May 3, 2017


News and Views


THIS DOESN’T MAKE ME FEEL THAT COMEY IS ANYTHING LESS THAN COMPLICIT IN A CYNICAL RUSSIAN/REPUBLICAN/TEA PARTY CONSPIRACY TO STEAL THE ELECTION FROM HILLARY CLINTON AND THE DEMOCRATS BY DECEIT. WAS GETTING TRUMP INTO OFFICE THAT IMPORTANT TO THEM? I WONDER IF THEY ALL THINK IT WAS WORTH IT NOW. COMEY SHOULD BE FIRED AND PUT IN PRISON FOR TREASON AND TAMPERING WITH THE ELECTION. FOR HIM TO SAY NOW THAT IT MAKES HIM “MILDLY NAUSEOUS,” IS PURELY DISGUSTING. IT SHOULD GIVE HIM AN ULCER.


http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/comey-decision-reopen-investigation-was-right-nauseous-n754251
POLITICS MAY 3 2017, 3:26 PM ET
Comey: ‘Mildly Nauseous’ FBI’s Clinton Probe Could Have Impacted Election
by ANDREW RAFFERTY


FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday that it makes him "mildly nauseous" to think his decision to reopen the bureau's investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails just days before the election could have impacted voters, but added he would make the same choice again.

In his most detailed explanation and strongest defense of his actions to date, Comey said it was a choice between "really bad and catastrophic" to inform lawmakers about the discovery of additional Clinton emails found on the computer of former Rep. Anthony Weiner, the husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

Play FBI Director Details Reasons for October Letter in Clinton Investigation Facebook Twitter Embed
FBI Director Details Reasons for October Letter in Clinton Investigation 5:22

Democrats pressed Comey on why he chose to make the renewed investigation public, despite the FBI's general policy not to comment on ongoing investigations.

"Why didn't you just do the investigation as you would normally, with no public announcement?" Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein asked.

Comey said he had the choice to either "speak" or "conceal."

"I faced a choice," Comey said. "And I've lived my entire career by the tradition that if you can possibly avoid it, you avoid any action in the run-up to an election that might have an impact, whether it's a dog-catcher election or president of the United States. But I sat there that morning and could not see a door labeled 'no action here.'"

He called the decision — which quickly became public — "one of the world's most painful experiences," but said making it was the right move.

"It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had an impact on the election. But, honestly, it wouldn't change the decision," Comey said in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He said he did not take into account the political impact of the move "because down that path lies the death of the FBI as an institution in America."

Comey sent a letter to lawmakers on October 28 announcing the FBI had reopened its probe into Clinton's emails.

Clinton has, in part, has blamed her loss on Comey's decision. "If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president," Clinton said during an appearance Tuesday.

Comey also indicated during his hearing Wednesday that the FBI may be investigating whether any members the agency leaked information related to the Clinton probe.

When asked about statements during the campaign by former New York City Mayor and Trump supporter Rudy Giuliani indicating direct knowledge of the investigation, Comey hinted he was looking into the matter. "I don't know yet, but if I find out that people were leaking information about our investigations, whether to reporters or to private parties, there will be severe consequences," he said.

Comey is appearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee for a routine oversight hearing. But the appearance comes just one day after both President Donald Trump dismissed "phony" ties between his campaign and Moscow, and Clinton partially blamed Comey's handling of the investigation for her stunning loss.

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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony...
10:51 PM - 2 May 2017
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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
...Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?
11:06 PM - 2 May 2017
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Clinton's comments Tuesday spurred Trump to respond on Twitter, calling Comey "the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton" for not prosecuting the Democratic nominee.

White House press secretary told reporters later on Wednesday that Trump "has confidence" in Comey, despite the tweets.

In an appearance before the House Intelligence Committee in March, Comey confirmed the FBI was investigating possible collusion between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Moscow interfered in the 2016 election and hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and a top Clinton campaign official.

"Was it appropriate for you to comment on one investigation repeatedly, and not say anything about the other?" Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy asked about how Comey treated the investigation into Trump's campaign and Clinton's.

"We treated it like we did the Clinton investigation," Comey maintained. "We didn't say a word about it months into it, and the only thing we have confirmed so far about this is same thing with the Clinton investigation, that we are investigating."

The director said he has been interviewed by the Justice Department inspector general as part of the investigation into the FBI's conduct leading up to the election. Comey said he looks forward to telling more of his side of the story as he continues to draw bipartisan criticism.

During his wide ranging testimony, the FBI head reiterated that he has still seen no evidence into Trump's claims that President Barack Obama surveilled Trump Tower ahead of the campaign. And he warned of the impact of Wikileaks and said Russia is still attempting to influence U.S. elections.

Comey called Wikileaks "intelligence porn" that simply pushes out information with no regard to how it's used. He also warned that Russia will likely attempt the same types of interference in the 2018 midterm elections.

Andrew Rafferty ANDREW RAFFERTY TWITTERFACEBOOKGOOGLE PLUSEMAIL
TOPIC POLITICS NEWS
FIRST PUBLISHED MAY 3 2017, 11:08 AM ET



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-comey-testifies-senate-judiciary-fbi-oversight-live-updates/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS May 3, 2017, 9:31 AM
Watch Live: FBI Director James Comey Senate Hearing

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee grilling FBI Director Jim Comey at a 10 a.m. hearing on FBI oversight Wednesday morning on the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. He might also be asked about possible collusion between Trump associates and Russian officials.

