August 31, 2017


News and Views


A COMMENTATOR YESTERDAY SAID THAT TRUMP CAN’T PARDON SOMEONE WHO IS ON TRIAL IN A STATE COURT. MAYBE MUELLER CAN GET HIM ON SOMETHING. MANAFORT WAS IN LEAGUE WITH THE RUSSIAN HEAD OF STATE IN UKRAINE WHO WAS OUSTED. HE ISN’T ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mueller-ny-state-attorney-general-join-efforts-in-manafort-probe/
CBS NEWS August 31, 2017, 5:59 PM
Mueller, NY state attorney general join efforts in Manafort probe

Investigators for Special Counsel Robert Mueller have joined efforts with the New York State attorney general's office in its probe of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's business and real estate dealings, according to a person familiar with the matter.

CBS News' Pat Milton reports that prosecutors from the State attorney general's office and prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan have worked together successfully in the past in white collar and corruption investigations.

One of the prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan has joined Mueller's team, which is conducting the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russian government entities, as well as any knowledge of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has been investigating Manafort's real estate holdings in New York.

Mueller, who is using a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. to help with his investigation, is particularly focused on Manafort's lobbying efforts between 2012 and 2014 for a pro-Russian Ukrainaian political party, and his offshore banking and financial dealings.

From 2012 to 2014, Manafort and his associate, Rick Gates, who also worked as a strategist for the Trump campaign, were consultants to the political party of then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. A non-profit governed by Ukrainian politicians friendly to Yanukovych paid at least $2.2 million to the Podesta Group Inc. and Mercury LLC to advocate for positions favored by the Yanukovych government, the Associated Press reported in August. Yanukovych now lives in exile in Russia. Manafort has since registered with the Justice Department as a foreign agent for his consulting work, acknowledging that he coached party members on how to interact with U.S. government officials.

As part of the ongoing probe, public relations executives who worked on the pro-Yanukovych campaign organized by Manafort were subpoenaed by Mueller's team late last week.

An individual familiar with the matter also confirmed to CBS News on Thursday that Manafort's spokesman, Jason Maloni, received a subpoena from Mueller in the Russia investigation. Maloni runs a public relations and crisis management firm in Bethesda, Maryland called JadeRoq. The Wall Street Journal first reported Maloni's subpoena -- for records of his work for Manafort since 2010. However, the Journal went on to point out that he has worked as Manafort's spokesman only since March, so it's not clear why it is the subpoena goes back for so many years.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had subpoenaed Manafort to appear at a public hearing last month, but his attorney said that Manafort would instead be willing to provide a "single transcribed interview to Congress."

CBS News confirmed on Thursday that Manafort has now denied an NBC News report that the words "RNC" and "donations" were seen close to each other in notes he took during his meeting at Trump Tower with Russian citizens during the 2016 campaign. Manafort conceded that he did take notes, which were taken on his cell phone, and that he gave those notes to the Senate committee, but he denies that donations were discussed at the meeting.

"It is 100 percent false to suggest this meeting included any discussion of donations from Russian sources to either the Trump campaign or the Republican Party. Mr. Manafort provided the Senate Intelligence Committee with the facts and his notes so this speculation and conjecture is pointless and wrong," said Maloni in a statement to CBS News.

The FBI raided Manafort's home last month and left with various records. Agents were searching for tax and foreign banking documents, according to The New York Times.

The coordination between the Mueller and Schneiderman teams was first reported by Politico.

CBS News' Andres Triay contributed to this report.



WE DON’T NEED NO STATE DEPARTMENT! DONALD TRUMP IS GONG TO MAKE DEALS!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rex-tillerson-state-department-promotions/
By KYLIE ATWOOD CBS NEWS August 31, 2017, 7:13 PM
Tillerson says there will be fewer promotions at State Department

Photograph -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivers remarks on August 1, 2017, at the briefing room of the US State Department in Washington, D.C. GETTY

State Department employees are dreading Friday. They may be heading into a long Labor Day weekend, but it's also the day when the list of promotions comes out and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has already issued a warning.

