February 26, 2018


News and Views


TRUMP/RUSSIA NEWS – THREE RELATED ARTICLES


"I THINK HE'S DOING A HECK OF A JOB," JOHN SHAW, 60, OF MADISON, WIS., SAID OF MUELLER. "HE'S NOT LEAKING ANYTHING. HE'S GOING PIECE BY PIECE, METHODICALLY PUTTING THIS WHOLE THING TOGETHER."

I AGREE 100% WITH THAT STATEMENT. I THINK ANYBODY WHO RELIABLY FOLLOWS THIS INVESTIGATION AND ISN’T BIASED STRONGLY IN TRUMP’S FAVOR, WILL COME TO A PERSONAL CONCLUSION LIKE THIS ONE. ALSO, I REALLY LIKE THE APPEARANCE AND MANNER THAT MUELLER PRESENTS. HE ISN’T “HANDSOME,” BUT HE LOOKS AND I BELIEVE IS VERY STRONG AND HONEST. HE MAKES ME BOTH PROUD AND MUCH MORE SECURE.

AS SOON AS I SAW THE NEWS FOOTAGE OF THE TYPE OF CROWD THAT TRUMP WAS DRAWING, AND THE WAY HE INCITED THEM TO AN AGGRESSIVE EXCITEMENT I WAS BOTH FURIOUS AND FRIGHTENED. IF WE CAN NOW GET THE SCOUNDREL OUT OF OFFICE AND HIS HANGERS-ON WITH HIM, WE WILL BE LUCKY; THEN IF WE WILL REMEMBER THIS WHOLE TWO-YEAR ORDEAL, PERHAPS WE CAN PREVENT HAVING IT HAPPEN AGAIN.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/02/26/russia-americans-trust-special-counsel-mueller-more-than-trump-usa-today-poll-shows/371345002/?csp=chromepush
On Russia, Americans trust special counsel Mueller more than Trump, USA TODAY poll shows
Susan Page and Marilyn Icsman, USA TODAY Published 12:22 p.m. ET Feb. 26, 2018 | Updated 12:36 p.m. ET Feb. 26, 2018

Photograph -- (Photo: SAUL LOEB, AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — When it comes to Russia, Americans have more trust in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation than they do in President Trump's denials of collusion, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds.

By wide margins, those surveyed are convinced that Russians meddled in the 2016 presidential election and that they will try it again. More than four in 10 believe Moscow's interference affected the outcome of the election that put Trump in the White House.

The poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken after Mueller's team indicted 13 Russians and three companies on criminal charges, spotlight the potential perils ahead for the president if he ends up in a showdown with the special counsel. A 58% majority say they have a lot or some trust in Mueller's investigation, while a 57% majority say they have little or no trust in Trump's denials.

"I think he's doing a heck of a job," John Shaw, 60, of Madison, Wis., said of Mueller. "He's not leaking anything. He's going piece by piece, methodically putting this whole thing together."

Lauryne Haynes, a retiree from Farmington Hills, Mich., who also was called in the survey, puts her faith in the president. "I think that Trump had nothing to do with Russian meddling," she said in a follow-up interview. "He understands the situation that they are not our friends. I think he's truthful and I think he's sincere about wanting the best for the country."

The poll, taken by landline and cell phone Tuesday through Saturday, has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Three of four of those surveyed, 75%, say they take the charges filed by Mueller seriously; most of them say they take them "very" seriously. Just one in five, 20%, dismiss them as not particularly serious.

That represents some shift in views over the past year. In a USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll in March 2017, nearly one-third of those surveyed, 31%, said they saw the issue of Russian meddling as not very serious or not at all serious. Then, 63% called it very or somewhat serious.

In the new poll, nearly seven in 10, 69%, say they believe Russians made a serious effort to meddle in the 2016 election. Fewer than one in five doubt that.

"They didn't try to meddle; they did meddle," says Nicholas Krasney, 30, of Los Angeles. "And of course they affected the election, but whether they affected the outcome of the election, I can't say."

On that issue, there is an almost even split: 42% say Russian meddling affected the outcome of the election; 44% say it didn't.

Views on that question reflect a sharp partisan divide. Democrats by more than 3-1, 69%-20%, say Russian meddling affected the election's results. Republicans by more than 7-1, 81%-11%, say it didn't.

"Russia had an effect just by creating the divisiveness and really dividing the country into two shouting matches, from what I saw happen," said Joyce Kaysor, 61, an accountant from Millsboro, Del., said in a follow-up interview.

But William Hartgrove, 56, a systems engineer from Liberty Hill, Tex., said the election turned on other factors. "I think the candidate the Democrats pushed forward had a great deal more to do with that," he said. Even so, he praised Mueller's probe as worthwhile. "We can't have our elections sold to any nation willing to invest a lot of money."

There is a broad consensus, 76%-17%, that Russians will continue to try to meddle in American elections. Six in 10 say Trump isn't doing enough to respond to that.

The indictments of the Russian individuals and companies were an important step, said Sheila Buckingham, 70, a retiree from Huntington Beach, Calif. "It sends a message that the U.S. is serious," she said.

Mueller's level of credibility is significant because of attacks by Trump and his allies on the professionalism and nonpartisanship of the special counsel, the FBI and the Justice Department. Now, 31% express "a lot" of trust in Mueller and 27% "some" trust; 28% have little or no trust.

In comparison, 24% have "a lot" of trust in Trump's denials of collusion and 12% have "some" trust; 57% have little or no trust.

Neither Trump nor Mueller has a particularly robust favorable rating: 34% for Trump, 37% for Mueller. But Trump's unfavorable rating is 59%, giving him a net negative rating of 25 percentage points. Mueller's unfavorable rating is 23%, giving him a net positive rating of 14 points.

Only 8% say they have are undecided or have never heard of Trump. For Mueller, 28% don't know enough to have an opinion, at least not yet.

