Democrats saw Franken as a liability

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Sen. Al FrankenAlan (Al) Stuart FrankenDemocrats turn on Al Franken Schumer called, met with Franken and told him to resign Overnight Finance: Trump says shutdown ‘could happen’ | Ryan, conservatives inch closer to spending deal | Senate approves motion to go to tax conference | Ryan promises ‘entitlement reform’ in 2018 MORE (D-Minn.) had been resisting behind-the-scenes pressure from fellow Senate Democrats to step down for some time before his resignation on Thursday.

Sources familiar with deliberations within the caucus said women Democratic senators pressed their leadership to resolve the Franken situation and the leaders relayed their concerns to him.

“There were conversations by a number of senators who were concerned about the allegations and believed the women,” said one Democratic senator.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick DurbinRichard (Dick) Joseph DurbinDemocrats turn on Al Franken Minnesota’s largest newspaper calls on Franken to resign Democratic senator predicts Franken will resign Thursday MORE (D-Ill.) said he had “several” conversations with Franken leading up to the day of his announced resignation, although he declined to reveal what exactly he said.

The drive to oust Franken was led by the women of the Senate, who felt it was a defining moment in national politics. They worried that if Franken were allowed to stay in the Senate despite a steady stream of harassment allegations, they would look weak or even hypocritical.

At first, Franken’s Democratic colleagues were OK with letting him stay in the chamber while the Senate Ethics Committee investigated the charges against him.

But as more accusers came forward and the allegations piled up, women senators grew concerned that the Ethics Committee would not move quickly or decisively enough to spare the Senate and the Democratic Party lasting political damage.

A second Democratic senator said there was strong “concern that we were losing the moral high ground with Roy Moore and the president,” referring to the Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama and President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for ‘serious case of amnesia’ after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I don’t want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MORE.

Even though Franken’s colleagues didn’t think the allegations about his past behavior were equivalent to allegations facing Moore, who is accused of sexual misconduct with teenagers, they feared that voters might not see much difference.

When Franken finally announced his plans to leave Congress in an emotional speech Thursday morning, it came as a relief to many of his Democratic colleagues.

Afterward, more than 20 colleagues lined up on the Senate floor to hug him or shake his hand. Not one, however, delivered any remarks in praise or recognition of his Senate accomplishments.

Franken refused to admit any misconduct in a defiant floor speech announcing his decision to leave.

A spokesman for Franken did not respond to a request for comment.

The defiance reflected Franken’s desire to hang on to his position in the Senate.

Even after Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerAmerica isn’t ready to let Sessions off his leash Schumer celebrates New York Giants firing head coach: ‘About time’ GOP should reject the left’s pessimism and the deficit trigger MORE (N.Y.) stepped up the pressure on him to resign Wednesday morning after a seventh accuser came forward in a Politico report, Franken resisted stepping aside.

He claimed the allegation was “categorically not true” and waved off elements of the woman’s story as “preposterous,” according to a statement to Politico.

Schumer held a second meeting with Franken and his wife, Franni, at Schumer’s apartment in Washington, D.C., early Wednesday afternoon and again argued that he should step down.

By this time, a fast-growing number Democratic senators had issued public statements calling on Franken to leave the Senate.

Sen. Kirsten GillibrandKirsten Elizabeth GillibrandDemocrats turn on Al Franken Report: Franken will resign Thursday Minnesota’s largest newspaper calls on Franken to resign MORE (D-N.Y.), a leading advocate for the victims of sexual harassment, was the first out of the gate with a statement.

While acknowledging that Franken had a right to wait for the results of the ethics investigation, she said “it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message” that harassment isn’t acceptable by stepping aside.

Sens. Mazie HironoMazie Keiko HironoDemocrats turn on Al Franken The Hill’s 12:30 Report Avalanche of Democratic senators say Franken should resign MORE (D-Hawaii), Claire McCaskillClaire Conner McCaskillDemocrats turn on Al Franken Trump rips Dems a day ahead of key White House meeting The Hill’s 12:30 Report MORE (D-Mo.), and Maggie HassanMargaret (Maggie) HassanDemocrats turn on Al Franken The Hill’s 12:30 Report Avalanche of Democratic senators say Franken should resign MORE (D-N.H.) quickly followed with statements of their own.

By the end of the day Wednesday, a total of 33 Democratic senators had called for Franken’s ouster, more than half the caucus.

