April 8, 2017


News and Views


THIS IS TRUE FAKE NEWS AND A “BUSINESS” WHICH PRODUCES IT, PLUS OTHER SCAMS AS WELL, I THINK. IT LISTS A NUMBER OF UNLIKELY SOUNDING “JOBS” THAT ARE OPEN IN FIFTEEN OR MORE PARTS OF THE USA. SEE BELOW:

http://brain-breakfast.com/viral-story/breaking-story-5/syncompliant.html?region=&siteid=280&campaignid=21666&placementid=45203&channel=news&subchannel=conservative+news&c=0.0169&trvjs=t&sxid=48b54tctjo76
STEVEN HAWKING SAYS SMART PILL IS PROVEN TO DOUBLE IQ, SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 2017: SPECIAL EDITORIAL BY JON STEWART.


BRAINBREAKFAST.COM job reviews | kununu
https://www.kununu.com/us/brainbreakfastcom/reviews
Rating: 4.2 - ‎1 review
BRAINBREAKFAST.COM Company culture✓ Support from Management✓ Teamwork✓ Anonymous reviews left by employees about BRAINBREAKFAST.COM.


WWW.KUNUNU.COM IS A GERMAN BASED SCAM, AS CLEARLY AS I CAN JUDGE. SOME OF THE SITES ARE WRITTEN TOTALLY IN GERMAN. GO TO THE BASIC SITE FIRST AND TAKE A LOOK. IT IS LINKED THERE WITH ANOTHER SIMILAR “COMPANY” CALLED AQUENT.COM. IT IS ALSO CLAIMING TO HIRE PEOPLE, AND IT PLAINLY SAYS, “AQUENT WOULD LIKE TO PLACE COOKIES ON YOUR COMPUTER ….” I’LL JUST BET THEY WOULD!!

BUYER BEWARE IS THE WATCHWORD HERE. FIRST, ANYTHING LIKE “BRAIN-BREAKFAST.COM/VIRAL STORY/BREAKING-STORY-- …” IS CERTAINLY BUNCOMBE, BECAUSE MIRACLES HAVING TO DO WITH WHAT WE EAT OR THOSE “NATURAL” SUPPLEMENT PILLS ARE ALL BUNCOMBE. THEY ARE ALSO POSSIBLY DANGEROUS, AND DAMNED EXPENSIVE. PEOPLE COULD GO BUY A GOOD BOOK FOR THE PRICE OF A BOTTLE OF HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS.

SECOND, THIS SPECIFICALLY SAYS “VIRAL STORY.” SOME STORIES THAT ARE SO EXCITING AS TO BECOME VIRAL MAY ACTUALLY BE TRUE, BUT MOST OF THOSE ARE TOTAL JUNK. I SUGGEST ANYONE WHO WANTS TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN “FAKE” NEWS AND THE TRUTH GO TO A WELL-VETTED AND HONEST SOURCE, SUCH AS MOST MSM NEWS SITES ARE. AN MSM NEWS SITE THAT DRIFTS OFF INTO LALALAND WILL BE DISCREDITED AND LOSE THEIR SERIOUS MINDED AND INTELLIGENT FOLLOWING, AND THEREFORE LOSE MONEY! FOR INSTANCE, STEPHEN HAWKING WOULDN’T BE CAUGHT DEAD MAKING SOME HAREBRAINED CLAIM LIKE THIS. HE’S TOO GENUINELY SMART AND TOO DECENT. I PARTICULARLY HATE TO SEE HIM MALIGNED AND ABUSED IN THIS WAY. HE SUFFERS ENOUGH THROUGH HIS PARALYTIC PHYSICAL CONDITION.

WHEN I CHECKED INTO THIS WEBSITE, IT IS SELLING MAGICAL SUPPLEMENTS OF SEVERAL KINDS, AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WHEN I TRIED TO READ THE STORY ON THAT ONE, MY TRUSTY WEBROOT WARNING EMBLEM POPPED ON THE SCREEN AND SAID THAT I WAS IN A DANGEROUS SITE AND THAT I SHOULD EXIT IMMEDIATELY. I DID. SOMETIMES, MERELY BY SPENDING TOO MANY SECONDS IN A SITE LIKE THAT WE CAN GET A MALWARE PROGRAM OF SOME KIND.

THE INTERNET IS FULL OF OPPORTUNISTIC, MALICIOUS AND DISHONEST PEOPLE. IN MY OPINION, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT “RACES” OF MANKIND – THE HONEST AND THE DISHONEST. YES, THERE ARE GRADATIONS BETWEEN THOSE TWO, BUT MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE BROUGHT UP IN THE RIGHT WAY SIMPLY WILL NOT STEAL, CHEAT, OR LIE UNLESS HE TRULY HAS TO, AND, EVEN THEN, HE MAY BE WILLING TO FACE JAIL TO AVOID BEING DISHONEST. THE SAME IS TRUE OF VIOLENCE FOR THE MOST PART, THOUGH I THINK EVERY HUMAN CAN BE PUSHED TO A POINT OF FURY THAT MAY END IN VIOLENCE. BULLYING, THOUGH, IS ANOTHER MATTER. THAT IS THE ENJOYMENT OF ANOTHER’S PAIN OR A LACK OF HUMAN EMPATHY. THAT, IN MY BOOK, IS “EVIL.”

SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ON THE NET LIVE BY LYING, CHEATING, ETC. THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THESE WEBSITES JUST WANT MONEY BY HOOK OR CROOK. WHEN I LOOKED INTO THEM A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AFTER THE RUSSIAN AND EASTERN EUROPEAN SITES WERE BLAMED FOR A GREAT DEAL OF HIGHLY FALLACIOUS STORIES -- HILLARY CLINTON IS RUNNING A CHILD MOLESTATION SITE IN THE BACK OF A PIZZERIA, FOR INSTANCE -- I FOUND ONE CITY IN THE RUSSIAN POLITICAL SPHERE, IN MACEDONIA, I THINK, WHICH WAS GENERATING A DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE AMOUNT OF FAKE NEWS STORIES. THE ARTICLE ON THE SUBJECT SAID THAT IT'S DONE TO MAKE MONEY, AND THEY DO MAKE PLENTY OF IT. A LOT OF THEM ARE TEENS, BUT SOME ARE MALICIOUS AND GREEDY ADULTS.

I WANT TO FORGIVE THEM BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IN PLACES LIKE THAT THERE MAY NOT BE MANY WAYS TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE, BUT I STILL DON’T FORGIVE THEM. I BELIEVE THAT, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, IT TAKES GUTS TO GET AHEAD HONESTLY, AND THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE GUTS AND A CONSCIENCE WILL CHEAT INSTEAD. THERE WAS A VERY INTERESTING NEWS INTERVIEW I SAW WITH A PROFESSIONAL WRITER OF FAKE NEWS, AND WHAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT HOW HE VIEWS LIFE WAS SPOOKY, BUT FASCINATING – LIKE WATCHING A LARGE BLACK SPIDER KILL AN INSECT. I WANT TO SEE THE VARIOUS KINDS OF DESTRUCTIVE WEB SITES CLEANED UP, BUT NOT IN A WAY THAT IS GOING TO DRAG HONEST PEOPLE WHO JUST WANT TO SPEAK THEIR MINDS IN ALONG WITH THE CROOKS.

I ALSO FEAR THE POTENTIAL OF THOSE GOVERNMENT “BIG BROTHER” ACTIVITIES THAT WILL CRIMINALIZE OUR RIGHT TO DISCUSS ISSUES. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR BY GEORGE ORWELL, READ IT NOW. IT WAS WRITTEN, ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA, IN 1949, BASED ON BRITAIN WHICH IN THIS DYSTOPIAN NOVEL IS NOW CALLED AIRSTRIP ONE. IT IS A LONG BOOK, BUT THE STORY IS GRIPPING AND MOVES FAST. YOU’LL ENJOY IT!



AS FOR THIS PROBLEM BELOW WITH THE TURMOIL CREATED IN THE SENATE WHEN SOME FORCED THE “NUCLEAR OPTION” THROUGH, DESTROYING THE LITTLE POWER THAT THE MINORITY PARTY HAS. THAT IS TROUBLING MANY OF THEM, SEE THE ARTICLE BELOW. IT’S SELF-EXPLANATORY. I PERSONALLY THINK THE BASIC “TWO PARTY SYSTEM” IS THE PROBLEM. THERE IS JUST TOO MUCH GROUPTHINK GOING ON, SO THAT INDIVIDUAL SENATORS CANNOT EVALUATE THINGS FOR THEMSELVES, BUT END UP BEING PUSHED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THE FOUNDING FATHERS DISCUSSED WHETHER POLITICAL PARTIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED AT ALL OR NOT, WHICH I THINK IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION. PEOPLE OF SIMILAR MINDS WOULD ALWAYS SPLINTER OFF TO WORK TOGETHER; BUT HAVING THESE TWO TRULY MONOLITHIC WEALTHY ARMY-LIKE POWER FORCES SUCH AS WE HAVE TODAY, IS KILLING THIS COUNTRY. NO NEW IDEAS CAN EVEN BE HEARD OR SEEN ON THE MEDIA. WE COULD USE DISCUSSION GROUPS THAT MEET LOCALLY AND ADVANCE IDEAS TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE LEGISLATURE, INSTEAD.

FOR THE HIGHER FUNCTIONING OF OUR MINDS TO GO ON, THE “LOYALTIES” NEED TO BE BASED ON RATIONALITY AND OF A TEMPORARY NATURE, IN OTHER WORDS, NOT SO STRONG A BOND THAT THEY KEEP US FROM THINKING AND FEELING AS INDIVIDUALS. THAT’S THE KIND OF GROUPTHINK THAT UNITES LYNCH MOBS. THINKING INDIVIDUALLY IS THE ONLY WAY, IN MY VIEW, THAT A DEMOCRACY CAN FUNCTION. WE AREN’T A DAMNED FOOTBALL TEAM, YOU KNOW. WE’RE A SOCIETY AND NEIGHBORS ABOUT A VERY SERIOUS BUSINESS. I WILL ALSO MENTION HERE THAT WE ARE ALL OF THE SAME SPECIES AND SHOULD TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT – NONE OF US ARE “COONS,” OR “MONKEYS.” LET US DROP ALL OF THAT UGLINESS AND TRY TO BE DECENT AND HONEST. MAYBE THEN WE COULD RUN A DEMOCRACY.

I PERSONALLY AM READY TO SEE AT LEAST ONE MORE PARTY, IN FACT WE NEED ONE – THE PROGRESSIVES/GREENS OR WHATEVER WE SHOULD NAME IT – AND WHILE WE’RE AT IT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE REPUBLICANS FORM A MODERATE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND LET THE “MODERATE” DEMOCRATS JOIN WITH THEM FROM TIME TO TIME. THE TEA PARTY AND THE OTHER ALT-RIGHT GROUPS COULD GET TOGETHER TO FORM THEIR OWN PARTIES ALSO. IN MY OPINION, THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE ALLEGIANCE TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES THAT I BELIEVE IN, AFTER ALL. THE WHITE SUPREMACISTS CAN FALL IN BEHIND THEM. THEN WE COULD HAVE ONE PARTY CALLED THE ODDSNENDS. THAT WILL INCLUDE THE ANARCHISTS AND TRUE ECCENTRICS OF ALL VARIETIES.

