Month: November 2017

Simulated biological weapons attack to occur in Oklahoma: Dept. of Homeland Security

Environmental Assessment for Proposed Outdoor Testing at Chilocco

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate announced a collaborative scientific study with OSU-University Multispectral Laboratories, L.L.C. (UML) that will include low level outdoor release of inert chemical and biological simulant materials at the Chilocco (former) Indian School Campus outside of Newkirk, OK, during winter 2018 and again in summer 2018.

Aerial photograph of Chilocco Campus courtesy DHS

The purpose of this study is to gather data that enhances our predictive capabilities in the event of a biological agent attack.

Specifically, this work will help in predicting the extent to which an intentional release of a biological agent may penetrate single family and multi-family structures.

These tests will release inert chemicals and biological materials that will be used to measure the amount of material that penetrates the buildings under varied conditions.

Satellite images of the Chilocco Campus courtesy DHS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on the proposed studies to be performed under the Hazards of Dynamic  Outdoor Releases Project

Why are they doing these tests?

A strategic goal of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to prevent, detect, protect, and recover from biological attacks. Characterizing the impact of biological weapons on infrastructure is a key element to achieving this goal. Current models are based on penetration of natural particulate matter (largely road dust, pollen, and exhaust), which is not representative of scenarios in which a terrorist might release a biological agent. To address this gap, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will conduct an outdoor release of inert chemicals and biological materials in order to estimate the fraction of spores that penetrates into buildings representative of both a typical single and multi-family residence to support consequence and risk assessment modeling.

This testing seeks to enhance resiliency and preparedness of the nation by increasing our ability to predict the extent to which an intentional release of a biological agent may penetrate single family and multi-family structures. The results from this testing effort will further inform and advance preparedness for bioterrorism events in critical infrastructure for future response and recovery planning decisions and actions by local, state, and federal emergency managers.

Google image of Chilocco Indian School and surrounding land courtesy DHS

What is being released?

Testing will be conducted through the release of (2) different non-hazardous, nontoxic, and non-reactive powders and a harmless biological particulate. These materials are meant to simulate the behavior of harmful biological materials as they move from the outdoors into buildings.

These are:

  • Inert Particle 1 is titanium dioxide (TiO2), a white odorless, non-hazardous, non-flammable, and non-reactive powder that does not dissolve in water. Titanium dioxide is commonly used in paints, food, cosmetics, and insecticides. As an example, sunscreens containing titanium dioxide are recommended by medical experts to effectively block certain harmful UV rays. (https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/whats-best-sunscreen#1)

Titanium dioxide is not regulated or defined as a toxic or hazardous material.

  • Inert Particle 2 is a 90:10% mixture of urea powder with CL Fluorescent Brightener 220. Urea is the main chemical found in human and mammalian urine and is used worldwide as a fertilizer. CL Fluorescent Brightener 220 is a non-hazardous optical brighter found in toothpastes and laundry detergents to make whites appear brighter.
  • The Biological Particulate will be a preparation of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp kurstaki (Btk) spores that have been “barcoded.” Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki is a microbe found on plants and in soils everywhere, is nonhazardous to humans, and used widely by farmers nationally to kill specific crop destroying insects, particularly those employing organic gardening practices. These spores can be purchased for home-use at stores selling gardening supplies, and are considered safer than traditional chemical pesticides. The “barcode” in these materials will allow DHS and our performer to conclusively identify the material we use from any that might occur naturally or be used by a farmer on nearby fields. This material simulates the kind of material that might be used in a bioterrorist attack on U.S. citizens.
Chilocco Indian School, Hayworth Hall, Courtesy Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office

Are these materials safe?

Yes.

The particles are colorless, odorless and non-toxic materials. They have been used in numerous other studies both indoors and outdoors to assess airflow and contaminant spread. The direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects caused by the potential exposure of terrestrial wildlife, vegetation, water resources, and air quality by movement of the material by any of the particulates will not have an adverse effect. This is due to both selection of the test materials and limited quantity that will be used.