Schumer, who had been close to Franken, delivered the final blow.

Although the leader acknowledged Franken was “a dear friend,” Schumer said his colleague had “a higher obligation to his constituents and the Senate.”

The desire to send a signal different than the one sent by Republicans backing President Trump played a part in the opposition to Franken.

The election of Trump after a recording of him making lewd comments about grabbing women became public has since galvanized the Democratic base — especially women — and Democratic senators say they have to pay attention to this powerful political force.

“We’re in the middle of a big cultural shift and I think particularly young women are not going to stand for this kind of behavior and, most importantly, the intimidation that comes with it,” said Sen. Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel FeinsteinGrassley blasts Democrats over unwillingness to probe Clinton Avalanche of Democratic senators say Franken should resign Blumenthal: ‘Credible case’ of obstruction of justice can be made against Trump MORE (D-Calif.), who called on Franken to resign Wednesday.

Feinstein said Trump’s comments about women on the Access Hollywood tape “really brought it to the fore.”

“To hear a man say those things and become president of the United States and all of his accusers are kind of banished to nowhere almost subconsciously in women has had a big effect,” she added.

Email pointed Trump campaign to WikiLeaks documents that were already public

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A 2016 email sent to President Trump and top aides pointed the campaign to hacked documents from the Democratic National Committee that had already been made public by the group WikiLeaks a day earlier.

The email — sent the afternoon of Sept. 14, 2016 — noted that “Wikileaks has uploaded another (huge 678 mb) archive of files from the DNC” and included a link and a “decryption key,” according to a copy obtained by The Washington Post.

The writer, who said his name was Michael J. Erickson and described himself as the president of an aviation management company, sent the message to the then-Republican nominee as well as his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and other top advisers.

The day before, WikiLeaks had tweeted links to what the group said was 678.4 megabytes of DNC documents.

The full email — which was first described to CNN as being sent on Sept. 4, 10 days earlier — indicates that the writer may have simply been flagging information that was already widely available.

The message also noted that information from former secretary of state Colin Powell’s inbox was available “on DCLeaks.com.” That development, too, had been publicly reported earlier that day.

Alan S. Futerfas, an attorney for Trump Jr., described it as one of “a ton of unsolicited emails like this on a variety of topics.”

Futerfas said Erickson was unknown to Trump Jr. or the campaign. The message was one of thousands turned over to the House Intelligence Committee and others investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, emails that included spam and junk emails. Trump Jr. was asked about the email Wednesday, when he spent about seven hours behind closed doors answering questions from members of the committee.

“The email was never read or responded to — and the House Intelligence Committee knows this,” he said. “It is profoundly disappointing that members of the House Intelligence Committee would deliberately leak a document, with the misleading suggestion that the information was not public, when they know that there is not a scintilla of evidence that Mr. Trump Jr. read or responded to the email.”

Futerfas said that he and Trump Jr. had been required to surrender their electronic devices during the interview for security reasons. He expressed anger that details of the session leaked out before it had even concluded.

“We are concerned that these actions, combined with the deliberate and misleading leak of a meaningless email, undermines the credibility of the serious work the House Intelligence Committee is supposedly undertaking,” he said.

House Intelligence Committee officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The email came from a Yahoo email address. It is unclear if the sender’s name is actually Michael Erickson. The author could not immediately be reached for comment.

In addition to Trump Jr., it was sent to a rarely used address for Donald Trump, as well as Trump Organization attorney Michael Cohen and a Gmail account that had been sometimes used by Hope Hicks. It also went to several other Trump Organization employees, with the subject line “Trump: Another Wikileaks DNC Upload.”

Karoun Demirjian, Ellen Nakashima and Alice Crites contributed to this report.

Winter storm dumps rare snow in Texas, threatens swath from Deep South to New England

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Snow made a rare appearance in South Texas this week, blanketing everything from cars and homes to area roadways.
USA TODAY

A band of cold air that delivered a rare blanket of snow to parts of southern Texas rolled through the Deep South on Friday bringing threats of more weekend snow, sleet and dicey travel conditions from the Mid-Atlantic to New England.

Parts of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi reported snow flurries before dawn. In Georgia, nearly two dozen school systems closed ahead of the wintry weather.

“It’s the first snow of the season and any time you even mention snow in the South, you’re going to get people a little panicky,” said David Nadler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s office south of Atlanta.

