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<p>Young Americans hold negative views of President Trump.</p>
<p>According to a recent poll, the majority of young Americans see Trump’s presidency as illegitimate. The survey also showed that more than half, 70%, have negative views of Trump’s presidential demeanor.</p>
<p>When asked the question, “Do you think that Donald Trump is a legitimate or an illegitimate president?” 57% of all respondents answered “illegitimate.” Within that total, slightly more than half, 53%, of white respondents thought that trump was a legitimate president. However, minority respondents answered differently: 74% of African-Americans, 71% of Hispanics and 60% of Asian-Americans thought Trump is an illegitimate president.</p>
<p>Reasons for the perception vary. A 21-year-old Florida student still holds a memory of Trump on the campaign trail referring to Mexican immigrants as rapists and murderers. The student, whose parents are from Jamaica, said, “I’m thinking, he’s saying that most of the people in the world who are raping and killing people are the immigrants. That’s not true.”</p>
<p>A 21-year-old student from Michigan says the way Trump was elected underlies her sense of his illegitimacy. “I just think it was kind of a situation where he was voted in based on his celebrity status versus his ethics,” she said.</p>
<p>The views of young Americans is of special interest since the Census Bureau has projected that around the year 2020, half of America’s children will be part of a minority race or ethnic group. The Bureau also projects that around the year 2044 non-Hispanic whites are expected to be a minority.</p>
<p>Respondents to the poll were 1,233 adults age 18-30 who were selected randomly using address-based sampling methods designed to be representative of the U.S. young adult population. The respondents were later interviewed online or by telephone.</p>
<p>The survey was conducted February 16 – March 6, 2017, as part of the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press – NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.</p>
<p /> | Young Americans View Trump as Illegitimate President | true | http://politicalblindspot.com/young-americans-view-trump-as-illegitimate-president/ | 2017-04-21 | 4 |
<p>PARIS (Reuters) – Formula One bosses have recommended new security measures for the Brazilian Grand Prix after team staff were robbed at gunpoint when leaving the circuit last month.</p>
<p>The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement after a World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on Wednesday that the commercial rights holder had made the proposals following a report on incidents at Interlagos.</p>
<p>It recommended the race promoter retain an independent security expert to evaluate and advise on measures, with a police reporting hub at the circuit and improved communication between all parties.</p>
<p>“The World Council strongly urged the promoter to implement these recommendations and improve the situation ahead of next year’s event,” added the FIA.</p>
<p>“The FIA will offer to participate in discussions with the local authorities and closely monitor the situation.”</p>
<p>World champion Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team was one of those involved in the incidents at Interlagos, with shots reportedly fired and a gun pointed at the head of one employee traveling in a van outside the circuit.</p>
<p>Valuables, including passports and mobile phones, were stolen.</p>
<p>Pirelli employees were also targeted after the race, leading to the cancellation of a two-day tire test with McLaren.</p>
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<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | F1 bosses recommend new security measures for Brazil | false | https://newsline.com/f1-bosses-recommend-new-security-measures-for-brazil/ | 2017-12-06 | 1 |
<p>An increasing number of travelers — not just millennials — are shunning the double decker bus, questing for something rare and authentic and in some cases, even unplugged.</p>
<p>"I think people want to experience something real," said Todd Merry, chief marketing officer for Delaware North Companies, which has operations ranging from Yosemite High Sierra camping to eco-resorts at Australia's Great Barrier Reef. "It's almost like there's no wild places anymore. There are more people looking for things that haven't been done."</p>
<p>In some ways, it's a longing for the days when the old maps marked untamed territory with "here be monsters," Merry said. "There's just not so much of that anymore."</p>
<p>In North America, Europe and South America, adventure travel spending in 2012 reached $263 billion, up from $89 billion in 2009, according to a study by the Adventure Travel Trade Association and George Washington University. Per trip spending (excluding airfare and gear) increased to $947 from $593 over that same time period, according to the report. (For the study, an adventure traveler is any respondent who cited an adventure activity — ranging from caving and heli-skiing to camping and canoeing — as the main activity of their last trip.)</p>
<p>"I think people want to experience something real. It's almost like there's no wild places anymore."</p>
<p>The outlook remains positive, according to Christina Beckmann, Director of Research and Education at ATTA. Nearly 80 percent of adventure travel tour operators polled by ATTA said they expect increased revenues for 2014 over 2013, Beckmann said in an email to CNBC.</p>
<p>"We're seeing a blending of mass tourism attractions and activities with activities that used to be exclusively practiced by 'crazy' adventure travelers," she said. "Adventure travel in the early days was not accessible to people without technical skills, and it was practiced informally and had high levels of risk. As time has gone on, we see greater commercialization and a broader range of available activities."</p>
<p>One hotel outside Yellowstone National Park has hired its own staff of guides to lead safari tours, which gets busy this time of year as the great outdoors is populated with a great number of newborns. Safari-style tours out of Jackson Hole routinely take in elk, bison, coyotes, Pronghorn antelope, eagles and other migrating birds, said Phoebe Stoner, the program director for the wildlife safaris at Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyo.</p>
<p>The programs range from family-friendly fare to overnight treks for more serious safari types, she said.</p>
<p>In the fall, one of her programs focuses on tracking wolf and bear in Yellowstone. The "wolf and bear [safari] is designed to go up to see these predators when they are most active," Stoner said. "It definitely caters to photographers, people who are into wildlife, in general, people who don't need to be sold on the trip when they hear about it."</p>
<p>On the international level, the luxury market is an expanding niche of the adventure travel trend, said Michael D'Amico, whose California-based Global Basecamps partners with companies in locations ranging from China and Mynamar to Tanzania and Colombia. Exotic locations don't necessarily mean roughing it, he said.</p>
<p>"Even the luxury markets, the Four Seasons and so forth, are including more activities in their portfolio for people who don't want to armchair their vacations," said D'Amico. Adventure travel used to conjure up ideas of mountain climbing and bunjee jumping, he said, but now it also means doing a 4-by-4 in the Nairobi Desert or hiking to a lodge outfitted with a hot tub and a beautiful dinner.</p>
<p>Many of the travelers are in the wanderlust travel bracket, around 25 to 40 years old, D'Amico said, but young familes and baby boomers are also drawn to adventure travel, he said.</p>
<p>The word "authentic" gets thrown around a lot in the adventure travel segment.</p>
<p>Merry at Delaware North said that even his brother, an oysterman in Massachusetts, sees interest from people who want to spend their vacations getting their hands dirty. "In the summer, they sell that experience," Merry said. "It's hard work. Who would have thought that 10 or 15 years ago people would pay to do that? The farmers find it a little funny."</p>
<p>Also important: "It is a way to get away from technology," Merry said.One of their resorts at the Great Barrier Reef, Wilson Island Resort, attracts people to the turtle research center there. "People are increasingly looking for travel with a purpose, charitable travel," Merry said. "If you've counted the falcons in the national parks you feel like you've not just read the latest John Grisham novel, you've actually done something."</p> | ‘No Wild Places’: Travelers Seek Unexplored Territory | false | http://nbcnews.com/business/travel/no-wild-places-travelers-seek-unexplored-territory-n80306 | 2014-04-14 | 3 |
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<p>In the wake of its worst monthly sales figure in nearly a decade, McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) posted a weaker-than-expected 3.7% increase in same-store sales for August on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Despite the sales miss, shares of the world’s largest hamburger chain gained almost 1% in pre-market trading.</p>
<p>McDonald’s said global same-store sales gained 3.7%, just below consensus calls from analysts for a 3.9% increase.</p>
<p>System-wide sales at the blue-chip company rose 1.2% in August, or 6.2% on a constant currency basis.</p>
<p>Hurt by global economic turbulence, McDonald’s suffered a surprise flatline in same-store sales for July, its first lack of growth since April 2003.</p>
<p>In a further sign of the disappointing U.S. recovery, domestic sales at McDonald’s lagged behind the rest of the world in August. U.S. same-store sales rose 3% last month, compared with 3.1% in struggling Europe, which was hurt by sluggish performance in Germany and some markets in Southern Europe.</p>
<p>Boosted by gains in Australia and China, McDonald’s posted a 5.7% jump in same-store sales in the company’s faster growing Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa division.</p>
<p>“I am confident that our three global priorities -- optimizing the menu, modernizing the restaurant experience and broadening accessibility to our brand -- position us for&#160;future growth as we navigate the persistent challenges of today's environment,” CEO Don Thompson said in a statement.</p>
<p>Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald’s saw its shares rise 0.68% to $91.92 ahead of the opening bell. The company’s shares have retreated 9% so far this year, underperforming the broader markets.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | McDonald's Serves Up Disappointing August Sales | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/09/11/mcdonald-serves-up-disappointing-august-sales.html | 2016-01-26 | 0 |
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<p>Somehow this little tidbit had passed under my radar when it was first released but Gabrielle Giffords, controller and limiter of American Liberty is having an Independence Class littoral combat ship named after her.</p>
<p>Previously it was just a hypothetical name as the Navy had only planned to build 2 ships of that class, the lead ship Independence and the second ship Coronado. &#160;But with the near completion of the Coronado the Navy has announced plans to build an additional 10 Independence class ships with the 5th being named the USS Gabrielle Giffords.</p>
<p>The irony that a ship in a class called Independence would be named after a woman who is making it her life’s work to deny the ability of regular American citizens to be independent of government control is laughable.</p>
<p>Do I have a problem with politicians having ships named after them? &#160;No. &#160;But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that Giffords deserves any similar treatment to John F. Kennedy, Teddy Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan.</p>
<p>She is a relatively no-name congresswoman who got shot in the face and then decided to wage a campaign against the 2nd Amendment. &#160;If she had decided to become champion of gun rights after the shooting I doubt the powers that be would be naming a warship after her, nor would I be advocating for it to do so. &#160;But this is just another bone thrown to gun control zealots to give their darling of the hour some crumbs, regardless of how ridiculous it is.</p>
<p>Now, if you want an unarmed hospital ship to be named the Gabby Giffords that makes some semblance of sense but in naming an armed warship after this freedom hating gun control zealot is just perverse. &#160;It also reinforces the notion that guns are ok ONLY so long as the government is the only one who has them.</p>
<p>Gabby Giffords stands against everything that the might of the US Military is supposed to be against. &#160;The tyranny and subjugation of the people. &#160;Some 200+ years ago we kicked tyrants out of our country…nowadays we’re naming ships after them.</p>
<p>Anyone else seeing this?</p>
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<p>We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse.</p> | Gabby Giffords Wages War on the Constitution…Gets Warship Named After Her…huh? | true | http://bulletsfirst.net/2014/01/29/gabby-giffords-wages-war-constitution-gets-warship-named-huh/ | 0 |
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<p>PARIS (Reuters) – French cosmetics giant L’Oreal sacked its first transgender model to appear on a British advertising campaign after she described all white people as racist on Facebook (NASDAQ:).</p>
<p>London-based model Munroe Bergdorf had announced on her Facebook page on August 27 that she was to be part of the French cosmetics brand’s new advertising campaign celebrating diversity.</p>
<p>In an online message that later appeared on Friday to have been deleted, Bergdorf said, according to the Daily Mail newspaper: “Honestly I don’t have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people.”</p>
<p>L’Oreal’s UK unit said on its Twitter page it had decided to terminate her contract: “L’Oreal champions diversity. Comments by Munroe Bergdorf are at odds with our values and so we have decided to end our partnership with her.”</p>
<p>In a post on her page on Friday, Bergdorf criticized the Daily Mail article and sought to defend her comments, which she said were a reaction to the violence of white supremacists in Charlottesville in the United States.</p>
<p>“When I stated that ‘all white people are racist’, I was addressing that fact that western society as a whole, is a SYSTEM rooted in white supremacy – designed to benefit, prioritize and protect white people before anyone of any other race,” she said.</p>
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<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | L'Oreal sacks transgender model after comments on white people | false | https://newsline.com/l039oreal-sacks-transgender-model-after-comments-on-white-people/ | 2017-09-01 | 1 |
<p>&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/williac/1036693826/sizes/m/"&gt;Williac&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
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<p>In Texas public schools, children learn that the Bible provides scientific proof that Earth is 6,000 years old, that the origins of racial diversity trace back to a curse placed on Noah’s son, and that astronauts have discovered “a day missing in space” that corroborates biblical stories of the sun standing still.</p>
<p>These are some of the findings detailed in <a href="http://www.tfn.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issues_religious_freedom_bible_courses" type="external">Reading, Writing &amp; Religion II</a>, a new report by the Texas Freedom Network that investigates how public schools in the Lone Star State promote religious fundamentalism under the guise of offering academic courses about the Bible. The report, written by Mark Chancey, a professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University, found that more than half of the state’s public-school Bible courses taught students to read the book from a specifically Christian theological perspective—a clear violation of rules governing the separation of church and state.</p>
<p>Many school districts pushed specific strains of fundamentalism in the classes:</p>
<p>Some Bible classes in Texas public school appear to double as “science” classes, circumventing limits placed on teaching creationism. Eastland ISD, a school district outside Fort Worth, shows videos produced by the Creation Evidence Museum, which claims to possess a fossil of a dinosaur footprint atop “a pristine human footprint.”</p>
<p>Perhaps the wackiest Bible lesson was the one presented to students at Amarillo ISD titled: “Racial Origins Traced from Noah.” A chart presented in the classroom claims that it’s possible to identify which of Noah’s three sons begat various racial and ethnic groups. Chancey explains:</p>
<p>According to the chart, “Western Europeans” and “Caucasians” descend from Japeth, “African races” and Canaanites from Ham, and “Jews, Semitic people, and Oriental races” from Shem. A test question shows that the chart was taken seriously: “Shem is the father of a) most Germanic races b) the Jewish people c) all African people.”</p>
<p>In Texas, public schools have the legal right to offer these kinds of classes—up to a point. In 2007 the state legislature passed a law allowing school districts to offer “elective courses on the Bible’s Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament.” The Supreme Court long ago ruled that such classes pass constitutional muster, as long as they don’t advocate for a specific religious view. As Chancey points out, the state of Texas obviously needs to do a much better job of educating its teachers about what that means.</p>
<p /> | Texas Public Schools: Still Teaching Creationism | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/how-texas-public-schools-still-teach-creationism/ | 2013-01-28 | 4 |
<p>Lipow Oil Associates President Andy Lipow on Hurricane Harvey's potential impact on the gas supply and prices.</p>
<p>Several dealerships in Texas have been flooded and likely hundreds more have suffered damage to buildings and inventory, as the automobile industry continues to assess the destruction from Hurricane Harvey.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The storm has brought record amounts of rainfall and massive flooding to the Houston area since Friday. Economists say Harvey will leave billions of dollars in damage behind. In addition to being a major energy hub, Texas is among the top U.S. markets for auto sales, particularly pickup trucks and SUVs. Early reports indicate significant damage to automobile dealerships in the southeastern portion of the state.</p>
<p>Aransas Autoplex in the coastal town of Port Aransas was demolished, according to Bill Wolters, president of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association. General Motors (NYSE:GM), Ford (NYSE:F) and Kia dealers in Dickinson and Cleveland, Texas, were completely flooded. Wolters estimates that Harvey affected 400 dealerships in some way. With the storm still hovering over the area and new evacuation orders issued Monday, it remains a “wait and see situation,” he said.</p>
<p>Dealers who reported no damage to their stores or inventory still can’t open their business because most employees and customers can’t travel. About 30,000 employees work in those 400 dealerships.</p>
<p>“We are getting very preliminary reports, and it will be some time [before] the final damage is assessed,” Wolters wrote in an email to FOX Business. “No human casualties in the dealership community have been reported, so that is a major blessing.”</p>
<p>Ford said it knows “for certain” that many of its dealers in southeast Texas “sustained significant damage.”</p>
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<p>“On behalf of Ford Motor Company, our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those impacted by this devastating storm,” the company said. “We are gathering information from local authorities and dealers so we can offer our assistance in the most effective way possible.”</p>
<p>AutoNation (NYSE:AN), the nation's largest dealership chain, closed 18 stores and seven collision centers Monday. Its Houston locations will remain closed Tuesday.</p>
<p>“At this point we continue to assess the situation and continue to focus on our employees’ safety,” an AutoNation spokesperson said.</p>
<p>Dealers across the region that rely on import shipments could see delays. The ports of Houston and Galveston were closed as Harvey made its way toward the coastline late last week, and they will remain closed Tuesday. Automakers such as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE:FCAU) ship thousands of vehicles through the Port of Houston each year.</p>
<p>Railroads that carry vehicles from Mexican plants to the U.S. also reported disruptions. Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) operations along the Gulf Coast from Brownsville, Texas, to Lake Charles, La., remained suspended late Monday. Kansas City Southern (NYSE:KCS), which stopped trains from running between Kendleton and Laredo, Texas, said there had been little opportunity to assess the status of its rail network, according to a status alert on its website.</p>
<p>Harvey isn't expected to create any production issues. GM, which operates a plant in Arlington where it builds large SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe, said it hasn't experienced any impact to production as a result of the storm. All GM employees in southern Texas are accounted for and safe.</p>
<p>“We are closely monitoring the storm and its continued impact on our Texas employees and their families, facilities, dealers, suppliers and customers,” GM said.</p> | Automakers, dealers assess Harvey destruction in Texas | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/29/automakers-dealers-assess-harvey-destruction-in-texas.html | 2017-08-29 | 0 |
<p>FOX Business: The Power to Prosper</p>
<p>Notching its second-straight triple-digit rally, Wall Street continued to erase its early-week plunge on Thursday as bullish traders cheered signs Greece may abandon plans for a referendum on its bailout and a number of other developments on the European front.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Today's Markets</p>
<p>The <a href="" type="internal">Dow Jones</a> Industrial Average soared 208.43 points, or 1.76%, to 12,044.47, the S&amp;P 500 gained 23.25 points, or 1.88%, to 1,261.15 and the <a href="" type="internal">Nasdaq</a> Composite jumped 57.99 points, or 2.20%, to 2,697.97.</p>
<p>In addition to hopes Greece will succumb to international pressure and scrap its referendum, the markets responded favorably to signs Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will need to relinquish control, a surprise interest-rate cut from the European Central Bank and shares of Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) erasing a 20% plunge.</p>
<p>Concerns about the planned referendum leading to a Greek default mounted earlier this week, but appear to have receded. “At least for now, they have subsided, subject to change by tomorrow,” said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities, alluding to the fluid nature of the situation.</p>
<p>While the midweek surge of 387 points isn't enough to wipe out Monday and Tuesday’s tumbles, which wiped out nearly 600 Dow points, the volatility continues to show how focused global markets are on Europe’s efforts to resolve its nearly two-year long sovereign debt crisis.</p>
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<p>“The market is really schizophrenic. You can just see the slightest bit of news -- positive or negative -- moves the market in that direction. Everyone reacts instantaneously to the news,” said Jason Weisberg, senior vice president at Seaport Securities. “These swings in the market place are a direct result of that and it's really scared the long-term players away.”</p>
<p>All Eyes on Europe</p>
<p>The latest upswing was set in motion by the events in Greece, which appears to be moving away from the idea of holding a referendum on the rescue aid it was expected to receive. The Greek public has violently protested many of the austerity measures international lenders have pushed for as a condition of the bailout. A "no" vote in a referendum, analysts say, could leave the highly-indebted country with no other choice but to default when its next bond payment comes due next month -- a result that could damage larger economies and slam the global financial system.</p>
<p>Reports also swirled that Papandreou was going to resign,&#160;paving the way for a unity coalition run by Lucas Papademus, a former governor of the Bank of Greece. While the resignation never materialized, Papandreou said he wants the legislature to hold a no-confidence vote on Friday.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, new ECB President Mario Draghi made a splash by unexpectedly slicing a key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1.25% on Thursday &#160;The ECB had been previously balancing concerns over the escalating debt crisis with worries low interest rates may lead to higher levels of inflation.</p>
<p>After another whirlwind day, European blue-chip stocks closed sharply higher, leaping 2.5%, while the euro gained 0.52% to $1.3819.</p>
<p>The crisis in Europe has already begun impacting U.S. banks. MF Global, previously a major player in the derivatives market, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection less than a week after reporting a $6.3 billion exposure to European sovereign debt. Investment bank&#160;Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) shares plunged 20% on Thursday due to concerns about its own exposure. However, its stock raced back and even briefly turned positive after it released a statement saying it has "no meaningful net exposure" to these assets.</p>
<p>Attention to Shift Back to U.S.?</p>
<p>The U.S. economy is also coming squarely into focus, as the government's all-important jobs report is on tap for Friday. Economists expect the report to show the unemployment rate stuck at 9.1% in October as the economy struggled to add jobs in light of strong headwinds.</p>
<p>Ahead of that report, the government said new claims for unemployment benefits fell to 397,000 last week from 406,000 the week prior. Economists were predicting a drop to 400,000.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing PMI gauge dipped to 52.9 for October, compared with 53 in September and consensus estimates of 53.5. Readings above 50 point to expansion, while those below indicate contraction.</p>
<p>Separately, the government said factory orders rose 0.3% in September from the month prior, besting the 0.1% drop that analysts forecasted.</p>
<p>Energy closed mostly higher. Light, sweet crude rose $1.56, or 1.69%, to $94.07 a barrel. &#160;Wholesale RBOB gasoline fell 2 cents, or 0.74%, to $2.61 a gallon.</p>
<p>Gold jumped $35.50, or 2.1%, to $1,765 a troy ounce. Yields on government debt ticked higher. The 10-year Treasury note yields 2.058% from 1.987%.</p>
<p>Corporate Movers</p>
<p>Kraft (NYSE:K) slumped almost 8% amid disappointment over its steeper-than-expected 17% slide in third-quarter earnings and lowered guidance. Even the more optimistic end of the new range would trail the Street's view.</p>
<p>Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) raced 7% higher a day after reporting a 22% rise in quarterly profits that exceeded estimates. The mobile chip maker also issued a bullish guidance for its new fiscal year.</p>
<p>Foreign Markets</p>
<p>European blue chips rose 2.5%, the English FTSE 100 rose 1.2% to 5,552 and the German DAX jumped 2.8% to 6,132.</p>
<p>In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 dropped 2.2% to 8,640 and the Chinese Hang Seng tumbled 2.5% to 19,243.</p> | Hoping Greece Scraps Referendum, Dow Leaps 208 | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/11/03/hoping-referendum-is-scrapped-dow-leaps-200.html | 2016-03-07 | 0 |
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<p>HULL: One of 50 mayors to sign letter on outlay bill</p>
<p>Hull was one of 50 mayors signing a letter encouraging the state House and Senate to "come together with the governor and craft a capital outlay bill that is acceptable to both chambers and the executive." Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry, Bernalillo Mayor Jack Torres and Corrales Mayor Scott Kominiak also signed the letter.</p>
<p>Lawmakers failed to pass a capital outlay bill in this year's two-month legislative session. Had it passed, the $264 million capital outlay bill would have helped pay for a number of state projects, including purchasing rights-of-way for the proposed extension of Paseo del Volcan and other local projects.</p>
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<p>The mayors' letter, addressed to Gov. Susana Martinez and signed Thursday, states that if a compromise bill were drafted by the governor and the Legislature, a special session would be necessary to have it approved.</p>
<p>The letter notes that the outlay bill "will put thousands of people to work and will serve to improve public safety, infrastructure, schools and quality of life for our citizens."</p>
<p>"A capital outlay bill not only funds important projects that benefit New Mexicans, but is also essential to stimulate the economy," Hull said in a news release.</p>
<p>Sen. John Sapien, D-Corrales, echoed Hull's comments Friday morning during a legislative wrap-up breakfast sponsored by NAIOP, the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Sandoval Economic Alliance.</p>
<p>"We need to come back to get a capital outlay bill passed; it impacts everyone in this room," he said. "There's some compromise that needs to be worked out, there's some discussion about whether we borrow to fund a road, but those are conversations we need to make and come together, and get that done."</p>
<p>Friday's meeting was attended by about 150 people, including state representatives, business representatives, and members of NAIOP, RRRCC and SEA.</p>
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<p>Reps. Jane Powdrell-Culbert and Jason Harper, and Sens. Craig Brandt, John Ryan and Sapien answered questions about the session from SEA President and CEO Jami Grindatto, and Debbi Moore, president and CEO of RRRCC.</p>
<p>Powdrell-Culbert, Sapien and Ryan encouraged stronger communication efforts between business leaders and lawmakers before the legislative session begins.</p>
<p>"By the time we get to the session, we have heard every issue that we could and we've made some decisions," Powdrell-Culbert said. "We do not get enough input from the business community, as well as from constituents around the state."</p>
<p>Ryan said special events do not need to be scheduled for conversations between legislators and business leaders to take place.</p>
<p>"We need to hear from you in any way, whether it's a coffee or a committee or a big event like this, we want to know what drives you and try to figure out the issues that you care most about," he said.</p>
<p>A number of bills that would have helped businesses, including two workers compensation bills, were held up too long before seeing a vote, Brandt said.</p>
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<p>"That's some of the games that get played up there sometimes and, if you want that to change, we need leadership. That's a problem," he said.</p>
<p>Harper said he was looking forward to next year's session, saying his gross receipts tax reset bill would help small-business owners throughout the state.</p>
<p>The bill, introduced in this past session as House Bill 491, proposes to remove all 370 GRT business exemptions, while decreasing the state's GRT to about 2 percent.</p>
<p>Harper said although smart tax policy legislation isn't a "silver bullet," it could help solve a number of issues, including state education.</p>
<p>"I do believe that, if we had a good tax structure here that was simple and fair, that pushes businesses to grow and pushes business to go here, that would have implications far wider than this business community," he said. "If parents could stay at home in the evenings instead of working a second job, and help their kids with their homework, that would be a huge help toward our children's education."</p>
<p /> | Hull joins call for a special session | false | https://abqjournal.com/571582/hull-joins-call-for-a-special-session.html | 2 |
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<p>The American Civil Liberties Union, which recently supported firebrand columnist Ann Coulter in her fight for free speech, is back to its old tricks.</p>
<p>On Monday, one of its lawyers actually argued that President Trump’s order to ban entrance to the U.S. by citizens of seven terrorist hotbed nations could well be constitutional — but only if Hillary Clinton had enacted it!</p>
<p>Omar Jadwat, arguing before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, told the court that Trump's hostility toward Muslims is what prompted him to enact the ban, <a href="http://ntknetwork.com/aclu-lawyer-says-travel-ban-could-be-constitutional-if-enacted-by-hillary-clinton/" type="external">NTK Network</a> reports. But Judge Paul Niemeyer was having none of that.</p>
<p>"If a different candidate had won the election and then issued this order, I gather you wouldn’t have any problem with that?” Niemeyer asked.</p>
<p>Jadwat dodged on directly answering the question at first, but Niemeyer persisted, asking the question again.</p>
<p>Jadwat again tried to avoid the question, asking for clarification on the hypothetical, but Niemeyer once again demanded an answer.</p>
<p>“We have a candidate who won the presidency, some candidate other than President Trump won the presidency and then chose to issue this particular order, with whatever counsel he took,” Niemeyer said. “Do I understand that just in that circumstance, the executive order should be honored?”</p>
<p>“Yes, your honor, I think in that case, it could be constitutional,” Jadwat admitted.</p>
<p>Jadwat also denied that presidents’ actions should be nullified by campaign statements, despite the fact that his entire argument seemed to rest on that claim.</p>
<p>The ACLU lawyer also tried to claim that the order was illegitimate due to its being “unprecedented,” but this point also crumbled under a quick cross-examination.</p> | ACLU Lawyer Argues Travel Ban ‘Could Be Constitutional’ — If Enacted By Hillary! | true | https://dailywire.com/news/16209/aclu-lawyer-argues-travel-ban-could-be-joseph-curl | 2017-05-09 | 0 |
<p>LONDON (AP) — A new study underscores the potential danger of airplane passengers infected with Ebola leaving West Africa: If there were no exit screening in place, researchers estimate that three people with the disease might fly out of the region each month.</p>
<p>The hardest-hit West African nations have been checking passengers since summer, but the new work is a reminder of how much easier it could be for the virus to travel outside the outbreak region if those measures weren’t in place — and that screening can’t catch every case.</p>
<p>Since the Ebola outbreak was first identified in March, there have been only two known exported cases involving flights, one before and one after screening began in Liberia.</p>
<p>A Liberian-American flew to Nigeria in July and sparked a small outbreak there, which has since been contained. The second man, Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan, passed a screening when he left for the U.S. last month; he didn’t have a fever or symptoms until days after arriving in Dallas.</p>
<p>For the study, researchers used international flight data and Ebola case tallies to calculate that — without screening — three infected people a month could fly out of the region. They noted that screening isn’t foolproof: It can take up to three weeks for people exposed to Ebola to develop symptoms, so it is likely some cases will slip through.</p>
<p>The out-of-control epidemic has killed an estimated 4,500 people.</p>
<p>“As the outbreak grows, we will be seeing more international exportations of Ebola,” said Dr. Kamran Kahn of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, the study’s senior author.</p>
<p>He added that disaster could strike if people with Ebola fly to less developed countries. “What might happen if cases were to wind up in a slum in Nairobi or Mumbai?”</p>
<p>Kahn noted that there were few flights from the West Africa nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia even before the outbreak. He and his colleagues calculated that countries most at risk of getting imported Ebola cases are the nearby Ghana and Senegal, followed by Britain and France.</p>
<p>The U.S. was significantly further down the list, followed by India, Kenya and Germany. The study was published online Monday in the journal Lancet.</p>
<p>“There are more and more cases of Ebola every week so the risk of exportation is also increasing every week,” said Benjamin Cowling of the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong, who co-authored a commentary.</p>
<p>“Maybe the one case exported to Texas was just bad luck. Or maybe there are more cases traveling as we speak,” he said.</p>
<p>U.S. health officials earlier this month said airport screening in West Africa had stopped 77 people from boarding planes, none with Ebola but some had malaria.</p>
<p>Some American lawmakers have called for a ban on travelers from West Africa. At a European Union meeting on Monday, foreign ministers scrapped the idea of a ban, reasoning people from West Africa would simply go elsewhere en route to Europe. In the meantime, the U.S. and other countries are now checking travelers from West Africa.</p>
<p>Health officials have repeatedly said the only way to stop exported cases is to stop the epidemic in West Africa.</p>
<p>“As long as Ebola continues to spread in Africa, we can’t make the risk zero here,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>
<p>____ Online:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.lancet.com" type="external">www.lancet.com</a></p>
<p>LONDON (AP) — A new study underscores the potential danger of airplane passengers infected with Ebola leaving West Africa: If there were no exit screening in place, researchers estimate that three people with the disease might fly out of the region each month.</p>
<p>The hardest-hit West African nations have been checking passengers since summer, but the new work is a reminder of how much easier it could be for the virus to travel outside the outbreak region if those measures weren’t in place — and that screening can’t catch every case.</p>
<p>Since the Ebola outbreak was first identified in March, there have been only two known exported cases involving flights, one before and one after screening began in Liberia.</p>
<p>A Liberian-American flew to Nigeria in July and sparked a small outbreak there, which has since been contained. The second man, Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan, passed a screening when he left for the U.S. last month; he didn’t have a fever or symptoms until days after arriving in Dallas.</p>
<p>For the study, researchers used international flight data and Ebola case tallies to calculate that — without screening — three infected people a month could fly out of the region. They noted that screening isn’t foolproof: It can take up to three weeks for people exposed to Ebola to develop symptoms, so it is likely some cases will slip through.</p>
<p>The out-of-control epidemic has killed an estimated 4,500 people.</p>
<p>“As the outbreak grows, we will be seeing more international exportations of Ebola,” said Dr. Kamran Kahn of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, the study’s senior author.</p>
<p>He added that disaster could strike if people with Ebola fly to less developed countries. “What might happen if cases were to wind up in a slum in Nairobi or Mumbai?”</p>
<p>Kahn noted that there were few flights from the West Africa nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia even before the outbreak. He and his colleagues calculated that countries most at risk of getting imported Ebola cases are the nearby Ghana and Senegal, followed by Britain and France.</p>
<p>The U.S. was significantly further down the list, followed by India, Kenya and Germany. The study was published online Monday in the journal Lancet.</p>
<p>“There are more and more cases of Ebola every week so the risk of exportation is also increasing every week,” said Benjamin Cowling of the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong, who co-authored a commentary.</p>
<p>“Maybe the one case exported to Texas was just bad luck. Or maybe there are more cases traveling as we speak,” he said.</p>
<p>U.S. health officials earlier this month said airport screening in West Africa had stopped 77 people from boarding planes, none with Ebola but some had malaria.</p>
<p>Some American lawmakers have called for a ban on travelers from West Africa. At a European Union meeting on Monday, foreign ministers scrapped the idea of a ban, reasoning people from West Africa would simply go elsewhere en route to Europe. In the meantime, the U.S. and other countries are now checking travelers from West Africa.</p>
<p>Health officials have repeatedly said the only way to stop exported cases is to stop the epidemic in West Africa.</p>
<p>“As long as Ebola continues to spread in Africa, we can’t make the risk zero here,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>
<p>____ Online:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.lancet.com" type="external">www.lancet.com</a></p> | If no checks, more Ebola cases might leave Africa | false | https://apnews.com/6925a68e30a34796a60f6cb0a2175541 | 2014-10-20 | 2 |
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<p>They unanimously approved $500,000 this week for housing and other services to help inmates leaving jail and $625,000 for programs aimed at filling gaps in the local mental health system, as identified by a task force.</p>
<p>Councilors Isaac Benton and Brad Winter sponsored the proposal.</p>
<p>Benton said he hopes the money will help “close the revolving door” of people who move in and out of jail while struggling with mental illness and homelessness.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Winter said the funding will help carry out priorities outlined by a task force of local officials and experts who examined what kinds of behavioral health services are already available and which are lacking.</p>
<p>“I think it could really change the way behavioral health is treated in New Mexico,” Winter said. “I don’t think that committee could have done better work.”</p>
<p>Bernalillo County commissioners passed a similar measure in June. They approved $1.1 million to hire social service agencies to provide 75 beds in the community for homeless people leaving the jail system.</p>
<p>The Winter-Benton resolution directs the city to work with the county on that effort.</p>
<p>The county’s Code of Conduct Review Board has dismissed a complaint against County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver.</p>
<p>The complaint focused on a news release Toulouse Oliver had issued announcing that her office had successfully mailed ballots to overseas voters, such as military personnel, despite litigation that held up some of the work.</p>
<p>The news release included some criticism of Secretary of State Dianna Duran. The ethics complaint called it an improper campaign ad and accused Toulouse Oliver of using government resources for political gain.</p>
<p>Duran and Toulouse Oliver were both running for secretary of state at the time.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Duran, meanwhile, had issued her own news releases critical of the county.</p>
<p>In any case, Toulouse Oliver argued that the complaint against her was frivolous, and that her news release was accurate and necessary as a response to Duran’s news releases.</p>
<p>The board dismissed the complaint Tuesday.</p>
<p>The Twinkle Light Parade will be back in Nob Hill again this year. It starts at 5:15 p.m. Dec. 6, a Saturday.</p>
<p>Some city councilors have questioned the location. They said they liked the idea of switching the parade between Downtown and Nob Hill every other year.</p>
<p>Betty Rivera, the city’s director of cultural services, said the parade is in Nob Hill this year because of construction on the Fourth Street mall Downtown. But she said the parade draws more people in Nob Hill.</p>
<p>Dan McKay can be reached at <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>.</p>
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<p /> | Metro Beat: $1.1M approved for mentally ill, homeless | false | https://abqjournal.com/500155/11m-approved-for-mentally-ill-homeless.html | 2 |
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<p>Photo: Wikimedia Commons</p>
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<p>Ever since Barack Obama started running for the White House, he’s been plagued by lawsuits from <a href="/politics/2009/08/meet-birthers" type="external">detractors</a> who claim that he is not a natural-born citizen, and thus is ineligible to serve as president. Now the devoted conspiracy theorists of the so-called “eligibility movement” have a fresh target: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. And there’s a chance that the Supreme Court might hear their challenge.</p>
<p>In January 2009, a longtime foreign service officer named David C. Rodearmel sued Hillary Clinton in federal court in DC arguing that an obscure provision of the Constitution blocks her from serving in Obama’s Cabinet because of her previous stint in the US Senate. This argument isn’t as nutty as those used in the numerous lawsuits disputing Obama’s citizenship—in fact, it previously prevented Orrin Hatch from becoming a Supreme Court justice.</p>
<p>Rodearmel is relying on what’s known as the Emoluments Clause, which bars members of Congress from taking a federal civil job if Congress raised the salary for that job while they were still in office. The secretary of state’s salary went up in 2008, while Clinton was still in the Senate. The provision, which was designed to combat corruption, has long been a headache for presidents seeking to tap members of Congress for their Cabinets. They’ve typically solved the problem by resorting to what’s known as the “Saxbe fix”—a move named after William Saxbe, a Republican Ohio senator Richard Nixon installed as attorney general during the Watergate scandal.</p>
<p>The fix is simple. All Congress has to do is repeal any pay raises for a given position so that the salary is the same as it was before the nominee’s last term of elected office. Most modern presidents have adopted this solution, and after Obama nominated Clinton for secretary of state, Congress duly repealed the pay raises for the position that had gone into effect while she was serving in the Senate. Yet the fix has always been somewhat controversial. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan decided that the Emoluments Clause barred him from nominating Utah Senator Orrin Hatch to a Supreme Court seat, and he nominated Anthony Kennedy instead. Now, Rodearmel thinks the clause should be enforced against Clinton—as well as all the other former senators in the Obama administration.</p>
<p>Rodearmel himself says he’s just doing his best to protect the Constitution, although he’s no stranger to conservative political causes: In 2004, he donated $250 to <a href="/mojo/2010/01/will-climate-get-swift-boated" type="external">Swift Boat Veterans for Truth</a>. And he’s supported by some familiar Clinton antagonists, namely the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, which filed numerous suits against both Hillary and Bill Clinton when they occupied the White House. His quest has also been cheered on by <a href="http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&amp;pageId=124614" type="external">WorldNetDaily</a>, the leading online promoter of the birthers’ cause, who seem eager to open up a new front in the “eligibility” fight.&#160;</p>
