JOHN MCCAIN, UPON HIS DEATH
COMPILATION AND COMMENTARY
BY LUCY WARNER
AUGUST 27, 2018


FROM JOHN WEAVER, MCCAIN’S FORMER CHIEF STRATEGIST --
“THE OLD LION ROARS IN HEAVEN.”

A FEW CLIPS FROM JOHN MCCAIN’S FAREWELL LETTER, BELOW:

MCCAIN’S TAKE ON THE USA – OUR GREATEST STRENGTH AS A SOCIETY -- “WE ARE 325 MILLION OPINIONATED VOCIFEROUS INDIVIDUALS.”

NOTE MCCAIN’S COMMENT ON THE HITLERIAN STAIN THAT HAS COME INTO THIS COUNTRY WITH THE FOLLOWERS OF DONALD F. TRUMP, AND SEEMINGLY EVEN TRUMP HIMSELF:

“WE ARE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST REPUBLIC, A NATION OF IDEALS — NOT BLOOD AND SOIL.*”

*[BLOOD AND SOIL -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_and_Soil]

“AMERICANS NEVER QUIT, WE NEVER SURRENDER, WE NEVER HIDE FROM HISTORY. WE MAKE HISTORY. FAREWELL, FELLOW AMERICANS. GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS AMERICA."


MCCAIN’S FINAL LETTER TO ALL OF US, USA TODAY. IT’S OKAY TO GET OUT YOUR HANKY AFTER READING THIS, OR MAYBE BEFORE.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/08/27/john-mccain-farewell-letter-final-words/1112661002/?csp=chromepush
Sen. John McCain's farewell letter: 'I lived and died a proud American'
Dustin Gardiner and Maria Polletta, Arizona Republic Published 2:25 p.m. ET Aug. 27, 2018

VIDEO -- Rick Davis, a McCain family spokesman, reads the late U.S. Sen. John McCain's farewell letter at a press conference on Aug. 27, 2018. Dustin Gardiner, The Republic | azcentral.com

In a farewell to the American public, the late U.S. Sen. John McCain warned that tribal politics weaken America's greatness and standing in the world.

He also expressed optimism in the American people's ability to work together for the common good.

Rick Davis, McCain's former campaign manager, read the senator's letter during a news conference with reporters Monday morning. It was the first time McCain's final words have been publicly read.

In the letter, McCain praised America's role in liberating "more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history."

He said the country's standing and ideals are weakened "when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries... We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down."

However, McCain ended his letter on an optimistic note, saying Americans will get through the challenges facing the country by working together.

"We have always had so much more in common than in disagreement," McCain wrote.

More: Breaking with tradition, White House flags return to full-staff after McCain's death

More: Here are details about John McCain viewing, funeral

More: President Donald Trump's brevity on John McCain speaks volumes about their strained relationship


Read John McCain's full farewell letter:

"My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for 60 years, and especially my fellow Arizonans,

Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life of service in uniform and service in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them.

I’ve often observed that I’m the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I’ve loved my life, all of it. I’ve had experiences, adventures, friendships enough for 10 satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anybody else’s.

I owe this satisfaction to the love of my family. No man ever had a more loving wife or children he was prouder of than I am of mine. And I owe it to America. To be connected to America’s causes — liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people — brings happiness more sublime than life’s fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but are enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves.

Fellow Americans, that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world’s greatest Republic, a nation of ideals — not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history, and we have acquired great wealth and great power in the process.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals rather than trust them to be the great force for change they’ve always been. We are 325 million opinionated vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country, we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do.

Ten years ago, I had the privilege to concede defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening. I feel it powerfully still. Do not despair of our present difficulties. We believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit, we never surrender, we never hide from history. We make history. Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you and God bless America."



HUFFINGTON POST HAS COLLECT SOME FIFTY FAREWELLS AND PRAISES FROM OTHER NATIONAL LEADERS, BOTH IN THE USA AND OTHER NATIONS, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE UP FOR TRUMP’S CHURLISH REFUSAL TO SAY ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT HIM.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER -- “AND MAYBE MOST OF ALL, HE WAS A TRUTH TELLER ― NEVER AFRAID TO SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER IN AN ERA WHERE THAT HAS BECOME ALL TOO RARE.”


https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/politicians-react-john-mccain-death_us_5b81f6a0e4b0cd327dfd51a0
POLITICS 08/25/2018 09:39 pm ET Updated 18 hours ago
Politicians Grieve John McCain’s Death With Touching Tributes
By Carla Herreria and Hayley Miller

The senator earned respect from both sides of the aisle, and tributes from the likes of Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders and Paul Ryan are proof.

VIDEO -- Politicians from both sides of the political aisle mourned the death of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) while honoring his legacy as a lawmaker and war hero.

The 81-year-old Vietnam War veteran and 2008 Republican presidential nominee died on Saturday, one day after his family announced he would be ending his treatment for brain cancer. McCain was diagnosed in July 2017 and spent most of the time since then receiving treatment in Arizona, while continuing his work as a senator.

McCain was a longtime conservative, but he earned respect as a lawmaker from both Republicans and Democrats, even as he feuded with President Donald Trump.

Reacting to news of McCain’s death, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) tweeted, “America and Freedom have lost one of her greatest champions.”

Graham added, “I’ve lost one of my dearest friends and mentor.”


Lindsey Graham
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@LindseyGrahamSC
America and Freedom have lost one of her greatest champions.

….And I’ve lost one of my dearest friends and mentor.

8:31 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Lindsey Graham
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@LindseyGrahamSC
Replying to @LindseyGrahamSC
I will need some time to absorb this, but I want Cindy —and the entire McCain family — to know they are in my prayers.

8:45 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) praised McCain’s drive to speak the truth.

“His dedication to his country and the military were unsurpassed,” Schumer wrote on Twitter. “And maybe most of all, he was a truth teller ― never afraid to speak truth to power in an era where that has become all too rare.”


Chuck Schumer
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@SenSchumer
As you go through life, you meet few truly great people. John McCain was one of them. His dedication to his country and the military were unsurpassed, and maybe most of all, he was a truth teller - never afraid to speak truth to power in an era where that has become all too rare.

8:40 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor who was McCain’s running mate in the 2008 presidential election, had a strained relationship with him after he admitted he regretted picking her to be his vice presidential candidate.

On Saturday, however, Palin said McCain was her friend and vowed to “remember the good times.”

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Sarah Palin
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@SarahPalinUSA
Replying to @SarahPalinUSA
John McCain was my friend. I will remember the good times. My family and I send prayers for Cindy and the McCain family.
- Sarah Palin and family

8:57 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Below, see how political figures ― as well as family members ― paid tribute to McCain:

Former President Barack Obama
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Barack Obama
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@BarackObama
Our statement on the passing of Senator John McCain:


9:09 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)

Paul Ryan
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@SpeakerRyan
John McCain was a giant of our time—not just for the things he achieved, but for who he was and what he fought for all his life. He will always be listed among freedom’s most gallant and faithful servants.

9:01 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Paul Ryan
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@SpeakerRyan
Replying to @SpeakerRyan
Our hearts are with John’s wife, Cindy, his children, and his grandchildren. This Congress, this country mourn with them.

9:02 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Ryan also issued a longer statement:

This is a sad day for the United States. Our country has lost a decorated war hero and statesman. John McCain was a giant of our time—not just for the things he achieved, but for who he was and what he fought for all his life. John put principle before politics. He put country before self. He was one of the most courageous men of the century. He will always be listed among freedom’s most gallant and faithful servants. Our hearts are with his wife, Cindy, his children, and his grandchildren. This Congress, this country mourn with them.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
″I’ll remember John McCain as a source of great strength to our county ― his personal strength and the strength of his love of our country and his love of peace,” Pelosi said on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“Right now, I’m just heartbroken,” she continued. “I think America’s in tears about the loss of this great man. ... I’ll just remember him in a funny way. He always made me laugh.”


This Week
✔
@ThisWeekABC
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she will remember Sen. John McCain as "a source of great strength to our country."
"With all of his strength and pride, he had a sense of humility of understanding other people's point of view," Pelosi adds http://abcn.ws/2oas9Hh #ThisWeek

9:22 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions
View image on Twitter
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ABC News
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@ABC
NEW: Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Senator #JohnMcCain: “For John McCain, his country was his life. He was tireless in its service.” https://abcn.ws/2wqwlX6

10:56 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former Vice President Al Gore
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Al Gore
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@algore
My statement on the passing of Senator John McCain.

8:35 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R)
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Doug Ducey
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@dougducey
A giant. An icon. An American hero. God bless @SenJohnMcCain. He will never be forgotten.

My full statement on the life of an incredible man we were blessed to call a fellow Arizonan:

8:20 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former President Jimmy Carter
View image on Twitter
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The Carter Center
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@CarterCenter
STATEMENT BY FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER ON THE PASSING OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

9:35 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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U.S. Naval Air Forces
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flynavy
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@flynavy
A man who served his country up until his last days...a true patriot and American hero. RIP, John Sidney McCain III. #selflessness #service #hero #FlyNavy

8:31 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former Vice President Joe Biden
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CNBC Now
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@CNBCnow
Replying to @CNBCnow
JUST IN: Former Vice President Biden statement on the death of Senator John McCain. https://cnbc.com/id/104598898

8:52 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

Bernie Sanders
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@SenSanders
John McCain was an American hero, a man of decency and honor and a friend of mine. He will be missed not just in the U.S. Senate but by all Americans who respect integrity and independence. Jane and I send our deepest condolences to his family.

8:49 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Meghan McCain
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Meghan McCain
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@MeghanMcCain
I love you forever - my beloved father @SenJohnMcCain

8:41 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Cindy McCain

Cindy McCain
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@cindymccain
My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the the place he loved best.

8:47 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton
✔
@HillaryClinton
.@SenJohnMcCain lived a life of service to his country, from his heroism in the Navy to 35 years in Congress. He was a tough politician, a trusted colleague, and there will simply never be another like him. My thoughts and prayers are with Cindy and his entire family.

10:11 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Clinton, who as a senator from New York served with McCain, remembered him during an appearance Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press:”

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“We could all talk for hours about what he meant for the country, what he meant to the Senate,” she said. “He will be missed for many, many reasons, [incuding]that example he set of working across the aisle.”

She also said his efforts at “working to bring people together, here at home and around the world, is one that should be remembered.”



Meet the Press
✔
@MeetThePress
EXCLUSIVE: Hillary Clinton remembers Sen. John McCain on #MTP@HillaryClinton: McCain leaves behind “a legacy of service and courage"

9:15 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
Flake penned a tribute to his fellow Arizona lawmaker published Saturday in The Washington Post.

