April 2, 2018


News and Views


"WE'RE MADDER THAN HORNETS, AND THE HORNETS ARE SWARMING TODAY," SAID CLAUDETTE GREEN, A RETIRED TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL.

THIS IS WHAT UNIONS ARE GOOD FOR, AND IN THIS CASE THEY ARE DOING VERY WELL, INDEED. I LOVED AND ADMIRED MY TEACHERS, FOR THE MOST PART. I CAN THINK OF THREE THAT I DIDN’T CARE FOR, BUT THEY ARE ALL IN A DIFFICULT AND OFTEN HARASSING SITUATION TRYING TO DO A VERY GOOD THING. THEY REMIND ME OF NURSES IN THAT WAY. I HOPE ALL THESE TEACHERS VOTE FOR BERNIE SANDERS!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oklahoma-kentucky-teachers-higher-pay-school-funding-walkouts/
CBS/AP April 2, 2018, 10:36 AM
Hundreds of schools closed as teachers rally in Oklahoma, Kentucky

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The state Capitol in Kentucky filled with teachers protesting pension changes Monday, and thousands of Oklahoma educators walked out of classrooms in the latest evidence of teacher rebellion in some Republican-led states over education cuts. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation last week granting teachers' pay raises of about $6,100, or 15 to 18 percent. But some educators say that isn't good enough and walked out.

"If I didn't have a second job, I'd be on food stamps," said Rae Lovelace, a single mom and a third-grade teacher at Leedey Public Schools in northwest Oklahoma who works 30 to 40 hours a week at a second job teaching online courses for a charter school.

The demonstrations were inspired by West Virginia, where teachers walked out for nine days earlier this year and won a 5 percent increase in pay. Teachers in Arizona are now considering a strike over their demands for a 20 percent salary increase.

"Their success has shown us that collective activity can work," Kentucky teacher Corey Sayre said of the West Virginia walkout.

On Monday, CBS affiliate KOTV reported that Oklahoma public schools had already been cancelled for Tuesday:


Amy Slanchik
@amyslanchik
BREAKING: OKC Public Schools will be CLOSED Tuesday due to teacher walkout. #oklaed #OKleg @NewsOn6

12:04 PM - Apr 2, 2018
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Many Oklahoma schools, including the three largest districts, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Edmond, are closed Monday to honor the walkout. Some schools are offering free meals to students aged 18 or younger while various churches, faith organizations and charitable agencies are providing free day-care services. Spring break was last week in many Oklahoma districts.

Art teacher Laurissa Kovacs told CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca her kids aren't even getting the basics at Puterbaugh Middle School.

"The chairs are in awful condition," Kovacs said. "They're broken and they literally hurt the kids to sit down. If you look through the stacks, you can just see how many of the broken areas and cracks that will pinch you and jagged tops."

Oklahoma ranks 47th among states and the District of Columbia in public school revenue per student, nearly $3,000 below the national average, while its average teacher salary of $45,276 ranks 49th, according to the most recent statistics from the National Education Association.

In Frankfort, Kentucky, teachers and other school employees gathered outside the Kentucky Education Association a couple of blocks from the Capitol, chanting "Stop the war on public education" and held signs that say "We've Had Enough."

"We're madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today," said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal.

Kentucky teachers chanting "We won't back down" crammed into the Capitol, filling the Rotunda and hallways near the House and Senate chambers. Schools across the state were closed, due either to spring break or to allow teachers and other school employees to attend the rally.

The rally is happening after hundreds of teachers called in sick Friday to protest last-minute changes to their pension system. Teachers have rallied several times during Kentucky's legislative session to protest the pension bill, but Monday was by far their biggest event.

Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a pension overhaul Thursday that preserves benefits for most workers but cuts them for new teachers. The move was done in response to one of the worst-funded teacher retirement systems in the country at 56 percent and in defiance of a powerful teachers union that vowed political retribution. Opponents objected that the pension changes were inserted into an unrelated bill without a chance for public input, and worry that the changes will discourage young people from joining the profession.

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has not yet signed the bill, but last week tweeted his support, saying public workers owe "a deep debt of gratitude" to lawmakers who voted to pass it.

During Monday's rally, some teachers, angry at lawmakers who supported the bill, chanted "Vote them out."

Melissa Wash, a first grade teacher form Gallatin County who has been teaching for 19 years, said she voted for Bevin, but now plans to become a Democrat. To the lawmakers who voted for the pension overhaul, she said: "You better not count on another year in office."

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



CECILLE RICHARDS, FORMER HEAD OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD,” IS THE DAUGHTER OF ANN RICHARDS, DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR OF TEXAS IN THE '90S....” SOME OF YOU WILL REMEMBER ANN RICHARDS. SHE IS FAMOUS FOR SAYING ONCE BEFORE THE CAMERAS, “POOR GEORGE [GEORGE W BUSH], HE WAS BORN WITH A SILVER FOOT IN HIS MOUTH.” HE WAS FAMOUS FOR MAKING STRANGELY PHRASED STATEMENTS AND MISPRONUNCIATIONS, LIKE YOGI BERRA. ONCE WHEN QUEEN ELIZABETH II WAS ON A VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE, HE SAID SOMETHING -- I DON’T REMEMBER WHAT EXACTLY -- AND THE QUEEN QUICKLY LOOKED UP AT HIM WITH A HALF QUIZZICAL AND HALF STARTLED LOOK ON HER FACE. THEN SHE SMILED WITH UNMISTAKABLE HUMOR. SHE DIDN’T SAY A WORD, BUT SHE DIDN’T NEED TO.

