WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2017


NEWS AND VIEWS


HOW DO THE MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN GET THESE DRUGS, FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES OR IS THERE A PIPELINE BUILT INTO THE MILITARY, PERHAPS SMUGGLING DRUGS THEMSELVES, PROVIDING AN EXTRA INCOME TO SOME HIGHER UPS? NEGLECTING THINGS LIKE URINE TESTS IS JUST STUPID. IN ADDITION, PEOPLE TURN TO DRUG ABUSE DUE TO UNDERLYING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. “RISKY BEHAVIOR” IS COMMON AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT THEY SHOULD OUTGROW IT BY FULL ADULTHOOD IT THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO THE PROBLEM, AND THEY SHOULDN’T BE HIRED FOR SUCH A POSITION UNTIL THEY ARE 21 AT LEAST, IT SEEMS TO ME. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE PERHAPS STRONGER PHYSICALLY, BUT THEY ARE USUALLY NOT AS MATURE.

IN AN ELITE CORPS, THEY SHOULD QUALIFY UNDER A STIFF SERIES OF IQ AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AS WELL AS HOW LONG THEY CAN STAY UNDERWATER OR HOW MANY MILES THEY CAN RUN. I THINK A VERY SIMILAR ISSUE IS INVOLVED WITH CITY POLICE OFFICERS AND HOW THEY ARE RECRUITED AND HIRED. MENTAL ISSUES POP UP THERE, TOO, DUE TO THE STATUS OF THE JOB. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO BE “DA BOSS,” BUT THEY ARE MENTALLY BORDERLINE, AND OFTEN NOT TOO BRIGHT AS WELL. IT’S EASY FOR THEM TO GO OVER THE BORDERLINE INTO OVERLY AGGRESSIVE OR EVEN SADISTIC BEHAVIOR. FIND THEM AND FIRE THEM.

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ABOUT THE MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES THEY ARE INVOLVED WITH AS PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS, AND THE FACT THAT THOSE LUCRATIVE OUTSIDE ENDEAVORS ARE GIVING AWAY IMPORTANT SECRETS IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM. I DON’T KNOW WHY THAT WAS EVER AUTHORIZED BY THEIR HIGHER UPS. WAS SOMEBODY IN THE UPPER LAYERS GETTING SOME MONEY UNDER THE TABLE FOR ALLOWING THAT? FINALLY, NO SOLDIER WHO IS TREATED LIKE A “HOT SHOT” CAN BE TOTALLY TRUSTED. THE HUMAN EGO GETS OUTSIZED IN THAT KIND OF SITUATION.

I CAN’T HELP WONDERING WHO’S MINDING THE STORE? 900 SEALS ON THE EAST COAST AND PROBABLY AS MANY IN OTHER LOCATIONS AS WELL. WHY ARE SO MANY SPECIALISTS LIKE THAT NEEDED? IS THE PROGRAM SIMPLY TOO LARGE TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AMONG THEM? I AM ALSO SORRY TO SAY THAT THIS DOES GO BACK TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, SO IT’S A BLACK MARK AGAINST HIM AS WELL. I HOPE WE WILL HEAR ABOUT A SWEEPING INVESTIGATION WITH NOT ONLY DISMISSALS, BUT CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS AND CONTINUED REGULAR CHECKUPS ON THE PROGRESS.

SOONER OR LATER THE ISSUE WILL COOL DOWN, BUT THE PROBLEM WON’T TOTALLY GO AWAY. IMMATURE AND OTHERWISE BAD GUYS WILL GO BACK TO THEIR OLD BEHAVIORS IF THEY AREN’T MONITORED AND SANCTIONED FOR FUTURE INFRACTIONS. IF THEIR CONSCIENCE ISN’T SENSITIZED TO THESE AND OTHER HONESTY ISSUES, THEY CAN’T BE TRUSTED. WE ARE A PERMISSIVE SOCIETY IN WAYS LIKE THAT. THE MEN WHO CAME FORWARD TO TALK TO CBS ABOUT IT, THOUGH, SHOULD BE GIVEN AN AWARD OR A RAISE IN RANK FOR THAT. WHISTLEBLOWING WHILE YOU’RE STILL IN THE SERVICE IS DANGEROUS BUSINESS, AND REQUIRES COURAGE AS WELL AS THAT FACTOR WHICH IS MOST NEEDED, HONESTY. SEE BOTH CBS NEWS ARTICLES BELOW.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/navy-seal-drug-use-staggering-investigation-finds/
Navy SEAL drug use "staggering," investigation finds
By DAVID MARTIN CBS NEWS
April 11, 2017, 7:06 PM

One of the most honored and respected segments of the U.S. military is battling an enemy within. For the first time, Navy SEALs are talking publicly about drug abuse in the ranks.

