SEPTEMBER 14, 2018

NEWS AND VIEWS

THE TOP NEWS STORY TODAY WILL OF COURSE BE HURRICANE FLORENCE. HURRICANES USED TO BE NAMED FOR WOMEN ONLY, BUT BECAUSE WOMEN ARE FEROCIOUS IN ANGER AND, TO MEN AT LEAST, UNPREDICTABLE. THE FEMINISTS STEPPED IN WITH OUR FEROCIOUS ANGER ABOUT THAT SORT OF SOCIAL STIGMATIZATION AND THE MALE DOMINATED SCIENCE AND GOVERNMENT TOOK A STEP BACKWARD ACROSS THE LINE. THEY NOW NAME THEM BY BOTH SEXES, TAKING TURN ABOUT. THAT'S GOOD. THIS HURRICANE IS ONE OF THOSE FICKLE FEMALE KINDS, THOUGH. SO WATCH THE MOMENT TO MOMENT NEWS COVERAGE FOR YOURSELVES ON
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/hurricane-florence-category-1-path-tracking-latest-weather-forecast-north-carolina-2018-09-14-live/.

I WILL NOW PROCEED TO ANOTHER STORM RELATED SUBJECT, OF A MORE SERIOUS KIND. APPARENTLY, OFFICIALS HAVE IN THE PAST TARGETED STORM REFUGEES TO ARREST THEM FOR IMMIGRATION ISSUES. PARDON ME FOR PUTTING IT THIS WAY, BUT THAT REALLY WOULD BE DESPICABLE!! THANK YOU, FEMA, FOR SHOWING THAT LEVEL OF DECENCY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-florence-federal-officials-halt-immigration-arrests-today-2018-09-14/
CBS/AP September 14, 2018, 12:44 PM
Federal officials halt immigration arrests during Hurricane Florence

WILMINGTON, N.C. — U.S. immigration officials say they won't do any active enforcement during evacuations or in shelters during Hurricane Florence. Homeland Security officials say Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are focused on the preservation of life and safety.

The Trump administration has stepped up arrests of people living in the country illegally, but during this storm they say they won't enforce immigration laws unless there's a serious public safety threat.

Immigration officers have been dispatched to help with response and recovery as Florence lashes North and South Carolina with life-threatening winds, rain and floods.

But Jeff Byard of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says saving lives is the priority, and anyone fearing for their safety should call 911 for help. Federal officials say they don't want people to fear going to shelters.

The hurricane made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina at about 7:17 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said. The Category 1 storm is expected to move further across parts of North Carolina and South Carolina Friday and Saturday. More than 1 million people are under mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders, with more than 10 million people under storm watches or warnings.

© 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 THE KIND OF THING THAT MAKES ME ASK QUESTIONS. I’M WAITING FOR SOME ANSWERS AS TO HOW THIS HAPPENED TO SO MANY AT THE SAME TIME. “OVERPRESSURIZED GAS LINES” – WHY AND HOW DID THIS HAPPEN -- CYBER TERROR? ANCIENT GAS LINES? I DO THINK, HOWEVER, THAT THIS MAY BE HOW CYBERWARFARE WOULD APPEAR ON THE HOME SCENE. WE WOULDN’T SEE A COMPUTER SNAFU, BUT HOMES EXPLODING. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT MIGHT BE A TECHNICAL ERROR BY LOCAL CREWS AS THEY “UPGRADE THE GAS LINES ACROSS THE STATE.”

GAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN DANGEROUS, THOUGH. THAT’S WHY A STRONGLY SCENTED CHEMICAL MERCAPTAN HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE GAS FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. NATURAL GAS IS SCENTLESS. IT DOESN’T JUST CAUSE FIRES, BUT SUFFOCATION AS WELL. WE’LL HEAR MORE ON THIS, I’M SURE. IT’S TOO SCARY TO IGNORE.

FOR THE SCOOP ON NATURAL GAS, SEE THIS VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE WHICH I HAVE INSERTED BELOW.
http://www.safegas.org/about/about.html



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawrence-ma-fire-gas-explosion-suspected-2018-09-13-live-updates/
CBS/AP September 13, 2018, 6:30 PM
"It looked like Armageddon": Deadly gas blasts destroy homes, spark fires

Last Updated Sep 14, 2018 6:46 AM EDT

LAWRENCE, Mass. -- A series of gas explosions an official described as "Armageddon"-like killed a teenager, injured at least 10 other people and ignited fires in at least 39 homes in three communities north of Boston, forcing entire neighborhoods to evacuate as crews scrambled to fight the flames and shut off the gas.

Authorities said Leonel Rondon, 18, of Lawrence, died Thursday after a chimney toppled by an exploding house crashed into his car. He was rushed to a Boston hospital but pronounced dead there in the evening.

Massachusetts State Police urged all residents with homes serviced by Columbia Gas in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover to evacuate, snarling traffic and causing widespread confusion as residents and local officials struggled to understand what was happening.

"It looked like Armageddon, it really did," Andover Fire Chief Michael Mansfield told reporters. "There were billows of smoke coming from Lawrence behind me. I could see pillars of smoke in front of me from the town of Andover."