GO TO THE FOLLOWING SITE FOR THE 50 GREATEST YOGI BERRA QUOTES: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/09/the-50-greatest-yogi-berra-quotes.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cecile-richards-planned-parenthood-make-trouble-new-book/
CBS NEWS April 2, 2018, 1:18 PM
Cecile Richards on leaving Planned Parenthood, women running for office

Cecile Richards is entering her final weeks at the helm of Planned Parenthood. The organization provides health care programs like birth control, cancer screening, pregnancy care and abortion services to more than two million people at more than 600 centers nationwide. For 12 years, Richards fought for women's health care and organized campaigns to protect Planned Parenthood's federal and state funding. She will step down as president next month.

"It's hard to leave, but I'm ready to step aside and have someone else take on the responsibilities at a time where I think we're incredibly strong in this country," Richards said Monday on "CBS This Morning."

It's an "exciting time" in the nation, she said, with a record number of women running for office. As the daughter of Ann Richards, Democratic governor of Texas in the '90s, it's a trend she's followed closely. If half the members of Congress could get pregnant, "we would quit fighting about birth control and Planned Parenthood and move on to other issues," she said.

"Women running for office. Does that mean Cecile Richards running for office?" "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King asked.

"Well, never say never," Richards responded. "But I'm really excited in these next few months to make sure that women are not only running for office but they are registered to vote and that they're turning out in November. I think women have the opportunity to change the landscape and change the direction of America."

make-trouble-cover.jpg
Richards is sharing her own story for the first time in her new book, "Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead," published by Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS.

"I hope this book is both a memoir but also a little bit of a call to action for people who want to make a difference in the world," she said.

In the book, she also writes about a meeting she had with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump not long after President Trump was elected.

"I'd heard that they were interested in meeting to learn more about Planned Parenthood. And I would do anything, go anywhere, talk to anyone about the important care that we provide," Richards said. "So I took my husband, actually, because I wanted somebody else with me and we sat and talked to them, but it really seemed pretty clear that they just wanted to make a political deal. They wanted us to quit providing abortion services to women in America."

"Didn't they say we could guarantee funding if you say you'll stop abortions?" King asked.

"That's basically what they said. And I just said we will never turn our backs on women in America. It's a legal service. And plus, as you say, no federal funding goes for abortion services. So, though I was very disappointed in the outcome of the meeting, I have been incredibly encouraged, again, at the outpouring of the people who support Planned Parenthood. And that's really why our doors have stayed open this last year."

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT I REALLY DON’T GIVE A HOOT ABOUT THIS OVERLY AFFLUENT YOUNG MAN. I HOPE HE WILL SOON GET A BETTER GRIP ON LIFE THAN HE HAS SEEMED TO HAVE SO FAR, AND DO SOMETHING USEFUL. LECTURE TO TEENS IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS, PERHAPS, ON HOW TO STAY AWAY FROM A DRINK.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ethan-couch-texas-affluenza-defense-as-a-teen-released/
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP April 2, 2018, 11:03 AM
Ethan Couch, Texas man who invoked "Affluenza" defense as a teen, released

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas -- A 20-year-old Texas man who as a teenager invoked "affluenza" in his defense after killing four people in a drunken wreck has been released from jail.

Tarrant County sheriff's spokesman David McClelland says Ethan Couch was released Monday from the county jail near Dallas after serving nearly two years for a revoked probation.

Couch was 16 in June 2013 when he struck and killed four pedestrians. A psychologist at his manslaughter trial blamed his irresponsibility on family wealth, dubbing it "affluenza." The term was widely ridiculed.

He skirted jail when a juvenile court in 2014 sentenced him to 10 years of probation, sparking public outrage. A judge instead ordered him to attend Newport Academy -- later dubbed "Afluenza Anonymous" in a feature for Bloomberg Businessweek -- an upscale California rehabilitation facility to be paid for by his parents.

Couch and his mother Tonya Couch, 50, fled to Mexico in 2015 as prosecutors weighed whether to revoke the probation after video surfaced that appeared to show Ethan Couch at a party where people were drinking. Consuming alcohol was a violation of the probation terms.

affluenzateen-side-by-side2.jpg
Ethan Couch (with hair dyed black) in image released by Mexican authorities; and right, his mother Tonya Couch in previous photo. CBS NEWS

Mother and son were later captured in Mexico and sent back to the U.S., and a judge in 2016 revoked Ethan Couch's probation. He's been jailed since then.

His mother, Tonya Couch, awaits trial on charges of hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering after she fled to Mexico with her son. Last week, her bond in the case was revoked after she failed a required urine test, but court documents don't specify the substance the urinalysis revealed.

State District Judge Wayne Salvant had warned Tonya Couch last June to "use common sense" pending her trial. She was booked into Tarrant County jail Wednesday.

