May 6, 2017


News and Views


SO PAINFUL! NOW IT’S PARIS, ... AGAIN. CAN WE REMAIN NATIONS OF FREE SPEECH, ACTION, RELIGION AND ASSOCIATION IF THESE THINGS BECOME EVER MORE FREQUENT AND HEINOUS? I REALLY DON’T THINK SO. OF COURSE, PLACES LIKE PARIS, NEW YORK, AND OTHER LARGE CITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PRETTY DANGEROUS, BUT WHEN IT IS A HATE CRIME IT REALLY DOES SEEM WORSE TO ME THAN THE AVERAGE STREET CRIME. SIN IS DIFFERENT FROM EVIL, IN MY VIEW. SIN IS DUE TO A FLAW, WHILE HATRED AGAINST EVERYONE OF A CERTAIN CLASS OR TYPE IS A HARD-SET ESPOUSAL OF SOMETHING DEMONIC.

IF YOU DOUBT MY USE OF THAT TERM, LOOK AT ALL THE WORLDWIDE GENOCIDES THAT HAVE OCCURRED. IN AT LEAST TWO PLACES IN PREHISTORIC EUROPE, ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE FOUND MASS GRAVES LIKE THOSE IN EASTERN EUROPE, NOT MERELY IN MODERN TIMES. IT ISN’T JUST POOR ECONOMIC SITUATIONS, AS I TEND TO THINK, BUT A BLACK SPOT IN OUR HEARTS. I’M AFRAID EVERYONE MAY HAVE ONE OF THOSE, ALSO, BUT I DO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT A GENTLE AND INTELLIGENT UPBRINGING AND A FREEDOM FROM BASIC THE KIND OF TERRIBLE SOCIAL TRAINING THAT OCCURS IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD, CAN PREVENT AN OUTBREAK OF THAT ILLNESS IN SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL CASES. SEEING A PHOTOGRAPH IN A HISTORY BOOK OF A BLACK MAN HANGING FROM A TREE, WITH A CROWD OF WHITES LOOKING ON WITH SOMETHING LIKE GLEE IN THE 1920S TELLS ME THAT THE ILLNESS CANNOT BE PERMANENTLY STAMPED OUT, HOWEVER.

IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR ALONE, GENOCIDE HAS OCCURRED NOT ONLY AT THE HANDS OF THE NAZIS, BUT ALSO THE RUSSIANS. THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION WAS EXTREMELY VIOLENT AS WELL. I WILL NEVER FORGET THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FAMILY OF ROMANOVS LINED UP AGAINST A WALL TO BE SHOT. I READ A MAGAZINE ARTICLE ON THEIR DEATHS. THAT, TOO, UNDOUBTEDLY CAME FROM A HISTORY BOOK. RUSSIA ALSO CARRIED OUT BLOODY POGROMS AGAINST JEWS, GOING BACK INTO MEDIEVAL TIMES, AND OF COURSE THE PROTESTANTS AND THE CATHOLICS TOOK TURNS DURING THE RENAISSANCE AND BEYOND AT KILLING OFF THE OTHER.

OF COURSE, THE HUMAN RACE BEING THE TOTALLY FECUND CREATURES THAT WE ARE, THERE ARE STILL NUMEROUS MEMBERS OF BOTH PERSUASIONS IN EXISTENCE TODAY. IN THE USA, OUR HERO, GENERAL CUSTER, SIMPLY MASSACRED THOUSANDS OF INDIANS AT “CUSTER’S LAST STAND.” IT MAKES ME WEARY TO THINK ABOUT IT. I HOPED TO SEE A TIME THAT THE WORST OF THESE HUMAN FLAWS WOULD BE ERASED BY GOOD BREEDING, GOOD EDUCATION, AND GOOD MENTAL HEALTH, BUT WHERE CAN THOSE THINGS BE FOUND?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/notre-dame-shooting-paris-police-confirm-incident-warn-public-to-stay-away/
CBS/AP June 6, 2017, 10:58 AM
Man attacks police officer with hammer at Notre Dame in Paris

PARIS -- A police officer shot and wounded a man who attacked a group of three officers with a hammer near Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday, authorities said.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters that the man yelled "this is for Syria" when he attacked the officers.

