- Town Hall For Our Lives
- Tue, Apr 3 2018
- 6:30 PM, EDT
Coral Springs Center for the Arts2855 Coral Springs Drive
Coral Springs, FL 33065
Town Hall For Our Lives
BSO BRINGS FUN, TOYS AND THE EASTER BUNNY TO SICK KIDS
On Sunday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital will hop to it once more to ensure that hospitalized kids don’t miss out on the chance to smile and enjoy Easter.
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For those children, the Broward Sheriff's Office and the Easter Bunny Foundation have something special in store: a visit from the Easter Bunny.
BSO Law Enforcement Explorers, accompanied by the Easter Bunny will deliver stuffed animals to sick children at the Hollywood hospital.
The Easter Bunny Foundation is an Orlando-based non-profit that puts smiles on the faces of children in hospitals across the nation during the week of Easter. BSO Explorers is comprised of teens and young adults who are interested in community service and policing. They undergo a rigorous program that requires them to maintain good grades and serve with pride.
Angelo Carusone explains how Cambridge Analytica's data theft helped elect Trump and spread fake news
BILL PRESS (HOST): You've been doing a lot on, your great team at Media Matters, on this whole flap over Facebook. How could this happen? As Zuckerberg says, "I'm very sorry." Yeah, well -- private data on 50 million Americans. They knew people were taking it, then they -- they knew and they didn't follow through with how they were using it, right?
ANGELO CARUSONE (MEDIA MATTERS PRESIDENT): That's right, and I think that that's the part that's really at issue here, is that people gave this data to this research company, like they do for a lot of the apps that they sign up for, and that's something that Facebook and other platforms need to make more accessible and easier, but people also need to manage that themselves to an extent. People just click the terms and services button, they don't pay attention.
That said, what the app developer did was give that -- because the app developer was really Cambridge Analytica in disguise. They posed and propped up this phony research operation to get access to this information, and then the app data gave it to Cambridge. They made a copy of it, basically, which they shouldn't have done. So when Facebook turned off Cambridge's access to it, fine, the thing that concerns me, and this gets back to the how did this all happen, is that, one, there's pretty clear evidence that there's copies of this exact same data set elsewhere, whether it be with Trump's Super PAC, or with his own campaign --
PRESS: Or how about with the John Bolton Super PAC?
CARUSONE: Right, or -- exactly, because of the fact that while many of them were using the services, some of them were actually going so far as to integrate their databases, and that's where the difference starts to come in, that they actually have copies of it that are still in use. So that's one thing. How it happens is really ultimately the big story of how fake news and disinformation happened in 2016, which is that on the one hand, Facebook has an effort to mollify some of their critics, and weren't proactive enough. And on the other hand they just kept getting duped. So when they fired all of the human editors, after that story that they were "censoring" conservative content, there was a three-fold increase in the reach of fake news. For the first time it exceeded the overall reach of all of real news sources combined. Just from that one change, overnight. Trump's suppression campaign would have never been able to happen if they didn't turn it over to an automated approval process instead of human advertising people that are reviewing that stuff. And it was all -- time and again, they just kept giving in.
[...]
CARUSONE: If you look at the numbers, prior to Mark Zuckerberg making that change in May of 2016, the reach, the overall amount of people that were exposed to this was pretty stable. Once he made that change, a lot of this stuff started making its way into the Trending Topics sections on Facebook, which meant more and more people were seeing it, and it just spills over. A three-fold increase almost overnight.
Gov. Scott Directs DCF to Enhance Collaboration with Local Law Enforcement in Each Florida County
Governor Rick Scott signed Executive Order 18-81 directing the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) to enhance collaboration with law enforcement offices in each Florida county to improve the coordination of behavioral health services for individuals in need. Following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Governor Scott convened emergency meetings with education officials, mental health experts and law enforcement to develop strategies to make our schools safer and improve mental health treatment services in Florida. Today’s Executive Order complements the provision established in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act (SB 7026) which increases the sharing of information between sheriff’s offices, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), DCF, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and any community behavioral health providers to better coordinate services and provide prevention or intervention strategies. Read more about the new law, signed by Governor Rick Scott on March 9th, HERE.
