March 9 and 10, 2017


News and Views


http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/10/us/military-nude-photos-scandal/
Nude photo scandal widens as military looks into more websites
By Barbara Starr and Steve Almasy, CNN
Updated 2:47 PM ET, Fri March 10, 2017

(CNN)Four branches of the military are looking into the posting of nude photos of what appear to be female service members on various websites, a Pentagon official told CNN on Thursday.

The news follows a story published online by Business Insider that says the scandal, which began with a report about lewd photos being posted by a group of Marines and former Marines, goes beyond the Corps and some private Facebook groups like Marines United.

Photos of nude and clothed female service members also have been posted to another image-sharing message board, Business Insider reported. A CNN review of the site found photos of women in uniforms from different branches of the military -- and nude and partially nude images.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating the Marines United scandal. There is no Defense Department-wide investigation as of Thursday evening, the Pentagon official said.

Secret Marines group is still sharing nude photos amid scandal

The Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy made statements Thursday in response to CNN's requests for comments on the new report.

"After being made aware of the photo sharing site today by Business Insider, we are looking further into the matter and taking it seriously, but cannot immediately verify any details about the site, the source of its content, or whether there has been any involvement by any airmen," the Air Force said.

"As members of the Army team, individuals' interaction offline and online reflect on the Army and its values. The Army defines online misconduct as the use of electronic communication to inflict harm, which includes, but is not limited to, instances of harassment, bullying, hazing, stalking, discrimination, retaliation, or any other types of misconduct that undermines dignity and respect," Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Jennifer R. Johnson said. "Soldiers or civilian employees who participate in or condone misconduct, whether offline or online, may be subject to criminal, disciplinary, and/or administrative action."

"We fully expect that the discovery of Marines United will motivate Marines to come forward to notify their chain of command of pages like it. Things may seem to get worse before they get better; Marines will attack this problem head-on and continue to get better," Capt. Ryan E. Alvis said.

"It is a call to arms in the wake of recent reports of unprofessional and inappropriate social media behavior by some who have lost sight of that most fundamental purpose they themselves are duty-bound to serve," Acting Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley said. "Our ability to succeed as a warfighting organization is directly tied to our ability to fight as one team -- a team that treats one another honorably."

Earlier this week, the scandal focused on Marines United, a private Facebook group with 30,000 members and hundreds of photos of women in different stages of undress. Thomas Brennan, founder of the military news site, The War Horse, first reported the group page to the Marines and NCIS.

After the NCIS announced its investigation members were redirected to new pages where some taunted investigators.

Female Marine veteran 'disgusted' to see photos posted online



WHAT IS NCIS (BESIDES A GREAT TV SHOW)? – NAVAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE

THE WAR HORSE –
THE WAR HORSE IS, IT WOULD SEEM FROM THIS DESCRIPTION ON THEIR WEBSITE, ONE OF THE BEST ORGANIZATIONS TO HAVE LOOKING INTO THE SCANDAL, WHICH WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN, I FEEL SURE. DO ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS SCANDAL OF 1991, THE “TAILHOOK” SHOCKER? 100 SERVICEMEN ASSAULTED 83 WOMEN AND, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, 7 MEN. SO MUCH FOR MILITARY DISCIPLINE.

SEE THE STANDARDS AND WRITERS OF “THE WAR HORSE,” BELOW. ONE NAME STANDS OUT TO ALL OF US WHO WERE YOUNG WHEN THE NIXON SCANDAL BROKE – DANIEL ELLSBERG. SO, I DO TRUST THIS PUBLICATION BOTH IMPLICITLY AND EXPLICITLY.

(YES, THIS COMPARISON IS THE RESULT OF A GOOGLE SEARCH TO SEE WHICH TERM IS ACCURATE. ALL THE QUICKO INFO SITES SAID THAT IMPLICIT IS CORRECT OVER EXPLICIT, BUT A TRUE SCHOLARLY SITE BELOW USES BOTH FOR DIFFERENT CONCEPTS.)

GO TO http://ir.ii.uam.es/~alejandro/2014/recsys-trust.pdf, Implicit vs. Explicit Trust in Social Matrix Factorization, ABSTRACT. IN OTHER WORDS, AS DESCARTES SO FAMOUSLY SAYS, I CAN DOUBT ANYTHING. WHEN I’VE SEEN PROOF, HOWEVER, I DO TRUST. EVEN THE INVISIBLE CAN BE PROVEN BY DEDUCTION IF THE EVIDENCE TO BASE IT ON IS AVAILABLE.

THESE ARE THE ONLY EDITORIAL STANDARDS FOR A NEWS SOURCE THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN, AND I CAN TELL FROM READING MANY SUCH WEBSITES THAT THEY DO NOT FOLLOW THIS CODE OF BEHAVIOR. IN DECIDING WHAT FACTORS MATTER TO THE ISSUE OF WHAT IS “REAL NEWS” AND WHAT IS “FAKE NEWS,” THIS SHOULD BE, VERY LIKELY, THE DEFINITIVE BEST. I DON’T BELIEVE BREITBART CAN BE INCLUDED IN A CATEGORY WITH BEST SOURCES.



http://www.thewarhorse.org/ --
Bulletproof reporting on war and trauma

The War Horse is the only nonprofit news outlet and community dedicated to investigating the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

Our Mission

To be the trusted authority on Post-9/11 conflict by sharing on-the-ground, personal perspectives from those who were there and those who waited patiently behind.

OUR VISION

To provide focus, clarity, and insight into America’s longest-running wars by including all interested parties in an open and candid dialogue.

Journalism is about documenting the human experience. It is the act of listening, observing, recording, and publishing stories about people—and doing so fairly and accurately. The War Horse will be home to the most in-depth documentation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stories from individuals who were on the ground, the Generals who led them, and the friends and family who support them from home will provide context for thinking about these wars and the wars that haven't yet been waged.

The War Horse will be the home for responsible reporting on and conversation about war, with the explicit intent of foster understanding. We will address with eyes wide open, one of the most debated topics in human history:
War.

We are and always will be nonpartisan. Our only objective is to explain war in a greater context than ever before by openly exploring current, ongoing conflicts in which the U.S. is engaged and by providing contemporary, contextualized stories and features for citizens and politicians to consider anew.

We will accomplish this by collecting data en masse. Members are encouraged to submit pictures, videos, and written work from and about their experiences. We will ask members to provide the same for comrades who died at war and from war, as well as any information pertaining to battles large and small. This is the story of a generation galvanized by the events of 9/11 and all that has followed.

We will provide the portal and the platform through which these stories will live forever.


Our policies on trauma reporting

"Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone."

- Fred Rogers, MR. ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD

The War Horse believes that reporting on trauma comes with a great responsibility. Not only do we expect to hold ourselves to these standards, but we encourage our sources and readers to do the same.

1. You don't 'get it' or 'understand' what a source has been through. Every story is unique. Every experience is unique. If our stories aren't unique, we are doing a disservice to our sources and our readers. Research conditions and circumstances. But once you have done your research, leave it at the door. It doesn't matter how much knowledge you have on the topic, you can never predict how a particular individual experienced the events that happened to them.