<p>Rodearmel’s case could become an irritation for the Obama administration. The US district court in DC tossed his complaint out last fall on the grounds that Rodearmel lacked standing—meaning he couldn’t actually demonstrate that he’d suffered any injury from working for a supposedly ineligible boss. (This fatal flaw has also prevented any of the birther lawsuits from going forward.) The court didn’t buy Rodearmel’s arguments that working for Clinton would violate his oath to “bear true faith and allegiance” to the Constitution. But thanks to a quirk in federal law, such eligibility cases can now be appealed directly to the Supreme Court. So Rodearmel recently asked the high court to consider his case.</p>
<p>Many legal experts out there think the Emoluments Clause is a non-issue. Chief among them is Obama’s former constitutional law professor from Harvard, Laurence Tribe, who has <a href="http://balkin.blogspot.com/2008/12/is-hillary-clinton-unconstitutional.html" type="external">pointed out</a> that the clause implies that a member of Congress is only ineligible for a civil job if they personally voted for a pay raise for that position. In Clinton’s case, the raise for the secretary of state was essentially a routine cost of living adjustment, mandated by a law passed in 1990 rather than a vote that Clinton participated in. But in swinging for the high fences, it’s clear that Rodearmel is seeking to persuade one justice in particular—and it’s not who you might think.</p>
<p>As it turns out, one of the most prominent critics of the Saxbe fix during the Watergate scandal was none other than liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, who was, of course, appointed to the bench by Bill Clinton. As a law professor, Breyer wrote a letter to Sen. Robert Byrd concluding that the “fix” Nixon was proposing in order to install Saxbe was unconstitutional. (Defending the idea, oddly enough, was Robert Bork.) Rodearmel is clearly hoping that Breyer might be intrigued enough to want to revisit the issue after all these years. And standing behind him are a host of conservative activists, hoping that this legal long-shot might just work when all the others have failed.</p>
<p /> | The Birthers’ Next Target: Hillary Clinton? | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/02/birthers-next-target-hillary-clinton/ | 2010-02-16 | 4 |
<p>EDITOR”S NOTE:&#160;After this article was published&#160;in the run-up to their failed bid to capture the Nobel Peace Prize, in January 2017 the White Helmets have suddenly raised their amazing ‘rescue count’ to 82,000 “lives saved.” At this rate, it should be up to 100,000 by Christmas. Not one single journalist of editor from The Guardian, New York Times, Washington Post, The Intercept, The Daily Beast, Democracy Now!,&#160;CNN, NBC, or ABC&#160; – all establishment media outlets who have been&#160;championing the White Helmets – have dared to challenged the veracity of these incredible claims by a highly opaque ‘search and rescue’ group that has taken in over$150 million in taxpayer funds from the governments of the US, UK and EU member states.&#160;</p>
<p>UPDATE: The White Helmets figure has inflated further, <a href="https://www.whitehelmets.org/en/" type="external">now</a> up to “99,220 Lives Saved.”</p>
<p><a href="http://wp.me/p3bwni-kcv" type="external">21st Century Wire</a> says…</p>
<p>The western media and politicians have been going all-out in the last two weeks to promote and pump-up the profile of what they are calling&#160;a “first responder NGO” known as the <a href="" type="internal">White Helmets</a>&#160;who claim among other things, to have “saved 60,000 lives” in only 3 years of the Syria conflict. Is it true, or is this claim bogus?</p>
<p>‘Fearless first responders’ – their multimillion dollar documentary premiered on <a href="" type="internal">Netflix</a> in September.</p>
<p>Like so many celebrated attributes&#160;of&#160;the lauded White Helmets, the rescue numbers are clearly&#160;exaggerated.&#160;The so-called&#160;“rebel-held” territories (in actuality, terrorist-held areas) in which the White Helmets exclusively operate, have very few civilians remaining in them. The majority of Syrian civilians have fled terrorist-held enclaves like East Aleppo into government protected areas like West Aleppo –&#160;a&#160;fact that is routinely glossed over by western media outlets because it runs counter to the storyline being pushed by the US and UK government, both of whom are funding the White Helmets. Nonetheless, the West want&#160;their public believe that these areas are bustling, thriving pockets of Syrian society being savaged by the evil dictator and Hitler reincarnate, Bashar al Assad. Preserving this key piece of fiction is central to the US, UK and <a href="" type="internal">George Soros funded</a> public relations management of the White Helmets – and central their entire Syria narrative which has been described as something akin to a “ <a href="" type="internal">Feel Good Hoax</a>.”</p>
<p>Washington and London and others are attempting to launch a wider war on the back these and other trumped-up claims, using the White Helmets as their primary propaganda vehicle.</p>
<p>In&#160;an open letter first published at&#160; <a href="https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/open-letter-to-ndp-re-their-support-for-white-helmets-nobel-peace-prize" type="external">Canadian Dimension</a>&#160;and written by&#160;John Ryan, PhD, retired professor of geography and senior scholar at the University of Winnipeg, a direct challenge was laid at the feet of the many internationalists who have been enthusiastically promoting the White Helmets recently. Regarding the sensational claim by the White Helmets that they have saved 60,000 lives in Syria since their formation in 2013,&#160;Ryan, says:</p>
<p>“It is the White Helmets themselves who have claimed that they have rescued 60,000 civilians; this has not been verified by any other source. Despite such a classic conflict of interest, searching for independent evidence and disqualifying self-serving claims from belligerent parties in Syria has been ignored in much of the western media. As such, this claim by the White Helmets without any verification is next to meaningless.”</p>
<p>In addition, the White Helmets&#160;claim that they have trained 3,000 ‘volunteers’ throughout Syria, and yet their training facility is actually located in neighboring NATO member state Turkey, on the outskirts of&#160;the city of Gaziantep. This is the same&#160;Gaziantep that’s been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/may/08/gazientep-turkey-tamkeen-quest-to-rebuild-syria" type="external">described in reports</a>&#160;as “the&#160;home to ISIS&#160;killers, sex traders…”</p>
<p>To date, none of the White Helmets cinematic photos and videos, much less any of its sensational claims, have ever been independently verified or&#160;subjected to any&#160;scrutiny regarding their validity – although this hasn’t stopped leading western media outlets like the BBC, CNN, FOX, the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian and others from running front page stories rebroadcasting imagery and information supplied to them by this US Coalition-financed organization.</p>
<p>STAGED: One of many ‘dusty boy’ photos supplied to western media as “proof” that the White Helmets are busy&#160;rescuing 60,000+ Syrians since 2013.&#160;</p>
<p>High Stakes PR</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />‘THE PITH HELMETS’ – Boris Johnson, UK Foreign Secretary in Gazientap, Turkey gazes into a White Helmet. &#160;( <a href="https://twitter.com/foreignoffice/status/780820294927839233" type="external">Photo: Boris Johnson Twitter account</a>)</p>
<p>UK Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson has recently visited the White Helmet training centre in Gazientap. &#160;During this visit there, Johnson declares the UK Government’s intent to “remedy the Syrian crisis”.&#160;Johnson is not blessed with subtlety and his statement of “intent” is transparent when one reads between the lines. &#160;The UK Foreign Office will use “UK Tax Payers money” to train a shadow Syrian police force in Turkey that will supplant existing police forces in areas such as Aleppo. Johnson blithely explains, these forces “will be trained by former UK military staff.“Apparently, this is to ensure the police force will integrate better into Syrian society. &#160;So, a UK military trained “law and order force” will better integrate into Syrian society that has an existing police force? &#160;Are UK tax payers really happy that their hard earned money is being used in this way?</p>
<p>At the same time, Johnson is awfully enthusiastic about the Syria White Helmets who are “fantastically brave” humanitarians. &#160;They appear to have recently added another string to their bow as de-mining experts.&#160;Johnson is so enthusiastic, he is positively bouncing with glee as he announces the UK Foreign Office has awarded the White Helmets a further £32 million in NON-humanitarian aid, as part of a £ 65 million wider package to “remedy the Syrian crisis”.</p>
<p />
<p>This elevates the UK back to their original status as the primary funder of the US coalition funded phony humanitarian organisation, embedded exclusively in Nusra Front aka Al Qaeda and ISIS held territory inside Syria. &#160;Partners in funding are the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_Defense" type="external">US, Germany, Denmark, Holland and Japan</a>.&#160;Total ‘Coalition’ funding to date for these White Helmets may be upwards of $200 million already – much more than any ‘independent’ NGO would ever need for&#160;years. Where is all this money actually going? Is this NGO a finance front for supplying Al Nusra and other “moderate rebel” militants in Syria, thus prolonging the war and carnage there?</p>
<p>The level of funding points very clearly to a deliberate attempt to eradicate Syrian state institutions and replace them with regime-change focused cells created by UK and US intelligence operatives, labelled euphemistically as “ex military staff”.</p>
<p>The White Helmet Delusion</p>
<p>The White Helmets propaganda bandwagon rolls out one perfectly edited promotional video after the other. &#160;There is never any identification of the location or time or any details on the attacks. Names of the alleged injured, or the dead, are never supplied. The western media never question the authenticity of any of their media submissions. The White Helmets have regularly <a href="" type="internal">been called out on their use of fake imagery</a>&#160;and for the recycling of previously used footage or images. &#160;There is a very clear indication that their videos may be staged – evident in the very obvious cuts and edits, the lack of adherence to paramedic procedures, the often cavalier fashion in which they handle injured civilians, flinging their supposedly battered bodies onto stretchers with no neck or back support, the miraculous finding of bodies – as if they had been placed there earlier while the White Helmets dig with equipment (equipment that would jeapordize any normal rescue operation). On top of this, where ever they go, their seems to be an entourage that always outnumbers the White Helmets themselves – of camera people and men shouting and looking busy.</p>
<p>Fake Rescue Videos?</p>
<p>The following video is a prime example, as the White Helmets frantically dig for the child that is meant to buried under the rubble of a supposedly bombed building, of course “targeted by Russian or Syrian air-strikes.” The first child rescued is a girl who, despite being buried under the rubble, emerges virtually spotless,&#160;with a rag doll emotively clutched in her arms, that does not have one speck of dust on it. This level of propaganda is spectacular.</p>
<p>The White Helmet claim to be rescuing children, unfortunately, the children seem to have been completely abused&#160;as marketing visual aids&#160;for the White Helmet PR campaigns. Watch:</p>
<p>Media error: Format(s) not supported or source(s) not found</p>
<p>. The editing is also misleading, and maybe one could be forgiven for thinking the girl changed into a boy… the continuity or lack of it would suggest two separate staged rescues, in the second, the boy is also very clean, no injuries, no dust in his hair.</p>
<p>If we watch as they take out the girl, we could also ask why the child was unable to crawl out and stand up herself. &#160;A grown man has no difficulty walking in the gap and the girl is not trapped under anything. &#160;This video has all the hallmarks of a polished production piece, designed to tug at the hearts of a public conditioned to accept first responder operations as sacrosanct, terrified to question them for fear of appearing callous.</p>
<p>There are many <a href="" type="internal">children dying at the hands of US-backed terrorists in Syria</a>&#160;including children in West Aleppo too, and they are never talked about or given airtime in the western mainstream media. They are the children being eviscerated by the “rain of mortars” that is falling every day upon West Aleppo, launched from the Eastern Aleppo terrorist enclaves, inhabited by Nusra Front, 22 other terrorist brigades, hostage civilians and the White Helmets. &#160;Children like 6 year old Pamela Kazandji, hit by a terrorist hell cannon mortar on the 29th September. &#160;She may be paralysed for the rest of her life after shrapnel lodged in her spine.</p>
<p>An article published at 21st Century Wire today, <a href="" type="internal">Syria White Helmet Savagery Hand in Hand with Nusra Front aka Al Qaeda</a>, contains a video that shows the real, unadulterated face of the White Helmets. &#160;The savage face of the White Helmets. &#160;This is the organisation that UK Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson has just awarded £32 m of taxpayer’s money to.</p>
<p>On numerous occasions, the&#160;White Helmets have been seen acting as Al Nusra Front support agents, during the Nusra invasion of Idlib City in March 2015.</p>
<p>Watch:</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>***</p>
<p>READ MORE WHITE HELMETS NEWS AT: <a href="" type="internal">21st Century Wire White Helmets Files</a></p>
<p>READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: <a href="" type="internal">21st Century Wire Syria Files</a></p>
<p>SUPPORT 21WIRE and its work by Subscribing and becoming a Member @ <a href="https://21wire.tv/membership/plans/" type="external">21WIRE.TV</a></p> | ‘We Saved 60,000 Lives’ – Bogus Claim by Syria’s White Helmets Raises Even More Questions | true | http://21stcenturywire.com/2016/09/30/we-saved-60000-bogus-claim-by-syrias-white-helmets-raises-even-more-questions/ | 2016-09-30 | 4 |
<p>Sales of mobile phones around the world fell last year for the first time since 2009 as consumers shunned cheaper feature phones, research company Gartner said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"Tough economic conditions, shifting consumer preferences, and intense market competition weakened the worldwide mobile phone market," Gartner analyst Anshul Gupta said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Smartphone sales, a category dominated by Samsung &lt;005930.KS&gt; and Apple , continued to rise, he said, and the higher-end devices would account for more than half the market for the first time this year.</p>
<p>Total worldwide mobile sales to end users fell 1.7 percent to 1.75 billion units in 2012, Gartner said. Samsung and Apple continued to dominate the market, with the Korean company selling 385 million phones in 2012, of which 53.5 percent were smartphones, with Apple selling 130 million smartphones.</p>
<p>In the fourth quarter alone, Apple and Samsung accounted for 52 percent of smartphone sales, up from 46 percent in the third quarter.</p>
<p>Chinese company Huawei &lt;002502.SZ&gt; reached third spot in worldwide smartphone sales for the first time in the fourth quarter, Gartner said. It sold 27.2 million smartphones to end users in 2012, up 74 percent.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Dan Lalor)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Worldwide mobile phone sales fell in 2012: Gartner | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/02/13/worldwide-mobile-phone-sales-fell-in-2012-gartner301569.html | 2016-01-29 | 0 |
<p>Recently, I was interviewed by The Chicago Reporter on the challenges facing black HIV/AIDS organizations when it comes to funding, sustainability and effectiveness. I just read the published product, “Cocktail for Disaster” from the January/February 2009 issue, which was disappointing to me.</p>
<p>As an African American of Caribbean (Suriname) descent, I have had the privilege of working in numerous communities of color as a public health expert. The challenges described in the article do not adequately address the real issue, which is that black organizations, from the inception of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, have not had the social capital seen in the gay community in order to effectively provide services for their constituents.</p>
<p>Due to this lack of social capital, African-American HIV/AIDS organizations were left out of the picture with no place at the table when policies were implemented that mostly addressed gay communities. After the Reagan era, politicians began recognizing that African Americans were actually suffering and had been in greater amounts; we had missed the boat. When programs were installed during the early Clinton years, those programs were simply “adapted” from those designed for gay communities and therefore were not very effective in African-American communities considering that one shoe does not fit all.</p>
<p>African-American advocates had already begun to create programs, which did not receive the kind of funding needed to sustain them because of the ignorance of our government to recognize that we were sinking into a deep epidemic–”one that we will never [bring] ourselves out of. Due to the fact that many gay organizations have been at the table for years and continue to treat the epidemic as an entitlement for them to stay in control of any programs and policies, we have lacked to address the true causes of HIV in the African- American community: lack of social capital and social determinants that do not apply to gay communities.</p>
<p>[As Jesse Milan Jr. described in “Left Behind,” a 2008 report of the Black AIDS Institute, “The number of people living with HIV in Black America exceeds the HIV populations in seven of the 15 focus countries of the PEPFAR (U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) initiative.”] Yet the gay community has continued to control the funding and programs, leaving us out of the picture. Surely everyone uses data on African Americans to get funding; however, when it boils down to it, little of that money funnels to the places where it needs to go.</p>
<p>Adding to the problem is the lack of experienced, culturally competent and committed professionals available to run programs for our communities, due to lack of funding and bureaucracy. HIV funding has become an entitlement for gay organizations claiming to work hard on behalf of communities of color. When organizations serving African-American communities do get the funding, the disparity drives them to mismanagement and lack of accountability. The bureaucracy they face in actually receiving funds once they finally qualify for funding further drives mismanagement since they have little funds to sustain them in the meantime. Gay, predominantly white communities never had that problem. This is the point we failed to recognize in this article.</p>
<p>Surely [Lloyd] Kelly [of Let’s Talk, Let’s Test Foundation] was responsible for the funding allocation and the ultimate audit [of the African American HIV/AIDS Response Fund] but the real point of the problem was not about his organization locally, his appearance or sexual orientation, but the segregation created in funding HIV programs around this country.</p>
<p>It is my hope and prayer that in [this current] presidential administration we will be aware of the fact that funding and enabling organizations already scrambling for dollars is setting communities up for failure and death. Healthcare reform should include several components of HIV/AIDS care, which will allow us to move away from the stigma and bureaucracy in allocating adequate funds to one disease and promote quality of life to include knowing your status and preventing disease.</p>
<p>I am a policy associate for the division of government relations and public policy at the National Minority AIDS Council but want to make it clear that I am not the spokesperson and in no way are my words intended to reflect the opinions of NMAC.</p>
<p>Ludmilla F. Wikkeling-Scott</p> | Letter to the editor: March-April 2009 | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/letter-editor-march-april-2009/ | 2009-03-01 | 3 |
<p>In early April 2002, moved by the massacres in Jenin and the wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure in West Bank cities by invading Israeli forces, two British academics, Hilary Rose and Steven Rose, circulated a call-posted at www.pjpo.org-for an academic boycott of Israel.</p>
<p>This campaign was directed mostly at European academics, and so when it reached me nearly two months later, in the first week of July, there were only six American academics among the signatories. I carefully read the boycott statement, which entailed non-cooperation with “official Israeli institutions, including universities,” and decided to sign on to the list. I also forwarded the call to academics on my mailing list.</p>
<p>Most of the friends on my mailing list just ignored the call. Only two responded, and both were more than a bit troubled that I should support such a thing. One described this campaign as “destructive,” another objected that this was an “attack” on academic freedom. And once my name was on the list of signatories, I promptly received two pieces of hate mail. One of the two, from India.</p>
<p>A few days later I came across a counter petition initiated by Leonid Ryzhik, a mathematics lecturer at University of Chicago. In an interview published in The Guardian, May 27, he said that the boycott campaign was “immoral, dangerous and misguided, and indirectly encourages the terrorist murderers in their deadly deeds.” And this week, in The Nation, August 5-12, Martha Nussbaum, an eminent ethical philosopher, wrote that she felt “relaxed” to be in Israel, where she had gone to receive an honorary degree from the University of Haifa, “determined to affirm the worth of scholarly cooperation in the face of the ugly campaign.”</p>
<p>Having declared my support for the academic boycott of Israel, I believe I must now explain why I can not view this campaign as “destructive,” “ugly” or supportive of “terrorist murderers.” On the contrary, I see this as a moral gesture, part of a growing campaign by international civil society to use its moral force to nudge Israelis, to awaken them to the ugly and destructive reality of their Occupation, which has now lasted for more than thirty-five years and shows no sign of ending any time soon. At last, the cumulative weight of Palestinian suffering has begun to break through the crust of Israeli protestations of innocence. Although tardy, world conscience is now preparing to engage Israeli intransigence.</p>
<p>Increasingly, the world outside United States understands that Israel is not a ‘normal’ country. The Zionist movement sought to establish an exclusively Jewish state in Palestine, a land inhabited almost entirely by Palestinian Arabs in 1900. Since no people yet has been known to commit collective suicide, this could only be accomplished by conquest and ethnic cleansing. This is how Israel emerged in 1948, through conquest and ethnic cleansing of 800,000 Palestinians.</p>
<p>Yet this was not enough. Although Israel now sat on 78 percent of historic Palestine, this fell short of Zionist goals. In 1967 this shortfall was corrected when Israel, after defeating Egypt, Syria and Jordan, occupied the West Bank and Gaza. Another, smaller campaign of ethnic cleansing was rolled into this second round of conquests.</p>
<p>Although the Security Council promptly passed a resolution, calling for Israeli withdrawal from the territories it had occupied in 1967, this never had any teeth. Impressed by Israeli rout of Arab nationalist forces, United States deepened its partnership with Israel and promptly rewarded Israel by doubling its military and economic assistance.</p>
<p>As a result, thirty-five years later, Israel still remains in ‘Occupation’ of West Bank and Gaza. In reality, this Occupation is merely a fiction, a farcical cover under which Israel buys time, time which it uses to insert armed Israeli settlers, to increase Israeli control and ownership of Palestinian lands, to push the Palestinians into ever shrinking enclaves, to escalate the violence against Palestinian resistance, and to deepen the misery of Palestinian lives till they can be forced to flee their homes.</p>
<p>The logic of the Occupation is brutal, and it should be transparent to all but the purblind. If Palestinian demography prevents annexation, and if Palestinians cannot be expelled in one fell swoop-as they had been in 1948-then the same results can still be achieved by forcing the Palestinians into Bantustans. If a million Palestinians can live in Gaza, a strip of 100 square miles, the two million in West Bank can be pushed into similar enclaves, freeing 90 percent of the West Bank for Jewish settlers. It is about time that we gave up the fiction of the Occupation, and describe this oppressive regime by its proper name. This is Aparthied: one country with two systems of laws, one for the colonizers and one for the colonized.</p>
<p>I have two objectives in rehearsing, though ever so briefly, this narrative of Palestinian dispossession. First, it is a narrative that has been denied repeatedly and falsified massively by Zionists. It therefore needs to be affirmed, simply and forcefully, again and again, in the expectation that world conscience will bear witness to the Zionist project of wiping out the Arab presence from Palestine to make room for Jewish settlers.</p>
<p>Once this narrative is affirmed; once it becomes clear that the destruction of Palestinians was necessary-and always known to be necessary and accepted as necessary-for Israel to emerge as an exclusive Jewish state; once it is admitted that the dispossession of Palestinians has involved wars, ethnic cleansing, massacres, villages destroyed, cities besieged, homes demolished, children maimed and killed, prisoners tortured, ambulances bombed, journalists targeted, municipal records destroyed, and trees uprooted; once all this destructiveness-already accomplished, and more of it unfolding everyday-is recognized the protestations about the “destructiveness” or “ugliness” of an academic boycott of Israel become insupportable, indeed unconscionable.</p>
<p>Mr. Leonid Ryzhik, of the University of Chicago, argues that academic boycott “indirectly encourages the [Palestinian] terrorist murderers in their deadly deeds.” Does he mean to say that this boycott “indirectly encourages” the Palestinian resistance; and anything that questions, delays or weakens the extension of the Zionist project to the West Bank and Gaza must be challenged, and neutralized. It must be affirmed in the face of such posturing that resistance is a right of the Palestinians, as it was of all colonized peoples who faced dispossession. Of necessity, dispossession is implemented by force-unless this project is aided by pathogens; and, it follows, that resistance to the colonizer must be violent.</p>
<p>The question is not, why do the Palestinians resist, or why do they resist by violent means? There is a different question before world conscience. Why have we for fifty years abandoned the Palestinians to fight their battles alone, beleaguered by a colonizer whom they cannot fight alone? Why have we allowed the Palestinians to be battered, exiled from their lands, herded into camps-in villages and towns that have been turned into concentration camps-exposed to the mercy of a colonizer who freely draws upon the finances, political support and military arsenal of the world’s greatest power? In despair, marginalized, pauperized, facing extinction as a people, if the Palestinians now use the only defense they have-to weaponize their death-who is to blame?</p>
<p>And if now world conscience shows the first signs of acting on behalf of the Palestinians, we can hope that this will mitigate the Palestinian’s deep despair. When the young Palestinians learn that academics the world over, that young people on campuses in Britain, France, Canada, and United States are stirring on their behalf, this will convince them that they are not alone; and once they are so convinced, they may be persuaded to renounce their acts of desperation. The academic boycott of Israel uses non-violent means, it leverages moral suasion, to reduce the violence of the colonizer as well as the colonized.</p>
<p>There are people who are shouting “Foul” at the academic boycott on the plea that this curtails the academic freedom of Israelis. I will readily admit that it does; this boycott is expected to work by shrinking some of the international avenues available to Israeli scientists for pursuing their work. Still it must be emphasized that this curtailment is temporary; it will end the moment Israel ends its Occupation. It is also limited in its scope. It only seeks to limit some of the advantages Israeli scientists derive from their interactions with the global scientific community. It does not threaten any fundamental academic freedoms.</p>
<p>This infringement of academic freedom-temporary and limited as it is-must be seen in a broader framework. I will readily concede that academic freedom is an important value, a value that all humane societies should cherish. But there are other values that we cherish, other values that may even be more important, more fundamental than the right to academic freedom. I believe it is reasonable and moral to impose temporary and partial limits on the academic freedom of a few Israelis if this can help to restore the fundamental rights of millions of Palestinians-their right to life, to their property, to their lands, to freedom of movement within their own country, to sovereign control over their destiny, and to equal treatment under the law. This can only be denied if we confess to a disproportion in the value we accord to Israeli and Palestinian rights.</p>
<p>One might, of course, argue that this boycott is wasted effort, since it can have no appreciable impact on Israeli society and policies. This is a question about the efficacy of the boycott. There can be little question that Israeli scientists value the esteem and cooperation of the world’s scientific community as well as access to international funding. It can therefore be expected that if the boycott spreads, this can begin to reduce the effectiveness of Israeli scientists. Perhaps more important, it is unlikely that Israeli polity can ignore the message that the boycott sends to them: that Israeli violations of Palestinian rights are repugnant, and will not be allowed to stand.</p>
<p>At the same time, I refuse to be cowed by invocations about the ‘sanctity’ of academia. More than ever before, universities help to reproduce the power structures of their societies; they are a potent source of ideologies of imperialism, race and class exploitation. Israeli universities are no exception. Through their links with the military, the political parties, the media and the economy, they have helped to construct, sustain, and justify the Apartheid. I might have hesitated in adding my name to the boycott if I knew that Israeli academics had taken the lead in organizing rallies, in organizing sit-ins, and passing resolutions protesting the Occupation, or that they had refused to work on projects that serve the Occupation. To the contrary, Israeli academia, on the whole, has shown that it is a party to the Occupation.</p>
<p>The academic boycott offers one of the few handles available to international civil society for seeking to end the Occupation. Israel has pursued policies in the Occupied Territories that would have invited economic sanctions, and even military intervention, against another country. America’s capitulation to the Israeli lobby has meant that Israel can wage war against a civilian population-using bombs, rockets, tank shells, and artillery fire-with impunity. Abandoned, isolated, beleaguered and unarmed, a few Palestinian men and women have responded to this massive force by weaponizing their own death, provoking still greater violence against themselves. But, paradoxically, this has also pushed world conscience into taking notice of the affront to humanity that is the Israeli Occupation. The academic boycott is one small step the detribalized world is now taking the stop this affront, a step that all men and women who have risen above tribalism should welcome.</p>
<p>M. Shahid Alam is professor of economics at Northeastern University, Boston. His second book, Poverty from the Wealth of Nations was published by Palgrave (2000). He may be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>. Copyright: M. Shahid Alam.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | The Academic Boycott of Israel | true | https://counterpunch.org/2002/07/29/the-academic-boycott-of-israel/ | 2002-07-29 | 4 |
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<p>While heavy rains batter the air base, we are bracing for the brunt of a severe sandstorm, expected to hit around midnight.</p>
<p>Sandstorms come about once a week, and this storm appears to be larger than average. Winds are expected to reach a maximum of 40 to 50 knots by Tuesday night, according to forecasters on base. Winds that powerful kick up sand and can knock out visibility entirely.</p> | Stormy weather | false | https://poynter.org/news/stormy-weather | 2003-03-27 | 2 |
<p>John Seiler: It was inevitable as California having beautiful weather that Meg Whitman, after a brief jaunt to the Right to defeat Steve Poizner in the primary, would flip back to the Left. She’s now courting Latinos by opposing Arizona’s immigration law in a <a href="http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/new-ads-highlight-whitmans-opposition-arizona-law" type="external">new series of pricey ads</a>:</p>
<p>Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman set to work courting support among Latinos last week after a brutal GOP primary battle that forced her to take a loud and hard stance against immigration issues.</p>
<p>The centerpiece of her recent efforts is a series of TV and radio ads,&#160; <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/17/MNKS1E0TUR.DTL" type="external">released</a> to coincide with the Mexico/France World Cup match, in which she touts her opposition to the Arizona immigration law.</p>
<p>“She includes all of us,” one ad&#160; <a href="http://www.politicsverbatim.org/excerpt/900/" type="external">says</a>. “She respects our community,” says&#160; <a href="http://www.politicsverbatim.org/excerpt/901/" type="external">another</a>.</p>
<p>But the California governor has absolutely no say in what will happen with the Arizona law. It’s a different state. And the controversy over a federal challenge to the law doesn’t involve California, either.</p>
<p>Moreover, what about Latinos who favor the law? After all, when illegal immigrants come here, they compete for the same jobs as existing,&#160;legal immigrants, generally on the lower end of the wages scale. They sure don’t compete to be eBay CEO.</p>
<p>It’s simple economics, something Meg should understand: increased supply of something means the price goes down. In this case, if you increase the supply of immigrants, then the price of immigrant wages goes down.</p>
<p>Finally: What’s her solution to the illegal immigration problem, which is bankrupting state and local budgets across the country? As the late Milton Friedman observed, you can’t have both open borders and a welfare state.</p>
<p>So, Meg, will you come out for ending California’s generous welfare state? Or how will you close the open borders?</p> | Meg flips Left | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2010/06/21/meg-flips-left/ | 2018-06-20 | 3 |
<p>To get you to come into McDonald's and buy new versions of its Big Mac, the chain is giving away 10,000 bottles of its trademark special sauce for people to use at home.</p>
<p>The move is to celebrate the introduction of the Mac Jr. and the Grand Mac, two different-sized variations of the classic sandwich.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The giveaway is a first in the United States.</p>
<p>McDonald's introduced the Big Mac in 1968. In 1975, the special sauce got its own callout in the signature Big Mac commercial, touting the burger's components_"Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."</p>
<p>The bottles will be available Thursday at participating locations nationwide.</p>
<p>Additional details on how and where customers can get their hands on a bottle are expected to be released later Wednesday.</p> | McDonald's to give away 10,000 bottles of special sauce | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/25/mcdonald-to-give-away-10000-bottles-special-sauce.html | 2017-01-25 | 0 |
<p>A <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/06/13/peds.2011-2082.abstract" type="external">new study</a> found that it is safe for kids with just one kidney to play sports.</p>
<p>There are an estimated 1500 children born with only one kidney and health officials have previously warned against contact sports for fear of damaging the organ.</p>
<p>The study from the University of Utah found that sports-related kidney injuries to young people are so rare that it is unnecessary to refrain from sports.</p>
<p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/06/18/down-a-kidney-dont-rule-out-sports/" type="external">ABC News</a> reported that the researchers found that even among the 23,000 injuries they investigated, only 18 were mild kidney injuries.&#160;</p>
<p>Read more on GlobalPost:&#160; <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/pure-ecstasy-should-be-legal-according-canadian-health-of" type="external">Pure ecstasy should be legal according to Canadian health official</a></p>
<p>"Even in the highest-risk group, kidney injury is a very rare condition," study author Matthew Grinsell of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/18/us-health-kidney-idUSBRE85H07N20120618" type="external">told Reuters</a>.</p>
<p>"Especially with today's obesity epidemic, I am very, very reluctant to counsel somebody against physical activity."</p>
<p>Other injuries far outpaced those involved kidney's the authors found.</p>
<p>The study's <a href="http://www.medpagetoday.com/Nephrology/GeneralNephrology/33328" type="external">press release</a>said that among the most common injuries there were 3,450 knee injuries, 2,069 injuries to the head, neck, or spine, 1,219 mild traumatic brain injuries, 148 eye injuries, and 17 testicular injuries.</p>
<p>The study was published in the journal <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/" type="external">Pediatrics</a>.</p>
<p>Read more on GlobalPost:&#160; <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/health/120615/fda-approves-meningitis-vaccine-children" type="external">FDA approves meningitis vaccine for children</a></p> | Kids down one kidney can still play sports, says study | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-06-18/kids-down-one-kidney-can-still-play-sports-says-study | 2012-06-18 | 3 |
<p>BOSTON - With the U.S. unemployment rate up to 9.1 percent, the dollar falling, oil prices rising, and consumer confidence in the world's largest economy waning, it's a good time for America's top banker to give a pep talk.</p>
<p>The problem: almost no one can understand what Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is saying.</p>
<p>So to help you comprehend Bernanke's Fedspeak-infused speech today to an American Bankers Association conference in Atlanta, here's a quick translation.</p>
<p>Bernanke on U.S. fiscal policy:</p>
<p>The prospect of increasing fiscal drag on the recovery highlights one of the many difficult tradeoffs faced by fiscal policymakers: If the nation is to have a healthy economic future, policymakers urgently need to put the federal government's finances on a sustainable trajectory. But, on the other hand, a sharp fiscal consolidation focused on the very near term could be self-defeating if it were to undercut the still-fragile recovery. The solution to this dilemma, I believe, lies in recognizing that our nation's fiscal problems are inherently long-term in nature. Consequently, the appropriate response is to move quickly to enact a credible, long-term plan for fiscal consolidation. By taking decisions today that lead to fiscal consolidation over a longer horizon, policymakers can avoid a sudden fiscal contraction that could put the recovery at risk. At the same time, establishing a credible plan for reducing future deficits now would not only enhance economic performance in the long run, but could also yield near-term benefits by leading to lower long-term interest rates and increased consumer and business confidence.</p>
<p>Translation: Well this sucks. America's colossal deficit is going to turn us into Argentina. But if we spend more to fix that right now, the economy could collapse and nobody would ever find a job. So let's put together a plan that reduces the deficit down the road and hope for the best.</p>
<p>Bernanke on the falling dollar:</p>
<p>Slow growth in the United States and a persistent trade deficit are additional, more fundamental sources of recent declines in the dollar's value; in particular, as the United States is a major oil importer, any geopolitical or other shock that increases the global price of oil will worsen our trade balance and economic outlook, which tends to depress the dollar. In this case, the direction of causality runs from commodity prices to the dollar rather than the other way around. The best way for the Federal Reserve to support the fundamental value of the dollar in the medium term is to pursue our dual mandate of maximum employment and price stability, and we will certainly do that.</p>
<p>Translation: The dollar isn't weak because of my QE2 plan. It's weak because oil is high. Thank you, angry Arabs. Since we buy a crapload of oil, the best thing for us to do is worry about creating jobs while keeping inflation low. Somehow.</p>
<p>Bernanke on the weak U.S. economy:</p>
<p>Although it is moving in the right direction, the economy is still producing at levels well below its potential; consequently, accommodative monetary policies are still needed. Until we see a sustained period of stronger job creation, we cannot consider the recovery to be truly established. At the same time, the longer-run health of the economy requires that the Federal Reserve be vigilant in preserving its hard-won credibility for maintaining price stability. As I have explained, most FOMC participants currently see the recent increase in inflation as transitory and expect inflation to remain subdued in the medium term. Should that forecast prove wrong, however, and particularly if signs were to emerge that inflation was becoming more broadly based or that longer-term inflation expectations were becoming less well anchored, the Committee would respond as necessary. Under all circumstances, our policy actions will be guided by the objectives of supporting the recovery in output and employment while helping ensure that inflation, over time, is at levels consistent with the Federal Reserve's mandate.</p>
<p>Translation: The economy stinks. But we're going to hope that inflation is a short-term problem and try to get the economy growing again to create more jobs. That's what I'm paid to do, people.</p>
<p>Bernanke on the economy's outlook:</p>
<p>U.S. economic growth so far this year looks to have been somewhat slower than expected. Aggregate output increased at only 1.8 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter, and supply chain disruptions associated with the earthquake and tsunami in Japan are hampering economic activity this quarter. A number of indicators also suggest some loss of momentum in the labor market in recent weeks. We are, of course, monitoring these developments. That said, with the effects of the Japanese disaster on manufacturing output likely to dissipate in coming months, and with some moderation in gasoline prices in prospect, growth seems likely to pick up somewhat in the second half of the year. Overall, the economic recovery appears to be continuing at a moderate pace, albeit at a rate that is both uneven across sectors and frustratingly slow from the perspective of millions of unemployed and underemployed workers.</p>
<p>Translation: The economy is worse than I said it was going to be but Japan's disaster hurt us, too. And can you believe those gas prices? Both of those things are getting better, I promise. But not fast enough if you're one of the 14 million people in this country without a job. Sorry about that.&#160;</p> | US economy: Decoding Bernanke | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-06-08/us-economy-decoding-bernanke | 2011-06-08 | 3 |
<p>Abington 59, Council Rock South 40</p>
<p>Abington Friends 61, George School 56</p>
<p>Abington Heights 68, Scranton 56</p>
<p>Academy of the New Church 37, Germantown Friends 32</p>
<p>Aliquippa 78, Ellwood City 28</p>
<p>Allderdice 80, Westinghouse 45</p>
<p>Allentown Allen 66, Pocono Mountain East 55</p>
<p>Allentown Central Catholic 72, East Stroudsburg North 55</p>
<p>Ambridge 56, Hopewell 38</p>
<p>Annville-Cleona 74, Columbia 64</p>
<p>Archbishop Carroll 64, Philadelphia West Catholic 46</p>
<p>Archbishop Ryan 47, Father Judge 42</p>
<p>Archbishop Wood 50, LaSalle 35</p>
<p>Athens 75, Sayre Area 46</p>
<p>Baldwin 48, Connellsville 35</p>
<p>Beaver Falls 52, Blackhawk 45</p>
<p>Bellwood-Antis 68, Claysburg-Kimmel 53</p>
<p>Berks Christian 42, High Point 41</p>
<p>Berwick 48, Wilkes-Barre Coughlin 31</p>
<p>Bethel Park 54, Peters Township 43</p>
<p>Bishop Guilfoyle 67, Bishop McCort 52</p>
<p>Bloomsburg 42, Hughesville 40</p>
<p>Blue Mountain 68, Minersville 35</p>
<p>Boiling Springs 45, Shippensburg 41</p>
<p>Bonner-Prendergast 68, Philadelphia Roman Catholic 66</p>
<p>Bradford 55, Punxsutawney 52</p>
<p>Brashear 87, Perry Traditional Academy 35</p>
<p>Brentwood 57, South Allegheny 53</p>
<p>Burgettstown 70, Southmoreland 45</p>
<p>Burrell 54, Kiski Area 40</p>
<p>California 66, Jefferson-Morgan 63</p>
<p>Cambridge Springs 55, Iroquois 52</p>
<p>Camp Hill Trinity 74, East Pennsboro 34</p>
<p>Canon-McMillan 61, Upper St. Clair 48</p>
<p>Carrick 69, Pittsburgh Obama 57</p>
<p>Cedar Cliff 46, Palmyra 25</p>
<p>Cedar Crest 54, Warwick 50</p>
<p>Central Columbia 67, South Williamsport 31</p>
<p>Central Martinsburg 50, Clearfield 46</p>
<p>Chambersburg 55, Carlisle 40</p>
<p>Cheltenham 76, Upper Dublin 71</p>
<p>Chestnut Ridge 69, Bedford 52</p>
<p>Church Farm School 63, Bristol 33</p>
<p>Clairton 48, West Mifflin 38</p>
<p>Clarion 69, Union 43</p>
<p>Clarion-Limestone 75, Moniteau 35</p>
<p>Cocalico 41, Solanco 35</p>
<p>Commodore Perry 43, Tidioute Charter 40</p>
<p>Constitution 86, Audenried 59</p>
<p>Cornell 44, Rochester 37</p>
<p>Cranberry 63, Redbank Valley 54</p>
<p>Crestwood 50, Wilkes-Barre Meyers 36</p>
<p>Cumberland Valley 58, Central Dauphin East 53</p>
<p>Curwensville 58, Kane Area 45</p>
<p>Dallas 66, Wilkes-Barre GAR 40</p>
<p>Danville 71, Shikellamy 55</p>
<p>Delaware Valley 46, Honesdale 42</p>
<p>Donegal 40, Manheim Central 39</p>
<p>Dover 69, Kennard-Dale 62</p>
<p>Downingtown West 47, West Lawn Wilson 38</p>
<p>Dubois Central Catholic 77, Sheffield 40</p>
<p>Dunmore 59, Riverside 48</p>
<p>East Juniata 64, Susquenita 55</p>
<p>East Stroudsburg South 54, Easton 36</p>
<p>Eastern York 76, Susquehannock 66</p>
<p>Eisenhower 69, Youngsville 34</p>
<p>Emmaus 62, Pleasant Valley 42</p>
<p>Engineering And Science 51, Prep Charter 47</p>
<p>Episcopal Academy 70, Germantown Academy 49</p>
<p>Everett 88, Tussey Mountain 57</p>
<p>Farrell 53, Slippery Rock 48</p>
<p>Fels 72, Roxborough 54</p>
<p>Forest City 62, Blue Ridge 53</p>
<p>Forest Hills 67, Somerset 44</p>
<p>Fox Chapel 75, Hempfield Area 47</p>
<p>Frazier 62, Bentworth 58</p>
<p>Garden Spot 64, Ephrata 48</p>
<p>Greater Johnstown 75, Altoona 66</p>
<p>Greencastle Antrim 81, Northern York 59</p>
<p>Greenwood 49, Juniata 40</p>