Gov. Charlie Baker said state and local authorities are investigating but that it could take days or weeks before they turn up answers.

"This is still very much an active scene," he said. "There will be plenty of time later tonight, tomorrow morning and into the next day to do some of the work around determining exactly what happened and why."

Early Friday, the utility issued a statement saying its crews need to visit each of the 8,600 affected customers to shut off each gas meter and conduct a safety inspection.

"Additional support is being provided by crews from several affiliated Columbia Gas companies and other utilities," the statement said. "We expect this will be an extended restoration effort, and we will work tirelessly to restore service to the affected customers."

mass-fire2.jpg
A house burns in Lawrence, Mass., Sept. 13, 2018; officials said dozens of fires and explosions were reported after an apparent gas line problem WBZ-TV

Baker previously said authorities hadn't heard directly from Columbia Gas, but later called the company's response "adequate."

By late Thursday, all the fires had been doused but many areas remained silent and dark after residents fled and after power companies cut electricity to prevent further fires.

Images from CBS Boston's Skyeye helicopter Thursday night showed huge areas of darkened neighborhoods, illuminated only by the lights of police cruisers, dispersed to keep the peace and direct traffic.

Schools in all three communities were canceled for Friday, and some schools were being used as shelters for residents.

Lawrence resident Bruce Razin was among the evacuees standing outside the Colonial Heights neighborhood near the city's high school trying to decide what to do next late Thursday.

Officials had cut power in the area and the streets were pitch black, save for emergency vehicle lights. Razin said he arrived just as residents were being evacuated, and immediately saw the house two doors down was leveled from an explosion.

house-explosion.jpg
Damaged house in Lawrence, Mass., after a series of gas explosions and fires in the area on Sept. 13, 2018 WBZ-TV

"I couldn't imagine if that was my house," said Razin, who purchased his home nearly two years ago. "It's total destruction. I'd be completely devastated."

With a backpack filled with personal items he had hastily grabbed, he said he'd head to his mother's home a few towns over for the night.

In Lawrence, a man whose neighborhood was among dozens that erupted in fire says he ran into his basement to find that the room was glowing. Resident Ra Nam says he was in his yard when the smoke detector in his basement went off around 4:30 p.m. EDT Thursday.

When he ran downstairs and saw the boiler on fire, he quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out. Minutes later, Nam said he heard a loud boom from his neighbor's house and the ground shook. Nam said a woman and two kids had made it out of the house but the basement was on fire.

Lawrence General Hospital said it was treating 10 victims, including at least one in critical condition.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency blamed the fires on gas lines that had become over-pressurized but said investigators were still examining what happened.

Columbia had announced earlier Thursday that it would be upgrading gas lines in neighborhoods across the state, including the area where the explosions happened. It was not clear whether work was happening there Thursday, and a spokeswoman did not return calls.

Reached by phone, some local officials described scenes of panic as residents rushed to evacuate, many wondering if their homes would be next to erupt in flames. In North Andover, town selectman Phil Decologero said his entire neighborhood had gathered in the street, afraid to enter their homes. Just a few streets down, he said, homes were burning.

"It's definitely a scary situation at the moment," he said. "It's pretty severe."

Aerial footage of the area showed some homes that appeared to be torn apart by blasts. At one, the upper portion of a brick chimney crushed an SUV parked in the driveway.

Soon after the first fires, Lawrence City Councilor Marc Laplante was warning residents in the Colonial Heights neighborhood to evacuate but said traffic had become a problem.

"People need to get out of this area safely," he said at the time. "It's really difficult because the traffic right now is horrendous."

Joseph Solomon, the police chief in nearby Methuen, said 20 to 25 homes were on fire in Lawrence when he responded to help. He said there are so many fires "you can't even see the sky."

The three communities house more than 146,000 residents about 26 miles (40 kilometers) north of Boston, near the New Hampshire border. Lawrence, the largest of them, is a majority Latino city with a population of about 80,000.

"Lawrence is a very resilient community. We're going to get through this together," Mayor Dan Rivera told reporters as emergency lights illuminated smoke in the night sky nearby.

Gas explosions have claimed lives and destroyed property around the U.S. in recent years:

- A buildup of natural gas triggered an explosion and fire that killed seven people in apartments in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2016.

- In 2014, a gas explosion in New York City's East Harlem neighborhood killed eight people and injured about 50. Consolidated Edison later agreed to pay $153 million to settle charges after the state's Public Service Commission found Con Ed violated state safety regulations. A gas leak had been reported before that blast.

- A 2011 natural gas explosion killed five people in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and that state's largest gas utility was fined by regulators who called the company's safety record "downright alarming."

- In September 2010, a Pacific Gas and Electric gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, California, killing eight people and destroying 38 homes.

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


http://www.safegas.org/about/about.html
About Natural Gas

According to the American Gas Association, more than 60 million customers use natural gas in homes and businesses in the United States. In fact, natural gas provides about 24 percent of all the energy that is used across the nation.

