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Calling for justice in the recent, police-involved shooting death of 30-year-old David Jones, a small group of Black Lives Matter protestors marched in the streets in front of the Bustleton home of the police officer who caused Jones untimely death.

The events unfolded at about 7 p.m. on Thursday, when a group of protestors began pasting wanted posters for Philadelphia Police officer Ryan Pownall on telephone poles near his home along Bridle Road in Northeast Philly.

The posters featured a photo of Pownall and claimed the officer was wanted by the people of Philadelphia for the murder of David Jones.

According to the police report on Jones death, he was fatally shot in the back by Pownall on June 8th after there was a scuffle over a gun in Jones' waistband.

Pownall had stopped Jones after seeing him riding a dirt bike near the intersection of Whitaker and Hunting Park Avenues in Juniata Park, notes the report. A witness to the shooting has said that he saw Jones' gun drop to the sidewalk and that Jones ran before Pownall shot the fleeing Jones fatally in the back.

On Thursday, Black Lives Matter organizer, Asa Khalif led a group of about ten protestors in chants of No justice, no peace, no racist police and We demand justice for David Jones, as police vehicles quickly filled the block.

It was mere moments after the protestors placed their first wanted poster before law enforcement officials arrived en masse, creating a line of officers along the sidewalk, separating protestors from the home they had targeted.

We want justice for his kids. We want justice for his family, shouted Khalif. We want justice or else we are going to keep going into your motherf***ing neighborhood.

During the protest, local residents emerged from their homes. Some confronted the protestors, with one man even attempting to throw several signs that read Black Lives Matter into a plastic garbage bag.

He shouted I saw trash and wanted to pick it up, when officers on the scene stopped him and walked the man back towards his home.

Though the event was mostly peaceful, at times protestors clashed with residents in prolonged shouting matches. Police on hand seemed content to monitor the situation and make sure to keep the parties separate.

When asked to discuss the police responce to the protest, officers on scene declined to comment to a Metro reporter.

At one point, someone in the crowd shouted that, if Khalif wanted to have his point heard, he should go directly to the mayors office.

Khalif replied that he had indeed done that.

In fact, he had, in recent weeks, stopped press conferences, marched on City Hall and stormed into the offices of the citys managing director, Michael DiBerardinis, calling for Pownall to be arrested for Jones shooting.

Khalif replied that they had decided to come to Pownalls home in a further effort to seek justice.

[Police] come into our communities and we are flipping the script. We are coming to your neighborhood, he said.

The investigation into Jones death is ongoing and is being handled by the Office of the Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

After about an hour, as the sun began to set, Khalif gathered his small group of activists and left for the evening.

Black lives matter also, said Khalif as he closed the rally. When you kill someone, you should go to jail.

No arrests were made.

Following the display, some locals seemed upset by the protest.

"This is a discgrace. Don't come to our neighborhood!" shounted one neighbor as Khalif's vehicle drove off. The man refused to share his name with a reporter.

Yet, others seemed to believe that it was everyones right to protest if they feel there has been an injustice.

Citing the fact that protestors promised to return to the neighborhood in the coming days, a neighbor of Pownalls asked to remain anonymous, but he said that he could understand the protestors motivations.

We live in a free country, so you should be able to voice your opinion, said the neighbor. But, my father was a cop and you show up at a guys house to express your opinion? I dont know Thats tough.

Continued here:
Black Lives Matter protestors rally at home of officer involved in fatal shooting - Metro US

SAVANNAH, Ga. After a deadly weekend of violence in Charlottesville, Savannahs Black Lives Matter chapter is currently preparing its response with sights sets on a local and national level.

The group says it is working on a six-week protest to affect change after what it says is injustice to society.

Anthony Smith is an Army veteran and member of BLM Savannah. He said Charlottesville was a turning point for action for himself and BLM.

It just wakes you up. You cant be complacent. You cant wait for good things to happen. You have to be the good things that happen, he said.

Sylvia Wells is a coordinator for the group. She says she is protesting to better her community and to be an example for her family. BLM Savannah, Wells says, is not a hate group but one that is based on understanding, conversation and education.

We dont want any violence, this is something that we stand for is peace, she said. [BLM Savannah] cant control who takes our name and they run with it with the things that they do but we are most certainly arent hateful. We love everybody.

Details are scarce on the protest, including a start date. The groups founder, Pastor Jomo Kenyatta Johnson is currently out-of-town conducting missions work. Johnson and Smith told WSAV there are plans to remove Confederate inspired monuments in Savannah, rename the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, and work towards to removal of President Trump and his cabinet.