<p>Grove City 51, Oil City 46</p>
<p>Hampton 85, West Allegheny 71</p>
<p>Hanover Area 70, Northwest Area 40</p>
<p>Haverford 60, Strath Haven 46</p>
<p>Hempfield 49, Penn Manor 43</p>
<p>Hershey 56, Mechanicsburg 27</p>
<p>Hickory 69, Franklin 54</p>
<p>Hollidaysburg 49, Bishop Carroll 34</p>
<p>Holy Ghost Prep 55, Calvary Christian 45</p>
<p>HOPE for Hyndman 73, Salisbury-Elk Lick 44</p>
<p>Huntingdon 64, Bellefonte 45</p>
<p>Imani Christian Academy 69, Eden Christian 51</p>
<p>Indiana 56, Deer Lakes 43</p>
<p>Jeannette 87, Summit Academy 57</p>
<p>Jenkintown 48, Phil-Montgomery Christian 44</p>
<p>Johnsonburg 75, Port Allegany 42</p>
<p>Juniata Valley 68, Moshannon Valley 38</p>
<p>Karns City 67, Venango 42</p>
<p>Keystone 59, Forest Area 37</p>
<p>Keystone Oaks 68, McGuffey 57</p>
<p>KIPP Dubois 61, Franklin Learning Center 58</p>
<p>Lancaster Catholic 68, Pequea Valley 28</p>
<p>Lancaster Mennonite 47, ELCO 41</p>
<p>Laurel 73, Northgate 44</p>
<p>Lebanon 70, Lancaster McCaskey 63</p>
<p>Lebanon Christian 84, Red Lion Christian 28</p>
<p>Leechburg 66, Riverview 42</p>
<p>Lewisburg 70, Milton 51</p>
<p>Ligonier Valley 76, Saltsburg 49</p>
<p>Lincoln Park Charter 66, Riverside 56</p>
<p>Littlestown 68, Hanover 42</p>
<p>Lower Dauphin 75, Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt 61</p>
<p>Lower Moreland 75, Morrisville 33</p>
<p>Malvern Prep 62, Haverford School 57</p>
<p>Maplewood 61, Saegertown 36</p>
<p>Mars 89, Knoch 57</p>
<p>Masterman 55, Parkway Center City 38</p>
<p>McKeesport 71, Laurel Highlands 62</p>
<p>Meadowbrook Christian 67, Columbia County Christian 29</p>
<p>Meadville 73, General McLane 54</p>
<p>Methacton 66, Boyertown 64</p>
<p>Mid Valley 50, Lakeland 40</p>
<p>Milton Hershey 72, Camp Hill 62</p>
<p>MMI Prep 51, Lake-Lehman 35</p>
<p>Mohawk 48, New Brighton 41</p>
<p>Montoursville 56, Warrior Run 44</p>
<p>Moon 52, Franklin Regional 48</p>
<p>Moravian Academy 55, Northern Lehigh 51</p>
<p>Mount Pleasant 52, Geibel Catholic 43</p>
<p>Mount Union 90, Glendale 50</p>
<p>Mountain View 59, Montrose 51</p>
<p>Nanticoke Area 56, Pittston Area 49</p>
<p>New Castle 49, Central Valley 42</p>
<p>Norristown 62, Spring-Ford 37</p>
<p>North Allegheny 64, Shaler 52</p>
<p>North Clarion 49, Allegheny-Clarion Valley 43</p>
<p>North Hills 82, Butler 55</p>
<p>North Penn 61, Central Bucks East 49</p>
<p>North Penn-Mansfield 61, Cowanesque Valley 48</p>
<p>North Schuylkill 67, Tamaqua 57</p>
<p>Northampton 52, Bethlehem Catholic 51</p>
<p>Northeastern 80, Dallastown Area 50</p>
<p>Northern Bedford 54, Southern Huntingdon 51</p>
<p>Northern Lebanon 76, Lebanon Catholic 35</p>
<p>Northumberland Christian 67, New Covenant 26</p>
<p>Norwin 66, Penn-Trafford 59</p>
<p>Our Lady Of Sacred Heart 70, Bishop Canevin 41</p>
<p>Owen J Roberts 49, Perkiomen Valley 47</p>
<p>Palmerton 51, Salisbury 46</p>
<p>Parkland 77, Nazareth Area 62</p>
<p>Penn Charter 81, Springside Chestnut Hill 56</p>
<p>Penn Hills 80, Plum 53</p>
<p>Penncrest 65, Garnet Valley 59</p>
<p>Penns Manor 60, Homer-Center 59</p>
<p>Penns Valley 52, Bald Eagle Area 38</p>
<p>Philadelphia Northeast 72, Edison 60</p>
<p>Phoenixville 49, Upper Perkiomen 47</p>
<p>Pine Grove 55, Lehighton 54</p>
<p>Pine-Richland 86, Steel Valley 64</p>
<p>Pittsburgh Central Catholic 55, Seneca Valley 47</p>
<p>Plumstead Christian 77, Calvary Baptist 36</p>
<p>Plymouth-Whitemarsh 62, Upper Moreland 47</p>
<p>Pocono Mountain West 69, Bethlehem Freedom 57</p>
<p>Pottstown 67, Pope John Paul II 63, OT</p>
<p>Purchase Line 85, Northern Cambria 57</p>
<p>Quaker Valley 70, Beaver Area 49</p>
<p>Red Lion 55, Central York 52</p>
<p>Ridgway 46, Elk County Catholic 36</p>
<p>Rocky Grove 62, Greenville 52</p>
<p>Scranton Holy Cross 62, Old Forge 31</p>
<p>Scranton Prep 63, Wallenpaupack 53</p>
<p>Sewickley Academy 86, Sto-Rox 68</p>
<p>Shade 77, Portage Area 29</p>
<p>Shady Side Academy 53, Apollo-Ridge 44</p>
<p>Shalom Christian 54, Grace Academy, Md. 44</p>
<p>Sharon 60, George Jr. Republic 52</p>
<p>Shenango 51, Neshannock 47</p>
<p>Solebury 60, New Foundations 54</p>
<p>Souderton 41, Central Bucks South 30</p>
<p>South Fayette 60, Belle Vernon 45</p>
<p>South Side 55, Charleroi 40</p>
<p>South Western 48, New Oxford 44</p>
<p>Southern Lehigh 54, Catasauqua 49</p>
<p>Springdale 48, Greensburg Central Catholic 47</p>
<p>St. Joseph's Prep 81, Conwell Egan 72</p>
<p>State College 77, Mifflin County 58</p>
<p>Susquehanna 64, Elk Lake 43</p>
<p>Thomas Jefferson 67, Ringgold 32</p>
<p>Towanda 83, Canton 59</p>
<p>Tri-Valley 47, Mahanoy Area 42</p>
<p>Trinity 85, Albert Gallatin 58</p>
<p>Tulpehocken 62, Oley Valley 58</p>
<p>Tyrone 79, Philipsburg-Osceola 53</p>
<p>Uniontown 70, South Park 68</p>
<p>United 50, Blairsville 46</p>
<p>Upper Darby 67, Springfield Delco 37</p>
<p>Valley 65, Freeport 53</p>
<p>Valley Forge Military 68, Delco Christian 49</p>
<p>Valley View 62, Western Wayne 38</p>
<p>Vincentian Academy 84, Pittsburgh Holy Family 64</p>
<p>Washington 62, Brownsville 39</p>
<p>Waynesburg Central 68, Elizabeth Forward 45</p>
<p>Wellsboro 67, North Penn/Liberty 36</p>
<p>West Greene 67, Mapletown 24</p>
<p>West Middlesex 53, Sharpsville 46</p>
<p>West Scranton 46, North Pocono 45</p>
<p>West Shamokin 54, Marion Center 40</p>
<p>West York 46, Gettysburg 42</p>
<p>Whitehall 60, Allentown Dieruff 53</p>
<p>Williamsburg 67, West Branch 65, OT</p>
<p>Wilmington 74, Lakeview 65</p>
<p>Wilson 69, Saucon Valley 45</p>
<p>Wissahickon 48, Quakertown 27</p>
<p>Woodland Hills 80, Greater Latrobe 69</p>
<p>Wyalusing 56, Troy 55</p>
<p>Wyoming Area 71, Wyoming Valley West 61</p>
<p>Wyoming Seminary 46, Holy Redeemer 41</p>
<p>York 73, Spring Grove 58</p>
<p>York Catholic 74, Fairfield 50</p>
<p>York County Tech 55, Bermudian Springs 29</p>
<p>Abington 59, Council Rock South 40</p>
<p>Abington Friends 61, George School 56</p>
<p>Abington Heights 68, Scranton 56</p>
<p>Academy of the New Church 37, Germantown Friends 32</p>
<p>Aliquippa 78, Ellwood City 28</p>
<p>Allderdice 80, Westinghouse 45</p>
<p>Allentown Allen 66, Pocono Mountain East 55</p>
<p>Allentown Central Catholic 72, East Stroudsburg North 55</p>
<p>Ambridge 56, Hopewell 38</p>
<p>Annville-Cleona 74, Columbia 64</p>
<p>Archbishop Carroll 64, Philadelphia West Catholic 46</p>
<p>Archbishop Ryan 47, Father Judge 42</p>
<p>Archbishop Wood 50, LaSalle 35</p>
<p>Athens 75, Sayre Area 46</p>
<p>Baldwin 48, Connellsville 35</p>
<p>Beaver Falls 52, Blackhawk 45</p>
<p>Bellwood-Antis 68, Claysburg-Kimmel 53</p>
<p>Berks Christian 42, High Point 41</p>
<p>Berwick 48, Wilkes-Barre Coughlin 31</p>
<p>Bethel Park 54, Peters Township 43</p>
<p>Bishop Guilfoyle 67, Bishop McCort 52</p>
<p>Bloomsburg 42, Hughesville 40</p>
<p>Blue Mountain 68, Minersville 35</p>
<p>Boiling Springs 45, Shippensburg 41</p>
<p>Bonner-Prendergast 68, Philadelphia Roman Catholic 66</p>
<p>Bradford 55, Punxsutawney 52</p>
<p>Brashear 87, Perry Traditional Academy 35</p>
<p>Brentwood 57, South Allegheny 53</p>
<p>Burgettstown 70, Southmoreland 45</p>
<p>Burrell 54, Kiski Area 40</p>
<p>California 66, Jefferson-Morgan 63</p>
<p>Cambridge Springs 55, Iroquois 52</p>
<p>Camp Hill Trinity 74, East Pennsboro 34</p>
<p>Canon-McMillan 61, Upper St. Clair 48</p>
<p>Carrick 69, Pittsburgh Obama 57</p>
<p>Cedar Cliff 46, Palmyra 25</p>
<p>Cedar Crest 54, Warwick 50</p>
<p>Central Columbia 67, South Williamsport 31</p>
<p>Central Martinsburg 50, Clearfield 46</p>
<p>Chambersburg 55, Carlisle 40</p>
<p>Cheltenham 76, Upper Dublin 71</p>
<p>Chestnut Ridge 69, Bedford 52</p>
<p>Church Farm School 63, Bristol 33</p>
<p>Clairton 48, West Mifflin 38</p>
<p>Clarion 69, Union 43</p>
<p>Clarion-Limestone 75, Moniteau 35</p>
<p>Cocalico 41, Solanco 35</p>
<p>Commodore Perry 43, Tidioute Charter 40</p>
<p>Constitution 86, Audenried 59</p>
<p>Cornell 44, Rochester 37</p>
<p>Cranberry 63, Redbank Valley 54</p>
<p>Crestwood 50, Wilkes-Barre Meyers 36</p>
<p>Cumberland Valley 58, Central Dauphin East 53</p>
<p>Curwensville 58, Kane Area 45</p>
<p>Dallas 66, Wilkes-Barre GAR 40</p>
<p>Danville 71, Shikellamy 55</p>
<p>Delaware Valley 46, Honesdale 42</p>
<p>Donegal 40, Manheim Central 39</p>
<p>Dover 69, Kennard-Dale 62</p>
<p>Downingtown West 47, West Lawn Wilson 38</p>
<p>Dubois Central Catholic 77, Sheffield 40</p>
<p>Dunmore 59, Riverside 48</p>
<p>East Juniata 64, Susquenita 55</p>
<p>East Stroudsburg South 54, Easton 36</p>
<p>Eastern York 76, Susquehannock 66</p>
<p>Eisenhower 69, Youngsville 34</p>
<p>Emmaus 62, Pleasant Valley 42</p>
<p>Engineering And Science 51, Prep Charter 47</p>
<p>Episcopal Academy 70, Germantown Academy 49</p>
<p>Everett 88, Tussey Mountain 57</p>
<p>Farrell 53, Slippery Rock 48</p>
<p>Fels 72, Roxborough 54</p>
<p>Forest City 62, Blue Ridge 53</p>
<p>Forest Hills 67, Somerset 44</p>
<p>Fox Chapel 75, Hempfield Area 47</p>
<p>Frazier 62, Bentworth 58</p>
<p>Garden Spot 64, Ephrata 48</p>
<p>Greater Johnstown 75, Altoona 66</p>
<p>Greencastle Antrim 81, Northern York 59</p>
<p>Greenwood 49, Juniata 40</p>
<p>Grove City 51, Oil City 46</p>
<p>Hampton 85, West Allegheny 71</p>
<p>Hanover Area 70, Northwest Area 40</p>
<p>Haverford 60, Strath Haven 46</p>
<p>Hempfield 49, Penn Manor 43</p>
<p>Hershey 56, Mechanicsburg 27</p>
<p>Hickory 69, Franklin 54</p>
<p>Hollidaysburg 49, Bishop Carroll 34</p>
<p>Holy Ghost Prep 55, Calvary Christian 45</p>
<p>HOPE for Hyndman 73, Salisbury-Elk Lick 44</p>
<p>Huntingdon 64, Bellefonte 45</p>
<p>Imani Christian Academy 69, Eden Christian 51</p>
<p>Indiana 56, Deer Lakes 43</p>
<p>Jeannette 87, Summit Academy 57</p>
<p>Jenkintown 48, Phil-Montgomery Christian 44</p>
<p>Johnsonburg 75, Port Allegany 42</p>
<p>Juniata Valley 68, Moshannon Valley 38</p>
<p>Karns City 67, Venango 42</p>
<p>Keystone 59, Forest Area 37</p>
<p>Keystone Oaks 68, McGuffey 57</p>
<p>KIPP Dubois 61, Franklin Learning Center 58</p>
<p>Lancaster Catholic 68, Pequea Valley 28</p>
<p>Lancaster Mennonite 47, ELCO 41</p>
<p>Laurel 73, Northgate 44</p>
<p>Lebanon 70, Lancaster McCaskey 63</p>
<p>Lebanon Christian 84, Red Lion Christian 28</p>
<p>Leechburg 66, Riverview 42</p>
<p>Lewisburg 70, Milton 51</p>
<p>Ligonier Valley 76, Saltsburg 49</p>
<p>Lincoln Park Charter 66, Riverside 56</p>
<p>Littlestown 68, Hanover 42</p>
<p>Lower Dauphin 75, Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt 61</p>
<p>Lower Moreland 75, Morrisville 33</p>
<p>Malvern Prep 62, Haverford School 57</p>
<p>Maplewood 61, Saegertown 36</p>
<p>Mars 89, Knoch 57</p>
<p>Masterman 55, Parkway Center City 38</p>
<p>McKeesport 71, Laurel Highlands 62</p>
<p>Meadowbrook Christian 67, Columbia County Christian 29</p>
<p>Meadville 73, General McLane 54</p>
<p>Methacton 66, Boyertown 64</p>
<p>Mid Valley 50, Lakeland 40</p>
<p>Milton Hershey 72, Camp Hill 62</p>
<p>MMI Prep 51, Lake-Lehman 35</p>
<p>Mohawk 48, New Brighton 41</p>
<p>Montoursville 56, Warrior Run 44</p>
<p>Moon 52, Franklin Regional 48</p>
<p>Moravian Academy 55, Northern Lehigh 51</p>
<p>Mount Pleasant 52, Geibel Catholic 43</p>
<p>Mount Union 90, Glendale 50</p>
<p>Mountain View 59, Montrose 51</p>
<p>Nanticoke Area 56, Pittston Area 49</p>
<p>New Castle 49, Central Valley 42</p>
<p>Norristown 62, Spring-Ford 37</p>
<p>North Allegheny 64, Shaler 52</p>
<p>North Clarion 49, Allegheny-Clarion Valley 43</p>
<p>North Hills 82, Butler 55</p>
<p>North Penn 61, Central Bucks East 49</p>
<p>North Penn-Mansfield 61, Cowanesque Valley 48</p>
<p>North Schuylkill 67, Tamaqua 57</p>
<p>Northampton 52, Bethlehem Catholic 51</p>
<p>Northeastern 80, Dallastown Area 50</p>
<p>Northern Bedford 54, Southern Huntingdon 51</p>
<p>Northern Lebanon 76, Lebanon Catholic 35</p>
<p>Northumberland Christian 67, New Covenant 26</p>
<p>Norwin 66, Penn-Trafford 59</p>
<p>Our Lady Of Sacred Heart 70, Bishop Canevin 41</p>
<p>Owen J Roberts 49, Perkiomen Valley 47</p>
<p>Palmerton 51, Salisbury 46</p>
<p>Parkland 77, Nazareth Area 62</p>
<p>Penn Charter 81, Springside Chestnut Hill 56</p>
<p>Penn Hills 80, Plum 53</p>
<p>Penncrest 65, Garnet Valley 59</p>
<p>Penns Manor 60, Homer-Center 59</p>
<p>Penns Valley 52, Bald Eagle Area 38</p>
<p>Philadelphia Northeast 72, Edison 60</p>
<p>Phoenixville 49, Upper Perkiomen 47</p>
<p>Pine Grove 55, Lehighton 54</p>
<p>Pine-Richland 86, Steel Valley 64</p>
<p>Pittsburgh Central Catholic 55, Seneca Valley 47</p>
<p>Plumstead Christian 77, Calvary Baptist 36</p>
<p>Plymouth-Whitemarsh 62, Upper Moreland 47</p>
<p>Pocono Mountain West 69, Bethlehem Freedom 57</p>
<p>Pottstown 67, Pope John Paul II 63, OT</p>
<p>Purchase Line 85, Northern Cambria 57</p>
<p>Quaker Valley 70, Beaver Area 49</p>
<p>Red Lion 55, Central York 52</p>
<p>Ridgway 46, Elk County Catholic 36</p>
<p>Rocky Grove 62, Greenville 52</p>
<p>Scranton Holy Cross 62, Old Forge 31</p>
<p>Scranton Prep 63, Wallenpaupack 53</p>
<p>Sewickley Academy 86, Sto-Rox 68</p>
<p>Shade 77, Portage Area 29</p>
<p>Shady Side Academy 53, Apollo-Ridge 44</p>
<p>Shalom Christian 54, Grace Academy, Md. 44</p>
<p>Sharon 60, George Jr. Republic 52</p>
<p>Shenango 51, Neshannock 47</p>
<p>Solebury 60, New Foundations 54</p>
<p>Souderton 41, Central Bucks South 30</p>
<p>South Fayette 60, Belle Vernon 45</p>
<p>South Side 55, Charleroi 40</p>
<p>South Western 48, New Oxford 44</p>
<p>Southern Lehigh 54, Catasauqua 49</p>
<p>Springdale 48, Greensburg Central Catholic 47</p>
<p>St. Joseph's Prep 81, Conwell Egan 72</p>
<p>State College 77, Mifflin County 58</p>
<p>Susquehanna 64, Elk Lake 43</p>
<p>Thomas Jefferson 67, Ringgold 32</p>
<p>Towanda 83, Canton 59</p>
<p>Tri-Valley 47, Mahanoy Area 42</p>
<p>Trinity 85, Albert Gallatin 58</p>
<p>Tulpehocken 62, Oley Valley 58</p>
<p>Tyrone 79, Philipsburg-Osceola 53</p>
<p>Uniontown 70, South Park 68</p>
<p>United 50, Blairsville 46</p>
<p>Upper Darby 67, Springfield Delco 37</p>
<p>Valley 65, Freeport 53</p>
<p>Valley Forge Military 68, Delco Christian 49</p>
<p>Valley View 62, Western Wayne 38</p>
<p>Vincentian Academy 84, Pittsburgh Holy Family 64</p>
<p>Washington 62, Brownsville 39</p>
<p>Waynesburg Central 68, Elizabeth Forward 45</p>
<p>Wellsboro 67, North Penn/Liberty 36</p>
<p>West Greene 67, Mapletown 24</p>
<p>West Middlesex 53, Sharpsville 46</p>
<p>West Scranton 46, North Pocono 45</p>
<p>West Shamokin 54, Marion Center 40</p>
<p>West York 46, Gettysburg 42</p>
<p>Whitehall 60, Allentown Dieruff 53</p>
<p>Williamsburg 67, West Branch 65, OT</p>
<p>Wilmington 74, Lakeview 65</p>
<p>Wilson 69, Saucon Valley 45</p>
<p>Wissahickon 48, Quakertown 27</p>
<p>Woodland Hills 80, Greater Latrobe 69</p>
<p>Wyalusing 56, Troy 55</p>
<p>Wyoming Area 71, Wyoming Valley West 61</p>
<p>Wyoming Seminary 46, Holy Redeemer 41</p>
<p>York 73, Spring Grove 58</p>
<p>York Catholic 74, Fairfield 50</p>
<p>York County Tech 55, Bermudian Springs 29</p> | Friday's Scores | false | https://apnews.com/amp/8113f29d43de4360a9b3f69c57f380cc | 2018-01-20 | 2 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Parking robot “Ray” transports a car in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, 23 June 2014. The parking robot will see service for the first time at Duesseldorf Airport. (AP Photo/dpa, Federico Gambarini)</p>
<p>BERLIN — Plane to catch and don’t feel like hunting for parking?</p>
<p>Travelers at Duesseldorf airport in Germany can soon leave the job to a robot valet.</p>
<p>An airport spokesman says the robot, nicknamed Ray, starts work Tuesday and can be booked using a smartphone app.</p>
<p>Thomas Koetter says all travelers need to do is leave their car in a designated area and confirm it’s empty and ready to go.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Then Ray or one of its cybernetic colleagues will take the car to one of 249 parking spaces reserved for robots.</p>
<p>Koetter says the forklift-like machine can carry any standard car weighing up to 3 metric tons (3.31 tons) and is fully insured.</p>
<p>He says the service costing €29 ($39.43) a day targets busy business travelers but is open to anyone.</p> | Robot valet to park cars at German airport | false | https://abqjournal.com/419754/robot-valet-to-park-cars-at-german-airport.html | 2 |
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<p>The New York Times Co reported worse-than-expected results on Thursday as advertisers cut spending on both print and digital outlets, sending shares down 16 percent.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, on a conference call with analysts about the results, Chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said he supported Mark Thompson, the incoming president and chief executive, and addressed the scandal roiling Britain's BBC, where Thompson served in the top job until September.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The British Broadcasting Corp has been damaged by the accusations of sexual abuse of young girls and women by a former TV host, the late Jimmy Savile. The scandal also involves a BBC news program on Savile that was shelved.</p>
<p>Sulzberger said Thompson "provided a detailed account" of his involvement with the program and is starting as planned on Nov. 12.</p>
<p>"I am satisfied that played no role in the cancellation of that segment," Sulzberger said. "Our opinion ... remains that he abides by high ethical standards and is the ideal person to lead our company."</p>
<p>The New York Times public editor has questioned whether Thompson is fit to serve as CEO. He has not been implicated in the controversy.</p>
<p>Earlier, the company reported that revenue was up almost 1 percent to $449 million. Still, the result missed the analysts' consensus estimate of $479.23 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.</p>
<p>Adjusting for severance costs and other special items, the company reported a quarterly loss of 1 cent per share, well below expectations of earnings of 8 cents per share.</p>
<p>The slight uptick in revenue was due to a 7.4 percent rise in circulation revenue helped by the company's digital subscription plans.</p>
<p>But as the company tries to rely more on circulation for its revenue, advertising sales are in a persistent slump.</p>
<p>"It wasn't a nice quarter on revenue," said Edward Atorino, an analyst with Benchmark Co. "The advertising numbers look terrible. I thought they might do a little better. They are caught up in the downslide like everybody else."</p>
<p>The stock dropped 16 percent to $8.93 in afternoon trade.</p>
<p>DIGITAL REVENUE DROPS</p>
<p>Print ad revenue, coming primarily from its namesake newspaper and the Boston Globe, dropped almost 11 percent from a year earlier - an even steeper decline than the previous quarter.</p>
<p>Digital ad revenue, which has been a bright spot for the company, fell 2.2 percent.</p>
<p>The company attributed the declines to the "challenging economic environment, ongoing secular trends and an increasingly complex and fragmented digital advertising marketplace."</p>
<p>Advertising revenue at The New York Times depends largely on national accounts from sectors like telecommunications and technology that use the newspaper to reach people across the United States.</p>
<p>"I think that really reflects that national newspaper revenue is much more exposed to secular pressures than the local retailer," said Leo Culp, an analyst with Citi.</p>
<p>The trend of declining national ad revenue was apparent at Gannett Co, the largest newspaper chain in the United States, and its national newspaper USA Today, a competitor to the Times.</p>
<p>While Gannett turned in better-than-expected results last week, national advertising, primarily through USA Today, was down almost 8 percent at its U.S. newspapers.</p>
<p>The clampdown by advertisers is expected at the New York Times into the next quarter - typically the strongest one for the newspaper industry as it's buoyed by holiday spending.</p>
<p>The company said it expects the same advertising trends in the fourth quarter as the third period.</p>
<p>Paid subscribers to the digital editions of The New York Times and sister paper International Herald Tribune increased 11 percent and totaled 566,000.</p>
<p>Once a sprawling media conglomerate, The New York Times has tightened its focus and shed assets. Over the past year, it sold a group of newspapers in the U.S. Southeast and in California, digital property About Group and stakes in sports ventures including the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Soccer Club.</p>
<p>It is now down to a handful of newspapers, including its flagship, the Boston Globe, the Worcester Telegram &amp; Gazette and the International Herald Tribune.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | NY Times misses revs view, chairman backs incoming CEO | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/10/25/ny-times-misses-revs-view-chairman-backs-incoming-ceo.html | 2016-01-29 | 0 |
<p>There were no major surprises in activist hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman's fourth-quarter filing on Tuesday, which showed his Pershing Square Capital boosted its stake in burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill and pared its holdings of Valeant Pharmaceuticals . As previously disclosed, Ackman bought more than 2.3 million shares of Chipotle in the fourth quarter, the filing showed, bringing his stake to 2.882 million shares, or 9.96% of the company, as of Dec. 31. Pershing Square and Chipotle reached a settlement in December that gave the fund two seats on restaurant chain's board. Ackman had also disclosed in December that Pershing Square had cut its stake in Valeant by nearly 3.5 million shares to help generate a loss for tax purposes.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Ackman Boosted Chipotle Holdings, Pared Valeant In 4th Quarter | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/14/ackman-boosted-chipotle-holdings-pared-valeant-in-4th-quarter.html | 2017-02-14 | 0 |
<p />
<p>If you consider yourself a gentleman in a society where chivalry is “misplaced,” GQ wants to hear from you. All you need is manners and a big idea.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The men’s magazine is teaming up with Ketel One in a search across the country for game-changing ideas in their contest “A Gentleman’s Call: In Pursuit of an Idea that Matters.” The winning idea should “champion the lifestyle of the modern gentleman,” and will receive $100,000 in startup cash.</p>
<p>Current entries online include breathalyzer kiosks in bars to limit drunk driving incidents, and a mentoring program for young men ages 16-to-19 to help them grow into “alphas.”</p>
<p>In order to find the strongest project ideas, the contest has also called upon three mentors it considers to be modern gentlemen, of course,—actors - Ian Somerhalder and Carlos Ponce, as well as Adam Garone, co-founder and CEO of the Movember Foundation.</p>
<p>“The best thing you can aspire to be is a gentleman. The idea of a gentleman is one of awareness, confidence and compassion,” Somerhalder said in a release. “Helping to support an&#160;initiative that is based on those ideals is an honor and I look forward to seeing the evolution of this quest reach its full potential.”</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Think you have the next big idea for gentlemen? Visit <a href="http://www.AGentlemansCall.com" type="external">www.AGentlemansCall.com Opens a New Window.</a> to enter your project or tag @KetelOne and @GQmagazine,&#160;use the hashtag #KetelOne #GentlemansCall on Twitter, and visit <a href="http://www.facebook.com/KetelOne" type="external">www.facebook.com/KetelOne Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>The contest will stop accepting entries on July 29, and five projects will be selected. Voting will then be opened up across the country to determine which idea best personifies a “class act” and will be inspirational to generations of gentlemen.</p> | An Entrepreneur and a Gentleman | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/06/08/entrepreneur-and-gentleman.html | 2016-03-22 | 0 |
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<p>I got involved with the Juntos program through my son, who started volunteering. I realized that it is a program that gives importance to the environment, which would greatly help my family. I know it’s important to make a positive change in my community, and reduce the rate of children and families with asthma.</p>
<p>A big cause of asthma is dirty, diesel school buses. In New Mexico, there are approximately 166,000 kids who ride school buses to over 89 school districts, which serve more than 300,000 students, over half of whom are children of color. With so many children exposed to pollution, it’s no coincidence that more than one in 11 suffers from asthma. Here in Bernalillo County, our air quality has been given a D by the American Lung Association.</p>
<p>Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency settled with Volkswagen over Clean Air Act violations after the car company cheated on clean air testing for their diesel vehicles. New Mexico is receiving nearly $18 million to allocate for projects that will reduce diesel emissions in our communities. This is why I am a part of the Clean Buses for Healthy Niños campaign, an effort to call on Gov. Susana Martinez and the New Mexico Environment Department to use New Mexico’s settlement money to transition to clean, electric school buses. This would not only benefit our environment by reducing diesel emissions, but also would help the health of many children and families in our state.</p>
<p>The Environment Department is currently deciding how to spend the settlement funds and recently held meetings to gather input from the public. I attended the meeting in Albuquerque to share my thoughts. I invite all New Mexicans to join us in calling on Gov. Martinez and the Environment Department to open a formal public comment period to allow all families the opportunity to share feedback and urge these funds be used to transition from dirty diesel to clean, electric school buses. Together, we can help our children breathe easier.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Juntos: Our Air, Our Water is a program of Conservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund in partnership with Chispa. Juntos launched in 2014 to organize Latino families in Albuquerque to protect their air and water from threats of contamination, and to advocate for clean energy as a solution. Visit <a href="http://facebook.com/JuntosNM" type="external">facebook.com/JuntosNM</a>.</p>
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<p /> | Use funds to help our children breathe easier | false | https://abqjournal.com/1063869/use-funds-to-help-our-children-breathe-easier-ex-volkswagen-settlement-money-could-help-pay-for-change-from-diesel-to-electric-buses.html | 2 |
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<p>LAKELAND, Fla. — Two Florida men are spending the holidays in jail, thanks to observant neighbors who spotted them taking Christmas gifts from a nearby home and another homeowner who chased them with a metal pipe.</p>
<p>The Polk County Sheriff’s department announced that a Lakeland resident heard a loud noise Wednesday morning and called another neighbor, who looked outside and saw the men taking gifts from a nearby home. The neighbor yelled and they fled in a car.</p>
<p>Lakeland police and sheriff’s deputies tracked them down. They bailed from the car and ran into a home, but the homeowner chased them out with a metal pipe.</p>
<p>Authorities arrested 18-year-old James Davis and 21-year-old Antonio Thomas. Both face multiple charges and remained in the Polk County Jail Friday. Records don’t list attorneys for them.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Resident chases Christmas thieves with metal pipe | false | https://abqjournal.com/910508/resident-chases-christmas-thieves-with-metal-pipe-2.html | 2 |
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<p>The one thing m</p>
<p>ost Democrats and Republicans seem to agree on is that special interests have too much influence in politics. The little guy is feeling less and less relevant — especially at the voting booth. <a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>John Cox says the best way to fix this is by electing a larger Legislature. He's the author of the <a href="http://neighborhoodlegislature.com" type="external">Neighborhood Legislature</a> initiative. I interviewed Cox for a third time since&#160; <a href="" type="internal">March</a> to follow up on his progress.</p>
<p>Because legislators have largely become professional fundraisers, and the individual voter has so little influence, Cox is working to develop a system to elect 12,000 state lawmakers in California, rather than the current 120, to allow for better representation, closer to home.</p>
<p>Cox anticipates his plan would take the big crony bucks out of campaigns, and allow neighbors to campaign door-to-door, in a real grassroots campaign. “You can do it with shoe leather and a few flyers,” Cox said.</p>
<p>For democracy to work, it must be representative democracy. It must be a government of, by and for the people.</p>
<p>With 38 million&#160;California&#160;residents, there are only 120 state legislators. There are nearly 500,000 residents for each member of the Assembly, and nearly 1 million per state Senator.</p>
<p>Districts this large cost candidates millions of dollars to win an election, leaving special interests, public employee and labor unions, and big corporations funding the bulk of the campaigns. As a result, average Californians are left out of the process.</p>
<p>Compare California's meager representation with New Hampshire.&#160; <a href="http://www.nh.gov/nhinfo/emblem.html" type="external">The “Live free or die” state</a>&#160;is small, with only 1.3 million residents. However, New Hampshire has 424 elected legislators. Known as the&#160; <a href="http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/" type="external">General Court of New Hampshire</a>, it consists of two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate. There are 400 Representatives and 24 Senators.</p>
<p>Each member of the New Hampshire House, their version of our Assembly, represents only about 3,170 people. Chances are, New Hampshire elected officials know most of their constituents.</p>
<p>Yet New Hampshire legislators review more than 1,000 bills every legislative session — and do it for $100 in pay and a mileage reimbursement.</p>
<p>While New Hampshire is significantly smaller than California, people who spend excessively in New Hampshire on political campaigns don't win, according to Cox. The voters don't trust them.</p>
<p>Under a <a href="http://neighborhoodlegislature.com" type="external">Neighborhood Legislature</a>, each of California’s 120 current legislative districts would be broken into 100 smaller districts. This would give California 12,000 legislative districts.</p>
<p>The tiny neighborhood districts would have either 5,000 residents for the Assembly, or 10,000 residents for the Senate. Each of the 12,000 sub-districts then would elect a neighborhood “working committee.”</p>
<p>Each group of 100 Neighborhood Assembly Members in a big district elects one member of a Working Committee, thus allowing 80 members of the Assembly Working Committee, and 40 members of the Senate Working Committee.</p>
<p>All the Neighborhood Assembly Members are voting members. “The 80 that go to Sacramento are just a committee of the whole who do the nitty gritty work,” according to Cox.</p>
<p>So ultimately, the number of legislators would remain the same as today at 120. But the process of choosing them would be insulated from the powerful interests, and all members have voting power.</p>
<p>This is one way to hold elected representatives accountable. As it currently stands, most Californians don't know their representatives, nor will they ever meet.</p>
<p>The movement is growing thanks to “grassroots research,” according to Cox. He and his colleagues have been meeting with grassroots groups — Rotary groups, Kiwanis clubs, Lions clubs, and even smaller cities' Chambers of Commerce. They've been meeting with the neighborhood councils and community activists in Los Angeles, and have nearly 100 percent support from the groups.</p>
<p>Because the idea is so new, and the initiative isn't on the ballot yet, there really isn't any opposition. But objections likely will be to charge that we already have too many legislators, so multiplying them to 12,000 would make them even worse. Another objection likely would be that the process insulates the voters from directly electing a legislator.</p>
<p>“The status-quo political people say this initiative will fail,” Cox said. He's talking about the political consultants vested in things remaining the same. “But because the average person doesn't want his or her personal life splashed all over television, the same people always run for office,” said Cox. “But not with a Neighborhood Legislature. People are already signing up to run for office.”</p>
<p>Cox said he already has 3,000 Californians committed to run for office. His goal is 12,000.</p>
<p>Cox plans on having his initiative on the Nov. 2014 ballot.</p>
<p>He and his statewide coordinators will be in&#160;Los Angeles for a press conference Thursday morning as they submit the initiative for title and summary.</p>
<p>Cox said his initiative will be “the greatest peaceful transformation of power since 1776.”</p> | Could 12,000 lawmakers fix what ails California? | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2013/10/22/could-12000-lawmakers-fix-what-ails-california/ | 2018-10-20 | 3 |
<p>STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Deajon Davis acted like it was no big deal. That’s because he was unaware of what he had just achieved.</p>
<p>Davis hit a desperation 50-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer and Stanford shocked USC 77-76 on Sunday night.</p>
<p>“I knew we were down by two but I didn’t realize we had won the game,” Davis said. “To be honest I didn’t know what was happening until I saw my teammates coming at me.”</p>
<p>Jordan McLaughlin, who scored 16 points and recorded seven assists, had given the Trojans a 76-74 edge with 1.7 seconds left on an acrobatic shot under the basket. Davis took the inbound pass, dribbled twice and let it fly, hitting nothing but net as time expired.</p>
<p>“I saw the tough shot he made and all I was thinking was how much time we had,” Davis said. “I saw 1.7 and realized I was on the left side, which is easier for me. I know my shot bends from that side and I knew it had a chance.”</p>
<p>Davis also had six assists but five turnovers and said that was unacceptable. “I know the shot doesn’t really make up for the turnovers,” he said.</p>
<p>That’s when Reid Travis leaned over and patted him on the back. “He didn’t have to do anything else and that shot made him the MVP of the game,” Travis said.</p>
<p>Travis scored 18 of his career-high 29 points in the second half for the Cardinal, who were coming off a double-overtime victory over UCLA. Michael Humphrey added 15 points.</p>
<p>“We locked in on defense,” Travis said. “They were getting their 3s and we wanted to take them away. They were also getting a lot of offensive rebounds on us.”</p>
<p>Kezie Okpala, who finished with 11, tied the game at 72 with a jumper and Davis hit a driving jumper to put Stanford (8-8, 2-1 Pac-12) up 74-72 with 1:43 left to play.</p>
<p>Chimezie Metu, who scored 20 points, tied the game 20 seconds later with a short jumper at the basket.</p>
<p>Earlier, Metu got a dunk to open the second half and give the Trojans a 13-point edge. The Cardinal rallied to within 51-49 with 16:39 remaining to play.</p>
<p>USC (11-6, 2-2) rebuilt its advantage to 15 points six minutes later. The Cardinal weren’t going anywhere though.</p>
<p>“Never lost like that before,” Trojans coach Andy Enfield said. “We made one with 1.7 left and they made one with no time left and it was just an unbelievable shot. Tough way to lose a basketball game. We got a crucial stop defensively, Jordan made a nice move to the basket, scored, only 1.7 seconds left, so you figure you have a pretty good chance of winning at that point but it happened so fast and the kid made a heck of a shot.”</p>
<p>Stanford took a nine-point lead in the first five minutes but the Trojans quickly turned that around and opened a 47-36 halftime advantage.</p>
<p>MAPLES JINX</p>
<p>The Trojans have lost four straight at Stanford and are 2-13 over their past 15 visits. Stanford has won six of the past seven meetings overall. The Cardinal seniors have never lost at home to USC.</p>
<p>BIG PICTURE</p>
<p>USC: Senior point guard Jordan McLaughlin, who leads the Pac-12 with eight assists a game, is all over the school’s all-time lists in both assists and steals. He’s also on several watch lists. He’s one of the main reasons the Trojans have improved their record every season.</p>
<p>Stanford: Freshman Kezie Okpala has appeared in the past four games and started the last three. He’s considered a key to the Cardinal’s future with freshmen guards Daejon Davis and Isaac White and freshman forward Oscar Da Silva. At times, coach Jarod Haase has all four on the court at the same time.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>USC: Hosts Colorado on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Stanford: Plays at Washington State on Thursday.</p>
<p>STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Deajon Davis acted like it was no big deal. That’s because he was unaware of what he had just achieved.</p>
<p>Davis hit a desperation 50-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer and Stanford shocked USC 77-76 on Sunday night.</p>
<p>“I knew we were down by two but I didn’t realize we had won the game,” Davis said. “To be honest I didn’t know what was happening until I saw my teammates coming at me.”</p>
<p>Jordan McLaughlin, who scored 16 points and recorded seven assists, had given the Trojans a 76-74 edge with 1.7 seconds left on an acrobatic shot under the basket. Davis took the inbound pass, dribbled twice and let it fly, hitting nothing but net as time expired.</p>
<p>“I saw the tough shot he made and all I was thinking was how much time we had,” Davis said. “I saw 1.7 and realized I was on the left side, which is easier for me. I know my shot bends from that side and I knew it had a chance.”</p>
<p>Davis also had six assists but five turnovers and said that was unacceptable. “I know the shot doesn’t really make up for the turnovers,” he said.</p>
<p>That’s when Reid Travis leaned over and patted him on the back. “He didn’t have to do anything else and that shot made him the MVP of the game,” Travis said.</p>
<p>Travis scored 18 of his career-high 29 points in the second half for the Cardinal, who were coming off a double-overtime victory over UCLA. Michael Humphrey added 15 points.</p>
<p>“We locked in on defense,” Travis said. “They were getting their 3s and we wanted to take them away. They were also getting a lot of offensive rebounds on us.”</p>
<p>Kezie Okpala, who finished with 11, tied the game at 72 with a jumper and Davis hit a driving jumper to put Stanford (8-8, 2-1 Pac-12) up 74-72 with 1:43 left to play.</p>
<p>Chimezie Metu, who scored 20 points, tied the game 20 seconds later with a short jumper at the basket.</p>
<p>Earlier, Metu got a dunk to open the second half and give the Trojans a 13-point edge. The Cardinal rallied to within 51-49 with 16:39 remaining to play.</p>
<p>USC (11-6, 2-2) rebuilt its advantage to 15 points six minutes later. The Cardinal weren’t going anywhere though.</p>
<p>“Never lost like that before,” Trojans coach Andy Enfield said. “We made one with 1.7 left and they made one with no time left and it was just an unbelievable shot. Tough way to lose a basketball game. We got a crucial stop defensively, Jordan made a nice move to the basket, scored, only 1.7 seconds left, so you figure you have a pretty good chance of winning at that point but it happened so fast and the kid made a heck of a shot.”</p>
<p>Stanford took a nine-point lead in the first five minutes but the Trojans quickly turned that around and opened a 47-36 halftime advantage.</p>
<p>MAPLES JINX</p>
<p>The Trojans have lost four straight at Stanford and are 2-13 over their past 15 visits. Stanford has won six of the past seven meetings overall. The Cardinal seniors have never lost at home to USC.</p>
<p>BIG PICTURE</p>
<p>USC: Senior point guard Jordan McLaughlin, who leads the Pac-12 with eight assists a game, is all over the school’s all-time lists in both assists and steals. He’s also on several watch lists. He’s one of the main reasons the Trojans have improved their record every season.</p>
<p>Stanford: Freshman Kezie Okpala has appeared in the past four games and started the last three. He’s considered a key to the Cardinal’s future with freshmen guards Daejon Davis and Isaac White and freshman forward Oscar Da Silva. At times, coach Jarod Haase has all four on the court at the same time.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>USC: Hosts Colorado on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Stanford: Plays at Washington State on Thursday.</p> | Davis hits 50-footer to lift Stanford past Trojans, 77-76 | false | https://apnews.com/1a8afea3d4494c1db08436ae6dd29643 | 2018-01-08 | 2 |
<p>Pope Francis is getting ready for a visit to the Americas, and the first stop is the communist island nation of Cuba.</p>
<p>In an unprecedented step, the authorities there broadcast a four minute address from the pope to the Cuban people.</p>
<p>Speaking in his native Spanish, the Argentine-born pope urged Cubans to accept Christ into their lives.</p>
<p>“That’s a sign of how things are changing,” says the BBC’s man in Havana, Will Grant. “I think it’s a sign that the Cuban government has moved in terms of its religious tolerance towards Catholicism, from the dark old days of the 1970s and ‘80s, when Cuba was an avowedly atheist state, and there was a commitment to atheism in the Constitution and so on. It’s no longer that hard to be Catholic in Cuba. There still might be certain challenges about open religion, but it’s certainly not as hostile as it used to be.”</p>
<p>Pope Francis is describing himself as a missionary for mercy on this trip.</p>
<p>“This particular pope is welcomed by agnostics and atheists in Cuba too,” adds Grant, “because they’re interested in his message on poverty. They’re interested in his message on freedoms more generally. They’re interested too in his message against capitalism. He spoke very openly against ‘savage capitalism’ and ‘worshipping the god of money’ on a recent trip to Bolivia and Ecuador.”&#160;</p>
<p>Francis will celebrate a giant Mass in Havana's Revolution Square on Sunday. It's not clear if well-known dissident groups like Las Damas de Blanco (the Ladies in White) will be tolerated.&#160;</p> | Cubans excited for visit by Pope Francis | false | https://pri.org/stories/2015-09-18/cubans-excited-visit-pope-francis | 2015-09-18 | 3 |
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<p>When it comes to ObamaCare, private firms aren’t exactly looking on the bright side. While the majority of business leaders say the Affordable Care Act hasn’t yet had an impact on their companies, nearly one-fifth of respondents to the National Association of Business Economics’ October 2013 Industry Survey say the law’s had a negative effect on employment in the past three months. In comparison, only 2% say the law’s had a positive effect. The one-year outlook also indicates more pessimism than optimism when it comes to ObamaCare. Twenty-two percent expect a negative impact on employment over the next twelve months, while only 2% believe the law will have a positive impact. Additionally, responses show a “modest shift” toward part-time workers over full-time workers, which has been feared for some time by organizations such as the National Federation of Independent Business. Despite the negativity regarding ObamaCare, economic prospects are growing brighter for private firms. “Sales growth accelerated in the third quarter, despite potential headwinds such as rising interest rates and oil prices, and a renewed wave of policy uncertainty. Profit margins rebounded after weakening in the previous quarter, while gains in capital spending matched those reported in the first half of the year,” said Timothy Gill, Chair of the NABE Industry Survey Committee and Deputy Chief Economist at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Forty-two percent of survey respondents say sales are on the rise, an increase of seven percentage points since July. Meanwhile, the percentage of respondents who say sales are decreasing dropped by three points – another positive sign. NABE respondents fall into four categories: goods-producing; transportation, utilities information and communications; finance, insurance and real estate; and services. Sixty NABE panelists participated in the survey, and nearly half represented companies with 100 or fewer employees. The survey was conducted between September 16 and October 1.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Survey: ObamaCare Expected to Bring More Negatives than Positives | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/10/21/survey-obamacare-expected-to-bring-more-negatives-than-positives.html | 2016-03-21 | 0 |
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<p>In this May 14, 2014 photo, Brad Padgett, owner of Bradley’s Jewelers, shows off one of his favorite engagement rings in Jacksonville, N.C. The answer to the question of how much to spend on an engagement ring rests in striking a balance between a ring that will dazzle your beloved without tarnishing your future financial goals together. (AP Photo/The Daily News, Maria Sestito)</p>
<p>You’re in love and ready to buy an engagement ring.</p>
<p>But are you ready to part with three months’ salary as the diamond industry has traditionally suggested? If not, what’s your magic number?</p>
<p>Figuring that out can be a stressful, high-stakes undertaking. Engagement rings come with unique financial and emotional expectations. And in a relationship intended to last a lifetime, it’s the first big test.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“It does set a certain tone about whether a woman’s expectations will be met by her husband or not,” said Julie Albright, a sociologist and marriage and family therapist at the University of Southern California.</p>
<p>Even so, how much to spend rests in striking a balance between dazzling your beloved without tarnishing your future financial goals together.</p>
<p>Here are five tips to help you size up how much to spend on an engagement ring.</p>
<p>1. CONSIDER FUTURE FINANCIAL GOALS</p>
<p>Whether you have a wheelbarrow full of cash ready to bring to your local jewelry store or not, your future plans as a couple should be part of the calculus for how much you can afford.</p>
<p>Sit down with your partner and go over your short- and long-term financial goals. Beyond wedding expenses, goals could include saving for a down payment on a home, preparing to start a family, as well as retirement planning.</p>
<p>“This is the perfect entry point to see where each person’s money values come from,” said Michael Branham, a certified financial planner in Edina, Minnesota. “How are we going to put that life together and how does buying something like an engagement ring fit into that picture?”</p>
<p>2. GET A FIX ON EXPECTATIONS</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>First off, don’t feel compelled to heed to the expectation that a ring cost three months’ salary, the benchmark established by the De Beers diamond cartel.</p>
<p>“That’s actually kind of a myth that people somehow still believe,” said Jamie Miles, editor of wedding planning website TheKnot.com.</p>
<p>“You might have a more subtle bride who wants something more petite and more demure,” Miles said.</p>
<p>A good way to gauge how much you may have to spend is to find out what kind of ring your would-be spouse is expecting. You could try asking friends and family, but these days it’s increasingly common to see couples browse jewelry stores together to remove the guesswork.</p>
<p>Last year, 64 percent of brides were involved in picking out their ring, while nearly a third helped decide the budget, according to a survey by The Knot.</p>
<p>That could be one reason the national average spent on an engagement ring, as well as diamond carat size, or weight, have been rising.</p>
<p>The average spent on an engagement ring grew 3 percent to $5,598 last year from a year earlier, according to TheKnot. That’s still down from 2009’s average of $5,861, however.</p>
