In a historic day of action, more than a million students from over 3,000 schools walked out of classes to protest gun violence on Wednesday. Walkouts occurred in all 50 states as well as some schools overseas. The nationwide student walkouts occurred one month after 17 students and staff were shot dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. At many schools, students walked out for 17 minutes—one minute for each person murdered in Parkland. The students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are now organizing a massive March for Our Lives on March 24 in Washington, and solidarity marches are planned across the country. We air moments from marches in New York and talk with Luna Baez and Citlali Mares, two students in Denver, Colorado, who helped organize their school’s walkout for gun reform Wednesday. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/15/enough_a_million_students_walk_out[with embedded video, and transcript]
Remembering Courtlin Arrington: The Victim of a Recent School Shooting Largely Ignored by Media
Published on Mar 15, 2018 by Democracy Now!
Wednesday’s nationwide student walkout occurred one month after 17 students and staff were shot dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Many students left classes for 17 minutes—one minute for each person murdered in Parkland. But in Alabama some students walked out for 18 minutes to remember another student who was recently killed by gun violence at school: Courtlin Arrington, a 17-year-old African-American student who was shot dead last week at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama, by a fellow student. She was a high school senior who was planning to attend college next year. She had dreams of becoming a nurse. While the Parkland shooting has dominated national headlines for a month, far less coverage was paid to the death of Courtlin Arrington. We are joined by Courtlin’s aunt, Shenise Abercrombie. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/15/remembering_courtlin_arrington_the_victim_of[with embedded video, and transcript]
Farmworkers Bring Human Rights Fight to Wendy’s Doorstep, Fasting & Calling for Boycott over Abuses
Published on Mar 15, 2018 by Democracy Now!
Dozens of farmworkers with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers have entered their last day of a 5-day fast outside the Manhattan office of Nelson Peltz, the board chair and largest shareholder of the restaurant chain Wendy’s. They are demanding Wendy’s sign onto the Fair Food Program, which would require the fast-food giant to purchase tomatoes from growers that follow a worker-designed code of conduct that includes a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and abuse in the fields. Wendy’s is the only major fast-food chain that has refused to sign onto the Fair Food Program. Wendy’s competitors McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Chipotle and Taco Bell all have joined the Fair Food Program, which CIW members say has virtually ended sexual harassment and assault for tens of thousands of workers on participating farms in seven states. The fast today will end in a “Time’s Up Wendy’s” march in New York. For more, we are joined by Gerardo Reyes Chavez, a farmworker and an organizer with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers [ https://ciw-online.org/ ]. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/15/farmworkers_bring_human_rights_fight_to[with embedded video, and transcript]
Rebecca Solnit on #MeToo, Mass Movements and the 10th Anniversary of “Men Explain Things to Me”
Published on Mar 15, 2018 by Democracy Now!
This month marks the 10th anniversary of Rebecca Solnit’s groundbreaking essay, “Men Explain Things to Me [ https://www.amazon.com/Men-Explain-Things-Rebecca-Solnit/dp/1608464660 ].” In 2008, Solnit wrote, “Men explain things to me, and other women, whether or not they know what they’re talking about. … Every woman knows what I’m talking about. It’s the presumption that makes it hard, at times, for any woman in any field; that keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; that crushes young women into silence by indicating, the way harassment on the street does, that this is not their world. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men’s unsupported overconfidence.” The essay has also been credited with launching the term “mansplaining,” though Rebecca Solnit did not coin the phrase. For more, we’re joined now by Rebecca Solnit, writer, historian and activist. She is the author of 20 books. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/15/rebecca_solnit_on_metoo_mass_movements[with embedded video, and transcript]
Jeremy Scahill on Trump’s Cabinet Shakeup, the Mueller Probe & the Iraq War 15 Years Later
Published on Mar 15, 2018 by Democracy Now!
Extended conversation with investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill, co-founder of The Intercept. Scahill talks about Trump’s pick for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Erik Prince’s ties to China, Trump’s ties to Russia and the 15th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/15/jeremy_scahill_on_trump_s_cabinet[with embedded video, and transcript]
[further to the "Jeremy Scahill: Gina Haspel Should Be Answering for Her Torture Crimes, Not Heading the CIA" Democracy Now! segment included as the third item in the post to which this is a reply]
Rand Paul has thrown the gauntlet down, opposing the “Godmother of Torture”, Gina Haspel, picked by Trump to be CIA Director and opposing Pompeo at State Dept who has shown himself to be a neocon warmonger who, by his own admission, wants to censor the internet and end First Amendment protections. Then, is the attack on a Russian double agent associated with Christopher Steele (author of the fake ‘dirty dossier’) a bold, reckless attack by Putin on UK soil or a false flag? And, John McAfee addresses the attacks by giant banks, Google & the SEC to shut down cryptocurrency by releasing his own coin to transcend their reach.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
Statement from the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on the Attack in Salisbury
Issued on: March 15, 2018
We, the leaders of France, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, abhor the attack that took place against Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, United Kingdom, on March 4, 2018. A British police officer who was also exposed in the attack remains seriously ill, and the lives of many innocent British citizens have been threatened. We express our sympathies to them all, and our admiration for the United Kingdom police and emergency services for their courageous response. This use of a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, constitutes the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War. It is an assault on the United Kingdom’s sovereignty and any such use by a state party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all. The United Kingdom thoroughly briefed its allies that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack. We share the United Kingdom’s assessment that there is no plausible alternative explanation, and note that Russia´s failure to address the legitimate request by the government of the United Kingdom further underlines Russia’s responsibility. We call on Russia to address all questions related to the attack in Salisbury. Russia should, in particular, provide full and complete disclosure of the Novichok program to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Our concerns are also heightened against the background of a pattern of earlier irresponsible Russian behavior. We call on Russia to live up to its responsibilities as a member of the U.N. Security Council to uphold international peace and security.
Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi of Iraq
Issued on: March 15, 2018
Vice President Mike Pence spoke today with Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi of Iraq. The leaders discussed the Trump Administration’s deep commitment to protect persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and the greater Middle East, a commitment which is shared by Prime Minister Abadi. They also discussed the upcoming May elections in Iraq, reports of Iran attempting to meddle in Iraq’s election and government formation, and the need to ensure free and fair elections that include Iraq’s citizens displaced by the fight against ISIS. Vice President Pence congratulated Prime Minister Abadi on Iraqi Security Force successes against ISIS and highlighted the continuing great partnership between Iraq’s Security Forces and the U.S. military and coalition partners. The Vice President was pleased to hear more about the re-opening of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s airports and the initial payment of some Kurdistan Regional Government salaries. Both leaders expressed looking forward to increased trade and economic ties between Iraq and the United States.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs holds a hearing [with Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin] on the FY19 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs on March 15, 2018. Subcommittee Chairman Dent presides. https://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=395122
Until the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, the Green Book was critical for black Americans wanting to travel across the country.
Road tripping in the 20th century became an iconic American obsession, and the rising middle class was eager to travel the country on the new interstate highway system. The Green Book was a unique travel guide during this time, when segregation was practiced all over the country.