2. Reporting on trauma demands special care and increased ethical sensitivity. It requires specialized interviewing skills, understanding of the law, and (at a minimum) a basic awareness about the psychological impact of trauma.

3. Get the language correct. Someone is not a victim unless they describe themselves that way.

4. Respect a potential interviewee's right to say 'no.' Nobody should be forced to give every detail about a traumatic event unless THEY want to.

5. We will take control of providing a safe space for sources to discuss their individual trauma(s). Tread carefully and do not exploit or belittle them if they open up to you. If you've earned their trust, keep it. The secret to good interviewing is active, non-judgmental listening.

6. Don't underestimate how your own reactions to traumatic details can influence the conversation. If you are finding the conversation challenging, acknowledge that silently to yourself, and bring your focus back to what is being said. Try to listen a little harder and and to observe facial expressions and body language. The time for a journalist to process the personal impact of an interview is after it's complete, away from the interviewee.

7. Trauma is often associated with high degrees of self-blame, guilt, and shame. For this reason, avoid language that might imply the interviewee is responsible in some way. Be careful of asking 'why' questions—which interrogators tend to favor. Don't be surprised if accounts only make partial sense. Frequently survivors of trauma 'shut down' emotionally: Their recall may become or seem fragmented, and in some cases they may have blocked out an event entirely. Incomplete and contradictory accounts are not prima facie evidence of deception, but rather of the struggle interviewees may experience in making sense of what has happened to them.

8. Journalists have a responsibility to do everything they can to avoid exposing the interviewee to further abuse and to avoid undermining an interviewee's standing in his or her community. Be prepared for survivors to read at least portions of your story before publication, as it can lessen the impact—and possible trauma—of public exposure. (Note: After reading—and seeing evidence of your intentions—an interviewee may decide to share more of his or her story with you.) Tell the whole story. Sometimes media identify only specific incidents, focusing on the obvious climax. Reporters must understand that a failure to report wholly on a story is, in itself, a form of abuse. Learn how individuals have coped with the trauma in the longer term. Your stories and your relationships will be richer for it.

9. Trauma reporting is an act for the greater good. Utilize information, data, resources, and various experiences wisely to provide you with insight and to ensure you're reporting the truth—not how things appear at first glance. There is never a simple explanation and during your reporting you should be prepared to explore the individual complexities of each story. Speculation has no place in trauma reporting.

10. A story is never just about what happened. Explore regrets and successes and how your interviewee's life got them to this point. A person is more than just a singular event. Explore the survivor's story with the same care, attention to detail, and respect that you would want them to show if roles were reversed.

Click here to read our policy for legal reporting practices


OUR Reporting Standards

"News is what someone wants suppressed. Everything else is advertising. The power is to set the agenda. What we print and what we don't print matter a lot."

- Katharine Graham


1) Ensure your sources are solid, knowledgeable, and the best voice available for the given topic. Also, make sure you are aware of anything you've made a deal with them about, such as anonymity. If a person is to be left anonymous, the journalist and staff will ensure all safeguards are put in place to ensure anonymity is maintained. If the source has a vendetta or axe to grind, include the source's bias in your reporting. Confidential sources should be used as sparingly as possible. A court cannot weigh your source or the validity of the information they gave you if they cannot defend you in that same courtroom. If you have an anonymous source, assume people will believe that you have made it all up. An on-the-record named source is always the best option.

2) Comment, comment, comment. Always go to the "other side" with everything you are going to publish. Always ask questions. Comment, comment, comment. Always bake-in their side of the story. Our rule is "no surprises journalism.” Produce content that you would respect finding on the front page of every news site, if you or your (in)actions were the focus of the content.

3) The more damning a story is, the more care you should show the story. The "other side" is not a villain and they will never be referred to in such a manner. Everyone deserves to be written about in a rigorous, complex, and intriguing way, because they are human, too. Your tone needs to reflect the seriousness of the story. You are not a jury. Make sure you write directly down the middle.

4) Did you attribute accurately? Do not editorialize content. We are human, so we have opinions, but they will not be tolerated in our content. Be sure you are not turning accusations into facts.

5) Fairness is broad, but is the article fair? Can we back up the article with supporting materials and facts? Do not jump to conclusions. Do not characterize things. When writing, stick to the facts and what you understand to be accurate. Always.

6) Don't be vague. Do not insinuate. Do not suggest. Be concise. Be thorough. Be accurate. If you don't know it, don't imply it. If you're not totally sure, you need to be sure. And if you're not sure, keep reporting until you are sure. And if you’re wrong, admit it. Don’t hide your mistakes or nobody will trust us.

7) Be careful to not violate privacy laws. You need to be very careful about anything you write with health history, abuse of any kind, job history, adultery, and anything that is personal, private or embarrassing. You must make it clear as to why the average person should care and why it will matter to them. Always say things straight up. Don't inflate things. If you need one nugget or your story falls apart, you’re simply not done reporting.

8) Statements of an opinion must be supported by facts. Make sure you have not made any torts when doing your reporting. Make sure you do everything cleanly, and do not make decisions on your own. Always ask an editor if you're not sure if you've broken the law. Have you told everyone who you are and what you're doing. Always tell the truth. If you lie, you will not write for us. Ever.

9) Do not break any contracts or embargoes for any amount of information. If you say something, stand by it, but you need to have asked the editor first.

10) There are a host of international laws. Do not violate any international laws.


Our Staff And ADVISORS

Our advisory team will conduct quarterly reviews of our published materials, and provide detailed feedback about our journalism so you can trust you're enjoying fact-based, thorough, and responsible journalism.

We'll push ourselves to make it great.

They'll push us to make it even better.


Thomas J. Brennan
Founder and Publisher

Thomas J. Brennan is the founder of The War Horse. Thomas' passion in writing is exploring war, trauma, and loss. Prior to studying at Columbia University, he was a sergeant in the Marine Corps and served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantryman. He was awarded a Purple Heart and is the recipient of the 2014 American Legion Fourth Estate Award and an Honorable Mention at the 2013 Dart Awards for his reporting with both the New York Times and The Daily News in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Thomas is also co-writing a book, "Shooting Ghosts," which will be published in 2017 through the Viking imprint of Penguin/Random House. Read his work with the New York Times.

All of their writers and reporters are named, and several were familiar to me, but one was a standout – Daniel Ellsberg!



IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT PAST MEN WERE EXPECTED TO PAY AT LEAST A PART FOR THEIR WIVES’ AND BABIES’ EXPENSES. THEY DO, AFTER ALL, HAVE AN ESSENTIAL PART IN THAT MYSTERY OF NEW LIFE. FASCINATINGLY, DRUGS TO ALLOW MALE “POTENCY,” ARE PAID FOR UNDER ALL GOOD INSURANCE, BUT EXPENSES INCURRED IN PREVENTING THE DEATH OF EITHER MOTHER OR CHILD DON’T QUALIFY AS BEING IMPORTANT ENOUGH, APPARENTLY. OF COURSE, WHO SAID THE GOP WANTS TO SPONSOR “GOOD INSURANCE?” THEY JUST WANT CHEAP INSURANCE FOR THEIR PALS, THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-shimkus-gop-lawmaker-wonders-why-men-have-to-pay-for-prenatal-care-through-obamacare/
CBS/AP March 10, 2017, 8:39 AM
GOP lawmaker asks why men have to pay for prenatal coverage through Obamacare

Photograph -- Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill. questions Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the implementation failures of the Affordable Care Act, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP PHOTO/SUSAN WALSH

Rep. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, suggested during a markup of the GOP Obamacare replacement bill Thursday that men don’t like the current health care law because they have to pay for prenatal care.

During the House Energy and Commerce Committee markup, Rep. Michael Doyle, D-Pennsylvania, asked Shimkus what mandate in Obamacare he took issue with.

“Certainly, not with pre-existing conditions, or caps on benefits or letting your child stay on the policy until 26, so I’m curious what is it we’re mandating?” Doyle said.

“What about men having to purchase prenatal care? Is that not correct? And should they?” Shimkus said.

“There’s no such thing as a la carte insurance, John,” Doyle said.

Shimkus said consumers should be able to go to the insurance market and be able to negotiate on a plan.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee and House Ways and Means Committee advanced the legislation Thursday after marathon markups.

The plan would repeal the statute’s unpopular fines on people who don’t carry health insurance. It would replace income-based premium subsidies in the law with age-based ones that may not provide as much assistance to people with low incomes. The payments would phase out for higher-earning people.

Some of the popular provisions in the existing health care law, such as requiring plans to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions and allowing children to remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26, will be preserved.

Obama’s expansion of Medicaid to more lower-income people would continue until 2020. The bill would eventually change how the federal government helps finance that program.

More significantly, Republicans would overhaul the federal-state Medicaid program, changing its open-ended federal financing to a limit based on enrollment and costs in each state.



ALL IN GOOD FUN, RIGHT ? I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES -- WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE CONSIDERABLY BETTER TRAINED, BETTER EDUCATED AND BETTER SELECTED FBI -- ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME. THERE ARE VERY GOOD AND EVEN HEROIC COPS, OF COURSE, BUT BULLIES ARE DRAWN TO JOBS LIKE POLICE WORK JUST AS PEDOPHILES ARE ATTRACTED TO TEACHING, ESPECIALLY SPORTS COACHING. I DO HOPE THIS GUY GETS THE PANTS SUED OFF HIM !! OF COURSE, BY THE TIME HE PUTS OUT THE FIRE, HE PROBABLY WON’T MIND TOO MUCH ! THERE’LL BE A HOLE IN THEM, ANYWAY.

I WILL SAY THAT THE IMAGES OF THESE TWO BLACK MEN DON’T LOOK THREATENING BY FACIAL EXPRESSION OR BODILY STANCE, BUT IT IS A COMMONLY HELD PREJUDICE THAT BLACK MEN ARE DANGEROUS. THE DISASTROUS RESULT’S OF GEORGE H W BUSH’S USE OF A PHOTO OF CRIMINAL WILLIE HORTON TO IMPLY A RACIST FEAR THAT SO MANY WHITES DO SHARE, SHOWS HOW MINDS ARE CHANGED BY IMAGES. IT IS ALSO OBVIOUS TO THE FAIR AND HONEST MIND THAT OBAMA WAS HATED BY THE RIGHTISTS BECAUSE HE WAS A BLACK MAN WHO MADE IT TO THE PRESIDENCY – RATHER THAN “STAYING IN HIS PLACE,” AS HE SHOULD HAVE DONE. SOME OF THE ILLICIT IMAGES I’VE SEEN OF HIM PORTRAYED AS AN APE SHOW THAT.

WORDS AREN’T THE ONLY KIND OF HATE EXPRESSION, AND IMAGES LIKE THIS ARE ACTUALLY MORE INFLAMMATORY IN THE MINDS OF MENTALLY UNSTABLE PEOPLE, WHO ARE OFTEN MORE PRONE TO GROUP HATRED AND VIOLENCE. WHEN USED LIKE THESE, THEY ARE SYMBOLS, AND STIMULATE CERTAIN PREDICTABLE THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS IN THE VIEWER, MORE POWERFULLY THAN A VERBAL ARGUMENT. THIS IS IN THE SAME CATEGORY WITH THE IMAGES OF MOHAMMAD WHICH GOT THE CARTOONIST CHARLIE HEBDO INTO SO MUCH TROUBLE IN FRANCE.

I WILL SAY IT AGAIN – I DON’T BELIEVE THAT TOTALLY FREE SELF-EXPRESSION IS A GOOD THING, ANY MORE THAN HEAVY-HANDED GOVERNMENT SUPPRESSION IS. THERE ARE MANY, MANY HATE CRIMES, SOME LARGE AND SOME SMALL. WE NEED TO – AS A DECENT AND HOPEFULLY PEACEFUL SOCIETY – STOP DOING THEM ALL ! FOR THE SHERIFF TO “INJECT HUMOR” WAS PROBABLY A GOOD THING, OF COURSE. WE CITIZENS DO NEED TO SEE OFFICERS AS PEOPLE; BUT THE HUMOR NEEDS TO BE ABOUT SOME SUBJECT OTHER THAN A FREQUENTLY BULLIED SUBGROUP OF SOCIETY. SEE THE ARTICLE IN QUESTION BELOW.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-obama-post-sheriff-office-sparks-outrage/
CBS NEWS March 10, 2017, 10:28 AM
Trump-Obama post from sheriff's office sparks outrage

91 Photographs of Trump and Obama

CHICAGO -- An Illinois sheriff defended his office’s use of a social media post involving President Trump and former President Obama after some criticized it and similar posts as racist, CBS Chicago reports.

The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office Facebook and Twitter feeds both feature a picture of Mr. Obama having climbed up the outside of Trump Tower, looking into Mr. Trump’s home while holding binoculars. Mr. Trump is inside the home.

The image is part of a campaign to remind people to lock up by 9 p.m. and report suspicious activity to police. Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said there’s been a rash of home and car burglaries and that the campaign -- which features the hashtag #9PMRoutine -- is supposed to be a catchy way of reminding people to lock up at night.

Comey briefs top lawmakers about Trump wiretap claims
Play VIDEO
Comey briefs top lawmakers about Trump wiretap claims

On Facebook, some comments criticize the sheriff’s office for being racist, unprofessional, offensive and inappropriate. Others say they find it funny.

Downey said the post featuring Mr. Obama and Mr. Trump wasn’t designed to do anything but grab attention.

“That’s all the news is reporting. We’re not on the national level when it comes to politics. We’re more on getting people’s attention to lock their doors,” he said.

On Facebook, one person commented that the post reinforces negative stereotypes by putting out the image of a black man ready to break into a white man’s home, but Downey said it was nothing of the sort.

