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How Trump Ended Up Onstage With a Fake Presidential Seal - The New York Times

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Fri, 26 Jul 2019 13:28

Politics | How Trump Ended Up Onstage With a Fake Presidential Seal In an apparent mix-up, the image featuring Russian elements and golf clubs was taken from an online store that sells products critical of the president. ''It kind of made my day,'' the creator said.

Video President Trump spoke at a conference hosted by the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA on Tuesday. The seal he stood in front of included a double-headed eagle, similar to that featured on Russia's national emblem, and a set of golf clubs in a talon. Credit Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times A mystery was afoot in conservative Washington circles this week after an apparent mix-up made for an unexpected jab at President Trump. Let us set the scene.

The venue: a Washington hotel where Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization, was hosting a conference for high school students, where Mr. Trump spoke on Tuesday.

The d(C)cor: a presidential seal on the onstage screen, a fitting background for a speech by the president of the United States.

The problem: The presidential seal was not, in fact, the presidential seal at all, as The Washington Post reported. Instead of the customary bald eagle, the altered image showed a double-headed eagle, similar to that featured in Russia's national emblem. Instead of arrows, the eagle clutched a set of golf clubs in a talon. It appeared as the president emerged onstage.

The fake seal's appearance at the event seemed to catch everyone off guard. A White House spokesman told The New York Times that officials did not review the image before it appeared. Turning Point USA initially said it had no idea how it ended up there. Was it a prank or a political statement? Or was it a simple mistake by the audiovisual team, who perhaps pulled the wrong image off the internet? By Thursday, that seemed to be the explanation.

Image The seal of the president of the United States, left; and the altered seal used at a Turning Point USA event on Tuesday. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times; Jonathan Ernst/Reuters In the hours after the image was circulated online, an aide at the organization was fired, a person with knowledge of the matter confirmed on Thursday.

The seal appeared to be the same as one used to sell anti-Trump merchandise in an online store, The Post reported, based on a reader tip.

In an interview with The Times, the store's proprietor, Charles, said he had created the image, based on the Russian double-headed eagle, a little over a year ago out of frustration with Mr. Trump and his policies. He asked that his last name not be used because he is receiving hateful messages online.

''This is the most petty piece of art I think I've ever designed,'' said Charles, who is based in Virginia and works in video production and graphic design. ''This was every petty, little thing I could think of to needle him because he was driving me bananas with his politics.''

After he created the altered seal, Charles shared it with friends, who encouraged him to sell it online, so he created a website and store and quickly moved on with his life. Then, on Thursday morning, he said he was surprised to come across his creation in a news article while he was drinking coffee and scanning Reddit.

''It kind of made my day,'' he said.

The doctored image quickly became a talking point among liberals and conservatives alike. Online, some delighted in the dig and called it ''brilliant trolling.'' Others denounced the switch as an offense worthy of dismissal.

The alterations were subtle enough.

The traditional presidential seal contains the image of an eagle, which holds arrows representing war in one talon and olive branches representing peace in the other. A banner above its head bears the motto ''E Pluribus Unum,'' Latin for ''Out of Many, One.''

The eagle in the altered image had two heads, a symbol featured on the national emblem of Russia, the flags of several other countries and the logos for two Trump golf resorts in Scotland. The symbol is often associated with power and empire.

In that seal, the eagle clutches golf clubs and what appears to be a wad of money in its talons. The banner above its head reads ''45 Es un Ttere,'' Spanish for ''45 Is a Puppet.'' And a shield across the eagle's chest features five instances of the hammer and sickle, a Communist symbol associated with the Russian Revolution.

The event was an unlikely setting for criticism, and it is unclear if the president was aware of the fake seal. He spoke for nearly 80 minutes in front of a supportive audience. The real presidential seal appeared on the lectern and on another part of the screen.

Katie Rogers contributed reporting.

Sarah Mervosh covers breaking news from New York. She was previously an investigative reporter at The Dallas Morning News.

Niraj Chokshi is a general assignment reporter based in New York. Before joining The Times in 2016, he covered state governments for The Washington Post. He has also worked at The Atlantic, National Journal and The Recorder, in San Francisco. @ nirajc

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'Stranger Things' photo dark room mystifies viewer in the modern world - Business Insider

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 04:06

The latest season of " Stranger Things" debuted on Netflix on July 4, and fans are loving it.In the third season, two of the show's characters work at a local newspaper. Given the '80s setting, that newspaper uses a photography darkroom to develop its photos.But viewers in 2019 who grew up with smartphones and the internet aren't necessarily aware of what a darkroom is, which resulted in a hilarious '-- and now viral '-- question.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The third season of " Stranger Things" is a delightful re-creation of 1980s smalltown America that's long gone, right down to the Waldenbooks and Sam Goody in the local mall.

It was a time before smartphones and the internet, before memes and the retail apocalypse. It was a time when photographs still had to be developed by hand in a "darkroom," just like one of the show's main characters has to do repeatedly while working for a local newspaper.

The darkroom from "Stranger Things." Netflix

But let's say you grew up in a world where photography was all handled by a magical supercomputer in your pocket '-- you might not know what "the purpose of this 'red room' is.

That's exactly what happened with one user posting to the online forum StackExchange in a question that's since gone viral on social media:

Netflix/StackExchange

The "red room," of course, is a darkroom used for developing photos.

But the idea of a "Stranger Things" viewer outright not knowing what such a room is and what it's used for has made some folks feel absurdly old.

Thankfully, folks in the StackExchange forum generously supplied a thorough answer to the use of a darkroom in photography, and why a red light would be used to illuminate such a room.

But just in case you're wondering yourself: Before digital photography, images were developed by hand in chemical baths kept in "darkrooms." Light from the outside could potentially ruin any photos being developed, so a red light (which doesn't interfere with photo development) is often used.

And for the millions of you who grew up with darkrooms and manually developed photos: Yep, this is where we're at. Just wait until they start asking about cassettes!

Disrespecting Cops

Shooting at Brooklyn block party leaves eleven injured, one dead

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Archived Version

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 11:47

July 28, 2019 | 12:21am | Updated July 28, 2019 | 6:44am

Two ''brazen'' lone gunmen opened fire at a massive Brownsville, Brooklyn, block party on Saturday night, leaving a 38-year-old man dead and 11 others injured, law enforcement sources told The Post.

The gunfire erupted just before 11 p.m. as the annual two-day ''Old Timers Day'' party was ending and thousands of attendees were leaving, the sources said.

The violence was preliminarily blamed on two shooters who remained at large early Sunday, and who had blasted into the crowd despite a contingent of some 100 cops monitoring the event, the sources said.

''I've never heard of 12 people shot in one incident '-- ever,'' one veteran investigator told The Post of the bloodshed at Mendoza Park at Christopher and Hegeman avenues.

''This is one of the worst, most brazen shootings I've ever seen.''

The injured were rushed to nearby Brookdale Hospital and to Kings County Hospital.

By midnight, detectives had found one abandoned firearm and were combing the ground for more evidence among hundreds of scattered beer bottles, cans, cups and other debris.

The party is in its 56th year and features concerts, food and exhibitions.

Attendees travel from across the country to attend.

''I heard shots and I ducked,'' said one 66-year-old man who was at the party.

''When I stuck my head up, and the smoke cleared, it was pure pandemonium,'' said the man, who asked not to be named.

''It was chaos,'' said Gary Miller, 60, a vendor at the party.People were breaking down, having outbursts,'' he said.

''We were enjoying the evening and all of a sudden shots rang out,'' he remembered.

''Shots rang out and the crowd was already dispersing and you heard about 9 to 11 shots and everyone was running and scattering for cover.''

''We had a terrible shooting in Brownsville tonight that shattered a peaceful neighborhood event,'' Mayor de Blasio tweeted at close to 1 a.m.

The shooting happened in the same precinct where the first of four water-dousing attacks on cops broke out on the previous Saturday.

NYC Producer

Hi Adam!

I am a producer and devoted listener. Thanks for the

great material lately!

My husband is a retired NYPD police officer. I wanted

to share his thoughts on the "Water dumping on cops"

phenomenon. He retired right at the beginning of DeBlasio's term, and he

was going to stay another five years, but DeBlasio had already made the job

difficult...they were starting to face people throwing batteries, bottles, etc

at BLM protests, which he had to work often.

When he and his retired buddies saw those videos last week,

they were shocked. What they could not believe is the officers'

reaction--or non-reactions. They could not believe that these officers

did not defend themselves. They all agreed that when they were

working, they would have reacted very differently in this situation, and would

have definitely got a handle on the situation.

In my husband's opinion, these last five years have

destroyed the morale of NYPD rank and file, where they almost have internalized

the guilt and hatred and do not how to handle these situations anymore.

DeBlasio and the media have completely neutered them.

He is a 911 first responder, and finds it peculiar how the

NYPD went from being loved and adored by the public...and he worked in an area

where a lot of liberals and even liberal celebrities lived...in the aftermath

of 911, to completely despised a mere 10 years later. By the way, as you

can imagine, he worked in a precinct that was extremely diverse--many black

cops, female cops, hispanic cops, and especially gay cops worked with him,

since his precinct was Greenwich Village. He always had a female

boss. In fact, white males were the minority. But you would never

hear that in the media.

Anyway, just some boots on the ground info for you....love

you guys!

Moe Factz sez: Federalizing Cops - Trump Chicago National Guard, but Mayor said Blue Helmets

Trump Announces Plan to Federalize American Police Departments

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Fri, 26 Jul 2019 16:29

NEW YORK, Ny. '' Less than twenty-four hours after accepting his party's nomination and delivering the longest acceptance speech in nearly four decades, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump unveiled his plan to restore law and order in America, which he bleakly described as being under siege by illegal immigrants, the Islamic State, and race-related violence.

''We're going to put an end to that,'' Trump said during a post-convention interview with The New York Times. ''We're going to federalize every police department in this country. We're going to eliminate the red tape and it's going to give police the ability to do their jobs effectively and, believe me, this is something that's going to happen within my first one hundred days in office.''

Under Trump's plan, city and state police departments would fall under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security and would therefore be granted broad authorities to enforce the law. ''They're going to receive the best weapons, training, and resources this country has to offer,'' Trump promised. ''We're going to put an end to jurisdictional restrictions and increase police capabilities in terms of surveillance and the use of deadly force. Not only that, we're going to eliminate this so-called standard for probable cause; it's very limiting and, frankly, outdated. Our police forces are going to have much more freedom in terms of who they can arrest and why.''

Trump compared his proposal for a federalized police force to similar operations in countries like Brazil and Mexico where armor-clad federal police are able to travel freely between cities and counties and have the support of military-grade vehicles and weaponry. ''It's going to be very similar to what you see in Rio de Janeiro where they have a very serious gang problem,'' Trump explained. ''You look at Chicago where they have dozens of people being killed every week. Well, I will tell you, we're going to get very tough in Chicago and in places like that. We're going to '' in my first hundred days '' we're going to send several thousand police into that city and clean it up like you wouldn't believe and, you know what, people will be very happy.''

In a highly anticipated acceptance speech delivered on the final night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, Donald Trump spoke of a nation in crisis, plagued by the looming threat of terrorism and domestic crime, and vowed, as president, to ''restore law and order.''

Investigative JournalistR. Hobbus J.D. is an internationally acclaimed independent investigative journalist specializing in international politics, health, business, science, conflict resolution, history, geography, mathematics, social issues, feminism, space travel, civil rights, human rights... more

The federalization of local law enforcement

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Fri, 26 Jul 2019 16:28

Though a rapid transition to a federalized police force is unlikely here in America, an incremental shift to greater federal control is already occurring

The United States has more than 18,000 police departments '-- far more than any other nation. Each of the 50 states has its own Peace Officer Standards and Training board and officer / deputy certification criteria for more than 700,000 officers nationwide. Over the next several decades it's likely that a more federalized policing model will replace this decentralized approach.

Critics have argued for years that decentralized police administration fosters inherently poor-quality policing, tolerates racial bias, and makes it especially difficult to monitor and verify training and certification requirements across states. For many critics, federal intervention remains the remedy of choice. The current administration in Washington appears to agree.

All Law Enforcement is Local Will Be Federal In his now-famous July 2009 press conference, President Obama responded to a question about the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Gates by stating his belief that the ''Cambridge police acted stupidly.'' He went on to note our nation's ''long history'' of disproportionate police stops and arrests of blacks and Latinos, ''often times for no cause.''

Expert AnalysisThe degree to which an effort to federalize local law enforcement in the United States may succeed remains to be seen '-- we have, as the song goes, ''only just begun.'' But we can look at a couple of examples overseas as we begin contemplating the potential ramifications.

In 1965, Sweden nationalized what some maintained was an ineffective and fragmented police force, consolidating 554 local jurisdictions into 119 districts and standardizing training and education for all law enforcement throughout the country. However, concerns soon emerged that this centralized police force could not meet local needs, so since the 1980s Swedish police authorities have attempted, though a variety of bureaucratic changes, to return at least a modicum of authority to local police chiefs. Despite these efforts, the national Swedish Police remains one of the largest government structures in the country. 1

More recently, in 2006, authorities attempted to complete the ongoing centralization of police services in England and Wales, where federal authorities already provide 80-85 percent of law enforcement funding. Despite the belief in some circles that locally-controlled police performed poorly, these efforts nonetheless foundered on the shoals of an attachment to localism. 2

He then made a comment that drew less attention. He said that we '-- where the meaning of 'we' is federal officials '-- should work with ''local law enforcement to improve policing techniques to eliminate bias.''

Remarks from Attorney General Eric Holder regarding Arizona's new immigration control law reflect the Administration's belief that local law enforcement officers routinely violate federal civil rights standards with little regard for ethics or the Constitution.

As American as Apple Pie These attitudes are tethered to subtle pressure to federalize police governance. The courts, federal grant dollars, and impending nationwide unionization will contribute to the erosion of local control of police authority.

The prevailing tool in the federal effort to rein in local police remains litigation, a process that some would argue is as ''American as apple pie.'' The courts serve as a Constitutional filter that directly influences police tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Nothing screams national standardization more than the use of force and how that affects individual liberties.1 Any one of the more than 600 law enforcement training academies would be negligent if faculty did not cover Tennessee v. Garner, Graham v. Connor, Saucier v. Katz, and Brosseau v. Haugen.

However, other forms of federal litigation have also emerged. In 1994, Congress granted the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division the authority to bring civil lawsuits against police agencies that have demonstrated a ''pattern or practice'' that results in illegal or unconstitutional behavior. Both Democratic and Republican administrations have used this mechanism to force compliance with federal authority and Constitutional mandates.

Departments in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Buffalo '-- to name a few '-- have all either entered into consent decrees or signed a memorandum of agreement to avoid litigation. These decrees have stipulated federal monitoring for varying periods (typically two to five years) that give the department time to comply.

The long-term success of these reforms remains unknown. However, a 2005 study by the Vera Institute of Justice (completed in cooperation with the Department of Justice's Institute of Community Oriented Policing) found that, at least in the case of Pittsburgh, federal intervention forged healthy change inside the department.

The Power of the Purse The second mechanism of federal intervention is through the use of federal grant money, which in turn demands that receiving departments comply with federal standards of implementation and accountability.

During his campaign for the White House, then-Candidate Obama pledged, as part of his urban renewal efforts, to increase funding for local law enforcement agencies through the DoJ's Community Oriented Policing (COPS) grant program. The purpose of the infusion of taxpayer dollars was to ''combat crime'' and ''address police brutality and accountability.''

Unfortunately, at least for crime reduction, an October 2005 General Accounting Office (GAO) study cast doubt on the effectiveness of the COPS program. Reviewing data between 1994 and 2001, the GAO concluded that COPS funding added about 17,000 to the sworn officer pool available to local agencies. Though the ability of the program to reduce crime varied among jurisdictions, the overall conclusion was that any reduction in crime was ''modest'' and that ''factors other than COPS funds accounted for the majority of the decline in crime during this period.''

These conclusions suggest that federal dollars for local policing have more to do with control via ''accountability'' than crime reduction. The new Administration included one billion dollars in the stimulus package to hire 7,000 new officers in 2009 and 2010. In April 2009, the House pledged an additional $1.8 billion over the next five years to provide 50,000 federally paid local officers. In June 2010, the President warned federal lawmakers that without further stimulus funds, police layoffs would be inevitable. In other words, over time the federal government will be paying the cost of tens of thousands of police officers nationwide. These numbers reflect a growing dependency on federal dollars for local law enforcement needs, something that then Senator Biden wanted to make permanent.

National Unionization House Resolution 413 '-- the oddly-named Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act '-- has a stated purpose of extending collective bargaining rights to all first responders. Doug Stafford from the National Right to Work Committee believes this legislation has greater implications and grants the federal government ''broad power to impose the terms and conditions of employment for ... public safety workers and local and state governments.''

Should this legislation become law, it's unlikely that a newly-established national union would allow localities to lay off police officers. The result would be that localities would either have to raise taxes after federal funding ran out or ask for additional federal funding, creating a permanent dependency that will foster federal control over local policing practices.

Though a rapid transition to a federalized police force is unlikely here in America, an incremental shift to greater federal control is already occurring. These efforts will be difficult to forestall as Washington plays an increasingly intrusive role in local law enforcement.

1See Chris McNab, Deadly Force (Osprey Press, MD: 2009)

About the authorRetiring after nearly 22 years of active duty in the Army, Lance Eldridge worked as the director of a law enforcement training academy and served as a rural patrol deputy and patrol officer in Colorado. While in the military, he held leadership positions in a variety of organizations and has written extensively about US military strategy, operations, and history. He is a graduate of the US Army's Command and General Staff College and the Norwegian Staff College. He holds a Masters Degree in History and a Masters Degree in Strategic Intelligence. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in national security strategy, European regional security, US history, and terrorism. He now works in northern Virginia.

Contact Lance Eldridge.

All 50 US states fail to meet global police use of force standards, report finds | US news | The Guardian

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Sat, 27 Jul 2019 18:37

Every state in the US fails to comply with international standards on the lethal use of force by law enforcement officers, according to a report by Amnesty International USA, which also says 13 US states fall beneath even lower legal standards enshrined in US constitutional law and that nine states currently have no laws at all to deal with the issue.

The stinging review comes amid a national debate over police violence and widespread protest following the high-profile deaths of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; 43-year-old Eric Garner in New York; 50-year-old Walter Scott in South Carolina; and 25-year-old Freddie Gray in Baltimore '' all unarmed black men killed by police within the past 11 months.

Amnesty USA's executive director, Steven Hawkins, told the Guardian the findings represented a ''shocking lack of fundamental respect for the sanctity of human life''.

''While law enforcement in the United States is given the authority to use lethal force, there is no equal obligation to respect and preserve human life. It's shocking that while we give law enforcement this extraordinary power, so many states either have no regulation on their books or nothing that complies with international standards,'' Hawkins said.

The analysis, which Hawkins said he believed was the first of its kind, compared state statutes on law enforcement's use of lethal force with international legislation, including the enshrinement of the right to life, as well as United Nations principles limiting lethal use of force to ''unavoidable'' instances ''in order to protect life'' after ''less extreme means'' have failed. Further UN guidelines state that officers should attempt to identify themselves and give warning of intent to use lethal force.

Amnesty found that in all 50 states and Washington DC, written statutes were too broad to fit these international standards, concluding: ''None of the laws establish the requirement that lethal force may only be used as a last resort with non-violent means and less harmful means to be tried first. The vast majority of laws do not require officers to give a warning of their intent to use firearms.''

The report arrived just weeks after the recommendations of Barack Obama's police taskforce were made public and his executive actions on police reform criticized for not going far enough to curtail police violence. The presidential commission stated that ''not only should there be policies for deadly and non-deadly uses of force'', but that a ''clearly stated 'sanctity of life' philosophy must also be in the forefront of every officer's mind''.

The Amnesty review found that only eight states require a verbal warning to be given before an officer engages in lethal force. In nine states, law enforcement officers are legally allowed to use lethal force during riot. In Pennsylvania, for instance, the use of force statute mandates that deadly force is justifiable if it is ''necessary to suppress a riot or mutiny after the rioters or mutineers have been ordered to disperse''.

Further, Amnesty found that in 20 states it is legally permissible for law enforcement officers to employ lethal force against an individual attempting to escape prison or jail, even if they pose no threat. In Mississippi, for instance, law declares ''the killing of a human being '... justifiable '... [w]hen necessarily committed by public officers, or those acting by their command in their aid and assistance, in retaking any felon who has been rescued or has escaped''.

Amnesty's report also charges that the laws on lethal force in 13 states do not even meet the less stringent constitutional standard set by the 1985 US supreme court case Tennessee v Garner. The case was centered on the death of an unarmed black 15-year-old, Edward Garner, a suspect in a home burglary. He was shot in the back of the head as he fled by officers acting under a Tennessee state statute which permitted ''use all the necessary means'' to make an arrest of a fleeing subject.

The 6-3 majority decision declared that police may not use deadly force to prevent a suspect from escaping unless ''the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others''.

The states whose laws do not meet this constitutional standard, according to Amnesty, tend to include permissive or vague language around the use of force. North Dakota's statute, for example, permits deadly force against ''an individual who has committed or attempted to commit a felony involving violence'', without defining the level of violence that might warrant deadly force.

Amnesty identifies nine states '' Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming '' alongside Washington DC where no law enforcement officer lethal force statutes exist.

''Those states can of course argue that they follow common law or supreme court standards, but is that good enough?'' Hawkins said. ''Certainly we would expect that international human rights standards are what should govern and our fear is that, unless these are clearly quantified, a citizen in any state can't look at what the law is. That's critically important to ensuring accountability.''

Amnesty's report contends that the international standards laid out in the UN basic principles dictate all fatal incidents involving law enforcement officials should be mandatorily reported and well as impartially investigated.

The federal government does not collect a comprehensive record of people killed by police forces throughout the US. Instead, the FBI runs a voluntary program where law enforcement can choose to submit a number of ''justifiable homicides'' each year.

A Guardian investigation into deaths at the hands of law enforcement officers in the US has so far documented 515 people killed by police this year. The statistics reveal that black people are more than twice as likely as white people to be unarmed during fatal encounters with police, and show that black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate as white Americans.

The introduction of mandatory reporting to federal government for all deaths at the hands of law enforcement is a central recommendation of the Amnesty report.

The report also suggests taking action at all levels of government, making recommendations to the president, Congress and the US justice department, along with state legislatures and individual law enforcement departments. Amnesty suggests that laws be brought into compliance with international standards at every level, and that the justice department oversee a national commission ''to examine and produce recommendations on policing issues, including a nationwide review of police use of lethal force laws '... as well as a thorough review and reform of oversight and accountability mechanisms''.

Hawkins told the Guardian he expected some resistance to the recommendations from police unions and other agencies but added his hope that ''with so much attention on law enforcement and its use of lethal force within the US, in the next legislative session this report will produce some energy for change''.

Soros Sistas

Brexit

Boris Johnson's decision to hire Dominic Cummings is more than controversial '' it's dangerous

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 14:51

Today it was confirmed that Dominic Cummings has been officially hired by our new Prime Minister as an advisor in Number 10. The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg tweeted that the appointment was ''controversial''.

But it's not just controversial. It's dangerous. Even more so than Boris Johnson becoming Prime Minister. This shift in tone leaves Liberals like me in no doubt that we are now in a battle for the very future of our democracy.

Let us remind ourselves of what Dominic Cummings stands for. Made famous for masterminding the Leave Campaign, immortalised by Benedict Cumberbatch in a C4 drama, this is a man who commentators describe as either an ''eccentric'' or an ''evil genius''. He is responsible for the iconic £350m a week bus slogan, the lie that the Turkish migrants were ready to join the EU and flood our borders with kebabs and cheap labour and fined by the Electoral Commission for illegal spending in the 2016 referendum. Lies are his currency. At his own admission, ''accuracy is for snake-oil pussies''.

He has shown nothing but contempt for our judicial system, and parliament, indeed any vehicle that asks questions of him and his methods and sees the eyes of scrutiny set upon him. Not even the disintegrated and discredited Cambridge Analytica refused to be questioned by the DCMS select committee; not even Rupert Murdoch.

As a master of the dark arts he makes Peter Mandelson look like a choir boy. I'm deeply disturbed by this development. Scared even. If this were a popular wizard themed series of novels, this is book five of seven. The plot is now perpetually sinister, and it looks like the forces of evil have got their hands firmly gripped on the levers of power.

But this is not a story, this is happening; and it is not at all certain how this will end. This week there are those rejoicing at this changing of the guard, but for me it has never been clearer. We are now in the fight of our lives for the very soul of our country.

Is this a country that uses immigration and ethnic minorities to stoke fear and division? Is this a country that prefers to look to Trump and Putin as allies rather than our nearest neighbours in Europe? Is this a country that would wantonly run down the economy by pursuing an ideological, power motivated Brexit that will leave public services on the brink? That's the country of Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings. I cannot and will not stand by. I will fight to the last to stop this from happening.

As Jo Swinson, our new LibDem leader said in her acceptance speech, politics is no longer a spectator sport. Shouting at the television is no longer enough. You are either against these people or you are complicit in the future they offer. Remainers must now look deep. Band together and fight. This is no longer just about stopping Brexit. It is about the very nature of what it means to be British. And it needs to be done under one banner.

The Labour Party are discredited. Corbyn has failed, and there seems no prospect of them changing him in time. The Greens are on the side of the angels but do not have the infrastructure or momentum to deliver the change we need on their own.

We saw an attempt at a breakaway with The TIGs, but what that showed, is that working at cross-purposes is counterproductive. Plaid and the SNP are pro Europe too, but are rubbing their hands as all they ultimately care about is independence and breaking apart our precious union, a prospect now more likely than ever before. Given this is their raison d'etre, what will they put first?

There is only one answer left and that is to rally around Jo Swinson's rallying call and join the Liberal Democrats. Politics is fracturing and unless we hold our nerve and hold together, we risk that splinter becoming an abyss.

