July 22, 2017


News and Views


SEE THE REUTERS ARTICLE AND WIKIPEDIA BELOW, ON CONGRESSIONAL CONTROLS ON THE POWER OF THE PRESIDENCY. CONTROLS AREN’T NEW; THEY’RE JUST BEING REINSTATED AFTER THE “STRONG” PRESIDENCIES OF THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES. I’M GLAD TO SEE CONGRESS HAS NOTICED THE PROBLEM AND IS TRYING TO PREVENT THE BULL FROM GETTING INTO THE CHINA SHOP. I DO HOPE THIS BILL WILL PASS, OR AT LEAST A MODIFIED VERSION OF IT. WE HAVE BEEN LOOSENING THE STRICTURES ON THE PRESIDENCY FOR TWO OR THREE DECADES. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THE “SIGNING STATEMENTS” THAT PRESIDENTS SINCE BILL CLINTON, GEORGE W BUSH HAVE BEEN USING, AND MAYBE BEFORE THEM; WHICH ACTUALLY LIMIT OR MODIFY THE LAW IN SOME WAYS.

GEORGE W BUSH’S NEOCONS CALLED THAT “THE UNITARY EXECUTIVE,” WHICH THEY INTERPRETED TO BE “STRONGLY UNITARY” RATHER THAN “WEAKLY.” THE TERM UNITARY EXECUTIVE, ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA, IS A THEORY AND NOT A BINDING LAW. I THINK IT SHOULD BE ELIMINATED AND THE PRESIDENCY MORE CLOSELY DEFINED. ANYTHING THAT ALLOWS A PRESIDENT OR GOVERNOR TO OVERRULE THE LEGISLATURE BEYOND THE EXECUTIVE VETO POWER IS VERY DANGEROUS – A STEP DOWN A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE.

THIS IS THE KIND OF THINKING THAT TRUMP IS FOLLOWING WITH HIS CLAIMS THAT THE CIA “ANSWERS TO THE PRESIDENT.” THE MORE “CONSERVATIVE” A LEADER IS, THE MORE LIKELY THAT HE WILL VERGE INTO DESPOTISM. THIS DRAFT BILL IS A GOOD THING, BUT WE NEED MORE OF THE SAME TO COVER STILL MORE SITUATIONS, LIKE THE HALF DOZEN OR MORE AGENCIES THAT TRUMP IS HAVING HIS FAVORITE HATCHET MAN OF THE MOMENT, REX TILLERSON, TO DEFANG. NO RULES IS GOOD, RIGHT?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitary_executive_theory
Unitary executive theory
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The unitary executive theory is a theory of American constitutional law holding that the President possesses the power to control the entire executive branch. The doctrine is rooted in Article Two of the United States Constitution, which vests "the executive power" of the United States in the President.

Although that general principle is widely accepted, there is disagreement about the strength and scope of the doctrine.[1] It can be said that some favor a "strongly unitary" executive, while others favor a "weakly unitary" executive.[1] The former group argue, for example, that Congress's power to interfere with intra-executive decision-making (such as firing executive branch officials) is limited, and that the President can control policy-making by all executive agencies within the limits set for those agencies by Congress. Still others agree that the Constitution requires a unitary executive, but believe this to be a bad thing, and propose its abolition by constitutional amendment.[2]

In several states, in contrast to the federal government, executive officers such as lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, secretary of state and others are elected independently of the state's governor, with Texas being one example. This type of executive structure is known as a plural executive. Another type of plural executive, used in Japan, Israel, and Sweden, though not in any U.S. state, in which a collegial body comprises the executive branch – however, that collegial body does not comprise multiple members elected in elections, but is rather more akin to the US Cabinet in formation and structure.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions-idUSKBN1A70L0
#WORLD NEWS JULY 22, 2017 / 12:06 PM / 2 HOURS AGO
U.S. lawmakers reach deal on Russia sanctions bill, creating limits for Trump

Photograph -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang July 5, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republicans and Democrats have reached agreement on legislation that allows new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea, leading congressional Democrats said on Saturday, in a bill that would limit any potential effort by President Donald Trump to try to lift sanctions against Moscow.

The Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act, which was passed by the Senate a month ago, was held up in the House of Representatives after Republicans proposed including North Korea sanctions in the bill.

The House is set to vote on Tuesday on a package of bills on sanctions covering Russia, Iran and North Korea, according to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office. The measure will "hold them accountable for their dangerous actions," McCarthy said in a statement Saturday.

Under the proposed bill, Trump must submit to Congress a report on proposed actions that would "significantly alter" U.S. foreign policy in connection with Russia, including easing sanctions or returning diplomatic properties in Maryland and New York that former President Barack Obama ordered vacated in December.

