JULY 28, 2018


NEWS AND VIEWS


HOW COULD HUMANS DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS? I HOPE THAT WE DON’T EVER GO IN THIS DIRECTION IN THE UNITED STATES. SIT-INS ARE A HARMLESS EXPRESSION OF DISAPPROVAL IN A RIGID SITUATION, WHERE NOTHING ELSE IS WORKING. SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO WE HAVE HAD OUR OWN POLICEMEN CARRY OUT MASS ARRESTS, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA LAST YEAR BEING ONE, AND THAT SCARES ME. IT’S A CHARACTERISTIC OF A TOTALITARIAN REGIME, AND IT IS UNACCEPTABLE IN AMERICA.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/egyptian-court-sentences-75-to-death-for-their-involvement-in-a-2013-sit-in-2018-07-28/
CBS/AP July 28, 2018, 9:35 AM
Egyptian court sentences 75 to death for their involvement in a 2013 sit-in

PHOTOGRAPH -- Policemen guard 739 defendants at a soundproof glass cage inside a makeshift courtroom in Tora prison in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, July 28, 2018. Egypt's state-run media says a court has sentenced 75 people to death, including top figures of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, for their involvement in a 2013 sit-in. AMR NABIL/AP

CAIRO -- An Egyptian court sentenced 75 people to death on Saturday, including top figures of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, for their involvement in a 2013 sit-in, state media reported. The Cairo Criminal Court referred the sentences to the Grand Mufti -- the country's top theological authority -- for his non-binding opinion as is the norm in capital cases. Though non-binding, the formality gives a window of opportunity for a judge to reverse an initial sentence.

The sentences are subject to appeal.

Sentencing for more than 660 others involved in the case was scheduled for Sept. 8, the Al-Ahram news website reported. Those sentences, too, are subject to appeal.

Of the 75 defendants referred to the Mufti, 44 are jailed and 31 are at large. The court normally hands down the maximum sentence for fugitives but a re-retrial is typically held after they are caught.

The case involves a total 739 defendants, including the Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie and photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid. The charges range from murder to damaging public property. Neither Badie nor Abu Zeid were sentenced to death in this case.

The 2013 sit-in, in Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo, supported former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi who was militarily ousted following mass protests against his divisive one-year rule. Morsi hailed from the Brotherhood.

The sit-in was violently dispersed on Aug. 14, 2013. More than 600 people were killed. Months later, Egypt designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

Egyptian authorities have since launched a severe crackdown on Brotherhood members and supporters, arresting many and trying them on terror-related charges. Egyptian courts have held mass trials and handed down death sentences for hundreds of people, drawing international condemnation.

Rights groups have repeatedly criticized such mass sentencings and called on authorities to ensure fair trials. They have also denounced the mass trial of the 2013 sit-in.

"The idea that more than 700 people could all stand trial together in one day, all facing the death penalty in what is clearly a grossly unfair trial that violates Egypt's own constitution beggar's belief," Najia Bounaim, director of campaign in North Africa at Amnesty International, said last month.

"This can only be described as a parody of justice; it casts a dark shadow over the integrity of Egypt's entire system of justice, and makes a mockery of due process," Bounaim said.

In 2014, an Egyptian judge sentenced 529 Morsi supporters to death before 492 were later commuted to life in prison. Death sentences were upheld for the remaining 37.

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


A VIOLENT ASSAULT “DURING A BUSINESS MEETING....” THIS IS SAD, AS WELL AS BIZARRE. WERE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THERE THE WOMAN AND THE CEO? I GUESS SO. WOMEN NEED TO AVOID ONE ON ONE SITUATIONS WITH A MAN, ESPECIALLY IF THEY DON’T KNOW HIM WELL ENOUGH TO PREDICT HIS BEHAVIOR.

CBS, IN MY VIEW, HAS ALWAYS BEEN RESPECTABLE AND A MOST RELIABLE NEWS SOURCE. I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE MODERATE LENGTH OF THE ARTICLES. FOR MORE DETAIL AND DEEP ANALYSIS, I USE NYT AND NPR, BUT THEIR ARTICLES ARE TOO LONG FOR MY BLOG, UNLESS I REALLY, REALLY WANT THAT STORY.

THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY STORIES LIKE THIS ONE LATELY THAT IT ALMOST MAKES ME SUSPICIOUS OF WHETHER SOME OUTSIDE SOURCE IS CREATING AND PLANTING THEM – THE RUSSIANS? DONALD TRUMP? OR IS THE NEWS BUSINESS AS A WHOLE AS CORRUPT IN GENERAL AS POLITICS, SO THAT BAD SITUATIONS HAPPEN EVEN MORE COMMONLY THAN WE HEAR ABOUT? I SUSPECT THAT THAT IS THE CASE, ACTUALLY.

A GUY I WAS DATING YEARS AGO, WHEN I MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT HAD HAPPENED TO ME, WITHOUT CHANGING FACIAL EXPRESSION AND IN A FLAT TONE OF VOICE, SAID “MEN ARE DOGS.” THE WAY HE SAID IT WAS FUNNY, BUT TRUE. THAT’S THE REAL “GOOD OLD BOY” NETWORK IN ACTION. MANY AND PERHAPS MOST MEN CONSIDER SUCH THINGS “THEIR RIGHT,” AND THEIR LOYALTY TO OTHER MEN IS OFTEN MUCH GREATER THAN THAT TO WOMEN. ON THOSE SEX ISSUES, THOUGH, WOMEN TEND TO WANT A LITTLE REAL ROMANCING FIRST; AND NOWADAYS, WE ARE UNWILLING TO BE VICTIMIZED EVER.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-yorker-investigation-alleges-sexual-misconduct-by-ceo-of-cbs-and-claims-60-minutes-permitted-abusive-behavior/
CBS NEWS July 27, 2018, 8:34 PM
New Yorker investigation alleges sexual misconduct by CEO of CBS and claims "60 Minutes" permitted abusive behavior

An investigation published Friday afternoon by The New Yorker claims that the CEO of CBS Corporation, Leslie Moonves, engaged in several instances of sexual misconduct. It also describes a culture in the news division that tolerated abusive behavior.

The story by Ronan Farrow cites six women with allegations against Moonves that date from the 1980s to the 2000s.

In one case, in 1997, the actress and writer Illeana Douglas told Farrow that Moonves assaulted her during a business meeting.

"In a millisecond, he's got one arm over me, pinning me," Douglas said. "What it feels like to have someone hold you down – you can't breathe, you can't move," she said. Douglas told Farrow that Moonves was "violently kissing" her, and then, "aroused, pulled up her skirt and began to thrust against her."

Douglas ultimately got away, but Douglas told Farrow that she lost her agent and future work with CBS as a result of the incident.

In a statement to The New Yorker, CBS said that Moonves acknowledges trying to kiss Douglas, but that "he denies any characterization of 'sexual assault,' intimidation, or retaliatory action."

In another case, in 1985, the writer Janet Jones also described Moonves trying to kiss her during a business meeting at his office.

"He came around the corner of the table and threw himself on top of me. It was very fast," Jones told Farrow. She said she pushed Moonves away and when she tried to leave, found his office door locked. She told Farrow she recalled Moonves unlocking the door from his desk or a nearby bureau, and said his assistant had left.

She told Farrow: "I just thought, Oh, my God. This wasn't like a little momentary boo-boo. It was this well-thought-out thing."

Jones told Farrow that Moonves later called her and threatened her career, saying "'I'm warning you. I will ruin your career. You will never get a writing job. No one will hire you. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?'"

In a statement to The New Yorker, CBS said that Moonves has no recollection of the interactions with Jones.

Farrow spoke to four other women who described sexual misconduct by Moonves. Two described forcible kissing or touching, and two claimed they received unwanted advances.

In a statement to The New Yorker, Moonves said: "I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. Those were mistakes,* and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected – and abided by the principle – that 'no' means 'no,' and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career."

CBS Corporation is the parent company of CBS News.

In a statement before The New Yorker story was published, CBS Corporation's Independent Directors said they would investigate the claims. "All allegations of personal misconduct are to be taken seriously," said the statement. "The Independent Directors of CBS have committed to investigating claims that violate the Company's clear policies in that regard. Upon the conclusion of that investigation, which involves recently reported allegations that go back several decades, the Board will promptly review the findings and take appropriate action."

Moonves' wife, Julie Chen, who is also the host of the CBS show "Big Brother" and co-host of "The Talk," issued a statement on Twitter supporting her husband: "Leslie is a good man and a loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader. He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being. I fully support my husband and stand behind him and his statement."

Moonves, 68, joined the former CBS Corporation in 1995 as President of CBS Entertainment. He has been president and CEO of CBS Corporation since 2006.

Farrow also spoke to 30 current and former CBS employees who described a culture that tolerated harassment, gender discrimination, or retaliation. Reported instances touch on major divisions, including "CBS Evening News" and "60 Minutes."

