The Serious Side - part 7

Un-freakin'believable! Women judges?! Outrageous! 

Another article about university entrance bribes here:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/13/rich-kids-top-college-admissions

So am I right in thinking that all these universities are private?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6808673/Son-marketing-CEO-charged-college-cheating-scam-apologizes.html

[size=34]Son of marketing CEO Jane Buckingham apologizes for being 'unknowingly involved' in college cheating scam after his mom 'paid $50,000 to have someone else take his ACT'[/size]

• Jack Buckingham said on Wednesday he was 'unknowingly involved' in the college cheating scheme
  
  
• His mother Jane Buckingham, a Beverly Hills marketing CEO, is accused of paying $50,000 to have someone else take his ACT exam last July
  
  
• Buckingham gave a handwriting sample from her son to the other person so that he could attempt to match his handwriting on the exam
  
  
• Jack, who was sick with tonsilitis, sat a fake exam in his bedroom while another person took the test for him in Texas 
  
  

By EMILY CRANE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 09:26 EDT, 14 March 2019 | UPDATED: 10:59 EDT, 14 March 2019



The son of marketing CEO and author Jane Buckingham has apologized after his mother was charged in the college bribery scandal for allegedly paying $50,000 to have someone else take his ACT exam last year.
Jack Buckingham, who said he was advised not to speak about the matter, issued a statement to the Hollywood Reporter saying he was 'unknowingly involved' in the cheating scheme. 
'I know there are millions of kids out there both wealthy and less fortunate who grind their a** off just to have a shot at the college of their dreams,' he wrote.
'I am upset that I was unknowingly involved in a large scheme that helps give kids who may not work as hard as others an advantage over those who truly deserve those spots.'


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Jack Buckingham, the son of marketing CEO and author Jane Buckingham, has apologized after his mother was charged in the college bribery scandal for allegedly paying $50,000 to have someone else take his ACT exam last year
'For that I am sorry though I know my word does not mean much to many people at the moment. While the situation I am going through is not a pleasant one, I take comfort in the fact that this might help finally cut down on money and wealth being such a heavy factor in college admissions. 

'Instead, I hope colleges may prioritize an applicants' character, intellect, and other qualities over everything else.' 
His mother, a Beverly Hills boutique marketing firm CEO, was among the 50 people charged on Tuesday for allegedly conspiring with mastermind Rick Singer to cheat their children's way into college. 
Buckingham, who has appeared on 'The Today Show,' 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' and 'The View', is accused of paying $50,000 to have another person to take the ACT exam for her son in July 2018. 


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Buckingham (left) is accused of paying $50,000 to have another person to take the ACT exam for her son Jack (right) in July 2018


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Jane Buckingham is friends with actress Felicity Huffman who was also charged in the college bribery scheme on Tuesday. They are pictured together in 2010



Buckingham also expressed interest in having someone take her daughter Lilia's entrance exams as well. Lilia tweeted on Wednesday: 'hello beautiful people. thank u for your support. i love u all'





She is known as one of the world's leading experts in youth branding and created the company Youth Intelligence, which was a marketing firm that focused on Generations X and Y. 
According to the court documents related to the case, Buckingham's son Jack was due to fligh to Texas to sit his exam in a test center that was in on the scheme but he came down with tonsilitis. 
Buckingham, who didn't want him to fly, allegedly arranged for Jack to take a fake test at home while someone else took his test in Texas. 
Jack took the test in his bedroom in July last year and believed that it had secured him his place. 
Buckingham had given a handwriting sample from her son so the person taking the test could attempt to match his writing on the exam. 


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In a wiretapped phone call with Singer, Buckingham said: 'He has not great writing. I'm gonna give you that'. 
She later emailed across the writing sample and said: 'Good luck with this'. 
Jack ended up scoring 35 our of 36 on the ACT.  
Months later in October, in a conversation wiretapped by investigators, Buckingham expressed interest in having someone take her daughter Lilia's entrance exams as well.
Buckingham admitted that her daughter is 'not a great test taker'.
Her daughter tweeted on Wednesday: 'hello beautiful people. thank u for your support. i love u all.' 
Buckingham appeared in court late Tuesday with her friend Felicity Huffman who has also been charged in the scheme.

How pathetic is it that a kid has to publicly apologize for his parent's behavior? This whole mess is just sad.

[size=34]EXCLUSIVE: Trump's border agency admits he has built ZERO new walls despite claiming otherwise for months — as the president prepares to veto lawmakers' attempt to kill his emergency declaration and keep his signature campaign promise alive[/size]

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection told DailyMail.com that no new border wall has been erected
  
  
• President Trump has boasted that he has built new walls, a claim that appears untrue given CBP's statement on the record
  
  
• All the construction along the border to date has consisted of replacement and 'secondary' fencing
  
  
• DailyMail.com asked CBP to identify where border walls exist in places where nobarriers existed on Inauguration Day 2017
  
  
• A spokesman conceded that '[t]he first new wall project, where no barrier currently exists, is anticipated to start in April'
  
  

By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 19:37 EDT, 14 March 2019 | UPDATED: 20:41 EDT, 14 March 2019



The United States government has built no new border walls during the Trump administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed exclusively to DailyMail.com on Thursday.
Border barriers erected between the U.S. and Mexico since Inauguration Day 2017 have consisted of supplements to existing walls and replacements for outmoded or decreipt sections.
'The first new wall project, where no barrier currently exists, is anticipated to start in April,' CBP spokesman Roger Maier said in an email. He identified Hidalgo County as the construction project's location, a border zone along a meandering 50-mile stretch of the Rio Grande.
CBP said last year that it was 'designing and constructing approximately 25 miles of levee wall system' in that county, whose anchor is the the border city of McAllen.

President Donald Trump visited McAllen on January 11, boasting of wall renovations that he framed as 'new' construction. 'I will say, we've done a lot of renovation. And we have a lot of new wall going up where we took down wall because it was in such bad shape, and we put new wall up,' he said.  
Trump has been less ambiguous on other occasions. He wrote on Twitter that 'newly built walls' were stopping caravans of Central American migrants from entering the U.S., and that '[w]e have already built large new sections' in addition to ongoing renovations.
That appears to be untrue.


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The documented border wall construction the Trump administration has engaged in so far has consisted of replacing some existing barriers and reinforcing others with secondary fencing; U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on Thursday that the 'first' new section won't go up until April


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President Donald Trump has claimed that his administration has erected 'new' sections of border wall separating the U.S. and Mexico, a claim that his own border agency disagrees with


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Trump's base continues to go wild for his wall as his re-election campaign frames the issue in terms of 'finishing' the project, not getting it off the ground
Maier said that 'CBP has constructed approximately 38 of 40 miles of wall in place of outdated designs,' using funds Congress appropriatedfor fiscal 2017. 
Those replacements are up in San Diego and El Centro, California; Santa Teresa, New Mexico; and El Paso, Texas. 
Utilizing Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 funds, CBP has constructed approximately 38 of 40 miles of wall in place of outdated designs in San Diego and El Centro, California, Santa Teresa, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, providing new capability for the U.S. Border Patrol. This barrier replaced dilapidated infrastructure, half of which was Normandy-style vehicle barrier. Construction has also started on the San Diego Secondary replacement, the first project funded in FY 2018. The first new wall project, where no barrier currently exists, is anticipated to start in Aprilin Hidalgo County of the Rio Grande Valley Sector. 
 — U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Roger Maier (emphasis added by DailyMail.com)
'This barrier replaced dilapidated infrastructure, half of which was Normandy-style vehicle barrier,' he said. 
'Construction has also started on the San Diego Secondary replacement, the first project funded in [fiscal] 2018. The first new wall project, where no barrier currently exists, is anticipated to start in April in Hidalgo County of the Rio Grande Valley Sector.' 
Trump has rediirected billions of dollars to his wall project through a national emergency declaration, claiming at the same time that the project is well underway. 
Both houses of Congress voted this week to rescind that declaration with a resolution that the president has said he will veto, perhaps as soon as Friday.
Some of Trump's claims about his construction described sections of border wall where none existed before. 
In January he tweeted a complaint that '[t]he Fake News Media keeps saying we haven’t built any NEW WALL.' 
He provided a photograph of a section of border wall, saying: 'Below is a section just completed on the Border. Anti-climbing feature included. Very high, strong and beautiful! Also, many miles already renovated and in service!' 
Trump didn't say where the photo was taken, but a date-stamp indicated it was created in October.
Trump drew applause and chants of 'Build the wall!' in 2015 and 2016 as he campaigned for the White House, promising to physically separate the U.S. from its southern neighbor with an impenetrable barrier and force Mexico to pay the bill.


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President Trump tweeted on December 11 that 'newly built Walls' were keeping migrant caravans out, and said his admininstration has 'already built large new sections' along with rongoing renovations


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Customs and Border Protection said about half of the 'dilapidated' border barriers it has replaced with walls consisted of Normandy-style vehicle barriers like these, shown in April 2018 between Santa Teresa, New Mexico and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico


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The first 'new' section of border wall, where none at all existed before Trump became president, will start going up nexgt month in Hidalgo County, Texas (pictured)
That financial pledge morphed into a promise to recoup the cost of a wall by re-engineering America's trade relationship with Mexico in a way that would benefit taxpayers.
As president he first began to claim limited success with his ambitious project in the fall of 2017, tweeting that construction to date consisted of 'new renovation of old and existing fences and walls.'
More recently his campaign-style rallies as president have featured supporters waving 'Finish the wall!' signs – not 'Build the wall!' – along with placards that read, 'Promises made, promises kept.'


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Conservative pundit Ann Coulter once praised Trump's immigration policies but blasted him Monday night as a 'shallow, narcissistic, lying conman,' and dared him on Tuesday to prove he had built any new sections of border wall since becoming president


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Trump posted a pair of tweets criticizing Ann Coulter on Saturday that also touted border wall progress, saying sections were being 'built and renovated'
Trump claimed Saturday on Twitter that '[m]ajor sections of Wall are being built.' He tweeted a day earlier that his long-promised border wall 'is being built and is well under construction.' 
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
CBP's disclosure came as a result of a request for information on Tuesday after conservative pundit Ann Coulter challenged the president to identify exactly where his administration had erected new border barriers. 
'The President’s tweet says he’s already building the Wall. Could he give me the precise latitude and longitude of its location?' she asked. 'Also, how many miles long is it?'
'I want to throw a party there and need the exact coordinates,' she told DailyMail.com. 


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The president has boasted construction projects like the one in this photograph that bears an October 2018 date stamp, but the White House has never said where 'new' border barriers had been installed; it likely was a replacement for existing barriers, not a wall in a previously unprotected location



Trump claimed last Friday that '[t]he Wall is being built and is well under construction'; Coulter trolled him on Tuesday, asking for information about exactly where that's happening





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Trump's public statements about his project this year have boasted of new wall construction – not renovation of older structures. 'The Wall is being built and will be a great achievement,' he tweeted February 12.
A week later his Twitter feed published a time-lapse video appearing to show a section of steel-slatted bollard wall being erected 'in New Mexico.' The tweet said it was '[c]ompleted on January 30, 2019 – 47 days ahead of schedule! Many miles more now under construction!'
The footage bore the logo of the Army Corps of Engineers, a federal agency that serves as general contractor for large federal public-works projects. 
An Army Corps spokesman told a military blog the following day that the video was shot on Sep. 18, 2018. It consisted of 'a replacement project,' pre-approved repair work, and not a new wall.
The New York Times reported in January that 'no new miles of barriers had been built' during the Trump administration, although [s]ome existing barriers have been replaced.' 
CBP's statement on Thursday marks the first time the Trump administration has confirmed this is true. 



The president tweeted this on February 20, including video (below) of what he claimed was three-week-old construction of a new section of wall in New Mexico; it turned out to be September 2018 repair work to replace walls that had been up for years





The agency's website indicates that about 654 miles of physical barriers block portions of the 1.954-mile southern U.S. border.
That includes 280 miles of vehicle fencing, including 'Normandy-style' barriers that can stop a car but not a person on foot. Pedestrian fencing, designed to prevent people from climbing onto American soil, covers another 374 miles.  
Trump insisted on Saturday that he's still serious about physically separating the U.S. and Mexico, and claimed in a tweet that '[m]ajor sections of Wall are being built and renovated, with MUCH MORE to follow shortly.' 
'Tens of thousands of illegals are being apprehended (captured) at the Border and NOT allowed into our Country,' he wrote. 
'With another President, millions would be pouring in. I am stopping an invasion as the Wall gets built. #MAGA.'

Lizzy re your last comment about the college admissions scandal I agree it is sad.  It makes me so angry and I’m afraid that there are more stories to come out about this shameless fraudulent activity of people abusing our college admissions system.

It’s sad this young man had to apologize for his parents’ bad behavior.  But what is really sad are the kids who lost an opportunity to get into some of these schools because someone else literally bought their way into it under false pretenses.  How about minority students who honestly worked their asses off to get into these top schools but are frequently questioned about their legitimacy to be there?

Your post from I think yesterday really makes so much sense.  Your points were spot on.  Our educational system is broken.  Parents’ priorities for their children’s education are misplaced.  Unfortunately this problem is so complicated and convoluted that it would take years to see any positive change ...

Lizzy said ...l


quote="LizzyNY"]Donnamarie - I lean toward academic probation for maybe a year or two, to give these kids a chance to prove themselves.

IMO this whole thing is just a symptom of how badly our education system has deteriorated. It's not about learning anymore. Too many of our kids come out of high school ignorant and unprepared. They think like Lori Loughlin's daughter. They go to college to have fun and please their parents. The degree is a bragging point and a way to make money.

I am a firm believer in a gap year between high school and college. It could be spent working, traveling, or volunteering. Or we could reinstate the draft and require a year of national service in either the military or something like the old VISTA program. By the time the year is up hopefully the kids will have matured enough to make a decision about going to college. Maybe we need to offer them other options that could lead to viable careers.[/quote]

Donnamarie - The last couple of generations have a lot to answer for.  We either wrap our kids in cotton or plant them in front of a tv or computer and ignore them. In too many families discipline is non-existent.  Old fashioned good manners make daily life less stressful but are rarely taught. There is a pervasive lack of respect throughout our culture and it has filtered down to our kids. Not only don't they respect authority or adults (their parents included), many of them don't even respect themselves.

We learn by doing. We learn independence by acting independently. We learn to cope with failure by failing and trying again. Thanks to us, too many of our kids expect to always win, to always be happy, to always get what they want - just because they want it. That so many of them can't cope with becoming adults is down to us. There's a  sense of security when there are rules you know you are expected to follow. We've eliminated a lot of the rules and our kids are struggling because of it.

Sorry to rant on, but this makes me nuts.

At the moment, this discussion about education makes me sad.
My twins are handicapped and have learning disabilities, so at the moment we're trying to figure out what to do in summer. Our employment office wants them to work in a sheltered workshop which my kids don't want. They've had a work training there and hated the work and also the fact that none of the other workers there was able to read, write or calculate. They are too clever to work there and also questioned the kind of work they wrre doing shich the staff at the workshop weren't used to and didn't like. On the other hand they are not clever enough to work in an office or do a real work training for three years which young people normally do. So we're still looking for their niche.

Our friends' and collegues' kids who are the same age, at the same time, are about to do their exams, discuss what to study at which university, go to Canada as an au pair or spend a school year in Ireland. And again I feel like an alien between them...

I just read that a shooting - probably a terror attack - happened in two mosques in Christchurch, NZ. Approx 40 people wrre killed...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6811785/Shooter-opens-fire-New-Zealand-injures-four-people-witnesses-say-heard-20-shots.html

[size=34]At least 49 people are killed and 48 injured in multiple Christchurch mosque massacres involving an Australian terrorist, 28, who live-streamed himself opening fire on worshippers - as a man in his 20s is charged with murder[/size]

• Witnesses reported hearing 50 shots from his semi-automatic shotgun at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch
  
  
• The gunman live-streamed the mass shooting inside the Al Noor Mosque, which happened about 1.30pm
  
  
• A second mosque, Masjid in Linwood, also in the city of Christchurch, was reportedly concurrently attacked
  
  
• Witnesses have said they saw 'blood everywhere' and multiple people were reportedly killed in the massacre
  
  
• One of the gunman live-streamed the mass shooting inside the mosque firing at dozens as they tried to flee
  
  
• Four people - who were not known to counter-terror authorities - were taken into custody for questioning
  
  
• Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com 
  
  

By ALEX CHAPMAN and BEN HILL FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 21:22 EDT, 14 March 2019 | UPDATED: 05:03 EDT, 15 March 2019

     



A white Australian right-wing terrorist who livestreamed his sickening shooting spree on facebook is one of four people arrested over dual mosque attacks which left 49 dead and 48 injured on New Zealand’s 'darkest day'.
The gunman, who identified himself as Brenton Tarrant from Grafton in New South Wales, stormed the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island about 1.30pm, opening fire with a semi-automatic shotgun and a rifle on hundreds of defenceless worshippers attending Friday prayers.
A sickening 17-minute video of the unfolding horror shows the self-confessed white supremacist dressed in army fatigues firing mercilessly at people scrambling to flee, and calmly re-loading when he runs out of bullets.  
At about the same time, there was a second shooting at Masjid mosque in Linwood, where seven more were killed. 

In the aftermath of the bloody attacks, three men and one woman were arrested, with police charging 'one man in his late 20s' with murder.
One of them was arrested while wearing a suicide vest, while a man wearing military fatigues was arrested outside Papanui High School.  
Of the 49 fatalities, 41 were killed at the Al Noor Mosque and seven at the Linwood Avenue mosque. Three were outside the mosque itself. A 49th died in hospital.
A further 48 people were rushed to Christchurch Hospital with gunshot wounds, 20 in a critical condition. 





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A man who identified himself as Brenton Tarrant (pictured) live-streamed the massacre of dozens of people in Christchurch, New Zealand


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Witnesses reported hearing 50 shots and police are responding to the incident at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island. Pictured is a still from a live-stream of the shooting


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A man wearing military fatigues (pictured) was arrested outside Papanui High School


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At least one gunman has opened fire at a mosque in New Zealand , shooting at children and killing dozens of people


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At least 40 people were reported dead as a result of the twin massacres on Friday, with the total rising to 49 within an hour
There was another shooting outside Christchurch Hospital and multiple bombs were attached to two cars belonging to the suspects near the mosque. The explosives were quickly disarmed.
Police urged people near the area to stay indoors and report suspicious behaviour, describing the incident as 'critical'. A lock down on buildings in the area, including schools, was lifted on Friday evening.
Ms Ardern said there were no further suspects at this stage.
She called the attacks 'one of New Zealand's darkest days'.
'My thoughts, and I'm sure the thoughts of all New Zealanders, are with those who have been affected, and also with their families.' 