"There will be fewer promotions this year relative to last year," Tillerson wrote in a cable to all consular and diplomatic posts this week.

Tillerson sought to defend against an alarming response.

Tillerson breaks State Department hiring freeze
"Employees need to understand that promotion rates normally go through cycles and that this year's numbers, while lower than last year's, are largely within historical range," he writes.

Is State Department gearing up for a "Rexit"?
Play VIDEO
Is State Department gearing up for a "Rexit"?

Tillerson puts the blame for the diminished promotion numbers on the department's hiring surges from 2001-2004 and from 2009-2012.

"In short, there are generally more people competing for fewer promotion opportunities," he writes.

The fear is that the department is being handicapped from the top and, now, from the middle where talent should be nurtured and maintained. Many State Department employees who are not promoted are expected to search for other opportunities outside of the building.

"This will make it as hard as possible for people who want to stay. They are tightening the noose, and white not illegal, they are running afoul of many regulations," says Brett Bruen, a former U.S. diplomat who was the Director of Global Engagement under former President Obama. "It's clear they are trying to force people out through various mischievous ways."

Congress sets the budget and the hiring numbers for the department but, in general, foreign service officers must be promoted to keep their job. Each grade has a certain amount of time allotted before a promotion is required.

When morale is already low, this further contributes to State Department employees feeling undervalued. Some began calling this the "non-promotion list." Others are worried about the future of diplomacy.

"This is their latest effort to marginalize us," said one State Department employee. "And it is working. I just don't care anymore. I'm going to be retiring soon. But I am not sure the department will ever recover."

And while Tillerson says the department is ballooning with too many people to fill too few jobs, the State Department is facing the opposite problem in terms of leadership. Most of the bureaus are now run by an Acting Assistant Secretary and even some of the acting officials have stepped down -- before their replacement has been confirmed, or before their replacement has even been named. For example, Friday will be the last day on the job for Acting Assistance Tracey Ann Jacobson and there has not been any announcement of her replacement.

Tillerson has consistently warned department employees that changes were on the horizon – and has acknowledged that they wouldn't be easy to digest.

"I know change like this is really stressful for a lot of people," Tillerson said to employees at the department in May. "All I can offer you on the other side of that equation is an opportunity to shape the future way in which we will deliver on mission, and I can almost promise you – because I have never been through one of these exercises where it wasn't true – that I can promise you that when this is all done."



THIS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MEANT AS A JOKE, BUT IT’S THE NOT FUNNY KIND OF JOKE. I’M GLAD HE WAS FIRED.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chief-recommends-firing-of-cobb-county-officer-greg-abbott-who-told-motorist-we-only-kill-black-people/
Chief recommends firing of officer who told motorist, "We only kill black people"
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP August 31, 2017, 8:29 PM

COBB COUNTY, Ga. -- A Georgia police chief said he is recommending the firing of a lieutenant who was heard on video during a traffic stop saying, "we only kill black people."

Dashcam video from July 2016 shows a woman in a car telling Cobb County police Lt. Greg Abbott she was scared to move her hands in order to get her cellphone. According to television station WSB-TV, Abbott, who is also white, interrupts her and says, "But you're not black. Remember, we only shoot black people. Yeah. We only kill black people, right?"

Police Chief Mike Register told reporters Thursday that he has started the process to terminate Abbott's employment.

Register said the comments were inappropriate regardless of the context in which they were uttered.

"In no context can I tolerate this type of language," Register said during a Monday press conference. "I don't think we can sit here and justify any type of language when the verbiage is what we heard on that video."

Register, who has led the department since June, said the comments are "not indicative of the culture I'm trying to instill here."

Register said he learned of the comments from television station WSB on Friday, which obtained the video through an open records request. Abbott had been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

Abbott's attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the termination. He earlier said Abbott is cooperating with the investigation, and that his comments were meant to "de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger."

