SEPTEMBER 16 AND 17, 2018


NEWS AND VIEWS


IT SEEMS THAT THIS EMERGENCY MUST HAVE BEEN HANDLED PRETTY WELL AFTER THE EXTENT OF THE SITUATION WAS KNOWN. OUT OF 8,000 POTENTIAL EXPLOSIONS, A MINORITY OF THE CASES CAUSED INJURY. ONE TEENAGER WAS KILLED, HOWEVER, AND ONE LOSS OF LIFE IS ONE TOO MANY. THIS IS A SIGN OF HOW INTERCONNECTED WE ARE IN OUR TECHNOLOGICALLY DRIVEN SOCIETY. WHAT WE DO MATTERS.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/massachusetts-gas-explosions-residents-allowed-to-return-to-homes/
CBS/AP September 16, 2018, 1:17 PM
Massachusetts residents allowed to return to homes after gas explosions

LAWRENCE, Mass. — Residents in communities north of Boston that were rocked by natural gas explosions were given the green light Sunday to return to their homes.

Gov. Charlie Baker and other officials announced the move at a morning news conference and said electricity was restored to nearly all affected homes and businesses in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover. Gas service will remain shut off while officials continue investigating what caused Thursday's explosions and fires, and crews inspect the gas lines and connections to homes.

Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged, a teenager was killed and dozens of people were injured. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate. Crews have shut off nearly 8,600 gas meters in the area and cleared homes of any gas.

Gas company linked to explosions in Massachusetts, West Virginia, Ohio

Officials said gas company technicians will turn all the meters back after safety inspections of the entire system are complete — a process expected to take several weeks. They warned residents not to turn the meters back on themselves, not to turn on gas appliances until service is restored and to call 911 and leave their homes if they smell gas.

"It's evident to me and to all of us the Merrimack Valley and the residents of our state are being as supportive as they can be and as kind as they can be to one another during this most difficult time," the Republican governor said. "We still have a very long way to go but we're very happy that people can return to their homes this morning."

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

Firefighters in Lawrence responded to a fire at an apartment complex Sunday morning after residents had returned, but officials said it wasn't related to the gas problem.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said Saturday that there was no evidence to suggest the explosions were intentional.

He said investigators will be looking at how local Columbia Gas officials responded to a "pressure increase" in the Lawrence area that was detected at the company's pipeline control center in Columbus, Ohio, prior to the explosions and fires.

Government records reveal at least three other serious explosions in Massachusetts, West Virginia and Ohio have been linked to Columbia Gas. The company a subsidiary of NiSource, a utility company that serves more than three million customers in seven states.

Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera became emotional at the news conference while thanking people for support and donations to the Lawrence Emergency Fund.

"People have been very generous," he said. "And usually, when we have issues like this, it's really hard to come up with cash because it's mostly stuff out of people's hands. So the fact that we were able to raise $100,000 in two days is heartwarming. It makes us very thankful."

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


PHYSICAL OR VERBAL ABUSIVENESS IS NOT A CHARACTERISTIC THAT A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SHOULD HAVE. AN INTERESTING VOICE SPOKE FOR THE VICTIM: KELLYANNE CONWAY. SEE THE LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS. CONWAY HAS HAD SOME TOOTH WORK -- BRACES OFF, PERHAPS. IT LOOKS VERY GOOD.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/kavanaugh-s-sexual-assault-accuser-believes-she-could-have-been-n910126
Kavanaugh's sexual assault accuser believes she could have been raped, her attorney says
"I would say no one in their right mind would want to inject themselves in this process and face the kind of annihilation that she will be subjected to."
by Erik Ortiz / Sep.17.2018 / 7:30 AM ET / Updated 11:04 AM ET

VIDEO – KAVANSUGH ACCUSER’S ATTORNEY SPEAKS OUT IN WAKE OF BOMBSHELL 3:30

A lawyer for the woman who is accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s said Monday that her client believes his actions were "attempted rape" and she's willing to testify publicly about it.

"She believes that if it were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she would have been raped," attorney Debra Katz said on "Today."

Katz added that her client, Christine Blasey Ford, is "willing to do whatever it takes," including testifying before members of Congress about her allegations and that her coming forward is "not a politically motivated action."

Kellyanne Conway says Kavanaugh accuser 'should not be ignored'
SEP.17.201802:21

As Kavanaugh left his house Monday morning, reporters shouted questions about whether he had a response to Ford or if he would testify again. He did not respond.

The White House later released an updated statement from the nominee stating his willingness to testify publicly in response to the claim. “This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes — to her or to anyone," Kavanaugh said. "Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday.

"I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity.”

Katz, a Washington lawyer known for her work on sexual harassment cases, is representing Ford after the woman identified herself in a report published Sunday in The Washington Post.

In it, Ford said Kavanaugh and she were high school students in suburban Maryland in the 1980s. One summer, she alleges, Kavanaugh and a friend were "stumbling drunk" during a house party in Montgomery County when they got her into a bedroom.