“I’m sitting in this chair because I’m not proud anymore to be in the community because of the direction that it’s going,” said one of the Navy SEALs who came forward.

Three Navy SEALs -- one active duty, two retired -- agreed to talk to us on camera if we disguised their faces and change their voices to protect them from retribution.

martin-navy-seal-drug-use-2-2017-4-11.jpg
Navy SEALs are one of the most elite forces, but there is a “growing” drug problem, SEALs tell CBS News. CBS NEWS

“People that we know of, that we hear about have tested positive for cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, ecstasy,” said a SEAL. “That’s a problem.”

How prevalent is drug abuse in the SEAL teams?

“It’s growing,” said one SEAL. “The drug use, it’s growing.”

Last December, as an e-mail shows, the SEALs halted all training and ordered a safety stand-down because of the drug problem.

“I feel like I’m watching our foundation, our culture erode in front of our eyes,” said Capt. Jamie Sands, the commander of 900 SEALs based on the East Coast.

Sands had been on the job for just three months and already five SEALs had been kicked off the teams for using drugs.

“I feel betrayed,” Sands said. “How do you do that to us? How do you decide that it’s OK for you to do drugs?”

Every SEAL under his command was required to attend this meeting or else watch it online. In response to our request, the Navy released an edited version of the video.

martin-navy-seal-drug-use-5-2017-4-11.jpg
Captain Jamie Sands speaks to a meeting of Navy SEALs about drug use. CBS News obtained an edited version of a video of the meeting. CBS NEWS

Before Sands spoke, his chief of staff rattled off what he called a “staggering” number of drug cases which he said showed that the Navy’s Special Operations had a higher incidence of drug use than the rest of the fleet.

“It’s a population that is supposed to be elite performers, all with classifications, to where they have national security information and responsibilities,” a SEAL told CBS News. “That’s dangerous to my teammates.”

Another one said that “if we need your ability, I don’t need to be in the back of my mind thinking that, OK, can I really trust this guy? Is he 100 percent going to cover my back?”

Adm. Timothy Szymanski, head of the Naval Special Warfare Command, agrees, telling CBS News in a statement “anything above zero represents a disturbing trend for this elite force.”

So why do SEALs take drugs? You might think it was due to the stress of high-risk operations, but that’s not what Sands said.

“They think it was OK because they’ve seen other people do it,” Sands said in the video. “They think their teammates won’t turn them in. They think it’s kind of the cool thing to do, but they think it’s OK.”

A SEAL who blows the whistle on drug use does so at his own peril.

“You stand up for what’s right, and you get blackballed, or driven out,” one of the SEALs said.

Another agreed, saying “it’s a career killer.”

martin-navy-seal-drug-use-4-2017-4-11.jpg
Three Navy SEALs -- two retired, one active-duty -- spoke to CBS News about the drug use they saw in their forces. CBS NEWS

Like the rest of the military, SEALs are supposed to be subjected to random urinalysis. But in practice, they aren’t tested when they are away from their home base, which is much of the time because their skills are in constant demand. Three active-duty SEALs told us they had not been tested in years. Sands vowed to change that.

“We’re going to test on the road,” Sands said in the video. “We’re going to test on deployment. If you do drugs, if you decide to be that selfish individual, which I don’t think anyone’s going to do after today. I believe that. Then you will be caught.”

Sands called an all-hands meeting referencing a drug problem in Group 2. Although it sounds like he is dealing with it, a Navy SEAL told CBS News that “it has gotten to a point where he had to deal with it.” “I hope he’s somebody that we can rally behind and hold people accountable, but i’m not sure at this point,” the SEAL said.

As part of the safety stand-down, all SEALs were required to submit to urinalysis. One SEAL who had tested positive for cocaine last summer tested positive again, this time for prescription drugs. He is being kicked off the teams.

After speaking by phone with one of the SEALs who attended that meeting, I asked him if we could talk again, which would require using a cell phone that could not be traced. He said, “sure,” then added, “we need help.”



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/navy-seals-accused-of-profiteering-putting-lives-in-danger/
Navy SEALs accused of profiteering, putting lives "in danger"
CBS NEWS April 12, 2017, 8:00 AM

RELATED:
Navy SEAL drug use “staggering,” investigation finds
Navy SEALs describe a culture in crisis


As Navy SEALs talk publicly to CBS News about drug abuse in the ranks for the first time, some members of the elite force say drugs aren’t the only problem.