Congress would have at least 30 days to hold hearings and then vote to uphold or reject Trump’s proposed changes.

Many lawmakers hope the bill will send a message to Trump to keep a strong line against Russia.

RELATED COVERAGE
EU sounds alarm, urges U.S. to coordinate on Russia sanctions

Trump, who met Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg earlier this month and said it was an "honor" to meet him, has been criticized for seeking to reset U.S.-Russian relations. His administration has been bogged down by ongoing investigations of possible ties between his 2016 campaign and Russia.

With the bill, Republicans and Democrats are seeking to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea, a peninsula belong [sic] to Ukraine, and for meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Putin has denied any meddling in the U.S. democratic process last year. Trump has said that his campaign did not collude with Russia.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Russia's "outrageous and unacceptable" behavior in the 2016 U.S. election and in Europe "demand that we have strong statutory sanctions enacted as soon as possible."

Even so, she expressed concerns that by including North Korea the legislation could face procedural delays in the Senate.

Senior Republican lawmakers did not immediately comment on the latest bill.

In Brussels, the European Union sounded an alarm about the U.S. moves to step up sanctions on Russia, urging Washington to coordinate with its Group of 7 partners.

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, warned of possibly "wide and indiscriminate" "unintended consequences," notably on the EU's efforts to diversify energy sources away from Russia.

McCarthy and Ed Royce, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement the revised bill helps "bolster the energy security of our European allies by maintaining their access to key energy resources outside of Russia."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a strong sanctions bill "is essential," and said in a statement that he expects "the House and Senate will act on this legislation promptly, on a broad bipartisan basis."

Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the agreement was reached after "intense negotiations."

"A nearly united Congress is poised to send President Putin a clear message on behalf of the American people and our allies, and we need President Trump to help us deliver that message," he said in a statement.

Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler



“DON’T MESS AROUND WITH JIM” – JIM CROCE GREATEST HITS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4qUXcXuMSE

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/members-of-both-parties-warn-trump-not-to-mess-with-mueller/
By NANCY CORDES CBS NEWS July 21, 2017, 6:46 PM
Lawmakers from both parties warn Trump not to mess with Mueller

WASHINGTON -- Members of congress have a message for President Trump: Don't antagonize special counsel Robert Mueller, or you could regret it.

"It would prompt a firestorm," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

Members of both parties are warning the president not to mess with Mueller.

"Firing Bob Mueller without cause is an attack on the rule of law," said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Photograph -- cordes-mueller-capitol-hill-2017-7-21.jpg, Special Counsel Robert Mueller. CBS NEWS

"It sort of looks paranoid to me," said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee. "If he fired Bob Mueller, I think you'd see a tremendous backlash response from both Democrats but also House Republicans."

Respect for Mueller runs deep on Capitol Hill, especially among Republicans.

He was President George W. Bush's pick for FBI director, and served throughout the Bush presidency.

Trump's lawyers and aides seeking to undermine Mueller
Play VIDEO
Trump's lawyers and aides seeking to undermine Mueller

House Speaker Paul Ryan has had the same message for Mr. Trump since Mueller was tapped as special counsel in May: "I think the best advice would be to let Robert Mueller do his job."

Republicans were also stunned by the president's slam on their former Senate colleague Jeff Sessions, who is now attorney general.

"Jeff Sessions takes the job, gets into the job, recuses himself. I then have -- which, frankly I think is very unfair to the president," Mr. Trump told The New York Times.

Can President Trump fire special counsel Mueller?
Play VIDEO
Can President Trump fire special counsel Mueller?

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says Sessions was right to recuse himself.

"The attorney general can't be a wingman for a president. He's got to be very independent," Grassley said.

As for those attempts to dig up dirt on Mueller or his staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says good luck.

"I don't think it's going to influence Bob Mueller's work one way or another," Rubio said. "I'm pretty confident just knowing him and knowing the way he conducts himself he doesn't wake up in the morning and read those things and have them impact his ability to do his job. He's going to do his job."

Some Republican aides on Friday praised the choice for new White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, emphasizing his poise and charisma. Others complained that Scaramucci has no experience with communications planning and strategy -- something they think this White House badly needs.



THIS ISN’T A STRAIGHT TIME LINE LIKE I EXPECTED, BUT A MORE ECCENTRIC RUNDOWN ON THE RECENT EVENTS. I HAVE TAKEN TO LOOKING AT TIME LINES BECAUSE SO MUCH ON THIS CASE HAS OCCURRED SO FAST THAT I’M BEGINNING TO FEEL DISORIENTED. THIS ARTICLE IS EXCELLENT AND HAS A GREAT COMMENTARY BY RICK KLEIN WHICH SUMS UP WHAT I THINK.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/note-presidents-men-line-special-prosecutor/story?id=48767996
The Note: All the president’s men line up against special prosecutor
By VERONICA STRACQUALURSI Jul 21, 2017, 7:15 AM ET

WATCH The Note: A round robin of investigations

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

It's quite the round robin of investigations: Special counsel Robert Mueller is digging into President Donald Trump's business dealings, Bloomberg reported a day after Trump told The New York Times if Mueller does so, it's crossing a red line.