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Three shootings have taken place in Christchurch on Friday afternoon, two at mosques and another at Christchurch Hospital


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Police rushed to an Auckland train station after reports of abandoned backpacks. The bomb disposal robot (pictured) detonated a bomb in a 'controlled explosion' while commuters were cordoned off


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Witnesses reported hearing 50 shots and police are responding to the incident at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island


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One of the gunmen live-streamed the mass shooting inside the Al Noor Mosque, which happened at 1.30pm as Friday prayers were underway


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The shooter's weapons were marked with the names of other people who have carried out attacks





AUTHORITIES RESPOND TO THE ATTACKS
New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed the death toll had risen to 49 at about 9pm.
'This is absolutely tragic. So many people are affect. We don't know the identities of those who have died yet because those places are in lockdown,' he said. 
He earlier urged Muslims in New Zealand not to go to mosques on Friday.
Mr Bush said four people were in custody. He also confirmed multiple bombs attached to vehicles near the scene of the shootings were defused. 
'We can confirm there have been a number of facilities. We cannot at this stage confirm the precise number but it is significant,' a police spokesman said. 


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Armed police push back members of the public trying to reach the mosque to check on fellow worshippers


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Armed police maintain a presence outside the Masijd Ayesha Mosque in Manurewa in Auckland after the attack in Christchurch



Ms Ardern said the shootings were 'an unprecedented act of violence, an act that has absolutely no place in New Zealand. 
'This is not who we are. 
'The people who were the subject of this attack today, New Zealand is their home. They should be safe here. The person who has perpetuated this violent act against them, they have no place in New Zealand society.' 
She confirmed that police believe the attacks were 'meticulously' planned out. 
Ms Ardern flew to Wellington from Christchurch to hold a crisis meeting at parliament.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was 'horrified' by the 'callous, right wing extremist attack'.
'The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins,' he said.  
He and Ms Ardern will speak later on Friday evening.  








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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the shootings were an 'unprecedented act of violence'


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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed one of the men arrested was an Australian national
SICKENING ATTACK SHARED ONLINE
The suspected gunman shared a 73-page manifesto to Twitter before the killings, foreshadowing a 'terrorist attack'. 
He entered the Al Noor Mosque on Friday during afternoon prayers and opened fire.
The distressing video streamed to his Facebook profile shows the 28-year-old man firing more than 100 shots at those inside.
His guns were scrawled with the names of past mass killers and cities where the shootings occurred.
The gunman's rampage began when he got into his car wearing military-style body armour and a helmet saying 'let's get this party started'.
He then drove to the mosque listening to folk music and military tunes before parking in an alley around the corner.

[size=34]THE UPBRINGING OF A SHOOTER:[/size]

Brenton Tarrant, 28, grew up in Grafton, a small town in northern New South Wales.
Tarrant's father, who was a competitive athlete and completed 75 triathlons, died of cancer in 2010 aged just 49. His mother still lives in the area.
Tarrant attended a local high school and then worked as a personal trainer at the local Big River Squash and Fitness Centre from 2010.
A woman who knew Tarrant through the gym said he had always followed a strict dietary and exercise regime.
'He was very dedicated to his own training and to training others,' she said. 'He threw himself into his own personal training and then qualified as a trainer and trained others. He was very good.'
'When I say he was dedicated, he was dedicated more than most people would be.
'He was in the gym for long periods of time, lifting heaving weights. He pretty much transformed his body.'
The woman said she had not spoken to him or heard him talk about his political or religious beliefs.
'From the conversations we had about life he didn't strike me as someone who had any interest in that or extremist views,' she said.
'But I know he's been travelling since he left Grafton. He has been travelling overseas, anywhere and everywhere.
'I would say it's something in the nature of his travels, something he's been around.
'I know he's been to lots of different countries trying to experience lots of different things in life and I would say something's happened in that time in his travels.'






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Shooters rampage began when he got into his car wearing military-style body armour and a helmet saying 'let's get this party started'


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After retrieving one of at least six assault rifles stored in his car, he walked up to the front door and began firing at the first person he saw






After retrieving one of at least six guns stored in his car, he walked up to the front door and began firing indiscriminately at worshippers inside.
The gunman stormed inside and fired quick bursts at anyone he saw. One wounded man tried to crawl away but was shot again after he calmly reloaded.
He fired into crowds of huddled worshipers, sometimes not even looking where he was shooting, reloading numerous times.
When then sound of his gun stopped between magazines, the moaning of wounded people could be heard until the shots began again.
Several times he stood over wounded men, calmly reloaded his gun, then shot them multiple times to make sure they were dead. 
Tarrant then walked outside and appeared to fire on at least two targets, then returned to his car and swapped his shotgun for a scoped rifle.








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AOS (Armed Offenders Squad) push back members of the public following a shooting at the Al Noor mosque


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Members of a family react outside the mosque following the shooting in Christchurch


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Pictured: Grieving members of the public after the shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand






Returning to the mosque he walked over to a pile of dead or wounded men in the room and began shooting them in the head to ensure they were dead.
Once he was satisfied everyone was dead, he ran outside and shot another person he saw on the mosque's front lawn.
The woman stumbled on to the street and was lying face down in the gutter yelling 'help me, help me' as the shooter walked up to her.
Tarrant calmly leaned over her and shot her twice in the head.
Seconds later he returned to his car and drove over her body to make his escape, stopping to shoot at least one other person through his car window.
As he drove he expressed regret for not staying longer and 'burning the mosque to the ground'. Two jerry cans of petrol were earlier seen the the back his car.
'But, s**t happens,' he said. 'I left one full magazine back there, I know for sure. I had to run along in the middle of the firefight and pick it up.
'There wasn't even time to aim there were so many targets. There were so many people, the car park was full, so there's no real chance of improvement.'
Footage from within the mosque later showed survivors tending to the wounded.


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A terrorist who opened fire on a New Zealand mosque published an online manifesto detailing his plans to carry out a massacre hours before the attack
THE SHOOTER'S MANIFESTO
In a manifesto seemingly written by Tarrant and shared to Twitter, he mentions being inspired by other shooters including Anders Breivik who killed 77 people in Oslo, Norway in 2011.
He said he 'disliked' Muslims and hated those who had converted to the religion, calling them 'blood traitors'.
Tarrant said he originally wanted to target a mosque in Dunedin, south of Christchurch, after watching a video on Facebook.
'But after visiting the mosques in Christchurch and Linwood and seeing the desecration of the church that had been converted to a mosque in Ashburton, my plans changed,' he wrote.
'The Christchurch and Linwood mosques had far more invaders.' 
He said he had been planning an attack for up to two years and decided on Christchurch three months ago. 
The shooter said he was motivated to carry out the attack by the death of Swedish schoolgirl Ebba Akerlund, a girl who was killed in a terrorist attack in Stockholm in April 2017.
Tarrant said he was a supporter of Donald Trump as a 'symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose'. 








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A man reacts as he speaks on a mobile phone near a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand


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Police escort people away from outside one of the mosques targeting in the shooting






A police officer photographs witnesses near the scene of one of the shootings

• 
  
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    Watch video
    NZ PM Jacinda Ardern speaks following attack at Christchurch mosque
    
    
    

  
  
  
  

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Witnesses inside the mosque reported seeing 15 people being shot, including children


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A man who escaped the mosque during the shooting said he saw his wife lying dead on the footpath





He described himself as 'just a regular white man'.
He said he was born to 'working class, low-income family... who decided to take a stand to ensure a future for my people'.
'My parents are of Scottish, Irish and English stock. I had a regular childhood, without any great issues,' he wrote. 
The gunman said he carried out the massacre to 'directly reduce immigration rates to European lands'. 
He said New Zealand was not his 'original choice' for the attack but said the location would show 'that nowhere in the world was safe'.
'We must ensure the existence of our people, and a future for white children,' he wrote. 
He wrote that the shooting was an 'act of revenge on the invaders for the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by foreign invaders in European lands throughout history'.
'For the enslavement of millions of Europeans taken from their lands by the Islamic slavers... for the thousands of European lives lost to terror attacks throughout European lands,' the gunman wrote.
He shared photos to his now-removed Twitter account ahead of the attacks, showing weapons and military-style equipment.
In posts online before the attack Tarrant wrote about 'taking the fight to the invaders myself'. 
'THERE WERE BODIES ALL OVER ME'
Mohammed Jama, the former president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury, said a man with a gun entered the Christchurch Mosque about 1.40pm local time on Friday.
A man inside the mosque at the time of the shooting said there 'bodies all over me'.
Witnesses inside the mosque reported seeing 15 people being shot, including children.
A man who escaped the mosque during the shooting said he saw his wife lying dead on the footpath.
'My wife is dead,' he said while wailing.


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Witness Ahmad Al-Mahmoud described one of the shooters as being white, with blond hair and wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest


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The mosque has capacity to hold more than 300 people
Witness Ahmad Al-Mahmoud described one of the shooters as being white, with blond hair and wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest.
'The guy was wearing like an army [suit]. He had a big gun and lots of bullets. He came through and started shooting everyone in the mosque, everywhere,' Ahmad Al-Mahmoud told Stuff.
'They had to smash the door - the glass from the window and the door - to get everyone out.
'We were trying to get everyone to run away from this area. I ran away from the car park, jumping through the back [yard] of houses.'
Al-Mahmoud said the man was 'wearing a helmet' and must have fired 'hundreds' of gunshots.    
Another witness said he ran behind the mosque to call the police after hearing the gun go off. 
'I heard the sound of the gun. And the second one I heard, I ran. Lots of people were sitting on the floor. I ran behind the mosque, rang the police. 
'I saw one gun on the floor. Lots of people died and injured.' 
Another survivor, identified only as Nour, told the New Zealand Herald that the gunman shot multiple worshipers outside before carrying out his rampage inside the mosque where he shot people indiscriminately.
HEROIC POLICE OFFICER INTERVENES 
A person suspected of being involved in the Christchurch mosque shooting was taken into custody on Friday afternoon in a dramatic roadside arrest.
Footage filmed by a passing motorist shows the suspect's grey station wagon wedged between the gutter and another police car, with its front wheels in the air spinning.
The suspect appeared to still be inside, as officers approached the vehicle with their weapons drawn.
One officer reached inside the vehicle and dragged a person out, as a second stood guard with their weapon drawn.
The suspect was seen wearing dark clothing, and in the footage an officer appears to have hit the person.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush said there were 'some absolute acts of bravery' during the arrests of four people.


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The Bangladesh cricket team (pictured) were on their way to Al Noor Mosque when shooting broke out inside
 BANGLADESH CRICKET TEAM NARROWLY ESCAPED
Bangladesh players and support staff have been preparing for the third test of a series against New Zealand, set to begin on Saturday, and were walking through Hagley Park when shooting broke out at the Al Noor mosque.
Tweets from sports reporters and team members say the group 'just escaped' the shooting, which saw a man enter the mosque and fire multiple shots at dozens of people as they tried to flee. 
The team's opening batsman, Tamim Iqbal said on Twitter the 'entire team got saved from active shooters'.
He said it was a 'frightening experience' and asked supporters to keep the team in their prayers.
Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim said Allah had saved the team.
'We r [sic] extremely lucky,' he wrote. 'Never want to see this things [sic] happen again... pray for us.'
Shrinivas Chandrasekaran, the team's performance and strategic analyst said they had 'just escaped active shooters'. He said their hearts were pounding and there was 'panic everywhere'.
ESPN cricinfo correspondent Mohammad Isam told the New Zealand Herald the team were 'not in a mental state to play cricket at all,' following the horrific attack.
'I think they want to go back home as soon as possible. I’m speaking from experience, I’m speaking from what I’ve heard,' he said.
'Everyone is at the Hagley Park dressing room ... two players are back at the hotel. They didn’t come out for the prayers so they are back at the hotel and the entire coaching staff are safe.'
The scheduled test between New Zealand and Bangladesh has been cancelled. 


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A man was seen with bloodstains on his trousers near the mosque after the shooting


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A police officer gestures to a person outside the mosque after the shooting in Christchurch
A witness told Radio New Zealand he heard shots fired and saw 'blood everywhere'. 
Mr Jama said four people were injured and that he saw two people lying on the ground. He did not know if they were alive or dead, Stuff reported.  
There may have been more than one shooter inside the mosque, the New Zealand Herald reported.
A man inside the mosque said he ran behind the building when he heard gunfire, One News reported.
He said he saw people lying on the ground in pools of blood. 
A woman told the Christchurch Star she lay down in her car as four or five men came running towards her before hearing gunfire moments later. 
Security expert Paul Buchanan told RNZ the killings were 'the worst terrorist attack' ever to take place in New Zealand. 


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Members of the public react in front of the Masjd Al Noor Mosque as they fear for their relatives


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Parents refuse to leave without their children as their school, Te Waka Unua School, is in lockdown


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A shirtless man speaks on the phone as an armed police officer patrols the area outside a mosque in Christchurch
The gunman's rifle and magazines reportedly had the names of other shooters who had killed people at mosques written on them.
A bomb was found in a grey Subaru Legacy three kilometres from the scene of the shooting on Strickland Street, The Guardian reported.
Another witness said people had to smash windows to escape the mosque. 
A second gunman was reportedly seen near another mosque in Linwood and an armed police presence is there.


+42


Witnesses reported they heard 20 shots and police are responding to the incident at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island


+42


Police have urged people near the area to stay indoors and report suspicious behaviour, describing the incident as 'critical'


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Several people have reportedly been killed, with a dead body seen near Al Noor Mosque (interior pictured)
Twenty armed police officers cleared areas in the suburb of Linwood, and led about five men with their hands on their heads out of a building in the area.  
Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the shooting was a 'serious and evolving situation with an active shooter'.
'Police are responding with its full capability to manage the situation, but the risk environment remains extremely high,' he said.
'Police recommend that residents across Christchurch remain off the streets and indoors until further notice. Christchurch schools will be locked down until further notice.'
The lockdown ended after about three hours.  


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The gunman entered and opened fire while hundreds of people were inside the packed mosque for Friday prayers


+42


A man who escaped the mosque during the shooting said he saw his wife lying dead on the footpath 
The shooting happened near Cathedral Square where thousands of children were protesting for climate change action.
The protesting children have been told to go home to ensure their safety. 
Police officers were also seen at sports ground Hagley Park and at Christchurch Hospital. 
New Zealand Police said armed officers have been deployed in the area. 
A business owner near the mosque said a man who fled the area told him the shooting happened inside. 
A witness said they heard at least 50 gunshots and saw people lying on the ground.
Another witness said he saw a car chasing two people from outside the mosque along Deans Avenue.
He said the people in the car began shooting at the two people.
Armed police were seen patrolling the Masijd Ayesha Mosque in Auckland after the attack in Christchurch.
Two abandoned backpacks sparked another bomb scare at Auckland's largest train station. A bomb disposal robot was used to investigate the backpacks while pedestrians were cordoned off.
A controlled explosion was heard soon after.  


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Pictured: Bloodied bandages on the road after the shooting at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch


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Police officers were seen outside Christchurch Hospital after the shooting on Friday
Christchurch Boys' and Girls' high schools were both been placed into lockdown but it has since been lifted.
Parents of students at Christchurch Girls' High School were sent a text message telling them the lockdown was 'not an exercise'.  
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has cancelled her planned events for Friday afternoon in light of the shooting.  
The Canterbury District Health Board has activated its mass casualty plan and the city council has placed its central city buildings into lockdown. 
Rugby star Sonny Bill Williams has shared an emotional tribute to those killed in Friday's mosque shooting.
 In a video posted to Twitter, a tearful Williams, who is a proud Muslim, said he 'couldn't put into words how I feel right now'.
The 33-year-old told followers he was sending prayers to the loved ones of those killed, and praying himself the victims would end up in paradise.
'Just sending my duas (prayers) and Mashallah (god willing) - everyone that's been killed today in Christchurch... your families ... [I'm] just sending my duas to your loved ones and Mashallah you guys are all in paradise,' he said.
'I'm just deeply, deeply saddened that this would happen in New Zealand.' 
Only one per cent of New Zealand's population of five million are Muslim, according to government statistics. 

[size=34]Worst peacetime gun massacres [/size]

New Zealand's worst ever gun massacre ranks among some of the world's most horrible mass murders.
The death toll has surpassed Australia's April 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which saw 35 people gunned down at an historic tourist attraction. New Prime Minister John Howard spearheaded national gun laws in the wake of this tragedy.
It occurred just seven weeks after Scotland's Dunblane massacre, which saw 16 children and one teacher shot dead near the town of Stirling.
Port Arthur was the world's worst peaceful massacre until June 2016, when a 29-year-old security guard killed 49 people at the American Pulse gay nightclub at Orlando, Florida.
Just over a year later, in October 2017,  a gunman opened fire killing 58 people at the Route 91 music festival in Las Vegas.
The United States has been home to a spate of gun massacres, defined as the death of four or more people.
In April 2007, 32 people were killed at Virginia Tech when a student opened fire at Blacksburg.
In December 2012, a gunman shot and killed 20 children aged between six and seven years old at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
In November 2017, a gunman opened fire at the First Baptist Church at Sutherland Springs in Texas, killing 27 people, including the 14-year-old daughter of the church pastor. 
Until now, New Zealand had not had a mass shooting since June 1994, when David Bain, 22, killed his father Robin,  mother Margaret, his sisters Arawa and Laniet , and his brother Stephen.
New Zealand tightened gun laws after the Aramoana massacre of November 1990, which saw 13 people shot dead in a small township near Dunedin , following a neighbourhood dispute. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6812653/Christchurch-shooter-supported-Trump-launched-attack-spark-civil-war-U-S-manifesto-says.html

[size=34]'Trump is a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose': New Zealand gunman's sick manifesto reveals he supported the president and wanted to spark 'a civil war in the U.S.' by massacring dozens[/size]

• Brenton Tarrant, from Grafton, New South Wales published 73-page manifesto 
  
  
• It explained his desire to spark a civil war in the US and 'save' the white race  
  
  
• Australian terrorist, 28, said he saw Trump as 'symbol of renewed white identity'
  
  
• Claimed he chose guns for attack to spark a debate around second amendment
  
  
• Terror attack is worst in New Zealand's history, with 49 killed and 48 injured 
  
  

By DIANNE APEN-SADLER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 04:55 EDT, 15 March 2019 | UPDATED: 08:41 EDT, 15 March 2019

     


The Trump-supporting white supremacist who launched a massacre at a New Zealand mosque revealed that he hoped to spark a 'civil war in the U.S.' in his sick manifesto and described the American president as a 'symbol of renewed white identity'. 
The gunman, who identified himself on Twitter as Brenton Tarrant from Grafton, New South Wales, Australia, livestreamed the mass shooting inside the Al Noor Mosque.
Tarrant posted a 74-page manifesto explaining the reasons behind the shooting, which is New Zealand's worst ever terrorist attack, leaving 49 dead and 48 injured.
In the document, Tarrant said that he supported President Donald Trump as a 'symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose' but not as a 'policy maker'. 

The 28-year-old terrorist claimed he chose to use a gun over other weapons because it would spark a debate around the second amendment.


