Friday, March 3, 2017

Can Sessions survive the Russian meddling in 2016 US election scandal ? - BBC News

The era of good feelings following Donald Trump's well-received speech to Congress Tuesday night lasted, oh, about 23 hours. Now Russia, and the Trump campaign's connections to it, are back in the headlines.
At this point there are a few things that are known with certainty.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergei Kislyak twice last year at a time when the then-senator was actively supporting and advising Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
After Mr Sessions was nominated to be Mr Trump's attorney general - the top US government law official - he was asked, during Senate testimony and in writing, whether he had met with anyone connected to the Russian government with regard to the 2016 elections.
"I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign, and I did not have communications with the Russians," he said during his confirmation hearings.
Now Mr Sessions has announced that he will recuse himself from all existing and future department investigations involving the Trump presidential campaign.
Behind these facts are a host of questions, and the answers are somewhat uncertain. Here are some of the most pressing.
Sergei Kislyak - why is that name familiar?
Mr Kislyak, who has served as Russia's US ambassador since 2008, made headlines earlier this year for his contacts with another prominent member of Mr Trump's inner circle, Michael Flynn. The former general, who the president named as his national security adviser, came under federal investigation for his contacts with Russian officials after the presidential campaign.
While Mr Flynn acknowledged that he spoke to Mr Kislyak in late December, he originally asserted that he did not discuss sanctions the US government had imposed on Russia in response to concerns about possible Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.
Leaked reports from the intelligence community revealed that this was not the case, and the president subsequently asked for Mr Flynn's resignation.
Is it unusual for a senator to talk to an ambassador?
When asked about Mr Sessions' contacts with Mr Kislyak, a Justice Department spokesperson told the Washington Post that the senator had "more than 25 conversations" with ambassadors in his capacity as a high-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Post followed up by contacting the other 26 members of that committee, and the 20 who responded said they had not spoken with the Russian ambassador.
"I've been on the Armed Services Committee for 10 years," tweeted Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill. "No call or meeting with Russian ambassador. Ever. Ambassadors call members of the Foreign Relations Committee."
A closer look at Mrs McCaskill's Twitter feed revealed several instances - in 2013 and 2015 - where she wrote about meeting the Russian ambassador, however. She says those meetings were not in her capacity as a committee member and were never one-on-one.
Former Republican congressman Mike Rogers, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, said such meetings for a senator on the committee would be "routine." Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia expressed a similar view.
"I've met with the Russian ambassador with a group, in my capacity, with a group of other senators," he said during a television interview Thursday morning. "That's in my official capacity. That's nothing. That's my job."
If these sorts of meetings are routine, then why the evasion?
This, then, is the million-dollar question - and what Democrats in Congress and Trump opponents everywhere seem to be focusing on.
"If there was nothing wrong, why not come clean and tell the entire truth?" Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked during a press conference on Thursday morning.
Schumer and PelosiImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
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Democrats are demanding Sessions resign
Since the Washington Post story came out, the attorney general and his representatives have offered an array of responses to this, ranging from forgetfulness to not thinking it was important/relevant.
