Lawyer who worked for NRA said to have had concerns about group’s Russia ties
Peter Stone And Greg Gordon ggordon@mcclatchydc.com March 15, 2018 07:27 PM Updated 43 minutes ago
video http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/congress/article205412394.html National Rifle Association executive vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre said opponents of gun rights "hate individual freedoms" and want to eliminate the 2nd Amendment. LaPierre spoke at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Congressional investigators are examining information that an ex-National Rifle Association board member who had done legal work for the group had concerns about its ties to Russia and its possible involvement in channeling Russian funds into the 2016 elections to help Donald Trump, two sources familiar with the matter say.
Cleta Mitchell, who represented the NRA for years, is on a newly disclosed list of people whom Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee are seeking to interview. Democratic investigators for that committee’s Senate counterpart also are interested in what she may know about relationships between the NRA or its allies and wealthy Russians, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Mitchell told McClatchy in an email that any suggestion she has concerns about the NRA's Russia connections is a "complete fabrication."
The sources declined to detail the specific nature of the information prompting investigators’ interest in Mitchell, a prominent gun rights champion, election law specialist and veteran conservative operative.
The nation’s leading gun rights lobby was the biggest backer of Trump’s presidential campaign, spending $30 million to help propel him to his upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, a strong advocate of gun control laws. But in January, the NRA was drawn into the furor over Russian interference in the election when McClatchy reported that the FBI was investigating whether Russian banker and “lifetime” NRA member Alexander Torshin, who hosted a high-level NRA delegation in Moscow in late 2015, funneled funds to the NRA to help Trump.
It’s illegal for foreign funds to be spent in American elections.
“Whether there was an effort by Russia to create a back channel or assist the Trump campaign through the NRA or gun-rights groups is an open question the committee’s minority has endeavored to answer for the past year,” California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement to McClatchy. “Much work remains to be done concerning that thread of our investigation, including conducting witness interviews and receiving relevant documents from several organizations and individuals.”
Mitchell's name surfaced after House Republicans announced this week they were ending the panel's year-old investigation into Russia's meddling, which had been plagued by months of partisan friction. They issued a 150-page report that concluded there was no “collusion” between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Angry Democrats responded by issuing a wide-ranging, 21-page status report on Tuesday laying out areas of inquiry that were short-circuited by the majority's decision, vowing to pursue them independently.
Mitchell was among more than two dozen people the Democrats said they would like to interview, including two other figures with connections to Torshin and the NRA. The report said Democratic investigators want to know if Mitchell “can shed light on the NRA’s relationship with Alexander Torshin” or other Russians and also want to see financial records from a South Dakota company and a Russian gun rights group..
Neither the FBI, which is working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate Russian meddling in the election, nor the congressional committees have provided details of potentially improper Russian involvement with the NRA.
Mitchell, a lawyer with Foley & Lardner, has worked with several prominent conservative organizations and has helped set up nonprofit groups that can legally spend some funds on elections but keep donors secret. She has also worked for an A-list of Republican lawmakers and candidates, including Sens. Roy Blunt (Mo.), Pat Toomey (Penn.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).
In a series of emails, Mitchell strongly denied having concerns about Russian funds being improperly routed through the NRA.
“I have no knowledge of anything like this and zero concerns whatsoever about anyone — Russians or otherwise — who ‘funneled’ funds to / through NRA,” she said. The NRA “ is meticulous about following all the rules. This is all a complete fabrication.”
On Friday, after this story first appeared, Mitchell said “I have not had any relationship with the NRA in six years. I had zero contact with the NRA in 2016.” The NRA did not respond to requests to verify Mitchell’s statements; according to an NRA publication, her board membership expired in 2013.
Mitchell said she would be willing to talk to investigators but it would be “...wasting everyone’s time and money...”
