JANUARY 26 AND 27, 2019

NEWS AND VIEWS

THE MAIN OPINION GIVEN IN THIS ARTICLE, THAT SANDERS ANNOUNCEMENT IS “IMMINENT,” WAS SPECIFICALLY DISPUTED BY SENIOR ADVISOR JOSH ORTON, WHO SAID THAT “NO DECISION IS IMMINENT.” THAT STATEMENT COMES FROM THE HILL, WHICH REPEATS THIS INFORMATION FROM YAHOO ALMOST WORD FOR WORD EXCEPT FOR THAT STATEMENT. I PERSONALLY AM WAITING TO SEE, BUT I AGREE WITH YAHOO THAT IF HE IS SETTING UP THE STRUCTURES FOR A 2020 RUN NOW, HE PROBABLY IS 90% CERTAIN THAT HE WILL RUN. I CONTINUE TO HOPE HE WILL, BECAUSE I WANT A REAL CHOICE COMING FROM THE PARTY, AS I WILL NOT VOTE FOR A REPUBLICAN, AND I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO VOTE FOR A REMOCRAT TO PROP THE PARTY UP.

WHAT I MIGHT DO IF THE DNC PUTS FORWARD A MILQUETOAST CANDIDATE IS TO WRITE IN BERNIE’S NAME FOR PRESIDENT, AND THE NEXT BEST PROGRESSIVE FOR VICE PRESIDENT, NO MATTER WHO THEY CHOOSE TO RUN. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ANTI-SANDERS ARTICLES IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AND I TEND TO SUSPECT THAT THOSE ARE COMING FROM THE DNC AND NOT THE REPUBLICAN SOURCES. I HAVE HEARD REPORTS OF OTHER SANDERS FOLLOWERS SAYING THE SAME THING, SO I ADVISE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO PUT UP THEIR PROGRESSIVE BEST AT LEAST. IF THEY WANT TO BE HONORABLE (AND SENSIBLE) THEY WILL NOMINATE BERNIE AND A COMPATIBLE PROGRESSIVE TO RUN WITH HIM. DNC, YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE IRON IS HOT.

https://news.yahoo.com/bernie-sanders-set-announce-2020-presidential-run-234647684.html
Bernie Sanders set to announce 2020 presidential run
Hunter Walker White House Correspondent,Yahoo News • January 25, 2019

WASHINGTON—Three years after fighting a surprisingly competitive Democratic primary race against Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, is making another run for the White House.

Two sources with direct knowledge of his plans told Yahoo News that Sanders, an independent and self-described “democratic socialist,” plans to announce his presidential bid imminently. While Sanders has been considering a bid for months, one of the sources said he was emboldened by early polls of the race that have consistently showed him as one of the top candidates in a crowded Democratic primary field. In particular, the source said Sanders was heartened to see numbers indicating he is one of the leading candidates among African American and Latino voters, two groups he was perceived as struggling with in 2016.

PHOTOGRAPH -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, in the Capitol on Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images)

The source also alluded to a spate of recent polls that show Sanders as the most popular politician in the country. They attributed Sanders’ strength in the polls to the base and name recognition he built with the prior presidential bid.

“What the senator has this time that he didn’t have last time is he is the most popular elected official in the country right now,” the source said. “That’s light years away from 2016, when very few people knew who he was.”

A third source said Sanders’ bid will begin with an exploratory committee. Sanders’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.

In addition to these two sources, a former Sanders staffer who had not been briefed on the imminent announcement plans nevertheless said many recent signs suggest he is set to pull the trigger on a presidential campaign. Specifically, the former staffer said Sanders has been building out the infrastructure he would need for a White House bid.

“He’s already talking to staff and there are people he’s hiring. They’re nailing down contracts with vendors. … All the movement is there for him to run,” the ex-staffer said.

Although Sanders was ultimately defeated by Clinton last time around, his upstart campaign reshaped the Democratic Party. Sanders ran on a progressive platform that included a focus on eliminating income inequality, on campaign finance reform and an ambitious “Medicare for All” health care proposal. Those principles have become centerpieces for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and several Sanders-backed candidates won elections last year.

But Sanders’ impact on the Democratic Party went beyond his political vision. The primary battle between Sanders and Clinton was contentious, with Sanders allies contending that Clinton’s campaign was working in conjunction with the Democratic Party establishment to prevent a Sanders victory. These battles cemented divisions in this party that linger on as the 2020 election approaches.

After President Trump’s victory over Clinton in 2016, Sanders and his allies pressed for reforms to the Democratic National Committee that would make the party’s primary process more open and inclusive of what Sanders termed “the working people and young people of our country.”

Amid Sanders’ push for reform, the DNC assembled a “unity commission” to recommend changes that included members chosen by both Sanders and Clinton. Ultimately, the DNC made rules changes that included one of the main items on Sanders’ agenda, curbing the role of unelected superdelegates in choosing the party’s presidential nominee. At the same time, the DNC also adopted a rules change that would make it more difficult for independents like Sanders to seek the party’s presidential nomination.

In spite of this, Sanders’ allies consider that this new rule does not hurt his chances, because the Vermont Democratic Party passed a resolution last year recognizing him as a full member. A source who discussed Sanders’ 2020 plans with Yahoo News confirmed that he will be running as a Democrat.

Although he will be entering an extremely crowded Democratic field, Sanders is starting from a formidable position. Early polls of the race have consistently showed him to be one of the top candidates, probably due to the base of support he established in 2016. Sanders allies also believe his prior run could give him a head start organizing in key early primary states. Last October, Pete D’Alessandro, Sanders’s Iowa state coordinator for the 2016 race, told Yahoo News he was confident the senator would be able to build on the grassroots support and infrastructure he established in 2016 if he made another run.

“This was a movement. It still is a movement,” D’Alessandro said.