Comey had previously testified before the House Intelligence Committee in late March about the Russia investigation. Hillary Clinton pointed the finger at him during an event Tuesday in which she blamed her election loss on the letter Comey sent to Congress just days before the election as well as WikiLeaks' effort to expose private emails from campaign officials.

Follow below for live updates.

1:44 p.m. Comey says "it's possible" that a special prosecutor would be recommended to lead the investigation when asked by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal hopes Comey will argue forcefully and vigorously for a special prosecutor.

1:33 p.m. Franken said it was a "shame" that Cornyn suggested that Clinton blamed everyone but herself during the Tuesday event. She did take responsibility, too, for the mistakes in her campaign.

1:14 p.m. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, points out that President Trump's threat to block all Muslims from the U.S. is still on his campaign website today. Leahy asked Comey if this threatens the U.S., and Comey said he didn't want to address his specific statement, but he said that targeting of various groups, including Muslims, makes the FBI's job harder.

1:01 p.m. Comey said that more technology companies are understanding the need to protect public safety compared to the need to protect privacy.

12:36 p.m. Comey said that he's been interviewed by the inspector general about his actions in the course of what he suggested was the Clinton email investigation.

"I don't have any regrets," he said.

Blumenthal asked Comey if he believes universal background checks are important to prevent gun violence. Comey said that from the perspective of law enforcement, more information is always helpful to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

12:30 p.m. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, asked Comey if he can rule out people from the Trump campaign, including the president, from the investigation into the Trump campaign and possible collusion with Russia. Comey said that he didn't want to reveal anyone because then it would lead down a slippery slope toward who they're targeting. He said he briefed Grassley and Feinstein on who is being investigated.

12:18 p.m. In an exchange with Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Comey said he was not concerned about the political ramifications of his decision to speak about the restarted investigation into Clinton's emails last October.

"I find that hard to believe that you did not contemplate that there would be political ramifications to your comments," Hirono said.

Comey said that he knew there would a "huge storm" that would come.

12:04 p.m. Coons said that Comey had a third door available to him ahead of the election, and that was that there was an investigation into the Trump campaign and Russian interference. Comey rejected that idea and said that he wouldn't want to confirm an investigation in its early stages, but that he did call out the Russians for its attempt to mess with the U.S. election.

12:01 p.m. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, asked what the U.S. can do to protect against its elections in the future. Comey said that the government should tell election officials what techniques Russians can use and to equip the American people and allies that this is even going on, amid all of the Russian propaganda.

11:54 a.m. Comey is describing "incidental collection" whereby a terrorist outside the U.S. could be discovered if that person is in touch with an American.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, asked what the FBI is doing to protect its own systems amid the threat of data breaches. Comey said a "whole lot," but he doesn't want to get into specifics.

"A ton of work has gone into protecting our systems," Comey said, but the weak link are the people.

Comey said that Congress could do more to protect its systems.

"I'm sure that Congress's is not good enough," he said.

11:48 a.m. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, asked Comey about why Russia favored Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Comey said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "hated" Hillary Clinton and that he preferred a businessman like Trump to make deals rather than Clinton who spent much of her life in politics.

11:38 a.m. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., asked how likely is it that the Senate IT system has been targeted by foreign adversaries.

"I would estimate it's a certainty," Comey said.

Speaking about WikiLeaks, Comey said he couldn't confirm whether there are charges pending against Julian Assange and that he has sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy.

11:21 a.m. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, asked if he agrees that if sequestration goes back into effect in the next fiscal year, it would be devastating to the FBI. Comey agreed.

Graham asked if he ever spoke to Sally Yates about Gen. Michael Flynn being compromised. Comey said she did, but that he wasn't sure he could elaborate in a public setting.

Comey said he can't say whether Fusion is part of the Russian intelligence apparatus. Graham said that someone should be prosecuted for allowing Anthony Weiner to have access to classified information.

Comey agreed that it's fair to say that Russia actively provides safe haven to cyber criminals and that Russia should still pay a price for interfering in the U.S. political system.

"In my view, the greatest threat of any nation on earth given their intention and capability," Comey said, describing Russia.

Comey said that "it's fair" to say that Russia could eventually be capable of changing vote tallies if the U.S. doesn't stop them.

11:07 a.m. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said it was unfortunate that Clinton blamed Comey for her election loss during an event a day earlier. Speaking about 702*, Comey said that "really bad" people around the world use devices and infrastructure built by the U.S. and that 702 allows the FBI to immediately track these people in terrorism cases.

11:02 a.m. Comey said that he expects the FBI won't make "a peep" about the investigation into Russia's meddling in the election until they finish the probe. Comey reiterated that the FBI has "high confidence" that North Korea hacked into SONY and that Russia hacked into the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

10:46 a.m. Feinstein said that most people have looked at this investigation and have concluded that the FBI did affect the outcome of the election. After lawyers raised the concern that he could help one of the candidates win, Comey said that he couldn't consider that because it would kill the independence of the FBI.

Comey: FBI's impact on election makes him "mildly nauseous"

10:41 a.m. Feinstein asked Comey why it was necessary for him to announce 11 days before the election that he was announcing a new investigation on Oct. 28. On Oct. 27, Comey said he met with investigators who said they can see thousands of emails from the Clinton email domain and they said they think they needed a search warrant to look at those. Then he said, he faced a choice.

