March 16, 2017


News and Views


WAR, YES. PEACE, UNNECESSARY. GUNS AND BUTTER.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/faith-leaders-oppose-america-first-donald-trump-budget-foreign-aid/
More than 100 faith leaders send letter opposing Trump's budget plan
By PETER MARTINEZ CBS NEWS
March 16, 2017, 11:12 AM

NEW YORK -- President Trump released his “America First” budget blueprint Thursday that would boost defense spending and funding for Homeland Security but slash funding to the State Department and Environmental Protection Agency.

The State Department reductions have received criticism from Democrats and Republicans, and more than 100 faith leaders are adding to the outcry in a letter addressed to House and Senate leadership that was obtained by CBS News.


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Evangelical and Catholic leaders, pastors, recording artists like Amy Grant, and other high-profile Christians are urging lawmakers to support the State Department and USAID which administers civilian foreign aid.


“It is our moral responsibility to urge you to support and protect the International Affairs Budget,” the letter reads, adding: “We cannot turn our back on those in desperate need.”

Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Rev. Samuel Rodriguez -- who spoke at the 2017 inauguration for Mr. Trump -- are among those backing the letter.

Over 120 retired generals sign letter against Trump's defense spending plan
Play VIDEO
Over 120 retired generals sign letter against Trump's defense spending plan

The letter claims the U.S. foreign affairs budget accounts for about 1 percent of federal spending, but has built “peaceful, productive societies that do not turn to violence or terrorism.”

Thursday’s letter follows on the heels of one sent last month by more than 120 retired generals who expressed concern over cuts to the non-defense budget by Mr. Trump.

You can read the full letter by Christian leaders below:

Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Ryan, and Minority Leader Pelosi:

As Christian leaders, it’s an honor to represent dedicated and faithful citizens living in every congressional district in this country. We’re writing to share our support for the International Affairs Budget that every day brings hope to poor, hungry, vulnerable and displaced men, women and children around the world.

America is blessed with fertile land, abundant natural resources, a strong economy, and faithful citizens who value religious freedom. But beyond our borders, many countries experience unparalleled suffering and loss of life due to extreme poverty, disease, natural disasters, and conflict. Today, there are 65 million displaced people, the most since World War II, and 795 million people still go to bed hungry every night.

Matthew 25 tells us when we serve the least of these, we are serving the Lord. As people of faith, we cannot turn our back on those in desperate need. We are grateful for America’s global development and diplomacy programs that have been instrumental in saving lives, safeguarding religious liberties, and keeping America safe and secure. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have strong legacies of supporting humanitarian and development programs that enable countless people to pull themselves out of poverty and live life with dignity. It is through these diplomatic and development tools that we’ve seen countries and communities build peaceful, productive societies that do not turn to violence or terrorism.

At a time when we’re especially security conscious, the International Affairs Budget is crucial to demonstrating our values to the world, building friendships with other nations, and lowering security risks around the world.

With just 1 percent of our nation’s budget, the International Affairs Budget has helped alleviate the suffering of millions; drastically cutting the number of people living in extreme poverty in half, stopping the spread of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDs and Ebola, and nearly eliminating polio. Additionally, it promotes freedom and human rights, protecting religious freedom for millions around the world.

As followers of Christ, it is our moral responsibility to urge you to support and protect the International Affairs Budget, and avoid disproportionate cuts to these vital programs that ensure that our country continues to be the “shining city upon a hill.”

Thank you for your consideration.

CBS News’ foreign affairs and White House correspondent Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.



MORE RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT WITH AMERICAN POLITICS? STONE DIDN’T’ WAIT TO TELL THE DEPUTY HE WAS IN THE CAR? OBAMA’S ALLEGED SURVEILLANCE OF TRUMP WAS BASED ON A RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT CLAIM? THIS ALL LOOKS A GREAT DEAL LIKE A TRUMP CAMP EFFORT TO CONFUSE THE ISSUES AROUND THE “WIRETAPPING” AT TRUMP TOWER -- WHILE GIVING A MORE OR LESS BELIEVABLE STORY FOR TRUMP’S COMPLAINTS AGAINST OBAMA. IT STILL IS THE CASE THAT NOBODY IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY BELIEVES THE OBAMA SURVEILLANCE ACTUALLY HAPPENED, OR AT ANY RATE, IS WILLING TO COME OUT AND SAY SO.

