Andrew McCabe, a Target of Trump’s F.B.I. Scorn, Is Fired Over Candor Questions
By MATT APUZZO and ADAM GOLDMANMARCH 16, 2018
The dismissal of Andrew G. McCabe, the former F.B.I. deputy director, was carried out against a highly politicized backdrop. Credit Al Drago/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — Andrew G. McCabe, the former F.B.I. deputy director and a frequent target of President Trump’s scorn, was fired Friday after Attorney General Jeff Sessions rejected an appeal that would have let him retire this weekend.
Mr. McCabe promptly declared that his firing, and Mr. Trump’s persistent needling, were intended to undermine the special counsel’s investigation in which he is a potential witness.
Mr. McCabe is accused in a yet-to-be-released internal report of failing to be forthcoming about a conversation he authorized between F.B.I. officials and a journalist.
In a statement released late Friday, Mr. Sessions said that Mr. McCabe had shown a lack of candor under oath on multiple occasions.
“The F.B.I. expects every employee to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and accountability,” he said. “I have terminated the employment of Andrew McCabe effective immediately.”
Andrew McCabe Is Known at F.B.I. for His Precision and Intellect MAY 11, 2017
Andrew McCabe, a Symbol of Trump’s F.B.I. Ire, Faces Possible Firing MARCH 14, 2018
Andrew McCabe, Ex-Deputy Director of F.B.I., Will Be Faulted for Leaks MARCH 1, 2018
Taunted by Trump and Pressured From Above, McCabe Steps Down as F.B.I. Deputy JAN. 29, 2018
Early Saturday morning, the president weighed in with another shot at Mr. McCabe, posting on Twitter that it was “a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI.”
@realDonaldTrump
Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!
3:08 PM - Mar 17, 2018
In an interview, Mr. McCabe was blunt. “The idea that I was dishonest is just wrong,” he said, adding, “This is part of an effort to discredit me as a witness.”
F.B.I. disciplinary officials recommended his dismissal. Mr. McCabe, who stepped down in January and took a leave of absence, denied the accusation and appealed this week to senior career officials in the Justice Department.
Lack of candor is a fireable offense at the F.B.I., but Mr. McCabe’s last-minute dismissal was carried out against a highly politicized backdrop.
Mr. McCabe was among the first at the F.B.I. to scrutinize possible Trump campaign ties to Russia. And he is a potential witness to the question of whether Mr. Trump tried to obstruct justice. Mr. Trump has taunted Mr. McCabe both publicly and privately, and Republican allies have cast him as the center of a “deep state” effort to undermine the Trump presidency.
As a witness, Mr. McCabe would be in a position to corroborate the testimony of the former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, who kept contemporaneous notes on his conversations with Mr. Trump. Mr. Comey said Mr. Trump prodded him to publicly exonerate the president on the question of Russian collusion and encouraged him to shut down an investigation into his national security adviser.
Turnover at a Constant Clip: The Trump Administration’s Major Departures
Since President Trump’s inauguration, staffers of the White House and federal agencies have left in firings and resignations, one after the other.
In a statement released by his lawyers, Mr. McCabe said his firing was part of Mr. Trump’s “ongoing war on the F.B.I.” and Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel. He said he answered questions truthfully in the internal investigation and contacted investigators to correct the record when he believed they misunderstood him.
“I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey,” he said.
Mr. McCabe, a 21-year F.B.I. veteran, was eligible for a government pension if he retired on Sunday. The firing jeopardizes that benefit, though it was not immediately clear how much he might lose.
“It’s incredibly unfair to my reputation after a 21-year career,” Mr. McCabe said. He said the president’s public attacks were aimed at several targets. “The real damage is being done to the F.B.I., law enforcement and the special counsel,” he said.
Mr. McCabe was the F.B.I.’s second in command during one of the most tumultuous periods in the bureau’s history. He oversaw investigations into both the Trump campaign and Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server — and he dealt with the fallout from both. He became the acting F.B.I. director after the sudden firing of his boss, Mr. Comey, and he publicly contradicted the White House on national television over whether Mr. Comey had lost the support of rank-and-file F.B.I. agents.
Since then, Mr. Trump has repeatedly singled him out for public attack, suggesting that he helped protect Mrs. Clinton from prosecution during the 2016 presidential campaign. As evidence, he pointed to the fact that Mr. McCabe’s wife, Jill, ran as a Democrat for a State Senate seat in Virginia and received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a political committee run by Terry McAuliffe, a longtime ally of the Clintons.
As recently as Thursday, even as the White House said it left Mr. McCabe’s fate in Mr. Sessions’s hands, officials there left little doubt where the president stood. “It is well documented that he has had some very troubling behavior and by most accounts a bad actor,” said the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Mr. McCabe’s lawyer called those comments “vile and defamatory” and said they were intended to put pressure on the Justice Department. “This intervention by the White House in the D.O.J. disciplinary process is unprecedented, deeply unfair and dangerous,” said the lawyer, Michael R. Bromwich.
Mrs. McCabe lost her race and Mr. McCabe was later promoted to deputy director, where he oversaw the investigation into Mrs. Clinton. No charges were filed in that case, and Mr. Trump has pointed to the donations to Mrs. McCabe’s campaign as evidence of F.B.I. bias.
@realDonaldTrump
Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife!
9:21 PM - Jul 25, 2017
The president is not involved in the firing decisions of career employees like Mr. McCabe. His firing had been recommended by veteran disciplinary officials. But Mr. Trump’s statements loom large over the decision, which is why previous presidents have typically refrained from wading into law enforcement and personnel matters.
The inspector general’s report faults Mr. McCabe for his lack of candor in interviews with internal investigators. The report has not been released, but people briefed on it say the allegations revolve around disclosures to The Wall Street Journal, which reported in October 2016 a dispute between the F.B.I. and the Justice Department over how to proceed in an investigation into the Clinton family’s foundation.
Mr. McCabe, working through the F.B.I. press office, authorized a spokesman and a bureau lawyer to speak with The Journal in order to rebut allegations that Mr. McCabe had slowed down the Clinton Foundation investigation. To the contrary, the article ultimately noted, Mr. McCabe had insisted that his agents had the authority to investigate the foundation, even if the Justice Department refused to authorize grand jury subpoenas.
Mr. McCabe joined the F.B.I. after law school and rose quickly through the ranks. Mr. Comey groomed him for senior leadership from a young age, rankling some agents who saw him as too academic and not enough of a traditional crime-fighter. But senior F.B.I. officials and his counterparts in other agencies praised his intellect and ability to manage complicated worldwide national security issues.
Katie Benner contributed reporting from Austin, Tex.
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Engineers saw cracks in Miami bridge days before collapse - NBC News
MAR 16 2018, 11:08 PM ET
Engineers saw cracks in Miami bridge days before collapse
by PHIL MCCAUSLAND
Engineers working on the bridge that fell on to a Florida highway Thursday had attempted to warn state officials about cracks on the walkway just two days before the deadly collapse, according to a voicemail transcript released Friday night by the Florida Department of Transportation.
The lead engineer of FIGG Bridge Engineers, the company that led the design of the walkway, left a voicemail with FDOT Tuesday that said cracks had appeared on the bridge and were in need of repair.
But the message, left on a landline, was not listened to until Friday because the employee it was intended for was out of the office on assignment, the department said.
Collapsed Florida bridge was built using 'accelerated' technology
The engineer said in the voicemail: "Calling to, uh, share with you some information about the FIU pedestrian bridge and some cracking that's been observed on the north end of the span, the pylon end of that span we moved this weekend," according to the FDOT.
"From a safety perspective we don't see that there's any issue there, so we're not concerned about it from that perspective," the engineer said according to the transcript, "although obviously the cracking is not good and something's going to have to be, ya know, done to repair that."
The state employee who the message was intended did not listen to it when it was sent because he "was out of office on assignment," the FDOT said. The employee "was able to listen to the voicemail" on Friday.
An FDOT consultant also attended a midday meeting on Thursday "shortly before" the bridge's 1:30 p.m. collapse, but he was "not notified of any life-safety issues, need for additional road closures or request for any other assistance from FDOT," the agency said.
Engineers also had a permit that allowed them to close the road under the bridge, the Tamiami Trail, but FDOT said the design team never made the request.
Dick Kane, communications director for FDOT, said that the state agency was not culpable for the possible oversight.
"The responsibility to identify and address life-safety issues and properly communicate them is the sole responsibility of the FIU design build team," Kane said in the FDOT's statement. "At no point during any of the communications above did FIGG or any member of the FIU design build team ever communicate a life-safety issue."
In an emailed statement Friday night, the company said:
“FIGG Bridge Engineers, Inc., continues to work diligently with the construction team to help determine the cause of the collapse of the pedestrian bridge that was under construction at Florida International University. We are heartbroken by the loss of life and injuries, and are carefully examining the steps that our team has taken in the interest of our overarching concern for public safety. The evaluation was based on the best available information at that time and indicated that there were no safety issues. We will pursue answers to find out what factors led to this tragic situation, but it is important that the agencies responsible for investigating this devastating situation are given the appropriate time in order to accurately identify what factors led to the accident during construction. We are committed to working with all appropriate authorities throughout this process.”
Meanwhile, National Transportation Safety Board Chief Investigator Robert Accetta said at a news conference Friday night that it was too early to conclude whether the cracks were related to the incident.
"I would have to say that a crack in the bridge does not necessarily mean it's unsafe," he said, though NTSB investigators made it clear that they had not confirmed whether there were cracks. "That's still too early in the investigation for us to determine."
NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt said at the press conference Friday evening that "I don’t think we know at this point, factually, that there was a crack in the bridge," and "we have not confirmed that."
Play FIU student Alexa Duran identified as victim of Florida bridge collapse
FIU student Alexa Duran identified as victim of Florida bridge collapse 2:16
The bridge section that collapsed was designed to hold its own weight until the entire span is assembled into place, experts told NBC News. It was built under a method called accelerated bridge construction, which FIU helped to popularize beginning in 2010 but has been around in some form for about 30 years.
With accelerated bridge construction, prefabricated bridge elements are made in a factory, then shipped to the site and put together at the scene.
Engineers saw cracks in Miami bridge days before collapse
by PHIL MCCAUSLAND
Engineers working on the bridge that fell on to a Florida highway Thursday had attempted to warn state officials about cracks on the walkway just two days before the deadly collapse, according to a voicemail transcript released Friday night by the Florida Department of Transportation.
The lead engineer of FIGG Bridge Engineers, the company that led the design of the walkway, left a voicemail with FDOT Tuesday that said cracks had appeared on the bridge and were in need of repair.
But the message, left on a landline, was not listened to until Friday because the employee it was intended for was out of the office on assignment, the department said.
Collapsed Florida bridge was built using 'accelerated' technology
The engineer said in the voicemail: "Calling to, uh, share with you some information about the FIU pedestrian bridge and some cracking that's been observed on the north end of the span, the pylon end of that span we moved this weekend," according to the FDOT.
"From a safety perspective we don't see that there's any issue there, so we're not concerned about it from that perspective," the engineer said according to the transcript, "although obviously the cracking is not good and something's going to have to be, ya know, done to repair that."
The state employee who the message was intended did not listen to it when it was sent because he "was out of office on assignment," the FDOT said. The employee "was able to listen to the voicemail" on Friday.
An FDOT consultant also attended a midday meeting on Thursday "shortly before" the bridge's 1:30 p.m. collapse, but he was "not notified of any life-safety issues, need for additional road closures or request for any other assistance from FDOT," the agency said.
Engineers also had a permit that allowed them to close the road under the bridge, the Tamiami Trail, but FDOT said the design team never made the request.
Dick Kane, communications director for FDOT, said that the state agency was not culpable for the possible oversight.
"The responsibility to identify and address life-safety issues and properly communicate them is the sole responsibility of the FIU design build team," Kane said in the FDOT's statement. "At no point during any of the communications above did FIGG or any member of the FIU design build team ever communicate a life-safety issue."
In an emailed statement Friday night, the company said:
“FIGG Bridge Engineers, Inc., continues to work diligently with the construction team to help determine the cause of the collapse of the pedestrian bridge that was under construction at Florida International University. We are heartbroken by the loss of life and injuries, and are carefully examining the steps that our team has taken in the interest of our overarching concern for public safety. The evaluation was based on the best available information at that time and indicated that there were no safety issues. We will pursue answers to find out what factors led to this tragic situation, but it is important that the agencies responsible for investigating this devastating situation are given the appropriate time in order to accurately identify what factors led to the accident during construction. We are committed to working with all appropriate authorities throughout this process.”
Meanwhile, National Transportation Safety Board Chief Investigator Robert Accetta said at a news conference Friday night that it was too early to conclude whether the cracks were related to the incident.
"I would have to say that a crack in the bridge does not necessarily mean it's unsafe," he said, though NTSB investigators made it clear that they had not confirmed whether there were cracks. "That's still too early in the investigation for us to determine."
NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt said at the press conference Friday evening that "I don’t think we know at this point, factually, that there was a crack in the bridge," and "we have not confirmed that."
Play FIU student Alexa Duran identified as victim of Florida bridge collapse
FIU student Alexa Duran identified as victim of Florida bridge collapse 2:16
The bridge section that collapsed was designed to hold its own weight until the entire span is assembled into place, experts told NBC News. It was built under a method called accelerated bridge construction, which FIU helped to popularize beginning in 2010 but has been around in some form for about 30 years.
With accelerated bridge construction, prefabricated bridge elements are made in a factory, then shipped to the site and put together at the scene.
Stormy Daniels Could Owe $20 Million in Damages, Trump Lawyer Says - TIME
Stormy Daniels Could Owe $20 Million in Damages, Trump Lawyer Says
In this Feb. 11, 2007, file photo, adult film actress Stormy Daniels arrives for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Matt Sayles—AP
By ASSOCIATED PRESS 7:37 AM EDT
Donald Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, wants a lawsuit brought by porn actress Stormy Daniels moved to federal court, and claims the woman could owe $20 million in damages for violating a non-disclosure agreement.
The Friday court filing seeks to move Daniels’ case from a state-level court to federal court in Los Angeles.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is seeking to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement. She has offered to return the $130,000 she was paid.
The filing accuses Clifford of violating the agreement more than 20 times.
A separate filing says Trump would join a request to have the case heard by an arbitrator.
Clifford’s lawyer says it’s an attempt to have the matter decided in private arbitration, “thus hiding the truth from the public.”
In this Feb. 11, 2007, file photo, adult film actress Stormy Daniels arrives for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Matt Sayles—AP
By ASSOCIATED PRESS 7:37 AM EDT
Donald Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, wants a lawsuit brought by porn actress Stormy Daniels moved to federal court, and claims the woman could owe $20 million in damages for violating a non-disclosure agreement.
The Friday court filing seeks to move Daniels’ case from a state-level court to federal court in Los Angeles.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is seeking to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement. She has offered to return the $130,000 she was paid.
The filing accuses Clifford of violating the agreement more than 20 times.
A separate filing says Trump would join a request to have the case heard by an arbitrator.
Clifford’s lawyer says it’s an attempt to have the matter decided in private arbitration, “thus hiding the truth from the public.”
Small toy makers: Death of Toys 'R' Us leaves a 'big hole' - CNN Money
Small toy makers: Death of Toys 'R' Us leaves a 'big hole'
by Parija Kavilanz and Aaron Smith @CNNMoney
March 16, 2018: 12:16 PM ET
Your video will play in 00:09
For many toy makers, Toys "R" Us wasn't just a store, it was a lifeline.
The national toy retailer, which announced earlier this week plans to close or sell all of its US stores, acted as the main -- and sometimes only -- distributor for companies large and small.