"I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the Trump campaign," Sessions told a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
Democrats weren't buying it.
"When Senator Sessions testified under oath that 'I did not have communications with the Russians,' his statement was demonstrably false, yet he let it stand for weeks," said Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland. "And he continued to let it stand even as he watched the president tell the entire nation he didn't know anything about anyone advising his campaign talking to the Russians."
During the Flynn controversy, Mr Trump defended his embattled national security adviser by saying that contacts with foreign leaders, including Russians, weren't just permissible but advisable. That defence fell apart because clear evidence came out that Mr Flynn had been evasive not only to the press and public but to the administration itself.
Mr Sessions has since said that he did indeed meet with the ambassador twice and probably should have mentioned it during his confirmation hearings, but he was responding to questions about ongoing contact with Russian operatives. Critics are saying he is parsing words. Like Flynn, the original evasion has become a bigger story than the original contacts.
Who is Attorney General Jeff Sessions?
Russia: The scandal Trump can't shake
A 'Trump slump' for tourism?
Who is currently investigating this?
There at present is an ongoing inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with other intelligence agencies, into possible Russian meddling with the 2016 presidential elections, including any connections to members of the Trump campaign team.
In late January FBI officials interviewed Mr Flynn, for instance, on his contacts with Mr Kislyak.
In addition, two congressional panels - the House and Senate intelligence committees - are already planning on looking into the matter, although no concrete steps have yet to be taken. They may subpoena Trump officials, including Mr Flynn, to testify on the extent of their interaction with the Russian government.
Some Democrats have called for the creation of a special "select" committee to focus solely on the investigation, rather than relying on existing committees that have other obligations. So far, these calls have not gained traction.
Others, including Mr Schumer, have demanded a special independent counsel to be named to lead the inquiry - similar to the duties performed by Kenneth Starr during the Bill Clinton administration. The danger for the White House is that these types of investigations are difficult to control and can expand greatly in scope as they progress.
The Starr investigation, for instance, started as an inquiry into an old Clinton real-estate deal and eventually ended in a recommendation that the president be impeached for lying about sexual relations with a White House intern.
Can Sessions survive?
After bipartisan calls for Mr Sessions to recuse himself from oversight, as attorney general, of the FBI's Russia investigation reached a fevered pitch, the attorney general relented. He notably said, however, that the decision was made in consultation with career Justice Department officials and was due to his involvement with the Trump campaign and not because of the recent revelations.
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Media captionJeff Sessions: The "remarks are unbelievable to me and are false"
Democrats have upped the ante, however, calling for Mr Sessions' outright resignation.
"Jeff Sessions simply does not have the confidence of the American people," tweeted Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York. "He should resign now."
Given the attorney general's close relationship with the president, a resignation seems unlikely. Then again, the same could be said for Mr Flynn, and he was ultimately shown the door.
What should be of particular concern to Republicans is that the Sessions revelations fit a growing pattern of obfuscation and evasion on the part of the president's inner circle when it comes to contact with the Russian government.It's the kind of thing that will prompt more questions, more investigations and more speculation about what else is out there.