“If you look at the history of our memes, there’s a lot of those memes that are related to current events and celebrities and things like that,” Downey said. “So, no, that’s ridiculous.”

Other posts featuring the #9PMRoutine hashtag include a picture of boxer Mike Tyson, with the caption “I THOULDA LOCKED MY HOUTH UP LATH NIGHT! THILLY ME! I FORGOT MY #9PMRoutine.”

View image on Twitter
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Kankakee Co Sheriff @KankakeeSheriff
Almost that time Kanka-🔑 County. Remember your #9PMRoutine by locking your 🚗 and 🚪. 👀 out for neighbors report suspicious activity to 👮🏻‍♀️.
9:40 PM - 4 Mar 2017
2 2 Retweets 6 6 likes

Others include the hashtag as a clue on the game show “Jeopardy!” and a take on the popular meme of Kermit the Frog sipping tea, with the caption “LOCKING YOUR DOORS & REMOVING YOUR VALUABLES WOULD APPEAR TO BE FAIRLY COMMON SENSE BUT HEY, THAT’S NONE OF MY BUSINESS. I’M JUST BE ACCUSTOMED TO MY #9PMRoutine.”

View image on Twitter
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Kankakee Co Sheriff @KankakeeSheriff
It's 2017, the days of leaving your 🏠🚘unlocked are over! Join the #9PMRoutine #LockYourDoors 🔑🚘🔑🚪Don't store guns in unsecured 🚘#LockItUp 🔐
9:41 PM - 23 Feb 2017
4 4 Retweets 6 6 likes

Downey said his office has been tweeting nightly posts at 9 p.m. to remind people to lock their doors. They try to pick a memorable one or something tied to current events so the message sticks in people’s minds. He said the point he wants to get across, in a catchy way, is that home and car break-ins are crimes of opportunity and people who lock their doors are much less likely to become victims.

The sheriff pointed to Wednesday’s International Women’s Day and how his office tried to inject some humor into the Warrant Wednesday social media posts by including on the “wanted” information the logo of the show “Cops: Bad Girls.”

View image on Twitter
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Kankakee Co Sheriff @KankakeeSheriff
This fugitive has been apprehended. Thanks to everyone for their tips and other information! #WarrantWedneday #BadGirlsEdition
1:21 PM - 8 Mar 2017
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Downey said his office thought the post of Mr. Obama and Mr. Trump was a humorous take on the president’s unsubstantiated allegation that his predecessor tapped his phones during the 2016 election.

A spokesman for Mr. Obama has denied that the former president had Mr. Trump wiretapped.



HERE WE HAVE ANOTHER TRUMP INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENTANGLEMENT. MAYBE WE NEED SOME SPECIFIC WRITTEN GUIDANCE ON WHAT IS OKAY TO DO AND WHAT ISN’T. TRUMP ISN’T THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS COME INTO OFFICE KNOWING TOO LITTLE ABOUT THE RULES. I HAVE A DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT HE, HOWEVER, HAS LITTLE REGARD FOR “RULES.”

http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/article137373198.html
China says it followed law in approving 38 Trump trademarks
MARCH 9, 2017 9:24 AM
BY ERIKA KINETZ
Associated Press

5 Photographs, scroll through

SHANGHAI
China on Thursday defended its handling of 38 trademarks it recently approved provisionally for President Donald Trump, saying it followed the law in processing the applications at a pace that some experts view as unusually quick.

Democrats in Congress were critical of Trump after The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the potentially valuable trademarks had been granted, raising questions of conflict of interest and political favoritism. One senator said the issue "merits investigation."

Trump has sometimes struggled to win trademarks from China; he secured one recently after a 10-year fight that turned his way only after he declared his candidacy for the presidency.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a regular briefing with reporters that Chinese authorities handle all trademark applications "in accordance with the law and regulation." He declined to comment on speculation about political influence on Trump's trademark approvals.

Critics fear foreign governments might gain leverage from Trump's global portfolio of brands.

Democrats in Congress have been pushing Trump to sever financial ties with his global businesses to avoid potential violations of the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bars federal officials from accepting anything of value from foreign governments unless approved by Congress.

The monopoly right to a successful brand in a market like China can be worth huge sums. Former top ethics lawyers from the administrations of Barack Obama and George W. Bush say any special treatment from Beijing in awarding Trump intellectual property protection would violate the Constitution.

Concerns about political influence are particularly sharp in China, where the courts and bureaucracy are designed to reflect the will of the ruling Communist Party, and foreign companies and the lawyers that work for them regularly ask embassy staff for help lobbying Chinese officials.

Spring Chang, a founding partner at Chang Tsi & Partners, a Beijing law firm that has represented the Trump Organization, declined to comment specifically on Trump's trademarks. But she did say government relations are an important part of trademark strategy in China. She said she has worked with officials from both the U.S. and Canadian embassies to help her clients. The key, she said, is "you should communicate closely with the government to push your case."

Drawing on public records from the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the AP compiled a detailed list of 49 trademarks Trump's lawyers applied for in 2016, even as he railed against China on the campaign trail. On Feb. 22, seven of those marks were rejected , though public records do not indicate why. China granted preliminary approval for 38 marks on Feb. 27 and Mar. 6. Four applications are pending.

Matthew Dresden, a China intellectual property attorney at Harris Bricken in Seattle, said the rejections suggested that the trademark office hadn't done Trump any special favors. "Some did not go through, that suggests it's just business as usual," he said.

Dan Plane, a director at Simone IP Services, a Hong Kong intellectual property consultancy, said it would be difficult to draw firm conclusions without in-depth research. However, he said the efficiency of China's trademark office in handling Trump's caseload suggested favor for a man whose decisions could have a powerful impact on China.

"For this many marks to all sail through to preliminary approval this quickly, with nary an issue in sight — that is unheard of to me, and I have been doing this for 16 years," he said. "I wish my clients' applications would be dealt with half as expeditiously and graciously."

If no one objects, the new marks will be officially registered after 90 days, bringing the number of Trump's trademarks in China to 115. Nearly all are in the president's own name; a few are registered to a Delaware company called DTTM Operations LLC.

The new marks could lay the groundwork for an expanded range of branded businesses, including financial, insurance and real estate services, golf clubs, educational institutions, restaurants and bars. A number of the trademarks granted, including those for "social escort" and "body guard" services, appeared to relate specifically to hotels. Other international hotel companies whose documents were reviewed by AP sought similar trademarks.

It's unclear whether any of these Trump-brand businesses will materialize in China. Many companies here register trademarks just to prevent others from using their name inappropriately. Trump has also said he will refrain from new foreign deals while in office.

Trump began to file trademark applications in China in late 2005, an effort that accelerated in 2008 as Trump's lawyers fought for control of Chinese variations of his name, public records show. Years of ambition in China, however, have yet to yield a single marquee development. And despite all the recent activity, Trump still doesn't have a firm hold on his brand in China. More than 225 Trump-related marks are held or sought by others in China, for an array of things including Trump toilets, condoms, pacemakers and even a "Trump International Hotel."

