First Read: A Nation on Edge

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First Read is a morning briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day"s most important political stories and why they matter.

A nation on edge

It"s been a tragic week in America. Police officers were caught on video killing African Americans in Louisiana and Minnesota. Then, during what had been a peaceful protest in Dallas over those deaths, snipers last night opened fire on 12 police officers, killing five. "It was the deadliest day for law enforcement since 9/11," per NBC News. And it"s all put this nation on edge -- and looking to its elected leaders and presidential candidates. President Obama, who is in Poland for the NATO summit, has addressed these tragedies twice in the span of 12 hours. Around 6:30 pm ET last night, he discussed the two African Americans who had died. And at 5:00 am ET this morning, Obama condemned the sniper shooting in Dallas, calling it a "vicious, calculated, and despicable attack on law enforcement." Also this morning, Donald Trump tweeted, "Prayers and condolences to all of the families who are so thoroughly devastated by the horrors we are all watching take place in our country." Hillary Clinton, who already has spoken out against the killing of the two African Americans, has postponed a planned rally with Joe Biden but still plans to attend a convention of the AME Church Friday, where she had been set to discuss the earlier shootings. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings offered this advice on MSNBC"s "Morning Joe" for all politicians: watch your words.

Three ways Republicans could dump Trump in Cleveland

The Republican convention begins in 10 days, and it"s highly likely that it plays out like all modern conventions -- as a coronation for Donald Trump. But there"s also a chance that GOP delegates opposed to Trump could create an uprising that could jeopardize his nomination, even though Trump currently holds 1,541 delegates according to NBC"s count, more than the 1,237 needed for a majority. Here are three ways these opponents could dump Trump in Cleveland.

• Unbinding the delegates: As the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week, anti-Trump rebels are hoping to win over 28 of the 112 Rules Committee members (25%) who will be meeting on Thursday next week to force the full convention to consider whether to unbind the delegates -- allowing them to vote for whomever they want. Republican super-lawyer Ben Ginsberg explains that there"s a higher concentration of Trump loyalists on the Rules Committee than on the floor, so if anti-Trump forces can get 28 votes to force a minority report, the vote on the floor could be interesting. "I think there is a chance, but it"s a remote one," Ginsberg said Thursday on MSNBC.
• Requiring a supermajority to capture the nomination:There"s a significant downside to this push to unbind the delegates: It essentially invalidates the five months of Republican primaries and caucuses used to choose the delegates. And many of these GOP leaders could find this move unseemly and undemocratic. So another way to stop Trump at the convention would be for the Rules Committee to vote to require a supermajority -- instead of a simple majority -- to win the GOP nomination.
• Allowing delegates to abstain: A third way how anti-Trump delegates could dump Trump is by abstaining from their vote to keep Trump below the 1,237 number needed for a majority on the roll-call vote. Ginsberg says that whether a delegate can abstain from his or her vote on a first ballot is likely to come down to a ruling by the chair.

The smart bet is that none of scenarios is successful. Most Republican delegates, by nature, aren"t rebels. They"re go-along-get-along party leaders who probably aren"t eager to overturn the will of the voters. But keep an eye on two things over the next week: 1) whether Trump continues to veer off message, and 2) poll numbers in key Senate races. If these delegates are 100% convinced Trump would be a down-ballot disaster for Republicans, watch out starting Thursday.

Veepstakes Watch

Check out the latest installment of VP Watch here NBC"s Monica Alba reports that Hillary Clinton is ramping up her search, with intensive meetings with top aides at her Washington home Thursday Elizabeth Warren is urging progressives to keep up opposition to TPP Bernie Sanders praised Warren, but was cool on Tim Kaine in an interview with Bloomberg Politics Kaine headlined a fundraiser for Clinton NBC"s Kelly O"Donnell reported that Chris Christie will travel with Donald Trump on his trip to Florida Christie won"t have to give up his personal cell phone to two former officials who say it would help them in their defense in Bridgegate charges Mike Pence urged Cruz to back Donald Trump, though Cruz stopped short of an endorsement POLITICO reports on Trump"s consideration of former DIA head Michael Flynn NJ.com reports that Trump is "unlikely" to pick Christie Newt Gingrich said on FOX last night that if offered the job "Callista and I would feel compelled to serve the country."