“We may never see his like again, but it is his reflection of America that we need now more than ever,” Flake wrote. “He was far too self-deprecating to ever have thought of himself as just such a towering figure, so I will go ahead and say it. He showed us who we are and who we can be when we are at our best. And he devoted his life to service and to the exalted idea of America that was bigger and better than him. Bigger than us all.”

Flake also praised McCain’s legacy in comments Sunday on “This Week.”

“His people talk about he had a temper ― it was passionate, that’s certainly the case,” he said. “But he would quickly forgive and move on and... see the good in his opponents; that is something that particularly these days we could use a lot more of. That’s a lesson that he taught everyone.”


This Week
✔
@ThisWeekABC
Sen. Jeff Flake says we can honor John McCain's legacy by "seeing the good in our opponents, by being quick to forgive, by realizing that there's something more important than ourselves, to put service over and above our self interest" http://abcn.ws/2oas9Hh #ThisWeek

9:16 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau
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@JustinTrudeau
Senator John McCain was an American patriot and hero whose sacrifices for his country, and lifetime of public service, were an inspiration to millions. Canadians join Americans tonight in celebrating his life and mourning his passing.

9:12 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison
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@ScottMorrisonMP
Senator John McCain was a true friend of Australia who was committed to strengthening the alliance between our two nations. He was a man of great courage and conviction. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Cindy, and all the McCain family during this time.

8:54 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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French President Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron
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@EmmanuelMacron
John McCain was a true American hero. He devoted his entire life to his country. His voice will be missed. Our respectful thoughts go to his beloved ones.

6:23 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)

Jason Chaffetz
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@jasoninthehouse
Few people ever make the kind of impact on a country as Sen John McCain has made on this one. A military and political warrior, John McCain never shirked from a battle. His loss will be felt by all of us. God bless.

8:25 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
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Eric Holder
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@EricHolder
Hero.

8:24 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.)

Ben Sasse
✔
@BenSasse
Our nation aches for truth-tellers. This man will be greatly missed.

NBC News
✔
@NBCNews
BREAKING: John McCain, American statesman and POW survivor, has died at age 81. http://NBCNews.com

View image on Twitter
8:25 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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John Weaver, McCain’s former chief strategist

John Weaver
@JWGOP
The old lion roars in Heaven.

8:20 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.)

Rep. Pete King
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@RepPeteKing
John McCain. American hero. True patriot. Man of total integrity. RIP

8:26 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.)
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter

Rep. Bradley Byrne
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@RepByrne
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the “Hanoi Hilton” with Senator McCain. It was a remarkable experience that I will never forget. May his service to our country never be forgotten. His family, friends, and colleagues will be in our prayers.

8:27 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Former President George H. W. Bush
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Zeke Miller
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@ZekeJMiller
statement by former President George H. W. Bush on the death of Senator John McCain of Arizona.

11:08 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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Ret. Gen. David Petraeus
“No one had the backs of America’s new greatest generation — those who fought the wars of the post 9/11 period — more than he did, no one did more to assure that they had what was needed to prevail,” Petraeus said of McCain on Sunday on “This Week.”

This Week
✔
@ThisWeekABC
Ret. Gen. David Petraeus on Sen. John McCain: "No one had the backs of America's new greatest generation — those who fought the wars of the post 9/11 period — more than he did, no one did more to assure that they had what was needed to prevail" http://abcn.ws/2oas9Hh #ThisWeek

9:36 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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This story has been updated with additional comments.

RELATED COVERAGE
Trump Reacts To John McCain’s Death
Barack Obama Reacts To John McCain’s Death: He Was Faithful To ‘Something Higher’

AUGUST 27, 2018


NEWS AND VIEWS


THIS IS A NATIONAL SHAME. WHERE THERE IS SIMPLE, HONEST GOODNESS, STAMP IT OUT!



https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-flag-longer-half-staff-john-mccains/story?id=57422250
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-flag-longer-half-staff-john-mccains/story?id=57422250
By NATALY PAK Aug 27, 2018, 12:15 PM ET

VIDEO -- WATCH Trump has muted response to John McCain's death

The White House flag is no longer flying at half-staff in honor of the late Sen. John McCain, while President Donald Trump appeared to ignore questions about the Arizona senator in the Oval Office Monday morning.

When ABC News chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl asked the president for "any thoughts on the legacy of John McCain," Trump heard the question but ignored him several times during a Mexico trade announcement in front of reporters, according to Karl.

White House officials had returned the U.S. flag full-staff around midnight, ABC News senior White House correspondent Cecilia Vega told “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos Monday.

The White House flag could then be seen for some time flying at full-staff while the banners surrounding the Washington Monument were at half-staff until eventually raised as well.

PHOTO: Camera shot facing south over the White House - you can see the flag at the WH at full staff while the flags surrounding the Washington Monument are lowered as of 5:13 am on Aug, 27, 2018.karentravers/Twitter
Camera shot facing south over the White House - you can see the flag at the WH at full staff while the flags surrounding the Washington Monument are lowered as of 5:13 am on Aug, 27, 2018.more +

The White House flag-lowering that lasted less than 48 hours breaks from precedent that it is lowered until burial.

The federal code states that the flag shall be lowered on the day of death and the following day for a sitting member of Congress. Flying it at half-staff for an extended period of time is at the discretion of the president.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump waits for the arrival of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to the West Wing of the White House in Washington, July 30, 2018.Susan Walsh/AP, FILE

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, Trump rejected his aides’ recommendation to issue a statement praising the late Arizona senator, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

(MORE: John McCain’s complicated relationship with President Trump)
But Trump did release a tweet of condolences.


Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!

8:44 PM - Aug 25, 2018
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The McCain family had reportedly asked the president not to attend McCain’s funeral even before he died this weekend at age 81.

Two former presidents -- Barack Obama and George W. Bush -- will deliver eulogies Saturday. Vice President Mike Pence has also been invited to the funeral.


https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-george-bush-honored-eulogize-john-mccain/story?id=57413281
Former President George W. Bush 'honored' to eulogize John McCain
By DEENA ZARU Aug 26, 2018, 1:57 PM ET

VIDEO -- WATCH Celebrating the life and legacy of Sen. John McCain

Former President George W. Bush has accepted an invitation to deliver a eulogy at the funeral of Sen. John McCain at the National Cathedral and is "honored to have been asked to speak," Bush spokesman Freddy Ford confirmed to ABC News on Sunday. Former first lady Laura Bush will also be in attendance.

McCain, a Vietnam War hero with more than 35 years of public service who became one of the most distinctive figures in modern American politics, died Saturday at his home in Arizona at the age of 81 after a long battle with cancer.

The New York Times reported on Saturday night that McCain requested that both Bush and former President Barack Obama — each of whom has run against the Arizona senator in presidential campaigns — be invited to deliver eulogies at the senator's funeral. The Times also reported Saturday that while Vice President Mike Pence was invited to attend the funeral, President Donald Trump, who has had a tumultuous relationship with McCain, was not invited.


ABC News
✔
@ABC
Remembering Senator John McCain.

1936-2018https://abcn.ws/2PBx7cu

9:16 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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ABC News has reached out to the White House and Obama's representatives, but a request for comment was not immediately returned.

McCain has a long history of reaching out to lawmakers across the political aisle to pass major legislation in the Senate and of overcoming political differences. The Arizona senator lost to fellow Republican George W. Bush in the 2000 GOP primary for president.

Bush paid tribute to McCain on Saturday, writing, "Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order."

View image on Twitter
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ABC News Politics
✔
@ABCPolitics
Former Pres. George W. Bush: "Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order." http://abcn.ws/2P8LqUH

12:48 PM - Aug 26, 2018
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PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate John Mccain and democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama greet each other at the start of the final presidential debate in Hempstead, New York, Oct. 15, 2008.Justin Lane/EPA via Shutterstock

Republican presidential candidate John Mccain and democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama greet each other at the start of the final presidential debate in Hempstead, New York, Oct. 15, 2008.more +

Obama, who defeated McCain in the 2008 presidential election, offered his condolences to the McCain family and shared a heartfelt tribute to the Arizona senator in a statement on Saturday.

“John McCain and I were members of different generations, came from completely different backgrounds, and competed at the highest level of politics,” he wrote. “But we shared, for all our differences, a fidelity to something higher — the ideals for which generations of Americans and immigrants alike have fought, marched, and sacrificed.

View image on Twitter
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ABC News Politics
✔
@ABCPolitics
Former Pres. Barack Obama shares a tribute to Sen. John McCain http://abcn.ws/2P8LqUH

12:35 PM - Aug 26, 2018
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(MORE: John McCain’s greatest lesson was 'to forgive' and 'see the good' in opponents: Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake)

PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate John McCain shakes hands with President George W. Bush after receiving his endorsement in the Rose Garden of the White House,March 5, 2008.Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Republican presidential candidate John McCain shakes hands with President George W. Bush after receiving his endorsement in the Rose Garden of the White House, March 5, 2008.

McCain's fellow Arizona senator, Republican Jeff Flake, said on "This Week" Sunday that McCain's greatest lesson is “to forgive” and “to see the good in his opponents."

SLIDESHOW: Photos: From POW to senator, the rise of John McCain
VIDEO – FLAKE SPEAKING HIS CONDOLENCES AND PRAISE OF MCCAIN

Flake added that we can honor McCain's legacy by "seeing the good in our opponents, by being quick to forgive, by realizing that there's something more important than ourselves, to put service over and above our self interest."


ABC News Politics
✔
@ABCPolitics
Sen. Jeff Flake says we can honor John McCain's legacy by "seeing the good in our opponents, by being quick to forgive, by realizing that there's something more important than ourselves, to put service over and above our self interest" http://abcn.ws/2oas9Hh #ThisWeek

9:16 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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THIS STORY BRINGS A GREAT MANY THOUGHTS TO MY MIND, SOME ABOUT ALL OF OUR NATION’S SHOOTINGS, AND SOME ABOUT THE TRUMP FAMILY. FIRST, THOUGH, I WANT TO SAY THAT IVANKA TRUMP IS NOT HER FATHER. SHE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING HERE EXCEPT EXPRESS SYMPATHY. I SOMEHOW JUST DON’T SEE HER AS BEING ONE OF THE FRIGID AND THOUGHTLESS PRIVILEGED PEOPLE WHO ARE ESSENTIALLY PREDATORY AGAINST US COMMONERS. SHE DID A GOOD THING, AND GOT PUNISHED FOR IT. I AM SORRY FOR THAT.