Ford claimed that as the friend watched, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed on her back and groped her and tried to pull off her clothing. He put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream, she said.

Ford told The Post she was able to escape when the friend jumped on top of them.


Brett Kavanaugh sexual assault accuser comes forward
SEP.17.201802:26
Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing began earlier this month. The Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote last week on whether to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination, but that was delayed until Thursday.

Republicans said they still want to vote. But leading Democrats have called for an investigation and a further delay.

"I support Mrs. Ford’s decision to share her story, and now that she has, it is in the hands of the FBI to conduct an investigation," Feinstein wrote Sunday. "This should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee."

In a letter Monday morning to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, all 10 Democrats on the panel requested that he postpone Thursday’s scheduled committee on Kavanaugh’s nomination in light of the new allegations.

Recommended

Senators seek delay of Kavanaugh vote after Christine Blasey Ford reveals sexual assault allegation

Kavanaugh denies allegations by woman who says he tried to force himself on her in the 1980s
“All Senators, regardless of party, should insist the FBI perform its due diligence and fully investigate the allegations as part of its review of Judge Kavanaugh’s background,” they wrote. “Staff-level examination of these allegations should not go forward until the FBI’s career professionals with the requisite investigative expertise have completed their review. Once the FBI has completed its independent work, we hope that we can work together in a bipartisan manner to decide on next steps.”

Ford, 51, now a research psychologist and professor at Palo Alto University in Northern California, said she came public now after being bombarded by reporters.

She first brought the allegation to The Post through a tip line in early July, the newspaper said, when Kavanaugh was on a short list for the Supreme Court.

The woman then contacted her congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., whose office later sent a confidential letter to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

NBC News has not spoken to Ford directly and has not seen her letter.

Kavanaugh denounced the allegation against him last week and in a statement re-sent by the White House to NBC News on Monday. "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation," he said. "I did not do this back in high school or at any time."

Katz's attorney said Monday that her client has been threatened since coming forward and doesn't agree with critics who say she's politically motivated. The Post noted that Ford is a registered Democrat who has made small contributions to political organizations.

"I would say no one in their right mind would want to inject themselves in this process and face the kind of annihilation that she will be subjected to by those that want this nominee to go through," Katz said.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Monday that Ford should testify if she’s willing.

"This woman should not be ignored and should not be insulted," Conway said on Fox News. "She should be heard."

She added: "I've spoken with the president. I've spoken with Sen. Graham and others. This woman will be heard."


THAT UPWARD EDGE FOR THE DEMOCRAT/LIBERAL VIEWS SEEMS TO BE HOLDING HERE; AND ENTHUSIASM FOR THE MIDTERM VOTING IS ALSO HIGH. I’M ENCOURAGED.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-battleground-tracker-poll-tight-races-in-missouri-montana-senate/
CBS NEWS September 16, 2018, 10:30 AM
Tight races in Missouri, Montana Senate, CBS News poll finds
By Anthony Salvanto and Kabir Khanna

PHOTOGRAPH -- The United States Capitol, often called Capitol Hill, is the seat of the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. Capitol Hill, at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

Several incumbent Democratic senators are trying to win re-election in states that typically vote for Republicans, among them Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jon Tester of Montana, who are both locked in close contests with Republican challengers. New CBS News Battleground Tracker polling find Tester is up two points with likely voters over Republican Matt Rosendale, 47-45 percent in Montana, while in Missouri, McCaskill and Republican John Hawley are even in support among likely voters at 45-45 percent. Most supporters of all these candidates describe themselves as enthusiastic about voting this year.

In Montana, the candidates predictably split the voters who see a Senate vote as a chance to support or oppose President Trump, but Tester gains from getting more of the voters who say the president is not a factor. Jon Tester is helped by a majority 53 percent approval on handling his job as senator, and he enjoys a ten-point gap among registered voters on which candidate understands the needs and problems of Montana "a lot."

BATTLEGROUND TRACKER -- bt-poll-mt-senator.jpg

By two to one, Montana voters who see an impact from the president's trade policies in their area say that impact has been a negative one, and Tester also draws nine in ten of those voters. A plurality of 43 percent of Montana voters say the recent tax cuts haven't had much impact on them, but of those who have felt an impact, it has been more positive than negative. By almost three to one, those who see an impact from the Republicans' recent changes to health care laws say the change has been a negative one for them.

Turning to the race in Missouri, voters see national implications in the Senate race, as backers of both McCaskill and Hawley overwhelmingly say they want to help their party get, or keep, control of the Senate. Two-thirds of Josh Hawley's backers say their vote is at least partially to support the president, and two-thirds of McCaskill's say it is to oppose him. More of Hawley's voters say they are backing him primarily because he is a Republican than are McCaskill's voters backing her primarily because she is a Democrat; McCaskill's backers are relatively more likely to describe themselves as picking her on personal characteristics or issue stances, which might help explain her competitiveness in a state that Republican presidential candidates have usually carried easily.