The groups desire to remove the Confederate Memorial to the dead in Forsyth Park contradicts Mayor DeLoachs wishes to expand the story of memorial to be more inclusive.

Smith calls the memorial a slap in the face and says the call to preserve the monument is a way to romanticize history of the Civil War and the Confederacy.

BLM Savannah is currently working with other local organizations to organize and prepare for the protest. Smith told WSAV to expect BLM Savannah to be more visible while working peacefully to make a difference in the city and its criminal justice system, including working with law enforcement and elected city leaders.

Our goal is definitely to unify the city and to interface with our government in a way that creates long-lasting change from the top tiers of our government to the lowest individual in our society, he said.

Should law makers decide the statue stays in Forsyth Park, Smith says that while such a decision is not his intent, BLM members are not looking to respond by physically removing the memorial themselves.

Violence is violence. And that type of act enables violence, We cant use the tools of the enemy for our causes and pretend like the end justifies the means, he said.

Smith said anyone is welcome to join and converse with BLM Savannah. Ultimately, he is looking to make Savannah and the country a better place to call home for his children.

If were going to hand it to them in an as is fashion, then we maybe do a little bit more maintenance before the hand off, he said.

To learn more about the chapter, click here.

Continued here:
It just wakes you up. You can't be complacent. Black Lives Matter Savannah planning protest following violence in ... - WSAV-TV

Early Uber investor and former board member Shervin Pishevar is speaking out against Benchmark again. This time, he penned a letter to Ubers board, demanding that Benchmark Capital drop its lawsuit against former CEO Travis Kalanick. He also filed a legal motion, asking for the case to be dismissed, saying in his letter to the board that he had no choice.

The letter says Pishevar has tried in every way possible to convince my friends at Benchmark to drop this lawsuit, to end their public campaignagainst the founder and the companyand to divest their shares under aproposal which would reward them hugely for their investment. But Benchmark has refused to meet with Pishevar.

Pishevar accuses Benchmark of violating fiduciary duty, by its willingness to talk to others inappropriately. He also accuses Benchmarks Kris Frederickson of convincing Gautam Gupta, Ubers head of finance, to go to another company where he owned shares.

Pishevar claims that Benchmark has also conferred with Lowercase Capital in an attempt to remove Arianna Huffington from the board.

Recently, Pishevar circulated a petition attempting to pressure Benchmark to sell most of its shares and give up its board seat.

Last year, at our Disrupt event in San Francisco, TC talked with Pishevar about the venture market and specifically about Benchmarks Bill Gurley, who recently stepped off of Ubers board, installing his partner Matt Cohler in his stead. Said Pishevar in that stage appearance, I have tremendous respect for Bill Gurley. Hes a friend of mine. I look up to him. Him and [fellow Benchmark partner] Matt Cohler actually referred Uber to me for the Series B.

At the time, Pishevar was working as a venture capitalist with Menlo Ventures, which went on to lead that round.

Pishevar declined to comment for this story. We also reached out to Benchmark, which has yet to respond.

Here is the full text of the letter and below it, youll find the motion his attorneys filed.

UberTechnologies Inc.c/o Garrett CampChairman of the Board Directors1455 Market StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103

August 24, 2017

Dear Uber Board of Directors.

I write to inform you that, along with Steve Russell, I have cometo the conclusion that I have no choice but to seek to intervene in theunfortunate lawsuit that Benchmark Capital has brought against TravisKalanick, the founder and former CEO of Uber.

As you know, I have tried in every way possible to convince myfriends at Benchmark to drop this lawsuit, to end their public campaignagainst the founder and the company, and to divest their shares under a proposalwhich would reward them hugely for their investment.I have called for Benchmark to resign from the Board by proposing aspecific plan that would allow Benchmark to reduce its holdings so that therest of the Board can move forward constructively to address the challengesof building our company, securing new infusions of major capital, andrecruiting a world-class CEO to oversee our continued growth.

Instead, Benchmark has refused to meet with me to address theseconcerns. I asked as a friend to have a rational, adult conversation, tohave a conversation and try to make peace on behalf of all. Benchmarktold me they looked forward to talking with me when this is over but sawno possibility of a meaningful conversation with me about these issues.

But they have been more than willing to talk to others,inappropriately, and in violation of their fiduciary duty. They reached outdirectly to employees in a letter, which is utterly inappropriate for a venturecapital firm to do. Benchmark principal Kris Fredrickson helpedrecruited Gautam Gupta, the head of finance and effectively the acting UberCFO, to another company where he owned shares without ever informing Uberin fact, Frederickson told his partner and Uber board member BillGurley six months earlier, but Gurley never told Travis Kalanick,exacerbating the crisis facing the Company in May 2017 when Guptaleft. Even more troubling, we have been told that Benchmark has beenconferring with Lowercase Capital with respect to adverse action againstUber, indicating that they are seeking to remove Arianna Huffington fromthe Board and, in clear violation of their fiduciary duties, wrongfully leakedhighly confidential details from the investigation by former AttorneyGeneral Eric Holder.

