August 5 thru 7, 2017


News and Views


A GERM IS A VERY SMALL THING WHICH CAN MULTIPLY AT SHOCKING SPEEDS, SO ANY FLAW (A PINHOLE SIZED FLAW) MAY BE DANGEROUS. THIS ARTICLE DOESN’T DESCRIBE THE “ALLEGED” FLAWS, EITHER, WHICH I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW. ALSO, I AM VERY SUSPICIOUS OF PHRASES LIKE “AT INDUSTRY STANDARDS,” GIVEN THAT INDUSTRIES ARE NOT ALWAYS BOUND BY VERY STRINGENT RULES, OR TESTED FREQUENTLY ENOUGH FOR COMPLIANCE. I DON’T LIKE THE PHRASE “NO CURRENT PLANS TO USE THEM”, EITHER. EBOLA IS TOO DEADLY TO TOY WITH.

DID THE CDC, BY ANY CHANCE, GET THE GOWNS AT A LOWER PRICE IN BULK, OR ANY SIMILAR NEGLIGENT AND CORRUPT BEHAVIOR? THAT WOULD MAKE ME ANGRY AS WELL AS AFRAID, IF IT SHOULD TURN OUT TO BE TRUE. AND DID THEY KNOW BEFORE THE DAY THEY WERE SUED THAT THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH THEM? FOR INSTANCE, WHEN DID THEY QUARANTINE THE GOWNS? WHATEVER THE CASE, I DO THINK HOSPITALS SHOULD GET THE VERY BEST IN SUCH A CRITICAL SITUATION AS AN OUTBREAK, AND THAT HUGE BUSINESSES LIKE THIS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF CEOS AND OTHER RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS COULD BE SUED INDIVIDUALLY. OF COURSE, THAT’S THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR A CORPORATION, I GUESS. OWNERS GET TO HIDE BEHIND THEIR LEGAL SHIELD FROM RESPONSIBILITY. FINALLY, I THINK IT WAS THE CDC --ABOUT FIVE (OR MORE) YEARS AGO -- WHO “FOUND” A DOZEN OR MORE VIALS OF LIVE SMALLPOX VIRUSES IN A STOREROOM. THE NEWS REPORTERS TOOK THEIR CAMERA CREW IN AND FILMED THEM.

I HAVE HEARD THAT THE SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS IN THE WORLD OF RESEARCH, GERM WARFARE AND DISEASE CONTROL, SOMETIMES KEEP A SMALL SUPPLY OF SUCH THINGS AROUND AS A SOURCE TO USE IN CASE THE VACCINE STOCKPILES SHOULD BE COMPROMISED OR DEPLETED. THAT’S HOW THE ANTHRAX ATTACKS CAME TO BE. A DISGRUNTLED SCIENTIST WAS THOUGHT TO BE RESPONSIBLE. IN THAT CASE WHOEVER DID THAT GOT HIS HANDS WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS “WEAPONIZED” ANTHRAX. FOR SOME FRIGHTENING BUT VERY INTERESTING READING, GO TO NPR’S REPORT ON THOSE ATTACKS. I LIKE EXCITING NEWS, BUT THE ANTHRAX SITUATION WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO TERRIFYING. http://www.npr.org/2011/02/15/93170200/timeline-how-the-anthrax-terror-unfolded.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-quarantines-its-own-equipment/
CDC "quarantines" its own equipment
Action follows 60 Minutes investigation questioning whether protective gear for Ebola was defective
Anderson Cooper
Aug 06, 2017

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it has "quarantined" some of its own stock-piled equipment following a 60 Minutes report that questioned whether the gear, recommended for protection against the Ebola virus, was defective.

The 60 Minutes story quoted former employees and internal company documents regarding MICROCOOL surgical gowns made by Halyard Health (formerly a division of Kimberly-Clark). The investigation first aired in May 2016 and was re-broadcast this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on the CBS Television network.

strikethrough-update.jpg
The 60 Minutes report "Strike-through,"reported by Anderson Cooper, first aired on May 1, 2016. CBS NEWS

Based on documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, 60 Minutes reported that MICROCOOL gowns were part of the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile of medical supplies for use in future outbreaks and emergencies. The stockpile is maintained by the CDC.

In response to an inquiry from 60 Minutes, the CDC sent the broadcast a statement saying, "The gowns are being quarantined within the SNS [Strategic National Stockpile] inventory and there are no current plans to use them." The CDC's full statement can be found here.

In April, a group of hospitals sued Kimberly-Clark and Halyard Health in Los Angeles federal court over the alleged defects in the MICROCOOL gowns. After a nine-day trial, a jury found the companies liable for fraud and awarded $454 million in damages. Kimberly-Clark and Halyard Health are challenging the decision in court.

In the 60 Minutes story, Halyard's chief operating officer Chris Lowery told correspondent Anderson Cooper that the allegations that the MICROCOOL gowns didn't meet industry standards were completely false. "We get less than one complaint for every million gowns sold," Lowery said. "And ... we've never received even one report of a health care professional contracting an infection as a result of a flaw in our product."

But attorney Michael Avenatti, who represented the plaintiffs in the recent Los Angeles court case, said in response to the CDC statement, "The CDC has finally determined what we have known for years and what the federal jury determined in April -- the gowns are defective and place healthcare workers at risk for serious injury and death. You don't quarantine a product that has no problems and is safe."

Reported by Andy Court, Sarah Fitzpatrick & Evie Salomon.



IT IS A SHAME THAT AS SOON AS I SEE ONE OF THESE TRUMPIAN STATEMENTS I LOOK IT UP FOR ACCURACY, AND USUALLY FIND THAT IT ISN’T TRUE. SEE THE ARTICLES BELOW REFUTING HIS HIGHLY DEFAMATORY STATEMENT. THE ONLY THING I WILL SAY AGAINST BLUMENTHAL IS THAT WEASEL WORDS, LIKE “I MISSPOKE” TURN ME OFF ALMOST AS MUCH AS TRUMP’S WILD ATTACKS – NOT QUITE THOUGH.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-blumenthal-lied-about-vietnam-he-did-cried-he-n790291
POLITICS AUG 7 2017, 1:35 PM ET
Trump Says Blumenthal Lied About Vietnam (He Did) and Cried (He Didn’t)
by JANE C. TIMM

President Donald Trump on Monday unleashed a hostile tweet storm on Sen. Richard Blumenthal, making a number of claims against the Connecticut Democrat, including that he had lied about serving in Vietnam.

Follow
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!
7:47 AM - Aug 7, 2017
16,862 16,862 Replies 14,453 14,453 Retweets 51,863 51,863 likes

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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Never in U.S.history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and....
7:52 AM - Aug 7, 2017
18,265 18,265 Replies 13,233 13,233 Retweets 48,753 48,753 likes

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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
...conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?
8:01 AM - Aug 7, 2017
25,438 25,438 Replies 11,851 11,851 Retweets 46,794 46,794 likes

Trump's Twitter fusillade was apparently set off by Blumenthal's appearance on CNN earlier Monday in which he spoke about the investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia. "I think is very important to protect and safeguard the independence and integrity of that investigation," Blumenthal said.

