Objectivity Missing in Report on Iran Resistance

A protester gestures under a flag of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) during a demonstration in support of the Iranian people amid a wave of protests spreading throughout Iran, on January 3, 2018, in Brussels. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)

By Raymond Tanter

"Yellow Journalism" is a style of reporting that emphasizes sensationalism over facts. This 19th century description is often referred to nowadays as fake news. One such example was demonstrated on MSNBC’s “On Assignment” program, narrated by Richard Engel. On May 25, Engel brought up unfounded allegations against a leading Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), which is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), described as Iran’s Parliament in Exile.

Instead of presenting a balanced report rich with evidence, MSNBC reached out to an infamous agent of the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) for two decades, as the key witness to discuss Iran’s opposition movement.

Engel tried to paint the idea of change in Iran as an American adventure, while deliberately avoiding any reference to widespread demonstrations that have been rocking the country since December 2017, including the nationwide strike by truck drivers that entered its seventh day Monday.

The reporting is clearly one sided to demonize the NCRI using sensational adjectives as bizarre, and fringe that tortures its members and describes the movement’s leader as brutal.

In his report, Engel makes no mention that the NCRI is by far the main victim of political executions in Iran. In one example, under a fatwa (a religious command) by then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as many as 30,000 political prisoners, mostly associated with the MEK, were massacred in summer 1988. (Khomeini, issued a fatwa against Salmon Rushdie on charges of blasphemy for his novel "The Satanic Verses" on Feb. 15, 1989).

(See IRAN—WHERE MASS MURDERS RULE, 2017, (NCRIUS.)) Overall, Tehran has executed over 100,000 political activists associated with the MEK.

These are important facts that cannot be left out from such a lengthy report on the group, while key accusations of “destructive cult” and financial dependency on Saudi Arabia are taken as fact by an individual named Masoud Khodabandeh, who has been in the service of the Iran’s intelligence service. These serious allegations, albeit false, have been debunked repeatedly.

While the reporting tries to insinuate, as though the Trump Administration is heading to war with Iran and the NCRI is pushing it, the realities on the ground are otherwise. The NCRI leaders have stated repeatedly that there is no need for U.S. military involvement.

Ironically, the NCRI is blamed by the Iranian regime and the Supreme Leader for playing an instrumental role in helping and leading the nationwide uprising in Iran. Indeed, the Trump Administration has cited those protests to say that it is the Iranian people who want and will bring about change. Again, no mention of large-scale strikes and protests that had escalated on the same week that MSNBC report was aired.

Engel falsely accused the MEK of the death of six American military personnel and Pentagon contractors nearly a half a century ago in Iran.

The Story Behind the Story

An independent study by the Iran Policy Committee headed by this author in 2006 confirmed the MEK’s position that it had no role in the deaths of U.S. service members in Iran. The book is entitled "Appeasing the Ayatollahs and Suppressing Democracy: U.S. Policy and the Iranian Opposition."

The same 180-page study showed that the MEK was not involved in the U.S. Embassy takeover in 1979 in Iran; rather, the whole episode was engineered by the ruling clerics and the Supreme Leader first to isolate, and then suppress the opposition organizations, mainly the MEK.

On Nov. 4, 1984, the fifth anniversary of the embassy takeover, then-Chief Justice Ayatollah Abdol Karim Moussavi-Ardebili said on Tehran Radio: “[The embassy takeover] brought about the fall of the Provisional Government, the isolation of the liberals and the confusion of left wing groups and the [MEK] and exposed their real faces. As Imam Khomeini said, this revolutionary move was greater than the first revolution.”

Research for this study suggests Engel made an unsupported claim that the NCRI paid large sums of money to former U.S. officials as speaking fees. The group it is on record as saying that it has never made any payments to any American, a fact later confirmed by the U.S. Treasury Department.

As to the designation of the MEK, our study, "Appeasing the Ayatollahs and Suppressing Democracy," showed that the original 1997 designation of the group was a “goodwill gesture” to the Iranian regime as officially confirmed by the Clinton Administration. A third of the U.S. Senate and a House Majority in bipartisan letters in 1998 and 1999 rejected the designation and described the MEK as “a legitimate resistance movement.”

Counterterrorism coordinator Ambassador Dell Dailey, had called for MEK delisting in 2009, but was overruled for political reasons. So, it finally boiled down to the courts to determine the fate of the designation. In several rulings starting in 2010, courts found no evidence of terrorism by the MEK and the NCRI and gave the State Department a deadline to make a new decision, or the court would unilaterally delist the organizations.

The NCRI filed a writ of mandamus to force the Department to decide, which resulted in the Court granting the writ, compelling the State Department to revoke the NCRI designation in Sep. 2012, a couple days before the Court deadline.

MSNBC can avoid the label of practicing yellow journalism.

MSNBC hasn’t retracted the Engel story; so, MSNBC editors:

First, explain your motives for broadcasting an unbalanced “On Assignment” report, as the Iranian people call for regime change in nationwide protests in over 140 cities.

Second, bring in scholars to brief journalists, especially Richard Engel, on the merits of objective journalism.

Third, consult with Members of the House and Senate, who have signed bipartisan letters in 1998 and 1999 rejecting the designation and described the MEK as “a legitimate resistance movement.”

With such steps, MSNBC can avoid the label of practicing yellow journalism.
____________________________________________________________________
Prof. Raymond Tanter (@ProfRTanter) served as a senior member on the Middle East Desk of the National Security Council staff in the Reagan-Bush administration, Personal Representative of the Secretary of Defense to international security and arms control talks in Europe, and is now Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan. Tanter is on the comprehensive list of conservative writers and columnists who appear in The Wall Street Journal, Townhall.com, National Review, The Weekly Standard, Human Events, The American Spectator, and now in Newsmax.

To read more of his reports: https://www.newsmax.com/Insiders/RaymondTanter/id-480/

The oldest University is in Africa, and was founded by a Woman

The oldest university is in Africa

Story by Face2faceafrica
Written by Mildred Europa Taylor

If you ever assumed that the oldest university in the world is in Europe or China, then kindly come again because it’s not.

The oldest standing university on earth is in Morocco. Known as Al-Qarawiyyin, the university was founded in 859 AD by a young princess from Tunisia, Fatima al-Fihri.

History recounts that over 1200 years ago, al-Fihri and her family moved from Qayrawan (modern-day Tunisia) to Fes, Morocco.

After her father’s death, al-Fihri decided to spend her family’s inheritance on building a mosque for her community with a madrasa, Islamic school to give people the opportunity to practice their faith and still expand their knowledge on spiritual issues.

The mosque, which began with enough room for 22,000 worshipers, is one of the largest in Africa.

Over the years, Al-Qarawiyyin became one of the key religious and educational centres in the Muslim world.


Al-Qarawiyyin is the oldest university in the world

The madrasa was initially meant to focus on religious instruction and Quran memorization but later expanded to teach calligraphy, Arabic grammar, Sufism, medicine, music and astronomy.

In 1947, the school was registered into the state education system and ten years after, chemistry, physics and foreign languages were introduced.

In 1963, it joined the modern state university system, and in 1965 it was officially renamed “University of al- Qarawiyyin” rather than simply “al- Qarawiyyin”.

The university, during its early days, attracted some of the highest quality teachers at the time.

It also received many applications from different parts of Morocco and Islamic West Africa, as well as, Muslim Central Asia, hence the school came out with a rigorous selection process.

Some of these conditions are still in place currently. For instance, students applying to study at the University must have memorized the whole Quran if they are even to be considered.

The university is still traditional in the way it teaches. Students, especially those between the ages of 13 and 30, sit in semi-circles around a sheikh to read texts, ask or answer questions in particular areas of interest.


The University has the oldest library in the world — www.alaraby.co.uk

The University of Al-Qarawiyyin’s library is also recognized as the oldest in the world. It contains over 4000 manuscripts, many of which date back to the 9th century.

'Roseanne' Canceled at ABC Following Racist Tweet

Story by Hollywood Reporter
Written by Lesley Goldberg

"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said Tuesday.
ABC, in a stunning move, has decided to cancel its Roseanne revival following star Roseanne Barr's racist tweet Tuesday.

"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said Tuesday.

Early Tuesday, star, head writer and exec producer Barr attacked Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, in a since-deleted tweet in which she said "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj." Barr subsequently apologized: "I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste."

Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger also weighed in on the decision to cancel Roseanne: "There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing," he tweeted.

Barr's tweet prompted a massive outcry across social media, berating the actress-comedian and calling on ABC to cancel her series. The Disney-owned network's decision to cancel the comedy marked the first time the network has taken action in response to one of Barr's controversial tweets.