What is natural gas?
Natural gas is formed deep underground, usually in areas around coal and oil. The raw form of natural gas that we use for energy is called methane. Other substances found in natural gas, such as butane, propane, and ethane, are removed before we use the methane gas that we call natural gas in appliances or equipment.

How was natural gas created?
The natural gas we use was formed millions of years ago when organic matter was buried in the earth and ocean floor. Over time, thick layers of mud, sand, silt and rock settled over the matter, pushing it deeper and deeper into the earth’s crust. As the layers of matter built up, pressure and heat from the shifting surface of the earth filled the resulting cracks and crevices with oil and natural gas.

Is natural gas safe?
Yes! Natural gas has a very limited range of flammability. This means that it takes just the right mixture of air and natural gas before it can burn. Also, natural gas is lighter than air, so it usually will safely rise and disperse into the air if it is allowed to vent freely. Even with this in mind, it is very important to understand natural gas and to be aware of safety tips concerning its use. Most accidents occur because of lack of knowledge that leads to unsafe equipment or appliances, not because natural gas itself is unsafe.

What is mercaptan?
Your nose knows—the smell of mercaptan is unmistakable. And that’s exactly why it is added to natural gas, helping you detect even the smallest amount of natural gas leaking into the air. In its native state, natural gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. Mercaptan, the harmless chemical that is added to natural gas, contains sulfur, which makes it smell. Many people describe the odor of mercaptan as similar to rotten eggs. When mercaptan is added to natural gas, it rises and dissipates much like the gas itself, making the two substances ideal companions.

Are we running out of natural gas?
The natural gas we are using today took millions of years to form. That is why scientists and engineers are doing all they can to help us use this natural resource efficiently. In addition, we always are searching for new sources of natural gas deep in the ground, even under the ocean. What’s more, energy engineers are busy developing ways we can utilize natural gas that is being created in landfills across the nation. This gas, called biogas, is more than half methane, which is the substance we need most for fuel. There are more than 300 landfills being tapped for biogas today and another 500 will probably be in use someday soon. These are just some of the reasons experts believe we have plenty of natural gas for today and the future.

Why is natural gas considered the clean fuel?
Of all fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), natural gas burns the cleanest. This means that it produces very few pollutants (smoke) when it is used as fuel, keeping the air and our environment clean. In the near future, for example, as more cars, trucks and buses run on compressed natural gas, these vehicles will produce only one-half of one percent of the carbon monoxide that gasoline-powered engines now produce.

Natural gas is cost-efficient and reliable too.
Natural gas is a cost-efficient energy source because it converts most of the fuel as it burns (about 90 percent) directly into energy that can be used to heat homes or operate appliances. And, because most of the pipes that deliver natural gas are buried underground, they are extremely reliable and unlikely to lose their ability to work during any type of weather.

How does natural gas get to my home or business?
Gas companies use huge pipelines to transfer natural gas to communities nationwide. Around 2 million miles of underground pipes are used for this amazing delivery system. Once harvested, cleaned and processed, natural gas travels under pressure through these pipelines at about 15 miles per hour.

After the natural gas reaches a gate station, the pressure is reduced and mercaptan is added (giving it that all-too-familiar rotten egg smell). The gas then moves through plastic and steel pipes to neighborhoods and flows into narrow service lines for homes and businesses.



I HAD JUST A TEASER ON THIS STORY LAST NIGHT ON THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW, AND WONDERED WHAT THE NEWS HOUNDS HAD FOUND ABOUT HIM. THIS REALLY IS A SERIOUS CHARGE, (AS IF GIVING FALSE INFORMATION TO PLEASE A CLEARLY DANGEROUS POLITICAL FACTION AND, FURTHER, SUPPORTING A GROSSLY UNSUITABLE MAN IN THE PRESIDENCY, ISN’T.) AM I BEING UNFAIR TO KAVANAUGH? YOU KNOW I’M NOT, BUT IF YOU’RE A TEA PARTY INFLUENCED REPUBLICAN YOU WILL WANT TO THINK I AM. TO SUCH PEOPLE, FAILING TO GROVEL IS UNFAIR, AND TELLING THE TRUTH IS ALSO “GETTING OUT OF YOUR PLACE.” FIGHTING TO GET YOUR PIECE OF THE FINANCIAL PIE IS THEFT. BEND THE KNEE, SERF!! TUT! TUT! TUT! SO, GO TO THE RED MEAT BELOW. I DO, OF COURSE, WANT TO SEE THE SOURCE AND THE INDICATIONS THAT THIS STORY IS TRUE. HIS HIGH SCHOOL WAS A LOT ROWDIER THAN MINE, THANK GOODNESS.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-alleges-brett-kavanaugh-attempted-145025772.html
Brett Kavanaugh Accused Of Attempting To Sexually Assault A Woman In High School
Amanda Terkel
HuffPost • September 14, 2018

A woman is accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of attempting to sexually assault her by locking her in a room and forcing himself on her at a party while they were both in high school.

Kavanaugh, in a statement to The New Yorker, which broke the details of the encounter, denied the claim.