This first taste of winter will vary along the path across the South, with sleet and snow expected — but not certain — in much of Virginia on Saturday, , but likely producing snow in larger amounts farther north in New York City, Massachusetts and Maine.

The National Weather Service said a half inch to an inch of snow is forecast across many areas of the South by Friday night. Winter weather advisories have been posted for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. The advisories were issued for cities including Baton Rouge, La., Hattiesburg, Miss., and Birmingham, Ala.

The wintry blast could produce especially hazardous driving conditions for Friday evening commuters in southern cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., and Richmond.

Meanwhile, a second storm moving across the upper tier of the United States out of the Midwest could bring patchy snow, and the chance of a small accumulation to parts of the interior Northeast from Saturday night to Sunday, AccuWeather says.

The amount and intensity of snow activity depends on if and when the northern storm merges with the southern band and how much moisture it carries as it gets closer to the Atlantic Ocean.

Frigid temperatures behind a cold front combined with moisture off the Gulf of Mexico have yielded a rare snowfall in many parts of South and Southeast Texas. Snow continued falling in the Houston area on Friday morning. (Dec. 8)
AP

“It may be a close call with accumulating snow versus melting snow from New York City to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.,” according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk. “New York City will have a better chance at an inch or two accumulation, since some of the snow will fall during Saturday night.”

The storm’s unpredictable nature was on full display in Texas, particularly near the Gulf Coast, as a band of heavy snow slowly moved over Austin and San Antonio on Thursday, eventually reaching Houston and Corpus Christi.

Contributing: Associated Press

Roy Moore accuser admits she wrote part of yearbook inscription attributed to Alabama Senate candidate

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Roy Moore looks for Trump bump from Florida rally

Kevin Corke with what to expect from the speech.

One of the women who accused Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of making advances on her when she was a teen and he a local prosecutor admitted Friday to writing part of the yearbook inscription she offered as proof, a new crack in her story that gives Moore an opening to attack her credibility.

Beverly Young Nelson now says part of the inscription near Roy Moore’s signature was not written by Moore.

(AP)

Beverly Young Nelson told ABC News she added the date and place in the inscription in her high school yearbook that she and famed attorney Gloria Allred presented as proof the then-30-something Moore sought an inappropriate relationship with her in the late 1970s. Nelson still insisted that Moore wrote most of the message and signed the inscription, but said she made “notes” to it.

“Beverly, he did sign your yearbook?” ABC’s Tom Llamas asked her.

(Beverly Young Nelson has accused Republican Roy Moore of making advances on her when she was a teen.)

“He did sign it,” she said.

“And you made some notes underneath?” Llamas asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

During her original press conference with Allred in November, Nelson attributed the entire inscription to Moore. “He wrote in my yearbook as follows: ‘To a sweeter more beautiful girl, I could not say Merry Christmas, Christmas, 1977, Love, Roy Moore, Olde Hickory House. Roy Moore, DA,'” she said.

The latter part of the inscription after the signature reads: “12-22-77 Olde Hickory House.”

At the time, Nelson did not admit to writing the date and name of the restaurant herself. The implication was that it had been written by Moore.

Moore tweeted Friday, “Now she herself admits to lying.”

Moore has denied signing the yearbook and said he did not know Nelson at the time. Moore, who went on to become a judge and then the chief justice of the Alabama State Supreme Court, later ruled against Nelson in a 1999 divorce case.

The Moore campaign has questioned the authenticity of the inscription since the claim surfaced last month.

Nelson and Allred have scheduled a press conference on Thursday afternoon, with Allred saying she will distribute a report from an expert that indicates the signature in Beverly’s yearbook is Moore’s.

Last month, the Moore campaign demanded that a handwriting expert be allowed to review the yearbook.

“Release the yearbook so that we can determine is it genuine, or is it a fraud,” attorney Phillip L. Jauregui said.

Moore, 70, is running against Doug Jones in a bruising special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions, who President Trump named attorney general, and then held on an interim basis by Luther Strange. The election is Tuesday.

The Nelson accusation had bolstered claims by other women that Moore sought relationships with teenage girls in the late 1970s. Leigh Corfman claims Moore molested her when she was 14. Another woman claims Moore groped her in his office in 1991.

Fox News’ Alex Pappas contributed to this report.