BATTLEGROUND TRACKER -- bt-poll-mo-senator-1.jpg

Most Missouri voters give the president at least some credit for a local economy that they say is good. But fewer Missouri voters say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the country right now, despite that economy, and seven in ten describe the midterm election as about national issues more than local and state ones. In both Montana and Missouri, voters say they like how the president is handling economic policy at much higher rates than how he handles himself personally.

McCaskill holds an edge on handling health care, and in being seen as having "a lot" of understanding of Missouri's needs and problems. Hawley has an edge on issues of immigration and crime and gun policy. There may not be a lot of room for movement in the race, as few of their current supporters say they'd even consider the other candidate – merely six percent of McCaskill's and seven percent of Hawley's – though in a contest this tight, any who do reconsider will likely prove pivotal.

As with many Democrats across the country this year, McCaskill's fortunes might depend somewhat more heavily on voters who do not typically vote, or have not voted, in recent midterms. Twenty-two percent of her current supporters say they didn't vote in either of the last two midterms, as best they can recall, compared to 14 percent of Hawley's likely voters who describe their past turnout that way.

The CBS News 2018 Battleground Tracker is a series of panel studies in the United States. The poll is conducted by YouGov, an online polling company. This poll interviewed 1104 registered voters in Missouri and 543 registered voters in Montana fielded between September 10–14, 2018. The respondents were selected to be representative of registered voters in terms of age, race, gender, and education. The margin of error for the entire sample is 3.3 in Missouri and 5.2 in Montana.

Poll toplines: See Website.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


PENALTIES FOR ELEPHANT POACHING HAVE BEEN LESSENED BY DEFAULT, IN THAT THE OFFICIAL GUARD TO WATCH OVER THE ELEPHANTS HAS BEEN DISARMED; THEIR EVIL WORK IS MUCH EASIER AND SAFER FOR THEM, BECAUSE THERE'S NOBODY THERE TO PUT A STOP TO IT, NOW. MEANWHILE, A JUMP IN POACHING DEATHS IS BEING DESCRIBED AS AN ERROR IN THE SURVEY. I HOPE THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT AIDING THE POACHERS CONSCIOUSLY. IT HAS BEEN DONE MANY TIMES WHEN THE PRICE WAS RIGHT. AT ANY RATE, THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO COMMENT ON THE MOVE TO STOP FURNISHING MILITARY SUPPORT AND WEAPONRY LOOKS LIKE HYPERSENSITIVITY AT LEAST, TO ME.

https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/09/15/dozens-of-elephant-carcasses-found-in-botswana-revealing-unprecedented-levels-of-poaching/
Dozens of elephant carcasses found in Botswana, revealing ‘unprecedented’ levels of poaching
POSTED 5:15 PM, SEPTEMBER 15, 2018, BY CNN WIRE

LOS ANGELES– Almost 90 elephant carcasses have been found during a survey in northern Botswana, revealing “unprecedented” levels of poaching in the country, the conservation group carrying out the study has said.

Just nine carcasses were discovered in total during the last audit of the region in 2014, and Elephants Without Borders is expecting this year’s number to rise further because the organization is only halfway through the study, which began on July 5 and is largely funded by Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks.

“While we had elephant poaching in the country before this year, it certainly wasn’t of the magnitude that we’re seeing now. It’s completely unprecedented,” Mike Chase, director and founder of Elephants Without Borders, told CNN.

“We were always warned that the poaching that has happened in East Africa and parts of northern Mozambique may spread south. What I’m astounded by is the scale and the speed at which it has happened.”

Thato Raphaka, Botswana permanent secretary of land management, water and sanitation services, said that 90 elephants were never killed in one incident, and that a recent survey conducted by Elephants Without Borders found 53 carcasses that had already been reported to the government.

RELATED STORY
Trump administration to lift ban on elephant trophies from Africa

Raphaka, in a statement, said the majority of the 53 elephants died of natural causes “and retaliatory killings as a result of human and wildlife conflicts.”

Elephants Without Borders said it never claimed the killings were the result of one incident.

Botswana is home to the largest population of elephants in Africa — an estimated 130,000 — and has long been seen as a haven for the animals, which have been heavily poached in nearby Angola and Zambia.

That is now changing, according to Chase. While cases of ivory poaching were previously reported only along the country’s international borders, this latest survey shows that poaching has moved into the Okavango Delta, a prime tourist destination deep inside northern Botswana, suggesting that Botswana citizens are becoming more involved in poaching activities.

Poachers ‘have followed’ elephants to Botswana

Chase attributes the changes to two factors: heavy poaching in Angola and Zambia that has left local populations on the verge of extinction, and the disarming of Botswana’s anti-poaching unit (APU) in May.

Before European colonization, scientists believe that Africa may have held as many as 20 million elephants; by 1979 only 1.3 million remained. The first Great Elephant Census, a pan-African survey of the continent’s savanna elephants in 2016, revealed that the situation had gotten far worse.

RELATED STORY
Dozens of elephants massacred after anti-poaching unit disarmed

Between 2007 and 2014, numbers plummeted by at least 30%, or 144,000 elephants, the census found.