Comey said that he saw two doors that said "speak" and the other said "conceal." To restart in a "hugely significant way," Comey said that it would be "catastrophic" to conceal the restarted investigation but "really bad" to speak before the election.

He said his team found thousands of emails, including a "lot of new stuff," but nothing changed their view of Clinton's intent.

"This was terrible," Comey said. "It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we had an impact on the election."

10:38 a.m. Comey said that the shadow created by the problem of "going dark" is affecting about half of the FBI's work. He said that half of the devices the FBI encounters in terrorism cases, gang-related cases and child pornography cases cannot be opened with any technique.

Comey said there continues to be a "huge collision" between privacy and public safety.

10:33 a.m. Grassley asked Comey if he has ever been an anonymous source in the Trump investigation or Clinton investigation.

"Never," Comey said, adding that he has never authorized anyone else to be an anonymous source.

Grassley asked if there's an investigation into the leaking of any classified information relating to Trump or his associates. Comey said he doesn't want to answer that question.

"I don't want to confirm in an open setting whether there are any investigations open," Comey said.

Grassley asked what the difference is between this case and the Valerie Plame case, and Comey said he doesn't have the authority.

10:28 a.m. Comey has begun his opening statement and he said that oversight of the FBI is "essential" by having people ask hard questions. He said he appreciates the conversation about reauthorizing FISA Section 702 authority. He said the program is "essential."

"If it goes away, we will be less safe as a country," Comey said.

He also spoke about the threats faced by Jewish Community Centers throughout the first half of the year.

Comey said he "loves this work" and "I love this job."

10:22 a.m. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, the top Democrat on the panel, began her opening statement and called Comey's letter to Congress on Oct. 28 about new emails found related to the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server an "October surprise." The FBI concluded that the emails found on a computer owned by Anthony Weiner did not warrant any new charges or any new investigation.

Feinstein said lawmakers need to hear how the FBI will regain the trust of Congress and the American public.

10:00 a.m. ET The hearing has begun and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the panel, has been talking about the election and Russia's interference in the election as well as FBI's efforts to thwart terror attacks in the U.S.

"Unfortunately, the FBI has provided me materially inconsistent information about these issues. That is why we need to know more about it and how much the FBI relied on it. Once you buy into its claims of collusion, then suddenly every interaction with a Russian can be twisted to seem like confirmation of the conspiracy theory," Grassley said.

"Now, obviously I don't know what the FBI will find. For the good of the country, I hope that the FBI gets to the truth soon, whatever that may be. If there are wrongdoers, they should be punished. And the innocent should have their names cleared. In the meantime, this Committee is charged with oversight of the FBI, and we can't wait until this is all over to ask the hard questions. Otherwise, too many people will have no confidence in the FBI's conclusions."



WHAT IS 702*? – IT’S CONSIDERED BY SOME TO BE A “BACK DOOR” TO THE FISA ACT ALLOWING PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING IF THE SITUATION IS RIGHT. COMEY IS DEFENDING IT AS AN IMMEDIATE WAY TO TRACK SUSPECTS IN SERIOUS CASES OF TERRORISM, ETC. IN THE WORST SITUATIONS, WE DO NEED VERY GOOD TRACKING TOOLS, OF COURSE, BUT IT SHOULDN’T EVER BE USED TO HARM A PRIVATE CITIZEN WITHOUT “PROBABLE CAUSE.” IT’S LIKE A GUN – USEFUL, BUT DANGEROUS.

https://cdt.org/insight/section-702-what-it-is-how-it-works/
FEBRUARY 15, 2017 Section 702 of FISA Security & Surveillance

What Is It? Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is a statute that authorizes the collection, use, and dissemination of electronic communications content stored by U.S. internet service providers (such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft) or traveling across the internet’s “backbone” (with the compelled assistance of U.S. telecom providers such as AT&T and Verizon). Section 702 sunsets on December 31, 2017.

Are There Any Restrictions? Unlike “traditional” FISA surveillance, Section 702 does not require that the surveillance target be a suspected terrorist, spy, or other agent of a foreign power. Section 702 only requires that the targets be non-U.S. persons located abroad, and that a “significant purpose” of the surveillance be to obtain “foreign intelligence information” (the primary purpose of the surveillance can be something else entirely).

…. submit these certifications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) for approval. These certifications 1) identify categories of foreign intelligence information to be gathered, 2) contain Targeting Procedures and the Minimization Procedures approved by the AG that are meant to ensure 702 acquisition is limited to non-U.S. persons abroad, 3) attest that the targeting and minimization procedures and additional guidelines adopted to ensure compliance are consistent with the Fourth Amendment, 4) attest that a “significant purpose” of the program is to obtain foreign intelligence information, 5) attest that the program uses a U.S. electronic communications service provider, and 6) attest that the program complies with the limitations spelled out by the statute. . . . .

The Backdoor Search Loophole: The NSA, CIA, and FBI are all permitted to search 702-acquired information with U.S. person identifiers (such as names or addresses). Critics have dubbed this the “backdoor search” loophole, because it enables the government to obtain information that would have otherwise required a warrant. Today, the NSA and CIA can only query 702-gathered information with a U.S. person identifier after creating a “statement of facts showing that a query is reasonably likely to return foreign intelligence information.” However, this restriction does not apply to the FBI.