On the trail

Both Clinton and Trump have called off major campaign events in the wake of the Dallas shootings, although Clinton is still planning to address a convention of the African Methodist Episcopal church in Philadelphia. Don"t forget to check out the political unit"s rolling minute-to-minute coverage of all the latest 2016 developments at the On the Trail liveblog at NBCNews.com.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/first-read-nation-edge-n605866

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Dallas Shooter Micah Xavier Johnson Was Army Veteran

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The man identified by a senior law enforcement official as the sniper who shot a dozen Dallas police officers, killing five, served in the Army Reserves for six years and did a stint in Afghanistan, officials confirmed Friday.

Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, left the reserves in 2015. He was working as an aide for mentally challenged children and adults before Thursday"s mass shooting during a police brutality protest, according to an employment application obtained by NBC News.

An aunt told NBC News that she believes Johnson who told a hostage negotiator he wanted to "kill white people," according to authorities was driven to violence by recent incidents in which black men were killed by cops.

"I think a person can only take so much," she said, adding, "It should not have happened. Nobody wants to see that kind of tragedy."

Johnson"s Facebook page had few public posts but did contain a photo of him raising his fist in what could be a black-power salute and a graphic image of the fist logo.

Micah Xavier Johnson, suspect who was killed after a standoff in the ambush of 12 Dallas police officers on Friday. via Facebook

He grew up in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and graduated from John Horn High School in 2009. He joined the Army Reserve out of school and trained to be a carpentry and masonry specialist after basic training.

In a January employment application, he said he was looking for construction work.

"I can assist or lead the building of homes or building for the safety of individuals, families or corporations," he wrote. "I was specifically trained in laying the foundation, framing, interior finishing, exterior finishing, electrical wiring, and plumbing to complete desired building."

While serving the reserves, Johnson worked for Fly Guys Distribution Company as a "foreman," managing a team that distributed advertising flyers in the McKinney area, his application says.

In November 2010, he started as shift manager at Jimmy John"s Gourmet Sandwich Shop in North Dallas. Two years later, he took a job as a "quality assurance specialist" at the International Truck Plant in Garland, Texas, according to the application. At the plant, he said, he also worked on Army vehicles, including bomb-resistant trucks known as MRAPs.

None of the companies where Johnson said he worked responded to requests for comment.

There is no evidence that Johnson had a security clearance. He was on active duty from September 2013 to April 2015. The military said he deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014.

Micah Xavier Johnson, suspect who was killed after a standoff in the ambush of 12 Dallas police officers on Friday. via Facebook

During his deployment, he did construction work on military bases, he told prospective employers. He also served general guard duty, but there is no evidence that he participated in any combat.

Johnson left the Army Reserve in April 2015. Military sources said he was transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve, meaning he was no longer connected to a unit or required to continue drilling.

Since returning from Afghanistan, Johnson had been working for a Mesquite company, Touch of Kindness. He said his job was to "assist [sic] mentally challenged children and adults with transportation to and from various appointments and retail stores."

A woman who answered the phone at the company told NBC News that Johnson had not come into work on Friday because it was his normal day off. She did not know he was connected to the Dallas shootings and said she found it impossible to believe.

"He"s not that kind of person," he said. "He"s not violent. That can"t be him."

The aunt declined to go into detail about Johnson"s background, including whether he had a history of violence or emotional problems.

"Of course, someone did go out of their mind briefly," she said.

"Everybody is shocked, everybody is so shocked. But everybody sees what this is about. Did Xavier go too far? Yeah."

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dallas-police-ambush/dallas-shooter-micah-xavier-johnson-was-army-veteran-n606101

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Are Gay Men Really Banned From Giving Blood?

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Hours after 49 people were killed in a nightclub shooting in Orlando Sunday, people started lining up to give blood.

Lines quickly got so long at one Orlando blood bank, OneBlood, asked people to make appointments, instead. "The blood center is at full capacity and is asking donors to help over the next several days to help replenish the blood supply," the organization said in a statement.

Tatiana Osorio, of Orlando, cries while giving blood at the OneBlood blood center, June 13. Osorio lost three friends in the shooting. David Goldman / AP

"Thousands of people packed our donor centers and blood drives eager to donate and help replenish the blood supply. Your immediate response to help patients in need was unprecedented and remarkable," it added.

"We have experienced a huge outpouring of support. Local blood banks have over 600 units of blood on hand, which is more than usual as a result of all the donations," said Orlando Health, an area not-for-profit medical network.

But almost as quickly, social media became overwhelmed with outrage. The club that was attacked was a favorite among gay men, but there are some restrictions on blood donations by sexually active men who have s*x with men.

"Shocking: Gay & bisexual blood donations STILL restricted after #Orlando massacre," OUT Magazine tweeted.

"There"s an urgent need for blood donors in Orlando. Gay men still can"t donate," tweeted Jared Polis, a Democratic congressman who"s gay.

