November 27, 2017


News and Views


THE DEMS SAY NO WAY!

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42141367
CFPB in chaos as chief refuses to step aside for Trump's man
November 27, 2017 12:34 PM 1 hour ago

Photograph -- Richard Cordray's resignation has thrown the leadership of the agency into chaos Getty Images

The US consumer financial watchdog was plunged into turmoil on Monday as rival directors vied to take charge amid a lawsuit against the White House.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) director resigned last week and appointed his former chief of staff, Leandra English, to replace him.

She has sued after President Donald Trump instead named his budget chief Mick Mulvaney to lead the CFPB.

The CFPB, unpopular on Wall Street, was set up after the 2007 financial crash.

Who's in charge?

Leandra English sent the agency's staff a brief email on Monday saying: "It is an honor to work with all of you."

Ms English signed it, "Acting Director".

But Mr Mulvaney - who has previously called the CFPB a "sick, sad joke" that should be scrapped - arrived at the bureau on Monday morning carrying a bag of donuts for employees.

He wrote in a memo to staff: "Please disregard any instructions you receive from Ms English in her presumed capacity as Acting Director."

Mr Mulvaney also signed off as "acting director", urging staff to pop by his office on the fourth floor and "grab a donut".

Skip Twitter post by @CZ
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

john czwartacki
✔
@CZ
@MickMulvaneyOMB sitting in director's office. Already hard at work as acting director at cfpb.
8:04 AM - Nov 27, 2017
144 144 Replies 133 133 Retweets 200 200 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Report
End of Twitter post by @CZ

Skip Twitter post by @katierogers
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Katie Rogers
✔
@katierogers
Mulvaney brings donuts to his first day at CFPB. Couldn’t hurt.
7:37 AM - Nov 27, 2017
212 212 Replies 424 424 Retweets 930 930 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Report
End of Twitter post by @katierogers

WHAT IS THE CFPB?

The 1,600-employee watchdog was set up in 2010 to protect Americans from predatory lenders.

Republicans say it has placed an excessive regulatory burden on Wall Street.

Democrats say the CFPB is reining in the very excesses that helped spur the global financial crash a decade ago.

Mr Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to criticise the agency, calling it a "total disaster".

He argued that because of the CFPB "financial institutions have been devastated and unable to properly serve the public".

Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, has been a total disaster as run by the previous Administrations pick. Financial Institutions have been devastated and unable to properly serve the public. We will bring it back to life!
4:48 PM - Nov 25, 2017
20,419 20,419 Replies 14,318 14,318 Retweets 66,012 66,012 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Report
End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump
What about this lawsuit?

On Sunday, Ms English asked a judge at a federal court in Washington DC to issue a temporary restraining order against Mr Trump's appointment of Mr Mulvaney.

In her lawsuit, she called herself the "rightful acting director" of the CFPB.

The legal action said: "The President's purported or intended appointment of defendant Mulvaney as Acting Director of the CFPB is unlawful."

The White House says the president has the authority to appoint Mr Mulvaney under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.

But a lawyer for Ms English says the law states that as deputy director she is entitled to take power until the Senate can vote to confirm another director.

Skip Twitter post by @SenSchumer

Chuck Schumer
✔
@SenSchumer
The process for succession laid out in Dodd Frank is clear: Leandra English, not Mick Mulvaney, is the acting dir of @CFPB. By attempting to install Mr. Mulvaney as director, the Trump admin is ignoring the established, legal order of succession that we purposefully put in place.
5:38 PM - Nov 26, 2017
1,162 1,162 Replies 8,506 8,506 Retweets 18,127 18,127 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Report
End of Twitter post by @SenSchumer

What's the reaction?

Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton, a member of the chamber's banking committee, called Ms English's lawsuit "just the latest lawless action" by the CFPB, which he called "rogue" and "unconstitutional".

"The President should fire her immediately and anyone who disobeys Director Mulvaney's orders should also be fired summarily," Mr Cotton wrote in a statement.

But Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin told CNN the White House decision was aimed at eradicating the CFPB.

"Wall Street hates it like the devil hates holy water," he said.



THE REPUBLICANS SAY, NO FAIR! THE BIG BULLY CPFB FORCED THE “DEFENSELESS BUSINESSES,” WHICH HAD DONE CONSUMERS NO HARM AT ALL, TO PAY UP! MOMMIEEEE!!! A BUSINESS THAT HAS THOSE “DEEP POCKETS” IS ANYTHING BUT DEFENSELESS. A GREAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY ON THE ISSUE OF PERSONAL FINANCES IS THE VERY “HELPFUL” AVAILABILITY OF CREDIT, ALWAYS UNDER USURIOUS RULES, WHEN THE DESTITUTE COULD DO MUCH BETTER TO STOP BUYING SO MANY THINGS. MOST OF US JUST DON’T NEED ANOTHER GADGET AND KIDS DON’T NEED OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE TENNIS SHOES OR JACKETS.

DOING THAT ONE STEP AT THE FIRST AWARENESS OF A PROBLEM COULD PREVENT OUR HAVING TO LIVE IN A HOMELESS SHELTER A FEW MONTHS LATER. IF PEOPLE WANT A LOAN BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO MEANS TO CONTINUE WITHOUT HELP, THEN THEIR NECESSARY EXPENSES ARE TRULY TOO HIGH, AND THEY WOULD DO SO MUCH BETTER TO GO TO THEIR LOCAL “WELFARE” AGENCY (FDIC, USUALLY) FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE SUCH AS A LAWYER, A JOB, SOME FREE CREDIT COUNSELING, GETTING LINED UP TO RECEIVE FOOD AID AND MEDICAID, AND IN THE CASE OF A DISABILITY – SUCH AS SEVERE DEPRESSION OR WORSE – AN SSI PAYMENT EACH MONTH. IF THERE IS, BY ANY CHANCE, A DANGEROUS AND EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE HABIT SUCH AS GAMBLING, SMOKING, OR DRINKING, SEE A PSYCHOLOGIST AND GET INTO TREATMENT TO STOP IT. LEARNING TO STRETCH MONEY IS A NECESSITY ON AN INCOME UNDER $50,000 A YEAR, AND IT ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS WITHOUT PAIN, BUT IT DOES BEAT SLEEPING IN THE PARK.

IF THE INDIVIDUAL DOES HAVE A JOB, THEN THEY NEED TO CUT EXPENSES OR GET OTHER RELIEF. FOR FREE CREDIT COUNSELING, GOTO HTTPS://WWW.CREDIT.ORG/CREDIT/. MANAGING THE MONTHLY DEBT BITE IS CRUCIAL. IF HE OR SHE IS WORRIED ABOUT HOW ALL THAT LOOKS TO THE NEIGHBORS, SURELY THERE’S NO NEED TO TELL THE NEIGHBORS. IF THEY’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT YOU BEHIND YOUR BACK, THEY AREN’T FRIENDS ANYWAY.

AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL, IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT LIVING ON CREDIT IS A DISASTROUS PATH. USURY IS STILL LEGAL, UNFORTUNATELY, AND PAYDAY LOAN OFFICES AREN’T FRIENDS. THEY’RE PREDATORS. “GIVING” AWAY LOANS THAT, IN ORDER TO PAY THEM OFF, WILL THROW THE DEBTOR INTO THE SAME FINANCIAL PICKLE NEXT MONTH IS WORSE THAN NO HELP, SO CREDIT BUREAUS ARE NOT “HELPING” PEOPLE. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT PEOPLE IN THAT SITUATION WILL BE ON THEIR LAST LEG EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY, AND GOING TO A MENTAL THERAPIST IS NOT SHAMEFUL EITHER, SO JUST DO WHAT YOU HONESTLY NEED TO DO. REMEMBER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORDS “NEED” AND “WANT.”

THE WRITER OF THIS REPUBLICAN VIEWPOINT IS BY A VERY REPUBLICAN LAWYER WHO WORKED UNDER CORDRAY. HE SOUNDS SO HOSTILE, THOUGH, THAT I THINK HE MAY HAVE A PERSONAL LEVEL COMPLAINT AGAINST THE ORGANIZATION. I DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY, AND I HATE THE FACT THAT HE CHOOSES TO WRITE WITHOUT PARAGRAPHS. AT LEAST HE USES PUNCTUATION. IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT KIND OF SELF-SATISFIED INDIVIDUAL HE IS, GO TO HIS WEBSITE NOTED AT THE THE BOTTOM.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/454059/richard-cordray-consumed-partisan-politics-mick-mulvaney-cfpb-sick-sad-joke
Richard Cordray Delivers the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Punchline
by RONALD L. RUBIN
November 27, 2017 4:00 AM

Photograph -- CFPB director Richard Cordray testifies on Capitol Hill in 2014. (Reuters photo: Jonathan Ernst)

The CFPB’s first director cared about consumers, but he was consumed by politics. On November 24, 2017, Richard Cordray resigned as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. His final year in office, and especially his exit, revealed the true nature of the agency Democrats created through the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act. Ambitious, cerebral, and socially awkward, Cordray had alternated between stints as an accomplished lawyer and a mediocre politician before he lost Ohio’s attorney-general election in 2010 and Elizabeth Warren, then a presidential assistant, hired him to lead the nascent bureau’s enforcement division. The following July, President Obama bypassed Warren and instead nominated Cordray to be the CFPB’s first director. In the marathon standoff that ensued, Republican senators filibustered the nomination, Obama installed Cordray by using an unconstitutional recess appointment, Democrats threatened to change the filibuster rules, and Republicans surrendered. On July 16, 2013, the Senate confirmed the temporary director to a five-year term. Perhaps it was this two-year ordeal that turned Cordray into a cynical partisan mercenary. The University of Chicago Law School graduate understood the harm that anti-market policies cause consumers, but whenever newly elected Senator Warren and progressive groups pressured him to pursue their agenda, he faithfully delivered. By 2017, there was no denying the ugly truth. Cordray cared about consumers, but he was consumed by politics. Since 2010, Republicans have argued that the CFPB’s unique structure — an independent agency whose single director the president can fire only for cause, with guaranteed funding through Federal Reserve Bank profits rather than the congressional appropriation process — is a recipe for government abuse, if not unconstitutional. Cordray proved them right. Powered by Warren built a political battleship, and Cordray deployed it. The bureau’s powerful media division dictated policy to its regulatory professionals and relentlessly exaggerated the agency’s achievements in daily press releases and social-media posts. Political operatives used the CFPB’s super-independence to stonewall congressional subpoenas and hide unethical investigation tactics, internal discrimination problems, and other inconvenient facts. Republican critics were dismissed as Wall Street sycophants. Meanwhile, millions of dollars were diverted from the CFPB to Democratic allies. From 2014 to 2017, the bureau paid $11 million a year to rent office space in an Obama fundraiser’s building. The Dodd-Frank Act allowed the CFPB to send the civil money penalties collected in its enforcement actions to a trustee of its choice, who, after taking a healthy cut, distributed the funds to ostensible victims in unrelated matters. The maneuver both enriched Democratic trustees and transformed fines extracted from defenseless businesses based on their deep pockets rather than actual consumer harm into “over $12 billion in damages returned to 29 million injured consumers.” To spread such propaganda, the bureau paid over $43 million to GMMB, the liberal advocacy group that created ads for the Obama and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns. The 2016 election almost ended Cordray’s tenure. Despite high-profile litigation and debate over what, if any, justification the new Republican president needed to fire him, the legal remedy for unwarranted removal would probably have been back pay, not reinstatement. Cordray survived only because the president’s advisers felt that making the director a martyr would help his expected Ohio gubernatorial campaign. They underestimated him. Cordray spent the first half of 2017 quietly promoting and entrenching faithful Democratic employees to obstruct his Republican successor. On June 30, he awarded GMMB an additional $14.79 million contract. Ten days later, he delivered a gift to big Democratic donors in the plaintiff’s bar: a rule banning financial businesses from using contractual arbitration clauses to prevent consumers from joining class-action lawsuits. Cordray argued that the lawsuits were necessary to prevent deceptive practices because individuals rarely sue over improper bank fees and other small damages. Of course, the CFPB was created to prosecute such violations, but he said that limited resources prevented it from sufficiently protecting consumers. He then unveiled a video titled “CFPB’s New Arbitration Rule: Take Action Together,” an expensive GMMB creation reminiscent of Clinton’s “Stronger Together” ads. Republicans were forced to use the Congressional Review Act to block the rule; Democrats gained a talking point for the midterm elections. Progressives’ final wish was a CFPB rule to put most small-dollar, short-term “payday” lenders out of business. Cordray conceded that payday lenders barely break even, their borrowers are willing to pay high fees, and the rule would deprive many low-income consumers of their only source of credit. Since 2015, he had failed to persuade banks to offset the anticipated harm by offering similar, cheaper loans. Nevertheless, Cordray announced the rule on October 5. On November 15, two days before its publication in the Federal Register, he announced he would resign by the end of the month. Cordray feared that Mulvaney would discover evidence the CFPB has been hiding for years, including … some particularly explosive sexual-harassment claims against CFPB senior managers. But Cordray had a big problem. President Trump was expected to use the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 to appoint Budget Director Mick Mulvaney — a former member of the House Financial Services Committee who had criticized the unaccountable CFPB’s dysfunction as “a joke . . . in a sick, sad way” — to be the bureau’s acting director. Cordray feared that Mulvaney would discover evidence the CFPB has been hiding for years, including the bureau’s failure to investigate the Wells Fargo fraud; data manipulation in its failed attempt to regulate car dealers by guessing buyers’ races and alleging discriminatory lending; inspector-general admonishments to stop obstructing congressional oversight; and some particularly explosive sexual-harassment claims against CFPB senior managers. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, Cordray attempted to forestall these damaging revelations until the 2018 elections by appointing his chief of staff, Leandra English, CFPB deputy director. David Silberman, who led the bureau’s rulemaking division, had been acting deputy director since January 2016. In a professional government agency, he would have been the obvious internal choice. But Silberman was not a reliable co-conspirator, so Cordray kept the deputy director position and his options open for two years. Citing language in the Dodd-Frank Act — “the Deputy Director . . . shall serve as acting Director in the absence or unavailability of the Director” — Cordray announced that English would become acting director upon his resignation that day. The issue has not been litigated, but the Vacancies Act almost certainly allows the president to appoint his own acting director. Cordray knew the liberal media would portray Mulvaney’s appointment as one more Republican attempt to crush the consumer agency, and he hoped Trump would back down. Instead, the president quickly appointed Mulvaney, leading to a weekend of lawsuits and headlines about an embattled agency with two leaders. Cordray’s sickening stunt left no doubt about the absurdity of claims that he and the CFPB were ever politically independent. For this, we can all give thanks. READ MORE: The Tragic Downfall of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau CFPB: Independence Hides Mismanagement, Failure CFPB: A Great Example of Why People Feel Powerless Questions for Cordray — Ronald L. Rubin was an enforcement attorney at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and chief adviser on regulatory policy at the House Financial Services Committee.


