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Steinle family announces lawsuit against gov't agencies in SF murder

The family of Kate Steinle, in an emotional press conference, announced a lawsuit Tuesday against government agencies that they consider partly responsible for her murder because of their handling of the illegal immigrant suspect and the murder weapon itself. 
Steinle, 32, was shot dead while walking on a San Francisco pier on July 1. Suspect Juan Francisco Sanchez, who has admitted he fired the fatal shot, is an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times before he was transferred from federal custody to a San Francisco jail earlier this year to face outstanding marijuana charges. Yet he was released in April after prosecutors dropped the pot counts, despite a federal request to detain him until immigration authorities could pick him up.
The Steinle family announced Tuesday with their legal team that they have filed three claims -- against San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, the Bureau of Land Management and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We feel as though we’ve exhausted avenues, we’re frustrated and we’re here to make sure a change is made so nobody has to endure the pain that my mom and dad and I go through on a daily basis because the system failed our sister,” Kate’s brother Brad Steinle told reporters.
The claims are the first steps in filing lawsuits against the agencies, should they deny the claims or not respond. The family, which is seeking unspecified damages, alleges a lack of oversight from the government agencies directly contributed to Steinle’s death.
The Bureau of Land Management is accused of not taking appropriate care of the handgun that was stolen and used to shoot Steinle. The claim alleges the gun was stolen after it was inappropriately stored in a backpack in an unoccupied car. Regulations say the guns need to be kept unloaded, away from ammunition and in a locked case.
Mirkarimi is accused of wrongly ignoring the ICE request to detain Sanchez -- though the sheriff has said he was only following city policy.
“There was nothing, according to the mayor, that prevented this sheriff from picking up the phone and notifying the federal agency responsible for detention and deportment that there was a man in custody with this history,” attorney Frank Pitre said.
“The sheriff, we’ve alleged in the claim filed today, acted in excess and in abuse of his authority" by restricting communication with federal agents, Pitre said.
The Steinles' claim against ICE alleges the agency had been informed by Mirkarimi that he would not follow their requests unless they issued a court warrant. Yet ICE did not obtain those documents, the claim says.
Emotions were high at the press conference, with Steinle's father telling reporters that the moments of his daughter’s death haunt him every night.
“I’m walking down the pier arm in arm with my daughter and close friend. She stops, takes a selfie, turns around and is shot. As she fell she said, 'Dad, help me.' That’s my bed time story. Every night.”
Steinle’s mother Liz told reporters that Kate is making them strong and their focus is on changing laws.
“I feel her strength, and I know she’s proud of what we’re doing. We just want to make her proud. It’s about making this a better world for everyone. These laws need to be changed. It’s not okay to have these people, who are violent felons, in the United States,” Steinle said.
Sanchez has claimed that while he fired the fatal shot, it was an accident.

The Ice War Cometh? Russia makes play for Arctic, Obama seeks more Coast Guard icebreakers

While visiting Alaska and becoming the first American president to enter the Arctic Circle, President Obama announced Tuesday he would speed up the acquisition of icebreakers to help the U.S. Coast Guard navigate an area that Russia and China increasingly see as a new frontier.
The announcement is the latest power play in the Arctic north, where melting ice has led to a race for resources and access.
Forty percent of the world's oil and natural gas reserves lie under the Arctic. Melting ice also would lead to new shipping routes, and Russia wants to establish a kind of Suez Canal which it controls. More than a Cold War, Russia may be preparing for an Ice War, and the Pentagon is taking note.
Last March, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a snap, full combat military exercise in Russia's Arctic north to mark the anniversary of his annexation of Crimea -- with 40,000 Russian troops, dozens of warships and submarines.
At the American Legion on Tuesday, the U.S. defense secretary warned against complacency.
“We do not seek to make Russia an enemy,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said. “But make no mistake: while Vladimir Putin may be intent on turning the clock back in Russia, he cannot turn the clock back in Europe. We will defend our allies.”
Russia has reestablished Soviet-era military bases across the Arctic and begun building a string of search-and-rescue stations along its Arctic shores. In April, Russia’s economic minister explained the importance.
"For us, the Arctic is mineral resources, transportation, and one also should not forget about fish and sea products, and bio-resources. The potential here is enormous," Alexey Ulyukaev said.
After invading Ukraine, Russia pulled out of the Arctic Council, a consortium of eight countries that includes the U.S.
Asked about Russia’s recent moves in the Arctic, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said: "And so do we have concerns specifically about Russia? I would say … we have concerns about how militaries conduct themselves in the Arctic, but that's for all of the Arctic Council members to discuss."
In 2007, the Pentagon also took note when Russia planted its flag on the seabed under the North Pole for the first time.
Perhaps it was no coincidence that the Kremlin just released a video of Putin working out with his prime minister -- an insight into the psyche of the Russian leader, who is trying to “flex his muscles” in more ways than one.
Meanwhile, the U.S. only has two functioning icebreakers. Russia has 41, with plans to build 11 more. Obama on Tuesday, while highlighting the effect of climate change, announced he will speed up acquisition of these coveted ships though they won’t be ready until 2020.
The commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard has warned the U.S. is already behind.
“Russia has one-eighth the gross domestic product of the United States. Clearly the Arctic is a priority for Russia,” Adm. Paul Zukunft said in February during his “State of the Coast Guard” address. “There's a new ocean opening. Coast Guard authorities mandate our presence wherever U.S. national interests require people and ships to operate.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Army, facing budget cuts, plans to pull out 3,000 troops from Alaska, in what some say is poor timing as the U.S. plays catch-up to Russia in the Arctic.