Native Btk, sold under the commercial name of Dipel, is used extensively as a bioinsecticide and is not considered a hazard by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The barcoded variant provides much more specific detection and identification from background than the native organism, as it contains a barcode that does not affect any physiological function or phenotypic expression of the organism. It will be dispersed in a similar manner to that of native Btk when used as an insecticide. However, release will be at much lower concentrations than typical insecticidal application rates. The use of the barcoded Btk has been approved for use in this program by the State of Oklahoma’s Department of Agriculture, Food, & Forestry.

If these materials being used in testing are safe, why are the workers wearing goggles, gloves, masks, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) during testing?

These standard precautions are recommended by OSHA for all individuals who are working in conditions that may result in exposure to particulates, as such exposure could cause irritation of the eyes or skin. Examples include painters, individuals who  may be sanding drywall or painted surfaces, or farmers or other professionals applying fertilizers and pesticides.

Despite the extremely low hazards posed by the materials we propose to test, the individuals who will conduct the actual release will be required to work with the materials in their most concentrated form. They are therefore at the highest risk of an accident such as splashing into the eyes, or being irritated by exposure to the particulate sprays. These are also standard safety recommendations found on the labels of similar commercial products.

Why are these tests being performed at Chilocco?

The Chilocco campus and surrounding land is under the ownership of the Council of Confederated Chilocco Tribes (CCCT) which include the Kaw Nation, the OtoeMissouria Tribe, the Pawnee Nation, the Ponca Nation, and the Tonkawa Tribe.

DHS S&T and OSU-University Multispectral Laboratories L.L.C. (UML) have been in communication with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and CCCT and have determined that the implementation of the preferred alternatives has no adverse impact on resources, human health or the environment.

The buildings on the Chilocco campus used in this program include characteristics that are representative of residential and apartment buildings within the United States. Additional characteristics desired for test buildings include:

  • Minimal proximity to the public
  • Unoccupied from daily use
  • Have release positions in the predominant wind direction
  • No obstructions within 20 meters of the building
  • Centrally located to campus to ensure plume dissipation below permissible exposure limits prior to migration off campus.

Access to the site will be restricted to UML, Government staff, and contractors supporting this study.

Why did you choose to do these in a populated area of Newkirk, OK?

DHS chose the performer, OSU-University Multispectral Laboratories, over other performers and other locations on the strength of their proposal to conduct testing desired by DHS. DHS has conducted similar activities in major metropolitan areas for the same purpose of understanding how we can best protect U.S. citizens and ensure the resiliency of our communities to respond to acts of WMD terrorism.

Who is paying for these tests?

These tests are sponsored by DHS S&T, in collaboration with the EPA.

When and where will these releases occur?

The release activities would take place at the abandoned Chilocco campus in rural Oklahoma during February 2018 and then again during June/July, 2018. This site is closed to the general public under an exclusive use agreement between the site’s tribal owners, the CCCT, and UML.

Particulate release at the site is designed to mimic that of an actual biological release and will be bound by strict conditions. These release conditions were developed to ensure that the aerosol cloud generated, with both inert and biological simulants, would provide a measurable signature that would then rapidly decrease below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limits (PEL) values before reaching the property boundary, thereby these releases would pose no risk to public and minimal risk to the surrounding environment.

Was this study evaluated under the National Environmental Policy Act?

It will be. The Environmental Assessment that has been published by DHS, and available for review at https://www.dhs.gov/national-environmental-policy-act, is part of the process to comply with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. Assuming that after public comment, a finding of no significant impact is found, the proposed tests will have complied with the requirements of the law.

FULL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/DHS%20HODOR%20Enviromental%20Assessment%2010%2025%202017-508.pdf

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., the Department has completed a Draft EA to identify any potential environmental impacts associated with the use of these test materials.  DHS invites comments on the Draft EA during the 30-day comment period beginning on November 8, 2017.  You may submit comments using only one of the following methods:

  1. By email to biotest@hq.dhs.gov
  2. By mail to DHS:

S&T CBD Mail Stop 0201
245 Murray Ln SW
Washington, DC 20528-0201

When submitting comments, please include your name and address, and identify the comments as regarding the Outdoor Testing at Chilocco.  To ensure consideration, comments must be received by December 8, 2017.  Once the final environmental and decision documents are complete, they will also be posted on this site.