“I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation,” he said. “I did not do this back in high school or at any time.”

The woman, whose identity is still not public, sent Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) a letter in the summer, after Kavanaugh was nominated, sharing her concerns about him.

From The New Yorker:

The allegation dates back to the early nineteen-eighties, when Kavanaugh was a high-school student at Georgetown Preparatory School, in Bethesda, Maryland, and the woman attended a nearby high school. In the letter, the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom had been drinking, turned up music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. She was able to free herself. Although the alleged incident took place decades ago and the three individuals involved were minors, the woman said that the memory had been a source of ongoing distress for her, and that she had sought psychological treatment as a result.

The classmate who was reportedly with Kavanaugh said he has “no recollection” of the incident.

CNN also reported that Kavanaugh allegedly tried to remove the woman’s clothes and that she later sought medical treatment:

Both men were drunk, she said, and Kavanaugh attempted to remove her clothes.

At one point, Kavanaugh was on top of her laughing as the other male in the room periodically jumped onto Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh held his hand over her mouth at one point, and she said she felt her life was inadvertently in danger.

She said she was able to leave the room and go into a hallway bathroom. After Kavanaugh and the other male began talking to others in the house, she went home.

There is no indication the woman reported the incident to law enforcement at the time, but she said she has received medical treatment regarding the alleged assault.

Rumors of this letter and sexual misconduct allegations have been swirling for weeks on Capitol Hill, with reporters and other Democratic senators pressing Feinstein, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, to share the information.

On Thursday, Feinstein finally acknowledged she had received a letter but did not want to give more details because the subject did not want to go public. She said she referred the matter to the FBI.

Sources close to Feinstein say she was acting out of concern for the privacy of the woman. But The New Yorker reports that Feinstein “conveyed to other Democratic members’ offices that the incident was too distant in the past to merit public discussion, and that Feinstein had ‘taken care of it.’” She also thought Democrats should focus on legal issues with Kavanaugh, rather than personal ones.

Republicans dismissed the revelation about the letter on Thursday. And on Friday, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) retweeted someone who was mocking it as a game of telephone.


Senator John Cornyn
✔
@JohnCornyn
· Sep 13, 2018
Let me get this straight: this is statement about secret letter regarding a secret matter and an unidentified person. Right. https://twitter.com/craigcaplan/status/1040284648969056256 …


Ronda Kay Moreland
@ProducerRondaK
Theme song for this #BreakingNews yesterday:
"Heard it from a friend who, heard from a friend who, heard it from another....." #Kavanaugh #Feinstein https://youtu.be/rcKFtyy1FPM

54
10:47 AM - Sep 14, 2018
YouTube ‎@YouTube

100 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also released a letter Friday morning from 65 women who said they supported Kavanaugh.

The offices of Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who are considered possible “no” votes against Kavanaugh, did not immediately return a request for comment.

The White House put out a statement on Thursday, calling the controversy an “11th hour attempt to delay” Kavanaugh’s confirmation. The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh on Sept. 20.

This piece has been updated with a more descriptive definition of the Kavanaugh allegations.

Arthur Delaney and Shirish Date contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.


IT ISN’T JUST THE REPUBLICANS AND US AVERAGE JOHN DOES WHO ARE DISTURBED BY THIS STORY. I WANT BETTER FROM MY REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-sexual-misconduct-allegation-against-the-supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaugh-stirs-tension-among-democrats-in-congress
News Desk
A Sexual-Misconduct Allegation Against the Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Stirs Tension Among Democrats in Congress
By Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer 10:33 A.M.

IMAGE -- Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee, at his confirmation hearing. Photograph by Mark Peterson / Redux for The New Yorker

On Thursday, Senate Democrats disclosed that they had referred a complaint regarding President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the F.B.I. for investigation. The complaint came from a woman who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were both in high school, more than thirty years ago.

The woman, who has asked not to be identified, first approached Democratic lawmakers in July, shortly after Trump nominated Kavanaugh. The allegation dates back to the early nineteen-eighties, when Kavanaugh was a high-school student at Georgetown Preparatory School, in Bethesda, Maryland, and the woman attended a nearby high school. In the letter, the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom had been drinking, turned up music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. She was able to free herself. Although the alleged incident took place decades ago and the three individuals involved were minors, the woman said that the memory had been a source of ongoing distress for her, and that she had sought psychological treatment as a result.

In a statement, Kavanaugh said, “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.”

Kavanaugh’s classmate said of the woman’s allegation, “I have no recollection of that.”

The woman declined a request for an interview.

In recent months, the woman had told friends that Kavanaugh’s nomination had revived the pain of the memory, and that she was grappling with whether to go public with her story. She contacted her congresswoman, Anna Eshoo, a Democrat, sending her a letter describing her allegation. (When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Eshoo’s office cited a confidentiality policy regarding constituent services and declined to comment further on the matter.)

The letter was also sent to the office of Senator Dianne Feinstein. As the ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Feinstein was preparing to lead Democratic questioning of Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing weeks later. The woman contacted Feinstein’s office directly, according to multiple sources.