Let’s look at the facts:

What's true: Years ago, Blumenthal did misrepresent his military service, repeatedly conflating his time in the Marine Reserves in Washington, D.C., with those who served overseas in Vietnam. The idea that he was a Vietnam veteran became an accepted part of his biography.

"When we returned, we saw nothing like this," the senator said at a Connecticut rally in support of troops in 2003.

"We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam," he said at another event in 2008.

In reality, the senator obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970, according to The New York Times’ 2010 expose that found Blumenthal had sometimes falsely claimed to have served in Vietnam; when he eventually enlisted in 1970, Blumenthal got a spot in the Marine Reserves, engaging in Washington drills and local projects like campground repairs.

He later apologized for misrepresenting his service, saying he regretted saying he’d served "in" Vietnam instead of "during" Vietnam.

What's not true: There’s no evidence that Blumenthal bragged — as Trump claimed in the tweets — about "battles" or "conquests" or cried when the scandal erupted during his Senate bid.

"No and no," a Blumenthal spokesman told NBC News on Monday when asked if the senator had bragged or cried.

Blumenthal himself hit back at Trump on Twitter, saying the president's "bullying" wasn't working.

Jane C. Timm



“BUT THE GOP HAS EMBRACED THESE BIRTHERS/RACISTS TEA PARTY/RACIST AND ANARCHISTS/RACISTS, AND NOW IT’S THEIR BASE, AND THEY ARE BACKING DONALD TRUMP TO THE END,” SAYS SENATOR ORRIN HATCH, A STAUNCH CONSERVATIVE.

STILL, HE DOESN’T WANT THE WILDLY RIGHT-WING GROUP THAT TRUMP IS BRINGING IN TO BE IN CONTROL. HATCH HAS THE SENSE TO SEE THAT THEY ARE DANGEROUS CHARACTERS, AND HIGHLY DISHONEST. RACISM IS NOT AN “AMERICAN VALUE.” THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE SEEN A REPUBLICAN VOICE THIS VIEWPOINT, SO I REALLY HAVE GIVEN UP ON MOST OF THEM. I HOPE MORE REPUBLICANS WILL STEP UP TO THE PLATE ON THIS. I DO REMEMBER PRINCIPLED REPUBLICANS IN THE PAST, AND I DO LIKE SOME OF TODAY’S GROUP. THE ONE WHO COMES IMMEDIATELY TO MY MIND IS JOHN KASICH. HE ISN’T HIGHLY DOCTRINAIRE, AND HE HAS A HEART. HIS STANCE TODAY IS IN AN ARTICLE FROM “POLITICALDOG,” IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ORRIN HATCH ARTICLE HERE.

http://highlighthollywood.com/2016/01/utah-delegation-solidly-against-trump-us-senator-orrin-hatch-if-he-becomes-pres-hed-find-himself-in-deep-doo-doo-highlight-hollywood-news/
Utah Delegation Solidly Against Trump, US Senator Orrin Hatch, “If He Becomes Pres., He’d Find Himself In Deep Doo-Doo,” Highlight Hollywood News
January 4, 2016 2016 Political News
Tommy Lightfoot Garrett

Photograph – This photo of Trump does look like he is crying. Is he? I don’t know.

Reality TV star Donald Trump continues to lead in national polls among the many GOP contenders for president, but members of Utah’s all-Republican congressional delegation said they believe voters will make a different choice. “It’s a problem because he’s both an asset and a tremendous liability,” Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said of the possibility the billionaire reality TV star could become the Republican nominee in 2016. But the GOP has embraced these birthers/racists Tea Party/racist and anarchists/racists, and now it’s their base, and they are backing Donald Trump to the end.

Trump is attracting huge crowds, “telling people what they want to hear, and they’re all mad at everybody here” in Washington, Senator Hatch said. “But you still have to be responsible, no matter what the polls show or anything else.”

Senator Hatch and other members of the delegation expressed concern about Trump’s call in early December to bar Muslims from entering the United States in light of terrorist attacks here and abroad.

A UtahPolicy.com poll conducted after Trump’s controversial statement had him languishing in fourth place among Republican candidates, behind Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

Photograph -- ORRIN-HATCH

Pollster Dan Jones said Utah voters already disliked Trump’s “too boisterous” style and were put off by the idea that faith should be used to decide who is allowed into the country.

The Mormons also do NOT like religious persecution, as they suffered it greatly in our nation’s history, which is why the vast majority of Mormons exist around the Salt Lake Basin in the Western U.S. It was the only place they were allowed to live, and expected to perish from the lack of water by the U.S. Government at the time.

“Some of the things he’s said, they curdle my blood,” Hatch said. “I don’t want to lose the tremendous advantage the United States has being the nation of freedom, especially freedom of religion and freedom of thought.”

Hatch, who endorsed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for president earlier this year, said Trump should have narrowed his focus to keeping “radical Muslims out, the radical terrorists out. Who would disagree with that?”

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also suggested Trump went too far.

“I think you’ve got to be very, very careful when making comments like that,” Lee said of Trump’s call for a ban on all Muslims. “And he’s not known for being really careful.”

Lee has not endorsed a presidential candidate because three of his close friends in the Senate are running: Cruz, Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. He said it’s still early in the race.

“Look, I have great confidence in the American people to choose their president,” the first-term senator said. “Polls are often wrong at this point.”

Still, he said he has concerns about Trump.

“He’s getting a lot of people excited on a lot of different issues,” Lee said. “I can’t yet say where he stands on a whole host of issues, and that makes me a little nervous.”

“But you never know. I know him personally. I like him personally,” Hatch said. “I think he adds a dimension to the whole debate. Would I want him to be president? Probably not. Because I think he’d find himself in deep doo-doo from Day One.”

Still shot -- A telling screen grab of “Minnie” giving the butler a Pie for Mr Trump.” Trump-pie. If you saw the movie “The Help,” you’ll recognize the situation and screen shot.

You can follow us on social media at www.twitter.com/HighlightHwd or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Highlight-Hollywood/193119760769011, and now on Google+ at: https://plus.google.com/+TommyLightfootGarrett90211/about
Written By: Tommy Lightfoot Garrett
Photographs are Courtesy: AP; File
Follow us on Twitter @HighlightHwd or @LightfootinHwd


PER SCHWARZENEGGER, HE’S A STRONG FISCAL CONSERVATIVE, BUT LIKES HELPING PEOPLE. THIS BUZZFEED ARTICLE SUGGESTS THAT IT MAY BE POSSIBLE KASICH AND SANDERS COULD BE THE 2020 CANDIDATES. THAT WOULD PLEASE ME. I WOULD VOTE FOR SANDERS, OF COURSE, BUT IF KASICH CAME INTO OFFICE INSTEAD, I WOULDN’T FEEL SICK AND FURIOUS AS I DID THIS YEAR OVER THE ELECTION RESULTS. I ALSO DON’T BELIEVE IT WOULD BE A DIRTY RACE AS SO MANY ARE.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/henrygomez/john-kasich-sounds-like-hes-over-the-republican-party?utm_term=.re838ZnJ5#.gw9Qy0d5Z
John Kasich Sounds Like He's Over The Republican Party
Posted on April 27, 2017, at 8:40 p.m.
Henry J. Gomez
BuzzFeed News Reporter

The Ohio governor ran for the Republican nomination and lost. Now, in his new book and on the road, he's critical of the party and frequently noting the day will come when an independent could win the presidency. Is there space for Republicans like John Kasich in the party anymore?
Photograph – Kasich speaking. Mark Wilson / Getty Images


MANCHESTER, N.H. — Is John Kasich still a Republican?