A shocking new investigation by Reveal and the Center for Investigative Reporting has uncovered evidence that African Americans and Latinos continue to be routinely denied conventional mortgage loans, even at rates far higher than their white counterparts, across the country. According to the piece, the homeownership gap between whites and African Americans is now wider than it was during the Jim Crow era. Reveal based its report on a review of 31 million mortgage records filed with the federal government in 2015 and 2016. The investigation found the redlining occurring across the country, including in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and San Antonio, Texas. Since its publication earlier this month, the report has sparked national outrage and, in some states, unusually swift political action. Pennsylvania’s attorney general and state treasurer have both launched investigations into redlining in Philadelphia. We speak to Pennsylvania state Senator Vincent Hughes and Aaron Glantz, senior reporter at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. His new investigation is headlined “Kept out: How banks block people of color from homeownership [ https://www.revealnews.org/article/for-people-of-color-banks-are-shutting-the-door-to-homeownership/ , https://apnews.com/ae4b40a720b74ad8a9b0bfe65f7a9c29 ].” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/2/27/modern_day_redlining_banks_face_probes[with embedded video, and transcript]
As the state of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia begin probes into racist lending practices, Pennsylvania state Senator Vincent Hughes urges constituents to pull their money from banks denying home loans to people of color. This comes after a recent investigation by Reveal found African-American mortgage applicants in Philly are almost three times as likely to be denied a conventional mortgage as white applicants. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/2/27/lets_move_our_money_penn_lawmaker[with embedded video, and transcript]
Janus v. AFSCME: Will Supreme Court Side with Koch Brothers in Their War Against Organized Labor?
Published on Feb 27, 2018 by Democracy Now!
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a key case that could deal a massive blow to public unions nationwide. The case, Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, deals with whether workers who benefit from union-negotiated contracts can avoid paying union dues if they opt not to join the union. The lead plaintiff, Mark Janus, is a child support specialist who argues that a state law in Illinois allowing the union to charge a fee for collective bargaining activities violates his First Amendment rights. Numerous right-wing groups have trumpeted his claim in their latest attempt to weaken the political power of public unions. The groups include the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity, the State Policy Network, ALEC—American Legislative Exchange Council—and the Bradley Foundation. We speak to Amanda Shanor, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed an amicus brief in Janus v. AFSCME in support of AFSCME. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/2/27/janus_v_afscme_will_supreme_court[with embedded video, and transcript]
Just like his friend, HRC, Sheriff Israel doesn’t respond to cries for help — 45 times to be exact. But he IS an example of how law enforcement is focused NOT on protecting the public but on the booty it gets from the War on Drug’s “civil asset forfeiture” (like his own personal Lamborghini). And “THE VIEW” finally admits the Clintons are “a virus” , Supreme Court usurps power they don’t have again, 20 states sue to end ObamaCare, DoD enlists trannies and Antifa recruits the mentally ill.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
President's 2019 Cyber Command Budget Request February 27, 2018 U.S. Cyber Commander Admiral Michael Rogers testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss the military’s cybersecurity posture. He told lawmakers that he has not received specific direction from the White House to take additional steps to respond to Russian interference in U.S. elections. Admiral Rogers, also the NSA director, acknowledged that the current U.S. response to Russia has not been enough. “They haven’t paid a price, at least, that’s sufficient to get them to change their behavior,” commented Admiral Rogers, who was scheduled to retire in the spring of 2018 with Army Cyber Command Chief Lieutenant General Paul Nakasone set to replace him. https://www.c-span.org/video/?441677-1/nsa-chief-testifies-fiscal-year-2019-budget[with embedded video, and transcript]
Statement from the Press Secretary on Reduction in Assistance to the Government of Cambodia
Issued on: February 27, 2018
Over the past quarter century, the United States has been a committed development partner of Cambodia. We contributed over $1 billion to improve Cambodia’s economic, social, and democratic wellbeing. Recent setbacks to democracy in Cambodia, however, caused us deep concern, including Senate elections on February 25 that failed to represent the genuine will of the Cambodian people. These setbacks compelled the United States to review its assistance to Cambodia to ensure that American taxpayer funds are not being used to support anti-democratic behavior. Based on this review, the United States Government will suspend or curtail several Treasury, USAID, and American military assistance programs intended to support the General Department of Taxation, the capacity of local government authorities, and the Cambodian military, each of which has been linked to these setbacks. We will continue many projects in support of the Cambodian people, including those in health, agriculture, mine clearance, civil society promotion, and other crucial areas.
"A demon-buster that writes laws!" That's how the sponsor of Florida's "In God We Trust" in the public schools bill describes herself. Florida State Representative Kimberly Daniels is on a religious mission, a mission to force her god on other people's children. She's been completely open about this theocratic goal as she preaches, "exorcises demons," and "speaks in tongues". In the US, laws are only constitutional if they have a secular purpose, but Daniels has been clear about her religious purpose from the beginning.