Trump's attorneys and aides are investigating Mueller's team in hopes of uncovering any conflicts of interests to undercut the Russia probe, The Washington Post and The New York Times reported.

Trump has also been asking about his authority to pardon his associates, his family and even himself, The Washington Post said.

Meanwhile, Trump is shuffling his legal team: Ty Cobb takes the lead from Marc Kasowitz, while spokesman Mark Corallo resigned Thursday night.

And the tension will continue: After Trump criticized him in the New York Times interview, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday he's not going anywhere ... "so long as it's appropriate."

A new addition to the Trump team: Trump is expected to announce Wall Street's Anthony Scaramucci as the new White House communications director.

THE TAKE with ABC News' Rick Klein

Call it a reshuffling, or a shakeup, or a simple expansion of the team. Just don't call it an effective new strategy, not until certain other behaviors are moderated or changed altogether. Moving people around in the communications operation and the legal team suggests that President Trump's problems have stemmed from either the communications or legal advice he's getting. But it's his own behavior – from hiring Michael Flynn to firing James Comey, denouncing the special counsel's "witch hunt" and slamming the nation's three top law enforcement officials – that lie at the heart of the swirling controversies his aides and advisers are trying to calm. With talk of pardons and of undercutting special counsel Robert Mueller's team, not to mention his unprecedented public brushback of his own Justice Department, a president who respects no boundaries seems to be daring those investigating his activities to go further, with behavior that would not be tolerated in an underling. Bringing in new people won't make it easier for spokespeople to explain the inexplicable, or for lawyers to defend the indefensible.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I don't even pay any attention to what is going on with the administration because I don't care. They're a distraction. The family is a distraction, the president is a distraction." -- Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, to Politico

WHAT TO WATCH

THIS WEEK ON "THIS WEEK." The "Powerhouse Roundtable" debates the week in politics, with Fox News co-host and author of "The Swamp" Eric Bolling, Bloomberg Businessweek senior national correspondent and "Devil's Bargain" author Joshua Green, Republican strategist and CNBC contributor Sara Fagen, New York Times White House correspondent and CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman, and host and managing editor of TV One's "News One Now," Roland Martin.

"THE BRIEFING ROOM." After every White House press briefing - on camera or not - ABC News' political team will have full coverage and analysis from Political Director Rick Klein, correspondents Jonathan Karl, Cecilia Vega, Mary Bruce and others. Catch us on "The Briefing Room" at the ABC News Politics Facebook page, the ABC News YouTube page, ABCNews.com/LIVE and the ABC News app.

COULD CLIMATE CHANGE BECOME A VOTING ISSUE?

Global warming warrior and former Vice President Al Gore said Thursday there might be a silver lining to President Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," he said, citing a law of physics. "What we are seeing in the United States of America today is the biggest upsurge in favor of the climate that we have ever experienced, and it is in reaction to what President Trump has said." Gore listed U.S. governors and mayors who, in the wake of the announcement from the White House, have made their commitments to expand renewable energy and curb greenhouse gas emissions locally. "And we're seeing it around the world, where countries have doubled-down on their commitment to the Paris Agreement," he went on. During a Sirius XM town hall promoting his new movie, he added it was as if the president's announcement lit a fire under world leaders who are now saying they will meet their energy and environmental goals even faster, just to show up Trump, ABC News' MaryAlice Parks reports.

NEED TO READ with ABC News' Daksha Sthipam

Senators say Paul Manafort, Donald Trump Jr. will get subpoenas if they skip hearing. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is threatening to issue subpoenas to compel Paul Manafort and Donald Trump Jr. to testify before Congress if they do not cooperate with the panel's ongoing investigation and appear for a public hearing next week. "If they don't voluntarily come, they will be subpoenaed," Grassley said Thursday. http://abcn.ws/2uO20mN

Exxon slapped with $2 million fine for allegedly violating Russia sanctions while Tillerson was CEO. The Treasury Department announced Thursday that it has fined Exxon Mobil $2 million for allegedly violating Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was CEO. According to a penalty filed Thursday, the president of Exxon's U.S. subsidiaries in 2014 signed eight agreements for oil and gas projects with Igor Sechin, the president of Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft. http://abcn.ws/2gNnD0C

Who is Rachel Brand, the associate attorney general under Sessions and Rosenstein? President Donald Trump's criticism Wednesday of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has cast a spotlight on the third person in this hierarchy, Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand. Brand, the first woman to serve as associate attorney general, was nominated by Trump in February. http://abcn.ws/2uDMZ6M

WHO'S TWEETING?

