May 24, 2017


News and Views


AS MUCH AS I DISLIKE THINGS LIKE A GOVERNMENT UNNECESSARILY SPYING ON ITS’ CITIZENS, BEING AWARE OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT BECOME DANGEROUS IN THIS WAY, IS IMPORTANT. I WONDER, THOUGH, IF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SOCIALLY PLANNED WITH THE “RED LINING” METHOD THAT I FIRST HEARD OF IN THE 1980S OR SO HERE IN THE USA. THAT USED TO, AND PROBABLY STILL DOES, RESTRICT CERTAIN GROUPS FROM LIVING ANYWHERE THEY WANT TO, THUS CONCENTRATING THEM TOGETHER INTO AN EVER MORE DISCONTENTED GROUP. IF THEY ARE DOING THAT IN LONDON, THEY’RE BUILDING THEIR OWN TIME BOMB, PLACED ON THEIR OWN FRONT DOOR. IT MAKES THE ORGANIZING OF DANGEROUS GROUPS MUCH EASIER, TO DO THINGS LIKE MANUFACTURE BOMBS WITHOUT BEING CAUGHT.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/manchester-bomber-salman-abedi-moss-side-neighborhood-terrorism/
CBS NEWS May 24, 2017, 11:44 AM
Concert bomber's neighborhood at crux of terror "network"?

Salman Abedi, the young Briton who killed 22 people with a suicide bomb at a concert in his native Manchester on Monday night, was raised in a neighborhood that has produced a small cadre of terror recruits.

Since the deadly attack on the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, police have carried out a number of raids around the southern Moss Side district of the city where Abedi lived with his parents and two siblings on Elsmore Road. At least four people have been detained in those raids since Tuesday morning.

View Gallery -- Manchester bombing: The victims, gettyimages-687642290.jpg, A police officer stands guard as forensic teams search the former home of terrorist Salman Abedi, May 24, 2017, on Elsmore Road, in south Manchester, England. GETTY

The most recent police operation focused on an address in central Manchester, in an apartment building where witnesses said armed officers forced their way into a home, but the vast majority of police activity since the concert bombing has been due south of the center, near Moss Side.

Police said one man was arrested Tuesday in Chorlton, and three more were detained Wednesday near the same location.

manchester-map2x.png
Manchester, with southern Moss Side district highlighted along with the location of two police raids conducted in the days immediately following the suicide attack on an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, on May 22, 2017. CBS

The Guardian newspaper reported in February that no fewer than 16 people from a two-and-a-half mile radius in that area had either died fighting with jihadist groups, or been convicted of terrorism offenses. Six of those individuals came from within just one mile of the Moss Side neighborhood where another infamous resident lived.

That report focused on Ronald Fiddler, a 50-year-old Moss Side resident and former Guantanamo Bay detainee who was released and then went on to blow himself up in Iraq early this year as a suicide bomber for ISIS.

What we know about the Manchester bombing suspect
Play VIDEO
What we know about the Manchester bombing suspect

The Guardian reported that Fiddler, who also went by the name Jamal al-Harith, and the 15 other Islamic extremists from the Moss Side area who were identified in the newspaper's investigation, "were part of a radical network and some of them prayed at the same mosque."

So the logical question to ask is why so many radicalized Muslim men have come from such a small area.

Moss Side is not an affluent area, and it has a large immigrant population. It has been well documented by CBS News' own reporting that such neighborhoods are fertile ground for radicalization. We visited Molenbeek, in the Belgian capital of Brussels, and similar neighborhoods in the Paris suburbs, where thousands of young men have scant economic prospects and little faith in their governments to help.

Les Banlieues: Seeds of Terror
Play VIDEO
Les Banlieues: Seeds of Terror

A family member said Ronald Fiddler struggled to find work in Manchester after being released from U.S. custody in Guantanamo Bay, uncharged with any crime, before heading for Iraq to join ISIS.

The details of Salman Abedi's story are still emerging, but it is clear that he was on the British authorities' radar screen -- not as a serious security threat, reported CBS News' Mark Phillips, but as someone on the periphery of Islamic extremist movements in the U.K.