Use in Criminal Court: 702-acquired information may be used as evidence against U.S. persons in criminal court for certain broad categories of “serious crimes.” For investigations that do not fall into one of those categories, there is no restriction on using 702-acquired information to obtain other evidence that can be used in court. The use of information gathered under 702 without a warrant against U.S. persons creates an end-run around the Fourth Amendment, which requires a probable cause finding by an independent body.

For more information, please contact Gregory T. Nojeim, Director of CDT’s Freedom, Security & Technology Project, at gnojeim@cdt.org and view CDT’s Statement for the Record about Section 702 reauthorization: https://cdt.org/?p=78385.



13 REASONS WHY:

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF EMOTIONALLY INTENSE DRAMA IN ART? I’VE HEARD IT SAID, AND I AGREE, THAT ITS’ PURPOSE IS TO GO INSIDE US TO OUR INNER CORE AND “TOUCH” OUR PAIN. THIS IS, I BELIEVE, A NECESSARY PART OF HEALING. THAT IS, PROBABLY, WHAT CONFESSION IN RELIGION DOES, AS WELL.

ARTISTIC PORTRAYALS OF LOSS, DEPRESSION OR RAGE SHOULDN’T BE ENDLESSLY PROLONGED OR WITHOUT A CONCLUSION, AND SHOULD LEAD TO A RESOLUTION OF THE SADNESS THAT THE PROTAGONIST/VIEWER IS FEELING, ESPECIALLY BY A HEALING INSIGHT, RATHER THAN BY THE OLD “DEUS EX MACHINA” ENDINGS OF MANY OLD PLOTS. IN ITS’ PLACE SHOULD BE A MORE REALISTIC AND HEALTHY INSIGHT PROCESS WHICH ENABLES THE CHARACTER TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THE PAINFUL SITUATION AND GO BEYOND IT. THE URGE TO COMMIT SUICIDE WILL FREQUENTLY MELT AWAY INTO A HEALTHY ABILITY TO ANALYZE ONES’ THOUGHTS, REACTIONS AND IMPULSES, LEADING TO A MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL LIFE WITH PROPER MEDICATION AND TALK THERAPY.

THE ARGUMENT THAT THE SHOW IS BAD BECAUSE IT MAY CAUSE SOME PEOPLE TO HAVE A FASCINATION WITH SUICIDE THAT WASN’T THERE TO BEGIN WITH, THOUGH THAT CAN HAPPEN, IS LESS THAN LIKELY IN MY VIEW, AND LESS IMPORTANT TO ME THAN THE DISTURBING FREQUENCY IN HIGHLY COMPETITIVE CULTURES SUCH AS OURS, IN WHICH THE FAILURE TO BE A WHOPPING BIG SUCCESS CAN RESULT IN TOTAL DESPAIR, BULLYING, SCORN FROM OTHERS. THE PROBLEM WITH THE URGE TO SUICIDE IN MANY CASES IS THAT IT RARELY EXISTS WITHOUT BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CAUSE. “HAPPY” PEOPLE JUST DON’T GO INTO THE EMOTIONAL DOLDRUMS LIKE THOSE WHO HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO RATIONALIZE THEIR WAY OUT OF EMOTIONAL PAIN.

THE JAPANESE CULTURE, IN THE PAST AT LEAST, WAS SAID TO BE SUCH A SOCIETY, AND THE RITUALIZED SUICIDE CALLED HARIKARI OR SEPPUKU AS A SORT OF SELF-PUNISHMENT FOR THE “SIN” OF FAILING TO LIVE UP TO A SOCIETAL EXPECTATION WAS NOT ONLY COMMON, IT WAS EXPECTED BY THE SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. THAT WAS DONE AS A MEANS OF RESTORING THE FAMILY’S HONOR, AS INDIVIDUAL “DISHONOR” WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE FAMILY GROUP AS WELL. ANY FORM OF PUBLIC EXPOSURE FOR A REAL SIN OR A SIMPLE FAILURE TO PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL WAS THOUGHT TO BRING SHAME TO THE WHOLE FAMILY. I TEND TO THANK THE HIGHER POWER THAT THOSE THINGS AREN’T SO COMMON ANYMORE, BUT THEY DO STILL EXIST, ESPECIALLY IN OUT OF THE WAY, POVERTY STRICKEN, CULTURALLY UNDEVELOPED PLACES.

THAT WAS A PHILOSOPHICAL PART OF JAPANESE SOCIETY A HUNDRED YEARS OR MORE AGO – PERHAPS EVEN TO THIS DAY, THOUGH I HAVEN’T READ OF ANY MODERN CASES; BUT IT WAS ALSO THE CASE IN THE USA UNTIL THE MODERN MENTAL THERAPY INDUSTRY EMERGED, AND AN IMPULSE TO COMMIT SUICIDE BECAME TREATABLE ILLNESS RATHER THAN “THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN.” BELIEVE IT OR NOT, DEATH FROM “SHAMEFUL” AND HORRIFIC DISEASES LIKE END STAGE CANCER WAS IN THE SAME CATEGORY, BECAUSE THERE ARE CHRISTIAN GROUPS EVEN NOW WHO CONSIDER SUCH THINGS TO BE A “PUNISHMENT FROM GOD.” THAT’S WHY, SOME HAVE SAID, THAT THE ACTUALLY VERY CONSERVATIVE PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN HELD BACK FROM GIVING GOVERNMENT FUNDS TO AIDS RESEARCH, AND RELIGIOUS CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS WITHIN THE LAST TEN YEARS HAVE FOUGHT ANY HELP OF ANY KIND TO GAY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE “NORMALIZATION” OF THE CONDITION AND GAY MARRIAGE. UP UNTIL RECENTLY IT WAS LISTED IN PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS DESCRIPTIONS AS BEING “MENTALLY DISTURBED.” MOST LIBERAL AND EDUCATED PEOPLE NOW SEE IT AS A PART OF THE NORMAL SPECTRUM RATHER THAN MENTAL ILLNESS.