THERE IS A TENDENCY AMONG TWEETERS TO ACT LIKE SHARKS. THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT ALMOST ALWAYS THERE WILL BE NOBODY WHO WILL GO TO THE TROUBLE OF TRYING TO TRACK THEM DOWN AND SUE THEM. I AM ALSO AGAINST OUR DODGE CITY MENTALITY AT PARTS OF THE USA, BUT I LIMIT MYSELF TO TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR GUN CONTROL AND FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH MONITORING IN OUR COUNTRY, WHICH IS ALSO VERY UNPOPULAR AMONG THE “CONSERVATIVES.” AFTER ALL, WE ARE SUCH A GREAT COUNTRY. THE MORE ALL OF OUR CITIZENS ARE UNRESTRAINED, THE BETTER COUNTRY WE WILL BE, THEY SEEM TO THINK. TO ME, THAT SIMPLY MEANS NO LAWS, AND THAT MEANS A DANGEROUS PLACE TO LIVE.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ivanka-trump-faces-social-media-blowback-for-tweet-on-jacksonville-shooting/
By EMILY TILLETT CBS NEWS August 27, 2018, 9:04 AM
Ivanka Trump faces social media blowback for tweet on Jacksonville shooting

PHOTOGRAPH -- Ivanka Trump seen August 2, 2017. GETTY

President Trump's eldest daughter and White House adviser Ivanka Trump received a rash of criticism from social media users after she posted a message of sympathy to those impacted by a mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday.

Following reports that a shooting at a video game tournament left 2 dead and 11 others injured, Ivanka Trump tweeted, "As we await further details, our hearts are with Jacksonville and all those affected by today's tragic mass shooting." Some social media users responded by calling out the Trump daughter for standing by her father's policies against gun control and support of the National Rifle Association after yet another mass shooting in the United States.


Ivanka Trump
✔
@IvankaTrump
As we await further details, our hearts are with Jacksonville and all those affected by today’s tragic mass shooting. ♥️

4:13 PM - Aug 26, 2018
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6,862 people are talking about this
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"Your father is in bed with @NRA, he has removed barriers to mentally ill people getting weapons, and unless the perpetrator is a person of color, he will not give a damn. We have all the details we need," responded one Twitter user.

"After #Parkland you & your father had an opportunity to affect real change in gun reform. Instead you chose the NRA. Your time in the White House is coming to an end. You'll leave knowing when you had a chance to save children's lives, you took the easy way out & stayed silent," added another.

Similar messages played out over the course of the evening as her tweet garnered over 3,500 replies.

In the wake of last February's deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the Trump administration initially appeared open to conversations on common sense gun reforms. In several "listening sessions" after the shooting, Mr. Trump seemed to show support for proposals including strengthening background checks, restricting access to weapons for the mentally ill and raising the age for purchasing some firearms to 21. The president also suggested a much different approach: allowing "trained" teachers to carry concealed weapons on school property.

Just days later, the NRA said that during private meetings with Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, the president expressed that he does not "want gun control."

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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"I WILL NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED EVER AGAIN.” THIS IS A POINT THAT WE MUST ALL COME TO IN LIFE, AND THE SOONER THE BETTER. YOUTH IS A TIME THAT IS USUALLY FREE FROM CONSTANT ANXIETY, THOUGH TOO MANY KIDS DO HAVE TRAUMAS IN THEIR LIVES THAT DEFLATE THEIR HOPEFULNESS, JOY AND SELF-ESTEEM. IT IS THE TASK OF PARENTS TO TEACH THEIR KIDS TO BE CAUTIOUS. OF COURSE, MOST OF US WOULDN’T THINK THAT A VIDEO GAMING CONTEST WOULD END IN BLOODSHED.

THE FIRST NEWS REPORTS SAID THAT THE SHOOTER WAS OVERLY DISAPPOINTED AT LOSING AT THE GAME; BUT THE WITNESS BRAHEEM JOHNSON FROM THE PIZZA PARLOR DESCRIBED SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. HE SAID “DUDE CAME IN THERE, BASICALLY LIKE, TO KILL, BASICALLY. HE WAS JUST IN HIS RAMPAGE MODE." THE HIGH-QUALITY HAND GUN THAT HE CARRIED IMPARTS THE SAME MESSAGE. A “LASER SIGHT.” WHO NEED SPECIALIZATIONS LIKE THAT FOR SPORT SHOOTING?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/08/27/jacksonville-shooting-gunman-gamer-motive-security/1108460002/?csp=chromepush
Jacksonville shooting: Gunman's motive probed; gamers call for more security at events
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY
Published 9:00 a.m. ET Aug. 27, 2018 | Updated 10:41 a.m. ET Aug. 27, 2018

VIDEO -- Witnesses describe gunshots and panic at a Jacksonville, Florida video game tournament. Officials say a gunman killed two people and himself. The Jacksonville sheriff says authorities believe the gunman was 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore. (Aug. 27) AP

Authorities continued to probe Monday why a player at a video-game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, gunned down two people and wounded 11 others Sunday, an incident that has prompted calls for more security at gaming events.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said the lone shooter, who is believed to be David Katz, 24, of Baltimore, was among the dead and had killed himself. No motive has been revealed yet. Some media reports said Katz was upset about losing an intense game.

FBI agents, some in bulletproof vests with long guns, searched a family home of the man authorities believe is behind the attack in Baltimore, according to FBI spokesman Dave Fitz. The agents could be seen entering an upscale townhome complex near the city's Inner Harbor.

The violence broke out during a Madden NFL 19 video game tournament that was held in a gaming bar that shared space with the Chicago Pizza and Sports Grille in an entertainment complex along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville.

The incident stunned gamers and sparked questions about security at gaming events. They are typically livestreamed from local bars or other gathering spots; the largest are held in sports arenas. Another tournament, the Evolution Championship Series in Las Vegas, drew about 15,000 people in March.

“It’s very clear that we need to be more proactive for 2019 and beyond,” tweeted Joey Cuellar, the tournament director. “The amount of undercover law enforcement at Evo was unprecedented, and we will be installing metal detectors for ALL days next year.”

Esports have become big business, which Goldman Sachs report valued at $500 million in 2016. Epic Games announced in May it will provide $100 million to fund prize pools for “Fortnite” tournaments during the first year of competition.

At Sunday’s Madden competition, the tournament was streamed live on Twitch.tv, an online network that attracts tens of millions of visitors, most of whom watch footage of other people playing video games.

“In the world of competitive video games, mental health issues loom so large and come up so often that the problem somehow becomes invisible,” wrote Tyler Erzberger, who covers esports for ESPN. “In a world where one day you can go from playing in your bedroom to the next being criticized by millions under spotlights, mental health can’t be overlooked.”

A live feed from the tournament at GLHF Game Bar showed the horror: The feed was interrupted by the sound of several gunshots, followed by people stampeding out. The shooter had a large-caliber handgun with a laser-sight attachment, according to Braheem Johnson of Jacksonville, who was working at the pizzeria, which adjoins the game bar.

"I just heard shots and I looked at the window and I see him," Johnson said. "Dude came in there, basically like, to kill, basically. He was just in his rampage mode."

Marquis Williams and his girlfriend, Taylor Poindexter, were visiting the tournament from Chicago and about to order a pizza. The gunfire caught them off guard.

"The first shot, everybody just turned around and looked," Williams said. "The second, third, fourth shots, everyone just took off and ran for the exits."

Poindexter said they caught sight of the shooter.

"We saw him, had two hands on the gun, walking back, just popping rounds," she said.

While authorities had not released the names of the two shooting victims, multiple media outlets, including Florida Today of the USA TODAY Network, reported they were Taylor Robertson, 27, of Ballard, West Virginia, and Eli Clayton, 22, of Woodland Hills, California.

Sheriff Mike Williams said nine of the injured were taken to hospitals, seven with gunshot wounds. Two others sought hospital care on their own.

University of Florida Health Jacksonville, a level-one trauma center that treated six of the wounded, said Monday that four had been released and two were still there, one in good condition and the other in serious condition.

At Memorial Hospital, officials said three of the four shooting victims admitted Sunday remain in the hospital’s care and are in good condition. A fourth was treated and discharged.

“Our prayers go out to those who lost family or friends during today’s shooting at Jacksonville Landing,” read a post on the hospital’s Facebook page.

Nearby at Baptist Health, spokeswoman Cyndi Hamilton said one patient admitted yesterday for injuries sustained while fleeing the scene was treated and released.

More: FBI, ATF search Baltimore home in connection with Jacksonville shooting at Madden tournament

More: Here are the victims of the Jacksonville shooting at Madden tournament

More: 3 dead after shooting rampage at Madden tourney at Jacksonville Landing

Complexity Gaming, a professional gaming team that had a player participating in the event at the GLHF Game Bar, said Twitter participant Drini Gjoka was grazed in the hand but was "away from the scene and safe."

Gjoka tweeted that he was hit in the thumb when the tournament "got shot up."

"Worst day of my life," Gjoka said. "I will never take anything for granted ever again. Life can be cut short in a second."

27 PHOTOGRAPHS - Multiple fatalities at Madden tournament shooting in Jacksonville

A Jacksonville Sheriff officer walks past the GLHF Game Bar where 3 people including the gunman were killed at the Jacksonville Landing on Aug. 27, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. The shooting occurred at the GLHF Game Bar during a Madden 19 video game tournament where three people were killed, including the gunman, and 11 others wounded. Two people were killed and 11 others wounded on August 26 when a video game tournament competitor went on a shooting rampage before turning the gun on himself, local police said. Sheriff Mike Williams named the suspect of the shooting as 24-year-old David Katz from Baltimore, Md. Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Contributing: John Torres of Florida Today and The Associated Press



THE PARENTS’ HOME IN MARYLAND IS BEING SEARCHED, AND NEIGHBORS CANVASSED. ONE OR TWO NEIGHBORS DID GIVE INFORMATION TO THE INVESTIGATORS; AND THERE IS A GOOD DEAL OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE FAMILY HERE. THE PARENTS WERE AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT TO DO WITH HIM. SO OFTEN, THIS IS THE SITUATION. PARENTS KNOW THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, BUT DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. THE MOTHER HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A PLACE IN A HOSPITAL FOR HIM, BUT HADN’T FOUND ONE. IN THE 1980S HOSPITALS BEGAN CLOSING TO LONG TERM PATIENTS, WITH THE RESULT THAT THERE AREN’T ENOUGH RESIDENT BEDS WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED. THIS IS A REALLY SAD SITUATION.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/08/27/jacksonville-shooting-fbi-atf-searches-baltimore-home/1108711002/
FBI, ATF search Baltimore home in connection with Jacksonville shooting at Madden tournament
USA TODAY NETWORK N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY
Published 9:26 a.m. ET Aug. 27, 2018 | Updated 11:40 a.m. ET Aug. 27, 2018

VIDEO -- David Katz: What we know about Jacksonville shooting suspect

BALTIMORE – ATF and FBI agents searched a Baltimore home Sunday night in connection with the fatal shooting rampage at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida.