“I SHOULD HAVE NEVER DONE AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES.” HOW TRUMP-LIKE! IT ISN’T THAT WHITE SUPREMACY AND WHITE NATIONALISM ARE “DIRTY WORDS,” BUT THAT ANYONE WHO CHAMPIONS THAT CAUSE IS OPENLY STATING THAT HE HAS RACIST VIEWS. IT IS SELF EVIDENT. THOSE ARE THE VIEWS OF A SLAVE NATION, AND WE OUTGREW THAT OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. LET’S ACT LIKE IT.

MOST OF US HAVE MOVED AWAY FROM THAT POSITION. AND AS FOR “WESTERN CIVILIZATION,” IT HAS BEEN DOMINANT AND OF GREAT VALUE IN MANY WAYS, BUT NOT FLAWLESS, AND IN ITS EMPHASIS ON MINDLESS CONFORMITY, RACE, ETHNICITY, RELIGION AND WARFARE AS DECIDING POINTS AMONG GROUPS OF PEOPLE, IT IS INFERIOR. IN FACT, PLACING GROUPISM OVER INDIVIDUALISM CUTS OUT THE BEST PARTS OF THE HUMAN MIND – CREATIVITY AND CRITICAL THINKING – AND SYSTEMATICALLY WORKS TO KILL PERSONAL COURAGE BY SUBTLE AND NOT SO SUBTLE INTIMIDATION. THOSE THINGS ARE ANATHEMA TO THE RUTHLESS “TEAM SPIRIT” THAT TRUMP AND THOSE LIKE HIM BELIEVE IN.

THAT’S MY OPINION. I’M RELIEVED AND DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT REP STEVE KING’S OWN PARTY HAS CHASTISED HIM, BECAUSE REPUBLICANS SO OFTEN SEEM TO BE ALIKE IN THAT WAY. I BELIEVE THAT, EVEN IF THEY SECRETLY AGREE WITH HIM, THEY KNOW BETTER THAN TO PROCLAIM THAT POSITION OUT LOUD. THERE ARE TOO MANY OF US WHO ARE INDIVIDUALISTIC, POORER, INCLUSIVE AND EGALITARIAN TO CONSIDER IT ACCEPTABLE, THOUGH, AND WE’RE WAITING FOR THE NEXT ELECTION TO RUN AGAINST THEM.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/427107-steve-king-addresses-white-nationalist-controversy-in-first-town-hall-back
Steve King addresses white nationalist controversy in town hall
BY TAL AXELROD - 01/26/19 02:18 PM EST

PHOTOGRAPH – REP STEVE KING © Getty Images

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) addressed his comments regarding white nationalism Saturday in his first town hall in Iowa since his controversial interview with The New York Times was published earlier this month.

“It is stunning and astonishing to me that four words in a New York Times quote can outweigh 20-some years of public service, 20-some years of giving you my word every day, and not one soul has stood up and said that I’ve ever lied to you or misrepresented anything or given it to you in any spin that’s anything other than what I believe to be the objective truth,” he said, noting that “I am not a racist.”

“I’ve made more than one mistake, we all have,” King added. “I should have never done an interview with The New York Times.”

King ignited a bipartisan firestorm after he asked the Times, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

House Republicans responded by removing King from his positions on the House Judiciary, Agriculture and Small Business committees. The House also overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning white nationalism and white supremacy by a 424-1 vote, with the lone dissenter saying it was not specific enough in its condemnation of King.

The Iowa Republican has said he’s “at peace” with the comments.

“I will continue to point out the truth and work with all the vigor that I have to represent 4th District Iowans for at least the next two years,” King said earlier this month.

Despite the controversy, many town hall attendees expressed their support for King, according to the Des Moines Register.

“You're proud and talented and we're proud of you, and thanks for coming to see us,” Pamela Harmon said.

“[You're] being accused of being a racist, and all that other stuff,” Kelly O'Brien, the O'Brien County GOP chair said, “I know you’re not, Steve. I’ve known you forever.”

Despite maintaining a level of support among his constituents, King could face challenges in 2020 from at least three Republicans who have announced they will primary the polarizing congressman.


https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2019-01-26/under-pressure-over-video-venezuelas-guaido-says-met-officials
Under Pressure Over Video, Venezuela's Guaido Says Met Officials
Jan. 26, 2019, at 7:47 p.m BY MAYELA ARMAS

PHOTOGRAPH -- Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido speaks during a rally with members of the Venezuela's National Assembly regarding an amnesty law project for members of the military, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 26, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos BarriaREUTERS

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido said on Saturday he had met with government officials to convince them of the need for new elections, after a lawmaker said a meeting happened this week.

In a television interview earlier in the week, Guaido appeared to dodge a question about whether he had met with Diosdado Cabello, a senior lawmaker and one of the most prominent figures in President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist Party.


Guaido declared himself interim president on Wednesday. The United States, Canada and a string of Latin American countries recognized him in quick succession.

A video the government says is evidence of the encounter showed Cabello and another top Maduro officials, Freddy Bernal, followed into a hotel by several well known opposition lawmakers along with a person wearing a baseball cap and gray hoody that the government says is Guaido.

The video triggered a Twitter trend under the tag #guaidochallenge, with users posting photos of themselves, friends and even pets wearing caps and hoodies to show that it could have been anyone in the footage.

However, at a political rally on Saturday, Cabello said he had recordings of the conversation in the meeting, saying Guaido had asked him to support new elections. Cabello said the only election he would back would be for the National Assembly, which Guaido heads.

In Caracas, Guaido told a small crowd of supporters that he had indeed met with officials, although he didn't specify who or when. He said he was interested in talking to anybody, civilian or military, who would support ending what he calls Maduro's "usurpation" and back a transition government and free elections.

"I'm ready, a message for Freddy and Diosdado, I said it yesterday and will repeat it today, everybody who wants to end the usurpation; government of transition and free elections, are welcome to discuss it."

Guaido's goal as he tries to consolidate his parallel government, which has international support but no control of the state, is to win over defectors by promising an amnesty policy that would let soldiers, police and civilians take part in public life after a transition, without punishment.