Farrow reported that Jeff Fager, Executive Producer of "60 Minutes," protected men accused of misconduct, including men who reported to him. One former female senior producer told Farrow that Fager promoted another senior producer who had been physically abusive toward her and advised her to not go to human resources with her concerns. She also claims that Fager told her to apologize the other producer to "mitigate conflict in the office."

Six former employees told Farrow that Fager would touch employees in ways that made them uncomfortable at company parties, and in one instance made a drunken advance toward one junior staffer.

In a statement to The New Yorker, Fager said, "It is wrong that our culture can be falsely defined by a few people with an axe to grind who are using an important movement as a weapon to get even, and not by the hundreds of women and men that have thrived, both personally and professionally, at '60 Minutes.'" Fager went on to call the accusations "false, anonymous, and do not hold up to editorial scrutiny."

Last year, CBS fired Charlie Rose as co-anchor of "CBS This Morning" after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were detailed in an investigation by The Washington Post. Subsequent reporting raised questions about the response to those allegations by managers at CBS.

The story comes at a time when CBS is in a legal battle with Viacom. The two companies merged in 1999 and split up just a few years later, in 2005. Shari Redstone is a major shareholder in both media companies, and has been seeking to combine them again.

CBS owns the CBS TV network, cable network Showtime and the publisher Simon & Schuster. Viacom controls several major cable networks, including Comedy Central, MTV and BET, and movie studio Paramount.

Moonves has fought the merger.

The statement from the Independent Directors acknowledged the dispute. "The timing of this report comes in the midst of the Company's very public legal dispute," the statement from the directors said. "While that litigation process continues, the CBS management team has the full support of the independent board members. Along with that team, we will continue to focus on creating value for our shareowners."

Shari Redstone issued a statement supporting an investigation into the allegations against Moonves and countering any claims that she played a role in the report: "The malicious insinuation that Ms. Redstone is somehow behind the allegations of inappropriate personal behavior by Mr. Moonves or today's reports is false and self-serving. Ms. Redstone hopes that the investigation of these allegations is thorough, open and transparent."

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


HOW VERY DISAPPOINTING, AND SILLY. IT REALLY DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A ZEBRA. I WONDER WHAT THEY ARE CHARGING FOR ADMISSION TO THE ZOO.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donkey-painted-zebra-cairo-international-garden-park-zoo-accused/
CBS NEWS July 27, 2018, 6:55 PM
Zoo accused of painting donkeys to look like zebras

An Egyptian zoo is insisting it did not paint a pair of donkeys to look like zebras.

Cairo's International Garden municipal park became a target of ridicule after an Egyptian student, Mahmoud Sarhan, posted images on Facebook of the suspicious beast. Sarhan said that the zoo's two zebras were obviously painted donkeys, a view that has since been embraced by online animal experts.

However, zoo director Mohamed Sultan told a local radio station that his zebras are real, dismissing claims that they are just painted donkeys, according to the BBC.

This is not the first time that a zoo has painted donkeys to look like zebras. In 2009, a zoo in Gaza did the same thing, saying that it could not procure real zebras due to an Israeli blockade.

painted zebra donkey
An alleged zebra stands with Egyptian student Mahmoud A. Sarhan. MAHMOUD A. SARHAN

"The first time we used paint but it didn't look good," the zoo's proprietor told Reuters at the time. "The children don't know, so they call them zebras and they are happy to see something new."

In 2013, a Chinese zoo was criticized for trying to pass off a large dog as a lion. "The zoo is absolutely trying to cheat us," one visitor told Chinese media. "They are trying to disguise dogs as lions."

Zebras and donkeys, despite both bearing a resemblance to horses, are different species. Donkeys are popular beasts of burden in developing countries and were domesticated millennia ago. Zebras, meanwhile, are primarily known for their black-and-white stripes.