The president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving on Monday called the release a "grave injustice."

"We'll continue to watch him because we have a partnership with Tarrant County to make sure that he at least adheres to all his rules of probation when he does get out on Monday," said Colleen Sheehey-Church.

Ethan Couch will be fitted for a GPS and alcohol monitor after his release, and must adhere to a curfew requiring him to be at home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. every day, reports CBS DFW. Should he get a driver's license, Couch will be required to have an ignition interlock device attached to that vehicle, the station reports.

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



THIS IS A SAD, SAD STORY THAT GOES BEYOND A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT – OR POSSIBLY AN INTENTIONAL CRASH. WOULD-BE ADOPTIVE PARENTS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED THOROUGHLY BEFORE THEY ARE GIVEN A CHILD TO CARE FOR, AND THAT INCLUDES MANDATORY AND THOROUGH MENTAL HEALTH EXAMS FOR BOTH PARENTS, JUST AS WITH MEMBERS OF THE POLICE FORCE. WE ARE HIRING MENTALLY UNHEALTHY POLICE IN THIS COUNTRY. IT’S PROBABLY DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE THE JOB IN SOME PLACES, BUT THAT’S NO EXCUSE. POLICING IS ONE OF THOSE “MACHO” POSITIONS, AND A NUMBER OF MEN ARE DRAWN TO IT FOR THAT VERY REASON.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE WHO “PRESENTS WELL,” DRESSES NICELY AND SMILES, TO BE MENTALLY ILL ALL THE SAME. MANY PEOPLE LIVE THEIR LIVES BEHIND A FACADE. THAT’S ONE THING THAT IS OFTEN TRUE OF SOCIOPATHS; OF COURSE, LOTS OF NORMAL BUT INSECURE PEOPLE DO THAT, TOO. A FACADE IS A WAY TO AVOID LOSING STATUS WITH A COMPETITIVE GROUP LIKE “THE KOOL KIDS,” OR PEOPLE IN A DESIRABLE WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD. ALSO, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DESIRE TO ADOPT A HOUSEFUL OF CHILDREN LIKE THIS MAY NOT BE TOTALLY EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY OR AWARE OF WHAT IT REALLY TAKES TO MOTHER THAT MANY. THEY MAY BE COMPENSATING FOR A GREAT DEAL OF PERSONAL INSECURITY, BELIEVING THAT SOME KIDS WILL SOOTHE THEIR OWN INNER PAIN BY LOVING THEM.

I WOULD SAY TO THEM THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT NEED, BUT AS PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN IS SAID TO HAVE QUIPPED, “IF YOU WANT A FRIEND IN WASHINGTON, GET A DOG.” ANOTHER THING THAT HAS ALWAYS STRUCK ME AS BEING UNBALANCED IS THOSE PEOPLE WHO “LIVE OFF THE GRID,” DON’T WANT THEIR KIDS TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH OTHERS, OR WHO ARE ALOOF OR UNFRIENDLY WITH NEIGHBORS. EVEN IF THEY AREN’T GOING TO GO OUT AND MOW DOWN A DOZEN PEOPLE WITH THEIR SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPON, THEY MAY NOT BE “PARENT MATERIAL.” THE CHANCE THAT THEY ARE HIDING SOMETHING, AND POSSIBLY SOMETHING VERY BAD, IS GREAT. THE FIRST SIGN OF BEATING, SUCH AS THE GIRL WHO HAD BRUISES ON BOTH HER BACK AND STOMACH, SHOULD CLUE SOCIAL SERVICES TO INTERVENE IMMEDIATELY AND REMOVE THE CHILD FROM THAT HOME – NOT “WATCH THE SITUATION” UNTIL ANOTHER EVENT OCCURS. IT PROBABLY GOES ON FREQUENTLY IN THAT HOME, AND MAY END IN DEATH.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/child-of-family-that-plunged-off-california-cliff-says-he-was-starved-neighbor-says/
By MIREYA VILLARREAL CBS NEWS March 29, 2018, 8:05 PM
Child in SUV cliff plunge told neighbor he was being "starved to death"

LOS ANGELES -- On the northern California coast, police are searching for answers after an SUV went off a cliff. Three children are still missing, including a boy you may recognize from a famous photo. His adoptive parents and at least three other siblings are dead.

A special accident investigation team is using drones to figure out how the Hart family vehicle plunged off a 100-foot ocean overlook. Sheriff Thomas Allman believes the parents, Sarah and Jennifer Hart, were in the front, and their six adopted children in the back. None of them were wearing seat belts.

"I could tell you it was a very confusing scene, because there are no skid marks," said Allman.

The Hart family lived just outside Portland and loved to hike and camp. A picture of one of the kids, Devonte, hugging a Portland police officer in 2014 during a protest against the Ferguson police shooting, went viral. His parents championed social justice issues. But neighbors Bruce and Dana Dekalb saw something different.

hart-tribe.jpg
Sarah and Jennifer Hart with their 6 children in an undated photo KOIN-TV

"Their daughter is telling us, 'Please, please, please,' begging us not to go back. They're abusing her," said Dana Dekalb. "And then Devonte coming over here and telling us he's being starved to death."