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Terrorist Brenton Tarrant from Grafton, New South Wales, Australia, revealed that he hoped to spark a 'civil war in the U.S.' in his sick manifesto


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In the document, he said he supported President Donald Trump as a 'symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose' but not as a 'policy maker'






Tarrant, 28, also said that he chose firearms to provoke a debate about the second amendment that he hoped would lead to a 'fracturing of the U.S. along cultural and racial lines'
Tarrant added: 'With enough pressure the left wing within the United States will seek to abolish the second amendment, and the right wing within the U.S. will see this as an attack on their very freedom and liberty.
'This attempted abolishment (sic) of rights by the left will result in a dramatic polarization of the people in the United States and eventually a fracturing of the US along cultural and racial lines.'
Tarrant wrote that by using guns to commit the attack, it would fuel the debate over firearms in the US and lead to them being banned. 
His hope was that this in turn would spark a civil war and that 'eventually', it would lead to 'the balkanization of the US'.  
Trump tweeted on Friday morning that it was a 'horrible massacre'. He has extended the US's full support to New Zealand as it reels from the atrocity. 


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President Trump decried the attack as a 'horrible massacre' in a tweet on Friday morning 
He went on to say: 'Meanwhile the 10,000-ton boulder of demographic change rolls ever forward, gaining momentum and possibly destroying all in its path.
'Eventually, when the white population of the USA realizes the truth of the situation, war will erupt.'
Tarrant launched the attack at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island at about 1.30pm as Friday prayers were underway.
At about the same time, what appears to be a second shooter opened fire at at mosque in Linwood, which is within 10km of the first attack.  
Early reports indicated a shooting at Christchurch Hospital. However, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the mosques were the lone targets.
She did confirm multiple bombs were attached to two cars belonging to the suspects near the mosque. The explosives were disarmed before they could detonate. 




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He launched the attack at about 1.30pm as Friday prayers were underway, shooting at children and killing dozens
ADVERTISEMENT

Trump must be so proud. One of his products actually sells!

This story is so horribly sad. What kind of world are we handing off to our children? I also wonder where these people were able to get their guns. I thought N.Z. and Australia had very strict gun laws. And what makes this idiot think we need him to divide us? We do that very nicely on our own, thanks very much. After all, his idol is our Divider In Chief.

Divider in Chief I like it. Of course the divider didn't condemn the actions of these people.

[size=34]'They told me I couldn't do it... but I DID it!' New Jersey teen who has been homeless for large parts of his life is accepted into SEVENTEEN colleges - and says his tough upbringing gave him the drive to succeed[/size]

• Dylan Chidick, 17, moved to the U.S. from Trinidad with his mother at age seven
  
  
• Struggled financially looking after him and two siblings with heart conditions
  
  
• Finally found a permanent home through nonprofit organisation Women Rising
  
  
• Now accepted into Albright College, Ramapo College and Caldwell University
  
  

By DIANNE APEN-SADLER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:48 EDT, 15 March 2019 | UPDATED: 11:48 EDT, 15 March 2019

     


A New Jersey teenager who was in and out of homelessness growing up has been accepted into 17 colleges.
Dylan Chidick, 17, moved to the U.S. from Trinidad with his mother, Khadine Phillip, when he was seven years old.
As a single mother, she struggled financially to look after Dylan and his two younger twin brothers with serious heart conditions, reports CNN.
The family finally found permanent housing after Phillip reached out to Women Rising for help, which Dylan says 'created my drive to never experience that ever again'.

Now Dylan has to choose where he wants to study political science, after offers from colleges including Albright College, Ramapo College and Caldwell University.


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Dylan Chidick, pictured, has been accepted into 17 different colleges across the U.S. - despite being in and out of homelessness
He told CNN: 'My family went through a lot and there has been a lot of people saying, "you can't do that", or "you're not going to achieve this", and me — getting these acceptances — kind of verifies what I have been saying. I can do it and I will do it.'
After getting application fee waivers because of his family's financial situation, Dylan applied to 20 colleges in total - and is still hoping to be accepted by his first choice, the College of New Jersey. 


Despite struggling to study because of instability at home, teachers at Henry Snyder High School in Jersey City were very supportive, and Dylan eventually became senior class president and joined the Honor Society.
He added: 'The entire administration staff was very supportive, but I didn't want anyone to know about it at first. But I realized it was OK to let people in.'


+2


He said: 'My family went through a lot and there has been a lot of people saying, "you can't do that", or "you're not going to achieve this", and me — getting these acceptances — kind of verifies what I have been saying. I can do it and I will do it.' Pictured: one of his acceptance letters

Wonderful! Stories like his give me hope that there are still kids who value learning. There are so many reasons why this is a spectacular story, one being that at least one deserving kid is getting into college!

This young man persevered through such difficulties but valued what is important in life. The educational system didn’t fail him. So it’s a win win. There are lots of young people who do strive to do the right thing in life. They do understand the value of an education. Having parents who are good role models and an educational system that positively supports these kids are the variables that more often than not make the difference ...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6815101/Trump-decries-monstrous-New-Zealand-terror-attacks-mosques-sacred-places-worship.html

[size=34]Trump says he does NOT see a rise in white nationalism as he speaks out over mosque massacre but is immediately slapped down by New Zealand's prime minister[/size]

• Trump spoke in the Oval Office about the mosque massacre and told how he had phoned Jacina Arden, New Zealand's prime minister 'to express our sorrow' 
  
  
• But he immediately moved onto a lengthy speech about the southern border and said the U.S. was dealing with an 'invasion'   
  
  
• Spoke at 'ceremony' in Oval Office to sign veto of Congressional repeal of his emergency declaration at the border 
  
  
• After lengthy 'ceremony' he was asked if he saw a rise in white nationalism, he said: 'I don't really.'
  
  
• In New Zealand Arden was asked if she agreed with his assessment and said simply: 'No.'
  
  
• She also said she had asked him for 'sympathy and love for all Muslim communities'
  
  
• Trump did not condemn white nationalism during Oval Office event or on twitter
  
  
• The shooter, Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, had called Trump a 'symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.'
  
  

By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17:08 EDT, 15 March 2019 | UPDATED: 02:48 EDT, 16 March 2019




President Donald Trump spoke publicly Friday afternoon about the 'monstrous' terror attack in New Zealand – at an Oval Office event where he inveighed against an 'invasion' of illegal immigrants in the U.S.
The president spoke about a 'tremendous national emergency' as he vetoed a congressional resolution having to do with his border wall even as the news continued to filter in about the terror attack, which Trump called 'monstrous.'
At the start of the event, Trump updated the nation on his condolence call New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, who had herself issued an emphatic plea for tolerance in the wake of the massacre.   
Trump said he called 'to express the sorrow of our entire nation following the monstrous terror attacks at two mosques.'

'These sacred places of worship were turned into scenes of evil killing,' Trump said. 
The shooter expressed his support for Trump and described an invasion in New Zealand, stating a desire to start a civil war in the U.S. 
Following his remarks, Trump was asked if sees white nationalism as a rising threat. 'I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems,' Trump responded. 
'I guess if you look at what happened in New Zealand, perhaps that's the case I don't know enough about it yet. They're just learning about the person and the people involved. But it's certainly a terrible thing, terrible thing,' he added. 
Asked about the manifesto, he said: 'I did not see it,' reiterating that it was a 'horrible disgraceful thing and a horrible act.' 
Ardern was asked afterward if she agreed with Trump's comments that white supremacy was not a problem on the rise. 'No,' she responded. She said Trump asked what he could do to show support and she responded: 'My message was sympathy and love for all Muslim communities,' Buzzfeed reported.   


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Trump bemoaned 'monstrous terror attacks at two mosques' at an Oval Office event where he vetoed legislation and described illegal immigration as an 'invasion'


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'My message was sympathy and love for all Muslim communities,' New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she told President Donald Trump


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Trump's new attorney general, William Barr, told him he was on sound legal footing to spend unappropriated money on his border wall, despite failing to get Congress to bak it, by invoking the National Emergencies Act. Trump told Barr he would 'defend it well,' presumably in court

[size=10][size=18]Trump does not see a rise in white nationalism in wake of NZ attack




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The president spoke about the attack before TV cameras for the first time Friday afternoon as he surrounded himself with law enforcement as he cast his first veto. 
 He surrounded himself with women whose children have been killed by illegal immigrants. Also there were sheriffs from such locales as Salisbury, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
'In some cases you have murderers coming in,' the president said.   
'We're on track for a million illegal aliens to rush our borders,' the president said. Then he returned to the word 'invasion,' a term he used liberally during the 2018 elections. The word also appears in the shooter's manifesto. Trump appeared to acknowledge the controversy over the term.
'People hate the word 'invasion.' But that's what it is. It's an invasion of drugs and criminals and people, we have no idea of who they are but we capture them because border security is so good,' Trump said. 'We're bursting at the seams,' He added.  
The White House issued a bristling response Friday when questioned about the sick manifesto released by the New Zealand attacker before he began a rampage that killed 49 people. 
The alleged shooter had called himself a Trump supporter, terming the president a symbol of 'white identity' while venting about an immigrant 'invasion' that he claimed was replacing white people.
He cited work by a French right-wing intellectual and described his own 2017 to France where he claimed to observe an 'invasion of France by nonwhites.'


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'People hate the word 'invasion.' But that's what it is. It's an invasion of drugs and criminals and people,' said Trump
The White House on Friday pushed back at questions about the shooter's expression of support for Trump 
'It's outrageous to even make that connection between this deranged individual that committed this evil crime to the president, who had repeatedly condemned bigotry, racism, and has made it very clear that this is a terrorist attack,' fumed White House director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp. 
'We are there to support and stand with the people of New Zealand,' Schlapp told reporters at the White House as officials continued to monitor developments from the horrific attack. 
Schlapp was asked to comment after President Trump tweeted out his sympathy Friday morning for those who died 'senselessly' during the massacre at two mosques in New Zealand.


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President Trump has tweeted out his sympathy for those who died 'senselessly' during the massacre at two mosques in New Zealand
However the president made no mention of the dark sentiments that had already been unearthed about the shooter, nor did he put forth any generalized statement that acknowledged the faith of the Muslim followers who were slaughtered. The alleged perpetrators writings state his desire to cause a 'civil war' in the U.S. 
'My warmest sympathy and best wishes goes out to the people of New Zealand after the horrible massacre in the Mosques,' Trump wrote. 
Trump continued: '49 innocent people have so senselessly died, with so many more seriously injured. The U.S. stands by New Zealand for anything we can do.'
God bless all!' he added, ending his missive with an exclamation point and a nod to religion, after the latest terror attack to rip through a house of worship.   
The president made no mention of the shooter or the sick writings that specifically pointed out his support for the president as a symbol of 'white identity' and stated his desire to start a 'civil war' in the U.S.  

White House director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp
The manifesto calls Trump a 'symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.'  
It didn't take long for critics of the president call out his rhetoric in the wake of the attack.
'Of course our prayers go out to the people of New Zealand, particularly the loved ones and survivors and victims,' Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told CNN.
Blumenthal added: 'But words do have consequences, and we know that at the very pinnacle of power in our own country, people are talking about 'good people on both sides,'' he added, in reference to Trump's widely criticized response to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia. 
New Zealand's shaken prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, made a point of including statements inclusive of refugees in her own statement during what she called a dark time for her country.
'They have chosen to make New Zealand their home, and it is their home. They are us,' she said.  The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not. They have no place in New Zealand.'


+49


Trump referenced early reports that at least 49 were killed in the attack
Trump spoke to Adern Friday afternoon, Washington time, tweeting about it afterward in a pair of messages.
'Just spoke with Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, regarding the horrific events that have taken place over the past 24 hours. I informed the Prime Minister...that we stand in solidarity with New Zealand – and that any assistance the U.S.A. can give, we stand by ready to help. We love you New Zealand!
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who attended a St. Patrick's Day luncheon with Trump on Thursday, tweeted: 'We mourn the loss of 49 lives cut short in the horrific act of violence in Christchurch, New Zealand. Islamophobia and such acts of pure hatred have no place in a civilized world.'
Trump has made it a policy to quickly sent out sentiments on Twitter following terror attacks that have jolted nations around the world.
Later Friday morning, National Security Advisor John Bolton spoke to reporters at the White House.
'We're obviously greatly disturbed by this what seems to be a terror attack – this hate crime in New Zealand,' Bolton said.



Trump spoke to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Friday
He said the State Department was following up on the incident. 'We're very concerned. We're going to cooperate with the New Zealand authorities to the extent we can,' Bolton continued. 'If there's any role that we can play. We are obviously following the events there very closely. That's really all I can say on that at the moment.' 
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issued a statement Friday expressing solidarity following the massacre.
'The United States strongly condemns the attack in Christchurch. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with the people of New Zealand and their government against this vicious act of hate,' she said. 
The shooter's sick manifesto envisions his actions would trigger a battle over the Second Amendment and a race and ideological battle within the U.S., and that eventually 'war will erupt.' 
Trump's tweet responding to the massacre in Christchurch steered clear of any policy pronouncements on security, guns, immigration, and religious extremists – or domestic politics.
That hasn't always been the case. Following a stabbing attack on London Bridge in 2017, Trump responded by tweeting: 'We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!' 


+49


President Donald Trump tweeted out his sympathy following the terror attack in New Zealand
About 20 minutes after his tweet about New Zealand, Trump returned to domestic politics, tweeting about a movement seeking to pry Jews away from the Democratic Party. 
'The 'Jexodus' movement encourages Jewish people to leave the Democrat Party. Total disrespect! Republicans are waiting with open arms. Remember Jerusalem (U.S. Embassy) and the horrible Iran Nuclear Deal! @OANN @foxandfriends,' Trump wrote, referencing two conservative networks.
A white Australian right-wing terrorist who livestreamed his sickening shooting spree on Facebook is one of four people arrested over dual mosque attacks which left 49 dead and 48 injured on New Zealand's 'darkest day'.
The gunman, who identified himself as Brenton Tarrant from Grafton, NSW, Australia, stormed the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island about 1.30pm, opening fire with a semi-automatic shotgun and a rifle on about 100 defenseless worshippers attending Friday prayers.
A sickening 17-minute video of the unfolding horror shows the self-confessed white supremacist dressed in army fatigues firing mercilessly at people scrambling to flee, and calmly reloading when he runs out of bullets.
At about the same time, there was a second shooting at Masjid mosque in Linwood, where seven more were killed.
In the aftermath of the bloody attacks, three men and one woman were arrested, with police charging 'one man in his late 20s' with murder. He is expected to face court on Saturday. 
Two of the others remain in police custody, with a fourth person arrested deemed not to have been involved in the attacks. 

[size=18]The moment police officer apprehends alleged Christchurch shooter




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Of the 49 fatalities, 41 were killed at the Al Noor Mosque and seven at the Linwood Avenue mosque. Three were outside the mosque itself. A 49th died in hospital.
A further 48 people were rushed to Christchurch Hospital with gunshot wounds, 20 in a critical condition. A dozen operating theatres were opened, with many victims requiring multiple life-saving surgeries.
New Zealand Police have evacuated homes in Dunedin as they investigate a home 'of interest' to the shootings. The address is believed to be the home the gunman's car is registered to.
In New Zealand's worst ever terror attack and one of the worst mass-shootings ever:
[/size]

• 49 people killed by at least one gunman at two separate mosques in Christchurch on Friday from 1.30pm 
  
• The gunman at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch - a 28-year-old Australian - live-streamed the mass shooting
  
• In a twisted manifesto, Tarrant wrote he targeted the mosques while training for another attack
  
• Four suspects - who were not known to counter-terror authorities - were being questioned in custody
  
• One of the men in his 'late 20s', whose identity has not been confirmed by police, was later charged with murder
  
• The Bangladesh cricket team were on their way to the Al Noor Mosque at the time of the shooting 
  
• New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday's terror attack was 'one of New Zealand's darkest days'
  

[size]


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Witnesses reported hearing 50 shots and police are responding to the incident at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island. Pictured is a still from a live-stream of the shooting


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A man wearing military fatigues (pictured) was arrested outside Papanui High School. It was later revealed he was not involved in the attack, and armed himself while picking his daughter up from school


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At least one gunman has opened fire at a mosque in New Zealand , shooting at children and killing dozens of people


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Witnesses reported hearing 50 shots and police are responding to the incident at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island


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At least 40 people were reported dead as a result of the twin massacres on Friday, with the total rising to 49 within an hour

[size=18]NZ mosque shooting survivor: 'I had to jump the wall' to escape




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Early reports indicated a shooting at Christchurch Hospital. However, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the mosques were the lone targets.
In a twisted manifesto believed to have been written by Tarrant, he said he targeted the mosques because they had 'far more invaders'.
Tarrant eerily wrote that he went to New Zealand to train for another attack but ended up executing the massacre because of how many Muslims lived there.
Ms Ardern called the attacks 'one of New Zealand's darkest days'.  
Ms Ardern did confirm multiple bombs were attached to two cars belonging to the suspects near the mosque. The explosives were disarmed before they could detonate.
Police urged people near the area to stay indoors and report suspicious behaviour, describing the incident as 'critical'. A lock down on buildings in the area, including schools, was lifted on Friday evening.
Ms Ardern said there were no further suspects at this stage.
The nation's terror threat level was elevated to 'high alert' following the terror attacks, the second highest possible.
'My thoughts, and I'm sure the thoughts of all New Zealanders, are with those who have been affected, and also with their families.'
Many of those families were seen crowding around the doors of Christchurch Hospital on Friday evening, unsure whether their loved ones would survive. 

[size=18]Survivors of terrorist attack in Christchurch speak out




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Three shootings have taken place in Christchurch on Friday afternoon, two at mosques and another at Christchurch Hospital


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One of the gunmen live-streamed the mass shooting inside the Al Noor Mosque, which happened at 1.30pm as Friday prayers were underway



The shooter's weapons were marked with the names of other people who have carried out attacks


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Survivors gather near the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Road hours after the place of worship was attacked

[size=18]Christchurch woman's fear for the future of NZ after mass shooting




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AUTHORITIES RESPOND TO THE ATTACKS
New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed the death toll had risen to 49 as of 9pm local time.
'This is absolutely tragic. So many people are affected. We don't know the identities of those who have died yet because those places are in lockdown,' he said in a statement at about 6pm.
Speaking of the victims, Commissioner Bush said: 'Our love and thoughts go out to them and all of their family, all of their friends and all of their loved ones.'
He also praised local police officers who responded to the attacks.
'We have staff around the country making sure everyone is safe, including armed offenders at all mosques. Police staff have gone above and beyond to protect people today.'
Armed police were seen patrolling the Masijd Ayesha Mosque in Auckland after the attack in Christchurch.
He earlier urged Muslims in New Zealand not to go to mosques on Friday.
Commissioner Bush said four people were in custody. He also confirmed multiple bombs attached to vehicles near the scene of the shootings were disarmed.