Trump Organization chief legal officer Alan Garten said the latest registrations were a continuation of efforts that long predate Trump's presidential run. "Any suggestion to the contrary demonstrates a complete disregard of the facts as well as a lack of understanding of international trademark law," he said in an email.

But a growing number of Democrats disagree.

After AP reported Wednesday about the sweep of new approvals, Senators Debbie Stabenow and Ben Cardin called a press conference to lambaste President Trump for his growing Chinese entanglements. Also citing AP's report, Senator Richard Blumenthal said on the Senate floor that Trump's intellectual property in China "merits investigation."

"This President's conflicts of interest are creeping into every corner of the world," he said in an email to the AP. "The consequence is that he has done nothing to counter Chinese currency manipulation, trade rules violations, military buildup, and other aggressive Chinese actions. Standing up for a great America means putting our nation before personal profit."

Democrats have also written to Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging scrutiny of Trump's intellectual property interests in China.

"It's time for Republicans in Congress to join our efforts to hold President Trump accountable," Senator Dianne Feinstein said in a statement Wednesday. "The Constitution demands it and the American people deserve it."
___

Associated Press researcher Fu Ting contributed from Shanghai.



HE HELPED LIGHT A SMOKE BOMB INSIDE THE BUILDING – PEACEFUL IN THAT IT ISN’T VIOLENCE, BUT IT IS NAUGHTY, NONETHELESS. VERY MANY TIMES LIKE THAT AND HE REALLY MAY HAVE TO SPEND SOME TIME IN JAIL.


http://abc7.com/news/tim-kaines-son-arrested-protesting-at-pro-trump-rally/1791285/
NEWS
TIM KAINE'S SON ARRESTED PROTESTING AGAINST PRO-TRUMP RALLY
Wednesday, March 08, 2017 02:38PM

Photograph -- This photo provided by the Ramsay County Sheriff's Office in St. Paul, Minn., shows Linwood Kaine, the youngest son of U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine. (Ramsay County Sheriff's Office via AP)

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The youngest son of U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's running mate last year, was one of six people arrested while protesting against a rally in support of President Donald Trump at the Minnesota state Capitol building last weekend.

The protesters clashed with hundreds of Trump supporters who gathered at the Capitol rotunda in St. Paul on Saturday for one of several pro-Trump rallies held throughout the country.

Linwood "Woody" Kaine, of Minneapolis, and four other people were suspected of lighting a smoke bomb inside the Capitol, St. Paul police spokesman Steve Linders said Wednesday. He said he didn't know the circumstances surrounding the sixth arrest, which was made by state troopers.

Kaine, 24, ran from the scene and was arrested about a block away after he resisted arrest, was sprayed with a chemical irritant and was taken to the ground, according to police. Kaine was booked into the Ramsey County Jail on a recommended second-degree riot charge.

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office declined to file criminal charges, finding insufficient evidence to substantiate the charge, spokesman Dennis Gerhardstein said Wednesday. The St. Paul City Attorney's Office was reviewing the case and didn't immediately reply to a message seeking comment.

Tim Kaine, a St. Paul native who is now a senator representing Virginia, and his wife, Anne Holton, released a statement following their son's arrest.

"We love that our three children have their own views and concerns about current political issues. They fully understand the responsibility to express those concerns peacefully," they said.




WORK ON GOP HOUSE BILL

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/all-nighters-produce-first-win-for-house-gop-health-care-bill-as-opposition-mounts/
All-nighters produce first win for House GOP health care bill as opposition mounts
AP March 9, 2017, 5:08 AM


WASHINGTON -- Republicans on a pivotal House committee scored an initial triumph in their effort to scuttle former President Obama’s health care overhaul, using a pre-dawn vote Thursday to abolish the tax penalty his statute imposes on people who don’t purchase insurance and reshaping how millions of Americans buy medical care.

Yet the Ways and Means panel’s approval of health care legislation only masked deeper problems Republican backers face. Hospitals, doctors and consumer groups mounted intensifying opposition to the GOP health care drive, and the White House and Republican leaders labored to rally a divided party behind their high-stakes overhaul crusade.

The American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association and AARP, the nation’s largest advocacy group for older people, were aaligned against the measure. Seven years ago, their backing was instrumental in enacting Mr. Obama’s health care statute, which President Trump and Republicans are intent on erasing.

The hospitals - major employers in many districts - wrote lawmakers complaining about the bill’s cuts in Medicaid and other programs and said more uninsured Americans seem likely, adding, “We ask Congress to protect our patients.” Groups representing public, children’s, Catholic and other hospitals also expressed opposition.

America’s Health Insurance Plans, representing insurers, praised the legislation’s elimination of health industry taxes but warned that proposed Medicaid changes “could result in unnecessary disruptions in the coverage and care beneficiaries depend on.”

In epic sessions that began Wednesday morning, Ways and Means worked till nearly 4:30 a.m. EST before approving the final batch of tax provisions in a party-line 23-16 vote. The Energy and Commerce Committee panel continued working, tackling a reshaping of Medicaid.

GOP leaders faced rebellion within their own ranks, including from conservative lawmakers and outside conservative groups claiming the bill took too timid a whack at Mr. Obama’s law. Numerous GOP centrists and governors were also antagonistic, worried their states could lose Medicaid payments and face higher costs for hospitals having to treat growing numbers of uninsured people.

Top Republicans knew if the upheaval should snowball and crush the legislation, it would be a shattering defeat for Mr. Trump and the GOP, so leaders hoped approval by both House committees would fuel momentum.

In words aimed at recalcitrant colleagues, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters: “This is what good, conservative health care reform looks like. It is bold and it is long overdue, and it is us fulfilling our promises.” The last was a nod to campaign pledges by Trump and many GOP congressional candidates.

Outnumbered Democrats used the panels’ meetings for political messaging, futilely offering amendments aimed at preventing the bill from raising deficits, kicking people off coverage or boosting consumers’ out-of-pocket costs. They tried unsuccessfully to insert language pressuring Mr. Trump to release his income tax returns, and failed to prevent Republicans from restoring insurance companies’ tax deductions for executive salaries above $500,000 - a break Mr. Obama’s law killed.

There were signs of growing White House engagement, and perhaps progress.

Trump met at the White House late Wednesday with leaders of six conservative groups that have opposed the GOP legislation, and several voiced optimism afterward.

“I’m encouraged that the president indicated they’re pushing to make changes in the bill,” said David McIntosh, head of the Club for Growth, though he provided no specifics.

Underscoring Mr. Trump’s potential impact, Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., said of GOP holdouts, “A lot of them, they maybe haven’t felt the inertia that comes with Air Force One landing in their district.”