FFRF has been warning people about the Florida bill for more than two months. If you want to get these alerts in the future, please text "FFRF" to 52886. We need your help to defend the Wall of Separation from theocrats like Daniels, and it will take a lot of voices. Please share this with others—together we can fight for the First Amendment.
Tuesday, Feb. 27th 2018[, with an appearance by Jerome Corsi, and Paul Joseph Watson hosting the fourth hour]: MAGA Round Two! - Trump sets a historical record by already announcing his run for re-election in 2020. Comparatively, Obama waited 400 more days for his 2nd term bid. Joining today's show is Syrian Girl to discuss the Middle East war. Also, anonymous intelligence insider Zack from Morocco calls to discuss important geopolitical happenings of the day. Furthermore, Dr. Steve Pieczenik provides powerful insight into the Deep State and Trump's foreign policy.
In a time plagued by evil, Americans need the ministry and message provided by Christian communicators, Vice President Mike Pence said at Proclaim 18, the National Religious Broadcasters’ (NRB) International Christian Media Convention, February 27, 2018.
In this edition of Black Trademarked Photo Editing Software History, VICELAND's Messiah Rhodes finds out why a town in the middle of Brooklyn, founded in 1838 by fugitive slaves and freed Black people escaping racial violence, almost disappeared from history.
WATCH NEXT:
Black Trademarked Photo Editing Software History *IRL*
Published on Feb 22, 2017 by VICELAND Messiah Rhodes learns about roles played by black soldiers in the Revolutionary War while taking part in a reenactment of the Battle of Long Island. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDMPqOBMYO4 [with comments]
Slavery might have ended on paper after the Civil War, but many white landowners did everything they could to exploit newly freed slaves well into the 20th century. Thousands of black laborers across the South were forced to work against their will as late as the 1960s—a new form of enslavement that went on in the shadows of rural America.
VICE's Akil Gibbons traveled to Louisiana to meet genealogist Antoinette Harrell, the “slavery detective of the South," who tracks down cases of modern-day slavery and abusive labor practices. They talk to a man whose family was held on a plantation against their will into the 1950s, and Antoinette explains how she uses decades-old records to uncover how slavery was perpetuated long after the Civil War ended.
As the left continues to ignore the actually problems and potential solutions to the Florida High School shooting, we begin to learn more about how it is actually the left who could be held responsible for events like this, and will be responsible for more if their policies are implemented. As independent media outlets are reporting on this, the censorship on social media is ramping up, and the power structure aims to ensure its grip on the future.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
Dazzle camouflage was fantastically weird. It was also surprisingly smart.
Dazzle camouflage was a surprisingly effective defense against torpedoes. In this episode of Vox Almanac, Phil Edwards explains why.
World War I ships faced a unique problem. The u-boat was a new threat at the time, and its torpedoes were deadly. That led artist Norman Wilkinson to come up with dazzle camouflage (sometimes called “razzle dazzle camouflage”). The idea was to confuse u-boats about a ship’s course, rather than try to conceal its presence. In doing so, dazzle camouflage could keep torpedoes from hitting the boat — and that and other strategies proved a boon in World War I.
This camouflage is unusual, but its striking appearance influenced the culture, inspired cubist painters’ riffs, and even entered into the world of fashion. Though dazzle camouflage lost its utility once radar and other detection techniques took over from u-boat periscopes, for a brief period in time it was an effective and unusual way to help ships stay safe.
WWII saw another kind of strange history unfold: a meme (yes, really). Watch our video on it here:
The World War II meme that circled the world
Published on Dec 11, 2015 by Vox Kilroy was here — those three words showed up in a lot of surprising places. We know about the epic drama of World War II, but what about the jokes? The above video tells the story (as best as we can). The iconic piece of graffiti that was known, in America, as "Kilroy Was Here" traveled the world in a fashion remarkably similar to a modern meme. Read some more background here: https://www.vox.com/2015/12/11/9886246/kilroy-was-here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFw8MSF7yE4 [with comments]
Readout of President Donald J. Trump’s Call with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia
Issued on: February 27, 2018
President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. President Trump and the Crown Prince discussed regional developments and opportunities to further enhance the American-Saudi partnership on a range of security and economic issues. The President thanked the Crown Prince for his leadership in highlighting ways all Gulf Cooperation Council states can better counter Iranian destabilizing activities and defeat terrorists and extremists. The leaders agreed on the importance of regional cooperation and a united Gulf Cooperation Council to mitigate regional threats and ensure the region’s economic prosperity.