That assessment was clearly flawed, as proven by the Manchester police chief's confirmation on Wednesday that his force is investigating "a network," and not a suspected lone-wolf attack.

There was also a growing focus on Abedi's father on Wednesday, with The Associated Press reporting he has past ties to an al Qaeda-linked group in Libya, and possibly still harbors extremist Islamic views.

Salman Abedi and other members of his family were frequent worshipers at the Didsbury mosque, also in south Manchester. That mosque, also called the Manchester Islamic Center, released a statement on Wednesday condemning the "horrific" bombing and offering "thoughts and prayers" to the victims.

didsbury-mosque-manchester-687743452.jpg
Manchester Islamic Centre and Didsbury Mosque Trustee, Fawaz Haffar, addresses members of the media outside of Didsbury Mosque in Didsbury, Manchester, northwest England, May 24, 2017, as investigations continue into the May 22 terror attack at the Manchester Arena. GETTY

An official of the Islamic center led a minute of silence outside the mosque later Wednesday to show respect for those killed and maimed in the attack. After that, Fawzi Haffar, a trustee of the Islamic center, read out a brief statement reiterating condolences, and saying the "act of cowardice has no place in our religion, or any other religion for that matter."

He called on anyone with information about Abedi to come forward to police to help their investigation, and refuted claims that the bomber had ever worked at the mosque.

Reports have also said Abedi's father and elder brother were active at the mosque. Haffar did not dispute those claims.

But the revelations from the ongoing investigation will only increase the focus in the coming days -- of both the news media and investigators -- on Moss Side, the Didsbury mosque, and the "network" of Islamic extremists who may still live in the area.



I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ACCOUNTING, BUT THIS ERROR WAS ESPECIALLY BAD. I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW IT WOULD BENEFIT TRUMP ET AL PERSONALLY, THOUGH. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE ENRON EPISODE INVOLVED THE OWNER’S USING THE COMPANY FUND AS A SOURCE FOR PERSONAL LUXURIES. THE ARTICLE DESCRIBES IT AS ENRON STYLE ACCOUNTING, WHICH WAS NOT ACTUALLY AN ERROR AT ALL. THIS IS ANOTHER PARTLY FUNNY AND PARTLY FRIGHTENING EPISODE IN THE DONALD TRUMP ERA. THANK GOODNESS FOR HARVARD ECONOMISTS.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/team-trump-struggles-explain-its-egregious-math-error?cid=eml_mra_20170524
Team Trump struggles to explain its ‘egregious’ math error
05/24/17 11:20 AM
By Steve Benen

Photograph -- WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 03: (AFP OUT) US President Donald Trump flanked by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (R) looks... Pool

One of the most glaring problems with Donald Trump’s new budget plan is that its architects are bad at arithmetic. Politico’s Michael Grunwald explained:
Budget proposals always involve some guesswork into the unknowable, and administrations routinely massage numbers to their political advantage. But this proposal is unusually brazen in its defiance of basic math, and in its accounting discrepancies amounting to trillions-with-a-t rather than mere millions or billions. […]

Trump critics in the budget-wonk world are pointing to another $2 trillion of red ink as a blatant math error – or, less charitably, as an Enron-style accounting fraud.

Budget fights can admittedly get a little wonky, but this one’s pretty straightforward: Trump’s White House unveiled a budget plan that double-counts $2 trillion. The president and his right-wing budget director, House Freedom Caucus co-founder Mick Mulvaney, specifically counts on $2 trillion in revenue to eliminate the deficit that the administration also devotes to paying for Trump’s tax cuts.

Harvard economist Lawrence Summers, the former Treasury secretary and National Economic Council director in the previous two Democratic administrations, wrote in the Washington Post that this represents “the most egregious accounting error in a presidential budget in the nearly 40 years I have been tracking them.” Summers added that the mistake is “a logical error of the kind that would justify failing a student in an introductory economics course.”

And while this is certainly a discouraging development for those hoping the White House is capable of rudimentary governmental competence – $2 trillion isn’t exactly a rounding error – what makes this especially fascinating to me is what Trump World is saying now that “the mystery money” problem has been exposed.