The book, which grew to cover locations in all 50 states, listed hotels, restaurants, gas stations, beauty salons, and other services that would reliably serve African Americans. The listings grew from user correspondence and a network of African American postal workers under the guidance of Victor Hugo Green, the book’s publisher.
The American road trip would go on to be an anchor in the civil rights discussion, as it highlighted the injustices and prejudice that African Americans suffered under Jim Crow. Before the Civil Rights Act outlawed racial discrimination in public accommodations, Victor Green’s booklet helped black Americans navigate their country.
There's a trial going on in Kansas right now that could fundamentally affect the way you register to vote. Kansas Secretary of State and Trump ally Kris Kobach is trying to reinstate a 2013 law that would force people to show documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Here's what this could mean for you.
Thursday, March 15th 2018[, with an appearance by Roger Stone, and Anthony Cumia hosting the fourth hour]: White House Shake-Up! - A Trump administration purge may be incoming for John Kelly, H. R. McMaster, and up to three Cabinet secretaries. These " ides of March" turnovers are a result of Trump’s displeasure with ethical and boundary issues. Joining today's broadcast is election expert Bill Mitchell to break down current American political happenings. Also, author and television producer Ted Malloch discusses the U.S. economy and Trump's battle against globalism.
Julius (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Vincent (Danny DeVito) are back, and this time their love is deeper than ever. Get ready for the long awaited sequel to the 1988 comedy film 'TWINS' that proves that the love of family truly knows no bounds. A Twins/Call Me By Your Name mashup.
Donald Trump wants to send the world a message: seek refuge elsewhere.
We have a message too: Locking up asylum seekers indefinitely violates the law, the Constitution, and ICE’ own policies. See you in court.
The ACLU filed a class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s pattern of illegally locking up immigrants who are seeking asylum in the United States. The plaintiffs are fleeing persecution, torture, or death in their countries of origin. They all followed procedure and presented themselves at the border to apply for asylum, were screened by a government official, and found to have a credible asylum claim that should be heard in court. Instead of offering a humane response, the Trump administration has locked them up indefinitely while their cases are adjudicated.
Remarks by LTG H.R. McMaster at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Simon-Skjodt Center — “Syria, Is the Worst Yet to Come?”
Issued on: March 15, 2018
As prepared for delivery by LTG H.R. McMaster on March 15, 2018.
Thank you Cameron. It is an honor to be included in today’s event, as we mark the Seventh Anniversary of the start of the Syrian Civil War—and, this year, the 25th Anniversary of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
This afternoon, we are privileged to be joined by many Holocaust survivors, including Irene Weiss, who will share her story of courage and resilience later in the program.
Irene, we are all so glad that you are here with us today. Thank you. You are an inspiration to all humanity.
Please join me in giving Irene, and all of the survivors in the audience, a round of applause.
We are gathered together this afternoon on holy ground. This museum bears witness to the most horrific acts of evil and atrocity ever inflicted on humanity.
The documents, recordings, and mementos contained in these walls provide testimony on behalf of millions of Holocaust victims, unjustly taken from us before they could share their stories.
Standing in the beautiful Hall of Remembrance here at the Museum, we can still feel the weight of every human life lost.
Engraved on the wall behind the eternal flame is the well-known passage from Deuteronomy:
“Guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw […] and you shall make them known to your children, and to your children’s children.”
The United States Holocaust Museum teaches the importance of remembrance.
This Museum tells the stories of beloved children, like seven-year-old Tommy Pfeffer, who was gassed to death at Auschwitz alongside his ten-year-old brother, Jan-Peter.
It tells the stories of the righteous—rescuers who risked their lives to save others, like Raoul Wallenberg and Oskar Schindler.
And it tells the stories of inspiring Jewish resistance fighters, like young Hannah Senesh, who parachuted behind enemy lines with the British Army to aid anti-Nazi partisans and rescue Jews.
As many of you know, Hannah was captured in occupied Hungary, interrogated, and tortured. During her almost five months in prison, Hannah revealed no information about her mission.
Eventually convicted of treason, she was sentenced to death. On November 7, 1944, at just twenty-three years of age, Hannah was taken to a Budapest courtyard, where she refused a blindfold.
A poem found in Hannah’s cell after her execution read, in part, “I gambled on what mattered most.”
It is important to remember what happened to people like Hannah, Tommy, and Irene, because we know that these horrors can happen again.
But remembrance is only the first step: we cannot stop at remembrance alone.
If we are to fulfill our promise, “Never Again,” we must also act to protect victims and to hold all responsible parties accountable.
Unfortunately, today in Syria, we are confronted once more with some of the worst atrocities known to man.
This war has now raged on for seven years.
The Assad regime has killed indiscriminately, tortured, starved, raped, and used chemical weapons on its own people. It has attacked hospitals and schools, and countless Syrians have been arrested, abducted, or have simply disappeared.
And, ISIS has kidnapped, tortured, murdered, brutally persecuted religious minorities, and committed unspeakable horrors, such as burning victims alive in cages.
The Syria exhibit here at the Holocaust Museum, which I visited in January, details these horrifying crimes through photographs, film, first-person accounts, and other documentary evidence.
It is estimated that nearly 500,000 people have perished since the war began. In February alone, nearly 1,400 civilians have died. The conflict has created over 5 million refugees and over 6 million displaced persons.
Today, I want to tell you how the United States is taking action to protect innocent Syrians, defeat ISIS, and hold the Assad regime, and its sponsors, accountable for their crimes.
First, like so many in the room today, we are documenting atrocities.
The United States is declassifying intelligence that exposes Assad’s horrific crimes.
In May of last year, President Trump released images that we believe depict a crematorium at one of the regime’s prisons, likely installed to hide evidence of mass murder.
Our administration is also helping to fund the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (Triple I-M) created by the United Nations General Assembly.
Triple I-M’s mission is to collect and analyze evidence of international humanitarian law and human rights violations in Syria and prepare this evidence for independent criminal proceedings.
We are also proud to support the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic.
This independent and impartial commission documents serious human rights abuses committed by all parties to the conflict.
Second, we are fighting alongside partners, such as the Syrian Democratic Forces, to defeat terrorist organizations.
The Coalition to Defeat ISIS has now liberated almost 100 percent of territory previously held by these terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
We have made immense progress alongside allies and partners over the past year, but we have more work to do.
The United States will continue to pursue these murderers until ISIS is completely defeated, population centers are stabilized, and refugees can safely return home.
Third, we are providing humanitarian aid to the people who need it the most—the victims.
The United States has provided over $7.6 billion dollars to assist Syrians both in and outside of Syria.
We are sending our assistance in two directions: to Syrian refugees and to areas liberated from ISIS.
The United States and our partners will not provide reconstruction funding to areas controlled by the Assad regime until there is a political transition away from Assad’s rule.
Fourth, we are working to protect innocent civilians from chemical attack and to hold Assad accountable for using these heinous weapons.
These past four years have marked another anniversary: the 100th Anniversary of World War One. In the aftermath of that horrible war, nations came together and agreed not to use chemical weapons again.