It"s a basic tenet of public health and emergency responders when there"s a crisis to give people something to do. Giving blood is almost always No. 1 on the list, because blood shortages are frequent even when there isn"t a crisis, and blood donations help people beyond any immediate crisis.

So many in the LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community felt especially offended that they were excluded from helping their own.

The Food and Drug Administration restrictions don"t quite amount to a ban on gay men. They"re meant to keep the human immune deficiency virus that causes AIDS out of the blood supply. So the FDA asks blood banks to exclude men who have had s*x with another man in the past year from donating blood -- a guideline softened last year after years of protest.

Before there was screening for HIV in blood donations, thousands of people caught HIV that way. By the end of 2001, more than 14,000 people became infected with HIV through blood transfusions, many of them children.

Related: As Promised, FDA to Lift Gay Blood Donation Ban

Experts estimate that the risk of being infected with HIV if you get a contaminated blood transfusion is 90 percent. And a single blood donation can go into the arms of three different people, the American Red Cross says.

"HIV antibodies may take a few weeks to develop after infection with the virus."

Tests for HIV don"t catch very early infections.

"HIV antibodies may take a few weeks to develop after infection with the virus. If you were recently infected, you might have a negative test result, yet be able to infect the recipient of your donation," the American Red Cross says.

There was a high-profile case in 2010. A Missouri man donated blood twice in 2008, and told the blood center he"d never had s*x with another man. At his second donation attempt, he tested positive for HIV. Blood he donated the first time went to a kidney transplant patient, who also become infected with HIV.

Investigators determined he"d lied about having s*x with other men and that he likely had become infected soon after his first donation.

Dozens of people wait to donate blood at the OneBlood Blood Donation Center in support to the victims of a mass shooting at Pulse nightclub, in Orlando, Florida, USA, 12 June. Cristobal Herrera / EPA

Other people at high risk of HIV or other bloodborne diseases are also excluded from giving blood, including s*x workers, injecting drug users, people with recent tattoos and, most recently, people at risk of Zika virus infection. People who lived in Britain since the 1980s are asked not to donate, because of the risk of a human version of mad cow disease, called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, that more than 170 people caught from eating British beef.

Gay and bisexual men, especially in the South, have a disproportionate burden of HIV infections. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that urban southern gay men have a 30 percent HIV infection rate. African-American men who have s*x with men have a 50 percent lifetime risk of HIV.

It"s in part because people fail to get tested, the CDC says, and in part because these communities are not always informed about the risks, and thus not aware of the importance of using condoms and other safe s*x practices.

"Today"s tragedy illustrates that it"s the blood already on the shelves that helps during an emergency."

FDA"s policy isn"t universally accepted by experts. Dr. Paul Volberding, director of the AIDS Research Institute at the University of California San Francisco, says a one-year exclusion is far too long because newer tests can show if someone is infected within a few days.

However, OneBlood says its donations get to recipients within three days. It hasn"t even been able to adopt the FDA"s latest guidance, and still asks all men who have ever had s*x with another man to hold off on donating.

The CDC and FDA say the restrictions have helped keep the blood supply alomost free of HIV.

The CDC estimated the risk for HIV infection through blood transfusion is now about one in 1.5 million.

Only about 10 percent of Americans eligible to donate blood do so in any given year, but high-profile attacks and disasters often cause people to turn out.

The Red Cross said it expected large crowds at four blood drives to be held in the Washington, D.C. area Monday. Red Cross blood drives were scheduled across the country Monday and Tuesday. And the organization has a website to help people find blood drives.

"Today"s tragedy illustrates that it"s the blood already on the shelves that helps during an emergency," the Red Cross said

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orlando-nightclub-massacre/are-gay-men-really-banned-giving-blood-n591301

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"Bodies Going Down": Witnesses Describe Orlando Nightclub Horror, Heroism

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It was toward the end of the night at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, when club-goer Christopher Hansen had taken his first sip from a drink and heard sharp noises ringing out in succession. He thought it was a beat of the song pulsating in the venue until people started crumpling onto the dance floor.

"I just saw bodies going down. Bang, bang, bang," he recalled to NBC News.

Photos: Gunman Opens Fire at Orlando Nightclub

The club was packed with over 300 people for Latin night at around 2 a.m. Sunday. Hansen said he didn"t see the gunman later identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen but his first instinct was to get down and crawl away from the epicenter of the shooting, as some 20 or 30 shots rung out.

"People stomped on me ... I was zig-zagging just in case because you could still hear the bullets going off," he said. "I was terrified. I was in shock."