ALL THIS IS APPARENT DISSOLUTION OF WHAT I HOLD DEAR IS REALLY HARD FOR ME. I GREW UP ON LOVING THE MELTING POT AND AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL, AND AM LEFT WITH MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL AND WHITE NATIONALISM. I’M AFRAID THAT GOOD DOESN’T ALWAYS CONQUER EVIL, ANOTHER FALLACIOUS THING I WAS TAUGHT; AND IT IS HARMFUL IF WE THINK THAT GOD IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING, SO THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO BOTHER. FROM THAT KIND OF THINKING CAME THE BLISSFUL ASSUMPTION BY OUR DEMOCRATS THAT DONALD TRUMP WOULD NEVER BE ELECTED, BECAUSE THEY/WE ARE SO OBVIOUSLY SUPERIOR.

OF COURSE, THE TRANSFORMATION OF AN ENLIGHTENED EUROPE INTO THE THIRD REICH SHOULD ILLUSTRATE WHAT IT IS THAT I DIDN’T FORESEE. EACH GENERATION MUST FIGHT THE BATTLE ALL OVER AGAIN, BECAUSE THE TWO EXTREMES LIE WITHIN EACH HUMAN SPIRIT. I PRAY WE WILL BEAT THIS DEMONIC FORCE NOW, BEFORE IT EATS US UP INTERNALLY. OUR SPIRIT – THE SELF-AWARENESS AND THINKING MIND – CAN EXIST QUITE WELL WITHOUT OUR SOUL – THE CONSCIENCE. I FEEL THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT VERY SPLIT IS ALREADY HAPPENING TO THE AMERICAN CONSCIENCE. I AM FIRMLY COMMITTED TO FIGHTING WITH THE PROGRESSIVES IN THIS WAR OF THE MIND AND SOUL. THEY’RE GOING MY WAY, AFTER ALL.

SEE THIS ARTICLE ON THE SPLITS IN THE SENATE, WHICH IS DESTABILIZING THEM.


http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/bitter-fight-leaves-senate-nursing-disunity-hangover-n743586
POLITICS APR 8 2017, 11:59 AM ET
Senate Nursing a Disunity Hangover After Latest Bitter Fight
by LEIGH ANN CALDWELL

The fierce battle over the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to be a Supreme Court justice ended with an already partisan Senate further divided over lingering grudges and left some members mourning a more collegial time for the upper chamber.

Both Republicans and Democrats were troubled by the dramatic showdown and changes in the Senate rules but also remained hardened by their distrust and frustration with their colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle. In fact, when the votes were called, all but four senators stood squarely by their party's side on the very issues they say could deepen the divide.

Each party made unprecedented moves this week resulting in a change of Senate rules that govern how Supreme Court nominees are confirmed. They even had an apocalyptic name for the change — the "nuclear option" — which eliminated a 60-vote threshold for nominees for the high court.

Related: Neil Gorsuch Confirmed to Supreme Court After Senate Uses 'Nuclear Option'

The episode was the latest in a long fight over presidential nominations that has left the power of the minority severely limited and feelings raw.

"I think it's a very sad day for the Senate," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has been part of many bipartisan groups in the past to diffuse partisan stalemates, including one that avoided the "nuclear option" in 2005. "We have now destroyed that 200 years of tradition requiring 60 votes," he said, meaning that the Senate no longer has to "have bipartisan votes to these issues and these appointments."

Play Sen. Coons: 'Not a good week for the Senate' Facebook Twitter Embed
Sen. Coons: 'Not a good week for the Senate' 6:15

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., struggled with the Democrats' filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, a move that led Republicans to change the rules. It all happened, he said, because there's just too much animosity between Republicans and Democrats.

"In the end, we just don't have enough trust at this point for us to be able to get past this point," Coons said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

Related: What is the Nuclear Option and Why Does it Matter?

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., agreed. He has been in the Senate for just over two years but he served in the House of Representatives for four years before that.

"The Senate is much more collegial than the House," Peters said. He says this week's episode will have a negative impact on the Senate.

"It certainly changes the institution of the Senate where you try to find common ground or consensus," Peters said.

And some fear that this is not the end but just the next step in a series of actions that completely changes the function of the Senate. Now that there is no 60-vote threshold for any presidential nominee to pass, some lawmakers say that the same threshold on legislation is next on the chopping block.

McCain warns about that "slippery-slope."

"Next it will be the legislative 60-votes," he said.

The filibuster is critical because it gives the party in the minority a tremendous amount of power. One senator can block any legislation from moving forward until they can come to an agreement on a way to move forward.

Coons is so concerned about preserving the institution that he is circulating a letter with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to Senate leaders, urging them to keep the filibuster for legislation. Sixty-one senators have agreed to sign.

"We have a long way to go to heal the wounds between our two parties, but this letter is a small first step towards that important goal," Coons wrote.

Play Analysis: Next Steps for Restoring Trust in the Senate Facebook Twitter Embed
Analysis: Next Steps for Restoring Trust in the Senate 2:59

Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this week that there is "not one" Republican senator who wants to change the legislative filibuster.

"We all understand that's what makes the Senate the Senate," he said.

Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch predicted that would never happen.

"If we do that, the Senate would become like the House," he said. "The Senate is a place of deliberation it's not a place where you can quickly move things through, and the filibuster rule is a very great protection for the minority (party)."

But Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, didn't dismiss the possibility of getting rid of the filibuster for more than presidential nominees.

"At this point there is not a majority for ending the legislative filibuster. My hope is that Democrats will stop their unreasonable across-the-board obstruction and allow the Senate to operate," Cruz told reporters.

But he added, "if they continue on with an immovable blockade, I suspect the votes will shift on that question as well."

In spite of this week's bitter fight, many Senators say the upper chamber hasn't been broken. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, told reporters that it's not going to stop him from working to pass bipartisan legislation.