The Ohio governor and mainstay of the party’s mainstream is out this week with a book that at times reads like an angry breakup letter.

“Oh yeah, I’m a Repub… ,” Kasich trailed off, conspicuously unable to finish the word in his rapid-fire stream of consciousness from the front seat of a big SUV barreling toward New Hampshire on Wednesday night. Kasich finished second in the state’s hugely important presidential primary last year. That was enough to make it one of the few high points of his campaign and, also conspicuously, one of the first book-signing stops on his national tour.

“I’m pro-environment, I’m pro-trade, I’m anti-debt, I’m pro-immigration, I’m pro-NATO,” Kasich continued. “And when I look at the party, I see it moving in a different direction. But I’ve always said I have the right to define what it means to be a Republican and a conservative.”

At a time when he clearly wants to remain a player on the national stage, Kasich is struggling with his political identity — and so is his party. If and where he fits in a GOP led by Donald Trump will say a great deal about the kind of Republicans who can succeed in it, and whether there’s still space for the open and internationalist values Kasich and other Republicans long have cherished.

Twice Wednesday — once during a forum at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and later in the SUV — Kasich said the day is coming when a well-funded independent can win the White House.

“Both parties, I think, are missing it,” Kasich said. “That’s why I said tonight, and I’ll say again in this car, that I think they’re going to matter less and less unless they get their act together.”

The big story of Kasich’s big media week isn’t the predictable swipes he takes at President Trump in the book. And it’s not that he is refusing to rule out a Republican primary challenge to Trump in 2020, though his visit here Thursday raises such speculation.

It’s that Kasich seems tempted by the idea of running for president as an independent.

The signs are there in Two Paths: America Divided or United, which recycles its title from an anti-Trump speech Kasich gave last year toward the end of his bid for the GOP nomination. The most consistent theme in the book, though, is not Kasich’s disapproval of the new president but his disappointment with fellow Republicans who supported Trump’s candidacy.

“What I found surprising was the way all these other Republican presidential candidates took turns shedding what I could only imagine were their own deeply held convictions and setting aside their very public differences with their party’s presumptive nominee — some of them even angling for positions in a possible Trump administration,” Kasich writes.

Kasich adds a few pages later: “Why didn’t I endorse Donald Trump simply for the good of the Republican Party? Well, to paraphrase John F. Kennedy, sometimes your party asks too much of you. I am an American before I am a member of the Republican Party.”

Not everyone is convinced that Kasich’s words signal a 2020 independent run: “No, I don’t see that,” Kasich strategist John Weaver told BuzzFeed News. “It’s a clarion call to fix your houses before someone else comes and does it for you in a more dramatic fashion.”

Other Kasich aides acknowledge the governor sounds like he is threading a needle.

It wasn’t long ago that Kasich had big ideas about reshaping his party nationally. On the night of his 2014 reelection as governor — a blowout that saw him win even in heavily Democratic Cuyahoga County, where his opponent was a sitting officeholder — Kasich spoke of a mandate for a “new Republican Party.” He had won despite infuriating conservative purists with his expansion of Medicaid, and he earned the begrudging respect of open-minded Democrats.

Kasich believed this gave him a good story to tell in 2016, when Republicans were expected to rebrand and rebound with one of several establishment-friendly governors at their disposal.

He — and, to be fair, many others — misread the political climate. But during the hour-long drive Wednesday night from Harvard to Manchester, Kasich insisted that he maintains influence within the party, citing health care and the environment as two issues where he has moved the debate.

Kasich when he dropped out last year.
J.d. Pooley / Getty Images
Kasich when he dropped out last year.

Kasich also is enjoying the attention his book is getting — attention that was elusive during his campaign last year. At one point during the ride into the Granite State he wagered that he is Ohio’s biggest political celebrity since the late John Glenn, the former astronaut and senator who stumbled in a presidential bid of his own.

During his two-day swing through New England, Kasich encountered friendly audiences, posed for dozens of photos, and saw copies of his book sell out on site before his speech Thursday at Saint Anselm College near Manchester. During the speech, he jokingly pouted that he was not included among the school’s vast collection of photos of past presidential candidates who descended on New Hampshire.

At least one prominent Republican is in Kasich’s corner: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The action movie star and former California governor, who has been mentioned as a possible independent Senate candidate, has encouraged Kasich to run for president again in 2020.

“Kasich is an extraordinary guy,” Schwarzenegger told the Los Angeles Times this month. “He’s worked in Washington, he’s worked in local government, he’s worked in statewide government. He has the experience. He can see things. He has vision. He’s also a moderate. He’s a tough Republican and very fiscally conservative, but he also at the same time loves helping people.”

Other leading Republicans are less charitable. And even some who dislike Trump harbor some resentment toward Kasich, who they believe siphoned votes last year from stronger primary candidates who might have been able to wrestle the nomination from him.

“Kasich's moderate brand is out of sync with where the Republican Party is right now,” one GOP strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns told BuzzFeed News. “That could change depending on how Trump's presidency goes. But as of today, Kasich does not have an obvious role in the party. As for forging an independent coalition, I don't see much of an appetite for that. All of the political energy in America right now is with the extremes. This is a lonely time to be in the middle."

A lonely time, maybe. But 2020 also is probably Kasich’s last chance to be president.

He turns 65 next month and is term-limited as governor. He’s run two races for president and it sounds like a third is the only future campaign he’d contemplate. Some Republicans back home in Ohio would like to see him challenge Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2018, but Kasich repeatedly has ruled out the race. “Below zero interest in that!” he said Wednesday night.

As for the White House, “I got pretty close to a Shermanesque statement, and then I realized that’s not where I need to be, and it’s silly for me to say,” Kasich said, referring to Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman’s famous refusal to run for president.

“I would only consider doing anything like that if I felt such a strong duty.”

Polls show that Trump remains popular among Republican voters. If that holds, a primary challenge would be a fool’s errand. And Trump’s chances of winning a second term would be higher if Democrats, hampered by intramural squabbles of their own, remain fractured — unless someone can consolidate support from voters fed up with both parties. And, as the GOP strategist notes, Kasich might not be the candidate best equipped to do that.

But Kasich’s book and remarks on his media tour suggest he is exploring ways to market himself to those who embrace Trump’s politics, but not his tone. Kasich calls himself a “positive populist.” (Trump is a “negative populist.”) He’s also railing against legislative gerrymandering and bemoaning a culture of “followship” in which news consumers only seek out opinions that match their own. These are views shared by many Democrats, including former President Obama, who touched on both this week in his first public appearance since leaving the White House.

“What’s wrong with that? We’re both looking at the country and drawing some of the same conclusions,” Kasich said Wednesday when told of the similarities between him and Obama. “That doesn’t bother me. In fact, I think it’s really interesting point of discussion.”

Kasich might have the message. The mechanics are a different story. An independent bid, with the right planning and financing, could be feasible. It’s not clear Kasich would have that.

Weaver and several other advisers recently launched Two Paths America, a political nonprofit that can raise unlimited amounts of money to promote Kasich’s political interests. But Kasich wasn’t a prolific fundraiser last year.