<p>The average carat size for the center stone is just over 1 carat. The average total carat size for engagement rings, including any diamonds on the setting, is 2 carats, Miles said.</p>
<p>3. WEIGH PAYMENT OPTIONS?</p>
<p>You’ve had a look at the setting and diamonds (or other gemstones) that your beloved covets, and figured out which merchants offer the best price. The next step is to figure out how you will pay for the ring, as that can be a huge factor in how much ring you can afford.</p>
<p>If you can put off the proposal, it’s best to save up money to buy the ring with cash, said Gregg Wind, a certified public accountant in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Otherwise, how much you can afford becomes a question of how much extra you’ll have to shell out overall if you finance the purchase, and how much you can pay per month while also meeting your other obligations.</p>
<p>Everybody should determine whether the ring payment will fit into their budget, Wind said.</p>
<p>This savings goal calculator from Bankrate.com may help: <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/saving-goals-calculator.aspx" type="external">http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/saving-goals-calculator.aspx</a></p>
<p>4. BEWARE OF FINANCING</p>
<p>Major jewelers generally offer financing with the enticement of six months or one year interest-free.</p>
<p>But if the ring isn’t paid off within the promotional period, or if you’re late on a payment, you could end up being retroactively charged 25 percent interest or more on the total price.</p>
<p>“You want to be really careful how big of a hole you dig yourself in the beginning of your relationship trying to pay off a $1,000 or $2,000 or more ring with huge interest charges every month, just because you didn’t have the forethought or wherewithal to save for it over time,” Branham said.</p>
<p>One exception might be if you have a credit card that offers rewards, such as free points toward air travel. But only if you can pay the balance off in full within the first month.</p>
<p>5. UPGRADE LATER</p>
<p>Even if you determine that you can’t afford as nice a ring as you hoped, consider buying something more modest and popping the question anyway. You can always trade up for a nicer ring in a few years when your financial picture is more established.</p> | Can’t buy me love? 5 engagement ring buying tips | false | https://abqjournal.com/414216/cant-buy-me-love-5-engagement-ring-buying-tips.html | 2 |
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<p>Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) talks catastrophic flooding in Texas and the outpouring of support to help survivors.</p>
<p>Aug 30 (Reuters) - Harvey, previously a tropical storm, has weakened into a depression, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Harvey is about 10 miles (15 km) southwest of Alexandria, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour (55 kph), the Miami-based weather forecaster said.</p>
<p>Catastrophic and life-threatening flooding continues in southeastern Texas and portions of southwestern Louisiana, the NHC said, adding that the threat of heavy rains has ended in the Houston/Galveston area.</p>
<p>"However, catastrophic and life threatening flooding will continue in and around Houston, Beaumont/Port Arthur, eastward into southwest Louisiana for the rest of the week," the NHC said. (Reporting by Swati Verma in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler)</p> | Harvey weakens to a tropical depression: U.S. Hurricane Center | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/30/harvey-weakens-to-tropical-depression-u-s-hurricane-center.html | 2017-08-30 | 0 |
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<p>ST. LOUIS — Protests near St. Louis turned violent for the second night Saturday in reaction to the acquittal of a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man, as a small group of demonstrators refused to disperse, breaking windows at dozens of businesses and throwing objects at police, who moved in with hundreds of officers in riot gear to make arrests.</p>
<p>The confrontation took place in the Delmar Loop area of University City, a suburb about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of St. Louis near Washington University. The area is known for concert venues, restaurants, shops and bars and includes the Blueberry Hill club where rock legend Chuck Berry played for many years.</p>
<p>University City had been the scene of a tense but calm march earlier in the evening to protest a judge’s ruling Friday clearing ex-officer Jason Stockley of first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith. That march ended with organizers calling for people to leave and reconvene Sunday afternoon.</p>
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<p>But a few dozen protesters refused to go. Police ordered them to disperse, saying the protest was unlawful. Hundreds of police in riot gear eventually moved in with armored vehicles. The demonstrators retreated down a street, breaking windows with trash cans and throwing objects at police.</p>
<p>Several protesters were seen in handcuffs and city and county police tweeted that they arrested nine people. Police in riot gear were seen carrying one man away from the scene upside down in handcuffs. At least one demonstrator was treated after he was hit with pepper spray.</p>
<p>After the spasm of violence ended, a reporter for The Associated Press found at least half of the businesses on one side of the street with broken windows along a two block area.</p>
<p>Sam Thomas, who was helping his friend clean up the glass from the shattered windows of his business, OSO, a clothing and accessories boutique, said he understands why people are angry. The U.S. justice system is broken and needs to be fixed, he said.</p>
<p>“I’m not saying this is the right way to fix it,” he said of the damage.</p>
<p>“The window isn’t murdered. Nobody is going to have a funeral for the window. We can replace it.”</p>
<p>The eruption late Saturday followed a day of non-violent demonstrations at suburban shopping malls.</p>
<p>Demonstrators shouted slogans such as “black lives matter” and “it is our duty to fight for our freedom” as they marched through West County Center mall in the city of Des Peres, west of St. Louis. A group also demonstrated at Chesterfield Mall in the suburbs and at a regional food festival.</p>
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<p>Organizers took their grievances to the suburbs Saturday to spread the impact of the protests beyond predominantly black neighborhoods to those that are mainly white.</p>
<p>“I don’t think racism is going to change in America until people get uncomfortable,” said Kayla Reed of the St. Louis Action Council, a protest organizer.</p>
<p>Smith’s death is just one of several high-profile U.S. cases in recent years in which a white officer killed a black suspect, including the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson that sparked months of angry and sometimes violent protests.</p>
<p>Federal prosecutors said Saturday they won’t open a new civil rights investigation into the killing. Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said the department decided in September not to prosecute, but didn’t announce it then to avoid affecting the judge’s decision.</p>
<p>After Stockley was acquitted, violence on Friday night resulted in nearly three-dozen people arrested and 11 police officers injured, including a broken jaw and dislocated shoulder, police said. Five officers were taken to hospitals. Police said that 10 businesses were damaged. Protesters also broke a window and spattered red paint on the home of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson.</p>
<p>Ex-officer Stockley shot Smith after the suspected drug dealer fled from officers trying to arrest him.</p>
<p>Stockley, 36, testified he felt he was in danger because he saw Smith holding a silver revolver when the suspect backed his car toward officers and sped away.</p>
<p>Prosecutors said Stockley planted a gun in Smith’s car after the shooting. The officer’s DNA was on the weapon but Smith’s wasn’t. Dashcam video from Stockley’s cruiser recorded him saying he was “going to kill this (expletive).” Less than a minute later, he shot Smith five times.</p>
<p>Stockley’s lawyer dismissed the comment as “human emotions” during a dangerous pursuit. St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson, who said prosecutors didn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Stockley murdered Smith, said the statement could be ambiguous.</p>
<p>Stockley left the force in 2013 and moved to Houston.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Sign up for the AP’s weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: <a href="http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv" type="external">http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv</a> .</p> | 2nd night of violence in St. Louis after ex-cop acquitted | false | https://abqjournal.com/1064705/st-louis-protests-against-officers-acquittal-to-continue.html | 2017-09-16 | 2 |
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<p>Spacex has ushered in a new age of technological advancement and is single handedly pioneering the private space exploration industry. Elon Musk has been instrumental in developing cutting edge rockets that are delivering goods to astronauts at the space station already and the next 15 years promise even more excitement. The latest development from the space industry giant has brought a promise to send two astronauts to the moon and back. The two astronauts will ride on top of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, a larger version of the unmanned Falcon 9 which is currently being tested. The details are very vague as Musk refuses to give out too much detail regarding the trip to the moon.</p>
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<p>It is unlikely that the astronauts will actually step foot on the moon, rather they will swing around the moon just skimming the surface. The trip will consist of 300,000-400,000 miles of space travel and is not without its risks. The astronauts will be private civilians who have already paid hefty deposits to take the trip to the moon and back however SpaceX will not reveal their identity at this time. The only thing Musk would say about the pair is "they do know each other" while hinting about the astronauts, "I don't want to comment too much on their background, but they certainly will have extensive training before going on the mission, and I also can't say the exact amount (they will pay)."*</p>
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<p>The space 'tourists' will ride in SpaceX's proprietary spacecraft called the Dragon 2, also known as "Crew Dragon". The Dragon 2 capsule was originally developed under a $2.6 billion contract with NASA to bring astronauts and goods to the International space station. SpaceX made headlines recently for the third successful vertical landing of it's Falcon 9 rocket. Although space travel being possible for the average person may still be decades away, this private trip to the moon is a fantastic step into the future for science fiction fans and aspiring astral explorers. Despite no manned trips under its belt yet, the future also looks promising for the Dragon 2 and Falcon Heavy. Manned testing is scheduled to start as early as summer 2018.</p>
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<p>Source:</p>
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<p>* <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/27/spacex-to-send-two-private-citizens-around-the-moon-and-back/" type="external">spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/27/spacex-to-send-two-private-citizens-around-the-moon-and-back</a></p> | Spacex Plans to Beat NASA Back to The MOON | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/1529-Spacex-Plans-to-Beat-NASA-Back-to-The-MOON | 2017-03-01 | 0 |
<p>(Reuters) – The British government has banned its departments responsible for national security from using software made by Russia’s Kaspersky Labs, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing a letter sent to government officials. http://on.ft.com/2BuuWPU</p>
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<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | UK bans Kaspersky software from departments responsible for national security: FT | false | https://newsline.com/uk-bans-kaspersky-software-from-departments-responsible-for-national-security-ft/ | 2017-12-01 | 1 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A former Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy was struck by a stray bullet in the South Valley on Thursday night, according to a Sheriff's Office spokesman.</p>
<p>Sgt. Aaron Williamson said the man was watering his fields near Coors and Chanate SW around 11:30 p.m. when someone started shooting. One of the bullets struck the man's ATV and fragmented before striking the man in the upper body.</p>
<p>He was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital and is expected to survive.</p>
<p>"The investigation is ongoing, but at this point it does not appear that the victim was specifically targeted, rather the victim of a stray bullet," Williamson said.</p>
<p>The Sheriff's Office will not release the man's name, he said.</p>
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<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Former deputy struck by bullet in South Valley | false | https://abqjournal.com/601241/former-deputy-struck-by-bullet-in-south-valley.html | 2 |
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<p>Warner Bros said The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhrmann's 3D adaptation of the iconic Fitzgerald novel, has been delayed until 2013, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19161819" type="external">reported BBC News</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>The film, which stars&#160;Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan and also features&#160;Tobey Maguire and Isla Fisher, was supposed to be released December 25 in the US but will be pushed to the summer so that, as Warner Bros put it,&#160;"this unique film reaches the largest audience possible," <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19161819" type="external">according to BBC</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost:&#160; <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/hollyworld/kung-fu-panda-3-be-made-china-new-dreamworks-oriental-movie-s" type="external">'Kung Fu Panda 3' to be made in China by new 'DreamWorks Oriental' movie studio</a></p>
<p>Cinema savants bemoaned the move, which ousted the film from next year's Oscar competition.&#160;"It could be cheating Leonardo DiCaprio out of his long overdue Oscar," &#160; <a href="http://de.eonline.com/news/335754/the-great-gatsby-oscar-shake-up-leonardo-dicaprio-s-loss-christian-bale-s-gain" type="external">E! quoted</a> Tom O'Neil of GoldDerby.com as saying, calling the studio's announcement a "major shakeup."</p>
<p>As for rising star Mulligan, she's just "hitting her stride," Scott Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter film critic said, <a href="http://de.eonline.com/news/335754/the-great-gatsby-oscar-shake-up-leonardo-dicaprio-s-loss-christian-bale-s-gain" type="external">according to E!</a>. "It was potentially her moment. [Now] it's either delayed or not going to happen."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-great-gatsby-delay-music-effects-20120806,0,2498862.story" type="external">The LA Times</a>, citing people close to The Great Gatsby, said the film's "meticulous" Australian director needed more time to work on the ambitious three-dimensional film.&#160;</p>
<p>But new release date also means the swingtime-era flick will be come out alongside summer mega productions like&#160;Iron Man 3, Star Trek 2 and Man of Steel (as in Superman), <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19161819" type="external">said BBC</a>, instead of the anticipated winter hits like Les Miserables and Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.&#160;</p>
<p>Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby is loosely based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald about struggling writer Nick Carraway's journey from the Midwest to New York City in the spring of 1922, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/great-gatsby-release-pushed-back-to-summer-2013-8015031.html" type="external">said Reuters</a>.&#160;</p> | Leonardo DiCaprio's Great Gatsby movie postponed to 2013 | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-08-07/leonardo-dicaprios-great-gatsby-movie-postponed-2013 | 2012-08-07 | 3 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Winds will come from the northeast at 10 to 12 mph Sunday morning near Balloon Fiesta Park, with gusts reaching between 15 and 18 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.</p>
<p>By afternoon, however, NWS expects winds to settle around 10 mph and come from the west or northwest.</p>
<p>Balloons typically won’t fly in winds above 11.5 mph.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service also expects broken cloud cover at high altitudes in the morning, but the clouds should dissipate by afternoon, according to an NWS meteorologist.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Keep following ABQJournal.com and ABQFiesta.com for weather forecasts and other updates.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | National Weather Service Forecasts Some Wind for Sunday Fiesta | false | https://abqjournal.com/136425/national-weather-service-forecasts-some-wind-for-sunday-fiesta.html | 2012-10-06 | 2 |
<p>There’s a tendency to view independent voters as being in the middle. That’s not who they are at all. In fact, the philosophical spectrum of independents is broader than that of Republicans or Democrats — it goes further to the right and further to the left.Steve Peace, former Democratic Senator and co-chair of the Independent Voter Project&#160;</p> | There’s a tendency to view independent voters as being in the middle. That’s not who they are at all. In fact, the philosophical spectrum of independents is broader than that of Republicans or Democrats — it goes further to the right and further to the left. | false | https://ivn.us/2012/05/03/there8217s-a-tendency-to-view-independent-voters-as-being-in-the-middle-that8217s-not-who-they-are-at-all-in-fact-the-philosophical-spectrum-of-independents-is-broader-than-that-of-republicans-or-demo/ | 2012-05-03 | 2 |
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<p>Target says that about 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a data breach that occurred just as the holiday shopping season shifted into high gear.</p>
<p>The chain said that accounts of customers who made purchases by swiping their cards at terminals in its U.S. stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 may have been exposed. The stolen data includes customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the three-digit security codes located on the backs of cards. The data breach did not affect online purchases.</p>
<p>The Minneapolis company said it immediately told authorities and financial institutions once it became aware of the breach and that it is teaming with a third-party forensics firm to investigate the matter and prevent future breaches. It said it is putting all “appropriate resources” toward the issue.</p>
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<p>Target Corp. advised customers to check their statements carefully. Those who suspect there has been unauthorized activity on their cards should report it to their credit card companies and call Target at 866-852-8680. Cases of identity theft can also be reported to law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission.</p>
<p>Target didn’t say exactly how the data breach occurred, but said it had since fixed the problem and that credit card holders can continue shopping at its stores. When asked whether there’s a certain time when shoppers know their accounts will no longer be vulnerable, a Target spokeswoman said,” We encourage everyone to be vigilant.”</p>
<p>But news of the breach comes at the height of the critical holiday shopping season and threatens to scare away shoppers worried about the safety of their personal data. The November and December period accounts for 20 percent, on average, of total retail industry sales.</p>
<p>For Target, the security breach is a particular black eye because it has used its red credit and debit cards as a powerful marketing tool to lure shoppers at a time when the discounter has had an uneven sale performance since the recession.</p>
<p>Since 2010, Target has offered shoppers who use its cards 5 percent off on purchases and has rolled out other incentives like free shipping for online customers. The company said during its earnings call in November that as of October the percentage of customers who have the Target branded cards topped 20 percent. This holiday season, Target added other incentives to use its cards. Two days before Thanksgiving, Target.com ran a special review sale with 25 exclusive offers, from electronics to housewares for those who used the branded card.</p>
<p>As a result of these incentives, Target says its continues to see that households who activate a Target-branded card have increased their spending at the store by about 50 percent on average.</p>
<p>“This is how Target is getting more customers in the stores,” said Brian Sozzi, CEO and Chief Equities Strategist. “It’s telling people to use the card. It’s been a big win. If they lose that trust, that person goes to Wal-Mart.”</p>
<p>Target is just the latest retailer to be hit with a data breach problem. TJX Cos., which runs stores such as T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s, had a breach that began in July 2005 that exposed at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards to possible fraud. The breach wasn’t detected until December 2006. In June 2009 TJX agreed to pay $9.75 million in a settlement with multiple states related to the massive data theft but stressed at the time that it firmly believed it did not violate any consumer protection or data security laws.</p>
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<p>An even larger hack hit Sony in 2011. It had to rebuild trust among PlayStation Network gamers after hackers compromised personal information including credit card data on more than 100 million user accounts. Sony was criticized for slowness in alerting users to the breach.</p>
<p>“Target’s first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,” Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement Thursday.</p>
<p>Target has 1,797 U.S. stores and 124 in Canada.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Target: 40 million card accounts may be breached | false | https://abqjournal.com/323154/target-40-million-card-accounts-may-be-breached.html | 2013-12-19 | 2 |
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple apologized for secretly slowing down older iPhones, a move it said was necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns related to battery fatigue.</p>
<p>Many customers had interpreted the move as a way to for Apple to juice demand for newer iPhone models, their suspicions fueled by the fact that the company didn’t initially disclose the slowdowns or its reasons for them.</p>
<p>Apple also said it will cut the price of a battery replacement by $50 to $29 through next year. New batteries had previously cost $79 for those who didn’t purchase the Apple Care maintenance plan.</p>
<p>“We apologize,” the company <a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone-battery-and-performance/" type="external">said on its website</a> . “We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.”</p>
<p>The replacement plan begins in late January for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later that requires a new battery.</p>
<p>Apple said it will also issue an update to its operating system early next year to give users a better understanding of the health of their battery, so they can see if its condition is affecting performance.</p>
<p>Hostile customer reaction was swift after <a href="http://www.geekbench.com/blog/2017/12/iphone-performance-and-battery-age/" type="external">a report</a> this month uncovered the intentional slowdown in speed tests. Only then did Apple acknowledge that the slowdown was due to a fix it rolled out last year. Shares dropped 2.5 percent Tuesday — also dinged by analysts predicting lower-than-expected demand for the iPhone X — and only partially recovered by Thursday.</p>
<p>At least five groups seeking class action status, involving consumers in Texas, Illinois, California and New York, have also sued the company in the wake of the slowdown revelation.</p>
<p>Ben Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, said Apple found itself in a tough spot by having to explain what it did to cope with the reality that all lithium ion batteries degrade over time.</p>
<p>“The error — if anything — was not being more transparent,” he said. “They were legitimately trying to make people’s iPhones last longer.”</p>
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple apologized for secretly slowing down older iPhones, a move it said was necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns related to battery fatigue.</p>
<p>Many customers had interpreted the move as a way to for Apple to juice demand for newer iPhone models, their suspicions fueled by the fact that the company didn’t initially disclose the slowdowns or its reasons for them.</p>
<p>Apple also said it will cut the price of a battery replacement by $50 to $29 through next year. New batteries had previously cost $79 for those who didn’t purchase the Apple Care maintenance plan.</p>
<p>“We apologize,” the company <a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone-battery-and-performance/" type="external">said on its website</a> . “We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.”</p>
<p>The replacement plan begins in late January for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later that requires a new battery.</p>
<p>Apple said it will also issue an update to its operating system early next year to give users a better understanding of the health of their battery, so they can see if its condition is affecting performance.</p>
<p>Hostile customer reaction was swift after <a href="http://www.geekbench.com/blog/2017/12/iphone-performance-and-battery-age/" type="external">a report</a> this month uncovered the intentional slowdown in speed tests. Only then did Apple acknowledge that the slowdown was due to a fix it rolled out last year. Shares dropped 2.5 percent Tuesday — also dinged by analysts predicting lower-than-expected demand for the iPhone X — and only partially recovered by Thursday.</p>
<p>At least five groups seeking class action status, involving consumers in Texas, Illinois, California and New York, have also sued the company in the wake of the slowdown revelation.</p>
<p>Ben Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, said Apple found itself in a tough spot by having to explain what it did to cope with the reality that all lithium ion batteries degrade over time.</p>
<p>“The error — if anything — was not being more transparent,” he said. “They were legitimately trying to make people’s iPhones last longer.”</p> | Apple apologizes for secretly slowing older iPhones | false | https://apnews.com/1e60a6d873a84bfaabb45c20e86830bb | 2017-12-29 | 2 |
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<p>FARMINGTON — A Fruitland man was sentenced Monday to 15 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for assaulting a law enforcement officer, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.</p>
<p>Adrian Lopez, 25, was arrested on Sept. 12 on suspicion of assaulting a tribal officer after a high-speed vehicle pursuit. The officer was commissioned as a special federal officer by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, according to the press release.</p>
<p>Lopez pleaded guilty to the charge on Dec. 10. He admitted in his plea agreement to being in a car fleeing from officers and said he and another person fled from the car after it crashed, ignoring commands from officers.</p>
<p>When officers tried to arrest the men, Lopez grabbed an officer’s belt and pulled him to the ground, the agreement states. He then hit the officer in the head several times and pushed the officer’s head into the ground, according to the plea agreement.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>©2015 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.)</p>
<p>Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at <a href="http://www.daily-times.com" type="external">www.daily-times.com</a></p>
<p>Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC</p>
<p>———-</p>
<p>Topics: t000002458,t000002478</p> | 15 months in prison for assaulting officer | false | https://abqjournal.com/553399/15-months-in-prison-of-assaulting-officer.html | 2 |
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<p>SIMFEROPOL, Crimea — The hands of a clock on the main railway station in Simferopol jumped from 10 P.M. to midnight on Saturday as Crimea switched to Moscow time, symbolically finalizing the region's incorporation into Russia.</p>
<p>Several hundred people gathered on the railway square for the ceremonial change of time, waving Russian national flags and chanting "Crimea! Russia!" after Moscow formally annexed the Black Sea region from Ukraine on March 21.</p>
<p>"I greet you with our return home," Crimea's new pro-Moscow Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov told the crowd.</p>
<p>"I am confident that all that we have done is to the benefit of Crimea and Crimeans," he exclaimed, extending his thanks to "our President Vladimir Putin" to noisy applause from the crowd.</p>
<p>Wrapped in Russian flags and some with tears of joy in their eyes, the people gathered in the provincial capital of Simferopol on Saturday sang Russia's national anthem when the clock moved to Moscow time.</p>
<p>"This is my moment of happiness. We all dreamed of this but did not dare think it may come now," said Tatiana, a 35-year-old waitress dancing to the music played on the square.</p>
<p>Her colleague Inga said she was 11-years-old when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, giving Ukraine independence and splitting Crimea from Moscow.</p>
<p>"My heart was crying back then. But now it is rejoicing, we have returned home. We were born on Moscow time and we are back to it again," she said. "I love the Ukrainian people but I do not recognize Ukraine as a country."</p>
<p>Crimea has already introduced the Russian ruble as its official currency and started paying out pensions and state salaries in the unit since the region voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining Russia on March 16.</p>
<p>Kiev has ordered its troops in Crimea to retreat to the mainland, acknowledging defeat after Russian soldiers grabbed Ukrainian bases in the region one after another in a largely bloodless seizure.</p>
<p /> | Russian Forward: Crimea Switches to Moscow Time | false | http://nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/russian-forward-crimea-switches-moscow-time-n66966 | 2014-03-29 | 3 |
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<p>POLITICAL PARTY: Democratic</p>
<p>OCCUPATION: Litigation support and small-business consultant</p>
<p>CITY/TOWN OF RESIDENCE: South Valley</p>
<p>RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: I have worked with legislators and community leaders for over 20 years on issues affecting District 10. I am a small-business owner who has helped bring numerous businesses to Bernalillo County.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>EDUCATION: University of New Mexico, studied political science and English literature.</p>
<p>CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sistofornmstaterep" type="external">www.facebook.com/sistofornmstaterep</a></p>
<p>CANDIDATE STATEMENT: I am running to serve as a voice for the people of District 10. I believe that our communities have the capacity to become even greater than they already are. I want to bring better roads, sidewalks, and in some areas water and sewer utilities to the community. I want to work with my community to develop innovation to improve public education, and I want to constantly engage my community through active listening and dialogue to assure that all voters in District 10 have access to their elected official.</p> | House District 10 (D) - Sisto A. Abeyta | false | https://abqjournal.com/395899/house-district-10-d-sisto-a-abeyta.html | 2 |
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<p>To swing it in Swampland (Washington, that is), you have to know your stuff. With that in mind, Mother Jones’ DC Bureau is launching a new daily feature on MoJo Blog: morning political trivia. We’ll compete every morning in the office, and we’ll give you a chance to try your hand at answering the question in the comments section (no Googling!). Then, every afternoon (Pacific time), we’ll post the answer and heap praise on the commenters who guess correctly.</p>
<p>As your official quizmaster, I’ll be finding the questions and keeping score. If you have a good one, submit it to [email protected]. I’ll credit you if we use your question (please let us know if you got it from another source).</p>
<p>But you won’t be the only ones pondering each morning’s question. Back in the capital, Mother Jones’ DC correspondents will be struggling mightily to best each other in a never-ending battle royale of trivia. And there will be accountability in this administration. I’ll let you know who got the question right and who got it wrong, be they intern or editor. So you won’t just be getting the answers every afternoon, you’ll be getting a chance to heap scorn on political reporters who don’t know their political trivia. So, with that in mind, we’ll start you out with a doozie (remember, no Googling!):</p>
<p>Name the four state capitals that begin with the same letter as the states they’re in.</p>
<p>—Nick Baumann</p>
<p /> | Morning Political Trivia for July 12 | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/07/morning-political-trivia-july-12/ | 2007-07-12 | 4 |
<p>Headlines across the mainstream media lately have trumpeted the economy’s return. The sloganeering was almost deafening.</p>
<p>“U.S. household wealth regains pre-recession peak” roared the Associated Press earlier this month, and “Unemployment at 4-Year Low as U.S. Hiring Gains Steam” heralded The New York Times. Not to be outdone, The Wall Street Journal touted “Dow Leaps to Record.” The strength of emotion behind these self-congratulatory news features would lead you to think that the economy was set to boom.</p>
<p>The problem is that neither the stock market’s surge, nor a one month’s bump in hiring, nor a further concentration of wealth amongst America’s economic elite actually means very much to the rest of us.</p>
<p>The truth is that over the past 30 years there’s been a divergence in economic interests between a small number at the top and everybody else. We’ve come to dwell in two different economic universes. And the real economy—the one in which you and I live—is anemic at best.</p>
<p>So if the media’s self-proclaimed good times haven’t shown up on your doorstep, here are some reasons why.</p>
<p>1.Washington is a mess. In recessions governments are supposed to spend, because the private sector can’t. But Washington is doing the exact opposite and it’s <a href="http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/02/whats_sequestration_mean_in_real_life.html" type="external">undermining any chance</a> of a sustainable recovery.</p>
<p>In fact, if Washington had invested money just to save government jobs in education and public safety—and repair the nation’s roads and bridges—we’d be creating almost twice as many jobs and growing at double the rate than we are right now. The economy would be a full tilt.</p>
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<p>But the political class has talked itself out of a hundred years of economic fact—that government spending is positive in downtimes—and we can’t move as a result. In fact we’re losing. Close to a million jobs are forecast to be lost this year due to more budget cuts, and more family budgets will be squeezed.</p>
<p>2.Black and brown unemployment is off the charts. One out of three people in the United States is black or Latino. With double-digit unemployment in these communities, a huge swath of the country is experiencing Depression-like conditions. As people of color are the emerging majority, the long-term consequence of this severe economic distress is frightening. It’s already showing up.</p>
<p>Close to one out of three black people, and one out of four Latinos, lives in poverty. In fact, poverty is stuck at the highest level it’s reached in almost two decades, and black and Latino wealth is the lowest ever recorded.</p>
<p>Until the economic health of black and brown America is restored, given the growing weight of these two communities, there’s no way that the overall economy can get back on track.</p>
<p>3.We have a wage crisis. Excluding the highest income earners, wages for average Americans are at a 40 year low and they’ve been accelerating downward for three decades. This is a growing disaster because our economy is consumer led. Over 70 percent of economic activity in the U.S. is driven by the purchases that everyday people make. As wages slide downward, economic growth follows. That’s exactly what’s been happening.</p>
<p>In fact, as veteran journalist Hederick Smith, author of “Who Stole the American Dream?”, points out, wages are growing at a rate that’s 20 times slower than that of corporate profits. Globalization combined with America’s tax policies have caused corporate earnings to be larger than ever. And as a result wealth is piling up in the wrong place. Why? Because consumers are the ones who spend, not companies.</p>
<p>Even as their workers struggle to make ends meet, corporations are sitting on $2 trillion in unspent profits and our economy remains in suspended animation as a result.</p>
<p>4.Longterm unemployment is getting worse. More than 4 million people have been without work for six months or more. Disturbingly, <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf" type="external">their numbers are growing</a>—up by 89,000 last month—and they’re unemployed for longer periods of time, at an average of eight months.</p>
<p>What’s more is that frustration with the lack of work has led many people to drop out of the workforce altogether. Labor force participation is at its lowest level in three decades. Without work, many people turn to the informal economy to support themselves. The off-the-books economy in the U.S. is huge, close $1.5 trillion, or equivalent to one out of 10 dollars in overall annual economic output. The problem is that informal work comes without minimum wage, worker protections and anti-discrimination rules, and it can thus further depress wages for everyone and place additional downward momentum on the economy.</p>
<p>5.International uncertainty is also worsening. America’s largest trading partner, the European Union, is mired in a double-dip recession and more than one out of 10 Europeans is without work. The economy of Greece, which grabbed headlines last year, has virtually disintegrated in the last 12 months.</p>
<p>What’s going on Europe is not only hampering our recovery, but is also a cautionary tale for the United States. Countries across that continent implemented government budget cuts before their economies had returned to full strength. As a result, the European economy has tanked and Europeans are worse off than a year ago. Should we fail to learn from the E.U.’s error we could repeat their mistake here.</p>
<p>With the right policies, all of these issues can be turned around or substantially mitigated. But we can’t do that unless we stop the unwarranted economic cheerleading, which only serves as a distraction and obscures our ability to see events clearly. We remain in uncertain times and what we need is frank talk and a sense of the bigger view. Given what’s at stake, each of us needs to insist on getting it.</p>
<p>Income Growth For Bottom 90 Percent Of Americans Averaged Just $59 Over 4 Decades</p>
<p>Another day, another mind-blowing fact about the staggering difference between the haves and the have-nots.</p>
<p>Incomes for the bottom 90 percent of Americans <a href="http://www.taxanalysts.com/www/features.nsf/Articles/C52956572546624F85257B1D004DE3FC?OpenDocument" type="external">only grew by $59 on average</a> between 1966 and 2011 (when you adjust those incomes for inflation), according to an analysis by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston for Tax Analysts. During the same period, the average income for the top 10 percent of Americans rose by $116,071, Johnston found.</p>
<p>To put that into perspective: if you say the $59 boost is equivalent to one inch, then the incomes of the top 10 percent of Americans rose by 168 feet, Johnston <a href="http://www.alternet.org/books/outrageous-david-cay-johnston-explains-how-big-corporations-withhold-your-taxes-and-then?paging=off" type="external">explained to Alternet last week</a>.</p>
<p>Johnston’s long-distance analogy is one way to look at the huge gap between the rich and everyone else, and there are many ways to think about and compare income growth and inequality across various segments of the population. Incomes for the bottom fifth of Americans, for instance, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/income-inequality_n_1032632.html" type="external">grew about 20 percent</a> between 1979 and 2007, according to a 2011 study from the Congressional Budget Office. During the same period, members of the top 1 percent saw their incomes grow by 275 percent.</p>
<p>Another way to illustrate the huge disparity: the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/17/waltons-net-worth_n_1680642.html" type="external">six heirs to the Walmart fortune</a> had a net worth equivalent to the bottom 41.5 percent of Americans combined in 2010, according to an analysis from Josh Bivens at the Economic Policy Institute.</p>
<p>While income inequality may be great for those reaping the big bucks at the top, it’s likely hurting Americans overall. Greater income equality is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/20/income-inequality-economic-growth_n_969933.html" type="external">correlated with stronger economic growth</a>, according to a 2011 IMF report.</p>
<p>David Cay Johnston, <a href="http://www.taxanalysts.com/" type="external">Tax Analysts</a></p> | A Tale of Two Economies | true | http://occupy.com/article/tale-two-economies | 4 |
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<p>KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — Guinness World Records confirmed this week that a Hawaii woman found the world’s heaviest avocado.</p>
<p>Pamela Wang of Big Island found the whopping 5-pound, 3.6-ounce (2.4-kilogram) avocado as she was taking a walk earlier this month, West Hawaii Today <a href="http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/making-weight-guinness-confirms-south-kona-avocado-world-record" type="external">reported</a> .</p>
<p>The large avocado caught Wang’s eye because it was nearly the size of her head, she said in a previous interview.</p>
<p>After a rigorous verification process, Guinness World Records America Inc. emailed Wang to confirm that she had indeed found the heaviest avocado on record.</p>
<p>Wang’s avocado discovery made national and international headlines. After the story ran in West Hawaii Today Dec. 2, it was picked up by major outlets including the Washington Post and NBC’s “Today” show.</p>
<p>Friends and family worldwide also helped push the story internationally.</p>
<p>“I have so many people who called me up, contacted me, friends of mine and people who found me on Facebook,” Wang said. “The fun thing was reconnecting with all sorts of friends I haven’t talked to in a while who opened the paper and saw my face right there looking back at them.”</p>
<p>Wang spent hours answering phone calls and emails from reporters while promoting the avocado.</p>
<p>Others reached out to her on Facebook asking for a seed from the avocado and curious to know how the giant fruit tasted, because she did eat it.</p>
<p>“Do you know how hard it is to try and describe how an avocado tastes?” Wang said.</p>
<p>Seeing her story published by different publications and in different languages was also part of the fun, she said.</p>
<p>Back home, Wang has become a bit of a celebrity among farmers markets. Some customers recognize her as the “avocado lady”.</p>
<p>“I walk through and people point at me, holding up their hands as if they are holding an avocado,” Wang said. “I thought that was really cool, where the community comes together and is excited over something as small as the heaviest avocado.”</p>
<p>Other record-setting Big Island crops include the world’s heaviest soursop, mango and jackfruit.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: West Hawaii Today, <a href="http://www.westhawaiitoday.com" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.westhawaiitoday.com" type="external">http://www.westhawaiitoday.com</a></p>
<p>KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — Guinness World Records confirmed this week that a Hawaii woman found the world’s heaviest avocado.</p>
<p>Pamela Wang of Big Island found the whopping 5-pound, 3.6-ounce (2.4-kilogram) avocado as she was taking a walk earlier this month, West Hawaii Today <a href="http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/making-weight-guinness-confirms-south-kona-avocado-world-record" type="external">reported</a> .</p>
<p>The large avocado caught Wang’s eye because it was nearly the size of her head, she said in a previous interview.</p>
<p>After a rigorous verification process, Guinness World Records America Inc. emailed Wang to confirm that she had indeed found the heaviest avocado on record.</p>
<p>Wang’s avocado discovery made national and international headlines. After the story ran in West Hawaii Today Dec. 2, it was picked up by major outlets including the Washington Post and NBC’s “Today” show.</p>
<p>Friends and family worldwide also helped push the story internationally.</p>
<p>“I have so many people who called me up, contacted me, friends of mine and people who found me on Facebook,” Wang said. “The fun thing was reconnecting with all sorts of friends I haven’t talked to in a while who opened the paper and saw my face right there looking back at them.”</p>
<p>Wang spent hours answering phone calls and emails from reporters while promoting the avocado.</p>
<p>Others reached out to her on Facebook asking for a seed from the avocado and curious to know how the giant fruit tasted, because she did eat it.</p>
<p>“Do you know how hard it is to try and describe how an avocado tastes?” Wang said.</p>
<p>Seeing her story published by different publications and in different languages was also part of the fun, she said.</p>
<p>Back home, Wang has become a bit of a celebrity among farmers markets. Some customers recognize her as the “avocado lady”.</p>
<p>“I walk through and people point at me, holding up their hands as if they are holding an avocado,” Wang said. “I thought that was really cool, where the community comes together and is excited over something as small as the heaviest avocado.”</p>
<p>Other record-setting Big Island crops include the world’s heaviest soursop, mango and jackfruit.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: West Hawaii Today, <a href="http://www.westhawaiitoday.com" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.westhawaiitoday.com" type="external">http://www.westhawaiitoday.com</a></p> | Guinness declares Hawaii woman’s avocado a record breaker | false | https://apnews.com/b038d3064ed74b14a5c062c6e0d22516 | 2017-12-30 | 2 |
<p>We will do our utmost to report this story without cheesy double entendres. Here goes: Southern California is associated with various people, places and phenomena — Hollywood, spray tans and bottle blondes, beachside homelessness, that stretch of the 101 highway that’s always featured in car commercial, and porn, to name a few.</p>