Collomb said that an officer used his weapon to shoot the assailant.

The man was also armed with kitchen knives, Collomb said.

Paris police tweeted that one officer was wounded in the attack.

CBS Radio News' Elaine Cobbe reports that the investigation has been handed over to the police's anti-terrorism unit, but the police also said there was no confirmation at this stage whether the incident was a terror attack.

A man lies on the ground outside Notre Dame Cathedral after attacking police officers in Paris on June 6, 2017, in this picture provided to CBS News.

The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. A large number of police cars filled the area on the Ile de Cite island in the Seine River in the center of Paris.

Hundreds of people on the esplanade in front of Notre Dame were evacuated and authorities urged people to stay away from the area. People inside Notre Dame, the nearby Sainte-Chappelle cathedral and area bars and cafes were told to stay inside.

Witness describes police shooting near Notre Dame cathedral
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Witness describes police shooting near Notre Dame cathedral

Mikey Kay, a retired wing commander for the British military, reported on CBSN that police sealed off a bridge to motor traffic near the cathedral, but it was open to pedestrian traffic.

Witnesses described a dramatic police operation in the tourist-filled area.

Lawrence Langner, a 73-year-old American visiting the neighborhood just across the Seine River from the cathedral, told The Associated Press that he suddenly heard a commotion and two detonations like gunshots.

Journalist David Metreau, who said his office overlooks the square that fronts Notre Dame, tweeted that there were two blasts that sounded like shots. Looking down from his office, he saw a man inert on the square.

"The police didn't seem interested in him at the beginning," Metreau said. "I thought he was dead."

Visitors to Notre Dame Cathedral raise their hands during a security operation after a man attacked police officers with a hammer outside the cathedral in Paris on June 6, 2017. NANCY SODERBERG

They then checked his pulse and medics later came and took him away on a stretcher.

Others posted photos online of what appeared to be the interior of medieval Notre Dame, one of France's most-visited monuments.

Notre Dame cathedral in Paris locked down after police-involved incident
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Notre Dame cathedral in Paris locked down after police-involved incident

Nancy Soderberg, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said she was admiring the church's stained glass windows with her niece when she heard an announcement in French urging visitors to stay calm as police dealt with an incident outside.

"Frankly no one really paid attention to it," Soderberg told CBSN. "They only did it in French, and then I was like 'what was that?' because I speak French, and then about 20 minutes later they made it clear that no one could leave, and we had to go sit down."

She snapped a photo of the dozens of people sitting in front of her with their hands raised as police checked the pews.

Over an hour later, after authorities said police were attacked outside, visitors were told they would be evacuated in an orderly fashion. The Lord's Prayer was recited in English and French, Soderberg said.

"People were extraordinarily calm, helping those who don't speak English translate," she said, adding that she felt safe but the situation was terrifying.

Police spokeswoman Johanna Primevert told The Associated Press just before 5:30 p.m. that the operation was over. She did not provide further details.

Paris remains under high security after a string of Islamic extremist attacks in recent years, including several targeting police officers and security personnel.

In April, an attacker opened fire on a police van on Paris' Champs Elysees, killing one and gravely wounding two others. The attacker was shot dead by police.

The incident recalled two other attacks on soldiers providing security at prominent locations around Paris, one at the Louvre museum in February and one at Orly airport in March.



THE YOUNG BLACK WOMAN WHO FILMED THE FOOTAGE OF THE SHOOTING OF YET ANOTHER BLACK MAN FOR A BROKEN TAIL LIGHT STATED: “...BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE ARE NOT PROTECTED AGAINST THE POLICE....” I HAVE SEEN SO MANY OF THESE CASES THAT I BELIEVE REYNOLD’S STATEMENT TO BE TRUE. WE NEED TO PROTECT OFFICERS BY SENDING THEM OUT WITH A PARTNER, AND NOT BY GIVING THEM THE OLD “LICENSE TO KILL,” THAT JAMES BOND HAS. THE LAW NEEDS TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. AND, PERSONALLY, I AM GETTING TIRED OF THE OLD “BROKEN TAILLIGHT” AND “I FEARED FOR MY LIFE” ROUTINES.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/philando-castile-girlfriend-says-fear-led-her-to-livestream-police-shooting/
CBS/AP June 6, 2017, 2:38 PM
Girlfriend of Philando Castile says fear led her to livestream police shooting