Zebras also have black snouts, according to one expert. They are also larger and less donkey-like than the animal in the viral photo, and do not have smudged stripes.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



THE ONLY GOOD NEWS HERE IS THAT THE POPE ISN’T PROTECTING MCCARRICK. IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER, THOUGH, IF HE WERE CRIMINALLY CHARGED. A SEXUAL OFFENSE, ESPECIALLY ON A CHILD, IS NOT MERELY SHAMEFUL, IT’S DEEPLY HARMFUL. MEN (OR WOMEN) WHO DO IT SHOULD PAY A PENALTY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/theodore-mccarrick-resigns-from-college-of-cardinals-after-sexual-abuse-allegations-pope-francis-accepts-resignation-2018-07-28/
AP July 28, 2018, 11:56 AM
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick resigns over sexual abuse allegations

PHOTOGRAPH -- Cardinal Theodore McCarrick speaks during a news conference with senators and national religious leaders to respond to attempts at vilifying refugees and to call on lawmakers to engage in policymaking and not 'fear-mongering' at the U.S. Capitol December 8, 2015 in Washington, D.C. GETTY

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis has accepted U.S. prelate Theodore McCarrick's offer to resign from the College of Cardinals following allegations of sexual abuse, including one involving an 11-year-old boy. The pope ordered and ordered [sic] him to conduct a "life of prayer and penance" in a home to be designated by the pontiff until a church trial is held, the Vatican said Saturday.

Francis acted swiftly after receiving McCarrick's letter of resignation Friday evening, after recent weeks have brought a spate of allegations that the 88-year-old prelate in the course of his distinguished clerical career had sexually abused both boys and adult seminarians. The revelations posed a test to the pontiff's recently declared resolve to battle what he called a "culture of cover-up" of similar abuse in the Catholic's church's hierarchy.

McCarrick has been removed from public ministry since June 20, pending a full investigation into allegations he fondled a teenager over 40 years ago in New York City. A man, who was 11 at the time of the first alleged instance of abuse, says a sexually abusive relationship continued for two more decades. McCarrick has denied the initial allegation.

The prelate rose steadily up the U.S. Church's ranks, from auxiliary bishop in New York City, to bishop in Metuchen, N.J., to archbishop of Newark, N.J., and then to Archbishop of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, the city where the papal ambassador to the United States is based.

While most of the scandals involving pedophile clergy have involved rank-and-file priests, some cases involved bishops, and there are a few involving cardinals, including a current case in Australia of one of Pope Francis' closest advisers, Cardinal George Pell.

In the case of Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, accused by former seminarians in 2013 of sexual misconduct, Francis only accepted his resignation after the Vatican's top abuse prosecutor conducted a full investigation, two years after the first revelations came out.

But Saturday's announcement by the Holy See said that Francis was taking action, by isolating McCarrick and ordering his penance even before "accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial." In addition, Francis, "ordered his suspension from the exercise of any public ministry," indicating he was approving the measure already in effect since last month.

© 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


FROM berniesanders.com – TWO ARTICLES -- THESE AREN’T NEW, BUT THEY ARE SIGNIFICANT.

BERNIE SANDERS’ STAND ON THE RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-russian-government-interference-u-s-elections/
PRESS RELEASE
Sanders Statement on Russian Government Interference In U.S. Elections
FEBRUARY 21, 2018

BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday released the following statement on Russian government interference in U.S. elections:
“It is now clear to everyone that agents of the Russian government were, in a disgusting and dangerous manner, actively interfering in the 2016 elections in an effort to defeat Secretary Hillary Clinton. Based on media reports they intend to interfere in the mid-term elections of 2018. There has also been extensive reporting on the Russian government’s interference in European elections.

“All of this conduct taken together is a direct assault on the free democratic systems that stand in contrast to the autocratic, nationalistic kleptocracy of Vladimir Putin and his backers in the Russian oligarchy. Sadly, despite all this evidence, the only person who seems to be unconcerned about the subversion of democracy is our own president Donald Trump. Russian interference in both the 2016 primary and general election is unacceptable and everything possible must be done to ensure it does not happen again. No candidate, whether Secretary Clinton or anyone else, should have to wage an electoral contest in the face of foreign government intervention. The same is true of other kinds of interference the Russians engaged in, including posing as supporters of the social justice movement Black Lives Matter or members of the American Muslim community.

“Let there be no confusion about my view. What the Russians did in the 2016 election cycle deserves unconditional condemnation. That includes all of their conduct — whether it was active support of any candidate or active opposition to any candidate or the decision to not go after a candidate as a way of hurting or helping another campaign. This is true of any of the 2016 campaigns, including those of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, or my own. As someone who campaigned hard for Secretary Clinton from one end of this country to another, it is an outrage that she had to run against not only Donald Trump but also the Russian government. All Americans rightly expected and deserved a fair election free of foreign governmental intervention. The key issues now are two: how we prevent the unwitting manipulation of the electoral and political system of our country by foreign governments; and exposing who was actively consorting with the Russian government’s attack on our democracy.”