According to interviews, e-mails and text messages from nine current and former SEALs, “...there’s been a corruption within the teams,” one of them wrote. “The death of our quiet professionalism continues to erode at our ethos, and endangers our teammates overseas, not to mention our families at home.”

Three Navy SEALs -- one active duty, two retired -- agreed to talk to CBS News on camera if we disguised their faces and change their voices to protect them from retribution.

One SEAL told CBS News correspondent David Martin that “the community has got to stop seeking the limelight and exposing what they do or it continues to put people in danger.”

They accused fellow SEALs of profiteering -- or as they called it -- “selling the Trident,” a reference to the insignia they earn after making it through basic training. Fitness routines based on SEAL training have become a cottage industry as have books by former SEALs.

“They are just guys that are going in to try and sell the brand, to sell that trident on their chest, to make a buck from it,” said one SEAL. “And frankly if that’s all they were doing, so what? But the thing they’re selling is information.”

These men say movies like “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Captain Phillips” are all too accurate in showing the way SEALs operate. One movie, “Act of Valor,” included active duty SEALs in the cast.

“They get all of these, you know, sometimes ex-SEALs or active-duty SEALs to help make sure it looks as realistic as possible in that process, you know,” on SEAL told us. “Unknowingly or knowingly they’re giving away, you know, our tactics and procedures.”

As long ago as 2012, seven Navy SEALs were disciplined for having worked as paid consultants on the video game “Medal of Honor: Warfighter.”

Do video games really give away real tactics?

“How we move, and, you know, they were pretty accurate for a lot of different things, you know,” one SEAL said. “So yeah, I would say some of them do.”

One SEAL told Martin that he has had to change the way he operates because something has been made public.

It all adds up to a betrayal of the SEALs’ own code of conduct.

“When I joined the Navy, the brochure said ‘quiet professionals,’ and that’s what I signed up for, but that’s not what it is today,” one SEAL said.

“Is fame ruining the SEALs?” Martin asked

“I believe that has a lot to do with it,” one SEAL responded.



WE NEED MANDATORY PENALTIES FOR THESE POINTLESS POLICE BEATINGS. IF THIS HAD BEEN A WHITE PERSON THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO “ARREST” FOR JAYWALKING, BUT A TICKET ONLY, IF THAT. PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR THIS IS RIDICULOUS. HE HASN’T BEEN CHARGED WITH FELONIOUS ASSAULT OR FIRED FOR EXCESSIVE FORCE. LOOK AT THE VIDEO. TRUE, THEY CALLED IT “UNACCEPTABLE CONDUCT,” AND SAID THAT THEY ARE “INVESTIGATING IT.” I HOPE BLM WILL SHOW UP AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOORS.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sacramento-cop-caught-on-video-taking-down-beating-alleged-jaywalker/#
Cop caught on video taking down, beating alleged jaywalker
CBS NEWS April 12, 2017, 8:57 AM

Play VIDEO -- Cellphone video shows officer taking down alleged jaywalker


SACRAMENTO -- A Sacramento police officer has been placed on administrative leave after throwing a pedestrian to the ground and striking him in the face multiple times in an incident captured on video, CBS San Francisco reports.

In a press release, the department said, “the videos of this incident portray actions and behavior that we would consider unacceptable conduct by a Sacramento police officer. As a result, the Department’s Internal Affairs Division is investigating the event.”

The incident happened at 5:07 p.m. Monday in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood of Sacramento.

The video, posted by Naomi Montaie, starts by showing the incident unfolding from inside a vehicle. The officer and the man are seen standing in the middle of a residential street exchanging words. What they are saying is inaudible.

A woman inside the vehicle yells, “Nephew, just listen.” About three seconds later, the officer steps forward, grabs the man and hurls him onto the pavement. The woman yells, “Hey, hey! Why you doing him like that?”

The car then moves forward as video continues to capture the incident, showing the officer on top of the man, punching him repeatedly.

“Hey, hey, why you beatin’ him like that?” the woman yells.

Another officer arrives and handcuffs the man as he’s face down on the pavement.

“Oh my God, why’d you take him down like that? ... He just got off work,” the woman says.

In the end, seven officers surround the man, handcuffed in the street. Eventually, they put the man in the back of a police car.

“He was bleeding at the mouth ... That one cop, took him down and just started: Bam, bam, bam,” says the woman.

Then the video ends.

According to police, the officer attempted to stop the man “who was observed crossing the street unlawfully ... The officer then got out of his patrol car and tried to detain him, but the subject walked away.”

Police say “the pedestrian began removing his jacket, challenging the officer to fight. The officer charged at the pedestrian to take him into custody. For an unknown reason, the officer threw the pedestrian to the ground and began striking him in the face with his hand multiple times. Within a few moments, additional officers arrived to assist in handcuffing the suspect.”