He had one high-profile success on Saturday, when Venezuela's top military diplomat to the United States, Colonel Jose Luis Silva, recognized the young leader and broke with Maduro.

(Reporting by Mayela Armas; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)

Copyright 2019 Thomson Reuters.


35 PEOPLE INVESTIGATED BY MUELLER HAVE EITHER BEEN INDICTED OR PLED GUILTY. THAT DOESN’T SOUND TO ME AS THOUGH HE IS OPERATING WITHOUT CORRECT INFORMATION.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roger-stone-interview-talks-fbi-raid-indictment-president-trump/

CBS NEWS January 26, 2019, 6:33 PM
Roger Stone says campaign officials listed in indictments "have an ax to grind against me"

A longtime associate of President Trump is maintaining his innocence. Roger Stone insists he is not guilty of charges outlined in a federal indictment and he's blasting an early-morning FBI raid on his Florida home. Stone spoke to CBS News justice and homeland security correspondent Jeff Pegues.

Stone walked out of his Fort Lauderdale home on Saturday and immediately dismissed speculation that he shared information about the WikiLeaks disclosures with then-candidate Trump in 2016.

"Who were you communicating with then if it wasn't the president?" Pegues asked.

"I wasn't," Stone said. "Those two assertions regarding Campaign Official 1 and Campaign Official 2 are incorrect. They are false. Now that doesn't mean that the special counsel can't induce somebody to say that, but they would be people who are easily impeachable, because they were either seeking a reduction in their sentence or because they have an ax to grind against me. This will all come out at trial."

0126-en-rogerstone-pegues-1.jpg
Roger Stone leaves his Fort Lauderdale home on January 26, 2019. CBS NEWS
After emerging from the courthouse on Friday, the flamboyant political operative did a series of cable network interviews dismissing the charges against him.

And he sharply denounced the FBI for the arrest at his home.

"I believe that I will be vindicated in court, but I am 66 years old, I do not have a valid passport, I do not own a gun," Stone said. "They'll have all of my records. There was no reason to treat me like Pablo Escobar."

The former Trump campaign advisor is charged with five counts of lying, one count of obstruction and one count of witness tampering.

The court papers allege that he shared information directly with the Trump campaign about WikiLeaks release of Democratic Party emails hacked by the Russians.

The stolen data was released at key moments during the 2016 election in an attempt to damage Hillary Clinton's campaign.

The indictment mentions multiple unnamed Trump campaign officials who were in contact with Stone about Wikileaks.

One person in particular directed a senior campaign official to talk to Stone about the releases.

President Trump did not answer questions about Stone on Friday.

But Saturday he tweeted: "If Roger Stone was indicted for lying to Congress, what about the lying done by Comey, Brennan, Clapper....and sooo many others."

Mr. Trump was referring to the former top law enforcement and intelligence officials who oversaw the launch of the Russia investigation in 2016. About two and a half years later it has led to more than 35 indictments or guilty pleas.

Stone said he will plead not guilty as he prepares to leave his home to be arraigned in a federal courtroom in Washington.

© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47015184
Holocaust Memorial Day: 'Shocking' levels of denial remain
JANUARY 26, 2019 1 hour ago

PA
Image caption -- Six million Jews were murdered in Nazi death camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau, during World War Two

Five per cent of UK adults do not believe the Holocaust took place and one in 12 believes its scale has been exaggerated, a survey has found.

The poll of more than 2,000 people was carried out by Opinion Matters for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT).

Almost two-thirds of respondents could not say how many Jews were murdered or "grossly" under-estimated the number.

On Sunday hundreds of thousands of people will gather across the country to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Survivors, politicians and members of the public will remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, while also marking the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide and 40 years since the end of the genocide in Cambodia.

More than 11,000 activities are expected to take place, including a national commemorative ceremony in Westminster, as well as other events in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What was the Holocaust?

'I survived two concentration camps'

Holocaust survivor Steven Frank, who was one of 93 children to survive the Theresienstadt camp in Czechoslovakia along with his two brothers, said the survey's findings were "terribly worrying".

His father, who helped hide Jews as part of the Dutch resistance, was arrested in Amsterdam and gassed at Auschwitz, in Nazi-occupied Poland, in January 1943.

Mr Frank, who now lives in Hertfordshire, said he was "surprised" by the number of people who do not believe the Holocaust took place.

The 83-year-old said: "In my experience, people don't have a solid understanding of what happened during the Holocaust and that's one of the reasons I am so committed to sharing what happened to me.

"At one of my talks, I met someone who said the Holocaust didn't happen.

"The only way to fight this kind of denial and anti-Semitism is with the truth - I tell people what happened, what I saw and what I experienced."

He added: "Education is so important. If we ignore the past, I fear history will repeat itself."

Image copyrightPA
Image caption
Steven Frank was one of 93 children to survive the Theresienstadt camp in Czechoslovakia

The HMDT's chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman said: "Such widespread ignorance and even denial is shocking.

"Without a basic understanding of this recent history, we are in danger of failing to learn where a lack of respect for difference and hostility to others can ultimately lead."

She added that the rise in reported hate crime in the UK and the risk of genocide in ongoing international conflicts meant "we cannot be complacent".

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: "One person questioning the truth of the Holocaust is one too many.

"It is up to us to redouble our efforts to ensure future generations know that it did happen and become witnesses to one of the darkest episodes in our history."


ARE WE ON THE VERGE OF ANOTHER SHOOTING WAR? THAT'S ALL WE NEED.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/25/confirming-us-orchestration-report-details-pences-key-phone-call-venezuelan
Published on
Friday, January 25, 2019
byCommon Dreams
Confirming US Orchestration, Report Details Pence's Key Phone Call to Venezuelan Opposition Leader
"The U.S. had been planning this coup in Venezuela. It was the Trump administration that told the little-known opposition leader Juan Guaidó to declare himself (unelected) 'president.'"
byJake Johnson, staff writer

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), on January 24, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

As U.S. lawmakers, civil society leaders, and Latin America experts continue to warn against American intervention in Venezuela's internal political affairs, the Wall Street Journal on Friday confirmed suspicions that opposition leader Juan Guaido's move to declare himself "interim president" of Venezuela this week was highly coordinated with the Trump White House and Republican lawmakers.

