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Summit draws election officials, Homeland Security Secretary to Missouri

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was in the St. Louis area on Monday. Neilsen spoke at the Election Security Summit being held at World Wide Technology in Marylands Heights.

Summit draws election officials, Homeland Security Secretary to Missouri

She said while the Russian government made a “blazon” attempt to interfere in the 2016 elections, “we have no evidence that votes were altered.”

“Any attempt to interfere with our election, successful or unsuccessful is a direct attack on our democracy.” said Neilsen.

Missouri Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is joining a bipartisan group of 25 Secretaries of State and other election officials from across the country for the two-day summit.

“With heightened scrutiny of election security, we want to provide the assurance that – as always – state election authorities are leading the way, and we continue to work together to protect elections,” Ashcroft said. “We are bringing together officials at each level of government to come away with useable, actionable takeaways to continue securing elections.”

Other Secretaries of State that will be in attendance include Kyle Ardoin (LA), Barbara Cegavske (NV), Matt Dunlap (ME), Tre Hargett (TN), Rolando Pablos (TX), Paul Pate (IA), Maggie Toulouse Oliver (NM), Mac Warner (WV) and Kim Wyman (WA).

Story by Missourinet contributor Jill Enders

Ivanka Trump visits St. Louis area to discuss workforce development

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Ivanka Trump is touring the country to unite academic, business, and political leaders in a series of workforce development roundtable discussions. During a visit today at Lewis and Clark Community College near St. Louis, she says the nation’s low unemployment rate is creating an unprecedented climate.

Ivanka Trump speaks to hundreds of U.S. Steel workers in Granite City, IL on July 26, 2018

Ms. Trump wants to connect unemployed and underemployed Americans with the training necessary to fill skilled jobs in growing industries.

“For the first time in history, we actually have more job vacancies than unemployed people,” she says. “There’s skills mismatched that exist. What can we do about it?”

She says the federal government is going to reconcile workforce programs to make them more accountable and think holistically about the role of education through the lifecycle of American workers.

“I think as a federal government, we are not very good, typically, at training. But we can leverage the knowledge of the private sector. We can say be our partner and help us do better,” Trump says. “Help us amplify the issue. Help us think about ways that we can be creative. Help us leverage technology, for example, to create better transparency for our students and our workers across the country.”

Ms. Trump cites the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics saying the country has 6.6 million vacant jobs.

“They can tell you the industries they are in, but they can’t tell you geographically where those jobs are located and they can’t tell you the underlying skillsets required to fill those jobs,” she says.

Trump goes on to say the U.S. is experiencing historic low unemployment rates for African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, women and the disabled.

Todd Sauter contributed to this story.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Southwest Missouri wireless company to build $8 million headquarters, add 135 new jobs

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Springfield-based Russell Cellular is creating 135 new jobs in the southwest Missouri region and building a new eight-million dollar corporate headquarters there. According to a press release from the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the additional jobs and 40,000 square foot site will be created over the next five years. Nathan Mindeman, Vice President of Sales Operations, tells Missourinet the job openings will be in a variety of departments, including human resources, payroll, IT support and operations.

Southwest Missouri wireless company is expanding

Chamber economic development staff worked with company leaders as they narrowed down possible locations for the expansion and helped the company access state incentives from the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Along with partners at Greene County and the City of Battlefield, the Chamber also connected Russell Cellular to various community resources to ensure the company’s capital investment and job creation remained in the Springfield region.

“We know that nationally, the majority of all new jobs are created by existing businesses in a community, and Russell Cellular’s expansion is a great example of that,” says Ryan Mooney, the Chamber’s senior vice president of economic development. “We know they could decide to grow in lots of different places in their expanding territory, but we applaud their decision to create these kinds of high-wage jobs right here in our region. We will continue to focus on creating a vibrant community that makes headquarters operations like this possible here.”

In 1993, Jeff Russell left a career in farming to start selling wireless phones from the trunk of his car. One year later, he launched Russell Cellular’s first corporate office in Springfield. Today, the company operates more than 400 stores in 30 states and employs more than 1,700 people with about 150 of those being Missouri workers.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Eastern Missouri electronic payment company to add roughly 300 jobs

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Photos courtesy of Square Inc.

A St. Louis financial services firm is creating an additional 300 jobs. Square Inc. manufactures an electronic credit card payment system used to connect through things like a tablet or mobile phone.

The company was founded in 2009 by St. Louisans Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey.

“Square is proud to be from St. Louis and thrilled to expand our presence here, where we’ve exceeded our growth expectations thanks to the wealth of local talent,” says McKelvey. “St. Louis is home to tens of thousands Square sellers and we’re thankful for the support of our city and state partners in furthering their growth. We’re excited for what’s ahead.”