STONE SEEMS TO BE SUGGESTING OBLIQUELY THAT THE DRIVER OF THE CAR WAS RELATED TO OBAMA, AS HE BELIEVES THE WRECK IS INVOLVED WITH HIS UPCOMING COURT TESTIMONY ON THE OBAMA/TRUMP CASE. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THE, AGAIN ALLEGED, USE OF POLONIUM AGAINST HIM AT CHRISTMAS WOULD BE A RUSSIAN CRIME, AS THAT IS THE POISON USED BY PUTIN BACKED PEOPLE AGAINST RUSSIAN AGENT ALEXANDER LITVINENKO. THIS CONTRADICTS TRUMP’S VIEW THAT OBAMA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SURVEILLANCE RATHER THAN THE RUSSIANS. RIGHT? IT SEEMS LIKELY TO ME. AFTER ALL, STONE ADMITTEDLY WAS INVOLVED WITH THE RUSSIAN AGENT GUCCIFER 2.0 AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON AND THE DNC, ANOTHER TRUMP/RUSSIA LINK.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/roger-stone-trump-adviser-hit-and-run-intentional/
Roger Stone, longtime Trump adviser, claims hit-and-run was intentional
CBS NEWS March 16, 2017, 12:43 PM


POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- Roger Stone, the longtime adviser to President Trump, said he was the victim of a hit-and-run driver Wednesday morning in South Florida, CBS Miami station WFOR-TV reports.

“They just came at us full force,” Stone told WFOR-TV. “The driver then threw it in reverse and took off.”

Stone, who has previously admitted to having “back-channel” communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and who more recently acknowledged trading messages with the famed Russian hacker Guccifer 2.0, remains a figure in the congressional investigation into Russia’s attempts to influence the presidential election.

Stone was on his way to Orlando to promote his latest book on Mr. Trump when the accident occurred.

“Out of nowhere we were T-boned essentially by a late model, four-door, what I’m now told was a Pontiac,” he said.

Stone said he was a passenger in the car and that the airbags deployed on his side and prevented him from being more seriously injured.

“I’m bruised, but I’m OK,” he said, adding his vision is blurry.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed there was a hit-and-run crash at the time and location described by Stone.

Trump confidant Roger Stone discusses contact with suspected DNC hacker
Play VIDEO
Trump confidant Roger Stone discusses contact with suspected DNC hacker

The accident occurred at 10:45 a.m. in Pompano Beach, according to the incident report obtained by WFOR-TV.

The report states that a deputy was not dispatched to the accident until 11:56 a.m. - more than 70 minutes after the crash. The deputy arrived on the scene at 11:59 a.m.

The report makes no mention of Stone being a passenger in the vehicle.

Stone said the reason he was not listed as a passenger was because he left the scene when it became clear that a deputy was not being dispatched right away. Stone said after waiting a half-hour he called an Uber to take him home while the driver of the car stayed behind.

Stone provided WFOR-TV a copy of the Uber receipt showing that he was picked up at the scene of the accident at 11:08 a.m. and driven to his house in Fort Lauderdale.

Trump friend and GOP operative Roger Stone speaks out on Russia
Play VIDEO
Trump friend and GOP operative Roger Stone speaks out on Russia

WFOR-TV spoke to two witnesses at the scene of the accident.

“He came out here real fast, and he hit this guy, and then he took off,” Ron Snowden said.

Snowden, who was shown a picture of Stone, said he saw a man that resembled Stone at the scene talking on a cellphone waiting for police.

WFOR-TV also spoke to the driver of the car, John Kakanis, who works as an aide to Stone on his book tour. He said Stone was in the passenger seat of the car at the time of the accident. He said he can’t recall if he told the deputy that Stone was in the car.

“I was pretty shaken,” he said.

Roger Stone says Trump's biggest concern should be Republicans
Play VIDEO
Roger Stone says Trump's biggest concern should be Republicans

Kakanis said he believed the car that hit him - a gray, four-door sedan with tinted windows - did so deliberately.

“It looked kind of intentional,” he said.

The car then took off.

The incident report shows there was extensive damage to the passenger side of Kakanis’ car and that it had to be towed from the scene.

Stone claimed it was the second attempt on his life in the past six months. Stone previously claimed he was poisoned with polonium and became ill but recovered.

“I believe that I was poisoned back around Christmas,” he said. “I know some people chortle and say this was a way for me to sell books.”

Russian activist says he was poisoned, near death
Play VIDEO
Russian activist says he was poisoned, near death

Stone, however, denied it was a stunt.