Assad’s continued use of these weapons threatens to undo all of the progress we have made since the end of that terrible war.
Following Assad’s April 4, 2017, sarin attack on innocents, President Trump launched a powerful missile strike on the Syrian air base from which this attack originated, destroying twenty percent of the Syrian Air Force.
Our actions sent an unmistakable message: using these horrific weapons is never acceptable, and we will hold perpetrators accountable.
The United States is supporting the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in their efforts to compel Assad to fully dismantle his chemical weapons program.
Unfortunately, many of these life-saving efforts—to resolve the conflict, defeat ISIS, deliver humanitarian aid, and deter chemical weapons attacks—are impeded by the Assad regime’s sponsors in Tehran and Moscow.
All civilized nations must hold Iran and Russia accountable for their role in enabling atrocities and perpetuating human suffering in Syria.
Across the greater Middle East, Iran is proliferating dangerous weapons, fueling sectarian violence, and supporting terrorist proxies and militias, such as Hizballah.
This regime proudly chants “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” It further offends the conscience of every human being by denying the Holocaust.
In Syria, Iran’s actions have directly interfered with efforts to de-escalate violence, defeat ISIS, and protect innocent civilians.
Since 2012, Iran has provided over $16 billion dollars to the Assad regime and to other proxies in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Tehran is also transporting foreign Shiite militias and weapons from Iran to Syria on illegal flights, including on Iranian civilian airlines.
Iran’s goal is to secure a permanent military foothold in Syria, which would threaten Israel, undermine U.S. interests, and strengthen the terrorist and proxy forces that Iran uses to weaken Arab states and foment violence.
We cannot let this happen.
All responsible nations must take action to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in Syria and across the region.
For example, the United States has taken legislative and law enforcement action against Iran’s proxy, Hizballah, and we continue to call on all nations to do the same.
Anyone who cares about the plight of Syrians, Israelis, Lebanese, Yemenis—and all people in the region—should also stop doing business with companies affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran uses its relationship with these companies to fund and facilitate violence, terror, and bloodshed.
Sadly, Iran is not Assad’s only sponsor. Russia is also complicit in Assad’s atrocities.
The Russian government has bombed civilian areas and provided political cover for Assad’s crimes. Furthermore, Russia has done nothing to encourage Assad to ensure delivery of humanitarian aid, respect ceasefires and de-escalation agreements, or comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2254’s call for a UN monitored political process.
From February 24 to February 28, Russia conducted twenty bombing missions every day in the Eastern Ghouta and Damascus areas of Syria.
Russia has also repeatedly thwarted efforts by the OPCW to hold the Assad regime accountable for using chemical weapons.
This morning, the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom condemned the abhorrent nerve-agent attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal that took place in Salisbury, United Kingdom on March 4.
The statement made clear that we believe that Russia was responsible for this attack, and we call on the Russian government to answer all questions related to this incident and to provide full information to the OPCW.
No nation—Russia, Syria, or anyone else—should be using chemical weapons and nerve agents.
If Iran and Russia do not stop enabling the regime’s atrocities and adhere to UN Security Council resolutions, all nations must respond more forcefully than simply issuing strong statements.
It is time to impose serious political and economic consequences on Moscow and Tehran.
Assad should not have impunity for his crimes, and neither should his sponsors.
And if we needed reminding of the importance of acting now, we need not look any further than this Museum’s powerful exhibits and resources on the Syrian conflict.
Just as this Museum remembers Tommy Pfeffer, Oskar Schindler, and Hannah Senesh, it bears witness for innocent victims, righteous rescuers, and courageous resistors in the Syrian conflict.
This Museum bears witness for Ahmad al-Ahmad, a Syrian child murdered in one of Assad’s chemical weapons attacks.
This Museum bears witness for the Syrian Civil Defense—the White Helmets—unarmed first responders who voluntarily put themselves in the line of fire to save lives and rescue the wounded.
The co-founder of the White Helmets, Mounir Mustafa, travelled all the way from Syria with his colleague Radi Saad to be with us today. Thank you Mounir and Radi. Please join me in giving Mounir and his courageous colleagues a round of applause.
And this Museum bears witness for Syrians like Mansour Omari, who risked his life to confront Assad’s atrocities.
Mansour was working to document the Assad regime’s abuses when he was arrested and sent to a top-secret underground military prison.
While in prison, Mansour suggested collecting the names of other prisoners. Like brave Hannah Senesh, the prisoners would leave permanent traces of themselves, so that others might remember them and know their stories.
Using their blood and rust from cell bars, they wrote their names on scraps of fabric torn from clothes.
To hide the strips of fabric, a prisoner sewed them into the collar and cuffs of another prisoner’s shirt.
After nearly a year in captivity, Mansour received news that he would be released.
As he was leaving, other prisoners whispered four heart-wrenching words: “Please don’t forget us.”
He would not. Mansour was wearing the shirt, and the bloodied scraps of fabric containing the names of 82 prisoners are now on display here at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Every visitor who passes through the Syrian exhibit will know their names and remember.
Today, on the Seventh Anniversary of the Syrian Civil War, let us all promise to remember and to act.
We will never forget the victims of the Holocaust, and we will listen to survivors like Irene.
We will never forget the victims of the Syrian Civil War, and we will listen to witnesses like Mansour.
Preventing genocide and mass atrocities falls on all of us. Every nation, and every person, must share this responsibility.
With allies, partners, and like-minded nations, we are acting: we are exposing atrocities, defeating ISIS, providing humanitarian assistance, deterring chemical weapons attacks, and holding Assad and his sponsors accountable for his horrific crimes.
Thank you again for the opportunity to join today’s events. It is an honor to be among so many survivors, advocates, and concerned citizens. We appreciate all that you do to bring greater awareness to these and other atrocities. Thank you.
When it comes to high fashion in China, there’s nothing quite as coveted as a mink coat. Everyday people save up for months to afford the plush, extravagant outerwear, flocking to malls by the busload every winter to get their hands on one.
VICE China took a deep dive inside the lucrative industry to find out why mink fur is so popular in the country, and to see how the coats get made—visiting the farms that harvest minks, the factories turning their fur into jackets, and the vendors selling them for thousands of dollars apiece.
Checkmate: BuzzFeed corners Trump lawyer demanding Stormy docs from WH
The Beat with Ari Melber 3/15/18
A new BuzzFeed letter revealed first on “The Beat” demands the Trump White House “preserve any documents" related to “Michael Cohen…Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal.” In an exclusive interview on “The Beat” BuzzFeed’s Editor-in-Chief and lawyer say they are “ready to fight that fight" and Trump’s lawyer, Ty Cobb, responds exclusively to “The Beat”.
Intel Dem: Speaker Ryan “enabling” Trump “to obstruct”
The Beat with Ari Melber 3/15/18
Special Counsel Mueller subpoenas the Trump Organization for Russia documents just as Republicans on the House intelligence committee shut down their Russia probe. Former DNC chair Donna Brazile and Kathleen Parker, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post join “The Beat.”