"The U.S. is not just 'behind' this coup; the U.S. is openly leading the coup."
—Ben Norton, The Real News

According to the Journal, Vice President Mike Pence called Guaido the night before his announcement and "pledged" that the Trump administration would support him "if he seized the reins of government from [elected President] Nicolas Maduro by invoking a clause in the South American country's constitution."

"That late-night call set in motion a plan that had been developed in secret over the preceding several weeks, accompanied by talks between U.S. officials, allies, lawmakers, and key Venezuelan opposition figures, including Mr. Guaido himself," the Journal reported, citing an anonymous administration official. "Almost instantly, just as Mr. Pence had promised, President Trump issued a statement recognizing Mr. Guaido as the country's rightful leader."

Guaido's move and U.S. President Donald Trump's rapid endorsement were quickly decried as a dangerous intervention—or the beginnings of a coup d'etat—which progressives argued would dramatically worsen the country's economic and political crisis. As Common Dreams reported, over 70 academics and experts signed an open letter demanding that the U.S. "cease encouraging violence by pushing for violent, extralegal regime change."

At the center of the push to oust Maduro and replace him with Guaido, the Journal reports, were some of the most hawkish congressional Republicans and members of Trump's cabinet, including national security adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), as well as officials from the right-wing governments of Brazil and Colombia.

According to the Journal, a "decisive moment" in the behind-the-scenes planning came on Tuesday, Jan. 22, when Trump met with top White House officials and Republican lawmakers the day before scheduled street protests by the opposition.

"Other officials who met that day at the White House included... Pompeo and Bolton, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who presented Mr. Trump with options for recognizing Mr. Guaido," the Journal reported. "Mr. Trump decided to do it. Mr. Pence, who wasn't at that meeting, placed his phone call to Mr. Guaido to tell him, 'If the National Assembly invoked Article 233 the following day, the president would back him.'"

Responding to the Journal's reporting on Friday, Ben Norton—reporter for The Real News—noted in a series of tweets that it is now clear the "U.S. is not just 'behind' this coup; the U.S. is openly leading the coup."

While the specifics of the attempt to oust Maduro were worked out behind the scenes, the Trump administration has never been quiet about its desire for regime change in Venezuela.

As Common Dreams reported, Trump declared in September that the Venezuelan government "could be toppled very quickly" and warned that "all options are on the table" with regard to U.S. actions in the country.

"The strong ones and the less than strong ones, and you know what I mean by strong. Every option is on the table with respect to Venezuela," Trump said.

The president and Pompeo both reiterated this warning on Wednesday, with the secretary of state threatening "appropriate actions" if the Venezuelan military does not protect U.S. diplomats, who Maduro has ordered to leave the country.

Progressive organizations, lawmakers, and advocacy groups in the U.S. have denounced the Trump administration's decision to recognize Guaido, arguing that American interference only increases the likelihood of violence and demanding peaceful negotiations.

In a statement on Friday, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) argued that "[b]oth the increasingly top-down Venezuelan government as well as the fractious Venezuelan opposition, which has at times resorted to anti-democratic methods, bear significant responsibility for the current crisis and there are important critiques to be leveled against both."

The organization concluded by calling on "the U.S. government to immediately cease and desist all attempts to intervene in the internal politics of Venezuela and break with its shameful legacy of imperial control in the region."

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) echoed this demand in a series of tweets late Thursday, highlighting the United States' "long history of inappropriately intervening in Latin American countries" and declaring that "we must not go down that road again."

"The Maduro government in Venezuela has been waging a violent crackdown on Venezuelan civil society, violated the constitution by dissolving the National Assembly, and was re-elected last year in an election that many observers said was fraudulent," Sanders wrote. "But we must learn the lessons of the past and not be in the business of regime change or supporting coups."

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License


THIS IS THE KIND OF CREATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT I WANT TO SEE MORE OF. WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD LIVE WITH US, MY MOTHER WOULD COMPLAIN ABOUT HER, SHE DROPPED CRUMBS ON THE FLOOR WHEN SHE ATE LIKE A BABY, BUT SHE WAS COMPANIONABLE WITH ME AND I ENJOYED HAVING HER AROUND. ELDERLY PEOPLE HAVE WONDERFUL STORIES TO TELL OF THEIR EARLY LIFE, AND HAPPILY GIVE WARMTH TO CHILDREN WHO MAY NEED SOME; UNFORTUNATELY, MOTHERS ARE SOMETIMES TOO BUSY CLEANING TO DO THAT.

GRANDMA WAS FUN ALSO IN THAT SHE, LIKE DADDY, KNEW CLASSIC OLD POEMS MANY LINES LONG, AND COULD RECOUNT THEM WHOLE WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO STOP AND THINK. POEMS LIKE THAT ARE TOO OFTEN NOT BEING TAUGHT TO YOUNG KIDS ANYMORE. IF YOU DON’T LIKE “HOP ON POP,” YOU’RE OUT OF LUCK. JUST BECAUSE THEY FORGOT WHERE THEY LEFT THEIR COMB DOESN’T MEAN THAT THEY AREN’T STILL INTELLIGENT AND USEFUL.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/families-open-up-their-hearts-and-their-homes-to-serve-veterans
CBS NEWS January 24, 2019, 1:53 PM
Families open up their hearts – and their homes – to serve veterans

Watching Bill Sutton, you wouldn't know the 53-year-old combat vet couldn't walk when he got to where he lives now. The double amputee said he'll be running soon because instead of going into a home, he found a home.