One reason why people are prone to doubt Stone is that he is a self-described master of political dirty tricks who got his start in the Nixon administration.

Stone’s ties to both Mr. Trump and the ongoing investigations, however, is not in doubt. Stone was a former business partner with Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager whose ties to Russia are also being scrutinized.

Asked if he thought the accident was tied to the Russian hacking scandal, Stone said, “It certainly could be.”

“You could make the case that the Russians want to off me because they don’t want me to testify because it would show their hand, but I think that would be kind of obvious,” he said.

But Stone isn’t excluding the possibility it could be another group.

“I think it is more likely that someone would like it to look like the Russians tried to bump me off,” he said.

He added, “It happens on a day when the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee calls for me” to appear before the panel. (Earlier in the day, Congressman Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, mentioned Stone by name.)

House GOP intel leader splits from Trump on wiretapping charge
Play VIDEO
House GOP intel leader splits from Trump on wiretapping charge

“I have to guess that somebody doesn’t want me to testify at those hearings,” Stone said. “If I testify, it is going to prove that this whole narrative, on which I believe surveillance of the president was based, i.e. that the Trump campaign was infiltrated by the Russians, is false.”

Stone said he looks forward to being able to testify. He said he has done nothing wrong.

“I would love to clear the air on this whole thing,” he said.



WHEN THE WEATHER SERVICE DOES THE SAFE AND LOGICAL THING, PEOPLE COMPLAIN. BIZARRE! EVERYBODY WHO IS ALERT TO THE NEWS IS AWARE THAT SEVERE STORMS, EARTHQUAKES, TSUNAMIS, ETC. SHOULD BE OVERESTIMATED, NOT UNDERESTIMATED. THIS LOOKS SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE A TRUMP COMPLAINT ABOUT “FAKE NEWS.”

I WAS LIVING IN WASHINGTON DC A NUMBER OF YEARS (DECADES?) AGO WHEN ONE OF THESE HIT. AGAIN, IT WAS IN MARCH – “IN LIKE A LION, OUT LIKE A LAMB.” FIRST, THEY SAID IT WOULD BE 4”, THEN AN HOUR OR SO LATER THEY CORRECTED IT TO 8” AND AS THE HOURS PROGRESSED SO DID THE AMENDED FORECASTS. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE DOOR AT 9:00 AM OR SO, THE SNOW WAS UP TO MY WAIST. THE MEASURED AMOUNT WAS 21”, BUT WHEN THAT DRIFTS IT ADDS UP DRASTICALLY. OUR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HERE DID EXACTLY WHAT THE SHOULD HAVE. “LOST BUSINESS AND PRODUCTIVITY” IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN PUBLIC SAFETY.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-weather-service-accused-of-knowingly-misleading-public-blizzard/
National Weather Service accused of knowingly misleading public
CBS NEWS March 16, 2017, 7:13 AM

The National Weather Service is denying accusations it knowingly misled the public with its blizzard forecasts this week. On Monday, before the storm hit the East Coast, the agency forecasted up to a foot and a half of snow in New York, but only 7.6 inches fell. In Boston up to a foot was predicted but only 6.6 inches hit the ground. In the nation’s capital, up to eight inches were forecasted, and only about three inches actually fell.

The National Weather Service said it kept predictions high because it worried “a dramatic change in the snowfall forecast could produce an unwelcome result of less readiness and vigilance.”

The blizzard did dump massive amounts of snow in many areas in central New York. Binghamton received a record 31 inches of snow. But along the coast, where many of the big population centers are, it was less of a snowmaker than feared, leading some to ask -- what happened with the forecasts?

Armed with the National Weather Service’s predictions, government officials sounded the alarm Monday, reports CBS News correspondent David Begnaud.

gettyimages-653213262.jpg
The “Fearless Girl” statue stands in the snow and wintry mix in the Financial District, March 14, 2017 in New York City. The blizzard warning for New York City has been canceled and the National Weather Service is now predicting 4 to 8 inches for the city. GETTY

“We’ve heard reports from the National Weather Service of as much as two inches to four inches per hour,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

“It is going to snow hard, and it’s going to snow quickly,” Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said.

But that day, some of the agency’s models were already changing. It appeared crippling amounts of snow could miss large cities like New York and Philadelphia. However, the weather service didn’t downgrade its forecasts until early Tuesday morning, when the storm was already underway.

David Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist, said the fluctuating models posed a dilemma for the weather service.

