Trump is struggling to stay calm on Russia, one morning call at a time Storm clouds roll in over the West Wing at the White House as staff members walk outside on June 19, 2017. June 23, 2017 President Trump has a new morning ritual. Around 6:30 a.m. on many days — before all the network news shows have come on the air — he gets on the phone with a member of his outside legal team to chew over all things Russia. The calls — detailed by three senior White House officials — are part strategy consultation and part presidential venting session, during which Trump’s lawyers and public-relations gurus take turns reviewing the latest headlines with him. They also devise their plan for battling his avowed enemies: the special counsel leading the Russia investigation; the “fake news” media chronicling it; and, in some instances, the president’s own Justice Department overseeing the probe. His advisers have encouraged the calls — which the early-to-rise Trump takes from his private quarters in the White House residence — in hopes that he can compartmentalize the widening Russia investigation. By the time the president arrives for work in the Oval Office, the thinking goes, he will no longer be consumed by the Russia probe that he complains hangs over his presidency like a darkening cloud. It rarely works, however. Asked whether the tactic was effective, one top White House adviser paused for several seconds and then just laughed. Trump’s grievances and moods often bleed into one another. Frustration with the investigation stews inside him until it bubbles up in the form of rants to aides about unfair cable television commentary or as slights aimed at Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy, Rod J. Rosenstein. And, of course, it emerges in fiery tweets about the “WITCH HUNT” — or, as he wrote Thursday morning, shortly before an event promoting leadership in technology, “a big Dem HOAX!” The morning calls reflect another way that Trump’s tumultuous administration is adapting to an unremitting season of investigations and to the president’s seemingly uncontrollable reactions to them. Interviews with 22 senior administration officials, outside advisers, and Trump confidants and allies reveal a White House still trying, after five months of halting progress, to establish a steady rhythm of governance while also indulging and managing Trump’s combative and sometimes self-destructive impulses. The White House is laboring to prevent the Russia matter from overtaking its broader agenda, diligently rolling out a series of theme weeks, focusing on topics including infrastructure and workforce development. West Wing aides are working to keep the president on schedule, trotting him around the country in front of the supportive crowds that energize him. Trump is also planning several big announcements on trade in the coming weeks, before jetting off to Poland and Germany in early July. “This is not astrophysics,” chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon said. “You solidify your base and you grow your base by getting things done. That’s what people want to see.” Senior officials have also been devising an overhaul of the White House communications operation to better meet the offensive and defensive demands of the president they serve, as well as the 24-hour cycle of tweet-size news. “As his detractors suffer from this never-ending ‘Russian concussion,’ the president has been tending to business as usual — bilateral meetings, progress on health care, tax and infrastructure reform, and job creation,” said Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president. “Conjecture about the mood and momentum of the West Wing is inaccurate and overwrought. The pace is breakneck, the trajectory upward.” Inside and outside the White House, advisers and friends are also engaging in quiet, informal conversations about when it makes sense for embattled Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to step aside — and who his replacement should be. Some of Priebus’s most senior colleagues speak ill of his leadership abilities, with one tagging him “the most imperiled person here,” although others insist Priebus is in solid standing with the president. Some in the White House fret over what they view as the president’s fits of rage, and Trump’s longtime friends say his mood has been more sour than at any point since they have known him. They privately worry about his health, noting that he appears to have gained weight in recent months and that the darkness around his eyes reveals his stress. But others who interact with Trump each day have a more positive interpretation of his behavior, saying his mood is far sunnier than news reports would suggest. Hope Hicks, Trump’s director of strategic communications, who sits at a desk just outside the Oval Office, said the president is optimistic and expressing the fighting spirit that appeals to voters. Citing his 1987 book, “The Art of the Deal,” Hicks said, “Perhaps President Trump said it best many years ago when he wrote, ‘My general attitude all my life, has been to fight back very hard. ... [A]s far as I’m concerned, if they had any real ability they wouldn’t be fighting me, they’d be doing something constructive themselves.’ The president promised the American people they elected a fighter and he embodies that with his instincts, spirit and energy.” Many Republicans observing from the outside, however, voice dismay about the president’s behavior. “What’s playing out is a psychological drama, not just a political drama or a legal drama,” said Peter Wehner, who was an aide in George W. Bush’s White House and has frequently been critical of Trump. “The president’s psychology is what’s driving so much of this, and it’s alarming because it shows a lack of self-control, a tremendous tropism. ... He seems to draw psychic energy from creating chaos and disorder.” After Trump fired James B. Comey as FBI director in May and scrutiny over Russia intensified from investigators and journalists, the president and his inner circle settled on a combative strategy to discredit critics, undermine the probe itself and galvanize his most loyal supporters. The approach also put Bannon on firmer ground after a rocky patch just weeks earlier, in part because of feuds with Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser. Trump views Bannon as his wartime consigliere — the sort of political street fighter he wants as his presidency is threatened. “This is a train that’s coming,” said Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser and longtime confidant, referring to the investigation led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. “These guys are going to move on him despite the fact that they don’t have a case. The question on the table is what is he going to do about it, and that is a legal and political question.” [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-is-struggling-to-stay-calm-on-russia-one-morning-call-at-a-time/2017/06/22/1da3385a-5762-11e7-b38e-35fd8e0c288f_story.html [with embedded video, and comments]
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Trump Indicates Tweet on Tapes Was Meant to Affect Comey Testimony
President Trump at a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday. Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
By MAGGIE HABERMAN JUNE 23, 2017
WASHINGTON — President Trump appeared to acknowledge on Friday that his earlier tweet hinting of taped conversations with James B. Comey was intended to influence the fired F.B.I. director’s [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html ] testimony before Congress. In an interview, the president emphasized that he committed “no obstruction” of the inquiries into whether his campaign colluded with Russia.
Hours later, Mr. Trump accused [ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/878413313188802560 ] the Obama administration of failing to prevent or punish Moscow for meddling in last fall’s presidential election before the vote. It was not immediately clear if Mr. Trump was admitting for the first time that he now believes Russia interfered in the election, just a day after he ridiculed that intelligence assessment as a Democratic “HOAX [ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/877889199353077760 ].”
During the Friday morning interview with “Fox & Friends,” Mr. Trump sought to explain that his tweets lambasting Mr. Comey were referring to the possibility that anyone could have taped those discussions. On Thursday, he admitted that he, himself, had not [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/us/politics/trump-comey-tapes.html ].
“I’ve been reading about it for the last couple of months, about the seriousness of the horribleness of the situation with surveillance all over the place,” the president said in the interview. “So you never know what’s out there. But I didn’t tape, and I don’t have any tape and I didn’t tape.”
When the Fox interviewer suggested that the possible existence of recordings might have made sure Mr. Comey “stayed honest in those hearings,” Mr. Trump paused before responding, “Well, it wasn’t very stupid, I can tell you that.” He also said that once Mr. Comey faced the possibility that tapes of their conversations existed, “I think his story may have changed.”
By Friday evening, Mr. Trump had shifted his frustration in the election inquiry — upon which his critics have seized, and which he sees as an effort to undermine the legitimacy of his presidency — toward the Obama administration.
He appeared to be referring to a Friday report [ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/national-security/obama-putin-election-hacking/ (excerpted above in the coverage of Jeh Johnson's June 21, 2017 testimony)] in The Washington Post that detailed months of internal debate within the Obama administration over how to punish Moscow for hackings that ultimately sought to boost Mr. Trump’s candidacy.
Mr. Trump said “there’s been no collusion, no obstruction — and virtually everybody agrees to that,” and he added that some of Mr. Mueller’s legal team had supported Mrs. Clinton.