The suspect, David Katz, 24, of Baltimore, killed two and wounded 11 before taking his own life, according to Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams.

The Baltimore home on the 1200 block of Harbor Island Walk was searched through the evening Sunday. Law enforcement arrived at the quiet row of nearly identical brick townhouses around 6 p.m. and searched the property for just over four hours, according to Baltimore ATF Public Information Officer Amanda Hils. The street is steps away from the Pataspco River near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, a major tourist hub.

Hils did not say why the home was being searched or comment on what was found inside. Property records show that the Harbor Island Walk home is owned by a man named Richard Katz. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz confirmed that agents had gone to the house of the suspect’s father in Baltimore. He declined to release specifics, citing the ongoing investigation.

More: Jacksonville shooting: Gunman's motive probed; gamers call for more security at events

More: Here are the victims of the Jacksonville shooting at Madden tournament

Photos: Jacksonville shooting in Madden tournament

This photo shows a police car behind police tape blocking a street leading to the Jacksonville Landing area in downtown Jacksonville, Florida, August 26, 2018, where two people were killed and 11 others wounded. - Two people were killed and 11 others wounded on August 26 when a video game tournament competitor went on a shooting rampage before turning the gun on himself in the northern Florida city of Jacksonville, local police said. Sheriff Mike Williams named the suspect of the shooting at a Madden 19 American football eSports tournament as 24-year-old David Katz from Baltimore, Maryland. GIANRIGO MARLETTA, AFP/Getty Images

50 PHOTOGRAPHS OF JACKSONVILLE AND THE LANDING

Who is David Katz, suspect in Jacksonville shooting?
usatoday.com2 hours ago



THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR MENTIONS BY GAMERS IN THIS ARTICLE ON SOME UNHEALTHY INCIDENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE NOW, IN REGARD TO COMPETITIVE OR NONSTOP GAMING. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT A YOUNG PERSON WHO SPENDS HOURS GAMING ON A COMPUTER IS LACKING SOMETHING – HAPPINESS, ENTHUSIASM, INTEREST IN THE WORLD? THEY WOULD DO SO MUCH BETTER TO READ A BOOK OR GO PLAY FRISBEE IN THE PARK WITH THEIR DOG. BETTER STILL GET A JOB. THIS YOUNG MAN WAS 24 YEARS OLD. I PERSONALLY KNOW ONE SUCH YOUNG MAN, AND HE DOESN’T SEEM TOTALLY HEALTHY TO ME. ALSO, HE TRIED JOINING THE MILITARY AND WAS EJECTED WITHOUT FINISHING BASIC TRAINING – DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT THEY DO GIVE PSYCHIATRIC TESTING TO THE RECRUITS.

ONE THING I HAVEN’T SEEN MENTIONED TODAY OR YESTERDAY IS THE SIMILARITY OF THE ACTUAL ACTIVITY BETWEEN THESE GAMERS AND THE ADDICTED GAMBLERS WHO SPEND HOURS NONSTOP AT THEIR SLOT MACHINES, CRAPS TABLE OR ROULETTE WHEEL. THEY PLAY UNTIL THEY LOSE ALL THEIR MONEY. IT’S THE ALMOST HYPNOTIC REPETITIVE MOTION AND DRIVE TO WIN. IF I WERE PSYCHOANALYZING THAT, I WOULD SAY IT IS A WAY TO BLOCK UNWANTED THOUGHTS OF A SAD OR OTHERWISE TROUBLING NATURE BY KEEPING A CONSTANT FOCUS ON THE SCREEN.

NOTICE THIS QUOTATION FROM A GAMER: “SOME TOP PLAYERS AND INDUSTRY WATCHERS SAID SUNDAY THAT SECURITY HASN'T CAUGHT UP WITH THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SPORT.” NO SPORT SHOULD BE THIS SERIOUS.

NOW, READ PARAGRAPH 4 IN THIS ARTICLE. IT MENTIONS A DISTURBING COMMENT LEFT ON THE WEBSITE OF EVOLUTION CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. IT CRYPTICALLY SAID "MASS SHOOTING @EVO18 SEE YOU THERE." THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT MORE SECURITY GUARDS, BUT WHAT ABOUT SOME INTERNET LEVEL SECURITY TO CATCH SUCH THINGS WHEN THEY HAPPEN. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR COMPUTER GEEKS TO TRACE SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON THE NET TO THE SERVER WHICH ISSUED IT; THEN SEND FBI AGENTS POLITELY KNOCKING ON THE DOOR TO INVESTIGATE, BUT THEY SHOULD GO WELL-ARMED. IF THERE IS A PARENT THERE, PERHAPS THEY COULD BE CONVINCED TO HELP, OR COMPELLED IF NECESSARY. IF THE GAMER IS THERE AND PUTS UP A FIGHT, THEY WILL BE PREPARED FOR IT.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-florida-video-game-shooting-security-20180827-story.html
Shooting at Florida video game tournament raises calls for more security
Tamara Lush and Russ Bynum
Associated Press
APRIL 27, 2018

PHOTOGRAPH -- Law enforcement responds to a shooting at Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Fla., on Aug. 26, 2018. Florida authorities are reporting multiple fatalities after a mass shooting at the riverfront mall in Jacksonville that was hosting a video game tournament.


A champion gamer's decision to open fire Sunday afternoon during a video competition — killing two people and wounding nine others before killing himself — has prompted calls from gamers for more security at esports tournaments.

"It's very clear that we need to be more proactive for 2019 and beyond," tweeted Joey Cuellar, the tournament director for the Evolution Championship Series, an esports event that focuses on fighting games.

The tournament is held in Las Vegas and draws some 15,000 people. In March, organizers called the FBI when someone wrote online: "mass shooting @EVO18 see you there."

That event went off without a hitch, but Cuellar also wrote on Sunday: "The amount of undercover law enforcement at Evo was unprecedented, and we will be installing metal detectors for ALL days next year."

Esports are big business. A Goldman Sachs report in 2017 valued eSports at $500 million in 2016 and anticipated market growth. Entire companies have sprung up to form e-sports teams, and the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team sponsors an esports team (One of their players was injured in Sunday's shooting). And it's no wonder that everyone wants in on the action — careers can be made and millionaires are minted. Epic Games announced in May it will provide $100 million to fund prize pools for "Fortnite" tournaments during the first year of competition.

At Sunday's Madden competition, the tournament was streamed live on Twitch.tv, an online network that attracts tens of millions of visitors, most of whom watch footage of other people playing video games.

This weekend's "Madden 19 NFL Classic" was the first of four planned events.

According to the EA sports website - the game's developer — the top two finishers at the Jacksonville event would earn a spot in Madden Classic main event in Las Vegas that's scheduled for October.

There in Las Vegas, competitors will play for a share of the tournament's $165K prize pool, with the winner taking home $25,000.

It's unclear what kind of security was at the event, which was held at a game bar inside a waterfront mall.

Derek Jones of Santa Fe, New Mexico, came to Jacksonville to compete in the Madden tournament and was sitting in a fenced-in patio outside the venue when he heard the gunshots Sunday. Jones, 26, said he jumped the fence and ran.

Jones said he didn't notice any security —either private security guards or off-duty police officers— at the venue. He said it's a complaint he's had with tournament organizers in the past.

"I've been telling them this for a while that you need to make the players feel safe," Jones said.

He recalled a past Madden opponent who once kept screaming during their match that he was going to beat Jones up after the game. But Jones said that's the only time before Sunday he ever felt physically threatened.

Electronic Arts, the Madden game developer, released a statement calling the shooting horrific and senseless. "Our focus right now is on those affected, and supporting law enforcement as they continue their investigation into this crime."

Some top players and industry watchers said Sunday that security hasn't caught up with the seriousness of the sport.

"Heartbreaking to hear about the shooting at the Madden event," wrote Cristian Tamas, the director of esports programs for Twitch, the platform that broadcasts gamers' live streams. "Unfortunately, this was a matter of when not if. Esport event security, in general, has been extremely poor over the years, we should've stepped it up long ago."

In December, the Call of Duty World League tournament held in Dallas was evacuated — twice — due to bomb threats.

Seth Abner, an XGames Gold Medalist and Call of Duty World Champion, wrote on Twitter in the wake of Sunday's shooting: "I've been saying events NEED better security. Such a damn shame that now event coordinators will respond after a tragedy happens."

Some gamers say the pressure of competition, the desire to please fans and the intense gaming can lead to anxiety and mental health issues, or worse.

"In the world of competitive video games, mental health issues loom so large and come up so often that the problem somehow becomes invisible," wrote Tyler Erzberger, who covers esports for ESPN. "In a world where one day you can go from playing in your bedroom to the next being criticized by millions under spotlights, mental health can't be overlooked."

His article on mental health and gamers ran online Friday. On Sunday, he tweeted that "99% of the Esports events i've been to have had decent to very good security."



AFTER YEARS OF KNOWN PSYCHIATRIC ISSUES, KATZ WAS ALLOWED TO BUY HIS TWO HANDGUNS FROM A LICENSED DEALER. HOW OFTEN DOES THIS SAME TYPE OF THING HAPPEN, I WONDER? WE DON’T FIND OUT ABOUT IT EXCEPT WHEN THERE IS ONE OF THESE SHOOTINGS, I’LL BET. GUN SHOP OWNER SAYS, “LOOKING UP HIS ID IS TOO MUCH TROUBLE” OR “I KNOW HIS FATHER. THEY’RE OKAY.” THE TRUTH IS THAT I KNOW ZILCH ABOUT THE PRIVATE LIFE OF MOST OF MY ACQUAINTANCES. KNOWING A FAMILY MEMBER PROVES VERY LITTLE, AND AS FOR CASUAL FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE THEY DON’T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE LIKE. IF THEY DO, THEY’LL JUST SHRUG THEIR SHOULDERS AND WALK ON.