Are you a Core Conservative? A Solid Liberal? Or somewhere in between? Take this Short Quiz


 

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Courtesy Pew Research Center, http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-typology/

Peanut butter and jelly is now racist? Fake news!

Although this story was thoroughly debunked over FIVE years ago, it seems to again be making the rounds on social media. The fake news began circulating based upon an innocent in-service workshop for teachers which actually occurred in 2012, and was, of course, completely taken out of context.

From there, it was spun into a ridiculous story that not only had a Portland, Oregon principal declared PBJ a symbol of racism, but was actually banning the sandwiches from her school. In fact, the principal never even used the word “racism.”

SNOPES:

Fact Check/Claim:   Portland schools are banning peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for being racist.  FALSE

POLITIFACT OREGON

Portland Public Schools did not spend half a million dollars to label the sandwich “racist.” The principal never called the sandwich racist. The Portland Tribune never said the principal called the sandwich racist. And yes, we don’t usually weigh in on lunch, but who could resist? The statement is inaccurate and silly.

We rate the statement Pants on Fire.

Apparently, the story really took off when Breitbart’s website picked it up, adding to the mix that PBJ was now going to be a “hate food.” (True, diversity, equity and implicit bias were discussed in the training, but the fact remains—peanut butter and jelly sandwiches simply were never  declared racist.)

Memes and misleading stories were shared hundreds of thousands of times. Here are just a smattering to avoid:

 

 

 

 

North Korea’s Submarine Ballistic Missile Program Moves Ahead: Indications of Shipbuilding & Missile Ejection Testing

38 North is a project of The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

38 North is a website devoted to informed analysis of North Korea.

While it strives to break new ground, the site’s main objective is to bring the best possible analysis to both seasoned North Korea watchers and general audiences alike. Too often analysis of the North is permeated by inexperience, littered with inaccurate information or grounded in poorly deduced reasoning. We believe no one really knows for sure what is going on in North Korea, but we can at least try to understand the possibilities. Similarly, anyone who professes certainty should be viewed with the greatest skepticism.

To accomplish these objectives, 38 North harnesses the experience of long-time observers of North Korea and others who have dealt directly with North Koreans. It draws on other experts outside the field who might bring fresh, well-informed insights to those of us who follow North Korea.

38 North covers not only North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, but digs beneath the surface of political, economic, social and other developments. North Korea is not a hermit kingdom, but rather a country that has been in the throes of change, good and bad, for over a decade. Those changes have important implications for the Korean peninsula, the East Asian region and the international community.

38 North strives as much as possible for ideological balance, publishing opposing opinions, and utilizes various technologies to analyze military, economic, social and other developments north of the DMZ. While it is an American-based project, it draws on experts from around the world to provide international perspectives as well.

To read this newly published analysis of North Korea’s Submarine Ballistic Missile Program and to view current satellite imagery of the Sinpo South Shipyard:

 

http://www.38north.org/2017/11/sinpo111617/

MAGA March for Justice CANCELLED: Date was January 27, 2018 in Washington DC

ORGANIZATION RECENTLY ANNOUNCED EVENT IS CANCELLED.

11.29.17 Date has been confirmed. Speakers (TBA) 10 am to 2 pm, March to follow. More info coming.

————–

Recently announced and organized via the newly established Twitter account MAGAMarchForJustice, the group defines itself as a grassroots surge of support in direct response to hostile actions taken by DOJ, IC, & US Government to oust our freely elected @POTUS! The goal is to attract as many as one million marchers in support of President Donald Trump.