Trump labors to make Mueller-Comey tie a key talking point In this Sept. 4, 2013, file photo, then-incoming FBI Director James Comey talks with outgoing FBI Director Robert Mueller before Comey was officially sworn in at the Justice Department in Washington. Mueller, the somber-faced and demanding FBI director who led the bureau through the Sept. 11 attacks, and Comey, his more approachable and outwardly affable successor, may be poles apart stylistically but both command a wealth of respect in the law enforcement and legal community. Jun 23, 2017 https://www.apnews.com/8295289ee2674c0fa6f61d7a59443dd4/Trump-labors-to-make-Mueller-Comey-tie-a-key-talking-point
Trump casts doubt on Russia investigator Mueller Mr Mueller has come under pressure from influential conservatives. President Donald Trump has questioned the neutrality of Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in last year's US election. 23 June 2017 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40385833
Mueller and Comey not as close as Trump and others suggest Jun 23, 2017 WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and his associates are trying to draw attention to the relationship between special counsel Robert Mueller and former FBI Director James Comey. It appears that Trump’s description of the two as “very, very good friends” isn’t rooted in reality. Mueller and Comey served together in the Justice Department during the George W. Bush administration. They’re not known to be especially close friends. A former federal prosecutor, David Kelley, says Mueller and Comey haven’t visited each other’s homes and rarely shared a meal together. Legal experts say whatever connection they do have doesn’t come close to meriting Mueller’s removal as special counsel. Mueller is in charge of the Russia investigation that has expanded to include Trump’s firing of Comey. Trump has called the Russia probe a “witch hunt.” https://www.apnews.com/40f6d15359a14186961f1a19be175297/Mueller-and-Comey-not-as-close-as-Trump-and-others-suggest
Kellyanne Conway Says People Who Doubted Trump Interfered In The Election
Hang on — what? 06/23/2017 Updated June 23, 2017 Kellyanne Conway [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/kellyanne-conway ], a top adviser to President Donald Trump [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/donald-trump ], attempted to spin a question about Russian interference in the 2016 election by saying people who questioned whether Trump could win had actually meddled with the campaign. “The president has said previously, and he stands by that, particularly as president-elect, that he would be concerned about anyone interfering in our democracy,” she told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on Friday. “We saw a lot of people interfering with our democracy by saying he couldn’t win here at home.” There is an overwhelming consensus [ https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf ] among intelligence officials that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, but the White House has refused to say [ http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/20/politics/sean-spicer-trump-russia-meddling-2016-election/index.html ] whether Trump believes that’s true. If there was hacking, Trump said Thursday, it was President Barack Obama’s fault for failing to stop it. Conway also dodged repeated questions from Camerota as to what specifically Trump and the White House were doing to prevent Russia from hacking another election, simply saying voter integrity was an issue of concern to the president. “The president has met with his national security team many times, he has an initiative or commission on voter integrity, and he himself has used the power of the bully pulpit to express his resistance towards any type of outside interference,” she eventually said. Some members of the presidential commission on electoral integrity, to which Conway was referring, have called for it to investigate Russian interference [ http://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/little-movement-on-white-house-probe-into-voter-fraud ] in the election. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) has said the commission [ https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/11/presidential-executive-order-establishment-presidential-advisory ] will investigate the issue if members would like to, but that it does not fall within the panel’s official charge. But part of the executive order establishing the commission says it will look at “vulnerabilities in voting systems and practices used for Federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations and improper voting, including fraudulent voter registrations and fraudulent voting.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kellyanne-conway-russia_us_594d187ce4b05c37bb75e329 [with embedded video (a clip from the included complete interview YouTube), and comments], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_J_vm5gj9c [with comments]
The Selective Outrage of Alt-Right Ally Dave Rubin
Published on Jun 23, 2017 by Reich-Wing Watch
Dave Rubin says conservatives best represent liberal values. What alternative universe is he living in? It appears to arrive at this conclusion: you must minimize the reach of alt-right and the Trumpists who have hijacked the conservative movement. And that's exactly what Rubin does. He even gives them a microphone to spread their dangerous ideology under the guise of free speech, when obviously he just wants to promote their views.