IF A FAMILY MEMBER DID SEEM TO BE “OUT OF TOUCH,” “DETACHED,” OR JUST DEPRESSED, I PERSONALLY WOULD TRY TO FIND OUT ABOUT THEM, AND ACCORDING TO THE SITUATION, POSSIBLY EVEN REPORT IT TO THE POLICE. SOMETIMES A NOSY NEIGHBOR CAN BE HELPFUL TO A FAMILY IN TROUBLE, OR EVEN SAVE LIFE. WHEN PEOPLE DON’T SPEAK UP, NOBODY KNOWS UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE THAT THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM. BOTH PARENTS IN THIS CASE WERE HIGHLY PLACED IN THEIR PROFESSIONS, SO THIS WAS NO POVERTY-RELATED SITUATION; BUT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THEIR POSITIONS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HIDING THE SITUATION TO MAINTAIN THEIR SOCIAL STATUS. I HOPE NOT.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-jacksonville-david-katz-08272018-story.html
In Howard County, parents of Jacksonville shooting suspect had been desperate to find psychiatric care for son
Tim Prudente, Talia Richman and Talia RichmanContact Reporters
The Baltimore Sun
AUGUST 27, 2018

PHOTOGRAPH -- Peggy Marx, a former neighbor of the Katz family, recalls the family as being anti-social when they lived near her home nearly a decade earlier. David Katz, 24, is the suspected gunman in Sunday's mass shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, FL. (Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun video)

Years before a 24-year-old Columbia man allegedly unleashed a deadly barrage of gunfire at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., the parents of David Katz had been desperate to find some treatment for their son’s troubling behavior.

They had tried psychiatric care in Towson and Rockville, enrolled him in public and private schools, and even sent him to Utah for a therapeutic wilderness school for teens.

Court records show his behavior was still worrisome.

“David would go days without bathing, would play video games until 4 a.m. on school nights, would walk around the house in circles,” Howard County Circuit Judge Lenore Gelfman wrote in 2010. “[He] was failing all classes at Hammond High, was unresponsive to school teachers and uncooperative with school psychotherapists/counselors, and was extremely hostile toward his mother.”

Katz once punched a hole through his mother’s bedroom door to retrieve the video game controllers she had taken from him, his mother, Elizabeth Katz, told the court.

The young man’s mental health and treatment were among the issues at the center of a contentious decade-long divorce case between his parents. Hundreds of pages of court records reveal his troubling behavior and his parents’ search for a treatment in the years preceding Sunday’s deadly attack.

Jacksonville shooter investigation leads to house in Baltimore

A Baltimore man has been identified as the gunman who opened fire at a Jacksonville, Fla., Madden video game competition Sunday.

David Katz, 24, had been participating in a tournament for the Madden football game franchise, and was among those pronounced dead at the scene. Federal authorities were at a home near in Baltimore's Inner Harbor on Sunday night as part of an investigation.

(Kenneth K. Lam)
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Katz shot and killed two people and injured 10 others before taking his own life during the “Madden” football video-game tournament in Jacksonville. Elijah Clayton, a 22-year-old football star from California, and Taylor Robertson, a 28-year-old from West Virginia, were killed.

On Monday, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said investigators have not yet determined a motive. He said Katz recently purchased the two handguns he used in the shooting legally from a licensed dealer in the Baltimore area.

Charles Spencer, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville office, said the agency continues to investigate Katz’s actions before the shooting — where he was, where he stayed and with whom he had contact. Agents are also looking into Katz’s history.

David Katz was raised in Columbia as the youngest son of Richard and Elizabeth Katz. At the time of their divorce in 2005, Richard Katz was a prominent engineer who designed electronics for NASA spacecraft. Dr. Elizabeth Katz worked as a toxicologist for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Rockville. The couple had two boys, Brandon and David. The family lived in the tree-lined suburbs of Howard County. Neither parent could be reached for comment Monday.

Neighbor Peggy Marx, 52, remembers the family keeping to themselves. She would invite them to neighborhood barbecues and events, but they’d never come. Some neighbors, Marx said, would comment on how they saw police cars outside the family home. The family moved away years ago.

“Them being antisocial,” Marx said, “that’s the only thing that makes them memorable.”

What we know about David Katz, the alleged Jacksonville shooting gunman from Maryland

Another neighbor remembers them differently. Renee Williamson said the family was quiet, but did try to reach out. When Williamson gave birth years ago, the Katz family brought her a gift. Still, she didn’t know the family well. They once invited her to their son’s karate tournament. They haven’t spoken since the family moved and the parents divorced.

In a 2010 ruling on child support, a Howard County judge noted David Katz exhibited “extraordinary and significant medical and behavioral issues.”

By 12 years old, he was taking Risperdal, an anti-psychotic drug to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, his father said in court records. He often missed school and resisted treatment, sometimes curling into a ball. His father said the boy would appear to be “looking right through you.”

In April 2006, he locked himself in his mother’s Volkswagen Jetta to avoid an appointment with a therapist, according to court records.

A raft of psychologists and counselors offered various opinions on his behavior over the years. In court records, one therapist described 12-year-old David Katz as suffering a “psychiatric crisis.” The therapist concluded in 2006 that the boy’s depression interfered with his ability to eat, sleep and rise from bed.

David Katz attended Glenelg Country School from grades 6 through 8. He was hospitalized at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Towson for psychiatric treatment in 2007, his parents said in court records.

Jacksonville sheriff says suspected gunman targeted other gamers

During his teenage years, the boy was in the custody of his mother. Court records show they had a fraught relationship. She called the police on him in February 2009, his father said in court records. The court record includes a transcript of the 911 call.

“He’s sitting here wrestling me with the cable cord to the TV. I’ve had enough with this child. He has been abusive for over two years,” his mother told the dispatcher.

Four months later, the son called police on his mother, according to a transcript of the call.

“Well I was trying to watch TV and she came in and tried to cut the cord because she thought I wasn’t being fair to my brother or something,” he told the dispatcher. “Then I just like stood in her way and then she just came in with like scissors and I took the scissors and then she came with a knife.”

On his 16th birthday, he wrote a Howard County judge asking to stay with his father.

He graduated from Hammond High School in 2011. He enrolled at the University of Maryland in September 2014 and majored in environmental science and technology, a university spokeswoman said. He did not live on campus. He was not enrolled this semester, President Wallace Loh said.

Natalie Gill, a former teaching assistant and graduate student at the university, said Katz struggled and kept to himself during her class in fall 2015. She said the picture of him online with a blank expression — not smiling — was how he often appeared.

“I knew the other students very well, but he did not open up the same way as the others did,” said Gill, 27. “I pulled him aside and asked if there was anything I could do to help, and he basically had no reaction.”

Gill says Katz had a hard time keeping up with assignments, but he thanked her at the end of the semester for “being a good T.A.”

“I thought, ‘maybe I did have a little relationship with him after all,’ she said.

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Buffalo Bills
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@buffalobills
Congrats to David Katz, the Madden 17 Bills Championship winner!

Thanks for following along, Bills fans. http://bufbills.co/kblxf9

8:01 PM - Feb 26, 2017
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880 people are talking about this
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Meanwhile, players in the online gaming community say Katz had competed under the nickname “RavensChamp” and “Bread.” He had won several tournaments and boasted of his skill in an interview posted to YouTube.

In one video online, a tournament announcer introduces Katz by noting his intense focus and standoffish attitude. “David Katz keeps to himself. He’s a man of business. … He’s not here to make friends.”

Chito Peppler says the Baltimore gaming community is shaken by the shooting, though it occurred hundreds of miles away. Peppler didn’t know Katz well — he, too, didn’t get the sense Katz was sociable — but he said the young man would occasionally attend a weekly game night at a sports bar near M&T Bank Stadium.


“There should never be a fear of someone taking our lives because of video games,” Peppler said.

The weekly players plan to come together for their regular gathering this week, which will include a Mario Party tournament. Some said it may be more somber than usual this time.

“I wasn’t super surprised that there was another shooting,” said Shalini Randall, of Baltimore. “I was surprised it was in the gaming community. There can be some aggression online, but when people come together for tournaments like this, it’s in the name of fun.”

Shooting at Florida video game tournament raises calls for more security

A decade before the shooting Sunday, a psychologist was asked in court if he believed David Katz could turn violent.

“There is the potential that David could lash out and become so angry that he would hit and hurt his mother,” Dr. Paul Berman told the court.

But could Katz harm anyone else, an attorney asked.

“No, I think Mom would be the target if David did lash out,” he said.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jessica Anderson contributed to this story.


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DISNEY WORLD RELENTS AND RAISES WORKER PAY TO THE MINIMUM OF $15.00 AN HOUR, “BY 2021,” THAT IS. BERNIE TWEETS “CONGRATS!” I JUST HOPE THAT DISNEY STARTS THE PAY RAISES RIGHT NOW, GRADUATING UPWARD TO $15 OVER TIME. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHERE I SAW IT, BUT ONE ARTICLE IN THIS LAST YEAR SAID THAT THEY ARE ONLY BEING PAID IN THE $7.00 RANGE IN MANY CASES. I THINK BERNIE SANDERS PLAN TO INITIATE A BILL TO GET DISNEY TO “TAX” DISNEY IN THE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL AND STATE MONEYS THAT DISNEY WORKERS HAD TO USE IN ORDER TO FEED AND HOUSE THEIR FAMILIES. I DON’T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD WORK – WHAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE IS A PENALTY, THOUGH, NOT A TAX, IT SEEMS TO ME. BUT IF IT BRINGS SOME EQUITY TO THE SITUATION AND IT MIGHT ACTUALLY PASS IN CONGRESS, I THINK IT’S FAIR, AND A VERY IMAGINATIVE IDEA.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/08/27/sanders-applauds-courageous-workers-standing-disney-world-and-winning-15-minimum
Published on Monday, August 27, 2018
byCommon Dreams
Sanders Applauds 'Courageous' Workers for Standing Up to Disney World and Winning $15 Minimum Wage
"I applaud everyone who stood up to demand that workers at one of the wealthiest corporations in the world should have a decent standard of living."
byJake Johnson, staff writer

PHOTOGRAPH -- "Congratulations to the courageous workers and their unions at Disney World for their historic victory," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote in a tweet on Monday. (Photo: Brian Feinzimer/OC Weekly)
TWEET -- https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1034136080793133056

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took to Twitter on Monday to congratulate Disney World workers and their unions for negotiating a "historic" contract that will boost the minimum wage at the Florida resort to $15 an hour by 2021, a pay raise that will benefit thousands of employees.

"Congratulations to the courageous workers and their unions at Disney World for their historic victory," wrote Sanders, who over the past several months has shamed Disney at rallies and town halls for paying starvation wages. "I applaud everyone who stood up to demand that workers at one of the wealthiest corporations in the world should have a decent standard of living."