In Botswana, elephants were long thought to be safe. Members of an armed anti-poaching unit patrolled the elephants’ habitats, while Botswana’s military was mobilized throughout the border region, tasked with preventing poaching.

In May this year, the anti-poaching unit was disarmed as part of a broader action in which military weapons and equipment were withdrawn from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), according to a government statement.

Unarmed patrolmen cannot be expected “to patrol and possibly have contact with armed poachers,” Chase said, adding that he had not seen any members of the APU in the bush during the first two months of the survey.

Asked by CNN on Tuesday about the disarming of the APU and the rise in elephant poaching in Botswana, Otisitswe Tiroyamodimo, director of the DWNP, declined to comment.

But Raphaka said the withdrawal of weapons has not created a “vacuum in anti-poaching operations, as the anti-poaching unit in DWNP continues to play a pivotal role in combating wildlife crime through other strategic interventions.”

When asked to respond to the governments response on the matter, Chase said; “100% I stand by what I said, the evidence is irrefutable.”

A Department of Wildlife and National Parks representative was present during the current census count.

Heavy poaching in Angola is also contributing to the current problems in Botswana, according to EWB.

“Those elephants that weren’t killed are moving back to the safety of Botswana, and the poachers have followed them,” Chase said.

Demand for ivory despite bans

In January this year, China enacted a ban on the sale of ivory products. It followed a near-total embargo by the United States in 2016, and the UK is currently considering introducing “one of the world’s toughest” bans on ivory sales in a bid to protect elephants. The European Union has yet to enact an ivory ban.

But demand remains for the luxury product and Chase warned against complacency.

The initial results of EWB’s survey suggest poachers are primarily targeting the largest, oldest bulls in the population, known as great tuskers.

The ivory is hacked away by a sharp axe and the carcasses covered with bushes in an attempt to conceal the kill, according to Chase. Numbers of great tuskers across Africa have dwindled to about 50, according to various estimates by conservationists.

It is also clear that poachers are moving into increasingly remote areas areas to hunt elephants. Six carcasses were discovered Monday during an aerial patrol in one of the region’s least accessible areas, Chase said.

Threat to tourism

Botswana’s wildlife attracts large numbers of visitors, and tourism is the country’s second-largest earner.

The surge in poaching potentially threatens not only a major source of Botswana’s income, but also its reputation as a conservation leader on the continent.

The rising elephant deaths and the poaching of six rhinos in Botswana this year suggests that the killings may be the work of organized syndicates.

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WORLD’S LAST MALE NORTHERN WHITE RHINO DIES

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THIS NEWLY FOUND SPHINX IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL, TO THE POINT THAT IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A LIVING PERSON, THOUGH PERHAPS A BOY OR A WOMAN RATHER THAN A MATURE MAN. MAYBE SOME OTHERS ARE WOMEN, SINCE TWO AT LEAST OF THE PHARAOHS WERE WOMEN. THE TEXTURE OF THE STONE IN THIS NEW STATUE IS NOT WEATHERED AND BATTERED LIKE THE GREAT SPHINX. THAT POOR OLD PATRIARCH IS MISSING PART OF HIS NOSE.

ALL OF THESE FINDS ARE UNUSUAL, INCLUDING SOME FOOD – HARD CHEESE. WHERE, THOUGH, WAS THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY GIVE THE WITHHELD INFORMATION THAT MAKES ME KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS? SEE THIS SITE ON FEMALE PHARAOHS. https://www.parcast.com/blog/2016/10/26/5-powerful-women-rulers-of-ancient-egypt.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/09/17/stunning-sphinx-discovered-at-ancient-egyptian-temple.html
Stunning sphinx discovered at ancient Egyptian temple
By James Rogers | Fox News
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018 4 hours ago

VIDEO -- Stunning sphinx discovered at ancient Egyptian temple
A sandstone sphinx has been discovered by archaeologists during a project to reduce groundwater at Kom Ombo temple in Aswan.

Archaeologists have discovered a stunning sphinx statue at an ancient temple in southern Egypt.

The sandstone statue was discovered during a project to reduce groundwater at Kom Ombo temple in Aswan.

The statue likely dates back to the Ptolemaic period, between 305 B.C. and 30 B.C., according to Dr. Mostafa Waziri, general secretary of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

In a Facebook post, Waziri explained that the statue was found in the southeastern side of the temple, where two sandstone reliefs of King Ptolemy V were discovered two months ago.

AMAZING EGYPTIAN DISCOVERY: VILLAGE THAT PREDATES PHARAOHS, PYRAMIDS UNCOVERED

SphinxKomOmbo2
The sphinx statue discovered at the Kom Ombo temple (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

Sphinx statues, which have a lion’s body and a human head, typically depict a king and are often found guarding the entrances to ancient Egyptian temples.

General Director of Aswan Antiquities Abdel Moneim Saeed said that more research will be done on the newly discovered sphinx.