Speaking with reporters Thursday at Saint Anselm, he talked of an independent campaign in the abstract and noted the past campaigns of Ross Perot and the past flirtations by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Both are billionaire businessmen. Kasich is not — and he doesn’t exactly have a bunch of them beating down his door to run for president.

“What I am going to try to do is to continue to raise money to support the operation that I have that allows me to be … out on the public stage,” Kasich said Wednesday. “Where that’s going to go, I have no idea.”

Sam Nunberg, a former Trump adviser, doesn’t see it going anywhere.

“He can’t self-fund. He’s not the type of person that’s a natural iconic leader. He’s not a military leader. He doesn’t have an astonishing record in the private sector. And even though he was on Fox News, he’s not really considered a TV personality,” Nunberg told BuzzFeed News.

“I don’t think Kasich is exploring a run as an independent,” Nunberg added. “I think he’s looking to raise his speaking fees.”

Until last year, Kasich had a canny way of seeing the political future. He was an early adopter in the Reagan and Gingrich revolutions that previously reshaped the Republican Party. When Kasich first ran for president — in 2000, though he never made it past 1999 — he ran with a compassionate conservative message, but without George W. Bush’s money or catchy sloganeering. When he ran for governor in 2010, Kasich tapped into the grassroots anger of the moment, bragging that he was Tea Party before it was cool.

As he made his way back to New Hampshire on Wednesday night, Kasich wrestled with the question of whether, after 2016, he still has the ability to anticipate what’s next.

“What Trump did was he used negative populism to come up with a quick solution to all of these very complicated problems,” Kasich said. “And I just didn’t think the level of the discourse would allow him to win.

“I still don’t understand that. I still can’t figure that out. But I know that right now we have a very divided country, and I see these young people, and I don’t see them getting excited or gravitating toward a political party. And I don’t know what this means. And I don’t know what the manifestation of it is going to be. But in my judgment, there’s big change coming.”

Other perspectives on this story
1
A lot of people sympathize with Kasich's frustration and bewilderment with the GOP.
2
Though his critics say the party was over him before he was over it.
3
Some people are skeptical of characterizing Kasich as a moderate.
4
If Kasich were to stage an independent run for the presidency, a lot of people think it would probably help the Democrats.
5
Though some argue that with an independent on the left, too, a Kasich candidacy might contribute to breaking the two party system.
6
People think Kasich is right, and the future of the Republican party and American conservatism is uncertain.
7
A Twitter commenter would like younger presidential candidates, please.
8
Another suggests that Kasich and Bernie run together on a Unity ticket.

Henry Gomez is a political reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Contact Henry J. Gomez at henry.gomez@buzzfeed.com.


A SHERMANESQUE STATEMENT IS WHAT?? MY FATHER LIKED TO TALK ABOUT POLITICS AND THE OLD DAYS, AND HIS FAVORITE SUCH STATEMENT WAS GIVEN BY CALVIN COOLIDGE, “I DO NOT CHOOSE TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 1928.”

http://politicaldictionary.com/words/shermanesque-statement/
Shermanesque statement

A Shermanesque statement is a clear and direct statement by a potential political candidate indicating that he or she will not run for a particular office.

The term is derived from a remark made by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman when he was being considered as a possible Republican candidate for president in 1884. Sherman declined, saying, “I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected.”

In modern times, President Lyndon Johnson famously declared he would not run for a second term in 1968 by saying, “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president.”

Likewise, Gen. David Petraeus made a similar pledge in 2010 saying, “I thought I’ve said ‘no’ as many ways as I could. I will not ever run for political office, I can assure you of that.”



SO, TRUMP NOW PICKS HIS NEXT ARCH-ENEMY. UNFORTUNATELY, BLUMENTHAL DOES HAVE ONE SLIGHT CASE OF PREVARICATION IN HIS BACKGROUND ABOUT AVOIDING THE DRAFT, BUT THE POT IS CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK HERE. TRUMP ALSO AVOIDED THE DRAFT -- YOU WILL NOTICE HE HASN’T SERVED, EITHER. AT LEAST BLUMENTHAL DID FINALLY JOIN THE MARINE RESERVES. BOTH TRUMP AND BLUMENTHAL HAVE DONE SOME CLEVER STEPPING AROUND TO AVOID THE VIETNAM WAR DRAFT. MOST EVERYBODY I KNOW FROM THAT GENERATION DID, BUT I WOULD RESTRUCTURE THE SERVICE TO COUNTRY MANDATE, RATHER THAN REMOVING IT. SOME OF MY HOPEFULLY USEFUL IDEAS ARE HERE BELOW.

I DON’T THINK EVERY MAN SHOULD HAVE TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY, UNLESS THERE IS A FULL-SCALE WAR, IN WHICH CASE I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD USE A UNIVERSAL DRAFT, JUST LIKE WWII. THIS ALL VOLUNTEER ARMY THAT WE HAVE NOW IS BRINGING IN SOME SADISTIC INDIVIDUALS, WHO DON’T BELONG IN THE MILITARY. THEY BELONG IN A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. THERE SHOULD BE NO EXCEPTIONS GIVEN FOR SONS OF WEALTHY AND POWERFUL PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY, AND WOMEN’S NAMES SHOULD BE ON THE LIST AS WELL AS MEN’S. I DON’T THINK EVERY WOMAN SHOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO FIGHT; NOR ALL MEN, AS THERE ARE, AFTER ALL, FULLY LEGITIMATE ETHICAL OBJECTIONS TO KILLING ANYBODY EXCEPT IN A DEFENSIVE SITUATION.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WOMEN DO SERVICE FOR THE COUNTRY OF A MILITARY TYPE IF THEY DO WANT TO; BUT A HUMANISTIC FORM OF AID TO MANKIND IS VITALLY NEEDED IN MANY AREAS, SUCH AS HELPING WITH THE HOMELESS, HELPING PEOPLE MANAGE THEIR HOUSEHOLDS, HELPING TEACH CHILDREN – OR ADULTS -- WHO HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LEARN READING IN A CLASSROOM SETTING, OR WHO NEED MATH AND SCIENCE TUTORING, HELPING ANY UNEMPLOYED PERSON TO SEARCH FOR JOBS AND DO A RESUME ON A COMPUTER, HELPING PROCURE COMPUTERS FOR HOUSEHOLDS WHO HAVE NONE, HELPING CLEAN, PAINT, OR REPAIR BUILDINGS AND RENDER OTHER AID IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH ARE OFTEN RUNDOWN TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE PROFOUNDLY DEPRESSING OR HAVE BECOME A HAVEN FOR DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS OF ALL KINDS. IN SHORT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BOTH MEN AND WOMEN -- EVEN IF THEY AREN’T YOUNG -- TO BE OCCUPIED WITH SOMETHING USEFUL, ESPECIALLY IN AID OF THOSE WHO MOST NEED IT.

IN MY TWENTIES, THE GOVERNMENT HAD A PROGRAM CALLED “VISTA” WHICH TOOK PEOPLE OF ALL AGES WHO REALLY WANTED TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN THAT WAY, AND GAVE THEM A FINANCIAL STIPEND FOR THEIR PART-TIME WORK. VISTA WAS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, SET UP ON A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT, LIKE THE ARMY. HERE IT IS! HTTPS://WWW.NATIONALSERVICE.GOV/PROGRAMS/AMERICORPS/AMERICORPSVISTA.