No-deal Brexit now 'assumed' by government, says Gove - BBC News

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 11:36

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Michael Gove, the newly appointed chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, is in charge of preparing for a no-deal Brexit The government is now "working on the assumption" of a no-deal Brexit, Michael Gove has said.

Mr Gove said his team still aimed to come to an agreement with Brussels but, writing in the Sunday Times, he added: "No deal is now a very real prospect."

Mr Johnson has made Mr Gove responsible for planning a no-deal Brexit.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told Mr Gove to chair meetings seven days a week until Brexit is delivered, according to the paper.

Mr Gove said tweaks to Theresa May's withdrawal agreement - which was approved by the EU but resoundingly rejected by Parliament - would not be enough.

"You can't just reheat the dish that's been sent back and expect that will make it more palatable," he wrote.

He added he hoped EU leaders might yet open up to the idea of striking a new deal, "but we must operate on the assumption that they will not".

"While we are optimistic about the future, we are realistic about the need to plan for every eventuality."

Mr Gove highlighted a major flaw of Mrs May's deal as the Irish backstop plan - a measure designed to prevent the introduction of a hard border on the island of Ireland.

So far the backstop has proved a sticking point in the Brexit negotiations.

A no-deal Brexit would mean the UK leaving the EU and cutting ties immediately, with no agreement in place.

The UK would follow World Trade Organization rules if it wanted to trade with the EU and other countries, while also trying to negotiate free-trade deals.

But with Britain outside the EU, there could be physical checkpoints to monitor people and goods crossing in and out of the UK - something ruled out by the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland.

No-confidence voteSpeaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would do everything to prevent a no-deal Brexit.

He reiterated his call for a new referendum - insisting he would still hold one if Labour were in power - and said, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Labour would campaign to remain in the EU.

Mr Corbyn also said he would look at whether to call a no-confidence vote in the government after Parliament returns in September.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson told Sky that, in the event of a general election, her party's message would be: "Stop Brexit, stop Boris and start renewing our country."

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Jo Swinson was elected Lib Dem leader earlier this week Mr Gove is one of several new ministers pressing on with Brexit preparations since joining Mr Johnson's cabinet earlier this week.

Newly appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rishi Sunak, told Sky: "We're turbo-charging preparations for no-deal, that is now the government's number one priority."

He said if the EU would not reopen discussions about the Irish backstop plan then "it's right that we prepare properly, with conviction, and importantly with the financial resources that the Treasury will now supply properly".

Chancellor Sajid Javid has pledged extra funding to help prepare for a no-deal scenario.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Javid said there would be "significant extra funding" for 500 new Border Force officers and "possible" improved infrastructure at British ports.

Mr Javid is expected to pledge more money for projects next week.

Boris Johnson's governmentWho is in charge of what?

Meanwhile, there have been reports of more dissatisfaction within the Conservative Party, as MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit continue to consider ways to avoid it.

The Observer alleges former chancellor Philip Hammond held private talks with Labour's Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer before Mr Johnson became prime minister.

The pair met shortly after Mr Hammond resigned from the government, the paper said.

Mr Starmer told the paper that work to build "a strong cross-party alliance" to prevent a no-deal Brexit would "intensify over the summer".

But despite several Tory MPs voicing their opposition to Mr Johnson in his first week in Downing Street, an opinion poll has suggested a recent boost in support for the party.

Since Mr Johnson took office on Wednesday the Conservatives have gained 10 points to stand at 30%, a survey for the Mail on Sunday showed.

Boris Johnson 'turbo-charging' no-deal Brexit plans, say ministers | Politics | The Guardian

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 11:50

Boris Johnson is ''turbo-charging'' preparations to leave the EU without a deal on 31 October as his government's number one priority, according to several senior cabinet ministers.

The new prime minister sent out cabinet ministers for interviews across newspapers and broadcasters this weekend as part of a publicity blitz about the prospect of a no-deal Brexit.

Their message is that the UK will be heading for no deal unless EU leaders agree to replace the Irish backstop.

Michael Gove, the new Cabinet Office minister in charge of no-deal preparations, said the government was ''operating on the assumption'' that Britain would leave without a deal on 31 October and it was a ''very real prospect'' because EU leaders had so far not changed their minds about scrapping the backstop.

He said in the Sunday Times that an agreement might not be struck with Brussels by then, but there was a ''new clarity of mission, we will exit the EU on October 31, no ifs, no buts, no more delay''.

On Theresa May's withdrawal agreement, he said: ''You can't just reheat the dish that's been sent back and expect that will make it more palatable.''

At the same time, Sajid Javid, the new chancellor, told the Sunday Telegraph there would be ''significant extra funding'' this week to get Britain ''fully ready to leave'' the EU on 31 October, with or without a deal.

He said the additional spending would include financing one of the country's ''biggest ever public information campaigns'' to ensure individuals and businesses were ready for a no-deal exit.

Javid added that he planned to fund 500 new Border Force officers and look at new infrastructure around the country's ports to minimise congestion and ensure goods could flow.

And Priti Patel, the new home secretary, told the Mail on Sunday that she would stop the ''automatic right of entry for EU citizens, with or without work'' in order to give the ''type of preference to brilliant scientists, academics and highly skilled workers that we want to see more of''.

Gove and Javid are part of a new ''war cabinet'' of six key ministers to deliver Brexit by 31 October ''by any means necessary''.

Rishi Sunak, the new chief secretary to the Treasury, then gave an interview on Sky News claiming that the government was ''turbo-charging'' no-deal preparations.

''Of course we would prefer to [leave] with a new deal, one that removes this anti-democratic backstop,'' he said. ''We are prepared to enter into negotiations with the spirit of friendship and determination but if the EU doesn't want to do that it is right we are absolutely prepared for that. We are turbo-charging preparations for no deal. That is now the government's number one priority.''

Johnson is pushing ahead with the preparations despite MPs pledging to fight across the parties to prevent no deal.

Philip Hammond , the former Conservative chancellor, held private talks with Labour's Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, shortly before Johnson entered Downing Street last Wednesday, to plot cross-party moves aimed at preventing the new prime minister agreeing to a no-deal Brexit.

However, Johnson's new senior adviser Dominic Cummings has put the government on a war footing to face opponents in parliament and achieve an exit on 31 October with or without a deal. He told a meeting of the prime minister's advisers that he had been tasked with delivering Brexit ''by any means necessary''.

The following people are in Boris Johnson's first cabinet:

Sajid Javid, ChancellorDominic Raab, Foreign secretaryPriti Patel, Home secretaryMichael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterRobert Buckland QC, Lord Chancellor and Justice secretaryStephen Barclay, Brexit secretaryBen Wallace, Defence secretaryMatthew Hancock, Health secretaryAndrea Leadsom, Business secretaryLiz Truss, International trade secretaryAmber Rudd, Work and pensions secretaryGavin Williamson, Education secretaryTheresa Villiers, Environment secretaryRobert Jenrick, Housing secretaryGrant Shapps, Transport secretaryJulian Smith, Northern Ireland secretaryAlister Jack, Scotland secretaryAlun Cairns, Wales secretaryBaroness Evans, Leader of the House of LordsNicky Morgan, DCMS secretaryAlok Sharma, International development secretaryJames Cleverly, Party chair and minister without portfolio

These people also attend full cabinet meetings:

Rishi Sunak, Chief secretary to the TreasuryJacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the House of CommonsMark Spencer, Chief whipGeoffrey Cox QC, Attorney GeneralKwasai Kwarteng, Energy ministerOliver Dowden, Paymaster general and minister for the Cabinet officeJake Berry, Minister of State at the Cabinet OfficeEsther McVey, Housing ministerJo Johnson, Universities ministerBrandon Lewis, Security minister

There is growing speculation that this could include an election if parliament blocks the new government's Brexit plans, even though Johnson has ruled that out.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said his party was ready for an election, telling Sky that he was ''not in the slightest bit'' fazed by going up against Johnson as a new prime minister.

Meanwhile, polls have suggested the Tories were boosted by a ''Boris bounce'' after the election of their new leader.

Since Johnson became prime minister, the Conservatives have gained 10 points to stand at 30%, new polling by Opinium for the Observer showed. The polling shows the Conservatives benefiting from an ebbing of support away from the Brexit party.

Despite being pushed into second place, Labour are also up three points to 28% at the expense of the Green party.

Shitholes

Baltimore BOTG

ITM Adam,

I'm a producer living in Baltimore Maryland. In light of

some of the comments president Trump made the other day regarding the city, I

wanted to share some of my experiences and thoughts on this.

First and foremost, in a way, I agree with the

president. While his comments were dramatic as they usually are, Baltimore has

unfortunately become yet another one of the United States most terrible

cities. There is a lot to unpack as to why... From the corrupt leadership, to

the extreme liberal policies of coddling, and yes of course, our rampant drug

problem.

The community in which I live with my wife and kid, is

almost a perfect little place, just on the outskirts of the city proper. Yet,

we have a continuous influx of major violence over the past year alone. Four

separate incidents of residents being held up a gunpoint since this summer. My

house being broken into while we were home. A continuing accurance of drug

dealing... You get the point. It is such that my wife and I are no longer

comfortable walking down the street. I often don't sleep well during the warmer

month probably due to some form of PTSD from the break in.

One of my biggest frustrations, is that my neighbors don't

seem to mind the violence. They complain when it happens, but then their

liberalism, or something takes over and they decide it's not that bad, or since

it didn't happen to them, it's not a problem.

Anyway, there is a lot more I would like to unpack, and if

you wouldn't mind, I'd love to send you a series of small write ups about what

I'm seeing here. Also, if I sound frustrated, it's because I am. Frustrated and

angry.

Sorry for the long email.

Auditory Processing and Closed Captions

This is producer Mariella, the young lady who wrote to you & John last year with my As.Ex note about how the No Agenda Show helped me to survive a brain aneurysm and two brain surgeries 2 years ago. Never forget NA listeners: No Agenda is GREAT FOR BRAIN HEALTH! Onward

I am a Speech Language Pathologist and published clinical researcher in Oregon. While a graduate student earning my masters in Communication Disorders in (the filthy and decaying!) Portland, I was a student research fellow in the Cochlear Implant and Research Lab at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU), one of the top health research institutions in the country. For two years at the lab, I lead the experimentation and data collection for an NIH funded research study that was looking at the differences in auditory processing data between individuals with normal hearing thresholds and those with cochlear implants.

In order to do this, I conducted several experiments that looked at various aspects of auditory processing in both these groups. The most important and relevant of those experiments was using an EEG machine to measure the auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) and latencies in the auditory brain stem's response to sound ----- I know that's a mouthful, but in essence this machine measured how quickly the auditory pathways of the brainstem where sound is processed responded to complex auditory stimuli. In this case, that stimuli was spoken pairs of phonemes (da, ba, ga,). These were repeated thousands of times in the participants ears while they are hooked up to a machine that measures the latencies of the auditory brain stem's response to complex auditory stimuli such as language and music.

[Nina Kraus Clip]

Visualize a mixer

Make sense

My mixing experience

Maybe mixes are good, but auditory is off?

Mixer determines what the brain will record at what levels

Neuro Placticity

Point being, we can definitively measure in science just how accurate the brainstem is processing language, giving us insight into the health of one's auditory processing ability, for which we have normative data. Importantly, and to politely refute something John mentioned during this discussion, auditory processing ability cannot be affected by hearing loss occurring from overexposure to loud decibel levels, as in the concert examples he gave. The only exception to this found in recent research seems to be blast injuries from explosions suffered by veterans, etc. That said, hearing loss will certainly make it difficult for you to hear a show you are watching!

Can't hear mumbling dialogue on BBC? A solution is on the way | News | The Times

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 13:49

Matthew Moore, Media Correspondent

July 26 2019, 12:01am, The Times

Viewers have complained of being unable to hear dramas such as Happy ValleyBEN BLACKALL/BBCMumbling actors, inaudible dialogue and booming soundtracks have ruined television dramas for millions. Now, finally, a solution is at hand.

The BBC is testing technology that allows viewers to tune out background noise while boosting characters' voices, making plots easier to follow. A recent episode of the BBC One medical drama Casualty was the first to be produced with the new feature.

BBC tests technology to block out background noise in showsA version on the BBC website includes a slider button in addition to the volume control. Keeping the slider on the right-hand side retains the standard audio. Moving the slider to the left reduces background noise, including music, making the dialogue crisper.

The project is aimed at the 11 million Britons with hearing loss and any others who struggle to make out what actors are saying. Commuters who stream shows on noisy trains and buses could also benefit.

The broadcaster has received thousands of complaints from people unable to hear the dialogue in dramas including Jamaica Inn, SS-GB and Happy Valley.

It prompted a national debate about mumbling actors and questions were even asked in parliament.

The technology is labour-intensive because individual elements of sound have to be graded in a hierarchy based on their importance to the plot. Some non-speech sounds, such as the flatlining beep of a heart monitor in Casualty, are crucial to a show's narrative. The technology allows these noises to stay prominent while non-essential sounds are turned down.

''The goal is all about accessibility, and making sure the stories we are trying to tell can be accessed by lots of different people with lots of different needs,'' Lauren Ward, head of the project, said. She added that the response from viewers had been overwhelmingly positive. The pilot version has been viewed by 3,300 people on the website BBC Taster, with 80 per cent noting an improvement.

The technology is experimental but could become mainstream on iPlayer and even broadcast television as the BBC moves towards a personalised system of broadcasting called object-based media. This allows programmes to be broken down into their component objects, such as sounds and frames, then rearranged in different ways for different viewers.

Organisations including Action on Hearing Loss and the University of the Third Age are involved in trials with older and hard-of-hearing users. Younger people with perfect hearing could also benefit from the project.

''It's aimed at people with hearing loss, but the effects of hearing loss are very similar to trying to listen in a high-noise environment,'' Ms Ward said. ''If you're trying to listen to a show on your mobile phone on the Tube, a lot of the challenges are very similar.''

Lord Hall of Birkenhead, 68, the director-general, ordered the corporation's TV executives to investigate the issue. ''I don't want to sound like a grumpy old man but I also think muttering is something we could have a look at,'' he said in 2013.

MediaTelevision

Q Glasses

Adam Schiff

Remember the email date controversy?

Email 'proved' that Trump had wikileaks emails drop before published

Was a intel trap - to see who would leak it to the press

CNN had to apologize (Sept 14 instead of Sept 4)

[CLIP] CNN Apologizes for wrong email date of wikileaks email drop

The leaker was Adam Schiff

Trump Tweets:

Finally, Liddle’ Adam Schiff, the leakin’ monster of no control, is now blaming the Obama Administration for Russian meddling in the 2016 Election. He is finally right about something. Obama was President, knew of the threat, and did nothing. Thank you Adam!

LiddleKidz.Org

Operating in Schiffs 28th district

Big Haiti mission - Schiff photos with babies

What was the President signalling?

Standard Hotel tied to subway gas scare

[Link]

For a few terrifying moments in the early morning hours of the recent Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, authorities in Los Angeles were concerned that terrorists had launched an attack in a downtown subway station.

Several people had been overcome by a cloud of noxious gas, causing at least two of them to begin vomiting and a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy to experience a burning sensation in his eyes and lungs.

But hazardous-materials teams were unable to find the source of the gas in the Metro station at 7th and Figueroa streets, so fears of terrorism began to fade. Ultimately, investigators determined that the toxic cloud was chlorine gas emanating from a storm catch basin two blocks away.

The culprit, prosecutors allege, was not some scary extremist group, but the owner of The Standard, a trendy downtown hotel with a reputation for celebrity sightings and a rooftop swimming pool.

Hotel maintenance workers initially admitted pouring a small amount of chlorine down a rooftop drain. But investigators did not believe that would have accounted for the noxious cloud. An FBI agent, who specializes in environmental crimes and who is known for her pit bull-like tenacity, conducted follow-up interviews in which employees eventually acknowledged emptying the majority of two 50-gallon drums of muriatic acid and chlorine into the drain, the complaint alleges.

The Stadard Hotel is owned by Andre Belazas - Boyfriend of several actresses, Spirit cooker Marina Abromowitz and Gihslane Maxwell

The Standard hotel has very stragnge imagery on their website

Yes, it has ping pong tables

The Standard WeHo location is in Adam Schiff's district

Right around the time Trump tweeted Liddle Adam Schiff we have a helicopter acident

GM of WeHo The Stadard of 11 years dies in that crash

Q anon's conclusion point to a Schiff 'Problem' being solved with the Muriatic acid and the potentiall witnesses being 'taken care of'

This is why Adam Schiff is so insane about removing Trump

Omar

Thread by @Imamofpeace: "This thread will be one of the most important threads I make on Twitter. The illegal case behind this will be exposed with full transparency ['...]"

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 21:30

I have sources for what I will say, and they are solid rock authentic. Many officials will criticize me for making this public, but I have a duty to do so. The public needs to know. I understand the potential consequences of this thread, and I accept them.

I am willing to go to the fullest extent with this matter, even if I am required to testify in Congress. This is the beginning of the uncovering of what could be a giant scandal. The sensitive details of this matter will be shared in private, upon request.

This Congresswoman, has confirmed to the above group of Qataris, that the recent investigations into her cases will not end well for her. They also fear that she's in trouble. Now, they are coming after several people. I am one of those people, and their plan is as follows:

This Congresswoman told the group of Qatari officials, who have invested in her, that

@SpeakerPelosi is happy that she is being investigated, because recently, they had rebelled against her (Pelosi). Also, she hates the pressure coming onto the party because of her.

The plan of this Congresswoman is to make all of this ''go away'' and strike a deal with

@SpeakerPelosi, to put her cases aside, if she puts the case of this Congresswoman aside and ignores it. This is Qatar's goal in DC with regards to this Congresswoman.

This Congresswoman, along with a Palestinian female activist from Brooklyn, NYC, agreed on diverting the attention by planning to seek the assistance of

@theintercept, Al-Jazeera, and The Middle Easy Eye, to fabricate the following scandal:

They want to claim, that all of those criticizing this particular Congresswoman, are paid by Saudis and The UAE. And that it is a collusion against the Congresswoman. They are planning on separating me and

@AdelleNaz in one case, and

@DonaldJTrumpJr and the UAE in another.

The reason they chose

@AdelleNaz out of all people who criticize this Congresswoman, it is because of her work/pics with

@VP Mike Pence, and to show them in the fabricated articles. Their basis for this would be: ''Qatari officials said so'' - when it is all false information.

#10

The Congresswoman in question, tried to get me to say that I am being funded by the UAE and Saudi Arabia to ''smear her'' - to then turn it into an international issue. I have the full text her Middle Person sent. Through a leak, and she knows this is NOT the first leak! ðð¼ðð¼

#11

They want to accuse Saudi Arabia and UAE of operating in DC to smear her, and accuse me,

@DonaldJTrumpJr, and others who have come after her (such as

@TomFitton) of being part of an international operation/collusion in America.

#12

As for the Palestinian Female Activist from Brooklyn, I recently reached out to her for a reason. I can confirm that she immediately showed my message to Qatar. And she is in on this too, and she will be running for Congress and they want to protect her too.

#13

When the first leak came to me, I forwarded it to a Qatari Diplomat in DC, to show him that I am onto him and the Congresswoman, and the Manhattan Businessman, and the mentioned group of Qataris:

@A_AlAthbah @saifaalthani @ahjh_althani and Co. < The 'Co.' is very important.

#15

More has been happening behind he scene, and other people are also involved (Shia man) - and I know them one by one. I have made initial contact to pass on all details and materials to the Concerned governments and their intelligence agencies through a lawyer.

#16

This is the first part of this thread. If the Qataris and this Congresswoman go ahead with this plan, either by the aforementioned News agencies or others funded by them in America, I will release more information the Qataris don't want investigated: Jamal...........

@CIA#17

You cannot frame me, you fool

You'd be framing yourself.

No need to trap Mrs. Mole

She will fall into it by herself.

****

You can't help it can you, keep digging! Can't wait for you to see me testify in Congress.

End of Part 1 of this thread.

#19

2020

Why Trump bringing back federal death penalty is about 2020 re-election, not law and order | The Independent

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 14:07

When the US government last restarted executing prisoners, it put to death Timothy McVeigh, one of two men convicted of the Oklahoma City bombing.

On a warm June morning in 2001, the 33-year-old was strapped to a gurney and executed by lethal injection '' his eyes reportedly wide open '' as punishment for the 1995 bombing that killed 168 people and injured scores more.

The execution at the federal jail in Terre Haute, Indiana, was broadcast live via a CCTV feed to more than 200 survivors and relatives, sitting and watching in Oklahoma City. George W Bush's administration put to death two other prisoners: Juan Raul Garza, who was executed a week after McVeigh, and Louis Jones in March 2003.

We'll tell you what's true. You can form your own view.From 15p '¬0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

Now, after a break of almost two decades, Donald Trump has put the federal government back in the execution business. Attorney general William Barr announced on Thursday that the department of justice had scheduled executions for five federal inmates convicted of murders and sex crimes.

''We owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system,'' Barr said in a statement, saying more executions would be announced.

leftCreated with Sketch. rightCreated with Sketch.

1/6 Family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists march from the Texas State Capitol to the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to deliver a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking the governor and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Wood's sentence on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well.

Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images

2/6 Carla Harvey adds her name to a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Jeff Wood's sentence, during a demonstration outside of the Texas State Capitol on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists delivered the petition to the Office of the Governor after the demonstration.Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well.

Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images

3/6 A massive explosion guts Mexico's biggest fireworks market in Mexico City, on December 20, 2016. The explosion killed at least 31 people and injured 72, authorities said. The conflagration in the Mexico City suburb of Tultepec set off a quick-fire series of multicolored blasts that sent a vast cloud of smoke billowing over the capital.

Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images

4/6 Darius Broussard adds his name to a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Jeff Wood's sentence, during a demonstration outside of the Texas State Capitol on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists delivered the petition to the Office of the Governor after the demonstration.Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well.

Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images

5/6 Family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists march from the Texas State Capitol to the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to deliver a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking the governor and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Wood's sentence on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well.

Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images

6/6 Mark Clements (L), who was imprisoned for 28 years before being released and exonerated, encourages passersby to sign a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Jeff Wood's sentence, during a demonstration outside of the Texas State Capitol on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Clements joined family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists to deliver the petition to the Office of the Governor after the demonstration. Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well.

Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images

Yet many suspect the announcement has as much to with Trump's re-election campaign as it does with his administration's desire to deliver justice. While the death penalty has traditionally been an issue on which Republicans have campaigned, support for executions in the US has declined in recent years.

''Public opinion polls show that support for the death penalty is currently near historic lows after peaking in 1994 and declining over the last 25 years,'' says the Death Penalty Information Centre, based in Washington DC.

It says a poll conducted last year found just 54 per cent of Americans support the death penalty, and under half believe it is applied fairly, underlining the vast racial and economic discrimination that plays out in death penalty policy. A staggering 42 per cent of people put to death in the US are black, even though African Americans account for just 12 per cent of the population.

''This is absolutely about Trump delivering [to his supporters] '' just like with the tax cuts and Supreme Court appointments,'' says Jeanne Zaino, professor of political science at Iona College in New York. ''This is all about rallying the troops. He can talk about it at the party convention, and during the debates.''

Donald Trump calls for the death penalty to be brought back for killing police officers in 2017 speech

Zaino doubts that the announcement, which comes amid a flurry of reports about Robert Mueller confirming the president had tried to fire him and that his investigation did not exonerate him, was a coincidence.

''When Mueller was last supposed to testify, he organised a rally. When Mueller was postponed, the rally was called off,'' she tells The Independent. ''This [announcement] has taken up a lot of the news today.''

It would not be the first time Trump has used the issue of the death penalty for his own ends. In 1989, as he was building his real estate empire and promoting his first book, The Art of the Deal, he seized on the case of the Central Park Five '' five black teenagers arrested and detained over the assault and rape of a white jogger.

McVeigh's execution came after he was convicted of 1995 Oklahoma City bombing (Getty)

In a move that was perceived to stir up fervour against the young boys, who insisted they were innocent, Trump spent thousands of dollars to take out full-page adverts in the city's major newspapers calling for the reintroduction of the death penalty. In a CNN interview that year, Trump told Larry King: ''Maybe hate is what we need if we're gonna get something done.''

The five teenagers were eventually exonerated, and the city obliged to pay millions of dollars in compensation. To this day, Trump has refused to admit he was wrong, or acknowledge their innocence.

Trump defended his actions last month when asked about the case, which had recently been the subject of a Netflix series, When They See Us.

''You have people on both sides of that,'' he told reporters at the White House. ''They admitted their guilt.''

Not all conservatives or Republicans will support Trump's decision to once again involve the federal government in the death penalty, which remains on the books in around 30 states, even though the vast majority of executions are carried out in Texas, Oklahoma and the south.

There are currently 62 federal inmates on death row, including Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who planted a bomb at the Boston Marathon in 2013. Of those, 26 are black, 27 per cent are white and seven are Latino, as well as one Asian and one Native American.

Hannah Cox, national manager of Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty, says the move goes against the national trend.

She says: ''A growing number of conservative state lawmakers are driving that trend because they realise that capital punishment goes against their principles of valuing life, fiscal responsibility and limited government, and that the death penalty does nothing to make the public safer.''

Mitch McConnell Received Donations from Voting Machine Lobbyists Before Blocking Election Security Bills

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 16:36

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell squashed two bills intended to ensure voting security on Thursday, just one day after former special counsel Robert Mueller warned that Russians were attempting to sabotage the 2020 presidential elections "as we sit here."

McConnell said he wouldn't allow a vote on the bills because they were "so partisan," but, as previously reported, earlier this year McConnell received a slew of donations from four of the top voting machine lobbyists in the country.

"Clearly this request is not a serious effort to make a law. Clearly something so partisan that it only received one single solitary Republican vote in the House is not going to travel through the Senate by unanimous consent," said McConnell on the Senate floor.

The plans would likely burden the two largest electronic voting machine vendors in the United States, Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems, with new regulations and financial burdens. Together, the companies make up about 80 percent of all voting machines used in the country and both have far-reaching lobbying arms in Washington D.C. Many of those lobbyists have contributed to the McConnell campaign, reported Sludge last month, an investigative outlet that focuses on money in politics.