The sphinx is the latest fascinating ancient find in Egypt. Another sphinx was recently uncovered during roadwork in the city of Luxor, 112 miles north of Aswan.

MYSTERIOUS GIANT SARCOPHAGUS DISCOVERED IN EGYPT

SphinxKomOmbo1
Experts are now studying the sphinx statue (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

While the famous Great Sphinx of Giza on the outskirts of Cairo is the best known, there are a number of smaller sphinx statues in Luxor.

In another project, archaeologists recently unlocked the secrets of a mysterious ancient ‘cursed’ black granite sarcophagus.

The massive coffin, which was excavated in the city of Alexandria, was found to contain three skeletons and gold sheets with the remains. The tomb also dates back to the Ptolemaic era.

'WORLD'S OLDEST CHEESE' DISCOVERED IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TOMB

This undated photo released by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, shows the latest discovery of a statue with a lion's body and a human head, in the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan, Egypt. The Antiquities Ministry said Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 that the sphinx made of sandstone was found in the temple during work to protect the site from groundwater. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities via AP)

This undated photo released by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, shows the latest discovery of a statue with a lion's body and a human head, in the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan, Egypt (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities via AP)

Experts also recently found the oldest solid cheese in the tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of the ancient city of Memphis.

A mummy buried in southern Egypt more than 5,000 years ago, has also revealed its grisly secrets, shedding new light on prehistoric embalming practices.

In another project, experts unearthed a 2,200-year-old gold coin depicting the ancient King Ptolemy III, an ancestor of the famed Cleopatra.

MYSTERIOUS ANCIENT ARTWORK DEPICTING FEMALE PHARAOH FOUND BY ACCIDENT

SphinxKomOmbo3
The sphinx statue is likely from the Ptolemaic era (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

Experts in southern Egypt recently discovered an extremely rare marble head depicting the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

In Australia, archaeologists found the tattered remains of an ancient priestess in a 2,500-year-old Egyptian coffin that was long thought to be empty.

On the other side of the world, a rare ancient artifact depicting the famous female pharaoh Hatshepsut surfaced in the U.K. Stunning new research also claims that King Tutankhamun may have been a boy soldier, challenging the theory he was a weak and sickly youth before his mysterious death at around 18 years of age.

MUMMY WEARING GOLD-GILDED FACE MASK DISCOVERED AT ANCIENT EGYPT BURIAL GROUND

Experts in the U.K. also found the world’s oldest figurative tattoos on two ancient Egyptian mummies recently, one of which is the oldest tattooed female ever discovered.

Other recent finds include an ancient cemetery in Egypt with more than 40 mummies and a necklace containing a “message from the afterlife.” An ancient statue of a Nubian king with an inscription written in Egyptian hieroglyphics was also found at a Nile River temple in Sudan.

Scientists also believe that they may have found the secret of the Great Pyramid’s near-perfect alignment. Experts are also confident that they have solved the long-standing mystery of the “screaming mummy.”

In February, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 4,400-year-old tomb near the pyramids. Late last year, archaeologists also revealed that they had uncovered the graves of four children at an ancient site in Egypt.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers


IN THE LIGHT OF THIS SEPTEMBER 2, 2018 ARTICLE, CONSIDER ANOTHER HEADLINE: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/andrew-cuomo-run-president-2020-york-governors-debate/story?id=57487847, “Andrew Cuomo says he won't run for president in 2020 during New York governor's debate with Cynthia Nixon; By CHRISTOPHER DONATO NEW YORK — Aug 29, 2018, 8:46 PM ET.” IF HE HOLDS TO THAT, IT WILL SIMPLIFY SANDER’S 2020 RUN, PERHAPS. WHILE I DON’T WANT TO SEE BERNIE “PRIMARIED,” I AM GLAD CUOMO IS FIRMLY STANDING AGAINST TRUMP. THE MORE THE MERRIER.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-governor-andrew-cuomo-helps-families-sue-trump-hurricane-maria-response-today-2018-09-02/
By PETER MARTINEZ CBS NEWS September 2, 2018, 10:23 PM
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to help families sue Trump over Hurricane Maria response

PHOTOGRAPH -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the Heavenly Vision Christian Center on Sun., Sept. 2, 2018, in Bronx, New York. FLICKR/GOV. ANDREW CUOMO

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told a congregation Sunday that he would help families sue President Trump and his administration for failing to provide adequate assistance to those affected by Hurricane Maria. Cuomo said the Trump administration violated Puerto Ricans' Constitutional rights of equal protection under the law.

He said that New York stands committed to helping victims of Puerto Rico rebuild after the deadly storm walloped the island in September 2017.

"President Trump never tried to help Puerto Rico. Florida got attention, Texas got attention, and Puerto Rico got the short end of the stick. That is not just wrong and unethical and despicable, it is also illegal," Cuomo said Sunday at the Heavenly Vision Christian Center in the Bronx, New York.