THAT COULD HELP SOLVE OUR JOBLESS PROBLEM, TOO, GIVING USEFUL EXPERIENCE, A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, AND SHOWING THE INDIVIDUAL AS ONE WHO IS A DESIRABLE EMPLOYEE -- CAPABLE, HONEST, WILLING TO REALLY PUT OUT SOME EFFORT, ETC. WHY DOES OUR NATIONAL SERVICE HAVE TO BE IN THE SETTING OF WAR? WE NEED HELP EVERY DAY IN EVERY CITY.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/richard-blumenthal-responds-to-trumps-tweets-about-russian-collusion-and-vietnam/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS August 7, 2017, 10:37 AM
Richard Blumenthal responds to Trump's tweets about Russian collusion and Vietnam

Photograph -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks in opposition of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch as the Senate Judiciary Committee meets to advance his nomination, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 3, 2017. A weeklong partisan showdown is expected as Democrats are steadily amassing the votes to block Judge Gorsuch and force Republicans to unilaterally change long-standing rules to confirm him. J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP

Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Monday responded to tweets posted earlier in the morning by President Trump in which he called the Connecticut Democrat a "phony Vietnam con artist."

Blumenthal tweeted that the president's "bullying" won't be effective.

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Richard Blumenthal ✔ @SenBlumenthal
Mr. President: Your bullying hasn't worked before and it won't work now. No one is above the law.
9:27 AM - Aug 7, 2017
1,785 1,785 Replies 8,675 8,675 Retweets 26,116 26,116 likes

3h
Richard Blumenthal ✔ @SenBlumenthal
Mr. President: Your bullying hasn't worked before and it won't work now. No one is above the law.

Follow
Richard Blumenthal ✔ @SenBlumenthal
This issue isn't about me - it's about the Special Counsel's independence and integrity.
9:28 AM - Aug 7, 2017
715 715 Replies 2,106 2,106 Retweets 8,207 8,207 likes

In a series of tweets earlier in the morning, Mr. Trump, on his vacation in Bedminster, New Jersey, tweeted that it was "interesting" to watch Blumenthal talk about "hoax Russian collusion," given his background in Vietnam.

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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!
7:47 AM - Aug 7, 2017
14,011 14,011 Replies 12,377 12,377 Retweets 44,133 44,133 likes

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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Never in U.S.history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and....
7:52 AM - Aug 7, 2017
15,206 15,206 Replies 11,274 11,274 Retweets 41,157 41,157 likes

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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
...conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?
8:01 AM - Aug 7, 2017
21,224 21,224 Replies 10,063 10,063 Retweets 39,298 39,298 likes

In 2010, Blumenthal, when he was serving as Connecticut's attorney general, admitted that he had "misspoken" about his service during Vietnam. The New York Times had reported at the time that Blumenthal had received at least five deferments that kept him out of the war. He was in the Marine Corps Reserves for six years in the U.S.

The president's comments hit Twitter soon after the Connecticut senator had appeared on CNN Monday morning.

"The empanelment of the grand jury shows that Bob Mueller is pursuing this potential wrongdoing by the Russians, the attack on our democracy, seriously and diligently," Blumenthal said in the interview. He also said of the Russin [sic] meddling that "it was purposeful and relentless, and it involved propaganda and hacking into our voting machines — or at least an attempt to do it — and potential collusion by the Trump campaign, and then obstruction of justice. That investigation must be pursued."

Blumenthal serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee and has been outspoken about the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.



TRUMP’S OWN DRAFT PROBLEMS, AND MORE

http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-president-trump-calls-sen-blumenthal-1502115709-htmlstory.html
AUG. 7, 2017, 7:21 A.M.
REPORTING FROM WASHINGTON
President Trump, who received five draft deferments, loves attacking Sen. Blumenthal's military record
Noah Bierman

Photograph -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaks about a lawsuit filed against President Trump alleging he violated the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution on June 20. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump likes to taunt his enemies but he seems to have a special place in his Twitter thumb for Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the Democrat who was talking about the Russia investigation on CNN Monday morning.

Trump has mentioned Blumenthal in at least four other tweets, on two separate dates since February, according to the Trump Twitter Archive.

Each time, Trump has maligned Blumenthal for misrepresenting his military service during the Vietnam war, an ironic line of attack from a president who received five deferments from the draft and never served in the military.

Trump's lack of military service is not unusual for a president.

Presidents Clinton and Obama both lacked military service, and President George W. Bush sparked some controversy with his service in the Texas National Guard during the Vietnam era. He was not deployed abroad.

President Reagan was never sent overseas during World War II, spending some of that time producing training films for the Army Air Forces. President Carter and President Ford both served in the Navy, and President George H.W. Bush was a Navy pilot in World War II.

None of those presidents was as aggressive in calling out others on the issue, though.

Trump called Blumenthal a “phony Vietnam con artist” in one tweet on Monday and said he "defrauded voters" in another. Back in February, he accused him of a "major lie" on the subject. In may, he alleged Blumenthal committed "one of the greatest military frauds in U.S. history."

“Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!” Trump tweeted Monday.

Follow
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!
7:47 AM - Aug 7, 2017
15,975 15,975 Replies 13,771 13,771 Retweets 49,327 49,327 likes

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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Never in U.S.history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and....
7:52 AM - Aug 7, 2017
17,319 17,319 Replies 12,587 12,587 Retweets 46,292 46,292 likes

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Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
...conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?
8:01 AM - Aug 7, 2017
24,260 24,260 Replies 11,252 11,252 Retweets 44,340 44,340 likes

Indeed, Blumenthal was forced to apologize in 2010 for saying he had served in Vietnam, when in fact he served in the Marine Corps Reserves during the period and was not deployed.

Trump's military history has come up several times, including during his public feud with the Muslim family of a fallen soldier during the presidential campaign.

Trump graduated in 1968, with four draft deferments for being a student that allowed him to avoid compulsory service.

After that, he received a fifth for bones spurs in his heels. He called the condition "temporary" and "minor" in an interview last year with the New York Times.

“I had a doctor that gave me a letter — a very strong letter on the heels,” he told the paper.

In a 2015 press conference, Trump forgot which heel had been diagnosed, before his campaign clarified that it was both of them.

Blumenthal, for his part, claimed the "bullying" was not getting to him.

"This issue isn't about me," he tweeted. "It's about the Special Counsel's independence and integrity."

4h
Richard Blumenthal ✔ @SenBlumenthal
Mr. President: Your bullying hasn't worked before and it won't work now. No one is above the law.