Photograph -- Diamond Reynolds, girlfriend of Philando Castile, weeps as people gather to protest the fatal shooting on July 7, 2016. ADAM BETTCHER / REUTERS

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The girlfriend of a black motorist who was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota testified Tuesday saying that she began livestreaming the event because she feared for her own life.

Diamond Reynolds cried as squad car video, her Facebook video and still images of her boyfriend, Philando Castile, were shown in court. Her voice broke as she identified Officer Jeronimo Yanez and explained her snap decision to record the encounter moments after Yanez fired into the car.

"Because I know that the people are not protected against the police," Reynolds said. "I wanted to make sure if I died in front of my daughter that people would know the truth."

Yanez, 29, who is Latino, is charged with manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm for endangering Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter, who was in the back seat. Castile had informed Yanez that he was carrying a gun, and Yanez's attorneys have argued he was reacting to the presence of the gun.

Defense attorneys also have argued that Castile was stoned during the stop and it affected his actions, and plan to introduce evidence he had THC - the high-producing component of marijuana - in his system the day of his death.

Attorney Earl Gray asked Reynolds -- who was arrested on suspicion of assault in a separate case -- several questions related to her marijuana use and Castile's, and Reynolds acknowledged smoking regularly. She also acknowledged marijuana was in the car at the time Castile was pulled over for a broken taillight.

Girlfriend reacts to Philando Castile's killing by Minn. police
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Girlfriend reacts to Philando Castile's killing by Minn. police

Gray cited a Facebook video Reynolds posted showing her and Castile smoking pot in a car with her daughter in the back seat the day before the shooting, but Castile's use of marijuana the day of the shooting wasn't addressed in morning testimony.

In opening statements Monday, the two sides laid out narratives with a key difference: Whether Yanez ever saw Castile's gun. Castile, an elementary school cafeteria worker, had a permit to carry the weapon.

Prosecutor Rick Dusterhoft said Yanez can be heard on the video in the minutes after the shooting telling a fellow officer he didn't know where the gun was. That portion of the video wasn't played Monday.

Dusterhoft said nobody saw the gun until paramedics found it in Castile's pocket.

Defense attorney Paul Engh countered that Castile ignored his commands and reached for his gun. He said Yanez will testify that he saw Castile's hand on the grip. He said Yanez then followed his training and made an instant decision to open fire because he believed his life was in danger.

A jury of 15, including three alternates, is hearing the case in Ramsey County District Court. Two of the 15 are black.

Castile's death was among a string of killings of blacks by police around the U.S., and it renewed concerns about how officers interact with minorities. Castile's family claimed he was profiled because of his race. Minnesota Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton also injected his viewpoint, saying police likely wouldn't have fired if Castile had been white.



THE COMEY HEARING, WILL BE TELEVISED ON CBS AND LIVESTREAMED IN OPEN SESSION ON THURSDAY, JUNE 8, AT 10:00 AM, TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE CLOSED SESSION. I’LL BET THIS WILL BE ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHEN PEOPLE WILL BRING THEIR LITTLE TVS INTO THE OFFICE TO WATCH WITH ONE EYE, WILL THEY WORK WITH THE OTHER. I KNOW MY EYES WILL BE GLUED TO THE TV THAT MORNING.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/white-house-prepares-james-comey-s-testimony-without-war-room-n768676
POLITICS JUN 6 2017, 8:05 AM ET
White House Prepares for James Comey’s Testimony, but Without a ‘War Room’
by HALLIE JACKSON

WASHINGTON — As Washington gears up for one of its biggest political events in years — former FBI director James Comey appearing publicly on Capitol Hill — it's not a stretch to imagine the White House scrambling behind the scenes to set up a crisis-management system to contain fallout from any damaging testimony Thursday.