Benchmark even intruded itself into staff recommendations made by Holder,urging contrary to the CEOs wishes that Holder recommend that theGeneral Counsel be retained, rather than offered a promotion, lest that beseen negatively; yet another inappropriate intrusion by a venture capitalinvestor, this time in an independent investigation

And perhaps most tellingly of all, Benchmark appears determined to insertits own candidate as CEO, Meg Whitman, prior to addressing any futureissues, telling me that they see no meaningful discussion without anacceptable CEO candidate being hired uninfected by improperinfluences. The improper influences here are Benchmarks own efforts tocontrol the company. They have no interest in reaching a peacefulaccordwhich will allow this great company to groweven more, to recruit a world-class CEO, to secure further important funding. Clearly, they have adifferent agenda than ours.

Benchmarks investment of $27 million has grown to some $8.4 billionbecause of the outstanding leadership of Travis Kalanick and histeam. Benchmark recognized as much, even as it was encouraging Travis toresign. For a venture capital firm to then turn around, having threatenedMr. Kalanick with a public campaign if he did not resign, and then launchthe campaign anyway complete with the filing of a frivolous lawsuitnotwithstanding an arbitration clause that prohibits such lawsuits from beingbrought in the first instance has unfortunately convinced us thatBenchmark is not operating in good faith, does not have the companys bestinterests at heart, and instead is seeking to take advantage of the currentcircumstances to try to take control of the Board. Conduct so completely atodds with Benchmarks fiduciary duty cannot be left unanswered, particularly at this terrible time for Mr. Kalanick and his family. We allowe a huge debt to Travis and his team for their tireless work in imagining,creating, and building Uber. I know how proud Bonnie Kalanick was of hersons work, and it is an affront to her memory which we cannot silentlytolerate that her passing should become the occasion for a secretive andpersonal assault on her son by those who, by sheer dint of his hard work anddetermination and that of his team, he has made wealthy beyond all theirother investments

The lawsuit brought by Benchmark seeks to cancel the Voting Agreementamendments adopted in 2016, when the Saudi Governments PublicInvestment Fund made a $3.5 billion dollar investment in Uber. TheAgreement was amended to give the Saudis the right to designate a boardmember; and to give founder and CEO Travis Kalanick three seats he hadthe right to designate. No one objected at the time; nor did they object anytime in the next year. It was only after Mr. Kalanick took a leave to dealwith his familys personal tragedies that Benchmark for the first time tookthe position that Mr. Kalanick should be forced to resign and to give up hisright to appoint additional Board members supposedly because he hadwithheld information that Benchmark in factknew all about.

There is no basis for canceling an agreement entered into by sophisticatedinvestors each advised by counsel. We have a direct and substantial interestin not allowing the governance of the company to be unilaterally changed atthe insistence of one party in violation of the procedures requiring writtenconsent to amend. And there is no basis for Benchmarks decision to ignorethe comprehensive arbitration provision which governs all disputes arisingout of that Agreement in favor of a high-profile filing that paints thecompany in a negative light to serve Benchmarks own interest in a public campaignagainst the founder.

We are seeking to intervene in the lawsuit because if Benchmark insists ontrying to use the courts to try to take over this company, we are committed todoing everything we can to try to stop this abuse.

We continue to hope that a way can be found for Benchmark to moveforward, having profited so handsomely from the work of Travis Kalanickand many others, and to do so without inflicting gratuitous harm on thecompany which we have all supported, and for which we continue to havethe greatest expectations.

Sincerely,

Shervin Pishevar

Trustee, Sofreh LP

Former Uber Board Observer (2011-2015) and Advisor

Motion to Intervene by Katie Roof on Scribd

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Pishevar intervenes in Benchmark-Kalanick lawsuit - TechCrunch

This year, the Senate has demonstrated the importance of a single vote. Betsy DeVoss controversial confirmation as education secretary happened only with the tiebreaking vote of Vice President Pence. In late March, Pence again broke a tie on legislation limiting federal funds to abortion providers.

And last month, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) defeated the GOPs effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act with a single flick of his thumb.

Theres more on the way. Later this fall, President Trumps agenda could be impeded by a one-man blockade, Sen. Robert Menendez, who by then could be a felon.