"I'm of the view that it actually reminds us of how important it is to get along when we can get along," said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, and a member of a Republican leadership. "We'll see. The appropriations process will be a test of whether members want to get back together and get something done or not, and I'm optimistic that things can really happen."

Hatch, who has been in the Senate for four decades, wasn't too worried about the overall impact of the Senate.

"I've seen the Senate broken before and we always come back. Hopefully this won't cause too much consternation," Hatch said.

Leigh Ann Caldwell LEIGH ANN CALDWELL TWITTER
TOPICS CONGRESS
FIRST PUBLISHED APR 8 2017, 11:59 AM ET
NEXT STORY Neil Gorsuch Confirmed to Supreme Court After Senate Uses 'Nuclear Option'



MORE ROCKERS MARCH UP FOR THEIR HONORS. I DON’T KNOW ALL OF THESE, BUT I’M PRETTY TOLERANT OF ROCK MUSIC IN GENERAL. JOAN BAEZ, OF COURSE, WAS ONE OF OUR MAIN ANTIWAR SINGERS, AND SPOKE OUT FREQUENTLY ON SOCIAL ISSUES. SHE ALSO HAS A LOVELY VOICE. QUITE A FEW OF THEM HAVE ALSO ENTERED THE BATTLE WITH THE TRUMP TEAM. UNFORTUNATELY, WE’RE FIGHTING OVER THE SAME OLD ISSUES, THAT WE DID IN 1970, WHICH WE ALL THOUGHT HAD BEEN SOLVED. DARKNESS NEVER GOES AWAY TOTALLY, AND WHEN IT COMES BACK IT’S TOTALLY RECOGNIZABLE FOR WHAT IT IS. I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT IT’S MORE THAN A MENTAL ILLNESS. IT’S A PHILOSOPHY.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-inducts-joan-baez-tupac-journey-and-more/
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts Joan Baez, Tupac, Journey and more
CBS/AP April 8, 2017, 10:24 AM

NEW YORK -- Seattle rockers Pearl Jam, Joan Baez and 1970s hitmaking band Journey were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday night.

The late rapper Tupac Shakur, Electric Light Orchestra and Yes were also part of the 2017 class inducted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, which kicked off with a tribute to Chuck Berry.

The new inductees closed the multi-hour event with a group performance.

Baez, one of folk’s most iconic voices, said it felt “cool” to be inducted. She also said earning the Rock Hall honor would help young people learn who she is, and what she’s accomplished.

In an interview with “CBS This Morning,” Baez said it felt “a little bit silly, but really nice” to be inducted.

Joan Baez on joining Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Play VIDEO
Joan Baez on joining Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

“My granddaughter had no clue who I was until I took her backstage to a Taylor Swift concert,” said Baez, who added that her granddaughter took a selfie with Swift and now had “newfound respect for her grandmother.”

She was inducted by Jackson Browne, who said the first album he bought with his own money was Baez’s second album.

Before the new inductees performed, Pearl Jam electrified with a performance of its well-known songs.

David Letterman inducted the band, and brought a small guitar and letter onstage that he said Vedder gave to his son days before his late-night show ended in 2015.

Letterman wasn’t the only fan in the room: As Vedder thanked his wife during his speech, one male fan from a seat up high screamed, “I love you, Eddie!”

“Shoot, honey, I thought you were sitting down in the front,” Vedder said to laughs.

His wife, Jill, was teary-eyed in the audience as fans continued to cheer.

Vedder also used his speech to discuss climate change, saying “climate change is real, that’s not fake news.” He also said his daughter Olivia was a big fan of Chance the Rapper, and thanked the Grammy-winning hip-hop star for his charitable contributions to Chicago.

7 facts you may not know about Tupac Shakur
Play VIDEO
7 facts you may not know about Tupac Shakur

Speaking of rappers, Shakur -- who died in 1996 -- was remembered by Snoop Dogg with a touching and playful speech.

Dogg, a former label mate and friend of Shakur, says he attended the event to make sure the rapper, actor and poet is remembered as a “strong black man that stood for his.”

Dogg, a marijuana enthusiast, also says it was Shakur who first gave him weed. “That’s right -- Tupac got Snoop Dogg smoking blunts,” he said to laughs from the audience. Later, Alicia Keys performed a medley of Shakur’s songs on piano, including “Dear Mama” and “Changes.”

One of the night’s most anticipated performances was Journey’s. But despite earlier reports, Steve Perry did not perform with the current Journey members. Instead, Arnel Pineda sang lead as the band performed their hits, including “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

Perry, estranged from the band for many years, did embrace guitarist and co-founder Neal Schon onstage.

“You’re the one who put us here,” Perry said to the Journey fans, earning one of the night’s loudest applauses. “I’ve been gone a long time but you’ve never not been in my heart.”

Like Shakur and Pearl Jam, Baez and ELO were all elected in their first year as nominees.

ELO -- who kicked off the show with Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven” -- and progressive British rockers Yes were also inducted Friday.

“It was 49 years ago tonight I met Chris Squire at a bar,” singer Jon Anderson said of the band’s founding bass player who died in 2015. “Magic moment.”

Berry wasn’t the only late legend who was honored: Lenny Kravitz paid tribute to Prince after the “In Memoriam” section with an explosive performance of “When Doves Cry,” backed by a choir and beaming purple lights.

Pharrell said kind words about Nile Rodgers, who received a special honor at the event, which will air April 29 as a special on HBO.

To be eligible, all of the nominees had to have released their first recording no later than 1991. Inductees will eventually be enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland.



I’M AFRAID THAT THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE IS A FREE FOR ALL, AND WILL REMAIN SO. HEAVEN HELP US ALL.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/priebus-tries-to-broker-peace-between-bannon-and-kushner/
Reince Priebus tries to broker peace between Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner
CBS NEWS
April 8, 2017, 12:47 PM

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus called a meeting with chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior adviser Jared Kushner to encourage the two to work out their differences following reports of infighting among President Donald Trump’s top White House officials.