@SenJohnMcCain: I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support - unfortunately for my sparring partners in Congress, I'll be back soon, so stand-by!

@AmyEGardner: MUST READ -->> What John McCain learned from Ted Kennedy on challenging his own party, from @pkcapitol http://wapo.st/2uPsdBA

@markberman: As Trump fumes about Mueller's probe, he's told aides he's particularly disturbed Mueller can access his tax returns http://wapo.st/2tvyfaa

@FreedomPartners: "History is on the side of bold #TaxReform, it's time for Congress to deliver." http://bit.ly/2vn5U2Z

@shaneharris: Pompeo: "It is difficult to imagine a stable Syria that still has Assad in power." About as close as he'll get to US policy on the regime.

@joshrogin: Pompeo suggests regime change for North Korea, says twice U.S. will try to separate Kim from his own nuclear program. #AspenSecurity

@jimsciutto: Asked about POTUS saying "I love Wikileaks" during the campaign, CIA's Pompeo says simply "I don't love Wikileaks"

@brianstelter: >> @TuckerCarlson: "For God's sake, lay off Jeff Sessions, he is your friend -- one of the very few you have in Washington."

The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back Monday for the latest.



THIS POLICE CHIEF HAS GONE OUT OF HIS WAY TO SOLVE A PROBLEM WHICH I, AS A FLORIDA CITIZEN, DIDN’T KNOW EXISTED. I THINK THAT IF A DRIVER IS IN AN ACCIDENT HE IS LEGALLY REQUIRED TO RENDER AID, OR AT LEAST CALL THE RESCUE SQUAD, BUT APPARENTLY IN ORDINARY DAILY LIFE THAT ISN’T THE CASE. IT IS, OF COURSE, POSSIBLE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO SPEARHEAD THE WRITING OF A NEEDED NEW LAW AS CHIEF CANTALOUPE IS PLANNING TO DO, BUT IT ISN’T DONE VERY OFTEN. WE AS COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE MUCH MORE ACTIVIST IN EVERY WAY, INCLUDING THIS. COMMUNITIES DON’T HAVE THE HUMAN COHESIVENESS THAT THEY DID WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND ESPECIALLY IN CITIES, THOUGH I THOUGHT COCOA WAS A SMALL PLACE. MAYBERRY, NC IS GONE, GONE, GONE.

I DO READ ABOUT CASES AROUND THE COUNTRY WHICH ARE LIKE THIS ONE IN SOME WAYS. THOSE BULLYING CASES ARE ALL IN THE SAME CATEGORY FOR THE MOST PART – THERE ARE MORE BYSTANDERS DOING NOTHING HELPFUL AND MAYBE LAUGHING, THAN THERE ARE ACTIVE BULLIES – BUT THE BYSTANDERS SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME AS IN THIS CASE, FOR THEIR CALLOUSNESS, OR COWARDICE, OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT CAUSES THIS. WHAT ABOUT HORRIBLE PARENTING OR NO PARENTING AT ALL IN THE CASE OF TEENS LIKE THIS? PARENTS SHOULDN’T BE BEATING ON THEIR KIDS, BUT THEY SHOULD WATCH WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE UP TO AND NOT TURN THEM LOOSE TO RUN AROUND IN SMALL GANGS LIKE THESE WERE DOING. IT BRINGS OUT THE KILLER INSTINCT IN THEM.

THERE ARE ALSO TOO MANY KIDS WHO ARE NEARLY GROWN, BUT WHO MENTALLY ARE NOT A RESPONSIBLE PART OF THE COMMUNITY YET. TEACHING READIN’ RITIN’ AND ‘RITHMETIC JUST ISN’T ENOUGH, AND NEITHER IS A DOGMATIC RELIGION THAT FAILS TO TEACH THESE MOST BASIC THINGS. THE THINGS OF THE HEART ARE TAUGHT BY EXAMPLE. CONGRATULATIONS TO CHIEF CANTALOUPE. OFFICERS LIKE HIM COUNTERACT THE BAD COP SHOOTINGS THAT HAPPEN.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/teens-laughed-recorded-man-drowns-could-face-charges/
CBS NEWS July 22, 2017, 3:45 PM
Police recommend charges for teens who laughed and recorded a man drowning

Video -- Teens record man drowning in Florida, July 22, 2017, 12:36 AM, 03:46

Photograph -- Florida police say five teenage boys mocked and recorded a man while he was drowning. Authorities have now released the cellphone recording the teens allegedly made. James Sparvero of CBS affiliate WKMG-TV in Orlando reports.