Register said he's known Abbott for years and said he's perceived him to be an honorable man. He said Abbott "made a mistake."

"I don't know what's in his heart, but I certainly know what came out of his mouth," Register said. "It's inexcusable, and we have to take appropriate action."



A BUSINESS SHOWS A GOOD HEART. I’M GLAD TO SEE THIS, AND I WILL POINT OUT THAT THE PIZZA HUT MANAGER IS ISLAMIC, JUDGING FROM HER NAME. I LOVE THEIR PIZZA, TOO.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pizza-hut-workers-paddle-through-harvey-floodwaters-to-deliver-free-pies/
By JENNIFER EARL CBS NEWS August 31, 2017, 8:01 PM
Pizza Hut workers paddle through Harvey floodwaters to deliver free pies

Photograph -- Pizza Hut employees in Sugar Land, Texas, pack up a kayak full of pizza to deliver free pies to Harvey victims. PIZZA HUT

Pizza Hut workers in Texas traded in delivery cars for kayaks on Tuesday, paddling their way across floodwaters to deliver hot pies to Harvey victims.

As soon as Shayda Habib, the general manager of a Sugar Land Pizza Hut, heard people in the Village of Oak Lake neighborhood were were trapped inside their flooded homes and low on food, she took action.

She told employees to get cooking, as she plotted a way to get the pizzas to nearby hungry customers in need. Luckily, she knew just who turn to.

"When I heard there were families in need, I knew we needed to act fast," Habib told CBS affiliate KENS-5. "I called my husband and asked him to gather up kayaks and meet me at the restaurant."

Employees boxed up 120 pizzas, packed them into hot delivery pouches and loaded up kayaks. Habib and a team of six headed to a nearby neighborhood in search of hungry residents.

They went door to door, traveling in water that was — in some parts — chest deep to offer free pizza.

"The people in the houses didn't expect us to come," Habib told the Houston Chronicle. "It was so nice to see their smiles after so much gloom."

Habib posted photos from her team's unexpected expedition on Tuesday.

"Sorry we couldn't do more," she wrote.

The general manager said she planned to keep making trips to nearby neighborhoods this week — at least, until the restaurant runs out of ingredients.

Pizza Hut thanked Habib for her kind gesture on Wednesday, as the area continues to recover from devastating floods.

"Thank you to our Oak Lake Pizza Hut team for their out-of-the-car response to deliver hot pizzas all day to the community they serve," Pizza Hut tweeted on Wednesday.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
Follow
Pizza Hut ✔ @pizzahut
THANK YOU to our Oak Lake Pizza Hut team for their out-of-the-car response to deliver hot pizzas all day to the community they serve.
4:27 PM - Aug 30, 2017 · Minneapolis, MN
54 54 Replies 432 432 Retweets 1,030 1,030 likes

"We are so proud of the team for seeing a need, stepping up and helping the community in a time of devastation," a Pizza Hut spokesman told CBS News.




https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anti-abortion-law-texas-judge-lee-yeakel/
AP August 31, 2017, 7:47 PM
Federal judge temporarily blocks Texas anti-abortion law

AUSTIN, Texas -- A federal judge late Thursday temporarily blocked Texas from enforcing new anti-abortion measures Gov. Greg Abbott signed in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down more sweeping abortion limits.

The order by Austin-based U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel stops Texas from banning a commonly used second trimester abortion procedure, known as dilation and evacuation, which abortion providers say rarely results in complications. Courts already have blocked similar laws in Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. A court challenge also is ongoing in Arkansas.

The Texas version was approved by the Republican-controlled state Legislature this session, signed by Abbott in May and had been set to take effect Friday. Texas is expected to appeal.