Axing the Roseanne revival was no small decision for ABC. The rebooted comedy debuted its nine-episode run midseason and finished as the TV season's No. 1 scripted series on all of broadcast. Roseanne had been averaging a 5.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 19.3 million viewers with live-plus-three day lifts. With a full week of time-shifting, those numbers climbed to a 6.4 rating in the key demo and 22.1 million viewers. Either way, Roseanne was the highest-rated and most-watched series of the broadcast season, eclipsing NBC's This Is Us and CBS' Big Bang Theory — which had been in a heated battle for top status.

In response to Barr's tweet, co-star and exec producer Sara Gilbert — who was the driving force of the revival — blasted her longtime friend and colleague. "Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least," she wrote on Twitter. "This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love — one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member." Wanda Sykes, who served as a consultant on season one, also tweeted Tuesday that she would not be returning to the series following Barr's racist tweet.

Roseanne was slated to return in the fall for an expanded 11th season of 13 episodes as ABC looked to build on the show's momentum. In a victory lap of sorts, Barr was the centerpiece of ABC's upfront presentation to Madison Avenue ad buyers earlier this month. ABC rebooted Roseanne as part of a push to program to middle America — aka Trump America. The revival was part of a larger effort by Dungey — broadcast's lone African-American network topper — to porgram to the underserved community who turned out in force to elect Trump. The success of the Roseanne revival has prompted other broadcast networks to pick up a wave of multicamera comedies in a larger push to program to middle America.

Roseanne, both in its rebooted season as in its original run, has never shied away from taking on topical and controversial subjects. The May 22 season finale set the stage to explore a larger debate about healthcare in America. Roseanne has not shied away from topical issues facing the working class. Like the spirit of the original run, which had a history of addressing larger political and social issues, the revival famously opened its new season with an episode that explored the country's divisive response to President Trump, whom Barr has publicly supported. The storyline between Roseanne and her sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), was designed to reflect the debate among Trump's working-class base and spur a larger discussion.

The reboot also found itself under the microscope earlier this season when a one-off joke taking aim at fellow ABC comedies Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat was blasted as being "reductive" and "belittling."

For his part, showrunner Bruce Helford stressed ahead of and during the Roseanne revival that he hoped viewers would be able to separate the show from Barr's politics. "We never set out to be a show about politics. We set out to be a show about the Conners and how the current political climate affects the family," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "We made a point of not mentioning names in the beginning and I believe we will probably maintain that same thing. There is no agenda here, in any direction. The idea is to present all sides of the dialogue. Making it specific like that isn't necessary. That's not what we're doing. We're not talking about the personalities involved. We're talking about the effects of all the politics on the lives of people like the Conners." Helford served as showrunner on an early season of Roseanne before he was fired by the actress. He was poised to return as season 11's lone showrunner after Whitney Cummings opted to not return.

ABC's decision to cancel Roseanne leaves the network with a major hole on its schedule as the series was set to open its Tuesday lineup at 8 p.m. ABC now heads into the 2018-19 broadcast season without TV's No. 1 series and without prolific showrunner Shonda Rhimes, who exited last year for a deal with Netflix.

‘Roseanne’s’ Wanda Sykes Leaving After Star’s ‘Ape’ Comment

Story by Variety
Written by Rebecca Rubin

Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer on “Roseanne,” says she will not be returning to the ABC show’s second revival season after star Roseanne Barr made an offensive comment about one of former President Barack Obama’s senior advisers.

Barr apologized on Tuesday for calling former White House aide Valerie Jarrett the offspring of the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes” in response to a social media conspiracy theory about Obama. Jarrett, an African-American, was born in Iran to American parents. When users said Barr’s comment appeared to be racist, she retorted, “Muslims r NOT a race.”

Barr immediately received backlash for what she alleges was a “joke.” “I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste,” Barr wrote on Twitter. Barr also said she was leaving the social media platform.

Earlier in May, “Roseanne” co-showrunner Whitney Cummings announced she would be exiting the show ahead of the second revival season and 11th overall. Cummings was an executive producer on the first revival season, along with series stars Barr and Sarah Gilbert as well as Tom Werner, Bruce Helford, and Tony Hernandez.

ABC has not responded to Variety’s request for comment.

Red Zebra Sells Washington’s WTEM To Urban One (Parent Company of Radio One)

Story by Inside Radio

Urban One is buying sports “The Team 980” WTEM Washington, DC from Red Zebra Broadcasting, whose primary investor is Washington Redskins majority owner Dan Snyder. Urban One has inked a deal with the Redskins to keep all of the NFL franchise’s games, as well as pregame and postgame programming, on WTEM. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

WTEM will join Urban One’s cluster in its home market of Washington, alongside urban “93.9 Kiss FM” WKYS, the urban AC simulcast of “Majic 102” WMMJ and WDCJ (92.7), talk WOL (1450), gospel “Praise 104.1” WPRS and gospel “Spirit 1340” WYCB.

The two companies say the deal is the first step “in a collaborative effort between the Redskins and Urban One to keep The Team 980 as the fans’ premier source for radio coverage of the Washington Redskins.”

In a news release, Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins called the acquisition “a tremendous opportunity” for his company, one that will keep WTEM locally owned. “We have deep roots in the greater Washington, DC area and are well aware that The Team 980 has always been a fan favorite, “Liggins said. “Red Zebra has a track record of producing great programming that engages our hometown sports fans. We look forward to working with the Washington Redskins organization to continue this tradition.”

In addition to The Team 980, the Redskins game day broadcasts will air on Cumulus Media’s news/talk simulcast of WMAL-FM (105.9) and WMAL (630) as part of the Redskins Radio Network.

Red Zebra began exiting the radio business last year. It sold four stations in a series of transactions, including a DC area FM and a Richmond sports talk AM to Urban One.

“We believe the future of The Team 980 is in great hands with Urban One,” Red Zebra chairman Terry Bateman said. “We view this as an opportunity for Urban One and the Redskins to build a close partnership to continue to provide the Redskins’ fans with unparalleled access and content, keeping The Team 980 as the fans’ destination for the best Redskins coverage.”

Greg Guy of Patrick Communications served as broker in the deal. Red Zebra acquired the 50,000-watts day, 5,000 watts night station from Clear Channel in July 2008.
_________________________________________________________________________________

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Media Inquiries: Tony Wyllie
703-726-7135
wylliet@redskins.com

URBAN ONE TO ACQUIRE THE TEAM 980

ROCKVILLE, Md. (May 21, 2018) – Urban One, Red Zebra Broadcasting and the Washington Redskins announced
today that Urban One has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of the radio station The Team 980
(WTEM 980 AM) from Red Zebra Broadcasting, pending FCC approval. In addition, Urban One has also entered
into an agreement with the Washington Redskins to ensure that all Redskins games, as well as pregame and
postgame programming, will remain on The Team 980.

The acquisition is the first step in a collaborative effort between the Redskins and Urban One to keep The Team
980 as the fans’ premier source for radio coverage of the Washington Redskins.

“We believe the future of The Team 980 is in great hands with Urban One,” said Terry Bateman, Chairman of
Red Zebra Broadcasting. We view this as an opportunity for Urban One and the Redskins to build a close
partnership to continue to provide the Redskins’ fans with unparalleled access and content, keeping The Team
980 as the fans’ destination for the best Redskins coverage.”

In addition to The Team 980, the Redskins game day broadcasts – including pregame, in-game and postgame
programming – will air on WMAL 105.9 FM and 630 AM as a valued part of the Redskins Radio Network.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Urban One and we are especially pleased that through our acquisition,
The Team 980 will continue to be locally owned. The acquisition of The Team 980 is very much in line with our
strategy of super-serving our community of listeners. We have deep roots in the greater Washington, DC area
and are well aware that The Team 980 has always been a fan favorite.” said Alfred C. Liggins, President and CEO
of Urban One. “Red Zebra has a track record of producing great programming that engages our hometown sports
fans. We look forward to working with the Washington Redskins organization to continue this tradition.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

About Urban One, Inc.

Urban One, Inc. (www.urban1.com), formerly known as Radio One, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, is the
largest diversified media company that primarily targets Black Americans and urban consumers in the United
States. The Company owns TV One, LLC (tvone.tv), a television network serving more than 59 million households,
offering a broad range of original programming, classic series and movies designed to entertain, inform and
inspire a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. As one of the nation's largest radio broadcasting
companies, Urban One currently owns and/or operates 56 broadcast stations in 15 urban markets in the United
States. Through its controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc. (blackamericaweb.com), the Company also operates
syndicated programming including the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Russ Parr Morning Show, Rickey Smiley
Morning Show, Get up Morning! with Erica Campbell, DL Hughley Show, Willie Moore Jr Show, Nightly Spirit
with Darlene McCoy, Reverend Al Sharpton Show. In addition to its radio and television broadcast assets, Urban
One owns Interactive One, LLC (ionedigital.com), the largest digital resource for urban enthusiasts and Blacks,
reaching millions each month through its Cassius and BHM Digital platforms. Additionally, One Solution, the
Company's branded content agency and studio combines the dynamics of Urban One's holdings to provide
brands with an integrated and effectively engaging marketing approach that reaches 82% of Black Americans
throughout the country.

