Friday, April 6, 2018

Former NSA Advisor: 'I Wish the Very Best to My Successor, Ambassador John Bolton'

 
Statement by Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster

Over the past year, I was honored to serve as President Donald J. Trump’s National Security Advisor.  I am immensely proud of the vital role that the National Security Council (NSC) played in restoring America’s strategic confidence.  We helped the President set forth a strategic direction for the United States to protect the American people, promote American prosperity, preserve peace through strength, and advance American influence.

Examples include a new approach to North Korea, through maximum pressure on Pyongyang and close coordination with our allies and partners, including China.  Our realistic approach toward China recognizes that we must compete to counter China’s economic aggression as we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region.  The United States and our allies are imposing costs on Russia for its destabilizing actions, while leaving the door open for future cooperation.  We are taking a firm stand against Iran’s nearly 40-year proxy war against America, as well as its support for terrorist groups and its perpetuation of violence across the Middle East.  The United States led the defeat of ISIS’s so-called “caliphate,” while reinvigorating our Middle Eastern alliances.  In South Asia, we are fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, while holding Pakistan accountable.  In Europe, our NATO allies are doing more for our common security—showing that they’ve heeded the President’s challenge.

These are just a few of the many foreign and security policy accomplishments of President Trump’s first, eventful year in office.

I will always be especially proud of the dedicated men and women of the NSC staff who have helped make all this possible.  Thanks to their hard work, President Trump’s NSC has consistently done what it was designed to do: identify challenges and opportunities, develop integrated strategies, and present clear options and complete information to the President.

I look forward to many more years of accomplishment from this Administration.  I wish the very best to my successor, Ambassador John Bolton.  And I thank President Trump for the opportunity to serve our Nation as National Security Advisor.

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary

From The G-Man salutes Lieutenant General H.R McMaster, and all those who were fired from or left the Trump administration, with the following video. Thank you for your service. 

Internal Email Reveals Racism in Madison County Sheriff’s Department


This report was originally published on March 20. 

By Joshua Tom, Legal Director, ACLU of Mississippi

“Arrested. Black. Male.”

These are the words that have been pre-filled on a cover sheet to the Madison County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit’s case files. All other fields have been left blank. These words tell the story of racially biased policing in the county that begins before officers even go into the community.

The internal racism of the department represented in this form is just one piece of a larger body of compelling evidence that the sheriff’s department has a culture of racism that threatens Madison County’s Black community. 

In June of, 2009, current Sheriff Randall Tucker, while a deputy under former Sheriff Toby Trowbridge, received and forwarded a racist email titled, “White Pride.” It contained the statements, “when I call you Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink . . . You call me a racist.” The email concludes by encouraging the reader to express support for its sentiments by forwarding it along, which Sheriff Tucker did.

The ACLU of Mississippi, along with its co-counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and the ACLU’s national office, uncovered these and other documents during six months of legal discovery before proceeding to file a motion for class certification on March 14, 2018, in Brown v. Madison County. In the case, we sued Madison County and its sheriff’s department for operating a policing program that targets Black people on the basis of race.

The problem, however, runs deeper — much deeper — than racist sheriff emails.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: ACLU

Markets Sink As Slower Job Growth, Trade War Fears Spook Investors


by Martha C. White

Even an improving labor market can’t shake Wall Street's worry over the Trump administration’s tariff bluster. All three major indices were sharply down Friday, with the Dow Jones losing 600 points by mid-afternoon as investors digested the day's news.

Although the official unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent, a broader unemployment measure continued to tick down, and wage gains increased, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a mere 103,000 jobs added in March.

“It was surprisingly low,” Andy Challenger, vice president at Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “It could be a sign of some tentativeness from employers,” he suggested.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: NBC News 

Michelle Obama: I've Never Had the Passion for Politics


This video was published on YouTube on April 5. 

Former first lady Michelle Obama told a crowd at the 39th annual Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston that she has no desire to run for president in the future.