"I am devastated that we have reached this point," said Toys "R" Us Chief Executive Officer Dave Brandon, in a speech to employees on Wednesday. "We have vendors and suppliers out there who are also going to experience disruption and in some cases the same risks of insolvency based on the level of penetration they have with our company."
It's a big blow to Gary Atkinson, CEO of The Singing Machine Company, which makes karaoke products.
"Toys "R" Us was our second biggest customer after Walmart," said Atkinson, who did $10 million in business with Toys "R" Us in 2017. He said the two companies shared a special relationship.
When the company launched a new kid's karaoke line last year, it was first showcased at Toys "R" Us. So when Toys "R" Us filed for bankruptcy last September, it was a difficult pill to swallow for Atkinson.
"We had already shipped $4.5 million worth of products to Toys "R" Us in September for the holiday season. We've since recouped some of that back, but it was less than half," he said.
inRead invented by Teads
What's even harder now, he said, is losing worldwide distribution for its karaoke products after the toy retailer said it was closing all its US stores and potentially most of its international operations.
"This will leave a big hole in the marketplace for smaller toymakers like us," said Atkinson.
gary atkinson
The Singing Machine CEO Gary Atkinson says the closure of Toys "R" Us will leave a "big hole" in the marketplace for small suppliers.
The impact will be lighter for the toy maker Zuru Inc., which only does 5% of its sales through Toys "R" Us, according to CEO Nick Mowbray. But he said the impact on the toy industry cannot be overstated.
"It's a huge loss for the industry," he said. "The impact with vendors is going to be far reaching. A lot of smaller vendors are not going to have an outlet to get shelf space. Overall, it's very sad."
Related: The death of the big toy store
Instead, toy makers will have to compete for more shelf space at big box stores like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT). Toys "R" Us suppliers include big players like Mattel, Hasbro Inc. (HAS), Lego, Graco Children's Products, Spin Master, Playmobil and Pacific Cycle. But there were smaller companies too, like Munchkin Inc., Skyrocket Toys and Wowwee.
"Toys "R" Us has always been an outstanding partner to Wowwee over the years, and played an integral role in the success of many of our products, including most recently the launch and ongoing popularity of Fingerlings," said Wowwee president Richard Yanofsky, in a statement.
The closing of a major retailer like Toys "R" Us could have another impact on the industry: it could stifle toy innovation.
"What drove innovation in the industry was knowing Toys "R" Us has the shelf space and the square footage to support new concepts year round," said Atkinson.
By contrast, Walmart and Target devote more space to toys mostly in the fourth quarter, the biggest sales period of the year for the industry when shoppers pick up toys for the year-end holiday season, and then shrink it down substantially for rest of the year.
"Without Toys "R" Us, everyone is going to play it safe," he said. "Toy makers will just make toys with mass appeal that are more of a fit for Walmart and Target. That's the saddest part."
The liquidation of Toys "R" Us proves that small businesses should think differently about distribution, said Linda Parry Murphy, CEO and founder of Product Launchers, which helps companies launch and market products and get them onto store shelves. She said she's been changing her strategy, with to rely less on big box retailers, and diversify more into online retail.
"I think at one time there was a lot of excitement about getting in with these big retailers," she said. "It was exciting to get your foot in the door. [But] I think we've been let down by a lot of these retailers and that's why there's been some reflection on our side."
She coaches her suppliers to conduct much of their sales online, where they have more control over pricing and marketing. In this way, she said, Amazon (AMZN) has become the new Toys "R" Us.
She advises small companies to "not put all your eggs in one basket."
"These big retailers, they can go out of business overnight, and really there's not much we can do to protect ourselves against it."
CNNMoney (New York)
First published March 16, 2018: 12:06 PM ET
by Parija Kavilanz and Aaron Smith @CNNMoney
March 16, 2018: 12:16 PM ET
Your video will play in 00:09
For many toy makers, Toys "R" Us wasn't just a store, it was a lifeline.
The national toy retailer, which announced earlier this week plans to close or sell all of its US stores, acted as the main -- and sometimes only -- distributor for companies large and small.
"I am devastated that we have reached this point," said Toys "R" Us Chief Executive Officer Dave Brandon, in a speech to employees on Wednesday. "We have vendors and suppliers out there who are also going to experience disruption and in some cases the same risks of insolvency based on the level of penetration they have with our company."
It's a big blow to Gary Atkinson, CEO of The Singing Machine Company, which makes karaoke products.
"Toys "R" Us was our second biggest customer after Walmart," said Atkinson, who did $10 million in business with Toys "R" Us in 2017. He said the two companies shared a special relationship.
When the company launched a new kid's karaoke line last year, it was first showcased at Toys "R" Us. So when Toys "R" Us filed for bankruptcy last September, it was a difficult pill to swallow for Atkinson.
"We had already shipped $4.5 million worth of products to Toys "R" Us in September for the holiday season. We've since recouped some of that back, but it was less than half," he said.
inRead invented by Teads
What's even harder now, he said, is losing worldwide distribution for its karaoke products after the toy retailer said it was closing all its US stores and potentially most of its international operations.
"This will leave a big hole in the marketplace for smaller toymakers like us," said Atkinson.
gary atkinson
The Singing Machine CEO Gary Atkinson says the closure of Toys "R" Us will leave a "big hole" in the marketplace for small suppliers.
The impact will be lighter for the toy maker Zuru Inc., which only does 5% of its sales through Toys "R" Us, according to CEO Nick Mowbray. But he said the impact on the toy industry cannot be overstated.
"It's a huge loss for the industry," he said. "The impact with vendors is going to be far reaching. A lot of smaller vendors are not going to have an outlet to get shelf space. Overall, it's very sad."
Related: The death of the big toy store
Instead, toy makers will have to compete for more shelf space at big box stores like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT). Toys "R" Us suppliers include big players like Mattel, Hasbro Inc. (HAS), Lego, Graco Children's Products, Spin Master, Playmobil and Pacific Cycle. But there were smaller companies too, like Munchkin Inc., Skyrocket Toys and Wowwee.
"Toys "R" Us has always been an outstanding partner to Wowwee over the years, and played an integral role in the success of many of our products, including most recently the launch and ongoing popularity of Fingerlings," said Wowwee president Richard Yanofsky, in a statement.
The closing of a major retailer like Toys "R" Us could have another impact on the industry: it could stifle toy innovation.
"What drove innovation in the industry was knowing Toys "R" Us has the shelf space and the square footage to support new concepts year round," said Atkinson.
By contrast, Walmart and Target devote more space to toys mostly in the fourth quarter, the biggest sales period of the year for the industry when shoppers pick up toys for the year-end holiday season, and then shrink it down substantially for rest of the year.
"Without Toys "R" Us, everyone is going to play it safe," he said. "Toy makers will just make toys with mass appeal that are more of a fit for Walmart and Target. That's the saddest part."
The liquidation of Toys "R" Us proves that small businesses should think differently about distribution, said Linda Parry Murphy, CEO and founder of Product Launchers, which helps companies launch and market products and get them onto store shelves. She said she's been changing her strategy, with to rely less on big box retailers, and diversify more into online retail.
"I think at one time there was a lot of excitement about getting in with these big retailers," she said. "It was exciting to get your foot in the door. [But] I think we've been let down by a lot of these retailers and that's why there's been some reflection on our side."
She coaches her suppliers to conduct much of their sales online, where they have more control over pricing and marketing. In this way, she said, Amazon (AMZN) has become the new Toys "R" Us.
She advises small companies to "not put all your eggs in one basket."
"These big retailers, they can go out of business overnight, and really there's not much we can do to protect ourselves against it."
CNNMoney (New York)
First published March 16, 2018: 12:06 PM ET
How Stephen Hawking became the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Indepedent
17/3/2018
How Stephen Hawking became the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Posted by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE
Stephen Hawking, who passed away early this week aged 76, was a seriously cool guy.
Not only was he a scientific genius and one of the smartest people on Earth, he was also capable of offering some pretty sound advice.
His sage words on depression and warning about boasting about one's IQ are pieces of wisdom that everyone should take to heart.
However, let's not forget that Hawking had a playful side and appeared in numerous TV shows such as The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory.
One of his final cameos in the world of entertainment was a performance in the newest addition to the comedy sci-fi epic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which debuted on BBC Radio 4 last week.
In the first episode of the sixth season of the show, based on Douglas Adams famed novel, Hawking literally features as the voice of the guide to the galaxy, identifying himself as Guide Mark II.
We won't go into the exact details of what is happening in this scene, but you have to love that the guide decided to take the form of Hawking and even referenced his fame and the acknowledgement he received through his books.
He says:
Others knew me in different forms.
I have been quite popular in my time.
Some even read my books.
Speaking to the Radio Times, the series producer David Morley explained how they managed to get Hawking onboard.
When we were thinking of cameos for the new series I suddenly thought of Professor Stephen Hawking.
It turned out that he was a huge fan of Hitchhiker’s and was keen to see the script.
He very quickly came back with a resounding ‘yes’ and Dirk Maggs (co-producer) and I were jumping up and down with joy.
His part blends perfectly with the actors. The results are fantastic.
In addition to his appearance on the show, the BBC have also released a 45-minute extended version of that particular episode, which is available for download now.
As a man who spent most of his life trying to explain "The Theory of Everything" there seems no more fitting way to remember Hawking as "pan-dimensional bio-hybrid organism" who knew the answer to the meaning of life.
HT Mashable
How Stephen Hawking became the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Posted by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE
Stephen Hawking, who passed away early this week aged 76, was a seriously cool guy.
Not only was he a scientific genius and one of the smartest people on Earth, he was also capable of offering some pretty sound advice.
His sage words on depression and warning about boasting about one's IQ are pieces of wisdom that everyone should take to heart.
However, let's not forget that Hawking had a playful side and appeared in numerous TV shows such as The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory.
One of his final cameos in the world of entertainment was a performance in the newest addition to the comedy sci-fi epic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which debuted on BBC Radio 4 last week.
In the first episode of the sixth season of the show, based on Douglas Adams famed novel, Hawking literally features as the voice of the guide to the galaxy, identifying himself as Guide Mark II.
We won't go into the exact details of what is happening in this scene, but you have to love that the guide decided to take the form of Hawking and even referenced his fame and the acknowledgement he received through his books.
He says:
Others knew me in different forms.
I have been quite popular in my time.
Some even read my books.
Speaking to the Radio Times, the series producer David Morley explained how they managed to get Hawking onboard.
When we were thinking of cameos for the new series I suddenly thought of Professor Stephen Hawking.
It turned out that he was a huge fan of Hitchhiker’s and was keen to see the script.
He very quickly came back with a resounding ‘yes’ and Dirk Maggs (co-producer) and I were jumping up and down with joy.
His part blends perfectly with the actors. The results are fantastic.
In addition to his appearance on the show, the BBC have also released a 45-minute extended version of that particular episode, which is available for download now.
As a man who spent most of his life trying to explain "The Theory of Everything" there seems no more fitting way to remember Hawking as "pan-dimensional bio-hybrid organism" who knew the answer to the meaning of life.
HT Mashable
Vladimir Putin is expected to win a fourth term in office with 69 per cent of the vote - Independent ( source : Reuters )
16/3/2018
Russian election 2018: some want change, but Putin still cert to win
Vladimir Putin is expected to win a fourth term in office with 69 per cent of the vote
Polina Ivanova
Nothing in Russia contradicts the expectation of an emphatic Putin victory Reuters
Most Russians intending to vote for Vladimir Putin in Sunday’s election say stability is at the root of their faith in their candidate – though many young voters believe it’s time for a change of leader.
Putin, 65, is expected to win a fourth term in office with 69 per cent of the vote, according to the latest survey by a state-run pollster.
Reuters correspondents and photographers who travelled around the country talking to voters ahead of the 18 March election found nothing to contradict expectation of an emphatic Putin victory.
In Crimea, participating in a Russian presidential election for the first time since the territory was annexed from Ukraine in 2014, engineer Andrei Lukinykh says Putin is the only candidate who can provide stability in tough times.
Putin has 24 hours to explain how nerve agent used in UK, says May
“As the saying goes, you don’t change your horses mid-stream. Unlike the others, my candidate can provide the stability that’s needed,” Lukinykh says.
For Muscovite student Yulia Dyuzheva, economic progress during Putin’s 17 years in office won him her vote.
“As a representative of the younger generation, I can say that for us, young Russians, all the doors are open. Everyone is able to grab the opportunities presented and make the most of themselves, in whatever town or region,” she says.
But others believe Russia is ready for a change.
Accountant Natalia Dementieva, also from Moscow, says she is casting a vote for TV personality Ksenia Sobchak – one of seven other candidates – because she supported more freedoms.
“Speaks the truth, openly,” Dementieva explains. “She doesn’t lie. She raises issues which are taboo under our government.
“The next generation to rule this country were born between 1982 and 1987. There’s a lot of them and they don’t remember what it was like in the Soviet Union. So they’re less afraid.”
Sobchak is expected to garner 2 per cent of the vote, according to a 9 March poll by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Centre.
That’s less than the 3 per cent who plan to stay at home, some of whom may be heeding opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s call to boycott the vote after he was barred from being on the ballot.
From the Communist Party, wealthy farm boss Pavel Grudinin, 57, is set for a stronger showing, at 7 per cent.
For Alexei Gruk, a mechanic from St Petersburg, voting for the Communist Party sends the signal that things need to change at home, but he wants Russia’s foreign policy to stay the same.
“To hell with the sanctions,” Gruk says. “So what if they don’t bring foreign stuff here anymore? As if that means we have to give in. I don’t care.”
Nationalist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a veteran lawmaker, is expected to garner 5 per cent of votes, according to latest polls, while liberal economist Grigory Yavlinsky should receive 1 per cent.
Reuters
Toys ‘R’ Us Is Closing Stores and the Internet Is Having a Hard Time - TIME Business
Toys ‘R’ Us Is Closing Stores and the Internet Is Having a Hard Time
Posted: 15 Mar 2018 12:08 PM PDT
After filing for bankruptcy last fall, Toys ‘R’ Us is reportedly working on a plan to liquidate its business entirely. In the wake of the struggling toy retailer announcing the closure of all its U.K. stores, remaining U.S. locations are now also facing the prospect of total liquidation.
The news of the shutdown has quickly spread across the Internet, prompting some who grew up with the toy giant to wax nostalgic about its peak. “It’s going to be so weird trying to explain Toys ‘R’ Us to future generations,” wrote one Twitter user. “‘Hey, you know those six aisles at Target you spend all your time in? Well, imagine if they were an entire store…’ (Assuming, like, future generations have Target.)”
“One day I will have to explain to my kids what Toys ‘R’ Us was,” added another. “And that’s where it hurts.”
However, others were just there to try and inject some humor into the sad situation. “I want to do my impression of NPR covering Toys ‘R’ Us closing,” tweeted comedian Chelsea Peretti.
It's going to be so weird trying to explain Toys 'R Us to future generations.
"Hey, you know those six aisles at Target you spend all your time in? Well, imagine if they were an entire store…"
(Assuming, like, future generations have Target.) https://t.co/DYQWJJX4p1
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) March 14, 2018
one day i will have to explain to my kids what Toys R Us was.. and that’s where it hurts
— Shafeeq (@Y2SHAF) March 15, 2018
I want to do my impression of NPR covering toys R uS closing
— Chelsea Peretti (@chelseaperetti) March 15, 2018
See some other reactions below.
The reason Toys R Us is dead and we’re still alive is simple. We never invested heavily in a mascot.