According to police, the beating victim was held in the Sacramento Main Jail and released Tuesday morning due to “insufficient grounds to file a complaint.”

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg told the Sacramento Bee Tuesday that he found the actions of the officer “extremely disturbing and not representative of the training nor the expectations we have for our police department.”

The name of the officer has not been released, but according to police he is a two-year veteran with the department. He is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation.

Meantime, the video posted on Facebook was viewed more than half a million times and shared by more than 14,000 users by Wednesday morning.



NATO IS “NO LONGER” OBSOLETE. SO, TIME RUNS BACKWARD NOW??

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-nato-not-obsolete-reversing-campaign-stance-202140818.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-nato-not-obsolete-reversing-campaign-stance-202140818.html
Reuters April 12, 2017

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that NATO is not obsolete, as he had declared on the campaign trail last year, but said NATO members still need to pay their fair share for the European security umbrella.

At a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump thanked NATO members for their support of his decision last Thursday to launch 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on civilians and said it was time to end Syria's civil war.

"I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete," Trump said, adding that the Transatlantic alliance was adapting to the broader mission against Islamic militants that he had urged.

Stoltenberg said he had an excellent and productive meeting in the Oval Office with Trump.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by James Dalgleish)



RUSSIA HAS NEVER BEEN A GREAT FRIEND TO THE USA. I DO REMEMBER GORBACHEV FONDLY, THOUGH. HE LED RUSSIA TOWARD A COOPERATIVE, CORDIAL AND EVEN FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP. NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV WAS OFTEN JOVIAL, WAS REPORTEDLY DISAPPOINTED WHEN HE WASN’T ALLOWED TO VISIT DISNEYLAND, AND WAS INTERESTED IN AMERICAN FARMING TECHNIQUES. MY MOTHER’S FAVORITE MOMENT, THOUGH, WAS WHEN HE TOOK OFF HIS SHOE IN A UN MEETING AND POUNDED IT ON THE TABLE. THAT WAS NAUGHTY, BUT FUNNY! HE WAS A FRIENDLIER PERSON THAN PUTIN, WHO IS STIFF AND COLD. AS FOR GOOD RELATIONS, PUTIN IS MUCH TOO AGGRESSIVE FOR MY TASTES. I HOPE A WARMER SITUATION WILL OCCUR, BUT I’M NOT TOO HOPEFUL ABOUT IT. WE STILL NEED THEIR COOPERATION WITH THE SPACE PROGRAM, THOUGH, IF WE DO MAINTAIN THE SPACE STATION.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rex-tillerson-sergey-lavrov-press-conference-live-updates/
U.S.-Russia relations reach "low point," Tillerson says after Moscow meeting
By KATHRYN WATSON CBS NEWS
April 12, 2017, 12:22 PM

Photograph -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson enter a hall during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, April 12, 2017. REUTERS/MAXIM SHEMETOV - RTX356UE

U.S.-Russia relations are at a “low point,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a joint news conference Wednesday with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in which the two disagreed on so many points, it was as if they were holding separate press conferences.

“There is a low level of trust between our two countries,” Tillerson said,” following a two-hour meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The relationship between the U.S. and Russia has become increasingly tense since President Donald Trump authorized a missile strike on a Syrian airbase last week in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack believed to have been carried out by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Tillerson said it is “conclusive” that Assad was behind the attack, while Russian officials — Syria’s strongest allies — have questioned whether chemical weapons were used at all. Lavrov said Russia wants a “frank investigation” by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The two also differed on what to do with Assad, especially in light of last week’s attack. Tillerson — although he wouldn’t describe how Assad should leave power — said the Syrian president’s departure must happen in an “orderly” way.

Rex Tillerson in Moscow for tense talks amid Syria standoff
Play VIDEO
Rex Tillerson in Moscow for tense talks amid Syria standoff

“But the final outcome in our view does not provide a role for Assad or for the Assad family in the future governance of Syria,” Tillerson said, changing his tone from just two weeks ago, when he said removing Assad was not a priority. “We do not think the international community will accept that, we do not think the world will accept that.”

Lavrov, however, said attempted ousters of dictators are never ultimately successful, claiming the death of Osama bin Laden didn’t eradicate terrorism or achieve stability in the Middle East.

“A successful ouster of a dictator is very hard to remember,” Lavrov said.

The two also aired clashing remarks over alleged Russian intervention into the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Tillerson said such intervention is “well established,” and worthy of sanctions against the Kremlin, although there are no new sanctions at this time. But Lavrov said he had seen no evidence to support election meddling, despite “many” requests for proof.