Readout of President Donald J. Trump’s Call with Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates
Issued on: February 27, 2018
President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates. President Trump and the Crown Prince discussed regional developments and opportunities to further enhance the American-Emirati partnership on a range of security and economic issues. The President thanked the Crown Prince for his leadership in highlighting ways all Gulf Cooperation Council states can better counter Iranian destabilizing activities and defeat terrorists and extremists. The leaders agreed on the importance of regional cooperation and a united Gulf Cooperation Council to mitigate regional threats and ensure the region’s economic prosperity.
Watch Michael B. Jordan’s book-burning antihero for the Trump era
The Beat with Ari Melber 2/27/18
A spike in books and movies reflecting anxieties about an uncertain future, including the recent announcement of a new movie adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 starring Michael B. Jordan, show how Trump’s anti-intellectualism is shaping entertainment.
In New York City, about 4,000 people are arrested each year for the crime of carrying a common folding knife.
Many of the defendants turn out to be people who need the knives for work, including electricians, plumbers, and construction workers. But under a 1958 New York state law, they’re often prosecuted for carrying a gravity knife — defined as a knife where the blade drops out of the handle and locks into place by the force of gravity — and possession can result in a felony conviction and years of jail time.
“It didn’t make sense to me — for a pocket knife to have somebody’s life ruined is crazy. It really is." Roderick Prude, a cafeteria cook whose arrest for possession of a gravity knife was bumped up to a felony, told VICE News.
Around 84 percent of people prosecuted under the law are people of color, prompting advocates to push back against what they see as an absurd and discriminatory law.
These activists have found an unlikely ally in Doug Ritter, head of Knife Rights, a grassroots organization devoted to getting rid of knife laws across the United States that acts as a sort of NRA of knives. And they've been gearing up for a fight: Knife Rights filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2011 against the city of New York and District Attorney Cy Vance over the statute against gravity knives.
Yesterday On The Internet: Finally, An Online Dating Safe Space For Trump Supporters
Published on Feb 27, 2018 by VICE News
It’s hard to find a soulmate in our modern busy lives, and while the internet is in the middle of a culture war, finding someone online — who isn’t just a Russian bot — is getting harder by the day.
Thankfully, there’s a new site for our hyper partisan times: Trump.Dating, the dating site for Trump supporters that promises to “make dating great again.” The site is just one of many made possible by Miami-based company Friends Worldwide, who are also responsible for such niche dating sites as Movie Lovers Online, U.S. Military Singles, French Singles Online, and NasMatch, a dating site for people who presumably have a capacity for love larger than their devotion to Nascar.
Trump.Dating’s launch has been a little bumpy. It initially allowed users to classify their relationship status as happily married or unhappily married, and the original homepage photo featured a man since revealed to have been convicted of sex with an underage girl. But beyond these website launch hiccups, here’s hoping Trump supporters finally have a safe space for their love.
NSA Chief: Trump hasn't asked me to stop Russian meddling
All In with Chris Hayes 2/27/18
Admiral Mike Rogers says America isn't doing enough to counter ongoing Russian election interference - and suggests the president doesn't see that as a problem.
Jared Kushner just lost his access to highly classified info
All In with Chris Hayes 2/27/18
Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and other White House staffers who’ve had interim security clearances will no longer have access to highly classified information – including the presidential daily briefing.
The total amount that’s gone to shareholders thanks to stock buybacks since the Trump tax cut is 34 times what workers have gotten in the form of bonuses and wage increases.
Georgia GOP threatens to punish Delta over NRA discount
All In with Chris Hayes 2/27/18
The Georgia Lieutenant Governor threatened to punish Delta after the airline announced it would end a travel discount for members of the National Rifle Association.
Report: Ben Carson’s HUD spent $31K on office dining set
All In with Chris Hayes 2/27/18
The Department of Housing and Urban Development, headed by Ben Carson, spent $31,000 on a new dining room set for Secretary Carson’s office – even as the agency’s budget calls for $8.8 billion in funding cuts for the poor and the elderly.
Rachel Maddow rounds up the overwhelming number of major news stories that broke over the course of the day, including the NSA director's Senate testimony, the Trump 2020 campaign manager's ties to a sketchy company, new contacts exposed between Roger Stone and WikiLeaks, and more White House departures.