COCOA, Fla. -- Police will recommend a group of teens who laughed and filmed a man who drowned in a retention pond face charges for failing to report the man's death, authorities in Florida announced Friday.

Authorities said the teens did nothing to help 31-year-old Jamel Dunn in his final moments. They said some of the teens, aged 14 to 18, showed no remorse when detectives questioned them about the incident, CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG-TV reports.

"I want to think that's a natural instinct for any of us, that if we saw somebody in trouble or somebody having an issue, that we would at least try to get them help," Cocoa police chief Mike Cantaloupe said Friday.

In a minute-long video shared on social media, the five teens laughed and shouted insults at Dunn as he screamed for help and struggled in the murky water on July 9, police said.

"F------ junkie, get out the water, you gonna die," one teen said.

"Ain't nobody's going to help you, you dumb b----," another said. "You should've never got in there."

Jamel Dunn is seen in a photo obtained by CBS Orlando, Florida, affiliate WKMG-TV.
Jamel Dunn WKMG-TV

Florida law doesn't require a witness to help a person in need, so police originally said it wouldn't be possible to charge the teens with a crime.

"We just didn't have any criminal charges," Cantaloupe said. "But we just kept looking."

But police continued to discuss the case with state attorney Phil Archer. Cantaloupe decided to file a misdemeanor charging document under a statute that requires witnesses to report a person's death to authorities, WKMG-TV reports.

Teens record man drowning in Florida
Play VIDEO
Teens record man drowning in Florida

The state attorney's office in Florida will determine in the coming weeks if the state will pursue the charges recommended by police. The teens will remain free if and until the state attorney decides to bring formal charges.

Cantaloupe said he plans to meet with lawmakers to draft legislation that would require witnesses to help a person in distress.

"I think that would be the huge win, I think that would be justice. We don't want another family to go through what the Dunn family has gone through," Cantaloupe said.

Before Dunn entered the retention pond, he got in an argument with his fiance for 10 to 15 minutes.

"Regardless of the circumstances surrounding his decision to enter the water that day, there is absolutely no justification for what the teens did. Pursuing criminal charges is a way to hold them accountable for their own actions," Cantaloupe said.



http://www.cocoafl.org/742/Chief-Mike-Cantaloupe
Chief Mike Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe_Mike2016.jpgBiography

I began my career in law enforcement in December of 1990 with the Cocoa Police Department. I started in the patrol division on midnight shift. I was selected for the street crimes unit and spent the better part of two years assigned to that unit. I then went to criminal investigations, special investigations, and was assigned to the Brevard County Drug Task Force for two years. I then returned to the special investigations unit for a short period of time before returning to patrol.

Once back in patrol, I became a field training officer and was selected for SWAT. During this period, I became a corporal, sniper, and then team leader. I was then promoted to sergeant and took charge of the special investigations unit. I have served as a patrol watch commander, SWAT commander, and professional compliance commander. I am currently the chief of police.

My time away from work is spent coaching my daughter’s soccer team, boating, fishing and spending time with my family.

Email Chief Mike Cantaloupe.
Office phone: (321) 637-6321



I THINK SCARAMUCCI IS AN INTERESTING HUMAN BEING. I ONLY HOPE HE WON’T BE A FAR RIGHTIST OR SLAVISH IN HIS WAY OF DEALING WITH TRUMP. HE DOES SEEM TO BE TRYING TO “SAY THE PASSWORD,” HOWEVER, SO I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN INDIVIDUAL HE WILL BE. ALL PRESIDENTS HAVE “HANDLERS,” AND TRUMP NEEDS TO GET USED TO BOUNCING THINGS OFF HIS TRUSTED AND INTELLIGENT STAFF -- AND THIS MAN IS INTELLIGENT. I THINK SCARAMUCCI MAY BE A MORE CLASSIC REPUBLICAN THAN TRUMP IS. TRUMP WORRIES ME BECAUSE HE NOT ONLY DOESN’T FOLLOW RULES; HE DOESN’T FOLLOW PATTERNS – UNLESS HIS PATTERN IS CHAOS.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-white-house-comms-director-deletes-old-conflicting-tweets-out-of-transparency/
CBS/AP July 22, 2017, 5:36 PM
New WH comms director Anthony Scaramucci deletes old tweets contradicting Trump

A day after accepting a top White House job, President Trump's new communications director announced Saturday that he's deleting old tweets that were critical of his new boss, saying his own views have evolved and that what he said in the past shouldn't be a distraction.