HTTP://RONALDLRUBIN.COM/ABOUT/

ABOUT
Ronald L. Rubin is a lawyer and writer in Washington, DC. Originally from New York, he’s also lived in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, and Florida, and is a member of all six bars.

Ron received his BA in Economics and Art History from Brandeis University, his MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and his JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

He’s been a criminal prosecutor, senior special counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, managing director at an investment bank, enforcement attorney at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, partner at a big law firm, and senior counsel and chief advisor on regulatory policy at the House Financial Services Committee.

Ron was a volunteer for Senator Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign. 2016 was a very unusual year.

Other unusual years were 1992 (deputy district attorney in South Central Los Angeles during the riots), 2000 (lead attorney in SEC prosecution of Steve Madden, with cooperating witness Jordan Belfort, the “Wolf of Wall Street”), 2001 (World Trade Center office destroyed on September 11), 2011 (early employee at CFPB, led by former Penn Law professor Elizabeth Warren), and 2013 (author).

Ron has published articles in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Bloomberg/BNA, and The Weekly Standard. He’s not as boring as this bio makes him sound. Seriously.



PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD TAKE A LESSON FROM THIS MAN IN THE WAY HE HELPS PEOPLE. THIS IS A VERY CHEERING NEWS ARTICLE COMPARED TO SO MANY, MOST ACTUALLY, THAT I RUN ACROSS. THE VIDEO’S IMPORTANT, TOO.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/feeding-puerto-rico/
Feeding Puerto Rico
José Andrés has some 30 popular restaurants across the United States, but he's barely stepped foot in them for two months. He and an army of chefs and volunteers have been serving the people in Puerto Rico
Nov 26, 2017
CORRESPONDENT
Anderson Cooper

We first met chef José Andrés seven years ago in the wildly popular restaurant he'd opened in Beverly Hills. Andrés was born in Spain, but America is where he became famous for his avant-garde approach to cooking. He has nearly 30 restaurants here now, but he's barely set foot in any of them in two months, not since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. Andrés went to the devastated island a few days after the storm to see how he could help. He is not a disaster relief expert, so he began doing what he does best. He found a kitchen, bought some ingredients, and began to cook. It's a good Thanksgiving story because that first day, Andrés and his small team made about a thousand meals. Since then, he's recruited an army of chefs and volunteers, and together they've served more than three million meals to the hungry people of Puerto Rico.

José Andrés is always on the move. In the kitchen, which has become his base of operations in San Juan, he's a culinary commander rallying his troops.

Preparing meals for so many people is a massive undertaking, requiring trained chefs, thousands of volunteers and assembly lines of sandwiches, 900 on one table alone.

José Andrés: Good ham. Good cheese. And a lot of mayo.

Anderson Cooper: There's a lot of mayonnaise here.

pr-5.jpg
Sandwiches in Puerto Rico CBS NEWS
It's all the more remarkable because none of this was set up before José Andrés got to Puerto Rico two months ago.

José Andrés: I arrive Monday right after the hurricane. And I ask, "Who is in charge of feeding the people of Puerto Rico?" And they told me, "Everybody. Everybody's in charge." You know, when you have to feed an entire island you need to have one -- one person and one organization responsible.

Anderson Cooper: There has to be a plan.

José Andrés: Has to be a plan, and somebody has to be responsible for achieving that plan.

Andrés came up with his own plan to feed as many of the island's nearly three and a half million people as possible. He started with $10,000 of his own money in cash and pockets full of credit cards.

Anderson Cooper: How do you arrive at a place. You don't know where the food is. You don't know where access to water is. How did it get off the ground here?

José Andrés: So for me, it was not difficult. The first thing I do, you're a chef you go and try to find a kitchen. Everybody was saying, 'there's no food, there's no food.' Well, that was not true. The big food distribution companies had food because they had fuel, they had diesel. They kept their refrigerators and the freezers working.

Anderson Cooper: There was food here.

José Andrés: Plenty of food.

Anderson Cooper: What was the problem?

José Andrés: The problem was the urgency of now. It's a very simple thing when you're a cook. When you're hungry, you gather the food, you gather your helpers, you begin cooking, and then you start feeding people.

He joined up with a local chef named Jose Enrique and other volunteers, cooking enormous pans of paella and stews in a parking lot in San Juan. It wasn't long before they were making more than 100,000 meals a day.

Anderson Cooper: How did you scale it up that quickly?

José Andrés: Well you know one thing when these moments happen we have a tendency to think, "Oh we have to feed three million people" -- almost the idea is impossible.

pr-1.jpg
José Andrés CBS NEWS
Anderson Cooper: It seems overwhelming?

José Andrés: It's totally overwhelming, but all of a sudden imagine you begin breaking this. We are going to be doing now 25,000 meals. When you do it well for two days, you increase it to 50,000. And when you do it well, you increase it to 100,000, and all of a sudden you scale it up in a way that is simple.

Anderson Cooper: That's a big pan…

José Andrés: It's chicken, chick peas. We try to put good amount of proteins, rice. Every Puerto Rican, I love rice.

Ingredients are often improvised; they cook whatever they can buy. Techniques are improvised as well. Jennifer Herrera says a prayer for Puerto Rico as she pours oil into each pan of rice.

The time it takes her to say 'God bless Puerto Rico' is the exact amount of oil she says she needs.

Anderson Cooper: How many blessings do you give Puerto Rico every day?

Jennifer Herrera: Thousands of blessings.

"Americans should be receiving one plate a day of hot food. That's not too much to ask in America."

With the help of private donations and money from the federal government, José Andrés non-profit organization World Central Kitchen has prepared more hot meals than any of the other bigger, more experienced disaster relief organizations here, like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.

Anderson Cooper: Most agencies, if they're giving out food, they're giving out MRE's, or snacks -- not hot meals.

José Andrés: Americans should be receiving one plate a day of hot food. That's not too much to ask in America. An MRE is very expensive for the American taxpayer. A hot meal is more affordable, it's cheaper. It's what people really need, it's what people really want. They feel all of a sudden that you are caring for them, that America is caring for them.

Anderson Cooper: You're not just giving calories you're giving attention to people.

José Andrés: The calories are obvious, but this is a message of hope. This is a message, "We care and be patient. Things eventually will get better."

That message of hope is one Andrés has been preaching for weeks on social media.

pr-8.jpg
José Andrés feeds a child in Puerto Rico CBS NEWS

Documenting his efforts to expand operations around the entire island. At the height of the emergency, he had eighteen kitchens going at once and used trucks, cars and anyone he could find to deliver meals.

José Andrés: All of the sudden I have Homeland Security helping us deliver sandwiches and water in the most difficult areas of the island. I had cooks from the U.S. Coast Guard helping us, volunteering. We were having so many different men and women coming from the federal government helping us.

There are still plenty of places that need the help. In a community an hour south of San Juan, there's no electricity. This is the first hot meal this family has eaten in more than two weeks.

Andrés' dedication has inspired others in Puerto Rico to set up kitchens of their own. In a church perched in the mountains of Naguabo, Pastor Eliomar Santana and his parishioners cook hot meals for neighboring communities with the rice, beans and sausages Andrés has provided them.

Pastor Santana: We have people here with no water, no-- no lights. They lost everything in their house. And they have stopped thinking on that, for helping others.

Anderson Cooper: So even though some of your parishioners need help they're still volunteering here?

Pastor Santana: Yes, they're still volunteering.

Anderson Cooper: They're still trying to help other people?

Pastor Santana: They're still trying to help other people.

Before delivering the food to a nearby housing project, Pastor Santana thanks God and then José Andrés.

Anderson Cooper: In the church, when you were praying, you thanked God first and second you thanked José Andrés.

Pastor Santana: Yes. That's very important. But I have to say, always say God first, then José.

Anderson Cooper: Well, José's in good company.

pr-11.jpg
CBS NEWS

Andrés' presence has not been without controversy. He's been critical of the federal government's response to the hurricane and after attending meetings with FEMA -- the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- he called their headquarters in San Juan the most inefficient place on earth.

Anderson Cooper: Was that the frustration? That it was just bureaucratic? That there were a lot of meetings and you felt like things weren't getting done?

José Andrés: We were already feeding 100,000 people a day, and I needed their help to make sure we had money to keep buyin' the food to keep feeding these never-ending needs of people in need. And there is where -- call it red tape. Nothing was happening.

FEMA did award Andrés' World Central Kitchen two short-term contracts worth $11.5 million to provide 1.8 Million meals. But the agency refused to grant them a third longer-term contract. Andrés thinks the overall response to disaster relief needs to change.

José Andrés: The people of the federal government are great people. But then is red tape that sometimes doesn't allow that same people to be successful. I didn't put the name emergency in FEMA. I didn't. But somebody's gonna have to tell me the meaning of emergency. To me, when we're talking about food and these -- the little thing I know, is that emergency in food means one thing. People are hungry. And when you're hungry it's today.

Anderson Cooper: FEMA says, "Look, to negotiate a big contract there's a bidding process. You have to have three different companies bidding on it. That there's federal government regulations." You say that gets in the way of…?

José Andrés: Americans in Puerto Rico were hungry, and we were not delivering food quick enough. And what we did is we didn't plan. We didn't meet. We began cooking, and we began delivering food to the people in need in Puerto Rico. And what we need to make sure is that next time we are not negotiating contracts. That next time the federal government is ready to do what they are supposed to do next time something like this happens… Maybe an earthquake. Maybe another hurricane. Or maybe a terrorist attack. We need to make sure we are ready because the people of America don't deserve anything less.

pr-16.jpg
José Andrés CBS NEWS

José Andrés' passion for disaster relief is a far cry from what excited him when we first met him in his restaurant in Beverly Hills in 2010. Back then he was leading a kind of culinary revolution, pioneering innovations in molecular gastronomy, marrying science with food in surprising and playful ways.

Anderson Cooper: I don't know why I keep doing stories about food, because I don't really eat much and never really think much about food, but it's so interesting to me how for you, food is at the center of everything.

José Andrés: Anderson, food touches everything. Food is in our DNA. Food touches the economy. Food is science. Food is romanticism. Food is health. Food has many of the opportunities to have a better tomorrow.

That philosophy is at the heart of andrés humanitarian efforts around the globe. He founded World Central Kitchen after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010.

José Andrés: I've been here more than 25 times to Haiti.

This past June, months before Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, we met up with Andrés in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince. He supports an orphanage there and has established a job training program for local chefs. He's also spearheading an effort to reduce the widespread use of charcoal in cooking. Long-term exposure to smoke from cooking indoors on fires kills an estimated four million people worldwide every year, most of them women and children.

Andrés has provided cleaner burning propane gas stoves to more than 100 schools in Haiti.

Anderson Cooper: I mean, focusing on stoves, on the idea of clean cookstoves is not something that a lot of people think about.

José Andrés: I am a cook. I feed the few, but I've always been super interested in feeding the many. And when I've seen some of these women doing the change from the charcoal to the gas, everything changes around them. When we see these women cooking in the street with charcoal, and we eat the plate of food, we should all be asking ourselves, how that plate of food can really become an agent of change.

Anderson Cooper: An agent of change?

José Andrés: A true agent of change, one plate at a time.

José Andrés spent Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico, continuing to feed people one plate at a time. This has been his biggest undertaking thus far.

He's scaling back now as the need for emergency food relief here lessens, but he's already thinking about how he can do it better the next time disaster strikes.

Produced by Tanya Simon and Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson. Jack Weingart, associate producer.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper, anchor of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," has contributed to 60 Minutes since 2006. His exceptional reporting on big news events has earned Cooper a reputation as one of television's pre-eminent newsmen.


AN AGENT OF CHANGE

https://www.eater.com/2017/10/25/16545754/jose-andres-puerto-rico-world-central-kitchen
RESTAURANT NEWS



IT SEEMS TO ME THAT I HAVE BEEN HEARING THE TERM “HOME INVASION” MAYBE TEN YEARS. THE CONCEPT IS “BURGLARY.” BUT IT USUALLY INCLUDES MORE SEVERE THINGS, FROM PROPERTY DAMAGE AND THEFT TO ASSAULTS. IN THIS CASE, THREE MASKED GUNMEN APPEARED IN THE HOUSE BY UNKNOWN MEANS AND PISTOL-WHIPPED A PARALYZED MAN IN A WHEELCHAIR, SHOT THE MAN’S 35-YEAR-OLD GIRLFRIEND, AND GOT AWAY. THIS ARTICLE DOESN’T MENTION THEFT OR RAPE, BUT A 67-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WAS “HELD AGAINST HER WILL.”