“I think there’s some room for discussion whether they should have been a little more forthright,” Robinson said.

New York City virtually shut down after some forecasts called for as much as two feet of snow. The storm dumped only about eight inches. The lost business and productivity in the northeast cost $2 billion to $3 billion, according to Moody’s Analytics.

Winter storm could chill an already weak economic growth forecast

A spokesman for Mayor de Blasio told CBS News: “We always want the most accurate, timely information possible... There’s no telling whether our tactics would have changed.”

“I’m usually disappointed in meteorologists across the board because I’d love for them to be more precise,” New York City Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said.

Garcia is in charge of the city’s snow removal, which costs on average about $2 million per inch. Garcia insists her response would have been similar whether the forecast called for eight inches or 24.

The governor of New Jersey had a different take after he said he had to move equipment to another part of the state after the storm hit.

“I’ve had my fill after seven and a half years of the National Weather Service, to tell you the truth,” Gov. Chris Christie said.

Forecasting is tough and nor’easters are famously tricky to predict. A supposedly-historic blizzard in January 2015 also fizzled out.



http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/russians-paid-mike-flynn-45k-moscow-speech-documents-show-n734506
Russians Paid Mike Flynn $45K for Moscow Speech, Documents Show
by KEN DILANIAN
NEWS MAR 16 2017, 2:38 PM ET

The state-sponsored Russian television network RT paid former Defense Intelligence Agency head Mike Flynn more than $45,000, plus perks, to speak at its 10 anniversary gala in December 2015, according to documents released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee Thursday.

RT also paid to fly Flynn and his son to Moscow and put them up at a luxury hotel from December 9 to December 12, according to email exchanges between his speaker's bureau, Leading Authorities, and a representative of the network.

Flynn was interviewed by an RT correspondent onstage, and was famously seated at the same table as Russian President Vladimir Putin during dinner.

Click Here to Read the Documents

The fee negotiated by Leading Authorities was $45,000 plus expenses, which was lower than the initial fee requested by the agency. Flynn's son accompanied him on the trip, and his expenses were also covered.

The documents released include a paycheck from Leading Authorities to Flynn for $33,750.00, which was his fee for the speech after Leading Authorities deducted its 25 percent commission. RT also covered $386 for the cost of visas.

While critics have suggested that the speaking fee was an attempt by Russia to influence Flynn, an email chain released by committee Democrats shows RT asking for a discount, and getting a quick 'yes' from Flynn's aide.

"Sorry it took us longer to get back to you" writes Alina Mikhaleva of RT on Nov. 9, 2015, "but the problem is that the speaking fee is a bit too high and exceeds our budget at the moment, so we had to negotiate it with the management. Do you think there is any possibility to reduce the price to 45K?"

Play House Intel seek Flynn investigation answers Facebook Twitter Embed
House Intel seek Flynn investigation answers 4:03
The documents apparently show that Flynn gave two other speeches to the American divisions of Russian firms earlier in 2015. Volga Dnepr Airlines and the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Government Security Solutions Inc. each paid Flynn $11,250 after commission.

House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cumming, D.-Maryland sent a letter Thursday to President Trump, FBI Director James Comey, and Defense Secretary James Mattis that accused Flynn of "violating the Constitution … by accepting tens of thousands of dollars from an agent of a global adversary that attacked our democracy."

RT is financed by the Russian government, but the other companies are private concerns.

Cumming accused Flynn of violating the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which has been construed to prohibit the acceptance of foreign payments by retired U.S. military officers.

He also requested access to portions of a form that Flynn may have filed as part of his security clearance process to become national security adviser, Standard Form 86. The form requires applicants to list foreign contacts.

Flynn served as Trump's national security advisor for less than a month before questions about his foreign ties sparked his dismissal. He was director of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Obama administration from 2012 to 2014, before being pushed out and retiring from the Army with the rank of lieutenant general.



“TINY HANDS ….” POOR TRUMP. HE DESERVES IT FOR HIS DISGUSTING COMMENTS TO OTHERS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, BUT HE REALLY IS BEING TREATED ROUGHLY. I’VE SAID SOME HOSTILE COMMENTS ABOUT HIM, BUT NOT TO THIS DEGREE. WHILE THIS IS ALL VERY ENTERTAINING, IT ISN’T SUBSTANTIVE OR IN ANY WAY PROBLEM SOLVING. OF COURSE, HE REMINDS ME OF THAT OLD SAW, “NEVER MUD WRESTLE WITH A PIG. YOU WON’T WIN AND HE WILL ENJOY IT!!”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mcdonalds-twitter-account-goes-rogue-blasts-disgusting-trump-140730330.html
McDonald's Twitter account goes rogue, blasts ‘disgusting’ Trump
Michael Walsh
March 16, 2017

A salty tweet, sent and quickly deleted Thursday, from one of McDonald’s official Twitter accounts attacked President Trump and longed for the return of his predecessor.