Snow likely Saturday with some accumulation, winter weather advisory in effect

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* Winter weather advisory for much of the area, from midnight tonight until 4 p.m. Saturday. *

(This post was updated at 1 p.m. with a detailed model discussion at the bottom.)

A developing storm system across the South today will scoot northeast to a position off the Mid-Atlantic coast Saturday, throwing back snow over the D.C. region, for the first time this season.

[See how this early winter storm coated parts of Texas, Deep South in a rare snow]

This will be a wet, slushy snow as temperature hover near and slightly above freezing. We expect the bulk of the snow to occur between early Saturday morning and midday Saturday, when untreated roads could become slushy and slick. But some snow could occur somewhat before and after that (see more on timing below).

For snow amounts, 1 to 3 inches seems most likely in the immediate D.C. area, with totals up to 3 to 6 inches possible in Southern Maryland and near the Chesapeake Bay. Because the snow is originating from a storm offshore, our far west and northwest areas will see the least snow, between a dusting and two inches.

Small changes in the position of the storm off the coast Saturday could result in significant changes to amounts. If the storm is closer to the coast, the immediate D.C. area could see totals closer to four inches, but if it drifts more out to sea, little accumulation would occur. Uncertainty in snow amounts is the highest in our west and northwest areas, where amounts are most sensitive to the storm track and where models present very conflicting information.

Exact temperatures will also affect how much snow falls. While it has turned colder in recent days, the ground is not particularly cold, so any initial snow will melt. Temperatures will also be above freezing at times, especially when the snow first begins, and at times during the day on Saturday; this will cut back on how much snow sticks. However, where and when the snow falls steadily, we do expect temperatures to fall to 30-32 degrees, so there should be some accumulation.

Furthermore, the sun angle is near its lowest point in the calendar year, aiding accumulation prospects during the day Saturday.

Storm timing

GFS model simulation of snowfall Friday to Saturday.

For most of the region, the period we’re most concerned about is between about 5 a.m. and noon Saturday, when the steadiest, accumulating snow is most likely. Locally heavy snow could even briefly occur. Here’s how we see the event evolving:

Friday afternoon (noon to 6 p.m.): Light snow or sprinkles possible, mainly in our southern areas. No accumulation. Temperatures near 40.
Friday evening (6 p.m. to midnight): Steady light snow develops in Southern Maryland to around Fredericksburg — coating possible, mainly on grassy areas. Flurries possible elsewhere, especially southern areas. Temperatures falling into 30s.
Saturday predawn (midnight to 6 a.m.): Snow increases in Southern Maryland with a couple inches possible. Snow develops from southeast to northwest elsewhere — maybe a coating or so by dawn. Temperatures fall to near freezing.
Saturday morning (6 a.m. to noon): Snow, possibly moderate to heavy at times along and east of Interstate 95 with accumulation. Light snow and flurries west and north of Leesburg to Frederick. Temperatures 30 to 34.
Saturday afternoon (noon to 6 p.m.): Snow gradually tapers off from west to east. Little additional accumulation. Temperatures 32 to 36.
Saturday evening: A few lingering flurries possible. Temperatures 30 to 34.

Impact analysis

Immediate metro area

Using Capital Weather Gang’s winter storm impact scale, which ranges from 1 to 5, this is a very typical Level 1 “nuisance” event for much of the metro region. It has the potential to create some slick travel and minor disruptions, but the impact is lessened by the fact that it’s occurring on a Saturday, when most schools and offices are closed. It may, however, have a small negative effect on commerce — occurring on a prime holiday shopping day, but major roads should be treated and in shape for careful travel.

Fredericksburg to Southern Maryland

In Southern Maryland and toward the northern neck of Virginia, including Fredericksburg, where up to six inches or so are possible, this event rates at the low end of a Level 2 disruptive event, mainly due to the amount of snow possible and the possibility of a period of heavier snow which could make travel difficult for some time Saturday morning. But the impact will be limited some by the storm timing.

Model discussion by Wes Junker

Over the past 24 hours the global models (the American GFS and European) have trended west with the back edge of their precipitation, increasing snowfall over the D.C. region, while the NAM model has shown more run to run variation and is not quite as heavy.

The models have also trended colder, probably due to the precipitation arriving late Friday night/early Saturday morning, the optimal time to allow the atmosphere to cool but also because models are now predicting heavier precipitation. The latter works through evaporation and the process of melting of the flakes to cool the atmosphere.