THE INTENTION OF THE CRIME, IF THERE WAS A COHERENT INTENTION, WASN’T MENTIONED. IT INTERESTS ME THAT THERE WERE THREE OF THEM, THAT THEY INTERACTED WITH THE OCCUPANTS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND LEFT. THEY SUCCEEDED IN DOING NOTHING ELSE. MAYBE THEY WERE YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED, OR JUST DOING IT FOR THE THRILL. MAYBE THEY WERE KNOWN BY SOMEONE – THE MAN IN THE WHEELCHAIR OR THE GIRLFRIEND WHO GOT SHOT “IN THE KNEECAP.” IT BRINGS TO MIND THAT TERM “KNEECAPPING” WHICH IS THE BREAKING OF A KNEECAP, USUALLY AS A PUNISHMENT FOR FAILING TO PAY A DEBT. WHEN THESE HOME INVASIONS WERE FIRST MENTIONED THEY WERE THOUGHT TO BE THE WORK OF ORGANIZED STREET GANGS, JUST DEMONSTRATING WHO’S THE BOSS. I WONDER IF THAT’S TRUE HERE. LOOK AT THIS CBS ARTICLE AND THEN THE INFORMATIONAL STORY FOLLOWING IT, WHICH CONTAINS SOME VERY INTERESTING COMMENTARY ABOUT “HOME INVASIONS.” LEGALLY SPEAKING, IS IT JUST ANOTHER TERM FOR BURGLARY? IT IS IN MANY STATES A FELONY, WHEREAS A SIMPLE BURGLARY – BREAKING AND ENTERING -- MAY NOT BE.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-woman-shot-handicapped-man-assaulted-during-home-invasion/
CBS NEWS November 26, 2017, 9:01 AM
Cops: Woman shot, handicapped man assaulted during home invasion

Photograph -- Police say a woman was shot and a handicapped man was assaulted during a home invasion in South Philadelphia. CBS PHILLY

PHILADELPHIA -- Police say a woman was shot and a handicapped man was assaulted during a violent home invasion in South Philadelphia early Sunday, CBS Philly reports.

Authorities say three masked men broke into the home, where they held a 67-year-old woman against her will and pistol-whipped her son, who is paralyzed from the waist down.

The son's girlfriend also was attacked, police say.

"When police arrived they found this 35-year-old woman outside the house suffering from one gunshot wound to the left kneecap," said Philadelphia Police Capt. Drew Techner.

Both the son and his girlfriend were taken to Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition.

Investigators have no suspects and say it's unclear how the men got inside the house.

It was not immediately known if anything had been taken from the home.

Police were checking nearby surveillance video for clues.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


THIS INFORMATION ON HOME INVASIONS WILL MAKE YOU REMEMBER TO CHECK ALL YOUR DOORS SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY AND CERTAINLY BEFORE LEAVING.

https://www.creditdonkey.com/home-invasion-statistics.html
August 5, 2017
23 Home Invasion Statistics You Should Be Afraid Of
By Kim Pinnelli

Home invasions aren't always violent. 11% of burglars even remove a door or window while the occupants are home. The average loss is around $2,000 per home invasion.

The more aware you are, the better you can protect yourself. Read on to see how you could easily become a victim too.

How many home invasions are there in the U.S.?
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 1.03 million home invasions occur each year.
What time of day do most burglaries occur?
Surprisingly, most burglaries occur between 10 AM and 3PM. Many homes are empty during this time while people are at work. Burglars know this and use it to their advantage. However, home invasions can occur any time of day or night.
How many homes are broken into each year?
3.7 million homes are broken into each year. That's 7 homes every minute.

HOME INVASION

What is home invasion?

Home invasion is the unlawful entry of someone's home. It usually involves some type of force. The person has the intent to commit a crime (whether he does or not). The legal occupant of the home may or may not be present.

How long is the sentence for home invasion?

Most states consider home invasion a felony. The general jail sentence can vary from 5 to 20 years. It depends on the degree of the home invasion. 1st degree is the worst. It usually involves the use of a weapon along with breaking and entering.

How long do you go to jail for burglary?

Burglars face similar jail time as those committing home invasion. The degree of the burglary and whether it's a misdemeanor or felony determines the jail time. Offenders can go to jail for 1 year to as much as 20 years. In addition, they pay hefty restitution fines.

BURGLARY

WHAT IS ROBBERY VERSUS BURGLARY?

Burglary and robbery both involve a property. They both also describe some type of theft. Robbery occurs in a home while you are present. The criminal usually uses some type of force or threat. Burglary occurs when you are not home. The criminal unlawfully enters your home with the intent to steal something.
How many homes are robbed each year?

The DOJ reported 1 million burglaries occurred with people in the home. 27% of them became victim of a violent crime.

What are the chances of being robbed?

According to the FBI, you can expect 1 in every 36 homes to be robbed.

What percentage of robberies involve weapons?

The DOJ reported the use of weapons in a majority of robberies. 41% of robberies involved firearms and 7.8% included knives or other cutting devices. In addition, 42.5% used strong-arm tactics, whether verbal or physical.

What percentage of burglaries involved forcible entry?

Forcible entry occurs when someone enters a home with some type of force or weapon. Almost 58% of home invasions used some type of forcible entry. Almost 7% of the burglaries accounted for attempted forcible entry. The remaining were unlawful entries with no force.
What time of day does the most crime occur?

The most common time for crime by an adult to occur is at 10 PM. The most active time for adult criminals is between 8 PM and 12 PM. Juvenile criminals, on the other hand, are the most active between 3 and 4 PM. Juvenile criminals most active time is usually between 3 PM and 7 PM.

What percentage of invaded homes don't have anything taken?

Criminals don't get anything 55% of the time when the home is occupied. Non-occupied homes have a 75% chance of theft.

What rooms do offenders usually hit first?

A majority of offenders head straight to the master bedroom. Many homeowners leave their most valuable items in this room. The typical items include cash, jewelry, and weapons. In the master bedroom, they often head to the nightstand and closet first.

Do burglars return to the scene?

Unbelievably, you are more likely to be a burglary victim after being a victim once. Even if you aren't the victim, but a neighbor is victimized, your chances are higher. A burglar returns to the scene because he's already done the work. He knows the area so it takes less effort to get the job done.
GUNS

How many home invasions were stopped by guns?

The government doesn't put a lot of emphasis on defensive gun use. Estimates show that 500,000 to 3 million defensive gun uses occur each year.

How many times do victims use a gun to scare their offender?

A shocking 2.5 million victims use a gun to scare their offender. That's almost 5 law-abiding citizens a minute. However, victims only shoot their offender 8% of the time. They mostly use the firearm to scare their offender away.

How many gun deaths are accidental?

In a 5-year span ranging from 2005 to 2010, 3,800 people died at the hand of a gun accidentally. Of those victims, almost 1,300 of them were younger than 25 years old. Generally, the states with looser gun laws had the higher number of deaths.

How many people have died from guns?

According to the CDC, 93 people die every day from guns. That's almost 40,000 deaths a year. Of those deaths, suicide was the reason twice as often as homicide.

What percent of homicide victims knew their killer?

58.4% of homicide victims knew their killer. The relationships vary from significant other to friend or acquaintance.

What percentage of murderers were male?

The Department of Justice claims that 89.3% of murderers are male.

How many women are criminals?

Estimates report there are around 2.1 million violent female criminals per year in the United States. 40% of them were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

HOME SECURITY

What's the best way to keep your home safe?

There's no foolproof way to prevent a home invasion. These tips may help keep criminals away, though.

Always make your home look occupied. Leave lights on and the exterior manicured. Don't leave mail stacked up in the mailbox. Have your grass cut even while you are away.
Lock all doors and windows, including when you go to bed.

Test all locks on windows and doors periodically and replace as necessary.

Keep everything stored out of sight.

Knowing the statistics should keep you on your toes. Constantly monitor your home's safety. Becoming too comfortable can make you a victim.

November 26, 2017


News and Views


FBI SAYS IT WAS TOTALLY SWAMPED WITH INCIDENTS AND COULDN’T RESPOND. AP SAID IT COULD, SO WHY COULDN’T THE FBI? THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SUBJECT, AND THERE IS SO MUCH BARELY CONNECTED DETAIL IN HERE THAT I CAN’T GET THE GIST. MAYBE THE NEW YORK TIMES OR SOMEBODY WILL TELL MORE, OR TELL IT BETTER. STILL, THIS IS THE STORY FOR TODAY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ap-fbi-didnt-tell-u-s-targets-as-russian-hackers-hunted-emails/
AP November 26, 2017, 8:23 AM
AP: FBI didn't tell U.S. targets as Russian hackers hunted emails

WASHINGTON -- The FBI failed to notify scores of U.S. officials that Russian hackers were trying to break into their personal Gmail accounts despite having evidence for at least a year that the targets were in the Kremlin's crosshairs, The Associated Press has found.

Nearly 80 interviews with Americans targeted by Fancy Bear, a Russian government-aligned cyberespionage group, turned up only two cases in which the FBI had provided a heads-up. Even senior policymakers discovered they were targets only when the AP told them, a situation some described as bizarre and dispiriting.

"It's utterly confounding," said Philip Reiner, a former senior director at the National Security Council, who was notified by the AP that he was targeted in 2015. "You've got to tell your people. You've got to protect your people."

The FBI declined to answer most questions from AP about how it had responded to the spying campaign. The bureau provided a statement that said in part: "The FBI routinely notifies individuals and organizations of potential threat information."

Three people familiar with the matter -- including a current and a former government official -- said the FBI has known for more than a year the details of Fancy Bear's attempts to break into Gmail inboxes. A senior FBI official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the hacking operation because of its sensitivity, declined to comment on timing but said that the bureau was overwhelmed by the sheer number of attempted hacks.

"It's a matter of triaging to the best of our ability the volume of the targets who are out there," he said.

The AP did its own triage, dedicating two months and a small team of reporters to go through a hit list of Fancy Bear targets provided by the cybersecurity firm Secureworks.

Previous AP investigations based on the list have shown how Fancy Bear worked in close alignment with the Kremlin's interests to steal tens of thousands of emails from the Democratic Party. The hacking campaign disrupted the 2016 U.S. election and cast a shadow over the presidency of Donald Trump, whom U.S. intelligence agencies say the hackers were trying to help. The Russian government has denied interfering in the American election.

The Secureworks list comprises 19,000 lines of targeting data. Going through it, the AP identified more than 500 U.S.-based people or groups and reached out to more than 190 of them, interviewing nearly 80 about their experiences.

Many were long-retired, but about one-quarter were still in government or held security clearances at the time they were targeted. Only two told the AP they learned of the hacking attempts on their personal Gmail accounts from the FBI. A few more were contacted by the FBI after their emails were published in the torrent of leaks that coursed through last year's electoral contest. But to this day, some leak victims have not heard from the bureau at all.

Charles Sowell, who previously worked as a senior administrator in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and was targeted by Fancy Bear two years ago, said there was no reason the FBI couldn't do the same work the AP did.

"It's absolutely not OK for them to use an excuse that there's too much data," Sowell said. "Would that hold water if there were a serial killer investigation, and people were calling in tips left and right, and they were holding up their hands and saying, 'It's too much'? That's ridiculous."

"It's curious"

The AP found few traces of the bureau's inquiry as it launched its own investigation two months ago.

In October, two AP journalists visited THCServers.com, a brightly lit, family-run internet company on the former grounds of a communist-era chicken farm outside the Romanian city of Craiova. That's where someone registered DCLeaks.com, the first of three websites to publish caches of emails belonging to Democrats and other U.S. officials in mid-2016.

DCLeaks was clearly linked to Fancy Bear. Previous AP reporting found that all but one of the site's victims had been targeted by the hacking group before their emails were dumped online.

Yet THC founder Catalin Florica said he was never approached by law enforcement.

"It's curious," Florica said. "You are the first ones that contact us."

THC merely registered the site, a simple process that typically takes only a few minutes. But the reaction was similar at the Kuala Lumpur offices of the Malaysian web company Shinjiru Technology, which hosted DCLeaks' stolen files for the duration of the electoral campaign.

The company's chief executive, Terence Choong, said he had never heard of DCLeaks until the AP contacted him.

"What is the issue with it?" he asked.

Questions over the FBI's handling of Fancy Bear's broad hacking sweep date to March 2016, when agents arrived unannounced at Hillary Clinton's headquarters in Brooklyn to warn her campaign about a surge of rogue, password-stealing emails.

The agents offered little more than generic security tips the campaign had already put into practice and refused to say who they thought was behind the attempted intrusions, according to a person who was there and spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversation was meant to be confidential.

Questions emerged again after it was revealed that the FBI never took custody of the Democratic National Committee's computer server after it was penetrated by Fancy Bear in April 2016. Former FBI Director James Comey testified this year that the FBI worked off a copy of the server, which he described as an "appropriate substitute."

"Makes me sad"

Retired Maj. James Phillips was one of the first people to have the contents of his inbox published by DCLeaks when the website made its June 2016 debut.

But the Army veteran said he didn't realize his personal emails were "flapping in the breeze" until a journalist phoned him two months later.

"The fact that a reporter told me about DCLeaks kind of makes me sad," he said. "I wish it had been a government source."

Phillips' story would be repeated again and again as the AP spoke to officials from the National Defense University in Washington to the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado.

Among them: a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, retired Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes; a former head of Air Force Intelligence, retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula; a former defense undersecretary, Eric Edelman; and a former director of cybersecurity for the Air Force, retired Lt. Gen. Mark Schissler.

Retired Maj. Gen. Brian Keller, a former director of military support at the Geospatial Intelligence Agency, was not informed, even after DCLeaks posted his emails to the internet. In a telephone call with AP, Keller said he still wasn't clear on what had happened, who had hacked him or whether his data was still at risk.