THE FRIGHTENING DISEASE AIDS WAS NOT GIVEN GOOD MEDICAL TREATMENT NOR EXPERIMENTAL STUDY, IN THE 1980S WHEN IT FIRST EMERGED ON THE HORIZON OF AMERICAN CONSCIOUSNESS. IT WAS CONSIDERED “A GAY DISEASE,” AND BEING GAY WAS ONE OF THE MOST HORRIBLE OF SINS. WE ARE WORKING OUR WAY BACK FROM THAT POSITION TO ONE OF UNDERSTANDING AND CARING FOR GAYS AND OTHER DISADVANTAGED INDIVIDUALS NOW.

THAT SOCIETAL REVULSION AGAINST A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PHYSICAL OR MENTAL PROBLEMS MAY HAVE A BASIS IN THE IDEA THAT MENTAL ILLNESS, AND EVEN A TENDENCY TO CERTAIN “SINS,” IS “BORN IN” RATHER THAN RELATED TO ENVIRONMENT, A KILLER GENE, FOR INSTANCE, AND IS INHERITED DOWN THROUGH THE FAMILY LINE. IT IS ALSO, THOUGH, THAT MAINTAINING OUR “STATUS RANKING” IS VERY IMPORTANT IN CONSERVATIVE SOCIETIES, WHICH LIKE IT OR NOT, IS WHAT WE ARE. A YOUNG WOMAN WOULD NOT, PERHAPS, BE CHOSEN BY HER ELDERS TO MARRY A YOUNG MAN, IF HER FAMILY IS CONSIDERED TO BE INFERIOR OR MERELY “TAINTED” BY “SHAME.” IN THIS TIME PERIOD, I THINK, THIS IS NOT SO STRONG A PREJUDICE, AS IT WAS IN SAY, 1920, HERE IN THE USA, BUT I THINK THAT IN PLACES LIKE INDIA IT PROBABLY STILL EXISTS STRONGLY.

I’M NOT SURE THAT A SHOW LIKE THIS “13 REASONS,” WHICH GOES ON FOR SEASON AFTER SEASON WITH NO EMOTIONAL PROGRESS AND WITH NO PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC GUIDANCE, I HEARD, SUCH AS TALKS BETWEEN THE “PATIENT” IN A SHOW ABOUT HIS/HER PSYCHIATRIC ISSUES; OR, EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, A PATIENT’S RECONCILIATION OF A DAMAGED PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP, OR OTHER SUCH AID IN HEALING. I WATCHED A DOCUMENTARY SHOWING A GROUP THERAPY SESSION BETWEEN RAPISTS ON WHAT THE EMOTIONS AND TRIGGERS ARE FOR THEM. THAT WAS IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL SETTING, AND IT WAS BOTH INTERESTING AND MOVING. SEE THE GUARDIAN ARTICLE BELOW ON “13 REASONS WHY”.


https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/02/netflix-13-reasons-why-rise-in-charity-counselling-for-children-nspcc-childline
Netflix's 13 Reasons Why prompts rise in charity counselling for children
NSPCC says some children who have received Childline counselling said series triggered memories of suicidal thoughts.
Sally Weale Education correspondent
Tuesday 2 May 2017 14.20 EDT

Photograph – Katherine Langford as Hannah Baker in a scene from the series 13 Reasons Why on Netflix. Photograph: Beth Dubber/AP

A children’s charity is providing a growing number of counselling sessions for young people concerned about the content of the Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why.

The NSPCC said some children who had received counselling via its Childline service said the series had triggered memories of suicidal thoughts. Others were worried that the programme did not offer advice on how to help someone who was feeling suicidal.

The drama has been criticised by mental health groups for its portrayal of a 17-year-old’s suicide, which they say could encourage young people to take their own lives.

A number of schools have sent letters to parents alerting them to the series, among them St Catherine’s independent girls’ school near Guildford in Surrey. The letter says the series has an 18 rating but that younger girls have watched it and may be encouraging others to do so.

Netflix show condemned for 'romanticising' teenager's suicide

“We don’t want to scaremonger but we do want to flag up what’s out there,” a spokeswoman for the school said. “It was a step we took along with other schools we work with to alert parents to the risks. We’ve had a very positive response from parents.”

Netflix has added an additional warning at the start of the series – on top of warnings already in place for specific episodes – in response to concerns from mental health campaigners.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “No child should ever feel so helpless that they find themselves at such a crisis point, and we want young people to know they can talk to Childline about anything, anytime on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk.”

The US-set series is based on a novel of the same name by Jay Asher and is made up of 13 episodes featuring 13 friends of the central character, Hannah Baker, listening to a tape she made for each of them, explaining the difficulties she faced that prompted her to kill herself.