Square has more than 240 employees at two locations in St. Louis and has grown rapidly within that space, exceeding original plans according to Square officials.

Missouri judge continues to weigh request to dismiss prosecutor in felony case against Greitens

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St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison is considering a request to disqualify St. Louis prosecutors in a second criminal case involving Gov. Eric Greitens. The governor’s defense team argues that the special investigator, William Don Tisaby, who was hired by the circuit attorney lied repeatedly in Greitens’ felony invasion of privacy case, all under St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s watch. During Tuesday’s court hearing, the defense claims this has tainted Gardner’s ability to prosecute a felony computer data tampering case against Greitens. The defense wants a special prosecutor assigned to the case.

St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner

The prosecution argues that Tisaby’s involvement in the computer data tampering case has been minimal.

The judge made no ruling but told attorneys to submit a list to him of potential special prosecutors.

On Friday, Gardner, a Democrat charged Greitens by complaint with computer tampering, which is like electronic theft. The charge stems from the governor’s alleged attempt to take and use a donor list from his former charity – The Mission Continues – without the permission of charity officials.

Last year, Greitens paid a $100 penalty after admitting he received the donor list. The donor information was used to bankroll the governor’s political campaign.

Greitens, a Republican, has criticized Gardner’s second charge against him by saying Gardner will use any charge she can to smear him. He is scheduled to go on trial May 14 for a felony invasion of privacy charge.

By Alisa Nelson and Missourinet contributing reporter Jill Enders

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri Legislature is asked to recognize pornography as a public health risk

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A Columbia man says his pornography addiction led him to become suicidal in 1992. Art Dyer, a chaplain at the MU Health Center in Columbia, says he supports a proposed Missouri Senate resolution that would declare pornography as a public health crisis.

Missouri Senate

“I had a secret addiction to pornography, which my wife did not know about. But, the secret life created such conflict within me that I became discouraged,” says Dyer. “It was only through talking to her, working it out and a lot of counseling, a lot of therapy, that I was able to deal with my addiction.”

For the past seven years, Dyer has been working to help those to come out of sexual addiction. He says he’s amazed at how many young people who are having relationship difficulties with the women in their lives because of pornography.

Bev Ehlen with Concerned Women for America of Missouri says she supports the resolution that would also acknowledge the need for education, prevention and policy changes about pornography.

“It’s not your grandpa’s Playboy or detective magazine with the onslaught of internet pornography,” she says.

Ehlen goes on to say 20% of pornography is child rape.

Heather Sparks of eastern Missouri’s St. Charles County says pornography is used as a training manual for sex trafficking.

“Traffickers and sex-spirers get ideas from porn and make their victims watch as a way of showing them what they’ll be expected to do,” Sparks says.

No one spoke in opposition to the resolution that contends pornography perpetuates “a sexually toxic environment” and contributes “to the hypersexualization of teenagers and children before they hit puberty. The measure is sponsored by Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar.

(DOCUMENTS) Greitens charged with felony in charity donor list controversy

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Gov. Eric Greitens

Gov. Eric Greitens, R, has been charged with another felony – this time for tampering with computer data. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has charged Greitens in response to taking a donor list from the governor’s former charity – The Mission Continues – allegedly without the proper permission of charity officials. That list was used for campaign fundraising purposes. Gardner has filed the charge against Greitens with two possible ways of potentially convicting him.

A law limiting how long legal action can be taken after a potential crime is committed made today the last day that Gardner, a former Democratic State Representative, could file charges. The statute of limitations for such charges is three years.

Earlier this week, Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican, turned over evidence of his investigation into the donor list to Gardner that he said “would rise to the level of probable cause”. He said the deadline to file charges was quickly approaching.

“The Office stands ready to assist the Circuit Attorney’s Office where appropriate and if needed. These are serious charges—and an important reminder that no one is above the law in Missouri. Like all criminal defendants, Governor Greitens is presumed innocent under the law until proven guilty,” Hawley says in a press release.

St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner

Greitens’ lawyers responded to Hawley’s announcement earlier this week by calling the claim “frivolous” and “inappropriate.”

Last year, Greitens paid a $100 penalty to the Missouri Ethics Commission after admitting he received the donor list.

A court date has not been scheduled.

To see the corresponding documents with the charges, click here.

Legislative aide arrested at Missouri Capitol for child sex crime allegations

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Carter Ballman

A Missouri House legislative aide faces child sex crime allegations. A press release from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office says 24-year-old Carter Ballmann of Jefferson City has been arrested for responding to an online post by an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old female. Ballmann allegedly persuaded the decoy to sneak out of her home and requested nude photos of her.

In a statement to Missourinet, State Rep. Mark Matthiesen, R-Maryland Heights, says he has fired Ballmann.