Pentagon to Follow DHS on Border Security Role


This report was originally broadcast on April 5. 

Pentagon Spokesperson Dana White and Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie respond to questions on the Defense Department's role in planning for the deployment of National Guard troops on the Mexico border. Ms. White says the Pentagon is awaiting the outcome of talks between Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen and border state governors as it prepares plans for any National Guard deployments.  

Click here for video.

Teen Who Faced Deportation After He Informed on MS-13 Gets Temporary Reprieve



This story was co-published with New York magazine.

What was on track to be a routine deportation hearing in a New York City immigration courtroom Thursday turned into an hours-long administrative battle and a detailed airing of a teenager’s reasons for informing on his gang, MS-13.

Amid a flood of attention brought to the case by a ProPublica and New York magazine report published Monday, Judge Thomas Mulligan declined to issue a ruling. Instead, he gave the teen’s lawyer a list of evidence and testimony he wants to see before deciding the case in May. The judge seemed to be sketching a path to a successful asylum claim, and mentioned an alternative defense if asylum cannot be supported.

Henry, who asked that his last name be withheld, helped police and the FBI arrest his fellow gang members on Long Island. He worked with law enforcement for about a year, until immigration authorities arrested him last August, using his own disclosures about gang membership to justify his deportation. As a known informant, deportation likely means death for Henry, whose cooperation with police is spelled out in an unsealed Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo. After eight months in detention with MS-13 members threatening his life, his case was looking so hopeless that he decided to go public ahead of his final hearing.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: ProPublica

'Flashback Friday': The Rwandan Genocide (1994)


This video was published on YouTube on June 4, 2015. 

Warning: Viewers may consider some of the images disturbing. 

Source: SONAPISM

Marjory Stoneman Douglas Student, NY Students to Conduct Anti-Gun Violence March at Trump Tower


New York, NY – On April 7, Aalayah Eastmond, an African America junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, will join with New York high school students who have formed “Youth Over Guns” to announce a youth march against gun violence in New York on June 2.

The event will be announced at 10 a.m. at National Action Network (NAN) headquarters, 106 West 145th Street in Harlem. NAN Youth Huddle, Reverend Al Sharpton and other guests will be on hand.  
The march will center on gun violence in urban communities and highlight the loss of young lives to gun violence. This will be the first demonstration of its kind in New York history and will kick off New York State’s Gun Violence Awareness Month. New York is the only state in the nation that dedicates one month to gun violence awareness.

Source: Mercury

Newly Launched Pro Bono Legal Network to Expand Services for Immigrants in NY



Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced the launch of a new pro bono program as part of the Liberty Defense Project that engages volunteer attorneys to expand resources and services available for immigrants in New York. The Liberty Defense Project and the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York have partnered to expand the current initiative and grow a network of attorneys and law students that will provide legal aid to immigrants across the state. The program will also include training for volunteer attorneys and advocates to prepare them for immigration casework.

"While the federal government continues to strip basic human rights from immigrants in this country, New York is fighting to ensure families have access to legal help and resources they deserve," Governor Cuomo said. "The Liberty Defense Project is the first of its kind to combine the legal expertise of both the public and private sector, and with this expanded program, we are helping even more vulnerable New Yorkers. I thank the Catholic Charities and community partners across the state for coming together to pool resources, bring more volunteers to the table, and continue our efforts to deliver justice and a quality life for all."

The Liberty Defense Project, created by Governor Cuomo last year in response to hostile federal policies, is the nation's first state-led project to assist immigrants - regardless of status - in obtaining access to legal services. This latest program will expand upon the services and resources already available through the initiative.

The LDP provides essential legal services on deportation defense, direct representation, consultations, application assistance and more, as well as information, community outreach and know-your-rights seminars. The public-private partnership is administered by Governor Cuomo's Office for New Americans and run in partnership with law firms, legal associations, advocacy organizations, colleges, universities and bar associations across the state, including Catholic Charities. The Liberty Defense Project has already provided more than 6,000 free and confidential services to individuals needing legal assistance through its network of 47 community-based groups.

