June 16, 2017


News and Views


SOMEHOW, I JUST KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE A PUBLIC HOUSING BUILDING, AND NOW MANY OF THEM MAY BE HOMELESS, THOUGH AUTHORITIES ARE TRYING TO FIND PLACES FOR THEM. THIS WHOLE SET OF ARTICLES HAVE EACH IN THEIR OWN WAY MADE ME SAD. I LOOKED AT THE HOME VIDEO MADE BY A TENANT DURING THE FIRE. THE WOMEN SOUNDED LIKE THEY MIGHT BE INDIAN OR PAKISTANI, AND PROBABLY POOR. LUCKILY SOMEONE CAME, KNOCKED ON THEIR DOOR AND THEY ALL WENT OUT, HOPEFULLY TO BE LED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. ONE OF THEM WAS PRETTY COOL-HEADED GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT THE OTHER WAS IN A PANIC. ON THE VIDEO, I COULD HEAR ONE OF THEM RECITING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS PROBABLY A PRAYER, REPEATING IT OVER AND OVER. I DO HOPE THEY ESCAPED.

THE HUMAN TRAGEDY HERE HAS BOWLED ME OVER. I DO HOPE THAT SOME IMPROVEMENT IN HOUSING WILL BE MADE, AND THAT POOR PEOPLE WILL NOT BE FORCED TO ACCEPT REALLY SUBSTANDARD AND DANGEROUS HOUSING. THERE IS A HUD APARTMENT SET HERE IN JACKSONVILLE THAT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK THESE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SO FOR THE MOLD ON THE WALLS WHERE THE ROOF LEAKED, LIVE RATS, ETC. SHAMEFULLY, IT WAS BEING RUN BY A CHURCH-RELATED ORGANIZATION (PROTESTANT, I THINK.) I HAVEN’T BEEN WATCHING IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO, SO I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE SCANDAL ARE. HEALTH INSPECTORS WERE OUT THERE, SO I HOPE THE MANAGEMENT WILL BE FINED SEVERELY AND FORCED TO CLEAN UP, STABILIZE THE STRUCTURES, AND SO ON.

IT MAY EVEN SIMPLY BE A CASE OF NEEDING TO BE TORN DOWN. OF COURSE, THAT ISN’T GOOD EITHER, BECAUSE IT REDUCES THE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS WHERE THE POOR AND HOMELESS CAN AFFORD TO LIVE. THAT IS THE PRIMARY REASON FOR HOMELESSNESS – NOT DRUG ADDICTION OR OTHER MORAL FLAWS. JUST SHEER POVERTY, JOBLESSNESS, MENTAL ILLNESS. WHEN I LIVED IN WASHINGTON, DC, THERE WERE MANY HOMELESS, AND MOST OF THEM LOOKED TO BE IN A POOR MENTAL CONDITION OF SOME KIND. “CONSERVATIVE” PEOPLE GENERALLY BLAME THAT KIND OF POVERTY ON ADDICTIONS, EVEN “LAZINESS.” PEOPLE IN THAT CONDITION ARE NOT “LAZY” BY ANY FAIR DEFINITION OF THAT WORD. WE NEED TO STRAIGHTEN OUT OUR THOUGHT PATTERNS AS WEALTHY SOCIETIES TO FULLY INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE NOT RICH.

THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED AS ONE OF THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE RIOTING AMONG ISLAMIC COMMUNITIES IN SOME NEWS STORIES. ONE THAT I REMEMBER WAS IN FRANCE AND ANOTHER IN GERMANY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE READ ABOUT IT IN BRITAIN, OR THE USA THAT I CAN RECALL, BUT THE CONDITIONS ARE RIPE FOR IT HERE.

THIS RECENT UPRISING OF HOSTILE AND ABUSIVE “ALT-RIGHT” GROUPS HERE WILL, IF IT HASN’T YET, MAKE THOSE PEOPLE ANGRY AS WELL AS FRIGHTENED, WHICH MEANS DANGEROUS. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE THINGS ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH CITY LIFE. WHEN PEOPLE LIVE ON THEIR OWN PATCH OF LAND, THEY CAN PUT IN A GARDEN, BUY A COW OR A GOAT, AND AT LEAST PROVIDE A LITTLE FOOD FOR THEMSELVES. IN SOME WAYS CITY LIFE SEEMS BETTER, BUT IT HAS TAKEN MOST PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEIR MOST NATURAL MEANS OF SURVIVAL. WE HAVE ALSO LOST MOST OR ALL OUR SKILLS TO CARRY ON THAT KIND OF LIFE.