The trial of the New Jersey Democrat, indicted two years ago on corruption charges, is set to begin Sept. 6 in a federal courthouse in Newark. A 12-person jury was seated this week. The trial is expected to last well into October; by Halloween, Menendez could be the first sitting senator in nine years to become a felon.

While Menendez would almost certainly appeal such a verdict, the calls for his immediate resignation would be swift and voluminous. And much has been written about the calamity that his departure would bring on the Democratic Party in this Year of the Deciding Vote.

But no one should expect Menendez to heed those calls, at least not until Gov. Chris Christie (R) leaves office on Jan. 16.

The current front-runner to replace Christie, Democrat Phil Murphy, could be sworn in then as the new governor. This scenario would allow Murphy to appoint a Democratic interim senator and set a special election for later in 2018, in which Democrats would be heavily favored to retain the seat in increasingly blue New Jersey.

It might seem a bit outlandish for a felon to remain in the Senate for two to three months, just to deny the Republicans from getting an extra vote. But these are anything but normal political times in Washington.

Whats more, the Senates bipartisan precedents on corruption convictions are more lenient than the Houses regarding the time typically granted before colleagues move to evict someone from office.

The Senate has always taken more time (as with everything else), especially if the convicted senator has filed an appeal in the courts, Don Ritchie, the former Senate historian, said this week. The Ethics Committee will have to hold hearings and vote on a recommendation, and then the Senate deliberates and votes. Senators cant be forced to resign, and it takes a two-thirds vote to expel them, which prevents it from becoming a strictly partisan matter.

To this point, the Ethics Committee has done little to no work on the Menendez matter, instead deferring to the Justice Department. That probe began in 2013 after The Washington Post and the New York Times published extensive stories detailing the senators connections to a Florida eye doctor.

The two most recent examples of convicted senators should reassure partisan Democrats who fear that Christie would name a Republican to replace Menendez, which could revive the effort to gut the 2010 health-care law and move on other partisan legislative efforts.

On Oct. 27, 2008, the late Ted Stevens was found guilty on seven felony corruption charges. The Alaska Republican refused to resign, despite a bipartisan chorus calling for him to step down including the minority leader at the time, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Eight days later, Stevens lost his Senate reelection race, and the issue became moot. He served out the remaining two months of his historic run, retiring as the longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate. He continued to vote and attend caucus meetings, like any other senator, those last few weeks.

And as Jonathan Salant noted this week in the Newark Star-Ledger, the last Senate Democrat to be convicted of felony corruption charges was also from New Jersey, the late Harrison Pete Williams.

Williams was convicted in May 1981 amid the notorious ABSCAM investigation. An undercover FBI agent acting as an Arab sheikh caught Williams on camera agreeing to help the sheikh in exchange for a multimillion-dollar loan.

The ethics committee took almost four months, including open hearings, to recommend expelling the senator.

The full Senate then took up his expulsion in a trial-like setting but not until March 1982, after Williams had filed a series of legal motions in federal courts that all ended in rejection. Finally, when Williams realized there was easily a two-thirds majority to expel him, he resigned.

That was more than 10 months after his conviction.

The delay actually benefited Republicans. Had he resigned in 1981, the Democratic governor would have appointed Williamss successor. By 1982, Republican Thomas Kean Sr. was governor; he appointed a Republican to be interim senator.

Menendez would be doing the opposite, holding out long enough to ensure that a fellow Democrat takes his seat.

The late Williams played an intriguing role in the Menendez investigation which began with an anonymous source, under the pseudonym Pete Williams, spreading allegations that Menendez had taken many personal trips to the Dominican Republic.

That information was probably false, but it prompted a deeper look at Menendezs connections to Salomon Melgen, the eye doctor who back in 2012 was in a billing dispute with Medicare.

Menendez helped arrange a meeting in the Capitol that included Harry M. Reid (D), who was Senate majority leader, and Kathleen Sebelius, who was secretary of health and human services, at the same time Menendez was running for reelection.

Melgen donated $700,000 to a super PAC that helped Menendez, who also regularly flew on Melgens private jet to the doctors Dominican resort.

Joe Hayden, a prominent New Jersey criminal defense attorney, believes that federal prosecutors will have to prove that Menendez knew he was acting illegally and not just doing senatorial duties by trying to help settle a Medicaid dispute.

Whether there was a criminal or corrupt attempt, Hayden said, intent will be the biggest issue.

If Menendez is convicted, McConnell, now majority leader, could try to force an immediate expulsion vote and get an interim Republican senator but it would breach recent bipartisan precedent. McConnell would need all 52 Republicans and 15 Democrats to vote to expel a high hurdle given that Democrats know the value of a single vote, particularly this year.