Instead, multiple people familiar with the planning describe to [sic] a different reality: early talk of a “war room” has petered out significantly. One source close to the White House describes it flatly: “There’s no war room. Zero.” Another administration source says it simply “never took off.”

Play Panel: James Comey's Upcoming Testimony May Enter Pantheon of Hearings Facebook Twitter Embed
Panel: James Comey's Upcoming Testimony May Enter Pantheon of Hearings 4:32

What was originally intended to be an in-house command post has instead shifted outside the administration. The president’s aides are expected to shunt all Comey-related questions on Thursday to outside counsel Marc Kasowitz.

And while the White House "war room" isn't materializing, the president himself has — as expected — gotten involved in the strategy to contain any fallout Thursday. President Donald Trump has consulted with his outside counsel ahead of the hearing, according to a person involved with that effort. That external legal team, led by Kasowitz, is still working to get itself organized ahead of Thursday’s testimony, per this source. They’re expected to base operations out of the firm’s D.C. office for this week’s efforts.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer signaled this strategy last week, when he explicitly referred Russia-related inquiries to the president’s longtime lawyer.

Since then, Kasowitz has laid low. On Thursday, he won’t be able to: otherwise, the White House runs the risk of allowing Comey’s words — and those words alone — to define the storyline.

RELATED: Comey 'Cleared for Takeoff' in Public Testimony

Kasowitz is no shrinking violet — he's known for being a bulldog advocating for President Donald Trump, a hard-nosed fighter willing to mix it up. But it’s still not clear what his messaging or communications strategy will be, or who will be helping deliver it. Former campaign aides Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie look unlikely to formally join the Kasowitz effort — though they’ve both appeared more frequently as TV surrogates in recent days.

Comey allies have told NBC News that he's eager to tell his story after Trump fired him on May 9. The president has cited the Russia probe as part of his rationale for getting rid of Comey. The former FBI director was heading the investigation into whether members of the Trump campaign worked with Russia to interfere with last year's presidential election. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is now leading the investigation after he was appointed on May 17.

And while the administration appears to be working to build a barrier between the White House and the Russia inquiry, Comey’s testimony presents questions: will that wall really hold up? Or might the White House’s resolve erode given the intense attention Comey’s appearance will receive? And the wild card: will the president be disciplined enough to stay away from post-testimony Comey talk or tweets?

We’ll find out soon enough.


HOW TO WATCH COMEY IN THE SENATE AS HE TESTIFIES

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-comey-testimony-how-to-watch/
By BLAIR GUILD CBS NEWS June 6, 2017, 6:00 AM
James Comey testimony: How to watch

Fired FBI Director James Comey is scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee in an open session on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. ET. (The closed session will follow.)

CBS News will air live coverage of the Comey testimony as a Special Report co-hosted by Norah O'Donnell, Gayle King and Charlie Rose starting Thursday at 10 a.m. ET. CBSN will also live stream the former FBI Director's testimony before congress.

What: former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before Congress
When: Thursday June 8, 2017 beginning at 10 a.m. ET
On TV: CBS News, check your local listings
Online: CBSN will live-stream the event, with special live Red & Blue shows later at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET

The highly anticipated testimony comes after Comey's abrupt dismissal May 9. It marks the first time the former FBI director will speak in public since his firing.

In his testimony, Comey is expected to answer questions about reports that President Trump asked him to back off the FBI's investigation into any ties between former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and the Russian government.

Comey documented his conversations with the president in memos. In a meeting the day after Flynn resigned in February, the president reportedly told Comey "I hope you can let this go," referring to Flynn.

"I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go," Mr. Trump said, according to Comey's memo. "He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."

The committee, according to Chairman Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, has not yet seen the Comey memos and thinks the earliest senators might see them is Thursday, the day Comey testifies.

Burr also said that he does not expect Comey's testimony to be constrained in any way. He said that it is his understanding that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has not limited the scope of Comey's testimony, so lawmakers are also sure to ask Comey about the Russia investigation that he was leading when he was fired. Comey will only talk about classified information in the closed part of the hearing, however.