New coalition plans 7-figure campaign aimed at Puerto Rican voters

Cuomo's press statement laid out five disparities between the federal government's response and treatment of citizens in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which primarily struck Texas, and Hurricane Maria -- which devastated the Puerto Rican island:

A three week wait
Lack of funding
Lack of food and water
Sparse resources
Unacceptable relief

"We're going to hold 'King' Trump to the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution said equal protection under the law. Puerto Rico did not receive equal protection under the law," Cuomo said. "New York is standing with Puerto Rico the way we said we would. We are going to fight back and we're going to show this president that the law is the law."

There were no immediate details released about Cuomo's plan nor did he take any questions at Sunday's event.

Cuomo, who is a seeking a third term as governor, also took swipes at Mr. Trump's border wall and how the president reacted to the aftermath of a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year.

"Somebody has to stand up to this president. He is a bully," Cuomo said.

Governor Cuomo Delivers Remarks at Heavenly Vision Christian Center by NYGovCuomo on YouTube

Cuomo's speech Sunday comes on the heels of a report out last week that said Hurricane Maria is now considered the most deadly U.S. natural disaster in the last century. Puerto Rico's government requested an independent review by George Washington University, which found Maria killed an estimated 2,975 people – more than 46 times the original official death toll of 64.

For months, there's been speculation the death toll was much higher than what the government was reporting. San Juan's mayor, Carmen Cruz, called the new report "painful and shameful," and told CBS News' David Begnaud the governor should take more responsibility.

"When I saw people dying I opted to shout it. I opted to ask for help. When others saw people dying they opted to shut up," Cruz said.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló acknowledged Tuesday that he made mistakes.

"The focus shouldn't be, you know, hey, let's blame all these folks. The focus should be who's going to be accountable and who's going to take the action so this doesn't happen again," Rosselló said.

Researchers found the government and hospitals were inadequately prepared for the Category 4 storm. They also found the risk of death was 45 percent higher for those living in low-income areas on the island, and elderly men were at the greatest risk of dying.


© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


WHAT DOES BERNIE SANDERS HAVE TO DO TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2020? FROM ANOTHER ARTICLE I READ LAST WEEK IT IS BASICALLY A MATTER OF SANDERS’ SIGNING AN AGREEMENT NOT TO SWITCH OUT OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AFTER HE RUNS, AS HE HAS IN THE PAST. I PERSONALLY THINK IT IS POOR PSYCHOLOGY FOR HIM TO DO THAT, TOO. OF COURSE, THE OLD PARTY MEMBERS WOULDN’T HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO RUN, AND THOSE HOLD OUTS MAY NOT SELECT HIM AS THE NOMINEE NOW EITHER, EVEN IF HE DOES SIGN AN AGREEMENT.

HIS BETTER PATH MIGHT BE TO RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT RATHER THAN ON THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET AT ALL. SOME OF THE DNC MEMBERS WANT HIM TO PLEDGE IN WRITING THAT HE WON’T RUN ON HIS OWN IF HE ISN’T THE PARTY PICK, BUT THEY WON’T PLEDGE TO SUPPORT HIM. THINGS AREN’T WHERE THEY SHOULD BE YET. THE DNC MEMBERS AREN’T YET WILLING TO REWARD HIM FOR THE SUPPORT AND GROWTH HE BRINGS INTO THE PARTY.

UNTIL THE HILLARY WING ACCEPTS THE FACT THAT THOSE “DEPLORABLES” WERE OFTEN DEMOCRATIC WHITE BLUE COLLAR VOTERS UNTIL THE PARTY STOPPED REACHING OUT TO THEM, THEY WILL BLAME SANDERS AND CONTINUE NOT TO MAKE INTERNAL PARTY CHANGES. THEY’VE REACHED OUT TO POOR PEOPLE OF COLOR ONLY, AND THAT’S A MISTAKE. FIRST, THE POOR WHITES HAVE BEEN IGNORED WHEN THEY NEED TO BE ON THE GOVERNMENT SAFETY NET LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW THE CENTRIST MEMBERS WOULD STAND ON ISSUES WITHOUT THE CORPORATIST MONEY. HOW WOULD THEIR BEHAVIOR AS LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CHANGE? HOW MANY OF THE CORPORATE DEMOCRATS TODAY ARE IN FACT VERY QUIET RACISTS JUST AS IN 1960?