The legislation would defang Mr. Obama’s requirement that everyone buy insurance - a provision deeply disliked by Republicans - by repealing the tax fines imposed on those who don’t. That penalty has been a stick aimed at pressing healthy people to purchase policies. The bill would replace income-based subsidies Mr. Obama provided with tax credits based more on age, and insurers would charge higher premiums for customers who drop coverage for over two months

The extra billions Washington has sent states to expand the federal-state Medicaid program would begin ending in 2020, and spending on the entire program would be capped at per-patient limits. Around $600 billion in 10-year tax boosts Mr. Obama’s statute imposed on wealthy Americans and others to finance his overhaul would be repealed. Insurers could charge older customers five times more than younger ones instead of the current 3-1 limit, but would still be required to include children up to age 26 in family policies, and they would be barred from imposing annual or lifetime benefit caps.

“We will answer President Trump’s call to action,” said Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, adding later, “Relief is on the way.”

Democrats said the Republicans would yank health coverage from many of the 20 million Americans who gained it under Mr. Obama’s statute, and drive up costs for others because the GOP tax breaks would be skimpier than existing subsidies. And they accused Republicans of hiding bad news by moving ahead without official estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on the bill’s cost to taxpayers and anticipated coverage.

“You can expect more town hall meetings you won’t want to go to,” said Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., a reference to liberal activists who hounded Republicans during last month’s recess.


PARTY WRANGLING OVER HEALTHCARE BILL. I DO LOVE THE DEM’S RENAMING OF THE BILL. IT’S SO APPROPRIATE !!

http://www.businessinsider.com/obamacare-replacement-democrat-amendement-republican-pay-more-for-less-care-act-2017-3
Democrats are trying to add a mountain of amendments to the GOP's Obamacare replacement — including renaming it the 'Republican Pay More for Less Care Act'
Bob Bryan
March 9, 2017

Democrats have begun their fight against the GOP's replacement for the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare law better known as Obamacare.

As the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday held its first day of debate over the GOP replacement, the American Health Care Care Act, Democrats introduced a series of largely symbolic amendments to add to the bill. While the amendments will be considered by the committee, they have to be approved by a majority vote in the Republican-controlled committee to officially become part of the bill.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the more notable amendments from Democrats, in order of their introduction:

Change the short title of the AHCA to the "Republican Pay More for Less Care Act."

The bill cannot pass unless the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation say it will lower out-of-pocket costs for Americans, lower premiums, and provide more people coverage. These were three promises made by President Donald Trump in the lead-up to the bill's introduction. This was defeated by a party-line vote of 31 to 23 overnight.

The bill cannot pass until "the individual who holds the office of President makes available to the public authenticated copies of the individual's returns of Federal income tax for the most recent ten taxable years." In other words, the amendment would require Trump to release his tax returns if the bill is passed.

The bill cannot leave committee until the CBO has scored the bill and the score has been public for 30 days. Numerous other amendments were attached to CBO scores, including that the CBO must certify that more people will have insurance under the AHCA and that there will be no reduction in mental-health services. A score from the CBO is not expected until next week.

Strike the "per capita cap-based payments under Medicaid" in the AHCA and stay with the current Medicaid expansion funding. This amendment was also defeated by a 31-to-23 vote.

Preserve federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which the AHCA would do away with. This was defeated on a 31-to-23 vote along party lines.

While it is unlikely any of these measures get added to the bill, the process of adding many amendments could slow down the bill's passage and allow Democrats to express their displeasure with the AHCA.

The Energy and Commerce Committee is still marking up the bill, some 20 hours after kicking off the marathon session.

SEE ALSO: The GOP Obamacare replacement still has to pass a huge test — and it already looks like it might be a disaster
NOW WATCH: The Trump family's lavish lifestyle is costing taxpayers a fortune


ONE MORE WHACK AGAINST THE POOR -- BUDGET CUTS ON SUBSIDIZED HOUSING. HOW MANY MORE WILL BE MADE HOMELESS BY THIS?

http://fortune.com/section/leadership/
Out In the Cold: New U.S. Budget Priorities Threaten Housing Aid Programs
Reuters
Mar 05, 2017

When Paul Ryan, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, talks of social mobility, about helping struggling Americans move out of impoverished areas to give them greater opportunity, Shiva Daniels is the kind of person he has in mind.

A federal housing voucher allowed Daniels to escape her crime-plagued neighborhood in Dallas, Texas, and move her four children to the suburb of Garland.

That move helped Daniels find a good job, working for a property management company. Today, she cherishes the small, two-bedroom house she rents, with a yard where her children can safely play, away from drugs and gang violence in Dallas.

But if Daniels, 31, were to lose the $1,082 monthly stipend she receives, she has no doubt what would happen. “I would have to move back,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

Pulling Americans out of poverty is a subject close to Ryan’s heart. And President Donald Trump has frequently talked about aiding the inner cities

Rhode Island Protesters Call Paul Ryan a ‘Coward’ with ‘Wall Street Values’.

But the housing assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, could fall victim to fiscal policies under consideration by the White House and Congress, which include a massive tax cut and increased military spending, according to a dozen congressional aides who spoke to Reuters.

While the White House has not been specific about its plans for HUD — the budget process remains in flux — it has called for a $54 billion cut in non-military discretionary domestic programs in the next fiscal year, which likely will dramatically impact safety-net programs that are not entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security, budget experts said.

Altogether, housing advocates paint a bleak picture of the landscape for low-income housing under the Trump administration. They warn that deep cuts to housing funds would force some people out of their homes and hollow out grant programs meant to revitalize urban neighborhoods.

There is also a ripple effect, they warn: Rental prices would likely rise alongside declines in affordable housing projects and vouchers available to renters. That would make it tougher for renters to save enough to eventually buy homes.

“It’s a bad cycle,” said Carol Galante, a former top HUD official during the Obama administration. “It puts pressure on the rental market. The rents are higher and higher so people can save less and less.”

Trump’s Border Tax: Here’s Number the Pundits Are Missing

HUD provides about 5 million Americans with some form of housing assistance, either through vouchers to renters, subsidies to landlords or public housing projects, which comprises about 85% of its budget. It also sends about $8 billion annually directly to communities through grants.

Even so, only about one-quarter of those eligible for assistance in the country receive it.

Housing advocates say changes to its budget or mandate would be directly felt in low-income communities. They point out that in 2013, when the legislatively mandated budget cuts known as sequestration hit HUD, more than 100,000 renters nationwide lost their housing support.

Douglas Rice, an expert at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, estimates that for every one percent cut in HUD’s budget, 20,000 renters would lose their assistance

But critics of the agency, including some Republican lawmakers, say its anti-poverty and community-development programs are inefficient and wasteful, and that it has failed to live up to its mission. Today, the proportion of Americans who live below the poverty line — 14.5% — is about the same as it was 35 years ago.

Russian Real Estate Deals Never Materialized for Trump

HUD has also at times had difficulty shaking the image of a bureaucratic agency that is vulnerable to corruption. It was at the center of a bid-rigging scandal during the Reagan Administration. And Alphonso Jackson, the HUD secretary under President George W. Bush, resigned in 2008 amid allegations that he steered contracts to friends. Charges were never brought against Jackson.