Red line indicates position of freezing line at 7 a.m. Saturday that dips south in areas where heavier snow is predicted. (WeatherBell.com)

One of the big forecast problems today is that wherever a heavier band of snow sets up, which is impossible to predict until it’s almost happening, the temperatures are likely to drop a degree or two, dipping the temperature below 32 degrees. Wherever this happens, the snow could pile up at a good clip. This morning’s NAM model gives a sense how the intensity of the precipitation might help govern the temperature and how much and where snow might stick.

Note on the NAM forecast valid at 7 a.m. Saturday that where the darkest blue shades and heaviest precipitation rates are located on the east side of the Bay, the red line depicting where temperatures are forecast to be below freezing dips southward (see to the right).

Unfortunately, there are sometimes smaller scale bands of heavier snow that set up farther west of the heaviest precipitation shield. The high resolution NAM hints at such a structure (see below).

High resolution NAM model predicts a band of heavier snow setting up just west of the Interstate 95 corridor Saturday. (WeatherBell.com)

Note that while Washington is forecast to get the equivalent of 0.3 inches of liquid (equating to 2 to 3 inches of snow), that a band of 0.4 inches (3 to 4 inches of snow) extends from just west of Washington north-northeastward into Pennsylvania. Another aspect of the precipitation field to note on the NAM is the sharp cutoff in the heavier precipitation west of that implied heavy band, suggesting that dry air might try to keep eroding the western edge of the precipitation shield.

As noted before, the GFS has edged its precipitation shield west since Thursday (see below).

Evolution of GFS model precipitation forecast, which shows increasing amounts and coverage in consecutive runs since Thursday. (WeatherBell.com)

The most troubling aspect of its forecast is the implied band of heavier precipitation extending toward well to the southwest and west of Washington. Like the high resolution NAM, the GFS is suggesting there will be a separate smaller scale band of heavier precipitation. Unfortunately, the models differ on where it might set up.

Note the huge differences between high resolution NAM and the GFS implied band. The latter forecasts the equivalent of 0.50 inches liquid (4 or 5 inches of snow) while the former only predicts 0.10 or 0.20 inches of liquid (1 to 2 inches of snow) across the same area. Light snow at marginal temperatures might only garner a sloppy dusting to an inch.

We’re playing the snow forecast conservatively across the region because the models differ so much and there is the possibility of a sharp cutoff along the back edge of the precipitation as drier air tries to filter in.

Thursday night’s European model run (see below) also shifted the back edge of its heavier precipitation westward. It’s a viable compromise between the NAM and GFS.

European model forecast comparison between Thursday morning and Thursday night. The model increased the amount of precipitation forecast. (StormVistaWxModels.com)

Note how the dark green area (the 0.50 inches or more liquid equivalent) shifted from barely touching St. Mary’s County to almost extending northward to the District. That jump put the model’s forecast more in line with last night’s UKMET and today’s GFS than the previous run.

Friday morning’s European model run, just out, is very similar to last night’s — even bringing the heavier precipitation a little farther west.

European model precipitation forecast from Friday morning, showing the total amount through Saturday. (StormVistaWxModels.com)

Taking all of the information together, we lean toward the European model forecast as a compromise but with limited confidence.

Trump’s Jerusalem move: Deadly clashes erupt after Friday prayers

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Jerusalem (CNN)Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces clashed Friday in Jerusalem and the West Bank amid heightened tensions in the region and elsewhere over US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

MUST WATCH

CNN’s Andrew Carey and Ian Lee reported from Jerusalem and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Vasco Cotovio, Natalie Gallon, Jomana Karadsheh, Gul Tuysuz, Abeer Salman, Kareem Khadder, Schams Elwazer, Hande Atay Alam and Hilary McGann also contributed, as did journalists Yosef Riadi and Zan Azlee.

Former South Carolina police officer who shot Walter Scott sentenced to 20 years

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The former South Carolina police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, following a traffic stop was sentenced Thursday to 20 years behind bars in a federal case stemming from the fatal encounter.

Michael Slager, who had been an officer with the North Charleston police, was charged with murder in state court and indicted on federal civil rights charges after the shooting in 2015. His murder trial ended with a deadlocked jury last year, and prosecutors had vowed to retry Slager in state court.