Supreme Court strikes down Texas abortion law
Play VIDEO
Supreme Court strikes down Texas abortion law

Yeakel issued a restraining order and will hear further argument on whether the law is unconstitutional because it could place women undergoing abortions at greater risk. He set a Sept. 14 hearing for arguments on the merits of continuing an injunction from the abortion rights' groups that challenged the law and from the Office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

"The court concludes that plaintiffs have established that absent a temporary restraining order they will suffer irreparable harm by being unable to access the most commonly used and safest previability-second-trimester-abortion procedure ahead of any substantial constitutional review of the act," Yeakel wrote.

The judge added that "it is in the public interest to preserve the status quo and give the parties ample opportunity to develop the record regarding the constitutional questions raised without subjecting plaintiffs or the public to any of the act's potential harms."

In a statement, Texas Right to Life said "The abortion clinic lawyers are attempting to frame this lawsuit on how SB 8 will affect Texas women and the abortion industry, however the important question before the court is whether this type of procedure is something Texas has the right to prohibit."

"While some Pro-Lifers may be tempted to despair at today's ruling, this is the first step in a longer and consequential legal battle over this dynamic and historic legislation," the organization said.

The ban is part of a broader measure, Senate Bill 8, that effectively served as the state's answer to last year's Supreme Court ruling. That decision, the court's most significant abortion-rights ruling in a generation, tossed out a 2013 Texas law that led to the closure of more than half the state's abortion clinics.

Those now-dismantled requirements had required Texas abortion clinics to meet hospital-like operating standards and required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges in nearby hospitals.

Texas currently has around 20 abortion clinics, down from 41 in 2012.

The new Texas law uses the non-medical term "dismemberment abortion" to describe a procedure in which forceps and other instruments are used to remove the fetus from the womb. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which is one of the groups that sued to block the law, says it is the safest and most common way of terminating a second-trimester pregnancy.


EVERYBODY HAPPY NOW??

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-has-until-saturday-to-close-some-u-s-offices-state-dept-says/
By KYLIE ATWOOD, KATHRYN WATSON CBS NEWS August 31, 2017, 1:02 PM
Russia has until Saturday to close 3 U.S. diplomatic offices, State Dept says

Photograph -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivers remarks on Au. 1, 2017, at the briefing room of the US State Department in Washington, D.C. GETTY

Russia has until Saturday to close three diplomatic offices in Washington, D.C., New York City and San Francisco, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert announced Thursday, noting the "downward spiral" in U.S.-Russia relations.

One of them is the San Francisco consulate – cutting Russia's total U.S. consulates from four to three.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had promised to respond to Russia's decision to expel 755 diplomatic personnel from the Kremlin by Sept. 1. Russia took that action after the U.S. passed tougher sanctions rules on Russia earlier this summer, legislation President Trump signed but called "seriously flawed." The legislation swept through Congress with bipartisan support, receiving only two "no" votes in the Senate and three in the House.

"The United States has fully implemented the decision by the government of the Russian Federation to reduce the size of our mission in Russia," Nauert said in a statement. "We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries.

"In the spirit of parity invoked by the Russians, we are requiring the Russian Government to close its consulate general in San Francisco, a chancery annex in Washington, D.C., and a consular annex in New York City. These closures will need to be accomplished by September 2."

That will leave each country with three consulates in place, Nauert said, explaining the U.S. will keep some of its annexes "in an effort to arrest the downward spiral in our relationship."

"The United States hopes that, having moved toward the Russian Federation's desire for parity, we can avoid further retaliatory actions by both sides and move forward to achieve the stated goal of both of our presidents: improved relations between our two countries and increased cooperation on areas of mutual concern," Nauert continued. "The United States is prepared to take further action as necessary and as warranted."

The decision to close the San Francisco consulate was made for a variety of reasons, a senior administration official said, but it "made the most sense" because it's the oldest and most established consulate of the four. The New York and Washington, D.C. annexes serve as trade missions, according to one senior administration official.

This decision by the U.S. is not irreversible, however.

"I can't really say that this is permanent," said the official, who added that if the Russians want to "address our concerns," the U.S. is willing to listen.