Many veterans who served our country are now in need of someone to serve them. Nearly 38,000 veterans are homeless and more than 82,000 are in nursing homes. Some American families are stepping in to help, and opening up their homes as part of an innovative Department of Veterans Affairs program.

"There's no way I'd go to a nursing home," Sutton told CBS News' Chip Reid.

Now he lives under the same roof as the Rufing family, who opened their home and their hearts to serve those who served. The Rufing's have six children in addition to the three veterans who are living with them.

Six home-schooled kids, three vets, one dog and too many chickens and cows to count. Their care is also a family affair.

"Depending on the veteran, we may have to toilet them, bathe them, dress them, shave them, feed them," Sarah Rufing said.

Remember — that's in addition to six kids.

"When we first got our first veteran, after two days, she's like, 'I can't do this,'" Troy Rufing said of his wife, Sarah. "And now, we've been doing it over four years, so we're doing good."

Troy built a whole new wing on their home four years ago. For the three disabled veterans, the house is an alternative to a nursing home.

"There are so many families that aren't emotionally ready, financially ready, and this gives them an alternative," Sarah said.

The VA's Medical Foster Home Program allows vets to live in private homes for about half as much as costly nursing home care. And the $2,400 they pay, on average each month, helps their host families, too. Sarah said the ability to stay home is a "blessing."

The idea came from Troy's family. Nearby, his brother Todd houses two veterans who are learning to live with the loss of a third.

VA doctors and nurses make house calls and music therapists help keep their minds sharp.

Bill Sutton said there's only one thing missing. More kids.

"Oh, they need at least 23," Sutton said.

"You have to open your home and open your heart to those veterans … It's a sacrifice. It's service. But they deserve it," Sarah said.

© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


THIS IS A GOOD APPETIZER, BUT WHERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY?

IF NEWS SITES ARE DYING OFF, WHAT’S KILLING THEM? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BLATANTLY FAKE SITES LIKE BREITBART AND RT DIE, BUT THEY ARE THE ONES THAT THE IGNORANT AND HOSTILE WILL ALWAYS GRAVITATE TOWARD. WHAT CAN WE DO? I SUGGEST THAT LEGITIMATE NEWS OUTLETS DO MORE WELL-ROUNDED AND FACT-PACKED ARTICLES, LIKE THE WAPO, NPR, THE NYT AND BBC WRITE, NOT LESS.

I ALSO SUGGEST THEY STOP FORCING MEDIA ON THE PUBLIC WITHOUT A GOOD WRITTEN STORY TO BACK IT UP AND ROUND IT OUT. THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON CBS AND MSNBC LATELY, AND I HATE IT. THEY ARE EVEN NOW MAKING FAKE VIDEOS COMPOSED OF MUSIC, A FEW STILL PHOTOGRAPHS AND ABOUT 5 OR 6 WRITTEN SENTENCES THAT ARE FLOATED ACROSS THE SCREEN – TOO FAST FOR ME TO EVEN READ WELL. IF THEY ARE GOING TO DO THAT KIND OF THING, WHICH THEY SHOULDN’T, THEY SHOULD SLOW DOWN THE MOTION BY TWICE. BESIDES, IF I’M TO HAVE A VIDEO, I WANT A REAL ONE. THAT APPEARS TO ME TO BE A SIGN THAT THEY, ALSO, ARE SLOWING DOWN THE HIRING OF REPORTERS, RESEARCHERS AND WRITERS. IT’S LIKE “STRETCHING” THE MEAL BY ADDING MORE WATER TO THE STEW. THAT DOESN’T REALLY WORK IF WE ARE HUNGRY.

I AM SUGGESTING THAT THE MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA ARE STARVING THEIR PUBLIC FOR REAL FOOD. AS FOR THE BREITBARTS, THEY WILL ALWAYS HAVE THEIR AUDIENCE, JUST LIKE THOSE GROCERY STORE SOURCES THAT SHOW THE LOCH NESS MONSTER WASHED UP DEAD ON THE SHORE, AND OTHER RIDICULOUS IF ENTERTAINING STRETCHERS. BUZZFEED HAS GOOD ARTICLES AND A GOOD RECORD ON FACT CHECKING, BUT THEIR NAME, “BUZZFEED,” SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME SENSATIONALISTIC CONTENT THAT THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER IS SO WELL KNOWN FOR, SO I HAVEN’T ALWAYS TRUSTED “BUZZFEED” STORIES. I AM SUGGESTING THAT WHILE BUZZFEED MAY NOT BE JUNK, USING A NAME LIKE THAT ISN’T HELPING THEIR CAUSE, I DON'T THINK.

THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER HAS BEEN KNOWN A TIME OR TWO ACCORDING TO MY GOOD MAINSTREAM NEWS SOURCES TO HAVE PRODUCED AN ACTUAL INTERVIEW OR PIECE OF SOLID INFORMATION OF TRUE MERIT. THAT WAS PROBABLY AN ACCIDENT, HOWEVER, AS BRINGING THE CROWD IN WITH HOKUM IS THEIR WAY OF MAKING MONEY. SO, I WILL STICK WITH THE MAINSTREAM SOURCES, WHATEVER “THERINGER.COM” HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT. FOR ALL I KNOW, “THERINGER” MAY BE ANOTHER OF THE TRUE “FAKE NEWS” OUTLETS.

https://www.theringer.com/tech/2019/1/26/18198621/buzzfeed-news-layoffs-digital-media-economy
BuzzFeed Layoffs Are a Bad Sign for Online News
This week, over 1,000 jobs were eliminated from news organizations, part of a trend toward austerity measures for digital media companies
By Kate Knibbs Jan 26, 2019, 12:26pm EST

graphic art -- Ringer illustration

There are no slow news days in America anymore, and yet, the media is ailing.