The Dekalbs say recent cries for help from the Hart children prompted them to call Child Protective Services last Friday.

"I was trying to help them and protect them and this is the result," said Dana.

Sarah Hart pleaded guilty to domestic assault in Minnesota back in 2011 after bruises were found on one of the children's back and stomach. Just the last week, CPS case workers had gone by the family's home three times to check on the children.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


MORE ON THIS STRANGE AND VERY UNSETTLING STORY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hart-family-suv-cliff-plunge-accident-may-have-been-intentional-california-highway-patrol/
CBS/AP April 1, 2018, 11:47 PM
Deadly SUV cliff crash may have been intentional, California officials say

SAN FRANCISCO -- California Highway Patrol officials say preliminary evidence shows the cliff crash that killed a Washington state family may have been intentional. Capt. Greg Baarts with the CHP Northern Division says information pulled from the SUV's software shows the vehicle was stopped at the highway pullout before it accelerated straight off the cliff.

Family in SUV cliff plunge got death threats after viral photo, friend says
Baarts says the electronic information combined with the lack of skid marks led officials to believe it was intentional.

A Mendocino County Sheriff's Office spokesman says authorities believe at least one felony was committed but declined to specify.

Baarts told the media Sunday night that the vehicle had a reading of 90 mph, but that doesn't mean the SUV was traveling at the speed and a comprehensive investigation is still ongoing.

Authorities said they believe there is intent because of air bag evidence and because there was no tire friction by the cliff's edge, CBS affiliate KOIN-TV reports.

Sarah and Jennifer Hart and three of their adopted children -- 19-year-old Markis, 14-year-old Jeremiah and 14-year-old Abigail -- were confirmed dead Wednesday by Mendocino County authorities, KOIN-TV writes. Three other children -- 15-year-old Devonte, 16-year-old Hannah and 12-year-old Sierra -- are missing. But Sheriff Tom Allman said there is "every indication" all six children were inside the SUV at the time.

Five members of the Hart family were found dead. Searchers are looking for three more children believed to have been in the vehicle when it went over a scenic coastal overlook and landed on rocks in the Pacific Ocean below.

Some family friends describe the Harts as tight-knit and loving, but neighbors said they saw signs that caused them to worry about how the homeschooled children were being cared for.

One of the children, Devonte Hart, gained national attention in 2014 when he was photographed with tears in his eyes hugging a Portland police officer at a protest.

SUV Off Cliff
Nov. 25, 2014 file photo provided by Johnny Nguyen shows Portland police Sgt. Bret Barnum and Devonte Hart, 12, hugging at rally in Portland, Ore., in support of protests in Ferguson, Mo.; picture of him hugging the white police officer during the protest went viral. AP

KOIN-TV reports that authorities say no suicide note was found during an executed search warrant at their Woodland, Washington, home.

Authorities said they are also trying to figure out why the Hart family was in California.

Well before the wreck, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Douglas County, Minnesota, telling authorities "she let her anger get out of control" while spanking her 6-year-old adoptive daughter, court records show.

SUV Off Cliff
This March 20, 2016, photo shows Hart family of Woodland, Wash., at a Bernie Sanders rally in Vancouver, Wash. AP

Two weeks ago, Bruce and Dana DeKalb, next-door neighbors of the Harts, called state child protective services because Devonte, now 15, had been coming over to their house almost every day for a week, asking for food.

Dana DeKalb said Devonte told her his parents were "punishing them by withholding food." The boy asked her to leave food in a box by the fence for him, she said.

Social service authorities opened an investigation, and a state caseworker went to the house last Friday but didn't find anyone home, state officials said. The agency had no prior history with the family, said Norah West, a spokeswoman with the Department of Social and Health Services.

On Thursday, authorities in Washington state combed through the family's home for information. The Clark County Sheriff's Office said deputies were looking for bills, receipts or anything else to shed light on why the family left and other circumstances related to the trip, KGW-TV reported.

"To the best of my knowledge, there was not a suicide note found at the residence," Baarts said.

Family friend Max Ribner took issue with the notion it was something other than a tragic accident. The couple adopted the six children, many of whom came from "hard backgrounds," he said. "They transformed these kids' lives."

"This is a tragic accident of a magnitude that cannot be measured," said Zippy Lomax, a photographer who knew the Harts. "They were really radiant, warm, adventurous, inspiring people. They were always on some grand adventure, and the kids were living this life that was kind of like this dream."

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

ANOTHER VIEW FROM HUFFINGTON POST

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/03/29/jennifer-and-sarah-hart-family-dead-missing_a_23398571/
03/29/2018 10:46 EDT | Updated 03/29/2018 23:22 EDT
Jennifer And Sarah Hart, 6 Children Presumed Dead After SUV Plunges Off Cliff
Their SUV was found Monday after it went off a California highway.
604
Phuong Le and Tom James, The Associated Pressvia CP

KCPQ/SCREENSHOT -- The Hart family in an undated photo. Jennifer and Sarah Hart and three of their children are confirmed dead, while three are still missing.