— The Last Blockbuster (@loneblockbuster) March 15, 2018
Toys R Us is closing in the U.S- I’m not crying
— Talyn Sunshine (@TalynSunshine) March 15, 2018
Toys R Us was like kids Vegas
— James White (@Flight8) March 15, 2018
I woke up in a place where #ToysRUs no longer exists. I’m going back to bed.
— Will Friedle (@willfriedle) March 15, 2018
all these people sad about toys r us closing,,,,when was the last time you went in a toys r us???
— Jake Bateman (@ybnotv) March 15, 2018
Pretty strong way for Toys R Us to tell us to grow up…
— Jesse Fernandez (@JesseFernandez) March 15, 2018
These kids only need a tablet and the App Store… Toys R Us, we’ll never forget
— Vince Valholla (@VinceValholla) March 14, 2018
R.I.P Toys-R-Us. Gonna miss the fun times. Pouring a Capri Sun out for Geoffrey
— Will Silver (@Willcartoons) March 14, 2018
Posted: 15 Mar 2018 12:08 PM PDT
After filing for bankruptcy last fall, Toys ‘R’ Us is reportedly working on a plan to liquidate its business entirely. In the wake of the struggling toy retailer announcing the closure of all its U.K. stores, remaining U.S. locations are now also facing the prospect of total liquidation.
The news of the shutdown has quickly spread across the Internet, prompting some who grew up with the toy giant to wax nostalgic about its peak. “It’s going to be so weird trying to explain Toys ‘R’ Us to future generations,” wrote one Twitter user. “‘Hey, you know those six aisles at Target you spend all your time in? Well, imagine if they were an entire store…’ (Assuming, like, future generations have Target.)”
“One day I will have to explain to my kids what Toys ‘R’ Us was,” added another. “And that’s where it hurts.”
However, others were just there to try and inject some humor into the sad situation. “I want to do my impression of NPR covering Toys ‘R’ Us closing,” tweeted comedian Chelsea Peretti.
It's going to be so weird trying to explain Toys 'R Us to future generations.
"Hey, you know those six aisles at Target you spend all your time in? Well, imagine if they were an entire store…"
(Assuming, like, future generations have Target.) https://t.co/DYQWJJX4p1
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) March 14, 2018
one day i will have to explain to my kids what Toys R Us was.. and that’s where it hurts
— Shafeeq (@Y2SHAF) March 15, 2018
I want to do my impression of NPR covering toys R uS closing
— Chelsea Peretti (@chelseaperetti) March 15, 2018
See some other reactions below.
The reason Toys R Us is dead and we’re still alive is simple. We never invested heavily in a mascot.
— The Last Blockbuster (@loneblockbuster) March 15, 2018
Toys R Us is closing in the U.S- I’m not crying
— Talyn Sunshine (@TalynSunshine) March 15, 2018
Toys R Us was like kids Vegas
— James White (@Flight8) March 15, 2018
I woke up in a place where #ToysRUs no longer exists. I’m going back to bed.
— Will Friedle (@willfriedle) March 15, 2018
all these people sad about toys r us closing,,,,when was the last time you went in a toys r us???
— Jake Bateman (@ybnotv) March 15, 2018
Pretty strong way for Toys R Us to tell us to grow up…
— Jesse Fernandez (@JesseFernandez) March 15, 2018
These kids only need a tablet and the App Store… Toys R Us, we’ll never forget
— Vince Valholla (@VinceValholla) March 14, 2018
R.I.P Toys-R-Us. Gonna miss the fun times. Pouring a Capri Sun out for Geoffrey
— Will Silver (@Willcartoons) March 14, 2018
Uber’s Biggest Rival Is Experimenting With All-You-Can-Ride Monthly Subscriptions - TIME Business
Uber’s Biggest Rival Is Experimenting With All-You-Can-Ride Monthly Subscriptions
Posted: 16 Mar 2018 05:00 AM PDT
Uber rival Lyft appears to be testing monthly subscriptions for the ride-hailing service.
Some Lyft users are posting on Twitter about receiving subscription offers from Lyft, with pricing varying from $249 for an “all-access plan,” $199 a month for 30 rides, $300 for the same number of rides or $399 for 60 rides, according to The Verge.
The offer would include individual rides up to $15 dollars, and seems to target users spending $450 or more a month on Lyft. The offers did not say how rides over $15 would be charged.
Transportation reporters: Lyft just invited me to a $199 per month all access plan… "With an All-Access Plan, you pay $199 each month and your standard Lyft rides are free (up to $15). "
— Janko Roettgers (@jank0) March 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/search?q=lyft%20subscription%20&src=typd
Interesting. Lyft appears to be trialing a subscription offering at $249 per month for free rides up to $15. pic.twitter.com/g2ARP7ju6Q
— KiD💰 (@kidkapital) March 16, 2018
This Lyft subscription plan seems geared only to the most frequent users, folks who’d otherwise spend $450/month on ride-hailing pic.twitter.com/Ngzsl6S6JG
— Greg Bensinger (@GregBensinger) March 15, 2018
Uber tested out a similar subscription service in 2016, The Verge noted, but the feature was never widely released.
TIME reached out to Lyft for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
China anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan named Xi Jinping's deputy - BBC News
17/3/2018
China anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan named Xi Jinping's deputy
Wang Qishan, left, shakes hands with President Xi Jinping after becoming his deputy
China's parliament has endorsed Xi Jinping for a second term and appointed Wang Qishan as his vice-president.
The ballot at the National People's Congress unanimously approved Mr Xi while Mr Wang received 2,969 votes in favour and only one against.
Wang Qishan was previously in charge of corruption investigations in China.
He is a longstanding ally of President Xi and his elevation is being seen as a further consolidation of the Chinese leader's power.
The recent abolition of term limits for the Chinese presidency extends to the vice-presidency, giving the position greater significance than before.
China's constitution allows the vice-president to "assist" in his superior's work and to carry out presidential duties on his behalf - meaning Wang Qishan, possibly in his role for life, could be far more than the figurehead his predecessors were.
China approves 'president for life' change
What if Xi Jinping is president for life?
Who is Wang Qishan?
Mr Wang, 69, has held a number of prominent positions since starting work for the Chinese Communist Party in the 1980s as a policy researcher.
He became mayor of Beijing during the Sars outbreak there in 2003, and was executive chair of the city's Olympic committee ahead of the 2008 games.
In 2007, he joined China's Politburo and in 2009 became then-president Hu Jintao's chief negotiator in trade talks with the US.
Former US treasury secretary Henry Paulson described him at the time as "decisive and inquisitive", and possessing a "wicked sense of humour".
Wang Qishan has held several posts, most significantly leading China's anti-corruption campaign
However, Mr Wang is best known for his most recent post - leading China's anti-corruption investigation.
The campaign, controlled by Mr Wang as head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, was launched in 2012 under the then newly appointed party leader, Xi Jinping.
Charting China's 'great purge' under Xi
During President Xi's first five years in office, 1.34 million officials at high and low levels - people Mr Xi disparaged as "tigers and flies" - were brought down by corruption and disciplinary charges.
Mr Wang, reportedly a friend of Mr Xi's from their youth, led the charge - becoming a feared enforcer for the Xi administration.
What does his promotion mean?
The end of term limits and the choice of such a prominent party member as Mr Wang could mean a change in what the role represents, analysts say.
Mr Wang's experience negotiating with the US on economics is significant, given US President Donald Trump's plans for tariffs.
China 'won't sit by' in Trump trade war
What could China do in a US trade war?
Hua Po, an independent Chinese political commentator, told AFP news agency his appointment may be to allow Mr Wang and Mr Xi to combat President Trump, adding: "Maybe they'll be able to come up with a solution for this massive brewing storm with America about imbalances and tariffs."
And his closeness to President Xi could mean he will make the position his own.
The pair have reportedly known each other since their youth
Speaking to the New York Times, researcher Wu Qiang who was formerly at the Tsinghua University in Beijing, said Mr Wang is "one of the most important figures" in President Xi's administration.
"Wang Qishan will add substance to the role of vice-president," he said.
"The amendment of the constitution has raised the status of the presidency, and the vice-presidency will also benefit from that."
China anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan named Xi Jinping's deputy
Wang Qishan, left, shakes hands with President Xi Jinping after becoming his deputy
China's parliament has endorsed Xi Jinping for a second term and appointed Wang Qishan as his vice-president.
The ballot at the National People's Congress unanimously approved Mr Xi while Mr Wang received 2,969 votes in favour and only one against.
Wang Qishan was previously in charge of corruption investigations in China.
He is a longstanding ally of President Xi and his elevation is being seen as a further consolidation of the Chinese leader's power.
The recent abolition of term limits for the Chinese presidency extends to the vice-presidency, giving the position greater significance than before.
China's constitution allows the vice-president to "assist" in his superior's work and to carry out presidential duties on his behalf - meaning Wang Qishan, possibly in his role for life, could be far more than the figurehead his predecessors were.
China approves 'president for life' change
What if Xi Jinping is president for life?
Who is Wang Qishan?
Mr Wang, 69, has held a number of prominent positions since starting work for the Chinese Communist Party in the 1980s as a policy researcher.
He became mayor of Beijing during the Sars outbreak there in 2003, and was executive chair of the city's Olympic committee ahead of the 2008 games.
In 2007, he joined China's Politburo and in 2009 became then-president Hu Jintao's chief negotiator in trade talks with the US.
Former US treasury secretary Henry Paulson described him at the time as "decisive and inquisitive", and possessing a "wicked sense of humour".
Wang Qishan has held several posts, most significantly leading China's anti-corruption campaign
However, Mr Wang is best known for his most recent post - leading China's anti-corruption investigation.
The campaign, controlled by Mr Wang as head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, was launched in 2012 under the then newly appointed party leader, Xi Jinping.
Charting China's 'great purge' under Xi
During President Xi's first five years in office, 1.34 million officials at high and low levels - people Mr Xi disparaged as "tigers and flies" - were brought down by corruption and disciplinary charges.
Mr Wang, reportedly a friend of Mr Xi's from their youth, led the charge - becoming a feared enforcer for the Xi administration.
What does his promotion mean?
The end of term limits and the choice of such a prominent party member as Mr Wang could mean a change in what the role represents, analysts say.
Mr Wang's experience negotiating with the US on economics is significant, given US President Donald Trump's plans for tariffs.
China 'won't sit by' in Trump trade war
What could China do in a US trade war?
Hua Po, an independent Chinese political commentator, told AFP news agency his appointment may be to allow Mr Wang and Mr Xi to combat President Trump, adding: "Maybe they'll be able to come up with a solution for this massive brewing storm with America about imbalances and tariffs."
And his closeness to President Xi could mean he will make the position his own.
The pair have reportedly known each other since their youth
Speaking to the New York Times, researcher Wu Qiang who was formerly at the Tsinghua University in Beijing, said Mr Wang is "one of the most important figures" in President Xi's administration.
"Wang Qishan will add substance to the role of vice-president," he said.
"The amendment of the constitution has raised the status of the presidency, and the vice-presidency will also benefit from that."
Hacker who gave up Wikileaks source dies - BBC News
Hacker who gave up Wikileaks source dies
Dave Lee
North America technology reporter
17 March 2018
Adrian Lamo was behind hack attacks on Microsoft and the New York Times
Adrian Lamo, a computer hacker best known for passing on information that led to the arrest of Chelsea Manning, has died aged 37.
In online messaging conversations, Manning confided in him, describing confidential military material Manning had sent to Wikileaks.
Wikileaks published the video of a US helicopter strike that killed seven people, including a journalist working for the Reuters news agency.
The cause of Lamo’s death, confirmed to the BBC by the Sedgwick County coroner in Kansas, has not yet been made public.
On Facebook, his father Mario wrote: “With great sadness and a broken heart I have to let know all of Adrian's friends and acquittances [sic] that he is dead. A bright mind and compassionate soul is gone, he was my beloved son.”
Lamo's own record as a hacker included some high-profile targets, such as Microsoft and the New York Times.
'Thrust upon me'
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper in 2011, Lamo described his decision to give up Manning as “not one I decided to make, but was thrust upon me”.
Lamo said he would have "lasting regret" if Manning was handed a long sentence.
Manning, known at the time as Bradley Manning, was eventually sentenced to 35 years in prison. However, President Barack Obama later commuted her sentence and she was released in May 2017.
She is now attempting to become the Senator for Maryland, her home state.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Friday described Lamo as a “petty conman and betrayer of basic human decency”.
Dave Lee
North America technology reporter
17 March 2018
Adrian Lamo was behind hack attacks on Microsoft and the New York Times
Adrian Lamo, a computer hacker best known for passing on information that led to the arrest of Chelsea Manning, has died aged 37.
In online messaging conversations, Manning confided in him, describing confidential military material Manning had sent to Wikileaks.
Wikileaks published the video of a US helicopter strike that killed seven people, including a journalist working for the Reuters news agency.
The cause of Lamo’s death, confirmed to the BBC by the Sedgwick County coroner in Kansas, has not yet been made public.
On Facebook, his father Mario wrote: “With great sadness and a broken heart I have to let know all of Adrian's friends and acquittances [sic] that he is dead. A bright mind and compassionate soul is gone, he was my beloved son.”
Lamo's own record as a hacker included some high-profile targets, such as Microsoft and the New York Times.
'Thrust upon me'
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper in 2011, Lamo described his decision to give up Manning as “not one I decided to make, but was thrust upon me”.
Lamo said he would have "lasting regret" if Manning was handed a long sentence.
Manning, known at the time as Bradley Manning, was eventually sentenced to 35 years in prison. However, President Barack Obama later commuted her sentence and she was released in May 2017.
She is now attempting to become the Senator for Maryland, her home state.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Friday described Lamo as a “petty conman and betrayer of basic human decency”.
Russia spy poisoning: 23 UK diplomats expelled from Moscow - BBC News
17/3/2018
Russia spy poisoning: 23 UK diplomats expelled from Moscow
Britain's ambassador to Russia, Laurie Bristow, was summoned to Russia's foreign ministry
Russia is to expel 23 British diplomats amid tensions over the nerve agent attack on a former spy and his daughter in the UK.
The Russian foreign ministry said staff from the UK's Moscow embassy would be expelled within a week.
It also said it would close the British Council in Russia, which promotes cultural ties between the nations, and the British Consulate in St Petersburg.
The move comes in response to Britain's decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats.
They were ordered to leave over the incident on 4 March which the UK government has blamed on Russia - but which Russia denies.
The UK Foreign Office said in a statement that it had "anticipated a response of this kind" from Russia and the National Security Council would meet early next week to consider its next steps.
What we know so far
Why does UK think it was Russia?
What are Novichok agents and what do they do?
Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, remain critically ill in hospital, after they were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
The UK government says they were poisoned with a nerve agent of a type developed by Russia called Novichok, and PM Theresa May has said she believes Moscow is "culpable".
Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are in a critical condition in hospital
On Friday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it was "overwhelmingly likely" that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the nerve agent attack.
Responding, Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the accusations were "shocking and unforgivable".
Media caption"Our quarrel is with Putin's Kremlin," Boris Johnson says.
Britain's ambassador to Russia, Laurie Bristow, was summoned to Russia's foreign ministry on Saturday and was handed Russia's response to the UK's sanctions.
Mr Bristow, after leaving the meeting, said that the UK had no quarrel with the Russian people and would "always do what is necessary to defend ourselves".
Analysis
By Sarah Rainsford, BBC Moscow correspondent
The British ambassador had been expecting this call for three days.
In the end, he spent just over 10 minutes in the foreign ministry where he was handed Russia's counter-sanctions.