“I am stunned and deeply concerned by Carter Ballmann’s arrest and the extremely serious nature of the criminal charge filed against him. While I think it’s important to allow the legal system to determine his guilt or innocence, I have made the immediate decision to end his employment with my office. I have provided complete cooperation with law enforcement in this matter and will continue to do so going forward. Out of respect for the ongoing investigation and the legal process, I will not comment further,” says Matthiesen.

Law enforcement officials cannot confirm whether state resources, such as a computer, have been confiscated as possible evidence.

The suspect’s bond has been set at $100,000. At the time of this story being published, Ballman has not been charged.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Blunt questions Facebook executive during lengthy U.S. Senate panel hearing

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U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, is one of several lawmakers who questioned Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for several hours today. The joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees involved Facebook’s influence in the 2016 election and whether to regulate the industry – something Zuckerberg strongly opposes.

Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri)

Last year, it was learned that Russians used the social media platform to create political friction deep in the 2016 election cycle by using Facebook and pages to distribute false information. Zuckerberg was also questioned why Facebook didn’t tell 87 million users in 2015 that their information was sold to political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The British firm reportedly profiled 2016 voters and is linked to Republican President Donald Trump’s campaign – potentially influencing the outcome of the 2016 election.

“When we heard back from Cambridge Analytica that they had told us that they weren’t using the data and deleted it, we considered it a closed case,” Zuckerberg said. “In retrospect, that was clearly a mistake. We shouldn’t have taken their word for it.”

Facebook did not inform the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of the improper data sharing. The FTC is also reportedly investigating Facebook about how the company’s user privacy has been handled.

Blunt questioned Zuckerberg about recent reports that the Facebook app, while being used on Android phones, collects extraordinary amounts of information about users’ cell phone usage without their permission.

“Am I able to say it’s okay for you (Facebook) to track what I’m saying on Facebook but I don’t want you to track what I’m texting to somebody else off Facebook on an Android,” asks Blunt.

“Yes, Senator. In general, Facebook is not collecting data from other apps that you use,” Zuckerberg says. “Unless you specifically opt in that you want to share the texting app information, Facebook wouldn’t see that.”

“Has it always been that way,” Blunt asks.

“Senator, my understanding is that that is how the mobile operating systems are architected,” Zuckerberg responds.

The 33-year-old Zuckerberg, uncharacteristically wearing a suit and tie, took responsibility for Facebook’s missteps and says the company is working to prevent future malfeasance.

He will also testify Wednesday before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, R, has also launched an investigation into Facebook’s sharing and tracking of user information.

Hawley investigates if Facebook knows and shares too much about its users, Android consumers

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Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has launched an investigation into Facebook’s sharing and tracking of personal information of its users. At a press conference on Monday in Jefferson City, Hawley says the probe includes whether Facebook’s mobile app, while being used on Android phones, collects and stores extraordinary amounts of details about consumers’ cell phone usage without their permission and gives that information away. Missouri has joined 36 other states in requesting answers from Facebook about its business practices.

Photo courtesy of Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office

“There are allegations that third parties have not just used information on the profile that you or other consumers have posted, but they’ve been able through Facebook to gain access to things like phone records, text messaging and web pages visited,” Hawley says.

He goes on to say that Facebook tracks what pages users visit, what links they click on in the app, what messages are seen or sent, all contacts in users’ phones, what things they might be interested in based off what they like, all the applications they’ve linked to, files downloaded by consumers and more.

Hawley says news reports reveal that at least 50 million Facebook profiles might have been shared with third parties – prompting him to issue subpoenas to the social media giant. Hawley wants to know if the company has broken state regulations involving deceptive and unfair business practices. If violations are found, the company faces a variety of fines and other hefty penalties.

“People all over Missouri, put their lives on their profiles with the expectation that they are sharing this information with people they choose to connect to, not with unknown, random third parties,” he says. “Somewhere along the way though, while we built our personal profiles to share with our friends and family, Facebook built a profile on us, a profile that they have reportedly shared with third parties who want to make a profit, earn a vote or somehow persuade us to make a decision that may be in their best interest but not necessarily in ours,” Hawley says.

Business news company Bloomberg reports that Hawley is asking Facebook to disclose every time it’s shared user information with a political campaign or political action committee, how much those campaigns paid Facebook for such data, and whether users were notified.

He has also reportedly requested information about Facebook’s interaction with British political data mining firm Cambridge Analytica. The business is being investigated for the alleged misuse of data to try to influence America’s 2016 presidential race.

Hawley also wants to see all communications, documents and evidence about meetings Facebook had with former President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign. He points to reports that the company voluntarily gave the campaign access to user data.

Hawley, a Republican frontrunner in the U.S. Senate race to try and unseat Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill, has also launched recent investigations targeting major tech companies like Google, Equifax and Uber.