Governor Scott said, “After the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, I met with legislators, members of law enforcement, school administrators, teachers, mental health experts, and state agency leadership to find solutions which make sure our schools and communities are safe. Last month, I proposed a major action plan, and then signed into law the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act to protect our schools, bolster out state’s mental health system of care and keep guns away from dangerous people. Today, to enhance the policies I just signed into law, I am using my executive authority to make sure we are supporting those most in need while protecting Florida families.
“In issuing this executive order, I have directed DCF to closely collaborate with local sheriffs’ offices and police chiefs in each county to further increase communication between these agencies and increase access to substance abuse and mental health services in every community. My goal is to ensure DCF is integrated in every local department, so we have a person working hand-in-hand with law enforcement and dedicated solely to being a crisis welfare worker focused on repeat cases in each community. We will continue ensure that all Floridians have the opportunity to get the treatment they need.”
The Executive Order takes five major steps:
- Directs DCF to convene quarterly meetings in each of DCF’s six regions with sheriffs and police chiefs in the region, the behavioral healthmanaging entities and service providers, school officials, and other stakeholders to improve communication, collaboration, and the coordination of services;
- Mandates DCF, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and sheriffs’ offices to improve cost sharing and integration of funding;
- Allows DCF to include sheriffs’ offices and local law enforcement agencies as eligible recipients of the criminal justice reinvestment grants;
- Directs DCF and the managing entities to ensure sheriffs or their designee have a seat on each managing entities’ board of directors; and
- Establishes enhanced collaboration between DCF, managing entities, and sheriffs’ offices to ensure access to mental health and substance abuse treatment services for those released from county jails.
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The father of Omar Mateen—the gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando nightclub in June 2016—was an FBI source
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| Seddique Mateen, the gunman’s father |
The father of Omar Mateen—the gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando nightclub in June 2016—was an FBI source before the deadly rampage and is under a criminal investigation, according to new court documents. The revelations came out during the trial of Mateen’s wife, Noor Salman, who prosecutors claim knew about her husband’s plan to attack the Pulse nightclub and did not stop him. Prosecutors reportedly sent an email over the weekend that claimed Seddique Mateen, the gunman’s father, was a confidential FBI source from 2005 through June 2016. He is also reportedly under investigation for money transfers to Pakistan and Turkey, after authorities found suspicious documents in his home in the wake of the Pulse attack. Salman’s lawyers have claimed the new information was revealed too late in the trial to adequately explore whether Seddique Mateen knew of his son’s plans to attack the nightclub on June 12, 2016. The documents state the father’s relationship with the FBI precluded a previous investigation into threats made by Omar Mateen in 2013, three years before the Pulse attack.
Is Trump finely losing his messaging game
Throughout his career and the first 14 months of his presidency, Donald Trump has always worked to manage, frame and preempt the national narrative about himself. But in the last 72 hours, a series of major political news stories have shown the limits of his ability to control his image and dominate the news cycle with his own version of events.
On Friday, Trump made — and then, within hours, reversed — a threat to veto a $1.3 trillion spending bill after facing accusations from his own base that he caved to Democrats and bungled his best chance to win full funding for his border wall. On Saturday, Trump was silent and on the sidelines as huge crowds around the country rallied in support of gun control legislation, promising to punish his party for inaction on the issue in November. On Sunday morning, despite a flurry of Trump’s tweets on the subject, reports of disarray on his legal team grew after two lawyers said to be joining, Joseph diGenova and his wife Victoria Toensing, dropped out, citing conflicts. And of course — most strikingly — on Sunday night, adult film star Stormy Daniels outlined her alleged affair with Trump in detail on national TV as a president famous for striking back at his adversaries was forced to say nothing in response.
As effective as Trump has often been at creating distractions and trying to discredit his detractors, the weekend still showed how his preferred narrative about his presidency can be overwhelmed by outside forces.