Kushner eyed over foreign contacts, vulnerability to manipulation
The Rachel Maddow Show 2/27/18
Shane Harris, intelligence and national security reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about new reporting about concerns over Jared Kushner's interactions with foreign officials and efforts to manipulate him.
Potential for blackmail an obstacle to Kushner security clearance
The Rachel Maddow Show 2/27/18
Nicolle Wallace, former White House communications director for George W. Bush, talks with Rachel Maddow about why Jared Kushner's security situation in the Trump White House is not only unusual and politically awkward, but dangerous.
Trump scandal Russia legal defense fund files official papers
The Rachel Maddow Show 2/27/18
Rachel Maddow reports on the official creation of the Patriot Legal Expense Fund Trust, which is meant to help cover legal expenses of Trump staffers caught up in the Trump Russia scandal - though details of where the money comes from or goes to are not clear.
Hotel in Panama fights to shed Trump name citing name's stigma
The Rachel Maddow Show 2/27/18
David Fahrenthold, reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about the Trump hotel in Panama fighting to remove Donald Trump's name, and the potential political implications if Trump tries tries to insert himself.
Democrats flip seats in N.H., Connecticut special elections
The Rachel Maddow Show 2/27/18
Rachel Maddow reports on three state special elections, two of which, in New Hampshire and Connecticut, were formerly Republican-held and flipped by Democrats, and a third, in Kentucky, that was retained by Republicans but saw a 28 point Democratic swing versus Donald Trump's 2016 victory in that district.
Hope Hicks reportedly admits telling 'white lies' for Trump
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 2/27/18
Hope Hicks reportedly told House investigators she is required to tell white lies as part of her job in the Trump W.H. Jill Wine-Banks reacts and Natasha Bertrand joins Lawrence O'Donnell with new reporting on Wikileaks' contacts with Trump associate Roger Stone.
Jared Kushner has lost access to some intelligence amid his trouble getting a security clearance — which leakers were eager to talk to reporters about. And now Robert Mueller is reportedly asking about Jared Kushner's meetings with foreign leaders.
Rpt: Foreign officials have discussed how to manipulate Kushner
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 2/28/18
On the same day Jared Kushner lost his high-level White House security clearance, The Washington Post reports - citing multiple current & fmr. U.S. officials - that foreign officials from four countries sought to manipulate the president's son-in-law.
NSA boss: Trump hasn't told me to fight Russian meddling
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 2/28/18
The head of the NSA, Admiral Mike Rogers, faced a lot of frustration and anger from Democrats when he revealed on Capitol Hill that Trump has not directed him to do more to stop meddling from Moscow. Our panel reacts.
The New York Times reports while speaking to the House Intelligence Committee, Trump aide Hope Hicks admitted she's told white lies for her boss, but said never anything dealing with the Russia probe. Our panel reacts.
Trevor looks at the familiar faces hoping to fill congressional seats in the 2018 midterms, including Mitt Romney, Bernie Sanders's son Levi and "Clueless" star Stacey Dash.
Trump calls out Democrats for not solving the DACA problem he single-handedly created and denounces "chain migration" in a brilliant ploy to get rid of his in-laws.
In response to his threatening of Delta Airlines, these flight attendants have worked Georgia's Lt. Governor Casey Cagle into their pre-flight announcements.
Profiles In Discourage: Arthur Jones, The GOP's Actual Nazi
Published on Feb 28, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
In another edition of 'Midterms 2018: Profiles in Discourage,' Stephen introduces America to an actual Nazi representing the GOP for Illinois' 3rd Congressional District, Arthur Jones.