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SANDERS NOW FORM A NEW AND CLEARLY PROGRESSIVE PARTY GLEANED FROM BOTH THE DEMS AND THE GOP. THERE MAY BE DEMS WHO WILL JOIN HIM IN A SEPARATE PARTY OF SOME TYPE WHICH THEY WOULD CONSTRUCT TOGETHER, AND EVEN A FEW REPUBLICANS, SEN. JEFF FLAKE IN PARTICULAR, MIGHT JOIN. IF SANDERS CONTINUES TO PRESENT HIS CHOICE FOR THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES – BY WHICH I MEAN THE AVERAGE VOTERS AND NOT THE CORPORATISTS – IT IS VERY LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS IT DID LAST YEAR. TRUMP AND THE CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS ARE NOT GOING TO BECOME GENTLER AND MORE GENEROUS, I DON’T THINK; BUT THEY MAY FIND THEMSELVES MORE IN A MINORITY, I SUSPECT. INSTEAD OF INTERVIEWING THE CLINTON WING OF THE PARTY AS A DISCOURAGING CONTRAST FOR SANDERS, THE MEDIA SHOULD DO MORE POLLS OF THE AVERAGE PEOPLE. I BELIEVE THERE IS CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN HIM THERE, AND INCREASINGLY ALSO, AS WE ALL GET USED TO THAT HORRIBLE WORD – DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OR SOCIAL DEMOCRAT. THEY’RE NOT QUITE THE SAME THING, BUT VERY SIMILAR, AND THEY AREN’T “COMMUNISM.” CHECK IT OUT, YOU DIE HARDS. GOOGLE THOSE TERMS. WIKIPEDIA IS THE BEST SOURCE, IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOME HISTORY ABOUT THE MODERN MOVEMENTS.

IT’S HARD TO TELL NOW HOW MANY PEOPLE MIGHT FOLLOW SANDERS OUT, IF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WERE TO SPLIT. THE NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF DONALD TRUMP IS ALSO WAKING UP REPUBLICANS, IF NOT IN LARGE NUMBERS; AND UNTIL THEY STOP SPONSORING THE FAR-RIGHT PEOPLE AND IDEAS, MOST OF US WILL NOT UNDER ANY CONDITION VOTE FOR A REPUBLICAN.

THE NEW BLACK POPULAR TERM THAT I’M SEEING ON THE NET IS “WOKE.” THOSE WHO ARE “WOKE” ARE FULLY ALIVE AND AWARE OF THE HARD-RIGHT PUSH THESE DAYS, AND KNOW THAT THEY MUST PUSH BACK. FEWER PEOPLE ARE BLINDLY STEPPING INTO EITHER OF THE TWO MAINSTREAM (CORPORATE) PARTIES, SO THERE IS LESS ATTENTION TO POLITICAL ACTION NOW. THAT REALLY DISTURBS ME. INACTIVE VOTERS ARE THE ONES WHO ELECTED DONALD TRUMP.

BOTH PARTIES ARE ALSO SIMPLY TOO LARGE, UNWIELDY AND POWERFUL TO ALLOW THE VIGOR OF VARIANT OPINIONS WITHIN THEM TO FLOURISH, WITH NEW LEADERS BEING GIVEN A PLACE AT THE TABLE, AND THEREFORE NEW CREATIVITY AND GROWTH OVERALL. IF THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO PULL IN NEW MEMBERS, THEY WILL HAVE TO CHANGE. UNTIL SANDERS STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAD BECOME TIRED AND BORING – ALSO CORRUPT. IT’S TIME FOR A GENTLE AND CREATIVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SPLIT.

I SUGGEST A CENTER LEFT PARTY AND A PROGRESSIVE/SOCIALIST PARTY. WE NEED OUR CITIZEN SUPPORT SYSTEM, WHICH NOW ONLY HELPS CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF THE POOR, STRENGTHENED AND BROADENED, INTO A TRUE SAFETY NET FOR THOSE WHO REALLY CAN’T FIGHT THE ECONOMIC TIDE, FOR WHATEVER REASON. I AM INTERESTED IN SANDERS’ GUARANTEED LIVING INCOME IDEA, PLUS THE FREE PUBLIC COLLEGES SYSTEM AND A MUCH LARGER SUPPLY OF HOUSING AID THAN WE NOW HAVE, WITH NO HOLDS BARRED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ZERO PERCENT OF THE US POPULATION FORCED OUT INTO THE STREET TO SLEEP AT NIGHT BY ECONOMICS. MANY OF THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES "CENTER" NOW SEEM TO ME TO BE "RIGHT," INSTEAD, BUT DON’T WANT TO SAY SO. IT SOUNDS SO UNGENEROUS.

CRITICAL MASS APPLIES IN POLITICS AS WELL IN PHYSICS; AND IT’S TIME NOW FOR A PEACEFUL AND WELL CONSIDERED RESTRUCTURING BEFORE THERE IS AN EXPLOSION. OUR SWOLLEN POLITICAL PARTIES COULD WORK BETTER IF THERE WERE LESS ENFORCED SAMENESS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE NAKED FASCISTS FORCED OUT OF BOTH OF OUR CURRENT PARTIES, ALTHOUGH THAT COULD BECOME THE SPARK THAT SETS OFF SOMETHING RADICAL, SUCH AS RACIAL VIOLENCE. I HOPE THAT WON’T HAPPEN, BUT THEIR HIDDEN PRESENCE IN ALL KINDS OF NOOKS IN OUR GOVERNMENT MAKE US AN ANTI-DEMOCRATIC POPULATION THESE DAYS, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE. I WONDER HOW MANY CITIZENS OF THAT STAMP ARE LEFT NOW IN THE MAIN PARTIES, AND HOW THEY HAVE BEEN VOTING, IF AT ALL. I REALLY DO WANT SANDERS TO BE PART OF A RESTRUCTURING ALONG THESE LINES SOON ENOUGH TO MAKE A NEW VOTING PATTERN BEFORE 2020.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/406594-sanders-allies-expect-him-to-make-second-white-house-bid
Sanders allies expect him to make second White House bid
BY AMIE PARNES - 09/14/18 06:04 AM EDT

Allies to Bernie Sanders say the Independent senator from Vermont is increasingly likely to make a second bid for the White House in 2020 — once again as a Democrat.