Larry Krasner is a highly atypical district attorney. For one thing, before he became Philadelphia's top prosecutor, he'd never prosecuted a criminal case. Instead, he made his name as a defense attorney, representing activists from Black Lives Matter and Occupy and filing civil rights lawsuits against the Philadelphia Police Department — 75 times.
So when Krasner ran for Philadelphia DA last year, his victory seemed highly unlikely: Philadelphia has the highest per capita incarceration rate among the 10 biggest cities in the U.S., and a deep-rooted, tough-on-crime culture has permeated the justice system for generations.
When Krasner ran on reversing decades of mass incarceration, his campaign drew scorn, and then fear, from the criminal justice establishment. The president of the local police union initially called his candidacy “hilarious,” and a group of former prosecutors penned a letter calling him a “radical candidate” who was “dangerous to the city.”
Nevertheless, Krasner trounced his opponents in both the Democratic primary and the general election, drawing many more voters than any DA’s race in recent memory. His was the most stunning in a recent series of victories for a national criminal justice reform movement focused on dismantling mass incarceration at the local level.
Now Krasner faces the unique challenges of an agitator who finds himself suddenly at the instruments of power. So far, he’s succeeded in shaking things up: He revealed that his predecessor kept a secret list of bad cops who weren’t allowed to testify in court; he’s stopped pursuing low-level marijuana possession cases; and he’s stopped charging cash bail for most minor offenses.
But there are bound to be obstacles in his way. When asked whether he expected resistance to his project from people within the system he’s trying to transform, Krasner said, “I think there will be resistance. I don’t worry about it. Because the fact is, these are the people who got us here. We have not always suffered from mass incarceration — it has been the accumulation of their decisions and their power over the last 30 years that caused this problem.”
Japan Is Rebuilding Its Military For The First Time Since WWII, Full Episode, VICE on HBO
Published on Mar 15, 2018 by VICE News
Japan is rearming itself for the first time since WWII in response to China’s increasing expansionism, and with tensions on the rise in the Pacific, the U.S. could be forced into war.
After Japan was defeated in World War II, the country was forced to disarm and swear off military capability ever again. Over time, that pacifism became part of the Japanese psyche, but nationalism is on the rise around the world and Japan has not been immune from the political tide.
China’s increasing expansionism, especially in the disputed islands in the East China Sea, and the looming nuclear threat from North Korea have revived decades old rivalries between the Asian superpowers.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his backers are re-thinking the country’s previously peaceful stance, and moving to restore Japan’s military might. And if local hostilities did boil into conflict, the U.S. is expected to play a very specific role.
”Japan fully depends on the strategic deterrence and strike capabilities of the United States if China really goes for military action,” Retired Admiral Yoji Kada, who was once the commander in chief of Japan’s self-defense fleet told VICE News. “The cost they are going to pay is very bloody, they know that”
VICE’s Gianna Toboni traveled to Japan to see how big the country’s offense has become.
Using Drones To Gather Whale Snot — For Science (HBO)
Published on Mar 15, 2018 by VICE News
Iain Kerr has been studying whales for the last 30 years. Traditionally, this involves chasing a whale down, shooting it with a dart, and collecting a flesh sample of the whale.
But recently, he’s come up with a new source of data: whale snot.
Over the last few years, Kerr has been experimenting with flying drones through the slimy particulate matter that shoots up into the air when a whale surfaces to breathe. Petri dishes affixed to the drone pick up the sludge, which is then taken back to a lab for analysis.
He calls his tool the “Snotbot”.
Aside from the fun factor of flying through clouds of whale snot, Kerr views his research as part of a global conservation effort. "Whales are a great bio indicator of ocean health… so if you want to know what's going on with our oceans, there's no better species to look at than whales," Kerr says. "Healthy oceans means healthy humans."
VICE News followed his team of researchers as they chased a whale population around off the coast of Mexico, collecting as much snot as humanly possible (and accidentally discovering some new whale behavior in the process).
What will Mueller find in the Trump Org documents?
All In with Chris Hayes 3/15/18
"It seems impossible to imagine there is not criminal activity recorded in e-mails, financial transactions, legal documents," says the New Yorker's Adam Davidson.
U.S., other nations condemn Russia chemical attack
All In with Chris Hayes 3/15/18
A joint statement by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany calls for Russia to answer questions about the nerve agent attack on British soil earlier this month.
Treasury Secy. Mnuchin's air travel cost taxpayers $1M
All In with Chris Hayes 3/15/18
Steve Mnuchin took eight separate trips on military aircraft for a total cost to taxpayers of nearly $1 million, seemingly putting his own comfort before the protection of public funds.
Trump, White House falsely claim trade deficit with Canada
All In with Chris Hayes 3/15/18
In audio from a closed-door fundraiser, Donald Trump boasts about falsely claiming to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the U.S. has a trade deficit with Canada.
Carson, Mnuchin give Trump reasons to keep firing cabinet members
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/15/18
Rachel Maddow looks at how Donald Trump secretaries Ben Carson and Steven Mnuchin are garnering the kind of embarrassing scandal headlines that seem likely to draw the ax-wielding attention of Donald Trump.
Mueller demands Russia documents from Trump Organization: NYT
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/15/18
Rachel Maddow relays a report by The New York Times that Robert Mueller has sent a subpoena to the Trump Organization for Russia-related documents over a time that extends to before Donald Trump declared his candidacy.
Rachel Maddow reports on new U.S. sanctions on Russia, the first action against Russia by the Trump administration, but instead of implementing the sanctions passed into law by Congress, the Trump administration instead copied Robert Mueller's list of indicted Russian hackers.
New sanctions reveal Russian hacking of US energy infrastructure
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/15/18
Nicole Perlroth, cybersecurity reporter for The New York Times, talks with Rachel Maddow about new details of Russia's efforts to hack vital U.S. infrastructure accompanying new sanctions on Russia.
Trump set to dump McMaster pending soft landing arrangement: WaPo
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/15/18
Ashley Parker, White House correspondent for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump being prepared to fire his second national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, as soon as he arranges a suitable replacement and a non-humiliating departure.
Donald Trump's business in Russia draws investigator attention
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/15/18
Rachel Maddow reports on how both Robert Mueller's investigation and the House Intelligence Committee Democrats have an eye on Donald Trump's business dealings with Russia.
Mueller subpoenas Trump Org, Democrats point to Russian bank deal
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/15/18
Rep. Eric Swalwell talks with Rachel Maddow about evidence House Intel Democrats say they've seen that shows the Trump Organization negotiating a deal with a sanctioned Russian bank during the election season.
Rachel, Lawrence ask 'Could McMaster's replacement be an upgrade?'
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 3/15/18
Amid reports that President Donald Trump will remove his National Security Advisor, Lawrence O'Donnell asks: H.R. McMaster was an upgrade from Michael Flynn — any chance of another upgrade? Rachel Maddow breaks it down.
Lawrence: The subpoena Trump feared more than any other
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 3/15/18
The New York Times reports that Mueller has subpoenaed the Trump Org. in "recent weeks." Lawrence O'Donnell theorizes it could have been the same day that the president, absent of any relevant news, shouted "WITCH HUNT!" on Twitter.