Read More from NBC
From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Carrie Dann and Andrew Rafferty
Gun Manufacture Files for bankruptcy
The fact is After Obama's Election, from 2009 to 2017 gun sales soared because the lobbying arm of gun manufactures the NRA convinced poor, ignorant gun owners that Obama would take their guns away so they stockpiled amazing amounts of guns, in fact, 3 percent of gun owners own 50 percent of all guns
Remington Outdoor Co., the nation's oldest gun manufacturer, said late Sunday that it had filed for bankruptcy protection, CNBC reports. The 202-year-old gun maker saw a sharp drop in sales after the 2016 presidential election, as customers interpreted President Trump's victory as a sign that gun sales would not be restricted so there was no need to stockpile firearms.
Remington Outdoor Co., the nation's oldest gun manufacturer, said late Sunday that it had filed for bankruptcy protection, CNBC reports. The 202-year-old gun maker saw a sharp drop in sales after the 2016 presidential election, as customers interpreted President Trump's victory as a sign that gun sales would not be restricted so there was no need to stockpile firearms.
Remington's sales fell by more than 30 percent in 2017 to just over $600 million. The company announced the bankruptcy plans in February.
Remington's owner, private equity giant Cerberus, bought up gun companies a decade ago but said it would exit the industry after the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre, in which one of its rifles was used, CBS News reports. Harold Maass
Remington Outdoor Company — the gunmaker that manufactured the rifle used in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and one of the oldest gun suppliers in the United States — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectionSunday.
Remington saw sales decline by 27% in the first three quarters of 2017, Reutersreported, amounting to a $28 million operating loss. But the manufacturer‘s financial woes have been an issue since well before 2017, and the company isn’t the only gunmaker in America experiencing difficulties in a climate of inconsistent sales and declining stock prices.
Sturm Ruger, the company that makes the AR-15-style weapon used in a 2017 Texas church shooting, reported a double-digit sales decline at the end of the same year. And stock prices have dropped in the past 12 months for two other gunmakers: Vista Outdoor and its parent company, American Outdoor Brands, maker of the Smith and Wesson weapon used in mass shootings in Aurora, Colorado; San Bernardino, California; and Parkland, Florida.
Why is this happening? It is true that as public sentiment turns strongly against the gun industry, retailers have begun restricting sales of guns, and the government spending bill contains new gun control provisions. But the decline in sales has occurred over a longer term. Perhaps most significantly, having a National Rifle Association-approved Republican in the White House may have actually hampered gun sales, as the Chicago Tribune has reported. Following most mass shootings during Barack Obama’s presidency, gun rights groups would gin up fear of looming executive action on gun control, motivating firearm enthusiasts to buy more guns.
Now, with Republicans in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, that legislative threat is absent — and gun sales have taken a significant tumble.
Don't Be Silenced, Pope Francis Urges Young People
With the “March for our Lives” rally fresh in the minds of hundreds of thousands of gun control supporters who took to U.S. streets in protest this weekend, the leader of the Catholic Church has called on young people not let themselves be silenced.
US rally organizers vow no letup in gun control campaign
US rally organizers vow no letup in gun control campaign
Student organizers of gun control rallies that drew hundreds of thousands to US streets vowed Sunday there will be no letup in their campaign for reform. The nationwide protests on Saturday were by far the largest in nearly two decades, part of a reignited gun control debate sparked by last month's killings at a Florida high…
House LGBT Caucus Denounces President Trump’s Doubling Down on Trans Military Ban
Washington, D.C. -- The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump deciding to implement his previously announced ban on transgender people serving in the United States military.
“The President’s shameful decision to stand by this unconstitutional ban shows he is willing to play politics at the direct expense of our military,” said LGBT Equality Caucus Executive Director Roddy Flynn. "This ban is inconsistent with the advice of leaders in the military, the results of independent studies, and basic American values of decency and fairness.”
“Transgender people serve honourably in our military to protect our freedom. Our servicemembers are patriots and deserve the thanks of a grateful nation. They deserve a Commander-in-Chief that respects their sacrifice, not one that denigrates it to advance a narrow-minded political agenda.”
Gov Rick Scott Sends Out Letter to diffuse the anger brought out by the MSD Kids Actions
Today, Governor Rick Scott sent the attached letter to Florida superintendents and school board members outlining the next steps to take following the signing of SB 7026, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. During the Governor’s time in office, funding for Florida’s K-12 public schools has increased dramatically.
See the full letter HERE or attached.