YET, WHENEVER I DESPAIR, SOME NEW INNOVATION USUALLY APPEARS WHICH SOLVES SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS. IN SEVERAL CITIES IN THE USA A NUMBER OF OLD APARTMENT BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN REFITTED WITH SOIL AND CONTAINERS FOR INDOOR FARMING! MAYBE THAT WILL BECOME MORE COMMON. AFTER ALL, IF WE CAN DO IT TO GROW MARIJUANA, WE CAN ALSO GROW TOMATOES.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/protests-in-london-london-grenfell-tower-high-rise-fire/
CBS/AP June 16, 2017, 12:49 PM
Protests in London erupt at town hall over high-rise fire

28 Photos -- Protesters gather outside Kensington town hall in west London, the headquarters of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, demanding answers over the Grenfell Tower fire disaster, Friday June 16, 2017. YUI MOK / AP

LONDON -- Anger following the London high-rise rise fire that killed at least 30 people boiled over Friday with protests erupting in at least two places in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Nearly 200 people chanting "We want justice!" marched near Notting Hill Gate tube station on Friday, demanding action from local councilors tasked with housing people following the disaster.

A separate protest occurred near the town hall offices. Protesters are worried that councilors will dispatch homeless residents far from their communities. London has a chronic housing shortage even in the best of times, and people fear being forced out of the city.

Protesters lined up at St. Clement's Church in hopes to confront U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, but the Conservative Party leader exited the building through a side door without facing the public, BuzzFeed reports.

Hannah Al-Othman of BuzzFeed reported that May was leaving as protesters shouted, "Coward."

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Hannah Al-Othman 🐝 ✔ @HannahAlOthman
May is still in church, angry people are still outside
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May is leaving to shouts of "Coward" pic.twitter.com/6w0ijiDpZy
12:30 PM - 16 Jun 2017

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Grenfell Tower, the 24-story building that was engulfed in flames early Wednesday, had been the subject of resident complaints over fire safety for years. The residence is believed to have had as many as 600 people inside it when the fire broke out on one of the lower floors. It is a public housing unit in the North Kensington neighborhood of London -- one of the British capital's most affluent areas.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday sent an open letter to May, demanding that she explain how she will support the community following the deadly fire.

Khan said that residents were increasingly angry, distraught and frustrated because the government and local authorities had not done enough to help them or to answer questions about dead or missing loved ones.

He says while "current systems in place may work well for a terrorist attack, there are legitimate questions about whether they are still appropriate in situations where obtaining this information could take much longer."

Many more victims of London fire feared as investigation continues
Play VIDEO
Many more victims of London fire feared as investigation continues

The Guardian reported Friday that cladding used on the high-rise structure was made of the cheaper, more flammable material of two types offered by the manufacturer.

The U.K. newspaper said that Omnis Exteriors manufactured the aluminum composite material used in the cladding. It quoted director John Cowley as saying that Omnis had supplied Reynobond PE cladding.

This type of cladding is 2 pounds cheaper, about $2.56, per square meter than the alternative Reynobond FR, which stands for "fire resistant."

Cowley was quoted by the Guardian as saying: "We supplied components for a system created by the design and build team on that project."