 

MAGAMarchForJustice has a “tentative”date- Jan 27, 2018.
We’re awaiting final approval from D.C. permit office.
SC4:#U1P#PAY4PLAY#FakeDossierForFISA#FarceInvestigationIntoHRCemail
Clinton🤑McCabe 600K to FIX!

🚨WeMarchForEqualJustice
OneLaw4Both:
ThePeople&ThoseWhoGovern

Update: Missing Submarine: Impulsive Event Detected

Update–more help sent

US Navy Deploys Unmanned Submersibles in Argentine Submarine Search

Release Date: 11/19/2017 8:40:00 PM

140414-N-OV358-036
INDIAN OCEAN (April 14, 2014) Operators aboard the Australian navy vessel ADF Ocean Shield move U.S. Navy’s Bluefin-21 into position for deployment. Using side scan sonar, Bluefin will descend to a depth of between 4,000 and 4,500 meters, approximately 35 meters above the ocean floor to spend up to 16 hours at this depth collecting data. Joint Task Force 658 is supporting Operation Southern Indian Ocean, searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Blair/Released)

From U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Public Affairs

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) — The U.S. Navy has deployed unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) to join in the search for the Argentine navy’s submarine, A.R.A. San Juan, in South Atlantic waters.

The equipment consists of one Bluefin 12D (Deep) UUV and three Iver 580 UUVs, which are operated by the U.S. Navy’s recently-established Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron 1, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The UUVs are uniquely capable to help in the search. Both types are capable of deploying quickly and searching wide areas of the ocean using Side Scan Sonar, a system that is used to efficiently create an image of large areas of the sea floor. The Bluefin 12D is capable of conducting search operations at 3 knots (3.5 mph) at a maximum depth of almost 5,000 feet for 30 hours, while the Iver 580s can operate at a depth of 325 feet, traveling at 2.5 knots (2.8 mph) for up to 14 hours.

The U.S. government is providing rapid response capabilities, including aircraft, equipment and personnel to assist the government of Argentina in its search for the missing submarine.

In addition to the UUVs, the U.S. has deployed aircraft to assist in the search, as well as underwater equipment specifically designed for submarine search and rescue.

One Navy P-8A aircraft is already in Argentina, where it joined a NASA P-3 research aircraft currently supporting the ongoing search efforts over the submarine’s last known location.

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) directed the deployment of this equipment and personnel to Argentina to support the country’s request for international assistance aimed at locating the missing submarine and crew.

SOUTHCOM is one of the nation’s six geographically-focused unified commands with responsibility for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

U.S. Navy to Deploy Undersea Rescue Capabilities to Argentina

Story Number: NNS171118-03Release Date: 11/18/2017 4:25:00 PM

150719-N-ZZ999-002
PACIFIC OCEAN (July 19, 2015) Sailors assigned to Undersea Rescue Command (URC) and contractors from Phoenix Holding International launch the Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM-1) Falcon, part of the submarine rescue diving and recompression system, into the water for the PRM’s first dive of the operational readiness evaluation (ORE). URC successfully completed the ORE, certifying the Navy’s deep sea submarine rescue capability. (U.S. Navy photo by Daniel Moreno/Released)

From U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Public Affairs

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) — The U.S. Navy has ordered its Undersea Rescue Command (URC) based in San Diego, Calif., to deploy to Argentina, Nov. 18 to support the South American nation’s ongoing search for the Argentinean Navy submarine A.R.A. San Juan in the Southern Atlantic.

URC is deploying two independent rescue assets based on a number of factors, including the varying depth of ocean waters near South America’s southeastern coast and the differing safe operating depths of the two rescue systems.

Three U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and one U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircraft will transport the first rescue system, the Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) and underwater intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) from Miramar to Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. The four aircraft are scheduled to depart Miramar Nov. 18 and arrive in Argentina Nov. 19.

The second rescue system, the Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM) and supporting equipment will be transported via additional flights and is scheduled to arrive in Argentina early next week.