[size=18]Witness talks about what happened inside the Christchurch mosque




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Police escort distraught witnesses away from a mosque in central Christchurch following twin massacres


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Armed police push back members of the public trying to reach the mosque to check on fellow worshippers


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Armed police maintain a presence outside the Masijd Ayesha Mosque in Manurewa in Auckland after the attack in Christchurch

[size=18]Queen joins the world in condemning Christchurch mosque shootings




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Ms Ardern said the shootings were 'an unprecedented act of violence, an act that has absolutely no place in New Zealand.
'This is not who we are.
'The people who were the subject of this attack today, New Zealand is their home. They should be safe here. The person who has perpetuated this violent act against them, they have no place in New Zealand society.' 
She confirmed that police believe the attacks were 'meticulously' planned out.
Ms Ardern flew to Wellington from Christchurch to hold a crisis meeting at parliament.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was 'horrified' by the 'callous, right wing extremist attack'.
'The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins,' he said.
He and Ms Ardern will discuss the repercussions of the attack later on Friday evening.

[size=18]PM Jacinda Ardern condemns New Zealand mosque shootings




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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the shootings were an 'unprecedented act of violence'


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Worshippers in Bangledesh march through the streets of Dhaka to condemn the Christchurch mosque attacks 
SICKENING ATTACK SHARED ONLINE
The suspected gunman shared a 73-page manifesto to Twitter before the killings, foreshadowing a 'terrorist attack'. 
He entered the Al Noor Mosque on Friday during afternoon prayers and opened fire.
The distressing video streamed to his Facebook profile shows the 28-year-old man firing more than 100 shots at those inside.
His guns were scrawled with the names of past mass killers and cities where the shootings occurred.
The gunman's rampage began when he got into his car wearing military-style body armour and a helmet saying 'let's get this party started'.
He then drove to the mosque listening to folk music and military tunes before parking in an alley around the corner.

[size=34]THE UPBRINGING OF A SHOOTER:[/size]

Brenton Tarrant, 28, grew up in Grafton, a small town in northern New South Wales.
Tarrant's father, who was a competitive athlete and completed 75 triathlons, died of cancer in 2010 aged just 49. His mother still lives in the area.
Tarrant attended a local high school and then worked as a personal trainer at the local Big River Squash and Fitness Centre from 2010.
A woman who knew Tarrant through the gym said he had always followed a strict dietary and exercise regime.
'He was very dedicated to his own training and to training others,' she said. 'He threw himself into his own personal training and then qualified as a trainer and trained others. He was very good.'
'When I say he was dedicated, he was dedicated more than most people would be.
'He was in the gym for long periods of time, lifting heaving weights. He pretty much transformed his body.'
The woman said she had not spoken to him or heard him talk about his political or religious beliefs.
'From the conversations we had about life he didn't strike me as someone who had any interest in that or extremist views,' she said.
'But I know he's been travelling since he left Grafton. He has been travelling overseas, anywhere and everywhere.
'I would say it's something in the nature of his travels, something he's been around.
'I know he's been to lots of different countries trying to experience lots of different things in life and I would say something's happened in that time in his travels.'





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Shooters rampage began when he got into his car wearing military-style body armour and a helmet saying 'let's get this party started'


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After retrieving one of at least six assault rifles stored in his car, he walked up to the front door and began firing at the first person he saw

[size=18]EXPLAINER: Over 40 people dead in NZ mosque shooting




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After retrieving one of at least six guns stored in his car, he walked up to the front door and began firing indiscriminately at worshippers inside.
The gunman stormed inside and fired quick bursts at anyone he saw. One wounded man tried to crawl away but was shot again after he calmly reloaded.
He fired into crowds of huddled worshipers, sometimes not even looking where he was shooting, reloading numerous times.
When then sound of his gun stopped between magazines, the moaning of wounded people could be heard until the shots began again.
Several times he stood over wounded men, calmly reloaded his gun, then shot them multiple times to make sure they were dead. 
Tarrant then walked outside and appeared to fire on at least two targets, then returned to his car and swapped his shotgun for a scoped rifle.

[size=18]NZ PM Jacinda Ardern speaks following attack at Christchurch mosque




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AOS (Armed Offenders Squad) push back members of the public following a shooting at the Al Noor mosque


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Members of a family react outside the mosque following the shooting in Christchurch


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Pictured: Grieving members of the public after the shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand
Returning to the mosque he walked over to a pile of dead or wounded men in the room and began shooting them in the head to ensure they were dead.
Once he was satisfied everyone was dead, he ran outside and shot another person he saw on the mosque's front lawn.
The woman stumbled on to the street and was lying face down in the gutter yelling 'help me, help me' as the shooter walked up to her.
Tarrant calmly leaned over her and shot her twice in the head.
Seconds later he returned to his car and drove over her body to make his escape, stopping to shoot at least one other person through his car window.
As he drove he expressed regret for not staying longer and 'burning the mosque to the ground'. Two jerry cans of petrol were earlier seen the the back his car.
'But, s**t happens,' he said. 'I left one full magazine back there, I know for sure. I had to run along in the middle of the firefight and pick it up.
'There wasn't even time to aim there were so many targets. There were so many people, the car park was full, so there's no real chance of improvement.'
Footage from within the Masjid mosque later showed survivors tending to the wounded.

[size=18]Politicians around the world condemn Christchurch terror attack




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A floral tribute to the victims of the Christchurch massacres is seen on the same avenue as the second mosque


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A terrorist who opened fire on a New Zealand mosque published an online manifesto detailing his plans to carry out a massacre hours before the attack
THE SHOOTER'S MANIFESTO
In a manifesto seemingly written by Tarrant and shared to Twitter, he mentions being inspired by other shooters including Anders Breivik who killed 77 people in Oslo, Norway in 2011.
He said he 'disliked' Muslims and hated those who had converted to the religion, calling them 'blood traitors'.
Tarrant said he originally wanted to target a mosque in Dunedin, south of Christchurch, after watching a video on Facebook.
'But after visiting the mosques in Christchurch and Linwood and seeing the desecration of the church that had been converted to a mosque in Ashburton, my plans changed,' he wrote.
'The Christchurch and Linwood mosques had far more invaders.' 
He said he had been planning an attack for up to two years and decided on Christchurch three months ago. 
The shooter said he was motivated to carry out the attack by the death of Swedish schoolgirl Ebba Akerlund, a girl who was killed in a terrorist attack in Stockholm in April 2017.
Tarrant said he was a supporter of Donald Trump as a 'symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose'. 

[size=18]Sonny Bill Williams pays tribute to victims of NZ mosque attack




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A man reacts as he speaks on a mobile phone near a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand


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Police rushed to an Auckland train station after reports of abandoned backpacks. The bomb disposal robot (pictured) detonated a bomb in a 'controlled explosion' while commuters were cordoned off


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Police escort people away from outside one of the mosques targeting in the shooting


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A police officer photographs witnesses near the scene of one of the shootings

[size=18]Moment man is arrested in response to Christchurch mosque shooting




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Witnesses inside the mosque reported seeing 15 people being shot, including children


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A man who escaped the mosque during the shooting said he saw his wife lying dead on the footpath

[size=18]NZ authorities respond in Christchurch after mosque shooting




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He described himself as 'just a regular white man'.
He said he was born to 'working class, low-income family... who decided to take a stand to ensure a future for my people'.
'My parents are of Scottish, Irish and English stock. I had a regular childhood, without any great issues,' he wrote. 
The gunman said he carried out the massacre to 'directly reduce immigration rates to European lands'. 
He said New Zealand was not his 'original choice' for the attack but said the location would show 'that nowhere in the world was safe'.
'We must ensure the existence of our people, and a future for white children,' he wrote. 
He wrote that the shooting was an 'act of revenge on the invaders for the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by foreign invaders in European lands throughout history'.
'For the enslavement of millions of Europeans taken from their lands by the Islamic slavers... for the thousands of European lives lost to terror attacks throughout European lands,' the gunman wrote.
He shared photos to his now-removed Twitter account ahead of the attacks, showing weapons and military-style equipment.
In posts online before the attack Tarrant wrote about 'taking the fight to the invaders myself'. 
'THERE WERE BODIES ALL OVER ME'
Mohammed Jama, the former president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury, said a man with a gun entered the Christchurch Mosque about 1.40pm local time on Friday.
A man inside the mosque at the time of the shooting said there 'bodies all over me'.
Witnesses inside the mosque reported seeing 15 people being shot, including children.
A man who escaped the mosque during the shooting said he saw his wife lying dead on the footpath.
'My wife is dead,' he said while wailing.

[size=34]TIMELINE OF TERROR [/size]

A 28-year-old Australian man entered a mosque in central Christchurch on Friday afternoon and opened fire on people gathered inside the building - killing at least 49 people and leaving more than 20 seriously injured.
This is how the incident unfolded in local New Zealand Time.
1.40pm: First reports of a shooting at a mosque in central Christchurch. 
A man entered the mosque with an automatic weapon and opened fire on people inside. 
2.11pm: Police confirmed they were attending an 'evolving situation' in Christchruch.
Gunshots are heard in the area outside Masid Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue.
Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots, with one saying she attempted to give CPR to an injured person but they died.
2.17pm: Multiple schools went into lockdown in Christchurch. 
People who were in the mosque began to leave covered in blood and with gunshot wounds.
2.47pm: First reports of six people dead, three in a critical condition and three with serious injuries.
2.54pm:  Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the situation is 'serious and evolving' and told people to remain indoors and stay off the streets.
The Canterbury District Health Board activated its mass casualty plan.
3.12pm: New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cancelled her afternoon arrangements.
3.21pm: Christchurch City Council locked down many of their central city buildings. 
3.33pm: First reports of a bomb in a beige Subaru that crashed on Strickland Street, three kilometres from the shootings.
3.40pm: Police confirmed there were multiple simultaneous attacks on mosques in Christchurch.
3.45pm: Reports of multiple shots fired at the shootings, which are ongoing.
3.59pm: 300 people were reported to be inside the moque.
4.00pm: One person is confirmed to be in custody but there are warnings there may be others out there.
Police commissioner Mike Bush urges Muslims across New Zealand to stay away from their local mosque.
4.10pm: Jacinda Ardern calls Friday 'one of New Zealand's darkest days'. 
5.27pm: First reports of a second shooting.
A witness said a Muslim local chased the shooters at the mosque in Linwood, firing in 'self defence'. 
5.31pm: Four people are confirmed to be in custody. including one woman.
Multiple fatalities were reported.
7.07pm: It was confirmed an AR15 rifle was used in the attack.
7.20pm: Dunedin Street was cordoned off.
Reports the attackers planned to also target the Al Huda Mosque.
7.26pm: At least 40 people were confirmed dead, Jacinda Ardern confirmed.
7.34pm: Confirmed that 48 people were being treated in hospital. 
7.46pm: Britomart train station in central Auckland was evacuated after bags were found unattended.
The bags were deemed not suspicious. 
8.35pm: New Zealand's Government confirmed this is the first time ever the terror level has been lifted from low to high.
9.03pm: Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirms that the death toll has risen to 49.
He also confirmed that a man in his late twenties was charged with murder.






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Witness Ahmad Al-Mahmoud described one of the shooters as being white, with blond hair and wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest


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The mosque has capacity to hold more than 300 people
Witness Ahmad Al-Mahmoud described one of the shooters as being white, with blond hair and wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest.
'The guy was wearing like an army [suit]. He had a big gun and lots of bullets. He came through and started shooting everyone in the mosque, everywhere,' Ahmad Al-Mahmoud told Stuff.
'They had to smash the door - the glass from the window and the door - to get everyone out.
'We were trying to get everyone to run away from this area. I ran away from the car park, jumping through the back [yard] of houses.'
Al-Mahmoud said the man was 'wearing a helmet' and must have fired 'hundreds' of gunshots.    
Another witness said he ran behind the mosque to call the police after hearing the gun go off. 
'I heard the sound of the gun. And the second one I heard, I ran. Lots of people were sitting on the floor. I ran behind the mosque, rang the police. 
'I saw one gun on the floor. Lots of people died and injured.' 
Another survivor, identified only as Nour, told the New Zealand Herald that the gunman shot multiple worshipers outside before carrying out his rampage inside the mosque where he shot people indiscriminately.
HEROIC POLICE OFFICER INTERVENES 
A person suspected of being involved in the Christchurch mosque shooting was taken into custody on Friday afternoon in a dramatic roadside arrest.
Footage filmed by a passing motorist shows the suspect's grey station wagon wedged between the gutter and another police car, with its front wheels in the air spinning.
The suspect appeared to still be inside, as officers approached the vehicle with their weapons drawn.
One officer reached inside the vehicle and dragged a person out, as a second stood guard with their weapon drawn.
The suspect was seen wearing dark clothing, and in the footage an officer appears to have hit the person.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush said there were 'some absolute acts of bravery' during the arrests of four people.


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The Bangladesh cricket team (pictured) were on their way to Al Noor Mosque when shooting broke out inside
 BANGLADESH CRICKET TEAM NARROWLY ESCAPED
Bangladesh players and support staff have been preparing for the third test of a series against New Zealand, set to begin on Saturday, and were walking through Hagley Park when shooting broke out at the Al Noor mosque.
Tweets from sports reporters and team members say the group 'just escaped' the shooting, which saw a man enter the mosque and fire multiple shots at dozens of people as they tried to flee. 
The team's opening batsman, Tamim Iqbal said on Twitter the 'entire team got saved from active shooters'.
He said it was a 'frightening experience' and asked supporters to keep the team in their prayers.
Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim said Allah had saved the team.
'We r [sic] extremely lucky,' he wrote. 'Never want to see this things [sic] happen again... pray for us.'
Shrinivas Chandrasekaran, the team's performance and strategic analyst said they had 'just escaped active shooters'. He said their hearts were pounding and there was 'panic everywhere'.
ESPN cricinfo correspondent Mohammad Isam told the New Zealand Herald the team were 'not in a mental state to play cricket at all,' following the horrific attack.
'I think they want to go back home as soon as possible. I'm speaking from experience, I'm speaking from what I've heard,' he said.
'Everyone is at the Hagley Park dressing room ... two players are back at the hotel. They didn't come out for the prayers so they are back at the hotel and the entire coaching staff are safe.'
The scheduled test between New Zealand and Bangladesh has been cancelled. 


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A man was seen with bloodstains on his trousers near the mosque after the shooting


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A police officer gestures to a person outside the mosque after the shooting in Christchurch
A witness told Radio New Zealand he heard shots fired and saw 'blood everywhere'. 
Mr Jama said four people were injured and that he saw two people lying on the ground. He did not know if they were alive or dead, Stuff reported.  
There may have been more than one shooter inside the mosque, the New Zealand Herald reported.
A man inside the mosque said he ran behind the building when he heard gunfire, One News reported.
He said he saw people lying on the ground in pools of blood. 
A woman told the Christchurch Star she lay down in her car as four or five men came running towards her before hearing gunfire moments later. 
Security expert Paul Buchanan told RNZ the killings were 'the worst terrorist attack' ever to take place in New Zealand. 


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Members of the public react in front of the Masjd Al Noor Mosque as they fear for their relatives


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Parents refuse to leave without their children as their school, Te Waka Unua School, is in lockdown


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A shirtless man speaks on the phone as an armed police officer patrols the area outside a mosque in Christchurch
The gunman's rifle and magazines reportedly had the names of other shooters who had killed people at mosques written on them.
A bomb was found in a grey Subaru Legacy three kilometres from the scene of the shooting on Strickland Street, The Guardian reported.
Another witness said people had to smash windows to escape the mosque. 
A second gunman was reportedly seen near another mosque in Linwood and an armed police presence is there.


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Witnesses reported they heard 20 shots and police are responding to the incident at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island


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Police have urged people near the area to stay indoors and report suspicious behaviour, describing the incident as 'critical'


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Several people have reportedly been killed, with a dead body seen near Al Noor Mosque (interior pictured)
Twenty armed police officers cleared areas in the suburb of Linwood, and led about five men with their hands on their heads out of a building in the area.  
Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the shooting was a 'serious and evolving situation with an active shooter'.
'Police are responding with its full capability to manage the situation, but the risk environment remains extremely high,' he said.
'Police recommend that residents across Christchurch remain off the streets and indoors until further notice. Christchurch schools will be locked down until further notice.'
The lockdown ended after about three hours.  


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The gunman entered and opened fire while hundreds of people were inside the packed mosque for Friday prayers


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A man who escaped the mosque during the shooting said he saw his wife lying dead on the footpath 
The shooting happened near Cathedral Square where thousands of children were protesting for climate change action.
The protesting children were told to go home to ensure their safety.
New Zealand Police said armed officers were deployed to Hagley Park and at Christchurch Hospital.
A witness said they heard at least 50 gunshots and saw people lying on the ground.
Another witness said he saw a car chasing two people from outside the mosque along Deans Avenue.
He said the people in the car began shooting at the two people.
Two abandoned backpacks sparked another bomb scare at Auckland's largest train station. A bomb disposal robot was used to investigate the backpacks while pedestrians were cordoned off.
A 'controlled explosion' was heard soon after.


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Pictured: Bloodied bandages on the road after the shooting at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch


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Armed police officers were seen outside Christchurch Hospital after the shooting, remaining there through the night
Christchurch Boys' and Girls' high schools were both been placed into lockdown. The restrictions were lifted hours later.
Parents of students at Christchurch Girls' High School were sent a text message telling them the lockdown was 'not an exercise'.  
The Canterbury District Health Board activated its mass casualty plan and the city council placed its central city buildings into lockdown. 
Rugby star Sonny Bill Williams shared an emotional tribute to those killed in Friday's mosque shooting.
In a video posted to Twitter, a tearful Williams, who is a proud Muslim, said he 'couldn't put into words how I feel right now'.
The 33-year-old told followers he was sending prayers to the loved ones of those killed, and praying himself the victims would end up in paradise.
'Just sending my duas (prayers) and Mashallah (god willing) - everyone that's been killed today in Christchurch... your families ... [I'm] just sending my duas to your loved ones and Mashallah you guys are all in paradise,' he said.
'I'm just deeply, deeply saddened that this would happen in New Zealand.' 
One per cent of New Zealand's population of five million are Muslim, according to government statistics. 

[size=34]Worst peacetime gun massacres [/size]

New Zealand's worst ever gun massacre ranks among some of the world's most horrible mass murders.
The death toll has surpassed Australia's April 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which saw 35 people gunned down at an historic tourist attraction. New Prime Minister John Howard spearheaded national gun laws in the wake of this tragedy.
It occurred just seven weeks after Scotland's Dunblane massacre, which saw 16 children and one teacher shot dead near the town of Stirling.
Port Arthur was the world's worst peaceful massacre until June 2016, when a 29-year-old security guard killed 49 people at the American Pulse gay nightclub at Orlando, Florida. Friday's Auckland attack has now matched that total.
Just over a year later, in October 2017,  a gunman opened fire killing 58 people at the Route 91 music festival in Las Vegas.
The United States has been home to a spate of gun massacres, defined as the death of four or more people.
In April 2007, 32 people were killed at Virginia Tech when a student opened fire at Blacksburg.
In December 2012, a gunman shot and killed 20 children aged between six and seven years old at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
In November 2017, a gunman opened fire at the First Baptist Church at Sutherland Springs in Texas, killing 27 people, including the 14-year-old daughter of the church pastor. 
Until now, New Zealand had not had a mass shooting since June 1994, when David Bain, 22, killed his father Robin, mother Margaret, his sisters Arawa and Laniet , and his brother Stephen.
New Zealand tightened gun laws after the Aramoana massacre of November 1990, which saw 13 people shot dead in a small township near Dunedin , following a neighbourhood dispute. 