“There are some sports teams that never seem to gel. I think we’re a little like that at HUD,” said Bud Albright, a Washington lobbyist who worked at the agency when Republican Jack Kemp was secretary in the early 1990s.
Trump, who has not been specific on his plans for the agency, selected Ben Carson to lead HUD. The former neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate won Senate confirmation last week.

Although Carson's views hew closely to Republican orthodoxy on how too much government can discourage people from working hard, his upbringing in inner-city Detroit gives him a unique perspective: his mother received food stamps to provide for her family and he was raised around housing assistance programs similar to those he will now manage.

Carson, who declined requests for interviews by Reuters, has pledged to fight to protect HUD’s housing-assistance budget and preserve the agency’s community-development initiatives. He also said he would push to include funding to rehabilitate public-housing facilities in Trump’s proposed $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

How Donald Trump Just Raised Many Mortgage Bills

But given the White House's determination to cut domestic spending, Carson will have to fight for every dollar. A HUD spokesman declined to comment on which programs could be hurt by any possible budget cuts. The White House's Office of Management and Budget did not respond to a request for comment.

Congress, too, is looking to narrow HUD’s reach.

Ryan has called for work requirements and time limits on those who receive housing assistance, similar to how child support, food assistance and other welfare benefits function.

Tax reform spearheaded by Ryan and Kevin Brady, the House Ways and Means chairman, could ultimately do away with a key tax credit used by developers to build affordable housing, or could drastically curtail the credit’s use.

One vocal critic of HUD is Jeb Hensarling, Republican chair of the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the housing agency. Hensarling plans to introduce legislation this year to narrow the $1 trillion portfolio of the Federal Housing Administration, which helps low-income and first-time homebuyers purchase homes, his office said.

Who Knew This City Had Some of the World’s Most Unaffordable Housing?

Hensarling has said he fears that if home values drop the FHA would require another federal bailout as it did in 2013, when it received a taxpayer-funded infusion of $1.7 billion to cover its losses.

If the cuts to HUD’s budget are as severe as some expect, those who are on waiting lists now for vouchers will be staying on them for a very long time, and recipients such as Shiva Daniels, who has been receiving assistance for six years, will be at risk of seeing that support end.That would mean losing her small house, with the yard she sees as a safe haven for her children. “It might not feel like it’s a big deal, but it is,” Daniels said. “When you feel good, it allows you to do better, and do better for them.”


BUDGET CUTS ON FOOD AID. THIS ARTICLE IS VERY LONG AND DETAILED. I PERSONALLY DIDN’T WANT TO READ IT ALL, AS IT IS SPECIFICS OF THE MAIN POINTS. YOU MAY READ IT IN FULL AT CBPP.ORG IF YOU WANT TO ANALYZE THE INFORMATION.

http://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/house-2017-budget-plan-would-slash-snap-by-more-than-150-billion-over-ten
CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES
House 2017 Budget Plan Would Slash SNAP by More Than $150 Billion Over Ten Years
Low-Income Households in All States Would Feel Sharp Effects
MARCH 21, 2016
BY DOTTIE ROSENBAUM BRYNNE KEITH-JENNINGS

The House Budget Committee-approved budget plan would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) by more than $150 billion — over 20 percent — over the next ten years (2017-2026). A cut of this magnitude would necessitate ending food assistance for millions of low-income families, cutting benefits for millions of these households, or some combination of the two.[1] The committee has proposed similarly deep SNAP cuts in each of its last five budgets. This year’s budget has two categories of SNAP cuts:

It includes three major benefit cuts that Congress ultimately rejected from House-passed versions of the 2014 farm bill. They would terminate benefits to about 3 million low-income people — including many working families, senior citizens, and people with disabilities, and some of the poorest Americans — and cut SNAP spending by more than $25 billion over ten years (2017-2026).[2]

It would convert SNAP into a block grant beginning in 2021 and cut funding steeply — by $125 billion (or almost 30 percent) over 2021 to 2026. States would be left to decide whose benefits to reduce or terminate. They would have no good choices, since SNAP benefits average only $1.41 per person per meal and go primarily to poor children, working parents, seniors, people with disabilities, and others struggling to make ends meet.

THE CUTS WOULD COME ON TOP OF SNAP CUTS THAT OCCURRED IN RECENT YEARS OR ARE OCCURRING UNDER CURRENT LAW. The cuts would come on top of SNAP cuts that occurred in recent years or are occurring under current law.



ON THE SUBJECT OF ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION, THESE ARE RECOMMENDED. I HAD HEARD REGULAR DAILY EXERCISE, FISH OIL, AND B VITAMINS, BUT “KEFIR” IS TOTALLY NEW TO ME. IT IS A YEAST WHICH GETS IN MILK AND MAKES IT POSSIBLY A PREVENTATIVE FOR ALZHEIMER’S. SEE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ON KEFIR. IT IMPROVES THE NUMBER, CORRECT TYPE AND HEALTH OF OUR FRIENDLY GUT BACTERIA, WHICH ARE ALSO IMPORTANT IN FIGHTING THE DISEASE. KEFIR WON’T BE EASY TO GET IN THE STORES HERE, I’M AFRAID, BUT MAYBE IT CAN BE BOUGHT DRY LIKE SOURDOUGH STARTER. [GO TO https://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/SourdoughStarter.htm.]

I UNDERSTAND IT CAN BE MIXED WITH ANY WHOLE PASTEURIZED MILK TO GROW A CULTURE OF KEFIR. I MIGHT NOT LIKE THE WAY IT TASTES, THOUGH, BECAUSE VERY SOUR YOGURT IS SOMETHING I CAN’T EAT. THAT IS ALWAYS THE FAT FREE, I HAVE NOTICED, WHILE THE LOW-FAT TASTES ALMOST LIKE SOUR CREAM, WHICH IS DELICIOUS TO ME. I REALLY HAVE TO DO SOME THINGS TO FEND OFF ALZHEIMER’S, THOUGH NOBODY IN MY FAMILY HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH IT. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE INHERITED, AND EXACTLY WHAT CAUSES IT ISN’T KNOWN YET. BEING OVERWEIGHT AND VERY INACTIVE IS THOUGHT TO BE RELATED. GO TO “KEFIR” IN WIKIPEDIA. IT’S A GREAT ARTICLE.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-alzheimers-researcher-on-how-you-can-help-protect-you-brain/
Top Alzheimer's researcher explains how you can help protect your brain
By ASHLEY WELCH CBS NEWS March 9, 2017, 9:26 AM

Every 66 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease.

Currently, more than 5 million Americans live with the memory-robbing ailment and by 2050 that number could rise as high as 16 million, according to new figures from the Alzheimer’s Association.

Scientists are working to find ways to not only treat Alzheimer’s but prevent it from developing in the first place. In one key step in the process, researchers are gaining a better understanding of the role of amyloid proteins in the development of the disease.