Follow
Richard Blumenthal ✔ @SenBlumenthal
This issue isn't about me - it's about the Special Counsel's independence and integrity.
9:28 AM - Aug 7, 2017
994 994 Replies 2,741 2,741 Retweets 10,608 10,608 likes



HEAVEN HELP ME IF I’M WRONG ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK KIM OF NORTH KOREA IS VERY MUCH LIKE DONALD TRUMP. THEY BLUFF AND BLOW, AND STOMP AROUND, BUT THEY DON’T SEND A NUCLEAR ARMED MISSILE TO THE OTHER’S COUNTRY; AND EVEN IF THEY DON’T LIKE THE UN, WHICH THEY DON’T, THEY BOTH KNOW THAT IT HAS THE POWER OF THE BULLY PULPIT IF NOTHING ELSE. AND ACTUALLY, IT IS A GREAT DEAL MORE. IT HAS THE EAR AND THE FULL RESPECT OF MOST OF THE CIVILIZED NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE UN STANDS, GENERALLY, FOR GOOD THINGS RATHER THAN GREED AND AGGRESSION. IN SHORT, LET’S KEEP ON WITH STANDARD DIPLOMACY WITH ALL NATIONS, AND COOPERATE TO ACHIEVE GOALS LIKE A CLEAN AND HEALTHY NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, A SMALLER AND SMALLER CARBON FOOTPRINT, AND EVER REDUCING FAMINE, ILLNESS AND POVERTY. IF KIM MAKES ONE MOVE ON SOUTH KOREA, WE SHOULD DECLARE WAR IMMEDIATELY, BUT IN THE NORMAL WAY – NOT SHOOTING A NUKE OVER THERE AT HIM. IN THE MEANTIME, I THINK SANCTIONS ARE THE MODERATE WAY TO GO.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-n-security-council-unanimously-adopts-new-sanctions-on-north-korea-over-missile-tests/
CBS NEWS August 5, 2017, 3:53 PM
U.N. Security Council unanimously adopts new sanctions on North Korea over missile tests

Photograph -- The U.N. Security Council holds an emergency meeting at United Nations headquarters regarding the situation on the Korean peninsula, July 5, 2017 in New York City. DREW ANGERER / GETTY IMAGES

The United Nations Security Council has voted to adopted a new round of sanctions against the North Korean government over the reclusive regime's tests of two intercontinental ballistic missiles and its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

All 15 member nations on the council voted in favor of the resolution Saturday afternoon.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said the vote showed the Security Council came together to put North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "on notice" by "matching its words with actions."

"North Korea's irresponsible and careless acts have just proved to be quite costly to the regime," Haley said after the successful vote. She hailed the resolution as the "single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against the North Korean regime."

The resolution adopted, which is in direct response to the North's firing of two ICBMs in the past month, will bans exports of mineral and seafood products worth over $1 billion -- a third of the country's total exports last year.

U.S. weighing all options after latest North Korean missile launch
Play VIDEO
U.S. weighing all options after latest North Korean missile launch

According to a U.N. factsheet, the resolution bans the purchase of North Korean exports of coal, iron ore, seafood and lead. The Security Council says North Korea uses proceeds from those exports to fund its missile programs.

The resolution would also prohibit countries from granting any new permits to North Korean overseas guest workers, ban new joint ventures with North Korean companies and slash new foreign investment in joint ventures that are already operating, CBS News' Pamela Falk reports.

Haley added that the new sanctions on the North will give the government a "taste of the deprivation they inflict on the North Korean people."

China's representative to the council said that the Chinese has "always insisted" for denuclearization in the region by "upholding peace" and "seeking a solution through dialogue."

"The fact the council adopted the resolution unanimously demonstrated that international community is united," said Liu Jieyi.

Meanwhile, Russia's representative to the council said following the vote, "All must understand progress towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be difficult so long as the DPRK sees a direct threat to its security."

The resolution notes that the council will take "further significant measures" if North Korea conducts another nuclear test or ballistic missile launch in the wake of the measure's adoption.

The key issue going forward will be if these sanctions will be enforced and whether the sanctions will lead to the opening of negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which the resolution also calls for, in order to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, Falk reports.



I FEAR RIGHTIST FORCES OF THE TYPE THAT WE HAVE NOW, ESPECIALLY TAKING AN ACTIVE STANCE AGAINST ALL THINGS LIBERAL, MORE THAN I DO THE FACT THAT MCMASTERS IS A GENERAL. HE SEEMS TO BE STEADYING THE SITUATION IN THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THAT FEELS LIKE A GOOD THING TO ME RIGHT NOW. THE PEOPLE HE HAS REMOVED ARE ALL DESCRIBED BELOW AS BEING RIGHTISTS, SO I THINK THEIR OPPOSITION IS A SIGN THAT HE IS NOT ONE OF THEM. TO ME THAT’S ANOTHER GOOD THING! THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-defends-national-security-adviser-h-r-mcmaster-amid-calls-for-his-firing/
By EMILY TILLETT CBS NEWS August 5, 2017, 10:54 AM
Trump defends national security adviser H.R. McMaster amid calls for his firing

Photograph -- National security adviser H.R. McMaster listens during a daily briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House July 31, 2017 in Washington, D.C. ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES

President Trump is standing up for his national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, calling him a "good man" amid calls for his ouster by conservatives.

In a statement to CBS News on Friday, the president said, "General McMaster and I are working very well together. He is a good man and very pro-Israel. I am grateful for the work he continues to do serving our country."

Mr. Trump first issued the statement to the New York Times in a story reporting that critics on the right were angered by McMaster's move to push out several conservative staff members on the national security team who had been brought on by Michael Flynn, McMaster's predecessor.

Ezra Cohen-Watnick, the 31-year old senior director for intelligence programs at the National Security Council (NSC), was ousted on Thursday.

gettyimages-824976164.jpg
National security adviser H.R. McMaster listens during a daily briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House July 31, 2017 in Washington, D.C. ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES

"He has determined that, at this time, a different set of experiences is best-suited to carrying that work forward," a statement released by the White House said of Cohen-Watnick's release. "General McMaster is confident that Ezra will make many further significant contributions to national security in another position in the administration."

Last week, McMaster also removed Middle East director Derek Harvey from his position at the NSC due to a "difference in vision," according to a White House source. Harvey was also hired by Flynn, whose short-lived tenure as national security adviser came to an end in February.

McMaster has also drawn conservatives' ire by advising against pulling out of the nuclear agreement with Iran without a clear strategy in place for what comes next.

The attacks directed at McMaster came from conservative news sites and grew on social media. The hashtag #FireMcMaster has been tweeted more than 50,000 times since Wednesday, the Times reported, including by accounts linked to Russian cyber operations.

The Times also reported that advisers have floated the idea of Mr. Trump reassigning McMaster to take over as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and installing current CIA director Mike Pompeo as national security adviser.

Such a move would be yet another top-level staff change in Mr. Trump's seven months in office -- and would come shortly after the recent resignations and terminations in the White House communications department and the appointment of John Kelly as White House chief of staff.

In an interview with MSNBC's Hugh Hewitt on Saturday, McMaster applauded the addition of Kelly, saying the former four-start Marine general improves the ability of the West Wing staff "to operate together as a team."

"What we've been able to do is to evolve authorities back to where they belong. And instead of thinking about tactics, the next little move, we've been trying to view problem sets and opportunities through the lens of our vital national interests, establish goals. Imagine that. Establish goals for our foreign policy and national security strategies," said McMaster.