[/size]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6815771/Missouri-lawmaker-introduces-bill-require-residents-AR-15-semi-automatic-rifles.html

[size=34]Missouri lawmaker introduces bill that would REQUIRE state residents to own AR-15 semi-automatic rifles[/size]

• Republican State Rep. Andrew McDaniel introduced House Bill 1108, dubbed the McDaniel Militia Act, on February 28 
  
  
• The bill would require all adults ages 18 to 35 who can legally possess a firearm to own an AR-15, granting them a tax credit for its purchase
  
  
• Beginning on August 28, any qualifying Missouri resident who does not own an AR-15, would have a year to purchase one
  
  
• A separate bill filed on February 26 by McDaniel would require all Missourians 21 and older to own a handgun if they are legally permitted to do so
  
  
• McDaniel told reporters on Friday that he never intended for his proposed bill to become law in its current form
  
  

By CHAUNCEY ALCORN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 23:44 EDT, 15 March 2019 | UPDATED: 10:56 EDT, 16 March 2019

     





A lawmaker in Missouri recently introduced a bill in the state House that would mandate virtually every adult Missourian own an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle by the end of next year.
Republican State Rep. Andrew McDaniel sponsored House Bill 1108, known as the McDaniel Militia Act, and presented it to his fellow lawmakers on February 28.
If it passes, the bill would require all adults ages 18 to 35 who can legally possess a firearm to own an AR-15 by August 28, 2020.
McDaniel also introduced a separate House Bill two days before HB-1108 that would require state residents to own a hand gun. 


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Republican State Rep. Andrew McDaniel (pictured) introduced House Bill 1108, dubbed the McDaniel Militia Act, on February 28


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The bill would require all adults ages 18 to 35 who can legally possess a firearm to own an AR-15 and grant them a tax credit for its purchase. Pictured is a file image of AR-15s
However it turns out both bills may actually be a form of political trolling. 

After the gun mandate legislation received national attention on Friday, McDaniel, a former deputy sheriff in Pemiscot County, told reporters he introduced the bills to start a conversation about gun mandates.
He insisted he never actually expected them to become law in their current forms. 
McDaniel told the Washington Post on Friday: 'The other side of the aisle loves mandates, so I'm trying to get them to make an argument against mandates. 
'I would never try to mandate anyone do anything against their will.'
As it's currently written, McDaniel's AR-15 bill would also grant Missourians with individual tax credits to purchase their firearms.
In a separate interview on Friday, McDaniel told Splinter that his real goal is for Missourians who want to purchase an AR-15 to receive a tax credit to buy one.


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McDaniel told reporters on Friday that he never intended for his proposed bill to become law in its current form


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AR-15 rifles at a gun shop. McDaniel wants Missourians who purchase an AR-15 to receive a tax credit to buy one
'I merely planned for media to write about it but would ultimately amend it to take out the mandates and requirements (age and type of gun) and turn it into a gun tax credit bill,' McDaniel wrote in an emailed statement. 
Missouri's gun rights debate has hit the headlines twice already this week.
On Monday, state lawmakers debated a separate measure that would allow concealed weapons to be carried in public places that currently ban guns.
On Tuesday, a top aide to a Missouri state senator was arrested after a bar fight at Spectator's Bar and Grill in downtown Jefferson City, Missouri during which the loaded 9 mm Ruger handgun he was carrying fell to the floor of the restaurant.
The St. Louis-Dispatch reports legislative staffer Jared Brown, chief of staff for State Senator Justin Brown, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and use of a loaded weapon while intoxicated after the incident.


The Missouri Democratic Party has seized on Brown's arrest to criticize state Republicans and their pro-gun rights legislative agenda.
'From alcohol-fueled bar fights, to advancing legislation that would allow anyone to carry a concealed weapon anywhere from bars to daycares, to mandating gun ownership with a tax subsidy for gun manufacturers, the Missouri GOP rarely wastes an opportunity to embarrass themselves or our state,' the Missouri Dems said in a written statement to the Washington Post.
'Republicans should regroup during the spring legislative break and come back ready to do real work that moves Missouri forward,' the group added.
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https://people.com/crime/lori-loughlin-felicity-huffman-sued-500-billion-dollars/

this link opens in a new tab
Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin
VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty; Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock
The actresses are among the defendants being sued for $500 billion
By 
[size=14]RACHEL DESANTIS this link opens in a new tab 
March 17, 2019 01:10 PM
A California mother who claims the alleged college admission cheating scamprevented her son from getting into an elite university has sued Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, among others involved, for $500 billion, according to lawsuit documentsthis link opens in a new tab published by Deadlinethis link opens in a new tab.
Jennifer Kay Toy, who identified herself as a teacher who previously taught in the Oakland Unified School District, filed the class-action suit in San Francisco County Superior Court on March 13, accusing the defendants of inflicting emotional distress, civil conspiracy and fraud, according to the suit obtained by Deadline.
Toy alleges she raised her son, Joshua, with a good work ethic, and made various sacrifices over the years to ensure he would get into a good college. She claims he had a 4.2 GPA upon graduating high school and applied to “some” of the colleges involved in the scandal — but did not get accepted.





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[size=13]YOU MIGHT LIKE

WILLIAM H. MACY DISHES ON FELICITY HUFFMAN PARENTING & CALLS DAUGHTER 'SMART AS WHIPS' IN 2017 INTERVIEW
FELICITY HUFFMAN AND LORI LOUGHLIN AMONG DOZENS INDICTED IN ALLEGED COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCAM[/size]
“Joshua and I beleived [sic] that he’d had a fair chance just like all other applicants but did not make the cut for some undisclosed reason. I’m now aware of the massive cheating scandal wherein wealthy people conspired with people in positions of power and authority at colleges in order to allow their chjldren [sic] to gain access to the very coHeges [sic] that Joshua was rejected from,” Toy wrote in the lawsuit, according to the Los Angeles Timesthis link opens in a new tab.

She did not specify which colleges did not accept Joshua, but those named in the scandal include Yale, Georgetown, Stanford, the University of Southern California, UCLA, the University of Texas and Wake Forest.
RELATED: Lori Loughlin’s Daughter Olivia Jade Joked She Was ‘Literally Never at High School’ in 2018 Video
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“I’m [out]raged and hurt because I feel that my son, my only child, was denied access to a college not because he failed to work and study hard enough but because wealthy individuals felt… it was ok to lie, cheat, steal and bribe their children’s way into a good college,” Toy continued, according to the lawsuit published by Deadline.

She also argued that her sons’ opportunity for a fair chance to be accepted into a good school was “stolen” by the “despicable and illegal actions” of the defendants.

Huffman, Loughlin and Loughlin’s husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were among 50 people named on Tuesday in an alleged conspiracy to defraud and undermine competitive student admissions at elite colleges and universities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
Huffman is accused of paying $15,000 in a scheme to fraudulently boost her daughter’s SAT scores, according to an indictment obtained by PEOPLE. The actress — who has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud — was released on a $250,000 bond after her arrest on Tuesday and appeared in a Los Angeles court on Friday. Huffman’s next preliminary court hearing is scheduled for March 29 at a Boston court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

RELATED: Could Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman Serve Prison Time for Alleged College Admissions Scam?
Loughlin and Giannulli, meanwhile, allegedly paid $500,000 in bribes to designate their daughters as recruits on the USC crew team — even though they don’t even row. The parents are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
Loughlin was taken into custody Wednesday and made her first appearance in federal court in Los Angeles hours later, where a judge set her bond at $1 million, according to the Associated Press, the Orange County Register and the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Giannulli appeared in federal court on Tuesday and was released after posting a $1 million bond.[/size]

I saw this story online and to be honest it irritated me. I understand this woman is angry - a lot of parents are - but nobody's getting $500 billion from anyone. Even if the amount was $500 million it would still be unrealistic. If she had sued for the amount she felt her son could have earned if he had attended the school of his choice it would have made sense to me. But the chance of him losing out on $500 billion in earnings is remote to say the least.

If this doesn't get thrown out of court right away it will drag through the courts for years. Ivy League colleges aren't going to let someone bankrupt them without a fight. By the time this suit gets settled her son will be a retiree.

P.S. I think Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are getting a raw deal. Not that they shouldn't pay for their stupidity, but because they're famous and recognizable their faces are the ones being plastered all over the media. The other people involved are barely even mentioned.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6822327/Trump-claims-Fake-News-Media-falsely-blaming-New-Zealand-mosque-massacre.html

Didn't post the whole article it is a repeat of everything already stated. Just posted what the idiot had to say.

[size=34]'So Ridiculous!' Trump claims 'Fake News Media' is falsely blaming him for bloody New Zealand mosque massacre[/size]

• Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney snapped back at any attempt to link President Donald Trump to the accused shooter 
  
  
• 'The president is not a white supremacist. I'm not sure how many times we have to say that,' he said on 'Fox News Sunday'  
  
  
• An Australian right-wing terrorist live-stramed himself massacring dozens of worshippers at a mosque  
  
  
• In a twisted manifesto, the gunman wrote that he targeted the mosques while training for another attack 
  
  
• The alleged shooter had called himself a Trump supporter, terming the president a symbol of 'white identity' 
  
  
• President Trump issued a statement on Twitter Friday after the terror attack  
  
  

By FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
PUBLISHED: 10:11 EDT, 18 March 2019 | UPDATED: 10:11 EDT, 18 March 2019

     


Donald Trump claimed Monday, as he came under pressure to denounce white nationalism, that the media was unfairly connecting him to a mass murder who targeted two mosques in New Zealand. 
The accused mentioned Trump in a 70-page manifesto, putting new pressure on the U.S. president to address charges that he has enabled or inspired violence with his fiery rhetoric.
'The Fake News Media is working overtime to blame me for the horrible attack in New Zealand. They will have to work very hard to prove that one. So Ridiculous!' he said in his first comments since Friday on the attack.

Oh dear. Is he is the only one who can hurl insults? Don't know about anyone else but this sounds a bit like something in the school playground....meanwhile this young lady is showing us all how to do it:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/18/jacinda-ardern-is-showing-the-world-what-real-leadership-is-sympathy-love-and-integrity

[size=31]Jacinda Ardern is showing the world what real leadership is: sympathy, love and integrity

[size=31]Suzanne Moore[/size][/size]

The New Zealand prime minister has reacted to the Christchurch shootings with steel, compassion and absolute clarity. And she has given us a vision of a better world

 @suzanne_moore
Mon 18 Mar 2019 08.23 EDTLast modified on Mon 18 Mar 2019 08.44 EDT

• 
  
• [url=https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Jacinda Ardern is showing the world what real leadership is%3A sympathy%2C love and integrity | Suzanne][/url]
  
  

 Jacinda Ardern lays wreath and meets families of Christchurch shooting victims - video

Out of the horror inflicted by those who cannot accept the world as it is, comes a vision of a better world. It comes from above and it comes from below. It comes from ordinary people. Supermarkets in Wellington suburbs have sold out of flowers, tough old football coaches are talking about love and, most powerful of all, there are the stories of the Christchurch shooting survivors themselves. Those who risked – and lost – their lives to save their fellow worshippers or – astonishingly – found it in their hearts to forgive the gunman.
Then there is this 38-year-old woman: the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. We have watched as she shows the world what real leadership is. Jacinda–mania had died down since 2017, when she became the country’s youngest prime minister. She gave birth in office, taking her baby to the United Nations general assembly meeting. She became something of a celebrity, appearing on US chatshows. But was there any substance to her? That question is asked of all women leaders. What is underneath? Where is the steel?

'Come over here!': the man who chased away the Christchurch shooter

 
Read more


Now, in the most horrific of circumstances, we have seen the steel. We have seen the qualities that define leadership in such a way that it is clear she is a lioness and that to call so many of our current leaders donkeys is a disservice to hardworking donkeys the world over.
She has communicated quickly and immediately, giving New Zealanders as much information as she could. She has given them a language in which to talk about the unspeakable, to vocalise the shock and sadness. “They are us,” she said simply of the dead and wounded. The “othering” of Muslims as separate, as somehow different, as not quite belonging, was felled in one swoop. “They are us.” New Zealand had been chosen because it was safe, because it was no place for hatred or racism. “Because we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, home for those who share our values. Refuge for those who need it.”
These values would not be shaken by the murders. To the killer, she said with absolute clarity: “You may have chosen us – we utterly reject and condemn you.”




 Jacinda Ardern condemns Christchurch mosque shootings – video
This was swiftly followed by a promise to tighten gun laws, making sure that costs of the funerals were paid and that there was financial assistance for those affected. The next day, she went to Christchurch, taking leaders of all political parties, not just her own. She stood with Islamic leaders and hugged the grieving. This showed respect and real compassion, and those striking images flew around the world. A counter to the picture of the stubby bullish killer who was still flashing signs apparently to white supremacists.
Asked directly whether she agreed with Donald Trump that rightwing terrorism was not growing, she answered clearly: “No.” How could the US help? “Sympathy and love for all Muslim communities.”
Sympathy and love, what kind of leader talks like that in a world where to be tough is to build walls and imprison children or, on our own shores, elevate intransigence and prevarication to new heights?

Jacinda Ardern's John Howard moment – the time to tighten gun laws is now

 
Read more


Trump threatens all with the military in his quasi–Mussolini style. While Theresa May could not communicate any of this warmth or leadership in the aftermath of Grenfell.
That leadership could be about compassion and that overused word “empathy” feels freeing to us now. It wasn’t always this way. Dwight Eisenhower once said: “The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity.” Ardern embodies this; meaning what she says, saying what she means, unafraid and unbowed.
Māoris doing their immensely powerful hakas, Ardern’s face full of sorrow but also fearlessness, ordinary citizens with aftershocks of expression of love and bravery – this will stay with me. Martin Luther King said genuine leaders did not search for consensus but moulded it.
Ardern has moulded a different consensus, demonstrating action, care, unity. Terrorism sees difference and wants to annihilate it. Ardern sees difference and wants to respect it, embrace it and connect with it. Here is an atheist showing that love will dismantle hate. This is leadership, this light she shines, guiding us though to a world where we see the best of us as well as the worst.

Topics

Everyone knows he won't denounce them he is racist and they give lots of money to him.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6822423/Woman-reveals-wrote-rich-childrens-essays-schools.html

[size=34]'The system is rigged, there is no such thing as meritocracy': Woman reveals how she used to write rich children's college applications, essays, and resumes to get them into America's top schools[/size]

• Jaimie Leigh was a former 'for-hire writer' used by the country's wealthy parents
  
  
• She broke down on Facebook how these parents get their children into top schools in just the first step to ensuring they have a lifetime of 'prestige' 
  
  
• She reveals that attending the top school leads to internships and, later, jobs at top companies
  
  
• These companies then 'groom' these children into becoming future executives
  
  
• Leigh revealed she has even helped 40-year-old men apply for board and philanthropy positions - and taken suggestions from their own fathers 
  
  

By ANNETA KONSTANTINIDES FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 
PUBLISHED: 11:48 EDT, 18 March 2019 | UPDATED: 12:34 EDT, 18 March 2019

     



A woman who used to write college essays, applications, and resumes for the children of wealthy parents has spoken out about the college bribery scandal. 
Jaimie Leigh took to Facebook to reveal that she was not at all surprised when she found out that dozens of affluent parents, including Hollywood celebrities like Lori Laughlin and Felicity Huffman, had bribed their children's way into America's top schools. 
Leigh broke down just how the wealthy get their children into these elite schools, and how it sets up their children for the same opulent lifestyle. 
'I think a lot of people seriously have no idea how thoroughly the system is rigged,' she wrote. 'There's no such thing as meritocracy'.  


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Writer Jaimie Leigh (pictured), who used to write the college essays, applications, and resumes for the children of wealthy parents has spoken out about the college bribery scandal 


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Leigh broke down just how essential it was for the wealthy to get their children into these elite schools, and how it set up their children for the same opulent lifestyle in her Facebook post 
Leigh explained that she spent several years as a 'for-hire writer who couldn't afford to turn work away'. 

'This means I accepted a lot of jobs I feel icky about now, but it also means that I've seen firsthand how this all shakes out,' she said. 
Leigh then begins to tell the story of a person she names A*****e McGloaty Face III and how getting him into Harvard is 'just the first domino en route to prestige and pedigree'. 
'The first domino starts the chain,' she writes. 'The richest of rich parents get him there by donating a library collection or buying a building.' 
'The middling rich, like those in today's story, cheat (and don't for a single second think the people indicted today are the only ones, because they are not, not, not).' 
'The lowly rich hire people like me to write their kids' essays and letters, pull together their resumes, and figure out how to make years of abject mediocrity sound good.' 
Leigh revealed these parents also hire 'special tutors and test prep gurus' to help children learn how to 'hack' the college admissions tests. 


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Leigh said she was not at all surprised when she found out that dozens of affluent parents, including Hollywood celebrities like Lori Laughlin and Felicity Huffman, had bribed their children's way into America's top schools. Pictured are Lori Loughlin, center, and her two daughters Olivia Jade, and Bella Giannulli
'They pull strings to get their kids special accommodations they don't need, so they have more time to get all the math problems done on the SAT,' she continued. 'They get interview coaches who teach their kids what to say when they go for their appointment.' 
'They lean on connections to get Harvard and Yale to take a "second look" at their C+ student with a 980 SAT score. These kids get a complete team, and the face A*****e McGloatyFace presents to the Ivy isn't his own; it's a composite of all the best expertise his parents' money could buy.' 
Leigh said these same parents hire her again even when their children gets into the top school. Now they need help with their classes. 
'Want to know how many papers I've written for undergraduate students? Graduate students? I couldn't even tell you,' she writes. 'It's a higher number than I can remember offhand. Need a magic paper to save your grade in the class you're failing? Need to save your half-a***d thesis? I've done it all. I'm a better-than-average writer and I made my clients look good.' 
Leigh said this all ensures that the student graduates with an Ivy degree, which then gets him internships and jobs at the best companies in the country. 
'It means he gets interviews, even if his GPA is sub-3.0. It means he gets the best jobs when he graduates. He's still an idiot, but now he's an idiot earning high-five or low-six figures,' she writes. 'This is when the next dominos start to fall.'  
Leigh said the company that hires the student then begins to groom him with an executive coach, deciding that he's 'executive material' because he has the 'right name and the right degree and the right presentation'. 
He will also get a mentor, who will help him 'meet the right people, form the right connections' and take him to the right events to make sure 'he knows all the power players in their city', she continues. 