Funded by the Liberty Defense Project, the program was announced at a day-long free immigration legal clinic held by Catholic Charities at Saint Peter's-Saint Denis Parish in Yonkers. Participants received comprehensive legal consultation, as well as a rights training to know what to do during contact with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and how to best prepare their families.

Click here for the full announcement. If not posted, check the site later.

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo  

NYPD Veteran Issued Warning to Doctors, Politicians and the Public About 'EDPs', No One Listened


In an exclusive interview with "From The G-Man", which was published nearly four weeks prior to Saheed Vassell being killed, an NYPD veteran discussed his encounters with the mentally ill and what he witnessed after escorting them to medical facilities. 

"Officer Goodman" expressed major concern over the situations and urged state and local politicians and members of the medical community to address the problem, effective immediately. 

From The G-Man submitted the report to the offices of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor de Bill Blasio, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill, members of the New York State Senate and the New York City Council.  

Again, the special report was published on March 6. None of the aforementioned responded to the report, and the killing of Saheed Vassell, who has been described in published reports as being "extremely mentally ill", is now receiving global news coverage.

In Memoriam: Major Stephen Del Bagno


A Slot Pilot with the Thunderbirds, He Flew the Team's No. 4 Jet

by Erik Ortiz and Associated Press

The Thunderbirds pilot killed in a fighter jet crash in central Nevada was an experienced aviator who had logged more than 3,500 flight hours, the Air Force said Thursday.

The Air Force identified the pilot as Maj. Stephen Del Bagno, who had joined the elite Thunderbirds team this season and was on a routine demonstration training flight when he was killed on Wednesday.

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

From The G-Man salutes Major Stephen Del Bagno for his dedication and service to the country with the following video. May  forever rest in peace. 

 

In Memoriam: The Four Marines Killed in Copter Crash Near Mexican Border

 
Click here for the special report. 

Source: NBC News 

From The G-Man salutes Samuel A. Schultz, First Lt. Samuel D. Phillips, Gunnery Sgt. Richard Holley and Lance Cpl. Joseph Conrad (pictured left to right) for their valor and service to the country with the following video. May they never be forgotten, and may they forever rest in peace. 

 

Puerto Rico to Close 283 Schools Amid Sharp Enrollment Drop After Hurricane, Economic Crisis

 
by Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's Department of Education announced Thursday that it will close 283 schools this summer following a sharp drop in enrollment amid the island's long economic slump and the continued departure of families after Hurricane Maria.

Education Secretary Julia Keleher said there would be no layoffs, with teachers and other employees being reassigned to other schools as part of a fiscal plan that aims to save the department some $150 million.

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Happening in Harlem: Free Tax Preparation!


The Food Bank of New York City’s Tax Assistance Program provides low-income New Yorkers with free tax preparation services, helping them get the refunds and credits to which they are entitled. This includes the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which alone can be worth up to $8,463 for families. You earned it, Food Bank will help you claim it.  

Click here for additional information or to schedule an appointment. 

Source: Food Bank of New York City 

Health Department Probes E. Coli Outbreak in 4 NJ Counties


New Jersey’s Health Department says it’s investigating a half-dozen cases of E. coli that may be linked to a restaurant chain in the state.

The six cases of E. coli were reported in Somerset, Hunterdon, Middlesex and Warren counties.

Click here for summary. 

Source: NBC News

Hundreds Rally in Brooklyn Day After Man Is Shot by Police


Hundreds of people gathered in Crown Heights on Thursday evening amid swelling outrage over the death of a man who was shot and killed by police, who’d mistaken a pipe he was holding for a gun.

As the sun set over Brooklyn, members of the crowd shouted “No justice, no peace” and chanted the name of Saheed Vassell, the 34-year-old man who had been shot and killed by NYPD officers the day before.