More: State Department launches $40 million initiative to counter Russia election meddling


THE STATE DEPARTMENT PLANS TO COUNTER RUSSIAN CONTINUING ACTIVITIES

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/26/state-dept-launch-new-effort-counter-russian-election-meddling/371906002/
State Department launches $40 million initiative to counter Russia election meddling
Oren Dorell, USA TODAY Published 7:00 a.m. ET Feb. 26, 2018 | Updated 12:31 p.m. ET Feb. 26, 2018

Photograph – Trump and Putin talking (Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Krmel, EPA-EFE)

The State Department on Monday unveiled a new program to counter Russian meddling in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections.

The $40 million initiative will battle state-sponsored disinformation and propaganda targeting the U.S. and its interests, Steve Goldstein, undersecretary for public diplomacy at the State Department, told USA TODAY on Sunday.

The program will be run from the State Department's Global Engagement Center (GEC) and is starting with a new $1 million Information Access Fund that on Monday announced a request for proposals from groups and agencies across the country. The fund will eventually grow to $5 million.

"Under the Information Access Fund, civil society groups, media content providers, non-governmental organizations, federally funded research and development centers, private companies and academic institutions will be eligible to compete for grants from the GEC to advance their important work to counter propaganda and disinformation," according to a statement released Monday morning.

The Global Engagement Center will later launch a series of pilot projects developed with the Department of Defense with additional defense funding.

The effort was ordered by Congress last summer in response to Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election — and to counter Russian efforts to impact U.S. politics that continue to this day — but was awaiting funding from the Defense Department.

Goldstein acknowledged that the funding took longer than expected but insisted the delay "hasn't inhibited the Global Engagement Center from doing its job" of countering state-based efforts to change the U.S. political conversation.

"This administration takes that very seriously," he said.

Russia's influence has been well documented in the U.S. and abroad.

During and since the 2016 presidential election, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that hackers working for the Russian government used cyberattacks to undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and help the prospects of Republican candidate Donald Trump. Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether any collusion occurred between Trump's campaign and the Russians and has charged four former campaign staffers.

Mueller on Feb. 16 indicted 13 Russian nationals in connection to efforts to influence the 2016 election. According to the indictments, they worked for the Internet Research Agency, based in St. Petersburg, Russia, which had a $1.25 million monthly budget and 200 to 300 employees focused mostly on the U.S.

More: Special counsel indicts Russian nationals for interfering with U.S. elections and political processes

More: Meet the 13 Russians charged in Mueller probe

The State Department's first step to combatting Russia's information operations is essentially to crowdsource how to do it. The Kremlin uses a range of methods, ranging from publishing inaccurate or misleading articles to employing people to create fake and automated social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and other social media to sow confusion and discord in the U.S.

More: State Department's answer to Russian meddling is about to be funded

"We're open to fund any program that's effective," Goldstein said. "It requires many different methods to make a dent in this issue — algorithms, TV, radio, social media... working with tech companies.

“It is not merely a defensive posture that we should take; we also need to be on the offensive,” he said.

Goldstein admitted that the approach is different and "not something we've done before," but State Department officials want to make sure they don't miss efforts that might work.

"There are people out there with great ideas," Goldstein said. "This is their opportunity."

More: Information warriors: Here's how the U.S. is combating 'fake news' from Russia

More: 'The United States is under attack': Intelligence chief Dan Coats says Putin targeting 2018 elections

More: Breitbart, other 'alt-right' websites are the darlings of Russian propaganda effort


DANIEL COATS SEEMS TO HAVE EXCELLENT QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS PRESENT POSITION. I HOPE THAT THE PRESIDENT WILL PAY ATTENTION TO HIS ADVICE. I HAVE CLIPPED HIS BIO BELOW THIS NEWS ARTICLE.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/13/intelligence-director-coats-says-u-s-under-attack-putin-targeting-2018-elections/332566002/
'The United States is under attack': Intelligence chief Dan Coats says Putin targeting 2018 elections
Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY Published 10:27 a.m. ET Feb. 13, 2018 | Updated 7:43 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2018

In this Nov. 17, 2016, file photo, then-Indiana senator Dan Coats speaks on Capitol Hill.
(Photo: Susan Walsh, AP)

WASHINGTON – The nation's top intelligence officials said Tuesday that Russia is targeting the 2018 elections as it seeks to undermine America's political process and sow partisan division with cyber attacks and other digital disruption.

"Frankly, the United States is under attack," Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee, adding that Russia is attempting to "degrade our democratic values and weaken our alliances."

In unequivocal language, Coats said Russian President Vladimir Putin was emboldened by Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential elections and is targeting the midterms.

"There should be no doubt that (Putin) views the past effort as successful," said Coats who was joined Tuesday by the nation's other top intelligence officials, including CIA Director Mike Pompeo, National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

The national intelligence director's comments came against the backdrop of congressional and criminal investigations into Russia's alleged interference in the presidential election and whether the Kremlin coordinated its activities with Donald Trump's campaign.

Tuesday, Coats and the officials each affirmed a 2016 assessment of the entire intelligence community that concluded that Russia interfered in the election and has not relented in a strategy to undermine elections.

"This is not going to change or stop," Rogers said.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman of the Senate panel, which is in the midst of Congress' most far-reaching inquiry into Russia's activities, said the country remains vulnerable more than a year later.

"We still don't have a comprehensive plan," Warner said, referring to a strategy to guard the nation's political process from intrusions. "We're no better prepared than we were in 2016.

"This threat, I believe, demands a whole-of-government response," he said.

Coats said Russia's cyber program is a favored asset for the Kremlin because it is "cheap" and has been effective in "sowing division."

When asked whether Trump has directed efforts to counter the Russia threat, some of the intelligence chiefs demurred.

Coats said the White House was receiving all relevant information needed to direct strategy.

Committee chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said the panel was near completion of its Russia inquiry and hoped to make public some findings before this year's midterm voting.

As a separate House Intelligence Committee inquiry devolved into bitter partisan in-fighting, Burr underscored a commitment to bipartisan cooperation.

"The effort to be bipartisan is not only public, but it's private," Burr said.

In addition to Russia, the officials were questioned about a multitude of potential threats confronting the United States, including North Korea's long-range missile campaign.