The response from Moscow is robust and does go further than the UK measures. But it doesn't appear calculated to escalate tensions.
The ministry has stuck to 23 for 23 in terms of diplomatic expulsions, no more.
And while it is ordering the closure of the UK consulate in St Petersburg - both Moscow and Ekaterinburg remain open.
Russia's response has also targeted the British Council, which promotes cultural ties.
That will be seen by Britain as a low blow, hurting the Russian people - not the British government. But the UK is unlikely to want to retaliate in kind.
The council's activity here had already been significantly curtailed by Moscow after the last crisis in relations, when Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned.
Meanwhile, the double tactic of denial and distraction here continues, both in comments by officials, and in the mocking, dismissive coverage of the Skripal case on state-run media.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that the British diplomats would be "declared persona non grata", adding that it "reserves the right to introduce other retaliatory measures in case of further unfriendly actions".
It said it was responding to "provocative actions" by Britain - and "unproven accusations" that the Russian state was behind the poisoning.
A look around Porton Down, Britain's military research base in to chemical and biological attacks
A Downing Street spokesman said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had been invited to come to the UK to take a sample of the nerve agent.
Conspiracy theories and denial in Russia
UK Russia response going to plan so far
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police have launched a murder investigation into the death of businessman and Kremlin critic Nikolai Glushkov - a Russian exile who was found dead in his south-London home on Monday.
A post-mortem examination found the 68-year-old died from "compression to the neck".
Police say there is no evidence at this stage linking his case with the Salisbury attack.
However, they have begun to contact a number of Russian exiles to discuss their safety as they investigate the murder.
Russia has also opened criminal investigations into "the murder" of Nikolai Glushkov, and the "attempted murder" of Ms Skripal and her father.
Russia spy poisoning: 23 UK diplomats expelled from Moscow
Britain's ambassador to Russia, Laurie Bristow, was summoned to Russia's foreign ministry
Russia is to expel 23 British diplomats amid tensions over the nerve agent attack on a former spy and his daughter in the UK.
The Russian foreign ministry said staff from the UK's Moscow embassy would be expelled within a week.
It also said it would close the British Council in Russia, which promotes cultural ties between the nations, and the British Consulate in St Petersburg.
The move comes in response to Britain's decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats.
They were ordered to leave over the incident on 4 March which the UK government has blamed on Russia - but which Russia denies.
The UK Foreign Office said in a statement that it had "anticipated a response of this kind" from Russia and the National Security Council would meet early next week to consider its next steps.
What we know so far
Why does UK think it was Russia?
What are Novichok agents and what do they do?
Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, remain critically ill in hospital, after they were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
The UK government says they were poisoned with a nerve agent of a type developed by Russia called Novichok, and PM Theresa May has said she believes Moscow is "culpable".
Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are in a critical condition in hospital
On Friday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it was "overwhelmingly likely" that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the nerve agent attack.
Responding, Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the accusations were "shocking and unforgivable".
Media caption"Our quarrel is with Putin's Kremlin," Boris Johnson says.
Britain's ambassador to Russia, Laurie Bristow, was summoned to Russia's foreign ministry on Saturday and was handed Russia's response to the UK's sanctions.
Mr Bristow, after leaving the meeting, said that the UK had no quarrel with the Russian people and would "always do what is necessary to defend ourselves".
Analysis
By Sarah Rainsford, BBC Moscow correspondent
The British ambassador had been expecting this call for three days.
In the end, he spent just over 10 minutes in the foreign ministry where he was handed Russia's counter-sanctions.
The response from Moscow is robust and does go further than the UK measures. But it doesn't appear calculated to escalate tensions.
The ministry has stuck to 23 for 23 in terms of diplomatic expulsions, no more.
And while it is ordering the closure of the UK consulate in St Petersburg - both Moscow and Ekaterinburg remain open.
Russia's response has also targeted the British Council, which promotes cultural ties.
That will be seen by Britain as a low blow, hurting the Russian people - not the British government. But the UK is unlikely to want to retaliate in kind.
The council's activity here had already been significantly curtailed by Moscow after the last crisis in relations, when Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned.
Meanwhile, the double tactic of denial and distraction here continues, both in comments by officials, and in the mocking, dismissive coverage of the Skripal case on state-run media.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that the British diplomats would be "declared persona non grata", adding that it "reserves the right to introduce other retaliatory measures in case of further unfriendly actions".
It said it was responding to "provocative actions" by Britain - and "unproven accusations" that the Russian state was behind the poisoning.
A look around Porton Down, Britain's military research base in to chemical and biological attacks
A Downing Street spokesman said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had been invited to come to the UK to take a sample of the nerve agent.
Conspiracy theories and denial in Russia
UK Russia response going to plan so far
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police have launched a murder investigation into the death of businessman and Kremlin critic Nikolai Glushkov - a Russian exile who was found dead in his south-London home on Monday.
A post-mortem examination found the 68-year-old died from "compression to the neck".
Police say there is no evidence at this stage linking his case with the Salisbury attack.
However, they have begun to contact a number of Russian exiles to discuss their safety as they investigate the murder.
Russia has also opened criminal investigations into "the murder" of Nikolai Glushkov, and the "attempted murder" of Ms Skripal and her father.
Friday, March 16, 2018
Mueller Subpoenas Trump Organization, Demanding Documents About Russia - New York Times
Mueller Subpoenas Trump Organization, Demanding Documents About Russia
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMANMARCH 15, 2018
It was not clear why the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, issued the subpoena instead of simply asking for the documents from the company. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has subpoenaed the Trump Organization in recent weeks to turn over documents, including some related to Russia, according to two people briefed on the matter. The order is the first known instance of the special counsel demanding records directly related to President Trump’s businesses, bringing the investigation closer to the president.
The breadth of the subpoena was not clear, nor was it clear why Mr. Mueller issued it instead of simply asking for the documents from the company, an umbrella organization that encompasses Mr. Trump’s business ventures. Mr. Mueller ordered the Trump Organization to hand over records related to Russia and other topics he is investigating, the people said.
The subpoena is the latest indication that the investigation, which Mr. Trump’s lawyers once regularly assured him would be completed by now, will continue for at least several more months. Word of the subpoena came as Mr. Mueller appears to be broadening his inquiry to examine the role foreign money may have played in funding Mr. Trump’s political activities. In recent weeks, Mr. Mueller’s investigators have questioned witnesses, including an adviser to the United Arab Emirates, about the flow of Emirati money into the United States.
Mr. Mueller has already indicted 13 Russians and three companies accused of meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, and on Thursday, the Trump administration included them in sanctions it leveled at Moscow as punishment for interference in the campaign and “malicious cyberattacks.”
The Trump Organization has typically complied with requests from congressional investigators for documents for their own inquiries into Russian election interference, and there was no indication the company planned to fight Mr. Mueller’s order.
Trump Asked Key Witnesses About Matters They Discussed With Special Counsel MARCH 7, 2018
Despite Mueller’s Push, House Republicans Declare No Evidence of Collusion MARCH 12, 2018
Adviser to Emirates With Ties to Trump Aides Is Cooperating With Special Counsel MARCH 6, 2018
Clinton Impeachment Lawyer May Aid Trump in Mueller Response MARCH 10, 2018
“Since July 2017, we have advised the public that the Trump Organization is fully cooperative with all investigations, including the special counsel, and is responding to their requests,” said Alan S. Futerfas, a lawyer representing the Trump Organization. “This is old news and our assistance and cooperation with the various investigations remains the same today.”
The White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, reiterated during her daily briefing that the president was cooperating with the special counsel inquiry and referred further questions to the Trump Organization.
There are few other publicly known examples of Mr. Mueller using subpoenas. In January, he ordered the president’s former chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, to appear before a grand jury. Mr. Mueller dropped the subpoena after Mr. Bannon agreed to be interviewed by investigators.
Mr. Mueller could run afoul of a line the president has warned him not to cross. Though it is not clear how much of the subpoena is related to Mr. Trump’s business outside ties to Russia, Mr. Trump said in an interview with The New York Times in July that the special counsel would be crossing a red line if he looked into his family’s finances beyond any relationship with Russia. The president declined to say how he would respond if he concluded that the special counsel had crossed that line.
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Mr. Trump campaigned as a businessman whose deal-making prowess would translate directly into reforming Washington. The argument helped propel him to the White House, but the Trump Organization has been a magnet for criticism from Democrats, ethics watchdogs and some Republicans, who expressed concern that he remained vulnerable to conflicts of interest because he did not separate from the company.
Before Mr. Trump was sworn in, he pledged that he would stay uninvolved in his businesses while in office but insisted it would be too punitive for his business partners for him to divest from the company altogether.
Among the Trump Organization’s holdings are golf clubs, hotels and licensing agreements for the use of the Trump name on properties and other products. While its holdings are complex, the company has always been run like a small, family-owned business; Mr. Trump brought in his three eldest children to help run the enterprise.
The Trump Organization is not publicly held, making it difficult to determine where it receives its money and invests it. The company has said that it never had real estate holdings in Russia, but witnesses recently interviewed by Mr. Mueller have been asked about a possible real estate deal in Moscow.
In 2015, a longtime business associate of Mr. Trump’s, Felix Sater, emailed Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, at his Trump Organization account claiming he had ties to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and that building a Trump Tower in Moscow would help Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign. Mr. Trump signed a nonbinding letter of intent for the project in 2015 and discussed it at least three times with Mr. Cohen.
A revealing comment about Russia by Eric Trump, the president’s middle son, also drew scrutiny when it emerged last year. James Dodson, a longtime golf writer from North Carolina, said offhand in a radio interview that Eric Trump, who oversees the golf courses for the Trump Organization, told him in 2013 that the Trumps relied on Russian investors to back their golf clubs. Eric Trump has denied those remarks.
Mr. Mueller was appointed in May to investigate whether Mr. Trump’s campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 election and any other matters that may arise from the inquiry.
A month later, the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, threatened to quit after Mr. Trump asked him to have Mr. Mueller fired because the president believed he had conflict-of-interest issues that precluded him from running the special counsel investigation.
Mr. Mueller is also examining whether the president has tried to obstruct the investigation.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers are in negotiations with Mr. Mueller’s office about whether and how to allow his investigators to interview the president. Mr. Mueller’s office has shared topics it wants to discuss with the president, according to two people familiar with the talks. The lawyers have advised Mr. Trump to refuse an interview, but the president has said he wants to do it, as he believes he has done nothing wrong and can easily answer investigators’ questions.
At the same time, Mr. Trump is considering whether to bring on a new lawyer to help represent him in the special counsel’s investigation. Last week, Mr. Trump spoke with Emmet T. Flood, a longtime Washington lawyer who represented former President Bill Clinton during the impeachment process, about coming into the White House to deal with the inquiry.
Michael S. Schmidt reported from Washington, and Maggie Haberman from New York. Mike McIntire contributed reporting from New York.
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMANMARCH 15, 2018
It was not clear why the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, issued the subpoena instead of simply asking for the documents from the company. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has subpoenaed the Trump Organization in recent weeks to turn over documents, including some related to Russia, according to two people briefed on the matter. The order is the first known instance of the special counsel demanding records directly related to President Trump’s businesses, bringing the investigation closer to the president.
The breadth of the subpoena was not clear, nor was it clear why Mr. Mueller issued it instead of simply asking for the documents from the company, an umbrella organization that encompasses Mr. Trump’s business ventures. Mr. Mueller ordered the Trump Organization to hand over records related to Russia and other topics he is investigating, the people said.
The subpoena is the latest indication that the investigation, which Mr. Trump’s lawyers once regularly assured him would be completed by now, will continue for at least several more months. Word of the subpoena came as Mr. Mueller appears to be broadening his inquiry to examine the role foreign money may have played in funding Mr. Trump’s political activities. In recent weeks, Mr. Mueller’s investigators have questioned witnesses, including an adviser to the United Arab Emirates, about the flow of Emirati money into the United States.
Mr. Mueller has already indicted 13 Russians and three companies accused of meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, and on Thursday, the Trump administration included them in sanctions it leveled at Moscow as punishment for interference in the campaign and “malicious cyberattacks.”
The Trump Organization has typically complied with requests from congressional investigators for documents for their own inquiries into Russian election interference, and there was no indication the company planned to fight Mr. Mueller’s order.
Trump Asked Key Witnesses About Matters They Discussed With Special Counsel MARCH 7, 2018
Despite Mueller’s Push, House Republicans Declare No Evidence of Collusion MARCH 12, 2018
Adviser to Emirates With Ties to Trump Aides Is Cooperating With Special Counsel MARCH 6, 2018
Clinton Impeachment Lawyer May Aid Trump in Mueller Response MARCH 10, 2018
“Since July 2017, we have advised the public that the Trump Organization is fully cooperative with all investigations, including the special counsel, and is responding to their requests,” said Alan S. Futerfas, a lawyer representing the Trump Organization. “This is old news and our assistance and cooperation with the various investigations remains the same today.”
The White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, reiterated during her daily briefing that the president was cooperating with the special counsel inquiry and referred further questions to the Trump Organization.
There are few other publicly known examples of Mr. Mueller using subpoenas. In January, he ordered the president’s former chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, to appear before a grand jury. Mr. Mueller dropped the subpoena after Mr. Bannon agreed to be interviewed by investigators.
Mr. Mueller could run afoul of a line the president has warned him not to cross. Though it is not clear how much of the subpoena is related to Mr. Trump’s business outside ties to Russia, Mr. Trump said in an interview with The New York Times in July that the special counsel would be crossing a red line if he looked into his family’s finances beyond any relationship with Russia. The president declined to say how he would respond if he concluded that the special counsel had crossed that line.
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Mr. Trump campaigned as a businessman whose deal-making prowess would translate directly into reforming Washington. The argument helped propel him to the White House, but the Trump Organization has been a magnet for criticism from Democrats, ethics watchdogs and some Republicans, who expressed concern that he remained vulnerable to conflicts of interest because he did not separate from the company.
Before Mr. Trump was sworn in, he pledged that he would stay uninvolved in his businesses while in office but insisted it would be too punitive for his business partners for him to divest from the company altogether.
Among the Trump Organization’s holdings are golf clubs, hotels and licensing agreements for the use of the Trump name on properties and other products. While its holdings are complex, the company has always been run like a small, family-owned business; Mr. Trump brought in his three eldest children to help run the enterprise.
The Trump Organization is not publicly held, making it difficult to determine where it receives its money and invests it. The company has said that it never had real estate holdings in Russia, but witnesses recently interviewed by Mr. Mueller have been asked about a possible real estate deal in Moscow.
In 2015, a longtime business associate of Mr. Trump’s, Felix Sater, emailed Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, at his Trump Organization account claiming he had ties to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and that building a Trump Tower in Moscow would help Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign. Mr. Trump signed a nonbinding letter of intent for the project in 2015 and discussed it at least three times with Mr. Cohen.
A revealing comment about Russia by Eric Trump, the president’s middle son, also drew scrutiny when it emerged last year. James Dodson, a longtime golf writer from North Carolina, said offhand in a radio interview that Eric Trump, who oversees the golf courses for the Trump Organization, told him in 2013 that the Trumps relied on Russian investors to back their golf clubs. Eric Trump has denied those remarks.
Mr. Mueller was appointed in May to investigate whether Mr. Trump’s campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 election and any other matters that may arise from the inquiry.
A month later, the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, threatened to quit after Mr. Trump asked him to have Mr. Mueller fired because the president believed he had conflict-of-interest issues that precluded him from running the special counsel investigation.