“Reince had the two sit down with him to clear the air and agree [on focusing] on the agenda and ending the back and forth,” a White House official told CBS News.

The meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, comes in the wake of reports that Mr. Trump may be considering a major shakeup in his top staff, and that Priebus and Bannon’s jobs are in danger. The White House has pushed back on those reports.

gettyimages-665988694.jpg
Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus and Jared Kushner arrive to board Air Force One with U.S. President Donald Trump to travel to Michigan from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., March 15, 2017 MIKE COPPOLA, GETTY IMAGES

Ivanka Trump, Kushner’s wife and Mr. Trump’s eldest daughter, dismissed claims of infighting in a recent interview with “CBS News This Morning” as mere differences of opinion. She recently joined the White House staff in an official capacity as assistant to the president.

The infighting between Bannon and Kushner reportedly came to a head on Thursday as Mr. Trump was weighing military action against Syria. The New York Times reported Mr. Trump told his top aides he was tired of hearing about their infighting in the media, ordering them to “work this out.”

Since the beginning of Mr. Trump’s presidency, Bannon and Kushner have espoused diverging views, whether behind the scenes or publicly. The hard-charging Bannon, a self-described “economic nationalist,” has clashed with Kushner, a longtime Democrat, on issues ranging from social policy to intervention in Syria.

Bannon and Priebus both find themselves in the unenviable position of clashing with a member of the Trump family.

Jared Kushner expanding foreign policy role despite lack of experience
Play VIDEO
Jared Kushner expanding foreign policy role despite lack of experience

Bannon’s name was removed from the National Security Council’s Principals Committee earlier this week, sparking talk that the president’s controversial chief strategist may be losing his foothold in the White House.

Meanwhile, Kushner’s role has been expanding. Mr. Trump has given Kushner increasing input in policymaking, most notably in foreign affairs, where Kushner has virtually no experience.

CBS News’ Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.



THIS LOOKS LIKE A PRANK, AND IF SO, IT IS RELATIVELY HARMLESS AND FUNNY; THOUGH IT COULD CAUSE CHAOS IN CITY TRAFFIC SITUATIONS, ETC.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hackers-blamed-for-setting-off-156-emergency-sirens-across-dallas/
Hackers blamed for setting off 156 emergency sirens across Dallas
CBS/AP April 8, 2017, 3:48 PM

Photograph -- More than 150 emergency sirens blared across Dallas after hackers are believed to have gained entry into city systems CBS DALLAS

DALLAS -- Residents in Dallas had a rude awakening Friday night when 156 emergency sirens wailed throughout the city, and officials are saying the sirens were triggered by a hack, CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reports.

The person or people responsible were able to hack into a part of the system that was communicating with all the city’s sirens, Rocky Vaz, who heads the city’s Office of Emergency Management, said at a news conference.

The OEM successfully deactivated the siren system at around 1:20 a.m. Saturday while trying to determine what caused them to trigger.

Hack took down D.C. surveillance cameras days before inauguration
Play VIDEO
Hack took down D.C. surveillance cameras days before inauguration

“We shut it down as quickly as we could, taking into consideration all of the precautions and protocols we had to take to make sure that we were not compromising our 156 siren system,” he said.

The city cannot say how the system was hacked, but it believes the hack was done within the Dallas area.

The FCC was notified to assist in identifying the source of hack, according to city officials. The city is also working to put in safeguards to avoid these types of hacks again.

City officials say the priority is working to reactive [sic] the siren system and work will be done through the weekend.

Residents are asked to be patient and to avoid calling 911 or 311 as the sirens may sound again during reactivation.



“OCTO” IS WHAT??? https://octo.dc.gov/page/about-octo -- Office of the Chief Technology Officer

STORY WRITERS, PLEASE DEFINE EVERY TECHNICAL WORD OR ACRONYM THAT YOU PUT INTO THE STORY. I FOUND THIS ONE FAST, BUT I HAVE LOOKED FOR FIVE OR TEN MINUTES, ESPECIALLY FOR STREET SLANG AND ANY OTHER SMALL GROUP SPECIALIZED WORDS. OTHER THAN THAT, THIS IS A GOOD STORY, AS USUAL. TO ME THE WASHINGTON POST IS DEFINITELY NOT “FAKE NEWS!”

READ ALSO THE FOLLOW UP STORY FROM THE DAILY MAIL IN ENGLAND. THE HACKERS WERE FOUND AND ARRESTED IN LONDON.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/hackers-hit-dc-police-closed-circuit-camera-network-city-officials-disclose/2017/01/27/d285a4a4-e4f5-11e6-ba11-63c4b4fb5a63_story.html?utm_term=.4ac17a8b93b1
Hackers hit D.C. police closed-circuit camera network, city officials disclose
By Clarence Williams
January 27, 2017

Photograph -- Ransomware is proliferating, security experts say. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)

Hackers infected 70 percent of storage devices that record data from D.C. police surveillance cameras eight days before President Trump’s inauguration, forcing major citywide reinstallation efforts, according to the police and the city’s technology office.

City officials said ransomware left police cameras unable to record between Jan. 12 and Jan. 15. The cyberattack affected 123 of 187 network video recorders in a closed-circuit TV system for public spaces across the city, the officials said late Friday.

Brian Ebert, a Secret Service official, said the safety of the public or protectees was never jeopardized.

Archana Vemulapalli, the city’s Chief Technology Officer, said the city paid no ransom and resolved the problem by taking the devices offline, removing all software and restarting the system at each site.