<p>As for that last item on the list, creators of adult entertainment are threatening to decamp from the Greater Los Angeles area if local authorities get more nudgy about enforcing a requirement that porn actors sport prophylactics for their performances, which the City Council voted in favor of doing earlier in the week. Meanwhile, members of the industry say the rule isn’t necessary, since they already monitor their own with frequent and mandatory STD tests and the like. –KA</p>
<p>AP via Huffington Post:</p>
<p>That effort took a serious leap forward Tuesday when the Los Angeles City Council voted 9-1 to grant final approval to an ordinance that would deny film permits to producers who do not comply with the condom requirement. The measure now goes to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for approval.</p>
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<p>Before the measure can take effect, however, the council has called for the creation of a committee made up of police officials, the city attorney, state health officials and others to determine how it might be enforced.</p>
<p>“It’s going to be interesting to see how in fact they do try to enforce it and whose going to fund it and all of the time and effort they’re going to spend,” said Steven Hirsch, co-founder and co-chairman of Los Angeles-based Vivid, one of the largest makers of erotic movies.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/porn-industry-leaving-la-_n_1212790.html" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Porn Industry May Quit L.A. Over Condom Policy | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/porn-industry-may-quit-l-a-over-condom-policy/ | 2012-01-20 | 4 |
<p>(Screenshot via Twitter.)</p>
<p>Drag queen Vicky Vox is slamming Katy Perry for allegedly not paying drag queens to appear in her music video.</p>
<p>Vox claims Perry was “begging” drag queens to work on the two-day shoot but without pay. Instead, the pop star’s team said that the queens would receive exposure for their work. Vox noted that they still deserved to be paid for their time.</p>
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<p>Vox also threw some shade at “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums who she claims did accept the exposure deal.</p>
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<p>Perry has had a rocky relationship with drag queens this year. She reportedly <a href="" type="internal">removed</a>drag queens from her “Saturday Night Live” performance because rap trio Migos wasn’t comfortable performing with them.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Katy Perry</a> <a href="" type="internal">Vicky Vox</a></p> | Drag queen blasts Katy Perry for not paying queens for video shoot | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2017/07/13/drag-queen-blasts-katy-perry-not-paying-appear-music-video/ | 3 |
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<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Over the past five-plus years, Novavax's shares have been on an absolutely wild ride as the company has inched ever closer to transforming into a commercial operation.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/NVAX" type="external">NVAX</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Despite the stock's 200%-plus gain since 2011, though, the Street still thinks that Novavax's best is yet to come. In fact, the average analyst estimate implies that the biotech's shares could appreciate by yet another 118% over the next 12 months.With this monstrous price target in mind, let's dig deeper to find out if Novavax's stock really is a screaming buy.</p>
<p>Althoughrespiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is themost common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children, and a major contributor to hospitalizations among the elderly, AstraZeneca's Synagis (palivizumab) is currently the only approved prescription medication indicated for the prevention of serious lung disease caused by RSV infection.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Topping it off, Synagis is indicated for use only in children at high risk for severe lung disease from RSV, and it must be administered every 28 to 30 days to maintain its effectiveness. And as asingle dose of Synagis can reportedly range from $651 to $2,448 depending on an infant's weight, many parents are simply unable to pay for multiple injections.</p>
<p>That's where Novavax comes into the story. Novavax is presently developing a promising F-protein nanoparticle RSV vaccine candidate (RSV F vaccine) indicated for older adults, infants via maternal immunization, and children. Right now, the biotech has initiated two pivotal-stage trials -- one in the elderly and another in pregnant women -- in hopes of bringing its experimental RSV F vaccine to market:</p>
<p>Source: Novavax.</p>
<p>In practice, this experimental RSV F vaccine would likely be given once and co-administered with a yearly flu shot for older adults over the age of 60. That makes it fairly easy to keep up with compliance-wise, and a single injection shouldn't be a financial roadblock for most individuals.</p>
<p>For pregnant women, the vaccine would be administered in the third trimester to confer immunity to newborns, potentially becoming a critical part of the standard of care for pregnant women moving forward.</p>
<p>Cutting to the bottom line, analysts think that these first two indications could easily generate sales in excess of $2 billion by 2024. While there are some concerns that Astra's experimental RSV medicines, MEDI7510 and MEDI8897, could eventually cut into Novavax's RSV market share, the fact remains that these product candidates are only in mid-stage trials at the moment, meaning that the earliest either would reach the market would be perhaps sometime in 2020.</p>
<p>Novavax, by contrast, is on track to report top-line data from its late-stage trial in older adults in the third quarter of this year. So, with a Fast Track designation from the FDA now in hand, this experimental RSV F vaccine could be commercially available by mid-2017 -- that is, if it hits the mark in terms of safety and efficacy in its ongoing pivotal trial. As first-mover status for older adults would likely translate into over a billion in sales within a few short years, the Street's lofty 12-month price target looks achievable.</p>
<p>Having said that, there's always the risk that this experimental RSV F vaccine runs into trouble from a safety standpoint, or simply fails to meet its primary efficacy endpoint in older adults. In that case, investors will have to look toward the biotech's other ongoing pivotal trial in pregnant women that's expected to wrap up in 2020, or perhaps its other clinical assets in influenza and Ebola, to create value moving forward.</p>
<p>All told, Novavax does seem like it has a real shot to double over the next year, giving it a compelling risk-to-reward ratio right now. Even so, it's still probably a bad idea to go hog-wild with this, or any other, speculative biotech. Clinical-stage biotech stocks, after all, can blow up in a heartbeat on negative trial results or regulatory setbacks. So, while it might be a good idea to open a small position in Novavax ahead of its upcoming clinical catalyst, you shouldn't buy more than you can afford to lose.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/14/heres-why-novavaxs-stock-could-double.aspx" type="external">Here's Why Novavax's Stock Could Double Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/gbudwell/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">George Budwell Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Here's Why Novavax's Stock Could Double | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/06/14/here-why-novavax-stock-could-double.html | 2016-06-14 | 0 |
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<p>This was the slogan raised by a thousand American citizens across the country on March 1 and 2 in Washington, D.C. Clad in bright blue NoLabels T Shirts, they rallied north of the Capitol building while being addressed by a dozen senators and representatives who are active members of the No Labels Problem Solvers Congressional Caucus.</p>
<p>NoLabels.Org aims to be the voice for the New Center, for the tens of millions of Americans who feel abandoned by both the Democratic and Republican parties.</p>
<p>An analysis of the composition of our current national parties indicates that each party is controlled by a minority of its constituents. For the Democratic Party, the far left component is a minority compared to the moderates making up its membership. Yet the minority seems to dictate the party’s agenda. Equally so, the Republican Party agenda seems to be dictated by its far right component, which is also a minority compared to the moderates that comprise its membership. Taken together, this means that the moderates of both parties are the great majority and yet are not exercising the influence that would be expected by their numbers. Is it time for them to band together and make their voices heard? This is what the No Labels movement is aiming to do.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>It is a movement of problem solvers who believe being principled and pragmatic are not mutually exclusive ideas, who may tilt right or left, but who won’t be held hostage to ideology or party dictates. No Labels members are registered Republicans, Democrats and Independents, but consider themselves Americans first.</p>
<p>From the Capitol rally, the No Labels members marched to the congressional office buildings and proceeded to enter all 535 senator’s and representative’s offices to deliver the No Labels Compact with the American People and to encourage their state delegations to join the Problem Solvers Caucus.</p>
<p>Today, there are 40 members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, equally divided among Democrats and Republicans. These are the brave souls who are putting America first and seeking progress through compromise and consensus. These are the stalwarts that do not blindly follow a party line, but rather conduct open dialogue and encourage debate. They are respectful and conduct themselves in a manner that would make their parents and children proud. They are governing by focusing on fixing problems, not by attacking those who might not agree with them.</p>
<p>Established in 2010, the No Labels movement has published its vision, principles, books, and introduced several bills that have been enacted into laws. All of these activities have been with the singular purpose of moving America forward with dignity, respect and non-partisanship. Now more than ever, this movement is critical to securing the future of the nation and the planet in uncertain times.</p>
<p>The No Labels movement does not ask anyone to give up their party affiliations or their passion for issues dear to their heart. However, it does urge the placement of ultimate loyalty to the country as a whole and to pursue one’s interests with an open mind, knowing that a solution built with consensus is ultimately the most sustainable.</p>
<p>Here in New Mexico, we are blessed to have a political composition not wholly dominated by one political party. We have learned to compromise and seek consensus. Our senators and representatives exhibit respectful behavior and understand the need to move forward through dialogue and debate. New Mexico is the perfect example of a governing environment that fits the No Labels vision and values. We should seize the opportunity to lead in this movement and have 100 percent of our delegation join the Problem Solvers Caucus.</p>
<p>Please peruse the <a href="http://https://www.nolabels.org" type="external">https://www.nolabels.org</a> web site and join us. It is a growing and critically important movement. Our voices need to be heard. We can either stand still separately, or we can move forward together. The time is now to make the right choice for America.</p>
<p>Francisco A. Figueroa is a retired executive with Lockheed Martin and Sandia Labs, a community leader and a New Mexico No Labels representative.</p>
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<p /> | It is time to make the right choice for America | false | https://abqjournal.com/973707/it-is-time-to-make-the-right-choice-for-america.html | 2 |
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<p>On April 25, Bill Moyers’ Journal opened its prime–time season on PBS with the blare of trumpets and an undisclosed amount of taxpayer support. The Washington Post and Washington Times carried full-page ads touting his new series. Other papers chimed in. The Providence Journal called Moyers’s first program, “Buying the War,” “must-see TV.”</p>
<p>Aware of mounting criticism of his views, in <a href="" type="internal">a lengthy Christian Century interview</a> Moyers blasted the “rise of an ideological partisan press that is contemptuous of reality,”&#160;“serves up right-wing propaganda as fact, and attempts to demonize anyone who says otherwise. . . . They actually work to keep reality from us, whether it’s . . . the social costs of ‘free trade,’ growing inequality,” or “the devastating onward march of environmental deregulation. It’s&#160;as if we are living on a huge plantation in a story told by the boss man.”</p>
<p>Moyers’s blast against “boss” men may be a reaction against his humble beginnings. Born in 1934 to a working-class family in Oklahoma and raised in Texas, he studied journalism and received a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Baptist Theological Seminary.</p>
<p>For several years he was a top aide to President Lyndon Johnson, serving a stint as his press secretary. In some ways it was an odd couple. Of LBJ, Moyers once said: “I work for him despite his faults and he lets me work for him despite my deficiencies.” After they parted ways, Moyers became publisher of Newsday, the Long Island newspaper, from 1967 to 1970. From there, he ascended to PBS, from where he still sits in the taxpayer-funded bully pulpit.</p>
<p>I&#160;met Moyers&#160;before he became such an august personage. In 1968 an activist group, Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam, published a strident book, In the Name of America, whose findings were endorsed by 28 prominent liberal Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish leaders, such as Father Robert Drinan, Bishop Paul Moore, Jr., and Martin Luther King, Jr. (In a Riverside Church speech the year before, King called the U.S. government “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.”)</p>
<p>Since these well-known religious leaders were calling U.S. policy illegal and immoral, I felt the book cried out for serious critical attention. I approached Moyers whom I had known in Washington and assumed he still backed LBJ on Vietnam. He took me to a Garden City restaurant for a cordial lunch. I asked why he had left the White House.</p>
<p>“It was largely for family and financial reasons, but I also wanted to establish my own identity,” he said.</p>
<p>“What about press reports saying you were LBJ’s conscience?” I asked.</p>
<p>“That’s simply not so. He has his own conscience and it’s as morally sensitive as any of his critics. He’s his own man and, down deep, a do-gooder.”</p>
<p>“Did you ever have policy clashes with him?” I asked.</p>
<p>“Not really. We got along well. And I was mainly responsible for getting John Roche [a former ADA chairman and a stout supporter of LBJ’s Vietnam policy] on the White House staff,” he said with some satisfaction.</p>
<p>I then asked him about the current criticism on Vietnam from church leaders.</p>
<p>“Well,” he said, “I left the Baptist ministry partly because I felt the churches didn’t understand the proper role of religion in public affairs.” Hinting a change in his outlook, he added, “I recently had several good discussions on Vietnam at two Mennonite colleges.”</p>
<p>I expressed my misgivings about In the Name of America and gave him the book. Assuming he would be critical of its stance, I asked if he would review it in Newsday. He was silent for a moment, a look of puzzlement in his big innocent eyes, and said he would. Two weeks later he wrote me, “I’m not going to be able to follow through on my intentions. Trusting you’ll forgive me.”</p>
<p>I was more disappointed than surprised.</p>
<p>— Ernest W. Lefever is a senior scholar&#160;at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | Bill Moyers’s Progress | false | https://eppc.org/publications/bill-moyerss-progress/ | 1 |
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<p>Members of The Actors? Gang in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," directed by Tim Robbins. (Courtesy of Dianna Oliva-Day)</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare is already full of love, magic and fairies. Yet, Tim Robbins wanted to add something more to it - and he did it with stripping elements away.</p>
<p>"To tell you the truth, there were some financial issues with the company," Robbins says. "I wanted to have minimal sets and focus on the beauty of the language. We were able to do it and only spent $500 on the set."</p>
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<p>Robbins is artistic director of The Actors? Gang, which is based out of Los Angeles. He's also the director of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which will have a performance at Popejoy Hall at 3 today.</p>
<p>The play opens on preparations for a lavish wedding between Theseus, the Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. The nobleman Egeus complains to Theseus that his daughter Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, the man he has picked for her; Hermia protests, saying she is in love with Lysander, a young Athenian man. The Duke declares that Hermia must make her choice before his own wedding, and warns her that if she defies her father's wishes, she could be sent to a convent or executed.</p>
<p>Robbins says he felt the play has a potent message for today's world, which is why he wanted to focus on the language.</p>
<p>He says the ensemble spent weeks stripping down the play and then building it back up.</p>
<p>"We can all acknowledge what is going on in the world," he says. "We can try to change that. But until you get your own stuff in order, nothing will change. If everyone was to create order in their own lives, then that can begin to change the world."</p>
<p>Robbins says the ensemble work-shopped the play for a few years, which has helped the entire production get stronger.</p>
<p>He says it's important to build an ensemble cast rather than relying on a few people.</p>
<p>"That's what an ensemble does, it's team building and figuring out a truth together," he says. "We had to figure out a way together and trust began to be built between the players. It's because the trust is there, people are able to take chances that they normally wouldn't take."</p>
<p /> | Director of LA-based actors' troupe focuses on language in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' | false | https://abqjournal.com/571702/director-concentrates-on-language.html | 2 |
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<p>Shares of Scholastic (NASDAQ:SCHL) climbed nearly 12% to a new 52-week high after the children’s book publisher revealed third-quarter sales and earnings that topped <a href="" type="internal">Wall Street</a> views, led by the success of The Hunger Games trilogy.</p>
<p>Revenue for the three-month period was $467 million, up 22% from $384.3 million a year ago, sharply trumping the Street’s view of $393 million.</p>
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<p>The improvement was driven by a 27% increase in children’s book publishing and distribution sales, led by demand for The Hunger Games.</p>
<p>“We were especially delighted by the success of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy, yet another Scholastic-published global phenomenon with a large crossover readership by adults,” Scholastic CEO Richard Robinson said in a statement.</p>
<p>Sales of the series reached a high during the quarter, ahead of next week’s highly anticipated movie premiere.</p>
<p>Scholastic booked sales increases across all segments but its class and supplemental materials publishing group, which fell slightly to $38.2 million from $43.1 million the year earlier.</p>
<p>The New York-based company reported a loss of $3.2 million, or 10 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $25.1 million, or 81 cents. But excluding one-time items, the company lost just 9 cents, widely ahead of average analyst estimates of a 70-cent loss.</p>
<p>The solid improvement led Scholastic to increase its outlook for fiscal 2012, now anticipating earnings of $2.60 to $2.90 on sales of $2 billion. Analysts on average are looking for a smaller profit and sales of $1.95 a share and $1.94 billion.</p>
<p>The publisher’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 12.5 cents for the fourth quarter, payable on June 15 to shareholders of record on April 30.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Scholastic 3Q Beats on 'The Hunger Games' Success | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/03/15/scholastic-3q-beats-on-hunger-games-success.html | 2016-01-26 | 0 |
<p>A "Seinfeld" reference. A generational dispute. An ad considered so touchy it was pulled.&#160;</p>
<p>Welcome to the Mad Men world of Egyptian advertising.</p>
<p>On the surface, it was a good year for advertisers,&#160;the first since 2011&#160;that ad spending&#160;went back up to pre-revolutionary days, when Hosni Mubarak was in power.&#160;Amal al-Masry, the CEO of J Walter Thompson, one of the big three ad agencies in Cairo, saw a&#160;few changes&#160;in this year’s ads.</p>
<p>“I think there are several themes. Charity is the very obvious one,” she said. This is an ongoing theme each Ramadan, because its the Muslim world’s season of giving.</p>
<p>But this year in particular there was another theme, reflective of a generational divide in Egypt's society.&#160;“On the family level there’s interestingly messaging out there that starts to question the generational differences within families and I think that taps into a very interesting social dynamic,” Masry said.</p>
<p>In an ad for Fox Chips, a son tells his father that he can see the future when he eats the chips. The father&#160;comes out of the kitchen where he is mixing sugar into his tea, pulls his chair close&#160;to the son&#160;and asks “is that so?” Then he slaps him across the face.</p>
<p>“Did you see that coming?” he asks.</p>
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<p>This ad was actually taken off air for encouraging violence against youth. In a place where we’ve seen a youth-led revolt that was also smacked down, this ostensibly funny ad is quite sad.</p>
<p>Satire of know-it-all authority figures came out in another ad for Crunch chocolate. A young man comes into a room and is talking to a family member, who thinks he’s eating the candy of yesteryear, called Skanshayzar. The young man corrects the ridiculous things he is saying, but the older person is&#160;clearly not listening.</p>
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<p>The ad was a sensation. People made Facebook pages for it and started asking for it in stores.</p>
<p>“[For] Crunch, the engagement level on social media rewards us very much in feeling that we have connected on a very real level with our audiences,” said al-Masry, whose company made the ad.</p>
<p>Another ad, for a restaurant called Um Hassan, had a familiar response to a rumor that it was&#160;serving donkey meat. Its ad implied that a conspiracy by foreign restaurant chains was behind the rumor. Over ominous music, the restaurant from Seinfeld appears, then meat thermometers, then the Egyptians that would be unemployed if Um Hassan were to close.</p>
<p>“A lot of people won’t like that,” the ad says over delicious, and clean, food. “They’ll try to cut any Egypt hand that builds.”</p>
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<p>Part of the counterrevolutionaries’ playbook is to blame the revolution on foreign spies and agents, and it created a widely held sentiment here. Maybe its brilliantly subversive satire, but the ad is probably just tapping into real emotions. Um Hassan didn’t respond to requests for comments.</p>
<p>There are more ads showing that Egypt is moving into economic recovery. Ad agencies and brands are selling optimism and hope to Egyptians that are hungry for both. But the ads show that the underlying issues of the failed revolution have not been solved.</p> | A pulled potato chip ad tells much about Egypt's generational divide | false | https://pri.org/stories/2015-07-20/pulled-potato-chip-ad-tells-much-about-egypts-generational-divide | 2015-07-20 | 3 |
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<p>New Mexico lawmakers are considering a nonbinding resolution called a “memorial” to urge Congress to restore greater federal and local regulation of political spending that influences elections and governance. The memorial also would pledge support for a constitutional amendment to end partisan gerrymandering.</p>
<p>The effort seeks to reverse Supreme Court actions including the 2010 Citizens United decision, which cleared the way for unlimited independent spending on elections.</p>
<p>“This is a simple way to say to Congress, ‘Pass this and come back to the state to ratify,’ ” said Rep. Linda Trujillo, D- Santa Fe, who is sponsoring the measure along with Rep. Jim Smith, R-Sandia Park, and Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque.</p>
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<p>Memorials do not require the governor’s signature. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez last year vetoed state campaign finance disclosure rules that came under criticism as an infringement on free speech from several conservative-backed groups.</p>
<p>The newly proposed memorial includes brief instructions for separating political spending from free speech guarantees, and reclaiming federal and state authority to “regulate the role of money in elections and governance to ensure transparency, prevent corruption, and protect against the buying of access to or influence over representatives.”</p>
<p>Heather Ferguson, legislative director of the New Mexico chapter of the watchdog group Common Cause, noted that New Mexico and at least 19 other states already have asked Congress to overturn the Citizens United decision. The new initiative aims to start from scratch with specific, uniform instructions, she said.</p>
<p>“This takes it that one step further,” Ferguson said. “Here is not only a request but also a directive on how to do it.”</p>
<p>The effort is backed by Common Cause, a national group that concentrates on government accountability issues, and Take Back Our Republic, a group focused on campaign finance reform with offices in Alabama, Texas and Virginia.</p>
<p>Similar legislative measures are scheduled for introduction in a few states, including Alabama and New Hampshire.</p>
<p>John Pudner, executive director of Take Back Our Republic, said the goal is to gain a foothold in a geographically diverse selection of states.</p>
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<p /> | Fledgling effort to regulate dark money starts in New Mexico | false | https://abqjournal.com/1123407/nm-may-join-amendment-effort.html | 2 |
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<p>Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wouldn’t say charter schools are barred from anti-LGBT discrimination. (Blade photo by Michael Key)</p>
<p>Weeks after facing criticism for refusing to speak out in congressional testimony against anti-LGBT discrimination in charter schools, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos still won’t say federal law prohibits them from discriminating against LGBT students.</p>
<p>DeVos on Tuesday referred generally to rules under federal law in a testy exchange on whether she’d speak out against anti-LGBT discrimination in charter schools with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who said the statute in this area is “somewhat foggy.”</p>
<p>Although DeVos acknowledged charter schools aren’t eligible for U.S. government money if they violate federal laws against discrimination, she dodged when asked specifically if charter schools under her plan would be able to discriminate against LGBT students.</p>
<p>“I said it before and I’ll say it again that schools that receive federal funds must follow federal law,” said DeVos, who’s promoting a Trump administration plan that calls for a $250 million increase in school voucher funds.</p>
<p>When Merkley insisted federal law is foggy and pressed DeVos again on whether anti-LGBT discrimination would be allowed under her proposal, she said,&#160;“On areas where the law is unsettled, this department is not going to be issuing decrees. That is a matter for Congress and the courts.”</p>
<p>Merkley interrupted to seek clarification, but DeVos would only repeat her deference to Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court when the law is unclear.</p>
<p>Visibly frustrated, Merkley said he interprets DeVos’ response to mean “where it’s unsettled, such discrimination will continue to be allowed under your program,” adding if that interpretation is incorrect, she should make a correction in the record.</p>
<p>Asked the same question as it pertains to discrimination against students on the basis of religion, DeVos’ response was no different.</p>
<p>“Again, for schools that receive federal funds, federal law must be followed,” DeVos said.</p>
<p>When Merkley demanded DeVos answer the question as it pertains to religious discrimination against students, she said, “Schools that receive federal funds will follow federal law. Period.”</p>
<p>The Oregon Democrat rebuked&#160;DeVos for a response he said is too vague.</p>
<p>“You’re refusing to answer the question,” Merkley said. “I think that’s very important for the public to know that today the secretary of education before this committee refused to affirm that she would put forward a program that bans discrimination based on LGBTQ status of students or bans discrimination based on religion.”</p>
<p>DeVos protested Merkley’s characterization of her words, denying her response indicated any support for allowing discrimination in charter schools.</p>
<p>“Sir, that’s not what I said,” DeVos said. “That’s not what I said. Discrimination in any form is wrong. I don’t support discrimination in any form.”</p>
<p>Merkley asked for a yes-or-no answer on whether DeVos’ program bans discrimination, the education secretary replied, “What program are you talking about?” Merkley said it was her charter and private school grant proposals, prompting DeVos to repeat her previous response.</p>
<p>“As I said before, and let me say it again, schools that receive federal funds need to follow federal law. Period,” DeVos said.</p>
<p>Interrupting DeVos, Merkley concluded, “You said the same thing 10 times without answering the question at all.”</p>
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<p>Although she wouldn’t say federal law bars discrimination against LGBT students, DeVos’ general repudiation of discrimination in any form is different from an earlier exchange with Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.). At the time, DeVos wouldn’t denounce discrimination in any capacity when asked about anti-LGBT or racial discrimination in charter schools.</p>
<p>Denouncing DeVos for her response was Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, who said in a statement the secretary’s words were leaving LGBT students out in the cold.</p>
<p>“By once again turning a blind eye to LGBTQ students who experience discrimination in school, Secretary DeVos continues to prove why she was the wrong choice to lead our nation’s education system,” Ellis said. “DeVos once claimed she was an LGBTQ ally, but has now supported back to back policies that would erase LGBTQ students from classrooms. If she wants to be known as more than an anti-LGBTQ activist the time is now to reverse course.”</p>
<p>Federal law doesn’t explicitly ban anti-LGBT discrimination, but it does bar sex discrimination. Courts are increasingly interpreting those laws to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation&#160;and gender identity. That’s likely what Merkley meant when he said existing federal law on the issue is “somewhat foggy.”</p>
<p>Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin for any school accepting federal funds, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex for any school accepting federal funds. There is an exemption in Title IX for religious schools, but not for charter or secular private schools.</p>
<p>The Obama administration had issued guidance making clear Title IX precludes schools from barring transgender students from the restroom consistent with their gender identity, but DeVos along with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked it at the start of the Trump administration. Media reports indicated DeVos resisted that move and she later met with LGBT groups and transgender students at the Education Department.</p>
<p>Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil &amp; Human Rights, said she’s “glad to hear” DeVos opposes discrimination, but called for action.</p>
<p>“Words alone are insufficient,” Gupta said. “She must use her authority as secretary to make that prohibition and those protections for students real. The department must also proactively support schools to prevent discrimination and intervene when the law is broken. This can’t just be about talk; students need and deserve action.”</p>
<p>Merkley is lead sponsor in the Senate of the Equality Act, comprehensive legislation that would make explicit a ban on anti-LGBT discrimination in every area of civil rights law, including education.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Betsy Devos</a> <a href="" type="internal">charter schools</a> <a href="" type="internal">Leadership Conference on Civil &amp; Human Rights</a> <a href="" type="internal">Vanita Gupta</a></p> | DeVos still won’t say federal law bars anti-LGBT discrimination | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2017/06/06/devos-still-wont-say-federal-law-bars-anti-lgbt-discrimination/ | 3 |
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<p>Oct. 9 (UPI) — American Horror Story co-creator <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ryan_Murphy/" type="external">Ryan Murphy</a> said he edited Tuesday’s episode of Cult that features a mass shooting to make it less graphic after the Las Vegas attack.</p>
<p>Murphy described the decision Saturday during a panel discussion at the New Yorker festival.</p>
<p>After gunman in Las Vegas <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/10/06/Las-Vegas-police-confident-Paddock-was-only-shooter/3841507288775/" type="external">killed 58 people</a> and injured 500 more on Oct. 1, Murphy decided to make the show — set to air Tuesday — less graphic.</p>
<p>“I just made the decision that I’m going to have all of that violence be shown for the most part off-camera,” Murphy <a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/885555/ryan-murphy-says-american-horror-story-cult-mass-shooting-scene-edited-after-las-vegas-tragedy" type="external">said</a>.</p>
<p>“Should you air it? Should you not air it? How do you be sensitive? My point of view was I believe I have the right to air it, but I also believe in victims’ rights, and I believe that now is probably not the week to have something explosive or incendiary in the culture because someone who was affected might watch that and it could trigger something or make them feel upset. So our decision was to re-edit it and I felt that that was the right move,” he said.</p>
<p>“Nobody ever talks about victims’ rights. That’s sort of a weird emotional discussion that’s never bridged… But I felt great sympathy for people who were affected, certainly, and family members and loved ones and people who are upset about the way the world is,” he said.</p>
<p>Murphy said scene, which was filmed in September, was <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/ryan-murphy-edited-ahs-cult-scene-after-las-vegas-shooting-w507736" type="external">meant to</a> make “an obvious anti-gun warning about society.”</p>
<p>American Horror Story: Cult, which stars <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Sarah-Paulson/" type="external">Sarah Paulson</a>, Evan Peters, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Emma_Roberts/" type="external">Emma Roberts</a>, Billie Lourd, Colton Haynes, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Lena-Dunham/" type="external">Lena Dunham</a>, Cheyenne Jackson, Adina Porter, Chaz Bono, John Carroll Lynch, James Morosini, Mare Winningham, Frances Conroy, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Alison_Pill/" type="external">Alison Pill</a>, Billy Eichner and Leslie Grossman, airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.</p> | 'American Horror Story: Cult' episode edited after Las Vegas shooting | false | https://newsline.com/american-horror-story-cult-episode-edited-after-las-vegas-shooting/ | 2017-10-09 | 1 |
<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Dep.jpg" type="external" />When someone hears bureaucratic terms like "compliance, mandates and penalties," they might think of the EPA, the IRS, or these days, the Department of Health and Human Services. But another federal government department is fast adopting the language of strict and onerous regulation. Annoyed that Indiana wants to extricate [?]</p>
<p><a href="http://www.humanevents.com/2014/05/12/dept-of-education-erects-obstacles-to-keep-states-in-common-core/" type="external">Click here to view original web page at www.humanevents.com</a></p>
<p /> | Dept. of Education erects obstacles to keep states in Common Core | true | http://politicalillusionsexposed.com/dept-of-education-erects-obstacles-to-keep-states-in-common-core/ | 0 |
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<p>Stand by for Sean Spicer to declare that federal jobs data is fake once again. The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/business/economy/job-creation-unemployment-trump.html?action=Click&amp;contentCollection=BreakingNews&amp;contentID=65128123&amp;pgtype=article" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>Hiring in March was expected to drop after the monthly gains of more than 200,000 in the two previous months, but this marks the weakest showing for the economy in nearly a year. Just 98,000 jobs were added last month. Economists had been anticipating a gain of about 180,000 jobs for the month.</p>
<p>Although it represents just one month’s data, it will raise questions about whether improving business sentiment is actually translating into any meaningful action by employers.</p>
<p>If the anemic hiring persists, the Federal Reserve may be forced to reconsider its plan to raise interest rates twice more this year. Economists had been anticipating a gain of about 180,000 jobs for the month.</p>
<p>The robust numbers in January and February led some analysts to conclude that the economy was benefiting from a “Trump bump” after President Trump’s election, but hard data to support that argument has been scarce.</p>
<p>A month ago, Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, claimed credit for the increased job creation on Mr. Trump’s behalf, saying it was a result of “the surge in economic confidence and optimism that has been inspired since his election.”</p>
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<p /> | Feds Issue Worst Jobs Report In Nearly A Year | true | http://joemygod.com/2017/04/07/feds-issue-worst-jobs-report-nearly-year/ | 2017-04-07 | 4 |
<p>By Joe Sexton / <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/amid-the-blaring-headlines-routine-reports-of-hate-fueled-violence" type="external">ProPublica</a></p>
<p>Tom Garing cleans up graffiti painted on the side of a mosque in what officials called an apparent hate crime in Roseville, Calif. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP)</p>
<p>Last Wednesday, July 19, was something of a busy news day. There was word North Korea was making preparations for yet another provocative missile test. The Supreme Court, in its latest ruling in the controversial travel ban case, said that people from the six largely Muslim countries covered by the immigration enforcement action could enter the U.S. if they had a grandparent here, refusing to overturn a ruling that grandparents qualified as "bona fide relatives." And then, late in the day, President Donald Trump gave a remarkable interview to The New York Times, one that, among other things, laid into Attorney General Jeff Sessions.</p>
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<p>The day also produced its share of what, sadly, has come to qualify as routine news: A Muslim organization in Sacramento, California, received a package in the mail that included a Koran in a tub of lard; police in Boise, Idaho, identified a teenage boy as the person likely responsible for scratching racist words on a car; in Lansing, Michigan, police launched a search for a suspect in the case of an assault against a Hispanic man. The victim had been found with a note indicating his attacker had been motivated by racial animus.</p>
<p>The specter of hate incidents and crimes - some of them fueled by the nastiness of the 2016 presidential campaign - felt white hot months ago. The issue remained high-profile as several horrific murders - a South Asian immigrant slain in Kansas City, a homeless black man butchered near Times Square in New York - generated outrage and national news coverage.</p>
<p>Documenting Hate, an effort by a coalition of news organizations, has sought to sustain a focus on incidents and crimes of racial or religious or sexual prejudice even as the temperature around the issue rises or falls. One of the truths the effort has laid bare is that such crimes are so commonplace that they can seem an almost ordinary part of the fabric of life in America.</p>
<p>Scattered among the news items on that single July day - captured in local write-ups and wire-service briefs - was the attempted murder of a black employee at an auto parts store in Desert Hot Springs, California, an attack during which the shooter repeated racial epithets; the menacing of a mosque in Georgia, where repeated telephone threats warned that "white people are going to kill you"; an Indian-American Ph.D. candidate in California had her car's windshield shattered by a rock as she drove to work, glass from the window embedding in her skin and hair. "Go back to your own country," the assailant had screamed.</p>
<p>"I was shocked," Simranjit Grewal told the India West newspaper. "Another human being was trying to attack me, to hurt me."</p>
<p>Earlier this year, ProPublica reported on <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/an-ocean-apart-but-united-in-concerns-about-hate-crimes" type="external">studies done in Great Britain on hate crimes</a> in the aftermath of the Brexit vote. Immigrants in the country faced violence, having been demonized as a threat during the polarizing and ultimately successful effort to withdraw from the European Union. One of the researchers' findings was that the hate incidents very often did not involve fringe, ultra-nationalist and neo-Nazi groups. Instead, they were perpetrated by, as one researcher put it, "ordinary people."</p>
<p>The accounts marshaled by the Documenting Hate coalition suggest the same is true in the U.S. Amid the hundreds upon hundreds of news reports of crimes and insults and threats we've collected, there's an everyman quality to the accused. While the black man killed in New York was allegedly slain by a consumer of white supremacy propaganda, the immigrant shot to death in Kansas City was allegedly killed by an unremarkable suspect, a man who had worked menial jobs across his life and, according to some associates, been in a spiral of drinking and depression for months.</p>
<p>The kinds of suspects implicated in the events of July 19 - a teen, a somewhat bumbling young man who managed to shoot himself in the course of trying to kill an auto parts worker - turn up on other days, in other crime reports. Two college students in Berkeley, California, were charged on July 18 with spray-painting racist graffiti. A man in Oregon was arrested after swearing at and harassing a Muslim women over a 20-block span, pretending to shoot a gun and screaming at her to leave the country and remove her headdress. The man, in tears, later said his "stupidity" had got the best of him.</p>
<p>The news reports collected as part of the Documenting Hate project include more than just crimes. The project also tracks news accounts dealing with reports on things such as hate crime statistics and calls for new hate crimes legislation. This month, for instance, there was the formal release of a Center on Islamic-American Relations <a href="https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14476-cair-report-shows-2017-on-track-to-becoming-one-of-worst-years-ever-for-anti-muslim-hate-crimes.html" type="external">report on anti-Muslim crimes</a>, one that showed a huge spike over the last six months, a 91 percent rise in reported incidents over the same period last year.</p>
<p>Also included, though, are reports of steps being taken to combat the crimes and limit their incidence and damage - committees formed, outreach initiated. This month in Montgomery, Alabama, several organizations joined to run what they called "bystander intervention training," meant to encourage people to act when witnessing the harassment of people because of their race or religion. In Anne Arundel, Maryland, there was a protest on the courthouse steps organized in part by the NAACP to highlight a recent case of a noose being hung in a local middle school.</p>
<p>And in Washington, D.C., there was a conference on hate crimes run by the Department of Justice overseen by Jeff Sessions. Should the news of July 19 - Trump's first salvo in what seems to many to be a bid to drive Sessions from office - result in a new attorney general, one of Sessions' final acts will have been an impassioned promise to fight hate crimes.</p> | Amid the Blaring Headlines, Routine Reports of Hate-Fueled Violence | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/amid-the-blaring-headlines-routine-reports-of-hate-fueled-violence/ | 2017-07-26 | 4 |
<p>Trouble for packaged-food companies is deepening.</p>
<p>Smaller companies such as J.M. Smucker Co. and Hormel Foods Corp. are the latest to face investor pressure as volatile commodity prices hurt margins and consumers gravitate away from the older brands that have anchored many established food-makers. Shares of the jam and Spam makers fell about 10% and 6%, respectively, on Thursday, dragging down the broader S&amp;P 500.</p>
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<p>Smucker said weak sales of Folgers coffee and Crisco shortening hurt earnings in its most recent quarter, leading it to lower its earnings forecast for the fiscal year. Chief Executive Mark Smucker said the company must more quickly overhaul those and other older brands to appeal to consumers gravitating toward upstart products they see as more healthy or sustainably produced.</p>
<p>"There are a lot more brands out there," he said.</p>
<p>Shares in Mondelez International Inc., Conagra Brands Inc. and Campbell Soup Co. also fell, extending losses this year for food makers wrestling with the big shift from mass-market brands to fresher and more natural offerings. Kraft Heinz Company and Kellogg Co., which both reported sales drops this month, also saw their shares drop. The S&amp;P fell about 0.2% on Thursday to 2438.77.</p>
<p>The slump is also weighing on advertising companies that rely on huge marketing campaigns by big food and consumer-goods companies. Hormel said it spent $24 million on advertising in the latest quarter, less than half what it spent in that period a year ago. Shares in WPP PLC, the world's biggest advertising company, fell nearly 11% on Wednesday after it reported a significant slowdown in ad-buying.</p>