“@realDonaldTrump You are actually a disgusting excuse of a President and we would love to have @BarackObama back, also you have tiny hands,” the tweet from the company’s @McDonaldsCorp account declared.

The sudden shift into political commentary was most likely the result of a hack or a rogue intern or staffer as evidenced by the tweet’s swift removal. It had been retweeted more than 872 times and liked by at least 900 people before it was deleted.

Yahoo News reached out to McDonald’s for comment and clarification but did not immediately receive a response.

The responses to the tweet were mulled over the possibilities of what could’ve led to the tweet and cracked jokes about the fast food chain’s startling foray into partisan politics. Twitter users questioned whether the tweet was real and speculated that someone was losing his or her social media job or quitting it “in a firestorm.”

But one response above all perhaps best summed up the mood on social media after McDonald’s apparent gaffe: “I’m lovin’ it!”



QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES DOWN, LIFE ISSUES BARELY AFLOAT, DEFENSE UP, “LAW AND ORDER” UP. HOPEFULLY CONGRESS AND THE SENATE WILL MAKE THIS MORE HUMANE AND FAIR.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/visual-guide-winners-losers-trump-s-budget-n734386
Trump’s Budget: A Visual Guide to the Biggest Winners and Losers
by SAM PETULLA
POLITICS MAR 16 2017, 2:08 PM ET

President Donald Trump has released his "America First" budget, and it makes dramatic cuts to the federal government while adding $54 billion in defense spending.

"If [Trump] said it on the campaign, it's in the budget," Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said in statement.

But many of the proposed changes were met with rebuke before even being announced. "It's dead on arrival," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said last month, objecting to the then-rumored cuts in State Department funding. The president's budget is a blueprint — Congress has ultimate control.

See the full scope of Trump's budget proposal below.

Overview of Changes in Trump's Budget
-31.4%
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
-28.7%
State, USAID and International Programs
-20.7%
Labor
-20.7%
Agriculture
-16.3%
Corps of Engineers
-16.2%
Health and Human Services
-15.7%
Commerce
-13.5%
Education
-13.2%
Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
-12.7%
Transportation
-11.7%
Interior
-9.8%
Other
-5.6%
Energy
-5%
Small Business Administration
-4.4%
Treasury
-3.8%
Justice (DOJ)
-0.8%
NASA
0.2%
Social Security Administration
5.9%
Veterans Affairs
6.8%
Homeland Security
10%
Defense

Biggest Winners in the Trump Budget

Mulvaney described the mix of cuts and increases as a "hard power budget" in a briefing with reporters. The biggest winners are focused on defense and national security, consistent with Trump's promise to restore "law and order" and take a more aggressive posture towards terrorism.

5.9%
Veterans Affairs
6.8%
Homeland Security
10%
Defense

Biggest Losers in the Trump Budget

Almost every federal agency and department loses in Trump's budget, but the EPA is hit hardest. However, the proposal also entirely eliminates funding for dozens of smaller agencies and programs such as the National Endowment for the Arts, money for public broadcasting, programs to combat climate change and assistance for low-income Americans, including the Meals on Wheels program.

EPA
- 31.4%
State, USAID and International Programs
-28.7%
Labor
-20.7%





YIKES !!! THESE TWO DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER MUCH, APPARENTLY.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-mccain-says-rand-paul-is-working-for-vladimir-putin/
John McCain says Rand Paul is "working for Vladimir Putin"
CBS NEWS March 15, 2017, 5:34 PM

Photograph -- Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Feb. 5, 2015, in Washington, D.C. WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES

Sen. John McCain accused fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul of “working for Vladimir Putin” on Wednesday.

The fireworks came as McCain spoke in support of a Senate unanimous consent request in support of Montenegro’s bid to join NATO. The libertarian-leaning Paul, who has often advocated for a less interventionist foreign policy, opposes the resolution.

“You are achieving the objectives of Vladimir Putin...trying to dismember this small country which has already been the subject of an attempted coup,” McCain said, in an apparent reference to Paul.