An investigation into the source of the hack continues, said Vemulapalli, who said the intrusion was confined to the police CCTV cameras that monitor public areas and did not extend deeper into D.C. computer networks.

Ransomware is malware that is said to be proliferating. It infects computers, often when users click on a link or open an attachment in an email. It then encrypts files or otherwise locks users out until they pay.

The D.C. hack appeared to be an extortion effort that ”was localized” and did not affect criminal investigations, city officials said.

[These hackers can hold a town hostage — and they want ransom.]

On Jan. 12 D.C. police noticed four camera sites were not functioning properly and told OCTO.* The technology office found two forms of ransomware in the four recording devices and launched a citywide sweep of the network where they found more infected sites, said Vemulapalli.

The network video recorders are connected to as many as four cameras at each site, she said.

“There was no access from these devices into our environment,” Vemulapalli said.

Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham said that police worked with OCTO but that the incident was limited to about 48 hours He said there was “no significant impact” overall.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4191080/British-man-woman-arrested-CCTV-Washington-DC-hacked.html
British man and woman are arrested after CCTV cameras in Washington DC were hacked just days before Donald Trump's inauguration
By Simon Holmes For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: 08:52 EDT, 4 February 2017 | UPDATED: 13:32 EDT, 4 February 2017

Photograph -- Natal Road in Streatham where the raid and arrest took place
Photograph -- Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to attendees of his inauguration on January 20. The hack was made between January 12 and January 15

A British man and a woman have been arrested in London after Washington DC's CCTV cameras were hacked just days before Donald Trump's inauguration.
Police stormed a house in south London after the cyber attack was launched on the network - crippling 123 out of 187 cameras.

The day before President Trump was sworn into the Oval Office on January 20, the National Crime Agency raided a property in Streatham and arrested a British man and a Swedish woman, both 50 years old.

Washington officials said the hack last week saw ransomware left on the camera system between January 12 and January 15 in a bid to extort cash from the authorities.

City officials were left unable to record, forcing major citywide reinstallation efforts, according to the police and the city's technology office.

And US authorities believe the cyber attack may have been a test run with another computer assault potentially planned for the day of the ceremony.

A spokeswoman for the NCA would not confirm what was found at the address, but added: 'We can confirm that officers executed a search warrant at an address in Natal Road, SW16 on the evening of 19 January.

'Enquiries are ongoing and we are unable to provide further information at this time.'

No ransom was paid to the hackers and the issue was resolved internally by reinstalling software and restarting each infected system individually.
The arrested pair have been bailed until April 2017.




YET ANOTHER FASCIST LINK TO THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE AND BREITBART. READ THIS ARTICLE. IT MAKES ME LAUGH THAT TRUMP IS SO HURT OVER SOME OF US COMPARING HIM AND HIS PEOPLE TO NAZIS. OKAY THE NAME IS OVERDONE, BUT WHAT THEY DID MUST NEVER BE ALLOWED HERE.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/sebastian-gorka-made-nazi-linked-vitezi-rend-proud-wearing-its-n742851
NEWS APR 8 2017, 9:40 AM ET
Sebastian Gorka Made Nazi-Linked Vitezi Rend ‘Proud’ by Wearing Its Medal
by ALEXANDER SMITH and VLADIMIR BANIC

Photograph -- Vitezi Rend members commemorate the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising at the grave of former prime minister and uprising leader Imre Nagy in Budapest in 2008. Attila Kisbenedek / AFP-Getty Images
Photograph -- Sebastian Gorka, center, talks with Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, left, before a meeting with President Donald Trump on cyber security at the White House in January. Martin H. Simon/Redux
Photograph -- Vitezi Rend spokesman Andras Horvath on the banks of Budapest's Danube river. NBC News
Photograph -- Sebastian Gorka poses with his wife Katharine Gorka at Trump's Inaugural Ball wearing the medal of Vitezi Rend. Courtesy of LobeLog
Map of Europe showing Hungary -- Budapest is Hungary's capital city. Google Maps
Photograph -- Erika Laszlo at her home in Piliscsaba, Hungary. NBC News
Photograph -- Gabor Horvath speaks at his newspaper's office in Budapest. NBC News
Photograph -- Miklos Horthy, the regent and head of state of Hungary, wears the admiral's naval uniform in Budapest on Nov. 12, 1927.


BUDAPEST, Hungary — A group with alleged historical links to Nazi Germany has told NBC News it was "proud" when President Donald Trump's deputy assistant wore its medal.

Controversy has swirled around Sebastian Gorka, one of Trump's top counterterrorism advisers, ever since he attended the president's Jan. 20 Inaugural Ball wearing the honorary medal of Hungarian nationalist organization Vitezi Rend.

NBC News traveled to Hungary to dig deeper into Gorka's ties with the group, speaking with members of the organization as well as with locals who knew him when he lived there.

"When he appeared on U.S. television ... with the medal of the Vitez Order ... it made me really proud," Vitezi Rend spokesman Andras Horvath said in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Vitezi Rend is also known as the Order of Vitez.

Image: Sebastian Gorka
Sebastian Gorka poses with his wife Katharine Gorka at Trump's Inaugural Ball wearing the medal of Vitezi Rend. Courtesy of LobeLog
Three people, including one of Gorka's former political allies, said he was a well-known member of Vitezi Rend back in Hungary, a charge he strongly denies.

Gorka's decision to wear the medal — which he said was awarded to his Hungarian-born father — has provoked outrage among Jewish groups.

While in Budapest, NBC News also spoke with Andras Heisler, the Hungarian vice-president of the New York-based World Jewish Congress, who said that wearing the medal "isn't a good message for a democratic society."

Under the Direction of Nazis
Vitezi Rend was founded in 1920 by Hungarian ruler Miklos Horthy to award medals to Hungarian veterans of World War I. But the group's history became murky after the country allied with Nazi Germany in 1938.