Mueller subpoena expected by authors of 'Russian Roulette'
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 3/15/18
Michael Isikoff and David Corn, the co-authors of 'Russian Roulette,' say they are "surprised it's taken so long" for Mueller to subpoena the Trump Org. because, as they put it, the people who work there are central to Trump's Russia connections.
Howell Raines: PA-18 election shows Trump's base is vulnerable
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 3/15/18
Former New York Times executive editor Howell Raines tells Lawrence O'Donnell why Trump's base is "not as secure as he may hope" after the Democrats' upset wins in Pennsylvania and Alabama.
Mueller reportedly targets Trump's business with subpoena
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 3/16/18
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is moving closer to the president, targeting The Trump Organization with a new subpoena for documents on Russia and other matters. Our panel reacts.
Trump joins allies to condemn Russia after UK poisoning
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 3/16/18
After first leaving his aides to condemn Russia for an attack on an ex-spy in the UK, Trump joined France and Germany to condemn Moscow. Christopher Dickey & Jillian Tett react.
WaPo: WH mood verges on mania as Trump decides to oust McMaster
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 3/16/18
The White House is pushing back on a Washington Post report stating Trump has decided to remove his second National Security Adviser, H.R. McMaster, has part of a bigger looming staff shake-up. Our panel reacts.
As Special Counsel Robert Mueller zeroes in on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, Jordan sits down with him to find out exactly what he doesn't know.
Seth takes a closer look at Trump lying to Canada's prime minister, major news in the Russia investigation and rumors of more staff turnover at the White House.
John Cleese Did Not Enjoy Filming Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Published on Mar 16, 2018 by Late Night with Seth Meyers
John Cleese explains why filming Monty Python and the Holy Grail was so horrible, reveals who saved Monty Python's Life of Brian and reviews his favorite questions audiences have asked him.
Slovak PM quits after journalist's murder but coalition stays in power BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Long-serving Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico resigned on Thursday, passing his government to a deputy after the murder of an investigative journalist provoked the country’s biggest protests since the fall of communism. President Andrej Kiska asked Deputy Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini to form the next government, opening the way for the three-party coalition to stay in power even though tens of thousands of Slovaks are demanding early elections. The unsolved killing of 27-year-old reporter Jan Kuciak, who delved into fraud involving businessmen with political connections, has fueled public anger over corruption and threatened to bring down the coalition before the party leaders agreed a change of guard. Fico vowed on Thursday to remain in politics as the active leader of his Smer party. Pellegrini presented the president with a list of signatures showing coalition lawmakers supported the switch in prime ministers, guaranteeing a parliamentary majority. But Pellegrini, a former speaker of parliament, will face his first test already on Friday as the protests are scheduled to continue into a third week. Organizers are demanding new elections and a thorough investigation of Kuciak’s murder in late February. The events of the past few weeks have also exposed growing unease in some central European countries that governments may be backsliding on democracy almost 30 years after communism was pushed out of the region. President Kiska himself had urged a government shake-up or snap elections to restore public trust. “After two weeks of international shame, a denial of political responsibility and mass protests, we are back at the start, at a government resignation and change of prime minister,” Kiska said before Fico tendered his resignation to him. Fico had promised to step aside if Kiska allowed Smer, the biggest coalition party, to pick his successor. The government will continue with Smer, the Most-Hid party which represents the ethnic Hungarian minority, and the Slovak National Party that has shifted to center in recent years from the far right. Fico will stay on as caretaker prime minister until his successor is officially named. Kiska and Fico were opponents in the last presidential run-off vote and have battled again in the crisis. Fico has accused outside forces of trying to destabilize the country and questioned Kiska’s meeting last year with financier George Soros, echoing attacks on the Budapest-born billionaire by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. NOT GOING AWAY Protesters are also taking to the streets in the neighboring Czech Republic, a fellow member of the European Union and NATO. Thousands demonstrated last week against a Communist Party lawmaker being voted chairman of parliament’s police oversight commission despite his past as a riot policeman before the 1989 Velvet Revolution. Thousands of Poles also protested last year against an overhaul of the judiciary that has put the right-wing government in Warsaw in dispute with Brussels over safeguarding the rule of law. Fico has been the dominant figure in Slovak politics for over a decade, and despite keeping an anti-immigration line with central European neighbors has been trying to stand out from more euroskeptic leaders in the region. Last year, he called Slovakia a “pro-European island” in central Europe. He said he was not finished. “I told the president: rest assured, I’m not leaving politics, I want to be an active party leader,” he said. Slovakia’s economy has grown rapidly in the last decade and the country is a major car producer despite its small population of 5.4 million. But many accuse Fico of not clamping down harder on corruption and cronyism. Just before he was found shot dead along with his fiancee at his house outside of Bratislava, Kuciak had been looking into suspected mafia links of Italians with businesses in Slovakia. In his final report published after his death, Kuciak said one of the Italians had past business links with two Slovaks, including a former model, who later worked in Fico’s office. Both have resigned but deny connections to the murder. Their Italian former business partner has denied having connections with the mafia. No one has been charged over the killing. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-slovakia-crime-politics/slovak-pm-quits-after-journalists-murder-but-coalition-stays-in-power-idUSKCN1GR16Z
Dems say whistleblower emails show gov’t workers targeted for not backing Trump Two top House Democrats sent a letter to the White House and State Department Thursday saying that information from a whistleblower alleges officials are targeting career civil servants who supposedly don't support President Donald Trump. Reps. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Eliot Engel of New York, ranking member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the whistleblower alleges that high-level officials in the Trump administration have been coordinating with an outside network of prominent conservatives, including former GOP Speaker Newt Gingrich and a former adviser to Dick Cheney, to devise ways to undertake a "cleaning" of long-serving employees at the State Department. Trump officials have described certain State Department employees as a "leaker and troublemaker," "turncoat" and "Obama/Clinton loyalists," according to emails the lawmakers said they obtained from the whistleblower. "Over the past year, we have heard many reports of political attacks on career employees at the State Department, but we have not seen evidence of how extensive, blunt, and inappropriate these attacks are until now," the lawmakers wrote in the letter to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan that seeks documents about staffing decisions and interviews with officials. "They appear to have targeted these staffers despite being fully aware that they were career civil service employees and despite the career employees expressing willingness to support the policy priorities of the Trump Administration," their letter continues. Cummings and Engel quote from an email forwarded by Gingrich in which the former Cheney aide, David Wurmser, says, "I think a cleaning is in order here. I hear Tillerson actually has been reasonably good on stuff like this and cleaning house, but there are so many it boggles the mind..." In one case detailed in the Cummings-Engel letter, a 12-year State Department veteran raised concerns about being targeted by a conservative news outlet and emailed her boss at the State Department for help. Her supervisor then forwarded her email to the White House, where officials used her work under the Obama administration to question her loyalty to Trump. The employee was removed from her detail at the department, the lawmakers said. Cummings and Engel indicate that they have not confirmed the authenticity of the whistleblower emails. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/dems-say-whistleblower-emails-show-gov-t-workers-targeted-not-n856976