Mr. Mueller is also examining whether the president has tried to obstruct the investigation.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers are in negotiations with Mr. Mueller’s office about whether and how to allow his investigators to interview the president. Mr. Mueller’s office has shared topics it wants to discuss with the president, according to two people familiar with the talks. The lawyers have advised Mr. Trump to refuse an interview, but the president has said he wants to do it, as he believes he has done nothing wrong and can easily answer investigators’ questions.
At the same time, Mr. Trump is considering whether to bring on a new lawyer to help represent him in the special counsel’s investigation. Last week, Mr. Trump spoke with Emmet T. Flood, a longtime Washington lawyer who represented former President Bill Clinton during the impeachment process, about coming into the White House to deal with the inquiry.
Michael S. Schmidt reported from Washington, and Maggie Haberman from New York. Mike McIntire contributed reporting from New York.
Metal Tycoon to Leapfrog Elon Musk With World's Biggest Battery - Bloomberg
Metal Tycoon to Leapfrog Elon Musk With World's Biggest Battery
By
March 16, 2018, 3:52 PM GMT+11
Sanjeev Gupta plans 120 megawatt battery in South Australia
Battery to operate with solar farm to power Whyalla steelworks
The ETF Getting 'LIT' on Lithium
Sanjeev Gupta plans to snatch the world’s biggest battery crown from Tesla Inc. founder Elon Musk.
Simec Zen Energy, controlled by the U.K. executive’s GFG Alliance, agreed to build a 120-megawatt lithium-ion battery at Port Augusta in South Australia, State Premier Jay Weatherill said in an emailed statement Friday. While no timeline was given for completion, the battery size would exceed Musk’s 100-megawatt unit in the same state’s outback, which holds the current record. Other rivals may also overtake Musk including a South Korean project.
GFG, which last year added steel operations to iron ore mines in Australia, said the battery will help power a 200 megawatt solar farm at its Whyalla steelworks. Simec Zen hopes its Big Battery Project will provide grid stability and act as a buffer to power outages, which have included a state-wide blackout in September 2016.
“As well as being the most powerful battery in the world, Simec Zen’s storage facility will help underpin the long-term viability of the Whyalla steelworks as well as provide additional benefits to the South Australian grid,” Weatherill said.
The battery-storage industry is becoming increasingly important in places like South Australia, which has less access to traditional fossil-fuel sources like coal and gas than the rest of the nation. Instead, the region gets 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy, one of the highest penetrations of wind and solar in the world.
By
March 16, 2018, 3:52 PM GMT+11
Sanjeev Gupta plans 120 megawatt battery in South Australia
Battery to operate with solar farm to power Whyalla steelworks
The ETF Getting 'LIT' on Lithium
Sanjeev Gupta plans to snatch the world’s biggest battery crown from Tesla Inc. founder Elon Musk.
Simec Zen Energy, controlled by the U.K. executive’s GFG Alliance, agreed to build a 120-megawatt lithium-ion battery at Port Augusta in South Australia, State Premier Jay Weatherill said in an emailed statement Friday. While no timeline was given for completion, the battery size would exceed Musk’s 100-megawatt unit in the same state’s outback, which holds the current record. Other rivals may also overtake Musk including a South Korean project.
GFG, which last year added steel operations to iron ore mines in Australia, said the battery will help power a 200 megawatt solar farm at its Whyalla steelworks. Simec Zen hopes its Big Battery Project will provide grid stability and act as a buffer to power outages, which have included a state-wide blackout in September 2016.
“As well as being the most powerful battery in the world, Simec Zen’s storage facility will help underpin the long-term viability of the Whyalla steelworks as well as provide additional benefits to the South Australian grid,” Weatherill said.
The battery-storage industry is becoming increasingly important in places like South Australia, which has less access to traditional fossil-fuel sources like coal and gas than the rest of the nation. Instead, the region gets 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy, one of the highest penetrations of wind and solar in the world.
Syria war: Thousands flee twin offensives in Afrin and Ghouta - BBC News
16/3/2018
Syria war: Thousands flee twin offensives in Afrin and Ghouta
Seven-year-old Rouaa has lived most of her life in a refugee camp
As many as 50,000 people have fled separate offensives against rebel forces in northern and southern Syria in recent days, activists say.
Russian air strikes reportedly killed 31 people in the Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus on Friday, after 20,000 people left the region.
Turkish shelling killed 18 people on Friday in the northern town of Afrin, where 30,000 people have fled.
Seven years of war have driven nearly 12 million Syrians from their homes.
At least 6.1 million are internally displaced while another 5.6 million have fled abroad.
More than 400,000 are believed to have been killed or are missing, presumed dead, since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.
The foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia and Iran - three countries closely involved in the conflict - have met in the Kazakh capital Astana to prepare for a summit on Syria in Istanbul next month.
Why is there a war in Syria?
How serious is the situation near Damascus?
Friday's deaths in the Eastern Ghouta were reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group.
They came as humanitarian corridors controlled by the Syrian government were meant to allow more civilians to leave the region.
The Russian defence ministry has been streaming what it says is live video of the checkpoints.
According to the Observatory, nearly 20,000 civilians fled rebel-held areas in the region on Thursday.
Civilians used a government-controlled corridor to leave the Eastern Ghouta
Pro-government forces are believed to have recaptured 70% of the region after three weeks of intense fighting against rebels there.
At the same time, 25 lorries carrying food aid entered the Ghouta town of Douma but the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the aid was just a fraction of what was needed.
ICRC president Peter Maurer said after visiting the region that people there were exhausted by the fighting and the lack of food and medicine.
"I'll probably remember the boy who approached me near the streets of Eastern Ghouta asking whether I had a small bottle of water which illustrates how dire the situation is," he said.
The crushing of the rebel enclave outside Damascus would be a major victory for President Assad.
Eastern Ghouta devastation seen from space
Falling hair and eating inedible plants to survive
What is happening on the Turkish border?
Afrin, a town populated mainly by ethnic Kurds near the frontier, has been under bombardment from the air and the ground by Turkish forces and their local Syrian allies.
Civilians took to the hilly roads around Afrin on Thursday
Some 30,000 people have fled the city and nearby villages, according to the Observatory. They headed towards villages held by Syrian government forces.
Turkey is targeting the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a US-backed militia that it regards as an extension of the Kurdish rebels on its own territory.
Afrin: What is going on in Syria's other battle?
Hundreds more families left overnight as shelling continued, the Observatory says. Five children were among those killed on Friday, it reports.
Brusk Hasakeh, a YPG spokesman, told Reuters news agency that Turkish forces and their Syrian militia allies were trying to storm Afrin from the north but the YPG and its women's affiliate, the YPJ, were fighting back.
Smoke could be seen near Afrin on Thursday
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a gathering in Ankara that his country would not stop until its mission to capture Afrin had been completed.
"The European Parliament is apparently going to ask for the Afrin operation to be stopped," he said.
"There is a lady [EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini] there who is responsible for [EU] enlargement. She is said to make such a request. Don't get your hopes up, we will not leave there until the job is done. You should know this."
What are the latest diplomatic efforts?
While Turkey is opposed to President Assad, Russia and Iran are the Syrian leader's closest allies.
From left: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Astana
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sought to portray the talks in Kazakhstan as an opportunity to bring lasting peace to Syria, saying "millions of Syrians are looking in the direction of Astana".
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the bombing of civilians was unacceptable.
"There has been a significant progress on minimising violence in the field but breaches of ceasefire today are concerning," he said. "Particularly, the situation in the Eastern Ghouta is at a level of disaster."
Syria war: Thousands flee twin offensives in Afrin and Ghouta
Seven-year-old Rouaa has lived most of her life in a refugee camp
As many as 50,000 people have fled separate offensives against rebel forces in northern and southern Syria in recent days, activists say.
Russian air strikes reportedly killed 31 people in the Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus on Friday, after 20,000 people left the region.
Turkish shelling killed 18 people on Friday in the northern town of Afrin, where 30,000 people have fled.
Seven years of war have driven nearly 12 million Syrians from their homes.
At least 6.1 million are internally displaced while another 5.6 million have fled abroad.
More than 400,000 are believed to have been killed or are missing, presumed dead, since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.
The foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia and Iran - three countries closely involved in the conflict - have met in the Kazakh capital Astana to prepare for a summit on Syria in Istanbul next month.
Why is there a war in Syria?
How serious is the situation near Damascus?
Friday's deaths in the Eastern Ghouta were reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group.
They came as humanitarian corridors controlled by the Syrian government were meant to allow more civilians to leave the region.
The Russian defence ministry has been streaming what it says is live video of the checkpoints.
According to the Observatory, nearly 20,000 civilians fled rebel-held areas in the region on Thursday.
Civilians used a government-controlled corridor to leave the Eastern Ghouta
Pro-government forces are believed to have recaptured 70% of the region after three weeks of intense fighting against rebels there.
At the same time, 25 lorries carrying food aid entered the Ghouta town of Douma but the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the aid was just a fraction of what was needed.
ICRC president Peter Maurer said after visiting the region that people there were exhausted by the fighting and the lack of food and medicine.
"I'll probably remember the boy who approached me near the streets of Eastern Ghouta asking whether I had a small bottle of water which illustrates how dire the situation is," he said.
The crushing of the rebel enclave outside Damascus would be a major victory for President Assad.
Eastern Ghouta devastation seen from space
Falling hair and eating inedible plants to survive
What is happening on the Turkish border?
Afrin, a town populated mainly by ethnic Kurds near the frontier, has been under bombardment from the air and the ground by Turkish forces and their local Syrian allies.
Civilians took to the hilly roads around Afrin on Thursday
Some 30,000 people have fled the city and nearby villages, according to the Observatory. They headed towards villages held by Syrian government forces.
Turkey is targeting the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a US-backed militia that it regards as an extension of the Kurdish rebels on its own territory.
Afrin: What is going on in Syria's other battle?
Hundreds more families left overnight as shelling continued, the Observatory says. Five children were among those killed on Friday, it reports.
Brusk Hasakeh, a YPG spokesman, told Reuters news agency that Turkish forces and their Syrian militia allies were trying to storm Afrin from the north but the YPG and its women's affiliate, the YPJ, were fighting back.
Smoke could be seen near Afrin on Thursday
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a gathering in Ankara that his country would not stop until its mission to capture Afrin had been completed.
"The European Parliament is apparently going to ask for the Afrin operation to be stopped," he said.
"There is a lady [EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini] there who is responsible for [EU] enlargement. She is said to make such a request. Don't get your hopes up, we will not leave there until the job is done. You should know this."
What are the latest diplomatic efforts?
While Turkey is opposed to President Assad, Russia and Iran are the Syrian leader's closest allies.
From left: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Astana
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sought to portray the talks in Kazakhstan as an opportunity to bring lasting peace to Syria, saying "millions of Syrians are looking in the direction of Astana".
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the bombing of civilians was unacceptable.
"There has been a significant progress on minimising violence in the field but breaches of ceasefire today are concerning," he said. "Particularly, the situation in the Eastern Ghouta is at a level of disaster."
Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Just Lost Her Company After Being Accused of ‘Massive Fraud’ - TIME
Posted: 14 Mar 2018 10:18 AM PDT
(NEW YORK) — Elizabeth Holmes, a Stanford University dropout once billed as the “next Steve Jobs” has forfeited control Theranos, the blood testing startup she founded, and will pay $500,000 to settle charges that she oversaw a “massive fraud.”
Under an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, Holmes is barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company for 10 years. The SEC said it will pursue its case against the president of the company, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, in federal district court in the Northern District of California.
The settlement comes two years after the SEC, prompted by a Wall Street Journal investigation, began looking into claims at Theranos that it had developed potentially revolutionary blood-testing technology.
The Journal piece quoted former employees that suspected the technology was a fraud, and it found that the company was using routine blood testing equipment for the vast majority of its tests. The story raised concerns about the accuracy of Theranos’ blood testing technology, which put patients at risk of having conditions either misdiagnosed or ignored.
Holmes, 34, founded Theranos in Palo Alto, California, in 2003, pitching the company’s technology as a cheaper way to run dozens of blood tests. Once considered the nation’s youngest female billionaire, Holmes said she was inspired to start the company in response to her fear of needles.
Theranos raised millions in startup funding by promoting its tests as costing a “fraction” of what other labs charge.
At the center of Theranos’ mystique was its “Edison” machine, which the company claimed could test for a variety of diseases through only a few drops of blood from a person’s finger. Despite the hype and company claims, Theranos shared few details on how its Edison machine — named after the inventor — worked.
Theranos attracted extraordinary interest and loaded its board with huge names, mainly elder Washington statesmen, including two former U.S. secretaries of state: Henry Kissinger and George Schultz. The group was criticized for lacking expertise in science or medicine.
Holmes kept strict control over her image, wearing only black turtleneck sweaters in public, much like Steve Jobs.
Theranos and Holmes pushed back hard, and for months refused to acknowledge that its machines were effectively a sham. State and federal authorities started investigations into the accuracy of the company’s blood testing work. In 2016 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees blood testing labs in the U.S., banned Holmes from operating a lab and revoked Theranos’ blood testing license.
In late 2016, Theranos began shutting down its clinical labs and wellness centers and laid off more than 40 percent of its full-time employees.
Along with the fine announced Wednesday, Holmes has agreed to return 18.9 million shares of Theranos that she obtained during the fraud. If the company is sold or liquidated, Holmes will not profit from any remaining ownership in the company until at least $750 million in proceeds are returned to investors, the SEC said.
Theranos said Wednesday that neither the company nor Holmes admitted or denied wrongdoing.
“The Company is pleased to be bringing this matter to a close and looks forward to advancing its technology,” Theranos said in a prepared statement.
Under an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, Holmes is barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company for 10 years. The SEC said it will pursue its case against the president of the company, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, in federal district court in the Northern District of California.
The Journal piece quoted former employees that suspected the technology was a fraud, and it found that the company was using routine blood testing equipment for the vast majority of its tests. The story raised concerns about the accuracy of Theranos’ blood testing technology, which put patients at risk of having conditions either misdiagnosed or ignored.
Holmes, 34, founded Theranos in Palo Alto, California, in 2003, pitching the company’s technology as a cheaper way to run dozens of blood tests. Once considered the nation’s youngest female billionaire, Holmes said she was inspired to start the company in response to her fear of needles.
Theranos raised millions in startup funding by promoting its tests as costing a “fraction” of what other labs charge.
At the center of Theranos’ mystique was its “Edison” machine, which the company claimed could test for a variety of diseases through only a few drops of blood from a person’s finger. Despite the hype and company claims, Theranos shared few details on how its Edison machine — named after the inventor — worked.
Theranos attracted extraordinary interest and loaded its board with huge names, mainly elder Washington statesmen, including two former U.S. secretaries of state: Henry Kissinger and George Schultz. The group was criticized for lacking expertise in science or medicine.
Holmes kept strict control over her image, wearing only black turtleneck sweaters in public, much like Steve Jobs.
Theranos and Holmes pushed back hard, and for months refused to acknowledge that its machines were effectively a sham. State and federal authorities started investigations into the accuracy of the company’s blood testing work. In 2016 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees blood testing labs in the U.S., banned Holmes from operating a lab and revoked Theranos’ blood testing license.
In late 2016, Theranos began shutting down its clinical labs and wellness centers and laid off more than 40 percent of its full-time employees.
Along with the fine announced Wednesday, Holmes has agreed to return 18.9 million shares of Theranos that she obtained during the fraud. If the company is sold or liquidated, Holmes will not profit from any remaining ownership in the company until at least $750 million in proceeds are returned to investors, the SEC said.