Sent Out By
Governor Rick Scott’s Communications Office
Parkland students Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin and Alex Wind join Dan Rather to talk about the March for our Lives and the movement they've started.
Parkland students Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin and Alex Wind join Dan Rather to talk about the March for our Lives and the movement they've started.
Wasserman Schultz Lauds Critical Omnibus Act Funding and Rejection of Trump Budget
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, was pleased that critical national and South Florida investments are contained in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2018, and in voting for it she applauded the Democrats effort to defeat numerous attacks on environmental protection, and worker and women’s health rights that Republicans sought to include in the $1.3 trillion spending plan. Additionally, Democrats successfully fought to lift the irresponsible budget caps which then allowed critical investments to be made through this bill.
“This Omnibus is far from perfect, but it makes strong investments in veterans’ health care, infrastructure, medical research, national security, child care and many other critical funding priorities,” Wasserman Schultz said. “It also makes vital investments benefitting all Floridians, including level funding for Everglades’ restoration, as well as funds for shore protections and hurricane restoration efforts.”
“This spending plan not only stops the wasteful, senseless temporary funding measures Republicans have come to rely upon, but it repudiates the atrocious and cruel budget that President Trump asked Congress to support,” she said. “Democrats stood strong, and America’s children, seniors and middle class will be healthier, safer and stronger because of it.”
Wasserman Schultz was especially pleased to secure passage and funding for many of her key legislative priorities:
· Holocaust Survivor’s Assistance – $5 million, up from $2.5 million in Fiscal Year 2017.
· PALS Act – Moratorium on mammography limitations expanded to female veterans and extended for all women beginning at age 40.
· Rape Survivor Child Custody Act – Funded at $1.5 million.
· Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act grant funding – $1.1 million
· Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants – $416 million
· Urban Area Security Initiative Nonprofit Security Grant Program – $50 million, $25 million more than FY 2017.
· EARLY Act – Breast Cancer Awareness for Young Women funding – $5 million.
· Veterans PARC Act – Alleviates VA center parking shortages in Miami and around the country.
· Internet Crimes Against Children task forces to combat online child exploitation – at least $29 million, with $1 million dedicated to the hiring and training of wounded veterans to serve as digital forensic analysts or investigators.
Wasserman Schultz offered special thanks for the dedicated hard work and professionalism of her House Appropriations Committee colleagues and staff, including Ranking Member Nita Lowey, Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Charlie Dent.
Americans want armed school guards and tighter gun laws: Reuters/Ipsos poll
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| Instructors work with participants on proper gun handling during a firearms training class at the PMAA Gun Range in Salt Lake City, Utah, July 1, 2016. REUTERS/Jim UrquhartAdd caption |
A majority of Americans, including Republicans, Democrats and gun owners want stricter laws on gun ownership and armed guards in schools, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national poll taken in early March.
Hundreds of thousands of students and their families are expected to march in cities across the United States on Saturday to demand stricter gun control, part of the response to a mass shooting at a Florida high school in February.
The following are some of the main findings of the poll:
GUNS IN SCHOOLS
About 75 percent of adults say they want armed security guards in school, with some 53 percent in favor of publicly funding gun classes for teachers and school personnel and 45 percent saying school staff should be encouraged to carry a weapon.
“75 percent of adults say they want armed security guards in school”
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR GUN CONTROL
A majority of Democrats and Republican voters support stricter gun laws, including 91 percent on both sides who say anyone with a history of mental illness should be banned from owning a gun. Eighty-four percent of Republicans believe people on the “no-fly” list should also be banned from gun ownership and 83 percent are in favor of expanding background checks. A majority of Republicans also say that assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips should be outlawed.
GRAPHIC: http://reut.rs/2ptFPhy
Senate GLASS Caucus Announces 2018 Steering Committee
| Pictured left to right: Wyatt Larkin, Robert Curis, Tré Easton, Hans Hansen, Peter Narby, Trelaine Ito, Russell Page
Today the Senate GLASS Caucus, the association of LGBTQ Senate staff, announced its 2018 Steering Committee:
The new leadership team was elected by a February vote of GLASS Caucus members, after which the Steering Committee met and elected its co-chairs and other officers. Following the meeting, the GLASS Caucus co-chairs Robert Curis and Tré Easton released the following statement.