Layoffs at BuzzFeed, Verizon Media Group, and newspapers owned by Gannett left over 1,000 journalists and media professionals out of work this week. BuzzFeed announced plans to cut 15 percent of its staff; VMG cut 7 percent, including journalists at HuffPost. The list of those who are out of work includes a Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist; the social media savant responsible for “The Dress,” BuzzFeed’s famous viral post; and a dizzying number of reporters. The layoffs are part of a trend toward austerity measures for digital media companies. In 2018, Vox, Vanity Fair, Vice, GQ, Vogue, Teen Vogue, the New York Daily News, Good Media Group, Glamour, The Outline, Refinery29, and CNN experienced layoffs. Mic let go of most of its staff. Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter shut down, as did beloved teen-focused Rookie magazine. LGBTQIA publication Into shuttered this month. While a few prestigious organizations, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Yorker, have received a “Trump bump” surge in readership during the Trump presidency, so many other outlets are financially flailing with no uptick in sight.

How did things get so dire? There are many theories: Craigslist killed journalism. Technology killed journalism. The 24-hour news cycle killed journalism. But this wasn’t a single-shooter assassination. Both new media outlets, like BuzzFeed, and legacy media outlets, like the newspapers owned by Gannett, are in trouble, but their roads to perdition were different. Legacy print media’s crisis started decades ago, as newspapers consolidated into huge, publicly traded companies. With the rise of publishing on the internet, these companies started to lose subscribers amid steeper competition. Meanwhile, free online ads decimated their classified ads business. Hedge funds began picking off financially vulnerable publications by buying out desperate owners and plundering them for short-term profits. Gannett is considering a sale to—you guessed it—a hedge fund.

While the rise of the internet upended traditional journalism, it enabled a new kind of media company to prosper. For a while, it seemed like some digital outlets figured out how to build a viable business in online publishing. However, the past few years have exposed the precariousness of the entire industry. Facebook and Google’s emergence as publisher-platforms with near-unfettered power has cratered the advertiser-supported model. (Facebook and Google gobble up a whopping 84 percent of online advertising revenue.) As the big social networks grew in prominence, many publishers relied heavily on the traffic their platforms generated, becoming beholden to fickle and secret algorithms. Additionally, the metrics that Facebook provided to advertisers falsely inflated how much people like online video, which spurred many news organizations to “pivot to video” out of desperation, only to see their audiences dwindle. Other ways to make money, like affiliate links or premium content subscriptions, have not made up for the absurdly asymmetrical breakdown of ad dollars between the tech giants and the media companies that provide content for their platforms. BuzzFeed is a particularly apt case study of digital media’s modern dilemma because it once looked like it was paving a path forward for media organizations to thrive online.

Jonah Peretti, who got his start in digital media at The Huffington Post, launched BuzzFeed in 2005 as a side project in the mode of a technology startup more than as a news operation, an R&D lab for figuring out how to grab attention on the internet. (The original name was Contagious Media.) In his original vision, Peretti essentially hoped to do what Facebook and Google do currently: act as a publisher-platform to dominate the spread of online content. His idea attracted substantial investor backing in 2008.

The decision to get into the news business came later, in 2011, and it required additional investment to hire journalists. BuzzFeed raised even more funding in 2013 when it began investing in its video operation. After taking over $50 million in outside financing, BuzzFeed reportedly became profitable in 2013, although it failed to turn a profit in subsequent years consistently; last year, the company lost money. In 2014, Peretti spoke glowingly about the benefits provided by venture capital. “I think VCs in general are great to be partnered with if you have the same goals,” Peretti said in an interview. “If you want to build a giant company relatively quickly, in an emerging space where the market isn’t mature enough to generate a lot of revenue early on, then VCs are the perfect partner.” To date, the company has raised over $500 million from investors, with the majority coming from NBCUniversal.

There’s nothing wrong with taking money from investors, of course, but it presents a challenge for a company that emphasizes newsgathering, which is expensive and relies heavily on online ad revenue. BuzzFeed generated $300 million in 2018, which sounds like happy news, but the high cost of doing journalism coupled with the state of online advertising meant that it disappointed investors, who are focused on profit, not Pulitzers, even in the news industry. BuzzFeed grew rapidly for years but is now struggling to balance its commitment to profitability with its commitment to journalism. This week’s layoffs have made that clearer than ever. BuzzFeed News, the company’s journalism arm, lost many reporters dedicated to covering politics, national affairs, cybersecurity, health and wellness, and LGBTQIA issues. These reporters did not factor into the calculus deemed necessary to accelerate growth.

There is a chance BuzzFeed’s founder has finally soured on the startup model. Peretti explicitly cited the desire to move away from outside funding as the impetus for the drastic cuts. “The restructuring we are undertaking will reduce our costs and improve our operating model so we can thrive and control our own destiny, without ever needing to raise funding again,” he said in an email to staffers in advance of the layoffs. There may be another explanation. Last year, Peretti hypothesized that he might have to merge BuzzFeed with its rivals to better negotiate with Facebook and Google, and it appears he is considering another merger; Recode reported that BuzzFeed is considering a merger with digital publisher Group Nine*. These layoffs may have been motivated by an attempt to please another set of prospective outside backers after all.

The idea of a supergroup of media outlets banding together to fight the tech giants might seem a bit silly if it weren’t such a clear indicator of how grim the situation is. The prospect of government regulation dismantling Facebook and Google’s digital advertising duopoly seems unlikely. At this time, the best hope new media companies have, just like legacy outlets, is benevolent billionaire backers not fixated on maximum growth. Tethering a media outlet to the whims of the ultrawealthy is, of course, not ideal—but then again, as this week proved, yoking most of the media to the profit models demanded by investors and shareholders can be even worse. Over the past decade, BuzzFeed represented the potential that the social web offered more than perhaps any other media company. For a time, it seemed as though it was possible for a publisher to game the algorithms and do serious, smart, funny work. This restructuring is a grim reminder that even media companies optimized to work on the tech giants’ platforms have been unmoored by how much power they wield. BuzzFeed is still an impressive media outlet capable of great things. But the odds of BuzzFeed or any other media company forging a sustainable path within the current power structure has never looked worse.