On background from an aide to Sanders: Based on public reporting, especially a Huffington Post piece from March of 2017 — months after the 2016 general election was over — volunteer administrators of pro-Bernie Facebook pages detected an influx of anti-Hillary Clinton trolls in the April – May 2016 timeframe. One of the people featured in the stories about the Russian interference is a volunteer administrator John Mattes of San Diego. In a February 16, 2018 story, NBC 7 San Diego reported that Mattes claims he took whatever information he had to Hillary for America in August and the Obama Administration in September of 2016. Speaking on Vermont Public Radio on2/21/2018, Senator Sanders alluded to the San Diego NBC affiliate’s reporting when he said that someone from the campaign had informed Hillary for America about the influx of anti-Hillary Clinton trolling that was occurring on pro-Bernie 2016 Facebook pages. In doing so, he was using the word “campaign” expansively to include not only the formal, institutional campaign, but also the broader network of volunteers and supporters of Bernie 2016 across the country.


BERNIE ON THE PROPOSED DNC REFORM COMMISSION

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-dnc-unity-reform-commission-2/
PRESS RELEASE
Sanders Statement on DNC Unity Reform Commission
DECEMBER 9, 2017
Twitter Facebook Email Link
WASHINGTON – U.S. SEN. BERNIE SANDERS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON SATURDAY FOLLOWING THE FIFTH AND FINAL MEETING OF THE DNC UNITY REFORM COMMISSION IN WASHINGTON D.C.:

“The Democratic Party will not become a vibrant and successful 50 state party until it opens its doors widely to the working people and young people of our country. I am extremely pleased that the Unity Reform Commission has begun that process, voting nearly unanimously to limit the role of super delegates along with making our caucuses and primaries more democratic. Now it is incumbent on the Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws committee and the membership of the DNC to enact these critical reforms as soon as possible.”



THE FOLLOWUP TO THE SANDERS ANNOUNCEMENT ABOVE – THIS ARTICLE ONLY SPEAKS OF “THE FIRST BALLOT.” HOW ABOUT THE WHOLE ELECTION? WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL THOSE “SUPERDELEGATES,” ANYWAY? PROBABLY THEY HAVE GIVEN A LARGE PLEDGED AMOUNT OF MONEY, PERHAPS?

https://www.npr.org/2018/06/27/623913044/dnc-officials-vote-to-scale-back-role-of-superdelegates-in-presidential-nominati
POLITICS
DNC Officials Vote To Scale Back Role Of 'Superdelegates' In Presidential Nomination
June 27, 2018 5:17 PM ET
SCOTT DETROW

PHOTOGRAPH -- Sen. Bernie Sanders is seen after the Vermont delegation cast their votes during roll call at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. After the bitter primary between Sanders and Hillary Clinton, the DNC set up a process that has led to reducing the role of party leaders in selecting the presidential nominee.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

A day after scoring dramatic victories in Maryland and New York primaries, progressives have notched another major win in the Democratic Party.

A Democratic National Committee panel has voted to drastically curtail the role 'superdelegates' play in the party's presidential nominating process. The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted 27 to 1 to block officeholders, DNC members, and other party dignitaries from casting decisive votes on the first ballot of presidential nominating conventions.

POLITICS
Democrats Plan Unusually Early 2020 Convention

Speaking ahead of the vote, DNC Chair Tom Perez said the shift is part of a broader effort to rebuild trust and heal the wounds of the still-lingering 2016 primary. "No candidate should have an accumulated lead, whether real or perceived, before a first ballot is cast," Perez said.

Eliminating superdelegates had been a top priority for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the wake of the 2016 primary. The independent called the vote "a major step forward" in a statement, saying, "this decision will ensure that delegates elected by voters in primaries and caucuses will have the primary role in selecting the Democratic Party's nominee."

Ever since 1984, the Democratic Party has given hundreds of party officials free rein to vote for any presidential candidate they want to, regardless of which candidate emerged from the primary season with the most delegates, or how their home state's primary or caucus turned out.

RELATED -- With Centrist Democrats' Success, Party's Identity Struggle Gets More Complicated

Superdelegates have never gone against the will of primary voters in picking Democratic presidential nominees. But their ability to do just that, if they wanted, and to affect the trajectory of a race has long been a major tension point between grassroots activists and the party establishment.

The question of how superdelegates would vote loomed over the 2016 primary, when an overwhelming majority of the Democratic establishment backed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Sanders.

