February 16, 2018


News and Views


“THE INDICTMENTS DIDN'T INCLUDE AN ALLEGATION THAT THE DEFENDANTS' EFFORTS IMPACTED THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.” WELL, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS, I THINK. OF COURSE, MUELLER WOULDN’T WANT TO MAKE A CHARGE WITHOUT HAVING THE EVIDENCE TO BACK IT UP. THIS INVESTIGATION IS HUGE, AND NEEDS TIME TO WORK THROUGH.

THIS QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION WERE AFFECTED IS CRUCIAL IN MY VIEW. ASIDE FROM PROVING “COLLUSION,” IT MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE SITUATION. IF OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT MANAGED TO GET INTO OFFICE BY SAID “COLLUSION,” HE SHOULD BE BOOTED OUT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, AND HIS HANGERS ON ALONG WITH HIM.

LET’S “DRAIN HIS PERSONAL SWAMP” AND MAKE LAWS TO PREVENT THIS, AND ADD NEW AND BETTER WAYS TO GET RID OF A PRESIDENT. MY FAVORITE IS THE BRITISH METHOD OF “A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE.” THAT MEANS, “YOU’RE FIRED!”

WE COULD DO THAT BY A PLEBISCITE. I KNOW, WE’D HAVE TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW SUCH CHANGES. SO, LET’S GET TO IT!
CONGRESS IS ALMOST TOTALLY CORRUPTED NOW, AND THE SENATE IS ALMOST AS BAD. WE NEED BETTER WAYS TO GET THINGS DONE, I THINK.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/after-russian-indictments-facebook-concedes-it-has-more-to-do/
By AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH February 16, 2018, 5:34 PM
After Russian indictments, Facebook concedes it has "more to do"

Following the indictment of 13 Russian nationals accused of breaking U.S. laws by interfering with the 2016 presidential election, Facebook (FB) said it has "more to do" and vowed to better protect its social media platform from outside intrusion.

The indictments, announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice, highlight how the Russian nationals waged a campaign of information warfare against the U.S., including relying on social media accounts to pose as people living in the country. The agency also alleges that those indicted began buying ads on Facebook in August that promoted a post accusing Hillary Clinton of voter fraud.

"We know we have more to do to prevent against future attacks," said Joel Kaplan, vice president of global policy at Facebook, in a statement. "We're making significant investments, including increasing the number of people working on security from 10,000 to 20,000 this year."

Kaplan said the federal indictments confirm the company's announcement last year that "foreign actors conducted a coordinated and sustained effort to attack our democracy."

He added, "As we said publicly last year, this kind of foreign interference violates all of our values. These indictments now say it also violated the law."

Facebook and other social media networks have come under fire for failing to take action against efforts aimed at disrupting or influencing U.S. elections, among other issues. The indictments didn't include an allegation that the defendants' efforts impacted the outcome of the election.

But Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the indictment is a reminder that "people are not always who they appear to be."

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


NEW INDICTMENT: RICHARD PINEDO CHARGED WITH OBTAINING BANK ACCOUNT NUMBERS. I'M HOLDING THIS STORY FOR TOMORROW. I'VE DONE ENOUGH FOR ONE NIGHT. AS FOR THIS RUSSIAN LAVROV, OF COURSE RUSSIA IS TOTALLY INNOCENT, AND THOSE 13 RUSSIANS HAVE BEEN FRAMED....

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-foreign-minister-sergei-lavrov-responds-charges-in-meddling-probe/
CBS/AP February 16, 2018, 5:12 PM
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responds charges in meddling probe

Russia's foreign minister is disputing the indictments of 13 Russian nationals and three entities accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election through social media propaganda. Speaking from Moscow on Friday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia "could not and did not" interfere with the election and said the lack of evidence proved this.

"Some state interference in the pre-election process is still being discussed, but I have not seen a single fact," Lavrov said on the Euronews TV channel, adding that he hadn't seen a single fact brought forth by special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. "In the U.S., if there was any [small] fire there, the smoke would be immediately visible."

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced charges against 12 of the defendants who at some point worked for the Internet Research Agency, a Russian troll farm, in St. Petersburg. The workers allegedly set up a virtual private network in the U.S. and made it appear that the social media accounts were controlled by users in the U.S.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is accused of funding the Internet Research Agency. Speaking to Russia's state news agency, Prigozhin called Americans "very impressionable people" and said he's not upset to be named in the indictment, adding that Americans "see what they want to see."

Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray briefed President Trump on the indictments Friday, CBS News' Major Garrett reports, according to two sources familiar with the talks. They told him that that the indictments did not allege cooperation or collusion with Trump campaign.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.


CAN THE PLEAS OF PARKLAND STUDENTS BUDGE THE REPUBLICAN WEDGE POSITION AGAINST IMPROVING THE GUN CONTROL SITUATION? CAN MAD DOGS CLIMB TREES?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/school-shooting-florida-survivor-david-hogg-teacher-ashley-kurth/
By JEAN SONG CBS NEWS February 16, 2018, 11:42 AM
Florida school shooting survivor to lawmakers: "Make some compromises"

Florida school shooting survivor David Hogg has a message for U.S. lawmakers: "Work together."

"No matter what policy you support, you guys are politicians. Make some compromises, get some stuff done and keep doing it. Actually keep your promises. Don't just make false promises just so you can get re-elected. Actually follow through.

"And who knows? Maybe you'll save some children's lives, because the amount of deaths that I've had to deal with, with my sister having three of her best friends die, and the numerous other families that have to go home to silent rooms for the rest of their lives with no children, is absolutely unacceptable. It's deplorable. And something has to change.

"The policy makers in this country must work together. And I don't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat. These are children's lives. That's the end of the line. And if you want to have mental health reform, you support that. If you want to have universal background checks, you support that. Why not do both? Politicians compromise and we can get this done. It just a matter of overcoming our political barriers in order to save children's lives, and in that way, our future too," Hogg said Friday on "CBS This Morning."

Hogg was one of the approximately 65 students sheltered inside culinary arts teacher Ashley Kurth's classroom after a gunman opened fire Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed in America's deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Alleged shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, faces 17 counts of premeditated murder. He had been expelled from Stoneman Douglas High for "disciplinary reasons."

Florida students grapple with loss and find strength in each other after deadly shooting
Trump's focus on mental health over guns at odds with his own record
Hogg, a student journalist, interviewed fellow students on video during the mass shooting.

"After we realized this wasn't a drill, I knew that if I was going to die with those around me... I wanted our voices to carry on and proceed the ages of time, because even if our souls couldn't, our stories could still have an impact and cause some real change in this country. That is certainly something that we all need right now," Hogg said.

Hogg praised Kurth and thanked her for her "heroic actions." Kurth said she had gone through a recent training as well as an active shooter training at her previous school.

"I remember I was shaking as I was trying to put my key into the door and my head was sticking out and you could see all the kids pouring out of the freshmen building, just screaming, terrified," Kurth told "CBS This Morning."

She said she tried to grab as many students as she could.

"They were running by, and the ones that were still running, I just kept screaming at them, 'Keep running! Don't stop!' Because at that point you were hearing gunshots go off and it was ricocheting with the sound off the other building and we didn't know whether it was one shooter or two," Kurth said, adding, "It was very intense."

"It feels like it was like an hour, but in reality, it was like 30 seconds," Kurth said.

Florida school shooting victims identified by authorities
16 Photos
Florida school shooting victims identified by authorities
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


I MOST DEFINITELY DON’T WANT TO SEE WRAY RESIGN, ESPECIALLY AT A POINT THAT WE KNOW SO VERY LITTLE OF WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. EVIDENCE IN THESE STORIES ALWAYS TAKES A PERIOD OF TIME TO COME TO THE ATTENTION OF AUTHORITIES. WHEN A RICK SCOTT CALLS FOR HIS RESIGNATION, ESPECIALLY THIS FAST, WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE FACT THAT SCOTT IS CONSIDERING A RUN FOR THE US SENATE, SO HE WANTS TO SEEM AUTHORITATIVE. SENATOR BILL NELSON IS APPARENTLY NOT GOING TO RUN AGAIN.

I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SEEING PART OF A REPUBLICAN STRATEGIC ACTION AGAINST THE DOJ AND FBI BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GET THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION STOPPED. TRUMP HAS BEEN WARNED NOT TO FIRE MUELLER, BUT HE WANTS TO MANAGE IT THROUGH THE BACK DOOR, AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE SUPPORTING HIM IN THAT. THESE AUTOMATIC RESIGNATIONS WHEN A DEPARTMENT IS EMBARRASSED ARE FOR SHOW, BASICALLY, I THINK. THAT PATTERN HAS ALWAYS BOTHERED ME BECAUSE UNTIL WRAY IS PERSONALLY IMPLICATED, HE SEEMS TO BE A GOOD ENOUGH LEADER TO ME.