None of This Really Happened It’s difficult to know where to begin when talking to people who live in an alternate reality. In order to have a rational conversation about anything, there has to be a minimal set of common facts to which you can appeal. But what if you can’t even agree on what the facts are in the first place? And no, this time I’m not talking politics, although that does increasingly concern me. No, this time I’m talking about what people believe about stories we find in the Bible. [...] http://www.patheos.com/blogs/godlessindixie/2018/02/18/none-really-happened/
Supreme Court Rules That Detained Would-Be Immigrants Have No Right To Bail Hearings Under Federal Law The justices did not rule, however, on the secondary question of whether that interpretation of federal law violates the Constitution — sending that issue back for review by the appeals court first. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/would-be-immigrants-bail-hearings-scotus-ruling
Trump regurgitates Fox News commentators in early morning tweet storm denying collusion with Russia In an early morning tweetstorm, President Donald Trump quoted three legal experts on his preferred network, Fox News, to support his denial of collusion with Russia. "WITCH HUNT!" Trump concluded of the special counsel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign. http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-quotes-fox-news-denies-collusion-with-russia-2018-2
Panamanian police handcuff a guard at the Trump hotel as standoff escalates PANAMA CITY — Panamanian police on Tuesday handcuffed a security guard working for President Trump’s hotel here, in the midst of a dispute in which the hotel’s majority owner has tried to fire the Trump Organization — and Trump employees have refused to leave. The guard was brought down an elevator by police who arrived at the luxury hotel Tuesday morning, and driven away in a patrol car. The guard was detained for denying officers access to hotel offices, according to two witnesses who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing legal dispute. It was unclear whether he had been formally arrested. That detention came on a day when a long-running standoff over the fate of the Trump hotel — pitting the majority owner against the Trump Organization, which manages the property — escalated sharply. There were physical altercations between rival groups of security guards, the visit by the police officers, and a triumphant piano performance by the majority owner, Orestes Fintiklis. As the day went on, it appeared that Fintiklis’s strategy — to short-circuit a drawn-out legal battle over the hotel by showing up and asserting his power as owner — might be working. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/panamanian-police-arrest-a-guard-at-the-trump-hotel-as-standoff-escalates/2018/02/27/800151ce-1bd1-11e8-98f5-ceecfa8741b6_story.html
States with right-to-carry concealed handgun laws experience increases in violent crime, according to Stanford scholar Stanford Law School Professor John Donohue found that states that adopted right-to-carry laws have experienced a 13 to 15 percent increase in violent crime in the 10 years after enacting those laws. June 21, 2017 https://news.stanford.edu/2017/06/21/violent-crime-increases-right-carry-states/ working paper http://www.nber.org/papers/w23510
AT&T says it supports net neutrality and won't create internet 'fast lanes' — while pushing for the right to do just that In response to a protest Tuesday in favor of net neutrality, AT&T said it was opposed to "fast lanes and slow lanes" on the internet. In the same statement, though, the company essentially said it actually does want to offer a form of fast lanes for some applications. Those applications would include connections for self-driving cars and public safety. http://www.businessinsider.com/att-is-against-internet-fast-lanes-but-wants-right-to-prioritize-2018-2
N Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories' North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used in chemical weapons manufacturing, US media report, citing findings by UN experts. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43219614
Trump campaign chief lends name to penny stock tied to felon - AP WASHINGTON — The political strategist and online guru who was named President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign manager Tuesday has a close financial relationship with a penny-stock firm with a questionable history that includes longstanding ties to a convicted fraudster, according to an Associated Press investigation. Brad Parscale, who played a key role in Trump’s 2016 election victory, signed a $10 million deal in August to sell his digital marketing company to CloudCommerce Inc. As part of the deal, Parscale currently serves as a member of California-based company’s management team. The company touts itself as “a global provider of cloud-driven e-commerce and mobile commerce solutions.” Records reviewed by the AP raise questions about its current finances and its rocky past. CloudCommerce’s operations have not turned a profit in nearly a decade. The company’s most recent quarterly earnings showed it has spent more than $19 million in investor money since its creation nearly two decades ago and has only $107,000 in cash on hand. In 2006, a top executive at the company, which was operating under a different name at the time, was caught in an FBI bribery sting and later pleaded guilty to securities fraud. Documents reviewed by the AP indicate he remained involved in CloudCommerce’s major corporate decisions in recent years. Parscale did not answer written questions from the AP about the sale of his company to CloudCommerce and his role in the company. The owner of an obscure web development firm before the 2016 presidential race, Parscale parlayed commercial website work for Trump family businesses into a role as the public face of Trump’s highly successful digital campaign. A press release announcing Parscale’s hiring as Trump’s new campaign manager included Eric Trump calling him “an amazing talent” who has the Trump family’s “complete trust.” When Parscale’s CloudCommerce deal was originally announced last August, the price of the company’s shares surged. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-campaign-chief-lends-name-to-penny-stock-tied-to-felon/2018/02/27/9941a2d8-1c17-11e8-98f5-ceecfa8741b6_story.html original https://apnews.com/5bdc810e38c94b119e2e0c2d206c4486