Coats said North Korea's engagement with South Korea during the Winter Olympic Games, in which dictator Kim Jong Un's sister attended opening ceremonies in Pyeongchang on Friday, should not be interpreted as a step back from North Korea's focus on weapons development.

The intelligence director expected North Korea to "press ahead" with its testing of long-range missiles and threats to strike the USA and its allies in the region.



https://www.dni.gov/index.php/who-we-are/leadership/director-of-national-intelligence
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Daniel Coats

DNI Coats Official Photo 2017The Honorable Daniel Coats was sworn in as the fifth Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on March 16, 2017. As DNI, Mr. Coats leads the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and serves as the principal intelligence advisor to the President.

After graduating from Wheaton College in 1965, Coats served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968. Following his military service, Coats attended the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1972 and was associate editor of the Indiana Law Review. He went on to work for a life insurance company in Fort Wayne before joining the office of then-Congressman Dan Quayle as a district representative.

From 1981 to 1999, Coats served in the U.S. House of Representatives and then in the U.S. Senate. During this time in Congress, he served on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Select Committee on Intelligence, where he worked on ways to strengthen our national defense and security. In keeping with a term-limits pledge he had made, Coats retired from the Senate in 1999.

Coats was named Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany in 2001, arriving in country just three days before the tragic events of Sept. 11. As Ambassador from 2001 until 2005, Coats played a critical role in establishing robust relations and in the construction of a new United States Embassy in the heart of Berlin.

Coats returned to the U.S. Senate in January 2011 to focus on reducing the national debt, promoting pro-growth economic policies to put Americans back to work, and protecting Americans from terrorist threats. He served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as the Finance, Appropriations, and Joint Economic committees. He did not seek reelection in 2016 and retired from the Senate in January 2017.

Dan and Marsha Coats met in college and have three adult children. They have been active in charitable causes, including The Foundation for American Renewal, which they formed together. DNI Coats has served as President of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and on the boards of many civic and volunteer organizations.



THIS EXCERPT SUMS UP THE STORY, AND I DON’T THINK THEIR OPINION IS UNFOUNDED OR BIASED. OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO, THE NUMBER OF RUSSIA LINKS OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER HAS BEEN ASTOUNDING. THE ARROWS OF LOGIC DO NOT POINT TOWARD HILLARY CLINTON, BUT TO DONALD J. TRUMP. EVERY TIME HE CRIES OUT “NO COLLUSION,” IT MAKES ME MORE CERTAIN. SOMEONE SHOULD WRITE THIS UP AS AN HISTORICAL NOVEL AND CALL IT “FROM VLAD WITH LOVE.”

“THINK ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CLAIM HERE: THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN, WHICH WAS CONVINCED IT WAS GOING TO BEAT TRUMP IN A LANDSLIDE, FUNDED AN ESPIONAGE-LADEN HIGH-WIRE ACT WITH A FIRM WHOSE CLIENTS INCLUDED SOME UNSAVORY RUSSIANS THEMSELVES, IN WHICH A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED BRITISH SPOOK GOT SUCKERED BY THE DEMOCRATS INTO WEAPONIZING SOME RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION. (STEELE COULD OUTPLAY THE RUSSIANS, BUT HE COULDN’T OUTPLAY ROBBY MOOK?)”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/01/11/fusion-gps-interview-debunks-republican-russia-probe-conspiracy-theories-tom-nichols-column/1023938001/
GOP's crazy Russia probe conspiracies are crushed in Fusion GPS transcript
Tom Nichols, Opinion contributorPublished 12:59 p.m. ET Jan. 11, 2018 | Updated 6:41 p.m. ET Jan. 11, 2018


None of Glenn Simpson's testimony supports the rickety Jenga pile of Republican theories implicating Clinton, Steele and the FBI.

The transcript of the Senate intelligence committee’s interview with Fusion GPS director Glenn Simpson is now in the public domain, put there by a frustrated Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the wake of ongoing Republican conspiracy theories about what Simpson did or did not tell the Senate.

Somehow, GOP critics of the Trump-Russia investigation have tried to put a positive spin on these materials, as if Simpson’s answers prove their point that the whole business is a witch hunt.

In fact, there are only two ways to read the Simpson interview: either it says nothing, or it has blown up months of carefully constructed conspiracy theorizing.

More: Where is the GOP outrage as Trump turns America into a banana republic?

More: Trump's not being defamed. If he was, he wouldn't need to change the libel laws. [http://www.11alive.com/article/news/nation-now/trumps-not-being-defamed-if-he-was-he-wouldnt-need-to-change-the-libel-laws/465-e70e524c-2688-4631-83e8-987ad5a06a22.]

Let’s start by piecing together, as best we can, what various critics of the investigation, including the most vociferous Trump supporters, think is going on.

By now we’re all familiar with the “Steele dossier,” a raw — in every way — report from a British spy who was engaged by an opposition research firm called Fusion GPS. It makes sensational claims about years of Russian operations against President Donald Trump.

If not for Steele’s file, the GOP reasoning goes, the FBI would never have started down the path of investigating Trump, which would never have led to FBI Director James Comey approaching Trump about the file; absent this, Comey would never have been fired, there would be no Mueller probe, and all would be right with the world.

But what about Trump officials meeting with the Russians during the campaign? Indeed, in the telling of at least some Trump defenders, these were the result of orders issued from Clinton’s volcano lair for Fusion to lure Donald Trump Jr. and others into a room with shady Russians for meetings that were unwise — or even “treasonous,” if banished Trump advisor Steve Bannon is to be believed. Somehow, after all this slick tradecraft, Clinton’s people never saw it coming when the Russians betrayed them and hacked the DNC anyway.

Think about the size of the claim here: the Clinton campaign, which was convinced it was going to beat Trump in a landslide, funded an espionage-laden high-wire act with a firm whose clients included some unsavory Russians themselves, in which a highly experienced British spook got suckered by the Democrats into weaponizing some Russian disinformation. (Steele could outplay the Russians, but he couldn’t outplay Robby Mook?)