###

Shooter identified in Santa Fe High School rampage; at least 9 dead

Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle

Story by Houston Chronicle
Video Link: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/Shots-fired-at-Santa-Fe-High-School-12925050.php

SANTA FE, Texas – The suspected shooter arrested after a rampage that killed at least nine people at Santa Fe High School this morning is 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the Galveston County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

A second person of interest was also detained, officials said.

Pagourtzis, a junior, shared photographs on a now-defunct Facebook page of a T-shirt that said "born to kill" and clothes adorned with German nationalist iconography.

He played on the defensive line for the school football team during his freshman year, and was lauded on a school website in 2016 for his "huge role" in shutting down a rival team's running game.

Although his Facebook page cites a connection to the U.S. Marine Corps, a USMC spokesperson said he is not affiliated with the Marines.

He is a member of a dance squad with a local Greek Orthodox church, the Associated Press reported.

A woman who answered the phone at a number associated with the Pagourtzis family declined to speak with the AP.

She said: "Give us our time right now, thank you."

Area hospitals reported at least a dozen injured in the shooting.

The dead are expected to include students and staff, according to a senior law enforcement official who was not authorized to speak about the investigation.

An attacker was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a pistol, a shotgun and pipe bombs, the official said.

"Officers inside encountered a bloody mess in the school," the source said, adding, "Evidently this guy threw pipe bombs all in there. We don't know if any of them went off."

The bloodshed 30 miles south of Houston is the worst mass shooting in America since February, when 17 people were gunned down at a high school in Parkland, Florida, according to a database of shootings maintained by the Washington Post.


Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

UPDATE 2:15 p.m.: There are two other people of interest in the case, Gov. Abbott said. One was at the scene and had "suspicious reactions," he said, and officials were unsure whether that person was involved in the attack. The other person is being interviewed, and Abbott said that person will not be identified at this time.

2:10 p.m.: Gov. Greg Abbott is speaking in Santa Fe. He says 10 people are dead and 10 wounded. Two federal search warrants are being sought to find explosive devices at two residences. There is also a search warrant out for Pagourtzis' vehicle. He had written in journals and on his computer that he wanted to commit the shooting and commit suicide afterward, Abbott said.

2:01 p.m.: The injured we have identified: Clayton Horn, a student, was in surgery at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, his uncle, Damon Savage, said. Horn was shot in the arm and upper thigh, he said.

Student Rome Shubert, 16, was grazed in the back of the head by a bullet and was being treated at the same hospital, his friend Avari Creekmore said.

John Barnes, a Sante Fe school police officer and former Houston police detective, was in surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

1:43 p.m.: Bomb technicians are at the home on Highway 6, which according to public records is Pagourtzis' residence.

Law enforcement officials have been at the scene for hours and told reporters to stay back because there might be an explosive close to the highway.

1:29 p.m.: An ambulance arrived at the home being investigated on State Highway 6 northwest of the high school.

Juanita Martin and her son, Joshua Varney, sat on folding chairs outside a tin home a quarter-mile down from the home.

Law enforcement officials appeared to be gong in and out of a trailer next to the property, which Martin said has been "abandoned for years."

Officials have said they are worried that additional explosives could be in the area.

A sheriff's deputy close to where reporters were stationed would not confirm anything found on the scene.

Martin's home is separated from the trailer by woods, but a trail connects the two properties.

"That's kind of a little too close to home," Martin said. "I've got seven kids."

1:22 p.m.: The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is asking residents to donate blood because they're in need of platelets and O-negative red blood cells. Here's a list of blood donation sites.

12:52 p.m.: The latest on the injured:

Eight students were taken to Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster, all suffering from gunshot wounds, a spokeswoman said. Six have been discharged. One is in critical condition, another in fair condition.

Two other students were taken to Mainland Medical Center in Texas City. They did not have wounds but were being treated in connection with the attack, the spokeswoman said.

The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston was treating three people with wounds: A male under 18 with a gunshot to the leg; a middle-aged woman with a gunshot to the leg, and a man in his 50s who is a Santa Fe school police officer and retired Houston police detective, according to Joe Gamaldi, who heads the Houston Police Officer's Union. He remains in surgery with a gunshot to the upper arm, near the chest, Gamaldi said. Hospital officials said the older male they were treating has significant blood loss and was in critical condition.

UTMB said it planned to hold a blood drive starting later today.

We grieve for the terrible loss of life, and send our support and love to everyone affected by this horrible attack in Texas. To the students, families, teachers and personnel at Santa Fe High School – we are with you in this tragic hour, and we will be with you forever... pic.twitter.com/LtJ0D29Hsv

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2018

12:37 p.m.: Police have blocked off at least a half mile of State Highway 6, about four miles northwest of the high school, where they are investigating a home. The highway is lined with trees and sparsely populated with a row of small frame houses and some trailers.

12:32 p.m.: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said in a statement that an armed officer "intercepted the gunman and brought the suspect into custody." Law enforcement officials have not confirmed that.

12:24 p.m.: Emma González, an outspoken survivor of the Parkland shooting, tweeted: "Santa Fe High, you didn't deserve this. You deserve peace all your lives, not just after a tombstone saying that is put over you. You deserve more than Thoughts and Prayers, and after supporting us by walking out we will be there to support you by raising up your voices."

12:17 p.m.: Police are speaking with teachers in the school gym to piece together a timeline of the shooting, according to a television reporter who was there. It appeared most students have been turned over to their parents.

They'd been arriving at the gym in the hours after the shooting. to pick them up or find out where they'd been sent.

"She's not there," one woman said desperately into a cell phone as she jogged to her car. "The hospital is confirming she's not there."

Minutes earlier, another family had run to their vehicle, yelling to a nearby loved one that they needed to go -- their daughter had been shot and was in the hospital.

12:10 p.m.: The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston clarified that it is treating three people: a male under 18 with a gunshot wound to the leg; a middle-aged woman who has a leg wound and is out of surgery, and a man in his 50s with a gunshot to the upper arm, near the chest, who is in surgery and in critical condition, according to David Marshall, chief nursing officer.

The latter is a school security officer who had recently retired as a Houston police detective, according to Joe Gamaldi, who heads the Houston Police Officer's Union.

Gamaldi said that he retired in January after many years in law enforcement with the city.

"With the number these happening, statistics are showing it's more dangerous than ever to be a police officer," Gamaldi said. "Every officer knows the day they put that uniform on it may be their last. I ask that you keep all of our police officers in our prayers as we work hard to keep the community safe."

12:01 p.m.: Law enforcement officers are investigating a home about a three miles away from the high school.

11:35 a.m.: Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said the first reports of a shooting came in around 7:45 a.m. He told reporters that "suspected material" has been found off campus and that people should not touch anything they find that looks suspicious, and should call 911.

11:04 a.m.: Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters the number of dead could rise as high as 10. The detained suspect is believed to be a student, he said, and most of the dead are students. It is still a "very active" scene at the school, where he said a bomb squad and police were checking to make sure the area was secure.

11 a.m.: Gyl Switzer, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, issued a statement: "Our hearts go out to those affected by today's shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe Texas. We Texans love our children. We must do a better job of protecting them. There are proven strategies to reduce senseless gun violence. Today, Texas Gun Sense re-doubles our commitment to stop the killing. Work with us."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton earlier issued a statement offering thoughts and prayers.

10:53 a.m.: Yesterday, David Hogg, a student from the Parkland high school that reignited a national conversation on gun control, had a chilling premonition. He said gun violence kept him up at night.

"There is someone alive right now that will not be alive at this time tomorrow and has never even thought about gun violence, but everyone around them will have to for the rest of their lives," he told reporters in Los Angeles.

10:47 a.m.: Santa Fe High School 10-grader Dakota Shrader said she heard alarms go off and students exited to a grassy area, waiting for an all-clear as in a normal fire drill. Then she heard three gunshots and screams of "Run! Run!"

Shrader ran as fast as he could to a wooded area, started having an asthma attack and called her mother.

"The world, I just don't like what it's becoming," Shrader said. "Every school shooting, kids getting killed, innocent kids getting killed. No family should have to suffer that just because somebody wants to be selfish and go out and hurt other people. It's just not right at all."

10:45 a.m.: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement: "The thoughts and prayers of all Texans are with the people of Santa Fe and those affected by today's tragic shooting. As horrific reports come out of Santa Fe High School, my office stands ready to assist local law enforcement as needed."

10:40 a.m.: Trey Lemley, 17, said he was in the school's first floor art room when a shooter walked in, his sister, Courtney Lemley, 19, said.

Trey dropped his phone and barricaded himself inside one of the room's two closets, she said. When he left, he saw three bodies and pools of blood.

Courtney and her boyfriend, 19-year-old Austin Evans, graduated from the school last year. They said the art room is located near a main, back exit of the school, and the room itself has an exit that leads to the parking lot.