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Leigh then begins to tell the story of a person she names A*****e McGloaty Face III and how getting into Harvard is 'just the first domino en route to prestige and pedigree'
It is these key figures who help the student sign up for the right charities to build his 'Personal Brand', getting him seats on 'the best non-profit boards in his city'. 
'Some of these are competitive,' Leigh writes. 'Want to know how I know that? Because they require an essay, resume, and bio. And guess who writes those.' 
The student eventually gets promoted, making 'low-mid six figures'. But thanks to his good school, good job, and good philanthropy, he begins being considered for 'a whole host of things most average people have absolutely no awareness of'. 
'He's going to apply for and be named one of his city's "40 Under 40" and get a spread in a local, glossy magazine. He's going to apply for and get a position in his city's Up and Coming Young Leaders' program, and be interviewed on TV. He's going to apply for and win a spot in his city's "Wealthy People Pretending To Do Good But Really Just Hanging Out With Other Wealthy People" initiative, and get newspaper coverage,' Leigh continues. 'I'll give you one guess who writes those applications.' 
By the time he's in his 40s and 50s and now earning high-six figures, the man is now ready to apply to a for-profit board, Leigh explains. 


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Leigh said this all ensures that the student graduates with an Ivy degree, which then gets him an internship at the best companies and firms in the country, which then work to turn him into executive material 


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Leigh revealed she took jobs from 40-year-old men who still gave the telephone to their fathers to 'talk about how to craft the right impression in their adult child's "personal" letter'
'He's going to link up with a Fortune 500, be named to their board, and pull in a seven-figure paycheck for turning up once per quarter to listen to updates from the CEO and make management decisions,' she writes. 
'He'll need a resume, bio, and compelling personal letter to make this happen. Check, check, check.' 
Leigh revealed that she has taken jobs from 40-year-old men who still gave the phone to their fathers to 'talk about how to craft the right impression in their adult child's "personal" letter'.   
'A*****e is now making millions of dollars per year, earning millions more on a board, and, as a loving parent, is guiding his own children through the exact same process,' she continued. 


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Leigh reveals it is these people who come out on top compared to those who are fighting for the same opportunities but don't have access to the same resources
This, Leigh explains, is why the 'Right University' matters. 
'It's not about the degree,' she writes. 'It's about this entire life path, this entire system of manipulation and prestige, to make sure the children of the uber wealthy become the next generation of the uber wealthy, that they get exclusive opportunities and exclusive consideration.'  


Leigh reveals it is these people who come out on top compared to those who are fighting for the same opportunities but don't have access to the same resources. 
'Those people didn't come from the right parents, or graduate from the right schools,' she continues. 'Their applications weren't as good, because they wrote them themselves, and most people (sorry, y'all, but it's true) do not write nearly as well as they think they do.' 


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Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Giannulli allegedly paid $500,000 to get daughters Olivia Jade, 19, (pictured) and Isabella, 20, into the University of Southern California


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Giannulli (left) was released on bond on Tuesday as was Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman (right), who has also been implicated in the scandal


'Their bios weren't as perfect, because they didn't have executive coaches and mentors to help them establish a fine-tuned personal brand.' 
'The whole system is rigged, you guys. It is rigged. It's all an illusion. The upper class is a closed system, thanks but no thanks, no vacancies, don't let the door hit ya.'   


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Rick Singer is the 'mastermind' behind the scheme. He cooperated with the FBI and is facing a maximum of 65 years behind bars 
Loughlin, her husband Mossimo Giannulli, and Huffman were all charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, a felony which carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars, in the college bribery scandal.
William Rick Singer, the founder of Key Worldwide Foundation, had been identified as the alleged mastermind behind the scandal. 
Charging documents claim that, since 2011, Singer has received $25million from parents to bribe individuals who could 'designate their children as recruited athletes, or other favored admissions categories'. 
Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid Singer $500,000 to get their daughters into USC by bribing the senior athletic director to designate them as crew recruits, despite the fact that neither girl participated in the sport. 
Huffman allegedly paid $15,000 to arrange for someone to secretly change her daughter's answers during the SAT exam. 
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Ms Leigh is right.  I had no idea how rigged the system really is.  So many college kids do the right thing, work hard and make the grades on their own.  But this behavior by the privileged class that Ms. Leigh describes brings the whole college system down to a new low.  We will see if any of these elite schools make changes to clean up this mess.

Donnamarie - Don't hold your breath. Sadly, this isn't anything new. Think back to the days of the "upper crust" of society and their disdain for the rest of the population. If you weren't a member of one of the wealthiest families you didn't count and weren't welcome. Apparently nothing's changed. I guess this always happens when a small minority controls most of the money - and doesn't want to share.

I would like to remind everyone of the (at least)two cases of Black women being convicted and incarcerated for making false statements to get their children into better public schools. One state accused the mother of "stealing" an education (again, at a public school) and charged with grand larceny of $35,000. She used a relative's or friend's address to enroll her child in a better district. The other woman was homeless, and used a friend's address to enroll her child.

Convicted. Sentenced. For trying to get a decent public elementary education for their children.

I feel for Huffman and what's-her-name. They're mothers. But they damn well better be convicts at the end of this.

Lori should have known her youngest was dumber than dirt. She actually needed four more years of high school not college.

You know your children that is if you spend time with them. 

I don't know about Felicity's kids, though William Macy did say nepotism works and he would use it to help his kids.

Way2Old - I can't tell you how many parents I know of who have done exactly what those poor women did - and it wasn't limited to any one race, either. Black, white, brown, what have you. It was no secret that they didn't live in the district where their children went to school, but usually there were no consequences. I don't remember anyone I knew of getting caught.

Parents here can get variances and can enter lotteries for some schools. There are some options, but there are also a lot of parents who game the system.

If we're being honest our whole educational system needs a top-to-bottom overhaul.

New York needs more schools. In my neighborhood we had a school that sat empty for over 25 years, it was bought and turned into expensive rentals. The city could have remodeled it and we would have have had another school.

Annemarie - It goes so far beyond needing more schools. We need smaller classes which mean more qualified teachers. The newcomers to the profession came up through the same failed system we have now. Many of them came to teaching because they couldn't find any other work and they're struggling to keep up with the demands of the job. Too many of them don't know what they're doing - and don't care.

IMO, what we need is a national curriculum. The same material taught at every grade level, in every school, everywhere. We have a very mobile society, and when a child starts a new school they should be able to pick up where they left off at their old school.

We also need support materials for teachers. When I started, the teacher's union gave each new teacher a curriculum guide for each subject they'd be teaching. It included background material, a topic outline and timeline, suggested lesson plans and teaching materials. You could use as much or as little of it as you wanted, as long as you kept to the timeline (which assured you'd complete the year's curriculum). If you were a newbie, and didn't know what you were doing, it was a godsend.

To me it seems like the system is being dumbed down by "educators" who are throwing out all the things they didn't like to do when they were students. Anything that requires discipline and effort, anything that isn't "fun" is looked down on. If our kids are turning out lazy and ignorant it's more our fault than theirs.

Lizzy, I totally agree. Schools for the most part are getting worse, when they should be leading the culture into the future.

My granddaughter is in 8th grade. She has no textbooks. I realize that books for some subjects can be outdated before they are printed and distributed, but... math? Language arts? As someone who went through the gifted program in elementary school and tested out of college math, I can't help her with her math homework because the 'old way' of doing problems has been discarded. Her teachers refer her to 'fun' YouTube instructional videos when she asks for help. One of her teachers sent an e-mail riddled with so many grammatical errors that it looked like a less than stellar student had faked it. Her teacher in an elective art class has said out loud that she can't stand kids. Teaching is not an aspiration for too many of those leading classrooms, it seems. It's more of a fallback when all else fails.

Way2Old - I can't tell you how many parents I know of who have done exactly what those poor women did - and it wasn't limited to any one race, either. Black, white, brown, what have you. It was no secret that they didn't live in the district where their children went to school, but usually there were no consequences. I don't remember anyone I knew of getting caught.

Some get caught, but are allowed to 'correct the mistake.' Or it gets ignored, if the child/family isn't too out of place in the school. But a person of color or low income sending their kid to a wealthy (White) school out of their district is treated like a criminal.

Here in the UK we have vast tomes for teachers to adhere to and OFSTED inspections of schools and then ratings for each school delivered by them. Of course there is never a chapter called 'common sense'.

We also have parents desperate to get their children into the highly rated school saying that they live in the school's catchment area - very upsetting for those who actually do and don't get a place - but more and more the authorities and schools now keep an eye on such things. So then what happens is that the parents will rent out their home to fund the renting of a flat near the school........and very often this is at the beginning of their child's education

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6826493/USC-puts-holds-accounts-students-linked-college-cheating-scandal.html

[size=34]USC puts holds on accounts of students linked to college admissions cheating scandal so they can't register for classes or get transcripts[/size]

• USC said they may expel students caught up in the college-admissions cheating scandal after it completes a reviews of their records
  
  
• Officials have put holds on accounts of students linked to the scandal so they can't register for classes or obtain their transcripts
  
  
• More than half the 32 parents charged were trying to bribe their children's way into USC
  
  
• School officials have already said six students who applied to USC last fall would be rejected because of their ties to to the scheme 
  
  
• USC is still investigating exactly how many current students are implicated 
  
  
• Lori Loughlin's daughters Olivia and Isabella are among the students caught up after their parents were accused of paying $500,000 in bribes
  
  

By EMILY CRANE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 10:56 EDT, 19 March 2019 | UPDATED: 11:31 EDT, 19 March 2019

     




The University of Southern California has revealed they have put holds on accounts of students linked to the college admissions bribery scandal to stop them registering for classes or obtaining transcripts. 
School officials said Monday night they may expel students caught up in the largest college admissions cheating scandal in U.S. history after it completes a reviews of their records.  
'USC has placed holds on the accounts of students who may be associated with the alleged admissions scheme; this prevents the students from registering for classes or acquiring transcripts while their cases are under review,' the school tweeted. 


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USC officials said Monday night they may expel students caught up in the largest college-admissions cheating scandal in U.S. history after it completes a reviews of their records


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'These students have been notified that their status is under review. Following the review, we will take the proper action related to their status, up to revoking admission or expulsion.'
USC was the most implicated school involved in the cheating scandal after prosecutors said wealthy parents either paid bribes to have a college counselor rig standardized tests or get their children admitted as recruits of sports they didn't play. 
More than half the 32 parents charged were trying to bribe their children's way into USC. 
School officials have already said six students who applied to USC last fall would be rejected because of their ties to to the scheme. 
The university is still investigating exactly how many current students are implicated. 
Among the current students are the daughters of 'Full House' actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli. 


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Lori Loughlin's daughters Olivia (left) and Isabella (right) are among those caught up in the scheme after their parents were charged with paying $500,000 to have them labeled as rowing recruits



The couple are accused of paying $500,000 to have their daughters - Olivia Jade, 19, and Isabella, 20 - labeled as crew team recruits at USC, even though neither is a rower.
Sources told TMZ last Thursday that both Olivia and Isabella had dropped out of USC because they feared they would be 'viciously bullied' if they returned to the Los Angeles school in the wake of the scandal. 
When announcing the charges, prosecutors said some students involved in the scandal were not aware that their parents had made the alleged dishonest arrangements, although in other cases they knowingly took part. 
One of the parents charged in the scandal is Homayoun Zadeh - a USC dentistry professor now facing termination.   
The school fired senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and water polo coach Jovan Vavic, who won 16 national titles. Both were accused of taking bribes. Two former USC coaches were also named in the scheme.
Interim USC President Wanda Austin said USC plans to redirect donations that were part of the scheme toward scholarships for needy students.

Way2Old -I'm guessing the "wealthy" part of the equation is what matters most. If you're the "wrong" color, religion or ethnicity; if your money is "too new" - or if you don't have much; if you don't travel in the "right" circles - all factor into why you're considered an undesirable companion for the spawn of the wanna-be 1%-ers that populate upscale private schools. You won't be an asset for their futures. As that woman said in her article, it's all done to get and keep these rich kids in the upper class.

PAN - It's pretty much the same here. More and more "oversight" and "standards" for both students and teachers. It's ridiculous. Teacher's get reams of "standards" telling them that by the end of their grade "the student will be able to ---" with no instruction for the teacher on how to make it happen. If you've been teaching for a while you probably know what to do, but a lot of new teachers don't - and they don't get much help because nobody has the time. They're too busy filling out paperwork, being "accountable".

When I started teaching it was hard to find a colleague who didn't love the kids and enjoy the job. Now you'd be hard pressed to find an experienced teacher who doesn't want out.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6826603/Kentucky-teen-refuses-chickenpox-vaccine-SUES-school.html

[size=34]Kentucky teen who refuses to get the chickenpox vaccine 'because it contains aborted fetal cells' SUES his school for barring him from basketball practice and classes[/size]

• Jerome Kunkel is an 18-year-old senior and basketball captain at a Catholic school in Walton
  
  
• He objects to vaccines because he believes they 'contain aborted fetal cells' 
  
  
• Experts say this theory is a major driver fueling the measles outbreak in Washington state's Russian-speaking community 
  
  
• Some vaccines are derived from a small sample of cells taken from two fetuses of elective abortions in the early 1960s
  
  
• Pope Benedict XVI ruled that all vaccines are morally acceptable regardless of where they came from because they protect children from suffering
  
  
• But many Catholics are still hesitant to vaccinate 
  
  
• Kunkel's stance means he is banned from completing classes and extracurricular activities at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart/Assumption Academy
  
  
• The county is experiencing an outbreak affecting 32 people 
  
  

By MIA DE GRAAF HEALTH EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 11:05 EDT, 19 March 2019 | UPDATED: 13:50 EDT, 19 March 2019

     



A Kentucky teenager who refuses to get the chickenpox vaccine on religious grounds is suing his school for barring him from basketball practice.
Jerome Kunkel, an 18-year-old senior and basketball captain at a Catholic school in Walton, objects to vaccines because he believes they 'contain aborted fetal cells'.
But his stance means he is automatically banned from completing his final term of classes and extracurricular activities at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart/Assumption Academy amid an outbreak affecting 32 people.
The Northern Kentucky Health Department announced last week that all students who are not vaccinated are not allowed to attend school 'ntil 21 days after the onset of rash for the last ill student or staff member.'


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Jerome Kunkel is an 18-year-old senior and basketball captain at a Catholic school in Walton. He objects to vaccines because he believes they 'contain aborted fetal cells'. His stance means he is banned from completing his final term of classes and extracurricular activities at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart/Assumption Academy (file image)


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Kunkel's lawyer said he has been contacted by the families of 18 other kids in similar situations

THE CATHOLIC ISSUE WITH VACCINES 

In the early 1960s, cells were obtained from two fetuses after two elective abortions - one in England, one in Sweden - neither of which were performed for the purpose of vaccine development. 
That tiny sample of cells was used to help viruses grow in the lab, which are then developed into vaccines to immunize the general public. 
Those fibroblast cells (and no others) are still used today to make five different vaccines: rubella, hepatitis A, varicella (for chickenpox), shingles, and one for rabies. 
Scientists used fetal cells for a number of reasons. Firstly, animal cells are less effective (some would say ineffective) for growing viruses that infect humans. Secondly, during the growth process, cells divide and eventually die. However, fetal cells can divide more times before dying. 
As a result, some Catholics are hesitant about vaccinations because abortions are regarded as a sin worthy of excommunication. 
The National Catholic Bioethics Center urges people to get vaccines that are not derived from these cells. 
However, Pope Benedict XVI, who was formerly head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, ruled that it was morally acceptable for parents to give these vaccines to their children despite their origins because Catholics believe in protecting children from suffering, harm and death.  




Kunkel fumed: 'The fact that I can't finish my senior year of basketball, like our last couple games is pretty devastating. I mean you go through four years of high school, playing basketball, but you look forward to your senior year,' CNN reported.
Students in Kentucky are legally allowed to skip vaccines on religious grounds if they provide a sworn statement, as Kunkel did last year. 
However, the school insists that does not mean the kids have a right to be on public grounds. 
Chickenpox is highly infectious, but those who have the Varicella vaccine are immunized against it. 
Chris Wiest, Kunkel's lawyer, said he has been contacted by the families of 18 other kids in similar situations. 
Kunkel's stance on vaccines is based on the history of how certain strains were developed.
In the early 1960s, cells were obtained from two fetuses after two elective abortions - one in England, one in Sweden - neither of which were performed for the purpose of vaccine development. 
That tiny sample of cells was used to help viruses grow in the lab, which are then developed into vaccines to immunize the general public. 
Those fibroblast cells (and no others) are still used today to make five different vaccines: rubella, hepatitis A, varicella (for chickenpox), shingles, and one for rabies. 
Scientists used fetal cells for a number of reasons. Firstly, animal cells are less effective (some would say ineffective) for growing viruses that infect humans. Secondly, during the growth process, cells divide and eventually die. However, fetal cells can divide more times before dying. 
As a result, some Catholics are hesitant about vaccinations because abortions are regarded as a sin worthy of excommunication. 

 urges people to get vaccines that are not derived from these cells. 

However, Pope Benedict XVI, who was formerly head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, ruled that it was morally acceptable for parents to give these vaccines to their children despite their origins because Catholics believe in protecting children from suffering, harm and death.  
The Health Department responded to the lawsuit: 'The recent actions taken by the Northern Kentucky Health Department regarding the chickenpox outbreak at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart/Assumption Academy was in direct response to a public health threat and was an appropriate and necessary response to prevent further spread of this contagious illness.'


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Students in Kentucky are legally allowed to skip vaccines on religious grounds if they provide a sworn statement, as Kunkel did last year. However, the school insists that does not mean the kids have a right to be on public grounds
Read more:

Sometimes I think we still live in the 12th century. I get that this kid wants to finish out the basketball season. When you're 17 you're selfish and short-sighted. How would he feel if he was missing those games because he caught chickenpox? Would he still feel entitled to go to school so he could play? - Notice he didn't say he'd be hurt by missing out on classwork - just basketball.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6828545/National-Portrait-Gallery-drops-1m-donation-family-run-pharmaceutical-firm.html

[size=34]National Portrait Gallery drops £1m donation from family who run pharmaceutical firm at the centre of US opioid crisis row[/size]

• The Sackler family run Purdue Pharma LP which produces OxyContin 
  
  
• The family is facing lawsuits over its alleged role in the US opioid crisis
  
  
• The company was set to provide a £1million donation to the gallery in London which had been granted the money in 2016 
  
  

By TERRI-ANN WILLIAMS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 19:44 EDT, 19 March 2019 | UPDATED: 20:26 EDT, 19 March 2019

     




The National Portrait Gallery in London has become the first major art institution to give up funds from the controversial Sackler family.
Members of the Sackler family are facing lawsuits over their alleged role in the US opioid crisis and campaigners say the move from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) to give up the grant is a landmark victory in the battle over the ethics of art funding.
The decision has been hailed as a 'powerful acknowledgement' that certain sources of income should not be justified.
The family, whose company Purdue Pharma LP produces opioid prescription painkiller OxyContin, had been set to provide a £1million donation to the gallery.


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The Sackler family from left to right: Dr. Theodore Shapiro, Dr. Jack Barchas, DR. Susan Shack Sackler, Dr. Kathe Sackler, Dr. Carla Shatz, Dr. BJ Casey, Dr. Jay Gingrich and Dr. Robert Michels 


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The National Portrait Gallery in London (pictured above) is the first major art institution to give up funds from the Sackler family


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Purdue Pharma is the maker of the prescription opioid painkiller OxyContin (pictured above)
Speaking to the Guardian, a spokesperson for the gallery said that it had agreed with the Sackler family that both parties would not proceed with the donation 'at this time'.