WOODLAND, Wash. — They were known as the Hart Tribe, a free-spirited family of two women and their six adopted children who raised their own food, took spontaneous road trips and travelled to festivals and other events, offering free hugs and promoting unity.

Their final journey ended not in hugs all around but in tragedy.

All eight were presumed dead after their SUV plunged off a 100-foot cliff along a seaside California highway in a mysterious wreck discovered Monday — three days after child-welfare authorities were called to the Harts' rural Washington state home to investigate possible abuse or neglect.

"We know that an entire family vanished and perished during this tragedy," Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said Wednesday as he appealed for help retracing where the family had been.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the crash, and the sheriff said there is "no evidence and no reason to believe that this was an intentional act."

At the same time, he said there were no skid marks and no sign the brakes were applied at the highway pull-off area where the vehicle went over.

The case has thrown a spotlight on the Hart family's previous run-ins with the law and neighbours' concerns about the youngsters.

Friends described married couple Jennifer and Sarah Hart as loving, inspiring parents who promoted social justice and exposed their "remarkable children" to art, music and nature.

STEVE DYKES/ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA CP
Devonte Hart holding up a sign at a Portland, Ore. rally for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in March 2016.

One of the children, Devonte Hart, drew national attention after the black youngster was photographed in tears, hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, over the deadly police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri. The boy was holding a "Free Hugs" sign.

The Hart Tribe also went to events such as rallies for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, often showing up in matching T-shirts.

They moved to Woodland, Washington, outside Portland, in the spring of last year, partly overwhelmed by the media coverage. The multi-racial family had received death threats, a family friend said.

"This is a tragic accident of a magnitude that cannot be measured," said Zippy Lomax, a photographer who knew the Harts. "They were really radiant, warm, adventurous, inspiring people. They were always on some grand adventure, and the kids were living this life that was kind of like this dream."

She added: "When they showed up to an event, they made an impression. They shattered a lot of norms, and they did not shy away from controversy or adversity."

ALVIN JORNADA/THE PRESS DEMOCRAT VIA AP
A truck drives by the pullout where the SUV of Jennifer and Sarah Hart was recovered off the Pacific Coast Highway, near Westport, Calif. on March 28, 2018.

But neighbours said they saw signs that caused them to worry about how the homeschooled children were being cared for.

Next-door neighbours Bruce and Dana DeKalb said they called child services last Friday because Devonte, now 15, had been coming over to their house asking for food.

Dana DeKalb said Devonte told her that his parents were "punishing them by withholding food." He came over almost every day for a week and asked her to leave food in a box by the fence for him, she said.

Child-protection investigation

Washington state child-protective services opened an investigation Friday and tried to make contact with the family three times but weren't able to reach them, said Norah West, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Social and Health Services. The agency had no prior history with the family, she said.

The DeKalbs also recounted that three months after the family moved into the home on 2 acres with a fenced pasture last May, one of the girls rang their doorbell at 1:30 a.m.

She "was at our door in a blanket saying we needed to protect her," Bruce DeKalb said. "She said that they were abusing her."

In 2011, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota. Her plea led to the dismissal of a charge of malicious punishment of a child, according to court records.

According to a criminal complaint, a 6-year-old girl told a teacher at her elementary school that she had "owies" on her tummy and back and said, "Mom hit me." Sarah Hart told authorities "she let her anger get out of control" while spanking her daughter.

"They brought so much joy to the world. They represented a legacy of love."
Max Ribner, family friend

Max Ribner, who has known the family since 2012, said allegations from neighbours don't square with what he knows about the Harts.

"They are beautiful examples of opening arms to strangers, helping youth, supporting racial equality," Ribner, who lives in Portland, said. "They brought so much joy to the world. They represented a legacy of love."

JOHNNY NGUYEN/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA CP
Portland police Sgt. Bret Barnum, left, and Devonte Hart, then 12, hug at a rally in Portland, Ore., where people had gathered in support of the protests in Ferguson, Mo. on Nov. 25, 2014.

The bodies of the two women, both 39, were recovered along with those of Markis Hart, 19; Jeremiah Hart, 14; and Abigail Hart, 14. Hannah Hart, 16; Sierra Hart, 12; and Devonte were also believed to have been in the SUV, and authorities continued to search for their remains.

Bill Groener, 67, was a next-door neighbour of the Harts when they lived in West Linn, Oregon, and said the kids stayed indoors most of the time. He said the family didn't eat sugar, raised their own vegetables, had animals and went on camping trips.

"There was enough positive there to kind of counteract the feeling that something maybe wasn't quite right," Groener said.

Le reported from Seattle. AP reporters Paul Elias in San Francisco, Steven Dubois in Portland, Oregon, and Alina Hartounian in Phoenix also contributed.



TRUMP IS ALWAYS ANGRY AT SOMEBODY, AND THIS BEEF AT AMAZON IS HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND. HE’S BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS NOW. HOW COULD THE NYT AND WAPO BE LOBBYISTS? I GET THE CONNECTION WITH JEFF BEZOS AS A MEGA-BILLIONAIRE AND A DIEHARD DEMOCRAT. COULD ALL THAT BE ABOUT JEALOUSY?