Full Show - The Second American Revolution Has Now Begun! - 06/23/2017
Published on Jun 23, 2017 by The Alex Jones Channel
Friday, June 23rd 2017[, with an appearance by Max Keiser, and Mike Cernovich hosting the fourth hour]: Trump Says Dems Deserve Pelosi - President Trump indicated that Democrats deserve to keep embattled leader Nancy Pelosi steering the ship because she’ s a bad asset. In geopolitical news, journalist Michael Malice, who wrote an unauthorized biography on Kim Jong Il, explains what exactly is going on in North Korea today. Also, former Breitbart reporter Katie McHugh speaks out on the war against independent thought.
Most Of America’s Terrorists Are White, And Not Muslim
Right-wing terror is real, and it’s a problem.
By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman 06/23/2017 01:39 pm ET | Updated June 24, 2017
When it comes to domestic terrorism in America, the numbers don’t lie: Far-right extremists are behind far more plots and attacks than Islamist extremists.
There were almost twice as many terrorist incidents by right-wing extremists as by Islamist extremists [ https://apps.revealnews.org/homegrown-terror/ ] in the U.S. from 2008 to 2016, according to a new report from The Nation Institute’s Investigative Fund and The Center for Investigative Reporting’s Reveal.
Looking at both plots and attacks carried out, the group tracked 201 terrorist incidents on U.S. soil [ https://www.revealnews.org/article/home-is-where-the-hate-is/ ] from January 2008 to the end of 2016. The database shows 115 cases by right-wing extremists - from white supremacists to militias to “sovereign citizens” - compared to 63 cases by Islamist extremists. Incidents from left-wing extremists, which include ecoterrorists and animal rights militants, were comparatively rare, with 19 incidents.
While the database makes a point of distinguishing between different groups within right-wing extremism, lead reporter David Neiwert [ http://www.theinvestigativefund.org/reporters/davidneiwert/ ] told HuffPost that “those are all gradations of white supremacy, variations on the same thing.” When it comes to right-wing extremism, attackers are also “mostly men” and “almost purely white,” Neiwert said.
Attacks by right-wing extremists were also more often deadly, with nearly a third of right-wing extremist incidents resulting in deaths compared with 13 percent of Islamist extremist cases resulting in deaths. However, the sheer number of people killed by Islamist extremists - a total of 90 people killed - was higher than the death toll at the hands of right-wing extremists - 79 people killed.
“As with a lot of things related to Trump and the Islamophobic right, the reality is viewed through an upside-down looking glass,” Neiwert said. “The reality is the most significant domestic terror threat we have is right-wing extremism.”
Jeremy Christian, accused of fatally stabbings two men who tried to stop Christian from harassing two young black women who appeared to be Muslim, in Portland, Oregon - May 30, 2017.
The Investigative Fund’s findings reflect those of previous studies of domestic terrorism. The New America Foundation, for instance, which has been tracking deadly terror incidents on U.S. soil since the Sept. 11 attacks, also finds an almost two-to-one ratio of attacks by far-right extremists to Islamist extremists [ https://www.newamerica.org/in-depth/terrorism-in-america/what-threat-united-states-today/ ], with 21 deadly attacks by far-right extremists, compared to 11 by Islamist extremists.
“I think the larger perception in the public - and this includes many progressives and liberals - is the inversion of the reality: that the greatest threat we face is Islamist radicals,” Neiwert said. “And it’s reflected in the way the press report upon various kinds of domestic terror attacks: When it’s a white domestic terrorist, they underplay it, write it off to mental illness.”
“There’s actually a debate over whether what Dylann Roof did was domestic terrorism, when it so plainly is domestic terrorism,” Neiwert told HuffPost. “A lot of this has to do with embedded judgements about where these threats come from - and that has to do with fear-mongering around Islamophobia.”
Investigative Fund’s interactive map showing terrorism incidents by ideology since 2008.
The solution, according to Neiwert, lies with the government first acknowledging the scale of the problem of far-right extremism, and then dedicating resources to fighting it.