The family denies allegations against them which suggest they participated in 'conspiracy and fraud to portray OxyContin as non-addictive, even though they knew it was dangerously addictive'.
The family claimed that the donation to the gallery's 'Inspiring People' project had been dropped in order to avoid creating a 'distraction' from the hard work the institution had put in to the initiative.
Despite the decision being revealed as mutual, it could be seen as a major blow to the family's status following a campaign led against them by American artist Nancy Goldin.



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This file photo shows the outside of Purdue Pharma at the company's offices in Stamford, US
Goldin has previously spoken out about being addicted to OxyContin after being prescribed the drug and last week said she was 'happy' with the decision taken by the NPG.
She highlighted the need for other museums and galleries to do the same and reconsider gifts from the Sackler family.
Reflecting on the decision she said: 'They did the right thing. I hope there is a domino effect now; there needs to be.'
She had previously refused a retrospective of her work to be held at the NPG if it accepted the donation and had held protests outside the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York over their links to the Sackler's.


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Protests had previously been held outside the Guggenheim museum (above) by artist Nancy Goldin


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Protesters targeted the Guggenheim (pictured above) over its ties to the Sackler family


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Nancy Goldin (pictured centre pointing) took charge of a protest against the family outside the Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York
The NPG had been one of many British cultural institutions set to receive donations from members of the family, but had come under fire from artists and campaigners who said that accepting money from them would make the NPG complicit in the damage done by the drugs the family's company produce.
The co –director of campaigning organisation Culture Unstained, Jess Worth told the Guardian that the gallery's decision to reject a donation 'from those that profited from the opioid crisis' was a 'powerful acknowledgment that some sources of funding cross a red line'.
She added: 'This raises the question of whether the gallery will now apply the same standards to its BP sponsorship deal or continue to promote a fossil fuel company in the midst of a climate crisis.
'Waved through with minimal scrutiny in the past, BP sponsorship now – like the Sackler donation – looks ethically untenable.'

[size=18]Purdue and Sackler family sued over opioid crisis (2018)




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Shakespeare's Globe in London (pictured above) has also previously received money from the Sackler family
According to a 2016 estimation by Forbes magazine, the Sackler family has an estimated worth of $13billion, making them the richest family in America and each year the family continues to make philanthropic donations.
However in November 2018 court filings suggested that some members of the family had 'actively participated in conspiracy and fraud to portray [OxyContin] as non-addictive, even though they knew it was dangerously addictive'.
Following the revelation some public institutions – including New York's Columbia University and the Metropolitan Museum of Art – have reviewed whether they would continue to accept their donations.
Goldin added: 'I spoke to the National Portrait Gallery. I'm so happy, I'm very glad about it. We have to hold museums to a higher standard, they are supposed to be a repository of the best of humanity, a repository of learning and culture.'
The Sackler trust awarded the NPG £35.5million in 2016 for a project for building development, redisplaying collections and a new education centre.


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The Royal Opera House (pictured above) has also previously received financial support from the Sackler family
The money was a pledge and was not paid, partly due to the fact that work had not yet started and the gallery's ethics committee was considering the implications of receiving funding from the family.
The Sackler Trust said: '[We have] has supported institutions playing crucial roles in health, education, science and the arts for almost half a century and we were pleased to have the opportunity to offer a new gift to support the National Portrait Gallery. The giving philosophy of the family has always been to actively support institutions while never getting in the way of their mission'.
'Recent reporting of allegations made against Sackler family members may cause this new donation to deflect the National Portrait Gallery from its important work. The allegations against family members are vigorously denied, but to avoid being a distraction for the NPG, we have decided not to proceed at this time with the donation. We continue to believe strongly in the gallery and the wonderful work it does.'
NPG chair David Ross said he acknowledged the generosity of the Sackler family and their support over the years.
'We understand and support their decision not to proceed at this time with the donation to the gallery.'
Over time the Sackler name has provided financial support for various institutions in the UK such as the Royal Opera House, Shakespeare's Globe and the Royal Ballet School.
In 2017 the V&A opened a Sackler courtyard which was estimated to have cost £2million. This is while the V&A in Dundee, Scotland is said to be under pressure to return a donation from the Sackler family.

[size=34]WHO ARE THE SACKLERS?  [/size]

The Sackler family's drug company, Purdue Pharma, has made tens of billions on opioid sales, and the Sacklers have spent some of that money supporting the arts. 
 ARTHUR SACKLER
Arthur, a doctor and psychiatrist, founded a research laboratory in 1938, but Arthur's real genius was in marketing, and he leveraged it to sell a number of medications, including the anti-anxiety drug, Valium.
He owned one-third of Purdue Pharma, which he and his younger brothers Mortimer and Raymond co-founded out of a series of smaller companies they had bought.
Arthur remained a relatively silent partner in the old Purdue, and died in 1987 before it became the company we know it as today.
He never saw any of Purdue's OxyContin profits.
He donated the funds to open a number of medical education programs, libraries and museums.
After his death in 1987, his brothers bought Arthur's portion of Purdue and one of his four children, daughter Elizabeth, has largely taken over his philanthropy work.
MORTIMER SACKLER
Mortimer was an American physician and psychiatrist.
He and his brothers, the older Arthur and the younger Raymond published prolific medical research before buying a number of pharmaceutical companies, including, in 1952, Purdue Pharma.
After Arthur's death Mortimer and Raymond bought out his descendants' share of Purdue Pharma, and in 1991 they created the company that would become a pain management giant we now know.
Mortimer became a lavish arts patron, known for equally extravagant donations and parties, beginning in the 1970s.
He died in 2010.
 RAYMOND SACKLER 
Raymond was a doctor like his older brothers, and the three were partners in all things until each of their deaths.   
Together with Mortimer, Raymond found success with their opioid painkiller, OxyContin, which became the Purdue Pharma's signature drug. 
Raymond was milder and more private than his brother, Mortimer.
Raymond had two children, Richard and Jonathan, before his death last year.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6831169/Multiple-students-aware-college-cheating-scandal-including-one-gloated-SAT.html

[size=34]Revealed: The parents who TOLD their children they were scamming their way into college, including one who 'gloated' about cheating SATs, and another who got their kids to pose as budding sports stars[/size]

• The complaint filed last week in Operation Varsity Blues alleges that a number of children were aware of the illegal actions their parents have been indicted for
  
  
• Isabelle Henriquez, the daughter of Manuel and Elizabeth Henriquez, 'gloated' with her mother after getting the answers on her SAT states the complaint
  
  
• Lauren Isackson actually joined the UCLA soccer team despite never playing at an elite level, where her teammates include members of the US national team
  
  
• Olivia Giannulli, the daughter of Lori Loughlin, posted on an ergometer for her application to USC, with her parents claiming she was on a crew team
  
  
• She then was copied on an email asking that mastermind William Rick Singer fill out her college applications so as not to draw any suspicion to the USC scam 
  
  

By CHRIS SPARGO FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 
PUBLISHED: 13:03 EDT, 20 March 2019 | UPDATED: 17:50 EDT, 20 March 2019

     



Thirty-three parents have been indicted as part of Operation Varsity Blues, but the complaint filed last week in federal court makes it clear that not every child was in the dark about the scandal.
In most cases, the children did not think their test scores were being edited by proctors to ensure higher scores, but at least one teenager 'gloated' about cheating the system after her test according to the complaint filed last week.
And it seems that a number of the children who were submitted as athletic candidates at these colleges and universities were aware of the deception. 
This includes the young woman who earned a spot on the UCLA soccer team alongside members of the US national team, despite the fact that she had never played the sport at an elite level and had a 'falsified soccer profile' submitted with her application.

Her team photo is even included on the school's soccer website.
When asked if there is a chance these students, or any others, might be charged, a spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office told DailyMail.com that the investigation is ongoing and the US Attorney had not ruled out the possibility of additional charges. 
Scroll down for video 


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Put me in coach: Lauren Isackson actually joined the UCLA soccer team (her player profile above) despite never playing at an elite level, where her teammates include members of the US national team


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Sister, sister: Olivia Giannulli (left with sister Isabella on right) , the daughter of Lori Loughlin, posted on an ergometer for her application to USC, with her parents claiming she was on a crew team
William Rick Singer, the mastermind behind this illegal plot, was sneaking in more and more athletes with each passing year.
'You can tell them I did 760 of these this year, 96 the year before,' he said in one phone call with a parent. 
The complaint submitted last week explains how he went about this using his connections and his clients' vast fortunes.
'As part of the scheme, [Singer], together with others, also fabricated athletic "profiles" for students, which [Singer] submitted to the Universities in support of the students’ applications, and which contained falsified athletic credentials—including fake honors the students had purportedly received and elite athletic teams they had purportedly played on,' read the criminal complaint that was submitted in the case last week.
'In some instances, parents assisted CW-1 in creating the fabricated profiles, including by supplying staged photographs of their children engaged in athletic activity. In other instances, CW-1 and 15 his associates simply found photos of athletes on the Internet and either used those photos or used software such as PhotoShop to insert the applicants’ faces onto the bodies of legitimate athletes.'


Much less work was involved in falsifying tests for students, as Singer explained to one parent while breaking down the process.  
'So then what’ll happen is, instead of wherever she was going to take the test ... the proctor, will fly in, and he will show up on Friday night, just like you guys would show upon Friday night, and then on Saturday morning at 7:45, 8 o’clock, you guys will show up at the school,' explained Singer.
'[T]hen what’ll happen is, you’ll go in ... she’ll take the test. It’ll be all her taking the test and then at the end of the test, it would be decided that we want to score, let’s say, 33, so that she never has to take the test again. It’ll be one and done. Then she’ll-- you guys will leave and then [the hired proctor] will then look at all of her answers. Because her answers will be put on a separate sheet of paper and then [the hired proctor] will go through the answers and will figure out ... on all four sections and he will decipher her answers and-- and he will go back and-- and ensure that he makes it so that her score ends up being between a 32 and 34, just depending on the curve for that particular test day. And normally he’s right on. And that is essentially how it would happen.' 
Here is a look at the allegations against each parent, and what knowledge their child had according to the complaint. 


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Pay for play: Isabelle Henriquez (above), the daughter of Manuel and Elizabeth Henriquez, 'gloated' with her mother after getting the answers on her SAT states the complaint
Elizabeth and Manuel Henriquez 
Isabelle Henriquez was very much aware and very much a willing participant in the cheating scandal according to federal prosecutors. 
The complaint filed last week even noted that after Isabelle sat side-by-side with her proctor taking her SAT, she and her mother 'gloated' about how they had cheated on the exam and managed to do so without getting caught.
That was just the first step however, with then family later flying to Houston where Isabelle took her ACT while being given the answers by a proctor.
Henriquez did not have to pay for that, and instead used his clout to help Singer get a student admitted to Northeastern, where he is an alum, according to the US Attorney.
This same practice was then repeated for the couple's younger daughter claim federal prosecutors. 
The test scores in place, the couple then worked to get Isabelle in at Georgetown by falsely claiming she was a seasoned tennis player.
Singer drafted the note that was then sent to Gordon Ernst, the tennis coach at the school, but it was the daughter who sent it from her account.
'I have been really successful this summer playing tennis around the country. I am looking forward to having a chance to be part of the Georgetown tennis team and make a positive contribution to your team’s success,' read the note.
Isabelle then included a wealth of false information on her application according to the complaint.
'In addition to the falsified essay, the application falsely indicated that she played "club tennis" all through high school for 20 hours per week and 52 weeks per year, and listed her as having a "Top 50 ranking" in the United States Tennis Association ("USTA") Junior Girls Tennis for her sophomore through senior years of high school, and as being on the USTA All-Academic Team for tennis for her junior and senior years,' reads the complaint. 
'In fact, records obtained from the USTA do not show that she played at any USTA tournaments in high school.'
A foot note on that page, one of the rare few included in the complaint, adds: 'At her best, she appears to have ranked 207th in Northern California in the under-12 girls division, with an overall win/loss record of 2-8.' 


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In the dark: Felicity Huffman's daughter Georgia and Sofia (left in January with their parents) seemed to be unaware of the scandal
Felicity Huffman
The actress' older daughter Sofia is one of the few students who was definitely in the dark about the plot to fake her test scores.
The complaint filed last week states: 'According to [Singer], he advised Huffman and her spouse [William H Macy] that he "controlled" a testing center, and could arrange for a third party to purport to proctor their daughter’s SAT and secretly correct her answers afterwards.'
In this case, the West Hollywood center was close to where the family lived, and it was stated that the teenager was taking the exam there because it was proctored on a weekend and she would not have to miss any school. 
There had been discussions about doing this again for the couple's younger daughter,  but she ultimately achieved then high score she needed on her SAT without help.


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Fullest house: Both of Loughlin's daughters (above in February) have halted their studies at USC in the wake of the scandal
Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli
The couple opted to use the athletics route to gain their daughters admittance into University of Southern California rather than having a proctor change their test scores.
This required daughters Isabella and Olivia, who had never before rowed in their lives, to pretend they were on crew teams. 
In order to sell that, they posed for photos on ergometers, suggesting that they were both aware and willing participants in their parents' plan. 
Futhermore, Olivia knowingly had Singer's team fill out her college applications according to the complaint. 
'On or about December 12, 2017, Loughlin e-mailed [Singer], copying Giannulli and their younger daughter [Olivia], to request guidance on how to complete the formal USC application, in the wake of her daughter’s provisional acceptance as a recruited athlete,' states the complaint.
'Loughlin wrote: "[Our younger daughter] has not submitted all her colleges [sic] apps and is confused on how to do so. I want to make sure she gets those in as I don’t want to call any attention to [her] with our little friend at [her high school]. Can you tell us how to proceed?"'
In response, Singer wrote an email 'directing an employee to submit the applications on behalf of the Giannullis’ younger daughter [Olivia].' 



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Repeat: Davina Isackson (above with Lauren left and her younger daughter) again used Singer to doctor their other daughter's tests, but there is no evidence that she knew in the complaint.
Bruce & Davina Isackson 
The couple worked to get their daughter into USC by claiming she was a soccer player, despite not playing at an elite level prior to college.
A clerical error was made however and the application accidentally went in with the general admission files, eliminating her chance of sneaking into that school.
That is when her files were sent by the USC soccer coach to UCLA, where she was admitted as a soccer player.
In this case however, Lauren Isackson actually joined the soccer team and her fake biography is still on the school's website.
She was only on the team for her freshman year however, and is not listed on this year's rooster.  
'Honorable mention All-WBAL selection in 2014 … Team captain for Woodside Soccer Club from 2012-16 … Selected Team MVP in 2015,' it reads in part.
There are no stats avilable however as she has yet to play a game at UCLA.
Her parents again used Singer to doctor their other daughter's tests, but there is no evidence that she knew in the complaint. 


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Lauren Isackson was only on the team for her freshman year however, and is not listed on this year's rooster
Gregory & Marcia Abbott
There is no suggestion that the couple's daughter knew about the plot, but her test scores were markedly improved when she retook her standardized tests.
The teenager also flew from Tampa to Los Angeles to take her ACT and then later from Aspen to Los Angeles to take her SAT subject tests.
On her ACT, the young girl scored a 23 on her own but got a 35 when her test answers were changed by the proctor.
She scored in the mid-600s on both her subject tests without help, but thanks to the proctor's tweaks received a perfect 800 in her math test and a 710 on the literature subject test.  


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Buckingham malice: Jack Buckingham (right) apologized for his mother's actions (Jane abov) despite being in the dark
Jane Buckingham
The son of the marketing CEO, Jack Buckingham, might be the lone person to emerge from this scandal with some goodwill.
In the immediate aftermath of his mother's indictment, the teenager wrote a piece for The Hollywood Reporter stating that he was unaware that his mother paid $50,000 to have someone take his test. 
He then apologized to his peers. 
'I know there are millions of kids out there both wealthy and less fortunate who grind their a** off just to have a shot at the college of their dreams,' wrote Jack.
'I am upset that I was unknowingly involved in a large scheme that helps give kids who may not work as hard as others an advantage over those who truly deserve those spots.' 
Jack did not however address the handwriting sample that was sent to the individual who took his ACT, and why he was told he needed to provide one by his mother. 


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Growing concerns: Of all the parents, Gordon Caplan (above) was also the most concerned about being caught
Gordon Caplan 
In his calls with Singer, the lawyer that he does not want his daughter to know she will have her answers on the ACT edited in order to guarantee a higher score.
Caplan's wife did know, but immediately expressed her displeasure with the idea. Her husband responded by quickly rushing her off the phone when she heard of the plot and said she had a 'problem with that.' 
Of all the parents, Caplan was also the most concerned about being caught, so it seems unlikely he would tell any individual who did not need to know - including his own daughter. 
That being said, in order to be permitted extended time on the test, the teenager had to be diagnosed with a learning disability by a psychologist.
She and her father ultimately flew to Los Angeles just to meet with that psychologist, and it took three attemopts before the ACT approved the girl; for extended time.
That third request it is noted was approved 'at the request of law enforcement.'
Caplan and his daughter then flew from Connecticut to California again so that the girl could take the test in the West Hollywood center that was oft used by Singer. 
I-Hsin 'Joey' Chen
Chen's son took the ACT test at the same center and on the same day as the Abbott's daughter.
That boy seemed to have absolutely no idea, and his father's conversations with Singer were brief and to the point.


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Football star: The son of William McGlashan (above) was likely one of the first to discover the plot however, with Singer telling the investor after he was approached by law enforcement.
William McGlashan
The millionaire investor and friend of Bono went to great lengths to make sure his son never knew that his father was having his ACT answers edited so that he would get an higher score and pretending that the boy was a football player.
'Now does he, here’s the only question, does he know? Is there a way to do it in a way that he doesn’t know that happened?' McGlashan asks Singer in one call, early in in the process. 
He then worked with Singer to photoshop an image of his son to make the boy appear to be a punter on a football team.
A phone call from another parent to Singer, who heard about the service through McGlashan, also confirms that all of this was done without the boy's knowledge.
McGlashan's son was however one of the first to discover the plot however, with Singer telling the investor after he was approached by law enforcement.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6835155/Trump-order-universities-federal-dollars-stop-squelching-conservatives-free-speech.html

[size=34]Trump tells universities to stop 'intimidation, pressure and abuse' of conservatives on campus or have their federal funding cut[/size]

• President will unveil executive order on Thursday that ties universities' protection of free speech rights to their eligibility for federal research dollars 
  
  
• Conservatives have complained their First Amendment rights are routinely squelched by liberal-dominated faculties and deans
  
  
• Right-wing speakers are sometimes prevented from taking the stage or pre-emptively canceled in response to protests or riots
  
  
• Trump administration's approach is largely a shot across the bow and contains little in the way of consequences
  
  
• Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in September that using 'government muscle' was the wrong approach and change had to come from within 
  
  

By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR  and FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 11:26 EDT, 21 March 2019 | UPDATED: 16:11 EDT, 21 March 2019

     




President Donald Trump will sign an executive order calculated to force universities to choose between restrictive on-campus speech codes and an annual gush of federal dollars.
'If a college or university doesn't allow you to speak, we will not give them money, it's very simple,' he announced in an East Room event.
Trump said his administration is also looking to restructure student loans, saying it will look 'very seriously' at skyrocketing debt that surpassed $1.5 trillion collectively last year.
'With today's action and every action to come, the Trump administration will fight for American students,' he said.