After being turned away from the school, Courtney and Evans walked to Arcadian First Baptist Church, where Courtney's mother works.

In the parking lot, National Guardsmen gathered supplies before driving towards the school in a military vehicle. Small groups began to gather in the church's parking lot, staring at their cell phones and sharing details they heard from friends and from news outlets.

10:35 a.m.: The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston has received three patients, the hospital reported on social media. Two are adults and one is under 18.

Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster received seven injured students, a spokeswoman for that facility said. Previous reports that an injured officer was taken there are wrong, she said. Two other injured students were taken to Mainland Medical Center in Texas City, she said.

The conditions of all of the injured are unknown.


Booking mug of Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, the suspected shooter at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2018.

EARLIER:

The shooter has been "arrested and secured," said Santa Fe HS Assistant Principal Dr. Cris Richardson.

Students described the gunfire, which broke out about 7:30 a.m.

Junior Liberty Wheeler, 14, was in class when she heard five shots ring out near the art room.

Her teacher told them to run toward the theater department's storage room, where they hid for 45 minutes before being escorted outside by a SWAT team.

"You could smell the gunpowder that came from the gun," Wheeler recalled as she was escorted out of the building. "We were all scared because it was near us."

Paige Curry, a junior at the school, said "I was sitting in my classroom and I heard very loud booms and I didn't know what they were. I was confused but after I heard screaming, I figured out what they were, got up immediately and started to run. I almost ran out of the school but I hid instead with the other students. I was there for maybe 30 minutes I was on the phone with my mom the whole time. They found us and escorted us."

"There were a lot of people, a lot of different suits so I wasn't really sure but I think they were SWAT."

"I was very, very scared but I managed to keep calm, especially with my mom on the phone."

"I heard people were hurt and the gunshots were from a classroom maybe three doors down. I heard five [shots] maybe. It was one boom, then another boom very loud. It wasn't rapid."

Officers in tactical gear were deployed into the school. Outside, groups of students evacuated from the building are being patted down by authorities.

Federal, state and local law enforcement responded.

Richardson said he could not confirm whether there was more than one shooter.

"We hope the worst is over," he said

Does Radio Need More Deregulation (Part 4)?

Story by Radio Ink

All week long we’ve been interviewing radio CEOs to get their thoughts on whether or not they believe ownership caps at the FCC need to be changed, eliminated, or whether they are fine as they are now. The NAB is working with broadcasters to come up with a plan to present to the Commission next month. Today’s interview is with Cromwell Media CEO Bud Walters.

Radio Ink: Are you in favor or against lifting ownership caps?
Bud Walters: Yes, but differently for top 50/100 markets vs small unrated markets.

Radio Ink: Do you have a specific number in mind?
Bud Walters: No, but as a concept, if there is cross-ownership (i.e. radio, newspaper, TV) there needs to be at least three media competitors.

Radio Ink: Is there a consensus among owners what should be done?
Bud Walters: Probably not much consensus among the larger companies but in smaller markets owners can see the value of one or two competitors.

Radio Ink: What do you say to the broadcasters who say the first round of deregulation ruined radio?
Bud Walters: It’s fair to say that not imposing national caps has caused significant disruption to the regulatory scheme. The outcome is one national player with tentacles in many businesses (radio, outdoor, concerts, rep firm, consultant, network, etc.) who’s both a competitor (local and national) and a supplier to traditional radio licensees (and others). No one (except Lowery Mays) envisioned such a roll-up and I doubt that he saw what is today. To get where iHeart is today competitively has caused a lot of issues for traditional broadcast licensees. No other company is in the same game, but all the larger broadcast companies are competing for the same national and local advertising dollar as iHeart. iHeart just has more platforms to bring to the table.

Radio Ink: We’ve heard the argument that caps need to be lifted in order to compete with FB and Google, etc. True, they are getting more and more ad money, but do you really think that argument is going to fly? Radio stations in nearly every market are playing so many commercials every hour, yet the revenue never grows. Isn’t the issue really a rate issue?
Bud Walters: When the FCC allowed SiriusXM to merge they in effect recognized that the national advertising dollar is agonistic to medium. They said Sirius and XM Radio are not competing with each other, but with the wider world. That is true in major markets today and that wider world includes Google and other social media players. Smaller-market stations do not compete for the national dollar like larger market players, but do compete with Google and social media. The case can be made for there to be one owner in a smaller community and probably two or three in a larger community. Nielsen should not be a determinant of market cap.

Radio Ink: Right now, in a lot of markets, owners that have multiple stations throw in the weak ones at no charge, killing the average unit rate and devaluing the product. How would being able to own more stations make that better and not worse?
Bud Walters: Strong performing programmed stations win out. Weaker ones offer choice. In 50 years, we have gone from 4,000 radio stations in America to 13,000-plus. We have more TV stations, but less daily newspapers. There are more shoppers and direct mail and of course social media. The advertising pie may not be finite, but it is competitive. Broadcasters have to find a way to compete in that field with more and better services, including social media. Owning a daily or weekly shopper (online or in print) and doing concerts and owning billboards fits into that if one wants to. All radio people know there is now no barrier to entry except to them as licensees of over-the-air facilities. The FCC needs to make the same kind of decision they did when they allowed SiriusXM to merge.

Radio Ink: If caps were to be lifted, what requirements or mandates would you suggest and be willing to accept in order to insure that the local market would be truly served — perhaps even including a certain prescribed percentage of local programming in the interest of maintaining a local, live presence? What would prevent the temptation of operating with an eye only on cost-cutting and consolidation, both which have proven not to serve radio — or its listeners’ — best interests?
Bud Walters: Advertising is a very competitive business and getting more so. In smaller markets, community involvement is the key to success doing business locally. Local news and information is a part of that success, but having a time constraint or percentage does not guarantee much of anything.

We have a lot of unknowns for the future regarding distribution, royalties, smart devices. Smaller and larger licensees have to be able to navigate these waters. In really small markets, one owner may be OK because the local advertiser pool will be smaller. Generally, two operators in small/midsize is desirable. Where larger markets are involved, multiple competitors makes sense. None of them should be restricted from providing other services, though for us “over the air” is primary with streaming, social, and promotion essential parts of what we do for our community advertisers.

Radio Ink: Look into your crystal ball. What do you think will happen in June?
Bud Walters: It’s not about owning five FMs and two AMs. Frankly, larger companies do not serve local small communities very well, but do a great job competing in large communities. Serving the community means something different in these circumstances. Smaller community media depend principally on local marketers for support and that demands local community involvement (and makes the case for that kind of ownership). Larger companies in top 50/100 markets deal principally with a national advertiser that is more ratings oriented and less focused on community service (unless pushed by a local franchisee/advertiser group).

Bottom line, broadcast licensees have to provide a strong service and should not be hamstrung in doing so because they are a broadcast licensee. If they are, they are likely hamstrung in competing for a marketing dollar and at a disadvantage. Radio has the greatest reach, but also needs to be able to compete across many platforms if the licensee desires to do so.

Does Radio Need More Deregulation (Part 3)?

Story by Radio Ink

All week long we’ve been interviewing radio CEOs to get their thoughts on whether or not they believe ownership caps at the FCC need to be changed, eliminated, or whether they are fine as they are now. The NAB is working with broadcasters to come up with a plan to present to the Commission next month. Our third interview is with Neuhoff Media CEO Beth Neuhoff.

Radio Ink: Are you in favor or against lifting ownership caps?
Beth Neuhoff: I am in favor of lifting ownership caps.

Radio Ink: Why is that, and do you have a specific number in mind?
Beth Neuhoff: I would like to see ALL caps lifted in market 100+. I can’t address the top 100 situation as that is not where we play but I feel that in mid- to smaller-sized markets, there is simply too much competition for more than two groups to truly be healthy. As controversial as this will be, I actually feel the local markets might be better served with fewer stations altogether. So many stations are now just network jukeboxes on to flank market leaders and potentially eek out some HD 2 revenue thanks to low-power analog translators. I say this knowing we, too, are guilty. Do we lose our ability to be truly local and serve our communities with so many non-viable stations in the mix?

Radio Ink: What are you hearing? Is there a consensus among broadcasters about a final solution?
Beth Neuhoff: I am very encouraged by the rumblings I hear from the NAB Ownership Committee. Though I don’t know their final result, as I am not in that working group, I know they took many divergent opinions and interests and were able to come up with something palatable to most. Getting our industry to agree on the color blue would be a challenge, so my hat is off to them.

Radio Ink: What do you say to the broadcasters who say the first round of deregulation ruined radio?
Beth Neuhoff: I disagree. I think some extremely innovative initiatives have come from deregulation. Deregulation didn’t hurt radio, the strategic move away from local and the rapid proliferation of media choices have been far more detrimental. And frankly, going without any meaningful deregulation since 1996 has done far more to set us back as an industry than the actions of any one consolidated group.