SEE THE COMMENTS ON DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY’S SHOOTING IN ALEXANDRIA, VA. MADE BY THE WIFE OF THE SHOOTER. HER COMMENTS ARE TYPICAL. WE ALL TEND TO ASSUME THAT NOBODY WE KNOW WILL ERUPT IN INSANITY AND BECOME VIOLENT. WHEN THEY DO, THE FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS USUALLY SAY, “HE WAS SO QUIET.” WE OFTEN LOOK FOR OVERT SIGNS AND IN MANY, MANY CASES THERE ARE NONE. HOWEVER, I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD THE PHRASE “IT’S THE QUIET ONES YOU HAVE TO WATCH,” USUALLY SAID AS BANTER.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S TRUE. A SEVERE INTROVERT MAY VERY WELL HAVE MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS GOING ON; AND IF THEY ARE, PERCHANCE, BULLIED ON THE PLAYGROUND OR AT HOME, THEY MAY “SNAP” THE NEXT TIME SOMEBODY PUSHES THEM TOO FAR. FREQUENT HARASSMENT, SHAMING, OSTRACIZING, SEXUAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE ARE ALL “TORTURE.” A PSYCHIATRIST WHO WAS BEING INTERVIEWED ON A DISCOVERY OR NPR DOCUMENTARY ON ONE OF MY TAPES, WAS ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, AND HE SAID A VERY SHORT SENTENCE: “PARENTS SHOULD STOP TORTURING THEIR CHILDREN.” THAT, OF COURSE, GOES FOR ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL. THE SCAPEGOAT MAY BECOME INSANE WITH TIME, OR AFTER AN EXTREMELY DAMAGING EVENT.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/alexandria-shooting-james-hodgkinson-wife-speaks-out/
CBS NEWS June 16, 2017, 7:08 AM
Alexandria shooter's wife: "I can't wrap my head around it"

CBS NEWS VIDEO – shooter’s online comments and neighbors, family comments

The wife of the Alexandria, Virginia, gunman says she's shocked about the attack and had no idea what her husband was planning.

"I just don't know what to tell you people. I had no idea this was going to happen and I don't know what to say about it. I can't wrap my head around it, OK?" Sue Hodgkinson said.

ctm-0616-sue-hogkinson-wife-alexandria-shooter.jpg
Sue Hodgkinson CBS NEWS

She was emotional as she spoke to reporters Thursday outside her home in Belleville, Illinois. She said she thought her husband, James Hodgkinson, had gone to the Washington area to work on tax policy.

The investigation is focused on Illinois and the scene of the attack in Virginia. The roads surrounding the Alexandria baseball field where the shooting took place remain closed as the FBI continues to search the area for any new clues, reports CBS News correspondent Chip Reid.

Alexandria shooter didn't keep his political views a secret
Play VIDEO
Alexandria shooter didn't keep his political views a secret

The FBI has already recovered two weapons: a 9 mm handgun and a 7.62 caliber rifle. A trace of the firearms determined they were legally purchased by Hodgkinson.

Ballistic tests are being done to determine if both were used during the attack. The FBI says the shooter's white van has been processed. Inside that vehicle, agents recovered a cell phone, a camera and a computer.

Agents continue to look into the shooter's activities and social media presence in the months leading up to the attack. Hodgkinson's social media posts painted a picture of disdain for the Republican Party and President Trump.

Among the questions investigators are looking to answer: How did Hodgkinson know about the congressional baseball practice, and was he targeting anyone specifically?



IMMORAL, BUT NOT ILLEGAL. THE FOLLOWING STORY IS VERY DISTURBING TO ME EMOTIONALLY. IN MY VIEW, WHEN A YOUNG PERSON WHO IS OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS, SHE OR HE SHOULD BE INCARCERATED/CONFINED IN SOME WAY, BUT WITH MENTAL HEALTH AID AND MORAL TRAINING BUILT INTO THE SENTENCE. THIS YOUNG WOMAN WAS ONLY 14 AT THE TIME, BUT EVEN AT 14 I WOULD NEVER HAVE TOLD ANYONE AT ALL TO KILL HIMSELF. OUR INNER FEELINGS WERE USUALLY MORE TENDER THAN THAT BACK THEN, THOUGH THERE ARE ALWAYS EMOTIONALLY BORDERLINE KIDS WHO ARE CRUEL AND JUST GENERALLY UNCARING. THE LAW IN THESE CASES NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, WITH NO LEGAL HAVENS FROM STATE TO STATE, OR URBAN VERSUS RURAL. THE INTERNET DOES MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE, BECAUSE PEOPLE FEEL THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING, SO THEY WON’T GET CAUGHT. THERE’S NO PERMISSION BETTER THAN COMPLETE ANONYMITY.