<p>Like their larger rivals, Smucker and Hormel said they are removing artificial ingredients from older brands and adding more simpler, grab-and-go products and fresh meats. Smucker has also tried to bolster its peanut butter and natural pet food brands to offset falling demand for highly processed products like Pillsbury cake mix. But Mr. Smucker said Thursday that promoting new brands won't be enough to put his company on better footing if demand for legacy products continues to erode.</p>
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<p>"We must also focus on larger, more significant platform innovations on some of our key and larger iconic brands," he said.</p>
<p>Smucker's results reinforced "just how hard it is for big food companies to sustain momentum in a hostile retailer and competitive environment," Bernstein analyst Alexia Howard said. Grocery stores have pushed big brands to lower their prices in recent months to avoid losing shoppers to discount chains.</p>
<p>Hormel said low grain and turkey prices put pressure on the meat company to cut prices on its Jennie-O turkey products. At the same time, Hormel said higher pork and beef costs had hurt margins and sales of other products.</p>
<p>"Commodity markets have been challenging to forecast," Chief Executive Jim Snee said. Other Hormel brands including Skippy peanut butter and Spam saw sales improve.</p>
<p>Some companies have looked to emerging markets to offset lackluster U.S. sales. Hormel said it would buy Brazilian sausage and salami maker Cidade do Sol for around $104 million. Brazil's economy has improved recently after several years of political turmoil and poor growth, which Hormel hopes will lead consumers there to buy more meat.</p>
<p>"Strategic international growth is important to Hormel Foods and South America has been of interest to us for several years," Mr. Snee said.</p>
<p>Another recent Hormel purchase, Muscle Milk-maker CytoSport hasn't panned out. Hormel's specialty food sales, including the Muscle Milk products, declined 7% in the most recent quarter. Mizuho Securities analyst Jeremy Scott said the 2014 deal was a cautionary tale of what can happen when traditional food companies pick the wrong brands in attempting to expand their product offerings.</p>
<p>"The ready-to-drink protein category has expanded significantly in terms of the number of competitors," Mr. Scott said. "You're seeing the protein angle everywhere."</p>
<p>Write to Annie Gasparro at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>August 24, 2017 16:45 ET (20:45 GMT)</p> | Packaged-Food Companies' Revamp Efforts Fall Short for Investors | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/24/packaged-food-companies-revamp-efforts-fall-short-for-investors.html | 2017-08-24 | 0 |
<p>It is important that you should know I cannot sleep on in airplanes. This is partially because I also cannot sleep under any circumstances, but may have its roots in the neurotic belief that it is only the power of my mind keeping the aircraft suspended 45,000 feet in the air. As I am often called upon to fly to places remote and exotic, I spend quite a lot of my time in exquisite, wakeful boredom on airplanes. Ears ringing with white noise, eyes fixed on that peculiar illuminated ceiling graphic that is either a red ‘X’ through a burning cigarette or a warning not to open your fountain pen above your head, I go quietly mad. It used to pass the time to bite stewardesses on the bottoms, but the new restrictions on in-cabin behavior have robbed me of even this fleeting amusement. So I am forced to read, or write.</p>
<p>As it happens I am writing this on an airplane, marinated in ennui, having read an entire Sunday edition of Britain’s The Guardian from front page via masthead to advertising supplements, including all box scores and cookery hints. But all was not lost; I count this entire trip a worthy expenditure of red eyeballs due to the discovery, on page six, of a magnificent example of why scientists shouldn’t be allowed to write their own grants. The headline of the piece is as follows: “Highest functions of brain produce lowest form of wit”. Naturally I was very interested to find out if by ‘lowest form of wit’ they meant kicking someone in the marbles. In fact it is sarcasm to which they referred. Sarcasm is produced and deciphered, if the article is to be believed, in the frontal lobes of the brain. According to the sarcasm-studying team leader, Dr. Simone Shamay-Tsoory, persons with damage to the frontal lobes through brain injury or being born in certain parts of Texas were unable to process sarcasm, irony, or metaphor, all of which require all sorts of subtle mental gymnastics to negotiate between the literal meaning of a statement and its intended, oblique meaning.</p>
<p>Hence, and I’m quoting from the actual study, the sarcastic example of a boss observing an employee showing up for work and proceeding to have a rest: “Joe don’t work too hard.” Apparently people with the telltale concave forehead just sat there staring at Dr. Shamay-Tsoori, whereas folks working with a full deck were able to grasp the ironic nature of the remark. The article does not mention whether they thought it was as stupid an example of sarcasm as I thought it was, or if anybody named Joe walked out of the experiment. Anyway, at the very bottom of the piece (the article, not the stewardess that just slunk past me) there’s a rather gratuitous observation that sarcasm is grasped with a lesser degree of skill on the opposite side of the Atlantic. I checked a map and they’re not talking about Australia. Dr. so-called Shamay-Tsoori cannot help but remark, “Maybe it’s a cultural difference. I think The English have a more complicated and subtle sarcasm that the Americans are not used to”. I find this sort of wild speculation to be perfectly in keeping with the rather wooly kind of scientist that would embark on a study of sarcasm in the first place, but nonetheless I felt the cut. I felt it deeply.</p>
<p>First of all, Ms. sarcasm-expert doctor, assuming you’re not one of those Frenchmen with a female name and really are a woman as the appellate ‘Simone’ would suggest, let’s just remember who won the war. Once we’ve got that squared away, let’s also remember that sarcasm is supposed to be the lowest form of wit, or possibly second only to a swift boot in the fork. But I must admit I am intrigued. Is it possible, the ad hominem aspect of this attack on American wit aside, that Americans just don’t get sarcasm, irony, or metaphor? I think it’s entirely possible, and it’s why we’re in so much trouble. We’ve forgotten how to laugh at ourselves. We’ve forgotten that the Bible is perfectly valid as metaphor­ it doesn’t have to be literally true. Without a sense of irony we fail to see what’s so preposterous about exporting democracy at gunpoint. Maybe it’s the water, or early exposure to Kool-Aid, but something has damaged our collective frontal lobes. Meanwhile, here I still am on this bloody airplane, halfway across the Atlantic.</p>
<p>Maybe I work too hard, like Joe.</p>
<p>BEN TRIPP is an independent filmmaker and all-around swine. His book, Square In The Nuts, may be purchased here, with other outlets to follow: <a href="http://www.lulu.com/Squareinthenuts" type="external">http://www.lulu.com/Squareinthenuts</a> . Swag is available as always from <a href="http://www.cafeshops/tarantulabros" type="external">http://www.cafeshops/tarantulabros</a> . And Mr. Tripp may be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Insomnia and Sarcasm | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/05/28/insomnia-and-sarcasm/ | 2005-05-28 | 4 |
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<p>Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who draws inspiration from President Donald Trump, has shown once again her fierce and independent nature as she refused to participate in a potentially politicized investigation involving her, the timing of which is highly suspect.</p>
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<p>Le Pen, who is leading in the polls, refused Friday to attend questioning by magistrates who are investigating over charges that she broke the rules on the use of European Parliament funds.</p>
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<p>The National Front leader vehemently said that the timing of the investigation is wrong and that she will not respond to the summons during the election campaign. She said that there can not be neutrality or calm necessary for the justice system to function properly. Her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, also expressed surprise for the " sudden rush" in the investigation.</p>
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<p>Le Pen's personal assistant Catherine Griset was charged on Wednesday with breach of trust in the investigation over claims that the National Front (FN) party defrauded the European Parliament of about 340,000 euros ($360,000). Le Pen has fervently denied the accusations of her supposedly using parliamentary funds to pay Griset as well as her bodyguard Thierry Legier for jobs in France rather than at the European Parliament.</p>
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<p>The far-right candidate is widely known for her anti-EU stance and has declared her intentions to call for a referendum on France's membership of the European Union if elected. She has been vocal in wishing for France's own exit from the EU like what Brexit has accomplished.</p>
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<p>Le Pen is the current presidential frontrunner in the polls and has expressed confidence she will maintain the lead until the end despite mainstream media's doubts of her eventual victory, drawing parallelisms anew with how Trump pulled off a surprising win despite mainstream media predicting otherwise.</p>
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<p>Le Pen is also consistently firm with her anti-immigration stance. She echoes Trump's strong nationalism by following Trump's lead in making " America First" his administration's battlecry, and similarly pushing for a " France First" policy. She has previously said that she hopes to continue the wave of populist victories brought by the upset victories of both Brexit in U.K. and Trump in the U.S.</p>
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<p>Source : <a href="http://www.france24.com/en/20170224-france-marine-le-pen-refuses-police-questioning-jobs-probe?ref=fb_i&amp;utm_utm_medium=facebook" type="external">france24.com/en/20170224-france-marine-le-pen-refuses-police-questioning-jobs-probe'ref=fb_i&amp;utm_utm_medium=facebook</a></p> | Tough Lady Le Pen Doubting The Neutrality Of Investigation Refuses To Attend Questioning | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/1470-Tough-Lady-Le-Pen-Doubting-The-Neutrality-Of-Investigation-Refuses-To-Attend-Questioning | 2017-02-24 | 0 |
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<p>Former Santa Fe resident Melissa Etheridge will perform at the Santa Fe Opera for the first time in more than a decade.</p>
<p>“It broke my heart” to leave New Mexico, she said in a telephone interview from her Los Angeles home. “I had 300 acres that butted up against Tesuque land. It was my paradise. I lost it in a divorce. I could just walk forever. I love Santa Fe.”</p>
<p>Etheridge said she sold the property in about 2003. She last performed at the Santa Fe Opera for a benefit show with Randy Travis in about 2000, she added.</p>
<p>The singer with the Janis Joplin-meets-Rod Stewart rasp will return to that venue at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6.</p>
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<p>The two-time Grammy winner is still riding the grit of her 2012 release “4th Street Feeling,” which debuted at number 18 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. She’s also compiling her first boxed set of music spanning her 25-year career. The singer-songwriter has sold more than 30 million albums.</p>
<p>“There’s some gems,” she said. “If it’s still moving, and I think people would like to hear it, I want to put it out there.”</p>
<p>Etheridge has said “4th Street Feeling” was her happiest time in the studio to date.</p>
<p>“That’s been my promise to myself – that I was going to love what I did,” she said. “I pushed myself as a writer and a musician. I played all the guitars on this one.”</p>
<p>The title song takes a nostalgic look at her early life, where everything she had could fit in her Chevy. The opener, “Kansas City,” depicts her returning to the town she couldn’t wait to exit a little older and wiser.</p>
<p>“It’s my invitation,” she said. “Come with me back into that memory.”</p>
<p>The searing “Be Real” – with its line “You sold your soul for fame, fame, fame” – could be aimed at a partner or, more directly, at herself in a society that pushes its population to please others first.</p>
<p>“It is a song to myself,” she said. “And it’s a song to the music industry. You have to be yourself.”</p>
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<p>Etheridge grew up in Leavenworth, Kan., the daughter of a psychologist and a computer consultant.</p>
<p>“I was always, always drawn to music and entertainment and being a show-off,” she said. “My father brought the guitar home for my older sister. I was 8 and they said, ‘You’re too young.'”</p>
<p>She begged for the instrument until her parents finally caved. She says she was influenced by “everyone” from The Who to Led Zeppelin, including female singer-songwriters like Rickie Lee Jones, Joni Mitchell and Joan Armatrading.</p>
<p>But it wasn’t until she heard Bruce Springsteen that she found her own voice amid his tales of boardwalk Gypsies, fast cars and spirits in the night. Etheridge has performed the Springsteen staples “Born to Run” and “Thunder Road” live.</p>
<p>“I think the pictures he painted of New Jersey life – I always felt I had those pictures in me of the Midwest,” she said. “He writes in the third person, but the paintings are still the same.”</p>
<p>She’s in the beginning stages of writing songs for a new album. In the meantime, she’s touring and hosts a radio show on Santa Fe’s 101.5-FM weekdays from 7-10 p.m. She doesn’t get to pick the songs, she said. But she tells stories about everyone from Bruce to Bono, Stevie Wonder and Bill Clinton.</p>
<p>“I provide the context,” she explained. “I love music, and it’s a way to reach people and it’s something I think in the future could grow.”</p>
<p>As for her personal life, shortly after the Supreme Court’s June decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act, Etheridge announced plans to marry Linda Wallem, her girlfriend of three years.</p>
<p>“She’s the creator of ‘Nurse Jackie,'” she said. “She’s a brilliant writer, producer, director; she’s all three.”</p>
<p>Etheridge said she does not know when they will recite their vows, citing both her own and Wallem’s schedules.</p>
<p>“We want to get married and go on a long honeymoon – to Fiji,” she added. “I don’t know if she’ll talk me into scuba diving – snorkeling, maybe.</p>
<p>“I won’t wear a dress” to the nuptials, she said. “I’m not a dress kind of girl. I’m not a tux kind of girl, either.”</p>
<p>At 52, the Oscar-winning songwriter is a nine-year breast cancer survivor and mother of four. She recently roiled the Internet when the Washington Blade reported she commented on Angelina Jolie’s decision to undergo a double mastectomy. The actress had learned she carried the BRCA1 genetic mutation, which left her with an exceedingly high risk of developing the disease. The newspaper quoted Etheridge calling Jolie’s decision “the most fearful choice you can make when confronting anything with cancer.”</p>
<p>The singer insisted she wasn’t talking specifically about Jolie and that she never meant the statement to reach the actress or her fiance Brad Pitt.</p>
<p>One fact missing from all the reports is that Etheridge, too, carries the gene.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t about her,” Etheridge said. “Everybody has their own reaction and their own feelings (about) illness and cancer. If you’re so afraid of it and you want to do it, it’s a personal choice.</p>
<p>“Lot’s of people have the gene,” she continued. “It’s the behavior that turns the gene on.”</p>
<p>Etheridge revamped her diet, giving up meat, gluten and dairy products, as well as sugar.</p>
<p>“Your body has a pH balance; we’re like batteries,” she said. “Food contains a certain amount of acid. It’s the western American diet that is filled with meat and gluten and sugar. It’s changing the way you live. Even my most western doctors – all of them – agreed that when a patient changes their life, they’re the ones who survive.”</p>
<p>Etheridge hasn’t heard from the couple, since, although she said she had reached out to them. She sang at Pitt’s first wedding to Jennifer Aniston.</p>
<p>Despite her healthy diet, she says she still misses sopaipillas.</p>
<p>“But I’ll have, like, eggs,” she said, “with Christmas.”</p> | Santa Fe ‘was my paradise’ | false | https://abqjournal.com/252672/santa-fe.html | 2013-08-25 | 2 |
<p>The decision by the City of Chicago to close six mental health clinics has stirred concern and anger among families, advocates, and over-stretched health care professionals in many parts of the city. Yet, as people adjust to the city’s new landscape for mental health care, Mayor Rahm Emanuel insists that the closings are not at the expense of service. He has said that he remains committed to giving more service to more people.</p>
<p>These must include the city’s public school children, for whom the need for mental health services grows as the gap in available programs widens.&#160;In fact, mental health services – ranging from anger management and self-esteem to grief and loss counseling – are among school leaders’ top priorities for supporting students, according to data from Communities In Schools of Chicago (CISC).&#160;Of the 159 schools that belong to the CISC network, 105 schools – or 64% – have identified mental health services as one of their top three priorities, just behind health education and violence prevention education.</p>
<p>In a new report, The Mental Health Supports Gap for CPS Students, CISC set out to understand the level of concern in Chicago Public Schools among principals, case workers and teachers by surveying 147 school leaders.&#160; We learned that there is a growing need for more mental health programs, but a significant gap of resources available – from highly trained in-school personnel to community organizations – to meet the need. Further, we found that mental health issues are taking their toll on students, families and the schools themselves:</p>
<p>70% of survey respondents said that half or more of their students need mental health services addressing self-esteem.</p>
<p>Nearly 54% of respondents said that half or more of their students need mental health services addressing anger management.</p>
<p>The fallout on classroom behavior and student achievement is significant. Nearly 80% of those surveyed feel that mental health issues are having a larger impact on classes than three years ago. As one school official told us, “Students are unable to resolve conflicts without fighting. Fighting leads to other problems, which take valuable time away from instruction.” Just as troubling: nearly 60% in the survey believe mental health issues have a moderate to major impact on student absenteeism.</p>
<p>There is some encouraging news to be drawn from the survey results. School leaders increasingly are aware of the importance of connecting students with mental health programs and counselors: indeed, 59% said schools are providing more programming than three years ago through service providers ranging from anti-bullying organizations to hospitals and social service agencies. The most commonly sought programs include self-esteem, anger management and individual and group counseling.</p>
<p>Partnerships make a difference</p>
<p>Even more hopeful is the feedback we hear from community partners and schools that work together in our network. At Salmon P. Chase Elementary, for example, there is longstanding support for children who may face family or peer issues. “From our principal to all of the teachers, we have a whole-child perspective,” says Melissa Swartz, the Chase school counselor. When Communities In Schools of Chicago learned that Chase wanted to develop a program addressing self-esteem among seventh- and eighth-grade girls, our organization connected the school to Studio for Change, a therapy practice in our network that could design an 11-week program well suited for the school.&#160; Their partnership is now in its second year, and their mutual commitment to students is strong.&#160; “Chase is a school that really gets mental health programming hands down,” says Debra Steele, the therapist who runs the program for Studio for Change.</p>
<p>The connections at Chase and other schools are examples of what’s possible through partnerships with community-based organizations – particularly because the logistics of delivering mental health services can be challenging.&#160; Mental health support is labor-intensive and highly sensitive, usually requiring small-group settings and specialized practitioners with advanced degrees. CPS personnel are often stretched thin, and school counselors and social workers, in particular, carry heavy workloads. It is clear that community partnerships are an important benefit to schools that have identified students’ mental health as a priority.</p>
<p>As more schools recognize mental health needs as a higher priority, resources will need to be expanded through community and professional partnerships. Nearly 60% of respondents in our survey report that they have partnerships with one or more organizations providing mental health counseling. We must become even more creative in developing ways to support students and to educate parents on their children’s needs – and by we, I mean nonprofit agencies, government agencies, mental health providers and school leaders. There is a role for each of us to play in closing the gap to support students.</p>
<p>Jane Mentzinger is executive director of Communities in Schools of Chicago.</p> | Make student mental health a priority | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/make-student-mental-health-priority/ | 2012-06-08 | 3 |
<p>I just finished an interesting interview with California’s Insurance Commissioner and candidate for Governor, Steve Poizner.</p>
<p>Among the topics of discussion were his plans for immediate economic relief for the state upon taking office, how to permanently cut the size of state government, freeze government spending immediately, relieve the tax and regulatory burdens on businesses and individuals, and even the event that made him decide to run for governor.</p>
<p>Without hesitation, Poizner used the word “Conservative” when describing his core values, and how they will translate to the Governor’s office and state government.</p>
<p>Is his plan ambitious? Most definitely. Did I simply hear campaign rhetoric? No, because I asked for more than his standard game plan which anyone can read on his campaign website. I wanted the details in how exactly he will immediately implement the proposed dramatic changes.</p>
<p>Is economic relief possible before the end of the next decade for Californians? Poizner thinks so and plans to use all of the powers bestowed on the governor of California.</p>
<p>Stay tuned: I am preparing the entire interview for Cal Watchdog publication. I’ll also be attempting to interview the other gubernatorial candidates.</p>
<p>-Katy Grimes</p> | Interview With A Candidate | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2010/01/22/interview-with-a-candidate/ | 2018-01-20 | 3 |
<p>By Bob Allen</p>
<p>A Florida pastor running for president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., is spearheading a national effort to mobilize the African-American faith community against “stand your ground” laws permitting the use of deadly force in self-defense.</p>
<p>R.B. Holmes, pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Fla., says the 2012 shooting deaths of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, an unarmed teen killed during an argument over loud music in a convenience store parking lot in Jacksonville, Fla., should galvanize African-Americans the way injustice sparked the civil rights movement 50 years ago.</p>
<p>“The black church over the last several years has become too quiet, too passive and too disconnected when it comes to challenging policies, programs and persons that degrade and devastate our people,” Holmes said March 25 at the National Press Club in Washington.</p>
<p>Holmes, one of a half-dozen announced candidates to succeed outgoing President Julius Scruggs when the 7-million member denomination meets for its 134th&#160;annual <a href="http://www.nationalbaptist.com/meetings--events/annual-session/general-information--announcements.html" type="external">session</a> Sept. 1-5 in New Orleans, used the platform to announce both his candidacy and formation of a 40-member National Pastors’ Task Force to repeal or amend <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/stand-your-ground-laws-coincide-with-jump-in-justifiable-homicide-cases/2012/04/07/gIQAS2v51S_print.html" type="external">stand your ground laws</a> that are on the books in more than 30 states.</p>
<p>In March Holmes joined Al Sharpton and other activists in a <a href="http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/2014/03/05/we-are-serious-about-repairing-or-repealing-this-law/6088781/" type="external">march</a> of hundreds to the Florida State Capitol to protest a <a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&amp;URL=0700-0799/0776/Sections/0776.013.html" type="external">law</a> passed in 2005 that permits using “force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another” when there exists “a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm.”</p>
<p>“When Trayvon was a controversial issue and people said ‘we don’t know if we want to get involved,’ Reverend Holmes was on the front line,” Benjamin Crump, a civil-rights attorney told reporters in Washington.</p>
<p>Crump, who is honorary co-chair of Holmes’ presidential campaign with <a href="http://www.glendahatchett.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=46&amp;Itemid=53" type="external">Glenda Hatchett</a>, known as “ <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346306/" type="external">Judge Hatchett</a>” from the courtroom-based TV reality show on BET from 2000 until 2008 that still airs in syndication, said stand your ground is “not only a bad law; it’s a biased law.”</p>
<p>In attendance were not only the parents of Martin and Davis, black teenagers whose assailants were charged with but not convicted of murder, but also the mother of Michael Giles, a former U.S. airman serving 25 years in a Florida prison for what his supporters <a href="http://thegrio.com/2013/12/04/us-airman-stands-his-ground-in-florida-sentenced-to-25-years/" type="external">argue</a> was an act of self-defense.</p>
<p>In 2010, while on active duty with the United States Air Force and stationed in Tampa, Fla., Giles, a married 26-year-old father of three, had recently finished two tours in the Middle East. One night he went with a friend to a Tallahassee night club where a fight broke out among members of fraternities from nearby Florida A&amp;M University.</p>
<p>Giles, a concealed-carry weapon permit holder, was reportedly not part of a brawl involving an estimated 30 to 40 young men, but he got separated from friends and returned to his car. When someone from the crowd punched him at random and knocked him to the ground, Giles said he pulled out his gun and fired a single shot into the leg of his attacker because he feared for his life.</p>
<p>Giles was arrested and charged with attempted murder. He had no criminal background but was not offered a plea bargain. His crime carried a mandatory 25-year sentence, which the judge in his trial said seemed harsh but was what the law required.</p>
<p>His mother, Phyllis Giles, sponsors a <a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/commute-the-25-year-mandatory-minimum-sentence-for-michael-giles" type="external">petition</a> with more than 100,000 signatures on Change.org calling on Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Clemency Board to commute her son’s sentence.</p>
<p>“Her son said stand your ground, but it don’t work for us when we say stand your ground,” Crump said introducing Phyllis Giles. “When her son said stand your ground, he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.”</p>
<p>Scruggs, 72, pastor of <a href="http://www.fmbc.org/" type="external">First Missionary Baptist Church</a> in Huntsville, Ala., and elected in 2009 to a five-year term as president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., said last year he would not seek a second term.</p> | Pastor seeks to rally black Baptists against ‘stand your ground’ laws | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/pastor-seeks-to-rally-black-baptists-against-stand-your-ground-laws/ | 3 |
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<p>This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (October 20, 2017).</p>
<p>HSBC Holdings PLC and Standard Chartered PLC have been asked by the U.K. financial regulator to review possible business with South Africa's Gupta family, becoming the latest firms to be hit by the fallout from a corruption scandal in Africa's most developed economy.</p>
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<p>After a request from U.K. Chancellor Philip Hammond, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday it has been in contact with the two banks about their possible dealings with the family and "will consider carefully further responses received."</p>
<p>Standard Chartered in a statement said it shut down some accounts linked to the Guptas in 2014 after an internal investigation. HSBC declined to comment.</p>
<p>South African police and prosecutors have said they are investigating allegations of corruption, including potential kickbacks from international companies, which were brought to light by a flood of emails and other documents that appear to have been obtained from Gupta-controlled companies. The documents have buttressed longstanding suspicions among many South Africans that the powerful business clan leveraged its connection to President Jacob Zuma and other government officials to amass great personal wealth.</p>
<p>The Guptas and Mr. Zuma have denied wrongdoing.</p>
<p>The scandal so far has ensnared international firms including KPMG International, SAP SE and McKinsey &amp; Co., and led to the collapse of the U.K. arm of public relations firm Bell Pottinger over its work for a Gupta holding company.</p>
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<p>KPMG, which audited Gupta companies for 15 years, last month removed the leadership of its South African branch after an internal probe found it fell short of its own standards during the 15 years it audited Gupta companies.</p>
<p>McKinsey this week said it had disciplined some staff for violating professional standards on a contract with a South African company that was owned by a close associate of the Guptas. SAP said it would release the findings of an internal investigation over alleged kickbacks to a Gutpa company by the end of this month.</p>
<p>KPMG and McKinsey have denied any wrongdoing. SAP's South African office denied the allegations of kickbacks when they first surfaced in media reports in July, but the statement was removed from the company's website days later when the software maker launched the internal probe. A spokesman has declined to comment on why the statement was removed.</p>
<p>Peter Hain, a former cabinet minister and a member of the House of Lords, confirmed on Thursday that he had written to Mr. Hammond last month about allegations by a whistleblower that HSBC and Standard Chartered may have inadvertently served as conduits for corrupt proceeds. An exchange of letters between Mr. Hain and the Treasury became public on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"We take allegations of financial misconduct very seriously, and have passed Lord Hain's letter on to the Financial Conduct Authority and relevant U.K. law enforcement agencies, including the National Crime Agency and Serious Fraud Office, to agree the right action," a Treasury spokeswoman said.</p>
<p>The NCA and SFO said they are aware of the matter.</p>
<p>According to documents that appear to have been come from a Gupta company hard drive, and which have been reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, several Standard Chartered accounts were used in 2013 to transfer money between Gupta-controlled companies in South Africa and Dubai to pay for a lavish family wedding.</p>
<p>The documents also show that the funds originated from a government contract to run a dairy farm for poor black South Africans. Standard Chartered has previously said that it closed the accounts used the in transactions in early 2014.</p>
<p>The U.K. regulators request to the banks comes after Indonesia officials last week said they are probing holders of $1.4 billion in trust accounts at Standard Chartered for possible tax due.</p>
<p>The transfer of the accounts in 2015 from Guernsey and Singapore prompted investigations by regulators around the bank's anti-money laundering checks on customers.</p>
<p>Both banks have so-called deferred prosecution agreements with the U.S. over failings in their anti-money laundering controls, among other breaches. As part of the agreements to avoid criminal prosecution, HSBC and Standard Chartered have spent billions of dollars improving their compliance systems.</p>
<p>Write to Margot Patrick at [email protected] and Gabriele Steinhauser at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 20, 2017 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)</p> | U.K. Prods Banks on Gupta Ties -- WSJ | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/10/20/u-k-prods-banks-on-gupta-ties-wsj.html | 2017-10-20 | 0 |
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<p>They announced Schultz’s planned retirement as being effective Aug. 3 and the appointment of Albuquerque native and Deputy Chief Allen Banks as interim chief until after the Oct. 8 municipal election.</p>
<p>Those are obvious, and smart, choices for a department in transition.</p>
<p>Banks has made a career out of serving Albuquerque residents – 21 years on the force, most recently in charge of field services, the largest bureau within APD. The police union says he’s independent and open-minded. And he says he knows “the ins and outs of this department and the external aspect of that, as well.”</p>
<p>“This department” is in the middle of a Department of Justice investigation into a pattern of alleged civil rights violations, stemming from 19 fatal police shootings since 2010, the most recent two weeks ago. Ongoing federal investigations are focused on the actions of individual officers in specific situations. So it is absolutely the right thing to do to put policing before politics, put a trusted member of the force in charge short term and wait to appoint a new chief until after the election.</p>
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<p>That allows time for a local and national search, for Banks to try on the job and decide if he wants to be considered as a permanent replacement, and for whoever is in the Mayor’s Office come Dec. 1 to name the chief he will work with for at least four years.</p>
<p>And it works to keep the focus of the serious, often heated questioning of APD’s culture and actions where it should be, in the legal arena, not the political one.</p>
<p>This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.</p> | Editorial: Interim police chief offers APD a breather | false | https://abqjournal.com/224166/interim-police-chief-offers-apd-a-breather.html | 2013-07-22 | 2 |
<p>Back in the early 1980s, I had the extraordinary good fortune to get to meet one of my literary heroes, Kurt Vonnegut, up close and personal. We shared a police wagon, sitting next to each other for a ride to the station to be booked for blocking the door to the South African consulate in a demonstration against that country’s then policy of white rule and apartheid.</p>
<p>I can’t say I got to know the author very well, but he was quite friendly and interesting to talk to, and after our arrest and booking was over, and we were released, I shared a cab as far as his house.</p>
<p>I got to thinking that thanks to the latest outrageous 5-4 decision by the US Supreme Court ( <a href="" type="internal">supported fully&lt;&gt;</a>by our Constitutional law-teacher President Barack Obama and his Solicitor General), which says it is now perfectly okay for police to strip-search innocent people picked up on any charge — even a traffic offense or a leash-law violation, or alleged failure to clear a warrant for a bald tire — had Kurt and I been busted for the same kind of protest today, we’d “know” each other much more intimately. For example I’d probably know if Vonnegut had hemorrhoids, and he’d know about a patch of skin discoloration on my balls.</p>
<p>Is this a great country or what?</p>
<p>But seriously, we have really reached a pretty grim point when the court that is supposed to be protecting our rights under the Constitution, and the president, who is supposed to uphold and defend that document, collude in saying that once a person has been taken into custody by police, she or he really has no rights. The 4th Amendment about being “secure in your person”? Forget it. The cops can now <a href="" type="internal" />strip you, grope you, check your butthole and humiliate you all they want, even if you are innocent of any charge. And by the way, they can lock you up with hardened convicts and hold you after they do that, until you get a lawyer or post bail. No “cruel and unusual punishment”? Well, I think most people would agree that getting stripped and intimately searched by some leering cop when you hadn’t done anything would qualify as punishment, and it certainly is cruel, so the Eighth Amendment is in the toilet too. (We already knew the First Amendment — the one about freedom of speech and assembly and the right to petition over grievances — was toast. Just ask Mayor Mike Bloomberg or any of the other mayors who ordered the brutal crushing of dozens of Occupation encampments over the past half year.)</p>
<p>As for that old relic of British Common Law, “innocent until proven guilty,” which supposedly is imbedded in our legal system, forget it, too. Justice (sic) Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the court’s majority opinion, drove a stake through that foundation principle of jurisprudence when he wrote that “The search procedures [at issue in the trial] struck a reasonable balance between inmate privacy and the needs of the institutions.” Kennedy’s opinion, which must have jurists like Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall and William O. Douglas puking in their graves, leaves me wondering what horrible alternative this legal midget thought was being balanced against the alternative of not strip searching the appellant, Albert Florence. A black New Jersey resident who was stopped for no reason by while driving with his wife and two small kids, was arrested by a New Jersey traffic cop who ran a “make” and found a court contempt warrant for an allegedly unpaid fine. Though the fine had actually been paid two years earlier, Florence was strip-searched by prison guards before being locked up in a cell together with convicted criminals.</p>
<p>I guess the other side of Kennedy’s legal teeter-totter must have been having Florence get raped by a broom handle, as some sick New York City cops did to Haitian immigrant Abner Loima after arresting him outside a Brooklyn bar where he had tried to intercede to break up a sidewalk fight.</p>
<p>We are reaching the point where I suspect Occupy movement and anti-war activists who protest against Wall Street crimes and planned war crimes by the the US government against Iran should be prepared to be strip-searched if they get hauled off to jail.</p>
<p>That would have sure changed my first experience of being arrested, back during the 1967 Mobilization against the War march on the Pentagon. Along with several hundred other protesters who occupied the Mall of the Pentagon overnight back in October of that year, I was clubbed by US Marshals and then hauled off to Occoquan Federal Prison in Virginia, where I spent three days in a dormitory cell with about 100 other guys. It was a radicalizing experience for me to be locked up as an 18-year-old kid with people were veterans of the Freedom Riders in Mississippi and other early civil rights struggles. Today, we’d probably all have been strip-searched, which would have made the whole experience a lot more negative. It probably would have radicalized me even more, but I surely wouldn’t have quite the same fond memories of my incarceration.</p>
<p>Other arrests would have been less fondly remembered too, if Kennedy’s strip-searching were the rule, including my night in a Concord jail on a charge of “trespassing” at night (actually trying to camp out) at the park at Walden Pond, my bust for panhandling (actually playing guitar for tips tossed in my case) in the Yosemite Park main parking lot), and of course, my anti-apartheid arrest with Vonnegut.</p>
<p>The country seems to have crossed over a dark threshold. We are now a police state in all but name. Cops and wannabe cops are shooting innocent people and nothing gets done — the latest being the <a href="" type="internal">tragic slaying, by a shot to the head, of Rekia Boyd</a>, a young black woman in Chicago. In this case, we had a drive-by shooting of a completely innocent person, not by a gang member but by an off-duty cop, who claims he was “threatened” by a man in a group of people who had a cell-phone to his ear. The likelihood of this out-of-uniform killer’s being charged with anything is small, and of his being convicted of anything for this outrage, virtually zero.</p>
<p>Many white people may think that they don’t have to worry, because it’s mostly blacks and Latinos and other minorities who suffer this kind of treatment and abuse, but they are deceiving themselves. As a white guy who got plenty of cop abuse back in the ‘60s and ‘70s just for having a beard and long hair, I can assure you that when police are given a free rein, they use it against everybody except the rich white guy in a fancy suit and an expensive car, and even then, he’d better not mouth off.</p>
<p>There is a dangerous change in the wind, and it’s not just strip searches and random shootings of innocents by rogue cops. Police across the country, since 9-11, have morphed from public safety workers to paramilitary occupiers, and from law enforcement officers to The Law.</p>
<p>Consider that we have word that the Department of Homeland Security, a mega umbrella agency created in the wake of the 9-11 attacks which oversees most of the federal security apparatus, and which supplies state and local police through federal grants, along with the FBI, have purchased an astonishing 750 million rounds of <a href="" type="internal">ultra-deadly</a> <a href="http://rt.com/usa/news/dhs-million-point-government-179/" type="external">hollow-point bullets</a> and <a href="" type="internal">40 caliber ammo</a>. As well, Homeland Security has reportedly purchased a large number of semi-portable <a href="http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/Shelters-Direct-Builds-Bullet-Resistant-Booths-for-Homeland-Security-612684" type="external">steel checkpoint guardhouses</a>, complete with high-impact bulletproof glass windows and doors.</p>
<p>What is an agency that is responsible not for war but for domestic security doing buying such lethal gear and structures that would clearly be used for controlling free transit?</p>
<p>One can only wonder. I spoke with a government flak at Homeland Security, and was told he couldn’t have an answer for me until Monday regarding those contracts.</p>
<p>And of course, there is also the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, signed by President Obama when nobody was looking, or even sober, on Dec. 31. That act, among other things, says that for the first time, the military can arrest people within the borders of the US, including US citizens, and allows them to be held indefinitely without trial, which is about as far from any Constitutional government and Bill of Rights as you can get.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, as my friend and co-author of <a href="" type="internal">The Case for Impeachment</a>, Barbara Olshansky, once said, after being strip-searched repeatedly by Transportation Security Administration goons during her travels by air on business for the Center for Constitutional Rights where she was an assistant director, it might be a good idea to buy some new clean underwear, “just to make sure you look good for your next arrest.”</p>
<p>If he were still around to see this day, my old paddy wagon colleague Kurt Vonnegut would probably just smile wryly and say, “Hi-ho!”</p>
<p>Dave Lindorff&#160;is a founder of This Can’t Be Happening and a contributor&#160;to&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion</a>, forthcoming from AK Press.&#160;He lives in Philadelphia.&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Kurt Vonnegut and the American Police State | true | https://counterpunch.org/2012/04/09/kurt-vonnegut-and-the-american-police-state/ | 2012-04-09 | 4 |
<p>Book - Council on Foreign Relations Press</p>
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<p>Several nations are challenging decades of effort by the international community to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Robert D. Blackwill and Albert Carnesale, along with eight other experts, analyze the national security consequences for the United States if new nuclear-weapon states emerge to threaten American interests. The contributors examine the nations most likely to cross the nuclear threshold and how these countries would acquire, maintain, and protect their new nuclear weapons capabilities. Individual chapters address: how nuclear weapons in Saddam Hussein’s hands could have altered the outcome of the Gulf War; the ways that American diplomacy and international arms control could meet the dangers posed by new nuclear nations; U.S. military options for dealing with the nuclear weapons and delivery systems of new proliferators; the role and limitations of intelligence systems of new proliferators; the role and limitations of intelligence in penetrating hostile nuclear programs; and the circumstances—if and—under which the United States should provide technical assistance to increase the safety of emerging nuclear arsenals.</p>
<p /> | New Nuclear Nations: Consequences for U.S. Policy | false | http://belfercenter.org/publication/new-nuclear-nations-consequences-us-policy | 2 |
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<p>A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit accusing Apple of having an illegal monopoly on the sale of iPhone apps.</p>
<p>The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday the plaintiffs have the right to sue Apple because they purchased apps directly from the company. Apple had argued that it did not sell apps, but instead acted as an intermediary used by the app developers.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The ruling overturned a lower court decision dismissing the lawsuit.</p>
<p>An email to Apple was not immediately returned.</p>
<p>The lawsuit says Apple only allows developers to sell iPhone apps through its App Store. The lawsuit says Apple gets 30 percent of a customer's payment for an app developed by a third party.</p> | Court revives suit alleging Apple monopoly on iPhone apps | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/01/12/court-revives-suit-alleging-apple-monopoly-on-iphone-apps.html | 2017-01-12 | 0 |
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Martin Brodeur hadn’t played in the NHL in months, waiting for some team to call the 42-year-old goaltender. Now the league’s all-time leader in wins and shutouts is back at work showing very little signs of rust from his layoff.</p>
<p>Brodeur made 20 saves in his season debut Thursday night in a losing effort as his new team, the St. Louis Blues, lost 4-3 to the Nashville Predators.</p>