Theranos said Wednesday that neither the company nor Holmes admitted or denied wrongdoing.
“The Company is pleased to be bringing this matter to a close and looks forward to advancing its technology,” Theranos said in a prepared statement.
Questions raised over construction of pedestrian bridge that collapsed at FIU - CBS News
March 15, 2018, 6:24 PM
Questions raised over construction of pedestrian bridge that collapsed at FIU
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Last Updated Mar 15, 2018 8:53 PM EDT
A newly installed pedestrian bridge that stretched over multiple lanes of traffic collapsed Thursday at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, causing at least four deaths, according to Miami-Dade fire chief Dave Downey. At least eight vehicles were crushed under the rubble, authorities said, as rescue efforts continued.
In the wake of the deadly accident, questions are being raised about the type of bridge that was being built, which was considered "first of its kind."
A press release from FIU lays out details of the bridge's construction: "The 174-foot, 950-ton section of the bridge was built adjacent to Southwest Eight Street using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods, which are being advanced at FIU's Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center. ... This method of construction reduces potential risks to workers, commuters and pedestrians and minimizes traffic interruptions. The main span of the FIU-Sweetwater UniversityCity Bridge was installed in a few hours with limited disruption to traffic over this weekend."
It continued: "Construction of the bridge began in the spring of 2017 and is expected to be completed in early 2019. When it is finished, the bridge will be 289 feet long and 109 feet tall. The 32-foot-wide bridge will also serve as study and gathering space."
The $14.2 million bridge connecting the university with the city of Sweetwater was installed Saturday in six hours over the eight-lane highway, according to a press release by FIU.
The bridge was erected to provide a safe route for students and visitors coming to and from the campus. The Reuters news agency reports that a 18-year-old female FIU student from San Diego was killed while trying to cross the busy street there last August.
A post about the bridge on the FIU Twitter account touts that it was the first in the world to be made entirely with "self-cleaning concrete."
@FIUnews
#DidYouKnow the new pedestrian bridge that will connect our FIU and the @CitySweetwater is the first in the world to be constructed entirely of self-cleaning concrete? #WorldsAhead
2:15 AM - Mar 11, 2018
The construction company which built the bridge, Munilla Construction Management (MCM), wrote on Twitter that the bridge "experienced a catastrophic collapse causing injuries and loss of life." The company promised to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Munilla Construction
@WeAreMCM
6:13 AM - Mar 16, 2018 · Hialeah, FL
The illustration included in the tweet shows the bridge design included a central beam with suspension cables extending upwards from the walkway, but those elements of the bridge did not appear to be in place yet and were not seen in video footage from the scene Thursday. It was unclear what the builders were using as temporary supports.
Robert Bea, a professor of engineering and construction management at the University of California, Berkeley, told The Associated Press it was too early to know exactly what happened, but the decision to use what the bridge builders called an "innovative installation" was risky, especially because the bridge spanned a heavily traveled thoroughfare.
"Innovations take a design firm into an area where they don't have applicable experience, and then we have another unexpected failure on our hands," Bea said after reviewing the bridge's design and photos of the collapse.
FIU provided a timelapse video in a press release showing the bridge's construction and the process of moving it into place over the weekend:
timelapse bridge square by FloridaInternational on YouTube
As the news broke about the accident, CBS News learned that FIU and the structural testing service for the bridge both deleted tweets celebrating the construction of the doomed structure.
A screengrab obtained by CBS News shows the university posted on March 13: "FIU is about building bridges and student safety. This project accomplished our mission beautifully" -- FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. The tweet has since been deleted.
The link redirects to a March 10 press release hosted on the FIU website titled, "First-of-its-kind pedestrian bridge 'swings' into place," which calls the bridge a "construction marvel" in a photo caption.
Another tweet that has since been deleted comes from BDI, which provides structural testing services and equipment. The company wrote March 12 that it was "thrilled to have performed structural monitoring" on the FIU project, and added "congratulations" to Barnhart Crane and Rigging (BCR) "on a job well done."
180315-bdi-deleted-tweet-fiu-bridge-collapse.jpg
A deleted tweet from BDI, which performed structural monitoring on the FIU bridge that collapsed on March 15, 2018. CBS NEWS
BDI hasn't responded to a request for comment yet.
Barnhart Crane and Rigging said in a statement that it was contracted to move the bridge into place and was not involved its design or construction. "Our scope of work was completed without incident and according to all technical requirements. Barnhart crews and equipment were not on site at the time of the incident," the company said, pledging to fully cooperate with the investigation.
It was also reported earlier Thursday that MCM, the construction firm, took its website down. It said on Twitter that it was "a family business and we are all devastated and doing everything we can to assist. We will conduct a full investigation to determine exactly what went wrong and will cooperate with investigators on scene in every way."
"Our deepest sympathies are with those affected by this accident," FIGG Bridge Engineers, the company hired to design the bridge, wrote in a statement. "We will fully cooperate with every appropriate authority in reviewing what happened and why. In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before. Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved."
Two workers were replacing something on the side of the bridge when it collapsed, according to CBS Miami.
The National Transportation Safety Board sent investigators to the scene and Gov. Rick Scott addressed the media late Thursday.
"We have a national tragedy on our hands," Sweetwater Mayor Orlando Lopez said.
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson has called for the Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao to start an immediate investigation
@SenBillNelson
Just spoke with the President of @FIU, Mark Rosenberg, regarding the collapsed pedestrian bridge and offered to help in any way I can and I'm calling Sec. of Transportation Chao to ask the NTSB to investigate what went wrong. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/west-miami-dade/article205316174.html …
@SenBillNelson
I asked Sec. of Transportation Chao to start an immediate investigation and assist the university as it is going through this tough time.
6:11 AM - Mar 16, 2018
12
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Questions raised over construction of pedestrian bridge that collapsed at FIU
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Last Updated Mar 15, 2018 8:53 PM EDT
A newly installed pedestrian bridge that stretched over multiple lanes of traffic collapsed Thursday at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, causing at least four deaths, according to Miami-Dade fire chief Dave Downey. At least eight vehicles were crushed under the rubble, authorities said, as rescue efforts continued.
In the wake of the deadly accident, questions are being raised about the type of bridge that was being built, which was considered "first of its kind."
A press release from FIU lays out details of the bridge's construction: "The 174-foot, 950-ton section of the bridge was built adjacent to Southwest Eight Street using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods, which are being advanced at FIU's Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center. ... This method of construction reduces potential risks to workers, commuters and pedestrians and minimizes traffic interruptions. The main span of the FIU-Sweetwater UniversityCity Bridge was installed in a few hours with limited disruption to traffic over this weekend."
It continued: "Construction of the bridge began in the spring of 2017 and is expected to be completed in early 2019. When it is finished, the bridge will be 289 feet long and 109 feet tall. The 32-foot-wide bridge will also serve as study and gathering space."
The $14.2 million bridge connecting the university with the city of Sweetwater was installed Saturday in six hours over the eight-lane highway, according to a press release by FIU.
The bridge was erected to provide a safe route for students and visitors coming to and from the campus. The Reuters news agency reports that a 18-year-old female FIU student from San Diego was killed while trying to cross the busy street there last August.
A post about the bridge on the FIU Twitter account touts that it was the first in the world to be made entirely with "self-cleaning concrete."
@FIUnews
#DidYouKnow the new pedestrian bridge that will connect our FIU and the @CitySweetwater is the first in the world to be constructed entirely of self-cleaning concrete? #WorldsAhead
2:15 AM - Mar 11, 2018
The construction company which built the bridge, Munilla Construction Management (MCM), wrote on Twitter that the bridge "experienced a catastrophic collapse causing injuries and loss of life." The company promised to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Munilla Construction
@WeAreMCM
6:13 AM - Mar 16, 2018 · Hialeah, FL
The illustration included in the tweet shows the bridge design included a central beam with suspension cables extending upwards from the walkway, but those elements of the bridge did not appear to be in place yet and were not seen in video footage from the scene Thursday. It was unclear what the builders were using as temporary supports.
Robert Bea, a professor of engineering and construction management at the University of California, Berkeley, told The Associated Press it was too early to know exactly what happened, but the decision to use what the bridge builders called an "innovative installation" was risky, especially because the bridge spanned a heavily traveled thoroughfare.
"Innovations take a design firm into an area where they don't have applicable experience, and then we have another unexpected failure on our hands," Bea said after reviewing the bridge's design and photos of the collapse.
FIU provided a timelapse video in a press release showing the bridge's construction and the process of moving it into place over the weekend:
timelapse bridge square by FloridaInternational on YouTube
As the news broke about the accident, CBS News learned that FIU and the structural testing service for the bridge both deleted tweets celebrating the construction of the doomed structure.
A screengrab obtained by CBS News shows the university posted on March 13: "FIU is about building bridges and student safety. This project accomplished our mission beautifully" -- FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. The tweet has since been deleted.
The link redirects to a March 10 press release hosted on the FIU website titled, "First-of-its-kind pedestrian bridge 'swings' into place," which calls the bridge a "construction marvel" in a photo caption.
Another tweet that has since been deleted comes from BDI, which provides structural testing services and equipment. The company wrote March 12 that it was "thrilled to have performed structural monitoring" on the FIU project, and added "congratulations" to Barnhart Crane and Rigging (BCR) "on a job well done."
180315-bdi-deleted-tweet-fiu-bridge-collapse.jpg
A deleted tweet from BDI, which performed structural monitoring on the FIU bridge that collapsed on March 15, 2018. CBS NEWS
BDI hasn't responded to a request for comment yet.
Barnhart Crane and Rigging said in a statement that it was contracted to move the bridge into place and was not involved its design or construction. "Our scope of work was completed without incident and according to all technical requirements. Barnhart crews and equipment were not on site at the time of the incident," the company said, pledging to fully cooperate with the investigation.
It was also reported earlier Thursday that MCM, the construction firm, took its website down. It said on Twitter that it was "a family business and we are all devastated and doing everything we can to assist. We will conduct a full investigation to determine exactly what went wrong and will cooperate with investigators on scene in every way."
"Our deepest sympathies are with those affected by this accident," FIGG Bridge Engineers, the company hired to design the bridge, wrote in a statement. "We will fully cooperate with every appropriate authority in reviewing what happened and why. In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before. Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved."
Two workers were replacing something on the side of the bridge when it collapsed, according to CBS Miami.
The National Transportation Safety Board sent investigators to the scene and Gov. Rick Scott addressed the media late Thursday.
"We have a national tragedy on our hands," Sweetwater Mayor Orlando Lopez said.
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson has called for the Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao to start an immediate investigation
@SenBillNelson
Just spoke with the President of @FIU, Mark Rosenberg, regarding the collapsed pedestrian bridge and offered to help in any way I can and I'm calling Sec. of Transportation Chao to ask the NTSB to investigate what went wrong. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/west-miami-dade/article205316174.html …
@SenBillNelson
I asked Sec. of Transportation Chao to start an immediate investigation and assist the university as it is going through this tough time.
6:11 AM - Mar 16, 2018
12
See Bill Nelson's other Tweets
Soviet-born Donald Trump adviser Felix Sater: 'Send 'em to jail' if Robert Mueller finds collusion - ABC News
Soviet-born Donald Trump adviser Felix Sater: 'Send 'em to jail' if Robert Mueller finds collusion
By PETE MADDEN MEGHAN KENEALLY Mar 16, 2018, 6:06 AM ET
Felix Sater is a lot of things. One of them, he says, is misunderstood.
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The Soviet-born American businessman, who once billed himself as a “senior advisor to Donald Trump,” has become known for his supporting role in the unfolding drama that is Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. Sater is often referred to as the convicted felon and onetime stock scammer who promised to “get all of Putins team to buy in” on a proposed plan to build “Trump Tower Moscow” in the heat of the presidential campaign.
“I know how to play it, and we will get this done,” Sater wrote to Trump attorney and confidant Michael Cohen, his childhood friend, in emails published by The Washington Post and The New York Times. “Buddy, our boy can become president of the USA, and we can engineer it.”
The project was abandoned, but as federal investigators launched a wide-ranging probe of alleged Russsian interference in the 2016 election including possible connections to Trump’s campaign and personal businesses, Sater quickly found himself caught in the dragnet. Now, in an exclusive interview with George Stephanopoulos airing Friday morning on Good Morning America, Sater tells ABC News that there is much, much more to his life story.
And he’s right.
“I don’t think if a screenwriter was trying to write this movie that they could make this up,” Sater said.
PHOTO: Donald Trump, Tevfik Arif and Felix Sater attend the Trump Soho Launch Party, on Sept. 19, 2007 in New York City.Mark Von Holden/Getty Images
Donald Trump, Tevfik Arif and Felix Sater attend the Trump Soho Launch Party, on Sept. 19, 2007 in New York City.
Sater, 52, says that for the past two decades he has served as a high-level intelligence asset for the DIA, CIA and the FBI. As first reported this week by Buzzfeed News, Sater has helped bust mafia families, capture cybercriminals and pursue top terrorists — including Osama bin Laden — earning praise from some of the country’s top law enforcement officials.
He won’t say whether or not he’s been interviewed by the special counsel, but it’s almost certain that Mueller knows his body of work well. He served as FBI Director for much of Sater’s clandestine career.
As questions have swirled about his supposed loyalty to Russia, Sater is speaking out, recasting himself as an unheralded protector of the United States.
“I am a patriot,” Sater said. “Having the opportunity to serve my country and do anything in its defense was a no brainer. It was, ‘Where do I sign up?’”
A SURPRISING COVERT PAST
Sater says he was recruited as an intelligence asset in perhaps the unlikeliest of places — the bathroom.
He was a young man living in Russia, where he was born, trying to rebuild a business career derailed by what he calls “a bad, stupid, drunken night in a bar.” He had been convicted of felony assault charges and spent a year in prison following a bloody bar fight in which he stabbed a man in the face with a margarita glass.
He needed money so desperately upon his release, he says, that he started working on what he calls “the dark side of Wall Street,” a reference to a so-called “pump-and-dump” stock scheme that reportedly defrauded investors of nearly $40 million.
He was at a dinner party in Moscow when he says one of the guests followed him into the bathroom and identified himself as an agent of the U.S. government. He told Sater that he had unwittingly gained access to a group of high-level Russian intelligence operatives who had valuable information about Russian defense technology.
“They seem to like you,” Sater recalls being told. “You speak Russian. You blend in there. And your country needs you.”
Tamir Sapir and Felix Sater attend Trump Soho Hotel Condominium Launch Party at Tribeca Rooftop on Sept. 19, 2007 in New York.
So began, Sater says, career in espionage. He says he developed assets in several different countries by cultivating cover as a corrupt businessman offering access to illicit schemes and passed information to U.S. agents tasked with handling a variety of threats to national security.
“They used to come to me with cases that had nothing to do with me and ask for my assistance, in which I would enthusiastically and wholeheartedly dive in and try to help,” he said.
He says he tipped off law enforcement to potential assassination attempts on Secretary of State Colin Powell and President George W. Bush; obtained information and photographs about North Korea’s burgeoning nuclear program; lured Russian cybercriminals hacking the U.S. financial system out of hidings so that they could be unmasked and captured.
And, he says, he was even tasked with hunting for Osama bin Laden and managed to turn Mullah Omar’s personal secretary into a key source that provided intelligence about al-Qaeda hideouts.
The information he had obtained was so valuable that when his past caught up with him and he finally faced his sentencing in connection with that multimillion-dollar fraud, the judge let him off with a mere $25,000 fine.
That work, he says, continues in some unspecified capacity to this day. He said as recently as last year he was asked for “assistance in making evaluations of various foreign governments [and] foreign individuals.”