The new contract—which union members are expected to approve in a final vote in September—was finally reached after nine months of grueling and often heated negotiations, during which workers accused Disney of holding $1,000 in bonuses "hostage" as a negotiating ploy.

"There's no doubt that this is going to change people's lives."
—Jessica Lella, Disney World employee

"Disney is a powerful company, they're a formidable foe," Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here Local 362—which represents Disney World employees—said in an interview with CNN. "To stand up to your boss that's that big and that powerful is really remarkable, and it's really inspiring."

The current minimum wage at Disney World is $10 an hour, and many employees report working at the resort for years without seeing a significant raise.

Jessica Lella, a 24-year-old ride operator at Disney World, told the New York Times that she has been working at the park for nearly six years and still makes just $10 an hour. (Disney CEO Bob Iger made over $36 million last year.)

"There's no doubt that this is going to change people's lives," Lella said of the newly negotiated pay increase, which comes just a month after Disneyland workers in California won a $15 minimum wage.

Disney World's decision to agree to the new pay hike comes as the company is under growing scrutiny from workers, lawmakers, and reporters over its long hours and low pay, which often force workers to live in their cars and cheap motels to get by.

"The dozens of motels lining a 15-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 192 just outside of Disney World have a secret inside: For the past two decades, they've increasingly served as home for many Disney World employees," journalist Michael Sainato noted in a report for Vice in June.

"Sometimes workers stay in the motels temporarily while they find permanent housing, others are forced by poverty and other circumstances to live in them for months or even years," Sainato added. "It's difficult to say exactly how many employees currently reside in these motels but three Disney World workers have told me the number is in the hundreds."


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MSNBC MADDOW


SOME WEALTHY PEOPLE APPARENTLY NEED THEIR PRIVATE JETS TO BE KEPT AT HOME. WATCH THIS VIDEO JUST TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHOSE INCOMES ALLOW THEM TO HAVE PRIVATE JETS, AND KEEP THEM NEAR HOME TO AVOID THE INCONVENIENCE OF HAVING TO MESS WITH ALL THAT TRAFFIC DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT!

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/episodes
Embed
HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/24/18
Donald Trump's long-time money man given immunity in Cohen case
David Fahrenthold, political reporter for The Washington Post, talks about the revelation that Donald Trump's long-time money man, Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg, was granted immunity by prosecutors in the Michael Cohen case. Duration: 13:10


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/27/18
Judges demand NC rectify gerrymandering as election draws near
Rachel Maddow reports on a ruling by a three-judge panel that North Carolina's gerrymandering is unconstitutional and must be corrected before the 2018 midterm election. Duration: 2:49


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/27/18
Trump White House fails at simple decency in McCain response
Rachel Maddow excoriates the Donald Trump administration for its utter failure to summon the common decency required to not screw up its response to the death of Senator John McCain. Duration: 3:10


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/27/18
Manafort looked to cut a deal with Mueller in second trial: WSJ
Rachel Maddow relays breaking news from the Wall Street Journal that Donald Trump's ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort sought a deal with Robert Mueller's prosecutors on charges in his second federal trial. Duration: 17:42


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/27/18
Low chance of deal for Manafort without cooperation, information
Chuck Rosenberg, former U.S. attorney, talks with Rachel Maddow about a Wall Street Journal report that Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort sought a plea deal with Robert Mueller's prosecutors on charges in his second trial and what the terms of such a deal would look like. Duration: 6:08


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/27/18
Jailed Russian hacking suspect seen as potential source of info
Rachel Maddow shares a Bloomberg report that a Russian hacker, Yevgeniy Nikulin, being held in a San Francisco jail for breaking into LinkedIn and other sites is seen as potentially having information for investigators on 2016 election hacking as well. Duration: 3:54

AUGUST 26, 2018


NEWS AND VIEWS


VIDEO – LIFE AND LEGACY OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/amid-todays-polarized-politics-mccain-remind-americans-unites/story?id=57399234
Amid today’s polarized politics, McCain tried to remind Americans: 'More unites us than divides us’
By COKIE ROBERTS Aug 25, 2018, 8:53 PM ET



THE “UNPLEASANTNESS” BETWEEN MCCAIN AND TRUMP

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45313845
John McCain: Five times he clashed with Trump
AUGUST 26, 2018

PHOTOGRAPHS -- The pair clashed frequently before and during Mr Trump's presidency

While John McCain and President Donald Trump were in the same party, their rivalry was bitter.

The Vietnam war hero was one of the most outspoken Republican critics of Mr Trump from the very start of his candidacy.

Mr Trump meanwhile infamously questioned his heroism for being captured in the Vietnam War.

The key moments in John McCain's life
His brief tweet after Mr McCain's death has drawn criticism for failing to directly praise the Arizona senator.

Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!

8:44 PM - Aug 25, 2018
174K
107K people are talking about this
Report
End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

The message was in contrast to glowing tributes from his predecessors Barack Obama and George W Bush.

Here are five key moments that marked a sharp political and personal feud.

1. Trump 'fired up the crazies'
In the summer of 2015, Donald Trump launched his bid to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee with an attack on Mexican immigrants.

"They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some I assume are good people," he said, to widespread condemnation at the time.

Image copyrightREUTERS
Image caption -- Donald Trump made the controversial comments while announcing his presidential campaign

This first campaign outing was also when Mr Trump brought up his plan to build a wall on the US southern border.

Mr McCain swiftly denounced the businessman's attacks on immigrants, accusing him of "firing up the crazies" with his views.

2. McCain not 'a war hero'
While the senator may have been the first to fire, Mr Trump was swift to respond.

Less than a month after his Mexican immigrants speech, the reality TV star said at a campaign event in Iowa that Mr McCain was not a war hero.

"He's a war hero because he was captured," he said. "I like people that weren't captured."

Mr McCain was held and repeatedly tortured for five-and-a-half years after his plane was shot down in the Vietnam war.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Mr McCain was shot down by the Vietnamese in 1967 and spent years in a prison enduring torture

Mr Trump's nomination rivals condemned his attacks and he eventually rowed his comments back - although he did not apologise.

And Mr McCain did not seek an apology for himself, rather that Mr Trump apologised "to the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict".

But the Vietnam war veteran did respond in a veiled attack, years later criticising those wealthy enough to avoid service in the conflict by finding doctors "that would say that they had a bone spur".

President Trump received five military deferments excusing him from duty in Vietnam during the 1960s - four for academic reasons and one for bone spurs, or calcium build-up in the heels.

3. 'Trump has no excuses'
Once Mr Trump had blown away his challengers for the nomination, Mr McCain came behind the Republican Party's choice.

But just before the 2016 election, a video recording surfaced of Mr Trump making graphic and obscene remarks about women.

In the video, Mr Trump said "you can do anything" to women "when you're a star" and bragged about trying to grope and kiss women.

Media captionA video obtained by the Washington Post shows Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump making lewd remarks about women

Trump lewd video on women: Transcript
Sex assault outpouring after Trump video

Mr McCain swiftly withdrew his support, saying Mr Trump should "suffer the consequences" of his remarks.

"Donald Trump's behaviour make(s) it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy," he said at the time, saying there were "no excuses" and that "he alone bears the burden of his conduct".

"No woman should ever be victimised by this kind of inappropriate behaviour," he said.

4. Thumbs down for Trump's healthcare reform bid
The pair's feud only grew as Mr Trump took office and set to work reshaping the US in his image.

A key campaign pledge for the New York billionaire in 2016 had been to repeal President Obama's landmark healthcare legislation, the Affordable Care Act - known as Obamacare.

RELATED:
Obamacare v Republican plan compared
How has Obamacare fared under Trump?
Where Trump went wrong on healthcare

Republicans set up numerous efforts to repeal the law, and almost succeeded, needing 50 votes in the 100-seat Senate chamber they control 52-48.

But in a now famous move, as he battled the brain cancer that would take his life, Mr McCain voted no and scuppered the party's bid to undo the act.

Media captionMr McCain's "no" vote in July scuppered the last Republican bid to repeal Obamacare

President Trump had condemned Republicans who did not back the new legislation, saying: "They don't have the guts to vote for it."

5. 'A US president should not congratulate dictators'
Mr McCain was a prominent Republican on foreign affairs, rising to become chair of the influential Senate Armed Services Committee.

He advocated a strong American presence abroad - so it was no surprise that he chafed at Mr Trump's frequent praise of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

When Mr Putin was re-elected in March, Mr McCain issued a statement strongly criticising the president for congratulating the former spy.

"An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections," he said.

Image copyrightREUTERS
Image caption
Mr Trump has expressed admiration for his Russian counterpart

He was even more vocal when Mr Trump met Mr Putin in Helsinki this year and said he believed Mr Putin's assessment that Russia did not interfere in his election in 2016 - contradicting US intelligence services.

Trump-Putin: Your toolkit to help understand the story
Even Trump allies shocked by Putin summit
As it happened: Trump and Putin's landmark meeting
The former presidential candidate did not mince words.

Mr McCain called the meeting "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory".

"The damage inflicted by President Trump's naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate," he wrote in a statement. "But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake."


I DON’T LIKE CHUCK TODD AT ALL, BUT HE DID FORCE LANNY DAVIS, WHOM I DO LIKE A GREAT DEAL, TO ADMIT THAT TO HIS PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OR (AS FAR AS DAVIS KNOWS) A WITNESS TO THE TRUMP/COHEN CONVERSATION IN WHICH COHEN, HE SAYS, WAS TOLD BY TRUMP TO PAY THE PORN STAR THE HUSH MONEY. SIGH.... ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IS THAT DAVIS ADMITTED THAT HE HASN’T SEEN THE EVIDENCE THAT MUELLER HAS, AND SO THERE MAY WELL BE CORROBORATING INFORMATION WITH MUELLER’S TEAM. I’LL JUST WAIT AND SEE WHAT COMES OUT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS’ NEWS.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/08/22/chuck_todd_to_lanny_davis_other_than_michael_cohens_word_is_there_any_corroborating_evidence.html
Chuck Todd to Lanny Davis: "Other Than Michael Cohen's Word," Is There Any Corroborating Evidence?
Posted By Ian Schwartz
On Date August 22, 2018

Chuck Todd interviewed Michael Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis earlier on Wednesday and asked if there is any evidence that then-candidate Trump directed Michael Cohen to pay adult film actress Stormy Daniels hush money. Todd asked multiple times if there is any evidence, i.e. corroborating witnesses at the Trump Organization, that would prove Cohen was directed and committed the payoff based on the verbal instruction by Donald Trump other than his own word.