But earlier this year, Slager pleaded guilty to a single federal civil rights charge as part of a plea deal that resolved both cases. A judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison, according to the Associated Press, which had a reporter at the sentencing.

Under the terms of the plea agreement announced in May, Slager pleaded guilty to one count of violating Scott’s rights under color of law, and prosecutors said they would push for a judge to apply sentencing guidelines for second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Slager could have faced a life sentence, but prosecutors had said as part of the plea deal that they would recommend that his sentence be reduced due to his “acceptance of responsibility,” so long as he did not later seek to minimize that acceptance.

[ ‘Look for justice’: A shooting in South Carolina and the power of video ]

In a sentencing memorandum filed last month, prosecutors argued that Slager did not appear to be taking full responsibility, and as a result, they did not feel he should receive a lesser sentence than life imprisonment.

Attorneys for Slager argued against that in their own filing, writing that the former officer accepted responsibility and “has said nothing that contradicts the factual basis for the offense contained in the plea agreement.” They argued that federal prosecutors were focused only on “their unreasonable goal to have Slager spend the remainder of his life in prison.”

Slager’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the sentencing Thursday.

Scott’s death in April 2015 became among the most high-profile police shootings in recent years due to graphic video that later emerged. In the recording, which was captured by a bystander, the 50-year-old Scott was seen hurrying away as the officer fired a volley of rounds at the driver’s back.

The video quickly ricocheted around the Internet and on news stations, and Slager was arrested and fired from his police force.

Slager said he feared for his life during the encounter. In another video recording, this one taken by Slager’s dashboard camera as the traffic stop got underway, the two men could be seen interacting before Scott got out of his car and fled. Slager is then heard on a police radio reporting a description of Scott before yelling, “Taser, Taser, Taser!”

During the trial, Slager testified that he was scared and felt “total fear that Mr. Scott was coming toward me.” The former officer also said that he tried to subdue Scott and that the driver had grabbed his Taser during a struggle.

When asked by a prosecutor whether he agreed that Scott was unarmed and running away, Slager testified that he did not realize the Taser had fallen behind him when he fired the fatal shots.

Slager said that at the time, he did not think Slager was unarmed, but he realized it after watching the video. The bystander video also shows Slager placing an item — his Taser — near Scott’s body following the shooting.

Officers are rarely charged for deadly on-duty shootings, though that number has increased in recent years amid intense scrutiny and protests that have broken out across the country. Experts attribute the increase in prosecutions to a combination of more video evidence and mounting political pressure.

Convictions in such cases remain rare. During a single week last June, three police officers who had been charged over high-profile shootings captured on video were not convicted; two were acquitted, and a mistrial was declared in a third case.

The law firm of Andrew J. Savage III, an attorney for Slager, had called the federal charges against Slager “very extreme” when they were announced and suggested they were motivated by “the burden of many past cases that were handled differently.”

While the videos that go viral can be gruesome, experts caution that such footage may be incomplete and note that the legal standard still remains whether an officer’s actions were “objectively reasonable” at the time.

David A. Harris, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh and an expert on police use of force, said this standard tends to favor police. In an interview earlier this year, Harris said jurors also tend to give officers “the benefit of the doubt” in most cases.

This story, first published at 12:28 p.m., has been updated.

Further reading:

The Washington Post’s 2017 police shootings database

‘I was scared’: S.C. officer on trial for murder in shooting of unarmed black man takes the stand

Former S.C. police officer pleads guilty in fatal shooting caught on video

At least 3 dead, gunman deceased after shooting at New Mexico high school, police say

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The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said there was an active shooter at Aztec High School in New Mexico.

(Google Earth)

Two students were killed when a gunman opened fire at a northern New Mexico high school Thursday morning, law enforcement officials said.

A spokesman for the New Mexico State Police told Fox News the suspected gunman was also killed. It’s unclear how the gunman died.

Law enforcement said Aztec High School, which is located in the Four Corners region and near the Navajo Nation, has been evacuated after it went into lockdown.

A law enforcement official and a Navajo Nation spokesman said more than a dozen were injured, however it was unclear how they were injured.

“It’s tragic when our children are harmed in violent ways especially on school campuses. We express our condolences to those families who have been harmed,” Russell Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation, said in a press release.

No additional information was provided on the condition of those who were injured, KOB reported.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the shooting happened inside the school or who was suspected of firing the shots.