“We want to hear concrete proof, and then we will respond accordingly,” Lavrov said.

The Moscow meeting was planned before last week’s apparent chemical attack in northern Syria. Mr. Trump, who has changed his tone on Russia since his inauguration, had blunt words for Putin before the press conference.

“Putin is backing a person that’s truly an evil person. And I think it’s very bad for Russia,” he said in and interview with Maria Bartiromo airing today on Fox Business Network.

Putin said Wednesday that U.S.-Russia relations have “degraded” since President Trump took office.

Rex Tillerson holds joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister after meeting Vladimir Putin

Play VIDEO
Rex Tillerson holds joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister after meeting Vladimir Putin

Tillerson, on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” earlier this week, blamed the chemical attack in Syria on Russia’s “failure,” but said the U.S. has no information that Russia helped carry out the attack.

“Well, to our knowledge, we do not—we do not have any information that suggests that Russia was part of the military attack undertaken using the chemical weapons,” Tillerson said Sunday, amid reports that the U.S. is investigating possible Russian connection to the deadly sarin gas attack.

Follow our live-blog from earlier below.

2:29 p.m. The press conference has ended.

2:21 p.m. Lavrov said the U.S. has provided no evidence that it interfered in the 2016 election, despite “many” requests for such evidence.

“We want to hear concrete proof and then we will respond accordingly,” Lavrov said.

2:17 p.m. Tillerson said no changes are being made to sanctions on Russia at this time after its actions in Ukraine, although he called Russian interference in the election fairly well established, and a “serious issue” possibly worthy of sanctions.

2:11 p.m. Lavrov pointed out that the killing of Osama bin Laden did not remove terrorism.

“A successful ouster of a dictator is very hard to remember,” Lavrov said, inviting anyone to share a successful example with him.

2:02 p.m. Tillerson said the reign of the Assad family is “coming to an end,” and they have brought this on themselves.

Tillerson emphasized Assad’s departure needs to happen in an “orderly” way.

“But the final outcome in our view does not provide a role for Assad or for the Assad family in the future governance of Syria,” Tillerson said, changing his tone from just two weeks ago, when he said removing Assad was not a priority. “We do not think the international community will accept that, we do not think the world will accept that.”

1:59 p.m. As the conference opened up to questions, Tillerson said it is “conclusive” that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime is behind the chemical attack.

But Lavrov said Russia “insists” there be an investigation.

“As for the investigation into the incident, there is a fact-finding mission of the OPCW, there is also a joint mechanism for an investigation set out together by the OPCW and the United Nations,” Lavrov said.

1:50 p.m. “We frankly discussed the state of U.S.-Russia relations,” Tillerson said, saying that relation is at a “low point.”

“There is a low level of trust between our two countries,” Tillerson said.

1:46 p.m. Lavrov said Russia is trying to overcome the “pause” that has taken place in the White House with the transition to the new administration.

1:44 p.m. Lavrov said he and Tillerson also discussed Afghanistan, the Korean Peninsula and other matters.

Syria Chemical Attack: Russia wants “frank investigation”

1:40 p.m. Lavrov called the talks between Tillerson and himself “constructive.” Lavrov said they have “touched on” the chemical gas attack that took place in Syria last week, and the ensuing U.S. missile strike on a Syrian airbase.

“We have stated our position on many occasions,” Lavrov said, saying Russia wants a “frank investigation” of the chemical attack by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

1:34 p.m. The press conference has begun.

1:04 p.m. The meeting has now ended, after nearly two hours. Awaiting the press conference.



HOTELS OVERBOOK TOO, JUST TO GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL HAVE A FULL HOUSE. IT’S AN UNFAIR THING TO DO, AND SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. THE SECOND OBVIOUS ISSUE HERE IS THAT THE FLIGHT CREW CHOSE AN ASIAN MAN, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS A DOCTOR BOUND FOR AN IMPORTANT EVENT, AND BADLY ROUGHED HIM UP. THE SEVERAL OTHER BAD EVENTS LIKE THAT HAVE BEEN ON DELTA AND NOT UNITED, BUT ALL AIRLINES OVERBOOK AND APPARENTLY ARE NOT ALWAYS RESPECTFUL OF PEOPLE OF COLOR. I’M GLAD TO SEE THAT HE IS BRINGING A SUIT AGAINST THEM.