There are other variations on this theme, but central to all of them was the idea that without Fusion there would be nothing, and that we would know this if only we could know what Simpson said to the Senate investigators. But since the Senate intelligence committee wouldn’t release the transcript, we couldn’t know just how much Simpson had spilled his guts.

So now we know, and none of it supports the rickety Jenga pile of Republican conspiracy theories.

Instead of being the source of the FBI investigations, Simpson claimed that the FBI was already on to the Russians, not least because our Australian allies warned us that the Russians claimed to have dirt on Clinton, which they learned because George Papadopoulos, a Trump advisor, was bragging about it to an Australian diplomat.

Also, according to Simpson, Steele was so horrified by what he was finding that he contacted the FBI instead of just reporting back to his Clintonian masters. Worse yet, Simpson describes Steele as finding the FBI so in the tank — not for Clinton, but for Trump — that Steele stopped cooperating with them.

Now, it’s possible that Simpson is a cool risk-taker who’s willing to lie to Senate investigators. If that’s the case, then we’ve learned nothing. If Simpson, as critics of his testimony insist, is that untrustworthy, then so be it, but that would mean that we do not know anything more today than we knew a week ago.

More: Special counsel Robert Mueller is bad news for Donald Trump — and Russia

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media

But if Simpson is telling the truth in only two central contentions — that the FBI investigation predated Steele’s work, and that Steele was concerned about the FBI’s lean to Trump, rather than to Clinton — then his testimony unravels what was already a conspiracy theory of gigantic proportions.

The beauty of conspiracy theories, and the reason people find them irresistible, is that they are impervious to facts. If evidence emerges to support the theory, then the conspiracy is confirmed. If contrary evidence surfaces, it’s not really evidence -- or it’s misinformation planted by the masters of the real conspiracy to hide their misdeeds. And if there’s no evidence at all, then the arid silence itself proves that the conspirators hid their tracks perfectly.

Both Republicans and Democrats seem determined to make all three of these logical errors in their war over the Trump presidency. But for now, the strange spinning of the Simpson interview as supporting the tangled Clinton-Fusion-Steele story puts critics of the Trump-Russian investigation in the lead for conspiracy theorizing’s gold medal — or perhaps one made of tin foil.

Tom Nichols, a Russia specialist and professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College, is the author of The Death of Expertise. The views expressed here are solely his own. Follow him on Twitter: @RadioFreeTom.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @USATOpinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.



TEACHER UPRISING

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-teachers-walkout-closes-public-schools-for-third-day/
CBS NEWS February 26, 2018, 7:37 AM
Teachers' walkout in W.Va. closes public schools for third day

West Virginia's public schools are closed for a third day today because of a teachers' walkout. Nearly 20,000 public school teachers have walked out in the first statewide teacher strike in the state's history.

This walkout is expected to impact more than a quarter-million students.

The National Education Association says West Virginia's teachers are the 48th lowest-paid in the country, with an average annual salary just over $45,000. That's nearly $13,000 below the national average.

Last night educators and supporters gathered at the State Capitol in Charleston for a candelight vigil to fight for better pay and benefits.

"Our teachers and our public employees are getting less in pay per year every year, and people are fed up and fired up about it," said Morgantown High School art teacher Sam Brunett.

west-virginia-teachers-walkout-charleston-620.jpg
Educators in West Virginia, among the lowest-paid in nation, continue their strike to demand a livable pay increase. CBS NEWS
Ohio County teacher Ruth Bankey said, "We're united. We're all standing strong: teachers, service personnel. We are here and we are going to stay. We now need Charleston to wake up and smell the coffee."

The statewide walkout began Thursday, one day after legislators passed a bill that would give teachers their first raise in four years. It includes a four percent increase over the next three years.

But teachers argue it is not enough, and won't offset rising healthcare costs.

The teachers' union says it will not back down until its demands are met.

Christine Campbell, president of the American Federation of Teachers in West Virginia, said, "We have to see a real strong commitment. We're asking to move us in the right direction, and to take care of our health insurance at a level that we can see our checks go up, not have them go down."

While this is the first statewide teacher walkout, a majority of West Virginia counties went on strike in 1990 to protest low pay. The 11-day strike ended with salary increases and new support programs in schools.

"We can't keep watching all of our colleagues go out of state because they can't make a living wage [here]," Campbell told CBS News correspondent Don Dahler. "We want to stay here. We want to be with our students. And our students deserve that education."

More than 277,000 students will be out of school for a third day. But parents are showing their support.

"This whole situation is difficult for everyone," said parent Lindsey Dolan. "But, I believe this is all for the right reason. I think we need to make education our top priority. We need to invest in our children and encourage people to stay here, and then maybe we can be a wealthy state."

A work stoppage like this is actually illegal in West Virginia. The State Attorney General says he supports teachers' "cries for higher salaries," but will help local authorities enforce the rule of law.

The West Virginia Education Association say its lawyers are ready to handle any challenges.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



“INSTEAD, THEY SIMPLY ALLOWED THE CASE TO RUN ITS NORMAL COURSE THROUGH THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE 9TH CIRCUIT. "IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE COURT OF APPEALS WILL PROCEED EXPEDITIOUSLY TO DECIDE THIS CASE," THE JUSTICES SAID IN DENYING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S PETITION. THE CASE STILL COULD COME TO THE HIGH COURT IN THE FUTURE.”

THIS IS NOT A WIN FOR DACA, BUT IT IS A BREATHER, AND IT GIVES THE DREAMER’S LAWYERS TIME TO MAKE A BETTER CASE, PERHAPS.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/26/supreme-court-snubs-trump-keeps-daca-immigration-program-place-now/371730002/?csp=chromepush
Supreme Court snubs Trump, keeps DACA immigration program in place for now
Richard Wolf, USA TODAY Published 9:35 a.m. ET Feb. 26, 2018 | Updated 9:39 a.m. ET Feb. 26, 2018

Video -- The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear the Trump administration's appeal of a DACA ruling. The ruling requires the government to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program going. USA Today

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court refused Monday to review a federal judge's order that the Trump administration continue a program protecting undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.