0307-dotcom-lapookalzheimers1-1266120-640x360.jpg
Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D., appeared on “CBS This Morning” to discuss how to protect against Alzheimer’s CBS NEWS

“The amyloid plaques build up outside of the nerve cells [in the brain] and now we know that when the nerve cells interact with the plaque, it causes the nerve cell to make a tangle inside,” explains Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D., director of the Alzheimer’s Genome Project and a leading researcher in the field at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “And that tangle then chokes the nerve cell from within and kills it. So the killing process begins with the amyloid – that’s kind of the gun – but the tangle’s the bullet, so to speak.”

Experts now believe these amyloid plaques and the tangles they form start occurring in people’s brains 10 to 15 years before any symptoms like memory loss begin to show.

The latest drug development efforts are focused on intervening much earlier on, before the disease takes an irreversible toll on memory and cognitive function. Tanzi likened it to taking statins to manage cholesterol to prevent a future heart attack.

Another increasingly important focus of medical research is neuroinflammation in the brain — why it happens, and how to stop it.

For patients with Alzheimer’s, Tanzi explained, “What’s killing most of your nerve cells is neuroinflammation, where the brain has reacted against all these plaques and tangles and cell death with an inflammatory response. And only over the last 5 years, we’ve discovered the genes that control neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s and we’re doing drug discovery based on those as well.”

Morning Rounds: Alzheimer's impact, tips for changing doctors
Play VIDEO
Morning Rounds: Alzheimer's impact, tips for changing doctors

Yet, while such drugs can take years to develop, Tanzi says there are things people can do right now to help protect their brain. He spoke with CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook about these strategies.

Q: Aside from choosing the right parents, what can somebody do to prevent Alzheimer’s – or try to help prevent Alzheimer’s?

A: The four big categories are diet, exercise, sleep and stress reduction. I wrote about this in detail in my last book, “Super Genes” – six chapters, more than you wanted to know about how to adapt your diet to minimize inflammation and plaques.

Meaning Mediterranean diet, probiotics – take care of your gut bacteria.

Q: Which probiotics?

A: Yogurt, a yogurt drink like kefir, or a probiotic pill with live bacteria.

Q: But there’s so many different ones ... which ones? Do we know yet? We don’t know yet.

A: It’s a hot area right now. There are companies that are looking at what are the best bacteria to put in a probiotic.

Q: Why would what’s going on in your gut affect what’s going on in your brain?

A: So it turns out there’s what’s called a gut-brain axis, where the bacteria in your gut are creating chemicals that interact with your brain that do everything from determine your mood to control how much inflammation there is in your brain.

Q: And even obesity, right? It’s amazing what we’re learning about these trillions of bacteria that people were saying, ‘Oh, wash them out … I’m going to get a cleanse. They’re icky! Let’s get them out of us!’ It turns out, of course, millions of years of evolution – they’re there for a reason.

A: And you want to take care of them. They’re there to help you. A Mediterranean diet, more fiber, more fruit, what are called prebiotics, probiotics – meaning, if you don’t know exactly what probiotic pill to take, at least live-culture yogurt. I drink kefir every morning.

And then after diet – exercise. You know at least an hour-long brisk walk, or try to get 8,000 to 10,000 steps if you’re using a device.

And sleep. Eight hours. After 40 years old, you have to get seven to eight hours of sleep, and try your best to do it because as you cycle in and out of REM sleep, this is when you clean amyloid plaque out of your brain.

Q: That was one of the most amazing discoveries, when I first read about that – you’re actually ‘garbage collecting’ at night when you’re asleep. The toxins get carried out of your brain.

A: The brain – first of all, the cells that can cause inflammation, when they’re behaving are clearing the plaque. So you want to keep these certain cells clearing the plaque away and not causing inflammation. During the deep sleep, those cells eat all the plaque. And then the brain literally, physically constricts itself and releases the plaque debris – the proteins from the plaque – into the spinal fluid and out of the brain to wash away.

You can actually see the brain physically constricting after the material’s been broken down by the resident cells. And this only happens during delta – slow-wave – the deepest sleep that comes in after REM. So you want to be able to cycle in and out of REM several times per night. Kind of like a dishwasher on multiple cycles, you want to go in and out to clean the brain as much as you can every night with sleep.

Q: So it’s coming down to what our parents told us, right? Eat your fruits and vegetables, get a lot of exercise, get plenty of sleep. And then the last thing you said was stress reduction.

A: Managing stress. It turns out, we just published a study on meditation, a new trial on how does meditation affect your gene activity – your gene expression, as we call it.

Meditation helps retiree find her "next chapter"
Play VIDEO
Meditation helps retiree find her "next chapter"

We did it with folks at Mount Sinai [Hospital] in New York. And what we found was that with a meditation practice, there are changes in your gene expression that work against inflammation and that actually create a healthier state. We also see changes in genes that affect the amount of amyloid in your brain during a full one-week intensive meditation course.

So we have meditation instructors, we have novice meditators who are learning, and our control group of people at the same resort who were just hanging out and having fun but not learning how to meditate. And there were significant differences in terms of very beneficial gene expression changes in those who were meditating.

Q: One of the biggest fears my patients have is that they might be developing dementia. So how do you distinguish between a ‘senior moment’ and dementia? I mean, people would kind of flippantly say, if you can’t find your car keys that’s one thing, if you find them and don’t know what they do, that’s another thing. But I always found that a very flip answer. What do you really say to a patient in that situation?

A: Well the fact is, as we get older, we don’t recall names as well, we can see the face of an actor we know but can’t recall the name as fast. There are changes that happen in the brain just as there are changes in the muscles. Our joints, our muscles get a bit weaker. So that’s why it’s so important to work out physically and mentally. You know, stay engaged in learning new things.

Q: Crossword puzzles? Learning a new language?

A: I like to say – if crossword puzzles help you, if it’s the New York Times it would help you between Friday and Sunday, because you’d probably have to look something up and learn something new. But it’s really learning new things. When you learn something new, you make new synapses – connections between nerve cells [in the brain]. And all learning is based on what you already knew, you learn by association to what you already knew. So not only do you make new synapses, but you strengthen the ones you already have.


THIS LAST ANSWER GIVES ME GREAT HOPE, BECAUSE DOING THIS DAILY NEWS BLOG FOR SOME THREE YEARS NOW DOES STIMULATE NEW LEARNING ON MY PART. I ENJOY NEW INFORMATION, AND THE INTERNET IS FULL OF IT. OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO SIFT SOMEWHAT FOR "FAKE" INFORMATION, BUT I DO THAT AUTOMATICALLY ANYWAY. THOSE WHO ARE SO WORRIED ABOUT BEING UNABLE TO FIGURE THAT MATTER OUT ARE USUALLY WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE INCURIOUS AND INTELLECTUALLY LAZY. SO, TRUMPITES, CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD, AND YOU MAY EVEN FIND YOURSELF BECOMING A PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT, AND DECIDE THAT FOR EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE INSIDE A WARM DWELLING, EAT GOOD FOOD EVERY DAY, AND GO TO SEE A DOCTOR WHEN THEY NEED TO SHOULD INDEED BE A HUMAN RIGHT.