Click here for the full article and videos. 

Source: NBC News  

Challenger Cynthia Nixon Says She’d Make New York a ‘Sanctuary State’



By Glenn Blain

ALBANY — Cynthia Nixon said Thursday she wants to make New York a “real sanctuary state” for undocumented immigrants.

The actress, who is challenging Gov. Cuomo for the Democratic nomination, said so-called sanctuary state legislation was among the measures that needs to be adopted for New York to become the “progressive bastion” she envisions.

While New York City and several other cities have adopted such policies to protect immigrants, Nixon blamed Cuomo for thwarting legislation to do it on a statewide level.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The New York Daily News (via Empire Report New York)

Thursday, April 5, 2018

President Trump Roundtable on Tax Reform


President Trump met with West Virginians to assess how they’re doing after the passage of tax reform late last year. At a roundtable in White Sulfur Springs, several spoke about how the tax cuts have helped their businesses and their families financially.

What is the Impact of Withdrawing U.S. Troops from Syria?


President Trump is pushing for the U.S. to withdraw troops from Syria. On Wednesday leaders from Iran, Russia and Turkey met to discuss what the future of the region may look like. Nicholas Heras, Middle East Security Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joined CBSN to discuss the impact of a possible withdrawal.

Source: CBS News 

NYPD Releases Video from Police Shooting of Brooklyn Man


New York City police have released surveillance video and partial 911 calls related to the fatal police shooting of a Brooklyn man on Wednesday. Saheed Vassell was waving a metal pipe that several witnesses thought was a gun.

Source: CBS News 

SPLC Suit: DHS Unconstitutionally Blocking Detained Immigrants' Access to Lawyers


The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a federal lawsuit this week to force the Department of Homeland Security to provide detained immigrants with a constitutionally acceptable level of access to legal counsel. 

The suit, the first of its kind, highlights decades-long practices that violate the rights of detainees, many of whom are eligible for release but languish in prison or get deported because they lack legal representation.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: SPLC

Senator James Sanders Jr. to Host Youth Voter Education Presentation


State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village, Far Rockaway) will host a Youth Voter Education presentation on April 14, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Ocean Bay Community Center in Arverne, New York. The site is located at 57-10 Beach Channel Drive. 

The purpose will be to guide youth through the registration process, which  is a potential step to expanding the age range of voters. Students will learn how to be politically involved and civically engaged. Topics will include voting, how to register and recognizing our political leaders. 

For additional information or to register, email Sanders@NYSenate.gov or call (718) 523-3069. 

Source: The Office of State Senator James Sanders, Jr. 

Secretary Nielsen on Sending National Guard Troops to Mexico Border


Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen talked with reporters outside the driveway about the president’s decision to put the National Guard on the southern border. The secretary said the administration would send “as many troops as we need to get the mission done.”

Click here for video.

Teenage MS-13 Gang Informant Heads Into Final Asylum Hearing



Henry had finished his overnight shift in the jail cafeteria on Tuesday and was lying on his bunk listening to Spanish rap when he was called up to the administrative office. Immigration officials wanted to offer him a chance to be moved into protective custody. Henry had been waiting on this offer for the eight months he had been in jail, an informant locked up with the same gang members he informed on. But now, he was unsure whether to accept the extra protection.

The call came in response to a story published Monday by ProPublica and New York Magazine. It detailed Henry’s recruitment into the gang MS-13 as a child in El Salvador, his journey to the U.S. to plead for asylum at 15, and his decision to become an informant at 17. For nearly a year, he helped police and the FBI arrest members of his gang clique on Long Island until immigration enforcement arrested him last August for gang ties, using the same information he gave police. Labeled a snitch, he faces deportation to a country overrun by the gang that has marked him for death. Today is his final immigration hearing.