But for now the buildings will remain empty. The Russians will still own the property, and they can choose to keep them or sell them. The only authorized activity will be maintenance and protection of the property.

Tillerson spoke over the phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov this morning to inform him. It was a "professional" call in which both sides reiterated a desire to improve relations between the two countries. The U.S. and Russia are now monitoring and maintaining a ceasefire in Southwest Syria, which has lasted for almost two months, indicating that the two countries are able to work together. But the tension over diplomatic offices shows tensions remain high. Earlier this year, when Tillerson visited Russia, he declared U.S.-Russia relations "may be at an all-time low."



ILLEGAL STREET DRUG LEGITIMIZED FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-designates-mdma-as-breakthrough-therapy-for-ptsd/
By ASHLEY WELCH CBS NEWS August 31, 2017, 2:34 PM
FDA designates MDMA as "breakthrough therapy" for PTSD

Photograph -- A researcher holds capsules containing doses of MDMA. MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES (MAPS)

After years of lobbying and experimental research, the FDA has granted "breakthrough therapy" status for the drug MDMA as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. The designation does not mean the drug is FDA-approved, but it does ease the way for clinical trials to test its safety and effectiveness in patients with PTSD.

The non-profit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), which has been advocating and fundraising for MDMA research for three decades, announced the FDA's designation late last week. (The FDA told CBS News it does not publicly disclose information about which drugs qualify for breakthrough status, citing confidentiality, but said researchers or drug companies are free to do so.)

More commonly known as its street names ecstasy or Molly, MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a psychoactive drug that produces feelings of energy and euphoria, often followed by an emotional crash. In recent years, some in the scientific community have suggested it could have medical benefits, as well.

In previous phases of clinical trials, the drug was shown to offer significant relief to sufferers of PTSD, a mental health disorder characterized by nightmares or flashbacks and heightened anxiety or depression after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. It affects an estimated 8 percent of Americans, with certain populations, including those who served in the military, more vulnerable.

FDA allows test trials of MDMA to help PTSD patients
Play VIDEO
FDA allows test trials of MDMA to help PTSD patients

According to the FDA's website, a designation of "breakthrough therapy" simply means the agency will expedite the review of the drug and potential approval. The status is granted when "preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement" over other available therapies.

In a press release, MAPS said the designation means "the FDA has agreed that this treatment may have a meaningful advantage and greater compliance over available medications for PTSD."

MAPS, founded in 1986, has also been a long-time advocate for the medical use of drugs like psychedelics and marijuana. Its mission statement reads: "We envision a world where psychedelics and marijuana are safely and legally available for beneficial uses, and where research is governed by rigorous scientific evaluation of their risks and benefits."

In phase 2 clinical trials sponsored by MAPS, 61 percent of the 107 participants with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD no longer had the disorder after two months of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy treatment. At a 12-month follow up, 68 percent no longer had PTSD.

The organization expects to begin phase 3 trials with a larger group of participants next year.

"For the first time ever, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy will be evaluated in Phase 3 trials for possible prescription use, with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD leading the way," Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of MAPS, said in a statement.

Amy Emerson, executive director of the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MPBC), adds, "our Phase 2 data was extremely promising with a large effect size, and we are ready to move forward quickly."

However, not everyone in the scientific community is enthusiastic about the prospect of a psychedelic drug being used as a medical treatment.

Can magic mushrooms help cancer patients?
Play VIDEO
Can magic mushrooms help cancer patients?

While advocates point out that a key difference between pure MDMA used in a medical setting and street versions of ecstasy or Molly is that street versions are often mixed with other harmful drugs, MDMA itself is not without side effects.

In its purest form, MDMA can lead to nausea, chills, sweating, muscle cramping, and blurred vision. Overdose can also occur with symptoms including high blood pressure, faintness, panic attacks and in severe cases, loss of consciousness and seizures.

"I think it's a dangerous substance," Andrew Parrott, a psychology professor at Swansea University in Wales who spent years researching the drug's harmful effects, told the Washington Post.