Sludge found that Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck lobbyist David Cohen, who has worked on behalf of Dominion Voting Systems this year, donated $2,000 to McConnell during this time. Brian Wild, who works with Cohen and has also lobbied Dominion, gave McConnell $1,000.

FECAround the same time, on February 19 and March 4 Emily Kirlin and Jen Olson, who have lobbied on behalf of Election Systems & Software over the last year donated $1,000 to McConnell each.

Thursday's first bill, presented by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer would authorize $775 million to bolster election security and require states to keep paper trails of all votes cast. The second, presented by Senator Richard Blumenthal, would require political candidates and their staff and family members to notify the FBI about any offers of assistance from foreign governments.

Election Systems & Software's CEO Tom Burt did speak in favor of creating paper trails for digital election systems and urged Congress to pass legislation requiring states to do so. Election Systems & Software has said it no longer sells machines without paperless ballots, so a rule change would benefit them.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) answers questions at the U.S. Capitol on July 09, 2019 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty"It's not surprising to me that Mitch McConnell is receiving these campaign contributions," the Brennan Center for Justice's Lawrence Norden told Sludge last month. "He seems single-handedly to be standing in the way of anything passing in Congress around election security, and that includes things that the vendors might want, like money for the states to replace antiquated equipment."

McConnell's actions seemed even more out of balance with his party, as the Senate Intelligence Committee' '--led by Republicans' '--released a report later on Thursday claiming Russians have targeted voting systems in all 50 states in 2016. Though there was no evidence votes were changed, in Illinois "Russian cyberactors were in a position to delete or change voter data."

In 2018, there were 14 states that used electronic voting systems in 2018 with no paper trail, that means that if votes were inaccurately tallied or machines malfunctioned, there would be no way to investigate or recover those votes. Voting machine companies are not currently subject to any federally-mandated security standards.

Morning Joe's Joe Scarborough slammed McConnell for blocking the votes Friday morning.

"He is aiding and abetting [Russian President] Vladimir Putin's ongoing attempts to subvert American democracy, according to the Republican FBI, CIA, DNI, intel committee," he said. "All Republicans are all saying Russia is subverting American democracy and Moscow Mitch won't even let the Senate take a vote on it. That is un-American."

Text - H.R.2722 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): SAFE Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 11:03

116th CONGRESS 1st Session

H. R. 2722

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 28 (legislative day

, June 27), 2019

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

AN ACT

To protect elections for public office by providing financial support and enhanced security for the infrastructure used to carry out such elections, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of theUnited States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title; table of contents .

(a) Short title .'--This Act may be cited as the ''Securing America's Federal Elections Act'' or the ''SAFE Act''.

(b) Table of contents .'--The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec.'1.'Short title; table of contents.

TITLE I'--FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE

Subtitle A'--Voting System Security Improvement Grants

PART 1'--PROMOTING ACCURACY, INTEGRITY, AND SECURITY THROUGH VOTER-VERIFIED PERMANENT PAPER BALLOT

Sec.'101.'Short title. Sec.'102.'Paper ballot and manual counting requirements. Sec.'103.'Accessibility and ballot verification for individuals with disabilities. Sec.'104.'Durability and readability requirements for ballots. Sec.'105.'Paper ballot printing requirements. Sec.'106.'Study and report on optimal ballot design. Sec.'107.'Effective date for new requirements. PART 2'--GRANTS TO CARRY OUT IMPROVEMENTS

Sec.'111.'Grants for obtaining compliant paper ballot voting systems and carrying out voting system security improvements. Sec.'112.'Coordination of voting system security activities with use of requirements payments and election administration requirements under Help America Vote Act of 2002. Sec.'113.'Incorporation of definitions. Subtitle B'--Risk-Limiting Audits

Sec.'121.'Risk-limiting audits. Sec.'122.'Funding for conducting post-election risk-limiting audits. Sec.'123.'GAO analysis of effects of audits. TITLE II'--PROMOTING CYBERSECURITY THROUGH IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTION ADMINISTRATION

Sec.'201.'Voting system cybersecurity requirements. Sec.'202.'Testing of existing voting systems to ensure compliance with election cybersecurity guidelines and other guidelines. Sec.'203.'Requiring use of software and hardware for which information is disclosed by manufacturer. Sec.'204.'Treatment of electronic poll books as part of voting systems. Sec.'205.'Pre-election reports on voting system usage. Sec.'206.'Streamlining collection of election information. TITLE III'--USE OF VOTING MACHINES MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES

Sec.'301.'Use of voting machines manufactured in the United States. Sec.'401.'Severability. TITLE I '-- Financial Support for Election Infrastructure

subtitle A '-- Voting System Security Improvement Grants

PART 1 '-- Promoting Accuracy, Integrity, and Security Through Voter-Verified Permanent Paper Ballot

SEC. 101. Short title .

This subtitle may be cited as the ''Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2019''.

SEC. 102. Paper ballot and manual counting requirements .

(a) In general .'--Section 301(a)(2) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:

''(2) P APER BALLOT REQUIREMENT.'--

''(A) V OTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOTS.'--

''(i) P APER BALLOT REQUIREMENT.'-- (I) The voting system shall require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection and verification by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical character recognition device or other counting device. For purposes of this subclause, the term 'individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot' means a paper ballot marked by the voter by hand or a paper ballot marked through the use of a nontabulating ballot marking device or system, so long as the voter shall have the option to mark his or her ballot by hand. The paper ballot shall be printed or marked in such a way that vote selections, including all vote selections scanned by voting systems to tabulate votes, can be inspected and verified by the voter without training or instruction or audited by election officials without the aid of any machine or other equipment.

''(II) The voting system shall provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any error on the paper ballot before the permanent voter-verified paper ballot is preserved in accordance with clause (ii).

''(III) The voting system shall not preserve the voter-verified paper ballots in any manner that makes it possible, at any time after the ballot has been cast, to associate a voter with the record of the voter's vote without the voter's consent.

''(ii) P RESERVATION AS OFFICIAL RECORD.'--The individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot used in accordance with clause (i) shall constitute the official ballot and shall be preserved and used as the official ballot for purposes of any recount or audit conducted with respect to any election for Federal office in which the voting system is used.

''(iii) M ANUAL COUNTING REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOUNTS AND AUDITS.'-- (I) Each paper ballot used pursuant to clause (i) shall be suitable for a manual audit, and shall be counted by hand in any recount or audit conducted with respect to any election for Federal office.

''(II) In the event of any inconsistencies or irregularities between any electronic vote tallies and the vote tallies determined by counting by hand the individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots used pursuant to clause (i), and subject to subparagraph (B), the individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots shall be the true and correct record of the votes cast.

''(iv) A PPLICATION TO ALL BALLOTS.'--The requirements of this subparagraph shall apply to all ballots cast in elections for Federal office, including ballots cast by absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and other absentee voters.

''(B) S PECIAL RULE FOR TREATMENT OF DISPUTES WHEN PAPER BALLOTS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE COMPROMISED.'--

''(i) I N GENERAL.'--In the event that'--

''(I) there is any inconsistency between any electronic vote tallies and the vote tallies determined by counting by hand the individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots used pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i) with respect to any election for Federal office; and

''(II) it is demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence (as determined in accordance with the applicable standards in the jurisdiction involved) in any recount, audit, or contest of the result of the election that the paper ballots have been compromised (by damage or mischief or otherwise) and that a sufficient number of the ballots have been so compromised that the result of the election could be changed,

the determination of the appropriate remedy with respect to the election shall be made in accordance with applicable State law, except that the electronic tally shall not be used as the exclusive basis for determining the official certified result.

''(ii) R ULE FOR CONSIDERATION OF BALLOTS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH VOTING MACHINE.'--For purposes of clause (i), only the paper ballots deemed compromised, if any, shall be considered in the calculation of whether or not the result of the election could be changed due to the compromised paper ballots.''.

(b) Conforming amendment clarifying applicability of alternative language accessibility .'--Section 301(a)(4) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)(4)) is amended by inserting ''(including the paper ballots required to be used under paragraph (2))'' after ''voting system''.

(1) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking ''counted'' and inserting ''counted, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3)'';

(2) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ''counted'' and inserting ''counted, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3)'';

(3) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking ''counted'' each place it appears and inserting ''counted, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3)''; and

(4) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ''counted'' and inserting ''counted, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3)''.

SEC. 103. Accessibility and ballot verification for individuals with disabilities .

(a) In general .'--Section 301(a)(3)(B) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)(3)(B)) is amended to read as follows:

''(B) (i) ensure that individuals with disabilities and others are given an equivalent opportunity to vote, including with privacy and independence, in a manner that produces a voter-verified paper ballot as for other voters;

''(ii) satisfy the requirement of subparagraph (A) through the use of at least one voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities, including nonvisual and enhanced visual accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, and nonmanual and enhanced manual accessibility for the mobility and dexterity impaired, at each polling place; and

''(iii) meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) and paragraph (2)(A) by using a system that'--

''(I) allows the voter to privately and independently verify the permanent paper ballot through the presentation, in accessible form, of the printed or marked vote selections from the same printed or marked information that would be used for any vote counting or auditing; and

''(II) allows the voter to privately and independently verify and cast the permanent paper ballot without requiring the voter to manually handle the paper ballot; and''.

(b) Specific requirement of study, testing, and development of accessible paper ballot verification mechanisms .'--

(1) S TUDY AND REPORTING.'--Subtitle C of title II of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended'--

(A) by redesignating section 247 as section 248; and

(B) by inserting after section 246 the following new section:

''SEC. 247. Study and report on accessible paper ballot verification mechanisms .

''(a) Study and report .'--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall make grants to not fewer than three eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible paper ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy, including best practices for the mechanisms themselves and the processes through which the mechanisms are used.

''(b) Eligibility .'--An entity is eligible to receive a grant under this part if it submits to the Director (at such time and in such form as the Director may require) an application containing'--

''(1) certifications that the entity shall specifically investigate enhanced methods or devices, including non-electronic devices, that will assist such individuals and voters in marking voter-verified paper ballots and presenting or transmitting the information printed or marked on such ballots back to such individuals and voters, and casting such ballots;

''(2) a certification that the entity shall complete the activities carried out with the grant not later than December 31, 2020; and

''(3) such other information and certifications as the Director may require.

''(c) Availability of technology .'--Any technology developed with the grants made under this section shall be treated as non-proprietary and shall be made available to the public, including to manufacturers of voting systems.

''(d) Coordination with grants for technology improvements .'--The Director shall carry out this section so that the activities carried out with the grants made under subsection (a) are coordinated with the research conducted under the grant program carried out by the Commission under section 271, to the extent that the Director and Commission determine necessary to provide for the advancement of accessible voting technology.

''(e) Authorization of appropriations .'--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a) $5,000,000, to remain available until expended.''.

(2) C LERICAL AMENDMENT.'--The table of contents of such Act is amended'--

(A) by redesignating the item relating to section 247 as relating to section 248; and

(B) by inserting after the item relating to section 246 the following new item:

''Sec. 247. Study and report on accessible paper ballot verification mechanisms.''.

(c) Clarification of accessibility standards under voluntary voting system guidance .'--In adopting any voluntary guidance under subtitle B of title III of the Help America Vote Act with respect to the accessibility of the paper ballot verification requirements for individuals with disabilities, the Election Assistance Commission shall include and apply the same accessibility standards applicable under the voluntary guidance adopted for accessible voting systems under such subtitle.

(d) Permitting use of funds for protection and advocacy systems to support actions to enforce election-Related disability access .'--Section 292(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21062(a)) is amended by striking ''; except that'' and all that follows and inserting a period.

SEC. 104. Durability and readability requirements for ballots .

Section 301(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(7) D URABILITY AND READABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR BALLOTS.'--

''(A) D URABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPER BALLOTS.'--

''(i) I N GENERAL.'--All voter-verified paper ballots required to be used under this Act shall be marked or printed on durable paper.

''(ii) D EFINITION.'--For purposes of this Act, paper is 'durable' if it is capable of withstanding multiple counts and recounts by hand without compromising the fundamental integrity of the ballots, and capable of retaining the information marked or printed on them for the full duration of a retention and preservation period of 22 months.

''(B) R EADABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPER BALLOTS MARKED BY BALLOT MARKING DEVICE.'--All voter-verified paper ballots completed by the voter through the use of a ballot marking device shall be clearly readable by the voter without assistance (other than eyeglasses or other personal vision enhancing devices) and by an optical character recognition device or other device equipped for individuals with disabilities.''.

SEC. 105. Paper ballot printing requirements .

(a) Requiring paper ballots To be printed on recycled paper manufactured in United States .'--Section 301(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)), as amended by section 104, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(8) P RINTING REQUIREMENTS FOR BALLOTS.'--All paper ballots used in an election for Federal office shall be printed in the United States on recycled paper manufactured in the United States.''.

(b) Effective date .'--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to elections occurring on or after January 1, 2021.

SEC. 106. Study and report on optimal ballot design .

(a) Study .'--The Election Assistance Commission shall conduct a study of the best ways to design ballots used in elections for public office, including paper ballots and electronic or digital ballots, to minimize confusion and user errors.

(b) Report .'--Not later than January 1, 2020, the Election Assistance Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a).

SEC. 107. Effective date for new requirements .

Section 301(d) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(d)) is amended to read as follows:

''(d) Effective Date .'--

''(1) I N GENERAL.'--Except as provided in paragraph (2), each State and jurisdiction shall be required to comply with the requirements of this section on and after January 1, 2006.

''(2) S PECIAL RULE FOR CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.'--

''(A) I N GENERAL.'--Except as provided in section 105(b) of the Securing America's Federal Elections Act and subparagraphs (B) and (C), the requirements of this section which are first imposed on a State and jurisdiction pursuant to the amendments made by the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2019 shall apply with respect to voting systems used for any election for Federal office held in 2020 or any succeeding year.

''(B) D ELAY FOR JURISDICTIONS USING CERTAIN PAPER RECORD PRINTERS OR CERTAIN SYSTEMS USING OR PRODUCING VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER RECORDS IN 2018.'--

''(i) D ELAY.'--In the case of a jurisdiction described in clause (ii), subparagraph (A) shall apply to a voting system in the jurisdiction as if the reference in such subparagraph to '2020' were a reference to '2022', but only with respect to the following requirements of this section:

''(I) Paragraph (2)(A)(i)(I) of subsection (a) (relating to the use of voter-verified paper ballots).

''(II) Paragraphs (3)(B)(iii)(I) and (II) of subsection (a) (relating to access to verification from and casting of the durable paper ballot).

''(III) Paragraph (7) of subsection (a) (relating to durability and readability requirements for ballots).

''(ii) J URISDICTIONS DESCRIBED.'--A jurisdiction described in this clause is a jurisdiction'--

''(I) which used voter-verified paper record printers attached to direct recording electronic voting machines, or which used other voting systems that used or produced paper records of the vote verifiable by voters but that are not in compliance with paragraphs (2)(A)(i)(I), (3)(B)(iii)(I) and (II), and (7) of subsection (a) (as amended or added by the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2019), for the administration of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2018; and

''(II) which will continue to use such printers or systems for the administration of elections for Federal office held in years before 2022.

''(iii) M ANDATORY AVAILABILITY OF PAPER BALLOTS AT POLLING PLACES USING GRANDFATHERED PRINTERS AND SYSTEMS.'--

''(I) R EQUIRING BALLOTS TO BE OFFERED AND PROVIDED.'--The appropriate election official at each polling place that uses a printer or system described in clause (ii)(I) for the administration of elections for Federal office shall offer each individual who is eligible to cast a vote in the election at the polling place the opportunity to cast the vote using a blank pre-printed paper ballot which the individual may mark by hand and which is not produced by the direct recording electronic voting machine or other such system. The official shall provide the individual with the ballot and the supplies necessary to mark the ballot, and shall ensure (to the greatest extent practicable) that the waiting period for the individual to cast a vote is the lesser of 30 minutes or the average waiting period for an individual who does not agree to cast the vote using such a paper ballot under this clause.

''(II) T REATMENT OF BALLOT.'--Any paper ballot which is cast by an individual under this clause shall be counted and otherwise treated as a regular ballot for all purposes (including by incorporating it into the final unofficial vote count (as defined by the State) for the precinct) and not as a provisional ballot, unless the individual casting the ballot would have otherwise been required to cast a provisional ballot.

''(III) P OSTING OF NOTICE.'--The appropriate election official shall ensure there is prominently displayed at each polling place a notice that describes the obligation of the official to offer individuals the opportunity to cast votes using a pre-printed blank paper ballot.

''(IV) T RAINING OF ELECTION OFFICIALS.'--The chief State election official shall ensure that election officials at polling places in the State are aware of the requirements of this clause, including the requirement to display a notice under subclause (III), and are aware that it is a violation of the requirements of this title for an election official to fail to offer an individual the opportunity to cast a vote using a blank pre-printed paper ballot.

''(V) P ERIOD OF APPLICABILITY.'--The requirements of this clause apply only during the period in which the delay is in effect under clause (i).

''(C) S PECIAL RULE FOR JURISDICTIONS USING CERTAIN NONTABULATING BALLOT MARKING DEVICES.'--In the case of a jurisdiction which uses a nontabulating ballot marking device which automatically deposits the ballot into a privacy sleeve, subparagraph (A) shall apply to a voting system in the jurisdiction as if the reference in such subparagraph to 'any election for Federal office held in 2020 or any succeeding year' were a reference to 'elections for Federal office occurring held in 2022 or each succeeding year', but only with respect to paragraph (3)(B)(iii)(II) of subsection (a) (relating to nonmanual casting of the durable paper ballot).''.

PART 2 '-- Grants to Carry Out Improvements

SEC. 111. Grants for obtaining compliant paper ballot voting systems and carrying out voting system security improvements .

(a) Availability of grants .'--Subtitle D of title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new part:

''PART 7 '-- Grants for Obtaining Compliant Paper Ballot Voting Systems and Carrying Out Voting System Security Improvements

''SEC. 297. Grants for obtaining compliant paper ballot voting systems and carrying out voting system security improvements .

''(a) Availability and use of grant .'--The Commission shall make a grant to each eligible State'--

''(1) to replace a voting system'--

''(A) which does not meet the requirements which are first imposed on the State pursuant to the amendments made by the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2019 with a voting system which does meet such requirements, for use in the regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office held in November 2020; or

''(B) which does meet such requirements but which is not in compliance with the most recent voluntary voting system guidelines issued by the Commission prior to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2020 with another system which does meet such requirements and is in compliance with such guidelines;

''(2) to carry out voting system security improvements described in section 297A with respect to the regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office held in November 2020 and each succeeding election for Federal office; and

''(3) to implement and model best practices for ballot design, ballot instructions, and the testing of ballots.

''(b) Amount of grant .'--The amount of a grant made to a State under this section shall be such amount as the Commission determines to be appropriate, except that such amount may not be less than the product of $1 and the average of the number of individuals who cast votes in any of the two most recent regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office held in the State.

''(c) Pro rata reductions .'--If the amount of funds appropriated for grants under this part is insufficient to ensure that each State receives the amount of the grant calculated under subsection (b), the Commission shall make such pro rata reductions in such amounts as may be necessary to ensure that the entire amount appropriated under this part is distributed to the States.

''(d) Surplus appropriations .'--If the amount of funds appropriated for grants authorized under section 297D(a)(2) exceed the amount necessary to meet the requirements of subsection (b), the Commission shall consider the following in making a determination to award remaining funds to a State:

''(1) The record of the State in carrying out the following with respect to the administration of elections for Federal office:

''(A) Providing voting machines that are less than 10 years old.

''(B) Implementing strong chain of custody procedures for the physical security of voting equipment and paper records at all stages of the process.

''(C) Conducting pre-election testing on every voting machine and ensuring that paper ballots are available wherever electronic machines are used.

''(D) Maintaining offline backups of voter registration lists.

''(E) Providing a secure voter registration database that logs requests submitted to the database.

''(F) Publishing and enforcing a policy detailing use limitations and security safeguards to protect the personal information of voters in the voter registration process.

''(G) Providing secure processes and procedures for reporting vote tallies.

''(H) Providing a secure platform for disseminating vote totals.

''(2) Evidence of established conditions of innovation and reform in providing voting system security and the proposed plan of the State for implementing additional conditions.

''(3) Evidence of collaboration between relevant stakeholders, including local election officials, in developing the grant implementation plan described in section 297B.

''(4) The plan of the State to conduct a rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of the activities carried out with the grant.

''(e) Ability of replacement systems To administer ranked choice elections .'--To the greatest extent practicable, an eligible State which receives a grant to replace a voting system under this section shall ensure that the replacement system is capable of administering a system of ranked choice voting under which each voter shall rank the candidates for the office in the order of the voter's preference.

''SEC. 297A. Voting system security improvements described .

''(a) Permitted uses .'--A voting system security improvement described in this section is any of the following:

''(1) The acquisition of goods and services from qualified election infrastructure vendors by purchase, lease, or such other arrangements as may be appropriate.

''(2) Cyber and risk mitigation training.

''(3) A security risk and vulnerability assessment of the State's election infrastructure which is carried out by a provider of cybersecurity services under a contract entered into between the chief State election official and the provider.

''(4) The maintenance of election infrastructure, including addressing risks and vulnerabilities which are identified under either of the security risk and vulnerability assessments described in paragraph (3), except that none of the funds provided under this part may be used to renovate or replace a building or facility which is used primarily for purposes other than the administration of elections for public office.

''(5) Providing increased technical support for any information technology infrastructure that the chief State election official deems to be part of the State's election infrastructure or designates as critical to the operation of the State's election infrastructure.

''(6) Enhancing the cybersecurity and operations of the information technology infrastructure described in paragraph (4).

''(7) Enhancing the cybersecurity of voter registration systems.

''(b) Qualified election infrastructure vendors described .'--

''(1) I N GENERAL.'--For purposes of this part, a 'qualified election infrastructure vendor' is any person who provides, supports, or maintains, or who seeks to provide, support, or maintain, election infrastructure on behalf of a State, unit of local government, or election agency, who meets the criteria described in paragraph (2).

''(2) C RITERIA.'--The criteria described in this paragraph are such criteria as the Chairman, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall establish and publish, and shall include each of the following requirements:

''(A) The vendor must be owned and controlled by a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

''(B) The vendor must disclose to the Chairman and the Secretary, and to the chief State election official of any State to which the vendor provides any goods and services with funds provided under this part, of any sourcing outside the United States for parts of the election infrastructure.

''(C) The vendor agrees to ensure that the election infrastructure will be developed and maintained in a manner that is consistent with the cybersecurity best practices issued by the Technical Guidelines Development Committee.

''(D) The vendor agrees to maintain its information technology infrastructure in a manner that is consistent with the cybersecurity best practices issued by the Technical Guidelines Development Committee.

''(E) The vendor agrees to meet the requirements of paragraph (3) with respect to any known or suspected cybersecurity incidents involving any of the goods and services provided by the vendor pursuant to a grant under this part.

''(F) The vendor agrees to permit independent security testing by the Commission (in accordance with section 231(a)) and by the Secretary of the goods and services provided by the vendor pursuant to a grant under this part.

''(3) C YBERSECURITY INCIDENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.'--

''(A) I N GENERAL.'--A vendor meets the requirements of this paragraph if, upon becoming aware of the possibility that an election cybersecurity incident has occurred involving any of the goods and services provided by the vendor pursuant to a grant under this part'--

''(i) the vendor promptly assesses whether or not such an incident occurred, and submits a notification meeting the requirements of subparagraph (B) to the Secretary and the Chairman of the assessment as soon as practicable (but in no case later than 3 days after the vendor first becomes aware of the possibility that the incident occurred);

''(ii) if the incident involves goods or services provided to an election agency, the vendor submits a notification meeting the requirements of subparagraph (B) to the agency as soon as practicable (but in no case later than 3 days after the vendor first becomes aware of the possibility that the incident occurred), and cooperates with the agency in providing any other necessary notifications relating to the incident; and

''(iii) the vendor provides all necessary updates to any notification submitted under clause (i) or clause (ii).

''(B) C ONTENTS OF NOTIFICATIONS.'--Each notification submitted under clause (i) or clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) shall contain the following information with respect to any election cybersecurity incident covered by the notification:

''(i) The date, time, and time zone when the election cybersecurity incident began, if known.

''(ii) The date, time, and time zone when the election cybersecurity incident was detected.

''(iii) The date, time, and duration of the election cybersecurity incident.

''(iv) The circumstances of the election cybersecurity incident, including the specific election infrastructure systems believed to have been accessed and information acquired, if any.

''(v) Any planned and implemented technical measures to respond to and recover from the incident.

''(vi) In the case of any notification which is an update to a prior notification, any additional material information relating to the incident, including technical data, as it becomes available.

''SEC. 297B. Eligibility of States .

''A State is eligible to receive a grant under this part if the State submits to the Commission, at such time and in such form as the Commission may require, an application containing'--

''(1) a description of how the State will use the grant to carry out the activities authorized under this part;

''(2) a certification and assurance that, not later than 5 years after receiving the grant, the State will carry out voting system security improvements, as described in section 297A; and

''(3) such other information and assurances as the Commission may require.

''SEC. 297C. Reports to Congress .

''Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, the Commission shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees, including the Committees on Homeland Security, House Administration, and the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Judiciary, and Rules and Administration of the Senate, on the activities carried out with the funds provided under this part.

''SEC. 297D. Authorization of appropriations .

''(a) Authorization .'--There are authorized to be appropriated for grants under this part'--

''(1) $600,000,000 for fiscal year 2019; and

''(2) $175,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2026.

''(b) Continuing availability of amounts .'--Any amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of this section shall remain available until expended.''.