The denial leaves in place the popular DACA program, which has protected some 690,000 undocumented immigrants from deportation and enabled them to get work permits.

The program had faced a March 5 deadline for congressional action set by Trump last summer. Two federal courts have ruled the administration's action was illegal.

The justices could have agreed to hear the case this spring, leapfrogging a federal appeals court based in California that has been sympathetic to the cause of immigrants. They also could have overruled federal District Judge William Alsup without a hearing.

Instead, they simply allowed the case to run its normal course through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

"It is assumed that the Court of Appeals will proceed expeditiously to decide this case," the justices said in denying the Trump administration's petition. The case still could come to the high court in the future.

The action represents a temporary victory for the young adults brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents or guardians under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program established by President Barack Obama in 2012. And it represents a major setback for the Trump administration, which vowed to continue the legal battle in the lower courts.

"We will continue to defend DHS’ lawful authority to wind down DACA in an orderly manner," Department of Justice spokesman Devin O'Malley said in a statement Monday.

Trump said during remarks before a meeting with governors Monday that "we'll see what happens. That's my attitude."

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who led one of the lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s termination of DACA, said Monday’s decision by the high court will provide much-needed relief to DACA enrollees, the companies they work for and the schools they attend.

“DACA is fully legal," Becerra said. “The Trump administration’s attempts to end it were fully illegal. And we hope that this has become clearer at each step of the way.”

More: What the Supreme Court ruling means for DACA and almost 700,000 undocumented immigrants

More: Supreme Court agrees to speed up Trump's DACA appeal

More: Trump administration will ask Supreme Court to reverse DACA ruling

The dispute dates back to 2012, when Obama established the program without congressional action. The goal was to protect from deportation undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children, but many Republicans called it executive overreach and have remained opposed to the program.

Trump vowed to end the program on the campaign trail, but seemed to change his mind after winning election. He went back and forth over the future of DACA during his first months in office, but made his decision in September: he announced that the program would end, but not until March 5, giving Congress six months to find a solution.

Democrats and Republicans have been squabbling over the fate of those so-called DREAMers ever since. Democrats want the program left alone or made permanent through a new law; Republicans, with Trump's backing, have demanded other immigration enforcement and border security enhancements in exchange, including an expansion of the wall along the Mexican border.

The negotiations have been tense, even leading to a three-day government shutdown in January as Democrats briefly demanded a DACA solution as part of a spending bill.

But now that the Supreme Court has decided not to fast-track the legal battle, the program will continue allowing DACA recipients to renew their protections. That eliminates the deadline faced by Congress.

The case now goes back to the 9th Circuit, which must consider the ruling from Alsup that preserved DACA.

In his ruling last month, Alsup granted a request by California, the University of California system, and several California cities to block Trump's decision to end the DACA program while their lawsuit challenging the program's termination plays out in court. He said those already approved for protection and work permits must be allowed to renew them before they expire.

Alsup said the challengers were likely to succeed by claiming that the Trump administration's decision to end the program was "arbitrary and capricious" and based on a flawed legal premise. He said the plaintiffs would be harmed, in part through economic disruptions and the loss of tax revenue caused by the DREAMers' change in status.

Earlier this month, federal District Judge Nicholas Garaufis issued a similar ruling in New York. He said the administration was wrong for several reasons, such as its premise that Obama's creation of the program was unconstitutional and illegal in the first place.

"Any of these flaws would support invalidating the DACA rescission as arbitrary and capricious," Garaufis ruled.



I AM ELIMINATING THE STORY ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT, LIKE ALL 48 HOURS PRODUCTIONS, IS WAY TOO LONG FOR A NEWS BLOG. HOWEVER, IT’S ALSO VERY GOOD, SO YOU MAY WANT TO GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND READ IT THERE. IT IS THE MOST INFORMATIVE AND THE LEAST JUDGMENTAL DESCRIPTION I’VE SEEN OF HOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DOES DEAL WITH THE PEDOPHILE AND OTHER SEXUALLY DEVIANT PRIESTS. IT SHOULD OCCUR TO PEOPLE THAT ANY PERSON, MALE OR FEMALE, WHO DOES ACTUALLY WANT TO BE DEPRIVED FOREVER OF NATURAL CONJUGAL OUTLETS, PROBABLY PREFERS SOME OTHER METHOD. IN TOO MANY CASES, IT IS CHILDREN. THE PRIESTHOOD NEEDS TO BE OPENED TO MARRIED MEN, AND THOSE WHO ARE DISCOVERED TO BE PRACTICING WHAT AMOUNTS TO RAPE, EVEN JUST ONCE, SHOULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE CIVIL AUTHORITIES TO FACE A JUDGE AND JURY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/church-officials-shielded-priest-suspected-of-murder-for-decades/
By JOSH GAYNOR CBS NEWS February 26, 2018, 5:00 AM
Church officials shielded priest suspected of murder for decades
48 Hours SINS OF THE FATHER VIDEO 43:30 DURATION



"WE KNEW ABOUT HIS FITS OF RAGE. THAT'S ALL WE KNOW. WE THOUGHT HE WAS UNDER CONTROL, WE NEVER THOUGHT HE WAS A REAL THREAT TO LIFE," SAID HIS NEIGHBOR. THERE IS NO MYSTERY HERE, OTHER THAN WHY SHE WAS ATTACKED. A YOUNG MEDICAL STUDENT WAS IN THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, WHEN AN ENRAGED MAN WITH A 10” HUNTING KNIFE KILLED HER. HE ALSO INJURED AN ELDERLY MAN WHO JUMPED IN TO TRY TO STOP THE KILLING.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/winchester-massachusetts-library-stabbing-victim-identified-deane-stryker/
CBS NEWS February 26, 2018, 8:27 AM
Winchester, Massachusetts library stabbing: Victim identified as Deane Stryker

WINCHESTER, Mass. — The woman who was stabbed to death while she sat at the Winchester Public Library has been identified as an aspiring doctor who was well known in the community. CBS Boston reports Winchester Police said 22-year-old Deane Kenny Stryker was in the library when 23-year-old Jeffrey Yao stabbed her with a 10-inch hunting knife.