CONGRESS IS ON IT, TOO, WITH A NEW PROPOSED LAW CALLED THE “CUSTOMERS NOT CARGO ACT,” PROHIBITING THIS WHEN THE PASSENGER HAD PAID AND BEEN SEATED. BUSINESSES ARE GETTING AGGRESSIVE THESE DAYS, BUT SO ARE THE US PUBLIC. THE CEO IS UNDER FIRE FROM CITIZENS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. THE CEO HAS PROMISED NEVER TO USE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS “AGAIN” TO REMOVE A PASSENGER WHO HAS PAID HIS FARE, DUE TO OVERBOOKING, BUT WHY DID THEY DO IT THIS TIME? WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IS SEE TO IT THAT THEY DON’T OVERBOOK. HE HAS, HOWEVER, REFUSED TO RESIGN, BUT WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I, PERSONALLY, HOPE I NEVER NEED TO GET ON AN AIRPLANE AGAIN, BUT SINCE MY FAMILY IS ABOUT 500 MILES NORTH OF HERE, I MAY HAVE TO IN THE EVENT OF A DEATH.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-airlines-passenger-dragged-off-flight-pursues-legal-action/
United Airlines passenger who was dragged off flight pursues legal action
CBS/REUTERS April 12, 2017, 4:57 PM

Lawyers for David Dao, the doctor forcibly dragged off a United Airlines plane, filed an emergency request with an Illinois state court on Wednesday to require the carrier to preserve video recordings and other evidence related to the incident.

Citing the risk of “serious prejudice” to their client, the lawyers want the airline and the City of Chicago, which runs O’Hare International Airport, to preserve surveillance videos, cockpit voice recordings, passenger and crew lists and other materials related to United Flight 3411.

The filing with the Cook County Circuit Court likely presages an eventual lawsuit against United for the April 9 incident, where Dao was snatched from the seat he had paid for, and was dragged by his hands on his back off the parked plane, which had been bound for Louisville, Kentucky.

Dao is scheduled to hold a press conference Thursday morning, his legal team said.

Photograph -- 170411-facebook-united-passenger-bloody-face.jpg

In a video posted online, a United Airlines passenger is shown with a bloody face after he was forced off an overbooked flight on Sun., April 9, 2017, by officers at Chicago O’Hare airport.

United Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz on Wednesday apologized to Dao and said the company would no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights. A video of Dao being dragged off the flight, bleeding, went viral this week, causing global outrage.

Much of the uproar stemmed from Dao’s status as a paying passenger who was being removed, against his will, to make room for additional crew members on the overbooked flight.

Three security officers have been placed on leave after the incident, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. Their names have not been released.

United CEO apologizes to passenger dragged out of jet
Play VIDEO
United CEO apologizes to passenger dragged out of jet

On Capitol Hill, powerful Republican and Democratic lawmakers denounced how Dao was treated and called for United to explain the situation.

On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, announced plans for the Customers Not Cargo Act, which would prohibit the forcible removal of passengers already aboard an aircraft “due to overbooking or airline staff seeking to fly as passengers.”

Two online petitions calling for Munoz to step down as CEO had more than 124,000 signatures combined by Wednesday afternoon, but he told ABC that he had no plans to resign over the incident.

Shares of United Continental (UAL) closed 1.1 percent lower on Wednesday, at $69.93. They fell as much as 4.4 percent on Tuesday.

The backlash from the incident resonated around the world, with social media users in the United States, China and Vietnam calling for boycotts of the No. 3 U.S. carrier by passenger traffic and an end to the practice of overbooking flights.

United Airlines outrage prompting calls for CEO's resignation
Play VIDEO
United Airlines outrage prompting calls for CEO's resignation

Delta Air Lines (DAL) CEO Ed Bastian defended overbooking as “a valid business practice” that does not require additional oversight by the government.

“It’s not a question, in my opinion, as to whether you overbook,” Bastian said on a Wednesday earnings call. “It’s how you manage an overbook situation.”

As of Tuesday, Dao was still in a Chicago hospital recovering from his injuries, his lawyer said.

Footage from the incident shows Dao, bloodied and disheveled, returning to the cabin and repeating: “Just kill me. Kill me,” and “I have to go home.”

In the ABC interview, Munoz apologized profusely to Dao, his family, passengers and United customers.

“This can never, will never happen again,” he said.