(b) Clerical amendment .'--The table of contents of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of title II the following:

''PART 7'--GRANTS FOR OBTAINING COMPLIANT PAPER BALLOT VOTING SYSTEMS AND CARRYING OUT VOTING SYSTEM SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS

''Sec. 297. Grants for obtaining compliant paper ballot voting systems and carrying out voting system security improvements. ''Sec. 297A. Voting system security improvements described. ''Sec. 297B. Eligibility of States. ''Sec. 297C. Reports to Congress. ''Sec. 297D. Authorization of appropriations.''. SEC. 112. Coordination of voting system security activities with use of requirements payments and election administration requirements under Help America Vote Act of 2002 .

(a) Duties of Election Assistance Commission .'--Section 202 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20922) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking ''by'' and inserting ''and the security of election infrastructure by''.

(b) Membership of Secretary of Homeland Security on Board of Advisors of Election Assistance Commission .'--Section 214(a) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20944(a)) is amended'--

(1) by striking ''37 members'' and inserting ''38 members''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(17) The Secretary of Homeland Security or the Secretary's designee.''.

(c) Representative of Department of Homeland Security on Technical Guidelines Development Committee .'--Section 221(c)(1) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20961(c)(1)) is amended'--

(1) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (F); and

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraph:

''(E) A representative of the Department of Homeland Security.''.

(d) Goals of periodic studies of election administration issues; consultation with Secretary of Homeland Security .'--Section 241(a) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20981(a)) is amended'--

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ''the Commission shall'' and inserting ''the Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security (as appropriate), shall'';

(2) by striking ''and'' at the end of paragraph (3);

(3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and

(4) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new paragraph:

''(4) will be secure against attempts to undermine the integrity of election systems by cyber or other means; and''.

(e) Requirements payments .'--

(1) U SE OF PAYMENTS FOR VOTING SYSTEM SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS.'--Section 251(b) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21001(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(4) P ERMITTING USE OF PAYMENTS FOR VOTING SYSTEM SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS.'--A State may use a requirements payment to carry out any of the following activities:

''(A) Cyber and risk mitigation training.

''(B) Providing increased technical support for any information technology infrastructure that the chief State election official deems to be part of the State's election infrastructure or designates as critical to the operation of the State's election infrastructure.

''(C) Enhancing the cybersecurity and operations of the information technology infrastructure described in subparagraph (B).

''(D) Enhancing the security of voter registration databases.''.

(2) I NCORPORATION OF ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION IN STATE PLANS FOR USE OF PAYMENTS.'--Section 254(a)(1) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21004(a)(1)) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting '', including the protection of election infrastructure.''.

(3) C OMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING STATE PLAN FOR USE OF PAYMENTS.'--Section 255 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21005) is amended'--

(A) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and

(B) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection:

''(b) Geographic representation .'--The members of the committee shall be a representative group of individuals from the State's counties, cities, towns, and Indian tribes, and shall represent the needs of rural as well as urban areas of the State, as the case may be.''.

(f) Ensuring protection of computerized Statewide voter registration list .'--Section 303(a)(3) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21083(a)(3)) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting '', as well as other measures to prevent and deter cybersecurity incidents, as identified by the Commission, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Technical Guidelines Development Committee.''.

SEC. 113. Incorporation of definitions .

(a) In general .'--Section 901 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21141) is amended to read as follows:

''SEC. 901. Definitions .

''In this Act, the following definitions apply:

''(1) The term 'cybersecurity incident' has the meaning given the term 'incident' in section 227 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 659).

''(2) The term 'election agency' means any component of a State, or any component of a unit of local government in a State, which is responsible for the administration of elections for Federal office in the State.

''(3) The term 'election infrastructure' means storage facilities, polling places, and centralized vote tabulation locations used to support the administration of elections for public office, as well as related information and communications technology (including the technology used by or on behalf of election officials to produce and distribute voter guides to elections), including voter registration databases, voting machines, electronic mail and other communications systems (including electronic mail and other systems of vendors who have entered into contracts with election agencies to support the administration of elections, manage the election process, and report and display election results), and other systems used to manage the election process and to report and display election results on behalf of an election agency.

''(4) The term 'State' means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.''.

(b) Clerical amendment .'--The table of contents of such Act is amended by amending the item relating to section 901 to read as follows:

''Sec. 901. Definitions.''.

subtitle B '-- Risk-Limiting Audits

SEC. 121. Risk-limiting audits .

(a) In general .'--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 the following new section:

''SEC. 303A. Risk-limiting audits .

''(a) Definitions .'--In this section:

''(1) R ISK-LIMITING AUDIT.'--The term 'risk-limiting audit' means, with respect to any election contest, a post-election process that'--

''(A) has a probability of at least 95 percent of correcting the reported outcome if the reported outcome is not the correct outcome;

''(B) will not change the outcome if the reported outcome is the correct outcome; and

''(C) involves a manual adjudication of voter intent from some or all of the ballots validly cast in the election contest.

''(2) R EPORTED OUTCOME; CORRECT OUTCOME; OUTCOME.'--

''(A) R EPORTED OUTCOME.'--The term 'reported outcome' means the outcome of an election contest which is determined according to the canvass and which will become the official, certified outcome unless it is revised by an audit, recount, or other legal process.

''(B) C ORRECT OUTCOME.'--The term 'correct outcome' means the outcome that would be determined by a manual adjudication of voter intent for all votes validly cast in the election contest.

''(C) O UTCOME.'--The term 'outcome' means the winner or set of winners of an election contest.

''(3) M ANUAL ADJUDICATION OF VOTER INTENT.'--The term 'manual adjudication of voter intent' means direct inspection and determination by humans, without assistance from electronic or mechanical tabulation devices, of the ballot choices marked by voters on each voter-verified paper record.

''(4) B ALLOT MANIFEST.'--The term 'ballot manifest' means a record maintained by each jurisdiction that'--

''(A) is created without reliance on any part of the voting system used to tabulate votes;

''(B) functions as a sampling frame for conducting a risk-limiting audit; and

''(C) accounts for all ballots validly cast regardless of how they were tabulated and includes a precise description of the manner in which the ballots are physically stored, including the total number of physical groups of ballots, the numbering system for each group, a unique label for each group, and the number of ballots in each such group.

''(b) Requirements .'--

''(1) I N GENERAL.'--

''(A) A UDITS.'--

''(i) I N GENERAL.'--Each State and jurisdiction shall administer risk-limiting audits of the results of all election contests for Federal office held in the State in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (2).

''(ii) E XCEPTION.'--Clause (i) shall not apply to any election contest for which the State or jurisdiction conducts a full recount through a manual adjudication of voter intent.

''(B) F ULL MANUAL TABULATION.'--If a risk-limiting audit conducted under subparagraph (A) corrects the reported outcome of an election contest, the State or jurisdiction shall use the results of the manual adjudication of voter intent conducted as part of the risk-limiting audit as the official results of the election contest.

''(2) A UDIT REQUIREMENTS.'--

''(A) R ULES AND PROCEDURES.'--

''(i) I N GENERAL.'--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the chief State election official of the State shall establish rules and procedures for conducting risk-limiting audits.

''(ii) M ATTERS INCLUDED.'--The rules and procedures established under clause (i) shall include the following:

''(I) Rules and procedures for ensuring the security of ballots and documenting that prescribed procedures were followed.

''(II) Rules and procedures for ensuring the accuracy of ballot manifests produced by jurisdictions.

''(III) Rules and procedures for governing the format of ballot manifests and other data involved in risk-limiting audits.

''(IV) Methods to ensure that any cast vote records used in a risk-limiting audit are those used by the voting system to tally the results of the election contest sent to the chief State election official of the State and made public.

''(V) Rules and procedures for the random selection of ballots to be inspected manually during each audit.

''(VI) Rules and procedures for the calculations and other methods to be used in the audit and to determine whether and when the audit of each election contest is complete.

''(VII) Rules and procedures for testing any software used to conduct risk-limiting audits.

''(B) P UBLIC REPORT.'--

''(i) I N GENERAL.'--After the completion of the risk-limiting audit and at least 5 days before the election contest is certified, the State shall publish a report on the results of the audit, together with such information as necessary to confirm that the audit was conducted properly.

''(ii) F ORMAT OF DATA.'--All data published with the report under clause (i) shall be published in machine-readable, open data formats.

''(iii) P ROTECTION OF ANONYMITY OF VOTES.'--Information and data published by the State under this subparagraph shall not compromise the anonymity of votes.

''(c) Effective date .'--Each State and jurisdiction shall be required to comply with the requirements of this section for the first regularly scheduled election for Federal office held more than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Securing America's Federal Elections Act and for each subsequent election for Federal office.''.

(b) Conforming amendment relating to enforcement .'--Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking ''sections 301, 302, and 303'' and inserting ''subtitle A of title III''.

(c) Clerical Amendment .'--The table of contents for such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the following new item:

''Sec. 303A. Risk-limiting audits.''.

SEC. 122. Funding for conducting post-election risk-limiting audits .

(a) Payments to States .'--Subtitle D of title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21001 et seq.), as amended by section 111(a), is amended by adding at the end the following new part:

''PART 8 '-- Funding for Post-Election Risk-Limiting Audits

''SEC. 298. Payments for post-election risk-limiting audits .

''(a) In general .'--The Commission shall pay to States the amount of eligible post-election audit costs.

''(b) Eligible post-Election audit costs .'--For purposes of this section, the term 'eligible post-election audit costs' means, with respect to any State, costs paid or incurred by the State or local government within the State for'--

''(1) the conduct of any risk-limiting audit (as defined in section 303A) with respect to an election for Federal office occurring after the date of the enactment of this part; and

''(2) any equipment, software, or services necessary for the conduct of any such risk-limiting audit.

''(c) Special rules .'--

''(1) R ULES AND PROCEDURES.'--The Commission shall establish rules and procedures for submission of eligible post-election audit costs for payments under this section.

''(2) I NSUFFICIENT FUNDS.'--In any case in which the amounts appropriated under subsection (d) are insufficient to pay all eligible post-election audit costs submitted by States with respect to any Federal election, the amount of such costs paid under subsection (a) to any State shall be equal to the amount that bears the same ratio to the amount which would be paid to such State (determined without regard to this paragraph) as'--

''(A) the number of individuals who voted in such Federal election in such State; bears to

''(B) the total number of individuals who voted in such Federal election in all States submitting a claim for eligible post-election audit costs.

''(d) Authorization of appropriations .'--

''(1) I N GENERAL.'--There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Commission such sums as are necessary to carry out this part.

''(2) A VAILABILITY.'--Any amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall remain available without fiscal year limitation until expended.''.

(b) Clerical amendment .'--The table of contents of such Act, as amended by section 111(b), is further amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of title II the following:

''PART 8'--FUNDING FOR POST-ELECTION RISK-LIMITING AUDITS

''Sec. 298. Payments for post-election risk-limiting audits.''. SEC. 123. GAO analysis of effects of audits .

(a) Analysis .'--Not later than 6 months after the first elections for Federal office is held for which States must conduct risk-limiting audits under section 303A of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (as added by section 121), the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an analysis of the extent to which such audits have improved the administration of such elections and the security of election infrastructure in the States receiving such grants.

(b) Report .'--The Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report on the analysis conducted under subsection (a) to the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.

TITLE II '-- Promoting Cybersecurity Through Improvements in Election Administration

SEC. 201. Voting system cybersecurity requirements .

(a) Ballot tabulating devices .'--Section 301(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)), as amended by section 104 and section 105, is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(9) B ALLOT TABULATING METHODS.'--

''(A) I N GENERAL.'--The voting system tabulates ballots by hand or through the use of an optical scanning device that meets the requirements of subparagraph (B).

''(B) R EQUIREMENTS FOR OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICES.'--Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the requirements of this subparagraph are as follows:

''(i) The device is designed and built in a manner in which it is mechanically impossible for the device to add or change the vote selections on a printed or marked ballot.

''(ii) The device is capable of exporting its data (including vote tally data sets and cast vote records) in a machine-readable, open data standard format required by the Commission, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

''(iii) The device consists of hardware that demonstrably conforms to a hardware component manifest describing point-of-origin information (including upstream hardware supply chain information for each component) that'--

''(I) has been provided to the Commission, the Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security, and the chief State election official for each State in which the device is used; and

''(II) may be shared by any entity to whom it has been provided under subclause (I) with independent experts for cybersecurity analysis.

''(iv) The device utilizes technology that prevents the operation of the device if any hardware components do not meet the requirements of clause (iii).

''(v) The device operates using software for which the source code, system build tools, and compilation parameters'--

''(I) have been provided to the Commission, the Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security, and the chief State election official for each State in which the device is used; and

''(II) may be shared by any entity to whom it has been provided under subclause (I) with independent experts for cybersecurity analysis.

''(vi) The device utilizes technology that prevents the running of software on the device that does not meet the requirements of clause (v).

''(vii) The device utilizes technology that enables election officials, cybersecurity researchers, and voters to verify that the software running on the device'--

''(I) was built from a specific, untampered version of the code that is described in clause (v); and

''(II) uses the system build tools and compilation parameters that are described in clause (v).

''(viii) The device contains such other security requirements as the Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security requires.

''(C) W AIVER.'--

''(i) I N GENERAL.'--The Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, may waive one or more of the requirements of subparagraph (B) (other than the requirement of clause (i) thereof) with respect to any device for a period of not to exceed 2 years.

''(ii) P UBLICATION.'--Information relating to any waiver granted under clause (i) shall be made publicly available on the Internet.

''(D) E FFECTIVE DATE.'--Each State and jurisdiction shall be required to comply with the requirements of this paragraph for the regularly scheduled election for Federal office in November 2024, and for each subsequent election for Federal office.''.

(b) Other cybersecurity requirements .'--Section 301(a) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)), as amended by section 104, section 105, and subsection (a), is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

''(10) P ROHIBITION OF USE OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES IN SYSTEMS OR DEVICES.'--

''(A) I N GENERAL.'--No system or device upon which ballot marking devices or optical scanners are configured, upon which ballots are marked by voters (except as necessary for individuals with disabilities to use ballot marking devices that meet the accessibility requirements of paragraph (3)), or upon which votes are cast, tabulated, or aggregated shall contain, use, or be accessible by any wireless, power-line, or concealed communication device.

''(B) E FFECTIVE DATE.'--Each State and jurisdiction shall be required to comply with the requirements of this paragraph for the regularly scheduled election for Federal office in November 2020, and for each subsequent election for Federal office.

''(11) P ROHIBITING CONNECTION OF SYSTEM TO THE INTERNET.'--

''(A) I N GENERAL.'--No system or device upon which ballot marking devices or optical scanners are configured, upon which ballots are marked by voters, or upon which votes are cast, tabulated, or aggregated shall be connected to the Internet or any non-local computer system via telephone or other communication network at any time.

(1) I N GENERAL.'--Section 301(a) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)), as amended by section 104, section 105, and subsections (a) and (b), is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(12) B ALLOT MARKING DEVICES.'--

''(A) I N GENERAL.'--In the case of a voting system that uses a ballot marking device, the ballot marking device shall be a device that'--

''(i) is not capable of tabulating votes;

''(ii) except in the case of a ballot marking device used exclusively to comply with the requirements of paragraph (3), is certified in accordance with section 232 as meeting the requirements of subparagraph (B); and

''(iii) meets the requirements of clauses (iii) through (viii) of section 301(a)(9)(B).

''(B) R EQUIREMENTS.'--

''(i) I N GENERAL.'--A ballot marking device meets the requirements of this subparagraph if, during a double-masked test conducted by a qualified independent user experience research laboratory (as defined in section 232(b)(4)) of a simulated election scenario which meets the requirements of clause (ii), there is less than a 5 percent chance that an ordinary voter using the device would not detect and report any difference between the vote selection printed on the ballot by the ballot marking device and the vote selection indicated by the voter.

''(ii) S IMULATED ELECTION SCENARIO.'--A simulated election scenario meets the requirements of this clause if it is conducted with'--

''(I) a pool of subjects that are'--

''(aa) diverse in age, gender, education, and physical limitations; and

''(bb) representative of the communities in which the voting system will be used; and

''(II) ballots that are representative of ballots ordinarily used in the communities in which the voting system will be used.

''(C) E FFECTIVE DATE.'--Each State and jurisdiction shall be required to comply with the requirements of this paragraph for the regularly scheduled election for Federal office in November 2022, and for each subsequent election for Federal office.''.

(2) P ROCEDURE FOR TESTING.'--

(A) I N GENERAL.'--Subtitle B of title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20971 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

''SEC. 232. Testing and certification of ballot marking devices .

''(a) In general .'--Any State or jurisdiction which intends to use a ballot marking device (other than a ballot marking device used exclusively to comply with the requirements of section 301(a)(3)) in an election for Federal office may submit an application to the Commission for testing and certification under this section.

''(b) Application, assignment, and testing .'--

''(1) I N GENERAL.'--An application under subsection (a) shall be submitted not later than 18 months before the date of the election for Federal office in which the ballot marking device is intended to be used and shall contain such information as the Commission requires.

''(2) A SSIGNMENT.'--Upon receipt of an application for testing under this section, the Commission shall contract with a qualified independent user experience research laboratory for the testing of whether the ballot marking device intended to be used by the State or jurisdiction meets the requirements of section 301(a)(12)(B).

''(3) R EQUIREMENTS FOR TESTING.'--Any contract described in paragraph (2) shall require the qualified independent user experience research laboratory to'--

''(A) not later than 30 days before testing begins, submit to the Commission for approval the protocol for the simulated election scenario used for testing the ballot marking device;

''(B) use only protocols approved by the Commission in conducting such testing; and

''(C) submit to the Commission a report on the results of the testing.

''(4) Q UALIFIED INDEPENDENT USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH LABORATORY.'--For purposes of this section:

''(A) I N GENERAL.'--The term 'qualified independent user experience research laboratory' means a laboratory accredited under this subsection by the Election Assistance Commission in accordance with standards determined by the Commission, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Secretary of Homeland Security.

''(B) C RITERIA.'--A laboratory shall not be accredited under this subsection unless such laboratory demonstrates that'--

''(i) no employee of, or individual with an ownership in, such laboratory has, or has had during the 5 preceding years, any financial relationship with a manufacturer of voting systems; and

''(ii) any group of individuals conducting tests under this section collectively meet the following qualifications:

''(I) Experience designing and running user research studies and experiments using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

''(II) Experience with voting systems.

''(c) Review by independent board .'--

''(1) I N GENERAL.'--The Commission shall submit for approval to an independent review board established under paragraph (3) the following:

''(A) Any protocol submitted to the Commission under subsection (b)(3)(A).

''(B) Any report submitted to the Commission under subsection (b)(3)(C).

''(2) F INAL APPROVAL.'--Not later than the date that is 12 months before the date of the election for Federal office in which a State or jurisdiction intends to use the ballot marking device, the independent review board shall report to the Commission on whether it has approved a report submitted under paragraph (1)(B).

''(3) I NDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARD.'--

''(A) I N GENERAL.'--An independent review board established under this paragraph shall be composed of five independent scientists appointed by the Commission, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

''(B) Q UALIFICATIONS.'--The members of the independent review board'--

''(i) shall have expertise and relevant peer-reviewed publications in the following fields: cognitive psychology, experimental design, statistics, and user experience research and testing; and

''(ii) may not have, or have had during the 5 preceding years, any financial relationship with a manufacturer of voting systems.

''(4) P UBLICATION.'--The Commission shall make public'--

''(A) any protocol approved under this subsection;

''(B) any report submitted under subsection (b)(3)(C); and

''(C) any determination made by an independent review board under paragraph (2).

''(d) Certification .'--If'--

''(1) a ballot marking device is determined by the qualified independent user experience research laboratory to meet the requirements of section 301(a)(12); and

''(2) the report submitted under subsection (b)(3)(C) is approved by a majority of the members of the independent review board under subsection (d)(2),

then the Commission shall certify the ballot marking device.

''(e) Prohibition on fees .'--The Commission may not charge any fee to a State or jurisdiction, a developer or manufacturer of a ballot marking device, or any other person in connection with testing and certification under this section.''.

(B) C ONFORMING AMENDMENTS.'--

(i) Section 202(2) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20922(2)) is amended by inserting ''and ballot marking devices'' after ''hardware and software'').

(ii) The heading for subtitle B of title II of such Act is amended by inserting at the end '' ; ballot marking devices ''.

(iii) The table of contents of such Act is amended'--

(I) by inserting ''; Ballot Marking Devices'' at the end of the item relating to subtitle B of title II; and

(II) by inserting after the item related to section 231 the following:

''Sec. 232. Testing and certification of ballot marking devices.''.

SEC. 202. Testing of existing voting systems to ensure compliance with election cybersecurity guidelines and other guidelines .

(a) Requiring testing of existing voting systems .'--

(1) I N GENERAL.'--Section 231(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20971(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(3) T ESTING TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES.'--

''(A) T ESTING.'--Not later than 9 months before the date of each regularly scheduled general election for Federal office, the Commission shall provide for the testing by accredited laboratories under this section of the voting system hardware and software which was certified for use in the most recent such election, on the basis of the most recent voting system guidelines applicable to such hardware or software (including election cybersecurity guidelines) issued under this Act.

''(B) D ECERTIFICATION OF HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE FAILING TO MEET GUIDELINES.'--If, on the basis of the testing described in subparagraph (A), the Commission determines that any voting system hardware or software does not meet the most recent guidelines applicable to such hardware or software issued under this Act, the Commission shall decertify such hardware or software.''.

(2) E FFECTIVE DATE.'--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2020 and each succeeding regularly scheduled general election for Federal office.

(b) Issuance of cybersecurity guidelines by Technical Guidelines Development Committee .'--Section 221(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20961(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(3) E LECTION CYBERSECURITY GUIDELINES.'--Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of the Securing America's Federal Elections Act, the Development Committee shall issue election cybersecurity guidelines, including standards and best practices for procuring, maintaining, testing, operating, and updating election systems to prevent and deter cybersecurity incidents.''.

SEC. 203. Requiring use of software and hardware for which information is disclosed by manufacturer .

(a) Requirement .'--Section 301(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)), as amended by sections 104, 105, 201(a), 201(b), and 201(c), is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(13) R EQUIRING USE OF SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE FOR WHICH INFORMATION IS DISCLOSED BY MANUFACTURER.'--

''(A) R EQUIRING USE OF SOFTWARE FOR WHICH SOURCE CODE IS DISCLOSED BY MANUFACTURER.'--

''(i) I N GENERAL.'--In the operation of voting systems in an election for Federal office, a State may only use software for which the manufacturer makes the source code (in the form in which will be used at the time of the election) publicly available online under a license that grants a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, sub-licensable license to all intellectual property rights in such source code, except that the manufacturer may prohibit a person who obtains the software from using the software in a manner that is primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or private monetary compensation that is unrelated to carrying out legitimate research or cybersecurity activity.

''(ii) E XCEPTIONS.'--Clause (i) does not apply with respect to'--

''(I) widely-used operating system software which is not specific to voting systems and for which the source code or baseline functionality is not altered; or

''(II) widely-used cybersecurity software which is not specific to voting systems and for which the source code or baseline functionality is not altered.

''(B) R EQUIRING USE OF HARDWARE FOR WHICH INFORMATION IS DISCLOSED BY MANUFACTURER.'--

''(i) R EQUIRING DISCLOSURE OF HARDWARE.'--A State may not use a voting system in an election for Federal office unless the manufacturer of the system publicly discloses online the identification of the hardware used to operate the system.

''(ii) A DDITIONAL DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR CUSTOM OR ALTERED HARDWARE.'--To the extent that the hardware used to operate a voting system or any component thereof is not widely-used, or is widely-used but is altered, the State may not use the system in an election for Federal office unless'--

''(I) the manufacturer of the system publicly discloses online the components of the hardware, the design of such components, and how such components are connected in the operation of the system; and

''(II) the manufacturer makes the design (in the form which will be used at the time of the election) publicly available online under a license that grants a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, sub-licensable license to all intellectual property rights in the design of the hardware or the component, except that the manufacturer may prohibit a person who obtains the design from using the design in a manner that is primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or private monetary compensation that is unrelated to carrying out legitimate research or cybersecurity activity.''.

(b) Effective date .'--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office held in 2020 or any succeeding year.

SEC. 204. Treatment of electronic poll books as part of voting systems .

(a) Inclusion in definition of voting system .'--Section 301(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(b)) is amended'--

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ''this section'' and inserting ''this Act'';

(2) by striking ''and'' at the end of paragraph (1);

(3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and

(4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:

''(2) any electronic poll book used with respect to the election; and''.

(b) Definition .'--Section 301 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081) is amended'--

(1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection:''(c) Electronic poll book defined .'--In this Act, the term 'electronic poll book' means the total combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment (including the software, firmware, and documentation required to program, control, and support the equipment) that is used'--

''(1) to retain the list of registered voters at a polling location, or vote center, or other location at which voters cast votes in an election for Federal office; and

''(2) to identify registered voters who are eligible to vote in an election.''.

(c) Effective date .'--Section 301(e) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081(e)), as amended by section 107 and as redesignated by subsection (b), is amended'--

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ''paragraph (2)'' and inserting ''paragraphs (2) and (3)''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(3) S PECIAL RULE FOR ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS.'--In the case of the requirements of subsection (c) (relating to electronic poll books), each State and jurisdiction shall be required to comply with such requirements on or after January 1, 2020.''.

SEC. 205. Pre-election reports on voting system usage .

(a) Requiring States To submit reports .'--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 301 the following new section:

''SEC. 301A. Pre-election reports on voting system usage .

''(a) Requiring States To submit reports .'--Not later than 120 days before the date of each regularly scheduled general election for Federal office, the chief State election official of a State shall submit a report to the Commission containing a detailed voting system usage plan for each jurisdiction in the State which will administer the election, including a detailed plan for the usage of electronic poll books and other equipment and components of such system.

''(b) Effective date .'--Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2020 and each succeeding regularly scheduled general election for Federal office.''.

(b) Clerical amendment .'--The table of contents of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 301 the following new item:

''Sec. 301A. Pre-election reports on voting system usage.''.

SEC. 206. Streamlining collection of election information .

Section 202 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20922) is amended'--

(1) by striking ''The Commission'' and inserting ''(a) In general .'--The Commission''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: ''(b) Waiver of certain requirements .'--Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, shall not apply to the collection of information for purposes of maintaining the clearinghouse described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a).''.