The NSPCC spokesperson said: “Schools must be alive to issues that are affecting their children, and we welcome open communication between teachers and parents.

“Raising concerns, sharing information, and flagging worries can all help adults care for young people and stay abreast of the issues that young people face online. If any adult has a concern about a child they can always call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.”

In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here



https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-we-do/what-we-stand-for/

NSPCC stands for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
It means that each of us has a responsibility to keep childhood free from abuse, and we must do everything possible to protect children and prevent it from happening.

So if a law needs to change, or if more needs to be done to protect children, we demand it. The fact we’re independent – relying on the public to fund our work – means we can push for change when others can’t.


SEE ALSO:

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/04/13-reasons-why-romanticizes-suicide-netflix-glorifies-1201805690/
http://www.mindframe-media.info/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/6494/Suicide-and-the-entertainment-media.pdf



MAY 8 2017 HEAR FOR YATES AND CLAPPER ON RUSSIAN MEDDLING IN 2016 ELECTION

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/25/sally-yates-james-clapper-russia-testimony-schedule-237568
Senate Judiciary sets date for Yates, Clapper testimony on Russia
By ELANA SCHOR 04/25/17 08:58 AM EDT Updated 04/25/17 12:38 PM EDT

Photograph -- Senate Judiciary sets date for Yates, Clapper testimony on Russia
By ELANA SCHOR 04/25/17 08:58 AM EDT Updated 04/25/17 12:38 PM EDT

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, fired from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department in January, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper are set to testify on Russian meddling in the 2016 election at a May 8 hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The panel announced the testimony Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, the House intelligence committee continues to work on rescheduling previously slated testimony from Yates and Clapper that its chairman, California GOP Rep. Devin Nunes, canceled before announcing he would cede control of the panel’s probe of Russian intervention in the election. Yates and Clapper are expected to appear in an open House intelligence panel hearing sometime after May 2, the date the committee is set to hear from FBI Director James Comey in a closed session.

The Senate intelligence committee has held one open hearing on Russian involvement in American elections since the Trump administration began, featuring outside experts, but has not scheduled testimony since early January from the key players in its investigation of Russia's electoral disruption. Democrats on the panel are starting to publicly air their frustration with the pace.

Yates and Clapper will appear before the Senate Judiciary subpanel on crime and terrorism, chaired by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a Russia hawk and occasional Trump critic. Additional witnesses are possible at the May 8 hearing, titled “Russian Interference in the 2016 United States Election,” the committee stated on Tuesday.

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Author: Elana Schor eschor@politico.com @eschor



http://time.com/4764293/sally-yates-michael-flynn-congress-testimony/
CONGRESS
Sally Yates Will Testify She Warned White House About Michael Flynn's Russia Connection
Eric Tucker / AP
Updated: May 02, 2017 11:45 PM ET

Photograph -- WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 28: Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice on June 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. Volkswagen has agreed to nearly $15 billion in a settlement over emissions cheating on its diesel vehicles. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images) Pete Marovich—Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Former acting attorney general Sally Yates is expected to testify to Congress next week that she expressed alarm to the White House about President Donald Trump's national security adviser's contacts with the Russian ambassador, which could contradict how the administration has characterized her counsel.

Yates on Monday is expected to recount her Jan. 26 conversation about Michael Flynn and to say that she was concerned by discrepancies between the administration's public statements on his contacts with ambassador Sergey Kislyak and what really transpired, according to a person familiar with that discussion and knowledgeable about Yates's plans for her testimony.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to pre-empt the testimony.

Yates is expected to say that she told White House counsel Don McGahn that she believed Flynn's communications with Kislyak could leave Flynn in a compromised position because of the contradictions between the public depictions of the calls and what intelligence officials knew to be true, the person said.

White House officials have said publicly that Yates merely wanted to give them a "heads-up" about Flynn's Russian contacts, but Yates is likely to testify that she approached the White House with alarm, according to the person.

"So just to be clear, the acting attorney general informed the White House counsel that they wanted to give a 'heads up' to us on some comments that may have seemed in conflict with what he had sent the Vice President out in particular," White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at a Feb. 14 press briefing.

Flynn resigned in February after published reports detailed Yates's conversation with the White House. White House officials initially maintained that Flynn had not discussed Russian sanctions with Kislyak during the transition period, but after news reports said the opposite, they then admitted that he had misled them about the nature of that call.

"The issue, pure and simple, came down to a matter of trust," Spicer told reporters.

Flynn was in frequent contact with Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition period, a U.S. official has said.

Yates's scheduled appearance before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, alongside former national intelligence director James Clapper, will provide her first public account of the conversation with the White House. It will also represent her first testimony before Congress since Yates, an Obama administration holdover, was fired in January for refusing to defend Trump's travel ban. She was previously scheduled to appear in March before a House committee investigating Russian interference in the presidential election, but that hearing was canceled.