"Should I be worried or alarmed or anything?" said Keller, who left the spy satellite agency in 2010 and now works in private industry.

Not all the interviewees felt the FBI had a responsibility to alert them.

"Perhaps optimistically, I have to conclude that a risk analysis was done and I was not considered a high enough risk to justify making contact," said a former Air Force chief of staff, retired Gen. Norton Schwartz, who was targeted by Fancy Bear in 2015.

Others argued that the FBI may have wanted to avoid tipping the hackers off or that there were too many people to notify.

"The expectation that the government is going to protect everyone and go back to everyone is false," said Nicholas Eftimiades, a retired senior technical officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency who teaches homeland security at Pennsylvania State University in Harrisburg and was himself among the targets.

But the government is supposed to try, said Michael Daniel, who served as President Barack Obama's White House cybersecurity coordinator.

Daniel wouldn't comment directly on why so many Fancy Bear targets weren't warned in this case, but he said the issue of how and when to notify people "frankly still needs more work."

"Cloak-and-dagger"

In the absence of any official warning, some of those contacted by AP brushed off the idea that they were taken in by a foreign power's intelligence service.

"I don't open anything I don't recognize," said Joseph Barnard, who headed the personnel recovery branch of the Air Force's Air Combat Command.

That may well be true of Barnard; Secureworks' data suggests he never clicked the malicious link sent to him in June 2015. But it isn't true of everyone.

An AP analysis of the data suggests that out of 312 U.S. military and government figures targeted by Fancy Bear, 131 clicked the links sent to them. That could mean that as many as 2 in 5 came perilously close to handing over their passwords.

It's not clear how many gave up their credentials in the end or what the hackers may have acquired.

Some of those accounts hold emails that go back years, when even many of the retired officials still occupied sensitive posts.

Overwhelmingly, interviewees told AP they kept classified material out of their Gmail inboxes, but intelligence experts said Russian spies could use personal correspondence as a springboard for further hacking, recruitment or even blackmail.

"You start to have information you might be able to leverage against that person," said Sina Beaghley, a researcher at the RAND Corp. who served on the NSC until 2014.

In the few cases where the FBI did warn targets, they were sometimes left little wiser about what was going on or what to do.

Rob "Butch" Bracknell, a 20-year military veteran who works as a NATO lawyer in Norfolk, Virginia, said an FBI agent visited him about a year ago to examine his emails and warn him that a "foreign actor" was trying to break into his account.

"He was real cloak-and-dagger about it," Bracknell said. "He came here to my work, wrote in his little notebook and away he went."

Left to fend for themselves, some targets have been improvising their cybersecurity.

Retired Gen. Roger A. Brady, who was responsible for American nuclear weapons in Europe as part of his past role as commander of the U.S. Air Force there, turned to Apple support this year when he noticed something suspicious on his computer. Hughes, a former DIA head, said he had his hard drive replaced by the "Geek Squad" at a Best Buy in Florida after his machine began behaving strangely. Keller, the former senior spy satellite official, said it was his son who told him his emails had been posted to the web after getting a Google alert in June 2016.

A former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, who like many others was repeatedly targeted by Fancy Bear but has yet to receive any warning from the FBI, said the lackluster response risked something worse than last year's parade of leaks.

"Our government needs to be taking greater responsibility to defend its citizens in both the physical and cyber worlds, now, before a cyberattack produces an even more catastrophic outcome than we have already experienced," McFaul said.

© 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


IT’S PAINFUL TO ME THAT AN 88 YEAR OLD SHOULD BE SO SHAMED, BUT BOTH HE AND FRANKEN ALSO HAVE PUT FORTH AN IMAGE OF BEING HONEST AND GOOD CANDIDATES. THE DISAPPOINTMENT TO ME AS A VOTER IS DISTURBING. I DO BECOME "PERSONALLY INVOLVED" WITH THESE PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS WHO, I'M SURE, WOULDN'T GIVE ME A THOUGHT. THEY WERE BOTH GOOD DEMOCRATS, AND THAT'S A RARE COMMODITY THESE DAYS. I WONDER IF FRANKEN WILL BE ABLE TO HOLD HIS SEAT NOW. THERE IS SUCH A FLURRY OF THESE CASES THAT I WONDER IF SOME SORT OF AUTOMATIC OFFICIAL REPRIMAND SHOULD BE VOTED FOR BOTH OF THEM, AND IN CONYER’S CASE, HAVE HIM STEP DOWN. IT MAKES ME WONDER HOW MANY CASES ARE OUT THERE TO BE FOUND.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/11/26/lawmakers-call-for-swift-consequences-in-harassment-cases-but-are-divided-over-calls-for-resignation/
PowerPost
Conyers steps aside as ranking Democrat on Judiciary Committee amid ethics probe of sexual harassment claims
By Paul Kane November 26 at 1:15 PM

Photograph -- Rep. John Conyers Jr. in 2014. (Carlos Osorio/AP)

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), the longest-serving member of Congress, stepped aside as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee amid growing internal pressure as an ethics investigation of sexual harassment allegations against him begins.

Conyers, 88, said he would not resign from Congress and instead would fight the allegations in the hope of reclaiming his spot atop the committee, which oversees federal laws and other legal issues. “I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the House Committee on Ethics,” he wrote Sunday in a letter to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Conyers settled a sexual harassment complaint brought by a former staffer in 2015, leaving her on the payroll as a temporary employee and paying out just under $30,000.

Pelosi issued a statement immediately after Conyers’s announcement: “I particularly take any accusation of sexual harassment very seriously. Any credible accusation must be reviewed by the Ethics Committee expeditiously. We are at a watershed moment on this issue.”

The announcement came after days of internal pressure on Conyers, particularly from Pelosi, to step aside from the leadership post, according to a senior Democratic aide familiar with the process.

It followed a Sunday morning dominated by the sprawling issue of sexual harassment and assault on the political news shows. Initially, on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Pelosi declined to say whether Conyers would suffer any immediate penalty over the allegations.

“We are strengthened by due process. Just because someone is accused — and was it one accusation? Is it two? I think there has to be — John Conyers is an icon in our country,” Pelosi told NBC’s Chuck Todd, when asked whether Conyers should resign.

However, in a sign that she knew what was coming, Pelosi said she expected Conyers to do what’s necessary. “I believe he understands what is at stake here and he will do the right thing,” she said.

Members of Congress have said that the “due process” system is outdated and biased toward insulating the lawmaker from suffering penalties for misbehavior. “The whole system needs to have a comprehensive shift,” Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said on ABC’s “This Week.”

Speier and Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) are the lead sponsors of legislation slated for a vote this week that would streamline the sexual harassment complaint process, amid growing accusations and revelations about members of Congress that are similar to those involving powerful men from Hollywood, the media and Silicon Valley.

The legislation also would require mandatory training on harassment and discrimination for all lawmakers, staff and interns who work in Congress. “There needs to be one standard for members,” Comstock said on “This Week,” noting that Conyers benefited from making a settlement payment that was never revealed until a BuzzFeed report last week. “No more secret payments.”

[The industries with the worst sexual harassment problem]

Conyers has denied any wrongdoing and said his payout was meant to resolve the issue and did not constitute an admission of culpability.

His payout came from the regular allowance for lawmakers for staff salaries and other administrative costs. As The Washington Post reported this month, a separate account overseen by the Office of Compliance has paid out more than $15 million in settlements of sexual harassment and other cases of discrimination.

One Democrat, Rep. Kathleen Rice (N.Y.), has suggested that Conyers should just resign from Congress altogether, something that Comstock voiced agreement for Sunday, citing how swiftly some high-profile media titans have fallen.

“We have to have the same kind of standards,” she said.

Speier, however, said the House Ethics Committee should add staff to handle the Conyers case “very swiftly” to determine the severity of the allegations. “If they’re accurate, I do believe that Congressman Conyers should step down” from Congress, she said.

Pelosi also suggested that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who is facing allegations of his own, was a different case partly because one of his alleged victims has publicly accepted his apology. Franken was recently accused of forcibly kissing an entertainer on a 2006 USO tour before he joined the Senate, and several other women since then have suggested that Franken groped them while posing for pictures.

“I don’t think that you can equate Senator Franken with Roy Moore. It’s two different things,” the Democratic leader said, suggesting that the allegations against Franken are not nearly as severe as those against the Republican Senate candidate in Alabama.


NO MANDATE FOR INPUTTING THE DATA HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC POSITION OR PERSON, SO IT WASN’T DONE AT ALL. DISGUSTING!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nics-failure-national-instant-criminal-background-check-system/
CBS NEWS November 24, 2017, 7:37 AM
Why federal database is failing to bar certain people from gun purchases

Potentially thousands of people who should not have guns are able to buy them because of an apparent failure of federal record-keeping. Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered a review this week of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, known as NICS. The mandate follows this month's shooting massacre in Texas where the Air Force failed to submit the gunman's domestic abuse conviction to the federal database. But that's just one case that has fallen through the cracks.

The NICS system relies on state and local agencies as well as the military to accurately report criminal history and other information. But for years, they have failed to upload these critical records with no consequences for failing to follow federal law, reports CBS News' Paula Reid.

"Every time one of these mass murders happen, it just brings everything back emotionally for me," Jim Sitton said.

Sitton's 6-year-old daughter, Makayla, was killed on Thanksgiving eight years ago when a family member went on a shooting rampage after dinner. Three others were also killed. Investigators later discovered the shooter, Paul Michael Merhige, had been involuntarily committed to a mental institution three times. That should have kept him from passing a federal background check.

"It's ridiculous that someone can have all of that history – mental and legal – and still the state will give him a concealed carry and the feds will sell him as many guns as he wants," Sitton said.

Just days after the massacre this month at a Texas church, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said it was clear that the shooter, Devin Kelley, should have been barred from getting a weapon.

"We need to fix this broken background check system," Cornyn said.

Kelley was court martialed during his time in the Air Force and then discharged for abuse against his wife and step child.

The NICS background check system is comprised of three different databases. The main FBI one is the NICS Indices, but as of December 2016, there is just one person entered by the military as committing abuse against their spouse. About half of all states also report few or no abuse convictions and restraining orders. The FBI tells us the records may reside in the other two databases, however the FBI did not make those numbers available to CBS News.

"There is no question that if the data is not in the system, people are going to die and they do die," said Kim Gandy, who leads the National Network to End Domestic Violence. "It's a systemic problem and there are thousands, maybe tens of thousands, maybe even more prohibited abusers who are not in the system and who are out there buying guns and endangering lives."

But in 2016, almost 9,000 people were denied a firearm based off of a domestic assault conviction, and more than 120,000 people were denied overall.

"The NICS system works very well when the data is there… but when the data doesn't go into the system it can't work," Gandy said.

The FBI lists 11 categories that should keep offenders from buying weapons including committing any felony, being adjudicated for mental illness or having a drug conviction.

But in 2007, Virginia Tech student Cho Seung Hui killed 32 people after he legally purchased a weapon. The state of Virginia later admitted they should have put him in the system since he had been "adjudicated as a mental defective."

"The system is only as good as the records that are in it," said National Rifle Association Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre.

The NRA has estimated seven million offenders are not in the system. The group supports better enforcement of the NICS system reporting requirements. The FBI told CBS News: "NICS relies upon its local, state, and federal partners to provide authorized data and information."

But the international organization of chief of police told us: "There is no national standard or funding to ensure all local agencies contribute to a national instant check data base. In addition to an unwillingness for states to mandate clear requirements for who is legally responsible for inputting convictions."

For Sitton, he said lives like his young daughter's will be lost if nothing is done.

"You are going to spend the money one way or another. You are either going to hire the manpower to enforce the laws on the books or you are going to buy body bags," Sitton said.

Sessions asked the FBI and ATF to issue a report detailing the number of times the agencies actually investigate and prosecute people for lying on their gun purchase applications. Lawmakers have been critical of previous administrations for failing to enforce these laws, which could deter some of these purchases.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DOES THE “POSSIBILITY” HAVE TO DO WITH THE FACTS? THIS HAD BETTER BE WELL-INVESTIGATED. IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH THE POLICE IN BALTIMORE ARE TRYING TO AVOID TALKING ABOUT THE VERY LIKELY INVOLVEMENT OF ONE OR MORE OF THEIR OFFICERS WHO ARE SUSPECTS.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-questions-in-death-of-baltimore-detective-killed-1-day-before-testimony/
By KRIS VAN CLEAVE CBS NEWS November 24, 2017, 6:37 PM
New questions in death of Baltimore detective, killed 1 day before testifying

BALTIMORE -- There are new questions about the murder of Baltimore Det. Sean Suiter, who was gunned down last week, one day before he was set to testify in a federal corruption case against fellow officers.

The FBI is trying to enhance what is believed to be Suiter's final radio call to look for any clues about the suspect who managed to wrestle away Suiter's gun and shoot the 18-year veteran officer in the head at close range.

Baltimore remembers Detective Sean Suiter, cop killed in shooting
"We don't know exactly what he said, but he was clearly in distress," said Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.

Suiter, a father of five, was killed the day before he was set to testify in a federal corruption case against eight Baltimore police officers.

van-cleave-sean-suiter-2017-11-24.jpg
Baltimore Det. Sean Suiter. CBS NEWS

"People have asked me, how can it be possible that Det. Suiter was shot and killed on the eve of his grand jury testimony and for that murder not to have anything to do with the grand jury testimony, and people will say, is that possible? And the answer is, of course it's possible," Davis said.

Police don't have much on the suspect, but police say Suiter noticed a man acting suspiciously and went to check it out. Investigators do have unreleased video showing his partner taking cover at the sound of gunfire and calling for help.

Suiter's murder prompted a city-wide manhunt and the lockdown of the neighborhood where it occurred.