The White House is also not going to try to stop Comey from speaking, saying Monday that Mr. Trump will not exert executive privilege and attempt to block Comey from testifying before Congress. The White House expressed to desire to "facilitate a swift and thorough examination of the facts sought by the Senate Intelligence Committee."

Ahead of Comey testimony, here's what to watch for
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Ahead of Comey testimony, here's what to watch for

In his testimony, Comey is expected to confirm the contents of this memo, though he may be limited from further explanation due to the ongoing FBI investigation surrounding the issue.

"The Committee looks forward to receiving testimony from the former Director on his role in the development of the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 US elections, and I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media," Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, said in a statement.

Later Thursday, Comey will also testify in a private session at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Senate Intelligence Committee also asked Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe for any other documentation from the FBI containing information regarding Comey's communication with the Trump administration.



THIS KIND OF CYBERWARFARE IS PHYSICALLY SAFER FOR US CITIZENS, BUT IF THIS EVENT OF 2016 WERE TRULY TO DESTABILIZE OUR GOVERNMENT, THERE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE CHAOS AFTER SUCH AN ATTACK. I DON’T EXPECT TO SEE RUSSIAN SOLDIERS MARCHING DOWN THE STREETS OF JACKSONVILLE, BUT ALASKA? WHO KNOWS?

IT DOES MAKE ME VERY ANGRY, HOWEVER. PUTIN IS A LIAR AND POWER HUNGRY, AND ACCORDING TO OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, SUCH AS THE CIA AND NSA, HE IS A MURDERER SEVERAL TIMES OVER, AT LEAST THROUGH THE HANDS OF HIS AGENTS.

THE IDEA THAT DONALD TRUMP WOULD ACTUALLY ALLY HIMSELF WITH PUTIN, ON THE OTHER HAND, SCARES ME. HE’S AN UNSTABLE INDIVIDUAL, AND IN A POSITION TO DO US ALL A GREAT DEAL MORE HARM, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM THAN AN OUTSIDE FORCE. MANY IN OUR GOVERNMENTAL DEPARTMENTS, THE COURTS, AND THE LEGISLATURE ARE, THANK GOODNESS, STANDING UP FREQUENTLY FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND SENSIBLE, SO I’M NOT NEARLY AS WORRIED NOW AS I WAS THE DAY AFTER THE 2016 ELECTION.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/scheme-detailed-in-nsa-report-came-after-obama-told-putin-to-stop/
By JEFF PEGUES CBS NEWS June 6, 2017, 7:20 PM
Scheme detailed in NSA report came after Obama told Putin to stop

WASHINGTON -- U.S. intelligence is still gathering new evidence of Russian cyberattacks before election day.

The leaked top-secret NSA report was only recently completed. It details how a week before Nov. 8, hackers connected to Russian military intelligence sent emails laced with malware to 122 local officials controlling voter registration systems.

170606-en-peguees-russia-01.jpg
Emails laced with malware were sent to 122 local officials controlling voter registration systems. CBS NEWS

The brazen scheme came just weeks after then-President Obama personally told Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the attacks.

"I felt that the most effective way to ensure that that didn't happen was to talk to him directly and tell him to cut it out," Obama said in December 2016.

Law enforcement sources say voter databases nationwide were targeted by Russian hackers over a six-month period ahead of the election.

Jim Lewis, who advises the U.S. government on cybersecurity, spoke to CBS News about the worst-case scenario and whether the hackers were actually trying to affect the vote total.

"I think that was their hope," he said. "I think that they were expecting to be able to manipulate votes in some way, maybe discredit the electoral system which they came closer to doing."

U.S. officials still believe the vote total was not affected.

170606-en-pegues-john-kelly.jpg
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly CBS NEWS

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said his department wants to help states secure their voting systems, but that some are wary of federal intrusion.

"There is nothing more fundamental to our democracy than voting," Kelly said. "Do you see us as partners and helpers in this, to help… help you make sure that your systems are protected," he asked.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin again denied interfering in the election. Late last year, an Obama administration official said we would never expect Russia to come out with their hands up. They don't do that.