In fundraising speech, Trump says he made up trade claim in meeting with Justin Trudeau President Trump boasted in a fundraising speech Wednesday that he made up information in a meeting with the leader of a top U.S. ally, saying he insisted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the United States runs a trade deficit with its neighbor to the north without knowing whether that was true. “Trudeau came to see me. He’s a good guy, Justin. He said, ‘No, no, we have no trade deficit with you, we have none. Donald, please,’ ” Trump said, mimicking Trudeau, according to audio of the private event in Missouri obtained by The Washington Post. “Nice guy, good-looking guy, comes in — ‘Donald, we have no trade deficit.’ He’s very proud because everybody else, you know, we’re getting killed. “... So, he’s proud. I said, ‘Wrong, Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know. ... I had no idea. I just said, ‘You’re wrong.’ You know why? Because we’re so stupid. … And I thought they were smart. I said, ‘You’re wrong, Justin.’ He said, ‘Nope, we have no trade deficit.’ I said, ‘Well, in that case, I feel differently,’ I said, ‘but I don’t believe it.’ I sent one of our guys out, his guy, my guy, they went out, I said, ‘Check, because I can’t believe it.’ ‘Well, sir, you’re actually right. We have no deficit, but that doesn’t include energy and timber. … And when you do, we lose $17 billion a year.’ It’s incredible.” The Office of the United States Trade Representative says the United States has a trade surplus with Canada. It reports that in 2016, the United States exported $12.5 billion more in goods and services than it imported from Canada, leading to a trade surplus, not a deficit. In response to this story, Trump on Thursday went on Twitter to reiterate his false assertion that the United States has a trade “deficit” with Canada and said it was other countries that refused to accept that such imbalances exist. "We do have a Trade Deficit with Canada, as we do with almost all countries (some of them massive). P.M. Justin Trudeau of Canada, a very good guy, doesn’t like saying that Canada has a Surplus vs. the U.S.(negotiating), but they do...they almost all do...and that’s how I know!" [ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/974276383051583488 ] In his 30-minute speech to donors in Missouri, Trump made a blistering attack against major U.S. allies and global economies, accusing the European Union, China, Japan and South Korea of ripping off the United States for decades and pillaging the U.S. workforce. He also described the North American Free Trade Agreement as a disaster and heaped blame on the World Trade Organization for allowing other countries to box in the United States on trade. Trump seemed to threaten to pull U.S. troops stationed in South Korea if he didn’t get what he wanted on trade with Seoul, an ally. He said that the country had gotten rich but that U.S. politicians never negotiated better deals. “We have a very big trade deficit with them, and we protect them,” Trump said. “We lose money on trade, and we lose money on the military. We have right now 32,000 soldiers on the border between North and South Korea. Let’s see what happens.” “Our allies care about themselves,” he said. “They don’t care about us.” Trump’s comments to donors that laid bare his approach to arguing trade facts with foreign leaders show how he might try to engage with other heads of state in the coming weeks. Trump has said he will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports as soon as next week, a steep increase in duties that could affect some of the U.S. government’s biggest trading partners. Trump said countries can request exemptions from these tariffs but only after direct negotiations with him. The audio from the fundraiser shows how difficult these discussions could prove. The president was in Missouri to raise money for Josh Hawley, who is taking on Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) in November's midterm election. He called McCaskill “bad for Missouri and bad for the country.” But he barely spoke about Hawley. Instead, he talked about himself — bragging about his 2016 election win and lavishing praise on himself while ticking through a list of U.S. allies that he said are taking advantage of the United States. The president did not mention his abrupt firing earlier this week of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by tweet, the personnel turmoil engulfing his administration, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign or reports of his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels — and his lawyer paying her to keep silent about the relationship. Trump spoke as his White House tried to pick up the pieces after Democrats' apparent victory in a special election in a western Pennsylvania congressional district that Trump won by 20 points in 2016. Pollsters said the results showed how Trump was dragging down the Republican Party, but the president took none of the blame. He said the Republican candidate, Rick Saccone, would have lost by a wider margin without his support — Trump held a rally for Saccone over the weekend. And he said the Democrat, Conor Lamb, won the seat because he was “like Trump” but that Lamb would vote with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Trump also described for donors his decision to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming months through the prism of making history and besting his predecessors while lamenting his media coverage, questioning U.S. allies and labeling his presidency as “virgin territory.” “They couldn’t have met” with Kim, he said, after mocking presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. “Nobody would have done what I did.” “It was called appeasement: Please don’t do anything,” he said of other presidents. “They say, ‘Maybe he’s not the one to negotiate,’ ” he said, mocking the voice of a news anchor. “He’s got very little knowledge of the Korean Peninsula. Maybe he’s not the one. ... Maybe we should send in the people that have been playing games and didn’t know what the hell they’ve been doing for 25 years.” The through lines of Trump's meandering speech were simple: Trump was tougher than all the rest, and the United States was not going to be laughed at or taken advantage of. He accused Japan of using gimmicks to deny U.S. auto companies access to its consumers, said South Korea was taking advantage of outdated trade rules even though its economy was strong and said China had single-handedly rebuilt itself on the back of its trade surplus with the United States. "It's called the bowling ball test; do you know what that is? That's where they take a bowling ball from 20 feet up in the air and they drop it on the hood of the car," Trump said of Japan. "And if the hood dents, then the car doesn't qualify. Well, guess what, the roof dented a little bit, and they said, nope, this car doesn't qualify. It's horrible, the way we're treated. It's horrible." It was unclear what he was talking about. Trump said he didn’t even want Japan to pay the tariffs but to build more automobiles in the United States, adding that Japan would do so if tariffs were imposed. There is no evidence of such a possibility as of now. His comments were among his most protectionist to date and didn’t identify a single benefit the United States receives from its trading relationships. The “free-trade globalists,” he said, are against his trade moves because “they’re worldly people, they have stuff on the other side.” Gary Cohn, the president’s top economic adviser, recently quit over the tariffs and was derisively labeled by his critics as a globalist. Trump mocked other politicians for wanting to keep the North American Free Trade Agreement, calling Mexico “spoiled” and saying that Canada had outsmarted the United States. “The best deal is to terminate it and make a new deal,” he said. Above all, he cast his presidency in historic terms, saying he was attracting so much media criticism because he was doing so well. He seemed fixated on his media coverage, even talking about a specific CNN segment with Erin Burnett. He said the news media was criticizing him for “conceding” a meeting with Kim. “They were afraid of being blown up. Then all of a sudden, they say, let’s not meet,” he said of reporters, referring to concerns that tensions between the United States and North Korea are increasing the chances of a military — and possibly nuclear — confrontation. While Trump said some decry his rhetoric and think his bellicose and mercurial tendencies could lead the United States into a war, he explained why he taunted the North Korean president as “Little Rocket Man.” He said the South Koreans told him that Kim was agreeing to meet because of the tough U.S. sanctions and that they promised