A small memorial now sits at the scene, where some are offering prayers.

"He deserved that prayer," said one person at the memorial. "The family deserved that prayer. Our city of Baltimore deserved that prayer."

The reward for information leading to an arrest sits at more $200,000. Suiter's funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CONSPIRACY THEORISTS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS HAS ALWAYS STRUCK ME AS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN MYSTIFYING AND ANNOYING. THIS PSYCHOLOGIST HITS ON WHAT PROBABLY ARE THE REASONS, IN THE CASES WHEN THE PERSON IS ACTUALLY SANE, HAS A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, AND IS OF NORMAL INTELLIGENCE. SHE GIVES SEVERAL FACTORS CAUSING IT, AND CAUTIONS AGAINST THE “LUNATIC FRINGE” VIEWPOINT.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION ACTUALLY BELIEVES CONSPIRACY THEORIES? WHY AREN’T SOME PEOPLE IN THE USA MORE ANALYTICAL IN THEIR THINKING? THE LACK OF PERSONAL SELF-CONFIDENCE MAY BE THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE MOST MYSTIFYING THING OF ALL TO ME – WHY SO MANY INDIVIDUALS DON’T REASON THEIR WAY THROUGH TO PROVING LOGICALLY WHAT THE STATUS OF AN IDEA IS -- TRUE, PROBABLE, UNLIKELY, IMPOSSIBLE UNDER THE RULES OF MODERN SCIENCE, IMPOSSIBLE BY THE SENSORY PROOFS OF REALITY THAT WE HAVE TO USE. I PERSONALLY VIEW THE USE OF SOME PERSONAL RESEARCH AS BEING ESSENTIAL TO COMING TO THE TRUTH.

FINALLY, THE APPARENT ANSWER MAY BE, TO THE INDIVIDUAL, AN EMOTIONALLY UNACCEPTABLE BELIEF THAT WILL, THEREFORE, BE DISCARDED AS FALSE. RELIGION OR LOCAL SOCIETAL PROHIBITIONS ON WHAT WE ARE “ALLOWED” TO DO, SAY, THINK, OR BELIEVE ARE FREQUENTLY THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE WOULD FAIL TO REALIZE THAT CERTAIN STORIES ARE IMPOSSIBLE AND OUTRIGHT LIES. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS EXAMPLE IS A TRUE STORY -- AFTER THE AMERICANS COMPLETED THE HISTORICAL MISSION OF WALKING ON THE MOON, I WAS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD STORE. I ASKED THE STOREKEEPER WHAT SHE THOUGHT ABOUT THE NEWS, AND SHE SAID THAT SHE THOUGHT IT WASN’T TRUE BECAUSE “I DON’T BELIEVE GOD WILL ALLOW MAN TO GO TO THE MOON.” WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS A MOVIE WAS ACTUALLY MADE DEPICTING A FALSE MOON LANDING AND THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FAKED EVIDENCE. THAT WOMAN WASN’T THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD REACTED IN FEAR TO A THREAT TO HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, AND COME UP TO SUCH A CONCLUSION IN RESPONSE. WHEN THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE AND THINK FOR ONESELF IS TAKEN AWAY AS AN OPTION, THE RESULT WILL BE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE IN ESSENCE A LOWERED IQ.

WHEN DONALD TRUMP SAID, AT A RALLY, “I LOVE THE UNDEREDUCATED,” IT GAVE ME A COLD CHILL. PEOPLE IN POWER DO SOMETIMES OVERTLY WANT THEIR CITIZENS TO BE MENTALLY UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS TRUE AND WHAT IS FICTION. WHAT BETTER FOR A POLITICIAN WHOSE POLICIES ARE BUILT ON LIES? IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT RUSSIA AND OTHER DARK FORCES BEHIND BREITBART, ET AL, REGULARLY USE LIES TO MANIPULATE THE PUBLIC MIND.

THERE’S ONE THING THAT WE, SADLY, DO A PRETTY POOR JOB OF TEACHING, AND THAT IS COURAGEOUS, THOROUGH AND RATIONAL THOUGHT. IN FACT, PARENTS IN THEIR HOMES, CLASS-STRUCTURE DIFFERENCES AND EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES MITIGATE AGAINST AN INDIVIDUAL’S GROWING UP EMOTIONALLY ABLE TO THINK TO HIS HIGHEST INTELLIGENCE LEVELS. I AM SPEAKING OF THE OLD PARENTAL PUTDOWNS – “CHILDREN SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD,” OR “YOU’RE GETTIN’ ABOVE YOUR RAISIN.’” WE ARE, ALL IN ALL, SOMETIMES TAUGHT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN ACCEPT AND FOLLOW ORDERS. THEN WHEN WE COME TO A SITUATION IN WHICH WE ABSOLUTELY MUST THINK CLEARLY AND FULLY, WE ARE TOO TIMID TO DO IT, WITHOUT FOLLOWING SOMEONE ELSE’S LEAD.

THIS ARTICLE, AND ESPECIALLY THE WORDS AND DEMEANOR OF THE PSYCHIATRIST ON THE VIDEO, ARE VERY CONVINCING TO ME. LACK OF PERSONAL SELF-CONFIDENCE, LACK OF EDUCATION, A FAITH-BASED OUTLOOK ON THE WORLD, AND A HIGHER LEVEL OF GENERAL FEARFULNESS THAN IS NORMAL OR HEALTHY ALL CAUSE SOME TO DISBELIEVE SOURCES WHICH TO ME ARE RELIABLE; THEN THEY WILLINGLY INSERT SOME STORY THAT IS BIZARRE AS THEIR CHOSEN “TRUTH.” THIS MAKES THEM SUBJECT TO THE MOST CYNICALLY MALICIOUS MANIPULATORS – SUCH AS BREITBART NEWS. DR. KLEINMAN ALSO MENTIONS THAT THE BELIEVERS IN WHAT SEEM TO ME TO BE “TALL TALES,” TEND TO BE MORE ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN THAN MOST, CAUSING THEM TO HATE OR QUESTION AUTHORITY, ESPECIALLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

I THINK THAT PROBABLY COMES INTO PLAY IN THIS WIDESPREAD FEAR OF “THE GOVERNMENT,” THAT HAS EMERGED INTO THE OPEN, AND WHICH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS SUCCESSFULLY WHIPPED UP INTO A FROTH THIS YEAR. THAT FEAR IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FEEL TO SOME DEGREE WHEN MALFEASANCE BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OCCURS (SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR AT LEAST), AND WHEN WE ARE INDEED DOING SOMETHING WHICH COULD POSSIBLY GET US INTO TROUBLE – WE COULD HAVE CHEATED ON OUR INCOME TAX, FOR INSTANCE. AND THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT THE SAME COMPUTERS WHICH TABULATE OUR SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT CAN BE INFILTRATED BY BAD GUYS TO DO US GRAVE HARM. PERSONALLY, AT SOME POINT I SIMPLY LOOK AT THE SITUATION, SEE WHAT SEEMS TO BE TRUE, AND THEN EITHER “TRUST” OR TAKE A LOOK AROUND THE INTERNET AT WHO OUT IN CYBERLAND IS FIGHTING THE BAD GUYS. AS IT APPEARS TO ME TODAY, THE INTERNET LIARS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED BY “THE FEDS,” AND ARE BETTER CONTROLLED BY THEM THAN BY ME. SO, AGAIN, I WILLFULLY “TRUST.” WITH ROBERT MUELLER AT THE HELM OF THIS SHIP, THAT ISN’T TOO DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DO. UNLESS I’M VERY MUCH MISTAKEN, HE IS HONEST, SMART, A TRUE PATRIOT OF THE ENLIGHTENED SORT, AND TOUGH. I’M GRATEFUL THAT HE IS ON THE CASE.

https://mic.com/articles/186119/the-science-behind-why-people-doubt-terrorist-attacks-happened#.0sUCGCFOT
The science behind why people doubt terrorist attacks happened
Alexis Kleinman
Published Nov. 17, 2017
by Alexis Kleinman

After every terrorist attack or mass shooting, YouTube is immediately filled with videos claiming to prove the violent act was a hoax perpetrated by the media or the government.

From Sandy Hook to 9/11 to the October attack in New York City, conspiracy theorists have an explanation for everything. The videos calling out supposed hoaxes are so prevalent that YouTube reportedly changed its algorithm to better promote legitimate news.

But why are people making these videos? What makes these conspiracy theories so popular? We spoke to psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Dr. Gail Saltz about conspiracy theorists and the rising obsession with “fake news.”

“I think that the whole conspiracy idea of ‘fake news’ is just the latest iteration of conspiracy theory,” Saltz said. “Who are these people? They’re mostly anti-authoritarian people. ... They’re often insecure people. They often have lower self-esteem, and they are often made afraid by the things that make all of us afraid, but their way of dealing with that ... is to try to come up with something that makes scary things make sense.”

Video -- Interview with Dr. Gail Saltz Alexis Kleinman/Mic

The internet has made conspiracy theories more contagious. “It’s made it that you can reach other people who are like-minded, even if the like-mindedness is, ‘How do we explain this irrational, noncontrollable world in a way that feels comfortable and controllable to us?’” Saltz said.

People who believe in conspiracy theories aren’t necessarily mentally ill, though. “Many people who do not have any psychiatric illness at all fit this,” Saltz said. “So you want to be careful about saying, ‘Wow, that’s crazy,’ and being very pejorative about it.”

Not all conspiracy theories are completely without merit. There’s occasionally a small grain of truth to the things people are most paranoid about.

“We have had conspiracies in history,” Saltz said. “And that makes it much more believable, potentially to anybody.”
Alexis Kleinman
Alexis is the editor of The Future Is Now.

November 25, 2017


News and Views


THIS STORY IS ABOUT ANOTHER RELIGIOUSLY BASED MASSACRE. WHEN RELIGIONS WAR WITH EACH OTHER, IT IS ALWAYS IRRATIONAL, EXCEPTIONALLY VICIOUS AND IS LIKELY TO GO ON FOR MANY CENTURIES. IT IS KING OF THE MOUNTAIN ON STEROIDS. RELIGION SHOULD INSPIRE CONTEMPLATION, BUT TOO OFTEN IT MERELY PRODUCES AN EXCESS OF EMOTION. FOR THIS REASON, I WANT NO LINK BETWEEN RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT AT ALL – NO TAX WRITE-OFFS AND NO MANDATED DOCTRINES. A SPIRITUAL SOUL AND A SECULAR GOVERNMENT IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE, I FIRMLY BELIEVE.

IT’S EASY TO CRITICIZE ISLAMIC GROUPS FOR THEIR VIOLENCE, BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT OUR GROUP; BUT CHRISTIANITY IN THE PAST HAS PRODUCED SIMILAR HATRED, BASED ON WHAT IS NOW BEING CALLED “TRIBALISM.” LOOK AT THE WARS IN EUROPE BETWEEN THE CATHOLICS AND THOSE NEW UPSTARTS, THE PROTESTANTS – OF WHICH THERE WERE A SURPRISING VARIETY. AN INTERESTING THING TO RESEARCH ON THE NET IS THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF CHRISTIAN CHURCH DOGMA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_seven_Ecumenical_Councils; https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arianism; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_movement.
http://bigthink.com/risk-reason-and-reality/how-tribalism-overrules-reason-and-makes-risky-times-more-dangerous.

RELIGIOUS WAR IS THE GROUPTHINK IMPULSE GONE ROGUE. THE WHOLE CONCEPT, “THE WISDOM OF THE CROWD,” IS TO ME THE OPPOSITE OF ANY KIND OF “WISDOM,” AND THE CAUSE OF EVERY POGROM THROUGHOUT TIME. IF THE RELIGIOUS GROUP IS PEACEABLE, NOT ONLY WITHIN BUT IN RELATION TO THE WHOLE SOCIETY, THEN I APPROVE OF IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

I ESPECIALLY LIKE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE QUAKERS AND THE MODERN-DAY UU CHURCHES. THEY WAR WITH NOBODY AND THEY ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL THOUGHT AND LIFELONG LEARNING. INDIVIDUALISM CAN PRODUCE SIN AND HORROR, TOO, BUT IT IS RARELY SO DOWNRIGHT BLOODY AND HORRIFIC AS WHEN THE GROUP INSTINCT OVERCOMES GOOD COMMON SENSE. IN MY VIEW, THE ONLY REAL “THOUGHT” IS AN INDIVIDUAL MATTER, AND THE OPEN DISCUSSION OF AN IDEA WITH NO REQUIREMENT OF A SPECIFIC RESPONSE. IF PEOPLE WILL LISTEN AS WELL AS TALK, AND THEN MOVE TO CARING ACTION, THAT IS A GOOD THING.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/235-killed-blast-shooting-egypt-mosque/story?id=51359689
Egypt mosque attackers carried ISIS flags, death toll rises to 305: chief prosecutor
By RANDA ALITARA FOWLER Nov 25, 2017, 8:09 AM ET

WATCH: At least 235 killed in blast, shooting at Egypt mosque

The militants who carried out an attack during Friday prayers at a mosque in Egypt's Sinai peninsula were carrying ISIS flags, the country's chief prosecutor, Nabil Sadeq, said Saturday.

Sadeq also said that the death toll has risen to 305 worshipers, including 27 children -- a dramatic increase from the previously announced 235 fatalities. Another 128 were injured, he added.

The attack was carried out by 25-30 militants who arrived at the mosque in five all-terrain vehicles, Sadeq said. They also torched seven cars belonging to the worshipers that were parked outside, he added.

Worshipers told Sadeq's office that some of the attackers wore masks, but all wore military-like uniforms.

Emblazoned on the ISIS flags was the phrase, "There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God," according to survivors of the attack.