RELEASE: U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon to Support Argentina Search for Submarine

Release No: 17-013 Nov. 17, 2017

The aircraft and its 21-person crew will depart El Salvador’s Comalapa Air Base, where it was supporting counter-illicit trafficking maritime patrol operations. Once in Bahia Blanca, they will join the ongoing international search for the Argentinean Navy vessel and its crew, as requested by the government of Argentina.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – Patrol Squadron Sixteen’s (VP-16) new P-8A Poseidon aircraft now displays the VP-16 “War Eagle” logo and squadron designator. The squadron is the first operational squadron to complete the safe for flight inspection on the new aircraft. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Guiliana Dunn/Released

 

The P-8A Poseidon is the Navy’s newest maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and is configured with state-of-the-art sensors and communications equipment, allowing it to support a wide range of missions over large bodies of water, including sub-surface search-and-rescue operations. It can reach an airspeed of 564 mph, has a ceiling of 41,000 feet and a range of 1,200 nautical miles with four hours on station, allowing it to loiter over search areas.

Courtesy Boeing.

 

P-8A POSEIDON MULTI-MISSION MARITIME AIRCRAFT (MMA)
Description
The P-8A Poseidon is a modified Boeing 737-800ERX, bringing together a highly reliable airframe and high-bypass turbo fan jet engine with a fully connected, state-of-the-art open architecture mission system. This combination, coupled with next-generation sensors, will dramatically improve anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capabilities.

NASA is also assisting in the search by deploying a P-3 Orion, a maritime patrol plane operating under NASA’s Airborne Science Program.

Courtesy NASA.

Museum of the Bible Opened In Washington DC: Update on Dead Sea Scrolls

Museum of the Bible Releases Research Findings on 13 Unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments

Published: Aug 8, 2016

Scholars Initiative’s First Brill Volume

Highlights Scholar-Mentor Research Model

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2016—Today Brill, a leading international academic publisher, released the first in a series of volumes based on research sponsored by Museum of the Bible. Edited by Emanuel Tov (Hebrew University, Jerusalem), Kipp Davis (Trinity Western University) and Robert Duke (Azusa Pacific University), the volume contains findings on 13 previously unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls fragments, a number of Hebrew Bible fragments and one non-biblical fragment. It is the culmination of four years of research that involved some 50 scholars comprised of a core editorial team, 11 chapter authors and 35 co-authors.

Museum of the Bible sponsors research through its Scholars Initiative, which facilitates a global network of scholars to pursue research and provide students with an opportunity to develop as scholars under the guidance of scholar-mentors. Key to this research model is the involvement of leading international scholars who provide supervision and oversight.

Museum of the Bible enlisted the world’s leading expert on Dead Sea Scrolls to supervise the editing and publication of this Scholars Initiative research project. Tov is considered the world’s leading authority on textual criticism of Hebrew and Greek Bibles, as well as the Qumran Scrolls, and served as editor-in-chief of the international Dead Sea Scrolls publication project.

“The team of emerging scholars working on this Museum of the Bible Scholars Initiative research project, many of whom had never delved into the Dead Sea Scrolls, operated in an incredibly professional way,” said Tov. “With supervisory guidance, they produced strong results and, in my opinion, this mentoring system of the Scholars Initiative was a great success.”

“The editors and their team have produced a masterful edition of 13 Judean Desert fragments, most probably from Qumran and almost all from the Hebrew Scriptures,” said Dr. Lawrence Schiffman, a renowned Dead Sea Scrolls scholar who serves at New York University as the Judge Abraham Lieberman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, and Director of the Global Network for Advanced Research in Jewish Studies. “They have brought to bear the best of scientific and textual methods available to their task. While testifying to the various forms of the text of the Hebrew Bible known from Antiquity, these fragments point toward the dominance of the proto-Masoretic text by the end of the first century CE.

“Museum of the Bible has made an excellent start in their publication program, and further volumes are eagerly awaited.”

The 236-page Brill volume, which contains five tables and 41 photographs and is titled “Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments in the Museum Collection,” explains how this mentoring model is built around three levels of participants: students (undergraduate through doctorate), their professors, and senior scholars who consult on projects in their areas of expertise. The Scholars Initiative structure also includes regional directors, who assist senior scholars and professors on their local campuses, and distinguished scholars, who are established language specialists.