<p>And yes, seeing all that blue instead of red after 21 seasons with the New Jersey Devils was different.</p>
<p>“In warmups when I came out and I saw just the color of the jerseys, it was just weird to look at,” Brodeur said. “That went away pretty quick.”</p>
<p>Brodeur last played in the NHL on April 13 when he won his 688th and final game for the Devils. He waited around all summer and deep into the fall waiting for someone to call after going 19-14-6 with a 2.51 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and three shutouts in 39 games last season.</p>
<p>The Blues finally did, needing help with Brian Elliott sidelined by a knee injury and desperate to keep pace in the tight and challenging Central Division. St. Louis signed Brodeur to a one-year contract on Tuesday, though he hooked up with St. Louis last week and practiced fully on Monday.</p>
<p>But this is a goaltender who is a four-time Vezina Trophy winner with a 688-394-176 career record who also holds most major regular-season goalie records including games (1,259) and minutes played.</p>
<p>Against the Predators, Brodeur got started in the opening minute making a fine save in close against Colin Wilson.</p>
<p>“Oh I felt pretty good,” Brodeur said. “You know it’s like everything. Everything is new. I got a lot of work right from the get-go too so that kind of helped to get me in the game. I felt pretty good ... just making that one save on the breakaway in the third that got away from me that could’ve made the difference.”</p>
<p>Wilson finally beat Brodeur on a breakaway with a backhanded shot glove-side for what wound up as the winning goal at 9:30 of the third.</p>
<p>Brodeur’s performance impressed his new teammates.</p>
<p>“I’m not a goalie, but I’m sure it’s not easy going from practicing with a few guys and taking a few shots to game pace in December,” Blues defenseman Barret Jackman said. “I thought he looked pretty good.”</p>
<p>The Blues now have lost two straight and fallen two points behind Nashville in the Central Division, and the Predators were happy to get a rare win over Brodeur. The goalie came in 3-1-1 in his last five starts against Nashville, including a shutout in his last game against the Predators on Nov. 10, 2013.</p>
<p>“We just wanted to throw everything at him,” Nashville center Mike Fisher said. “He hasn’t played in a while and hasn’t practiced a lot, either, but he looked pretty sharp. It was definitely good to get that one.”</p>
<p>The Blues now visit the New York Islanders on Saturday to wrap up a three-game road trip. Coach Ken Hitchcock didn’t say if Brodeur or Jake Allen will get the start next. Hitchcock was pretty succinct in summing up Brodeur’s debut.</p>
<p>“Marty was fine,” Hitchcock said.</p>
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Martin Brodeur hadn’t played in the NHL in months, waiting for some team to call the 42-year-old goaltender. Now the league’s all-time leader in wins and shutouts is back at work showing very little signs of rust from his layoff.</p>
<p>Brodeur made 20 saves in his season debut Thursday night in a losing effort as his new team, the St. Louis Blues, lost 4-3 to the Nashville Predators.</p>
<p>And yes, seeing all that blue instead of red after 21 seasons with the New Jersey Devils was different.</p>
<p>“In warmups when I came out and I saw just the color of the jerseys, it was just weird to look at,” Brodeur said. “That went away pretty quick.”</p>
<p>Brodeur last played in the NHL on April 13 when he won his 688th and final game for the Devils. He waited around all summer and deep into the fall waiting for someone to call after going 19-14-6 with a 2.51 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and three shutouts in 39 games last season.</p>
<p>The Blues finally did, needing help with Brian Elliott sidelined by a knee injury and desperate to keep pace in the tight and challenging Central Division. St. Louis signed Brodeur to a one-year contract on Tuesday, though he hooked up with St. Louis last week and practiced fully on Monday.</p>
<p>But this is a goaltender who is a four-time Vezina Trophy winner with a 688-394-176 career record who also holds most major regular-season goalie records including games (1,259) and minutes played.</p>
<p>Against the Predators, Brodeur got started in the opening minute making a fine save in close against Colin Wilson.</p>
<p>“Oh I felt pretty good,” Brodeur said. “You know it’s like everything. Everything is new. I got a lot of work right from the get-go too so that kind of helped to get me in the game. I felt pretty good ... just making that one save on the breakaway in the third that got away from me that could’ve made the difference.”</p>
<p>Wilson finally beat Brodeur on a breakaway with a backhanded shot glove-side for what wound up as the winning goal at 9:30 of the third.</p>
<p>Brodeur’s performance impressed his new teammates.</p>
<p>“I’m not a goalie, but I’m sure it’s not easy going from practicing with a few guys and taking a few shots to game pace in December,” Blues defenseman Barret Jackman said. “I thought he looked pretty good.”</p>
<p>The Blues now have lost two straight and fallen two points behind Nashville in the Central Division, and the Predators were happy to get a rare win over Brodeur. The goalie came in 3-1-1 in his last five starts against Nashville, including a shutout in his last game against the Predators on Nov. 10, 2013.</p>
<p>“We just wanted to throw everything at him,” Nashville center Mike Fisher said. “He hasn’t played in a while and hasn’t practiced a lot, either, but he looked pretty sharp. It was definitely good to get that one.”</p>
<p>The Blues now visit the New York Islanders on Saturday to wrap up a three-game road trip. Coach Ken Hitchcock didn’t say if Brodeur or Jake Allen will get the start next. Hitchcock was pretty succinct in summing up Brodeur’s debut.</p>
<p>“Marty was fine,” Hitchcock said.</p> | No win, but Brodeur impresses Blues in his debut | false | https://apnews.com/fa696bfcb12b45e995d1767f43150402 | 2014-12-05 | 2 |
<p />
<p>General Motors (NYSE:GM) will re-launch its U.S. mid-size pickup trucks next year with the same Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon nameplates but different design objectives, Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann said.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The automaker ceased production of the smaller pickups about a year ago. Ammann, speaking at an annual Center for Automotive Research conference in Michigan, explained that GM’s redesigned Chevrolet Colorado will be a sport pickup, while the higher-end GMC Canyon will be positioned as a truck for city drivers.</p>
<p>GM confirmed last fall that the trucks would return to the U.S. On Thursday, the company provided an image featuring just the front grills of the new Colorado and Canyon.</p>
<p>“These are a fundamental different proposition than what we offered previously,” Ammann said, according to The Wall Street Journal. “This is a segment that used to be a very big portion of the truck market that has diminished over the years, because there hasn’t been an offering in the segment customers were looking for. So we are looking to bring something that redefines the segment.”</p>
<p>Mid-size pickups were primarily geared toward drivers looking for towing capacity on a budget, with less emphasis on design. The refreshed versions for 2015 were expected to be a different breed, as GM has already begun selling international models featuring sportier designs.</p>
<p>The U.S. trucks will share certain components used in the global versions. However, Ammann said the domestic models will not be based on the same underpinnings, even though GM and other automakers have used global platforms more frequently to control costs.</p>
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<p>“Our goal is to meet the needs of the customers here in North America, and we think they are different than the customers in places like Thailand,” Ammann said.</p>
<p>GM is betting on the mid-size pickups to attract a wider range of customers interested in trucks, broadening its portfolio beyond the full-size Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Full-size pickup sales have been on a tear lately, with GM seeing July demand for its redesigned 2014 Silverado and Sierra trucks climb 44% year-over-year.</p>
<p>The Colorado and Canyon, slated for production at a plant in Missouri, will likely be priced lower and offer better fuel economy, while sacrificing some towing capacity.</p>
<p>U.S. car makers currently don’t compete in the market for mid-size pickups. Nissan’s Frontier and Toyota’s (NYSE:TM) Tacoma virtually split annual mid-size pickup sales of 200,000.</p>
<p>Chrysler Group is weighing a new mid-size pickup to replace the Dodge Dakota. Ford (NYSE:F) previously made the Ranger but hasn’t revealed any future plans.</p>
<p>On Friday, GM shares were down 10 cents at $35.91 in early afternoon trading.</p> | GM's Mid-Size Pickups to Get Revamp for U.S. Return | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/08/09/gm-mid-size-pickups-to-get-revamp-for-us-return.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>Remember when comedian Dave Chappelle bravely stood out from the rest of Hollywood by asking the American people to give President Donald Trump a chance before hyperventilating and chanting "Not My President"? It was refreshing and responsible.</p>
<p>Well, the comedy king takes it all back.</p>
<p>On Monday, Chappelle apologized for his November Saturday Night Live remarks about President Trump during his opening monologue. According to Will Geist of MSNBC, the comedian said, "I was the first guy on TV to say 'Give Trump a chance.' I f***ed up. Sorry."</p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/dave-chappelle-on-asking-people-to-give-trump-a-chance-i-fked-up-sorry/article/2623189" type="external">noted</a> by The Washington Examiner, Chappelle made his regretful remarks at the New York City-based Robin Hood Foundation charity event.</p>
<p>"I didn't know that Donald Trump was going to win the election. I did suspect it," said Chappelle on SNL. "We've actually elected an Internet troll as our president."</p>
<p>To the amazement of the Hollywood Left, the comedian then wished the president luck.</p>
<p>"I'm wishing Donald Trump luck," he said. "And I'm going to give him a chance. And we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one too."</p> | Dave Chappelle: On Second Thought, Don't Give Trump A Chance | true | https://dailywire.com/news/16541/dave-chappelle-second-thought-dont-give-trump-amanda-prestigiacomo | 2017-05-17 | 0 |
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<p>In a good sign for teacher union drives around the country, a Labor Board hearing officer opted to include Teach for America teachers in the union vote at a Detroit charter school chain. Charter teachers in other cities sent messages of solidarity. &#160; Photo: Michigan Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (AFT).</p>
<p>A National Labor Relations Board hearing officer has ruled that Teach for America teachers should be included in the union at a Detroit charter school chain. (Full disclosure: The author of this piece was&#160;a Teach for America teacher at the chain and testified at the NLRB hearing.)</p>
<p>Teachers at University Prep charter schools voted May 14 on whether to unionize. The charter chain, UPrep, relies on TFA teachers to fill about 10 percent of its classrooms, a figure that’s similar to urban charter schools in other cities.</p>
<p>But when some TFA teachers emerged as leaders in the union drive, Detroit 90/90, the company that manages UPrep, challenged their right to vote.</p>
<p>In a June hearing, the company argued that TFA teachers’ minimum two-year commitment to the school made us “temporary service workers” rather than “professional employees”—more like long-term substitutes than permanent teachers.</p>
<p>“It was such an obvious attempt to divide and conquer,” said Alex Moore, a Teach for America teacher and unabashed union supporter. “[The company] loved us when we were cheap, docile workers, but when we spoke up and organized, they wanted to sweep us under the rug.”</p>
<p>The hearing officer found on July 31 that TFA teachers are indeed professional employees—and thus have the right to be part of the teachers’ bargaining unit.</p>
<p>The ruling noted that TFA teachers share the same job responsibilities, evaluations and contracts as other teachers in the district. The minimum two-year commitment is irrelevant, given that the employer offers only one-year commitments to all its teachers.</p>
<p>The decision doesn’t formally set a legal precedent for other schools. Still, it’s a good sign for union drives across the country. Charter teachers are organizing in such cities as <a href="http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/05/fix-schools-first-say-charter-teachers" type="external">Philadelphia</a>&#160;and <a href="http://www.labornotes.org/2015/04/charter-teachers-take-whole-chain" type="external">Los Angeles</a>—often in schools with sizable TFA contingents.</p>
<p>UPrep is the largest charter school district in Michigan. It consists of seven schools, 200 teachers, and more than 3,000 students. Teachers there began organizing in spring 2014.</p>
<p>Charter schools, which have grown rapidly in Detroit, are publicly funded, privately managed, and largely non-union.</p>
<p>Like charter school teachers across the country, UPrep teachers work under at-will contracts—meaning they can be fired at any time, without explanation—that are renewed every year. So they don’t know until June whether or not they’ll have a job in August.</p>
<p>This perpetual uncertainty, along with stolen wages and a lack of support from administrators, led teachers to reach out to American Federation of Teachers (AFT) organizers in Michigan.</p>
<p>“It’s hard to imagine a career for yourself in a school district when you could be fired at any time at the whim of an administrator,” said Jasmine Singleton, who taught first grade at UPrep during the campaign. “We need some stability in our work as educators, so we can focus on the children.”</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the union lost the election at UPrep by a few votes. Since long-term substitute teachers’ ballots were found ineligible, the TFA ballots wouldn’t have been enough to sway the outcome of this election, so they weren’t counted.&#160;</p>
<p>However, the NLRB is still considering a litany of unfair labor practice charges filed against Detroit 90/90 that could invalidate the election and result in a new one being scheduled.</p>
<p>The company ran an aggressive and well-funded anti-union campaign, beginning even before the teachers filed for election. It hired union-busting consultants, held captive-audience meetings, intimidated teachers, and ultimately threatened that if teachers voted to unionize, it wouldn’t renew its management contract—which would force UPrep schools either to find a new management company or to shutter.</p>
<p>(The threat is credible. In April, another Michigan charter management company announced it would stop managing University Yes Academy after teachers filed for a union election. Nonetheless, on May 6, teachers there voted 27-18 to join the AFT.)</p>
<p>In one of the seven UPrep school buildings, on Election Day, an administrator disabled the entrance key-cards for all teachers to prevent them from voting.</p>
<p>After the election, the company retaliated by giving poor evaluations to campaign leaders. Some did not have their contracts renewed to teach next year.</p>
<p>“The attempt to strip TFA teachers of their voice was just another attack in a longstanding corporate effort to break down teachers’ collective bargaining rights,” said Nate Walker, a K-12 policy analyst and organizer with the Michigan AFT, working on the UPrep campaign.</p>
<p>“This ruling drew a line in the sand that will strengthen all teachers—in charter and public schools alike—as they continue to advocate for their students and for high-quality education.”</p>
<p>This article first appeared in&#160; <a href="http://labornotes.org/2015/08/teach-america-teachers-can-join-union" type="external">Labor Notes.&#160;</a></p> | Yes, ‘Teach for America’ Workers Are Employees and Can Join Teachers Union, Rules NLRB | true | http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/18285/teach_for_america_teachers_can_join_the_union | 2015-08-07 | 4 |
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<p>Growing up is tough enough without the worries of your financial future, so <a href="" type="internal">Money101 Opens a New Window.</a> &#160;is here for you. <a href="http://mailto:[email protected]" type="external">E-mail us Opens a New Window.</a> your questions and let us take off some of the pressure.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>As colleges across the country announce tuition increases for the 2011 school year, some current and prospective college students are scrambling to scrape enough together to cover costs.</p>
<p>If your financial picture has changed from the time you filed for student aid, or if it involves information that isn’t included in federal aid documents, you may be eligible for more assistance. The <a href="" type="internal">Higher Education</a> Act of 1965 allows financial aid administrators to use "professional judgment" on a case-by-case basis for students with “non-discretionary special circumstances.”</p>
<p>“I think [schools] are doing everything they can based on where they stand to offer money to people,” says Mark Maiewski, certified college planning specialist and founder of <a href="http://www.collegeplanningvirginia.com/" type="external">StopOverPayingForCollege.com Opens a New Window.</a>. “But here's the key behind it: Colleges don't have to give you money. There's nothing that says that they have to give you money.”</p>
<p>But there are steps students can take to secure more financing from a school. We talked to financial aid experts about “professional judgment adjustments” and what students and their families need to know about obtaining more money.</p>
<p>What Qualifies</p>
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<p>The experts explain that detailing specific reasons or unusual circumstances affecting income or status (such as job loss, death of an income earner, huge medical expenses) is the only way your appeal will be taken into consideration.</p>
<p>“There has to be a reason behind why you should be receiving the money; not because you didn't save in the past, you have too much debt now, you've got another [student] coming up next year,” says Maiewski. “Those aren’t reasons in order to get a financial aid office to take a look at this and say it's worth our time to do that.”</p>
<p>Start with the FAFSA</p>
<p>The experts say students should always start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as a <a href="http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/" type="external">FAFSA Opens a New Window.</a> &#160;form, to obtain maximum aid.</p>
<p>“It looks at last year's tax income and the current assets of the family,” says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of <a href="http://www.finaid.org/" type="external">FinAid.org Opens a New Window.</a> and <a href="http://www.fastweb.com/" type="external">FastWeb.com Opens a New Window.</a>. “If last year's tax income is not reflective of ability to pay during the award year, then that's potentially a sign of an unusual circumstance.”</p>
<p>Fill out the form before the deadline to maximize your chances of getting the full amount of aid requested. Maiewski says a lot of families leave money on the table because they submit requests too late.</p>
<p>He points out that if you want to appeal for more aid but don’t have your taxes for the current year completed, use last year’s. “You could use 2009’s tax return information, file it initially, and then when you get your tax return done, you can update all of this information online.”</p>
<p>Ronald Johnson, director of the financial aid office at UCLA, says that all schools have a certain amount of funds allocated to them based on the need of that particular institution.</p>
<p>“If a student had a situation that was unforeseen or extenuating and they decided to wait until later on in the academic year, it is possible that the institution may not be able to respond affirmatively for their request because they have exhausted all resources,” he says.</p>
<p>Even though it’s a good idea to file as soon as possible, you won’t have to wait a whole year to receive more aid if a circumstance, such as a job loss, occurs in the middle of the year.</p>
<p>“Colleges maintain contingency funds for appeals, and it's not just during the regular financial aid cycle,” says Kantrowitz. “Those circumstances can occur at any time--they could occur in the middle of the year, not just in January or February or earlier when you submit the FAFSA.”</p>
<p>It’s All About Documentation</p>
<p>While each school may have their own forms and process for professional judgment adjustments, having all of the correct documents available for when you make your initial appeal is crucial.</p>
<p>“In all instances, the school is going to require the individual (the student or the parent), to provide the information in writing and provide the necessary and appropriate documentation to support or justify whatever request the student or family is making,” says Johnson.</p>
<p>Kantrowitz says it’s best to be prepared with all the documents, such as tax returns, to help expedite the process. “They're not going to take your word for it that you’re under financial distress. The entire process is driven by documentation.”</p>
<p>You might want to call the financial aid office to find out exactly what the procedure is for your school. Kantrowitz suggests including a short, one-page cover letter detailing your request.</p>
<p>“If you had a job loss, but there were other things affecting the family, you need to mention all of them.”</p>
<p>If Your Appeal is Denied</p>
<p>In the case that your appeal for more aid is denied by the school, ask the financial aid office what other options are available.</p>
<p>“The colleges might have emergency loan funds,” Kantrowitz says. “Ask the school what other options you have, because the school might be able to point you to local resources.”</p>
<p>Exhaust all federal student aid, grants, and scholarship opportunities as well. Maiewski suggests that students check out local scholarships that tend to have fewer applicants than national competitions.</p>
<p>Maieswski also points out that there is a tax credit available every year for parents that have over $4,000 in tuition expense, which also includes any student loans.</p>
<p>“If they follow through on the tax credit, they can get $2,500 back per year, per kid,” he says. “When that credit comes back in your tax return as a refund, you should be using that money to pay for next year’s or pay for part of next year's fees.”</p>
<p>Tell us!: What was the WORST job you had or still have in college? E-mail <a href="http://mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected] Opens a New Window.</a> with the job you wish you could forget!</p> | Tips for Getting More Financial Aid | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/03/17/tips-getting-financial-aid.html | 2016-03-04 | 0 |
<p>Nov. 1, 2012</p>
<p>By Chris Reed</p>
<p>That’s the headline I suggested for the a <a href="http://spectator.org/archives/2012/11/01/anger-mismanagement-on-the-bal" type="external">piece I did</a> for the American Spectator on the election fight in my hometown.</p>
<p>“SAN DIEGO — For four decades, California’s second-largest city has had a habit of electing bland, mostly Republican centrists. Some have been effective. Pete Wilson went on to become a senator and governor. Some have been disasters. Dick Murphy was blasted by Time magazine in 2005 as one of America’s worst mayors shortly before he resigned.</p>
<p>“This tradition of blandness ends on Nov. 6. That’s when San Diegans have to choose between Republican Councilman Carl Demaio, a hard-charging, 38-year-old gay libertarian who is a champion of outsourcing government services, and longtime Democratic congressman Bob Filner, a 70-year-old paleoliberal whose relentlessly combative manner has produced nonstop headlines for three months.”</p>
<p>Read the whole thing <a href="http://spectator.org/archives/2012/11/01/anger-mismanagement-on-the-bal" type="external">here</a>.</p> | ‘Will San Diego elect a gay libertarian or a snarling misanthrope as mayor?’ | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2012/11/01/will-san-diego-elect-a-gay-libertarian-or-a-snarling-misanthrope-as-mayor/ | 2018-11-20 | 3 |
<p>Last week, the country was riveted by the story of young Diane Tran, a high school junior age 17, <a href="//www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/27/diane-tran-honors-student-jailed-texas-high-school-truancy_n_1549160.html" type="external">who was tossed in jail for a night</a> because she was missing too much school.</p>
<p>The reason her case attracted so much attention? Tran missed those days of school--or arrived late--due to exhaustion. She worked two jobs to help support her siblings. Her parents had split and moved out of town. She became, in essence, a poster-girl for both the recession and for the criminalization of youth.&#160;Even those local newscasters expected to be dispassionate were moved to say their "hearts went out" to this girl.</p>
<p>One of Tran's employers is a wedding planning business, which she assists and whose owners house her with her parents out of town. The other is a full-time job at a dry cleaning store. Her third job, then, is going to school, where she is enrolled in several AP and honors classes, but missed 18 days. After a previous warning, a judge decided that a night in jail would teach her a lesson. He didn't see why people were kicking up such a fuss.&#160;"A little stay in the jail for one night is not a death sentence," the judge told the same local news channel.</p>
<p>But then thousands of people around the world read the headline variations on "honors student goes to jail" and began expressing their support--with their voices and their wallets, signing a petition and contributing to a fund for Tran.</p>
<p>At last, the judge in the case agreed to <a href="//www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/30/diane-tran-texas-honor-student-jail-lanny-moriarty_n_1557175.html" type="external">dismiss</a> the contempt charges he had leveled at Tran. News sources reported that with paperwork, she can have her record expunged.</p>
<p>But none of these reprieves happened until Tran had already spent the night in jail.</p>
<p>Tran is an "honors student" with an obviously compelling story.&#160;But the question lingers: is jail the answer for any kid under 18, even those who don't have her excuse for offenses like truancy, or worse? Our incarceration system, after all, designed for adults, has deep, perhaps unfixable defects. Why send those we deem too young for a college campus into a cell?</p>
<p>The issue of youth incarceration and an overly punitive attitude toward teen offenses in general isn't confined to cases like Tran's. It affects everyone from young teens of color on the streets of New York targeted by <a href="//www.nyclu.org/stopandfrisk" type="external">stop and frisk</a> to the Michigan teenager,&#160; <a href="//www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/25/should-teens-be-jailed-for-sex-offenses-a-growing-parental-rebellion-says-no.html" type="external">a high school senior, arrested for sleeping with his underage girlfriend,</a> a freshman.</p>
<p>The behavior that gets teens sent to jail ranges from merely illegal on paper to truly morally wrong, deserving of punishment, perhaps even dangerous. But exactly what kind of punishments we do issue to young people -- and what kind of help we offer them--speaks volumes about our society.&#160;</p>
<p>A 2007 Campaign for Youth Justice report titled " <a href="//www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/documents/CFYJNR_JailingJuveniles.pdf" type="external">Jailing Juveniles</a>" points out the obvious flaws in using adult prisons and jails as repositories for youth. First of all, young people in these facilities are vulnerable either to assault by adult inmates, or if siphoned off, the brutal psychological toll of isolation. On a more basic level,</p>
<p>And even though legal requirements for education do exist, they are often unmet or poorly met, the report explains. So rather than rehabilitating kids, sending them to jail often exacerbates whatever problem sent them there.</p>
<p>Beyond the practice of jailing younger kids in adult facilities, youth detention centers have their own intrinsic problems. Just this April&#160; <a href="//www.wired.com/rawfile/2012/04/photog-hopes-to-effect-policy-with-survey-of-juvenile-lock-ups" type="external">Wired published a riveting photo</a>&#160;collection&#160;by Richard Ross, whose project, " <a href="//www.juvenile-in-justice.com/" type="external">Juvenile in Justice,</a>" uses photography gathered from juvenile detention centers around the country. The pictures, and the piece, pointed out both our massive overuse of such facilities and their failures. Author Pete Brook, <a href="//www.wired.com/rawfile/2012/04/photog-hopes-to-effect-policy-with-survey-of-juvenile-lock-ups" type="external">who interviewed the photographer, noted:</a></p>
<p>The U.S. locks up children at more than six times the rate of all other developed nations. The over 60,000 average daily juvenile lockups, a figure estimated by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), are also disproportionately young people of color. With an average cost of $80,000 per year to lock up a child, the U.S. spends more than $5 billion annually on youth detention.</p>
<p>On top of the cost, in its recent report No Place for Kids, the AECF presents evidence to show that youth incarceration does not reduce recidivism rates, does not benefit public safety and exposes those imprisoned to further abuse and violence.</p>
<p>In some studies cited by Brook, states with efforts to halt or reverse the incarceration of youth actually saw a drop in violent crimes committed by under-18s; in other words, the incarceration was increasing crime, not reducing it.</p>
<p>Young people, especially those without resources, will make mistakes and cause trouble, but there are better ways to hold young people accountable than tossing them in prison.&#160;One way to start reforming the criminal justice system would be to take a second look at the way it handles, categorizes and "rehabilitates" young people, and consider alternatives.</p>
<p>The logic that young people need a different kind of response for offenses occurs across the board. <a href="//www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/25/should-teens-be-jailed-for-sex-offenses-a-growing-parental-rebellion-says-no.html" type="external">In January, the Daily Beast profiled</a> moms whose sons, as older teenagers, were arrested and convicted for statutory rape after sleeping with their younger girlfriends (to be fair, some were re-arrested for violating the terms of probation):</p>
<p>Alison Parker, the U.S. program director for Human Rights Watch, argues the laws should change. “Common sense says that kids are different from adults,” she says. “Kids can grow and change. They are extremely unlikely to reoffend.”</p>
<p>Whether it's for these kinds of offenses, missing school, or small amounts of drug possession as is currently being debated in New York--or even more serious offenses--the evidence shows that locking kids up doesn't help them.</p>
<p>So why are we still doing it? And if we keep criminalizing kids, how much better are we than those Victorians in Dickens novels who sent their kids to the workhouse?</p>
<p>As Ross, the photographer and force behind the Web site, " <a href="//www.juvenile-in-justice.com/" type="external">Juvenile in Justice,</a>" told <a href="//www.wired.com/rawfile/2012/04/photog-hopes-to-effect-policy-with-survey-of-juvenile-lock-ups/?pid=1967" type="external">Wired</a>,&#160;</p>
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<p>Sarah Seltzer is an associate editor at AlterNet and a freelance writer based in New York City. Her work has been published at the Nation, the Christian Science Monitor, Jezebel and the Washington Post. Follow her on Twitter at <a href="https://www.twitter.com/fellowette" type="external">@fellowette</a> and find her work at <a href="http://www.sarahmseltzer.com" type="external">sarahmseltzer.com</a>.</p> | What Does It Say About America That We Jail Teens for Having Sex or Being Late to School? | true | http://alternet.org/story/155747/What_Does_It_Say_About_America_That_We_Jail_Teens_for_Having_Sex_or_Being_Late_to_School | 2012-06-08 | 4 |
<p>Tom Carter&#160;</p>
<p>On Monday, a federal judge refused to order a halt to the arbitrary “keep moving” rule imposed by the police on residents and journalists on public sidewalks in Ferguson, Missouri.</p>
<p>As part of the police-military crackdown on protests in Ferguson over the police murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown, the police have adopted the tactic of patrolling the sidewalks in groups and shouting “keep moving” at those standing in their way. Anyone who does not move quickly enough is tackled and arrested.</p>
<p>Standing still for as little as five seconds is sufficient to be taken to the ground and handcuffed by a swarm of police. Hundreds of arrests, including of journalists, have been carried out for “failure to disperse.”</p>
<p>The purpose of this tactic is to menace and intimidate the population and obstruct the exercise of basic constitutional rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. It goes hand-in-hand with a de facto state of martial law that has been imposed on the largely working-class suburb of St. Louis.</p>
<p>Over the past week, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) initiated a number of emergency legal proceedings against municipalities involved in the Ferguson repression as well as their leading personnel, challenging the police activities as unconstitutional.</p>
<p>The legal challenge to the “keep moving” tactic was initiated on Monday on behalf of Mustafa Abdullah, who was repeatedly told to “keep moving” by police in Ferguson while he was on a public sidewalk. As part of those emergency proceedings, captioned&#160;Abdullah v. County of St. Louis et al., the ACLU applied for a temporary restraining order that would have required the police to stop using the tactic while the lawsuit was pending.</p>
<p>“On five separate occasions within a period of approximately one hour at different locations, Plaintiff [Abdullah] was ordered by law enforcement officials to refrain from gathering or standing for more than five seconds on public sidewalks and threatened with arrest for non-compliance,” the ACLU attorneys wrote in their brief. “Plaintiff was at no time violating any law. Numerous other individuals in the area, including members of the media, were similarly ordered by law enforcement officials to refrain from gathering or standing for more than five seconds on public sidewalks and threatened with arrest for non-compliance. They, too, were violating no law.”</p>
<p>“When inquiries were made to law enforcement officers regarding which law prohibits gathering or standing for more than five seconds on public sidewalks, the officers indicated that they did not know and that it did not matter,” the brief continued. “The officers further indicated that they were following the orders of their supervisors, whom they refused to name.”</p>
<p>The ACLU went on to allege that the police “have arrested multiple individuals today [Monday] for gathering or standing for more than five seconds on public sidewalks.”</p>
<p>The ACLU argued that the police tactic “restricts First Amendment activity.” The First Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights (adopted in 1791), guarantees freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government to redress grievances. Arbitrary police rules that lead to harassment, detention, or arrest of demonstrators and journalists exercising their First Amendment rights clearly violate the US Constitution.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster defended the “keep moving” rule and opposed the ACLU petition, arguing that the police tactics were “designed to protect public safety.” As justification for the tactic, he cited alleged “gunfire and violence” in the areas where the protests were taking place.</p>
<p>The invocation of “public safety” to suspend democratic rights in Ferguson mirrors the invocation of “national security” at the national level. It is a catchall justification, with no legal foundation whatsoever, for the implementation of police state measures and the trampling of basic rights.</p>
<p>The principal perpetrators of “gunfire and violence” in Ferguson have not been the protesters, but the police, who shot and killed an unarmed teenager and have carried out mass repression against protesters seeking to exercise their constitutional rights.</p>
<p>Federal District Judge Catherine D. Perry of the Eastern District of Missouri, a Clinton appointee, denied the application for a temporary restraining order late Monday night. The judge was apparently satisfied with assurances from the authorities that a “free speech zone” had been established where the “keep moving” rule would not be invoked.</p>
<p>Following this ruling, ACLU attorneys told the press that for all intents and purposes the First Amendment has been suspended in Ferguson.</p>
<p>The ACLU has filed a number of lawsuits in relation to the crackdown in Ferguson. One ACLU legal action, filed Thursday of last week, alleges that the Ferguson authorities unlawfully withheld the name of the officer who shot Michael Brown, as well as other details of the shooting, in violation of Missouri statutes that were designed to promote government accountability and transparency.</p>
<p>Another legal action challenged the police practice of ordering journalists and others to turn off their cameras and stop recording. That lawsuit was apparently resolved with a vaguely worded agreement that the police could be filmed as long as the filming did not represent a threat to “public safety” and did not interfere with the officers’ performance of their official duties. Notwithstanding this agreement, the police continue to threaten journalists, obstruct their activities, and even arrest them.</p>
<p>The refusal of the courts to order a halt to flagrant violations of democratic rights in Ferguson underscores the extent to which the entire political establishment and the state are united behind the repression in Ferguson.</p>
<p>The American ruling class is terrified of the emergence of domestic opposition to its twin policies of war abroad and austerity at home. With the participation of all of the branches of government and both establishment political parties, it has erected the infrastructure of a police state, including a massive domestic surveillance apparatus, heavily militarized police departments, and the legal precedents for incommunicado detention, torture and assassination of US citizens.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/08/21/aclu-a21.html" type="external">This piece</a> was reprinted by <a href="" type="internal">RINF Alternative News</a> with permission or license.</p> | Federal judge will not stop “keep moving” order | true | http://rinf.com/alt-news/usa-news/federal-judge-will-stop-keep-moving-order/ | 2014-08-21 | 4 |
<p>Complete insane. Reuters <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-obama-idUSKBN16B0CC" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>President Donald Trump on Saturday accused former President Barack Obama of wiretapping him in October during the late stages of the presidential election campaign, but offered no evidence to support the allegation.</p>
<p>“How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!,” Trump said in a series of Tweets on his Twitter account early on Saturday.</p>
<p>Obama’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The White House also did not respond to a request to elaborate on Trump’s accusations.</p>
<p>In one of the Tweets, Trump said the alleged wiretapping took place in his Trump Tower building in New York, but there was “nothing found.”</p>
<p>Trump’s administration has come under pressure from Federal Bureau of Investigation and congressional investigations into contacts between some members of his campaign team and Russian officials during his campaign.</p>
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<p /> | Trump: Obama Wiretapped My Office | true | http://joemygod.com/2017/03/04/trump-obama-wiretapped-office/ | 2017-03-04 | 4 |
<p>A Republican attorney and Las Vegas native has emerged as a candidate in the 2018 race for Clark County Commission.</p>
<p>Tisha Black, 45, a founding partner of the Black and LoBello law firm in Las Vegas, told the Review-Journal that she wants to make opening a small business “as easy as possible” and inexpensive by streamlining the business licensing process.</p>
<p>“Small business is the backbone of America, and it also has a very important role in Nevada,” she said.</p>
<p>Black is running for the District F seat, which is held by Susan Brager. Brager, a Democrat, is serving her third term on the County Commission and cannot run for re-election because of term limits. The county’s official filing period for candidates is in March, 2018.</p>
<p>Voters have not elected a Republican to the County Commission since 2004. Black said as a native she believes that she can attract voters regardless of party affiliation.</p>
<p>“I’m a lifelong Republican, but I’m not typically a (straight-)party voter,” she said. “I have always and will continue to look at the issues as a Nevadan.”</p>
<p>A campaign finance report filed last week shows Black’s campaign received two donations in 2016: $5,000 from her law firm and $2,500 from CMV Investment Holdings LLC.</p>
<p>District F covers the southwest portion of the Las Vegas Valley, extending east to Interstate 15 and north to Charleston Boulevard. The district has about 159,000 registered and active voters, with Democrats leading Republicans by a margin of nearly 14,600.</p>
<p>Correction: A previous version of this story misstated Clark County’s filing period for county commission.</p>
<p>Contact Michael Scott Davidson at <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a> or 702-477-3861. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidsonlvrj" type="external">@davidsonlvrj</a> on Twitter.</p> | Republican attorney will run for Clark County Commission | false | https://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/clark-county/republican-attorney-will-run-for-clark-county-commission/ | 2017-01-24 | 1 |
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<p>Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, left, rides next to U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., in the Sabinoso Wilderness on July 29. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 Albuquerque Journal</p>
<p>WASHINGTON – Less than two weeks after visiting the state, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is moving forward with a plan to provide public access to the Sabinoso Wilderness in New Mexico, the only such federally designated wilderness that isn’t publicly accessible.</p>
<p>Zinke said Wednesday that he’s given the Bureau of Land Management a green light to complete the process to consider whether the federal government should accept the donation of 3,595 acres – formerly known as the Rimrock Rose Ranch – adjacent to the Sabinoso Wilderness, to be included as part of the wilderness.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The move to open the area to the public comes as New Mexicans are awaiting – some rather anxiously – Zinke’s decision on whether to recommend reducing the size of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte national monuments in New Mexico. That decision is due by Aug. 24.</p>
<p>The 16,000-acre Sabinoso Wilderness is enclosed by private lands. Zinke said adding the donated ranch acreage could make the area “accessible to hunters and all members of the public for the first time ever.”</p>
<p>The rugged and remote wilderness area is east of Las Vegas in San Miguel County in northeastern New Mexico.</p>
<p>“Expanding access to hunting, fishing and recreation on federal lands is one of my top priorities as secretary,” Zinke said. “I originally had concerns about adding more wilderness-designated area; however, after hiking and riding the land, it was clear that access would only be improved if the department accepted the land and maintained the existing roadways. Thanks to the donation of a private organization, we continue to move toward delivering this nonpartisan win for sportsmen and the community.”</p>
<p>This final acceptance phase is expected to take three to four months to complete.</p>
<p>Zinke, along with Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both D-N.M., toured the Sabinoso by horseback and on foot on July 29.</p>
<p>Udall said Zinke’s decision is “a testament to how beautiful this land is and the tremendous opportunity it holds for sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts and our state’s growing recreation economy.”</p>
<p>“Enabling access to this wilderness is something that many New Mexicans have worked toward for years, and while there are some details to work out to ensure the property is managed in accordance with the Wilderness Act, I want to thank Secretary Zinke for coming to New Mexico to see this stunning land for himself and for moving quickly to accept the donation of the Rimrock Rose Ranch property,” Udall said.​</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Sabinoso Wilderness boasts some of the most pristine elk habitat in the country. Zinke has previously voiced concerns about accepting the donated ranch as wilderness itself and whether there should other kinds of access beyond on foot or horseback.</p>
<p>During his New Mexico trip, Zinke said some issues still need to be worked out in the access plan, including how to provide access for firefighting equipment and infrastructure to serve visitors, such as parking area restrooms and directional signs.</p>
<p>Heinrich, an ardent hunter, has introduced legislation to open the Sabinoso Wilderness to the public. Heinrich said that if the private land is ultimately made part of the wilderness, it would be a “major gain for New Mexico.”</p>
<p>“The Sabinoso is the only legally inaccessible wilderness area in the entire nation,” Heinrich said. “Surrounded by private land and without a legal road or trail to get there, the public has effectively been locked out of this stunning landscape that we all own. By accepting this land donation as part of the wilderness, the Department of Interior will finally unlock the Sabinoso to the public.”</p>
<p>Garrett VeneKlasen, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and a candidate in the Democratic primary for state land commissioner, joined Zinke and New Mexico’s U.S. senators on the Sabinoso tour last month. He cheered Zinke’s news on Wednesday.</p>
<p>“Giving Secretary Zinke a tour of this area was an honor, and I thank him for coming to New Mexico and seeing the years of work that went into making this happen,” Vene-Klasen said. “I’m glad the secretary intends to finalize this land donation. As a sportsman himself, I knew once he saw the prime hunting and fishing opportunities in this area, he would understand how important this is to the sportsmen and -women of New Mexico. I look forward to seeing this through so that hunters and anglers will have a rich new area to explore.”</p>
<p />
<p /> | Zinke moves to provide public access to Sabinoso | false | https://abqjournal.com/1045615/zinke-moves-to-create-public-access-to-sabinoso-wilderness.html | 2017-08-09 | 2 |
<p>In July, a federal appeals court blocked a North Carolina law that required voters to produce photo identification and follow other rules disproportionately affecting African-Americans and other minorities. North Carolina NAACP president Rev. William Barber, center, called the ruling a powerful victory for civil rights and democracy. ( <a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Voter-ID-Lawsuit/deb9d8578959463fa2c355ada6802d94/5/0" type="external">Steve Helber / AP</a>)</p>
