APRIL 11, 2018


NEWS AND VIEWS


EVEN A LITTLE GOODNESS CAN BE POWERFUL. IT’S THE QUALITY MORE THAN THE QUANTITY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bipartisan-group-of-senators-moving-to-protect-muellers-job/
BS/AP April 11, 2018, 4:38 AM
Bipartisan group of senators moving to protect Mueller's job

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of four senators is moving to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's job as President Trump publicly muses about firing him, CBS News has confirmed. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey plan to introduce legislation Wednesday that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing, according to two people familiar with the legislation who spoke with The Associated Press, which was first to report the story. They weren't authorized to discuss the bill ahead of its release, and requested anonymity.

The legislation, which combines two bipartisan bills introduced last summer, signals escalating concerns in Congress as Mr. Trump has fumed about a Monday FBI raid of the office of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen. Mr. Trump has privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and publicly criticized Mueller and his Russia probe.

In addition to investigating potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, Mueller is examining whether the president's actions constitute obstruction of justice. As the investigation has worn on, Mr. Trump has repeatedly called it a "witch hunt." On Monday, after the Cohen raid, he said it was "an attack on our country." The raid was overseen by the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan and was based in part on a referral from Mueller, said Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan.

After introducing similar bills in August, when Mr. Trump first began criticizing the Mueller probe, both Tillis and Graham had been quiet for months on whether the legislation was still needed as Democrats continued to push for a bill. Both Republicans said they didn't think Mr. Trump would really move to fire Mueller. But the senators moved to push out a new, combined bill in the hours after Mr. Trump's tirade.

Under the legislation, the expedited review would determine whether the special counsel was fired for good cause. The bill would also ensure that any staff, documents and other investigation materials were preserved as the matter was pending.

It's unclear if it could ever become law. Such legislation is unlikely to move through the House, and many Republicans in the Senate still expressed confidence Tuesday that Mr. Trump would not fire the special counsel.

"I don't think he's going to be removed," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "I think he'll be allowed to finish his job."

Still, senators have publicly and privately let the White House know that firing Mueller would be a mistake, said the No. 2 Republican, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.

"There would be serious repercussions," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. "I've shared with the president what a massive mistake it would be for him to do this. I've done that in person."

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday on Fox Business News: "It would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller. The less the president said on this whole thing, the better off he would be, the stronger his presidency would be."

Democratic leaders have pushed for Republicans to move legislation to protect Mueller.

"Stand up and say what the president is doing is wrong," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "Make it clear that firing Mueller or interfering in his investigation crosses a red line."

Mr. Trump cannot directly fire Mueller. Any dismissal, for cause, would have to be carried out by Rosenstein, who appointed the counsel in May 2017 and has repeatedly expressed support for him.

But White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in her Tuesday briefing that the president " certainly believes" he has the authority to fire Mueller directly.

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



SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mark-zuckerberg-congressional-testimony-tech-executives-react/
Tech execs react to Mark Zuckerberg's apology: "I think he's sorry he has to testify"
CBS NEWS April 11, 2018, 7:41 AM

Mark Zuckerberg's congressional testimony could have a big effect on the tech leaders of tomorrow. CBS News' Tony Dokoupil watched the Facebook CEO testify Tuesday at San Francisco's Founders Space where Steve Hoffman helps support start-ups. They were joined by Chirag Bhatt of the office collaboration platform Flock as well as Chris Kelly who runs Survata, an online survey company.

It was a room that didn't have a lot of sympathy for the 33-year-old Facebook founder who appeared in front of Congress to answer questions and apologize about his company's failure to protect users' information in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"I think he's sorry he has to testify in front of Congress," Kelly said.

That sentiment was echoed by Hoffman: "If Zuckerberg truly was sorry that this was going to happen then in advance he would have made it a policy of the company….and to really put the consumer above profits and he didn't do that."

"He's absolutely sorry about just having no idea from where his information that he is supposed to be responsible for is being used," added Chirag Bhatt.

Zuckerberg may deflect the attention of Congress, but there's no ducking the judgment of other tech executives who also rely on data to build their businesses.

"Data is the new oil," Kelly said. But in Bhatt's opinion, data is even harder to control than oil.

"Oil you can actually see, data you cannot," Bhatt said.

Some have referred to the data economy as surveillance capitalism. Hoffman wholeheartedly agreed.

"We're gathering as much information as possible about every user on the internet, and that information is being used to not only watch people, but influence them, predict what they are going to do, change what they are going to do. All of that," Hoffman said.

All three are open to the idea of regulation if it restores trust, but not if it stifles innovation. Silicon Valley wants to make sure young companies get the same chance Facebook has had to put their data to use.

"In this period of time, right now in social networking they are a monopoly, but that monopoly will not persist forever," Hoffman said.

Zuckerberg says he doesn't think Facebook has a monopoly. While none of these entrepreneurs' companies directly compete with Facebook, they all want that next big data idea because by 2025, the average internet user will connect with a device once every 18 seconds -- upwards of eight times more per day than they do now.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


IN THE OLD DETECTIVE STORIES, THE PERSON WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE FOUND THE BODY IS THE FIRST SUSPECT. . . .

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-border-patrol-agent-who-told-911-he-found-bodies-killed-girlfriend-infant/
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP April 11, 2018, 11:18 AM
Cops: Border Patrol agent who told 911 he found bodies killed girlfriend, infant

Photograph -- Ronald Anthony Burgos Avila KHOU

DALLAS - A supervisor for the U.S. Border Patrol killed a woman with whom he was romantically involved and her 1-year-old child before calling 911 claiming to have discovered the bodies near a park along the border with Mexico, Texas authorities said Tuesday.

Ronald Anthony Burgos Aviles, 28, was being held without bond in the Webb County jail on two counts of capital murder.

Joe Baeza, police spokesman in the border city of Laredo, said Burgos Aviles was identified as a person of interest within an hour of the 911 call Monday, but Baeza declined to elaborate.

He said Grizelda Hernandez, 27, and her son, Dominick Alexander Hernandez, likely were killed Monday near the park, which is adjacent to the Rio Grande and just south of the World Trade Bridge that carries traffic between the U.S. and Mexico.

Burgos Aviles and the woman were in a romantic relationship, Baeza said. The investigation will determine if Dominick was Burgos Aviles' child.

"This isn't over," Baeza said. "This investigation is just barely getting started."

Authorities declined to provide the manner of death for the two. Online jail records do not indicate an attorney for Burgos Aviles to answer the allegations.

Burgos Aviles was a nine-year veteran of the Border Patrol, Baeza said, and had been promoted last year.

Jason Owens, Border Patrol chief for the agency's Laredo sector, said at a news conference Tuesday that the deaths represent a "horrific tragedy."

"The actions of this individual, if true, are both inexcusable and reprehensible," Owens said. "No one is more sickened than we are at the thought of someone wearing this uniform committing such a heinous act."

Baeza said investigators are working to learn more about Burgos Aviles' relationship with Hernandez and many other aspects of the case, such as whether the suspect acted alone or had help.

Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said it's too early to determine if prosecutors will seek the death penalty, adding that the case "is being given extreme priority."

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