Also of note in this new Brill publication is the advanced use of digital imaging for the reconstruction of the texts that was provided by the West Semitic Research Project for the University of Southern California. The reconstructive process, which applied evolving imaging technologies with new methodologies, offered researchers an unparalleled means for testing various proposals for how a text was originally laid out with a degree of precision and accuracy heretofore not possible.

To date through the Scholars Initiative, professors from more than 60 international universities and seminaries have participated in some 90 research projects on biblical texts and artifacts, many of which have never been studied before. The Scholars Initiative involves leading experts in the fields of papyri; Aramaic, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Egyptian and Ethiopic texts; and Coptic, medieval, Middle-Eastern, early Jewish and early American artifacts, among others.

This is the first in a series of Brill volumes dedicated to research on items in the Museum of the Bible Collection. The next volume is dedicated to some of the collection’s early Greek texts and will be published soon, with Jeffrey Fish (Baylor University) serving as editor.

“Brill is proud to be working with the Museum of the Bible Scholars Initiative,” said Suzanne Mekking, senior acquisitions editor, Old Testament/Qumran at Brill. “This unique cooperation of students working together closely with experts in the field resulted in the first, long-awaited volume on the Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments in the Museum Collection. We are sure that this volume will make a great contribution to modern scholarship and is a perfect fit for Brill’s publishing program.”

==================================

About Museum of the Bible

Museum of the Bible is an innovative, global, educational institution whose purpose is to invite all people to engage with the history, narrative and impact of the Bible through museum exhibits and scholarly pursuits, including artifact research, education initiatives and an international museum opening in late 2017 in Washington. The 430,000-square-foot, $400 million Museum of the Bible will be located three blocks from the U.S. Capitol. As of 2016, it has sponsored traveling exhibits that have visited six U.S. cities and five other countries, including Cuba and Vatican City.

 

About Brill

Founded in 1683 in Leiden, the Netherlands, Brill is a leading international academic publisher in 20 main subject areas, including Middle East and Islamic Studies, Asian Studies, Classical Studies, History, Biblical and Religious Studies, Language & Linguistics, Biology, and International Law. With offices in Leiden and Boston and a representative office in Singapore, Brill today publishes 265 journals and around 1000 new books and reference works each year, available in both print and electronic form. Brill also markets a large number of primary source research collections and databases. The company’s key customers are academic and research institutions, libraries, and scholars. Brill is a publicly traded company and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam NV. For more information, visit http://www.brill.com.

Collections

The Museum Collections include artifacts and objects from a range of cultures and time periods, from the Ancient Near East to the modern period. The permanent collection focuses on biblical items, manuscripts, printed Bibles and books, and art. These collections allow the Museum of the Bible to convey the global impact and compelling history of the Bible in a unique and powerful way.

Complimenting the Collection

Complementing these collections are cooperative agreements with other institutions, such as the Israel Antiquities Authority, which will provide guests an unrivaled opportunity to engage with artifacts and materials related to the Bible. Over 41 institutions have loaned items on display in the museum in Washington, D.C.

A portion of these collections were displayed through the traveling exhibit, Passages, at six different cities nationwide. The collections have also been featured internationally through exhibits in Vatican City; Havana, Cuba; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Ulm and Wittenberg, Germany; and Jerusalem, Israel.

Approximately 1150 items from the museum’s permanent collection are on display in the museum in Washington, D.C, with another 2000 items on loan from other institutions and collections. The curation and registration teams continue to research the items in the collection and develop new exhibitions and displays.

Special exhibits–Full information https://www.museumofthebible.org/

Christmas Illuminated: Prestigious Manuscripts from around the Fifteenth Century in the Bavarian State Library Collection

Explore the Christmas story as presented in rare and precious illuminated manuscripts.