PHOTO: People walk outside a mosque that was attacked in the northern city of Arish, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, Nov. 24, 2017.STR/EPA

An eyewitness described the perpetrators as having stationed themselves at the mosque's three exits and deliberately attacking those who tried to escape the building, as well as passing vehicles, after first shooting some who were "kneeling in prayer."

"The sight was horrific," the witness, Ibrahim Shetewy, told ABC News in Arabic, adding, "We carried whoever we found alive and took them in pickups and private cars until more ambulances could come and help."

Shetewy described the mosque in question as one frequented by travelers on their way in and out of the area. He said the building is "huge" and was lined with bodies and a large quantity of shell casings following the attack.

"There was a woman waiting outside for her husband and young child to finish praying; she came inside and found them dead next to each other," Shetewy said.

He added that people are lined up at a local hospital to donate blood.

Photograph -- Relatives of Sheikh Sulieman Ghanem, 75, center, surround him as he receives medical treatment at Suez Canal University hospital in Ismailia, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, after he was injured during an attack on a mosque. Militants attacked a crowdeThe Associated Press

Photograph -- Relatives of Sheikh Sulieman Ghanem, 75, center, surround him as he receives medical treatment at Suez Canal University hospital in Ismailia, Egypt, Friday,

An additional local resident present at the Beir El-Abd hospital, which received victims in the aftermath, described the wounded arriving at a rate beyond the capacity of the hospital, which is between 25 to 30 miles away from the targeted mosque. The resident added that urgent cases are being sent to another hospital in Ismailia, almost 75 miles away.

Photograph -- Abdallah Abdel Nasser, 14, receives medical treatment at Suez Canal University hospital in Ismailia, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, after he was in injured during an attack on a mosque. Militants attacked a crowded mosque during Friday prayers in the The Associated Press

The Egyptian Armed Forces posted to Facebook on Saturday a video of its aircraft targeting "terrorist spots" in northern Sinai.

"The law enforcement forces continued to pursue the elements responsible for the brutal terrorist incident targeting the worshipers in Northern Sinai, and based on confirmed intelligence ... the Air Force has over the past hours eliminated a number of spots," read the post. "The law enforcement forces, in cooperation with the air force, continue to carry out their operations and have established an intensive perimeter to scour the area around the event in search of the remaining terrorist elements."

U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the attack via Twitter Friday morning, writing that it was a "horrible and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenseless worshipers."

"The world cannot tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence!" he continued.

Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Horrible and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenseless worshipers in Egypt. The world cannot tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence!
10:27 AM - Nov 24, 2017
15,809 15,809 Replies 31,276 31,276 Retweets 130,280 130,280 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Trump announced Friday afternoon that he planned to call Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss the attack.

Two photographs taken after the attack each show more than a dozen bloodstained bodies lined up on the ground of a building as those who appear uninjured tend to them.

PHOTO: Graphic content warning.ABC News
Graphic content warning.
PHOTO: People sit next to bodies of worshipers killed in attack on mosque in the northern city of Arish, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, Nov. 24, 2017.STR/EPA
People sit next to bodies of worshipers killed in attack on mosque in the northern city of Arish, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, Nov. 24, 2017.more +
PHOTO: People stand over bodies of worshipers killed in attack on mosque in the northern city of Arish, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, Nov. 24, 2017.STR/EPA
People stand over bodies of worshipers killed in attack on mosque in the northern city of Arish, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, Nov. 24, 2017.more +
The Eiffel Tower in Paris went dark Friday night to pay tribute to the victims of the attack.
PHOTO: The lights of the Eiffel Tower in Paris are switched off in tribute to the victims of the deadly attack on a mosque in Egypts Sinai, Nov. 24, 2017.Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images



THIS CONFLICT REPRESENTED IN THE NEXT ARTICLE DOESN’T HAPPEN MUCH IN A SOCIETY GOVERNED BY LAW, BECAUSE RULES FOR HOW THESE THINGS WORK ARE USUALLY CLEAR-CUT. THIS TIME THERE ARE TWO HOLY TEXTS IN USE, THE FEDERAL VACANCIES REFORM ACT AND THE DODD-FRANK ACT, AND BOTH HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO DIRECT CONFLICT BY THE TRUMP PARTY’S MANEUVERINGS. I HOPE YOU WILL LOOK AT BOTH OF THESE CBS ARTICLES, THEN LISTEN TO THE VIDEOS, THOUGH THE FIRST SEEMS MOST INFORMATIVE TO ME. THIS SITUATION IMMEDIATELY LOOKED TO ME LIKE TRUMP OVERSTEPPING HIS BOUNDS, BUT THE OTHER SIDE – THE REPUBLICANS – BEG TO DIFFER AND THERE ARE GROUNDS FOR THE TWO VIEWS.

CORDRAY, A DEMOCRAT, HAS ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THE POWER OF THE BUREAU DURING HIS TENURE AND MAKE IT A TRUE WATCHDOG FOR THE CONSUMERS, AS WOULD ANY GOOD DEMOCRAT, WHILE THE TRUMP-LED STRONG ARM MANEUVER HERE IS AIMED AT STRIPPING THE BUREAU OF ITS’ POWER, THUS TAMING IT INTO A NICE DOCILE RUBBER STAMP FOR THE PRESIDENT’S USE. IT SEEMS THAT CFPB HAS BEEN INTERFERING TOO MUCH WITH HOW BANKS AND MORTGAGE LENDERS MAKE MORE AND MORE MONEY FROM THE PEOPLE.

SO, IT’S JUST PARTY POLITICS AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME IT’S A MORE SERIOUS MATTER FOR THE AVERAGE MAN ON THE STREET. THE CONFLICT PRODUCED BY THIS AUTHORITY SPLIT BETWEEN THE FEDERAL VACANCIES REFORM ACT AND THE DODD-FRANK ACT NEEDS TO BE EXAMINED AND RESOLVED FORTHWITH, HOWEVER, AND THAT INCH OF LEEWAY TAKEN AWAY. “GIVE’EM AN INCH AND THEY’LL TAKE A MILE” IS THE RULE OF THUMB HERE.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cfpb-chief-names-successor-trump-names-different-acting-director/
CBS/AP November 25, 2017, 10:04 AM
Consumer watchdog head's departure leads to showdown between his successor pick and Trump's

The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau resigned Friday and named his own successor, leading to an open conflict with President Trump — who announced a different person as acting head of the agency later in the day.

That means there are now effectively two acting directors of the CFPB, when there should only be one.

OMB's Mulvaney says admin. wants tax bill to pass with or without repeal of Obamacare mandate

Typically an acting director position would be filled according to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998. But Richard Cordray, along with his resignation, elevated Leandra English, who was the agency's chief of staff, into the deputy director position.

Under the Dodd-Frank Act that created the CFPB, English would become acting director. Cordray — an Obama appointee — specifically cited the law when he moved English, a longtime CFPB employee and ally of his, into that position.

Within a few hours, Mr. Trump announced his own acting director of the agency, Mick Mulvaney, who is currently director of the Office of Management and Budget. Mulvaney had widely been expected to be Trump's temporary pick for the bureau until a permanent one could be found.

On Saturday, senior administration officials held a call with reporters to bolster Mulvaney's selection over English's. They said they expect Mulvaney to show up and lead CFPB come Monday, and expect English to remain on as an agency executive.

"We expect her to show up on Monday," one senior administration official said.

One official said it's a "pretty clear cut legal question," and it's the "longstanding position of the executive branch" that the president has the authority to do this.

The Federal Vacancies Reform Act, the officials said, allows the president to "supersede" another move, if necessary. The administration consulted with the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel before moving forward with the Mulvaney designation, and the OLC signed off on the decision, according to one official. The OLC will issue an opinion on the matter soon.

Mulvaney is a long-time critic of the CFPB, and has wanted the agency's authority significantly curtailed. So the difference between English and Mulvaney running the agency would be significant. The senior administration officials did not have a clear-cut timeline for when Mr. Trump might select a permanent replacement.

"The president will be making a decision in the upcoming weeks on who that person will be," one official said Saturday.

The person nominated to be director of the CFPB requires confirmation by the Senate, and it could be many weeks or months before the person would be able to step into the role permanently. Cordray's move was aimed at allowing his favored successor to keep running the agency for as long as possible before a Trump appointee is confirmed by the Senate.

Cordray had announced earlier this month that he would resign by the end of this month. There is wide speculation that Cordray, a Democrat, is resigning in order to run for governor in his home state of Ohio.

The CFPB was created as part of the laws passed following the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession. The agency was given a broad mandate to be a watchdog for consumers when they deal with banks and credit card, student loan and mortgage companies, as well as debt collectors and payday lenders. Nearly every American who deals with banks or a credit card company or has a mortgage has been affected by new rules the agency put in place.

Cordray used that mandate aggressively as its first director, which often made him a target for the banking industry's Washington lobbyists and Congressional Republicans who believed Cordray was overreaching in his role, calling the CFPB a "rogue agency."

As director, he also was able to extract billions of dollars in settlements from banks, debt collectors and other financial services companies for wrongdoing. When Wells Fargo was found to have opened millions of phony accounts for its customers, the CFPB fined the bank $100 million, the agency's largest penalty to date.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



THIS STATEMENT, ISSUED BY CAMP TRUMP ABOUT FOUR HOURS AFTER THE FIRST, PAPERS OVER THE CONFLICT, ASSURING THE PUBLIC THAT BOTH INDIVIDUALS WILL RETAIN SOME POSITION, THOUGH MULVANEY WILL BE THE REAL BOSS. RIGHT. I WONDER WHAT THE NEXT STEP WILL BE? THIS CAN’T BE THE END OF THE STORY.

THIS RIGHT OF A PRESIDENT TO SUPERSEDE THAT OF THE OUTGOING HEAD TO NOMINATE HIS OWN INTERIM SUCCESSOR, SOUNDS UNFAIR TO ME, AND THE ARTICLE ABOVE STATED THAT IT IS “THE LONGSTANDING POSITION OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH” – NOT THE SAME THING AS A CLEAR RIGHT. IT’S JUST TRADITION.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whos-the-boss-come-monday-at-consumer-agency/
AP November 25, 2017, 2:37 PM
Who's the boss come Monday at consumer agency?

Who's the boss? That's the awkward question after the departing head of a government agency charged with looking after consumers' rights appointed a deputy to temporarily fill his spot. The White House then named its own interim leader.

So come Monday, who will be leading what Congressional Republicans had called a "rogue agency"?

Senior Trump administration officials said Saturday that they expect no trouble when President Donald Trump's pick for temporary director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shows up for work, despite the clash on who should take over.

Mulvaney says admin. wants tax bill to pass with or without repeal of Obamacare mandate

Both departing director Richard Cordray -- an Obama appointee long criticized by Congressional Republicans as overzealous -- and the White House say they have the right to designate an interim leader until a permanent one is approved by Congress.

When Cordray tendered his resignation on Friday, he elevated Leandra English, who was the agency's chief of staff, into the deputy director position. Under the Dodd-Frank Act that created the CFPB, English would become acting director in Cordray's absence. Cordray specifically cited the law when he moved English, an ally of his, into that position.

That set up the battle with the White House, as Corday's move was clearly seen an attempt to stop Trump from shaping the agency in the months ahead. Getting a permanent replacement approved by the Senate could take months.

The president's pick for temporary appointee, Mick Mulvaney, had been widely anticipated. Mulvaney, cur rently director of the Office of Management and Budget, has been an outspoken critic of the agency and is expected to pull back on many of Cordray's actions in the six years since he was appointed.

Trump announced he was picking Mulvaney within a few hours of Cordray's announcement on Friday.

The administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the White House's thinking, called Trump's appointment of an acting director a "routine move" and cited the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, a different one than Cordray cited. They said the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel has already approved Trump's appointment of Mulvaney and will issue a written legal opinion soon.

The clashing appointments raise the question of what happens when the two new heads show up and try to sit at the same desk and give orders?

One of the administrative officials, pressed about the awkward situation on Saturday, said she didn't anticipate Mulvaney would have any trouble when he started working Monday. Referring to Cordray's pick, the official added that English was expected to also show up, too -- but as deputy director.

The choice for a temporary appointment may seem a small matter, but the agency has been tangled in in partisan politics since its creation, and the attitudes of the two toward it differ sharply.

English is a trusted lieutenant of Cordray's who has helped investigate and punish financial companies in ways that many Republicans, Mulvaney in particular, think go too far. In his announcement Friday, Cordray praised English by highlighting her "in-depth" knowledge of the agency's operations and its staff. Before joining the CFPB, English served at the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management.

"Leandra is a seasoned professional who has spent her career of public service focused on promoting smooth and efficient operations," Cordray said in the statement.

Mulvaney was a South Carolina representative to the House before becoming head of the budget office. A founder of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, he was elected in 2010 as part of a tea party wave that brought many critics of the U.S. budget deficit to office. He has taken a hard line on federal spending matters, routinely voting against increasing the government's borrowing cap and pressing for major cuts to benefit programs as the path to balancing the budget.

He also has been unsparing in his criticism of the CFPB, and Democrats has seized upon his words in criticizing his appointment by Trump to the agency.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters of California, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services committee, issued a statement Saturday calling Mulvaney "unacceptable" to lead the CFPB because of his "noxious" views toward its mission to protect consumers.

"As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Mr. Mulvaney called the Consumer Bureau a 'joke,'" Waters wrote. "He was also the original co-sponsor of a bill to completely eliminate the Consumer Bureau, and supported other legislation to harmfully roll back Wall Street reform."