But it’s not just Trump that’s the problem. The Fund’s database goes back to 2008 and shows clearly how government resources have been disproportionately dedicated to tackling Islamist extremism over right-wing extremism. The government succeeded in interrupting the vast majority of Islamist extremist terror [ https://apps.revealnews.org/homegrown-terror/ ] cases since 2008, for instance: 76 percent of incidents tracked were “foiled plots,” which the group noted showed “a significant investment of law enforcement resources.” When it came to right-wing extremism, only about a third of incidents were interrupted [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/militia-terror-plot-fbi-kansas_us_58014995e4b0162c043c1e90 ] - 35 percent - and the majority of the cases included acts of violence that led to deaths, injuries or damaged property.
“First thing we need to do is recognize that it’s there, it’s a problem, it’s a threat - as great a threat as Islamists,” Neiwert said. “And it needs to be taken seriously.”
In Memory Of The MS St. Louis Refugees arrive in Antwerp on the MS St. Louis after over a month at sea, during which they were denied entry to Cuba, the United States and Canada, 17th June 1939. The passengers of the MS St. Louis were turned away in part because of a toxic, xenophobic ‘America First’ ideology that pervaded mainstream American life at the time. 06/23/2017 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/in-memory-of-the-ms-st-louis_us_594d662ee4b05c37bb7659b6 [no comments yet]
DOJ report: Majority of hate crimes go unreported An average of 250,000 hate crime incidents took place per year between 2004-2015 About a third of victims between 2011 and 2015 said they were targeted because of their ethnicity, and 29% cited their gender Forty-eight percent of hate crimes during that same period were motivated by racial bias June 29, 2017 Updated June 29, 2017 Washington (CNN) — A majority of hate crime incidents are not reported to police, according to the results of a new Department of Justice hate crime report [ https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hcv0415.pdf ] released Thursday. The report, which included data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey, also found that between 2004 to 2015, there was an average of 250,000 hate crime incidents each year. Between 2011 and 2015, 54% of violent hate crimes went unreported, the report found. Most commonly, or 44% of the time, they were handled another way, such as through a non-law enforcement official. During that same period, 90% of hate crimes included some form of violent crime, with the majority including simple assault. In comparison, the report said just 25% of non-hate crimes involved some form of violent crime. The report defined hate crimes as "those that manifest evidence of prejudice based on rage, gender or gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation or ethnicity." [...] http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/29/politics/doj-hate-crime-report/index.html [with embedded video]
Victims in Thousands of Potential Hate Crimes Never Notify Police A new federal survey on hate crimes offers cause for both alarm and confusion. June 29, 2017 More than half of the people who said they were the victim of a hate crime in recent years did not report the incidents to police. When victims did report to the police, their assailants were arrested in just 10 percent of the cases. The incidents reported as hate crimes were almost always violent (90 percent) and often seriously so, with nearly 30 percent involving reports of sexual assault, aggravated assault and/or robbery. Those are some of the striking findings of a special federal Bureau of Justice Statistics report [ https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5967 ] released Thursday, based on national crime victimization surveys conducted for the years 2011 to 2015. ... [...] https://www.propublica.org/article/victims-in-thousands-of-potential-hate-crimes-never-notify-police [with comments]
Ramadan Is Major Time for Charitable Donations in DC Muslims serve meals to community members and those who attend Masjid Muhammad in D.C. during Ramadan "They help everybody, which is really what Islam is all about" Jun 23, 2017 Updated Jun 23, 2017 When a low-income family in Northern Virginia needs food for dinner, Asad Zia steps up. The D.C. management consultant says he regularly delivers meat from his in-laws' store to the Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH), a Muslim organization in Herndon, Virginia, that helps low-income families and domestic abuse victims of all faiths in Northern Virginia. "One of things that attracted me to FAITH is, even though they are an Islamic charity, they help everybody, which