THERE IS A MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL BLIND SPOT WITH MANY AMERICANS ON THE WHOLE SUBJECT OF HITLER, BUT HIS COMMENT THAT HITLER DIDN’T SINK TO THE LEVEL OF USING GAS ON PEOPLE STRIKES A RAW NERVE. AS THE ARTICLE POINTS UP, HITLER DID GAS MANY, MANY JEWS IN THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS, AND THEY WERE “GERMANS.” WE ARE COMING SO CLOSE TO A NEW NAZISM IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT A COMMENT LIKE THAT IS OBSCENE. THE TRUMPITES ARE, AFTER ALL, THE ALT-RIGHT IN MANY CASES, KKK EVEN, SO I AND OTHERS FIND IT ALL DISGUSTING ON THE ONE HAND AND FRIGHTENING ON THE OTHER. I JUST GOOGLED SPICER, AND HE WASN’T BORN UNTIL 1971. MANY OF THOSE YOUNGER PEOPLE KNOW VERY LITTLE OF WWII AND THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS. WHY COULDN’T HILLARY HAVE PUT BERNIE ON THE TICKET AS HER VP? THEN WE WOULDN'T BE STUCK WITH THIS SET OF LEADERS. SHE REALLY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND, I DON’T THINK, THAT HER OWN RATINGS IN THE LESS WEALTHY WHITE AREAS WERE AS LOW AS THEY ARE. OH, WELL. THAT’S WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sean-spicer-apologizes-again-for-hitler-holocaust-gaffe/
Sean Spicer apologizes again for Hitler, Holocaust gaffe
CBS NEWS April 12, 2017, 11:10 AM

White House press secretary Sean Spicer apologized again Wednesday for his comparison of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler the day before.

“I made a mistake ... there’s no other way to say it. I got into a topic that I shouldn’t have, and I screwed up. I hope people understand that we all make mistakes. I hope I showed that I understand that I did that,” he told NBC News’ Greta Van Susteren at a Newseum forum on President Trump’s relationship with the press.

Sean Spicer causes uproar with Hitler gaffe
Play VIDEO
Sean Spicer causes uproar with Hitler gaffe

On Tuesday, Spicer had told reporters that Hitler “didn’t even sink ... to using chemical weapons,” a comment which ignored the mass killing of Jews in Nazi gas chambers in the Holocaust.

“It’s a very holy week for both the Jewish people and the Christian people, and this is -- to make a gaffe and a mistake like this is inexcusable and reprehensible. And so, of all weeks -- this compounds that kind of mistake,” Spicer said, referring to Passover and Easter. “It is really painful to myself to know I did something like that.”

He conceded Wednesday, “There’s no comparing atrocities,” and he called his mistake “disappointing” because “I think I’ve let the president down.”

“[O]n both a personal level and a professional level, that will definitely go down as not a very good day in my history,” Spicer said.

The White House press secretary also addressed reported the feud between Mr. Trump’s top aides, Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner, who is also his son-in-law.

A lot of the talk, he said, “is overblown.”

Trump’s team showing signs of decay involving key players
Ivanka Trump says White House staff "not at odds"
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Ivanka Trump says White House staff "not at odds"

“It’s the same team that had a very successful campaign,” Spicer said. Mr. Trump is “not getting a monolithic group of advice,” Spicer added, and said Bannon brings an understanding of the president’s policies and what he campaigned on.

Mr. Trump however, seemed not to attach as much significance to Bannon’s role in his campaign and administration.

“I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late,” he told the New York Post. “I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve. I’m my own strategist and it wasn’t like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.”

Van Susteren also asked Spicer about the upcoming White House Correspondents Dinner, which neither Mr. Trump nor his staff are attending.

“This is not the appropriate year to go,” Spicer said. Given “the relationship and the coverage we’ve gotten,” Spicer said.

“I don’t think that we should fake it,” he continued. “Going to a dinner where they sit around, you pretend everything is all hunky dory -- is probably not an appropriate year to be doing this,” Spicer said.

He added, “If things get better, maybe we’ll attend next year,” he added.



THIS LAST IS A LONG, BUT HAPPY, STORY. MALALA IS MAKING HER WAY IN THE WORLD ADMIRABLY.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malala-yousafzai-trump-travel-ban-refugees-college-hopes/
Malala Yousafzai on Trump's travel ban, college plans
CBS NEWS April 12, 2017, 6:52 AM

Human rights activist Malala Yousafzai has some impressive credentials for her college applications. After surviving a 2012 Taliban attack, she became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She also wrote a best-selling book and the audio version won a Grammy award.

She continues advocating education for women and girls worldwide, but the 19-year-old is still working to change the lives of others as she figures out her college plans for the fall.

The U.N. rarely shuts down the General Assembly Hall for a television interview, but for Yousafzai, the World Body made an exception. Yousafzai has demonstrated comfort on the global stage, addressing the most complex issues.

“President Trump twice tried to issue an immigration ban or a travel ban on refugees from majority Muslim countries. What message do you think that sent?” asked “CBS This Morning” co-host Norah O’Donnell.