He told the newspaper that he worries approval for treatment of PTSD could lead the public to believe MDMA is safe for recreational use.

MAPS notes that serious adverse events have been uncommon and non-life threatening in their studies.



THIS NEW STORM ON TOP OF THE OLD, WHICH IS STILL ACTIVE I THINK, IS REALLY PAINFUL FOR ME TO THINK ABOUT. A CATEGORY 3 IS ALREADY POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DO WIND DAMAGE, AND EVEN A TROPICAL STORM CAN DROP LOTS OF RAIN. IT DEPENDS ON WHERE IT GOES, I ASSUME.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-irma-forecast-major-storm/
CBS/AP August 31, 2017, 11:29 AM
Hurricane Irma becomes Category 3 storm

MIAMI -- Far out over the Atlantic, Hurricane Irma has turned into a Category 3 storm, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. It poses no immediate threat to land.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115 mph with higher gusts. Irma is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph. This motion is expected to continue today, followed by a westward turn on Saturday, and a west-southwestward motion by Sunday.

Irma formed along a course that could bring it near the eastern Caribbean Sea by early next week. The storm's center was about 650 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa Thursday morning.

Irma is expected to be an extremely dangerous hurricane for the next several days.


Follow
NHC Atlantic Ops ✔ @NHC_Atlantic
#Irma has continued to strengthen over the eastern Atlantic and is now a major hurricane. Details at http://hurricanes.gov
4:40 PM - Aug 31, 2017
40 40 Replies 755 755 Retweets 382 382 likes

Where is Hurricane Irma going to hit?
CBS Dallas / Fort Worth's meteorologist Jeff Jamison says computer models for Irma differ on where the storm makes landfall. Only 10 to 15 percent of hurricanes located where Irma is have struck the United States.

Irma comes on the heels of Hurricane Harvey, which struck the Gulf Coast of Texas on Friday. Thousands have been displaced by the storm due to torrential rain and flooding.

irma-map.jpg
NOAA/CBS NEWS

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lidia bore down on the Los Cabos resorts at tip of Baja California Peninsula Thursday, while spreading rains over a broad swath of Mexico.

Mexican authorities warned residents of the lower Baja to prepare for high winds, heavy rain and a dangerous storm surge.

Heavy rain also was reported falling on southwestern Mexico and the hurricane center said Lidia could produce total accumulations of as much as 8 to 12 inches across much of Baja California Sur state and western Jalisco state on the mainland, threatening flash floods and landslides.

Lidia had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph Thursday morning and some strengthening was possible before landfall. Its center was about 90 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas and it was heading north-northwest at 8 mph.



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nursing-home-resident-flooded-from-harvey-describes-experience/
CBS NEWS August 31, 2017, 8:49 AM
Nursing home resident rescued after viral photo of waist-high flooding describes experience

Photographs and videos show the devastating toll of Harvey on Texans. One of the most memorable images is from a nursing home where residents sitting in waist-deep water spread quickly online. Not long after, another picture showed the residents safe and dry at another facility.

Elderly are among the most vulnerable during Harvey
"La vita bella" is Italian for the beautiful life, but life for the residents of the La Vita Bella nursing home in Dickinson, Texas, became unbearable after the fast-rising floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey poured in.

cleared-nursing-home-submerged-twitter-dividendsmgr.jpg
The photo of La Vita Bella nursing home residents sitting in flood waters that went viral. TRUDY LAMPSON

Former resident Ruth Miller recounted her experience for CBS News' Jamie Yuccas.

"I didn't like it," Miller said. "It scares me because I did not feel safe."

As the water rose around Miller and her friends, the 64-year-old says staffers at La Vita Bella relied on a simple mantra: "Keep calm and collected."

Nursing home owners Trudy and Pete Lampson say they were initially told to shelter in place, but evacuation was soon their only option.

"Within about 45 minutes to an hour it went from ankle to stomach," Lampson said.