He reportedly told this story under oath when he testified recently before the House Intelligence Committee, at which point he said even “the Democratic aides who were there to question [me] regarding the Russia-Trump investigation stopped, paused and thanks me for my service to my country.”
“One of the few times in my life that I almost cried,” Sater said.
WHAT HE SAYS HE DID - AND DIDN'T - KNOW
Sater says he made himself valuable to the U.S. government by knowing everything. When it comes to Trump, however, he says he knows next to nothing.
His company, Bayrock Group, began renting office space in Trump Tower. Sater says he introduced himself to Trump in 2000 and began funneling development proposals to Trump’s desk shortly thereafter.
“I would bring him deals,” Sater said.
Sater claims he has helped the Trump Organization secure financing on several major projects, but none has garnered more scrutiny than a failed proposal to build “Trump Tower Moscow” amid the launch of Trump’s controversial campaign for the presidency.
In 2015, Trump signed a non-binding letter of intent, which promised a $4 million initial payment to the Trump Organization, to build the tallest building in the world in Moscow. In emails sent to Cohen published by the Post and the Times, Sater appears to celebrate an apparent merger of Trump’s business and political fortunes.
Faced with questions about his boast that he and Cohen could “engineer” a Trump presidency using the deal to court Russian President Vladimir Putin’s support, Sater pleaded ignorance.
“I am not a political person,” Sater said. “I don't understand the implications of the politics or the various strings that get attached to it and how good or bad it may look.”
Any perceived alignment of Trump’s business and political interests, he said, was purely coincidental.
“I was trying to do a real estate transaction,” Sater told ABC News. “I clearly was not involved in the campaign, nor was I involved in any of the political end, and the hope that a large transaction like that would be built, if that was helpful to his run, that would be great.”
Asked if he knew certain key member of the Trump campaign, he claimed to have had “zero contact” with many of the Trump allies who have fallen under the spotlight. He denied knowing Michael Flynn. And Paul Manafort. And Rick Gates. And George Papadopoulos. And Carter Page.
Asked if then-candidate Trump could have softened his stance on Russia because he was simultaneously pursuing a business deal there, Sater demurred.
“I can’t speak for the president,” he said.
And asked if — given his extensive sources in the both the Russian foreign intelligence services and the Russian criminal underworld — he knew of the effort underway to influence the U.S. election, he paused before issuing a forceful denial.
“I was not aware of what they were doing,” Sater said. “I read about it, just like everyone else, in the newspapers.”
Sater called Trump’s claim that he couldn’t pick him out of a lineup “disappointing,” but says Trump has nothing to fear from his testimony to investigators. He is unaware, he said, of any Russian money in any of the Trump projects he worked on and unaware of anyone in Trump’s orbit who may have colluded with foreign powers during the campaign.
If Mueller finds any, Sater recommended stiff penalties.
“Send ‘em to jail,” he said. “Anybody who colluded with anybody-- with any other country against America -- is guilty of crimes against our country.”
But as for himself, Sater isn’t worried.
“Eventually, it will become known that I’m guilty of trying to build the world’s tallest building,” Sater said, “and that’s about it.”
ABC News’ Matthew Mosk contributed to this report.
By PETE MADDEN MEGHAN KENEALLY Mar 16, 2018, 6:06 AM ET
Felix Sater is a lot of things. One of them, he says, is misunderstood.
Interested in Donald Trump?
Add Donald Trump as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Donald Trump news, video, and analysis from ABC News.
Donald Trump Add Interest
The Soviet-born American businessman, who once billed himself as a “senior advisor to Donald Trump,” has become known for his supporting role in the unfolding drama that is Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. Sater is often referred to as the convicted felon and onetime stock scammer who promised to “get all of Putins team to buy in” on a proposed plan to build “Trump Tower Moscow” in the heat of the presidential campaign.
“I know how to play it, and we will get this done,” Sater wrote to Trump attorney and confidant Michael Cohen, his childhood friend, in emails published by The Washington Post and The New York Times. “Buddy, our boy can become president of the USA, and we can engineer it.”
The project was abandoned, but as federal investigators launched a wide-ranging probe of alleged Russsian interference in the 2016 election including possible connections to Trump’s campaign and personal businesses, Sater quickly found himself caught in the dragnet. Now, in an exclusive interview with George Stephanopoulos airing Friday morning on Good Morning America, Sater tells ABC News that there is much, much more to his life story.
And he’s right.
“I don’t think if a screenwriter was trying to write this movie that they could make this up,” Sater said.
PHOTO: Donald Trump, Tevfik Arif and Felix Sater attend the Trump Soho Launch Party, on Sept. 19, 2007 in New York City.Mark Von Holden/Getty Images
Donald Trump, Tevfik Arif and Felix Sater attend the Trump Soho Launch Party, on Sept. 19, 2007 in New York City.
Sater, 52, says that for the past two decades he has served as a high-level intelligence asset for the DIA, CIA and the FBI. As first reported this week by Buzzfeed News, Sater has helped bust mafia families, capture cybercriminals and pursue top terrorists — including Osama bin Laden — earning praise from some of the country’s top law enforcement officials.
He won’t say whether or not he’s been interviewed by the special counsel, but it’s almost certain that Mueller knows his body of work well. He served as FBI Director for much of Sater’s clandestine career.
As questions have swirled about his supposed loyalty to Russia, Sater is speaking out, recasting himself as an unheralded protector of the United States.
“I am a patriot,” Sater said. “Having the opportunity to serve my country and do anything in its defense was a no brainer. It was, ‘Where do I sign up?’”
A SURPRISING COVERT PAST
Sater says he was recruited as an intelligence asset in perhaps the unlikeliest of places — the bathroom.
He was a young man living in Russia, where he was born, trying to rebuild a business career derailed by what he calls “a bad, stupid, drunken night in a bar.” He had been convicted of felony assault charges and spent a year in prison following a bloody bar fight in which he stabbed a man in the face with a margarita glass.
He needed money so desperately upon his release, he says, that he started working on what he calls “the dark side of Wall Street,” a reference to a so-called “pump-and-dump” stock scheme that reportedly defrauded investors of nearly $40 million.
He was at a dinner party in Moscow when he says one of the guests followed him into the bathroom and identified himself as an agent of the U.S. government. He told Sater that he had unwittingly gained access to a group of high-level Russian intelligence operatives who had valuable information about Russian defense technology.
“They seem to like you,” Sater recalls being told. “You speak Russian. You blend in there. And your country needs you.”
Tamir Sapir and Felix Sater attend Trump Soho Hotel Condominium Launch Party at Tribeca Rooftop on Sept. 19, 2007 in New York.
So began, Sater says, career in espionage. He says he developed assets in several different countries by cultivating cover as a corrupt businessman offering access to illicit schemes and passed information to U.S. agents tasked with handling a variety of threats to national security.
“They used to come to me with cases that had nothing to do with me and ask for my assistance, in which I would enthusiastically and wholeheartedly dive in and try to help,” he said.
He says he tipped off law enforcement to potential assassination attempts on Secretary of State Colin Powell and President George W. Bush; obtained information and photographs about North Korea’s burgeoning nuclear program; lured Russian cybercriminals hacking the U.S. financial system out of hidings so that they could be unmasked and captured.
And, he says, he was even tasked with hunting for Osama bin Laden and managed to turn Mullah Omar’s personal secretary into a key source that provided intelligence about al-Qaeda hideouts.
The information he had obtained was so valuable that when his past caught up with him and he finally faced his sentencing in connection with that multimillion-dollar fraud, the judge let him off with a mere $25,000 fine.
That work, he says, continues in some unspecified capacity to this day. He said as recently as last year he was asked for “assistance in making evaluations of various foreign governments [and] foreign individuals.”
He reportedly told this story under oath when he testified recently before the House Intelligence Committee, at which point he said even “the Democratic aides who were there to question [me] regarding the Russia-Trump investigation stopped, paused and thanks me for my service to my country.”
“One of the few times in my life that I almost cried,” Sater said.
WHAT HE SAYS HE DID - AND DIDN'T - KNOW
Sater says he made himself valuable to the U.S. government by knowing everything. When it comes to Trump, however, he says he knows next to nothing.
His company, Bayrock Group, began renting office space in Trump Tower. Sater says he introduced himself to Trump in 2000 and began funneling development proposals to Trump’s desk shortly thereafter.
“I would bring him deals,” Sater said.
Sater claims he has helped the Trump Organization secure financing on several major projects, but none has garnered more scrutiny than a failed proposal to build “Trump Tower Moscow” amid the launch of Trump’s controversial campaign for the presidency.
In 2015, Trump signed a non-binding letter of intent, which promised a $4 million initial payment to the Trump Organization, to build the tallest building in the world in Moscow. In emails sent to Cohen published by the Post and the Times, Sater appears to celebrate an apparent merger of Trump’s business and political fortunes.
Faced with questions about his boast that he and Cohen could “engineer” a Trump presidency using the deal to court Russian President Vladimir Putin’s support, Sater pleaded ignorance.
“I am not a political person,” Sater said. “I don't understand the implications of the politics or the various strings that get attached to it and how good or bad it may look.”
Any perceived alignment of Trump’s business and political interests, he said, was purely coincidental.
“I was trying to do a real estate transaction,” Sater told ABC News. “I clearly was not involved in the campaign, nor was I involved in any of the political end, and the hope that a large transaction like that would be built, if that was helpful to his run, that would be great.”
Asked if he knew certain key member of the Trump campaign, he claimed to have had “zero contact” with many of the Trump allies who have fallen under the spotlight. He denied knowing Michael Flynn. And Paul Manafort. And Rick Gates. And George Papadopoulos. And Carter Page.
Asked if then-candidate Trump could have softened his stance on Russia because he was simultaneously pursuing a business deal there, Sater demurred.
“I can’t speak for the president,” he said.
And asked if — given his extensive sources in the both the Russian foreign intelligence services and the Russian criminal underworld — he knew of the effort underway to influence the U.S. election, he paused before issuing a forceful denial.
“I was not aware of what they were doing,” Sater said. “I read about it, just like everyone else, in the newspapers.”
Sater called Trump’s claim that he couldn’t pick him out of a lineup “disappointing,” but says Trump has nothing to fear from his testimony to investigators. He is unaware, he said, of any Russian money in any of the Trump projects he worked on and unaware of anyone in Trump’s orbit who may have colluded with foreign powers during the campaign.
If Mueller finds any, Sater recommended stiff penalties.
“Send ‘em to jail,” he said. “Anybody who colluded with anybody-- with any other country against America -- is guilty of crimes against our country.”
But as for himself, Sater isn’t worried.
“Eventually, it will become known that I’m guilty of trying to build the world’s tallest building,” Sater said, “and that’s about it.”
ABC News’ Matthew Mosk contributed to this report.
Trump Blocks Broadcom Takeover of Qualcomm on Security Risks - Bloomberg
Trump Blocks Broadcom Takeover of Qualcomm on Security Risks
By
March 13, 2018, 9:32 AM GMT+11 Updated on March 13, 2018, 7:24 PM GMT+11
U.S. national security officials had opposed Qualcomm sale
Broadcom CEO made last-ditch bid to save $117 billion takeover
Bloomberg’s Ian King reports on President Trump’s executive order to block Broadcom from acquiring Qualcomm.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday blocking Broadcom Ltd. from pursuing its hostile takeover of Qualcomm Inc., scuttling a $117 billion deal that had been scrutinized by a secretive panel over the tie-up’s threat to U.S. national security.
Trump acted on a recommendation by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which reviews acquisitions of American firms by foreign investors. The decision was unveiled just hours after Hock Tan, the chief executive officer of Singapore-based Broadcom, met with officials at the Pentagon in a last-ditch effort to salvage what would have been the biggest technology deal in history.
"There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that Broadcom Ltd.," by acquiring Qualcomm, "might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States," Trump said in the order released Monday evening in Washington.
The order underscores the tough stance the Trump administration is taking on foreign takeovers of U.S. technology firms. In September, he blocked the sale of Lattice Semiconductor Corp. to a Chinese-backed investor. That was just the fourth time in a quarter century that a U.S. president stopped a foreign takeover of an American firm on national security grounds. At least a half-dozen technology deals have collapsed during the Trump administration in the face of concerns raised by CFIUS.
Broadcom said in a statement it was reviewing the order and that it "strongly disagrees that its proposed acquisition of Qualcomm raises any national security concerns." Qualcomm didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Shares in Qualcomm fell 4.83 percent at 9:20 a.m. in Frankfurt.
Killed or Abandoned Under Trump
Committee on Foreign Investments in the U.S. steps up opposition to takeovers from abroad
Source: Data compiled by Bloomberg
The order marked an unprecedented move by the White House to stop a hostile bid for a company. Broadcom didn’t have an agreement to buy San Diego-based Qualcomm. It was fighting to win support from Qualcomm shareholders to gain control of its rival’s board and move forward with its offer. Before waiting for an actual deal, CFIUS opened an investigation to review the risks to national security.
Initially, CFIUS was split on whether to weigh in. Pentagon officials insisted on a review of Broadcom’s proxy battle, while Treasury had pushed back, according to people familiar with the matter.
But then on March 4, Treasury ordered Qualcomm to postpone its shareholder vote by 30 days, saying that a takeover by Broadcom threatened Qualcomm’s leadership in developing the next generation of wireless technology. The government said it feared Broadcom would cut investment in research and development in order to increase short-term profits. That could allow Chinese companies, namely Huawei Technologies Co., to become the dominant supplier, the U.S. said.
Trump’s order came as Broadcom was in the midst of moving its headquarters from Singapore to the U.S. Broadcom had announced the move in November after Tan met with Trump at the White House. After the meeting, CFIUS approved Broadcom’s takeover of Brocade Communications Systems, conditioned on the headquarters move, according to Broadcom.
How China’s Huawei Killed $117 Billion Broadcom Deal: QuickTake
On Monday, Tan went to the Pentagon to meet with CFIUS officials in a bid to address their concerns. Tan argued that combining Broadcom and Qualcomm would actually further U.S. interests by advancing the development of the next generation of wireless technology known as 5G, according to a person familiar with the meeting.
Tan’s meeting followed a letter from Treasury to the companies Sunday that said national security risks from the takeover may prompt a recommendation to Trump to block the deal.
"In the absence of information that changes CFIUS’s assessment of the national security risks posed by this transaction, CFIUS would consider taking further action, including but not limited to referring the transaction to the president for decision," Treasury said in the letter, which Qualcomm made public earlier Monday.
— With assistance by Ian King
By
March 13, 2018, 9:32 AM GMT+11 Updated on March 13, 2018, 7:24 PM GMT+11
U.S. national security officials had opposed Qualcomm sale
Broadcom CEO made last-ditch bid to save $117 billion takeover
Bloomberg’s Ian King reports on President Trump’s executive order to block Broadcom from acquiring Qualcomm.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday blocking Broadcom Ltd. from pursuing its hostile takeover of Qualcomm Inc., scuttling a $117 billion deal that had been scrutinized by a secretive panel over the tie-up’s threat to U.S. national security.
Trump acted on a recommendation by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which reviews acquisitions of American firms by foreign investors. The decision was unveiled just hours after Hock Tan, the chief executive officer of Singapore-based Broadcom, met with officials at the Pentagon in a last-ditch effort to salvage what would have been the biggest technology deal in history.
"There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that Broadcom Ltd.," by acquiring Qualcomm, "might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States," Trump said in the order released Monday evening in Washington.