He was already near the exit when he crawled past the bathroom and made it outside to relative safety. There were people bleeding. A man who didn"t speak English had a bullet in his back and his pants were drenched in blood, Hansen said.

He tore off his bandana and used it to suppress the bleeding.

"I had just seen the movie "The Conjuring 2"" before coming to the club, Hansen added. "To go from a horror movie to a real horror, it"s just shocking."

Police say Mateen killed at least 50 people and injured 50 others in what"s being described as the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

A motive was still under investigation, although his family told NBC News he may have carried out the carnage after seeing two men kissing in Miami while with his wife and young son. Law enforcement sources told NBC News Mateen had called 911 before the shooting to pledge allegiance to ISIS"s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Around 5 a.m., authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the club-goers who were being held hostage.

Mateen, who officials say was carrying an AR-15-type rifle with large capacity magazines, was killed.

Joshua McGill said he and his roommates hid in an employee area of the club before rushing outside.

"During my run across the parking lot I did hear more shooting and I ducked behind a car and crawled under the car," McGill, a nursing student, told NBC News. "That"s when I noticed another club-goer staggering, covered in blood and I helped him get behind the car."

Jackie Smith, who was also inside the club, said two friends next to her were shot.

"Some guy walked in and started shooting everybody. He had an automatic rifle, so nobody stood a chance," Smith told The Associated Press. "I just tried to get out of there."

Related: Mass Casualties After Gunman Opens Fire in Gay Club

Relatives and friends, many in tears, gathered outside the hospital to learn whether their loved ones were among the dead or wounded.

Smith did not know the conditions of her friends and came out of the hospital and burst into tears.

The wounded included one police officer who was shot and suffered injuries to his face, officials said.

Jon Alamo said he was at the back of one of the club"s rooms when a man holding a weapon came into the front of the room.

"I heard 20, 40, 50 shots," Alamo said. "The music stopped."

An injured person is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage early Sunday morning in Orlando. It was the deadliest mass shooting in American history. Steven Fernandez / AP

Club-goer Rob Rick said the shooting started just before closing time.

"Everybody was drinking their last sip," he said.

He estimated more than 100 people were still inside when he heard shots, got on the ground and crawled toward a DJ booth. A bouncer knocked down a partition between the club area and an area in the back where only workers are allowed. Thus people inside were able to then escape through the back of the club.

Hansen said he had moved to the Orlando area about two months ago, and was only expecting to have fun not see the night descend into chaos.

"There"s sweat and blood, I know it"s under my nails," he said. "This is just a tragic situation."

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orlando-nightclub-massacre/bodies-going-down-witnesses-describe-orlando-nightclub-horror-n590531

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Nor'easter Threatens Thanksgiving Travel Chaos for East Coast

A holiday storm system played havoc Wednesday with the Thanksgiving travel plans of tens of millions of people wiping out hundreds of flights in the Northeast, dumping rain on busy roads and threatening more than a foot of snow in some places.

Rain fell on drivers getting an early start from the big cities Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington into the Carolinas. By midday, snow was falling in every state from Virginia to Maine.

"If this was any other day of the year, it would be a pretty big storm but nothing too out of the ordinary," said Kevin Roth, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel. "But it's come at one of the worst possible times, the day before Thanksgiving. It's going to be very, very tricky for anyone planning to travel today."

By the end of the day, parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey were expected to get 3 to 6 inches of snow, and interior New England as much as a foot and a half.

Flight cancellations began piling up at major airports. By afternoon, Newark Liberty airport in New Jersey, LaGuardia in New York and Philadelphia International each had more than 150 flights scrapped. Arriving planes at those airports were delayed as much as three hours.

Amtrak said it was in good shape: "The system is working, just busy," said Kimberly Woods, a spokeswoman.

The Defense Department said it would open unused military airspace for commercial flights through Sunday. The airspace, mainly on the East Coast and throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Southwest, will make available "more highways in the sky that we can move planes through to get people to their destination efficiently," said Michael Huerta, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Roth said the cut-off line between heavy and light snow was likely to be very abrupt. "Someone could go from an inch in the southeast of a city and drive 10 miles northwest and find themselves in more than 10 inches," he said.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings many upped from winter weather advisories across a large icicle-shaped area from the Canada Border to North Carolina. The snow was likely to wind up in most places by Wednesday night but would linger in Boston until early Thursday, according to Roth.

First published November 26 2014, 3:03 AM

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/noreaster-threatens-thanksgiving-travel-chaos-east-coast-n256426

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