Radio Ink: We’ve heard the argument that caps need to be lifted in order to compete with FB and Google, etc. True they are getting more and more ad money, but do you really think that argument is going to fly? Radio stations in nearly every market are playing so many commercials every hour, yet the revenue never grows. Isn’t the issue really a rate issue?
Beth Neuhoff: I absolutely believe that argument should fly. Forget the prediction that FB and Google will be taking 50% of the ad revenue by 2020 — it’s happening now in many markets across the country. And yet, they are not considered part of our competitive universe. We have long since ceased competing with the station across the street. I understand why the rate game happens — everyone needs to eat, but our pie is getting smaller. The rate issue, in my opinion, is a direct result of too much competition, too many signals, and too much inventory.

Radio Ink: How is more deregulation not a plan for fewer people to take over more stations?
Beth Neuhoff: That could be the end result. Again, let’s let the markets decide. My main concern is that even if we end up with fewer owners, localism and diversity of ownership are preserved.

Radio Ink: Right now, in a lot of markets, owners that have multiple stations throw in the weak ones at no charge, killing the average unit rate and devaluing the product. How would being able to own more stations make that better and not worse?
Beth Neuhoff: Again, completely controversial, but maybe we don’t need all the weak stations. In 1996 there was no Pandora, no Spotify, no Apple music, and Sirius and XM were independent and barely on the radar. It’s the paradox of choice. In five years, if I can find country anywhere — and I certainly will be able to find anything I want on my phone — and I have 50 choices for country in my new car’s dash, why should I choose something that perhaps is no more “local” than its signal? No local personalities, no local events. I personally think the “flanking” business model will kill itself off.

Radio Ink: If deregulation is granted, what or how is the guarantee that what could be a sole owner in a market – no matter the size – will actually better serve the local community?
Beth Neuhoff: There is no guarantee there won’t be bad actors. I can almost assure you there will be those that are only in it for the money and don’t walk the talk. The optimist in me, however, believes the majority of owners will be able to run a business with a healthy bottom line that could be reinvested for growth. The business we are in now – little growth, constantly evaluating expense and staffing – is not economically poised for the future. How can we contemplate greater investment in our properties and communities when, in many cases it seems impossible for owners to make it a profitable venture?

Though our inner cynic may say scale is bad, there are great examples of owners, who through scale, have done great things. We really need look no further than the Alan Bishop example Ed Levine gave Monday. Because Alan “owns” the market, he can do really great local radio AND make a good living. Alan can afford to reinvest in local staff, growing new events and upgrading his equipment to withstand weather events and anything else that comes their way. That’s my hope for our industry’s future.

Radio Ink: Is it true iHeart is basically the only holdout against lifting caps?
Beth Neuhoff: I’m sure they aren’t the only holdout. To iHeart’s credit, they espouse a different business model. Deregulation does very little for them so I get it. I think some smaller, diverse, and perhaps stand-alone interests worry they won’t be able to compete in a consolidated marketplace, but I’m hopeful the NAB committee has suggestions that ameliorate that concern. I welcome different perspectives and know we don’t all see the world the same way. At the end of the day, no one wants to be in the buggy-whip business and no one wants their life’s work to be for naught.

Radio Ink: Look into your crystal ball. What do you think will happen in June?
Beth Neuhoff: I see relief that is very late in coming but welcome all the same. Our industry needs something to help drive up values and spur M&A. Economics 101 says mature industries must consolidate to survive. It’s our time.

Does Radio Need More Deregulation (Part 2)

Story by Radio Ink

All week long we’ll be interviewing radio CEOs to get their thoughts on whether or not they believe ownership caps at the FCC need to be changed, eliminated, or whether they are fine as they are now. The NAB is working with broadcasters to come up with a plan to present to the Commission next month. Our second interview features JVC Media CEO John Caracciolo

Radio Ink: Are you in favor or against lifting ownership caps?
John Caracciolo: Definitely in favor of modifying the caps as well as many of the archaic rules imposed by the Commission that unfairly limit our ability to compete in this high-tech communication industry. A lot has changed since the 1960s; unfortunately the Federal Code of Regulations part 73 and 74 is not on that list.

Radio Ink: Do you have a specific number in mind?
John Caracciolo: There should be no caps at all. Why limit the ability of any business to compete and succeed in their home market?

Radio Ink: What are you hearing? Is there a consensus among owners as to what should be done?
John Caracciolo: The large group owners that have already achieved market dominance obviously don’t want it. Small and midsize cluster owners are looking for the ability to level the playing field.

Radio Ink: What do you say to the broadcasters who say the first round of deregulation ruined radio?
John Caracciolo: Deregulation didn’t ruin radio, radio broadcasters ruined radio. We did it! We went crazy with consolidation and ruined the local livelihood that made our medium so special. We consolidated and destroyed the very essence of our business by limiting local and live content, getting rid of locally produced shows and staff, and decimating promotion and public service. What we did is like buying a high-end successful steak house and walking in day one and cutting the quality of the food, limiting the portions, and getting rid of most of the help and thinking these moves are going to make us more money. Shame on us for what we did with the first round of deregulation. We cut the product, we cut content, we got rid of great people.

Radio Ink: We’ve heard the argument that caps need to be lifted in order to compete with FB and Google and other big unregulated digital companies.
John Caracciolo: True. They are getting more and more ad money, but do you really think that argument is going to fly?

Radio Ink: Radio stations in nearly every market are playing so many commercials every hour, yet the revenue never grows. Isn’t the issue really a rate issue?
John Caracciolo: Caps need to be lifted to make our business locally produced once again. Yes we need to raise rates but we do that by not competing against our own medium. We need to take on FB and Google, but we also need to stop dropping our pants every time a competing radio station comes in with a lower rate. By giving a group more dominance in a market the hope is ownership will invest in good local content that will drive listeners back to their hometown stations and we will have the ability to maintain rates, monitor commercial load, and produce a quality product once again. Reinvestment in content, product, and people is the key to this round of deregulation working.

Radio Ink: Right now, in a lot of markets, owners that have multiple stations throw in the weak ones at no charge, killing the average unit rate and devaluing the product. How would being able to own more stations make that better and not worse?
John Caracciolo: Hopefully, if an owner has more stations and can fight off some of the FB, Google competition, they can find a happy balance to enforce rate integrity since they will not have to worry about protecting their flank on the digital side. I think what happens now is a large group in a market can HD three or four of their stations, find three or four translators and put them on at low cost with no local content or programming and just let them run. With fill-in translators at 250 watts and an unlimited height, you can have signals as good, if not better, than some class A stations. Under today’s rules, a well-positioned cluster with HD and good translators can have nine to 10 signals on the air. Are they giving the translators away at no charge? Are they using the translators as competition busters and really don’t care about monetizing them? My hope would be an elimination of caps would put the medium back into the control of real broadcasters that understand rate integrity, local programming, and good content.

Radio Ink: Is it true iHeart is basically the only holdout against lifting caps?
John Caracciolo: I have heard a lot of rumors of who wants them and who wants to keep things the same. If I had to guess, I would say iHeart would be a holdout. Let’s face it, they dominate a lot of markets now and under their current financial limitations they would be hard pressed to go on a buying binge now.

Radio Ink: Look into your crystal ball. What do you think will happen in June?
John Caracciolo: I think we see some modification of the caps, unfortunately I don’t think they will be eliminated altogether. I don’t think anyone at the Commission has the guts to do that, I wish they did. Looking into that same crystal ball a little further down the road, I think once all the dust settles with iHeart and Cumulus, and the FCC modifies the market caps, a new radio landscape will emerge where separate radio groups will be successful large-market companies and separate groups will be excellent mid-market operators and you will have a third level of ownership groups of small-market stations. Radio is and always will be best live and local. Radio is not a national platform; leave that for satellite and Pandora.

Radio Ink: Do you know any broadcasters opposed to lifting the caps?
John Caracciolo: I do not. I surround myself with owners and operators that love this business. They don’t negative sell against the competition, they care about the content, the programming, and the people. And most of all they care about the community. These are the real radio broadcasters that will do whatever it takes to succeed and prosper.

Does Radio Need More Deregulation (Part 1)?

Story by Radio Ink

All week long we’ll be interviewing radio CEO’s to get their thoughts on whether or not they believe ownership caps at The FCC need to be changed, eliminated or whether they are fine as they are now. The NAB is working with broadcasters to come up with a plan to present to The Commission next month. Our first interview is with Galaxy CEO Ed Levine.

Radio Ink: Where does deregulation at the FCC stand?
Ed Levine: It’s part of the 2018 quadrennial review that the commission is required by statute to undertake to review the current media rules. I have had some meetings with officials there directly, and indirectly with some of the commissioners and aides to the commissioners. They understand the radio business is completely different today than when these rules were instituted over 20 years ago. We have major competitors now that did not exist back then that are completely unregulated by the federal government. It puts us at a real disadvantage.