After the interactions with Eshoo’s and Feinstein’s offices, the woman decided not to speak about the matter publicly. She had repeatedly reported the allegation to members of Congress and, watching Kavanaugh move toward what looked like an increasingly assured confirmation, she decided to end her effort to come forward, a source close to the woman said. Feinstein’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Feinstein’s decision to handle the matter in her own office, without notifying other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stirred concern among her Democratic colleagues. For several days, Feinstein declined requests from other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee to share the woman’s letter and other relevant communications. A source familiar with the committee’s activities said that Feinstein’s staff initially conveyed to other Democratic members’ offices that the incident was too distant in the past to merit public discussion, and that Feinstein had “taken care of it.” On Wednesday, after media inquiries to the Democratic members multiplied, and concern among congressional colleagues increased, Feinstein agreed to brief the other Democrats on the committee, with no staff present.

VIDEO FROM THE NEW YORKER
Trump Nominates Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court

On Thursday, Feinstein announced that she had referred the matter to the F.B.I. “I have received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court,” Feinstein said. “That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities.”

In a statement, an F.B.I. spokesperson said, “Upon receipt of the information on the night of September 12, we included it as part of Judge Kavanaugh’s background file, as per the standard process.”

After Feinstein’s announcement, a White House spokesperson, Kerri Kupec, wrote, about Kavanaugh, “Not until the eve of his confirmation has Sen. Feinstein or anyone raised the specter of new ‘information’ about him,” calling it an “11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation.”

Given the heightened attention to issues of sexual misconduct amid the #MeToo movement, the political risks of mishandling the allegation were acute, particularly for Feinstein, who is up for reëlection this year and is facing a challenge from her left. During Clarence Thomas’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, in 1991, the Senate was accused by some of failing to take seriously enough Anita Hill’s allegations that Thomas had sexually harassed her while acting as her boss at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After the Thomas hearings concluded, it emerged that Senator Joe Biden, who was the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee at the time, had failed to call three additional women to the witness stand who had been willing to offer testimony confirming Hill’s complaints about Thomas’s inappropriate behavior toward women. Last December, Biden, who may run for President in 2020, publicly apologized for failing Hill, saying, “I wish I had been able to do more.”

Sources familiar with Feinstein’s decision suggested that she was acting out of concern for the privacy of the accuser, knowing that the woman would be subject to fierce partisan attacks if she came forward. Feinstein also acted out of a sense that Democrats would be better off focussing on legal, rather than personal, issues in their questioning of Kavanaugh. Sources who worked for other members of the Judiciary Committee said that they respected the need to protect the woman’s privacy, but that they didn’t understand why Feinstein had resisted answering legitimate questions about the allegation. “We couldn’t understand what their rationale is for not briefing members on this. This is all very weird,” one of the congressional sources said. Another added, “She’s had the letter since late July. And we all just found out about it.”

Ronan Farrow is a contributing writer to The New Yorker and a television anchor and investigative reporter whose work also appears on HBO. He is the author of the book “War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence.” Ronan Farrow is a contributing writer to The New Yorker and a television anchor and investigative reporter whose work also appears on HBO. A series of stories he wrote exposing the sexual predation of the movie producer Harvey Weinstein won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2018. He is the author of “War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence.”
Jane Mayer has been a New Yorker staff writer since 1995.Read more »


WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN WILL NOT BE REELECTED? WHY DID SHE SHIELD KAVANAUGH? AND WHY DID SHE JUST NOW, AFTER MONTHS, DECIDE TO PUBLISH IT? WHAT CAUSED THAT CHANGE OF DIRECTION? THERE SHOULD BE A TRIGGER HERE, IT SEEMS TO ME.

“NOT MAKING THE WOMAN’S NAME PUBLIC” IS NOT THE SAME THING AS FAILING TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT IT. I’M SURE WITNESSES ARE SOMETIMES KEPT ANONYMOUS, OR I ASSUME SO. THERE PROBABLY ARE RULES AGAINST GOVERNMENT SECRECY IN SOME CASES, TOO. FOR FEINSTEIN NOT TO MENTION IT AT ALL, IS PRETTY ODD TO ME – AS THOUGH SHE WERE PURPOSELY SHIELDING HIM?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cbs-news-journalist-reveals-air-172329023.html
Feinstein explains decision to keep letter making claims against Kavanaugh private
BY CHRIS MILLS RODRIGO - 09/14/18 04:42 PM EDT

PHOTOGRAPH – SEN. DIANE FEINSTEIN

Sen. Diane Feinstein's (D-Calif.) office on Friday defended the senator's decision not to publicize information regarding allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

A spokesperson for Feinstein said the woman who accused Kavanaugh "did not want this information to be public."

"The senator took these allegations seriously and believed they should be public," the statement read. "However, the woman in question made it clear she did not want this information to be public. It is critical in matters of sexual misconduct to protect the identity of the victim when they wish to remain anonymous, and the senator did so in this case."

The letter, which reportedly details an incident between Kavanaugh an unknown woman when the two were in high school, was reportedly first given to Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.). Feinstein has declined to answer questions about the letter's contents, since it came to light on Wednesday.