Mick Mulvaney, who’s chiefly responsible for the Trump administration’s budget, is currently pretending that the double-counting gimmick doesn’t exist. “We stand by the numbers,” he told reporters yesterday.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, meanwhile, sat down with CNBC’s John Harwood, who asked the Trump cabinet secretary to respond to the concerns. Mnuchin responded:

“So the budget was built on, what is the administration’s economic plans, and economic numbers which we’ve talked about, which are getting to 3 percent growth. So I think [Lawrence Summers], I think in all fairness to him, the issue is more of this is a preliminary document that will be refined, as we go through a process with Congress determining how money is spent.”

Oh. So confronted with evidence that the Trump budget is basically a giant fraud, the president’s budget director has decided to stick his head in the sand, while the president’s Treasury secretary intends to worry about making the numbers add up some other time.

In the immortal words of Casey Stengel, can’t anybody here play this game?



“SOME PRIVATIZATION” IS NOT REALLY A PROBLEM FOR ME AS ALONG AS IT ISN’T THE PRIVATIZATION OF SCHOOLS, PUBLIC HOUSING, OTHER CITY SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER MEDICAL CARE, AND OTHER HUMAN SERVICES – THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT SO OFTEN THE REPUBLICANS THINK ARE NOT THE DUTY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE CARE OF AT ALL – AND I WILL ADD, AS LONG AS THE REGULATORY SYSTEMS, THAT KEEP PRIVATE AND PUBLIC GROUPS FROM CHEATING CONSTANTLY IN THEIR CARE OF SUCH PROBLEMS -- ARE NOT CONSTANTLY CUT FINANCIALLY, THEREFORE NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THEIR’ BASIC POWER TO DO WHAT THEY SHOULD, SO THAT WE END UP WITH A SYSTEM OF TRULY NO PROTECTIONS AT ALL FOR PEOPLE BELOW THE CORPORATE LEVEL.

GIVEN ALL THOSE THINGS BEING IN PLACE TO CHECK IRREGULARITIES AND WORSE, I DON’T NECESSARILY THINK THAT PARTIALLY PRIVATE MANAGEMENT IS NECESSARILY WORSE THAN GOVERNMENT. I HAVE NOTICED, THOUGH, THAT SOME TASKS ARE SO EXPENSIVE AND SO COMPLEX THAT A GOVERNMENT BODY WITH MASSIVE COMPUTERS CAN HANDLE IT BETTER THAN A PRIVATE COMPANY. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED, THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HUMAN LEFT ON HIS OWN IS FAR LESS LIKELY TO USE A PUBLIC FUND FOR ITS’ INTENDED PURPOSE, DOING IT FAIRLY AND HONESTLY, THAN IS ONE WHO IS BEING WATCHED, OH SO GENTLY.

I KNOW THAT SENTIMENT ON MY PART CAN BE CALLED DYSTOPIAN, BUT IT IS VERY MUCH IN THE LINE OF WHAT IS EMERGING. READ SOME HISTORY, WHICH WAS NOT WRITTEN BY A REPUBLICAN, OF THE PERIOD IN THE USA, 1870 TO 1930, LEADING UP TO THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND THE NEW DEAL. THE CLASH OF EXTREME POVERTY AND EXTREME WEALTH WAS MUCH LIKE TODAY, THOUGH WORSE, THANKS TO OUR “SOCIAL SAFETY NET.” SEE THE EXCELLENT WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE CALLED “THE GILDED AGE,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilded_Age.

OUR LEGAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SYSTEM IS LIKE A BEAUTIFULLY PRUNED BUSH. IF YOU DON’T KEEP UP ITS’ MAINTENANCE, IT WILL LOOK UNKEMPT VERY RAPIDLY. THERE IS A CERTAIN “FREEDOM” TO THAT KIND OF GOVERNING, YES, BUT IT ONLY HELPS THOSE WHO NEVER REALLY NEED ANY HELP – THE STRONGEST AND THE LUCKIEST.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-administration-working-on-infrastructure-plan-involving-some-privatization/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS May 24, 2017, 10:51 AM
Report: Administration infrastructure plan could involve some privatization

Photograph FILE -- In this Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017 file photo, heavy storms over the past two weeks caused parts of the shoulder and one lane of westbound Highway 50 give way near Pollock Pines, Calif. RICH PEDRONCELLI / AP

The Trump administration is crafting a plan that could pay state and local governments money to compel them to sell some public assets like airports, bridges, highway rest stops and other facilities as it seeks to reform the nation's crumbling infrastructure, according to The Washington Post.