Radio Ink: Is there a process for when this will come up for a vote?
Ed Levine: Chairman Pai has indicated that it is a top priority. We are very fortunate to have someone like him who is a dedicated radio listener. He knows the value of local radio in the local community and understands what we are up against. I have spoken directly to commissioner O’Rielly and he shares the Chairman’s view on that too. We have an opportunity here with some folks who are not government bureaucrats but real-world empathetic to broadcasters to take some corrective steps here and at least level the playing field a little bit.

Radio Ink: Is there any consensus with broadcasters on what they are lobbying for?
Ed Levine: I think most folks agree that we need relief in these rules. The discussion going on amongst fellow broadcasters like myself is how far and how much. I don’t have my feet in the sand on that. Right now I could only own four FMs and three AMs in the Syracuse and Utica markets. Does that number go from seven to 11 or 12 or 13, I don’t know what the right number is. I did a transaction where I had to jump through all kinds of crazy hoops a few years ago just to keep one of my FM stations on, that’s being simulcasted, which is technically in the Syracuse market. I had to move the tower outside the Syracuse market so it wouldn’t count in the Syracuse count. It’s a Class A that adds maybe a point to the ratings of one of my rock stations. It was ridiculous.

Radio Ink: That’s an outlier compared to what you guys are looking for?
Ed Levine: The way it counts in Syracuse right now I can’t buy anymore radio stations. I’m at my limit and that’s crazy. I have four Class A FMs that are simulcasting two products because they are Class A’s, so I can’t cover the whole market by themselves. I really only have two products on those four FMs, but that enables me to compete with iHeart, Cumulus, Class B radio stations. Luckily, we’ve been able to compete quite successfully with them. If there was an opportunity to own more, that is certainly something we would take a look at.

Radio Ink: Are we looking at some broadcasters who want to lift the caps completely and be able to own as many as possible?
Ed Levine: I think the smaller the market the more flexible it may be. Allen Bishop does a great job of running radio stations in the Finger Lakes Region. He basically owns all the radio stations in the Finger Lakes. He’s doing quite well because he can focus on the communities he’s in. He doesn’t have somebody coming in trying to undercut his rate structure. He’s able to provide a fair rate for the customers. I think he’s doing better than the Syracuse market is overall. When you can have greater mass you can do more. He’s doing more events than he ever has. He just told me he bought a back-up transmitter which he couldn’t have done 5-10 years ago. The Commission in the past operated in a bubble, and this current Commission seems to be much more real-world based. They understand the economic pressures we’re under. The reality is if you are all having a hard time economically, you can’t provide proper service to the community.

Radio Ink: How is Allen able to own every station in one market?
Ed Levine: Over the years he’s been able to buy out some of his competitors. They use a different metric out there. They use the contour method because it’s an unrated market. You might see in unrated markets that you can own as many as you want. The Utica market is a good example. In my opinion it is healthier than Syracuse. I am in both markets. There are two primary competitors: Galaxy and Townsquare. In the Syracuse market there are three: Galaxy, iHeart, and Cumulus. When we started we were that guy selling it cheaper. It’s almost one player too many per market. In this market if you have two viable competitors, that’s plenty. A third takes it to a point where nobody can make a good living. The circumstances now from ’96 couldn’t be more different. I don’t agree with everything that happened in 1996 but you can’t roll back the clock. We have to deal with the modern-day realties of how to operate, survive and thrive in this media landscape. It’s being totally disrupted, and to be handcuffed by rules from another era is crazy. I’m not saying I would go out and buy seven radio stations in Syracuse if that happened, but I would like the option. It would increase investor interest and banking interest in radio which is very important. Right now, there is very little of either. We are the red-headed stepchild of media right now. It’s not fair and we’ve been painted with a bad brush, but that is the reality we all have to deal with now.

Radio Ink: What happens if caps are lifted and you are in a market with 12 stations and one guy is able to buy four giving him seven or eight and you only have three? You could get crushed.
Ed Levine: I’ve heard that theory but I don’t buy it. On a national level, yes, but to be frank with the national business being as insignificant as it is to me right now that’s not a major concern. What you are saying is correct for national business and that certainly has been the case. It’s a rigged business anyway because iHheart controls the rep firm. If you’re counting on national business to save your bacon you are really delusional. I’m not saying a stand-alone can make it but if you have a couple of really good stations in a market, you don’t necessarily need to have five. It’s great to have it if you need it but you don’t need four or five to survive. In TV you need great mass because you have to buy the syndicated programming. In radio, if you have the Syracuse University contract, if you have ESPN, heritage morning shows, if you have clear market positions, it doesn’t matter if you own 10 or 1000 stations in that market, you are as significant as the other guy. That is a big difference between radio and TV.

Radio Ink: Is it true that iHeart is pretty much the only company not on board with any more deregulation?
Ed Levine: iHeart has been a large part of the reason why radio has had trouble in the last 20 years. Remember the brilliant John Hogan campaign “less is more,” which was going to solve all of radio’s problems? That’s now why you’re hearing 16-18 units a day on radio stations. The litany of their sins against the radio industry are long and they have to live with that. I’m not surprised they’re not in favor of it. They have not been in favor of most things that would benefit the radio industry. We have ours so the hell with everybody else. To be fair, their business model and a company like mine we are almost in different businesses. If I had that kind of reach I might look at the world the same way, but that type of local radio and the type of radio many locally owned companies are doing is very different. We are not a command and control place. They are and owning that many stations I understand that.

Radio Ink: Is there any indication which way Cumulus goes or does that not matter?
Ed Levine: These are more questions for the NAB. The feeling I get from folks I talk to at the Commission is they feel our pain and want to do something. Even if we can’t speak with one voice, that will be a shame, but unfortunately that has happened too often in the last 20 years. The TV industry speaks with one voice. We do not. They are looking for some guidance on what to do and shame on us if we can’t come up with a plan that works for everybody.

Radio Ink: What can we expect as a timeline?
Ed Levine: I have been told calendar 2018 whatever that means. I don’t want to talk for the NAB but I think over the summer they will put out a proposal, a recommendation and comments on their quadrennial review. I think the FCC will take a long hard look at that and try to follow those guidelines closely.

Congresswoman Rep. Maxine Waters disagreement with Rep. Mike Kelly on House Floor - "I Won't Yield to You!!"

The United States Supreme Court May Have to Decide if Banning Dreadlocks Is Racist

Story by the Root
Written by Michael Harriot
Photos from I-Stock

An Alabama woman who lost her job after her employer said that dreadlocks “tend to get messy” has petitioned the Supreme Court to decide if the company’s policy is discriminatory.

In 2010, Chastity Jones applied for a job at Catastrophe Management Solutions, an insurance-claims-processing company in Mobile, according to AL.com. After Jones was hired, she met with a human resources manager about a scheduling conflict. As she was leaving, court records state, the HR manager informed her that she couldn’t work for CMS with dreadlocks. “They tend to get messy,” the manager reportedly said. “I’m not saying yours are, but you know what I’m talking about.”

CMS withdrew the job offer after Jones refused to cut her hair, so she filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 2013 the EEOC filed a lawsuit against the company on behalf of Jones, citing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion. https://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2018/04/mobile_woman_wants_supreme_cou.html

Jones lost her federal lawsuit and appealed to an appeals court in 2016, which affirmed the lower court’s decision. In its ruling, the appeals court said, “Title VII prohibits discrimination based on immutable traits, and the proposed amended complaint does not assert that dreadlocks—though culturally associated with race—are an immutable characteristic of black persons.”
https://www.theroot.com/federal-court-says-it-s-totally-not-racist-to-ban-dread-1790856866

CMS contends that Jones should not be able to appeal to the Supreme Court because she wasn’t technically a party in the EEOC lawsuit against CMA. The company also contends that Jones “has no established right to maintain a chosen hairstyle in the face of an employer’s contrary, race-neutral policy,” which says that:

All personnel are expected to be dressed and groomed in a manner that projects a professional and businesslike image while adhering to company and industry standards and/or guidelines. ... [H]airstyle should reflect a business/professional image. No excessive hairstyles or unusual colors are acceptable.



The Supreme Court has not made a decision on whether it will hear the case during the next session.

NBA's Golden State Warriors' Jordan Bell needed to be humbled -- how a 'deep conversation' with Kevin Durant changed his mindset

On the Warriors' flight back from Indiana on April 5, Kevin Durant had a chat with Jordan Bell...

Story by Yahoo Sports
Written by Monte Polo

HOUSTON -- Jordan Bell's next chance to remind folks of his vast potential comes this week, maybe as soon as Monday night. Should he flourish, forgive him if he jogs over to hug Warriors teammate Kevin Durant.

For seven weeks, Durant's voice has been echoing about Bell's head and not because they've been talking every day. It's what Durant said back on April 5 that continues to influence Bell.