Heisler told NBC News that members of the organization were likely complicit in the murder of some of the hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews toward the end of World War II.

During the war, the State Department listed Vitezi Rend among a group of "organizations under the direction of the Nazi government of Germany." And Horthy, its founder, once said that "I have always been an anti-Semite throughout my life," according to "The Jews of Hungary," a 1995 book by Hungarian-Jewish historian Raphael Patai.

The Soviet-allied communist government outlawed Vitezi Rend when they took control of the country after the war. But since then, several private organizations have emerged claiming to be the true successors of the group and its ideals.

Horvath, the spokesman interviewed by NBC News, represents the most prominent modern-day faction. He vehemently denied his organization of 5,000 members is anti-Semitic or extremist, although he conceded that his group has no Jewish members.

Image: Andras Horvath
Vitezi Rend spokesman Andras Horvath on the banks of Budapest's Danube river. NBC News
According to its followers, Vitezi Rend is merely "a politically independent organization with Christian-conservative values that keeps its military traditions," said Vitez John Molar-Gazso, the captain of another modern-day faction of the group. "It has never been radical or a fascist group. Its members have always defended the nation's interests and fought for the Hungarian communities," he said.

Similarly, Gorka has denied he has ever been a sworn-in member of Vitezi Rend — whose name translates to "valiant order."

In several statements to the media, he has explained that he wore the medal to honor his late father, Paul Gorka, who was awarded it for his fight against communism during Hungary's period of communist rule. He has given a similar reasoning for occasionally using the initial "v." in his name — a mark used by Vitezi Rend members to show the order has been bestowed upon them. He said it was in remembrance of his dad.

Last month, three Vitezi Rend officials told American-Jewish newspaper The Forward that Sebastian Gorka was one of their order.

The reports about Gorka prompted the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, an American civil-rights group, to call for Sebastian Gorka's resignation, or at least an investigation into his alleged links with the far-right.

"How many ducks in the Trump White House must walk, talk and quack Anti-Semitically before our country wakes up and sees the greater problem?" it told NBC News in a statement. "Who among us wears a medal of a Nazi-sympathetic organization to remember loved ones?"

When asked about the allegations in NBC News' investigation, Sebastian Gorka dismissed them as "fake news" and pointed to a statement he gave to online Jewish magazine Tablet last month.

"I have never been a member of the Vitez Rend. I have never taken an oath of loyalty to the Vitez Rend," he told the publication. "Since childhood, I have occasionally worn my father's medal and used the 'v.' initial to honor his struggle against totalitarianism."

He told NBC News he "completely distanced myself" from any white-supremacist or Nazi ideology. He declined to answer specific questions about NBC News' reporting.

Image: Sebastian Gorka
Sebastian Gorka, center, talks with Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, left, before a meeting with President Donald Trump on cyber security at the White House in January. Martin H. Simon/Redux
Horvath, the Vitezi Rend spokesman, said Paul Gorka was a senior Vitezi Rend lieutenant for the western Hungarian city of Sopron and its surroundings.

"This is, in the various ranks of the order, an advanced level," he said, his own Vitezi Rend medal on proud display.

The 69-year-old was speaking on the banks of the Danube river in Hungary's storied post-Soviet capital, where some buildings still bear bullet-holes from a failed anti-Soviet revolution in 1956.

Paul Gorka "was more than an average Vitezi member ... I had good experiences and conversations with [him]," the spokesman said, his grey hair and trimmed moustache matching his relaxed yet matter-of-fact demeanor.

Image: Vitezi Rend members commemorate the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising
Vitezi Rend members commemorate the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising at the grave of former prime minister and uprising leader Imre Nagy in Budapest in 2008. Attila Kisbenedek / AFP-Getty Images

Although Horvath was unable to confirm that Sebastian Gorka was a member himself, he said it was possible. There are many chapters all over the world, he said, any of which could have conducted the inauguration ceremony.

He explained that the first sons of Vitezi Rend members can either choose hereditary membership or to apply in their own names.

"The membership can be inherited by the children and this membership enters into force when they participate in an inauguration ceremony," said Molár-Gazsó, the captain of the other Vitezi Rend group.

The Road to Piliscsaba
Sebastian Gorka, 47, was born in London in 1970 to Hungarian parents and gained American citizenship in 2012. Before finding his seat in the president's inner-circle, he spent years in his parents' former homeland in the 1990s and 2000s.

After interviewing Horvath and Heisler in Budapest, NBC News drove 14 miles north to the small, sleepy town of Piliscsaba, where several prominent locals alleged that Sebastian Gorka was a member of Vitezi Rend.

Image: Map of Budapest
Budapest is Hungary's capital city. Google Maps
The future White House aide ran for mayor here in 2006, but was unable to persuade its population of 7,500 that he was the right man for the job. He came third out of three candidates but only lost by a margin of 39 votes.

"Everybody knew that he was member of the Order of Vitez," according to Csaba Gáspár, who came in second that day but later became mayor between 2010 and 2014.

This was corroborated by one of Sebastian Gorka's political allies during that campaign.

''I knew that Sebastian Gorka was a member of Vitezi Rend, even then," said Dr. Gabor Solti, a respected Hungarian geologist who ran for the town council on Sebastian Gorka's ticket in 2006. Solti, who served as mayor between 2009 and 2010, is not known to be a member of the group.

Although the three people NBC News interviewed in the town said emphatically that Sebastian Gorka made no effort to hide his membership while he campaigned in the town, they did not provide any evidence of their claims.

Picturesque Piliscsaba couldn't contrast more with Sebastian Gorka's current environs of Washington, D.C.

A regular line of cars run along the two-lane road that cuts the town in half, but most are just passing through, stopping for little more than a bathroom break.

A large Catholic church next to a cake shop marks the center of the town, which is surrounded by rolling green hills.