Kavanaugh on Friday denied an allegation of sexual misconduct, a day after Senate Democrats said they had referred the incident to the FBI, which confirmed that it received the letter on Thursday.

A government official on Thursday confirmed that a criminal investigation has not been opened into the matter.

The statement from Feinstein's office comes as the senator faces criticism for her handling of the letter from her progressive challenger, Kevin de León.

De León took aim at Feinstein for not bringing up the allegations sooner.

“The American people deserve to know why the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee waited nearly three months to hand this disqualifying document over to federal authorities,’’ De León said in a statement provided to Politico Friday.

“And why Senator Feinstein politely pantomimed her way through last week’s hearing without a single question about the content of Kavanaugh’s character.”

The allegations against Kavanaugh come less than a week after the Supreme Court pick finished a heated days-long confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

TAGS ANNA ESHOO


I BELIEVE THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE PRINT MEDIA’S TERM, “BURYING” THE STORY? IF IT’S SLOWED DOWN MUCH, THAT WILL ESSENTIALLY BURY IT, GIVEN THE SPEED THAT THE REST OF THE NET MOVES; AND WITHOUT A VISIBLE AND RECOGNIZED MARKER, THE REASONS THAT THE FCC SLOWED IT DOWN WILL NOT BE APPARENT. THEY NEED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE, OR THEY WILL BE JUST ANOTHER “BIG BROTHER” SYSTEM. THERE COULD BE NO EVIDENCE FOR A DEFENSE BY THE FILE OWNER. THAT’S DANGEROUS AND UNFAIR; AND AS FOR THIS IDEA OF SLOWING THE WHOLE INTERNET SPEED DOWN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO ME. HOW WILL THAT HELP FIND FALSE INFORMATION, UNLESS THE COMPUTER IS CONSTANTLY AND CONTEMPORANEOUSLY FACT CHECKING. WITH ALL THE POINTS THAT THE COMPUTER WOULD HAVE TO EXAMINE, I DON’T SEE HOW THAT IS POSSIBLE. I’M NO PROGRAMMER, BUT THAT KIND OF DETAIL ON LARGE FILES IS TOO COMPLEX. IT MAY JUST BE MY PERSONALITY, BUT I DON’T WANT THE PROCESSING OF SEARCHES TO MOVE AT THE SPEED OF COLD MOLASSES. SO, ALL IN ALL, I WOULD NIX THIS GOOGLE SUGGESTION.

MY FEAR WITH ALL THIS IS THAT AUTHORITARIAN OR OTHERWISE BAD DUDES IN THE GOVERNMENT (IN THE FUTURE OF COURSE) WILL “BURY” MY FILES, FOR INSTANCE, BECAUSE I SAY CONTROVERSIAL THINGS. THAT’S WHAT THE FCC ISSUE OF NET NEUTRALITY WAS ABOUT, IN MY CASE, MAKING A USER’S WORK UNABLE TO COMPETE UNLESS THEY PAY MORE MONEY FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF REACHING THE PUBLIC. CAN THIS BE A GOOD THING? TO THE VERY WEALTHY, I SEE IT’S USEFULNESS, BUT I SEE CONSIDERABLE UNFAIRNESS IN IT FOR THE 90%.

WHAT ABOUT SOME OF OUR SO VERY INVENTIVE HACKERS USING SYMBOLS, MARKING EVERY FALSE STORY AS FALSE ALONGSIDE ANOTHER SYMBOL TO DESIGNATE THE NATURE OF THE FALSEHOOD; IF A “FALSE” DESIGNATION IS EXPLAINED IN EACH CASE SO THAT IT CAN BE DISPUTED, IT WOULDN’T BE SO UNFAIR, THOUGH IT MIGHT STILL BE INACCURATE INFORMATION. MAYBE THE TECHIE OR THE MACHINE WHICH DESIGNATED IT AS FALSE WAS IN ERROR. MY WORD FILE OCCASIONALLY GIVES ME BAD AND INACCURATE ADVICE ON GRAMMAR, FOR INSTANCE.

AFTER THAT MARKING, THEN GO AHEAD AND SLOW IT DOWN. SLOWING FALSE FILES DOWN IS INTERESTING, BUT NOT WITHOUT MAKING THEM IDENTIFIABLE, AND FINALLY, MAKING THAT MARK PART OF THE ESSENTIAL ID OF THE FILE, SO IT COULD BE SEARCHED AS “FALSE.” THE COMPUTER COULD KICK THOSE BAD FILES OUT TO ANOTHER DESIGNATED GROUPING WHICH CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY A SPECIAL MEANS.

FINALLY, I ALSO THINK THAT THE OWNER OF A FILE WITH MORE THAN 30 OR SO “FALSE” MARKERS IN IT, SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR INTERNET FRAUD AND THE OWNER PENALIZED FINANCIALLY. IF IT IS A SERIOUS MATTER LIKE A SCAM WHICH COLLECTS MONEY FROM THE USERS WHO BITE THE BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED HOOK – YUM. EARTHWORM -- I COULD SEE A CRIMINAL CONVICTION FOR IT. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR PORNOGRAPHY. SOMETIMES “SPEECH” SUCH AS BLATANT LIES, LURES INTO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS SUCH AS MEETINGS WITH RAPISTS, WHICH DO HARM PEOPLE SHOULD BE CRIMINALIZED, RATHER THAN MERELY HAVING A CIVIL PENALTY.