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/01/politics/trump-campaign-amazon/index.html
CBS: Trump presidential campaign spent more than $150,000 on Amazon
Aileen Graef
By Aileen Graef, CNN
Updated 8:36 AM ET, Mon April 2, 2018

(CNN)President Donald Trump's presidential campaign spent more than $150,000 on purchases from Amazon, the company now facing his ire amid claims it doesn't pay its fair share of shipping costs and taxes.

A report by CBS News digging into Federal Election Commission records found that in 2015 and 2016 the campaign spent $158,498.41 in 379 transactions classified as office supply purchases. The committee continued after the election to spend money on the website, purchasing more than $2000 in 2017.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Amazon and the Washington Post, both of which are owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos.

"While we are on the subject, it is reported that the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon. That amounts to Billions of Dollars," Trump tweeted Saturday morning.

"The Failing N.Y. Times reports that 'the size of the company's lobbying staff has ballooned,' and that......does not include the Fake Washington Post, which is used as a 'lobbyist' and should so REGISTER," the President wrote. "If the P.O. 'increased its parcel rates, Amazon's shipping costs would rise by $2.6 Billion.'"

RELATED: Trump vs. Amazon: Let's set the record straight

He added, "This Post Office scam must stop. Amazon must pay real costs (and taxes) now."
CBS News did not report whether or not the Trump campaign was an Amazon Prime member, which would've given the campaign free two-day delivery for a yearly fee.
CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.


THE CNN ARTICLE ON THE TRUMP/AMAZON ARGUMENT SAYS ITS’ MAINLY ABOUT THE FACT THAT WAPO IS OWNED BY BEZOS, WHO ALSO OWNS AMAZON, AND WAPO HAS TREATED TRUMP ROUGHLY (WHAT MAJOR AND REPUTABLE NEWS SOURCE HASN’T). THE FOLLOWING AXIOS ARTICLE SAYS A LOT MORE, AND IT’S INTERESTING, BUT IT ALSO CALLS TRUMP’S RECENT TIRADES ON AMAZON AN “OBSESSION,” AND THAT’S PROBABLY THE SIMPLE TRUTH. ACCORDING TO YESTERDAY’S CNN STORY THE FEC HAS STATED TRUMP AND HIS CAMPAIGN SPENT “$158,498.41 IN 379 TRANSACTIONS CLASSIFIED AS OFFICE SUPPLY PURCHASES.” IF THERE’S A RED FLAG IN THAT SOMEWHERE, I DON’T SEE IT. I ALSO DON’T THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROBLEM TO THE GREAT WORLD.

https://www.axios.com/trump-regulation-amazon-facebook-646c642c-a2d7-454b-a9a9-cdc6e4eaef2c.html
Trump hates Amazon, not Facebook
Jonathan Swan Mar 28

Photograph -- Photos: Trump And Bezos, In Contrast. Mark Wilson / Getty Images; The Washington Post

Capitol Hill wants Facebook’s blood, but President Trump isn’t interested. Instead, the tech behemoth Trump wants to go after is Amazon, according to five sources who’ve discussed it with him. “He’s obsessed with Amazon,” a source said. “Obsessed.”

What we're hearing: Trump has talked about changing Amazon’s tax treatment because he’s worried about mom-and-pop retailers being put out of business.

A source who’s spoken to POTUS: “He’s wondered aloud if there may be any way to go after Amazon with antitrust or competition law."

Trump’s deep-seated antipathy toward Amazon surfaces when discussing tax policy and antitrust cases. The president would love to clip CEO Jeff Bezos’ wings. But he doesn’t have a plan to make that happen.

Behind the president's thinking: Trump's wealthy friends tell him Amazon is destroying their businesses. His real estate buddies tell him — and he agrees — that Amazon is killing shopping malls and brick-and-mortar retailers.

Trump tells people Amazon has gotten a free ride from taxpayers and cushy treatment from the U.S. Postal Service.

“The whole post office thing, that's very much a perception he has,” another source said. “It's been explained to him in multiple meetings that his perception is inaccurate and that the post office actually makes a ton of money from Amazon."

Axios' Ina Fried notes: The Postal Service actually added delivery on Sunday in some cities because Amazon made it worthwhile.

Trump also pays close attention to the Amazon founder's ownership of The Washington Post, which the president views as Bezos’ political weapon.

Trump never talks about Mark Zuckerberg or Facebook: He isn’t tuned in to the debate over how they handle people’s data, and thinks the Russia story is a hoax, sources say.

Axios' Kim Hart points out: "Trump told Axios last year he doesn’t mind Facebook because it helps him reach his audience. He's an old-school businessman who sees the world in terms of tangible assets: real estate, physical mail delivery, Main Street, grocery stores. It reminds me of the story Jim wrote a while back about Trump’s fixation with 1950s life. Amazon takes direct aim at some of the core components of mid-century business.”

One warning sign for Facebook: Vice President Mike Pence is concerned about Facebook and Google, according to a source with direct knowledge.

Though Pence isn't yet pushing internally for any specific regulations, he argues these companies are dangerously powerful.


The source said the V.P. worries about their influence on media coverage, as well as their control of the advertising industry and users’ personal info.

When private discussions have turned to the idea of busting Facebook and Google, Pence has listened with keen interest and is open to the suggestion that these two companies need shaking up.