Malala Yousafzai was "deeply hurt" by Trump's travel ban
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Malala Yousafzai was "deeply hurt" by Trump's travel ban

“Well, when the president banned Muslim-majority countries, that was really disappointing. And I was deeply hurt because I’m a Muslim,” Yousafzai said. “And to me, it just seemed like directly blaming Muslims, and that is not a solution. That is just making an excuse and hiding from the real problems. I think he needs to understand that you need to meet the people. You need to see the refugee people.”

Yousafzai has done just that. She spent her 19th birthday with Somalian refugees in Kenya. She’s also visited a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan.

“They’re dying, whether they’re in Syria or any other country. They’re dying. They are being killed. And if you don’t open the doors, if you don’t welcome them, they will be killed,” Yousafzai said. “So it’s important that [Mr. Trump] understand that these people are in need. And I have seen them. I have went to refugee camp. And I think he needs to go to these refugee camps.”

“You think President Trump needs to go to a refugee camp?” O’Donnell asked.

Malala Yousafzai says Trump should visit refugee camps
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Malala Yousafzai says Trump should visit refugee camps

“I definitely agree with that. President Donald Trump needs to go and see refugee children. He needs to go and visit the refugee camps. He needs to know what real life is like in a refugee camp,” Yousafzai said.

Yousafzai said the recent chemical attack in Syria is “shocking,” but “we need to remember that this happens each and every day, whether that’s through chemical weapon or any other weapon.”

“The number of people who have been killed is in hundreds and thousands. And it has been happening for more than five to six years. And the world is being-- is being silent. And I think we need to remind our leaders that this is a serious issue,” Yousafzai said. “We need to think ahead. We need to think about preventing wars from starting as well. And I think for that, investment in education is the key, investing especially in the education of women and girls.”

“There’s a direct relationship between illiteracy and terrorism,” O’Donnell said.

“With education comes questioning, with education comes critical thinking. With education comes more opportunities. People go forward. People-- people see and-- the world from a different perspective,” Yousafzai said.

But she said 130 million girls still do not have access to school.

“When we talk about going forward and achieving, like, developments, it is not possible without empowering these 130 million girls,” Yousafzai said. “But I just wonder, like, why do these leaders not see this?”

Yousafzai’s advocacy started with a blog for the BBC. She spoke out about the Taliban’s suppression of girls in Pakistan. It made her a target four and a half years ago when Taliban militants shot her in the head on her school bus. We first spoke with her a year later in 2013.

“The man who targeted you is now the head of the Taliban. Does that scare you?” O’Donnell had asked.

“I’m not scared of the Taliban at all. I might be afraid of ghosts and like dragons and those things, but I’m not afraid of the Taliban,” Yousafzai responded at the time.

Her bravery not only earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, but earlier this week, the United Nations’ secretary-general bestowed his highest honor, designating Yousafzai as the youngest ever U.N. Messenger of Peace. It placed her among an elite group of public figures raising awareness on behalf of the U.N. For Yousafzai, it was an emotional return.

“I had a historic moment here when I spoke at the U.N. and I gave my speech after the attack. And it was my first kind of appearance,” Yousafzai said.

“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world,” she said in her 2013 speech.

She’s still working to change the world by leading the way.

On Tuesday, she spoke at a school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a farming community of 60,000 with an outsized population of resettled refugees.

“To the world sometimes, especially right now, due to the political situation, people have a different image of America right now – a bit unwelcoming image,” Yousafzai said.

But with some calling the town America’s refugee capital, Yousafzai said Lancaster is giving a positive message to the world about Americans.

“So I’m hopeful that people will follow the city,” Yousafzai said.

Back in her adopted home in the U.K., Yousafzai is finishing up her final exams. She said she’d like to attend University of Oxford, the alma mater of her hero, Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s first female prime minister.

“So I had an interview for Oxford, and it was the hardest interview. The hardest,” Yousafzai said.

“I find it hard to believe that anything’s hard for you, Malala,” O’Donnell said, smiling.

“No, but it’s different. It’s not a TV interview, it’s a different interview -- ask the hard questions,” Yousafzai said. “Academic questions.”

“You’ve said you would like to be prime minister one day,” O’Donnell said.

“I did say but I’m not sure. Let’s see,” Yousafzai said.

“You’re dialing back on that?” O’Donnell asked.

“I’m not sure. It’s just a bit too much,” Yousafzai said, adding, “I’m gonna be focused on my university now.”

Yousafzai is kicking off what she calls a “girl power” trip around the world. She said she wants to spend as much time as possible meeting with girls before college starts in the fall. In addition to North America, she’s planning visits to Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.