SHARP RISE IN RELIGIOUS HATE CRIMES IN 2017

THESE RELIGIOUS HATE CRIMES SHOULD BE A CALL TO ARMS. I THINK THE FBI ET AL SHOULD BE LOOKING ELSEWHERE THAN JUST AT ISIS AND AL-QAEDA FOR THE CULPRITS – YES, AT US INSTEAD -- WHITE ANGLO SAXON PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND PERHAPS GUN COLLECTIONS. OUR BIG BROTHER STREET SURVEILLANCE METHODS SHOULD HELP WITH THIS. SYNAGOGUES, MOSQUES ETC., NEED TO HAVE CAMERAS LOCATED THERE, AND CONNECTED TO LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS FBI, SO THESE CRIMINALS CAN BE CAUGHT, OR AT LEAST IDENTIFIED BY CAMERA. I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH COMPUTER ENHANCEMENT THEY HAVE IMPROVED THE CLARITY OF SUCH FOOTAGE. THERE ARE OTHER POSSIBLE AVENUES THAT I CAN BRING TO MIND, ALSO. THE FOLLOWING IS A STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS LIST OF SUCH POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS.

I THINK WE NEED TO BE LOOKING CLOSELY AT INDIVIDUAL WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUP MEMBERS; SKINHEADS, BIKER GANGS AND HIGHLY TATTOOED MEN (BECAUSE THAT IS USUALLY A SIGN OF CONSIDERABLE ANGER); MEN EXHIBITING GENERAL PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING EXTREME INTROVERSION OR GETTING INTO FIGHTS; EX-PRISONERS OF ANY TYPE; STREET GANGS; VIEW CLOSELY THE WEBSITES THAT CATER PHILOSOPHICALLY TO THIS WILD CROWD OF BREITBART ADHERENTS AND ALLOW THEM TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER THERE; NOTING THE INTERNET HATE CROWD‘S HANDLES AND THE ISP FROM WHICH THEY ARE OPERATING, ALONG WITH THEIR ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBERS; TAKE THEIR WEBSITES DOWN OFF THE NET SO THAT THEY NO LONGER WILL BE ABLE TO LINK UP TO EACH OTHER, AND VISIT THEM AT THEIR HOMES FOR A CHAT; NOTICE PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE EXPRESSIVE OF GREAT ANGER OR BIZARRE STATEMENTS; RADICAL AND OTHERWISE ECCENTRIC RELIGIOUS GROUPS SUCH AS THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH OR OTHER “OFF BRAND” CHRISTIAN GROUPS, PARTICULARLY GROUPS THAT PROCLAIM THEMSELVES TO BE “CHRISTIAN IDENTITY” CHURCHES; AND WHATEVER ANYONE ELSE THINKS UP TO TRY AS LONG AS IT’S LEGAL.

THE INTERFERENCE WITH INTERNET FREEDOM THAT THIS WOULD POTENTIALLY ENTAIL IS OBVIOUS, BUT AT LEAST IT TARGETS AMERICAN PEOPLE AND GROUPS RATHER THAN JUST FOREIGN TERRORISTS. THE PEOPLE WHO GO IN AND BREAK UP TOMBSTONES IN A JEWISH CEMETERY ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS, AND THEY’LL DO IT AFTER DARK. STATIONING A GUARD MIGHT MAKE SENSE. AN ACTION LIKE THIS WON’T BE POPULAR, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE FISA AND RICO LAWS MAY BE USEFUL. GOOD DEMOCRATS WILL OBJECT EN MASSE, BUT THE LINK IN MOST OF THE MISCHIEF THESE DAYS IS THE INTERNET. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

IF A PERSON USES THE NET TO DO JUST ONE ABUSIVE OR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED UNCEREMONIOUSLY, BANNED FROM GETTING FUTURE WEBSITES, AND THEN THOSE WHO ARE HEAD HONCHOS OF THE INTERNET COMMUNITY (WHOEVER THEY ARE – MICROSOFT, PERHAPS – WHO SET UP WEBSITES, SHOULD BE WATCHING FOR THE VIOLENT GROUPS OF ALL KINDS. THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER AND THE ACLU COULD HELP WITH THAT, AND THE FBI SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT IF WE’RE GOING TO BE USING ANTITERRORISM LAWS FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS AND HATE CRIMES. THE USA HAS BEEN SLOW TO RECOGNIZE THE POWER AND SCOPE OF THE HATE CRIMES OF OUR OWN OVERLY PATRIOTIC OR XENOPHOBIC GROUPS IN THESE SITUATIONS, BECAUSE THEY ARE ON THE RIGHT RATHER THAN ON THE LEFT. COMMIE PINKOS ARE BAD, AND NRA MEMBERS ARE ALL OKAY, SEEMS TO BE OUR VIEW OF THE WORLD.

SEE THE ARTICLE BELOW ON RELIGIOUS HATE ACTIONS IN THE USA JUST THIS YEAR.


http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/why-a-spike-in-religious-hate-crimes-should-worry-all-of-us-76262/
Why a spike in religious hate crimes should worry all of us
By Matt Hadro

Photograph -- Credit: Hernan Pinera via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Washington D.C., May 3, 2017 / 03:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Civic and religious leaders this week addressed a disturbing rise in religious hate crimes in recent years, especially harassment and violence perpetrated against Jews, Muslims, and Sikhs.

“While it is clear that Sikh Americans are not alone in experiencing a rise in hate crimes, the experience of our community is important to understand how dangerous this current era of inflammatory rhetoric promises to be if action is not taken,” Dr. Prabhjot Singh, a Sikh physician, said in his May 2 written testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from representatives of the Anti-Defamation League, a Sikh doctor, and the civil rights division at the Justice Department on “responses to the increase in religious hate crimes” in the U.S.