The order underscores the tough stance the Trump administration is taking on foreign takeovers of U.S. technology firms. In September, he blocked the sale of Lattice Semiconductor Corp. to a Chinese-backed investor. That was just the fourth time in a quarter century that a U.S. president stopped a foreign takeover of an American firm on national security grounds. At least a half-dozen technology deals have collapsed during the Trump administration in the face of concerns raised by CFIUS.
Broadcom said in a statement it was reviewing the order and that it "strongly disagrees that its proposed acquisition of Qualcomm raises any national security concerns." Qualcomm didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Shares in Qualcomm fell 4.83 percent at 9:20 a.m. in Frankfurt.
Killed or Abandoned Under Trump
Committee on Foreign Investments in the U.S. steps up opposition to takeovers from abroad
Source: Data compiled by Bloomberg
The order marked an unprecedented move by the White House to stop a hostile bid for a company. Broadcom didn’t have an agreement to buy San Diego-based Qualcomm. It was fighting to win support from Qualcomm shareholders to gain control of its rival’s board and move forward with its offer. Before waiting for an actual deal, CFIUS opened an investigation to review the risks to national security.
Initially, CFIUS was split on whether to weigh in. Pentagon officials insisted on a review of Broadcom’s proxy battle, while Treasury had pushed back, according to people familiar with the matter.
But then on March 4, Treasury ordered Qualcomm to postpone its shareholder vote by 30 days, saying that a takeover by Broadcom threatened Qualcomm’s leadership in developing the next generation of wireless technology. The government said it feared Broadcom would cut investment in research and development in order to increase short-term profits. That could allow Chinese companies, namely Huawei Technologies Co., to become the dominant supplier, the U.S. said.
Trump’s order came as Broadcom was in the midst of moving its headquarters from Singapore to the U.S. Broadcom had announced the move in November after Tan met with Trump at the White House. After the meeting, CFIUS approved Broadcom’s takeover of Brocade Communications Systems, conditioned on the headquarters move, according to Broadcom.
How China’s Huawei Killed $117 Billion Broadcom Deal: QuickTake
On Monday, Tan went to the Pentagon to meet with CFIUS officials in a bid to address their concerns. Tan argued that combining Broadcom and Qualcomm would actually further U.S. interests by advancing the development of the next generation of wireless technology known as 5G, according to a person familiar with the meeting.
Tan’s meeting followed a letter from Treasury to the companies Sunday that said national security risks from the takeover may prompt a recommendation to Trump to block the deal.
"In the absence of information that changes CFIUS’s assessment of the national security risks posed by this transaction, CFIUS would consider taking further action, including but not limited to referring the transaction to the president for decision," Treasury said in the letter, which Qualcomm made public earlier Monday.
— With assistance by Ian King
Tillerson firing complicates State Department's Trump-Kim summit planning - ABC News
Tillerson firing complicates State Department's Trump-Kim summit planning
By CONOR FINNEGAN Mar 15, 2018, 10:23 PM ET
When the South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers come to Washington Friday for all-important talks on the planned summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the top State Department official meeting with them won't be Mike Pompeo, the president's nominee to be secretary of state, or even the outgoing secretary, Rex Tillerson.
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That duty falls to Tillerson's number two, Deputy Secretary John Sullivan. He's been given Tillerson's authorities and responsibilities and will become acting secretary on April 1.
And until there's a confirmation hearing for Pompeo, which won't happen until April, and a Senate confirmation vote, Pompeo won't be able to take the lead on North Korea and other pressing diplomatic issues.
North Korea has not yet responded to Trump's acceptance of Kim's offer to meet, or confirmed the promises South Korea says Kim made, but State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Thursday the administration isn't concerned.
"That is the agreement that Kim Jong Un provided to the Republic of Korea. That information was presented to us, and so we are going forward in full faith and understanding that a meeting will go forward," she said.
The department's East Asia bureau is preparing for that Trump-Kim summit, Nauert said. "We are operating in good faith and planning to go ahead with that."
The White House is spearheading the meeting, but State is supporting by providing staffers, guidance, translation, and more.
Nauert insisted those efforts have not been hampered by the loss of Amb. Joseph Yun, the special representative for North Korea policy, who retired last month and had years of experience and contact with North Korean officials.
"You all -- many of you -- ask me a million questions about Joe Yun like he's the second coming of Christ. For goodness sake, there are many capable people here," Nauert said, after touting the remaining colleagues who "are even more senior than Amb. Yun" and who "are not showboats, they are not people who run out in front of cameras and want to make it known to the world that this is what they do."
.
She later denied that that was a jab at Yun.
Tillerson is still technically secretary of state until midnight on March 31. Beyond the meetings with Japanese and South Korean leaders, Sullivan now takes on Tillerson’s role at White House meetings, signs off on papers and more.
In the meantime, Tillerson will proceed with the proper paperwork to prepare his departure and be on hand to help prepare his predecessor for the transition.
PHOTO: Staff members including Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, second from right, watches as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, March 13, 2018.Andrew Harnik/AP
Staff members including Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, second from right, watches as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, March 13, 2018.more +
But given that Tillerson was fired, why is he hanging around?
"This is the arrangement that was worked out between the Secretary and the White House," Nauert said Thursday.
Nauert said Tillerson and Pompeo have plans to talk, although one source told ABC News that they did speak already on Tuesday. Pompeo's staff is also having meetings and conversations with Tillerson's about the transition, including briefing him and them.
There are still competing narratives of how Tillerson was fired, with the White House saying Tillerson was told Friday while the State Department said Tuesday that Tillerson did not know he was terminated until Trump's tweet.
Nauert hedged toward the White House version, saying only that chief of staff John Kelly called Tillerson on Friday, but that she wouldn't go beyond that.
Nauert also downplayed the loss as a disruption to State Department's functions or a break in policies.
"This building and what we do at the State Department is bigger than any one individual," Nauert said. "The work of the State Department goes on all across the world today. So just because our secretary, Secretary Tillerson, will no longer be the Secretary of State as of March 31st does not mean that we hit the pause button. It is the policy of this administration that we are advancing, and our people are hard at work."
To others in the building, that has not been true. One official told ABC News that their bureau is not even planning travel at the moment because they're not sure what happens next.
But Nauert pointed to a big meeting in Berlin, where senior State Department official Brian Hook is meeting with German, British, and French officials to negotiate a side agreement to the Iran nuclear deal to deal with Iran's ballistic missiles and "malign" activities -- despite Pompeo's opposition to the Obama-era agreement.
By CONOR FINNEGAN Mar 15, 2018, 10:23 PM ET
When the South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers come to Washington Friday for all-important talks on the planned summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the top State Department official meeting with them won't be Mike Pompeo, the president's nominee to be secretary of state, or even the outgoing secretary, Rex Tillerson.
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That duty falls to Tillerson's number two, Deputy Secretary John Sullivan. He's been given Tillerson's authorities and responsibilities and will become acting secretary on April 1.
And until there's a confirmation hearing for Pompeo, which won't happen until April, and a Senate confirmation vote, Pompeo won't be able to take the lead on North Korea and other pressing diplomatic issues.
North Korea has not yet responded to Trump's acceptance of Kim's offer to meet, or confirmed the promises South Korea says Kim made, but State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Thursday the administration isn't concerned.
"That is the agreement that Kim Jong Un provided to the Republic of Korea. That information was presented to us, and so we are going forward in full faith and understanding that a meeting will go forward," she said.
The department's East Asia bureau is preparing for that Trump-Kim summit, Nauert said. "We are operating in good faith and planning to go ahead with that."
The White House is spearheading the meeting, but State is supporting by providing staffers, guidance, translation, and more.
Nauert insisted those efforts have not been hampered by the loss of Amb. Joseph Yun, the special representative for North Korea policy, who retired last month and had years of experience and contact with North Korean officials.
"You all -- many of you -- ask me a million questions about Joe Yun like he's the second coming of Christ. For goodness sake, there are many capable people here," Nauert said, after touting the remaining colleagues who "are even more senior than Amb. Yun" and who "are not showboats, they are not people who run out in front of cameras and want to make it known to the world that this is what they do."
.
She later denied that that was a jab at Yun.
Tillerson is still technically secretary of state until midnight on March 31. Beyond the meetings with Japanese and South Korean leaders, Sullivan now takes on Tillerson’s role at White House meetings, signs off on papers and more.
In the meantime, Tillerson will proceed with the proper paperwork to prepare his departure and be on hand to help prepare his predecessor for the transition.
PHOTO: Staff members including Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, second from right, watches as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, March 13, 2018.Andrew Harnik/AP
Staff members including Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, second from right, watches as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, March 13, 2018.more +
But given that Tillerson was fired, why is he hanging around?
"This is the arrangement that was worked out between the Secretary and the White House," Nauert said Thursday.
Nauert said Tillerson and Pompeo have plans to talk, although one source told ABC News that they did speak already on Tuesday. Pompeo's staff is also having meetings and conversations with Tillerson's about the transition, including briefing him and them.
There are still competing narratives of how Tillerson was fired, with the White House saying Tillerson was told Friday while the State Department said Tuesday that Tillerson did not know he was terminated until Trump's tweet.
Nauert hedged toward the White House version, saying only that chief of staff John Kelly called Tillerson on Friday, but that she wouldn't go beyond that.
Nauert also downplayed the loss as a disruption to State Department's functions or a break in policies.
"This building and what we do at the State Department is bigger than any one individual," Nauert said. "The work of the State Department goes on all across the world today. So just because our secretary, Secretary Tillerson, will no longer be the Secretary of State as of March 31st does not mean that we hit the pause button. It is the policy of this administration that we are advancing, and our people are hard at work."
To others in the building, that has not been true. One official told ABC News that their bureau is not even planning travel at the moment because they're not sure what happens next.
But Nauert pointed to a big meeting in Berlin, where senior State Department official Brian Hook is meeting with German, British, and French officials to negotiate a side agreement to the Iran nuclear deal to deal with Iran's ballistic missiles and "malign" activities -- despite Pompeo's opposition to the Obama-era agreement.
Blackberry modified to 'help drug cartels' - BBC News
16/3/2018
Blackberry modified to 'help drug cartels'
Dave Lee
North America technology reporter
The chief executive of a company that created highly-secure smartphones allegedly used by some of the world's most notorious criminals has been indicted.
Canadian-based Phantom Secure made "tens of millions of dollars" selling the modified Blackberry devices for use by the likes of the Sinaloa Cartel, investigators said.
The charges marked the first time US authorities have targeted a company for knowingly making encrypted technology for criminals.
The Department of Justice arrested Vincent Ramos in Seattle last week. He was indicted on Thursday along with four associates.
The BBC has been unable to reach Phantom Secure.
They are charged with racketeering and conspiracy to aid the distribution of drugs. Both crimes have a maximum penalty of life in prison. Mr Ramos is the only one of the group currently in custody.
"This organisation Phantom Secure was designed to facilitate international drug trafficking all throughout the entire world," US attorney Adam Braverman told the BBC.
"These traffickers, including members of the Sinaloa Cartel, would use these fully-encrypted devices to facilitate their drug trafficking activities in order to avoid law enforcement scrutiny."
'Handful of other organisations'
Blackberry did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday - and investigators would not say whether the firm had worked with them on this case. Mr Braverman said Blackberry was not alone in having its handsets altered for illegal purposes.
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"Our understanding is there are a handful of other organisations that exist like this. The FBI, and our office, will continue investigating not only Phantom Secure but any other company that provides this kind of communication device to criminal organisations."
He added that while almost every smartphone on the market offers hard-to-crack encryption - as well as apps from Facebook, Google and Apple - Phantom Secure should be held culpable for what the users of its services were doing.
"The difference is this company was specifically-designed to aid international drug trafficking organisations," he said.
"The only way that you're able to actually utilize one of these devices and obtain one of these devices is if somebody else vouched for you."
Phantom Secure sold devices on a subscription basis at a cost of $2,000-$3,000 for around six months of use.
In order to become a customer, an existing user must vouch for the new person. That system, authorities said, was a way of preventing law enforcement from getting hold of the devices.
Agents estimated as many as 20,000 Phantom Secure-modified handsets are in use around the world.
Communications through the phones are automatically routed to servers in Panama and Hong Kong, according to court documents, making data more difficult to trace.
Phantom Secure could also remove key functionality from the devices to lock them down, such as voice communication, microphone, GPS, camera, internet and messaging apps, leaving just the text functionality.
Law enforcement authorities have repeatedly been frustrated by encryption technology making it harder to access communications between suspects.
In 2016, Apple refused to provide a tool that would allow the FBI to unlock an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook, a man involved in a mass shooting that resulted in the death of 14 people.
On Thursday, a spokesman for the FBI reiterated the agency's concern about criminals being able to "go dark" and hide behind these sophisticated technologies.
Privacy and open rights activists argue that removing or just weakening encryption would put everyone at risk of data theft and surveillance - not just criminals.
Blackberry modified to 'help drug cartels'
Dave Lee
North America technology reporter
The chief executive of a company that created highly-secure smartphones allegedly used by some of the world's most notorious criminals has been indicted.
Canadian-based Phantom Secure made "tens of millions of dollars" selling the modified Blackberry devices for use by the likes of the Sinaloa Cartel, investigators said.
The charges marked the first time US authorities have targeted a company for knowingly making encrypted technology for criminals.
The Department of Justice arrested Vincent Ramos in Seattle last week. He was indicted on Thursday along with four associates.
The BBC has been unable to reach Phantom Secure.
They are charged with racketeering and conspiracy to aid the distribution of drugs. Both crimes have a maximum penalty of life in prison. Mr Ramos is the only one of the group currently in custody.
"This organisation Phantom Secure was designed to facilitate international drug trafficking all throughout the entire world," US attorney Adam Braverman told the BBC.
"These traffickers, including members of the Sinaloa Cartel, would use these fully-encrypted devices to facilitate their drug trafficking activities in order to avoid law enforcement scrutiny."
'Handful of other organisations'
Blackberry did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday - and investigators would not say whether the firm had worked with them on this case. Mr Braverman said Blackberry was not alone in having its handsets altered for illegal purposes.
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"Our understanding is there are a handful of other organisations that exist like this. The FBI, and our office, will continue investigating not only Phantom Secure but any other company that provides this kind of communication device to criminal organisations."
He added that while almost every smartphone on the market offers hard-to-crack encryption - as well as apps from Facebook, Google and Apple - Phantom Secure should be held culpable for what the users of its services were doing.
"The difference is this company was specifically-designed to aid international drug trafficking organisations," he said.
"The only way that you're able to actually utilize one of these devices and obtain one of these devices is if somebody else vouched for you."
Phantom Secure sold devices on a subscription basis at a cost of $2,000-$3,000 for around six months of use.
In order to become a customer, an existing user must vouch for the new person. That system, authorities said, was a way of preventing law enforcement from getting hold of the devices.
Agents estimated as many as 20,000 Phantom Secure-modified handsets are in use around the world.
Communications through the phones are automatically routed to servers in Panama and Hong Kong, according to court documents, making data more difficult to trace.
Phantom Secure could also remove key functionality from the devices to lock them down, such as voice communication, microphone, GPS, camera, internet and messaging apps, leaving just the text functionality.
Law enforcement authorities have repeatedly been frustrated by encryption technology making it harder to access communications between suspects.
In 2016, Apple refused to provide a tool that would allow the FBI to unlock an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook, a man involved in a mass shooting that resulted in the death of 14 people.
On Thursday, a spokesman for the FBI reiterated the agency's concern about criminals being able to "go dark" and hide behind these sophisticated technologies.
Privacy and open rights activists argue that removing or just weakening encryption would put everyone at risk of data theft and surveillance - not just criminals.
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