After a while, however, public pressure may build up to the point where senators feel forced to act, Ritchie, the historian, said.

By then, Democrats hope that Murphy will be in Drumthwacket, the New Jersey governors mansion, preserving the Senate seat in their hands.

Read more from Paul Kanes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.

Link:
In the Year of the Deciding Vote, one Democrat's corruption trial could change the Senate or not - Washington Post

An undeniable change is afoot. No country is spared from the forces of digital disruption. Experts are sounding dire warnings of a near-future that will be profoundly disrupted by digitization, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), industrial automation, the internet of things (IoT) and rampant cyber threats, which have already undermined the cornerstones of democracy and trust in institutions. In response to these relentless changes the world needs a new breed of civic engagement that goes beyond Facebook activism, true political compromise, and, perhaps most importantly, the emergence of a new breed of elected leader who can champion peoples rights in a time when all lines are blurred. These leaders are veritable Digital Democrats and their numbers are scarce in the U.S. and around the world.

A Digital Democrat is a progressive leader prepared for the technical and technological challenges of the 21st century. These include the prospects of wide scale job loss due to industrial automation, combating hidden biases built into AI, while fostering a policy and security environment that cares for the people behind the binary code. Few if any leaders in office are adequately harnessing the risks and rewards of our time or our form of government. Any talk of government accountability, efficiency, or greater stewardship of scarce taxpayer resources that does not contemplate digital transformation, is simply not serious and will produce the very waste that is emblematic of a dysfunctional Washington.

Just as the workforce needs to reinvent itself to adapt to an increasingly digital world, our political class needs to confront the reality that so few of them are well-equipped to make sense of the 21st century. As with all organizations, the best decisions are made in an environment that prizes diversity. For this the U.S. Congress and Senate not only lack adequate representation of women, minorities, and other groups, they are decidedly light in their technological bench, with most elected officials coming from a legal pedigree. Looking at the current roster of elected officials, few have the technical background to properly lead a cyber risk inquiry, let alone formulate a balanced regulatory approach to digital innovation. For us to retain this economic miracle, while managing its blowback, our elected officials need to not only reflect our times in the knowledge they bring to the job, they need to understand technology and how to at once harness and guard against it at granular level.

Consider the seeds of doubt that were watered in the 2016 presidential election by cyber misinformation warfare and fertilized by myopic political goals of victory at any cost. Indeed, if Teslas Elon Musk and Googles Eric Schmidt are correct that the very future of humanity is at risk and that the world will go to war over data, we are woefully unprepared and the majority of our political leaders are not conversant in these emerging trends. As the birthplace of the Internet age and the midwife of digital transformation, the U.S. bears a special obligation to lead the world in responsibly harnessing technology as a force for good.

Looking then at the field of candidates vying for elected office, few have the skill set to be a future-proof leader for the 21st century. Brian Forde, the congressional candidate in Californias 45th District not only has the right balance of political experience at the highest levels of government, he brings the right technical virtuosity when it comes to confronting the many challenges and opportunities of the digital age. Forde may very well emerge as the countrys first Digital Democrat, and his candidacy in a largely Republican district, hearkens to the type of partisanship and consensus that is desperately needed in Washington. Indeed, his campaign is breaking new ground by accepting a digital currency, acknowledging Bitcoins legitimate role as a part of our economic thrift.

Digital citizenship and the emergence of Digital Democrats are not necessarily zero-sum propositions where one party or person wins at the expense of another. The emergence of this new class of political leadership augurs well for a future in which party lines matter much less than outcomes. Indeed, looking around the world at the scorecard for how eGovernance has taken shape, few bright lights emerge, with Estonia being among the brightest. Estonia, a country that might have been forgotten 10 years ago, has quickly vaulted to the top of the list of countries embracing technology and digital transformation for greater stewardship of public trust and greater efficiency in citizen services.

The only reason it is hard for the U.S. to conceive of a similar transformation, despite our large population and advanced economy, is because of the lack of political leadership that can comprehend the opportunities and rewards of embracing digital transformation. If we are to face the type of job loss in the millions that experts are forecasting, does it not make sense to have elected officials who can properly regulate and manage this change reducing the impact on people's lives, while at the same time future-proofing the country? A Digital Democrat can at once understand the national security implications of a hyper-connected world, one in which a cyber threat can spread to 150 countries over a weekend, where trust can evaporate in an instant and the White House can be taken with a tweet. In this new era, the only way to restore public trust is a democracy that can thrive in sunlight.

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Digital Democrat - HuffPost