Al Sharpton Makes Matters Worse in Ferguson, MO … Calls Shooting a “Defining Moment” and then Incites the Crowd Against the Police

AL SHARPTON MAKING MATTERS WORSE IN FERGUSON, MO …

Peaceful protest? Can it really be called a peaceful protest when its intent is to fire up the division between blacks and the police? Al Sharpton spoke during a rally at Greater Grace Church, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014, and did what Sharton does best … fan the flames of racism and division. Sharpton said that the police chief had the audacity to release a tape trying to disparage Michael Brown’s name by releasing a tape of Brown robbing a convenience store earlier the same say he was shot and killed by police officer, Darren Wilson. Some how it is okay to paint police officer Wilson and the entire Ferguson police as racists, but to put forth a video of the so-called “Gentle Giant” strong-armed robbing a store is evil. In Al’s world, race-baiting good, facts bad.

Sad, this is hardly the way to calm Ferguson.

Rev. Al Sharpton, left, speaks with parents of Michael Brown, Michael Brown Sr. and Lesley McSpadden, right, during a rally at Greater Grace Church, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014, for their son who was killed by police last Saturday in Ferguson, Mo. Sharpton told the rally Brown’s death was a “defining moment for this country.”

CBS NEWS:

The situation in Ferguson, Missouri escalated Sunday night as police moved in on protesters hours before a state-imposed curfew was set to go into effect.

Police fired tear gas at protesters as some ran through the streets with their hands up, CBS 2’s Jessica Schneider reported.

Video has also surfaced of protesters throwing items at police, Schneider reported.

The chaos comes on the same day Rev. Al Sharpton lead a peaceful rally in the town.

Addressing a congregation in Ferguson on Sunday, Rev. Sharpton blasted the release by police of a video purportedly showing Michael Brown robbing a store shortly before the unarmed man was shot and killed by a police officer.

The remarks came one day after another standoff between police and protesters.

Here is the VIDEO of suspect Michael Brown strong-arm robbing a convenience store in Ferguson, MO of cigars that Sharpton was complaining about. Disparage Michael Brown’s name? It would appear that Brown is doing a good job of that himself. Who just walks into a store and out with anything they damn well please without paying? Of course this does not mean that it is a justification for police to shoot Brown, but it does give some factual perspective as to what Brown was all about.

Ferguson, MO Chaos: Protesters Refused to comply with Gov. Nixon’s Midnight Curfew … 7 Arrested, One Individual Critically Shot, Police Use Tear Gas Against Mob

Curfew, what curfew?

Earlier in the day on Saturday, Gov. Jay Nixon (D-MO) had issued a state of emergency and called for a curfew (VIDEO) in Ferguson, MO after looting and rioting continued, following the announcement of the naming of the police officer, Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Michael Brown.  However, predictably there was an element that was not going to abide by the curfew and defy authority.

“This is not to silence the people of Ferguson, but to address those who are drowning out the voice of the people with their actions,” Mr. Nixon, a Democrat, told reporters and residents at a Ferguson church. “We will not allow a handful of looters to endanger the rest of this community. If we’re going to achieve justice, we must first have and maintain peace.”

Mr. Nixon added: “This is a test. The eyes of the world are watching.”

As 12 midnight came and went, some protesters disbursed; however, many staying in defiance of the 12 midnight to 5 am curfew. The result was more chaos, clashes with police (VIDEO), tear gas and arrests. As Right Wing News opined, Rioters Go Crazy In Ferguson Yet Again.

Live Audio & Video Feeds From #Ferguson

“No Justice! No Curfew!… We grown!”

VIDEO Hat Tip – The Gateway Pundit

Police Warn Protesters that they are violating a State imposed curfew

Man Shot (not by police) As Protesters Defy Curfew in Ferguson

VIDEO – AP

Daily News: One shot, in critical condition as Ferguson, Mo., cops crack down on protesters, arrest seven for breaking curfew.

The mayhem in Ferguson Mo. Escalated early Sunday morning as a man was shot and seven people were arrested following a confrontation between police and protesters who refused to abide by the state mandated curfew.

Authorities have not identified the man but said he was critically wounded by a gunshot. It is unclear who shot him but he was injured near an area of the town where protesters had gathered near a restaurant and some people were standing on the roof. Authorities said it did not appear he was shot by an officer.

Officers from Missouri State Highway Patrol, St. Louis city and county police worked to remove the people from the area and brought armored vehicles and tear gas. A man with a handgun as spotted in the crowd and another person was reported shooting at a police car.

“I was disappointed in the actions of tonight” said patrol Capt. Ron Johnson.

Police had earlier pledged they would not use such tactics but Johnson said they were worried about officers’ safety.

“Tonight’s response was a proper one,” he said, adding that he was “disappointed” that rioting continued.

Ferguson, Missouri Police to Name Police Officer in Michael Brown Shooting … Police Officer’s Named, Darren Wilson (Update: Michael Brown was Suspect in Convenience Store Robbery)(Update: Police Incident Report, Still Photo Pic from Robbery)(Update: VIDEO of Robbery)

RUT-ROH, get ready for more insanity … The Ferguson, MO police department are going to name the police officer who shot and killed t Michael Brown today.