President Trump's 2018 budget released Tuesday, the report notes, proposes spending $200 billion over a decade to "incentivize" state and local governments spending money on infrastructure.

A task force that represents 16 federal departments and agencies, along with White House officials, and outside advisers are considering the idea of paying state and local governments to sell public assets. The report says the proceeds of the sales would finance infrastructure projects. The president and his advisers have also raised the idea of raising the gas tax to pay for projects as well, the report said.

The budget blueprint says Mr. Trump's "target of $1 trillion will be met with a combination of new federal funding, incentivized non-federal funding and expedited projects."

"While the administration continues to work with the Congress, states, localities, and other infrastructure stakeholders to finalize the suite of direct Federal programs that will support this effort, the Budget includes $200 billion in outlays related to the infrastructure initiative," the blueprint reads.

Senate Democrats unveiled a $1 trillion infrastructure plan in January, just after Mr. Trump entered office, but top Democrats have said the White House has not engaged with them on it.



PRESIDENT TRUMP STATED BELOW THAT ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS ARE “READY TO REACH FOR PEACE,” BUT MOST OF THE ARTICLE DOESN’T BEAR THAT OUT. ANYWAY, FOR AS LONG AS I’VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, THOSE TWO HAVE GOTTEN ALONG LIKE MICHAEL DOUGLAS AND KATHLEEN TURNER IN “THE WAR OF THE ROSES.” IN OTHER WORDS, I HAVE FOR THE MOST PART, LOST HOPE IN THEIR EVER ACTUALLY MAKING PEACE. HOWEVER, I HOPE ALONG WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND UNDOUBTEDLY THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT THEY WILL GET REAL AND STOP FIGHTING.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-reaffirms-commitment-to-israel-achieving-peace-in-middle-east/
By EMILY TILLETT CBS NEWS May 23, 2017, 8:41 AM
Trump reaffirms commitment to Israel, achieving peace in Middle East

President Trump ended his visit to Israel with a message of unity and commitment to defend the state of Israel.

In his final speech in Jerusalem before starting his next leg of his overseas trip, Mr. Trump reaffirmed "the unshakeable bond" between the U.S. and Israel.

"Israel is a testament to the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people," Mr. Trump said. "One message resounds, and that is the message of hope, they have endured and they have thrived. I stand in awe of the accomplishments of the Jewish people and I make this promise to you my administration will always stand with Israel."

Mr. Trump said his visit to the region was one built around the idea of "bringing nations around the world to defeat terrorism, and hateful ideology that drives it so hard and so fast."

"Today I call upon all people, Jews, Christians and Muslims, every tribe, every creed, to draw inspiration from this ancient city, to set aside our sectarian differences, to overcome oppression and hatred and give all children dignity and hope," Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump also reaffirmed his commitment to stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons and preserving Israel's security in the region.

"Iran's leaders routinely call for Israel's destruction -- not with Donald J. Trump. Believe me," said Mr. Trump to a round of loud cheers and applauds in support. "I like you too," he joked.

"We are telling you right now that Iran will not have nuclear weapons."

While no concrete plans for achieving peace in the Middle East were hashed out during Mr. Trump's visit, he was confident that both Israelis and Palestinians are "ready to reach for peace" and "make a deal."

"We know both Israelis and Palestinians seek lives of hope for their children, we know peace is possible if we put aside pain and disagreement of past and commit together to resolving crisis," said Mr. Trump.

Trump hopes to broker peace deal in Israel
Play VIDEO
Trump hopes to broker peace deal in Israel

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke before Mr. Trump, fiercely criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, saying he hopes he heeds the moral principles the U.S. president has laid out on this trip.