is really what Islam is all about," he said. Ramadan -- Islam’s holy month of prayer and dawn-to-dusk fasting -- is a major time for charity for Muslims, and the donations help Muslims and non-Muslims in our region and around the world. FAITH expects to receive at least $500,000 through Saturday night, which marks the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid al-Fitr celebrations, said the group's director of business development, Fakhir Ahmad. “A lot more clients will come in and say, ‘You weren’t able to help me out before Ramadan. Do you have any funds that will help me pay my rent?’” he said. “We get a lot busier, in terms of helping clients, the two months after Ramadan really. People who we couldn’t help, we’re helping them.” Islam requires that Muslims give zakat, a donation of at least 2 percent of their wealth, to the poor, said Imam Talib Shareef of Masjid Muhammad, on 4th Street NW in the Shaw neighborhood of D.C. Muslims can fulfill this responsibility at anytime; however, many choose to do so during Ramadan, Shareef said. “Everything you do during Ramadan is, like, supersized in terms of blessings,” the imam said. “No other month on the Islamic calendar gives you more rewards for doing good than the month of Ramadan.” [...] “During Christmas, you tend to give more, because you’re spending on your own family, but you feel like you want to share it with people who are more needy,” Khan said. “I think it’s the same kind of thought process. Regardless of faith, during your religious and more holy times of the year, you tend to give more.” http://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/Donations-From-DC-Area-Muslims-Power-Local-Charities-During-Ramadan-430414353.html [with embedded videos; no comments yet]
AP: Authorities delayed investigating gay ‘demons’ case In this Friday, May 19, 2017 photo, Matthew Fenner stands with his aunt, Lynn Rape, outside the Rutherford County Courthouse after a hearing on his case against Word of Faith Fellowship church in Rutherfordton, N.C. Fenner, a former church member, said he was kidnapped and assaulted by members because he is gay. In December 2014, a grand jury indicted five church members. “If it wasn’t for our pressure,” Rape said, “nothing would have happened.” In this 2012 photo provided by a former member of the church, Word of Faith Fellowship leader Jane Whaley, center left, holds Jeffrey Cooper’s infant daughter, accompanied by her husband, Sam, center right, and others during a ceremony in the church’s compound in Spindale, N.C. At least a half-dozen times over two decades, authorities investigated reports that members of the secretive evangelical church were being beaten. And every time, according to former congregants, the orders came down from church leaders: They must lie to protect the sect. Jun. 26, 2017 SPINDALE, N.C. (AP) — For two years, Matthew Fenner said he pleaded with authorities to investigate his allegations that a group of fellow congregants at the Word of Faith Fellowship church had punched, slapped and choked him to expel his “homosexual demons.” An Associated Press investigation found that Rutherford County investigators and then-District Attorney Brad Greenway delayed investigating and told Fenner his only option was to pursue misdemeanor charges against the church members he said assaulted him for nearly two hours in the evangelical church’s sanctuary. The AP’s conclusions are based on more than a dozen interviews and court documents, along with a series of secretly made recordings [ https://apnews.com/card/afs:Card:1048490022/Audio-Feature ] that were provided of Fenner’s meetings with law enforcement authorities, including Rutherford County Sheriff Chris Francis. In February, the AP detailed [ https://apnews.com/e9404784f9c6428a8d4382f5ada8f463/AP-Exclusive:-Ex-congregants-reveal-years-of-ungodly-abuse ] how many Word of Faith Fellowship congregants were regularly attacked both physically and verbally in an attempt to “purify” sinners by beating out devils. The church has come under scrutiny by law enforcement and social services authorities on numerous occasions with little effect, mostly because followers refused to cooperate. But Fenner’s relentless pursuit eventually led to the indictment of five congregants, who were charged with kidnapping and assault. “The whole investigation should have taken a month,” said Michael Davis, who spent 15 years as a Rutherford County sheriff’s investigator before retiring last year, and was not involved in Fenner’s case. “They should have interviewed witnesses. They should have gone to the church. They should have written up a report and sent it over to the sheriff, then to the DA. But that didn’t happen. None of that happened.” Greenway said he couldn’t recall