The protests have gone on for 5 days, the naming of the police officer is going to open up a whole new can of worms.

The Ferguson, Mo., police department on Friday will identify the officer who shot Michael Brown, whose death spurred violent protests and unrest in the St. Louis suburb over the past week.

Ferguson, Mo., Police Chief Thomas Jackson said he would like to release the name by 9 a.m. ET Friday.

Brown was unarmed when the officer killed him. Witnesses in the area say Brown had raised his hands to surrender when he was shot. Police have not confirmed that information.

The announcement comes after Twitter suspended an account Thursday linked to a loose-knit “hacktivist” group that released the name of a police officer it said shot and killed Brown on Saturday night. However, police, Ferguson’s mayor and the stepmother of the man named all said the group was incorrect and that the person named is not a police officer.

UPDATE I: From This mornings press conference: Police officer named in the shooting of Michael Brown …  Darren Wilson, who was said to have been a police officer for 6 years. It was also stated at the press conference that the officer was treated for injuries. It appears the reason why the name was released was because of Sunshine laws. It was reported that officer Wilson had no disciplinary record.

Police also provided at the Presser that Darren Wilson stopped Michael Brown because there had been a previous strong arm robbery and Brown met the description of the suspect.

In my opinion there is no amount of information that could be released today that is going to satisfy the mob. When they say they want justice, that means a scalp and they will not be happy until it happens.If a convenience store was burned down and other stores looted in retaliation for the shooting death of Michael Brown, I can only imagine what will happen once crazed individuals start Googling the name for the address of Darren Wilson.

Battle lines have been drawn and no one really knows what happened.

ABC News: Police Release Name of Officer in Fatal Shooting in Ferguson, Missouri.

Police have announced the name of the officer who shot and killed an unarmed teen in Ferguson, Missouri — an incident that led to days of clashes in the streets of the St. Louis suburb.

Darren Wilson was revealed today as the officer who shot Michael Brown, 18, and officials have moved the six-year police veteran and his family from the town as a safety precaution.

Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said earlier that at the time of the shooting on Saturday, the officer was on a routine patrol when he encountered Brown and a friend walking in the street. Authorities have said that a scuffle ensued after the officer asked the teens to move to the side. Witnesses have said Brown’s hands were raised when he was shot multiple times.

UPDATE II: WAPO: A description of a possible suspect was given over the radio, saying this person was walking toward the QuickTrip convenience store in Ferguson.

Jackson provided few other details about Wilson at the news conference and did not take any questions. He said that Wilson had been responding to a call shortly before noon on Saturday when there was a 911 call regarding a “strong-arm robbery” at a convenience store, Jackson said.

A description of a possible suspect was given over the radio, saying this person was walking toward the QuickTrip convenience store in Ferguson. Wilson left the call he had been responding to and encountered Brown on Canfield Drive at 12:01 p.m., Jackson said.

An incident report handed out by police on Friday labeled Brown as a suspect in the convenience store robbery.

TPM: Police: Teen Was ‘Primary Suspect’ In Robbery At Time Of Shooting

Michael Brown, the African-American teen who was shot by Ferguson, Mo., police Saturday, was the primary suspect for an alleged robbery at the time of the shooting, according to reporters on the ground piecing through a police report released Friday.

The police also released an incident report, which said that Brown was the “primary suspect” in the robbery call, according to reporters at the scene who had access to the physical copies.

UPDATE III: POLICE INCIDENT REPORT.

TWITTER: Ryan J. ReillyVerified account ?@ryanjreilly

Page from police report pic.twitter.com/xcz6nUKqY2

TWITTER  Ryan J. Reilly @ryanjreilly  ·  37m

Stills from camera

UPDATE IV: VIDEO of suspect Michael Brown robbing convenience story of cigars released by police.

Happy Birthday … Smokey Bear Turns 70 Years Old, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SMOKEY THE BEAR TURNED 70 ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014.

Wow, hard to believe that Smokey the Bear turned 70. Smokey the Bear is probably one of the best and enduring PSA’s put out by the government and the US Department of Forestry. Over the decades Smokey the Bear has had makeovers. Personally, I like the 50′s and 60′s Smokey. What is most interesting is that Smokey’s PSA’s were not originally from the Forestry department, but from the “Wartime Ad Council” instead. Smokey’s job was to warn Americans of the danger of forest fires, not those set by Americans,  but by the Japanese. During World War II, Japan launched fire bombing balloons into the jet stream hoping to destroy American natural resources.

Remember … Only You!

Happy birthday, Smokey Bear! Forest firefighting symbol turns 70.

The Forest Service unveiled Smokey Bear as a symbol for fire prevention on Aug. 9, 1944. Tidwell said the country averaged about 160,000 wildfires annually in 1944, compared with 60,000 today, a decline he attributes to the Smokey Bear campaign.

Up to 90 percent of U.S. wildfires are caused by humans, according to the National Park Service.

Tidwell said today’s wildfires tend to be larger due to drier, hotter weather. With more people living near forested areas, Smokey’s message is more relevant than ever, he said.