"And as you said this morning, Mr. President, funding and rewarding terrorism must end," Netanyahu said. "Standing next to you, President Abbas condemned the horrific attack in Manchester. Well -- I hope this heralds a real change, because if the attacker had been Palestinian and the victims had been Israeli children, the suicide bomber's family would have received a stipend from the Palestinian Authority. That's Palestinian law. That law must be changed."

Mr. Trump's comments of peace and security come after a deadly explosion left 22 dead at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England Monday evening.


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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
We stand in absolute solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom.
8:04 AM - 23 May 2017
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In a Tuesday tweet and his remarks in Jerusalem, Mr. Trump reiterated his calls to "drive out terrorists" and defend the citizens and people of the world from "heinous attacks upon humanity."

In a statement following his call with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Mr. Trump reassured the Prime minister that "Ameircans stand with the people of the United Kingdom" and offered aid in the UK's investigation into the attack.



DO WATCH THIS VIDEO:

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/in-intervention-trump-told-tweets-could-pose-legal-problem-948772419940
5/19/17
In intervention, Trump told tweets could pose legal problem
The Wall Street Journal reports WH staff had an "intervention" with Donald Trump about his tweets weeks ago. WSJ reporter Eli Stokols joins Lawrence O'Donnell. Ana Marie Cox and Josh Barro react. Duration: 11:35


MORE MSNBC VIDEOS:

http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/sen-coons-on-russia-probe-a-lot-of-smoke-here-952148035912
MORNING JOE 5/24/17
Sen. Coons on Russia probe: ‘a lot of smoke here’
The Delaware democrat, who serves on the foreign relations committee, says President Trump either doesn’t understand the separation between the White House and intel community – or just doesn’t care. Duration: 6:57



http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/who-s-tracking-foreign-cash-spent-at-trump-owned-hotels-952394307775
MSNBC LIVE 5/24/17
Who's Tracking Foreign Cash Spent at Trump-Owned Hotels?
NBC News' Ari Melber discusses new questions and legal implications over Trump Organization's tracking of foreign payments at hotels. Duration: 3:38



http://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/booker-political-patterns-directing-us-towards-a-real-problem-952409667732
ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS 5/24/17
Booker: Political patterns ‘directing us towards a real problem’
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) says that President Trump’s conversation with Rodrigo Duterte shows a pattern of praising authoritarian leaders that is problematic. Booker also said that John Brennan’s testimony indicates the U.S. is headed “towards a real problem ... more Duration: 3:41



http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/joe-this-is-a-whole-lot-of-dumb-952110659734
MORNING JOE 5/24/17
Joe: ‘This is a whole lot of dumb’
Joe connects the dots on the Russia investigation, saying while some people see the President as evil, he just sees someone who’s clueless; ‘he’s like Mr. Magoo trying to shred the U.S. constitution.’ Duration: 7:57



http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/house-democrat-john-brennan-immune-from-being-politicized-951958083691
THE 11TH HOUR WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS 5/23/17
House Democrat: John Brennan immune from being politicized
House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA) responds to the testimony to his committee on Russia and the Trump campaign. Duration: 0:52



http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/intel-officials-may-be-accidental-trump-russia-probe-witnesses-951946819855?cid=eml_mra_20170524
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 5/23/17
Intel officials may be accidental Trump-Russia probe witnesses
Rachel Maddow explains how Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency chief, Admiral Michael Rogers, could end up being called upon to corroborate each others' accounts of Donald Trump's attempts to push back on being unde... Duration: 1:54



http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/bernie-sanders-on-trump-s-budget-plan-grotesquely-immoral-952408131915
ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS 5/24/17
Bernie Sanders on Trump's Budget Plan: 'Grotesquely Immoral'
Sen. Bernie Sanders tells NBC's Andrea Mitchell that President Trump's new budget is "grotesquely immoral," adding it would rob from the poor to pay the rich. Duration: 5:24



http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/schiff-confirms-house-intel-will-also-subpoena-flynn-952339523988
MSNBC LIVE 5/24/17
Schiff Confirms House Intel Will Also Subpoena Flynn
Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, tells NBC’s Kasie Hunt why his committee is joining the Senate in issuing a subpoena for former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Duration: 1:42