details of the Fenner case, but initially believed it wasn’t a “big deal” based on what the sheriff told him. Francis said Greenway made the decision not to pursue charges early on. In May, more than four years after Fenner said he was assaulted, longtime minister Brooke Covington became the first of the five church members to go on trial in proceedings that attracted national attention due to AP’s investigation. Superior Court Judge Gary Gavenus declared a mistrial when the jury foreman shared three unauthorized documents during deliberations, and a retrial is scheduled for Sept. 11. The judge also issued a gag order that is being challenged by the AP preventing witnesses, prosecutors and jurors from discussing the case. The witnesses interviewed for this story talked to AP before that order was issued. During the trial, Fenner, now 24, testified that he didn’t call police the night of the Jan. 27, 2013, attack because he was afraid he would be beaten again. At the time, Fenner said he and nearly 20 other people were living in Covington’s house. When Fenner fled to his grandparents two days later, they called authorities. But Fenner told the jury that law enforcement — ranging from the Rutherford County sheriff’s office to the Federal Bureau of Investigation — didn’t take his allegations seriously. The AP found that Fenner not only told law enforcement agencies about what happened to him, but also warned of ongoing abuse in the church. “Over the last two decades, it appears that different politicians or leaders in the community have had a certain fear of the Word of Faith and for whatever reason that sort of encapsulated them and made them untouchable,” said Jerry Wease, chairman of the Rutherford County Democratic Party and a licensed counselor who has worked with people who left the church. He added: “If no one is going to stand up and say choking, beating, violence and abuse is illegal and morally wrong, I have one question: Why? Why is every elected official not standing up and saying this?” The sect was founded in 1979 by Jane Whaley, a former math teacher, and her husband, Sam, a former used car salesman. Under Jane Whaley’s leadership, Word of Faith Fellowship grew from a handful of followers to a congregation of about 750 in North Carolina and nearly 2,000 members in churches in Brazil, Ghana and affiliations in Sweden, Scotland and other countries. Allegations of abuse at Word of Faith Fellowship date back years, but church leaders have dodged any serious consequences. In another previous story, the AP outlined [ https://apnews.com/7f8b11fa9b544f5e9a81efef90c52101/Ex-sect-members-tell-AP:prosecutors-obstructed-abuse-cases ] how congregants were ordered by church leaders to lie to authorities looking into reports of abuse and coached on what to say by two assistant district attorneys and a veteran social worker who are members of the church. After that report, the prosecutors left their jobs and the social worker resigned. All three had worked in nearby counties. Fenner was a teenager when he joined the church with his mother and brothers in 2010. During his years at Word of Faith, he testified that he saw congregants, including children, subjected to violent deliverance and a practice called blasting — an ear-piercing verbal onslaught often conducted in hours-long sessions meant to cast out devils. He said he experienced both himself, but nothing like what happened in January 2013, when he was surrounded by nearly two dozen people while leaving a service. Danielle Cordes, one of four former church members who told AP they witnessed the attack, said, “They just kept hitting him over and over. It was horrible. ... I thought that he was going to be the first person they killed.” [...] https://apnews.com/38b9d91484424429b629bc0a275af006/AP:-Authorities-delayed-investigating-gay-'demons'-case [further AP coverage of this via https://apnews.com/tag/BrokenFaith , https://apnews.com/tag/WordofFaithFellowship , https://apnews.com/search/fenner ]
College professor fired following remarks on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' June 25, 2017 A New Jersey college professor who appeared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” to defend a black-only Black Lives Matter event has been fired after the college's president said she made racially insensitive comments on the show, according to reports. [...] http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/06/25/college-professor-fired-following-remarks-on-tucker-carlson-tonight.html [with embedded video]
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What if Trump Actually Fires Mueller? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ
Published on Jun 23, 2017 by GQ
Doing so might create the tipping point that ends him.