Get more stories like this by signing up for Jonathan Swan's weekly political lookahead newsletter, Axios Sneak Peek.


TIT FOR TAT. BORING.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-imposing-new-tariffs-on-u-s-products-in-retaliation-of-trump-tariffs/
CBS/AP April 1, 2018, 4:28 PM
China imposing new tariffs on U.S. products in retaliation of Trump tariffs

China says it's rolling out new tariffs on U.S. meat, fruit and other products as retaliation against taxes approved by President Trump on imported steel and aluminum.

The Chinese finance ministry says in a statement that the new tariffs begin Monday.

The announcement follows through on warnings Chinese officials have made for several weeks in an escalating trade dispute with the United States.

China's Customs Tariff Commission is increasing the tariff rate on eight imported U.S. products, including pork, by 25 percent. It's also imposing a new 15 percent tariff on 120 imported U.S. commodities, including fruits.

The tariffs mirror Mr. Trump's 25 percent charge on imported steel and 15 percent hike on aluminum. Mr. Trump's tariffs are partly a response to complaints that Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

Following his original tariff roll out, the president then signed a memorandum late last month directing the U.S. Trade Representative to impose an estimated $50 billion in tariffs on China.

"We have spoken to China and we are in the midst of a very large negotiation," Mr. Trump said at a signing ceremony. "We will see where it takes us. In the meantime, we are sending a Section 301 action."

Mr. Trump said he has asked Chinese officials to immediately reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China by $100 billion.

The tariffs will target what White House trade adviser Peter Navarro described on a conference call with reporters as China's market distorting and "discriminatory practices" to steal American intellectual property and unfair technology transfers.

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



BERNIE SANDERS

NO, I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WANT TO SEE EVERYTHING IN THE GOVERNMENT PRIVATIZED. THE PUTS THE DECISIONS UP TO WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY “THE MARKET,” WHICH IS FAIR TO NOBODY WHO ISN’T WEALTHY. BESIDES, THESE ARE AGING AND OFTEN PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY DAMAGED EX-FIGHTERS WHO CAN’T MAKE IT FINANCIALLY IN LOTS OF CASES, AND THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE TO GO TO PRIVATE DOCTORS WHO WILL CHARGE MORE FOR EVERYTHING.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sen-bernie-sanders-face-the-nation-says-privatizing-department-of-veterans-affairs-va-a-very-very-bad-idea/
By EMILY TILLETT CBS NEWS April 1, 2018, 11:50 AM
Sen. Bernie Sanders says privatizing the VA a "very, very bad idea"

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, says that he thinks it's too early to tell what President Trump's pick to take over leadership at the embattled Department of Veterans Affairs "stands for," but cautioned that privatizing the VA to be a "very, very bad idea."

Former VA Secretary Shulkin became the latest member of Mr. Trump's cabinet to be terminated last week. The president announced that he was replacing Shulkin in a series of tweets, and said he would nominate Adm. Ronny Jackson, who had been serving as the president's doctor, to replace him.

"I work very closely with the major veterans organizations, the American Legion, VFW, DAV, Vietnam vets, all of the veterans organizations. And what they say is they want to strengthen the VA, not dismember it, not privatize it. So we will see what Dr. Jackson has to say," said Sanders.

Transcript: Sen. Bernie Sanders on "Face the Nation," April 1, 2018
Shulkin came under fire for a series of blunders including reported insurgencies inside his own department and improper use of travel expenses. The former secretary said he was ousted over internal and administration disputes over privatizing the VA.

"Privatization leading to the dismantling of the department's extensive health care system is a terrible idea. The department's understanding of service-related health problems, its groundbreaking research and its special ability to work with military veterans cannot be easily replicated in the private sector," Shulkin wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times last week.

Sanders agreed, saying that while the VA has problems that need to be addressed, "We've got to listen to the veterans of this country and not privatize it."

"If you listen to veterans all across this country as I do they will tell you sure there are problems with the VA but by and large once they get into the system they are proud of the quality care that the VA provides."

He added, "There is a lot of attention paid to the VA because it's a government agency. But I've got news for you. People all over this country, when they want to get to a doctor or they need hospital care, they don't get in the very next day. So I am sure that there are some VA facilities where the waiting time is too long. That has got to be addressed. There are other VA facilities -- for example, I know here in Vermont that if you are dealing with a psychiatric crisis, an emotional crisis you, get in that day. That's pretty good."

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


SANDERS SPEAKS HERE OF THE MYSTERIOUS WORKINGS OF THE MIND OF DONALD TRUMP, WHEN HE SAYS “WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT TRUMP’S VA PICK.” THAT’S THE WAY MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN. SOME OF THEM AREN’T EVEN QUALIFIED IN THE SUBJECT MATTER TO DEAL WITH THE JOB THAT HE PICKS THEM FOR. SOMEONE, PERHAPS SANDERS HIMSELF, SAID ABOUT TRUMP THAT HE’S “NOT A SERIOUS PERSON, AND I DO THINK THAT IS HALF THE PROBLEM. HE’S PROFOUNDLY IMMATURE, OR CERTAINLY SEEMS TO ME TO BE.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/01/sanders-trump-veterans-jackson-shulkin-493220
Sanders: 'We know nothing' about Trump's VA pick
By CONNOR O’BRIEN 04/01/2018 12:44 PM EDT

Sen. Bernie Sanders wouldn't commit to supporting President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, on Sunday.