Amid Protests, Trump’s Sons Open a New Luxury Tower in Vancouver - Associated Press


Posted: 28 Feb 2017 05:54 PM PST

(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — Ignoring protests, claims their newest real estate venture clashes with Canadian values and a no-show mayor who tried to change the tower’s name, U.S. President Donald Trump’s sons said Tuesday that it was “so fitting” to see the Trump brand in Vancouver, a city known for its diversity and progressive politics.
Protesters, some carrying posters proclaiming, “Love Trumps Hate,” surrounded the entrance to the Trump hotel and condominium tower while police and security officers in black suits gathered on sidewalks at the soaring edifice, which has drawn praise for its sleek design but has also raised ethical concerns about the business interests of the new U.S. president.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who had lobbied for the Trump name to be removed from the tower, refused to attend the ceremony in protest of Trump’s policies on immigration and other matters. “The name Trump has now become synonymous not with luxury and lifestyle, but with racism, sexism and intolerance,” said city Councilman Kerry Jang, who was among other city officials boycotting the event.
Despite the protests and controversy, however, the Trump brothers said Vancouver was the perfect location for a new Trump enterprise.
“Vancouver is truly one of the great cities of the world. It’s truly one of the most beautiful places in the world and it’s so fitting for the Trump brand,” Eric Trump said in a speech before the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Calling the building an “an architectural masterpiece,” he added: “That’s what our brand is all about. That’s what our father’s vision was all about, creating one of the most iconic buildings in the world.”
In true Trump fashion, Donald Jr. opened his remarks with a light-hearted swipe at the media. “I’d like to thank the press,” he said before quickly adding: “Just kidding. Good to see you here. I’m shocked. I’m absolutely shocked.”
Donald Jr. also thanked the tower’s Malaysian developer, Joo Kim Tiah, whose father is one of Malaysia’s wealthiest businessmen and who, like the U.S. president, made a fortune in real estate.
“It’s great to be able to do this within a family business. I understand how that dynamic works,” Donald Jr. said. “It either works great or it is a total disaster.”
The Trump Organization is licensing the name to the building and managing the hotel, but does not own it.
Joo Kim, the developer, said he found it “extremely stressful” when Trump entered politics well after he signed the partnership agreement with the Trump organization.
“I was terrified,” Joo Kim of the Canada-based Holborn Development company told The Associated Press last week. “The people who ran the city were not happy with me. I was scared, but I think they understand. They understand that I’m trapped into — not trapped, locked into — an agreement.”
As the opening ceremony took place Tuesday inside the gleaming 69-story tower, people carrying anti-Trump signs took part in a raucous demonstration to the sound of reggae music outside. Protesters crowded the building’s entrance, including Henry Ho, who brought signs with messages that included “Dump Trump,” and “Is it 2020 yet?”
“I believe a president should be at his core a good person,” the Vancouver resident said. “I don’t feel like that comes from Donald Trump.”
Sue Robertson, a retiree who lives in Vancouver, said the Trump brand is associated with “evil” and said a Trump tower “does not belong in a multicultural, fabulous beautiful city.”
While the Trump-branded tower is a source of anger for many, the new hotel and its namesake do have some support in the region.
“President and hotel owner are two different things. If he can separate the two, all the power to him,” said Joe Taylor, a resident of British Columbia. “At least he’s got the nerve to say what’s on his mind. If people don’t like it, well, they’re not used to that.”
The Trump brothers did not take questions after the ceremony, though Donald Jr. later said in a tweet that the Trump Organization had received a record number of applications to work at the tower: 10,000 applications for 300 full time jobs.
A Trump Organization tweet late Monday asserted the tower was “the first property to open in the city” in over six years. But the city’s former planning director, Brent Toderian, said that wasn’t true.
“I’m the former chief planner for #Vancouver. That’s so far from being true, it’s laughable,” Brent Toderian tweeted. The Trump Organization tweet was later deleted.
The media was taken on a tour of the hotel, which included stops at Ivanka Trump’s spa, a view of the rooms where reporters could take a look at the protest below, and the night club.
Located along an upscale six-lane downtown thoroughfare, the tower is the second-tallest in Vancouver and offers majestic mountain and ocean views. A one-bedroom apartment, at 699 square feet, starts around $1 million and the average 1,153-square-foot two-bedroom condo went for $1.7 million but has since gone up. Hotel rooms in the slow season start at around $228 ($300 Canadian).
The chief White House ethics lawyers under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have criticized Trump’s turning over control of his business to his sons, saying it does not eliminate potential conflicts of interest. Legal experts also say Trump’s overseas businesses could violate the “emoluments clause” of the U.S. constitution, which bars public officials from accepting payments or gifts from foreign governments or companies they control without the consent of Congress. A liberal-funded watchdog group has filed a lawsuit against Trump citing the clause.
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Associated Press videographer Manuel Valdes reported this story in Vancouver and AP writer Rob Gillies reported from Toronto. AP writer Cara McKenna in Vancouver contributed to this report.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Quietly Changing How You Shop Online - TIME Business