The Art of the Gospels by Makoto Fujimura

A contemporary art exhibition highlighting the work of Makoto Fujimura, as he revisits the legacy of illumination and explores the Bible as a source of creative inspiration.
About Museum of the Bible
Museum of the Bible is an innovative, global, educational institution whose purpose is to invite all people to engage with the Bible. In 2017, Museum of the Bible, which aims to be the most technologically advanced museum in the world, opened its 430,000-square-foot nonprofit museum just three blocks from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Al Franken Attacked by Photoshop & Trump Weighs In

Al Franken Groped Me Without My Consent, And There’s Nothing Funny About It

By Leeann Tweeden

In December of 2006, I embarked on my ninth USO Tour to entertain our troops, my eighth to the Middle East since the 9/11 attacks. My father served in Vietnam and my then-boyfriend (and now husband, Chris) is a pilot in the Air Force, so bringing a ‘little piece of home’ to servicemembers stationed far away from their families was both my passion and my privilege.

Also on the trip were country music artists Darryl Worley, Mark Wills, Keni Thomas, and some cheerleaders from the Dallas Cowboys. The headliner was comedian and now-senator, Al Franken.

Franken had written some skits for the show and brought props and costumes to go along with them. Like many USO shows before and since, the skits were full of sexual innuendo geared toward a young, male audience.

As a TV host and sports broadcaster, as well as a model familiar to the audience from the covers of FHM, Maxim and Playboy, I was only expecting to emcee and introduce the acts, but Franken said he had written a part for me that he thought would be funny, and I agreed to play along.

When I saw the script, Franken had written a moment when his character comes at me for a ‘kiss’. I suspected what he was after, but I figured I could turn my head at the last minute, or put my hand over his mouth, to get more laughs from the crowd.

On the day of the show Franken and I were alone backstage going over our lines one last time. He said to me, “We need to rehearse the kiss.” I laughed and ignored him. Then he said it again. I said something like, ‘Relax Al, this isn’t SNL…we don’t need to rehearse the kiss.’

He continued to insist, and I was beginning to get uncomfortable.

He repeated that actors really need to rehearse everything and that we must practice the kiss. I said ‘OK’ so he would stop badgering me. We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.

I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldn’t be so nice about it the next time.

I walked away. All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth.

I felt disgusted and violated.

Not long after, I performed the skit as written, carefully turning my head so he couldn’t kiss me on the lips.

No one saw what happened backstage. I didn’t tell the Sergeant Major of the Army, who was the sponsor of the tour. I didn’t tell our USO rep what happened.

At the time I didn’t want to cause trouble. We were in the middle of a war zone, it was the first show of our Holiday tour, I was a professional, and I could take care of myself. I told a few of the others on the tour what Franken had done and they knew how I felt about it.

I tried to let it go, but I was angry.

Other than our dialogue on stage, I never had a voluntary conversation with Al Franken again. I avoided him as much as possible and made sure I was never alone with him again for the rest of the tour.

Franken repaid me with petty insults, including drawing devil horns on at least one of the headshots I was autographing for the troops.

But he didn’t stop there.

The tour wrapped and on Christmas Eve we began the 36-hour trip home to L.A. After 2 weeks of grueling travel and performing I was exhausted. When our C-17 cargo plane took off from Afghanistan I immediately fell asleep, even though I was still wearing my flak vest and Kevlar helmet.

It wasn’t until I was back in the US and looking through the CD of photos we were given by the photographer that I saw this one:

I couldn’t believe it. He groped me, without my consent, while I was asleep.

I felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated.

How dare anyone grab my breasts like this and think it’s funny?

I told my husband everything that happened and showed him the picture.

I wanted to shout my story to the world with a megaphone to anyone who would listen, but even as angry as I was, I was worried about the potential backlash and damage going public might have on my career as a broadcaster.

But that was then, this is now. I’m no longer afraid.

Today, I am the news anchor on McIntyre in the Morning on KABC Radio in Los Angeles. My colleagues are some of the most supportive people I’ve ever worked with in my career. Like everyone in the media, we’ve been reporting on the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations since they broke, and the flood of similar stories that have come out about others.