To get help Trudy snapped a photo of residents in rising water and sent it to her daughter in Florida.

"I told my daughter, 'Do what you have to do,'" Trudy said.

nursing-rescued.jpg
The La Vita Bella residents after being rescued CBS NEWS

A few hours after the image was posted on social media came the rescues, then the
reunions.

"I was so happy," Miller said of the moment she first saw her older sister Susan Bobrick. She is now living with her.

"How tragic this could have ended up. I think the water level rose there and luckily it held. It held," Bobrick said of how she felt seeing the picture.

Miller plans to live with her sister until they identify a suitable place to care for her needs.

The owners of La Vita Bella say they will rebuild, but there's no telling how long it will be until it's ready for residents.


DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE A GOOD THING: HE DONATED A MILLION DOLLARS TO THE HURRICANE FUND IN TEXAS. I KNOW HE’LL NEVER MISS IT, BUT IT’S STILL GOOD.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-to-donate-1-million-in-personal-funds-to-texas-relief-efforts/
By KATHRYN WATSON CBS NEWS August 31, 2017, 3:59 PM
Trump to donate $1 million in personal funds to Texas relief efforts

President Trump will donate $1 million towards Hurricane Harvey relief in Texas, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday.

The president said he will donate his personal money, according to Sanders, although she could not say with certainty that the president meant his own bank account and not the Donald J. Trump Foundation. Mr. Trump, who will visit Texas Saturday for the second time since the deadly storm hit, has yet to pick a charity and is open to suggestions, Sanders said. Sanders said she would "assume" them money comes from the president's personal funding, as that is how he phrased it.

"I had a chance to speak directly with the president earlier, and I'm happy to tell you that he would like to join in the efforts that a lot of the people that we've seen across this country do," Sanders said. "And he's pledging a million dollars of personal money to the fund. And he's actually asked that I check with the folks in this room, since you are very good at research and have been doing a lot of reporting into the groups and organizations that are best and most effective in helping and providing aid, and he'd love some suggestions from the folks here, and I'd be happy to take those if any of you have them."

How to help Harvey flood victims
Red Cross CEO addresses criticism of how it uses funds for disaster relief
On Wednesday, Sanders told reporters that Mr. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were looking at "different options" to make personal donations to the relief efforts in Texas.

Mr. Trump was criticized for failing to address victims of the storm early on, and has been criticized in the past for giving less of his income to charity than some other prominent wealthy people.

What it will take to make Houston habitable again
Play VIDEO
What it will take to make Houston habitable again

Tom Bossert, White House homeland security adviser, said Thursday that there are 100,000 homes affected by Harvey in southeast Texas -- some with flood insurance and some without. So far, the storm has killed at least 28 people, and authorities are focusing on rescuing people trapped in the floods and housing them in temporary shelters. Bossert said additional loss of life can be expected.

Bossert said the Department of Housing and Urban Development is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as state and local officials, to take stock of available housing for displaced residents. Bossert said price gouging, whether it be in rentals or anything else, will not be tolerated.

"This will be a housing challenge," Bossert said.

Bossert said victims who are in the country illegally should not worry about their immigration status when seeking immediate relief, saying food and water wouldn't be denied based on anyone's legal status. Authorities, "won't start rounding people up" at shelters, he said.

"What I would say though is in terms of immediate life saving, no individual human being should worry about their immigration status, unless they've committed a crime on top of coming here illegally," Bossert said.

Bossert didn't expand on what types of long-term assistance people in the country illegally would be able to obtain, but said some types of assistance may be open only to citizens.

"I don't think there's going to be a lot of benefits going out to illegal immigrants in terms of the American taxpayer," Bossert said.

Regarding immigration status, Bossert and Sanders said there is no decision at this time as to whether Mr. Trump will end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, a program that protects some immigrants who arrived in the U.S. illegally while they were still children.