The Warriors had lost by 20 at Indiana, with coach Steve Kerr using such words as "pathetic" and "embarrassing" to describe his team's effort. There was no joy, and no comfort, either, other than the team flying back home to the Bay Area.

Durant saw an opportunity help a teammate and seized upon it.

"On the plane back, KD came over and sat next to me," Bell recalled to NBC Sports Bay Area. "And we were talking about hoops and how much he loves it. It was a deep conversation. It made me look at him totally differently. It was like, ‘Damn, this dude really loves basketball.' Everybody around here says they love playing basketball, but he was saying he wants to die playing basketball. I never felt that way; I want to die in my sleep, something peaceful. He loves it on a totally different level.

"Ever since that conversation, it's been different. I really love basketball, too. So why wouldn't I go hard and respect the game like he respects the game?"

Bell in recent weeks has rededicated himself to the game and to his teammates. After tumbling from the playing rotation for several reasons, the forward/center is working his way back and has reached a point where Kerr now says Bell could play meaningful minutes against the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, which begin Monday in Houston.

That was the plan back in January, when the Warriors saw star quality -- before Bell's stunning rise took a few detours.

Bell's first three months in the NBA allowed the Warriors to fantasize about their immediate future. Despite being a second-round draft pick, he was rapidly developing into a player they knew they would need. At 6-foot-9, he was quick and agile and stunningly efficient for a rookie. His metrics, from field goal percentage to defensive rating, were extraordinary. His defense, in particular, jibed with the way the league operates these days, with big men able to switch out on small men.

The Warriors, players and coaches, would watch Bell soaring above the rim and view him as necessary in their effort to thwart the team growing into their greatest inter-conference threat: the Rockets. He would be the X-factor, the antidote to Houston's quick, agile and efficient center, Clint Capela.

"He's perfect for that," Kerr thought at the time.

And then the ride started to stall. In the first minute of a Jan. 17 game at Chicago, Bell sustained a severe left ankle sprain and missed 14 games over five weeks. He has been trying to catch up ever since, and now he appears ready to remind folks he is more like the baller that captivated Warriors fans in his first 60 days than the dude who has spent most of the last 60 days mostly cheering from the bench.

Bell landed there by taking shortcuts, which can happen in the glow of early success. He was recovering from injury, but even when he was feeling better he didn't seem fully committed. There might an occasional tardy arrival. He did not, for example, seem to realize that "optional" practices were for veterans, not rookies.

Meanwhile, Kevon Looney, a third-year player who has endured surgery to both hips, surged past Bell and into the playing rotation. Looney knew not to take anything for granted. Not nearly the athlete Bell is, Looney is sound fundamentally and had earned the respect and trust of his teammates.

In retrospect, Bell concedes he had to be humbled.

"Oh, definitely," he said. "It was coming easy and then I wasn't playing with the same intensity. I was comfortable for a while. I still tried to play hard, but I wasn't playing the same."

The coaches noticed and wondered if maybe Bell had taken his early success for granted. Teammates also noticed, and it eroded some of the trust he had gained.

That's where Durant comes in. He noted Bell's work ethic had diminished from earlier in the season, when he was an eager pup trying to make a strong positive impression. He was, in a word, coasting.

"I told him no matter what we do here -- because it's a different organization, where we've got a lot of veterans, guys that have won before, guys that know their routine -- that as a rookie you might not want to follow those examples," Durant told NBC Sports Bay Area. "You might have to come in on off days or show up before shootarounds.

"Guys like Draymond (Green), Klay (Thompson), myself, we might get to pick and choose our spots, but that's because we've been in it for so long. It was like me saying, ‘Jordan, you have to dive right in, see what you are. See what your groove is and figure it out from there.' "

Bell cites a number of reasons for his midseason dip. Twelve days after returning to the lineup from the sprained left ankle, he sustained a less severe sprain of his right ankle. That cost him three games, over eight days. When he returned for good, neither his confidence nor his production was the same.

It was as if the game he thought he mastered by December had evolved to something altogether different in March.

"I realized it's a learning experience," Bell says. "Just learning basketball, there's so much you think you knew. But there's a whole bunch you haven't gotten to. It's like you think you've finished the book, and then there's a 12-volume series that you have to go through."

Bell is eager to be coached hard, even by teammates, Green in particular. Bell aspires to be similar to Green, gritty hard-nosed player willing to do whatever it takes to win. Green earned that reputation partly because he wouldn't be an All-Star without a total commitment. Bell, a superior athlete, imagined he would take an easier road.

"I know how young guys have to adjust and I had wanted him to figure it out on his own," Durant said. "Let him see how he wanted to approach games and practices. And like a lot of young players, you're trying to figure out the balance. I just told him that no matter if you play or not, your work ethic and your commitment to the game has to stay the same."

Bell is listening. How could he not? Durant is an MVP, a four-time scoring champ and a nine-time All-Star. The Hall of Fame awaits his induction.

"Even though I see him every day, I was surprised at how hard he goes in every single drill," Bell said. "If we're doing layup lines to start practice, he's the first one dunking -- and hard as hell. Maybe everybody hasn't had a chance warm up, but he's like, ‘Let's go.'

"He told me, ‘The reason why I go so hard is that I really love basketball. I love this game.' He's always talking about wanting to get better, just keep getting better, one percent better each day. Just seeing him do it, I tell myself that ‘I'm not going as hard as KD right now, so let me pick it up.' "

Bell played a total of 12 minutes during the five-game, first-round series victory over the Spurs. He played 24 minutes in the five-game dispatch of the Pelicans. With Kerr's belief in matchups and Capela playing a key role for the Rockets, the coach would love to see Bell earn 15-20 minutes per game.

"He's done a really good job the last few weeks, working hard and staying in engaged," Kerr said. "He's played well when we've thrown him out there, and I wouldn't hesitate to put him out there in this series."

If it works out, and Bell can come close to offsetting Capela, he can thank Durant. If it doesn't play well, Bell can keep listening to his veteran teammate until he gets it right.

"I just tried to encourage him and let him know that I understand, that I was a rookie too," Durant said. "And I'm always here to talk if he needs it."

NRA President Oliver North says Parkland gun control Activists are Criminal Civil Terrorists

Oliver North speaks at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum during the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on May 4 in Dallas. North, who is best known for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal, was recently named the lobbying group’s new President (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Story by Newsweek
Written by Jason Le Miere

The newly elected president of the National Rifle Association has claimed that gun control activists, like those who have emerged following a deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in February, are “civil terrorists.”

Oliver North, who is best known for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal in which profits from weapons sales to Iran were secretly funneled to right-wing guerrillas in Nicaragua, was named the lobbying group’s new president earlier this week. And he has wasted no time attacking activists who have criticized the NRA’s role in continued gun violence.

“They’re not activists—this is civil terrorism. This is the kind of thing that’s never been seen against a civil rights organization in America,” Oliver North told the Washington Times. “You go back to the terrible days of Jim Crow and those kinds of things—even there you didn’t have this kind of thing.”

In referencing Jim Crow, North appeared to be comparing the plight of the NRA with civil rights activists who fought for racial equality in the 1960s, during a time in which many were beaten and murdered. North said NRA leaders had been subjected to personal “threats.”

After 17 people were killed during the Parkland shooting, student survivors from the school have spoken out about the need for greater gun control as well as criticizing the impact of the NRA on preventing legislation they argue could help curb the number of mass shootings. Unlike previous efforts in the wake of deadly shootings, the Parkland students have fueled an ongoing online and in-person campaign, which has included school walkouts and, in March, the March for Our Lives event where students, and others, took to the streets across the country.

“They can do all the cyberwar against us—they’re doing it,” North said. “They can use the media against us—they are. They’ve gone after our bank accounts, our finances, our donors and obviously individual members. “It’s got to stop.”

Kevin Love had a revealing explanation on what it takes to be a star playing with LeBron James

Kevin Love has yet to re-discover his All-NBA form with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Story by Yahoo Sports
Written by Brandon Wiggins

Kevin Love acknowledged in a recent interview that he tends to get most of the blame when the Cleveland Cavaliers struggle, while LeBron James gets most of the credit when the Cavaliers do well.

Still, Love says he is okay with this and that he hopes fans will appreciate that he was a part of a title-winning team in Cleveland after his career is over.

Kevin Love has been something of an NBA lightning rod since joining LeBron James in Cleveland via trade, never managing to replicate his All-NBA caliber seasons in Minnesota and emerging as an easy target for criticism on a team featuring the best basketball player in the world and championship-or-bust expectations.

Well, in some recent candid comments to reporters, Love acknowledged the criticism and said that playing alongside LeBron makes it easy for his contributions on the basketball court to go overlooked.

"I know that you know when we have success I might not get the credit and when we do lose or have a bad string of games that I might get the blame but that comes with the territory," Love said. "And at the end of the day hopefully at the end of my career, they'll look and say 'Wow Kevin did a lot in Cleveland and you know did a lot for this city and brought a championship here' and hopefully multiple championships."