© 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



EVERY REPUBLICAN WILL TRY TO DIMINISH THE STRENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET, BUT IF THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS, THE ELDERLY AND INFIRM, ARE PUT IN SERIOUS DISTRESS BECAUSE OF IT, IT BECOMES OUR BOUNDEN DUTY AND OUR PLEDGE OF HONOR TO HOLD THEM BACK AT THE GATES. IT’S OUR SOLEMN DUTY TO CARE ABOUT THE NEEDY. THAT’S WHY WE, THE PROGRESSIVES AND THE DEMS, NEED TO KEEP OURSELVES ATTRACTIVE AS A PARTY SO THAT THOSE NEEDY VOTERS WILL COME TO US RATHER THAN TO A LYING SCOUNDREL PROMISING A GET RICH QUICK SCHEME AND MORE “RESPECT.” OF COURSE, I’M NOT ACCUSING ANYONE, YOU UNDERSTAND.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-will-become-of-welfare-under-trump/
AP November 25, 2017, 2:23 PM
What will become of welfare under Trump?

Photograph -- U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS

Overhauling welfare was one of the defining goals of Bill Clinton's presidency, starting with a campaign promise to "end welfare as we know it," continuing with a bitter policy fight and producing change that remains hotly debated 20 years later.

Now, President Donald Trump wants to put his stamp on the welfare system, apparently in favor of a more restrictive policy. He says "people are taking advantage of the system."

Mr. Trump, who has been signaling interest in the issue for some time, said this past week that he wants to tackle the issue after the tax overhaul he is seeking by the end of the year. He said changes were "desperately needed in our country" and that his administration would soon offer plans.

For now, the president has not offered details. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said more specifics were likely early next year. But the groundwork has already begun at the White House and Mr. Trump has made his interest known to Republican lawmakers.

Paul Winfree, director of budget policy and deputy director of Trump's Domestic Policy Council, told a recent gathering at the conservative Heritage Foundation that he and another staffer had been charged with "working on a major welfare reform proposal." He said they have drafted an executive order on the topic that would outline administration principles and direct agencies to come up with recommendations.

"The president really wants to lead on this," Winfree said. "He has delivered that message loud and clear to us. We've opened conversations with leadership in Congress to let them know that that is the direction we are heading."

Mr. Trump said in October that welfare was "becoming a very, very big subject, and people are taking advantage of the system."

Clinton ran in 1992 on a promise to change the system but struggled to get consensus on a bill, with Democrats divided and Republicans pushing aggressive changes. Four years later, he signed a law that replaced a federal entitlement with grants to the states, placed a time limit on how long families could get aid and required recipients to go to work eventually.

It has drawn criticism from some liberal quarters ever since. During her presidential campaign last year, Democrat Hillary Clinton faced activists who argued that the law fought for by her husband punished poor people.

Kathryn Edin, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who has been studying welfare since the 1990s, said the law's legacy has been to limit the cash assistance available to the very poor and has never become a "springboard to work." She questioned what kinds of changes could be made, arguing that welfare benefits are minimal in many states and there is little evidence of fraud in other anti-poverty programs.

Still, Edin said that welfare has "never been popular even from its inception. It doesn't sit well with Americans in general."

Robert Rector, a senior research fellow at Heritage, said he would like to see more work requirements for a range of anti-poverty programs and stronger marriage incentives, as well as strategies to improve results for social programs and to limit waste. He said while the administration could make some adjustments through executive order, legislation would be required for any major change.

"This is a good system," Rector said. "We just need to make this system better."

Administration officials have already suggested they are eyeing anti-poverty programs. Trump's initial 2018 budget proposal, outlined in March, sought to sharply reduce spending for Medicaid, food stamps and student loan subsidies, among other programs.

Budget director Mick Mulvaney said this year, "If you are on food stamps and you are able-bodied, we need you to go to work."

© 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



“.... BUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS IS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/youth-pastor-christopher-gattis-accused-fatally-shooting-family-thanksgiving/
CBS NEWS November 25, 2017, 4:59 PM
Youth pastor accused of fatally shooting family on Thanksgiving

Photograph -- Christopher Gattis WTVR

CHESTER, Va. -- Police have arrested a youth pastor in Virginia for allegedly murdering his family on Thanksgiving night, CBS affiliate WTVR reports.

Christopher Gattis, 58, was arrested at his residence in Chester and taken into custody without incident, officials said. Gattis has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He's being held at a county jail without bond.

Police said 58-year-old Jeanett Gattis and her daughter 30-year-old Candice Kunze were discovered inside the residence and Kunze's boyfriend 36-year-old Andrew Buthorn was found outside.

Neighbors told WTVR that many people knew the suspect as well as the victims.

"We were all friends. We hang out sometimes [and] cook out in the back," neighbor Mike Brown told the station. "I mean every time I see them, they're always the same way. [I] had no clue that they were having problems that I knew of, but behind closed doors is behind closed doors."

Gattis is a youth pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Chester. The church issued a statement on Friday evening asking the community and congregation to pray for everyone involved in the tragedy. "Grace Lutheran Church has experienced many hardships over the years, but this heartbreak has unique challenges," the statement said.

Neighbors who spoke to the Richmond Times-Dispatch said that Kunze recently moved back home from Oregon and brought her boyfriend with her. Police said their investigation into the incident is ongoing.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



“THE MOST IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT DID SAY DROPPING OFF MALIA AT HARVARD IN AUGUST "WAS A LITTLE LIKE HAVING OPEN HEART SURGERY."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ivanka-trump-chelsea-clinton-defend-malia-obama/
By KATHRYN WATSON CBS NEWS November 25, 2017, 11:21 AM
Ivanka Trump, Chelsea Clinton defend Malia Obama's privacy

Photograph -- In this June 19, 2015, file image, Malia Obama smiles as she serves food during a lunch at the U.S. and NATO military base in Vicenza. GETTY

Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton have rushed to the defense of Malia Obama after videos appearing to show the 19-year-old former first daughter kissing a young man and smoking began circulating on the Internet.

The video and images of the Harvard University freshman soon sparked outrage online, with people on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook calling on their fellow web users and the media to leave former President Barack Obama's elder daughter alone. The Trump and Clinton daughters — who know what it's like to be in the White House spotlight — added to that sentiment on Friday.

"Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school-aged peers," Trump, who serves as an assistant to the president, wrote on Twitter. "She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits."


Ivanka Trump
✔
@IvankaTrump
Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school aged peers. She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits.
12:17 PM - Nov 24, 2017
4,551 4,551 Replies 36,717 36,717 Retweets 202,392 202,392 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Clinton also soon chimed in, writing, "Malia Obama's private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait. Be better."


Chelsea Clinton
✔
@ChelseaClinton
Malia Obama’s private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait. Be better.
12:55 PM - Nov 24, 2017
3,600 3,600 Replies 87,879 87,879 Retweets 381,065 381,065 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

The Clinton daughter also came to the defense of Barron Trump, President Trump's youngest son, earlier this year, when a Daily Caller post criticized the 11-year-old for his casual attire. First Lady Melania Trump thanked Clinton for her response at the time.

Former President Barack Obama made a point of trying to keep his daughters out of the news cycle. When images of the elder daughter on a spring break trip to Mexico surfaced online in 2013, the White House chastised the press for paying attention to them.

"From the beginning of the administration, the White House has asked news outlets not to report on or photograph the Obama children when they are not with their parents and there is no vital news interest," Kristina Schake, then the spokeswoman for first lady Michelle Obama, said in a statement at the time. "We have reminded outlets of this request in order to protect the privacy and security of these girls."

The most immediate past president did say dropping off Malia at Harvard in August "was a little like having open heart surgery."

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


WE DINE TOGETHER

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spreading-the-message-that-nobody-should-have-to-dine-alone/
By STEVE HARTMAN CBS NEWS November 24, 2017, 6:50 PM
High schooler spreads the message that nobody should have to dine alone

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- When the lunch bell rings at Boca Raton High School in Florida, 3,400 kids spill into the courtyard and split into their social groups.

But not everyone gets included. As we first reported in March, here at Boca High and at schools across the country, someone always sits alone.

"It's not a good feeling, like you're by yourself. And that's something that I don't want anybody to go through," said Denis Estimon.

hartman-we-dine-together-2-2017-11-24.jpg
At most high schools, there's always someone who sits alone during lunch. CBS NEWS
Denis is a Haitian immigrant. When he came here in first grade, he says he felt isolated -- especially at lunch.

Now he's popular. But he has not forgotten that first-grade feeling.

"To me it's like, if we don't try to go make that change, who's going to do it?" Denis said.

d2-hartman-we-dine-together-0310en-transfer.jpg
Denis Estimon CBS NEWS
So with some friends, Denis started a club called "We Dine Together."

Their mission is to go into the courtyard at lunchtime to make sure no one is starving for company.

For new kids especially, the club is a godsend. Since it started last year, hundreds of friendships have formed -- some very unlikely.

d2-hartman-we-dine-together-0310en-transfer4.jpg
Members of We Dine Together work the courtyard CBS NEWS
Jean Max Meradieu said he met kids he would never "ever" meet on the football team.

Jean actually quit the football team -- gave up all perks that come with it -- just so he could spend more time with this club.

"I don't mind not getting a football scholarship," Jean said. "This is what I really want to do."

Just imagine how different your teenage years would have been, if the coolest kids in school all of a sudden decided you mattered.

"We'll get to know each other better," Jean told one student.

It obviously takes a lot of empathy to devote your lunch period to this. Either that, or firsthand experience.

"I went from coming from a school where I always had friends, to coming to where I had nobody," said club member Allie Sealy.

hartman-we-dine-together-2017-11-24.jpg
The courtyard at Boca High in Boca Raton, Florida. CBS NEWS
Allie transferred a few ago. She says with no one to sit next to, lunch can be the most excruciating part of the day.

"It seems really unfair. It's honestly an issue," Allie said. "Meeting someone who actually cares and listens to what you have to say, really makes a difference. And that can happen at lunch, that can happen at our club."

Since we first told this story, Denis has graduated from high school -- but not from this mission.

hartman-we-dine-together-3-2017-11-24.jpg
Denis Estimon is spreading the message of "We Dine Together." CBS NEWS
He's now travelling the country, opening "We Dine Together" chapters at other schools -- 15 so far, with more than 100 slated for the new year.

And if we're lucky, when he's done showing kids how to make outsiders feel accepted, he can teach the rest of us.

To contact On the Road, or to send us a story idea, email us: OnTheRoad@cbsnews.com

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



THIS SITUATION ALWAYS SADDENS ME, BECAUSE A GOOD UNIVERSITY EDUCATION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE WHO IS INTELLECTUALLY INCLINED. LIKEWISE, A PROFESSIONAL COURSE OF SOME KIND FOR THOSE WHO JUST WANT A LEG UP ON THE ECONOMIC LADDER NEEDS TO BE THERE FOR EVERYONE. WHY? BECAUSE IN THIS COUNTRY, THE GOOD CITIZENS AMONG US WANT EVERY LIVING PERSON TO HAVE THE BASICS OF A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE LIFE, AND THAT PRETTY MUCH MEANS COLLEGE.

COLLEGE IS ALSO USUALLY A YOUNG PERSON’S FIRST BIG STEP AWAY FROM THE FAMILY HOME. AS SUCH IT IS EXCITING AND JOYOUS. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MAKE IT TRAGIC INSTEAD, HOWEVER, THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD STEP UP FOR THE STUDENT. AT LEAST TWO-THIRDS OF THE TIME, THAT WON’T HAPPEN. COLLEGE IS AS MUCH BIG BUSINESS AS IS WALL STREET. IN A SCANDAL THE PERSON OF MOST TENUOUS STATUS WILL BE DISCARDED AND THE STRONGER, EVEN IF HE OR SHE IS A SEXUAL ABUSER, WILL SURVIVE. AT LEAST THAT’S THE OLD RULE.

THE FACT THAT THESE 400 PROFESSORS HAVE SIGNED SUCH A LETTER DOES GIVE ME HOPE THAT THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY CARES ENOUGH TO TRY TO MAKE CHANGES, AND THAT IS WONDERFUL. FROM THIS AND SEVERAL OTHER ARTICLES IN REACTION TO SEXUAL ABUSE IN SEMI-DEPENDENT SITUATIONS, I AM GETTING A FEELING THAT A POSITIVE NEW CONSENSUS IS PROBABLY FORMING. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CONTINUE.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boycott-urged-for-university-of-rochester-in-response-to-professors-behavior/
By JERICKA DUNCAN CBS NEWS November 24, 2017, 7:15 PM
Professors urge boycott of University of Rochester over allegations of misconduct

In what may be an unprecedented move, more than 400 college professors from all over the world have written an open letter calling for a boycott of the University of Rochester, where a professor is accused of preying on female students.

The open letter expresses "disappointment" with the University of Rochester "in their response to allegations of misconduct " by brain and cognitive sciences professor Dr. Florian Jaeger.

400 professors urge students to avoid University of Rochester, saying it's not safe
It criticizes the university for "supporting the predator and intimidating the victims and advocates in this case."

jaeger.jpg
University of Rochester Professor T. Florian Jaeger

And in bold print, the professors further state they will not "encourage students to pursue educational or employment opportunities" at the university.

Professor Elizabeth Bonawitz of New Jersey's Rutgers University was the 49th to sign.

"It's really horrifying," Bonawitz said. "It sends the message that the university is more interested in saving face than protecting its most vulnerable population."

In September, eight current and former Rochester researchers filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It claims that school officials were not protecting students. The 111-page complaint alleges Jaeger used overtly sexual language with his students, used his influence to sleep with female graduates and even pressured a student to live with him.

That student is Dr. Celeste Kidd, now a professor at the university.

"He made it clear, explicitly by telling me, that if I had a problem with him and I expressed that, there would be professional consequences," she said.

duncan-rochester-2017-11-25.jpg
University of Rochester. CBS NEWS

In a statement to CBS News, university officials said "the fact is that many students, faculty, and administrators at the university do not recognize the institution described in the letter circulating on the internet."