<p>Every once in a while, the curtains part and we get a glimpse of the ugliest, most shameful spectacle in American politics: the Republican Party’s systematic attempt to disenfranchise African-Americans and other minorities with voter ID laws and other restrictions at the polls.</p>
<p>If you thought this kind of discrimination died with Jim Crow, think again. Fortunately, federal courts have blocked implementation of some of the worst new laws, at least for now. But the most effective response would be for black and brown voters to send the GOP a message by turning out in record numbers, no matter what barriers Republicans try to put in our way.</p>
<p>The ostensible reason for these laws is to solve a problem that doesn’t exist — voter fraud by impersonation. Four years ago, you may recall, a Republican Pennsylvania legislator let slip the real reason for his state’s new voter ID law: to “allow” Mitt Romney to win the state. In the end, he didn’t. But Republicans tried mightily to discourage minorities, most of whom vote Democratic, from going to the polls.</p>
<p />
<p>Now, thanks to documents that surfaced in a lawsuit, we have an even clearer and more egregious example of attempted disenfranchisement, this time in North Carolina. As <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/inside-the-republican-creation-of-the-north-carolina-voting-bill-dubbed-the-monster-law/2016/09/01/79162398-6adf-11e6-8225-fbb8a6fc65bc_story.html?tid=a_inl" type="external">The Washington Post reported</a>, the documents show “that North Carolina GOP leaders launched a meticulous and coordinated effort to deter black voters, who overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.”</p>
<p>The story continues, “The law, created and passed entirely by white legislators, evoked the state’s ugly history of blocking African-Americans from voting — practices that had taken a civil rights movement and extensive federal intervention to stop.”</p>
<p>Post reporter William Wan backs up that tough assertion by quoting from the documents.</p>
<p>In one email, written while the GOP-controlled Legislature was crafting what has been called the most onerous voter ID law in the nation, a staffer asks for a breakdown of the 2008 voter turnout showing whether blacks and whites differed in their preference for early voting. In another email, a Republican lawmaker wants to know if Hispanic voters tend to vote outside their home precincts. In another, an aide to the House speaker asks for “a breakdown, by race, of those registered voters in your database that do not have a driver’s license number.”</p>
<p>Wan writes that “months later, the North Carolina Legislature passed a law that cut a week of early voting, eliminated out-of-precinct voting and required voters to show specific types of photo ID — restrictions that election board data demonstrated would disproportionately affect African-Americans and other minorities.”</p>
<p>Thankfully, a three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recognized the Legislature’s discriminatory intent and struck down the law. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory tried to appeal, but the <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/the-supreme-courts-rejection-of-north-carolina-voting-law/498263/" type="external">Supreme Court refused to stay</a> the lower court’s order — which means the law will not be in effect for this year’s election.</p>
<p>Federal courts have also struck down new voting restrictions in Texas, Wisconsin, Kansas and North Dakota. In all cases, the laws were enacted by Republican legislatures and governors. And in all cases, discriminatory impact on minority voters is at issue.</p>
<p>GOP officials defend these laws as necessary to protect the sanctity of the voting process. The judge in the Wisconsin case, however, found that “a preoccupation with mostly phantom election fraud leads to real incidents of disenfranchisement.”</p>
<p>Some might argue that these laws are a matter of politics, not racism — that Republicans may be trying to discourage Democrats from the polls, but are not targeting minorities as such. That’s a distinction without a difference, however, given the GOP’s estrangement from minority voters.</p>
<p>And the North Carolina example clearly puts to rest any notion that these restrictions are colorblind. The law began as a simple 16-page bill mandating voter IDs. But in June 2013, while the legislation was still being worked on, the Supreme Court struck down Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which compelled Southern states with a history of voter discrimination to obtain Justice Department approval before making changes in election laws.</p>
<p>“Now we can go with the full bill,” the Republican chairman of the state Senate’s rules committee told reporters. The legislation grew to 57 pages, with new provisions that shortened early voting, eliminated same-day registration and took away counties’ ability to extend poll hours to accommodate long lines, among other curbs.</p>
<p>Republicans claim they want support from African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities. They don’t deserve the time of day until they stop this appalling effort to keep us from voting at all.</p> | The Shameful Spectacle of Denying People Their Vote | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/the-shameful-spectacle-of-denying-people-their-vote/ | 2016-09-09 | 4 |
<p>By Bob Allen</p>
<p>Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention will vote in June on a proposal to no longer recognize the District of Columbia Baptist Convention as a qualified state entitled to representation on SBC governing boards.</p>
<p>Staff of the SBC Executive Committee said Feb. 19 the proposed change is in response to complaints that current trustees are chosen from only a small number of D.C. churches actively involved in Southern Baptist life, creating impressions of favoritism. A single congregation, Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., has provided 40 of 65 D.C. Baptist representatives during the past 10 years, according to background materials provided to committee members.</p>
<p>While leaders said there have been no complaints about the service of the trustees from Capitol Hill Baptist Church, the trend goes against an unspoken tradition of trying to choose representation from as broad a number of congregations as possible.</p>
<p>A proposal set for vote at the Executive Committee’s pre-convention meeting in June would establish a new territory merging the D.C. convention with the adjoining Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.</p>
<p>The new arrangement would alter connections that make the District of Columbia convention uniquely aligned not only with Southern Baptists but also with other Baptist groups including American Baptist Churches USA. Historically the arrangement was presented as a unified witness that unlike other cities, the nation’s capital transcends geography and belongs to all U.S. citizens.</p>
<p>The SBC once funded the DC convention to the tune of $475,000 a year. That ended in 2003, when D.C. Baptists turned down a cooperative agreement giving the SBC North American Mission Board greater control over how those funds would be expended.</p> | SBC considers dropping DC ties | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/sbc-considers-dropping-dc-ties/ | 3 |
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<p>By Laura Rector</p>
<p>“Why did you go to Southern Baptist Convention schools when they don’t support women in ministry, Laura?” That’s the refrain I often hear, as I’ve moved into more moderate circles in recent years. It’s usually followed by the underlying assumption that being conservative means not allowing people to think for themselves.</p>
<p>“Yes, why?” I’m tempted to ask myself, thinking of painful experiences I’ve had. But, sometimes when moderate friends ask such things, I think they are the ones trying to think for me.</p>
<p>We Christians often become so passionate in our views that we start assuming anyone who loves Jesus should think like us. Certainly, this happens in SBC life, but it also happens in progressive Baptist groups.</p>
<p>I’d like to tell both “sides” that Jesus loved a lot of people — and not all of them were clones of one another.</p>
<p>Yes, there are institutional practices — painful practices — currently embedded in SBC life that mean anyone who doesn’t follow the leadership’s views should get out. There are those who elevate their own beliefs above all others, often with painful results for women called to ministry like me. So, why did I stay as long as I did?</p>
<p>I stayed because I was loved. I stayed because those folks aren’t the whole picture. Beneath the institutional façade there are also a lot of kind-hearted people, representing an entire spectrum of beliefs — although the group dynamics push toward conservatism.</p>
<p>I was loved in the SBC by people like Paul Jackson. I met him when I was a 17-year-old kid visiting Union University and trying out college for the first time. By the time I graduated, I had taken nine courses he taught. He strengthened my love for Jesus and taught me to love learning, to think critically and to explore all angles of issues.</p>
<p>Years later, when I went independently to the mission field and experienced sexual harassment, it was Dr. Jackson I called from across the world.</p>
<p>Now, as a Ph.D. candidate, it’s his training I remember when stuck on a writing project. “The first step is always prayer. In fact, prayer goes into all the steps,” he said.</p>
<p>I was loved in the SBC by people like Ina Cain, who led the Woman’s Missionary Union at Valley View Baptist Church in Vine Grove, Ky., for many years. When God was calling me to career missions, Ms. Cain knew before I did. Her phone call to ask me deep questions was one of the first signs that God was pointing me in that direction.</p>
<p>I was loved in the SBC by people like my mom, Alice Rector — who doesn’t always agree with the SBC, particularly about her daughter’s call to ministry, but who has supported a small Baptist church for years because it seems to be her only option. She taught me about Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong, took me on G.A. service projects, and taught me more about following Jesus than all my seminary professors put together.</p>
<p>I was loved in the SBC by people like Heather Bump, my very first friend at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She helped me hang in there until graduation, even though our worldviews are often worlds apart on issues. Heather still prays for me to this day, and it’s hard to imagine doing God’s work without such encouragement.</p>
<p>When I was adrift after doing my M.Div. work at Southern, not knowing how to be a missionary once it became a requirement to sign the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 to do so, Heather helped me find a job and encouraged me as I moved into my first apartment.</p>
<p>I was loved in the SBC by friends like Robert Thomas, Jeremy Blythe, James Santos, Eldridge Smith, and Matthew DiCapua. They taught me about evangelism, prayed for me when I was overseas and there were bombings and hung in there with me when a teenager from my youth group died or when I was visiting an abused child in the hospital.</p>
<p>I’d be dishonest to say I wasn’t hurt by the denomination or some of my experiences in their schools and churches. But, it is this diverse group of people I met in SBC life — and many others I don’t have the space to name here — who encourage me to “follow Jesus no matter what,” even when it’s scary, and to do “what God wants me to do.” That can hardly be termed “thinking for me.”</p>
<p>I love them, too. That’s why I stayed as long as I did. This may not be the answer some people want me to admit. It’s the truthful one, though –not to mention one that’s nice to remember in a Baptist world of conflict, pain and competing ideologies.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | What some Baptists don’t want to hear about others | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/what-some-baptists-dont-want-to-hear-about-others/ | 3 |
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<p>SEOUL, South Korea — The rival Koreas will sit down for their first formal talks in more than two years next week to find ways to cooperate on the Winter Olympics in the South and to improve their abysmal ties, Seoul officials said Friday. While a positive sign after last year’s threats of nuclear war, the Koreas have a long history of failing to move past their deep animosity.</p>
<p>The announcement came hours after the United States said it will delay annual military exercises with South Korea until after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, next month. The exercises infuriate North Korea, which claims they are an invasion rehearsal, although South Korea and the United States have repeatedly said they are defensive in nature.</p>
<p>On Friday morning, North Korea sent a message saying it would accept South Korea’s offer to meet at the border village of Panmunjom next Tuesday to discuss Olympic cooperation and how to improve overall ties, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles North Korean matters. Panmunjom is where a North Korean soldier dashed across the border into the South in November. He is recovering after being shot five times by his former comrades.</p>
<p>Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said he expects the two Koreas will use a recently restored cross-border communication channel to try to determine who will head their respective delegations next week.</p>
<p />
<p>Any dialogue between the Koreas is seen as a positive step. But critics say the North’s abrupt push to improve ties may be a tactic to divide Seoul and Washington and weaken international pressure and sanctions on Pyongyang.</p>
<p>In his New Year’s address Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was willing to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics but he also said he has a “nuclear button” on his desk to fire atomic weapons at the United States. President Donald Trump quickly responded that he had a bigger and more powerful “nuclear button” of his own.</p>
<p>Past breakthroughs to ease Korean tensions have often ended with renewed animosities. It’s likely the North will refrain from provocations during the Games. But tensions could return afterward because the North has no intention of abandoning its weapons programs and the United States will not ease its pressure on the country, analysts say.</p>
<p>China’s foreign ministry applauded news of possible talks between the rival Koreas.</p>
<p>“We welcome the recent positive turn of events in the peninsular situation,” spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing.</p>
<p>Geng expressed hope “all relevant parties” would take advantage of the Games to “bring the issue back to the correct track of peaceful settlement through dialogue and consultation.”</p>
<p>The Trump government on Thursday said its springtime military drills with South Korea will be held from March 8-18 following the Feb. 9-25 Olympic Games. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis insisted the delay was a practical necessity to accommodate the Olympics, not a political gesture.</p>
<p>The White House said Trump approved the postponement in consultation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who said he suggested the drills’ delay to the United States.</p>
<p>Moon, a liberal, has been pushing to improve strained ties and restore stalled cooperation projects with North Korea since his inauguration in May, though he joined U.S.-led international efforts to apply more pressure and sanctions on the North.</p>
<p>Moon’s government wants North Korea to take part in the Winter Olympics. But North Korea is not strong in winter sports and none of its athletes have been qualified to compete in the Games. It needs to acquire additional quotas by the International Olympic Committee to come to South Korea. Baik said North Korea is expected to hold talks with IOC officials next week.</p>
<p>The Trump administration has said all options are on the table to end the North Korean nuclear standoff, including military measures, but Moon has repeatedly said there cannot be another war on the Korean Peninsula. Critics say these differences may have led Kim to think he can drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington as a way to weaken international pressure on the country.</p>
<p>The United States stations about 30,000 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. North Korea has cited the U.S. military presence and its regular drills with South Korea as proof of American hostility that compels it to pursue nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>Last year, North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and test-launched three intercontinental ballistic missiles as part of its push to possess functioning nuclear missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland. The repeated weapons tests earned the North toughened U.N. sanctions, and Kim and Trump exchanged threats of nuclear war and crude personal insults.</p> | Koreas Will Meet for Talks Next Week in Small Breakthrough | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/koreas-will-meet-talks-next-week-small-breakthrough/ | 2018-01-05 | 4 |
<p>Appearing on Fox News with Greta Van Susteren (Feb. 23), Governor Schwarzenegger briefly emphasized the need for immigration reform in light of California’s economic woes.&#160; “We’ve got to go and make a decision so that people can come to this country legitimately, rather than having quotas there, because we need the farm workers,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger.&#160;“We need the construction workers. We need to have people do certain jobs that maybe that we cannot fill otherwise,” he said.</p>
<p>Another immigrant demographic Schwarzenegger desires to reach is foreign students in California for schooling. Schwarzenegger thinks it’s a problem that students spend a few years in California and are sent back upon completing their education.&#160; “I think they should stay here. They should work here. And they should take that knowledge that they have gained in California and put it to good use for California if they’re studying here,” he said. &#160;</p>
<p>Portraying himself as a politician tough on illegal immigration, Schwarzenegger said that his state’s strict laws forbid undocumented workers from working in the state.&#160; “Well, as you know, we have strict laws that you can’t hire anyone that is here undocumented in the state,” he said.&#160; However, he also acknowledged the current system’s cracks, noting illegal immigration somewhat effects California’s spiraling economy.</p>
<p>“There’s people that break the law, and all those kind of things. But the fact of the matter is, yes, it does have — create an extra burden on our economy and also on our budget situation.”&#160; In California’s recovery efforts and the governor’s claims of illegals breaking the law, the state is dealing with a delicate balancing act and needs to juggle these two issues.</p>
<p>Governor Schwarzenegger’s call for immigration reform is problematic in its own right, appearing to hold contradicting stances at times.&#160; As congressional members seek to impose a one-size-fits all solution to the matter, what’s perplexing is that the feds aren’t even equipped to adequately address the issue.</p>
<p>For one, the Sec. of Homeland Security may halt construction on a <a href="http://www.infowars.com/dhs-may-scrap-border-patrol-project-2/" type="external">high tech border fence</a> began under the Bush administration.&#160; While there are disagreements about the effectiveness of a fence, what’s the better proposal in place of it? &#160;For another, the Daily Caller <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/02/25/e-verify-misses-half-of-illegal-workers-checked/" type="external">reported</a> the federal government’s E-Verify program is failing to catch more than half the illegals it checks.</p>
<p>The massive federal government is currently lost in a wonderland of bewilderment, lacking a sense of vision.&#160; As government continues to grow at an unprecedented level, the more inefficient it will become in dealing with the immigration problem.</p>
<p>What we need is a sizable government to tackle these particular obstacles.&#160; The feds should allocate financial resources fitted to each state’s particular immigration needs.&#160; In turn, the feds would need to hold states accountable for using that funding wisely.&#160; State programs shouldn’t foster immigration activities that are a drag on taxpayers.&#160;&#160;This solution would allow states like California to be autonomous instead of being beholden to the current inefficiencies of the federal government.</p> | Schwarzenegger calls for immigration reform, but Feds ill equipped | false | https://ivn.us/2010/03/02/schwarzenegger-calls-immigration-reform-feds-ill-equipped/ | 2010-03-02 | 2 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" />It’s not often I read a story where a Republican actually used common sense. &#160;It’s even less common that I read about a Republican using common sense as it relates to women’s rights, and in particular abortion rights. &#160;Add in the fact that this Republican is in Oklahoma and it makes it even more shocking.</p>
<p>But that’s what <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/04/02/3421927/oklahoma-republican-plan-b/" type="external">Republican Oklahoma Rep. Doug Cox did</a> when he called a new bill moving through Oklahoma’s state legislature “prejudiced” against women.</p>
<p>The new bill would copy many of the same regulations that were passed in Texas which have forced the closure of many of the state’s clinics that provided abortions, and it would also prevent teens under the age of 17 from being able to buy Plan B over the counter.</p>
<p>Cox highlighted the fact that Oklahoma has the second highest teen birth rate in the country and further blocking their access to vital emergency contraception will only make the teen pregnancy problem worse.</p>
<p>He then went on to say,&#160;“This bill is prejudiced. &#160;It’s prejudiced against women. &#160;A 14-year-old boy can go to the truck stop and buy all the condoms he wants. &#160;He can control his destiny. &#160;This bill takes the ability to control their destiny away from women. &#160;But that’s what we do in the Republican Party these days.”</p>
<p>Following that he addressed the talking point that some have used citing that some individuals have bad reactions to Plan B, rendering it a health hazard. &#160;Cox pointed out the lack of scientific evidence to support that and said,&#160;“Probably more people are allergic to latex condoms than have a reaction to Plan B.”</p>
<p>It’s just shocking to see a Republican using common sense, so I really have to applaud Rep. Cox. &#160;I especially liked the comment he made where he took a direct shot at the war on women the Republican party has been waging for years now.</p>
<p>But he’s spot-on with his comments. &#160;These bills are prejudiced against women. &#160;They’re specifically targeting women’s rights under the false pretense of “protecting their health.” &#160;They say these measures are meant to “protect women,” but all they are is their attempt to continue to deny women their constitutionally protected right to have control over their own bodies.</p>
<p>Just more of that “small government Republican party” doing their best to interject their religion, their ideology and their big government into the sex lives of every single American.</p>
<p>I would encourage everyone who can <a href="http://www.drdougcox.com/contact.htm" type="external">to call Rep. Cox</a>, thank him for voicing some common sense, and encourage him to keep standing up against the extremism coming from within the Republican party.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Introducing Possibly the Most Idiotic Anti-Abortion Argument by a Republican - Ever</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Sen. Lindsey Graham Exposes Just How Little Many Republicans Care About Women's Rights (Video)</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Jon Stewart Loses It: The 'F*ckery' and 'Dumbassery' in Congress is Out Of Control (Video)</a></p>
<p>0 Facebook comments</p> | Shocking: Oklahoma Republican Says New Anti-Abortion Bill is Prejudiced Against Women | true | http://forwardprogressives.com/shocking-oklahoma-republican-says-new-anti-abortion-bill-prejudiced-women/ | 2014-04-04 | 4 |
<p>Investing.com – The dollar ticked down to one-week lows against a basket of the other major currencies on Friday amid growing doubts over whether Republicans will be able to push through their tax overhaul this year.</p>
<p>The , which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, slid 0.13% to 94.30 in late trade. For the week, the index was down 0.61%, snapping three straight weeks of gains.</p>
<p>Senate Republicans unveiled a tax plan on Thursday that differed from the one crafted by House Republicans, to reconciling the differences between the two plans with just a short time before the year-end deadline they have set to pass it.</p>
<p>Hopes of tax reform have helped boost the dollar since mid-September. Some traders believe tax reforms could bolster growth, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, known as the “Trumpflation” trade.</p>
<p>The euro was up 0.21% to 1.1667 late Friday and ended the week with a gain of 0.45%.</p>
<p>The dollar was little changed against the yen, with at 113.56 late Friday. For the week the pair was down 0.53%.</p>
<p>Sterling pushed higher, with adding on 0.35% to end at 1.3191. The pound was boosted as better-than-expected data on output and easing concerns over the progress of Brexit talks underpinned the currency.</p>
<p>Sterling was also higher against the euro, with sliding 0.16% to 0.8842 late Friday.</p>
<p>, inflation readings will matter most for global financial markets, with the U.S., UK, euro zone and Canada all set to release CPI data.</p>
<p>Investors will also be focusing on the Central Bank Communications Conference hosted by the ECB, with a panel discussion including the heads of the European, U.S., British and Japanese central banks in the spotlight.</p>
<p>Ahead of the coming week, Investing.com has compiled a list of these and other significant events likely to affect the markets.</p>
<p>Monday, November 13</p>
<p>Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker is due to speak at an event in Tokyo.</p>
<p>Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda is to make remarks on monetary policy at an event in Zurich.</p>
<p>Tuesday, November 14</p>
<p>Australia is to release data on business confidence.</p>
<p>China is to publish reports on industrial production, fixed asset investment and retail sales.</p>
<p>Germany is to release preliminary data on third quarter economic growth. Meanwhile the ZEW Institute is to produce data on German economic sentiment.</p>
<p>Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney are among central bankers due to speak at an event hosted by the ECB in Frankfurt.</p>
<p>The UK is to produce inflation data.</p>
<p>The euro zone is to release preliminary data on third quarter growth.</p>
<p>The U.S. is to publish data on producer prices.</p>
<p>Wednesday, November 15</p>
<p>Japan is to release preliminary data on third quarter growth.</p>
<p>Chicago Fed President Charles Evans is to speak in London.</p>
<p>The UK is to publish its latest employment report.</p>
<p>The U.S. is to release data on inflation and retail sales along with a report on manufacturing activity in the New York region.</p>
<p>Thursday, November 16</p>
<p>Australia is to release its latest jobs report.</p>
<p>The UK is to report on retail sales.</p>
<p>The euro zone is to release revised inflation data.</p>
<p>Canada is to report on manufacturing sales and foreign securities purchases.</p>
<p>The U.S. is to release reports on jobless claims, industrial production, import prices and manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region.BoE Governor Mark Carney is to speak at an event in Liverpool.</p>
<p>Friday, November 17</p>
<p>ECB President Mario Draghi is to speak in Frankfurt.</p>
<p>Canada is to report on inflation.</p>
<p>The U.S. is to wrap up the week with data on building permits and housing starts.</p> | Forex – Weekly Outlook: November 13 – 17 | false | https://newsline.com/forex-weekly-outlook-november-13-17/ | 2017-11-12 | 1 |
<p>This post courtesy&#160; <a href="http://www.bbcearth.com/lifeis" type="external">BBC Earth</a>&#160;and the Deadly 60 Team. For more wildlife news, find BBC Earth on&#160; <a href="http://bit.ly/bbcearthlifeis" type="external">Facebook</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="http://bbcearth.posterous.com/" type="external">Posterous</a>.</p>
<p>Legend has it that piranhas gather in predatory shoals and can strip human beings to the bone and eat them alive. The yellow-bellied piranha has a horrific appearance, with a mouth packed full of canines 4 millimeters long, which, like sharks, are constantly replaced when lost or worn down.</p>
<p>Piranhas can also detect a drop of blood in 200 liters of water and shoals can clean off meat from a carcass with alarming effectiveness. Steve went in search of this notorious killer fish when he travelled to the Amazon river. Getting in the water to lure them in with a piece of steak had some frightening results:</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Scary! But could they eat a human alive? Probably not.</p>
<p>Piranhas are neither carnivorous nor aggressive man-eaters. According to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6259946.stm" type="external">research in the UK</a> piranhas are thought to be mainly scavengers, feeding on fish, plants, and insects, sometimes stripping meat from mammal carcasses that have ended up in the river. They also appear to be quite fearful, gathering in large shoals not to hunt down prey but rather to defend themselves against predators.</p>
<p>We’re pretty sure that no one has ever been eaten alive by piranhas, even if a few attacks have been reported. In fact, if they have eaten any humans it’s more likely because they have eaten the remains of a corpse lying on the river bed.</p>
<p>The myth of the aggressive piranha might be traced back to Theodore Roosevelt, who visited Brazil in 1914 and saw a piranha shoal rapidly strip the flesh from a dead cow. However, the show had been set up to entertain tourists; the captive fish had been kept hungry for days so they would go into a feeding frenzy.</p>
<p>We’re not suggesting you bathe in piranha-infested water with wild abandon. But we do think it’s safe to say most piranhas are peace-loving vegetable eaters, unlikely to devour you alive.</p>
<p>For more stories from Steve and the Deadly 60 team, check out the <a href="http://deadly.bbcearth.com/deadly-diaries/" type="external">Deadly Diaries</a>.</p> | Can Piranhas Eat a Human Being Alive? [Video] | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/can-piranhas-eat-human-being-alive-video-bbc-earth/ | 2011-10-08 | 4 |
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<p>Nothing serious?!</p>
<p>Consider for a moment, what may have happened if the assailants of the Columbine High School shootings were intercepted and assessed for mental health concerns? What if they had received treatment?</p>
<p>What if a mother's repeated requests for help were acknowledged and the Sandy Hook tragedy could have been prevented?</p>
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<p>In both situations red flags were missed, dismissed or ignored, and the consequences were catastrophic.</p>
<p>Early interventions could have prevented these tragedies and saved multiple lives.</p>
<p>Solutions are not easy to come by, nor are they readily available.</p>
<p>As graduate students at the University of Southern California, we recognize the acute need for behavioral and mental health services in the school system. Prevention and early detection are absolutely essential.</p>
<p>According to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 20 percent of youths age 13-18, and 13 percent of youths age 8-15 experience severe mental disorders in any given year. Nearly one in five youths need help and support.</p>
<p>One in five.</p>
<p>The Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013 is currently in the House of Representatives (HR 628). This bill would bring behavioral/mental health services to campuses across the nation.</p>
<p>The goal of this bill is to provide mental health funding that will allow for training and interventions in schools. It would allow community agencies to provide a clinician or social worker who would be at the school on a daily basis.</p>
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<p>The clinician or social worker would be skilled in behavioral, mental health and crisis intervention. They would network with other professionals as needed. Both students and staff would benefit from accessible services.</p>
<p>Most importantly, early intervention can lower the risk of another tragedy.</p>
<p>Other options include utilizing existing resources. Kids need to know what mental illness is, and is not.</p>
<p>NAMI's "Breaking the Silence" is a curriculum that teaches the warning signs of mental illness and works to break down stigma.</p>
<p>SafeTALK is a four-hour training on recognizing red flags and connecting individuals to a qualified provider or providers for further assistance.</p>
<p>These trainings would help staff be more aware of actions and interactions and give them the needed tools to either help students or put them in contact with someone who can help them.</p>
<p>Crisis responses cost our nation millions.</p>
<p>The Department of Justice reported that the Sandy Hook shooting cost Connecticut $2.5 million in police response alone. This estimate does not include services such as medical care, EMT and other trauma-related interventions.</p>
<p>Some argue that our nation cannot afford to provide these services. That crisis services are costly and unsustainable.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the SafeTALK training is $4 per person, and the Breaking the Silence curriculum is $55 for K-12.</p>
<p>One may ask, can our country afford the HR 628 bill? But we ask you, how can we not afford it?</p>
<p>Melinda Stern and Mickale J. Burns are master of social work candidates at the University of Southern California through the Virtual Academic Center.</p>
<p /> | Mental health services for kids is a good investment | false | https://abqjournal.com/393953/mental-health-services-for-kids-is-a-good-investment.html | 2 |
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<p>Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a fierce defender of states’ rights, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-constitution-idUSKBN0UM2CG20160108" type="external">wants nine new amendments</a> to the Constitution that would protect the states.</p>
<p>On Friday, Abbott, who was formerly the Texas attorney general, called for a "Convention of States to fix the cracks in our Constitution." <a href="http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2016/01/gov-greg-abbott-calls-for-constitutional-convention-to-take-back-states-rights.html/" type="external">Speaking</a> at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Policy Orientation, he explained, “If we are going to fight for, protect and hand on to the next generation, the freedom that [President] Reagan spoke of … then we have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in America,” adding, “The irony for our generation is that the threat to our Republic doesn’t come just from foreign enemies, it comes, in part, from our very own leaders.”</p>
<p>The Dallas Morning News reported that the changes Abbott he would like to implement through amendments include:</p>
<p>“If we are going to fight for, protect and hand on to the next generation, the freedom that [President] Reagan spoke of … then we have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in America."</p>
<p>Texas Governor Greg Abbott</p>
<p>Passing an amendment to the Constitution requires the approval of three-fourths of the states for a change, but Abbott is undaunted, He asserted, "The cure to these problems will not come from Washington D.C. Instead, the states must lead the way. The Texas plan fixes this government run amok."</p>
<p>Abbott has been <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/11/09/texas-gov-greg-abbott-has-message-for-obama-after-court-rules-against-executive-immigration-action/" type="external">leading the charge</a> against the Obama Administration, heading the fight in court to block Obama’s executive order on immigration.</p> | Defiant Texas Governor Has Plan For States To Take Back Power From Feds | true | https://dailywire.com/news/2475/defiant-texas-governor-has-plan-states-take-back-hank-berrien | 2016-01-08 | 0 |
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<p>Her recommendation centered on the need for more first responder services.</p>
<p>Tso, who is a member of the Northern Agency Partnership board in Shiprock, said the tribe badly needs resources like police and fire departments, as well as emergency medical technicians.</p>
<p>“Navajo Nation only has one fire department, and where is it? In Window Rock,” Tso said, adding that each community on the reservation should have a fire department.</p>
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<p>She said the tribe needs to establish a 911 system because the current system relies on service from city or county dispatch.</p>
<p>“When you dial 911, where does that call go to? Outside,” she said.</p>
<p>Thursday’s hearing took place at the Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center here.</p>
<p>Since Oct. 28, the Navajo Nation Council has been collecting recommendations for how the tribe could utilize the settlement money, which ended a lawsuit the tribe filed against the federal government for mismanaging and violating trust responsibilities.</p>
<p>The settlement agreement was signed in September by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and tribal leaders.</p>
<p>Like previous public hearings, the range of public comments covered topics like education, community development, range land improvements and housing.</p>
<p>Navajo Preparatory School Executive Director Betty Ojaye argued that a portion of the settlement be allocated to the school for facility improvements, especially those that are shovel ready, and to the school’s trust fund.</p>
<p>“We feel this investment will be long term, and it will be sustainable for future generations,” Ojaye said.</p>
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<p>Another suggestion made by one of the audience members was providing $30 million each to Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint and to Diné College in Tsaile, Ariz.</p>
<p>But the needs of the local communities were not forgotten.</p>
<p>Shiprock resident Sammy Ahkeah’s comment focused on the lack of solid waste facilities on the reservation.</p>
<p>Despite efforts by the tribe to clean up areas, illegal trash disposal continues to be a problem, he said.</p>
<p>Although some counties have contracts with the tribe to provide trash disposal services, there will come a time when those services could end, he said.</p>
<p>“We need to take care of our own trash problem,” Ahkeah said.</p>
<p>Shiprock Chapter vice president Tommie Yazzie expressed his opinion in the Navajo language.</p>
<p>He said the money should be distributed to each of 110 chapters and placed in separate accounts so chapter officials can withdraw the funding without having to navigate the bureaucracy.</p>
<p>“This settlement is not for Window Rock,” Yazzie said.</p>
<p>San Juan River Dineh Water Users Inc. Superintendent Martin Duncan suggested the tribe establish a $100,000 permanent water trust fund, which would accrue interest to be used annually for agricultural, domestic, range land and waste-water infrastructure projects.</p>
<p>The recommendation made by Shiprock resident Caroline Beyale was simple.</p>
<p>“Why can’t we get the money?” Beyale asked.</p>
<p>As with previous public hearings, the audience listened to presentations by the tribe’s controller, Mark Grant, and from Pro Tem Speaker LoRenzo Bates.</p>
<p>Grant explained there are fees and mandatory set-asides that would be taken out of the settlement before the reminder can be utilized.</p>
<p>The $554 million settlement would be reduced to $409.9 million after about $44.3 million is used for attorney fees and $66.5 million goes to the Permanent Trust Fund, $11.1 million to the Land Acquisition Fund and $22.1 million to the Veterans Trust Fund.</p>
<p>There is the possibility of eliminating the mandatory set-asides, but that would need to be accomplished by legislation passed by the tribal council, he said.</p>
<p>The last public hearing in the series is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute’s Science and Technology Auditorium in Albuquerque.</p>
<p>Bates said legislative branch staff members have been keeping track of the comments and recommendations, and the feedback will be compiled after the hearings are completed.</p>
<p>Forty-five of the 163 people attending Thursday’s hearing spoke, according to the Office of the Speaker.</p>
<p>Noel Lyn Smith covers the Navajo Nation for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4636 and [email protected]. Follow her @nsmithdt on Twitter.</p>
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<p>©2014 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.)</p>
<p>Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at <a href="http://www.daily-times.com" type="external">www.daily-times.com</a></p>
<p>Distributed by MCT Information Services</p>
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<p>Topics: t000037113,t000040421,t000139548</p> | Navajo Nation Northern Agency weighs in on $554 million trust settlement | false | https://abqjournal.com/492954/navajo-nation-northern-agency-weighs-in-on-554-million-trust-settlement.html | 2 |
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<p><a href="" type="internal" />That seems more than justified, especially considering the Mike Locksley Attrition Festival that preceded him.</p>
<p>Under Locksley, UNM’s retention rate for his three recruiting classes – players who entered the program and stayed through the end of their eligibility – was around 40 percent. Under Davie, it’s about 85 percent.</p>
<p>Please note: Those numbers are based on players who signed letters of intent each February (or December, in the case of a few midyear junior college transfers). The numbers may not be exact, given that a few players under each coach entered the program at other times. But they’re close.</p>
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<p>I considered doing a where-are-they-now column on the Locksley signees who got away. But, realizing that such a project might take years, I decided to focus on the Davie few rather than the Locksley many.</p>
<p>Gerron Borne, a Lobos defensive lineman, is considered one of coach Bob Davie’s highest-rated recruits. He fell out of the coach’s good graces and left after the 2013 season. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>Here we go:</p>
<p>GERRON BORNE: Generally considered the highest-rated player in Davie’s first recruiting class, Borne, a defensive lineman from Reserve, La., played in only three games as a Lobo before being suspended by the coach in September 2013. He never returned to Davie’s good graces and left the program after the 2013 season.</p>
<p>According to his Facebook page, Borne is a student at Southern University in Baton Rouge. He is not playing football.</p>
<p>JOSH BAGGETT: The former Rio Rancho offensive lineman committed to UNM before Locksley was fired in late September 2011. Davie honored the commitment, and Baggett played in one game – the 2012 season opener against Southern. After that season, Baggett transferred to Division II West Alabama. After redshirting in 2013, he started several games at right guard last fall.</p>
<p>THE JACKSON TWINS: Cornerbacks Rashad and Vershad Jackson were among Davie’s most talked-about recruits in 2012. The twins saw considerable action as backups that season, but were dismissed from the team after an incident on the practice field in Ruidoso the next summer.</p>
<p>The twins were reinstated 10 days after the incident and redshirted that year. They disappeared from the roster without explanation after the season. Davie said last week that their departure was his decision.</p>
<p>The Jacksons are enrolled at North Texas. They’re currently walk-ons on the Mean Green roster, but North Texas media spokesman Eric Capper said they might earn scholarships for next season “if they take care of their business through the spring semester.”</p>
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<p>Having enrolled at UNM in 2012 and having sat out the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the Jacksons have two seasons of eligibility remaining.</p>
<p>CHRISTIAN REBHUN: A member of Davie’s 2012 class, the tight end from Denver redshirted that season. In August 2013, he suffered a torn ACL during a kickoff drill in Ruidoso. He chose not to return for the 2014 season and enrolled at the University of Colorado. He is not playing football.</p>
<p>PAYTRON HIGHTOWER: A promising defensive lineman from Dallas, Hightower played in five games as a true freshman in 2012 and one in 2013 before being suspended along with Borne. He was reinstated that season but, while dealing with epilepsy, did not play thereafter.</p>
<p>In August 2014, Davie spoke enthusiastically of Hightower’s future. The redshirt sophomore had started two games last season when, in October, Davie announced he had dismissed Hightower and linebacker Tre’von Roy for “an accumulation and a pattern of attitude that keeps us from winning.”</p>
<p>Hightower left UNM after the fall semester. There is no word regarding his post-UNM football plans.</p>
<p>JALYN JUDKINS: A big (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) wide receiver from Angleton, Texas, Judkins signed with UNM in 2013 and redshirted that fall. He did not return for the 2014 spring semester, Davie said, because he was “needed at home.”</p>
<p>Judkins walked on last fall at Texas A&amp;M in College Station, a two-hour drive from Angleton.</p>
<p>TRE’VON ROY: A 2013 recruit, Roy redshirted that season and seemed on his way to being a major contributor in 2014 and beyond. During the Lobos’ Oct. 18 loss at Air Force, Roy forced a fumble that safety David Guthrie recovered and returned for a touchdown.</p>
<p>Two days later, Davie announced that Roy and Hightower had been dismissed.</p>
<p>As with Hightower, his former Dallas Pinkston High School teammate, there’s no word on Roy’s football future.</p>
<p>SAM MABANY: A native of Sudan, Mabany signed with UNM out of Denver’s South High School in 2013. He redshirted that year and at some point during the 2014 season – no announcement was made – Davie booted him from the team for reasons similar to those that prompted the dismissal of Roy and Hightower.</p>
<p>There is no word regarding Mabany’s football future.</p>
<p>DESMOND BRANCH: A 2014 signee from Cibola, Branch redshirted last fall. After the season, the young defensive lineman left the program and has enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. Davie said Branch’s decision to leave was solely the player’s.</p>
<p>GARRISON MITCHELL: A wide receiver from Beaumont, Texas, Mitchell redshirted last fall. Late in the season, UNM media spokesman Frank Mercogliano said, Mitchell left the team of his own volition. No announcement was made at the time.</p>
<p>According to Mitchell’s Facebook page, he has enrolled at Blinn College, a two-year school in Brenham, Texas.</p>
<p>Thus, 11 players from Davie’s first three recruiting classes have left with eligibility remaining.</p>
<p>That trickle of attrition is a far cry, indeed, from the fast-flowing river of Locksley departures that confronted Davie when he took the job.</p>
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