“Crimes against Jews are the most common religious hate crimes and they have increased,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chair of the committee, noted, but Islamophobic incidents rose the sharpest amongst all religious groups with a 67 percent spike from 2014 to 2015 according to FBI statistics.

Although overall hate crimes, including crimes based on race, sexual orientation, religion and ethnicity, went down in number from 2000 to 2015, religion-based hate crimes went up 23 percent from 2014 to 2015, Eric Treene, special counsel for religious discrimination at the Justice Department’s civil rights division, pointed to [sic] FBI statistics.

Dr. Singh, in his written testimony, told of how Sikhs are only one of many religious groups in the U.S., yet violence against them is representative of a worsening in religious bigotry.

Singh was violently beaten by a mob on the streets of New York City in 2013. As he lay awaiting treatment for his injuries in the hospital, he learned that the Muslim woman lying next to him in the emergency room wearing a hijab, or a religious headscarf, was attacked by the same group of young men.

“They threw a bottle of urine at her face, cutting her nose,” he said. Yet reporters who documented Singh’s attack in a story did not mention the assault on the Muslim woman because, in Singh’s words, “they said it would complicate the story, which was about a professor and doctor who was ‘mistakenly’ attacked in his own neighborhood.”

“We cannot accept this premise,” he insisted in his Tuesday testimony. “There is no such thing as a ‘mistaken’ hate crime. No one should ever be targeted. The only mistake is thinking otherwise.”

The attack, he continued, was only the latest incident in a rash of harassment and violence against Sikhs in the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

“Some of our fellow Americans,” Singh said, “call us 'ragheads and towelheads,' or 'ISIS and Al Qaeda.'”

“Ominously, the Sikh Coalition has consistently found that a majority of Sikh students in our nation's public schools experience bias-based bullying and harassment,” he added. “Some of our children are accused of being 'terrorists.' Others have had their turbans ripped off.”

Sadly, these attacks are part of a larger landscape of “threats, arson, assault, and murder” against Muslims, Jews, Hindus, African-Americans, and LGBTQ persons, he said.

“We seem to be backsliding into a new nativist era. This endangers us all,” he said.

Anti-Semitic and Islamophobic acts rose in 2016 in the presidential election and have continued in 2017, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, explained in his testimony.

Anti-Semitic incidents rose by over one-third in 2016 with “1,266 acts targeting Jews and Jewish institutions,” according to the ADL 2016 audit of incidents.

The campaign only intensified tensions that had already been aggravated, he added.

“And anti-Semitic abuse has soared on social media,” he noted, as “hateful, anti-Semitic invective” flourished on the mediums during the election season as well as harassment of Jewish journalists by white supremacists including the use of “triple parentheses, to publicly 'tag' Jews online.”

The election “featured harshly anti-Muslim rhetoric and anti-Semitic dog whistles,” he said, “and fostered an atmosphere in which white supremacists and other anti-Semites and bigots feel emboldened and believe that their views are becoming more broadly acceptable.”

President Trump's “initial reluctance to address rising anti-Semitism” has helped normalize this bigotry, Greenblatt said, and some of his supporters played a direct role in it.

“Much of the vandalism and harassment used slogans sourced from the Trump campaign such as 'Make America Great Again,'” he said. Incidents during and after the election – anti-Semitic graffiti and assault – were perpetrated with expressed support for Trump.

In addition, in the election there were “stereotyping of many groups, including women and immigrants, threats to ban Muslims from entering or living in the country, pronouncements that Islam ‘hates’ America, mocking of disabled people, and political candidates attacking one another based on their physical appearance,” he said.

Dr. Singh said he “was horrified to hear our President last weekend telling thousands of people at a rally that immigrants are snakes waiting to bite America,” he referred to Trump’s words at a recent rally in Harrisburg, Pa.

“Words matter, and when political leaders divide and dehumanize us, this lays the groundwork for hate to infect our society,” he stated.

All this has not only continued in 2017, but the number of incidents has spiked sharply, Greenblatt said.

He noted 161 bomb threats against Jewish synagogues or buildings so far and three reported desecrations of Jewish cemeteries.

“The bomb threats against JCCs, schools, ADL offices, and other community institutions in dozens of states across the country attracted very considerable attention,” he said, “causing evacuations, significant service disruptions, program cancellations, and deep community anxiety.”

Some of the threats were graphic in nature, warning of a “bloodbath” or the decapitations of Jews in explosions.

Action must be taken to stem these incidents, witnesses insisted. Preventative measures could include mandatory reporting laws for hate crimes, a federal inter-agency task force on hate crimes, and public officials speaking out against bigotry.

Dr. Singh shared how his son will soon enter Kindergarten, yet according to statistics, will probably be the victim of bigotry.

“These young years are formative, and how children are treated tells us so much about who we are as a nation, and who we aspire to be,” he said.



IN RELATION TO GETTING RID OF INTERNET ABUSIVENESS AND WORSE, SEE THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ccips/reporting-computer-internet-related-or-intellectual-property-crime,
REPORTING COMPUTER, INTERNET-RELATED, OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CRIME

Internet-related crime, like any other crime, should be reported to appropriate law enforcement investigative authorities at the local, state, federal, or international levels, depending on the scope of the crime. Citizens who are aware of federal crimes should report them to local offices of federal law enforcement.

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