IN GENERAL, I THINK WE NEED SOME MORE CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED LAWS THAT APPLY TO THE INTERNET, WITH PENALTIES WHEN ERRORS ARE EGREGIOUSLY CARELESS OR EVEN PURPOSEFULLY COMMITTED. I KNOW THERE ARE SOME LAWS IN OPERATION, BECAUSE A RAPIST SOME 15 YEARS AGO WHO WAS USING CRAIGSLIST WAS CAUGHT AND, I HOPE CONVICTED FOR THAT.

PERSONALLY, I’M MORE WORRIED ABOUT RAPISTS THAN FAKE NEWS, HOWEVER SINCE THE “FAKE NEWS” USED TO GIVE DONALD TRUMP A LEG UP IN 2016 WAS LINKED TO A “THINK TANK” IN RUSSIA, THAT IS A CRIME AGAINST OUR GOVERNMENT, AND VERY IMPORTANT. JUST DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE OTHER KINDS OF PROBLEMS ON THE NET ALSO.

https://www.cnet.com/news/google-news-reportedly-wants-to-tackle-fake-news-by-slowing-search-results/
Google News reportedly wants to tackle fake news by slowing search results
The company would slow down real-time information during a crisis to fight bad actors, according to journalists on Twitter.

BY
ABRAR AL-HEETI
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 1:08 PM PDT

Google News -- Getty Images

Google News is reportedly considering the option of slowing search results to tackle bad actors and fight fake news.

News lead Valerie Streit spoke about the idea at a Friday event by the Online News Association, according to two journalists on Twitter.

"Interesting. Google News looking at ways of slowing down real time information at times of crisis to tackle bad actors," Alfred Hermida tweeted.


Alfred Hermida
✔
@Hermida
Interesting. Google News looking at ways of slowing down real time information at times of crisis to tackle bad actors #ona18stopdisinformation #ona18

3
2:09 PM - Sep 14, 2018 · Austin, TX
See Alfred Hermida's other Tweets
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"Someone from Google News says they are talking about possibly slowing real-time search results, especially in situations where possibility of manipulating information is high," tweeted Doris N. Truong, before replying to note it was Streit who had mentioned this.


Doris N. Truong
✔
@DorisTruong
Someone from Google News says they are talking about possibly slowing real-time search results, especially in situations where possibility of manipulating information is high. #ona18stopdisinformation #ona18

4
2:11 PM - Sep 14, 2018 · Austin, TX
See Doris N. Truong's other Tweets
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The company has faced mounting criticism for the stories it highlights in searches, particularly during crises. After the Las Vegas shooting in October, for example, a hoax on image-messaging board site 4chan that named the wrong suspect appeared on the first page of Google's search results. Similarly, a video espousing a conspiracy theory about a survivor of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, became the top trending item on YouTube, which is owned by Google.

Google has worked to try to tackle the issue. In March, the company unveiled the Google News Initiative, a global effort in which Google partners with news organizations to highlight the most accurate information possible, particularly in breaking-news situations. It also said it was committed to helping publishers create a sustainable revenue source. It's committing $300 million dollars over the next three years to meet these goals.

Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

TAGS
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THIS TITLE REFERS TO THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH CUOMO WON HERE, OUR NEW PROGRESSIVES MADE HEADWAY IN POSTS FURTHER DOWN THE LADDER. THAT IS A GOOD THING, BECAUSE WE CAN BUILD A LARGER NETWORK OF RELATED THINKERS WHO WILL BE ABLE TO CLIMB THAT LADDER ALL THE WAY UP TO THE RANK OF GOVERNOR.

THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THIS ARTICLE SHOWS SOMETHING ELSE. POLITICAL PARTIES THAT REPRESENT A MORE SPECIALIZED GROUP, SUCH AS THIS “WORKING FAMILIES PARTY.” THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE WORKING PEOPLE. NOW IF MORE UNIONS WILL BECOME ACTIVE AGAIN, I WILL BE HAPPY – UNLESS THEY GO BACK TO KEEPING BLACK PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP, THAT IS.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/democratic-primaries-new-york-money_us_5b9aa2a4e4b010e18e3777cc
POLITICS 09/13/2018 11:13 pm ET Updated 11 hours ago
Progressive Democrats Took A Bite Out Of New York’s Machine
The ambitious new left wing wiped out a faction of breakaway Democrats in the state Senate.
By Zach Carter and Daniel Marans

PHOTOGRAPH -- KEVIN HAGEN VIA GETTY IMAGES
Gov. Andrew Cuomo easily won the Democratic primary on Thursday night.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. ― New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo survived a primary challenge on Thursday night, but his once impregnable political machine sustained heavy damage across the state as progressive insurgents threw out conservative incumbents down-ballot.