BESIDES, AN ABSOLUTELY CONSTANT RAPID-FIRE REPLACEMENT OF LEADERS, AS WE HAVE HAD EVER SINCE TRUMP WAS ELECTED, LEADS TO UNSTABLE SITUATIONS, AND THE WHOLE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN THAT. IT MAKES HIM SEEM TOTALLY INCOMPETENT. SORRY, SIR, I KNOW YOU DON’T LIKE CRITICISM, BUT THIS HAS BEEN MORE THAN A ROLLER COASTER. MOST OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT WONDERFUL CARNIVAL RIDE CALLED “THE SCRAMBLER.” THAT’S HOW THIS SEEMS; THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT THIS IS BEGINNING TO MAKE ME ILL; I WANT TO GET OFF!

IT’S BEEN SO FREQUENT THAT IT’S GETTING DOWNRIGHT CONFUSING, AND VERY DISTURBING TO ME. AMERICA DIDN’T USED TO BE LIKE THIS. I EXPECTED TRUMP TO BE UNFAIR, BUT I DIDN’T EXPECT THIS MUCH PURE CHAOS. THIS ISN’T SAFE FOR THE COUNTRY, EITHER. IF A PRESIDENT PUTIN DID WANT TO TAKE OVER THE US DIRECTLY, RATHER THAN THROUGH THE PROXY OF THE RUSSIAN INTERNET BOT ARMY, HE COULD DO IT MUCH MORE EASILY NOW. HE’S TRYING TO STIR UP THE PARANOID GROUPS, AND WE HAVE MORE THAN I HAD REALIZED OF THOSE. A COUPLE OF TIMES ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS FOR OPENLY ADVOCATING “RACE WAR,” AND MOST OF THEM ARE EQUALLY OPENLY ANTI-GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY THE “SOVEREIGN CITIZENS.” THEY BELIEVE THAT, ACCORDING TO THEIR PARTICULAR READING OF THE CONSTITUTION, THE ONLY LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY IS “THE COUNTY SHERIFF.” THEY ARE MAINLY LOCATED IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN STATES. THE BUNDY FAMILY, FOR INSTANCE, COMES TO MIND. LOOK THEM UP ON GOOGLE IF YOU DON’T REMEMBER. THEIR PET PEAVE IS THAT “THE GOVERNMENT” WON’T LET THEM GRAZE THEIR CATTLE FOR FREE ON FEDERAL LAND. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THEY HOLED UP IN A BUILDING ON ONE OF THE PARKS AND FACED DOWN FEDERAL MARSHALS WITH GUNS. THE RING LEADERS OF THAT GROUP ARE IN PRISON NOW, I BELIEVE, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.

I DON’T REALLY BELIEVE FROM WHAT I’VE SEEN OF PUTIN THAT SUCH A MILITARY TAKEOVER IS HIS STYLE, OF COURSE. IF HE WANTED ALASKA BACK AS HE WANTED CRIMEA, MAYBE THAT WOULD CHANGE. THE USA IS LOCATED VERY CLOSE TO RUSSIA FROM THE EAST AND FROM THE NORTH ARCTIC AREA. THEY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AT LEAST TWICE ROAMING AROUND IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN CLOSE TO OUR BORDER, AND AS MANY TIMES OFF THE WESTERN COAST. EVEN MORE ANNOYING, THEY HAVE HAD THE GALL TO AFFIX A RUSSIAN FLAG AT THE NORTH POLE.

IT’S EQUALLY CLEAR THAT THEIR GOALS IN MESSING AROUND IN OUR 2016 ELECTION TO THE POINT OF ACTUALLY DEFEATING CLINTON AND PLACING TRUMP IN OFFICE, WERE FULFILLED, ALSO. THE FBI AND OTHER INTELLIGENCE CAUGHT WIND OF IT BEFORE IT HAPPENED, BUT IT WASN’T WIDELY PUBLICIZED AND THE US POPULATION WERE SHOCKED AND SURPRISED BY IT. RUSSIANS ARE AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH TO DO THAT, BUT THEY’RE ALSO CLEVER AND PREFER EASIER METHODS, SUCH AS SETTING UP A PUPPET REGIME HERE, AS THEY DID IN UKRAINE AND OTHER PLACES. FROM WHAT I’VE SEEN, PUTIN CLEARLY HAS TRUMP “IN HIS POCKET.” DOING IT THIS WAY IS EASIER, AND IT LOOKS LIKE A LEGITIMATE POPULIST MOVEMENT – OR DID UNTIL THE WHOLE RUSSIA SCANDAL HIT THE NEWS AND THEIR TREACHERY WAS SO HIGHLY PUBLICIZED.