Erika Laszlo also knew Sebastian Gorka during his failed mayoral bid. Back then, she was the chairwoman of a local environmentalist group called For Piliscsaba, and as part of the group's activities she wrote leaflets about the campaign.

Image: Erika Laszlo
Erika Laszlo at her home in Piliscsaba, Hungary. NBC News
"It was common knowledge he was a Vitezi," she said, petting her Labrador during a long afternoon at her woodland home. "And for many people this was a shine on the armor, if you like, because it was the old, golden days before the war."

The Gorkas' controversial past does not end with the father and son.

In the 1980s, Sebastian Gorka's mother, Susan Gorka, worked as a translator for David Irving, the discredited British historian who caused outrage by suggesting the Holocaust did not happen, or was at least greatly exaggerated.

A British judge ruled in 2000 that Irving was a "Holocaust denier … anti-Semitic and racist, and that he associates with right-wing extremists who promote neo-Nazism." And in 2006, he was sentenced to three years in prison in Austria on charges of denying the Holocaust.

Irving wrote an email to NBC News describing his warm working relationship with Susan Gorka.

"His mother was very helpful, checked translations in the 1980s and tapes of interviews," Irving said. "My impression of both Gorkas [Susan and Paul] was at all times good."

NBC News attempted to ask Sebastian Gorka about his mother's involvement with Irving but he declined to answer detailed questions.

V is for Vitezi
In addition to wearing the group's medal, Sebastian Gorka has occasionally used the initial "v." in his name — short for Vitezi. He claimed this was merely something to honor his father, but experts interviewed by NBC News were in no doubt that it signified his membership.

"I called him Vitez, firstly because he used to call himself Vitez while being in Hungary," according to Gabor Horvath, managing editor of Hungary's Nepszava newspaper. "And second to let the readers know that anyone claiming to belong to the order … it means that he is a right-wing conservative."

Gabor Horvath knew all too well that the "v." indicated someone was a Vitezi Rend member — his own grandfather belonged to the order. He too could have inherited the title had it not been for his father marrying a Jewish woman and breaking the family lineage.

"In theory I might have been Vitezi myself … not that I wanted to," he said, speaking in his newsroom back in Budapest. "The original charter of the order prescribed a Christian family life."

Image: Gabor Horvath
Gabor Horvath speaks at his newspaper's office in Budapest. NBC News
Paul Gorka was born in Budapest in 1930. As a 15-year-old boy in 1944, he "fought with a submachine gun through the ruins of the Hungarian capital," according to Sebastian Gorka's 2016 book "Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War."

He didn't specify which side his father fought on — Soviet or Nazi — but a large part of Paul Gorka's life thereafter was dedicated to fighting against the former.

After the war, Paul Gorka joined Hungary's underground anti-Soviet resistance. He was caught, jailed and tortured, according to his son's account, but then broke free during the failed revolution of 1956.

It was these anti-Soviet acts that earned him the medal in 1979 that his son would wear to Trump's ball.

Ardent Nationalism

Miklos Horthy, Hungary's wartime leader and the founder of Vitezi Rend, remains a hugely divisive figure even today. Some say he attempted to protect Hungarian Jews from the Nazis, others point to a series of anti-Semitic laws he passed and claim his actions led to the deaths of tens of thousands.

Similarly, the actions of Vitezi Rend's original members are the source of some disagreement.

The spokesmen for the two modern-day factions said their predecessors were not complicit in the deportation of at least 400,000 Hungarian Jews to Nazi death camps in 1944.

But many experts disagree.

"Vitezi Rend had a lot of anti-Semitic, racist members," according to Heisler, the vice-president of the World Jewish Congress. "The organization had some members who were actors in the killing of the Jews," as well as taking Jewish property, he said.

Historian Eva S. Balogh fled Hungary to the U.S. in 1956 before gaining her Ph.D. and teaching at Yale. She said that "the likelihood that a good number of the [Vitezi] Order's members embraced the ideas of Hitler is fairly strong."

Almost "the entire Hungarian high command belonged to the [Vitezi] Order," according to Balogh, who also runs the news website Hungarian Spectrum and has written extensively about the Gorkas. She said that these Hungarian elites "were avid supporters of Germany and eager to join Germany's war efforts."

Image: Miklos Horthy, the regent and head of state of Hungary
Miklos Horthy, the regent and head of state of Hungary, wears the admiral's naval uniform in Budapest on Nov. 12, 1927. AP

Today's Vitezi Rend members, according to Balogh, follow the same "ethical and moral code" as their predecessors in the 1920s — "ardent nationalism, a fostering of Hungarian military traditions [and] an attraction to right-wing ideologies."

Aside from the question of whether or not Sebastian Gorka was a member of Vitezi Rend, his credentials as a counterterrorism expert have also been called into question.

Before joining Trump's team, he served in the British Army Territorial Reserves, worked as an adviser at Hungary's Ministry of Defense, offered his expertise as a think-tank analyst, and worked as an editor at the right-wing news website Breitbart.

The New York Times has been among his outspoken critics in this regard. A headline in a Times opinion piece described Sebastian Gorka as "the Islamophobic huckster in the White House" and criticized his worldview of seeing "Islam as the problem, rather than the uses to which Islam has been put by violent extremists."

Gabor Horvath, the Hungarian newspaper editor, agreed.

"Obviously he's not the expert he claims to be — obviously," he said. "He got his masters degree and his Ph.D. from the Corvinus University in Hungary. The Corvinus University is not a center for national security studies, certainly not internationally recognized studies of this kind."

Alexander Smith reported from London and Ken Dilanian reported from Washington, D.C.

Alexander Smith ALEXANDER SMITH TWITTERFACEBOOKEMAIL
VLADIMIR BANIC
CONTRIBUTORS KEN DILANIAN