“I expect him to run,” said Larry Cohen, the chairman of Our Revolution, an organization formed by Sanders operatives after their candidate lost the Democratic presidential primary to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

“He’s probably the most popular elected official,” Cohen added.

Sanders allies increasingly talk more confidently about the likelihood of a second presidential bid. Just a few months ago, the allies were more careful about his potential candidacy.

Jeff Weaver, who served as Sanders's campaign manager in 2016, said Sanders “is being very thoughtful about” whether he enters the ace. [sic.]

“He's very focused on the question of beating Trump and putting a Democrat in the White House,” Weaver said. “And if he runs it's because he thinks he's the one to do it.”

Weaver added that he’s “convinced” that his former boss “is the strongest candidate.”

Sanders has a lot going for him if he does decide to enter the Democratic primary, political observers say. For starters, he would bring an infrastructure built during the 2016 election, and his die-hard supporters give him a base that would be the envy of many candidates in what is expected to be a crowded field.

He also seems to have momentum. Sanders has seen his brand of progressive politics take sway within the Democratic Party as reflected in policy and politics. A number of Democrats have latched onto his “Medicare for all” single-payer health-care plan.

And while Sanders has backed some losing primary candidates, his allies have also pulled off some huge upsets, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s defeat of Rep. Joseph Crowley in a New York Democratic primary and Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley’s defeat of Rep. Mike Capuano in a Democratic primary in Massachusetts. Sanders scored another victory with Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum’s win in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Florida.

Nonetheless, Sanders will face a lingering challenge in winning over former supporters of Clinton who remain stung by the 2016 battle.

A number of Democrats continue to believe that Sanders has divided the party, was partly to blame for Clinton’s defeat in the general election and should not be considered as a party candidate.

“Sanders can continue on his quixotic presidential campaign but NOT as a Democrat,” said former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), who worked under Clinton at the State Department and served as a surrogate to the Clinton campaign in 2016.

“He’s completely using the party to serve his best interests,” one longtime Clinton aide added. “He’s a Democrat only when it’s convenient to be a Democrat.”

Since the election, Clinton has reminded supporters of that sentiment.

“That’s not a smear, that’s what he says,” Clinton wrote in her 2017 campaign memoir, “What Happened.”

“He didn’t get into the race to make sure a Democrat won the White House, he got in to disrupt the Democratic Party,” Clinton wrote.

Sanders allies argue he has every right to run as a Democrat.

Not only did he play a major role in shaping the party’s platform in 2016, he also helped campaign for Democrats around the country, including Clinton. He also caucuses with Senate Democrats.

“He’s more of a Democrat than most Democrats,” one Sanders ally said.

Weaver, who said Sanders isn’t paying too much attention to polls as he considers another run, thinks the senator's independent status is a plus to a potential candidacy.

“If you look at the sentiment of the people, nobody wins the presidency with just the people in your own party,” he said. Sanders has “unique appeal” with independent voters, which he said is “an incredible strength.”

In his Senate reelection bid this year, Sanders ran as a Democrat but declined the nomination after he won the primary, only to run as an independent in the general election.

By doing this, Sanders prevented a Democrat from opposing him in November. He used the same political maneuver in the 2006 and 2012 Senate elections.

“A cynic might say the guy who complained about the rigging of the 2016 Democratic presidential primary is kinda, sorta, rigging the 2018 Vermont Senate race for himself,” journalist Aaron Blake wrote in the Washington Post in May. “It all suggests a guy who is still very much using the Democratic Party when it’s convenient for him.”

Sanders allies say he has to run as a Democrat in 2020.

“The way the Electoral College system works, it would be very unlikely for anyone to win” as an independent, the Sanders ally said. “And because of the Electoral College system, you could select Trump without the party.”

In 2016, the Democratic Party was accused of tipping the scales in Clinton’s favor and turning their backs on Sanders.

Asked if the party would support a Sanders candidacy during the primary, a Democratic National Committee official replied, “All candidates must meet the standards that are set forth in the Rules and Call.”

The rules, adopted in June, state that at the time a presidential candidate announces their candidacy publicly “they must publicly affirm that they are a Democrat. They also need to affirm in writing that they are a member of the Democratic Party, will accept the Democratic nomination and will run and serve as a member of the party.

The Sanders ally said if the senator does run for president in 2020, he will accept those conditions.

The ally added, “And he’ll be happy to help lead the Democratic Party and build it.”