Love had no harsh words for LeBron, however.

"LeBron should get a lot of the praise," he said. "I mean look what he's been able to do, he's been so unbelievable in this run and throughout his entire career."

Love did say that playing alongside LeBron has taught him some things, mainly "what it means to sacrifice."

He has sacrificed a good deal to be a part of a contending team in Cleveland, going from being the focal point of the Minnesota Timberwolves offense to a second or even third option behind LeBron and, at one point, Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. Still, he did win a championship in 2016, and also got a rare defensive highlight in the process when he famously got a defensive stop on Stephen Curry, so it is fair to say things have worked out for Love.

Congressman Elijah Cummings(Md.) Issues Statement on Niger Ambush Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 10, 2018
CONTACT: Aryele Bradford (Oversight), 202-226-5181

Cummings Issues Statement on Niger Ambush Report

Washington, D.C. (May 10, 2018)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement in response to the Department of Defense’s public release of an eight-page summary report on the October 4, 2017 Niger ambush:

“I want to express my profound sympathies to the families of the four U.S. service members who were killed by militants last October in the Niger ambush. The Department of Defense’s internal examination reveals alarming systemic flaws that must be addressed. Unfortunately, the report has no information about any actions taken or not taken by President Trump or any White House official before, during or after the attack. As part of a pattern of walling off the White House from credible oversight, Chairman Gowdy has blocked all requests to seek a briefing or documents from the White House, or to let the Committee debate or vote on a subpoena. I once again call on Chairman Gowdy to join my request for the White House to provide a briefing and key documents to Members of this Committee so that we may conduct the credible investigation the American people deserve and help prevent future tragedies for U.S. forces serving abroad.”

Background

October 25, 2017: Chairman Gowdy sent a joint letter with Ranking Member Cummings to the Department of Defense requesting a briefing, but refused to join a letter on the same date requesting a similar briefing from the White House. The White House did not respond to this letter in any way.

February 21, 2018: Ranking Member Cummings sent a letter to Chairman Gowdy urging the Committee request key documents and communications from the White House including any orders given to the Department of Defense, when President Trump first learned of the attacks, and any actions taken in response. Chairman Gowdy did not respond to this letter in any way.

Chairman Gowdy’s actions in this investigation stand in stark contrast to his request to the White House in the Benghazi investigation.

On December 29, 2014, Chairman Gowdy sent a letter to the Obama White House requesting 12 broad categories of documents relating to the attacks in Benghazi, including calendars and meetings attended by the President.

In response, the Obama White House provided nearly 1,500 pages of documents in eight separate productions, including emails from top White House officials such as Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough, and emails between National Security Council staff and other agencies the night of the attacks.

When Gowdy served as Chairman of the Benghazi Select Committee, he sent multiple requests for documents and information to the Obama White House to investigate the deaths of four Americans, including letters on April 23, 2015, August 7, 2015, and March 16, 2016.

Similarly, during the Oversight Committee’s investigation of the fratricide of U.S. Army Corporal Patrick Tillman, then-Chairman Henry A. Waxman and then-Ranking Member Tom Davis sent bipartisan requests to the White House.

Chairman Gowdy promised a public hearing on the report, however no date has been set.
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Israel hits dozens of Iranian targets in Syria after barrage

Story by AP
Written by

BEIRUT (AP) — The Israeli military on Thursday said it attacked nearly all of Iran's military installations in neighboring Syria in response to an Iranian rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the occupied Golan Heights, in the most serious military confrontation between the two bitter enemies to date.

Israel said the targets of the strikes, its largest in Syria since the 1973 war, included weapons storage, logistics sites and intelligence centers used by elite Iranian forces in Syria. It also said it destroyed several Syrian air-defense systems after coming under heavy fire and that none of its warplanes were hit.

Iranian media described the attacks as "unprecedented," but there was no official Iranian comment on Israel's claims.

The White House condemned Iran's "provocative rocket attacks from Syria against Israeli citizens" and expressed strong support for "Israel's right to act in self-defense," while Russia said the Israeli strikes marked a dangerous escalation, urging both Israel and Iran to avoid provoking each other.

In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said "the Iranian regime's deployment into Syria of offensive rocket and missile systems aimed at Israel is an unacceptable and highly dangerous development for the entire Middle East."

Israel has acknowledged carrying out over 100 airstrikes in neighboring Syria since the civil war erupted in 2011, most believed to be aimed at suspected Iranian weapons shipments bound for the Hezbollah militant group.

But in the past few weeks, Israel has shifted to a more direct and public confrontation with Iran, striking at Iranian bases, weapons depots and rocket launchers across Syria, and killing Iranian troops. Israel accuses Tehran of seeking to establish a foothold on its doorstep. Iran has vowed to retaliate.

Reflecting the scope of the overnight attacks, Russia's military said 28 Israeli jets were involved, striking at several Iranian and government sites in Syria with 70 missiles. It said half of the missiles were shot down.

Speaking at the Herzliya Conference, an annual security gathering north of Tel Aviv, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel would response fiercely to any further Iranian actions.

"We will not let Iran turn Syria into a forward base against Israel," he said. "We, of course, struck almost all the Iranian infrastructure in Syria, and they need to remember this arrogance of theirs. If we get rain, they'll get a flood. I hope that we ended this chapter and that everyone understood."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors the civil war through sources inside Syria, said the overnight Israeli attacks struck several military posts for Syrian troops and Iranian-backed militias near the capital, Damascus, in central Syria and in southern Syria. The Observatory said the attacks killed 23 fighters, including five Syrian soldiers. It said it was not immediately clear if Iranians were among those killed.

The Syrian military said the Israeli strikes killed three people and wounded two, without saying if any Iranians or Iran-backed militiamen were among them. It said the strikes destroyed a radar station and an ammunition warehouse, and damaged a number of air defense units. The military said air defense systems intercepted "the large part" of the incoming Israeli strikes.

An Iranian state television presenter announced the Israeli strikes, sourcing the information to Syria's state-run SANA news agency. The broadcaster described the Israeli attack as "unprecedented" since the 1967 Mideast war.

Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 war, annexing it in 1981 in a move not recognized internationally. In 1974, Israel and Syria reached a cease-fire and a disengagement deal that froze the conflict lines with the plateau in Israeli hands.

Damascus shook with sounds of explosions just before dawn, and firing by Syrian air defenses over the city was heard for more than five hours. Syria's state news agency SANA said Israeli missiles hit air defense positions, radar stations and a weapons warehouse, but claimed most incoming rockets were intercepted.

Russia sent forces to Syria to back President Bashar Assad in 2015. But Israel and Russia have maintained close communications to prevent their air forces from coming into conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss military coordination in Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow sees Thursday's strikes as a "very alarming development."

He noted that in contacts with the leadership of both countries, including a meeting Wednesday between Putin and Netanyahu, "we underlined the necessity of avoiding any actions that might be mutually provocative."

Britain condemned "in the strongest terms" the alleged Iranian rocket attack against Israeli positions, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron called for de-escalation and "level-headedness" in the region.

Israel said early Thursday that Iran's Quds Force fired 20 rockets at Israeli front-line military positions in the Golan Heights. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said four of the rockets were intercepted, while the others fell short of their targets. The incoming attack set off air raid sirens in the Golan.

Conricus said Israel was not looking to escalate the situation but that troops will continue to be on "very high alert."

"Should there be another Iranian attack, we will be prepared for it," he said.

It is believed to be the first time in decades that such firepower from Syria has been directed at Israeli forces in the Golan Heights.

Iran's ability to hit back further could be limited. Its resources in Syria pale in comparison to the high-tech Israeli military and it could also be wary of military entanglement at a time when it is trying to salvage the international nuclear deal.

Iran has sent thousands of troops to back Assad, and Israel fears that as the fighting nears an end, Iran and tens of thousands of Shiite militiamen will turn their focus to Israel.

Earlier this week, Syrian state media said Israel struck a military outpost near Damascus. The Observatory said the missiles targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, killing at least 15 people, eight of them Iranians.

Last month, an attack on Syria's T4 air base in the central Homs province killed seven Iranian military personnel. On April 30, Israel was said to have struck government outposts in northern Syria, killing more than a dozen pro-government fighters, many of them Iranians.

Israel considers Iran to be its most bitter enemy, citing Iran's hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the international nuclear agreement with Iran, with strong support from Israel, has further raised tensions.

Israel and Iran have appeared to be on a collision course for months.

In February, Israel shot down what it said was an armed Iranian drone that entered Israeli airspace. Israel responded by attacking anti-aircraft positions in Syria, and an Israeli warplane was shot down during the battle.

But Thursday was the first time Israel openly acknowledged targeting Iran.

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Heller reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Zeina Karam in Beirut and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.