"Do they have evidence that... then-candidate Trump, directed Michael Cohen to do this? other than Michael Cohen's word that the president directed him to do this, do they have other physical evidence that the president directed Michael Cohen?" Todd asked.

Davis said that Team Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani admitted the then-candidate directed Comey to make the payment in an interview. Secondly, there is "physical and electronic evidence" that money was paid to Daniels from the Trump conduit that is "all documented.

Davis eventually relented and said it comes down to Cohen's word versus Trump's.

"Is there any independent evidence that Mr. Trump said to Mr. Cohen you need to do this, I don't want to do this? That may come down to Mr. Cohen's word versus Mr. Trump's," Davis said.

TODD: Can you say that Michael Cohen consulted with anybody else on the campaign other than Mr. Trump?

LANNY DAVIS: Consulted about making those payments?

TODD: Yes, sir.

DAVIS: There were other people involved. Some of them named individual one, individual two from the campaign, some named as people within the Trump Organization without their names attached. There were other people involved in the chain of events.

Just to remind your viewers, it's pretty simple. $130,000 needs to be paid to Miss Daniels. Mr. Trump directed personally him to Mr. Cohen to pay $130,000 and it's all documented by the prosecutors in New York --

TODD: I understand that, but do they have evidence on one specific charge, that President Trump, then-candidate Trump, directed Michael Cohen to do this? Other than Michael Cohen's word that the president directed him to do this, do they have other physical evidence that the president directed Michael Cohen. I understand the physical evidence of the money transfers and all of that. But does he have evidence -- is it more taped conversations? Is that the evidence?

DAVIS: Well, the prosecutors may have evidence they haven't revealed. All I've read is the criminal information in which they state that there are individuals from the Trump campaign and from the Trump Organization who were involved and Mr. Giuliani said, yes, Mr. Trump knew that he had to reimburse Mr. Cohen for the advance made for this payment.

Is there any independent evidence that Mr. Trump said to Mr. Cohen you need to do this, I don't want to do this? That may come down to Mr. Cohen's word versus Mr. Trump's and now we'll have to, now that there is a guilty plea, wait and see if Mr. Trump is willing under oath to say what Mr. Cohen said under oath, which is that he was directed to Mr. Trump to do this.


DNC’S NEW SUPERDELEGATE RULES ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE FROM YESTERDAY’S REPORT. IS THIS ONE CORRECT? YESTERDAY’S REPORT SAID THAT SUPERDELEGATES WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO VOTE “ON THE FIRST BALLOT,” AND THIS ONE SAYS THAT ONLY IN A “DEADLOCK” OR IF “THE OUTCOME IS ASSURED” CAN THEY VOTE. ONE QUESTION, THOUGH, IF THE SUPERDELEGATES’ TOTAL 700 ADDITIONAL VOTES ARE BACKING A PARTY FAVORITE AGAIN, AS IN 2016, MIGHT THAT NOT BE ENOUGH ADDITIONAL VOTES TO CHANGE THE TOTAL, AND THEREFORE THE PERCENTAGES? IN OTHER WORDS, THE VOTE THAT WAS “AN ASSURED OUTCOME” MAY NO LONGER BE ASSURED? BESIDES, WHY DO WE NEED THEIR VOTES ANYWAY? LET THEM VOTE ONCE ONLY, AND WITH NO MORE WEIGHT THAN THE OTHER DELEGATES HAVE. SO, WHILE THIS NEW WAY IS AN IMPROVEMENT, IT STILL ISN’T COMPLETELY SAFE FROM UNFAIRNESS.

SEE ALSO THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ON THIS SAME SUBJECT, BECAUSE IT GOES INTO HELPFUL DETAIL ON THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DECISION. I ALWAYS PREFER MORE INFORMATION TO LESS INFORMATION. LESS TENDS TO BE A BUNCH OF PRECHEWED CONCLUSIONS AND PERSONAL OPINIONS.

ALSO, READ THE LAST COMMENT BY MATT VESPA OF THIS ARTICLE. HE IS IMPLYING THAT WE REALLY DO NEED ALL THOSE 700 INGROUP MEMBERS TO PREVENT US LESS WEALTHY AND POWERFUL PEOPLE FROM CHOOSING AN INSANE PERSON. IF HE IS IMPLYING THAT BERNIE SANDERS IS INSANE, HE IS SIMPLY MISTAKEN OR LAYING HIS PERSONAL BIAS MUCH TOO HEAVILY ON THE SCALES.

NOT EVERY GROUP OF POPULISTS, PROGRESSIVES OR SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS IS MADE UP OF FASCISTS, COMMUNISTS, ANARCHISTS OR OTHER ANTIDEMOCRATIC PERSONS. THAT ELEMENT IS USUALLY ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE. NOT EVERYONE WHO ISN’T “MODERATE”OR “CONSERVATIVE” IS A COMMUNIST OR A NUT. WHAT WE NEED IS WELL-EDUCATED CITIZENS AND THEN WE SHOULD LET THEM USE THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM TO CHOOSE OUR CANDIDATES. WHAT I SAW AT THE 2016 DNC WAS NOT A THOUGHTFUL DECISION-MAKING BODY. I THINK IF WE HAVE REAL VOTERS GATHERED THERE, DISCUSSING AND THEN VOTING, WE WILL HAVE A BETTER AND, ESPECIALLY, A MORE HONEST RESULT.

HERE’S WHAT I FOUND ABOUT VESPA HIMSELF, WHOSE CREDITS BELOW ARE ALL CONSERVATIVE:

“MATT VESPA BIOGRAPHY
MATT VESPA IS THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR AT TOWNHALL.COM. HE PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR CNSNEWS.COM AND WAS THE RECIPIENT OF AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY FOUNDATION'S 2013 ANDREW BREITBART AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ONLINE ACTIVISM AND INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING.” A BREITBART AWARD? ONLINE ACTIVISM?

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2018/08/26/bernie-sanders-supporters-clinched-a-big-win-at-dncs-summer-meeting-reining-in-n2513054
Bernie Sanders' Supporters Clinched A Big Win At DNC's Summer Meeting: Reining In Superdelegates
Matt Vespa Matt Vespa | @mvespa1 |Posted: Aug 26, 2018 11:45 AM

Bernie Sanders and his supporters have a reason to be happy: it’s the end of the immense clout that was given to Democratic superdelegates. They’re usually public officials, they’re not declared, and they can vote for whomever they like. They usually float with the establishment, which became a source of ire for Sanders supporters, who felt the deck was stacked against them. They’re not wrong. The Wikileaks email dump prior to the 2016 Democratic National Convention showed that top staffers at the DNC were discussing ways to torpedo the Vermont senator’s presidential hopes. The dirty laundry was exposed. Now, unless there’s a deadlock or an assured winner, these superdelegates will be barred from voting at the next convention in 2020 (via NBC News):

The Democratic National Committee voted Saturday to significantly curtail the power of superdelegates and make presidential caucuses more accessible, overcoming objections from a vocal minority of its membership.

The reform package, pushed by DNC Chairman Tom Perez and allies of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, among others, passed overwhelmingly by voice vote at the DNC’s summer meeting here — two years after the process started.

Perez and others hailed the outcome as momentous, saying the reforms will help welcome new people into the party by reassuring them that their vote will never be overruled by the party leaders who can vote for whomever they want for the presidential nomination.

“Today is a historic day for our party,” Perez said. “We passed major reforms that will not only put our next presidential nominee in the strongest position possible, but will help us elect Democrats up and down the ballot, across the country.”

The change will prohibit superdelegates from voting for president at the party’s 2020 convention, unless the outcome is already assured or it deadlocks, which hasn’t happened in decades. The vast majority of superdelegates sided with Hillary Clinton over Sanders in their primary fight two years ago.

The news network also added that caucuses would be accepting absentee ballots, whereas the old rules stated you needed to vote in person to participate. The fiasco over this system already had some states reconsidering their nominating processes and while the DNC can’t make states adopt new rules for their respective primaries, NBC added, “The reform package includes measures to encourage states to open their primaries and caucuses to independent voters, as well as to expand same-day voter registration in order to bring new voters.”

Yeah, it’s safe to assume that someone crazy is going to run. Pass the popcorn when that happens.



THIS CNN VERSION HAS GOOD NEW DETAIL IN IT, AND IS ALSO WELL WORTH READING. YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE DNC MEMBERS WERE IN SUPPORT OF THE CHANGES. I THINK EVERYBODY WHO DOESN’T HAVE A PERSONAL STAKE IN THE ISSUE WILL FIND THIS TO BE BOTH MORE FAIR AND PROBABLY MORE EFFICIENT.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/25/politics/democrats-superdelegates-voting-changes/index.html
DNC changes superdelegate rules in presidential nomination process
By Adam Levy, CNN
Updated 7:33 PM ET, Sat August 25, 2018

Chicago (CNN)Democrats on Saturday voted to chip away at the role party insiders play in choosing the party's presidential nominee in one of the biggest changes to the process in decades.

The move to limit the influence of "superdelegates" at the party's convention ahead of the 2020 presidential primaries ended an emotional and tumultuous two-year effort born out of the divisive 2016 contest between Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who went on to become the Democratic nominee.

In a surprisingly united vote, almost all members of the Democratic National Convention curtailed the ability of the superdelegates to vote on the first ballot for the party's presidential nominee beginning with the next election. The group of about 700 automatic, unpledged party leaders, elected officials and activists previously were able to back whichever candidate for the nomination they chose.

The move ended a vehemently contested debate that had pitted a majority of DNC members supporting the change against two former party chairs, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and others who opposed the new rules. Both sides came together to pass the overhauled process ahead of the next presidential campaign.

Saturday's vote officially barred the superdelegates from voting on the first ballot to choose the party's presidential nominee unless a candidate has secured a majority of the convention using only pledged delegates, whose votes are earned during the primary process.

Beginning with the 2020 nomination process, candidates will no longer be able to count superdelegates if they want to win the party's nomination on the first ballot of voting at the convention. This makes it impossible for superdelegates to change the outcome of the pledged delegates' will, which has never occurred since superdelegates were created ahead of the 1984 campaign.

"Today is a historic day for our party," said DNC Chair Tom Perez. "We passed major reforms that will not only put our next presidential nominee in the strongest position possible, but will help us elect Democrats up and down the ballot, across the country. These reforms will help grow our party, unite Democrats, and restore voters' trust by making our 2020 nominating process the most inclusive and transparent in our history."