Henry decided to take on additional risk and make his story public, in hopes that someone would come forward to save him. This week, many have. Henry’s FBI Gang Task Force handler agreed to testify at his hearing. His former school principal, now superintendent of Brentwood School District, spoke to Henry in jail and volunteered to speak in court. An expert witness who charges steep hourly rates for testimony about gang culture agreed to work on Henry’s case for free.

Hundreds of people have written in asking how to help Henry. It’s a hard question to answer, because his fate is really in the hands of the immigration judge who will decide his case this afternoon. Henry may have already disqualified himself from asylum by telling police he was forced to kill a man with a machete when he was 12, as part of an initiation ritual in El Salvador to join the gang. The police turned over his confession to this murder, along with other incriminating information, to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which used it to build a case for his deportation, laid out in an unsealed memo.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: ProPublica

White House Remains Dead Silent on Blunt Question Posed by 'From The G-Man'


The Office of the President and the White House Press Office were contacted on April 3 and asked why neither had issued a statement following the death of anti-Apartheid activist and icon Winnie Mandela

Incidentally, the White House Press Office issued a statement in the wake of Nelson Mandela's passing. 

Additionally, as people from across the country reflected on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the offices have not issued statements regarding one of the most tragic events in American history. 

One can only wonder why they chose to remain silent, especially when so many Americans, of all nationalities, were grieving Ms. Mandela's loss and honoring Dr. King's courage.

Ozzie Newsome, John Harbaugh to Be Questioned Thursday in Colin Kaepernick Collusion Grievance

by Mike Florio

On Wednesday, the Ravens announced that they’ll soon be signing quarterback Robert Griffin III. On Thursday, the team’s General Manager and head coach will be questioned under oath in a grievance filed by another quarterback who ultimately wasn’t offered a job.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh will be questioned at the team’s facility on Thursday, as part of Colin Kaepernick‘s collusion grievance. Kaepernick has the right to be present for the event, if he so chooses. (He attended the deposition of Texans owner Bob McNair in Houston.)

Click here for the full article. 

Source: NBC Sports 

Slack Updates Privacy Policy: Employers Can Read 'Private' DMs Without Telling Workers


by Herb Weisbaum

Digital technology makes it easy for your employer to monitor everything you do — the email, instant messages or texts you send and receive — on any company-provided digital devices or work platforms.

Even so, it’s easy to see how employees could assume — mistakenly — that by using Slack, the popular instant-messaging workplace collaboration tool, their direct messages (DMs) are limited to those in their small user group.

The company, based in San Francisco, says more than 6 million U.S. workers use its service every day.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: NBC News 

Deerfield, Illinois Bans Assault Rifles


This report was published on YouTube on April 4.

Source: CBS News

Mexico: Senate Demands 'Respect' as Trump Deploys Troops at Border


Mexican Senator Laura Rojas claimed that the country demands ‘respect’ from US President Donald Trump as she spoke in Mexico City on Thursday, following his decision to deploy troops to America’s southern border.

Iran, Turkey and Russia Meet for Syria Summit


This report was published on YouTube on April 4. 

Source: euronews.

Mayor de Blasio & Police Commissioner O’Neill Discuss Crime Stats


This video was published on YouTube on April 4. The discussion begins at the 20:20 mark.

Source: NYC Mayor's Office

Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks with Schools Chancellor Carranza


This video was published on YouTube on April 4. 

Source: NYC Mayor's Office

NYPD Cops Fatally Shoot Bipolar Black Man Holding Metal Pipe Police Mistake for Gun on Brooklyn Street



By Laura Dimon, Richard Schapiro, Ellen Moynihan, John Annese and Janan Fisher

A bipolar Brooklyn man waving a metal object at passersby was fatally shot by police Wednesday when cops responding to 911 calls for a man with a gun said he “took a two-handed shooting stance” and pointed at them.

The man, identified by family members as Saheed Vassell, 34, was a Jamaica-born welder and the father of a teenage boy.