Follow
Anthony Scaramucci ✔ @Scaramucci
Full transparency: I'm deleting old tweets. Past views evolved & shouldn't be a distraction. I serve @POTUS agenda & that's all that matters
1:15 PM - 22 Jul 2017
8,923 8,923 Retweets 24,423 24,423 likes

Twitter Ads info and privacy
"Full transparency: I'm deleting old tweets. Past views evolved & shouldn't be a distraction. I serve @POTUS agenda & that's all that matters," Anthony Scaramucci, the latest White House hire, tweeted on Saturday.

He followed up that notice to followers by saying, "The politics of 'gotcha' are over. I have a thick skin and we're moving on to @POTUS agenda serving the American people."

Mr. Trump announced Friday that he'd hired Wall Street financier Scaramucci to help the White House sharpen its public message.

Outgoing White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced his resignation after Mr. Trump selected Scaramucci to be his new communications director, a decision that factored into Spicer's decision to leave, CBS News confirmed. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has served as the deputy press secretary, will be the new press secretary.

In a statement following his appointment, Mr. Trump said, "Anthony is a person I have great respect for, and he will be an important addition to this Administration. He has been a great supporter and will now help implement key aspects of our agenda while leading the communications team."

He added, "We have accomplished so much, and we are being given credit for so little. The good news is the people get it, even if the media doesn't."

Social media users quickly did a deep dive and recirculated past tweets by Scaramucci that were at odds with Mr. Trump's views, including one that praised Hillary Clinton's competence. Mr. Trump defeated Clinton for president last year and continues to criticize her, including in several tweets Saturday.

Other repurposed Scaramucci tweets expressed support for stronger gun laws, which he tweeted about in August 2012. In May 2016, he expressed displeasure with individuals who believe climate change is a hoax. Mr. Trump has at times referred to global warming as a hoax.

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
Follow
Shannon Watts ✔ @shannonrwatts
Weirdly these are being deleted! But the Internet is forever, Anthony Scaramucci.
1:37 PM - 21 Jul 2017
6,723 6,723 Retweets 9,889 9,889 likes

Twitter Ads info and privacy
Twitter users also scrolled back deep into Scaramucci's timeline to raise questions about a 2012 tweet in which he seemed to misattribute a quote to author Mark Twain.

"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like its heaven on earth. Mark Twain," Scaramucci tweeted. Scaramucci did not delete that tweet.

Follow
Anthony Scaramucci ✔ @Scaramucci
Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like its heaven on earth. MarkTwain
2:40 PM - 15 Jun 2012
3,853 3,853 Retweets 6,799 6,799 likes

Twitter Ads info and privacy
Scaramucci served Mr. Trump as a campaign fundraiser and adviser during the transition. He is currently serving as the senior vice president and chief strategy office at the Export-Import Bank, and will officially begin his new role Aug. 15.

He made his first appearance before reporters in the White House briefing room on Friday and quickly apologized to Mr. Trump for referring to him as a "hack politician" during an August 2015 appearance on Fox Business Network.

Asked whether Mr. Trump was aware of the comment, Scaramucci joked that the president mentions it every 15 seconds.

He called it one of his "biggest mistakes" before looking into the cameras and saying: "Mr. President, if you're listening, I personally apologize for the 50th time for saying that."


SCARAMUCCI BIO

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-anthony-scaramucci/
CBS NEWS July 21, 2017, 2:40 PM
Everything you need to know about Anthony Scaramucci

Why are we talking about this Anthony Scaramucci guy?
The 52-year-old "Mooch," as he is sometimes known, is the White House's new communications director. Before taking the job Friday morning, he was working as the chief strategy officer and senior vice president at the Ex-Im Bank. His appointment was a major reason outgoing White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer resigned.

And before that?
Scaramucci is a native Long Islander who's made a fortune in New York finance. He has also been a major donor to Republican candidates and causes, and regular defender of President Trump on cable channels. He served on Mr. Trump's transition committee, and was said to be in the running for a White House job after his inauguration.

He went to Tufts University and Harvard Law, and then landed at Goldman Sachs in 1989, a company that has also employed Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and strategist Steve Bannon. In 1991, he was fired by Goldman, only to be hired back two months later in another division, and eventually became its president of wealth management.

In 2005, he founded SkyBridge Capital, an investment firm, which became known for its annual Las Vegas conferences where politicians and investors would rub shoulders with celebrities. He wrote several books, and became a regular guest on business-focused networks. In January, he announced that he was selling SkyBridge to HNA Group, a Chinese company with close ties to the Communist Party there.

Is that why he didn't get a White House job then?
That's reportedly the case, yes.

Because it looked like the Chinese government might be trying to buy influence in the administration?