Posted: 01 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST

The writer William Gibson once said that the future is here, just not evenly distributed. That was the case with the World Wide Web 20 years ago, when some business models – notably e-commerce and new media – took off faster than others. Now a similar trend is happening with artificial intelligence, or AI.
The promise of AI has seemingly been just on the horizon for years, with little evidence of change in the lives of most consumers. A few years ago, buzzwords like “big data” hinted at the potential, but ending up generating little actual impact. That’s now changing, thanks to advancements in AI like deep learning, in which software programs learn to perform sometimes complex tasks without active oversight from humans.
Deep learning algorithms have been powering self-driving cars and making quick progress in tasks like facial recognition. Now these innovations are beginning to find their way into the daily lives of consumers as well.
“For retail companies that want to compete and differentiate their sales from competitors, retail is a hotbed of analytics and machine learning,” says John Bates, a product manager with Adobe Marketing Cloud, which offers machine learning services in e-commerce and other industries. As with the early Web, travel and entertainment are also making early use of machine learning, according to Bates.
A spate of recent experiments and announcements underscore the trend in e-commerce. One notable example is Pinterest Lens, a Shazam-like service that conducts visual searches based on items in the everyday world. Just point your camera at, say, a piece of furniture or item of clothing and Lens can help you find it online.
Lens builds on earlier Pinterest innovations like Related Pins and Guided Search — both based on the idea that you sometimes don’t know what you’re looking for until you see it — as well as a visual search tool that can find similar images inside the billions of pins that Pinterest has collected. Related pins are served up according to a similarity score that Pinterest’s algorithms assign between images.
Lens expands on that earlier search tool beyond images to include things in the real world. Image-detection programs identify an object and visual search digs up similar images, making it easier to buy a coveted item online. The potential for this kind of product-search innovation is interesting: You can search for things that won’t fit in a standard search box, and more tightly connect things found offline with those found online.
“For shopping specifically, improvements to online discovery means new ways to find products you’re interested in but may not have the words for,” says Andrew Zhai, an engineer working on Pinterest’s visual search. “Visual discovery gives people a way to discover new brands and ways of styling that they never knew existed.”
Other e-commerce sites are also adopting deep learning to help shoppers more easily find what they seek. Gilt deploys it to search for similar items of clothing with different features like a longer sleeve or a different cut. Etsy bought Blackbird Technologies last fall to apply the firm’s image-recognition and natural-language processing to its search function.
And notably, Amazon is planning to use the AI technology it offers on its Web Services in its new Amazon Go grocery stores. The company is operating only one store in Seattle, but Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said during a February earnings call that “it’s using some of the same technologies you would see in self-driving cars: computer vision, sensor, fusion, deep learning.”
Adobe, meanwhile, is taking things a step further by letting people create images of their desired products. Working with researchers at UC Berkeley, Adobe developed an image-editing tool that can turn a crude sketch of a handbag or shoe into a photorealistic and easily tweakable image. The tool also draws on a deep database of related images to turn sketches into pictures.
Adobe’s marketing tools are also incorporating deep learning into offerings for retailers, using AI to predict customer behavior. Shoppers can choose to receive suggestions based on their shopping lists – a belt that matches a pair of pants, painting supplies to help with a can of paint, a wine paired to a dinner recipe. Programs can subtly nudge people along when they are making a big-ticket purchase online but are not ready to hit the buy button.
Subtlety is a key part of these AI-powered marketing tools. People can grow alienated if they feel retailers are snooping on their behaviors or if it comes across as a hard sell. Adobe’s AI learns from past behavior as well as trial and error to learn how to make a gentle nudge without being too pushy.
“That’s a bit of the art and science behind deep learning,” says Bates. “But that’s where a lot of these signals can be built into the algorithms. If it creates an unnatural signal or puts someone off, it can be built into the training itself.”
While deep learning is becoming a part of the retail experience, it’s happening in fits and starts, as Facebook found with chatbots. Touted as a tool that could automate customer-service functions and deepen human engagement, chatbots were added to Facebook Messenger, with more than 11,000 of them available last year. But last week, Facebook scaled back its chatbot ambitions after they clocked a 70% failure rate.
As with the early days of the Web, there remains much work to do before deep learning can be seamlessly integrated into the daily lives of consumers. Compared to expectations of even a few years ago, though, things are a lot farther along than many expected. And that suggests Silicon Valley may again be ready to change how we shop.