"We've all known them very well for a long time. Just an extremely nice family, a remarkable family. Their mom obviously is struggling to make sense of all this," family friend Brad Harrington said.

Harrington has daughters close in age to Stryker and her two younger sisters.

"Deane is a special kid and overcame some real obstacles in her life. She decided early on that she wanted to be a doctor," Harrington said.

stabbingvictim.jpg
Deane Stryker CBS BOSTON

He added that she had been in her first year of a medical program at the University of New England.

Police said Yao also injured a 72-year-old man when he tried jumped in and help Stryker. He is expected to survive.

In a statement, Winchester Public Library Director Ann Wirtanen said the library will be closed until at least Tuesday.

A neighbor of Yao's said the 23-year-old had mental health issues.

"We knew about his fits of rage. That's all we know. We thought he was under control, we never thought he was a real threat to life," neighbor Hermon Correa-Diaz.

Yao is expected to be arraigned on Monday.

University of New England president James Herbert said in a statement he was "shocked and saddened" by Stryker's death.

A first-year student in the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine, Deane was just beginning her journey toward becoming a physician and showed great promise as a student doctor who was passionate about medicine and helping others. She was an advocate for domestic violence and mental health awareness, and an active member of her college community. She served as an orientation leader and was part of a student organization that provides confidential peer support to other students who need a place to turn when they are struggling.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



THIS IS A PLEASANT STORY ABOUT THE MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL. THEIR HOCKEY TEAM WON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. ‘WE'RE PRETTY MUCH FIGHTING FOR THE 17 THAT PASSED AWAY OUT HERE,’ PLAYER MATTHEW HOROWITZ TOLD CBS NEWS AFFILIATE WINK-TV. ‘I LOVE THE WAY OUR TEAM CAME TOGETHER THIS WEEKEND.’”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marjory-stoneman-douglas-high-school-hockey-team-wins-state-championship-florida/
CBS NEWS February 26, 2018, 10:13 AM
Florida high school's hockey team wins state championship days after deadly shooting

ESTERO, Fla. -- The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School hockey team pulled off an improbable upset to win the Florida hockey state championship over the weekend, CBS Miami reports. The Eagles entered the elimination part of championship weekend having lost all three of its round-robin games, putting them as the lowest seed in the four-team bracket.

In the semifinal game on Sunday morning, Stoneman Douglas upset top-seeded East Lake 3-1 to advance to the final.

In the championship match, the Eagles opened up a 4-0 lead en route to a 7-2 victory.

"We're pretty much fighting for the 17 that passed away out here," player Matthew Horowitz told CBS News affiliate WINK-TV. "I love the way our team came together this weekend. It's been a rough week for all of us and hockey for us is more of a stress reliever, so we came out on the ice and were able to just release everything."

"It's been a tough week. We came here to win. We came here to go to nationals. We all just came together and got the win," player Joey Zenobi added.

The title run comes just 11 days after the deadly shooting in Parkland where 17 people lost their lives.

The shooting suspect, Nikolas Cruz, is being held without bail on 17 counts of premeditated murder.

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



CDC WORKER HAS SIMPLY DISAPPEARED. THIS IS A MYSTERY INDEED. I WOULD SUSPECT HE HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED, BECAUSE HIS WALLET AND OTHER PERSONAL THINGS WERE LEFT BEHIND, INCLUDING HIS PET DOG.

HE HAD TOLD HIS MOTHER AND SUPERVISOR, THOUGH, THAT HE DIDN’T FEEL WELL AND WAS GOING HOME, BUT HE HASN’T BEEN SEEN SINCE. THAT WAS ON FEBRUARY 12. MY FIRST AND WORST THOUGHT WAS THAT HE COULD SOMEHOW HAVE COME ACCIDENTALLY INTO CONTACT WITH ONE OF THE VIRUSES THAT HE WORKED WITH, SUCH AS BY AN IMPROPERLY SEALED VIAL. THE FAMILY HAS OFFERED A $10,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION.

http://www.newsweek.com/timothy-cunningham-missing-cdc-employee-819205
WHO IS TIMOTHY CUNNINGHAM? MISSING CDC WORKER VANISHED ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO, FAMILY OFFERS $10K REWARD
BY GRACE GUARNIERI ON 2/25/18 AT 12:29 PM

An Atlanta-area epidemiologist for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went home from work sick almost two weeks ago, but family and friends haven't seen 35-year-old Timothy Cunningham since.

Cunningham's family has partnered with Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta and announced Saturday that they would be offering a $10,000 reward for information about the case, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Cunningham disappeared February 12, but left behind important belongings including his SUV, cell phone, wallet, and even his dog.

"My first mind is that something has happened especially considering the length of time he's been gone. Not having his phone, leaving his dog Bo alone, he just wouldn't voluntarily check out like that," his brother, Anterio Cunningham, said last week.

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FOX 5 Atlanta
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@FOX5Atlanta
#BREAKING @Atlanta_Police continue their search for missing CDC employee Timothy Cunningham. His family is now teaming up with @StopCrimeATL to offer a $10,000 reward that leads to an arrest and indictment in this case. #fox5atl #MissingPerson

6:20 PM - Feb 24, 2018
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Cunningham held close relationships with his family members and last spoke with his sister on the morning he went missing.

"We just hope he will just come home safely. None of this makes sense. He wouldn't just evaporate like this and leave his dog alone and have our mother wondering and worrying like this. He wouldn't," his brother said, adding that Cunningham was "the consummate professional" who loved his job and worked hard for his achievements.

The accomplished CDC employee, who has responded to both the Zika virus and Ebola virus outbreaks, complained to supervisors on February 12 that he wasn't feeling well and went home from work early. Cunningham's father, Terrell Cunningham, told NBC News that his son had extensive contact with his family the Sunday before he went missing and was concerned about his son following several exchanges via text message and over the phone.

Police, family, and friends have distributed flyers and searched the local area for Cunningham. David Calloway, a close friend, is helping lead search efforts.