KIDS DON’T WANT PARENTS TO SUPERVISE THEIR INTERNET BEHAVIOR, BUT THERE IS A NEED FOR IT IN MOST CASES, SOMETIMES BECAUSE THEY ARE BULLIES AND OTHER TIMES BECAUSE THEY ARE VICTIMS. I WOULD PUT INTO THIS CATEGORY ALL BULLYING THAT ENDS IN DAMAGE, EVEN IF IT ISN’T TO THIS DEGREE, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, WHETHER IT WAS “INTENDED TO KILL” OR NOT. A SCHOOL YARD BEATING IS NOT A RITE OF PASSAGE, BUT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. IF IT’S A RACIAL OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF HATE CRIME, THEN THE PENALTY SHOULD BE MORE SEVERE RATHER THAN LESS SO. ADULTS WHO GREW UP RUNNING WITH GANGS MAY WELL HAVE THE VIEW THAT THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ALL THAT, AND THAT A PERSON JUST NEEDS TO “TOUGHEN UP.”

IF IT’S A POLICE OFFICER WHO DOES IT, TO ME IT IS NO LESS A CRIME WHEN HE CLAIMS THAT HE “FEARED FOR HIS LIFE.” THAT’S BEGINNING TO SOUND MORE AND MORE LIKE A CYNICAL AND BLATANT EXCUSE. THERE IS A GREAT WEBSITE CALLED “COPBLOCK,” WHICH PUBLISHES ARTICLES AND LETTERS FROM THE PUBLIC, OFTEN OFFICERS. ONE LETTER THAT STOOD OUT IN MY MIND WAS FROM A POLICE OFFICER WHO SAID THAT IF POLICE WHO ABUSE THEIR POWER – OR WORSE -- WERE METED OUT SOME REAL PUNISHMENT, THERE WOULD BE LESS OF IT OCCURRING. TWO WEEKS OF PAID DESK DUTY IS NOT PUNISHMENT. IT’S A VACATION. GOING WITHOUT FULL PAY OR BEING STRIPPED OF HIS/HER RANK IS PUNISHMENT. THAT TO ME IS AN OBVIOUS TRUTH, AND I APPLAUD A POLICEMAN FOR HAVING THE INTESTINAL FORTITUDE TO SAY IT AND SIGN HIS REAL NAME.

I KNOW THAT OFFICERS WHO DO TAKE THAT STAND MAY VERY LIKELY BE PUNISHED BY THEIR FELLOW OFFICERS FOR IT, AND EVEN BY “THE BRASS.” IT’S THAT OLD “THEM VERSUS US” AND THE “BLUE WALL OF SILENCE” MENTALITY. BETTER TRAINING AND BETTER SUPERVISION WOULD REALLY HELP. FIRING THOSE WHO ARE INTRANSIGENT IS ALSO NEEDED. IF THERE IS AN UNJUSTIFIED BEATING OR SHOOTING THEN I SAY, SEVERAL YEARS IN PRISON WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE.

ON MOST OF THOSE VIDEOS THAT I HAVE SEEN, THE OFFICER IS ACTING WITH CONSIDERABLE AGGRESSIVENESS FROM THE START, AND NOT DEFENSIVELY, AS THOUGH THEY WERE AFRAID. AN OFFICER THAT COMES ON SHOUTING AND SWEARING IS NOT DOING A DECENT JOB, AND SHOULD BE FIRED. THE FACT THAT SOMEONE HAS A BROKEN TAILLIGHT SHOULD NEVER BE AN EXCUSE FOR ANYONE TO ABUSE HIM, EITHER VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY. A BROKEN TAILLIGHT IS NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL, IN MY VIEW, AND WHEN I HAVE HAD ONE THE OFFICER JUST WROTE ME A WARNING TICKET TO GET IT FIXED WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD. POLICEMEN, AND ORDINARY CITIZENS, AS WELL, NEED TO LEARN HOW TO BE POLITE AND HAVE A LITTLE EMPATHY.

ONE OF OUR WORST CRIMES IN THE US IS THE FACT THAT SO OFTEN PEOPLE ARE SIMPLY CALLOUS. MORE AND MORE, AS A NATION, WE JUST “DON’T GIVE A DAMN, SCARLET.” WITH SUCH A HIGH POPULATION COUNT AS WE HAVE TODAY, WE CAN’T AFFORD FOR OUR CITIES TO BE LIKE DODGE CITY. I DO NOT WANT EVERYBODY TO BE WALKING AROUND WITH A GUN. BESIDES, TALKING ABOUT LAW AND ORDER IS ONLY HALF THE PROBLEM. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS A GROWING GROUP HATRED. ABUSED PEOPLE, DOGS, HORSES, CATS WILL ALL BECOME VIOLENT SOONER OR LATER.