A few weeks ago, we had California Congresswoman Jackie Speier on the show and she told us her story of being sexually assaulted when she was a young Congressional aide. She described how a powerful man in the office where she worked ‘held her face, kissed her and stuck his tongue in her mouth.’

At that moment, I thought to myself, Al Franken did that exact same thing to me.

I had locked up those memories of helplessness and violation for a long time, but they all came rushing back to me and my hands clinched into fists like it was yesterday.

I’m still angry at what Al Franken did to me.

Every time I hear his voice or see his face, I am angry. I am angry that I did his stupid skit for the rest of that tour. I am angry that I didn’t call him out in front of everyone when I had the microphone in my hand every night after that. I wanted to. But I didn’t want to rock the boat. I was there to entertain the troops and make sure they forgot about where they were for a few hours. Someday, I thought to myself, I would tell my story.

That day is now.

Senator Franken, you wrote the script. But there’s nothing funny about sexual assault.

You wrote the scene that would include you kissing me and then relentlessly badgered me into ‘rehearsing’ the kiss with you backstage when we were alone.

You knew exactly what you were doing. You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed.

While debating whether or not to go public, I even thought to myself, so much worse has happened to so many others, maybe my story isn’t worth telling? But my story is worth telling.

Not just because 2017 is not 2006, or because I am much more secure in my career now than I was then, and not because I’m still angry.

I’m telling my story because there may be others.

I want to have the same effect on them that Congresswoman Jackie Speier had on me. I want them, and all the other victims of sexual assault, to be able to speak out immediately, and not keep their stories –and their anger– locked up inside for years, or decades.

I want the days of silence to be over forever.

Leeann Tweeden is morning news anchor on TalkRadio 790 KABC in Los Angeles

http://www.kabc.com/2017/11/16/leeann-tweeden-on-senator-al-franken/

Immediately, Twitter reacted by driving Al Franken to the top of trending hashtags. Reactions ranged from calling for his resignation to silence. And then there was photoshop…

Senator Franken’s formal response:

“The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women. There’s more I want to say, but the first and most important thing—and if it’s the only thing you care to hear, that’s fine—is: I’m sorry.

“I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.

“But I want to say something else, too. Over the last few months, all of us—including and especially men who respect women—have been forced to take a good, hard look at our own actions and think (perhaps, shamefully, for the first time) about how those actions have affected women.

“For instance, that picture. I don’t know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn’t matter. There’s no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn’t funny. It’s completely inappropriate. It’s obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture. And, what’s more, I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by it—women who have had similar experiences in their own lives, women who fear having those experiences, women who look up to me, women who have counted on me.

“Coming from the world of comedy, I’ve told and written a lot of jokes that I once thought were funny but later came to realize were just plain offensive. But the intentions behind my actions aren’t the point at all. It’s the impact these jokes had on others that matters. And I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come to terms with that.

“While I don’t remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does, I understand why we need to listen to and believe women’s experiences.

“I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate.

“And the truth is, what people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories. They deserve to be heard, and believed. And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to making it up to them.”

This second accuser had just come forward, though the allegations are not sexual in nature…

And, number 3:

Fascism, Nazis & Radical Leftism Livestream with Dinesh D’Souza

Dinesh D’Souza is sick of the Left’s “big lie.” What is that big lie? That conservatives and President Trump are fascists, or even Nazis.

In his bestselling book The Big Lie, D’Souza debunks this untruth once and for all. Tonight, he’s heading to the campus of University of Washington in Seattle to call out the Left on their home turf—America’s college campuses.

D’Souza’s fiery talk will take on the ideology and tactics of the radical progressives intent on “re-making” America into a Mussolini-esque totalitarian state. Watch LIVE November 15, 2017 at 11 PM ET. The talk will also be archived on YouTube for later viewing.
WATCH LIVE
This event is sponsored by Young America’s Foundation. YAF is committed to ensuring that increasing numbers of young Americans understand and are inspired by the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values.