"The sort of response we are seeing from the administration to suppress this to the point of actually putting those victims at risk -- I think was most troubling to me," Bonawitz said.

Jaeger remains on paid administrative leave. He did not respond to our request for comment. The university has launched an independent investigation since the EEOC complaint.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


NOW THIS IS A MYSTERY, NOT BECAUSE THERE IS CLEAR EVIDENCE OF A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, BUT BECAUSE THE LIKELIHOOD IS HIGHER THAN AVERAGE THAT IT IS JUST THAT. WE’VE GOT MOTIVE, AND THAT INTERESTING ELEMENT, TIMING. THE SIMPLEST THING WOULD BE TO HIRE AN ASSASSIN OFF THE STREET WHO WOULD KILL FOR SOME CASH, AND THEN KILL HIM AFTERWARDS TO COVER OUR TRACKS; BUT THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE THAT A VILLAIN IN HIDING HAS BEEN FLUSHED OUT. I DO HOPE THAT THIS KILLER WILL BE IDENTIFIED, AND IF THERE IS A SCANDAL LARGER THAN THAT, THEN AN INQUIRY SHOULD BE HELD.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-questions-in-death-of-baltimore-detective-killed-1-day-before-testimony/
By KRIS VAN CLEAVE CBS NEWS November 24, 2017, 6:37 PM
New questions in death of Baltimore detective, killed 1 day before testifying

BALTIMORE -- There are new questions about the murder of Baltimore Det. Sean Suiter, who was gunned down last week, one day before he was set to testify in a federal corruption case against fellow officers.

The FBI is trying to enhance what is believed to be Suiter's final radio call to look for any clues about the suspect who managed to wrestle away Suiter's gun and shoot the 18-year veteran officer in the head at close range.

Baltimore remembers Detective Sean Suiter, cop killed in shooting

"We don't know exactly what he said, but he was clearly in distress," said Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.

Suiter, a father of five, was killed the day before he was set to testify in a federal corruption case against eight Baltimore police officers.

van-cleave-sean-suiter-2017-11-24.jpg
Baltimore Det. Sean Suiter. CBS NEWS

"People have asked me, how can it be possible that Det. Suiter was shot and killed on the eve of his grand jury testimony and for that murder not to have anything to do with the grand jury testimony, and people will say, is that possible? And the answer is, of course it's possible," Davis said.

Police don't have much on the suspect, but police say Suiter noticed a man acting suspiciously and went to check it out. Investigators do have unreleased video showing his partner taking cover at the sound of gunfire and calling for help.

Suiter's murder prompted a city-wide manhunt and the lockdown of the neighborhood where it occurred.

A small memorial now sits at the scene, where some are offering prayers.

"He deserved that prayer," said one person at the memorial. "The family deserved that prayer. Our city of Baltimore deserved that prayer."

The reward for information leading to an arrest sits at more $200,000. Suiter's funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



MAKING LOVE IN A MUTUALLY DESIRABLE SITUATION WILL ALWAYS BE A PLEASURE, AND WITHOUT THE MUTUAL DESIRE, IT WILL BE ABUSIVE AND DISGUSTING. THAT’S THE TRUE RULE, IN MY BOOK. I DON’T THINK LINKING UP IN A WORK SITUATION IS VERY OFTEN AT ALL A SMART THING TO DO, IF ONLY BECAUSE OF THE GOSSIP THAT WILL OCCUR, AND BECAUSE WHEN THE LOVE GOES AWAY, SO MAY THE JOB.

NONE OF THIS HAS CHANGED. WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IS THAT BOSSES NEED TO BE ENJOINED FROM FIRING AN EMPLOYEE OVER A SEXUAL MATTER UNLESS IT IS ONE OF ABUSE, AND THE ONE FIRED SHOULD BE THE ABUSER RATHER THAN JUST THE WOMAN. IF THAT WERE ALWAYS THE CASE, I WOULD NOT COMPLAIN. THAT’S AS “EQUAL” AS THE SITUATION CAN BE. SO, WHOEVER IS DOING THE CHASING, THAT’S THE AGGRESSOR.

WHEN THE GUY GETS TO KEEP HIS JOB AND THE WOMAN LOSES HERS, THAT’S A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE, AND EVERY WOMAN IN THAT SITUATION SHOULD SUE THE COMPANY AND THE UNWELCOME SUITOR AS WELL. WHEN THEIR INTERACTIONS BECOME “A DISTRACTION” IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, AS POLITICIANS HAVE BECOME FOND OF SAYING, THEN THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE GROUNDS FOR FIRING THEM BOTH, BUT NOT JUST ONE.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-female-lobbyist-offers-her-take-on-sexual-harassment/
By STEVE CHAGGARIS CBS NEWS November 24, 2017, 6:00 AM
Top female lobbyist offers her take on sexual harassment

In the current climate of sexual harassment allegations affecting a wide swath of industries, including politics, a top female Washington lobbyist says it's time for leaders to "foster a culture of respect."

"When I got here fresh out of the University of Iowa as a new, young congressional staffer, I think the general sentiment, it was sort of passed along from woman to woman, was 'boys will be boys and women have to manage that. And you should always be alert and avoid being in situations that are uncomfortable,'" Susan Neely, the president and CEO of the American Beverage Association, told CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett and Political Director Steve Chaggaris on this week's episode of "The Takeout."

Listen to this episode on Stitcher “THE FACTS, MA’AM – LOBBYIST SUSAN NEELY,” DURATION, 39:05.

"That approach works pretty well until you get some outlier that's a jackass and actually abusive and uses their position of power to be abusive," Neely added.

Three CBS employees accuse Charlie Rose of sexual harassment
Harvey Weinstein announces leave of absence amid sexual harassment allegations

"That's what I welcome about all of this massive public conversation were having now. It gives us a chance to talk about the culture needs to change. And all of us who lead organizations, women and men, need to foster a culture of respect."

"All of us who are in leadership need to help change that, we need to respect each other. You don't assume every guy's a bad guy, that was far from my experience. The vast majority of guys are great guys and are respectful. But we need to give a voice to that and to be consciously modeling the behaviors that are the right ones," Neely said.

For more from Major and Steve's conversation with Susan Neely, who also weighed in on the Republicans' tax reform effort, how President Trump's "swamp" drainage is going, and issues the soft drink beverage industry is dealing with, download "The Takeout" podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify. New episodes are available every Friday morning.

Also, you can watch "The Takeout" on CBSN Friday and Saturday nights at 9pm ET/PT. For a full archive of "The Takeout" episodes, visit www.takeoutpodcast.com.



I LIKE COMEDIAN BILLY EICHNER’S TWEET BEST. A LITTLE HUMOR IMPROVES THE MOST DEPRESSING SITUATION.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/time-magazine-disputes-trumps-person-of-the-year-tweet/
CBS/AP November 24, 2017, 9:39 PM
Time magazine disputes Trump's "Person of the Year" tweet

Photograph -- President-elect Donald Trump poses for photographer Nadav Kander for the cover of the issue of Time magazine naming him its Person of the Year in a picture provided by the publication in New York Dec. 7, 2016. TIME MAGAZINE HANDOUT/VIA REUTERS

Time magazine is disputing President Trump's account of how he rejected the magazine's request for an interview and photo sessions ahead of its "Person of the Year" issue.

In a Friday evening tweet, Mr. Trump wrote the magazine informed him he was "probably" going to be granted the title for the second year in a row. He tweets: "I said probably is no good and took a pass."


Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named “Man (Person) of the Year,” like last year, but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!
5:40 PM - Nov 24, 2017
93,274 93,274 Replies 36,512 36,512 Retweets 132,926 132,926 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Later that evening, Time tweeted that Mr. Trump "is incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year." The magazine says it doesn't comment on its choice until publication.


TIME
✔
@TIME
The President is incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year. TIME does not comment on our choice until publication, which is December 6.
8:27 PM - Nov 24, 2017
17,989 17,989 Replies 143,157 143,157 Retweets 366,522 366,522 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Mr. Trump frequently brags about his cover appearances in the iconic magazine. He has falsely claimed to hold the record of cover appearances. In 2015, Mr. Trump tweeted that he was a "big favorite" for Time's Person of the Year, but the magazine "would never pick me."


Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
I told you @TIME Magazine would never pick me as person of the year despite being the big favorite They picked person who is ruining Germany
8:53 AM - Dec 9, 2015
4,385 4,385 Replies 7,930 7,930 Retweets 10,495 10,495 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

The magazine will unveil its Person of the Year on Dec. 6.

Mr. Trump's tweet spawned many knock-offs, with even tennis star Andy Murray and comedian Billy Eichner weighing in.


Andy Murray
✔
@andy_murray
Bbc just called to say I was PROBABLY going to be named sports personality of the year but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!
6:43 PM - Nov 24, 2017
3,335 3,335 Replies 52,644 52,644 Retweets 222,949 222,949 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

billy eichner
✔
@billyeichner
Time Magazine called me a few weeks ago too. This led to us texting and then, of course, sexting. We hooked up a few times, which was fun. But, ultimately, it didn't seem like an ideal match. It's too bad though because Time Magazine is really hot. Oh well. Thanks anyway!
8:49 PM - Nov 24, 2017
102 102 Replies 2,105 2,105 Retweets 18,852 18,852 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT USE OF AN EDUCATION IS TO INFORM OUR INNER BEING AND TO SHARE OUR THOUGHTS WITH THOSE WHO CARE, OR SHOULD CARE. THE BEST EDUCATION IS THE SORT THAT IMMEDIATELY JUMPS FROM THE PRINTED PAGE TO LIFE. THAT’S HOW WE CAN PRODUCE A BETTER SOCIETY AND MAKE AMERICA EVER GREATER DAY BY DAY. THAT’S WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR WHAT WE ARE HOLDING UP AS THE MODEL OF “AN EDUCATION” TO INCLUDE THE ARTS AND SCIENCES IN GENERAL.

I AM ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN A GROUP CALLED TED. I FIRST HEARD OF THEM ON PBS TELEVISION. I WOULD SEE THE NAME “TED TALK” ON THE TV GUIDE LISTING AND WONDER WHAT IN THE WORLD IT COULD POSSIBLY BE. FINALLY, I TUNED IN AND FOUND AVERAGE LOOKING PEOPLE GIVING TALKS WOVEN TOGETHER FROM THEIR PERSONAL LIVES INTO SOMETHING THAT HELPS PEOPLE OR THE WORLD. A GROUP OF NEIGHBORS WHO LIKE GARDENING COULD LEAD TO A MARKET FOR FRESH VEGETABLES IN THE INNER CITY, FOR INSTANCE. THAT USES IDEAS AND EFFORT AS CURRENCY TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF THE TED TALKS. TED STANDS FOR TECHNOLOGY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND DESIGN. THEIR TALKS ARE UNPREDICTABLE IN SUBJECT MATTER, USUALLY PERSONAL IN NATURE, AND THEREFORE ALWAYS INTERESTING. THE ORGANIZATION IS INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.

SEE THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE BELOW; AND THEN GO TO THE ITEM ON A TED ACTIVITY THAT IS OCCURRING IN THE INFAMOUS PRISON CALLED SINGSING. THIS IS ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT I THINK WE NEED DESPERATELY IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY. OUR PRISONS, INSTEAD OF BEING SIMPLY A WAY OF KEEPING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS, SHOULD BE MAKING A SERIOUS EFFORT TO REHABILITATE CRIMINALS.

ONE SUCH PROGRAM THAT I’VE SEEN ALLOWS SOME TRUSTWORTHY PRISONERS TO BE GIVEN VOLUNTARY WORK WITH ANIMALS. TOUCHING AND COMMUNICATING WITH ANIMALS KICKSTARTS THE HOPE THAT WE NEED TO WARM UP THE INNER FIRES THAT LIVE IN THE BREAST OF A “LIFER.” LIFE IN PRISON TENDS TO KILL THAT, BUT IT ISN’T ENTIRELY DEAD UNTIL OUR BODY IS; OR SO I BELIEVE. IT IS A SHAME THAT WE INCARCERATE SO MANY AND DO ALMOST NOTHING TO REHABILITATE THEM.

THE TED ORGANIZATION ALSO OPERATES IN OTHER AREAS OF HUMAN NEED. THAT IS THE KIND OF NON-PROFIT THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN A TAX DEDUCTION FOR THEIR ACTIVITIES, NOT SOME COVER FOR A POLITICAL ACTIVITY GROUP AND SLUSH FUND. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM, GO TO THEIR WEBSITE BELOW:
https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization
https://www.facebook.com/pg/TEDxEvents/about/?ref=page_internal
https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/tedx-program
https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/10820
FOR THE SITE ON THE SINGSING PRISON PROJECT, GO TO https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/10820
TEDxSingSing

x = independently organized TED event
Theme: Creating Healthy Communities

Speakers will explore this theme from a variety of perspectives, including individual, physical, mental, and emotional health, and how to work together to build a nourishing and supportive community, no matter where you might be; even in a maximum security prison like Sing Sing.

This event occurred INSIDE THE PRISON SINGSING
December 3, 2014
8:30am - 4:00pm EST
(UTC -5hrs)
Ossining, New York
United States

Our organization

TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.

Our Mission: Spread ideas

TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. On TED.com, we're building a clearinghouse of free knowledge from the world's most inspired thinkers — and a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other, both online and at TED and TEDx events around the world, all year long.

In fact, everything we do — from our Conferences to our TED Talks to the projects sparked by the TED Prize, from the global TEDx community to the TED-Ed lesson series — is driven by this goal: How can we best spread great ideas?

TED is owned by a nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation. Our agenda is to make great ideas accessible and spark conversation.