A TIME LIKE THIS, WITH THE EDUCATED LIBERAL LEANING POPULATION HATING TRUMP THOROUGHLY, AND THE USUALLY LESS WELL EDUCATED SEMI-INSANE RIGHTISTS SO MUCH HIS CAMP, WOULD MAKE THOSE THINGS EASIER FOR PUTIN, IF HE WERE TO CONSIDER SUCH A MOVE. I STRONGLY WANT WRAY AND MUELLER TO STAY IN PLACE AT THIS TIME AND HOLD THINGS TOGETHER UNTIL THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION IS OVER, AND PEOPLE, PERHAPS EVEN TRUMP AND HIS HENCHMEN, HAVE BEEN INDICTED. LET’S ALL HOLD ON AND PRAY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-governor-rick-scott-calls-on-fbi-director-chris-wray-to-resign/
By KATHRYN WATSON CBS NEWS February 16, 2018, 3:18 PM
Florida Gov. Rick Scott calls on FBI Director Chris Wray to resign

Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott is calling on FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign, after the FBI admitted it received a tip about the suspect in the Parkland shooting as recently as January, but failed to follow through on it.

The FBI admitted in a statement Friday that it received a call on Jan. 5 detailing concerns about Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old law enforcement officials believe is responsible for the deaths of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School earlier this week. The FBI determined "protocols were not followed" when a tip was phoned into the FBI's public access line, but was never forwarded to the FBI's Miami field office and received no further investigation.

Scott called that "unacceptable" in a statement he issued Friday.

"The FBI's failure to take action against this killer is unacceptable," Scott said. "The FBI has admitted that they were contacted last month by a person who called to inform them of Cruz's 'desire to kill people,' and 'the potential of him conducting a school shooting.'

"Seventeen innocent people are dead and acknowledging a mistake isn't going to cut it," Scott continued. "An apology will never bring these 17 Floridians back to life or comfort the families who are in pain. The families will spend a lifetime wondering how this could happen, and an apology will never give them the answers they desperately need.

We constantly promote 'see something, say something,' and a courageous person did just that to the FBI. And the FBI failed to act. 'See something, say something' is an incredibly important tool and people must have confidence in the follow through from law enforcement. The FBI director needs to resign."

Wray's bureau is already under fire from the Trump administration over the Russia probe — which saw new indictments Friday against 13 Russians who tried to influence the 2016 presidential election — as well as over the surveillance of former Trump campaign official Carter Page.

January was also not the first time law enforcement received information about Cruz. A YouTube user told CBS News he reported a post that he believes was from the suspect to the FBI back in September.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions noted the FBI's failures in a statement Friday. He has ordered Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to "conduct an immediate review" of the Justice Department's and FBI's approach to reviewing violent threats.

"It is now clear that the warning signs were there and tips to the FBI were missed," Sessions said. "We see the tragic consequences of those failures. The FBI in conjunction with our state and local partners must act flawlessly to prevent all attacks. This is imperative, and we must do better."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, called for congressional investigations of the FBI's failure.

"It is inexcusable that the FBI failed to follow protocols and inform the Miami Field Office that people close to the Parkland, FL shooter warned the bureau over a month ago of his desire to kill, his mental state, and erratic behavior," Rubio said in a statement.

"The fact that the FBI is investigating this failure is not enough. Both the House and Senate need to immediately initiate their own investigations into the FBI's protocols for ensuring tips from the public about potential killers are followed through. Lawmakers and law enforcement personnel constantly remind the public that 'if you see something, say something.' In this tragic case, people close to the shooter said something, and our system utterly failed the families of seventeen innocent souls."