The change stems from a tumultuous 2016 primary campaign, in which Sanders' supporters accused the superdelegates of having too much influence over the outcome. The overwhelming majority of them supported Clinton.

The bitter divide within the party over the changes came to an unexpected close when former DNC Chairman Don Fowler, who was adamantly against the changes and led the opposition, moved to vote by acclimation instead of a ballot vote.

"You always want unity. I still am much opposed to most of what's in that document, but more people than I wanted it," Fowler told CNN after the vote. "You've got the elections to take care of in two and half months, then the convention and all the 2020 cycle starts. That's just a whole different ballgame."

The battle for superdelegates

Perez and DNC officials were pleasantly surprised by the change from Fowler and other members who were against the reform, but members of the DNC Black Caucus were split on the reforms, with those opposed in agreement with Fowler that the move was a form of voter disenfranchisement.

"The right to vote is sacred," said former DNC Chair Donna Brazile, who was against the changes, ahead of the vote. "It's an insult to democracy."

Other Black Caucus members like Michael Blake --who worked for President Barack Obama in the White House on African American outreach and engagement, refuted those charges.

"This is not disenfranchisement at all. The person that has their vote taken away and has been purged -- that's the person we need to be fighting for," he said Friday before the vote. "Voters want us to be listening to them, and this is a way to show that we are listening -- to show that we are understanding the changes that had to be made after 2016."

Democrats created a Unity Reform Commission at the last convention to study and recommend changes to the delegate process and other party reforms. Those recommendations were submitted to DNC committees for consideration and were amended for a full party vote at their meeting in Chicago.

Changes within party for more transparency, inclusion

DECLARING YOURSELF DEMOCRAT: Candidates seeking the party's presidential nomination will now have to declare themselves as Democrats in writing to the DNC, a change pointed at Sanders, who is technically an Independent senator that caucuses with the Democrats.

CAUCUS OVERHAULS: Caucuses have also undergone some changes as well. The party is officially encouraging states to use government-run primaries, give access to people who can't make the actual caucus (like shift workers, those with disabilities and language difficulties), implement same-day party change and voter registration, report statewide presidential preference* on the first vote, and ensure that all national delegates represent the same original vote for the first caucus vote.

[STATEWIDE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE* -- “https://www.bing.com/search?q=statewide+presidential+preference+definition&qs=NWB&pq=statewide+presidential+preference+defi&sc=1-38&cvid=0744CE45CB694E2CB23B61CFDF165805&FORM=QBRE&sp=1]

TRANSPARENCY: The DNC is now required to be more transparent on operations, finances, and dealings with Democratic presidential candidates, such as in providing information on fundraising, and vendor agreements. Information about these things should be made available to all Democratic candidates, the language says.

GENDER INCLUSION: Language for rules that mandate gender equality in committees, caucuses and other bodies has also been expanded to include members who are gender nonbinary. DNC committees and caucuses have included gender equality in the past, meaning they had to declare themselves male or female. Gender nonbinary members will no longer have to declare themselves as either. Instead, going forward the requirement now says the divide between those who identify as men and women have a variance of one.

How to win the Democratic nomination for president

Democrats who want to win the party's nomination in 2020 will now only be able to do that with pledged delegates if they want to avoid a floor fight at their convention.

Using simplified numbers (these do not reflect the actual number of delegates that will be voting at the 2020 convention), here's how it will work among the 1,200 total convention delegates (1,000 pledged and 200 unpledged):

SCENARIO ONE: A candidate earns a majority of pledged delegates only (501 to 600 pledged delegates).

OUTCOME: Only pledged delegates vote on the first ballot for president. The candidate with a majority of pledged delegates would then become the party's nominee.

SCENARIO TWO: A candidate earns a majority of the convention in pledged delegates (601 to 1,000 pledged delegates).

OUTCOME: Pledged and superdelegates can vote on the first ballot for president. The candidate with the majority wins the Party's nomination.

(In scenarios one and two, the nominee would be the same person; the only difference would be who would vote on the first ballot).

SCENARIO THREE: No candidate earns a majority of either pledged or all delegates in the primary contests, most likely due to multiple candidates having run during the 2020 process (1 to 500 pledged delegates).

OUTCOME: Only pledged delegates would vote on the first ballot, but with no majority winner, the party would then vote on a second ballot (and more if needed). Superdelegates would vote beginning with the second ballot.

Pledged delegates could still change their votes to avoid a second ballot if their candidate drops out and "releases" them, in which case they could vote for their personal preference. All delegates become unpledged after the first vote. The last Democratic convention to go beyond the first ballot was in 1952.

What stays the same for superdelegates

Superdelegates, like all other delegates, have other responsibilities at the convention, which are staying the same.

They are free to campaign and endorse the candidate of their choice at any time during the primary process. This has been a source of contention for some Democrats, who created rules to limit their ability to publicly endorse or campaign for presidential candidates. Those proposals failed in committee.

At the convention, they will still have complete floor access and be part of the hotel process to get their room assignments for the week. They remain eligible to serve on the rules, platform and credential committees. These are critical to the convention and the party.

On the floor, they can vote for a vice presidential nominee on all ballots however they choose.

Moving forward

DNC members came into the meeting wanting to chart their path forward for 2018 and 2020, despite the significant differences they had over the delegate changes.

Though some African American members still opposed the vote and had it recorded, the overwhelming majority of members on both sides came together to show their determination to win back Congress and the White House -- one of the biggest topics of discussion in their private conversations and meetings.

"I was skeptical of the proposal, but I'm a team player, and the most important thing we can do is elect Democrats this fall and in 2020," said DNC member Bill Owen, who supported Fowler's move. He went on to paraphrase another Democratic leader.

"John Kennedy said, 'Let us go forth from here to lead the land we love, asking his blessing but knowing God's work out here is truly our own," Owen said.
CNN's Amanda Golden contributed to this report.


BERNIE USUALLY IS RIGHT, AND IN THIS CASE I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE AMAZON PAY SCALES TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE VERY LOW.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bernie-sanders-food-stamps-20180824-story.html
Thousands of Amazon workers get food stamps. Bernie Sanders wants Amazon to pay for them
By ABHA BHATTARAI
| THE WASHINGTON POST |
AUG 24, 2018 | 12:00 PM

Sen. Bernie Sanders, shown Aug. 17, wants big companies to foot the bill for government benefits their low-wage workers receive. (Chris O'Meara / Associated Press)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wants large employers such as Amazon, Walmart and McDonald's to fully cover the cost of food stamps, public housing, Medicaid and other federal assistance received by their employees. The goal, he said, is to force corporations to pay a living wage and curb roughly $150 billion in taxpayer dollars that go to funding federal assistance programs for low-wage workers each year.

Sanders plans to introduce a bill in the Senate on Sept. 5 that would impose a 100% tax on government benefits received by workers at companies with 500 or more employees. For example, if an Amazon employee receives $300 in food stamps, Amazon would be taxed $300.

"At a time of massive wealth and income inequality, the gap between the very rich and everyone else continues to grow wider," Sanders said.

Labor groups say that gap is particularly pronounced at the nation's largest and most profitable companies, including Walmart, which has roughly 2.2 million workers, and Amazon, which employs more than 575,000.

Public records obtained by the New Food Economy, a nonprofit news organization, show that thousands of Amazon employees rely on the government's Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program to make ends meet. As many as 1 in 3 Amazon employees in Arizona — and about 1 in 10 in Pennsylvania and Ohio — receive food stamps, according to an April report by the New Food Economy, based in New York.

Amazon spokeswoman Melanie Etches said the figures were misleading. "They include people who only worked for Amazon for a short period of time and/or who chose to work part-time," she said in a statement. "We have hundreds of full-time roles available, however, some prefer part-time for the flexibility or other personal reasons."

Sanders' bill would be an extension of a petition he started Tuesday calling on the world's richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, to pay workers a living wage and to improve working conditions at Amazon warehouses. As of Thursday morning, it had 105,000 signatures. (Bezos also the owns the Washington Post.)

"While Mr. Bezos is the most egregious example, the Walton family of Walmart and many other billionaire-owned profitable corporations also enrich themselves off taxpayer assistance while paying their workers poverty-level wages," Sanders said. Representatives for Walmart did not respond to requests for comment.

Bezos, who founded Amazon in 1994, has seen his net worth steadily climb in recent months as the stock market hits record highs. He is worth $157 billion, up from $99 billion a year ago, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The median Amazon worker, meanwhile, was paid $28,446 last year, according to company filings. (The federal poverty level for a family of four is $24,600.)

Amazon spokeswoman Etches said her company had created more than 130,000 new jobs "with highly competitive pay and full benefits" in the last year. She added that the average hourly wage for full-time workers in U.S. warehouses is more than $15 an hour, when stock and incentive bonuses are factored in.

"We encourage anyone to compare our median pay and benefits to other retailers," Etches said.

The company did not say how many of its workers are part-time, but said it hires thousands of temporary workers during peak holiday times.

Amazon reported profit of $3.03 billion last year as its sales climbed 31% to $178 billion.


MSNBC MADDOW BLOG

THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/24/18
Donald Trump's long-time money man given immunity in Cohen case
David Fahrenthold, political reporter for The Washington Post, talks about the revelation that Donald Trump's long-time money man, Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg, was granted immunity by prosecutors in the Michael Cohen case. Duration: 13:10


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/24/18
Weisselberg immunity likely means prosecutors seek 'bigger fish'
Joyce Vance, former U.S. attorney, talks about the legal implications of Donald Trump's right-hand-man in business being granted immunity by prosecutors in the Michael Cohen case, and the likelihood that prosecutors have their sights set on a "bigger fish" than Cohen. Duration: 3:48


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/24/18
Trump unlikely to face indictment as long as he holds office
Matthew Axelrod, a former Department of Justice official, discusses the legal intricacies of how the DoJ's Office of Legal Counsel has assessed whether indicting a sitting president is allowed by the Constitution. Duration: 9:21


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/24/18
Trump legal liability shifts from theoretical to real in one week
Adam Liptak, Supreme Court reporter for The New York Times, and Barbara McQuade, former U.S. attorney, discuss how the momentous events this week changed the legal circumstances for Donald Trump and his family. Duration: 8:26


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/24/18
Less intelligence on Russia not a sign of decreased threat
Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, reacts to a New York Times report that U.S. sources of intelligence on the Kremlin have gone quiet. Duration: 5:07


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/24/18
Trump White House balks at bipartisan bill to secure elections
Ali Velshi reports on a bipartisan piece of legislation to improve the security of U.S. elections that was suddenly dropped by Republicans on orders from the White House, according to Yahoo News. Duration: 0:51