Early in 1942 Nazi leadership officially decided on the total annihilation of European Jews.

Three students from the University of Munich observed the murder of Jews by SS troops on the Eastern Front. Joining with other students and one professor in Munich they engaged in intentional civil disobedience against the Nazi regime by writing and distributing leaflets under the name “The White Rose” advocating passive resistance to the Nazi war effort and by painting “Freedom” and “Down with Hitler” graffiti on buildings in Munich.

The leaflets included the warning ”Do not forget that every nation deserves the government that it endures.” Allied planes dropped copies over Germany with the heading “The Manifesto of the Students of Munich.”

In 1943 a Nazi party member reported Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie throwing leaflets from a University of Munich classroom building. They were arrested and tried without any opportunity to speak. Sophie did interrupt the judge multiple times. Four days after their arrest, Hans, Sophie, and another member of their group was beheaded. Later others in their group were executed.

White Rose remains an inspiration to those who remember.

In October before the 2024 Presidential election “60 Minutes” aired an interview on CBS with Kamala Harris. The program is the highest rated for news on television and the most profitable for the network. Trump declined the invitation to also be interviewed.

CBS asked Harris about the Biden administration’s rocky relations with Israel’s prime minister. CBS used two portions of her answer—A convoluted response on CBS “Face the Nation” and a more succinct portion on “60 Minutes.” Noting the difference, Trump alleged the Harris interview was manipulated to boost her campaign.

Days before the election Trump sued CBS in an Amarillo, Texas court overseen by a Trump-appointed judge. Trump added his former doctor and Texas resident Rep. Jackson to the filing. His suit alleged Trump suffered “mental anguish” from “malicious deception, and substantial news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public” and asked for $20 billion in damages.

This occurred at the same time CBS’ parent company Paramount Global was seeking government approval for the campany’s $8 billion sale to Trump’s friend David Ellison of Skydance Media. In one of his first actions the new Trump appointed FCC chairman began an inquiry into whether the CBS edits were news distortion. U.S. Senators Warren, Sanders, and Wyden in a letter warned Paramount board members of bribery charges if they settled with Trump as a way to win FCC approval of the Skydance sale.

CBS failed to get the case dismissed or moved to New York where CBS and “60 Minutes” are based. The Texas judge ordered the case to mediation with a retired judge and talks began in late April. Then in May “60 Minutes” aired a segment on Trump’s targeting law firms. Allegedly Trump was furious and threatened Paramount with a second lawsuit.

Supposedly, Ellison met with Trump at a UFC event in New Jersey and soon after he offered support of the Ellison purchase, but continued to blast CBS News.

According to news reports, Paramount said the terms of the settlement were suggested by the mediator. Due to confidentiality, it is not known if the mediator actually made such a suggestion or if that is how Paramount described the negotiation.

In the settlement, CBS agreed to pay $16 million for Trump’s legal fees with the remainder to go to Trump’s future presidential library. CBS agreed to release transcripts of interviews with presidential candidates. CBS did refuse to apologize for its reporting. Trump agreed to drop his claim and not sue over the May broadcast. Supposedly there is a side deal in which Paramount agreed to run millions of dollars of public service announcements for Trump-supported causes although Paramount executives deny this exists.

Trump’s legal team released a statement “President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit.”

Compiled from Los Angeles Times reporting.