Clinton won substantially more pledged delegates than Sanders in primaries and caucuses, but as Sanders' surprisingly strong primary run stretched through the spring, many of his supporters pointed to broad support for Clinton from unpledged delegates as Exhibit A of establishment cronyism.

This frustration reached a boiling point the day before the final set of primaries, when the Associated Press declared Clinton the Democrats' presumptive nominee based on a poll of superdelegates.

In the wake of the election, the DNC established the Unity Reform Commission to recommend changes for future elections. The commission, made up of people picked by Sanders, Clinton and current DNC leadership, recommended drastically reducing the number of unpledged delegates.

One Year In, DNC Turnaround Has A Long Way To Go
POLITICS
One Year In, DNC Turnaround Has A Long Way To Go

Perez said Democrats ultimately opted for a slightly different plan because he said the remaining pool of superdelegates would have been less diverse.

The unity commission was one of several steps Perez has taken to try and heal the bitter wounds of the 2016 primary, which were exasperated by hacked emails showing many DNC officials openly preferred Clinton to Sanders at a time when they were acting publicly as neutral arbiters. The DNC emails were hacked by Russian operatives as part of a campaign to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, and were released by Wikileaks on the eve of the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

"We have to make sure that we rebuild the trust among many who feel alienated from our party," Perez said at the beginning of the committee meeting.

The new procedures would allow superdelegates to vote for whomever they want in the unlikely event a presidential candidate isn't nominated on the first ballot and the convention becomes contested on the floor.

Given the fact that Democrats expect the 2020 presidential field to be their largest ever, that possibility, while still very remote, is possible.

The full Democratic National Committee will vote on the proposed rule change in August.

RELATED SUBJECTS

superdelegates
2020 presidential election
democratic national committee
sen. bernie sanders
democratic party


IS THIS PERHAPS THE END OF A LONG STORY? NO. IT’LL SURELY POP UP AGAIN AFTER A FEW YEARS. JUST KEEP WATCHING THE TABLOIDS.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amelia-earhart-case-closed-after-analysis-of-her-distress-signals-researcher-says/
CBS NEWS July 28, 2018, 9:54 AM
Amelia Earhart case "closed" after analysis of her distress signals, researcher says

The disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart 81 years ago is one of the greatest mysteries in American history. Researchers revealed a new clue this week that may shed light on what happened to Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, as they tried to circle the globe.

Ric Gillespie, who has researched Earhart's doomed flight for 30 years, says he has proof that Earhart crash-landed on a remote South Pacific island about 2,000 miles from Hawaii, and that she called for help for nearly a week before her plane was swept out to sea.

"Everybody expected a happy ending to the search because Amelia was out there calling for help and her calls were being heard," Gillespie said.

VIDEO – NEW CLUES TO AMELIA EARHART MYSTERY 00:31

He has located documentation of distress signals that were sent in the days after Earhart's disappearance. Those signals prompted the Navy to launch a rescue mission.

"It took the battleship a week to get there, by which time the radio signals had stopped, and when the planes flew over the island, they didn't see an airplane," Gillespie said.

"Now the airplane's manufacturer, Lockheed, had said that if you're hearing calls from this airplane it's not floating around in the water because the radios would be wet, it wouldn't work. The airplane is on land and able to run an engine to recharge the battery, so it's on its wheels. She's made a safe landing someplace," Gillespie said.

Gillespie said the calls weren't just heard by the Navy, but also by dozens of people who unexpectedly picked up Earhart's transmissions on their radios thousands of miles away. Reports of people hearing calls for help were documented in places like Florida, Iowa and Texas. One woman in Canada reported hearing a voice saying "we have taken in water. … We can't hold on much longer."

Gillespie's organization, The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, has also found forensic evidence that bones found on the island are almost certainly Earhart's.

While the official stance is that Earhart and Noonan were lost at sea, Gillespie said the radio evidence only strengthens his theory that they survived the initial landing.

"This case is closed," Gillespie said.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


IN RUSSIA’S SPHERE OF INFLUENCE – TWO ARTICLES

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/11/greece-to-expel-russian-diplomats-over-alleged-macedonia-interference
Greece to expel Russian diplomats over alleged Macedonia interference
Russia accused of trying to fan opposition to deal which will weaken its influence in Balkans
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Wed 11 Jul 2018 14.56 EDT

PHOTOGRAPH -- The Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, right, and his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, celebrate the new name deal. Photograph: Yorgos Karahalis/AP

Four Russian diplomats will be banned from Greece after evidence revealed Russia was trying to foment opposition to a historic deal between Greece and Macedonia that is likely to pave the way for Macedonia’s Nato membership and so weaken Russian influence in the western Balkans.