Scott is considering a Senate bid in Florida to replace Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



FIRST IT WAS THE FBI, AND NOW IT’S THE BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. I DO HOPE THEY DON’T HAVE A TENDENCY TO JUST BLOW PEOPLE OFF WITH A “WE’LL CHECK ON IT....” THE SHERIFF SAYS ON THE VIDEO, THOUGH, THAT THE CALLS DIDN’T ALL COME IN AT ONCE, OR EVEN RECENTLY. THEY HAPPENED “OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.” SO, HE HAS JUST BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM CASE, AND IN BEST POLICE SERVICE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO A TREATMENT CENTER. I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY DO THIS ALL THE TIME.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE EXACT NATURE OF THE CALLS, THOUGH. I WOULDN’T EXPECT SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO REPORT THE SAME YOUNG MAN UNLESS HE WAS REALLY DOING SOME OBVIOUS AND FRIGHTENING THINGS. MAYBE HE WAS SHOOTING HIS AR-15 FREQUENTLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-school-shooting-officials-give-media-briefing-today-02-16-2018-live-updates/
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS NEWS February 16, 2018, 4:13 PM
Florida school shooting: Sheriff's office received 20 calls about suspect, officials say

PARKLAND, Fla. -- The Broward County Sheriff's Office and the FBI gave an update Friday on the investigation into the mass shooting that left 17 dead and 15 injured Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The massacre was the deadliest school shooting in the U.S. in five years.

Sheriff Scott Israel said investigators don't believe the suspect, former student Nikolas Cruz, 19, was targeting anyone during the shooting. Israel said the suspect didn't have a gas mask during the attack, as had been previously reported. He said investigators did uncover a balaclava, or face mask.

He also said there were about 20 calls for service over the last few years regarding Cruz to the Broward Sheriff's Office. He said he wasn't sure if any other agencies had received calls. Israel said each call would be "looked at and scrutinized" and that he would take appropriate action should he learn his office fell short in handling them.

Israel didn't detail the nature of the calls. Some of the calls for service didn't involve police response and some involved phone contact with people in other states, Israel said.

"At the end of day, make no mistake about it, America, the only one to blame for this killing is the killer himself," he said.

Investigators want to learn more about the suspect's motive and are continuing to investigate his past, Israel said. He said the investigation into Cruz's digital footprint continues as electronic devices were uncovered during search warrants.

"Every day we're learning something more and more about the killer," Israel said.

Cruz, 19, was taken into custody about an hour after the shooting began on Wednesday. Police say he initially evaded authorities by ditching his AR-15 rifle and ammunition and blending in with students fleeing the school. The school resource officer, who is armed, was on campus never encountered the gunman during the shooting, sheriff Scott Israel said. He said the campus is at least 45 acres.

Cruz appeared in court Thursday and was ordered held without bond. On Friday, the FBI admitted it had received a tip Jan. 5 about Cruz, but failed to properly investigate it. The tip wasn't forwarded to the FBI's Miami field office and no further investigation was conducted, the FBI said.

Robert Lasky, FBI special agent in charge of the Miami field office, apologized at the press conference Friday. He said protocol wasn't followed and an in-depth review of internal procedures was underway.

"We truly regret any additional pain this has caused," Lasky said.

He wouldn't specify who failed to relay the tip, and said that's under investigation.

"The potential of the FBI to miss something is always there," Lasky said.

Investigators have interviewed almost 3,200 students and more than 200 faculty, Israel said. Seven people remain in the hospital.

The son of a Broward County sheriff's deputy has been released from the hospital and is expected to recover, Israel said.

"I pray one day he will be going back to Stoneman Douglas," Israel said.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


MADDOW NEWS

THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/16/18
Mueller surprises again, indicts Russians for election intrusion
Rachel Maddow reports on what is and is not in the indictment of 13 Russians by Robert Mueller in the Trump Russia investigation, and remarks on how gratifying it is to see a U.S. official fighting back against Russian aggression. Duration: 21:01


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/16/18
Mueller adds bank fraud allegation in case against Paul Manafort
Joyce Vance, former U.S. attorney, talks with Rachel Maddow about the possibility of new allegations of bank fraud against Paul Manafort could be a sign of cooperation by Rick Gates or Robert Mueller pushing for jail instead of house arrest ahead of Manafort's trial. Duration: 5:55


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/16/18
Mueller indictment of Russians suggests audience beyond court
Joyce Vance, former U.S. attorney, talks with Rachel Maddow about what is unusual about Robert Mueller's indictment of 13 Russians, and whether the indictment is purely legal or something more. Duration: 4:44


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/16/18
Russian indictment sends message on future interference attempts
Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, talks with Rachel Maddow about how Robert Mueller's indictment of 13 Russians is a credit to U.S. intelligence and establishes the illegality of such cyber campaigns. Duration: 5:14


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/16/18
Money trail key to tracking Russian troll operation
Clint Watts, former FBI special agent, talks with Rachel Maddow about his early description of the Russian campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election that has now been borne out by Robert Mueller's indictment of 13 Russians. Duration: 5:52