THE REASON WE ARE BECOMING AN OUT OF CONTROL, BRUTAL SOCIETY IS THAT THOSE THINGS ARE STILL BEING ALLOWED TO HAPPEN WITHOUT SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES, AS LONG AS THE PERPETRATOR IS WHITE AND CLAIMS TO BE CHRISTIAN. THE PUNISHMENT FOR CRUELTY OR CULTURAL ANIMUS SHOULD NOT BE LESSENED AT ALL, BASED ON SKIN COLOR OR ANY OTHER SUPPOSED “INFERIOR” CHARACTERISTIC, BUT IT STILL IS ON ANY GIVEN DAY SOMEWHERE IN THE US. BOTH BLACKS AND WHITES ACT OUT IN ANGER, BUT BLACKS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GO TO PRISON FOR IT. RARELY IS THERE A JUDGE WHO IS MORE LENIENT ON BLACK PEOPLE THAN WHITES. THE COMMUNITY, THE JUDGES, THE POLICE ARE ALL INVOLVED IN PAMPERING THE WRONGDOER WHEN THERE IS A RACIAL ISSUE INVOLVED.

WE CRITICIZE ISLAMIC BELIEVERS FOR NOT “POLICING” THEIR COMMUNITIES, BUT AS CHRISTIANS WE DON’T DO IT EITHER. IT’S NOT A GOOD THING AT ALL, BUT IT ISN’T UNIQUE TO MINORITIES. IN THIS LAST YEAR A SYNAGOGUE AND JEWISH GRAVEYARD HAD SWASTIKAS PAINTED ON THEM, WITH THE GRAVESTONES UPROOTED. IN ONE CASE A SECURITY CAMERA CAPTURED ONE WHITE MAN DOING IT. AS A SOCIETY, WE NEED TO STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND TRY AT LEAST TO APPROACH REAL JUSTICE. BUT THAT’S A SERMON FOR ANOTHER DAY – BECAUSE EVERY FEW DAYS IN THE NEWS I SEE A STORY LIKE THIS ONE. IT’S VERY, VERY DISCOURAGING. MAYBE MY PROBLEM IS THAT I WAS BROUGHT UP IN SUCH AN IDEALISTIC TIME PERIOD. I WAS ONE OF THE DISNEY KIDS. GOOD WAS GOOD AND EVIL WAS EVIL. NOW, WE’RE NOT SO SURE ABOUT IT.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michelle-carter-text-suicide-trial-verdict-guilty/
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP June 16, 2017, 11:16 AM
Michelle Carter text suicide trial verdict: Guilty

TAUNTON, Mass. -- A young Massachusetts woman accused of sending her boyfriend dozens of text messages urging him to kill himself when they were teenagers was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Friday.

Michelle Carter was charged in the death of Conrad Roy III. Carter, then 17, cajoled Roy to kill himself in July 2014 with a series of texts and phone calls, prosecutors allege. Roy died when his pickup truck filled with carbon monoxide in a store parking lot in Fairhaven. After he exited the truck, Carter told him to "get back in," prosecutors said.

Carter waived her right to a jury trial, so Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz decided the case. He began deliberating late Tuesday after closing arguments concluded.

While Roy took "significant actions of his own" to take his own life, Carter's instruction to get back in the truck constituted wanton and reckless conduct, the judge said. Even though she knew he was in the truck, she didn't take action to help him by calling the police or family, Moniz said.

"She called no one and finally she did not issue a simple additional instruction -- get out of the truck," Moniz said.

Carter cried as the judge read his verdict.

Woman accused of encouraging suicide texted friends "I heard him die," witnesses testify
Play VIDEO
Woman accused of encouraging suicide texted friends "I heard him die," witnesses testify

Prosecutors argued at her trial that the text messages support their claim that Carter caused Roy's death by "wantonly and recklessly" helping him poison himself. They allege Carter pushed Roy to commit suicide because she was desperate for attention from classmates, reports CBS Boston, and wanted to play the role of a grieving girlfriend.

Carter and Roy met in Florida in 2012 while visiting relatives. Their relationship largely consisted of text messages and emails.

"You're finally going to be happy in heaven. No more pain. It's okay to be scared and it's normal. I mean, you're about to die," Carter wrote in one message.

Her texts later became more insistent after Roy appeared to delay his plan.

"I thought you wanted to do this. The time is right and you're ready __ just do it babe," she wrote.