"Are you a robot?". Bloomberg. Retrieved November 22, 2018.

"Group Nine Media's NewFront Was All About Obsession". Adweek – Breaking News in Advertising, Media and Technology. May 3, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.

Gutelle, Sam (May 3, 2018). "Seeker's New Space Channel Headlines Group Nine Media's Slate Of Fresh Content". Tubefilter. Retrieved November 22, 2018.

Barr, Jeremy (October 13, 2016). "Digital Publishers Come Together as Group Nine Media, Backed by $100 Million From Discovery". AdvertisingAge.
Sherman, Alex (November 17, 2018). "How a new breed of media companies is convincing people to pay for news again". CNBC. Retrieved November 22, 2018.

Group Nine* --

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_Nine_Media
Group Nine Media
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Group Nine Media is an American digital media holding company based in New York City. The company comprises Thrillist, NowThis, The Dodo, and Seeker.[2][3] The four brands and former brand Sourcefed, merged to form Group Nine Media in October 2016.

At the time of the merger, Discovery Communications announced a $100 million minority investment in the collective organization, becoming the biggest shareholder before Axel Springer. Discovery also acquired the right to obtain a majority stake later if it so chooses.[4]

Ben Lerer, founder of Thrillist and managing director of Lerer Hippeau Ventures, serves as CEO of Group Nine Media.[5]

[FOOTNOTES TO GROUP NINE:

Thrillist Is About Food And Entertainment ....

NowThis News is a left-wing American media website that primarily distributes video news content to mobile devices and social platforms.[1][2][3] is an offshoot of huffington post, [FOR MORE ON NOWTHIS, GO TO WIKIPEDIA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NowThis_News. OR https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/saying-goodbye-to-these-republicans-after-the-2018-midterms

The Dodo is concerned with animals and animal rights issues,

Seeker produces online video and editorial content for the digital media landscape, with an emphasis on social platforms and YouTube.[1]]


“ENCOURAGING”? I’D LIKE TO SEE THE EXACT WORDING OF THAT MEMO. THERE ARE THINGS THAT APPARENTLY YOU CAN’T “EDUCATE” OUT OF THE HUMAN SOUL. ESSENTIAL STUPIDITY IS BORN IN, AND MUST BE COAXED DOWNSTAIRS, ONE STEP AT A TIME, AS MARK TWAIN SAID OF BAD HABITS. I CALL THAT PROCESS EDUCATION, AND IT ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES AN OPENING OF THE MIND. I AM ASHAMED TO SAY THAT DUKE IS A METHODIST RUN UNIVERSITY. I WANT THE METHODISTS, MY HOME CHURCH, TO BE BETTER THAN THOSE WHO DON’T CHOOSE HUMANISTIC GOALS. I AM REFERRING TO CERTAIN EVANGELICAL RELIGIONS WHICH HAVE BROUGHT IN UPON US IN THE USA A WAVE OF HOSTILE POLITICS WITH A NEGATIVE OIENTATION, AS I’M SURE WE ALL KNOW. I HATE TO SEE IT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, THOUGH, WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ENLIGHTENED PLACES.

THE GIST, I BELIEVE, IS THAT WE HAVEN’T DONE A GOOD ENOUGH JOB OF INOCULATING OUR CHILDREN AGAINST SOCIAL ABUSIVENESS AND SIMPLE-MINDED CONCEIT. IT STARTS IN THE FIRST GRADE AND BEFORE. IF WEALTH AND STATUS ARE KEEPING IT ALIVE, ALL THE WORSE. WHAT DUKE IS KNOWN FOR IS BEING THE PREFERRED CHOICE OF THE SOUTHERN UPPER CRUST OVER MY OWN UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL, WHICH HAS WELL-FUNDED PROGRAMS WITH GOOD PROFESSORS ALSO. DUKE ISN’T NECESSARILY BETTER. THEY’RE JUST RICHER.

THE DUKE FAMILY, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE “FILTHY RICH,” THEIR FORTUNE GAINED FROM TOBACCO MONEY. THEY GO BACK TO THE LATE 1800S AT LEAST. UNC, TO ITS' HONOR, WAS THE FIRST FULL SCALE STATE UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHED IN THE NATION IN THE 1790S. I’M PRETTY PROUD OF THAT. IF WE DON’T CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT THESE SOCIAL STATUS RANKINGS WE WILL BECOME A MORE AND MORE UNEDUCATED NATION, NOT A BETTER ONE. THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT KEEPS THE SOUTH DOWN.

I ALMOST FORGOT TO SAY, CONGRATULATIONS TO MEDICAL SCHOOL DEAN MARY KLOTMAN FOR HER INTELLIGENT AND SPEEDY ACTION. IN SOME TIMES AND ENVIRONMENTS, THAT COULD GET HER FIRED, BUT HOPEFULLY NOT YET IN THIS COUNTRY. I AM SO GLAD THAT DUKE UNIVERSITY ITSELF DOESN’T STAND BY MEGAN NEELY. I WANT THEM TO CONTINUE TO EARN THEIR HIGH STATUS AMONG UNIVERSITIES. EVERY TIME I READ THIS STORY OVER I SEE ANOTHER DISTURBING POINT. THIS IS THE THIRD OR FOURTH NEWS ITEM THIS LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE SEEN THAT IS ABOUT A UNIVERSITY WHICH IS MOVING IN THE PATH OF FASCISM RATHER THAN DEMOCRACY, AND RACE IS USUALLY THE ISSUE. THERE ARE ALSO THE CAMPUS RAPES, HOWEVER, WITH THOSE "IMPRESSIONABLE" YOUNG MEN GETTING A SLAP ON THE WRIST FOR WHAT THEY DID. I THINK THEY SHOULD CLOSE ALL FEMALE AND MALE "GREEK" SOCIETIES, AND LET THE WEALTHY KIDS LIVE IN THE DORM ALONG WITH THE OTHERS. NO DRINKS, NO RAPES.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/megan-neely-director-of-duke-university-grad-program-steps-down-after-encouraging-students-to-speak-english/
Duke grad program director steps down after saying foreign students should speak English
BY JASON SILVERSTEIN
UPDATED ON: JANUARY 27, 2019 / 2:40 PM / CBS NEWS

An assistant professor at Duke University is stepping down from her post as director of a graduate program at the university's school of medicine after encouraging foreign students in an email to "commit to using English 100% of the time" on campus.