http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/fmr-cia-boss-brennan-russians-can-lead-americans-to-treason-951948355712
THE 11TH HOUR WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS 5/23/17
Fmr. CIA boss Brennan: Russians can lead Americans to treason
Two former spies, American Malcolm Nance and Russian Jack Barsky, discuss John Brennan's Capitol Hill testimony laying out how Russians can lead Americans down a 'treasonous path.' Duration: 6:13



http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/in-the-face-of-new-reports-on-russia-will-gop-stand-by-trump-951940675993
THE 11TH HOUR WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS 5/23/17
Trump lawyers up, hiring attorney for all things Russia
On the same day fmr. CIA Director John Brennan testifies about contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia, we learn Trump is hiring a lawyer to deal with Russia matters. Our panel reacts. Duration: 10:28



ANOTHER STRANGE EVENT IN A PASSING STRANGE POLITICAL YEAR

http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/exclusive-guardian-reporter-on-gianforte-body-slam-952768579997
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ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES 5/24/17
Exclusive: Guardian reporter on Gianforte 'body slam'
Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs gives his account of what happened at a Montana campaign event where he alleges GOP candidate Greg Gianforte 'body slammed' him. Duration: 7:37


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/24/greg-gianforte-bodyslams-reporter-ben-jacobs-montana
Republican candidate 'body-slams' Guardian reporter in Montana
Audio obtained of Greg Gianforte attacking a reporter on eve of a special election to fill a congressional seat vacated by a member of the Trump administration
Julia Carrie Wong and Sam Levin
Wednesday 24 May 2017 21.39 EDT

Photograph -- Republican candidate Greg Gianforte 'body slams' Guardian reporter in Montana – video

The Republican candidate for Montana’s congressional seat slammed a Guardian reporter to the floor on the eve of the state’s special election, breaking his glasses and shouting, “Get the hell out of here.”

Ben Jacobs, a Guardian political reporter, was asking Greg Gianforte, a tech millionaire running for the seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, about the Republican healthcare plan when the candidate allegedly “body-slammed” the reporter.

“He took me to the ground,” Jacobs said by phone from the back of an ambulance. “This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics.”

Jacobs subsequently reported the incident to the police. The Gallatin County sheriff’s office is investigating.

A statement by campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon blamed Jacobs for the altercation, saying that he “entered the office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face, and began asking badgering questions”.

“Jacobs was asked to leave,” the statement reads. “After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg’s wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground.

“It’s unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ.”

Scanlon’s account appears to be contradicted by audio of the abortive interview recorded by Jacobs. The audio does not capture Jacobs being asked to leave or lower his recorder, but does contain an apparent reference to the Guardian’s previous attempts to report on Gianforte. “I’m sick and tired of you guys,” Gianforte said. “The last guy who came here did the same thing. Get the hell out of here. Get the hell out of here. The last guy did the same thing. Are you with the Guardian?”

“Yes! You just broke my glasses,” Jacobs replied.

Ben Jacobs with his broken glasses being carted off in the ambulance.
. Photograph: Ben Jacobs for the Guardian

“The last guy did the same damn thing,” Gianforte said.

“You just body slammed me and broke my glasses,” Jacobs said.

“Get the hell out of here,” Gianforte yelled.

“The Guardian is appalled by how our reporter, Ben Jacobs, was treated in the course of doing his job as a journalist while reporting on the Montana special election,” Guardian US editor Lee Glendinning said in a statement. “Guardian US is committed to holding power to account and we stand by Ben Jacobs and our team of reporters for the questions they ask and the reporting that is produced.”

The altercation took place at Gianforte’s campaign headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. Gianforte was in a side room with a local television news crew when Jacobs attempted to ask his question, according to Jacobs.

“I decided there was no harm in asking one question, and the worst thing that could happen was they would tell me to go to hell,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs’s account was partially confirmed by BuzzFeed News reporter Alexis Levinson, who wrote on Twitter that she had been in an adjacent room during the incident.