In an interview on CBS’ "Face the Nation," the Vermont independent noted that Jackson, Trump's personal physician, is a virtual unknown on veterans issues. He also expressed concerns the Trump administration is pushing to privatize the nearly $200 billion bureaucracy, citing the conservative agenda of the influential donors Charles and David Koch.

"We know nothing about what Dr. Jackson stands for and what his vision is for the VA," Sanders said.

Trump replaced VA Secretary David Shulkin last week after months of criticism over reports he misused government travel. Shulkin has since said he was forced out for pushing back against efforts to privatize veterans services.

Jackson's nomination came as a surprise. And the pick has raised questions about his qualifications to manage the myriad health services and benefits provided by VA and whether the administration is indeed pressing to privatize more veterans services.

Lindsey Graham is pictured. | AP Photo
Graham: Pulling out of Syria ‘the single worst decision’ Trump could make
By CONNOR O’BRIEN

"I do believe that the Trump administration, no matter what they are now saying, I think they are working on behalf of the Koch brothers," Sanders said, adding they "want to privatize everything."

"They have been putting more and more money into the private sector with VA money. I do not believe them on that issue," he added. "I think they are listening to the Koch brothers and I think that that is a very, very bad idea."

While he helped negotiate additional funding for veterans to access private medical care, Sanders, a former Senate Veterans' Affairs chairman, has said beefing up VA's budget and health services should be the priority.

"The VA does a lot of good things. It has problems. We have got to improve the VA," Sanders said. "But I think we've got to listen to the veterans of this country and not privatize it."



SANDERS ON REAL HUMAN ISSUES

Jake Tapper & Bernie Sanders | SXSW 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YBunslGSgs


WANT TO BERNIE BINGE? WATCH THIS ONE, TOO.

A Night In San Antonio With Bernie Sanders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0QRSk_Ipqk

Trinity University
Streamed live on Mar 9, 2018
*This event is not sponsored by Trinity University*
Our Revolution and Trinity Progressives present
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution and former State Senator of Ohio, and Jim Hightower, Director of Our Revolution Texas.



MADDOW TIME

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/mondays-mini-report-4218
The Rachel Maddow Show / The MaddowBlog
Monday’s Mini-Report, 4.2.18
04/02/18 05:30 PM
By Steve Benen

Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Sacramento: “An activist at a Sacramento demonstration protesting the police killing of an unarmed black man in his grandmother’s backyard was struck and injured by a Sheriff’s Department vehicle late Saturday as law enforcement officials tried to pass through the crowd.”

* Predictable retaliation: “The trade spat between the world’s two largest economies worsened over the weekend with China hiking tariffs on a slew of U.S. goods in response to Washington slapping duties on Chinese aluminum and steel. The measures announced Sunday matched a list of potential tariffs on up to $3 billion in U.S. goods published by China on March 23.”

* Summer Zervos’ case: “President Donald Trump’s lawyers are asking a New York state appeals court to throw out or freeze a defamation lawsuit by a former contestant on ‘The Apprentice’ who has accused Trump of unwanted kissing and groping.”

* Related news about Jessica Denson: “A Los Angeles woman who worked for President Donald Trump’s campaign has filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan to void a confidentiality agreement she signed, claiming the agreement has been ‘weaponized’ to silence her allegations of discrimination.”

* Something Trump won’t tweet about: “Stocks tanked Monday, the first trading day of the new quarter, as panicked traders dumped their investments in the tech sector amid heightened concern over privacy breaches and continued consumer backlash.”

* Chicago: “Killings and shootings continue to dip in Chicago, a city long plagued by gun violence, according to crime figures released Sunday. March marked the 13th consecutive month of declining gun violence, the Chicago Police Department said.”

* The Alton Sterling case: “A police officer who fatally shot a black man in Baton Rouge, La., nearly two years ago was fired on Friday, and a fellow officer involved in the episode was suspended for three days. The disciplinary actions were the first serious consequences for the officers after both state and federal officials declined to bring criminal charges against them.”


* Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.) today “asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether she did anything wrong in her handling of the firing of her former chief of staff accused of harassment, threats and violence against female staffers in her congressional office.”

* Sinclair strikes again: “In March, TV anchors at broadcast stations across the U.S. began reading from an identical script passed down to them by their owner – Sinclair Broadcast Group.”

* Even for Roseanne, this was weird: “Roseanne Barr capped a remarkable week of new media relevance with a tweet that seemed to fly out of nowhere – unless you’re a close observer of far-right media. On Friday night, the star of ABC’s revived smash-hit sitcom began rounding up praise for President Trump on the very specific issue of child trafficking. ‘He has broken up trafficking rings in high places everywhere,’ Barr tweeted. ‘Notice that.’ Over the next few hours, Barr retweeted supportive tweets and links to articles about the ‘untold story’ of how the administration was breaking up ‘pedophile rings.’”