Rand Paul says Senate conservatives "not going to vote for" new health bill
Play VIDEO
Rand Paul says Senate conservatives "not going to vote for" new health bill

McCain then asked that the resolution be passed unanimously, prompting an objection from Paul who then exited the room. McCain then reiterated his accusation.

“I note the senator from Kentucky leaving the floor without justification or any rationale for the action he has just taken. That is really remarkable -- that a senator blocking a treaty that is supported by the overwhelming number, perhaps 98 at least of his colleagues, would come to the floor and object and walk away…The only conclusion you can draw when he walks away is he has no argument to be made.

He has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO that is under assault from the Russians. So, I repeat again, the senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin.”

McCain and Paul have battled over foreign policy issues in the past. In a February interview with ABC News, for example, Paul said that McCain has “advocated for war everywhere” and that the U.S. would “be in perpetual war” if McCain were “in charge.”

CBS News’ Alan He contributed reporting to this story.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-border-wall-texans-receiving-letters-about-their-land/
Trump border wall: Texans receiving letters about their land
CBS NEWS March 15, 2017, 5:03 PM

Photograph -- In this Jan. 25, 2017 photo, a truck drives near the Mexico-US border fence, on the Mexican side, separating the towns of Anapra, Mexico and Sunland Park, New Mexico. CHRISTIAN TORRES, AP

Even before Donald Trump was inaugurated, U.S. citizens who own land along the border reportedly began receiving letters from the Justice Department informing them that the federal government wants their land to build a fence (i.e. the president’s border wall), that it intends to acquire their land, and the amount of compensation the government is offering.

Yvette Salinas, a Texan whose ailing mother owns a small parcel of land with her siblings near the Rio Grande was informed by the “Declaration of Taking” letter sent by DOJ that her 1.2 acres was worth $2,900, according to a story in the Texas Observer. She told the Observer that the family’s 16 acres has been in her family for five generations. The government’s letter asks recipients to sign in order to receive compensation, acknowledge that they “do not have an interest” in the case or do not intend to make a claim. It doesn’t really say what landowners should do if, like Salinas, they don’t want to sell their land.

Salinas called the letter “scary” and said “you feel you have to sign.” Her family is consulting a lawyer about its next steps. If other border landowners have the same reluctance to sell as Salinas, the government may have a long battle ahead to secure all the land necessary for the wall, given that the federal government doesn’t own most of it. The nearly 2,000-mile southern border is composed of federal, state, tribal and private lands. There are 632 miles of federal or tribal land -- 33 percent -- and the other 67 percent, most of which is in Texas, is private or state-owned, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The Washington Post points out that the president would need Congress to pass a bill to acquire the tribal lands for his wall.



https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-border-wall-mexico-condemnation-letter/
Texans Receive First Notices of Land Condemnation for Trump’s Border Wall
[Note: this imaged letter is dated January 12, 2017.]

The government offered $2,900 for 1.2 acres near the Rio Grande. If Flores chooses not to accept the offer, the land could be seized through eminent domain.

Photograph -- Jen Reel, The ribbon left by the DHS in 2008 to note where the border wall would enter on Aleida Flores’ land still remains.

The week before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Yvette Salinas received a letter she had been dreading for years: legal notice that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants to build a border wall on her family’s land in Los Ebanos. The 21-page document, entitled a “Declaration of Taking,” is addressed to her ailing mother, Maria Flores, who owns the property with her siblings. The letter offers Flores $2,900 for 1.2 acres near the Rio Grande. If she chooses not to accept the offer, the land could be seized through eminent domain. “It’s scary when you read it,” Salinas says. “You feel like you have to sign.”

The 16-acre property has been in the family for so long that none of them can remember the year it was acquired. Salinas only knows they’ve had it for five generations. Her uncle runs a few head of cattle on the property, which lies not far from Los Ebanos’ most famous attraction, a hand-drawn ferry that shuttles cars and their passengers across the river to Mexico.

This is not the first time the federal government has wanted to seize the land for a border wall. In the wake of the Secure Fence Act of 2006, the Bush administration put up 110 miles of border fencing, much of it on private land in Texas. In 2008, Salinas’ family received a condemnation notice offering them the same low, low price of $2,900. Others in Los Ebanos were mailed similar notices.