Smokey The Bear Song – 1952

CBS NEWS:

He goes to work in blue jeans and utters only one sentence, but his message is loud and clear – “Only you can prevent wildfires.”

Smokey Bear just turned 70 years old, and his image is getting a reboot, reports CBS News’ Ben Tracy.

“Smokey has had a little work done. His costume has been updated… He’s got a fresh new look,” said Peggy Conlon, president of the Advertising Council, the organization that has overseen Smokey’s iconic image from the beginning.

“Ninety-four percent of Americans recognize Smokey Bear,” she said. “He’s really survived generations. And he’s beloved and everybody remembers his phrase.”

Smokey was created in 1944, one of the first campaigns from the newly created “Wartime Ad Council.” The same folks also coined the phrase, “loose lips sink ships.”

Smokey’s job was to warn Americans of the danger of forest fires — not those set by Americans — but by the Japanese. During World War II, Japan launched fire bombing balloons into the jet stream hoping to destroy American natural resources.

CIA Director John Brennan Admits and Apologized For CIA Improperly Accessed/Hacked Senate Computers … Calls For Brennan to Resign

WELCOME TO CIA-GATE

According to a declassified CIA inspector general’s report as reported by ABC News, CIA officers improperly accessed Senate computers, read the emails of Senate staff, and exhibited a “lack of candor” when interviewed by agency investigators. CIA Director John Brennan apologized to Senate Intelligence Committee leaders for the CIA’s conduct, which was quite a a turnabout for the CIA directors previous comments that the CIA did anything wrong. Yup, no separation of powers scandal here.

The document, released Thursday by the CIA, is a summary of an internal CIA investigation that prompted CIA Director John Brennan to abandon his defiant posture in the matter and apologize to Senate Intelligence Committee leaders.

The inspector general concluded “that some CIA employees acted in a manner inconsistent with the common understanding reached between” the Senate Intelligence Committee and the CIA in 2009 regarding access to a shared classified computer network, Boyd said. The shared network had been used by Senate aides to access classified files on CIA interrogations. The CIA penetration occurred after the aides got a hold of documents that the CIA claimed were internal, but which showed that some CIA officials shared misgivings about the treatment of al Qaida detainees.

VIDEO – CNN

WSJ:

Central Intelligence Agency officers snooped on computers used by a Senate committee investigating the CIA’s interrogation program, an internal agency report has concluded—a critical finding in a bitter standoff between two government branches.

CIA Director John Brennan apologized to key senators, who were briefed this week on the CIA inspector general’s report, the agency said on Thursday.

The finding bolsters allegations by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.), the Senate intelligence committee chairwoman, who has denounced what she described as a CIA search of Senate computers that may have violated the Constitution’s separation of powers and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.

Sen. Mark Udall (D., Colo.), a member of the intelligence panel, on Thursday called for Mr. Brennan’s resignation after a briefing on the report. “CIA unconstitutionally spied on Congress,” he said. “These offenses, along with other errors in judgment by some at the CIA, demonstrate a tremendous failure of leadership, and there must be consequences.”

The CIA declined to comment on Mr. Udall’s call for Mr. Brennan’s resignation.

Five CIA employees, two attorneys and three information-technology staff members “improperly accessed or caused access” to the special network, according to a declassified summary reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Those efforts included falsifying identities to get on the Senate network, reading emails and taking screenshots, said an official who read the inspector general’s report.

Senate intelligence committee chairwoman Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) accuses CIA of spying on Congress

REMEMBER WHEN BRENNAN SAID THE FOLLOWING REGARDING HACKING INTO SENATE COMPUTERS?

CIA chief denies agency spied on Senate computers … “nothing could be further than the truth, we wouldn’t do that. That’s beyond the scope of reason.”

UPDATE I: Two Democrat Senators, Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein and Mark Udall call for Brennan to Resign.

Two Democratic senators demanded that Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan resign on Thursday after revelations that the CIA snooped on Senate computers.

Administration officials briefed the Senate Intelligence Committee’s membership on Thursday afternoon about an inspector general report that revealed CIA officials improperly accessed computers used by Senate staffers to research a 6,700-page report on the agency’s Bush-era interrogation and detention practices.

“At this point it would probably be better for the agency, frankly, if he did step aside. I think that the level of trust between the committee and the director has hit a new low,” Heinrich told reporters. He said he had not spoken to Brennan recently.

“I have full confidence in John Brennan,” Obama said in response to a reporter’s question at the end of an afternoon press conference.

UPDATE II: Obama remains confident in CIA head John Brennan despite Senate spying.

President Obama remains confident in CIA Director John Brennan’s leadership despite an independent investigation that concluded that the agency had overreached its authority by spying on Senate staffers.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the findings had not diminished Brennan’s standing in the administration.

When asked whether it damaged his authority or credibility in any way, Earnest said: “Absolutely not.”

Brennan first appointed an outside watchdog to conduct an investigation into the allegations, has “been candid” about the “inconsistencies” that the inspector found, apologized and took the step of appointing a panel to review the need for disciplinary action, he said.