“This happened behind a half closed door, so I didn’t see it all, but here’s what it looked like from the outside – Ben walked into a room where a local tv crew was set up for an interview with Gianforte. All of a sudden I heard a giant crash and saw Ben’s feet fly in the air as he hit the floor. Heard very angry yelling (as did all the volunteers in the room) – sounded like Gianforte...”

Levinson later tweeted that Gianforte left the event without speaking and that the Gallatin County Sheriffs department was taking witness statements.

Levinson told the Guardian by phone that before the incident, she overheard Gianforte’s staff telling Jacobs that the campaign was upset with the Guardian’s previous reporting and that the candidate would likely not have time to talk to him. Jacobs then entered the side room to try to talk to Gianforte.

She said that the crash from the altercation was very loud and interrupted the entire office: “Everyone in the room heard it. Everyone in the room went silent.” She also said it wasn’t clear who might have directly witnessed the clash, adding “Ben walked out holding his glasses that were visibly broken and said, ‘He just body-slammed me’.”

Gallatin County sheriff Brian Gootkin confirmed to the Guardian that his department was “currently investigating” the incident and declined to comment further.

The special election has attracted national attention, and spending has reached $17m as the race has tightened. Democrat Rob Quist is a political novice and folksinger. Quist declined to comment on the altercation when approached by reporters on Wednesday.

Dave Weigel
(@daveweigel)
Quist responds (sort of) pic.twitter.com/cvnfAm0NyE

May 24, 2017
Gianforte is a tech mogul who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 2016.

On 28 April, Jacobs reported on Gianforte’s financial ties to Russian companies that have been sanctioned by the US. Gianforte’s wealth is estimated at between $65m and $315m.

Last month, the Missoulian newspaper took Gianforte to task for his attitude toward the press. At an event hosted by the Advancing Conservatism Society, an audience member reportedly said: “Our biggest enemy is the news media. How can we rein in the news media?”

Gianforte responded by pointing at a reporter and saying, “We have someone right here. It seems like there is more of us than there is of him.” The Republican later told the Billings Gazette that his comments were a joke.

The Missoulian editorial board interpreted Gianforte’s statement as “demonstrat[ing] Gianforte’s agreement that news media are ‘the enemy’”. “While his apology is appreciated,” they wrote, “Gianforte needs to take pains to set a better example of civility from now on.”

RELATED

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/331201-report-montana-gop-candidate-has-financial-links-to-russian-firms
GOP candidate has financial ties to US-sanctioned Russian companies
Report: Montana GOP candidate has financial links to Russian firms sanctioned by US
BY MALLORY SHELBOURNE - 04/29/17 09:35 AM EDT

A Republican in Montana’s House special election has financial connections to Russian companies that have been sanctioned by the U.S., according to The Guardian.

Greg Gianforte reportedly owns shares of funds that have holdings in other companies, including Russian natural gas utility Gazprom, that are sanctioned by the U.S.

Gianforte owns $92,400 shares in ISHARES MSCF Russia AND $150,000 in VanEck Vectors Russia ETF, the report said. Gianforte made millions after founding a technology company in the 1990s.

A spokesman for Gianforte told The Guardian that the candidate will place his assets in a blind trust should he win the election.

“The situation with Russia is the result of the last eight years of a failed policy by President Obama,” spokesman Shane Scanlon said of Gianforte’s Russia position.

“The US and our allies need to work together on a long-term strategy to stand against Russian aggression in the region and to ensure the sovereignty of our allies is protected. In any foreign policy decision, we must always ensure that America’s interests are protected.”

A former State Department official who worked on sanctions policy told The Guardian that while the ties create a “question,” his “initial reaction is that this is not something to freak out about.”

“Index funds are usually just like mutual funds, excluded from consideration from a sanctions perspective because the ownership stake per person is incredibly small,” Richard Nephew said.

A spokeswoman for Rob Quist, Gianforte’s Democratic opponent in the race, slammed the Republican over the financial ties.

“Montana voters deserve to know why Greg Gianforte held on to his shady Russian investments after Putin invaded Ukraine, and again when Russia was accused of interfering in the presidential election,” Tina Olechowski said.

“Instead Gianforte kept his Russian ties secret during his failed run for governor last year.”

The Montana special election will take place on May 25.