That's the gist, although Scaramucci said such concerns were ludicrous. "They know they cannot talk to me, so what influence are they buying?" he told the New York Times in January. "If people are saying that HNA is trying to buy access, then people are saying HNA is stupid."

Has he always been an ally of Mr. Trump?
He has not, having first endorsed Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is the 2016 Republican primaries. When Mr. Trump went after "hedge fund guys" in a 2015 election, Scaramucci fired back on Fox Business Network, calling the comments "anti-American" and Mr. Trump himself a "hack politician."

Scaramucci also said he did not like how Mr. Trump "talks about women" and said other Republicans were reluctant to criticize the eventual nominee "because he has a big mouth" and would "light them up on Fox News and all these other places."

"I'm not a politician," Scaramucci continued. "You're an inherited money dude from Queens. Bring it, Donald."

Once the primaries were over, however, Scaramucci endorsed Mr. Trump, quickly becoming one of the president's most vocal surrogates on television. At his first White House press briefing, Scaramucci said the president certianly hasn't forgotten those earlier comments -- "he brings it up every 15 seconds," he told the press corps.

White House hammers media after CNN retracts story
Play VIDEO
White House hammers media after CNN retracts story

Does he have any experience dealing with the press?
He has been hosting a weekly show on Fox Business Network, called "Wall Street Week," and he's been a frequent guest on business news networks, but no, he doesn't have a traditional communications background. He did, however, score a success that attracted the president's attention -- he succeeded in getting CNN to retract a story about him. Three journalists involved in the story resigned soon afterwards.



NOW THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF PRISONER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS, THOUGH I DOUBT IF ALL INMATES GET TO JOIN IN. MAYBE IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY HAVE TO EARN ENTRANCE BY “GOOD BEHAVIOR” SO THEY WILL APPRECIATE IT MORE. WHILE WE’RE AT THIS, WE COULD TEACH MORE BASIC THINGS SUCH AS LITERACY, ART, MUSIC, CITIZENSHIP AND LAW. WHY NOT A LOCAL “COMMUNITY COLLEGE” PROGRAM LIKE WE HAVE IN JACKSONVILLE?

I USED TO GET PROGRAMS IN THE MAIL FOR THEIR COURSES, BUT I NEVER TOOK ANY. THE SUBJECTS RANGED FROM THE CREATIVE (KNITTING, PAINTING, WRITING) TO THE PRACTICAL, BUT WERE VERY IMAGINATIVE – TAX PREPARATION, COMPUTER SCIENCE, BASIC READING AND WRITING, GED, ETC. THERE ARE MANY IN OUR AMERICAN CITIES WHO DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AS EARLY AS THEY COULD, AND NOW ARE BURDENED WITH A HOUSEFUL OF KIDS WHICH MAKES IT HARD FOR THEM TO GET THEIR GED AND, HOPEFULLY, A COLLEGE DEGREE. I DO THINK THAT HALF THE PROBLEM WITH MOST PEOPLE IN PRISONS IS THAT THEY LACK BASIC SKILLS THAT WOULD HELP THEM TO MAKE PERSONAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THEIR OWN. MOST PEOPLE, EVEN IF WE AREN’T GENIUSES, CAN LEARN. WE JUST HAVE TO WANT TO DO IT, AND TO BE ABLE TO READ AT A BASIC LEVEL. THAT IS A NECESSITY. THIS COOKING PROGRAM, THOUGH IS IN ITSELF A JOB SKILL, SO THAT’S GREAT!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/italy-volterra-prison-restaurant-inmates-cook/
CBS NEWS July 22, 2017, 11:41 AM
Inside the popular Italian restaurant serving up high-end cuisine behind bars

In a 13th century fortress, on the hilltop of a Tuscan town preparations were underway for a rather unlikely dinner.

Armed guards kept watch above as the aperitivo was laid out in the courtyard and as Rosario Campagna served prosecco. He's also serving a 26-year sentence for murder, reports CBS News' Seth Doane.

What it's like for Campagna to see all the people around him? "Freedom," Campagna said. "It's as if -- do you see a prison here? Do you see a prison around us? No."

The Fortezza Medicea -- with its 138 dinner guests, hors d'oeuvres and sparkling wine -- is a prison in Volterra, Italy. It is home to some of the country's most hardened criminals, and for eight nights a year it's host to a dinner where the prisoners do all the work.

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Rosario Campagna serves prosecco. CBS NEWS

It's designed to raise money for charity, build skills and give inmates the chance to interact with those on the outside.

It's a "whiff of freedom" said one inmate named Vito, who is serving life for murder. He added, "And that means happiness."

In the kitchen, these criminals are more focused on the future than their troubled pasts. Or, at least, the next few hours.

Lifer Francesco Innocenti is in for aggravated murder.