not to conduct any nuclear tests or missile launches until a meeting occurred. That comment could not be verified. “He’s going to get us in a war,” he said, again mocking a news anchor. “You know what’s going to get us in a war is weakness.” He said Republicans needed to run on their tax bill this year, but he was determined to not call it “tax reform,” as many other Republicans have done. He said Democrats would not appoint judges whom Republicans like while reversing tax cuts and taking away guns, an unproven claim. He implicitly rebuked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for not changing the rules of the Senate to require only 51 votes to pass any legislation, saying more Republicans were needed because the current leadership would not act and no one could explain why the 60-vote status quo made sense. Trump criticized judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, saying his presidency would reshape the judiciary and change courts such as that one. He said he planned to pick 145 judges and thanked Obama for leaving so many vacancies. At the end of the day, the event, as it usually is with Trump, was about marketing. He said Republicans needed to run on tax cuts because they were very “popular.” “Do me a favor: Don’t call it tax reform. It hasn’t worked in 45 years,” Trump said he told others. “You say you’re reforming taxes, that means taxes could go up.” “I actually said, ‘Let’s call it the Tax Cut Cut Cut plan,’ ” Trump said. “I actually did.” He added: “They thought it sounded a little hokey, so we called it the tax cut and jobs plan. I liked the first one better.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/03/14/in-fundraising-speech-trump-says-he-made-up-facts-in-meeting-with-justin-trudeau/
Largest US radio company iHeartMedia files for bankruptcy iHeartMedia reaches in-principle agreement with some creditors Says Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings unit not part of bankruptcy Stock closed at 48 cents on Wednesday https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/15/iheartmedia-files-for-bankruptcy.html
US punishes 19 Russians over vote meddling and cyber-attacks The US has imposed sanctions on 19 Russians, accusing them of interference in the 2016 US election and alleged cyber-attacks. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43419809
Saudi Arabia pledges to create a nuclear bomb if Iran does Saudi Arabia has warned that it will develop its own nuclear weapon if regional rival Iran acquires one. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43419673
Russian aeroplane loses gold-silver bars on take-off There has been shock at an airport in far east Russia after bars of precious metal rained down onto the runway. A plane laden with tonnes of gold-silver alloy was taking off from Yakutsk airport in Siberia when a loading hatch broke off. Some 200 bars, each weighing about 20kg (44 pounds), were then scattered across the runway. All of the bars have now been recovered, a spokesman for the Canadian mine owner told news agency Interfax. [...] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43416950
Supreme Court’s Cake Case Could Set America Back 50 Years, Activists Warn The Masterpiece Cakeshop battle echoes a similar case from half a century ago, they say. A national coalition of more than 80 pro-LGBTQ organizations is aiming to show people how a Supreme Court ruling about a Colorado bakery could threaten a historic 1968 court decision. The groups have been drawing attention to the potential implications of the upcoming court decision on Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission over the past few months and did so again Thursday with the release of a new ad. In the clip, which can be viewed above, the Open to All alliance draws comparisons between the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, in which a baker cited his religious beliefs in refusing to prepare a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, and 1968's Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises ruling. Exactly 50 years ago this week, the Supreme Court ruled that Maurice Bessinger, who founded the Piggie Park barbecue chain in South Carolina, had discriminated against a black customer, John W. Mungin. A Baptist minister, Mungin was told to leave a Piggie Park franchise at gunpoint because Bessinger believed races should be kept segregated. Produced in conjunction with the Movement Advancement Project and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the ad shows that “the free exercise of religion does not provide a license to discriminate,” according to its creators. “Businesses and their owners have a right to their religious beliefs,” Movement Advancement Project Executive Director Ineke Mushovic told HuffPost in an email. “But that freedom shouldn’t give businesses a license to discriminate.” To mark the 50th anniversary of Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises, the coalition has dubbed March 12-18 “Open to All Week.” Mushovic said she hopes the weeklong commemoration urges Supreme Court justices not to turn the clock back half a century. Whether the effort eases concerns among LGBTQ rights advocates, however, remains to be seen. Some legal experts say the decision regarding Masterpiece Cakeshop could have the most significant effect on the queer community since the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling on marriage equality. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/masterpiece-cakeshop-piggie-park_us_5aa9d381e4b0600b82ffec48
Penn Won’t Punish Professor Who Said Black Students ‘Rarely’ Score Well
Here are 4 of Stephen Hawking's biggest predictions from human extinction to aliens Stephen Hawking was well-known for his work on black holes and the theory of relativity. He also had theories on topics from artificial intelligence to humans moving to other planets. Hawking once predicted that the earth would turn into a giant ball of fire by 2600 and humans would need to colonize another planet or face extinction. The scientist also claimed that the advent of artificial intelligence could be the "worst event in the history of our civilization." Hawking died at the age of 76 on Wednesday. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/15/stephen-hawking-predictions-human-extinction-to-global-warming.html
Volunteers clean Dallas-area cemetery, former slaves plots - AP IRVING, Texas (AP) - Jammie Simon can point to the tree where the body of his great-grandfather, Minnie Shelton, was laid to rest. But like many of the nearly 200 former slaves and others buried at Shelton's Bear Creek Cemetery, Simon's great-grandfather, the former owner of the burial ground, no longer has a tombstone. The Dallas Morning News reports Simon said since finding out about his family's connection with the cemetery in 2000, he's helped a handful of community members maintain the small and often-forgotten cemetery, including building and placing white wooden crosses where tombstones use to stand. Simon and those other Irving residents recently had a helping hand from approximately 50 volunteers who raked leaves, cut the cemetery's overgrown grass and cleared branches and stumps from the small property off State Highway 161. "This is in a lot better shape than it's been in nine years. It's been amazing that so many people have come out here to help," Simon said. "I'm glad they have enough respect to come out here and clean it up. It makes me feel like people care." Several of the volunteers were FedEx employees who work in Irving. Zelda Celestine, a FedEx Irving operations administrator, said although many of her co-workers do not live here, they saw the cleanup project as a way to give back to the community. She said the FedEx workers plan to go out to Shelton's Bear Creek Cemetery four times a year to help clean and maintain the property. "It's just really incredible," Celestine said. "There are so many people that care ... the teamwork really shows up." Anthony Bond, an Irving resident who has worked to preserve the cemetery since 1995, said he was amazed at FedEx's efforts to step up and care for Shelton's Bear Creek. He said the turnout earlier this month was even more remarkable to him because he recalls a time when he thought the cemetery would not survive and would become part of the highway. "They were going to plow right through here," Bond said. "This is the first part of something. I feel disbelief, unbelievable joy." He said the cleanup project was the first step in transforming the burial ground into a location where anyone can come and pay their respects to those who are buried there while learning more about the community's history. The cemetery obtained a Texas Historical Marker in 2001, but Bond said the marker had been vandalized and was moved to a more a public location near the cemetery. Bond said he is hoping, however, to have Shelton's Bear Creek eventually designated as a national historical landmark. Shane Wolfe, a FedEx package handler, said it was his first time visiting the cemetery. Wolfe, who lives in North Dallas, said he didn't know Shelton's Bear Creek existed. He said once he found out about the volunteer opportunity, he knew he had to see it in person and help care for it. "This is giving back to the ancestors that were here before us," said Wolfe, 45. "Whenever they are out, I'll also be out here cleaning." Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer also joined the cemetery's cleaning crew. He said he was hopeful FedEx's help would vastly help improve the cemetery, although he said there was still plenty to be done. "It will really come together well," Stopfer said. "But it's going to take a combined effort to keep it to a high standard." Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Dallas Morning News https://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Volunteers-clean-Dallas-area-cemetery-former-12755386.php original: FedEx employees help give former slave cemetery in Irving needed makeover https://www.dallasnews.com/news/irving/2018/03/13/fedex-employees-help-give-former-slave-cemetery-irving-needed-makeover