In a state Democratic primary with national implications, Cuomo cruised to a double-digit victory over actor Cynthia Nixon as machine-backed incumbent Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul fended off New York City Council member Jumaane Williams. A wide-open race for the party nomination for attorney general ― one of the most closely watched contests in the country on the American left ― ended in victory for another machine candidate, New York City Public Advocate Letitia “Tish” James.

But after getting hammered in the state’s marquee races, progressives dominated contests in the state legislature. Left-wing primary challengers effectively ended the Independent Democratic Conference ― a coalition of Democrats who conferenced with Republicans to block Democratic control of the state legislature with Cuomo’s tacit consent.

Fearing Nixon’s challenge, Cuomo brokered a deal to disband the IDC in April, but activists wanted to punish the lawmakers for their betrayal and ensure they never again left the fold.

Prior to election night, prominent progressives privately hoped that three or four ex-IDC members would lose. Six of the eight ex-IDC members lost their seats on Thursday night, while, in another closely watched state senate race, Democratic Socialist Julia Salazar emerged victorious over the big-money favorite, state Sen. Martin Dilan.

Cuomo survived a primary season in which two of his top aides were convicted on corruption charges amid widespread anger over New York City’s dysfunctional subway system and discontent with the state’s criminal justice system. His notoriously corrupt political machine relies on money from real estate developers and Wall Street banks, which enabled him to out-fundraise Nixon more than 14 to 1, en route to a 2-to-1 margin of victory ― roughly equal to his showing four years ago against Fordham University law professor Zephyr Teachout.

Teachout’s defeat in Thursday’s New York attorney general race is a hard loss for the American left, which recognized her candidacy as its best opportunity for a victory of national significance. By investigating New York-based businesses ― including the Trump Organization ― Teachout promised to clean up politics in both Albany and Washington while serving as a “regulator of last resort,” countering the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda.

James is a longtime leader in New York City progressive circles. She won a seat representing Brooklyn on the New York City Council in 2003 running exclusively on the progressive Working Families Party’s ballot line. She subsequently became one of the WFP’s big success stories, winning the citywide public advocate post in 2013, and she has used all of the office’s political muscle to fight for the city’s most vulnerable residents.

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But in her run for attorney general, James decided that she wanted to work with Cuomo and his considerable donor network, rather than against it. When Cuomo demanded that James snub the WFP as the price of his support, James acquiesced ― alienating progressives but opening Cuomo’s gilded Rolodex. As her candidacy progressed, James started to seem like she was embracing the centrist ideology of Cuomo’s wing of the party.

“It’s really critically important that I not be known as the ‘Sheriff on Wall Street,’” James told The New York Times in August.

Although James later sought to clarify that she meant she would not focus on Wall Street to the exclusion of other targets, critics saw evidence of Cuomo’s influence. In its endorsement of Teachout, the New York Times editorial board focused on what they believed would be James’ lack of sufficient independence from Cuomo.

“Ms. James has for decades been a standout fighter for tenants, children and other vulnerable New Yorkers,” the Times wrote. “But she has embraced political contributions from donors to Mr. Cuomo, who held a fund-raiser for her earlier this summer.”

Regardless, James is sure to be a thorn in the side of President Donald Trump. And, more important, her victory blocks the election of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, whom New York’s powerful real estate and financial industries sought desperately to elect.

The sweetest victory for progressives was the absolute wipeout of members of the IDC. Together with another rogue Democrat, state Sen. Simcha Felder, the breakaway faction ensured a Republican Senate majority since 2013. The unusual alliance blocked progressive legislation, which had sailed through the Democratic-controlled Assembly, to protect women’s reproductive rights, modernize voting rules, shift the state to renewable energy and enact single-payer health care.

New York state Sen. Michael Gianaris, now chairman of the Senate Democratic conference, played the lead role in recruiting challengers to IDC members (though he subsequently remained neutral).

“He has a lot of political courage,” Alessandra Biaggi, the candidate who would ultimately unseat former IDC chairman Jeff Klein, told HuffPost in August.

But perhaps no group deserves more credit for knocking off the ex-IDC members than the Working Families Party, which provided the principal institutional backing for the challenges and made it a central theme in its campaign against Cuomo as well. The WFP invested about $400,000 in electing the state Senate challengers, providing crucial in-kind staffing and media support.

The destruction of the IDC is also a victory for the Resistance grassroots, not least an upstart group, No IDC NY, which raised $250,000 for the anti-IDC candidates from an email list of 20,000 people.

“Tonight in New York we saw that the grassroots really matter,” said Jim Casteleiro of No IDC NY. “These things don’t die. But it does mean the machine now has to pay attention to the people.”

But the results at the top of the ticket showed the enduring power of corruption in Democratic Party politics. Ever since the 2016 election, Democratic pundits have been wondering how Republican voters allowed themselves to be misled by a con man who cares more about lining the pockets of his friends and family than he does about his constituents. On Thursday night, New York Democrats proved the spirit is not a uniquely Republican phenomenon.

This article has been updated with information on the role of the Working Families Party.