WHITE HOUSE DOCUMENTS, SECRET PAYMENTS. WHY WOULD HIS PAYMENTS BE SECRET? MY SPY NOVEL BRAIN TELLS ME TO WONDER WHETHER TURKEY COULD BE A CONDUIT FOR DIRTY RUSSIAN MONEY?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/special-counsel-robert-mueller-asks-white-house-for-documents-on-michael-flynn/
CBS NEWS August 5, 2017, 12:08 PM
Special counsel Robert Mueller asks White House for documents on Michael Flynn

CBS news video – Inside the Investigation

Special counsel Robert Mueller has asked the White House for documents related to former national security adviser Michael Flynn's business dealings, according to people familiar with Mueller's investigation.

The request for documents was first reported by the New York Times on Friday.

Investigators have also begun questioning witnesses about possible secret payments Flynn received from the Turkish government during the final months of the 2016 campaign, according to the Times.

The Times reports that the request is the first known instance of Mueller's office asking the White House for documents in the ongoing investigation into possible ties between Trump campaign officials and the Russian government.

The special counsel's office declined to comment on the Times' report.

Ty Cobb, a White House attorney, likewise declined to confirm or deny the request, telling CBS News in a statement that "the White House will not be discussing any specific communications with the Special Counsel out of respect for the Special Counsel and his process."

Special Counsel is using grand jury in Russia probe
Play VIDEO
Special Counsel is using grand jury in Russia probe

"Beyond that, as I have stressed repeatedly, we continue to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel," Cobb added.

The report comes after news that Mueller has begun using a grand jury in Washington, D.C., as part of his investigation.

The investigation now includes Russian interference in the election, hacking by Russian operatives, influence campaigns and possible financial wrongdoing, according to individuals familiar with the matter.

It is unclear whether Mueller has empaneled a new grand jury, or whether he is using an existing one. A grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, was previously used in the FBI's investigation into Flynn's activities. That probe has been taken over by Mueller's team.

CBS News' Paula Reid reports that the grand jury will be used as an investigative tool for Mueller's team to gather evidence and subpoena documents over time to assess whether or not to pursue criminal charges.

The Times also reported that Flynn has filed an amended financial disclosure form with the White House, revealing a contract with SCL Group. The firm is the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, a data-mining operation that worked for the Trump campaign.

Flynn had filed two other versions of the forms disclosing payments from Russian-back entities, including payments from a Russian state media outlet for a speech he gave in Moscow before joining the Trump campaign.

Before Mueller's appointment as special counsel, the FBI had been looking into Flynn's dealings with Turkey and his paid speech in Russia, as well as Flynn's failure to report the trip and payment.

CBS News' Major Garrett and Andres Triay contributed to this report



WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN RUSSIA? A FATALISTIC COURAGE AND A VISION. OVER HERE, YOU ONLY HAVE TO HAVE THE VISION MOST OF THE TIME. I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THIS MAN, BUT HE SEEMS INTELLIGENT AND SANE TO ME. I WISH HIM WELL.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/putin-critic-alexei-navalny-thinks-theres-a-5050-chance-hell-be-killed/
CBS NEWS August 5, 2017, 8:18 AM
Putin critic Alexei Navalny thinks there's a 50/50 chance he'll be killed

Russia's main opposition figure thinks there's a 50 percent chance he will end up dead for speaking out against President Vladimir Putin, a fate that has befallen many of the Kremlin's enemies in recent years.

Alexei Navalny, 41, is Russia's most outspoken critic of the Putin regime, and is campaigning to challenge Putin in Russia's presidential election in 2018, even though he is officially barred from the ballot.

Correspondent Ryan Chilcote spent a week with Navalny for the second episode of "CBSN: On Assignment," ahead of mass protests in June against government corruption. Thousands of young people took to the streets in cities across Russia, with protesters marching through Moscow carrying signs that read "Navalny 2018" and chanting "Putin is a crook." More than 1,000 people were arrested, including Navalny, who spent 25 days in jail.

"Enemy of the State" airs in full on "CBSN: On Assignment" on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network and on CBSN, the network's 24/7 streaming news service.

"CBSN: On Assignment" talks to Russia's leading opposition leader
Play VIDEO
"CBSN: On Assignment" talks to Russia's leading opposition leader

A lawyer by training, Navalny has been convicted three times over the past five years as his anti-corruption campaign has attracted the wrath of the Kremlin. Both he and his brother Oleg were convicted of embezzlement in 2014 and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.

After widespread protests against the conviction, Alexei's sentence was suspended. Oleg, however, remains in prison.

Alexei said he "absolutely" feels responsible for Oleg's prison sentence, saying the Kremlin targeted Oleg to punish Alexei for speaking out against the regime.

"Well, it's 100 percent he's in jail just because he's my brother. It's the only reason," Navalny said.

As Navalny's notoriety has grown, the violence against him has increased in severity. Last year, he was attacked by a paramilitary group in southern Russia. This year, he was nearly blinded when someone threw a chemical dye in his face. He had to get surgery to save his eyesight.

navalny-dye.png
Alexei Navalny nearly blinded in an attack using chemical dye earlier this year. CBS NEWS

Some of Putin's most vocal critics have ended up dead or in exile, although there is no direct evidence tying Putin to a series of mysterious deaths. Two years ago, Boris Nemtsov, an anti-Kremlin politician and ally of Navalny, was shot dead just outside the Kremlin.

Navalny said the chemical attack against him was the work of the regime.

"This attacker... was coordinated, and hired by government and administration of Putin. And we have a lot of evidence to that," Navalny said.

Asked about the odds he will end up in prison for his anti-corruption crusade, Navalny said, "Mr. Putin personal decides such things, and no one understands what is in his head."

Navalny had a more precise response when asked about the chances he ends up dead.

"Well, like, 50 percent I would be killed, or I would not be killed," he said.


HATE CRIME? IT SURELY LOOKS LIKE IT! THIS KIND OF THING IS BUILT INTO HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY. SOME PEOPLE GET ANGRY AND SHOUT; AND OTHER PEOPLE KILL. IT SEEMS SO IRRATIONAL TO ME, BUT IT IS PROBABLY TRUE THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE OF LIMITED MENTAL CAPACITY. STILL THEY NEED TO BE IMPRISONED AND IF ANYONE WAS KILLED IN THE ATTACK, TO BE GIVEN A STIFFER SENTENCE FOR THE HATE RELATED ASPECT OF IT.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bomb-explodes-at-minnesota-mosque-during-morning-prayer/
CBS NEWS August 5, 2017, 11:16 AM
Bomb explodes at Minnesota mosque during morning prayer

MINNEAPOLIS -- Federal authorities are investigating an explosion at an Muslim community center Saturday morning in Bloomington, CBS Minnesota reports.

Police said the explosion was reported at about 5:05 a.m. at that Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, outside Minneapolis.

The building sustained fire and smoke damage, but there were no injuries.

The FBI announced Saturday afternoon it was taking over the investigation.

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FBI Minneapolis @FBIMinneapolis
#FBIMinneapolis Division Statement re: Investigation of Explosion at the Dar Al Farooq Community Center in Bloomington, MN
3:00 PM - Aug 5, 2017
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Asad Zaman, the executive director of Muslim American Society of Minnesota, said in a press conference Saturday morning that the blast occurred during early morning prayers. The explosion occurred in the imam's office at the center. A window was broken, and Zaman said he assumes the bomb was thrown into the office as people were preparing for morning prayer.