Police said they were responding to three 911 calls that came in around 4:40 p.m. about a black man wearing a brown jacket waving what people thought was a silver gun on the corner of Utica Ave. and Montgomery St., NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said at a press conference.

When the officers got to the street corner, Vassell turned to face them, aiming the object at them, Monahan said.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The New York Daily News (via Empire Report New York) 

Sen. James Sanders, Jr.: 'This Is Disgusting and Reprehensible'


Statement on the Death of Bella Edwards

As a father and as the elected official who represents most of the Rockaways, I am angered and outraged by the death of 3-year-old Bella Edwards who was allegedly physically and sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend, a man who was supposed to be taking care of her, but instead allegedly beat her to death. This is disgusting and reprehensible. If convicted, this man needs to be punished to the full extent of the law. We must make sure that this never happens again in our community. I stand ready to lead that fight and I encourage all people of good will to join me. My thoughts and prayers are with Bella's family during this difficult time.

Source: The Office of Senator James Sanders, Jr. (10th Senate District) 

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

'I Have Been to the Mountaintop' (Full Speech)


The Final Speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Source: Divinity33372

King Is Dead! (Public Reaction in 1968)


Brooklyn filmmaker Jimmie Mannas took to the streets of New York in April, 1968 to get the reactions of his neighbors following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Mannas is a renowned Black filmmaker. He was part of the Kamonige Collective with Louis Draper and Roy DeCarava. Restored by A/V Geeks.

Source: reelblack 

James Brown Pays Respect to Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 5, 1968)


A clip from the documentary, "The Night James Brown Saved Boston", features James Brown paying respect to Martin Luther King, Jr. at the beginning of his live concert at the Boston Garden, April 5, 1968. The clip features discussion on James Brown's motivation to perform the night after Dr. King's assassination by James Earl Ray and the risk he was taking going onstage. 

In the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4, 1968, rioting broke out in cities across the country. James Brown had been scheduled to perform at the Boston Garden on April 5th. Boston Mayor Kevin White had initially wanted to cancel all public events, including James Brown's show. As there was concern that the cancellation of the show might cause an escalation of the crisis. it was agreed that James Brown's show would go on. The show, one of the greatest in Boston's history, went on and the city of Boston remained relatively calm. James Brown consoled his mourning audience, dedicated the show to the memory of Dr. King and was instrumental in keeping the peace on the streets of Boston. 

Fans rushed the stage in the middle of live performance and the police moved onstage to remove them. James Brown stood between the police and the stage crashers and immediately took control of what could have been a riotous moment in light of the raw emotions of the Black community and the tenuous relationship with the police. James Brown addresses the audience asking if he can finish the show, with the infamous words, "We are Black. Don't make us all look bad." He was asking for "respect from my own people." 

Source: James Brown 

Cuomo Reflects on the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassination


Statement from The Governor

"Martin Luther King Jr. changed the world through his courage, his dedication to nonviolence, and his belief that the course of history bends toward justice. The movement he led forced all Americans to look at the hard truths and make it our moral imperative to deliver on the sacred promises of liberty and equality established by our Founding Founders.

"Fifty years after his assassination we honor Dr. King's legacy by fighting for a fairer, more just America. As he stated, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'

"We continue his fight against discrimination, inequality and hate in New York and across the country, from our education system to our public housing, to our criminal justice system. The obligation to continue Dr. King's work now, more than ever, rests in our hands."

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Common and John Legend Perform ‘Glory’ From 'Selma'


This video was published on YouTube on January 15, 2015. 

In an exclusive performance, the artists showcased the song “Glory” from the movie “Selma” at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. The composition won a Golden Globe for best original song.

Source: The New York Times  

Coverage of the Martin Luther King MLK50 Celebration


 Broadcast from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis

Source: CBC News

HBO's 'King In The Wilderness': Official Trailer (2018)


Coming in April, this documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the last few years of his life, from the vital role he played in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to his assassination in 1968.

Source: HBO