‘I believe that the President’s tweet along with his basic admission on national TV, that that is evidence of witness tampering’ - Rep. Ted Lieu on the Comey tapes. Duration: 5:23
Malcolm Nance on WaPo report: that is ‘crown jewels intelligence’
All In with Chris Hayes 6/23/17
Chris Hayes, Greg Miller and Malcolm Nance discuss the Washington Post report that details the Russian interference in the 2016 election. Duration: 6:32
Russian election hacks took US to brink of cyberwar: Report
The Rachel Maddow Show 6/23/17
Rachel Maddow reviews some of the highlights of a lengthy, eye-opening report from The Washington Post about the reaction of the Obama administration to the news that Vladimir Putin was directing a cyberattack on the U.S. election. Duration: 17:09
Senate Judiciary questions Jared Kushner security clearance
The Rachel Maddow Show 6/23/17
Rachel Maddow reports that the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary has sent a letter to the FBI and the White House questioning Jared Kushner's security clearance and Donald Trump's role in his clearance process. Duration: 8:11
Russia 2016 cyberattacks seen as dry run for future elections
The Rachel Maddow Show 6/23/17
Ellen Nakashima, national security reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about her reporting on Russia's cyberattack on the U.S. election and the Obama administration's deliberations on retaliation. Duration: 7:33
Uptick in Russian visa requests ahead of 2016 election: WaPo
The Rachel Maddow Show 6/23/17
Ned Price, former NSC spokesman and senior director, shares with Rachel Maddow insights on the reporting by the Washington Post of an uptick in visa applications from Russia ahead of the 2016 election. Duration: 4:48
Despite repeated campaign promises not to cut Medcaid, Trump supports the Senate health care bill, which one GOP senator said cuts health care for "tens of millions." Ari Melber discusses with Andy Slavitt, former Acting Administrator of Medicare and Medicaid. Duration: 6:29
Mother and son: Medicaid isn't about politics, it's about lives
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 6/23/17
Mike Phillips is severely physically disabled, but thanks to Medicaid, he's able to be cared for at home by his family. In a remarkable interview with Ari Melber, Mike and his mother Karen Clay explain how Medicaid cuts would literally end life as they know it. Duration: 15:50
WaPost: Putin told hackers to hurt Clinton & help Trump
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 6/23/17
Ellen Nakashima, one of the reporters on The Washington Post report detailing Russia's 2016 hacks and the Obama administration response joins MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace in for Brian Williams. Duration: 8:11
Jeremy Bash: Trump's allowed Russia 'to get away with so much'
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 6/23/17
An exhaustive new Washington Post report explains how the 2016 election hacks came from Putin and he wanted to hurt Clinton's candidacy. So will Trump change his tune on Putin? Our panel reacts. Duration: 5:46
Dem on Trump invite to Black Caucus: We don't need a photo op
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 6/23/17
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) joins MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace in for Brian Williams to discuss Pres. Trump's invite for the Congressional Black Caucus to come to a meeting at the White House. Duration: 1:30
Report: Trump vents about Russia to his lawyers on morning call
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 6/23/17
In for Brian Williams, MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace talks to three White House reporters about a report stating Pres. Trump is struggling to keep calm on Russia. Duration: 5:09
White House refers lawmakers to Trump 'statement'... on Twitter
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 6/23/17
Responding to a House Intelligence Committee request for information on the 'tapes' Trump may have of his conversations with Comey, an official White House letter merely quotes Trump's tweets. Duration: 0:55
Suing Trump, Online Extremism, Climate, Stocks | Overtime with Bill Maher (HBO)
Published on Jun 23, 2017 by Real Time with Bill Maher
Bill Maher and his guests - Maajid Nawaz, Bianna Golodryga, Charlie Sykes, Bradley Whitford and Richard Painter - answer viewer questions after the show.
this is part 7 of a 17-part post which proceeds (point arising on the given) day by (point arising on the given) day from June 17, 2017 through July 3, 2017 -- the preceding part is the post to which this is a reply; the next part is a reply to this post -- the following 'see also (linked in)' listing, updated for intervening posts along the way, is common to all 17 parts
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in addition to (linked in) the post to which this is a reply and preceding and (any future other) following, see also (linked in):
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