Donald Trump Jr.'s wife has filed for divorce Vanessa Trump filed for divorce from Donald Trump Jr., President Donald Trump's eldest son, The New York Post's Page Six reported Thursday. The divorce is not contested, meaning the president's daughter-in-law does not expect a fight over custody of the couple's children or assets. http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-jr-wife-filed-for-divorce-2018-3
Russian Twitter trolls stoked racial tension in wake of Sherman Park rioting in Milwaukee before 2016 election https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/15/russian-twitter-trolls-stoked-racial-tension-wake-sherman-park-riots-milwaukee-before-2016-election/421439002/ referenced by: Report: Russia-linked accounts stirred discord in Milwaukee MILWAUKEE (AP) — Russia-linked Twitter accounts sought to spur racial and political discord in Wisconsin after a police officer’s fatal shooting of a black man sparked riots, a newspaper reported Thursday. The accounts sent more than 30 tweets during the August 2016 unrest in the city’s Sherman Park neighborhood following the shooting, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The accounts garnered more than 5,000 retweets during the two nights of rioting. One of the accounts, @TEN_GOP, is named in a recent federal indictment from special counsel Robert Mueller. The account tweeted during the riots: “These photos are not from Iraq ... This is Obama’s America! #Milwaukee.” Another account claimed Black Lives Matters supporters were targeting “white people for a beat down.” Last year, jurors acquitted former officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown of homicide charges for fatally shooting Sylville Smith when Smith ran from a traffic stop. Heaggan-Brown is also black, but the shooting in the majority African-American neighborhood made already tense police-community relations boil over. Police arrested about 40 demonstrators during the riots and multiple officers were hurt. Protesters also set fire to eight businesses and a squad car. “To think that halfway around the world people are using this tragic series of events for partisan gain ... it’s daunting. It’s heartbreaking,” said Democratic state Rep. Evan Goyke, who represents the Sherman Park area. The Journal Sentinel reported the Russia-linked accounts appeared aimed at boosting then-candidate Donald Trump’s chances in Wisconsin and spread fake news to help the primary challenger of U.S. Speaker Paul Ryan, who had criticized Trump in the lead-up to the election. Trump was the first Republican to win Wisconsin since the 1984 presidential election. The tweets also sought to elevate the voice of former Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke — a conservative firebrand who is one Trump’s biggest supporters — by quoting Clarke during the riots. The newspaper reported there is no indication Clarke was aware of what Russia was doing. “These are enemies of the United States who are trying to sow dissention in our country and on the streets of Milwaukee,” Mayor Tom Barrett said in a statement. The Journal Sentinel said it researched its story by using an NBC News archive of 203,000 tweets from 453 accounts that Twitter and Mueller have linked to Russia in their investigations. The newspaper said it also found images of some of the tweets by using other web archives. https://www.apnews.com/0fbbe03b42114fb19b5584632624b15b/Report:-Russia-linked-accounts-stirred-discord-in-Milwaukee
8 trips Steve Mnuchin took on military planes in 2017 cost taxpayers more than $1 million Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's air travel has come under scrutiny. A government watchdog group obtained records detailing seven separate trips Mnuchin took last year that cost a total of almost $1 million. This isn't the first time Mnuchin has come under fire for alleged excessive use of taxpayer dollars. http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-mnuchin-airfare-cost-taxpayers-1-million-2018-3
Military Family’s Legally Adopted Daughter Could Be Deported “I belong here. I have family here. That’s where I should be. This is my home.” A woman who had been legally adopted by an American couple could be sent back to her birth country. Patrick and Soo-Jinn Schreiber of Lawrence, Kansas, officially adopted Hyebin Schreiber, who’s originally from South Korea, when she was 17. The adoption was legally recognized under Kansas state law. However, due to a legal loophole on her age at adoption, Hyebin, now 20, could be deported. And the family has filed a civil suit against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “I belong here. I have family here. That’s where I should be. This is my home,” Hyebin told KCTV5 in Kansas City. Hyebin, a junior at the University of Kansas, came to the U.S. on a student visa when she was 15 years old after dealing with some family issues back in South Korea, KSHB in Kansas City reported. Patrick, a military veteran, is Hyebin’s biological uncle and had wanted to adopt her then. But the family postponed the process while he was deployed in Afghanistan for a year. After the couple completed the adoption, Hyebin received a Kansas birth certificate and the family had assumed her immigration status would not pose any issues. But later on, the Schreibers discovered that their daughter would not be eligible for U.S. citizenship regardless of her birth certificate because of immigration law. “It wasn’t until we applied for her citizenship, or a path to citizenship, is when we found out from [USCIS] that because we failed to adopt her prior to age 16, she would not be granted citizenship,” Patrick told KSHB. What’s more, a state provision stipulates that a birth certificate from a foreign-born adoption does not guarantee U.S. citizenship. So Hyebin, who’s currently on a student visa, will have to leave the United States after she graduates from college, Military Times reported. [...] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/military-family-adopted-daughter-deportation_us_5aaa7985e4b0004c0407fab5
Ryan Zinke To U.S. Rep. Whose Grandparents Were Imprisoned In WWII: ‘Konnichiwa!’
First Undocumented Immigrant Appointed to State Post in California For the first time in California's history, the state has appointed an undocumented resident to a statewide post, announcing the decision just a day after President Donald Trump attacked its immigration approach during a visit to San Diego. The decision made by the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday saw Lizbeth Mateo, a 33-year-old attorney and immigrant rights activist, appointed to serve on a committee that helps increase college access for students from low-income or underserved communities. In announcing the decision, Senate President pro tempore Kevin de León appeared to recognize the move as an act of defiance in the face of the Trump administration's current immigration crackdown. [...] http://www.newsweek.com/first-undocumented-immigrant-appointed-state-post-california-846032
Modern humans interbred with mysterious Denisovans at least TWICE after leaving Africa 200,000 years ago (and millions of people today still have their DNA) DNA has revealed two periods during which our ancestors bred with Denisovans US researchers were developing a new method of comparing whole genomes Researchers found two genomes - one from Oceania and another from East Asia The genomes are completely different, suggesting that they mixed on at least two different occasions http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5501217/Modern-humans-interbred-Denisovans-TWICE.html
Complex human cultures are OLDER than thought, according to ancient pigments and 320,000-year-old stone tools found in Kenya Our ancient ancestors created the objects using stones traded with outsiders They are characteristic of humans who lived tens of thousands of years later Experts also found inhabitants were using colour pigments earlier than thought Trading emerged during a period of environmental upheaval in the region http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5505159/Advanced-320-000-year-old-early-human-tools-Africa.html