Greece said it would expel two Russian diplomats and ban two others.

Zoran Zaev, the Macedonian prime minister, speaking at the Nato summit in Brussels, indicated he knew Russia was behind some of the protests outside his own parliament, but he said his country was not going to seek conflict. “We are a small country. We want to build a friendship with everybody. There is no alternative but Nato membership,” he said.

He said countries, such as Bulgaria, managed to triple foreign direct investment after joining Nato, and he hoped it would deliver the same boost to his country.

Russia, involved in a wider struggle for influence with the EU across the region, has already been accused of backing a failed coup in Montenegro in 2016.

Russia said it would respond to the Greek expulsions by taking similar steps against Greek diplomats in Moscow.

Macedonia agrees to new name after 27-year dispute with Greece

The expulsion of the diplomats, revealed in the Greek media on Wednesday but relayed by the Greek government to Russia on 6 July, follows evidence they were encouraging rallies to oppose the Macedonian name deal, including offering bribes to opponents of the deal.

The historic naming deal, agreed on 17 June, will see the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia bow to Greek objections and change its name to Northern Macedonia. Greece had claimed the title Macedonia implied a territorial claim on the Greek province of the same name.

The Greek newspaper Kathimerini named the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, an organisation which promotes Russian ties to Christians in the Middle East, as being among the groups trying to fan Russian influence in Greece, including in the Greek Orthodox monastic community of Mount Athos.

A representative of the society denied it was involved in any alleged attempts to bribe senior Greek Orthodox clergymen, the Russian state Interfax news agency reported.

PHOTOGRAPH -- The Russian embassy in Athens. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In 2008 Nato agreed to invite Macedonia to join the military alliance once its name dispute was settled, and Wednesday’s Nato summit meeting in Brussels will conclude with a formal invitation to join Nato.

The name has been disputed between the two countries ever since the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.

Balkan states 'must embrace reform before EU ascension'

“We had issued warnings to Russian authorities for some time over [the actions of] these specific four diplomats and civilians, and on Friday it was officially raised, giving them a reasonable period of a few days to leave the country,” said a Greek government source.

The deal faces opposition in both Greece and in Macedonia, where a heated referendum is planned this autumn.

The Macedonian opposition is trying to block the establishment of an electoral commission required to prepare for the referendum. It is also accusing leading politicians in the Macedonian government of treason for agreeing to the deal.

Rejection of the deal inside Greece is, amongst others, coming from the seven MPs inside Independent Greeks (ANEL), the small rightwing nationalistic party in a governing coalition with the left wing Syriza, headed by Greece’s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras.

The name issue has led to splits inside ANEL, and Russian media has been promoting the idea of a new populist party led by Dimitris Kammenos, dedicated to blocking the name change.

Russia and Greece have until now maintained warm relations, with Athens one of the few countries that rejected a British request to expel diplomats in the wake of British claims of Russian involvement in the poisoning of the Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury. But the Russian embassy in Athens has been previously accused of interfering in Greek politics following the leak of a tranche of emails in 2015.


MONTENEGRO NEWS AND TRUMP’S INSULT OF A WEEK OR SO AGO. HE REALLY STAYS BUSY.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/19/how-trump-destabilised-montenegro-with-a-few-words
How Trump destabilised Montenegro with a few words
Anger and disbelief after US president implied that Balkan state unworthy of Nato’s defence
Helena Smith in Athens
Thu 19 Jul 2018 12.23 EDT

PHOTOGRAPH -- A Montenegrin guard of honour stands next to Nato flag during a ceremony to mark Montenegro’s accession to the organisation in June 2017. Photograph: Stevo Vasiljevic/Reuters

In the height of summer, Montenegrins are usually preoccupied with cooling themselves off along the Adriatic coast. This year, the heat has been turned up even more, after Donald Trump characterised the tiny Balkan country’s people as “very aggressive” and capable of sparking a third world war.

Barely a year since the former Yugoslav republic joined Nato, Trump’s remarks – in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday – have been met with a mix of mockery, contempt and outright disbelief. Publicly and privately officials admit that the US president’s latest verbal volley has hurt.

Asked by host Tucker Carlson in a conversation about Nato’s common defence policy: “Why should my son go to Montenegro to defend it from attack?” the US president replied: “I understand what you’re saying. I’ve asked the same question.

“Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people ... They’re very aggressive people. They may get aggressive, and congratulations, you’re in world war three.”

Donald Trump said: ‘Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people ... They’re very aggressive people.’ Photograph: Jussi Nukari/Rex/Shutterstock

On Thursday, after 48 hours of remaining tight-lipped, the Montenegrin government hit back, defending its role as “a stabilising state” and saying it was proud of belonging to the 29-member military alliance.

“Today as a new Nato member and candidate for EU membership Montenegro contributes to peace and stability not only on the European continent but worldwide, along with US soldiers in Afghanistan,” it said. “We build friendships, and we have not lost a single one … in today’s world, it does not matter how big or small you are, but to what extent you cherish the values of freedom, solidarity and democracy.”

Earlier, sources had sought to play down the comments, citing the possible impact on the 629,000-strong country in a post-Trumpian world of shifting susceptibilities and global insecurity.

For a government that pushed hard for Nato membership – selling accession to the alliance as a guarantee of future security despite immense internal opposition among a people that had briefly been the target of Nato bombing in 1999 – Trump’s implication that the strategic state is unworthy of defence has both beggared belief and elicited disappointment.
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“Far be it for me to comment on what a US president says, but he seems to be out of touch with US policy goals and not know what Nato is,” said Vesko Garčević, Montenegro’s former ambassador to Nato, who oversaw the country’s accession talks. “Membership was a strategic shift,” he told the Guardian from Podgorica, the country’s capital. “It was about joining the western club, embracing western values, not only about security. For Montenegro and the alliance it was a huge achievement, a very big success.”

Like most Balkan experts, Garčević fears that Trump’s intervention, so soon after his meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in Helsinki, not only mirrors Moscow’s anti-Nato messaging but plays directly into Putin’s hands.

“To have the president of the US, the most powerful member of the alliance, question Nato’s principle of solidarity can only work in Russia’s favour,” he said. “One should ‘never say never’ when it comes to Trump … but this is insane. I can tell you these days we are thinking about our holidays, heading to resorts along the Adriatic, not waging world war three.”

With EU accession processes for most western Balkan states in stasis, Putin may be tempted to fill the space by testing the willingness of Nato members to respond in the event of another being attacked, say analysts.

“Trump’s remarks further undermine Nato and his message may be interpreted in Moscow as a clear sign that the current US government will not support its allies, should Moscow seek to destabilise the region by whatever means,” said Kenneth Morrison, professor of modern south-east European history at De Montfort University in Leicester. “What’s important for the region is certainty and a clear sense of direction for the western Balkans – a clear EU perspective and, for those that seek it, Nato membership.”

Few countries as small as Montenegro – the state has an army of around 2,000 with 400 reservists – has annoyed Moscow as much. When Podgorica signed up to the alliance it completed an arc that ran along the eastern Adriatic, from Croatia to Greece, that Nato would control.

Infuriated that the west should encroach on areas long viewed as falling within its own sphere of influence, Moscow reacted with barely concealed fury, going so far as to support a coup in 2016 against the government of then prime minister, Milo Đukanović. Although the putsch ultimately failed it had been hoped that with Đukanović’s assassination, a pro-Russian party would be brought to power.

“As the Montenegrin government drew closer to Nato membership, it also supported EU sanctions against Russia. There was a steady decline in Montenegrin-Russian relations, which traditionally had been very good, from 2014 onward,” said Morrison.

Podgorica’s support for EU sanctions against Russia, despite close commercial, political and cultural ties, had been cause for sharp rebuke with Russia’s ambassador to Serbia, Aleksandar Čepurin, likening Montenegro’s attempts to join Nato to “a monkey chasing a banana”.

<b>As such, the US president’s comments not only undermined the government but could also embolden the country’s pro-Russian and anti-Nato opposition. “Such comments only bolster the opposition Democratic Front, who have been alleged to have links with the Russian government,” Morrison said. “Many of them were anti-Nato and pro-Trump, largely because of Trump’s campaign rhetoric about what he regarded as the unviability of Nato.”

Wesley Clark, a retired US army general and former Nato supreme allied commander, went further, voicing concerns that Trump’s remarks could destablise the traditionally volatile Balkan region. “Worrying to hear Trump use Russian talking points with Tucker Carlson, about Montenegro,” he said in a tweet referring to Trump’s Fox News interviewer. “Montenegro has been under continuous pressure by Russia for more than a decade. Trump’s comments weaken Nato, give Russia a license to cause trouble and thereby actually increase the risks of renewed conflict in the Balkans.”



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