Authorities said they cleared the buildings at the school and students were boarding buses to another location where they could be reunited with their parents.

On Facebook, law enforcement officials asked people to “avoid the area” while authorities secured the scene.

“Aztec High School is locked down and being evacuated. Please avoid the area. Parents can stage at 516 and Mesa Verde near the church to pick up their kids. We will update this as we learn more,” the post said.

Farmington Municipal Schools wrote on Facebook that all schools in the district went into preventive lockdown due to the incident.

“We have no reason to think there is any threat in Farmington at this time, but we are taking this advance action in order to secure all of our schools. Your students’ safety is our primary concern,” the statement said.

In nearby Bloomfield, police said local schools were also on lockdown as a precaution.

Federal agents and state police are investigating.

Fox News’ Ray Bogan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lucia I. Suarez Sang is a Reporter for FoxNews.com. Follow her on Twitter @luciasuarezsang

2 students killed at New Mexico high school, police say, shooter dead

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The Latest: Hezbollah chief calls for protests against US

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ISTANBUL — Officials, religious leaders and activists across the Middle East on Thursday condemned President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, with U.S. allies and foes alike denouncing the move as reckless and likely to ignite further violence in the region.

Criticism of the move, which breaks with decades of U.S. policy, poured in from countries including Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Iran. Lebanon’s Hezbollah called it “malicious aggression,” and Turkey’s president said it would plunge the region into a “ring of fire.”

Even stalwart allies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — otherwise admirers of Trump’s presidency — took aim at the administration over the new policy. The Saudi government on Thursday described the decision as an “irresponsible and unwarranted step,” according to the state-run news agency. Qatar, too, warned of “serious repercussions” for stability in the region.

Jerusalem, although divided, is considered holy by Jews, Christians and Muslims, and Palestinians envision the eastern part of the city as the capital of any future state.

Israelis, on the other hand, see Jerusalem as their own eternal, undivided capital. Previous U.S. administrations kept the embassy in Tel Aviv, pending a final peace agreement that would determine Jerusalem’s status.

Demonstrators hold Turkish and Palestinian flags as they shout slogans during a protest against the U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city as the capital of Israel, near the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, Dec. 7. (Umit Bektas/Reuters)

[‘This will be bad’: Clashes break out in West Bank after Trump speech]

“The U.S. administration must reverse this unjust decision,” Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Thursday.

Abadi, who has partnered closely with the United States in the fight against the Islamic State, said the move could lead to “dangerous escalation” in the region. Iraq’s Foreign Ministry said it has summoned U.S. Ambassador Douglas Silliman to deliver a formal letter of protest.

In Turkey, where relations with Washington were already strained over U.S. support for Kurdish militias in Syria, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim likened Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem to pulling “the pin on a bomb ready to blow in the region.”

Speaking at a conference in the capital, Ankara, Yildirim said that Turkey, a NATO member, would not recognize the decision, Reuters news agency reported.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara urged U.S. citizens to stay away from planned protests outside the embassy and consulates in Istanbul and Adana.

Outside the U.S. Embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, protesters denounced the United States, chanting against the decision and holding signs that read: “No to U.S. arrogance.”

“Before, the U.S. was a partner in peace to solve the problem in Palestine. Now, Jordanians see the U.S. as part of the problem,” said 60-year-old Hafeth Khawaja.

“All of the moderates in this region that stood by America, and put their faith in America for so many years, now look like fools,” he said. “We have been betrayed.”

Elsewhere, militants who have fought U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq took the opportunity to condemn both Israel and the United States.

Akram al-Kaabi, head of the Iran-backed Nujaba militia in Iraq, called Trump’s decision “foolish” and said it would spark an uprising. He added thatthe move legitimizes attacks on U.S. forces, of which there are thousands in Iraq.

Moqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi Shiite cleric who has long opposed the United States, echoed that thought, saying governments should expel Israeli diplomats and temporarily shutter American embassies.

In Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman said in an emailed statement that the decision will “fan the flames of conflict in the entire world.”

Trump, the spokesman said, has exposed U.S. support for a “policy of occupation and colonization of Muslim lands.”

El-Ghobashy reported from Baghdad. Mustafa Salim in Baghdad, Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul and Taylor Luck in Amman contributed to this report.

For Trump, Jerusalem is part of a global cultural war

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