Apple is launching medical clinics to deliver the 'world's best health care experience' to its employees Apple is launching primary care clinics called AC Wellness for employees this spring. Initially, it has two clinics in Santa Clara County, California. The company is advertising for doctors, health coaches and "designers" to create a program to promote healthy behavior. Apple follows Amazon, which recently teamed with J.P. Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway to announce a plan to revamp health care for their employees. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/27/apple-launching-medical-clinics-for-employees.html
Alex Jones Decries YouTube’s Temporary Ban On Infowars, Asks Parkland Teen To Debate
( https://youtu.be/zz0RPQgh9KA ) Previously, Jones had accused the teenage school shooting survivor of being a “crisis actor.” After learning that his far-right Infowars channel is now only one strike away from being terminated on YouTube, conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones is challenging a teenage school shooting survivor to a debate. According to The Hill, Infowars claimed it had received a notice from YouTube on Tuesday morning that it would be temporarily barred from uploading new content after receiving a second strike for videos it had posted about the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. “This is the second strike applied to your account within three months. As a result, you’re unable to post new content to YouTube for two weeks,” read the alert. “If there are no further issues, the ability to upload will be automatically restored after this two week period.” Will Sommer, campaign editor at The Hill, tweeted out the alert in its entirety: [embedded - https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/968526163810373632 ] Per YouTube’s community guidelines, an account that gets two strikes for violating the rules will be unable to post new videos for two weeks. A third strike within three months means the account would be terminated permanently. YouTube did not immediately reply to a request for comment about the strike on Infowars’ account or specify which rule had been violated. Infowars, which currently has 2.2 million subscribers, has been part of the effort to discredit school shooting survivors like David Hogg, a vocal teenage advocate for gun control since a shooter killed 17 people at his high school. In a video titled “David Hogg Can’t Remember His Lines In TV Interview,” Infowars suggested that Hogg and other student activists were paid “crisis actors.” That video earned the outlet its first strike from YouTube on Feb. 23, and has since been removed for violating YouTube’s policies on bullying and harassment. Hogg’s family members, including his 14-year-old sister, say they have received threats due to conspiracy theories surrounding the shooting. But Jones claims he’s the one being bullied. Evading YouTube’s temporary ban on new Infowars content, he posted videos to his own YouTube account on Tuesday to talk about the temporary content freeze and to claim that Hogg was “bullying” him. [...] On Tuesday afternoon, Hogg tweeted that he was not at all interested in debating Jones. “I will not speak to anyone that has had disgusting remarks to victims of mass shootings in the past,” he wrote. “I sent that tweet without realizing just how awful so many people have been to victims and witnesses of these events in the past.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/alex-jones-youtube-ban-infowars_us_5a95d064e4b09c872baea27b
Trump Organization says it has donated foreign profits to U.S. Treasury, but declines to share details The Trump Organization announced Monday that it donated the profits from “foreign government patronage” at its hotels last year to the U.S. Treasury, but declined to identify those foreign customers or the amount of the contribution. President Trump’s company made the donation on Thursday, according to George A. Sorial, the Trump Organization’s chief compliance counsel. “Although not a legal requirement, this voluntary donation fulfills our pledge to donate profits from foreign government patronage at our hotels and similar business during President Trump’s term in office,” Sorial said. The Washington Post asked for more details: How much was donated? Which Trump properties were included in this accounting? Which foreign entities had paid money to Trump’s businesses? “We have nothing further to share at this time,” Amanda Miller, a Trump Organization spokeswoman, wrote in an email. The Treasury Department also did not immediately respond to questions about the donation. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-organization-says-it-has-donated-foreign-profits-to-us-treasury-but-declines-to-share-details/2018/02/26/747522e0-1b22-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html
David A. Fahrenthold of The Washington Post For a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000). For persistent reporting that created a model for transparent journalism in political campaign coverage while casting doubt on Donald Trump’s assertions of generosity toward charities. http://www.pulitzer.org/winners/david-fahrenthold
Inside the world's largest plane, which has a wingspan longer than a football field and will debut in 2019 The Stratolaunch is the world's largest aircraft. Its 385-foot wingspan is longer than a football field. The aircraft recently completed a runway test in anticipation of its debut flight, which is planned for 2019. http://www.businessinsider.com/stratolaunch-is-worlds-largest-plane-pictures-2018-2
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