"Tim, if you see any of this information please know that you can come back home," his mother, Tia-Juana Cunningham said, addressing her son. "We love and miss you. We just want you back in our arms."

Any person with information about this case is advised to contact the Atlanta Police Department at 404-546-4235 or call 911.

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Hayley Mason
@HayleyMasonTV
Timothy Cunningham’s parents and friends are passing out these flyers in North Atlanta in hopes someone has seen their son. He left work early from the CDC on Monday and hasn’t been seen since.
11:25 AM - Feb 17, 2018
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THIS WASHINGTON POST STORY ON THE CDC RESEARCHER'S DISAPPEARANCE GIVES ANOTHER ANGLE

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/02/25/a-cdc-researcher-left-work-sick-two-weeks-ago-then-vanished/
A CDC researcher left work sick two weeks ago — then vanished
By Alex Horton February 25 at 4:28 PM

Dr. Timothy J. Cunningham had been a rising official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Harvard-educated epidemiologist was promoted in July at the U.S. Public Health Service in Atlanta and contributed to responses following outbreaks of Zika, Ebola and health emergencies caused by Hurricane Sandy. He also was a prominent fixture in the Atlanta community, earning a spot in Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 Under 40 Awards last year.

But the researcher, who studies disease patterns, was not feeling well Feb. 12 and left work around midday.

Cunningham, 35, hasn't been seen or heard from since, his family and police have said, sparking a $10,000 reward offered by the family in partnership with Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta for information leading to an arrest and indictment in connection with the incident.

“I feel like I’m in a horrible ‘Black Mirror’ episode,” his sister, Tiara Cunningham, told the New York Times, referencing the dystopian sci-fi television show. “I’m kind of lost without him, to be quite honest.”

She told the paper she speaks with her brother often, but their conversation Feb. 12 left her concerned. “He sounded not like himself,” she said. He did not reply to a text message she sent later, and their mother, Tia-Juana Cunningham, did not reach him either.

[ More governors willing to consider gun law changes after Florida shooting ]

Cunningham's father, Terrell Cunningham, and mother drove all night from their home in Waldorf, Md., to Atlanta, arriving on Valentine's Day. What they discovered in their son's home raised more questions, including Cunningham's unattended dog, Mr. Bojangles, and his wallet, cellphone and driver's license. His car was in the garage, the Times reported.

Terrell Cunningham also had concerns about recent interactions with his son, whom he described as focused on a host of professional and personal issues.

“The tone and the numerous exchanges gave us reason to be concerned about Tim,” he said. “And I don’t know if it’s an instinct you have because it’s your child, but it was not a normal conversation, and I was not comfortable.” The family did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Atlanta Police Department said Sunday that it was still unable to locate Cunningham after learning on Feb. 16 about his disappearance and that it was depending on public awareness to help draw leads. Foul play is not suspected at this time, police spokesman Donald T. Hannah said in a statement.

[ Once scary, heart bypass surgery has become common and safer ]

The CDC described Cunningham as a “highly respected member of our CDC family,” ABC News reported. CDC officials did not reply to a request for comment.

In his 40 Under 40 profile last year, Cunningham said he was “using the skills I have to improve and help the lives of others,” referring to his work at the CDC.

The publication said he was continuing on his family's path into medical care; his father was an Air Force nurse for 30 years, and his mother worked for the state health department as a program manager.

Leonte Benton, a friend who met Cunningham in a professional development group, said Cunningham “consistently made an impact on the local community and throughout the world.”

The Cunningham family, meanwhile, continues their own dogged search as they sort out the bewildering episode.

“We just hope he will just come home safely. None of this makes sense. He wouldn't just evaporate like this and leave his dog alone and have our mother wondering and worrying like this. He wouldn't,” Cunningham's brother, Anterio, told Fox 5 in Atlanta.

Alex Horton is a general assignment reporter and former Army infantryman. Follow @AlexHortonTX



THIS STEPDAUGHTER OF BERNIE SANDERS IS BEAUTIFUL, IS NOT A FIRST-TIME OFFICE HOLDER, AND IS A PROGRESSIVE. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO VOTE FOR HER, BUT THE CONSERVATIVES WILL DOG HER UNTIL SHE GETS OUT OF THIS RACE AND ANY OTHERS THAT SHE PURSUES. IT WAS UNWISE, AND PERHAPS NOT 200% HONEST FOR HER TO HAVE RUN AN AD IN WHICH SHE DESCRIBED HERSELF AS SANDERS’ DAUGHTER, THOUGH SHE MAY VERY WELL THINK OF HERSELF IN THAT WAY, AND PRIVATELY CALL HIM “DAD.” THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, BUT IT LEAVES HER OPEN TO POT SHOTS. WE LIVE IN AN UNFORGIVING SOCIETY THESE DAYS.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/02/25/bernie-sanders-stepdaughter-running-for-mayor-burlington/gtQ4z3lLRNGRC22jj3SdoI/story.html
Bernie Sanders’ stepdaughter is running for mayor of Burlington, Vt.
By Lisa Rathke ASSOCIATED PRESS FEBRUARY 26, 2018

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Bernie Sanders’ stepdaughter is hoping the city that launched her stepfather’s political career nearly 40 years ago will show her the same love in her run for mayor.

Carina Driscoll, the former city council member and state legislator, who now runs the Vermont Woodworking School, is challenging incumbent Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger, who is seeking his third three-year term in the March 6 election.

Another independent and political newcomer, Infinite Culcleasure, is also in the race.

From her campaign office in the working class neighborhood of the lakeside college city of about 43,000, Driscoll speaks with some of the same conviction as Sanders about her community and the role of the mayor’s office, but has said she is her own candidate. She has the backing of the Progressive Party, described as a people-powered party engaged in grassroots organizing.

‘‘Being Bernie’s daughter is one small piece, but it’s an important piece because it helps people understand the vision for Burlington that I’m talking about,’’ she told The Associated Press. ‘‘I am very committed to these values and ideals of a progressive city and we have drifted far too far from that. For me, it was a choice of quietly letting that continue or turning us around. And that is what I’m trying to do.’’

She said under Weinberger, the city has catered to private investment rather than advocate for residents’ vision of the city.