In another text sent the day Roy died, Carter wrote: "You can't think about it. You just have to do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don't get why you aren't."

Rikki Klieman on the legal gray area in texting suicide trial
Play VIDEO
Rikki Klieman on the legal gray area in texting suicide trial

Roy, 18, had a history of depression and had attempted suicide in 2012, taking an overdose of Tylenol. Roy's mother testified at Carter's trial that Roy seemed to improve after he began taking medication and getting counseling. He graduated from high school in 2014 and had plans to attend college, she said.

Carter, then 17, also had struggled with depression, as well as anorexia, and had been prescribed antidepressants.

Carter's lawyer, Joseph Cataldo, said Roy was intent on killing himself and took Carter along on his "sad journey." Cataldo said Carter was struggling with "baggage" of her own at the time.

A psychiatrist who testified for the defense said Carter was suffering from side effects from an anti-depressant she was taking.

Cataldo said Carter became "overwhelmed" by Roy's suicidal thinking after she initially tried to talk him out of it and urged him to get professional help.

Videos now key evidence in texting suicide trial
Play VIDEO
Videos now key evidence in texting suicide trial

"It was his constant wearing on Michelle Carter for over a year and a half of 'I want to take my own life,'" Cataldo said.

Cataldo said Roy chose to take his own life, reports CBS Boston, and Carter can't be held responsible for it.

"It's sad, it's tragic," Cataldo said. "But it's just not a homicide."

He pointed to a text to Carter in which Roy wrote, "There is nothing anyone can do to make me want to live."

The case has been closely watched in the legal community and widely shared on social media. In Massachusetts, an involuntary manslaughter charge can be brought when someone causes the death of another person when engaging in reckless or wanton conduct that creates a high degree of likelihood of substantial harm.

Daniel Medwed, a law professor at Northeastern University, said the judge had a difficult task in determining whether Carter's actions rose to the level of manslaughter. There is no Massachusetts law against encouraging someone to kill themselves.

Medwed said the judge could consider Carter "morally blameworthy," but "moral blame doesn't always equal legal accountability."



“WHAT, ME WORRY?” LET’S START TAKING A BETTER LOOK AT THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL REALITIES THAT WE LIVE WITH, AND THINK ABOUT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT RATHER THAN JUST TURNING OFF THE TV SET AND GOING TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/commentary-scott-pelley-attack-foreseeable-predictable-self-inflicted/
By SCOTT PELLEY CBS NEWS June 15, 2017, 7:38 PM
Commentary: It's time to ask whether attack was foreseeable, predictable, self-inflicted

VIDEO – EXCELLENT COMMENTARY BY SCOTT PELLEY. THE SCRIPT IS BELOW.

It's time to ask whether the attack on the United States Congress Wednesday was foreseeable, predictable and, to some degree, self-inflicted.

Too many leaders, and political commentators, who set an example for us to follow have led us into an abyss of violent rhetoric which, it should be no surprise, has led to violence.

Wednesday was not the first time.

In December last year, a man with an assault rifle stormed into a Washington-area pizzeria to free child sex slaves whom Hillary Clinton was holding there -- or at least that's what political blog sites had said. He fired into a locked door to discover no children in chains.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has called the president the "most dangerous in history." The shooter on Wednesday was a Sanders volunteer.

You might think that no sane person would act on political hate speech, and you'd be right. Trouble is, there are a lot of Americans who struggle with mental illness.

In February, the president tweeted that the news media were the "enemy of the American people."

Follow
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!
4:48 PM - 17 Feb 2017
51,171 51,171 Retweets 161,301 161,301 likes

Later, at a lunch for reporters, President Trump was asked whether he worried that language would incite violence. His pause indicated it had never crossed his mind. Then he said, "No, that doesn't worry me."

As children we're taught, "Words will never hurt me." But when you think about it, violence almost always begins with words. In "Twitter world," we've come to believe that our first thought is our best thought.

It's past time for all of us -- presidents, politicians, reporters, citizens, all of us -- to pause to think again.



SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN GETS HER DANDER UP. READ HER FULL STATEMENT BELOW. IT LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS A FULL HOUSE IN HER HAND. NOW, IF THIS WERE BRIDGE, I COULD SAY THAT TRUMP IS APPARENTLY NOW TRUMPED. (I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO SAY THAT!)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/feinstein-trump-rude-awakening-tries-shut-russia-probe-173301995.html
Feinstein: Trump ‘in for a rude awakening’ if he tries to shut down Russia probe
Gabby Kaufman
June 16, 2017

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., unleashed a blistering message in response to President Trump’s early morning Twitter tirade in which he both dismissed the Russia probe as a “witch hunt” and appeared to confirm he was being investigated as part of that inquiry.

Feinstein raised the possibility that Trump would try to dismiss Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller, the special counsel Rosenstein appointed to oversee the investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

“I’m growing increasingly concerned that the president will attempt to fire not only Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating possible obstruction of justice, but also Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein who appointed Mueller,” said Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee

She went on to slam the commander in chief and specifically cited his errant tweets as the source of her suspicion. Feinstein also warned that Trump would be “in for a rude awakening” should he attempt to fire either Rosenstein or Mueller and excoriated him for “embark[ing] on an effort to undermine anyone with the ability to bring any misdeeds to light.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked the investigation as a “witch hunt,” and earlier in the day Friday he confirmed a Washington Post report that Mueller was investigating him for possible obstruction of justice. The Post said Mueller was looking into whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice by firing former FBI Director James Comey or by allegedly asking Comey to ease up an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.


Here’s Feinstein’s full statement:

“The message the president is sending through his tweets is that he believes the rule of law doesn’t apply to him and that anyone who thinks otherwise will be fired. That’s undemocratic on its face and a blatant violation of the president’s oath of office.

First of all, the president has no authority to fire Robert Mueller. That authority clearly lies with the attorney general—or in this case, because the attorney general has recused himself, with the deputy attorney general. Rosenstein testified under oath this week that he would not fire Mueller without good cause and that none exists.

And second, if the president thinks he can fire Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and replace him with someone who will shut down the investigation, he’s in for a rude awakening. Even his staunchest supporters will balk at such a blatant effort to subvert the law.

It’s become clear to me that the president has embarked on an effort to undermine anyone with the ability to bring any misdeeds to light, be that Congress, the media or the Justice Department. The Senate should not let that happen. We’re a nation of laws that apply equally to everyone, a lesson the president would be wise to learn.”

Feinstein was one of the senators on the Senate intelligence committee who last week questioned ousted FBI director James Comey about his interactions with Trump prior to being fired and the possibility that he was dismissed in order to impede the Russia investigation.



THE REPUBLICANS’ SECRET HEALTH CARE BILL IS INTRIGUING. SNARKY COMMENTS ABOUT THEIR PROCESS COME FROM THREE REPUBLICANS AND ONE DEMOCRAT.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-scandalous-secrecy-surrounding-the-republican-health-care-gambit?cid=eml_mra_20170613
The scandalous secrecy surrounding the Republican health care gambit
06/13/17 08:41 AM—UPDATED 06/13/17 09:04 AM
By Steve Benen

A group of Senate Republican men have been meeting in secret for weeks, trying to craft their own health care plan, which is reportedly near completion. Once it’s done, the GOP blueprint will, oddly enough, remain a secret, Axios reported yesterday:

Senate Republicans are working to finish their draft health care bill, but have no plans to publicly release it, according to two senior Senate GOP aides.

“We aren’t stupid,” said one of the aides.

It’s important to understand the sentiment behind the comment. The Senate Republican aide was effectively conceding that the GOP proposal will be awful and unpopular, and it’d be “stupid” to let the public see it because the scrutiny would risk derailing the entire effort.

The plan, therefore, is for conservative senators to finalize a plan, quietly share it with the Congressional Budget Office, and then rush it onto the floor for a vote. There would no hearings, no amendments, no expert testimony, no input from industry stakeholders, no bipartisan negotiations, and no transparency.

The word “un-American” is probably used a bit too often, usually to impugn others’ patriotism, but in the case of Republicans overhauling the nation’s health care system, the process is un-American in a rather literal sense. In the United States, we have a legislative system elected officials are supposed to use to pursue their goals and policy priorities. In 2017, however, Congress’ GOP majority has decided to abandon the American policymaking model, without defense or explanation, while pushing life-or-death legislation affecting one-sixth of the world’s largest economy.

There is nothing like this in the American tradition. Republican leaders are being so secretive about their health care overhaul that even other GOP senators have no idea what they’ll soon be asked to pass. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said yesterday’s he’s “curious” what’s in his party’s proposal, before adding, “It’s not a good process.”