Zaman said a member of the congregation saw a pickup truck speeding away from the parking lot. Community members extinguished the fire before first responders arrived.

window.jpg
The broken window of the imam's office at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. CBS MINNESOTA

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are assisting in the investigation. Police said it is too early in the investigation to call the incident a hate crime.

Zaman said a $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist.

At a news conference Saturday, Zaman said the center had received messages of hate in the past.

"Hate is not OK. We need a better America where people are safe with their neighbors," he said. "Targeting people because of their race or religion is absolutely un-American."



I’M GLAD TO SEE SOME GOVERNMENTS RESISTING TRUMP’S ATTEMPTS TO STOP FREE EXERCISE OF CONSCIENCE, SUCH AS THE PROTECTION OF IMMIGRANTS. IT MAKES A STRONGER STANCE THAN INDIVIDUALS ALONE CAN DO. A LOT OF THE OLDER TRADITIONAL PEOPLE IN THE USA, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH, THINK THAT STREET MARCHES AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ARE DISLOYAL TO THE GOVERNMENT. IT’S NOT TRUE. IT’S BASIC TO DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. IT’S HOW OUR COUNTRY BEGAN. HAVE AT IT, RAHM!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chicago-sues-over-sanctuary-city-threat/
AP August 7, 2017, 8:25 PM
Chicago sues over sanctuary city threat

Photograph -- City of Chicago's Corporation Counsel, Ed Siskel, speaks during a news conference at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, on Mon., Aug. 7, 2017, in Chicago. AP

CHICAGO -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel has taken his fight against President Donald Trump's immigration policies to court, with Chicago becoming one of the first cities Monday to sue over what many U.S. cities argue are illegal bids to withhold public safety grants from so-called sanctuary cities.

Hours later, Attorney General Jeff Sessions hit back at Chicago, saying the Trump administration "will not simply give away grant dollars to city governments that proudly violate the rule of law and protect criminal aliens at the expense of public safety."

"So it's this simple: Comply with the law or forego taxpayer dollars," he said in a toughly worded statement.

A 46-page lawsuit, which names Sessions, was filed earlier Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago a day after Emanuel announced the litigation and said the city won't "be blackmailed" into changing its values as a city welcoming of immigrants.

It's the latest round in a battle pitting several U.S. cities against the Trump administration. The cities have opted to limit cooperation with government enforcement of immigration law while federal officials threaten to withhold funding if those cities don't comply.

Sessions pleads for cities, churches to obey ICE orders
Play VIDEO
Sessions pleads for cities, churches to obey ICE orders

While estimates vary, there are thought to be about 300 jurisdictions -- including cities and counties -- with sanctuary-like policies. Among the other the bigger U.S. cities with such policies are New York and Philadelphia.

A first order of business now that Chicago's suit has been filed will be to ask a judge to put a freeze on the policy as the civil case plays out, said Edward Siskel, the head of City Hall's legal department. That request for a preliminary injunction could be made within days.

Chicago has received the grant funds at the heart of the lawsuit since 2005. It spent $33 million in grants to buy nearly 1,000 police cars in that 12-year period; it got $2.3 million last year. In addition to cars, funds were also used for radios and SWAT equipment.

While the grant money amounts to a fraction of Chicago's public safety budget, Emanuel has said fighting the government now could help prevent the withholding of more money later. He described the Trump measures so far as just "the camel's nose under the tent."

In his Monday statement, Sessions said Chicago stood out in its "open hostility" to enforcing immigration laws.

"To a degree perhaps unsurpassed by any other jurisdiction, the political leadership of Chicago has chosen deliberately and intentionally to adopt a policy that obstructs this country's lawful immigration system," he said.

Chicago's suit focuses on new conditions set by Sessions for cities to qualify for grant money. They include the sharing immigration-status records with federal agencies, providing 48-hours notice of a detainee's release if immigration violations are suspected and giving federal agents unfettered access to jails.

"The government," the lawsuit says, can't "unilaterally" set new conditions that weren't approved by Congress "and that would federalize local jails and police stations, mandate warrantless detentions in order to investigate for federal civil infractions, sow fear in local immigrant communities, and ultimately make the people of Chicago less safe."

Chicago's sanctuary policies date back to the mid-1980s and successive city councils have confirmed or expanded the protections.

The city prohibits police from providing federal Immigration and Customs officials access to people in police custody, unless they are wanted on a criminal warrant or have serious criminal convictions. Local police are also barred from allowing ICE agents to use their facilities for interviews or investigations and from responding to ICE inquiries or talking to ICE officials about a person's custody status or release date.

City authorities say the policies help encourage residents of the immigrant community to inform police when they are victims of crimes.

"If Chicago submits to the Department's demands, it will forfeit decades' worth of trust and goodwill that its police force has built in the communities it serves," the new lawsuit argues. "And as those decades of experience show, that kind of trust, once lost, is lost forever."

Settlement proposed in San Francisco "sanctuary city" lawsuit
Play VIDEO
Settlement proposed in San Francisco "sanctuary city" lawsuit

Sessions alluded to arguments also made by Mr. Trump that enforcing immigration laws can reduce crime. He calls Chicago's "hostility" to such laws especially "astounding" given that numbers of homicides in the city in 2016 outpaced the numbers in New York and Los Angeles.

"The city's leaders cannot follow some laws and ignore others and reasonably expect this horrific situation to improve," Sessions said.

He also characterized Emanuel as complaining it would have to reorder longstanding policies to conform.

"But that's just what Chicago needs: a recommitment to the rule of law and to policies that rollback the culture of lawlessness that has beset the city," Sessions said.

The city's lawsuit says the Trump administration's contention that more lenient immigration policies contribute to crime "is divorced from reality."

In March, the Justice Department sent letters to officials in California and major cities including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and New Orleans, all places the Justice Department's inspector general has identified as limiting the information local law enforcement can provide to federal immigration authorities about those in their custody.

The department warned that the administration will punish communities that refuse to cooperate with efforts to find and deport immigrants in the country illegally. But some of the localities remained defiant, despite risking the loss of funds that police agencies use to pay for everything from body cameras to bulletproof vests.


AH, BARRY GOLDWATER! THAT NAME REALLY CARRIES ME BACK! ONE OF THE THREE OR FOUR STRONGEST ADVOCATES OF THE STAMPING OUT OF FREEDOM AND ACCESS TO JOBS AND HIGHER EDUCATION WHEREVER HE FOUND THEM. AND NOW, WE’RE SEEING IT AGAIN. WHITE IS RIGHT ....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel%27s_nose
Camel's nose
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The camel's nose is a metaphor for a situation where the permitting of a small, seemingly innocuous act will open the door for larger, clearly undesirable actions.

U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater used the metaphor in expressing his opposition to the National Defense Education Act in 1958:[1]

This bill and the foregoing remarks of the majority remind me of an old Arabian proverb: "If the camel once gets his nose in the tent, his body will soon follow." If adopted, the legislation will mark the inception of aid, supervision, and ultimately control of education in this country by the federal authorities.[2]



LAST BUT BY NO MEANS LEAST, ZOO BABIES.
http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/fiona-hippo-cutest-baby-pictures-cincinnati-zoo/

43 Photos – No matter what they will look like as adults, all baby animals are cute. See all of these photos, unless you just really hate animals.