Weinberger disagrees, saying in most major initiatives, the voters have gotten the ultimate say. He said his office has turned around Burlington’s troubled financial past — mostly related to a city telecom project — worked to rebuild public trust and improved the northern waterfront and sidewalks and roads.

‘‘It’s our job to get great public input, but it’s also our job to deliver results and I think that’s what we’ve done over six years,’’ he said.

City Council President Jane Knodell, a Progressive, said residents are evaluating Driscoll on her own merits.

The candidate has faced questions about a federal investigation of a real estate deal her mother, Jane Sanders, was involved in as president of the now-defunct Burlington College. The investigation is looking into allegations that Sanders made fraudulent claims and promises while seeking $10 million in financing for the real estate deal.

A Sanders’ family spokesman said the allegations were politically motivated attacks.

The college closed in 2016 after struggling under the weight of the purchase of property and buildings it made in 2010 during Sanders’ presidency.

Driscoll volunteered for her stepfather’s 2016 presidential Democratic primary run. When she announced her candidacy for mayor, Sanders said he and his wife wanted to be respectful of her desire to do this on her own.

While she said she was on her own political path, she posted a photo with him as a campaign ad on social media, saying she was Bernie’s daughter, and ‘‘one of thousands of people across the country inspired by Bernie to lead during this challenging time.’’


OUR REVOLUTION, IN THIS BIO GIVES THE KIND OF DETAIL ABOUT HER QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND OTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT THE OTHER TWO ARTICLES I SAW DIDN’T GIVE.

https://ourrevolution.com/candidates/carina-driscoll/
Carina Driscoll
Running for Mayor of Burlington
Vermont
Election: March 6, 2018

Carina Driscoll grew up in the city of Burlington, attending Edmunds and graduating from Burlington High School in 1992. Carina grew up in a working class household and has always had a strong work ethic, landing her first job at age 14 at the Burlington Bagel Bakery. Carina worked her way through high school and college at bagel shops, restaurants and retail stores, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Montana where she met her husband, Blake. After college, they moved together to Burlington. Over the years, Carina has lived all over the city from the Five Sisters and the Old North End, to Downtown, on North Avenue, in the New North End and now lives with her husband, Blake and two children, Cole and Tess in the South End.

Between returning to Vermont and prior to starting their business, the Vermont Woodworking School in 2007, Carina worked as a Human Resources Assistant at Burton Snowboards; managed the Burlington Skatepark Taskforce as they launched their fundraising campaign and set up the first temporary skatepark in the South End on the dormant Champlain Parkway road; coordinated the 2000 campaign to re-elect her stepfather, Bernie Sanders to Congress, coordinating town hall meetings and spaghetti suppers all over the state of Vermont, and building national support for his grassroots campaign to represent working class families across the country. Carina also worked in entrepreneurship and small business development as the Resource and Referral Specialist for the Vermont Women's Business Center and the Women's Small Business Program. Before she left to tend to her new small business, Carina was the Communications Director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.

Join the fight to get Carina Driscoll elected.
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SOME LOCAL VIEWS ON DRISCOLL'S RUN

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2018/02/25/weinberger-rakes-in-campaign-cash-holds-fundraising-lead
BURLINGTON / TOWN MEETING DAY
Weinberger Rakes in Campaign Cash, Holds Fundraising Lead
POSTED BY KATIE JICKLING ON SUN, FEB 25, 2018 AT 10:27 AM

Photograph -- FILE: MATTHEW THORSEN The mayoral candidates

Burlington mayoral candidate Carina Driscoll earned a $1,000 campaign donation from her stepfather, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), but it wasn't enough to match Mayor Miro Weinberger's hefty war chest.

The two-term incumbent tallied $107,000 by Saturday's campaign finance filing deadline, more than double the $46,000 Driscoll raised. Infinite Culcleasure has $10,500 in his campaign coffers, including $5,500 amassed since the last filing deadline three weeks ago.

Weinberger, meanwhile, raked in $26,000 during that same time period, mostly in larger donations. With 10 days remaining until the March 6 election, he's on pace to come close to — or even surpass — his 2012 fundraising total of $118,000.

Driscoll's haul was buoyed by the support of Our Revolution, a group launched by Sanders. The national organization sent out a fundraising email blast for Driscoll to much of the state in February, soliciting $5 donations. A total of 146 contributors helped her earn $13,200 since the last fundraising filing.

While Weinberger received a list of large checks, more than 90 percent of Driscoll's donors since February 4 gave less than $100. Driscoll has said she will not accept campaign contributions from businesses or corporations. Her sole $1,000 donation came from Sanders.
town-meeting-day.png

Weinberger earned support from former governors Howard Dean ($250) and Peter Shumlin ($1,000), as well as Bruce Lisman ($500), a Republican candidate for governor in 2016. Bill Stetson, a Norwich, Vt., film producer and environmental advisor to several presidential campaigns, gave $1,000, as did former U.S. attorney Eric Miller and his wife, Liz Miller, who serves as spokesperson for developer Don Sinex. Cincinnatus PAC, a Democratic political action committee based in Ohio, gave Weinberger $500.

As usual, Weinberger raked in contributions from a host of Burlington businessmen, including Northfield Savings Bank CEO Tom Leavitt ($1,000), developers Ed and Frank von Turkovich ($250), David Farrington Jr. (who gave $1,000 through an LLC) and Seventh Generation CEO Joey Bergstein ($500). Another $1,000 came from the Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad Company, while Burlington Housing Authority executive director Allyson Laackman gave $500. Her husband, Donald, serves as president of Champlain College.

In the last three weeks, Weinberger dropped $11,000 of his war chest on an assortment of glossy mailings, brochures and campaign literature. He's spent a total of $78,000 during the campaign. Driscoll has spent $30,000, while Culcleasure has used about $5,300.

Driscoll on Saturday earned the endorsement of the Burlington Free Press, who lauded her platform centered on "meeting the needs of low- and moderate-income residents."

Culcleasure has generally spurned fundraising, vowing to run a bare-bones campaign.