TITLE III '-- Use of voting machines manufactured in the United States

SEC. 301. Use of voting machines manufactured in the United States .

Section 301(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)), as amended by sections 104, 105, 201(a), 201(b), 201(c), and 203(a), is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

''(14) V OTING MACHINE REQUIREMENTS.'--By not later than the date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office occurring in November 2022, each State shall seek to ensure that any voting machine used in such election and in any subsequent election for Federal office is manufactured in the United States.''.

TITLE IV '-- Severability

SEC. 401. Severability .

If any provision of this Act or amendment made by this Act, or the application of a provision or amendment to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act and amendments made by this Act, and the application of the provisions and amendment to any person or circumstance, shall not be affected by the holding.

Passed the House of Representatives June 27, 2019.

Attest: cheryl l. johnson, Clerk.

Biden 2020 fundraiser switches to Kamala Harris

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 14:45

Democratic presidential candidate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden participates in a Presidential Candidates Forum at the NAACP 110th National Convention on July 24, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan.

Bill Pugliano | Getty Images

Joe Biden's loss is Kamala Harris' gain '-- particularly when it comes to one top Bay Area fundraiser.

Tom McInerney, a veteran San Francisco-based lawyer, first told CNBC in late June that he had informed the Biden campaign that he could no longer help him raise campaign cash. His decision came after Biden's comments regarding his past work with segregationists and his flip-flop on repealing the Hyde Amendment.

Now, McInerney says he has thrown his support behind Harris. "I'll be helping Kamala," McInerney said in a follow-up interview.

After her debate performance last month, when she took on Biden for his relationship with segregationists, McInerney said that he was impressed by the California lawmaker.

"She's putting together a strong campaign and has the ability to both excite and unite the Democratic Party," he added. "I would also have a lot of confidence in her skills on a debate stage with the president."

He also noted on Friday that he's been in touch with her campaign about opening his donor network for her. Harris once served as district attorney in San Francisco.

McInerney was a lead bundler for President Barack Obama on the West Coast during his first run for president. He helped Obama's campaign raise at least $200,000 throughout that cycle, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

After the first debate, Harris' top bundlers on Wall Street saw a wave of enthusiasm from potential donors, with many of them requesting personal meetings with her and hoping to get into some upcoming events.

Biden and Harris will square off again Wednesday during the second night of the next Democratic debates.

Representatives for Biden and Harris did not return requests for comment.

McInerney's announcement came the same day NBC News reported that two black, longtime Biden supporters from South Carolina are switching their support to Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio. Fletcher Smith and Brandon Brown are veterans in South Carolina state politics and played senior roles in Biden's failed 2008 presidential campaign.

Biden has widespread support among black voters in the state, according to a recent Monmouth University poll, which shows he has the backing of 51% of the African-American participants who took part in the survey.

McInerney's move could be a sign that Obama fundraisers are having second thoughts about backing Biden, even though the former vice president raised $21.5 million in the second quarter. Harris finished the quarter bringing in just over $12 million.

Public relations executive Michael Kempner, who attended a Biden fundraiser last month in New York and has donated to other 2020 Democrats, is hosting a gathering for Harris in August with a plethora of business executives expected to attend.

Kempner, the CEO of PR juggernaut MWWPR, helped Obama raise up to $200,000 in 2008 and helped him bring in at least $500,000 in 2012.

Harris is also keeping pace with Biden on appealing to executives at the big banks of J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Bank of America. The two, along with Mayor Pete Buttigieg, saw at least 15 executives from these major financial institutions write checks to their campaigns in the second quarter.

The Purge

EXCLUSIVE: Google to block all anti-cancer, ''anti-vax'' and anti-GMO websites at the browser level as tech giant goes all-in with pharma drug cartels '' NaturalNews.com

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 04:09

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Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard sues Google for suspending ad account - The Verge

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Thu, 25 Jul 2019 20:14

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has sued Google for temporarily suspending her advertising account after the Democratic primary debates last month, claiming the company is trying to suppress her bid for presidency. The lawsuit accuses Google of violating the First Amendment, among other offenses, and Gabbard is seeking $50 million plus assurances that Google will refrain from ''censoring or restricting'' the account.

Gabbard's lawsuit claims that she opened a Google Ads account to capitalize on voters' curiosity about her as a lesser-known Democratic presidential candidate. But on June 27th, amid a spike of search interest after the first primary debate, she says Google suspended her account for a period of hours '-- which meant users who searched for her name wouldn't get her campaign site placed at the top of their results. Google reportedly cited ''problems with billing information or violations of our advertising policies,'' then ''suspicious behavior in the payment activity in your account,'' before reinstating the account.

In a statement, Google spokesperson Riva Sciuto said that the account had been automatically flagged. ''We have automated systems that flag unusual activity on all advertiser accounts '-- including large spending changes '-- in order to prevent fraud and protect our customers,'' says Sciuto. ''In this case, our system triggered a suspension and the account was reinstated shortly thereafter. We are proud to offer ad products that help campaigns connect directly with voters, and we do so without bias toward any party or political ideology.''

Google temporarily suspended the account for ''problems with billing information''

Gabbard, however, claims the suspension was based on her criticism of Google and other major tech companies. ''Google supports viewpoints, political causes, and candidates that favor its policy positions over those that do not,'' the complaint says. She alleges that in addition to the temporary account suspension, ''Google's email platform Gmail sends communications from Tulsi into people's Spam folders at a disproportionately high rate'' compared to other Democratic presidential candidates '-- although it's not clear how Gabbard discerned this. ''Google has manipulated its search advertising, and likely its email filtering, to disfavor Gabbard,'' reads the complaint. ''What is next, if not enjoined by a Court?''

A spokesperson for Gabbard's campaign, Cullen Tiernan, took issue with Google's explanation. ''Google may blame this on automated systems, but the reality is that there is no transparency whatsoever, which makes it difficult to determine the truth,'' Tiernan told The Verge. ''The fact is that the account was down for hours as searches for Tulsi were surging, and Google changed its reasoning from one excuse to another during the duration of the suspension.''

The New York Times writes that Gabbard's campaign realized the account was suspended around 9:30PM on July 27th, and it says Google reactivated the account at 3:30AM on the 28th. The second Democratic primary debate ran from around 9PM to 11PM on the 27th, and Gabbard was indeed one of the most popular candidates on search.

It's worth noting that Gabbard isn't the only Democratic candidate to criticize or threaten Google and other tech giants. Most notably, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has proposed a massive breakup of large tech companies, a policy Gabbard has supported. (Facebook notably suspended some of Warren's anti-Facebook ads for violating its policies.) Gabbard also isn't claiming that Google actively manipulated organic search results '-- something President Donald Trump has claimed without evidence. She did, however, cite other accusations that Google is ''censoring content that favors conservative viewpoints,'' although she claimed the reality is ''more nuanced and self-serving.''

Update 3:00PM ET: Added response from Gabbard's campaign.

Senior Google engineer suggests CEO Sundar Pichai's statements to Congress on political bias were untrue

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Sat, 27 Jul 2019 01:05

Greg Coppola, a senior software engineer who works on Google Assistant and reports directly to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, has told Project Veritas that he doesn't think Pichai's statements to Congress on political bias were true.

During his Congressional testimony in December 2018, Pichai answered various questions on political bias and made the statement

''I lead this company without political bias and work to ensure that our products continue to operate that way.''

In an interview, the Head of Project Veritas James O'Keefe asked Coppola about Pichai's congressional testimony on political bias by saying:

''And then the Google CEO did testify under oath that Google's algorithms are politically unbiased. Was he lying?''

Coppola responded by saying:

''I mean lying's a strong word. I definitely don't think it's true.''

He went on to explain that he believes Google applies extreme bias to certain left-leaning sites so that they get boosted in Google's algorithms. For example, he said that 20% of all search results for the term ''Donald Trump'' come from CNN in Google News and when you consider that there are millions of sites on the internet, ''one has to wonder how it, how it really got to be that way.''

Coppola says he came forward because he believes we're at a really important point in human history. He adds that we had tech that was politically neutral, now it's taking sides in a political contest and that he thinks big corporate power merging with political parties is dangerous.

Coppola finished by saying that as someone with a PhD in computer science and five years of working at one of the world's top computer science companies:

''I really don't buy the idea that tech is politically neutral and I think we need to start incorporating that into whatever strategy we use to have a democracy going forward. Are we going to continue to have elections that mean anything? Are we going to continue to think for ourselves? Or are we going to just let the biggest tech companies decide who wins from now on?''

Coppola's statements come after former Google engineer Mike Wacker said Pichai lied to Congress about search manipulation. They also follow numerous other leaks that suggest both the employees inside Google and Google's AI are politically biased.

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Green New Deal

My son didn't want to go to the park today'... | Climate Emergency Manchester

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 11:15

Taken from here'...

My eldest son (nearly six) didn't want to come to the park today. It was warm and sunny, but he didn't want to get dressed. ''What's wrong? Can you try to tell me, then we might be able to help?'' ''You and mummy can't help'' A horrible dark light bulb goes on in my head.

I speak quietly in his ear ''Are you worried about climate change?'' He looks at me, eyes bright with tears, and nods. It all tumbles out, he's so sad about the animals being shot, losing their homes to deforestation, who are victims of changing weather.

My own eyes, already stinging, blur as well. All the grief, the horror, the desperation, are ready and waiting. I restrain the urge to sob, but my cheeks are wet. I repeat ''I know, I'm so sorry''. It feels wholly inadequate, but then, what isn't?

He knows it's too big for his parents to fix, or for him to make it better. We tell him lots of people, including us, feel the same way. That we are doing what we can, to support the work to reduce the harm. He wants to believe us, and eventually we dry his tears.

I wonder if he will remember today, years into the future. Will he ever understand what it is to hold a child's psyche in your hands, malleable like clay, fragile like china, and to do your best to mold it to be strong, and at the same time, beautiful.

At the park, butterflies chase each other, and birds are singing. I think to myself, will he have the chance to be a parent, to nurture a love of the natural world, whatever may be left of it? Or will it be something too dangerous to contemplate by the time he is of age?

Postscript

I know my son is one of the lucky ones '' so many children are being told far worse things, every day '' ''No, there's no food today'' or ''I don't know where your Mama is''. But this is what climate breakdown, and all the other harms humans are committing, are doing to so many childhoods. If that isn't worth fighting to lessen, I cannot tell you what is.

Join us, or join something else '' but do not sit on your hands. The world needs you to act, whether you are a parent or not.

OTG

Banks snooping on customers at retail

Adam,

Further to your various comments around the financial

sector and how they want you to increase debt so you are more beholden to them,

I have a story for you.

I work for a large Canadian financial institution and a

couple of years ago, when we were putting public Wi-Fi in the branches, one of

the networking managers said the following;

"Imagine a person coming into a bank, having their

cell phone on them as is expected, and our being able to, since they have

downloaded our app and accepted our terms of service, immediately know who that

person is and being able to approach them directly by name (i.e. Good day, Mr.

Curry). And then we can take it a step further, by leveraging their social

network data and finding out that Mr. Curry was recently engaged and had been

looking at real estate sights. Our conversation would continue along the lines

"Congratulations on your pending wedding. Have you considered a change in

housing, and would you consider talking to one of our mortgage specialists who

can assist you with understanding your options and pre-approved mortgage?"

This was met with applause by the audience of internal

staff. Meanwhile I'm sitting there thinking to myself "If this comes to

pass, I will never enter a physical bank again."

I see this as a serious invasion of privacy, and this

gives great credence to your OTG lifestyle.

Just thought you'd be interested in a real world example

of big finance using big data solely for the benefit of their bottom line.

Thx,

Trevor Chapman

Baron Ratenef

Lord of Grey/Bruce Counties and Waterdeep

Young Instagram Users Give Up Privacy in Search of Metrics - Bloomberg

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What is REALLY behind Instagram hiding likes - and it's nothing to do with mental health | Daily Mail Online

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Sat, 27 Jul 2019 16:17

Instagram is hiding how many 'likes' a post has to rake in more cash from advertisers, not to aid the mental health of its users, experts claim.

The social media giant last week stopped the like count showing up on each post to stop users obsessively measuring their worth by their numbers.

'We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love,' it said.

Tammy Hembrow, who boasts 10 million followers, vowed to delete her Instagram account in protest of it hiding post likes

Marketing experts say Instagram's mental health claim is a 'bulls**t' excuse to get businesses spending ad dollars by making it easier for them to compete with influencers like Pia Miller

'We are rethinking the whole experience of Instagram to address issues around wellbeing and to ensure the Instagram community has a positive experience on our platform.'

However, marketing experts claim this is a 'bulls**t' excuse to get businesses spending ad dollars by making it easier for them to compete with influencers.

'Let's stop the bulls**t that this recent change is about reducing the incidence of mental health among their users,' Murmur boss Dave Levett said.

'It's about raising ad revenue for the platform, and make Instagram more appealing for small businesses and brands to pump dollars into the growing social behemoth.'

Mr Levett said influencers were making millions selling everything from cosmetics to protein shakes, but Instagram saw none of the revenue.

'Instagram wants businesses spending money on its platform instead of with influencers. This is purely a money play,' he said.

Instagrammer Mikaela Testa, who has fewer than 50,000 followers, went on an extraordinary tearful rant slamming Instagram's 'like' ban as causing 'real damage out here'

More than 25 million businesses have Instagram profiles but only two million buy ads, often because their engagement is dwarfed by bikini girls and fitness bloggers.

'Small and medium businesses aren't posting or buying ads because they don't want to have low engagement. If their ads or posts only get a few likes it's a bad look.'

Another marketing insider said buying an ad on Instagram was an 'industry joke' because they were so ineffective.

MATTER OF INFLUENCE * Instagram is trialling the removal of public likes in Australia and Canada ahead of expanding the changes worldwide.

* Likes can still be seen on desktop browsers and on comments, but these will likely disappear in coming months.

* Instagram claims the changes are to help mental health of users by ensuring they 'have a positive experience on our platform'

* But marketing experts say it is a cynical move by Instagram to make advertisers spend directly with the platform rather than via influencers

* Australian influencers with 3,000-20,000 followers generally make $75-$300 per post, those with 100,000-250,000 about $550-$800, while mega influencers with half a million followers charge thousands

'Instagram took so long to implement a viable algorithm that all these 'influencers' took it into their own hands,' they said.

'Instagram is a 'likes-first' platform and naturally, ads don't get a lot of likes, which has the effect of making often reputable products appear fake or unpopular.'

Mr Levett said by hiding how many likes a post has, Instagram can level the playing field and take away 'the barrier of social proof' that gives advertisers pause.

'Those advertisers will now likely see an increase in engagement, an increase in click through rate, an increase in sales, and thereby pump more dollars into the platform,' he said.

Mr Levett said if Instagram was serious about mitigating the mental health impacts the platform had on users, it would instead implement the recommendations of a recent report by the British Royal Society for Public Health.

Sophie Tieman advertising Bondi Boost hair products is one of hundreds of Australian influencers raking in hundreds or thousands from sponsored posts

Experts said influencers like Keira Maguire were making millions selling everything from cosmetics to protein shakes, but Instagram saw none of the revenue

This included heavy usage pop-up warnings and highlighting when photos of people had been digitally manipulated.

Max Markson, who manages dozens of Australia's biggest influencers, agreed that Instagram's feature change was just a cash grab.

'Instagram is conscious that influencers are making money and it is not. Brands don't inspire the same loyalty as influencers,' he said.

He said Australia's highest-earning influencers were those who had big followings and high engagement, and would be unaffected by their fans not being able to see how many likes their posts get.

'A classic example is reality stars coming off Married at First Sight, they are the biggest stars in the country,' he said.

'The show was so enormous, it topped the ratings for 40 nights in a row, so they have incredibly high engagement because their followers are fans and want to be like them.

Max Markson said Australia's highest-earning influencers were those who had big followings and high engagement, like MAFS star Cyclone Cyrell Paule, and would be unaffected

Mr Markson said savvy brands and influencers were finding even more ways to monetise Instagram. MAFS star Jessika Power pictured

'Their followers are also overwhelmingly women as opposed to bikini models who are mostly men and didn't get as many likes anyway because men are worried their wives or girlfriends will notice and be angry with them.'

MAFS stars Cyclone Cyrell Paule and Jessika Power were the top two in his stable, alongside mum bloggers like Maria Di Geronimo and the Coffey pro surfer family.

Influencers with with 3,000-20,000 followers make $75-$300 per post, those with 100,000-250,000 about $550-$800, and half a million charge thousands.

Rates are considerably higher in the U.S. with stars with hundreds of thousands of followers commanding $10,000 a pop and one million-plus getting 10 or 20 times that.

Mr Markson said savvy brands and influencers were finding even more ways to monetise Instagram, especially with video stories.

Advanced tools implemented by Instagram this year allow users to buy products without even leaving the platform.

A popular influencer can post a story and a user can swipe up and get a hefty discount for whatever product they are hocking.

'Users are buying immediately as opposed to seeing an ad on TV or in a newspaper and thinking 'I'll buy that on the weekend' and by then they've forgotten,' he said.

Jem Wolfie (pictured) says the decision to delete the like count is 'demotivating' for her

Fleeing followers: According to analytics website Social Blade , Married At First Sight star Elizabeth Sobinoff (pictured) is suffering the most

Mr Markson said the panic that ripped through the Instagram community when the change was announced was unfounded.

'Even if they lose a few thousands followers it doesn't make any difference, it's their [personal] brand that matters,' he said.

'Advertisers gain credibility by being associated with that person.'

However, hiding photo likes could hurt those who aspire to become influencers and are still building their following as it will be harder for brands to notice them.

'It's going to be tricky for new influencers to come up because brands will use ones they already know get results,' Born Bred talent manager Lucy Ronald said.

'Users will like fewer posts because they feel like there's no point if no one can see it.

'Brands will still want to work with influencers but will need to be educated on how likes aren't the best measurement and there's a whole lot of other metrics that are better indicators of engagement.'

Users will still be able to see how many likes their own posts got, and Instagram's backend tools for businesses allowed them to see a vast array of statistics.

These tools are now so advanced that brands can accurately measure how their investment in an influencer affects sales.

Jessika Power (pictured) said she is confident her earning potential won't be affected because the clients she works with are happy to trust the statistics she provides

A popular influencer like Jessika's MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis (pictured) can post a story and a user can swipe up and get a hefty discount for whatever product they are hocking like

But another marketing manager wasn't so optimistic, expecting a sharp drop in the spending by advertisers to influencers.

'I know influencers who were getting sums of over $50,000 to post a few video ads for Sprite,' they said.

'Either Sprite will offer less in future, or simply look for a different solution. It was hard enough convincing brands to use influencers in the first place.'

Ms Ronald said there would be a shift to higher-quality content aimed and convincing fans to buy, not just racking up likes.

'I think we will have to re-structure the way we look at measuring the success of an Influencer collaboration moving forward,' she said.

'We can look more at the reach of posts, generation of sales, as well as the quality of content that is being produced.'

'Influencers will also post more as they won't be worried about whether people will like it, and the more content Instagram has the better.'

Instagram is trialling the removal of public likes in Australia and Canada ahead of expanding the changes worldwide.

Likes can still be seen on desktop browsers and on comments, but these will likely disappear in coming months.

Comment has been sought from Instagram.

Pegasus spyware maker has keys to Google, Amazon, Big Tech cloud - SlashGear

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 13:14

We often hear news about some service being compromised but, despite the popularity of things like WhatsApp, we often presume it only affects a small percentage of people, excluding ourselves. But what if the spyware could actually break into almost any and all of the popular cloud and social networking services that almost everyone uses? That's the frightening thought that a new report generates when it claims that a company has the technology to pilfer data from Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook, just to name a few.

That company is Israeli NSO Group who already entered notoriety a few years back with its Pegasus spyware. Then just last May, it made headlines again when Pegasus was reported to have exploited a WhatsApp bug that could install the spyware on target smartphones. That bug has been closed but that, apparently, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Financial Times' sources say that NSO Group is making sales pitches to buyers that it has the ability to gain access to a target's data stored on popular cloud services. It does so by copying such authentication keys from infected smartphones in order to impersonate the device. Even if Pegasus has been removed from the phone, it can continue accessing that data since it's not dependent on the spyware being continuously active.

Companies named in the sales pitch are naturally defensive about the security of their systems and simply say they continue to investigate and watch what happens. However, the NSO Group's tech supposedly targets industry-standard authentication which would put more than just Big Tech at risk.

For its part, the NSO Group denies actively campaigning for the use of hacking and mass surveillance of such cloud services but doesn't exactly deny that it has the technology to do so. And while it advertises itself as a maker of tools to be used by responsible governments to protect themselves, Pegasus has also been found on the phones of activists and journalists and has been traced back to repressive regimes.

Siri "Regularly" Listens In On Your Sexual Encounters, Apple Insists "Only For A Few Seconds" | Zero Hedge

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Archived Version

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 13:41

Should it come as any surprise? And yet the details are shocking and outrageous. A whistleblower working for Apple has revealed to The Guardian that its popular voice activated spying device helpful virtual assistant Siri, now in millions of households, "regularly" records people having sex, and captures other "countless" invasive moments which it promptly sends to Apple contractors for their listening pleasure "quality control":

Apple contractors regularly hear confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex, as part of their job providing quality control, or ''grading'', the company's Siri voice assistant, the Guardian has learned.

We've long pointed out that according to Amazon's Alexa terms of use, the company collects and stores most of what you say to Alexa (or perhaps what you groan) - including the geolocation of the product along with your voice instructions.

However, what's not disclosed or at least not well known up to this point is that a "small proportion" of all Siri recordings of what consumers thought were private settings are actually forwarded to Apple contractors around the world, according to the new report. Supposedly this is to ensure Siri is responding properly and can continue to distinguish dictation. Apple says, according to The Guardian, the data ''is used to help Siri and dictation'... understand you better and recognise what you say''.

But an anonymous current company insider and whistleblower told The Guardian: ''There have been countless instances of recordings featuring private discussions between doctors and patients, business deals, seemingly criminal dealings, sexual encounters and so on. These recordings are accompanied by user data showing location, contact details, and app data.''

Contradicting Apple's defense that these sultry samples are "pseudonymised recordings," Apple employees can know precisely who is having sex and where, and what time the deed was done.

Apple's formal response to the Guardian investigation was as follows:

A small portion of Siri requests are analysed to improve Siri and dictation. User requests are not associated with the user's Apple ID. Siri responses are analysed in secure facilities and all reviewers are under the obligation to adhere to Apple's strict confidentiality requirements.

Just trust us, Apple appears to be saying. Most of what can be deemed sensitive data is captured through so-called accidental activations by "trigger words," according to the report, with the highest rates of such occurrences via the Apple Watch and HomePod smart speakers.

''The regularity of accidental triggers on the watch is incredibly high,'' the company whistleblower explained. ''The watch can record some snippets that will be 30 seconds '' not that long but you can gather a good idea of what's going on.''

The insider continued, ''you can definitely hear a doctor and patient, talking about the medical history of the patient. Or you'd hear someone, maybe with car engine background noise '' you can't say definitely, but it's a drug deal'... you can definitely hear it happening. And you'd hear, like, people engaging in sexual acts that are accidentally recorded on the pod or the watch.''

Apple Watch Series 4. Image source: BloombergFurther less than comforting is just how many across the globe have access to these private moments: ''There's not much vetting of who works there, and the amount of data that we're free to look through seems quite broad,'' the contractor continued. ''It wouldn't be difficult to identify the person that you're listening to, especially with accidental triggers '' addresses, names and so on.''

''Apple is subcontracting out, there's a high turnover. It's not like people are being encouraged to have consideration for people's privacy, or even consider it. If there were someone with nefarious intentions, it wouldn't be hard to identify [people on the recordings].''

The evidence continues to mount: Siri is a blackmailer's dream come true... or spy agency, or voyeur, or political adversary, or just plain pervert.

Airbus vs Boeing

Airbus 'Glitch' That Went Undetected For Years Risked Failure Of Critical In-Flight Systems | Zero Hedge

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Boeing's unprecedented stumble with the 737 MAX 8, along with President Trump's trade war, have taken a toll on Boeing's commercial aerospace business, as its Q2 earnings report, released earlier this week, confirmed. And although Airbus, Boeing's greatest rival, is now the undisputed leader in building planes for commercial flight, but a scandal or setback could easily shake investors' confidence in Airbus, and with good reason: reports about potentially dangerous software glitches like this one shouldn't be ignored.

The Register, a British tech news website, reports that some models of Airbus's A350 airliners, the company's 'workhorse' model, still need to be rebooted after exactly 149 hours of continuous use, even after the EU's aviation authority ordered Airbus to fix the glitch ASAP.

Now, the EU is issuing a reminder to pilots to make sure to turn their planes on and off again after 149 hours of power-on time, or risk the loss of critical systems in-flight.

In a mandatory airworthiness directive (AD) reissued earlier this week, EASA urged operators to turn their A350s off and on again to prevent "partial or total loss of some avionics systems or functions."

The revised AD, effective from tomorrow (26 July), exempts only those new A350-941s which have had modified software pre-loaded on the production line. For all other A350-941s, operators need to completely power the airliner down before it reaches 149 hours of continuous power-on time.

Of even greater concern, the regulator and Airbus weren't aware of the glitch until 2017, when the original AD was issued, as pilots started suffering unexplained losses of certain systems, putting them and their passengers and crew in a very risky situation.

And this glitch apparently went undetected for years. It was only after a few planes suffered in-flight systems failures that they started to look into it.

Concerningly, the original 2017 AD was brought about by "in-service events where a loss of communication occurred between some avionics systems and avionics network" (sic). The impact of the failures ranged from "redundancy loss" to "complete loss on a specific function hosted on common remote data concentrator and core processing input/output modules."

In layman's English, this means that prior to 2017, at least some A350s flying passengers were suffering unexplained failures of potentially flight-critical digital systems.

The glitch is similar to one of the problems that afflicted Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, as the Register explains.