PROTECT DEMOCRACY FIGHTS BACK AGAINST THE DOJ AND TRUMP ON ARPAIO PARDON

Trump’s Arpaio Pardon? Not so fast.
Ian Bassin, Protect Democracy

Dear Friend of Democracy,

Donald Trump’s presidency has presented an escalating series of threats to the rule of law. His unprecedented pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio takes things to a new level.

That’s why we’re fighting back. As The Washington Post reported yesterday, Protect Democracy has challenged the Justice Department (DOJ) to answer for this abusive pardon — in court.

If that alone is enough to join the fight, click here to retweet our call and build pressure on DOJ.

If you want to get nerdy with us, read on.

Many lawyers and pundits have been rushing to conclude that President Trump’s pardon power is virtually unlimited. We think that’s both wrong and dangerous.

It’s wrong because the pardon power can’t be read to supersede other provisions of the Constitution. For example, if a President admitted to pardoning all defendants convicted of a certain crime because they are white while declining to pardon those defendants who are black, surely that would violate the Equal Protection Clause.

Similarly, issuance of a pardon that violates the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause is also suspect. Under the Due Process Clause, no one in the United States (citizen or otherwise) may “be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” But for due process and judicial review to function, courts must be able to restrain government officials. Due process requires that, when a government official is found by a court to be violating individuals’ constitutional rights, the court can issue effective relief (such as an injunction) ordering the official to cease this unconstitutional conduct. And for an injunction to be effective, there must be a penalty for violation of the injunction—principally, contempt of court.

(We warned you this was going to get nerdy.)

Arpaio was held in contempt for just this reason. He was found to be systematically violating the constitutional rights of Arizonans by engaging in unlawful racial profiling (and did a host of other racist and abusive things as well, like hiring an investigator to track the Judge's wife). And when the Judge ordered him to stop, he ignored the court. He was charged and convicted of contempt, and now the President is pardoning him for that.

The rush to judgment on the pardon is dangerous because Trump is already emboldened. He’s reportedly quite enamored with the power of the pardon pen — which is not surprising for an autocrat. If not sufficiently checked, we could be sliding down a slippery slope toward Trump pardoning his associates, family members, or even himself.

That’s where we come in.

We’re demanding DOJ take a stand. We have asked the chiefs of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, Raymond N. Hulser and John Dixon Keller, to oppose Sheriff Arpaio’s motion to throw out his case thanks to the pardon. And with the judge overseeing the case asking DOJ to take a position on Arpaio’s request, we have a real chance that career public servants will stand with us.

But we all need to participate for this to work. Click here and retweet or comment to amplify our call.

We need all of us to raise our voices loud and clear that this pardon is legally dubious. At critical moments in our nation’s history — from the fight for civil rights to the fight for free speech — our Justice Department and our courts have been influenced by the American people rising up. This can be such a moment. It requires us all to speak together, loudly and publicly.

Join the call now.

In hope,

Ian, Jesse, Justin, Anne, Cameron and the whole Protect Democracy team

P.S. - You can read more about the pardon and underlying Arpaio case at these links:

Protect Democracy's letter to the Department of Justice urging them to oppose Arpaio's motion to vacate his conviction.

The ACLU’s overview of the original case that found that Arpaio was violating Arizonans’ constitutional rights.

A news report detailing why Judge Snow, who presided over the original case, referred Arpaio for criminal contempt charges to be brought.

A Twitter stream from Judge Snow's former clerk with details about the original case.

Professor Martin Redish’s column outlining the due process problems with the Arpaio pardon.

A news report about the motion Joe Arpaio filed to have his original conviction vacated to which our letter to DOJ is a response.

Jennifer Rubin’s Washington Post column about Protect Democracy and Free Speech for People’s letter.

Garrett Epps’ take on how the Supreme Court might respond to abusive pardons.

Copyright © 2017 United to Protect Democracy, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website, unitedtoprotectdemocracy.org. To contact us, please email info@protectdemocracy.org.

Our mailing address is:
United to Protect Democracy
2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
#163 Washington, D.C. 20006