Megan Neely, who was director of the biostatistic graduate program, asked to leave her post Saturday after screenshots of her comments circulated online, according to The Chronicle, Duke's student-run newspaper. A school official confirmed to The Chronicle the authenticity of her email, which was sent to first- and second-year students on Friday.

Neely wrote that two faculty members had complained to her about a group of students who were "very loudly" speaking Chinese in a common area. She said the faculty members asked to see photos of masters students so they could identify the ones they heard speaking Chinese and "remember them if the students ever interviewed for an internship or asked to work with them for a master's project."

"They were disappointed that these students were not taking the opportunity to improve their English and were being so impolite as to have a conversation that not everyone on the floor could understand," wrote Neely.

She warned about "unintended consequences" of speaking Chinese in the building and encouraged students to use English "100% of the time" in department areas and other professional settings.

Medical school dean Mary Klotman announced in an email that Neely had asked to step down from leading the graduate program "effective immediately." Klotman said she asked the school's Office of Institutional Equity to review the biostatistics program and recommend ways to "improve the learning environment for students from all backgrounds."

"There is absolutely no restriction or limitation on the language you use to converse and communicate with each other," Klotman wrote.

Neely will remain at Duke as a professor and researcher, according to Michael Schoenfeld, vice president of public relations and government affairs. The school did not say whether it identified the two faculty members who allegedly spoke to Neely about the students.

A student petition, which has received more than 1,000 signatures, asks for an independent investigation of Neely's emails and the actions of the unnamed faculty members she mentioned. The petition says Neely had previously sent an email in February 2018 titled "To Speak or To Not Speak English," in which she said "many faculty" had noticed international students weren't using English in break rooms. According to screenshots of that email, Neely wrote that using other languages "might not be the best choice while you are in the department," and that "speaking in your native language may give faculty the impression that you are not trying to improve your English skills."

Neely received her Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in 2011 and joined Duke that year as an assistant professor, according to her faculty profile. She did not return messages from CBS News.

First published on January 27, 2019

© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


LIFE AMONG THE BRITS -- THIS IS ONE OF THOSE STORIES THAT REMINDS ME THAT HOWEVER WE STARTED OUT, WE NOW SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE FROM OUR EUROPEAN RELATIVES. THE PHRASE "SOME DEFT, SILKY POINTLESS SKILLS" IS ONE OF THOSE TERMS. I KNOW ALL OF THOSE WORDS, BUT THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME IN ANY WAY. I FIRST NOTICED THE LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES WHEN I WAS READING LOTS OF MODERN MURDER MYSTERIES. I WOULD COME ACROSS WORDS LIKE "LORRY" FOR "TRUCK," ETC. IN A MURDER MYSTERY, EVERY LITTLE THING MAY MATTER. IN THIS CASE, THOUGH, I HAVE SIMPLY FOUND A YOUTUBE GAME OF "POINTLESS" TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT IS LIKE. TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-46991602
Queen enjoys game of Pointless at Sandringham WI
24 January 2019

PA
Image caption -- The Queen visits the Sandringham branch of the WI each year during her winter stay at the nearby Royal estate

The Queen has joined members of her local Women's Institute (WI) in a live version of TV quiz show Pointless hosted by Alexander Armstrong.

Her Majesty is said to be an avid viewer of the teatime favourite, in which players compete to find the least obvious answers to questions.

Armstrong, the show's presenter, described the Queen as "our most distinguished viewer".

Her team was crowned winner of the contest at the Sandringham WI.

She visits the group every year as part of her winter stay at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

'Silky Pointless skills'

West Newton Village Hall was divided into two teams for the live game - one headed by the Queen and the other by Yvonne Browne, vice-president of the WI group.

Image copyrightPA
Image caption -- Alexander Armstrong said meeting the Queen was "a dream come true"
Five matches took place, with the royal's team winning three.

Armstrong - who presented Sandringham WI with a trophy - has previously claimed a "Palace insider" told him the monarch was a fan of the programme.

He said the Queen gave some answers herself and had "some deft, silky Pointless skills".

"I think Her Majesty and the team can be very pleased with themselves tonight and go back covered in glory," he said.

"I think they can look back over the match and feel rightly proud of what they achieved."

Speaking before the event, Armstrong said meeting the Queen would be "a dream come true".

He added: "I think everyone I've ever spoken to has said they've had a dream where they had tea with the Queen - I'm going to get to do that."

Image copyrightPA
Image caption -- The monarch was all smiles as she arrived at the WI meeting
The Queen arrived for the event in a chauffeur-driven Range Rover.

She posed for a group photograph, unveiled the branch's centenary plaque and was given a celebratory cake.

During her speech to the event, the Queen told her fellow members: "Of course, every generation faces fresh challenges and opportunities.

"As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture."

Ms Browne said it had been "a really lovely afternoon".

"The Queen very graciously said a few words about the fact it was our centenary and she hoped that the fun and friendship would continue into the next century," she said.

The Queen has been a member of the Sandringham WI since 1943, when she was still Princess Elizabeth.

Image copyrightPA
Image caption -- A police officer and his dog make sure the area around West Newton Village Hall is secure


HERE IS A GAME OF “POINTLESS” IN ACTION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iSba1Dclc0
Pointless Series 19 1 Episode 1 b09yrt6d original