But nature and time were on their side. Los Ebanos is squeezed into a bend in the Rio Grande, and lies entirely in the river’s floodplain. A treaty between the United States and Mexico forbids building any structures in the floodplain that could push floodwaters into surrounding communities.

Jen Reel -- The map given to Flores in 2008 by the DHS showing their proposed fence acquisition tract on Flores’ land.v

Salinas’ family held off on signing the condemnation letter. As time passed, building a wall in Los Ebanos seemed less likely, because of the treaty and because the Obama administration made wall-building less of a priority. In the meantime, Aleida Garcia, Salinas’ cousin, said the government has increased security in the area by adding more surveillance, which she prefers to Trump’s proposed 30-foot wall. “Even if they build a wall, people will still come,” said Garcia. “What’s helped us tremendously and is less expensive is the technology — the aerostat balloons, the ground sensors and even boots on the ground.”

But Los Ebanos appears to be a prime target for the Trump administration. The surveying and planning work has already been done, and the Secure Fence Act authorizes more border fencing to be built. And in 2012, the United States half of the International Boundary and Water Commission, a binational organization tasked with managing the U.S.-Mexico water treaty, capitulated to lobbying by DHS and agreed to a wall in the floodplain.


Jen Reel
Aleida Flores Garcia

Salinas says her family doesn’t want to give up their land, and they are consulting with lawyers to decide what to do next. But fighting the federal government could mean spending years in court. If they lose, DHS could take their land. Salinas, who is 29, says it makes her sad that the family’s legacy could be divided by an ugly wall that will cause problems for Los Ebanos. “We don’t want this wall — the town is pretty much united on that,” says Salinas. “But we don’t want to get sued by the U.S. government either.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that DHS could acquire Flores’ land through eminent domain without compensation. The government would, in fact, have to provide compensation for the land. The Observer regrets the error.


AS THEY ALWAYS SAY, "ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR!" IF TRUMP HAD DONE THE FAIR AND HONEST THING IN THE FIRST PLACE AND TURNED OVER HIS RETURNS AS ALL OTHERS BEFORE HIM HAVE DONE (OR NEARLY ALL?), NOBODY WOULD HAVE GONE BEHIND HIS BACK AND STOLEN THEM! HE JUST HATES FOLLOWING RULES AT ALL!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-tax-return-leak-was-illegal-and-a-disgrace/
Trump says tax return leak was "illegal" and a "disgrace"
CBS NEWS
March 15, 2017, 4:58 PM

Photograph -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves after speaking at a news conference to reveal his tax policy at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton REUTERS

President Donald Trump says he doesn’t know who released part of his 2005 tax return and described the disclosure as “illegal.”

“I have no idea where they got it but it’s illegal and they’re not supposed to have it and its not supposed to be leaked and it’s certainly not an embarrassing tax return at all but it’s an illegal thing they’ve been doing it, they’ve done it before and I think it’s a disgrace,” Mr. Trump told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson in an interview airing Wednesday night.

A copy of the tax return, which was unveiled Tuesday night on MSNBC, suggested that Mr. Trump paid $38 million in taxes on $150 million in income. In a break with precedent, Mr. Trump has refused to release his tax returns, as other presidents have, insisting that he could not during the campaign that he was under audit. Being under audit does not prohibit individuals from releasing their tax returns, however. Shortly after launching his presidential campaign in 2015, Mr. Trump told CBS News’ John Dickerson that he “pays as little as possible in taxes.”

In the interview with Carlson, Mr. Trump also defended his claim that then-President Obama wiretapped him during the campaign. The White House has not presented any evidence to back up the accusation.

“[W]iretap covers a lot of different things,” Mr. Trump said. “I think you’re going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next 2 weeks.”



QUID PRO QUO AGAIN? IT APPEARS TO BE.

http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/michael-flynn-apparently-paid-retired-fbi-agent-embroiled-in-clinton-email-scandal/
Michael Flynn Apparently Paid Retired-FBI Agent Embroiled in Clinton Email Scandal
by Alberto Luperon | 1:22 pm, March 11th, 2017

Michael Flynn appears to have paid consultancy fees to the same FBI agent who claimed the State Department tried to bury an email connected to Hillary Clinton and Benghazi. That became apparent in a March 7 filing with the Department of Justice: Flynn registered his firm, the Flynn Intel Group, as a foreign agent of Turkey—work he did during the presidential campaign. An Al-Monitor reporter highlighted that detail after a Daily Caller report from Thursday.