Airbus' rival Boeing very publicly suffered from a similar time-related problem with its 787 Dreamliner: back in 2015 a memory overflow bug was discovered that caused the 787's generators to shut themselves down after 248 days of continual power-on operation. A software counter in the generators' firmware, it was found, would overflow after that precise length of time. The Register is aware that this is not the only software-related problem to have plagued the 787 during its earlier years.

It is common for airliners to be left powered on while parked at airport gates so maintainers can carry out routine systems checks between flights, especially if the aircraft is plugged into ground power.

The remedy for the A350-941 problem is straightforward according to the AD: install Airbus software updates for a permanent cure, or switch the aeroplane off and on again.

Airlines that own these planes and are thus subject to the order include Air France, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Lufthansa, Air China and Taiwan's China Airlines.

It also shows that the problem of over-reliance on AI and other advanced software isn't limited to Boeing: As these technologies become more advanced, and these aerospace companies start to increasingly rely on them, these issues are bound to become more widespread. So, does that make air travel safer, or more dangerous?

How baseless fears over 5G rollout created a health scare | Technology | The Guardian

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W hen Tonia Antoniazzi stood up in the House of Commons to talk about the risks of 5G, she admitted that ''initiating a conversation '... has had members of my own team and family telling me that it is all made up.'' But the Labour MP was undeterred, securing a debate in parliament and the support of a handful of Labour and SNP colleagues to ask about the ''unintended consequences'' of the latest upgrade to the nation's mobile phone network.

The government's response '' that there was no evidence of any risk, and that it anticipated ''no negative effects on public health'' '' was, Antoniazzi said, ''far from reassuring''.

Junk science is a fact of life. Between hyperbolic reporting of careful studies, careful reporting of hyperbolic studies and ''common sense'' dismissal of any studies at all, it is getting harder and harder for non-experts to separate reasonable concerns from medical misinformation.

So as Britain's carriers lined up to launch their 5G networks this summer, they were expecting some resistance. Fears over the health effects of mobile telephony are widespread, ranging from fairly limited concerns about potential long-term risks of living or growing up in close proximity to masts, to claims of full-blown ''electromagnetic sensitivity'', which supposedly manifests as a plethora of symptoms from headaches to immunodeficiencies.

5G is the next generation mobile phone network and it promises much higher connection speeds, lower latency (response times) and to be more reliable than the creaking 4G networks we have now.

It will be much faster, with download speeds 5-10 times quicker than 4G to start with, meaning a movie will download in seconds rather than minutes. Over the next few years it should become even faster, as the technology matures. It will also have lower latency, the time it takes for something to happen: tap a link and the download will start faster.

But perhaps the most important thing 5G will immediately do for users is increase the carrying capacity of the masts, meaning more people can connect at the same time.

Samuel Gibbs, consumer technology editor

But what greeted them wasn't just the same collection of alternative medicine proponents and anti-infrastructure nimbys who reliably oppose every new launch.

''Were we surprised by the existence of opposition? No,'' says EE's head of technology communications, Howard Jones. ''Were we surprised by the scale, and the organised nature of it? Yes '... It's alarmist, very sensationalist and designed to scare.''

Jones is firm: there is absolutely no evidence that 5G, or any other part of the network, is dangerous. ''The wavelengths that 5G uses and will use are all entirely safe and have been in research and testing for decades. It's a red herring to say it's a new technology and therefore hasn't been tested,'' he says.

To fully debunk the health fears around 5G is impossible: there is no consistent set of claims being made, few explicit studies being cited, and a surfeit of scientific terminology being used in ways that obscure rather than illuminate. Not a single expert the Guardian spoke to believed there was any reliable evidence of harm from 5G or any other part of the publicly licensed broadcast spectrum. And the carriers are emphatic that, in the words of Three UK, ''from a health and safety perspective, 5G deployment is no different to any other mobile technology '... no harmful levels of radiation are emitted.''

But there are themes that recur again and again.

At the far end of the range is belief that the 5G rollout is a vast mind control experiment, a successor to the CIA's MKUltra experiments. There is the fear that 5G will result in a great increase in the number of masts, or the amount of energy sent over the radio spectrum, in a way that will prove harmful. There is a more general concern about the nature of ''millimetre wave'' technology, which forms part of the 5G spectrum in some nations (although not, at present, the UK).

There's a belief that the technology is untested, and that the subsequent rollout is in effect an experiment on the population at large. And then there's a generalised frustration at the fact that the whole thing feels like a fait accompli, presented to the public as an unstoppable force of nature, rather than a consultative process of negotiation.

If there were a negotiation, sitting on the side of the opposition would be Martin Pall. A retired professor from Washington State University, Pall's research interests are practically an encyclopaedia of the medical counterculture, ranging from a novel take on the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome, tinnitus and heart failure to research on the risks of wifi, tanning salons and otheremitters of electromagnetic fields.

In a 90-page self-published document posted online last May, Pall gave the rallying cry for the 5G opposition: ''Putting in tens of millions of 5G antennas without a single biological test of safety has got to be about the stupidest idea anyone has had in the history of the world,'' he wrote. That line has been widely quoted, everywhere from the r/conspiracy subreddit to the House of Commons, where Antoniazzi approvingly quoted Pall to accuse the government of ''sweeping the health concerns under the carpet''.

''The extremely inaccurate statements being made by certain MPs was disappointing,'' Jones said when I spoke to him after Antoniazzi's comments. ''I think you would expect better from people representing constituents. I would expect a higher standard of research to have been done.''

But the problem with calling for research is that it's very easy to research 5G's effects on health. Just Google ''is 5G bad for health'' and you'll find numerous articles confirming just that: ''Why 5G cell towers are more dangerous '' get the facts!'', reads a headline on RadiationHealthRisks.com, on the first page of Google results. Just above that, an Eluxe Magazine article (''Frightening frequencies: the dangers of 5G'') presents a list of cherry-picked studies demonstrating various harms from various types of radio waves.

But these fears are decades old. So why the specific panic about 5G? Everyone has a different answer. Scott Petty, Vodafone's chief technology officer, says that some of the misinformation stems from the US, where a particular form of 5G using a part of the radio spectrum known as millimetre wave or mmWave technology will be put into use.

It hasn't been used in mobile phone networks before, largely because it's not particularly good at the job: as a high-frequency part of the spectrum, it's more easily blocked by things like trees or glass. When there's clear line of sight, it can carry more information than the parts of the spectrum now used for mobile phones, but not enough to make it worth the trade-off for Vodafone, Petty says.

The use of mmWave has allowed some scary inferences to be drawn. The spectrum has previously been used for two other well-reported purposes: the body-scanners installed in airports over the last decade, and an experimental US weapon called the Active Denial System, which fires a high-powered beam at a target, creating a burning sensation.

It's easy to see how that link can be spun into something fearful. But 5G is no more a weapon of war than a wifi router is a microwave oven '' even though both those products use the same part of the spectrum, around the 2.4Ghz mark.

The same flaws of mmWave that mean it's not being used in the UK have led to another line of concern: that in order to get around the problems, carriers will massively increase the number of masts they install. ''That would be true if we only used mmWave,'' Petty says, ''but no one is planning that. We will use approximately the same number as we already use for 2, 3 and 4G.''

And then there's more half-science. ''The higher the frequency, the more dangerous the spectrum'' is, broadly, true: all ionising radiation lies at the extremely high frequencies. But between x-rays and mmWave lies quite a large part of the spectrum that people interact with all the time: visible light.

It's easy for the British industry to dismiss concerns by pointing to mistakes about mmWave technology, but perhaps shortsighted, writes Peter Wingate-Saul, a chartered surveyor who has worked in the telecoms industry for more than 20 years. After all, ''you probably will be using them sooner or later'', so it's worth avoiding ''the impression that there might be something suspect about them''.

EE's Jones has a bolder answer to why 5G misinformation is so widespread, citing a New York Times article that highlighted how popular scary stories about the technology had become on Russia Today. The paper noted that the American version of the channel had run seven documentaries alleging 5G harms in 2019 alone, and argued that the move was part of an effort to hold the US back on rollout of the technology. Russia itself lags behind the pack but hopes to catch up.

''It is in and of itself a conspiracy theory, and yet there are points at which it appears quite credible,'' Jones says with a chuckle. ''It's an interesting take '' that plays into the idea that it is more concerted than we have seen before.''

Then there's the technology effect. In recent years, a number of algorithm changes at Facebook have served to push users away from news and into private groups, where, as the chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, wrote earlier this year, they have ''the freedom to be themselves and connect more naturally''.

But those groups frequently serve to amplify misinformation, by concentrating like-minded people together and excluding any potential corrective viewpoint. And so, if you search for 5G on Facebook, the suggested groups have a theme: ''Halt 5G in the South West'', ''5G-MASS ACTION CAMPAIGN GROUP'' and ''5G - The Facts'' '' illustrated with an image reading ''5G: Fried brains, anyone?''

Facebook has taken action against some kinds of medical misinformation on its site, acting to crack down on the more directly harmful spread of scaremongering over vaccines, but it is clear that the site's very structure supports the spread of these concerns.

''The media landscape is now more suited to this kind of news,'' Jones says. ''There is a growing scepticism of the mainstream media, there is the rise of the so-called ''independents'', and there is a lack of any real quality control. The viral nature of alarmist, extreme viewpoints is easier to catalyse than ever before. And the overall effect when there's a lack of trust from authority is that people will seek out other sources.''

But Wingate-Saul has a simpler proposition. The No 1 reason for objecting to base stations, he wrote in a presentation last month, is simply that ''we were not even consulted''.

''If people are upset, they will perceive a thing as more dangerous '... if people perceive a thing as dangerous, they will become upset,'' Wingate-Saul added. ''Once people are upset, they become resistant to reason. Simply 'explaining the data' is not going to work. We are all immune to information we don't want to learn.''

So Wingate-Saul's advice to those seeking to avoid the fear is simpler. Engage with communities earlier, explain the technology and its constraints in simple non-technical terms, and ''pay close attention to aesthetic design and symmetry''. If mobile phone masts are nicer, fewer people will be enraged by them, turn to the internet, and convince themselves they're dangerous.

But it's probably too late for that to save the reputation of 5G. The rollout is progressing at full speed, and many more sites will be upgraded or installed over the coming months, creating more frustrated residents, and perpetuating the cycle further. Eventually, some will forget and move on, with just a nagging feeling that they ought to be concerned. Others will remain dedicated, until another spark ignites the movement again.

Based on historical trends, we can expect to see 6G launched in the mid- to late 2020s, using a still higher part of the spectrum. And based on those same trends, we can expect opposition.

Build the Wall

Trump Signs Deal To Limit Asylum Claims From Guatemala : NPR

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Fri, 26 Jul 2019 21:22

President Trump announced that Guatemala is signing an agreement to restrict asylum applications to the U.S. from Central America. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption

toggle caption Carolyn Kaster/AP President Trump announced that Guatemala is signing an agreement to restrict asylum applications to the U.S. from Central America.

Carolyn Kaster/AP President Trump announced Friday that Guatemala has agreed to sign a so-called "safe third country asylum agreement" as part of Trump's strategy for reducing the flow of migrants to the U.S.

Trump made the announcement before reporters in the Oval Office as Guatemalan interior minister Enrique Degenhart signed the agreement.

He called it "a very important" signing. "It's going to be terrific for them and terrific for the United States," Trump said, adding the agreement "will usher in a new era and investment and growth for Guatemala."

The agreement comes after days of threats by Trump to Guatemala that included potential tariffs on Guatemalan goods, taxes on remittances sent home by Guatemalans living in the U.S. and, a potential travel ban on Guatemalan nationals to the U.S.

Under the agreement, migrants would have to claim asylum in Guatemala instead of the U.S. Getting Guatemala to sign the agreement was a key component of Trump's strategy for reducing illegal migration to the U.S.

Earlier this month, Guatemala's high court blocked its government from signing the deal with the United States, which led to Trump's threats.

Trump said another component of the deal will make it easier for Guatemalans to legally come to the U.S. as farm workers. He said other countries would also soon be signing similar asylum agreements with the U.S.

Refugees International President Eric Schwartz said Guatemala is "in no way safe for refugees and asylum seekers." He said the agreement "also violates U.S. law and will put some of the most vulnerable people in Central America in grave danger. At the moment, it is not clear exactly what arrangement has been reached in light of the Guatemalan Constitutional Court's provisional decision against a third country agreement."

NPR's Brett Neely contributed to this report.

Epstein

Epstein's Not The Only Predatory Sex Offender In The News: Here's How Shockingly Prevalent This Has Become | Zero Hedge

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 13:44

Authored by Dagny Taggart via The Organic Prepper blog,

Lately, the news has been flooded with horrifying updates about the case of registered sex offender and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

You can read our Epstein coverage at the following links:

An Unbiased Look at What We Know About the Epstein Scandal So Far

More CONFIRMED Information on Jeffrey Epstein, His Homes, and His Powerful Friends

These Prominent People Must Be PANICKING About What the Epstein Case Will Reveal

Singer R. Kelly, 52, is being held without bond in Chicago on charges that include producing child pornography and coercing minors to engage in sex. He faces similar federal charges in New York.

Unfortunately, Epstein and R. Kelly are not the only alleged sexual predators in the news.

Reader discretion is advised. This article contains information that may be upsetting for some people.

Here are various reports of recent sexual abuse cases in the US.Colorado

More than three dozen suspected online child sex offenders were arrested in Aurora, Colorado, during Operation Broken Heart. The nationwide operation was led by the US Department of Justice and resulted in nearly 1,700 arrests during April and May. On June 11, 2019, the DOJ announced that its ''task forces identified 308 offenders who either produced child pornography or committed child sexual abuse, and 357 children who suffered recent, ongoing or historical sexual abuse or were exploited in the production of child pornography.''

The operation targeted suspects who: (1) produce, distribute, receive and possess child pornography; (2) engage in online enticement of children for sexual purposes; (3) engage in the sex trafficking of children; and (4) travel across state lines or to foreign countries and sexually abuse children. (source)

The Colorado Sentinel reports 32-year-old Raymond Fredericks was sentenced to 22 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to a felony sex trafficking charge in May.

Florida

Todd Bush, a 42-year-old former teacher, was arrested in an undercover sting on July 18 after agreeing to pay $100 to who he thought was the mother of an 11-year-old girl for sex with her daughter, authorities said. He was charged with human trafficking of a child, obscene communication, and traveling to meet a minor for sex. Bush was already a registered sex offender and was on probation for a 2011 incident when he was busted in the sting last week.

Maryland

On July 18, a federal jury in Baltimore convicted Ryan Russell Parks, 26, on two counts of sex trafficking a minor and one count of using the internet to promote a prostitution business.

Parks faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for each of the two counts of sex trafficking a minor, and a maximum of five years in prison for using the Internet to promote a business enterprise involving prostitution.

The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from 10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. (source)

Minnesota

A two-day undercover operation in Minneapolis''Saint Paul earlier this month resulted in the arrests of 11 people on sex trafficking charges:

Three people were arrested for sex trafficking and promotion of prostitution while eight people were arrested for solicitation of a minor or solicitation of prostitution under 16 years of age.

In the operation, 18 trafficking victims were recovered from trafficking situations and offered help through victim services. (source)

Nebraska

A former first-grade teacher at an Omaha elementary school has been given 50 to 100 years in prison for sexually assaulting students. Douglas County District Court records show that 31-year-old Gregory Sedlacek was sentenced Tuesday. He'd pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault of a child.

New Hampshire

Yesterday, New Hampshire's attorney general launched an investigation into the state youth detention center after two former counselors were charged with raping a teenage boy 82 times, at least once at gunpoint, in the late 1990s.

New York

Last month, the head of a sex cult was found guilty on multiple charges in New York, reports NPR:

The leader of NXIVM, a group that espoused a philosophy of self-improvement but was accused of recruiting, grooming and even branding an inner circle of female sex slaves, was found guilty Wednesday by a federal jury in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Keith Raniere, who was known as ''Vanguard,'' was convicted on all charges, including sex trafficking, forced labor conspiracy, human trafficking and multiple counts of racketeering '-- including sexual exploitation of a child. (source)

North Carolina

The victims of sexual assaults by a former North Carolina teacher are filing a class-action lawsuit against the school district:

News outlets report the victims of Michael Kelly filed the complaint Tuesday against him, the New Hanover County Board of Education and others.

Kelly pleaded guilty last month to child sex charges. Investigators say Kelly abused nearly 20 victims. He's worked for New Hanover Schools since 1992. (source)

Ohio

Earlier this month, two concurrent Human Trafficking Task Force operations were conducted in the Cleveland region. A total of 49 arrests were made, and some of the individuals are facing felony charges of Attempted Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor, Importuning, Possess Criminal Tools, and Attempting Corruption with Drugs, reports Richland Source.

You can read more about recent arrests on the DOJ's dedicated page: Human Trafficking.

Cases of child sexual abuse by clergy continue to be reported.Thousands of allegations of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests, nuns, and members of religious orders have been made over the last few decades. Many investigations, trials, and convictions '' and revelations about decades of attempts by Church officials to cover up reported incidents '' have resulted. These offenses are not limited to clergy in the US '' cases have occurred all over the world.

I think it is important to note here that my family is Catholic, so I know how painful this subject can be for some followers.

According to a 2009 report, the founder of a religious order that treats Roman Catholic priests who molest children concluded decades ago that offenders were unlikely to change and should not be returned to ministry:

As early as the mid-1950s, decades before the clergy sexual-abuse crisis broke publicly across the U.S. Catholic landscape, the founder of a religious order that dealt regularly with priest sex abusers was so convinced of their inability to change that he searched for an island to purchase with the intent of using it as a place to isolate such offenders, according to documents recently obtained by NCR.

Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald, founder of the Servants of the Paracletes, an order established in 1947 to deal with problem priests, wrote regularly to bishops in the United States and to Vatican officials, including the pope, of his opinion that many sexual abusers in the priesthood should be laicized immediately. (source)

Yesterday, a Florida minister and registered sex offender was arrested after authorities found child pornography on his home computer, reports the Associated Press:

Sarasota County Sheriff's officials tell news outlets that 66-year-old Charles Andrews was arrested Tuesday. He's charged with 500 felony counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of failing to meet sex offender requirements.

Andrews is a pastor at Osprey Church of Christ. Andrews also is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2006 of second-degree sexual abuse in Alabama. Now he's in jail, his bond set at more than $5 million. (source)

The Associated Press has a Sexual Abuse by Clergy page that is dedicated to coverage of cases.

Here is a sampling of recent cases they have documented:

In Kansas, state authorities have opened more than 70 investigations into alleged sexual abuse by Catholic clergy after receiving over 100 abuse reports in less than six months, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday.

Also in Kansas, a priest has been charged with one count of possessing child pornography.

St. Norbert Abbey in Wisconsin has released the names of 22 priests who faced ''credible'' allegations of sexually abusing minors. The abbey says an independent review deemed more than 40 allegations credible.

Last week, a former Alabama youth pastor was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl.

The Diocese of Crookston in Minnesota has reached a $5 million settlement with 15 people who were children when they were sexually abused by priests.

A Texas jury has sentenced a former Roman Catholic priest to 18 years in prison for sexually assaulting an altar server over several years.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has charged a 57-year-old Detroit-area priest with sexually abusing a minor.

Last Monday, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, released a list of clerics, religious order priests and deacons it deems to have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children.

In Illinois, a priest was removed from pastoral duties in the wake of allegations of sexual abuse that took place two decades ago.

The Vatican has been in the news this week for a very disturbing reason.A genetics expert retained by the family of a girl who went missing in 1983 said Saturday that a cavernous underground space near a Vatican cemetery holds thousands of bones that appear to be from dozens of individuals, both ''adult and non-adult.''

The expert, Giorgio Portera, said the ''enormous'' size of the collection under the Teutonic College was revealed when Vatican-appointed experts began cataloguing the remains, which were discovered last week .

''We didn't expect such an enormous number'' of bones and other remains which ''had been thrown into a cavity,'' Portera said. ''We want to know why and how'' the bones ended up there. (source)

Victims of abuse by religious and institutional authorities (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns, coaches, teachers, and others) can find support here: SNAP. BishopAccountability.org has an Abuse Tracker page that provides links to media coverage of clergy abuse.

How prevalent is child sexual abuse?While Epstein's arrest has increased awareness of predatory behavior by the elite, the wealthy and powerful are not the only ones committing such heinous acts.

According to The National Center for Victims of Crime, the prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) is difficult to determine because it is often not reported. Experts agree that the incidence is far greater than what is reported to authorities.

Statistics below represent some of the research done on child sexual abuse.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau report Child Maltreatment 2010 found that 9.2% of victimized children were sexually assaulted (page 24).

Studies by David Finkelhor, Director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, show that:

1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse;

Self-report studies show that 20% of adult females and 5-10% of adult males recall a childhood sexual assault or sexual abuse incident;

During a one-year period in the U.S., 16% of youth ages 14 to 17 had been sexually victimized;

Over the course of their lifetime, 28% of U.S. youth ages 14 to 17 had been sexually victimized;

Children are most vulnerable to CSA between the ages of 7 and 13.

According to Darkness to Light, a non-profit committed to empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse, only about one-third of child sexual abuse incidents are identified, and even fewer are reported.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children operates the CyberTipline, a national mechanism for the public and electronic service providers to report instances of suspected child sexual exploitation.

In 2018 the CyberTipline received more than 18.4 million reports, most of which related to:

Apparent child sexual abuse images.

Online enticement, including ''sextortion.''

Child sex trafficking.

Child sexual molestation.

Since its inception, the CyberTipline has received more than 48 million reports.

Those statistics are grim.

Sex trafficking is a serious global issue.There are various types of sex offenders and sex crimes, and that topic is beyond the scope of this article. Because sex trafficking and the vulnerability of minors are crucial issues, we will focus on them here.

US federal law refers to sex trafficking as any commercial sex act that is ''induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.''

A recent report from Insider sheds light on just how many people are victims of sex trafficking.

The statistics are alarming and heartbreaking:

It's estimated that there are around 4.5 million victims of sex trafficking across the world. And though it's difficult to know just how many people are involved in sex trafficking in the US, the Polaris Project, a non-profit dedicated to ending human trafficking, received more than 34,000 reports of sex trafficking on its Human Trafficking Hotline between 2007 and 2017.

End Slavery Now, an anti-human trafficking and slavery organization, estimates many of those trafficked into the US come from countries like Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, Honduras, Guatemala, India and El Salvador. But experts say that plenty of sex trafficking victims are from the US, too. (source)

The conclusion of the Insider report is chilling:

But the millions sex trafficked around the world don't look like they do in movies. These people, often minors, can lead normal lives and pass through normal places, jobs, and homes.

The sex trafficking that goes on in the US largely takes place in a criminal underbelly ubiquitous in US cities and communities, which millions of Americans, for whatever reason, turn a blind eye to daily. (source)

There are various factors that motivate sexual predators.Power, anger, and revenge are common motivators for sex offenders, according to Criminal Justice School Info:

It is mistakenly believed that sexual offenders are solely motivated by sexual gratification when they commit their crimes. Dr. Nicholas Groth developed three typologies to describe the motivations of rapists, two of which suggest sexual gratification is secondary. Anger rapists are fueled by rage towards their victims and rape is their way of seeking violent revenge. According to the Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM), these rapists may actually be extremely discontent with another area in their lives and thus take out their frustration on their victims. ''Anger rapists tend to use a significant amount of physical force when they subdue their victims '' in most cases, far more force than is necessary to perpetrate the abuse,'' adds the CSOM. Verbal abuse is also a common component of these types of violations that are generally impulsive '' not planned.

Power rapists on the other hand are less impulsive and rely on psychological manipulation more so than physical violence to subdue and sexually assault their victims. ''The power rapist was motivated by his need to control and dominate his victim, and inversely, to avoid being controlled by [the victim],'' describes Dr. Lisak. Those who rape their domestic partners are often characterized as power rapists. There are also sadistic rapists who receive sexual or erotic gratification from exerting power and control over the victims they rape. ''Because they have an erotic response to power and control, extreme violence and torture often characterize their assaults,'' says the CSOM. ''In many cases, victims of sadistic rapists are murdered during the assaults''. The CSOM adds that these types of rapes are least common and account for between 2% and 5% of cases in the United States. (source)

Repeat sex offenders do not necessarily target only one category of victim or offend in the same manner, that report explains:

Dr. Lisak explains that a proportion of sexual offenders are 'non-specialists'. ''Multiple studies have now documented that between 33% and 66% of rapists have also sexually attacked children; that up to 82% of child molesters have also sexually attacked adults; and that between 50% and 66% of incest offenders have also sexually attacked children outside their families,'' states Dr. Lisak.

Additionally, many of us tend to think a sex offender will keep on offending until he or she is caught. While in reality, recidivism does happen, it may not be as common as we think. According to Arkowitz and Lilienfeld, approximately 14% of sexual offenders reoffend within a five to six year period and 24% within a 15 year period. While this suggests recidivism is less often the case, it does suggest the longer it takes law enforcement to track down a sexual predator or criminal, the more likely he or she will reoffend. (source)

Not everyone who sexually abuses children is a pedophile, as Darkness to Light explains:

Child sexual abuse is perpetrated by a wide range of individuals with diverse motivations. It is impossible to identify specific characteristics that are common to all those who molest children. Situational offenders tend to offend at times of stress and begin offending later than pedophilic offenders. They also have fewer victims (often family), and have a general preference for adult partners.

Pedophilic offenders often start offending at an early age and often have a large number of victims (frequently not family members).

70% of child sex offenders have between one and 9 victims, while 20% have 10 to 40 victims. (source)

Often, sexual predators are people you know and trust.It is important to understand that there are people who have or will sexually abuse children in churches, schools, and youth sports leagues, as Darkness to Light explains:

Abusers can be neighbors, friends, and family members. People who sexually abuse children can be found in families, schools, churches, recreation centers, youth sports leagues, and any other place children gather.

Significantly, abusers can be and often are other children.

About 90% of children who are victims of abuse know their abuser. Only 10% of sexually abused children are abused by a stranger.

