NEW: MI5 and Five Eyes partner agencies have just issued what they say is an unprecedented joint warning about attempts by Chinese spies to use LinkedIn to recruit Western assets
Factual thoughts….@ScottPelley and @mhenryschuster were embedded with my Marine infantry unit in 2009—it was incredibly violent in Helmand. They told our story well. Years later, my unit suffered multiple suicides, they came back to cover that too. I wrote him when I was hired.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Major Bruce P. Crandall distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism as a Flight Commander in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
On 14 November 1965, his flight of sixteen helicopters was lifting troops for a search and destroy mission from Plei Me, Vietnam, to Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley.
On the fourth troop lift, the airlift began to take enemy fire, and by the time the aircraft had refueled and returned for the next troop lift, the enemy had Landing Zone X-Ray targeted.
As Major Crandall and the first eight helicopters landed to discharge troops on his fifth troop lift, his unarmed helicopter came under such intense enemy fire that the ground commander ordered the second flight of eight aircraft to abort their mission.
As Major Crandall flew back to Plei Me, his base of operations, he determined that the ground commander of the besieged infantry battalion desperately needed more ammunition.
Major Crandall then decided to adjust his base of operations to Artillery Firebase Falcon in order to shorten the flight distance to deliver ammunition and evacuate wounded soldiers.
While medical evacuation was not his mission, he immediately sought volunteers and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, led the two aircraft to Landing Zone X-Ray.
Despite the fact that the landing zone was still under relentless enemy fire, Major Crandall landed and proceeded to supervise the loading of seriously wounded soldiers aboard his aircraft.
Major Crandall's voluntary decision to land under the most extreme fire instilled in the other pilots the will and spirit to continue to land their own aircraft, and in the ground forces the realization that they would be resupplied and that friendly wounded would be promptly evacuated.
This greatly enhanced morale and the will to fight at a critical time.
After his first medical evacuation, Major Crandall continued to fly into and out of the landing zone throughout the day and into the evening.
That day he completed a total of 22 flights, most under intense enemy fire, retiring from the battlefield only after all possible service had been rendered to the Infantry battalion.
His actions provided critical resupply of ammunition and evacuation of the wounded.
Major Crandall's daring acts of bravery and courage in the face of an overwhelming and determined enemy are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
He flew an unarmed helicopter through 14 hours of relentless enemy fire.
Today we honor Col. Bruce Crandall, who passed away on May 31. Read the true story of the pilot who flew through hell to save his Soldiers. 🧵 (1/7)
New statement from Scott Pelley:
There has never been anything in America like 60 Minutes.
The Sunday tradition is the most successful program of any kind in history. For more than a decade, its innovative growth on every major online platform has extended its reach to countless millions around the world. This spring, at the end of our 58thseason, 60 Minutes grew rapidly with an unheard-of 9% jump in viewers on CBS.
“60” has been the number-one program in America for decades because our beloved audience finds integrity, quality, and humanity in our stories. When stewardship of the program passed to my colleagues and me, our responsibility was to expand energetically into a new age of media technology while preserving the values our audience expects. Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration.
The waste is heartbreaking.
Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause. Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience. They stood for fairness against the forces of political bias; they stood for professionalism against chaos.
For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified. To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast. Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not how this is done. Finally, incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc. In a case involving one of my stories, the entire program came within 19 minutes of not getting on the air at all.
At 60 Minutes, we have fought harder than anyone knows to save the program that became an American icon. We owed that to our millions of viewers. I am deeply moved by the thousands of wishes we have received to “keep up the good fight.” Most of the men and women of CBS News are still in that fight. But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable. The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone, and so I must leave as well.
I depart after 37 years at CBS with one emotion—a heart brimming with gratitude for the men and women of CBS News who encouraged and enriched my work, very often at the risk of their own lives. I pray for a day when those people and their ideals are honored again—a day when sanity, competence, and courage return.
Scott Pelley
It makes perfect sense when you review their record.
The whole point is to subvert the Republican Party and make money from the carnage.
Whoever is at the top of anything is targeted, their replacement heralded, and then that replacement thrown under the bus. Rinse. Repeat.
@andybrehm@bryanstrawser@StarTribune In the future, the Minnesota caucus process should be abandoned and party nominees need to be chosen in a June primary.
After a deeply flawed convention in Duluth, Minnesota Republicans should pick our statewide 2026 nominees in the August primary. My thoughts in @StarTribune. https://t.co/FeHlsTI3aV
David J. Halberstam, legendary sports broadcaster and journalist, has passed away after a long battle with brain cancer.
Halberstam spent nearly 50 years in the industry across college basketball, NBA and more.
NEW: State Rep. Elliott Engen has filed to run for reelection to his seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Engen had been running for state auditor and was briefly rumored to be State Rep. Peggy Bennett's running mate for governor.
In February, Sebastian Stoss received the Republican endorsement for Engen's seat. As such, there will likely be a GOP primary in House District 36A.
Text from former GOP Senate Pres. Dave Osmek, who is very much not holding back right now: "Any convention that sees fit to have a Moment of Silence for Derek Chauvin should not be able to chose what flavor juice is in their sippy cup, much less the next Governor of Minnesota"