It's exactly the approach his education secretary, Betsy DeVos, warned against in September. 
White House officials said Thursday morning that the president will withhold federal research grants from colleges that don't certify that they have formal policies supporting the First Amendment rights of students. 
Conservative activists claiming a double standard exists for groups pushing a non-traditional message on liberal college campuses said federal action to protect free speech is overdue. 
They acknowledged they had not seen the full text of the order the White House is expected to release this afternoon. 
Nonetheless, Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk told DailyMail.com, 'The idea that a president is definitively standing up and saying that there's a crisis of free speech on our campuses is a massive win and of itself.' 


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Preisdent Donald Trump plans to go to war with liberal college administrators by threatening to withhold federal research dollars if they don't certify that they protect free-speech rights of students and others on their campuses


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Organized campus protests like this one at the University of Utah against conservative writer Ben Shapiro in 2017 have led to the cancellation of speeches and few university administrators have stepped in to guarantee the free flow of ideas


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The clash of liberal university protesters intent on speaking their mind and conservative targets who are prevented from following suit has long been a pet peeve on the right

Conservatives say free speech is being stifled

Hayden Williams, a field representative paid by the Leadership Institute, became the poster child for free speech activism on college campuses when a student punched him in the face at U.C. Berkeley.
He had been invited to the campus by Turning Point USA, a national group that promotes conservative principles on college campuses.
President Trump brought him on stage for recognition at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March.
Turning Point and LI, the parent organization of Campus Reform, have said for many years that conservative speech is being stifled at public colleges and universities.
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point, says he and his colleague Candace Owens were barred from speaking at DePaul and Cornell.  
Conservatives have a long history of strife at Berkeley, where members of the College Republicans have reportedly had their property vandalized and a visit by former Breitbart News writer Milo Yiannopoulos provoked violence.
Police called off his February 2017 speech at the last minute amid rioting on campus that resulted in $100,000 worth of damage.
A former professor was also arrested in the town of Berkeley on charges of assault after alleged attacks on Trump supporters with a metal bike lock.



Kirk's group sponsors organizations built on the conservative principles of free markets and limited government on college campuses across the United States.
A field representative paid by the Leadership Institute, another group known for conservative activism on campus that has been at the forefront of the free speech movement, was handing out literature for a Turning Point affiliate at U.C. Berkeley in February when a student cursed at the recruiter and punched him in the face.    
The incident prompted the president to announce at a conservative conference that he was working on an executive order to protect the right to free speech and assembly at public colleges and universities.
Representatives LI's Campus Reform project and Turning Point were invited to attend the White House event on Thursday.
Campus Reform media director Cabot Phillips told DailyMail.com in a call on the way to the White House that Trump's order is the 'first step of hopefully many steps in holding universities accountable and making sure they know if they're not performing the task of serving as a marketplace of ideas' and promoting debate, they could lose out on taxpayer dollars.
'If a federally funded college is not protecting the First Amendment of the Constitution, then I think it's reasonable that they should lose federal funding,' he said. 
Phillips and Kirk each contended that excitement about the president's order ought to be bipartisan.  
'I think the left should be supporting this, too. I support all viewpoints being heard on campus,' said Kirk in advance of the White House event. 'It's not just a conservative win ... this is a substantive policy win for all students of any view point.'


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A field representative paid by the Leadership Institute, another group known for conservative activism on campus that has been at the forefront of the free speech movement, was handing out literature for a Turning Point affiliate at U.C. Berkeley in February when a student was caught on camera cursing at the recruiter and punching him in the face
Kirk and colleague Candace Owens, the driving force behind the 'Blexit' movement that calls on African-Americans to leave the Democratic Party, were barred from speaking at DePaul and Cornell, he said, because their values did not align with the private universities' free speech codes.  
'I know first hand how important this measure is to hold these colleges accountable, so they can not arbitrarily disbar or not allow speakers to come to campus based on view point,' the activist and author said.
Once Trump's executive order goes into effect, even the private schools will have to come to heel or they could have their grant money limited. 
Trump's order will not jeopardize universities' access to federal grant and loan dollars that help students pay tuition.
But it closes the loop on Trump's longstanding complaint that colleges can limit constitutional freedoms with impunity inside the borders of their campuses. 
The White House said in a Thursday afternoon statement: 'The order instructs Federal agencies to ensure public and private institutions of higher education are upholding the First Amendment or their stated policies on free speech. Free inquiry and free speech are essential features of our Nation’s democracy.
'This order is part of the Trump Administration’s administrative and legislative efforts to support a focus on student outcomes and improve transparency, accountability, and affordability in postsecondary education.'


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The president son, Don Jr., promoted his father's order in a tweet crediting Turning Point for its work on college campuses
A White House official said Thursday morning that the president takes issue with 'limited approaches to diversity on campuses' that focus on race and gender at the expense of 'ideological diversity and differences of opinion.'
The official said the final executive order will not include obvious policy triggers or easily measurable minimum standards, making it more of a shot across the bow than a tactical torpedo. 
Under the terms of the new executive order, a senior White House official said during a conference call with reporters, public universities that want to qualify for federal research dollars will be required to certify that they are not restricting First Amendment freedoms.
Private institutions of higher learning will only have to guarantee that they are complying with their own 'intended' institutional policies about freedom of speech, the official said. 
'Schools are already supposed to be following these rules,' the official added, saying federal regulators routinely require grant recipients to certify compliance with a long list of prerequisites, and 'they will just add free speech as one of those conditions.'
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education said in a statement Thursday that 'campus censorship is a real and continuing problem,' but cautioned that Trump's order appears not to specify 'how or by what standard federal agencies will ensure compliance, the order’s most consequential component.' 
'To the extent that today’s executive order asks colleges and universities to meet their existing legal obligations, it should be uncontroversial,' the group said.
However watered-down the White House's approach, it runs counter to what DeVos said at a September 17, 2018 Constitution Day event when she railed against campus administrators who allow student protesters to shout down some invited speakers and pre-emptively cancel events before others arrive.
'The way to remedy this threat to intellectual freedom on campuses is not accomplished with government muscle,' DeVos said in Philadelphia. 


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Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in September during a student town hall at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia that using 'government muscle' to counter restrictions on campus speech was the wrong approach


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President Trump shared the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference this month with Hayden Williams, a field representative of the conservative Leadership Institute who was physically assaulted for distributing literature at UC Berkeley



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A pro-Trump protester held a sign reading 'STOP LIBERAL INTOLERANCE' at U.C. Berkeley on September 24, 2017 as hundreds of people protested and some rioted to prevent a speech by right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, who was on campus for a 'free speech rally'
'A solution won't come from defunding an institution of learning or merely getting the words of a campus policy exactly right. Solutions won't come from new laws from Washington, D.C., or from a speech police at the U.S. Department of Education.'
Instead, she said, higher education should take its cue from University of Chicago Dean of Students John Ellison, who warned students in 2016 that he would buck what has become a national trend. 
'Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called "trigger warnings," we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual "safe spaces" where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own,' Ellison wrote to the incoming class of 2020.  
DeVos also said in 2017 that state legislators should take the lead on protecting First Amendment rights since they have more immediately financial relationships with most schools. 
'You have the power of the purse,' she told state lawmakers at a American Legislative Exchange Council conference, 'and I wouldn't hope to suggest how you might approach that, but I think that really bringing some of the most egregious examples to the forefront.'  


Trump, who revels in poking sharpened rhetorical sticks at 'political correctness,' raised the issue loudly during a two-hour-long speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on March 2. 
He highlighted the aggravated assault case against a man who was caught on video punching a conservative recruiter in the face on February 19 because he disagred with his politics.
The instantly viral assault footage, shot at the University of California, Berkeley, crystallized Republicans' longstanding complaints about broadly liberal university faculties and deans who protect one-sided political environments in classrooms. 
Hayden Williams, the victim, spoke briefly from Trump's podium with his black eye still visible 11 days later. 
'If these socialist progressives had their way, they would put our Constitution through the paper shredder in a heartbeat,' Williams declared. 
Berkeley and other potentially targeted schools have said they already have policies protecting free speech, but Trump announced at the CPAC event that universities would soon have a new litmus test to pass.




'If they want our dollars, and we give it to them by the billions, they've got to allow people like Hayden and many other great young people, and old people, to speak,' he said.
'And if they don't, it will be very costly.' 
Berkeley was in the news less than two weeks after he took office when a violent riot caused the cancellation of a planned speech by far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.
'If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?' the president tweeted then.
Tacked on to Thursday's executive order is a provision requiring colleges and universities to give the federal government a set of performance metrics for graduates of specific programs.
Those include grads' average earnings, their average student loan debt, their rates of loan default and information about how quickly their debts are repaid.
The Department of Education plans to publish the information as part of its annual College Scorecard.
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As much as I support free speech on college campuses Trump’s words ring absolutely hollow. This idiot derides the media constantly, claiming that it is disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write. He goes out of his way to trash free speech.
What a joke!

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Betsy DeVos actually got this one right. Keep government out of it.

Drumpf, on the other hand, remains a jerk. Hate speech isn't free speech. It's yelling fire in a crowded theater while the doors are locked. The kinds of things he wants to protect create safety issues. Will the government be there to deal with the aftermath if there is rioting or if someone gets hurt? Doubtful.

Just another smokescreen issue to play to his base and take attention away from all the disgusting things he's doing.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6839219/Mike-Pompeo-says-possible-Trump-mission-God-save-Israel-Iran.html

[size=34]'I am confident the Lord is at work here': Mike Pompeo says 'it's possible' Trump is on a mission from God to save Israel from Iran[/size]

• The Secretary of State made the comments during a Christian Broadcast Network interview from Jerusalem
  
  
• Pompeo is an evangelical Presbyterian who says he got on the path to 'understanding of Jesus' as a cadet at West Point
  
  
• He sat for the interview on Purim, the day Jews celebrate of Queen Esther saving them from being wiped out through a clever plan 
  
  
• Pompeo was asked if it is possible Trump was 'raised' to 'help save the Jewish people from the Iranian menace?'
  
  
• Pompeo responded: 'I certainly believe that's possible'  
  
  

By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 10:39 EDT, 22 March 2019 | UPDATED: 11:09 EDT, 22 March 2019

     





Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview that it is 'possible' that President Donald Trump has been 'raised' by God to save the Jewish people from Iran.
Pompeo made the comments to the Christian Broadcast Network in an interview from Jerusalem during his visit, which precedes Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Washington next week.
'I am confident that the Lord is at work here,' Pompeo told his the network.
During a lengthy discussion at the David Citadel Hotel overlooking Jerusalem's Old City, Pompeo was asked about the Jewish holiday of Purim, which falls on the day his comments were taped.


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'I am confident that the Lord is at work here,' Pompeo said after being asked about any parallels between Trump's role combating Iran – the 'new Haman' – and Queen Esther's biblical role saving the Jews
The biblical story tells of how Queen Esther through cunning saved the Jewish people from being wiped out. 

Interviewer Chris Mitchell asked Pompeo, the nation's top diplomat, asked whether Trump was here to 'save the Jewish people,' and made brought up the story as a parallel.  
'And you also mentioned a Bible story last night when you had your statements with the prime minister,' Mitchell said.
'Jews worldwide and here in Jerusalem are talking about the fact that Esther 2,500 years ago saved the Jewish people with God's help from Haman. And now 2,500 years later there's a new Haman here in the Middle East that wants to eradicate the Jewish people like just like Haman did: the state of Iran,' he said. 




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Queen Esther. Queen Esther Reveals Haman's Plot To Destroy The Jews To King Ahasuerus (Esther 7: 4,6). Wood Engraving After Gustave Doré


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Coronation of Esther, 5th century BC, as Jewish Queen of Persia, by King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) (Vincenzo Morani) Art (Paintings) - various Artist: MORANI, Vincenzo (1813-70, Italian)


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Pompeo made his comments in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network from Jerusalem
'Could it be that President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such a time as this, just like Queen Esther, to help save the Jewish people from the Iranian menace?'
Pompeo responded: 'As a Christian I certainly believe that's possible.' He then spoke of his trip touring the archeological sites dating back 3,000 years. 
'To see the remarkable history of the faith in this place and the work that our administration's done to make sure that this democracy in the Middle East, that this Jewish state remains. I am confident that the Lord is at work here,' Pompeo said, in a video clip put out by CBN.   
'It was special for me as a Christian. It was special I think to show the commitment the United States has to this democracy, this Jewish nation of Israel,' Pompeo. 


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U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, center, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and the Rabbi of the Western Wall Shmuel Rabinovitch, left, visits the Western Wall tunnels synagogue in Jerusalem's Old City on Thursday, March 21, 2019


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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, Thursday, March 21, 2019


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President Donald Trump signaled on Thursday that the U.S. will soon officially recognize the contested Golan Heights region as a part of Israel


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TRAVELING COMPANION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) with his wife Susan upon their arrival at Beirut International airport in Beirut, Lebanon, 22 March 2019. Pompeo arrived in Beirut on the last leg of his five-day Mideast tour that also took him to Kuwait and Israel


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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Lebanon's President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, Friday, March 22, 2019


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SMILE!: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 22, 2019. (Jim Young/Pool Image via AP)
He spoke on a day President Trump said the U.S. should recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel, a move that if carried out would be a plum for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who must stand for reelection in weeks. The rest of the world recognizes the territory, seized from Syria in 1967 Six Day war, as occupied territory that should be a subject of talks.
In a Fox Business Network interview, Trump was asked if he took the action to help the embattled Netanyahu politically. ''No. I wouldn't even know about that,' the president said. 'I wouldn't even know about that I have no idea. I hear he is doing okay,' Trump said.


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President Trump on Friday once again attacked the opposition Democratic Party as 'anti-Jewish,' a day after denying that his statement on the Golan Heights was meant to bolster Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu
Trump also pleased evangelical voters in the U.S. as well as the Netanyahu government last year by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, breaking with longstanding U.S. policy.
 Pompeo also spoke about his own religious path in the interview. 
'So I grew up going to church on Sundays, but frankly it wasn't a priority in my life growing up. I went off to West Point, and as a young cadet, during my freshman year there were two young men who were juniors who were true men of faith. And they held these little Bible study/cookie klatches on Sunday afternoons,' Pompeo said.
'And they invited all the cadets to see – it was purely voluntary. And I started showing up, and – truly remarkable. I started going to church every weekend on my own, because I wanted to be there to learn and to grow, and at some point during that first year I really did come to have an understanding of Jesus that was different than the one that I had before,' he said. 'It fundamentally changed my life.'
 Pompeo noted that he 'swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States' when he assumed his post.
'But in each of those missions, the task that I have is informed by my understanding of my faith, my belief in Jesus Christ as the savior. It doesn't drive answers and outcomes every day,' he said. 'But it does inform how I try to treat every human being with dignity and respect in ways that Christians ought to.'
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Please,  He wants their votes and money. He doesn't care about anything unless it benefits him.

This story made me physically ill. If Drumpf is Esther today, who will he be tomorrow? Jesus? God? The fact that these "people" exist makes me wonder if there even is a God. If there is, we're definitely on his shitlist.

(PS - Semi-related: Has anyone seen the tv show "Miracle Workers"?)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6839859/Parkland-school-shooting-survivor-takes-life.html

[size=34]Cruz's 18th victim: Parkland high school shooting survivor, 19, who struggled with 'survivor's guilt' and losing her best friend, takes her own life[/size]

• Sydney Aiello, 19,  was a recent graduate from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida
  
  
• Aiello's mother said her daughter took her own life at the weekend 
  
  
• She was close friends with Meadow Pollack, one of the victims of the Parkland shooting  
  
  
• Her mother said  her daughter had struggled with 'survivor's guilt and was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder'  
  
  
• Suspected gunman Nikolas Cruz appeared in court Friday charged with killing 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018
  
  

By CHANTALLE EDMUNDS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 12:53 EDT, 22 March 2019 | UPDATED: 14:04 EDT, 22 March 2019

     




A student who survived the Parkland shooting has taken her own life.
Sydney Aiello, 19, a recent graduate from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, committed suicide over the weekend, according to her mother Cara Aiello.
Cara Aiello told CBS Miami that her daughter had struggled with 'survivor's guilt and was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.'


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Sydney Aiello, pictured above, was a recent MSD graduate who was close friends with Meadow Pollack, one of the victims of the Parkland shooting 
Sydney was close friends with Meadow Pollack, one of the 17 students and staff killed in the mass shooting on February 14, 2018.

Cara Aiello said her daughter was on campus when Nikolas Cruz opened fire but thankfully,  was not in the Freshman Building.
She added that Sydney struggled to attend college classes because she was afraid of being in a classroom and was often sad but hadn't asked for help before she killed herself. 
She took her own life on March 17. 
Her funeral took place Friday.


Nikolas Cruz, suspected of killing 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, appeared in court, Friday.   
Cruz's trial is scheduled for early next year, no specific date has been set, as yet.
Cruz's attorneys have said he will plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence.
The prosecution is seeking the death penalty.
A GoFundMe page has been created 'In Loving Memory of Sydney Aiello.' 


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Sydney (right) was close friends with Meadow Pollack (pictured left), one of the victims of the Parkland shooting


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Aiello took her own life at the weekend, according to her mother, who said her daughter had struggled with 'survivor's guilt' following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School 


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Suspect Nikolas Cruz appeared in court Friday suspected of killing 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School


'Sydney spent 19 years writing her story as a beloved daughter, sister and friend to many,' it reads. 
Sydney is survived by her parents Cara and Joe, and her brother Nick. 
Sydney Aiello loved yoga. According to her mother, she wanted to dedicate her life towards helping others. 
Meadow Pollack's father, Andrew Pollack, told the Miami Herald that his heart goes out to Sydney Aiello's parents.  
'It's terrible what happened. Meadow and Sydney were friends for a long, long time,' Pollack said. 'Killing yourself is not the answer,' he added.
If you or someone you know is struggling you can call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255. 


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Cara Aiello said Sydney (pictured above) was on campus the day of the shooting but not in the Freshman Building

Both stories posted today are sickening for completely different reasons. Sickening and sad that this young girl had suffered emotionally so much from the MSD school shooting that she couldn’t go on with her life any longer. It’s heartbreaking. Sickening that this shooting a year ago has taken another life. Who knows how many more survivors from this horrific act continue to struggle. Some maybe for the rest of their lives.

The idea that Trump was put here on earth to do God’s work (a savior for Jewish people?!) is utterly preposterous. Pompeo and Christian Evangelicals who believe as much are delusional. They have drank the Koolaid.

Robert Mueller has completed his investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election. He has submitted his report to the Justice Department.