follow
Katie Mack ✔ @AstroKatie
Philae:
10 years in transit
Landed on comet
Bounced (x2)
Stuck in shade
SCIENCED ANYWAY
Lost power
Waited
One month to go
FOUND BY ROSETTA
10:02 AM - 5 Sep 2016
237 237 Retweets 401 401 likes


Although there is no hope of reviving the lander, knowing exactly where it is resting will help scientists make better sense of the data it returned during its three days of operation back in 2014.

Matt Taylor, ESA's Rosetta project scientist added: "This wonderful news means that we now have the missing 'ground-truth' information needed to put Philae's three days of science into proper context, now that we know where that ground actually is.

The discovery comes just a few weeks before the European Space Agency plans to crash Rosetta on the comet Sept 30 to bring its 12-year mission to an end.

"Now that the lander search is finished we feel ready for Rosetta's landing, and look forward to capturing even closer images of Rosetta's touchdown site," said Holger Sierks, principal investigator of the Osiris camera.



I did heartlessly eliminate 95% or so of these snippets of tweeting. If you want it all, go to the website. Best to all!