“We look forward to a productive year of enhancing membership engagement, creating new opportunities for our members, and serving as a resource to make the Senate a more affirming and inclusive workplace,” the co-chairs said. “To that end, the GLASS Caucus will make it a priority to improve the representation of LGBTQ staffers – of queer women and people of color, in particular – on Capitol Hill. Many offices on both sides of the aisle can and should do more to make their staffs more representative of their constituencies, and we stand ready to help in those important efforts.”
The GLASS Caucus is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization open to all whose purpose is to raise awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ community, increase visibility and promote the welfare and dignity of LGBTQ employees of the United States Senate by providing a safe environment for social interaction and professional development.
The GLASS Caucus currently has two vacancies on the Steering Committee. In an effort to provide inclusive and representative leadership, GLASS encourages LGBTQ women, Republ
Staff interested in becoming involved with the GLASS Caucus can visit glasscaucus.org or email info@glasscaucus.org.
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Call for volunteers: help the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High March for Their Lives
Call for volunteers: help the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High March for Their Lives
This coming Saturday March 24th, students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas
will march in their community, Parkland Florida. Please support them
by volunteering. Use the following link to sign up for this
change-making event:
https://www.handsonbroward.
Rep. Deutch Statement on Ongoing Security Concerns at Stoneman Douglas
(Washington) Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) issued the following statement in response to ongoing security concerns at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School:
“For every elected official, at every level of government, who represents the people of Parkland, the safety and security of Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, teachers, and staff must be a top priority.
“Entry onto the campus by the shooter’s brother, a deputy discovered sleeping while on duty by a student, two incidents of knives confiscated from students on campus, and threatening messages posted on social media emphasize the necessity of even greater vigilance.
“I have been in contact with Sheriff Israel and Superintendent Runcie to stay up to date with the steps they are taking to ensure a safe school environment. They are working with the Governor and Florida Highway Patrol to provide additional units on and around campus, posting senior command officers in Parkland around the clock, and improving coordination between the school and Broward Sheriff’s Office to ensure that law enforcement is posted at every entrance to the school whenever there are school activities. I have also urged the FBI Director to be in contact with the community to share the status of its investigation and be responsive to the community’s ongoing concerns.
“This continues to be a difficult time for everyone in the Stoneman Douglas community. Those of us in leadership positions must remember our obligations to our community and our responsibility to keep our students safe.”
“For every elected official, at every level of government, who represents the people of Parkland, the safety and security of Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, teachers, and staff must be a top priority.
“Entry onto the campus by the shooter’s brother, a deputy discovered sleeping while on duty by a student, two incidents of knives confiscated from students on campus, and threatening messages posted on social media emphasize the necessity of even greater vigilance.
“I have been in contact with Sheriff Israel and Superintendent Runcie to stay up to date with the steps they are taking to ensure a safe school environment. They are working with the Governor and Florida Highway Patrol to provide additional units on and around campus, posting senior command officers in Parkland around the clock, and improving coordination between the school and Broward Sheriff’s Office to ensure that law enforcement is posted at every entrance to the school whenever there are school activities. I have also urged the FBI Director to be in contact with the community to share the status of its investigation and be responsive to the community’s ongoing concerns.
“This continues to be a difficult time for everyone in the Stoneman Douglas community. Those of us in leadership positions must remember our obligations to our community and our responsibility to keep our students safe.”
Maryland School Shooting Survivor Says After Parkland She Expected A Shooting
Two students were injured, one critically, in a Maryland school shooting
The two teens were shot in a hallway of Great Mills High School, just before first period began on Tuesday morning. They were shot with a semiautomatic handgun.
Authorities say the gunman, identified as 17-year-old Austin Wyatt Rollins, died at a medical center a few hours after the shooting. He was shot by the school resource officer on duty, though at this time it’s unclear if he died from that shot or a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
An eighth-grader interviewed after the incident said she wasn’t surprised by the shooting: “What’s happening with Parkland and all that, I just expect it to happen.”
It has been 35 days since the shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school in which 17 people died.
STILL DEVELOPING
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