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Inmates cook up pasta with a parsley sauce. CBS NEWS

"This is where we are so this is where we must grow," he said. "It's like a plant, it grows where it's planted."

Maria Grazia Giampiccolo is the prison's warden. She says the program provides experiences both professional and social.

Asked if the program is working she said, "Absolutely, yes. We've been doing these dinners for over 11 years and about 30 young men now work in restaurants. One owns a restaurant. We've raised over $140,000 for charity and had over 14,000 guests."

The prison brings in guest chefs to teach the inmates.

Dinner was served in a former church on the prison grounds and while the food got good reviews, the real draw was the novelty.

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CBS NEWS

"It's very strange. Because we don't know if we come -- and if we come back," one of the diners said of eating in the prison.

Joking aside, by the end of dinner curiosity had given way to a connection. The prisoners sang a song they wrote about togetherness and for a moment, inside this prison, the walls seemed to disappear.



THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE HEARD DALI’S NAME MENTIONED IN 40 YEARS OR SO. HE ALWAYS INTERESTED ME. THE ONE I’M THINKING OF IS THE CLOCK. WHILE IT WAS NIGHTMARISH, IT ALSO SEEMED TO ME TO HAVE A HUMOROUS PURPOSE. DO GO TO THE WEBSITE TO VIEW THE VIDEO AND PHOTOS.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/21/arts/spain-salvador-dali-exhumation/index.html
Body of Salvador Dali exhumed for paternity test
By Zoha Qamar, CNN
Updated 3:46 PM ET, Fri July 21, 2017

(CNN)The body of Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali was exhumed Thursday, following a controversial Madrid court ruling in favor of a woman who claims to be his daughter.

Dali once said, "Great geniuses produce mediocre children, and I don't want to go through that experience." But Maria Pilar Abel doesn't think he kept that word.

The 61-year-old woman says her mother, who was a maid in one of Dali's seasonal homes in Port Lligat, maintained a clandestine relationship with the artist. Abel wants a paternity test.

A casket is taken inside the Teatre-Museu Dali (Theatre-Museum Dali) with forensic examiners for the exhumation of Salvador Dali's remains in Figueras on July 20, 2017.

A stone slab had to be removed before forensic scientists could access the body, which has been resting in The Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres since Dali's death in 1989.

They collected samples of DNA from the hair and teeth of the embalmed body, Abel's lawyer says. Results are expected within two weeks.

Maria Pilar Abel claims "all [she] is missing is the mustache."

Abel tried to complete a paternity test in 2007 with DNA from belongings her alleged father left behind, but results proved inconclusive. The Madrid Supreme Court agreed there were no other reliable remains.

It stated the objective of the exhumation was "to get samples of his remains to determine whether he is the biological father of a woman from Girona (in northeastern Spain) who filed a claim to be recognized as the daughter of the artist."

The Salvador Dali Foundation, which runs the museum, vowed to appeal the court ruling back in June, but to no avail.

In a statement, the foundation said that, while it respected the court's decisions and cooperated with the exhumation, it "considers the exhumation performed on Salvador Dali's remains entirely inappropriate."

"There is no evidence that claimant Pilar Abel Martinez's claim has any legal basis, as the only grounds provided constitute a notarial statement from a woman who claims to be a friend of the mother, stating that the latter told her that her daughter's father was Salvador Dali," the Foundation said.

Dali, known for his pencil-thin mustache and eclectic persona, is acclaimed for surreal paintings with equally eclectic features, like melting clocks.

Salvador Dali's grave lies under a concrete slab in a Figueras museum.

He died at the age of 84. He and his wife Gala, whom he wed in 1934, never had children. She died in 1982.

Some biographers wrote Dali was scared of his sexuality -- that he feared being impotent or gay. He and Gala lived near each other, but not together. They were married over 50 years, but she was primarily his muse.

Abel was born in Figueres in 1956, meaning the affair would have occurred when Dali was 51 and her mother, 25.

For over a decade, Abel's family has tried to prove she is Dali's daughter.

Salvador Dali's unpublished diary up for auction

The decision to exhume Dali has provoked strong attitudes within the town.

"Her mother should know it perfectly, if he is the father or not. They should have said it before and searched for the DNA before they had to do what they have to do now," Margarita Pescador told CNN while visiting the museum.

"I don't know if this lady does it to earn money, or just to say that she's the daughter, but it's fine that she seeks to know who her father is," one local man, Jose Luis Navarro, said.

This story was updated to include a statement from the Salvador Dali Foundation.
CNN's Vasco Cotovio, Elizabeth Roberts, and Nicholas Glass contributed to this report.



http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/john-heard-1945-2017/
33 Photographs –
John Heard 1945-2017