West Point professor resigns after calling legal scholars 'lawful targets'

 William C. Bradford

A professor who was criticized for writing an article calling some legal scholars treasonous and “lawful targets” in the war on terror has resigned a month after he was hired to teach a law course at the U.S. Military Academy.
An academy spokesman said William C. Bradford resigned on Sunday. He said no further details will be released because of privacy and legal constraints.
Bradford made the comments in an article for the National Security Law Journal earlier this year. In the article, he said legal scholars who criticize U.S. tactics in the war on terror are helping ISIS undermine America. He argued that such academics should be considered enemy combatants and charged with treason.
The publication, which is edited by students at George Mason University in Virginia, apologized in an editorial last week in a response to a barrage of criticism from its readers. Editor-in-Chief Rick Myers repudiated the article, saying the publication is reviewing its selection process “to ensure that we publish high quality scholarly articles.”
Bradford's 95-page article says that liberals dominate legal academia and use their position to undermine public support of U.S. military efforts to combat ISIS. He advocates a number of measures to counter “Islamist sympathizers and propagandists" in academia, including firing them, requiring loyalty oaths and charging them with treason.
"The views in the article are solely those of Dr. Bradford and do not reflect those of the Department of Defense, the United States Army, or the United States Military Academy," Lt. Col. Chris Kasker, a West Point spokesman, said Tuesday in a prepared statement.
Bradford was hired by the academy Aug. 1 and taught five lessons in a common core law course before he resigned, Kasker said.
Bradford told The Washington Post in an e-mail on Tuesday that statements in his article were "taken out of context" by people who hadn't read the entire piece.
The resignation was first reported by The Guardian.

'Blue and Brave': Illinois town rallies around police as search for officer's killer goes on

Dozens of police officers searched without success overnight for three suspects who shot and killed a 30-year veteran of the Fox Lake, Ill. police force.
Lt. Charles Joseph "Joe" Gliniewicz, 52, was shot at approximately 8 a.m. local time Tuesday after he radioed in to tell dispatchers he was chasing three men on foot in Fox Lake. Communication with him was lost soon after. Colleagues who responded found Gliniewicz shot in a marshy area near U.S. Highway 12, a main road through the village of about 10,000 people near the Wisconsin border and about 55 miles northwest of Chicago. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Lake County Undersheriff Raymond Rose told the Chicago Tribune that Gliniewicz's gun was found nearby. He added that searchers were were working with "limited descriptions" of the suspects, described by police as three males, two white and one black, who should be treated as armed and dangerous.
Helicopters aided about 100 officers who searched the area overnight, a sheriff's office spokesman said. Meanwhile, several schools in the area announced that they would be closed Wednesday due to the ongoing manhunt.
As the search went on, dozens gathered for hours along a street in the village to show their support for law enforcement officers.
Thirty-year-old Dan Raminick held a sign that said "Police Lives Matter." He lives a couple miles away and said officers came by Tuesday evening and thanked the crowd.

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Caitlyn Kelly, a 22-year-old student, said she felt compelled to come out after other recent police shootings. She held a sign that said "Blue and Brave."
Authorities from across the state and region poured into Fox Lake throughout the day Tuesday, some wearing tactical gear and toting high-powered rifles. Federal agencies, SWAT teams and 48 police dogs assisted in the search for the suspects, Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said.
Officers could be seen taking up positions on rooftops and along railroad tracks, scanning the terrain with rifle scopes and binoculars. Others leaned out of helicopters with weapons at the ready. Residents were urged to stay indoors. The service of a local commuter train was halted, and residents who wanted to take their dogs out to relieve themselves were told to stay in their homes — with the job of walking the pets handled by police officers.
An emotional Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit described the slain officer as a personal friend, a three-decade member of the department and a father of four sons.
"We lost a family member," Schmit said of the 52-year-old officer known around town as "GI Joe." ''His commitment to the people of this community has been unmatched and will be dearly missed."
"This particular officer is a pillar in my community and definitely going to be missed, and (he) touched so many lives," said Gina Maria, a 40-year-old teacher who lives in the community.
Gliniewicz's death is the third law enforcement fatality in Illinois this year, according to the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. It says firearms-related deaths in the U.S. are down 13 percent this year compared to the same period last year, Jan. 1. to Sept. 1; there were 30 last year and 26 this year.