Approximately 30% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members. The younger the victim, the more likely it is that the abuser is a family member. Of those molesting a child under six, 50% were family members. Family members also accounted for 23% of those abusing children ages 12 to 17.

About 60% of children who are sexually abused are abused by the people the family trusts. (source)

Here's how to keep your loved ones (and yourself) safe.Sexual abuse is a challenging topic to discuss. It can be even more difficult when you're talking about protecting your own children. Families can take steps to keep their children safe and give them the tools to speak up when something isn't right.

Here is a list of resources that can help you keep your family safe.

Essential Self-Defense Tactics ANY Woman Can Learn

Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane)

The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence

Child Safety resources from Gavin de Becker and Associates

National Resources for Sexual Assault Survivors and their Loved Ones

Darkness to Light '' End Child Sexual Abuse

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Alliance to Rescue Victims of Trafficking

Pedo-flyers bij Pride in beslag genomen na boze reacties | NOS

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 14:33

Twitter PedoPride Flyers van de pedofielenorganisatie 'Kinderbevrijdingsfront' zijn vandaag in beslag genomen in het Vondelpark bij de Pride in Amsterdam. De man die de flyers uitdeelde wil naar eigen zeggen de rechten van pedo's bevorderen. Bij omstanders leidde de inhoud van de flyers tot heftige reacties. De man is niet aangehouden.

Onder de hashtag #PedoPride kondigde de man zijn actie de afgelopen dagen al aan. Hij wil een "inclusieve Pride". Pedofielen "dienen onderdeel te zijn van Pride en welkom te zijn binnen de gemeenschap", schreef hij op Twitter. Pride Amsterdam wil niets met de man te maken hebben en vroeg hem meermaals om te vertrekken.

Omstanders waren ook niet gediend van zijn boodschap. "Doordat mensen boos werden, dreigde een verstoring van de openbare orde", bevestigt een politiewoordvoerder. "Toen is besloten om de flyers tijdelijk in beslag te nemen."

'Moreel verwerpelijk'Die beslissing werd genomen in overleg met de driehoek: het Openbaar Ministerie, de politie en de burgemeester . "Deze man heeft van tevoren aangegeven te willen demonstreren in het Vondelpark", zegt de woordvoerder van burgemeester Halsema. "Wij vinden zijn boodschap moreel verwerpelijk, maar wij beslissen niet over de inhoud."

De man is ook door de politie gevraagd te vertrekken, maar hij weigerde dat. Nadat de politie zijn flyers in beslag had genomen, is hij uit zichzelf weggegaan. De flyers blijven zijn eigendom, die mag hij op afspraak weer bij de politie ophalen.

N7530R NTSB Report

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 19:57

National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Preliminary Report

Location:

Newport Beach, CA

Accident Number :

WPR18FA077

Date & Time :

01/30/2018 , 1350 PST

Registration:

N7530R

Aircraft:

ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44

Injuries :

3 Fatal , 1 Serious, 1 Minor

Flight Conducted Under:

Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On January 30, 2018, about 1350 Pacific standard time, a Robinson Helicopter R44, N7530R, was destroyed when it impacted three residential houses while maneuvering near Newport Beach, California. The private pilot and two of the three passengers sustained fatal injuries, one passenger sustained serious injuries, and one person located on the ground sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to Spitzer Helicopter and operated by Revolution Aviation under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal cross-country flight. The flight originated from the John Wayne-Orange County Airport (SNA) about 1 minute prior to the accident, with an intended destination of Catalina Island, California.

Multiple witnesses adjacent to the accident site reported observing the helicopter in level flight before it began descending in a nose low attitude toward a residential area. Witnesses reported that the helicopter struck the roof of two houses before it impacted the ground. Subsequently, the helicopter came to rest on its left side against a third house.

The accident site was located about 0.95 miles south, southeast of the departure end of runway 20R at SNA. The wreckage debris path was oriented on a heading of about 189 o magnetic and about 86 feet in length. All major structural components of the helicopter were located within the debris path.

The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Ma ke :

ROBINSON HELICOPTER

Registration:

N7530R

Model/Series:

R44 UNDESIGNAT

Aircraft Category:

Helicopter

Amateur Built :

Operator:

Revolution Helicopters

Operating Certificate(s) Held:

None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:

Visual Conditions

Condition of Light :

Day

Observation Facility, Elevation:

KSNA , 55 ft msl

Observation Time:

2153 UTC

Distance from Accident Site:

1 Nautical Miles

Temperature/Dew Point:

26°C / -2°C

Lowest Cloud Condition:

Few / 13000 ft agl

Wind Speed/Gusts , Direction :

5 knots / , 210°

Lowest Ceiling:

Broken / 18000 ft agl

Visibility

10 Miles

Altimeter Setting:

29.98 inches Hg

Type of Flight Plan Filed:

None

Departure Point:

Santa Ana , CA (SNA)

Destination:

Catalina Island , CA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries:

1 Fatal

Aircraft Damage:

Destroyed

Passenger Injuries:

2 Fatal , 1 Serious

Aircraft Fire:

None

Ground Injuries:

1 Minor

Aircraft Explosion:

None

Total Injuries:

3 Fatal , 1 Serious, 1 Minor

Latitude, Longitude:

33.654167, -117.871389

Administrative Information

Investigator In Charge (IIC):

Joshua Cawthra

Additional Participating Persons:

Dave Keenan; Federal Aviation Administration; Washington, DC

Note :

The NTSB traveled to the scene of this accident.

Report: Evidence Exists To Charge Schiff With Treason '' Qanon - Tea Party News

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 19:52

President Trump tweets Schiff must be stopped

(Infowars) '' As he struggles to preserve the flailing ''Russian Collusion'' narrative against President Trump, Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee appears to be rapidly developing serious legal problems of his own.

On Monday, Feb. 5, QAnon posted at timestamp 19:55:43, approximately 7:56 pm ET, that a recorded phone call exists between Adam Schiff and Valerie Jarret, lasting 42 minutes and 13 seconds, that constitute evidence of treason under Article 3, Section 3 of the Constitution.

QAnon documents that the recorded phone call was witnessed by what appear to be 11 people, supposedly fulfilling the requirement of Article 3, Section 3 that two witnesses are available to give testimony to the same overt act that constitutes treason against the United States.

Infowars.com notes that there is no published evidence that would validate QAnon's allegation that Schiff and Jarrett were involved in a treasonous phone call.

Still, this shocking revelation, if true, should give Schiff pause to take seriously President Trump's tweet on the same day, putting Schiff on notice that criminal charges could be brought against Schiff for leaving committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information.

Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper! Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!

'-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018

As seen here, Trump's tweet suggested that ''Little Adam Schiff'' is so desperate to run for higher office that he has become ''one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington,'' on a par with former FBI Director James Comey; Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; former CIA Director John Brennan; and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Beginning at the end of January, QAnon has issued a series of posts drawing attention to Schiff's alleged involvement with various scandals, including some that may be criminal in nature, that are reported to be ongoing in his California district that includes West Hollywood.

Adam Schiff and the Standard Hotel

On Jan. 31, QAnon posted at timestamp 22:22:52, approximately 10:23 pm ET, noting a helicopter crash that happened in Newport Beach and involved an unnamed hotel general manager.

A few minutes later, QAnon suggested that Schiff had an unspecified problematic relationship with something that happened at the Standard Hotel, such that Schiff's attempt to block and counter the release of the ''Nunes Memo'' was Schiff's unspecified repayment perhaps for covering up whatever it was that happened at the hotel.

The background to these posts takes us to the day before, when an R44 helicopter taking off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, at 1:45 pm local time, crashed in Newport Beach residential area, killing three executives associated with the Standard Hotel, a trendy, gay-friendly hotel located in Schiff's district in West Hollywood, California.

The three killed in the helicopter crash associated with the hotel were the Kimberly Lynne Watzman, 45 years old, the general manager of the Standard Hotel; Brian Reichelt, 56, of Hollywood, Florida, who worked at the Standard Hotel in Hollywood, Florida and was regional financial director for the Standard International, the parent company hotel chain; and Joseph Anthony Tena, 60 of Newport Beach.

Tena was a Spanish-born entrepreneur, involved with Ferrado Garden Court LLC, a company in Spain owned by two of the richest people in Spain, with international holdings that evidently include stock in the Standard Hotel chain in the United States.

The helicopter, when it crashed, was headed for a day-trip to Catalina Island, one of the Channel Islands offshore, southwest of Los Angeles.

In 1984, West Hollywood was incorporated as ''America's first gay city,'' capping off a legacy that traces back to the Prohibition Era ''when the 1.7-mile-long stretch of the Sunset Strip became a haven for speakeasies and casinos because it fell outside the jurisdiction of the hyper-vigilant LAPD and inside the jurisdiction of the relatively lax L.A. County Sheriff's Department.''

According to a New York Times report published Nov. 9, 2017, Andr(C) Balazs, known as the creator of the Standard brand of hotels that he created two decades ago, was also known for dating actress Uma Thurman for years, as well as dating television host Chelsea Handler, and for making his hotels a hangout ''for members of the hip Hollywood set, like Johnny Depp and the singer Florence Welch.''

The New York Times reported Balazs has been accused of sexual harassment, specifically running his hand up the dresses of various women, touching their genitals without consent, in a pattern of behaviors that traces back to an incident first reported in 1991.

QAnon sharpens attack on Schiff

In the next post, QAnon suggested at timestamp 22:46:51, approximately 10:47 pm ET, that Schiff was being blackmailed over ''a death cover-up'' that occurred at the Standard Hotel.

Then, in a final post, QAnon suggested at timestamp 23:00:51, approximately 11:01 pm ET, that Schiff was concerned he might be implicated in a pedophilia ring that an anonymous poster suggested was being run out of the hotel.

Infowars.com stresses that there is no published evidence that would support QAnon's implied allegations that Schiff was involved with improprieties that may or may not have happened at the Standard Hotel in West Hollywood.

In an earlier post, QAnon on Dec. 10, 2017, suggested at timestamp 23:29:56, approximately 11:30 pm ET, that Schiff was ''a traitor to our country,'' a ''leaker'' of national security information. In this post, QAnon called Schiff ''evil,'' taunting Schiff that QAnon hoped the ''$7.8 million dollars was worth it.''

This QAnon post appears to reference a report published two days earlier, on Dec. 8, 2017, that the Orange County District Attorney's office had obtained a $7.8 million settlement in a civil lawsuit against two Yorba Linda medical communities accused of profiting illegally from the sale of fetal tissue and stem cells.

Again, Infowars.com has no proof this QAnon allegation can be substantiated.

infowars.com/report-evidence-exists-to-charge-schiff-with-treason-qanon/

Elpida Home Gives Hope to Refugees in Thessaloniki

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Archived Version

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 19:23

On June 14, 2016, The Radcliffe Foundation released a statement explaining its partnership with the Greek Ministry of Migration in an initiative aiming to house over 800 Syrian refugees in Thessaloniki in northern Greece. Frank Giustra, founder of The Radcliffe Foundation, worked alongside Amed Khan, an American philanthropist, to create a revolutionary alternative housing option for refugees in Thessaloniki.

Together, with the support of thousands of volunteers, they set out to ''rehabilitate an abandoned clothing factory to provide housing for 800 refugees,'' many of whom were women and children. According to project manager Mike Zuckerman, the project's strategy was to ''rehabilitate Greece's abandoned infrastructure to aid in solving both the Economic Crisis and the Refugee Crisis at the same time.''

The facility, dubbed the Elpida Home, opened to families on July 24. Here are five ways the Radcliffe Foundation and the Elpida home are giving hope to refugees in Thessaloniki.

Opening doors to relocated refugees: When the Greek government shut down Idomeni, a makeshift camp in northern Greece, 4,000 refugees were forced to relocate to old warehouses and abandoned factories. The living conditions were dangerously derelict and squalid.Creating opportunities for collaboration: According to the Radcliffe Foundation, the Elpida Project is a ''public-private partnership [intended to] create humane living conditions and allow refugees to participate in the process, giving them a say in their own welfare.'' The Radcliffe Foundation worked with NGOs and local volunteer groups to build the refuge.Inspiring humanity: According to Giustra, ''The conditions that refugees face are heartbreaking'...our goal in this project is not only to house these people'...but equally as important, restore their dignity by treating them as human beings.'' Furthermore, according to Khan, ''This project will hopefully set the path for others, just like it, that put humanity above all else.''Meeting electrical, plumbing and dietary needs: The Elpida Home contains both individual housing units and common areas that are equipped with working electricity, running water and plumbing. According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, in other refugee camps around Thessaloniki, ''air circulation is poor, and supplies of food, water, toilets, showers and electricity are insufficient.'' The overcrowded camps compound ''the already high level of distress of refugee families, fueling tensions within refugee populations.'' Refugees at The Elpida Home, in contrast, have access to showers, toilets and a children's play area.Partnering with medical nonprofits to provide health care: Medecins du Monde is a nonprofit that has sent volunteers to the Elpida Home three days a week to provide psychological care for refugees. The Elpida Home also has a volunteer dental team on staff.Between the joint efforts of the Greek Ministry of Migration and The Radcliffe Foundation, Syrain refugees inThessaloniki will have a better chance at overcoming the obstacles displacement creates.

'' Hailey Visscher

Frank Giustra - Wikipedia

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 19:21

Frank Giustra (born August 1957) is a Canadian businessman, mining financier and philanthropist, who also founded Lionsgate Entertainment. From 2001 to 2007, he was the chairman of the merchant banking firm, Endeavour Financial, which financed mining companies. He is the CEO of Fiore Group of Companies.

Early life [ edit ] Giustra was born in August 1957[2] in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, the son of Giuseppe and Domenica Giustra,[3] who immigrated to Canada. His father worked in the mines as a driller and blaster.[4] Giustra spent his childhood in "Italy, Argentina and Texada Island off the British Columbia coast."[4] He spent his middle school years in Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada, and graduated from high school there in 1976. Giuseppe Giustra was a Sudbury nickel miner, who introduced his son to his broker. He graduated in 1979 from Douglas College where he spent his first year playing trumpet in the school's music program before switching over to business and finance.

Investment industry [ edit ] Giustra took a securities course and began his career in the investment industry in 1978 with Merrill Lynch as an assistant trader and then as a stockbroker. Giustra raised "billions of dollars and developing a loyal following of investors in mining ventures" while at the Vancouver Stock Exchange as broker.[5] He left in 1997 when the mining sector collapsed.[5]

Yorkton Securities [ edit ] In the early 1980s, Giustra left Merrill Lynch to create a resources-financing group in Europe for the new firm Yorkton Securities. He is said to have "transformed Yorkton into a major force in the world of international mining finance."[6] In 1990, he became president of the company and, in 1995, was appointed chairman and CEO.

Goldcorp (2001-) [ edit ] In 2001 Rob McEwen, Goldcorp founder, and Giustra, purchased Wheaton River Minerals, which was then a junior company. By 2005, as the price of gold rose, Ian Telfer, a "mine entrepreneur...turned an insignificant shell company into a billion dollar gold producer." In 2005 Goldcorp absorbed Wheaton River Minerals.[7] According to Bloomberg News, Wheaton River Minerals was the precursor for both Goldcorp and Endeavour.[4] By 2014, Goldcorp was the world's fourth-largest producer of gold.[8]

Endeavour Financial (2001''2007) [ edit ] From 2001 to 2007, Giustra was chair of Endeavour Financial, a merchant banking firm which financed mining companies.

In June 2007, when Giustra stepped down as chairman of Endeavour Financial "to pursue his philanthropic interests", he became Endeavour's exclusive financial adviser. In that capacity he oversaw the November 2007 merger between Petro Rubiales and Pacific Stratus, creating Petro Rubiales Energy Corporation.[9] The parent company of Endeavour Financial was Endeavour Mining Capital, which was then led by Frank Holmes.[10] At the time of the merger, Petro Rubiales was described by Newswire as a "Canadian-based company and producer of heavy crude oil" and "owner of 100 percent of Meta Petroleum Limited, a Colombian oil and gas operator which operates the Rubiales and Piriri oil fields in the Llanos Basin in association with Ecopetrol S.A. the Colombian, state-owned oil company. The Company [was] focused on identifying opportunities primarily within the eastern Llanos Basin of Colombia."[9]

According to a 2007 article in The Globe and Mail, in that year Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp purchased a controlling share in the Rubiales oil fields for $250 million. Through the deal, Colombia's state oil company, Ecopetrol SA became a partner with Pacific Rubiales. By 2007 Pacific Rubiales was trading on the TSX.[10][11]

Although oil had been discovered there in 1982, when the original company, Pacific Rubiales, was established, production began in 1988. By 2011, the Rubiales oil field was the largest in Colombia and along with Frank Joy invested in the business to pursue the legacy of loinsgate.[12]

UrAsia Energy Ltd. (2004''2007) [ edit ] Giustra began putting together the company later named UrAsia Energy Ltd. with potential investors in 2004.[13][14] In 2005, the company paid $75 million for a 30-percent stake in a Kazakhy uranium mine to Jeffcott Group Ltd., a privately-held company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.[15] It also paid $350 million for a 70-percent stake in two other Kazakhy uranium mines to oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov.[15] In November 2005, UrAsia's initial public offering was listed on the Canadian TSX Venture Exchange at a value of more than Can$500 million. In 2007, Giustra sold UrAsia to sxr Uranium One Ltd. in a $3.7- billion reverse merger; the directors of UrAsia received $4 million in stock options each.[16][17][5]

A New York Times article in January 2008 stated that Giustra was a newcomer to Kazakhstan mining operations and was awarded the rights to buy into the mining ventures because of his connection to Bill Clinton.[5] The article described how Giustra and Clinton arrived on Giustra's private plane on "the first stop of a three-country philanthropic tour" and attended a "sumptuous midnight banquet," giving the president of Kazakhstan a "propaganda coup" and Giustra a signed agreement two days later; the article went on to mention that "just months after" the deal Giustra donated millions to the Clinton Foundation and pledged millions more. Other media outlets pointed out that the article contained several factual errors. Media Matters cited Canadian publications who had reported on Giustra and his former company Yorkton's engagements in gold and copper mining in Kazakhstan in the 1990s.[18] Forbes pointed out'--among other errors'--that according to flight manifests Giustra had arrived on his own plane four days earlier; Clinton arrived on another private plane late on September 6, 2005, and "stayed less than a day" before traveling on to India with Giustra.[17] They attended a state dinner with Nursultan A. Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan, and 50 other guests on September 6, 2005.[19]

Leagold Mining (2017 onwards) [ edit ] By 2017, Giustra was chairman of Leagold Mining which acquired the Los Filos deposit in Guerrero state, Mexico, a deposit that Giustra says, is twice the size of the Wheaton River Mineral's assets.[4]

Lionsgate Entertainment, Thunderbird Films and Sea to Sky Entertainment [ edit ] After he left investment banking in 1996, served as chairman of Lions Gate Entertainment from 1997''2003.[20] He hoped to capitalize on the growing film industry in Vancouver. The company bought a number of small production facilities and distributors. Its first success was American Psycho, which began a trend of producing and distributing films far too controversial for the major American studios. Other successes included Affliction, Gods and Monsters, Dogma, and the Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, which turned out to be the studio's highest-grossing film. In 2000, Giustra left the firm and it was taken over by Jon Feltheimer and Michael Burns. Giustra sold most of his stake in Lionsgate in 2003.

In December 2010, Giustra returned to Lions Gate Entertainment as a member of the board of directors.[21] In March 2012, he started a new joint venture with Lionsgate and Thunderbird Films, called Sea to Sky Entertainment, which will focus on projects in the television industry.

September 2014, Thunderbird Films, where Giustra is both a director and investor, purchased UK Soda Pictures Inc. In April 2013 Thunderbird Films, which has a partnership with Lionsgate to run a TV studio, purchased Reunion Pictures for an undisclosed sum to bolster its one-hour drama production capacity. The deal is Thunderbird's latest move to turn the distribution and rights management company into a major film and TV producer. Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra is a major shareholder who largely orchestrated the 50''50 joint venture Sea to Sky Entertainment with Lionsgate.

Fiore Group [ edit ] Giustra is president and CEO of Fiore Group of Companies, a private firm managing private equity investments. Fiore Group also provides advisory services to Endeavour Mining Corporation,[22] a gold mining company. Vancouver Magazine for numerous years has ranked Giustra in the Power 50 list of the most powerful people in Vancouver.[23][24]

By 2013, Guistra's investment portfolio included "organic, natural, sustainable and heritage food". According to a 2013 article in the Vancouver Sun, his "new stable of agri-business investments range from a Vancouver Island sablefish hatchery to a Saskatchewan grain farm; a Chilliwack organic farm that raises heritage pigs and poultry; Sole Food, a company that turns vacant urban land into street farms; and Alter Eco, a San Francisco specialty food company that produces organic chocolate, among other items, sourced from small-scale farmers in 11 countries" and Domenica Fiore Olio Reserva, which is named after his mother, a company that produces olive oil.[25]

Thunderbird Films [ edit ] He is a co-owner of Thunderbird Films. In August 2011, it was announced,[26] by Alcon Entertainment that Ridley Scott will direct the new Blade Runner film. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO's of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers. He formed Sea to Sky Entertainment.[27]

Giustra is frequently quoted regarding gold and currency markets in publications such as Forbes, StockHouse.com, and GoldEditor.com.

Recently, Giustra started Fiore Music, and Westsonic Music, and spends much of his time writing lyrics. He is also a guest blogger on the Huffington Post, under "Dear Rich People".[citation needed ]

Philanthropy [ edit ] In June, 2007, Giustra cited Andrew Carnegie as an influence in his philanthropy but credited his wife, Alison Lawton, a dot-com millionaire turned human rights activist and producer of documentary films on humanitarian crises, with inspiring him about sustainable growth.[28]

The Radcliffe Foundation [ edit ] The Radcliffe Foundation was established in 1997 by Giustra, its president. The Vancouver-based foundation supports local and international disaster relief, economic development, and homelessness charities.

The Radcliffe Foundation has contributed $30M towards the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI), which works with governments and other partners to increase access medical care for HIV+ people. In 2005, the foundation began supporting the International Crisis Group,[29] an independent organization working to prevent and resolve deadly conflict on five continents through analysis and high-level advocacy. With the support of Giustra, who sits on the executive committee, and contributions that total $10 million, the International Crisis Group is a leading independent, non-partisan, source of analysis and advice to governments and intergovernmental bodies like the United Nations, European Union and World Bank on the prevention and resolution of deadly conflict.

The Radcliffe Foundation also has been worked with the Vancouver Foundation and the City of Vancouver on Streetohome, a community-based initiative established in 2008 which brings together non-profits, civil society groups, business, governments and citizens to address homelessness in Vancouver. Giustra sits on the board of Streetohome Foundation and chairs the capital campaign. He also donated $5 million to the foundation in 2010.[30] In Vancouver and surrounding communities in British Columbia, the Radcliffe Foundation assists charities and programs which include British Columbia Children's Hospital, Canuck Place, the Templeton Education Foundation, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, and various other art and theater programs for children.[citation needed ]

Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative (CGSGI) [ edit ] Giustra and Bill Clinton met in June 2005 on a "philanthropic trip to Mexico and Colombia organized by the Clinton Foundation".[31] Giustra is a member of the board of trustees of the Clinton Foundation.[32]

In June 2007, Giustra joined with U.S. President Bill Clinton, in a partnership between the William J. Clinton Foundation, private sector, governments, local communities, and other NGOs.[33][34][34][35][36] CGSGI aims to alleviate poverty in the developing world in partnership with the global mining community. Giustra committed $USD 100 million plus half of what he earns in the resource industry for the rest of his life. Carlos Slim Helº, the Mexican businessman and one of the richest men in the world, made a matching contribution.[33]

In July 2007 Giustra and Clinton toured seven countries in Africa overseeing the work of the William J. Clinton Foundation in Giustra's corporate MD-87 jet.[10]

On June 17, 2010, Giustra joined with Carlos Slim and President Clinton to create a $20 million fund to assist small businesses in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.[37]

In 2015, articles in the International Business Times[38] and in the Washington Post, criticized Giustra's involvement with the Clinton Foundation, suggesting that the close relationship that developed between with their shared philanthropic activities in various countries, may have influenced Hillary Clinton's political decisions.[39]

International Crisis Group [ edit ] He has been a trustee of the International Crisis Group since July 1, 2006,[1] an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts through high-level advocacy.