10 Mar
Laura Rozen @lrozen
Flynn paid ex FBI official McCauley who claimed quid pro quo w/State's Patrick Kennedy on Clinton email marking http://dailycaller.com/2017/03/09/flynn-paid-ex-fbi-agents-behavior-analysts-in-lobbying-work-for-turkish-government/#ixzz4axQPmo6w …

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Laura Rozen @lrozen
according to his FARA filings, Flynn paid the ex FBI official Brian McCauley $28,000 btw Oct & Dec. 5 2016. https://www.fara.gov/docs/6406-Supplemental-Statement-20170307-1.pdf … 2/
3:49 PM - 10 Mar 2017
742 742 Retweets 722 722 likes

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Laura Rozen @lrozen
Flynn paid McCauley $5k Oct.4, $3k Oct.13, $5k Nov.14, and $15k Dec.5, after he'd already been designated Trump NSA https://www.fara.gov/docs/6406-Supplemental-Statement-20170307-1.pdf …
3:56 PM - 10 Mar 2017
1,249 1,249 Retweets 1,078 1,078 likes

The agent, Brian McCauley, told The New York Times in October that a State Department official, Patrick Kennedy, asked him to classify an email connected to the 2012 attack on Benghazi, Libya. He said this conversation happened in spring 2015, shortly before his retirement. We’ve reached out to him for comment and to figure out more about what the payment was for. At the time, Kennedy told the Times that they did in fact talk, but there was nothing improper about the conversation. He only wanted to have parts of the email redacted since it was linked to an ongoing investigation.

The attack on a diplomatic compound and CIA annex left four Americans dead. In the aftermath, then-Secretary of State Clinton fielded bad press, Congressional scrutiny over security lapses, and a defamation lawsuit. It was a long-running subject on right-leading news outlets, so obviously, the idea of an official asking an FBI agent to bury relevant information was a big deal since Clinton was running for president.

However, Flynn himself was campaigning on Donald Trump’s behalf, and his work got him a job as the National Security Advisor. He resigned from that position in February after misleading administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about a telephone call he had with Russian ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak. U.S. intelligence officials reportedly said that Moscow directed hacking efforts to help Trump win the election. However, no one has been able to prove collusion between the Kremlin, and the president’s campaign, so the revelation of Flynn’s phone conversation wasn’t the greatest thing for an already embattled administration. On top of that, Flynn has only now revealed that he did work for a Dutch firm connected to the Turkish government, and only publicly disclosed this on the March 7 filing.

[Screengrab via Fox News]

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IS IT POSSIBLE THAT DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH IS DANGEROUS NOW? THIS IS LIKE A SPY NOVEL.

http://lawnewz.com/uncategorized/fired-u-s-attorney-was-probing-whether-fox-illegally-obtained-journalists-phone-records-report-says/
Fired U.S. Attorney Was Probing if Fox News Illegally Obtained Journalists’ Phone Records, Report Says
by Rachel Stockman | 10:57 pm, March 12th, 2017

Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who was fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he refused to resign, was probing whether Fox News executives illegally obtained reporters’ phone records, and committed fraud by hiding financial payments to some women who accused former CEO Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, according to a report by New York Magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman. Sherman reports, “Sources told me that that prosecutors have been offering witnesses immunity to testify before a federal grand jury that’s already been impaneled.”

Last month, an attorney for former Fox News personality Andrea Tantaros said in court, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, that his client had gotten a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s office.

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Eriq Gardner ✔ @eriqgardner
Andrea Tantaros lawyer says he has gotten subpoena from Preet Bharara's office. Grand jury said to be empaneled.
3:39 PM - 15 Feb 2017
35 35 Retweets 40 40 likes

President Donald Trump reportedly told Bharara earlier this year that he would be kept on during the new administration. But, something sparked a change of course late last week. Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent out a letter Friday asking for the resignations of Bharara and 45 other Obama-era U.S. Attorneys who were still in place.

The New York Times reports that Marc Mukasey, the son of former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, is being considered to replace Bharara as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. As Sherman notes, Mukasey also “happens to be” Ailes’s personal lawyer.

In a previous statement from February, a Fox News spokesperson said, “Neither FOX News nor 21CF has received a subpoena, but we have been in communication with the U.S. Attorney’s office for months — we have and will continue to cooperate on all inquiries with any interested authorities.” The network declined to comment on Sherman’s latest reporting.

[Screengrab via WMHT]

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[21CF STANDS FOR 21ST CENTURY FOX]