You don’t say.

By one account, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he’s not only unaware of his own party’s health care blueprint, but he doesn’t even want to know what’s in it.

We could, to be sure, dwell on the breathtaking hypocrisy. In 2009 and 2010, after dozens of hours of public hearings and hundreds of hours of public debate, Republican lawmakers said they were outraged by the lack of transparency surrounding the Affordable Care Act’s creation. And yet, here we are, watching GOP lawmakers employ a secretive legislative strategy unlike anything ever seen in the United States.

But under the circumstances, hypocrisy isn’t near the top of the list of concerns right now. New York’s Jon Chait made a compelling case yesterday that the GOP’s antics deserve to be characterized as a “scandal.”

It is difficult to think of an example of a law in the history of the United States that would have such a deep impact on so many people – millions would find insurance no longer affordable – drafted with so little public input. No hearings, no public examination of the details. Republican senators can claim the secret law is better than the deeply hated House version, but without laying out the trade-offs that allegedly make it so.

In a normal political environment, a scandal is a distraction from a major bill, because major bills get passed by building public consensus. In this case, avoiding the public is the entire strategy. And the crafting of the bill is itself a scandal.

Republicans had a choice. They could’ve acted like a governing party, pursued their goals like grown-ups, and adopted a sensible legislative strategy built on evidence, consensus, expertise, and outcomes. No one forced, or even asked, GOP lawmakers to conduct themselves in such a ridiculous fashion.

But they chose this course anyway, largely because they saw it as necessary to achieve their regressive and ideological goals. If more Americans knew what was transpiring in their name, Republicans would be facing an extraordinary backlash – which is precisely why they’re clinging to secrecy with all their might.

Explore:
The MaddowBlog, Health, Health Care, Health Care Reform, Republicans and Senate Republicans



http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/schumer-republicans-hiding-health-bill-because-they-re-ashamed-966828611846
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 6/13/17

Schumer: Republicans hiding health bill because they're ashamed
Chuck Schumer, top Senate Democrat, talks with Rachel Maddow about why Republicans are hiding the drafting of their version of an Obamacare replacement. Duration: 4:10


OTHER BORROWINGS FROM MSNBC JUNE 16, 2017, MOST OF WHICH ARE VIDEOS ONLY.

http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/i-don-t-agree-this-is-a-witch-hunt-says-gop-congressman-969051203845
MORNING JOE 6/16/17
I don't agree this is a witch hunt, says GOP congressman

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., discusses his friendship with Steve Scalise, who remains in critical condition Friday following this week's shooting. Rep. Cole also discusses health care reform and Mueller. Duration: 6:30



http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/widespread-protests-against-government-corruption-in-russia-965977667577?cid=eml_mra_20170613
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 6/12/17
Widespread protests against government corruption in Russia

Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, talks with Rachel Maddow about the unprecedented nature of widespread anti-government, anti-corruption protests in Russia, taking place in the face of crackdowns by Vladimir Putin. Duration: 5:21



http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/trump-admin-takes-lawrence-s-advice-to-lawyer-up-968767555907
6/15/17
Trump admin takes Lawrence's advice to 'lawyer up'

VP Mike Pence hires a criminal defense lawyer to handle all Russia probe matters, likely funded through his new leadership PAC. Plus, Jared Kushner's business dealings are now reportedly under scrutiny. The Washington Post's Sari Horwitz joins Lawrence O'Donnell. Duration: 11:11



http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/deputy-attorney-general-s-perplexing-statement-on-media-reports-968769091958
6/15/17
Deputy Attorney General's perplexing statement on media reports

Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein issued a statement warning Americans about unspecified media reports using anonymous sources or that don't indicate which country the source is coming from, raising more questions. David Frum and Lachlan Markay join Lawrence O'Donnell. Duration: 4:57



http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/can-sessions-explain-trump-admin-removal-of-us-attorneys-965956163675?cid=eml_mra_20170613
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 6/12/17
Can Sessions explain Trump admin removal of US attorneys?

Rachel Maddow reviews many of the lingering questions that follow Attorney General Jeff Sessions into his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing tomorrow, not the least of which is why the Trump administration abruptly got rid of dozens of U.S. attorneys. Duration: 7:51