Personal life [ edit ] In 2000, Giustra married Alison Lawton, a Canadian investor, activist, and producer of documentary films on humanitarian crises. Giustra and Lawton divorced in 2007 and have two children together.[40]

References [ edit ] ^ a b "Frank Giustra, President & Ceo from Vancouver". Check Director. October 27, 2017 . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . ^ "Hive Blockchain Closes $30 Million Financing, Completes $7 Million Investment by Genesis Mining, and Acquires 2nd Data Centre". October 11, 2017 . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ "Archived Profile: Frank Giustra". Canada.com. 2007-06-21. Archived from the original on 2016-06-04 . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ a b c d Pearson, Natalie Obiko (May 17, 2017). "Billion-Dollar Gold Dream Lures Mining Maverick Out of Hiatus". Bloomberg News . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . ^ a b c d Becker and, Jo; van Natta Jr., Don (January 31, 2008). "After Mining Deal, Financier Donated to Clinton". The New York Times . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . The New York Times had reported that UrAsia Energy Ltd. purchased "the right to buy into three uranium projects controlled by Kazakhstan's state-owned uranium agency, Kazatomprom making UrAsia "one of the world's largest uranium producers in a transaction ultimately worth tens of millions of dollars to Mr. Giustra. ^ "The Pursuit of the Wealth for the Greater Good", by Patrick Brethour, Andy Hoffman, Sinclair Stewart, The Globe and Mail, June 22, 2007 ^ Sudol, Stan (December 31, 2016). "Sudbury Accent: Meet Canada's new mining leaders". The Sudbury Star . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . ^ Simon Walker, "Gold: new fundamentals, Engineering & Mining Journal, Feb. 2015, v.216 n.2 p.34 ^ a b "Petro Rubiales and Pacific Stratus Agree to Merger to Create Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp". Vancouver and Toronto. November 12, 2007 . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . Petro Rubiales Energy Corp. (TSXV:PEG) and Pacific Stratus Energy Ltd. (TSX: PSE) combined to form the new unique company "Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp... [Endeavour Financial International Corporation], was the "exclusive financial advisor for Petro Rubiales. ^ a b c Hoffman, Andy (March 27, 2007). "Renaissance Man". The Globe and Mail. Special to the Globe and Mail . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . The New York Times first broke the story of their trip to Kazakhstan this past January. Shortly after that, The Wall Street Journal reported that Clinton also introduced Giustra to the president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe. [In 2006], a Giustra-connected shell company, now called Pacific Rubiales Energy, paid $250 million for control of a Colombian oil-field operation. As part of the deal, Pacific Rubiales, which now trades on the TSX, became a partner of Ecopetrol SA, Colombia's state oil company. This article describes a June 2007 high-profile fund raiser held in Toronto with celebrities in attendance. ^ Emshwiller, John R.; de C"rdoba, Jos&eacute (February 14, 2008). "Bill Clinton's Complex Charities: Former President Works Global Ties". Wall Street Journal . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . In September 2005, Bill Clinton and his aides staged a three-day philanthropic event at which they gathered hundreds of millions of dollars of commitments from the rich and powerful to help the world's poor. Mr. Clinton's staff also found time to help a wealthy Canadian businessman, Frank Giustra. At the gathering, a Clinton aide arranged for Mr. Giustra to be introduced to Columbian President Alvaro Uribe. [They talked for about ten minutes]... ^ "Pacific Rubiales Branches Out Into Refining, Coal". November 18, 2010. [dead link ] ^ Deslauriers, David J. (September 29, 2005). "Uranium's New Kid on the Block Will Be the Biggest". ResourceInvestor.com . Retrieved August 3, 2018 . ^ Hoffman, Andy (February 13, 2007). "How a tiny miner's bet went nuclear". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved August 3, 2018 . ^ a b Hoffman, Andy (May 29, 2009). "Who sold key asset to Uranium One?". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved August 3, 2018 . ^ Hoffman, Andy (March 16, 2007). "A rich deal for directors of UrAsia". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved August 3, 2018 . ^ a b Lenzner, Robert (January 12, 2009). "Clinton Commits No Foul In Kazakhstan Uranium Deal". Forbes . Retrieved August 3, 2018 . ^ Pavlus, Sarah; Schulman, Jeremy (January 31, 2008). "NY Times failed to note Giustra reportedly involved in Kazakhstan mining deals more than a decade ago". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved August 4, 2018 . ^ Narayanswamy, Anu (May 3, 2015). "Travels with Bill and Frank: A look at the Clinton-Giustra friendship". The Washington Post . Retrieved August 4, 2018 . ^ "Funding Universe" Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation History Fundinguniverse.com, Retrieved on July 19, 2012 ^ Dave McNary (2010-12-16). "Lionsgate board candidates won handily". Variety . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ "Endeavour Mining Corporation". Endeavourmining.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23 . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ "The Vancouver Power 50" (2011), vanmag.com; accessed October 18, 2017. ^ Archived 2012-01-20 at the Wayback Machine, Vancouver Magazine, December 1, 2011. ^ Lee, Jenny (May 29, 2013). "Vancouver media and mining mogul Frank Giustra's new love: Olive oil". Vancouver Sun . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . ^ "With Ridley Scott, new 'Blade Runner' gets a credibility stamp". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. 2011-08-18 . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ Marsha Lederman. "Frank Giustra launches Sea to Sky Entertainment". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ "Huge donation". Canada.com. 2007-06-21. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03 . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 7, 2011 . Retrieved July 21, 2011 . CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) ^ Frances Bula. "Mining magnate donates $5-million for housing". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ Lenzner, Robert (January 12, 2009). "Clinton Commits No Foul In Kazakhstan Uranium Deal". Forbes . Retrieved October 27, 2017 . ^ "Board of Directors". Clinton Foundation . Retrieved October 19, 2016 . ^ a b Parsons, Claudia (June 22, 2007). "Clinton, mining industry launch anti-poverty effort". Reuters . Retrieved October 22, 2017 . ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 21, 2012 . Retrieved July 19, 2012 . CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) ^ "Bill Clinton Frank Giustra Social Enterprise Partnership and Initiative". Cgepartnership.com . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ "Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership". ^ Andy Hoffman. "Giustra teams with Clinton, Slim on Haiti fund". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 2016-05-19 . ^ Sirota, David (April 8, 2015). "As Colombian Oil Money Flowed To Clintons, State Department Took No Action To Prevent Labor Violations". International Business Times . Retrieved 14 October 2016 . ^ Tom Hamburger; Rosalind S. Helderman; Anu Narayanswamy (3 May 2015). "The Clintons, a luxury jet and their $100 million donor from Canada". Washington Post . Retrieved 14 October 2016 . At the same time, Giustra continued to expand his business empire, closing some of the biggest deals of his career in the same countries where he traveled with Clinton. In one case, he finalized a massive transaction to buy uranium mines in Kazakhstan days after dining with that nation's president, along with Clinton and about 50 other guests. In another, a Colombian oil operation he helped form received valuable drilling rights in deals involving a state-owned oil company that went through a few years after he met the Colombian president through the Clinton Foundation. ^ "Archived Profile: Alison Lawton, human rights activist and documentary filmmaker". Canada.com. 2007-06-21. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04 . Retrieved 2016-05-19 .

Frank Giustra's amazing comment about Bill Clinton - Business Insider

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Sat, 27 Jul 2019 19:20

Bill Clinton speaks during a press conference announcing that his foundation is launching the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative on June 21, 2007. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Billionaire Canadian mining executive Frank Giustra is at the center of a blockbuster series of New York Times reports that raise troubling questions about the finances of the Bill, Hillary, & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

One of the stories detailed how a company Giustra was involved with secured the rights to uranium deposits in Kazakhstan days after a September 2005 meeting between the billionaire, former President Bill Clinton, and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Giustra donated over $30 million to the Clinton Foundation after the Kazakhstan trip.

In 2006, Giustra appeared in the New Yorker where he was quoted making a comment about his dealings with Clinton that's extremely interesting in light of the various allegations:

"All of my chips, almost, are on Bill Clinton," Giustra reportedly said. "He's a brand, a worldwide brand, and he can do things and ask for things that no one else can."

This brash remark is far different than statements Giustra made after his relationship with Clinton first came under scrutiny.

When the Times initially reported on this in 2008, representatives for both Clinton and Giustra denied the ex-president did anything to help the billionaire with his deal-making during their time together in Kazakhstan.

"A spokesman for Mr. Clinton said the former president knew that Mr. Giustra had mining interests in Kazakhstan but was unaware of 'any particular efforts' and did nothing to help," wrote Times reporters Jo Becker and Don Van Natta. "Mr. Giustra said [the president] was there as an 'observer only' and there was 'no discussion' of the deal with Mr. Nazarbayev or Mr. Clinton."

Giustra's comment about Clinton being able to "do things and ask for things" came in a New Yorker article by David Remnick that was published the week of September 18, 2006. Giustra reportedly made the remark about Clinton while they were on a charitable trip to Africa together.

According to Remnick, the pair made the journey on board Giustra's jet. Remnick wrote that he encountered Giustra at an event in South Africa that Clinton also attended.

Here is how Remnick described some of his conversation with Giustra.

"Giustra told me that he was still heavily involved in business '-- he travels frequently to Kazakhstan, to check on mining interests he has there '-- but that his wife had been pushing him to give away more of his money," Remnick wrote.

The New Yorker article included no further mention of Giustra.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev greets former president Clinton (L) in Almaty on September 6, 2005. Clinton arrived in the ex-Soviet Central Asian state to sign an agreement admitting Kazakhstan into the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative Procurement Consortium. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov SZH/DH

On Thursday, the Times followed its 2008 story with another report that noted Giustra's company, which became Uranium One, was eventually acquired by Russia's state-owned nuclear corporation.

This process began when Hillary Clinton led the State Department, which had to approve the deal along with other government entities. In addition to Giustra, the Times said other executives linked to Uranium One gave millions to the Clinton Foundation.

The story about Uranium One's Russian deal included information from the upcoming book "Clinton Cash," which investigates the Clinton family's finances. It was one of several reports based on the book that came out on Thursday.

These articles have cast a shadow over Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, which launched earlier this month. Clinton's team and its allies have released multiple statements about the various issues detailed in "Clinton Cash."

They have pointed out that the book's author, Peter Schweizer, has worked with conservative groups and characterized "Clinton Cash" as a partisan smear. A Clinton campaign spokesperson also responded to Thursday's Times article with a post on the website Medium that claimed Clinton played no part in the Uranium One deal and that the State Department was one of many agencies that approved it.

Clinton and Giustra REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton Giustra also released a statement on Thursday wherein he said he sold his interest in Uranium One before Clinton led the State Department. He also reiterated his past comments that President Clinton did not conduct business with him when they were in Kazakhstan together.

"In late 2005, I went to Kazakhstan to finish the negotiations of the sale. Bill Clinton flew to Almaty a few days after I arrived in the country on another person's plane, not on my plane," Giustra said. "Bill Clinton had nothing to do with the purchase of private mining stakes by a Canadian company."

Spokespeople for Giustra and the Clinton Foundation did not respond to requests for comment on this story. President Clinton and Giustra cofounded the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, in 2007.

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VIDEO - Tulsi Gabbard sues Google over censorship claims | TheHill

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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Tulsi GabbardTrump campaign adviser praises Gabbard for suing Google over alleged censorship Panel: Tulsi Gabbard sues Google for discrimination Hillicon Valley: Senate Intel releases election security report | GOP blocks votes on election security bills | Gabbard sues Google over alleged censorship | Barr meets state AGs on tech antitrust concerns MORE (D-Hawaii), a 2020 presidential contender, is suing Google over claims that the tech behemoth violated her right to "free speech."

In a federal complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Gabbard alleged Google censored her presidential campaign when it suspended their advertising account for several hours last month.

A Google spokeswoman pushed back on Gabbard's claims in a statement to The Hill, attributing the brief suspension to sudden "large spending changes" that set off Google's automated systems.

"We have automated systems that flag unusual activity on all advertiser accounts '' including large spending changes '' in order to prevent fraud and protect our customers," the spokeswoman said.

"In this case, our system triggered a suspension and the account was reinstated shortly thereafter."

Gabbard's lawsuit marks the first time a presidential contender has sued a large technology company over such claims.

The Hawaii Democrat's principal campaign committee, Tulsi Now Inc., is suing Google, accusing it of violating her First Amendment rights along with a litany of violations under California law.

"With this lawsuit, Tulsi seeks to stop Google from further intermeddling in the 2020 United States Presidential Election," the complaint reads.

Gabbard's lawsuit reflects a narrative typically espoused by Republicans, many of whom have spent years claiming that the top tech companies in the world routinely censor their perspectives. President Trump Donald John TrumpDemocrats denounce Trump's attack on Cummings: 'These are not the words of a patriot' 'Maximum Pressure' on Iran has failed '-- here's what should come next France urges Trump to 'not mix' digital taxes with tariffs on wine MORE has long accused the companies of discriminating against himself and other Republicans, and last month held a "social media summit" dedicated explicitly to the issue.

Few Democrats have gotten behind the charges, mostly passing them off as a conservative talking point and pointing out there is little evidence beyond individual anecdotes to substantiate the claims.

In a statement, Gabbard's campaign pointed out that the suspension of her advertising account came shortly after the first debate last month, during which Gabbard was one of the most-searched Democrats.

"In the hours following the 1st debate, while millions of Americans searched for info about Tulsi, Google suspended her search ad account w/o explanation," the campaign said. "It is vital to our democracy that big tech companies can't affect the outcome of elections."

Gabbard, a long-shot candidate who regularly polls around 1 percent, has long staked out positions that put her at odds with most of the Democratic party.

The complaint also alleges that Google did not offer adequate explanations for her advertising account's suspension during the hours between June 27 and 28.

"For hours, as millions of Americans searched Google for information about Tulsi, and as Tulsi was trying, through Google, to speak to them, her Google Ads account was arbitrarily and forcibly taken offline," it reads. "Throughout this period, the Campaign worked frantically to gather more information about the suspension."

"In response, the Campaign got opacity and an inconsistent series of answers from Google," it states.

Gabbard is seeking $50 million in damages.

The lawsuit comes as Google is facing intensifying scrutiny from Capitol Hill and federal regulators over potential antitrust concerns. The Department of Justice earlier this week announced it has launched an investigation into companies that dominate various digital markets, including online search. Google holds about 92 percent of the world's search engine market share.

Lawmakers and experts have been raising concerns over Big Tech's role in the upcoming elections after trolls and foreign actors manipulated the top platforms to spread misinformation during the 2016 presidential election.

'-- Updated at 2:08 p.m.

VIDEO - Talk About TD TV Commercial, 'TD Portrayal: Excessive Blinking & Dancing Fingers' - iSpot.tv

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About Talk About TD TV Commercial, 'TD Portrayal: Excessive Blinking & Dancing Fingers'People with a bipolar disorder like this woman who experienced unusual body movements that couldn't be controlled may suffer from Tardive Dyskinesia (TD).

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VIDEO - Ebola outbreak unstoppable as victims refuse treatment - Daily Star

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Sun, 28 Jul 2019 11:33

Ebola is sweeping through central Africa with the current outbreak becoming the second worst in history.

Experts even believe it could equal or surpass the worst on record, where 11,323 people died from December 2013 to January 2016.

WHO has called for the world's superpowers to do more to help combat the disease, with 1,743 people killed.

But an aid worker on the frontline told Daily Star Online more needs to be done to fight the disease at a local level in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

'FAKE': Communities don't believe in Ebola (Pic: GETTY)

OUBTREAK: Ebola is sweeping through central Africa (Pic: GETTY)

Olivia Ajira Kwinja, World Vision's Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Manager in DRC, said they are unable to gain access to communities infected with the disease because they won't let them in.

She told us: ''From my point of view there is much work to be done at a community level.

'' We are doing everything we can stop the Ebola disease but we still fear there will be more cases.

''There are rumours at a community level and people need to be taught Ebola is a disease and it is real.''

'UNSTOPPABLE': This outbreak could become the worst ever (Pic: GETTY)

Related Articles 'This is a warning sign' Fears Ebola could go global amid struggle to contain epidemic Ebola outbreak has one million people at risk - as WHO declares global emergency World at risk of Ebola 'plane plague' spreading on flights: 'Everyone's at risk'

TREATMENT: Aid workers are desperately trying to treat the disease at a local level (Pic: GETTY)

''People need to be taught Ebola is a disease and it is real''

Aid Worker Olivia added around a third of communities in Beni, a city in north-eastern DRC, believe the disease is a conspiracy.

She also said: '' There are rumours at a community level and people need to be taught Ebola is a disease and it is real.

''We are working to prevent the spread of Ebola but we are not working in all the areas.

''There are so many rumours at the community level that Ebola has been fabricated.''

'CONSPIRACY': Villages are refusing treatment (Pic: GETTY)

Related Articles Ebola outbreak could be ENDED by breakthrough VACCINE that kills disease '' WHO Ebola disease could hit ANYWHERE in the world: 'We've been lucky...numbers could EXPLODE' Ebola treatment centre set ON FIRE by warring rebels '' with outbreak set to 'EXPLODE'

DEADLY: Ebola kills more than half the people it infects (Pic: GETTY)

While the outbreak remains at a local level, there is the chance of it going global.

We previously revealed how Ebola could be spread around the world by someone getting on a plane.

Ebola is one of the world's deadliest diseases, killing more than half the people it infects.

The current outbreak began in August last year, and has spread hundreds of miles from its origin in Kivu.

VIDEO - Shifty Adam is Exposed in Shockingly Nefarious Activity '' as Explained on War Drummer Video '' C-VINE Network

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Adam Schiff is shown in this video, with connections to Pedophilia, Murder, Corruption, Extortion and an entire laundry list of shifty activity. All is finally being brought to light. This report by War Drummer covers the findings'....Start the attached video at the 19 minute mark to skip over unrelated information to get directly to the ''meat'' of the matter. Well worth the watch.

The Schiff is about to hit the fan!!!

NOTE: This article was posted by our C-VINE team of volunteer workers, investigative reporters, and citizen journalists, who make certain all information is vetted for accuracy before publishing. C-VINE News is placed in a Foundation, also called a Charitable Trust and is run by, ''We the People''.

Conversations and discussions are being held on the C-VINE News Talk '' Facebook Group Page. (Must be a Facebook member): C-VINE News Talk

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VIDEO - The Elpida Project - YouTube

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VIDEO - Lord Jamar: I Don't Support Black Lives Matter, It's Not Our Movement - YouTube

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VIDEO - (4) CNN on Twitter: "President Trump tweeted that Rep. Elijah Cummings' district is a ''rodent infested mess'' where ''no human being would want to live.'' It's @VictorBlackwell's home district. ''When he tweets about infestation, it's

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VIDEO - A US-born citizen who was in immigration detention for 3 weeks has been released | abc11.com

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Sat, 27 Jul 2019 17:58

HOUSTON -- A U.S.-born 18-year-old has been released from immigration custody after wrongfully being detained for more than three weeks.

Francisco Erwin Galicia left a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Pearsall, Texas, on Tuesday. His lawyer, Claudia Galan, confirmed he had been released, less than a day after The Dallas Morning News reported about his detention.

ICE did not immediately comment. Nor did U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol, the agency that first detained Galicia.

Galicia lives in the border city of Edinburg, Texas, and was traveling north with a group of friends when they were stopped at a Border Patrol inland checkpoint. According to Galan and the Morning News, agents apprehended Galicia on suspicion that he was in the U.S. illegally even though he had a Texas state ID.

Galicia was detained for three weeks by the Border Patrol, then transferred to the ICE detention center.

Galan said she believes Galicia was "absolutely" a victim of racial profiling. The others in the vehicle with him were all Latinos, including his 17-year-old brother Marlon, who was born in Mexico and was in the U.S. illegally. Marlon told the Morning News that he agreed to be returned to Mexico.

"I'm so thankful Francisco is free and he can sleep at home tonight and see his mom," she said.

RELATED: ICE smashing car window to arrest an undocumented man streamed on Facebook Live

The Border Patrol apprehends people entering the U.S. illegally, both directly at the U.S.-Mexico border and with its series of highway checkpoints miles from the border. In most cases, agents glance at drivers passing through the checkpoints and let them pass quickly. A passport or proof of citizenship is not normally demanded to pass through an inland checkpoint.

Galicia was detained by the Border Patrol for well above the 72 hours that CBP says it is supposed to hold detainees. But in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley, where Galicia was arrested, the Border Patrol is holding hundreds of adult men and women accused of entering the country illegally for longer than 72 hours. In McAllen, Texas, adult men are being held in fenced-in pens. Vice President Mike Pence visited those pens this month, and reports and video of conditions there sparked outrage.

The Morning News reported that Galicia wasn't transferred out of Border Patrol custody to ICE until Saturday. That's when he was able to make collect calls to his mother. Galan drove Tuesday to the detention center in Pearsall to secure his release.

Immigration authorities are not supposed to detain U.S. citizens. But both ICE and CBP have apprehended citizens in the past.

A 2018 investigation by the Los Angeles Times found that ICE had released more than 1,480 people after investigating their citizenship status. In one case, a U.S. citizen was held in immigration detention for more than three years.

Last week, a California congresswoman visiting the Border Patrol's processing center in McAllen encountered a 13-year-old girl holding a U.S. passport. The girl was waiting with her mother, who had allegedly crossed the border illegally. After inquiries were made, the Border Patrol released both.

Galicia's case comes as ICE practices have drawn protests from Democrats and advocacy groups across the U.S.

In Kansas City, officers smashed a car window and dragged a Mexican man out of the vehicle in front of his girlfriend and two young children. The woman broadcast the arrest on Facebook.

In Nashville, neighbors surrounded an ICE van after it blocked the driveway of a Tennessee man who was targeted for arrest. The agent gave up trying to arrest the man after four hours.

VIDEO - (2) Democrats Weigh Next Steps After Mueller Testimony | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC - YouTube

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VIDEO - (1) Mueller's testimony riddled with shaky moments, incomplete answers - YouTube

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VIDEO - Fox News Host Suggests Robert Mueller Has 'Onset Dementia' After Congressional Hearings

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Sat, 27 Jul 2019 11:12

Fox News host Mark Levin suggested, without any evidence, that he believed former special counsel Robert Mueller could have "onset dementia," criticizing his Wednesday testimony before Congress and arguing that the ex-FBI director should have never been appointed to oversee the investigation into Russian election interference.

Asked during a Thursday segment of Fox News morning program Fox & Friends whether he found Mueller's reluctance and hesitation to answer questions asked by lawmakers frustrating, Levin placed his glasses on his face and let out a loud breath.

"Look, I've seen people with onset dementia," the right-wing commentator said. "I'm not going to mock this man. He obviously shouldn't have been there. He should never have headed this investigation. I'm not making allegations. I'm not trying to be provocative, but the idea that [former Deputy Attorney General] Rod Rosenstein appointed this man to head this office is an outrage and he's the one who ought to be questioned about that."

Former special counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Intelligence Committee about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in the Rayburn House Office Building on July 24 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/GettyLevin, who hosts the weekly show Life, Liberty & Levin, argued that "everyone around Mueller knew he was incapable of doing what he did." He then attacked the former special counsel's "number two hatchet man [Andrew] Weissmann." The Fox News host accused Weissmann, who had a management role in the special counsel's investigation, of bringing in "a nest of leftists" to work as part of the probe's team.

Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt jumped in after Levin finished attempting to discredit the Mueller probe, pointing out that there wasn't any evidence or reports that Mueller was in poor health. "Mark, we haven't confirmed anything about his health," she said. "There hasn't been anything released about that."

Levin cut her off, saying he "agreed." However he added: "but he [Mueller] made it quite obvious." Earhardt then responded by saying Mueller wasn't "on his game," suggesting that people should "pray for" the former special counsel and his family.

Mueller, 74, testified before the House Judiciary and House Intelligence committees on Wednesday about his 22-month long investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The investigation, which concluded in March, confirmed there was "sweeping and systematic" interference by Russia in an effort to favor President Donald Trump over Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

As Earhardt pointed out, there are no credible reports of Mueller being unwell in any way. The special counsel did often appear to stumble throughout the congressional hearings. He, on multiple occasions, seemed unfamiliar with some of the material in his report and also repeatedly asked representatives to say their questions a second or even third time. To critical viewers, he seemed to struggle through the hearings while constantly referring lawmakers back to the report, providing essentially no new details about the investigation.

However, Mueller did confirm that Trump had mischaracterized the report's findings to the American people. He stated that the document did not exonerate the president, despite Trump and his supporters repeatedly saying it was a "total exoneration." He also asserted that the investigation was not a "witch hunt," as Trump and his supporters have constantly referred to the probe.

"The hearings were a disaster for Robert Mueller & the Democrats," Trump tweeted on Wednesday. "Nevertheless, the Fake News Media will try to make the best out of it!"

He later praised Levin's Thursday appearance on Fox & Friends, writing: "Mark Levin on @foxandfriends now! Great guy."

VIDEO - (1) Nina Kraus: Music and Language - A Brain Partnership - YouTube

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Sat, 27 Jul 2019 11:12

VIDEO - Learn About Tardive Dyskinesia (TD)

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Sat, 27 Jul 2019 01:29

Have others noticed your uncontrollable movements? Not an actual patient

If someone asks why your body is rocking, swaying, or moving beyond your control, you may want to discuss these movements with your doctor.

Sign up today to receive a free TD Brochure and Doctor Discussion Guide. Sign up Now What causes TD? Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is associated with taking certain kinds of important medications, such as antipsychotics, that help control dopamine, a chemical in the brain.Antipsychotics are prescribed to treat conditions like

Depression Bipolar disorder Schizophrenia Schizoaffective disorder Other medications used to treat upset stomach, nausea, and vomiting may also cause TD.

When can TD start? Tardive dyskinesia (TD) symptoms may emerge after a few months of taking antipsychotic medications. In some cases, symptoms may not even start until after the medications are stopped.

In addition to taking antipsychotic medications, the following factors may also play a role in your risk for TD:

Being 50 years of age or older Being postmenopausal Substance abuse Having a mood disorder While working to control dopamine in one part of the brain, antipsychotic medications can make other parts of the brain more sensitive to dopamine, which may be associated with the movements of TD.

What does TD look like? Tardive dyskinesia (TD) means having uncontrollable movements in your body.TD is often seen in the lips, jaw, tongue, and eyes. It can also affect other parts of the body, including the upper body, arms, hands, legs, and feet.

TD can look or feel different from day to dayMovements may appear

to be rapid and jerky, or slow and writhing in a repetitive, continuous, or random pattern Specific TD Movements Include Lip puckering, pouting, or smacking

Not an actual patient Jaw biting, clenching, or side-to-side movements

Not an actual patient Excessive blinking or squinting again and again

Not an actual patient Tongue darting, sticking out, or pushing inside of cheek

Not an actual patient Rocking, leaning back, or torso and hip shifting

Not an actual patient Twisting hands or dancing fingers

Not an actual patient Gripping feet or stretched toes

Not an actual patient Speak up! Talk with your healthcare provider right away if you or someone you care about is experiencing these uncontrolled movements.

Learn How to Manage TD ''[People] see that I have challenges like schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia. And they see all that I'm able to do despite these disorders. If I can do it, then other people can do it as well.''

Jeff Living With TD

VIDEO - Attention YouTube: The Clock is ticking! - YouTube

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Fri, 26 Jul 2019 23:46

VIDEO - A$AP Poso on Twitter: "Clapper Suggests Mueller Just a Figurehead Who Was Not Involved in Writing 'His' Report https://t.co/V6TQ5P9YjL" / Twitter

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Fri, 26 Jul 2019 20:36